Eliza, Tess, Maisie, Marie, Rose Who am I kidding, it was frikkin amazing!!! I'm sure most everyone has read about the bloggy bash weekend as once again, just like last year I'm the last to post but I was the last to arrive home and I have to document the week because Oh what a fabulous week we had! I'm still coming down from the high of meeting up with fellow bloggy pals Tiffany & Eliza, Lisa, Julie & Tess, Mary-Mia, Rod, Rose & Marie, Catherine, Tawni, Susie (private) and of course my friend the incredible Kim Brown. It was totally awesome to finally meet Eliza, Rose and Marie for the first time and they were all so adorable. Then there was Tess who we haven't seen since last Christmas day at the Minneapolis airport where we parted ways minutes after she and Maisie became U.S. citizens, and oh what a cutie she is too.
Here's a rundown of our week. Wednesday we flew to SLC via Phoenix and Maisie was a star on both flights, in fact people commented to me how adorable she was (but of course) and how well behaved she was during the flight. We were spending the week at Tiffany's and she arrived home shortly after we settled in at her house. We then met up with Lisa for dinner at Noodles and Co. followed by Tiffany, the girls and I going to get some dessert before heading home. We were standing in the store and I was holding Maisie's hand when she lifted her feet up off the ground, as she does oh-so-many times. Unfortunately I didn't notice fast enough to put her down and next thing I knew she had a sad face and her right arm was pinned to her side, holding it on and off with her left hand. When I picked her up she winced and was in definite pain. Tiffany put in a call to her pediatrician and luckily they had evening hours and told us to come on over. I suspected Nursemaid's elbow and sure enough that was the problem. The doctor popped the bones back in place and after two minutes of tears you'd never know that Maisie had been in pain as she was jumping around and moving her arm like nothing had ever happened. That's my girl, she bounces back like no body's business.
Thursday Maisie and I headed over to Tawni's home where we spent the day with her and her wonderful boys, all of whom treated Maisie like she was the greatest person in the world. When we first arrived the youngest O presented Maisie with a doll and was just so excited to have her there. The four of us headed out to lunch at Cafe Rio which was wonderful followed by a little shopping before returning to Tawni's home in time for her two older boys to return home from school. 
Maisie took to the eldest E immediately and he to her which was oh so sweet. The middle boy G was so pleased when E headed off to football practice as he got Maisie all to himself and he couldn't have been cuter, letting me know that he thought Maisie liked him the best and giving me a swelled head telling me that Maisie was the cutest girl e.v.e.r followed by, Maisie's the smartest girl e.v.e.r!! Maisie had a blast with all the boys and had a great time eating so many new things that she'd never experienced at home. On the positive note she ate meat, just plain meat without pushing it away, for the first time.
Less positive were the treats that the boys introduced her to, things like Reese's Puff Cereal, Fruit Gushers and some other candy proclaiming to have fruit but being nothing more than sugar. I had an inkling that I was going to be in for a rough night when all three boys and Maisie were chasing each other round and round on the trampoline, but until today I didn't realize just how bad!!*
Showing Tawni the moon!
Friday we spent time at Susie's home.
We played in her fabulous playroom and enjoyed a great home cooked lunch.
Susie was just so sweet with Maisie and the two had fun playing together.
Friday afternoon I took over Tiffany's kitchen making a few desserts for the next days bloggy bash.
Rocker Maisie
Oops, that sprayed the wrong way!
Then starting around dinner time all the other out of town bloggers started to arrive. First M3, Rod and the girls arrived and it was all out playtime and catching up. They then headed back to their hotel and the next wave of Julie, Tess and Catherine showed up at Tiffany's for more meeting and greeting. 
One cool girl.
Until you eat chalk!
Tiffany’s food tasted much better than the chalk.
I was so excited to have everyone there that sleep was fleeting but luckily Maisie slept through the night in her Peapod.
Saturday morning Lisa hosted a wonderful brunch for all the out of town bloggy gals, kidlets and Rod.
Eliza & Tess
Rose, Tess, Marie & Rod
Maisie spying on you.
Lisa is a great hostess and cook and made everyone feel so welcome and comfortable. So comfortable that we kicked off our shoes, can you tell who’s who?
We then parted ways so that all the little girls could nap before the big bloggy bash that afternoon. Oh what a wonderful bloggy bash it was, hosted by Tawni, there must have been 40 people there and lots of great food too.
Hillary, Kim, Pearl, Grace & Madison.
Funeral potatoes…it’s a Utah thing.
I met some wonderful SLC adopters and adopters-to-be and it was a fun filled afternoon and evening. A big huge thank you to Tawni and her family for inviting us all into their beautiful home and for being such wonderful hosts.
Sunday morning Catherine, Rod and I attended the 4,072nd broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir which was beyond wonderful. 
Inside the Tabernacle
Me and Rod
Rod & Catherine.
Last year the Tabernacle was undergoing restoration so they were performing in the Conference Center but oh what a difference hearing them in the Tabernacle, it was truly beyond words. We had wonderful seats and just after we were seated one of the ushers (probably 80+ years old) was smiling at me and I smiled back, then he came over to us asking if we had ever heard the choir before and where we were from. After a few minutes of conversation he asked me to stop over and see him after the broadcast. We wandered over to him afterwards and after a few more minutes of chatting and Rod showing off a picture of Rose and Marie, he presented each of us with a CD of the choir...I love chatting up older men!!
While I was away at the broadcast, Tiffany played. I left Maisie with Tiffany and she decided to dress Maisie and Eliza in complimentary outfits and put Maisie's hair up in ponytails. 
Everyone not at the broadcast was at Tiffany's and lookie, lookie they were able to get a wonderful red couch photo of the girls without anyone crying!!
Playtime at Tiffany’s after the concert.
Maisie was one very happy little girl when I returned from the Tabernacle.
After naps we headed to the Children's museum where all the girls and Rod too had a great time.
Maisie, Eliza & Tess
Maisie checking out some future career choices.
Engineer?
Police officer?
Firefighter?
Fish Monger?
Musician?
Oh my!
Getting some loving from Lisa.
Lisa & Mary-Mia.
Marie, Catherine & Rose.
Lisa & Catherine and allowing the foreigner to drive again.
Time to go.
Afterward the museum we went out to a Chinese buffet for a farewell dinner. It was so sad that our weekend was over and that the next morning everyone other than Maisie and I was heading home.
Monday, Lisa and I spent time together and enjoyed a relaxing day of lunch, shopping and sitting around chatting. Then along with Tiffany and Eliza we all went out for dinner. Monday ended up being a banner day as Tiffany was able to get Maisie to do something that I never thought possible, enjoy a bath!! 
The peer pressure of Eliza whooping it up in the tub was too much for Maisie and after first getting her in the tub in a bathing suit and a little water splashing, Tiffany just plunked her down and distracted her and soon she was out of the bathing suit whooping it up too.
Bed time at Tiffany’s.
Tuesday I spent the morning with Kim Brown and then because Maisie wouldn't nap, I took her for a nice stroll around Temple Square before returning to Tiffany's for a wonderful home cooked dinner and another enjoyable bath for Miss Maisie followed by Tiffany and I enjoying our last few hours together. We did so much during our week away, had so much fun with our friends but even though we miss all of them already, it's great to be home!! I can't wait for next year's reunion where we'll hopefully have Hannah, Lauren and Tate joining in on the fun times too.
* Thursday night Maisie wouldn't settle down and sleep in the peapod and only wanted to be on me. She had a sugar high induced fitful sleep, where I swear she used me as a trampoline. After a painful flight and another uncomfortable sleep, a visit this morning to the doctor and an x-ray confirmed a fractured rib...guess my little girl really is tougher than I thought. Pain meds are great and I'll be healed soon but little Miss M won't be sleeping on me for a long time to come.
Friday, November 3, 2006 was one of the most wonderful days ever as we received our referral of Wan Chun Miao, the most adorable cue ball cutie ever!! Seeing Maisie's referral picture still makes me smile and tear up at the same time, such a sweet little face but with such big sad eyes. The fact that her shirt sports a London double decker bus still cracks me up, so appropriate seeing that Eammon is from London. CCAA made a perfect match. 
I remember that it wasn't until the next day when we received a second picture, one of her waving,that I really became anxious and just couldn't think of anything other than traveling and having my little girl in my arms. We would have 36 long, yet busy days before that happened but Oh, was it ever worth the wait. 
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