Jacob the Engineer:
9pm I peeked into the boys room to find Jacob working at his tool bench. He opened up an old cell phone to see what was inside. He LOVES doing things like that. He has to know how EVERYTHING works...and then he remembers it. He has an old VCR and that is his on going project- he likes to take the gears off and pretend to fix it. He is so intense and focused when he works I think he Really thinks that he is going to actually fix the thing!
He clearly inherited this from Michael who can fix anything...they are already talking about buying an old car and 'fixing it up' together for Jacob when he is older :)



Spring Fever: it was 35 defrees but Sova- Grace got a bad case of Spring Fever. She caught me going through her summer clothes that friends gave me. She immediately had to try on a half dozen dresses- she was in love :) "No take this off mommy, please, sova wear it tomorrow?!"
She also saw the pink maryjane crocs I had stashed away and she was thrilled...she is sleeping w/ them on as I type :) Last weekend I told her that it might snow again and she litterally fell to the floor and was close to a tantrum...I think she had enough of winter.


Caleb enjoying some pampering.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

My baby turned 3 yesterday! He is currently obsessed w/ Wall E the robot(disney movie) - so that was our theme. He ran into our room at 6 am singing happy birthday to himself- he then crawled into bed and said, 'look I grew bigger!'
Caleb is such a funny boy. Just watching him makes you laugh. He has a great imagination.
He is the pickiest eater ever and can be very... stubborn- is a gracious term (mostly around meal time)
And on the other hand- he is definatly the quietest- even easiest child. He goes w/ the flow and can entertain himself all day w/ one army guy. He has the cutest voice I ever heard. Saddly he resuses to use the potty and still wants his pacifier (maybe he knows I dont want him to grow up?)
Unlike Jacob and Sova- he is Not a people person...he does not like to make eye contact w/ new people- he just pretends they are not there...I think it makes him feel better. He adores his big cousin Jack. He plays amazinly well w/ his sister and he likes to be Jacob's sidekick-he will do anything his brother tells him to do. (scary I know)
He loves wresting w/ daddy and I still get serenaded w/ "hold me hold me mama"- Thank God he is still my cuddle bug.
He recently announced to me while we were driving in the car, "Mama, God loves me alot!"
That He does my baby boy and so do we!

Hmmm...since #3 has joined us I seem to have lost my desire and creativity in blogging...it was quite exciting posting durring the adoption journey because of all of the news (or lack of at times:)
And then I wondered about changeing the blog name because it's really not a 'journey to sova' anymore...she's HOME! :) Not to mention that journey is spelt wrong...but I dont want to create a new one because I like having our India posts on here...every now and then I peek back and reminisce of meeting our Indian princess :)

Not much going on-
As you can see our kitchen table has been getting alot of use...is spring almost here? !? Actually I have been latly amazed at how the kids have been playing so great together...it may be the best feeling a mom can have to see and hear her kids playing so nicely and actually hear them speak kind and loving words...quite fullfilling! (but notice the word amazed....dont let me fool you:)
While I was cleaning up lunch Jacob deceided to put the little ones down for a nap by himself. He read them both a book and tucked them in seperately...I was overhearing everyting but I didnt believe it would really happen. It did...they both fell asleep w/out me ever having to go in..amazing.

Sova Grace is battling her 1st American cold...and battling her pants...I was cracking up- I overheard her in the other room saying, "Not Again! Sova's pants fall ALREADY!"
Ya see we have this pants issue...size 4T no matter what kind fall down-even w/ a belt...but 3T leaves her w/ extreme highwaters...she is a string bean- w/out pants :) (tights work...so dresses it is...and after 2 boy's everyone knows I dont mind that)

Jacob is waitng for his 1st tooth to fall out (any day), he had his 1st karate belt test and will be moving up to the dragons next week, and he is amazing me w/ his math and reading ability lately...something clicked in him and he is cruising...what used to take us an hour to get through takes 20 min :)

Caleb...I am avoiding...
One night I sat down w/ him and picked up an 'action figure' and started playing ....
It was a night I wish to claim back...I kid you not- he must have thought that was the coolest thing ever- because he will not stop asking, "mama you want to play with me?" in that cutest voice ever... How can I say no right? So I feel that mommy guilt come on and I take off those dish gloves and play. (he takes out several Different action figures/characters that, "all live in this house" and I just say, 'wow cool you can fly army guy...can we be friends?' (hence the 1st picture..Im the meer cat on the right)
It's the little things right? He get's so excited that he actually stutters.
Of course I had 1 on 1 before w/ Caleb- but I guess not so imaginitive...he is now obsessed and is my official stalker.

My Love Note
I recieved I lovely love note today from my husband. It was drawn on the kids Etcha-sketch.
I have awoken in a sea of hand picked petals as a teenager- (he actually snuck in my room), to countless other things...and yet even though the days of rosepetals seem lost in the midst of the diapers, stuffed animals, dolls, and playdough...he still tries!
He is a hopeless romantic ;)



Sova-Grace looking at her India pictures

Always Room for More

A few nights ago putting Sova-Grace to bed:

"Mom, Sova needs more kids."

me: "you need more kids?"

Sova scooched over against the wall and said, "see, more kids could fit in my bed" she then throws down 2 stuffed animals but grabs her doll tight. "mommy, theres lots and lots of kids at 'dede's room...All the kids!" her eyes bulging (Dede is the pre- K staff woman in the orpahnage...from 8-4 Sova was w/ her and 20 other 3 - 4 year olds in a small room)

me: "you want mommy to go get some of the kids in Dede's room?"

"No...Daddy go get the kids...Sova stay home w/ mommy...
mommy, no presents in India...all the kids-no presents" shaking her head sadly.

me (after running to the video camera to record this conversation!:
"how many kids do you want to come live w/ us?"

Sova: after looking over her bed space "4 kids mom"
after seeing my eyes grow large she continued on and on, "mom, Sova share her jammys, Sova share her dolls, Sova share her toothbrush, Sova share her butterfly wings..."
It went on and on. SHe even suggested that Dede can come too and told me that I should share my jammy's w/ her :)

She then said, "Mommy, go get Sunita..Sunita has no mommy and daddy!"
I told her Sunita DOES have a mommy and daddy -that are coming to get her soon (because I really know this) but she didnt understand and and repeated, "no, mommy! Sunita- NO mommy no daddy!"
I was at a loss for words...so we prayed together for all the children in Dede's room.
She was fine after that small emotional uprising.

SHe simply stuns me. SHe is so greatful for everything- she always says, "mommy, thank you for cooking me food."
I love it that she talks about India often. While cooking or eating she will always comment, "No icecubes in India," 'No cherrios, no waffles in India" "no jeans, no tights, no dolls." It's kind of rare when something does strike a similariy- such as our soft tortialla's on taco night- she got quite excited about those and said, "Sova eat this in India house!"
Im hoping that by continuing to pray for the kids in the orphanage and talking about India as often as we do...this will keep her spirit sensitive, generous, and caring- qualities that already exist in her.
I found her sleeping like this after our conversation..notice the dolls tucked in on her pillow.

Dreaming in English

I love looking at my sleeping children. I used to do it alot more in the 'quieter days of old' when was I was less exhausted at night...
But every now and then I just sit and stare at them and that of course usually leads to the desperate prayers of a mother comeing forth as I imagine them growing up and getting married and choosing life's various path's.

Sova-Grace now dreams in Enghlish...meaning: she mumbles in her sleep alot and and we used to not understand her- it was in Oriyan...now when she talks in her sleep it's English...it looks like she completely transitioned over :)
She still insists upon wraping her arms around whoever is putting her to bed that night. She clings tightly and stares into our face- I watch those huge eyes stareing into mine, just centimeters away, blinking hard to fight off the sleep. It may sound stange but I am not over the fact that this little girl is finnaly here. I like to lay there and take in all that God has orchestrated to get her here. The fact that He knew her while she was forming in her birth mother's womb and protected her in her infancy-saving her life from the dangerous and posibly deadly streets...here she is...cozy and warm with her arms around me...It blows my mind to think of how far away she was and how much she went through in her few years of life. She is a permant reminder in my life of the many things that God stands for.