tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17669512937695904932024-03-20T06:01:12.046-06:00Van Nice Family Journeygittevan@live.comBrigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.comBlogger333125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-88094987036413193282018-01-22T11:12:00.000-06:002018-01-22T11:12:26.042-06:00JacobWe don't get to hear Jake's sweet voice very often as he's always angry and yelling or just quiet! Today we got to hear his voice... he was talking and talking.. Yes Yes he says! Music to our ears!<br />
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<br />Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-4888669733933857752018-01-18T14:43:00.000-06:002018-01-18T14:44:23.158-06:00Bringing it back!Someone told me yesterday that I should start a blog... I thought "well I have one.. and I do have a lot to tell you" all about with our family and as our kids get older it will be nice to have a documented place to share about what we are doing. SOOOO.... over the next couple weeks I will be updating here and begin sharing more about our life... our journey... with kids, and getting healthy, and the quirks, troubles and fun of raising 6 kids. Stay tuned and enjoy the ride!Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-21590596652288161292014-08-26T18:43:00.002-05:002014-08-26T18:46:00.817-05:00It's about ME!!!!Typically I write about everyone else in our house.. about our kids and what they are doing. Today I am taking a break from writing about the kids and writing about myself.<br />
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I am 43 years old.. I will be 44 in a couple months! I have spent much of my adult life not liking myself. Maybe not so much myself as in my personality, but more my body and how I look. Many of you don't know this about me, but in 1998 I weighed in at 425 lbs. Yes this was me......<br />
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I don't remember getting that big... but I do remember being that big and how awful I felt about myself for so many years. I tried to diet and nothing seemed to work or give me the results that I wanted. I walked and being 425 lbs that was an effort... didn't lose a pound. I decided in early 1998 that I wanted to have the gastric bypass surgery.<br />
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In July of 1998 I had my surgery and so began my new life. For those of you that think I took the easy way out.. let me tell you a little bit about me now....since surgery. I have to have my iron checked every 6 months because I get anemic quite easily... I can't just take regular iron pills... I have to go to the hospital once a week for 6-8 weeks and have IV Iron infused into my body. I give myself monthly injections of B-12. I am now lactose intolerant, I can't eat a lot of sugar at any point. I have to be careful how well I chew because things get "stuck" in my stomach opening and I end up throwing it up to "unclog" the blockage. If I have too much sugar or too much fatty foods, I have what is called <a href="http://weightloss.about.com/od/obesityhealth/a/bl_gastdump.htm?utm_term=what%20is%20dumping%20syndrome&utm_content=p1-main-1-title&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=msn&utm_campaign=adid-eeb0607c-c981-4d7a-bc4b-91feb2429f3f-0-ab_msb_ocode-4343&ad=semD&an=msn_s&am=broad&q=what%20is%20dumping%20syndrome&dqi=dumping%2520syndrome&o=4343&l=sem&qsrc=999&askid=eeb0607c-c981-4d7a-bc4b-91feb2429f3f-0-ab_msb" target="_blank">dumping syndrome</a>. It's not pleasant and it's not fun. Many others have other issues after gastric bypass and everyone is different. So I guess if that is considered the "easy way out" then YES I did it.. and I would do it over in a heartbeat.<br />
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I knew that if I didn't have it done, I would either have already had a heart attack or I would have been dead! I can almost say this with 100% certainty. At not even 30 years old I had the precursors for all the nasty heart issues and diabetes. <br />
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I have lost 225 lbs.. some days its 215...I currently hover around 200 and 210lbs... YES I put that on my blog!!<br />
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It's taken me a LONG time to love my body.. A LONG time to come to terms with who I am and to love myself and embrace my curves and my stretch marks and my 43 year old saggy breasts! I love who I am. I am a beautiful, sexy, sensual, wonderfully fabulous real woman! I don't wear a bikini to the pool but I do show some cleavage now and then. The people in my life who matter to me, think I am sexy and beautiful too. Those that say I don't live up to the stereotypical "beautiful woman" can go to hell! LOL But seriously, if you don't like me..... don't look at me! I am at peace with my body and my clothing size and I will continue to be!<br />
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So if you see me out... showing a little more than you think I should.. smile and know that I am comfortable with myself and I am ok having curves and flaunting them!<br />
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<br />Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-76132071187901504472014-07-10T23:30:00.000-05:002014-07-10T23:30:00.228-05:00Where there is Joy.. there is also Heartache!!10 years ago.. when we started this journey with Down Syndrome (and it was almost 10 years to the day), I never dreamed that our lives would be where they are today. I never dreamed that we'd have 6 children, 4 with DS and three adopted! <br />
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We have had some pretty amazing times and made some pretty amazing friends because of this journey. I am so thankful for this path that God has us on. <br />
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But with all the joys, there have been trials and sorrow. Maybe because it's because I am more aware... or maybe because of the communities that we are a part of but we have seen many of our friends lose their children. Some have lost children due to cancer, heart failure, cystic fibrosis, car accidents, drowning and some for reasons that we might never know exactly. <br />
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Mothers and Fathers who have had to say goodbye to their children (youth and adult) much much too soon. It's par for the course I guess. Being in a community where children are prone to the illnesses listed above, it's inevitable right? That may be right... but it doesn't make it easier.. not one...single.. bit.<br />
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I have been affected in many different ways by people's passing. I have cried many tears for those people who I have never even met and their losses. There are some that hit me harder than some. Children who remind me of my children have been the hardest, or are the same age as my children. I think because I see so much of the person who has passed in my child and I can't help but think if it were us... how exactly would I continue to live without one of my children. I am not sure I'd be strong enough to make it through.<br />
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Tonight for instance... my friend, Leah Baker whom I have never met in person, but have always felt a connection with said goodbye to her daughter, Ashton. Ashton caught my attention when she was voted homecoming queen at her high school several years ago and since then I have followed her mother and Ashton's story. They have been through a lot in their lives. <br />
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Ashton had several bouts with heart issues but always rebounded and then she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Ashton is now with Jesus.. she's free of pain and is flying free. I am sitting in my living room crying my eyes out for a young woman that I have never met. I can't look at her picture without seeing my Josie in her face. Look at this picture and tell me you don't think that is Josie...<br />
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Though I never met her, I feel like I know her. I feel like she was a little part of me.. like every time I look at Josie I will think of "the Queen Ashton" as her mother so fondly referred to her and indeed she was a queen and a diva.. just like Josie...</div>
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Please say a prayer for her family... that they may learn to navigate their life without Queen Ashton!!!</div>
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SO... .while I wouldn't change the path our life has gone down.. where God has lead us.. .I would change the pain that our friends and we have experienced because of it. No one should have to bury their children.. no one! Fly high sweet Ashton!! Fly high wrapped in the arms of Jesus... and please protect Josie and watch over her for me... if you would! </div>
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Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-9108603029021869042014-02-28T16:44:00.000-06:002014-02-28T16:44:56.477-06:00What did you do all day?My husband came home not long ago and asked me "what did you do all day?"... after the day I had, I whirled around and gave him a look. I calmed down quickly when he said "Oh, I didn't mean it like that..... How was your day?" In his defense, he didn't mean it how it came out! <br />
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However it got me thinking.... and after a conversation on Facebook about being a Stay-At-Home-Mom or a Homeschooling Mom, people think you have all the free time in the world to watch TV, relax, and just lounge all day in our jammies. <br />
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I though I would take this opportunity to tell you exactly "what I do all day!" This might get a little long!<br />
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My first alarm on my phone goes off at 2:30 am. That is the time that Joe gets up for work. He leaves the house at 3 am and starts work at 4 am. So that wakes me up and if he doesn't get up from either that or his alarm, I wake him up. Then most every day I return to sleep... some days I stay awake, but not often if I can help it!<br />
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My second alarm goes off at 5:30 am. I typically do hit snooze two times.. for a total of 16 minutes. I think it makes me feel like I am sleeping in. LOL.. though I know different.<br />
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I get out of bed, make a trip to the bathroom and get dressed (typically in lounge pants and a t-shirt unless I have appointments in which case I might re-do my hair quickly, slap on a little make-up and brush my teeth. By this time it's about 5:55 or so. <br />
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Out to the kitchen to make coffee or warm up what might be left from yesterday and get the dishes from before bed into the dishwasher. I then sit down for about 10 minutes while drinking my coffee and checking emails and calendar with schedules for the day. <br />
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By 6:30 the kids start rousing. Katie is always first... then Josie is close behind. I get them breakfast.. Katie almost always eats cereal along with Owen and Josie has toast with cream cheese. Yes, my children are creatures of habit too!!<br />
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Then I get the backpacks ready with snow boots, snow pants, coats on top with hats and mittens. I also make sure that all homework is tucked in their bags as well as any library books. Then I put their shoes by their other paraphernalia. Then we check lunch calendars for the day and see if we are packing lunch or eating at school. If it's lunches -- commence packing lunches.<br />
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I typically have clothes laid out the night before and by this time Owen is typically up and eating breakfast. Everyone gets their clothes and gets them on (only the three bigs). By this time it's shortly after 7 am and I put the dishes from breakfast in dishwasher and make sure everyone is dressed and has socks and boots/shoes on. Then at 7:20, Evelyn gets up and is changed and dressed, followed by Landon. Then out to start the truck so it can warm up over the next 20-30 minutes since it's more than likely below ZERO outside.<br />
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At 7:30 Jacob gets up, changed and dressed and his coat on. Then he is sat in the high chair and had his cereal before his bus comes. <br />
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Meanwhile, I take Landon & Evelyn out to the truck and get them buckled in. Katie, Owen & Josie get their coats, hats, mittens on.. get their back packs and head to the truck. By this time it's 7:50 when Jake's bus arrives. I put him on the bus and then take the other three to school (3 blocks away). <br />
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After dropping them at school, come home, feed Landon & Evelyn breakfast, which can take until almost 8:30 or 8:45 depending on what they are having. Then they are sent to play.... I start cleaning up from the rest of breakfast, start the dishwasher and start laundry. I can easily do 3 loads a day even when I am caught up <strike>which will probably NEVER happen again in this house. </strike>While the laundry is in the washer and dryer, I do the daily chores... sweeping the dining room/kitchen, vacuuming the living room, changing the garbage, taking out the recycling from the day before, going through school papers and deciding what to keep and what to pitch. <br />
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Laundry is constant throughout the day.. so that never stops. At this point we are at 11 am. This is my break time... I sit down.. for one hour... and I watch Young & The Restless...this is my "ME" time during the day. At noon, I feed Evelyn & Landon and let them play while I get the dishes done and the dishwasher (remember I started it earlier) dishes put away.<br />
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Then at 1 pm, the kids go down for a nap. During that time, I finish folding laundry.. make any phone calls I need to make, to insurance, therapies, or doctor office. I also check FB, email and see whats going on in the world, but I generally don't sit down to do this.... it's done while I am cleaning up, folding laundry etc. <br />
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At 2:30, I get the kids up from nap, change diapers, get their coats on and load up to go get kids from school at 3:15. I arrive early so I am parked in the same spot every day! Then pick up kids at 3:15-3:20. Take the carpool kids home and return home by 3:30 and then Jake's bus arrives anywhere between 3:40-3:50. Then it's chaos.. everyone wants a snack... oh I forgot...while kids are down for their nap, typically I will start to prep dinner for the evening too. Snacks then, homework, just utter chaos because by this time daddy is home too. Dinner finishing.. cleaning up the snack dishes and into the dishwasher.<br />
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Dinner is typically on the table at about 5:30 then eat... clean up ... and if I am lucky I get to sit down at 7 pm... but usually someone has something to do or I have something to do out of the house. Typically it's more like 8 or 9 pm when I get to sit down after putting the kids to bed at 8 pm. Then by 10 pm I am ready for bed... sometimes later depending on what I have to do...... which can involve more laundry.....more dishes... or forms to fill out for this or that! <br />
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That's my day in a nutshell... then factor into there, dr appointments, therapy, grocery store visits, school activities, sports, church, etc etc etc. The other day in addition to that I had three dr appts for the kids mixed in there!<br />
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I am not telling you this for sympathy, I handle it just fine most days... however when I say that I haven't had a shower in 5 days, this is the reason why. I don't have time some days and some days when I do have time.. I don't have the energy! LOL<br />
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So next time you are thinking about the life of luxury of a Stay-At-Home- Mom..... PLEASE know, it's not all soap operas and bon-bons! It's a lot of work and there are days (thank goodness not very many) that I would love to escape for a day of 9-5 office work... where no one asks me to do anything extra.. cut their food or change their diapers! Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-55034064479867851342014-01-10T19:12:00.000-06:002014-01-10T21:22:38.572-06:00Thought I would share some of our family pictures that we had taken! They turned out so great!!! Love every single one of them!!<br />
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<br />Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-52951896682053799792014-01-02T22:25:00.001-06:002014-01-02T22:25:04.819-06:00New Year's Resolutions (Who needs 'Em??)I have never really been one to make New Year's Resolutions! They have never really been for me. Though I am also a procrastinator and a quitter... there are probably 100 projects that I either have the stuff to make and never started or have 1/2 started and never finished. <br />
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I've (in the past 9 years) blamed it on the fact that I have kids. (And kept adding at an alarming rate) so who has time for even the most menial of tasks let alone arts and craft time. I sometimes don't even have time to shower on any given day let alone take a ton of time for myself. Who am I kidding?? I would just like 10 minutes to go to the bathroom ALONE! But, with 6 children, that may not happen at least for another 10 years! <br />
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This year, I have decided not to really make resolutions per say.. However, I do want to make some life and habit changes for this coming year. I read on one of my FB friends status (Thanks Diane), that we should choose a word and make changes towards that "word" over the course of the next year. <br />
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So, that is what I am doing. I have taken about 24 hours to decide what my "word" is going to be. I could probably find 100 different words that I need to work on, but one ALWAYS comes to mind to make my life feel more in my control and hopefully make me feel more grounded if I can focus on it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Organization <span style="font-size: small;">is my word for the year. This is something I need to work on. I keep a very strict calendar and I typically know what I am doing on any given day at least a week in advance. I keep three-four calendars. One on the fridge, one on our phones, one in my purse and one on the counter. I also keep a secret one in the cupboard that we don't want everyone that comes to our house to know about... that one holds information that I really only want to share with my husband! lol</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">However the rest of my house is a chaotic mess. Now, don't go calling hoarders (unless you are talking about the floor of my laundry room, then make that call :) ) I am not a hoarder, at least I don't think I am. I can pitch with the best of them. However with 6 kids, 4 of whom are in school, the paper clutter and clothes clutter is OFF.THE.CHARTS!! How can 4 kids in school generate that much paper.. I mean seriously. I try to only keep the really important stuff, but when you're 9, 8 and 6, and 6, EVERYTHING is important. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I feel like if my house were organized and there was a place for almost everything, I could stay caught up. That might be a pipe dream the first weekend I am gone from home and Joe is here with all 6 kids by himself. However, I feel that organization is the first step in me getting in my groove here at home with the two new kiddo's. It's taking me some time to get adjusted. The kids are great and doing great... way better than we could have ever expected thus far, but I on the other hand, I am having a more difficult to the addition of two children. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I sleep better in an organized room.... that's a proven fact for me. I function better in an organized home and I have more motivation to be productive in an organized space. Anyone I have ever worked with can verify this. My desk was always clean... perfectly so.. organized probably more than most people care to look at. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Home should be that way.. not perfect, but organized so if someone wants something, I can walk right to where it IS and grab it for them rather than having to dig through three rooms before I realize it's not in any of them and it's in the garage because I stuck it out there when someone called and said they were coming over in 10 minutes and it needed a temporary home.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">A neighbor came over the other day and came in to deliver a Christmas present for us. My house was clean... however it was cluttered and I was embarrassed. I don't want that to happen again. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, what am I going to do to get organized you ask? I am not really sure beyond a couple things. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am not going to bed until and unless my sink is clean of dishes. It stressed me to wake up to have dishes in the sink... so on night two of the year, we are on our way to that goal.. two nights of a clean sink going to bed and it's been so much better in the mornings.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The second thing that I am going to do is this challenge. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/04/4-weeks-to-a-more-organized-home-assignment-1.html" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/04/4-weeks-to-a-more-organized-home-assignment-1.html</a></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Myself and 21 other people on FB have agreed to motivate each other to do keep up on this activity and hopefully after 4 weeks we'll be a better version of our homes and our lives. I fully intend to continue on this </span></span>on a monthly basis for some of these things to keep it in my rotation. I have added some of this to one of my many calenders and we are starting it on Monday, January 6th. If you'd like to join us and be part of our FB group, please let me know, and I will be happy to add you!!<br />
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I will keep you posted on my progress every couple days. I might even post pictures of what I throw out an what I organize that particular day to track my progress!<br />
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Let's get <span style="font-size: x-large;">Organized!!!!</span>Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-32807278900708035892013-11-19T18:26:00.001-06:002013-11-19T18:26:40.533-06:00We're BACK!!!!!My blog is back open.... yes it is!<br />
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I closed it last year in the middle of October and it's been private for a year. Don't worry, you didn't miss any posts. There weren't any.<br />
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We had a rough year.. a year full of ups and downs for our family. I am NOT going to go into detail about what happened. I WON'T be answering any questions about the past year. It is BEHIND me and I am moving on with my life. Those people that I can trust and I know are behind me, know my story.. those that don't... it's not your concern so please mind your own business and worry about your own lives. <br />
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Now with that out of the way, we'll move forward. Our latest news, most of you know is that we went to Bulgaria to bring home our newest additions. We are so happy to have Landon and Evelyn as part of our family! We are now a family of 8. Here are a couple pictures to get you through until I can update our blog with professional pictures that will be coming later this week! So until my next post, which should be soon with the way our life has been the past couple weeks, Here are our newest additions!!!!<br />
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Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-57168129505335027922012-10-07T07:15:00.001-05:002012-10-07T07:15:52.971-05:00Update on Us!<p>I haven’t blogged in awhile so I wanted to post a quick update on how things are going. Now that we have settled into school and everything else going on, I am hoping to have lots to blog about and be here often.</p> <p>Hockey has started for Owen and Katie has decided to join in with him. Their first practice was Wednesday and they both did great. Owen (at 5 years old) got moved up with the bigger kids. He did awesome at line drills and puck handling on Wednesday! </p> <p>Katie is with the beginners, but is one of the best out there. She gets the concept of skating and did such a great job on her first night with all those pads and with all boys except one other girl. We were so proud of her. </p> <p>Here are a couple pictures of the first night!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-q0XNOZyIxbQ/UHFyMy5XQhI/AAAAAAAACFU/k-luatdgCd4/s1600-h/236%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="236" border="0" alt="236" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Rk41nPL1zO4/UHFyNk7PXxI/AAAAAAAACFc/_WJowkJdfvI/236_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="557" height="384"></a></p> <p>Katie is all decked out in Pink… Don’t they both look cute??</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-F7D5fm2qOoM/UHFyOmMy3bI/AAAAAAAACFk/Ykgrr0pCAC8/s1600-h/259%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="259" border="0" alt="259" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HNqgEsgCutk/UHFyQifTSDI/AAAAAAAACFs/0dqxNx-XMWA/259_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="566" height="390"></a></p> <p>Waiting his turn with the puck!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PAR3Bq7p2Hc/UHFyRW3je9I/AAAAAAAACF0/dM1B9zkDlQE/s1600-h/304%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="304" border="0" alt="304" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bPa6OlvUGnc/UHFySGLmJYI/AAAAAAAACF8/uBbZWWZ0jMk/304_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="575" height="397"></a></p> <p>Still Standing.. she only fell a couple of times!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5d_VGO-zqvQ/UHFyTMNBmwI/AAAAAAAACGE/bjzL_iJrZDY/s1600-h/323%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="323" border="0" alt="323" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DlRluq8Ha6g/UHFyT40InMI/AAAAAAAACGM/icr_M2Ics5w/323_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="582" height="401"></a></p> <p>She’s already got Hockey Teeth! LOL</p> <p>Josie and Jake are doing great. Josie is loving school and so is Jacob. Here are a couple pictures of the two comedians!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oi6MFvcsBi0/UHFyUnANYYI/AAAAAAAACGU/-tjtZ1cFw9E/s1600-h/020%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="020" border="0" alt="020" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-tZGXg2iizrA/UHFyVgmOIgI/AAAAAAAACGc/Ys47cftcxkg/020_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="592" height="408"></a></p> <p>Oh mom.. PLEASE!!!!! </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8Lm681DTMFI/UHFyW9QZWwI/AAAAAAAACGk/H0rXIkYgVkA/s1600-h/073%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="073" border="0" alt="073" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4uMR4xm4rxc/UHFyXrnwDgI/AAAAAAAACGs/okMuMogE6K4/073_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="598" height="412"></a></p> <p>Yep.. I am so darned cute.. booger nose and all!!!!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-j3th08ijl_w/UHFyYi-GcyI/AAAAAAAACG0/Ih615G6AO8s/s1600-h/090%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="090" border="0" alt="090" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EPjZ90BgBxc/UHFyZcdHtcI/AAAAAAAACG8/7I_BI6IlOCQ/090_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="606" height="418"></a></p> <p>Posing at the apple orchard.. Much rather do a photo shoot than pick apples!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ytXvKXETNxA/UHFyasZTWoI/AAAAAAAACHE/N1Fir4ioYmE/s1600-h/182%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="182" border="0" alt="182" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eZ4dZyy8kRY/UHFybu6xlNI/AAAAAAAACHM/fpiXnEk7-wA/182_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="382" height="589"></a></p> <p>Such a big boy with his walker at the apple orchard. He walked all over for most of the morning!! BIG BOY!!!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-me3BhTzpmzs/UHFyc1BfCfI/AAAAAAAACHU/RF04ofW4dsg/s1600-h/195%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="195" border="0" alt="195" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Zo6Ld69jTC8/UHFyd9uyhCI/AAAAAAAACHc/_FPnghQ7Nak/195_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="597" height="416"></a></p> <p>Josie let me paint her face and spray her hair for homecoming which is a HUGE step for her. She typically hates face painting and anything sprayed in her hair!!! </p> <p>Now a quick update on the status of our adoption. We have been submitted to court. We are now waiting to hear which judge will hear our case and when that will be. We are hoping for a court date before the end of October, however I am thinking that it might be the beginning of November before we actually have court, which will mean the beginning of December when I travel to get the kids. We are in a waiting pattern right now so I will keep you posted on any new information! We are still quite short on funds… if you so feel led to donate to our adoption, you can do that with the chip-in on the right side bar of the blog… prayers are ALWAYS needed as well that everything falls into place for travel and court etc. THANK YOU all for your continued support!!!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-327749645435922082012-09-04T21:02:00.001-05:002012-09-04T21:02:31.762-05:00Respite Care<p>I haven’t blogged in awhile… quick update on us… school started a couple weeks ago.. everyone is happy in their new classes and are off to a great start to the year. </p> <p>Adoption – we had our VISA appointment about a week ago..went very well. Now we are waiting for the Article 5 letter to be translated and authenticated and it will be submitted to the MOJ next week. At that point, we will wait for a signature from the Minister and then we’ll get submitted to court for a court date. Then about a month after our court date, we’ll travel to bring our two new additions home! I can’t wait to get them here!! Ahhh I miss them so much!!!!</p> <p>OK, on to the topic of the day! I have had a lot of people ask me recently about respite care for their children. Some agree that respite care is great and very needed…others disagree with respite care and can’t imagine going anywhere without one or more of your children. </p> <p>…today I am going to put it out there.. my feelings on respite care. </p> <p>We live in Iowa… where we have some of the best services for people with special needs. We receive respite care for both Josie and Jacob. We will add Landon and Evelyn to that plan when we get them home. We receive respite through the I.D Waiver. The Intellectual Disabilities Waiver (used to be called the M.R Waiver and yes it is what you think it is). This is a program in Iowa that if your child qualifies for, you can have services for your child while it waives the income of the family. With this waiver, we get respite, supported community living and medicaid (for us its supplemental to our private insurance) along with a laundry list of other services that our kids aren’t quite old enough for yet. The three listed above are the ones that we use for now. </p> <p>We have quite a few hours that we can use of respite per month and we use every single hour. Sometimes we use it so Joe and I are able to have a date night once or twice a month… sometimes so I can do things if Joe is working or vice versa. There are other times that we use it for Josie and Jake together so we can do something with Katie and Owen alone. We have used it individually for Josie and Jake so that the rest of us could do something that might not interest the other one. </p> <p>For instance this past weekend, our respite worker came to our home, to watch the kids while Joe and I went out for a bit.. then when we came home, she took Jake home with her and he spent the night there. The next morning we took the older kids to a tiny amusement park near us for mini-golf, go-carts and a bounce pillow. Then we went to lunch sans Jake. </p> <p>I know some of you are thinking ….. WHY not take Jake with you?? I am going to be perfectly honest here. We love Jake, he is our son… he is definitely part of our world and we love to take him with us to do mostly everything, but he is a lot of work at times. He is 5, he’s mentally like a 6-12 month old and he is the size of a 2 year old. He doesn’t walk on his own, he doesn’t feed himself (at least not at a restaurant). When he’s overstimulated, he pulls hair and head butts. He needs a stroller or to be held wherever we go. Knowing all of this, we KNEW that he would not enjoy or get anything out of watching us do this stuff. We would have pushed him in the stroller the entire day and he would have been overstimulated and too hot to be happy at all. </p> <p>We use respite and I think it’s the greatest service that we have for the kids. Some families use respite for a few hours here and there, others use it to have a little vacation from the trials and tribulations that are their household. We all need a break… we have to have a break and there is nothing wrong.. in my opinion.. with using respite. It makes me a better mother.. to have time away from my kids…whether that be an hour or two days or a week. </p> <p>I would pray that those of you who don’t believe in respite, to please not judge those of us that use it….until you walk a day in our shoes at our homes, you can’t know. I need respite.. I love respite.. I will continue to use respite and I will suggest it to anyone that asks me. What is your opinion on respite? I would like to hear it!!!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-12700643989238288682012-08-07T19:50:00.001-05:002012-08-07T19:50:51.234-05:00Whew…. Finally getting a chance to update!!<p>Our last few weeks has been so busy. I can’t believe how many things need to be done before school starts NEXT week! Ahhhh… So I will give you a rundown on what’s up at our house.</p> <p>On the adoption front: Our I800-a should be approved in the next day or two. We have the same officer as we did previously. Officer L is AWESOME and she even has visited our blog to see Landon and Evelyn. She said that it was nice to see as typically they only deal with the paperwork and don’t get to see the faces attached with all those papers. That was cool. So as soon as we get that approval, it will be sent to the US Embassy in Sofia. Then we will have a Visa appointment that our AWESOME attorney – Toni will attend for us. We will then be issued an Article 5 letter and then I believe our documents will be sent to court, where they will sit until at least September 1st. Courts in Bulgaria are closed until September 1st and have been since mid July. Nice vacation huh?? So my best guess is that we will travel end of October to pick up the kids. SUPER EXCITED about that!!!! We still have a lot of money to raise, so if you are looking for something to do with a couple buckets of money, we have a chip in on our side bar or our Family Sponsorship Account with Reece’s Rainbow!</p> <p>Home Front: Tomorrow we are having two of these delivered: (well since I am late in getting this posted, this was actually today and I will get pictures up tomorrow!!)</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--6MaFIBavak/UCG3xI7CD7I/AAAAAAAACDU/CWrzBm6am-A/s1600-h/5aab44bbc747b14ffff86c5ffffe4174.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="5aab44bbc747b14ffff86c5ffffe417" border="0" alt="5aab44bbc747b14ffff86c5ffffe417" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--CCQgXAbzdU/UCG3x5oRHyI/AAAAAAAACDc/dJVew2vwONY/5aab44bbc747b14ffff86c5ffffe417_thum.jpg?imgmax=800" width="416" height="357"></a></p> <p>and set up in each of the kids rooms. We have been blessed beyond belief to be gifted these beds. Some gracious people who shall remain nameless have been so kind as to purchase these for our family. Also, the man that made them gave us a huge discount as well for our adoption. He is coming to our house tomorrow to set them up. We are super excited to have these beautiful beds in our home. Praise GOD!!!</p> <p>Today we were also gifted two full size mattresses for them. I can’t tell you what a God thing that was. I can tell you though it was an answer to prayer for sure. </p> <p>We painted these rooms this weekend and I will be taking pictures tomorrow of the empty rooms as well as with the beds so stay tuned. </p> <p>The kids: We are getting ready for school that starts AUGUST 15th!! UGH!! I am not quite ready for summer to be over and for ALL my kids to be in school! Makes me sad in fact. I will be alone here at home on the days I have off work. It will be strange, but I am assuming that I will get a lot accomplished for the first few weeks and then I might be a little bored. We’ll see.</p> <p>Josie will be in second grade, Katie in first and Owen in Kindergarten. Jake will have another year of full time preschool. We have all the backpacks packed and ready for the meet and greet with the teachers on Monday. Here they are, sitting at the ready and I have caught the kids sitting and staring at them since I have told them <strike>they are grounded if the even so much as think about touching them</strike> to please keep their hands off the school supplies. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VMBFGJK9ZvM/UCG3yYEE5QI/AAAAAAAACDk/0XuAEtALPCs/s1600-h/552675_10152010773295026_1632302792_%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="552675_10152010773295026_1632302792_n" border="0" alt="552675_10152010773295026_1632302792_n" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VZjAuuo4E6g/UCG3yzSlg0I/AAAAAAAACDo/-37x--gb8cw/552675_10152010773295026_1632302792_.jpg?imgmax=800" width="440" height="449"></a></p> <p>Our summer: At the beginning of the summer, we purchased a pool pass for our family. This is the first time we have done this, however with 6 of us at $3.00 each every time we go, it adds up. We weren’t sure we would get our money’s worth, but boy we were wrong. We were at the pool nearly EVERY SINGLE DAY this summer. We spent the days of 100 to 103 weather we spent having fun in the water! I must say it’s the best money we spent and we made some wonderful memories there this summer. I must say as well, that it has been much easier taking all 4 kids to the pool than it has been having them at home. Not nearly as much fighting and they got some serious exercise there. Here are some pictures from our time at the pool. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-a8wNHHIMdx4/UCG3z6Xt1zI/AAAAAAAACD0/sCxWCDrzSl8/s1600-h/2012-06-13_14-34-06_233%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012-06-13_14-34-06_233" border="0" alt="2012-06-13_14-34-06_233" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9fXebMqQXvc/UCG30jTThaI/AAAAAAAACD8/a3_qyh6pd6E/2012-06-13_14-34-06_233_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="563" height="330"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qsrUvPYpI8Q/UCG31e-b5vI/AAAAAAAACEE/U3T-yuVAy5s/s1600-h/2012-06-13_14-34-39_239%2525281%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012-06-13_14-34-39_239(1)" border="0" alt="2012-06-13_14-34-39_239(1)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lByDdhdUoo4/UCG31yiyEwI/AAAAAAAACEM/tuqy5wYBIR4/2012-06-13_14-34-39_239%2525281%252529_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="568" height="339"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-197xjhI1VwQ/UCG32_sbuFI/AAAAAAAACEU/Z8f4L97hOuY/s1600-h/2012-06-13_14-35-08_777%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012-06-13_14-35-08_777" border="0" alt="2012-06-13_14-35-08_777" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FqVHxI0dnEw/UCG33frTbnI/AAAAAAAACEc/m-mzTE_asMk/2012-06-13_14-35-08_777_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="573" height="336"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-l-_W5xj_4Ho/UCG34o4AZWI/AAAAAAAACEk/qMoJerQdP4E/s1600-h/2012-07-31_14-27-43_582%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012-07-31_14-27-43_582" border="0" alt="2012-07-31_14-27-43_582" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XGlg_-CE6co/UCG35T5OvnI/AAAAAAAACEs/VhVurerrHrE/2012-07-31_14-27-43_582_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="574" height="336"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-idSV6BqlUOI/UCG36ACtEZI/AAAAAAAACE0/1-SXxHhSiXk/s1600-h/406683_10151995819760026_15288671_n%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="406683_10151995819760026_15288671_n" border="0" alt="406683_10151995819760026_15288671_n" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-A-c-VpDEJP4/UCG36o5ICkI/AAAAAAAACE8/UAiv97cZ4Jk/406683_10151995819760026_15288671_n_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="572" height="447"></a></p> <p>Stay tuned for summer part 2 post in the next couple days!!!!!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-43597452466616145952012-07-13T05:00:00.000-05:002012-07-13T05:00:08.910-05:00Happy 6th Birthday Landon!!<p>Today is Landon’s birthday! He turns 6 years old today. This day he has always spent in the orphanage…..but it’s his LAST birthday behind those walls. I am so sad that I can’t be there with him to let him enjoy some cake and ice cream and give him presents to open. I love that boy. I miss him like crazy and it breaks my heart that he is spending this birthday there and not here with the family that will love him forever. </p> <p>Birthdays with Jacob and now Landon and Evelyn always bring me to a different place than they do with my biological kids. It gets me thinking about their “other” family… the family who didn’t think they could care for them.. mostly their mothers. Do they think about them on these days? Does she remember that 6 years ago she was in a hospital so happy and elated to finally be delivering this baby? Or has she blocked this from her mind because it didn’t turn out quite as she had hoped? Did she feel shattered at the thought that her little one was not “perfect” like she had hoped? Does she just more than anything want to forget this day ever even existed? I wonder. </p> <p>I am glad! I am glad she chose to give her child life… I am sad that she didn’t think she had the strength to care for her child, but rather she entrusted someone else to care for him until we could come and bring him to our family. I am happy she did that! He was meant to be our son from the beginning.. God knew that! He knew that we would see him and fall in love with that glimmer in his eyes. He put this into motion more years ago than I can count! He knew! </p> <p>Happy Birthday to my sweet boy! This year we will celebrate on your 1/2 birthday because by the Grace of God you will be home in our arms by then! Today we will celebrate your birth here with cake and we’ll sing to you while each of us blows out one candle on your cake! Knowing that when you are here, you will celebrate a lifetime of birthdays blowing out your own candles surrounded by the love of your ENTIRE family who already love you more than life itself!! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-p66LD2wQcXU/T_9qILZMDmI/AAAAAAAACDA/AnCMMLqlUgU/s1600-h/015%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="015" border="0" alt="015" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Gr46xORqV_Q/T_9qJOvtHjI/AAAAAAAACDI/Qi1jeZQdTEM/015_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="576" height="397"></a></p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-46560384586870766522012-07-07T09:51:00.001-05:002012-07-07T09:51:19.352-05:00Sorry for the absence!!<p>So I got home almost a week ago. My flight from Chicago was delayed so instead of arriving in Des Moines at 6:30 pm, my flight didn’t get in until almost 8 pm, so then we drove home and I got to snuggle the kids for about 15 minutes and we all headed to bed. I had to work the next morning and the kids had daycare. Needless to say, jet lag reared it’s ugly head and I was wide awake and starving at 2:30 am. Nice. </p> <p>Worked Monday mostly in a fog really, but got through the day. We had a nice 4th of July. Parade in Charles City and then back to Grundy for swimming and fireworks in Reinbeck. Here are a couple pictures from the parade that morning.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qz_n2WqCw9s/T_hM3bTz-jI/AAAAAAAACCc/FKB8sbIHLTk/s1600-h/557169_10151915534565026_416244759_n%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="557169_10151915534565026_416244759_n" border="0" alt="557169_10151915534565026_416244759_n" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qy122HR3El4/T_hM4WywudI/AAAAAAAACCk/VEpBT4aaQ8Q/557169_10151915534565026_416244759_n_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="480" height="282"></a></p> <p>Loving the firetrucks and sirens!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AkLfjLPyi38/T_hM5MWpKMI/AAAAAAAACCs/RXCwfYB47yA/s1600-h/205242_10151915521050026_1377938749_n%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="205242_10151915521050026_1377938749_n" border="0" alt="205242_10151915521050026_1377938749_n" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fwREhPik_eQ/T_hM5t1oJ0I/AAAAAAAACC0/4FcyHGaQomU/205242_10151915521050026_1377938749_n_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="481" height="288"></a></p> <p>On a quick break from candy gathering! LOL</p> <p>I have been trying to catch up on housework, though Joe did an excellent job while I was gone… dishes and laundry stayed caught up while I was gone so that was the biggest thing. </p> <p>Been to the pool a few days and this weekend is Felix Grundy Celebration here in town. We’ll be going to the parade this afternoon and to the pool for a few hours before the parade. </p> <p>I have been keeping busy….. have to or I get all emotional that two of my children are 1/2 way around the world and I miss the heck out of them. I will be so happy when they are here with us and our family can start to function with 6 kids. Many people have asked about ages.. when they come home they will be 8, 7, 6, 5, 5 and 4…. so yes, they are close, but I think that will be great for the new ones to just fit right in the mix and learn from the other ones. </p> <p>That’s it for today. I will be posting more… about our process, our busy life and mostly about our kids… here and in Bulgaria!!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-70657755857455444602012-06-27T08:13:00.001-05:002012-06-27T08:13:19.490-05:00Vratsa Bulgaria<p>This is where I am right now…. in Hotel Hemus in Vratsa Bulgaria. It’s a great hotel.. very nice and pretty cheap compared to American standards. It’s 55 leva a night which translates to $35 USD per night and that includes breakfast. </p> <p>The breakfast is good… it was particularly good the first day here when we went to eat at the buffet breakfast BEFORE the about 20 high school aged boys that are staying here too. I believe they are wrestlers and I am not sure what they are doing, however they eat A LOT and sometimes when we get down there, there isn’t much left, but we make due with some bread and maybe an egg or two! LOL</p> <p>There is a beautiful square out in front of the hotel… no cars… just walking… then across the little street is blocks and blocks of shops. Just stores, café’s and restaurants. No cars, only for people walking and it is really nice. </p> <p>There are mountains all around here with these beautiful rock cliffs on the sides of them! Here are some pictures as I ventured around the city yesterday. It’s a city of about 65,000 people so it’s not at all the size of Sofia (2 million or a bit more) but it’s so pretty here. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8CAjuMki8D0/T-sGWD5py2I/AAAAAAAAB-I/JeejQYeJuo4/s1600-h/068%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="068" border="0" alt="068" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xvXNbu_27iU/T-sGW168YSI/AAAAAAAAB-M/isNyPgiq8uc/068_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="539" height="378"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AX1mYyGETdU/T-sGXx3BWoI/AAAAAAAAB-U/bTprV_fvL3I/s1600-h/069%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="069" border="0" alt="069" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dZQ8_Yx02gA/T-sGY5xS66I/AAAAAAAAB-c/-icbJVqsh2E/069_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="539" height="376"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-isHEINLo_AI/T-sGZgteudI/AAAAAAAAB-k/T57Vf-d3o9A/s1600-h/070%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="070" border="0" alt="070" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-k-oA10SQwoo/T-sGaqYCGiI/AAAAAAAAB-w/AjxV7nMhEos/070_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="546" height="377"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WsSewtZooFA/T-sGctOu9AI/AAAAAAAAB-4/uyJsJIHn0g4/s1600-h/072%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="072" border="0" alt="072" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rZqRKNDI8Ug/T-sGfoecx2I/AAAAAAAAB-8/kCUe-eUBBhg/072_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="553" height="381"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6n6UkgM2abw/T-sGgndF-UI/AAAAAAAAB_I/fCJQ-emwdJI/s1600-h/073%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="073" border="0" alt="073" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vhNPbBKybU4/T-sGicjpO2I/AAAAAAAAB_M/hLB3gviO7VQ/073_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="560" height="386"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ILWAxbgwazc/T-sGjfDM-aI/AAAAAAAAB_U/p75zH27tj4c/s1600-h/075%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="075" border="0" alt="075" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-h-ySE7L4ZiA/T-sGkEisAXI/AAAAAAAAB_g/W7VeuZftXIA/075_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="376" height="574"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mvh0aBCyQwo/T-sGlmME3KI/AAAAAAAAB_o/1KPD2kxrD4M/s1600-h/076%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="076" border="0" alt="076" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EmKFBMJL17w/T-sGm43AfMI/AAAAAAAAB_w/mbJoywzy7zY/076_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="559" height="386"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wBDVZ5xH9yk/T-sGn-TmkuI/AAAAAAAAB_0/FfR1nxXcU3U/s1600-h/078%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="078" border="0" alt="078" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-jRLdOq_q_2Y/T-sGonHQJuI/AAAAAAAACAA/v4bmb9YwqMg/078_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="565" height="390"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SCKKAUkFQv0/T-sGp5rvNtI/AAAAAAAACAI/VUTYDOrJmHQ/s1600-h/080%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="080" border="0" alt="080" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fXeIsofxaqM/T-sGr-X6bvI/AAAAAAAACAM/i-kTacviMGY/080_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="570" height="393"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OJqRWR6eQ2Q/T-sGs94Hz6I/AAAAAAAACAU/OgPQ32MRJME/s1600-h/081%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="081" border="0" alt="081" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-txtYXjUyxtk/T-sGtn7L4pI/AAAAAAAACAc/7R1qEWXduzc/081_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="575" height="397"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6uUsRpmmALI/T-sGuRlNxWI/AAAAAAAACAk/jP2r-gxzyS4/s1600-h/082%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="082" border="0" alt="082" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Kk-NnDbdctU/T-sGvRhmq6I/AAAAAAAACAw/dwiQ99lQ7_8/082_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="583" height="402"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IElD1pLWRFU/T-sGwXh1wLI/AAAAAAAACA4/KFLBnZzPJN4/s1600-h/084%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="084" border="0" alt="084" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4O-XzsRyrho/T-sGx_97ItI/AAAAAAAACBA/d_Pp47Vs_3Y/084_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="592" height="408"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fpNS9rmWZCE/T-sGyxp9RYI/AAAAAAAACBE/o8U_OtXw8r0/s1600-h/086%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="086" border="0" alt="086" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Z3rEBsLxDZg/T-sGzj9bvfI/AAAAAAAACBM/63xVrA7bfCc/086_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="598" height="412"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-oZMmeaGeC90/T-sG0o9M_5I/AAAAAAAACBU/vYB_qcDDLpE/s1600-h/088%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="088" border="0" alt="088" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vebW7-yZohY/T-sG1eVoFWI/AAAAAAAACBg/pPUzx1iR02k/088_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="605" height="417"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qof7-3a9Fec/T-sG2ZDx3mI/AAAAAAAACBk/hLrA8R54Pew/s1600-h/089%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="089" border="0" alt="089" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AcgdpC05d_w/T-sG3WWBaUI/AAAAAAAACBs/OEFTVnRxIEU/089_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="615" height="424"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fbewAJFE7MI/T-sG4DFSpgI/AAAAAAAACB0/1eoCA2yO20M/s1600-h/090%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="090" border="0" alt="090" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uTTemKJk-ik/T-sG5a0OpRI/AAAAAAAACB8/Tr3Q8HWwvBc/090_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="622" height="429"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2snGx5h3HNE/T-sG6XPwVXI/AAAAAAAACCI/0PhNlqHF2h0/s1600-h/092%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="092" border="0" alt="092" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-39orEh2jKd8/T-sG7RBgWmI/AAAAAAAACCM/CfatmSgNC8Q/092_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="622" height="434"></a></p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-62372389946039328012012-06-27T04:11:00.001-05:002012-06-27T04:11:32.095-05:00Evelyn–Trip 1, Visits 3, 4 & 5<p>I am sorry I didn’t blog yesterday… I went out exploring the city (photo’s on my blog post tonight). Then Phillip and I had great pizza for dinner. </p> <p>So here is a recap and a couple of photos from my visit with her yesterday and this morning. Our visits are kind of like groundhogs day really. We are in the same small room with the same toys each time. She does good for about an hour and a half then she gets anxious to go back to her group. We have been staying about 1 1/2 hours in the morning. I don’t want to push her to much. She is hesitant to warm up to me too much though when we are together she wants to sit on my lap at times when she’s not perusing a book. She’s not super active and is content for the most part to sit and look at a book or throw things on the floor! LOL </p> <p>She definitely prefers her caregivers to me. They must all be familiar to her because it’s someone different every day that brings her to us. We have not been allowed to go up to her groupa and other than the first day, we haven’t seen any other children at all. They run a very tight ship at this orphanage. It’s ok with me… it seems the kids are safe. </p> <p>We play with the same books every day which I know she’d like me to read to her, but since they are in Bulgarian, I make up words to go with the pictures and she seems content with that. I swear that this morning she said OK to me…..(Phillip heard it too) as I put her down to get something. Probably a fluke, but not positive. I have told her in English to do certain things and she’s done them about 1/2 of the time. Like help mommy clean up… do you want to go?…… do you want to sit on my lap??… I asked her if she spoke English and she said “nay”. It was too cute. </p> <p>On this mornings visit we took her to get her Visa/Passport pictures taken. It was funny because I thought the whole way there in the car, I didn’t bring candy to bribe her like we had to with Landon. Turns out, she didn’t need it. The woman took two pictures and the first one she turned away just as the flash went off.. the second one was perfect. That was that. Phillip had actually walked back to the car to get something he forgot and in that short time the pictures were done. They printed them out right then and that was that! We went back to the orphanage and played for about 1/2 hour and our visit was over. I have 4 more visits with her. This afternoon, two tomorrow and then Friday morning will be my last visit as we will be driving back to Sofia in the afternoon. </p> <p>Here are some pictures of her from yesterday and today… yes she is in the same outfit.. yellow yesterday a.m. and green yesterday afternoon and this morning.. same exact outfit, just different colors. LOL</p> <p>There is also one with her shirt off. Past days, she’s had a onesie on under her shirt and shorts so I didn’t want to take it off, but today she just had an undershirt. You can see how skinny she is. We’ll take care of that when we get home. Anyone know anything about the indention on her chest?? Indication of anything??? I don’t know for sure. I didn’t get a picture of her back, but her spine sticks out of her skin too.. not open, but you can see her entire spine with her shirt off. <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-sadsmile" alt="Sad smile" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kKcm0i1wqnI/T-rN5YpInFI/AAAAAAAAB7c/PeRmANgwtMI/wlEmoticon-sadsmile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mYPKpPq4t_s/T-rN6PTqJAI/AAAAAAAAB7k/qKpvEv8ETWE/s1600-h/007%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="007" border="0" alt="007" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-a08kEAMXf38/T-rN8JujdAI/AAAAAAAAB7o/Tf5BLp4izjM/007_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="502" height="346"></a></p> <p>Evelyn and Phillip in the background! She’s coloring…. this is just before she bit off a big bite of green crayon!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kuxPVRZaldg/T-rN88Gw1HI/AAAAAAAAB7w/cDhLUY4om_k/s1600-h/026%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="026" border="0" alt="026" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-B85FAHwhX_8/T-rN9wjAEuI/AAAAAAAAB74/W0oLIfG_wyo/026_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="507" height="350"></a></p> <p>Playing with my music toy!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Um9IAp-uT10/T-rN-4tp6jI/AAAAAAAAB8A/fj_QWWwvols/s1600-h/037%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="037" border="0" alt="037" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8oYrGx-uP5A/T-rN_rC3hVI/AAAAAAAAB8M/wONz7yclk8E/037_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="510" height="358"></a></p> <p>They put a bow in her hair in the afternoon yesterday! So cute!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-liaPJ8APoE8/T-rOBsbU2YI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/vp-euwYiSVo/s1600-h/040%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="040" border="0" alt="040" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6yzWoM58peE/T-rOCV-70MI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/rFwlRUWYr0g/040_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="517" height="357"></a></p> <p>Hey.. get that camera out of my face.. don’t you have enough pictures??</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-O9GVFz2ZUmw/T-rODFOGIrI/AAAAAAAAB8g/WZgPaGnvdY8/s1600-h/043%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="043" border="0" alt="043" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yy08iZ9-9_g/T-rOEH5mTWI/AAAAAAAAB8o/7sOorCDF1yU/043_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="524" height="362"></a></p> <p>Her TINY foot.. I am guessing a size 3 or 4 infants will fit her fine. She’ll be 4 in August.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OBzcL8qwTeY/T-rOFKyqqPI/AAAAAAAAB80/no08og1HwZQ/s1600-h/065%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="065" border="0" alt="065" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CkdjT6PVth8/T-rOFwYuCWI/AAAAAAAAB84/EC43Wtqve-U/065_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="529" height="365"></a></p> <p>Look at that beautiful profile picture! Stunning!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9XFQa5EYO_I/T-rOHJkU_KI/AAAAAAAAB9E/Iq1erF2RY3k/s1600-h/066%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="066" border="0" alt="066" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4P0xGVrsE6E/T-rOI2MnXbI/AAAAAAAAB9M/io9u17hCeV8/066_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="532" height="373"></a></p> <p>This is as much of a smile as we’ve gotten so far. I will take it!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EFpf_GFuF1Q/T-rOKrj4z4I/AAAAAAAAB9U/r2JcoRbo2pU/s1600-h/IMG_2969%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_2969" border="0" alt="IMG_2969" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KY6pZc5U5WY/T-rOLgPxGWI/AAAAAAAAB9c/w-H-TfS2jbw/IMG_2969_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="539" height="372"></a></p> <p>She’s so skinny!! Goodness!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-k3jENvRSSPw/T-rOMpWctsI/AAAAAAAAB9k/CZ2CDG4ZVo4/s1600-h/IMG_2970%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_2970" border="0" alt="IMG_2970" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dgnBuG8ikBs/T-rON7RgNPI/AAAAAAAAB9o/30wjdot4eBU/IMG_2970_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="546" height="377"></a></p> <p>You can see all her ribs. They say she just has trouble gaining weight just like Jacob does. We’ll be getting Thyroid tests and Cardio appointments the minute we get home.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tVwAW0ZUCMQ/T-rOPPZFAgI/AAAAAAAAB90/e0caNniUPXw/s1600-h/IMG_2972%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_2972" border="0" alt="IMG_2972" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3Ha4z1YMXH8/T-rOQUwLStI/AAAAAAAAB98/FQoDMj7y0aw/IMG_2972_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="556" height="384"></a></p> <p>Here is a better look at that indention on her chest. Any ideas? Or are just some kids like this??? When she breaths that part goes in even further!!!!! But leaves me with …..why????</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-78679448158116742302012-06-25T09:38:00.000-05:002012-06-25T09:39:01.451-05:00Medical Info<p>Well there is some to share about Evelyn and her medical info. It’s not anything too surprising. She has some issues with her thyroid, her heart, and the fact that she has difficulty gaining weight. She’s just a little bit of a thing and maybe weighs 20 lbs or a little more. She’s somewhat active but I can see she doesn’t have a lot of energy. She enjoys just sitting and watching. </p> <p>The director said she was just to the dr in March for a check up for her heart and has to go back in 6 months. I am skeptical when she says that the drs have said she doesn’t require surgery. I don’t doubt they have said it, but I have a sneaking suspicion that she will need surgery. She has an ASD that has went unrepaired and I think its causing her stay so tiny and not to gain weight. I guess we won’t know for sure until we get her home. She’s also is having issues with her thyroid but isn’t on medication for it a far as I know, which could explain the lack of weight gain. </p> <p>She’s been tested for the genetic condition that has left two of her siblings deceased, but from what the dr said she does not have this condition. We will have to have her tested again when she gets home. I think it might be something we can treat in the US, but I will have to do some further investigating. It’s called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_1-antitrypsin_deficiency">alpha 1 anti-trypsin deficiency</a> .. she’s been sick with frequent UTI’s and respiratory issues so I am also skeptical if she’s been tested correctly for this as well. But the respiratory could be from the untreated issue with her heart as well. Right now it’s just a guessing game and we will just have to wait until we get her home. </p> <p>She seems ok, but she has some definite things we need to check out the minute we get home. She also will need to visit a dentist and an ENT very first off when we get home. I don’t think she hears really well and her ears and mouth smell of decay. I looked in her mouth and her teeth seem ok, but the smell was coming from her ears actually so I am not sure what is going on in there. It was the same smell though that I smelled at Tacuda Hospital when I was holding “little” 14 year old Faith. So judging from that, it can’t be good whatever it is. </p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-41417874184776962092012-06-25T04:18:00.001-05:002012-06-25T04:18:13.094-05:00EVELYN–Day 1 Visit 1<p>My day started at 7:00 am. I was awake a bit before that, but didn’t get out of bed until then. It was a shower, dressed and a quick check of FB and email before I had to meet Phillip for breakfast at 8:30 am. The hotel we are staying at is really nice and breakfast was good. I will post pictures of the hotel and some of the city views later today, but I will get to the good stuff now. </p> <p>We left for the orphanage at about 9:00 and it was a short drive. We arrived early, but went in. The orphanage is very large. It’s like three buildings all in one. It reminded me of Jacob’s orphanage in Ukraine only bigger. Gated all the way around and very nice clean grounds. We walked in and were greeted by a doorman. Phillip told him what we were there for and a few minutes later we were greeted by the director. She seemed very nice, but a little reserved. I asked a bunch of questions about Evelyn.. heart stuff, health stuff etc. Nothing, for the most part that I didn’t already know. Then I showed her some new photos of Chrissie Davis… Denise had sent me some to take to the orphanage to show how good Chrissie was doing! She was so happy to get them and showed me a picture of Chrissie when she was still at the orphanage. </p> <p>Then the director said we could come outside and meet Evelyn. I walked out of the office and down the hall…. there she was… standing with her caregiver. Oh goodness… she was adorable and so tiny for almost 4 years old. I will post more about her health issues later, but for now… here are her pictures from our first visit.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-10JKalxqvsk/T-gsqdVHCkI/AAAAAAAAB48/37pfBHZhvx4/s1600-h/005%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="005" border="0" alt="005" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2R8lb9LLJFM/T-gsrYQLElI/AAAAAAAAB5A/CDqLvnNlAW0/005_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="515" height="355"></a></p> <p>I am not quite sure about you and that camera!!!! But isn’t she a beauty?</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PmVNea1ZXEo/T-gsrh7s-DI/AAAAAAAAB5I/N_uhewJGgvg/s1600-h/016%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="016" border="0" alt="016" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZwtadIZ6gVg/T-gstJe5LaI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/1AZlcM12p-Y/016_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="520" height="359"></a></p> <p>Love her already!!!!! She likes my glasses too, just like Landon!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KW3jYZBmuYg/T-gstjD0PII/AAAAAAAAB5c/jp8cwI1zmOU/s1600-h/017%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="017" border="0" alt="017" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6JZFxIFEi78/T-gsuDVsy1I/AAAAAAAAB5k/RbKcMIZo9GY/017_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="528" height="364"></a></p> <p>Look at my LONG eyelashes!!!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IpI8ykJFhBk/T-gsu6FlqrI/AAAAAAAAB5w/lCBqrCGbbfM/s1600-h/019%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="019" border="0" alt="019" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FwU8YXOGrQ4/T-gsv6ZeCeI/AAAAAAAAB50/mIcy3xIkbHA/019_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="533" height="368"></a></p> <p>Wanna play?? Come on.. I will show you the GOOD stuff!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cxVCJI1KMP8/T-gswfP-nlI/AAAAAAAAB58/eMSzd4ktT8U/s1600-h/028%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="028" border="0" alt="028" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sA-D3_Lar8w/T-gsxHRhwqI/AAAAAAAAB6I/yAsPnjL4XbM/028_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="541" height="373"></a></p> <p>Yep, the GOOD stuff… here is a swing… I like to swing, but not too high!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eZUx1PwVPmc/T-gsyB8A3uI/AAAAAAAAB6M/iqnpNTb3vsY/s1600-h/045%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="045" border="0" alt="045" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-UgFQbt40HF8/T-gsyqFK6TI/AAAAAAAAB6U/98ityYyGGT8/045_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="298" height="460"></a></p> <p>Such a pretty girl!!!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HfGrluWR4eA/T-gsy6PsinI/AAAAAAAAB6c/9-G_g75BXKI/s1600-h/048%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="048" border="0" alt="048" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1hnzPmA782w/T-gsz4_lzuI/AAAAAAAAB6k/J5F8F_gaLHM/048_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="341" height="520"></a></p> <p>Oh look at those eyes!!!!! So pretty!!!!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-B5I94CbUagY/T-gs0f19WXI/AAAAAAAAB6s/rHVLmgdHBJI/s1600-h/032%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="032" border="0" alt="032" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-v0OPDy7iwBg/T-gs01Nd0SI/AAAAAAAAB60/UNLH8BqQ5V8/032_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="614" height="423"></a></p> <p>Yep, I think she is ok.. I think I will sit on her lap for a little while…. this was how we spent the last 20 minutes of my visit. She was done running around (though she isn’t nearly as active as Landon) and she wanted to sit and play with my camera. She was amazed by the pictures in there. All-in-All it was a great visit.. great first visit with my girl!!!!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-53607420798968311032012-06-23T12:56:00.001-05:002012-06-23T12:56:28.546-05:00A few pictures of our day!<p>I wanted to take many many more pictures, but it was sooo hot today and we were so tired this is all I managed to get taken….</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FZmzI2oL2nQ/T-YC_eywA0I/AAAAAAAAB18/joyjkS71uGQ/s1600-h/001%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="001" border="0" alt="001" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2XGlGTrgUK8/T-YDACdyj3I/AAAAAAAAB2A/fretRcGE38w/001_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="494" height="341"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iW079RBCD-E/T-YDBGDlneI/AAAAAAAAB2I/GDiidJxBe7E/s1600-h/004%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="004" border="0" alt="004" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OIoR3FuCy_8/T-YDBz9wDeI/AAAAAAAAB2U/hEJPd3gpIZw/004_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="500" height="345"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WsdP2Tn0wao/T-YDDZntIFI/AAAAAAAAB2c/-tgWHo6mxSI/s1600-h/002%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="002" border="0" alt="002" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CQGQLLuRxoI/T-YDERyqzSI/AAAAAAAAB2g/pvtCfyeX2z8/002_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="507" height="350"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-c5YsZG4dLZw/T-YDFD4su0I/AAAAAAAAB2o/8Bpx6K6irpE/s1600-h/005%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="005" border="0" alt="005" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dpKiqf7vKJQ/T-YDF8ocgyI/AAAAAAAAB2w/eJ6HMb5Fa_k/005_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="511" height="358"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-OLiJ9FFbCFI/T-YDGv4K1mI/AAAAAAAAB24/PqGLHVLXpyc/s1600-h/006%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="006" border="0" alt="006" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Rmb5VtHiLBE/T-YDHViD6cI/AAAAAAAAB3A/YWnhpr2DZUg/006_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="518" height="357"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-l6L6rY1d3_M/T-YDIbI5acI/AAAAAAAAB3I/AOQMOUkgZuI/s1600-h/007%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="007" border="0" alt="007" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ul7PrHF9pcw/T-YDJF0a1MI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/Xw1BUgJglUY/007_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="523" height="361"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2CCsPNl0mrI/T-YDKGlprWI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/Bj7FzEWiroE/s1600-h/008%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="008" border="0" alt="008" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AOBlt4g4m7I/T-YDLNvfLHI/AAAAAAAAB3g/A4HfKRksfho/008_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="366"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-u8zi-32TTEM/T-YDMGsP4_I/AAAAAAAAB3s/n-oujMNDmWY/s1600-h/009%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="009" border="0" alt="009" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jw-ulcKx7B8/T-YDM7LPBBI/AAAAAAAAB3w/UEN94OGnRaQ/009_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="531" height="373"></a></p> <p>My favorite butter of all time!! LOL</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YihCpiB_1Ko/T-YDOHwVvtI/AAAAAAAAB38/IIwG8B1ElEg/s1600-h/010%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="010" border="0" alt="010" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-H6WrlNybKXE/T-YDOzgSWRI/AAAAAAAAB4A/qtInoIoX_k4/010_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="534" height="368"></a></p> <p>Hungarian Pancakes –with chicken inside and veges! YUMMY… this was Michelle’s meal!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FrY1YYQnIH8/T-YDQAiFY0I/AAAAAAAAB4I/SJIJcHAHQew/s1600-h/011%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="011" border="0" alt="011" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wnCljyGWX00/T-YDQ3JqS9I/AAAAAAAAB4Q/e8TtrVjFBos/011_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="537" height="370"></a></p> <p>Olya had the Goulosh Soup – looked good too!!!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IM6M4IdDlhQ/T-YDRpbzl3I/AAAAAAAAB4Y/Gt5LcdQlzq0/s1600-h/012%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="012" border="0" alt="012" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xfucYC0nK6g/T-YDSt_6SrI/AAAAAAAAB4g/3XcP3F3SVvk/012_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="546" height="377"></a></p> <p>I had the mushroom and cheese omelet with fries! It was good!!!!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-11160842182591051242012-06-23T12:37:00.001-05:002012-06-23T12:37:27.602-05:00Q & A from Bulgaria<p>I have had some questions asked on FB and on my blog so I thought I would take a second to answer them!</p> <p><em>Have you been allowed to play with any other kids? </em>Yes I was allowed to play with the other kids in the orphanage. I asked Dani if they frowned upon me walking with or playing with the other kids and she said no. By the end of my visits there, I was pretty popular and several of the little kids wanted to be around me. I would comfort them if they cried or fell down. It’s my nature.. I can’t sit by and watch a child cry. Hopefully they (the caretakers) don’t blame me too much when the kids want to be comforted after getting hurt! oops!!!</p> <p><em>Miss you. He is sooo cute. Molli and I think he looks like Owen! </em>I have had several people say he looks like Owen. I think so a little bit especially with the hair. Owen and Landon will match with Hockey Hair when they come home.</p> <p><em>And now what? Is little lady in the same area? </em>I leave tomorrow at 2 pm to travel to Vratsa to meet Evelyn on Monday! I am super excited. I was excited to see Landon, but I am extra excited to meet Evelyn for the very first time. Vratsa is about a 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive from Sofia. I will be going with a different facilitator Phillip. Can’t wait to get started on the second 1/2 of our journey!</p> <p><em>Did the three other boys have a disability? </em>Not anything diagnosed however the one has some anger management problems and is pretty naughty… with spitting, biting, hitting and smiling through it all. He looks like a typical child, but I think it’s survival of the fittest there and he is one of the fittest so he does what he needs to survive there. Other wise I would say the three other boys are typical developing. </p> <p><em>Wow! that is so neat that the kids get to go out of the orphanage and that the caretaker will take them out to eat. So different from U! </em>Yes I think it’s awesome that someone cares enough to teach them about things outside the orphanage. The psychologist takes them out on walks on a regular basis too. I would imagine they all get outside of the confines of the orphanage (the little older ones anyway) probably about once a week. She will take 2 or 3 at a time for walks during the afternoon outside time. </p> <p><em>Are you bringing the kids home on this trip?</em> No, unfortunately this is just a visit trip. Meeting the kids, telling everyone here that we do in deed want to adopt them both. Getting to know them. Then I go back home, file more paperwork, wait, more paperwork, wait,,….wait….wait.. and then hopefully late October, early November I can come back for a week and bring them both home for good!! </p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-42447223814575771962012-06-23T09:10:00.001-05:002012-06-23T09:14:35.855-05:00The 5th And Final Day!<p>Well my day yesterday was hard…. to say the least… it was difficult. I went for the morning visit and I was ok. I didn’t cry. I wanted way more snuggles than he wanted to give. But we had a good time. Here are a couple pictures of the morning visit.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-M7jmQCRdJ5c/T-XOKnpUGZI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/QI7yp29J7rk/s1600-h/028%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="028" border="0" alt="028" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oLy90eMx8DE/T-XOLSKkPFI/AAAAAAAAB0c/99NwqCh0K-A/028_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="521" height="359"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RsQW2f26-wY/T-XOMd8YEVI/AAAAAAAAB0o/t_DlnLCLJlY/s1600-h/050%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="050" border="0" alt="050" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AZj7svCeJzg/T-XONSdvZBI/AAAAAAAAB0w/zetMeZ7Gl9o/050_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="527" height="364"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_9Ka7q2FsLw/T-XOOl6njGI/AAAAAAAAB04/sNxwb4eFEbk/s1600-h/062%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="062" border="0" alt="062" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yUgPvkaNslw/T-XOPVXBz7I/AAAAAAAAB08/dB7W-n8J-BY/062_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="524" height="368"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DTJW2gZj0tI/T-XOQGU06LI/AAAAAAAAB1E/vVkl7v6LOkE/s1600-h/074%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="074" border="0" alt="074" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3rXquyb7wQ4/T-XOQwLefkI/AAAAAAAAB1M/gikjMzjlotM/074_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="366"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RUKr1Nbu2ZM/T-XORy-xYtI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/Wq7HriX6QAc/s1600-h/075%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="075" border="0" alt="075" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TenDKHJic3E/T-XOTyY3hAI/AAAAAAAAB1c/c_atXFYlcWE/075_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="532" height="372"></a></p> <p>The second visit of the day was about an hour or a little more. He was making it very easy to leave for a few minutes. He was being a little stinker, but soon calmed down. We played just the two of us and Dani for our entire visit. It was nice not having to contend with. He was ready to go back with his groupa. I took him in and gave him a HUGE hug. Then he didn’t want to let me go. That’s when I lost it! I would have been better if he’d went to his caregiver without any problems, but he didn’t. He didn’t want me to leave. But I had to….it was time and our visit was over. I walked out in tears. I will be back my sweet boy…I will be back as soon as humanly possible!!</p> <p>One last picture of mommy and Landon!!! </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oj5D3VXEl0c/T-XPRmD73bI/AAAAAAAAB1o/BuB_DTCiuIs/s1600-h/Me%252520%252526%252520Landon%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Me & Landon" border="0" alt="Me & Landon" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dSc_kCMB0mY/T-XPSfboFpI/AAAAAAAAB1s/dQSbv5WG5Cg/Me%252520%252526%252520Landon_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="549" height="458"></a></p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-71388835995827534122012-06-21T09:54:00.001-05:002012-06-21T09:54:21.403-05:00Visits….and tears!<p>Well todays visits went well. Better than well as a matter of fact, at least the first one. The kids were outside when we got there at 9:30 am. Landon saw me from across the playground and ran to me…arms outstretched and jumped into my arms. It has been like this almost since the 3rd or 4th visit. </p> <p>Soon after the Dr came out with about 3 people with her. I wasn’t sure what was going on but Dani explained that they were getting their teeth checked. Landon was quick to get in line until he realized that they were going to look in his mouth. He doesn’t mind if I do, but they had instruments and I think that scared him and when it was his turn he threw a fit. They checked his teeth and off he ran to me for comfort (which I just loved!). </p> <p>For the last couple days I have noticed that he has an adult tooth coming in behind a loose one in front. From what I could tell by looking this would be his first lost tooth. Then the Dr and the director explained to Dani that they were going to pull the semi-loose tooth in front so the other one could grow in correctly. They would do it when he had calmed down. I wanted to suggest that I hold him so he might not throw such a fit, but wasn’t sure what they had in mind so I just waited.</p> <p>Pretty soon all the kids had been through the process and it was time for Landon to have his tooth pulled. The director quickly told the orphanage dr who had been holding all the kids that maybe mama should do it. I was happy. So we sat down, I crossed my legs over his, wrapped my arms around him and held his head. He tried very hard to get away, but his efforts were futile. I am still bigger than him! LOL</p> <p>It was quick beyond quick and the dentist had his tooth out. He ran from me, but quickly got over his anger at me for holding him down and came to me for comfort. He bled on my shirt…I didn’t mind and I asked if I could have his tooth. His first lost tooth and they gave it to me. I was so happy to be there for that. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but I haven’t gotten to share any firsts with him and this is one that I could. </p> <p>Then we took the 4 boys and went to the park with the psychologist. We had fun, but the trip was cut short when one of the other boys went down the slide (he was being crazy) and fell off the end and hit his head. It didn’t seem like much at first, but when he went to get up, blood started pouring down the back of his head. Luckily I had a hand full of napkins in my purse and gave them to her to use. We quickly walked back to the orphanage and he didn’t require stitches, it apparently wasn’t a large cut. They put a bandage on it over his hair and he was good to go. </p> <p>The second visit today was a bit more trying. The kids were inside because it’s really hot. There were 15 kids in one not very big room with all kinds of toys. They were CRAZY!!! The room was a complete mess when they were done. There was a caregiver who is very strict that came in and had a fit. She was yelling at the kids. We picked up the room.. the kids who weren’t so terrified of her that they shut down and sat in the corner. Landon was helpful in tearing the room apart so he sat in a time out next to me… that was my doing.. then I made him help pick up the rest of the room. Then it was time to go. Only about an hour today. </p> <p>I was ok, until I realized that there would only be two more visits with him and then I have to leave him for several months. I don’t want him to think that I abandoned him. That I have left him. I want Dani to explain to him that I am coming back and then I will take him out of the orphanage forever. I know tomorrow afternoon is going to be hard. I appreciate prayers as we have our final hours together tomorrow. </p> <p>Not too many pictures today but here is one of him riding the trike!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XlQjCSPYs3Q/T-M1lqwNPEI/AAAAAAAAB0E/2yed6T8rxDo/s1600-h/005%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="005" border="0" alt="005" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IchKfYe4J7g/T-M1migVu-I/AAAAAAAAB0M/XuypE3J9Lgg/005_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="528" height="364"></a></p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-20358638601416899092012-06-20T13:27:00.001-05:002012-06-20T13:27:36.377-05:00Visits 3, 4, 5 & 6 All In One<p>Tuesday morning we went for our visit with Landon. He was less that excited that I was there and didn’t want to come to have his visit with me. At first I was upset… then I learned that the music lady was there with her accordion and he was so excited she was there, he didn’t want to leave. I get that.. who wouldn’t LOVE that! So Dani and I sat in on their music session. He absolutely loves the accordion and he was pretending after the music session that he was playing an accordion with this toy!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zXzEeGCgJ38/T-IWAPO3xuI/AAAAAAAABzQ/UVAkoyARFwM/s1600-h/053%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="053" border="0" alt="053" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4280KmHPaAM/T-IWBmTSo7I/AAAAAAAABzY/U7I6NmiNp-I/053_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="511" height="353"></a></p> <p>After we got done playing inside we went outside … we saw the psychologist and she suggested we take Landon to get his picture taken for the passport and visa. We walked down the street with him and he did great. Held hands with me and the psychologist and was the sweetest little guy. We did have to bribe him with a piece of candy to sit for his picture, but it turned out good. After photos were done, we walked a bit further to a park for him to play. He played in the sand for probably 1/2 hour and then we walked back to the orphanage. He did wonderfully. </p> <p>Second visit yesterday was pretty uneventful. It was about an hour and he spent most of that time playing with his team of friends outside. I don’t want to push him to HAVE to spend time with me so I just observe. Occasionally I will go over to him and ask him if he wants to walk or wants a hug. It’s about 50/50 whether he does or not. I can’t force him to want to hang out with me when there is a bunch of kids that want to play. He always comes with me for a few minutes here and there so I can take that. </p> <p>First visit today… He came running to me and jumped in my arms. I went to kiss him on the cheek and was told absolutely not. His hair was wet and I could smell something on him. Apparently they had treated all the kids for Lice…. I don’t think anyone had/has it, but from what I understood they treat every so often so no one gets it? Anyway they didn’t want me kissing on him right away. So I didn’t… I would kiss his hand when he held it out to me. </p> <p>There was a new caretaker there today who I hadn’t seen before. She was a grandma type and super nice. She has purple hair… see….</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HhXid4kQIlA/T-IWCkRLs2I/AAAAAAAABzc/yOaYZOCqZBo/s1600-h/008%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="008" border="0" alt="008" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xvQVQ0Lydn0/T-IWDqB99II/AAAAAAAABzk/fSXMvsFD05I/008_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="557" height="384"></a></p> <p>She said she sometimes takes the 4 boys (Landon and 3 others) to a restaurant up the street where they serve traditional Bulgarian Breakfast and she wanted us to go with her. Pretty soon we were at the gate and all 4 boys were holding hands ready to go. They did wonderfully. We went and the boys shared a pastry with cheese in it and I had a Coke Light. We got the boys a second one to share and some Banana Juice (yes, banana… never seen that before!!). They were so good… so polite and so well behaved.</p> <p>Upon returning to the orphanage we sat for a couple minutes then the psychologist came out and asked if we all wanted to go for another walk. We went with the same 4 boys to a park up the street. The boys played for awhile and also watched two men insulating a neighboring apartment. It was cute. Then she said it was time to go and back to the orphanage we went. Landon does great except when it’s time to go back into the gates of the orphanage….. he drops to his butt and doesn’t want to go back in. I end up carrying him in every time….then he’s fine. </p> <p>Second visit today was pretty uneventful. He spent most of the hour playing outside with his friends while I talked to the caregiver about his sleep habits etc. Then about 15 minutes before they went inside and it was time for us to leave, he came and snuggled me for a little while. </p> <p>Overall we’ve spent great time together! I couldn’t ask for a better time. I wanted to show you his eyes and his Brushfield spots. Super stars in his eyes!!!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--R8oz4tK9Ok/T-IWEp037oI/AAAAAAAABzs/x5xwIk9Q3Cs/s1600-h/Landons%252520Eyes%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Landons Eyes" border="0" alt="Landons Eyes" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2CCgP033QDg/T-IWFsPYIZI/AAAAAAAABz4/6uI1zRbNf-E/Landons%252520Eyes_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="587" height="157"></a></p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-78079438613989488792012-06-19T05:53:00.001-05:002012-06-19T05:53:50.039-05:00Observations<p>I have made a lot of observations about Bulgaria the last three times I have been here. I would like to tell you what I have learned…. (or observed actually.. lol)</p> <ul> <li>I am pretty positive there is not an even piece of concrete in the entire country. You would think you’d see people on crutches all the time from turning their ankles while they walk anywhere!</li> <li>In relation to the above… it is difficult to look down and up at the same time to see where you are going and to weave in and out of people as you walk. No one moves for you, so unless you want to literally rub shoulders with everyone… you watch where you are going.</li> <li>People definitely have the right of way here too. People just step out in traffic and expect that the cars will stop. I am not that trusting. I can picture it now… “Get that American!” BAM… SPLAT!!!!!!!!!!!</li> <li>When you walk into a little bodega (tiny shop that sells snacks, soda, beer and some other small little things,) and you ask if they speak English, they immediately stop everything you are doing…..everyone looks at you….and listens as you tell them what you want, or if they don’t speak English, you do that point and “dah” shopping. </li> <li>Though they speak Bulgarian here… they say “Merci” for Thank You (which is FRENCH) and Chow Chow for Goodbye (which is Italian)…..WHAT???</li> <li>They shake their heads opposite of us. So someone is saying yes (dah) with their mouth and shaking their head no. It’s pretty difficult to keep straight. You just never know. Messes with you really. I am TRYING to just hear the words and not pay attention to the head movement. IT IS HARD!</li> <li>The food here tastes soooo much better than at home and I have noticed this the last two times I have traveled. I asked Toni about it because even at McDonalds the food is so much better. She says that the US has preservatives in their food that aren’t allowed in any foods here. She said the name, but I can’t remember it right now. That would explain it. I went to Kentucky Fried chicken here today and it tasted so good!</li> <li>I have yet to figure out where all the people work that are walking on the streets during the day. I would think that during lunch times or dinner times these numbers would be higher, but no. There are tons of people walking everywhere. It’s not just older people either… school is out for the summer here so maybe that is some of them, but others are like my age just strolling along…. seeming to have no where to go. Strange. Since I live in a small town and haven’t walked downtown New York or something maybe it’s like that, but not really in Grundy Center. LOL</li> <li>There is perpetual construction here… most of the places on the roads in Sofia have been under construction since the very first time I came here. Literally the same exact stretch of the same highway. Don’t they ever finish those things?</li> <li>Women here don’t dress quite as revealing as they do in Ukraine. There are women my age that are my size, which is reassuring however I have yet to see a place where I could buy clothes. I have been by several stores today and I think I saw like three racks in each one. Maybe there is another room in the back?? Not sure, didn’t go into any.</li> <li>The municipality hires a company to have people to clean the streets. I don’t mean with a street cleaning machine either. I mean with a broom and dust pan. They wear bright orange or yellow vests and they are everywhere. It’s nice, but I think they should put their focus on fixing the sidewalks (more so maybe the large gaping holes that are along the sidewalks with no barriers around them or anything) before they worry about cleaning them? NO??</li> <li>People DRIVE NUTS here. I know that the same can be said for other Eastern European countries. Motorcycles weave in and out and between cars….. scares me. Though no matter how badly I think they drive, they know what they are doing and I have yet to see an accident in any of the time I have been here. </li></ul> <p>That’s all for today. I am sure that I will be posting more as the days go on. </p> <p>My visit with Landon was great this morning and I will post about both of them later on after my second visit!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-650455245623819412012-06-18T12:46:00.001-05:002012-06-18T12:46:38.549-05:00Day 1… Visit 2<p>The visit this afternoon went about as expected. At first he was much more subdued and content to throw balls around the ball pit with me. Then I made the mistake of tickling him over and over and over and it got him going….. we went outside then and he was everywhere! I was only bit once and he only got ahold of my glasses once this time so I guess we are making progress. </p> <p>I am pretty sure he was showing off since he was getting all the attention so we’ll have to watch the over stimulating at home. </p> <p>Overall a great 2nd visit. Here are a couple pictures of that cute little pumpkin!!!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_EqQ5UfOaNE/T99pQiC2rsI/AAAAAAAABxM/s-wCVSsimpY/s1600-h/140%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="140" border="0" alt="140" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WFIhvGbDdhI/T99pRBfPS4I/AAAAAAAABxU/IiffijLV-ro/140_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="479" height="331"></a></p> <p>Look.. I get to take off my socks!! WAHOO!!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lSckKwNQWUo/T99pRoQzAGI/AAAAAAAABxc/m-5YeHhInr0/s1600-h/143%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="143" border="0" alt="143" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7G3TNWR-Urk/T99pSNJkMPI/AAAAAAAABxk/4psk6jtuHSA/143_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="481" height="332"></a></p> <p>Oh I could just sleep here… oh wait, no I can’t… I have TOO much energy!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aes4pzFrc3M/T99pSkxOf6I/AAAAAAAABxs/K_Tg8mQ4c1M/s1600-h/145%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="145" border="0" alt="145" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WGm5z8oarHE/T99pTLNSpLI/AAAAAAAABx0/NixtLF5SD-4/145_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="487" height="336"></a></p> <p>Mommy scolding me for grabbing her glasses.. they just look so fun and breakable!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-k9-cjcIK0Rw/T99pWaZ7qkI/AAAAAAAABx8/e5y5QHEkzj4/s1600-h/148%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="148" border="0" alt="148" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gYoRa5WBmu4/T99pXl-kokI/AAAAAAAAByE/M4W-KX00W1g/148_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="490" height="344"></a></p> <p>So fun in fact, I think I will try it again even after she’s said “NAY NAY”</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bqGWhINQZeA/T99pYN0s5CI/AAAAAAAAByM/DEn6DLIrlW8/s1600-h/164%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="164" border="0" alt="164" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GcbaMiRowj4/T99pYumDy9I/AAAAAAAAByU/lNKo2DEJeJ0/164_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="494" height="341"></a></p> <p>And here’s where mommy went wrong.. tickling will inevitable end up in MUCH more energy to run the playground with abandon! You would think she’d know better.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Sb41WIvQV5Y/T99pZU8_F2I/AAAAAAAAByc/kUPjDvNuPVc/s1600-h/168%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="168" border="0" alt="168" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Av2_lgOpU10/T99pZ0nN1xI/AAAAAAAAByk/UHjn9oguO6k/168_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="501" height="346"></a></p> <p>She thought I should be done so she sat me on her lap and hummed to me.. “You are my sunshine” she hummed and sang it.. Calmed me right down!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aK4-EFAFH-M/T99pah79tbI/AAAAAAAABys/kzoW02JZujI/s1600-h/176%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="176" border="0" alt="176" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sY4sMOZGBkg/T99pbI4--jI/AAAAAAAABy0/DIMfmj9fU24/176_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="507" height="350"></a></p> <p>I think I want to be a dentist when I grow up.. I am fascinated by the inside of that thing!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-aIsS16NZDME/T99pb2bqrhI/AAAAAAAABy8/0cbi6MVO804/s1600-h/178%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="178" border="0" alt="178" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PSdCewcebSU/T99pfVGAPhI/AAAAAAAABzE/EKRCVzVR0oo/178_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="513" height="354"></a></p> <p>Me and momma at the end of our visit.. I am not sure what mama means yet, but she keeps saying it and my caretakers keep saying it. hmmm wonder what it is?? Guess I will find out soon enough!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766951293769590493.post-35432681984907914332012-06-18T04:47:00.001-05:002012-06-18T04:47:22.024-05:00Meet our Son!<p>Well the day started out at a very early 5:45 am. I didn’t have the alarm set until 6:30 but I woke earlier and was too excited/anxious to sleep any more. I got up… got ready, checked FB and email. Got my things packed up and ready to go. Toni had told me that Dani and her father would be there to pick me up at 8 am. I got a cup of coffee and had some bread and butter for breakfast! (YUMMY) Sat on the patio and read a couple chapters of Hunger Games (yes, I know I am about 2-3 months behind the rest of the world in reading it… but now that I am, I can hardly put it down!) I heard someone in the house and Dani and her father had arrived. They were talking with Toni’s mother. Not long after Toni came out and we chatted a bit. </p> <p>About 8:45 we left to the orphanage. The traffic was awful and it took what seemed like hours to get there. In reality, it was probably only about 45 minutes. My palms were sweaty already.</p> <p>We pulled up in front of the orphanage. Very typical Eastern European orphanage. There we were and my son was on the other side of those 4 walls. Dani and I went in. Straight to the directors office where she showed me some pictures of Landon (or Vladi as they call him). Oh he was a ham. He even had a part in a play they were doing. He was a duck and oh so adorable.</p> <p>Then I asked some additional information about his medical history (nothing I didn’t already know, but I thought I better ask some questions! lol) Then Dani said, “let’s go meet him”. So downstairs we went into a small room filled with toys. In he came…. very full of energy and didn’t want anything to do with me. He wanted to go in a different room so the director asked us to come with her. The other room was what seemed to be a therapy room. A ball pit sat on one side and the other side was full of play mats all stacked up. Landon was very busy in there.. throwing balls out of the ball pit. I have decided I need to get really good on my reflex skills before he comes home, that boy has an arm on him! The psychologist came in the room and asked him to come out of the ball pit and pick up the toys. He did. He follows directions really well for the most part. </p> <p>He still didn’t want me to touch him or play with him unless it was helping him pick up the mess he had created. I wasn’t expecting much as far as affection from him on this first visit so I wasn’t surprised at all. He’s got a lot of energy and didn’t want to stay in one place for long. We decided it was better to go outside. All the little ones got to go out too. </p> <p>Out we went. Landon didn’t want me to stay.. he motioned over to the gate door and when I got over there with him, he tried to open it and blow me kisses! LOL Well he didn’t scare me away that easily. We played over the course of the next hour and I would follow him around asking him questions that he couldn’t understand or telling him “nay” when he would try to hit another child with something! <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" alt="Smile" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-41abIo6Vv08/T974YP7os4I/AAAAAAAABsg/nGB03fLnUV0/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"></p> <p>I kept my distance for awhile to allow him to warm up to me on his terms. </p> <p>He would gradually get closer to me and closer until we were playing together, just the two of us! He would show me how to play his game and we must have sat there playing for at least 15 minutes. His attention span is great. </p> <p>We got up and started walking over to the other kids and I held out my hand hoping he might take it and he did. We walked hand in hand all around the grounds outside. He showed me a car and a horse going by. I would say let’s sit down and he would pull me the other way and say “nay”. I walked with him. He wouldn’t let go of my hand and if another child would take my other hand, he would look at them and say Nay and kind of growl and that was the end of that! </p> <p>OK, I won’t keep you in suspense anymore because these pictures show just what happened during our visit so here they are:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cLswwyjtVY0/T974Y8vEXsI/AAAAAAAABso/yLw-T7xc2zA/s1600-h/067%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="067" border="0" alt="067" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KLwvWeIrj3U/T974Zwv-LtI/AAAAAAAABss/PWMQlj7Q_2A/067_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="471" height="325"></a></p> <p>Nay – Don’t follow me! I don’t know you!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DCC7LDS-Fng/T974a26OMlI/AAAAAAAABs0/cZEkVWujp3o/s1600-h/074%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="074" border="0" alt="074" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-V-jk9nAVhHM/T974bXjVgrI/AAAAAAAABs8/rgAQJ_4NKpI/074_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="472" height="331"></a></p> <p>He uses this stroller as a lawn mower. It is so cute.. occasional he will grab a toy tool and tip it over and fix it!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WjHBiJ7mDJM/T974cTgOP4I/AAAAAAAABtI/iXKH3DbYCrs/s1600-h/076%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="076" border="0" alt="076" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-McmuKb1Pbiw/T974dRbwUaI/AAAAAAAABtM/4CdCvw8xKq4/076_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="481" height="332"></a></p> <p>I was trying to wrangle him for a picture with me and he would have NO part of it!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lD3XF1HCH3U/T974eskKdOI/AAAAAAAABtY/qVddf5dl-8o/s1600-h/079%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="079" border="0" alt="079" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-S3rQfTbcp8s/T974fkF9rVI/AAAAAAAABtg/7HRTf7EE33c/079_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="488" height="337"></a></p> <p>Happily mowing the grass!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6aQbqvrFRnU/T974lX-f54I/AAAAAAAABto/f3kMw6yfHEM/s1600-h/084%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="084" border="0" alt="084" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AoXJfgi8LlU/T974mI1Tu2I/AAAAAAAABts/JbAygqMRZYM/084_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="490" height="338"></a></p> <p>He was spitting at me in this picture. Something that will be stopped soon after we get him. It isn’t too bad and he only did about 2 times while I was there, but 2 times too many! But he sure is cute when he’s doing it isn’t he??</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-BQDNMMBX89Q/T974m-Hi4_I/AAAAAAAABt0/ekd-S18yKfY/s1600-h/087%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="087" border="0" alt="087" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--Yp_ZsrW3lU/T974nriBwII/AAAAAAAABuA/hMlGQy6H78A/087_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="493" height="346"></a></p> <p>Don’t let this photo fool you, he really was trying to get away from me get to my camera… I thought I could fool him with a self portrait and it worked for the most part!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oAdF4tw1DR0/T974onSApGI/AAAAAAAABuE/x13ec3MKk2s/s1600-h/088%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="088" border="0" alt="088" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6uOePCeVPcU/T974pj674SI/AAAAAAAABuM/zymGHaP1Q98/088_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="500" height="345"></a></p> <p>Here take my hand and let me show you around this place!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rmrm63JvCbs/T974rGbp4ZI/AAAAAAAABuU/oRa-XT1GGsA/s1600-h/090%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="090" border="0" alt="090" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-k-7O8ISgEnQ/T974rykzLbI/AAAAAAAABug/kqRT5BX58c4/090_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" height="348"></a></p> <p>This little one behind us is one that he told no when they grabbed my hand. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-99awnpGzAJw/T974s-zSpFI/AAAAAAAABuk/liUtpV_Q590/s1600-h/092%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="092" border="0" alt="092" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-20BZZ5aI3iI/T974tk0IN9I/AAAAAAAABuw/jGIVLwnISl4/092_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="513" height="354"></a></p> <p>This is fun.. she will go anywhere I take her!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AtpUBnl6dBI/T974vW31faI/AAAAAAAABu4/RmoiotILt_A/s1600-h/093%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="093" border="0" alt="093" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4V-2_eGalzw/T974wNa5orI/AAAAAAAABvA/1zrbGu3j8Gg/093_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="520" height="359"></a></p> <p>Come on… let’s go through the grass and trees!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-oFFUxmAr3V4/T974x8KgoLI/AAAAAAAABvI/2GObYHSXa0k/s1600-h/094%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="094" border="0" alt="094" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iKkwmJBKLfg/T974ynYmA7I/AAAAAAAABvQ/QjBWbn7IC8U/094_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="524" height="362"></a></p> <p>Let’s see if we can get out of this fence! Come on!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EztMogJElwA/T9740NqTI2I/AAAAAAAABvY/77n0A_kRxEE/s1600-h/095%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="095" border="0" alt="095" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-UNM7U01LIzA/T9741DkqE2I/AAAAAAAABvg/HIzvLJmWwy4/095_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="366"></a></p> <p>My first un-resisted hug!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--FinY6e2l3Q/T9744_Dyc3I/AAAAAAAABvo/tanjUWYRwfY/s1600-h/097%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="097" border="0" alt="097" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-y_6mROnQ0GQ/T9745kfaXDI/AAAAAAAABvw/PXwJuAlBD0A/097_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="538" height="371"></a></p> <p>Then after that hug he turned to me and put his hands up. I didn’t think this would happen today! LUCKY ME!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-shMmKNpXaZc/T974_aNyjCI/AAAAAAAABv4/1G1j8p7R04w/s1600-h/101%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="101" border="0" alt="101" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1Og8WCaV_rk/T975CdWVNzI/AAAAAAAABwA/a4LkKnp7bns/101_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="540" height="372"></a></p> <p>See how long my tongue is?? Is yours that long?</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yA9eZ6xPF5s/T975DA47wrI/AAAAAAAABwI/Wp9TmftEKo4/s1600-h/102%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="102" border="0" alt="102" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DQXYpfet2p4/T975D2jcqFI/AAAAAAAABwM/sCOK2upR_os/102_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="547" height="377"></a></p> <p>Oh I LOVE to snuggle!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zzSOARbEuHc/T975E_sSW-I/AAAAAAAABwY/4gqwMR8KIcI/s1600-h/104%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="104" border="0" alt="104" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-m_RvFa8zxuo/T975G74gBUI/AAAAAAAABwc/HHkn8l824B0/104_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="552" height="381"></a></p> <p>And I LOVE to be tickled.. I laugh so HARD!!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AgnK-4FOJrA/T975Hj3sLXI/AAAAAAAABwo/EheSyz3ouWw/s1600-h/106%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="106" border="0" alt="106" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cegIhHLiOyA/T975IVrpezI/AAAAAAAABww/-dM71IshX6o/106_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="557" height="384"></a></p> <p>I could get used to this… it was right after this that he bit me on the shoulder… but when I said “nay” he knew he had done something wrong because he immediately put his hand over his mouth and rubbed me where he had bitten me. He repeated “nay”. I think he does it and then thinks after “Oh crap.. I am in trouble!” Nothing a little vinegar won’t take care of when we get home!</p> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zYeBq4E54s8/T975JPPqqDI/AAAAAAAABw4/MbEYLNfMmdM/s1600-h/105%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="105" border="0" alt="105" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7xG6CejMJ5o/T975J2LW6qI/AAAAAAAABxA/H0XfynSrCXA/105_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="562" height="388"></a> <p>This is how our visit ended. I am good with that. Not bad for our first couple hours together! I was happy… oh so happy!!! </p> <p>Now I am at the Budapest hotel.. going to get some lunch and Dani and her father will be back here at 3:30 to pick me up for the afternoon visit. I will try to get some more pictures and post them if I can! I will update though on how our next visit goes!</p> Brigittehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17560110537497265181noreply@blogger.com22