We're the Texas Sjolseths!

WE NEED MORE POSTS, JESSICA

2010-10-04T22:56:00.003-05:00

If you think Jessica needs to add new blog posts, give her some encouragement in the comments section

Haiti and Life's Rapid Changes

2010-06-11T23:36:00.000-05:00

Well, we are finally heading to Haiti this weekend! It's been such a delayed trip, but Brent, Daisy & I are going and the three other kiddos are staying here with my cousin, and then staying with family.

So much is going on! We put our house on the market and 9 days later it was under contract! It's great, but we have to hurry up and get things sorted out for our trip. We plan on putting an offer on a house in Travis Country tomorrow. A bit of a move further south, but a neat neighborhood.

The kids are doing great. They are swimming for my sister-in-law's swim team (she rocks - head coach of 250 kids and knows all of their names and how good they are!). This is 5 days a week, so crazy, but a lot of fun!

We're so happy that school is out, and it's so weird that Daisy is done with elementary school! That happened quick!

Cecil turns 8 tomorrow, so it will be neat to finally celebrate a birthday with him! He already had his birthday party - laser tag with 5 of his buddies - fun, fun! The kids have almost been here a year, and our family feels so cohesive now. We are SO blessed!

Summer is Approaching

2010-04-28T23:02:00.000-05:00

I have been really lame on posting. We have again filled our days with probably too many activities, but we have also had a lot of fun. Cecil and Daisy are finishing out the last week or two of baseball and soccer and we're already starting swimming. We are probably going to regret doing this to ourselves again, but we are swimming with Sarah's (my sister-in-law) team again since she is the head coach. This seems great, but it is Monday-Thursday 4-6pm and Saturdays for swim meets - all in South Austin. That is rough! At least TAKS testing is done this week, so my understanding is that homework will ease up through the end of the year.

Brent and I still haven't decided where we're moving but we're working hard to get the house ready. I have been packing up as much as I can to make our house look spacious and clean and he has been bustin his butt getting the exterior ready. We probably still have a couple of weeks to go. We met with the kids' principal this week and I feel a bit convicted to stay in the school district. We'd planned on looking at a nice spacious house down south, but I just wonder if consistency is really what the kids need most, and that we can sacrifice some of our wants to stay in the neighborhood. There isn't much available bigger than our house and not outrageously expensive, though, so it may be a challenge. We're looking at a house tomorrow that is really outdated, but priced great, and maybe if it's meant to be, we will hurry up and get our house on the market. We're still in prayer about what is the right thing to do.

On a more somber note, my grandfather (dad's dad) who lives with my parents here in town has been diagnosed with cancer and apparently has less than three months to live. Wow. I know he is 90 but it still feels very weird to have a clock ticking like that. The kids are a little worried and sad, but they also understand that he'll be in heaven afterwards so they're encouraged by that.

I'll try to update more soon!

Don't Stop Believin'

2010-04-05T23:35:00.001-05:00

The kids are hooked on making music videos. Here's the latest installment with their cousins. Don't Stop Believin', the Glee version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elkRRHMQrwo

Soccer & Baseball Highlights

2010-03-20T22:12:00.001-05:00

My dad posted these highlights of one of Daisy's recent soccer games and Cecil's recent baseball games. It's set to music and only a few minutes each. Enjoy!

Harriet the Spy Ruined It

2010-03-09T21:14:00.000-06:00

When I was young, I read Harriet the Spy (if you don't know, it's a book about a girl who writes in her journals and they end up getting found and read by her classmates). Since then, I have been terrified to write in any kind of diary/journal for fear of someone reading my thoughts, having hurt feelings, misinterpreting them, etc. I haven't gotten over it. I think about if I died and people found them and they read about struggles with my marriage, my kids, my friendships, my work, etc. - who would it hurt?

This leads me to journaling via blogging. I read other people's blogs who reveal a lot about themselves and their struggles, but usually it involves divulging information about other people (mostly their kids). Ironically enough, it's people I don't know that I find really interesting (typically ones on adoption), and it's weird how I feel like I know them by reading their thoughts. So, my internal question is how far to take things on my own blog?

Up to this point, I've kept it more of an update to family and friends, with a bit of my challenges and excitement thrown in. So, what now? Do I keep it at the service for the privacy of my family? Or is it more helpful to lay it all out there. I know that the biggest value I see when I read others' thoughts are that it makes me feel less crazy about my own. As I think about this while I type, I think the conclusion I am coming back to is that my dialogue with God, with family, and with friends is where those thoughts belong. I know how embarassed I was when I'd hear my mom tellling her friends a funny story about me - I'm sure I'd be devastated if I heard her saying something when she was at her most frustrated with me.

I guess this won't be a juicy blog, but I promise it will still come from the heart.

Making the Band

2010-03-03T20:39:00.002-06:00

I had fun making this music video with the kids - it reminded me of the videos we made as a kid with my fam! Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLvHG841YnI

The Highs and Lows of Austin Weather

2010-02-28T20:16:00.000-06:00

Here are some pics from the snow we got earlier this week...

Clara (apparently a true Texan) preferred to be inside, fixing the hot chocolate for everyone...

Everyone did their homework in front of a cozy fire (while Sherlock looked on)...

The weather changed to high 60s just a couple of days later, in time for the weekend. Cecil had his first baseball game yesterday...

He played first base for most of the game...

Today, we took the kids to the UT baseball game - a good chance to teach the kids about the rules of baseball (but they may have been more interested in the popcorn)...

Uncle Michael (AKA Cecil's personal baseball coach - he prepped him for his game the night before and cheered him on at his game) was at the game with Aunt Lindsey as well...

UT won and the kids were allowed to run around the bases after the game...

Life is full and exciting in Austin, Texas!

Some Various Snapshots of this Month..

2010-02-21T00:20:00.001-06:00

Brent and I heading to an 80's party:

My brother Mike's birthday - a rare night for Brent and I to go to Happy Hour:

The kids (and Daisy's friend) were psyched up for Norway's performance in the Olympics (I've been glued to them every night)...

This was such a joyous day for me. It was Valentine's Day and while Brent had to study for a class, me and the kids went to their elementary school to play and kill time. I just got such a kick out of seeing them having so much fun together. I realized I couldn't even imagine life with only 2 children and I loved how just being together, they were already a party!

Later that day, while Cecil went to his first baseball practice with Brent (how cute and happy is he?!), the girls and I rode the bus downtown to the Austin Museum of Art and participated in some crafts that accompanied the show.

Charlotte (Brent's mom) came to visit, and one of the highlights for me was having breakfast with her, my mom, and our newly adopted grandmother...a gorgeous bunch of grandmas!

Charlotte was probably overwhelmed by this bunch, but they sure did love visiting with their grandma...

Adjusting to 9 to 5 (well, sort of)

2010-02-01T20:46:00.000-06:00

A few updates (also known as "a few ramblings"):

Brent got promoted to Lieutenant! This was big! Two years ago, he spent 8 months studying, having books changed, rescheduling, cancelling a trip, and being frustrated by the bureaucratic process only to find himself not happy with the results. A year and half after he finished that, his number has come up and he was promoted! Unfortunately that means that he had to move into a Monday through Friday role training drivers. He is working the system the best he can by working longer days, and then taking off Wednesdays and a half day on Fridays. I've also decided to scale back my job to four days per week and Brent and I will have Wednesdays home together. I'm excited, despite the fact that I've lost my teammate in homework and dinner duties! I'm so proud of Brent!
We're not going to Haiti this month. It turns out that even if we could get in touch with anyone at the organization we were supposed to visit, airlines aren't even supposed to start flying into Haiti until after we are scheduled to leave. We're going to try again for this summer. We hope this time to finally make it - we know there will be plenty to do!
We're probably going to move this year. We go back and forth, because we love our house and neighborhood, but it's just feeling small for 4 kids. I know that compared to a third world country like Haiti, it sounds ridiculous to complain about a 2000 square foot house, but I just think we could really use a playroom, and maybe an office/guest area. Hopefully, that would ease the clutter a bit. We've debated just converting our garage, and maybe that's still what we'll do, but we're leaning towards moving to south Austin. That would mean a school change, which I'm not at all happy about for the kids's sake, but they all seem to be fine with it. Packing up a house with 6 people - ugh! I can't even think about it yet!

Real Hope for Haiti Benefit Concert

2010-01-14T21:39:00.000-06:00

Our friend's non-profit is throwing a benefit concert this Monday. Here are the details (from http://www.musicforthecity.org/)...

"HOPE FOR HAITI" Benefit Concert

THE PARISH // JANUARY 18 //

Doors at 6 // Show at 7 // $10 //

All proceeds benefit "REAL HOPE FOR HAITI"

As many of you know, a devastating 7.0 earthquake hit the impoverished country of Haiti Tuesday near the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Casualties are estimated to exceed 100,000, and the need for medical supplies, food, and water are without measure.

After witnessing the mass devastation in Haiti this week and hearing of the incredible needs of the relief organizations already pressed for money and supplies, we knew we had to bring together artists, local businesses, and concerned Austinites to raise money for relief. We are doing this because it is the right thing to do. Be there!

"Real Hope For Haiti" is a nonprofit organization that provides medical relief and care for severely malnourished children in Haiti. The rescue center of RHFH is home to over seventy malnourished children, and their clinic has been running nonstop since the earthquake.

Located only 20 miles from Port-Au-Prince, the nation's capital, the village and mission has been devastated by the recent tragic earthquake.

Immediate relief efforts are crucial. Casualties are numerous, and the need for medical supplies, food, and water are without measure. There is a Haitian proverb that reads, "With many hands, the load is not heavy." This is the heart of Real Hope For Haiti, as they continue to meet the needs of Haitians in the middle of this great catastrophe.

http://www.realhopeforhaiti.org/
http://www.haitirescuecenter.wordpress.com/

Helping Haiti

2010-01-13T17:01:00.000-06:00

What a terrible tragedy in Haiti. It's so neat to hear the outpouring of support from around the world! We've had people asking us about the Haiti organization that we have the relationship with, so I wanted to pass that along if you are looking for any ways to help. It's called Heartline Ministries (http://heartlineministries.org/default.aspx) and I'm happy to report that everyone (the kids, the volunteers, the staff) are all fine! There is a ton of damage to their buildings (see their blog at http://heartlineministries.org/Blog20.aspx), so they will defininitely need to rebuild and can use funds.

However, they know that the problem is much bigger, so their website directs people to http://www.haiti-relief.com/ to donate to the overall relief.

What an incredible experience it will be to go there next month and help in whatever way we can.

The Big Payoff

2010-01-10T21:19:00.000-06:00

The kids were thrilled to head to Chuck E Cheese! We did the full shebang (no idea how to actually spell that) - pizza, sodas & lots of tokens.

I'm now convinced is the worst pizza in the world! Oh my gosh, I could barely choke it down, and now I have heartburn to top it off. (Oddly enough, Cecianna and Cecil, who have been to Chuck E Cheese countless times before, thought the pizza was awesome! And Daisy and Clara thought it was BAD. I wonder if their tastebuds will change over the years or if it will always be a comfort food to them.) Again, at least the kids had fun! And it was pretty interesting people watching.

Doesn't Brent look thrilled to be there?

Oh wait, he's coming to life...

Now we're talking!

Man, they racked up the tickets...

They all pooled the 1,000+ tickets to get some kind of rocket launcher (sounds better than it looks), so at least we didn't come home with a ton of trinkets.

And I got to play a little Skee Ball too. So, it wasn't something I'm going to rush to do again, but it was a success for the kids. They felt like their efforts were worth it. Next time I'll have to bribe them with something I'll enjoy more "Hey kids, if you do X, we can go have dessert at Chez Zee!"

A Family That Cheers Together...

2010-01-08T22:20:00.000-06:00

Well, we had high hopes for the game - we got all geared up and headed to our friends house for a watch party. But in the end, it just didn't pan out. At least we had a lot of fun and great food. And maybe we'll get Colt to come over to our Niners next year!

Hello Skee Ball

2010-01-04T21:49:00.000-06:00

Oh goodness, I guess we're headed to that dreaded place

that I have avoided for the better part of my adult years. This will probably be my 4th or 5th time there in my 10+ years of being a mom, but it will be worth it because the kids worked their butts off this past couple of weeks. It was so neat to see kids each put in quality time and effort into their challenges. Daisy put together great essays and filled out her application forms, Cecianna has gotten SO much faster at her flash cards, Clara read 6 chapter books, doubling her required amount of 3 (and is SO proud of herself), and Cecil has 3 pages of sentences that have a clear difference between when he started and when he finished. It was a lot of work to remind them to spend time on their tasks, but they pitched in and helped each other too, becausee it was an all or nothing deal.

So, even though we will be eating horrible pizza, watching like a hawk for child predators, and throwing away money so that the kids can cash in their tickets on crappy plastic rings and bouncy balls, Brent and I can feel proud of how we got there. And, I might as well go ahead and play some skee ball...since I'm already there...

What it Looks Like to Spend New Years with 4 Kids

2010-01-01T11:32:00.002-06:00

We were all ready with candy and movies...

Party equipment...

A "ball" that Clara created to drop at mightnight...

Well, midnight came and Clara dropped her ball...

But the other 3 came about 30 minutes short of not making it...

Daisy in particular was really bummed she wasn't up, but we had our sparkling apple cider toast the next morning...

Happy New Year!

The Growing Lears

2009-12-30T19:43:00.001-06:00

For those out-of-towners who haven't seen my family in a while, here is my parents' annual card with all of my brothers and sisters and their kids:
http://www.thelears.com/2010/

If you type over the date in the URL, you can check out the old ones as far back as 2002. Check out my bleached-blonde hair in 2003...NOT a good look!

The Present / Kid Rundown

2009-12-26T12:13:00.000-06:00

Daisy and Cecil got bikes this year. Cecil had outgrown his Spiderman bike (if not physically, then in his maturity). Daisy was also due for a more age-appropriate bike. Her pink "Misty" was looking a little juvenile. Granted, she is still getting used to the idea of only using hand-brakes, but she's already looking great at it! I have to say, she is really seeming older these days. Middle school is right around the corner, which is frightening, but she is just really easy to talk to, is very smart, has a great sense of humor, and I think becoming the oldest of 4 has given her a little more sense of leadership. She just has to watch the power trips (I don't know where she'd get that from! ;) I just read her application to a middle school (you have to apply to some of them because they're special programs) and it said that she wants to go there because she wants to go to Stanford. I love it! Shoot high!

Cecil has been writing sentences as his holiday project (see December 22 post), and it has been a bit of a challenge. I don't know if it's a sign of his priorities, or just his age, but we've had to continually have him rewrite some because his instinct is to constantly talk about himself and his things. "I have a bike. I have legos. I have a skateboard ramp." We've tried telling him to write about others and to try to write sentences that don't start with I. They go something like "James is cool. Mickey got a Wii." OK, so he's getting a bit frustrated with the process, but the new rule is that they have to be at least 5 words long, and that he needs to either be creative (e.g., There was a frog who loved to dance.) or about other people and why he likes them (not because of what they have). One cute one was "Curtis has a fun laugh." Granted, it barely met the minimum requirements, but I did love that he wrote something sweet and thoughtful about his 4-yr old cousin.

Cecianna got a whiteboard and a shoe rack with a couple of pairs of shoes. Here she is displaying all of her shoes (it seemed like she had more when I bought it, but apparently it was time for her to weed out some ill-fitting pairs). How many pairs of shoes does a kid need anyway? She will be having a sleepover tonight to get her hair done by her aunt. Apparently, it is an 8-hour process over two days so she is in for a long haul. The payoff is that I guess it will last like 3 months, which is awesome for both she and I! I'll post pics from when she gets back tomorrow. And can I just tell you that it seems like she gets more mature-looking every day! I feel like she's grown a foot and looks like a pre-teen overnight!

Clara got a "Danny Tanner Kit". For those of you who have no idea what this means, he was a character on the show "Full House" in the late eighties / early nineties who was clean / organization-crazy. This is who Clara has become. She got drawer separaters (which she LOVES), some Full House DVDs, some Clorox wipes, a couple of other misc. items, but most importantly, a label maker. Without a doubt, she thinks the label maker is her favorite gift. However, she's not going crazy with it, because she's conserving the tape ribbon. Who would have thought Clara, the crazy, haphazard, uninhibited one, would be so neat! I did have to tell her yesterday that cleaning her desk with the wipes 3 times was too many. It's OK to be neat and organized, but we're not turning into germaphobes here.

Christmas is Here!

2009-12-25T13:59:00.000-06:00

Here are the kiddos right before the party got going at Uncle Michael & Aunt Lindsey's house.

Here they are in their Christmas Eve PJs - I never get tired of this tradition - they know it's the one present they can open and they love it!

I'll post some more later of the kids with their presents. I'll skip posting one of me still in my PJs at 2:00pm. Merry Christmas!

Christmas is Coming!

2009-12-22T22:56:00.001-06:00

We're so excited about our first Christmas as a complete family! I didn't realize buying my kids an ornament each year would backfire and make people feel excluded. Luckily when we set up the tree, we came across two matching frame ornaments that I had never populated - perfect to put a pic of Cecil & Cecianna in it. They were really proud. Today I put an ornament on the tree with all of us on it - a 6 snowman scene with each of our names. Cecianna was the most thrilled to see that!

We have been so busy the past week or two with parties and visiting with friends and family. It has been a blast, but we may be burning the kids out. At least tomorrow looks like one down night before we celebrate Christmas Eve with my family. I am off Wednesday through Friday so I'm most looking forward to the 5 day weekend.

We're trying to give the kids individual challenges over the break so that they'll contineu work on some school items, so Brent & I have agreed to make the ultimate sacrifice if they ALL complete theirs. If Cecil writes 5 sentences a day, Clara reads 3 chapter books, Cecianna memorizes her flash cards, and Daisy finishes her 3 magnet school applications (she asked if this couold be hers to motivate herself), then we will take them to *groan* Chuck-E-Cheese. This is not something we offer EVER so it's really motivating them to do it.

Happy holidays and I hope to have some pictures of the holidays, but I'm a little worried because I left my camera at a friend's house last weekend and she went into labor later that night! A little inconvenient to get it back while they are in the middle of their adjustment to a 3 kid family and having their holiday together. Maybe we should break down and get a camera that's smaller than a brick this year!

Adoption Day

2009-12-01T22:55:00.000-06:00

November 19th was the big day and we had such a blast! The kids got all dolled up for the event...(are they gorgeous or what?!)

It was National Adoption week and this was Austin's celebration of it, so it was one big party:

This doesn't look like court! It made it so relaxed for the kids:

The judge gave the kids a keepsake - a necklace for Cecianna and an ID bracelet for Cecil - engraved with their new official names. What a neat memory!

This adoption took so much support - from family to lawyers, CPS, CASA workers and more! Here are some of the team that was present for our bid day...

The after-party was that evening at my mom & dad's house. Suz made an amazing cake but these pics are not going to do it justice. First, she had an edible version of each of us. So cute!

Then, she incorporated the family by including one of our favorite songs to sing "You are my Sjolseths, my only Sjolseths...". Finally, she included another inside secret "AC/DC" stands for Anna, Clara, Daisy & Cecil in our family:

We are so blessed!

Early November

2009-11-30T22:30:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Brent's birthday in early November. We tried hard but he is really hard to surprise! We parked down the street when we were supposed to be at church and had all of the lights out, but he just knew it somehow! He was surprised by the homemade brownies that Daisy worked so hard to make him though! (my favorite post-baking quote "Mom, shortening is the same thing as margarine, right?")

Cecil finished out his football season with his first trophy...the girls are standing by "supporting" their brother by working on art projects and playing with Sherlock on the sidelines.

Daisy's soccer is now over too, sadly ending with a cancelled, rained-out tournament after a great season. Our schedule is slowly, but surely, freeing up!

Where did October Go?

2009-11-29T22:50:00.002-06:00

I was so far behind that I thought I'd at least try to post the last couple of October pics before we officially close out November tomorrow! Here is Cecianna's 9th Birthday. First, she had a quiet dinner at my parents on her actual birthday.

Then she had a bowling party at Dart Bowl, our favorite neighborhood bowling alley. It was her first time to bowl!

Halloween was hysterical. We had Wendy from Wendy's, Taylor Swift, Beyonce & G.I. Joe. Suz made Daisy's shirt & badge, as well as Cecianna's top & shorts - gotta love Auntie Creative!

I'll try to get to November in the next couple of days since the holidays have already kicked off!

We're not dead.........just tired

2009-11-11T21:57:00.002-06:00

Jessica wanted me to update the blog with this excuse. We will hopefully be adding new blog entries soon. We have done a TON of things and have TONS of pictures. Unfortunately, by the end of the day we are completely exhausted. We really have no time for each other, let alone blogging. I promise we will update soon. Please keep checking back

Updates on the Fam

2009-10-22T00:56:00.002-05:00

Brent and I have to keep remembering we're a couple and not just parents. We got to go out to a Room to Read benefit last week (pictured) and we have another sitter scheduled for a friend's part this Saturday - fun!

The kids had parent/teacher conferences and report cards this week and though there are some things that a lot of them need help on, we feel really great about all of their efforts, and their grades, and most importantly their attitude and behavior. We are so lucky that there haven't been any problems and the only thing we're struggling with is some academics. We're loving our tutor and have moved her up to 3 hours a week to accommodate more help with more kids. This weekend will be Cecianna's birthday and her first party that we're throwing her. We're going to Dart Bowl (love the old-school feel of that place!) with a couple of her friends and the grandparents. After Friday, the kids will officially be ages 7, 8, 9 and 10! Isn't that almost a "straight" in poker terms??

Learning Lessons

2009-10-11T21:36:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, we decided to take the kids to Austin City Limits, since we had tickets and kids 10 & Under are free. Unfortunately, it ended up being a total bust because of the rain and the fact that kids 10 & Under don't love live music enough to tough it out in the rain and mud!

We did the next night with adults only and had a lot of fun watching Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam in their first visit to Austin since the mid-90s (despite the ridiculous mud!). My cousin Lindsey and her husband even came in from California to catch the show - so fun!

We learned our lesson, and next year, we'll make sure we have childcare arrangements the entire weekend - or just stick to a 1-day pass!

The kids have also learned some lessons this week:

They have to stop complaining at their brother/sisters' activities if they want to get to do activities of their own.
Don't leave bikes behind the car or mom will run over them (seriously! why couldn't they learn the lesson from Brent and I telling them 57,000 times?!)
When dad works a 48 hr shift, is off for 24 hours, and then back on for 24 hours, mom gets kind of irratible! (I'm worn out! But at least it's the weekend - homework days are much rougher.)

Reality Check

2009-09-30T22:24:00.008-05:00

Well, we've had a really nice couple of weeks. The kids are full swing into their sports:

Cecil scored a touchdown his first game:

Daisy had 2 cancelled games and finally got to play on Saturday:

Cecianna is totally enjoying her gymnastics:

Clara thinks there is no one better than Aunt Sarah to teach her, but she is still loving swimming:

We got a tutor for two days a week for Cecianna starting this week, which has been great. She goes to our church and is getting her master's degree in education from UT, and she is giving us a great deal! Cecianna is really liking this set-up because, as my brilliant sister-in-law Sheila said, I can be her mom and she can turn to me when she's had a rough day, versus being an extension of what is stressing her out a bit.

The kids decided to treat Brent and I to a "restaurant" the other night where they set up the table, a menu, etc. So sweet!

Then, certain realities of the situation hit you. First, we went to a drum show (someone gave the whole family free tickets!) at the new Long Center, and we ran into their paternal grandfather's wife. We'd never met her or known much about her, but living in the same city, things like this happened. She was really nice, and it didn't turn out to be problematic for us, the kids, or her.

Then, tonight, Cecil needed a baby picture for school, so we went to their Grandma's house to get one. I had asked her a while back to gather some pics of the kids if she could, and told her it was fine if their parents were in some of the pics, because I thought they should have pictures of them in the long run.

Well, she handed us a large sheet of paper with pictures copied onto both sides, with pictures of them as babies, toddlers, etc. It also had pics of their siblings (there are actually quite a few older half siblings - one of which lived with them up until they moved out of their home - she was too old to be removed) and their dad (none of their mom), and at first they were excited to look at them and talk about all of the people in them. Then Cecianna burst into tears and cried the rest of the way home, saying she wanted to see her sister and her dad (maybe she was trying to spare me by not mentioning her mom, because she did come home and grab a card her mom had given her and take it into bed with her). Cecil can't remember his dad, but when Cecianna cried, he cried, and said he wanted his mom.

It turned out to be quite an emotional night, and we did a lot of comforting and telling them how special they were to us. But, it sure does hit home that they've had to go through way too much at young ages, and that it's still really raw. I asked Cecianna if she thought we should put the pictures away for a while, and she fully agreed. I wanted to let them be able to be sad and cry it out, because it is hard. But, please pray for them as I hope they don't experience extended sad feelings, and can go on being happy kiddos.

A Bit Refreshed

2009-09-19T21:39:00.005-05:00

I feel a bit refreshed now after getting to sleep a full 9+ hours last night, and then having my parents watch the kids today from 11a-7p while Brent and I enjoyed the Longhorn tailgating. It was really fun to bounce around unfettered and visit with friends. Maybe we'll have to do this again sometime this season. It's a long day for my parents, but luckily it sounds like the kids did really well.

Tomorrow, we're heading to church with the kids' Grandma in east Austin. She and her daughter (paternal side) are fantastic with all of the kids. They embrace all of us as their family ("Grammy" calls all of us her babies), and the kids and Brent and I have embraced them as well. I love that we have that connection because it helps all of us to step outside of our usual bubble and enjoy new experiences and relationships.

I like Change

2009-09-13T21:32:00.006-05:00

I get bored with my hair, my look, etc. and so this week I cut and colored it. And, I got a wild hair and also got my nose pierced. I know everyone might not love that, but as a mom of four, I needed to feel youthful and fresh and so far, it feel pretty fun!

Another thing we did this week was start buying boxes of food from a local grower. This way, we would be supporting local farming and saving the gas it takes to get produce to Texas from all over the country. In Washington state, where Brent's family lives, they had the best box of produce, bread and flowers, and we haven't found anything like that here. But, we settled on the produce only, and we actually got a pretty good spread! Here's the pic Brent took from our first week's box!

Homework, Wow!

2009-09-08T22:20:00.003-05:00

OK, I totally underestimated this whole homework thing. After week one, I realized I needed to get involved 100% in Cecil's homework, about 90% in Cecianna's, about 50-60% in Clara's, and about 5-10% in Daisy's. Unfortunately, they all want that at once, and it is overwhelming. I mean, Brent and/or I are spending from the time the kids finish school until 5 or 6 at night working with them. Then, if we have activities, that means we have to leave it, do the activities, make/eat dinner, get bathing taken care of, and then end up sometimes keeping the kids with remaining homework up until 9 (or even 10, like tonight since we finished it after our church group left our house at 9!). They're getting frustrated - particularly Cecianna - because it's not coming easy. And I know I'm exhausted.

Please pray that it gets easier, because I know a LOT of this is because no one spent this kind of time with Cecianna and Cecil as they did their homework to make sure they were "getting it". They also are adjusting to a school that I think may be a lot more advanced than where they were. Maybe once they're in a better routine with homework and the pace of Gullett, it will not require so much hands-on participation.

Two Good Deeds for You, One for Me

2009-09-07T23:27:00.005-05:00

Well, after my breakdown a couple of months ago when I was afraid the kids would never care about anyone but themselves, they did some pretty cool things. For starters, after I told them that many children in Haiti can't go to school, and that it only costs $60 to send a child to school in Haiti (http://www.yele.org/projects/primary-school-scholarships.html), they decided to act. We spent the month of August not eating out, which I figured counts for about $40 each time we go out as a family, and we maybe go out once/week. This meant that we could send two kids to school. AND, they held me to it if I even suggested we go grab a bite out for dinner. Pretty cool.

Then, they made, and continue to make necklaces that they are selling to raise money for Clean Water for Haiti (http://www.cleanwaterforhaiti.org/). They were pretty incredulous at the idea of kids not having access to clean water, so their necklaces each have a teardrop shape in the center to represent the water. The neighbor kids have also gotten involved and helped out too. They are selling them for $3 each and the first day they did it (they hook people in via a lemonade stand and then show off their necklaces), they raised $42, enough to buy a filter + installation that can serve a village for 20 years! So cool! They were motivated and made more necklaces (let me know if you're interested in one - they'll be proud to have you on board!). Their goal is to have enough to donate 3 of them ($120).

I think it's awesome, but they are still kids after all, and today they demonstrated that with this suggestion. "Maybe after we get enough to buy 3 of the filters, maybe our next sale would be to raise money for a treehouse?" OK, I have to give them a break. At least they're getting it!

Having 4 Kids is Hard!

2009-09-05T13:43:00.003-05:00

OK, maybe that sounds obvious, but we're finding when you have 4 kids, it's just a non-stop energy sucker! It's not that any one child is rougher than others, but once they're together, it turns into a tornado that resembles the Tasmanian Devil! The noise level goes up, the level of destruction it leaves in it's wake is ridiculous, juggling homework and activities seems to have increased ten-fold. Wow!

The kids spent the last week grounded after 3 days in a row of taking them places, where they made far too much of a ruckus (high school football game, friends' house, then church). It ended with me posing the question "Do you want to be the family that no one wants to have over because it's so crazy??"

Luckily, after being release from being grounded last night, we went to a friend's house and they worked their butts off to change their reputation. Without being prompted, they cleaned up their messes, as well as went above and beyond to clean up their playroom area. It was great! Today, as I type, I can hear them trying to clean up the kitchen to "surprise" me. There's hope for this large clan, we just need to wrangle them in and use their energy for good!

First Week of School

2009-08-29T10:24:00.003-05:00

The kids had a fantastic first week of school! Everyone liked the school, their teachers, their classmates, etc. No problems as of yet, which is great. Apparently, not everyone got the memo that we decided to adopt locally, instead of internationally. One parent was introducing her kindergarten son to Cecil and said "Michael, this is Cecil. Cecil's from another country." Cecil cocked his head up, surprised, and said "Huh?" Pretty funny!

We found out that our adoption will take place earlier than expected - November 19th! That is awesome news. However, it's really a formality, since all of us consider ourselves a family already. At least it will mean no more CPS visits, lawyers, etc. We can just live life.

I don't want summer to end

2009-08-19T22:15:00.006-05:00

With my maternity leave this summer, I have truly been able to experience summer with the kids. This is the first time that has been the case since Clara was born so I am really loving it. I feel like a kid again, sleeping in and wasting the day away (although we do tend to stay busy). I love how the kids get together with the kids that live on the street (below) and make up fun games...

I love that there are all kinds of activities in Austin to keep us busy (although I seriously hate this weather - for real this year!). Here are the kids at the end of the Ice Cream Festival. I swear they were happier an hour or two earlier when they were spooning ice cream into their mouths!

It's going to be an adjustment for all of us next week when school gets started. This will mean back to homework, sports, getting up early, etc. I have to get back to reality - no fun!

Brent, on the other hand, is thrilled that they are heading back. He is so used to having free days to exercise, keep up with the yard, grocery-shop kid free, and just unwind in general. I am happy for his sake, but we'll keep you posted on the rest of us!

Say Cheese

2009-08-15T17:37:00.006-05:00

Well, to date, the most we've done in terms of family photos has been limited to setting up the camera on a self timer, getting someone to snap a quick photo before a wedding or something, and one staged photo at Sears in front of a blue background at least 5 years ago. The rest we've left to school pictures and individual soccer photos. Not so glamorous!

Well, I can't say that anymore! We had such a sweet gift given to us by the sister of my good friend Erin - family photos from a REAL photographer! We felt like stars today as Mollie from Bloom Austin met us at Mayfield Park to take the pics. The kids agree that the shots we see on her website look like they're straight out of a back-to-school ad! Check out the ones she posted at http://www.bloomaustin.com/blog/2009/08/bright-austin-family-photographer/

Here's one sample:

Man, we're blessed to have such amazingly gorgeous kids - both on the inside and out!

Relaxing summer days

2009-08-10T13:07:00.003-05:00

Wow, what a whirlwind before school starts! The girls just finished a dance camp last week at McCallum High School, which they loved as usual. Here are our dancers after the show...

We also took a tour of Amy's Ice Cream down the street, which is where they make all of the flavors for the stores all over the city. The kids and some of their friends patiently sat through the presentation and had the reward to show for it at the end!

OK, it's a beer, but you gotta love it when an umbrella says your name!

We came out of a movie with Gabby, our new cousin, and found a rainbow!

This week, we've got a dentist appointment, doctor's appointment, a meeting with the principal, swim lessons, and more! Such a nice relaxing summer. At least I have three days off, because it definitely helps to have full days to fit all of this in.

Despite all of this, Brent and I are actually feeling things calm down. The kids have been finding so many games to play with one another, and we're seeing them work through a lot of the disagreements on their own. We both noticed that we feel much more relaxed - it's great!

My other big excitement is the start of a babysitting co-op with some friends from church. My friend Kate in California has told me about hers and I was so jealous! I've been waiting a year and a half to find the right group to start one here! That means, we could watch everyone's kids one night and then have 3 other date nights/month - what a dream!

My Mental Breakdown Ramblings

2009-08-02T00:07:00.003-05:00

Brent will attest to the fact that I've been having a bit of a mental breakdown lately about our lives. Part of this is about the kids - I want them to love Jesus and to show that love to others through their kindness; I want them to eat healthy; I want them to want to participate in volunteer work & humanitarian projects because they realize we have it SO good; I want them not to be into video games & TV. I'm falling so short!

Then, part of it is about me - I want to put Jesus first in my life, show it through patience and kindness, and not get so sucked into materialism and TV, and to use my life and career to help people. I am doing a terrible job!

I am starting to feel overwhelmed by it all. More and more, I have been thinking about how rough people have things in other countries. When my kids loved the song from Hotel Rwanda, I tried to explain to them what happened there. When they heard a song from an artist from Somalia, I tried to explain about life there. I think about Slumdog Millionaire and a friend who just got back from India said how terrible it was for the poor community there. I just finished reading Three Cups of Tea and am midway through reading Leaving Microsoft to Change the World and I am so inspired by people who gave up their careers and lives to DO something. My cousins just got back from Africa and their description of the impoverished kids they worked with is heartbreaking. I think about Haiti, and how most people don't have clean water, and how many women give up their children because they can't support them, and I just saw something aboout CHILD SLAVES IN HAITI and I just feel overwhelmed.

I feel so comfortable and it makes me try to reshift my priorities, but I find such a struggle between this pull to do something to help people and this desire to give my kids a nice house, extracurricular activities, opportunities to go to college, etc.

What is the right thing?? This is probably something many people struggle with but I just have to continue to pray that God will show me if I need to make a big shift in life. Thankfully, Brent is right there with me, neither of us pretending to know what life may bring our way, but open to the possibilities.

Reflection

2009-07-31T15:20:00.006-05:00

What a fun trip we had, but we are loving being home!

Here are some more pics to close things out.

I love the way this one came out at the Arizona border...

At the Hoover Dam...

In a Vegas casino for a buffet...

In Yosemite (so gorgeous!)...

Meeting my grandparents for lunch...

My high school girlfriends and all of our kids...

I had to show my cousin Niki, who we love, when she dropped the kids off after giving us our date night. I'm sure they wore her out, but she showed up with a smile on her face!

At the beach in Santa Cruz...

All the cool kids in the car!

One memory that doesn't show up in pics is that we must have listened to the 4 Taylor Swift songs we have about 50 times (by request from all of the kids). They knew EVERY word by the end of the trip, and sadly, probably Brent & I do too. Another favorite was Wyclef's song "Rwanda" from the Hotel Rwanda soundtrack. Gotta love a little range in your music!

Also, when we were in San Luis Obispo, we had a cool experience where Daisy found a $100 bill in a parking lot. The kids dreamed about what they would buy, and we had just had our brake problems, and could have used the money, but me and the kids waited around to see if anyone came looking for it (it was in a lot that adjoined like 3 restaurants so it wasn't clear where the owner would be). After about 10-15 minutes, Daisy noticed that a teenage boy seemed to be looking around and his mom was circling the block in her truck. We walked up to her and asked if she was looking for something and she said they'd lost a $100 bill. We gave it back and she was ecstatic! The kids felt great about returning it to it's rightful owner! A great lesson that we hadn't planned.

We have so many great memories and although it was long, I am SO glad we did it. That's it about the trip, but I have to throw in this last pic of Clara joking around on her knees - she is cuckoo and hilarious!

Heading Home

2009-07-28T23:03:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it out of San Luis Obispo sooner than expected. The next morning after our brakes started squeeking, Brent was able to find a place that had the brake pads we needed, and a guy at the part store suggested a mobile repairman who was able to work on a Sunday. He met us in a Target parking lot and an hour and $200+ later, we were back on the road. A big bummer, but at least we didn't get hung up too long. We missed seeing Steve (Brent's brother) that day because he had to be at work by the time we rolled into L.A., but the kids did get to swim once we got there.

The next morning, we went and met Uncle Steve in Hollywood for a short two-hour visit before having to head back out. I was at least glad the kids got to meet him. Next time, we'll have to come out and do the whole Disneyland or Universal Studios experience.

We had to hit In-N-Out before we left the L.A. area, so we went there for lunch. Brent even dropped his vegetarianism for the day to show the kids how delicious a double-double was. It was a big hit for Cecil, who picked up a shirt to commemorate the experience!

After a night in Phoenix, we headed on to Deming, New Mexico, where we finally arrived early enough to have TWO swimming experiences (the kids have done a LOT of swimming this trip - Cecianna is getting a lot of practice and is doing great swimming and taking breaths without standing up - we're so proud of her progress!)

We know we've been on the road too long because the last two days, we made the kids eat healthy (with a few treat exceptions) - more vegetables and less syrup - and it's like they were having withdrawals! Too many hotel buffets and delicious bar-b-ques I guess. They need to get back on track with their meals!

Tomorrow we are headed home and if we leave early enough, the kids will have time to spend before bed with Sherlock (our dog), whom they are missing dearly!

Taking the Bay Area by Storm and Getting Stuck

2009-07-26T01:28:00.008-05:00

We've been having such a fun trip! Our date night was great! The kids had a blast and so did we. After that, we left for San Francisco to visit my uncle & aunt. First, we stopped by their meat shop in the Ferry Building for a bite to eat.

A couple of my cousins were also on hand...

The next morning, we checked out Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf & Ghirardelli Square!

My wonderful uncle & aunt are such great hosts and we stayed the night at their apartment in the city and then headed out to their house in Santa Cruz. In Santa Cruz, we checked out the beach, the boardwalk, and did some berry picking...

Everyone has loved meeting Cecil and Cecianna, and have been nothing but sweet, which has been fantastic. The kids have been having a blast together too, but I'm not going to lie, Brent and I are pretty worn out!

This morning, we headed out of town towards Southern California, passing through the artichoke capital of the world, Castroville (me & Clara LOVE artichokes!)

Unfortunately, this afternoon our trip took a bit of a turn when we stopped for a bathroom break in Paso Robles, only to hear our brakes doing some major scraping. We tried to get new pads put on but found that Saturday at 5:00 is a bad time to make this happen. We headed into San Luis Obispo to see if we had better luck, and unfortunately no one had the pads in stock. We had to cancel our hotel further south and are having to stay put for at least the night until we can get the brakes fixed. We are now trying to figure out how to get down and see Brent's brother when our dates/locations are now all thrown off. Pray for the best for us!

This is crazy, this is crazy!

2009-07-20T01:26:00.011-05:00

Love the new van? One day we hit Texas, New Mexico & Arizona in one day.

The next day was Arizona, Nevada & then California! Here we are at a hotel in Flagstaff, AZ.

Even with a 2 week itinerary that seemed like we weren't rushing, we are finding that we overbooked ourselves a little bit. We thought that we would have evenings in the hotels, but there ended up being so many stops (many of which took way longer than expected - a 4 hour detour through Vegas comes to mind!), so we didn't make it to them before 9/10 or even one night at 1:30.

We made it to my home town last night, Daisy's 10th birthday, and went straight to see my friend Heidi, her husband and their cutie baby. That was great because we got to visit with them while the kids got to swim. They NEEDED to get some energy out! Today we met my grandparents for lunch and then went to my uncle and aunt's house for a family bar-b-que with a bunch of relatives - that was a lot of fun for everyone. We got to do a cake for both Daisy and my aunt Laurie's b-day. I love my fam and the kids didn't seem to be too overwhelmed meeting all of these new people, which was great.

Tomorrow we get to see some more of my high school girlfriends and their kiddos and then my cousin does us the biggest favor of all by taking our kids overnight! Brent and I get to hang out together while the kids get taken to Chuck E Cheese - what a win/win! Niki is a brave woman to take on the Sjolseth 4.

On to the Next Adventure

2009-07-13T17:19:00.002-05:00

The girls are back from camp!

Clara celebrated her 8th birthday

After doing like 10 loads of laundry, it looks like we're now going to pack up the family and head west to California. We had two weeks off, so we decided to make the trek. We'll introduce all of the kids to friends and family out there, and enjoy some bonding time in our Minivan we're about to buy. Yep, we are taking the plunge! Brent's VUE only seats 5, and my Honda Pilot is perfect for toting everyone around town with 3 rows, but it doesn't have a lot of cargo space. This should provide for a little bit more of a pleasant ride as we cross the country.

So Many Thanks

2009-07-08T14:32:00.003-05:00

One thing I've forgotten to mention is how sweet everyone has been! We've had friends babysit for us, bring us a meal, bring a gift basket for all of the kids, send us gift certificates, and wish us well via email/phone/text, etc. I also have had my boss give me leave with NO notice, she's being flexible about me working through some of it to extend to when they go to school, and I've had all of the girls kicking in and helping with the workload! We appreciate everyone's love and support and the way everyone has embraced the kids. It's been awesome!

Good to Know

2009-07-08T14:22:00.003-05:00

So, I'm pretty confused about how this whole process works and I was obviously mistaken when I thought that the kids' social worker said all of this adoption would happen in a month or so. I just saw our social worker today and she said it had to be 6 months before an adoption occurred. She said something about 3-4 months as foster, then it would be an "adoptive placement" and then the adoption can happen at 6 months. I'm SO confused!

At any rate, it looks like the kids won't be able to enroll in school as Sjolseths, which I was hoping for, but it will happen eventually. I hope that doesn't make things too weird, but maybe I'm worrying about it more than they would be.

Brent and I attended a class today about transracial parenting. It probably would have been pretty informative prior to having the kids here, but pretty much the issues that they mentioned are stuff that we've already jumped into (hair care, skin care). It was so odd having a white woman teach the class when there were African American women (social workers) in the audience. While she obviously was trying to share her learned knowledge (she has 3 black children), it seems odd to not hear that knowledge come from someone that is African American. I was really trying to imagine it reversed, listening to someone talk about white kids and how they're different and it's just so odd. I think I was looking for deeper issues to be discussed, which she touched on a bit, like culture, and history, and prejudices and it was a little light on that material.

It did get me thinking that for all of the kids, we probably need to "rehearse" how they will answer questions about each other once school starts. I am going to have to think about how we will address people's often innocent, yet sometimes hurtful, questions and comments. Continue to pray for wisdom in that area! Thanks!

"I have to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the time"

2009-07-06T16:44:00.008-05:00

Gotta love that Beatle's song. It definitely comes to mind these days! Week two was a lot easier. I think we're starting to see things shake out a bit and the kids are starting to find their groove with one another. We had a counseling appointment for the whole family on Thursday, which I thought was great, and then things seemed to continue nicely.

We only had one real hiccup the last couple of days, which was Sunday morning. If I am being honest, I think it may have been my fault. I think I let the kiddos stay up too late on 4th of July and I paid for it in grumpiness Sunday at church. I had to be there early for "hospitality" (welcoming people at the door) and we didn't even make it to the beginning of the service because EVERYONE was whining and complaining. I said forget it and headed home (Brent was at work). After sending everyone to their rooms for some quiet time at 11am, everyone emerged in a better place. Something about alone time really helps them crave one another's company!

Here are some pics from a trip to the park the other day. Being outside around 6/7 seems to be the only way to do it since it's so darn hot lately!

Aaaah. The kids are playing and we can sit!

Gotta love Aunt Suz - she sure did do a bit of research after she decided she was going to master Cecianna's hair, and she spent almost 3 hrs getting her hair prepped for a week of camp in a super cute twisty style.

All of the girls decorated their trunks and this was their happy faces moments before we left!

Cecil was real sad when we left since he was the only one that didn't get to go, but that quickly turned around once he realized he got all of the attention! First night, bowling was on the agenda!

It's fun but sad that all girls are gone until Saturday. I hope they're having fun!

"Getting so much better all the time!"

Small Victories

2009-07-01T10:29:00.004-05:00

I think it's important to take time to recognize small victories. It has been a GREAT morning with the kids. No fighting, they're playing together great, and I am able to be home (thanks to my maternity leave which my boss was kind enough to give me with pretty much NO notice) to witness it all.

Yesterday was pretty rough for Brent (I am working one to two days a week so that I will be able to be home until the kids go back to school in August), so it's nice to start the day with a positive vibe. Each day, I think it's feeling more permanent for everyone. So, each day, we're gaining ground. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, but I know that we will all gain so much out of this larger family we are building.

At my church small group last night, they asked for how they can pray specifically, and I want to repeat that here, since I know many of our friends and family are praying for us (thank you so much!). We need patience galore, for one thing. We need the 3 girls to get along without competing or leaving one another out. We need Cecil to find ways to calmly work through his frustrations (it's improved so much already!). I need them all to get along and stop bickering in the car, for crying out loud! :-) Anyway, thank God for these moments of happiness and contendedness, because they're so important in pushing through this transition time.

What a week!

2009-06-29T22:47:00.004-05:00

We started out the week by meeting all of the cousins on Jessica's side in one swoop! It was Josey's 4th birthday and there was a party in the park with friends and family.

We then spent Saturday cheering on Daisy & Clara in their final swim meet (love those Barracudas shirts!):

The kids taking pics of one another:

One thing's for sure, EVERYONE loves the water! Cecil and Ceciana began swim lessons today with Aunt Sarah. It went great and lessons will continue throughout the week.

It's been such an adjustment this week with all of the kids going quickly from the honeymoon phase to total siblings. There was way too much bickering, particularly in the car! Oh my gosh, I am going to have to figure out how we can get from point A to point B without so many arguments! It may help that tomorrow will be only in the mid-90s and the kids can move from being stir-crazy and in the house into playing outside more.

We have had to have lots of family discussions (really amongst the girls for the most part) about how we do not leave anyone out, how we share our things, how we look out for one another, how we try to put others first, etc, etc. I just hope that SOME of it is sinking in. We also have to figure out permanent sleeping arrangements because it's been a bit of musical beds. We are either going to have to get some construction done on the house to make it work or we're going to have to move! That sounds like a nightmare to pack up and move, so it will likely be construction of some sort to make it all work. The likely path is that all 3 girls will end up in the same room and we will move into the playroom, but we need to create access to the master bath and block off the old bedroom's access into that bathroom. A bit of a mess, but we'll make it work!

Next week, the three girls will head to camp and I'm thinking that will be a good distraction for all of them as we continue to transition into one happy family!

Through all of this, Brent has been an amazing dad and husband. I feel SO blessed to have him as he is a perfect mix of fun and rules, being silly while enforcing boundaries. He has had incredible patience and though he is exhausted, he is doing such a fantastic job with the kids!

What a big blessing it is to have our family grow, but with that of course comes big challenges. Continue to pray for our family!

Day Two

2009-06-23T22:16:00.003-05:00

Cecil and Ceciana came back today around 2:30 and are now sleeping soundly in their new beds. They may stay one more night away but they may be here for good (depending on how they feel tomorrow)! We are so blessed!! Each day is going to be a new adventure, we can tell that already.

Look at our Gorgeous Kids!

2009-06-22T22:22:00.004-05:00

Ceciana (nicknamed Anna) and Cecil (nicknamed C3 - he is the 3rd) came to hang out with us for about 7 hrs today! We all had a great time and the kids played together beautifully. They were so sweet and warm to all of us, and immediately wanted to call us mom and dad (sob!). They are sleeping over tomorrow night and then should be back Thursday night for good. What an amazing week - we are so blessed!

WOW, THAT WAS FAST!

2009-06-21T00:46:00.003-05:00

okay, since jessica's blog a couple of days ago, we've had a bit of news. we received a call the other morning from our caseworker about two siblings(brother and sister) that we inquired about. we were originally told by the kids' caseworker they had already been "placed". our caseworker said the original placement fell through and the kids were up for immediate adoption. well, just a couple hours after the call, we received news that monday we would hang out with them, and wednesday they would move into our house......FOREVER!

Going through the state of Texas, the overall concensus is not to become licenced to only adopt, but foster as well. that is really the only successful way to ultimately be placed with kids for adoption. we met a couple that it took two years to be placed with a child(ren) for adoption. this appears to be the norm. so it is pretty amazing that we haven't been licensed for but a week and are already on our way to adoption. apparently our family profile and theirs seemed to match up really well.

i know what your thinking, "shut up brent and tell us more about the kids". i will(or jess will) go into more detail about them as time comes and things become more final. right now, for their privacy, things are still fairly confidential. i will tell you, they are 7 and 8, very adorable, and are extremely bright. daisy and clara are very excited and doing their part on cleaning and preparing the house.

We are tirelessly working on getting the house prepared for their arrival on monday. tomorrow, we will be buying beds and doing some more "spring cleaning".

this will be an unforgettable father's day

Searching for the Kiddos

2009-06-17T21:45:00.003-05:00

We're now fully licensed in the adoption process, which leaves us playing the waiting game. We are being submitted by our CPS worker for kids that she thinks suit our family, and the profile of children we have expressed. I honestly would love it if it worked out that a sibling group became available for adoption that was a fit for us before we left for Haiti, because while I'm prepared to go through foster placements, it might save us a little bit of heartache when/if the kids returned to their biological families. This is obviously the goal for the kids, so it would be bittersweet, but if there were two children right now needing a permanent family of their own, I'd love to dive right in. We've been spending time looking at the kids available on the TARE (Texas Adoption Resource Exchange) site, and submitting ourselves for some of the kids there, but we are leaving things in God's hands!

What's Kept us so Busy?

2009-05-23T17:31:00.009-05:00

We've been so busy that I thought it was worth catching up a bit.

We visited the returning Texas Sjolseths:

Brent did a Half-Iron distance triathlon in New Orleans...

Clara went to Girl Scout Camp (with chaperone Jessica)...

Jessica's brother Mark and wife Melinda had their first baby, Isabella (Melinda looking fabulous just days before she gave birth)...

Daisy played the recorder with her class at Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie...

A sample of the performance...

Clara performed as well...as a firefly in the "Goin' Buggy" play. It was a musical, but she had a speaking part as well. A bit hard to hear but here it is...

Daisy wrapped up another soccer season...

And swim team has begun again!

We're just imagining how crazy this will get with 2 more kids!

Kids, Kids

2009-05-20T22:30:00.004-05:00

The months have flown by and I have been very remiss about keeping up the blog. We have finally wrapped up soccer and are winding down to the end of the kids' school year. However, a couple of weeks ago, we started swim team which is 4 days/week of practice for two hours (between them) and one day of meets -- and it's 30 minutes away! It's a little crazy, but the kids love it. They especially love that their Aunt Sarah is the head coach of these 200+ kids! That's the reason we're making the trek. Sarah will be watching the kids again this summer on the days that Brent goes/to and from work, which will be great.

We also have completed pretty much everything we need to get started on our adoptions, or be ready to have foster children when we return from Haiti. We had 2 home visits (one which was a home study), we completed tons of homework, immunizations, home (health/fire) inspections, and with the exception of Jessica having to make up one of the class sessions over the next couple of weeks, the screening is over and we will be on to the exciting part! We're not exactly sure how this will all work, but please pray for our kids out there that we haven't met yet. Pray for them wherever they are, and pray for it to be crystal clear to us that they are meant to join our family. We know God has a plan and we trust Him!

Our First Class

2009-03-25T21:55:00.004-05:00

We had our first adoption/foster class this weekend. It was a good start in getting to know the differences we will face with the children versus dealing with Daisy and Clara. These children are dropped into a situation where they don't know the rules, and they are used to where they have been, no matter how rough. They will likely have to learn basic lessons such as respecting people, and what is right and wrong.

It also really drove home the point that our role should be to provide care for the children while their parent(s) are getting help. The goal is to reunite children with their parents and as a last resort, adoption. It was really important for us to remember that we need to have compassion and empathy for the parents and their situation, regardless of what has happened. The parent basically has a year to rehabilitate (which is sometimes extended), and if it does not happen, they will become available for adoption - with first choice given to the foster parents. The instructors repeated multiple times, "remember that a family has to fall apart in order for these children to become a part of your family". Such a sad, but true statement, and it really made me look at it differently.

Keep this in prayer as we continue to learn.

Starting the Adoption Process

2009-03-15T00:45:00.002-05:00

Since November/December, Brent and I have had it on our hearts to begin our adoption process, and we really felt like Haiti was going to be where this was going to happen. Sadly, after a great deal of research and prayer, we decided upon a Haitian orphanage through an organization called Heartline Haiti, only to find out that it wasn't going to be possible for us to adopt at this time. In January, the Haitian government began reenforcing an old law that prohibits those with biological children from adopting out of Haiti. We haven't given up hope, but this is on hold for the time being.

Through those conversations with the organization, however, we were encouraged to look at local fostering/adoption in the meantime. We prayed about this and decided to pursue this option, while keeping an open door to a future Haiti adoption as well. We also went ahead and scheduled a trip this summer to go to Haiti with the kids to serve with Heartline in their English Camp. We are so excited to see first-hand what this organization is doing through it's various ministries, and for both us and the kids to have a wonderful cross-cultural experience. Jessica is also hosting a Purse Party next month, which will benefit the Women's Program of Heartline. If anyone is interested in doing the same, they'd love people to do so, as it supports a wonderful mission of job skills training.

We begin our adoption/fostering training next week and should have our paperwork in order so that we can begin taking in 2-3 children beginning in August after we return from Haiti. We are preparing our hearts for this new chapter in our lives!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T23:00:00.002-06:00

The whole family!

Sherlock doesn't look so thrilled, but the girls are happy to exchange presents with each other!

Posing with the new Christmas PJs...

Jessica Graduates

2008-12-14T18:14:00.003-06:00

After many years (16+!), Jessica graduated!

Here she is...wait, no, that's not quite right.

Here we go! Wait, no not yet...

There we go!

Couldn't have done it without the support of the whole family!

Brent and Jessica are so unphotogenic(is that a word) in these pictures. I don't even think its us. We'll blame the squintiness of our faces from the bright sun. Isn't that a Milli Vanilli song, oh wait, that's Blame it on the Rain.

Snow in Texas!

2008-12-14T18:11:00.003-06:00

We were surprised to see some snow the other night! It didn't stick but it was fun to see!...oh yeah, it was 80 degrees earlier in the day.

The House is Done!

2008-12-14T17:55:00.002-06:00

Here's the house! (although Brent has since added a path and more landscaping to the front - landscaping is what he's best at!)

Here's the dining area (you really have to see it all for yourselves because it's hard to get a feel for the openness in the pics - we welcome visitors!)

Here's the living room before we put up any artwork (we're still missing a TV above the fireplace)

The new kitchen!

President Obama!

2008-11-04T23:54:00.009-06:00

What an historical event we witnessed tonight!

House Update - now we're getting somewhere!

2008-10-13T17:09:00.015-05:00

Cabinets...

Baseboards and window trim...

Bead board...

and today...a fireplace mantle!

The outside is looking good!

Big cool off in the Northwest

2008-10-09T11:35:00.044-05:00

Brent, Jessica, Daisy, and Clara are taking a much needed "escape the heat" late summer vacation to Wenatchee, Washington. Wenatchee is just over the Cascade Mountains from Seattle. We spent a week catching up with family and relaxing.

Daisy and Clara are excited in the shuttle to the airport. Brent looks exhausted, he must have spent all morning packing. There will be plenty of time for relaxation when we arrive.

Brent's sister, Lana and her husband Kevin. We always enjoy hanging out with them.

Jessica posing with Brent's mom and sister, Charlotte and Lana. The women feel right at home in the kitchen. Just kidding.

I sure am hungry for some ice cream(vegan). The door appears to be locked. Is anyone in there? Not really, it is just a painted wall on the side of one of the buildings downtown.

How about we head up to Leavenworth to eat. Brent's cousin, Tom was in the area from Seattle mountain climbing and met up for dinner at a brew pub. It's always good to see him.

The kids are getting ready for a big campout in the backyard, complete with smores and everything.

You know what I said about wanting to camp out all night in the backyard? Well I kinda changed my mind. Let's go back inside and play Rock Band instead.

Man, I love Weezer

We spent an afternoon at Lincoln Park on the south end of town. This mega playscape is old school and is made entirely of wood. How cool!

Clara gives her cousin Austin a big hug.

Daisy and Kai swinging as high as they can go.

The Sjolseth's and Bromiley's have planned a hike up Saddlerock which overlooks the Wenatchee Valley. The kids are pumped up to go.

And so begins the long journey to the top of the world

Hurry up everbody. Let's get moving

Hey! Wait for me guys

Uncle Brent to the rescue

Now that's my idea of hiking. Thanks Uncle Brent.

Almost there!

Whew, we made it!

Brent is taking in the view while snacking on an apple.

The cousins are posing for a picture

Here is the view to the north......

......and the view to the east

Video of our conquering Saddlerock

Yeah, we're done! Time to head back down the mountain to the car. Wow, going down is a whole lot easier than going up.

Oh wait! Flowers! Maybe I'll stop and touch them. After all, I am just a kid.

Clara is aquainting herself with her cousin Kai.

It's harvest time up here in apple country, let's go to the Cider Mill in Cashmere to sample some ciders and see how it is made.

Tiny Bubbles.......okay, maybe the bubbles aren't so tiny. The process of making cider was cool and all, but these bubbles are much more fun.

Is Kai's head stuck in a bubble?

Daisy, Clara, and Austin are having a blast at one of Wenatchee's parks.

The grown ups managed to lose the kids for a couple hours (thanks Grandma Charlotte) and went for a bike ride around the 11 mile Apple Capital Loop Trail along the Columbia River. What a great leisurely ride with some spectacular scenery.

Lana and Jessica are enjoying themselves as they finish the ride.

.......and now Kevin and Brent are rolling in.

What a great trip. We hope to be back soon.

Misc September Pictures

2008-09-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

Time for a new color & cut...

Daisy at the UT soccer game getting the autograph of #2 (that's Daisy's soccer #)

Nothing goes with an AC/DC t-shirt like a crown!

Remodeling the House

2008-09-15T19:22:00.001-05:00

Here's a little progression on what's going on with the house. We still have a long way to go!

Back in the day (just before we made the offer to buy it - 12/12/05)

8/8/08

8/15/08

8/25/08

9/3/08 (that's primer, not paint)

9/15/08 (today)

This is a good shot of how the addition changed the roof line.

Celebrating the girls' birthday at Sea World

2008-08-25T19:40:00.001-05:00

What a busy summer! The girls were sweet enough to wait until the beginning of August for us to take them to Sea World to celebrate their birthday. Here are a couple of pics from the overnight stay in San Antonio.

In front of the Radisson

We're here!

We can ride almost everything (but that doesn't mean we want to!)

Dolphins are fun!

Waiting for Shamu

Dad joins in the games

We won!

Highlights of Jess & the girls in CA

2008-08-25T19:22:00.000-05:00

This was at the end of July but we never put up any photos. Here are some highlights from the trip...

Heading out of town

At the beach in Santa Cruz

With my uncle and aunt at their place in Santa Cruz

On the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk

Guess where?

The girls with my high school girlfriend's kids

My cousin's wedding

Operator Error?.....

2008-08-15T09:42:00.001-05:00

......most definitely! I am having trouble posting photos where they can be clicked and enlared. I re-posted the photos, so now you can view them as a larger image.

I'm getting better and will soon be bloggin' educated!

Bonjour de Montréal

2008-08-14T00:19:00.000-05:00

We recently spent our delayed 10th anniversary in the European-esque city of Montreal. What a shock at how beautiful of a city it was.

Bienvenue à Montréal

Here we are in front of a little sidewalk cafe in Old Montreal (cobblestone streets and all) after enjoying a nice French lunch

Here is another cafe we ate at looking down at the fire truck maneuvering through the tiny historic streets. Brent could do that!

Here is Jessica relaxing and posing in front of our hotel that we stayed at the third night.

This is after a night of partying. No, Jessica has not gotten taller, she is standing on a step.

An interesting sculpture we found while walking the streets in the Arts District. Is that made of butter?

Same trip, different country

After getting hassled by the "man" at the US border, we finally made our way across over to Vermont to enjoy a little R&R on the shores of Lake Champlain. Darn lines!

Nice thunderstorms coming in.

Brent is cleaning off after getting mud kicked up all over him.

Vermont is very green. I guess the record rainfall they've received this summer has helped.

Who would have thought? Adirondack chairs looking out at the Adirondack Mountains

Vermont was pretty and serene, but our hearts were in Montreal, so we went back to the "Great White North" a day early.

Ahhhh. Finally, back to Canada, eh!

Au revoir le Canada

After three nights away, we were ready to see our girls, and they were ready to see us back at home. This is Daisy and Clara at 1 in the morning right after we drove up.

The Jam-Packed Day

2008-07-11T21:27:00.000-05:00

Everyone strikes a pose for the camera...

Don't hate the gangsta, hate the game.

I wonder where these hams get their personality?
Practicing for their Olympic jumping...

Brent's still a big kid himself...

Clara blows on her trick candles...

A new PJ ending to a really fun birthday!

Clara's 7th Birthday

2008-07-11T21:15:00.001-05:00

Clara turned 7 today and woke up so happy!

Clara and Daisy playing hot potato!

We ran into some friends at the Wildflower Center!

Family Photos Late Spring 2008

2008-07-01T20:08:00.000-05:00

Jessica with Daisy and Clara in our backyard

And Brent with the girls.

Jessica at the Danskin Triathlon

2008-06-28T22:47:00.001-05:00

Jessica, Laura, and Lisa are psyched to get this triathlon thing underway.
Laura - Swim 1/2 mile
Jessica - Bike 12 miles
Lisa - Run 3.1 miles

All three coming down the final stretch.

....And Jessica is off to a great start on the bike!

Team MBF posing for an after race photo.

Brent is so proud of Jessica!

Surprise in the Backyard

2008-06-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

After work today, I came home to find that our banana trees are not only decorative, but also productive. I'll let you know how they taste after they are ripe.

Champs Swim Meet at UT Swim Center

2008-06-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

What an exciting day down at the University of Texas Campus at the Swim Center for the final swim meet of the season.

1st video - Clara's backstroke (middle lane)

2nd video - Daisy's backstroke (2nd lane from bottom in yellow swimsuit)

3rd video - Daisy's freestyle (yellow swimsuit)

Who knew we were raising fish!

Welcome Post

2008-06-28T21:06:00.000-05:00

This is our first blog. We are underachievers, so we won't be posting on a regular basis, at least for now. We will mainly be posting pics and videos(if it is possible), and if something big happens, like us winning the lottery. Please feel free to post your own comments on here.

Brent, Jessica, Daisy, Clara, and Dreadlock(aka Sherlock)