A long overdue update!

So cute in Pigtails!

I've discovered sidewalk chalk and I like it!

Reading Mommy's craft magazines

Helping Daddy with yard work

My first visit to the park, I love it!

Brushing my pearly whites!

Caught red-handed with Daddy's blackberry

Dialing Africa...

Feeding my pet giraffe

Broccoli for Grandpa Herman!

8 months together, such precious times!

With Grandma on Mother's Day, draining Grandpa's resources of energy bars.

Rocking like a wild banshee in Great Grandma Herman's rocker

7 Months together, a little slice of heaven.

Scrunch face from Grandpa's chair!

Uncle Dean giving me a bottle, trying to get me to sleep - HA!

Grandpa helping me color eggs.

Grandma showing me how to color eggs just the right shade

Easter Sunday with Mommy

Checking to make sure Mommy didn't slip a hair bow in

Lambert and me sharing some special moments

I LOVE Lambert!

Grandma showing me how to open my eggs

Easter basket from Mommy & Daddy

Grandma Herman hid eggs for me to find!

Playing with Grandma and Grandpa H's fun toys

Mmmm who knew that cereal came inside of easter eggs!

Farm babies at the zoo...so fun.

Petting the goats at the zoo.

7 months with Danika, Danika turns 17 months, 8 months with Danika, Danika turns 18 Months, Easter, a New Car and Mother's Day...Whew!

I can’t believe it’s been two months since we’ve posted… Both of us have been extremely busy with our jobs so we apologize to those of you who check often for updates only to find none. Danika turned 17 months on March 22nd, it’s hard to believe how fast she is growing and learning. She’s added so many words to her vocabulary and is learning something new almost every minute it seems. She’s now able to concentrate on things for longer periods of time, enjoys playing and using her imagination and she loves being on the playground at daycare! We had a great 7 month celebration with Danika, we marked the occasion by celebrating with Grandma and Grandpa in Iowa and enjoying Easter Weekend. We were amazed once again at how well she did on the 4 hour drive to Iowa, good as can be, especially if there were frequent stops for French fries and nuggets!

Danika thought egg coloring was the best (and Grandpa was very brave to wear a white sweatshirt while helping her color!). She got to have some “alone time” with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Dean while Mommy and Daddy went in search of a new car. Uncle Dean gets the award for getting Danika down for a 2 ½ hour nap! We think he should relocate to Minnesota! Easter morning was fun and relaxing and Danika loved her basket from Grandma and Grandpa. She still carries her stuffed lamb “Lambert” everywhere. She knew the minute Grandma came out with her basket that it was for her! She also got her first taste of marshmallow peeps (mmm num num) and enjoyed finding cereal treats packed in her plastic Easter eggs. She still plays with the eggs, pulling them apart and putting them together. Danika wore a special dress made by her Great Aunt Mary for to church for Easter Sunday, complete with a matching purse, she was cute and she knew it! After church we had a great Easter dinner and we headed home, again Danika did amazingly well on the trip…she’s getting used to her car seat.

For our 8 month family celebration we enjoyed a nice evening at home, relaxing and playing with Danika. She enjoys going to the window to look for squirrels, birds, “woof woofs” (dogs) and likes to wave and say “bye byes” to Mommy or Daddy when they leave for work. On April 22nd Danika turned 18 months and we took her in for updated photos. It’s amazing to see the changes just a few short months brings.

Danika is definitely an outdoor girl, she loves to have the wind in her face, swing on swings at the playground, slide down the slide (face forward of course) and have the sunroof open. She loves to sing along to her “music” and loves to talk to Jesus!

We pray often for our meals these days, sometimes after every bite. It’s so sweet to see Danika reach out for our hands, bow her head and say “thank you Jesus”. There's a lesson in there for us adults who get bogged down in the intricate details of theology...the faith of a child is precious to Jesus, if only we could remember it is that simple! We are grateful for this reminder that Jesus honors the prayers uttered by the little children. Seeing her simple and pure faith is humbling and eye opening…if only we could keep her little and her faith so pure.

Mother’s Day was a wonderful weekend spent with both Karen and Dan’s family. Danika loved her extra dose of Grandma and Grandpa time, and she was good to her mommy on Mother’s day! Seeing the joy in her eyes as she handed over the “I love you mommy” balloon she picked out was so special. She also made a fun Mother's Day gift at daycare, and of course it is treasured.

May 12th marked the one year anniversary of the terrible earthquake that rocked Sichuan Province last year. We so remember wondering if our little one was safe and if our journey to her would be delayed. How wonderful it is one year later to know she is alive and well and in our arms. Our hearts still go out to China and those who lost their loved ones.

We are looking forward to summer with our little one, it’s so hard to believe that in a few short months we will be celebrating the one year anniversary that we first saw her precious face!