An Afternoon at the Gardens

On Friday we took Jenny to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I love this place, and as we strolled the grounds I was reminded of the solace we found on our long walks through the gardens when the adoption process was not going so well.

Jenny had a chance to get up close and personal with flowers, birds, bugs, grass and most interestingly, the water features. We're learning how much our daughter loves water. In the Enabling Garden, an area designed for people with disabilities or with limited mobility, Jenny discovered fountains. The fountains in this garden are playful--they have 5 jets, which sometimes shoot all at once, and at other times, shoot one at a time, in no particular order. Like hide and seek. You can see from the photos below the effect on her...

She also had fun catching the spray as the wind blew.

This girl is a real gamer. She spent the afternoon today walking backwards through the house. She is completely nonplussed when she gets water in her ears or eyes during the nightly shampoo. She handled our 24-hour travel day with style and grace (ok, I lie, she had a few meltdowns). She has transitioned to a new life, family, country and language brilliantly. She is a remarkable kid, and we are so proud of her.