One Year Home

It's crazy hard to believe that one year ago today we were arriving home with Maya K!!!! It has been an amazing year. A hard year. A memorable year. A year of beginnings. A year of changes. A year of adventure. A year of getting to know our little girl.

Here are some of her current favorite things (as I believe them to be).

Favorite Foods: hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, strawberries, corn, chicken, pizza (but doesn't like the sauce), black olives, pepperoni, beef jerky, ice cream, chocolate, yogurt with m&m's, BACON, rice & beans

Favorite TV: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, Clifford, Word Girl, Curious George

Favorite Books: The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Little Pigs, Snow White

Favorite Colors: pink, white

Favorite Things to Do: run, color, cut with scissors, watch TV, play with her babies, jump on the trampoline, play on the Ipad at the library, library story time, read books

Things She Wants To Do: play in the snow again, camping, fishing

Dislikes: sauce, sitting still, sleeping, applesauce

Let's see how these compare with what SHE says are her favorite things!!!! (Keep in mind that she often answers questions with things that she can currently see. This is especially evident in the "favorite tv" section of this interview!!!)

Six Months Home (+ Homecoming Photos from 6 Months Ago)

Pam ~ It is crazy hard to believe that Maya K has been home for SIX MONTHS!!!!! Where has the time gone?!?! It's gone to learning English, trying new/strange foods, doctor visits, family visits, trips to the library, reading books, dancing, collecting rocks, going to Sunday School, eating chocolate, watching Curious George, sleeping, cuddles, time outs, building with blocks, making new friends, smiling. It's gone slowly. It's gone fast. It's done everything in between. It's been amazing.

Favorite Foods. strawberries. hot dogs. chocolate. corn on the cob. chicken. chocolate chip pancakes. pizza. mushrooms. crackers. black olives. bread. pineapple. gum

Favorite TV. curious george. daniel tiger's neighborhood. finding nemo. angelina ballerina.

Favorite Books. the three billy goats gruff. the gingerbread man.

Favorite Colors. pink. white. black.

Favorite Things To Do. dress up clothes. dance. tickle. books. watching tv. blocks. run.

Desires. swim. read. play in the sand.

Dislikes. tomato sauce. ham. soggy oatmeal. sitting on the stool. not talking.

Homecoming Photos
I have not yet shared any photos from our airport homecoming and I think it's about time I do that. I'm tearing up just looking at them and remembering how tired, emotionally spent, happy, and overwhelmed we were. Our trip home was not an easy one (I should write a post about that sometime) and I was very near tears getting off the plane. As soon as I saw my sister Debbi's face, I broke down and cried. She just kept telling me that it would be okay and that things would get easier and that it was so good to see us home.

Looking at this picture, I can't believe how much Maya K has grown!!!! She looks so tiny!!!! 

My sister Debbi and I crying together as she tells me that everything will be okay. I get tears in my eyes EVERY time I look at this picture!!!!

We spent our growing up years playing mommies together and it meant the world to me to have her at the airport to be the first person I got to hug and "introduce" my daughter to!!!!

This is Michelle. Over the years that I taught her three children how to read, she became a friend. I love seeing her daughter "M"'s hand on Maya K's leg :-). So gentle and protective!!!!

So tired and so thankful to finally have her HOME!!!!

We asked that people who came to the airport to greet us not stay around for very long and everyone was so very careful to respect our wishes. These are some of our closest friends/family who stayed until we were loaded into our car.

My sisters :-)

Maya K finally started waking up as we were leaving the airport. Her expression in this photo speaks to how all of us were feeling.

We are HOME!!!!