Adopted Mommy

Since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of having a cute little daughter.  I couldn't wait to dress her up in frilly things and take her to dance classes.  When she was old enough, she did dance for a couple of years, starting with a Mommy and Me class through our local Parks and Recreation Department.  After a couple of years she decided she wanted to try gymnastics, which lasted a year.  At  the age of 7 she started playing soccer through our local recreational league.  She had a blast and a couple of seasons later she tried out for the competitive team and made it.  We had gone through 2 years of competitive soccer when at the beginning of this year (which would have been her 3rd competitive year) we had a major blow to the team which most of the girls played together for two years already.  Their coach was stepping down to spend more time with his family and there was going to only be one U13 team instead of 2 (like there had been the last...

Yesterday we got some great news!  My husband was offered a position with another company.  It was a huge load off his shoulders, as he felt he needed to make more money for our family.  I had a scheduled OB/GYN appointment out of town (I love my doctor, so I will travel 20 minutes to see him).  Since the appointment was so late in the day, I asked my husband if he wanted to go out to dinner after I was done so we could celebrate his new position.  He agreed and we loaded up the kids after he came home from work and headed to Tracy Kaiser.  They waited for me in the car.  As I finished up and went to get blood work done, he text me that he had to call AAA.  Apparently the battery was dead.  Ugh!  By the time I was done at the laboratory, I headed outside and saw a tow truck already there.  Our Suburban was being jumped but it would not work. This tow truck driver quickly decided it was the alternator and was calling for another to...

2015 is officially here!  I cannot believe how fast time is flying by each passing year.  2014 definitely had some highs and lows.  I try not to focus on the negative but I will admit I've had better years.  Thankfully my family is healthy so I certainly cannot complain. Our family highlight of the year was most certainly going to Disneyland.  The kids were incredibly excited from the moment we purchased our vacation months in advance.  We decided to go during my birthday, which made it a little extra special.  I was able to wear my "It's My Birthday" pin the entire trip and received many well wishes from the park staff.  But seeing the kids' eyes light up made our very first family vacation even more memorable.  I think waiting until they were old/tall enough to ride the majority of the rides (if they wanted to) and not having to worry about a stroller or nap times was a great decision for our family.  We were truly surprised how wel...

So our dear friends have season passes to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.  There are a few times during the year where they have free passes for guests.  The kids and I were invited to join in on the fun yesterday for the Holiday in the Park.  Both of the husbands worked so it was up to the mommies to take 4 kids about an hour and a half away from home.  I have to tell you my friend definitely knows how to make the trip inexpensive.  I drove, so I only had a to use gas money to get there and she had her season ticket parking pass.  The kids and I were free to get into the park.  They had refillable cups from previous visits so soda refills were only $1 and her hot cocoa refills were $2.  I paid for a new hot cocoa mug for $7 and with the wristband they gave me I had free refills all day.  It was perfect with the cold, windy weather and the kids and I just shared the mug of yummy cocoa to stay warm all day. Along with their season passes, our ...

So this year for Christmas Eve Brunch, we were invited to my brother and sister-in-law's house for an Ugly Christmas Sweater party.  Of course Jeff had to go with the totally inappropriate deer humping shirt he found on Amazon.  The kids made their own after a trip to JoAnn's.  They picked out the items they wanted to use and with my in app and paper coupons it only cost me $11 for the both of them-I was pretty proud of myself!  Both had a blast picking out how they wanted to design their shirts and did a great job making it to their specifications.  I had found for my work party a sweater and matching leggings at Kohl's that were totally tacky-I LOVED them!  Not sure if I'll need them for next year but at least I have it in my closet and don't have to worry about last minute shopping for a new sweater.  We seriously just had a blast picking out our shirts, it didn't matter who won or lost (no contest prize was given anyways, so it's all good!). ...

Yes, I know!  It's literally been 3 years since I've last blogged.  I've been a little busy working full time and working on my master's degree.  It's way too complicated to write at the moment, but most of you pretty much know what's going on.  Well, since I'm back, I thought I'd share something about the kids (as I usually do).  We just celebrated David's 3rd Adoption Day anniversary on Thursday.  It was interesting that as we reflected on this special occasion that Katarina this week brought up our family situation a few times this week.  It all started with "Mommy, you're the best Mommy I ever had!" when I said goodnight to her one evening.  She's known for a long time she didn't come from Mommy's tummy.  Katarina asked me when she was 3 years old why brother was blue eyed and she ended up being brown eyed.  Of course, I answered with, "God made you both that way."  Then, when she saw others with "bellie...

Wow! Has it really been that long since we've added to our blog? Well, here's some of the stuff that happened during October.... Of course the kids went trick-or-treating! Katarina was Tinkerbell (her choice) and David wore his dragon costume (Old Navy has the cutest costumes). Dina's brother and sister-in-law invited us all over to their house in Stockton. It was fun to be able to spend Baby Maddox's first Halloween with him (and David's first Halloween as a Graves). Justin showed us around the neighborhood and the kids had a wonderful time getting candy! David's pumpkin after being carved! :) Katarina's finished product. She drew the eyes, nose and mouth! So, of course, it's a little small. :) But, she had fun! It's even better when it's their own design! Sunday, October 25, we took the kids to Dell Oso farms to the Pumpkin Maze. Lathrop/Manteca is known for its' pumpkins. While we didn't stay too long, the kids had fu...

Well, Justin and Monica finally tied the knot! It was yesterday that a small group went to Tahoe to watch them exhcange vows at Harvey's wedding chapel. After the ceremony, we had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. It was a lot of fun! The drive wasn't the greatest (especially with 2 littles ones). But, Katarina and David were on their best behavior all day. Dina was asked to be the official photographer. She wanted to make sure she got exactly what they wanted. Over 200 pictures ended up being taken. Hopefully some of them will be what the new Mr. and Mrs. wanted. The guys (including little Maddox) wore Tuxedo t-shirts while the girls wore tank tops Monica had made. (Please see picture for phrase!) LOL! After the reception, Monica went back upstairs to their room and put on her Mrs. Rabara tank top! A very proud wife! :) Next year will be the big hoorah and Katarina will be the flower girl. She and David will walk little Maddox down the aisle in a wagon or fire truck. ...

Katarina has been talking about her birthday for months (LITERALLY)! Awhile back, she went through a party store catalog that Dina gets in the mail and saw the Hello Kitty set. That's when she told us she wanted Hello Kitty for her birthday theme. Fine. Done. Princess once again gets her way! LOL! This year, with money being VERY tight (as with most Americans), we decided only to invite a small group of people for cake. It was very simple and not much needed to be done, which was nice. Katarina, of course, was spoiled rotten as usual! She already has her Halloween costume (a Tinkerbell dress up outfit from her Nino & Aunt Monica). Her day care lady, Miss Angel, bought her a Hello Kitty bath towell and gold fish (which she LOVES). A balloon was waiting for her when Jeff dropped off the kids yesterday on her real birthday. Cupcakes were served at snack time with her friends. We think she had a very good birthday! :) Isn't this picture so adorable? She's g...

Well, it's official! David's adoption was finalized by a judge on Monday, August 18, 2008! We were very happy how quickly this all came about. It was certainly overwhelming, with both Dina and Jeff starting new jobs. But, it was joyous occassion we were happy to share with immediate family. David was just so cute in his little outfit walking around the courthouse! Katarina was extremely well behaved even though it wasn't her day. :) Jeff started his new job with a lumber company in Livermore as an operations manager. It is a bit overwhelming learning everything and with there being so much responsibility. His shift will be later in the day, so he has been taking the kids to daycare in the morning so Dina can get to work early and then Dina picks them up after school and takes care of dinner and bath time. So far, it's worked out as far as that goes, but that still doesn't leave much Mommy & Daddy time. Dina started up her school year with her new cla...

It's been a crazy summer and it's almost over! David is now walking and is into EVERYTHING!!! He doesn't listen very well! LOL! We are also proud to announce that his social worker turned in the paperwork for our petition for adoption and we should have a court date very soon. We look forward to the judge stating our son's name as DAVID ALLEN WILLIAM GRAVES!!! It will be a wonderful celebration! Dina has been working hard to get her classroom set up for the upcoming school year. She's very excited and nervous at the same time. Tomorrow will be her first day in teacher meetings and her new class of 5th graders will start on Wednesday. Time has flown by so quickly, but Dina thinks she's prepared to take on the challenge! The kids will start daycare, too, which will be good for their socialization. They have had a couple of playdates there to get them accustomed to the surroundings. Katarina told Jeff that she likes her new friends! David apparently h...

Baby Maddox is here!!! He was born on July 15, 2008 at 7:10 P.M. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 20 inches long! Big boy! Justin is a very proud daddy and Monica did a wonderful job. The meds they give these days do wonders apparently! LOL! It was a wonderful experience to be a part of. Dina was thankful Jeff had the day off so he could stay with Katarina and David at home while she was at the hospital. It was a long day for everyone, but the newest Rabara is doing great. He is a very chill little guy and it is interesting to observe Justin interact with his son. Maddox knew his daddy's voice and calmed down when Justin would speak to him. It was amazing! July 3rd Justin graduated from the Contra Costa Fire Academy and is now working in Clayton. It was a proud moment and Monica got to pin his badge after the ceremony. All that hard work (litterally blood, sweat and tears) finally paid off. It will take him a year to get off probation, but in the meantime ...

Well, so much has been going on lately! It's been really crazy and Dina hasn't had much time to do a lot of blogging, but here's the latest: On Saturday, June 28, Dina took the kids to meet up with her sorority sister/college roomate for lunch while her friend was up from Riverside. This was the first time all the kids were together. It was a short lunch, but great to see Grace and her hubby so happy with their son! The food at Elephant Bar was excellent too! Dina then drove to Stockton for her baby cousin's 3rd birthday! It was at the house where Dina grew up! Of course it was princess themed. They had a castle bouncehouse, which Katarina took to for the first time. The little kiddie pool was set up, too. David wasn't too sure about that, but it was a lot of fun. Brianna's big sister made the Ariel cake in the picture above! Cecy just finished culinary school not too long ago in San Francisco. After cake and presents, Dina drove with the kids back...

Ok, so it's been awhile, but we've been CRAZY BUSY! Jeff is now a car saleman at Stan Morri Ford in Tracy (go see him if you want a good deal!) and so his hours are long. Dina feels like a single mom and any family events have been without Jeff. But, here are a few things that have been going on.... Dina took Katarina in to have her hair trimmed and noticed someone with the cute bob cut. She decided once Jeff came home, she would cut her hair. Originally she planned to wait until it was long enough to donate, but with the wicked hot weather and starting back up teaching in Tracy Unified, a new look was called for. Plus, Dina turns 30 on Monday, so she felt like she needed to do something wild for it! Father's Day was hard with out Jeff. He worked (as ALL car saleman do) on Sunday, but Dina tried her best to fix breakfast for him before he had to go in. Dina then took the kids to Modesto to meet up with her dad, step mom and bro's (with their significant others)...

No, it's not for us again! LOL! Dina's brother and girlfriend are expecting a boy in July. A family baby shower was organized at the Stockton Ball Room yesterday. Good food and company made for a wonderful afternoon! Everyone enjoyed the kids and of course Katarina helped out with opening gifts for her future cousin! This little boy is going to be SPOILED!!!

we brought Katarina home! Two years ago today was her first official day home and the day we became parents. So many memories we've experienced with her, it's still hard to believe it's been two years. Our little princess has been a wonderful addition to our entire family. Looking through all her baby pictures amazes us how far she has come. It was a difficult transition for her to adjust to our home and "crazy" extended family. The all seemed like strangers to her and all anyone ever wanted to do was love her! Now, she has no problems talking to the Target cashier asking for a penny! LOL! Katarina Ann is definitely a keeper!

This is Dina's 3rd year celebrating Mother's Day! This was the first as a mommy of 2. Poor David hadn't been feeling well last week, but seemed to be better. But, as luck would have it, he had an episode (the details will be spared) just as we were ready to head out the door to Lodi for brunch with Dina's mom. So, Jeff stayed home with David while Dina took Katarina to celebrate Mother's Day with Grandma! Then we met up in Modesto later on that afternoon with Papa and Cita to wish Dina's step mom a Happy Mother's Day. Katarina was so well behaved, considering she woke up at 5:30 in the morning and only had a little catnap in the car on the way to Lodi! What a trooper! But, that meant an early bedtime tonight! Woo-hoo! :) Hope everyone else had an enjoyable day today!

Yesterday was our 7 year anniversary! It just amazing how fast time flies. So much has happened over the years. We used to always make it a point to celebrate by taking a trip. Kids definitely redirect priorities. But, that doesn't mean we don't take time to remember the day we exchanged vows. Saturday night we were able to enjoy dinner at Elephant Bar au deux! That was a lovely treat to have a decent dinner not having to worry about kids. For our actual anniversary dinner we cooked salmon and rice. Dina made chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert. After the kids were put to bed, we enjoyed those with some champagne. Yum-O! :)

Well, Katarina will be 3 years old in less than 6 months and fortunately we never went through the whole climbing out of the crib period with her. She slept in her crib this whole time. The other day, however, she did NOT want to nap. She was overtired and was just plain crabby. When Katarina was placed in her crib, she was upset and started trying to climb out. We could see this from the video baby monitor we still have in her room. Jeff and Dina both kept watch on the monitor and eventually she fell asleep without actually getting out of her crib. But, we decided it was time we take down her convertible crib and turn it into a toddler daybed this morning. She was so excited to get her "big girl" bed and she actually did quite well today at nap time. Mommy, of course, used this photo op for her scrapbook page!

Sunday was David's "official" birthday, so as a small family of four we celebrated again with the cupcakes I saved from the birthday party. This time David was much more into his cupcake! He didn't necessarily eat it, but he didn't mind running his fingers through the mess and clapping crumbs everywhere! Dina calls the pictures above his "devilish grin" because he knows Mommy gets to clean up the mess! He had his one year check up earlier this morning. He received three shots (and he is cranky today and won't nap well). He weighs 21 pounds and is 30 inches tall! They keep telling me at the doctor's office he is going to be a big boy when he's older. He seems to be doing well and pretty soon he'll start walking. David seems to do things at his own rate. It's very funny because now that he's on whole milk, he refuses to drink it cold since he's used to formula at room temperature. We were recommended to start it out a...