Every Moment Is a Gift!!!

WOW!!  It's true!  Every moment with the ones you LOVE is a GIFT!!!  I have heard this a million times.  I have said this a million times.  I had thought I was treasuring every moment and not wasting a second of time.  I wasn't.  I am still not.  

When any of the kids say "Mom, look at this"!!!

Why do I say "hold on" or "I'm busy, I will in a minute"?

Why don't I drop whatever it is I am doing and RUN?????  Run to see what my child wants to share with me????  UGH!!!  This is for the toddlers and the teenagers.  I am so lucky that they want to involve me in something they find interesting and/or important.  I need to realize each time that they call me, how very Blessed I am.  It is so important to me that I get better at this.  I am a work in progress that is for sure.  I do believe now that Lyla is home that I have realized the importance of time with my children even more.  Lyla's cardiologist appointment woke me up for sure.  It's sad that it has to take something like that to treasure every moment but I sure am GRATEFUL it did!!!  

So that's what has been going on in my mind and heart lately!!!  

Now some pictures of the sweet toddler treasures God has Blessed me with!!!!

 I couldn't find Belle yesterday in any of her favorite spots in the house.  Well I guess she has a new favorite spot!!  Daddy & Mommy's Bed!!!

This is how Lyla fell asleep the other night!!  SMILING!!!  She use to cry herself to sleep - NOT ANYMORE!!!!

 Can you believe Lyla can pull herself up in her crib already???????  WOW!!!!

Story Time with Daddy!!!  

Now, why in the world would I ever even waste a second of Blessed time with these crazy kids?????

Guest Post by: Uncle Mike

I find myself in Ukraine for the 2nd time in less than a year.  I've just experienced my 2nd  "Gotcha Day".  It's powerful stuff to walk out of an orphanage with a mother & daughter.  My 1st Gotcha Girl was Mila Basile, last November.  This time I'm traveling with Summer and now I too, am Lucky To Love Lyla.

I read Summer's previous post about the need for diapers in the orphanage.  I was even able to scrape up $100 from friends in Erie.  So now, amidst all the running around that goes with gotcha week, we have another job.  Diaper Delivery.  There is a desperate need for diapers here.  This is not a wealthy place and we learn that at times the nannies will buy diapers with money out of their own pocket.  It's one thing to read about the need, but now I see it first hand.  Summer, Dave & and trusted Ukrainian friend, Anya, have already spent $400 on diapers for the the orphanage.  Now we have to change money to buy and deliver another $800 worth of diapers.  This is logistically difficult.  It will be around 80 packs of diapers.  It's not easy to do that using only Ukrainian Mass Transit.  So we have help and the whole thing makes me feel like I'm in an old cold war era spy movie.  The mission is financed by the Americans, we have contacts on the Ukrainian side. There is a tight deadline and for reasons I don't fully understand we have to kind of sneak the diapers into the special needs groupas.  Every time we go to the store we buy diapers, every time we go to the orphanage we drop them off.

The nannies are on to us though.  At the infirmary, where Lyla is a nanny takes Summer aside and asks "pampers?".  Summer says "da".  Then the nanny hands her an empty plastic jar and makes a gesture.  Through the language barrier, we have figured out that whatever this stuff is, they need some of it.  Later our translator solves the mystery for us.  The stuff is diaper rash cream.  makes sense, if you don't have enough diapers there's going to be diaper rash.

The real bonus from doing this is that the nannies let us into the groupas when we deliver the goods.  We hear "spah-see-bah" (Thank You) over and over and most importantly we get to hold babies.

If I were not with Summer, I would not even be allowed to enter the front gate of the orphanage.  Now, because of the diapers I have access to places that very few people, especially Americans, ever get to see.  There are babies with Down syndrome, Dwarfism, paralyzed children, visually impaired kids, you name it, they've got it.  When you hold these children it is impossible not to be moved by them.  I use to think I was tough, a firefighter, hockey player and all that.  But when one of these kids looks into my eyes I start to break.  My nose runs, my eyes water.  Allergies I tell people.  Must be the pollen.  But it's not.  It's these brave, incredible children.  Like I said, it's one thing to read about the need, but to be here with a baby in your arms is a whole other thing.  The need is very real.

But there are hero's out there.  Summer & Dave have adopted 3 of these kids, the Basiles 2.  You know who you are.  But there are other Hero's out there too.  If you are one of the people who gave Summer money for diapers - Thanks!!!  That's the best 12 bucks you have ever spent.

So here's the run down, but remember I was a Fireman, not an accountant so I may be off a bit.

Money Raised:  $1,200
Spent on Diapers:  $1,100
Spent on Cream:  $100

That's 20 jars of diaper rash cream and about 100 packs of diapers with an average of 68 diapers per pack.  That's 6,800 dry bums in the orphanage.

Is it working you ask?  Well, when Summer & Dave were here last month every baby they picked up was wet.  This trip, every baby has been dry.  So, Yeah, It's Working!!!

Summer's original plan was to just give the diapers to the special needs groupas but nannies from the infirmary and 3 other groupas also asked for them.  Naturally, we hooked them up.

Lyla's First Week HOME

 Our Beautiful Princess!!!

 Not sure if Lyla wasn't a fan of Conor's breath or she just didn't feel like listening to him

 Yes, she is sitting like a CHAMP!!!!!!!!

Bellie is doing wonderful in schools.  It sure helps to have amazing teachers that genuinely care for their students!!!!  Can you believe I didn't think she was ready for school????

 Everything is worth tasting!!!!

 My Sweet Little Bellie Bug!!!  I am so PROUD OF HER!!!!!

Again, I can NOT believe Lyla is on our couch, in our living room, in our HOUSE!!!!  GOD IS GOOD!!!!

 SG Loves her Little Sister!!!

 Lyla and Buddy the bird just hanging out!!!

 Sometimes they don't always agree.

 This was Sarah's last night!!!  Sarah is the most AMAZING teenager in the WORLD!!!  This girl can do anything.  She did EVERYTHING!!!  She took care of the kids, she did the laundry, she cleaned, she cooked, she blogged so I could see what was going on from Ukraine, she organized my cabinets, she prepared TWELVE freezer meals for us, etc.....  Look, I could go on and on and on about all the things Sarah did for our family!!!  I seriously want to send my teenagers to the Birschbach house for teenage boot camp.  Pat & Jill are doing something amazing over there in Wisconsin.  We are so GRATEFUL that they allowed their precious daughter to help us!!!
Sarah - We Love You so MUCH and We Miss you something AWFUL!!!  The kids ask where you are all the time.  I know with all my heart and soul that you will do the most incredible things with your life.  I am so HONORED and BLESSED to know YOU!!!!

 Awe!!!  I Love this picture!!!!!

 Say "cheese" Gavin!!!!

 All my girls!!!  I am so BLESSED!!!!!

 This new life tires out our little miss!!!

 Gavin just LOVES going to school!  He can't wait for his bus to arrive each day.

 "Where is my bus"

 SG and Bellie waiting for their bus!!!

 Look at that Bug!!!  OH I LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!!!

 Floor time!!!!

 Blessed Beyond Belief to witness all this LOVE!!!!!

 Lyla is all over the place and Loving her new freedom!!!

 OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  STUNNING!!!!!

 Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!  The kids wanted the cake to read "Happy Dad"!!!

 Belle and Lyla were telling secrets I think.

 Here they are!!!  Our three pots of gold at the end of the Rainbow.

 Reece's Rainbow has Blessed us TIMES THREE!!!!!  With these most amazing precious treasures!!!!

Forever Grateful for these three!!!!!!!  We Thank All Of YOU that have helped us bring these miracles home.  WOW!!!!!!  Some of you have been with us on this journey for over 2 years.  Can you believe it??? Can you believe that Lyla is on that couch with Belle & Gavin?  Can you even believe what GOD has done????  HIS PLAN???  I still can't believe it!!!!!!  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't want to end with any other picture!!!!!!