So Happy to be Home!

We've been home for 2 weeks now and my mom informed me that I hadn't updated the blog since we left Almaty! I honestly didn't really think about it, now that I can post pics on facebook too. But things have been going so well these last 2 weeks with Jenya. She is the most wonderful little girl with such a great personality. We seem to be busy all the time, trying to visit with everyone in between naps. There have been so many people waiting to meet our precious girl and she's been getting much better with new faces. At first she was very shy and didn't want to leave my arms, but now she seems to be more confident that I will not be leaving her alone. I have to admit I love that she wants to be with me, but I also want her to feel comfortable going to other family members too. Unfortunately, I only have a few weeks left of maternity leave :(

I've posted some pictures of our adventures since we've been home. Jenya got to experience apple picking for the first time! Hopefully we can make this a yearly tradition as she absolutely loved eating the apples. And since Halloween is coming up, we've been experimenting with costumes for Jenya. As you can see, she doesn't really like props (fake hair and glasses!) We are so excited for Christmas this year too. Jenya already loves opening presents and she's received so many already. We even went to my cousin's baby shower where she wanted to open her presents too. She is just so cute!

I can't even begin to explain how much I love her. Reality has finally set in that she is ours forever and that makes me so happy that I still cry when I think about it. She is everything we hoped for and even more than we expected. She is the most easy-going, lovable child who loves to learn and play. I love to watch her with Rick especially. He can get her laughing so hard and I just love to hear that sound. And then when he asks me, "How did we get blessed with such a perfect little girl?," it makes me cry to think how much he loves her too. It makes me think of the poem about adoption. If you haven't read it, here it is:

Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone,

But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn't grow under my heart - but in it.
-Fleur Conkling Heylinger