The Alagram Family

Father's Day Celebration

2010-07-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in forever and thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures from Father's Day! We spent our dinner hour on a boat cruise at Lake Mission Viejo. It was beautiful and all of the kids had a great time driving the boat.

My amazing husband, who in addition to being a great partner in life, has provided me with all of these super cute and fun children!

Twerp #1...too cute and an AMAZING big brother! I couldn't ask for anything more from him.

Twerp #4...loves having the wind in her hair and driving the boat! She'd get really upset when we would have to correct the direction she was headed in.

Twerp #3...this guy has brought more laughter to my life than any other. Just the other day, we walked into the bathroom at the same time just after waking up. This was the conversation: Me: You go potty first, I'll wait. Him: No, you go first, ladies first you know. Me: You just go quickly and then go and get dressed. I'll wait for you. Him: Oh, I get it, you want me to warm up the toilet seat for you! Where did he even hear of that?!? That's crazy funny!

Twerp #2...She is so much fun to be around. All she wants to do this summer is to learn to sew and go swimming...that and a lot of cuddling. She's such an easy kid to please.

Hmmmm.

2010-07-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Last night, Twerp #2 said to me, "Mom, you don't act as old as you look!"

Wow. Enough said.

8 months today.

2010-05-21T10:08:00.001-07:00

8 months ago today, we met our little girl for the first time. I can't believe how quickly 8 months has flown by...and I can't believe how long it seems like she's been a part of our family. It's a tricky thing and I'm trying to figure it out. She's gotten so big. In 8 months she's gone from wearing a size 6-9 months clothes to 2T. She's gone from quiet to singing all the time. She's gone from no hair to a head full of hair. She's gone from weak to strong and healthy. She went from a simple photo to being in my arms.

We had a great first Mother's Day together. We ate smores and had a bonfire in the backyard.

My girl doesn't like to get sticky stuff on her fingers. Ha! It was really fun trying to see her eat the smores without getting all messy.

And she can kill me with these eyes! They melt me like butter and I'd do just about anything for her. (Including buying her as many shoes as this future Imelda Marcos wants...don't tell Stephen!)

We also spent time at the park and the duck pond. It was my only wish for Mother's Day. I really wanted to watch the kids play and have fun.

But this happened to be my favorite picture of the entire day. My dad and Aaselia. I'm so glad to see her bond with him. It makes my whole body smile when she runs up to him like this. I'm not sure why I don't get that same feeling with other family members...but these hugs have a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to be able to get this one on film.

And chase the ducks she did! They were just a little bit faster than she was - a good thing for those ducks. They'd had their fill of bread by the time we got there. Luckily they were still quick on their feet. Aaselia loved to chase them and laughed out loud. Super fun.

There are always hugs for Auntie Maren. My sister was trying to teach Aaselia how to throw stale bread to the ducks. But REALLY stale rolls just don't break well. Aaselia ended up throwing entire rolls (hockey pucks) at those poor birds.

The good stuff, she just ate. Eight months of this precious girl. I am one lucky momma.

Does there even need to be a sign?

2010-05-21T10:07:00.001-07:00

Enough said. I think we get the picture.

This is your baby on drugs...any questions?!?

2010-04-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Twerp #4 had a test done yesterday at the Children's Hospital. They gave her a little Versed when she had a hard time with the blood pressure cuff. I can't help but laugh at her. She was so..."happy." She would lose her balance and bump her head...look at me and then laugh. Luckily, I had my little girl back to normal within the hour.

Don't smile too much at this video...it will cause wrinkles!

We had fun today...

2010-04-08T16:36:00.001-07:00

If this isn't the cutest picture...then you aren't measuring with the same yard stick that I am...

Twerp #1 and Twerp #4 love each other. A lot. It makes me happy. Very happy.

This made the three big Twerps happy. I'll give you a better picture tomorrow...but this will have to do for now. Besides, it's one of the only words Twerp #4 can say correctly. When she looks at this picture, she says, "Eye!" I know, it's a start!

Bye for now!

What a difference 6 months makes (4344 little hours)

2010-03-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

This was September 12, 2009. Asaelia had surgery almost 2 weeks earlier and was in China. We were waiting and praying for her daily. We were to leave just 3 days later to bring her home...to her forever family.

We had a great 6 months - I can't believe it's been that long! She grew some hair...learned who her family is...played...got a new puppy...played some more and learned to be one of the better kissers in our family! I just LOVE getting kisses from her!

Fast forward 6 months. Aaselia had surgery exactly 6 months after her original surgery in China. This was 4 days later (not the almost 2 weeks in the above picture). She was happy, truly happy, to be sitting on Daddy's lap and playing/reading books with him. She has a shine in her eyes...and even her NG tube couldn't stop her from enjoying life.

God has been good to Aaselia. He's been REAL GOOD! Seeing the difference in these two pictures shows what a difference LOVE makes in the life of a child. It's not perfect love on our part, but it's the perfect love of Christ who has changed this girl. Every night she folds her hands and bows her head as we pray over her.

Just look at that smile. Our almost 4 year wait was worth every minute.

Anyone have a plumber?

2010-03-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

We need a plumber! Our hall bathroom has a toilet that's been getting "stuck." It won't flush every once in a while. We've plunged it many times and now, tonight, Stephen finally decided to see what the problem was. Well, he drained the toilet. He vacuumed out the toilet with a wet/dry vac. He removed the toilet and that's when we saw the problem.

There is a TREE growing out of our toilet! Can you believe it!!! I'd take a picture, but I left my camera in my sisters car. You'll just have to trust me on this! Stephen finally got it removed and it was a huge bush (I thought they were tree roots) that was growing in our filth! You know that nightmare that we all have - I hope it's not just me - where we swallow a seed and then have a tree growing in our body, or where we swallow a spider egg and then it bursts inside of us, or...I digress. Sorry.

We have a tree/bush in our toilet. Nasty. What's even more scary is that Stephen's mom is visiting and helping me with the kids while Aaselia was in the hospital. Stephen's Aunt is renting our 4th bedroom right now. That means that there are 8, yes 8, people staying in our house...our house that has one working toilet. Tomorrow morning looks very promising! Ahhhh...anyone know of a Hilton, I mean plumber we can use?!?

Our baby is getting better!

2010-03-06T19:54:00.001-08:00

On February 27th, we went to the Asia Reunion with our Adoption Agency. We had food at the China Buffet and made lots of new friends. A couple of the families live within 5 miles of our home! This was the last meal that Aaselia would eat. She started to get sick that afternoon and by the next morning we were in the hospital emergency room.

Today was a great day for Aaselia. She was up and walking quite a bit as well as had a LOT of play time with Daddy. Yes, for the first time since she entered the hospital on the 28th of February, I got to sleep in my own bed last night. What a night of sleep it was! I woke up at 4:00 a.m. in the same position that I fell asleep in...I was a little sore, but I turned over and went back to sleep until 8:45. I begged twerp #1 (and paid him $5) to make breakfast for the other kids so I could sleep in. It was glorious...beautiful...and just what the doctor ordered!

When I got to the hospital in the early afternoon, Stephen and Aaselia were having a quiet time. She was taking a nap - on her stomach! I couldn't believe it. Stephen said that at some point during her nap, she flipped over "No-No!"'s and all and was sleeping quite soundly. She woke up and we walked and played Lego's and read books until the other kids arrived at the hospital. We had to get a badge for her to come back up in the elevator after our visit with the other Twerps. (As if the IV and 4 tubes coming out of her body wouldn't be ID enough...)

Aaselia had the greatest smile when she saw her brothers and sister. Her eyes lit up and her entire body smiled. It was wonderful to see. She got balloons and a stuffed animal. She was one happy little girl. My mom took Aaselia back up to her room and Stephen and I ate dinner in the cafeteria with the other Twerps. It was a nice evening having all my kids in the same room...if only for 10 minutes.

A sick little girl...

2010-03-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

So there aren't any pictures today... A-because I don't have any and B-because I don't have access to a computer, at least one that's mine.

Last Saturday night, at about 11:00, Aaselia started to not feel very well. I thought that she'd probably had something that didn't agree with her for supper/lunch, but after she had vomited every 20 minutes for 6 hours, I was a lot worried. I'm not one to worry much, fret over the little/medium or big things. But this had me worried. We (my mom, sister, Aaselia and I) left my Aunt's house to drive back towards Orange County - 2 hours away. We headed straight to Children's Hospital of Orange County and entered the emergency room. 8 hours later, we were admitted into the hospital for what will turn out to be a 1 1/2 week-2 week stay.

Aaselia had a blockage in her intestine - a symptom of her surgery that she had done in China. Since she was originally going to have surgery on the 5th of March, we decided to stay in the hospital and move up the surgery to the 3rd. She's doing really well and is sleeping most of the day away.

I've learned some things about my girl: She has a very high pain tolerance. She is one tough cookie - just like her mama in that respect. She is an integrated part of our family. There hasn't been one time that I've talked to my other kids and they ask about her. They miss her. A lot. They have talked to her over the speaker phone on my cell phone and she smiles and touches the phone. She misses them too. They aren't able to come and visit - there are strict hospital policies here - but we'll be home before they know it.

Aaselia is one healthy girl. Sitting here in my room and seeing all the worried and concerned families on this floor has me thanking God that Aaselia only has this one issue to worry about. There are kids dying today...kids with incurable illnesses...kids that will be sick for the rest of their lives. And then there is Aaselia. She is going to be running around in a couple of weeks. She no longer has a colostomy bag and has had her incision "fixed" so she can wear a bikini later on. (Not that I'm condoning that type of thing, you hear.) I sit here, watching my daughter, in the quiet so thankful that God brought her to our family. I think of how different our lives have become, how different I have become, how our family has been blessed beyond measure.

So while I've been at the hospital, my family and friends have been taking care of the other three Twerps. I miss them. A lot. As a matter of fact, I'm going home this afternoon as soon as Maren gets here to sit with Aaselia. The kids aren't expecting me. We're going to have a good afternoon full of cuddling, stories and maybe just a little bit of homework.

Please continue to pray for Aaselia and the Margala family. Pray that this is the last surgery she has to have. Pray that she gets no adhesion from this recent surgery. Pray that she heals quickly and that we can go home to our king size, electric blanket, down comforter, fluffy pillows, fan overhead and no loud beeping in the middle of the night. Don't get me wrong, this pull out a chair into a bed and pretend to get a good night sleep is OK for the time being - I wouldn't want to be away from my baby...but home is where we both want to be.

We have an AMAZING GOD who works miracles. He's worked many miracles in the life of Aaselia. I can't wait to see what He continues to do in her life.

5 months home

2010-02-24T19:50:00.000-08:00

It's been 5 months (and 3 days) since we first met Aaselia. It's gone by so quickly. I wish that the months leading up to meeting her had gone just as quickly...but somehow they seem to have gone quicker since we've been home.

She's amazing. She's strong and smart and funny. She loves giving me kisses and wants to kiss all the kids before they go to sleep at night. She loves to pray and folds her hands and closes her eyes before every meal, nap time and bedtime.

She is growing so much and I can see changes in her every day. And somehow, I'm not quite sure how it happened, she knows exactly what to do with an empty box. My Grandfather sent me a gift and Aaselia got the box to play in. God has richly blessed our family by allowing us to be her parents. It is the greatest privilege to be the mother to this child of God.

Please keep Aaselia in your prayers. She is having surgery on the 5th of March to remove her colostomy bag. She'll be in the hospital for about 10 days to recover. Pray also for my other kids as I will be staying at the hospital while she is there and Stephen and the Twerps will be at home.

5 months. I can't believe it!

I Got Skunked!

2010-02-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

I came out of my room after a lengthy phone call and saw a "skunk" running away from me...or at least I thought it was a skunk! This skunk happened to be yelling "uh, oh!"

Very slowly I started after her and found her in the TV room. But she wasn't watching TV. And she wasn't cleaning up her toys. And she wasn't saying "uh, oh" anymore. In fact, she was proud of her artistic abilities!

I found her playing "piano" in the baby powder on the couch. Our very green couch had suddenly turned white. And Twerp #4 was very happy!

I called out to her and she saw my expression for the first time. I believe she was confused as to why I didn't have a smile on my face! (I was trying very hard to hide that smile. I don't want her thinking that this was funny or anything!)

The confusion didn't go away quickly either.

No, she was mighty proud of herself. I picked her up to go and change her clothes and "poof" she exploded in powder before my very eyes. I found powder in her ears a couple of days later. I have an inkling that she might be a baker one of these days.

I just love this face. This day, you were my little skunk. I love you, Twerp #4!

Mom

The Orange County Play

2010-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

At dePortola Elementary School, in 3rd grade, you study about the history of Orange County and put all the history into a play/musical for the parents.

Stephen and I both attended the play and it was AMAZING! Twerp #1 did such a wonderful job with his lines and his song. He sang a song entirely in Spanish as he was a cowboy/rancher for his part. Twerp #1 and his class taught us so much about Orange County that we never even knew. Both Stephen and I spent some time that evening discussing what we learned...how the streets all around our home are named after people who founded Orange County.

Twerp #'s 2 and 3 also got to see the play that morning. It's pretty fun to be able to have the entire family attend these types of events where we can support each other and cheer each other on. Twerp #4 sat in the audience with Stephen and I and would clap and cheer after each person gave their speech. She would dance and rock out with each song. It was adorable to see.

I am proud of my Twerp. I am proud of him because he puts so much effort into everything he does. He makes my heart sing and I love him so much! Great job, Twerp!

4 Months Home...

2010-02-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

We've changed. She's changed. We used to wonder what life would be like when Aaselia came into our family. Now we know...

Life is JOY, HAPPINESS, SMILES, FUNNY TIMES, SILLINESS and a little frustration, sadness and tears thrown in. Aaselia is one fun girl.

We (Aaselia and I) just got back from Minnesota where we spent time with my Grandmother for her 95th birthday. Yes, you read that right...95 years old! It wasn't a typo. :) We had a great time and my grandparents had a wonderful time meeting the newest Aaselia in the family. Aaselia was named after my Great-Grandmother - my Grandfather's mom. We went from 60 degree weather to -6 degree weather and had such a great time just the two of us. When we got home, Aaselia was so happy to be with her brothers and sister again. It was so good to see that she has bonded with them in the best and easiest way.

4 months. It's flown by and our girl changes each and every day. I can't wait to see what these next 4 months bring us.

She likes my shoes...

2010-01-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

I always thought that I'd be sharing my shoes with Twerp #2 first. I never thought that Brandy would like my shoes too!?! It turns out that while Darby wasn't interested in my shoes, Brandy loves them. This will be an incentive to keep my shoes put away or on my feet...because I like expensive shoes and I imagine that my shoes won't like Brandy. Hmmmm....better go pick up the house!

A sweet look just before she goes in for the shoe.

Yeah, her entire nose and mouth can fit inside my leather shoe.

She sure is having fun...

But I should probably stop taking pictures and take away my shoes before she gets the wrong idea.

Our first time meeting a St. Bernard

2010-01-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

Like I said in my previous post, we went to visit a 4-yr. old St. Bernard at the local pet store to decide whether the size of the animal would be too much. The kids loved her. She was so sweet and gentle. She'd just been authorized to be a therapy dog at one of the local hospitals...how cool is that! We had a great time visiting and getting to know these "gentle giants."

Twerp #1 and #2 getting that first hug.

Twerp #2 taking a break while Stephen and I talked to the owner...we got some really good information!

When you see this can you possibly not get a Saint? Twerp #2 was completely head over heels in love.

I've already heard it...

2010-01-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

I've already heard it! Many, many, many times as a matter of fact! You may wish to tell me that "I'm Crazy," but with the number of people that have already told me how "crazy" I am, it just won't make a difference. I guess my parents taught me well to think on my own and not care about what other people say! (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

I'm not sure what you all know, but we had a Golden Retriever that died last August. It was so sad for everyone in our family, but especially Twerp #1. He had a really rough time! It was hard to go through the mourning process with a child as he mourned the loss of his best friend. Darby was always there for us and considering that we got Darby when Twerp #1 was only 3 months old...she'd always been around for him. We told the kids that after we got home from China, we'd find another dog for our home...but as we started to look, all Twerp #1 wanted was a Golden that we'd name Darby. I thought it might be best to go out of the box a little bit and try for a different breed. I searched on Google for dogs that are really good with kids (a must in our house) and this type of dog kept on popping up! A Saint Bernard. Yep, we went big.

Stephen was a little worried that a Saint Bernard would be too big...so we took the kids to visit a 4-yr. old girl (120 lbs) on Saturday at the local pet store. Her owner was there for Adopt-A-Saint.org...an organization that rescues St. Bernards and finds a forever family for them. Stephen looked at this grown dog and said, "it's not as big as I'd imagined..." We asked a ton of questions, went home and talked about the possibility and at 4:00, she called and said that there was a 6-month old female puppy available now. They usually don't get a lot of puppies and this was a chance for us to get one and train it and watch it grow.

So we went to a home in Orange, CA - about 20 minutes away from our house - to see this puppy. It was in an area where each home can have "horse property" so the lot sizes were huge. This family had a bunch of chickens, two roosters, two goats, 4 dogs + the puppy available for adoption. The kids had a BLAST seeing the puppy for the first time. We decided to bring her home and call her Brandy. She's 60 pounds and as big as Darby was as an adult. She's incredibly gentle and plays really well with the kids. She had a great night sleep last night and didn't bark once. She puts a smile on my face as well as the face of each of my children. Twerp #1 came up to me with tears in his eyes and asked, "Mom, can we bring her home?" He is especially glad to have a new friend to cuddle with in the mornings.

Here are some pictures of our time at Brandy's foster home...

Brandy looking out the gate of her "pen" at the roosters

Zoe petting Brandy for the first time. She has beautiful markings for a Saint.

Twerp #4 and Daddy walking over to see the chickens

Brandy looking out of her pen...waiting for us to finish the paperwork so we could bring her home.

The chickens clucking away in their pen. There were two roosters that would chase Twerp #3 around the yard. He was so scared of them and had tears in his eyes and true fear as he didn't want to get pecked!

The kids petting one of the chickens. This woman was so kind to let the kids play with all her animals like she did. What a lovely home she had.

So...that's our Sunday. It's the year of Adoption for the Margala family. I know you all think we're crazy for adopting a St. Bernard, but we made such a great decision and can't wait for you all to meet Brandy.

The Things My Kid Says!

2009-12-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Twerp #3 is my Turkey! He was also a turkey in the Kindergarten play last week...and a great turkey he was! It was the perfect part for him!

Twerp #3 has an interesting way of looking at life! Thought I'd give you just two examples of things that will show you how his brain works...

1. One of his projects for school is that he has to dress a paper doll in the costume that shows where he is from...last year Twerp #2 dressed her doll in a Norwegian fashion. So on Monday, Twerp #3 says, "Mom, you've gotta help me figure out how to dress my doll for Friday. I'm 1/2 Huntington Beach and 1/2 Irvine, right?" He was indeed correct, however it took an intervention with the teacher for him to understand that she wanted the whole "Norwegian/Slovakian" combo, not the "HB/Irvine" combo. Too cute.

2. Today, as we were coming back from the doctor's office, he was explaining to me that there were actually 3 holidays in December...Christmas, Hanukkah and "you know, Mom, it's the day that the earth turns around and then suddenly the earth is another year older"...oh yeah, New Years Eve.

It's fun to see his mind work and try to figure it out. I love Twerp #3. I love his mind and how God created him. He is perfect and I love you, Twerp!

A Haircut

2009-11-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

We went to get Twerp #4's hair cut today. It was her first haircut with me, so we went to the place that has little toy airplanes or cars that the kids get to sit in. I didn't think she would like someone getting that close to her head, but I didn't think it would go anything like it did!

Here's the before picture. Her bangs are in her eyes...the back of her hair is really long...SFLB (short front, long back) went out in the 70's, so we had to get it a little more updated. Her hair is still growing in from where she had it shaved in China for her IV during the surgery, so we wanted to make it a little nicer while it is still growing in...

Here, she's a happy girl.

Here, not so happy! She couldn't figure out why she was sitting in this airplane and why she had a cape on and why I was watching her cry with a camera in my hand!

The haircut only lasted for a total of 5 minutes. All the toys we gave her would calm her down for a few seconds, but not much longer than that. Then, she'd remember where she was and start to cry again.
Here she is just a mere 10 seconds after her haircut. As soon as I took her out of the airplane, she immediately stopped crying and started to wave goodbye to the stylist! So funny. She played with the trains while I paid for our cut and then we went home for a nap.

At least I have some hair for her book and a certificate to put inside also...oh yeah, and a bunch of really sad pictures! One day, we'll look back on this and laugh...maybe even tomorrow!

Birthday Cake!

2009-11-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

We ate cake for Twerp #4's birthday. I wasn't feeling up to making a cake from scratch, so we go the "Funfetti" cake mix from Target. Sounds a little scary, but my kids always love it and all the colorful pieces sprinkled throughout the batter. It was a hit with Twerp #4 too!

She was also a little neater and cleaner than most of our kids' at age 2. She is starting to love the sweets. We haven't given her too many sweet things, mostly fruit and the occasional sucker when she needs to be quiet for a little bit, but her love of cake has started to blossom.

She found Twerp #3's Junior Firefighter hat and wanted it on most of the day. It made such cute pictures!

Welcome to 2 little one!

Our first family picture!

2009-11-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

We've tried to get a family picture for the last month...but not everyone was able to cooperate. Usually it's either Twerp #3, or 4 that won't look at the camera or even stay in the vicinity of the camera! But on Twerp #4's birthday, we strapped her into her chair and got the other kids to gather around and got a good one.

She's 2!

2009-11-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Twerp #4!

I can't believe she's finally 2! Actually, I can believe it because she was only 1 for the last month that we've been home. What I can't believe is how well she has adapted to our home, our family. Twerp #4 is amazing. God created her to be our daughter and to fit in perfectly with our family.

My oldest and my youngest get along so well. He lays on the ground, and she jumps up and down on his bottom...then he tickles her. It's adorable. Twerp #1 is the best big brother EVER! Twerp #3 is also an amazing big brother, but he doesn't sit long enough for me to get a picture of the two of them.

Auntie Maren can make Twerp #4 smile. I just love this picture. Happy birthday Huan Qin!

Grandma Pederson LOVES coming over to see the Twerps. Twerp #4 is changing so quickly that our weekly visit with Grandma shows her just how quickly this girl is growing. Grandma can see a change each time she comes over.

I can't wait to see what this next year brings for you! I can't wait to look back on our pictures of you today and see how God is shaping and molding you to be more and more like Him! Happy Birthday, Aaselia!

Love, Mom

One month later...

2009-10-21T13:11:00.001-07:00

Today is our one month anniversary for our Gotcha Day with Aaselia! One month ago today, we held her in our arms for the first time. One month ago today we realized just how small of a diaper an almost 2 year old can wear. One month ago today, all of our lives changed.

One month ago today, this is the face that we saw. She was sad, alone, confused and catching a cold. She couldn't understand anything that we were saying. She was quiet...hardly made a noise. She didn't have the muscle strength to walk due to her long stay in the hospital. Her entire world was turned upside down.

Today, it's a different story...and she's a different kid. She understands quite a bit of what we're saying. She's going out of her comfort zone more and more often. She can play by herself for a little while while I'm doing laundry. She LOVES going on walks! She loves to play in the playhouse in the backyard. She plays pretend and wrestles with her brothers. She gets jealous when someone else is on my lap. She still loves it when I make Chinese noodles and Lo Mein. She laughs throughout the day. And the first thing I hear at 2:45 when the three kids walk in the door is, "Is Aaselia up yet?"

We're a family of 6. We're a family that is loving her culture...Twerp #1's favorite market is 99 Ranch up in Irvine. He loves to pick out her next snack to try and really loves the samples they make at the store. Aaselia - Twerp #4 - is a joy to our family. I'm sure things will change so much more over the next few months. I promise that I'll get back to blogging regularly. After 3 weeks of being home, I can't blame it on the jet jag anymore, huh?!?

It's been awhile since I've written here...or since I've written anywhere! I was really good about blogging in China, but when you're up at 4:30 every morning and having a hard time sleeping on the hard beds, you'll blog whenever you can.

But now that we're home, it's a little harder to get things done. I mean, I've had a hard time staying caught up with the laundry and homework, not to mention blogging! I have to admit that the hardest time of the day for me is from 3:00 - 6:00. One child waking up from a nap (and so cute you'd just want to cuddle with her for the next hour or two!), three kids needing help with homework, dinner to make, a floor to sweep, snacks to hand out, more homework "guidance," a pile of cheerios to pick up, mail to sort through, soccer to get to, reading with all three children for their daily homework, spelling tests...it just goes on and on. But we're having a blast and just starting to get into the swing of things.

God bless you all!

We're Outta Here!

2009-09-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

So...we're leaving in 13 hours for China, baby! We're leaving tonight, but won't get to Beijing until Thursday! We're going to be blogging from China, but due to the "Great Firewall of China" we can't use this website. We'll be posting all about our trip at www.babyjellybeans.com. Search for margala in the last name field and you can see what we're doing and the first pictures we have of Aaselia!

We'll be back in 2 weeks...so I'll post here after the 29th of September. God bless, ya'll.

Love Without Boundaries

2009-09-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

As Stephen and I have been pursuing our adoption with the paperwork and waiting and reading and living through other people's blogs, there is one charity that pops up all over the place. It's called Love Without Boundaries. They are dedicated to helping orphans in China as they find their forever families. They support thousands of orphans in China: medically, educationally, nutritionally. It's run on a completely volunteer basis: more than 97% of the funds they receive go directly to help orphans.

They also have a book that uses the imagery of "the red thread," a popular belief in the adoption community, to show how our lives become entwined with our children's, as adoption weaves a beautiful tapestry of love and family. The moving photos and essays in this volume, again submitted by parents from around the world, talk about discovering the thread that connects us with our adoptive children, weaving the fabric as our children become integrated into our families, and cherishing the intricate tapestry that evolves.

For $5 for postage, you too can read these amazing stories.

Go to www.lovewithoutboundaries.com for more information

By the way, for those of you that are counting, there are only 5 more days until we leave for CHINA!

A Trip to Alexandria, MN

2009-09-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

It’s been a busy August. I spent much of my month in Minnesota for our family reunion on my Mother’s side of the family. We get together every 4 years and this time we had around 170 people join us at Mount Carmel just outside of Alexandria, MN. I thought I’d share some pictures of that week.

Fist of all, you should know that Stephen wasn’t able to join us in MN this year. He needed to save his vacation time for our trip to China coming up in a couple of weeks…so I went alone with the kids. My sister also had the same tickets that I had (given that we were supposed to be in China that week), so she was able to help me get through the airport and hand with one kid on the plane. Very nice.

We spent a couple of days in the Twin Cities with my Aunt Lori and Uncle Keith. I should have taken a picture of the outside of their home. On the outside, it’s just a plain house…no fancy gargoyles on the outside or anything like that. But…once you walk inside, you just feel home. It’s an amazing experience. Thank you Keith and Lori for making us feel comfortable and for letting us stay with you. You definitely helped to make the trip something special!

Then, on Sunday we all went up to the lake for the week. This is the main lodge/dining hall at Mount Carmel. It’s beautiful and can feed a small army! My parents along with a lot of the “first generation” were able to stay right in the lodge and they had air conditioning and no steps to climb. It’s a great place and completely winterized. (That doesn’t mean too much for us Californian’s, but it does to those of you in the Midwest!)
This is my beautiful cabin! It was amazing. It was much smaller than my home, but much nicer too! There were heated bathroom floors (didn’t use) and a huge tub (multiple families used!) and a nice kitchen and living room where I could bribe family to come and visit me in the evenings with chips and popcorn and pop. It was a great and wonderful place to spend the week. On top of that, I had a commanding view of the lake and the beach and the playground. I could send the kids off to play and not have to worry about them at all. Perfect.
This is the cross that is just down the hill from the chapel. It’s the first thing I think about when I think of Mt. Carmel. It’s a nice place to sit and think and pray.
We had family activities in the afternoon…this is a picture of the Eikum/Merrifield team playing against the Nelson/? Family in volleyball. Twerp #1 and a cousin loved to play and did really well serving the ball from mid-court. Fun.
We also had a lot of time to spend with family. This is a picture of my mother and her 1st cousin. Man, they look so much alike! Their smile and laugh and just the way they get along.
Finally, a picture of the first generation. These are my grandparents, Lloyd and Fran Eikum…along with Twerp #3. My grandmother was one of 9 children and that is who comprises the family reunion…all of those descendants. I love spending time with my grandparents, I only wish that they lived closer so I could visit them once a week. The things I learn from them and the things I learn about myself are something to be cherished.
Well…it’s only a little taste of our time in MN, and I’ll have to write a little more later. Only 11 more days until we leave for China!

How God Works...

2009-08-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at how God works sometimes. I'm not sure why I'm so amazed, but I am. He continually surprises me at the "order" of things. He continually shows me how my ways are not His ways...

Stephen and I were pretty disappointed that we couldn't leave for China tonight. But one of the gifts that I have is to often see the bright side...the silver lining so to speak. It didn't take me long to realize that I'd be able to go to our family reunion. Ahhhh, the chance to hear Great is Thy Faithfulness in 4 part harmony with 175 people singing strong! To spend quality time with my 90 and 94 year old grandparents. This will probably be the last reunion that they will both attend (not to be negative, Grandma) and it will be a memory to treasure forever. I'm gonna get to spend time with my Aunts and Uncles, cousins, friends...I'll be able to spend quality time with my 3 kids before I add a fourth. There will be good times.

I checked the ticket prices for our trip to China in September. The tickets are a full $1200 cheaper PER PERSON! Holy smokes, we're gonna save a bundle. And then there are the little things. Like, I can take the kids for their dentist appointment with only 3 of them at the same time...don't have to have Huan Qin in the stroller that time. I can get my own doctor appointments done with before we go to China... There are all these seemingly little things that will fit in exactly the 2 1/2 weeks between my trip to Minnesota and my trip to China.

God Is Good! He knows what we need before we even ask. He knows what perfect timing is before I can even think to ask. We're gonna have the perfect trip in September...I just know it. Please continue to keep little Huan Qin in your prayers. Pray that she continues to grow and fill out. Pray that her nutrition is just what she needs and that she gets strong and continues to improve. For now, Stephen and I praise God for what He is doing in our lives and the lives of our children.

We've Got an Update on Huan Qin!

2009-08-03T22:48:00.001-07:00

Tonight we got an update from Sabrina! We heard that Huan Qin has been released from the hospital. She is doing so much better and went home this morning with the director of the orphanage. We also got updated measurements on her. She's now 9 kg which is just under 20 pounds. She also has a 16" chest circumference. I was actually kinda curious because this week, I started to knit her a little brown and blue dress. It's gonna be so cute! I was trying to decide what size to make the dress since I wanted it to fit this fall and winter. I decided on the 18-24 month size. It turns out that for the 6-12 month size, the chest circumference is 20.5 inches. Our Huan Qin is a little peanut! Hopefully when we get her home she'll be able to put on weight and catch up a little bit.

My small group came over last night for bible study. We prayed for Huan Qin. We prayed hard. God answers prayer. One of my biggest prayers was that she wouldn't be stuck in the hospital for the next month for observation. I prayed that she'd be able to go back to the orphanage and while still getting excellent care, be able to be with her friends...her care givers...be able to smile and laugh and enjoy her last month in China.

Plus, Sabrina was able to get us 5 pictures of our little peanut. She is in the hospital in these pictures. You can see her care giver trying to tickle her at the end...trying to get her to smile. I'm not quite sure why they put a stuffed toy around the pony tail in her hair...

OK. So this is what you've all been waiting on...the eye candy. Enjoy!

She has such a sweet expression. Stephen and I were trying to figure out what she has in her hands?!?

We almost got a little smile here...I can't wait to be able to make her smile!

There is a mischievous look here, don't you think?

When Stephen was looking at these pictures, it was about 8:30. He said, "So she's gone home today? That means we could leave today for China! That gives us 2 hours to pack, one hour to get to the airport and buy our tickets and check in. We could still have gone!" It's fun to see him just as excited to add another child to our family as I am...

That's it. I'm sure I'll be annoying Sabrina before too long asking for more pictures and further updates. We'll keep you all informed as we get closer to our trip to China. But...before then, I'll be in Minnesota for our family reunion. See you all on Thursday night!

There is a delay!

2009-07-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well...it turns out that with international adoption, things can turn on a dime.

It turns out that our daughter is sick in China and the orphanage wants her to be healthy before they allow her to be released from their care. It makes a lot of sense. The trip will be physically demanding for Stephen and I, not to mention our little one. They have asked us to wait until mid-September before we come to China to bring her home.

Again, we see God's provision in all of this. Our plane ticket is completely refundable and we don't have to pay any penalties. On top of that, it looks as if we can get our tickets a little bit cheaper when we travel in September. That's great news. Also, I still have my ticket to Minnesota and I'll be able to travel with the kids to MN next week for our family reunion. I'll be able to be with family and friends for a couple of weeks as we wait again to make our plans for our China trip.

And then there is Aaselia. God is providing for her as well. Huan Qin has a full time (24 hr) nurse that is taking care of her. She is walking and happy...but weak. Please pray for her strength to return so we can bring her home.

It looks as if we'll be in MN until the 22nd of August. We'll miss Stephen a whole bunch, but he's saving his time off for China. Then, when we get back, we'll have another 2.5 weeks of summer before school starts. After school starts, Stephen and I will go to China and be home in time for the cooler weather in the fall.

I'm bringing my new netbook with me to MN, so I'll be able to post pictures of the kids swimming in the lake and hanging out with my grandparents. We'll also be able to Skype with Stephen in the evenings.

So it's not 6 more days to China...more like 46...but those days will fly by and soon we'll be packing!

We're getting closer!

2009-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

6 More Days and there is so much left to do! I've gotta pack for the three kids' trip to Minnesota and pack for Stephen and I to go to China. It's a good thing that Stephen and I are both a little organized...otherwise, who knows what we would end up with in our suitcases!

A discussion about jobs...

2009-07-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

We were driving home from a girlfriends house last Friday morning. Twerp #1 had earned $1 from my girlfriend because he kept her sons lego creations safe while we were having our bible study downstairs. Twerp #3 soon said that he wanted $1 too. I told him that when we got home, he could clean around the house and he could earn $1. This is the conversation that followed:

Twerp #3: I don't want to have to work to earn a dollar. I just want to get the dollar.

Me: You can't just get money. Even daddy has to go to work every day and he earns money. But, you can find a job that you love, like Daddy does. When he goes to work, because he loves working with computers so much, it doesn't feel like a job to him. He gets paid to do something that he loves. So, you can find a job that you love too...like being a fireman, or a pastor, or a teacher...and then you can get paid for doing something that you love!

Twerp #3: (He was quiet for a little bit.) Mom, can I get paid to watch TV?

Sometimes, when I talk, it's just wasted breath. :)

7

2009-07-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Days left, that is!

8 More Days!

2009-07-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

There are only 8 days left before we fly to China! 8 days! I can't believe it. We made our flight arrangements today and we're leaving for Beijing at 1:40 in the morning on August 4th. We'll get into Beijing on the 5th of August at 5:20 a.m. That means we'll have to sleep A LOT on the plane so we're ready to go when we hit the ground.

We're coming home with Aaselia on the 20th of August. We'll have a couple of days to get used to the time zone change before our kids arrive home from MN. What a reunion that will be! I can't wait to pick up my kids from the airport and have Auntie Maren meet the newest member of our family! It'll be so much fun!

All right, much to do and many things to pack. Gotta get to some laundry!

We Got Travel Approval!

2009-07-24T13:38:00.001-07:00

Whoever said that adoption isn't anything like childbirth was completely wrong! With each step of the way these last couple of months, I have felt both like laughing aloud and crying at the same time. It's the same as when I was in labor in the hospital.

Today, after 3 1/2 years of waiting, we have received approval to travel to China to bring home Aaselia. FINALLY! At one point this week, we thought that we wouldn't get it in time and we'd have to wait another month to bring her home. Another month without hugs from us...another month without seeing her smile...another month away from her parents. But that wont' have to happen any longer.

We're planning on leaving on August 4th just before midnight so we can sleep on the plane there (yeah, right!) and then getting to Beijing sometime in the afternoon on the 6th. Our Gotcha Day is still planned for August 10th. We're coming Aaselia! We can't wait to hold you and be your forever family!Love,

A movie for their sister...

2009-07-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

The kids made a movie for their sister that we can show her when we're in China. This way she can hear them talk and see them move...not just in the pictures that we have brought with us. They were all so excited to make their part of the movie. Hope you all enjoy it!

Michal

http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=3b4eb275363f4ce67a0105&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

Waiting Children in China...

2009-07-21T15:15:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have wondered if we are crazy to adopt a special needs child, take a look at this video. It explains in great detail that most "special needs" aren't really special needs at all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aa3ZN8Tyzc

Hopefully we get our Travel Approval soon...we're supposed to leave in 2 weeks!

A guilty pleasure.

2009-07-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures is watching Wipeout. I think it's because I can laugh out loud to the point where my belly hurts when I see people fall flat on their faces. Not only that, but they are willing participants in the entire thing! It can't get much better than that.

Actually it can. You see, last night while we were watching the show, Stephen made a comment that he would "pay to be on a show like that!" What?!? My husband wants to be on Wipeout?!? He wants to win $50,000 by falling on his face?!? I could outright laugh at him...along with millions of other viewers?!?

It didn't take long for me to put in his application and send in a picture to the TV show. Yeah. We're not that kind of family. But...if there is a possibility of all the above things happening all at the same time...then I've gotta go for it. They tape the show down here in LA, so it won't be too far of a drive for us. I'm crossing my fingers that he gets picked for the 3rd season. It would be just too perfect for my life.

Wipeout!

VBS

2009-07-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

The kids spent this week at Vacation Bible School while I taught the 2-3rd graders. Twerp #1 was in my class with one of his best friends. It made for a fun week for him and I together. Twerp #2 had Mrs. Faris. She is the best teacher that I can ever imagine for my children. She is kind and sweet and does TONS of crafts with the kids...much more than the curriculum gives us. Perfect for my little girl. Twerp #3 was in heaven. He had a bunch of other kids his own age to play with and he LOVES the singing.

Next week, the boys will be in Sports Camp at our church. They've never gone, but somehow
they combine sports and biblical principals - sounds like it was made just for the boys of our community! They can't wait to go. Meanwhile, Twerp #2 and I will be hanging out doing "girl" stuff. She wants to paint our nails together and see the free movie. We'll probably hang out at the YMCA and swim together too. It will be a great week for all of us!

We're hoping you all are having a wonderful summer. Time is flying by!

A rundown of July...we leave 1 month from today!

2009-07-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm glad the weekend if almost over. We've spent the entire weekend moving furniture and getting ready for Twerp #4 to come home. Our month is going to fly by and we leave one month from today for China.

This weekend we moved our computer into a cabinet/desk into the TV room. It looks really nice there. You can't even tell we have an office in the TV room anymore. We moved the kids' computer to another wall and then took apart the desk in the girls' room. We put together the crib and painted a dresser to match Twerp #2's dresser. (It's now drying outside on the driveway.) We went through all Twerp #2's clothes and put the clothes that will soon fit Twerp #4 in one box while all the size 3-5 went back up in the attic. We are presently cleaning out the garage so we can walk in there. There is A LOT of junk that needs to be stored when you move stuff out of an office and into a small cabinet. We're going to have lots of stuff going to Goodwill over the next couple of weeks.

Next weekend (2nd weekend in July), we will have a meeting with our adoption agency on Saturday and then on Sunday we need to finish cleaning and getting the house ready for the baby. It'll be a busy weekend.

The 3rd weekend in July we're taking the kids camping...our last time as a family of 5. It will be a nice weekend in the mountains and we're all looking forward to taking our trailer out again.

The 4th weekend in July (and last) is my anniversary and Stephen's birthday. We're going away for the night. It'll be a fun weekend with museums and a dinner where there are no coloring menu's offered and only cloth napkins. Fun.

Then...the next weekend is our last weekend home before going to China. We have to pack for all of us as my children will be with my sister in Minnesota for a family reunion. I can't imagine the hectic schedule we'll all have trying to get all 5 of us packed for 2 different trips, but it will be a good weekend. I've considered letting the children pack for themselves, but there would be only toys and hairbows in Twerp #2's bag. Twerp #1 would pack 2 bibles, a couple of reading books and 3 pairs of shorts. Twerp #3...well, he's had his Nemo backpack packed for a few weeks now and he has three pair of PJ's and 1 T-shirt. Should make for a smelly couple of weeks for my sister.

Yeah, our month is busy. We have VBS starting tomorrow and I'm teaching the upper elementary kids. Should be a lot of fun. Have a great week!

A New Website For Aaselia...

2009-07-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

It's true...we can't use blogger in China. I've made a new website that I'll use while we are in China. You can search by her first or last name to access the website. I'll remind you all as we get closer to our trip, but if you want to see what I've been doing the past few evenings, you can click on the link below. Have a great 4th of July!

http://www.babyjellybeans.com/

39 years old...ten years married

2009-07-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

So this month, I will have been married for 10 years and the day after our anniversary, my husband turns 39. What to do? We wanted to get away for one night over our anniversary weekend and have a nice dinner and go out on a date. So, last night, Stephen asks me if I want to go to the Regan Presidential Library. I have wanted to go here for a very long time, but it's something we can't do with our kids and enjoy. They'd be too loud, too complaining and we'd have to leave before we wanted to. It was a great idea.

But then, I started to giggle. I thought of my friends who go somewhere cool and fun for their 10 year anniversary...

"So Michal, where are you going for your 10th anniversary?"

"So glad you asked! We're going to Simi Valley!"

"Huh?!?"

Yeah, not really cool. Not really exotic. It's the kind of thing I'll get teased about from my friends. Thing is, I don't really care. I'm going to have fun and get to do something that I've wanted to do for a really long time. I want to sit on Air Force One. The area surrounding the library is beautiful and I just want to enjoy it.

Stephen and I talked about how it is kinda funny to go to Simi Valley for an anniversary weekend. So we decided that when our friends ask what we're doing for our anniversary, we'll tell them that we are going to Simi Valley to celebrate Stephen's birthday and we're leaving 2 weeks after our anniversary to go to China for a couple of weeks. That'll shut them up!

Hangzhou, China

2009-07-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I will be traveling to Hangzhou for our Gotcha Day. Aaselia is from the city of Wenzhou, but she will be travelling to Hangzhou (about a 4 hour drive) to meet us on August 10th. I thought I'd tell you a little about Hangzhou, the place where Stephen and I will be spending 5 days and where we will meet Aaselia for the first time!

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and its political, economic and cultural center. With its famous natural beauty and cultural heritages, Hangzhou is one of China's most important tourist venues. While much of the ancient city that had been the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion in the mid-nineteenth century, today's Hangzhou is a modern and vibrant economical center. The City, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, is located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River in southeast China, a superior position in the Yangtze Delta and only 180 kilometers from Shanghai. Hangzhou has a subtropical monsoon type climate with four quite distinct seasons. However, it is neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter making it a year round destination.

The West Lake is undoubtedly the most renowned feature of Hangzhou, noted for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites. In this scenic area, Solitary Hill, the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei, the Six Harmonies Pagoda and the Ling Yin Temple are probably the most frequently visited attractions. The "Ten West Lake Prospects" have been specially selected to give the visitor outstanding views of the lake, mountains and monuments. A number of national museums can be found in Hangzhou and are representative of Chinese culture. Fine examples are the National Silk Museum and Tea Museum. Along with the other museums in Hangzhou, they provide a fascinating insight into the history of Chinese traditional products.

One of the most important parts of traveling is tasting the local delicacies. Hangzhou dishes are noted for their elaborate preparation, sophisticated cooking and refreshing taste. Many local specialties will be sure to make your trip a cultural experience. We recommend that you try Beggar's Chicken (a chicken baked in clay), West Lake Fish in Sweet Sour Source (vinegar coated fish fresh caught from the lake), Dongpo Pork (braised pork) and Fried Shrimps with Longjing Tea, etc.The shopping environment in Hangzhou is exciting and convenient. Travelers and tourists like to go to Qing He Fang Street. It is one of the most famous and historic streets in the city and reflects many of the features of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Shoppers will admire the antique buildings while purchasing items from a wide range of local goods such as silks, tea or maybe a silk parasol, brocade or a beautiful Hangzhou fan. These are just some of the items to be found but there are many more.

Blogspot.com is broken in China

2009-06-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a part of a couple of different Yahoo groups. These are groups that you can join when you have similar goals in mind. Most of my Yahoo groups center around our adoption from China. Anyways, a couple of weeks ago, one person started a discussion that basically says that you can't use Blogger to post from China. This means that this website that you're reading right now won't be able to work.

I'm bummed. I really wanted to post journal entries and pictures so that people could keep up with our trip. Mostly, I wanted an easy way for my Grandparents and my kids and other family members to see what we've been doing a half a world away. Now...my plan is foiled. I've found another website that isn't too expensive and could work for the couple of months that I need it...it's called Baby Jelly Beans and is used for many different families waiting to share their "baby stories" with people. I'll let you know when I get it up and running.

"Outcome Looks Good" - a quick message from the 8-ball.

Patience...

2009-06-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”-Romans 8:25

Patience stinks! I'm not good at being patient. But...I only have to be patient for 40 more days!

A Visit with Great-Grandma

2009-06-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, we went to visit Stephen's Grandmother. LaVonia is an amazing Grandmother and we love her so much. We were supposed to go for a picnic...at a park...something we do quite often in our family. However, this was no ordinary picnic. From now on, my kids will expect an amazing picnic.

When we were planning on the food, Grandma said, "I'll bring some sandwiches and fruit and juice. If there is anything else that the kids will need, you can bring that." So...I brought nothing. I figured that if my kids needed more than that then that would just be too bad. When we went to pick up Grandma, she came into the car with a cooler and a picnic basket. As soon as we got to the park, she put out a tablecloth. Hmmmm...nice touch, I thought. Then came the individualized place mats for each child. Hmmmmm...really nice tough.

Then came the sandwiches out of the cooler. There were four kinds for the kids. Ice cream cone shaped sandwiches with meat and cheese. Elephant cut sandwiches with Ham and Cheese. There were star shaped sandwiches with plain turkey and then circle shaped sandwiches with PB&J. Sandwich heaven! Twerp #1 couldn't get enough. He ate so many sandwiches that he gave himself a stomach ache. Twerp #2 loved the variety and the cute shapes. She ate one, maybe two and was full. Twerp #3 wanted to try one of each of them. As for us adults, we each had a turkey and cheese sandwich complete with lettuce. They were cut on the diagonal. I never cut on the diagonal. But somehow, it made them more yummy. I'll be cutting on the diagonal more from now on!

She had carrots with a raspberry dipping sauce. She had apples and a apple slicer that she brought. The apple juice was frozen in paper cups with a straw stuck in the middle. They had been thawing just enough to make a perfect slushy. She even brought chocolate pudding for dessert. Yummy.

How can my picnic's compare in the future?!? I just throw a few PB&J sandwiches in a big bag - sometimes even the leftover bag that the bread came in if I use all the pieces. Not particularly attractive. I bring the entire bag of pretzels and just throw some on the paper towel we use for a plate. It's very minimal and very "throw it all in the trash when we're done." But...and this is a huge but...my kids will never forget Grandma LaVonia's picnic.

Grandma, you're amazing! We love you and we love the way that you make each of us feel so very special! Thank you for being in our lives!

Letter of Seeking Confirmation from Adopter (LOA)

2009-06-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

This is what we've been waiting for...the letter that we've been waiting three years to get. It's the letter that says that we are officially invited to China to adopt Huan Qin Li. It's priceless. And, like most priceless things, I got rid of it as quickly as I could. I could loose it or it could get scribbled on by one of the kids. It could get ripped by two of the kids wanting to look at it at the same time or it could get eaten by the dog. Either way...I wanted it back to China.

So, I signed it.

Stephen signed it. We dated it and we sent it by FedEx back to Sabrina where it will quickly make it's way back to China so we can get our Travel Approval (TA). We can't wait for that so we can finally buy our tickets.

Visa...it's not just a credit card anymore!

2009-06-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

We finally sent in our check, passports and updated passport photos to get our Visa's. Yep, our visa's for China! We're still waiting for our Travel Approval to come in...but we sent back our LOA so it should come at the end of July. I've never had to get a Visa before. Heck, you don't need one to get to Minnesota. Nor do you need one to go through all the states West of the Mississippi. Yeah, that's where I've been. Name a state West of the Mississippi and I've probably driven through it. Can't wait to get my passport back with my Visa stamped inside. I just hope I don't loose my passport after I get that expensive stamp! Next stop, China!

WE'RE GOING TO CHINA!

2009-06-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

Things happen so quickly with email. I emailed Sabrina and asked her when the earliest possible dates to travel to China would be. This was the email that I just got:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!Yes, traveling to China in early August is doable. Let's plan on leaving on the 5th so that you will be able to tour Beijing a bit before you meet Huan Qin on 8/10/2009. If you leave on the 5th of August, you will be on home on 8/19/2009.
Sabrina

It's amazing that when we pray for something, God answers in an even more perfect way than what we originally thought to ask. Stephen and I were praying that we would get our LOA before we had to leave for MN. We were praying that the swine flu wouldn't affect our travel plans and that our trip to China wouldn't be delayed for months on end (like what happened during the SARS time). We were praying that we could bring home Aaselia sooner rather than later. Sure enough, we can go way before we thought it was even possible.

My kids will be traveling to MN with my sister for the family reunion. They won't miss us a bit! They'll have so much fun with their cousins that they won't even realize that I won't be there.

August 10th is the day that we'll hold Aaselia Ruth Huanqin Margala for the first time. That's less than 2 months away. It'll fly by. Stay tuned for further information.

We Got Our LOA!

2009-06-19T15:29:00.001-07:00

YEAH! We've been officially confirmed as Huan Qin Li's parents. We'll get our LOA paperwork on Monday and we have to sign it and send it back by Federal Express. We have to sign on the dotted line that we accept the referral for Huan Qin and that we want to come to China and bring her home! And really, who wouldn't want to love this little face!!!

Then, Sabrina asked me when the earliest we could travel would be...looks like we can travel to China at the early part of August and come back in time to get rid of our jet lag and then get the kids ready for school. We might be going to China at the same time our kids are in Minnesota for the family reunion. They won't miss us quite as much if they're with all their cousins. We might just be a distant memory for them. We'll still have to arrange a time to Skype with them a few times while we're in China. Aaselia will be able to talk with her brothers and sister. Ni Hao Twerps!

I'll let you all know as soon as we can figure out travel dates. Until then...Ni Hao from California.

New Pictures!

2009-06-17T00:06:00.001-07:00

I love that we can get new pictures overnight! I emailed our China coordinator a couple of nights ago and she said that she'd get us updated information. Sure enough...these were in our inbox by the time we got home from our movie tonight.

Aaselia is 29 inches tall, 23 pounds and has a 18 inch head circumference. That puts her below the 5th percentile for height, the 10th-20th percentile for weight and the 5-10th percentile for head size. She's just perfect - proportional all around.

I think in this picture her ears were burning cause we're talking about her all the time! :)

Ugh. She's just waiting for us. I can't wait to bring her home...to her forever family!

I can't wait until we see her smile at us. It might take a few days, but when she does, I'll probably cry with joy.

Stephen and I went out on a date tonight to dinner and a movie. It's not very often we get the chance to do that! We talked about our trip and how excited I am to go to China. I can't believe that I'll be able to go on a trip like that this summer! It's already 12:15 am and I can't even fall asleep. I feel like I'm the kid whose waiting for morning to go on a trip to Disneyworld, except I'm that kid on speed! I am THAT excited. (Not that I'm actually using drugs, Grandma...it's just an expression!)

Enjoy the pictures ya'll. We'll be home with her soon enough. Keep Aaselia in your prayers as well as our family as we prepare our home and our children to bring her home...forever.

A goal...

2009-06-15T12:17:00.001-07:00

I have a good sized pantry. Most of it is full of stuff. Stuff that I bought for a particular recipe and then didn't make and I still have the stuff. My goal for this summer is to eat my pantry. You know, use up the stuff that I already have instead of buying new stuff to eat. It's such an odd assortment of stuff too. I found a website called allrecipes.com. You can go to their ingredients link (just above the search bar) and type in the ingredients that you have and the ingredients that you don't want. They'll bring up a list of recipes that you can make so you can "eat your pantry." I made my list this morning. There are 11 things on my list and I'll make 4 dinner meals complete with sides. I still need to get the basics like fruit and milk and bread, but my grocery bill will be so much smaller if I eat my pantry this summer. I spent $29 on groceries for the week for my dinners and fruit this week. Hopefully we can get the pantry cleaned and our tummies full for a lot less this summer!

Care Package...

2009-06-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

We sent a care package to Aaselia a couple of weeks ago and I just downloaded the pictures to my computer. It's amazing with my new camera on how many pictures can stay on my disk until I download them.

Anyways, we sent Aaselia a pink bunny that giggles, a photo album of our family pictures...hopefully she'll recognize us when we bring her home...and a pink blanket that is super soft. We sent her caretaker (Auntie) a bracelet with pictures of Aaselia, a heart shaped mirror with the inscription "Love, Huan Qin Li" on the front, two cameras for her to take pictures of Aaselia before we get there. Hopefully we get the cameras back when we pick her up. We also sent cards to the Auntie and Aaselia.

This is the photo album that we sent Aaselia. It was so cool that it said Photos in Mandarin, Spanish and English. 6 photos were able to fit in the album. We put one of her in the front pocket. There was one of Daddy, one of Mommy, one of the boys together, one of Twerp #2 and one family picture on the back.

This was the card that Twerp #2 gave to Aaselia's auntie. She drew a picture of herself...missing teeth included. On the inside, she drew a picture of what looked to be like jail. It was actually the top bunk and crib in Aaselia's new room. She wrote (in kindergarten spelling) "This is where you will sleep..."

Very cute. I hope the Auntie loves it.

The Tooth Fairy came for a visit!

2009-06-12T16:20:00.001-07:00

Yes, we had a visit from the Tooth Fairy last night. She left gold dust on Twerp #2's pillow and generally made a mess in her room. She also left $2.00. Ugh...I never got $2 when I was 6! She said that she's gonna take me to Yogurtland for a date this weekend. Yes! I can't get used to this face. She tells me that I stare at her too much. Whatever. My response is "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit." She just grunts at me and moves on with what she was doing before I started staring at her. She's still beautiful though. I just love her eyes. I'd like to think that I was staring at her eyes...but it's really that red gap in her mouth. A fresh tooth space. They creep me out.

2 weeks...

2009-06-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's been 2 weeks since we have heard of our Pre-Approval. We're hoping it's only another 2-3 weeks before we have our LOA - Letter of Acceptance in our hands. We'll need to sign it and send it back to China..then it's only 6-8 weeks before we travel.

On another note, I'm going to Minnesota for a family reunion in August. I didn't think I'd be able to go with the kids, but I have an amazing husband who wants us to be able to go. I'll be in MN for most of August...so I hope that we get our LOA before my trip to MN. I really want to be able to sign our LOA as soon as it arrives. I still check every night before bed to see if I've gotten an email from Sabrina...I'll let you all know when it arrives!

A Mother's Day Song...

2009-06-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

I know it's WAY past Mother's Day, but since it's not yet Father's Day, I feel justified in writing this post. Twerp #3 had all the mom's come for a Mother's Day celebration at his preschool. The kids all learned a song and sang for us Mom's. It might be a little hard to hear, but sure is fun to watch my Twerp try to do hand motions! :)

Mother's are flowers. Beautiful flowers. Mother's are flowers in the garden of life.

Lady Bug in my Pants!

2009-06-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

We went camping in May up to the mountains. There were TONS of lady bugs flying around and they were the thing to be treasured...fought over...caught...put into a trap...basically anything you can do to a lady bug...it was done! However, when I was taping Twerp #3, I never thought I'd hear this...

Just notice how dirty his hands are from camping! Gross...Twerp #2's hands didn't look like this. I hope it's a boy thing.

What we're waiting on...

2009-06-01T11:31:00.001-07:00

We received our pre-approval on the 27th of May. Now we are waiting on our Letter of Acceptance (LOA). Once we get that, we'll be traveling to China within 6-8 weeks. After we sign and return our LOA, we will be waiting for our Travel Approval (TA). After we get our TA, we can make our Consulate Appointment (CA)...that will determine the dates in which we travel. It will also determine our Gotcha Day. If you want to view a Gotcha Day video from another family that traveled with our Adoption Agency, you can view it here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck4APPgOzFg

Get your box of tissues ready!

A Little Bit About Aaselia...

2009-06-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

I thought that today I'd share a little bit about our daughter, Aaselia. There was a little bit of paperwork that was sent along with her file that tells about her growth and personality...a little bit of what we can expect when we bring her home.

As far as motor development: she can sit steadily, can tear paper, clawing, using thumbs and index fingers deftly, crawls and walks with assistance or being held of one hand. She can also take a toy out of the cup, banging 2 blocks together, and throw a toy far away.

Language and social ability: responding to the facial expression of adults, laughing aloud, feeding herself cookies, imitating words and being able to call mom, aunt, knowing what “NO” means, responds to other's asking for her objects, being active, restless, quick in reaction, energetic, fairly extroverted, fond of watching TV, enjoys playing with toys. She is active and restless (sounds like a couple kids I know...), she is fond of playing with toys She has a ready smile and gets along well with others.

Living habits: get up at 6:30, nap from 12:00 to 2:00, go to bed at 8:00; mealtimes: 7:00, 11:00, 5:00 with moderate amount of soft rice and minced vegetable, meat as well as fish. She is not a picky eater! She has milk at 2:00 and 7:30 with 250cc per time. She is a sound sleeper.

I'm sure she has grown a lot since these observations were made. There wasn't an exact date on the paperwork, so I don't know how old she was when the caretaker noted all these things. She is healthy and smiley and beautiful. We can't wait to bring her home.

Twerp #4's home...

2009-05-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

This is where Twerp #4 is living right now. These are the entrance gates to the Wenzhou SWI (Social Welfare Institute). I believe that in the SWI, there are places for both the children and the elderly who have no one to take care of them. In the CWI, that is just the Children's Welfare Institute and only children live there.

This is one of the playrooms where she is living. Man, those floors shine! They really take good care of their building. I'm so grateful to see that Twerp #4 has a nice, clean place to play with her friends. God has been good to her!

Drum Roll Please...

2009-05-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Last night on May 27th, we received Pre-Approval to adopt Huan Qin Li. Don't you just want to kiss that sweet face!

Her name will be Aaselia Ruth Huanqin Margala. Aaselia (pronounced Ah-seal-e-yah) is my Great-Grandmother's name. We chose Ruth because I love the story of Ruth in the Old Testament. Ruth leaves her home and travels to the home of her husbands family. There, she lives with her mother-in-law and says, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16. That is exactly what Huan Qin will do and I find the name so fitting.

I checked my email last night before we went to bed, but obviously we went to bed too early! We got our email of Pre-Approvel last night at 12:54 am! I gotta go and wake up Stephen...he doesn't even know yet! Horray for us!!!

Fun at a Graduation...

2009-05-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend, my family is traveling a couple of hours to celebrate my cousin's graduation from High School. He was there for my graduation (as a 6 month old). Man, I'm feeling the wrinkles coming on! I'm sure that when I get there on Saturday I'll look like an old woman!

Anyways, I emailed my China facilitator, Sabrina, and asked if she had heard anything about our pre-approval. I'm just too darn excited to get her picture on my blog! I told her that I didn't want to be annoying, but that I was really excited to hear any sort of news. This is the email that I got from her:

Hi Michal,

I can tell your excitement and I was wondering how come you were so quiet lately. :)

I had been checking on your status daily. I had not gotten any update on the pre-approval yet from CCAA. As soon as I receive something, I will let you know. So far, I had not had any family being turned down. The pre-approval letter usually got approved in about 7-10 working days. So, I would assume that it would be late this week or early next week.

I have my first family who switched from NSN to SN program. Their LOI was submitted on 4/2/2009 and they just received their travel approval yesterday. That means they will be able to travel next month.

So, the total length is about 2 1/2 months from the beginning to travel time. So, this will give you some idea when you will be traveling to China and when you will have Huan Qin home. :)

Love, Sabrina

Our LOI was submitted on the 19th of May. Holy smokes! We might be able to go before our family reunion....or just after it's over! Come on, pre-approval, get here!

New Health Insurance anyone?

2009-05-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

This youtube video makes me want to go right out and get new Health Insurance. I mean, what if this happened to one of my boys?!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rROvCnLu9hU

Enjoy!

Michal

Day 2

2009-05-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

We're on Day 2 of waiting for our pre-approval. I've heard of people getting their PA within 7 days...hopefully that's the case for us. The same person also got their Letter of Approval (LOA) within 45 days. Again...maybe we could go to China earlier than anticipated if we get all our stuff that quickly! Here's to a speedy CCAA!!!

Journaling - Kindergarten Style...

2009-05-20T15:39:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd share a couple of pages from Twerp #2's journal. She was journaling about our camping trip last weekend. Here goes (let's see if you can read it!)...

"laste weck on frida aftr i cam hom from scoll me and my Mom and Ishiah and Zachary and Dad wel Denice wotchis Drdey then me and my famley went on a trip to the mawtins. we pla shots and snacs. we went on two natshur wocs. Zachary fawnd two lade bugs. I fawnd a owinj lade bug. tha ar rar bey cus ther can bey owinj yellow or gren."

So much fun to understand how she hears the words in her head. Just in case you need a translation...

"Last week on Friday after I came home from school, me and my Mom and Isaiah and Zachary and Dad, while Denice watches Darby, then me and my family went on a trip to the mountains. We play chutes and snakes. We went on two nature walks. Zachary found two lady bugs. I found a orange lady bug. They are rare because they can be either orange, yellow or green."

She drew a couple pictures of our pop up trailer and the trees they were climbing. I love that she loves to write. Maybe I have a budding writer on my hands!

Application

2009-05-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

We have been running around with getting current pictures and home study updates and fingerprints and medial applications to our adoption agency so that they can upload our application to the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs). Our China coordinator works late hours so that she's working at the same time that the CCAA is open.

Late last night, after submitting a couple new family photos, we got an email at 11:33 pm. The email read:

Your application has been submitted successfully. :)

Congratulations!

Sabrina

She said in an earlier email that once our application has been submitted, we should hear back from the CCAA with a pre-approval in about 2 weeks. So the countdown officially begins! We've decided as a family that we're going to do something "special" at each point in our wait. After we get our pre-approval, we're going to go to get dessert at Ruby's on the end of the pier. Can't wait. So here's to our 14 day countdown! Hopefully we only have to wait a week...the kids can't wait to get their own chocolate malt.

Heart troubles...

2009-05-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

So we went camping this weekend. I almost had a heart attack...but only after I snapped a couple of pictures just to prove that I had a good reason to have that heart attack. Stephen and I were setting up the pop up trailer. We could hear the kids down by the fire pit having a great time with some buddies that they'd made as soon (actually maybe before) we were parked. It seemed too good to be true. After a little while, I made my way the 20 feet to see what they were doing. This is what I found...

My baby was in a tree. It wasn't a little tree either. It was at least 40 feet off the ground.

I didn't want to scream at him to get down. I didn't want to freak him out so that he'd fall. So, in my calm "Oh Crap" voice I said, "Hey buddy, what are you doing?" Duh, like I couldn't figure that one out on my own!

"Hey, Mom! I'm way up here in this tree, isn't it cool!" And then, for effect, he tightly hung onto the trunk with both feet on either side and started to rock back and forth. Man, I almost needed a Depends!

"Mom, is it OK if I just sleep up here all weekend? The birds and I would be great friends!"

"No, buddy, it isn't OK. Daddy would be so lonely sleeping all by himself."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Let me know when it's time for smores!"

I spent most of the tree climbing weekend in the trailer reading...and waiting for any sign that Stephen would have to rush right up that tree to help out. I sure wasn't going up there! We love Dogwood campground and can't wait to get back!

Crooked Fingers...

2009-05-17T18:05:00.001-07:00

Twerp #1 has some crooked fingers. I took him for his 8 yr. old checkup and the doctor asked if there was anything that I had any questions about..."Well, he has these crooked fingers..." Dr. Lin looked at them and then looked at me with HUGE eyes and low eyebrows. He took out his pen and started drawing the Twerps fingers on his paper. (See a visual of his crooked fingers here.)

Dr. Lin called a couple of days later to say that he'd spoken with a Rheumatologist and the official diagnosis is that "it's weird." Official, huh? Yeah, maybe we don't want to go with the "It's Weird" doctor. He said that with a child of 8, he should be seen by a Pediatric Hand Orthopedist. Where do you go to school to get that specialized?!? I can understand the Orthopedist part. Even the Pediatric Orthopedist. But the Pediatric Hand Orthopedist? Too detailed for me...although I'm glad they're around because this is exactly what the Twerp needs right now. It's getting hard for him to write at the end of the day. His fingers hurt. Besides, I don't want my kid having a "severe medial deviation of the middle finger" anymore. Sounds too ugly. So...we'll probably have some x-rays done tomorrow. Hopefully they won't have to break his fingers. Maybe we'll wait until school is out for that (if it has to be done). Ouch. Hopefully there's a "straighten your middle finger pill."

But for now, he's like the Sink Guy...Melmo...Uncle Keith. And there's nothing better than that, cause in the Margala household, we love Sink Guy.

What the heck!?!

2009-05-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

So I saw this idea for dinner one day on the internet. Thought it'd be cool to try with the kiddos. I stuck a bunch of raw spaghetti through hot dog pieces. Fun enough in itself. Then, while the water was boiling, I hid them from the kids.

While the dogs were boiling, I told the kids that I had bought a "different kind of hot dog" and that it was gonna freak them out!

The kids found these on their plate. I had put butter on them - as best I could - and then sprinkled cheese on top. Twerp #2 thought that I had simply put the noodles to the edges and "glued" them with some syrup. Twerp #3 turned that one upside down when he bit through the middle and found the noodles inside the hot dog! Twerp #1 just thought about it for awhile and then said, "I know how you did it Mom!" He promised not to tell his brother and sister.

Beijing Time!

2009-05-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

I've added a clock to my homepage where you can see the time in Beijing. No more time spent trying to figure out whether our daughter is sleeping or napping or playing with friends. Now we'll know with just a look!

I have to say that the Internet is amazing. Email is amazing. I've never thought about how long getting updated pictures would have taken before. You have to have 35mm film. You take the picture and then have to get it developed. Then, you'd have to mail the pictures 1/2 way around the world to an adoption agency. Then, they have to forward you the pictures. That would take a month! But with technology, we take a digital picture, upload it to our computer and email it away. 10 minutes tops!

When we're in China we're planning on using Skype to talk to the kids. Free. Again, how costly would that have been if we didn't have Internet. I can talk to our kids daily. They can see pictures of their sister. We can Skype to multiple people at once and talk to Grandparents, cousins, siblings...all with the touch of a button. I guess I'd better learn how to use that button before we head over there. It'll be one of my summer projects!

LOI

2009-04-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

LOI is adoption terminology for Letter of Intent. It is the letter that you write when you want to be matched to a certain child. I had to write my LOI last night. It was one of the hardest pieces of writing I've ever done. How can you adequately describe that you would make the best parents for a certain girl. How do you describe yourself and your family so that a complete stranger will think you also are the best parent for that particular child.

It took me a couple of hours to draft my letter. I sent it to our China facilitator and got the news that my letter was "wonderful." Stephen signed it this morning. We have some pictures that we're including with our letter and we're going to email it all to our China facilitator this morning.

We should hear in about 3-4 weeks that we've been approved to adopt her as our daughter. Can't wait to show you those pictures! (It's the reason that we started this blog in the first place!!!)

Adoption...

2009-04-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited!!! We have finally sent a letter of intent to adopt a precious little girl from China. Our letter and updated pictures will probably get to China the first week of May. We are hoping to hear of our approval to be her parents in early June. It's going to kill me not to be able to attach a picture with this post, but I can't post a picture until we receive confirmation that we have been matched to her - it'll probably be a couple of months.

When I spoke to our china contact at our adoption agency, she said that it would probably close to 4 months before we would travel to China. Late August or early September! Holy Smokes! That's soon! That's also the same time that we're going to MN for a family reunion. I told my family today that I won't be in MN for the reunion. We're going to save the money we would have spent on that trip for our trip to China. You know, be a good steward and all.

I'm about jumping out of my skin, people! Like a kid who gets news of a Disney World trip and can't sleep for a few months! But worse! I'm excited and nervous and bubbly and prayerful and really happy all the time. We've been praying for this little one for years now and I'm so very blessed to see our our Father has answered those prayers.

Keep our daughter in your prayers also as we begin down the quick road to adoption. (Quick meaning it only took 4 years so far, huh, maybe not as quick as I thought.) But it's hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait. We have lots to do this week and then the wait part begins. Pray for her continued health and quick trip to pick her up. Pray that I'm able to calm my excitement so I can sleep. I'll be one tired lady if I don't sleep for the next 4 months due to excitement! I'll post a picture as soon as I can.

The New Mommy!

Sea Enemy!!!

2009-04-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Stephen and I took the kids to Rockpile Beach in Laguna Beach, CA. It was a beautiful day to visit the tide pools. Twerp #2 is learning about marine life in Kindergarten the past couple of weeks. She sure knows a lot!

Enjoy a piece of Southern California on this fine Sunday morning.

Twerp #3 is learning to read

2009-04-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I had a neighbor a few years ago that loaned me this book "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." It's an amazing book. Looks kinda weird...but it works so well. I'd recommend it to anyone that has a 4-6 year old who wants to learn to read. We don't do it in 100 consecutive days. We take our time and do it over a few months. But our children go from not knowing how to read anything to a 2nd grade level by the end of the book. Twerp #3 is on lesson 16 or so and I took a video of him learning to read.

He loves reading with us. Sometimes we'll do two lessons a night, sometimes only 1/2 a lesson. He's a sweet boy who just wants to catch up with his sister. I love teaching my kids to read. I know that they learn in school, but it's so amazing to see how their brains work and how much they love to figure words out. Hopefully on our trip to MN this summer, the kids will be reading in the back for awhile each day. It'll allow me a little peace and quiet. Think it will work?

I forgot one picture...

2009-04-15T17:30:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I guess Stephen is artistic, right? Nothing more needs to be said. I love you, Stephen!

Noah's Ark

2009-04-15T16:30:00.001-07:00

We went to the Noah's Ark exhibit at The Skirball Museum last Saturday. It was amazing. I couldn't believe how exciting that single exhibit was. I'm a sucker for Children's Museums, but this one was over the top. It was a two story exhibit that was so much fun. You could touch everything and play with many of the animals. All the animals were made from recycled materials...and they used those materials so cleverly.

They had this model of Noah's Ark sitting in one of the rooms so that the kids could play with it.

There was an elephant that was up in the climbing area. The kids could pull on a rope and the elephant would move it's trunk and make elephant noises...lots of fun. I love how the whole thing is made out of rope. Cool.

Stephen and Twerp #2 had a great time cuddling in the hammock...for about 30 seconds until it was time to go and clean up "animal poop." They had a pooper scooper, a broom and a bunch of poop that you could scatter all over the floor. It was engrossing to the kids. No so much for me.

Cool lion. It was huge and sitting right above the main room just like the king of the jungle should.

My dad's favorite animal is the Yak. He sees them everywhere. Curious, huh? Not everywhere like the park or the zoo or even the National Geographic Channel. He sees them in his curtains. We got new ones made. The whole Yak thing was a little freaky.

My Mom and Stephen hung out on this cool swing. Stephen wants to make one. Hmmmmm, think I'll try Ebay for his birthday. Might actually get one this summer that way. :)

Such a cool giraffe. You could stand on the bottom floor and twist your body on the handles attached to the wall and the giraffe would move his/her head from side to side.

This is the head of the first alligator. The way they used the gloves to make the head was so great...and the eye - creepy.

They used an open violin case for the mouth of the second alligator. Tires were the back of the animal and the teeth were needle caps found at the doctors. These people are so creative!

Finally, there is the whole Africa/Zebra/Elephant combo. The body of the zebra could be turned and it would make this cool spinning noise. I loved that they used a keyboard for the mane of the animal. The elephant's trunk was made from steamer bamboo baskets. My favorite part was the floor mats for the elephants ears. I think they used to be mine.

If you're ever in the Los Angeles area, I highly recommend the exhibit at The Skirball. Call me and we'll go with you!

So handsome...

2009-04-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

You might expect this post to be about Stephen. It's not.

My oldest is getting handsome. Twerp #1 has a difficult time with pictures. He seems to try "too hard" to smile just the right way. He usually ends up looking a little constipated...worried...sometimes even a little angry. But not this day. The day before Easter we went to the Noah's Ark exhibit at the Skirball Museum. He was happy. He was making art in the studio and happy as a clam. He didn't even have to try to smile...it was just already there.

He's an amazing kid. I love him to death. He's happy, kind, sweet, athletic, fun, a good helper, smart and interesting to talk to. I want to be around him. I love being his mother and I can't wait to see who God has created him to be. I love my job. Twerp...you are such a pleasure to be around.

The Pillow Fight Room

2009-04-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

It's Spring Break and today I took the three twerps and a cousin to San Diego to The New Children's Museum. So much fun. I asked all four of the kids on the way home what their favorite part was and they all answered the same..."The Pillow Fight Room!"

Yeah, an entire room dedicated to pillow fights. What could be better than that? I took some video of the kids playing and thought I'd share it with you.

They also had this thing called the Porta Party. It was shaped like a MP3 player and a porta potty all at the same time. The kids were rocking out to music inside when it was "in use" complete with a disco ball and everything!

A great day with great kids. We got a pass and we're going to go back another few times to get some more pillow fights in before the year is over.

Why do I do it?!?

2009-03-23T16:23:00.001-07:00

The only time I go to certain websites is when someone wants to be my "friend." (Facebook anyone?) When I do get on there, I poke around a little and see what people are up to in the world and then log off. Facebook has a sidebar that always has "interesting and clickable" things. Things like...Free Pink Macbook. We need Laptop testers. Keep the Macbook you test. Click here for current availability.

I'm a sucker. What in the world makes me think that I'll be the ONE Lucky Duck in my "area" of Orange County to be the first one to click. Yeah, I click and then I get a few pages into the website and realize that I've made a terrible mistake and now my inbox will be full of crud for the next million years. So dumb. Such a sucker. I never get the free stuff...unless it's a magazine subscription to Outdoorsman or something equally dumb and not for me. I should know by now. But...and this is a big but...I'm sure that next time someone wants me to be their friend, I'll get all excited and caught up in the Facebook moment that I'll click on another "free offer" and then feel stupid again. Hopefully not.

Birthday Goop

2009-03-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

At the Twerp's school, we can't bring in anything with sugar for birthdays. No cookies, cupcakes, cake...nothing. So, for Twerp #2's birthday, I went into her class to make goop. Yes, that's where we've all fallen here in Orange County...we've fallen into making goop for a birthday. It did go over REALLY well though. We talked about going to college to study science to learn this kind of stuff...not that they really need to go to learn how to make goop, they could just check out a book in the library. So...for any of you who want to score points with the kids or grand kids...here you go!

In a bowl, mix up one cup of water, one cup of Elmer's glue and 10 drops of food coloring. Do this with a whisk and then rinse it under warm water.

In a second glass bowl, mix 1 1/3 cup of warm water and 4 tsp. of Borax (found in the laundry detergent area). Mix it well until all the Borax is dissolved.

Slowly pour the glue mixture into the water/Borax mixture and watch it clump up! So much fun. Then you swish it around in the water for several seconds and then pull it out of the water and knead/squish it over the bowl for a minute or so. It will get pulled together and very soft and "goopey." Store it in an airtight container or in a plastic baggy in your purse for those "Help! I'm dying here in line" moments.

The kindergartners loved lining up and touching the goop and watching it jiggle in my hands. The Twerps and I made 36 packages of goop to give away as gifts to the kids. We had so much fun I'm thinking that next year for the kids' birthdays we should have a science experiment party.

Enjoy!

Daylight Savings Time

2009-03-12T09:27:00.001-07:00

I'm not too fond of Daylight Savings Time. I used to be, before I had children, and it was only my schedule that I had to adjust. A couple of days later and I was good to go. But with children it is a completely different ball of wax.

Before Kids (BK) I loved turning the clock an hour back. We got another hour to goof off and play. We got another hour of sleep in the morning. It was beautiful. BK I hated springing forward an hour. I lost an hour of sleep and I was groggy. It didn't help that I didn't go to bed an hour early...who actually does that?!?

After Kids (AK) things have totally flipped around. Kids don't sleep in! They continue to get up at their normal time. So setting the clock an hour back ensures that my children will wake up an hour earlier. 6:00 instead of 7:00. It doesn't matter how long I keep them up the night before, they'll still wake up at their normal time...but an hour earlier. However, setting the clock an hour ahead in the spring is BEAUTIFUL! My kids sleep in an hour and we have to wake them up for school in the morning.

It is now 5 days after we sprung ahead and the kids are still sleeping in. So nice. Maybe this will be the year that they continue to sleep in until 8:00-8:15 all summer long and then in the fall, when we fall back, they'll revert to getting up at 7:00-7:15. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Stuck in Phone Hell...

2009-03-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

When did it happen that as a country we decided that we didn't want to talk to real people anymore? Who decided that automated phone systems were a thing of the future? I HATE them!

I've always tried the "I've still got a rotary phone" and just waited until a real person came on the phone. It doesn't work anymore.

Then I started to "press 0 for the operator" and would usually get someone on the phone fairly quickly. Not anymore. Now you have to go deep into the pit of phone answering to get to the 0 command.

Now, I've found that a lot of automated systems are voice activated. What the heck! How am I supposed to even start to deal with that?!? I get on the phone and shut the office door. I've been "talking" into the phone for about 4 minutes when one of my kids barges into the room and starts talking to me. This is the conversation that ensues:

Twerp: "Mom, can I have a cheese stick?"

Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."

Me (with my hand over the phone): "Yes, you can have a cheese stick. Be quiet and shut the door on your way out."

Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."

Me: "1234ABCD5678EFGH"

Automated System: "I'm sorry, that wasn't a complete account number. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."

Twerp #2: "Mom, my brother is having a cheese stick, can I have one also?"

Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me (with my hand over the phone): "Yes, you can have a cheese stick. Be quiet and shut the door on your way out. I need to finish this phone conversation. No more interruptions"

Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."

Me: "1234ABCD5678EFGH"

Automated System: "Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."

Me: "Billing question."

Twerps: "Mom, can we eat them in the TV Room?"

Me: "Yes."

Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."

Me (the sound of the TV is getting much louder as they are pressing the incorrect button to turn down the volume): "BILLING QUESTION"

Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."

Me: "I'd like to speak to a REAL PERSON!"

Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."

Me: "I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO A REAL PERSON!"

Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."

HANG UP!

What's the deal? I wasted 15 minutes of my life talking to myself and my children and I still don't have my billing question answered. I decide that I'll wait until midnight to make the call. Of course, by that time, I've completely forgotten that there is a "billing question" until Stephen calls me the next afternoon and asks, in his innocent way, "did you ever figure out that billing question that we had with XYZ company?" Ugh. It starts all over again.

However, for those of you that have had this same issue, there is a website that gives you all the codes to bypass the phone systems. Brilliant. I would have paid something for this service, but it's completely FREE! GetHuman.com I love it! Enjoy the website and the hours of your life that you will get back when you are no longer on hold with the machine anymore. Make sure you have the kleenex with you because you will be crying tears of joy! I know, you're welcome.

A Child's Description...

2009-01-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

Twerp #2 was tearing her dinner roll apart and putting pieces on her plate to be buttered. She said:

Twerp #2: Mom, you know that guy that came to our house for dinner...the one you're related to...you know, the one with three boys in the family and one girl? He's the one who taught me to do my roll this way.

Mom: You mean Gabe and Jesse?

Twerp #2: No, the other one. You know...the one with littler hair and no beard.

Now, you have to understand. My Aunt and Uncle came out here for Christmas with their boys...their older boys...their boys who decided that since they were on "vacation" that they didn't need to shave while they were here. Twerp #2 told both of them that they were itchy and that they should shave. So obviously, the "littler hair and no beard" comment was referring to my Uncle Gary.

Sorry Gary. You have more hair than my dad...so that's saying something. I'm not quite sure what it's saying, but it is saying something! I love you Gary, Carol, Gabe and Jesse. We sure enjoyed your visit out here and miss playing games with you all. I'll see you in March when I come out for Grandpa's 90th birthday.

365 Photos - One a day for a year!

2009-01-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

I've decided to take a picture a day for the rest of the year. I started on January 1st and have been enjoying the process. I am trying to take pictures that show what my life is like this year...not necessarily good pictures of the kids every day. I'm journaling and am going to make a photo album at the end of the year with all my pictures. I have really begun to enjoy digital scrapbooking...I can scrapbook on the computer and not have all that junk out for my kids to ruin. When I'm done for the moment, I just save my project and walk away - there's nothing to clean up. Here are the first two pages from the first full week in January. I won't bore you with every page that I create, I promise. Have a great day, ya'll!

Michal

I may not be a grandmother... :(

2008-12-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

My twerp #2 has been talking about not having kids. It started slowly when she learned that you have to have a shot when you have a baby (blood drawn). I told her it wasn't a big deal and that it only happened once. Or more, but I didn't mention that to her. She asked if it hurts when you have a baby. I said, "Yes, but you forget about it after you're holding your baby." A few weeks later she asked if you had to be married to have children. A resounding YES came out of my mouth. A couple of months ago she said, "Mom, I'm not going to get married."

What! Why not? "Because then I'd have to have a baby. I'm not going to have babies. It hurts." I assured her that you don't have to have children if you get married. There are a lot of people that are married that don't have children. She reminded me that she doesn't have a friend yet that she would want to marry and since she can't pick her cousins...she'd rather not get married at all.

It took us a couple of weeks to convince her that she can get married...she can not have children...and she's not supposed to find her husband until after college. OK. Situation averted.

Until yesterday. She got her IV. She asked, "Mom, did you have to have one of these things in your hand when you were in the hospital to have a baby?" Ugh. Gulp. "Yes, I did, but remember, after you three kids were born, I forgot all about it!" "That's what I thought. Yeah, I most definitely am NOT having kids. I will never go through this again."

Bummer. I remember when I was in the hospital giving birth and after I was all done with the gross stuff and the baby had been wiped off, the first person I wanted to hold the baby besides Stephen was my mom. Not my mother-in-law. (No offense, Deanna.) I wanted my mom to come in the room and take the baby from me and coo and rock back and forth.

But is Twerp #2 isn't going to have a baby, then I'm going to the be Mother-In-Law. I won't be the first one in the room. Here's to hoping that her future "friend husband" can make her change her mind...because at the age of 5 1/2, she's not even close!

Trip to the ER

2008-12-31T14:46:00.000-08:00

Before you scroll down, no, there is no picture today. Why? Because it would seem quite heartless to take any pictures in the ER...even if they weren't so bad. That was what I thought yesterday. Today, day after the incident, I wish that I had taken pictures...sigh.

All 3 of the kids got the flu on Sunday morning...about 1 am. The boys were home with us, but Twerp #2 went on a special overnight with her grandparents to Fresno. She was really excited about the trip until she started to puke at 2 am. Gross.

Si denote: I am NOT a throw up mom. Before I became a mom, I seriously thought about not having children simply because they would at one point hurl. I think it's disgusting and I usually get nauseous myself and it's not pretty. But, like any anal girl, I went over the pros and cons and decided that vomit didn't warrant not having children.

Anyways, the kids were done being sick on Sunday morning and we put the kids on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) all day. They ate and drank and watched TV all day. It was a good Sunday. Sunday night, about 11:30, Twerp #2 came home and fell asleep. The next day, the boys were great! They ran around and played and were active and it made me tired. However, Twerp #2 wasn't doing so well. I thought that maybe she was just being cautious so I didn't force her to eat too much. I gave her a solid white water bottle filled halfway with water and she ate two bites of rice and 5 saltine crackers. This isn't too varied from her diet...she likes anything that is white. But each time she'd eat something, her tummy started to hurt. And, being scared of vomit (see side note above), I didn't force her to eat.

Tuesday morning she slept in until 9:00 and then curled up into a ball on the couch. At 9:45 I fed her "breakfast" which included 2 bites of rice and 1/4" of water in a kids cup. It was then that I called the doctor. I brought her to her doctor and on the way, I asked her if she'd gone to the bathroom that morning. Nope. I asked how many times she went to the bathroom the day before. Nope again. I said very calmly, "when was the last time you went potty?" Her response..."at lunchtime when I was with Grandma and Papa." Whoops. How could I have missed that? Are parents supposed to check how often their 5 year old goes potty?

Needless to say, we saw the doctor, I told him what I'd learned about her bathroom habit as of late and he did some tests. "Mrs. Margala, Twerp #2's eyes are kinda sunken in and since she hasn't gone to the bathroom in a while and since her heart rate isn't where is should be and since the nail test isn't good either, I'm gonna send you to the emergency room. I'll fast track you through there and call ahead for you (did I tell you that I LOVE my pediatrician?!!? He's awesome!)." Apparently she was dehydrated. Duh.

To make a long story short, she has numbing cream put on her right hand and left inside elbow. She just thought it was lotion. The doctor that saw us checked her urine (which I squeezed out of her in the bathroom) and said that if it was his son, he would have had Twerp #2 in the hospital yesterday. She had already started to metabolize other proteins and was severely dehydrated. It took two nurses to hold her down and wrap her like a mummy with two sheets so they could get the IV in. It was sad. There was a LOT of screaming and the nurse laying on top of her so she wouldn't move said that he'd have to file for Workman's Comp...she was screaming that loud. They let over 1/2 a bag of saline drip into her little body. 600 ml. After the first 200 ml was in, she was ready to go home. A HUGE difference a little water makes to the body. After we got home, she was a new girl. She had a special teddy bear that she got at the hospital and a horrifying story to tell her friends! She got to watch 2 1/2 hours of cartoons and talk about how the "boys" weren't able to watch TV all day. She called it a "mother-daughter date." I guess she has low expectations.

Score another point for the loser mom. But it's only for this kid! She takes pain well. She doesn't complain when she should and does complain when she shouldn't! She's the girl who cried wolf. But at least it wasn't four days this time (see post when she broke her arm), only 1 1/2. I should have taken a picture of her IV stuck in her arm...something to scrapbook.

When we got home she wanted to earn extra money. She cleaned out and organized our cup drawer by size and color. She reorganized the silverware drawer and cleaned up the art section of the cabinet. She went to work...ate a big meal and is the little girl that I saw on Saturday afternoon.

Praise the Lord for good doctors. For doctors that know exactly what my girl needs and calls ahead to make sure we don't wait all day. If you're ever in the South Orange County area and are looking for a great pediatrician, I'll hook you up! Dr. Christopher Lin is awesome!

Happy New Years from the Margala Family

Christmas Day Visit

2008-12-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

We always go to the cemetery as a family on Christmas Day. Sounds morbid, but it's not. It's actually the highlight of our Christmas celebration for Stephen and I. We bring the kids and take pictures. The Pederson family always meets us there. This year my parents, Maren, my uncle Gary, Aaron and Kristen and two of their kids, Eve and Gabriel met us there also. My Dad is there and he reads from 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words."

Grace would have been 9 this Christmas. The first Christmas after she died, we went to the cemetery. Dad read scripture and we all cried. We cried a lot. I was pregnant with Isaiah and fear crept into my thinking again. I didn't want to go through another child's death. But now I have three healthy children. Last year, I saw a reflection of myself 8 years ago. We went to the cemetery and there was a couple celebrating Christmas with their family at the graveside of their child. It was so sad...it was so me 8 years ago. But now my children run through the cemetery and play hop scotch on the headstones. They talk about death like it's a natural thing. They blow the pinwheels in the ground and try to pick out the best teddy bear...they let me know which kid got the best flowers that year. They have life and they aren't afraid to show it!

Yes, it's sad to think of what life would have been like if Grace hadn't died. But I probably wouldn't have Twerp #1 if she had lived. Nor Twerps #2 and 3. My family would be different...I would be different. I'm a better mom and wife because she died. My values have changed and the things that I view important have changed. Christmas is better because she died. Jesus was born for her and for me. Grace has life because of His death and resurrection.

Ask our children who had the best Christmas this year...they'll say that Grace did. She gets to celebrate Christmas with the Birthday Boy Himself! The first Christmas without her she celebrated with her Savior, Great-Grandpa Pederson and her Grandpa Margala. A few years later she was joined by her Great-Grandma Pederson and then her Great-Grandpa Margala. In the blink of an eye, she will celebrate with her Great Grandma Eikum and Great Grandpa Eikum...her Grandpa Pederson and then her Grandma Pederson. In many years (I hope) I will finally get to celebrate the birth of my Savior with her too.

Going to the cemetery is not a sad occasion for me anymore. Sure, it makes me a little teary every once in a while, but I am filled with JOY every time I go there. Watching the kids run around, laugh, chase each other and play reinforces the attitude that I should have about my life and my family.

OH...and there's always the chance that you'll catch your 4 1/2 year old trying to be an angel. That makes it all worthwhile! (See picture below). Merry Christmas. Hold your family close and treasure the time you get to spend with them. I love you!

Michal

House Cleaning

2008-12-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and looked at the dog hair slowly wafting over the wood floor. I looked at cookie crumbs and dried mac n' cheese on the table. I saw socks that the dog had dragged from the laundry pile on the floor in the TV room. Our house was a mess and adding another kid this afternoon was going to put in in the pig-sty category. So I told the Twerps that in order to pick up their cousin from Grammy's house to stay the night, the house would have to be clean.

Note: Twerp #1 LOVES having his cousin over. They are the same age by a month and play so well together...they have ever since they could crawl.

I had barely gotten the words "the house would have to be clean" out of my mouth before Twerp #1 was cleaning. He cleaned the bedroom. Then he went in the TV room and picked up that just before he picked up the living room. He put toys away, socks in the laundry basket, blankets back inside the coffee table, and anything else he saw. He set up the wood nativity on the fireplace. Then he started unloading the dishwasher. Then he rinsed the breakfast dishes from the counter and the kitchen table and put those in the empty dishwasher. Then (now this is something not even his father does) he washed down the kitchen counter tops. Twerp #2 meanwhile put the shoes away and started to wash the kitchen table and chairs. This is one of her favorite chores. Twerp #1 proceeded to get out the big vacuum and start vacuuming the wood floors and Twerp #2 got out the small vacuum and started to vacuum up the crumbs under the kitchen table. Between the two of them, there shouldn't be that much to vacuum later!

I took my shower and got dressed and am just sitting her watching all this unfold. I think we'll have to have Eve over every day!

Merry Christmas!

PS. I bet you're wondering what Twerp #3 did. Nothing. He sat on the couch watching TV the entire time. Actually, he got out some toys to play in his room and left them on the floor...which bugged Twerp #1 because he'd already cleaned up that room. So...Twerp #1 had to go back into the bedroom and put that toy away again. Yeah, I've got a lazy Twerp #3. Something else to work on...

Rehab...

2008-12-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a girlfriend of mine today and she's exhausted. I'm exhausted too! Being that we both live near Hollywood, we're going to take our cues from all those famous people and check ourselves into rehab for exhaustion. Doesn't it sound just perfect? Sleep for 8 hours - no interruptions. Have meals made for you and then cleaned up after you. Get your bed made for you in the morning just to peel back the covers at 2:00 for an afternoon nap...again, no interruptions. Have a quiet meal for dinner...no one whining about the choice of food that is on their plates...green foods might even be in abundance! It would be glorious. Yeah, I need to go to rehab for exhaustion. I believe it's called The SPA! (Stephen, if you're reading this, it's not too late to get another gift certificate!)

I think I'll just go to my room and dream for a little while!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've written a post...but things have been crazy! I had to explain to Stephen that we lost a week's time this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas in comparison to last year. I haven't gotten my Christmas cards out yet...and won't be able to until after Christmas. So...some of you might receive this twice, but this is the only way I can get out any Christmas greeting until next week. I was "dared" by a friend to write a "non-glowing" Christmas letter so here it is!

Well, it’s the week between Christmas and New Years and I have yet to send out my Christmas card. Better late than never...right? Isn’t that the motto of a mom with three children? So...I thought that instead of telling you how wonderful and perfect our children are, I would tell you how wonderful and perfect the parents are. Let me show you examples of the wonderful parenting style that Stephen and I have adopted by giving you some examples in our children...because we all know that our children behave how the parents behave, right?

Twerp #3 (4 1/2) started school this year. It is his first year of preschool because we didn’t get the whole “potty training” thing down until a couple months shy of his 4th birthday. One hot fall afternoon, the kids were playing out on the playground. One little girl in his class was “hot and sweaty” and Twerp #3 proceeded to cool her off by pouring a pitcher of water over her head. One day he was pushed from behind while standing in line to go to chapel. So...as the line leader...he turned around and pushed the little boy who first pushed him. That little boy fell backwards and like a line of dominoes, all the children in the class fell on their bottoms. What have Stephen and I been teaching him? We’ve taught him to look out for others when they’re not feeling well and to try to make them feel better. We’ve also taught him to treat others as he’s been treated.

Twerp #2 ( 5 1/2) is in Kindergarten. She LOVES school and can’t wait to go to school each day from 11:10—2:30. Twerp #2 loves to sing. She loves it so much that she sings while she’s working on her class work. Lately she’s been singing Away in the Manger for all to hear. One little boy said, “Twerp #2, could you please stop singing, you’re annoying me.” Twerp #2 turned around and said, “I’m singing a nice song and it’s not annoying and I won’t stop singing. You’ll just have to go to another room.” (I was the parent helper in class that day.) During her parent/teacher conference, Mrs. Call told Stephen and I that Twerp #2 talks a lot in class and interrupts others work. What have Stephen and I been teaching her? We’ve taught her to enjoy the arts and to not worry about what others think of her. We’ve also taught her to make friends.

Twerp #1 (7 1/2) is in 2nd grade. He is really enjoying this year and is in a class that does lots of science and writing. At his parent/teacher conference, we learned that he’s been talking a lot in class and he loses a lot of classroom tickets each week—he only keeps enough to be the one to get out first at the end of the week. We also learned that his handwriting is not very good...atrocious to some. We need to work on his printing so that it’s easier to read—something Stephen could work on too! What have Stephen and I been teaching him? We’ve taught him that school is the place to make some of your best friends and that communication is important in a good friendship. We’ve also taught him that computers are commonplace and that if Daddy could get by with his printing, then Twerp #1 can get by until he starts bringing a laptop to school.

So...how are Stephen and I doing? Think we need a parenting class? Maybe. But, we’re all alive. The Friday before Christmas was crazy. We had three class parties. I had to bring food items to each party. I also had to wrap 5 teacher gifts, write on 6 teacher cards, make sure that the kids each had their gifts in their bags, food in their bags, I had to bring two brunch casseroles to our last MOPS meeting, 20 muffins to MOPS and somehow take a shower. At this point, I’m really looking forward to Jr. High when the kids don’t have all these parties and gifts to bring.

God has been good to our family this year. We are all healthy, happy and enjoy our family life a lot. We are involved in MOPS, cub scouts, park dates, dates with the kids, dates as a couple, baking together, reading books together, playing lots of board games and having fun. I love staying home with the kids. I love making a home for Stephen. Stephen, by the way, started a new job after 12 years at his last company and is loving it. Our adoption is still going and we hope that we’ll be able to travel in just over a year to pick up our daughter. Please keep her in your prayers.

Merry Christmas to you all! Happy New Year! Love, The Margala Family.

Milestones

2008-12-01T17:03:00.001-08:00

It's odd that some milestones I expect. I expected my children to walk. I expected them to use a fork, learn to wash their own hands, use a napkin...well, some things we're still working on in the Margala household...but there are milestones that I KNOW are coming.

There are others that I never thought of. Like doing laundry this afternoon. I've always folded the kids pants together (so there is one long leg) and then in half. They have been folded like this for a long time. They have been able to be placed in the drawer like this and they fit...many pairs across the width of the drawer.

Today, we hit a milestone. Currently, I have to fold Twerp #1's pants in half and then in half again. Two folds. sigh. When did I get a boy that needs two folds to fit the pants in the drawer? He's growing up. His teeth are coming in and soon he won't look like a gopher anymore. sigh. I'm getting old.

Halloween...

2008-11-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Isn't there a rule that as long as you post pictures within a month of the event, it's OK? I realized that I have yet to share Halloween pictures with ya'll and thought I should get that done before Thanksgiving next week. Here you are:

Twerp #1 was an army guy. Twerp #2 was a cow. Twerp #3 was the Cat in the Hat.

Twerp #1 isn't too into costumes. He refused to wear the "combat helmet" and didn't want to wear the camo bandanna either. Hmmmm. He could have just gone as a Twerp. Maybe we'll do that next year.

Twerp #2 was a cow. For those of you who saw the pictures last year...yes, she was the same thing. However, it was too cold to wear the ballerina costume that she wanted to be. I'm sorry for those of you that live in cooler climates. It wasn't really that cold...about 70 and muggy when we were out getting candy at 5:30 at night. But when you don't have any fat on your body, 70 and muggy is cold - at least for Twerp #2.

Had to add this one in because I love her blue eyes!

Yeah, the diameter of the hat was just a tad bigger than the diameter of Twerp #3's head. It kept on falling down and causing much "grief!" He wore the hat for the pictures...but then it went in the car for the rest of the night.

We went to a friends house and Trick-or-Treated with a bunch of friends. We were a large group and even caused one old(er) lady to close her door. They had a lot of fun though.

From the Mouth of my Twerp...

2008-11-11T18:23:00.000-08:00

My three twerps were watching TV this afternoon while I was doing laundry. They all had the day off of school for Veterans Day and were watching a Disney show...it was about a girl who had her dream diary stolen by her brother. Yeah, cheesy...but it had been a long day and I decided to go with it.

Anyways, Twerp #3 ran into my room and was telling me all about it. This is what he said: "Mom, sometimes I have scary dreams at night and then when I wake up I don't fall asleep anymore. But there is a book where you can write down your dreams and then they go to the scary place so you don't have to be scared anymore. Do you know what it's called? It's called a Dream Diarrhea.

!!! What!!! There were just a few things wrong with what he just said! Let's take them in order...

1. When he wakes up from a scary dream, he doesn't stay awake all night...he DOES go back to sleep.

2. He can't even write his name, much less write down his scary dreams in a diary!

3. It's a DIARY! Not, I repeat, NOT diarrhea!!!

Ugh, the things that kids hear and then repeat. I pray that this doesn't get repeated in Sunday School this weekend. I can just hear the snickering behind my back as I walk through the church campus..."did you hear that the youngest Margala kid writes in a dream diarrhea...psst...did you hear about the Margalas and their diarrhea problem...hey...did you hear that the Margala Twerps had diarrhea in Sunday School this morning..."

I didn't even laugh. I didn't want him to know what he said was funny. To be honest, it was more shocking and gross than funny. Yuck.

My kids in a nutshell

2008-11-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Can I just say that I love my sister! And no, this is not a bid to get a better Christmas present this year!!! I really do love her. It's because she sees things and thinks of me. Or because she'll call me and leave weird messages on my answering machine. Or, she'll teach my children how to use the inside of their shirt collar as a napkin. OK, I guess occasionally she does things and doesn't really think of me too much...

Anyways...today I got an email from her that said, "thought of you two" in the subject line. The two that she was referring to was myself and my sister-in-law Kristen. My brother and his wife have 4 kids between the ages of 2 and 7. They're busy too. If you ever want to check out their busy life, you can see their blog at http://picklesandpancakes.blogspot.com.

OK, back to the email. There was a quote in the email. That's it. One quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I don't know who that is, but he's brilliant. It describes my children in a nutshell. Have I got you all primed yet? OK. Here it is. You may need to sit back and re-read it a couple of times to get the full "quote experience."

"Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Good, huh? No. It's great. And it's so true for my life...especially if you know Twerp #3.

Friday after Thanksgiving…

2008-11-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

Why does it seem like Thanksgiving goes by in a blur, but the Friday after Thanksgiving is the longest day of the year? Could it be that I get up at the darkest point of the day to get ready to shop?!?

I’m thinking about Christmas gifts now…what to get people, what to make for others…. I’m looking at our budget and seeing that we don’t have a ton of money to spend on the various gifts that we still have to buy. I HATE shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I’d rather spend the day with my family, lounging and eating leftovers, playing at the park and possibly taking a nap…but I know how much I save when I brave the lines at Target. I know that I can get most of my Christmas shopping done when I get up early and wait in countless lines. I’ve made my pros and cons list and although the cons outweigh the pros in numbers, the financial balance sheet outweighs most of the cons and I end up shopping.

I am thankful. I am thankful that we can spend the 4 day weekend together as a family. I am thankful that last year, my 6 year old son wanted to go shopping with me early in the morning to get a special gift for his dad. It was really nice to have the company. I am thankful that by noon, I’ll be done and that my husband will let me have a nap. But mostly, I’m thankful for Lowes and Home Depot. For the past couple of years, I’ve gotten Stephen his gift at one of these two stores. People, there is no one in line! It’s me and about 15 other men who are walking around the hardware store while their wife is down the street at Wal Mart! Plus, the brilliant thing is that you can find something for everyone at Lowes…or Home Depot. There is no waiting in line…no trying to find a parking spot…they’re not “out” of what you went specifically to get…it’s just a beautiful shopping experience – even if it is in the dark early morning hours.

So yes, I’ll probably be one of those crazy ladies out on “Black Friday.” And family, if you have any Home Depot or Lowes requests, let me know! Bring on Thanksgiving! (and bring on the shopping the day after).

Where do they learn these things?!?

2008-11-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

This morning, Twerp #3 - my 4 year old, was asking if he could play with a specific toy that we have in the garage. This is what he said: "Mom, could we play with that, you know, that toy that has long brown ones and medium yellow ones and short red ones, and, you know, they are like pool noodles and are bendy and you can, you know, put them together and, you know, build human habitats and stuff?"

I was trying to follow his request. I really, really was. But then when he throws in all the "you knows" like I'm supposed to be understanding what he's saying, it kinda throws me off a little bit. But Human Habitats?!? That was the one phrase that actually put together all of the nonsense that he'd said before. He wanted his Fort Building Kit! Of course, human habitats! But where did he learn the phrase human habitat and not fort builder? I just love that kid!!!

Could I Be Any Prouder?

2008-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

This will be a short post...not much need for an elaborate explanation. Twerp #1 has found a new talent. It started out as making "farting" noises by laying on his back with his hand behind his knee and then pulling his knee down. Great. He then "graduated" to making the same noise with his hand under his armpit and pulling his arm down in a rapid motion. Tonight, I'm proud. He just came up to me and said: "Mom, I can make that same noise with my neck!" He put his hand under his neck and quickly made a hard nod. Sure enough, that special noise came forth. Boys and 2nd grade. Disgusting. I have to try really hard not to laugh...don't want to encourage this "stage of life."

Are these for real?!?

2008-10-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

I just got my Bed Bath and Beyond coupon in the mail. On the inside of the sale catalog they sent, were these Slipper Genie Micro Fiber Cleaning Slippers! Do you think they'd really work? If they did, they would be a gift sent to me from the Slipper Genies!

Do you all know my love of slippers? Do you know the number of times I've arrived at Preschool in my slippers to drop off and then pick up the same kid? I go to the grocery store in my slippers. I go to the bank, the neighbors, the elementary school, MOPS meetings, PTA meetings...you name it and I've probably been there in slippers. You see, I get dressed and ready in the morning. But, as I walk out to the kitchen to make breakfasts and lunches, my feet are cold. So...I slip on my slippers. Who wants to take the time to put on socks and shoes when you're still going to be home for awhile?!? My feet are so cozy and happy that when it's time to leave the house, I don't think twice about it. All of a sudden, I'm at bible study and people look at me and say "nice shoes!" That's when it hits me...they're my fuzzy red slippers!

Anyways...back to the point. If I could wear my favorite shoes in the world and clean my house at the same time, it would be a miracle. Do you think you just spray some floor cleaner and let loose on the wood floor? Turn the music up and dance, walk or drag your kid to a time out all in the name of a clean floor?

I do have a 20% off coupon and the $10 slippers would now be $8. Seems like it would be worth it to try. Now that I think about it, Twerp #'s 1, 2 and 3 would probably like a pair too...then I wouldn't have to mop my floors all the time...ahhh...something to think about.

Cheers!

2008-10-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Where were you 12 years ago? 12 years ago it was 1996. 12 years ago, I was 22. 12 years ago, I was in my senior year of college. 12 years ago I didn't have kids, stretch marks or utter the words, "because I said so!" 12 years ago I drove a black truck and went on weekend trips with my friends. 12 years ago, I was single. That's me.

12.5 years ago, Stephen started a new job at Abbasoft Technologies. Then, in 1998, Stephen and I started dating. In 1999 we got married. Still, Stephen is working at Abbasoft. Then, we proceed to have kids...he takes time off of work for the birth of Twerp #1 in 2001. In 2003, Twerp #2 is born. Finally, he gets another week off for the birth of Twerp #3 in 2004. Still, he works at Abbasoft.

Fast forward 12 years. I've graduated college...but don't work. I'm not 22 anymore, although I was carded last July for buying beer. My mode of transportation is a white minivan that seats 8! I have 3 kids and don't go on weekend trips on the spur of the moment...it takes a long time to get away for the night. But I love the changes that have come with the last 12 years!

On October 16th, 2008, Stephen started a new job! It has been 12 years since his last job change - and although he didn't beat my Grandpa's record at job longevity (1 job his entire life!!!), he has surpassed almost anyone I know our age. He is still programming, but in Irvine. He is learning something new and seems to enjoy it. Here's to a good changes in life. Cheers!

The Tooth Fairy Has Struck Again!

2008-10-16T14:52:00.001-07:00

The Tooth fairy Has Struck Again! Last night, Twerp #1 came home from school with a tooth in a baggy. Lucky me, I was blessed by not having to watch the "wrenching of the tooth" again. I'm not sure why, but when there is a wiggly tooth, my stomach just churns in knots and I get a little queasy.

However, there was another wiggly tooth on the bottom. Twerp #1 was sure that he could get it out before bedtime. He wiggled and wiggled. He pulled and twisted. And sure enough, just before bedtime, out it came. Two teeth in one day. That has to be a record, don't you think? Well, I washed his tooth off and put it under his pillow.

This morning, no money was found under his pillow. What!?! How could that be?!? I had him look again and sure enough, there was a $5 bill between his mattress and the headboard! It must have slipped down there during the night. An entire 5 bucks? My tooth fairy was NEVER that generous! I usually got a bunch of change in an old sock...not to say that I wasn't grateful, but it never amounted to $5. It was usually the same amount that was in the bottom of the tooth fairy's purse. I have to chalk it up to losing two teeth on the same day. Maybe if that had happened to me, I would have gotten $5 too. Maybe. Or, maybe not. I guess I shouldn't dwell on it too much since I'm not in the teeth losing stage anymore. Hmmmmmm.

Thought I'd post a picture of the toothless pumpkin at our house.

I'd say we need to get on the brushing bandwagon!

Twerp #3 just had to get in the last picture. He's sure that his teeth will start to fall out soon too!

Boy to Man in 3 years flat!?!!!

2008-10-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

I've heard that boys and girls are remarkably alike until just before they hit puberty. For example, when my 7-year old cries because he's frustrated, that's normal. Granted, boys will be more involved with sports and legos and other "boy stuff" but as far as emotions go, they are very similar to girls until the pre-teens.

OK. That's good. I understand that I should expect my boys to be like my girl for a while longer. I was used to that. I had it down. I can deal with the tears and frustration and whining.

But then comes "nuthin'." What did you do at school today? "Nuthin'." Where do you want to go this afternoon? "I dunno." What do you want for dinner? "(silence)." If I gave you a million dollars, would you answer my question about school? "you don't have a million dollars...so, no."

I thought that boys were supposed to talk to their moms. I thought that boys didn't turn into quiet, non-answering men until the pre-teen years. Who gave me this false impression about my boys?!? I have three more years until Twerp #3 becomes just like Twerp #1 and then I'll have three people that don't talk in the house and it'll just be Twerp #2 and I conversing at dinner. She'll tell me about her afternoon. She'll tell me about who's nice at school and who talks too much in class and who she shared her lunch with. It's not about pulling teeth with Twerp #2, it's just about getting in our conversation. Ahhhhh...the life of a girl.