Tonight's Sunset... Incredible

I know reminders of God's majesty and creation are all around me all the time, but sometimes I just love being confronted with something I absolutely cannot ignore.  Something that draws me out of the busyness of life and forces me to leave it all behind for a few moments... a drop-everything-and-breathlessly-take-it-in kind of display. Tonight's sunset was that kind of sight. 

Amazing!

Belated Forever Family Day

Can you guess which movie we saw this weekend?  We wanted to see this movie on Forever Family Day (June 11th), but we had to wait until yesterday to see it since it just opened on Friday.  It was worth the wait!  All 6 of us loved it... AND it was Caleb's first big screen movie!  Now Woody and Buzz follow us wherever we go.  The kids insisted they come outside to eat dinner with us on the patio last night.  Caleb wanted his picture taken with them.  Aside from the movie, our day was filled with baseball, swimming and ice cream!  Fun was had by all :0)

Caleb loves playing baseball!

To be fair, it was VERY hot and almost naptime! 

Wow! I LOVE these videos!!!!!

These videos are incredible!  Soooooooo helpful for anyone who has a child with attachment/ PI / behavior issues.  Thanks to Amy for reminding me to watch these.  I've watched about 10 so far and can't wait to watch them all.  Thanks Laura for sharing these on your blog!

Happy Gotcha Day, Dimka-Doodle!

Happy Gotcha Day to my baby of the bunch!  I absolutely cannot believe it has really been 2 years since we left the orphanage with Caleb safely in our arms forever.  I know many miracles took place on our journey to our son and I am still awestruck when I reflect on them.  Our God is an AWESOME God!

So how is Caleb celebrating his very special day?  Well, he woke up to the smell of blueberry muffins (his favorite) and got to hear the story of the very first Gotcha Day.  Then, we went to church and had a great morning!  After church, Caleb got a Happy Meal for lunch at his request and gobbled it right up.   Now, C-monkey is spending the afternoon swimming to his heart''s content, which is a real dream-come-true for him (no nap enforced today!).   Later Grandma and Grandpa will come over for a family BBQ in the backyard.  Should be fun!!!

Happy Gotcha Day, Dimka-Doodle!  We love you so VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Salute

I just had to put this on here... it is just too cute! As soon as I added the Russian National Anthem to our blog, I was reminded of something. Whenever it plays, he does this...

We discovered this fact shortly after he came home almost 2 years ago.  We just happened to be watching Rocky IV, and as soon as the anthem started (Ivan Drago is getting ready to fight Rocky- he is Russian), Caleb stopped playing, stood up, situated himself within a few inches of the TV, and saluted the TV for the entire duration of the song.  That was quite a sight, watching a 2 year-old do that.  My guess is the kids in the baby house were taught to do this- maybe they did it every day, kind of like the kids here recite the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Fast forward 2 years and Caleb is still well-trained and will drop whatever he is doing to fulfill his duty.  In the pic above, he was right in the middle of eating when the anthem started to play.  Too cute :0)

Keep'in it Russian- Part One

Keeping Russian culture and reminders of Russia in our daily lives as much as possible is a goal D and I have for our family.  We want C to grow up feeling proud of who he is and we want him to know that we are all feel very deeply about his place of birth.  We know Russia made a sacrifice when they allowed C to become a part of our family and grow up in the U.S.... we haven't forgotten that fact.

We have done a lot of things to keep Russia in our lives, and I don't have the time to go through all of them (I'll do that in the next post), but here's one I love.  I love it because D did this one all on his own.  He's such a good Daddy :0)

Since Andrew is a hockey player and Caleb aspires to be the same, D thought it would be really special for them to have Krasnoyarsk hockey jerseys.  Andrew has already worn his on the ice during practice.  He looked pretty cool in it and was really proud to have a Russian hockey jersey.  I just love the fact that he can tell people he has actually been to Krasnoyarsk.  It truly was a blessing to get to share that experience with our oldest son.  And it is so special that he can tell his little brother stories all about the things we saw and did there together.

Someday Caleb will get to wear his jersey while he is playing hockey and he'll get to tell people that he is actually from Kras. 

Caleb is 4!

Caleb Rides a Bike!

Last night, Caleb decided it was time to ride a bike. Once you watch the video, it will surprise you to know he doesn't even have a bike (the one he's riding in the video belongs to a friend and he just loaned it to Caleb last night). His best buddy's dad gave him a one minute training session and then off he went! I was quite surprised to come outside and see this...

Just like that.

I'm still in awe that Caleb could accomplish such a thing so quickly. He is such a determined little boy! This is the same child who could not even walk very well when we met him at 20 months of age... and the same boy who always had bruises on his head during the first year home because he would forget to look where he was going as he walked. Even just a few months ago in Disney World, he walked full throttle right into a big metal trashcan. Needless to say, the trachcan didn't budge, but Caleb made quite a noise bouncing off of it. Poor guy! Caused quite a stir amongst onlookers.

Anyway, I am quite proud of our little guy and how far he has come. With our other three kids, riding a bike was a huge accomplishment in and of itself. For Caleb, it is so much more.

Pardon me while I cry...

My baby is growing up.

Easter

Some of Caleb's loot- we try our best to keep the candy volume down and the message of Easter included!

Easter morning before church

We had a great Easter! The weather was beautiful (no snow!). The kids woke up to very full Easter baskets, so of course they had chocolate bunnies and jelly beans for breakfast (isn't that what all kids have for breakfast on Easter morning?). A very short time later, they were eating more candy from the eggs they collected during the Helicopter drop Easter egg hunt at church. It's always fun to see thousands of candy-filled eggs fall from the sky!

After an awesome church service and lunch, the kids were cut off from their candy, so we could enjoy a yummy Easter dinner with Grandma and Grandpa.
Favorite Easter memory from this year?

The song playing is the song they sang for closing at church today. Throughout the song, our 2 girls and one of their friends from church sang at the top of their lungs and did all of the motions that go with it (they learned these in kids worship). It was so moving to me to watch their joy in God's love. How awesome that Christ died for all of us!?! The icing on the cake is that our kids are excited about it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Life Lesson: You Win Some, You Lose Some

Caleb learned the hard way this past weekend that sometimes you lose- even if you gave your best effort... and he wasn't even the one giving the effort.
Andrew had a hockey tournament all last week and the entire family attended every game. Caleb LOVES to watch hockey- especially if his big brother is playing. The first three games went really well and Andrew's team won all of them. By the time the fourth one came last Friday night, we were all in a hockey fervor (the Olympic hockey we were watching at home during the same period of time fed right into it). Just 2 wins more and Andrew's team would play the final game on the ice of the area's minor league team. A big deal.
With that said, Andrew's team was playing to win.
The problem?
The other team was playing to win too.
Friday's hockey game was a riveting one. Tensions in the stands were high, and Caleb picked up on that. He knew this game was important. He cheered loudly and constantly for his brother and his team (which was so sweet to watch!). In the third period with only seconds to go, Andrew's team was down one goal. People all around us were cheering wildly for Andrew's team to take a shot. Andrew was playing defense and defended a shot taken on his team's goal. With three seconds left on the clock, one of the boys on Andrew's team took charge of the puck and raced down the ice to take a shot. The stands erupted. The shot was taken and the puck started to cross the line. The clock's buzzer blared. We were left not knowing if the goal counted. If it counted, the game would go into overtime. We waited for the ref's call.
"No goal", I heard a grandpa behind me say.
"It's over. They lost.", Dennis said flatly.
I turned to get Caleb and the girls ready to go, and that's when it happened.
Caleb's sweet little face slowly scrunched up into a huge pout as he absorbed the reality. And then he began to wail.
I asked him why he was crying and he sobbed, "because they lost... Andrew lost".
Poor guy. The tears were streaming down his face and he could not be consoled.
The Zamboni finally came out and that helped a little, but Caleb continued to pout.
As soon as Andrew came out of the locker room, Caleb started to cry all over again. He ran up to Andrew and through his tears said, "I'm sorry you lost Andrew".
Andrew's reaction was precious... he scooped his little brother up in a big hug and said, "It's O.K., buddy, I can't always win" (Dennis told me later that Andrew had been pretty upset in the locker room, so for him to pull it together like that for his little brother made us both proud :0).
And with that, Caleb's world was set right again.
He was a little sad 2 days later when Team U.S.A. lost the hockey game to Canada in overtime, but after just a few minutes, Caleb said, "Don't worry, Mommy. They played a good game".
That's right, buddy. And that's what really matters.

Long Time, No Post

Goodness! I have been terrible at blogging lately. Why have I not been posting, you ask? I'm just going to go ahead and admit it...

I'm addicted to the Olympics.

There, I said it. I can't stop watching. And I have succeeded in getting my kids to take up the habit too. There could be much worse things.

Anyway, I am making an atttempt today to pull myself away from the Olympics and post. Gosh, I never even posted about our trip to Disney. We had so much fun! Caleb was finally tall enough this year to ride some of the "big kid" rides. He was soooooo proud of that fact! He was so determined to ride everything he possibly could... even to and past the point of not paying his well-intentioned mother any heed when she warned him about the fact that the Tower of Terror has the word "terror" in it for a reason. Yup, you can guess what I am about to tell you.

Caleb rode the Tower of Terror.

Yes, he is just 3 1/2 years old.

Yes, I felt horrible for caving in to his demands to ride it after the fact.

Yup, you guessed right again- he hated it. As a matter of fact, he was TERRIFIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No surprise. Now he truly understands the word TERROR. Hmmm... I guess Mommy was right after all.

Imagine that.

On the flip side, Caleb got kissed by Snow White. That alone made up for the whole Tower of Terror thing.

The Dance

I remember reading a blog post a long time ago on another adoptive mom's blog. She entitled the post "The Dance". In this particular post, she was describing how the adopted post-institutionalized child and the parent must go through many trials and much practice before they can learn to "dance" with one another. She went on to describe how the child and the parent are , in the beginning, from two entirely different worlds. They come into the parent-child relationship almost polar-opposite expectations and routines... and yet, they must somehow learn to make their relationship work.

At first, the relationship is often dischordant... a battle of two very developed and defined wills. Neither wants to give in to the other. One does not understand the other. The parent wants the child to surrender and conform... to WANT to be loved. The child wants the parent to stop threatening his very survival by taking the one thing he owns, which is control. He does not know what love is... so why would he want it?

Over time, the parent must consistently SHOW the child love. That it is safe. That it is what God wants for him. The parent must also endure consistent rejection, but continue to press on. The parent must demonstrate and continually offer UNCONDITIONAL love, not expecting anything in return. The parent does this for what seems like an eternity, and then...

a MIRACLE happens.

The child starts to return affection. He begins to demonstrate a desire for boundaries. A peace fills his little soul. It is evident in everything he says and does.

For the first time, the child reaches out to the parent...

And the parent returns the embrace.

And they DANCE.

It is an absolutely INCREDIBLE moment the first time it happens.

And even more amazing when the parent realizes the deeply woven bond is FOREVER.

My son and I have weathered our journey together with the help of God's constant love. I know this is not how it is for all families, but this is how it was and is for us. We still have some issues to work on, but I know we can overcome the remaining obstacles because C and I will face them together. Rather than pushing away, I can feel him drawing closer every day.

Thank you, Lord for teaching us to DANCE!

Deep Freeze

Caleb's first time going "real" sledding (meaning down a BIG hill)
We now have LOTS of snow

Our view out the back window this morning

Caleb wanted me to include this pic b/c his gingerbread houses look just like our house

Just wanted to include a pic where the kids look warm- plus it's cute!

Lots of hot chocolate around our house lately

Andrew and Caleb playing in the snow in the backyard

Caleb holding one of the massive icicles

Snow covered Andrew

Riley with the icicle

My Baby Turned 9!

Well, I tried to stop it from happening, but nothing I tried worked. Andrew turned 9 this week! My sweet baby is not a baby anymore... although, he is still just as sweet. I am so grateful for each and every day I have had with him so far, and I look forward to every day I'll get to have with hin the future. Andrew, I am so proud to be your mom :0)

Happy New Ears :0)

First thing yesterday morning, I was greeted by Caleb's sweet, smiling face. He cupped my face in his hands and said "Happy New Ears, Mommy!". Then he said, "Can we have another New Ear party tonight? Guess he had fun on New Year's Eve! We had friends over to help us ring in 2010, and we all had a blast!

Caleb loved New Ears!

D and Beans

Ashley was the first to crash about 2 min. after midnight

The Wonder of Christmas

This one is for Carrie and Amanda...

Wow! This month passed by so quickly! Is tomorrow really New Year's Eve already? I never planned on taking a month off from blogging, but clearly that is exactly what happened.

This year was different from any other Christmas I have ever experienced as a mother. This year, I was painfully aware that the childlike wonder of Christmas is almost over for my oldest three already. I spent every moment of December just trying to soak it all in with them, and it was just wonderful! Our time was spent baking, playing in the snow, singing Christmas carols around the piano together, driving around looking at Christmas lights, shopping and wrapping gifts for family and friends, and talking about what it must have been like that to be Mary or Joseph during the time of Jesus' birth. Understanding of the miracle of Christmas is beginning to take shape in the minds of my oldest three, and I know that their childlike wonder is being replaced with something even better... a deep awe for the gift God gave all of us

For Caleb, the childlike wonder of Christmas began this year. Caleb fell in love with all things Christmas and quickly learned countless songs, learned more about the Christmas story, and just LOVED his visit to Santa. Just like last year, Caleb answered quickly and clearly when Santa asked what he wanted for Christmas. He looked Santa squarely in the eyes and said, "I want drums, please". When Santa asked if he had been good, he looked down and said nothing. Mommy and Daddy had to tell Santa that yes, Caleb had been a good boy this year and that he had made some mistakes, but that he is always learning and improving. Santa agreed that this is indeed what he is wanting to hear, and that Caleb would be getting his drums. And so Caleb got drums for Christmas and has been filling our house with "music" ever since. Thanks, Santa!!! :0)

Merry belated Christmas to you all and may you be filled with Christmas JOY each and every day of the New Year!

Referral Day

2 years ago today, I laid eyes on my baby for the very first time. What an incredible moment that was! I so wish I could describe in words the joy of that day. D and I had spent 2 years trying to find the answers to so many questions... Where was our son? How would we find him? When would we hear news of him? Was our son being cared for? What would he look like? How old was he? What if we didn't recognize him? ... All of these questions were answered in a fleeting moment 2 years ago on this day. One moment, I did not know the answers to any of the questions, and the next moment, I knew all that mattered was that I had just seen my son for the very first time and that I finally knew where I needed to go to get him! I could not get on that plane fast enough!

Caleb Dmitriy, I am so thankful God chose us to be your Mama and Papa... out of all the parents He could have chosen for you! We will always cherish the miraculous way in which God brought us together. You are such a blessing to us!

Before it Snows...

Thought I'd try to get some photos of C playing in the leaves before it snows. Around these parts, that could be any day now...

Wish I Could Learn a Foreign Language Like That!

I put this on here because I am continually amazed at what Caleb has learned in the past year. When I listen to him, it is amazing to me that he once spoke only Russian and that was the case just one short year ago! Incredible...

50% Halloween

Caleb doing his best Pluto howl

Well, this picture pretty much tells it all if you look closely at Riley in the background. I had worried about the kids getting sick (their school had an extremely high absentee rate all week last week), and just when I thought it was "in the bag" that they would get to go Trick-or-Treating, it all unraveled quickly right before my eyes. This picture was taken just a few minutes before we were to set off for Trick-or-Treating. Ashley and Riley never made it. Not long after this picture was taken, both of my girls were sound asleep in their beds. Poor things! They were so sick :0( They didn't even care that they completely missed the best part of Halloween.

The boys, on the other hand, had a blast! The girls have since recovered and their brothers have ever so sweetly been sharing their candy with them. We're all extremely grateful the girls have made a speedy and complete recovery!