"The Time of Our Lives"

Last week we surprised D for her birthday! We told her she would get to skip school Monday because we needed to take Daddy to Dallas and we'd stay in a hotel. We went Sunday night and stayed in the hotel and when she woke up Monday morning we let her open her birthday present a day early. This is what the "card" said:

She was pretty much in shock and asked when we were going. I answered, "as soon as we get dressed we're going to the airport!"

*I'll write more later. Baby brother is having a hard time with "re-entry" and is crying in his crib.

Fall Festival Pictures

Jeannie

Bamm Bamm

Here is an extra that I took a couple Sundays ago in front of our fall decorations at home. I couldn't get C to sit still so he's in action.

I thought he looked like such a big boy in this picture!

Happy Adoption Day sweet D

Today is D's adoption day (and also Grandma's birthday)! Her Daddy made Chicken Kiev; Russian-y mashed potatoes; Russian Rye bread with Provolone melted on top (the nearest we can find to the cheese we loved in Russia); salami and Mommy made her favorite (for right now) white cake with chocolate frosting.

We hung the Russian flag out in honor of her heritage. We watched the video of when we first met her. It was a sweet time. I think she really enjoyed it and couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that that baby was her :O) She asked a few questions that were a long time coming and I think it was good to talk about them. Our stance is to answer when she asks and to always let her know that she can talk and ask anything and we'll always tell her the truth.

It was a great night. Her video choice was to watch Charlie Brown - The Great Pumpkin first and then we watched First Trip to Russia - Meeting D.

D - the BIG reader!!

A couple weeks ago D brought home a library book. It was huge! Remember she just started third grade a little over a month ago! At her school, they do a reading program called Accelerated Reading and after they read a book they take a test on computer to evaluate their comprehension of the book. They earn points for each test when they make 80% or better. Usually she brings home books that are worth 1 or 2 points. This book was worth 16 points! I must admit, I was a little worried that she'd read the whole thing and then forget on the test. So, after a couple weeks, she finished her book Saturday night. She took her AR test yesterday and made 100%!!! Her Daddy and teacher and I are very proud!!

I took some pictures of her getting near the end and finally finishing the book.

Our Morning with the Duggars

Here are C and I with our new friends, the Duggars. Michelle and I were talking behind smiley teeth. We only had a minute with them, but they are so "real." The Duggar kids in this picture are Jinger, Joseph, Jason, Jeremiah and baby #19 :O). Michelle is 16 1/2 weeks along with this baby. The other kids went to the bus and were resting and putting the little ones to bed.

The Duggars were the speakers at Chapel today at the Seminary where hubby went for his Master's Degree. Jim Bob Duggar's uncle John was once the president of this Seminary. Which led hubby and I to realize that John Duggar was also once the Pastor of our own church (where hubby has been on staff 15 years this month). I never would have imagined it was the same Duggar family.

We sat on the very back row in case C was too noisy (and he was, hubby spent most of the time with him in the foyar) so my zoomed pictures are not too sharp. Michelle said that the older girls had violin lessons and have taught the younger kids how to play. You could tell Jana (the girl on the far right top row) was the leader.



All the kids were there except Josh (he and his wife are expecting their baby on Oct. 18) and John David who was at the home school camp in a volleyball tournament.

Jim Bob and Michelle shared their family story by taking turns talking. A lot of it was familiar from watching the show, but much was new to me. They shared from a much more Christian based approach today than what we usually are allowed to hear.

I've got to go pick D up from school, but when I get back later I'll upload some video.

Edited this evening to add:

I just took several small snippets of video. Like a dork, I didn't check my memory card before we left (I did charge the battery though!) and I didn't have much memory left.

In the video snippet below, Michelle is talking about how she teaches the children scripture from the Bible. You can see Johanna scoping out how to climb up that pulpit. A few minutes later she started scaling it - I missed that on video :O)

Here the kids are reciting the whole verse of Exodus 20 (the chapter with the 10 commandments)



Here is just a tiny bit of them playing Onward Christian Soldiers on their violins.



Ok, here are just some things that I observed. Michelle is short - on tv she looks taller, but she's really about my height (I'm 5'4") or maybe an inch shorter. I had on heels and she had on flats today. Jim Bob is really quite thin and tall - much thinner than he looks on tv. They told us that there are not a ton of people in their house at all times filming them. There are generally only 3 men and they've been with them for the entire time, so they're like family by this point. Michelle's eyes are super blue, they almost glow. Jinger really looked different in real life than she does on tv. I almost didn't recognize her. Jennifer is still really a baby (she's the second youngest) and Jordyn (the youngest) looked bigger/older in real life, but that is probably because babies change so quickly and the shows are probably at least a couple months behind.

I'll probably think of more little things like this later, but that's all I can think of right now. I've got to get to bed :O)

Here is a link to the news interview they did right after the program. We were standing very near them, we could hear the entire interview - she left a lot out.

This morning, C was so seriously doing his "work." He spent at least 20 minutes just dragging this basket of toys all around the house. Every now and then he'd stop and smile and I'd tell him what a good job he was doing! He was so proud of himself :O)

Pictures and video for Grandparents

Grand-parents are clamoring for something new :O)

On open house night at school D wanted to show us how she can climb to the top of the monkey bars and hang upside down and then flip backward off it.

D started piano lessons about a month ago. She is doing really well. Her teacher came out to the van last week to tell me that she is doing great and "is a natural."

D at church before a presentation by her group, Out of Darkness. They do correography with glow in the dark sticks to Christian songs. They did a great job.

Yesterday afternoon, D was making drawings of all her horses. She has an idea for a new video game she is creating called Adventure Pasture.

First Art Work

After lunch today, I decided to give C a piece of paper and a couple of crayons and see what he would do. I was really surprised, he picked right up on what he was supposed to do. I guess I've been under estimating him!

Crayons make good drum-sticks too!

Hmmm, I think blue tastes better than orange. Yes, he did try a bite or

two that Mommy had to fish out of his mouth.

The first of many masterpieces to be displayed on the fridge by the famous artist known as C!

First Day of THIRD Grade!

Going to bed a second grader....Waking up as a third grader!!

I cannot believe my little baby girl is already in THIRD Grade! She was ready and excited for school to start. Believe it or not, I wasn't quite ready yet.

We went last Thursday for Meet the Teacher, but her teacher wasn't there. Her elderly mother fell and hit her head and was in the hospital, so she couldn't be there. I just hope she was there this morning. We are very happy with the teacher that D got for 3rd grade. She's had great teachers every year so far.

Going to meet the teacher with all her new school supplies!

Here are some pictures of the big day:

The traditional picture outside the front door. She was excited about wearing her new outfit that Grandma bought her, she said she felt like a teenager in it - ey, yi, yi!

And she's off for her first day of Third Grade!

Water Park in our own front yard

D and her friends decided to build their own waterpark (well, mommy built it) and they had an end of summer blast last Friday. We have three 8 year old girls (the other two are both named G) in a row on our street which is great. D had her pool and slip-n-slide; G1 had a little pool; and G2 had a medium pool and slip-n-slide and we put C's little pool out too along with a water sprinkler spraying over the whole thing. D made a sign to put on the front porch for their "Snack Shack" and I made menus for them to choose their lunch and drinks. It was a fun day.

Still pretty rough

C is still having a bit of pain and ouchie, does it look like it must hurt! I was hoping he'd be further along than this by now but hopefully by Monday . . .

Poor mommy broke into tears this morning because there is nothing I can do to help him other than give him medicine and try and keep him comfy. He'll toddle around & play a minute, cry to be held, cry because he wants down, cry to come up again, so on and so on.

My sweet friend brought lunch (& gifts) over today and thankfully C slept mostly through it so we could visit.

Surgery and Such

C had surgery Monday morning and although Mommy was so scared about them putting him to sleep he did really well. He had some boy stuff surgery done. He was pretty out of it Monday afternoon and evening but by about mid morning yesterday he was acting pretty ok with just occasional bouts of fussiness (I'd be fussy too - probaby fussier!) He keeps waking and going back to sleep this morning, so here I am on the computer. I'll hear him on the monitor and get up and by the time I get back to him he's asleep again.

So here are some pictures of his surgery day:

^Hanging out in the holding room, not having a clue what's coming up!

^He fell asleep waiting. We'd all been awake since 3-ish a.m.!

^After his dose of goofy juice.

^The nurse came to get him to take him to surgery. I was surprise he didn't complain at all about her taking him, I guess the goofy juice did its job. They just carried him around, to the surgery and when we went back to recovery afterward they were holding him at the nurses station. He was the tiniest patient of the day.



^After the surgery in the recovery room. Poor little guy! Mommy was trying to make him feel better.

What does the puppy dog say?

C Laughing at the Ice Maker

Every time we get ice from the fridge, C comes running and squeals with laughter at the noise. I think it started because at first it scared him, but I'd always laugh and make an excited, surprise face when we get the ice and now he gets so excited about it.

Then you'll see us playing chase and you'll be able to see all our little barriers that we've set up to keep C either "in" or "out" of a space. We put a barstool and exersaucer up in the office opening and the ottomon to block up the living room area and make a "corral".

Excuse my tablecloth hanging on the back of the love seat. It just came out of the dryer and I was trying to get away with not ironing it.

Enjoy!

p.s. Joanna, those are the pants you sent with the "little brother" outfit. I love them for when he naps, but they got so short (size 3/6 mos) that I just whacked the footies out of them LOL.

One year ago today - our miracle!

I can't describe the gamut of emotions I've had today. I'm sad to see the day nearly passed. I want to hang on to every moment of this, my baby boy's first birthday. It truly is a miracle the way he came to be ours and I admit I often take it for granted (especially after I've said "no-no" for the thousandth time that day.) But today I've really remembered to be thankful for the miracle that he is. I've prayed on and off all through out the day for his birth family.

The year has really flown by. Some of the days were long, but the year as a whole has zoomed past.

Of course C didn't realize what was going on today and I'm sure he wondered why Mommy was singing "Happy Birthday" while we rocked instead of his usual "Dinah, won't you blow."

He is such a precious, funny, happy, beautiful boy.

Happy Birthday my little Cashew!

This is a picture of the first time I got to really hold him. I got to hold him about an hour after he was born for about 1 minute, then I had to wait three more days before I could really hold him.

Here he was today, waiting for his cake! He didn't know what to make of all the people and activity. I don't have many smiley pictures from his party because he was just "taking it all in."

This is when we were singing happy birthday to him. D blew out his candle for him.

I snuck into his room at 3:20 this afternoon, which is the time he was born a year ago, and took his picture. He was sound asleep, I didn't wake him.

He didn't really get into digging into his own little "smash cake" that I made him. He'd already done it twice this past weekend - once at Grandma & Grandpa's and then at Grandaddy and Granny's and he did it up big those two times! Plus he was tired and I think was pretty full. That's ok, it stresses Daddy out to see him dig in the cake!