Here are some pictures from our vacation last week in Hilton Head. Ana had a wonderful time with mom, dad, and uncle Mark. The trip was just perfect! She loved spending time in the ocean and the pool. Enjoy the pictures!!!!

Summer is Here!

Ana loves the pool! She also loves putting on my sunglasses as you can see! I can't believe how much she has grown since last summer! Enjoy the photos.

Feels Like Summer!

Ana discovered the sprinkler this weekend! She had a blast and didn't want to come inside for anything!!!

Ice Cream!!!

After church, we had a baptism party to attend. Ana had fun and as we left, we noticed our favorite ice cream place had opened. We decided to get Ana her first real ice cream cone. Talk about a mess. I don't care though, I don't think I've seen her this happy since Christmas morning!!

Easter

Well, we stayed in Cincinnati for Easter this year. Ana had a good time (I think). We dyed eggs and she really loved it. She kept wanting to drop the eggs in different colors and didn't understand you have to eventually take them out and let them dry. Enjoy the pictures!!

DORA LIVE!

Well, I'm only a week behind in posting but here is the latest and greatest...Last Saturday Aunt Barb, me, grandma, Mark, Ana, Christina, and Vinny went to the Dora show in Pittsburgh. Ana loved it. When the actors came out on stage she just stared with her mouth wide open. She didn't say much but when Swiper came out, she was waving that finger at him and telling him "no!" After the show we had lunch at Station Square (thanks grandma) and the kids played for a little while. It was awesome to get to spend the day with Ana's Aunt Barb, her cousins and grandma! Here are a few pics from the show.

It's Been a While

I know it's been forever since I have posted anything. I swear this last month just feels like my life has turned upside down. I mean that in only the best way possible. Mark has been out of town a lot and between Ana, work, and being pregnant, my blogging days have certainly slowed down. I will try to be better! Anyway, here are some pictures of Ana on our 70 degree day in Cincinnati. She loves that darn hat so we let her wear it. The car is from my mom. Ana loves it, when she sees it in the garage, it's all over if we don't put her in it. Thanks Na-na....

Ana's First Snow!

Ana enjoyed her very first snow (first with any significant accumulation). We got her dressed and Mark took her outside. At first she wasn't really sure what to do with all the "white stuff." As soon as Mark made her a snowball she was hooked. She was so hooked that when she came back in, all we heard was "ball, ball." So...in order to keep her happy, we have been bringing in snowballs and keeping them in a dish for her to simply hold while she plays!

A Year Ago Today!

On this day exactly a year ago, Mark and I met Ana for the first time. The waiting and wondering were finally over. We were officially a family and we finally had Ana in our arms forever. Now as I look back, I still get butterflies when I look at the video or pictures from that day. I remember it all so clearly. Our phone rang at 8:00 a.m. and the voice on the other end let us know that "the baby was here." We met Ana on the couch in the lobby of the Marriott. There she was, chubby, smiling, and in clothes that were two sizes too small. We didn't care, to us she was just what we had been waiting for all of these months. We couldn't wait to hold her and love her. I can't imagine doing anything differently or changing a thing. I thank God for Ana every day. I thank God that her mother had the courage to make the right choice and give her life, even though we know she was scared. I can't begin to imagine not adopting her. What an honor to be her mother and father and what an honor to get chosen by God to get her as our little girl, she is just so special.

It's funny, the day we were matched with Ana, my coordinator and I talked on the phone for a while. I remember her saying a lot of people want to adopt a baby to try and "save" them from the harsh life they may otherwise face. Yes, I wanted a baby but I did think in a way I was "saving" Ana. By the end of all of this, I couldn't be more wrong. I think she has saved us. Ana has given Mark and I a family, hope, inspiration, and the ability to see life in a whole different way. She is the joy of our lives. She is what keeps us going when we are tired, cranky, or sad. She is light of our lives and I thank God she belongs to us!

~ Legacy Of An Adopted Child ~

Once there were two women who never knew each other.

One you do not remember, the other you call mother.

Two different lives shaped to make yours one,

One became your guiding star,the other became your sun.

One gave you your life, the other taught you to live it,

One gave you a need for love, the other was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name,

One gave you the seeds of talent, the other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions,the other calmed your fears,

One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home that she could not provide,

The other longed for a child, her prayers were not denied.
You were born from caring courage, nurtured with help from above,

You are the blending my darling of two different kinds of love.

Long Overdue Pics!

I will not name names but a certain sister-in-law has been very lax in getting vacation pictures to me! I never knew these existed!! Here are some of AJ, Julia, Ana and Mark and I in Hilton Head. Oh well, better late than never!!!!