Opening Day fishing

Well, it wasn't a fish - but it was the biggest slime Little J reeled in! ICK!
Ahhhh - he's actually sharing! I think little O had more patience holding the rod than the boys did! She actually wanted to sit there and hold it!
Big A sits down (for a few minutes!) and WAAAAAIIIIITTTSSSS! Fishing is really hard for him - as he has to hold still!

We took the kids to Quincy for opening day of fishing. We were (un) fortunate to not have caught anything that would have required killing and bringing home! We got a late start, but the boys had a fun time casting and learning to finally bait their own hooks!

We only stayed a few hours, but it was MORE than enough for me!

The weather was in the 50's and was fairly nice... at least most the snow was melted! It looks like spring is finally here! As it was incredibly windy at our house all weekend!

End of the soup diet and other stuff

Well, we finished the heinous soup diet! The hubby lost 10 pounds, and I lost almost 7 (sounds better than more than 6!) I had a much harder time with it than the hubby, as I was around the kiddos, the cupboards, freezer and fridge! haha! Plus, add the fact that I really do not like alot of my veggies cooked in a soup! We are going to try and adopt a few more healthy eating habits to see if we can lose a few more pounds before Spring Break. Being a bread-a-holic and choco-holic, this diet is extremely hard on me! hehe!

We have been continuing to work with Little O on her toilet training... she is a bit defiant at times! She is pretty close, but seems to be the kind of little girl that will be ready when SHE says so! All we can do is give her little pushes and reminders.... I can't wait until we can stop buying Pull-ups and diapy wipes! Overall though, she has made great strides in her development, considering her background! I would have to say her understandable language is close to 50 words. WE can understand alot more, but someone who is not fluent in "O-lish" tends to have problems figuring it out! She can get most her clothes off by herself, and put her PJ's on by herself... she can brush her teeth (with help!), she is REALLY close to being able to pedal on her trike (time for a helmet!) as well as she can ALMOST write her name to where anyone can read it.... At times we forget about her past and compare her to her big brother J, when it comes to the developmental stuff... Little J was always way ahead developmentally, potty trained at 2 and reading at 4.... I have a feeling in the next few months she will really take off! She is now wearing her 3T shirts/dressers and 2T pants! Amazing how much she has grown! She is slowly getting out of the Sesame Street phase, currently in Pooh and Mickey Mouse! She also loves to look at books and tries to read them, but we have to watch her, as she also loves to shred books! She actually likes to ruin board books and the lift-the-flap books best!
Off to get the kiddos ready to take Big A to wrestling practice!

Big A's first tournament!

Yesterday, Big A had his very first wrestling tournament! We were really surprised how well he did! He just started the end of January, so to take on a tournament this early was asking alot!

He had 3 rounds/matches (I am still learning the lingo!) He won his first 10-1! His second round was not so great - he got pinned in the first three seconds! The third match he had a great competition, the boy was almost 10 pounds heavier and about 5 inches taller! Alex lost 11-9, so only by two points, and the other boy really had to work hard to get those last two points!

Big A was really proud of himself! It was a long day - but well worth it!

We are on our last day of the soup diet! UGH! The hubby has lost about 10 pounds, and so far I have only lost about 7! Oh well! I do have to say that the hardest part was looking at the stack of Ukrainian chocolate (my more than favorite flavor!) that my pal Donna sent to me! It took me 3 days to actually hide them! We sat in the stands yesterday surrounded by folks and kids eating hot dogs, pizza, chips, cookies, etc... and we had to have plain salad and raw veggies! It took alot of willpower! But, we got thru it! Today we get to indulge in brown rice and veggies, and of course the soup! Less than 24 hours - so the count down has began!!!!!

Here is a short video of Big A... he is in the red!

The hideous soup diet, and more!

The last two weeks have been pretty uneventful, so far that is! All the kids have been busy with school, Big A with wrestling (my least favorite sport!) and Little J overly concerned on when he gets to start another sport. Luckily for us, both boys decided NOT to do baseball this spring! WHAT A RELIEF! That would have been 5 days a week for practices and games! Sounds like they are both leaning towards swimming lessons, though it seems to change daily! I always get the thrill of reminding them that they can no longer choose baseball, as the registration closed! WOOO-HOOO!

Little O has been enjoying preschool, she is trying harder to say new words. She is still really delayed with it, but we seem to have our own language with her - so things are not so bad! She has decided that she would rather fall asleep after preschool in the car and take her nap earlier in the day, instead of later - works for me! As long as she naps, we are all happy!

The hubby and I started the "soup diet" last Monday. We were supposed to be able to lose 10-17 pounds in 7 days... Sunday is our last day! It has been a really hard diet to stick to - no yummy stuff! You have no idea how BAD I want soem french fries, or ice cream, or cookies, or... I better stop!

Edit: The Cell phone travels again! Carolyn is taking it with her to Kremenchuk and other areas in the Poltava region with OBS!

Warm thoughts and weekend outings!

We had an eventful weekend! The best part was the weather! The temps were in the 40's and the snow has been quickly melting! Since we have had the snow over month - its time for it to go! Friday night, we had a little birthday party for Little J. We did the dinner, cake and presents thing. He was pretty pleased! Little O was a bit torked off that it was not HER birthday! She got over it when she got to eat cake!
Saturday we spent most the day outside getting the ice broken up off the driveway and around the barn... the kids took the time to enjoy the warmer weather and play as much as they could outside! Jason played with alot of his new birthday toys! (Easy come, easy go - as many are already broken!)
Sunday we drove out to Joe Watt Canyon to where they have one of the elk feeding stations (picture below)... it is amazing how many of those darn things come down to eat! We went to have lunch, then we drove down to the Umptanum Rec. Area in the Yakima Canyon to the swinging bridge. The temp when we were there was 50! Totally like a heat wave! haha! We went over the bridge, and Olya got to see a fast moving train close up! She loved the fact that she and her brothers were waving at the train - and the engineer was waving and really laid on the horn a few times! We got a few pictures on the tracks (of course long after the train was gone!) and then walked around on the trails for a while before heading back home! It was so nice to let the kids really run around and enjoy some fresh air!
Back to the old grind this week!
Little J. Little O and Big A pose on the tracks!
Elk at Joe Watt Canyon
Mama and Little O strike a quick pose!
And the ending of birthday week for little J! I still can't believe that he is EIGHT! UGH!

Thought for the day.....

Who needs a thought - when this precious smile is more than enough!

Happy Birthday Little J!

Yesterday, Little J had his birthday! Hard to believe that he is actually EIGHT! It seems not so long ago he was having his first birthday! Where does the time go??? He loved having his fried ice cream at our favorite Mexican restaurant!

Tuesday, I brought ice cream sandwiches for his class, which surprised him as he was pretty much resigned to not having much of a birthday this year (looooong story!) due to his far from delightful behavior! Hopefully, if all goes well, he will have a small party on Friday.

He does not show a toothy smile in the picture, but last week he lost his first front (upper) tooth!

He is just getting too big! But, we love him anyways!!!!

Todays adventure.....

Walking in the snow at Carey Lake! Someone gets Princess treatment and gets pulled!

The iced over and frozen section of the Yakima River, as seen on our drive down the canyon.

A small part of a herd of Big Horned Sheep we saw.. it was too bad I did not have a better zoom!

Hard to see - but these two Bald Eagles were HUGE! Very impressive on top of the tree!

Today the kiddos and I made our monthly trek down to Costco in Yakima. Though we had a trace of snow in the morning - the sun came out and it was beautiful! We enjoyed our usual (super cheap!) Costco lunch and then instead of coming back the freeway - we went on via the Yakima River Canyon - which adds about 15-20 minutes to the trip - as you tend to slow down and watch the wildlife!

Today was a great day for spotting "critters!" We saw two fairly large herds of the Big Horn Sheep, a few handfuls of deer, four hawks and TWELVE bald eagles! In all my years of driving the Canyon (which was twice a day when I commuted to Yakima for almost 10 years!) I had NEVER seen that many in a trip! The kids had fun keeping count, as well as watching them fly really close to the car! One of the herds of sheep was low - so we got a picture - which is tough as you don't want to stop on the road and get hit!

So we got a picture of a pair of eagles on one tree, a small section of a herd of sheep, and a picture of all the ice on the river!

All in all - so far a decent day off from school - though I am truly excited for them to go back tomorrow!

Other good news - after 6 days without good running water - it finally thawed late yesterday afternoon... the temps stayed in the low 20's most the weekend - so the ice finally melted in the line! We have never gone that long without it! UGH!

Yesterday - we took the kids and the dogs for a walk near the river at Carey Lakes.. it was pretty cold - but good for everyone to get out and exercise! Little O got some special treatment - she got to ride most the time in her wagon.... Luckily for us, her brothers took turns pulling!

Ahhhhhh Winter!

As much as we "love" the winter months around here - it tends to be more than trying! We have to watch the weather to see just HOW cold it is going to get at night! It sure would be nice if they could at least get it somewhat right!

Predicted low last night was 12. We woke up to ZERO and no water! UGH! Though this happens a few times each winter to us - it is a massive pain in the butt! Poor hubby has to go out and check everything to make sure that the heat bulb on the well is working (this morning it was burnt out!) and then see what else needs to be done! Apparently, with all the work we have going on, as well as the super long extension cord being stuck in the ice - neither wanted to work this morning! So - he found that the extension cord was not working either! To make a long story short - we jerry-rigged a few cords together (we'll probably have a few frozen chickens!) and got things to start the slow thaw! It is such a major pain!
So - we have been without a "normal" water flow since Tuesday! We have to pull water off the other water line, run it into the pressure tank - and be extremely choosy about how much water to use and when! We have been told that most likely our main line is frozen. All week the high has been around 15-20... so there is no way possible that the line will thaw! Oh well! Tonight is the warmest it has been - about 21 and snowing of course!
It will be really nice when this cold snap ends and we see some balmy temps in the 30's! HA!
For those of you who just had to email me the questions - I'll answer them!

#1 - No we don't have FOUR kids! The little brown haired girl in the first slideshow is the same as the little blonde in the other slides! She has really changed!
#2 - No - neither boy acts like an angel! VERY VERY deceiving looks!
#3 - No ! I'm not a Neil Diamond fan - but the song was an fitting opening for the slide show!

For those of you in warmer climates (Nana and Grandpa, Jenn T, Jenn H and April) I am so hating you right now!!!! Just kidding!

And Happy Birthday to my dad - who turns an amazing age this year - at some point don't we stop counting!

Amy

Spending our day off...

Today, the kiddos and I loaded up and headed to Crossroads mall in Bellevue. I have not been there for a good 15 years or so.. it was sorta weird taking the kiddos somewhere where I used to hang out as a teenager! Anyways! We met up with some really nice families from FRUA Washington and had lunch at Piroshky (which is a Russian cafe). Big A hated the borscht! I was surprised! He did not like ANYTHING! I admit, that the borscht was very heavy on the beets! Jason took one bite and made the "that's disgusting" face! We did have some Pelimeni - which I wished I would have got for each of them - as they totally loved it! We had some Piroshky - which is like a bread/roll filled with meat and other things inside. They were good - yet the kiddos (except Little O) did not like them! Little O had some of everything and really enjoyed it! We had a great drive over the Pass and the boys were whining that they could not go skiing! Funny - because neither of them knows how! Needless to say - it was a beautiful day here and on the other side!
Hopefully, next Monday when the kids are out of school we can do something fun too! But, until then - it is back to school! HEHE!

Welcome 2008!

Here it is! Already in mid-January! Welcome back to our friends who have wondered what the deal was with the lack of postings and pictures! It's not like we have NOTHING else to do! HAHA!

Hopefully, you noticed the new look of the blog AND the music AND the slideshows! You have no idea how long this took me, being technically retarded for the most part! One of those resolutions - and hopefully it will stick - is to update and stay better connected to everyone! So, we will give it a try!

All the kiddos are doing great - for the most part!

Little O is basically running her pre-school class! Being the only girl DOES have some advantages! She has her own bathroom (uh-oh!) and gets all the pink and pastel colors of everything at school! She has enjoyed being outside playing in the snow, and of course letting anyone pull her around in a sled! She is starting to tone down the Elmo stuff, just a bit and is now on a Winnie the Pooh kick! Her speech is slowly improving or our understanding of "Ol-lish" is becoming much better!

Little J is doing ok in school, other than spending more than enough time in the Principal's office :). He loves reading more than anything else. He can read for hours if you let him! He has also grown another inch or so in the last two months! He has always been lean - but now he is starting to get a little beefy! He is excited because he will turn EIGHT (omg!) next month! Hard to believe!

Big Al has improved quite a bit in school! He is better able to somewhat stay on task - not sit down - but stay on task! He is getting ready to get his piglets this spring to raise for the fair in 4H. Also - he will be joining wrestling this month. Not thrilled so much about that one - but we'll let him give it a try!

As for us parental units - we have been keeping busy with the usual household stuff and trying to "enjoy" winter! We have more than enough snow and are getting a little sick of it! The kids keep us busy and make sure we never have much quiet time! HA!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Happy Holidays!!

Well.... Christmas has come and gone! It's hard to believe that you spend over a month preparing for a holiday that sorta seems to last only an hour! Santa came and left way more presents than he should have! We'll have to get him on a better budget next year! haha! The kids had a great Christmas eve, where they opened presents from their Nana and Grandpa, as well as exchanged presents with each other (thank God for the Dollarstore!). They actually did pretty well buying for OTHERS instead of for themselves! They both put some thought into the gifts this time! We just hung out the rest of the night and then everyone went to bed. The kids and I made cookies for Santa earlier in the day - then set those out, as well as carrots for the reindeer on the deck - then everyone went to bed. (with the exception of the two elves that had to go retrieve the goodies and "quietly" put them under the tree!
Christmas morning was a test of patience for the kids - as they had to wait until everyone was showered and breakfast was done - BEFORE they got to tear into their loot! Both boys got lots of stuff they wanted and needed! They were both very thrilled! Little O received alot of ELMO items (big surprise there!) She sort of got the hang of it! She was happy and loved all her gifts!
We think back to a year ago - when we were recovering from jetlag, only being home 2 days from Ukraine with another little person! We are so blessed with our family! All of our kids have blossomed over the last 12 months. We are very lucky!

Here is our wonderful dog, PJ! He is the official "bow" collector! He always has to be part of the action - or sitting close to be part of the action! He turned nine this year and is doing great! He acts more like a 2 year old dog than 9! We all loved him dearly! Santa of course never forgets him!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Cell phone travels!

The cell phone is with Donna and Mike! They are in Dniprpertrosk, Ukraine. They found a beautiful little girl - Juliyana!
Congrats to you on your little angel!

opening cards!

Little O is opening a birthday card from Nana and Grandpa!

Gotcha Day - and BIRTHDAY!

Here is not so little O on Dec 18th - our official "Gotcha" day!
Here are the gruesome threesome the evening of big A's winter concert! He looks like he is going to sign important papers or something! They all looked very nice (at least for the picture!)
Here is the birthday girl in her tiara! Going to town with the fried ice-cream!

Boy! What a busy busy busy last few weeks!

We celebrated our one year "gotcha" day with Olya yesterday - well - that's when it was, but we really didn't do anything! Monday was her third birthday! She was VERY excited! She got some really nice gifts and had a fun time! We took her to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner and fried ice cream! She got to wear the sombero! That sort of bewildered her - but she is a trooper! She also got TWO kittens for her birthday - spoiled? Ummmm maybe! Actually they are "family" cats! We adopted a brother and sister kitten from the Humane Society. The hubby was getting tired of being "catless" - Pj, our beloved dog was not so happy with the decision! We named them Lyger (not a lion or a tiger) and Rex - aka Rexi, since she is a she! So far they are doing everything kittenish! They are fun and seem to have made themselves right at home!

We went to the boys winter concerts last week. I have to say that I don't remember my elementary concert ever being that BAD! Let's just say it was one of those "can't wait until its over" sorta things! Yes - I know - you're supposed to cherish these times! UGH! Little O had a hard time sitting through it - like the rest of us - so I can't blame her for acting up!

Another big step this month was that little O started preschool! She attends a developmental preschool at the college. She goes 3 days a week from 9-11am. She also gets her speech therapy there while she is at "Owa's schoo" (that's how she says it!) She totally loves it and asks every day if she is going! She is the only girl in her class - ah the princess syndrome yet again! The other amazing thing is how much she has grown in the last month and a half! She is now finally wearing her 2T pants and 3T shirts! Not that long ago - her 12 month pants were just right! She is starting to wear on my back as well!

On the Ukraine front - there are lots of families in our group that are either in country or getting ready to travel! Exciting news! It brings back alot of fond and not so fond memories of our trip from a year ago! My friends, Donna and Mike are actually using my Ukrainian phone on their trip and the totally awesome part was they were staying in the same flat we were in while we were in Kyiv! I talked to them a few days ago on the phone and it was in the middle of their hunt to find a flat in their region. Donna calls me back at 4:30am this morning and chats away! Poor thing forgot about the time difference! haha! It was awesome to hear from her and knowing that they found their little girl makes me so happy! We know how hard the waiting can be for those folks who are still in the process! The holidays make it tough - but we know that things happen for a reason and it just takes time and patience!

We are gearing up for the visit from the BIG guy in red! It has been a challenge - as big A is starting to become a (gasp!) non-believer! So - hiding the presents was a challenge! Hopefully he will keep the faith a bit longer! Little J (can't believe I have not mentioned him yet!) is ready! He still believes and can't wait! He wonders if the reindeers will poop on the deck again this year (don't ask - and yes - it was true (rein) deer poop!) Little J has been doing really well! He has his moments (don't they all!) but he is still the 2nd easiest to parent!

I'll do some more catching up in a day or two!

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

One year ago today!

Today is considered our one year anniversary of the "metcha" day! One year ago today - we met our little O. After surviving an awful overnight train ride - where we got very little sleep, we were still dealing with the jetlag issue and a ton of anxiety from our recent SDA appointment - we made it to Zaporizhzhya, aka the Detroit of Ukraine!

We traveled from the train station to our flat (which we stayed at for 3 weeks) and then went to the city hall to get permission to go to the orphanage. After we received permission - we drove to the orphanage. We spent over an hour or so waiting for the doctor to talk about our referral with Dr. Yuriy. After hearing about test results and early development and all her health history - we were taken to the groupa room.

In they brought a screaming little girl who wanted NOTHING to do with blocks or toys! After answering questions and watching her attempt to complete the tasks asked by Dr. Yuriy, she promptly feel asleep!

We left the orphanage to have lunch and be "debriefed" by Dr. Yuriy on his findings. After a few hours of lunch and discussions - we made the choice to bring this little girl into our family!

It is hard to believe that you can sum up that life changing day into a couple of paragraphs!

Above is a picture of her when we first met and then the picture taken today. 7 pounds, 4 inches (of height) and 5 inches of hair later! She is a completely different little girl!

Cutie pie!

Here is a little video of little O! Her speech is getting a bit better - and man is she a cutie!

Fall fun!

There is not too much new to share - except cute photos - which are never ending around here!

A and J are enjoying school somewhat! J loves school! A would be more than happy if there was no such thing! Soccer has about a month left. Both boys really enjoy soccer and it is a great outlet for some of their energy! A few weeks ago, Alex got a new, bigger motorcycle - and J got the hand me down (since he is still learning!) and little O got a new-to-her Barbie jeep! Problem is - we can't keep the boys OUT of the Barbie jeep! Little O usually insists that J drive her around - which he totally digs! Such a princess!

We did have a small tragdedy last week, our beloved (using that term loosely!) attack rooster, Nakey, finally went to the great coop in the sky. We are not exactly sure what happened - and the two canine witnesses are not talking! Nakey was fairly old for a rooster - at least 5 years and he was one tough cookie for only weighing about 2 pounds! Yet - all who knew him never turned their back on him! He will be missed!

Little O has been doing awesome! She is growing too fast! She is now in her 24 months pants! UGH! She will be THREE in December - which is so hard to believe! She is an angel! We are getting ready to gear up for Halloween - which will be interesting because she is really scared when her brothers wear masks or disguises! haha! It may be a long (or really short!) night!

We'll post some photos of the costumes a little later!

Here are a few cute ones to enjoy!

The first is "Dr. Olya" She IS a specialist in all Sesame creatures! The second is her holding some of her favorites!

Video from the Fair!

Had to share the bull riding from the Fair! Look out Ty Murray! Here comes Big A!

Back to School! YEE HAW!

I was amazed that I got a picture! This was seconds before Jason chickened out on this ride! Lucky for him his brother was able to get the Carnies attention to get him off before it started! Poor kid was in tears! Big A stayed on and loved the ride!
3 overly anxious parade watchers had their seats positioned for the best angle to obtain candy!
We think that our little girl enjoyed the parade! She sure looks happy!

Little O has NO FEAR of animals! Here she is trying to make nice with the geese at the fair!

Big A is showing off the picture he took that he entered in the fair!
Little J shows off his butterfly art that he made and entered in the fair. He got a blue ribbon for it...
Each and every goat and sheep was greeted and pet at the fair! She was really cute walking by each pen saying "HI GO" (meaning goat!)
A and J went on the Sizzler... it was one of the few rides that Little J would go on.... he is still a chicken! Big A - no chicken here! He even rode the mechanical bull!

FINALLY! The gruesome twosome are back to school! Even little O seemed happy to see the school bus pull away! But - to recap the end of summer... we did go to the County Fair over the Labor Day weekend. Both boys entered some things in the Fair this year, so it had a little more meaning for them! A few art projects, some baking projects, A Lego disaster, a photo that Big A took, and some jointly harvested tomatoes from Nana and Grandpa were entered. The boys got a few blue ribbons and some great ideas for next year!

Little O enjoyed her very first county fair! She had a blast! Well, minus that major meltdowns when it was time to strap into the stroller to leave! She even played a few games! Each animal she could reach, she had to touch! We had to draw the line around the geese and chickens!

We also went to the parade. The boys are pretty quick on the draw when it comes to snatching all the candy thrown out! Little O picked up on that FAST! She had a blast watching all the horses in the parade.... except the ones with Indians on them! She was a little leary! The clowns spooked her too!

All in all, the weekend went a bit too fast!

It is hard to believe that Big A is in 4th grade already! Little J went into 2nd! Neither one of them had any back to school stress the night before - which is a good thing! I am glad to get back on a normal schedule! Hope that everyone had a great summer too! Pretty soon we will have some soccer pictures to post! Here we go again!!!!!!

Love,

Amy and family!

ps- JennT - ya just gotta email me - the folks are not THAT email literate!

pps - JennH - have the dates for the TX gathering been decided?

Summer fun!

Our little Rock Star! Why do batteries have to last soooo long! The barbie guitar is driving us nuts! But, man is she cute when she wants to rock out!

Little O gets a lift from her Papa while we waited for the ferry in Seattle. She had a great time on our weekend away! (well, except for sleeping at night! ugh!) She loves the water and being around it. (unfortunately) She has no fear of water!
"C" may be for Cookie - but it is also for CUTE! Here is princess O in her FAVORITE Cookie Monster shirt! She took a short break from beachcombing to look super cute!

The great hubby took this one! This one gives me nightmares! Little O was playing in the Teanaway river - which was about 5 inches deep or so where she was walking. I swear he took this picture literally the second she slipped. The river was sort of deceiving with sand stone in areas - and there was a small groove where she slipped and literally went under and the current took her about 3 feet before I could grab her. Luckily I was only a few feet from her when it happened - then I slipped as well and went down - so we were both drenched! You would think that it was scare her..... NOPE - she wanted right back in!
Little J and his gal-pal Abigail playing in the Teanaway!

Alex, Jason, Olya and I on the ferry, Puyallup. We were heading to Bainbridge Island. It was Little O's very first ferry ride - as usual she did awesome! No fear whatsoever! She actually likes the feeling of the wind whipping thru her hair!

We went to John Wayne Beach in Sequim. The boys were hunting for little crabs under the rocks. Of course, Little O had to be right in there! Little J, our future "Jeff Corwin" was all over the place hunting down creatures! Big Al was not as excited after he kept getting pinched... he liked to find them, and yell to his brother to come get them!

It's really hard to see in the picture, but she is holding a little tiny crab.. she enjoyed carrying them around in her hands, until she got pinched! She really loved going to the beach!

Just a quickie update....

Big Al and Little J are doing really well! It's hard to believe that they will be in 4th and 2nd grade in two weeks! AMAZING how time flies! It amazes me that they are actually growing up! Though I know that they will miss some of the carefree summer playtime - I know that I won't miss them while they are at school! haha! In many ways I wish we had year round school here! 3 months off is just toooo long! Soccer will be starting in about 2 weeks as well - which means we will be extremely busy until November! Labor Day weekend, the boys will be exhibiting some stuff at the fair, and of course spending their hard earned chore money on games and rides and lots of fair food - and getting to spend that time with their Nana and Grandpa and uncle Steve!

Little O had her final post-op hearing test. Looks like the tubes are working and she has on track ear development. So that is a really good sign! All we need now is the speech help! She has grown leaps and bounds! She is so spoiled as well! Everyone who meets her, just loves her! She is still very much addicted to her Sesame Street pals - which is better than some of the alternatives!

Jen H - we gotta get O and Zoey together somehow! Get me dates of that Texas reunion, who knows! Jenn T - thanks for the comment cous - but I need your email address, the old one does not work!

Hope that everyone enjoys the rest of their summer!

Summer stuff- end of July

Well... It looks like summer is half way over! Geez what a relief! I can't wait for the boys to go back to school and drive other people nuts! haha - though it has not been THAT bad, it has been close!

I just got back from Vegas a few days ago.. and I am more than READY to go back! It was a girls only vacation - and more fun than I could have imagined packed into three days! It was also my first time leaving O! I was really worried about her - well and John too, since he was stuck in charge! Little O and the boys got to spend some quality time with their Nana and Grandpa, who are completely worn out from the experience! The kids all survived, John too... and we are getting ready to start a new week with NO school for the boys! So, I am trying to plan some fun things to go and do that can be considered partly educational! We did have a rough weekend... our little kitty, Bob passed away due to an unfortunate freak rollover accident (the propane guy flattened him!) but we are thankful that it was quick as Bob was a sickly kitty and was probably not destined for a long healthy cat life. We also attended a memorial for John's former brother in law, Russ, who passed a Memorial Weekend in a jeep accident. We are deeply saddened by his loss, and find comfort in the fact that he is up jeepin with the big guy and left this life doing something he loved.

An quick update on little O's ear surgery.... looks like she is healing nicely! We can tell that she is hearing better, as she is trying to say alot more words and actually tries to sing a bit (she's no Mariah Carey - but it's darn cute!) We are hoping that she will start to pick up a few more words in the next couple of months! She is still growing like crazy and eats like a horse!

Little J also passed a major milestone in the last week... he finally learned to ride the Honda 50 without any help! Up until this point, his fear has overcome his ability to ride - so he did not want to learn.

More pictures coming!

Ahhhhhh - summer is here!

Yesterday was little O's very first 4th of July! She was not impressed! She watched two or three little things go off on the ground and wanted nothing else to do with it! See why below!

A few exciting things have happened in the last few weeks....

We had our first camping trip of the season. So O had her first away from home sleeping experience - needless to say - I got NO sleep and dear hubby got a few minutes more than me! It was a tough night! Hopefully we won't have any more trips like that in the near future! The best part about the camping trip was playing in the river! O LOVED it! Getting her out was the challenge!



The temps have been in the 100's for the last two days... and today we had our first "fire" of the season. Luckily - it was quickly contained - and not so lucky that it was half a mile from our house! UGH! Thankfully, we were upwind of the fire. We are not having any luck with any type of water games either! We bought of those great pools that is big enough for the kids to actually swim in - nope - no section level enough for us to set it up! I have bought numerous squirt guns that either work the WHOLE time (like running the whole time) or don't work at all! I bought a pool today that I found that none of our pumps will inflate! Geez Louise! I can't stand taking the kids to the local "swimming" hole - it is more like a pond - and way overcrowded! Oh well! It's still July - and only going to get hotter!
Both boys are in summer school for 3 hours a day (ahhh 3 hours of sanity for me!) and they seem to be doing ok.. it is really important to us that both boys keep up their skills - as one of them has a really hard time learning as it is - and retaining the info is a challenge in itself! Some days I really wonder WHAT he learns in school - if anything...though I can't complain too much - since there is no way in hell that I would attempt to homeschool him! There are days though when I think that I could probably do it myself (those days are limited and it is probably after more than one margarita! haha!) I know that after seeing things that we could have done "better" with the boys - little O will be a challenge regardless!

We also found out that part of little O's speech problem has to do with the fact that she can hardly hear! We have been taking her to the ENT (ear.nose.throat) Dr for a few weeks to get the wax sucked out - now that they can finally see an eardrum - they determined that it is not moving and most likely it has fluid behind it. So - next week we have to take her in to the hospital for some outpatient surgery and to get tubes placed in both ears. We are really worried about how she will handle it! That is going to be a long day indeed!
We hope that the other families who were in Ukraine around the same time - and those with little ones the same age as little O are enjoying the changes they are going thru and loving every minute of it! Watching these kiddos grow and change and florish is an amzing journey in its own! (Jen - love Zoey's LOOOONG hair!)
We'll give another update after the surgery - hopefully all goes well!

Six months???!!!??? Already???

It is so hard to believe that little O has been with us for six months already! She is such an amzing little cutie pie! She has gone through so many things in her short little life so far - it is hard to comprehend how many "firsts" she has had since coming home!

Just physically, she has grown in size and weight. Her language skills are slowly improving. She is a brave eater and will try most everything at least once! She has learned to RUN, brush her own teeth, spit (not the best one!), call India or Japan on the phone, throw her shoes at me when I drive, turn the tv off, drive her brothers crazy and last but not least how to open and close doors! Her hair is getting longer and almost to the full pony-tail point! (yay!!!) And she is getting her "summer" hair color! Her 12 month pants are starting to get a little short and her feet have grown out of her Ukrainian shoes.

It is so amazing that this little orphan and has turned into such a beautiful and sweet angel!

We are thankful every day that we were so lucky to have things turn out the way they have! We think about how right around the day she was born, our very first set of paperwork was sent to Ukraine - and how we were lucky she was just made available for adoption right before we arrived. She is the perfect fit to our family! Apparently people think that she looks just like me - I am hoping that is a compliment! (haha!) But, never the less - she is our little angel and we all just love the dickens out of her!

Today marks the 6 month anniversary of the end of our 10 day waiting period in Ukraine. On Sunday, not only will it be Father's Day, but also O's 2 and a half birthday! So - we will get a little celebrating for both them!

What a ride it has been!

The joys of Spring!

Ahhhh - what a beautiful time of year! Flowers blooming, winds are blowing, baseball games starting, soccer practices continuing, Scout activities, baby bunnies and chicks running about, and the car getting over 100 miles a day - just around town and back, numerous times! haha!
We have been busy busy busy - go go go for the last month! A and J both started baseball and games just started a few days ago, A is also on a select soccer team, both boys have Scouts and all the activities that are going along with that!
I just can't imagine doing it all AND having a two year old AND having a job.... yep - after MANY years I finally "retired"! I would say after 17 years with one company, I am allowed to use the word retired! SO - in my new position/career as a domestic engineer - I am trying to still get things in a routine and trying hard to get all those "I really need to get this.... done" projects! It is SO not as easy as I thought! I almost want to go back to work to make it easier! haha!
Little O and I have a good time during the day though... she is so such a little angel! She of course has her beloved tantrums and screaming spells - but over all she is just precious! She loves ALL animals and wants to pet them, regardless of the animal wants her to or not! She loves to HELP you do whatever it is that you are doing, regardless of if you want her to or not! (though she is GREAT at loading clothes into the dryer!) She is a very effective little communicator too! Her vocabulary has grown, though not significantly.... but she can name the Sesame Street monsters - no problem! Her favorite show, obviously Sesame Street! Not much else will hold her attention! O is making some little friends, and enjoying interacting with them. She is very independent and likes to take off to do "her thing". She has adjusted to everything SO well... we feel really lucky that she is healthy and getting along. Her hair has really grown, she has gained weight, and her clothes that we bought in Ukraine are finally starting to get a little tight! She is not a very picky eater and likes to try new things (even if it is only once!).

Both boys are keeping busy with sports and school activities - we are excited in some ways that school is winding down - though summer school is just on the horizon! Little J broke his collarbone about 2 weeks ago, so he is running around with a sling on! Hopefully all will heal fine and he can return to baseball in about a week! He is tired of being the "bat boy"!

Above is a picture of O and me - all dressed up to go to a big birthday party! Her very first large "social" gathering! Considering she was the only toddler with about 100+ adults - she did really well and seemed to enjoy herself! Needless to say - on the hour long drive home - she threw up all over her party dress and car seat! Ick! Oh well!

Enjoy your spring!

You'd never know!

On our little field trip to Seattle last week, we got an actual good picture of all three with the Olympic Mountains in the back! The kids loved seeing all the otters, seals, fish, etc! We have lunch at Ivars and the boys got to feed some of their fries to the seagulls!
Thank goodness Spring Break is over! It was a long week!

Sick and Tired/Tired and Sick??

Tis the season???? It seems that we have been lucky enough to each have had some sort of cold or illness consistantly in the last month or so! UGH! You know its bad when you have to start shopping for cold medicine at Costco! haha! Hopefully, we are on the downhill slope...Little O has been the one battling the ickies currently! She is NOT a very pleasant patient!

Spring has finally come around and brought the cold wind off the Cascades - so it might look nice and sunny outside - but dang if its not darn-right chilly with the wind chill!

The boys have been finishing off half days of school for conference week. Next week is Spring Break... I don't know if I am ready to take on all three for a whole week! As long as no one is sick - I should make it!

Little O has been doing really well, considering she has been sick. Her tv show of choice is Sesame Street. She will watch the Elmo videos OVER AND OVER! It is so cute when she will come up to me, pat my leg, point to the tv and say "melmo!"... that is her way of telling me to get that movie on! Since the weather has improved, we get to spend more time outside, which she totally loves! She calls all the chickens and the lone duck - "quack quacks" and will follow them around. She loves the horses and calls to them when she is outside... then she waves at them. She loves to help me feed them, so she can pet them. We have been tempted to put her on Little J's pony when she is feeling better...

Here are a few more photos... and a photo of all three of the crazy kids together!

For the love of Big Bird!

Yesterday Little O got a wonderful surprise! Her very own Big Bird sweatshirt! She loves the characters of Sesame Street! She is so cute in her little yellow bird suit! She tries really hard to pronounce it - but it sounds more like "ba - balm" and Elmo is "melmo"... she just loves looking at the things she has with Cookie, Big Bird and Elmo! It's about the only thing that she will watch on tv - even if it holds her attention for about 10-15 minutes!
Everyone has been getting better this week - as the cold has been handed off from one to the other! Little O has a bit of it now - but she is a little trooper and the cold does not slow her down! Last night the boys had their Blue and Gold banquet for Cub-Scouts... Little O really enjoyed running all over the place and getting into stuff... Due to her cuteness, she gets away with alot of stuff! Things are going well while we sit here and watch the snow fall and hope for spring! All that Groundhog stuff is a load of crap!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day!
The last few weeks have been really stressful for everyone - but we got through it! My wonderful Ukraine "bug" finally reared its ugly head and I came down with the flu as well as a wonderful cold! Nothing like being sick for the last three weeks! O has been doing great ! She has a loving and sweet personality that is just so contagious! It is like she has been with us all along! Her brothers enjoy her and play really well with her - until she destroys their stuff! The dog has a terrific new partner in crime when it comes to food! She was evicted out of our room when I came down with the flu - and she has been doing great in her own room!
Some days I find it hard to believe that this beautiful little girl is ours! We are very blessed to have her and thankful that things worked out how they did! This year - she is our very special little Valentine!