Medrano Packing Weekend

I have been preparing a shipment to be sent to the charitable organization I have been working with, MAYAN FAMILIES in Guatemala. Items have been collected at my kid's dentist office and from various friends and families. People from the group I belong to, Mayan Families Connection which supports the works of Mayan Families have also contributed to this shipment as well as many of the members of the Guatemalan Adoption Forum I belong to.



This past weekend, three amazing women who I am proud to call my friends, joined me, my mother and my sister in sorting, inventorying and packing all the items. The house was filled with kids and lots of smiles and laughter! It was a wonderful day and we got a lot accomplished.

This shipment is coordinated through the Mayan Families Connection Group which gets a very sizeable discount from the shipping company. People then donate money to the shipping fund so we can afford to send the items to Guatemala.

Unfortunately, at this time, we are still short on the shipping. If you would like to make a donation, you can paypal money to: RLK913@aol.com. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the size of the box we are shipping. 8 were packed over the weekend and a 9th is getting ready to go. The kids are standing on a 2 step ladder in front of two of the boxes we packed stacked on top of each other:

My Bubie

On Sunday, March 9, our family lost our matriarch, my Bubie Ruby. Below is an exerpt from the eulogy I wrote and read at her service.

"...Over the past few days, many people have called and written to express their condolences. Many have shared stories about Bubie, how special she was and how she touched their lives. These thoughts and stories mean so much to me, and I am saving them to share with my children someday in hopes that they will remember their Bubie Ruby..."

"...The other day at the hospital, Bubie's Grandchildren, those of us who could be there, gathered at her bedside. We recounted old stories, sang songs she sang to us as children that we now sing to our children. We reminisced about old times and our favorite memories of Bubie. We even traded recipes and talked about her cooking - after all, it was Bubie's dinners that brought our family and friends together..."

"...I am sad today because I miss Bubie and mourn her loss, but I am even more sad for my children who didn't have all the wonderful years with her that I did. My kids loved their Bubie Rub-ee, as they called her, very much. They loved to take her out to eat or to talk to her on the phone to tell her their new jokes or sing songs or just to share their accomplishments with her. I am so sad for my kids who will grow up without her, but I also feel blessed that we had her for all these wonderful years..."

Visiting with Family

We typically refer to Sunday as FAMILY DAY - we try to do things as a family on that day, but this entire weekend was FAMILY DAY! We were able to see and spend time with Bubie Ruby and cousins Hannah and Marlee on Saturday and then on Sunday, we spent time with the Shooman Family and saw all our Bassin cousins and Aunts and Uncles.

The kids had a great time with all their cousins and enjoyed playing with all the new toys. They cried when it was time to leave, but slept very well both Saturday and Sunday nights! Here are a few pictures from our great weekend.

Great Visit with Bubie and PopPop

On Valetines Day, we traveled to Tucson, AZ to visit my parents who are there for the winter. The kids were great on the flight and so excited when we finally arrived and they got to see their Bubie and PopPop!
Unfortunately, on our first day in Tucson, the weather was bad. It was rainy and cold and we even got some snow! Mom and Dad's friends teasingly told us to go home and take the bad weather with us. Here is a pictures of a palm tree in the wind with the cloud covered mountain in the background covered by snow.Since the weather was bad, we took the kids to an indoor pizza place/amusement park. It was like Chuck E. Cheese. The kids loved playing games and riding the merry-go-round.

Here they are with their stash from the tickets they collected - Nathan got two pencils with soccer and basketballs on them and a truck and Sela, no surprise picked beads - a necklace and bracelet.
Even though the weather was bad, the kids enjoyed the time with their grandparents. I think they smiled the whole weekend!

They even slept well, for a while at least! :)

It was so great to see Oreo. I just wish we had had more time to walk and run with her outside! She is such a sweet little girl and travels so well.
The next day, we took the kids to the Children's Museum. It didn't have much, but the kids loved it. Here is Sela playing on the interactive computer game.
The kids were able to climb into a firetruck and onto a police motorcycle, even the big kids!

The weather got warmer and more pleasant as our stay continued and we were able to visit the Sonora Desert Museum the following day. What an amazing place! It is an outdoor museum with lots to see and do. The path through the desert extends several miles long.
We brought a picnic lunch and here are Nathan and his PopPop in their matching shirts.

Mom and Dad stay in the "dog section" of the RV park and while there, the kids loved to watch all the different dogs pass by. They were even lucky enough to meet quite a few!
On our last day in Tucson, we visited the zoo - what a WONDERFUL zoo! The exhibits were terrific and there were lots of animals to see.

At the end of the day, the kids took a train ride with their grandparents - in the blue car.
The trip was terrific, but it is so nice to be home. I missed my Onyx and Mishu while we were away, but now the kids miss Bubie and PopPop. The next few weeks until they are home will be long ones! But, back to Maryland, and our routine, and more snow and ice!

A visit from Laura

We haven't seen Laura in a while, but this weekend she came to visit with us. The kids had a great time with her.

They worked on projects together, played games, did puzzles, watched a movie and even played dress up:

March for the Animals

Dear Family and Friends:

Nathan, Sela, Onyx, Mishu and I will be walking in the March for the Animals on April 20. This is our 6th year participating in the walk.

Would you please consider making a gift to support the Maryland SPCA? As a local, private non-profit shelter, the Maryland SPCA receives no government funding or money from national animal welfare organizations.

On behalf of the more than 3,000 lost and homeless animals that are placed into homes by the Maryland SPCA each year, I thank you, and more importantly, Onyx and Mishu thank you!

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Maryland SPCA.

Rena

Onyx and Mishu were both rescue dogs - and Onyx is from the MD SPCA where she was named "RUNT"

I survived the kids first sleepover party!

The kids had a wonderful time with their friends at the house Saturday night, and I survived an evening with 4 energetic kids!
On Sunday, we went to a superbowl party at Aunt Sherry and Uncle Saul's house. The kids picked out their own clothing. Nathan didn't want to take a bath and informed me that he didn't need to because he didn't stink anymore. When I inquired why, I learned that he had sprayed himself with bathroom spray. He wasn't too happy when I made him shower anyway. Sela has a mirror in one hand and she wasn't too happy with me after I made her take off the bridal veil, long white gloves and about 50 necklaces and bracelets.