Well, it's official; not only is the one-year anniversary of our trip to China coming up, but we've hit a blog milestone as well: we have pictures of the same event that opened the blog just over a year ago - Indiana Beach!
Grace had a blast on the kiddie rides! She especially enjoyed riding with her sisters and cousins.
If you don't believe me, you can go back and read the entry from July 22, 2006. Last year at this point, we had our travel dates and were just preparing to leave. What a difference a year makes! This year we enjoyed Indiana Beach as a family of five and got to introduce Grace to her first amusement park. You'll notice that although the year has changed, the t-shirts haven't, there is still more than corn in Indiana. This year featured a few different highlights. While last year was all about the kiddie rides and the waterpark, the somewhat cooler weather kept us out of the water and into the "froggy ride" (read: 20 ft high demon drop for kids which gentlybounces them back down to the ground)
and Sophie discovered the climbing wall, which she conquered on her third try (and then re-conquered three more times)
Grace had a blast on the kiddie rides! She especially enjoyed riding with her sisters and cousins.
The grown-ups were dismayed to see that the big rollercoaster, the Cornball Express, was under repair when we arrived, but we could all breathe a sigh of relief on Friday when a new motor was installed and we were able to ride to our hearts' content for the rest of the day. Once again we closed her down at 11:00 on Friday night. I had been quite sick for the two weeks prior to the trip and still wasn't feeling well afterwards, so I went to the doctor the day we got back. Imagine my surprise when he told me I had pneumonia...in July!?! I've been on heavy duty antibiotics ever since and am feeling much better. At least now I know why climbing the steps to the Cornball just about did me in and sent me into a hacking fit normally reserved for the three-pack-a-day smoker. The only good news is that between the constant nausea and coughing, I didn't have much of an appetite, so I lost a few pounds. It's not a diet regimine I would recommend, but hey, whatever works.
Grace's speech continues to improve. Although she's still only got a handful of words, we're hearing lots of progress in her babbling and in her willingness to imitate people. When school starts again she'll be having therapy three times a week, so we're hoping to see even more developments. Soon we'll be celebrating Grace's one-year adoption anniversary and embarking on another year together. It feels good to have the first year under our belts and be able to look forward to some routine and repetition. Here's to another exciting year!
