Two Months to Go . . .

And so our journey nears its end . . . tomorrow marks week 32 of our little girl's development, and her August 21st arrival (more or less) is on the horizon. Yesterday, Ben, Katie, and I had the opportunity to enjoy seeing our little one's sweet sleeping face. Katie, at first, was too distracted by all the equipment to take in what was on the screen, but with a little help from her daddy, she soon started saying "bebe, bebe . . ." Now what she understands remains to be seen, but she is very loving towards my belly. Katie likes to help me rub lotion on it, after which she gives kisses to the "bebe." Enjoy these two pictures of our little one!

The Emerging Princess

What is it about little girls intuitively knowing that they are made for the finer things of life? In the last few months, Katie has been drawn to pretty "princessy" things like a moth is drawn to light. My first inkling of her girlishness was at a garage sale. I was busy looking at some books when Katie emerged from another room with a pink and purple princess purse on her arm. She had determined that she was not going home without it. Since then, her fascination with bracelets, fancy shoes, purses, and all things pink and purple has only grown.

Just recently one of Katie's friends, Emily, had a princess/ballerina birthday party, and all the girls were to come in their prettiest dresses. Here are a few pictures from that party.

It is amazing how impactful three weeks can be! Ben and I were so grateful to visit and spend time with family and friends. We only wish we could have seen more of you. We appreciate those of you who opened up your homes and made time to be with us. What a blessing!

For Katie, this trip was a growth curve on many levels. She outgrew clothes that fit her at the beginning of the trip, strung together her first commands ("Mama, come!" and "Get down"), went to her first water park, gave kisses to pretty much everyone we saw, and became more independent/adventuresome.

Returning to Bogota is bittersweet. We know we are meant to be here right now, but it becomes harder being far from family and friends now that Ben and I have children. We want Katie and baby Leonard to feel connected and a part of their larger family of cousins, aunts, & uncles. And of course, we want to stay connected with each of you too. But I guess that is what skype, e-mails, phone calls, this blog, and pictures are for.

The Last Leg of the Journey

Ben and I were so glad to see my brother, Stephen and his family after 2 1/2 years. For us, it was an opportunity to not only connect with Steve and his wife, Adrienne, but also to begin to forge relationships with Nathanael, Lydia, and Abigail. Katie and Abigail (who just turned one) were so cute together. They would give each other little kisses, sing little happy songs when they saw each other, and play so well with each other. We enjoyed down time with all of them, as well as an outing to the Tampa Aquarium. The water park part of the aquarium was a big hit! If I can figure out how to do it, I'll add some video for you all to see.

Katie and Becca

Perhaps one of the most beautiful things on this trip was to watch Katie get to know her cousins. In particular, she idolized her five year old cousin, Rebecca. First thing in the morning, Katie would go searching for "Becca." (the first name that Katie has clearly pronounced, by the way) Whether it was playing dress up in princess and angel costumes, pushing a play grocery cart laden with stuffed animals & dolls, jumping on Becca's bed, or clomping around the house in adult size shoes, these two had so much fun together. It is watching these type of relationships emerge that make it hard to be so far from family. Here's "Becca" pulling Katie up and down my sister, Ann's driveway.

Ben's Family in Virginia

From New Jersey, we headed to Virginia where we stayed out in horse country in a small town called Philimont where Katie's Great Aunt Carolie and Unce Doug live. They kindly allowed us to stay in the refurbished creamery on their farm. Katie rejoiced every morning when we opened the blinds, and she caught sight of the horses that board on their property. With a pond, lots of green space, three beagles, horses, cousins (Valerie and Krista), and aunts & uncles nearby(Ben's sister, Karen and her husband, Camilo), we all enjoyed visiting, playing, and reminscing.

Triple the Pleasure, Triple the Fun

Katie, Ben, and I enjoyed an afternoon with my friend, Jen, and her triplets, Luke, Erik, & Julia. If I think raising one 20 month old is a lot of work, I can't imagine three 20 month olds. But with a little help, a lot of wisdom, energy, and patience, Jen and Tom are doing a great job!

Memorial Day

From Connecticut, we returned to New Jersey where we spent time with my sisters, Ann and Elizabeth, and their families, as well as time with friends. Memorial Day was one of our highlights as we had a family barbecue at my sister, Elizabeth's home. Unfortunately, Katie napped through what would have been her first parade, but she was more than ready to play with her cousins later in the day.

A Visit with A Dear Friend

After our visit with Grampa and Nana, we stayed overnight in Yonkers and then drove up to Connecticut to visit my dear friend, Dawn, and her two month old little girl, Abigail. Can you say squeezeable?!

Grampa and Nana Leonard

Monday, we drove up to Delmar, New York, just outside of Albany and spent three days with Grampa and Nana. Katie loved that Nana had put out a lot of toys, books, and stuffed animals for her to play with. We enjoyed quiet days together, punctuated by visits to the local parks. We sure do miss living near Grampa and Nana.

A Visit with Friends from the Church in NY

Our first Sunday in the states, we attended a service at the church that supports us and then spent a lovely afternoon with the young people fromthe church. Paulina (far right in the front row) kindly hosted a luncheon for us at her place. And while Katie seemed to locate every breakable item in her apartment, we still managed to have a wonderful time!

So Sleepy

While we tried to honor Katie's nap schedule on the trip, as you can see sometimes our visits didn't allow for it. Here's our little bubbalou trying to catch a few winks!

Our Journey Begins

And so our travels began . . . Ben, Katie, and I recently returned from a whirlwind three week trip to the states. We spent time with family and friends in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Florida. It was a joy to be with family, and it was especially for Katie to meet and play with her cousins. More on that later . . . for now, here is where our visits began. We spend a lovely Saturday afternoon with my sister, Elizabeth and her family.