Christmas for a week!!!!!!

This past week has been crazy--But AWESOME! The kids and I got to go to Michigan for the first Christmas EVER that the kids have had with the family and my first in 4 years! It was so nice to be home, see snow (although I am not a fan of it!), and to finally introduce my babies to the family traditions that I've known for most of my life! What a gift!

The trip home was interesting! On the first flight, the kids got to go sit in the cockpit of the plane! They loved it! The pilots gave them wings and even let them touch buttons! Jaryse thought that was REALLY fun!

They travelled so well! They are such troopers! We had 3 flights scheduled for our trip to Michigan, 2 layovers! We first flew from LA to Denver, and everything was nice and smooth! The trip from Denver to Chicago was also easy, until we landed in Chicago. When we de-boarded, we were told that our flight to Lansing was CANCELLED! UGH! They told me that they cold put us on stand-by for the rest of the evening and all of the next day! OH my gosh, hanging out in the airport for 2 days---don't think so! My dad, the gem that he is, jumped in the car and drove 4 hours to come to pick us up! We hung in the airport for the 3.5 hours it took for him and my step-mom to get there! Again, the kids were AWESOME! We ate dinner, had some ice cream and then I took them down to the baggage claim area and just let them run around. They were so good. At one point, they were playing around and being silly, and Ecrissa was running away from me and Jaryse, and she ran right into the MENS bathroom! It was sorta funny, but I was a bit nervous as I had to go into the MENS bathroom to go get her!!!!!!! Always keeping me on my toes!



We finally made it to my Dad's house at 5:30 in the morning! We were all very tired! The next day I felt like I was sleep walking! We visited my Grandma and my Mom for a while and then returned to my Dad's house to decorate Christmas cookies with all of the cousins! So Fun!

The next night was the traditional Christmas Eve gathering at my grandma and grandpa's place! This night has been my childhood favorite night of the entire year! I have so many good memories of Christmas Eve and I have dreamt for years of sharing this with my children! It was almost surreal that it finally happened!

The kids got so many gifts from so many different people! We were all so blessed with so many gifts, so much love and a ton of attention!

Then, my Dad, step-mom, Aunt Ginger, Grandma, Grandpa, myself and my two kids all went to the movies! This was the kids' first experience with the movie theatre! They thought it was pretty awesome!

This outfit was one that Grandpa and Grandma Sessions got for Jaryse! Isn't he Handsome?!!!!

The kids also got to play in the snow a TON! They went snowmobiling (around the house) with Grandma and Grandpa Packer!

Sledding with Grandpa Sessions

And they learned out to shovel a driveway as well!!!!!!

Overall, this was such a wonderful, crazy, and exhausting week! I am so blessed by my family!

Our trip home was smooth sailing! The kids were awesome and we made all our flights and we landed in LA early! I had awesome friends that picked us up and fed us dinner! Wow! Life is so good!

Silly Kids!!!!

The week is finally over!!!! Oh, bummer, and so is the weekend now!!!!! The kids finished school on Friday for the year! We are looking forward to 3 weeks with no homework!!! Well, I am at least looking forward to that!!! On Thursday, the school put on a Christmas program and the kids did so well. It was fun to watch all of the classes use spoken language and ASL (interpreters were used as needed!) I loved watching both of my little ones show how much they've learned!

Jaryse (the little one with the white shirt on the very far right in the front row!) was super cute! This is a hearing class, and so they sung a song about snow flakes and they used Sign Language too. Half way through the song, Jaryse stopped doing the ASL signs and looked over at me and gave me the "I love you" sign! It was so cute and so heartwarming!

Ecrissa did a great job as a reindeer in a skit about snowmen! She was too cute, as she walked up onto the stage and waved at the entire crowd! She quickly remembered why she was up there and went through her designated motions well!

Momma is looking forward to a week off, after of course, a shift tomorrow at the hospital, packing and flying to Michigan! We are all looking forward to spending time with the family in Michigan as we celebrate Jesus' birthday!

I think Ecrissa would like to develop a way to drive with her feet so that she can drive and sign at the same time!!!!!

Wishing you all a Merry Merry Christmas

9 months home!

Yesterday we celebrated 9 months home from Haiti. How did we do this you may ask????? By not even getting out of our jammies!!!!! The kids and I had a day at home just hanging out! We watched movies, painted some arts and crafts, read books, colored, I cleaned a little bit, we ate snacks, and just played! We also looked at pictures of the kids from when they were little babies! I am still amazed at their journey so far and how little they once were! They enjoy seeing themselves and hopefully as we do this every now and then it'll leave a nice open and safe place for them to talk about adoption and ask any questions they may have. I'm so blessed to be chosen to be their mommy and to be allowed to be a part of their lives. Needless to say, yesterday was wonderful. IT WAS AWESOME! I am so thankful for all that the Lord has blessed me with and continues to bless me every day!

My tough guy!

So, please forgive the no sound, old school video...but here is a bit of my man punching the punching bag today! Unfortunately, my camera is very old, takes not so great pics, and has no sound on the video, but at least something is better than nothing right now!!!! Jaryse had fun punching this thing for over 25 minutes! His little giggles were just priceless!!!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas......

And we are loving it!!!!! Granted, there is no snow here in Los Angeles, but our house is decorated, the kids are wearing their santa hats, stores everywhere have things up, houses are lit up with lights, radio stations are playing Christmas music, and this little family is just so excited to spend Christmas in MI with the family!!!!!! Every day I am thankful for every minute I get with my children! They amaze me! I love love love watching their eyes gleam with all the newness of the States and with all that they are learning and experiencing! I'm so blessed by them!

There's really nothing interesting to report, just weeks full of school, homework, family time, gymnastics time, ballet time, house cleaning, bike rides, park, hangin' out with friends and somewhere in there we all sleep! Both kids are doing well in school. Jaryse is having issues with runny noses and coughing, they come and go and come and go! There is no other real symptom, just a little cough. Dr. Ed told me that they'd get sick because they hadn't been exposed to the things here in the States. I was prepared. But, they didn't seem to be getting sick, up until just the last month. Jaryse actually had his first ever ear infection a few weeks ago. It was quite painful, but he was such a trooper. He had some drainage out of his ear for a couple days, and then the first morning that there wasn't he got out of bed and came up to me and told me "Momma, my ear didn't drool last night!" It was too cute!! He healed up nicely from his ear infection and seems to be on the mend from his latest cold.

Ecrissa is doing well. She didn't get the ear infection and hasn't really even gotten a cold! She's a strong kid that little Miss E!!!! She is learning so much and is really beginning to interact and tell stories in ASL and is able to more and more interact with the world around her! It's so fun. Of course, along with that comes a bit of testing! Throughout our time together, with each major growth spurt and milestone, Ecrissa tests her limits and boundaries! She can be a hand full. She is sorta in another testing phase right now. I think because her language has exploded and she has learned so much about herself, the world around her and how to communicate, she has decided to just see exactly what that all means for her boundaries! It's hard on me, but I try to remember, that these really are positive steps for her as she learns and grows. And, as long as I stay strong and loving, it is good for her and I as well. She learns through each one of her phases that Momma is strong and consistent and loves her no matter what! This is really what she wants and what she desperately needs. To know that I love her enough to maintain appropriate boundaries consistently! She is a happy and fun loving little girl that is such a joy to me.....even during hard times!!!! :) Watching her grow and learn through these times of testing is really quite amazing. Sometimes distressing, but always amazing!

I am loving my life. I'm fully exhausted by the end of each and every day, but I wouldn't change my life for the World! Thank you Jesus for blessing me with this life. The ups, the downs, the laughter, the tears, and all the positives and the negatives. It is such a wonderful life!

Um...no time to think of a title...

I'm super tired!!! LOL!!! We have been so busy....doing what......well.....basically when we are not in school, working, or at a doctors appointment, or ballet or gymnastics, or church, or doing homework we are hanging out!!! I have tried to make our "family time" more family and less computer!!! So, when the kids are watching a movie, so is Mommy. Mommy is not updating status on facebook, or updating the blog, or whatever, the computer is down and Mommy is hanging with the kids and all three hang out! That's been good for the three of us, but bad for keeping up with emails, blogs, pictures, etc!!!

We had a very restful Thanksgiving! We did NOTHING!!!! I know, sorta un-American to not eat a turkey dinner, but, that's just fine by me! Jaryse wanted donuts, so we walked to the donut shop together and all got donuts for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, then took a bike ride to the park in the afternoon. It was wonderful! We laid around on the couch, read books, colored, and did a little cleaning up. It was a wonderful weekend of NOTHING! Exactly what the three of us needed!

Life here is moving forward and we are looking forward to going back to MI for Christmas! We put up our Christmas tree the week before Thanksgiving and have been very happy to plug it in every night. The kids love it and I am enjoying every one of their smiles as they enjoy the Christmas decorations.

Well, just a short post to update you a bit. Hopefully, I'll get some pics soon, but I won't apologize this time, as the time spent with my munchkins has been well worth it!!!! I'm one lucky Momma and so grateful for all that I've been blessed with!