The Yummy Rosenberg Lasagna

Elena is notorious for not eating much at dinner. So it was not expected that she would be interested in the huge, delicious lasagna the Rosenbergs delivered for us to eat after Elizabeth's October 1 surgery.


Elizabeth heated the dish up and made everyone (including herself) a plate. Amazingly enough, Elena FINISHED hers and asked for "More Yummysagna." It is not like her at all to finish a meal, much less ask for more, so this was very exciting.


Fortunately, Debbie made a huge pan of lasagna, so there was lots to eat that night and others later in the week. Thank you Debbie!

The Rhino's Last Soccer Game

Alex's last soccer game of the season was today. The Rhinos played well and won the game 3 to 0. Afterward, the kids lined up to receive a trophy and take a team photo.
Great soccer season Alex!

Bill & Kathy's Wedding

Bill and Kathy's wedding was Saturday, October 10th. Elena had been asked to be a flower girl and Alex was the ring bearer. Unfortunately, I had been re-admitted to the hospital earlier in the day, and Jeff was with there with me. Aunt Melinda generously offered to take Alex and Elena along with her kids to the church so they would not miss out on their important duties.

Heading to the ChurchAwaiting the Arrival of the Rest of the Wedding Guests Playing in the Chapel before the Festivities beginElena Checking on the Big Girls Getting ReadyAlex took his duties as Ring Bearer seriouslyThe Girls performing their Flower Girl responsibilities beautifully
The Galvin Family!
Grandma escorting the girls out of the church at the end of the ceremony- could she look any happier?

Pretend Baseball Game

Elena and Alex love to play together. This afternoon after we returned home from school and while I was unpacking groceries from the car, the two of them headed to the backyard for a little pretend game of baseball. Apparently, a little audience was needed for this amazing game. How did I not notice that she took so many of her "friends" outside with her???

Halloween Costumes Have Been Selected!

Monday was the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, so the kids were home from school. I took the day off too, and we made it our mission to find the perfect Halloween costumes. We went to several stores, before the kids made their choices:

PONY PRINCESS
BOBBA FETT
The kids spent the rest of the afternoon checking themselves out in the mirror and playing in their costumes.
I think they made great selections!

Star Wars Obsession

Our five year old is officially obsessed with Star Wars right now. We purchased the entire library of DVDs this week, so he and Jeff are watching them together one by one. When not watching a movie, Alex re-enacts scenes with his swords. He also recruits his sister into pretending they are characters from the movie. Although she has not watched the movie, and is uninterested in the whole Star Wars thing, she will do just about anything her big brother asks her to do. It is hilarious to listen to the stories they make up while playing together.
Alex says he wants to be Master Yoda for Halloween. He spent 30 minutes on-line tonight looking at the various costume options. We will be shopping around tomorrow to see what we can find!

Elena Reading to Her Babies

We found Elena today teaching her babies in the living room. She had her two favorites, Elmo and Anna, lined up in their strollers as she read a stack of books. What was particularly cute was how she had managed to pile on the entire contents of the dress-up box of jewelry.

Happy Anniversary!

Today marks the sixth anniversary of when Jeff and I signed the papers to become husband and wife. Mike Murphy, the husband of my dear friend Linda Murphy, became "judge for a day" to perform the little ceremony for us in front of the fireplace at their house.

Our Little CeremonyMike and Linda MurphyThe story around how this came to be the way we were legally married instead of the wedding we intended is sad- my father passed away two weeks before and Jeff's dad was diagnosed with a lung cancer a week later. But I think it is symbolic of WHY we got married: we are a couple who helps each other through life's challenges and manages to find something to smile about at the end of it all.

I am so grateful to have this man by my side for the rest of my life.And to have my girls remind me of that on occasion. Happy Anniversary!

Go Rhinos!

Alex's soccer team picked a name: The Rhinos.

The team had another great soccer game this week and Alex scored a goal! It is fun to see how aggressive he is out on the field and how his skills are progressing with every practice and game he plays.

Alex Giving Coach Rothbaum a High Five after Scoring
Alex taking on 2 Players from the Other Team
Score!

Birthday Party for Elena and Elizabeth

We went to the birthday party for Elena's classmate Eve on Saturday.
Eve's mom and I met years ago through Alex's godmother Tina, so it is fun that our girls are in the same class at preschool together and have become such good friends. Eve had a Hello Kitty theme for her party, which Elena was very excited about. What a fun way to spend the morning!

Time for A Little Swinging

Jeff is now home on Wednesdays with his new job. After he picked the kids up from school, Elena and Alex joined him in running a few ran errands. One of the stops was to deliver some paperwork to St. Elizabeth Coleman, the adoption agency we are using for adoption #3. The kids made sure to try out the front porch swing at the agency in the nice afternoon sunshine.

Goodbye Papa

We are home from Michigan tonight after a long, emotional weekend celebrating the life of Dr. Jim Walker. There were a lot of tears the past few days, but also quite a few laughs. The stories that we heard from family members, friends and patients were truly amazing. As hard as the mass, visitation, funeral and burial were, it was lovely to have an opportunity to meet so many individuals who were touched by this man. The sheer number of people who came to pay their respects was overwhelming- they had to shut the doors at 7pm Saturday at the visitation despite the long line that continued out the door and down the hallway of the funeral home. Dr. Walker was a fighter pilot in the Korean War, so there was a military ceremony at the cemetery. It was truly inspiring, and something he would have been very proud of. And gathering at Warwick Country Club, the setting of so many happy occasions for the family since he joined in 1963, was the perfect way to end the day.

This photo was taken of Papa giving Elena her first bottle in Michigan. There was a slideshow that included photos of him holding each and every one of the grandchildren this weekend. He loved the babies! Elena, along with cousins Molly & Ellie, were fascinated with looking at Papa during the viewing. They kept running up to the front of the room to peer in the open casket and talk to him. Elena asked why he was sleeping in a crib and when he would wake up. It broke my heart.

Dr. Walker was a voracious reader and shared his love of books with the grandkids. This photo was taken of Alex and Papa during the celebration weekend for Alex's 2nd birthday. Alex is having a tougher time processing this than Elena. Elena seems to just take it in and move on, while Alex is still trying to wrap his brain around things. Alex was Grandma Liz's escort for the funeral processional today, and was in tears right before heading down the aisle because he missed Papa. While our family slept over at Aunt Jill's house (thank you for your hospitality Jill!), Alex insisted on sleeping over with Grandma each night. I don't think she minded the company. He must have given her a hundred hugs today. That kid has such a big heart.

Alex has asked many interesting questions the last few days. Many have revolved around whether he is playing with our two cats who have died. We had to put Geddy to sleep just a few weeks ago, so we have recently been talking and reading about heaven and what happens after you die. I was grateful we had those conversations previously so this wasn't such a foreign concept.

What an amazing legacy Dr. Walker left- a wife of 52 years, 7 children and 21 grandchildren!Jeff is so much like his father. It was nice to learn more about him from all the stories that were shared- it gave me insight into the amazing man I am married to.

We will miss you Papa!

Sticky Wall

Uncle Jimmy now owns the house Jeff grew up in. They host an annual party for neighborhood and family friends that over 200 people attend. The fun festivities this year included a sticky velcro wall for the first time.

Cousin Annie Aunt Lori and Cousin Eric
It was fun to watch the kids AND adults have fun together!

Elena's First Day of Preschool

Elena was all smiles on her first morning of preschool. Her teachers this year are Mrs. Decker (mom of one of Alex's friends) and Mrs. Boyer (mom of Elena's friend Sofie and one of her teachers last year in the 2s class). It also helped put a smile on her face knowing that that her good buddy Eve is in her class. Alex insisted on wearing his "favorite shirt" with Iron Man on it. I don't know that he has ever watched Iron Man, but he sure loves this shirt!
Along with their healthy breakfast to start the day, the kids got a mini powdered sugar donut to eat. Alex enjoyed showing off his powdered sugar covered mouth for my ever-present camera.
My back to school tradition with each of the kids is a "just mommy and me" trip for a milkshake after the first day of school. Alex picked a vanilla shake from Steak and Shake after his first day on Monday. On Tuesday, Elena picked a chocolate shake from McDonalds. After Elena and I returned home on our evening milkshake run, we found the boys playing a little soccer in the backyard.
So Elena and I took the opportunity to sit down together to talk about our day. I am looking forward to hearing all about her preschool adventures this year!