Christmas Update!

Winter used to be one of the most not so favorite seasons of the year for me. I remember back in the summer I used to dread upcoming winter, cold and all that comes with it. I did not even want to think about the most wonderful time of the year- Christmas. But it seems to be a LOT better this year.

Photography has slowed down, giving me a chance to give my house one big WET cleaning. I am one of those weird people who cleans for satisfaction. In one day, a week ago, I washed all the carpets and carpet cleaned all the couches. It was a long, wet day but it is done! Yey. Now I can feel accomplished. It has been nice to just have more time to play with kids, and get ready for Christmas.

Since we did not do a family letter with our Christmas Cards I was going to give everyone an update here:

Jim is working on his business. He put a lot of work on this web site that explains more about What Myofascial release is and what it treats. Check it out.

http://genuine-healing.com 

and trying to work more on each symptom that he treats. He truly believes that this new therapy will help a LOT of people and will change medicine ( some day). During a short time that he has practiced Myofascial Release he had already successfully treated patients with chronic pain and other issues. My Mom's tumor has dissipated only after a couple of treatments. Right now he has a breast cancer patient who chosen to only do Myofascial release therapy and other non invasive treatment. She is always in our prayers.

I started volunteering more at Mountain Trails Elementary. I absolutely love it. Photography has slowed down a little, giving me a chance to catch up with other things that need to get done. I started teaching Tasia some Russian. We are mastering the alphabet and now Tasia is working on reading. We watch Russian movies and listen Russian songs.

Tasia is Loving Kindergarten. She is reading like a pro and now corrects Mom when she get a chance. We are still working on comprehending the books we read and paying attention, but other then that life is good.

AJ is enjoying Joy School. He is working on his ABC's and now he knows how to spell his name. He still is very much into helping Mom with cooking and baking.


Quinn is a typical 15 months old. In other words he is into everything, especially climbing. I often find him standing on top of the dinner table, or roaming around with big chair that he brings everywhere with him to reach the things I don't want him to reach.

We are very much enjoying this Christmas Season and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Scarry Nightmare ( our own Halloween Story)

 After our last stay at Moab, we discovered that we brought a bed bug with us. I do not wish this on anybody. After having been bitten on my legs a couple of times I had to go to the doctor becasue my foot was swollen up so bad I could hardly walk. The doctor said I got celulites form some insect bite. We had no idea who or what bit me. So I was on antibiotics for 10 days. A week later the same spot on the other foot i get an identical bike and another cellulites again. This is when we startet to worry or what was biting us. First we thought mosquitoes, then the second time it happened the mosquitoes were gone so it had to be something else. Jim started researching what could bite you and make your leg swell up like that. Apperantly the bed bugs have been very common  throught the states and most of the people get them from motels they stay in. Sure enough, after searching the bed we found one. We have not found any more, apparently they are very good at hiding. After thinking of where did we get these things from, a picture poped out on the computer of us in Moab and Quinn had a swallow cheek in it. As soon as I went online and reviewed some reviews of the motel we stayed in, we were not the only ones what got bed bugs from it.


Exterminating the bed bugs has been a huge challenge in our lives. We had to sleep in our daughter's room floor for three weeks before we finally got rid of them. After that I did not even want to come back to our bedroom. I was and still am very paranoid of any bug, dry skin and germs. I constantly vacuum my carpers twice a week and wipe all the surfaces with disinfecting wipes every day. This probably will never change.


 Well Life IS and always will be busy when you have three kids, two jobs, beg bugs and a family. This last week I felt like stuff just piled up on me and that I had to do all these things because we had a little vacation and now it was time to work hard. I had thought Joy school, and it is usually fine, I love doing it. This time was a little different with a teething one year old. Kids were crazy, Quinn was super needy. But we made it. Next day I was in charge of the Halloween Party we had lots of fun. I also was also doing a family session for a family from the ranches. They wanted to find a place for pictures close to home. So after the party and the clean up I went and drove all over the place to find a place. When I told them about it they decided to do it at the orchard anyways. I remember thinking why  the heck I just drove 2 hours with three kids to find a different place for pictures when you decide to do them there I wanted to do them in the first place. After the busy night I finally go to bed and trying to rest my overworked head. You know one of those nights then you so need the rest but just can't fall asleep. My brain was still thinking :"How to pose this family so that they look good, what time to schedule the session so that it looks good, how to find time to edit and babysitters to watch your kids while you work" It went on and on. Then after having bedbugs in our bedroom (they are all gone now) I have become super jumpy at times. Little things like dry skin that might seem like a bed bug apparently can make me jump. As I was trying to fall asleep jim and still putting programs on his computer.

Next thing I remember I was sitting in my bed, my whole body was shaking  and my heart rate was going 1000 beats per second. I had no idea why I felt like I just went through hell. I was terrified of everything I had no idea what was going on when Jim came into the room and tried to calm me down. He kept saying it is me, it is ok. Apperantly as Jim was entering our bedroom I screamed from the top of my lungs and was very terrified of something. When he came to calm me down I found myself sitting on the bed being very terrified of something that I did not remember. Jim said I have literally jumped off the bed in terror and screamed. This has never happened to me before. After this Jim and my Mom have been telling me to slow down the work and everything else I do to calm down my life a little bit so that this won't happen again. This time I agreed and now working on learning how to be lazy:)

 

Kids

Here are our kids at grandma's house. They got a chance to decorate these cute pumpkins. So much easier then carving them out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Zion Getaway!!!

Cince life has been more then hectic Jim and I decided to take a little vacation, just the two of us and go to Zion's National Park. We have been there a loot with kids, but we have never attempted the harder strenuous hikes because we had little ones with us. This time, our sweet Mom Susan, sister Carolyn and Dad Steeve watched our crazy rascals while Jim and I enjoyed our time together at Zions.


We had so much FUN!!! I do admit I missed the kids the first night when there was nothing to do but watch TV. I was thinking, My poor Mother in law! But the next day I was grateful that we left them this one time. There is no way we could have done all the hiking we did with those kids.

Our first hike was Angel's Landing. We started out strong. Some of us too strong. The burning out part came about 1,5 hour into the hike where we had to practically save ourselves from falling by holding on to the chains. Never in my life I was so grateful for chains.

At one moment we stopped to catch our breath and we saw two 60 year old grandmas resting. I was thinking, man, how did they make it here? They are probably so done and ready to go down without going to the top. Little did I know that those grandmas led the way and totally beat us to the top!!! I hope I am that athletic when I am 60!

This is me at the beginning of the hike, still sprinting up.

 this was the picture that Jim actually wanted to take

This was the passage with drop offs that a lot of people were not willing to do. I am glad we did it, it really was not as crazy as it looked.

Views on the park from the top

Picture of Jim and I taken by awesome grandmas

Me, ready to jump

Another hike- the Narrows that we started to hike

As you can see we were not very ready to hike the river of 50 degrees. Apperantly you have to rent the waterproof gear to make it all the way.

As you can see the water here gets a little bit Deeper, all the way to the waist. This is as far as we went.

 Next year it is going to be our hike #1 to do at Zion's.

Family Pictures

This year has been extremely busy with photography. I had no idea how I would fit our family pictures in this fall. But I am so grateful for a wonderful friend and a photographer and a designer herself that swamped taking pictures with me. We did not get a lot of time, just a couple of shots. The life of the photographer does not allow a lot of time for photographing their own family, I guess. I am glad we got these.

Fall Fun!

Three weeks ago our Joy School went on a Field trip to Hew haw Farms! We had so much fun riding the wagon and going down the slide! I love Fall! there are so many things to do!

Quinn was so cute on that hey.

Looks like AJ is trying to hurt Quinn's finger. Quinn does not care.

Wagon Ride

My kindergartener

I have been so busy that even forgot to mention or post pictures of my first Kindergartner. Tasia has been sooo excited to go to Kindergarten. She loves learning and she loves being challenged. I think she is my easiest kindergartner so far. She has learned how to read before the school started and now all homework and spelling is a piece of cake. I still read books to her, but most of the time she prefers to read to me. It is so much fun!

it is about time to upload my blog, huh

My Gosh, it feels like the summer has slipped through my fingers. So Mush has happened, Where to start?

 So, I will start from he beginning (the summer). We were very lucky to welcome my Mom at our house once again. This time I was NOT pregnant and DID not just had a baby. We went camping, hiking, and  we visited the Arches National park, which was the first time for my Mom. I like it when my Mom is impressed, that is why I like to show her all the beautiful places we have here in Utah. We had so much fun. We hiked in the early morning while the rest of the people were still sleeping. Then in the afternoon we hung out at the hotel and enjoyed the pool. Then in the evening we went on easy hiked with the kids.

Camping the American Fork Canyon.

Arches National Park

One of the most beautiful hikes- Park Avenue

Sand Dune arch

My Mom and I also hiked and saw the symbol of Utah- Delicate Arch while Jim and the kids slept in. Spending time with just my Mom and I reminded me of my childhood, when we went places in Krimea and Russia.

Delicate Arch

Goblin Valley

While my Mom was here we also celebrated Quinn's birthday with a Hawaiian Party. Jim grilled hamburgers and pineapple. Mmm it was the best.