What have we been doing?

I haven't blogged for a while and feel really bad about it. I always think I need to write a story about how we are doing. So until I have a few extra minutes to blog....I am going to post a few pictures and just say that we are doing wonderful!

We relax with Tata in the backyard!
We go to gymnastics every Saturday and love it
We have been playing in the backyard! Swinging swinging and more swinging!
We hiked with Scooter through the woods!
We visited Lina so she could meet the little blessing she helped us bring home!

First day home

Once again I am still behind....trying to get caught up! I wanted to share some photos of their first day home!

We arrived in Charlotte at 9:30 local time. Vito was waiting at the airport with a rose for each of us. They were a little sleepy but pepped right up when they saw tata and then they were wide awake when we got to the car to meet Scooter for the first time. He was hugged and kissed over and over and told "I love you" about 20 times. When we got home they thanked us for Scooter about 30 times. Even though it was 3am their time they ran around the house looking at everything thanking us over and over again. They finally feel asleep around 11:30pm local time. The next day was filled with exploring the house more. Putting on the princess dresses we had bought for them, riding their bikes and scooters and playing with the neighborhood kids. Oma (Vito's mom) came over to meet the girls. Of course she got a warm greeting from them, they are such warm and loving girls. They played with oma, she sang to them, we had lunch together and just spent some time getting to know one another. After she left we went practiced quiet time. The girls had to either look at books or do puzzles in their princess tent. It was suppose to be 30 minutes....but was more like 10. I guess we have to start somewhere. Then it was time to put on the princess dresses on for Halloween and let me tell you that was the most exciting thing ever. We went to a neighbors house for pizza and then off to trick or treat. The girls had such a great time. Thanks Caroline and Everett for being such good friends and teaching them how to say trick or treat! A couple of time I walked up to the door with the girls and when they they were asked who they were dressed as...they would just tell them their names. It was priceless.

Patrycja giving Scooter his first big hug!


Had to try on the dresses before bed the first night!

Scooter coming to say good night :)


Finally we don't have to play outside without the girls anymore!
Trick or treating with Caroline and Everett.

On our way home

I know that we have been home for over a week now....however I wanted to share some of the precious pictures I took on our way home. Considering the circumstances.....10 hour flight, 3 hour layover and another 1 1/2 hour flight to Charlotte.....the girls did great and we made it home safe and sound.

Getting ready for our first flight.....10 hours from Warsaw to Chicago!

Running off the plane! First time in America!

Us with our bags....the girls were the best helpers ever!

Passports are stamped.....girls are officially citizens!

Looking at our plane in Chicago!

Second family visit

Girls sang happy birthday to me in English...it was priceless!

We were blessed again to have more family come to meet the girls last week. My parents made the long trek from Idaho to Warsaw to meet their new little grand daughters! The girls warmed right up to them and have been playing non-stop. My mother has been such a great help. She brought learning activities for them, craft projects (yesterday they decorated the apartment in Halloween) and she even made them each a little princess dress and brought them little pink dress up shoes (of which they love.) We have visited Old Town, played at the park and had a great time just hanging out! It has been great to have them here! Since we are leaving earlier that expected they will travel to Krakow after we leave and then on to Italy for a week! I am happy they will get to see more of Europe!

We are on still scheduled to leave Saturday. We picked up their passports on Wednesday...and boy were they excited! Patrycja did have a little melt down when she noticed that my picture was in color and hers was not (Poland used biometric photos) she ran to get her coloring pencils to makes hers like mine. She cried when I told her under no circumstances can she write on her passport! Could you imagine getting to customs in the U.S. with a marked up passport! Yesterday Magda took us, along with Jim and Dominik to the US Embassy for our exit interview. It was very uneventful and everything was perfect with our paperwork. We returned to the Embassy at 3pm to pick up their Visa's! We are now officially official and we are free to leave Poland...what a wonderful feeling!

We have truly had a wonderful time here in Poland....it is something that will always be special to us and the girls....one day we will return so we can relive some of these priceless memories!

First family visit!

We were so blessed to have Vito's sister, her husband and their 4 kids come to visit us in Warsaw. They currently live in Germany so after a couple of train rides and a plane ride they made it to Warsaw. It was an amazing 4 days watching the girls with their new aunt and uncle and 4 new cousins! Needless to say the girls were in heaven. They made necklaces with the girls, painted their fingernails, and taught them "if your happy and you know it clap your hands" only our girls sing "clap your feet"...I know it will come soon. We walked the streets of Warsaw together, fed the birds in the square, went out for ice cream and played in the park. The girls were strong when we had to say good-bye...even though I saw little tears in Karolina's eyes. We explained that we will see them again and again because they are family! It was truly a wonderful 4 days! Thank you again Schosek family for blessing us with your visit!

As for the details of coming home! Friday we went with Magda (always a treat for the girls to see Madga...they get so excited) and applied for the girls Polish social security numbers, took their pictures for their passports and visa's and visited the Embassy Dr.

Monday we applied for their passports and today we hope they are making the passports. Vito also left early Monday morning...the girls had tears in their eyes when they woke up and found out he had already left. Once I reminded them that he was going to see Scooter they smiled and felt better. Still praying to leave on Saturday!