More Christmas pictures

Few more pictures of my kids! Its' so hard to take a perfect picture of 3 of them :) Baby was keep walking toward camera.

My little princess!
Boys had a lot of fun,
Big brother with his favorite sister. My cuties!
They have a special love :)

Few pictures :)

Decorating cookies ! A lot of fun!

This was 1st experience for everyone to put together and decorate ginger house. It was a lot of funn!

Baby watching her favorite channel "sprouts" She is so cute!

Every time when I do dishes, I have a lot of helpers:) I don't know what is so special about dishwasher, but my kids love to play there with their toys! Usually it's Denny, but lately baby like to be there, and sometimes big brother too.

Busy, busy, busy

A little update on our family.

We are doing great, yes, we do have our ups and downs, but I think it's normal in every family, especially if kids are present.

Our 10 month old ElliAna is teething and it's not a good time for all of us. She is usually a good girl, independent and can play on her own. This time around, almost for 2 month she likes to be held, and crying a lot......:)) fun times! ElliAna started to walk on her own when she wasn't even 9 month, compare to Denny-with a lot of help he started to walk at 12 month. She is so much fun, and I can't believe that she is already 10 month, time flies.

Denny is fully potty train, and we are so proud of him. He is potty train for more than 6 month now, but still slept in diaper, but now for a month we are with out diaper during day and during night....good job Denny!

Also he started to like spending some time with books. He use not have interest in any books,maybe just pictures,and would not listen if I tried to read it to him, or explain what in the picture, but now he can sit and listen/comment what I have to read or say about book. Big progress!!!! Also he taught him self to count to 5 in English ! He loves to draw, pain and just be a kid!

My older son Danik, is getting so big, and I can't believe that he is almost 9 year old (in 10 day).

He is doing good in school, sometimes we have behavior problems but it's normal, and he is a boy, which explains a lot :))) My boys are very active, and likes to get into trouble.

I am so proud of Danik, he is trying to help me a lot, and love his brother and sister. He says a lot of thank you mom, and dad for adopting me, for taking care of me, and etc. Very sweet and loving boy. His English reading improved a lot and I am proud of him. Its harder for him to learn English because at the same time I am trying to help him and work on his Ukrainian. So he is trying to keep up with two languages at the same time. We are very proud of him, Danik is very smart boy and we are thankful to God for letting us be his parents!!!

I will try to write more later, not have to go.....

Praise God!

Sibling group that we were praying about did get their forever family! Very happy for them!

Every person deserves a second chance and be happy, especially innocent kids. Not always family and a kid can attach for a different reasons, but everyone deserve to be happy and not feel miserable. I feel really bad for families, who did go through adoption and something didn't work out for them. When family making a choice to adopt they are doing this with all good intention. Please pray for a family who lost their kids, I know this family did everything they knew, and they tried everything to make it work, but for some reason.... Only God know why!

It's not going to happen

Our adoption is not going to happen, we are not brining home two more kids, do to circumstances.

For us it would be a out-of-state adoption(Atlanta, GA), and we will need to find almost $20 thousand to complete this adoption, but there is no way we will have this money. If this is our kids, we believe God will provide but for now we did what we could.

We are still praying for forever family for this sibling group. Please pray, they need their family, this kids need new mommy and daddy!

No news yet...

The agency that taking care of this two kids, are really hard to work with. Kids are going trough disruption and current family and kids are straggling, but no one cares, sad...

Agency require some special home study, and they are concerning about placing this kids with us for few reasons:

1.Our financial situation(we will have to loan a money again, to bring this kids home), not a problem for us because God will provide, and with a time we will pay it off.

2.Us, having a small children in the house

3. and main is, this agency never placed kids in California homes, they are not sure what they are doing.

We are praying that kids find their family soon! Please pray for this kids so God will send a family their way (or we have ok to adopt them if they are our kids)

Thank you

More pictures... snow day for boys

Daddy took boys to the snow! They had so much fun.

Daddy took boys to the snow! They had so much fun.

Pictures...

Baby girl walking and she is only 9 month old, First Christmas
Daddy decorating ginger house with kids
Boys decorating their cookies, they had so much fun.
By Christmas tree at the mall
our little princess

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year to all of you! May God Bless you and your families in this 2011 year.

Our Christmas and New Year were not that fun. We all were sick(except Daniel J), and didn't even attend a church as a family. We stayed home most of the days. We did have a company over on Christmas, but I think this is it.

Because of the holidays there is nothing on kids yet. We are praying a lot and hoping that kids will have their family soon. Also we just found out about on more child who needs a family, and we are praying about these 3 kids.

Tomorrow Daniel J is going back to school, and we all will miss him in the mornings, I love having him home in the mornings.

Also we have a birthday coming up for Daniel D. He will turn 3 in one week, he is getting so big and smart. Will try post some pictures later. :)))

Next step...Please pray

Almost for a month now we been praying a lot, and trying to find out what Our God want us to do. What is God's plan for our family. It's been hard, and we still not sure what we will do.

We found out that there is 2 children who needs a home as soon as possible, and our hearts are open to help. We know that if it's already in our heart, God places them in our heart, then it's for a reason.

We been praying a lot and we do want to help this kids, but in our eyes it is not possible. We still trying to payoff our 1st adoption, and financially not ready to jump in another. God know how to provide if this is our kids. For now we are praying for this kids and with all our faith we are doing what needs to be done to start this process.

Please pray for our family, for our finances and also please pray about this kids, if we are not their forever family, that God will send them their family as soon as possible.

Thank you and God Bless you

I will keep you all post it about our process/kids

Time to blog

I am a really bad blogger, I can't make myself to blog at least 1 time a week, and again I will say that I will try to change and will work hard to start blogging more often.

Our family is doing good.

Sergey is working, and trying to spend as much time as he can with kids and me.

Boys are growing too fast.

DJ is in school, his disciplines improved a lot, and he is trying so hard to be a good boy home and at school. We still have our ups and downs, but lately everything was great.

Some things about our DJ I dont' want to share to the public, nothing bad, some health issues.

DJ is trying to help me in anyway he can. He is watching his daddy, and put sticky notes on cup a tea, make me a tea, and yesterday he just close door to his room, and vacuumed, cleaned , was trying to surprise me, such a nice, sweet little guy. We love you so much and very happy that you are in our family! Thankful to God for choosing us to be your parents.

DD is just a little 3 year old(almost). Most of the days he is happy, and a good child. "Terrible twos" is behind. He loves his brother and little sister. He is very funny, and loves his cartoons, and can watch same cartoon 20 times in a row. :))))

Our baby girl, Elliana, is getting big. She loves to follow her brothers, and I think soon she will be walking.

And me, I love GOd, I love my family.

The other day my husband asked me "what is happiness for you"? and he got me thinking. With out thinking I did reply,"It's God, who brought us together, you(my husband), and our family"! If my family is happy I will be happy.

And yes, I love to see my kids playing together, or playing with daddy, or just trying to be nice, and gentle with me. I love to watch them to grow, learn something new. I even enjoy when they get into trouble, don't get me wrong, I am not happy when my kids are in trouble, but if they are I know, and hope they will learn from their mistakes, and it's a new opportunity for me to teach them to be a better person. I love my family and I am happy.

Also lately I been thinking a lot, how can I serve God more, how our family can serve God, how do I teach my kids to serve God???!?!?! "HOW" is on my mind a lot lately. I think I will blog about it in a different blog, and will share my thoughts.

I would say i am not a blogger..........I honestly try to blog more often, but it just not happening. I was even thinking to write my last post here, and not worry about blogging but for now I will keep it.......

So here we go, updates of our family of 5 and +1(my brother)

Daniel J, is in school , and doing good. He had some behavior problems(not following rules), at school but now looks like everything getting better. He is still really sweet, loving and caring boy. We do have our ups and downs, but so far I can honestly say that we expected a lot more problems/attachment issues before we did adoption.
DJ is trying to change, and trying to do what needs to be done, there is still a lot little things that needs to be corrected in his behavior, action, and just the way he is, but nothing major. He loves his brother, and little sister. He loves helping me, and his daddy, he doesn't really like homework, but he loves school. He is smart, funny, bright. , He been home only 9 month, and already changed so much, he is different child now, my child, my little boy. Love you Daniel J, and happy that you are in my family. May GOd always be with you.

Daniel Dave is growing too fast. Last 3 weeks we been working on potty training, and for today we have a little boy who is wearing his underwear, and diaper only at night times. And a good thing is that his night diaper 90% is dry in the morning, so we been using one diaper for a week now! Goof job little DD, we are so proud of you.
DD going trough a terrible 2th, now, and it's hard. Sometimes his is sweet loving boy, helping his mama and brother, and next thing you know he doesn't want to do nothing, he is not following instructions, gets' in trouble, and wining. We love you DD, and we are really hoping that this stage will end soon.

Baby Elliana , is my little princess! Everyone loves her, and she is just so cute.
She is teething now, and we have bad days, but still she is my bundle of joy, my little girl. She is big, almost 6 month already.


We are doing great, and very happy. We do have our moments, bad moments as a family, but we are learning to change our selfs, to get smarter to seek God more. I am trying to read bible, kids bible, to our kids every night, and pray with them. And I think it will help a lot our relationship as a family, and our family will get stronger in GOd.

****will try to post some pictures later

School starts........

Thursday, August 12 Daniel started school, as a third grader. He is kind of happy to go back to school, where all his friends are, but we miss each other a lot. Denny miss his big brother, and I miss Daniel. I think over the summer, spending everyday together we attached even more. We are so happy to have him in our family.
We just came back from Portland, were visiting my parents. I will blog later about our trip, and will post some pictures of my babies.

We are still straggling with "putting things back where they belong" and how to take care of stuff that belongs to you(especially clothes). Did anyone had this problem? How did you deal with it? I am thinking it's every kid thing,

Ocean time....

My parents from Oregon came to visit us, and went San Francisco and we had a really good times. Here is some pictures from ocean, and pier 39


at the ocean, with my parents and my brother and sister (baby is in a sling)


Pier 39



on our way to San Francisco

What we did this summer...

Here is few pictures from this summer

here is my 3 beautiful children (it's not the best picture of our baby)



I love this picture, boys felt to sleep(both taking a little nap)



our baby girl 2,5 month old



Our princess and daddy



Water ball fight, boys and daddy (we had already few water ball fights this summer, it's a picture from one of them)



At the park daddy playing with his Daniels






I will try to post more pictures later

Something I want to share...

In December 2009, when we were adopting DJ, we met one girl. We felt that she belongs in our family, we called her our daughter, she did call us her mommy and daddy, her family. At that time we didn't know when she will be available for international adoption(we only knew that she will be available later this year), so after we came home to US we talked to our facilitator, and we been told to write a request letter to SDA about this girl. Few month later we did, and were waiting for a result from SDA.
We were in contact with this little girl, we did call her, and a month ago we send her first package(some toys, clothes, and etc.) June 17 was her birthday, we called to say Happy B-Day, she was happy and we did talked with her that we will come this year to bring her home. We started to do some paperwork, and our home study visit was schedule for this Saturday but..... On July 1st I called her caregiver to see if they got a package/her b-day present, and been told that our little girl been taken out of orphanage to a "home foster system".......... No words, just a lot of sadness and tears on our end. We are heart broken, it feels like part of my heart was taken....
She never got her B-day present. There is more details to whole this story by I can say only that money were involved.
We missed our little girl, and praying that she will have a good happy life. What ever happens it does happen for reason. Only God knows why we met her, and why we are going through this now.

I shouldn't take her so close to my heart, I did accept her as my daughter, and felt in love. I was always thinking how and when we will bring here home, where she will sleep, and how will she like us, as her new family and etc.....

Just wanted to share, and maybe feel better about loosing our little girl(I am not sure if it's possible to feel better about this situation)



*still can's stop crying Please pray for me and our family, and especially about this little girl, so she will have good mommy and daddy(in foster home)

6 month home....

It’s been a really long time from my last post. I don’t’ even know where to start, we have so much new. Daniel James is done with school, but we still doing a little homework every day, just to keep up his English and remember how to write and read in Ukrainian. He has been a really good boy. And I think like with every kid we have our ups and downs, but no big problems with attitude or behavior. He been home 6 month and I can’t believe it how much he had changed. Sometimes we still have a little change attitude/behavior when other people/relatives around, but he is doing much better from when he just came home. He has good grades and already start picking up some English, it’s harder for him with English, because home we speak only Russian but he is doing great.

Daniel Dave is doing great, like a 2,5 year old boy. He loves his older brother, and following him everywhere.
Baby Elliana is just beautiful princess everyone loves her. She is getting really big, she is already almost 3 month old. Time is flying!
Here are some pictures from last 6 month with DJ!

San Francisco Zoo, my handsome little man



San Francisco Bay Aquarium



Jungle Restaurant San Francisco, Ca




Aquarium, San Francisco

Meet our new addition!

On April 6, we had our baby girl.
Meet Elliana Rose Mironyuk:

Here she is 1 day old!






We are getting ready to go home:



Going home!



Boys are really excited to have a little sister. Daniel J, is a really big help, and he loves his little sister. Daniel D, is trying to help too. We are surprised that there is no jealousy going on. When baby start crying he runs to me, and telling me to pick up a baby and feed her. Also Daniel D gets mad if I don't do it (sometimes baby is not hungry, just needs to be change, or just making sounds).

Happy Birthday Daniel James!!!

Today is Daniel's J birthday, and also exactly two month as we came home with him.
Wow, it's been already 2 month, and he is doing so good. He changed a lot. We didn't have any big or a lot of problems with him, but even in little areas it's been a lot of changes in him. I do have few questions for adoptive parents, who had adopt older kids , but I will probably talk/ask later, not today.

2,5 month ago in the orphanage

Taking a walk outside



In his classroom



Today

home, ready to blow his candle, and go to sleep(we came too late back from Chuck E Cheese)



At Chuck E Cheese posing



At relatives house




It was a nice day, and I think DJ like it a lot. He been waiting for his birthday for sooo long. He been asking , and talking almost everyday about HIS birthday.
He still did go to school today, and after he came home, he opened his presents, grandma came to say Happy Birthday to him, and after that we went to Chuck E Cheese.
He was going "crazy" about everything. He was keep telling us "thank you" all evening.

Again, Happy Birthday DJ!!! We love you and happy you are part of our family, you are our son!!!

Been a while...

It's been a while since I blogged a last time. We are very busy, trying to prepare everything for a new baby, and also I started having some complications with my pregnancy, and been on bed rest for few weeks now.

Daniel J is doing great. We still have no problems with him. He tried to test us, but everything is under control now.

Here is new picture of our family!




I will try to post more pictures of our kids later.