While we wait for the snow to melt and the flowers
to
pop through the frozen ground, our family marks two very special days
on the calendar. February 25 and March 15 are days that we honor and
celebrate Benjamin and Alexander's Gotcha Days. Gotcha Days are the
days when our family was created so we spend these special days
involved in a family event and give the gift of time to each other.
Ben's first Gotcha Day was spent driving with
Kristian
from Silistra to Sofia. He sprawled across us in the backseat of the
car, and looked trustingly into our eyes. During the past eleven years,
Ben has grown from a toddler with a fun smile and crystal blue eyes
into an ever moving, quickly growing, curious young man. He plays
football at school, and recently joined the track team. Ben also loves
music and art, and draws incredibly detailed sketches.
For his eleventh
Gotcha Day, Ben decided to celebrate with a trip to a local hotel. Ben
and
Alex enjoyed hours swimming in the pool, and we
all
relaxed together. Alex's first Gotcha Day was also spent driving from
Shumen to Sofia with Roman as a chauffeur. His eyes lit up with a smile
whenever he heard the word, "Bravo!" During the past nine years, Alex's
sense of humor and incredible imagination brought many moments of
laughter into our family. He, too, loves music, and enjoys drama,
including acting, making scenery, and. creating light and sound
effects.
Alex hopes to perform some day! He recently
learned how
to do circus tricks and specializes in juggling. For his ninth Gotcha
Day, Alex requested a progressive, celebration dinner. We ate
appetizers at a restaurant, then drove to another restaurant for
dinner, and finished our day with dessert at a third restaurant. It was
a delicious way to celebrate!
Although these celebration days are fun ways to
remember
and focus our family, they also serve as days to honor the growth and
progress of Ben and Alex. We honestly do not remember much about life
B.C. (before children). We can tell you that Ben and Alex are gifts of
love; a joy to watch, and a promise of a bright future. We are grateful
to Dr. Blackburn and the VIDA staff for bringing us together.
