5 Year Gotcha Day Reunion

This past Sunday, June 15, was Silas’ Gotcha Day. It seems like just yesterday that Troy and I were walking through the red Hannah’s Hope gate to meet our sleeping son for the first time.  It’s a day that will forever be etched in my memory, and what a privilege it has been to parent this boy of ours! This year marked a bit of a milestone as it has been five years, and we were able to celebrate a couple days early (June 13) with all but one of the families we traveled with to bring our son home.  One family drove 13 hours to take part, and we were so glad they did! Lucy Lane’s parents were so gracious to host the celebration once again this year, and they have the perfect set up for kid friendly parties.  You can see the fun that was had in the pictures below!

Silas was in his element outdoors with a water slide, zipline, and movie screen for entertainment

 

I remember playing ball with J out in front of our hotel in Ethiopia.  She is so grown up now!

 

This is J’s older sister.  So beautiful.

 

Lucy Lane was gracious enough to give a smile for the camera!

 

Sweet J is one of the winners for traveling the farthest to join our celebration.

 

This is the other winner, B! He is a twin to J in the picture above.

 

Precious W was able to come at the last minute because his older brother’s game got rained out. 

 

 

Here the kids are preparing to have “Happy Gotcha Day” sung to them.

 

All the kids in our traveling group minus one little boy.  This picture is clear evidence of God’s redemption!

 

We added a few more Ethiopian cuties for this pic!

 

Saylor enjoyed the celebration as well.

 

I love this picture of all the kids enjoying their cake, and interacting with one another.

 

Sweet S. was being shy for the camera.

 

The moms from our traveling group.  I love the bond I share with these ladies!

 

I think somebody enjoyed her cake and ice cream!

 

He wasn’t eating any of it, but he wasn’t letting go of his pizza!

 

Who doesn’t enjoy an egg toss?

 

Running races always bring out everyone’s competitive spirit.

 

This outdoor movie theater was a hit as well.

 

Saylor even sat still for a large part of a movie.

 

I will end with this one.  June 15 was not only Silas’ Gotcha Day, but it was also Father’s Day as well.  I just love how God orchestrated that timing.  Troy is such a good daddy to Silas(to both of our children for that matter), and it was so fun for them to be able to celebrate their special days together.  Silas, the past five years have flown by, but we look forward to what God has in store for your life.  We can’t thank God enough for choosing us to be your mama and daddy.  Happy Gotcha Day Buddy!  We love you around the world and back many times over!

Saylor turns 2!

Once again, where has the time gone?  Our precious girl turned two this past Friday, June 6.  As hard as it is to believe, we love being on the sidelines as she continues to grow and develop.  She definitely keeps us entertained, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Here are ten fun things to know about her at this brand new age of 2:

1. She is VERY verbal…like speaking full sentences and definitely not shy about her needs or wants.  I love that she can communicate to us what she wants, but we are having to tame the ‘no mama/daddy’ and finger waving down a bit these days!

2. She loves to dance.  If she hears anything with a beat, you can see her little body start moving.  So cute.

3. She is a good eater. She will try most anything we offer, and she often asks for things off our plates that we think may be too spicy for her(raw onions, hot sauce, etc..).

4. She can be opinionated when it comes to her clothes/shoes, and she isn’t afraid to let you know what she does/does not want to wear.

5. She gives the best hugs and all over your mouth kisses when she wants to.

6.She loves animals, and we haven’t really met any that she seems to be afraid of yet.

7. I keep telling Troy she’s an ‘old soul’ in a little body.  I truly feel like she gets/understands things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect out of a two year old.

8. She will sit and watch the entire movie of Frozen.  I don’t quite understand the hype about that movie, but it definitely manages to put both of our children in a trance! Saylor loves all things having to do with Queen Elsa!

9. She is working on her potty training.  We have been using tic tacs or sweetarts as a reward, and it has backfired on us a bit.  We can be anywhere now, and in her mind, if she screams “I’m clean and dry mama”(whether she is or not) that means she should get a sweetart, tic tac, etc… We try to deter her by saying “Good job! Stay clean and dry!”; however, she is onto us and this often results in tears. Whew! It can be a bit exhausting at times!

10. She has the best laugh, and the best way to elicit it is to tickle her under her chin.

Now…onto her birthday celebration.  Her official party was Saturday, but we celebrated a little early with some family(including Saylor’s Great Mammaw!) that came in on Friday.  We kept her party small again this year with an ‘ice cream’ theme, and we felt it most appropriate to invite some of our friends who babysit for and love on Saylor the most! I will let the pictures do the talking, but all in all, she had a great day. The weather was perfect, she got to eat ice cream, and she was surrounded by loving family and friends!

Saylor, as you embark on this next year of your life, always know that we love you more than words can express.  God knew you were exactly the missing piece to our family, and we would do that looooong wait at #1 for you all over again because you are worth it! You bring so much joy to our home, and we look forward to what God has in store for your future.  Happy Birthday sweet girl!