Best Thanksgiving ever!

Yep...today was the best Thanksgiving ever! We all enjoyed just having a fun play day as a family. We all find ourselves just staring at Mallie Grace at times in complete awe and wonder. It's still so hard to believe she is here and here for good. She was looking at her baby pictures on the fridge today and asking me about them. Oh, sweet girl....if only you knew how long we gazed at those pictures and dreamed of this day.

We are very thankful that she's such a good sleeper. Once she's asleep, she's out. When you sleep in a room with 10 other kids, you learn to be a good sleeper, I guess. I heard her rustling around about 5:00am, but she eventually went back to sleep, I guess, and when I woke back up at 7:30, she was awake. The kids at the orphanage were taught not to get out of bed until they're told. So, even when she wakes up, she just lays there until I get her up. We'll see how long this lasts, but it sure is convenient for now. She has a toddler bed in our room and we'll keep her with us for a while. She needs to know that we're right there, always with her and ready to meet her needs.

The word of the day was definitely "Noah". She quickly learned his name and began bossing him around---"Vine, Noah!" which means "Come here, Noah!" It's pretty cute! Mostly, we played and ate today. This girl can EAT! Her Thanksgiving supper was turkey, sweet potatoes, pinto beans, and corn bread---and she cleaned her plate! It was pretty amazing! Now I know why kids from GLA grow so much and gain weight so quickly when they come home.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. We are still struggling with naptime, but I know it will get better each day. She really puts up a fight, but doesn't fight bedtime at all. Strange. I got lots of kisses and "I yuv yous" today. We are so very thankful our daughter is home.

First breakfast at home....corn flakes. She ate half the bowl, got down to play, and came back an hour later to finish the soggy ones. Yum!

Mallie Grace loves playing in her new room.

She was very clingy when we took her outside for the first time, but she did like the wagon ride from Noah.