Adoption Day

On March 12 every year we celebrate "Adoption Day." The day Karla's adoption was completely and officially DONE. Today was such a nice day! Warm and sunny and all 3 of us together!

This year we celebrated a few days late...or for a few days longer...depends on how you look at it. :) Jason took the day off from work and we all slept in. Then we sat around and read Karla's lifebook (the story of how she was born and came to be our daughter). Then we hugged and kissed her a lot and told her how much we love her. She liked when we were "fighting" over her. I had her arms and Jason had her legs and we both wanted to hold her.

Then we got ready (Jason made sure Karla wore her Guatemalan soccer jersey), ate lunch, opened presents and decorated a cake. We decided to have the cake later so we could get to the Science Center. We wanted to get to the planetarium show. Karla has been very interested in stars and constellations. We went to the show and spent several hours at the Science Center. Karla's favorite part was jumping on the trampoline in the "Sports Works" area. We could tell she wanted to try the trampoline but was very hesitant. After some encouragement from Daddy she decided to try it! I'm glad he encouraged her b/c I think if it had just been she and I, she wouldn't have tried it.




For a gift, we gave Karla a necklace that I had bought when we were in Guatemala. We also got her a CD, DVD, and - something I was ridiculously excited that I found in Toys R Us the other night - a pack of Barbie shoes. I never knew you could buy just shoes for a Barbie! It was a little box with 5 pairs of shoes...all different styles and colors! If you know Karla, you know this is the PERFECT gift for her! And it was under 5 bucks! I knew she would love it! And she did. The only thing is she didn't have any time to try them on her Barbies today. Before we went up to bed she laid them all out so that they are ready to be tried on by her Barbies first thing in the morning! Oh,the handle of this "box" turns into a bracelet. Great gift idea! :)


Then we went to Chik Fil A for dinner. We actually haven't been there in quite a while! Then we got together with our c-group from church. It was late and Karla was totally exhausted when we got home so we didn't get to have the cake. I think that is funny because I had stressed out about when I was going to have time to make a cake...and then we really didn't even need it! We WILL eat it though!

Another milestone - we didn't realize until we were all done at the Science Center that Karla had left Oso at home. He was still on the couch where we had looked at her lifebook. She wanted him in the car because she was feeling tired. She said she needed "something" so I offered my vest...which she took and used. She was away from Oso pretty much ALL day! That is very rare. And she didn't get upset about it.

Jason and I continue to be so thankful for Karla! She makes us smile everyday!

Happy Adoption Day!

Click here for post on Adoption Day 09.

We took many more pictures today so I'll post more soon.

Ready for dance class!

...or maybe I should wear this...


Today was one of those days that I just look at Karla and all the things she is doing and think “how and when did she get so big?”

I know these are “little” things but when I think about them all together – it is big!

*I don’t make her sit in the cart anymore when we go to the grocery store. I always did this just because it was easy that way. Then she progressed to the “fancier” carts – you know the ones at Giant Eagle that are shaped like cars and very difficult for adults to maneuver throughout the store. Now she walks along beside me, helps gets things off shelves, and doesn’t try to run off.

*Instead of naps she is having “quiet time” in her room in the afternoons. I’m enjoying seeing what she comes up with to do during that time. Usually it is reading and changing her clothes at least 5 times. Just thinking about her changing her clothes is a big deal too. Seems like not too long ago she didn’t want to dress herself even though she was perfectly capable. Now with all the wardrobe changes everyday I have discovered I am doing more laundry...and her room is a disaster of clothes and shoes all over the floor!

*She has started doing more things without me. Sunday she spent a lot of time at her friend Josiah’s house while Jason was helping Josiah’s dad with some things. Jason said they played together without wanting any adults all afternoon. Karla has had a “soft spot” for Josiah for at least a year. She tells us that she is going to marry him someday. We’ll see….I’m definitely not ready to think about that for a LONG time (Jason has trained Karla to say she is getting married when she is 32…so that is really what she thinks!).

Back to doing things without me…She just started another class at the YMCA this week. It is a combination of preschool activities (story, craft) and structured gym activities. She had a great time this week. And I got to workout while she was in class!

She goes to her dance class by herself and comes out to me afterward and says "Do we have to leave now?"

*She knows all her letters now and some of the sounds that the letters make.

*She can write her name without help.

*She has 23 bible verses memorized!!! I counted them today. I think that is amazing. She started when she was 2 1/2. She doesn't understand all of them completely but I'm praying that in time she will!

*She is playing more independently at home. A day I thought may never come. It is good but it also leads to big messes too. I spend lots of time picking things up. I think she likes feeling more independent. She also likes when I ask her to do things to help me - like get something upstairs or set the table. She's learning a little responsibility.


Today during Karla’s quiet time she went in her bathroom and “cleaned the sink” for me. She was so proud of herself. She made me come look as soon as quiet time was over. She said “Mommy, I did this for you! Now you don’t have to do it” with a big smile on her face. She had used a Clorox wipe and put hand soap on it and scrubbed the sink and counter top…so much that we had difficulty turning the faucet on because the knobs were so slippery! I thought it was sweet she was so happy to be doing something to “help” me.

Tomorrow Josiah is coming over to our house. Karla is excited! :)

Registered for Preschool

Right before we left for vacation I registered Karla for preschool!!!

She will be in a 4 year old class three afternoons a week. She is really excited and I do think she is really going to like going to "school," learning, and making new friends. She proudly enjoys saying the name of her preschool and telling people that she will be going in the fall!

Christmas, part 2

(I'm a little behind)

I'm calling this "Christmas, part 2" because one of Karla's Christmas gifts from her Grandma and Grandpa was going to Disney World with me and Daddy (of course) as well as with Grandma, Grandpa, Tio Eric, Tia Beth and 3 of Karla's cousins - Shayla, Angelina, and Audra. I am not sure that this "Christmas gift" or "family vacation" will ever be topped! We've set the bar high. I was really excited about the trip because I knew Karla would love it AND because it was our FIRST family vacation. It was the first time Karla has been on a plane since she came home from Guatemala and the first time she's stayed in a hotel since then.

The first night at the hotel she seemed a little concerned about why we weren't sleeping at home and how long we were going to be away from home....but that all changed by the end of the week! She asked me on the day before we left why Disney World was more fun than being at home.

I loved seeing Karla with her cousins and she would just laugh and laugh with them. And definitely wanted less of Mommy and Daddy around when she was with them. As soon as we met up with everyone at the Orlando airport Karla took Audra's hand and didn't want to let go. This is very remarkable...because Karla doesn't like to hold anyone's hand, especially for an extended period of time! Usually she has to be made to hold a hand. I couldn't believe Karla was initiating hand-holding!

Karla and Audra on bus from airport to resort.

Our first full day at the Magic Kingdom we started off by having breakfast at Cinderella's Castle with some of the princesses. It was great! The girls wore princess costumes and got to meet Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Snow White and Princess Aurora. The food was good too!

The 3 of us in the castle after eating breakfast.

Karla liked meeting Jasmine and Aladdin, riding the Dumbo ride, carousel, and magic carpet ride. She didn't like the "jungle cruise"...she kept saying it was "too spooky."

I was so excited about meeting Jasmine and Aladdin (Karla's faves before Pocahontas) that I had to jump in a picture too!


I think Jason and I both enjoyed how we got to hold Karla's hand a lot last week since we were around so many people. We also enjoyed getting to hold her a little more (a lot more in Jason's case) than usual. A highlight of my trip - and it may sound strange - was that Karla fell asleep on me several times. Something she really has never done - except in Guatemala. It was just sweet to have her crawl in my lap and tell me she wanted me to hold her while she slept b/c she was tired. One time she even asked me to sing to her - and I did - on a crowded bus. :) I guess it is good that she never falls asleep on us b/c it means she's generally well-rested AND too afraid to miss anything. It was nice for a week though!

I think Karla's favorite part of the trip was meeting Pocahontas and Meeko at Hollywood Studios. It was one of my favorite parts too because I knew how excited she was. She was just standing there with her hands over her mouth giggling. Luckily Meeko and Pocahontas weren't busy when we found them so she had several minutes with them and they both were really talking, or in Meeko's case, teasing her. This sounds cheesy but those few minutes truly were "magical." :)




My other favorite part was the Dance Party we accidentally found the night we were at Hollywood Studios. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Handy Manny were all there and dancing with the kids. There weren't a ton of people there, especially at the beginning so Karla and the other girls got to dance quite a bit with the characters. I have NEVER seen Karla shake it and dance like she was that night. I barely recognized her! I remember her doing that in the hotel in Guatemala when I turned music on in our room or if we walked by a party with loud music in the hotel's banquet rooms...but not any time recently!! She even went up to Minnie on more than one occasion and took her hands to dance with her again. She was just dancing and dancing and laughing! Singing at times too! I was in awe. I loved seeing her so carefree and happy.

DANCE!!!!!!



It was a fun trip! Karla was ready to come home by the end of the week, as were Jason and I, because we were so tired. I'm so thankful we were able to go on such a fun trip! Jason said we can go once a decade (we went there for our honeymoon 10 1/2 years ago) so I decided I am going to hold him to that! :)

Disney World!

We spent all last week in Disney World! It was our first family vacation. Long overdue, in my opinion. :) We had a great time!

Click here for pictures from our trip...if you aren't on facebook. :)

Hope to write a more detailed post soon.

Here We Go!

Go Steelers!!


Daddy received a new sweatshirt in the mail...he wasn't the only one who wanted to try it on!

Growing Girl

I know I've been terrible at blogging lately. I don't even know what we have been doing. The one BIG thing we are doing is looking at preschools for Karla. She and I have visited a few and Jason and I hope to make a decision about where to send her by the end of this week! My baby will be in "school" in the fall!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

The picture above is something I've done for the past 3 Januarys now! Remember when Karla first came home and how she loved to play on the steps? Well, she doesn't really do that much anymore but she still let me take her picture there. Click here to see the pictures from the past 2 years.