Good

Semira is modeling her first winter outfit of the year. Overnight it went from about 85 degrees to 48 degrees, so we had to put the shorts away for today. Her friend Marcy gave her this little sweater at her Welcome Home shower in May. This is the first chance she's had to wear it. Fall is my favorite season, so I'm happy the cool weather is finally here.

The second photo is of Semira and Gilbert at the first college rodeo of the year. Gilbert is an administrator at the university, and the rodeo team (yes, we actually have a rodeo team - and it's good!) reports to him now. So we went with him to the rodeo in early September. I took this photo as Semira and Gilbert were watching the students ride their horses around in a pasture, warming up. Semira is really fascinated but a bit scared by horses. If allowed, she'll pet a horse's nose with one finger, which she quickly pulls back as she grins. She enjoyed watching people ride horses, and petting them. She didn't like the bull riding at all. She cried any time a bull started bucking, and it got worse if someone was bucked off. My little sensitive baby girl. We had to leave the arena and go back outside to where the horses were before she calmed down.

Semira thinks Gilbert is pretty great, and I know he adores her. That's a good thing, since Gilbert and I are planning to be married in May! I give Semira credit for bringing us together. I'd known him for years, but he was intrigued when he found out I was adopting a little girl from Africa (he's Kenyan) as a single mom. He said he wanted to find out more about me when he heard that. So that's how it began... We're incredibly happy and are looking forward to our future as a family.