In this together

Here are a few more of my family photo session pictures. I think this will be the last of them...maybe. :)
This is one of the few pictures of us together. A picture with two serious looking boys was better than hands over the eyes and fingers up the nose. We'll take what we can get. :)

I like this pictures because it just shows their personalities so well. The two of them laughing and being goofy for the camera.

Mini-me and her mama. :)

I am SO blessed!

This is a short post...really!! I've got to get back to cleaning/de-cluttering and clearing out this house (and packing the trailer.) Its a big job to move from 2000 square feet into about 200! We will probably have house-sitters while we are away so I want to leave our house thoroughly cleaned and make room for their things. I am looking at my crusty stove burners, hand smudged walls and chaotic laundry room in a whole new way! Oh the embarrassment of crumbs in kitchen drawers. It feels good to have a good start on it though and goodness knows it all needed to be done anyway. I'm trying to utilize my time better....meaning less time on the computer. :( I'll be back soon though....ROAD TRIP!!! (35 hours of driving with 3 kids should make for a few interesting blog posts) :)

Aili 's pictures...third attempt

p.s my internet sucks and is getting worse by the day! In two weeks we will be on our way to Mexico and I'm sure that I will be able to find highspeed along the way and the funny thing is I will also have a better connection in Mexico....as far as I know. I can take deep breaths and keep from taking a bat to my computer until then....only a little longer. :)

I was just sitting here waiting for these pictures to post and I came accross something that Aili wrote. She loves writing stories, journals, notes to her family, poems anything.

This is her first attempt at writing a song:

Vers 1:

I was bord sittin in my room and then I new jest what to do.

I looked up a Bible verse.

I looked up an awsome one.

It said you are like the light for the world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden.

Chors:

You are the light of the world

and anytime I walk and any time I see that you've done that for me, for me.

vers 2: In the dark I'm not afrad because I know I'm not a lon.

Your here when I see the light shining threw.

In the dark nes I'm not afrad

because you show me the way.

I left it unedited for your amusement. :) What a cute glimpse into her heart and her new writing skills. Although I think her grammer and spelling isn't far behind mine!

Aili Sola

Last but not least. Here are some more pictures from our photo session with my cousin...cuz I know you just haven't had enough of the Burlando family yet.

Unlike her youngest brother...this one loves the camera.

A contemplative pose. Probably contemplating how she got stuck in a family with two little brothers.

Aili is looking forward to and asking lots of questions about our upcoming trip. That makes leaving home a lot easier for all of us. I was initially worried that the kids would be upset leaving so much of what they know behind. We would have worked through it but it would cause a lot more stress and heartache. I'm so pleased that they are just as excited as we are to see what God has around the corner.
Aili already packed her toys to take along. They are each allowed a large shoe box size container. It was enough for a few barbies and some other teeny toys ( petshop animals and polly pockets.) Roman has a box of bionicles and some legos thrown in. Silas has some action figures ,matchbox cars, trucks and tractors.
When you're moving an entire family into a 30ft camping trailer you have to be selective. The toys are good icebreakers with other kids though as they share and invite others to come play with them.

Along with the kids boxes of toys we have a big rubber made container packed away with toys to give to kids there. We are filling up that trailer quick. I am a little concerned with the weight we will be pulling. We will be a lot lighter coming home next spring but we have to get down there without blowing a transmission or breaking an axle. As I put things in the trailer I am also making room for them by bringing things back in. As we reach max capacity I am going over each item I have already packed ,removing some of the less essential items.

Since this is a post featuring Aili.....I have a little prayer request for her. (She is totally recovered and healthy right now..yay!)
My concern and prayer for her is that she would be able to find a special friend or two while we are in Mexico. She is so very social and meaningful friendships are SO important to her. Having done this before we realize that she has a lot going against her in her quest for friendship in Mexico. The language barrier (initially at least) will be a struggle for her. She will be the new girl in a group of kids who are often suspicious and slow to trust newcomers. She will be the "white girl" in a crowd of kids with black hair and tanned faces. Kid are kids anywhere you go. The one who's different and new is usually the one who has the most to overcome socially.
It seems like a small concern but I know God cares about even the smallest details of our lives.
Please pray with me that he would provide a loyal friend for Aili.

Photo shoot Silas style

Here are some more of the pictures that my cousin took for us. Aren't they fun?
She managed to get a few happy pictures of Silas when he least suspected it.
The good thing about moody two year olds is that they can go from grumpy and crying to laughing hysterically within minutes.

I think he was being chased by a daddy monster.

Just throwing rocks in the river...minding his own business....*CLICK*

This was Silas' preferred pose throughout most of the photo shoot.
What a stinker. He's never been a big fan of cameras.


I've noticed a change in him over the last week or so. I think having this port-harvest/ pre-Mexico time alone at home with him is a good thing. Life is pretty relaxed for him and I right now. I don't remember the last time I was alone during the day with only one child! Between my own kids, babysitting and foster babies...its usually a full house. I must say I am enjoying my "break". We've had lots of time for reading books, going for long bike rides (Silas in the old bike trailer), strolling down to get the mail, .....I even jumped on the trampoline with him the other day (Well actually we mostly ran around in circles chasing each other). What a work out!

The compliant, sweet, silly Silas that we know and love has made a return appearance. I was starting to wonder if he was gone for good. Fingers crossed that he will stick around .... at least for a while.

We are even making progress in the potty training department. Its been a LONG road this time around. I am SO hoping (and even praying) that he will "get it" before we leave on our trip. We've been living in quasi potty trained limbo for 7 months now....and its taking its toll on my nerves....and my carpet.
The last couple days I am seeing a very subtle change for the better and he is starting to take his own initiative (finally!). My fingers are crossed and my breath is held. I'm internally chanting the mantra ..no more poop, no more poop.......


I'm also hoping we are on the tail end of those "terrible twos" that for my kids seems to hit the hardest between 1 1/2 -2 1/2. With Silas he was a compliant little angel baby right until his second birthday...then WHAMO....it hit.

It's SO nice when they reach that age of reason (at least a little bit) and can better understand life. Having a better vocabulary helps with the frustration too I think.

He is getting so tall and even starting to fill out a little. He is just one of the boys now. He and Roman (who is 3 1/2 years older) wrestle like little puppies constantly. I'm glad that they both have a brother. I was watching them play yesterday and it actually choked me up a little (usually it just hurts my ears and I tell them to take it outside). I so rarely think of my other son but for some reason I couldn't help but picture a big 9 year old boy in the mix. Its so funny to watch Silas copy every thing his big brother does. He idolizes him like crazy. I can picture what it would have been like for Roman to have a big brother.

On a totally different subject. Some of Silas' usual sayings (funny because he seems too young to be saying them....you can tell he has older siblings) right now are:

" I din mean too"
"Dat not fair!"

"It not my fawt (Its not my fault...said in totally random situations with big inncocent eyes)

"I horny" (I'm hungry)
"What dat for?"

"I boring"
"WHY?" (yep we just reached that stage)

I realize that these are not nearly as cute to readers who can't also see the ridiculous expressions and hear the inflection in his voice. I've found with the older kids that if I don't write some of these things down....which I typically don't I forget them. The things I have written down that they used to say when they were just starting to really talk I really appreciate. I always forget these things and when I go back and read them I can immediately hear the exact little speech impediment voices.

showing off for the camera

Here is a photo shoot Roman style.

Of course he has to show off some of his moves. The newest of which is a head stand with his legs out to the side...definately a marketable life skill don't ya think?.
He wants me to put him in "break dancing classes" next winter.....not sure if there is such a thing out here but I might just have to look into it.

Anyone can swing sit on a seat. Leave it to Roman to get creative with even a swing.

I have so many fun pictures to showoff but since I can only post 4 at a time I have material for lots of new picture posts. :)

more Burlando Family pictures

Me and my girl. The last portrait of just the two of us was taken when she was 6 weeks old!

My family of perfect angels. I am certainly glad I didn't have to distract little Silas from wailing and covering his eyes by telling him to throw rose hips at the camera. That would be outrageous. I am also glad I didn't have to resort to bribery and out right lies. Ridiculous things like telling your child to "look at the camera because a monkey is going to fly out of it "certainly has no place in a proper photo shoot with children as perfect as mine.

I look forward to a day when we have a family picture without tears and fingers in noses.

But the trade off would be having no little cuties like this.
I guess we can put up with him...seeing as he's so darn cute.

Family pictures

I'm SO excited that we finally had some family pictures taken. Our last family portrait was taken four years ago in a bargain studio....not great. I decided it was time to try again. My cousin who , as you can see, is a wonderful photographer spent a couple hours with us snapping pictures. Thankyou so much Allison!

Silas was an ornery little stinker that day. He woke up that morning at 5am and wouldn't go back to sleep. All moms know that a 2 year old waking up two hours too early is a recipe for disaster. That combined with no nap and being sick the day before made it a challenge to get a decent photo of this little grump. He was convinced we were all going swimming in this river. Allison did an amazing job at sneaking up on him and even got some great pictures of him smiling...just not when we was supposed to. Everytime she tried to get us all together for a posed family shot he covered his eyes and cried. I love this shot though!

These were the cooperative kids. :)

Just the girls.

Our attempt at a Christmas Eve family picture

After many attempts at getting a family photo this is all we have to offer. Three people behind the camera trying to figure out this new digital thing and three un cooperative kids in front of the camera just confirmed that having a decent family picture might be an unattainable goal. At least I have everyone in one picture now. Needs some cropping but since I am borrowing a computer it will have to wait. I even have my boys in matching shirts. I'm still not sure if thats really dorky or cute. but I found both their sizes so I thought it would be fun to dress them up for the Christmas eve service. We had the privaledge of going to a large church (the one my husbands family goes to) for a beautiful Christmas eve service. The music was wonderful complete with a small orchestra. The kids really enjoyed it. Roman , my budding (wanna be) musician loved the violins. The funny part was some of the teens came out and played a song on glasses full of water. There was about 4 of them all playing in unison. It was great. Roman was amazed and asked "Could we do that at Grandmas house?!" I replied he'd better ask Grandma.