Happy Birthday Glenn, Happy Birthday St. Pete!

Today was Glenn's 35th birthday. As the picture to the left will demonstrate, if you're sick and don't want to risk blowing out the candle on the cake, what else can you do!? You grab a hold of the flaming wick and take it out that way! lol


Cala and Seth were both sick last week, and as kids are, they didn't cover their mouths enough. Glenn and I battled the same mess for the past 3 days. We are thankfully much better today, and were able to celebrate Glenn's birthday. We were sort of thinking it funny to be sick today because we were both sick with strep throat on MY birthday back in February! Ugghh! Something has to give! Next birthday in our family?! Not until October! (when Cala turns 9). Glenn has enjoyed today he says. After church this morning, I cooked Sunday dinner (lunch) of Mexican lasagne and refried beans. Tonight, we went to eat and had a great time. Our kids are really behaving lately out in public which is an added bonus!


Today was another special birthday, for today was St. Petersburg's (Russia) birthday! 304th to be exact! I miss being there today. There is nothing like the fireworks you hear on holidays in St. Petersburg. Now, had we still been living there we would not have gone out today. No, not a chance. You wouldn't find us amongst the party goers, you wouldn't find us out watching the fireworks.... it's a mad house there at times like this, and you can see fireworks just fine from any apartment window. I may miss Russia at times like this, but I don't miss the public displays of drunkenness. I got used to soooo many things, countless things, but never got used to not going a day without seeing almost everyone carrying liquor. It saddened me so very much.

I was looking at old pictures tonight, and in honor of Glenn's shared birthday with St. Petersburg (which by the way he always loved celebrating birthdays there because he said, "it's so nice of this city to have a special holiday just for me!" lol). So, I found the following:




Glenn preaching in St. Petersburg, Russia. This was taken in 2004. Yes, he was preaching completely in Russian then.



The next picture was Glenn in the elevator at one of our apartment buildings. (this would have been taken in 2003, because we eventually moved to an apartment on the first floor in a different part of the city.

Happy Birthday Glenn! Happy Birthday St. Petersburg!

Seth is sick

This has been the scene for a couple of days.... we've noticed Seth is sleepier in the mornings like he used to be (as a baby). We can find him all wrapped up on the family room floor like this picture shows. This morning however, he came downstairs and said, "Mama, I'm cold". He was shaking. Yes, it was 41 degrees this morning, but he was burning up! His temperature was a whopping 104.1. We got it down during the day to normal, and he was once again his cheerful (comical) self. Sadly, by night time, he has a 104.5 temp! As I type this, he is upstairs watching a movie with Glenn.

I think he has caught something Cala had for a day or so. (she had a fever but not that high- and a cough). I sooo hate to see my children sick!

Me and my Kids

Just a quick post to show you my kids and me on Mother's Day.

One morning a few weeks ago, I came out of the bathroom, not hearing my boys had come downstairs. I opened the door and screamed as there sat my sons indian style (or excuse me, "criss cross applesauce" as so many refer to it now! lol) right outside the door. They thought it was hilarious that they had scared Mama!!! Thus began a tradition of theirs to come downstairs in the morning and sit right there. They seem to think they still scare me each morning~!

Sunday morning however, I didn't hear them and simply thought it strange but that they just hadn't gotten up yet. I was wrong, for there they sat outside the bathroom door, sweetly smiling at me. Ethan said, "Happy Mutter's Day, Mama" and Seth chimed in with his slightly different pronunciation of, "Happy Mudder's Day, Mama". I about melted. I said, "Ah, how precious". They just smiled and smiled and began to hug me.

The day was a great one from start to finish! I was treated royally honestly, not having to do anything at all that day! Glenn made all three meals that day, and he along with Cala cleaned up. Remember the chain that a few weeks back Seth chewed? (the one that held my children's birthstone charms?). Glenn and the kids gave me a new chain, so I am now able to wear that again! They also gave me a book by Karen Kingsbury, called, "A Treasury of Adoption Miracles." From what I've read so far, it really looks good. I will be sure to give you updates as I read it :o)

I hope each of you out there had a good Mother's Day. To those whose children have yet to come home, may this be the last lonely Mother's Day you'll ever have. For years, pre-Cala, Mother's Day was miserable for me. It was just a reminder of the baby I lost to miscarriage (I've since lost another one, but while equally sad, that was after Cala), and a reminder of my arms being empty.

As you can see from the picture, my arms are full, very very full ! I am a woman truly blessed!

Pictures from Family Day

This is Cala on her Family Day (last week- May 8th). I still can't believe it's been 6 years that I've been this precious girl's Mama!

She brings me such joy!

Each year for Family Day, we give Cala something Russian. She had been wanting this doll, "Anya" from Language Littles. She was excited to find that was what we bought her this year!

The fun thing to Cala is her Russian name is Anya. We call this next picture, "The two Anyas".

Our "Anya" has come a long way in 6 years. It's been my since privilege to be her Mamoochka.

Happy Family Day, Cala!

It was six years ago today that this precious girl came into our lives. Life as we knew it would never be the same. The following is long, but it's my blog and I want to post it! ha

This was an email I sent out on May 10, 2001:

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I have been able to write! We had internet trouble, but that is all settled now, thank God!!!! I know so many must be wondering about Cala and us!!!!! Here's the report........

Tuesday morning, we took care of the necessary paperwork at the courthouse and Ovir. That all took about an hour and then it was time to get our daughter!!! (Of course, that was the happiest time). :o) We arrived at the Baby House and took in our gifts. I handed Dr. Olga the clothes we brought for Cala to wear home and then in about 10 minutes at the most, in came Cala and a caretaker I had never met. Of course, Cala was beautiful!!!! She went right to Papa as Mama was busy writing down information that Dr. Olga wanted me to have (more in depth info on her schedule and what she likes and dislikes). We were also given her list of vaccinations.We were soon on our way home!

We sat Cala down to see what she would do. She walked cautiously into each room, but it did not take long at all, until she was up and running, jabbering away. It is now day two (the second full day) of being home, and we are amazed at how her personality is coming to life! She is full of smiles and relishes in hugs and kisses! To kiss her neck makes her laugh hysterically. All those visits at the Baby House, I would say I knew there was a bubbling kid, just waiting to come out.... Now we are seeing that child emerge!!!! She is like a whole other little girl!!!! It's wonderful to see. She came home very congested and with runny nose, and today has a fever. Yet, she stays happy while sick. We are planning to have her sleep with us until we return from the states. (she will HAVE to sleep in the same room with us while in the states anyway). When we return, we will make the transition to her room. She plays in her room very well, and we change diapers there. She has that routine down well (been through MANY diapers so far!)

The only sign we have seen of mourning so far came this afternoon, for about 5 minutes. I was at the computer and she was sitting on the chair next to me. She was looking at the same picture book she has seen many times when we visitedher at the Baby House. She looked through pictures and would say "Mama" "Papa" "keeska" (her way of saying "koshka" (cat); we gave her a stuffed cat on our first visit). She was fine, then suddenly turned the page and saw Papa and her in the Music room at the Baby House. She started crying loudly, and with tears streaming down her face. She wanted me to pick her up and I took her to the living room. She was o.k. within about 5 minutes of my holding her like an infant, telling her in Russian that I love her and always will.

I believe Cala has lost weight in the last few weeks. Her 18 months sizeclothes are LOOSE on her, and the 12 months size pants fit best. I know this will change with the proper nutrition. I would definitely estimate her developmental level to be that of a young toddler, or older baby. She is more like an 18 month old in many ways. This too will change all too fast I am sure,and I will miss this stage! :o) There you have it..... Life with a toddler!
Gotta love it!!!!!!! Amy a tired, but HAPPY Mama to Cala

This morning, Cala and I looked at her scrapbook before she left for school. We saw a picture that was given to us by our adoption agency of when she was 14 months old (she came home at 2 years, 7 months). It's precious to us! We then saw the pictures of our first meeting with her, and of course the ones taken 6 years ago today!!!! We need to get the videos transferred to DVD so we can watch them again too!

Our daughter has good taste! Many weeks ago she requested for this day, steak, baked potatoes, corn, rolls and chocolate cake. That is what we had! (steak on a new grill her Papa bought yesterday). We gave Cala an "Anya" doll from Language Littles (I'll post pictures tomorrow). She's thrilled!

I am so very happy thinking about how fortunate we are to be this precious baby girl's parents! How did we get so blessed?!

What a week!

I really didn't intend not to post all week! It just so happened that last week was something else! Last Monday morning, as Glenn was stepping down to the garage (to take Cala to school), he fell. We had just noticed the night before that the step had come loose. Glenn hurt his middle back and was out of commission for most of the week. That left me to do all I normally do plus a lot of what he takes care of, so last week sort of got away from me!

We were all thrilled that Glenn was able to make it on Friday. It was Cala's class field trip to the Minnesota Zoo. It was planned several weeks ago for Glenn to be a chaperone, and when he fell, we were all concerned about him making that trip. Thank God he made it, was just a bit stiff, and had a great time! He was one of 4 or 5 fathers that went as chaperones. They were the majority!

A couple of weeks ago, Cala made this imprint of a zebra on a shirt for both her and Glenn. (they did this at school so they would be easily identified at the zoo).

This was taken Friday morning before they headed out.

Cala coming out of a cave at the zoo:

Of course, she was all smiles and full of stories when they returned Friday afternoon. Our weekly Family night was filled with zoo talk or the "joom" as Ethan calls it (no idea why!), and we even watched Cala and her brothers perform a "play" as if they were doing a dolphin show. We also had stuffed animals to play the part of the zoo animals. Glenn and I "visited" the zoo right in our living room. (of course I feel like I live in the zoo on some days with the top animals, but hey! that's a story for another day!) :o)