Saturday, July 30, 2016

NDNorth: Growing Fast

 Miss Veronica has been hitting some milestones recently! In just a few weeks she seems to have grown up from a baby doll into a curious little girl. First off, her caretakers are all so proud of her ever-improving eating skills. Of course it helps when it's birthday ice cream on the menu.


Got any more of that stuff?


 This Cutie has also learned how to hold herself in a crawling position!


 It's a little scary.... But trying to put on a good face...


 ...The more you do it, the better it gets. You can even learn to smile about it!


That isn't all that this little Princess has learned to do! With some support from her splints, and a little distraction from her toys, she is able to stand!




Veronica is making good improvements, timidly, maybe, but surely! New things can be scary sometimes, but Veronica is learning to be as proud of herself as we are of her!
Friday, July 29, 2016

When Freddy Met Isabella

Recently Isabella came to preschool so she could help wish her 'brother' Ari a happy birthday.


Freddy was pretty curious about this new little girl.


He was a little unsure if holding her was a good idea at first, but quickly decided it was ok.



Freddy carefully studied her tiny body and pointed out her nose for all of us to see.


Many hugs and kisses were given before Freddy decided he wanted to play some more.



Freddy, thanks for being such a good 'big brother!'
Monday, July 25, 2016

Our Amazing Staff: Alice

New Day wouldn't be the same without the compassionate individuals that seek to help and love the children. We want to recognize one nanny in particular, Alice, for her extraordinary love and commitment that has been displayed at New Day Foster Home.


Before Alice became a staff member at New Day, she had heard by word of mouth about New Day Creations and the foster home. What captured her attention was thinking of the children that needed someone to shower them with love. With her willingness to do anything that was needed to help benefit the children, Alice became a nanny at New Day Foster Home in October, 2000. She has been a remarkable addition to the facility ever since. 

People at New Day know Alice as being humorous, affectionate, full of energy, and a hard-worker while always having a smile on her face. Alice portrays a high level of passion for the children at New Day. Her integrity and uplifting spirit creates an atmosphere of harmony. She has helped build a foundation believing that there is hope and healing for the kids.



Alice enjoys her job and finds great value in what she does for the children. Alice says, “I feel that what I do on a daily basis is meaningful. It has filled my heart with joy. I am a happier person since I became a nanny at New Day. I am truly blessed.”

Alice has made numerous memories with the children but there are two memorable highlights that she expresses with excitement and thankfulness. “I remember when Austyn first arrived here. He would not eat or drink his formula. Now, he has improved so much and is enjoying his food. It makes me so happy watching him grow!”



Alice continues to express her most fond moments, “My favorite thing to do with the children is to teach and sing them songs! When I sing songs, some kids will sing along, repeat some words I say, or even dance with me. In those moments, I am really proud of them. “



Alice delights in the work that she does daily. When children get matched with their forever families, it is exciting for her to be able to experience that moment with them. Of course, watching a child you love leave is never easy, but her undeniable happiness is knowing that they will be forever loved in their family. To see that happen is worth any nannies' hard work and dreams for the children. 



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This post was written by one of our summer interns, Lauren
Sunday, July 24, 2016

NDNorth: Welcoming Michael

We'd like to introduce you to a very special addition to New Day North! 


Michael joined our In-Orphanage Care Center this week, and is settling in to getting to know his new nannies and little friends.



Can we just say that we can't get over those dimples?! 


His first day was a big one. Stephanie and Emerson showed him the ropes and welcomed him to their little kitchen. Michael even got to wear a tie! 

It also happened to be Emerson's 5th birthday, so he got to jump right into being a part of the little family around the table singing Happy Birthday! 


Michael is a sweet spirited little gentleman who asks very little for himself but is so happy to be included in any activity. He enjoys pushing the keys on a little piano, cuddling, and seeing people he knows. Michael has been through so much in his little life and still finds opportunities to bless people with his gorgeous smile. We can't wait to see him well nourished in every way and are so thankful that we get to play a part in his transformation and watch him become all that he is meant to be. 






Friday, July 22, 2016

A Swimming Adventure

We had one eventful day planned for the kiddos that attend preschool. The weather has been very sunny and hot lately and our kids love to get into the water on those extra hot days. A field trip to a water park was the perfect solution.

Once the kids arrived and changed into their swimsuits, the unending excitement really began to kick in.

Adia’s face lit up as she saw the animal themed floats. She loved having one of the nannies help her float across the pool in her favorite new toy.


Don’t you just love Nathan’s bumblebee swimsuit? He really liked the colors of it! 


Austyn’s love for the water was evident as he immediately stepped into the pool. He enjoyed floating around in the big green frog float!


Hudson was entertained with the airplane float; he couldn’t stop smiling. He showed off his driving skills by twisting and turning the wheel near the corners in the pool.


Rosie and Natalie were so excited about dipping their toes in the water. They floated around together in the pool.


Josiah’s giggles and his energetic excitement spread as he splashed the water and threw it into the air.


Charlotte loved to glide across the pool in her float. She watched and laughed in amusement at her friend’s excitement.


Owen was overjoyed with all the fun going on. He liked practicing swimming across the pool. and sliding down the waterslides. He loved sliding down the waterslides but liked it even more when it was with his friends.


Speaking of friends…Adia, Jack, and Owen were ready to take on the big slide one by one! The bigger slide was next on the agenda. They anxiously waited for each of their turns going down the slide by themselves. 


On your mark, get set...the countdown began…1…2…3! When it was Jack’s turn, he was overwhelmed with excitement.


We gathered all the kids together to take a group photo and it turned into a splashing contest that brought lots of genuine laughter. The children, nannies, and volunteers had so much fun!


The kids were astonished as the fountains of water began to spray out from the waterslides.


Tons of smiles and laughter filled the room as they were mesmerized by the overload of water falling from the sky.


The nannies and volunteers had just as much fun as the kids!


There was no doubt that there were lots of smiles shared from each one of our kiddos today. They had so much fun and can’t wait to do it again! 

If all these pictures weren't enough for you, we have a video too!



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This post was written by one of our interns, Lauren, and the video was made by one of our interns, Lianne
Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Wordless Wednesday: Music Time


Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Therapy Tuesday: A peek into the therapy room

So much happens in our therapy rooms that is hard to show in a picture, so we thought it'd be the perfect time to show you a video of all the fun and hard work!

Monday, July 18, 2016

The Little Things in Life

Right before noon on Tuesday, our kiddos showed us how the little things in life make them the happiest. A few of our volunteers surprised the kids with a large quantity of clothes for all ages including summer and winter seasons. We are incredibly thankful and so were our kiddos! 

As we organized some of the clothes, we decided to greet the children with something new and stylish that they could wear for the day. Nearly every child’s expression was similar – pure excitement and thankfulness filled the atmosphere. 

Elisabeth, Jewel, Abel, and Celeste were amazed at the amount of clothes they had just received. Look at those faces…they were in awe!



Of course, we had to take advantage of the joyful giggles and warm smiles. Marcus and Eli received shirts that matched Connie with bright colors.



Halle Grace was so ecstatic as she sported her new purple dress. She grew even more excited as she added a pretty, vibrant purple flower to her hair.



Elisabeth loved her new pink polka-dot onesie. Adding a hot-pink headband really pulled off the finishing touch.



Owen smiled as he tried on his new collared shirt. Not to mention, it’s one of his favorite colors! 



Matthew found excitement in trading his shirt for a newer one that matched his new friend!


After a full morning of new clothes, the kids had one more surprise in store. The gardener, Adam, had been planting cucumbers in the garden and they were ready to be eaten! Snack time consisted of picking cucumbers and chowing down on this light yet delicious snack.

Charlotte took the plunge and tried picking a cucumber from deep within the garden. 



Hudson joined in on the fun. He was determined to pick the biggest cucumber that he could find!



Austyn’s excitement grew as he approached the tall garden and he began searching for the perfect cucumber.



She was hesitant at first but soon realized why everyone else was so excited. Celeste was very pleased with the juiciness of the cucumber.



Jewel absolutely loved the deliciously fresh cucumbers! She smiled as she ate and we found her holding her hand out, asking for more. 



It’s the little things in life like fresh cucumbers and a set of brand new clothes. 

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This post was written by one of our interns, Lauren