Cystic Fibrosis...

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and
obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

That is what Kristina was born with. She will deal with her disease her whole life unless a cure is found. And praise God they are close. We knew Kristina had Cystic Fibrosis when we adopted her and we did a lot of research to know if we could provide the best medical attention for her needs. And yes, we could!

Kristina has been healthy overall, however she has been sick a few times...but thanks to her awesome doctors at Children's Respiratory and Critical Care they get her feeling better in no time!! Kristina has to do treatments 2-4 times a day every day depending on how she is feeling. It is done by her breathing in medications through a mask connected to a nebulizer and also a vest that vibrates on her chest. The vest does what her lungs should do. She has been doing these treatments since she has been four years old and is really good about doing them and knows how important they are for her health.

Here is a website Cystic Fibrosis Foundation that has lots of interesting and up to date information on CF. In an effort to raise money for the foundation there are various fundraising events for people to participate in. This year our family will be participating in the Great Strides Walk. It's a walk sponsored by family and friends to raise money for finding a cure! There is a spot on my side bar to donate to the CF foundation to sponsor us. Our team name is Butterflies for Kristina. This year the walk is on May 19th...a special date for us since it was five years ago that we traveled to Serbia to meet and adopt Kristina. It is a special blessing.

Also we have a sponsor who will donate a percentage to our team. Cards for Any Moment will donate to us because they believe in children and want to support families that adopt or have special needs. I have a click on button to shop that is located on my side bar. I think they are the cutest things! They are little cards that you can slip to someone or put in a place that would be a surprise. Just a neat little way to say so many different things. Like love, reminders, encouragement and more...just check them out and see what fun you could have!

Kristina is our daughter, a gift from God, and we would do anything to help her live a long life. The predicted median age for a person with CF is in their late thirty's. That is only 29 years away give or take a few years. Not long...will she have time to finish college, get married, have kids or a career? Will she have time to travel? Will she have time to live? God willing she will...she would have a much better chance with a cure. Again we knew that Kristina had CF when we fell in love with her, we knew the statistics...but when God says here is your child you just go and get her! And I will say this...her birth mother gave her up so she could live. She is counting on us to keep her alive. She loves her daughter but could not give her the medication that is available here in the US. I will remember her last hug with Kristina before she handed her to me...I watched her walk away...

Please think about how important life is and how most of us take it for granted. How breathing just comes without problems for us...wow really something to think about. If you can't donate I understand, I really do! But then can I ask you to pray for us, pray for the walk, raising money, but most of all the health of our precious daughter! Thank you!

Brothers...



Yes, they are brothers! They both wanted to have a mustache like daddy! Aren't they SO cute! Both of them were so excited to have that in common with daddy...their smiles couldn't have been bigger!

Yes, someday my little boys might grow mustaches like their daddy or maybe not. They are growing up and they are growing up brothers! My heart just overflows with love for them. To hear them imagine what they want to be when they grow up. (Which I hope take a long long time!) But all too soon they will be on their own.

Srecko told me a few days ago that he will be a bulldozer driver and have FIVE kids! Very clear on the five kids part. Kristina told him he should have six kids and he said NO just five. Wow, to think that he wants kids is nice...then I would have grand kids to love!

Jovan is content to do a job with something moving...he would absolutely LOVE to drive a fire truck! It is hard for this mama's heart because I know that will never happen. His legs will not allow him to perform that job. Praying that God will give Jovan a clear direction for his life!

The brother's went outside to play bulldozers and with the snow. God brought two little boys from the same orphanage five thousand miles away to be brothers forever! Thank you God for my two sons!

LOOK...



My kids were so excited they could hardly eat their breakfast!! It snowed overnight and was beautiful! I am so wishing it would stick around for a little bit...but it is melting on the driveway as I write this! Jovan asked that I shovel as it is hard to fly down the driveway, he had to move his wheelchair by hand not just by forward motion! It will either melt or I will make sure it is shoveled...but let's let the warm temps work first!

They will want to play outside right when they get home...so maybe they can slide down with some snow instead of on grass like my earlier post the other day! It's Monday oops...Tuesday, forgot the kids were home for President's day. Feels like a Monday, laundry and general cleaning today. I am going to try to make macaroni and cheese in the crock pot for dinner. A requested favorite, but I have never made it in the crock pot before. We'll see how that goes. Got to go get out the play snow gear...

Visiting...

Most often when you want to visit with someone these days you can do it via email or even slow mail. Sometimes if the person is close enough you can visit in person. Or at least a phone call.

Last night on the way home from church (we saw the movie Courageous~VERY good movie by the way) Jovan said we need to see Jesus! I said oh honey, I hope not for a long time and he said it again...then he said we have to see Buni (nickname for my grandmother)! We have to see her he said we haven't seen her in a long time!! Through my tears I said I know...it's okay I am sure she is all right.

Little did he know that I have a huge an ache for my grandmother wishing the same thing!! Heart aching to see her, visit her, hug her, cook with her and most of all tell her that I love her!! Some days lately are SO hard for me...I just want to know she is happy. And I know she is, because she is dancing in the streets with our heavenly Father! She has no pain, she can see well, she can do what her mind tells her...basically a new body. Like it says in the Bible in 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone and the new has come." This verse helps to give me peace.



She was the sweetest most kind woman I know...basically give you the shirt right off her back if you needed it! And she would always make sure you were fed! I am so happy that she has Jesus to visit with now!

My Mother in Law...

I have known her for twenty-three years. I will never forget the moment I met her. My nerves had nerves of their own. Hubby to be (at that point)was very excited to introduce us. I remember how everything looked crisp and in place. My style was casual...um? She was on the phone when we got there...I am sure she was questioning who in the world I was? Probably!

Hubby and I knew each other for a VERY short time!!! We met at the beginning of August and got engaged on October 3rd. The funniest part is that we never went on date anywhere alone...don't know how that happened, it wasn't planned that way. Oh, we worked together...so technically we were alone sometimes.

When he kissed me for the first time I was stunned. Too much information but it was so sweet. I did not expect it, he walked me to my car after work...which was a short distance like down the driveway. (We worked at a group home for people with disabilities in a home setting.) My car was parked under a street light (just like in the movies...having the right lighting!) and right there he kissed me!

Got side tracked...good memories! Anyway, back to my mother in law...at that point we were not engaged yet! She was kind of quiet, like who in the world is this girl? And I do believe we should have called first to give her advanced notice that we were going to show up on her doorstep. It was a wee bit awkward, but okay. Fast forward a couple of weeks is when we got engaged.

Hubby surprised me with that question. See two weeks before I met him I prayed to God to fill the void of me wanting to get married or could he please bring me a husband. In walked hubby to where I was working, he had just transferred from a different location, and I ignored him like he had the plague!! I was determined not to get to know any single men at the point. One day it just clicked for us...what a shocker!

Okay back to my mother in law...hubby's dad was retiring and hubby asked me to go with him. I was NOT NOT NOT wanting to go with, but at that point being he wife to be how could I say no. Pretty sure I was not on the guest list either. I remember that night as well. Hubby was the only person I knew. His sister's came from out of state so I met them at that point.

Next day we were having dinner with hubby's family and I had put on my ring...he wanted to let his family know. Kind of wanting to be a little subtle, maybe they would notice maybe not. His younger sister noticed first and then hubby let everyone know. Pretty sure we shocked his mother and I was a bit shocked as well.

I know that God gave my hubby to me...hand picked and very quickly after my prayer to Him. When hubby asked me to marry him I just knew he was mine...like having a peace from God! I hadn't even told him I loved him at that point...it felt like an arranged marriage from God and I wanted my love to be not rushed into lightly.

We got married eight months later. It was a small wedding, not exactly the wedding I pictured growing up...but how many weddings match a little girl's dream? I wanted green dresses for my bridesmaids and wanted my best friend to be in it too. She was not, just my sisters and one of hubby's sisters. My mother sewed the dresses for the girls. They were peach dresses with a soft lace collar. They were very sweet and I am thankful she did that for me!! My brother made our three tier cake and it was beautiful...never did I imagine that either! Oh, my mother in law came with to pick out my dress...both my mom and hubby's mom went with me. I think I tried on three dresses before I found the one. Hubby's mom said I am sure he will love looking at you. How sweet was that!

I had always hoped I would be a very good daughter in law...it was a little rocky at times, but I tried. After hubby and I got married he changed a bit, meaning just more confident and he was the head of the household...it was great to depend on him and feel very loved and cared for! He would surprise me all the time! Then he started to drift away from his family...they lived over an hour away, so we didn't see them much. I think hubby always went along with the flow and he wanted to create his own flow and I don't think that fit with my mother in law's plans...so then it was a little rocky.

Fast forward almost twenty three and a half years and now we live states apart and don't see each other often, we do most communicating through emails and such. I send her pictures of the kids and she sends weekly emails of her week...she is so good at that, me not so much. And she really is the best grandmother...she never forgets birthdays and she sends the kids little packages. It is so sweet! Sometimes I just wish she lived closer to be able to see the kids and also help me bake!! She is a great baker and I am NOT! I told her a few weeks ago to move back so that she could have us watch over her...and I meant every word!

I am glad I have a mother in law...and so thankful that she gave birth to my hubby!

Double take...

Look at this picture...



I looked at this and thought wow, I wonder where this came from. Thought maybe some kid in someone's class had drawn it. When I asked the kids, Jovan said he drew it. Wow, he has only seen a space shuttle picture like that a couple of times and he is definitively more interested in fire trucks! It's a three dimensional picture...that's his first one! He likes to draw and where he was a year ago it is quite amazing! This is a picture that I will hang on to for sure!

Maybe he will draw for a profession? I have my doubts...this kid LOVES speed and anything with wheels! A typical boy, it will be such a pleasure to watch when he can finish school and find a job that he can do. He will go far with his determination and his positive attitude! Way to go my little sweet pea! (Don't tell him I called him that because he would say "mommy, I am a guy!!!")

Winter...

Well, I should say a lack of it this year. We have had not more then 3 inches on the ground at a time...and I think that was only one time. Last year we had feet of snow...a child's dream if they LOVE snow like my kids do. They ask for it about July...and now they have Srecko dreaming for it too!

I saw them doing this and my heart just melted and I wanted to go right out and buy a snow making machine!! Wonder if they make a family size one! Wouldn't the kids just freak to have snow ALL year round? Hope you are enjoying the weather where ever you are!!

Athletic...

What is an athlete? According to Webster's dictionary it is a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina. Well, I walked out into the living room to find this...




Is she an athlete or what? While she was doing her treatments she beat her daddy in a Wii game. Now I just heard her squeal with delight! She has a record in the same game. I am so proud that she can play games and win while doing her treatments!! The boys also play...but they take after their mother and aren't such great athletes!! But hey we have fun!

My boys...











I started this post the other day, even before I got people asking why I did just Kristina's pictures. I put up the earliest pictures I have until pretty recently. Sometimes I wish for those cute baby pictures...to add to their photo albums.

Boys...who knew that I would have boys, other then God of course!! The boys really love the same things...Cars, trucks, fire engines, police cars...boy stuff to be sure! Swimming is other favorite activity of the boys! Srecko went into the pool (a deep regular pool) a few weeks ago for a special gym class. My hubby went with because it was his first time in a deep pool. After about five minutes he went on his own with a water flotation device and a life jacket. The excitement was evident on his face with a HUGE smile! Jovan was very hesitant in deep water...always has been, until this last trip to the pool. He was floating... Wish I had been there to take pictures!! Can't wait to go with them the next time!!

Let's see, the boys love to dig in the dirt...with dump trucks and diggers of course! If they could have dirt water and snow all year round they would be SO happy!! This winter they have had dirt and a teeny tiny bit of snow...the water came when the teeny tiny snow melted.

I am a mother to boys...never in my wildest dream did I think God would bless me with TWO boys!! They are rough and tough and so awesome to have around. Brothers through and through!!! God thank you for my boys they are wonderful!!!

My Daughter...







These are just a few pictures that I took when she was little...a few years ago. Looking back at some pictures today and I thought I would share them. She is a beautiful girl fearfully and wonderfully made by God!! And he chose her just for me. Little did I know on the day she was born I became a mother. What was I doing, where was I and who was I with? All questions I think would be kind of fun to know...I don't know any of those questions, but it doesn't matter because she is with me now. In fact she is doing her treatment for her Cystic Fibrosis and I can hear her singing and laughing while she is doing it. Music to my ears!

My heart just overflows with love for her. We try to help her in every way we can. The treatments can be long some times so we play with her or read to her and sometimes let her watch tv. School is hard for her and also expressing her thoughts. She has come such a long way in the last almost five years she has been my daughter!! This year we are going to have a blast celebrating that day!! Hubby and I have already started to plan! Have any really fun ideas let me know! Enjoy the pictures and all the smiles! God is GOOD to me!