Cove Adoptive Families Hits the Ice!! (thankfully not literally!)

The group joined at Galactic Ice in Altoona to enjoy some skating together. Then we headed to CiCi's Pizza for some lunch. A great time was had by all. Thank you to everyone for coming out. See you all soon!!!

Zach and dad Stephen take the first lap!


Now mom Brenda gets a turn on the ice.


The Binduga boys (Bret & Josh) ruled the ice!!



Lainie and dad Brad take a break from the ice.


We all managed to stay upright!


Griffin wanted to race Sierra! He's pretty silly.


This was about all Araya could take of the ice. Maybe next time!

Kylee Grabill Blood Drive

Kylee Grabill, 20, (in the purple) was diagnosed in fall 2008 with anaplastic large
cell lymphoma. As a very important part of her treatment at West
Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, she has been receiving transfusions of
red blood cells and platelets.

A graduate of Central High School and Pruonto's Hair Design Institute,
Kylee has been working at Holiday Hair. She and her fiancé,
Zack Sowel, are planning their May wedding. Kylee is the daughter
of Tonia and Steve, and the sister of Jalynne and Steve. Her
father, Steve, is well-known in the community for his quality work at
Steve Grabill & Son Construction Company. Tonia is the Proud owner and works at Caterpillar Clubhouse Day Care. The family are very active members of
Faith Assembly of God Church in Roaring Spring. This special
blood drive is being held at the Church Youth Center in town.
Kylee’s friends and family encourage the community to donate
blood in her honor, in support of her journey back to health and to
replenish the blood supply from which Kylee, and other patients
like her, are using.

Central Blood Bank is the not-for-profit organization that supplies
the blood and blood products to more than 40 hospitals in western
Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and eastern Ohio.

Kylee Grabill
Replenishment Blood Drive
Monday, February 16, 2009
1:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Faith Assembly of
God Youth Center
To schedule your lifesaving
appointment, please log on to www.centralbloodbank.org
and enter sponsor code
ZRTN0462 or George Hollenbeck
at 412-209-7100 or
ghollenbeck@itxm.org

Hair

I'm starting to get pretty brave with Araya's hair. I'm not real good with hair anyway and hers is a little challenging. Last weekend we combed it out and did some braids. I am good with the products she needs and with caring for her hair but I'm not real great at styling so I was pretty proud of this "do"!

The twins play Dress-Up

These are bribery shots for Griffin's Teenage days!!

Steeler's Fan

Check out this little Steeler Fan!!!!

Open Adoption

Paul and I have an OPEN ADOPTION. Our contact is through our agencies social workers but it is open. So with that being said, I was thinking tonight about Araya’s birthmother. We haven’t heard from her in a little more than a year now. She was very faithful about contacting our agency for photos or updates, which I was more than glad to share with her. I enjoyed updating her on how well Araya is doing and I enjoyed sharing with her the photos of her growing and bonding with her brothers. But, then it stopped. Just like that I heard no more from her. No letters, no calls, nothing. I feel sad inside for that. I pray for her and I pray that she is ok. All of her indications to us were that she enjoyed the photos and she planned on keeping in contact with us. She enjoyed seeing how well Araya was doing and it made her feel good to know Araya was healthy and getting the family she wanted her to have.

At first I tried very hard to understand those feelings she shared. I remember when I first started sending her pictures I was so nervous. I would look at the photos and I almost felt like I was bragging. What I mean by that was I felt bad. I felt guilty sending her these pictures of my beautiful happy daughter. I was sending her holiday, birthday, trick or treating, football games, etc. All these wonderful family photos of us and I would send them to her and there she was alone. So yes, I felt very guilty and I felt like I was shoving my happiness in her face but then she sent us a letter. She sent us a letter explaining how wonderful it was for her to see Araya happy. To see her getting all of the love and the things she knew she could not provide for her. She wanted us to know how important it was to her that we know that seeing those pictures actually gave her peace. I remember thinking if I were her and I saw those pictures of that beautiful little girl I would want her to be with me. I would want to be taking her trick or treating. I would want to be opening birthday presents with her. But then I realized that was how I felt not how her birthmother felt and those feelings were there because I can provide those things. Those feelings were there because Araya is my daughter and I could not imagine a moment without her in my life.

I learned from Araya’s birthmother when she explained how seeing Araya happy and adjusted with her family made her feel happy. She needed to know that Araya was healthy and that her decision was the right one for Araya. I learned that the guilt and anxiety I felt was not needed. There was no reason to feel guilt over becoming a family. After all that is what we are and that is what she wanted for Araya. So those guilty feelings were lifted from me. I never again doubted what I sent. I suppose for me, her letter completed a chapter in our families adoption story. We made her a photo album last Christmas with many captions and photos from the year. But that photo album was the last time we heard from her. Since then there has been nothing. I contacted the agency not too long ago to see if they had heard anything but they hadn’t. So all I can do is hope she is well. Perhaps she received the closer she needed. Perhaps we will hear from her again perhaps we won’t. Whatever her path I just hope she is well.

Happy New Year

It's hard to believe that another year has passed us by. As I look back over my year I am overwhelmed to have so many blessings. I have my wonderful family, many loving friends, a rewarding job, and my health. I just want to give thanks to God and all my friends and family for being a part of my year. I am looking forward to 2009 and starting new friendships with the adoptive families I have met. I hope that we can learn from one another and share our stories of adoption and parenthood with each other. I have much to learn and much to share and I look forward to doing it with other adoptive families and their children.