Russian Adoption

Last Post

2009-07-08T08:42:00.004-04:00

I know it's been a while but just in case there's anyone out there that is still following this blog, here's what we've been up to lately.
Roman has become an amazing swimmer, he is definitely future swim team material. We are working on strokes right now. Jadon loves swimming too and is able to swim out a few feet on his own now.
We have been trying to stay busy as usual with play dates and swimming, it has been unbearably hot lately so we're spending more time indoors.
Last night Chris pulled out Roman's incredibly loose tooth, gross. I have no stomach for loose teeth, I can't even look at the tooth without gagging but Roman was very proud. The tooth fairy left him $5 bucks!! He's ready to spend it already!;)
Tomorrow we are going to Disney with the boys for the first time for Chris and Jadon's birthday. The boys are so excited and we are too. I can't wait to see their faces when they see Magic Kingdom, Mickey and friends.
So, that's about it. The boys are doing great, it's like they've always been here. We are so blessed to have them.
And so, this is my last post. I am a terrible blogger, especially since I can't figure out how to get pictures off of our camera and on to our computer. I hate posting without pics.:( Anyway, if you have questions or want to stay in touch, please email me anytime. I don't have a Facebook page and I won't in the future but Chris does and he posts regularly so you can see pics of the boys on his page all the time. Thank you for following our story and for supporting us in so many ways.

Bed Head!

2009-05-19T13:04:00.005-04:00

Now this is some serious bed head!! His hair was not altered in any way, he woke up like this!:)) Okay, so anyone else have kids with crazy bed head in the morning? Probably not this bad anyway.;) So, we got the poor guy's hair cut. It's a little too short in my opinion, he looks much older now.:(

Finally!

2009-04-28T18:55:00.002-04:00

Yes, finally I posted again but that's not what I'm referring to. Tonight for the first time Jadon said " I love you Mommy". I think I'm going to cry! He has never said I love you on his own. He has said it with me and Chris in a sing-songy kind of thing we do with the kids but that's it. Wow, I am on cloud 9 right now. Hearing those words tonight just about made me forget that he wined all day long.:))
In other news, Roman got a big boy bed today. We got bunk beds for the boys but I'm not ready to take Jadon out of his crib yet. It contains him for now.;) Roman is so proud and happy and they both played on the top bunk about all day today. I'll post pictures soon.

Easter Fun

2009-04-14T19:09:00.011-04:00

The boys had a great time looking for Easter eggs at Granny's house. They got tons of Easter candy and toys which was a real treat for them since they are usually deprived of candy.;) We had church outside at the Abacoa amphitheater and it was so nice to be able to have Chris' parents with us. What a treat to have church outside on a beautiful spring day too! I asked Roman what Easter was about and he said "Jesus is alive!", so cool! I asked him if Easter was his favorite (holiday) and he said no, trick-or-treat was but I think that's because he gets more candy then than on any other holiday. Yes, my son is a junkie!;) I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well.

Before the hunt!

Running out of the house for the Easter egg hunt.

All done.

Just for fun, here's a pic of the boys from last Easter. My how they've changed!

Just me and the boys

2009-03-30T14:01:00.002-04:00

Chris is in Costa Rica for a week so it's just me and the boys. I've been trying to keep them very busy as it makes for a much better day.;) Today we had a play date with some friends and they had a great time. We are now enjoying some beautiful SoFlo weather outside. Jadon is doing awesome with the potty training. He had 2 pee-pee accidents yesterday and only 1 today so far but for the past 5 days he's been pooping in the potty! I am so proud of my little man and he's proud too.;) Roman is being a great big brother and is very excited when Jadon goes on the potty, maybe it's just in hopes of him receiving a treat as well.:))
So, the week has started off quite nicely but we all miss Daddy!:(

He did it!

2009-03-25T19:10:00.004-04:00

We're going cold turkey people! No more diapers during the day and I've decided to forego the pull-ups. Jadon is wearing underwear all day now! I went to Wal-Mart and bought a bunch of training pants and he went through 4 of them yesterday, not bad for the first day. Actually he had a great day because for the first time he pooped in the potty!! 2 hours later he pooped in his underwear but at least we are progressing a little!;) Today he kept his underwear dry all day and he pooped on the potty again! I do have to take him to the toilet every 15-30 minutes but I am very encouraged and I think it won't be too long before he's completely potty trained!

Potty Training Update

2009-03-20T21:38:00.003-04:00

I really appreciate all of your comments on my last post about potty training Jadon. I know it's just something that'll happen on it's own. I just wanted to make sure I was doing all I could to encourage him and help him. The past 3 days, he has had a dry diaper all day. I am so encouraged! I have to take him to the potty several times a day because he rarely tells me he needs to go and he still poops in his diaper so he's wearing diapers until he's ready to go in the potty. I have been considering pull-ups lately because I think they would be easy for him to pull up and down when he needs to go. I'm on the fence though because I don't want him to think he's wearing underwear and it's okay to poop in them. What are your thoughts on pull-ups? Do you think they help or hinder the potty training process?

My Birthday

2009-03-19T14:25:00.003-04:00

My hubby took me to Disney yesterday for my birthday. We went to Epcot and spent the whole day eating at all of the different "countries". We traveled to Japan for lunch, then went to France for some amazing desserts. While in France we went into the Guerlain store and I had a free consultation with a woman who can tell which fragrance is best for you according to your skin type. Well, I discovered that the best fragrance for me cost $250!! Bummer, it smelled really good. We strolled through all of the stores, stopped in Germany for a delicious soft pretzel and rounded off the day with dinner in Italy. Quite the jet setters we were!;)
On the way there we saw otters frolicking on the side of the road, swallow-tail kites, bald eagles and a rainbow! It was a wonderful day and I forgot it was my birthday which was nice.;)

Potty Training Woes

2009-03-12T09:58:00.003-04:00

*Warning: The following post includes potty talk

I'm at a loss here people. I need some advice. Jadon is clearly showing signs that he is ready to start potty training but is just not following through with it. He knows the difference between wet and dry and will go pee-pee if I put him on the potty. He wakes up often in the morning with a dry diaper and can hold it for hours during the day. I have been giving praises and skittles as positive reinforcement every time he has a dry diaper, focusing on that instead of peeing in the potty. Yesterday he told me he wanted to go pee-pee on the potty for the first time and he did! I was so excited! I decided to try underwear which he kept dry for a couple hours by me taking him to the potty every 15 minutes. He went outside to play and peed in his underwear. I told him gently that he needs to keep his underwear dry and we went inside to pee on the potty. I could tell he needed to poop so I had him sit on the potty longer, encouraging him to go. He refused, as usual, went back outside and pooped in his underwear. So, I'm getting frustrated and I don't want this to be a negative thing for him. He could care less when he is wet or if he poops in his pants, he'll happily sit in it for hours. So this makes me think he's not ready despite the other signs of readiness. I know every parent struggles in this area but any advice would be welcome.

365 days or so ago today....

2009-03-10T09:54:00.003-04:00

....we landed on American soil with our sons! They became US citizens the moment we touched down in GA but walking through the gates with them at the Miami airport was one of the best feelings in the world. We had about 30 friends and family waiting for us with signs and cheers, it was amazing! We were elated to be home. I can hardly believe it was a year ago! We are so happy to be a forever family.

Amazing Race in Kras

2009-03-08T20:55:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I just finished watching the Amazing Race. They traveled from Romania to Moscow on different airlines but when it came to traveling to Kras, they all ended up on the one flight that flies into the city daily, arriving at dark and early. Been there, done that!;) But, if I wasn't told they were in Kras, I really wouldn't have known it. When we were there, it was Feb/Mar and very cold and snowy so we did not travel or explore much at all. I had no idea they had a bobsled track there! I wish we could have ridden it! It seemed to be a little cold there but very little snow on the ground, definitely not the perma-frost we experienced.;) So, they stacked wood by the river, which we crossed almost every day and they showed the dam but we never saw it up close. They also made those cute traditional shutters for the houses so they were familiar. Really the only things I recognized were the airport and some of the downtown area as they drove in the taxis. I thought they would do more stuff downtown but it does continue in Siberia next week so maybe we'll see some more of Kras, although I think they are traveling to another city nearby. The best part was hearing how the contestants pronounced Krasnoyarsk!;)
What did you think?

Amazing Race

2009-03-06T11:23:00.002-05:00

Even if you're not a fan of the show, please watch this Sunday night as the contestants go to Siberia. They will be in Kras and hopefully we'll all get a glimpse of the city. It'll be extra cool for all of us that have actually been there!

Gotcha' Day Anniversary!

2009-02-27T22:28:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it! It has been one year since we picked up Roman and Jadon from the orphanage and finally became a family. I cannot put into words how blessed we are to have them in our lives. It almost feels like they've always been here but I can also remember being in Kras like it was yesterday.
Thank You Lord for our precious sons!

Here we are the night we left the orphanage with the boys. The woman in the picture is Galina, the orphanage director, to whom we will be forever grateful for how well she took care of our little boys, and countless others.

Sleepy Head

2009-02-24T13:23:00.003-05:00

Yes, my son did fall asleep on the swing. Roman has also done this before, it must be a really relaxing swing.;)

Happy Birthday Roman!

2009-02-22T18:18:00.008-05:00

4 years old

5 years old

I can't believe our little guy is 5 years old today! Saturday we had a party with his friends, what a difference from his 4th birthday which we celebrated while in Russia. One year ago today, we were celebrating with tea and chocolate bars. Saturday was cake and pizza, balloons, presents, friends and family. We are so blessed to have this sweet little boy as our son. Happy Birthday Roman!

One year ago today...

2009-02-19T19:59:00.002-05:00

...the judge said "Da"! I can't believe it's been almost a year since we've been home from Russia! I can still remember the smells, the extreme heat of the buildings and cars and the extreme cold of the outdoors. I remember walking the streets of Kras while the falling snow stuck to our eyelashes, admiring the beautiful ice sculptures, waiting for what seemed like an eternity in our hotel room to finally pick up our sons. I wonder how long those memories will remain fresh in my mind...
Next post will be about a certain little boy's birthday!;)

1st Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T19:01:00.005-05:00

Today we had lots of sugar which is another 1st for us.;) The boys had conversation hearts, of course, and a box of chocolates! They have just crashed from all of the sugar they ate today!;) I made a chocolate cake for my sweetheart and I got a card and some chocolates from him. So, for our first Valentine's Day with the boys, it was very nice and I think they enjoyed it a lot!

2009-02-06T13:16:00.007-05:00

I never get political on my blog, I just don't think it's the place...until now. As a parent, this scares the heck out of me. Please go to the above website and read about the very real threat to take away our parental rights. Please get involved, sign the parental right amendment.

Adoption Info Tag

2009-02-06T09:59:00.005-05:00

Debbie tagged all of us adoptive mommies out there. Now, I usually don't do this but I thought there may be some people out there that might be interested, so.... here you go.;)

1. How many months (days, weeks, YEARS...) from 1st paper signed to referral? 26 months

2. WAS YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER EXCITED? I think he was cautiously optimistic and also a little shocked. We had received referrals before and lost them so we were both guarding our hearts.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS WHEN YOU GOT "THE" PHONE CALL? Shocked, excited, guarded.

4. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU FOUND OUT? I think I was at home when we got the referral call and at work when we got the travel date call 2 days later.

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 32

6. WHAT IS YOUR CHILD'S BIRTH-COUNTRY? Russia

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? We called my mom and then called Chris' mom and sister together.

8. DID YOU REQUEST A BOY, GIRL, OR EITHER? We requested a boy and a girl so when we got referrals for 2 boys we were a little surprised but not disappointed.

9. HOW OLD WAS YOUR CHILD AT REFERRAL? 15 months and 3 1/2 years.

10. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU SEE YOUR CHILD'S FACE/PICTURE FOR THE FIRST TIME? We got the call about the referrals and then our FC emailed pics and info to us. We decided that we didn't want to look at their pictures since we got so attached to our first referrals. But, we only lasted a day or 2, curiosity got the best of us and we looked!

11. WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR CHILD? We had been buying here and there for them but after our first trip, we went to Baby Gap and bought them the clothes they would wear on the plane on our way back home.

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Waiting so long and having to re-do paperwork 2 and 3 times!

13. WHEN WERE YOU ABLE TO TRAVEL? 1st trip in October '07 and second in February '08.

14. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes, it was beautiful! So many people came and we were humbled by everyone's generosity and support.

15. HOW OLD WAS YOUR CHILD WHEN YOU SAW THEM IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME? 15 months and 3 1/2.

16. DID YOU PACK ANYTHING SPECIAL JUST FOR YOUR BABY? We brought 2 little stuffed puppies that resembled our dog, photo albums for each of them with our family pictures in them and some cars to play with.

17. WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE THE MOST? How much Aeroflot sucked! How absolutely no one spoke english in Siberia! The way the women dressed in the heart of winter, very fashion conscious but not much covering them!;)

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS WITH YOUR PAPERWORK/PROCESS? Mainly just having to re-do everything as it expired but also our USCIS approval was about to expire so our Russian facilitator went to the judge on our behalf to ask for a court date before it did. We got the court date the day before it expired! We love you Yelena!

19. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OR PLACE YOU VISITED IN YOUR CHILD'S BIRTH COUNTRY?THE BEST? I guess going to Red Square and St. Basil's.

20. HOW MANY DAYS/WEEKS WERE YOU IN YOUR CHILD'S BIRTH COUNTRY? 25 days

21. FAVORITE PLACE/THING TO EAT WHILE THERE? The food was awful! We ate lots of Ramen noodles and instant oatmeal and protein bars. The best restaurant was a "german" one right across the street from our hotel in Siberia.

22. FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP WHILE THERE? Grocery stores?

23. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU ON THE PLANE GOING/LEAVING? roughly 13 hours from here to Moscow and about 5 from Moscow to Kras.

24. WHO MET YOU AT THE AIRPORT? We met our driver, Vladimir, in Moscow and our facilitators, Yelena and Serge in Kras. When we arrived home with the boys in Miami, we met about 30 friends and family that were waiting for us. So cool!

25. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DID AFTER LEAVING THE AIRPORT? We went home and went to bed!

26. WHAT DO YOU CALL YOUR ADOPTION DAY? The boys became legally ours on our Gotcha Day, February 29th 2008 (leap year)!

27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Roman Christopher ( Chris' grandfather's name and Chris' middle name) and Jadon Paul (Jadon is Hebrew for "God Has Heard" and Paul is my step-daddy's name)

28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? He is 2 weeks from turning 5 but since we adopted our boys at the same time... our youngest is 2 1/2.

29. ARE YOU PLANNING TO GO BACK TO THEIR BIRTH COUNTRY SOMEDAY? Right now I say never!! But maybe someday when they are much older, we'll see.

30. HAVE YOU STARTED OR ALREADY MADE YOUR CHILD A LIFEBOOK? We have several photo albums but not a lifebook yet.

A day at the park

2009-02-01T20:56:00.009-05:00

Christmas in February

2009-02-01T20:31:00.006-05:00

Just playing catch up....

Roman got a letter from Santa!

Our future musician.

Jadon's not too sure about Elmo here.

Okay, he likes him!

Ice!

2009-01-26T16:06:00.010-05:00

Okay, so I know I've been a horrible Blogger for a while now and have lost followers because of it. Here's why, Blogger rarely let's me post pictures. I don't know why but most of the time, my photos are not able to be uploaded. So, in my opinion, for me to post about the boys, trips and fun stuff without showing pics is not worth it. If Chris can teach me how to use wordpress, which he swears is easier, then I'll be moving the blog there.
Anyway, here are some pics (because Blogger is being nice today) of us at Ice! in Orlando over the holidays. It was amazing!! Everything was carved out of blocks of ice. There were 5 foot tall ornaments, a life size nativity scene, a gigantic Santa and the coolest ( no pun intended) ice slides to name a few. It was a very cold 6 degrees in there to keep the ice from melting but it sure made us freeze. We only lasted 20 minutes in there! :)) The very stylish blue parkas they gave us kept us warm but fingers and toes were frozen!;)

We all had fun on the ice slides!!

Hair Cut

2009-01-09T09:24:00.007-05:00

Okay, so I went drastic this time. I usually have very long, Marsha Brady hair but I was needing a grown up hair cut. So, I got bold and chopped it off and even added bangs!! This is big for me since I haven't had bangs since 8th grade. They are currently driving me crazy! I like them though so I hope I get used to them soon or they will be pinned back in clips until they grow out!;) Here are my before and after pics, taken on the computer. You can't really see how long my hair was on the before pic so imagine it a few inches longer than what you see. What do you think? Like the new do?;)

A Great Day

2009-01-09T09:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a great day! Chris and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary! I can't believe it's been that long already.;) We had a nice lunch together, I got a haircut and then we picked up the boys from Totya and had dinner together. Chris' Mom and dad were sick so they're going to take the boys for us next week so we can have a proper dinner together, a movie too.;) My sweet husband also bought me a beautiful necklace. I'm a very lucky girl.:)

Goodbye 2008...

2008-12-31T09:16:00.002-05:00

...Hello 2009!
2008 was a good year, the year we finally brought our boys home and became a family. We are looking forward to 2009! Roman will be turning 5 and we'll celebrate his birthday at home instead of in Russia. Gotcha Day anniversary, 10th wedding anniversary, summer vacation, more birthdays, school...there's a lot to look forward to. Thanks for the memories '08!;)

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-24T19:52:00.002-05:00

Tagged

2008-12-21T17:55:00.002-05:00

Debbie tagged me so here goes....

I must reveal 5 obsessions and tag 5.

1. checking email. I never get any other than spam.:(
2. sudoku
3. cleaning
4. Lost and Heroes
5. make-up. I don't wear much but I love getting girly stuff, lipgloss, mascara, lotions,etc...

I'm tagging Bethany, Kelli, Tricia, Charlene and Marie

Also, Chris has set me up with a new blog on wordpress. I'm considering switching over because it is so difficult for me to post pictures on Blogger. I'll let you know soon.

Orphan's Ticket Home

2008-12-15T17:30:00.003-05:00

What is the Ultimate Christmas Gift?
What if you gave an orphan a home this Christmas? Through the Orphan’s Ticket Home campaign, every donation you give goes directly to making this prayer a reality for over 5000 orphans.
It’s the holiday season, a time when many of us buy a ticket home to see our families. But what if you had no family to go home to? Or even worse...what if you had no birth certificate or other document to legally verify your identity to allow you to get a ticket? Millions of orphaned children are stranded, stuck in systems that rob them of any chance to go home to a family. This fundraising campaign offers you an opportunity to provide them a ticket home. For some that means an adoptive home. For others it means a safe and clean transitional home where they can await adoption. And for some it simply means the initial stage of securing birth certificates that provide them with a legal identity, crucial legal documents that make the dream of a ticket to a loving home much more of a reality. Through An Orphan’s Ticket Home’s four initiatives, you can make this a reality for more orphans. Your donation will be the Ultimate Gift to an orphan!
http://www.orphanstickethome.org

Busy Times

2008-12-10T13:17:00.002-05:00

I think we all get very busy during the holidays. We have been anyway. Our house is finally decorated and I love it. The boys have their own Christmas tree in their room which they decorate and destroy regularly, they are not allowed to touch mine.;)
We took the boys to see Santa at the mall and got a great picture. Jadon was not happy! I will post it soon. I really dislike trying to post pics with Blogger, it takes forever and is not easy so that's why you haven't seen any lately.
I had a cookie exchange party a few nights ago. I had to bake over 90 cookies!!! But I got the same number back and now we have cookie overload:) It's no wonder everyone gains weight over the holidays.
We have a staff Christmas party this Friday where we do the white elephant gift exchange. We've got some funny gifts this year! This was the first time I've had a problem getting a babysitter as Chris' family is usually available but they also have a party that night. One of Chris' kids from Youth Ministry will be helping us out but I'll be putting the boys to bed before we leave so there will be no freaking out.;))
Today was our home-school co-op's Christmas party. Each mom took a different country and set up a table for the kids to learn about different Christmas traditions around the world. We also had different dishes for them to try. Guess which country I had! Lucky for me, there's a European store nearby run by Russians with mostly Russian food so we had blinis (blintzes) with cheese and Russian tea cookies and candy. The kids loved it. At the end we had cupcakes for Jesus' birthday.
Christmas shopping is almost done, yay! We are not going overboard this year as we have in the past. The kids don't even know what to expect so that's good. I ordered their stockings from Pottery Barn (on sale) and they're huge! They won't be filled all the way this year!:))
Anyway, I hope all of you are enjoying your Christmas preparations as much as we are. It's way more fun this year now that we have our boys home!

Pictures

2008-12-02T15:04:00.003-05:00

Hey, if you are interested in seeing pictures from our NC trip, click here. It is just so time consuming to load pictures with blogger! I'm thinking of moving to wordpress. Anyway, enjoy the pics!:)

Home again.

2008-12-01T12:09:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful time in NC. We stayed in a rustic log cabin on the top of a mountain. The boys spent afternoons outside down by the creek skipping rocks and "fishing" and walking through the fallen leaves. Many memories were made and we hope to go back again next year.
Thanksgiving dinner at my Uncle and Aunt's was delicious and so fun to have all of the family together. My sister and her two little ones were there and I was so happy to be able to love on those babies! We went into the surrounding towns and shopped in the quaint little stores. It was so country!;) The weather was cold and we loved it. It was really so refreshing to be able to experience the Fall and the mountains, the windy roads and colorful leaves. The boys loved it there and were sad to leave, we all were. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to spend time in the mountains with family. I will post pictures soon.
I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas with the boys this year. They have no idea what to expect! Decorating the house and the tree and eating yummy foods will be so exciting for them!

Carolina on my mind...

2008-11-22T13:20:00.004-05:00

We are 24 hours away from heading up to NC for Thanksgiving! I am so excited to see the fall leaves and experience the chilly weather. I'm from NJ so I miss the season changes, especially the Fall.
We rented a little house on a lake near my mom and Chris' whole family is going to be there as well. There will be 18 of us for Thanksgiving dinner! I'm also very excited for the boys to experience my Uncle's farm. He has countless acres with sheep and deer and horses. They are going to have a blast! Roman is also very much looking forward to climbing a mountain with Daddy.:)
We'll be taking lots of pics so I'll be posting them soon. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Home School Help!

2008-11-16T19:39:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went to a Home School Conference and Carole Joy Seid was our speaker. Please check out her website for more info about her. The conference was eye-opening and so informative. I plan on home schooling my kids but really was clueless as to how to go about it. She completely answered all of my questions, mapped out a curriculum for our family and gave me complete peace of mind. Her main focus is on reading to your children constantly, specifically the classics. Start when they are born and never stop!;) She also gave us some great information about how boys learn and to not press them to read too early. I am actually excited about teaching our boys and not at all intimidated. I have to tell you that her teaching philosophy has rocked a lot of people's boats but the facts support what she believes. I encourage all home schooling Moms and Moms who are getting ready to home school to check out her website and go to one of her conferences as soon as possible. She even does personal consulting! It is really revolutionary.

Air Show!

2008-11-10T10:14:00.018-05:00

Saturday we took the boys to an Air Show. I had never been to one before but Chris used to go with his Dad when he was a kid. It was incredible! I can't believe how low the planes would fly over the crowds. The fighter jets were the most impressive as they made such a tremendous noise while they zoomed over us. The boys were amazed as well! We weren't able to stay as long as we would have liked so next year we're going to bring the whole family and spend the day. There were fun kiddie rides and lots of food. I could have toured the planes all day. They were so cool! We got to walk inside one of those huge cargo planes that troops jump out of. You know, like the ones we see in movies where the guys are attached to a cable with their parachutes as they walk down the ramp of the back of the plane and jump out. I guess I've seen too many action films!:))

Can you see 2 little pilots in this big bird?

Here the boys are sitting in a North Carolina National Guard helicopter.

Jadon loved to push the rocket launch buttons! Yes, he is our little destroyer!;)

Roman wanted to know what every button did.:)) I think he'd make a great pilot someday.;)

Fun with a garden hose.

2008-11-05T18:19:00.010-05:00

November in Florida and it's still warm enough to play outside with the hose. So sad. Good times though.;)

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T22:59:00.010-04:00

Here are a few pics of our evening tonight. The boys went trick or treating with their friend Addie and had a blast knocking on doors and getting candy. They made out like bandits too!

Spidy is on the lookout for candy!

That's the cutest lion I've ever seen!

Trick or treat!

Daddy's little cubby!

Look at all the loot!

Cool Days!

2008-10-29T19:40:00.011-04:00

Yesterday and today we had some cool weather for SoFlo. It was in the 50s when we got up in the morning and the boys LOVED playing outside in the fresh, brisk weather. We ate dinner at Granny and Grampy's last night and had a Thanksgiving preview. Granny made the best turkey ever! We also celebrated our nephew's 17th birthday. Happy Birthday Andrew!

Fall in Florida

2008-10-25T09:16:00.014-04:00

I love the Fall but sadly it doesn't really exist here in Florida. We try really hard to pretend it does though.;) Here are some pics of the boys at a local pumpkin patch and a few of them in their trick-or-treat costumes.

"Bob and Larry" pumpkins were a hit!

One year ago today...

2008-10-15T14:20:00.008-04:00

...we got the referrals for our two precious boys. We were so excited but tried not to get too excited as we had gotten referrals before but lost them to Russian families. We decided that we would believe it when we were sitting on the airplane on our way to Russia. Little did we know that we would be doing exactly that less than 2 weeks later.
Here are our referral pics, they have changed so much in 1 year!

Oh the things kids say...

2008-10-10T16:51:00.003-04:00

Today my sweet Roman came into my bedroom while I was folding clothes and curiously asked if those were my underwear I was folding to which I responded "yes". He then very obstinately said " no Mommy, they too small. You have big butt, you break them."

Nice, good times.

I got a package...

2008-10-08T13:04:00.003-04:00

...from my Secret Blog Pal! What thoughtful gifts too. She sent me 2 wonderful books that I know my boys will love since they are book fanatics! She also surprised me with my favorite candy, Bit o' Honey.=) She did some research to find that out.;)) Thank you, thank you, thank you Secret Blog Pal!

Pictures

2008-10-04T12:11:00.016-04:00

Here are some pics of our recent outing to Bush Wildlife. It's like a zoo but they rehab hurt and abandoned local wildlife and it's free. We sat for an animal encounter and the kids got to touch some animals. Very fun! But first a few pics from our recent Orlando trip. We stopped for a visit at Disney and rode the monorail and took some pics outside the gate but we did not go in. The kids aren't ready yet, maybe next year!=)

Jadon waking up happy from his nap, this is new for us.;)

Here the boys are petting a baby croc. Or was is a gator??

This is an albino corn snake. Pretty as far as snakes go.;)

Here Roman is petting an opossum. He was very soft and oddly cute. His googly eyes remind me of my Grommit.;))

This is a young skunk. The scent glands were removed so no chance of being sprayed. She was super soft and so cute!

This owl is the last animal we saw at the encounter. I was glad we got to see and hear about it because for some reason Roman has been afraid them. The lady had him flap his wings and it was absolutely silent. This is how they are such adept hunters. Their heads only rotate 180 degrees, not 360. They are really cool birds and I don't think Roman is afraid of them anymore.

Other than the animals we saw at the encounter, we saw an albino raccoon (very cool), mountain lions, various birds, foxes, deer and various snake species. I had my own personal animal encounter with an ornery parrot. He was not in a cage but able to walk about freely. He was very interested in biting my diaper bag. Here's a pic of the crazy little guy.

Family Getaway!

2008-09-28T18:15:00.016-04:00

This past Thursday and Friday we took a little family vacation to Sea World. The kids had a blast! We stayed overnight in a hotel and they did great. It was the first time they slept in a hotel room since Russia. Roman love it and called the hotel room his new house. He really loved his big bed too.;)
Saturday, we went to see Elmo Live! It was a great show and the kids loved it! Sadly, we didn't bring a camera to take pictures.:(
Here are some pics of us at Sea World.

Here we are in front of "Bud" the Clydesdale.

Roman trying to win a carnival game. He didn't win but Daddy won him a stuffed penguin at a different game.

J.J. and I in front of the penguins. They are soooo cute!!!

I got to pet a dolphin!! It felt like smooth, wet plastic.;)

The boys in front of the Orca tank. The young whales were very playful and curious of the people looking at them.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear what do you hear?=)) This guy was HUGE and we got to see him up close, very cool!

This is a sea dragon. How cool is this creature?!

It's no wonder why people love dolphins, they are always smiling!!=)

Caught in the act!

2008-09-18T19:52:00.001-04:00

A special treat!

2008-09-15T18:20:00.002-04:00

Yesterday a package arrived in the mail for me from my Secret Blog Pal. Inside was a sweet card, a much needed book on how to keep things simple and my favorite treat, chocolate covered pretzels. There's just something about that sweet and salty combo, yum! Thank you SBP for my sweet treats!

It's our Anniversary!

2008-09-10T19:05:00.004-04:00

Not mine and Chris' but it's been 6 months since we brought the boys home. Boy does time fly! It is still so surreal to me that we traveled half way around the world to bring these these precious boys into our family. It seems like they have always been here and I can't imagine them not being with us. Chris and I are so thankful for our little miracles.

Sleepy Head

2008-09-07T15:07:00.004-04:00

I never thought this would ever happen. Jadon fell asleep at the table eating dinner! It was like seeing a clip on Funniest Home Videos! I could have kicked myself for not thinking to video this hilarious event. His head was bobbing all over the place! I did manage to get a couple of pics with my phone before I woke him up laughing.;)

Yearbook!

2008-09-03T22:22:00.004-04:00

This was so much fun! Please go and do this and I challenge you to post your "yearbook" pics on your blog. You will have a nice laugh anyway!=0)
By the way, the top left picture is closest to my graduation year, 1993. I wish I had my real photo to show you.;)

Another first!

2008-09-03T14:30:00.002-04:00

Roman is really getting into writing his name and has recently been trying other names. In this picture, he wrote my name for the first time on his magna-doodle. No help in writing, just spelling. Pretty good huh?

First Sleepover!

2008-09-02T11:43:00.008-04:00

Sunday night Chris and I went on a date with some friends to see John Mayer. We left the kids with Chris' sister, who lives nearby the concert venue, fully expecting Jadon to pitch a fit and give Bethany (Totya) a hard time with bedtime. Our plan was to come back after the concert, wake them up and take them home and put them to bed. The boys totally surprised us and went to bed perfectly for them! I called to check in on them and Bethany told me how well they went to sleep so we decided to try a sleepover instead of waking them to take them home. Well they slept through the night and woke up at 7am! I am so amazed by the progress our boys have made. I guess this means they feel totally secure with us and know that we will always come back for them. It'll be nice to have a night to ourselves every now and then too!;) Here are some pics Bethany took of their first sleepover.=)

In case you are wondering, the concert was okay. We are big Mayer fans but he looked horrible! He showed off way too much, swore a lot and mostly played unfamiliar music. It was like one big jam session that glorified his skills. It's so sad that he doesn't recognize who gave him those skills. Like my hubby said, he needs Jesus!

Busy, busy!

2008-08-26T11:47:00.002-04:00

Okay, we are still alive. I have to apologize for the lack in posting. I have a good excuse though, the boys have been recovering from surgery. They both had the same one and it has to do with their pee-pee, get it? Anyway, it was not purely cosmetic but they both had issues that needed correction so it was necessary as well. It was a rough few days after the surgery for JJ since he had the majority of issues that needed to be corrected but Roman did awesome. He was sore but not in pain and was back to his old self the next day. Jadon was in a lot of pain for the first couple of days and a week later is still a bit sensitive. They both did incredibly well though and were perfect patients in the hospital. I was so proud of them.
We've also been very busy getting into our new church building this past week. Sunday was our first service and it was very exciting! We are so blessed to finally have our own church building! Our church has been portable for 11 years so it's about time!;) Thank you Jesus!
Anyway, I am very excited about the new round of Secret Blog Pals that I'm participating in. It is a lot of fun to secretly bless others!=)
That's about everything new going on. Oh, I may be switching to typepad since my husband has and he's the techie in the house. Stay tuned...

Yo! Yo!

2008-08-14T15:54:00.003-04:00

I bet you didn't know my boys were rappers!
Jib Jab is so funny, check it out!

Watermelon Fun!

2008-08-11T16:24:00.007-04:00

I gave the boys a quarter of a watermelon today and they LOVED it! I didn't think Jadon would get into it like he did since he dislikes being messy but he sure had fun!=)

Busy Boys

2008-08-07T22:47:00.009-04:00

And boy are we busy! This summer has flown by! I can't believe it's already August!!
We spend a lot of time outdoors as the boys would have it no other way. Although recently our times spent outside have been cut much shorter due to excessive heat (today was 97)! The pool and hose sure does help though!;)
Everyone asks "How are the boys adjusting?" My answer is always "Great!" which is true but I wonder how I would answer if people asked "How are you adjusting?". Honestly, it has been a very tough adjustment for me. I just told my friend that I didn't realize how selfish I was until we brought the boys home. Each day gets better and easier as we fall into synch with each other but it sure has been a struggle. I am so thankful for the struggle though, it has challenged me to be a better wife, mother and child of God.
Anyway, here are some pics of the boys spending their summer days outside.

Here's Roman in our backyard holding the letter we wrote for "N".

Here he is with a picture he drew for her.

At the park on the friendly dinosaur.=)

Peek-a-boo Jadon!

Jadon LOVES cars, which he calls "cais".=)

We are usually so busy that this is how the boys end up at some point in the day. Zzzzzzzzzzzz!

Have a wonderful day!

Finding "N"

2008-07-24T13:11:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I posted a video of Roman dancing with his friend "N". We inquired with our agency about her status since our son asks about her and prays for her everyday and is now calling her his "sister".
Today we found out. She is still at the orphanage and is currently not available for adoption as her birthmother has not relinquished her rights. I was sad to hear this because I hate to think that this beautiful little girl is going to grow up in an orphanage without a loving family. We are praying for her and the situation and I'm asking all of you to pray as well. We want God's best for her.
Our fc said we could send her a letter and some pics so we're going to do that real soon.
Thanks for your prayers!

Birthday Pics

2008-07-15T14:58:00.008-04:00

Okay, as promised, here are some pics from the party. We went to a hotel near by and had the party there. We played in the pool and at the beach and had cake and presents. The best part, no clean up!!!

Here we are singing "Happy Birthday" to Jadon. He was a little embarrassed when we sang to him, just like my little sister used to be.;)

Blowing out the candles on the completely organic cake I made. It was delicious!

I wish you could see his face better here. It was hilarious! The boy is crazy for cars and trucks!=)

I think he was pretty excited about his bathtub pirate boat here!

Roman is having a blast with Grampy on the pool water slide!

Thanks Totya for taking such wonderful pictures!

Happy Birthday Jadon!

2008-07-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

My baby boy turned 2 years old today! I can't believe how much he has grown since he came home in March! We love you Jadon Paul!
Pictures of the party will be coming soon!=)

Forth of July Fun!

2008-07-04T13:36:00.000-04:00

We had a great Independence Day with Chris' family. We ate a lot of yummy food and swam in the pool and played Guitar Hero and flew a kite! It was so much fun!

Daddy is teaching Roman how to fly a kite while Jadon cheers them on.

Roman is flying a kite for the first time...

...and having a blast!!

The boys love riding their Radio Flyer bikes at Granny's!

Big brother is helping little brother ride his bike through the grass.

Little brother has had enough "help". ;)

Roman and his first Independence Day cake!

Happy 4th everyone!

It's still so surreal to me that our boys were born half-way around the world and now they are home with their family, celebrating their new country's Independence Day. God is so good!

Family Reunion

2008-07-01T11:28:00.003-04:00

Last week my grandmother passed away. She was sick and in a lot of pain so it wasn't a shock to anyone but it was still sad to not have her here anymore. She is with Jesus now so we rejoice in that.
Her funeral was yesterday up in Jacksonville so I went along with my mother-in-law while Chris stayed home with the boys. It was so nice to see my extended family. I hadn't seen my cousins in 10 years or more so we had a good time catching up. It's so weird to see all of them as adults, married and with children. I hope to see them all again in the fall for my cousin's wedding.
Anyway, here is a picture of all of my grandmother's grandchildren (yes, all girls) at her funeral.

The cutest video!

2008-06-17T21:51:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to post this video for all of you for a long time now but only now have we gotten around to it. Hey, I'm a busy mommy now!;)
Anyway, our oldest son turned 4 while we were in Russia. We were able to celebrate it with him at the orphanage. His birthday was also the Russian holiday "Men's Day" and they were practicing a little show that the children were going to perform later that day. I don't know what they were singing in Russian but the dance that Roman and his little girlfriend did was so adorable. He has been asking about her every day now, especially after seeing this video. We have inquired about her with our agency. I hope and pray that she is being adopted but if not, we might just have to go back for her.;)
Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-14T21:20:00.007-04:00

You are the best Daddy in the whole world! We love you so much!

Post Placement Blues

2008-06-09T12:16:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's time for this already! Our 6 month post placement report is due in August. Our social worker needs to come to evaluate us in the beginning of July in order for it to be done in time. So now I am filling out paperwork once again. Arghh! I was so enjoying not having to do paperwork. I've been so lazy with it, I haven't even gotten the boys' social security cards yet! And of course the whole thing needs to be apostilled! I hate apostilles!!!!
The boys also have their first colds so we're all cranky. :{

Fun in the sun!

2008-06-06T12:12:00.012-04:00

The boys love to be outdoors and busy at play. The days when we stay home are generally not fun and there are many time-outs. So, we go out every day for a little bit. We recently had a play date with some friends at the water park. Boy are our kiddos loving the water! Roman is doing so well with swimming, a few more weeks and he'll be swimming laps on his own.=)

Daddy and Jadon had a blast going down the water slide!=)

Jadon has been doing much better in the pool as well.

We recently purchased a very small boat. It's been one of Chris' dreams to raise his boys on the water. Needless to say they have fun!=)

I leave you with 2 more pictures of my goofballs!=)

A nice visit.

2008-05-19T11:39:00.007-04:00

My sister and her husband came to visit us over the weekend. They had never met the boys before and we had not seen her new baby boy before. It was too short of a visit but we had fun. The kids were so cute together. We went to the zoo Saturday morning and then my sis-in-law met up with us and took some fabulous photos. I love my little sister so much, I wish she lived closer.=(

Roman and baby G!

Aren't they a beautiful family?

Jadon and MJ. Kissing Cousins!;)

Our family photo.=)

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T13:04:00.003-04:00

I am so blessed to be the mother of these two beautiful boys!

What a difference!

2008-05-07T20:21:00.014-04:00

I wanted to show you the change in Jadon since he's been home. It really is amazing! Roman has changed as well but not as dramatically as JJ. So here goes...

This picture was taken in October of '07 during our first trip. He made no eye contact with us and never laughed or smiled. He was 15 months old.

This picture was taken in February of '08 during our second trip. He eventually warmed up to us a bit and we did get him to laugh but he was mostly a very serious baby. He was 19 months here.

This picture was taken shortly after we picked the boys up from the orphanage in Kras. Notice the blank stare. We got those a lot.

This picture was taken in Moscow. He got a little more brave and interacted more but mostly screamed and cried. He was a very sad baby.

This picture was taken the first week we were home in March. It was their first trip to the beach.

Again at the beach. He is smiling more now and is getting more comfortable with us. Notice how bloated his face is. All of us had bloated faces when we came home. Either it was all of the sodium in the food in Russia or lack of sleep. Maybe a combo of the two.=)

Here we are at Friendly's in April. Jadon LOVES to eat and is much happier (except at nap/bed time).

Here he is on their John Deer truck at Granny's house. What a cutie!

It's May and this is the face I see on my baby boy all the time now.

He laughs all the time and I have to restrain myself from biting those cheeks off!=) He's got a nice tan and the sun has lightened his hair a lot.

I love this picture! He is 22 months now and losing the baby look.=(

It's an amazing transformation in just 3 months. We brought home a scared, sad and angry baby and now we have a happy, funny and attached toddler. We still have a lot of growing to do but I am so thrilled by how much we have grown together as a family.

Cutest Kids Ever!

2008-05-06T22:30:00.005-04:00

Okay, I knew my kids were cute but after seeing them in these pics, they really are the cutest kids ever! I also figured out the posting pics problem so more pics to come in the future.:)

Long Time, No Post

2008-04-28T13:02:00.003-04:00

Sorry, it's a been a while since my last post. I've been very busy with the kiddos but I also don't like to post without pictures and blogger has been giving me a hard time lately with pics.
Anyway, the boys are doing awesome. Jadon is very much a Mama's boy now and he is no longer an angry baby. He's happy most of the time but we still battle his strong will. Roman is speaking English very well now. He still combines Russian and English words when speaking but I'm amazed by how much he does say and understand. Even Jadon's vocabulary has grown a lot.
Bedtime is great, the kids are in a routine that they expect and love and once we close the door for the night, they are asleep until 7am. They even play quietly in their room until we go in to get them. I am so thankful!
My mom and step-father came in to town last week to meet the boys for the first time. We had a great time with them and the boys love their babushka and dedushka. I was glad that they were able to be there when the boys were dedicated at our church this past Sunday. It was a very special moment to be able to have our family and friends there to witness the dedication. Hopefully I'll figure out how to post pictures soon and maybe even some video!=) Actually check out my sis-in-law's blog for pics.;) I'll work on the video.=)
We also took the boys to the beach over the weekend and they are hooked! Roman asks every day to go to the beach. I'm happy 'cause we are a beach family!
Swim lessons are going well. Jadon didn't cry for the first time today. He even kicked his legs on his own when asked! I hope they learn soon because the cost is ridiculous!!
We still spend a lot of time in our fabulous back yard and we've been making playdates once a week. They love playing with other kids.
Tomorrow is their first dentist appointment so pray that Roman doesn't have any cavities!=) I'll let you know the outcome.

The Great Outdoors

2008-04-10T22:30:00.013-04:00

Have I mentioned how much our boys love to be outside? Today we spent the entire day (except for an hour nap and lunch) in the back yard enjoying our new additions.=) Tuesday we picked up a kiddie pool at Toys R Us. The boys love it!

Cool pool hairdos!

The boys have been taking swim lessons for a few weeks now and Roman is a natural. He loves the water!

Jadon is still not a fan of swim lessons but he loves his baby pool!=)

Ah! Brotherly love!;)

"Bathing suits?" "We don't need no stinking bathing suits!"

A very generous friend of ours built the boys a beach, er I mean a huge sandbox!

Roman and his first sandcastle.=)

Granny stopped by with a huge surprise! A picnic table and a sand/water table! I haven't finished putting them together yet but I know 2 little boys who are going to have a blast tomorrow!

Jadon loves his new "baby" swing. He actually falls asleep in it!;)

Okay, I had some more pictures to post but blogger has burnt out on me.
Thank you all for your encouraging and helpful comments on my last post. Jadon is improving daily with his temper but I know that sometimes he'll have bad days, as we all do. He is actually allowing Chris and I to lay him down in his bed and cover him up without a peep (until we shut the door)! This is a huge improvement as the norm is we put him in his bed and he angrily screams his head off while jumping up and down in his crib. I know it's all of the prayers so thank you very much! Check out Chris' blog for a cute pic!

Home for 1 month!

2008-04-07T10:43:00.002-04:00

Today we've been home with the boys for one month! It has flown by! We have mostly good days but some are not so good but that's normal, right?=)
I love that the boys sleep through the night and when they wake up in the morning, they play quietly in their room until we get them at 7. They are so happy to see us in the morning and it's very sweet. Roman is very affectionate had is constantly smelling my hair. Strange, but I guess it's comforting to him in some way. Jadon is becoming more affectionate and is very attached to me. He still has a nasty temper and that bothers me a lot. Today he threw a ceramic coaster on the floor in a fit of anger over not getting fed fast enough and it broke into pieces. How do I handle that? I'm pissed off that he's being disrespectful and throwing/breaking things but I don't want him to see that. What I did was say "No!" and I swatted his hand to which he threw himself on the floor and screamed. The kid wears me out. He can be very sweet and funny though, I just wish it was more often.
The boys both love being outdoors and going for rides in the car.
Food is usually not a problem. They eat almost anything.
Roman is learning more words in English everyday. He loves to learn so I think it won't be too long before he's fluent.
We are so happy to be home and we are becoming a stronger family everyday. Thank you all for your continued support and prayers.

Still Here!

2008-04-05T17:46:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's been a while but my boys do not stop! They want to be busy constantly and if they are not, they get bored and they get into trouble. So, I'm chasing after them from 7am to 7:30pm! It's fun most of the time, especially when we go to fun places like the zoo. We took the video camera and got some neat footage that I hope to post soon but finding the time to download the pics and video is the problem. Today I cleaned my floors for the first time in over a week while Jadon "slept" and Roman was out with his Papa. I felt like I accomplished a lot! We're at Granny & Grampy's today and the boys have been outside 90% of the day riding in their new John Deer truck. Check out Chris' blog for a picture. It's so cute to see them riding around the property in it. Roman is a boy obsessed with cars and bikes.=)
Anyway, the boys are adjusting very well and I'm so thankful!

More Pics!

2008-03-29T22:31:00.015-04:00

Does it get any cuter than this?

Yep!

Jadon loved Friendly's!

Especially the ice cream.=)

The boys had a playdate this week and had fun on the swing set and..

...the trampoline!

We started swim lessons this week. Roman loves the pool!

Jadon, not so much.;)

Picture Time!

2008-03-26T14:05:00.006-04:00

Wow, now I understand why some Moms stop blogging after they bring their child(ren) home. There's no time!=) I promise I will try to post as often as possible though.

The boy's first Easter!

We are still amazed by airplanes.=)

The Easter egg hunt was fun! Roman found eggs for Jadon too.=)

Roman loved dying eggs with Totya and Dodya (Aunt Beth and Uncle Dave).

Update

2008-03-21T20:12:00.003-04:00

Okay so we've been home for 11 days and here's an update on how we are doing.
Jadon continues to hate bed/naptime and cries/screams for a while before he falls asleep. We just got him a cool crib night light/music player for his crib today and he loves it but is currently crying because Chris left the room. They continue to sleep through the night though so that's fabulous! Naptime is another story.
The boys LOVE being outside so we spend a lot of time playing in the back yard on the swingset and going for walks around the 'hood. They also love going for rides in the car. It doesn't matter where we go, they love it.
We made our first trip to the mall yesterday. They were awesome. They just stared in wonder at everything. Roman wanted to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap but the line was too long so we went to Build-A-Bear and he made a bunny. We ate at Chick-fil-A, they loved it!
Today we went to Toys-R-Us, can you say sensory overload? Wow, the kids went crazy. They wanted to hold and play with everything. Needless to say, we did some damage.=) We had dinner out for the first time with Granny and Grampy at Friday's. Our kids are such good eaters. Jadon would eat until he threw up if I let him. The kid loves to eat! Roman is our junk food junkie but he likes fruit and veggies too.
Bathtime is always fun for the kids. Jadon is crazy! He deliberately puts his head under the water and flails around. We are starting swim lessons next week, I think he is going to be a fast learner.=)
Roman's personality/qualities: Passive, observant, smart, tester, neat, loving, submissive.
Jadon's personality/qualities: Aggressive, observant, smart, strong-willed, intense, funny, musical.
After church on Sunday we are going to Granny & Grampy's house for Easter dinner and an egg hunt. I'm excited for the kids, I know they are going to have a blast!
We are all adjusting pretty well. Thank you all for your prayers, please don't quit!=)

Birthday Presents!

2008-03-20T13:50:00.002-04:00

Tuesday was my birthday. I got the best gifts in the whole world!

We are sleeping!

2008-03-17T14:30:00.003-04:00

Another fabulous night of uninterrupted sleep! Our boys slept until 8am this morning! Woo hoo! Naps are still a challenge. Jadon is currently putting up quite a fuss in his crib right now. The boy hates naptime. ;) As long as they keep sleeping through the night, Mommy & Daddy are happy. =)

Hallelujah!

2008-03-16T14:17:00.014-04:00

The boys slept through the night until 7:30! When we woke up, I went in to get them and they were awake and not crying but happily sitting in their beds!=) It's a Christmas miracle in March!! Even nap today for Jadon went much better. Thank you all for your prayers, they've been answered!=)
Now for some pictures...

Tickle Time!

Playtime at the Park

Brothers!

We Love Books!

Our first day at the beach! They loved it!!

Beach Boys!

Choo Choo!

Koo Koo! (Russian version of peek-a-boo)

Pictures!!

2008-03-14T14:40:00.007-04:00

Here are a few pics during our last few days in Russia. Still haven't downloaded any new ones onto the computer yet. Give me some time, I've got a screaming toddler!=)

Our family photo by the river in Kras.

In front of St. Basil's in Moscow.

Do I look like my avatar?

Granny and Grampy with their grandsons at the airport.

We're Home!

2008-03-12T13:10:00.002-04:00

Yes, we got home late Monday night and this is the first time I've had to post (the kids are napping, well one is and the other is screaming). Our welcome at the airport was amazing! Many families and friends from our church as well as our family was there to greet us as we got off the plane. It was so good to see everyone, we were so blessed!
It's good to be home. The kids love their new house and their sabaka (dog), Grommit. They do not like to go to bed though. We are seriously sleep deprived! I never thought our child could scream his head off for 5 hours straight but indeed he can. No matter how many times we go into his room to comfort him, the second we leave he turns into Chucky ( the evil doll from the movie)! I hope and pray he gets through whatever he's going through soon because we all need some sleep! Suggestions are welcome.=)
I hope to post pictures and video soon. Please keep us in your prayers as the boys transition into their new home and family.

Paca Paca Russia!

2008-03-09T11:09:00.002-04:00

We leave tomorrow morning for the good ol' U S of A! I LOVE my country and we cannot wait to get back!!
Please pray for safe and smooth travels tomorrow. Pray that the kiddos get some sleep on our long flight home and that we make our connecting flight, we have a 2 hour laps between flights but we have to go through customs and that could take some time.
Thank you all for your love, prayers and support. We're on our way home!!

Trip 2 Video

2008-03-08T01:35:00.002-05:00

Another video for our family and friends. This video is from our first 2 and half weeks in Russia. Enjoy.

Watch here

Gotcha' Day video

2008-03-07T13:45:00.002-05:00

For our friends and family. Enjoy!

Watch here

Big News!

2008-03-07T12:10:00.002-05:00

We're coming home early! I hope that doesn't mess up the plans of our friends and family that are going to meet us at the airport but you all know how much we want to come home. We'd love for you all to still come if you can.
We went to the Embassy today to get the boys' visas and paperwork but we did not have time to have them registered at the Consulate since Monday is a holiday here. We won't have the paperwork ready in time before we leave so we will send in the paperwork once we get home.
Anyway, the earliest we can leave here with available flights is Monday morning so that's when we're leaving. We will arrive at the same time we were going to arrive on Tuesday. We are very happy to be able to come home early!!!

We made it to Moscow.

2008-03-06T05:11:00.004-05:00

Thanks for your prayers for safe travels. Jadon did however scream his head off for most of the flight. I got about a 15 minute break though (see photo). It was a long, tiresome day for all of us. We ended up going to bed at 7pm but we woke up at 4am. I hate the time changes, it messes us all up!
It's nap time so that's why I have a moment to myself and can post. We had a delicious lunch of what looked like meat loaf patties, potatoes and apple blintzes. The blintzes (crepes) were yummy! The kids were so tired and they've fallen asleep almost immediately.
I can't believe we have to spend 5 more days here! We just want to get home!! Tomorrow is our embassy trip where I believe we will get visas for the boys and have them registered and such. At least we'll get out for a while. I think we'll try to go to Red Square with the boys tomorrow if we can get a ride. I'd love to have pictures of the boys in front of St. Basil's.
It is so incredibly expensive to stay here. Our credit card is just about maxed out on hotel charges alone! We'll be lucky to leave here with 5 bucks in our pocket!
Anyway, the kids are doing remarkably well for all of the changes they are going through. They are amazing! (Note to Lyette R. and Cheryl: Need help and advice for our strong-willed child. Can we jump in on some classes when we get back? ;) )
Thank you for all of your encouraging comments, they really bless us! Keep those prayers coming!!

We're outta here!!!

2008-03-04T03:32:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted last but I've got my hands full with two crazy little boys! Aren't they cute? I'm at the business center right now so I can't post more pictures but once we get to Moscow (tomorrow) it'll be a lot easier for me to keep you all updated, I think.=)
Emotions are running wild for me. I don't think I can even articulate them at this point except to say how overwhelmed I am. Instant motherhood is way harder than I could have ever imagined but how can one really prepare for it? I'd appreciate your prayers for patience and understanding, wisdom and endurance. I know when we get home with our boys, it'll be easier. Parenting in a small hotel room is no easy task for anyone, right?
Thank you all for your prayers, we feel them and see them answered in amazing ways. We can't wait to share with all of you how many of them have been answered. We have been blessed beyond measure.
We leave Kras in the early morning tomorrow for Moscow where we will stay for 6 more nights completing paperwork and getting passports and visas for the boys. Please pray for this flight with our boys. I'm a little worried about how they will react to flying. Jadon I'm sure will scream his head off for most of the flight. Please pray me wrong!!!=)
We love you all and we cannot wait to get home!

Some pic's for you all.....

2008-03-01T09:11:00.002-05:00

Gotcha Day!!

2008-02-29T21:10:00.004-05:00

Introducing Jadon Paul (our youngest) and Roman Christopher Goeppner!!!!
This is our gotcha day photo. The woman in the photo is Galina, the orphanage director.

The day I thought would never come has come! We picked the boys up at the orphanage last night around 7pm. It was a pretty quick visit, we just changed their clothes and put on their snowsuits and left. The car ride to the hotel went great. Our oldest looked out the window in amazement and our youngest quickly fell asleep in my arms. We got back to the hotel around 8:45 and played and had snacks and then at 9pm we started bedtime. Our youngest put up a fight for a few minutes and kept climbing out of his crib but he fell asleep soon after for the entire night. Our oldest had a rough night and was up crying every hour or so. Chris was a great Papa and got up with him every time.=)
Today we are trying to keep two very busy boys entertained in our small hotel room. I'm afraid to venture out with them without their passports as their are police everywhere (elections are tomorrow). So, we will try to keep sane in out hotel over the weekend.
Thank you all for your constant prayers and your encouraging comments. We are so thankful for all of you!

Oh the weather outside is....

2008-02-26T07:48:00.002-05:00

.... pretty warm for Siberia. You thought I was going to say frightful, didn't you?=) It was in the upper 30s today so walking around town today was actually fun and not painful. The bad part about it is that all of the snow and ice has melted into black slush. The beautiful ice sculptures have melted and fallen over. We so wanted the boys to be able to experience the ice slides but there goes probably the only fun thing we had to do with them. Oh well, I guess screaming and running down the halls of our hotel will have to do.=)
We saw the boys today and yesterday. It's neat getting to see more of their personalities as they get more comfortable with us. They are very much into routine. Today instead of going straight to the play room, we went to our youngest's group room today and when he saw us he threw himself on the floor and cried. It took him a while to get over it but all was well again once we went to the playroom. Our oldest definitely has some problems with listening but he is very sweet natured and I hope he stays that way. Yesterday as I held him he put his hands to my face and softly touched my cheeks and pushed back my hair from my face, it was quite a moment. I'm a little worried about how these munchkins will do in our hotels for 10 days. Any constructive ideas about entertainment are welcome.
Dave & Beth leave tomorrow for Russia, they'll be going to St. Petersburg first but will meet up with us in Kras next Monday. I am so excited for them to get here! We really miss our family and friends. Sometimes I think we'll never leave this place!!!!! Lord willing, we will one week from tomorrow.=)
We found a new tasty restaurant today which is always very exciting. The typical Russian food gets old real fast and this place was out of the norm, they had waffle fries for goodness sake!!!! On another exciting note, today was clean sheet day at our hotel! It's so sad but I LOVE clean sheet day!
That's all for now. Next post will be Gotcha Day!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

Happy Birthday!

2008-02-22T23:06:00.002-05:00

My sweet baby is 4 years old today. We were able to celebrate with him yesterday and it was great. I'm so looking forward to future birthdays spent with family and friends. Happy Birthday my son! We love you very much!

German Food

2008-02-22T08:54:00.006-05:00

There's a restaurant across from the hotel that serves German food so we've been avoiding it. Come on, who can truly say that they like German food? Anyway, one of the other couples here have been very adventurous and they've eaten just about everywhere around here and this place was one of them. They gave it a big thumbs up so we decided to go with them tonight to dinner. Wow! The food was amazing! I'm sure they had some German food on the menu but I got grilled chicken on skewers and sauteed potatoes and it was incredible. I am full for the first time since arriving in Russia. After dinner we went sliding down a huge ice slide, that was fun. Some of the local teens were sliding down sanding up, craziness! There was frozen blood at the end of the slide where that method didn't work out too well for some kid. There really is nothing else for them to do in this boring town.
Tomorrow begins our long weekend of not being able to see the boys.=( Saturday is a holiday so we might not get to see them on Monday either. We'll have to start all over again with our youngest if that's the case. What do we do for 2-3 days? Walk around and try new restaurants is about it. No wonder why people are so grumpy here, it's cold and there's nothing to do! Please pray that our weekend goes by quickly for us.
Thank you for your prayers and uplifting comments!

Hangin' Out

2008-02-21T03:40:00.002-05:00

That's what we've been up to lately. We visited the boys yesterday and this morning and will again tomorrow but we won't see them over the weekend.=( The time we've had with them has been great. I think we are really connecting with them. Our youngest is still very much attached to his caregivers so I'm praying that we don't upset him too much by taking him away next week. Our oldest is ready for anything I think.=)
We've been hanging out with the other familes over here also. We just had lunch with them at a restaurant where I actually ate until I was stuffed. I've been perpetually hungry every day because the food is not very appetizing and the portions are kiddie sized but the buffet today was pretty tasty, except for the cake (the icing tasted like soap). We are trying our hardest today to stay awake during the day and not nap. Our naps have been 8 hours long and we can't sleep at night so we're really trying to get on Kras time now. It's hard, we're both exhausted. It was -9 degrees when we left fort he orphanage this morning! My nose hairs froze!!! It's been pretty cold today but it hasn't stopped us from going out for a long walk. The people here are crazy, they don't even wear hat's or gloves. Chris and I bundle up so much, we look like the little boy from The Christmas Story movie! No wonder why they laugh at us!!=)
I can't wait to post pictures of our sons, they are the cutest! We have some pretty amazing video for you all as well so get ready to be bombarded on gotcha day!
Well, that's all for now. Please keep us in your prayers. We are so ready to come home with the boys but we still have 3 week left! Thanks so much!

The judge said "Da"!!!!

2008-02-18T23:58:00.002-05:00

Woo hoo! It's official! We're Mama and Papa to two beautiful boys! We are humbled and beyond thankful for your prayers and support. All glory and honor and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ who made it all possible.
Pictures will come after our 10 day waiting period of our sons, as well as their new names.
I can't believe I'm a Mommy!!!!!=)

Court Tomorrow!

2008-02-18T07:07:00.002-05:00

Our first visit with the boys went great. Our oldest is a ball of energy and just does not stop bouncing off the walls, literally! Our youngest really warmed up to me and I had him laughing and smiling before we left. We were prepped for court today as well and we are very overwhelmed and a little nervous. Chris will be "cramming" tonight all of the information that they expect the judge to ask him. I'll be "tutoring" him.=) Anyway, court is at 10am for us so 10pm for you. Please pray for us. Pray that God would give us peace and wisdom as we answer the judge's questions and for favor with the judge. Thank you all so much, we love you! I'll post the results tomorrow as soon as I can.=)

We're in Siberia!!!

2008-02-16T21:14:00.002-05:00

We made it safe and sound thanks to your many prayers and by God's grace. There were many prayers answered so thank you all for praying. When we got to the airport in Moscow, we were sure we would have to pay a fee for our overweight luggage but we didn't, praise the Lord! We went to get on the plane and it was brand new!! No more old, scary airplane! Yay! Whoever prayed for that, Thank You!! We had more leg room and felt a lot more safe. There was overhead storage as well!=) So, the trip couldn't have gone any better.
Anyway, we're at Hotel Kras, another prayer answered! We're unpacking and hanging out today. Tomorrow we get to see our boys! We're very excited!!! We won't be able to post every day as we would like as it gets pretty expensive but we'll let you know how our first visit went.
Thank you all so much again for your endless prayers. We love you!

Return from Red Square

2008-02-15T08:05:00.003-05:00

We just got back from our tour of Red Square. It was very informative and interesting. We saw the Kremlin, Lenin's tomb, St. Basil's Cathedral, Goom (a famous mall) and many other stores along the way. It was pretty cold outside but we were warm except for our faces. Our tour guide really knows her Russian history. She knows way more about Russian history than I know about American history, very sad. She also filled us in on the Russian Orthodox religion and the meaning of all of the russian holidays. My brain hurts from information overload!=) My body hurts from walking many miles, I'm so out of shape.
Anyway, that's the extent of our day so far. Tomorrow we will leave the hotel for the airport around 5pm. Our flight leaves at 9pm for Kras. I'm so excited to get closer to our boys!

Hello!

2008-02-14T11:15:00.002-05:00

Hello from Moscow! It's about 7:15 here and we just finished a mediocre but cheap dinner of microwaved pizza.=) I don't think it was suposed to be microwaved but oh well. We decided to go to the market down the street for dinner instead of paying $70 for dinner at the hotel. It was a very nice market, I think we'll visit it again on our way back with the kids.
The medicals were a breeze. We saw 8 doctors each of which we spent 2 minutes with answering boring questions. One of the doctors asked if the crocodiles are a nuisance, how random! The best part was that I didn't have to have a breast exam! We left our clothes on, praise the Lord.=) The worst part was waiting for the doctors to arrive and then for them to complete our paperwork. We were very hungry and thirsty. It took about 2 hours total. For all PAPs waiting, don't stress about it. It was a piece of cake.
After the medicals we came back to the hotel and then walked down to the market for our dinner. Did I tell you we're at Hotel Tverskaya? We were supposed to go to the Rennaisance but for some reason we ended up here. It's very nice and everyone speaks english for the most part. We got a free upgrade because they were out of regular rooms so we're in a suite. This would be great for the boys since the bedroom is separate. Maybe we'll be blessed with a suite when we come back.=)
Well, that's the extent of our day today. We're going to have a tour tomorrow at 11am and we're looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it went.

Good Morning!

2008-02-14T01:19:00.002-05:00

I slept for 14 hours last night! Yikes, that's a long time! I woke up at 6am and did a little internet catching up. We have internet for only a few hours more and all of you are sleeping right now.=( So, we will purchase internet again on Friday at 2pm our time, 6am your time. We will be available for Skype and I hope to hear from you guys!
We had breakfast this morning at $40 each! It was good though and we won't eat again until later tonight.
Anyway, our medicals are today. Whoopee! I'll fill you in on the details Friday. Until then, keep us in your prayers.=)

Follow Up

2008-02-13T08:15:00.002-05:00

Okay, Chris is taking a "nap" but I think he's down for the night. I just took a shower and it's given me a little bit of energy so I thought I'd burn it off with this post.=) We are very exhausted. We've been up for 24 hrs with small naps in between. One can't really get solid sleep on an airplane, even with exit row seats. It's 4:20 here now. We had "dinner" an hour ago at the hotel, very pricey but good. I'm not brave enough to venture out into the city and try and find a restaurant that makes good food but is also cheap. My Russian is not that good.;)
Our medicals are tomorrow at 2:30, sorry I didn't make that clear in our last post. We actually don't leave until Saturday night. I think we're going to try and get a tour on Friday.
Our driver is the sweetest man but he and every other Moscovite drives like a mad man! There are no driving rules in Moscow it seems. I do see the occasional light but for the most part it seems like a free for all. It's so scary driving on those streets! People make up their own lanes, they park literally wherever they want to as long as there is a wide enough space for 1 car to fit through and everyone rides each other's bumper. The roads are horrible too. I though Palm Beach County's roadway were bad, huh, not even close! I could go swimming in these potholes!;) Somehow they avoid accidents though so I guess it's all good.
Wow, I am really coming down from my energy burst. I think it's time for my nap!=)
Another quick story and I'm hitting the hay. When we arrived in Moscow we quickly made our way through customs and waited at the baggage claim for our luggage to come out. Well everyone's bag was coming out but ours and a few others. Then another spurt came of new bags and 2 out of 3 of our bags came out and then the coveyor belt stopped. Uh oh, I thought, we're down a bag but Chris ran down to the end of the belt and sure enough, our 3rd bag was the last bag out! Thank you Jesus!
Night Night!

We Made it to Moscow!

2008-02-13T04:34:00.002-05:00

We're here, waiting in Hotel Tverskaya for a room. Check in time isn't until 4 pm and right now it's 11:45 am. Chris is speaking on the phone to our facilitator here to find out what's next. There are a bunch of families with their newly adopted children. I can't wait until we have ours! The ride from the airport was interesting. It was cool looking at all of the different buildings and houses. The architecture is so different here. Some of the houses look like they belong in Sweden or Norway. They kinda look like gingerbread houses. Then there are big beautifully built brick houses in gated developments. Okay, Chris got off the phone and found out that we're meeting our facilitator at 2:30 in the lobby to go get our medicals. Pray for that!=)
Alright, I'm getting the evil eye from Chris 'cause I stole the laptop from him. He wants to do some surfing himself. It's very expensive to use the internet service here so I don't think we'll post tomorrow but probably before we leave for Kras. We have service for 24 hours so we'll be in touch by email and Skype with our family today. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your many prayers!

It's The Final Countdown!

2008-02-10T15:27:00.000-05:00

You know that song? It's been in my head for the past couple of days. But it really is! We are leaving for Russia in 48 hours!
Tomorrow I will do a final cleaning of the house and we will pack the rest of our stuff. We are spending the night at Chris' parents house so they can take us to the airport in the morning. I know this sounds cliche but this is all VERY surreal. I feel like it's a dream that I'm going to wake up from. Will somebody pinch me!=) I'm getting a little anxious, especially with all of the packing concerns but I don't think I'll be giddy with excitement until we are on the plane to Moscow. I am not excited about the Aeroflot flight to Kras though. What a nightmare that will be! Lord help me!
I must admit that I am going to miss our dog terribly! Isn't he cute? He has been our only "baby" for 7 years now and I love him so much. I know Chris' mom is going to take good care of him but a month is a long time to be away from him. Can I ask you to pray for me? Pray for Chris' mom and dad too. Not only will they have our dog but when Bethany and Dave leave to meet us in Kras, they'll have their dog and 3 kids too! Pray for God's blessing and protection on all of them please!
Today was such a blessing at church. Our church family showered us with well wishes, love and prayers. They are all genuinely excited for us to bring our boys home. After all, they've been praying for them and us for the past 2 1/2 years! We even have a pretty big group meeting us at the airport when we get home with the boys. I just can't wait for everyone to meet them! We are actually going to have a Welcome Home party for the boys in April so everyone can meet them and celebrate their homecoming with us. We are so blessed to have such loving and supportive family and friends! All of my bloggy friends are welcome to come as well! It would be a good excuse to come to South Florida and soak up some beautiful sunny weather!;) Thank you all for your prayers, advice, love and support. It really means more than you'll ever know to us. Please keep praying for us while we are over there. Our court date is sometime probably in the morning on the 19th so if you are EST you'll be praying 12 hours back which would be sometime at night for you on the 18th. Does that make sense?
We will do our best to keep you updated on the blog. It all depends on internet service.
One more thing, I've decided not to go private with the blog. I spoke to Chris about it and he plans to post pictures on his blog so there's no reason for this blog to go private then. I got tons of responses from you all wanting to continue reading our story. Thanks so much for your interest and support. If ever we do decide to go private, I've got all of your emails.
Well this is it! Next time you hear from us, we'll be in Moscow awaiting our medicals. Whoopee, I can't wait!;) Pray, pray , pray!