The Ingalls

The girls passing out candy

The kids and Olivia at the neighborhood treat table

Edison with his sucker

The girls are really into the Laura Ingalls chapter books (the books between the picture books and the novels). They decided to be Mary and Laura for Halloween so my mom made them costumes. They looked great and had a fun time walking to a few houses and passing out treats from our porch. Violet came home from trick-or-treating and put her candy in the pass out bucket. I didn't object.

Edison was thrilled to be trick-or-treating. He took a sucker from home in his bucket and kept asking to eat it. We let him open it and he wasn't interested in any other candy. He would walk up to people's houses and say thanks and then walk away. For some reason, he would put his sucker hand in the air and say "cheers" when passing people.

Since I have missed so much of 2010, I don't even think I can try to catch it up. I am hoping to get some posts up so that I can make a blog book. This is really my only record of the kids growth, development, and events so I would like to try to keep it up.

Edison

Picnic in the backyard

Breakfast

Superman from April

Olivia being snuggly

Easter

It seems to Nate and I that Edison has really grown up since we left Indianapolis. He still seemed like a baby when we moved and now he is definitely a kid. He is stringing words together and has had a language explosion. He sings songs (Bye-O, Bob the Builder, ABC's - a few sounds), climbs everything, goes up and down the steps standing, LOVES basketball in any form, he is a pretty good golfer, and he laughs at everything. He is quite a happy little boy.

Edison Quotes:

"Watch this"
"Want more this." (More food please - whatever I am pointing to)
"Daddy, where are you?"
"Basketball shoot."
"Have one more?" (Can I have one more and then one more and then one more?)
"Watch me!"

"I want that"

"I need that!"

"I had that!"

"Apple deuce" (Apple juice is requested several times per day)

Someday I will get house pics on here.

Ending the blog drought

When you don’t have a coach or carriage you improvise.

Anara, “Okay, let’s go to the ball. Everybody on the truck!”

We are completely moved into our new house. Mom brought over the last laundry basket of random junk and I think all of our stuff might be in one place. I wouldn't call us "settled" but we are getting there. Nate said that things should probably be in pretty good shape by Christmas...we'll see. I have lots of catch-up pics and some before and after photos of the house. I will get to those soon. I just got my internet connected a few hours ago so I have a little work to do. For now here are some random moments since our move.

The moving truck

Olivia & Edison at Grandma's. Babysitting...perk of moving home.

Rub-a-dub-dub

Edison and a baggie full of Kix

Adoption

There was a tragic event that has the potential to change the lives of many children and families. A 7 y/o Russian boy was put on a plane to Moscow by his adoptive mother. I won't go into the details, but the consequences could be devastating. Please pray that Russia will not suspend their US adoptions. More than 50,000 Russian children have found homes with US families. It would be terrible if this were no longer possible. Here is a website with more information Joint Council of International Children's Services.

Anaraboo

Wearing Mommy's b-day gifts from Nina

Some of these pics are repeats. Anara is doing wonderfully. She has been stone-free since Dec. She has a cystoscopy to check for stones about every 6 weeks. We started at every 2 weeks, then every 4, now 6 and hopefully 8 after the next negative scope. She has started learning to read and is doing great. Anara is planning to be a ballerina, doctor, and a mommy but not necessarily in that order. We just celebrated her "Happy Adoption Day" on April 9th. We can't believe it's been 3 years. She will be 4 on May 1st. I can't think of any quotes offhand which is sad because she is hilarious. I will try to remember a few and put them up later.

Saying goodbye to the Rodriguez's

Breakfast with Dewey

Playing "Mommy and Daddy

Resting with the Tubbies

Great-Grandpa S.

Eating her first apple

Standing over the register

Ballerina

Eating snow

Hiding

For anyone that doesn't know, we have moved. Nate has a new job and we have been able to move home. Right now we are living at Mom's house. We are planning to close on the houses we are selling April 27th and then close on the house we are buying on May 7th. We are pretty excited about the change.

Violet

Here is a Violet catch-up blog (to be followed by an Anara and an Edison catch-up). Violet has been pretty healthy this winter and she has only had a few colds requiring breathing treatments but nothing requiring steroids. She is learning to read and doing great. Violet is trying to grow her hair down to her feet and I am going to try and help her by not giving her a spring cut. She does a terrific job watching Edison and sounding an alarm when he is doing dangerous stunt maneuvers. Here are some recent Violet photos in no particular order.

The Rodriguez's saying goodbye before they move

Vi's luggage

Dewey's birthday breakfast at Bob Evan's

Pretending "Mommy and Daddy"

Tea party

Vi's party hat at Olivia's birthday party

Baby's party hatBallerina's

Great-Grandpa

Playing piano at Grandma and Grandpa H's

Olivia

Ballerina bun

Edison begging to go play

Only a couple quotes

"Mom, why does the trash can not smell good? Why does it smell like rotten pickles? Anara, come smell this."

"Mom, can I have a few of these graham crackers? I think they are from about 20 years ago."

From the Wrights

The Wrights, from the Christmas fundraiser, are preparing to return to Kyrgyzstan. They are in the midst of support raising. At the time of the Haiti disaster, John redirected some of their efforts and money to a team working with the Haitians. If you are interested in supporting the Wrights and their work in Kyrgyzstan, visit their blog

I have already told our friends that we will be a little lower key this spring as a result of the urgent needs in Haiti.... but I have to ask myself... what makes me think that is an acceptable excuse to leave friends waiting in the dump for help like our little friend below... She knows nothing about Haiti, but she does know how cold it was this winter........How do we tell her she is less important