Camping Trip

We spent the past week camping in Prineville with our good friends. This is only the second time we have participated in this yearly event and it was great. Deanna got to experience camping with a lot of swimming, boating, and socializing. There were several teenagers there who she immediately took a liking to. The young people were all very good with her, allowing her to "hang out" with them and it really made the trip special for her. Thanks to all the adults too, we appreciate your kindness to Deanna.

She did meet a couple of girls her age to play with. They had fun on a trampoline on the water. This is very good, as she prefers older kids.

We had to watch her like a hawk though because she thought everyone in the campground was her friend, and no place was off limits. This was a good time for practicing appropriate vs inappropriate behavior!

Parties

Deanna has been fortunate enough to be invited to several parties and events this summer. She has plenty of clothes and loves wearing new outfits! This day we thought we were going to a BBQ, but it turned out to be a surprise wedding reception. Congratulations Wanda and Neil! We all had a great time and Deanna had fun dancing and "singing" with the band.

New Kitty

Yesterday the "boys" came home with a new kitten. I have been saying that our cat is old and having trouble catching mice and we should get a new one, specifically an orange one.
Jordan called and said they found a nice black and white kitty and I said if we get a cat I want an orange one or a tabby. He said it might be too late, Jeremy might have already bought it, as I hear the car heading for home.
Anyway, she is a very nice kitten, very friendly and not intimidated by the dogs at all. Deanna of course was immediately in love and has been carrying her everywhere. Jon wasn't too happy but seen later that evening petting and kissing her......

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY JEREMY

Hard to believe but our oldest son Jeremy is 21! It keeps getting harder and harder to deny my age when the boys are men. It has been great having him home this summer.
Deanna picked out some gifts for him and kept making some sort of hat gesture, so I'm thinking they did celebrate birthdays in the orphanage with a party hat.
After all the gifts she has received at her showers she is very good about giving to others and not expecting anything for herself.

4th of July

This was Deanna's first 4th of July as an American! If she only understood the significance. Spending 6 weeks in Ukraine makes you really appreciate all we take for granted here.
She of course didn't have a clue what it was all about.
The boys did some fireworks at home, which she loved. Then Deanna and I went to downtown Portland and met Mimi and Grampa for the big fireworks display. Aunt Susan has a condo right down on the waterfront so we went to dinner and hung out there to watch the show. Deanna loved the fireworks for the first 5 minutes but then was just as interested in watching all the people. We had a really good time and I've finally had to hide the t-shirt so she won't wear it every day.

4 Months Home

Summer is going by quickly and although Deanna has been here for 4 months it seems like she's always been with us for much longer. Her hair is really growing and has lightened up considerably as you can tell. She continues to enjoy just about everything she does and is always cheerful and energetic (perhaps too much sometimes!)

Her main issues for improvement are her speech (needs lots of work) and she is still too friendly with strangers, however this is improving. She definately knows who her family is and she is very affectionate and loving.

Dance classes are going well, but when they got out the tumbling mats one day she really came to life. I thought she would be a good gymnast because she is flexible, coordinated, and very tough!

The Summer Begins

This week Deanna was busy with many activities. She attended a day camp at the church where she goes for daycare/preschool. It was everyday, which she is not use to, but she really seemed to enjoy it. I do notice that she interacts more with the teenagers and adults than with the kids her age.

Jeremy is home with us for the summer. Deanna, Jeremy and I drove to Corvallis to pick up some of his things. It was fun for her to see where he lives when he is not with us. She LOVES playing with him and having him around but he is such a big tease! However I do think this bothers me more than it does Deanna.

This week she started private speech therapy. The first visit consisted mostly of testing and assessment, so the real work will begin next week. We are also in the process of evaluation for services through Early Intervention and Doernbecher Children's Hospital. It is clear she will need a lot of work so we are anxious to begin. With her speech delay it is easy for people to forget she has a language barrier as well. (Although her comprehension is excellent)

Deanna loves to play ball and actually is a very good at catching and throwing for her age. She is a girl at heart though, when I went to take her picture with the bat she was hugging and kissing it. I'm sure in all of our years of baseball I never saw either of the boys do that!

Today was very hot so we got out the slip and slide. She didn't quite understand the concept at first but Jeremy was there to demonstrate. He is an old hand at the slip and slide. We all had a great time watching and/or participating and everyone escaped with no injuries. I think this is the beginning of a very busy, hectic, and fun summer.

The Playhouse!!

After several weeks of bad weather, we were finally able to finish the playhouse.

Last winter, well before we went to Ukraine I bought this playhouse for our future daughter. The people I bought if from wanted it gone right away so Jordan, his friend Dave and I disassembled it by flashlight and brought it home one very dark, cold, and foggy night. It has been sitting in the yard in a pile ever since. So after excavating, building a foundation and floor, some paint, trim and hardware, it looks pretty good. The boys said Deanna would never use it and I was just fulfilling my own childhood dream (partially true), but as soon as it was finished she got her dolls, some blankets and a littlel crib and hauled them all out there completely on her own. She has been out there every day since, often with the dogs as they are also fond if it. Now I must begin planning for the interior decor ......

Dancer in Training

Today Deanna started dance classes! We know she has rhythm and moves already, so she's going to have a lot of fun perfecting her skills and learning new ones. She was very excited ahead of time and loved her new dance clothes. In the class she had no trouble following directions and keeping up with everyone. She did keep her eye on me throughout the class, so I don't think I'll be able to sneak out anytime soon. I think this will be first of many such classes.

Mimi and Grampa

Deanna has been having fun hanging out with my parents, also known as Mimi and Grampa. We have been with them at the beach a couple times and of course to Mexico. They are even willing to come to our house to watch her when needed. She is the only granddaughter they have so that makes her very special. Spending time with Deanna will keep you young, she has endless energy and will give you a run for your money!

Meeting New Friends

My mom hosted a very nice party so some of her good friends and family members could meet Deanna. We had a very nice time, and the guests were very generous with gifts. We really appreciate everyones willingness to make her feel so special! Deanna really enjoyed the whole experience.

3 Months Home

We have now had Deanna home for three months! She has experienced so many new things and places and always enjoys everything. She has also endured a major surgical procedure with very little complaint. She is very energetic and really keeps you on your toes. She also likes to test her limits quite regularly, but overall she is very happy and extremely affectionate!! She has a habit of taking other peoples things such as car keys, garage door openers, cell phones, etc and moving them to another location. The good part is she always remembers exactly where she put them! Her english comprehension is excellent and we actually take for granted that she understands everything we say.

We were able to take her to the beach again, which she really loves. She and Rosie (her best friend) got a lot of exercise. It was nice to spend more time with Mimi and Grampa too.

Its Growing

It is no secret Deanna wants to have long hair. She loves girls with long hair. She will only eat some things like vegetables after asking if they will make her hair grow. Today we experimented with some hair styles and she was very happy with the pig tails. Its a good thing she doesn't know about hair extensions!

Deanna continues to recover well from her surgery. She has had her post-op appointments and the surgeon is pleased with the outcome. Also, her hearing is now in the normal range. Next step, speech therapy. Warning, I have told her she can answer the phone when she can talk, and I'm afraid she won't stop talking!

A Day Out

Today we took Deanna to downtown Portland to enjoy the beautiful weather. We did some shopping and had some good food too. We ended up at the fountain where Deanna had a great time playing, and we all ended up soaking wet. The fun finally came to an end when a large girl knocked her down and she skinned her hand. I forgot my camera but managed to capture some shots with my cell phone, which has now taken me an hour to figure out how to upload to the computer!

A Sad Day

Today our little dog Rudy passed away unexpectedly. He was old and had poor stamina, but just yesterday was trotting around and Deanna was feeding him tortellini. Deanna was very upset when we took him away and it was very difficult to try to explain dying to her. I know she understands that he was sick and is now resting comfortably but won't be living with us. Even though we still have Rosie and Tia, Deanna was close to Rudy and she asked about him every night before bed, fed him, took pictures of him on her own, sat with him while watching TV, and cleaned up after him. We'll miss the little guy.

Mother's Day Weekend

This was a very special Mothers Day for me because it was my first with Deanna, the first with three kids, and we were all together. They all surprised me with some great gifts too.
Deanna was very excited to have brother Jeremy home for the weekend. She stayed up late Friday waiting for him and jumped in the car with him, honking the horn when he arrived.
Even though she is recooperating from surgery she was full of energy and thrilled about the little motorcycles Jordan and his friend Dave bought. She couldn't get enough of them, as you can see by the pictures.
It was nice to spend time as a family again.



Deanna has been recovering well. She still has some issues with stitches and incisions in her mouth but this does not stop her from doing everything else. After about 4 days she finally started eating (4 bowls of mac and cheese in one afternoon) but will be on a very restricted diet for 4 weeks. During this experience we have discovered that medications that should cause drowsiness have the reverse effect on her! No wonder the benadryl didn't work on the plane! Thank goodness regular tylenol has controlled her pain.
She has begun to attempt speaking more words and making more sounds but it is clear speech therapy will be essential. Thanks to everyone who called to inquire or stopped by to visit, we really appreciate it!

Medical Update

Tuesday, May 6 Deanna had surgery to repair her cleft palate. It took about 4 hours and required an overnight stay in the hospital. Everything went well but we are having a hard time getting her to eat and drink. She has been offered everything possible but apparently has no appetite. I have resorted to forcing her to drink in order to avoid dehydration and having to return to the hospital for IV fluids. Lack of food and fluids has made it difficult for her to take pain medication.
As bad as this sounds, she is getting dressed each day, playing, running around, and asking to go places. I don't know how someone who hasn't eaten for days can have so much energy! She has continued to amaze us with her resilience and understanding of this whole experience.

Home 2 Months!

We have been home from Ukraine for 2 months now. Deanna has adjusted very, very well. Besides the parties and trips we have settled into a daily routine and she goes to daycare a few hours a week and loves it. She will start pre-school in the fall and will have a year to work on English and speech before kindergarten. She is very attached to her brothers, whom she calls "O" and "E". She is now a big dog lover and wants to stop to meet every dog she sees. Today she blew kisses at a dog at the store! At this time her speech is still limited although she is a great communicator. She seems to understand almost everything we say to her, and is constantly babbling.

Deanna's surgery to repair her palate is scheduled for May 6. We have tried to explain this to her, and are hoping for a uncomplicated and quick recovery. Even though this is a scary thing, we will be glad to have this part over with!

Deanna Sees Mexico

We just returned from a great family vacation in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. Our entire family as well as my sister, parents and their good friends joined the fun. It was a great opportunity for us to have fun and all spend time together. Deanna had a great time in the pool, especially playing with her brothers. She was the only child at the resort so she generated a lot of interest.

She loved the Mariachi bands and several times ended up dancing on her chair and even on the table after dinner. At one restaurant all the employees were watching and some were taking pictures with their cell phones. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the entertainment (except her brothers who thought we shouldn't encourage her "inappropriate" behavior!!)

Bathing Beauty

Deanna loves the pool!!

Playing "catch" with Deanna

In the Kiddie pool

Table Dancing!