Our first family vacation with the boys

Tomorrow marks our 2 month anniversary of our "Gotcha Day". In some ways it feels like yestereday, yet in other ways it feels like the boys have been with us forever. In a sense, they have. They have been in our hearts and prayers for quite some time. We are so blessed to have them in our lives. People tell us all the time that the boys are so blessed to have us. Do let me tell you....we are the ones that are blessed. I don't think that we could have been given any sweeter and more precious sons than the two that the Lord has given us.

I am in awe of their progress. D is speaking great English. He speaks very little Russian now, yet he does still have the cutest accent ever. Our dog Dixie has been renamed "Ditchkie", a biscuit is now a "bitchcuit", and Bugs Bunny is "Budge Bunny". He is such a good little communicater. We always do hand gestures, or point to things or act something out so that he understands. He has become quite the little mime. It is so cute to watch him do gestures and little hand motions for almost everything that he says...even if we understand him perfectly. He is a great helper. He loves to help cook and help do laundry....even help change his brother's diaper (holding his nose the entire time, mind you).

N is a charmer. He is such a sweet and affectionate little boy. His verbal has begun to really explode. He was almost non-verbal before we got him home, now he will repeat anything that you say....it just has to be on his terms. He was assessed for a program here and on his assessment it listed things that he could and could not do. Just about everything that was listed as he could not do...he most certainly can, he just chose not to when they were evaluating him. He is the type of child that you just can't be mad at because he knows how to charm you. If he is into something that he knows he isn't supposed to be into, he has a way of flashing you this grin that makes you completely forget what he was doing. It is cute now...but may be trouble later:):)

We have been talking to the boys a lot about family. I have shown D pics of the orphanage and will tell him that is where he used to live but he is home now. We tell him that he is home with daddy and mama forever and ever. The other day he said "Mama: Daniel home with daddy, mama, N, Belle (our other dog), and Ditchkie (Dixie) for-never and never and never (his version of forever and ever and ever). I also tell them both every night that I love them so, so much. One night D asked for an extra hug and kiss during bedtime (it is yet to be determined if he really is wanting the extra loving or if it is just a bedtime stalling strategy....but I am gonna claim he wants the extra smooches:), as I leaned down to hug and kiss him again he said "I love you oh too much"...this was his version of my "I love you so, so much". And yes...I was putty in his hands in that moment.

This past week we went on a cruise to the Bahamas. The trip has been planned for a year now...thanks to my dear daddy!! The boys did amazing. They didn't seem even slightly phased by the vacation. N hated the sand at first and refused to put his feet in it. It was so funny, but by the end he was digging all in the sand. They both loved the water. The boys got to spend some good time with my parents and my sister and her family. My nephew and D are 6 months apart and played and fought like cousins do:) We had the best time and I hated to come home. I have gone back to work a 3 days a week and that is the max that I can handle being away from them. So having a week without having to leave them was so great. They do just fine with us going to work (they get to spend the day with their Grammie). I think...better yet I know that I have a harder time being away from them then they have being away from me.

I will leave you with a few pics from our vacation:

Our family

The boys mesmerizedby the water

My bor-in-law gives me heck about dressing the boys alike...this time they were at least in different outfits:):)

The kiddos

They loved smoothies!

The family and our fabulous waitor and waitress (minus Jenn because she had taken off with some friends).