Going Greek

Arthur taking a bath in our pool

Samantha "helping" with yard work Saturday before the fair

Charming as usual

Best Buddies-I tried numerous times to get one photo of the two of them

to look at me at one time. I gave up!

Assessing the slide and how they will ride

Yes, Samantha is putting her head down on the bar this

is the dreaded dragon roller coaster!

The caterpillar ride is more her style

Pink car taken but this convertible will do

Please look at me smile! No way.

This weekend marked our third year of attending the Greek Festival as a family. Every year a very kind family invites us to attend to watch Greek dancing with the kids, fabulous food, wonderful crafts and now, of course, rides!! This is the first year that Samantha was thrilled to attend and go on all the rides. She loved going doing the slide with Daddy, the cars, caterpillar but the dragon roller coaster was a bit bumpy for her taste.
This past week brought us back from Bama visiting our dear friends Deborah, James and Bogey. Samantha keeps calling it Alabama, Birmingham. She also wanted to know if Auntie Cristin and Grandma Phil would be at the airport upon our return to Florida holding signs.  She remembers this from our adoption video and this brings up the other thing we are talking alot about-her story and how she came to us. What belly she came from, when was I adopted from China, etc. Big questions with big answers. And it is challenge to explain it in terms to a four year old. I want to be both honest and reassure her at the same time.  She gets it but also backs off when she has had enough.  You read about this and prepare for it but explaining birth parents is no easy task and when asked why on a constant basis it wears on you emotionally but understand this is what we signed up for and would not want it any other way.
Our return also brought us an interesting visitor a Muscovy duck on our door step literally!!!  It was a male about 15 pounds and acted like it was a part of our family for years. It swam in our pool, slept by our patio, walked in our front yard and followed us around. We nicknamed it Arthur and since then it has gone away. Samantha likes to say it "found its family" and misses it like the rest of us. Even Maggie and the cats did not mind it. Go figure. Love to all, Wendy

Feeling Minnesota

Samantha takes to the ice!!

Look at me!

Daddy teaching her the ropes

Luge/Sled Time

Daddy's turn to push

The family that skates together falls together

Gal pal & future hockey player Gigster!

Yesterday we enjoy a wonderful birthday part at the local ice skating rink. Ironically with one of the worst cold spells in history that we were appropriately dressed for both the weather and skating! Samantha could not wait to try out ice skating as Angelina Ballerina likes to do so as well, however, after several tries, cold hands and some jealousy of Daddy assisting the other gals around the rink (he is an awesome skater) Samantha thinks it is not so much for her. I, on the other hand, would love to go again...I only fell once.

Holiday Catch Up

Christmas Eve Self Portrait

Samantha at Church

Samantha with her cousins and Boa!

Old School Square

Grandpa going crazy with Grandma and Samantha

Enjoying a cool day on the beach

Maggie always wants to be part of the family!

Well it has been a wonderful last couple of weeks with Samantha and Ed's parents, Jane and Art. Samantha is trying to convince them to "stay forever!" It has been a challenging week to say the least as Samantha is begged her Grandma Jane and Grandpa Booney to stay "here forever and play with me and Maggie." Who could turn that one down?!  We will all miss the sweet runs, late night card playing and the laughter that has filled our home.  Love to all, The Hawkins