Last weekend before Christmas break

Ben and Ian hanging out watching a movie on the couch during the Friday snow day.

Making Christmas cookies.

Ian helping decorate and eat the cookies.

Cami and Ben at Morgan's swimming birthday party.

Ian ready to play outside.

This weekend seemed to go by so quickly even though we were kept inside by the cold weather and snow.  We finished our Christmas decorating (each year I say that next year I will do more) and spent time organizing and doing a little cleaning.  We also had fun baking cookies and just hanging out with the kids. We took the kids to a swimming birthday party at a hotel on Saturday, which was a nice way to burn off some energy.  Church was cancelled on Sunday due to the extreme cold, so we had a special "daddy" breakfast of strawberry crepes and bacon..YUM! 

One Year...

Today we celebrate a special day, Gotcha Day!  It is a day we celebrate each year with each of our children on the day in which we officially got them and took them into our arms.  While Ian is still small and doesn't remember what happened (nor does he care at this point in his life), we still try to make it a special day.  

We started off the day with Ian up at around 5am hanging out with daddy until mommy got up around 6am.  After dropping Ben and Cami off at school, Ian and I ran some errands.  We enjoyed a lunch of Pesto Cavatappi, his favorite, from Noodles. We had a fun day of playing and also resting. As he grows, he will learn of the journey we took to bring him home.  It was a long

 and difficult wait for us (especially me) as we awaited pictures and finally a travel call.  He will learn of the selfless decision his birth mother made in choosing life for him and choosing an

 adoption plan for him.  He will learn of his wonderful foster parents who cared for him for 9

 months of his life.  He will hopefully grow to know how much he is loved by so many people around the world.  We thank and praise God for this wonderful little boy that has blessed our lives.  

This week we went to see Dora and Diego at East Towne Mall.  The kids were so excited to meet some of their favorite characters.  I also took Amelia and baby Ben, our friends children, to see

 them as well.  We took pictures and then played on the toys, and then finally headed for home.  The kids were exhausted, so they all went down for a nap.  I enjoy the quiet time to collect my thoughts and do some house work or just sit and relax for a while.  Another busy weekend is ahead as we put up our tree and decorate. 

Ian likes to ride on the motorcycle at the mall. Thankfully he does not realize that it will move if you put money in it.

Ian is not so sure about Dora and Diego.  He needs to keep his eye on them!

Ian and Cami anxiously await a balloon animal.

Oregon Trail

Friday morning around 6am, we left for Milwaukee to start our journey to Eugene Oregon to see my mom and Bruce. We arrived in Milwaukee and flew to Kansas City, MO and then on to Seattle, WA. We rented a car and drove to Eugene, arriving around 7:30pm. It made for a LONG day, but the kids (and parents too) made it without too much fuss. The kids were so excited to see Aladodo and Papa. They played for a while, ate a snack and then headed to bed. Thankfully we all slept well, even Ian. We spent Saturday relaxing while the kids enjoyed some time with Grandma and Grandpa. They built a cookie Christmas tree, opened lots of presents and played with toys. The day went so fast and it was off to sleep again.
Sunday was a big day as we started off with church in Veneta and then lunch at Our Daily Bread restaurant. The food at the restaurant was so good. It was a real treat. We went back to the house and rested a little and then headed to Junction City for Bruce's Ordination. The church was packed as we arrived. It was a wonderful ceremony and Installation. We enjoyed a delicious dinner after. After the dinner we got in the car and made the 2 hour drive to Portland where we spent the night at a hotel. We are glad we made the drive in order to break up the drive back to Seattle. The kids enjoyed swimming and time in the hot tub before leaving for the Seattle airport. We now sit in the Seattle airport waiting for our flight to arrive. It is on a 2 hour delay, which means we will hopefully make it home by midnight tonight. All in all, it was a great trip! We are also proud to announce that Ben will hit 100,000 miles on this trip. By the time we get to Milwaukee, he will have over 101,000. We will post pictures tomorrow when we get home.

Another illness

Today is a peaceful day of mom resting while watching Cami and Ian play playdoh.  Ian just smashed his crackers and cereal into the red playdoh and is having a grand time making a "cake". His nose continues to run and his cough sometimes seems non stop.  I sit with almost no voice and a stuffy nose.  Thankfully Ben and Cami are pretty healthy, with the exception of coughs and runny noses.  Our lives are forced to temporarily slow down while we return to health.  If all goes well this week, we will be flying out to see my mom and Bruce on Friday.  We are hopeful that the Midwest flights go smoothly and no weather or mechanical problems get in the way of our journey to Seattle and back.  We will have about a 6 hour drive from Seattle to Eugene once we complete our flight from Milwaukee to Kansas City to Seattle.  We chose to fly to Seattle since that is the closest Midwest Airlines airport to Eugene.  Our back up is going to be San Francisco, although that would put us on an 8 hour drive to Eugene.

The kids are doing really well in school.  Ben is glad that he got to move tables this week.  He was having problems with one of his tablemates calling names, so he is glad to have new people to sit next to.  Cami continuing to learn her letters and numbers.  She enjoys her teacher and her classmates.  She is such a big helper during the week when we have our friends Amelia and baby Ben over.  

The first picture is of Cami with her Starbucks hot chocolate.  Starbucks gave away free coffee on election day if you told them you voted.  We have a Starbucks in our Target, so on our way out, we stopped to pick up free coffee.  I am not usually a coffee drinker, however, with enough cream and sugar to make it close to a latte, I will drink it.  Cami was proud to have "matching" mommy and daughter drinks.

The second picture is of Ian with a lip kazoo in his mouth.  He likes to put it in and walk around with it as he blows it.  It is funny to watch the amount of drool come down as he giggles.

Snack week

As a mom of 3 and sometimes a caretaker of 5 young ones, I find little time to get online and post to our blog.  My intentions are good, but somehow the day flies by and it is time for bed.  I am taking a little time now while Cami and Ian sleep and Ben is in school to give an update on our lives this past month.  

Our weekends and week days have been filled with activity.  I am watching a friends kids, ages 8 weeks and 2 years old, 2 1/2 days a week.  I really enjoy having them and the kids enjoy having playmates on those days.  Cami likes playing dolls and dress up with Amelia.  Amelia LOVES the extra attention Cami gives her.  Cami acts like a little mommy to Ian, Amelia, and baby Ben.  She is a wonderful helper and a fun playmate.  

Justin took on a dare from co workers at Strand to dress up as Robin from Batman and Robin.  He raised money for the Bread of Life Food Pantry at church.  He got up early and rode his bike to work.  He spent the entire day dressed up as Robin.  The guys in his office even video taped it and uploaded it to You Tube.  Here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFOHYPNryDA

Ben was in charge of snacks this week.  He has been looking forward to this week since the beginning of the school year.  He chose to bring Kimbop for one of his snack days.  We were able to get child size kimbop for the kids.  We were able to pick it up on Tuesday morning and bring it over to school in time for the kids to eat it with their lunch.  We brought granola bars for the actual morning snack since the kimbop was not ready until 10am.  It was a hit with the kids and adults!  Ben is finishing up his week of snacks tomorrow and we are proud to say that he made all pretty healthy choices for what to bring this week.

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Farm

We had a busy day on Friday as we all rose early to get ready to go on the class field trip to the Pumpkin farm.  Justin took off work so that he could be a chaperone.  Ian and I tagged along to enjoy the field trip and a nice family trip to the farm.  The kids were excited.  We met at school and then drove in a caravan of cars and vans to the farm in Stoughton.  

We went on a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch so all the kids could pick out their own pumpkin.  Ben and Cami spent quite a bit of time making sure that they picked the right pumpkin.  Cami and Ben also helped pick out Ian's pumpkin since he was a little bit afraid of mommy putting him down in the midst of all the pumpkins.  We did manage to get him to hold one small pumpkin for a moment while we took a picture.  I think he was a little overwhelmed by everything going on.

Marthaler update

We are enjoying these few days of warm weather that will soon come to an end.  Justin and Ben are outside putting stain on the Playsystem.  Ian is "helping" which was not initially intended.  His hands are now a new shade of brown.  

We enjoyed going to Eastside Lutheran Church this morning to hear the kids sing with their classes. It is neat to see them all excited about Jesus.  Ben even impressed us later when he started talking about the sermon that Pastor Mike gave.  He was telling us about how people should not judge others, but speak to them in love and kindness.  

Happy Birthday Justin

Ian helps daddy with his drink at Red Robin

Cami and Ben help daddy finish his birthday sundae at Red Robin

Cami and Grandma bring daddy's Birthday dessert of Peach pie to the picnic table

Ian points to the piece of pie that he wants.
Today we celebrate Justin's 33rd birthday. Neil and Sandy were able to come down early this morning and spend the day with us. They will head home tomorrow. Justin and Neil spent part of the morning installing a new kitchen faucet as our old one had problems with leaking. It is a nice tall Kohler faucet. The kids went to their Korean language class in the morning and Ian slept, so Justin and Neil had no distractions as they did their installation. The kids were eager to go back home and see grandma and grandpa. Ben and Cami chose to go to Red Robin as daddy's birthday present. It is one of their favorite restaurants, so they thought it would be the perfect present for daddy (and a nice treat for them). For dessert we had Grandma Sandy's homemade Peach pie and Blueberry pie. Justin asked for pie instead of cake since Peach and Blueberry pies are some of his favorites. We are looking forward to a relaxing day tomorrow with church and then Justin has a massage scheduled in the afternoon.

Justin relaxes in the backyard after an enjoyable birthday.

Update on Ian

Today marks day 18 of digestive issues for Ian.  We went to the doctor last Wednesday to have our doctor run some tests and hopefully figure out what is going on.  Poor little guy is up at night, has a minimum of 5 diarrhea diapers every day, and has lots of tummy pain and gas.  We switched him to soy milk last week in hopes that it would settle his stomach a little.  He is a happy boy most days and takes good naps, but I feel like the day is focused on taking the kids to and from school, making meals, and changing Ian's diapers.  I don't mind any of those things, except that I know it is not comfortable for Ian to have so many poopy diapers.  

Today I was told by the nurse to feed him a diet high in fat, but no dairy.  We had been doing the BRAT diet, which is Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast, but it really has not helped.  We find it funny and felt we should document that a doctor has advised a diet HIGH in fat...not very often that happens!!!

September 11, a reflection

As we pass another anniversary of 9/11, we look back and remember those that lost their lives on that day.  

After waking up early and taking the kids to before school care (for 10 minutes), I headed to the dentist where I spent just under 3 hours getting dental work done.  Not at all exciting, but necessary since I lose my dental insurance at the end of September.  I left with a completely numb mouth, having a temporary crown put in on the left side and a cavity done on the right side.  My face was numb from ear to ear and my tongue felt like it was as big as my head, just in time to pick up Cami from preschool.  I dropped her off at home where Rachel, our sitter, and Ian were waiting so that I could head off to get a haircut, which is a HUGE luxury.  It was a busy, yet productive day.  I was happy when the numbness finally was gone around 3pm, although I felt like someone had punched me in the face.  I was happy to be home with the kids.  It is always nice to get away for a bit and get some errands and appointments done, but I always enjoy returning to them.  

I avoided TV for most of the day, with the exception of about 10 minutes on the World News at 5:30pm.  I still have a difficult time with all that happened over the course of that week.  I reflect up that Sunday before, flying into New York and on a VERY rare occasion, being able to see the most beautiful and clear view of Manhattan and the towers.  My schedule had me flying into at least once a week many, many months.  It is rare to have that clear view of the city as it is usually overcast or rainy.  We specifically made note among the crew and several passengers of the amazing view as we looked out the windows of the plane.  It was almost surreal.  It is hard to explain, but we literally all were looking out the windows at the view for several minutes, trying to take it all in, before getting the bell for our final approach into the airport.  On Monday I flew to Boston and Kansas City and every flight was like clockwork, which is another odd thing in the airline business.  Tuesday morning as I got my early wake up call, I decided to NOT work out, something I try to do every morning when I am working, and just lay in bed a few minutes and watch the Today show after I showered and got ready for what was suppose to be the final day of a 3 day trip.  I was geared up to go to Washington DC that morning and be headed back home for an early afternoon arrival.  I watched in horror as they showed the tower burning from "a small aircraft" hitting the tower and talked about an air traffic control 'glitch' on the east coast after the second plane hit.  Ready to check in despite the uncertainty of what was happening, our crew checked in and was set to take our flight to DC.  We were fully aware that the plane hit the Pentagon and were not too disappointed when our flight was cancelled.  We thankfully were able to check back into our hotel rooms and spent the next few days in lock down at the hotel (due to a threat to airline crew members).  We were so thankful when the FAA finally allowed airlines to fly their planes and their crews back to their bases on Thursday, September 13.  I was so happy to be home. I was given the option to not fly my next trip due to the situation, but felt it was important to get back.  The country was terrified and as a Christian, I felt that by allowing the fear to take over, I was not allowing God to have the control that He has anyway.  I completely trust God's power and have faith that no matter where I am, whether it be at home, in my car, an airplane, or anywhere else, that He alone knows the time and place when He is going to take me home.  I trust Him to protect me and keep me safe at ALL times, not just when I have both feet on the ground.  I am currently reading the book Touching History by Lynn Spencer, which is a book on the people who worked in ATC, NEADS, FAA, pilots, F16 fighter pilots, CEO of American and United, etc on 9/11.  It gives some of the untold stories of what happened "behind the scenes" as things unfolded on 9/11.  I encourage you to read it if you are interested.  For instance, did you know that a mid air collision was avoided by the narrowest of margins between a Midwest Airlines plane and United Flight 175.  History would have been dramatically different and more lives possibly lost on the ground if there had been a mid air collision.  I could share pages more on that day and the few days that followed.  The memories are still fresh in my mind as I am sure they are in many minds.  

Time flies!

Krizan Family at a park in Cornell
Ian loves hanging out with Grandma Sandy

Daddy and Ian riding on the tractor with Grandpa
Fishing with grandpa

Cami likes riding on the tractor with Grandpa. She even got to drive a little.

Cami sporting her 'I love daddy' shirt

Ben is hiding next to grandpa waiting for a fish to bite. All together, Cami and Ben each caught 4 fish.

I can't believe that the last post was about 2 weeks ago. Time sure does go fast. I thought there would be more time once the kids were in school, but now I find myself getting the kids up and ready for school, driving to school by 8:15 and then having to be back by 11 to pick up Cami. We eat lunch, clean up from lunch, play, sometimes she gets a nap when Ian naps, then off to pick up Ben from school at 3pm. The kids usually like to play on the playset at school for a while, so we get home around 4 and play, find out about Ben's day, make dinner and Justin is already home. I am not sure where the day goes, but I am sure it is lost somewhere driving and making meals. I don't seem to get much accomplished at home most days, except the never ending loads of laundry and dishes.
We got a nice break this past weekend when we traveled up north for the weekend. It is always a restful time for us and an active, packed time for Ben and Cami and also for Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Neil. The kids usually have their list of activities they would like to do while they are there. Since most trips are short, it means LOTS of non stop activity for everyone. The kids like to go fishing, ride on the tractor, see the bunnies, read stories, make cookies, go in the garden and pick some vegetables, have a campfire and make s'mores, watch a movie with grandpa's yummy popcorn, and make sure there is lots of time for snuggles at the end of the day. Thankfully grandma and grandpa look forward to the activity. Justin enjoys getting a nap or two and a long run in. We all enjoy the delicious food that grandma makes for us.
We went up on Friday night and spent Saturday and part of Sunday crossing off all the activities on the kids list. We went to Cornell on Sunday for a Krizan family (Sandy's side of the family) picnic. It is always a nice time getting together with everyone. We had a great time visiting, eating, and even having a sing a long, thanks to Sharon playing the keyboard and Mark and Lynn bringing the karaoke machine.
Yesterday we enjoyed a day of fun and work. Justin took the kids to a park, the state capital, and his work while I stayed home to clean, sort and organize. The kids looked forward to their daddy date. They had a picnic lunch on the steps of the capital and then enjoyed some gelato (similar to ice cream) after. I stayed home to get some house work done that doesn't get done during the week. It was nice to have some quiet time to clean out closets, organize shoes, steam clean carpets, etc. I know this does not sound like a fun time, but I actually enjoyed it! I love being with my family, but also enjoy some quiet time. Now that I am home full time, I don't get the quiet time on the drives to and from Milwaukee or on the plane. The quiet time helps me to recharge and be a better mom and wife. Justin and the kids got home around 4 and we enjoyed family time outside and then had dinner and more play time. The kids got their bath and off to bed in order to be ready for week 3 of school.

First Day of School 2008

Ben's first project

We made it through the first day of school. I am surprised that I did not cry until he brought his first project home. It is a picture of his hand with a heart and a picture of our family and it says...

It's my first day of school And "The Kissing Hand" is what we read.

It's about a raccoon Who did just as his parents said.

Like the racoon's first day at school I was scared and a little shy,

But because of what you said I was brave and I got by.

All through the year I'll make more things for you

So as I change and as I learn you can see my growth, too!

Our little boy is growing up and officially in the school system. They are right when you are told that time goes quickly and too soon the child will start school and that is where they will spend most of their time for the next 15 or so years.

The kids were up bright and early this morning to get ready for school. Justin stayed home and made a special Daddy breakfast of strawberry filled crepes. We all went to the opening service, which Ian had a hard time putting up with. Ben was confident and excited about getting his school supplies put away and meeting his new friends. After a few pictures and a few kisses in the hand (both his and mine), he was officially into his first day of school.
Cami walked in her classroom like she owned the place. She was so excited to be back. She adores her teacher, Miss Howell. She was also excited to see many of her friends from last year. The preschoolers did not attend opening service with the K-8 classes. We checked in on her, through the classroom window, after the service and she was playing with her friends in the kitchen area (one of her favorite areas). Justin took Ian home and they both enjoyed a much needed nap. I was able to have breakfast with a friend whose daughter is in Ben's class. It was nice to be able to go out and celebrate the first day of our child going to kindergarten. Her daughter, Morgan, and Ben were in preschool together last year. We enjoyed some adult time and then I came home so that Justin could head to the Brewer's game with a coworker and I could pick up Cami from preschool.

Ben was excited that his job this week is to be line leader. He enjoys being the leader, so it was a good fit. End of the day playing outside on the swingset. We also played baseball and took a walk around the block. Mommy made some Vanilla Bean Chillers for dessert after our walk.

Boating Weekend

Justin building sand castles with Ben and Kelly...Ian coming to destroy!

Isn't she cute!!!!

Mommy and Ian

Daddy & Ian and Jason & Kelly braving the slightly chilly water.

Ben LOVES going fast on the boat.

Ian and Kelly playing in the sand.

Cami hanging out on the boat.


We had an enjoyable weekend! We were able to go with our friends, Jason and Kris Weber and their children Jared and Kelly, to their cabin in Illinois for the weekend. This was a huge treat as we do not get to go boating very often. God blessed us with a warm and sunny weekend, perfect for time on the water. We enjoyed being able to spend time with them. Ben enjoyed splashing around in the water with Jared. The boys loved the water despite them shivering. Cami enjoyed either sitting on the boat watching or playing in the sand on the beach while the two boys played in the water. Ian was happy as long as he had a truck or car in hand on the sand. He even liked being dipped in the water a few times. I am happy to say that I finally have some color in my skin, no more pale white (at least for now).

This week will be hard as Ben and Cami start school tomorrow, Wednesday. It is a bittersweet day as I see my eldest baby go off to Kindergarten. He is SO excited. He feels like a big boy now. Cami is excited to go to 4 year old preschool. She is going Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, so it will be very different having just me and Ian home those mornings by ourselves. I do look forward to time alone with him in the morning and then spending some girl time with Cami in the afternoons after she is done with school and when Ian is napping. Stay tuned for first day of school photos!

Big Decision

Many weeks ago, Midwest Airlines announced that they were going to reduce capacity by 1/3 and layoff about 40% of the workforce. I just finished my 11th year with the company and was happily starting my 12th (my favorite number). I went on leave July 9 when Ian was officially adopted. I am allowed to have 5 months of unpaid maternity/ adoption leave, which is very generous for a union contract. I was looking forward to going back in December. The last few days after learning more about how life will be or could be when I go back in December was a little disheartening. I have been blessed with a beautiful schedule of about 8 -10 days a month, doing mostly redeyes for the last 2 plus years. I have been able to be home 95% of the time with my kids, while working the night flights. Working a few nights a week and going with little or no sleep was fine. Now I learn that going back will most likely mean being on a reserve/ on call schedule 5 days a week, 12 hours a day. I can be called out at any time during those 12 hours to work a trip that lasts anywhere from 1-4 days. If I would make it above the reserve schedule, I would be stuck with 4 day trips, not very desireable. I was reluctant to even think about taking a voluntary leave initially, especially knowing that I have until December. In the last 2 days, however, I realized that I don't want to have a crazy schedule that would keep me away from my husband and kids. It is not fair to them or me. I am thankful that I can maintain my flight benefits (unfortunately I lose the benefits for parents and friends while I am on a layoff) during this time. I am on layoff for up to 2 years, however they can call me back at any time during the 2 years. For those that know me, you know that I LOVE my job. I really enjoy having a job that I am good at and enjoy being at. I REALLY enjoy that I can do something I love for work AND be at home with my family as much as I am. This was a very tough decision for me initially and am thankful to have a loving and supportive husband willing to support me in whatever decision I made. I know I am making the right decision.

Anyway, Justin is gone in Phoenix for a little over 4 days upgrading Strand's new office. He is down there with a few other people, hoping to get everything up and running soon. We definitely miss him. The kids and I have been keeping busy by running errands, playing outside, taking walks, etc. We also went to a different church today. Our friend, Stacy, told us about a great children's Sunday morning program at a church close to our house. Stacy and I went to the service while her son, Hank, and Ben and Cami went to the kids program. They had such a great time. Ian played in the nursery, which was difficult for me. I hate leaving him with people I don't know. I knew he would be safe, but it is still hard to make that break. Ben celebrated the end of summer soccer with an awards ceremony on Thursday. He really enjoyed playing for the first time this summer.

We got exciting news this week that our friends, Jeff and Kerri, became parents to a baby boy. They have a daughter, Katelyn, who is 3 1/2. We are so excited for them and pray for their family as they bring their beautiful little boy home.

We have a fun week in store for us. We are looking forward to Justin coming home early Wednesday morning before we leave for either a day trip or overnight to Minnesota. We plan on going to the Mall of America. Ben and Cami are looking forward to the Lego store so they can play on the lego tables.

We are still recovering from Cami and Ian's parties last weekend. What a wonderful time for everyone. We enjoyed have a little over 60 people come and celebrate with us on Saturday at the Open House. We praise God for safe journeys for all those that traveled near and far to come and celebrate Cami's 4th birthday and Ian's Adoption. We feel so blessed to have so many friends and family that love and support us.