Meeting our Daughter just one year ago...

It's hard to believe that just one year ago we were in Russia this week meeting our daughter for the very first time. I can still easily recall almost every moment of that trip. All of the feelings I felt...the rush of excitement, wonder, awe, fear, total joy, amazement, worry and sadness. All those intense heightened feelings all jumbled up inside mixed in with the unfamiliar language, unique smells, sounds, jet lag, culture shock, cold, snowy weather and trying to soak it all in. I just remember the importance of wanting to soak it all in..to feel it, remember it. To be able to understand it all and to recall it all years later when undoubtly we would be asked for so many details. What an exciting and amazing week that was! How hard it was to say goodbye to that week and temporarily goodbye to a little girl that I had only just met but already loved so much. And now here we are...a year later. So much crammed into this one year. So much our daughter has lived and experienced compared to her first year of living everyday in just 2 rooms. How fast a year goes by!!

My hubby and I celebrated our daughter's first birthday with her last year in the babyhome and and we are still pinching ourselves that she has been home with us this past year. Our lives are so touched and forever changed by this spunky little red head born across the sea so far from our world, our reality. I'm so grateful to her birthparents for giving her a chance at life, for giving her the hope of a family. If I could have the chance to say anything to them it's thank you. What an amazing gift you have given us and what an amazing gift she will one day be to the world. Her future is so bright I have to wear sunglasses!! When I think about that trip last year I can't help but also remember so many other children we encountered there also waiting. All wanting and needing just one thing and really the only thing that matters in this life...someone to love them, to believe in them, to hold them, to cherish them, to kiss them, to tuck them in at night and tell them everything is going to be all right because they matter. The world is truly a better place because of them.

Just one year ago...

So hungry for a cheerio...

So unsure of this man called daddy...

Playful...

Curious and silly..

So darn little and cute...

So scared...

And today...anything but. She is still cute, curious, silly. But she is also sure of herself, happy, content, smart, healthy, full, loved and loveable, hugable, and a very busy, busy, normal 2 year old.

A Very Special Day...

Two years ago today in St. Petersburg, Russia, our daughter was born.

She weighed 6 lbs 9 oz and was 19.2 inches long.

She was beautiful and perfect in every way.

How I wish I could have been there!

Happy 2nd Birthday our dear Emily! We love you!

Before school this morning we had a breakfast celebration of cheesey scrambled eggs, yogurt, milk, strawberries and blueberries. All of our little girl's favorites. She also enjoyed opening a couple of presents.




I've been working on her birthday sign for a few days. She knew it was for her birthday party. She has been pointing to it on the counter this past week and saying.. "my party, mom." This morning I woke her up and said Happy Birthday Emily. She smiled and said.."my party." We hung streamers on her bedroom door while she was sleeping last night. She really liked that and she ran through them many times this morning. Tonight we will continue the celebration with daddy with some ice cream sundaes after dinner and a few presents. :)

Rainy Days, Sick Days

We have had quite the rainy day weather this past week and to top it off I have been house bound with 3 sick kids and 1 sick hubby who reappears at the end of each day. Since the kids have been too sick for school we have been home having a pajama day as Bubba likes to call it. For the most part they have had more energy today. Yesterday was more of a snuggly hold me kind of day which gets a little tricky when no one will let you up to make meals.

This has been the first time Emily has been this sick. She has been especially cute with her sayings of "hold you tight mommy." I especially love that one. She has wanted to just lay across my lap, talk and give lots of kisses and be carried everywhere. Not usual for her at all as she has as much energy as older brother and they are usually on the go all day long.

We have also had our moments of sibling rivalry and unruly behavior today followed by many a tantrum and lots of tears. (I think their energy is returning and they are going a little stir crazy and getting on each other's nerves a little more today.) We have had many good moments today too. Here's a couple that I esp. liked. Boy Wonder came up with this idea all on his own and created an airplane for them to fly in Bubba's room.

Back tracking...our Valentine's

We left the day after Valentine's Day for Disney so I didn't get to share our Valentine's pics.

Making Valentines a few days before...

For Valentine's morning we enjoyed a yummy breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and whip cream. The kids found a little kitty cat at their place setting awaiting them. They are so in to cats. Of course we have 2 dogs. Go figure. I tell the dogs not to take it personally.