3 Stripes for Zakary

January 26 2010
Zakary is still enjoying his tae Kwon Do class,he goes twice a week and really loves that he is working on his body and getting strong.
This eve,Dad had dropped him off and gone with Laurel to run some reeands. WHen he returned,Zak was staring out the window smiking from ear to ear holding his TKD belt with YES!! his third stripe. He is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy and proud of himself. He knows the school pledge(which is quite qordy and very long)and can participate with that all on his own. He is i do believe the youngest in the class,if not the youngest the next to the youngest,most of the kids are more schooll age. WE are thrilled with his progress,next testing time he will be working towards his yellow belt.

Winter Festival Levenworth Wa,jan 2010

Last week we flew to Seattle Wa and rented a car to drive over the pass to Levenworth where Stans cousins live. easch year that weekend they have their winter festival,fireworks,activities down town and alot of snow.
The kids had a great time playing in the snow outside the house,it snowed quite hard one night and we woke to the lights of the snow plow trucks. FUN.
We arrived home to this tremendous storm here in California,flying into Sacramento saved us many delays from our understanding. We had a great time.

wooops!!! missed a good gym shot!

January 2010

Zakary is becoming quite the artist. he loves to paint,draw and does quite well.
he really enjoys his paint eisle(SP?)
also have added just some other cute pics to update you,enjoy!
Happy New Year to you all.
WE are off to Levenworth WA next weekend to play in the snow with Cousin Frank,Janeen,Julie and enjoy some cold!!! we will update and post pics from that later on

January 2010

Here are some new pics from Laurels gym class,she was off for vacation for two weeks and couldnt wait to get back to work.

January 2010

So many of you know that we have had some very positive changes with the new year at our house. We have been working very hard on the kids,esp Zakary, going to bed with his sister,alone without mom having to lie down with them each and every night.
Laurel was always a very good sleeper from the day we got home with her,in her crib and no probs but poor little Zak was another story,older at adoption,more abandonments and more time to know what was going on and he just couldnt detach at bedtime to go to sleep with out help.
So,i have to admit that i am using cash to get this to work,as a job would be described,i have talked about how the harder the job,the more reward,or pay and since this is a very hard job for Zak money at least to start seemed the best way to work it. Long story short, almost a whole week now,they go in,lay down,i sit on the couch where he can hear me and even see me if he needs to. The first night or two he got up,just came to the door to be sure that i was still here and went back to get into bed. First night,he woke and came to get into bed with us about 3 am,no big deal and much improvement. Now they go to sleep,hasnt needed to get up to actually see me and has slept alllllllllllllll night in his bed,some nights he and laurel have shared their big bed and some they have slept in their own beds(same room).
Its been cold here as well so they have some really funny outfits to wear at bed time.

the new kitchen and a picnic with the babies dec 2009

It is just really so awesome to have two kids the same exact age. yes!! it is tough at time,yes its frustrating at atime but all in all,it is amazing and awesome.
We are so lucky also that zakary and laurel are such great frineds,the jut love eachother and its nice now that they are in school seperatly as well as sports seperatly so they have their own thing at the same time share so much together.
they are both totally enjoying the new kitchen that Santa brought for laurel,its so great cuz they both play together for long long periods of time and have so much fun.
here they have prepared and now are having a HUGE picnic with their babies,the table is set with alllllllllllll sorts of food and they are enjoying it all.