and now I know my ABC's

The boys are really coming along in learning things at school. I can't believe that Zachary knows almost all the the alphabet (upper & lower case) by sight. Alex is getting there too. Last night, while stilled dressed as superheros of course, they lined up these alphabet books in order. They did have to stop every once in awhile to sing the ABC song but they got them all right!

I am thankful

I am thankful that my husband got to come home for Thanksgiving. Even if he has to leave again soon.
I am thankful for my dad and my brother-in-law cooking the turkey so I didn't have too! They deep fried it for the first time and it was yum-o.

I am thankful for all of my family that got to come and share this holiday with us and for all the wonderful women that helped out with the food. I could have never done it all on my own!

I am thankful that my family has a roof over our heads and enough food to eat every day. (Post turkey naps for the guys.)
I am thankful that we got to celebrate 5th & 6th birthdays for two special November babies (and the best of friends).
I am thankful for the super protection that the youngest five kiddos gave us over the weekend.

I am so thankful.

Cleaning out the fridge

We had to eat all that jello to make room for Thanksgiving food!

Lunch conversation

Alex: "You know what I love the very best? Mom!"

Zachary: "You know what I love best? Grapes."

What is a Veteran?

What Is A Veteran?

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg – or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul’s ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can’t tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?

He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn’t run out of fuel.

He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.

She – or he – is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in DaNang.

He is the POW who went away one person and came back another – or didn’t come back AT ALL.

He is the Quantico drill instructor that has never seen combat – but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other’s backs.

He is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.

He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.

He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean’s sunless deep.

He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket – palsied now and aggravatingly slow – who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.

He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being, a person who offered some of his life’s most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs. He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That’s all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.

-Author Unknown

Another unwanted visitor

This silly mouse is in the exact same place at the snake was a few weeks ago. Can you believe it? I went out to let the dog go potty and saw the mouse run across the porch and under the plant stand. I wanted it away from my front door because it doesn't seal really well so I started scooting around my door mat to try to scare it out. I stepped in for a closer look and there it was perched up on the top level by the pot. I went in the house and grabbed a flashlight and my camera and it stayed still for me to take pictures. I found two glue traps and put those suckers outside to try to catch it. When I checked a little bit ago I had only caught bugs and didn't see the mouse at all. I just want it gone one way or another and not near my door!

Five is fantastic!

Happy birthday to my sweet Alex!

Pre-K pictures

I'm glad that I've recently got some cute pictures of the boys because although they aren't awful these aren't the best.

Can we say fake smiles? Plus Zachary could really use a haircut and maybe even a comb.

Air Show

Some friends invited the boys and I to go to an air show today. It seems like Chris and I had talked about going to this same air show last year but he ended up working. I had never been to one and I knew the boys would think all the planes were cool so off we went. Here are some of the things we saw:


Of course after the first big plane flew overhead we had to run to a tent to buy earplugs for the boys. The first really big boom made Alex cry. Zachary smiled and laughed for the first one but hated every loud one after that no matter if he had the earplugs in or not. Poor guy had to hand me his hotdog so he could cover his ears.

There was a nice little kids section with some rides. We had a great view of the planes from anywhere we were so we decided to let the kids play instead of trying to make them sit and watch the whole thing. There were so many cool planes that I didn't get pictures of. They were "bombing" the ground and "shooting" each other so there was lots of smoke at one point. I got lots of pictures of the kids though!










We had a good day. Even if I did forget the sunblock.

The end of soccer

This morning was our last soccer game. I think the boys are going to miss it but when I asked them if they'd like to sign up for Spring soccer or t-ball they both said t-ball. I was a little surprised but am glad they at least picked the same thing. Alex made a goal early in the game today. Then after halftime he came over to me and said he didn't want to play anymore and was cold. I gave him a blanket to wrap up in and the coach did convince him to go back in later. Zachary didn't make any goals. Well.....he did make one for the other team again but the ref had already blown the whistle so it didn't count.

After the game we had our closing ceremonies. It was squeezed in after the 9:00 games and before the 11:00 games so the big kids got their trophies first so they could go warm up. The 4-5 year olds got a little antsy but finally made it to their turn. The coaches passed out the trophies. They have a little plastic soccer ball on top that spins and the kids think that's so cool.

It just so happens that today our formal soccer pictures were also ready for pick-up. They turned out so cute!


Thank you Tigers for a fun season!!

Adoption Milestone

There are a lot of milestones during and after an adoption. Today is one that makes me especially happy. I just mailed out our three year post placement reports. 3 year = LAST ONE! We had to do one at 6 months home, 1 year home, 2 years home, and three years home. This means a social worker visit with a written report plus photos of the kiddos. This all gets sent in to our agency which then sends it on to Russia (they probably translate it first). I wish I could say that copies get sent to the baby homes where the boys lived the first part of their lives but it doesn't. I think it would be great for the people who took care of them to see the updates and pictures to know how much they are loved and that they are taken care of. Oh well, at least the country of Russia knows.

Next Tuesday the 9th is also the 3 year anniversary of our court date. We were declared the parents of Alex and Zachary on that day and their names were legally changed.