Family

Family

Friday, November 30, 2012

Two Years Home

Two years ago yesterday we arrived on US soil with our little Russian treasures.Brock and Milana have done amazing. Brock is now 5 and attends Kindergarden and is doing super.He is still a small little guy for his age is happy, healthy,tender hearted, and obedient. He is every ones friend as well.A few weeks ago he runs into the kitchen and says "Thank you so much for being my mommy I just love it" Such a sweet boy ! Milana is 4 attend preschool and is our leader type, super strong willed, loud,fearless,gymnast who is mega strong for her age !! She loves clothes and shoes and would change ten times a day if I let her.She holds no secrets and verbalizes her thoughts very well and very bluntly. She keeps us from not becoming lazy parents.We love her so. It really seems like they have been a part of our lives forever !!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Picture update 3 months home

Fun at the pumpkin patch Oct. 2012
Analiese and Milana our beautiful Russian Princess girls
Brock,Alexander and Analiese enjoying some sibling love
PumkinPatch with big sis Caroline.
Sweet Analiese now smiles freely and often since coming home 3 months ago from Vladivostok
Brock and Milana home almost two years from Vladivostok, Russia
Home 3 months
Before trunk or treating With sis Victoria Brock Milana Analiese and Alexander and Mama
Analiese and Alexander Home 3 months from Vladivostok Russia
Our sweet Alexander. He has become such a big boy in the last three months since coming home Yes, we have been busy around here !I suppose that is true for families with nine children.We are all adjusting to each other in one household as we learn more about each other. We have had many appointments for varies things with the kids.Nothing we did not expect just keeps us super busy! Are newbies are doing great !They are simply amazing little sponges !! We Have our typical adjustments with everyone but feel blessed things with them are going well.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

A few memories of Vladivostok 2012

At the orphanage on Gotcha Day July 1 2012
At the Bluff overlooking city an new bridge in Vladivostok.
Town Square in downtown.
Orphanage visit with Alexander right before court.
Visit with Analiese Dasha on court trip.
Visiting the doctor in her new office.Yes you read that right.
Good bye Russia July 14 2012
I wonder what they were thinking as we were ready to leave their homeland behind.
Vladd Inn. Our second home in Russia
Passing time at the Park by Vladd Inn.
Analiese remembered us!
Typical housing in Vladivostok.
Tran Siberian Railway ends here at the train Station in Vladivostok.
First night with us .
Driving all around Vladivostok with two babies and no carseats. Yikes !!
Our little Alexander the first time we met him. All pretty in pink.
Down town Vladivostok
Out side court building in Vladivostok

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Our little Russians... Home Three Weeks

We have been home from Russia for almost three weeks. Alexander and Analiese are doing really well.Analiese has really surprised us with new found personality. She is blossoming like a little flower that is emerging for the first time.She feels right at home with her siblings and LOVES exploring her new world.She is picking up English very quickly.She says about 15 words consistently but, understands much more.We are mostly working right now with her nutritional needs and muscle weakness and some sleep issues. Once she is a bit stronger we will be able to work on some of her other needs.Alexander is our eating machine. Our baby boy is not going to be little very long.He is such a little charmer and loves to be cuddled and carried around by females. He still shys away from strange men.All the other kids are adjusting nicely to their new siblings.Milana is probably having the hardest time but, she is growing into her new big sister role.It is definitely a busy home with 9 kids but we are doing it and are all adjusting to the new normal of what I call structured organized chaos.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Heading Home !

So, we are almost ready to go home !! We leave for the US tomorrow !! The children are doing well and Analiese in particular has really started to be more relaxed and comfortable and SMILE !! Yes she can do it !! She has even testing her limits which I am happy to see. She is known as the little princess here at the Vlad Inn. Little Xander is known as the sumo baby. He has some major cheeks !! Little Alexander has been very happy since the day we met him. Both have been eating and sleeping very well. They have learned to kiss,snuggle,and both enjoy being carried around All THE TIME ! We have had our stressful moments as well but, we will save those for next time. We are exited to go home and have the whole family together ! It is with mixed emotions I say that since over the last year and a half I have been here in Vlad eight times and have grown to love those here who have helped us in varies ways and have become our dear friends.Our family is complete now so, no more adoptions for us but, I am sure we will be back here again sometime.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Gotcha Day Pics and update !

On Friday June 29th Caroline and I left the US and flew to Seoul Korea. We spent an evening exploring Seoul and took a flight to Vladivostok the following day.When we arrived in Vladivostok we found out our regular place we stay is closed off due to a former president staying there and they had no room for us. We were also not able to stay at the other hotel that others have stayed at down town because it was also booked.Our coordinater was a bit stressed because she had several families that had to stay in a not too great Russian Hotel.The room was about the size of a closet and had super bad smokey odor in it. Well, to make things even more difficult we found out that our little boy Alexander was in the hospital !What ?? He had had a bad asthma issue due to remodeling and dust in his orphanage.We were still able to pick him up as scheduled the following day but, we needed to stay in the smokey hotel room.Yikes !!Thank goodness the following day we were able to get into the Vlad Inn. Alexander is doing very well despite his asthma/ bronchial issues. He is a total love bug and it appears he has been taken care of well. He is eating and sleeping well. He is just super adorable !!! Our sweet Analiese is adjusting a bit better each day. She is trying SO hard to be so courages and brave. Evenings are difficult for her right now. Her sweet blue eyes fill up like crocodile eyes even though she will not cry out loud.I know she is mourning her familiar surroundings. There are several times during the day she will be happy and playing and all of a sudden she gets gigantic tears in her eyes. It is so hard to watch as she goes through this process of loss of what is familiar to her.There have been several times we both have big tears as I watch her through this process of change.I know it will just take some time for her shell to break.Poor baby she is so timid and sweet.We will remain in Russia for another 10 days until all the documents are ready. We already received passports and tomorrow we go to the US consulate.The traffic her in Vladivostok has been super bad so when we get back from our necessary outings we are pretty exhausted.