10 Months home

Time has flown by....I know soon we will be celebrating Maria's Gotcha Day aka Family Day.  To be honest it feels like she has been here forever.  I was just commenting on how different things were a year ago.  This was such a stressful time last year, waiting for news and just getting delay after delay.  I am so happy that part of the process is over and Maria is home.  As for Maria....she continues to improve with her English all the time....although yesterday she was complaining about how hot the car was and said it was spicy....not the right hot.  She has a pretty good friend at school.  She is talking more and more to other people and they are noticing.  She is doing some more testing, but I'm not sure how much of that is related to language, time of year or just the age. 

Things have been busy with us to be honest.  The school year is almost done and we are both gearing up for vacation time.  June is already filling up quickly with events and appointments. 

What we have been doing:

• Swimming lessons
• Piano lessons
• Trying to find a racing wheelchair for Maria to try out
• Homework....ugh homework
• Trying to find a new swim coach with more experience with physical disabilities...yeah, let's just say this mom has high expectations and we need a coach/instructor who is going to push Maria a little more.
• My dad is having more health issues......please pray, things are not good
• My parents are going to be able to go on our trip to Virginia in June and my mom can't go to the Bulgarian Adoptive Families Reunion either....we are all bummed about this, but trying to make the best of it. 

Upcoming

• We are done with school/work on May 31st!  Woo Hoo!!!!  Looking forward to some time off with Maria.
• Going to Virginia....hoping that one of my good friends will be able to come along and make it a mother/daughter week.
• Bulgarian Adoptive Families Reunion in Ohio....super excited to see everyone again and we will get to meet the daughter of Maria's surgeon from Switzerland...she is going to come to the USA this summer and help some friends out and learn more English.  
•  Eye surgery....ugh, Maria has a slight cross eye.  We decided this week to have it fixed...the date is set and we will have several appointments prior to the surgery.
• Hopefully there will be lots of swimming (minus the 2 weeks after surgery when Maria can't go swimming)
• Also planning on getting Maria out on her handcycle
• 1 year Gotcha Day and 1 year home....we are going to have some kind of celebration
• Maria wants to go to Chicago...she loves Chicago :)
• Also hoping to see the Adaptive Sports Iowa Ragbrai team when they come through the area
• SBAI's summer picnic

Seriously, June is booked!  It is nice to know we will be busy and that Maria will get to do so many fun things.