Photo Shoot

Today Katerina and I were photographed by the local paper, The Journal News, for an upcoming article on how different people celebrate the Lunar New Year. I was interviewed about 2 weeks ago and told that the photographer would come today and just take a few pictures. I was asked to dress up in our party clothes. The photographer ended up staying 1 1/2 hours and in addition to tons of still shots, conducted an interview on video and took lots of video footage for their website. I was so not prepared for this and hope that it came out OK. Before the photographer got here we took a few photographs ourselves since we were already dressed up. Couldn't let party clothes go to waste now, could we?

With Nancy, her babysitter

Katie's Birthday Party - 1/20

Katie was 5 years old on January 3rd and had her birthday party today.

Whooppeee!

Movin' and Groovin'

Yesterday as I was getting Katerina ready for ballet class, she said: "It's movin' and groovin' time"! I ask you...where do they get these things? And move and groove she did.

Two Years Ago Today...We Saw Her Face

January 4th, 2006 was the day we received our referral. I got the phone call at work late afternoon. Our agency had limited details at that time; name, age, height, weight, province and orphanage. That evening they were able to email the referral pictures to us after scanning them in. As we opened the jpg file there was a scream heard round the world; IT WAS ME! I fell in love with that little sad face and couldn't wait to bring her home and put a smile on her face.

THEN

AND NOW

New Year's Eve & Day

New Year's day is the feast of St. Basil (Vassilis) "the Great" who was an archbishop in the Greek Orthodox church from 370 to his death in 379 and considered one of the three Hierarchs of the church.
It is the Greek tradition to exchange gifts on New Year's day and not on Christmas day. Lucky for us, we do both! On New Year's Eve, Katerina's godparents and our close friends George & Deb spent the evening with us to celebrate Christmas and New Years. Typically we spend Christmas Eve with them but this year it did not work out. On New Year's day, Constantin's sister, Popi and her husband Ed spent the day with us. New Year's day is also Constantin's Mother's Name Day, as she is named after St. Basil (Vassiliki)

It is tradition to bake a special cake (more like bread), Vassilopita with a gold or silver coin hidden inside, and after Happy New Year wishes are exchanged, the cake is cut: one slice for St. Basil, one for each family member, one for each other person there, the pets, and for the poor people of the world. In one of these slices is hidden the coin, which brings blessings to its recipient throughout the year. And I got the coin on New Year's Eve!! The cake was baked by George's aunt in Greece and shipped to us. We cut another one the next day that Popi had sent from the Greek Monastery in upstate NY and Constantin's father got the coin. He was so excited because, in 80 years, he has never gotten the coin.

Happy New Year to All!

More gifts under the tree

Katerina eating her slice of Vassilopita

Reading Time

New Year Gathering - December 30th

We went out with a few other FCC families for dinner on Sunday night to celebrate the New Year. Katerina loves being with the older girls and they are very nurturing with her. What great role models they can be.