Random Update – Part 1

Well I have been meaning to blog for some time but just haven’t found the time to sit down and do it so I have decided that this week I will make it a point to write some random updates. There are so many fun things we have been doing I don’t know where to start. First of all I have been blessed with some flexibility in my work schedule. So while my 12 week leave from work is officially over, I still have a few more weeks before I am reporting to the office every day. This time to be at home is the greatest gift I could ask for. It has helped so much with the attachment process with Blake and for Brady and Madison and I to enjoy a big part of their summer. I can’t believe how fortunate I am!

Blake is learning so many words each day. It is really fun to hear him just randomly surprise us with what he knows. Last night at the Mexican restaurant the first time the waiter stopped by the table he said “drink” before the rest of us could order. The next time the waiter came back he said “taco”. Justin and I just looked at each other and laughed. We had no idea he knew what a taco was. I also get a kick out of it when people say Paka to him. Many people learned the word paka (bye) and will say it when they are leaving or getting off the phone with him. They say “Paka!” and he’ll say “Bye!” It just cracks me up! There are some things he says that I just don’t want to correct because they are wayyyy too cute. For instance, since the day we met him he has said spa-seebaka for thank you. Well the word in Russian is spaseeba for thank you and cebaka for dog. He combines the two and says spa-seebake. So you will hear many times a day spaseebaka Madison or spaseebaka Mama. I usually correct him and tell him he is to say thank you, but lately I am thinking it is too cute and he won’t be saying it forever so I will just leave him be. It reminds me of when Madison always called skunks – stunks. I never corrected her because it put a smile on my face, and of course she now knows the correct word! They grow up so fast!

There are many more random things I could write about, but I thought I would leave you with a few of our pictures from our 4th of July celebration. We decided last minute (Wednesday afternoon) that we would take advantage of free St. Louis Cardinals tickets on Thursday and then found an awesome deal on a hotel downtown. So Blake’s first 4th of July was a great celebration for all of us. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

We had really great seat off of the 3rd baseline!


Check out the arch in the background…


We couldn’t be downtown and not go up in the arch. It was easier to get the replica in the picture than it was the entire huge monument!


Getting ready for the parade…


It was really raining before the parade started!


The rain didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits!


What a special day for Blake….for all of us actually!


There is a great water fountain downtown that people can climb through. Brady and Madison LOVED it!



Blake didn’t think walking around in wet clothes all day sounded like a good idea. He is one smart cookie!


My boys! They are always being crazy.


So here is another crazy thing that happened. We saw 3 free concerts on the steps in front of the arch. The first was Counting Crows, then Nate and Alex Wolf from the Naked Brothers Band, and finally Train on the night of the 4th. There were thousands of people at the Train concert. Madison had to use the restroom so Justin took her and Brady down the steps. After they left, Patrick Monahan – the lead singer from Train, said he wanted a couple of pretty ladies to come up and help him sing the next song. He chose a few little girls that were on the shoulders of their parents down in the front. He had them say their names and the next thing I know I was hearing a familiar voice saying “Madison”! Somehow Justin heard him make the announcement and was able to get Madison down by the stage. She rocked out to Train’s song “She’s on Fire” by singing the chorus with Patrick Monahan. She is on the far right in the photos. We have heard the words “she’s on fire” a number of times since then!


Finally – the celebratory fireworks!