My BIGEST Blessings...

I just look at these two amazing kids and I just don't know how I got so blessed. If you met Cole today he is literally a completely different kid. HE is Mobil!!!!! Not crawling but he hops on his behind all over the place it's crazy!!! He loves books and is starting to really explore toys!!!
Rorie... well what can I say she has always been an amazing little girl but to see how smart she is and just how big she has grown is GREAT!!!!!!
Cole went for an ABR, that's when they put you under and put wires on your head, then they send different sound frequencies to the brain to see how well you are really hearing things, all went well Cole can hear he just needs to learn how to respond!!! Not as easy as it sounds!!!

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day... a year ago on Thanksgiving day Fred and I found out that our paperwork was submitted in Ukraine. This was Great because we had to redo one last form last min, drive it to Madison to get a stupid stamp and signature then drive back to Madison to pick it up and then immediately get that form in the mail overnight to Ukraine to be submitted before the Ukraine Government closed for the season. By the time they would have reopened all of our paperwork would have been out dated and we would have had to start over. When I got the email we fell to our knees Thanking and Praising GOD... this year I got to hold those kids I worked so hard for in my arms!!!! Thank You Lord!!!!

Rorie LOVED all the FOOD... she literally ate all day!!!!!

Fred and I took the kids to Sesame Street Live on Sunday and we got to go early for the meet and greet!!! I thought Rorie was going to freak out but she didn't she loved it until Fred put her on Bert's lap, then she wasn't so sure. Cole LOVED Ernie's HUGE orange hands.. Cole is a "hand" man!!!! Both kids had an absolute BLAST... so did Mommy & Daddy!!!!


Rorie Loved Bert & Ernie!!!!




Look at Cole LOVIN up Ernie's big orange hand!!!










I have never seen him so focused...



I think Daddy had just as much fun if not MORE!!!














Sensory OVERLOAD!!!!!! He passed out right before intermission :(

Lots of Stuff Done!!!

Rorie has a healthy Heart and there are no concerns about Cole's so that is GREAT news!!!! Rorie's ears are good to go and we are still working on finding out what is going on with Cole's ears. I know he can hear but "how well" is the question. His appointment is November 11th. There is a tiny concern with his breathing but right know we are working ears and eyes. Tomorrow is our eye appointment for both kids. I think that is the update on their health.
Fred and I have been praying about finding a bigger house somehow we have out grown the house we had... LOL! We have been working on fixing things up and my hope was to have the house on the market but November 1st but it looks like Fred was right we may not have it ready until late winter early spring. Please keep us in prayer with that situation!!!
On to some fun stuff we went on a Family fun trip to a farm last weekend and we all had such a blast! Family is prolly the BIGGEST blessing God has given me!!!!! Enjoy the Pics!!!!!


Rorie is such a big helper when it comes to her little Brother!!!




She is such a Daddy's girl & he wouldn't have it any other way!!!




Cole LOVED the grass & the leaves so the only pic I could get was up close and personal!!!




Cousins sitting in the pumpkin patch, Rorie loved it can't you tell!!!




Again Cole LOVED the grass so much; but is she a ray of sunshine or what???














You can just see this guy is a stinker... Mac had his Daddy running ALL DAy!!!! I bet he slept good!!! (Mac and Daddy)




Now that is a Super Mom if I ever saw one!!!




Lilly makes a beautiful Sunflower!!!




Have you ever seen a flower wave at you??? You have now!!!

HAs it been that LONG???????

I can't believe how long it has been since I updated, there is sooo much to tell!!!!

School has started and it was a little rocky at first prolly more for Fred and I than the kids. Rorie had a little bit of a shakie time when it was time for us to leave but now she is doing GREAT with saying Good-Bye and knowing that we will be back to get her. I LOVE her teacher and I think I have even made a "Mom Friend". For those of you that know I was very nervous that about meeting other Moms & Dads, in many cases parents already know each other because their children attended birth to 3 programs together and I didn't have that opportunity so I felt a little left out but I think things are going well!!! Rorie is started to say some simple words... "Please", "More", "All Done"... things like that!!! She is also doing GREAT with her other therapies!


Cole is now receiving ALL his therapy at Penfeild Children's Center and I couldn't be happier. I got to meet all the "Ladies in his life" and I really think he is just going to continue to blossom!!! WE are having a hard time with food textures still but little by little he is accepting more and more! We have set some simple goals and I feel like he is making progress!!! He is not crawling yet but he will bare weight which is step one so its good. He is MUCH more vocal about things he wants and he actually wants to explore new toys and new environments!!! I think he is my wallflower, humane contact is still very new and he seems to me to have a "trust" issue. With new people he would rather turn away than give them attention which is the opposite of Rorie. But he make my heart melt and I KNOW he knows me and trusts me and right know that is all that matters!!!!!


AWANA started 4weeks ago already I can't believe, time really does fly! For the most part it has been going well, it's hard without Fred there!!! Rorie really seems to LOVE being a PUGGLE and when we had "Mis-MAtched" Night she won for her class... Cole would have won if he counted but they both looked good!


I'm sure there is a lot I am missing but that is it for now I will leave you with some new pics!!! ENJOY!!!!




- Rorie was modeling for her first day of school!




- I had to take all the stuff out of her bag because it was too heavy for her!





- Look at that happy face she had no idea that in less than an hour her Daddy's eyes would be "Sweating"!!!






-We went apple picking as a family and Rorie LOVED helping push her sleeping brother!



- She is TRULY a Daddy's Girl!!!




- Can you believe he slept almost the whole trip, all that bumping around and he slept soundly!!




- The Karol Family Hay Ride






- Rorie at AWANA in he "Award winning Mis-Matched Outfit", she is hugging her new pal Austin!!!





- See Cole totally would have won... Isn't it funny that they were make the same face at the same time, I thought it was GREAT!!!!




- Rorie and Cole LOVE fish... Rorie in the ball pool on AWANA Kickoff night!!!

Family Fun!!!

Saturday was our 2nd Annual Kickball Tournament... Thank You to everyone that was able to come out it was a GREAT time!!! Next year we will be donating the money we raise to "Waiting Children on RR"!!!


We had a kids party for Cole last week it was "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" themed and it went well other than the fact that Cole slept through the WHOLE thing!




~My Little Pirate



~Watermelon Ship and Cannon Balls



~Alligator Sandwiches







~Buried Treasure Cupcakes



~Rorie enjoyed IT!!!




~My Little Captain HOOK!



~All those kids and no one knocked down the ship so we had to "blind fold" Daddy









Today was the last Fred and I had with the kids before school and program kicks off and I become a part-time bus driver... LOL! so we decided to head downtown to Discovery World and did we have a blast! Cole LOVED the aquarium, he just laughed and clapped his hands at all the fish and they have a water room there with a wall that just has tons of bubbles and both kids just loved it. I'm so happy that Fred and I can provide these experiences for the kids to learn and enjoy!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLE!!!!!

A week in a Penfield and I couldn't be happier! He has goals and lots of therapy time!!!! Today is our BIG GUY'S Birthday, he is 2 and they had a birthday party for him how sweet!!! I have seen this kid grow so much without much care I can't wait to see him with all the care he can handle!!!!

Great Updates!!!

Number 1: August 17th was 5mths home can you believe it!!!!


*From a little girl that never went beyond the orphange walls to a little gril living a normal life with a famil that loves her! She is walking around like a champ and using her signs and a few words! She starts school this September and I can only image what she will be like in the next 5 mths!






















*From a little boy that almost never smiled or interacted with us or toys, from a little boy didn't even know he had legs to... a little boy that is ALWAYS happy, LOVES toys and is soooo strong with just a little help he can stand! Where will he be in another 5mths?




















Number 2: Cole got his first hair cut at a barber...














I will post a pick of Cole and Daddy later; if you thought they looked alike before... OH MAN they are truly Father and Son! His cut makes him look so old!



Number 3: Cole has finally started at Penfeild and I only cried a little! I almost made it but when I set him down by some toys the lady asked is it hard to leave and then tears came a flowing!!! But I am REALLY happy!