Our 6 month Family Day!

On January 30 we celebrated 6 months together with Owen! Has it really only been 6 months? It honestly feels like he has always been with us. I can barely even remember life without him.

July 30, 2008 Owen was placed in our arms for the very first time. I can vividly remember that day...walking into the building where Owen had been living for 11 months, standing in the famous green room with butterflies in our stomachs, hearing the commotion coming down the hall and then...there he was! Our son! What a wonderful, exciting, nerve wracking day! First time parents in a different country with an 11 month old! Oh boy! We sure had a lot to learn!

Owen has grown up so much in the last 6 months. It's amazing looking at our first photos of him and how much he's changed since then...

Owen - 11 months old...
...and 17 months old...

During these past six months, Owen has gone from bottles to sippy cups, eating with his fingers to using a spoon, having only 4 teeth to a mouthful of 12 teeth, crawling to walking, and communicating by pointing to using over 15 baby signs! He has also developed a bit of the toddler attitude of "my way or the highway"! Owen is a busy boy with a calendar jam packed full of play dates, music classes, swimming lessons, story time at the library, and learning at the Children's Museum. Who knew the social calendar of a 1 year old would be so full!

Of course, Owen is not the only one who has changed! What used to seem so unknown and scary about parenthood (diapers and bottles and naps, oh my!!) is now second nature to us. We are truly loving parenthood with all its joys and challenges!

Our very first family photo...
And now...

Owen and Mama

Papa and Owen

To celebrate our first six months together, Owen and I drove to Papa's office for lunch and then we all headed to Edinborough Park in Edina to run around and play. Owen was very intrigued with everything he encountered. He had on his 'hard at work' face most of the time!
He especially liked playing in the Great Hall with Papa pushing him all around on a super fun chair.

"Woo hoo!!"
"No more pictures Mama! I've got places to go!"

"Oh my! I am having a blast!"

"What?? We have to go home now!"

Before leaving, we thought we'd take a stroll around the rest of the park. With all the trees and plants, it seemed almost spring-like (if only it hadn't been freezing outside!)
Owen thought that the water fall looked fun and headed in for a closer look. A bit too close of look for us! He wanted to crawl right in to take a bath!

"It's time for my bath, Papa.""I'm heading in!"

Luckily no baths were taken at the park that afternoon!! Just a lovely afternoon spent as a family...
As we look back over the last six months, we know how truly blessed we have been. Owen is our very own miracle.

God has blessed us with the greatest gift anyone could receive. We are eternally grateful to have been chosen to be his parents.

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life.
But those who make their journey home across time & miles,
growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them,
are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands.
--- Kristi Larson