THE KURTZ FAMILY........OUR ADOPTION JOURNEY

THE KURTZ'S HAVE A NEW BLOG

2011-05-09T20:12:00.002-06:00

So my family is very musical.....so they are now going to pursue some of their dreams.....we will see where the road takes them. I am so excited for the Kurtz boys....it's a new journey with new possibilities. Here is the link to the blog...remember we are just starting ....http://jesse-kurtz.blogspot.com/

Blessings
Debbie

BEST CHRISTMAS EVER

2011-01-10T15:43:00.007-07:00

Our Family on Christmas Day 2010.

Maya 10 yrs, Denaye 7 Yrs and Sam 10 yrs

I know it's been forever since I posted......

This was one of the best Christmas's ever.....We are blessed!!

JESSE KURTZ.......

2010-05-03T09:03:00.001-06:00

This is a video of Jesse singing....I think he has a ton of talent.....

http://www.youtube.ca/watch?v=to98VqhOIrM

TOO FAR BEHIND TO CATCH UP......

2010-05-03T08:41:00.002-06:00

I am way too far behind to try and catch up....so I am not even going to try. Let's just say it has been busy, stuff has happened and were all good. I am not even sure if there are any readers left. I will continue to post though because this is a great way to document our life.....sort of like a journal. I have to sort through some pictures and once I do I will post some. The girls are really happy that spring has sort of arrived. Maya can't stand wearing rubber boots and gives me tears everytime.....life is tough. Our dog Bentley continues to poop and pee in our house when no one is paying attention....why did I get a dog......oh yeah....the kids. Denaye has started hitting to try and get her way and Sam can't seem to survive without a playmate every second of every day.....

Kyle sang at his school in a talent show...I will post the link for that later ...he is awesome.

Jesse made a you-tube video that is awesome as well. Taylor our oldest son moved out in March...so things have changed a litle bit. Life is good...busy but good. We continue to move forward......

We also just found out that the School trustees voted to close the school that the kids go to. They are in a special program called Logos. It is a christian program within the public system. The school that it was in was located in an area where the population of young families has declined dramatically. The new schools that are being built in the newer areas are all K-9...so this is the goal over the next few years is to close under populated schools and merge them together. They have relocated the Logos program to a school only 2 blocks away. It is being changed to a K-9 school starting in September 2010. The kids are disappointed, but what can you do....so they are all starting in a new school next year...new friends, new teachers etc. I welcome the change...I know the principal personally and he is a fantastic leader and all though it will mean a lot busier school I think it will be good.

Well that's it for now...it's a start anyway.

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME....

2010-02-17T10:47:00.001-07:00

I know it's been a long time...A lot has happened and will post about it when I get a chance. I have just been so busy getting my E-Bay store set up. It's all done now...so I will continue with this in a few days.
Cheers
Debbie

MY E-BAY STORE

2010-01-06T20:20:00.002-07:00

Well christmas is over and we are now in the year 2010...hard to believe it has been 10 years since the media reported the world was going to end....

Anyway I have now opened my E-Bay store back up and am in the process of restocking it for spring and summer. If you are interested take a look and also tell your friends. Here is the link http://stores.shop.ebay.ca/Angel-Raynes-Boutique__W0QQ_armrsZ1 It will probably take me all month to get everything listed so check back often.

Blessings
Debbie

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-01-01T14:23:00.005-07:00

Well another year has come and gone. We welcomed in the New Year with some good friends and their family.....we ate too much, laughed a lot, played a few games

and then before we knew it it was midnight...we had missed it. So we all had our own countdown and rang in the New Year at about 12:05...it's all good!! It still happened. Sam fell asleep in the middle of the floor at about 11:50...so he totally missed it. Denaye was barely awake, but Maya was going strong. Anyway so now it's time to look forward .....a new decade has begun....hard to believe. We are looking forward to a new year and all of it's possibilities.....we wish all of our friends and family a very Happy New Year and may all of your dreams come true.

Blessings

Debbie and gang!!

BENTLEY......THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER

2009-12-30T11:20:00.002-07:00

MEET BENTLEY

2009-12-27T14:46:00.005-07:00

This is Bentley. He joined our family on December 24th.....it was pure excitement around our house when Rod showed up in the morning with a puppy . Rod and I have always said we would never own a dog.....well that all came crashing down...it's a long story, but let's just say there was a lot of guilt that led to us caving. I have to admit he is a cute puppy and loves to cuddle. I haven't had much sleep since he joined our family, but everyone says it will get better....they said that about kids too!! Our kids all said that this was the best Christmas present they ever got....well worth the smiles and joy it has brought....even though Bentley has totally disrupted our house!!!

O HOLY NIGHT

2009-12-24T08:01:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas from all of us........

DENAYE'S 6TH BIRTHDAY

2009-12-16T20:27:00.004-07:00

Princess Ariel

Denaye turned 6 on December 10th. She had her first "real" birthday party last weekend.....complete with loot bags and friends. She invited 4 of her friends from school along with her grown-up friend Debbie. Debbie has been a friend of ours for awhile now and it just so happens that she is the teacher's aide in Denaye's kindergarten class. All of the girls thought it was a special treat that she showed up at Denay'e birthday party. Denaye chose to have a princess party so all of the girls showed up in thier best princess costume. As the princess's arrived, Denaye invited them into the royal ballroom to await the festivities. Denaye had the time of her life....she was so glad to finally have a birthday party that involved more then just family. The princesses made the most beautiful crowns and snacked on chicken nugget supreme and succulent carrot sticks. They toasted one another with sparkling cream soda and sparkling Grape juice. The day ended with the most lavish dessert ever....royal velvet cupcakes with sprinkles. The event was the talk of the town for days....truley one of the most lavish events ever.

Happy birthday Denaye.

SNOWFLAKE GALA

2009-12-08T08:37:00.008-07:00

Our family was invited to the annual Stollery children's Hospital foundation Snowflake Gala. It is a black-tie event and it is one of their biggest fund-raisers of the year. Everyone was so excited to be able to dress up and enjoy an evening out. They transform the Shaw Conference centre into a beautiful winter wonderland...complete with ballerinas and the nutcracker. As you enter the hall you are walking through a forest with trees covered in lights....it is so magical. They have a kids area complete with crafts, magic show, video games, air hockey the list goes on.......they even have there own bar area where they can order blue raspberry drinks......they loved it!! It was a fun evening and the food was incredible. Dessert for the kids was Dairy-queen ice cream. It was so nice to spend the evening with my entire family...they all looked so handsome in their tuxes and beautiful dresses. Denaye asked me this morning if it was on again tonight....she wants to go again. The Snowflake Gala is for a great cause.....Sam benefitted from the Stollery when he was born so this is a cause that we support. The evening came to an end and everyone was very tired.....we had a wonderful time....thanks Stollery for all you do.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

2009-12-05T10:08:00.004-07:00

MAYA TURNED 9

2009-12-01T18:09:00.005-07:00

Maya got braids put in....all her own hair...no extentions this time!!!

Maya turned nine last week....for those of you paying attention we have skipped a few birthdays.......that's another post for another day. Maya had a Hanna Montana birthday......again. She invited 7 of her closest friends over and the girls had a great time playing together. These girl birthdays are a new thing for me and I am still getting used to it. The girls did a craft and they made the most elegant wands I have ever seen...complete with glitter glue, sparkles and sequins.....fabulous. Maya loves her friends and she was so grateful that they came to celebrate with her. The day was huge success....Happy birthday Maya!!!

HE'LL SLEEP ANYWHERE AND ANY POSITION....

2009-11-22T16:39:00.003-07:00

I tell people all of the time that Sam is the kind of kid that will fall asleep just about anywhere at anytime. He plays hard all day long....can't sit still for any length of time....so when he's tired, he's done. He sleeps just as hard as he plays and here is the proof. I have no idea how long he was asleep.......... He just simply got tired and that was it...he went to sleep....his day was done!!!!

TAYLOR TURNS 22

2009-11-10T10:39:00.003-07:00

It was Taylor's birthday last weekend and he turned 22 years old. It hardly seems possible that that many years have passed already. My sister and her family joined us as well as my mom. Taylor has not been feeling well ever since he had H1N1 so he watched us eat and blew out his candles all for our sake. What a trooper!! Taylor suffers from Crohn's disease and we think when he was sick that it has triggered some other things to go wrong. He has been in and out of the emergency for the past week.....it has been a long week. He is actually at the hospital right now with his dad waiting for test results. We think it may be his gall bladder. I am hoping to hear something soon. If you think of it please say a little prayer for Taylor...he has lost about 15 pounds since this whole thing has started and he is in a lot of pain. I am trusting that God will take care of him...we just need to know what is actually wrong.

Blessings

Debbie

HALLOWEEN FUN

2009-10-31T20:41:00.005-06:00

Hannah Montana

Princess Ariel

Jack sparrow

CARVING PUMPKINS

2009-10-30T07:30:00.005-06:00

This was Denaye's first time doing her own pumpkin...she did a good job.

The look on Sam's face says it all....he was not a fan of this part.

Proud Kids!!

The kids had a great time carving their pumpkins. Maya is a pro at taking all of the insides out of the pumpkins. Sam and Denaye lost interest in that part so Maya pretty much did it all...with a little help from me. They each drew the face they wanted on their pumpkin and then I helped carve it out for them. They were so proud of their work.....I think they look awesome. Now we are officially ready for Halloween.

MAKING COOKIES

2009-10-28T08:03:00.006-06:00

Life is getting back to normal now that the flu has come and gone from our house. We aren't sure if we all had H1N1 or not, but I am just thankful we are all healthy again. I just have a bit of a cough still, but nothing serious. Anyway on the weekend we made cookies. Before the girls came to be part of our family I used to make these every year with the boys. They would usually only last for about 10 minutes then they got bored and move onto something else. It is so nice to have girls around...they actually want to do things like this and they stick around for the whole project. They had such fun cutting out the shapes and putting the sprinkles on our pumpkin cookies. Sam cut out 1 cookie and that was it.....oh well....the girls enjoyed it and so did I.

WE'VE BEEN SICK

2009-10-21T17:29:00.002-06:00

There have been no posts lately because our house has been sick for the last 2 weeks......I am only now starting to feel better. I don't even remember what has happened...I feel like I have lost about 2 weeks of my life.....it's all a blurrr. I will get back at it when I get all caught up on everything else that hasn't gotten done for the last 2 weeks.....ugghh
Debbie

SAM'S STORY

2009-09-29T09:19:00.002-06:00

In the past we ...or I should say Rod has done some speaking for the Stollery children's Foundation. They are having a fundraising event on Thanksgiving weekend and this time I am going to speak as well. I have put together a video of Sam's life in pictures to show at the event. It's hard to beleive that Sam's life started out so rocky...he is such an energetic and healthy kid today......I am so thankful that the Stollery was there for Sam....his life is nothing short of miraculous. I hope you enjoy the video. Here is the link http://video.yahoo.com/watch/6085514/15812474

ROD'S 50TH BIRTHDAY

2009-09-15T07:43:00.005-06:00

Rod turned 50 on September 11...yes that's 9/11. We went to the Keg with friends and family. It seems that's the place we always choose when we have no children. We had a fun time and I can hardly believe that Rod turned the big 50.....where have the years gone. As I inch closer to that number it has me a little freaked out. Turning 40 didn't bother me, but I think I will just completely pass on the 50th when it's my turn. Rod says it doesn't bother him at all...it's just a number....he is right, but I think I'll still pass!! Happy birthday Rod!!! At the Keg...they gave him a piece of cake....it was really good.

Rod, Jesse, Maya, Emily, Sam, Denaye.

DENAYE'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

2009-09-08T07:40:00.006-06:00

It was 30 degress outside on the kids first day of school....very unusual to be so hot at this time of year. Denaye's started school last week...another milestone in her life. She was so excited to get going she could hardly stand it. I drove her the first day and all the way to school she was chatting away about all of her new friends, her new teacher etc. We were almost there and then all of a sudden she got so quiet.....I think reality had just set in....she then quietly said to me....mommy I'm gonna miss you. Such a sweet little girl....she has been waiting for this day a long time. She has already forgotten that she's going to miss me and over the weekend was counting down the days until school started once again.

By this time she was tired of the picture-taking
...can't you tell.

MAYA & DENAYE...CELEBRATING 2 YEARS

2009-09-01T17:07:00.004-06:00

Here is a link to a video I put together as a keepsake for the girls. It is highlights of the past 2 years....so hard to choose between 100's of pictures. Hope you enjoy it.
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5891753/15338359

2 YEARS AGO....CAN'T BELIEVE IT

2009-08-31T11:35:00.002-06:00

It has already been 2 years since we first met Denaye and Maya. So much has happened and changed for them. They have become part of our family....we don't remember life without them anymore. We are officially going to celebrate 2 years on September 6th. that is when they arrived in Edmonton and we became a family of 8. I am in the process of putting a video together of their life over the last 2 years, but for now here is a link to when we first met and brought them home. http://dkurtzfamily.blogspot.com/2007/09/our-adoption-journey.html

THE WATER FIGHT

2009-08-31T08:20:00.009-06:00

Sam trying to escape getting hit from the water balloon....he failed

Hiding behind his dad's car

Sam getting ready to fire

Brody and Zach getting ready to launch their balloons....

The other team firing back at Sam's team.

Sam's team firing back......it was so much fun to watch.

The water-balloon fight that Sam had for his birthday was a huge success. Sam had 10 friends over and they split into 2 teams. They picked their base-camp and then the teams got together and made a plan. It was so much fun to watch the boys having a great time. Rod and I filled 550 water balloons....it took 4 hours to fill them all and about 30 minutes to use them all up. After the balloons were all gone they got out the buckets and the water-hose....Rod even got in on the fun. We had 2 injuries....not bad.....one was one of the boys tripped over the planter and fell into the tree and scrapped his back up. He was sad for about 2 minutes then he was back in the game. The other injury was Rod got hit in the head with a hockey stick by Sam......Sam had a pinata and he went to hit it and missed and got Rod instead.....now Sam was blind-folded so he had no idea....he felt really bad. Rod was o.k., but he had a soar ear for a little while. The weather was a perfect 29 degrees outside. We had pizza, pop, chips and birthday cupcakes. Sam said it was his best birthday ever......until next year!!!

SAM'S 9TH BIRTHDAY

2009-08-27T07:51:00.004-06:00

I look at Sam and wonder where have the years gone and then other times it seems like yesterday that we were wondering if this precious baby boy was going to survive. Sam is now 9 years old and when you look at him you would never know that he almost never survived. He was born with a heart defect that went undetected until right after he was born. I have blogged about it so if you are interested in his story you can check it out here http://thelifeofsam-dkurtz.blogspot.com/

We are having his birthday party with his friends on the weekend. He wanted to have a giant water-balloon fight.......so Rod and I are going to fill up about 400 water-balloons and turn them loose. The weather here is beautiful...high on Saturday is supposed to be 28...so it was the perfect choice for a 9 year old boy who loves anything that involves a fight.....friendly fight that is. They are going to split into 2 teams and then stake their territory and last kid standing wins!!! It should be fun and loud and full of activity.....just what boys like the most.

Sam and I are very close......I know it's because I have always felt very protective of him because of his rough start in life.

Tears sting my eyes everytime I see his scarred body from all that he went through to survive. He is truely a miracle and I thank God everyday for the blessing of being his mom. Sam is a sensitive kid who loves to play hockey and loves his family. It is so beautiful to watch how his older brothers treat him with such love.....they were old enough to remember what Sam went through, so I think it has impacted how they treat and feel about him. Believe me they still fight and they all find Sam annoying at times, but the tenderness that I catch them showing their brother is so wonderful to witness. Sam would be lost without his sisters....they have grown very close. Sam loves his role of being a big brother....I think he enjoys the responsibility.....Anyway Happy birthday Sam. You are so loved and may God continue to bless you as he always has.

DISCOVERY CANYON

2009-08-20T15:46:00.008-06:00

Sam going down the tube ride

Maya making her way up the hill to the top of the tube ride

Sam in the Rapids!!!

Emily and Denaye...look at the fear on Denaye's face.

Emily and Maya taking a break.....

There's this great place in Red Deer called Discovery Canyon. It's a place to swim and it also has a tube ride...the tube ride is down a river. It really is a lot of fun. We spent the day there with my sister and her 3 kids. Denaye was her usual cautious self. Cousin Emily took her down the tube with her, but she was far to scared to do it again. Maya and Sam loved it and they played all afternoon. Summer is quickly coming to an end and so these last few nice days we have are being spent enjoying the outdoors...between loads of laundry.....

WE'RE HOME FROM HOLIDAYS

2009-08-11T09:19:00.007-06:00

The view from our cabin....beautiful

Mornings were spent drinking coffee on the deck...just enjoying being somewhere else.

The kids swimming in the lake...it is so clean...very nice

Sam, Mathew and Kyle...they hung out together....

Playing on the boat....the girls loved being to gether.

We drove down to Coeur D Alene, Idaho for a quick holiday. We love it there....it has the best of both...a beautiful lake and shopping. We met up with my brother Don and his family...Shauna, Matt and Kendal. My mom also travelled with us...she loves to shop in the states. We stayed in a cabin this year which was new for us....we loved it. It had 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms a full kitchen. It was near the lake so the kids went down the hill and jumped off the dock and went swimming....the lake is crystal clear....beautiful!! The girls were so excited to see cousin Kendal again and Denaye was so sad to have to leave her. They are the same age so they played great together...Maya was just glad to have another girl to play with. Sam and Kyle hung out with Mathew and they had a wonderful time. We spent our evenings BBQing and playing Pit...what a loud, but fun game. I don't have that many pictures as they are all on Kyle's Camera which he takes everywhere with him. I am going to post more when Kyle lets me upload his pictures to my computer. We had a fabulous time and we are already talking about next year.....the cabin is for sure...when we go back.

HOLIDAYS

2009-08-04T08:09:00.002-06:00

We are going on a bit of a holiday this week...just a short trip. We are heading to Coeur D Alene, Idaho. We love that place.....it has a beautiful lake and I get to do a bit of shopping. the kids are very excited to get going, but not looking forward to the long drive.....oh well that's life.

It is also my birthday today....I've reached an age where I have stopped telling people how old I am! I just enjoy life...and really what does it matter how old I am.....I think age only matters when you have nothing to look forward to....just my opinion. We had a wienor roast at my sister's house yesterday to celebrate. Life is good, God is good....so much to be thankful for.

KYLE

2009-07-27T09:53:00.002-06:00

Kyle bought himself a really expensive camera a few months ago....I was not convinced it was a good idea. Anyway his camera is part of him and goes everywhere with him. He is really starting to show some talent. The picture above is of himself....I am not sure how he did it, but I think it looks great.....really artistic

Good job Kyle.......keep it up!!!

SUMMER TIME

2009-07-27T09:33:00.004-06:00

Where we live the city allows the public to swim in the fountains in the downtown area....kind of cool. We have been in a heat wave for about a week now. I am trying not to complain because our summers are so short, but it has been hot. The kids and I have been keeping cool by going to where there is water. There is nothing more satifying then watching your kids just enjoying themselves......click on the picture of Denaye to see the water drops from the fountain.....they were all so excited to get wet from the spray....it was a fun day.

Maya, Sam and Denaye started Day-camps this week.....Denaye was so nervous. It is her first experince of being away from home for the entire day......I know she'll have fun!!

ONE LAST ROAD TRIP

2009-07-20T09:37:00.004-06:00

Saying good-bye.......

Gary and Carol and 2 of their kids and grand-kids......

Jamie and Maya and Denaye and Sam at Jamie's.

My dad died 8 years ago and he was cremated......my dad had never specified what we had wanted done once he was gone. We as a family had come up with different ideas of what to do, but nothing ever seemed to fit until now. My dad's parents final resting place is in a cemetary in Calgary and so we asked permission if we could bury my dad's ashes with his parents......my dad's family was important to him and this felt like the right thing to do. So on the weekend we packed up and took Dad on one last road trip. Sam was only 14 months old when he died so there is not any memories of him and Maya and Denaye have never met him......only in picutres. Sam and Maya both felt they wanted to write a letter to their Grandpa and bury it with him. It felt right and good to bring closure to this journey....it took us some time to get here, but we made it.

We later went over to my brother Jamie and Heather's place for a family BBQ.

We laughed about the memories we had of our Dad and it brought a few tears to our eyes and it was a neat experience for the kids....it was not formal at all......we just simply said good-bye.

GLOBE AND MAIL ARTICLE

2009-07-17T09:45:00.002-06:00

It appears that the Susan Hayhow the owner of Imagine Adoption has a lot answer for. Check out this news article in the Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/bankrupt-adoption-agency-owed-money-to-400-families/article1221645/

A NEW FRIEND

2009-07-17T08:24:00.002-06:00

The other day the Vriend family from the Lancombe area was coming to town. Their daughter, who they recently adopted from Ethiopia had a doctor's appointment in town. She stopped by for a visit before heading home. I always enjoy meeting my blogging buddies whose stories I have followed. Denaye and Maya really enjoyed their company and have since asked me if they can come back. I meant to take pictures and even pulled my camera out and I totally forgot. We will have to do it again sometime really soon. Thanks for stopping by......

SHARLA ON CBC

2009-07-16T14:58:00.002-06:00

Sharla is a friend of mine and they are adopting siblings from Ethiopia...a boy and a girl. They were in the last stages of the process when Imagine went bankrupt. They like many other families are looking for guidance as to what to do. Sharla will be on the radio doing an interview today July 16 at 5:10 p.m MST in Edmonton. The radio station is CBC and you can tune in at 740 AM or 93.9 FM. Please say a little prayer for her as she tries to get the message out there.

There is another way to help as well. Click on this link and help support the families in need. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SaveOurDreamofAdoptingInternatio/

NICKY'S IN ETHIOPIA

2009-07-15T16:23:00.002-06:00

Nicky, an adoptive mom I met a couple years ago, left for Ethiopia a couple of days ago and she has arrived safely. It looks like she will meet her kids tommorrow....how exciting for her, not exactly how she thought it would turn out, however still exciting. She has posted some information on her blog for parents who have referrals and kids waiting in Ethiopia. Check out her blog to get information and some direction.
Please continue to pray as this situation unfolds and information starts to come in as to what to do. The families involved are in turmoil and need direction.....and answers.
Here is Nicky's link http://rowanfamilytree.com/
Blessings
Debbie

IMAGINE ADOPTION AGENCY BANKRUPT

2009-07-14T13:10:00.002-06:00

I know International Adoption is not for the faint of heart, but this is over the top. There are rumors going around that the transition home where the kids live right now in Ethiopia has only 3 days worth of supplies left. Right now what these families need are answers to some pretty big questions. I have friends who are flying over there to try and get custody of their kids.....this is a nightmare.....now they have to try and complete their own adoption. Please continue to remember the 400 families who are affected by this tragedy. Please pray that some good will come of this....I know right now that is really hard to do, but somehow these kids need to be united with their Canadian families. Here are some links to some of the news coverage. I know that there will be news stories on TV tonight about it as well.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/adoption-agencys-bankruptcy-devastates-families/article1217223/
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090714/adoption_bankrupt_090714/20090714/?hub=TorontoNewHome

PLEASE PRAY

2009-07-13T20:17:00.002-06:00

I just learned today that an Adoption Agency in Canada has gone bankrupt today. They facilitate International adoptions....most of them from Ethiopia. There are 400 families grieving today who do not know what the future holds for them or their kids. Many of them were just waiting for Visa's to be approved so they could go and pick up their kids, some had just received their referral and other's were still waiting for a referral. Many hearts are broken tonight.....words can't begin to express how sad this is. These families are scared and I think also of the workers who are right now caring for the kids over in Ethiopia and how terrifed they all must be. Please pray for these families and pray for the children over in Ethiopia who have already had their lives disrupted and now it appears it may happen again. Please pray...these families are hurting tonight...many of them feel their dreams have been taken from them.....please pray!!!!!!!!!

HAVING FUN

2009-07-13T08:57:00.005-06:00

This is Rod my mom and my brother-in-law Mike...notice the belt buckles!!!

I bought the DVD Mama Mia the other day. I saw it in theatre last summer when it came out and I loved it. Pierce can not sing at all, but I think it just adds to the charm of the movie. Anyway I watched it with the kids and now Maya and Denaye are hooked on all of the old ABBA songs. They go around the house singing and dancing. Last summer my brother got married and my sister and I were asked to welcome Shauna and her kids into our family.....well it's just too boring to get up and talk....well it is for us anyway. So we put together a video based on the Dancing Queen....this was my brother's favorite band back in the day. We had a lot of fun putting it together and my husband and my sister's husband were a bit reluctant. It required costumes and they just were not completely sold on the idea. My mom was fantastic in the video and she was the ultimate Dancing Queen. It was so much fun and watching the Mama Mia DVD brought back memories of our video adventure. I will try and post it, but my husband told me that he would just take it down.....it's really funny!!.

IT'S ALL ABOUT TRUST

2009-07-06T14:05:00.004-06:00

Summer is here and I look forward to the lack of routine that comes with it. It is sometimes a challenge to come up with exciting things for the kids to do when they are so used to structure. Rod is only taking a week off this summer and we are heading to Coeur D Alene once again, but that's not till August.
The kids started swimming lessons today and this always has the kids excited. I think I may have put Sam in the wrong class......he was in a split class last year (3/4) and so I put him in the level that I thought suitable......level 4......I think I was wrong. I sat on the chair and watched Sam struggle while treading water for the required 1 minute....it appeared at times that the only thing I could see were his nose and mouth....it was quite funny to watch When I asked him afterwards how he think he did...his response was I think I did awesome!! We'll see we might have to move him down a level tomorrow. Maya loves the water, but she spends the entire class dunking her head under the water and popping back up. I don't think she actually learned anything today. I will have to tell her she needs to listen. Denaye is still so cautious, but she thought she had arrived when she was allowed to use arm floats to help her stay above the water.
This past year has been a challenging one for Maya as far as school goes. She loves to learn and has the most amazing attitude about it. She is a people pleaser though and what I have learned over this past year is that just because I am her mother doesn't mean that there is trust.......true trust takes time. It was a little humbling for me to say the least....however lesson learned. I became aware that Maya was not able to read as good as we all thought she could. What I discovered is that she was afraid to admit that she didn't know the word/letters etc......so what she did was completely memorize books. She could recite them by heart.....to me this took way more talent then actually learning the sounds that letters make. What she struggled with was trusting that it was o.k. that she didn't know the words and that it was safe to say that. When I finally figured it out I told her it was o.k. that she didn't know the words, but she needed to tell us so we could help her learn it. This then led to many tears and Maya finally admitting that she in fact did not know how to read. Since then we have made huge progress. She had an aid that helped her and she has come a long way. This was not about her not being able to read, it was about trust and I needed to recognize that so she would feel safe in letting us in on her secret. I personally think it is amazing that less then 2 years ago she couldn't speak a word of English and now she can read and write at a grade 1 level. This has been a year of learning that when adopting older children, attachment and trust are something that happens over time. This was huge for Maya and since then I have seen a big difference in how she interacts with other kids and adults. She sticks up for herself now...whereas before she was way to scared to say anything. It seems that when the dam breaks water flows....in this case it was all about trust. Good for you Maya!!

LION KING.....THE MUSICAL

2009-07-05T09:22:00.006-06:00

The guys who are the giraffes are on stilts.

Raffiki was an amazing singer in the opening seen...Circle of Life......Timon and Pumba were so funny in this show....amazing how they made the animals come to life.

Presenting Simba...

Last night Sam and I went and saw The Lion King musical at the jubilee. It was spectacular......the costumes, the music...everything about it was amazing. I can't even put into words how fantastic of a show it was. I am sad to say that Sam has never actually seen the movie The Lion King.....it was before his time. We used to own it, but that was way back when and it was in VHS format....so it is long gone. I will have to buy it when Disney releases it again. Anyway back to the show. The opening scene when Simba's birth is celebrated was so elaborate it took my breath away. If you are considering going to see it I highly recommend it. Young children under the age of 8 might be a little frightened.....there is just something real about live performance that can freak young kids out. I absolutely loved it and I would go again in a heartbeat. Disney really knows how to put on a show....so worth the money. Rod had received 2 tickets from Disney...media comp tickets......I wish we could have gotten more. Maya would have loved it, but Denaye would have been so freaked out. Since I took Maya to a Ballet last fall it was Sam's turn...next time a show comes up it will be Denaye's turn. I may consider buying tickets and take my mom to see the show.....she would love it.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BY MY BROTHER JAMES

2009-07-04T10:22:00.004-06:00

My brother Jamie has been interested in photography for years....maybe that's where my son Kyle gets it from. Anyway he has an excellent eye for the beauty of all things nature. In the past he has had some interest from tourist companies in using his stuff. Just recently he has made his work available for sale to the public. He is very talented and it would be worth your while to take a peek at his work. The prices are fantastic......here is the link. I will also post a link on the side of my blog. The company he is selling his artwork through is called Imagekind.
http://www.imagekind.com/MemberProfileGalleries.aspx?MID=9f89ba00-1c6a-4ee6-9e46-a335f62e8298

CANADA DAY CELEBRATION

2009-07-02T10:47:00.015-06:00

Can you believe it's July......
July 1st has come and gone already. We had a great time celebrating Canada's birthday with friends and family. The day started off with Maya determined to master her bike riding skills without training wheels...mission accomplished. She was so excited to finally be able to ride and keep up with Sam.
Everyone headed over to our house at around 5:00 p.m. Rod did the cooking on the BBQ while the rest of us drooled over the fabulous salads that everyone brought. We had lots of food and great conversation and the kids had a lot of fun getting to know their new friends....and of course old friends are like precious gems.....always appreciated.
After we filled our bellies we headed off down to the park for the fireworks display. The kids had fun eating popcorn...thanks for that Cindy.....and rolling down the hills and playing with their glow sticks. The fireworks display was awesome and then just like that the day was over for another year. I enjoy Canada Day and all that it represents and it was sure fun to spend it with family and friends.....loved it !!!!
Dessert

Some of the kids...most of them anyway. Alaina, Sam, Maya, Jaden, Alisha with baby Benton, Tatianna, Keira, Denaye, Andrew and Zack.....what an awesome bunch of kids.

Sam, Denaye and Maya waiting for the guests to arrive.

Sweet Denaye

Sam's big bike ramp......love the look on his face.

Maya learning to ride without training wheels

Mission accomplished.....

Waiting for the firworks to begin....

Maya and Alaina being patriaotic

Denaye and Tatianna waving their Canadian flags

Sam just happy to be here....

The fireworks....it was a great display...lasted about 15 minutes.

Hanging out.......so much fun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA

2009-07-01T10:06:00.002-06:00

Last year at this time the girls had just received their Canadian citizenship. They are so excited to start the day.....we are having a party....we will post pictures later.

Happy Canada Day everyone!!!!

KIDS+HOT DOGS+FRIENDS=FUN

2009-06-26T11:00:00.010-06:00

Sharla hosted a get together at her house last night. I met a new friend, Justine. She adopted 2 little girls from Ethiopia about a year ago. I have followed her blog so it was fun to meet her in person and get to know her a little bit. Our kids really hit it off and nobody wanted the evening to end. Sharla and her husband recently received their referral for a boy and a girl from Ethiopia. They hope to travel in the fall to bring their kids home. Tracy and her husband Rob have been our friends for a long time and I am sad to say that their family is moving to Ontario. We are sad to see them go.....their 3 kids that they adopted from Ethiopia last year are excited about the move. They will get to see their grandparents all of the time now....so good for them!!
It is always fun for our kids to connect to other kids adopted from their country. Maya made a funny comment on the way to Sharla's...I had told her that we would be meeting some kids from Ethiopia and she then asked me if there was going to be any white people there. I told her yes....I'm white....she said I didn't count. Anyway it was great to meet new people and get to know their stories. We will do it again...maybe in August.
Sharla, Tracy, Debbie(me) and Justine

New pals.....Denaye was having such a good time with Raine

Denaye and her friends having a blast.

New friends....Maya was quite taken with Cooper

Sam's favorite thing to do....bounce on the trampoline

Sam flipping out......

Some of the kids......

NEW LOOK FOR MY BLOG

2009-06-25T14:42:00.001-06:00

Yes I am updating the look of my blog....I was getting tired of the old one. It will take me a couple of days to get everything up and running, but hopefully it will all run smoothly.....

KYLE'S 16TH BIRTHDAY

2009-06-22T08:32:00.005-06:00

Kyle's 6th birthday....gone are the days of childhood wonder.

Kyle loves pie.....so we had a birthday pie instead of cake.

Where have the years gone.....Kyle turned 16 years old. He is becoming a young man. He has changed so much in this last year. We've watched him grow about 6 inches in height over this last year.....it happens right before your eyes, but then one day you notice......you're taller then me now. He is such a gentle soul. He is very close to Denaye and she thinks her big brother is the best there is.

My prayer for Kyle this year is that he grows closer to Jesus and lives a life full of discovering new things. May you experience life at it's best and live it like there's no tommorrow. Chase your dreams and follow the rainbows wherever they lead. Know that you are loved and blessed beyond measure.......Have a wonderful 16th birthday.......We love you Kyle.

Blessings

SWEET DENAYE

2009-06-10T08:10:00.002-06:00

Denaye in her Little Mermaid costume that she picked out in Disneyland for her birthday.

Denaye is such a sweet, funny tender-hearted little girl. Last week Taylor (her older brother) and I were having a conversation about what area of engineering Taylor should specialize in. For those of you that are not familiar with Denaye....she needs to be part of every conversation. She talks nonstop....it's exhausting at times. Anyway so here we are discussing what Taylor should be when he grows up(he's already 21...but you know what I mean) and in the middle of our conversation Denaye pipes up and says.....I know what you should be Taylor......a coconut picker......well we laughed so hard, we cried.....

Denaye is always saying funny things that she does not even know are funny...we have laughed so many times at the things she says. She had a lot of ideas that she was talking about yesterday and I told her she was very smart....her reply that's because I use my brain.

Well she also has such a tender heart...she melts when someone tells her that they love her. She always makes sure that I get my morning kiss and hug...so sweet. We were walking the other day and talking about Ethiopia. She has very few memories of her life there(or so I thought), but on this day I mentioned that one day we would like to go there and visit. Her response caught me off guard because she talks so little about her life there that I just assumed her memories had faded. Her response might not seem like much to many of you, but it was really quite life-changing for me. After I said that we would like to go and visit......her response......mama that's a great idea.....she hesitated and then added "when we go can we take them some food because they always have to look for it"

I was speechless, but quickly added of course. My eyes welled up with tears.....what a tender-heart she has. All I could think of is I wonder what has become of Denaye's birth family.....in North amercia we don't ever wonder where our food comes from. It must have seemed really strange to the girls when we ate meals 3 times a day here and in Ethiopia they were lucky if they had one. I was quietly reminded once again how lucky I am to be their mother. The conversation ended as innocently as it started and she was off playing with her friends. One day we will go back....and I will take them food.

DISNEYLAND

2009-06-03T07:47:00.017-06:00

Jesse and his pals

Our hotel was close enough that we could walk to Disneyland....I mean run!!!

It all started with a mouse

There was a lot of this going on the whole day....just pure excitement.

Sam and Denaye......such pals

Sleeping Beauty's castle.....you can walk throught it for a tour.

Jesse and Kyle in toon town

Meeting Mickey Mouse....Maya gave him a huge kiss....it was cute.

The parade

Getting their faces painted at the princess store...it was sheer delight for the girls

Finally meeting the princess's........we met 3 of them altogether.

Getting an autograph from Pooh

Sleeping Beauty's castle....all of the kids were so excited....all day

Our day started off very early. We had breakfast at the hotel(it was included) and then we walked or I mean ran to disneyland. Our hotel was 3 blocks from the entrance so we choose to walk. The day was full of excited kids and there was so much to see that I think it overwhelmed Maya a bit. She is usually jumping and bouncing nonstop when she is excited, but when we walked through the gate she was so calm it was weird.....overwelmed I think. Our first ride was StarWars....Denaye loved it...well they all did. We went on it 2 times in a row before the crowds got bad. The girls really started to enjoy the rides...even the big ones. Maya's favorite ride was Space Mountain.....a reall contrast from her first roller coaster a few days earlier...she cried on it. she 's a pro now!!

I waited in line for 2 hours with the girls to meet the princess's. The only reason we did this is because it was what they were waiting for. They got their faces painted in the princess store and Denaye picked out a Mermaid costume for her birthday present. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of her in her costume. I will have to post one later. While we were in line, Sam, Jesse and Kyle went on some other rides to pass the time...this is where we lost Jesse for about an hour. We are used to this as we always lose Jesse....it's just what he does.

We had an awesome day filled with magical moments as only disney can do. It was a long day....we started at 9:00 am and left at around 11:00 pm....we were all tired, but we had such a great day. We saw and did the things that we wanted to do and we went on lots of rides. Thunder Mountain railway was a favorite...there are so many that it's hard to just pick one.

We did have a bit of a scare during the fireworks....we lost Sam for about 15 minutes. It was the scariest 15 minutes of my life. The security in Disney is fantastic and within less then 5 minutes the whole park was aware of this lost little boy. They found him and took him to the lost kids centre. It took the wind out of our sails for a few minutes after that, but I decided this was not how we wanted to remember Disney....so we went on Raider's of the Lost Ark after that....and had a blast.

We had a grand time and the kids would really like to go back and visit again....Rod's says he's themed parked out. We have been to Disney World in Orlando a few times and he's not a big ride fan. He can do 1 rollercoaster per visit and then he's done.....so I guess we'll see. I think the kids will get their way....Disneyland is such a magical place....it makes even big kids turn into little kids...at least for awhile.

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

2009-05-27T08:30:00.009-06:00

Just before wew went into the California Adventure

I love this picture of Sam...his eyes are so blue.

We celebrated Denaye's birthday at the Rain Forest Cafe. The staff brought the cake and then sang happy birthday to Denaye...she grinned the entire time.

Denaye got picked to be a dancer in the High School musical show...she was loving it.

The High School Musical production...the kids loved it

The boys just before they went on Tower of Terror

Maya and Denaye picked out Mickey ears....they wore them nonstop. I was a little surprised that Maya's ears didn't include a crown, but it did say princess on it. I guess her tastes are changing.

We went to California Adventure before the Magic Kingdom. It's not as big of a park, but it had some great rides and some fantastic shows that we all enjoyed. High School Musical was one of the main things that Maya wanted to see. We were in the front row and they all had an awesome time singing along to all of the songs. Denaye got picked out of the crowd to dance along with them...she did so great and you could see she felt special. It was her birthday so that made it even more fun for her. Sam rode Tower of Terror and lived to tell about it.....he did say that he loved it, but not interested in going on it again...I think he was terrified and didn't want to admit it. We went and saw the Aladdin musical in the theatre....it was amazing....Disney really knows how to put on a show....everything they do is magical. The weather was a perfect 24 degrees...not to hot, but hot enough that the water rides were a blast. I loved the raft ride......Maya hates getting wet so this was not her favorite. Denaye was a trooper...going on all of the rides and annoucing after almost every ride that she loved it. I think she tolerated most of them.....she did love the star wars ride and we went on it twice.

It was a lot of fun to watch the kids enjoying themselves so much and experiencing things that we all take for granted. Maya kept asking me if the characters were real...she was so fascinated with seeing all of the disney characters come to life and walking around. She hugged them all and kissed them all too. We had a wonderful time at the park and we ended our day at the Rain Forest Cafe in downtown disney to celebrate Denaye's birthday. The restaurant is quite an experience.....you feel like you are in a jungle with the sounds of animals and the rain all around you. It is very loud, but the kids enjoyed it. We walked back to our hotel after that and went to bed because the next day we were going to the Magic Kingdom.......everyone was excited about that....even the big kids.

SANTA MONICA PIER....LOVED IT

2009-05-22T08:18:00.012-06:00

Maya spent the entire time we were there playing in the ocean....she loved it!!

Sam jumping waves.....he did this all afternoon.

Kyle and Sam

Denaye spent most of her time playing beside the ocean and getting her feet wet, but to her she was swimming.

Enjoying the view from the Pier

Jesse and Kyle

We had perfect weather the day we went to the beach. The sand was like silk and the sky was blue and there was very little wind. What a beautiful place it was. The kids enjoyed jumping waves, building sandcastles and being buried in the sand. We had a great day on the beach. Maya is a natural in the water. She spent her entire time in the water only coming out for lunch. She made friends with a little girl there and they played together all afternoon. Denaye was a little cautious of the big waves. She did not like the feeling of the sand disppearing from beneath her feet as she stood in the water. She spent most of her time playing beside the ocean, but if you were to ask her she was swimming. One of the waves was so powerful it knocked her over....I think this is why she was a little scared, but she did loved it. Sam spent his time jumping waves and he had a blast. He did end up with a really bad sunburn though and the rest of the time we spent outside he had to wear a shirt. Kyle spent ALL of his time taking pictures....he came home with 1000 pictures from our trip to California. He loves his camera. Jesse spent his time wandering around and enjoying the beauty of the ocean. He is such a nature person and so he loved all of the plants etc. When we got back to Edmonton he called the city and told them they needed to plant more trees...their response was...go ahead..... if you can get volunteers and buy the trees yourself feel free to plant as many as you want.

We had such a great holiday...it was nice to not really have a schedule. We did spend a couple of days at Disneyland of course....this is what the kids were looking forward to the most. I will post about those another day.....

TRIP TO CALIFORNIA....1ST STOP LEGOLAND

2009-05-20T07:55:00.004-06:00

In the Aquarium they had a bubble in the centre that kids could pop their heads in and it made them look like there were in the water.

A family made of lego....can you tell which kids are mine??

Full size Darth Vader completely made of lego......and he breaths too

Washington D.C. The presidential Inauguration....not sure which one, but the detail is incredible.

We arrived in beautiful Los Angeles to weather that was fantastic. The entire week was in the mid 80's. We arrived in the morning so we checked into our hotel and then headed to downtown Disney for a look around. The girls were so excited.....they didn't know what to expect so they just went with it.

The next morning Jesse and Kyle went to Knott's Berry Farm and Rod and I and the younger kids went to Legoland. It was a bit of a drive, but the park is fantastic and we were glad we went. Everything is either made of lego or made to look like it was made of lego....like the rides for example. This park is geared towards kids up to age 12 or 13. We loved it there and so did the kids. This was the girls first experience with big rides. Our first ride was a roller coaster.....let's just say that Denaye decided that if all of the rides were like that she wasn't going on them. Maya didn't like the big rides at first, but as she went on more rides she got more brave and by the end of the trip she was a pro!! Her favorite ride was Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom...she even went on it twice. Legoland was full of all kinds of things to look at and all kinds of rides. They had built a minature city and we were amazed at the detail. We had a great first day there and were looking forward to the rest of the week.

DISNEY'S FIRST BLACK PRINCESS

2009-05-19T19:56:00.002-06:00

This is one of the official trailers for the movie......

This movie is set to release this christmas. We just got back from Disney so I was hoping to get a glimpse at Princess Tiana....no such luck. We are all looking forward to seeing the movie though. It's the story of the Frog Prince with a bit of a twist.

DENAYE'S 5TH BIRTHDAY

2009-05-18T09:22:00.006-06:00

Denaye in her new clothes....she wore this on the airplane to Disney....she thought she looked like a Diva.

Our children.....at least 5 of them and cousin Jonah.

Grandma Anderson, Denaye and Grandpa Kurtz

We celebrated Denaye's birthday 2 days before we left for Disneyland. Grandpa Kurtz was still here so he got in on the action.

Denaye is growing up so fast. She will start school in the fall...she is a little nervous about that. She doesn't like change very much, but I am sure once she makes a few friends that she will be fine. She is such a funny little girl with a great sense of humor. She is always trying to make us a laugh with her quirky dances and silly things she does. She is always saying and doing funny things without even trying. She has grown from shy timid little girl to a funny beautiful girl with a great smile. We love you Denaye and Happy Birthday!!!!!

DISNEYLAND...and LEGOLAND

2009-04-30T14:56:00.005-06:00

Legoland....everything is made of leg. They even have a minature city.....all made of lego.

We are heading to Disneyland. We are all so excited to be going. Denaye and Maya have been counting down the days......they have never been so this will be so exciting for them. We are going for 2 reasons...first because we want to and second because the repairs to our hardwood floors are being done the week we leave. Yes we planned it that way. We have to be out of the house for at least a week and I could not imagine trying to live a normal life in a hotel room for that long. So we leaving for sunny California...it is always easier to live in a hotel when you are NOT still trying to make lunches, do homework, go to work, get kids to school.....etc. We are all looking forward to getting away and experiencing Disneyland with the girls. Sam has been to Disneyworld, but that was a few years ago and he doesn't have much memory of it. He is pretty pumped!! We are also going to take in Legoland. It looks like a lot of fun. Here is a link to check it out. http://www.legoland.com/california.htm I showed the kids the website and they are super excited to get there. It is geared towards kids up to 12 years of age. They did however add on to the park and put in some monster rides as well.

DOUG AND KADA GOT MARRIED

2009-04-30T09:09:00.008-06:00

Doug and Kada cutting the cupcakes.

Jesse made up a song to sing at Doug's wedding....I'm sorry I missed it. Brad played guitar and Jesse sang.

This is a family shot......the proud parents Brain and Renee

Rod and Jesse at Whiterock betwen the ceremony and the reception.

The happy couple....

Rod's dad and some of his grandsons. Jesse, Kyle, Elmer, Doug, Craig and Brad.

Last weekend Rod, Kyle and Jesse hopped in the car and drove for 12 hours to go to a wedding in Langley, B.C. Rod's brother, Brain's oldest son Doug...did you get that......got married. He married a lovely girl named Kada. We couldn't all make it, but the boys really wanted to be there to witness the event. Kyle was the assinged photogapher for our family and he had strict instructions to come home with pitures. Kyle did get the goods and so here are a few pitures of the celebration. We wish them all the best and a lifetime of happiness....God's blessings to them and we love them very much.

Debbie and gang

2009-04-21T10:33:00.003-06:00

Back in January our upstairs bathroom toilet broke and damaged our downstairs kitchen ceiling and hardwood floors. It did thousands of dollars worth of damage all because of a 2.29 cent part. Anyway they are coming in today to start the repairs and we have to move out for 3 days. This is not something I am looking forward too at all. Our entire family has been disrupted along with our routine....if you can call what we do a routine. We are moving into a hotel room while the repairs are being done. We have to move out again when they do the floors.....that will be for a week and we are just going to leave town for that one. Maya went to school and told her teacher she wouldn't be at school for the next week as she is going on a holiday.....huh!!! I got a call from her teacher asking why we hadn't given any sort of notice. I explained to her we were moving into a hotel for a few days, but that the kids will be in school everyday. It turns out Maya associated hotels with holidays and therefore assumed even though we were still in the city she would be on holidays. I had explained this to her all over again that night before bed and at the end of my explanation she asked me if we were taking an airplane!!! It is funny what kids perceive. Our house is in a shambles, but hey we'll get through it.

EASTER 2009

2009-04-15T08:43:00.014-06:00

Sam, Maya and Denaye colored easter eggs...the finished product.

Easter morning...love the hair Denaye. She finally has developed a liking for cholcolate, so this is her fist big choclate bunny she ever got. She was very excited. Up until Christmas time Denaye would not eat choclate and then the taste buds kicked in and now everything has to be chocolate.

Maya has never had a problem with sugar of any kind.....

Denaye easter morning, on our way to church.

4 of our children on Easter morning....

My nephew Zach

My mom.....

Kyle and his friend Chase

Our friend Debbie

Glen and Shannon....Shannon and Debbie are sisters.

We spent this Easter with friends and family. We have made some new friends over this past year. My friend Debbie has a son that played on the same hockey team as Sam. The boys have become good friends and so have us mom's. Debbie's sister Shannon and her husband Glen and their 2 kids joined us for Easter as well. It has been great getting to know them.....their son Chase and our son Kyle are good friends from school...and so I suspect that we will be seeing each other a lot. This is a good thing as we have enjoyed their company. My sister Jody and Mike and their kids were with us and my mom too. It is always nice to spend time with family. We had a BBQ...the first one of the season. I love BBQ's!!! The weather was beautiful and the food was great and we enjoyed our afternoon.

The kids had an Easter egg hunt in the morning and filled their baskets with lots of cholocate bunnies and then we were off to church to celebrate the empty tomb.

Jesus has risen...Blessed be his Holy name.

Blessings to all

Debbie

JESUS HAS RISEN

2009-04-12T08:20:00.002-06:00

Blessed be his holy name.......
The reason why our family celebrates Easter is because we believe that Jesus is the son of God and walked this earth some 2000 years ago. He died and then 3 days later rose from the grave so that we might live for all of eternity. He did that for us.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned......
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son......

Have a wonderful Easter and if you have not yet considered the truth behind Easter, I encourage you to find it.....it will change your life.
Blessings
Debbie

2 YEARS AGO.......

2009-04-11T14:54:00.010-06:00

It has been 2 years since we received our referral for Denaye and Maya. I can't believe how time has flown by. Some of the first pictures we ever saw of them are below. They came to us bald, scared, confused and unsure of where life was taking them. Today they are happy, secure, loved and full of enthusiasm.....and oh yes they have hair!!!!

Denaye's referral picture...she looks so sad.

Maya's....referral picture....shortly after this was taken Maya's hair was shaved off as well. she had a fungal infection that required her scalp to be treated.
This picture was taken yesterday...spring is finally here. My how they have changed.

Denaye cute as a button. They have both blossomed into such beautiful girls...hard to believe it's been 2 years already since we first saw pictures of them.

WE WENT TO VEGAS

2009-03-04T08:22:00.007-07:00

Our first morning in Vegas....the kids were excited to get going.

The kids went swimming almost everyday...it was 21-22 C everyday. Cold for Vegas...beautiful for us.

At Caesar's palace

Just outside the Coke store...Howard and Sue and the kids.

The M & M store.....can't believe it was 4 stories.

Playing the slots......not really....security came very quickly....we asked if we could just take a picture.

We were in Las Vegas last week. We took 4 of our kids with us and we had a blast. The girls were so excited to get on an airplane. This was the first airplane ride since Ethiopia. They were most excited about the TV's that they could watch. The weather was beautiful....it was 20-23 all week.....we came home to -20...what a difference.

Some highlights of the trip were the 2 story Coke store...got some fantastic glasses from there. Right beside the Coke store is the 4 story M & M store. I have never seen so much m&m stuff....it was unbelievable. They even had a 3D m&m movie playing on the 3rd floor. The shopping is fantastic in Vegas....loved the factory outlet mall. There was also a Ross store right across the street from our hotel...it doesn't get any better then that. Some good friends of ours went with us...Howard and Sue.....it's always nice to have friends to hang out with on trips. We saw Danny Gans...loved it. I took Kyle to see Blue Man Group at the Ventian. It is a great show and Kyle loved it so much he didn't want it to end. We did a lot in those 4 days that we were there and the kids had a great time. Denaye and Maya both love to travel.....they were fascinated by all of the lights and all of the action.....makes home seem pretty boring. Sam and the girls love to stay in hotels, so this was one of their favorite parts. I missed my bed, but it was a fun trip for all of us.

Debbie

SAM'S STORY

2009-02-22T08:50:00.002-07:00

I started another blog...can't believe I did that as there is no time to keep up with this one as it is. The reason I did is for Sam. He is quite simply a miracle. When he was born the doctors gave him about a 10% chance of survival. Sam asks me all of the time about what happened to him, so I thought I would tell his story so he could read and look at it anytime he wanted. There is not much there right now, but I will begin his story and you will see for yourself that he is very much a miracle. Here is the link. http://thelifeofsam-dkurtz.blogspot.com/

Blessings
Debbie

MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY

2009-02-10T11:37:00.003-07:00

My mom had a birthday and we all got together to celebrate with her. I am so thankful that my mom lives in Edmonton, she is such a huge help and a great friend to me. She has only been here for about 6 years so now I am so used to her being around that I would be lost without her. Happy Birthday Mom...God Bless You
Debbie

"COME ON "

2009-02-10T11:15:00.004-07:00

Maya modelling her new clothes from E-Bay

So this is the new phrase from Maya....COME ON.....she says it all of the time. She says it when she's not happy with something, when she's happy with something, when she's mad at something.......well you get the picture. I am trying to explain to her that sometimes it can sound very rude....she has a tone about it when she says it when she's annoyed. I mention this because it appears that Maya is very much a Canadain girl. She doesn't talk about her country very much anymore and when she does it is just a brief sentence about something she is doing that reminds her of Africa. She says shes from Africa not Ethiopia...not sure why, but that's her story. Her English is coming along...she still doesn't put all of the ands and buts in their proper place, but it will come. Her class at school has gone skating a couple of times this year and she loved it. What a huge contrast from what her life was in Africa/Ethiopia or wherever. She is a control freak and she makes it her business to know everybody's business....Sam gets so annoyed with her. She still is growing at a rapid rate, not like she was a year ago, but still a lot. She recently asked me what a model was and I explained it to her as best I could, so now she does the 'walk' all of the time. I recently bought her some clothes fom a wonderful lady her sells clothes on E-Bay and she spent the evening modelling them for me.....she told me when she grows up she wants to be a cheerleader and a hairdresser. I have no idea what the future holds for Maya, but I know that whatever she does it will be done big and boldly...that's just who she is.

I LOVE THIS KID!!!

2009-01-09T14:13:00.003-07:00

The other night I was putting Sam to bed and we were having a conversation...it went something like this. Sam when you get up and get dressed tommorrow for school, don't forget to change your underwear. Sam responds.....I did already.....I say "when"...his response, 3 days ago!!! After I chuckled I told him that it was a good idea to change his underwear everyday...it's good hygiene. His response "WHAT!! how about I change them on the weekends!!!!!" I still haven't stopped laughing...boys gotta love em!!

VERITY CHRISTMAS CLASSIC

2009-01-05T10:16:00.023-07:00

This year on December 27th we started a new tradition. Years ago my family (as many as could make it) used to get together at christmas every year and celebrate together. We played floor hockey opened gifts etc. Those years were some of the best memories I have. We decided to bring back that tradition with a few changes...the point of it though is reconnecting and being together with family.
So on December 27th we had the first Verity Christmas classic. It was held at our house this year. We had such a blast!!! We started the day off with some old fashioned outdoor hockey. The weather was perfect...it was the only nice day we had amongst the -25 degree weather we had before and since that day. Those who didn't play hockey went sledding...the girls thought this was great fun. Denaye even had a good time. Last year she only went once before she said she was too cold to continue. After the outdoor activities we headed back to our house for chilli and pizza and then lots of baking. We had a chinese christmas gift exchange that was a lot of fun....next year we are going to have a theme for that part. We then played games and had lots of visiting time to catch up with what everyone is doing. We learned that my cousin Chad is getting married next year and so is his brother Jeremy....what wonderful knews. Jeremy only just shared this knews with us after the event. We were sad that some couldn't make it, but there is always next year.....we all agreed that we will continue on with this tradition as it was so much fun. We have some great video footage that maybe I will post if I get around to it. It was good to reconnect with extended family and we all agreed that this is one tradition worth doing so mark your calendars for December 2009....................it is going to be a blast!!!!

My brother Don

Uncle Rae, aunt Linda and Nathan.....we haven't seen Nathan in years it was great to see him again.

chowing down on some chilli

Kendall and Shauna

Denaye and Emily running across the ice.
Getting ready for the big game

My 2 brothers, Rod and Sam
Heather, Mike and Kyle
Mike in a brawl with Matt the goalie......

Team picture

CHRISTMAS MORNING 2008

2009-01-05T09:17:00.008-07:00

Waiting to get downstairs to see what Santa had left them....

Our kids on Christmas morning.

Bagels and fruit at Jody's

My sister and her husband Mike

Grandma and the grandkids on Christmas DayChristmas dinner.......at our house

Sam woke up at 4:30 in the morning and wanted to get started on opening gifts......I sent him back to bed. He finally did go back to sleep, but I had to wake him up later on. The kids were very excited to get their day started. We opened presents first thing in the morning and the kids opened their stockings and then we headed over to Jody's house for bagels and friut. It was very loud and full of excitement...just how it should be when kids are around. We had christmas dinner at our house.....my mom made the turkey this year.....it was wondeful. We spent the rest of the day putting toys together and then playing games. We all went to bed early that night...we were so exhausted. It was a great day with family.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.......

2009-01-05T09:15:00.002-07:00

Santa has arrived.......

CHRISTMAS EVE 2008

2009-01-05T08:58:00.004-07:00

We went to church Christmas Eve and then headed back to our house for our annual Christmas Eve party. We enjoyed an evening full of food, family and friends. The kids each got to open 1 gift as usual before they went to bed. Denaye and Maya knew what to expect this year so they really enjoyed all of the festivities. They played a mean game of Risk and I believe Eden won...she has no mercy. My kids love Christmas Eve and this year we had a great time. It all came so quickly, and it is over so fast, but we all love this time of year. The magic of christmas and all that it represents......God sent hope that night.........Blessings to all of you!!!Playing Risk.....Eden was the youngest player, but she won.

Some of our friends and family.

Opening their 1 gift before bedtime!!

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS...WHY WE CELEBRATE

2008-12-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

CHRISTMAS 2008

2008-12-08T20:25:00.007-07:00

It has been so long since I have posted anything. It's not that nothing has happened it's just we are busy being busy. Maya is in grade 1 and loving it. She is actually learning to read the English language....that amazes me because a year ago she could hardly speak it. Denaye is growing so fast and becoming quite a lovely young lady. She loves her grandma....the other day she told her that she was the most perfect grandma ever!!! How Sweet is that. Sam is the proud big brother. He would be lost without his sisters. He is very protective of Denaye and Maya and sam have become playmates. They fight like crazy, but he wouldn't know what to do without them. We tried to get some good pictures to send out with christmas cards this year, but Maya has lost both of her front teeth and she is not willing to smile her big smile......I have to try and be sneaky. Christmas is fast approaching and I hardly feel ready for it. The girls have christmas lists this year.....last year they had no idea what it was all about. This year they get it!! I am looking forward to the holidays...this year will be the last year that all of my children will be with us for chjristmas. It makes me sad to think about it, but I know it's part of life......kids grow up and start to have a life of their own. This year will be special and I want to create lots of great memories for them to take with them....maybe they will want to come back!!!

If there is anything I have learned in the this life, it is to enjoy the moment that you are in because the moments are what create great memories.

Merry christmas

Debbie

MY SON THE SINGER

2008-10-13T21:47:00.001-06:00

This is a raw video of Jesse singing....what a gifted boy he is.

WE WENT TO THE BALLET

2008-09-24T09:51:00.004-06:00

Maya and I had a night out with just us. CBC gave Rod 2 tickets to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet(sometimes it pays to work in the media). It was opening night and the Ballet they were presenting was Peter Pan. It was a spectacular show with lots of wonderful costumes, dancing and even flying. When the Ballet first started, Maya thought it was going to be a movie. When the dancers first came out I heard Maya giggle and then she sat in awe of what she was seeing. Then she really started to giggle when peter Pan started to fly. Maya loves to dance so this was so much fun for her. The evening got even better though because the promoter for the RWB had heard that Maya was coming and that she had only been in Canada for a year and this was her first ballet. She had mentioned it to the dancers and one of the fairies wanted to meet her and give her something special. At intermission we went backstage and Maya met Grace and then she gave her an autographed ballet slipper from the show. This was one of the few times I have ever seen Maya speechless...believe me it doesn't happen very often. Grace then took us on a tour of the set and we also met some of the other dancers. We managed to get a picture of the Crocidile, but the rest of the time I was too busy watching Maya enjoy herself. Maya's favorite was Tinkerbell and we did get a chance to see her. It was a very speicial evening and one that Maya will not forget.....and neither will I.

ONE YEAR LATER

2008-08-31T12:44:00.003-06:00

It was one year ago today that we saw the girls for the first time. It has gone by so fast. They have grown so much over the past year. Denaye has gained 15lbs and has grown 5 inches in height. Her shoe size was an 8 and now it's an 11. Maya has gained 18lbs and has grown 5inches as well. Her shoe size was an 11 and is now a size 2. There has been a lot of change in them over the past year and they have truely become a part of our family. Maya is starting grade 1 on Sept 2 and is very excited to be going to school all day!! We'll see how long that lasts. Denaye will start preschool, but I don't have a date yet on that. Life just keeps on keeping on......we look forward to the next years to see where our journey leads us. Right now we are just happy being a family of 8......
Blesings
Debbie

Here is the video Rod made of the journey to Ethiopia....brings back a lot of memories and oh how the girls have changed.

AdoptionJourney @ Yahoo! Video

HOLIDAYS

2008-08-29T13:39:00.008-06:00

After we got back from Sask, we did laundry and loaded the van up again, but this time headed west. We went out to Chilliwack B.C. to see Rod's family. We had a great time and the girls met lots of people for the first time. We also made a trip into Vancouver to go to Stanely Park and of course the ocean. The girls loved the water, but could have cared less that it was the ocean. The girls did great...we drove straight through, so it was a long drive(12 hrs). Denaye asked, if we were there yet, as soon as we hit the highway, so I thought it was going to be a long day of questions. The each had a DVD player so we were good to go. Sam and Kyle are veterans at roadtrips so they knew the drill. It is always nice to reconnect with family and our nephew Doug got engaged so we will be making another roadtrip out there in the spring.....looking forward to it. Rod's dad and the kids. He met the girls for the very first time this day.

The kids at Stanley Park.

Playing in the ocean.......they loved playing in the sand.....it was fun to watch.

Cousins

Auntie Renee, Maya and Denaye eating popcorn.

Good friends Roland and Sue meeting the girls for the first time.

Uncle Brian, Auntie Renee, Maya and Denaye

MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED

2008-08-26T19:15:00.008-06:00

These past few weeks have been very busy. On August 14th we packed the kids and the van and headed off to Moose Jaw, Sask. for my brother's wedding. The kids and I made a quick stop in Saskatoon to meet and visit with some families who have either adopted or are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. Thanks so much Sandi and gang for a wonderful time and a great meal. It was awesome and the kids enjoyed the break from the road trip. We then continued on to Moose Jaw for the big event.
My brother Don and Shauna were married on August 16th. It was a beautiful day....very hot....30 C......but the day was beautiful. Shauna looked stunning and my brother was very handsome in his tux. Shauna's two children stole the show.....we love them all very much and are glad they are a part of our family.
Me my brothers and sister and my mom at the rephersal. Jody is the one taking up most of the room.

My two handsome brothers.....Jamie and Don.....just before he was married!!

Denaye in her fancy dress.....which she loved.

Maya and Denaye looking cute as ever all dressed up.

My brother and his new wife and their children........Congratualtions!!!

Don and Shauna

SUMMER DAYS

2008-08-08T18:27:00.002-06:00

Summer Days 2008 @ Yahoo! Video

It was so hot today so we all decided to have a water fight. We had a blast. Denaye is not afraid at all to get wet as opposed to her big brother Sam. Check out Maya.....she covered herself in shaving cream(soap)....that's one way to get clean. The summer's are just too short in this country.....enjoy the last few weeks of summer as it will be over before you know it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

2008-08-07T15:42:00.002-06:00

Well another year has come and gone. I can hardly believe that it has been almost a year since we were in Ethiopia picking up the girls. A lot has happened this past year. The biggest change has been the adoption of our 2 girls. We have all found a new normal and life now includes girls in our house....something I wasn't sure would ever happen!! We went out for dinner for my birthday with my sister and her husband and my mom....without the kids. It was nice to enjoy a meal without the interruptions, but we were finished so fast. My sister, mom and I then went on to see Mamma Mia the movie......I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. We all loved it....Pierce Brosnan can't sing at all, but in my opinion that just added to it. I would see that movie again!! Loved it!! I had a great time and it's always nice to be with my family!! Happy Birthday To Me!!! HaHa
Debbie

SISTERS

2008-08-01T16:47:00.004-06:00

We are leaving in a couple of weeks for my brother's wedding and then we are off to B.C. to visit Rod's family.....none of them have met the girls yet. They are very excited to meet new family members and can't wait. I decided that the last thing I wanted to deal with was hair....so we put the braids back in. We added some color this time though. Maya's hair is black so putting a color with a little red in it really suited her. Denaye's hair is more brown so I went with more of a blonde. I think it might be a little too light, but she likes it and that's important. They are both glad to have the braids back in, but we won't be keeping them in as long this time.

PICKING RASPBERRIES

2008-07-25T08:52:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Maya came flying into the house screaming......I thought someone was hurt. She was so excited because the kids discovered that our raspberries were ripe enough to pick and of course eat. The funny thing is that Maya has never had a raspberry before. She just got so caught up in the excitement of it all that she went crazy with excitement. She ate her first raspberry and delcared 'it was good'. Denaye on the other hand had much more fun picking then eating....although she did have her share and the evidence is all over her clothes. We had several neighbourhood children enjoying the harvest......now they are waiting for the next batch to ripen!!!

BUSY BUSY BUSY

2008-07-15T10:11:00.003-06:00

Summer time is here and the kids are enjoying their time off from school. I like the change as well....getting away from the routine of things is nice for awhile. Maya, Sam and Denaye all just finished swimming lessons last friday. Sam was in level 3 and it was way beyond his ablility, however his teacher told me not to worry and that it would force him to improve. She was right.....he didn't pass the level, but he is able to do a lot of stuff that he couldn't just 2 weeks before....very proud of that boy. Maya is like a fish, she took to the water immediately and passed with flying colors. Denaye, the cautious one, actually was able to get over her fear of putting her face in the water. She also loves the water and she is able to move on as well. The kids have now started daycamps this week. It is nice they started because so did the rain, the weather is not very good these days. The high today is only 15 C......that's horrible. Maya now rides a bike. Her dad taught her, she has training wheels because she is not able to balance and pedal at the same time, but it won't be long before the wheels are off.

My brother is getting married in August and we are heading to Saskatchewan for the big event. On our way we are making a stop in Saskatoon to meet with some other bloggie friends who are or have adopted from Ethiopia. I am very excited to meet and talk and get to know them a little bit. The girls are very excited about the wedding. We bought very fancy dresses and fancy shoes so they can't wait to wear them. The rest of us are looking forward to being with family and celebrating with my brother and Shauna. That's it for now. I hope you are all enjoying your summer.

Blessings

Debbie

WE ARE CANADIAN

2008-07-02T11:53:00.009-06:00

We had a great Canada Day!!! The girls received their Canadian citizenship documents the day before Canada Day.....how appropiate. We spent the afternoon at Alberta Beach with Mark and Colleen at their cabin. The weather was beautiful and the kids had a blast going for boat rides and tubing. This was another first for the girls.....they had never seen a lake before or a boat or a tube!! We came back home and headed for the park to watch the fireworks with good friends Howard and Sue and their family. It was a great display and Sam and the girls enjoyed the show a lot. The kids were asleep within seconds of leaving the parking lot......we had a wonderful day. We are so glad that the last of the paperwork is completed for the girls and they are officially Canadians.....it's all good!!! Here are a few pictures of our day.

On the dock at the lake.
Mark and Denaye......she thinks she's driving the boat.

Going for a tube ride.......they had such a blast!!!
WE ARE CANADIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sam and the girls fooling around just before we headed out to the fireworks.

Rod, Debbie, Sam, Denaye and Maya waiting for the fireworks show to begin.
Howard and Sue with our kids seconds before the fireworks began to light up the sky

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE

2008-06-24T08:25:00.002-06:00

Kyle turned 15 on June 18th. He starts high school next year......my little Kyle is becoming a young man. He is such a gentle spirit and a very talented youn man. We are so proud of him and love him very much. Happy birhtday Kyle.
Love from us all....your family.

SUMMER FUN

2008-06-23T09:54:00.007-06:00

On Friday it appeared that summer had arrived. Denaye and I got out the sprinkler and she spent the afternnon running throught it. This was a new experience and she rather liked it. Maya joined her once she got home from school. On Saturday we took the kids to the Legislature Grounds to go swimming in the fountains.....yes you are allowed to swim in the fountains. We were all disppointed though because the fountains were not on, there was a power outage. They played in the water for a couple of hours and liked that as it was very hot out. We will go back another day when the fountains are on so the girls can experience it....I even think it's fun. Sam was especially disppointed as he loves to experience all of the new things with his sisters.......there will be a next time. Denaye in the sprinkler

At the Legislature grounds......usually there is water running over the cement.

This large pool is usually a lot deeper, but because the fountains were'nt on it was only up to our ankles.

They still had fun........they didn't know any different

Dad and Denaye enjoying a snack.

DANCING WITH THE KURTZ'S

2008-06-20T11:55:00.002-06:00

This is pretty much what goes on at our house on a daily basis......lots of dancing!!! The video is a little long, but family will appreciate it. Make sure you check out the moves by Sam!!!

JESSE'S GRADUATION VIDEO

2008-06-16T12:44:00.001-06:00

We put together a video of Jesse's graduation. It will be a nice keepsake for him to look back on and wonder if he really was that goofy!!

DENAYE'S NEW HAIR

2008-06-15T16:24:00.002-06:00

Here are the results of using the relaxer on Denaye's hair. I was so thrilled that I am able to get a comb through their hair now. Denaye loves her new look. After I was finished I took her into the bathroom for the reveal......her response......mommy why am I so pretty!!! It is straighter then Maya's, but it's also not as thick. We are gonna have some fun with new hairstyles.....we've been liberated!!!

IT WORKED!!

2008-06-12T16:17:00.004-06:00

Today my sister and I attempted to straighten Maya's hair. It worked!!! It's not perfectly straight, but I can get a comb through it and it is straight enough that Maya will be able to do other things with her hair. The most important thing is.......Maya loves it. It is amazing how long her hair really is. We are going to do Denaye's hair on saturday now that I know it can be done. I could have left the solution in a bit longer , but was afraid too.......now that I know what to expect next time I will. I have one very pleased little girl!!!!

LOOK NO MORE BRAIDS

2008-06-11T07:56:00.004-06:00

I took out the girl's extensions the other day. Denaye's hair was beginning to look like she had a bird's nest in it and Maya's hair was starting to get sloppy looking. I also wanted to give their hair a break.....they have had the extensions since January. What we discovered was that their hair has grown quite a bit. Maya likes her hair now.....before she cried when we took them out to redo them and so did Denaye. Their hair is a lot longer then it appears in the pictures because of the curls. Maya's biggest concern was that her friends would laugh at her......they didn't, but her brother said she looked like a boy.....siblings!! I like their hair, they just need a relaxer put in it as the curls are so tight I broke a comb trying to get through it. For now they are going to go extension free, but maybe in July we will do it again.....we'll see. Either way I think they look beautiful!!!

WELCOME HOME DUNHAM KIDS

2008-06-09T10:07:00.006-06:00

Rob and Tracy are good friends of ours. We go to the same church......they just got back from Ethiopia where they picked up their children. They are brand new parents to 3 wondeful little kids. Yesterday we invited them over for lunch so we could finally meet the Dunham kids. It has been a long process for them with a few bumps along the way, but that is all behind them now. Our girls were so excited to meet them. They took to each other right away. Maya asked me why Ruth ( the oldest one) speaks like that ( a different language).......it sure didn't take long for Maya to forget her language. I am amazed that she only remembers a few words. Watching the Dunham kids was really interesting for me to see how far our girls have come.....and how well they have adjusted to life in Canada. It won't take long for Rob and Tracy's kids to adjust either. They are already speaking some words in english and they understand a lot of what you are saying. We are so happy for all of them and so glad they are all home safe and sound. God is good!!! To read about their journey click on the link. http://www.freewebs.com/robandtracydunham/ Malachi.....really focused on his potato salad

Kyle and Shay enjoying corn on the cob

Ruthie, Maya, Denaye and Sam

4 little princesses's

Rob, Tracy, Shay, Malachi and Ruthie

Welcome to Canada Dunham children.....were glad you're home!!!

JESSE'S GRADUATION

2008-05-27T16:44:00.002-06:00

Yes it's true Jesse has graduated.......and we all survived!!! Commencements were yesterday and it was a thrill to watch Jesse walk the red carpet to get his diploma. The formal banquet is later this week and should prove to be a great night. Congratulations Jesse, we are proud of you!!
Love mom and Dad

JESSE'S 18TH BIRTHDAY

2008-05-26T09:30:00.011-06:00

Jesse is 18 years old today. Where has the time gone. My little boy is becoming a man.....I am just so thankful we all survived!!! Jesse has kept our lives full of laughter, frustration, pride, frustration, joy, frustration.....you get the picture. He is a unique individual and is very talented when it comes to music and writing. He is also graduating this year and moving on to another chapter in his life. We are so proud of him and the man he is becoming. I know he has big dreams and we are 100% behind those dreams. His journey through life will take him through many roads and I know whatever he decides to do he will do it well because he is a big dreamer. We celebrated Jesse's birthday at breakfast because there is just no other time....grad is happening this week. Rod and I got up early and cooked an outstanding meal.....pancakes with strawberries and whip cream, sausage, omelets, fresh friut, frit juice with little umbrellas in the cups and croissants. Then we topped it off with an icecream cake from DairyQueen.....all before 8:00 a.m. We also took this opportunity to announce to everyone that instead of a big christmas (presents) we are taking a trip to Hawaii!!! We are going with some friends, so it will be a blast!! It was a great way to start the day off!! Maya now wants to be a hula dancer!!

Happy Birthday Jesse....we love you very much!!!

Jesse would say....great presentation!!!

I made a poster announcing our trip and we all wore grass skirts and leisDenaye and Maya don't really know what the trip is all about, but they understand going on an airplane. They just got caught up in the excitement of it all.

My 2 hula boys!!!

.......all this before 8:00 a.m. not bad.

Musician Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter killed in accident

2008-05-23T14:03:00.003-06:00

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman lost their youngest daughter in a tragic accident. As many of you know the Chapman's are big advocates for adoption. Their 3 youngest daughters were adopted from China. It is such a sad story and hard to understand why something like this would happen. My heart and prayers goes out to the Chapman family......in times like these the best thing we can do is pray.

This video is a song written by Steven about a real life moment with his girls....it makes you think.

Here is a website link you can access to read about the story. http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/musician_steven_curtis_chapman.html

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENAYE

2008-05-10T15:35:00.007-06:00

Today we celebrated Denaye's birhtday. Her birthday is actually on May 15th, but we had her party today. She has watched her cousins, her brother, her sister and even her dad celebrate their birthday. She has asked me everyday since she realized what a birthday was if it was "my happy birthday". Today was no exception. She tiptoed into my room early this morning, got about an inch from my face and asked me "is it my happy birthday" I could finally answer yes!!! She was so excited. We went to Chuck E Cheese and had a great time with family. Denaye was so happy that finally it was her turn. She ate pizza, blew out candles, played games, danced, won prizes, opened presents and hugged Chuck E Cheese....what more could a girl want. We bought her a bike which was on the top of her list. It was good fun for everyone!!

NEW EXPERIENCE

2008-05-03T22:09:00.008-06:00

Today was a beautiful spring day. We took advantage of the weather and took the 3 youngest of our children to Kinsmen Park. This was a first for Denaye and Maya.....when we arrived home back in September 2007 the weather was just turning cold and no time for parks. The girls loved the HUGE slide and Sam felt important showing them around and how to use the play equipment. Denaye had her first experience with sand......kind of sad to think she has never seen it before. She tiptoed very gently at first and then was running through it as if she had done it all her life. She told me she wanted to go to the beach and build a sandcastle....something else they have never done yet. Maya of course has seen sand in her playground at school so this was nothing special to her, but the park is huge, so she was delighted with everything. The big slide!!!!

Denaye who is usually cautious went down all by herself and giggled the whole way. Sam the ever protective big brother is always there for Denaye.

Denaye's first experience with sand.......she was cautious at first.

I love this picture....Maya is in a tube that you climb through.

Denaye always has to wear sunglasses.......she 's so funny.
Walking across the river on the bridge.

SPRING IS HERE.......I THINK!!!

2008-04-27T19:51:00.003-06:00

We bought the kids a new playhouse. It is actually called Town Centre because there is a house, gas station, restaurant, soccer net and basket ball hoop all attached to this house. The walls swing open to expand and the kids just loved it. They had a blast playing in it all day today. It was a beautiful spring day and only a little bit of snow left after our blizzard last weekend. What a difference in one week.....only Alberta!!!

Too Cool for words!!!

Maya loves to pose for the camera...what a diva!!!

SNOW IN APRIL......ONLY ALBERTA

2008-04-22T16:56:00.003-06:00

It has been snowing for 3 days........this is unbelievable. We have more snow now then we had during the winter. It finally stopped about 2 hours ago. Maya is totally disgusted with the snow and has commanded me to go outside and make the snow go away!! I wish it was that simple. The pictures below were taken on april 22, 2008.......it's supposed to be spring. Last week we were in sandals and capris and this week, well look for yourself!! I have seen it snow many times in Alberta in April and even in May, but I have not seen it last this long. The weather is expected to stay cold for at least another 2-3 days. We have been shovelling for 3 days now.....only in Alberta!!!!!!!!!!!

RECKLESS FAITH

2008-04-21T11:48:00.002-06:00

This is a great video of a woman who talks about reckless faith and the needs of millions of orphans around the world. It's a little long, but it is so good!!! Take the time to watch it and share it....it will inspire you.

SWEET DENAYE

2008-04-13T15:16:00.002-06:00

This morning Denaye said mommy come here......I bent down and she whispered in my hear "Guess what.....I love you" What a precious moment....it meant so much more then just I love you. Denaye is the sweetest little girl with a beautiful smile. She has her dad wrapped around her little finger. What a blessing these girls are to all of us.