Brothers......little and big :)

Finally...it's Spring....

I think?  The day after I took these pictures of the boys playing outside, it snowed. No lie. It didn't stick though. :)

Elijah will be seven in July and he's showing me seven fingers. He's excited already!

 

Elijah loves the sandbox.

Liam loves Mikey. He likes to sit next to him.  In this picture, Mikey is chewing a rawhide. That's why he looks goofy. That's his concentration face! 

My photogenic Caleb. He has the best smile :)

This face cracks me up! He's not mad at all.

Liam just gives us this look sometimes and it always makes me laugh!

It's so much fun to take pictures of Caleb. He's always ready with a smile.

 

SICK

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever. Last week, both Caleb and Elijah came down with Strep. They missed the entire week of school. Wednesday night, Jimmy got sick and he missed Thursday and Friday. I also had body aches and a bad sore throat so it was a long week for us. Liam somehow stayed healthy the whole week. :)

This is where Caleb and Elijah spent most of their week.

I am so thankful that I am able to stay at home with my boys. I can't imagine having to work with them being as sick as they were. I used to get so stressed out when they got sick because more than anything I wanted to be the one taking care of them. Going to work when your children are sick is the worst. God is good, all the time.

Liam and Sam at OneTrueMedia.com

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Pictures from Liam's adoption 2011- 2012

Going through my blog, I realized that I didn't post very many pictures at all from my time in Russia. I was in Russia in March 2005, June 2005, October 2008, March and April 2009, November and December 2011 and January 2012. I loved my time spent in this beautiful country. I have a special place in my heart for Russia even though I don't agree with how they treat their disabled citizens. Russia allowed me to come into their country 7 times and bring three precious little boys home with me. I pray that Russia will again allow foreigners to adopt one day, because really, we are the disabled children's only chance of having a family to call their own.

TRIP 1

                       

                                                                     

Our home away from home. We stayed in an apartment on the 7th floor.

Our cute and cozy kitchen

Living room/bedroom

Other side of living room/ bedroom

 

Typical Russian car (kinda cute in a funny sort of way). During Liam's adoption, I didn't ride in one, but I did during Caleb's adoption in 2005.

Ben decided that Russian bread is too small, so this is what his sandwiches looked liked when he finished making them. :)

Ben and Me,

Red Square November 2011

The outside of Liam's institution. We entered through the door on the right. (This pic was taken by a worker here. I was not here in June 2012)

Meeting my precious Liam

Playing with Liam, day 2 of first trip in November 2011. This was the room that we met in for each visit. It was a therapy room, but I don't think it was used often.

I fell in love with his big, brown soulful eyes.

Military Museum in Moscow

Inside the military museum in Moscow

Space Museum in Moscow

 

TRIP 2

                                                                  

When I arrived to see Liam, he had a scratch on his cheek and a crushed middle finger. So small and defenseless. I knew then that he was not safe there.

 

Red Square in December 2011

On December 24th, I went to a Russian Circus.

This is me in front of the Moscow Courthouse on December 27th 2011, where I was declared Liam Josiah's Mama!

 

 

TRIP 3

 

After 7 long years, my sweet boy is FREE at last!

January 12, 2012

Cabellas

My boys love Cabellas and since we hadn't been in a while, we decided to make an afternoon of it with lunch afterwards.

Caleb cracks me up in this one. :)

Ummmm, Elijah....you might want to move! LOL

My sweet boy Elijah :)

Can't get enough of this kid's smile!

Jimmy,..... you might want to look behind you!

 

 

Liam was with us too but he wasn't too happy to be there. I think it may have been a bit overwhelming for him. As soon as we left, he was fine. :)

Easter 2013

Jesus is Risen!

 

This was the first year that Ben was not here for Easter. Sad not filling his Easter basket (yes, he still got one each year). And it was the first year that Jimmy decided not to look for his basket. LOL! Yes, I gave in and presented it to him in his bed. :) Elijah was the first to find his basket (behind one of the big bears) and Caleb needed a few hints but he found hid under my jacket. Liam's was sitting on a container of toys but he wasn't really looking for it anyways. :)

Coloring eggs is so much fun :)

Elijah was so excited!

 "I found it!"

Wow, I didn't even have to get out of bed.

Elijah got a 48 piece Toy Story puzzle and he got right to work putting it together.

Liam plucked this Big Bird out of his basket right away!

This is a singing cat that Liam loves! It is Jimmy's but he lets the boys play with it once in a while. Liam loves it!

Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

 

Yes, I said SPRING, so old man Winter..... you can just beat it!