Halloween

I was so proud of the girls this year on Halloween. Last year Callie hadn't been home long and was still insecure with strangers. Jenny is always difficult to read. She has never really enjoyed trick or treating because she really doesn't care about the candy. So this year, both girls wanted to dress up like Olivia the Pig. They looked great and no one was fussing over their costumes! They did great. Jenny did get tired of walking and had to be carried some, but overall it was a success. Jenny even verbally said "thank you" more than once!!!!

Lost Tooth!

Jenny lost her first tooth on Saturday. We have not been able to find the tooth as she pulled it herself. We did the appropriate thing and had her do a sworn affidavit to the tooth fairy to prove the legitimacy of her claim. She had a good time doing the letter to the tooth fairy. Also, when the morning came and the tooth fairy had left her a note and present, she was thrilled. She is so proud of her big accomplishment! She shows everyone her missing tooth. I just can't believe she is that old! It is going way too quickly!

Summer is winding down

Summer is coming to a close. It is still very hot and has kept us indoors more than we would like. I have had fun gardening this summer and canning. I've made jellies, jams and pickles. I can't wait how to learn to do more next summer. We also bought land this summer to build a new house on. We will be fixing up our current home and hoping to sell it. We must sell it before we can even begin on a new house for us. The girls have had a fun summer. Jenny turned 5. I can't believe it. The time has gone so quickly. She is skipping kindergarten this year and will go next year. It was sad for her to start a new class at preschool without her familiar friends. They all went to kindergarten and she stayed behind. However, Jenny and Callie both like their new classes. Today is the first day back for the fall term for Travis. Luckily, he has only 16 more months of school left! It will be nice to have that tuition money back and more importantly him. Hopefully, the fall will go as smoothly as the summer.

Summer Fun

We recently finished horseback therapy for Jenny at Sunrise Riders. Jenny has made great advances since the first time she rode. She has better balance and is vocalizing more. Luckily, Callie got the opportunity to ride the horse as well. She tried it the first two visits and seemed to love it, but would not attempt to ride after that. With summer being so hot, we have filled the kiddie pool in the backyard. The girls love it! The girls have also enjoyed playing with playdoh. We keep trying to find things to do that keep them from being in front of the tv all the time. Jenny recently performed with her dance team, I Can Dance. Her dance team is for kids with special needs and their buddies. Jenny loves to dance even if she can't do the whole routine. We are excited that we will soon be looking to relocate to a town close to our current location. We hope to have more land for the girls to play on and a bigger house. Also, with Jenny starting kindergarten in another year, we really want to provide her and Callie with the best school choice. We definitely think we have found that and look forward to the new adventure with the appropriate amount of fear and trepidation.

1st Gotcha Day!

Callie has been home officially for one year. It has been a year of many changes. She came home not knowing the language and leaving behind everything familiar. Now, Callie talks more than most kids her age. It has been a tough but very rewarding year. There were times that I doubted our decision to adopt. Oh how time changes things! Callie is finally past most of her extreme trust issues. She no longer cries when the babysitter shows up or when I drop her off at daycare. She believes me when I tell her that I will come back for her. She still has some dislike for new people. Callie loves Abby Cadabby, Elmo, Yo Gabba Gabba, Diego and Dora. She loves to sing and dance. She is a true drama queen. She loves to dress up with necklaces and fancy shoes. She knows her ABCs and can count to ten. Callie is smart and loving. We are so grateful for her!

Easter and Jam

We had a very interesting Easter weekend. Travis had his 20 year class reunion. The girls stayed with my mother for the night. We had Easter lunch at my parents' home and hunted eggs out there. This was Callie's first Easter egg hunt with us. She loved it! She kept walking around with a hand out (see pic) saying "Where eggs?" It was super cute. However, we concluded that she could have hunted eggs in the same circle all day. As she would run, the eggs she had found would fall out without her noticing. After picking up a new egg, she would turn around in total amazement at the eggs behind her. This was a never ending cycle. Jenny was not as happy about Easter egg hunting due to the wet grass. She did not like having to walk in or touch the wet grass. We survived all the storms without any damage or danger. We were lucky enough to spend one of the worst nights in our friends' safe room. I was glad for the storms to pass as four adults and four children 4 and under in a safe room can become very tiring! I also tried my hand at making Strawberry Jam. The first round didn't firm, so it tastes good, but runs alot. The second round came out perfect. I think I might try to make some more and branch out and can some Salsa!

Callie's 2nd Birthday

I am terribly late in posting about Callie's 2nd birthday. We did a small party at our house with an Abby Cadabby theme. I've attached pictures of the adorable cake that Wendy's Whimsies did. She was not in the best humor which I would later discover was due to an ear infection. She officially turned 2 on Tuesday April 12th, but we celebrated on the Saturday before and then with just us on her actual birthday. She was not in the best mood the whole party and really didn't enjoy it. We hope that next year she will be feeling well and can have fun! So the week of her birthday, she had an ear infection and her sister, Jenny, got strep throat. It was a long week at the Ragland house! Attached are a few pics from the 1st and 2nd b-day events.

Love doesn't need words

As I have mentioned before, our oldest daughter, Jenny, has a genetic disorder, Cri-du-Chat. One of the effects for Jenny of the missing genetic material is a lack of speech. When she cries, she sounds like a kitten. In fact, her cry and low birth weight were two of the main things that tipped Dr. Harrison off to Jenny's disorder. With all that being said, Jenny can communicate with us completely without words if needed. She can sign a little, use a communication board and say a few things that only few people understand. Jenny is the most gentle spirit. She loves without condition or reserve. I cannot express what a joy she is in my life and how she makes me a better person. Jenny has never told me she loves me in words, but I know she does and I don't need the words. She is love!

21 months old!

Callie is 21 months old today. She can count to three and say more words than I can list. She is very head strong and stubborn. She is entering the terrible twos which means lots of temper fits. I just keep thinking that this will pass. Callie is a wonderful child (most of the time)! We couldn't love her more. Please enjoy the pictures of her and a few of Jenny. We got a nice snow fall and a few snow days. We didn't stay out long, but the girls had fun nonetheless.