Last chance For Tastefully Simple

To all you Tastefully Simple Fans just a little FYI the spring/summer line is going away Sept7th and our new Fall/winter line will be out. If you need to order anything there is a link on the bottom of my page

1st day of school

School started here last week Ulia & Ben started Kindergarten and Zack is in 2nd.

Can I suck your's?

We are trying to get Ulia to stop sucking her thumb,so tonight as I was laying beside her trying to get her to sleep she says "can I suck your thumb If I cant suck mine?" Poor thing is really trying to stop.

Alex,Zack,Ben & Ulia

Some new pictures

Check up at MUSC IA Dr

Ulia had an appointment last week to go over some things we have been working on/ dealing with.We are going to do some basic IQ testing in the next few weeks. We(Dr's included) are concerned with the fact that she really just doesn't seem to "get" some stuff,they think she has some impulse control issues which could play an issue in it also so we are going to dig a little deeper with some testing.

If anyone has any insight they would like to offer we are all ears!

ON another note we spent the last few days up in Myrtle Beach at the firefighter combat challenge.Ulia had a blast on the little race cars and all the rides,I think that stuff just feeds her sensory processing needs!
Here a few pictures of the trip Bobs is in the red helmet getting ready to compete,he does the over 40 challenge

Some cute stuff

I met a lady and her family today that sell some really cute stuff I will put a link up on the side bar soon but for now here is her online store.

www.grandmascrafts.com

Alex is home from Camp

Alex made it back from CO this AM,he had a great time with maybe a little to much down time?



"Beef" is what all Alex's school friends and Lacrosse friends call him!

Adopting from Perm

I'm happy to hear that there are more families adopting from Perm.I am so attached to Perm even thou we "lived"there only 1 month.It brings great joy to me to hear more kids are getting homes!

If you are visiting this blog and adopting from Perm please leave a comment!I love to hear about the adoptions from there.

Summer Time

Is it July 30th yet? My 3 youngest kids are in year round school so we go back on July 30th. I don't know if it is because it has been so hot lately or what but gosh they are bickering a lot!@
Alex is in Colorado with his Young Life group having a great time,he will be back on June 30th. My mom and step dad came to visit for awhile it was a great trip(probably not so much for them) they helped us remodel our playroom into another bedroom and it looks great!Thanks guys

All Fun And Games!

UNTIL SOMEONE HITS THE BASE AND ALL GOES WILD

Last day of School

Ulia completed Pre- K and is moving on! our schools are year round so they got off today and will head back July 30th. Ulia has progressed so much in the last year, her last report card her teachers just praised her on learning so much this year.We met her Kindergarten teacher the other night at the school picnic,we love her! she was Zack's K teacher and was awesome,plus we were going thru the adoption while Zack was in her class and while we were in Russia she would have the class log onto our web site and have Zack leave us a note each day!
End of year water party

Pay It Forward

If you'd like to receive a special surprise (of my choosing) from South Carolina, this is what YOU need to do: simply be one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this 'Pay It Forward' exchange. Then you must agree to do the same on YOUR blog for the first three people responding.


If you want a surprise from me and are willing to play the game on your blog, let me know! I will need your snail mail address to send you your gift - we can email each other off list for that. So remember to leave your e-mail! Thanks and have fun!

2 Years ago

Its hard to believe that 2 years ago this month we started the process of adopting.It pretty much went from a conversation one night

Me : I think we should adopt a little girl
DH : fine as long as I don't have to do any of the paper work and just have to show up in the country where our daughter comes from.
Its funny we had no idea what adoption was all about or where to even start .I called a bunch of agencies and was pretty much open to any country as long as it was a girl 18 months -3 years old. I had no idea about re-accreditation or any of the stresses I pretty much just thought it was sign some papers and there you go. I ended up getting a call back from a person from the agency we ended up choosing who was very helpful(why we decided on them) she was pretty much like ok how fast can you get us your stuff? we think we are going to have a referral for a little girl in June/July(not sure how they knew this) we got our HS and all of our paperwork done in record time it was all done and in the agencies hands by June 6th I think it was. A few weeks went by and we did get a referral (late June early July) got ready to leave and referral fell thru I still have the little girls picture on my computer .Anyway our agency found us another referral and I traveled at the end of Aug,I went by myself due to the other 3 kids and babysitting issues. I ended having to turn down that little girl in country,which was so hard without Bob there with me. The next morning Roma called the MOA and had another referral that I got to spend about 1/2 with before I had to leave for home! I said yes and here we are 2 years from the start.Our whole adoption process was 7 months start to finish!

Things move along

Ulia has been with us now for almost 16 months! in some ways it feels like she just got here but in others it feels like we have had her forever. We are working thru a few things.Ulia has been diagnosed with Sensory issues,not really a big deal but it really explains why she never stops(she seeks Sensory)so we continue with PT and OT. She does really well in school and will be moving into Kindergarten in the middle of summer(we are year round schools)with a few special services to help her out.

Some ramdom shots

Zack,Ben & Ulia after playing around on a friends farm (all the dirt on Zacks shirt) we went down to the dock and hung out


Alex has finished his School Lacrosse, but was picked to be on the All Star Team so we continue to play

A few pictures of Zack(6) & Ben(5)

Time Flies

I cant believe that today is already April 2nd, Today is Alex's 16th Birthday! It seems like just yesterday he was playing with matchbox cars and now he can drive! I am very lucky to have such a great kid, Happy Birthday Alex,we Love You!

Take II another ER visit

I think I have been to our local Hospital more times in the last 6 months then I have in my life! Ulia was outside playing today,spinning, jumping just messing around and tripped over her own feet and landed head first into her bike peddle.She managed to cut her forehead open and bust her lip.Not as bad as it looked luckily they but glue on it instead of a couple of stitches.
I'm thinking we jinxed the poor girl by giving her the middle name Grace,because she is just not very graceful..lol

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Look what we are doing with the Cadman Foundations Help

Help a Firefighter Adopt a Child

The average firefighter makes less than $35,000 a year – which makes the cost of adopting a child prohibitive. One firefighting family is trying to change that.

Bob and Kelly Pairman adopted their daughter, Ulia, from Russia in 2007. To help raise funds for their adoption, Kelly made blankets, for her husband to sell to fellow firefighters.


The Pairman's want to help other firefighting families adopt, so Kelly is continuing to make blankets.

Cadman Foundation will create a grant to help firefighting families adopt a child.We will hosting a silent auction to help raise funds.

Firefighters give sacrificially. Adoptive families love unconditionally. Buy your blanket today to help an orphan child find a loving home.

Still moving forward

Things are going pretty good with Ulia right now, she has started to settle down some and realize that she is in a family and is here to stay. I think she worries about that sometimes as she will ask if she is going to live here forever.
I met a couple online that is in Perm right now and also using Roma in Perm, its so cool to have that connection as not to many famlies adopt from Perm it seems, as it is one of the harder regions to adopt from. I know they will love Roma! and have a great first trip.


Ulia & Daddy

Taking blanket orders

I am taking orders to make some blankets again,they are toddler size and you can choose the color of fleece you would like. The blankets are $45.00 and 10% is going to the Cadman Foundation ( Who we got a grant from for our adoption)

1st Christmas

Ulia's first Christmas with us was great! She had the best time opening gifts with the boys and playing all day long.Her best gift was a bike from Santa,we cant get her off of it now.

one year ago this was our post!

One year ago & now




"We are now the parents of a daughter! Court went well, it was about 1 1/2 hours long and most of that time is spent translating things.We did not get the 10 day waiting period waived,so we will get custody of Juliana on Dec 25th, what a great Christmas "

Its so hard to believe that one year ago we were in Russia! Ulia is such a different child then she was 1 year ago!

A few more shots

Trying to get just one good picture

Ok, It is so hard to get 4 kids to all look happy in a picture!

Parade pictures

Ben and Ulia had a great time on the baby tiller, and Zack was in the float with the Cub Scouts

First time with Santa

We went to the Fire Dept breakfast with Santa this Am.Ulia had no problem telling Santa what she wanted! A bike, a cell phone,clothes, and shoes!We then went to the Christmas parade which she thought was the best thing since..Halloween with all that candy.

First ER visit

Well Ulia had her first ER visit the other day! she was playing around with Ben and they were being silly and she slipped and cracked the back of her head on the fireplace.The Er Dr. put in 4 staples and sent us on our way. Ulia is doing fine, she cried while they did it then stopped and wanted my cell phone! The girl is obsessed with the cell phone!
IN just a few days it will be one year that Bob and I left to meet Ulia! We left the States on Dec 5th and returned home Dec 31st, a month in Russia seems like so long ago.

riding the scooter

Almost a year!

We have had our visit from our social worker for our one year post palcement report,it is so hard to believe that Ulia has been her almost a year. The other day she decided it was time for a haircut and gave herself one, it was not to pretty! so now she has some supper short bangs and we had to take the back up some.So much for the 1 year home pictures.

Update

Ulia has been home with us now for 9 months! its hard to believe she has been here such a short time and has for the most part become Americanized. Ulia speaks great,is super smart and a little spitfire.She has her own mind that is for sure and is not at all afraid to voice her thoughts. She is loving Pre-K and doing great.She and Ben are best friends until one is mad at the other then we here "you are not my bestest friend Ben"! and she walks away its very funny. She has had some good old American Botox! no not on her lips but in her calf and thigh to help stretch her muscle.It seems to be working well and helping her walk a bit less on her toes.