Monday, December 31, 2012

Santa Barbara Zoo by Train

Our big New Year's Eve day event was a trip to the Santa Barbara Zoo! The three older kids and the three adult fathers rode the train. The remainder slept in a little longer, drove to the SB Zoo, and were home long before the train riders. Here are the only two pics I got as I left the charger and battery on the train (never to be seen again, most likely).

Matteo ALWAYS takes time to study the train materials.

It was an electronics kind of Christmas, and everyone was fully engaged with their electrons...

Friday, December 28, 2012

Children's Museum to Closing McKeon-Phillips

It was an interesting day... Great fun at the San Luis Obispo Children's Museum, fabulous lunch with Trevor and Jen at the new Far Western Tavern in Orcutt, and a strangely melancholy visit to McKeon-Phillips Winery upon the recent news of their closing for good this Monday.


Photos: http://JF2.com/121228/


The picture above is from Trevor and Jen's wedding rehearsal dinner held at McKeon-Phillips Winery in December of 2008. We bought that table today. Photos from that weekend: http://JF2.com/081205/

Thursday, December 27, 2012

God is Good

When we first heard about our boys we were told a bunch of medical jargen:  born at 25wk, 1lb, 12oz, stage 2 ROP, laser eye surgery, grade 2 bilateral brain bleeds, ventilators, chronic lung disease and the list went on.  That night I google every word.  I found words like blindness, cerebral palsy, learn disabilities, respiratory problems, sensory issues. 

We prayed, we talked with good friends, we moved forwarded.

At the hospital we sat with the doctors and nurses and held their tiny bodies hooked to all the alarms and tubes.  They told us then that we were not looking at babies who would be blind, sigh of relief, but they couldn't rule out cerebral palsy or learning and respiratory issue.  

We learned to care for them, how to feed them and bath them and still when we brought them home their overall health outcome was unknown.  With all Jonathan had been through, 3 months on a ventilator, lack of weight gain, brain bleeds and the fact that he was behind in his gestational age, cerebral palsy was brought up. 

So we started early intervention and gave him love and hugs, and slowly Jonathan began to meet his milestones but I was reserved in my excitement because statics said we shouldn't be so lucky.  But God is good and works in such amazing ways.

On Christmas day at 10.5 months (7 months adjusted) Jonathan beat all the odds and crawled

Never in my life have I been more happy to pull wrapping paper out of my babies mouth!

God is good.

God will heal.



Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Monday, December 24, 2012

Who Did This?!

You've seen the movie, "Elf", right! Well, have you ever had your very own Elf breakfast? Ya gotta give it a try!... Check out all the pics: http://JF2.com/121224/

Sam got the prize for the best Elf plate!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

It's in Her DNA

Papa Bill shared some pictures this evening with Serafina of he and Francie (dearly departed wife) doing theatre during their college days. Serafina comes by it legitimately! A few more photos from this evening: http://JF2.com/121222/

The Bar Line is Closed

Papa Bill (and all the rest of us, too) got too see our little starlet at the Melodrama last night! Her new job is to man the CLOSED sign at the end of the bar line. Papa Bill also got in on a little of the back stage action as the Melodrama does last minute preparations for a show. "5 minutes to places!"

 
 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

While Shepherds Watched...

Here are a few pics of the kids choirs singing at GraceSLO last Sunday. See if you can spot the two Regusci cherubs...


 



 

Monday, December 17, 2012

Remember Christmas = Forgiveness and Love

With all the chaos around, we want to make sure you fully understand this post will be about Love and Forgiveness.

Sadly, and tragically, last Friday a suicidal egomaniac killed innocent victims and rocked the foundations of our lives.  Even in the midst of this tragedy, our sensationalized media has utilized this event, and our fragile emotions, to discuss disgusting political issues and split our nation further apart.

We at the Compound are heartbroken and saddened that this event has not brought our nation closer together through love, charity, and forgiveness.

We Americans are amazing, charitable, spiritual people that love and care for neighbors, we may not even know, locally and all across the world.  We should not be known by these few unfortunate events that stream cross the media 24/7.  We should be known by the countless acts of love and charity that goes unnoticed every day.  Like giving food, blankets, shelter, and coats to the needy.  Toys, money, and love to good families struggling to make ends meet.  Countless children loved and cared for by foster and adoptive parents, and thankless gifts equaling over $6,000 to help a downsy baby, Yani, across the world be adopted by an amazing selfless family here in the States.

This is the America we love.  Merry Christmas and God Bless America

After many discussions at the compound about this horrific event, I wrote the following poem to highlight the compounds beliefs and what we will be focusing on this Christmas.
Remember Christmas = Forgiveness and Love 
Tragedy has struck
Our minute safe worlds are torn apart.
Is it bad luck?
Has the country, our people, lost their hearts?

So self-absorbed, so struck with fear, 
We forget the season of our Lord is near.
What do we do, where do we go?
Have we lost sight of the manger below?

This life changing event has caused us much grief,
And turned the most verbose around us mute;
Has rocked the core of our beliefs,
And provoked senseless political dispute.

Many philosophical questions are being asked,
Our intellectual and fragile minds are being racked.
The age old question - how can God exist?
With such death, hated, and evil in our midst.

When sensational brutal crimes are all we in the on TV
We miss the goodness, greatness, Godliness that surrounds.
Media bombards us with ugliness, not beautiful generosity, 
So we forget the vast majority of amazing people all around.

More guns! Less Guns! MORE! OR! LESS!
Don’t get wrapped up in this political mess.
For praise the Lord - A child is to be born
And he will help us constructively morn.

Please remove the rose colored glasses from your eyes,
And see your family, friends, and community clear.
We are Godly people, who will never die;
And cherish our life with no fear.

My family will pray for all victims of crimes,
And whose souls will miss the heavenly chimes.
My family will enter the season happily with love,
Praying, caroling, and celebrating our God above.

Remember it is Christmas and our Savior is alive,
Joyfully we realize Satan's war is lost, forever goodness has won.
Jesus spirit and words survive; though his body, crucified, will die,
Jesus cries out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they have done.”

Amen

Sunday, December 16, 2012

All Things Baby

 
Who doesn't love a good baby update!  (If you follow me on instagram or face book you have probably seen a lot of these picture.)
 
 
About a month ago I asked our PT if she thought the babies might be sitting by Christmas.  She wasn't convinced they we would be independently sitting and would not say yes or no......well....
 
 


There is Jonathan, in what looks like a sitting position.   Now I do have to clarify and little.  He is not exactly sitting, but rather strategically balanced in a sitting position and the picture taken moments before he face planted...but we are so close...so close.....

 


The boys are modeling their outfits that Noni and Nono bought them in China town.  Are they not absolutely adorable? The red on the coats are dragons.  Appropriate since they were born in the year of the dragon.    But my absolute favorite of the entire outfits:


 
 The ponytails.  OMG...does it get better then that?  I think not.



The other new active we discovered and L.O.V.E  is swinging.



When you have twins (or two infants relatively the same age) you can smash them both in the park's baby swing and they act as natural backrest/cushion.  And well Jonathan thought this rocked.  The child never stopped laughing. 

 
This is what David thought about swinging. 

 
 And lastly both the boys giggling.  Hilarious. My sensory seeking boys, loving the swing!

In other news the babies haven't been sick since before Thanksgiving yeah!!  They are now 10 months (6months adjusted age).  We still don't like to sleep through the night, boo.  Solid foods are a no go right now.  They pretty much hate it with a passion but will chew on an empty spoon for hours.  And finally...drum roll....David has 2 front teeth!!  That was all he wanted for Christmas...haha.


Lastly, since we are on the subject of All Things Baby, have you donated to Yana's adoption fund yet?  Did you spread the word for the awesome giveway?  And after my last blog Jeanette came up with a new giveway for bloggers, check it out.  Did you see the new news on Life RearrangedYana has a family.  A family stepped forward to adopt her.  So now is the time to bless this family with your donations because soon she will be home with them, being pushed in swings, and dressed up in pretty dresses.  There will be so many joyous moments for them and their will be the stress of doctor appointments and possibly surgeries.  You can help by donating, large or small, lowing their financial burden making their journey just a little less stressful.

Merry Christmas all!!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Advent Candles Lit Without Incident

The entire Regusci clan with AJ at the forefront lit the two Advent candles at Grace SLO church this morning without incident, reported the SLO Fire Department who were on high alert through the scheduled candle lighting time. The service was allowed to continue without further concern.

 
All the photos: http://JF2.com/121209/
 
 

Lynn and Jamie's Christmas Letter

OK, see we do one, too. You're under no obligation to read it, but there will be an oral exam when next we meet. Click here to get the 2-page PDF.

Touching Youtube Holiday Event

This video is so moving, impressive, and truly beautiful. May this bring holiday joy to everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDBSpuPhdE4

God Bless!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Make Christmas Count

My dear sweet friend Jeannett with a heart bigger then anyone can imagine has four kids and blog.  But not just any kids and not just any blog.  One child had heart issues and another child has CP and seizure disorder, all of which is a full time job in itself.  Her blog, Life Rearrange, she uses to do good, lots of good.  To help others in need, to encourage all of us to help even if it is just a little, and all to the glory of God, another full-time job.  She is amazing, and I don't know how she manages to get it all done.  
 
So why a I mention it here? Well she is a talented writer, hilarious and real but mainly because every year at Christmas time she holds a fundraiser for one very special little child. 
 
 A little guy in another country. 
 
 A little guy with Downs Syndrome. 
 
A little guy who will be spending the holidays not in his/her moms arms but in an orphanage.  Alone in their crib, who's cries will go unheard.  This year it's Yana: 

 
 
life rearranged
 

Is she not the cutest thing in world.  The money raised goes into her adoption fund, so that when a family steps up to adopt her their cost will be that much lower.   This means a lot.  This could mean the difference between a family saying yes to Yana or no. 

Adoption is expensive and adopting a child with special needs is just that much more expensive.

We know.  When we said yes to our boys we needed to have $13,000 to our adoption agency with-in months, in all honesty they needed the money right then and there but were willing to work with us.  We wiped out savings, we sold a car and through the generous adoption fund at our Church manage to get the money.

But with a special needs child the financial drain doesn't end there.  Insurance premiums went through the roof, the sheer amount of doctor visits and co-pay after co-pay has nickled and dimed there way to a whole lot.  Oh and a helicopter ride and 3 day stay in the PICU,  yeah financial drain.  We don't know what the future holds for our boys.   Right now it looks like the worst is behind us and we won't be looking at an huge medical expenses but they are still young and the odds are stacked against them so we will see.  This is the truth with any special needs..you don't know.

So I write this as an adopted parent of special needs children, please this Christmas think about donating to Yana's account.  She needs it and her forever family needs it.  They will be eternally grateful for it. 

We are all called to care for the orphan. That can be adoption or it can be helping and supporting those who do adopt.

Will you help support this Christmas? 

If anything please click over to Life Rearranged and read Jeannett's words about Yana and her fundraiser.  And if that is not enough Jeannett is also doing a.m.a.z.i.n.g giveaway

Make Christmas Count this year. 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Always a Handful Here

A handful of pure, unadulterated, yummy goodness, that is. Here's the image for Nana and Papa's Christmas card...

 
Sometimes nutty, always sweet...
 
L-R: Sam, David, Hannah, AJ (orange), William (yellow), Serafina, Jonathan, Matteo.
 
Here's our Christmas Letter.