Year in Review

Well hellooooo there...I hope this blog post finds you all doing well and having a wonderful holiday season!! As you can tell it has been quite some time since I posted last but life has been crazy busy in the best kind of way possible. Some of you may be thinking why is she posting now, it’s so out of the blue? And my response to that is you are soooo right but I’ve been wanting to write a post for awhile but haven’t really known where to start. And tonight as I was playing around on Facebook and looking at “See Your 2013 Year in Review” on my page and thought, it’s perfect..I’ll write a year in review post (with LOTS of pictures) and get back in the blogging world once again!!! 

So without further ado here’s our year in review:

January 1st we started the year out with celebrating a late Christmas with my mom…

At the end of January, beginning of February we celebrated Misha’s 4th birthday with his first birthday party EVER. And what made the day even sweeter is we did a joint birthday party we our dear friends The Herrington's...you might remember them, we lived together in Ukraine while we both finalized our adoptions of Misha and their daughter Olivia!! The party was HUGE success and so much fun and a truly wonderful moment being able to celebrate with wonderful people who helped us bring home our babies. 

 ~Misha at the party~

~Misha & Olivia's personal cakes~

February was a very fun month for our family as we headed to Disneyland for a run-cation..yes you read that right, a run-cation. My mom and I ran in the TinkerBell Half Marathon and David and I figured why not stay a few days after the run and enjoy a little family vacation. My mom and I ran the half in 3 hours and 40ish minutes...not bad for a girl who was battling the flu. Oh, I forgot to mention that part..we’ll the day I was suppose to head down with my mom, Misha woke up with high temp. which lead to the flu..and not the stomach kind of flu, he had the “he’ll need Tamflu” kind of flu..so we drove down Saturday and and by the day of the race, Sunday, I woke up battling a fever but I didn’t go all the way to Disneyland for nothing. Plus I had a very amazing little girl, Chloe..I wrote about her here: inspiration ...cheering me on from her hospital room...so I ran the half and finished!!!

 ~The Before and after of our 1st half marathon~

~Misha is NOT amused by his new shades, but I was~

March brought on the beginning of baseball season in our house..which meant Ryan was eating, breathing and sleeping everything baseball!! And thank goodness baseball is a favorite sport for this family so we truly enjoyed every moment of Ryan’s baseball season. He was placed on an amazing team with some wonderful families who we’ve become great friends with...oh and the cake topper was Ryan’s team won the Championships for his division...I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ready for next season, because I am sooo ready to see my little man out there doing something he absolutely loves and lives for!!!

 ~Ryan at bat and his awesome team~

Baseball took up a big chunk of our time which was good for us...Misha learned about cherring on his brother and towards the end of the season would actually give a loud shout when his brother (and his teammates) was at bat!! But we did make time for me to walk at my graduation from college!!! That’s right folks, I AM A COLLEGE GRADUATE!! I walked the stage in May with most of the class of 2013 but didn’t actually finish my classes until August 25. None the less, walking across that stage was a beautiful moment, and something I’d been working towards for the last 8 years. It’s wasn’t the easiest road to finishing but sticking to it really paid off and I am proud to say I am so proud of myself!!

June gave David and I a chance to get away to one of my favorite places in the world..Hawaii!! It was a much needed get-a-way, with some serious sunburns, so there are not many pictures of the two of us buuut trust me when I say it was a blast and so nice to reconnect with my husband and enjoy the time together. Visiting one of great friends Megan was a bonus to the trip!! Love you Megan!! :)

 ~The inner surfer came out while paddle boarding~

~ life on a boat with a drink in my hand may be in my future~

July we celebrated the 4th with a baseball game on July 3rd and then with our friends the Herrington's. on the 4th.who are really more like family and we had a blast swimming and eating!! July was also fun because I was able to attend the National Conference for Thirty-One Gifts...oh what’s that, you didn’t know I was a Thirty-One consultant...well, surprise I am..I’ve been a consultant since July 2011!! I had a blast and made a life long friendship with 2 wonderful ladies and I am so excited to go to the 2014 conference and catch up with those lovely two ladies!!

~Baseball Game siiliness~

 ~Swimming on the 4th~

~Thirty-One National Conference~

August was eventful since school was ending for me and starting for the boys...Ryan started 3rd grade...I’m still in denial my baby is in 3rd grade...Misha started his last year of preschool, which is also hard to swallow because that means he’ll be in Kindergarten next year. Both boys are doing great in school and are now enjoying their winter break. I finished school officially in August and have never felt more like laughing and crying all at one time like I did the moment I pressed send on my finally paper!! August also brought on “Fall Baseball” which should really be named End of Summer Baseball since there was NO kind of fall weather with 100+ temps!! None the less we had fun and I learned I enjoy watching Ryan play baseball from the stands and not from the dugout as a coach.

~Growing up too fast and I FINALLY finished~

September began with another trip to Disneyland for another run-cation....David, Ryan and I ran the family 5k on Saturday and then on Sunday I ran in the Disneyland Half marathon with my mom and good friend Mandy..we had a blast despite the heat and humidity...we finished and beat our last time with a finish in 3 hours and 32 minutes!! September also lead David, Ryan, Misha and myself to run family 5k with the Neon Splash Dash which was so much!! 

 ~Running is the best when shared with family and friends~

 ~Disneyland Fun~

 ~The Neon Splash Dash~

October was a down month for us...after finishing school..coaching Ryan’s fall baseball team and our month of running...we laid low and just enjoyed the month and Halloween with our S.W.A.T. guy and fighter pilot…

November brought on another half marathon for me..but this time it was in Las Vegas. Which meant David and I got to have another little get-a-way...and although we enjoyed our time this half marathon left me a lot sorer then the others BUT I did beat my last time of 3:32 with a 3 hour and 20 minute finish!!! Thanksgiving was spent surrounded with family and lots of laughter. We also celebrated a VERY big birthday in November…My little sister Elizabeth turned 17!!

~1/2 marathon #3 in the books~

~I LOVE her to the moon and back~

That brings us to December...this month has simply flown by in the blink of an eye....I’m not sure how I feel about only having 5 days left in 2013 but I can say this past year was crazy, fun, adventurous and I am truly blessed to be having so much fun with my best friend and our children!! 

I can't wait to see the exciting fun that is to be had in 2014 for our family!! Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!!!

Love,

Melissa

P.S. Here are some other pictures of our good times from throughout the year…

One Year Home!!!!

Well helloooo again...can you believe that on Sunday (Mother’s Day) we celebrated Misha’s one year home with us!??! How crazy is that? The last year has been a true whirlwind and I can’t imagine our lives without Misha. He has grown and come so far in the last year we are constantly amazed by him. He has experienced so many new things (like: Disneyland, Halloween, Christmas, First Birthday Party, just to name a few) in the last year and I am so grateful we got to be by his side for all the new adventures!!His personality is beginning to really form and I know he is going to be a little ham when he grows into his words and gestures. Everyday with Misha we learn something new and it has really showed us as a family to enjoy the moments, not matter if it’s good or bad. Life is beautiful and we are so happy to have Misha as our son and can’t wait to see what the next year holds for him and us as a family!! Soooo with that being said here’s a little video with pictures of Misha’s last year at home with us!!

Love, 

   Melissa

               

Inspiration....

Inspiration comes in many forms...for some it’s reading, seeing, hearing something that motivates them to do something creative...however sometimes it’s not what someone says, writes or does that is inspiring...sometimes it’s the person themselves that is an inspiration....well in my last blog post I wrote about running a half marathon....I have always wanted to run one and after hearing some news this summer I found my inspiration do it....I want you all to meet someone very special....

This is Chloe

She is the daughter of our dear friends Beth and Lee Herrington....Chloe is two and half years old and has Down syndrome. She is the life of the party and a true shinning star.....This past summer it was confirmed that Chloe has Leukemia....when I heard the news from Beth, I thought how in the world could this be?! Chloe reminds me so much of my little sister and I see the same fight, determination, spirit and sassiness in her that my little sister Lizzy has. Knowing that the road ahead of them would be long Beth and Lee jumped in head first and Chloe started Chemo in August...she has completed 4 out the 6 rounds and is headed in this week to start round 5.....she has pulled through every treatment with flying colors and leaves the doctors stunned constantly...the days they expect her to be feeling her worst, they walk in her room to find her dancing to a ‘gangnam style’ video or many of her other favorite pop songs...(Chloe does have her yucky days but they are nothing like what they were told to prepare for)...Chloe’s story has touched so many people and she inspires people daily....and she IS my inspiration for running.

(Here's Chloe at home for Christmas with her family....A true super start in my book!!)

Thanks to Chloe I have run further then I ever thought I possibly could and every time I want stop to walk I think about the fact that Chloe has only one choice and that's to fight and this keeps me running on.....So on January 20th at theTinkerBell Half Marathon I will be running for Chloe...I won’t be alone in my run as my mom has been training to run this half marathon with me......I am so excited to do something so amazing with my mom by my side, to be able to show my boys that all it takes is a little inspiration and you can reach any goal. I have Chloe to thank for showing me that if a two and half year old can fight cancer with a smile on her face then I can run 13.1 miles with a smile on my face!!

I hope you all find something that inspires you and makes you a better person. Thank you Chloe for showing me that life isn’t about the material things, it’s about the strength we have within us and the will to live each day to the fullest!!

~Melissa~

Happy New Year...

Happy New Year!!!! I can’t believe that 2013 is finally here!! I have made it may resolution to dust off my blog here and get to blogging more..my goal is once or twice a week.....(but I know me and it may really take some reminders, but reflecting on our amazingly fun life will be worth it!) This last year was such a blast and I can’t wait to see what 2013 has planned for us. We have been a very busy family since our last update in July...YIKES, I guess I need to do some serious catching up! So here goes....

Misha is doing wonderful and growing and learning so much everyday. In September we went on a family vacation to Disneyland and it was awesome to watch our little boys eyes light up with every little thing at “The Happiest Place On Earth”. October was a very busy month for Misha...we had his very first IEP (individualized education plan) and he started preschool at a wonderful county program for children with special needs. Misha also experienced his first Halloween with a fun festival at school and a very rainy night out trick-or-treating with his big brother. November was a month where we saw so much growth in Misha. School has been so amazing for him and he is learning so quickly. Again Misha had another first with Thanksgiving and let me tell you this boy LOVES him some candied yams (I think it was the brown sugar and marshmallows that was in them)!!! He enjoyed all parts of our turkey dinner but he was signing ‘more’ like crazy when he got to the yams. December was full of school and the most magical time of year for us....Christmas!! I can honestly say I have truly enjoyed experiencing every first with Misha since he’s been home but Christmas takes the cake! There is something so magical about this time of year and, for a little boy who spent too many years alone in an orphanage, watching him experience every part of the holiday made it even more magical for our family! And that brings us to today....Misha is happy, healthy, loved and sleeping peacefully in his bed as I type! 

<-----Enjoying his candied yams!

trying to escape while mommy did the dishes! 

----->

Next up is our big boy Ryan. He started 2nd grade in August and I think this was the hardest year yet watching him go off to school the first day. My baby boy is no longer a baby he is becoming a wonderful, kind, sweet, and caring young boy and makes me proud everyday. He spent the summer playing baseball and continued that into fall baseball. He has real passion for baseball and is a natural at it...and no I’m not just saying that cause I’m his mom, (well maybe a little)....but he really is good for his age. His new love is football and thanks to his mama he has become a HUGE Oregon Ducks fan and is following his buddies footsteps in liking the NY Giants....I’m sure next year he’ll ask to play football in the fall but I don’t think I’m ready to watch my baby take hits from other kids....I wonder if I could talk him into flag football...hhhmmm, I guess I better get the seed of flag football planted now!:) Other then his sports he is working hard at being a great student and is a wonderful big brother. He loves Misha and is so sweet with him. He too is enjoying showing Misha lots new things and sharing in “Misha’s Firsts”. David and I are truly proud of him and couldn’t ask for a more sweeter, kinder, caring boy! 

   Getting so big!! ----->

  <-----Enjoying Disneyland in September!

 Up now is David and I.....besides being busy parents of two boys....we just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary and are looking forward to many more years together. David is still working hard at the Sheriffs Department, as well as, the National Guard. I can not believe how blessed I really am to have a husband who loves and supports us the way he does! I am still plugging along at school...I thought I would be done in May but I need to take a few more “filler” classes to meet my credit requirements...sooo it looks like this time next year I will entering my final classes and graduating with my bachelors degree in multiple subject teaching!! I can’t begin to say how excited I am to see the light at the end of this road...it’s been long and full of stops but I am finally getting to the end!!:) So besides school and kids, I have also been working hard at checking a item off my bucket list.....that item is running a half marathon...Haha...Just typing that made me laugh...yes I am just that crazy that I have created a goal like that with my busy life...I guess I like the challenge! But this challenge only happened because I was reminded of how precious life is this summer (I’ll write more about this in another blog..maybe tomorrow) and that it’s time to start living life and showing my children anything is possible!:)

So as you can see life for the Chellson’s has been anything but slow and 2012 truly was an amazingly awesome adventure.......we really can’t wait to see what 2013 holds for us and we hope that you (and hopefully more new followers) will be along for ride with our adventures!

Thanks for reading and check back soon for a new post!

Happy New Year!!!!

~Melissa~

~Christmas Eve Movie Night~

~Brothers and Friends Forever~

~One more of our silly boy~