Adoption Day.

On Saturday we celebrated the second anniversary of Georgia's adoption day--the day a judge officially named her Georgia Terryn.  She may have been nine months old at her adoption day ceremony in family court back in 2009 but she couldn't have been more our little girl since the moment we first laid eyes on her when she was a day old.  Sometimes it just takes a long time to get a court date.........but that celebration is worth the wait! And it's definitely a day worth remembering every year!

We started a tradition last year to celebrate Georgia's big day and we couldn't wait to do it again this year and next year and the next year and the next year.................. One of the coolest things about her adoption day this year is that she was excited about it.  She understood we were celebrating something awesome.  We had our neighbors over for breakfast in the morning and right in the middle of a mouth full of pancakes she announced, "Tom & Sara......it's my 'doption day!" She was pretty pumped for it.

As we did last year we headed over to one of the finest dining establishments Grand Rapids has to offer, Noodles & Company, for dinner.  It remains Georgia's favorite place to eat and we frequent our local franchise a lot.  A LOT. The manager knows our names and always stops to say hi when she sees us.

We are moving up in the world however, in that Georgia has graduated from macaroni and cheese to pesto cavatappi.  Yep--she's two......and she loves pesto. We do it high-brow in this  house.......we're all, "I'll take pesto......no thanks on the chicken nuggets," (well--she'll eat those too).

1.  Yes......she will eat that whole bowl......and then some.  2.  That hand thing?  So Georgia.......I'm sure she was telling the pesto what to do.  

We bought a Dora ornament for Georgia this year.......she needs Dora like she needs air.  Last year it was bunnies.......this year......Dora.  I honestly couldn't believe I found a glass Dora ornament......I think it was fate.

And then we told her we had a big surprise for her.  "Guess what it is?"

A Mickey Mouse club-house? Uh........no. 

We're going to see The Wizard of Oz again? I love that she loved going to this play but I now live everyday answering questions that an imaginary Dorothy asks me. 

A slip n'slide? Probably not in December. 

Jelly-beans? We can do better than that little cutie. 

A horse and carriage ride through downtown.  

A real horsey?  I will kiss him.  And I will hug him.  What color is he?

And then everybody in Noodles & Company got to hear about this horse and carriage ride.  I didn't even want to tell her to be quiet or talk in an inside voice.  I just wanted her to be so excited about this celebration and this surprise and love it that it was her adoption day.  

So we headed downtown and met up with our carriage.  It had been doing that awesome Michigan rainy slushy snow thing until about 15 minutes before we got on the carriage......and then it turned into pretty snowflakes........just in time.  

We wrapped up in the carriage blanket and toured the city with one excited little girl.  

I like how the horsey wiggles his bottom.

When will the horsey go fast?

What does the horsey eat?

We've been here before (upon crossing the blue bridge). 

Is that a Mickey Mouse club-house?

When will that driver talk to us again?

I think we should go swimming.  It's a nice day to go swimming (as we "drove" by the Grand River). 

What am I smelling?

Horsey's smell pretty funny. 

I want some more hot chocolate.

Can we do this tomorrow?

Can we celebrate my 'doption day everyday?

Oh........we do baby doll........every single day.  Your daddy and I don't ever stop celebrating.  Not for a second.  

And every year when we look at the ornaments on the tree that represent this amazing anniversary we are forever in awe of the sacrifice and selfless decision that Georgia's astounding birth parents made.  They are our hero's.......without question.