Loch Lyme 2015 Days 1-3!

I'm It has been fantastic to be back at the cabins in NH again this year for our 4th year. We came for a week just the 3 of us.

But to our delight our friends were back again from last year. 

Highlights from the beginning of the week:

Ally ate a ring pop in the car on the drive up. Cloey was exhausted after a 2 hour park trip before we left. 

Ally read a lot she is on a mission to get a Kindle. We told her if she finished her summer reading books sh could have one. Ally vowed she would do it on vacation and by Wednesday she had earned it. She read 12 books between Saturday and Wednesday to earn it.

Becky and Cloey in a rare calm moment. Cloey was pretty crazy at the lake the first few days.

Ally loved that Cloey slept in her bed with her. We took a picture of them most nights which Ally was excited to see each morning.

The first morning Ally was awake at 530am! She read 3 books before breakfast. 

It is our routine to go fishing after breakfast. I caught a teeny fish. Ally caught 12 fish on our first day! That was her goal for the week.

Even Cloey has a friend here, Rudy.

You can get ice cream at the lunch counter. Ally has mint chip almost everyday.

Sunday night there is a buffet dinner down at the lake

A small band plays music, like John Denver and Kingston Trip songs. And there is an entertainer for the kids.

But Ally was pretty tired after 10+ hours at the beach.

Sunday night sleep.

Monday morning wake up! Cloey poked her head out fm under the covers!

Walking to breakfast at the lodge.

Ally s favored hairstyle was a side pony tail. This was Monday morning and I braided it.

Lots of fish were caught and placed in a bucket.

Becky caught the big fish of the day!

Making friendship bracelets at the lake!

Pretty girl.

Who was brave to swim out to the dock with her friends and jump in. We were so proud of her. 

She was so scared the first time but she did it and loved it and kept doing it all week.

Taking a break with Cloey.

Monday we were at the lake from 845am until 430pm!!! Amazing

But more amazing was Ally kayaking by herself.

I stayed behind trying to take a good selfie with Cloey. This was the best I could do.

All cleaned up and dressed for dinner.

Look closely and you'll see Cloey in the lower porthole!

Monday night sleep shot.

Summer gymnastics update

Ally is still loving gymnastics. She has some sore muscles which is a bummer, but part of the gymnastics life I hear. She has mastered most of the level 3 skills for USAG and keeps improving every week. Her coaches have commented on how out going and vocal she has become this summer. She asks questions in an effort to improve whatever she is working on. 

Currently she is working on an Aerial (no-handed cartwheel) and a front tuck (standing position somersault in the air). It's amazing to watch. 

But three hour practices are long and hot in the gym, so at her request we've been going swimming right after practice.

Ally is squeezed into a size 4T swimsuit that I had in the car. I wasn't prepared for swimming this day. But she loved it.

And we love her.

Guatemala Adoptive Family BBQ

This year we again attended the Guatemala Adoptive Family BBQ that Gabi's family hosts on the last Saturday of July every year.

The planned craft this year was tie-die so we made tie-died sugar cookies to bring along with Popsicle cut outs decorated in the American and Guatemalan flag colors.

It was great to see Ally with her friends:

Gabi, Rosa, Ally and Roxie eating corn on the cob. Alice was there too, and 40 other kids!

Ally and Roxie

Rosa and Ally trying to walk on stilts.

Roxie, Ally and Becky playing some kind of game.

The girls and chalk.

Then it was time for posed group shots

Alice, Rosa, Roxie, Ally and Gabi

Flashback photo to 2010. From left to right then: Ally, Alice, Roxie, Gabi and Rosa. 

The moms too!

Mary Beth and Becky looked great in their matching stripes.

Ahhh the love. Rosa and her mom Julie.

We even had someone take a picture of our family!

And our kiss sandwich!

As we drove home and later that evening Ally seemed upset. We talked at bath time about how almost all the kids at the BBQ were from Guatemala. But it wasn't until bedtime that it came out. Ally is starting to process what being adopted from Guatemala means. She talked about how poor it was there and how bad she felt for people there and then expressed how she was feeling bad because she too was one of those poor people from Guatemala and so were all the kids at the BBQ. And it didn't feel that great to her to be here in the USA and not there in Guatemala. She was feeling guilty. Guilty for being adopted out of poverty. 

Ohhhh it was a sad and difficult conversation. Lots of tears and lots of hugs. I told her that we are so happy to be her parents and that we love her very much. I told her I could understand her feeling that way, but that it wasn't her fault. Any of it. And we would listen and help her in any way we could.

I share this here in the blog because most of you who read it love Ally too and I want everyone who loves her to know that this is a common feeling for adoptees and we all need to validate how Ally feels and continue to shower her with  love and support.

If I have one word to describe Ally I usually say kind. She still amazes me how kind she is. At 8 years old to realize these huge thoughts and feelings. We are grateful she talks to us about them. 

Ally's First Job

Charlie and his family are away for a week and they asked if Ally would cat sit for them. Of course she said YES. One of the benefits is raspberry picking all week.

Here are some pictures of her first day:

First she got out the food and put the right amount in each bowl.

Then on to scooping the litter boxes:

She was pretty happy for scooping poop and pee.

But even happier when she was done!