Meeting You

Dear Dagny,

A year ago today we met each other and a love affair started.

I remember having all sorts of emotions that day, from nervousness to total calmness. I was nervous about the process but totally calm about meeting you. I had this feeling deep inside that without a doubt I was meeting my daughter.

Max, our driver, came to pick us up and drove us to the Ministry of Education (MOE) to get our official referral for you. Masha, our translator, met us there. I remember standing in the hallway waiting to be called into the room. We were called in to the room; we were the first of the day. There were two ladies in the room. Imagine the room where there was a desk that the head lady sat at and another table attached off it forming the letter T. Dad and I sat at one side of the rectangle table, Masha to the left of us, across from us was the Assistant, and the head lady to the right of us. They asked us some basic questions and then the head lady pulled out a file and in the file was this little black and white photo of this little girl. I remember feeling a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I finally saw my daughter. After giving a brief history about your background, the head lady asked us if we would like to meet you, Dad and I looked at each other and very loudly said “DA, DA, YES!”. The ladies cracked a smile and out we went.

From there we went straight to Orphanage #14. We were told that this was one of the best in the city. When we pulled up to the orphanage, my heart started to beat faster than ever. I was so excited to be meeting you. We were taken into the dance room, where Masha got your medical information and we went over it. You weren’t quite ready to meet us, you were busy having lunch. When we were done with Masha she went to get you. Your Dad and I were pacing the room back and forth. We both were so excited, we knew that our lives will forever be changed. Then the door opened and there you were in Masha’s arms. You were wearing a pink sweater. I remember your dark hair and your beautiful eyes looking around. Both your Dad and I teared up. I turned to your dad and said “I now believe in love at first sight!” I fell in love with you that moment. I really did. When Masha put you in my arms, I knew that you were my daughter forever.

My dearest Dagny you have made your father and I so happy and we hope we have done the same for you. You are our light, our heart, and our everything. We promise the very best for you. We hope to show you the world through books, travel, fun, and by being a family.

We love you so much, now and forever!

Here you are the day we met you.

1st day

Here you are today, one year later.

1 Year Later

What a difference a year makes.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Pumpkin Carving

Last night Dagny carved her first pumpkin. OK, not really, but kind of. She helped with the removal of the insides, which at times she thought was “yucky”, and at other times thinking it was cool.

Here is our Picasso designing her pumpkin.

designing

Here she is getting into it.

working hard

getting it all out

Then she moved over to Craig where the cute faces started.

She loves her Daddy

This is yucky…

yucky

…but, FUN.

FUN

I think she loved it.

I love it

The final product!

pumpkin

Barbara

Autumn Backyard Fun

Craig and I switched roles today. I went out with Dagny to rake some leaves while Craig was making Gumbo. Craig came out and joined us after awhile with our new Digital SLR Camera.

Here are some photos of the fun we had.

Beautiful Girl

YEAH

pretty

she loves it when we chase her

Hehehe

YEAH

loving the leaves

leaves are fun

Barbara

Cobble Creek Farms

Today we went to Cobble Creek Farms (Thanks, Maria!) with Grandma Jen and there was tons of stuff to do.

We went on yet another hayride. This one was the longest one we have been on yet.

Craig and Dagny

We took silly photos with silly things.

yeap.. that’s what that is

Dagny checked out the digs.

“I just don’t know Mom, I just think its a little small.”

We picked out our pumpkins.

Where’s Dagny?

And, we checked out the locals.

pretty girl

Barbara

ZooBoo 2009

This morning we got up and headed out to ZooBoo. This was Dagny’s first year and we can’t wait to go back in the years to come. What made it even more special is that Grandma Jen came up from Ohio to be a part of Dagny’s first ZooBoo.

pick me up

checking out the polar bear

Grandma Jen and Dagny

to Dagny its a big stuff animal

another one

Daddy and his girl

us

the bounty

Barbara