Already a New Year....Looking Forward...Pics Added!!!

I can't believe that it is already a new year. It seems like 2012 went by so fast. I wish I could bottle this time up and hold on to it forever. I think age 5 has been the best one yet.

2012 was not without it's troubles but overall, we had a great year. Some notable events:

1) Colby lost his two bottom front teeth (and he wasn't even 5 when the first one came out).
2) We bought a new house and moved in August. The house is I think the perfect fit for us, or it will be. We have already redone the upstairs bathroom and Mike has plans to add on in the back to make a "great room".
3) Colby started Kindergarten. He's growing up way too fast!
4) Colby learned to ride his bike without training wheels! And boy is he fast. Now he has a skateboard, a Christmas present from my Uncle Louie. We'll see how that goes in the Spring.
5) Both Mike and I are doing well at work, and overall we have all stayed pretty healthy.
6) I finally got to see Washington, DC. It was amazing. We went after Christmas to visit Trisha and AJ. What a great trip. I can't wait to go back again!
7) And, we just had a great time together as a family.


I know that we have had some struggles, and we have seen some family and friends pass on, but I have made it my resolution this year, to look on to the future and focus on the good things in my life. I have a wonderful family and friends, many who I met through adoption. Colby is blessed to know all of his grandparents and to have them in his everyday life, along with a big extended family. For the future, who knows what it might bring? We will celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary in April, Colby will start first grade, hopefully we can expand our family to include a daughter (that it my deepest wish), and perhaps a trip to DisneyWorld to visit with our adoption family of friends. But for now, a few great pics of our family at Christmas and in DC.

First Camping Trip....We Survived!

This weekend we went to Lake Warmaug. We have been there before for an afternoon to picnic and bring the kayaks out but this weekend we camped. Yes, I spent the weekend in a tent! We went with Mike's parents. I was a little worried about how Colby would do sleeping somewhere strange, and not in a bed, but he did great! He LOVED it!

We went up early Friday and spent the weekend swimming, walking, kayaking, fishing, and just having lots of fun. I did leave for a few hours to help my mom at my grandparents' house. We are still trying to sell some things and Sat we had another tag sale. Friday friends of Mike's parents came up with their grandkids, Jair and Brin. They had a great time playing with Colby. It was fun to watch them swim, play in the sand, and blowing bubbles. Late Saturday, when I returned, David, Jocelyn, and Lizzie came up for dinner. Lizzie is getting so big. She and Colby played great together. By Sunday we were all tired and ready to go home. Even Colby was ready to get back and sleep in his bead. We left early Sunday and just spent the day doing some chores and catching up on sleep. Overall the weekend was great. Camping was fun, but I do know what Mike will get for his birthday: an airmatress. Ugh! The ground was so hard and bumpy. Not much sleep.

Happy Mother's Day and Old Friends

We wish everyone a wonderful Happy Mother's Day. I am so blessed to have a wonderful son to celebrate this day with. It has not been the easiest of roads to becoming a mother, but I wouldn't trade our experience for anything else. We certainly have come a long way and today was our second Mother's Day together.

We went for a nice breakfast and then to my friend Kathleen's for her son Andrew's Baptism. It was nice to see some of my high school friends again, along with their families. Amazingly, most of us have children, and they are all boys! I hope that we will get together again soon. I see Kathleen more often than the rest. Hopefully that will change. I'd love for the boys to get to know eachother.

Hopefully everyone else had a wonderful Mother's Day too. And to those mothers in waiting, I wish you a short wait and I hope you are with your children soon.

Easter 2010

Well, this was our second Easter with Colby and we had a great time. Our first Easter came pretty wuickly after we came home from Russia. We had not settled into a routine yet and Colby still had many new family and friends to see. He also was young and I don't think he quite understood the whole Easter Bunny thing. But this year, he was waiting for it!

We had brought him to see the Easter Bunny the weekend before and he asked for some jelly beans and carrots. I know, strange request but true! The bunny brought him the jelly beans, some chocolate, a small kite, and some Matchbox cars. We left the carrot out for the bunny and he ate it! All he left were the ends!

Saturday we had Easter with Mike's family. And Easter Sunday was with my family. Thankfully the holidays work out and Mike's family celebrates the day before (except Thanksgiving). We had an Easter egg hunt at both houses and ate way too much. Everyone loved the Pizza Gain Colby and I made. Colby loved playing with all his cousins. On Saturday he rode on his Gator with Jake, Julia, and Logan. They all took turns driving. Colby kept changing the gearshift so they would go forward and reverse over and over. They were very cute together. On Sunday he played with Max, Alex, Teddy, and Keith. Even Mommy and Grandma played soccer! At one point Max and Teddy were playing a version of kickball and they were using sticks as bases. Colby followed them around and pulled out all the sticks. He was marching with them singing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho!" And my parents' dog, Patches, was chasing everyone around. Both days were bright, sunny, and absolutely gorgeous. After all the rain we were having, it was nice to have a beautiful weekend outside. Colby was exhausted after all the running around.

So, Easter was nice here. It was a little sad not having Mamie with us but having Colby really changes how I see the holidays. I love how excited he gets when he sees our families. And finding those eggs and Easter candy was a blast. What did you all do for Easter? We hope it was a good one!

A Wonderful Visit

This week Colby and I ventured to New York. We went to visit our friends Christine, Stephen, Roman, and Max. Christine and Stephen adopted their boys from Russia as well. They also came from Yekaterinburg. They came home in November of 2009. Our little group is growing bigger all the time!

We had a wonderful visit. Roman just turned 3 and Max is 1 1/2. Roman and Colby got along great. It was like they were always buddies. They played with the two dogs, Lucy and Happy, and all of the toys. Colby loved the ride on train. While he rode it around the house, Max rode the dump truck and Roman dragged another dump truck around. It was very cute. The three boys also wanted to play outside. It was cold but they didn't care. They mowed and shovelled the snow, took turns pulling or riding in the wagon, and drove their car. And we had a wonderful lunch, mac and cheese with hotdogs for the boys and chicken Ceaser salad for the big kids!

Christine and I had a wonderful time too. It was nice to talk in person. We have been chatting through emails and Facebook for awhile but it was our first visit together. Having the boys close in age, it was nice to compare notes and talk about things. Colby has been home longer so we chatted about his growth and attachment. Roman is older so we chatted about how he is doing now. He is picking up English very well, but it was interesting to watch him and listen to him speak a few words in Russian. Colby wasn't speaking at all when we picked him up. We also chatted about our trips to Yekaterinburg and our coordinator there, Svetlana. But, all too soon it was time to go. I am now planning a big get together with all our Russian friends for the end of the month. It will be great to see all 5 boys together. Let the good times roll!

So Much To Do

This has been a quiet week. We actually spent the weekend at home and got some yard work done. Mike went and helped my brother Keith put on a new roof on Saturday so Colby and I stayed home. I was able to trim the bushes in our front yard. They were looking a little raggedy.

Today was finally sunny and warmer. Colby and I went to the park. He enjoyed the swings and the slides and even met a few little friends. One little girl he was playing with was really cute. They were close in age. At one point they held hands and were walking around the playground and went down the slide together. I think we have a lady's man on our hands! Too bad I didn't have the camera.

This weekend will be very hectic so I am trying to keep the week low key. On Saturday Mike and I have to go to Lakeville for my cousin Katti's wedding. It is about an hour and a half from here and the wedding is at 4:30. A little too far and too late to bring Colby. So, Colby will stay with my dad and my nephews Alex and Max. My mom and my sister Karin are going to the wedding with us. Although I am happy for my cousin, I am not looking forward to this. The longest Colby was away from us is 4 hours and afterward he was not a happy boy to be around. Mike's parents watched him while Mike and I went to dinner. They picked him up at 4 and came back at 8, for bedtime. We weren't home yet and I think that upset Colby a lot. He was clingy and fussy for two days afterward not letting me or Mike out of his sight. I am especially worried because this will be just after nap time and past bedtime. I don't know how he will react to going to bed somewhere other than home and without us. Good luck Dad! Hopefully with the boys around Colby will be too excited to worry about us.

On Sunday I have a baby shower to go to. Mike's brother David and his wife Jocelyn are expecting a baby girl at the end of July. My first niece! Mike's mom and I will go to the baby shower and all the guys will spend the day together, along with a family friend and his 3 grandchildren. Hopefully Colby will be in a good mood. The shower is for brunch at 11:30. I'm not sure what we will do in the afternoon. My mom and dad are heading to the Grand Canyon in their motorhome on Sunday so I won't be able to see my dad for Father's Day. But I bet Mike is really looking forward to some quality first Father's Day time with Colby.

In other news: My friend Jill and her husband Nick have been reunited with their son Nicholas in Ekat! They left on Saturday and I am so happy for them. She sent a photo and he is such a cutie! I can't wait until they come home and Nicholas and Colby can play together. Also, another friend Sharon and her husband Patrick leave for Russia today for their first trip. They will get to see their son for the first time in Bryansk. Safe travels and I can't wait to see photos of your little guy! Hopefully the three boys become fast friends. I know I love spending time with their mommies!

And: just a cute photo because I can never resist!