It's All About Danika...

Two years ago, the moments just before we met Danika.

After three and a half years of waiting we finally got to hold our precious girl!

Celebrating one year together on September 11, 2009

Starting the day out right with the breakfast of Champions - mini oreos! Thanks Aunt Connie and Uncle Brad for my really cool new horse pj's - I've worn them every night since I got them!

Opening Gotcha Day gifts - new shoes that light up, a Beijing Zoo Panda shirt and a Guangzhou Games toy train - SCORE!

At the Zoo with Daddy, petting the moose.

Driving the John Deere tractor with Mama - She's from Iowa you know so experienced with these things!

Roping a pig!

Feeding the goats, they are hungry all the time.

More food for the goats - they eat more than Danika!

Daddy feeding the cows - notice for once he is on the correct side of the "staff only" sign.

Me and Mama chillin on the big pig.

Celebrating two years as a family!

Hugging my new friend Oink Oink the pig. Mama loves pigs too!

Taking in the sights with my Daddy

Who knew there was WATER to play in at the zoo!

Splish Splash takin my bath.

Danika, you have left your footprints on Mama and Daddy's hearts!

One little Monkey looking at the other Monkeys.

Out to eat with family, sharing priceless memories!

Today was the second anniversary of our "Gotcha Day" with Danika! We celebrated by taking her to the Zoo, just Danika, Mama and Daddy.

It's hard to believe this precious little gift has only been in our life for two years, we truly can't remember life before Danika.

We started the day out our usual way...treats for "go to sleep and stay asleep" for Danika (we define "stay asleep" as waking less than 3 times during the night, otherwise she'd never see a treat again).

After a few minutes of organizing and packing up for the zoo we loaded the car and headed to Grandma and Grandpa's to drop off baby sister then we headed to the zoo for Danika's very special day and a great time was had by all!

I braced myself to not make the day what I wished it to be for my expectations but making it a day for Danika...and was more than pleasantly suprised that the day with Danika included no whining, melt downs or tantrums! (Whoever thought the terrible twos are bad must not have experienced the terrible THREES yet because we're finding them MUCH worse than the twos could ever be).

We had such a great day of celebrating Danika, seeing the animals, enjoying nature and just having fun together, we could have not asked for anything more! The highlights of the day included feeding goats, watching bears, getting "oink oink" the stuffed pig, watching a cow poop (Danika talked about it constantly until bedtime) and ending the evening with dinner out with Grandma and Grandpa "China" and Aunt Julie and Cousin Mikayla and reminiscing about our trip to China two years ago.

Danika, you complete our lives in so many ways that no other child could do, you are amazing and wonderful and we are so glad that God made you YOU! There is only one you and we are so blessed that we are allowed to be your parents. We love you without end!