Russia

Russia
We went to Yekaterinburg

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Photo Update- Thanksgiving and Tree Decorating

 
Just some fun photos from our first snowfall right after Halloween, Thanksgiving, and our annual tree decorating. Time just seems to slip by and I can't seem to get the time to write a good post. But, thought you might like some cute photos!

 
 
 















Friday, November 16, 2012

National Adoption Awareness Month. Please Watch

A fellow adoptive mom, Mary Walters, put this video together for National Adoption Awareness Month. It is long, beautiful, and certain to make you cry. Many of these kids were born in Russia and all now have their forever families. To see the change in their eyes is remarkable. But, there are still so many more children out there. Will you take a risk and help there be just one less orphan? Consider it....ADOPT!!! It is the single most amazing thing I have ever done in my life.

P.S. Yes, our very own Colby and friends can be found towards the end of the video!!!



Monday, November 12, 2012

October Happenings...In Photos.

Just some great photos of our
busy but very fun October.









Friday, October 19, 2012

October Happenings

Ok. I'm terrible and haven't posted in a month. But, I have good reasons. We have been very busy with school, work, Fall stuff, and parties. I can't believe my last post still had us swimming and enjoying the lake. Now we are watching the leaves change so many brilliant colors and yes, even frost on the grass. I am so thankful that I now have a garage and my husband was so sweet and cleaned it up so my car sits in the garage at night! No waiting to defrost my car! Yippee!!!

Ok. Off topic. Lots of fun photos to post. I'm not sure where to start. Fall started with my mom, Aunt Doone, and I taking 3 little boys to a corn maze and pumpkin picking. Colby and Keith are both 5 and Jaden is 4. They had a great time and we didn't even lose my Aunt's phone in the maze this year! (2 years ago we actually were lost for a little while in the corn maze and when we finally made it out Aunt Doone went to make a phone call and noticed she lost her phone. The boys all looked upset and asked if we really had to go back in the maze to find it. So now every year the boys remind her to hold on to her phone. They are so funny!) We also enjoyed a horse drawn carriage ride and apple cider donuts. Yum!

The next few weekends have been full of parties. My Aunt Doone and Uncle Gordon celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary with a surprise party given by their kids. Aunt Doone was so happy she actually cried. We had a luau with an actual pig (yes, head and all) and lots of goodies. Colby wasn't so sure about the pig, especially after my dad told him to check him out, that it was winking at him. Thanks Dad! Last weekend Colby went to a school friend's birthday party. It was a Halloween birthday party and the girl is in his afterschool program but a different Kindergarten class. This terrible mom totally didn't think and didn't dress him in his costume. But, easy-going Colby didn't seem to mind and most of the costumes came off as the kids started going on the swings and jumping in the jump house. It was nice for me to get out and meet some of the other moms though. It is tough trying to meet new friends when they all seem to know eachother so well. Hopefully we'll continue to meet more people. And this weeked coming up is another birthday party. This birthday party is for Sean, another little boy adopted from Russia. I can't believe the boys are 5 already.

As for me, work is going well. I am settling into a routine and enjoying working with my kids. I have also started taking yoga through the park and rec in town. It is really great. I'm not so sure about the restfulness and calmness part but the stretching and exercise feels great.

Ok. Long enough. Much more to say but this is getting long enough. Enjoy the pics!



Monday, September 17, 2012

Staying Busy

Well, we have begun that time of year. It is getting cooler out, the sun goes to sleep just a little earlier, there are apples and pumpkins everywhere, and the kids have returned to school. It must be FALL!! Yup, and those lazy days of summer that Colby and I enjoyed together are gone. Back to school for both of us. But we have many happy memories to hold on to.

This was a summer full of books, camping, two trips to New Hampshire, and lots of changes. Both Colby and I started new schools this year. Colby entered Kindergarten. And in the midst of it, we moved. Not too far away but just enough to change a few things. Colby won't be dropped off with his Grandma Laurie in the afternoon anymore and I kow both of them will miss their times together. We were lucky to find a great afterschool program and Colby has made friends there that are also in his Kindergarten class. He is settling in nicely to the new school routine although he is VERY tired everynight. Kindergarten is much tougher than PreK you know! We asked Colby if he told his teacher he could read and he said rather matter of factly, "No. Then she'll make me work." Oh boy! But thankfully he really likes school still and he keeps learning more and more everyday. I just love our conversations.

I am settling into my new job with all its new responsibilities. The teachers I work with are great and were very welcoming. The little kids are so cute and really starving for attention and love. I know I'll love opening up the world of reading and the many adventures we can take through books. However, I do miss my reading partner from last year. We worked well together. Thankfully she lives nearby and we can get together soon.

Ok. Photos. Here are a few great photos from our last summer trip to New Hampshire over Labor Day Weekend. It was nice to have my parents, my sister Kristin, Steve, and her son Teddy, my sister Karin and her boys Max and Alex, and Mike, Colby, and I all together. We don't get together often so it was nice to have the 4 boys together. I know they missed their cousin Keith though. It was a beautiful weekend of boats, tubing, shopping, and just relaxing. And now we look forward to fall and the many local fairs, apple picking, and more parties.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Watch Out Kindergarten! Here He Comes!

Today I sent my little boy off to Kindergarten! I can't believe it. How did that happen??? Colby was really excited about school today. He couldn't wait to meet new friends and have some fun. He will be going to a before and afterschool program. I dropped him off and he was ready. He did give me an extra squeeze and kiss for good measure but that was it. "Bye Mom."  He was still all smiles when I picked him up after my first day at a new school too. He seems to have made a new friend, Ryan, and they both go to the before and after school program. He ate all his lunch, played on both playscapes, read a silly book about Pete the Cat Rocking his School Shoes, and drew an amazing little self-portrait. I am so proud of him. I can only hope his enthusiasm for learning and school continues throughout his school life.





Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Look Mom! No wheels!

Ok. I was almost ready to be strong and not cry as my little boy heads off to Kindergarten next week. I'm almost ready to admit he isn't a little boy anymore, what with his recent growth spurts and two missing teeth already. I was almost ready to admit it. But now this! Can it be! I so miss my baby boy but I must say I can admit I am so proud of all that he has accomplished. He really has become very independent and, yes, ready to be a big boy.

Colby has had his bicycle for three years now. It was his older cousin's and my sister Karin was amazing and gave it to Colby. He loves it and with the big yard and driveway, plus living on a very quiet street, now he has lots of room to ride. I have noticed that the training wheels really weren't working. One was down and helped a little but the other was totally bent backward and not even close to hitting the ground. I mentioned it to Colby that he was almost ready to take them off and his response, "Now Mommy?" What? Now? No! I told him later and hoped he would forget about it. No such luck. By late that afternoon he had Daddy taking them off as he sported the biggest grin ever. Oh boy! Here we go.

Both Mike and I really didn't think Colby would be able to ride. He hasn't shown much attention while riding his bike and I was worried about him balancing, especially as he looks behind him an awful lot. But, he was off and riding. And riding well. No major spills, a small scrape, but otherwise doing well.....so far! He now rides in our gravel driveway and in the corner of our street (we're at an elbow in a U shaped road). And he doesn't just ride, he rides FAST!!! I can't believe just how big he has gotten.....




Wednesday, August 15, 2012

We've Moved

I am sitting here at the computer in our new house and I still can not believe it. We did it! We have moved. It took a little prodding on my part, ok probably a lot of prodding but Mike agreed and we moved. We put our house on the market around Easter time and were pleasantly surprised when we got an offer. At the same time, Mike found a house that we liked. It was perfect timing. It was a long July packing and waiting on paperwork (a slight parallel to the lives we lived waiting for the adoption to finalize) but we made it through. We closed on our old house early afternoon and bought the new house a couple hours later.

The date was Aug 3rd and it was muggy and humid and totally hot outside. Thankfully we hired movers and they came in the morning. We had them hold our stuff overnight and the next day we were in. We still have rearranging, unpacking, and decorating to do. Mike already has plans to update the full bath and expand downstairs to make the kitchen and living room larger. Me, I have plans I'll sit on a little longer and then we'll see what happens. Maybe a little more prodding will be involved.

And now the fun begins. We registered Colby for Kindergarten! Yikes! Can he be that big already??? And I have to start getting back into work mode. Along with moving to a new house, I was moved to a new school for work. It was very unexpected and not something I am to happy about but the school I'll be at is nice and the staff is very friendly. But now I have to pack my office and set up a new one. Ugh! Thankfully we still have 2 weeks until school starts on the 27th.

So, here are a few moving photos. Once the house is a little more set up I'll post those picks. But feel free to come by and help us unpack!!