Getting Glasses`

HOW CUTE

GO BELLA GO

Bella went to the pediatric eye doctor on Tuesday and we found out that she does need glasses, so we made a trip to Costco and picked out a nice pair of blue frames for her and they will be ready to pick up in a week and a half. We will have to keep putting her dollar store glasses on her so she will hopefully get used to wearing them , we will also order her a pair made espically for children with ds. Bella also had her ot today and she was more than happy to show Dixie how well she can walk with her walker. We are all so proud of our princess and how great she is doing after only being with us for a short three months.

Three months today~

Bella then~~

Bella now~~

~Look at her go~`

Three months ago today we were running from one plane to catch the next . To get over the big pond and get back to the USA with our newest daughter Bella/Magdalena. Bella was well behaved on all the plane rides.She did have a belly ache on the long flight. Do you realize how small the bathrooms are on the planes.Well i tried to change Bella's diaper on the plane , that was pretty challanaging to say the least. But we got it done.Bella did great for her first plane ride, she did better than mom.
Bella has came a long way in just three months. She is very out going now, and loves to be right in the middle of all of us. Bella has learned so much and we can't wait to see her learn so much more. Bella is getting more muscle in her legs and she is really working hard to learn to walk with her walker. She is so cute she will go to her walker and start walking on her own with it.She is working on feeding herself with a spoon and to use her tippy cup. She is not so sure about feeding herself.She would rather we feed her. Bella has gained 5lbs already and really starting to fill out. We our so happy with everything she can do .. She truly is a little miracle ~we love her so much and are so thankful that we got to be her forever family.

FINALLY FRIDAY

Bella has made great progress this week, some good things and some not so good. She will now go to her walker and stand up and walk all by herself, she will go back and forth across the living room as long as she has someone behind her, we don't have to hold her so its just a security thing. She has also learned how to escape from the playpen thanks to her big sister Maggie and our grand daughter Jenna teaching her how to climb in and out over the top.Bella loves to look out the windows and when Mom moved furniture around she put her plants in the window so they could get some sun, well Bella didn't think to much of this and she kept trying to move or dump the plants. It is so fun to have her personality coming out more and more each day and her giggle just melts our hearts. The other kids really enjoy teaching her new things and she is a very quick learner espically when it comes to things we don't want her to learn.We didn't have occupational therapy this week because her therapist was sick on Wednesday and Bella was sick on Friday (ear infection) . Hopefully we have an uneventful weekend.

~Your Adoption~

On the day you were adopted
you were placed in our lives
and born into our hearts
in a very special way.

We prayed for you,
we dreamed of you,
we prepared for you,
we waited for you.


And when we finally held you
for the very first time
it felt like you'd
belonged to us
FOREVER.

by Kimberly Rinehart



This sweet peom was given to us by our very special friends next door. Thank you Stacy, Gretchen & Rachel
It means so much to us. This is how we felt when we held Bella that very first time..

~We have a new look~

Yes, We have a new look. We heard there was some privacy issues with having the childrens pictures on our blogs that are up for adoption and waiting for their forever families to come and get them. So not to cause any problems we took all the waiting children buttons off our blog. We sure don't want to put any families or the children in jeopardy . So for now we will just pray that all goes smooth for all the families and waiting children , and that the children will be home soon.

Now for sweet Bella ~She is learning new things very fast. Dixie brought her walker on friday last week and Bella didn't want to have anything to do with it. Now today she was walking with it. Yes , we were right behind her so she didn't fall. But she did very well. We are trying to build muscles in her legs, so she can walk longer and better. Next ~Bella is trying to hold her cup and spoon. Daddy has been working hard at getting Bella to hold her cup and spoon. Next will be to get her to feed herself. Not sure how long that will be.We are hoping very soon.

All is well with all the other children. They are all getting big and trying to help a lot with Bella.
They each like to spend time teaching Bella new things.

Please help Trisha's Family bring V home soon~

Please help V
V (also known as Alexis) is a very kind-hearted girl in an orphanage in Russia. She is 10 years old. She is known for being very obedient, smart, and always helping or standing up for the younger children in her home.For awhile, Alexis had 2 best friends(more of a sister type relationship) to live with. Over the last 2 years, those 2 friends have found their forever family and been adopted. After the first friend left, V began sneaking over to the 2nd friend's bed to sleep together each night. To avoid getting into trouble, this was done after the caretaker left the room The day the 2nd friend left, V cried on the shoulder of the new adoptive mother and begged her to, "take me too, please take me too". Over the last year, she has pretty much given up hope on getting a family. Her one big disadvantage to being adopted is that she is older. Being special needs, whether physical or mental, puts you at a disadvantage. If you are older, that is another strike against you.V is getting ready to enter a new phase in her life. She has gotten to the age where they will transfer her soon to the institution. Once you enter the institution, you will never get the opportunity to be adopted again. Here is a statistic: 90% of the children that are put in the institution die within the first year. It is not a place any of us would want to be.There is a very kind, generous family in New Mexico willing to adopt V. They happen to be the proud parents of one of her best friends from the orphanage (Katie Aunna). Over the years they have adopted several children. Some are grown and living on their own. They have been blessed with children from the U.S., Ukraine, Russia, and Serbia. They so desire to bring V home forever. They are willing to make all the sacrifices required for adoption and raising a special needs child and have lots of experience in this area. With Russia there are many grueling requirements. Tons of paperwork, expenses, and 2 trips of being away from your family . Lots of unexpected problems and delays along the way. Duane and Trisha Gartner (www.journey2rfamily.blogspot.com)are able to come up with most of the required money to bring V home. They just need help raising $5000. Any amount can help, and it is tax-deductible. If you are able to spare any extra, please consider helping V. This little girl has really touched my heart, and I so want her to be with her family.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!

Mommy and Bella playing in the pool. Mommy kept putting Bella back in the shallow end and Bella kept heading for the deeper water. She had lots of fun today in the pool with all of the family.

Amber and David with Aubrey and Natalie swimming in the pool with all of us. The little girls had a blast in the water .

McKenzie taking her swimming lessons. This was Kenzies second swimming class and she really likes it . We hope to have each one of the kiddos take swimming lessons soon.

Deztany , Megan,Andrew and Magda~Bella waiting to be able to get in the pool. But mom made them stop for a picture first.They were in a hurry to go swimming. Bella wasn't happy to have to wait to get in the pool.She would stay in the pool all day if we would stay in there with her.

Happy Valentines Day everybody!!!

We had an awesome Family day today.We first took McKenzie to her swimming lessons. McKenzie and our grandson Camren are taking swimming lessons at the same time. So we all went to watch today and when they were all done we took all the kiddos swimming . Dad ~Gary~ chickened out and sat on the side to take pictures of all of us in the water having lots of fun.All the kiddos love the water, even baby AUBREY. Magda`Bella also loves the water but likes to put her face in it . She got mom all wet splashing and she kept going out deeper in the water. Bella is doing so awesome and she fits in so perfect with all of our family. They all just love her soooo much. We also love our Bella sooo very much . Daddy calls Bella our little Serb/American. Daddy says our little Serb loves water and to play all the time. We have a lot of time to play and have fun.

We spent the day with our older daughter ,our son in-law David and there three kiddos ~our grandchildren. My mom~ grandma Weezy and our grandson Xzavier came swimming with us also. It was so much fun for all of us,mostly the children ..

When we got done swimming we all went out to our cars at the same time. On all of our cars there was two long stem roses on the windsheild. Everybody thought Gary put them there , because he had went out side to get the stroller and was the only one to go outside when we were at the pool. But i new it wasn't Gary. I used to tease him because the only time i got flowers was when he delivered flowers from the mortuary to the cemetary. Then i would get flowers.

It was our older son Jake ~ he knew we were at the pool so he went and got roses and gave two to each of us . His sister , me his mom and his grandma also. We were so happy that was very awesome of him. He is sooo thoughtful and truly is so loveable and sweet. Thank you so much Jakey Joe for the roses ..

Yes we are still here~

Our grandaughter~ Natalie~ riding the pony..She loves horses..
Magda~Bella sleeping sitting up in her play pen.Isn't she so cute.She is always so cute!!
But i think she has hit the trouble twos or would that be fives. Bella is into everything now. She is pulling over my plants and plays in the dirt. She has taken a bite out of most of us and loves to pinch anybody. Yes, she can be very lovable also, but when she wants to be nasty she is.
It's like she is in the terrible twos and loving it. She will turn around and look at us and laugh. Oh that is good for a time out ,on the time out bench for a short few minutes. Bella doesn't like to have to sit in time out. But Mom makes her. Bella is doing very well showing us who is the boss..

Deztany teaching Bella how to play the piano and Bella loves it. She can sit and play her piano for a long time. She loves the lights and music. Deztany loved teaching Bella to do this. So she is helping with all she can to get Bella to do new things. Thanks Deztany..
This is double and trouble~~ Megan our daughter and Jenna our grandaughter. These two love to hang out as much as possible. They are a pair and love each other so much.. Yes, they both are drinking diet mountain dew.. That is Mom's favorite pop. So they think they can drink it all..

I know we have not posted in a few days. We have been very busy . Trying to do spring cleaning and go threw all the childrens clothes to see what still fits or not. Then to donate all that doesn't fit. So with three floors of toys and childrens things i have alot to clean.
Bella's thyroid blod work came back and it looks much better now that she is on some meds. Bella is doing well in O.T. and Dixie brought a walker for Bella to start to use. So as soon as she is standing with it i will get some pictures.
Also thank you to Aunties Linda and Maddy for all the clothes they sent for all of the kiddos . The kiddos loved getting all the clothes. So a Big thank you to you both!!!!!!!

Have passport will travel..

~Mom~ aka, Nana~with two of our children, Megan & Jake. The other six are our grandchildren. They all love to play at Nana's and Papa's house with all our little children.They all have such a good time . Camren,Xzavier,Aubrey, Me the Mom & Nana~Evan, Natalie, Megan, Jenna and her Daddy Jake.

In this picture is Camren, Deztany, Xzavier, Andrew, Evan,Natalie, Megan.

Then our son-in-law David with his daughter Aubrey , Jenna with her Daddy Jake.

We were missing one of our grandchildren Adien .We will try again to get all of them together at one time. We have a house full of toys and all the children love to come see Nana & Papa and play with the kiddos and toys. It is so much fun to have them all here and very busy. But we love it like that...

Bella working with Dixie her O.T .Therapist.She really likes to work with Dixie, for a short time. Then she is ready to go play with her books.

Bella has dual passports now, she is ready to travel. Not sure if she would sit so well now on a plane. She moves around all the time now. But we would like to take her back some day to see her old buddies and her first family. She really likes to look at photos of Natalia and Elena, from her first home.

~Fun in the snow

Dad went to the dollar store and got Bella some glasses. She is always pulling ours off our faces. Well she liked the glasses for a few minutes, then she takes them off.We think she looks like a computer wiz. What do you think??

The kiddos had lots of fun today playing in the snow.. It is 48 degrees here in Beautiful Montana~ above zero. It is like spring, so we all went out to play. Bella loved her first time playing in the snow and riding in the sled. Bella would laugh when riding in the sleigh.

Well i am over due for up dates on Bella's medical stuff. Her heart and kidneys are good. She is doing really good so far with O.T. She has been pretty busy ~ today she had more blood work done . So we will get the results of that in a couple days. All in all Bella has fit into our family just great. We are so so happy to have her home with all of us. She is lots of fun and full of spunk. Fits in great with all of us. We all have lots of spunk. So she was made for our family and feels like she has been here forever~great fit ~ Yes, can you tell we love her so much..