Universal Studio Hollywood Fun.

Bryce and Victoria waiting to get into their favorite Jurrasic Park ride at Universal studio in Hollywood.It is a very wet ride so they were covered with their raincoats.V is so exited she is finally tall enough to do the big rides!

Looks like Dad got a shoulder rub from one of the Mummies on the way into the Mummy ride.

Looks like the Shark got Victoria. She is just enjoying exploring the inside of the Sharks mouth.They had a great time and all were tired at the end of the day.

Emergency Preparedness

This time of year it is our family tradition to prepare for earthquakes and other emergencies! On January 17th 1994 our family was living in Northridge ,California when at 4:30 am we were literally jolted out of our beds.The noise and shaking is something I will never forget!! Outside we could hear and see the fire from gas lines in our neighboorhood exploding.Some how we all got out of the house without a scratch! About an hour before the quake hit I woke up and felt an very urgent prompting to get Brianna out of her crib(she was 1 at the time) I had no idea why but,the feeling was so intense that I did it and brought her into our bedroom.Little did I realize a huge heavy bookcase would land right in the middle of the crib where she was sleeping !I will never forget since then to ALWAYS listen to the spirit.Our home suffered such damage we were no longer able to live in it.The bookcases were thrown to the ground, glass was everywhere around us,windows broken, walls severely cracked and nerves shattered! We found out later that we were less then a mile away from the epicenter of the Northridge Quake.

From this experience we always try to be as best prepared as we possibly can.Each year we check our 72 hour kits, our water storage, food storage, flashlights, batteries, matches, first aid kits,radios, etc. We also check and make sure anything heavy is bolted to the walls or ground .We can NEVER be too prepared! We never know when our preparation will pay off.

Watching,Waiting,Wondering and Warm Weather

The last few days have been beautiful here in southern California with the temps being over 80 degrees.The kids had pool fever so I heated up the pool and they had a blast swimming away and warming up in the jacuzzi.

As I am watching kids swim I am wondering what this next year will bring our family.How fun it will be to get out all those baby pool toys and teach another little one to swim and enjoy the water.In regards to our adoption we are watching the developments,waiting patiently (sort of ) for things to get moving again after all the lengthy delays and wondering when all this waiting will end! We have always felt on the right path. Like many other families we will wait it out and see what happens in the next few weeks .Not having specific time frames or expectations does seem to help in this process now so we are not always dissapointed.We have certainly learned the meaning of "rolling with the punches". Let us pray most of the punches are over and the referrals start rolling!

Sweet Caroline is 13 !

It is hard to believe my sweet Caroline is an official teenager! We started out our birthday celebration earlier in the day when Mom made her famous homemade ham,potato and leek soup.It simmers all day and by evening it is so good that I ALWAYS catch someone doing

THIS ! Brianna got caught this time.

After the healthy stuff we went to the sweet stuff.Caroline has always been anxious to have a celebration even before it was her time to be born.Despite doctors efforts she took charge and made an early debut in this world. She had many physical hurdles to overcome but has grown into a beautiful , talented , smart , daughter ofGod. I am now realizing we have 3 teenagers !
It is not an easy task to raise teens these days and feel very blessed that they are really good kids!

Happy Birthday Sweet Caroline!

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!