Friday, April 29, 2011

Forever Family Day 2011, otherwise known as Gotcha Day!

This week we celebrated two years as a family of three!  April 27 is the anniversary of the day Luci came to live with us forever.  She made Jason and I more than just husband and wife that day; she made us Daddy and Mommy!

Luci in Korea, April 2009 and Luci in Daddy's truck, April 2011!
We, of course, spent the day as a family...even though it was the middle of the week!  We couldn't possibly do our normal things on a day that will never be normal for us.

We began the day with a laid back morning and breakfast at home.  After getting around (slowly), we went to Barnes and Noble and let Luci pick out her Gotcha Day gift.  She LOVES books and picked out My Garden by Kevin Henkes as well as a watering can to use on all her plants.  After our shopping excursion we ate lunch at one of Luci's favorite places, Red Robin.  She adores the "Little Fish and Chips" so it was the natural choice.  Following lunch we went to see a "big movie" (HOP) with big popcorn and big Sprite.  Since it was 1:00 on a Wednesday afternoon we ended up with a private showing of the movie.  This was fantastic...Luci could be as rowdy and wild as she wanted.  We took advantage of this when it was apparent that nap time crankiness was rearing it's head;  a couple of laps around the theater with the occasional burst of screaming worked wonders.  Luci had a blast!

Watering her strawberry plants with her new watering can
It is unbelievable how far we have come in 2 years and how quickly 2 years have gone by!  This time of year I can't help but reminisce over our trip to Korea and those first weeks home.  Luci has always been a sweet, intelligent, loving child; that was apparent from our first meeting in Korea.  It's the little changes that most people don't know about that I spend the most time thinking fondly about.  For instance, how my daughter has gone from absolute terror at the thought of someone removing a layer of clothing and putting her in the bath to jumping on the bed while giggling and screaming "I nekid!!!"  (naked).  Or only being able to fall asleep (and stay asleep) if she was curled up on my neck like a cat to sleeping in her own bed or pushing me completely out of mine!  Or screaming as if someone was hurting her when she touched grass to nearly falling asleep while laying on the ground UNDER our beehive with her Daddy.  These are the things I never want to forget!  I know that each day will be filled with memories and I can't wait to experience them all as a family!

Irresistible sweetness!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Luci's Playset

Luci has an AWESOME playset in the backyard!  It has been a work in progress since this past fall but is now ready for full-time play!  The slide is tacked up, the swings are hung, and Luci won't come inside!

She absolutely loves it!  Check out the progress in the pics below...

The beginning...even Luci's hen got in on the action!

Luci assisting Grandad

Luci and Grandma figuring out the bolts    

The ladder and slide are finally up!

Better let Awckie test it first!

Then I'll try it with Momma...

I LOVE my slide!


My swings are hung and I'm never getting out!


Thank you to everyone who helped...Pops, Daddy, Grandpa, Grandad, Nana, Grandma, and Nanny!  These are happy squeals and I'm too busy screaming to say hello...a wave will have to suffice!!!