Newest U.S. Citizen

Evelyn became one of our country's newest citizens today! She donned a white dress with navy and red ribbon trim. At 1:00 p.m. we arrived at the Federal Bldg. for her naturalization. We were taken to a room with several other adults, teens, and children for the ceremony. Daddy took care of all the signing while Mommy kept up with Evelyn. After signing the certificate, it was time to recite the oath. Mommy and Evelyn held up their right hands to recite it. At the end, Evelyn was given an American flag, her certificate, and a letter from the President. It happened very quickly, but the memory of this special day will last a lifetime.

Apple Picking Time!

At about 8:00 a.m. this morning, Mommy learned that the playgroup was heading to Eckert's to pick some apples. Daddy hurried, got dressed, and took Evelyn (Mommy couldn't get ready in time--long, sad story). Once there, the gang took off for the orchards for some fun. Apparently, Evely kept trying to pick the apples off the ground as those were the ones she could reach on her own. Luckily, Daddy was able to convince her to reach for the ones on the trees. Afterwards, they headed out for some lunch and then home. Our little picker fell fast asleep on the way home and slept for a good two hours in her own bed. I wonder if visions of apples were dancing in her head?

Labor Day Leisure

It is Labor Day weekend (hard to believe) and we are taking it easy for a change; well, sort of easy. On Saturday, we took Evelyn to Faust Park to ride the famous carousel and visit the Butterfly House. She had a great time riding the carousel and chasing the butterflies. Daddy's good friend, Todd, came up for a visit. They went to a John McCain rally on Sunday. Mommy and Evelyn would have gone, but Evelyn has had an upset stomach and Mommy didn't feel comfortable taking her. As of now, there aren't big plans for Labor Day other than visit with the neighbors at an annual gathering. Hope everyone had a wonderful and leisurely Labor Day!

What's Going Been Going On?

It has been a few weeks since we lasted posted because we have been a family on the go! After the haircut, we traveled to Hayti to visit family. While there, we visited the Urgent Care as Evelyn developed a large lump from a mosquito bite. Turns out that she is a child who will swell with bites and can have infections as a result (totally worries Mommy). The following weekend, we packed up and headed north to Wisconsin to visit The Grandfather. While there, we visited the Milwaukee City Museum, the Jelly Belly factory, and a local waterpark. Evelyn LOVED the waterpark--especially the small yellow slide! Daddy could barely keep up with our little fish! Once home, Mommy started back to work and Daddy is starting law school once again. So, in a nutshell, that is what has been going on around here!

Snip Snip

Evelyn had her very first haircut today! At 12:30, we went to a children's hair studio called The Hairy Elephant. Prior to being called back, Evelyn enjoyed playing with the Legos and various other toys. Then, Miss Jessica called us back to the chair, which was an airplane. Evelyn really enjoyed trying to "fly" the plane! Miss Jessica put a Baby Einstein video in and began snipping away at Evelyn's hair. Mommy did tear up at the first snip, but Evelyn handled it all like a pro. Miss Jessica informed Mommy that Evelyn has fine hair, but that it will probably thicken as the back seems to have quite a bit of hair. At the end, Evelyn got to choose two white ladybug barrettes to put into her hair. Miss Jessica gave Mommy a certificate with Evelyn's picture and a lock of hair to commemorate the occasion.

Gotcha Day

It is so hard for us to believe, but yesterday was Evelyn's first Gotcha Day celebration. For the life of us, we can't remember where the past year has gone! At 11:15, Rob called home to ask if I remembered what we were doing at that very moment one year ago. We were holding our little angel for the first time in LAX. When I think back to the moment we first saw and held her, I am overcome with the same emotions all over again. I remember how tiny she was and the smile that came over her face when she saw us. Fast forward to one year later, and that same sweet smile is there (only with some teeth now). We celebrated the occasion with our good friends, the Paynes, at Han Gook Kwan; which is a local Korean restaurant. Evelyn enjoyed eating the sprouts and dak bulgogi. Afterwards, we headed over to the Asian Market to buy some sweet treats. Our final stop for the night was for some ice cream. Evelyn shared some with her Daddy. As I watch her toddle around, I say a prayer of thankfulness for God allowing us to be her parents. We are so blessed to have this sweet miracle in our lives. Happy Gotcha Day, Evelyn!

Grant's Farm

On Saturday morning, we headed to South County to visit Grant's Farm. The morning was cloudy and cool (for this time of year)as we pulled into the parking lot. It was 9:00 a.m. so there wasn't the normal large crowd yet. Evelyn LOVED riding the tram around the property and getting to see the deer and various other creatures up close. Once we got off the tram, Evelyn watched the baby goats being fed, the tortoises drinking water, and even discovered the answer to the question, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" (A: To see Evelyn up close!) She enjoyed watching the African elephants and the famous Clydesdales; however, she was a little intimidated by their size. Before leaving the Farm, Evelyn met a children's author named Byron von Rosenberg. He read one of his stories to her and we purchased a copy of the book, which he personalized. We headed out around 11:00 a.m., just as the sun began to peak from the clouds and tour buses full of people began to pull in to the Farm. It was a fun-filled morning for the Simmons' family!