Six Months Home!

I haven't been blogging because frankly I didn't think anyone was still looking, but I recently got a little nudge to post some pics, so here I am!
It is hard to believe that next week will be six months that Karina has been home. it feels as though she has always been a part of our family. We have made some giant strides in our attachment issues, but still have a ways to go. We have had some lovely moments where she has let her guard down and given us a peak at her tender spirit. She is such a blessing and this entire journey has taught me so much about who I am deep down and the strength I didn't know I had.
Her Russian has been completely gone for quite some time now and we are doing our best to remind her of the words and phrases we know, but know that it is just a novelty at this point. Every time we say something to her in Russian, she asks us what that means. I knew that she would pick up English fairly quickly, but didn't realize it would seem like a blink of an eye. She is speaking in almost complete sentences and is starting to be able to express herself very well.
She and Ben get along pretty good, have their occasional spat just like normal siblings, but her and Sam seem to bump heads quite often. They are both struggling to be the baby in the family and be the center of attention at all times. Even with all their quarrels, they truly do love each other. We have lots of hugs and kisses from everyone in our family.
We are officially in our school season and it is going well. All three of the kids are so bright and really love learning at home. We are getting started on a unit about chocolate. Now who wouldn't love that!?
We have been able to travel a bit with Karina and for the most part she has done okay. It is still obvious that so much of our world is over stimulating for her and can be extremely overwhelming for her at times. Trips to the store can still trigger some anxiety, so we are very careful to take it slow with her.
All in all, things are going great. We still have lots of difficult days, but long gone are the days of ten hours of screaming. She is initiating affection so much more than she ever has and seems to be a very happy little lady. We love her dearly and are so grateful for this experience and to have such an amazing daughter to bless our home.