January Happenings

Before I get started I would like to take a moment and apologize to everyone ... you've all been so patient with me. I have been terrible about posting, e-mailing and calling .... I've tried, truly I have. Can't tell you how many times I have sat at this computer with the full intention of e-mailing everyone ... had the phone in my hand numerous times to call one person or another ... and nothing .... I just couldn't make myself. I didn't feel that I had anything to tell. Day by day I'm beginning to feel more like "me" but I have a ways to go. Please hang in there with me a bit longer. That said here's a little bit of what's been happening at our place .....

Someone that's sure to put a smile on our face as well as yours! Hayden loved hearing the ornaments just as much as Hailee and Gabi. I think he's created a few new dance moves, don't you?


We've had quite a bit of snow ... we were surprised to hear that Gabi said that she had never really played in the snow. She had never been sledding .... Hailee couldn't wait to show her how. They headed out to our backyard where there's a small hill that the neighborhood kids love sledding on. Gabi and Hayden got the first ride down .... Gabi kept her feet off the sled and in the snow so it was a very slow ride down ....

But she quickly learned that it was a lot more fun if you kept you're feet up! But keeping Hayden on the sled with her proved to be a little more difficult ....

And then Hailee decided to take Hayden aound the yard and up the hill on the sled ......
Oops .... poor Hayden slipped right off. Don't worry he was laughing the whole time!
They tried to make a snowman but it wasn't good packing snow .... maybe next time .....
We took a trip to see Jonathan and Amanda's new house. It's 4-1/2 hours from us -- the longest car ride Gabi has made since coming to America. Hailee was telling her how much she LOVES those long car rides ... she really does. Well now Gabi agrees .... she had a blast with the DVD player. I think she watched 3 different princess movies on the way up and back. She couldn't imagine why her eyes hurt once we arrived in Fishers .... hmmm.

Aunt Pat, Uncle Brian and Aunt Nancy traveled to Fishers too ... we had a super time together.
Hayden gave Gabi a ride around the house on his new Kawasaki!
Every week Gabi has spelling words to study. Below she's taking a practice test to see how she's doing. It takes a lot of practice on the words until she's ready to do this test. She confuses her Bulgarian sounds with our letters or vice versa. Vowels especially are hard ... she often confuses one for the other. Overall she's doing amazing .....
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The down side of Gabi doing so well with her English is that her Bulgarian is leaving. She struggles to read her bible in Bulgarian now ... she does much better reading the English paragraph. If anyone knows anyone or any place that uses Bulgarian please, please let us know. I have tried to hook up with other families but there have not been many children brought home ... maybe in time. Gabi says that she still understands what she hears in Bulgarian, but when she tries to read/speak she doesn't always know anymore. We had hoped that because she's 10 she would keep her language ....

Remember the little fashion queen that arrived in America -- the child who never left the house without checking her outfit in the mirror .... she's definitely changed. Hailee couldn't believe the outfit Gabi wore to school on Wednesday ..........
Seriously, it was Wacky Wednesday at school ... Gabi worked a long time the night before picking out just the right outfit. She wore it proudly!! (needless to say Hailee wanted to know if we were going anywhere after we picked Gabi up from daycare that day -- too funny!)

Gabi has done some changing in the five months she's been here -- she came to us a "girly girl" and still is in some ways, however, she's most comfortable in a pair of jeans now and has discovered sweatshirts -- they are "warm and comfortable" she says. Her purse doesn't "always" have to come with and believe it or not she's even left the house without a headband.

Happy Valentines Day!