Farewell to Christmas

Garin seemed to get that the celebration was drawing to a close this evening. He started removing all of the candy canes from the Christmas tree and bringing them to me. Of course, he managed to get into one and enjoyed a sticky snack before bedtime! Daddy has been OCD-ing all day about tuning the guitar. In the background of this photo, he was tuning it for the one-jillionth time. ;o)

Christmas Dinner

This little guy had the greatest day of his life so far! He played hard all day - some with everything but mostly the guitar all day long. He's actually pretty good at it!

Hanging out with Grammy Sue...
Daddy was not a very willing photo subject. ;o)

Mama's stylist keeps telling her that her curl is coming back, so she tried curls today. Welcome back to the '80's! In spite of the hair, it's the best pic she's taken in a long time, so it is being included here.

AND ONE MORE MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We've had such a fun morning! Garin is always an early riser, but he knew this was a special day. He woke us up at 6:00, so we all staggered downstairs in the dark to see what Santa brought and open our gifts to each other. We baked our breakfast casserole and brewed coffee while we were opening gifts and then sat down to breakfast. I guess it's time for me to start lunch now, so I'm off to the kitchen! We're having roasted cornish game hens, potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls and chocolate pie. Not our usual fare, but it will be a bit simpler and still tasty (I hope!). Last night, we all read the story of Christ's birth before Garin went to bed. The the adults pigged out on fudge and egg nog while laughing our way through Christmas Story.

We love you all and wish we were sharing the day with you! You are close to our hearts and in our thoughts! Have a peaceful day, filled with the JOY and HOPE that only Christ can bring!

A NEW MOVIE: CARS!


WHEW! ENOUGH PRESENTS ALREADY...

A SECOND WIND....AND A GUITAR!!! (Mama and Daddy are so glad that he won't be grabbing everyone else's instruments.)
OKAY...TIME FOR APPLAUSE, FOLKS!


AUNT JOAN GAVE ME A REALLY COOL GLOBE. IT IS A BALL, ISN'T IT???

MORE MERRY CHRISTMAS!

HE GOT THE HANG OF THE PRESENT OPENING VERY QUICKLY!

LOVED THE FIRE TRUCK WITH MEGA BLOCKS!



DADDY'S NEW TOY: AN IPOD CRADLE/CHARGER/TRANSMITTER FOR HIS TRUCK!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

WHAT DID SANTA BRING???!!!
GOTTA GET UP HIGH TO HAVE A LOOK...

IT'S A TRICYCLE!!!

ANYTHING ELSE UNDER THERE???

HELPING MAMA FIGURE OUT HER NEW KEURIG (SHE'S BEEN DREAMING OF ONE ALL YEAR!)...

Makeup Artist

Much to Daddy's chagrin, his little football player (aka Christmas Dinosaur) snuck upstairs last night and got into Mommy's makeup before he was caught. He knows where the mascara goes...

Completely Selfish Post

I have been sick since Saturday with fever, very sore throat, ulcers and just general exhaustion. I finally saw the doctor yesterday, and he said that it is viral and has to run its course. He had the same things last week and slept 16-18 hours a day for five days. Of course, he prescribed sleep for me. He said I needed to sleep as much as possible to get over this. HAHA! He obviously doesn't have a healthy almost-two-year-old to keep up with! Now I woke up this morning with a yucky cough. I don't need to pick up a secondary infection like bronchitis or something, but I can't just take a day off. I am a whiny crab about this fact - just ask my husband, who is also sick but got time off from work to rest.

Our Mantel is Wonderfully Full!

Last year, I bought stockings for the four of us, never believing that we would need more so soon. I have been looking for more like them all season this year but didn't remember where I had bought them. I also doubted that last year's merchandise would be out this year, but I really wanted them all to match, so that no one felt different or like an afterthought. Garin and I went to Target today to pick up more wrapping paper, and as I browsed the Christmas aisles, I looked up and saw two, only two, stockings that were identical to Matt's and Garin's! I had to buy them for D and K, and I put them up as soon as I got home. We're praying that next year, we'll get to fill them!

The Maestro

Garin loves playing the keyboard and recently discovered he could hear it throught the headphones! Cool!

Yes Ma'am!

This entry is for Aunt Pat, who is apparently feeling rather "peachy" and a bit "plucky" tonight! Apparently, she is unhappy about my irregularity....with blogging, that is. I guess if she can spend her days at the hospital, keep up with her blog daily and still find time to tell me "it's time you got off your butt and put something on the blog," she definitely deserves a new entry! ;o)

Seriously, Aunt Pat, I know this experience has been life-changing for you. I wonder if you know how much it's changed all of us - the way we view life, each other and all of you. Thank you for letting us be there for you in whatever ways we can and for keeping us informed. I love you so much, and it has been so special to witness the love that you and Uncle Harry have for each other. The road isn't always easy, but you are both very special people, and you have proven it in these past three weeks. I am so excited to see the great things that the future holds for you both! I know that God will use this to His glory. Please tell Uncle Harry that I love him and am looking forward to seeing him again soon.

This week has been wonderful and challenging all in one. Quick rundown: Monday was wonderful because we got the great news that Karl was selected for Major, and we mailed off our dossier for translation. It was a scary day because Uncle Harry wasn't doing well. Tuesday brought MUCH better news to cheer us all up, but Garin choked on lunch and had to be heimliched. Wednesday was fun at bowling, and we had a relaxing evening. Thursday was supposed to be our OSC board meeting and social, but Garin threw up blood and spike a high fever, so we spent all morning at the urgent care center. We got wonderful news from Aunt Pat, though, that Harry was doing awesome - grinning, winking and kissing! Friday, Garin was better, and we got our INS applications turned in and were fingerprinted the same day, which is unusual but very helpful. I also got the house cleaned! (Although I'd swear this house cleans itself. I hardly find any dust or yuck around here, even when it's time to clean.) Friday night, we had an awesome time at the squadron Christmas party. Great food and friends, and Karl and I each won a door prize. Today, I have Garin's stomach bug and have been almost worthless. I did manage to get Christmas cards ready to mail and make some chowder and biscuits for dinner.

Now I think I'll go get a bath and read my new Country Living magazine.

The Best Laid Plans.....

Today's snow was some of the driest I've ever had my hands on. There was no way we were going to get a snowman out of that, but I sure did wish for a nearby mountain and a shiny new pair of skis! It would have made for awesome skiing! We did get in some good playtime, though. Garin loves the snow, as long as it isn't ON anything. We spent much of our time outdoors cleaning snow from the playset and his clothes/gloves. My sweet little OCD child.

Gotta keep those mittens clean!

What a cutie!

Snow makes a great cushion beneath the slide!

Again...mittens....clean....

Getting tired from all the hard work...

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I got up and took a picture of our snow this morning, not realizing that Karl took several when he got up earlier. The first two are his, taken at dawn. The last is mine, taken after the sun was bright and the skies blue. I like his better. It pays to be an early riser! It looks like we got about 3 inches, maybe a bit more. I plan to take Garin out this morning to build his first snowman!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Yay! We're getting our first snow of the season today! It started falling steadily about an hour ago, and is supposed to continue on and off through the afternoon and evening, to the tune of a couple of inches. It isn't a lot, but it sure is pretty!


My rheumatologist put me on a new medicine, Plaquenil, yesterday. I hear great things about it from Mom and my friend, Penny, who have taken it. However, so far all it's done is make me feel nauseous and woozy. They say those side effects wear off once your body gets used to it though, and if it's as great as I'm told, it will be well worth it. Who knows? Maybe I'll lose some weight in the meantime!

Red Tape

Just stopping by to say howdy. It's been a terribly windy day here, and everyone is having to bring in their outdoor decorations, etc. They were starting to take off on their own to visit the neighbors. The wind advisory is supposed to end at 7 am tomorrow, thankfully, so we should be able to redecorate.

I have spent the entire day trying to finish up the dossier. Interestingly, no matter how much you get done, the last little bit always takes hours longer than you expect. It's the story of adoption, I'm afraid. Tedious, time-consuming and worth every second! I keep having to remind myself why I'm going through all of this. When I think of D and K, where they are now and where I want them to be, I don't resent the process as much. Although, if I'm perfectly honest, it still seems insane to me that it can take so long to get two children home to their family! Of course, there is nowhere really to lay blame. It's just the nature of the beast. They have to be sure that we're safe and will provide the right kind of home, and then there is the red tape that must exist but still annoys. If you know me well, you know how I hate the very concept of money. I wish it didn't exist. But it does, and I have just filled out the fourth financial report since this process started eight months ago. Everyone has a slightly different form that wants slightly different information. Of course, when you space them apart every few months, the information that goes on them also changes. Our investments grow, our car loans shrink, life insurance options become available and are purchased, etc. Basically we get to start all over, counting our money every couple of months. It's like Monopoly on steriods, and it's getting old!

Ahhhh....now I feel better! Just needed to put it out there. Life is good....great, really!

Garin spent over three hours in his room trying to stay awake by wreaking havoc. I think it's time to give up on a nap and have some play time. Maybe he'll fall right to sleep tonight.....HAHAHAHAHAHA, that's a good one!

Christmas Cookies!

Garin made his first batch of Christmas cookies tonight! We had such a great time! As you can see, he was dressed (again) as the Christmas Dinosaur. We may have to make this Halloween costume "disappear" eventually, but for now, we'll just laugh about it and be happy that he enjoys it so much. Working hard....
Every time we cut out a cookie, Garin grabbed for the remnants and scarfed them down...

Smile! A picture to remember by... The "beautiful" finished product...
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

My Big Boy

Garin is taking his first unconfined nap, and he has a big-boy pillow too. It took him about an hour (during which he played with toys, read his Bible, locked his door and had to be rescued) before he finally fell asleep, but I think that's not too bad for the first time! I just checked on him, and he was so precious that I had to grab the camera.

Growing up.....

Hi! It's been busy week, and I've been fighting a yucky cold, which I'm happy to say is almost over. I haven't posted on Harry's progress, as Aunt Pat has started a blog of her own to keep everyone posted: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QDh_BeUherK6jFS17r5J Please feel free to visit the blog to keep up with their progress, and thank you to all of our friends who are praying with us!

It has been an emotional morning for me. I hadn't expected such nostalgia to hit me when we turned the crib into a toddler bed today! I would like to keep him in the crib forever, but it was getting a little crowded that way. And since he's almost two, it's time for him to start learning how to stay in his own bed. He has shown in recent days that he fully understands most simple instructions and is able to recognize what we require of him. We decided that he is up to the task and that the time has come. (sniff-sniff).

As an example of his understanding of rules: The other day, he had apple juice from Sonic that was in a cup with a lid and straw. Because he wouldn't let me put it in a sippy cup, I told him he had to keep it in the kitchen, on the tile floor and couldn't cross onto the living room carpet. He walked right to the edge of the carpet and started creeping his toes to the very edge and looking back at me, testing to see exactly where the line was. Once I said no, he figured that out immediately. So he then set down the cup, walked over and started inching toward the line again to see if he had to stay because he was holding the cup or if I just expected him to stay in the kitchen, period. It was such fun to watch him testing the waters, trying to discover exactly what I intended and why!

The Christmas decorations are all up. Garin is enjoying the music of the season as much as we do, and this Christmas promises all the joy and fun that toddlers bring to the celebration of Christ's birthday! Garin finds the candy canes adorning the tree to be irresistable. He has eaten more than a couple and comes out of each experience and sticky as flypaper, head to toe, but boy he is having fun!

We got our official letter from Buckner today, saying, "We understand and support your ideal preference of adopting the sibling group of K and D as long as they remain available for adoption in Russia." Feels good to see it in writing! Of course, the journey is far from over, but one small step after another...

Blessings to you all!