One year down

It’s hard to believe, but exactly one year ago, the kids became US citizens and slept in their own bedroom for the first time. I can safely say it was the longest day of my life, traveling with two kids that were not easy to control! But a lot has changed since then, and even though we still have to keep an invisible leash on them (especially Isaac of course), they’re much easier to handle nowadays. And look at how excited we all are!

So in the evening we went out for dinner to celebrate. The weather has been nasty around here and it won’t stop raining. Being cooler than usual, we sat outside. It was a nice reminder of all the times we ate out while in Nikopol. We even had Greek Salad! So I made sure to take an unflattering picture of everyone with their mouth open first…

 

 

 

I’m not exactly sure what I did to deserve this dirty look, but it was worth posting. Then I took another photo of the seemingly giant pizza. But don’t worry, it’s just an optical illusion and yes, we have left-overs to spare.

 

The kids then ran around a bit around the outside shops at the nearby mall, as the air continued to sprinkle lightly. Isaac’s gait is still not where it needs to be especially when running, but he’s much more coordinated than he used to be.

 

Letting go of their hands and trusting they’ll come back when called was something we struggled with for some time. Yes, especially Isaac. I find myself repeating that quite often, don’t I?? Baby steps I guess.

Anyway, at least the other good news is that I’m employed once again. I was quite lucky as I know of some colleagues that lost their job last year and still have not landed on a good position. A few others managed to find something after about 6 months or so of intense looking and interviewing.

So with all the ups and downs, I think both Lori and I agree that we cannot imagine life without the little critters. Yes, there are plenty of times where we feel otherwise, but those pass away quickly. Lori still puts Isaac to bed and I do my duties with Isabella. Head rocking is now pretty much gone and she always wants me to lay down “a bittle bit” beside her as she dozes off. It’s one of the nicest moments of the day for me and in most cases, it takes under 10 minutes for her to calm down and doze off. They’re both making up all those years of missed, loving contact and we’re happy to be there to let them indulge. Yes, especially Isaac!