Happy Birthday to Yin!

Today is my sweet baby Yin's 2nd birthday. We are so very lucky that she came into our lives! She has really been a blessing. Yes, we have days when she drives us CRAZY, but when she smiles and gives a wink or her big eyes, there is no way you cannot smile at her beautiful little face.

I will try not to get to sappy.


We had a very nice party here at the house Knunkle Pilot and Aunt Needles, Uncle B' Ohhh and Aunt Meg Meg, Maw Maw and Paw Paw, Mei Mei's mommy and daddy, G & L and the kids, J & J and kids, & Auntie B & kids.

Yin made out like a bandit. She got a drum and musical set from Pilot and Needles, several jugs of juice from B'hhh and Meg Meg, a Cinderella doll, dress up set, and top from Maw Maw and Paw Paw, a purse full of goodies from Mei Mei's mommy and daddy, several cartoon DVD's from G & L, a feather boa, bead necklaces, and mini Mr. Potato head's from J & J, and a glow worm and baby bottles from Auntie B. We got here a ride on toy first you can use it as a rocker and then the rocking handle moves up and it can be a push the kid on toy and finally the handle comes off and they can ride it themselves. This is what it looks like except Yin's is pink and purple.


This is not Yin or Yuri, but this is a picture of what she got.


We also got her a puzzle pizza from Melissa and Doug. My friend J & J have this and she really loved it.





Tomorrow we will be having Pizza for Yuri's adoption day party. Yin and Yuri are both BIG pizza eaters! Tonight I will look in on my little prince and princess as they sleep and know that we are really blessed!


Choi, I hope that in your heart you know that you have given us the very best gift. I am sorry that you live in a country that would not allow you to keep little Yin and love her. I am also very happy that you were able to make that tough decision. I will let her know of you all the time. When we hear the piano I will tell her how you teach at a music institution, and when we hear about the Military I will tell her how Kim was in the South Korean Military serving his country. She will know that you loved her very much! Thank you!

Count down to Disney

To much fun to pass up!!

A very special Gift.

I know that some of you may get tired of these anniversaries, but with the time change and all 6 years ago today this is what I got...

I know I wasn't going to put faces on the internet, but this picture is 6 years old.

Here is a little of our story...

In October 1999, we found out that we would not be able to have kids. We had done one unsuccessful round of IVF. We thought of an egg donor and a sperm donor and all the other options, but they were not right for us. I had a childhood friend that had just adopted to kids from Russian that summer and called her on the phone after 2 hours and ALOT of information we were off.

We turned in our application to adopt the monday after Thanksgiving. We wanted to tell our families the news to see how they would react. Very early in our marriage Nene made a comment about how she would rather have no kids than adopt so we were a little afraid that our families might react weird. Nene has told me many times that she can't believe that she ever said that but back when she was growing up adoption was not viewed in the same way that it is today. Most of you know that Nene would from the day she set eyes on Yuri move heaven and earth for that kid. Really Yuri has the best Grandparents EVER both sets!

We went though all the paperwork and on March 21st we got Yuri's picture. It is the one above.

One April 18, we left for Odessa.

We arrived at a pepto- pink building in a back alley in Odessa, Ukraine. This is babyhouse number 3 in all there are 7 different orphanges in Odessa alone.

They shuffled us and the other couple into a small room. With the babyhouse director, our coordinator (who could only say "8" for what ever time he ment even if it was 2 in the afternoon), & our translator Anya.

They brought in this small bundle of beauty. He was so very tiny, and I am not sure that he had ever seen a man before. He looked at Rudy with sure puzzle in his eyes. The director was telling us his story while the translator was also telling us his story ... I was a bit confused 24 hours without sleep and a horrible train ride... That is another story all in inself.

Here was my son. How had God know that he was for us? How had he made it so that our paths would meet? How? I had so many thoughts going though my mind. Would he love me? Would I be able to love him enough? Would he understand why his birth mother made the choices she had to make? Would we be able to give him the right answers to his questions? Would... well you get the idea.

We knew that he had a club foot and asked if we could look at his foot to determine the condition. I don't really know why we looked. He was already our son, so whatever God gave us we were going to work with the problem. He was so very tiny. He weighed only 14 pounds at 11 months. He had the most amazing gray eyes. For the first few visits we thought that he was deaf becuase he would not look at us when we spoke, but then ladies would walk thru speaking Russian and heis eyes would follow them.

I remember the first time I heard his laugh... He laughs like Revenge of the Nerds guys so it was funny to hear from a little person.

On April 26, 2000, little Yuri offically became our son. I am sure that I will have to post on that day also court was something else, but I just can't help it. I love this boy more than I ever loved anything in my life. My sweet Rudy don't be jealous it is not the same type of love as you know. He made me feel like a lost part of me was found.

Well now that I am crying like a baby. I will go. Happy Gotcha Day little Yuri! I love you so VERY much.

Another Picture

Here is a picture taken at Lincoln Trial State Park. This was the end of our first day.

Great Weekend

We had a great weekend. The weather was great. Yin slept ALL night in the camper. I slept in the back with her and she did just fine. Yuri slept on the top bunk like a big boy and Rudy had the Queen size bed all to himself. Yuri rode his bike around like a pro. It is amazing the difference in a year. Last year he still had training wheels, and we thought that he would never get it and then all of a sudden... Boom he's a pro. Yin loved to take rides on the bike. I got tired peddling her tushy around the park.

Friday we ran to T- town to Gander Mountain and Hobby Lobby. I have been working very hard on my scrapbooking of the kids memories. I now have about twenty full pages done in a week. I bought some stickers for Yuri's first day of school, his school field trip from last year, and some camping stickers.

Saturday was the big geocaching event. Great fun was had by all. There was a really nice easter egg hunt. Since the last one was where I got hurt... Yin found several large eggs that allowed her to pick stuffed animals. I had her give one to Yuri and one to another little girl so each kid could have one instead of her getting there. Like she needs anymore stuffed animals.

Sunday we headed home, and missed the 14-18 tornados that supposedly set down within 30 miles of that area. All we got was a little ran, but our friends that live 20 miles north of us got some damage from the wind. We ate lunch at my mom's house it was very good. I think we had ice cream for supper as no one was hungry. I know I am a horrible mom.

Yesterday was Yuri last day home from school. I really loved having him home for the last week. He was a great help with Yin. We worked around the house and worked on some wishes for the 100 good wishes quilt. In China, (Yin is from South Korea) anywhoo. In China, when a baby is born each person will send a piece of fabric and a wish ... i wish for you courage or love or joy ... on a small slip of paper. Then the quilt is put together once they recieve 100. I joined a Yahoo group with Mei Mei's mommy and we have been swapping material and wishes for the past month or so. The swap that I am currently working on is the 50 states. I got North and South Dakota. I picked material with Native Americans and Buffalo for North Dakota since the history for both in heavy in that area, and for South Dakota I picked Dinosaurs. There has been more dinosaurs excavated from there than any othe state. My wishes were on 1/2 a sheet of regular card stock with some info about each state and for North Dakota I attached a new buffalo nickel for South Dakota I used some dinosuar stickers. They turned out nice. I have done some better wishes, but those were for smaller groups not 50.

Rudy got home a 4pm and it WAS so nice to see him. After 32 days and nights of not seeing him. Ugh. If I was Catholic I would say that I gave us by sweet Rudy for lent. This reminds me of or good friends W & B. One year I asked B what she gave up for Lent. She replied "Pop". I asked her husband W what he gave up for lent he replied "Foreplay"... You gotta know W this has kept me laughing for years!!!

I have really missed my blogging family, but I had nothing to write. I sure hope that Farmwife isn't gonna leave us I really enjoy her posts. Ragged has been taking the most beautiful spring pics. Cynical is my Idol fan. I am not sure what is happing there. Needles always has me guessing with the pics of what her beautiful yarn will turn into, and Pilot well he finds the best internet pics out there, plus his gas stories (for cars) always make me laugh and Rudy groan.

The above is a picture that I took of our weeping flowering pear tree. We put this out in the fall of the 2004, but last year it did not flower. This year it is just beautiful. BTW I took this with the Canon... Not to bad...

Bing,Bang, Boom!

I am sure that most of you know that I am very accident prone. If some type of accident is going to happen it will almost always happen to me :(

Yesterday we were taking Yin and Yuri to Rudy's work for an Easter egg hunt. We went to eat Chinese food and then we were on our way to the refinery. We got out of the car. I was carrying Yin, her bag, and my purse, all in all about 40-45 extra pounds, usually Rudy will carry something. He is a great help, but since he has been gone so much it has became habit for me to pack all that junk.

As I started to step on the curb my right ankle gave out. I have bird ankles. My hand can almost go aroung my ankle it will just verily not reach. It was all in slow motion from there. I was trying eveything I could to get my balance back. I did not want to fall and land on little Yin! Nothing could be done so I threw myself on my knees in an attempt to break her fall. There was a stair case right in front of me and all I could see was me bouncing her head on that concrete step.

Well... Yin was crying and I was trying to get up. I am usually good with mom things. I can catch vomit in my hands NO PROBLEM (ask Pilot he can confirm this)!

However, I could feel blood running down my leg. UGH! That was making me sick to my stomach. Yin was crying people were asking me if I was alright and other STUPID people were trying to push their kids past us to get inside for the EGG HUNT! Really I kid you not! Rudy got mad. He was mad at how the people were acting around us plus he has had almost no sleep for a month. Then all of a sudden a very nice voice broke thru the crowd and the ringing in my head. She offered to take me inside and clean me up. As we were all in the ladies bathroom Rudy and Yuri included. (Yuri found that the woman's bathroom was very nice because there is a couch in there. Not sure why?!?) Anywho... I rolled up my torn jeans leg, of course those were my FAVORITE pants. UGH! I told Tonya that I was sorry I had not shaved my legs that day. She got me all doctored up including the cuts on my hands and face.
Off to the egg hunt we went.

Later at home. I was sitting on Rudy's lap in the chair, and Yin started crying. Miss DO NOT TOUCH MY DADDY was mad. I picked her up and we all sat there together for a few minutes when all of a sudden she turned her big block head and busted my lip open. Not on the inside. No!!! I look like I fought a boxer and lost! Great lets just add some insult to my injuries!! I finally got everyone in bed. Yuri had complained of an earache. I put the pain drops in and started him on an antibiotic. I knew he had an ear infection, but was hoping that we could make it to the doctor on Monday. Nope at 12:40 am I heard and odd noise. It was Yuri crying hard that his ear was in alot of pain. Yuri has a high pain tolerance. He is a little whimpy with some things, but since he had a circumsion at 3 and NEVER cried. I think his pain tolerence is high. He kept crying until he vomited which of course made the ear worse. We are going to the ER. This is at the hospital where Pilot works, and since I worked for one of the local doctors for three years. I was hoping to get any of the doctors other than the one I got.

Dr Carr was a little on the short side. I guess he didn't like getting work up at 1:00am. He treated me like I was one of THOSE moms. You know the one's that usually have aid (not that all aid mom's are like that because some are definately NOT, but a good portion of the ones I have dealt with would often take their kids to the ER because they overslept and missed their 11:30 appointments). I would not be there unless I thought it was absolutely necessary!

He asked what kind of medicine usually worked the best and I told him the one that Yuri usually gets Omnicef. It is a broad antibitoic that works quickly and tastes good. He looked a little shocked that I knew this info. The nurse, who was a man, was great (I know him from my old job), and that made the experience much better. I brought Yuri home and he was able to get some sleep and felt much better today! Thanks goodness.

Today was a good day we worked in the yard and picked up sticks. My back is killing me, but the more I do the better it is supposed to feel. I began to make Taco Ring for supper. You cook the meat and roll Cresent rolls into a cirlce(easier said than done) then you put meat and cheese inside and cover with another cresent roll and bake. It makes the mat very sweet tasting and the gang here loves it. Anywho... As I cut the lettuce... You guess it I cut my other hand the one with out all the cuts from yesterday's fall. Seriously tomorrow I AM STAYING IN BED!!!!

Stay turned... All of you know that Yuri and Yin will NEVER let me stay in bed! Sorry for the typos and bad grammer, but I can only use half of my fingers. Hunt and peck has taken on a whole new meaning.

You can't Handle the Truth!

Just when I thought that I hated every Tom Cruise movie I have remembered one that I liked.

I can hardly stand to even look at him anymore. With his crazy couch jumping and cult like acting that the media is filled with. I wish the media would let it go, maybe after his love child is born. Who knows?

I really love the movie "A Few Good Men". Of course, Jack Nickloson really makes this movie.

This reminds me of when I was in High School and getting ready to graduate. I did well in Math and Science and won some awards. One night I got a call from a former graduate who was now a Marine. He asked me about becoming a Marine and different fields and such. I replied that "Mark, the only thing that me and the Marines have in common are that we are both looking for a few good men", and I hung up the phone. I mean really me a Marine?!? I doubt that they are ready for women Marines like me!

Anywho..

Any Tom Cruise Fans still out there? What do you like?

Movies I like are as follows:

Legend (remember that show)
Days of Thunder ( We went thru about 5 VHS copies of that show) It made me LOVE Nascar.
A few Good Men

Here is a link check it out

Tom Cruise Movies