Hallooooweeeeen CUTIES!

Fix It Yourself!

When the kids are left alone with dad....hmmm?

On Stage!

Happy October!

Soooo have not posted in a while...hmmm wonder why with 4 kids flying in every which direction;)

A little update on the Hopee girl-She likes Sesame Street and gets a little more distracted these days (weewwwww).

She understands everything we say...and even giggles when she is purposely ignoring us;)

She is getting so tall! Can't believe she isn't even 2 yet!

She loooooves her daddy....and follows him everythwere he goes.

If I get mad at Noah, she is always there to yell at me back and hug Noah..awwww

She loves animals! She calls out to our outside cat...'Poo Poo'...its adorable!

She still is quite clingy to Mama..and misses us so, when we leave her with grandma.

Bathing is still not her favorite.

She loves her tricycle.


Well, October is almost gone...this year has been sooo exciting with a lot of firsts for Hope-guess that is why we haven't been able to stop and post...its been even too fast for pics at times. Hope tried her first pony ride and screaaaamed! I got scared my first pony ride too-but she was just shaking all over...hmmmm guess her Kazak/Kyrg genes haven't kicked in yet?


Anyhoo, here are a few photos. Hope your season is jamming;)

Happy Six Months Hope..

This month mommy got a new minivan;) and today Hope has been home offically, for six months now...wow! Feels like yesterday we met her little pale face, bundled up in a too-little, blue dress. Hope you are just fabulous! Your intelligence just amazes us, your kindness and affection is a gift to the world and people around you.

You will be 19 months old this month and your hair is just getting so beautiful. You are starting to get curious about the potty and your songs are endless through out the day;)


America is under a lot of stress these days, not everyone is living comfortably-but those who are know that its a blessing, to still be able to smile and focus, on what is truly important in life.

GOD will take care of us sweetheart, I love you so much Hope Isabel.


P.S. Hope loves to look at pics of herself on my blog, as soon as she hears the music, she knows I am looking at my blog...and so she begins to wiggle with delight.

Another Month Gone By...

We are soon saying good-bye to the month of August..our kids are all in school and will soon all be a year older before we know it;( Fred's B Day is even coming up! Time just goes by so so fast...my daughter still feels so unreal and such a dream to us-God is too good.

Unfortunately, when days go by..some pain does resurface of loss..loss of our dear beloved Arturo, my uncle Arturo. I see him in my Hope and it just hurts sometimes that he isn't here to see her...see my dream finally to life. Sometimes life is just like that I guess...sometimes I am just selfish I guess. He's in a better place, but we're still here, we will still face more suffering in this world. I know God is teaching me and shaping me for his future, a future I look forward to also. It's hard to not look back though isn't it? Before we take those giant steps, we want to look back a few times more..to be certain that we are going the right way? Look back, to hold on some more to what once was...I was watching such a good movie with Freddy tonight, and after such a good church session on 1 Samual, young David's perseverence and strength and protection from GOD...I guess I just feel inspired tonight to say:

Persevere, persevere, fight, fight folks..its only one life, so it's worth it...it's worth tripping & falling before you try again..because, you will get there eventually, if you see it. I still have these desires some days, to think about more children, adopting more, saving more...I dunno, I guess I will wait for GOD's queu, he'll let me know...Just keep your prayers open for your neighbors...its one tough life, and there is just so much need these days. Pray for those who have no job, who have lost someone, who are ill or just struggling with life these days. It is so much easier if we care. God built us to care.

We were all supposed to have a good life...remember that.

good night xox.

Back to school!

Today we survived our first day..it was quite fun and went quite smoothly. The boys have been blessed this year with great teachers! I am so happy for them. Noah was quite upset though, because he really wants to be four already so he can go to school too;( It broke my heart...but he'll be in school before we know it! Noah has come down with bronchitis it seems..so I'll have to take him to the doctor tomorrow, and my head has been aching along with my sinus..hope, I'm not coming down with something as well...anyway, gonna go to sleep now..I need all the rest I can get, I have algebra tomorrow...eeeeeek!

What's Hope up to these Days???

*She shakes her head No (alot) and nods yes.

*She brings me a diaper for her changes

*She takes off her diaper herself first thing in the am..ugh

*She sticks her butt out when she does poopoo and wants to be changed

*she points a lot

*she claps her hands when she gets her way

*She is starting to bite her nails

*She stills pulls out her pigtails

*She loves shoes (anybody's shoes)

*She notices everything (hair color changes, makeup, new clothes, booboos, etc.

*She still likes to hit!

*She loves to call out to her 'MAMA'

*She's always stalking Dad!

*She's a climber!!

*She recently fell onto rocks..and is sporting a nasty scrape on her eyelid..ouch!

*She's doesn't want to eat much..cause she's teething.

*She wants to sleep in her brothers' room..awwwwwww.

*We often tell her 'NYET' its the only way she gets it..hehe.

Her speech has not picked up much, but she does do a lot of connective-babbling or singing at times hehe....so she's really wanting to talk, and I have a feeling that once it does come together..there won't be any problems...she's gonna be a talker;)

Also, we have been fortunate to connect with another set of PAP's who also adopted a little Kazak/Kygyz girl from Moscow, her name is 'Ava'..and it has been so much fun getting the girls together..how blessed are we? Hope now gets to grow up with another little girl like her;) Ava also has two older brothers who are just the sweetest....hmmmm who says GOD doesn't plan everything?

Good-Bye Summer..

I FAILED ALGEBRA!

Well, as you know school is just around the corner for all of us.. with yet, another semester of algebra for me 'ding ding' round 2! I took a final exam and FAILED IT! GROSS! What is wrong with me?...Just when I thought I was making peace with the subject and actually getting descent at it..I end up failing arggg..life's crazy! Funny thing is, that I don't really mind taking another math class. I told myself at the beginning, that taking it slow is better this time. I like learning, and learning from my errors is even better, as well as getting back up on the horse..and riding, riding it all out.

Anway, enough about me...I did start some back to school shopping for clothes-supplies, not yet...I'm excited for a new year, a new grade, tons of new experiences. I hope and pray for the best for Frederick(gr.3) and mackenzie(gr.1). It will be tough for both boys, as these grades can be challenging. I will get to get out more with Noah & Hope....wooooogh..that should be nice..I'm a tad tied down at the moment with 4 away from school...I choose not to go anywhere far with 4. We had/have some last few plans before school starts, like possibly attending our Adoption Agency Lighthouse's reunion in Michigan...I've always wanted to see Michigan, though we are not sure how this will go, because Nascar is being held there....so ???? Dunno.

I wanted to go to the museum with the boys and the zoo..now that its rained a bit and cooled down...I feel as though we did not do enough this summer;( I guess with the family adjustment and all...it wasn't easy. Even though the boys have clearly bonded to Hope and her to them...I wish I did more with them. Hey its never too late, perhaps its better once school starts, things will be less crowded, more schedules and on track-Anyway, I'm grumpy in the Florida summer heat & so is Hopee;)

P.S. Hopee now says 'Hi' to everyone in sight these days...lol. She just loves attention, and when we make fun of her crying..she sticks her tongue out at us! It's adorable. I really gotta catch her on video.

speaking of videos:We saw this epsiode on 'America's Funniest Videos' where they were asking children where babies come from...and so we thought of asking our kids to see what they'd say on video...Two of them said babies come from Mommy's tummies, and Noah, said they come from Russia, because that is where Hopee's from! FUNNY! There's a 3 year old for you;) He'll just give it you straight.

Question-Re-Adopt or Not?

This came up during the passport process..but I am just curious now-should we readopt Hope or not? The state of Florida does not require it..but will it be easier for school etc.?

What are your views or experiences?

any advice will be helpful-thank you:)

1st post placement completed...

I've posted these here before...her room now is just a lot messier now with 2 kitchens and pots & pans everywhere..I'll have to get a pic of her in her chef's hat & apron;) Its not so fancy..its just a very pink, fun room that we had so much fun creating (my hubby & I) together.




We did our first post placement with our Social Worker 'June'...it went smooth, yet it kind of sneaked up on us and so now we are racing around trying to get other stuff together, like photos and probably a courrier service to make sure it gets to Russia on time.

These post placements are very important to Russia, and it is important that we are prompt, so that future PAP's can adopt from Russia. I just wish I wasn't running around right now!

Hopefully the next one (in another 6 months) is more relaxed. Hope was her happy self today and was showing off for June. June was impressed with Hope's communication and interaction with the boys.

She also loved Hope's room;)


So, some advice is...make sure you call up your agency to prepare ahead of time for the first post placment..or you'll be like me right now....a chicken with no head. This kicked us in the butt to go ahead and do Hope's passport too...(no I didn't do it yet). Its not easy to think of everything and to run around now with four kids.


Mercy-please;)

Hope's recent favorite activities..

I could not stop laughing at Hope yesterday...in the middle of a movie we were all watching together (bicentennial man, which was very good). Hope decided it was too quiet, so she started to tickle my feet and daddy's feet..hehe she laughed as we played along with her..and then I guess she wanted to up the activity by biting our toes..hehe and ewwww...our boys were roaring laughing, and that made her giggle harder with delight..the lil trouble maker...she's hysterical! She loves to be the center of attention. Is this just a little girl thing? Do we women just grow up wanting to be in the spotlight? I wonder as a mother of boys..I don't remember this behavior at all. During the movie there was piano playing, and that really caught her attention as well as any other kind of music that was playing. She just loves to dance...too bad I gotta wait till 3 to start her in something..this little girl was just born to dance or perhaps play an instrument ( I always wanted to play piano as a child) so I am so excited for her! To have a daughter, and just be so excited to see her grow..is just such a pleasure. I see her play 'pow pow' with the boys and water guns..its hilarious, how much and what she has picked up in the little time that she has been home...I don't think I totally realized till yesterday, just how much we needed Hope in our lives. Even my husband has mentioned that he feels so completed by Hope. She throws her arms up in the air every time she sees him and he loves it-cause all little girls would be afraid of him...but not his Hope;)


P.S. Maybe Hope will be a singer too..cause boy can she scream..lol..what a voice-we can hear her anywhere in the house...truly unique!

I gotta start posting videos.

No More WINGS for NOAH...

We officially have 3 fishies now in the pool...good for you Noah bean!

Mommy's Little Ballerina

need I say more?..

Is this girl for real?

She is just the feistiest, sweetest, tippy toed Princess (with extra wide feet;)

Adrienne's OUR JOURNEY OF LOVE BLOG

BACK TO SCHOOL...

For me that is!

I had previously mentioned, about going back to school to finish my degree in nursing(RN)-and I usually do what I say I am going to do..wink*

Cannot lie and tell you it has been easy with four screaming children who are constantly BORRRED! Sheesh..but I am determined. My daughter has inspired me to be all that I can be for her and the boys...and with such an unsure world-its better to just be prepared!

My Uncle Arturo has been gone for exactly a year now (this past July 11th)..it feels as though it was only yesterday that our hearts were shattered with such stunning pain...pain that almost caused me to give up on Russia & Hope;(

I PRAISE GOD for his FAITHFUL LOVE & STRENGTH for my family...Arturo's murder has not been solved yet...but its in GOD's hands. Knowing this, doesn't always take the pain away, but it helps me wake in the morning...and it helps me seize the days and moments with my family & precious children.

Leave the world's UGLY outside..a voice whispers...Freddy you have been too good to me..putting up with my bad days;( I can't imagine my life without you...you are such an incredible man, husband & father...I love you baby!


GOD BLESS YOU GUYS xox Hope your summer has been as special as ours Amen.