Archive for the ‘Family’ Category
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Two Double Birthday Parties
While we were visiting my family, we had a small party for Spunky and Bunky.
In attendance were my family and my cousin’s wife and her daughter.
My mom went out of her way and made a dairy-free cake with dairy-free icing for Spunky.
Bunky really enjoyed his birthday cupcake!
Everyone had presents to open.
Spunky loved ALL of hers.
And how could I leave out Emme…
Isn’t she adorable!
I was really excited when I found this for Spunky:
A child-sized baby sling~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back home, we had another birthday party ON Bunky’s birthday.
We had around forty people at our home for cake and opening presents.
I made Bunky a frog cake because Punky said to me,
“Bunky told me he wants a frog cake for his birthday.”
Spunky requested a marshmallow princess cake, so that is what she got!
I also made my Pink Party Punch.
I set up a table with cookies for the kids to decorate.
I think Spunky made three cookies– and ate them all!
This is one of my favorite photos from the party!
Spunky’s Polly Pocket from her cousins was her favorite gift of the day.
Bunky enjoyed opening his presents as much as a sick little boy could.
He was such a sweetheart even with his high fevers.We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family, near and far.
Thank you all for sharing these milestones in our children’s lives! -
What Our Family is Good At
… according to Punky and Spunky…
- Daddy: fixing fences, doing the computer
- Mommy: making food, washing the dishes
- Leo: eating food
- Papa: making things
- Grammy: buying presents
- Aunt Lu: building things like tall buildings
- Grandpa: killing bugs
- Grandma: making cereal
- Aunt Rachel: making pizza
- Uncle Kyle: cutting the grass
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The Numbers on Large Families
With three children, our family is considered “large”. I find that quite funny because we don’t feel very large. In fact, we want to grow our family even larger. We aren’t set at any number, but I know that we aren’t stopping at three. Punky talks all the time about the babies in my tummy (not that there are any!). And Spunky always tells me that she wants a baby girl-sister in my tummy. Just last week, Punky told me, all on his own, that he would be very sad if we didn’t have any more babies. Although we have no immediate plans for more children, we hope to have more… some day.
Here are some interesting facts that I recently read:
U.S. fertility rates reveal that large families used to be the norm in this country.
In 1800, the total U.S. fertility rate was 7.04 children per woman, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 1850, that number had dropped to 5.42, before falling even further to 3.56 in 1900. The U.S. fertility rate continued to decline throughout the first half of the 20th century before rising briefly to 3.53 in 1960. The rate bottomed out at 1.77 in 1980 and has been on a slow rise ever since. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the total U.S. fertility rate for 2009 is 2.05—the same as it was in 2000.
Census data shows that in 1976, 59 percent of women between the ages of 40 and 44 had three or more kids. Three decades later, the percentage of women in that age group with three or more children had decreased to 28 percent.
taken from this article
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Oral Health Needs Of A Family
In light of the fact that Punky and I have both been to the dentist in the past week, I would like to share some new information with you.
According to a new study from March 2010, surveying U.S. moms ages 25 and above, 69% feel meeting the specific oral health care needs of each family member is very important.
However, nearly half of moms report using a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to oral health care products in their home.
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, a leader in oral health care, is launching a first-of-its-kind online resource for people seeking important oral health education and personalized oral care plans for each member of their family.
You can visit Wealth of Oral Health to complete a brief survey, through which you can immediately receive a customized plan for each family member.
For every oral health plan completed, they will also donate $1 worth of oral health products to Oral Health America — so be sure to use the “tell a friend” option to help spread the wealth of oral health. Every plan your friends complete adds another dollar toward the total goal of $100,000.
You can also visit Oral Health America.
And don’t forget the coupons!
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Happy Birthday To ME!
Since last year’s birthday was not the best, but darling hubby tried to make it up to me this year… and he did a great job!
Bunky woke up at 6:20, and since I didn’t want to be up that early on my birthday, I handed him over to my hubby, who took him downstairs. Two hours later, I woke up. As I emerged from my bedroom, I was attacked by my two oldest monkeys carrying pictures that they had drawn for my birthday. Then I smelled something… breakfast! My husband hasn’t cooked for me in five years (yes, five years!). So this was a BIG surprise!Of course, the day was spent like any other day of a SAHM, but I was able to take a break and watch some a movie (The Blind Side) in the afternoon. My hubby surprised me and took the entire family out to dinner to Applebees. The kids thought the name of the restaurant was hysterical and they kept saying, “Apple.. bees! Apple… bees!” in the car on the way there. The Applebees is in the same area as a Brusters, and as soon as Spunky saw that, she said, “Hooray! Ice Cream!”
When we got home, my hubby put the big kids to bed and then we watched some TV. I was asleep by 10:30- that is very early for me!
It was a great day filled with phone calls from friends and family and lots of Facebook birthday wishes. (Facebook always makes you feel so popular on your birthday!)\
I am so thankful for my wonderful birthday and my amazing family!
Three of my favorite birthday “gifts”:
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I Am Just Bummed…
In the past several of months, there has been so much sadness in my life and the lives of those around me. I am having a very hard time this evening with it all.
In a short period of time, our family has been constantly sick, my mom is dealing with her cancer and constant testing, my friend, who had been trying to conceive for nearly two years, miscarried her baby, my Nonna struggles in a nursing home, my other friends found out that their future plans are being delayed indefinitely, another friend delivered a stillborn full-term baby girl, my husband’s Aunt Joy passed away after a short battle with brain cancer, several people that we love have been trying for years and cannot conceive, my in-laws are going through a hard time at their church, a friend’s step-mother was diagnosed with cancer, and the wedding of our friends that was supposed to be this weekend had to be cancelled due to immigration issues and the groom is now detained, separated from his fiance AND his young daughter, on the weekend that was to be his wedding.
On top of this, now that our family has been exposed to a “highly contagious” virus, we have to cancel our trip back home. My mom’s side of the family, all four of her brothers and their families, were getting together. One of my aunts has brain cancer and I have an uncle who is very ill. I so wanted to be there because this may be the last time that everyone is together as a family, and now we can’t go. We can’t expose these two family members, who are in compromised physical states, to this stupid virus.
I am angry. I am sad. I am disappointed. I am confused. I am frustrated.
I just wish things weren’t like this.
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Memory Eternal: My Husband’s Aunt Joy
At 11:27pm Sunday evening, my husband’s Aunt Joy passed away.
She had a malignant and rapidly growing tumor
that took over the speech area her brain.
Aunt Joy was surrounded by her loved ones at that time.From her husband, Uncle Chuck: “At 11:27 p.m., my bride and the love of my life was released from her earthly body and was ushered into God’s presence.
I released her from my loving arms and tender hands into the eternal care of my heavenly father. Oh how I miss her but I know she is no longer suffering the indignity of others caring for all her personal needs. I’m sad she’s gone but glad she’s is with the Lord and loved ones in heaven.”Please be in prayer for my husband’s family and all of those who loved Aunt Joy.
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Just as the thief on the cross said,
“Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
In the Orthodox Church, we say “Memory Eternal” asking God to remember us just as he did remember the thief on the cross.We are thankful that Aunt Joy lived a devotedly Christian life. As Uncle Chuck said, “She is now at home with the Lord.”
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Christ Is Risen!
Our Service
Our Pascha Basket and Kulich
Easter Outfits from Grammy & Papa
The kiddos and Sarah & Jason
Our Paschal Feast and Red Eggs
Baskets
Easter Egg Hunt
Our godson and one of my favorite little girls
Our swingin’ girl and our runnin’ boy
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Spend Great and Holy Friday with Us
Our day started with our early riser (Spunky) waking up long before the sun began to peak over the horizon. I brought her into our bedroom and attempted to sleep a little bit longer. Shortly after her arrival, Punky came into our room and Bunky began to cry in his crib. So, we made our way downstairs and let Daddy sleep in.
I made a batch of Kulich (Russian Pascha/Easter Bread), but, with my terrible luck, my bread did not rise… at all. So I baked a small loaf to see how it would turn out. Since it turned out fine, I decided to make braided loaves with that dough and I will try again tomorrow with the Kulich.
(Any tips on how to make my bread rise?)
While I was mixing up the dough, I sat the kiddos down at the table with a few coloring pages of Great and Holy Friday. Punky even drew blood on Christ’s hands (look closely at the photo). He is all about the small details.
Later that day, we headed to church for the Entombment Vespers, where Christ is literally taken down from the cross and placed into the tomb. It is a wonderful service for children to see what happened when Christ died. It also made them both very excited for Sunday morning! Spunky kept asking, “Is Jesus in the soup?” She didn’t understand the word tomb, so I had to explain that to her.
Speaking of which, Punky and I had a really wonderful talk last night about dying: He asked me if God was in the sun, and I told him that God made the sun, but he was in Heaven. Then I explained how after Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended into Heaven, etc. They he asked me how we could go and see God in Heaven. I told him that when we die, we’ll see Him. Then he started asking questions about why people die. It was a very insightful conversation that I had with my four year old. I am very proud of him.
Later this evening, as I was carrying Bunky in his carseat, I tripped in our garage. Rather than throwing the carseat with my baby boy in it, I tried to land without hurting him. But, of course, I hurt myself. I somehow managed to lose both of my shoes, scrape up my toes and some of my nail polish and…
I broke my toe!
Just my luck! My mom always jokes that I have a “little black cloud that follows me”, but it really seems true. I just can’t catch a break recently.
Thank you for all your prayers for the sickness in our family.
We are all feeling much better.Unfortunately, my husband also hurt himself this week: he was carrying a large amount of carpet down the steps at our former home, and he fell down the concrete stairs. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt too badly, but his knees are very sore.
I hope everyone had a blessed Good Friday.
We are looking forward to celebrating our Savior’s resurrection! -
Struggling With Sickness Once Again
Our family has been sick on and off, mostly on, since mid-summer. Right now, everyone in our home, including the dog, is under the weather.
Bunky has been on antibiotics since last week, and, now, Punky is as well, after a trip to the doctor this afternoon. They have ear infections in both ears. Punky’s fever spiked at 102.6 last night, but I am hoping that he will rest better tonight with some antibiotics and fever-reducing medicine in him.
I was very sick over the weekend, and my loving husband helped me take the day off and rest in bed. Bunky spent all morning and part of the afternoon in bed with me. He is such a sweet bunkmate. I love that little guy. Even though he was sick as well, he was a pleasure to cuddle and play with. I am still coughing a lot and having trouble sleeping at night, but propping up pillows does help a bit. I think all of my coughing has pushed the germies over to my hubby’s side of the bed, and he is now struggling with a slight cold as well.
Spunky has had a cold for about a week, but it isn’t anything more than that. She seems to be doing fine; although, she’s been acting a little bit “punkier” in the last few days, so I hope that wears off when the cold makes its way our of our home.
I’ve opened the windows and tomorrow I plan to clean every inch of the house in the hopes that this sickness will end this week. We have so much to look forward to in the coming days that I was everyone to feel well so that they can participate in all the wonderful services this weekend.
If you wouldn’t mind, please say a prayer for our entire family.
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Prayer for Children
O God, our heavenly Father, who loves mankind and are a most merciful and compassionate God, have mercy upon Your servants for whom I humbly pray to You to care for and protect. O God, be their guide and guardian in all their endeavors, lead them in the path of Your truth, and draw them nearer to You, so that they may lead a godly and righteous life in Your love as they do Your will in all things. Give them Your grace, and mercy so that they may be patient, hard working, tireless, devout and charitable. Defend them against the assaults of the enemy, and grant them wisdom and strength to resist all temptation and corruption, and direct them in the way of Salvation, through the goodness of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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