Big choices and Big changes..

Sorry that I haven't posted in such a long time. Thank you Bobbi for your nice comment and checking up on us. The kids are both healthy and doing fine. We have just been wrestling with a big decision the past few weeks. In the end we decided late last week that we need to move back to where we were living two years ago. It is seven hours from where we live now and it means leaving a nice friendly small town where we have made some really good friends. The hardest thing for me is it means Alex leaving his school that we both LOVED so much this year. Jens job has not been what we expected when we moved here two years ago and we had hoped things would change or we would find a way to make it work. In the end it is not to be. I am very excited about living in a bigger city with all that brings again. We will be about 2 hrs away from Grandparents again so that will be great.

I have to say that I am so proud of Alex. I was literally sick to my stomach for two days waiting for Jens to give notice so we could tell Alex and "go public". This is a very small close nit town so we had to wait. Well we told him and he was very excited listing the things he missed doing that we did there. He has cried a few tears realizing that he won't be on the playground with his friends here in first grade etc...Oh how that hurts to see him hurt. I would give a lot for him to be able to stay. I do know that once we get there and he sees some friends from Preschool again and meets his class next year he will be OK. I am so proud of him and how well he is doing. So that is what is up in the Guatemama Two household. Anyone have any advice on how to handle a move with a 6 year old? I just pray that this is the last move and that he can spend his school years in one place from now on.

It just seems this roller coaster of a ride we have been on this past year is never ending. Hope this is it for a while. I am getting motion sickness.

13 Months Old Today

Time just seems to be flying by since Feb. I can not believe that Anika is 13 Months today. In the last week since I posted last she has learned how to drink from a straw and today she walked AlONE behind a push toy for the first time. She has been able to for a while but was afraid unless someone held her back. Today she walked slowly across the living room holding on alone. It won't be long until she is a walker. I didn't get a picture but I hope to tomorrow. She only did it once and I was too busy cheering. We all were and I think we scared her so she stopped.





Alex is doing great. I can't believe that his Kindergarten year is almost over. Time just needs to slow down a little for me. He has been enjoying the "warmer" weather that we have had the past few weeks and spending tons of time outside in the trees. His latest favorite thing is to catch bugs and butterflies with his bug net and look at them in his bug trapper. Today he went to a birthday party and was so excited that spider man showed up.

Referral Day

One year ago today we saw Anika's face for the first time. We knew that we were finally near the top of the waiting list for an infant girl. We had been officially waiting since Jan. There is something very surreal about the phone call where you first learn about your baby. It was the same with Alex. I have the notes that I took for both of them and I can hardly read them I was shaking so badly both times. I remember waiting for the email to come with Anika's pictures. What a rush of emotions opening the email and seeing this.....



I can't put it in words the way I wish I could but I just want to say with both kids I just "knew" they were my babies. It has been a hard year but one that I would live again to have Anika with us. We are really blessed to have both kids and I think all the time about the families that are still waiting.

3 Months

Three Months ago today we came home from Guatemala and were a family of 4 for the first time all in the same place. What a moment it was to see Alex get off the bus that day. He ran home and ran right up the stairs to look at Anika who was asleep in her crib. Within minutes they were sitting on the floor together and playing. It was a dream come true for me. On the one hand it seems like time has flown since then. On the other hand it is hard to believe it has only been three months. Anika is such a part of us it seems like she has always been here. Two different people made comments to me yesterday saying how "lucky" Anika is. What they don't realize is that WE are the lucky ones.

Weekend in Pictures

FFF

It's the small things...

that really make me emotional. Our daily walk to the bus stop to get Alex is one. When I put Anika in her stroller in the afternoon she says "bus" or sometimes "brow wa" She gets so excited when I tell her that "yes it is time for your brother to come home" It is so fun to hear her start to babble with happiness. When she sees the bus she often screams "BUS" and starts to bounce up and down. Seeing the two of them in those first few minutes after he gets off the bus is really such a joy. Alex waited with us for his "baby sister" and is just as happy as we are to have her in the family. I am just so proud of him. He is a great big brother. I will miss these daily reunions when summer comes.