Reflecting on 2011

2011 started out kind of rocky, My dad was in the hospital on New Years Day 2011 and on January 9th at 6:25 the most amazing person in my life passed away. My daddy who was my world, my rock, the man who would have given up everything, just like our heavenly father did, for me. I can't believe that in 9 days he will be gone a year. I miss him everyday, there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about him. My girls know their papa's picture but I wish they could know him. He would love them and have them more spoiled then they already are. Also at this time we were having one of the snowiest winters we have had in years. We also were preparing to travel in February. On December 27th 2010 (which by the way I forgot to blog that day as being a year since we got that call I do apologize) we got the call that our SDA appointment date would be February 14th, yes Valentine's day (wonder if my hubby can top that this year hehe) and we would leave the country on the 11th and arrive in Ukraine on the 12th. 2011 brought me traveling to a different country for the first time and actually loving it and now a year later missing it and ready to go back. On February 16th 2 little girls walked into a room and completely took my breath away, and continue to do so everyday. Riding a train for the first time, eating different food, a court day, a month in country, 2 weeks without my husband, alone in a country, riding a bus by myself, walking to and from my apartment by myself, on March 11th my girls walking out an orphanage forever, the next day we took a train to the capital and for 2 days we had embassy appointments. On March 16th very early in the morning we boarded a plan and 2 flights later my girls became U.S. citizens, and 3 flights later they were HOME! 2011 brought me being a mom for the first time. I got to kiss and hug on my girls, see a whole new brightness in their eyes, got to celebrate birthdays, victories, watching them learn, kissing boo boos, I got to hold my sweet girls on my chest, nurse them back to health when they were sick, make it through 2 major surgeries without having a nervous breakdown, and best of all they were home for Christmas! They love Jesus, they love us, and their brother and sister, they love their nana, and really anyone they come in contact with. They have their good days and their bad days, there are days I want to put them back in bed roll them over and let them get up out of bed on the right side lol but I wouldn't trade any of those days for the world. 2011 has been pretty great!!! Although it started out pretty rough it ended pretty great! I can't wait to see what 2012 holds for us! Thank you Lord for your many blessings and your continued unconditional love for us!!!

Happy New Year's Everyone!!! With Love from the Lane Family!!!

Taking Orders :)

I sell Mary Kay, and I am taking up an order now. I will place it next week. This time it is going to be different though because I am planning on doing something amazing with my profits. I can't tell you right this minute what that is going to be but I promise it won't be long until you find out. ;) If you order your order will be shipped directly to you, within the states, free of charge ! Payment can be made 1 of 2 ways either by paypal or you can send me a check. If you would like to do it by paypal email me at lane1105@gmail.com and I can invoice for your order. 

Please please please order! 

Stay tuned for an announcement!!! :)

Merry Christmas!!! Girls first Christmas!!!

Today is a very special day!!! First it is Jesus' birthday, Happy Birthday Jesus. Secondly it is the best Christmas ever our girls are home and enjoying their first Christmas!!! They got lots of toys and their faces lit up as each present was opened with such an innocence and love for each thing they received. I can not thank God enough for the blessings that he has given us! I think each Christmas is going to be in competition with this one to be the best lol :)

Daddy reading the best Christmas story ever "The  Birth Of Jesus"


Hope you all had a Very Merry Christmas from the Lane Family to yours!!!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is spent with the Lane side of the family. So we drive about an hour from where we live and spend a fun filled day with family. First we ate and then the kids open presents. The girls got lots of good stuff and are so loved. It's so hard to believe that 1 year ago we were waiting to hear a travel date and this year our 2 blessings are home and enjoying their very first Christmas.

Hope you all Have A Very Merry Christmas!!!

Once home we opened a few gifts...

Christmas Jammies

The Night Before Christmas 

Dressed in our jammies ready to read our book

Mommy reading "The Night Before Christmas"

Our New family traditions are Christmas Eve Jammies and reading The Night Before Christmas!!! 

Johannah's surgery

Johannah's surgery went great! Her tonsils and adenoids were enlarged and she had a ton of fluid behind her eardrums so the tubes are going to be a great asset. When dr. Goudy came in to tell us about the surgery he told me that Johannah was going to be really upset with him, and we explained to him that she would not and after going back and forth a few minutes he said ok we will see ;) Well we did see as soon as he came into recovery to check on her and put her orders into the computer she smiled at him and blew him kisses. Told him! :) After she woke up in recovery the first thing she asked for was a drink and she DRANK! Everyone was so surprised. She also went potty 2 times before we were even in a room. The dr. told us if she kept that up then she would be able to go home the next day. After about 2 hours in recovery, because we were waiting for a room, we finally got a room. Once in the room Johannah and I pretty much snuggled and watched movies the rest of the night. (Andrew had to go to work and my mom had to watch Ellee so it was just me and Johannah) At one point both her and I got cabin fever so we went for a wagon ride around the floor. Once back in the room I got to order her some yummy chicken broth (gag) but she ate it like a champ! Later on she ate some applesauce, and some ice cream. She also put away about 6 of those small juice containers, and some water. We had a couple visitors, one being my brother and his wife and my nephew. We had lots of phone calls and wonderful comments on facebook. We were both asleep really early and only woke up when they came in to give meds and take vitals. I had to give Johannah her medicine because she would not let the nurses give it to her. I have to say we had some very wonderful nurses. All the nurses and doctors that came in to see Johannah was very surprised at how well she was doing and couldn't believe it. When dr. Goudy came in today he said I have to give it to you, you were right that she would be going home today. She was even singing when he came in :) So a couple hours later we broke out of there. She has been home and doing great. She has however decided the only thing she is going to eat well is Mac and Cheese. She will eat anything else you put in front of her but she eats the mac and cheese first and asks for me, and she gets it. She is still drinking well. The only thing I don't like is the medicine that gave her for pain makes her really tired. I can't wait to have her back to 100%

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and the festivities begin! I can't wait to see how the girls react to all the excitement. Please pray for Johannah and that she is able to do all the fun stuff and not be too out of it and definitely not in any pain.

Our Day/adventure

Today we went to Nashville to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor. We were going for Johannah because she has sever obstructed sleep apnea and they wanted to take her tonsils and adenoids out asap. So today we went for them to do pre-op and set up her surgery date. When doctor Goudy came in her done her work up, he told us they were going to take her tonsils and adenoids out and put tubes in, he explained the surgery process and answered my questions. A little while later the nurse came in and explained the surgery process to us again and then took us to scheduling. I was hoping to have it done next week since we are on Christmas break and we wouldn't have to miss school/work or if we did it wouldn't be that much. She told me that she would call me if there were any cancellations for next week but went ahead and scheduled it for the 12th of January. So we left the office and went downstairs and before we left we stopped at the restroom so the girls could use the potty before the little over an hour drive home. Well as we were washing our hands my phone rang. It was the scheduling lady again and she told me she did have a cancellation but it was for Thursday, yes this THURSDAY 2 days away Thursday lol So we went back up stairs got our new paperwork, and then headed to Patch to have a tour and learn more info.
The surgery will take about 45 minutes and she will have to stay overnight. Please pray that she does great and that she drinks really good and we can come home Friday. I don't want her to miss her first Christmas and I definitely don't want her in any type of pain.
I have to go for now because I have SO much to do before Thursday! :)

Santa 2011

We brought the girls home in March and in April we went to the DSAMT Easter Egg hunt and the Easter Bunny was there and the girls did not want anything to do with him. We got a picture but I was sitting closer to him than the girls were lol and then at the Buddy Walk there was a dressed up Dinosaur and they LOVED him, and so I wasn't sure how they were going to do with Santa. Our town held a family night full with horse and carriage rides, refreshments and Santa. So we went. We did the horse and carriage ride and the girls loved it. Then we got in line to see Santa. At first the girls weren't sure about him, but within seconds they were cheesing it up.

First Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving past

This was the girls first Thanksgiving and I think it was a success. They ate, and ate, and ate some more. They loved all the food, and actually got a surprise when Ellee signed finished letting us know that she was full. That is a big deal because for so long we have had to decide for her when she has had enough and that is hard as a parent, because you want to make sure they have had enough, and you want to make sure you don't overstuff them either.

Also a year ago on Thanksgiving we got the best call ever that we had been submitted to the girls country and that our paperwork had been accepted, then all we had to do was wait for a date to travel. So many things to be thankful for this year. And it's hard to believe how much can change in a years time.

Here are some pics from our amazing day!

School Pics

The girls very first school pics

Ellee's Kindergarten pic

Johannah's preschool pic

Family Pictures

We have been trying for months to get family pictures and every time I had it set up something would happen, but not last Saturday we were all able to get there and able to get our family pics done. I have to say they are fantastic ;) Pam, the lady who done our pics, is actually Ellee's teacher in school. She does wonderful work!!! She helped us fund raise and was one of our biggest supporters when we were in the adoption process and loves Ellee so much. So enough talking here is the sneak peek that we got too :)

Ellee's recovery

Ellee is recovering wonderfully! She doesn't complain of any pain, and doesn't complain when I clean her incision. I gave her first bath tonight since her surgery and she did great with it and actually seemed to feel much better afterwards. You wouldn't even know this kiddo even had surgery. We were told to try to keep her calm over the next couple of weeks, well that hasn't happened and doesn't look like it will. lol I have had the perfect little patient :)

Love my beauties!

Ellee's ear surgery

Our morning started out bright and early this morning. We headed to the hospital around 5:30 this morning which is a little over an hour away. Once we got there we got all checked in and went to Ellee's room. She did really well with the process. They checked her blood pressure which she really didn't like all that much but she dealt with it. Her blood pressure was a little high because she was nervous. We had lots of different people in and out of her room just because they wanted to see her. They just doted all over her and spoiled her rotten :) (Let me just say Johannah was out in the waiting area and they were doing the same thing with her) I can't tell you how many people asked me today to take my girls home with them. Ummm no I don't think so lol Around 9:00 they came in and told us that the dr was running behind on his first surgery and it wouldn't be too much longer, about 15 minutes later the dr came in, explained to us what he was going to do, and answered all of our questions. He told us the nurse would be in soon to get her. About 15 minutes later the nurse came in and got us, they told us they were going to let me to take her to the door. So off we went, and once we got to the door they took her from me and I lost it. I had held it in as long as I could. I didn't want to upset Ellee so I waited but in that moment I couldn't hold it in any longer. The waiting room wait was the longest wait ever, and after 2 hours the Dr. came out and told us that the surgery was successful. He was able to clean all the tumors off her eardrum, repair the hole, stretch the ear canal, and reconstruct the bone. He told us that Ellee done great and that they were getting her all tucked into recovery. He told us that the nurse would out to get us in about 5 minutes. Ummm 20 minutes later (and when I thought that 2 hour wait was long, that 20 minute wait seemed longer) they came out and got me, they told us it was better for a little one to see their mommy first and I was ok with that (sorry honey ;) I went back and she looked amazing. She opened and looked up at me with those big bright eyes and smiled. They said she done amazing but when she woke up her blood pressure was a little high but that was to be expected. She was so precious as she was trying to wake up, everytime she would look at me she would just smile. Finally she looked at me and signed drink. I told the nurse and she said she could take care of that so she brought her some apple juice, and boy was she thirsty. She drank 2 cans of apple juice. About an hour of being in recovery she was released. She was very groggy, but she knew exactly what she wanted food hehe. So we tried to find a restaurant that would have soft foods. We found her some mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and applesauce. She was very happy with that. She held everything down, and has anything else that she has eaten or drank the rest of the night. She came home and wanted to play. She did really well. Around 7ish she started to get really tired again, she dozed off and on in my arms. At 8:00 she was out. It is now 10:21 and she is still sound asleep. She does have this cup looking thing over her ear, but it doesn't seem to be bothering her, and she is sleeping with it on. Will keep everyone updated with her recovery.

Right before surgery

Johannah's first pageant

Johannah was in her first pageant today. She looked fantastic (which of course she already did) and she done wonderfully. She got up there and tried to steal the spotlight. She blew kisses at me, at the audience and even clapped for herself.