I Am Ready For A New Year !!

To continue the pattern of this past year,certainly the last couple days could not possibly be uneventful right? The answer to that would be a definite yes!Instead of relaxing we had one emergency room visits, an urgent care visit and two emergency dental visits in less than 36 hours!! First, one of my boys comes down with a really nasty infection so we took him to urgent care because it was after hours.They gave him some antibiotics with pain meds and we were fine UNTIL later that night I took some cold medication for my never ending sinus issues and was severely allergic to it.I new something was very wrong when my hands,feet and mouth were all tingling and I was having a really hard time breathing plus I began to have such intense itching everywhere.I had taken cold medication before and did not have a problem but,in the past couple years I have become allergic to so many things,UGH Anyway, do my history of allergic reactions I had to be treated with a number of things .Soo after spending the whole day and night with those issues, my daughter wakes up early this morning( I am still really drowsy from the meds) and says her mouth really hurts where she had her impacted wisdom teeth pulled last week.So we called the dentist and got her in for an emergency visit.She was treated for minor complications and sent home with a new antibiotic.THEN I finally sit down and try to relax and I begin to drink my herb tea to clear my intense sinus issues and my top front tooth (Veneer) comes out!! I was about to swallow the very expensive tooth! Now mind you it is new years eve and we already went to the dentist on an emergency basis this morning once before ! I call and told them my new veneer came out and they are like wondering what is up with our family today.I was fortunate to get in today (even though it was a four hour visit) and have them put on a temporary until my new veneer is made again!I was really nervous having them give me anything for numbing because of my allergic reaction last night but,I was O.K. So,I am done with any medical and dental issue for a while!!!( that is until my new veneer is done)

In regards to this past year as a whole it has certainly been a a year of personal growth and learning.I honestly do not remember a time as hard as this past year.So many difficult challenges,sickness,losses,disapointments and heartache.I DO see this past year as a BLESSING in that my faith has grown and my relationship with my family and with God has deepened.I have learned that I CAN handle more than I thought I could.I AM grateful for the challenges that have helped me become a better person and has refined me to be more like our savior.I continue to marvel at the great peace and assurance that one can find in the midst of despair.

I look forward to 2009 with the spirit of hope and faith and that the lessons I have learned this year will help me in the next.For those friends who are going through the roller coaster ride of International Adoption let us all continue in our faith and prayers to bring our children home.Let us hope and pray mid January will be the turning point in that direction for Kyrgz families! Wishing you all a wonderful new year!

Finally ...a tree and poem

I was beginning to wonder if we would ever get our tree up but,we finally did!

Victoria enjoyed decorating the little kids tree and playing with her favorite nutcrackers.She went to see the Nutcracker play this year so she was really into them.

The following is a Christmas poem written by my friend Jeri.

When all the gifts are purchased

and wrapped beneath the tree

When all the cards are signed

and sent most lovingly

When decorations have been

placed stockings hung with care

When Christmas smells and Christmas

songs do sweetly fill the air

With a fire in the fireplace

and tree lights all a glow

The most important part of all

I have yet to do,I know

I will kneel beside my bed

and humbly I will pray

That I will choose the perfect gift

To give him on that day.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas with a prayer we might remember that Christmas is about a baby who has become our Savior!

let us remember him!

10 things you might not know

Those of us in the adoption world know things are well...a bit unknown right now so I wonder a bit about what I am going to blog about now since I really would like to write more about adoption stuff.Well at least I do!I have seen several blogger friends put up lists of things they have done or not done and one blogger friend suggesting we share 10 things people might not know.So,here are my 10 things.

1. I am a former figure skater.

2.I am a health "nut" and a nutritionist.

3.I was so small as a baby /child people thought I was a puppet doll-literally!

4.I love anything that needs to be organized or help anyone get organized (The latter does not always work out so well)

5.English is my 6th and last language I have had to learn.I had to learn 5 fluently before age 10.

6.I am a strong supporter of natural alternatives if they can be effectively used .

7.I always wanted to be a Flight Attendant but I am too short. Airlines require you to be 5 feet 2 inches tall.

8.My first child weighed over 9 pounds! He had such a big head! Yes, I love him dearly.

9.In my free time" HAHA" I still love to play spiritual music on my flute. I have played since I have been 8.

10.I still have my russian doll that I recieved at age 2. She has traveled with me to more then 35 countries.

Phew... that required me to think!

I Am Thankful For......

I am thankful that I can go home to Switzerland often even though I am now a transplant Californian!
I am thankful that this little Swiss mountain village I can always call home.
I am thankful for my dear other half Daren!
For my children that tag along on all our adventures!
I am thankful my girls can experience being in the same place that mommy was when she was a little girl!There is nothing like breathing fresh mountain air in the Swiss alps.
Yes,I am thankful for my plump sweet boy! He will cheer anyone up with his loud purring!He is absolutely the sweetest cat ever!
I am so thankful for my mom who despite is visually impaired still has the courage to enjoy her world around her.
I am thankful for the Lords Temples where we can go to feel such peace and love.This is the San Diego Latter Day Saint MormonTemple.
I am thankful my sweet daughter finally turned 16!Now she can officially date!
I am thankful my handsome boy is learning to serve and be a good example.I am grateful for the beautiful sunsets we are able to witness here.
And for the beautiful things God has created for us to enjoy.There are so many other things I could say,but mostly I am grateful for my savior and his deep abiding love for us . Happy Thanksgiving!

The Power of Prayer,Music and Scriptures

The great power of prayers,music and scriptures has been very healing and a great blessing to me the last couple of weeks.About a month ago I recieved a CD from a dear friend not realizing the true value of the gift.One particular song I thought was very touching and thought would be a nice gift to give to someone who was grieving and hurting.Little did I realize It would be me that would be so touched by it.The song is by Hilary Weeks(a Latter Day Saint Vocalist) which is called "Just Let Me Cry".The lyrics talk about how everything happens for a reason and when we have a heart there will be times when it will break.A broken heart is however what gives us strength.understanding and compassion.For those who have experienced this pain know it just hurts! Maybe Later I will figure out how to share this song on here.

Several scriptures have also been a great strength to me.
In Alma 36:3 we read"Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their afflictions, and shall be lifted"

In John 14:18 we read "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you"

In John 14:27 "peace I leave with you,my peace I give unto you,not of the world giveth, give I unto you,let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid"

In Ether12:6 we read "After the trial of our faith do we recieve assurances and blessings"


Thank you so much for those who have prayed for my healing and peace.I have so felt your love and prayers. Even though the pain will not go away today and healing is a process I have felt showered in your love.Thank you my dear friends,family and husband for lifting me and carrying me through.

On a completely side note, maybe we will hear something positive on the adoption front soon which would certainly lift my spirits. I must be patient I know.

One Year Ago

Today officially makes it one year since we started the adoption process! This is the day we signed with our Agency!This however does not include several months of prayer before we started. Has it been easy? No ! Did I think the process would be faster? Yes ! Am I grateful to be where we are at? Yes ! Did I realize we would get caught up will all the country changes regarding adoptions? No ! Despite all the changes,delays, unknowns, and waiting I am totally O.K. with it. I totally know the lord is in charge here. In my heart I also strongly feel things will be moving soon.I have had this very strong feeling of just needing to be prepared. Not just shopping for cute clothes but, preparing our family for some changes and even some unknown challenges.I know the lord is preparing my heart.I know he is preparing our family.I am grateful we have had this year to learn and grow more together as a family .

On another note,I have found it a great honor to be able to voice our opinions. morals and values this week. As a naturalized citizen I especially find it a great honor to be able to vote.Despite the fact that I did not vote for our president elect I pray he will have wisdom in guiding our country. I am however happy that our church put in much effort to help with the passing with proposition 8 here in California. Our traditional values are not always accepted but,it is such a gift to be able voice our opinions and beliefs.

Family Night Fun!

For family night this week we had a fun and messy time carving pumpkins!
Even Caroline allowed herself to get her hands dirty. Wow!
While the kids were busy with pumpkins their dad was busy cooking us all some healthy sauteed veggies!
Bryce and Victoria wanted to make sure we plant ALL of these pumpkins seeds in the backyard.I had to gently explain that we live in a suburb in California and not on a farm.
They were all really getting into things and getting all the slimmy stuff out before
the carving began.It is just always fun to "play together'' as a family.

Gratitude!

These past couple weeks there is just so much to be grateful for.I feel so thankful and humble to watch the Lords hands in our lives!It is just amazing!I feel his love,protection and guidance and it is such a blessing.I just always want to make sure I am thankful and never forget the wonderful blessings our family recieves. One of those blessings is that our adoption process has moved along swiftly and efficiently and we are getting really exited.Even though we do not know when we will recieve our referral I know it will be the perfect time.For now we just try to be productive and Wait patiently!

WIND FIRE SMOKE

Here are a few pics of the smoke that covered our neighborhood due to the wildfires nearby.

This is what it looked like in our backyard a couple days ago. Wildfires are not uncommon here so we always need to be prepared! Every year people lose their homes here in the land of wildfires( and earthquakes too!)

MOM DID IT !

So, yesterday after I dropped off the last kiddo at school I was leaving the parking lot and was turning right when this other car was flying towards me in my lane. I took a very quick and sharp turn and ended up hitting the high curb next to the street.I knew the second I heard the metal rearranging itself that it was not going to be a pretty sight.I called hubby and told him I had a" little" whole in the car.Well, maybe it was not that little.I am the mom who ALWAYS tells hubby and my two teenage drivers to be very careful and not to take any unnecessary risk.OK I shall eat my words!I ended up spending the morning getting a couple estimates.OUCH!!

I Wonder...

I have been doing a great deal of wondering what the next year will bring to our family.Will we have another son or daughter? Will they have brown eyes or possibly blue?I wonder if they will have a special need or two? Will our child be tiny or already a year or two or three? Will it be one child or possibly even two?I think my heart already knows the answer to some of these questions and I just need a little more patience until it is revealed.It is like Christmas waiting for a gift to see what is really in it.So far,the vote in our family has been pretty split between a girl or boy.What does everyone else think?

Good News Update!

Our agency has informed us that our Dossier has been submitted to the Kyrgyz Embassy. We are so exited!

Family Life (This Week)

Our big 22 pound furry member of the family loves to"hang" around.He never complains and is an exellent listener to all who want to vent their frustrations.

Spending a fun afternoon with the family at the Pier in Santa Barbara.
Birthday celebrations is always a great way to get everyone together.We always have a birthday for someone around here pretty often.This time it was for Bryce. My girls hanging out and being silly during family night.
My girls being sisters and having fun.
Victoria( middle) and her soccer buddies. She scored two goals for her team yesterday!YAH!

Weekly News

So,today is a day of mixed emotion.After being a teacher in the Young Womens Organization (girls age12-18) for over 3 years I was released today at church.The Bishop asked me if I would accept a calling in the Relief Society(Womens Organization) as a teacher.Although I will really miss being with the girls that kept me young( or at least kid myself that they did) I am exited to serve the lord in Relief Society.Change is always good even if it just takes a while to change gears.Today after church I had my last Young Womens activity as we went to visit one of "my girls"who had surgery this week.I so much appreciated the kind words and calls I recieved today . I will miss those girls!

In other news ,Bryce scored his first soccer goal of the season yesterday! He was playing so hard that my fair skinned blondie was as red as a fire truck but, that did not stop his determination. He was soo exited! It nice to see his confidence building .The bad thing was I did not have a camera! One of us usually has one but,not when we REALLY would of liked one.UGH!!

Lastly,Our Dossier should be turned in to the Embassy sometime this week.Our case manager is out of the office this week so I dont know if we will hear when it was delivered until she returns . I just pray we can get through the Embassy quickly !

What Do You Think Mom?

Victoria is already trying to decide what to be
for Halloween so,she thought it would be easier to
try on ALL of the costumes we have collected
over the years all at once! She decided this was a lot of work.

Moving Forward

Yesterday I received word that our Dossier is done being translated and will be shipped to the courier in D.C. on Monday to get the last authentifications .The U.S.Department of State will take a few days and then our Dossier will be submitted to the Kyrgyz Embassy.We are making progress! After leaving the Embassy it will be in the hands of those making life changing decisions but,we do not know exactly what happens during this process except that it goes to the Ministry Of Education in Kyrgyzstan.I get strength from the scripture on faith in Alma32:21 "Faith is not having a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true".

Switzerland ,Italy and Florida Pics

Still in translation and Mexico adventure

I was hoping our dossier would be out of translation when we returned from Rosarita Beach Mexico over Labor Day weekend but,it is still not complete. A at our agency said hopefully it will be done sometime next week.It has been a month since we turned in our paperwork.Patience we must have. Our agency also does not have a line for referrals until after our dossiers come out of the Kyrgyzstan Embassy.I guess that makes sense since, we are not all requesting the same gender, age, and some are open to some special needs.I just cant worry about all this too much since I know it will all work out the way the lord intents it to.Its just hard to sit back and wait trust, and have faith. Much faith I must add.

Over the holiday weekend we drove down to Mexico.Rosarita Beach is about 4 and a half hours from here without traffic.The drive down was smooth sailing but, the way back we had a 3 hour wait at the Mexico/US border.It was hot and sticky and a very long wait for the kids. Trying to keep the 2 younger kids occupied in a positive way without any major meltdowns was really a Labor of love! I didnt have any good snacks left so next time I will definitely bring more.They were all wanting something other than Mexican food too.The condo and beach though were really great!Its always good to bring the kids down to Mexico so they can see first hand how blessed they are to have all that they do and become more grateful for it.When you see these little children begging and selling anything they can to survive is soo sad.

Back from Europe and Back to School!

Well,I have jumped back from being a Swiss girl ( as still so many call me) to being a California mom very quickly.One day I am by the Glacier with the goats in Switzerland and the next I am busy buying school supplies,shoes,clothes,picking up schedules.changing schedules,figuring out lockers, and trying to get my kids to get to bed earlier!

It is going to be a busy year.I have four different schools this year.Reece is a Senior and Brianna is a Junior this year.Caroline is in middle school and is going to be very busy because she is in the GATE program this year.Bryce and Victoria are both in elementary but at different schools. Our suburban pretty much knows the way by itself.The trick is always to get everyone to school by 8am all over town and to four different schools! The joys of having children.There is still plenty of room however in the boat (my car) for one more little person we hope to join us soon.

In adoption news,our Dossier is still being translated as of Friday.Our case manager said this takes two to three weeks so it may be done in a week or so.I am not putting specific time frames on anything though. I am still just enjoying getting that Dossier OUT OF MY HANDS!That was the biggest project we have ever had to get together.I am sure it will be worth it though.

When the kids are in school I will post some pictures.

A Few Of My FavoriteThings

Now that I can relax a bit I have been thinking of some of my Favorite things to do. 1. To teach the youth in our church .Every Sunday I have the opportunity to prepare a specific topic to teach my 14-16 year olds, so they can be examples to the world.It is so hard to be a teenager these days and resist the temptations of the world. I have been able to see and witness how loving guidance ,support and love can help them withstand many worldly obstacles and pressures.It is truly a joy to see. On Wednesdays we also get together and serve someone in need or learn a new skill .It is such a blessing to be part of their lives.I am also happy that my daughters Brianna and Caroline and son Reece are part of the youth organization.I know it makes such a difference in their lives. 2.I love to lay down with my two youngest before they go to sleep. I often find out such interesting Things!In the past few days I found out the missing broccoli was flushed down the toilet for fear that I might make it for dinner.I also found out who and why our 21 pound cat Zorro was given chocolate milk. No wonder he is a heavy weight!And last my little one said she thought blue toothpaste would just make a very pretty picture on the bathroom mirror!Yes ,it was pretty just a PAIN to clean. I have come to see that it is not so important who did it as to what they were thinking and feeling at the time. 3.I love to go back and read my old journals to read about my thoughts and look at photos from the past to see how we have all changed. Wow how we all change! The other night my girls and I looked at their baby albums.They sure had a few good laughs about the big hair days .To funny ! 4.My very favorite place to go is to the alps in Switzerland.One of my favorite villages is Lauterbrunnen where I just love to walk and hike and enjoy the incredible beauty.I am looking forward to spending time there these next couple weeks.I love the US but, sometimes I really miss my homeland too.

Out Of Our Hands!

Yesterday morning we recieved our Certified and Authenticated documents back from the Secretary of State and the following six hours were spent making copies, more copies and more copies then putting everything together in the right order.What a job that was!! At 4 in the afternoon I finally had our Dossier all ready to go. I made a trip to my FEDEX friends one more time!Our Certified and Authenticated Dossier arrived at our agency this morning at 9 am. I hope A will get back to me and give me a O.K. before I leave for Switzerland in a few days. Once I know everything is fine with all our paperwork I will allow myself to start having some fun and relax!

Update

So,I have been out of the loop for a couple weeks on the adoption front. Several of you have asked me to update you so ,I will start by saying ,it has been a couple of very stressful weeks.First,we had a family emergency with our son who had a serious reaction to a medication he had never had.I guess this is why they have to put caution or possible side effects on the label .It is just scary when the side effects do happen and its your child! He is fine now with just a few lingering effects.Second, at the same time my sister was in the hospital in Pasadena an hour from here so I was going back and forth trying to take care of things on all fronts.She is fine now too but, as you can imagine my attention has been rightfully elsewhere.I was so busy with taking care of our little emergencies that I had to put my dossier a side for a week or so. Well, as I was triple checking our dossier docs I find a very small but,significant problem on our 1-171 form.Instead of putting Sr. at the back of my dear husbands name they put Jr.It turns out that this one letter mistake is a huge problem because my son is the Jr. and already 18 .Obviously, I am not married to my son and we dont want any confusion about who is who.Seriously I just wanted to cry.Actually,I did cry. AfterI finally got a hold of a live person they told me they would send a corrected one out and I should recieve it in about 2 weeks!I just about flipped and said I need it NOW so I will just have to drive down to Los Angelas and get it myself.That is exactly what I did.On the way back from getting my corrected form I got it notarized and sent it up to Sacramento for Authentification on Friday along with a few last docs.It takes 8 hours to drive to Sacramento to the Secretary of State so we are using a fast walking notary person.She should have it back to us by Tuesday.In the meantime ,I also had to postpone my trip to back to Switzerland a week because of all the stuff going on.I am going to visit my parents in my homeland to celebrate my parents 50th anniversary. I am praying I can get this dossier in before I leave next weekend. If no other problems arise I should have it in my mid week.I realize however,that this whole adoption journey is in Heavenly Fathers Hands.I strongly believe God has already chosen our child and will unite us when the time is right.His timing may not always be the timing we desire but,we must have faith and know that Heavenly Father knows us and knows what is best for us.We will take this journey as it comes even with all the frustrations . In the meanwhile I will enjoy mothering my other children,and continue to build a strong eternal family .

Prayers Answered!

We recieved the best gift today which is our USCIS approval.We have spent much time in prayer with help in getting this processed.It has taken over 4 months!We thank all our friends and family who have kept us in their prayers.I am so happy to finally have all the pieces of our dossier together.It really is better then Christmas.We have had to update forms make changes, redo a bunch of stuff since we were waiting so long and docs are only good for 6 months but,now I can see a light to being able to turn in our dossier.I am feeling so thankful and relieved. A HUGE weight has been lifted.

In other news we had a great time on our vacation to the Florida Keys.We spent a couple days in Fort Lauderdale before heading to the Keys.We stayed at a beautiful resort with lots of fun stuff for the kids including a private Lagoon to swim which the kids loved and snorkeled all day .The kids thought the thunder storms were the coolest thing since we do not really have thunder and lightning storms here in southern California. Reece turned 18 and my sweet Victoria turned 7 while we were away.Since both have birthdays during the week of the fourth of July they are usually on vacation with us somewhere.

Wake up Call !

This morning we had a pleasant wake up call from our familiar Fed Ex guy! Our FBI fingerprints and clearance letter have arrived.I sent them last week with a prepaid Fed Ex envelope and eight days later they are back.Its not a big surprise that we do not have a arrest record but, at least now we can prove it and this part of our requirement is done. I still need to get them notarized,certified and Authenticated but, will wait until I have a couple more things together so I can do them in one trip.I also recieved our marraige certificates yesterday again!We had to order them again because some of the words did not print clearly on the other ones I ordered.Since all these documents are translated every word must be completely legible.

In other news, we had a fun time at Sea World.The first thing the kids wanted to do is the Wild Artic Adventure simulated helicopter ride.I am not sure I will be going on any more motion simulated helicopter rides any time soon.This weekend we have family in town for my nephew Kadens baptism on Saturday and for our other twin nephews Ethan and Owen baby blessings on Sunday.Lots of activity and family time.

Progress Made

This past week we were able to get our FBI fingerprints taken and sent out.This was one of the new requirements for our Kyrgystan dossier.Our agency informed us the FBI should process it quickly if they know it is for an international adoption.I followed the instuctions carefully so hopefully we will have clearance in a couple weeks.We also updated our medicals.We did them to early not knowing the delays and changes in the dossier.We also had to get a new cover letter for our Home Study because some of the attachments were no longer needed with the new changes. The list goes on but, at least we made progress.Now we wait again for others to do their job so we can move forward .

It was a quiet week here with two of the kids in Arizona visiting my brothers family and grandparents.I have totally forgotten what it is like to have three kids verses five.It was like a mini vacation at home.I guess I must really be used to organized chaos.On Monday we will take the youngest three kids down to San Diego for the day.I will take them to Sea World while dearest husband attends a meeting and will join us later.

Introduction To Our Adoption Journey

Ok, so I have just entered into the world of blogging, thanks to my sister Tanya( ironically an adoptee from Korea) and daughter Caroline for helping set up our families new adoption blog. I am not as computer savvy as they are so, I am grateful to get started journaling about our adoption process of our hopefully soon to be son or daughter from Kyrgyzstan. Family history and journaling is important to me so what a great way to remember things that might eventually fade in our memories.

Our adoption journey started back in November of 2007 when we signed with our agency and shortly thereafter started with our Home Study. The Home Study process was not to bad except it took so long to complete and get written up. Being one that likes to have things done in a timely manner this was my first lesson in patience. During this time and since our completed Home Study we have had so many changes including new country requirements for our dossier. So far this journey has been a lesson in patience, endurance, and letting go of any control you think you may have.