Thanksgiving Day

Here are a few pics from our Thanksgiving Day celebration. We had a casual dinner at Humperdinks in Richardson, Texas. It was great as each person could order Thanksgiving food or whatever else they wanted. The kids were grateful that they could order pizza and corn dogs! Zack and Sophia don't much care for Thanksgiving fare.

After dinner, we went to Uncle Jerry's house to lounge a bit before we went to the movies to see Enchanted (great movie!). It has been a tradition for years that we go to the movies on Thanksgiving evening. It is a great way to unwind, and there is typically a great kids' movie showing.

On the day after Thanksgiving, there was no shopping for us. We made a Thanksgiving meal to eat at home so we could do the traditional "what are you thankful for" traditions. So after we each said what we were thankful for, we decided to do a few other rounds.

First we each stuck our tongue out as far as we could while the others decided what animal we were! Strange yes, but the kids loved it! We had a panda, an anteater, a lizard, a giraffe, a gorilla, and a hyena!!!!

After that, we went around the table and using the first letter of the person's name, we each gave an adjective for that person. Stephanie was sweet, sappy, snake, smiley, sporty... Mike was mellow, manly, masculine, messy (stepha said this one!)... Zack was zesty, zealous, zecial (we had to stretch this!!!), zrazy... Sophia was sneaky, stubborn, silly, stinky, sweet... Josh was jovial, jammin', jubilant... Ken was kind, kenetic, knight, kute (LOL) ... I was darling, determined, darn stubborn, delightful... Gina was gigantic (lol), gorgeous, giraffe, goofy...

The kids just have a royal blast doing crazy stuff like this, and it teaches them so many things! Besides teaching Zack and Sophia their letters and sounds, it teaches the kids to think, and to encourage. It also deepens the silly bones we have in this house!

This year I am so thankful for family! I am thankful for those God created as part of my blood relatives, but I am also incredibly thankful for those God has hand chosen to bring into my family for life! On November 23rd last year, I got an email stating that I was registered with the Ministry of Education in Moscow. I had just found out I was eligible to travel to meet Zack and Sophia for the first time! Thank you Jesus!!! Hearing their little voices pray at the dinner table makes my heart sing!

I pray you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

"My Hero"

Autumn Love and more pics...

Life is Good and LOTS of pics follow this one!!!

The Climb

This pic likely needs an explanation! Zack is a climber, a swinger, a gymnist... I was playing with Sophia and had my back to him for ummmm TWO MINUTES and voila - he climbed up this column with his bare feet and hands! My heart sunk and thought HOW AM I GOING TO GET HIM DOWN! So, before dealting with that I said, "Be still." I took a few pictures for his memory book and then I said okay let me put my camera down to help you.

He said, "No, mom, I'll do it". He climbed down in a snap just like Spiderman, his hero. It was as high as it seems in the picture too!

WOE is all I can say!

Freedom

Dazed

This pic does not capture the height. The boys are holding Sophia's hands to make she she doesn't get too close. Very cute, so I snapped a pic!

Mom, it's Auntie Gina, an AIRPLANE!

Abercrombie?

Seriously?

Autumn Days

Cheese

Cool Breeze

Zack's Idea of a Christmas Picture!!!

Zack's First Thanksgiving Program

If you look close, you'll see Zack peaking through the group of pilgrims and Indians! He is so cute when he has activites at school to which I am invited. He is always on his tip toes looking feverishly for me in the crowd.

In Russia, the orphanage workers help the kids to put on programs for various Russian holidays. I can imagine him standing up there singing feeling like there was really no point to it. He is all about having his own personal fans. He is not a ham though. He is just eager to have someone see what he can do. It was cute to hear him sing, "Where's the turkey"? "Where's the turkey"? "There he is." "There he is." "We're gonna eat him..." I don't remember the rest, but Zack wants to know when we are going to go and catch our turkey!

I have been eagerly anticipating his Thanksgiving Turkey project. You know the typical feathers with things the kids are grateful for written on them. He brought it home today, and this is what his two feathers said:

I am thankful for my sister! (Yep, he loves her now!!!!)
I am thankful for God! (Yep, He realizes how much God has done for him.)
I am thankful for my house. (This is a novelty for him so this is cool.)

So are you waiting for the, "I am thankful for my mom"? I did not make the feathers this year! LOL And, that is a good thing because I think he feels so secure with me that he sees right past me sometimes! I have become like a comfy arm chair that is always there. No comments on the overstuffed part!!!

I love school days pics! School years just pass by so quickly. I want to treasure each day and capture the days as best I can for them!

And, here is just a crazy shot and sometimes how I see things after a long day! :)

Can you believe Thanksgiving is one week from today? I need to figure out what we're doing this year!!!!

Day by Day

Well, the days are getting to be a blur around here. My life is so structured right now that it isn't even funny!!! The kids thrive on structure though so it is a good thing.

This past weekend Gina was here which was fun. The kids beg to go to Uncle Jerry's house so we took advantage of that and sent them over for the weekend. It was nice to have a grown up weekend with Steph and Gina. Mike went to CA so we had no boys and no kids which is incredibly unusual around here.

I missed the kids a tad bit, but I know they LOVE being at Jerry's so I didn't miss them anymore than they missed me, I'm sure. They were super tired when we picked them up so I think they had great fun morning until night each day they were there! Other than Sophia calling Kaylie a "dumb dumb," they were angels.

Next week there is no school so the little ones will be home all week. I think we'll do some fun stuff like bake, go on bike rides, write letters to Gina, make Christmas lists, and "spring" clean in a fun way. I'll let you know if they think that last item on my list is fun!

I have far too much alone time now a days. I do need little spaces of alone time to refresh myself, but I think I am all caught up for awhile. The problem with so much alone time is that it is more time to think, rethink, and think again about the same subject matter. I am more of a doer so I can't wait to get back out there and work again! I keep telling myself to be patient because this is a special time that God has given me to be with Sophia. We have bonded so much over the 3.5 months we have been home together. She has grown up so much too!

I'm finding that it is easiest right now for me to take life day by day. I am typically a major planner. I have always had a five year plan, a life plan, a mission... Now I find myself in a place where there are just too many moving pieces to nail down any set plans for my life. And, nothing I have is as secure as I once thought. So for today, instead of worrying about what the future holds, I'll give my all to this one unit of time called today. I think I'll clean out the kids' dressers and toy boxes in hopes of freeing up some space. I will also continue cleaning out and narrowing down the many items I have stored in the garage.

This followed by picking up Zack and Josh at 3 and then Kenny at 4:35, making dinner, managing chores, homework, perhaps a trip to the park, and then bedtime rituals. I hope by the time I lay my head on the pillow tonight, life feels a little more transparent, but if not, I'll take it day by day not forgetting to take mental snapshots of the little ones along the way. Someday, I'm told, I'll look back at this "boring" part of life and wish I could go back in time. We shall see.

Wise Beyond Their Years

Zack: Mama, does God have powers?
Mama: Yes, Zack.
Stepha: God has every kind of power there is.
Zack: Seriously?
Ken: Zack, God has so much power he could go BOOM and kill everyone, but he doesn't. Instead, he takes all of his power and goes BOOM and loves us all.
Zack: That's cool.



Zack: Mama, how did God make me?
Mom: I'm not sure, but he did a very good job.
Zack: He named me Zack too.
Mom: Yes, he did after he told me to go to Russia to get you and Sophia.
Zack: GOD TALKS TO YOU??????? (in awe)
Mom: Not out loud from the sky but in my mind and my heart when I pray.
Zack: Oh, he whispers when you pray at dinner? (so serious)
Mom: No, he doesn't whisper, but my heart heart hears him when he tells me to do good.
Zack: I hear him too. (surprised)
Josh: God talks to us in our hearts so He can tell us what he needs us to do on earth.
Zack: That's cool.

Stepha: Sophia when you were sleeping with me last night, you put your bum in my face.
Sophia: Stepha, you sleep with your boyfriend? (loud in the middle of the store)
Stepha: NO, I slept with you remember? And, I don't have a boyfriend.
Sophia: Stepha, you sleep with your boyfriend!!!! (not a question and said loudly)
Stepha: Sophia Joy Rivera that is not nice to say.
Sophia: Oh, I sorry you don't have boyfriend.

Oh my this girl is crazy. I don't think she understands what she was saying, but she sure does come up with some doozies!!!!

Fun Chilly Texas Nights

Today Sophia and I just hung out together at home!


After a long day, we decided to go to the park for some light tag!!! This is just the ticket to get some sad kids happy super fast!!!! And, notice the faces? Slopppppppy Joes make kids happy too!!!!

Look how tall Josh is getting! As you can tell, I had to buy him some new clothes, and since he is growing so fast I got them a little bigger this time!!! He wore a 6 six months ago. Now he is in an 8!!!! His feet were a 13 at Easter and now they are a 2.5!!!! Perhaps Zack will catch a spurt like this sometime soon!

Zack took Steph for a ride on the boat at the park! Sophia loved the flashlight fun!

And, I had two night crawlers!

Zack grins and bears the sisterly hugs and kisses! Then he plays like he was run over by a seahorse!

And, once we were home some flash dancing was in store followed by a scary story from Uncle Mike. Notice how the littles disappeared? They love screaming and running from him!

This was followed by Auntie Steph and Sophia doing laundry together! Fun stuff I tell you! Sophia actually loves it!

And, yes, it IS definitely time for haircuts!