Happy belated Valentines Day

For years, we have sent Valentines Cards to everyone instead of Christmas cards. It's our way of minimizing the craziness of the season, and sending friends and family something during a time that they don't get a hundred cards from everyone else. Well...Valentines Day has come and gone, and we'll have to say that the baby announcements serve as our annual letter this time. (if you didn't get one, let us know, we've got extras!!!)

But the boys went around the neighborhood with their Mummy delivering little hand-colored Valentines, and family members got them as well. Conner got really good at wishing people "Happy Wahlintines Day." We got our own special Valentines Day treat from our local paper. The picture you see above made it on to the front page! Here's a link.

Well, we are one week away from our 6 month anniversary of being home! Some days, we think it can't already have been 6 months. Other days, we think how can it only have been 6 months? The boys are really bonding with us now, and making the true transition from ex-orphans to little nuclear family members. We feel like Conner is making that transition a little more slowly than Carson, and that may have everything to do with the extra year he spent at the orphanage. The little guy amazes us every day with his exceptional memory, and we wonder if he's holding on to some of the orphanage memories and habits. But one of the many things that will help him through is the Kras Connection, our little support group in K.C.

Here are the four little guys just after a great play date in the indoor pool. All four had a great time, and we can't wait for the day the outdoor pool opens, which is two blocks from our house. if there is anything the boys like better than shoveling snow, it is swimming! By the way, its not very fair of mother nature to have given Kansas a 37-day cold streak this year. It's been a struggle keeping the boys occupied when we're couped up in the house!!

"Check us out! We're eating by ourselves! We've been able to since the first day we got back, but Mummy and Daddy say it encourages attachment when they feed us. We think they just like not having to clean up after us...

"Check us out! We're piano prodigies! Daddy was pleased to find that we're willing to hit the keys softly and not pound. In fact, when one of us plays too rambunctiously, the other covers his ears and says, 'too loud!'"

Oh, yeah. Go Jayhawks! Mema and Grandpa gave us these cool KU beads after they went to the basketball game. They went last week, and then watched us on Saturday so Mummy and Daddy could go. Only the third time since we've been back that they did something together without us. We're going to encourage them to do that a little more. The game they went to, KU won by 50 points!