Coming home. It's been literally years since I last posted on here. in fact, I wasn't sure if I even remembered the name of my webpage, my password, or anything....but, it looks like things are still intact and the #jag7 is still in the cyber abyss. So, you will have to bear with me as I re-learn how to blog, how to fix my beautiful homepage ;) and spend time on this again when it allows. But most importantly, writing and getting back to something along this avenue has been calling to me. And don't worry, if you followed me before, you can unfollow me if you aren't feeling the same calling to read anything I write, lol!

I've loved journaling since I was a kid, and I still love looking back and reading things and remembering how far life has changed, but also stayed the same. I love remembering the people who were in my life back then, now and seeing how lives have turned out so far. Blogging then became that next outlet for me, and it was perfect with the stories of our young family and our adoption process and meeting some amazing other people through it. Then facebook came and took on a life of its own and with the five kids, I think that became a quicker bandaid and solution...although, you will find many of my Facebook and Instagram posts are pretty longwinded, lol! I find myself scrolling through the timeline on FB to see when things happened because I have the worst memory and I just miss the order and neatness of this.

I guess I also feel like this is a point in my life that I have more that I want to share too. I have always felt that when I am open and authentic, it helps others and I want to share and be open with the good and the bad of my autoimmune diseases constantly try and weigh me down. Sometimes they get the best of me, and sometimes they don't....I've mentioned in a previous post about my #alopecia . Some smaller, but annoying IBS gut stuff and Raynauds, and then the big mother fucker, Multiple Sclerosis, which I was diagnosed with a handful of years ago I think officially, but I haven't accepted it until the recent years (off and on).

*sidenote:Yep. I swore. Yes, I still believe in Jesus. I don't swear often but when I do, it's for effect or it means something big, but not all the time. I tried to teach my kids that there are so many words out there that they don't need to use the ugly ones, the ones that offend many and are considered swear words unless they really are needed in that part of the sentence. Why even use them? But my kids are now 14-20, so they have their own minds now and I can't control how they talk when I'm not around or even when I am, ugh. So...there's my long sidetone, I believe I needed it there for more than one reason*

So....this blog will be about this new season of life. 45years old now. 3 kids still at home with us. 2 off at college. Shop owner for me Flicka. Pastor for Daron at Alive Covenant Church. Multiple Sclerosis trying to kick my butt, but I am not letting it. I will catch you all up in the next one, but many of my symptoms have gotten better after eating better and trying to eat as clean, organic, and GMO free as I can. There is lots more....but I need to get to work and I had to start somewhere!

2011 Christmas card 13 Dec 2011 6:43 PM (13 years ago)

Picture Tree Christmas

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Hello!!! Remember me? :) I don't know what I have been doing lately, but obviously not blogging! I haven't even checked blogs in months. Shocking. I know. This fall has been a fun one with lots of birthdays and soccer. We have had four birthdays in the house in the last month, five if you count the summer, all five kids played soccer this fall with two on traveling teams, and all are in school(with three different schedules!).

Here are some pictures to help me document what has been going on this fall and catch you up to speed. That is, unless you are on Facebook! ;) Facebook is just so quick and easy!

Kir & I got to go to the store opening of Hot Mama and watch Kristina in action.

At the end of the summer, Greta and Justus's soccer teams both came in first place in a soccer tournament.

She just makes me smile, so I had to post this picture. :) This was her trial outfit for back to school(I told her she needed something longer on)

Kristina came to visit and Kwame(as well as the rest of the kids, love her).

This is how you do pre-teen bday parties. Give them airsoft guns and let them go to town. ;) Yeah right!

Kristina's protege's :)

Loved this idea that I stole from my friend Anji and Becky and I was so happy the the kids humored me. If you wonder why Fia's number is so small, it is because I thought I had a 2nd grader and ran out of poster board, so I had to cut the 2 down to a 1. LOL! And yes, I am saving these numbers and just adding on the missing digits.

Our school mascot-an ORCA!

My mom and I got to road trip down and do some shopping together too at Hot Mama. Super fun!

Myself and these lovely ladies(plus Joyce who's taking the picture) got to get away on a Women's Retreat for a weekend. Lots of great times with late night chatting, worship, canoeing, paddleboarding, and maybe some trouble. ;)

Daron took his annual Fall Harvest trip back to the farm in MN and this year it was Greta's turn to go with and help. She got on the combine a little bit, but I think she mostly helped watch the kids with Grandma, which she thought was fun too! It's so neat that her Aunt Sarah is doing the farming with Grandpa now.

Fia is the first of the fall birthdays and she turned 7!!! I can't believe when I first saw her picture she was only 3! Time has gone so quickly.

Fia is in 1st grade now and doing a fantastic job. She seems to get an award every other day for her hard work and helpful spirit. She is such a good friend to everyone!

Fia had a birthday party and got to have some of her friends come and play for a couple of hours. What a blast they had!

Ella was the next birthday and she turned 9!! I can't believe it! Ella is in third grade now and loves music and art. For her birthday party, she decided to have a cooking party, so we made ice cream, smoothies, and had fondue. We also went on a hike up to the local park and got to run around for a bit too on a beautiful October day.

This was the last game of the season for Ella. She had a great team and alot of fun. Fia and Kwame had a fun season too with a few of their friends and a great coach(haha-me!) Greta and Justus are still playing through December.

Halloween-enough said.

'Double you pleasure, double your fun' -Randi and I were the Doublemint Twins for a GNO and we had a good time! She made the shirts and these awesome sparkly skirts for us, but I don't have another picture on my computer now, so this will have to do!

Greta and Daron's birthdays were next and they always go on a date on the day between their birthdays. They had a great time and I think Greta felt special on her 11th birthday.

And Daron, well, this was his 40th birthday!!! Enough said. ;)

One major downer this winter was that Grandma Bev broke her foot in many places this fall, so she has been off her foot and healing for a LONG time. So, one day off of school, we grabbed her and took her on our errands. Of course, Starbucks was the 1st stop for us. :)

One major highlight this fall was meeting Steven Curtis Chapman again. We went to his concert and got to volunteer at the www.showhope.org booth. Show Hope gave us a large grant to help bring Fia and Kwame home and while we were at the concert, they asked if we could go up on stage as an example of where the money they raise for Show Hope goes. Of course we said yes and the kids were nervous and excited at the same time. SCC is an amazing person, and we had the best time getting to talk to him again and listen to his music. Josh Wilson and Andrew Peterson were also there too. Amazing musicians and great storytellers, so we were also thrilled to see them in perform in person and also meet Andrew Peterson after the concert.

SCC performing songs and answering questions at a Q&A before the concert

Up on stage....

I was touched by this...Justus 'dressed up' on Veteran's Day in honor of his Uncle Joel who is currently deployed in the army.

Well, there you have it! There is obviously more that I have left out, but this is already a super long post! We are healthy and with have a lot of thankfulness in our hearts as we come up to Thanksgiving tomorrow. I am so thankful for my family, friends, and good food and football that we get to experience tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Our Toyota Safety Video 23 Jul 2011 7:33 AM (14 years ago)

I don't know if you remember that we did a safety video for Toyota last summer, but they have it on their website right now. There are actually two that they have on there that are smaller versions of the one they sent to us. So, just in case you wanted to see our Toyota debut, here it is:
Toyota Safety video

And here is the one that is specifically our family(they only problem is they spelled our name wrong!):
Jagodzinske Toyota video

Check it out and let me know what you think....if you are ever at our house, the full version is better I think. Daron thinks I say that because I was showcased more, could be! ;)

Daron's Mayo Adventure 8 Jul 2011 7:12 AM (14 years ago)

I am sitting in Caribou coffee now, waiting to get a page saying that Daron is in his angiogram procedure. Technology is so amazing now with what they can do. They are going to first do an ultrasound of arteries to test out the blood flow to see if the artery that is 40% blocked with plaque is the cause of his chest pains. Then they are going to put the dye in to do the more common angiogram and hopefully we will get some answers with this. A couple weeks ago, when he had the angiogram, they went through the artery in the groin, and it was a painful recovery that is still actually bothering him(maybe TMI, but this is all medical, so don't read if you don't want to-haha!) This time, they will go from his right wrist, and he will be able to use it fully again with no limitations on Sunday. He will be in a conscious sedation where the nurse said it will be like he drank 3 martinis-he will know what is going on, but won't care! All this makes me a bit nervous, to be honest, because they have to share all the risks- and they are working with his heart!!So, I am going to be very relieved when I see him in a couple of hours. All I can do is pray, trust, and try not to waste any time worrying because I know that will get me nowhere!

After the angiogram, he will have a couple other procedures at the main Mayo building (right now we are at St. Mary's-a sister hospital). There is something about the Mayo building that is so spiritual, so I look forward to the other appts. being there. Most hospitals you go into and it doesn't necessarily feel 'good.' They feel dark, scary, old, stinky, etc...here you walk in and it is just different. It is a gorgeous facility. The ceilings are high, the artwork is beautiful, and the rooms are state of the art....but there is something more, I really sense God there. As we were talking with our wonderful hosts last night, both Daron and the couple also separately said it is something they sensed as well. I think part of it is that most of the people that are there are going through something very serious and prayers are being sent up like crazy every second. The physician was also a Christian, and you can just see it in how many of the staff intertwine talking about the doctors, as well as Our Physician and Our Creator. Of course, they don't speak freely about religion until they find out Daron is a pastor, but you can sense it in them, they are more than just 'Minnesota nice.' Yesterday, in the beautiful atrium, there was either a patient or a family member that looked like he was blind. He was playing the baby grand piano that they have there for people to play on and so many people had stopped to listen and enjoy. It was quiet and no one was moving. He was AMAZING and I got goosebumps. Each time I walked by the piano(which was at least 6 times), someone was playing, and it was so touching. And lastly, I know another reason we feel God's presence here is because so many people have emailed or responded on facebook saying they are praying/thinking about us. We really FEEL those and we are thankful for you.

Still haven't gotten a page that he is in the procedure, but I am guessing it will be soon. I'll update on the procedure either in the comments or with a new blog post here if you are wondering....oh, just got the page at 10;08am :) Pray please.

AMY WON!! WOO HOO!!! 24 May 2011 11:56 AM (14 years ago)

She won!!! Amy won the Macy's Million Dollar Makeover! Thanks so much for helping her win by voting for her. I know my kids and I got some callous's on our fingers, but they were well worth it! ;) Haha...We are so excited for her. Watch the video and see ALL the amazing things she gets on top of the MILLION DOLLARS!!! Click here to see the you tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbCfRBVHrbY&feature=share

VOTE for AMY!! 29 Mar 2011 9:27 PM (14 years ago)

*** Update! Amy made it to the final 2 of the Macy's Million Dollar Makeover. Voting ends tomorrow night and this address below attached to the NEW video is WAY faster! Go to this link to vote faster! http://www.facebook.com/Macys?sk=app_127966423934872

Please spread the word! Thanks! ***

My friend Amy, who is now a real friend, but used to be just a cyber friend ;), who also adopted from Ghana, is now in the running to win a MILLION DOLLAR MAKEOVER from MACY'S! She was selected as one of eight out of almost a billion (maybe a slight exaggeration) people to compete in this contest. The only way you can vote for her is to go onto Macy's Facebook page, so if you don't have Facebook, but want to hear all about it, you can click over to Amy's Blog here. If you do have a Facebook account, you can also click over to her blog to learn more about her family and what she plans on doing if she wins...OR just click here to go right to the Macy's Page. Please Vote! She has a few days left and you can vote as many times as you want! (Plus, every time you vote, you get your name entered in a $500 Macy's gift card).

A few fun facts about Amy to leave you with:

* She has lost 60 lbs in the last year (lots of it by playing the wii and dancing, WITH her kids!)

* She is a Kindergarten teacher and her husband is an art teacher

* They adopted 3 siblings from Ghana to add to their 2 biological!

* She is very FUNNY!

* She has a big heart and plans on 'sharing her wealth' by starting after school enrichment programs AND assisting in raising money for older children and sibling group adoptions.

AND LASTLY......

* They will need to move back into their 1000 sq. home with one bath soon, UNLESS we help her win this!

Adorable Handmade Dolls & More 22 Mar 2011 5:02 PM (14 years ago)

Meet Thaddea!

If you are an etsy fan, you may have already seen this great new shop that has opened. It is called Apple Strudel and they make some of the cutest and most creative dolls and more! Full disclosure: The owners of this shop are friends of mine, but I have always been amazed by their creativity. Candace has been making some of the most beautiful hairbands for the my girls, as well as snack bags, and her work is fantastic. Then recently, my other friend, ChristyAnn, made over a dozen brown skinned dolls to donate to an African orphanage and I think after all the feedback she got, she got the itch to keep going! Now, the two of them have joined creative forces and are working together as Apple Strudel!

Check out their shop! I especially love all the dolls with brown skin, as I have had a hard time finding cute, unique ones! There are so many cute white dolls out there, but it is hard to find ones that look like my beautiful Fia. Remember that they are all handmade, so if they are out of a certain style, they will continually come out with more. And...if you know you want a doll with a certain hair color that you don't see, I would email them and ask if they have any in production. (Hopefully, if they read this, they will agree and not hate me!) :)

A Month in Review 1 Mar 2011 2:10 PM (14 years ago)

Well, I have gotten very bad at keeping up here, but there is still so much that I want to document, so that when I look back at these blog posts, I can remember all that we did as a family.

At the beginning of February, we celebrated the Jag 7 two year anniversary! It was two years ago, on February 6, that my mom and I brought Fia and Kwame home from Ghana to join our family forever. The time went quickly and at the same time it feels like they have always been a part of our lives. We are so fortunate to have them in our lives and all our kids are such blessings individually and together. They LOVE each other so much, and I am proud of that. To celebrate this year, we had a Super Bowl Party! ;) I felt bad at first that it was the same day, but then I realized that there is nothing more that our family would like than to hang out with friends and family! So, it actually was really fun and special. We also asked Fia and Kwame what they would like for a special breakfast and they chose Swedish pancakes (too bad I don't have any Ghanaian pancake recipes!). We also gave them each a soccer ball that we had been saving from when we were in Ghana. They were so excited to have their own and they couldn't wait to go and play with them.

Love the slogans on all things 'Ghana'!

Later in the month, Mary and Maynad (Grandma and Grandpa Farm) came to visit from MN. It is always a highlight for our family to have them come and visit. This time they stayed at a hotel for the first couple nights for the kids to be able to take turns sleeping over, use the pool, and take part in the extravagent buffets that they have at this casino/hotel. The kids loved it (and so did we)! We also got to take them to Greta's soccer game, Justus's basketball game, marimba practice, a OneStepIn project for church, and take part in a romantic(haha) Valentine's Day dinner(king crab legs) at our house. One highlight for me was that they took us to a chinese restaurant. I don't know the last time that I had been to chinese and I don't think the kids ever had, so it was so much fun for us all to practice eating with the chopsticks together, as well as try out some great new food. Basically, they spoiled us with things we don't always get to do, so I was thankful. Daron and Maynard also took care of some of our odds and end projects that needed to be done, so the house looks SO much better with the upgrades.

Looks like they had fun at the movies!

How lucky to have both sets of grandparents together in one place!

Ella, pretending she is a OLD! :) Cracks me up!

These wonderful ladies came one morning, instead of us doing our Bible study, to help me clean out my garage. It was AMAZING how fast we got it organized and straightened up so I could (for the FIRST in 4 years)get our car in the garage. Very impressive! And, I have to say that three weeks later, the car is still in the garage! :)

Last week, I took Greta for her bi-yearly check-up into the Children's Hospital to see how her growth plate was healing in her elbow area. Well, we had GREAT news. They said that it looks totally normal now and we don't have to come back any longer. When this happened, two years ago, they said she would have to come back every 6 months until she stopped growning and then she would need surgery. Well, it's HEALED and we are thrilled. The only problem...Greta and I were liking our guilt free trips that we had to go into the city for...we might have to keep it going to celebrate.

We also got to throw a surprise party for my niece's birthday. The cousins had so much fun and I think she was excited after the initial bewilderment of the surprise. She didn't realize that all the questions about her favorite food and dessert were for this. Super fun! And no, the adults didn't eat the mac n cheese, we got some delicious sliders that Brad made(right Dad?)!

Overall, we had a fantastic month, full of family and fun. Coming up this month....Alive Covenant Church is celebrating our 5th anniversary this Sunday! I am so excited. If you live in the area and have ever wanted to check it out, this is the Sunday to do it. 4:56pm at the Sons of Norway!

Daddy Daughter Dance 12 Feb 2011 7:08 PM (14 years ago)

(Do I have posers or WHAT???!!)

It's that time of year again and the three girls just left on a date with their Dad for the annual Daddy/Daughter dance. The girls got ready without Daron seeing them and he drove around the block, rang the doorbell, and whisked them off to the dance. I am sure they are having a great time together now dancing away with all their friends (and their dad) and I can't wait to hear all about it. The girls were so excited and they all looked beautiful! To be honest, the primping part was a little crazy and I can definitely wait to have three teenage girls getting ready for a dance!

Another Year....Another Birthday! Happy 37th to Me! 5 Feb 2011 9:35 PM (14 years ago)

So, I just had my birthday and I had a great time! Fortunately for you, I didn't get a picture of my breakfast in bed! Yea, I know you really want it, but luckily, they forgot. Ella did video me, but I think I will save that for our personal video collection. In case you are wondering, my family treated me to some eggs, toast, grape juice(ha ha!I think it was left over from communion), coffee, and the new favorite....browned jalapeno cheddar summer sausage! :) It is a new hit!

My birthday fell on a Monday, so Daron and I actually went out to celebrate a couple days before it for dinner. An amazing family from our church actually gave us gift cards to a Seattle restaurant for Christmas AND offered to take ALL five kids overnight! I asked what time she wanted the kids and she said noon! Seriously???Yes! Then, she said to come back the next day to get them around 11 and she would have brunch for us too! Wow, this woman is a saint and I am SO thankful for their generosity. They really treated us to something special. Daron and I had a great time in the city for dinner and I even went in early for a haircut, where they also pampered me with a complimentary foot massage/soak. The next morning it was such a treat to wake up to a quiet house, enjoy our quiet breakfast, and QUIET coffee(are you catching my drift?).

The day of my birthday, after my breakfast in bed and kids were off to school, my mom took me to Port Townsend for the day. My dear friend, Johnene, watched the littles, and we were able to get away for the majority of the day. It was blissful! (Now, I know I keep saying that it is wonderful and blissful to be without my kids. I need to let you know that I LOVE having my kids around the majority of the time, but I also enjoy some alone time too-so thank you to those that made it happen!) I love spending time with my mom, so it was wonderful to just take our time, enjoy our lunch, coffee of course, and do a little shopping too!

For my birthday dinner with my family and parents, I got to have a favorite; London broil! Daron made a delish meal with yummy potatoes, salad, beans, wine, etc....and finished it off with a creme' brule cheesecake that was a hit(for everyone but me since I don't like cheesecake or creme brule-shhhh!!!) But, in case you are feeling bad for me, don't! My friend Tracy W. (lucky for me!) took pity, and the next day when she realized I didn't have a chocolate cake(my favorite), she whipped one up and dropped it by. It was delish! A homemade chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate shavings...can't get any more chocolate than that, huh?

I am thankful for my family & friends. It was great to hear from so many. I know Facebook is overwhelming and time consuming, but it was fun to get messages from lots of people that are from my past and present, how fun is that?! On the flipside, I guess I am also still old school, as I really appreciated the phone calls I received from family and friends. It was especially cute to hear my nieces and nephews sing to me! Thanks to all that called, messaged, and sent letters. It meant so much to me on my 37th birthday!

Don't mind my hair, I just took my hat off!

Have You Decorated Yet? I Have! 27 Jan 2011 9:28 PM (14 years ago)

So, I am just feeling the need to brag a little. I think I am the first person to already have Christmas decorations up.....anyone else? Didn't think so. Well, to be honest, I don't have a tree yet. I think we will wait until at least November to purchase the tree, but I thought if I ~~keep up the decorations~~ decorate for Christmas now, I will be ahead of the gang and not get heart palpitations the day after Thanksgiving when everyone declares on Facebook that they already have the house decorated, Christmas cards sent out, and presents bought and wrapped! So there. I am ready and proud. One more thing to check off my list (actually two if you count putting away the decorations-shhh).

What else is on my list you ask? Well, I am trying to go from room to room de-cluttering and re-organizing. Now that I have said that on here, I am now accountable to you! So far, I have gone through a HUGE basket of papers in the kitchen, as well as the back-up basket because the first one was so full. I now have only 5 papers in the basket and they are supposed to be there! For most people this might not take that much time, but I am one of those people that has a hard time getting rid of things...I think it might come in handy later. I am sure most of the stuff I will never use again, but lucky for me I did keep some of my favorite clothing items from Ella and Greta that Fia can now use even though I thought we were only going to adopt a boy. I also saved some of my professional suits and now the jackets are in style again...OH OH, and probably my best save are my high school cowboy boots that made a certain cute lady pretty popular last year at the auction(and it wasn't me)! My suspenders haven't come back in style yet, but when they do, I am ready.

Are you a saver or a pitcher? What do you still have that you are glad you didn't throw out? Or, what did you get rid of that you wish you wouldn't have? And don't worry, I won't be on Hoarders anytime soon!\

Okay, I got distracted in this post. I just wanted to let you know that if you come to my house and see Christmas decorations up, don't pity me. Don't think, wow, she can't keep up with her house, she has alot of kids, or she needs help. Don't judge me. Just be impressed with me. Be impressed that I am so ingenious and that I have already decorated for Christmas!

First Words to Chapter Books 20 Jan 2011 2:14 PM (14 years ago)

My kindergartner has had a hard time memorizing her letters and beginning to read, but it is fun to see her finally get it and feel proud of herself. At the beginning of the year Fia only knew a few letters and would get SO frustrated if she couldn't remember them. Now, she remembers all the letters and is starting to sound them out. After sitting for over 30 minutes yesterday(tears and all), we finished her homework and I think she really understood what she was doing! It is a huge breakthrough! The smile at the end was priceless. After we finished with the homework, I had her go and show her dad how she was sounding out 8 of the basic first words in kindergarten. She came back and said, "I read them ALL to dad. Should I start reading chapter books now?" :) Gotta love her determination! Soon Fia. Very soon!

Post-Bedtime Snowextravaganza 11 Jan 2011 10:05 PM (14 years ago)

Let me start out this post reminding you all that we live in the Pacific Northwest, so when snow comes, it is usually gone the next day, so you have got to take advantage of it if you want to play in it.

The other thing about living in the Pacific Northwest, is that you realize that many people freak out about snow here. Like *go stock up on groceries if 1 inch of snow is in the forecast* kind of freak out. Not everyone does that, my friends are tough! :) Well, to add to the everyday freak-outers, the news has been having a heyday with this storm prediction for the last couple of days. They said snow would come today around 4pm and then rain in the morning with 40degree temps. Well, 4pm came and went and no snow(even though many school districts had already cancelled all after school events)!

We ended up putting the kids to bed and then POW!, it was crazy snowing within the hour. So, after I was done cleaning up the kitchen and it looked like at least 2 inches outside, I said to Daron that we should wake the kids up and go for a walk and play in the snow. He agreed and we surprised the kids. All but Justus thought it was a great idea. Justus was confused and said he was tired. Ha! He just kept saying, "I don't get it... why?" I told him I thought it would be a fun memory and the snow might be gone by morning. He finally agreed! :)

The kids loved it! We spent about 30 minutes sledding on the hill(road-haha!) near us, then went back and made a gigantic snowman! The kids loved it and kept saying thank you. It was so cute! Hopefully we will still have snow in the morning, but if not, they got to enjoy this time together....and, they may have part of a snowman to show for it in the morning!

My Smorgasbord of Life at the Moment 10 Jan 2011 7:09 PM (14 years ago)

Okay, I need to write a new post. I am just completely overwhelmed though, so I don't know where to begin. I don't want to complain either, because in the grand scheme of things, my family is healthy, we have a house, we have food, I have a loving husband, good friends, etc, etc...but I am just tired! I don't know if it's my age(I am almost 37 you know...), or having a large family(7 is large for me), post Christmas depression(I want a snow day!!!), or just all the stuff that is overflowing on my plate. And honestly, I don't really have anything big on my plate, just a smorgasbord of life. And sometimes, some of those meatballs on that smorgasbord plate are piled on more than I can handle. I guess that's how I feel right now. I like looking at my plate for the most part...I like the lingonberries and the meatballs, I like the korv and the lefse, but on my Swedish/Norwegian smorgasbord plate, there is a bit of pickled herring on it that I don't like, as well as some lutefisk. And they are really stinking it up! I need to get rid of the stuff I don't like, or at least figure out how to make it so I enjoy it better. I know life isn't all about being happy. Life is hard. We have to make choices. I just am tired of the lutefisk right now.

Ahhhhh...now, I feel better! I think just getting it out there, even if it is in a bit of a riddle format with my smorgasbord analogy helps. Sorry for the downer, but it is real life.

God Jul och Gott Nytt Ar(Merry Christmas & Happy New Year in Swedish) 24 Dec 2010 5:28 PM (14 years ago)

Merry Christmas to all our blogging friends! May you have peace, love, laugher and God's spirit throughout the holiday and into the new year!

Love,

Kristin

Happy 5th Birthday Kwame! 24 Dec 2010 5:21 PM (14 years ago)

Our little prince, Nana Kwame, turned 5 today! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. They have been home with us for almost two years now and we met him when he was two! I love this little guy. He has the best joy and excitement that oozes out of him. For breakfast in bed he wanted eggs and bacon and that is what he got!

Happy birthday Kwame. We love you SO much!

Mom (and Dad)

A Fun Surprise for Me 19 Nov 2010 8:06 PM (14 years ago)

Yesterday, my friend Kristina was visiting from MN and she said she had a surprise for me. She is the VP of Hot Mama, and a buyer for 17 of their stores. Whenever she or Megan (the founder of the stores), come to visit, I am always excited to see what is new in fashion by what they are wearing.

sidenote: When I saw Megan this summer, she was wearing a very cool 'sweatshirt' that I envied. It is made by the company Prairie Underground, and after hearing what it retails for, I realized I was out of my league-ha! It was beautiful, organic cotton, made in the USA(what I didn't remember was that it was made in Seattle), and had very unique style.

So, when Kristina and I went into the city for the surprise, I thought it was maybe regarding a vendor of hers, but I couldn't think of who had factories in Seattle, except possibly Eddie Bauer(which is not Hot Mama's style and they probably aren't really local anymore). When we pulled up to the warehouse and I saw 'Prairie Underground' on the door, I was jumping up and down on the inside(because I had to act cool on the outside-ha!) It was so much fun for me to go in there and meet the two founders of the company, see their sketches, the fabrics, the patterns, hear their stories, and see how this all worked-in Seattle, mind you! It is truly made in the USA. I loved it! Then, the owner said to me, that my hoodie was the one over there that she had just steamed!! What??!! MINE??!! I was so touched. Of course it wasn't totally from the company, they sold it wholesale and this was a gift from my dear friends, Megan and Kristina (for the rest of my life I think!), and I LOVE it! I have never seen an operation like that before and as one that enjoys fashion and clothing, it was right up my alley. I even got a sneak peek at the spring line-wow! Thanks Ladies-it was so wonderful!!

ps. you can check out some of Prairie Underground's stuff above by clicking the link and if you want some Prairie Underground for yourself, I have it under good authority that Hot Mama carries it!

Brothers 8 Nov 2010 3:37 PM (14 years ago)

I love watching the two boys interact. Justus is 11 now and Kwame is 4, but they still have a great brotherly bond, despite their age difference.

Today, as Justus was running out to go to a soccer carpool, Kwame said, "Wait, I need to give him a hug first." Justus waited for Kwame, gave him a hug, then Kwame said, "Now run, run, run (to the car), ...good job, that's my boy!"

Kwame cracks me up!

Happy Birthday Daron! 4 Nov 2010 8:02 PM (14 years ago)

I wanted to write a blog post on Daron, but he wants me to spend time with him, so I guess his birthday present is to NOT write a post on him....as long as tomorrow he isn't mad I didn't give him much of an online birthday post.

Notice he only had one candle left signifying one girlfriend!

Happy 10th Birthday Greta! 2 Nov 2010 2:22 PM (14 years ago)

Today is Greta's birthday, so we continued on with our tradition of breakfast in bed. She chose to have Hills and Humps and the rest of us were happy she chose that too! :) We were also excited because the 'trick' candle finally worked! I bought them for Ella, but they tricked me and didn't work. Greta had fun with it-she has a great sense of humor, and that is one of the many things we love about her!

I had fun today because I found a couple pictures from Greta's 4th birthday. It is neat to remember back and also see how much she has grown up now! We are so lucky to have her in our lives. I love you Greta!

When Greta was born ten years ago, we lived in Chicago and were waiting (not so patiently) for her to come into this world. She was a week late and after being put on bed rest for many weeks because Justus was so early, I was VERY eager to meet her. The moment she was born, we were in love and she has kept us on our toes ever since!

One thing I admire about Greta, is that she has always been full of life and ready to try anything...it might have something to do with traveling to NH at less than a month for Daron to candidate for a new job and then moving there when she was 2months old. Thanks for being flexible, Greta! :) She has also been so creative and full of joy! Many kids love dolls and such, but one thing that Greta has loved since she was little, was paper! Today, she was thrilled to get a very special birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa J. -a Cuttlebug. It is a paper embosser, so she is busy making lots of cards! Keep an eye out for her creations....

We love you Greta! I hope you have a fantastic double digit year!

Happy Halloween! 31 Oct 2010 8:52 PM (15 years ago)

Happy 8th Birthday EllaBellaGrace! 25 Oct 2010 5:02 PM (15 years ago)

Happy 8th Birthday Ella! I love you, your smile, your laughter, and your love of life. You are so special to us!

A month or so ago, Ella found this double bagel and said she wanted it for her birthday. So we froze it-haha- and TA-DA!!, she got it for her breakfast in bed this morning. She was thrilled!

After school we gave her a scavenger hunt to find her present-it was a PINK GUITAR! She wants to be a rock star and loves singing and dancing, so we figured, let's do it!

As I speak, she is writing out a song to sing on her new guitar! ;) I love it.

Happy birthday EllaBellaGrace! We LOVE you!

Happy 6th Birthday Fia!! 22 Oct 2010 1:55 PM (15 years ago)

Can you believe that Fia is already 6? When we got our referral of her, she was only three. I can't believe how fast this has gone already! She is an amazing girl with a serious amount of drive and perseverance. I can't wait to see all that she does with her life. I am so proud of her already and love to see her smile and especially LOVE to hear her laugh! Fia has the best laugh if you haven't heard it before. It's actually got a bit of a snort to it(like her mother)!

Today we woke her up with breakfast in bed. She chose to have Swedish pancakes and loved the attention. The kids then gave her their gifts they bought with their own money and it was so sweet-she loved every minute! Tonight we are having her favorite dinner which is what I made their first full night with us for dinner-just a mixture of rice, chicken, salsa, black beans, and corn. Then they can eat it with a homemade tortilla, cheese, and sour cream! Nothing light, but all I wanted at the beginning was to get some calories in them with many food groups....it worked if you hadn't noticed.

Tomorrow we are having a little birthday party for her with a couple kids from her class and then on Sunday we are having a going away party for some of her friends from Ghana that are moving from WA to Georgia, so it will be party weekend. We can't wait to see a handful of families that have also adopted from our same orphanage in Ghana and reunite the kids. I think we will have people from as far away as California(that happen to be in town), Spokane, and Portland, as well as the Seattle area. We can't wait! If any other 'Ghana Families' happen to be in the area from 2-4pm on Sunday and want to join us, you are MORE than welcome (whether or not you are from AAI).

My dear Fia, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and knows just how much we love YOU. I am so thankful for you and wish you the best birthday! Love you, our little Mefia!

I LOVE My Hair 19 Oct 2010 11:25 AM (15 years ago)

So, if you know me and my kids, you have probably heard me talk about my children's hair. I really want each and every one of them to know that they are perfect just the way they are (except maybe for an occasional tantrum like I had today with one while walking to school).

Anyway, Sesame street just came out with a video celebrating loving your hair from a little girl's perspective with hair just like Fia's. And thankfully, so far with Fia, she LOVES her hair, so she just LOVED this video and can't stop singing it(which at some point soon, I may go a wee bit crazy). She enjoys all the things we can do naturally with her hair and so do my big girls. In fact, they ask me to do theirs like Fia's, but I have to respond that they also have beautiful hair that does other things and it won't curl like Fia's no matter how hard we try! Awww mom!!

Here is a post I wrote last March from the adoption blog I did for the Hot Mama stores (the blogs have since been replaced with twitter feeds, so I have not really kept up on that one much right now or this blog either for that matter ). I am very passionate about my kids and their self-confidence/esteem is a big thing. So...you can imagine how thrilled I was when a friend sent me a link to the video the other day. Very cool. ABC news also did a piece on this video and gave some background to it. The man behind it has adopted a daughter from Ethiopia and he is the head writer at Sesame Street. Check out the segment here.

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