Why Don't They?

I enjoyed today. Cala and I went to the grocery store and the post office together. I like living in a small town where I feel safe enough to let Cala run in the post office and check the mail for us. She loves doing that, and I have fond memories of doing the same as a child. Not so anymore in the area I grew up in, for I would never allow a child out of my sight at all there! Mind you, I still have that mentality now, so none of my children are truly out of my sight still. I just mean, I can stay in the van and watch Cala as she runs in the post office without fear of someone nabbing her, and that's nice.

On the way to the grocery store, we had a deep theological discussion. Yes, she's 8, but so full of questions about God! It's wonderful. Children are so simplistic in their ideas of how things ought to be, and yet we could learn a LOT from a child. Today, it was like this: "Mama, are there two Gods?! There aren't are there?" I responded with, "No, just one." She asked, "But I heard Jesus, God's son was actually God." "Well, you heard right Cala, and that's hard for us as people to understand, but it's true." Then I hear, "Mama, why don't some people believe in God like we do!? Why don't they just believe it's true?!" To that, I have no real response but I did say, "Dear, I love you, you're my daughter, but the honest truth is I can't MAKE you love me. It's the same with God. He loves us all soooo much, but He wants it to be OUR choice." She simply said, "I wish everyone would just choose God." "I do too, dear... I do too."

I thought I would share a couple of pictures from Cala's 8th birthday a few days ago. We keep both American and Russian traditions at birthdays and holidays. Russian birthday tradition is to have a birthday pie. Well, I didn't get around to making one, and baking the greeting in the pie crust as I did in Russia. So, my sorry attempt was to buy a pecan pie (which is what Cala asked for!) and to uh... yes, I put Cala's name and age in COOL WHIP! It didn't work so well, but as you will see in the picture... either Cala loved it!, or she was making fun of me. I choose she loved it. :o)

It's true... I'm still here :o)

Wow! I've not been this long without blogging in a while! No excuses, just one thing after another I guess keeping me from it!

I'll not try to "re-hash" everyday just will say this: We had a great time with my inlaws, and are very much looking forward to them coming back in the middle part of December. They'll be here two weeks then, and that will include Christmas.

A couple of days ago, we had to apply for our Minnesota driver's license. We had to take a written test. We were allowed to miss 8 questions. Glenn missed 8. I missed 10! Boo-hoo. So, yesterday, I was not sure if I would go re-try or not as I was having a very rough time with fibro. At the last possible moment before having to absolutely get ready in time to make it, I decided to go! I'm glad I did! I had a different test that time, and passed, missing 7. Now, in Florida, it's never possible to turn left on a red light, but it is in Minnesota. AND how much space should you give someone on a bicycle when wanting to pass them?! Well, here in Minnesota, it's 3 feet. I had originally answered a car's length. I was trying to be nice! ha ha

Yes, I do feel like quite the expert at this point on Minnesota driving laws. I will receive my license in the mail- in 4 to 6 weeks. (in Florida, you get them on the spot, so this was new to me, but alas, "we ain't in Florida anymore!" lol). Glenn will get his in a couple of weeks they said- different city/different county where I went yesterday. (the original place was closed yesterday but suggested I go to this other city).

Yesterday evening, I went to Cala's school for a parent/teacher conference. That was really nice and this teacher has really studied a lot on things that pertain to Cala. I am so confident that Cala is right where she needs to be. This school is refreshing, very much on top of things!

That's about it for now. Hope all is well with ya'll! I hope to soon post some pictures- Glenn cut all the kids' hair yesterday. That was quite comical.

Still here, just busy....

Just wanted everyone to know I haven't forsaken the blog, just way busy with my inlaws here. They are wonderful people, and I feel very blessed to have them as my inlaws! I know people who absolutely do not get along with theirs, and I think that's awful! I feel sad for them. My inlaws are like another set of parents. They really are. I've known them since I was just a baby.

We've been keeping the roads hot here, even took them almost 2 hours away to a cheese factory in Wisconsin! Yes, we are dedicated cheese lovers.

Today they got to see snow. Now, to a Floridian, that's a real treat. To a Floridian who has since lived in Russia for years with countless measures of snow fall, it's not so thrilling. I do admit I love to watch it, but not to the extent of those who rarely see it. (never in their home area, that's for sure). I was happy for them to see snow coming down, even though it was too wet to stick. I assured them not to worry, for there will be plenty of the white stuff coming down and on the ground when they return in December.

Tomorrow is yet another day of hitting the road. This time, we are heading to North Dakota at least. This is a new state to all of us, so I am happy about that! We may go into South Dakota too, not yet sure.

I know one thing... it will be sad around here when the grandparents leave on Saturday. I will assure everyone that Christmas time will be here before we know it!

Eight Years Ago Today in a Land Far Away....

Eight years ago today in a land far away, my daughter was born. No, I didn't yet know her, she wasn't born TO me, but I feel she was born FOR me. She was so very tiny, weighing in at just three and a half pounds, and very, very early. (yet born in God's perfect time).

We had longed for a child so long, and were sad to not have yet have one. We were in Arkansas around her birth, because we know where we were when we got word about our niece in Paraguay being born. (she's just 12 days younger than Cala).

Eight years ago today, a precious baby girl was born, and she struggled. She struggled for her very life. She would spend the next two months in the hospital before being placed in an orphanage, and she would spend the next year sick off and on from various ailments. She was so frail, I can imagine.

At age 2 years, 1 month, she would meet her parents. We would meet our daughter. It would be at age 2 years, 7 months, that she would forever come home to live with us. We would at long last be a family.

I look back today and am thankful. OH, I am not like many in the adoption world. Admittedly, I don't long to really meet the bio- mother (I have a hard time even saying that word really), but I do thank her. Cala has asked me if she will be in heaven. I said, I hope so. We can't know, we can only pray so. She lives in a place where we are very familiar with the spiritual condition. It's sad to think this woman may very well die in her sins. YET, I pray she's in heaven. You see, I do want to thank her if she is... I want to say thank you for having my daughter. Thank you for not taking the road many many do in Russia, the road of abortion.

Thank you for giving life to this precious girl. Her loss was truly our gain.

My daughter is my joy. I am grateful to God for what happened in a land far away, eight years ago today.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Last of Spirit Week

Today was Spirit Day, by wearing the school colors of blue and white. Tonight was the high school's homecoming game. (we've heard the hollering from our house, and we live about a mile away!) :o)

Cala said she walked in her class this morning and told them, "Hi! I'm your new gym teacher!" She's a character. I would love to be a "fly on the wall" at her school sometime to observe her there.

Well, not much news here... just getting ready, and getting excited about my inlaws coming in tomorrow! It's going to be nice having them here! They love to play card games like we do. So, we are looking forward to some late nights next week.

Catch you tomorrow!

The place I missed the Most

All the years living in Russia, when someone here in the states would ask, "what do you most miss about the U.S.?", I would without a doubt answer, "Wal-mart!" My other answer would sometimes be "a bathroom where both the toilet and the sink are in the same room." Today, I spent way too much time in Wal-mart and had a cultural moment. I started having flash backs to Russia, actually longing to be there, no matter how little choices I had in products. It seems there are many different kinds of green beans here, and I am left wondering which one to choose! Made a mistake recently, and bought a brand that I will never choose again. Now, I go with the Great Value (Wal-mart) brand! There's 50 choices of cereal or more, where as in Russia, I would have given anything to see more than 5 ! My baby son and I today went up and down the aisles, and I just absoulutely had a moment of, "what has happened here? Is this me?! My son?! Me? Living in the states? ME?! Living in Minnesota????????" I guess it still takes time to let it all soak in.

Here's my precious baby girl as I call her- Today was Crazy Hair Day. We sprayed her hair blue and white. It mostly showed up blue in the back, and looking gray in the front. She was happy anyway. I enjoyed picking her up and seeing mowhawks, pink hair, orange hair, just all out crazy hair! What fun for these kids! Tomorrow concludes Spirit Week with Blue and White Day- their school colors. I think I'm having too much fun. lol

A Blustery Day Indeed!

Ok! So, I don't think I've ever, ever used the word "blustery" but that's the way they're describing it in our local weather. Another word for tomorrow's forecast is "raw". That just makes me giggle. Sorry. ;op It's currently 28 degrees as I write this and getting colder. We had snow this morning, but thanks to the wind, nothing stuck. More of the same is forecasted for tonight, as well as tomorrow.

My inlaws get here Saturday afternoon, but it's supposedly warming up to 35 for a low, 50's for high. That's still really cold for them! They will be sooo cold while here. To us, it's just feeling like Russia in the winter.

Today for Cala was Sportswear Day. She wore a shirt that says "Football" and has a football helmet on it, and then wore her brother's (yes, her 3 year old brother's size 4T) coat. (her heavy coat got left in Florida, but thanks to her grandparents coming this weekend, she will soon be reunited with it). Cala also wore a Tampa Bay Buccaneers cap today, something probably a tad dangerous here in Vikings territory! lol. She looked this morning like she was heading off to a game, and should have had a cup of coffee in hand! ha Tomorrow is "Crazy Hair" Day. Should be fun- we're spraying her hair blue!

Thank you to my Blog Pal

SO I just HAD to write a second post tonight, and say Thank you to my (secret) blog pal. Today at my door, I received a big block of chocolate, personalized from Hershey's in Hershey, PA. What a nice surprise! I thank you, and my children thank you! lol

Can I sit down now?

It's been one of those "go, go, go" days. I was so happy to see tonight come, get supper done, and the kids in bed. Now I can breathe a little bit :o)

I was so thrilled to see that I finally made something that we can have left overs from! ha ha. Seriously, not so many moons ago, when it was just Glenn, Cala, and me, I could make soup and it last us two nights. It's not happened since having the boys home. Two extra mouths to feed makes a difference (especially when one of those mouths, the 3 year old one, loves anything I make!). Tonight, however, I made a soup that made a lot and so that's one good thing to think about tomorrow. No extra cooking :o) Yippeeee! Honestly, I don't mind cooking, but there are days when I'm just glad not to have to.

And now, without further adieu, here is Cala from today- Mismatch Day. Doesn't she look HORRIBLE!???! ha ha

Cala's school day- and a day of remembrance

Cala really enjoyed PJ Day at school! Isn't she cute?!



I enjoyed taking her and seeing all the kids who came in their pajamas, some even wearing a robe!

It's also Wheels Week at school, so Cala took her scooter. She just got it right after we moved in this house, so it's still all new to her and she loves riding it.



*** *** *** *** ***

I've done o.k. today I think. It was 13 years ago today that I had my first miscarriage. I have thought about that baby today, and what might have been (wow! an almost teenager- as he or she - I refer to the baby as Evan- would have been born in May, so would have now been 12.) Yet, I am choosing to think about how wonderful it is to know that Evan is in the presence of our Saviour! Isn't that amazing to think that this precious baby of mine is there with the Master!? He is also there with his brother or sister- I refer to her as Faith- (miscarried in September of 2003). That's a true blessing to know one day I WILL know my other two children.

Please on Sunday, October 15th, remember to pray for those of us who have lost children due to miscarriage or still birth. While in office, President Ronald Reagan declared it a day to remember and honor those we have lost so young. God, in His mercy, chose to give me a daughter with that same date as a birthday ;o)

You can visit my memorial site to my babies in heaven, as well as a memorial for anyone wishing to place a note there at http://www.angelfire.com/blues2/evanfaith

Oh to be a kid again :o)

Cala is super excited as this coming week, beginning tomorrow, is Spirit Week at her school. So, stay tuned, my dear readers as I hope to add a nightly picture of how she dressed for each day. Tomorrow is PJ Day! Yes! She's going to school in her pajamas, and might I add, her padded feet pajamas!!! I laugh just thinking about it. She's had a blast since Friday just talking about this coming week, and what she would wear each day.

Here's a picture of Cala on her first day of school ever! She was not quite 3, and I homeschooled her in K3:

AND, here she is the first day of school THIS year:




Oh to be a kid again! Hmmm... wonder what I would choose to wear?

The Current Topic in Our Household

The above picture was taken on August 13th of this year. That was our last Sunday in Florida, was the boys' dedication day, as well as being Ethan's 1st Family Day (year since he came home to us :o)
The folks in the picture with the kids are my inlaws. They just happen to be the current subject of discussion in our house. You see, good 'ol Grandma and Grandpa are coming to see us in just, let's see, (I could run upstairs and read the big countdown, but uh, no, the stairs are involved! lol).... oh yes, EIGHT sleeps! (eight more times the kids will have to sleep before they come). My father in law gets three weeks vacation each year, and so they've chosen to spend those weeks with us. This time, it will be just one week. They are returning for two weeks at Christmas time. (that will really be exciting!).
I am blessed. You see, I know there are plenty of horror stories out there about inlaws. I don't deal with that, and neither does Glenn. I love his parents very much, and he loves mine as well! I am about as excited to see them as the kids are! I would only be more excited if it were my own parents coming. I really miss them and wish they could visit.
Of course, we joke that the grandparents are really not coming to see US (Glenn and me) at all, but rather our 3 precious kids (who incidentally, can do NO wrong in the grandparents' eyes). ha ha
I am happy for my kids that they know their grandparents well, and know that they are loved. Our parents are very close to each other as well. My Dad is a Pastor, and my father in law is one of Dad's deacons!
My kids seem to get a big kick out of having all of them together... when in Florida, we would sometimes ALL go out together and our kids would comment on "I have four grandparents all with me".
Yes, we're all excited around here, planning what we're going to do while they're here. They'll probably not get any rest at all, poor things! I'm just happy Cala has 2 and a half days off while they are here.
We're in for some fun :o)

My children, my accent and other ramblings

These are my babies :o) This picture was taken last Sunday during church, as they all got up to sing a special. They were singing, "Grow Grow Grow" as Seth calls it. The real song is, "Read your Bible, pray everyday, pray everyday, pray everyday. Read your Bible, pray everyday and you'll grow, grow, grow." I want my kids to always be as happy to sing as they are today. I do mean literally, today. The scene: Wal-mart. The boys were each in a buggy (or as some of you out there say, a "shopping cart"), and Cala was sitting next to me on a bench. We were waiting for Glenn to finish paying for something. One boy looked at the other one and began a rousing rendition of "Hallelu- Hallelu- Hallelu- HALLELUJAH! Praise ye the Lord!" I thought it was very cute, as my baby son (the one on the far right in the picture) got to "praise ye the Lord" and threw both his hands up! Now, we're Baptist, so you'll know we joke with him that "son! you're not a Pentecostal anymore". (as his foster family was in Guatemala).

** ** **

I know my post last night was a downer, but hey! It was keeping it real. So, tonight, I thought I would return you to your regularly scheduled program:

Seriously, here's something cute! I've told ya'll before how folks here think I talk differently :o) and I do. Anyway... last night, I ran into a grocery store. As I was leaving, the cashier says to another cashier, "I just love when she comes in here. She talks so funny! I love to hear her!" I found that cute and it gave me a smile that I needed.

Thanks for being out there in blogland, blogville, or whatever you want to call it. :o)

An Unforgettable time of Year

Sigh... October just so happens to be the time of year when I struggle the most with my emotions. Yes, I recently said that Fall is my favorite time of year, and it continues to be! However, the month of October has been wrought with terrible things throughout my teen years- into recent years as well.

Let's start back when I was a young teen- I'm a PK- preacher's kid- We had some real troublemakers in our church back then, and it all came to a nasty scene one October. I remember the hurt I felt at how these long time members treated my Daddy (and Mom too of course). Thankfully, I had some really good friends (one just so happens to now be my husband) that helped me through that awful time, ensuring that I was nowhere around when things got bad.

Then, it was 15 years ago today that I had an asthma attack that forever changed my life. Basically, I began passing out time after time and as I recall or as it was explained to me, I had a loss of oxygen that affected me. I lost my memory completely! I was in a foreign country at that, and looking back, can see that God was very much protecting me!!!!

A few days later, I was attacked which further shaped the person I am today :o( It's not something I so easily talk about, but at this time of year, I feel the need to do so. Please quit reading if you prefer... it really won't offend me.

As if that isn't enough, October 9th marks the 13th anniversary of my first miscarriage. My second one, 10 years later was on Sept. 17th, which I am so grateful to the Lord, was a wonderful day this year. I found myself becoming "blue" around that time, but quickly made it through.

I guess I am writing all this to help me through this difficult time of year and ask you to remember me in prayer, especially this month. It's not just one day here and there throughout this month, I really get down the entire month it seems- and yet, I find myself thankful for much.

You see, I look back and know that as a teen, God sent me good friends to help me. 15 years ago, God was protecting me further by allowing the events to not result in my death. Both miscarriages?! God protected my life and I have the assurance that my babies are with Him, in the presence of the King! I've never held them, but He can!

I find it comforting this year to realize that October 14th- a bad date for me-well, this year my inlaws are arriving that day! What a blessing, as we are all so excited and on that day, I know I will be too busy to really fall into depression. What a further blessing that the very next day is my daughter's 8th birthday! You can bet she is excited enough for us all! :o)

Due to the tragedy 15 years ago, I fell in love with my husband, a boy at the time that I never never imagined dating, much less marrying! Yet, I know God knew what He was doing.

To those of you who are reading this and you walked that path with me all those years ago, (you know who you are), I want to publicly thank you here for being there for me... for never giving up on the thought that I WOULD indeed see "the light at the end of a very, very dark tunnel", for being there through the nightmares (please pray they stay away this year!), and most of all, for praying me through the heartaches that followed.

To those of you who didn't know me back then, but do now, and I have told, well.. I can only say thanks for letting me talk to you when need be, for listening, for praying when flashbacks of the past come on me like a ton of bricks.

To those that this is the first time you're hearing of this, just know I went to extensive counseling, am "all better" now. (well, you know what I mean, was dismissed from counseling). I have much, much to be thankful for!

Sorry for this to be a downer. I don't mean it to be.. I truly mean it to be a testament to God's goodness. My favorite verse is still in the Bible-

Romans 8:28- "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Just Remembering

We are all sick in this house to varying degrees, still ! Well, our 3 year old, Ethan is not! Got to appreciate the orphanage building the immune system. Cala was this way for a couple of years, not catching anything, and STILL (five and a half years later), she rarely gets sick.

Anyway, all meals have been as low key as possible. I am feeling much better than I was, thank the Lord, but Glenn just got this mess on Saturday. I'm praying he's better tomorrow. Due to my fibro, it takes me much longer to get over things, so perhaps his illness will be better much sooner!

SO, lunch was peanut butter and jelly on Saturday, the day Glenn first started feeling sick. I was struck down with a bad headache, near migraine and Glenn took care of lunch. Remembering the boys' doctor in Florida said no peanuts for Seth until age 3, especially since we have limited medical history of the biological family, play it safe. So, Glenn said, "what do you think? I know what the doctor said, but remember that incident a couple of months ago?" I agreed and said, "sure, let him try it."

Now, before you go berating me for giving my child something potentially harmful, wait around for the "rest of the story." You see, two months ago, I was sitting in my parents' living room (in Florida), and Seth was right behind me. I was sitting up on the edge of the couch, and he was literally right behind me, his back against the couch, his feet touching my back. My purse was also on the couch, next to Seth.

Being the major chocolate addict that I am, I had an emergency pack (lol) of peanut M&Ms in my purse. I was ever intent on the show I was watching, and did not hear Seth open that pack of candy. (my purse is toooo easy to open without anyone hearing, so that part is very understandable).

By the time I looked back to see if Seth was asleep, since he was so quiet, it was too late. I sure wish I had a camera at that exact moment. He looked up at me with those big, deep, dark eyes like a deer caught in the headlights! ha ha His lips were stuck out, because his mouth was FULL of those peanut M&Ms, and then it happened! His eyes lit up as if to say, "Mama, this stuff is goooood". He was unable to say anything as there was no room in his mouth! ha He had stuffed nearly the entire pack in his mouth, but ever so quietly so as not to alert his Mama.

Then, we waited... waited to see if by chance he would have an allergic reaction, but thankfully, he did not. He hasn't had anything with peanut since, not until a couple of days ago, when Papa gave him his first ever peanut butter and (grape) jelly sandwich. Glenn said Seth got excited looking and looked at Glenn and said, "Papa, this good!" lol

That baby knows a good thing when he tries it!