April 2006 Secret Pal Gift Exchange

2010-04-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

2008-04-03T09:27:00.001-07:00

To M Jonsson´s Secret Pal--Cyndi Williams!

Sorry about this late thank you. I couldn´t attend the cyber shower and right now time just flies by. We are tired of waiting for our child!!
So I have been planning a trip for 2,5 weeks to Thailand for the past month or so. We still are waiting though! So that’s why I’m out of track with this thank you.
I´m sorry for that.

Thank you so much for the last gift: the book “Taste of the Midwest”. Lots of great recipes and reading about that part of the country and restaurants cafés etc.

I have loved having you as my Secret Pal, you have been the best Secret Pal ever.
I have enjoyed every month´s gift. You have been so thoughtful to me and also to our daughter Amanda 4,5, who also have received gifts. She has been a little bit jealous of “the baby” for getting so much fun toys and other things. So when she got her own gifts she was so so happy. That was a very special thing of you to do. So extra thanks for that.

I really hope that we can see the end of this long waiting this year.

Thank you so much from Marianne Jonsson, Falun, Sweden

2008-01-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

Thank you Dal-Corobbo Family! In December, we received some adorable ornaments, pjs bags for the girls, and a special "Journey of a thousand miles ..." framed keepsake. We cherish it all.

You have been awesome secret pals! We have loved opening each one of your gifts, and especially appreciated everything Australian!

We hope to meet up with you in China [soon :)].

Love, Pete, Jill and Sophie

2008-01-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Karen Thomas. I was so happy to see my box for this month I couldn't wait to get it open. After I wiped my eyes from the sweet card. We opened the gifts. I loved them all so much. The matching hat and mittens are just the cutest thing ever and I can't wait to get them on our baby girl. The scarf and onsie are also great and who can go wrong with chocolate.

Thanks

Lisa and Chester Moore

2008-01-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

To M Jonsson´s secret Pal!

Thank you so much for November´s gift with the nice red outfit.
I just love the small ladybug tote bag with art material. It´s so adorable.

December´s gift was so nice with the special photo arrangement. The painting with the Chinese word for love will be perfect beside the crib for our new child, hopefully soon to be.

I wish you a Happy New Year!
Thank you so much from Marianne Jonsson

2007-12-29T08:51:00.000-08:00

We always get the best gifts from our secret pal!

Thomas Family November Gift!
I love this book and cannot wait to read it to our little girl. I am always looking for new books about adoption and this one is perfect. I am sorry that I have not been posting photos of your gifts, it has been a crazy around here and this wait has been unbearable at times. Your gifts are always so thoughtful and I look forward to getting them.
Thank you secret pal!!!!!!
Good luck with the move & hope you are settled in now!

2007-12-21T23:26:00.000-08:00

Is anyone still out here?

Hmm, I am not sure if people are still reading this- but I wanted to tell my (Megan Anderson's) secret pal just how great they are. We absolutely love the ornament!!! The very day it arrived, I had been out shopping and had discovered it- but it was sold out in 2 different places. They tried to get me to buy the Ethiopia ornament (which is oddly coincidental, because I feel like we've also been told to consider the Ethipia program!)

We are proudly displaying it on our tree. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity.

Merry Christmas secret pal, I hope the holidays finds you and yours happy and healthy!
Love,
Megan

2007-12-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

To Megan Anderson's secret pal...

Hi- how are you? I have some waaaay overdue thanks! First of all, thanks so much for the oh so cute hat and barrettes last month and the fun little pink (light red!) pants and sweatshirts - and the great bear this month! For those days when we just want to hang around the house on a rainy fall afternoon- we now have matching outfits!

I hope that you had a great thanksgiving and that you enjoy your holidays. I hope you know how much fun I've had with you as my pal.

Thank you so much!!!!

Megan

2007-11-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you DeAlto Secret Pal for more wonderful gifts! We are lovin the lady bugs and the adorable socks and hair ties. Every months gifts are soooooooooooo special...thank you again. PS: Happy Holidays!!!!!
xo The DeAlto family

2007-11-13T11:48:00.000-08:00

To The Smith's Secret Pal

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!.... for the cutest hair bow hanger and all the hair bows. As far as I am concerned a little girl can never have to many bows.

Here is a picture of the hanger and the bows. My secret pal made this. Cool!!!!!!

Thanks again!!!!

Gayla

2007-11-11T09:00:00.001-08:00

To M Jonsson´s secret Pal!

I almost forgot that I had October´s gift bag in our closet. I usually do so, that if I receive may month´s gifts in the same package I put some of them away and open them in the right month. It is much more fun that way!
Thank you very much for this month´s gift. The sun hat and all the cute hair accessories with butterflies, ladybugs and flowers.
Thank you so much from Marianne.

2007-11-08T04:53:00.000-08:00

Wulfekuhl Secret Pal.

I am sorry I haven't thanked you in a while. Sorry no photo's. I BROKE my camera! So hopefully Santa will bring me a new one this year!!

But thank you Secret Pal for your wonderful gifts. My Hubby and I have been so depressed with the wait, but when we get yur gift's it just make us smile.

We hope you have a Great Holiday Season!

Love The Wulfekuhl's

Angela

2007-10-31T21:53:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

2007-10-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

To M Jonsson´s secret pal!

Thank you so so much for this month´s gift.

The symbol mother daughter is very adoring- something to really look forward to.
I hope that the dream will come true very soon!!!

Thank you from Marianne Jonsson

2007-10-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you De Alto Secret Pal for the wonderful supply of hair accessories for our little girl. I think this is going to be the best part (for me) is to dress this little one up as frilly as possible. With all boys in the house I can't wait for pink, pink and more pink!! And I am on my way thanks to you and your gifts! Love them all......xo The DeAlto family

2007-10-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

A BIG thank you to the DeAlto Secret Pal for these wonderful gifts! You always seem to come up with some creative and thoughtful presents and I am always pleasantly surprised! PS: I love my manicures and pedicures sooo way to go. Thanks again, MaryAnn Sept. 2007

2007-10-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

A picture is worth a thousand words... a picture frame is worth a thousand words AND a "Thank You Secret Pal!"

Dear Anderson's secret pal,First of all, I hope you have recovered from your unfortunate accident! I hope you are feeling better and that the swelling has gone down and the bruises have faded. Thank you so much for the super cool picture frame. We really need those key phrases like "believe" and "imagine". I know you are going through the same ups and downs that we are- but we have placed our own picture in the frame and use it to remind ourselves to keep the faith that this process will one day be complete! I will post the picture soon- but wanted to give you an immediate thank you! I hope you are feeling better, and have a great October!!

Love,Megan

2007-10-06T21:37:00.001-07:00

We have the best Secret Pal!

Thank you for all of the August-November gifts and sweet card. Sophie immediately put on her Dorothy the Dinosaur garb, and even insisted on taking her nap while wearing it (right out of the box). She loves the purse and the pony too. The quilt is incredible! Did you make it?! It will look great in Violet's new room. The chopsticks are great. We will have to teach Sophie how to use them. We cracked up when we saw the little jogging pants with the pockets and belt on them for Violet. Sooo cute.

Your note was right on the money. And you are right, the wait will be worth it. We hope we see you in China too!

Thanks again for everything.

Sincerely,

Pete, Jill and Sophie

2007-09-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you Hauser Sp we love receiving the parcels in the Mail, It makes this whole process feel real and that there will be a wonderful child waiting to be part of our family. The pink garden rake n gloves cute idea.. We want you to know that as we go thought this long unexpected wait that we are all not alone on this journey ....... Thank you Lots of Love The Hausers

2007-09-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

To the Anderson's secret pal.....

Who are you?!!! You seem to know me so well, it is a bit creepy- but in a good way! :) This month I received a great book called "Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay and other things I had to learn as a new mom". I cannot wait to dive into it. I assume that martinis are okay- right? Okay, maybe I will have A LOT to learn as a new mom. I have been staring at the pile of "how to be a parent" books and didn't know where to start- well now I do, with something funny! And post it notes? Perfect!

I hope you are well secret pal- and as you get ready to go back to school (?) I hope you have a nice September!

Love,
Megan

2007-08-28T15:02:00.001-07:00

THANKS again to the DeAlto Secret Pal for another month of wonderful gifts!! This little girl of ours - will one day be coming home to a closet full of awesome clothes and toys....thanks to you! This is the best part of the wait for me.... Just want you to know we appreciate you!

xxoo The DeAlto Family

2007-08-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

To M Jonsson´s secret pal!

July gift
This month my secret pal really was more than generous. Thank you so so much.
I received lots of fun things for the beach. First a beautiful hat, sunglasses

and some fun bath tub toys for the baby.

Also a lady bug was in the package.

Very good, I think we all need lots of ladybugs for luck.

I also got many fun things to play with. A sand bowling set.
A very fun and smart toy, light weight. Some sand tools and bath animals.

Thank you so much for all the fun things for the baby and also my daughter Amanda.

August gift
Thank you so much for the gifts to keep me and my daughter busy.
I got the novel Snow flower and the secret fan by Lisa See.

I have heard much good reviews on this book.
Also the stickers for Amanda are perfect- she really is the sticker girl,

she loves stickers.

Thank you and have a nice ending of summer!

2007-08-22T01:30:00.000-07:00

My new secret pal

I would like to thankyou for all of the beautiful gifts you sent this month. Pink is my favouite colour and so are hats my favouite item to put on a child. You can never have to many hats or bibs. The gifts you sent are so greatly appreciated and we just adore them and cannot wait to put them on Anisha. We look forward to next month to see what you surprise us with :) Thankyou again secret pal for your generosity.

Sincerely
Trisha

2007-08-08T04:14:00.001-07:00

Thank you to the

Wulfekuhl Family

Secret Pal!!

Sorry it has taken so long to thank you. Oh what a busy time it has been! But anyway.

Thank you so much for the pretty dress!! There is always so much to enjoy in your packages. Russ LOVES the rocks. We saw some in Cracker Barrel and you were who he thought of! I save every little note card you have made to hopefully soon get started on her scrap book of all the nice things you have sent her. Thank you so much! You are such a Wonderful Secret Pal!

Love Lisa & Russ Wulfekuhl

(Sorry no photo this time I need a new card for my camera)

2007-08-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

I need to send a long over due THANK YOU to the Smith Family. I received the cutest gifts for June and July. We love the Brio toys and swim accessories. So, so, cute. It is the only thing that gives me a little ray of hope. I look at the things you sent all the time and smile. Thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness. Best wishes, Erin Pascarella

2007-08-05T04:24:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Susan Villanova and family

1. Add your name and a little something about your family. Susan & Joe Villanova. We have been married for nine years and are anxiously awaiting our first child!

2. Girl, Boy, Twins requested?

We requested a girl but did say we would accept multiples! (unlikely that we would get them though)

3. Age Requested? We requested an infant as young as possible.

4. Child/children's names? Undecided

5.Nursery theme and colours?

The nursery doesn't really have a theme. We have two Chinese antique pieces in there, an armoire and a large cabinet that will also we be used for a changing table.The colors are cream and a sort of peachy/pink with green accents.

6. Likes and Dislikes? Likes: animals, babies, knitting, travel. Dislikes: waiting :(

7. Hobbies and Collections? I knit, and have been knitting a lot of things for our daughter. We also like to travel, bike, and garden.

8. Favourite fragrance or scents? I love gardenias..

9. Favourite foods? Choclate and wine...(is wine a food?):) and Starbucks!

10. Favourite books or authors?

For children I love all the Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein books. For myself I feel like I'll I've read lately is books on China and Adoption! When I had time I love James Patterson types of mystery books.

11. Favourite movies?

12. Favourite music? Country and Light Rock & Pop

13. Favourite colour or colours?

My favorite colors are earth tones and black. I'm not much of a primary color person

14. Registered at a store? Not yet

15. Favourite clothing item for a child? I love dresses/rompers on girls. I also have a addiction to shoes/socks for little girls

16. Anything else you would like to share with your secret pal? Thank you in advance!!!

2007-08-04T11:12:00.001-07:00

Thanks very much to the Allan secret pal.

My apologies for not posting sooner. We received the package more than a week ago, but I have just been over the top busy with work.

We love the outfits. I think the tiny sunglasses are particularly adoreable.

Thank you for your thoughtful presents.

Beth and Family

2007-07-30T23:05:00.001-07:00

To Megan Anderson's Secret Pal:

Well you have sure nailed the perfect outfit for a summer in Washington State- a cover up! :) Terrycloth is the perfect material to dry off lil Miss Olivia either from fun in the pool or from that lovely summer rain that keeps coming and coming! And the cutest little sunglasses! Did you know that Seattle is the sunglass capital of the US*? It is because it is so rarely sunny, that everyone has to buy a new pair of sunglasses every time it is nice, because they couldn't find where they placed them on the last sunny day! Thanks for getting Olivia her very first pair!

*This fact probably contains 12% truth and 88% urban legendness.

2007-07-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Wingenter secret pal!

I SO LOVE GYMBOREE!!!

I get in trouble in that place!

Love this cute little sailing outfit, I'm surprised I had not bought it already! Just so cute!

Thanks again!!!

2007-07-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Cosenzo Secret Pal,

Thank you for the special June and July gifts. The bathing suit and coverup are absolutely adorable. It is exactly something I would have chose. Hopefully by next summer I will see my daughter wearing it. You are so generous and are an awesome pal. Well when I thought things could not be any better, this month I also received an extra surprise in the mail. The shoes you sent are so.. cute. I love the ladybugs on them.

Your thoughtfulness has made this long wait a little more tolerable.

THANK YOU!!

Warm Regards,

Keryl

2007-07-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

To M Jonsson´s secret pal!

I´m very sorry that I´m so late with thanking you for all your wonderful gifts! Everything has been so hectic at work and we have now been away on holiday. Sorry!

May gift

Thank you so much for all the great music instruments. My daughter even said that one of the instruments played music from little Einsteins!!
The melodies are so fun to listen to- all classical ones- even for adults.
Thank you also for the fun DVD.

June gift

Thank you for the cute outfits both for Amanda and the new child sometime later!

Amanda got a pair of red jeans and a cute ladybug t-shirt and socks.

For the little one I received the most beautiful outfit with ruffles and lace and ladybugs. Also very cute ladybug shoes.

I really like all these girly outfits.

Amanda´s birthday present

I was really surprised when I opened my package and saw that there was a special birthday bag for my daughter´s birthday!! You are so thoughtful!

She turned 4 on June the 16th. When she opened the bag on her birthday she was so happy to see a Dora backpack, her favourite cartoon girl. Now it follows her everywhere she goes. It has been with all holiday to different places. She also got a magic colouring book and special pens. She also likes to draw, paint and so on.

She is very pleased that I have a secret pal!! :-) :-)

Thank you so much for all the wonderful gifts. They are always so perfect.
You are the best!

2007-07-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Each and every month, our secret pal amazes us with wonderful gifts and we always have a blast opening the package to see what new surprises await us inside. She was also very thoughtful and held our May and June gifts until she was sure we were home. We would have been very heart broken if the box had gotten misplaced while we were gone so thanks for sending it all together.

For May we received a Chinese lullabys CD that has such beautiful melodies,
June's gifts are the adorable sun dress and the jean shorts with matching sassy top and July brought us a great beach towel, a beach ball and very cool sunglasses. Our pal also touched our hearts deeply by sending us 2 books for our new little boy, a book about Vietnam and a Vietnamese folk tale.

You continually bring smiles to our faces with every new box each month and it is always a great day when it arrives. But you also continue to be one sneaky lady by sending it from someplace different month. We will be very excited to find out who you are when the day comes but until then, thank you so very much from the bottom of our hearts. Michele, Chuck & our little Funshine

2007-07-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Vanessa Maxwell and family

1. Add your name and a little something about your family.

Vanessa Maxwell Married to Matthew (Matt) for 6 years. We live in Flint, TX near Tyler, TX.Have 2 dogs: black lab, 11 yrs. old named Jack and german short hair pointer/english pointer mix, 5 yrs old named George. No other children. Began paperchase October of 2005, LID April 26, 2006.

2. Girl, Boy, Twins requested? Girl

3. Age Requested? 8-12 months

4. Child/children's names? Callie or Sydney

5.Nursery theme and colours? sageish green and pink

6. Likes and Dislikes? Like to eat, read, watch movies, cook, bake, exercise,

7. Hobbies and Collections? running, camping, fishing, anything outdoors

8. Favourite fragrance or scents? anything from bath and body works

9. Favourite foods? desserts, hamburgers, sushi, pizza, pasta

10. Favourite books or authors? Pride and Prejudice by Jane AustenHarry Potter books on CD (better than the movies)

11. Favourite movies? A&E Pride and PrejudiceLord of the Rings

12. Favourite music? Texas country (Jack Ingram, Pat Green, Corey Morrow, etc.)Top 40

13. Favourite colour or colours?pink, purple, blue

14. Registered at a store? no

15. Favourite clothing item for a child? I like all little girls' clothing. It is so cute!

2007-07-22T16:23:00.001-07:00

Thank you SO much to the Surridge family secret pal! Not only did our mailwoman deliver Harry Potter to us yesterday, but she also delivered a package from our very generous pal! Imagine my surprise when I opened it up and found the cutest little ladybug float! It's adorable, AND it's compact enough that I could bring it with us to play with in the pool at the White Swan! :) It's fantastic...THANK YOU!!!

I also want to post a picture of last month's gift. I LOVE little hats for little girls, and our pal outdid herself (himself?). Not only did she (he?) send an adorable Pooh hat and some cute little hair bows, but a hat that she knit for us! Wow! We are so blessed...I can't wait to see our little girl wearing it! :)

2007-07-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU DeALTO SECRET PAL for another month of wonderful gifts! They are adorable and will definitely come in handy when our little girl finally comes home. We have a great pool in our yard that she will be able to play in all day! Can't wait.......but you make the time more fun while we do! xxoo

2007-07-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Williams' Pal! Love the hat--blue is one of my favorite colors. Sporting the hat is our goofy dog, Kinsey. The Nemo pail & beach ball will be lots of fun (as long as the dogs don't get the ball first, they love to pop them!)

Thanks again,

Bill & Cyndi Williams

2007-07-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Moore Secret Pal. I finally got a chance to really look and take pictures of the items you sent for June and July. I absolutely love them, they are great. For June we got a 3 peice set of clothes and a lady bug strap cusion. For July there was the cutest little bathing suit and hooded towel and also a much needed set of swimmer diapers.

Thanks so much.

Lisa and Chester Moore

2007-07-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

These were so cute!

Thank you so much to the Fellman secret pal. These little outfits were so adorable. I loved the colorful lady bugs all over this little dress it even had matching little bloomers. The onsie is very sweet and I especially loved the heart shaped flag on it.

These were perfect thank you so very much!

Lisa and Barry

2007-07-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Smith Pal.

We got the cutest little ladybug outfit with socks and bows for Adayla's hair. It is just so sweet.

Thanks again Secret Pal!!!!

The Smith's in TX

2007-07-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you Thank you Hauser Secret Pal We love this little blue jean scort and Pink jumpper they are just adorable, our daughter will look beautiful in it thank you again the Hauser's

2007-07-05T21:52:00.001-07:00

To Megan Anderson's Pal...

Thank you sooooo much for the absolutely adorable little sun hat, barrettes, and socks- all with a ladybug theme! I cannot wait to put those on little Olivia. I think the lady bugs were a great bit of luck, because today we got the fabulous news that May is out of the review room!! Whoo-hoo- this was exciting and we were happy to get this news so fast- especially since our paperwork had been lost for 6 weeks and we are probably the latest LID on this group. Not that I'm whining. :) Okay maybe just a bit!! But thank you thank you! We love it! Megan

2007-07-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

1. Add your name and a little something about your family.
We are Brian and Cheryl. We live in a small town in Southwest Missouri with our 2 boys- Isaac, age 11 and Ian, age 6.
2. Girl, Boy, Twins requested?
We requested a girl.
3. Age Requested?
We are approved for a child under 24 months
4. Child/children's names?
We are still deciding, but leaning toward EmmaLi although that could change.
5. Nursery theme and colours?
pastels- no real theme yet...right now still has a dog border :)
6. Likes and Dislikes? We enjoying fishing, boating, camping, swimming, attending church, and reading. Isaac and Brian play basketball. Ian is a superhero fanatic. Cheryl likes to scrapbook- when she can find the time. We like spending time together doing many things.
The only thing our whole family dislikes is coconut.
7. Hobbies and Collections?
No real collections or hobbies- unless you include our likes.
8. Favourite fragrance or scents?
Pear and cucumber melon
9. Favourite foods?
Mexican, pizza, cookies- we aren't very picky
10. Favourite books or authors?
Lori Wick, Karen Kingsbury, Lori Copeland, Mindy S. Clark, Debra White Smith, Mary Higgins Clark. I rarely put down a book before I finish it a couple of hours later. Although these are some of my favorites, I read as often as I can (but not as often as I would like)
11. Favourite movies?
Cheryl- Sleepless in Seattle and While you Were Sleeping
Brian- action adventures Isaac and Ian...well, it depends what mood they are in-they like EVERYTHING!
12. Favourite music?
Contemporary Christian and Country
13. Favourite colour or colours?
pastels- although I like most brightly colored things as well!
14. Registered at a store? no
15. Favourite clothing item for a child? dresses- - although honestly, all girl clothing is great after 11 years of buying for boys
16. Anything else you would like to share with your secret pal? We are looking forward to getting to know a lot of people and make new friends. Hopefully the time will fly as we enjoy share our joy when referrals finally arrive. With 2 active boys we are often very busy, and my computer skills, sadly, are not what they could be.

2007-07-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Williams' Secret Pal. The denim jumper & patriotic onesie are great. The sunglasses are too cute! Sorry I can't post a pic, the camera is in the shop.
Thanks again
Cyndi & Bill

2007-06-29T07:01:00.001-07:00

A BIG thanks to the DeAlto Secret Pal for this adorable outfit! We just love the colors and can't wait to slip her into this (socks and all)! You're the best:)

2007-06-28T20:21:00.001-07:00

To the Sanders Family Secret Pal:

Thank you for the beautiful dress! It is absoulutely adorable and we just know she will look gorgeous in it---someday!

Michelle and David Sanders

2007-06-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

To the Sanders Family Secret Pal:

Thanks so much for the Kids Songs CD. We can't wait to play it with Madeline!

Michelle and David

2007-06-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Thomas Family Secret Pal

Our secret pal sent us a great gift of CD's! We love them and plan to download them to our laptop so that we can play them at bedtime while we are in China. She sent "Bedtime with the Beatles" and "Chinese Lullabies". Thank you Secret Pal! You help to make the months go by faster and it is great to get surprise goodies in the mail! Thank you Secret Pal!

2007-06-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Wulfekuhl Secret Pal.

As always it was packaged so nicely. I LOVE THE CD's!!!!! I can not wait to play these cute little songs for Alison. lol Russ says thanks for the drums! lol We were both in the percussion section in our High school bands. So it fits perfectly! Thanks for the chocolates, they are to cute to open. As always there was a cute little note. I have saved everyone to put in her scrap book! Thank you so much for being a Great Secret Pal!! Love Lisa

2007-06-07T11:57:00.001-07:00

Thank You Surridge Family Secret Pal!

I know, I've been a slacker about posting a picture of our gifts, but that doesn't mean we don't love them - we DO!! :) Our April and May gifts are fantastic. For April, we got a Pop & Roll Bug, which seems to be a really fun toy (I'm trying to not open it and play with it!) and Link-a-Doos (which I'm trying to figure out as well...they look like fun!). And for May we got a set of CDs with 123 favorite kid songs and a Baby Einstein CD. Anyone want to guess how many of the 123 kid songs I know? (here's a hint...it's over 100!) I can't wait to enjoy all these goodies with our little girl! THANK YOU!!!

2007-06-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Fellman pal!

Sorry, I am running a day or two behind here.......I have been busy playing with my new very colorful piano!!!!!

Thank you so much for this month's present! I love the little piano and if I ever stop playing with it, I will put it away with all her other cute toys. Thank you also for the lullabye CD. I could not believe when I looked at the song listing, that it has Edelweiss on there!!!!!!! I never would have thought of it as a lullabye and yet it truly is one of my most favorite songs!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you!

What a thoughtful group of presents! Thank you so very very much!

Lisa and Barry

(My camera is dead, pictures to follow HOPEFULLY soon.)

2007-06-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hey Megan Anderson's secret pal...

Thank you for the Baby Einstein CDs! I just got back from my trip and found a pleasant surprise waiting for me. Chris had already opened the package and tried the music out on some family friends. Their year old daughter gave it 2 thumbs up and a wiggle!

Happy June!

Megan

2007-06-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

O'Briens Secret Pal
I would like to send out a great big thankyou and hug to our secret pal for the cute little onesies. Now I finally know what everyone has been talking about when they say onesies. It has the cute little picture on the front of it and on the back it has nolitagraffiti art is not a crime so cute!!
This will definately come in handy when we travel to China to go get Anisha. Your card has been added to Anisha's memory book with a picture of the gift that came with it for her to remember your thoughtfulness.
Thankyou again secret pal
Trisha

2007-06-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Williams' Secret Pal! We love the new CD's. We'll have to buy a CD player for baby's room so we can play them at bedtime.
Thanks again.
Cyndi & Bill Williams

2007-05-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Allan Secret Pal.

Your package got a bit delayed in the post, it was delivered to a neighbour who dropped it by. Not sure how long he had it but he looked very guilty like it had been several days.

Thank you so much for the wonderful Lullaby CDs I am sure they will get workout over the years.

Beth

2007-05-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Late Thank You from the Hammock Family

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE AWESOME APRIL GIFT.
You sent us the cutest Disney Princess Wheelbarrow & Gardening Set. I decided not to take it out of the box because I want it in perfect condition for our daughter. This is one of the neatest toys I've seen and I'm so excited you sent it to us. Sorry it took so long to post the picture; we are truly excited about this gift.

The Hammocks

2007-05-23T03:57:00.000-07:00

Wulfekuhl Secret Pal.

Thank you for all Alison's goody's! I always enjoy the nice notes I find in the package. Yeah, I was going to try to find another Dora doll. Alison already has one, but I wanted to find another so I could put one away and have one for her to play with, so what a nice surprise when I opened the box and there she was!!!! I was so excited!! Thank you, Thank you!!

You are such a wonderful Secret Pal!!

Love, Lisa

2007-05-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you Cosenzo Secret Pal!!

The musical book is absolutely adorable. I think it is adult proof since it took me a few minutes to get it to play Itsy Bitsy Spider. This will be definitely going to China with us.

As usual the gifts you send are great!! I look foward to the middle of each month and the surprise that waits at my door.

2007-05-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

To M Jonsson´s Secret Pal

Thank you so much for this month´s gift. For the fun dog and the Winnie the pooh toy.

Everything has been played with and tested by our daughter. She is a little bit jealous on her new sister for getting all these fun gifts and toys. But she is happy after a while when she has played with them.

This gift swap is very good, so that the new child has toys of her own. Also it helps to keep you busy during this long long waiting time. Also thanks for the puzzles.
You are the best!

2007-05-21T04:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you Wulfekuhl Secret Pal.....
I never did Thank you for my March package!
Thank you so much for all the Nice things. I didn't have any travel cups yet.
I love the all the little notes and extra care you put into each and every package.
You are a FABULOUS secret pal!!!!
Thank you!! Love Lisa

2007-05-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Thomas Family Secret Pal!

We just love our gifts! You always do such a great job! The tag ball toy is great and I love that it makes noise. I have not seen anything like that in any of the stores. Love the Stacker too! Thank you so much! You are the best! Sorry, I have been such a slacker in posting!

2007-05-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

I would like to send a huge thank you to the Pascarella Family Pal. We received a huge box last week. We are so grateful for or pal's generosity. We are set for sure. We received a great selection of items for our trip. Great diaper bag items as well as some fun toys for baby. My favorite however was the outfit. An adorable Gymboree set that reads snuggle bug, with two little lady bugs on the front and a great big lady bug on the back of the shorts. Really too cute. We also got an adorable pink blanket that will for sure make the trip with us to China. I've been having a hard time with the wait and this exchange is keeping me going. Thank you so much secret pal. Your the best :)

2007-05-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you Anderson secret pal!

To Megan Anderson's secret pal... thank you for the great Mon-keys and the peek a blocks. I love all the fun animal themes! And I know that Olivia will too. She is starting to have many more fun toys than I do. Maybe she'll let me borrow some when I want something to keep me busy... though I am not sure I will have any moments when I am not busy after she gets here. (New camera and so new picture to be posted soon!)

Can I just say to everyone in this secret pal process... I am really enjoying the group! It is so much fun to get something and to give something monthly to keep reminding me that I will be a mother one day. It is like a very slow but fun baby shower.

I hope that everyone is doing well and that the wait is bearable. Happy Mother's Day to us all!

Love,
Megan

2007-05-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you secret pal!

First I want to apologize for not posting a thank you sooner. This month has been extremely busy and I managed to catch a good cold this week. Thanks so much for the lady bug book it is sooooooooo cute and the puzzle and photo block are great. Thanks so much.

Lisa and Chester Moore

2007-05-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

Thankyou so much to the O'Brien's new Secret Pal :)

Secret pal,

I wanted to thankyou so much for the interlocking puzzle mat. I know Anisha will love it!

I had one for my boys and they had hours of fun with it. I adore the ladybug card and it will be added to Anisha's album for when she is older to remember you by.

Thankyou again Secret Pal

I am really looking forward to next month.

Trisha

2007-05-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Secret Pal,
A BIG thank you for the wonderful creative gifts you sent to us. We just love them!! I know we' all will have a fun time using both of these toys, they were certainly worth waiting for. It looks like we got lucky when we got you for a Secret Pal. Thanks again!!!
xxoo The DeAltos

2007-05-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Joann Nix and family

1. Add your name and a little something about your family

Joann, dh-Dave, no kids, 2 dogs-Buddy (German Shephard) and Jake- (Yellow Lab), and an African Grey Parrot named Coco. (Last Dec, we lost my sweetheart,our dog Samantha, who was 14 1/2 and was with us from 1
month after we got married. I still miss her!)

2. Girl, Boy, Twins requested? Infant girl--her name will be Angela Glory

3. Age Requested? Infant (up to 2 yrs)

4. Child/children's names? This will be our first child.

5.Nursery theme and colours?

Little Mermaid the walls will be shades of blue/green and I will paintAriel on the wall. I found painted wooden fish and shells I will hang on the wall, but I do not havethe furniture for her yet. (Except for a white wall unit that is in the room that already has some books and knick-knacks for her.

6. Likes and Dislikes?

Love the water, the ocean, the beach, summer; dislike driving, but drive all over!Also hate bugs, and dislike cold, cloudy, windy days

7. Hobbies and Collections? I am a crafter and scrapbooker. I love the outdoors, gardening,
hiking, biking,I love to play sports-softball, volleyball (I just started taking a kick-boxing class and a yoga class at Adult-Ed)

8. Favourite fragrance or scents?

Estee Lauder (White Linen, Knowing, alot of them) also Bath & Body Works,(warm vanilla-although my husband doesn't like, cucumber-melon, and many others)

9. Favourite foods?

chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, cheesecake, and if there's room for real food steak and baked potato, bacon and eggs, Ice Cream Sodas, Chinese Food

10. Favourite books or authors? Sue Grafton-her alphabet murder mysteries, Clive Cussler (esp. Dirk Pitt novels), Robert Ludlum, Stuart Woods

11. Favourite movies? just watched The Lakeshouse, Monty Phython movies, Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks)Dirty Dancing, James Bond, etc.

12. Favourite music? Eagles favorite band (mostly 70's/80's
rock)

13. Favourite colour or colours? red has always been my favorite color (destiny?) Lately, I've also beenenjoying the calming effects of blue (maybe because I need it right now?)

14. Registered at a store? not yet

15. Favourite clothing item for a child? little girly dresses-only too hard to buy yet since I don'tknow what size/season

16. Anything else you would like to share with your secret pal? I love anything Disney- this will definitely be a Disney baby!

2007-05-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Beth Allan and family

1. Add your name and a little something about your family.

I am Beth. I am married to Steve and we have a daughter, Jessica. Jessica is 6 years old. I am a nurse and Steve is a author. Jessica is in SK, looking forward to Grade 1.

2. Girl, Boy, Twins requested? Girl

3. Age Requested? AYAP but secretly hoping for a bit older.

4. Child/children's names? Dd #1 Jessica age 6. Dd#2 Angela waiting in China

5.Nursery theme and colours? Winnie the Pooh. The colours are red and sandy tan colour.

6. Likes and Dislikes?

Likes: time at home with family, parties with family and friends, sometimes I like my work, a good martini or glass of wine and chatting on a patio in summer, storms in summer when it is warm enough to run in the rain. Dislikes: cold rainy days, sometimes I hate my work, friends/family who make judgements about my life, gossips, confrontation

7. Hobbies and Collections? Cooking, Golf, Reading, Going to the movies (don't get to do that much anymore). My daughter collects pretty rocks

8. Favourite fragrance or scents? Pleasure by Estee Lauder. Lavender and vanilla

9. Favourite foods?
Anything I haven't tried before that isn't spicy hot. Used to love Italian food but now loving Chinese (of course lol)

10. Favourite books or authors? Fantasy: Mercedes Lackey, Charles De Lint, Terry Brooks, Piers AnthonyMystery: Dorothy L Sayer, Patricia Cromwell, Rex Stout, Agatha Christie, P.D James

11. Favourite movies? Not horror, pretty much anything else

12. Favourite music?Jazz first, rock next

13. Favourite colour or colours? Purple

14. Registered at a store? No

15. Favourite clothing item for a child? Play clothes. Dd loves frilly dresses, I have millions of those I would rather she play in stuff I can clean easily but she insists on pretty dresses to ride her bike.

16. Anything else you would like to share with your secret pal?Also have a crazy dog called Molly

2007-05-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Stephany Herzog and family

1. Add your name and a little something about your family.

Stephanie Herzog, Married with 3kids. Husband teached in High School. Iam an RN, but not currently working.

2. Girl, Boy, Twins requested? girl

3. Age Requested? 9-15mos requested

4. Child/children's names? Bio Daughter Lydia-9yrs, BioSon Tim-6yrs, AdoptedSon from China Danny-5yrs.

5.Nursery theme and colours? No real theme, will share a room with the boys. Possibly pink?

6. Likes and Dislikes? Pretty easy going, not too many dislikes, tend to be earthy ie:don'thave the lastest, make own food.

7. Hobbies and Collections? Gardening, sewing, exercising

8. Favourite fragrance or scents? Don't really wear a fragrance, but when I do I have Jessica McClintock.

9. Favourite foods? Chocolate and peanut butter

10. Favourite books or authors? Don't have much time to read except parenting books and self help booksand my bible.

11. Favourite movies? Those made by Pixar, Ground Hogs Day, Classics-Sound of Music, It's aWonderful life.

12. Favourite music? Contempory Christian

13. Favourite colour or colours Blue, Purple, Green

14. Registered at a store? No

15. Favourite clothing item for a child? Dresses for girls

2007-05-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Michelle and David Sanders

1. Michelle and David Sanders

2. Girl

3. Age-6-10 months (most likely will be 10-12 months)

4. First name- Madeline

5. Nursery theme/colours- sage green, pink, and white. Very girly.

6. Likes and Dislikes- Likes- Madeline stuff, girly stuff, ladybugs, cocker spaniels, books, clothes, dance stuff, and fashion. Dislikes- character clothes (like Dora and Winnie the Pooh, etc.)

7. Hobbies and Collections? Madeline stuff, dance, books, we'd like to start a collection of Disney DVD's.

8. Favourite fragrance or scents? lavendar, cinnamon

9. Favourite foods? We LOVE sushi!

10. Favourite books or authors? Children's books- we have a wish list on Amazon.com. Michelle loves to read and hopes to pass that love on to her child.

11. Favourite movies? Romantic comedies

12. Favourite music? Alternative, pop, Christian alt. rock

13. Favourite colour or colours? pink, green

14. Registered at a store? Not yet. We will eventually register at Target and Babies R Us. We like Macy's and The Right Start too.

15. Favourite clothing item for a child? Anything in fashion. Size- anything over 9 mos.

16. Anything else you would like to share with your secret pal? We can't wait to get to know you and our daughter! We are so excited to join this secret pal exchange. We have had so much fun doing the book exchange and thought this would be a great way to pass the time during our long wait.

2007-05-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Kelli Kessell and family

1. Mike and Kelli Kessell, 3 dogs: Baylee, Scout and Saige-Labs

2. We are waiting for the arrival of our little girl, although we would love twins!

3. Age: 12 months or younger

4. No name yet-just a nickname: Ling!

5. Nursery: Apple Green w/ pink.Girly but not really baby-just the way it turned out!

6. Likes/Dislikes: I am not sure what this means-in terms of baby stuff?

Just not into the Winnie-the-Poo type stuff. Simple is good, cartoon stuff not good.

7. Hobbies/Collections: photography, writing, biking, running! We do not really collect anything but we love books and I can never let them go.

8. Favorite fragrance: I love anything citrus or floral, grassy, not too sweet

9. Food: Vegetarian but I love all food! Mike is a carnivore!

10. Books: We love to read! I am also starting to scrapbook! : )

11. Movies: We LOVE movies! Anything but old war movies or really scary movies.

12. Music: I like the 80's and Mike likes the newer stuff! Anything but country.

13. Favorite colors: well, our house is pretty eclectic. We LOVE color!

14. Not registered anywhere, not planning on it

15. Favorite clothing: I like the brand Tea the best for little girls! Item: not sure yet-we do not have any other children!

16. I am doing this for fun and to help pass time. I want to have a secret pal so that I can help make someones day when it feels like we will never get to meet our little babes. This is more about the journey than about the gifts so please do not stress over it-have fun with it! THANKS!

2007-04-30T04:41:00.000-07:00

Our secret pal has sent us the cutest stacking toy for our little one. It has numbers on each piece so it will help when it comes time to learn counting and when two of the pieces are put together, they make a ball. Each month you surprise us with such amazing gifts and we are thankful beyond words for having such a terrific person as our secret pal. We look forward to receiving our package each month and to seeing where in the country it was sent from. You are a true sneak. Thank you so much for this great toy. Michele & Chuck

2007-04-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

Once again, our Secret Pal continues to send us the most wonderful surprises each month.

I don't think either one of us, when we first started this journey, thought that we would still be exchanging presents a year later. I think we likely both thought we'd be meeting in person with our daughters in our arms, perhaps in Guangzhou, perhaps in the states. But alas, that will not happen anytime soon.

But in the meantime, it's the little things in life that matter the most.

2007-04-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Renee Caldarelli and family

1. Add your name and a little something about your family.
Renee & Joe Caldarelli

2. Girl, Boy, Twins requested? Girl

3. Age Requested? 0-12 months

4. Child/children's names? This is our first...Madison

5.Nursery theme and colours?

Butterfly Kisses...Pastel pinks, purples, yellows and greens

6. Likes and Dislikes?
We love to try pretty much anything and don't know of anything we have absolutley not liked.

7. Hobbies and Collections?

Traveling, Boating, Snow Skiing, Bowling, going to Museams, Plays, Musicals and concerts, working on our computers

8. Favourite fragrance or scents? Vanilla and Lilly's

9. Favourite foods? Italian

10. Favourite books or authors? Daniel Steele, Stephan King, and Tom Clancy

11. Favourite movies? Any Comedy Movie, Grease, Chicago, Moulan Rouge,...Joe-anything with Clint Eastwood in it.

12. Favourite music? Rock, Country and Jazz, some Pop

13. Favourite colour or colours?

Black, Off White and Reds/Burgendys

14. Registered at a store? Babies R Us and JC Penny's

15. Favourite clothing item for a child? Cute Little Dresses and Jean Outfits.

16. Anything else you would like to share with your secret pal? We live in Japan (military)

2007-04-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Secret Pal you are awesome!! Thanks so much for the gifts. We let Sophie take a look inside the “Backyard Buddies” box and she loved the little googly eyes (she even called them googly) that came in the kit. As you can see from the picture Oatmeal (the bear) and Curious George both liked it too. We really appreciate the “Nappy Sacks”. Our hotel room in China didn’t always smell so nice on the trip to get Sophie and these should really help. The Australian stamps were neat too. The barrettes are so cute! Sorry, we missed mentioning this the last time -- but they look great in Sophie’s hair -- and I’m sure they will in Violet’s too.

We had a great time opening the box. We attached before and after photos … on the second one, you can see where Sophie snuck in and opened the box and took everything out (and even put on the shirt!) after we put it away :).

Thanks for everything.

Pete, Jill and Sophie

2007-04-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Thomas Secret Pal!!

We love all our gifts. The changing tote is too cute and I love the colors. Diaper sacks is one thing I have not even thought about purchasing. I know we will need them along with the butt paste! LOL! Thanks so much for our March gifts!

2007-04-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

To M Jonsson´s Secret Pal!

Thank you so much for all practical and useful things in March gift.

I really like travelling with mini bottles and mini packages. This time I received lots of mini items: Bath rooms tissues, wipes, sun cream, stain remover, hand sanitizer and baby lotion-

all “minis” that I love!

I also got great and light weighted cups, bowls and spoons. Also a pair of cute bear booties.

I can´t wait until we travel!

Thank you so much Secret Pal!

2007-04-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Thank You Surridge Secret Pal!!!

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again - we LOVE our secret pal!! :) I've now gone from wondering how you are spying on us each month (seriously, more on that later...) to hoping we have the same LID so that we'll be in China together for you to see our little girl using all the goodies you send us! :)

This month our pal totally stocked our diaper bag (mental note...buy diaper bag...). We got a package of take along size baby items (they smell so good!), adorable pink washcloths, a frosty bear ice pack, ladybug burp cloths, and (best of all) a purple rubber ducky! Why am I so excited for the purple rubber ducky? Aside from the fact that my mom bought me two yellow duckies for my birthday last year (really), I have a love of all things purple. My students years ago read the book Frindle (basic plot - he decides to coin a new word - Frindle - and hilarity and adventures ensue), and decided they wanted to come up with their own word. They ended up deciding that in our classroom, the word "purple" would mean fantastic. So "you're looking very purple today" is the ultimate compliment. I am so excited for my purple duck!! :) Thank you thank you thank you!

2007-04-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to the Moore Secret Pal. We received a cute bug rattle, that I almost bought last week, disposable bibs, a sippy cup (no spill), wipes and a travel set of utensils.

All of these things will come in very handy. Thanks for being a great secret pal

Lisa and Chester Moore

2007-04-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our Secret Pal!

We received a boxful of diaperbag goodies yesterday. A great sippy cup, wipes, dispoable changing pads, a box of travel size baby shampoo, lotion, etc., colorful washcloths & a cute Princess comb & brush set. We appreciate all the stuff you sent & can't wait to take it to China with us!

Cyndi & Bill Williams

2007-04-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thank You Bryant Secret Pal

It's been a while since we posted in the main group blog, sorry about that. Hope you've seen the posts on our blog though!

Our Secret Pal continues to send us wonderful and oh so thoughtful gifts, which for those who know me best know how much the thought means to me.

For February our pal sent us a wonderful subscription to a cooking magazine called "One". Ok, stop laughing mom (and everyone else), I do cook sometimes and well, E and I should cook more often. The magazine is wonderful, it's recipes from 'normal' people rather than pros and for the most part the recipes seem fairly straightforward.

She also sent along some wonderful spices and we've used them already when grilling some chicken, it was pretty good.

For March our Pal sent us nearly the same items we sent to ours, this is probably the 3rd time this has happened! The little stuffed bear is the softest most huggable toy I've picked up and it's wonderful, I hope Magpie loves it as much as we do.

Thank You so much Secret Pal.

2007-03-31T04:21:00.000-07:00

Thankyou so much to my secret pal and I will really miss hearing from you each month :(

Secret Pal
This has really been wonderful having you as a secret pal and I look forward to hearing from you each month. I will really miss that! ! The gifts you have sent each month were always unique and fun to open. I would like to thankyou for the gifts we received this month. The boys love the chocolates they cant wait to open them. I wouldn't let them open them until I took my pic now how mean is that lol. The portable change kit is really nice and something that I will definately use. The Diaper Duck and refills I didnt know something like that even existed. Another new toy for me to use :) The nunnies as we call them (pacifiers) are really cute and I plan on using them for Anisha. She will be right in fashion with her bling pacifiers. As always secret pal I have added your card to Anisha's scrapbook. Your cards are always unique and have such thoughtful messages in them. I am sure this will be something Anisha will cherish when she grows up.

Thankyou so much for being our secret pal and sharing your friendship with us
Your generosity and thoughtfulness will never be forgotten

Sincerely
Trisha

2007-03-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you Fellman Secret Pal!

I received your package this morning and I loved the card you sent. We love cats, and it was so cute with all the little cats playing on the front! Very cute.

I couldn't believe all the stuff in the box! Now I have to go and pick out a diaper bag to put all of these things in!!!! There were Kleenex, ofcourse! No diaper bag would be complete without them, and huggies wipes. Some really cute disposable changing pads with little turtles and things on them. A milk powder dispenser that I think will be "indispensible" in China! And lastly, (I bought these for other people and I just love them!) a little clip on disosable bag dispenser that you can hang on a stroller, or off the side of the diaper bag.

Thank you so very much for your generosity! I cannot wait to get to play with all of this stuff when we get Jamie!

Lisa and Barry Fellman

(I will come back and post pictures later!)

2007-03-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much Cosenzo Secret Pal. It was great to come home from work and find a package on the front door. Since you have to declare items on the package for customs - I try not to look at the label.. I like surprises! There were so many cute things...book, diaper cream, bib and sippy cup. I asolutely adore the dragonfly bib and can't wait to use it. The sippy cup was too cute. This months gifts made it seem more real that a daughter is waiting for us in China and there is an end to this long journey.

Thank you again!

Kindest Regards,
Keryl and Joe

2007-03-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU, THANK YOU and THANK YOU Secret Pal for the last few months of wonderful gifts! They are all soooo great that I can't wait to pack them up and be on our way to China!! We so look forward to hearing from you with your thoughtful notes and your terrific surprises. These are the little things that just keep this journey so real for us!! xo The De Alto's

2007-03-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to you Secret Pal!

Thanks to the Moore secret pal. We received two packages of goodies for Feb. There were the books Lanterns and Firecrackers and Dragon Dance, a suede bookmark with the word Love and a really sweet pig. Thanks so much for the gifts and card. It was nice to have them waiting for me when I returned home from my trip.

2007-03-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Thankyou to Hayley Friedman's secret pal

Secret Pal

I wanted to say a big thank you from me for all the cool stuff. I was so excited to get it and open it! I have already put it into the diaper bag! (I orderd one from Pottery Barn for kids, with her name on it, Gabriella!)

Thank you again
Hayley

2007-03-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Getting to know Melanie Fenton and family

1. Add your name and a little something about your family. My name is Melanie Fenton, my husband is Ryan. I’m a high school Spanish Teacher and Ryan is a technician for a money accounting firm. We don’t have any children yet, just two cats.

2. Girl, Boy, Twins requested? A girl

3. Age Requested? As Young as Possible

4. Child/children's names? Allyson Marie Fenton

5.Nursery theme and colours? Pink will be involved, but that’s the only thing we have decided so far.

6. Likes and Dislikes? I love reading and spending time with my niece. Ryan loves anything dealing with the military, books, TV shows, articles of clothing.

7. Hobbies and Collections? I’m a colorguard(flag) coach for a marching band, so my hobby is working with them. It takes a lot of time. I’ve also just begun to exercise on a regular basis. Ryan spends a lot of time working on our yard and fixing things that need fixing around the house.

8. Favourite fragrance or scents? I love the smell of Vanilla.

9. Favourite foods? Ryan and I will eat anything but seafood.

10. Favourite books or authors? I love Jennifer Weiner and Ryan reads a certain author of war books, but I can’t remember the name. 11. Favourite movies? My fav. movie is When Harry Met Sally, Ryan’s is The Crow.

12. Favourite music? Faith Hill, Dixie Chicks for me and loud hard rock music for Ryan.

13. Favourite colour or colours? Mine is blue and Ryan’s is black.

14. Registered at a store? We haven’t yet.

15. Favourite clothing item for a child? We have bought so much clothing for Ally it’s actually absurd. She will be wearing lots of pink and lots of shirts with cats on them.

16. Anything else you would like to share with your secret pal?

2007-03-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

To M Jonsson´s secret pal!

Thank you so much for February gift.

Thanks for the red envelopes with golden money, the dragon, lantern and the chop sticks and the ladybug toy. I really liked the funny fortune cookie. The book is wonderful.

When I opened the package together with my daughter and she saw Dora the Explorer she said- "Look what your secret pal bought for me!!! "That was that. Her favorite figure is just Dora and I had actually looked at this Dora with Chinese clothes at eBay to buy. So once again you sensed what I like.

Thank you so much!
Happy Chinese New Year to your family too.

2007-03-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Williams' Secret Pal for our great CNY gifts. The piggy bank is especially cute!Cyndi & Bill

2007-03-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my secret pal for the great gifts. I received my February and March gifts together.

I love the book, "Year of the Pig". We are big readers in our family so you can count on this book being read over and over. I too hope our girls are born in the year of the pig. Also, the travel essentials are wonderful. We cannot wait till it's time to pack them for China! We used the duck for our daughter Sarah's trip to China, it comes in really handy for those unexpected smelly diapers when you are on the move.

Andrea Hennen
LID 4/5/06

2007-03-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Boutins secret pal! We loved the Pig! The travel changing pad will come in handy on the upcoming trip (hopefully this year). Thank you again!!!

Shannon and Ray Boutin

2007-03-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

My secret pal is absolutely awesome! In our February package she sent us a cute pink onsie, a heart frame, some heart note pads, a heart shaped ceramic box, a girly pink photo album, a Pooh Valentine's book, a beautiful red Chinese box, a fan ornament and a set of small chimes and it all was packed into a really nice hat box. You really spoiled us rotten this month and we are so thankful for having such a fantastic secret pal. Every month you amaze us with the great thing that you send to us. It puts a huge smile on our faces.
For March, we received the cutest mini diaper bag/purse that is bright pink. I've never seen anything like this and it is perfect for those little trips out to the store. I can't wait to have things to put into it. It even comes with a wipe pack that fits inside and you can just pull the wipes out through an opening in the bag. Too cool!

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being so wonderful to us. Your packages bring so much happiness and fun to our home. You are truly a special person.
Michele & Chuck

2007-03-09T03:42:00.000-08:00

The Hammock's Secret Pal is AWESOME!

I got home today from our weekly visit to Birmingham to find the most awesome gifts from our Secret Pal. She sent Jan, Feb, and March gifts all at once. I can't tell you how much fun Pearson and I had opening all of the gifts (she wrapped each one individually). The first picture is Jan gifts with the Travel theme. There's a Snugli, deck of cards, book of 250 card games, tissues, hand sanitizer, an awesome China travel guide book (our first), and my favorite gift is the red hat she included for my son that says "big brother" in Chinese. It means a lot that she took the time to find a gift for him too!The second picture is the February gift and it is a huge dragon kite. Pearson wants to open it so bad but we're going to wait until we get our daughter home so she can enjoy it too. What a wonderful family gift and a neat way to celebrate Chinese New Year.The third & fourth pictures are the March gifts and I can't believe how much she did for us. First of all there's a beautiful pink diaper bag that she actually bought in China. I absolutely love it and can't wait to be able to use it. She filled this bag with lots of essential items for a new baby and even included a pack of diapers. I don't know how you knew it but those are our favorite brand; Pearson still wears them.You are an amazing Secret Pal and I feel honored that you would spend so much time and effort on getting us the perfect gifts. Thank so much for all you do; you have made this long wait time much more bearable.

The Hammock Family

2007-03-08T23:55:00.000-08:00

Thomas Family Secret Pal, We Thank YOU!
FEBRUARY GIFT
Secret Pal - Are you spying on me? How do you know just what I am looking at online? We Love, Love Love the Year of the Pig Outfit! I have been eyeing it ever since I got the latest Red Envelope catalog! It is just precious and I cannot wait to see our daughter in this outfit. I cannot thank you enough!

JANUARY GIFT! This is on my must haves for the trip to China! I love that the beak quakes!! It is already sealed and ready for the suitcase!I love the travel case fork and spoon set and I did not have any stacking cups, so once again your gift were perfect! Thank you so much SP! I love my gift every month and look forward to opening them!Thank you so much!

2007-03-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, to the Wingenter Family secret pal! You are amazing. Our pal sent some of the cutest stuff, and I've never seen them before! And that is something, considering how much I go shopping!!!

She sent some baby books that are in Chinese, and a couple of puzzles, one is just of different items, and one is a map of China.

And oh my, I LOVE THESE! A set of fabric ornaments of the 12 different zodiac animals, they don't show how pretty they are in this picture, but they really are beautiful! They came in a red fabric bag.

THANKS AGAIN!!!

2007-03-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you Anderson's Secret Pal!

And a happy new year to you as well! We looooove our stuffed Boynton pig- he is so cute! And the D is for Dragon Dance book is terrific. Everyone out there who did not get this terrific book from your great secret pal needs to go out and pick it up. It is by Ying Chang Compestine and we love it. I am sure our little one will love it too!

Camera is down...:( we hope a picture will be here soon!

Megan

2007-03-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank my new secret pal. We received a box with the cutest Chinese New Year goodies. We had a stuffed pig, two board books(Olivia the pig and a counting book with piggies), chocolate covered fortune cookies, cute stationary goodies, so much fun stuff!!! I hope to be able to post pictures starting next month. We really appreciate the fun gifts. Thanks so much! The Pascarella's

2007-03-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Hauser SP This was the first ever gift we have received and it has made a special place in our hearts with the wonderful things for Quinn and the whole family and the amazing Asian box and red socks for the baby! IT was so much more then i realized and am so glad the we joined. thanks again. cory, jeff & quinn

www.cjhau.com

2007-03-05T17:02:00.000-08:00

Thank You Surridge Secret Pal!!

My pal is the greatest! We got a great big box of goodies over the weekend from a very very thoughtful pal. First off was January - lots of things we'll need when we (eventually) travel (when, oh when, will that day come??). We got space bags (which, by the way, confirms my theory that our pal has a spy in our house...I was just saying the other day how I wanted to try those out!), luggage tags, and two great travel toys. The globe rattle is the best - I can see how a baby would be mesmerized by it, since both of us were! :)

We also got presents for February too! A Chinese language "map" (which is so important, because I'm not going to China without being able to ask where the bathroom is!), a little piggy board book, fortune cookies, chopsticks, Chinese New Year balloons, and a very cool inflatable dragon. The dragon is especially great...it reminds me of the inflatable toys that my grandpa used to get us when we were growing up. He and my uncle were salesmen, and they often had inflatable toys as promotional items. We had tons of them, including a person-sized inflatable lightbulb! I've often thought that we were drawn to adopt from China because of my grandparents' love of Chinese food and traditions - what a perfect gift!

Thank you so much for always being so darn thoughtful!! (and someday, I am dying to hear how you have been spying on us from afar!!)

2007-03-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you Secret Pal - Gayla & family.
There are three months of goodies here that were well worth the wait. You even selected some of my favorite children's books that I had not purchased yet myself. The spinning ladybug toy is quite adorable. And I can hardly wait until spring to plant the flower seeds -especially today since we are in the middle of a snow storm of 15-20 cms! I have enjoyed being your secret pal and eagerly wait for us to get to China to bring our children home. Jennifer