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Gotcha Day (second year)

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  HAPPY GOTCHA DAY RUBY!!!  I cannot believe it has already been two years since I first held your sweet little body in my arms. I will never forget how frightened, but brave you were to be handed over to complete strangers. I will never forget how nervous I was to meet you; praying that you would love me as your mommy. I will never forget how clean you smelled that day, and how soft your thin hair was. I will never forget how you fell asleep in my arms that first night and how hard I prayed that you will always feel completely loved and that you belong here forever.  You have grown so much in these past two years. Your personality is really shining through and we love the new things you come up with every day! You are talking so much more and get excited to learn anything new. Your smile lights up a room and your little giggle turns every head. When I hear you laugh, I stop what I am doing just to listen.  I love how you play with your brother and sisters. I love how you say their nam
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National Adoption Month

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November is National Adoption Month. It is a special time to reflect on the beauty of adoption. Our family has been blessed to be able to adopt Ruby and we are so grateful for everyone's love and prayers.  Pictures of Ruby from every November of her life. Ruby continues to grow her personality and emotionally. She attends school two days a week for 2 1/2 hours each day and absolutely loves it. Her teachers are amazing and she has really made some nice friends with classmates. She has begun talking (finally, says the speech therapist mom!). She is repeating a lot of words and beginning to say single words for communication. She is laughing more and has even learned a fake laugh when others are laughing.  She continues to bring such joy to our family. Thank you everyone for supporting us on this beautiful journey.  Ruby's first school picture (3K) Love to you!!
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First Day of School

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Today we sent our little Roo off to school. She will be attending Lowell Elementary School in Waukesha two days a week for 2 1/2 hours a day. She is in a special education classroom where she will receive all her therapies as well. She goes Mondays and Fridays and there are only three other kids in the class. Ruby was quiet today and would not smile for us but she handled day one like a champ! When the teacher bent down and asked Ruby if she was ready to go and play, Ruby held her arms up to go with the teacher. She did not cry at all, and surprisingly neither did I. Ruby truly enjoys being with other children and I knew she would love school. Another reason I am very excited about her attending this program is they are all very excited to modify things to best fit Ruby. When we arrived, they already had her coat hanger moved down so she could reach it. Her teacher Ms. Heather, and aide Ms. Alyson were so wonderful and welcoming to her. They certainly made drop off v
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Three Years Old

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Today, on Ruby’s birthday, I am teary eyed about the other woman who also remembers that today, 3 years ago, she gave life to a child that is now calling me “Mommy.” Ruby is three years old today. As the family gathered ‘round to celebrate her, I couldn't help but take a moment to reflect on how amazing this precious child is. A baby that was abandoned only days old, at 3 pounds and placed in several different environments for two years…..breaks my heart to think of her hardships and trauma.  But as Audrey says Grace before dinner, I gaze at all the love this little girl has and will have for years to come. She will always be loved here, but what is truly amazing to me is the amount of love she gives others. Ruby is so full of joy and it is wonderful to finally see her being comfortable and truly happy. She smiles when smiled at, laughs when things are silly, and shows emotion when others are sad. I love how she is starting to say, “cheese” when she sees the ca
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Gotcha Day

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Today is the one year anniversary of Ruby’s Gotcha Day. I will never forget the moment I saw her for the first time in person. She was across the waiting room in the arms of one of the orphanage staff. At first we weren’t sure it was her because she was SO small, but she was wearing the shirt from the outfit I sent to the orphanage in a care package. Up to this point we only saw her in four pictures and three, six-second videos which I watched over and over every day studying this beautiful little being. I studied her thin, patchy hair, knobby knees, beautiful eyes and how one is smaller than the other and how she was fascinated by her hands and played with them as if they were her only toys. I was her mother, yet she had no idea who I was. She hadn’t been lulled to sleep by the beat of my heart for nine months or memorized the sound of my voice from the depths of the womb. She didn’t recognize my familiar smell or search out my face in the crowd. The profound responsibility and pr
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A Random Act of Kindness

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I hope this post finds all of you healthy and happy. We have been very blessed not to have gotten any of the yucky stuff going around....yet. 😊 Today was a another special day that I will put in my remembrance book (for all you Little House on the Prairie fans!) Today is the 25th anniversary of Steve and my first date so he decided we should go out to eat (and I gladly approved!) We took Audrey and Ruby to Chili's as Jack and Elliana were at rehearsal all night for their upcoming musical. We were seated and I immediately noticed an older couple, probably in their late 70's early 80's sitting 3 booths away in my view, not Steve's. Their interactions with each other was nothing short of beautiful. They conversed the entire time with excitement, lots of smiles and laughter and truly seemed to enjoy each others company. When they got up to leave the gentleman said to her as she was reaching for her coat, "Let me get that for you" and proceeded to put he
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First Christmas

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Merry Christmas!! Today is Ruby's first Christmas and the six month anniversary of our Gotcha-day. I cannot believe it has been six months since we first held this little angel in our arms. So much has happened in these past six months...God is so good!  Our first Christmas with Ruby was magical, of course. She was amazed by all the lights, decorations, ornaments and presents. She was not impressed by the big guy in the red suit, but not many two year olds are. She enjoyed putting ornaments on the tree and looking at all the sparkly ones. She became proficient at opening presents but appeared confused why there were so many to open before she could actually play with the toys. We traveled to Iowa for the weekend and stayed with Steve's sister, Jana and her family. Ruby loved spending time with her four cousins, aunt and uncle she doesn't get to see enough. Papa and Nene were there too! We all
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