HAPPY ADOPTION DAY, ALEX!

We celebrated Alex's adoption day last Saturday. The official day the adoption was final was the 15th. While the year went quickly, it also feels like Alex has been with us for much longer. It has been such a wonderful year, and our lives have been so enriched by his presence!
To celebrate his special day we talked with him more about adoption and what it means and showed him his scrapbook from our trip to Ukraine. He was much more interested this time and did ask a few questions. We just want to make sure he knows it is not something to hide, but something to celebrate! Also, we want him to feel that we can talk about it anytime he wants to, and ask us questions. We also had a prayer time together.
We also gave him a gift- a train that he had really wanted. It is big enough to put his little people in so he was really happy about it! Then, he got to pick what he was going to have for dinner on his special day. He and I went shopping for it the day before- he picked hot dogs, tater tots, fries, and watermelon!
I am working on the report Ukraine asks us to send after the first year and it has been so neat to reflect on all of Alex's accomplishments and milestones this year. He has come so far! God is so good!

Pics from our special day:

Look, I lost my first tooth!!!






























Having fun in the snow yesterday with my friend Ensley

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

I was so excited for my first Christmas home. We started decorating before Thanksgiving, and I even talked Mama and Papa into buying some blow-ups and putting up outdoor lights.









Me and Mr. Grinch















We traveled to North Carolina for Christmas to see my Aunt Laura and Uncle David's new home and the whole Snow family was there. I got to...












Play with my Uncles






















Play disc golf (with a little help
from Grandmama)























Bowl for the first time




























Drive a crane






















Play poker
(Look at all my chips!)




















Visit Duke University























































Get hours of fun in with Grandmama
and Grandpapa



















and of course, celebrate
Christmas morning and open
all my presents....





















..and everyone else's

and play, play, play





















whew.. this Christmas really wore
me and Maggie out


Hope you all had fun, too!!!

Saturday, December 1

We spent Thanksgiving with Kim's family at a cabin in Arkansas. We had a wonderful time hiking, fishing, playing games... and eating!





Happy Thanksgiving everyone!




























Cooking with Aunt Susanne













On our boat trip
It was a bit chilly

























Fishing with Grammy















Laura got the biggest one











We celebrated Sophie's
1st Birthday












Sophie got a cool John
Deere Tractor












Alex and Sophie took turns riding it




























Taking care of an ouchie












"Let me see what you are watching!"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Happy Halloween!!

Captain Alex had a great, but very busy, first Halloween. His preschool class had a party and a parade. Then later he did some trick or treating in our neighborhood and went to our church's festival. He had so much fun!

The Enchanted Corn Maze in Chattanooga

With Papa gone to the GA/FL game for the weekend (Go Dawgs!), we had fun with Aunt Laura

Alex was so excited for his camping trip, he slept in his sleeping bag the night before






































Alex's preschool had an exhibit at the fair, his class did the mice on wall














Alex's first mini- roller coaster ride. He was very disappointed not to be tall enough to ride the steering wheel (aka the ferris wheel)