As I start to write an update of 2009, I think of all the trauma’s and challenges we’ve faced this year and think…”wow, what a difficult year we’ve had”… yet, what a blessed and glorious year as well.  It’s hard to be down on ‘09 when we have been so blessed. 

When times are good,
be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as
well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his
future… Ecclesiastes 7:14

Considering we had both of our girls visit Dornbecker Hospital at OHSU, Vienna for surgery and Ziva for a very scary virus incident, lost a baby, had bad news about family health, friends deaths, changes and challenges with income and ministry it would be easy to say that 2009 has been the most burdensome year for Sam and I since we married.  Certainly, if we focused on all those things, we would look back at 2009 and say “what a horrible year.”  But I can’t bring myself to do that.  Sure, I wish we never would have gone through the struggles we did, oh that life were easy all the time, but even amidst those challenges we consider ourselves blessed!

Sam remains the best husband in the whole world, and the love of my life! 



He’s done a fabulous job of working hard at siteCoffee and building PixelCliff, I’m so proud of him!  He’s been getting more involved with the men’s ministry at our church by joining David’s Men and the Men’s Ministry Team.  It’s been great for him to feel like he’s starting back in ministry again, but it’s a far cry from being in ministry full tim for him or being in leadership… but one step at a time!  Vienna’s doctor asked for EKG’s from all of our family and when Sam had his done they confirmed that he indeed still has the hole in his heart that he was born with.  We’re still in process for followign through with testing with a specialist with him, but it’s not something that we are terribly concerned with at this time. But apparently he hasn’t fully filled it with Jesus yet (LOL ha ha ha… bad joke, but I just had to!)

Our girls are growing up so fast and are getting so smart and are the greatest joy in our lives!  We’ve had some special times livign with my parents and sharing our girls with them, what a blessing to see them get close to them.





Vienna started her year with follow ups for her surgery to correct her bladder reflux issue.  I’m happy to report she’s had not ONE Urinary Tract Infection since the surgery!  On the 5th we’ll return to Dornbeckers for her next follow up exam which I believe if all is well will be her last! Wahoo!  Her cardiologist did explain about her prolonged QT interval and we will have another appointment in March to check in on that situation, but over all it seems that watching what medications she takes is all we hav to worry about there… She’s such a precousious three and a  half year o 
ld!  She’s already started to recognize words and sound out letters. She’s not completely interested in learning to read, so getting her to do it is a challenge, but she can sit down and sound out words and recognizes words like Pool and Cake! LOL  Every day she amazes me with what she knows and with her love for people. A favorite memory this year was at her first time seeing the Nutcracker.  She was sooo concerned for the Mouse King who  “got hurt and his friends dragged him off to the hospital” that throughout the rest of the performance she kept asking me “Is the Mouse King feeling better yet??”.  Then, durring the arabian dance, the dancers came out with girls in belly shirts and the man shirtless.. my little gem stood right up, pointed accusingly at the stage, stomped her foot and shouted “INAPPROPRIATE!”  THAT’S MY GIRL!!!! I was so proud (thankfully it was a performance for homeschool childern so it wasn’t so mortifying having her 
shout out in the middle of everything!) She’s currently learning to ride her scooter and sings all the day long. So fun.  She also got to ride on a float in the 4th of July parade. oohh that was sooo exciting and great fun for her…. it was sooo hot that day! Ziva and I enjoyed watching for her
 



 
 


Ziva, wow, she’s learned to run from one end of the house to the other, she’s quick. Turn your back for a moment and she’s climbed onto the counter and started cooking for you, or has gathered up all the coasters in the house and is distributing them into every room.  She’s cutting the last of her teeth (I’ll be sooo glad when that’s over) and my little mountain goat is starting to try to climb out of her crib (she’s already mastered the Pack and Play! There’s no containing her) She has a giggle to melt any heart and the best smile ever.  She had so many firsts including her first Ambulance ride and stay at Dornbecker Children’s Hospital.  Another first was that she and I were flown to Colorado to see my good friend Jen. We had a blast and Ziva flew VERY well and stole EVERY attendant’s heart!!

 




Thankfully it was nothing more than a virus that was attacking her bone marrow (the dr’s did do some testing to rule out Leukimia, which was scary).  She’s finally starting to actually talk (she doesn’t need to most of the time, with 4 adults in the house to cater to her, and her sister who…well, doesn’t leave much quiet space).  It’s so fun.  She said her first “sentance” the other day at the dinner table when I was trying to get her to take a bite “NO WAY!” ahh… just like her sister taught her! ***rolling my eyes*** But she never misses a chance to raise her hands for “Hallelujah!” after our prayer’s “Amen!”

I did start to be a part of our churches Radiant girls ministry which has been fun… we had a big dessert night for the girls in December which I had a blast helping decorate for.  The biggest change for me this year was that I started a new hobby. Cake making!  It’s been great fun and I’m thinking that Esther needs to move home from Ukraine and open a bakery with me She’s been enjoying making and decorating cakes too.  Hummm… I meant to upload a picture of one of my cakes, but it doesn’t seem I did (and I can’t add any more this month cause I added too many already) but they are all on my Facebook account if anyone wants to check them out

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Technology drives me NUTS!  Things were set up just fine for me to blog, then it’s one thing after another… thankfully I have Sam that can fix things for me, but we’ve had such crazy lives of late that he’s not had a chance.  So, hopefully soon Sam can fix this thing and make my picture uploads work so that I can blog and put pics in   Here’s hoping!!  As for our long silence, well, hopefully sometime soon I’ll do some updates! 
Until then, family if you have added me as a friend on Flickr, I’ve added a bunch of pictures to it to bring us up to Halloween
Enjoy

Dear Grandma Bible… today Vienna wanted to share her singing with you… Here’s the first song… “Angels Watching Over Me” … she sings this one a lot!!

Here’s actually the fist attempt. She wanted to sing you “Angels Watching”… because she sings it all the time… but when it came time to sing… well… she had a new song on her mind… lets see if you recognize it

Incase you didn’t recognize it… that was “Step In Time” from Marry Poppins!

And then she decided to sing one more… but she got a little distracted for a bit there! She is my daughter after all!

The camera shut off just a half a second too fast!! What she’s saying in the end there is that she wants to go to McDonnalds! She’s a little obsessed with “chicken patio’s and fries” LOL (that’s Chicken nuggets and french fries) oh yeah, with milk! We used to cut up breaded chicken patties for her, so she calls nuggets chicken patio’s LOL it’s so funny. She recognizes McD’s and Burger King wherever we go! She even asked her daddy to make more money so she could have more McD’s! I swear we haven’t gone there THAT often!! (but we usually stop there when we go to the dr’s office for the girls, and we have been doing that a bit more often of late… hopefully that will stop soon!)

So there you go! Enjoy Grandma Bible! (Auntie Es and Pris and Sarah too, cause I know you’ll love watching as well!

Much love to you all…. we sure do miss you!

It’s been a while!! yes, yes, many of you have been telling me, and telling me, and… complaining   OK OK but it’s been an INSANE three months or so for us! Let me catch you up… (get your coffee and take a potty break… cause this is gonna take a while!!!)

Right before Thanksgiving we decided that with the economy effecting Real Estate the way it is, the best thing for the family was for us and the kids to move in with my parents.  We have been renting a house that their company owns, and they are selling that company and we are going to share expenses with them until they get through this little RE crisis going on.  With the Lords help, they will be able to keep the office building they own along with their home.  Since we don’t own anything it was a “no brainer” decision as Sam says.

We had been planning on taking a vacation right before Christmas to the Oregon Cost, and since Sam had been working so hard we decided that even though we were moving suddenly, we were still going to try to make the trip.  We found an incredible deal on a house (off season and slow economy are to thank), so we took mom and dad with us and spent 4 days at the coast.  It was crazy!!  Just two days before we left the Vally got a huge storm-front come through where we got lots of snow (well, lots for here)! Ziva’s first snow!




So the day we left, there was snow every where!  We made it through the Van Duzer Corridor and out to the coast.  I’d never seen snow at the coast before, but we had a nice little snow storm for part of a day.  We also took the girls to the Oregon Coast Aquarium! It was fantastic!  Vienna loved the touch pool they have there, we touched little stingrays, sharks, starfish, sea urchins, sea-slug, annenamies (sp?), then there was walking through the glass tunnels where sharks and other fish are swimming all around you… so many things…  and there was hardly anyone there since it was the off season! It was a great family day!

Our return however, well… the Van Duzer’s were closed due to the snow and ice (lots of trees that fell across the road) so we had to take the LONG LONG LONG way home!  (South to Newport, out through Philometh, and back up through Salem!)  There was so much snow in the Vally that we had to drive very very slow (and I stopped counting tire chains laying on the road, broken, at like thirty six if I recall).  It was an exhausting drive… but Sam did a great job, and so did my dad, and we all made it home safe  and sound!!

So, before vacation we had begun packing quickly and began living here after our pre-Christmas vacation.  ( Sam wanted Christmas to be as special as possible during the upheaval, so we raced to get in so at least the girls would be settled for Christmas).  We had  a great time celebrating Ziva’s first Christmas!

The packing was much like moving over seas since much of our stuff would go to long term storage (we’re thinking 2 years here) some to Good Will and the rest has to fit into two rooms (and a bit in the kitchen/garage) here.  We finally moved our stuff in the middle of February, and just this weekend I unpacked the last box in our bedroom! so we are officially in!! (there’s lots of re-organizing to do, but I’ve found a way to make everything fit!! NO small task!!)   We are still praying for a buyer or renter for our house and a renter for the unused half of their office building (any prayers for those things would be MUCH appreciated, the lack of a renter for the business office has really been a burden).

Ever tried packing with a two year old in the room!?!?!?

Vienna “helps” pack a box!

As if we weren’t insane enough moving so quickly with an active two year old and a five month old who’s not sleeping through the night… at the end of January we decided to head to Canada (Victoria BC) to help Sam’s father at Missions Fest Vancouver.  Thankfully my mom came to help with the girls. Poor mom was stuck in a hotel room most of the time with the girls!! But her being there meant that I was able to help man the exhibit for Wildfire World while Dad Bible and Kostya (one of our office “family” members from Ukraine) taught and attended classes.  It was a great trip.  It was the first time Grandpa Bible was able to meet Ziva!

(Poor Grandma Bible hasn’t had her chance yet, but hopefully soon!)  It was so precious to be able to introduce our littlest one to her grandfather finally! And for Vienna to have a chance to see Gandpa Bible too (we have a photo magnet of G&G Bible on our fridge and occasionally she will go up and give it kisses).  And as always, it was just great to get to spend time with Dad too.  (And to introduce Uncle Kostya to our babies too! He’s worked in the office with the family for something like ten years, so he’s like family!)


We’ve had a few milestones since I’ve written last.  Mainly, Ziva milestones. Not only is she sitting up, but on the day she turned seven months, she took her first crawl across the room!  (this video is a week later)

Ziva’s pulling herself up on things all the time now, and I constantly find her crawling to get into anything she is not supposed to… you’d think she was a puppy because her favorite thing to do is to chew on my computer cord!!! She exhausts her momma and herself as she gets about the house now!

Ziva also had her first non-milk meal. I’ll let the photo’s speak for themselves:

Yippee REAL food!!!!

What the stink IS that stuff!?!?!?

Uhhhhkkkk… that’s NASTY!!!!

Huuhhggg… Can’t stand this stuff!

How could you do that to me!?!

As for the Mucus and the Mayhem….
For the past TWO weeks I’ve been calling this place “the house of Ill” as everyone has been sick.

Ziva got our families first ear infection, both girls had this flu/cold thing going around, so eventually Sam and I got that as well as Mimi & Poppie (my parents).  Even Uncle Matthew was down with it so badly that he didn’t go to Canada as scheduled (he was going to help with another Missions Fest).   We are finally getting over the illnesses, but much mayhem still has transpired in this house… see… not terribly long ago my parents had a flood in their house… long story short, they got bran new beautiful carpet and hardwood floors… LIGHT TAN CARPETS!!!! yeah, not for long! I’m concerned by the time we leave here, they’ll be needing yet another remodel!!  So far, we’ve made several dents, scratches or other mars to the hardwoods… and Thursday Ziva had a major blow out and pooped all over the floor!!! I of course PANIC!!!!  I can’t find the carpet cleaner, I can’t just scrub it up… mom is at Curves working out… so i called there (yes, now I am the laughing stock of town!! oh well, the carpets not stained!!!).  I should have just kept the carpet cleaner out, as today Ziva pulled herself up on the coffee table and grabbed my full cup of coffee down to the floor… Praise the Lord it wasn’t HOT!!!!!  so, I spent much of today rearranging furniture and Bisseling the living room carpet!! Oh, I forgot to mention that I also chose today as the day to sort through all the 3-6 month clothes all the way through the 12-18 month clothes for the girls to lighten up… at present well.. the house is… lets just say, I’m terrified mom and dad will get back early tomorrow!!!!  I just might be pulling an all nighter!

So, there you go, for those of you who have been unhappy with the lack of posts… now you have my “excuse”

More later   We’ve still got Build-a-Bear and Buddies to talk about soon, hopefully… but, you know how life gets

Happy Days to you all

Sometimes you just gotta have more than one stuffie to find that comfort you really need!!!



Halloween has got my baby spooked   She’s in a fearful stage right now… I sure hope she grows out of it soon… but the good thing is that often she will say “mommy, we need to pray to Jesus” ahhh… warms a mommy’s heart!!