Little Miss Sunshine!

Katya is loving 7th grade, soccer, dance and emailing her cousin Tyler! Our house is just a flurry of activity from 5:45 AM until 9 PM!
She is #5 again in soccer and her team is doing very well. She missed a game yesterday because we were in Connecticut but she's back on the field this weekend for two more games.

Wild Wonderful West Virginia

To celebrate Katya's one year anniversary in our family and in America we went white water rafting in West Virginia last weekend. We had a BLAST! Katya is an adrenaline junkie just like her Mama so it was a perfect way to celebrate! Next year we can raft down the Gauley River which is an even more adventurous and wild ride. (Age minimum is 14 years old!) It was great to be back in West Virginia, one of the prettiest states in the nation.
The first photo is Katya jumping off a rock into the New River. How fun is that!!
Take me home, country roads!

One year ago today....

It was one year ago today that Katya and I came home from Russia. The progress we've made in one year is astounding!

To celebrate Katya's one year anniversary we are going white water rafting in West Virginia this weekend. We figured since Katya loved roller coasters she'd love the rush of white water rafting. Hopefully Hurricane Hannah won't interfere with our plans.

Seventh grade is going well for Katya and she seems happy with her teachers. She loves being in junior high and out of elementary!

I'll post rafting photos next week. Thanks for checking in.

A beauty shop, a beach and a best buddy!

August 2nd- Katya's first wedding, which of course meant a trip to the beauty shop for a lovely updo!

August 3rd - 10th: Outer Banks, North Carolina with Katya's best buddy Elizabeth. We had a great week in Duck, North Carolina in a beautiful beach house with beautiful weather! The great weather followed us home too, it's currently 69 degrees with low humidity...in August!

Priorities

I loved Randy Pausch. Now there was a man who had his priorities straight. Family before everything. Take time out. When you can spend time with family, do it. There might not be a next year.

I Believe in Miracles

Things at the Buoni house couldn't be better. Our Little Miss Sunshine could not be sweeter, more loving or affectionate. Our attachment therapy was a success, and she looks at Fred and me frequently telling us she's a lucky girl! She tells us without prompting that she loves us, and seems to not want to be away from us for longer than a few hours. We were told many times that the attachment therapy takes months or even years to work so we are very fortunate. She's started going on walks with Fred in the evening where they discuss and solve the world's problems!

Sunday was Katya's 13th birthday! She had a lovely little party at home followed by a full day at Kings Dominion Amusement Park yesterday. It was the hottest day so far in Northern Virginia with a Code Red air quality rating, but there we were in the midst of it all riding every single roller coaster in the park! (My neck will never be the same!) Katya commented at the end of the day that maybe I wasn't as old as she thought because I even rode the "stand-up" roller coaster! I guess we have to earn our parent points any way we can. Katya received a brand new bike for her birthday, so now Fred and I need bikes to keep up with her! I'll post a photo of Kat on her new Schwinn tomorrow.

Things are really going well!

Hi Everyone-

I am so sorry that I haven't blogged since Katya's return; I know everyone is anxious to hear how she is adjusting.

Things have gone extremely well since Katya came home on June 21st. She learned a great deal at the facility where she spent a month. If you asked Katya about it, she will tell you it was a "horrible, terrible place, the worst place in America." She would also tell you it is where she learned about respect and how to obey her parents. The woman who operates the facility, Miss Lesia, is a miracle worker whose calling in life is to work with children with defiance and attachment disorders. She is truly an angel sent from God to answer parent's prayers! Katya loved her but loathed her at the same time. I believe Katya so hated being at "Miss Lesia's" house that she will behave just to avoid going back. Whatever Miss Lesia did, it worked, and Katya is definitely attaching to Fred and me.

Katya and I are following a pretty rigid schedule during the week when it's just the two of us at home. We have a little more flexibility on the weekends but we still have order and structure. Katya has no "privileges" yet, but she is working toward earning a birthday party on July 20th. We are under the guidance of her behavioral analyst who we visit bi-weekly. Nadya takes all the guess work out of parenting Katya.

I appreciate all the love and prayers that everyone sent our way during Katya's stay at the center, or rehab as we jokingly call it. (We have to find some humor in the situation or we'd go nuts!) Thanks everyone and keep those prayers coming! This is just the beginning of a very long journey. We celebrated the 10-month anniversary of Katya's citizenship yesterday and if you could hear her English you'd be amazed! If only we could all learn that quickly!