E-Mealz, You Make My Heart Sing!

I decided to sign up for E-Mealz after hearing several promotions and reading about it in our paper. I have gotten into a rut and cooked the same meals over and over while inserting a new one in hear and there. Each week I was determined to try something new and after spending several hours in recipe books and then writing a grocery list, I had enough. It was easier to go back to the basics. So E-Mealz has come to my rescue. So far I have been impressed. It only costs $1.25 a week or $5 a month and I believe I actually save money. You pick the store you would prefer to shop at and the type of meal style you would prefer to eat. We are experimenting with the low-carb at Walmart, but do our shopping at various places with the best deal. I have been impressed so far. I don't have to think what I am going to cook for dinner and it prints out a shopping list for you! I think our family is actually eating healthier, not that we didn't do so already. Plus, we are exposing Ty to a new variety of flavors. He has become somewhat pickier then he used to be, but I refuse to meal plan just for him. Try it out and see for yourself!

Summer Experiments with the Vitamix

The Vitamix has been one of the best gifts I have received! Thanks Dad! It is a blender on steroids that is so versatile and easy to clean. It is right up there with our coffee pot and microwave for almost daily use. I have made ice cream in 30 seconds or less, smoothies, salad dressings, hot soup, margaritas with the consistency of many restaurants and lots of juice. My favorites so far have been mango and pineapple ice cream, nectarine margaritas, and this refreshing cucumber/mint drink below. Those that have devoured these with me will agree.

Praise God we have a plethora of cucumbers to use for this drink. Next year we will add mint to the garden. It reminds me of a mojito without the alcohol.

Take our only zucchini from the garden believe it or not...

add some celery, carrot, potato, chicken broth and spices...PRESTO! This soup comes out hot!

...and you get a little guy enjoying all of his vegetables without even realizing it! Thank God he enjoys his veggies anyway, but this machine is perfect when our little ones are on soft/liquid diets after surgeries.

Brother and Sister

I came upon the first photo of Ty while he was looking at pictures of his Gotcha Day on the iTouch. Look at the similarities between him and Remy! Only God could set this up!

Our New Daughter!

We are overjoyed to announce the recent referral of our daughter, Dang Can Can, soon to be Remy Grace DangCan. Remy was born on September 10, 2009 and is from Kaifeng, Henan China. We hope to travel in 4-5 months to pick our precious one up. Those eyes....and those cheeks need some kisses.

Feel free to "friend" us on Facebook: Amy Lehman Roenfanz and Troy Roenfanz for better updates. As you can tell, we have not been so good about updating the blog. Once again, blame it on the beauty of the iTouch.

Zilker Park

On a recent visit back home, we had a day to do nothing before our journey to Mo Ranch. We spent the morning at Zilker Park riding the train, playing on the playground, watching the swimmers in Barton Springs, feeding the pidgeons and enjoying a bubble gum snow cone at the end. This day brought back so many memories and made me a little homesick. I was so happy to be able to let my son enjoy the same experiences I had as a child growing up in Austin. Zilker Park is a place of all ages. As a child, I loved the playground and playing on the firetruck and riding the train. As a teen, my best friend from high school, Gina and I would eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream on the boulders in the soccer fields or on the playground late at night. As a college student, I enjoyed swimming in Barton Springs training for triathlons and mountain biking in the Greenbelt. And now...my Ty got a small taste of my life growing up. It was an extremely hot and humid day, so different from our previous days in the Midwest, but he soaked in the memories and continues to talk about the train.

Bubbles!

Nothing beats popping bubbles on a hot summer day, especially in your underwear!

Eaten Alive!

Ty got Augie the Alligator for his 3rd birthday so he could use it to go camping with Dad at the Father/Child camping trip. He had to give Augie a try, but as you see, Augie couldn't resist his cuteness.

Uh, oh! Augie has eaten Ty! Look at that lump in his belly.

Looks like he might be fully digested at this point.

But no! Ty is like Jonah in the belly of the whale and he is alive in an alligator!

And made it out safe, minus his pants.

Ty's Barnyard Bash

Ty celebrated his 3rd birthday on Saturday with a Barnyard Bash with all his family and friends. Since the photos uploaded backwards, we will replay the day a little backwards.

The day ended with a trip to our local Mexican joint where they know us by name. We gave Ty a choice of places to eat and Mexican it was. They sang "Happy Birthday" and we all shared the fried ice cream. It is sooo delicious! Love the cinnamon and crunch!

Each child got to pick a hat of their favorite farm animal as they arrived. They stayed on for the first half of the party but were later discarded. The boys had to find the farm animals in the hay, kind of like finding a needle in a haystack. Needless to say, they enjoyed dumping the recycled paper hay on the floor and playing with it more then hunting for animals. They we all went outside where they had to find all the rubber ducky farm animals that escaped the barn. It was an Easter egg type hunt which brought a lot of curiosity.

Ty was super excited for this birthday party. We had been talking about it for days and he totally understood the concept. Of course he wanted to open the presents first thing and guarded them from his friends if they got close. He even sat patiently while we sang "Happy Birthday". It was such a sweet celebration!


Mrs. Laura brought Ty a wagon which was a major hit to start the party! We have taken MANY wagon rides around the neighborhood! Thank you Laura! What a perfect gift!

Making the cake was a family affair. Ty helped mix the cake and Mommy and Daddy took turns icing and decorating. Oh, the things we do for our children. We figured out we are not bakers, but still refuse to buy a store bought cake. We will see how many years that lasts. The memories make it all worthwhile.

Singing and Playing with Jim Gill

We use Jim Gill's music at work and he is an amazing performer for children and families. His concerts are truly a family affair. Parents are not allowed to sit and admire their little ones, but be a part of the magical fun. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend one of his concerts while he was in town for a fundraiser for an agency who serve children and their families.

Posing on the couch looking really cute!

Ty got his face painted for the first time and wanted a spider from the Zoo Lady. He did really good for her and then began to sing, "The Itsy Bittsy Spider" upon completion.

Give my son a stage and you have a performer. I never know what he is saying or the moves he makes, just call it "interpretive dance".

Easter 2010

What a fun day we had. The day started with breakfast with the family, church (Ty did amazingly well in the beginning...), lunch with the neighbors at our house, nap and the big hunt after we all had some zzzzz's.
It is amazing what a difference a year makes. Last year Ty didn't understand the concept of Easter and hunting for eggs. We couldn't have enough egg hunts to participate in this year!

Traditional family photos.

Adoption #2 Update...Listen Up Homies

Many have asked where we are in the process for bringing home #2. At this time, our dossier is almost done. Things in IL take a lot longer ( intense background checks from every place you have lived since 18) then most states which is why we started this journey early. Our home study is being approved by DCFS and then it goes to immigration. After we get our HS back and I-800a (permission to adopt a child from a foreign country) or I-800 (I forget which one comes first at this time) from USCIS, they go on their journey of getting authenticated by the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. Please pray for our documents that are at the Chinese Consulate in Chicago at this time. I did a major boo boo on Monday. Being so excited about the near completion of our dossier, I sent 9 documents to Chicago to be authenticated in the same manor as I would send them to the Secretary of State to get certified. I sent the documents with a cover letter, payment and return envelope. I omitted copies of the papers, copy of my passport and the G-1, the form to get the documents authenticated. OUCH! After realizing this moment while making banana bread with Ty, we got together the remainder of the documents, minus the copies and made an express trip to the post office to overnight these documents. Hopefully the Chinese Consulate will either send back my original documents or go ahead and authenticate the papers despite the copies. I tracked the envelopes and they arrived within minutes of each other so it is my prayer they will put 2 and 2 together. Once our dossier is completed, it will go to China. At this time, it looks like it may be another year before we receive a referral for a girl between 0-2 years with correctable special needs. Then again, it could be any time. It has been our desire Ty would be between 3-5 when we receive our referral for our daughter. We want to be able to take Ty with us back to China to experience his homeland the process of adding his sister to our family.

Apologies

Dear Family and Friends,

I have heard you. I have been horrible about not updating our blog as much as you desire. Problem is, I have a new gadget that makes my life so much easier that I rarely need my laptop. The only time I am on my laptop is to download pictures and work on papers for my job and our adoption, so updating the blog has been low on the totem pole. Sorry. I do enjoy sharing all about little Ty. I guess I should say he is not so little anymore. The guy is growing and changing every day! Talk about growing in personality too! Who knows how God has wired him! Very unique is what I say. He is an actor, musician, engineer, athlete, comedian, charmer...all rolled up into one. All I know is that he was meant for us.

A Blast From the Past

This collage is back from October when the YMCA and the Trigators put on the Spooky Du duathlon at Weldon Springs. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon and perfect racing weather. We were out there as cheerleaders and volunteers. The end of the race ended in a weenie roast complete with smores, drinks and award ceremony. It was the perfect day and a perfect event! Ty "competed" on his motorcycle and had to try out the bottle opener on the water bottles. He has a very observant eye and wanted to do as the adults. Scary. The kid continues surprise us!

Shaving Cream...It's an Experience!

I think these photos say it all. After lots of "more shaving cream" so Ty could make himself into a snowman, it was time for a bath...and a round of "Old McDonald".

Daddy Daycare

Lots of fun and potty time guaranteed!

A White Christmas

Christmas day gave us a dusting of snowfall, but during the night, more snow dumped then expected. The forecast was saying 1-3 inches, but we got double that. Ty demanded to make a snowman on Christmas day, but there was not enough snow to even fathom the idea. Give it an evening...and he got what he wanted...but despised his time getting dressed in appropriate gear (prefers the natural state these days). After we struggled to get into somewhat appropriate clothes, we went out for a sled ride. Lo and behold, our neighbor buddy had already built 2 snowmen!

Looking very cute, but was miserable. He demanded he have his sun glasses on just like Mom.

Assisting on putting the finishing touches with JB.


Then we were off to finish our sledding around the neighborhood.

Poor little guy doesn't have a nose to keep the sun glasses up.

Mom giving Dad a break.

I LOVE having four seasons after coming from Central Texas where we said it was either green or brown. Now only if we had some ski slopes nearby, I would be in heaven. Our area of town is equipped with the hills, but those crazy cars get in the way. I did see some locals try cross country skiing the other day while dodging the mailman.

Do You Have This Much Fun With Bills?

On a recent COLD and snowy Saturday afternoon, we decided to start the new year with a little purging. We went through our files and shredded the unnecessary documents that needed to be done away with A LONG TIME AGO. While Mom was downloading music to her new iTouch (LOVE IT!), Daddy and Ty got down to business.

First, get your stool so you can reach. Then stretch with all your might to reach the shredder.

After all the shredding, you get naked (our son likes the natural state lately, especially in negative degree weather... any explanation?),dump the trash can and PLAY!

And don't forget to SMILE!

Then you get buried in all the bills, literally, and...

SURPRISE! Our little man from Henan!