Holiday Gift Bazaar to Benefit Mayan Families

We hosted a (what we hope to be annual) Holiday Gift Bazaar today from 9 AM to 2 PM. We were fortunate to be able to host the event in the building of my mother's daycare center, Learning Step-by-Step Day School. The idea for a fundraising bazaar was conceived about two and a half weeks ago and, after quick planning and coordination by my friends Kathy and Kerri(without whose help this event would never would have happened) and me, we orchestrated a very successful event. We were able to earn a profit of $1400 which will be donated to Mayan Families to purchase ten beds (frames and mattresses) for families who currently sleep on the floor or hard boards. The outpouring of support from the community, friends, and family was unbelievable.

We had a raffle of donated items, ...:

...we sold donated food and beverages, ...:

...and we had 32 vendors.:

Of course, our mascot for the event was Gabriella!:

It was a long, rewarding day but we were more than ready to "ship out" at the end of the evening!:

We know that the fruits of our efforts will have a significant impact on ten needy families in Guatemala. We are already looking forward to an even more successful fundraising event next year.

First Trip to the Voting Polls

Gabriella "voted" in her first election today! Today was the U.S. Senate Primary in Massachusetts and we were proud to vote for Martha Coakley! Gabriella helped me submit my ballot.:

Cinderella's Christmas

Today we went to see "Cinderella's Christmas" at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston. It was a fun day with good company. We went with Grammy, Aunt Gira, Cousin Stephanie, and Cousin Bella. The show, on the other hand, was pretty bad.

The show contained "humor" that was inappropriate for children (even though it was supposed to be a show for children) and "violence". We were expecting a girly, Christmas-themed, princess show, but got the opposite. The two "step-sisters" were calling each other "fat pig" and saying things like "I'll kick you in the head." They were physically fighting; screeching at one another in really high, shrill voices; and their microphone volume was much too high. Within 5 minutes of the show starting, Gabriella started crying and wanted to leave. She said, "Home. Car." I immediately took her out of the theatre and when we got out she said, "Bella." She was nervous that Bella was still in the theatre. It was very sweet. Gabriella and I stood outside the entrance to the theatre during the performance and walked in to watch the parts that the "step-sisters" were not in.

I LOVE theatrical shows and Gabriella has enjoyed every other show that I've brought her to. She sits intently and pays close attention. I was most angered by this show because I was nervous that Gabriella would have a negative association with theatre performances going forward.

Following are pictures from our day.

On our way:

In the elevator:

Today was Auntie Gira's birthday so we had a birthday lunch at Maggiano's prior to the show.:

Isabella and Gabriella being silly!:

Auntie Gira bought the girls light-up butterflies:

Gabriella enjoyed a cookie at intermission. She was licking the sugar sprinkles off the top!:

The two scary, evil step-sisters, who ruined the show, are on the right!:

Despite the inappropriateness of the show, we enjoyed spending the day in good company with family. Happy Birthday, Aunt Gira!

Happy Thanksgiving 2009

Gabriella celebrated her second Thanksgiving home today. She was feeling under the weather with Bronchiolitis, so she was not too interested in eating, but her sickness didn't stop her from having a blast with her cousins! One thing I did learn today is that she LOVES eggnog! Cousin Isabella's birthday is tomorrow, so we celebrated it today with a cake and gifts. Gabriella and I gave Isabella this dollhouse and the kids loved playing with it. Gabriella could play with a dollhouse for hours. I talked to Santa Claus and his Elves are working on the same dollhouse for Gabriella for Christmas!Happy Thanksgiving!

Mayra Receives a Blanket

Mayra, one of the children I sponsor through Mayan Families, and her family did not have enough blankets. Following is a photo of the blanket she received from a donation I made to Mayan Families.

2010 Guatadopt Calendar

Gabriella's photo made it onto the back cover of the 2010 Guatadopt.com calendar (top right corner, orange shirt with white ghost on it). You can order a copy of the calendar through Monday (11/30/09) at http://www.do-good-stuff.com. There are so many beautiful Guatemalan children in the calendar and it is a wonderful tribute to these beautiful faces of Guatemalan adoption.

2009 Christmas Portraits

Every year since my oldest dog, Riley, was a puppy, it has been my annual tradition to get my dog's photos taken for Christmas cards. Last year was Gabriella's first Christmas home, so last year was the first year for photos of Gabriella with the dogs. As you can probably imagine, it is no easy task getting three dogs and a toddler ready, to the portrait studio, and set-up for some good shots! Thank goodness for Tita Candace's help! Luckily, we were able to capture a few cute pictures. We, unfortunately, did not get any photos of Gabriella alone, though, like I had hoped, because Gabriella had a meltdown at the end of the photo shoot! These are my favorite shots!: