Beauty for Ashes

Nole's Cabbage Patch Photo.....

2012-01-07T12:01:00.008-06:00

We finally got around to taking the traditional grandchild's "Cabbage Patch" photo at Grandma's house! If you remember, Grandma has a collection of Cabbage Patch dolls and we have propped all of the grandchildren in with the dolls over the last 18 years.

To refresh your memory, here is the link to Bella's: http://beautifulgiftfromgod.blogspot.com/2009/10/reprise-cabbage-patch-baby.html

AND, here is sweet Nole' in the "Cabbage Patch...

Well, Bella HAD to get in on the action, so here is a photo of her just to show you how much she has grown in two years!
Traditions are so much fun, aren't they? Well, now we will have to wait for the first great-grandchild for the next photo! :)

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T09:07:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year, Everyone! We had a wonderful family night last night.

First, we went out to our newly-opened Olive Garden....Although we went at 4:15, we still had an hour wait! I waited in the car with the littles watching "Signing Time" until our table was ready.

The meal was so good....Elizabeth had a dream meal of smoothies and melted cheese & bread....
We haven't been out to eat as a family for so long and the kids were so well-behaved. What a treat to have a sit-down dinner, be served, AND not have to clean up.

After the dinner, we returned to the house for our annual festivities. Elizabeth went to a movie with two friends who are home from college and Sam went to the Youth for Christ party. So, we had our countdown at 7:30!

My sister got us started on a tradition that is too much fun. Right at the end of the countdown, we wear hats, use blowers, and jump on jumbo-sized bubble wrap laid out on the floor. It was a bit much for Nole', so he made a fast retreat to the livingroom until everything settled down.

We wish you all a "Happy New Year" filled with love, good health, and faith!

Blessings from the Burckhard Family!

Nole's First Christmas

2011-12-26T08:42:00.009-06:00

Hope you all had a wonderful, Christ-filled Christmas! Nole's first Christmas home was too much fun! Here's a snapshot of his first Christmas home...

Nole' wishes everyone a "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

Who's Got a Beard That's Long and White?

2011-12-15T16:48:00.003-06:00

Santa's got a beard that's long and white.

Who comes around on a special night?

Santa comes around on a special night.

Special night. Beard's that white.

Must be Santa, Must be Santa, Must be Santa, Santa Clause!

My Fashionista.....

2011-12-09T08:55:00.003-06:00

Oh my, are we in trouble! We have a budding fashionista on our hands......

When Grace saw the "Shake it Up" (Rocky & CeCe) clothing line at Target, she just had to have it! How could we say no?

She loves to look at herself in the mirror from every angle and then gives herself a double "thumbs-up" and says, "Perrrrrfect!"

She is just too much fun! I wish I could have her self-confidence and positive body image!! You, go, Grace!

Finally, I Return!

2011-12-05T17:29:00.002-06:00

Hi All! Just popping in to say "hi"! I just noticed it has been a whole month since I last posted. I am not even sure if anyone really reads this old blog anymore (except maybe Grandma), so am trying to decide if it is time to retire from the blogging world. I must say, though, that this blog is the only time I have ever recorded any thoughts, pics, etc. about my family and our life.

I didn't even do baby books.

So, perhaps I should just force myself to keep going.....so at least I have a scrapbook of sorts for when my memory is fading (which feels like it is happening sooner rather than later.)

Today, I am in Sioux Center, IA, with Elizabeth. We are visiting Dordt College as a prospective student. She just loved it here. She is actually staying overnight at the dorms with some girls and I am at a hotel all by my lonesome. What a treat!

The last month was one of the most stressful, agonizing months of our lives. So many overwhelming things happened. The biggest I won't even mention here because I have to respect the privacy of the family member. Let's just say it is so hard!

So, my life is going through some changes, the least of which is that my eldest will be going off to college in less than a year. I am so proud of her, yet will miss her terribly!

Thanks to all of you who continue to read this blog. If I do decide to keep going, I will have to commit to doing a much better job, huh?

Blessings, Paula

Bella Watching "Annie"!

2011-11-05T11:01:00.002-05:00

Here's our Bella watching the musical Annie...."Why anyone would want to be an orphan is beyond me!" (Miss Hannigan) Bella agrees with Miss Hannigan!

B. E. L. L. A.

2011-10-30T20:19:00.004-05:00

While sitting at supper, munching away on her Sissy's homemade waffle, Bella looked up at Sissy and signed "B e l l a".

She is one amazing little girl--especially considering she came home to us after living 4 1/2 years in an orphanage.

We are so thankful for everyone who has helped Bella develop her emerging skills: teachers, therapists, grad students, respite care workers--not to mention friends and family. Bella is proof that a little love and instruction go a long way. We are so proud of you, B.E.L.L.A!

A Witch, A Princess, and A Sock Monkey.....

2011-10-28T10:12:00.012-05:00

After a long blogging break, it's great to be back to share some Halloween party fun! Our high school, Magic City Campus, Character Counts Club hosted a Halloween party for the DreamCatchers baseball team (for kids with disabilities) last night.

They had a blast......

Carving pumpkins.....

Eating pizza.....
Strutting their stuff in a costume fashion show:

But, the little sock monkey didn't like the applause so much....

Grace and Chelsea are sooooo scary.....

Thanks to Character Counts Club from the DreamCatchers!

It was a fun night for all!

Go Vikings!

2011-09-25T14:11:00.003-05:00

My favorite Viking fans.... and, yes, I have a jersey too!

PS.....this may be the reason Kevin likes having FIVE children....more to influence towards his Vikes. It's sad really.... :)

30 Toes.....

2011-09-14T19:15:00.004-05:00

When Grace was first born, we found out that one of the first clues that medical staff look for if they suspect Down syndrome is the toes....specifically for a gap between the first two toes.

I think we are safe to say that all three of my children with Down syndrome have this feature....

GRACE.....

NOLE......

BELLA.....
This past summer, Sam was looking at Bella's toes and asked if she was missing some toes! We had a good laugh at that one!

But no matter what, we love all 30 of those toes!

Nole's First Day of School......

2011-09-06T12:41:00.003-05:00

Nole' started preschool at Perkett School this morning. He will be going every day from 8:25 am to 11:15 a.m. He will also get to ride the bus like his big sisters have done.....It doesn't look like it, but he LOVED the bus.

Our little man is growing up..... :)

Look at Our New Haircuts.....

2011-08-31T15:14:00.004-05:00

Look at our new haircuts.....

Oh, and can you tell we got McDonald's sundaes in the car afterwards for being good?

Even After Two Years....

2011-08-27T09:40:00.005-05:00

Even after two years, Grace and Bella are still sleepover "fwiends". (As Grace pronounces it).

If you happen to remember, the first morning Bella was home with us, we opened the bedroom door to find two girls sleeping on the floor right next to each other, pillows touching!

This morning, two years later, I went to get them up and this is what I found....

When we adopted Bella, this is what we hoped and prayed for....that Grace would have a forever little sister and friend--and sleepovers to last a lifetime!

Who Keeps Stealing my iPad?

2011-08-24T09:08:00.004-05:00

Nole' especially likes "Plants vs. Zombies" and "Angry Birds".....Silly boy!

Two Years Ago Today.....

2011-08-20T18:49:00.005-05:00

Elizabeth and I made the long journey home from Ukraine with our new daughter and sister.

Here they are on the flight home.....
And, here she is--our Ukrainian princess--two years later.........Happy Anniversary, Bella Bogdana Burckhard....We Love You!

All About Nole'...

2011-08-17T23:09:00.009-05:00

Can you believe he has been with us for almost SIX months? We love him so much and are so thankful each and every day to God for blessing us with this little treasure!

With all that has gone on this summer, my blogging has take a back seat, to be sure. So because of this, I thought I would give an update of Nole's summer in photos. Here is our handsome little man.....

Grandpa made him a train table for his birthday. He loves to play with his Thomas the Tank engine trains and get right in on the action.....

He and Bella has become the best of buds....

Nole' at his first baseball game at Brewers Stadium.....

Nole' with three of his siblings (Sam was out of town).....

Swimming with Daddy in Milwaukee.....

Nole' opening his birthday present at his party.....

Nole' shared his party with Grandma Lucille who turned 86 on July 11th & Nole' turned 4 on July 14th.....

Nole "swimming" at the lake on the Banzai Sidewinder....

Nole's Dedication at church.....

He and Jake have become friends too....

Nole' and Sam (sorry this is so blurry, Grace likes to take pictures too :)

Lovin' on Daddy....

Nole's first DreamCatchers' baseball game.....

We love him so.....

We Got To Meet the Wiggles!!!!

2011-08-08T18:54:00.010-05:00

Last Wednesday, we headed off to Grand Forks, ND, to see the WIGGLES Live in concert.

A few days just before I noticed on their website that they only do "meet and greets" for children with special needs and contest winners. So I sent off an email requesting a "Meet and Greet" with the Wiggles....due to three children who all can agree on one thing--they LOVE the Wiggles!

A Wiggles representative named Sue from Australia emailed the next day and stated that usually it is too late to set up a session, but that she had a slot available for us to meet them! Oh, Happy Day!

Here are the three excited littles waiting for their turn to meet the Wiggles.....!
Here is our family with the Wiggles....Just may be this year's Christmas card! :)

Daddy and Nole'.....
Bella and Sissy....
Grace doing her Captain Feathersword imitation...
Can you tell Bella's favorite is Henry the Octopus?
After the concert, Bella met up with her best bud from preschool, Ella....
The Wiggles were SO nice to the children. In fact, during the concert Captain Feathersword came into the crowd and when he saw Grace, he gave her a high five and said "Hi Grace!" That was so cool that he remembered her!

Everyone had a great time--even Sam had to admit it wasn't as bad as he had expected-- Thanks, Wiggles, you made our summer!

A Touching Anniversary Story.....

2011-08-01T08:31:00.004-05:00

Happy 52nd Anniversary,Dad & Mom, and Happy 24th Anniversary to my husband Kevin!

We celebrated the special day yesterday out at the lake with a cake. Now, there is a special story behind the cake that Grandma shared with us while we were enjoying it.

She and Papa stopped by the local DQ to get an ice cream cake. After she picked it out, she asked the counter girl to write "Happy Anniversary" on it. While Grandma was waiting, she watched another customer kidding around with the other employees to find the most chocolatey blizzard they could muster. He then turned to Grandma, apologized, and motioned that it was her turn to order. Grandma said, "Oh no, that is OK, I have already ordered and am waiting for our cake to be inscribed."

The man asked if it was a special event and Grandma replied, "Yes, it's our anniversary, and my daughter's and her husband's too." "We really don't need a cake, but the little ones do." He asked Grandma how many years they have been married and she told him 52 years. He exclaimed, "52 YEARS! That is just wonderful! And I bet he still doesn't learn? Ha Ha" Grandma laughed and said, "Yes, you are right. For 52 years his underwear have been in the same drawer and he still asks me where they are!"

While Grandma was visiting and joking around with the man, she noticed that he was wearing a shirt with "FEMA" embroidered on the front, so she told him how much our community appreciates what they have done to help our flooded little city.

At this time, the cake was ready....and before Grandma could lift her purse up to open it, this gentleman quickly handed the cashier the money to pay for the anniversary cake. Even the DQ workers were crying......

Grandma didn't get his name, but she was so blessed by his little act of generosity. And it helped restore a little of her faith in mankind.

Thank you FEMA man, whoever you are. You made our special day one to remember.

Oh, and Happy Anniversary.... Mom & Dad! We love you and hope to make it to 52 years one day too!

One Month Ago.....

2011-07-21T08:40:00.005-05:00

Wow, cannot believe my last blog post was one month ago. So much has happened in our little community since the historic flooding of the Mouse River...it is just devastating! Over 12,000 people displace, over 4,000 homes inundated--and of those homes over 800 condemned & over 2,000 severely damaged. However, the mind-boggling thing is that only a couple hundred people ended up in the shelters. Isn't that amazing? The rest of the community took in over 11,800 people into their homes. That just speaks volumes about the hearts of our people!

The devastation is beyond heart wrenching! But, the rebuilding has begun with all of those homes being gutted to the studs. The piles of peoples' belongings are stacked high on the boulevards--sometimes higher than the houses. Oh, and the smell....beyond words.

We decided as a family that we would like to share our home with a family who has a child with a disability, preferably one that uses a wheelchair, as our home is on one level. So, we offered our home to a family who was separated in two towns and has a beautiful little girl with a disability. We then moved out to our trailer (cavin, as Grace calls it) at Rice Lake. We have been so blessed to have two places that survived flooding, so we felt called to share one of them with a family in need.

For us, it has been a sweet time of making family memories. The main reason I haven't posted is that we just got internet yesterday. Until then we were in a dead zone out in the country--no phone, internet, or cable. Now, that we got internet....we will feel a bit more connected. But, we have done so much more as a family without everyone being "plugged" in to their electronics!

I will be posting a few catch-up posts next week because tomorrow we head out for our annual Milwaukee trip. We weren't going to go this year, but getting a break from our cabin sounds mighty appealing right now. :)

Thank you for your prayers! Minot will need them for many months to come...We all know it is devastating, but the community will bounce back and be stronger for it; it's just going to be a long haul.

Blessings, Paula

Please Pray for our City.....

2011-06-21T10:14:00.006-05:00

Would you please pray for our community? We live in Minot, North Dakota, and are facing a catastrophic flood. The Souris River, aka Mouse River, is projected to flood the whole river valley & beyond by Thursday evening or Friday morning. This flood will be about 9 feet higher than the flood in 1969, if any of you remember that.

Our local news station is doing an AWESOME job reporting 24/7. If you'd like to keep up with the flood coverage, you can go to their FB page and watch live coverage, a river webcam, and even look at the wall to see how the community has come together in amazing ways to help one another:

http://www.facebook.com/kxnewsminot?ref=ts

Although our house is not directly affected, many of our friends and family are having to evacuate their homes. And, a catastrophe such as this will affect our community for years to come. As our Mayor said yesterday during a press conference, "It is a sad day in Minot."

My prayer for us is from Romans 15:13...."May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Love, Paula

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T22:54:00.005-05:00

Happy Father's Day to Daddy and Grandpa! Both exemplify what it means to be a great Dad!

To celebrate, we all spent the day out at the Cabin.

We had a cookout and yummy DQ cake...
Nole' loved his ice cream....

AND, he LOVED his first "boat" ride....

Happy Father's Day, Daddy & Grandpa....We love you!

Day 6....Six Flags Fiesta Texas.....

2011-06-17T19:41:00.006-05:00

Day 6 was a fun-filled day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. It was HOT that day. 103 degrees! We melted! Thank goodness for misting stations....AND shows in air-conditioned theaters.....
At one point, we lost Bella....thank goodness for the matching yellow t-shirts once again! A kind stranger pointed us in the right direction....we found her a couple blocks down from the theater we just exited, calmly sitting in a red play car.

After that scare, the rest of the day was truly "Family Fun in the Sun!" Here we are.....

After a long day in the sun, can you possibly guess how we spent the evening? If you guessed swimming, you are the winner!

Day 5.....Graduation.....

2011-06-15T18:56:00.006-05:00

Day 5 of our Texas "Family Fun in the Sun" was spent going to Alexandra's (our niece) high school graduation. Congrats, Alex! We are so proud of you!
Alex with her Mom & Dad....Grace sports her "2011" grad glasses... Elizabeth (middle) with her cousins & friends....Kassie, Alex, and Elizabeth....Sam, Bella & Julianna....
Oh, and then after the festivities, we went swimming! Surprised? :)

Day 4....Padre Island

2011-06-11T10:11:00.008-05:00

I realize this is like watching someone's vacation slides, but these photos and record of activity are more for me than anyone. I have never been one to have a journal, scrapbook or even have a photo album. So this is finally my way of having a scrapbook of sorts!

That aside, Day 4 brought us to Padre Island. We drove three hours, got into the public beach parking lot, and unloaded everything & everyone....and at the instant it poured! We loaded back up and went to the gift shops to browse for a bit and wait for the sand to dry out.

Finally, after renting a cabana, we settled in for a weenie roast and then swimming. Thank goodness we all wore our matching yellow Family Fun t-shirts because we lost Grace! After a panic-filled search, she was found....in the men's changing rooms! Now we can laugh about it, but it was scary at the time! At least we knew she wasn't swept away by the waves as she wouldn't even get close to the water until the end of the day.

It was definitely a Fun Family Day in the Sun! AND, when we got home, we didn't go swimming.... :)

Day 3, Part 2....Family Photos

2011-06-11T08:24:00.004-05:00

After a yummy lunch at Whattaburger (we don't have these in ND), we returned to the hotel for a little rest. Later that day, we had a young lady who is learning photography take our family photos. Here are a couple of shots.

After the photo session, guess what we did? Yep, SWIMMING!

Day 3, Part 1....Morgan's Wonderland

2011-06-10T16:52:00.013-05:00

Day 3 brought us to Morgan's Wonderland, a fully-accessible park with rides, playgrounds, and activities for all people--with or without disabilities.
This was the first day we wore our matching "Family Fun in the Sun" t-shirts designed by our niece Alex!
Here is our crew taking in the many activities offered there....

This park was simply amazing! If you get a chance to visit, please do....you won't be disappointed!

Thanks, Morgan's Wonderland! We had a blast!

Day 2....Family Fun in the Sun.....

2011-06-10T10:16:00.007-05:00

On Day two of our vacation, we picked up Daddy at the airport and went to the Riverwalk.

We took the boat ride around the river....

Ate at Casa Rio on the river.....

We were serenaded by a mariachi band....

And, then ended the day with none other than...... more swimming!

Family Fun in San Antonio! Day One...

2011-06-09T17:04:00.009-05:00

Hi All! We just returned from our first family vacation--with Nole'. My Mom treated the whole family to a trip to visit my sister's family in San Antonio from June 1 through the 7th. We had so much fun on our mini-family reunion....my brother Joe and his wife Brenda weren't able to come because of all the flooding in Bismarck, so we were sad about that.

On our first day of the trip, Kevin had to stay behind one day because of emergency evacuations in our town due to flooding and to help take care of his mother.

So the first day, Grandma & Papa flew with me and the kids to San Antonio.

Grace was so frightened to fly again. She kept saying out loud to herself (& anybody who would listen) "Plane not scary. You go up. Stop. Go down. Then done." and "It's Ok, Grace, not scary." When she is upset, she self-talks herself through it. Bella, on the other hand, is a flying pro!
On Day One of Family Fun, we reconnected with the Texas cousins....

Ate at Freddie's....

And went swimming at the hotel pool.....
Aunt Karla & Bella....

Fun times on Day one!

Are You Dora?

2011-05-30T18:22:00.002-05:00

"No, I BELLA!

While watching Dora together on Netflix, Elizabeth noticed how much Bella looks like Dora. Then, when Bella ran back to her room and appeared with her "Backpack" and had a pink shirt on, no less, Elizabeth had Bella put on her orange pants and voila.....Dora? No, silly, it's Bella!

My Trio of Trisomy 21 :)

2011-05-19T20:47:00.004-05:00

Yes, my youngest three children have Trisomy 21--more commonly known as Down syndrome--but that is about the only thing they have in common. They are all so unique with their own gifts, talents, likes and dislikes.

First off, we have our home-grown child named Grace. As you may know, Grace is passionate about KETCHUP. So, imagine her delight when I presented her with a special treat tonight......Heinze-flavored potato chips. She LOVED them!
Second in line, is Bella our Ukrainian dolly. She may be a princess, but this girl can take care of business. She can wipe the table, make her bed, fold clothes, and build things. Yes, you heard right, build things! Just last week, you should have seen her help Papa put in a new toilet. She just shakes with excitement and anticipation when she is around tools. Well, tonight our local Bremer Bank put on a community event for the youth to make bird houses. She LOVED it! She got to "pound, pound, pound" (she showed me her hammering actions when she got home). She is definitely Grandpa's little helper--he should take her on his Dakota Plains Construction jobs, don't you think?
And third, we have Nole'. What a gentle, loving little Serbian soul! We have finally made a smooth transition from Lady GaGa to Thomas the Tank Engine. He picks up each wooden train, holds them up for me to name, and then kisses the face on the little wooden engine. When the girls went to the bird house-building session tonight, I took him to K-Mart and he got a "shake and go" Thomas the Tank Engine. I think it is the first toy that I let him pick out and then hand out to the cashier. She handed it right back to Nole'. He LOVES him!
My little trio may have Trisomy 21 in common, but as I said, that's where the similarities end--I love my Trio of Trisomy 21!

Nole' Started Preschool.....

2011-05-17T17:59:00.003-05:00

And these pictures from his teachers say it all, don't ya think!!!
His teachers say he is doing great! Nole' goes three days a week for a couple of hours a day to Perkett Elementary. Right now we give him rides to and from school, but when his summer school starts, he will get to ride the bus with Bella!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T13:43:00.003-05:00

2011

2010

2009
Happy Mother's Day! This is guest blogger: Daddy-O, brought in on special assignment. That's code for "Paula's taking a nap"! When we last saw her, she had some chocolate, a Diet Coke, earplugs, and her new Ipad II! I think we also heard a distinctive "click" of the lock when her bedroom door closed!
Being the youngest of five children myself, I know now how my parents felt when they were chasing me around when I was 3 and full of energy! (code for naughty) However, they were 43 when I was Nole's age while Paula is within 3 1/2 years of being 50! (So am I, but this a tribute to Paula on Mother's Day, it's not always about me!)
Behold the latest 3 years of Mother's Day pictures for our growing family: our 3 oldest in 2009. Then a family with 4 kiddos in 2010. Now today's shot, sakes alive, we too are a family with 5! (children that is) What next!?!?!?!
"Paula, please come out sometime! There's alot of little people out here, and none of them want to take a nap!" (except for a weary guest blogger)
We love you Momma! Enjoy your special day!

A Dream Come True.....

2011-05-02T17:24:00.004-05:00

Grace had her very first "friend" birthday party yesterday....and I cried!

But, these were tears of joy for a dream realized.

You see, Grace has never been invited to a "friend" birthday, nor has she had one of her own.

With her birthday approaching, Kevin and I talked about our hopes and dreams for Grace as she gets older. We both agreed that we hoped that she will have many friends, both with and without disabilities.

With this in mind, we contacted her regular ed teacher Miss McNally and asked her who would be good to invite to her party. Just a couple of girls; Miss McNally readily gave us the names of two girls who go out of their way to befriend Grace in the classroom, at recess, and during daily activities.

So, with some trepidation, we sent the two girls invitations to Graces big party to be held at our local SplashDown water park. The day before the party, we got RSVP's from both girls stating that they would be coming. In fact, one of the moms said that when her daughter got home from school, she was so excited to share that she was invited to Grace's party and that no matter what was going on this weekend, that this was one thing she was not going to miss!

Grace's party started at 4:00 yesterday. Many good friends of many ages & abilities showed up. BUT, the best part of the whole afternoon was watching three little friends go up and down the stairs a million times to go down the waterslides. There was no "Down syndrome", just friends who love Grace just the way she is!

Yes, I cried.

As we put Grace to bed last night, she kept repeating the same four words "party, presents, swimming, pizza....." We all went to bed last night thanking our heavenly father for his "Grace" in our lives.....

Love, Paula

Grandma Lucille & Her newest Grandson.....

2011-04-29T09:56:00.003-05:00

I love this photo of Grandma Lucille and Nole' on Easter Sunday. I will have to ask, but I think Nole' was grandchild #20--ranging in ages from 42 years old down to 3 years old. Just guessing here, but I think she may have 15 great grandchildren. What a legacy, Grandma 'Cille!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T12:43:00.004-05:00

Happy Easter! He is risen! Alleluia!!

Here is our very first family photo of all SEVEN of us.....
And, here is a shot of all FIVE children together....
Happy Easter!! Love, The Burckhards

Success....

2011-04-20T11:13:00.002-05:00

"Ciao" GaGa and "Hello" Choo Choo!
If you are new to our blog, you may not know that when we first met Nole' we were told he loved Lady GaGa! Finally, we have success in that we have gotten him to transfer his love to Thomas the Tank Engine! And, if you know me, you will know it is a miracle that I kept Sam's old Thomas trains. So, Nole' is have a grand ole' time lining up the trains, giving them rides in his dump truck, AND even getting his big brother to play with him.

So, we are making a little progress with our little man! :)

Nole' is........

2011-04-19T07:33:00.002-05:00

soooooo "Huggie-able".....
....don't you think?

Coming Up For Air.....

2011-04-15T19:36:00.017-05:00

Busy can be the only word that adequately describes our household these days! Hence....no blogging! Since it has been a few weeks, I thought perhaps now would be a good time to give a brief update on our family.

Nole: He is a full-fledged American citizen!
We received his Certificate of Citizenship AND his social security card just today. He is such a gentle soul who charms his way through life! Although, he continues to pester his older sestra Bella and poor old Jake. He had a preschool evaluation done two weeks ago and we will meet in a week to discuss options for next year. He is doing amazingly well in picking up basic sign language such as eat, drink, play, bath....all the important things. He is adjusting to our family so well; we all just love him!
Bella: Well, almost everyone loves him! Bella's not so sure yet! I guess you can't blame her when Nole pulls her hair, scratches, pushes to inappropriately try and get her attention. He is not being mean, he just doesn't know how to get her to play with him. When they do play, it is so fun to hear them laughing and running around together. I pray with time, that they become the best of friends. And, Bella no longer carries all her favorite possessions around with her all day, she just hides everything under her bed! She's one smart little cookie!Here they are watching Barney "together!"
Grace: Grace is still the character of the family. We recently had her yearly IEP and it went so great! I think it is the first year in which I didn't cry during the meeting. Those meetings are so emotionally charged, they get me every time. It was so great to hear that Grace no longer needs OT, but only needs the therapists on a consulting basis. She is reading over 75 sight words, adding with a bit of carrying, and is handling herself well in the classroom. She keeps everyone laughing with her "Gracisms", that's for sure! She recently had her music program. Right at the beginning, she caught my eye...she did the "rock on" sign and then proceeded to mouth the words "I'm Hungry!" in front of everyone. We died laughing! Oh, and when she got up this morning and saw that it had snowed, she exclaimed "It's Christmas!" Here she is at her music program playing the recorder:
Samuel: Sam is having a great school year. He has grown into such a delightful young man. He LOVES to go to the Y with his Dad as often as he can.
He has grown taller, slimmed down, and is gaining some muscle. He also found that he loves "selling" things. He was the winner of the school's fundraiser where they sold "coupon" cards for pizzas, gas, etc. He went around town and sold 51 cards at $20 a piece. We told him that if he likes this and can do well, he most certainly can sell "life insurance" like his dad! This weekend he and his friend Trystan went to Fargo for a chess tournament. Can't wait to hear how his weekend goes!

Elizabeth: Well, my little girl is all grown up! She went to her first formal last weekend! She was escorted by a very nice young man named William. He is a foreign exchange student from China.

When Grace saw Elizabeth and her friends all dressed up and ready to go, she insisted that she, too, was going to dress up and go to the "prom" with her friend Conner. We let her come along to see everyone, and as you can tell, she jumped into some of the photos! Elizabeth had such a great time that night and most certainly looked like a princess! She is busy getting ready for college entrance exams and year-end activities. I am trying to treasure each day with her, because before I know it, she will be off at college.

Kevin & Me: You will never believe where I was this past week--FLORIDA! I know, I am a really bad mom for leaving Nole' so soon! :) But, I am so glad I decided to go with Kevin. It wasn't his easiest sales job either to get me to go to his conference with him. I insisted that it was just too soon to leave Nole' and the attachment process. However, at the last minute (when it was snowing here), I told him I would go. He had already lined up the child care (five WONDERFUL college gals and my parents)--all I had to do was pack. We had so much fun relaxing by the pool, collecting seashells, and visiting with other Northwestern Mutual Managing Directors and their spouses. In the end, everything was just fine. My parents brought Nole' to the airport this afternoon to greet us. After a few seconds, he said "Oh!" and ran to me and hugged me so tight! I am so glad I took the time to go and that we had the most amazing team of caregivers that our kids didn't even miss us! We are blessed!

We got to dress up for the awards dinner....

Here is one of the hotel pools....
Kevin in the gulf waters....
So now we are all ready to get into a routine. Not gonna happen, I know! But we will try to get back into our daily lives and savor every moment as we go!

Love, Paula

"That's My Boy....."

2011-04-01T09:35:00.003-05:00

How does Grace feel about her new little brother? I think this photo from Kevin's phone says it all....
The first thing she asks about when she gets home from school or when she wakes up is "Where's Novak?"

She wants to hug and kiss him all the time. And says lovingly, gently caressing his face, "That's my boy!"

The only bump in the road is that if he even grazes her shirt when he walks by her, she says, "Owwww, Novak hurt me!" Low pain tolerance, that one!

All in all, Grace is head over heels in love with Novak. Oh, and in her words "It's Novak, not Nole'!!!!"

March Blizzard.....

2011-03-24T12:57:00.007-05:00

What do you do when school is called off (for the first time this year, although we have almost 60 inches of snow already!) due to a March blizzard?

Well, first of all, you can play in the Hettie the Hippo tent...
OR, you can go sledding around the block.....
Or, cuddle with Daddy.....Or, take a little nap wherever you land....
Gotta love March in North Dakota!

Just Too Cute.....

2011-03-22T16:44:00.002-05:00

Not to share..... :)

The Champion! Go Nole'!

2011-03-21T08:20:00.005-05:00

The crowd goes wild chanting "Nole', Nole', Nole'"!

Who is this Nole'?

Nope, not our little Novak--but none other than Serbia's #2 world-ranked tennis star--Novak Djokovic!
We assume that our Nole' is his namesake. We were told that the name "Novak" is a older traditional Serbian name that has had a surge in popularity because of Djokovic. And if you didn't know, Nole' is the nickname for Novak...just like Bob is Robert or Mike for Michael here.

Just yesterday, Novak Djokovic defeated the world's top-ranked player 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the BNP Paribas Open title on Sunday, keeping the Serbian perfect this year. Djokovic improved to 18-0, including victories at the Australian Open and in Dubai last month. Djokovic will move into the No. 2 spot when the ATP Tour rankings are released Monday, having bumped Roger Federer down to third after he lost to Djokovic in the semifinals.

Kevin and I used to play a little tennis and enjoyed watching it on TV. Now, because of a little Novak, we have a renewed interest in the sport!

Does anyone know where we can find a "Nole'" jersey?

My Brave Hubby.....

2011-03-19T17:01:00.002-05:00

Professional at work, do not attempt.....
I have to say I would NEVER attempt taking all THREE to the grocery store by myself, but that is what my sweet husband did while I was taking a delicious Saturday afternoon nap.

I owe you one, Daddy....just not grocery shopping!

I Love My Big Brother!

2011-03-17T14:58:00.004-05:00

Nole' loves his big brother Sam! And, I think the feeling is mutual! If you remember, Sam was the only grandson on this side of the family. Before we committed to adopting Nole', we asked Sam how he would feel if he had to give up his spot as the only grandson. He replied, "I can get used to it!"

My heart was so full on the first Sunday we had Nole' in church. Why? Because Sam got to hold Nole' and take him out halfway through the service. I would look over during the worship songs and thank God for the gift of the two precious boys. Sam always wanted to hold Bella during the service, but she only wanted Elizabeth as she was so attached to her because Elizabeth helped bring her home from Ukraine. So I am happy that Sam is getting his turn!

Two days ago, I asked Sam to "do something" with Nole' as I prepared supper. This is what he came up with.....
Yesterday, Sam took Nole' on a walk to his friend Meghan's house. If anybody even walks towards the door, Nole' is so hopeful he can put on his jacket & shoes and go out. So, suffice it to say, he was one happy little brother!

Today, Nole' visited Sam in school for lunch today. Here are Nole', Sam & the boys in his class.
This school lunch is "yummy, yummy!"
Sam is proving to be a great big brother! At least, Nole' thinks so!!!!

Nole & Sissy.....

2011-03-14T17:01:00.004-05:00

Nole and Sissy are getting along famously!

Nole visited Sissy's school last week and was a hit! So many girls to flirt with, say "Caio" to and blow kisses at!
Elizabeth just wishes she could have gone to Serbia with us to bring him home. But, now she would love to visit the orphanage in Belgrade to volunteer. Maybe one day, Sissy!

This Thing Is Sooooo Coooool!

2011-03-11T12:02:00.002-06:00

"I just push a button, touch the screen, and I can play games, listen to Wiggles (or GaGa), and play my favorite game...."Talking Tom"--It's so fun, especially when I make him fart!"
"Oh, do I laugh and laugh!"
"Did I mention I love this thing?"

Havin' A Blast Takin' A Bath......

2011-03-10T21:49:00.002-06:00

No words needed....Oh, and just so you know, Grace is "too big" to take a bath now--"I shower!"

New Boots......

2011-03-10T15:02:00.003-06:00

Bella & Grace LOVE to be like their big sister Elizabeth! When we came across these boots for $7.00 each, we snatched them up....They were THRILLED to be able to be like Sissy!

Bella would sleep in hers if she could. Oh, and hers have Dora on them--way better in her eyes than those Ugg boots any day!

Love these girls!

Texas Cousins "Welcome"...

2011-03-08T21:04:00.005-06:00

My sister Karla, her hubby Dave, and their five girls live in Texas and welcomed Novak home with this very cute picture...
In June, Grandma & Papa are flying ALL of us down for Alex's high school graduation. We can't wait for Nole to meet his Texas cousins face-to-face!

The Bedraggled......

2011-03-08T10:52:00.007-06:00

We've been home five days now, and I don't know who is more bedraggled--me, Bella, or Jake the cat? LOL

Nole's saving grace is that he is a cutie patootie!
Seriously, he is a very busy little guy. But, oh so loveable! Except to poor Jake!

I think Nole thinks that the cat is a toy and that when you pull his tail, you get the coolest "meooooow" (emphasis on OW") sound.But the dumb cat, keeps sitting by Nole and following him around. He is certainly a glutton for punishment. Or, it could be that any attention is better than none!

Bella is slowly adjusting to this little "bother" (ok, brother). She still gathers up her most valued possessions and keeps an eye on them very closely.

Bella and Nole have played together a bit--but I have to be there to run interference. Nole doesn't realize that Bella outweighs him two to one and that she is being very patient with his pushing, pulling, and stealing her things. Soon, her patience will give way, hmmmmm? Note the space she has placed between them....smart girl!

Praying that they develop a close relationship and that Nole slows down a bit....or I might just wear out! :)

Home At Last......

2011-03-04T19:43:00.009-06:00

The first two days home have gone quite well. As they say in Serbia, "Živeli" (cheers)...

Playing the Wii with his sestras.
I think I am going to like it here....
Grace adores her new little brother--she tries to hug and kiss him all the time. Oh, and for the record, she did not get sick! :) And, she let him play with her necklaces....
Bella is having a harder time. When Nole tried to take her Barney, she gathered him, her Barbie convertible, and two Barbies and gave them to me to protect. She does not seem quite sure about this new boy in the house.

Elizabeth thinks he is the cutest little boy she has ever seen.
Sam is smitten and is enjoying showing his little brother a thing or two on the Ipad. Right here they are playing "Plants vs. Zombies"...Nole loved his first bath at home...here he is in the towel we got from Shelley Bedford's adoption fundraiser.....
Here I am feeling the love....

So far, so good..... :)

Our Last Days.....

2011-03-04T14:37:00.011-06:00

Our final days in Serbia were bittersweet. We loved our time in this country, but we were so excited to be returning home to our other children.

Monday morning started off bright and early with many things to do to finish up the adoption paperwork. Here are Nole & I in front of our apartment building...
Jasmina came to our apartment at 8:30 am in a taxi and picked us up to go pick up Nole's passport. When we got there, however, the passport office was have "technical" difficulties, so we waited for a while before going to Nole's medical appointment. After that was done, there were several other stops to make, but because Nole was not needed in person any longer, Nole and I went back to our apartment while Kevin met with Jasna, the attorney, back to the passport office & the medical office, and then came back to the apartment to get us. From there, the three of us went to the American Embassy for our 2:00 Visa appointment. Here is a photo showing how narrow the streets are in Belgrade...
That evening we decided to venture out on our own--Jasmina sent us the name and address of a very good pizza place in downtown Belgrade. After eating some very authentic Italian pizza, we walked the streets window shopping. Each little shop specializes in something....a socks shop, jewelry, tailor, shoe repair, tatoo & body piercing, you name it. At the very end, Kevin found a very quaint tie store. It was only a little closet of a space, maybe 5 ft by 10 ft, and only sold ties. He bought two. :)

On Tuesday morning, I met Jasmina at the orphanage where she works as a medical doctor. She gave me a tour and I got to meet several little ones who are in the process of being adopted who are listed on Reece's Rainbow. Oh, how my heart ached as I saw each of these precious children--all in need of their own forever family! However, most of them are not free for adoption for one reason or another....often times it is because the parents will not release them. So there they sit, in their cribs with no real family to call their own. I wanted to snatch up several little girls... Kevin and my Dad were very worried about me visiting an orphanage....thinking that I would want to take them all home with me. :) Well, just two or three....

When I got back to the apartment, Kevin and Nole did not answer the door bell. So, I went off to Coffee Dream and had a latte and chocolate muffin. I went back to the apartment and rang & rang the doorbell. Finally, I decided to call Jasmina to call our apartment number (because I didn't have the number) and ask Kevin to let me in. I guess my little men had fallen asleep.

After letting me in, Kevin took a taxi to the Embassy to pick up Nole's visa. When he returned, we went out to an authentic Serbian restaurant with Jasmina and her handsome nephew Bane. We had a wonderful dinner together!

After dinner, Bane dropped Jasmina and I off for a performance of Kolo--a Serbian Dance troupe.
Their performance was so wonderful and an awesome way for me to end my time in this beautiful country.

After a tearful goodbye with Jasmina, I went into our apartment and packed. We woke up at 4:00 a.m. for our very long day of travelling.

I will spare you the details of the trip, but I must say that Nole was such a great little traveler. We had so many compliments about his good behavior.

Our travels home took us from Belgrade to Munich,
Munich to Washington D.C., Washington D.C. to Denver, and then Denver to Bismarck. Kevin's brother Randy met us at the airport at midnight and gave us a ride to my brother Joe's where our Tahoe was waiting.

Nole loved riding in this big vehicle in his very first carseat.
We had to drive the two hours home to Minot where Elizabeth, Sam, Grandma & Grandpa welcomed us home.

After the long day and visiting, Nole settled into his new little bed in his 'monkey room' and sleep away like he has been here forever.

Now we end this journey with the only words we can say: Hvala Bogu...Thanks be to God!

Day 12...

2011-02-28T12:04:00.008-06:00

After a lazy Sunday morning, we were brave and ventured out, grabbed a taxi and went to a large shopping mall called "USCE." It was a very upscale mall with lots of worldwide brands. We walked the mall and ended up on the third floor where lo, and behold, there was a McDonalds!
We introduced Nole to McD's fries and KETCHUP! Grace, guess what? you will have to share....because he loved it!

We thought that the mall concept was great in that all like stores were grouped together....sports stores, children's stores, etc.

We had a fun little outing with Nole!

Days 10 & 11....

2011-02-27T02:44:00.032-06:00

The past two days have been been good. Day 10 was more of a stay-at-home day. I was happy to be a "Becky Home-ecky" and was able to wash a couple loads of clothes. There are no dryers here, so I had clothes hanging on a rack and scattered throughout the apartment on the radiators. Kevin went to the American Embassy to pick up paperwork and schedule an appointment for Monday to get Nole's Visa.

This is the view from our apartment window...
In the afternoon, we ventured out and went to Chickenita--a fast food retaurant--and a nice Serbian worker there who spoke English helped us order and then directed us to a place to get "minutes" for our cell phone.

We returned to the apartment and took a long nap. Yesterday's Adoption Day was filled with lots of emotion and we felt spent! After our rest, we went across the street to our local little market to get some groceries. Got quite a bit for $2200 dinar or about $30 in US. The currency in Serbia is the dinar.

With a few groceries stocking our little kitchen, I was able to make some sauce for a spaghetti dinner. Nole loved the noodles! Also, boiled some brown eggs for breakfast.
Day 11 was a very fun sightseeing day! Jasmina, our facilitator, met us at our apartment, and after going to the Photo Mart across the street to have Nole's Visa pics taken, we walked the narrow city streets down to the The Cathedral of Saint Sava--an Orthodox church in Belgrade.It is currently under renovation, but was still very beautiful and awe-inspiring inside.

Next, we loaded into a taxi and were dropped off at Knez Mihailova Street--the main walking street in Belgrade.

It is a pedestrian zone and shopping center, protected by law as one of the oldest and most valuable landmarks of the city. It has a large number of impressive buildings and mansions built at the end of the 1870s.

The city lies at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers,
Next we walked the grounds around the Kalemegdan Fortress--also note the statue of Pobednik (Winner), one of the symbols of Belgrade....
On the grounds, we were also able to tour St. Petka's Church which has an interior made completely mosaics, and the Rose Church which had unusual chandeliers made out of bullet shells.

To end our day, we experienced one of Serbia's best restaurant's located in the fortress. Not exactly sure what the name is, but someone called it the Castle Restaurant. We had a wonderful dinner...and they had a high chair for Nole too, which made it even more pleasant for everyone!

And to top off the day for me, Jasmina and her nephew Bane took me out to the National Theatre to experience the opera the Barber of Seville. The Theatre was breathtakingly beautiful and we had awesome balcony seats...I did not take this picture, but wanted to show just a bit of its beauty.... The opera was done in Serbian, but through the superb singing and acting (along with reading the program synopsis in English) I was able to follow the story line. Even so, the opera was so well done, it wouldn't have mattered what language was used.

This is a day we will treasure so that we can impart a taste of Serbia, especially Belgrade, to Nole one day.

Day 9.....Our New Addition.....

2011-02-24T11:29:00.006-06:00

We would like to introduce the newest addition to the Burckhard Family!

He weighs 30 lbs is 32 inches long, and he has lots of dark silky hair......NOVAK BURCKHARD

His nickname is Nole (pronounced Nolay) which he prefers. But we love what Novak means: The name is derived from the Slavic word for "new" (e.g. Czech: nový), meaning something similar to "new man", "newcomer" or "stranger" in English. The name was often given to someone who came to a new city, or a convert to Christianity.

The Adoption Ceremony was so beautiful and touching. At the end, the Ministry Director gave me a bouquet of flowers and congratulated us. The whole group stood and clapped.
Here is the wonderful team of people who helped make it possible here in Serbia.....

Thank you for your continued love and support. We are so grateful to have you praying for our family! May God bless each and everyone of you!

Day 8....Great News!

2011-02-23T12:18:00.009-06:00

Day 8 was a great day! In most part, because we got word from our favorite facilitator Jasmina that the Ministry Office signed off on our reports! Praise God! We will have the Adoption Ceremony tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. here (3:00 a.m. Central Time...while you sleep).

This morning started with breakfast in our room. The staff are so kind and considerate; they even bring Nathan an apple juice even when we don't ask. Here is our daily bread.....
We then ventured off by ourselves to the Kragujevac City Center and walked around. It was like a slushy winter wonderland. Very pretty.
After a bit, we took a taxi to the Roda Center to play and walk around in out of the snow and rain.

After we returned and had a short rest, we got word that everything was signed. So, we headed off to the Pink Panther (or as the sign says "Pink Panter") for a celebratory dinner.
Here are Mama & Nathan in front our our hotel called Hotel Zeneva:

We are now back at the room and getting packed up to head from his birth city and then on to Belgrade to finish up the rest of the paperwork.

I would like to end this post with a picture especially for Sissy. Here is Nathan in the hat you made him (just like his big sestras):
Can't wait until tomorrow when we can officially announce our new son to you!

Day 7.....

2011-02-22T12:25:00.005-06:00

Day 7 can be named "Lazy Day" in our little hotel room.

Here is basically what we did all day....
This is why...(this is the sight outside our room).....

A dear friend, Dawn, reminded me to savor the simplicity of this time--of being able to focus on one child--our time here will soon be a memory!

So here is Kevin playing cars with our litle man....

I will leave you with a clue to Nathan's real name.... :)

Thanks for leaving comments for us...we love to read them. Caio for now!

Day Six.....

2011-02-21T14:28:00.010-06:00

Day Six started with a flurry of activity to get ready for some very special visitors...the Social Worker and Center Psychologist came by at 9:00 a.m. for an official visit.

They brought Nathan some pretzel sticks and chocolate. After visiting a bit, the pyschologist (a pretty young woman)asked where is "Mama" and he pointed to me!!! And where is "Tata"? And he pointed to Kevin. As usual, Kevin was being his funny self and then suddenly stood up and said, "Well, thanks for stopping by...." They caught the joke, but only stayed for a few more minutes anyways. And, they said things were going so well that they are done with the official visits to our hotel.

Later, we heard from our facilitator's nephew Dushan, who is staying here at the hotel with us, that they got great news that the reports are all done and they are now just waiting for the Minister's signature. Once we get that signature, then we can proceed with the Adoption Ceremony and final paperwork... Yay!
Will you pray that the Minister signs soon? This will allow Jasmina our facilitator and our SW ample time to get everything in order to finalize the adoption.

The rest of the day was very lazy. After the meeting this morning, we had brunch up in our room (what a great plus this is as it is included in the room cost) and then we bundled up Nathan and went for a little walk around the neighborhood. Kevin just loves the old buildings and quaint neighborhood shops; he says it reminds him of a set from his high school theater days.

Nathan was tuckered out after the walk. So he and Kevin took a long afternoon nap. It was a good day to take a nap as it was raining and then snowing all day.

After nap time, we headed off to nice mall so that Nathan could play and walk again.This is the name of the play place....not sure what it means other than it is describing what Kevin and I will look like if we keep eating all this great Serbian food! :) Oh, and they have wonderful coffee drinks and ice cream at the Lumpi....
When we got back, I tried to wash clothes in the tub, but Nathan insisted on having a bath. We are in a very nice room which has a jacuzzi bathtub...I once again added too many bubbles.....
While Nathan and I stayed back in the hotel room, Kevin and Dushan went out to a favorite local food joint and then brought us some yummy food. Not sure what it was....a hamburger with cheese and ham inside wrapped in a pita-like bread. And, this wonderful salad I have had three days in a row....I can't remember the name but it has tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and is topped with white shredded cheese.

Nathan had french fries :)

As I type this, Nathan is sound asleep.Kevin and Dushan went down to the hotel restaurant to visit...continuing a long, very interesting conversation about the war in the Balkans.

All in all, a very good day! Chow! (meaning goodbye, not eat... HA HA)

Day Five....All About Nathan!

2011-02-20T08:31:00.026-06:00

Today's post is all about our little man! Daddy and I would like to share some random thoughts, facts, & tidbits.....
His name is not going to be "Nathan" but his given Serbian name....To be announced at a later date..... :) We love it, though, and it fits him so well, especially the nickname. In Serbia they don't use middle names, so he will be "N..... Burckhard."

His attention span is pretty long, but his hair is long & pretty!

He is a consummate flirt! Loves to wave "Chow" and blow kisses to pretty young women. Example: Kevin took him into a store to get ONE bottle of Coke Zero and came out instead with two (2 liter) bottles of Pepsi Light because Nathan blew kisses at the "Pepsi Promotion Girl." Kevin later regretted this decision as he walked a mile back to the hotel carrying twice as much soda.

He sleeps between us at night--sleeps like a baby...a full contact, fighting, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) baby.He lands more kicks and punches during the night than most fighters do during a whole match.

In case you hadn't read in a previous post, Nathan is goo-goo for GaGa...Lady GaGa, that is! And now that we have watched one of her videos, he will be goo-goo for something Disney...maybe Demi Lovato? His first words out of his mouth every morning are "Ga Ga?" And then he giggles! He stands at our laptop and says "GaGa" over and over. And we say "Nay, Nay, Gaga!" "GaGa, it's me, Nathan. Can you score me some tickets the next time you are in North Dakota?"

He is very good at picking up his lego blocks. In two and 1/2 days he's picked them up 64 times! Unfortunately, he's dumped them on the floor 123 times! So we are getting good at picking up legos as well.... :)

He likes eating everything especially if it's chocolate or pretzels. He and Elizabeth are really going to hit it off because her favorite snack is chocolate-covered pretzels. Elizabeth, start stocking up now!!!!

Nathan is showing many of the natural gifts that will immediately identify him as a Burckhard child: How many three year olds do you know that can operate a digital camera, a video Flip camera, and a Blackberry cell phone....SIMULTANEOUSLY????? Note to Sam...If you think you have trouble finding your cell phone now, you better watch out! His foster sisters said that he would always take their cell phones and hide them....They would have to call their own number to find that the little boy beside them with the vibrating pants was the culprit!!!

Everywhere that Nathan is can be considered a remote location, because wherever he goes, there are lots of remotes.NOTE to Sam again: Take all the batteries out of the remotes. And, maybe a future gift idea for friends, relatives, and blog followers....don't throw away your old and unusable remotes....just send them to Nathan!

These facts are the "tooth, and nothing but the tooth!" We brushed his teeth for the first time, and he loved it...the toothpaste, that is!

On a more serious note, Kevin was reflecting yesterday that while he is not the only 47 year old man who tries to keep up with a three year old boy, the one thing THEY all have in common is the name "Grandpa!" Better take a multi-vitamin, Papa! If you look very closely, you can see a big blob to the right of Nathan. That's not any blob, that's his Grandpa, I mean, Daddy!....

It makes sense that we had to go the other side of the planet to get him, because we think he is OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!

Day Three and Four, I Think.....

2011-02-19T13:58:00.007-06:00

I think it is Day 3 & 4, but honestly, I don't know--it is one big blur! A good one, but a blur!

Nathan is a great little boy and not as active as we thought he would be. Over the last two days, we have had breakfast in the hotel (included) and then went to a shopping mall to go to a large play area.

We picked up a stroller and walked yesterday, but because it is raining today, we took a taxi.

In honor of Kevin's birthday, our wonderful facilitator Jasmina and very tender-hearted Social Worker Ivanka joined us for dinner at a excellent Serbian restaurant. Yum-O! Can you tell we are just loving the food?
Then we came back for cake and the ladies sang a Serbian birthday song for Kevin ("Srecan Rodendan") and he blew out a big candle the hotel scrounged up for the occasion.

We had a wonderful "Skype" session with the girls back home. Grace kept trying to play peek-a-boo with Nathan and he would blow kisses and say "Chow".

Well, after we looked on-line at an actual Lady Gaga video, we both declared "Nay, Gaga, for you, little man!!!!"
We showed him some high school musical videos on You Tube instead. When we told this to Grace (you know, it's her very favorite), she exclaimed "Awesome!" and gave us the thumbs up. Now Grace will have a very willing HS Musical Wii partner.

It's the end of the day...and my boys are tuckered.
So I best be saying, "laku noć!"

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2011-02-19T04:48:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday, TaTa aka Daddy! Here is his birthday present:

I will update later on what the rest of the day holds... :)

Bella Turned Six!

2011-02-19T04:27:00.007-06:00

On February 17th, Bella turned six while we were away. We are overwhelmed with the love that has been shown to our family back home.

Here are some photos that Bella's preschool teacher Lerri sent to us showing her big day in school.

And then, we got a precious photo from her daycare she is attending in the mornings while we are gone. All the kids "waiting" for the bus:

And then, Grandma & Grandpa took the kids out for dinner to celebrate. Oh how I miss these four!
Thank you so much to all who are taking care of our children back home! We love you all so much!

Day Two.....Amazing!

2011-02-18T03:20:00.007-06:00

We had an amazing day today!

To start off the day, we went to the Ministry Office to get Nathan's referral. I believe there were 12-13 people all around a table. It felt like a grown-up, foreign IEP process. Ha Ha!

Nathan's Social Worker updated us briefly on some of Nathan's background. My mind is very fuzzy right now, so I will post the details later. I am excited to share the rest of the news with you....

Right after the meeting, we headed out for a three-hour drive to the south of Serbia where Nathan's foster family lives. We met the social worker and two of his center's worker's at the house. It was just so surreal as we approached the front door with his foster Mom saying "Mama & Tata....".

There were even more people there as we all crammed into the living room with Nathan. Let me say he is even more beautiful in person!

He has been with the family for the past two years or so and has grown quite attached to them. He has two older foster sisters who were also there. They shared lots of little tidbits with us as they both spoke very good English. The funniest thing of all is that they told us that his very favorite thing is Lady Gaga!!!! And, while we we sat there, wouldn't you know it, but on comes Gaga herself. He danced and showed his moves.

He loved to play with our FLIP camera, our digital camera, and Kevin's phone. We gave him a monkey and some "sweets"...which he loved!
Then, much to our surprise, our facilitator Jasmina asked us to go and get an outfit out of the car for him as we were going to try and take him today. The oldest sister helped me get him dressed and put on his little coat. His foster mother has a very hard time with it all. I gave her a bracelet with a heart engraved in Latin saying "Love Conquers All." She cried and cried. I had to turn away or I would have lost it too.

All was fine with Nathan leaving with us until we were outside the gate to their house. He wanted to run back, but Kevin bent down and gently picked him up while he was crying very louldy. We all hopped into the vehicle and headed off to his birth city. He only cried for a few minutes and then settled in on the SW's lap. I must admit I was a bit worried that he might not take to us....

We then arrived at our hotel, went up to our room, and noticed that Nathan had a dirty diaper. In true teamwork fashion, we changed his diaper and then he was totally fine being with us! Whatever it takes, we say!

We had a wonderful dinner at the hotel with our new friends.
It was a wonderful Serbian meal of pickled vegetables, bread, appetizers, and meat. Yum! And the best part of the whole evening was THIS.....As you can see, my little cup was full!

We gave him a bath,
a bottle of milk, and settled down for the night.
Praise the Lord for such an amazing day!

Day One.....We Are Here!

2011-02-16T11:35:00.009-06:00

We are finally here.... Praise God! Our travel to Nathan's country went very smoothly!

After taking me what-seemed like weeks to pack, Kevin got done in 10 minutes. I am not kidding! Just a hour before we were to leave, he put his things in his suitcase and was ready to go! Am I the only one or are your guys like this too?

And, look at this big guy...told him that he couldn't go along because he would put my suitcase weight WAY over the 50 lb limit.... :)

Ah well, we were packed by 10:00 am and headed out for our flights about two hours away in Bismarck. (It was $700 cheaper to fly out of Bismarck.) Our first flight was Bismarck to Chicago. Then, Chicago to Munich (8 hours) and then Munich to Belgrade, Serbia, this morning. Love the tiny "Coke light and spork"...
We arrived in Belgrade at 12:30 p.m.----we are 7 hours ahead of our Central Time zone. Jasmina, our facilitator and her nephew Dushon met us at the airport. The only hitch in the whole day happened when we went to collect our one checked bag...what are the odds that someone would have a "Jeep" suitcase just like ours?!!! After a few minutes, we were able to track down our suitcase which was accidentally taken by another American young man. It would have been kind of funny to see his face when he opened "his" suitcase to find it full of little boy clothes and toys!

Daddy in front of the Belgrade airport....

After getting us settled in our apartment, Jasmina walked us around the neighborhood and introduced us to a Serbian food called burek. Serbian round burek is made from layers of dough, alternating with layers of other fillings in a circular baking pan and than topped with a last layer of dough. We got a one slice with cheese filling and one with meat. We called it "Yummy!" Daddy indulging....
Some delicious chocolate "for the kids"..... the Smilies are great! (Hey, we had to make sure they were OK for them to eat!)

Our apartment is very nice. Let's just say, it has nicer appliances than we have...

After a three hour nap, we are ready to go out for a bite to eat. And, no surprise to those of you who know Kevin....he is watching hockey on the American ESPN channel. "da, da, da....da, da, da!"

Please continue to pray for us as tomorrow we go to the Ministry to get Nathan's referal and then we will be travelling to his city to meet him!

Love you all..... Paula & Kevin

Birthday Bash!

2011-02-13T21:55:00.005-06:00

Celebrated three birthdays tonight.....

Elizabeth (17 on January 29th)

Bella (6 on February 17th)

and Daddy (47 on February 19th)

Bella had a BLAST! She hmmmm, hmmmm'd her way through a BIG Coldstone Creamery piece of birthday cake and loved opening her presents.

It was so fun to have everyone over to celebrate! Happy Birthday!

Before & After.....

2011-02-05T17:53:00.003-06:00

Before....as the office.....

After.....as Nathan's room....

Note....that's Bella's toddler bed awaiting its new owner!

Bella's Big Girl Bed!

2011-02-04T20:07:00.002-06:00

To get ready for her little brother's arrival in less than a month, Bella got a big girl bed. She was extremely excited, yelling "BIIIIIGGGGG bed" over and over.

Her old toddler bed awaits..... :)

Sam's Going to State!

2011-02-02T15:07:00.009-06:00

Today was a very exciting day for Sam....He made it to the State Spelling Bee on March 25th in Bismarck.

He was the 7th grade champion for the city and then made it into the top 20 for the oral spell-down.

After 8 or 9 rounds, he ended up securing the runner-up position....the first place and runner-up go on to compete at the state competition.

He is so much like his Dad (for those of you who know Kevin, you know what I mean!). At one point in the oral competition, the announcer Jim Olson (pictured with Sam above)said "Ok, Sam, your word is next...." So Sam quickly replied, "n....e....x.....t"! Everyone roared!

Here are the Our Redeemer's Christian School students who competed today....

The word that got him was misanthropy. Seriously, we are so proud of you, Sam!

Sissy's 17th Birthday.....

2011-01-31T16:25:00.002-06:00

Sissy turned 17 on January 29th!

She requested going to Big Apple Bagels for a birthday breakfast....
Here is Sissy with her gifts....can you spot Bella too? :)
After doing stats for the ORCS Boys Basketall team, she had her buds over to watch ice-skating and eat birthday pie. Here she is with her best buds....
Hope you had a great day, Sissy!

Sissy is a Character!

2011-01-27T16:21:00.004-06:00

Character Counts, that is! Last night at the Character Counts banquet, Elizabeth received a 2011 American Youth Character Award from the Character Counts Program. She and five other students were recognized for demonstrating the six pillars of Character.

Here are the six winners:

They were selected from a large pool of students nominated by their teachers and administrators. The students also had to answer questions regarding how they demonstrate strong character. Elizabeth's name will also be submitted with the other five winners to the National Character Count's archives. What an honor!

In addition, two other students from Our Redeemer's, Gabbi & Alyssa, were recognized as honorable mentions:

Here are the three Our Redeemer Students with Mr. Strand, Principal, and Mrs. Carlson, Development Director:

It was a wonderful night! Elizabeth's choir, "coincidentally", was this year's musical group. They did a great job singing a "Joseph" medley and "the Rhythm of Life":

What a moving event! These students were so awe-inspiring and humble. How refreshing to see these students recognized for showing depth of character and remaining that way--even when no one is watching! Congratulations, Sissy!

In Our Local Newspaper.....

2011-01-26T10:24:00.003-06:00

Our local newspaper the Minot Daily News featured our family's adoption journey today:

http://minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/551234/Becoming-a-Burckhard.html?nav=5010

I think the writer, James Falcon, did a wonderful job writing the article. And, did you notice he used "people first" language? I was so excited that he did that!

Oh, and if you don't get the Minot Daily, this article is on the top of the FRONT PAGE right above an article about the State of the Union address. Talk about humbling......

Kevin and I want to say that we couldn't have done either adoption without the love and support of our friends, family, and community! So thank you to all of you!

We Got Our GOLDEN TICKET!

2011-01-24T17:09:00.003-06:00

We got our approval "golden ticket" or the I-171H today! This is the official document we need to adopt internationally.

Now, I must say that this came in record time. The actual document says it was filed on December 22, 2010 and that the completion date was January 20, 2010. We just had our fingerprints on January 18, 2010! This is amazing!

So we are praising God for this miracle! We are also so thankful for the prayers of many....our Pastor Andy, our Elders, and our friends.

We ask that you continue to pray for us--especially for a smooth journey to bring home our newest family member!

We're Coming, Nathan......

2011-01-20T14:54:00.002-06:00

We are so excited that we received a travel date from Nathan's country.....February 17th (which happens to be Bella's 6th birthday).

Kevin was able to talk with immigration services today and was told that our fingerprints came back clear (whew!) and that they would try and get our approval done as quickly as possible. We need to get that I-171H by at least February 11th so we can get it notarized and sent it off to Bismarck for an apostille.

Then, we are ready to go...... Yay!

Fun & Fingerprinting.....

2011-01-18T17:55:00.004-06:00

Fun & Fingerprinting in Fargo!

We had our biometric fingerprinting appointment today for the adoption. Because it had to be done in Fargo, we made a "Family Fun" trip out of it and left on Sunday--stayed two nights in a hotel.

We usually stay at the Holiday Inn (you know, the one with the "ship") but they were full, so they gave us a room at the Holiday Inn Express with a hot tub.

Grace & Bella LOVED it! Oops.....I didn't know that you weren't supposed to add bubbles to it! Too fun!

We had such a good time as a family of SIX and look forward to the next "Family Fun" trip to Fargo as a family of SEVEN!!!!

Adoption Update....

2011-01-14T16:38:00.003-06:00

We are getting closer to Nathan with each baby step! We have our biometric fingerprinting appointment this coming Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. AND THEN, after that, we wait for the "golden ticket" aka I-171H approval from the US government that says we can adopt internationally. We are hopeful to get this approval soon so that we can travel mid-February to bring Nathan home!

Every now and then, we get additional tidbits about Nathan from the facilitator in his country, such as........

He eats very well

adores sweets.

He does not like toy cars,

likes soft toys.

He does not like noise,

and is afraid of

the toys with high volumes.

Doesn't he sound so cute and smooshy? AND, He will fit in just fine with the Burckhard clan if he adores sweets!

Here's another shot of this precious child:

We can't wait to travel! We are trusting God that He will provide the funds necessary to bring him home. We have been humbled and are so grateful to those of you who have given to Nathan's fund. We have been moved to tears! We estimate that we still need to save about $10,000 to fully fund the adoption. We know that God will pave the way....one way or another.

Love, Paula

Bella's Barbies & Boots....

2011-01-13T13:22:00.003-06:00

Bella loves Barbies....but they're even better in a dump truck!

She also loves Boots.....but they're even better worn with a nightgown!

Is there a better definition of dichotomy? I think not!

Go Team or Justin "Chipmunk"???

2011-01-11T08:09:00.004-06:00

Grace and Bella are future MSU Beaver Cheerleaders!

They love their new cheerleading outfits...their Christmas presents from us.

Funny note....Grace thinks the MSU mascot is the 'Chipmunk', so we keep reminding her that it's really the 'Beaver'. So, we had a good laugh when we overheard her say that she likes "Justin Chipmunk" aka Justin Bieber!

Is Ketchup a Veggie?

2011-01-07T16:30:00.003-06:00

Grace thinks so....Or is it a fruit? Hmmmmmm?????
Whatever it is, Grace thinks it makes everything taste so much better!

What A Trip!

2011-01-03T16:09:00.016-06:00

Last Wednesday, five girls and four moms boarded Amtrak to take a special Mother/Daughter trip to the Mall of America to shop for formal dresses for their Junior/Senior banquet at the school.

This is Elizabeth and her friend Jessica as we departed for our overnight train ride:
Here are the girls right after taking a bus and the light rail to the Mall of America. We had been traveling for about 12 hours right here:

After a long day of trying on dresses and traipsing around the mall, the girls and moms had a rejuvenating dinner at the Rainforest Cafe....ending with the "VOLCANOOOOO...."

Elizabeth's very favorite restaurant is none other than IHOP and since we don't have one in our town, she got her wish for a special brunch the next morning.....New York Cheesecake Pancakes!....

The five girls on New Year's Eve before heading to the train station....
Natalie and Elizabeth at the train station on New Year's Eve right before boarding.....

Now I must digress and say that our train was only 1/2 hour late....not bad considering Amtrak. So we celebrated our New Years on the train and then tried to sleep on the way home.

Then, around 8:30 a.m., after traveling all night, the conductor came over the intercom and stated that our train had to turn around and go back to Minneapolis because of the blizzard. WHAT!!!! Our hearts just dropped! We were just outside of Fargo and were told that we could not deboard from the train as there were no hotels and no travel allowed.

But Kevin came to the rescue and arranged for hotel rooms and a shuttle to the hotel. Because we had this arranged, the conductor finally approved us to get off in Fargo. We were told that our rescheduled train isn't scheduled to return until tomorrow night! I guess, they have started rerouting some passengers on Greyhound.

Our plan was to have our husbands drive two vehicles to come and rescue us from Fargo. However, all the roads around Fargo were CLOSED, so we had to wait a bit longer. Finally, the roads opened yesterday, our white knights arrived, and we were safely driven the 4 1/2 hours home.

The girls wanted a memorable trip, and they got one! They had a blast and made memories to last a lifetime.

Here we all are right before heading home yesterday.....

Good times, Good times!

Little Nathan....

2010-12-27T17:42:00.003-06:00

We were blessed with an extra gift this Christmas--some information on our little Nathan. We received a very special email with a few choice tidbits such as....

* He wears a size 4T in clothing and a size 8 shoe.

* He started sleeping in a regular bed one month ago and it's reported that he’s sleeping much better now that he’s not in a crib.

* He has also started using the potty! He’s asking to go and everything!

* He’s beginning to talk in 2-3 word sentences such as “give me that”.

I can't tell you how excited we were to get this information! We can't wait to meet this little man....hopefully in February!!!!

Merry Christmas from the Burckhards!

2010-12-25T19:53:00.008-06:00

Grandma & Grandpa with Bella Bogdana....
Grace's new rockstar hair....
Elizabeth with an Icelandic Doll in handmade authentic outfit.....
Sam is ready to learn "Deutsch"....
The girls in the annual matching Christmas nightgowns....
We pray that all of our family and friends had a very Merry Christmas celebrating Jesus' birth!

A Visit to Santa.....

2010-12-22T22:03:00.003-06:00

We visited Santa tonight. Grace snuggled up to him and laid her head on his shoulder beaming up to him while gently patting his shoulder. Bella took a bit of coercing for her first visit, but finally cautiously sat on his lap.

Grace wants a necklace and Bella wants a doll for Christmas...They were two VERY excited little elves!

Excited to Share.....

2010-12-21T10:38:00.003-06:00

that we have mailed off the I-600A application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, aka USCIS, to obtain approval to adopt Nathan!

We had to wait to send the application in until we had our Home Study done and approved by the ND Department of Human Services--that letter came yesterday!

Thanks to Lisa from Catholic Charities at being so efficient and effective at writing an excellent Home Study and to Shelley from About A Child at so patiently and expertly answering my many questions. It is truly a team effort!

Now we wait for a fingerprinting appointment in Fargo and then the approval letter to follow.

Soooooooooooooo.......Merry Christmas, Kevin! (We decided that this app and the $890 fees are our Christmas gifts to each other this year.)

"Just the Way I Am"

2010-12-18T09:19:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, Grace and Bella received a very precious early Christmas gift. Our dear, tender-hearted Pastor Andy gave the girls this book....

Oh My! What a wonderful book! The book description says:

Just the Way I Am
God's Good Design in Disability
Through photographs, Bible passages, and her own story, Krista Horning’s book tells of a wise and sovereign God who turns all things for good, including disability.

Born with Apert syndrome that has required more than 60 surgeries and countless hours of therapy, Krista and her family understand the severe pain and suffering associated with disability. Yet they also experience God’s grace and are able to live with hope in God because they are anchored in God’s word. From the Foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada

To order this book, or any other excellent God-centered materials, you can go to Desiring God Ministry's book store by following this link:

http://www.desiringgod.org/Store/Books/890

We are SO thankful for our Pastor and the way he demonstrates Christ's love to our girls and others with disabilities in our church family. Just as Christ does, he welcomes us "Just the Way I am".....

Love, Paula

Many Blessings....

2010-12-16T10:40:00.004-06:00

We are so thankful for unexpected blessings that have been given to us lately. When we first began this journey, a dear friend gave us a generous gift to help us bring Nathan home. (Thank you, M.K.) It was just what was needed to begin our updated home study!

Then, on Saturday night, Kevin and I went to the ORCS boys basketball game in Velva and wouldn't you know....Kevin won a 40" flat screen TV. He dropped in $10 for Dollars for Scholars and his name was drawn! So, we were able to sell the TV for way under cost and applied those $$$$'s to our ever-growing adoption fund.

So, along with my new job at Family Voices, a gift from a friend, and the sale of the TV....we have been able to pay for each expense as they have come up.

We are so thankful for these blessings from God! He provides abundantly in so many ways--and through so many people--taking care of not only our daily bread, but also over and above what we could ever dream of to help bring this precious boy home!

Cookies at Grandma's...

2010-12-12T16:32:00.005-06:00

Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go......for our annual Christmas Cookie decorating!

Sam loves to cut out the cookies....

Bella loves to "decorate" the cookies....

Here's Grandma with her "ONLY" Grandson FOR THE TIME BEING.......

Ok, I finally allowed Papa to take a picture of me and then even blog about it.....

The finished products! But don't let Grace fool you--she only decorated ONE COOKIE and then took it and ate it and she was done for the day!

So looking forward to having another little helper for next year's cookie tradition!

Adoption Update.....

2010-12-10T18:43:00.003-06:00

Things are moving right along in our process to adopt "Nathan"!

We received our homestudy draft today and it looks great!

Also today, we went to our friendly neighborhood notary Jean (doesn't everyone have one?) and got notaries on most of our dossier documents.

In North Dakota, you have to get your home study approved by the Department of Human Services. Our home study will be sent there next week for approval.

We will then send our dossier over to Nathan's country (along with 650 Euros) to start the translation process. We don't have to wait for our government's approval to send it over.

In the mean time, we will get a fingerprinting date and then will be in the "waiting" game to get the "golden ticket" aka I-171-H.

Once we get that, we go over to his country and begin the in-country process!

So far, this is faster and a bit more laid back than Ukraine. But time will tell..... :)

Does anyone know how long it is taking to get the I-171-H after sending in your application? Just wondering.....

A Little Cuddle Time......

2010-12-07T14:24:00.002-06:00

This little scene made me smile this morning. A triple-layer cuddle.....priceless!

Bella the Penguin

2010-12-03T13:20:00.001-06:00

Guess this speaks for itself! :)

Decorating....

2010-12-02T16:46:00.006-06:00

We decorated the tree this past weekend. I can't help thinking about another little someone who will be here next Christmas to help put the ornaments on the tree. What a whirwind that will be! Bella loves decorating....but doesn't understand that one branch can only support so many ornaments.

Elizabeth hanging her Reece's Rainbow Christmas Angel ornament "Bridget"...

The finished product.....

I love this time of year being together and celebrating Jesus' birthday!

Great News.....

2010-11-30T16:27:00.003-06:00

After a VERY long week....Bella is finally on the mend. She had her tonsils and adenoids out a week ago last Monday. Being the tough little cookie she is, I just assumed she would bounce back no problem. Boy, was I wrong! I really had to force her to take pain meds and drink....she seemed to be in a lot of pain.....poor thing! And her breath....Oh My!!!!!!

I only left the house one time during last week, and that was to pick up Grace from school because she got sick. :(

But today we got great news! While Bella was under anesthesia, the local lab drew blood for a full screening. Today we got the results: Negative to everything......HIV, anemia, Celiac, leukemia, thyroid.....Yay!

And today, I know she is feeling better, because she ate a graham cracker and drank a whole glass of chocolate milk.

Praise God for a great report and that she is finally feeling a bit better!

Thank You, Lu, for the Button!

2010-11-27T20:37:00.004-06:00

Lu, a wonderful Reece's Rainbow volunteer from England, designed this beautiful button for our little Nathan.

Grab This!

Be sure to right click on the box below and then select all.

Thanks, Lu from Poppies Blooming, http://thepoppiesblog.co.uk ..... we love it!

OK, Let's Talk.....

2010-11-26T09:14:00.004-06:00

Our Thanksgiving was a wonderful time of sharing, food, and fellowship. The highlight of the entire day was when we all sat down, after singing our grace, and were about to partake in our feast--

When all of a sudden, Grace with her little round face beaming in the candlelight, said "Ok, let's talk! Daddy?"

Translation: "Let's go around the table and share what we are thankful for...Daddy you go first!"

Grace knows how to get to the heart of the matter on all things and to focus on what is most important. Thank you God for giving us our Grace to shape us into the people you want to be!

Grace's Response......

2010-11-19T10:54:00.003-06:00

Just the other day, Elizabeth said to Grace "Guess what? You are going to have a little brother!"

Grace responded by clutching her stomach, doubling over, and saying "Ugh, A boy! I gonna be sick!"

Ha Ha Ha......She is already over it, but we thought her initial reaction was just so "Grace!"

We're on Our Way.....

2010-11-17T15:01:00.002-06:00

Whew...the last few days have been busy with adoption stuff! Just this afternoon, we met with our Social Worker from Catholic Charities to begin the home study update. (Hi Lisa!) So, we are officially on our way....

How did we come to commit to precious Nathan? Well, this adoption journey started last spring when we fell in love with this little boy. We asked about Nathan, but knew it wasn't the right time to start. We both prayed that if he was meant to be in our family, then God would pave the way.

Then we found out that a family had committed to adopting him. We were a little sad for us, but so happy that Nathan had a forever family! I would continue to look at his little face on Reece's Rainbow over the last few months and pray for a safe journey home.

Fast forward to three weeks ago....Kevin and I were beginning to sense that God was calling us to adopt again. We were seriously considering another child, but did not have a sense of peace about it because their personality sounded too similar to Grace's--we knew that it would not be the best fit for the child and our family. While we were wrestling with the decision, we found out that little Nathan's family had to release him due to personal reasons. We took this as a sign from God and committed to him right away.

So, as we prayed last spring, God did intend for us to bring Nathan home to our family! It just wasn't the right time and now it is!!!!

God is good....all the time!

Mama's Away....

2010-11-13T06:58:00.005-06:00

As I write this I am about three hours from home. This is one of the very first nights I have ever been away, all by myself without Bella, since bringing her home from Ukraine.

I was recently hired as the new Parent Consultant for Family Voices North Dakota for the Minot region. I am going to LOVE this new position because I get to work with families who have a loved one with a disability. Basically, my job is to support families by facilitating connections, navigating the system, and helping them get the support they need.

What a blessing for me to do this....and I get to do it from my home--just 8 hours a week.

That said, I am currently at a staff and board retreat in Jamestown. It was a beautiful drive down yesterday in the late afternoon listening to my new Matthew West CD, (while scoping out the countryside for our lost Bobcat machine) and taking in all the beautiful wide, open spaces of North Dakota.

After getting settled in my hotel room. I went to Applebees and had dinner--by myself. Then, I walked around Wal-Mart and headed back to my room to go through a huge stack of magazines that I have accumulated over the last year.

This "me time" is nice, I think.....but I miss my family!!!!!

When I awoke this morning, this is the face that was in my email. Daddy took it on his phone after he put the little muffin to bed.....

Sigh...well, I am looking forward to meeting my new colleagues and board members today. I will be home tonight and get to put my babes to bed. Then, I will probably be thinking "wouldn't it be nice to have a night to myself?....."

An Adoption Funny....

2010-11-11T11:00:00.004-06:00

When my sister's five girls found out we were adopting again, they excitedly ran to the computer to see little Nathan's photo.

Then the youngest girl, Natasha, said "And look, he's only $20!"

Wow, wouldn't that be great? In actuality, the $20 she saw on the screen was the amount that was in his adoption fund.

After Karla, my sister, explained this, she said the little girls scrambled around their rooms to collect any money they had to give to Nathan's fund. Isn't that the sweetest?

Nathan will love his Texas cousins!

Wow! What a Week......

2010-11-06T09:25:00.002-05:00

We certainly had one exciting week in the Burckhard household!

Monday.....our Bobcat was stolen.

Tuesday.....Kevin's brother Randy won the state Senate seat for his district. Woo Hoo, Randy! So proud of you! Kevin's sister Bonnie from Renton, WA, flew in to surprise Randy for the election results party. It was so great to see her too!

Wednesday.....We announced our commitment to bring home a little boy named Nathan (which is just a "stage" name....I can't announce his real name until we bring him home) from an Eastern European country.

My head is spinning and, of course, my heart is soaring! Thank you to all our friends and family who have shown support through comments on our blog and on FB. It means the world to us that we have such a wonderful circle of support as we start this exciting journey once again.

I will share more later on how we came to committing to this precious child in my next post.

Thanks again & Love you all......Paula

A Happy Blog Post.....

2010-11-03T10:50:00.002-05:00

After yesterday's sad blog post, we have a very happy one to report.

Just follow this link and scroll down a bit....

http://reecesrainbow.org/category/1newcommittments

A very happy post, don't you think?