It's been a entire year...

A year.  Wow.

This pic is twenty minutes after we met them.

And now they are ours.  Our sons.  Forever.

 The day they came home!

A year later...

A year ago we went and picked them up at the airport... not knowing what to expect.

We got two very nervous, very malnourished, little guys.

We had no idea how much they would change our lives... add to it really.

We cannot imagine life without them now.  :)

We are all so blessed.  A year went by so fast!!

Happy Homecoming Boys!!  Welcome to the rest of your wonderful life!!

Balloons in our Backyard

 Imagine my surprise seeing this out the back window!

 Standing at our fence, looking across 141, this balloon was super close to our house.

It was eleven minutes of excitement for all the boys as it moved all the way down our backyard fence line parallel with 141.  It was crazy low and looked like it was going to drag a roof or a tree, before it set down.  Crazy!  It was fun for them to see one so close to our house. 

What happens when you fall off the radar...

Well, truthfully...lots!

When I am not blogging, my husband has more of me and so do my children.  Right now, it's wee hours of morning and I am not sleeping while everyone else is... And it is snuggly under my covers, so here I am!

We are simply super busy... And the times I could write a blog, I am probably painting or cooking instead, sorry.  This morning I left the space heater off in the studio, so it's too cold to go out there and work!  I will go to class later this morning and get my studio time in.

The boys are doing fabulously in school.  M2 and T are having great success and communicating well in English and fitting in fabulously.  My small guy is loving preschool.  Tall girl is enjoying her college classes and working almost full time too.  That's one way to buy a car!  Every day is a happy frenzy of activity.

Everyone is looking forward to the upcoming holidays.  Especially Christmas!!

How Fall is slipping through our grasp...

Fall is upon us and quickly showing it's colors and will be moving along...

We have been back home from Latvia for a month now and I have yet to blog.   sorry about that. :)  The boys are in school and I have been super busy trying to keep up with them and the fall garden.  I will blog a real post with pictures soon!

Why yes we did go and finalize...

Finalized our Adoption!

I simply have not had time to post since school started.
We are busier than ever!

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!

We love you guys!!

First Fish and other camping tales ...

It's a big one!

Caught on a minnow.

M likes this camping fishing dealio!

Tall found a high spot
(I would not let her slide down!)
and two smalls play in the water!

Catching minnows and swimming!

Small and Small having a blast!

Smores!

What in it mom? WOW!

Burying people in the sand (with friends)

Smores, yes please!!

Medium LOVED the fishing part
he spent most days faithfully fishing!!

M's first fish!!

the really really late post

My medium boy turned 9!

(it was two months ago :)

We had yummy Yoshi cupcakes!

We took the family to play mini golf!
Mr. Medium had a fabulous time!!

Happy Happy Birthday!!

Happy Happy 10th Birthday Kristine!!

Daudz laimes dzimšanas dienā Kristīne!!

Lovely (HOT HOT HOT) Day and other various images

All the children at the new Sea Lion sound
St. Louis Zoo

The Underwater tunnel is gorgeous!

Tall, showing off her new horse shirt!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately... busy summer. :)

Happy Name Day!!

Kristine, we hope you have a very Happy Name Day!!

Picking Fresh Blueberries

Often ends up with fresh blueberry pie... or in this case, Blueberry sour cream pie!!

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

Pastry Pie Shell
8 oz sour cream
6 Tablespoons flour, divided
3/4 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pint blueberries (2 Cups)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine sour cream, 2 Tbsp flour, sugar, almond extract, salt and egg.  Whisk until smooth.  Stir in blueberries, spoon filling into pie crust.  Smooth filling with spatula.  Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.
Prepare topping.  Combine remaining flour, pecans and butter in bowl. Sprinkle over pie filling.
Bake another 10 minutes, cover crust with pie ring to prevent browning.   Let cool before serving.
Try some french vanilla ice cream over it.

You're Welcome!!

Fantastic Blueberry Sour Cream Pie!!

...yes pictures...

Dining out

View of the frozen Daugava River from our apartment

Dresses I knew Tall would love

Yes in the pastry shop, oranges.

Statue park

Site of the First Christmas Tree, Riga Latvia

Rooster is the symbol in Riga

This was a very interesting themed restaurant  decorated outside and in.

Inside the medieval restaurant the boys are unwrapping their bread

Throne

the stairway was too cool

Medieval Princess

There was a well in the middle of the restaurant

Inside of the front door.