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~

Finally an Update!

Hi everyone!!! Well it’s been awhile since I blogged and I figured I should give an update on how life is going since we’ve been home. We have been home for almost 3 months and it honestly feels like forever...I guess the best way to describe it is a lot like having a baby.....you know when you leave for the hospital with just one child and come home having two kids...life didn’t stop it just keeps going and the new baby just fits right in...well that’s how it’s been for us...although I didn’t give birth to Misha it feel like he’s been with us forever. Some days have been tougher then others but that’s mostly because this mama doesn’t really ever stop and take a break. I think if I did stop, I’d end up sleeping for six months!! Haha.. Overall life has been great and busy for us.

Since Misha has been home he’s experienced many “firsts”....his first ride in a car seat, his first (of a million) trips to Target, his first baseball game, his first swim in a swimming pool (yeah, didn’t go as smooth as I had envisioned in my mind..haha), his first over night trip to Grandma’s, his first McDonald’s chicken nugget (which he LOVED and ate 6 of!!!), his first time feeding himself, and of course TONS of many firsts with foods.... I don’t think everything is new to him but I do believe that he was not exposed to much more then soup, bread, veggies, and fruit....he’s also has his first bedroom that is his and only his and of course he has toys that are just for him and only him for the first time in his 3 years of life. So as you can see we have been busy experiencing many “firsts” and we have been enjoying every minute of it!!

We have started the process for getting Misha into therapy and when school starts in just a few weeks he’ll be headed to the special education preschool that is provided through our school district. We have watched him blossom like crazy since he’s been home and I can’t wait to see what he will do once therapy and school starts!!:) So that’s about it...we have been taking full advantage of summer and enjoying every minute of it and trying to give Misha the “all American summer”!:) 

We hope you all are having a wonderful summer and thanks for sticking around even though I haven’t been so great at updating since we’ve been home!!:) 

Before I go I’ll leave you with some pictures!! Enjoy!!:)

Misha’s first baseball game...

Giving the camera smile while watching Ryan’s baseball practice...

Ryan loves being a big brother!!

Relaxing with dad in Grandmas backyard after a BBQ!:)

Three orphans no more....so lucky to be able to watch these three grow up together!!

I could watch him sleep forever!

His very FIRST trip to Target!!!

He’s one cool kid!

Happy 4th of July from the Chellson Boys!!

Feeding himself his favorite food... Mac & Cheese!!!!!

P.S. I'm still working on the welcome home video...hopefully I can get done this weekend!!!:)

1 week of freedom!

HI everyone!! I just wanted to check in real quick and let you all know we made it home safely!!! A week ago I took Misha out of the orphanage forever, we flew home Sunday and have been enjoying our first week at home. Our travel home went much better then I had expected and Misha did amazingly well....he only had a little meltdown right before our last flight home and honestly I was expecting it to happen way before that point and it wouldn’t have taken much to send me into meltdown mode at that point either. Overall travel was great and the flight staff on all three flights were AMAZING!!! We were met at the airport but our family and a small group of friends and it was the perfect homecoming for us. On Sunday it will be one week that we have been home and it all seems unreal still. We are all adjusting well and still getting caught up on sleep and the time change. I am working on collecting homecoming photos and will post them all soon. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and will post pictures soon!!:)

GOTCHA.....

HERE IT IS.......ENJOY!!:)

 Thank to everyone who said a prayer, donated and supported us emotionally! Without all of you we would have never been able to make it through this journey. And thank you to my amazing husband...you are my best friend and I am so lucky to have you walk next to me on this journey. Our kids are so blessed to have you as their dad...I love you forever and always!!! Thank you again to everyone....Misha and I are headed home on Sunday and I am so excited to share the next chapter of our lives with you!! 

Love,

    Melissa

TWO.....

TWO....only two more nights that our little boy will sleep in an orphanage alone without the love of his family!!! And only 4 more nights of being here in Ukraine!!! I can’t believe this journey has come to an end...my feelings are so bittersweet about our going home...I will have lived in this country for exactly 6 weeks once I get on that plane headed back home and, although there is a MAJOR language barrier I can say this has become home for me and it will always hold a very special place in my heart. I have also had the privilege of spending these last (almost) 6 weeks with two people I am so happy to call my family now. Beth and Lee, I am so honored and grateful that we have been able to walk this journey together. We are forever bonded from this journey and I couldn’t ask for better friends for life!!:) Thank you for showing me the picture of our sweet boy almost a year ago and getting me in touch with the Ray family. God truly placed all three of our families together for a reason and I know these ties will never be broken!! There is a special place in my heart for the Herrington and Ray family and for the country that has named us the parents of our beautiful boy! And as this chapter of our journey is coming to end and I am so very thankful for all of you who have clicked on the links and followed our journey. Without that support and encouragement we wouldn’t be where we are today. So thank you again for reading our blog and following our story, it means a lot to us!! 

Before I go and share pictures....on friday keep your eyes out for a special video about our gotcha day!!:)

Looking at where he should start with the removal of the toys...

Still looking...

He loves to make the curtains move....and this mama already has an idea for how to create this safely in his room!:)

Trying to get into the cubby hole....

Still trying!:)

On the move...I'm going to be in trouble at home!

Having a staring contest with the horse!:)

The count down is happening!!

The count down is on!!!! After today we have been we have the go ahead to by tickets home and buy tickets I have done!!!:) This means that our liite boy has only 3 (maybe 4) nights left in the orphanage and only 6 days until we come home!!!!! What a wonderful Mother’s Day present for me!!:) I can’t wait to be reunited with my boys at home along with our family and friends!! I have had so much fun while here in Ukraine and I am a little sad to be leaving in 6 days. But I do have to say I am so excited get home and back to my life. It seems like forever since I left and I'm excited to get our little guy home and being our life as a family of 4!!

Last Friday started the beginning of the end as we started our “paper job” as our driver Nicko refers to it. Friday we got a TON done which put us ahead of what we thought our timeline for coming home would be. And I can honest say that on Friday someone was looking out for us. Everywhere we went things went faster then expected and the biggest thing was we arrived at the tax id office after the scheduled hours and a amazingly someone was still working and willing to do our paperwork!!!!! So today we (Myself and the Herrington’s) only had to take the kids to the passport office. At first I was a little nervous....I’ve heard many different stories about kids getting sick in the car or being stuck sitting in Nicko’s van for hours and many other different stories. We stopped by the office to hand them our paperwork, so they could get working on the paperwork they needed to fill out...while they did that Nicko took us over to the orphanage where we waited for the kids to be handed to us. And let me tell you it was the cutest thing ever....Olivia, Beth and Lee’s daughter, was dressed up in what I would call her Sunday best...they put her in a sweet little dress and tights and the cutest little scarf hat thing...and then Mykhaylo came down stairs in the cutest little outfit (none of which matched but I really didn’t mind) he had a blue shirt and shorts on with purple socks and sandals that were clearly to big for him...but for the first time in all our visits he wasn’t wearing tights and he was so happy and content it didn’t matter to me!!:) Once we got in the car he clung to me like crazy and was clearly very nervous! (The only time he’s ever been in a moving vehicle was when he was being taken to the hospital for cardiology check-ups and he rode in a ambulance for that...so his experiences may not have always been the best in the car). After a few minutes he warmed up and I put him in the seat next to me with the belt across his lap (no, they aren’t really big on carseats here) and he LOVED it!!!!! As soon as he was sitting on his own he was playing with his toys I brought and looking around like crazy! The passport office was a totally different experience..he was not digging the set up they had...they had him sitting on a stack of books in a chair so he would be tall enough for the camera but the second I set him down on the chair he lost it and wanted nothing to do with it. Thankfully Beth and Nicko made LOTS of noise to distract him and we got his picture!!:) After that we returned the kids back to orphanage and I called it a day. I have forgotten how tiring waking up early is since I haven’t really had to over the last few weeks!! I guess I should get use to it since I’m headed home in a few short days and it means early wake ups again!

So that has been my last few days here in Ukraine! I am hoping the next few go by just as fast. Wednesday is Victory day here and I am excited to see all the going ons of the city! We have been told there will be concerts and parades and shows of all kinds! Sounds fun and a great way to head into the last few days of being in this amazing country!!:)

Now for what you’ve been waiting for......Pictures!!!!:) 

  

Love this face... 

trying to see from under one of the many hats they have put on him!

Trying to get some food from the footless spoon...

Holding tight to me in the beginning of the car ride.

Playing in the car.... 

Such a big boy in the seat with a seat belt!:)

Here is a little Video I took on my phone on ride in the van...

P.S. he LOVED seeing himself in the camera!:)