Our First Christmas as a Family!

As usual, we have been very busy!

We started our Christmas celebrating on Sunday, Dec. 19th at my dad (Papa) and Step-mother's (Granny Carolyn). Everyone had a great time with the exception of my oldest step-sister who was really sick and ate, then got into bed. That was just the beginning of effects of illness on our holiday plans. Alex got a sled and wagon from Granny & Papa - more on the sled later. We do live in the South, you know.....

I planned to take some time off for Christmas. I had Thursday, Friday and Monday off in addition to the weekend, when I am normally off. We have had two different viruses sweep through work and the week of Christmas was unbelievable! In addition to the viruses, we had people on leave and someone who quit with no notice. All of this going on not to mention the usual Christmas festivities that I was trying to coordinate. Wednesday began great, but quickly went downhill. Then at around 2:30 I got a call from the nursery and Alex was sick. Well, Tuesday night he had a fever, but it broke and we thought he was OK. I had to rush out of work, leaving things undone, literally shoving them at my Nurse Manager.

After waiting at the doctor's office for over an hour, she said that he had an ear infection and "almost walking Pneumonia." Poor baby - and did I feel like a bad Mama. We spent the rest of Christmas vacation doing breathing treatments, taking Zithromax and Motrin, etc.
I had taken off Monday, the 27th to do some after Christmas shopping, but kept Alex at home to continue breathing treatments.

Alex did feel well enough to celebrate Christmas at lunch time on Christmas Eve with my mom (Granma), sister and three nephews. After that, we went to Tim's parents (Granny & Grandpa)for Christmas Eve dinner and presents, etc. Alex said he had a good time at Granny & Grandpa's with his cousins, uncle and great uncle. On the way home, we saw Santa's sleigh flying near our home, so we had to hurry up and get home! Alex was yelling, "hurry, Daddy, go faster! Hurry Daddy!" We got home and got him to bed just in time for Santa!

I have probably told everyone before that Alex gets up by 6:30 - 7:00 every day. I had to wake him up after 8:00 on Christmas morning. At first, Alex was not sure what to think about his toys. After some coaxing, he finally started to look at his toys. For the first time since we have been married, we stayed at home all day on Christmas and the grandparents came to visit us.

On Christmas night, it began to snow! We have not had a white Christmas in South Carolina since 1963 - before my time, but not Tim's - but he was too young to remember at 11 months old. It was really pretty for most of Sunday, then began to melt later in the day. The roads were clear, but they cancelled our early church services and Sunday school. I was not going to be able to help with Sunday school that day anyway because we didn't want to take Alex out.

Now for more on the sled.....of course, we didn't mention it, but Alex remembered it. He asked and asked to go outside to play with his sled. I was heart broken that he couldn't go out and play in his first snow in America. Of course Papa said to just let him go down the hill one time. We all know what that result would be.

Alex went back to school on Tuesday and I went back to work - dealing with more call-offs. I think I finally got caught up on Friday!

We had a wonderful Christmas with our son and family. We have so much to be thankful for - as my dad said in his blessing at our Christmas dinner - we have our son and he is HEALTHY! This year we thank the Lord for all of our blessing, but especially for our son and for his healing powers and that Alex does not have Hep. C. Our God is an awesome God.

We are also thankful for all of our friends who we met through our adoption process and upon returning home. We are especially thankful for our church family and the other families who have the Nikolaev Baby House connection. What a blessing for all the children who were adopted from there this year and for those who will be going home with their families in the next few months.

We hope everyone has a wonderful new year.

Love to all,

R & T &A

Thanksgiving and Christmas Decorations

Alex's tree

This is how we found Sasha the Elf this morning

One morning, we found Sasha posting on his blog


Sasha got into the bandaids!

More info on Sasha below.



Main Christmas tree and mantle with stockings.

Notice Sasha the Elf on the mantle.

Main tree

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family at Yoder's in Abbeville. We enjoyed seeing Aunt Lynn, Uncle Josh, cousins Kayla, Cassie, Connor and John Collin, Granny Carolyn and Papa. The food was wonderful as always and Alex and John Collin enjoyed watching the fish in the inside "stream."

I was sick all Thanksgiving weekend and did not leave the house after lunch and shopping for a few ornaments for Alex's tree. Tim was able to get the decorations completed - thank goodness. One tree has Tim's Hallmark Star Trek ornaments and the other is our main tree that sits beside the fireplace. We used the Star Trek tree for Alex this year and it has child-like ornaments and a Santa Hat topper and Santa suit skirt. Alex has been really good with the trees, so we will probably put one in his room next year. He says he never had a Christmas tree at the Baby House. He was really excited when we were decorating it and was dancing around and singing Christmas tree!

We have an Elf, Sasha, who appeared on the day after Thanksgiving and he reports to Santa each night. He turns up in a different place every morning. He even has a blog where he blogs about Alex and his antics. The blog can be found at: http://www.sashaelf.blogspot.com/

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season. We have so many plans. This weekend, we will go to Connie Maxwell Children's Home to view their Live Nativity, Biblical town, and ride in a horse drawn wagon to see their Christmas light display. Sunday is Greenwood's Christmas parade and I would like to take Alex to visit Santa at the mall on Saturday or Sunday. There is so much we want to share with our son!

Love to all,

R & T & A