RE; Who's Counting to dinner? It's 8 days until we met Kai the Wonderful, Kai the maniicant!



Alaska  here we come!!!

Only 9 days and the Kovisito Family will be flying over the world towards a\alaska, to spend the Christmas Holiday with they Alaska Family,  What a wonderul blessinf and opportunity tio meet Kai and share his personality and great spirit,  He has such a contaious smile and such a warm and invitin hug.  Our family goal is to keep kai in the arms of one of his family members, so we can get our snuggle quota.  And of course, shopping must be done to show off this most perfect grandson. 
Be ready for some great family nights and movies of the kids and their musical concerts and family plays,  Such talent and love in each productuion.  Also Jyri, Pat and Kyle will ne making, BBQ, and grilling dinners, so you can jump right in with them and enjoy cooking, and us girls will enjoy eating!!  Hurry Soon!! Be Safe, Say a prayer, stay close toether, and keep track of Kai, that most precious cargo!

Christmas Time in Alaska

Kai's First Christmas 2010

We are so excited this Christmas holiday.  Kai, Kate, and Jyri are coming from Finland to Alaska for the holiday.  With so much to do, trimming the tree, decorating the house, cleaning and baking of cookies and goodies, every night is filled with activity.  This year, as traditional, Kyle will be spending a few weeks in California with Nana, Aunt Hope, Aunt Donna, Aunt Melissa, and of course, Uncle Ricky.  Nana has a list of projects for Kyle and a list of activities and fun places to go.  One of the activites is to attend a professional football game, so needless to say, Kyle is excited to spend some time with Uncle Rick.  And I'm pretty sure Nana will make sure that he is well fed.  But as usual, Kyle will return home to Alaska to be with his mom and dad and sisters for Christmas.  The tempature is dropping and we recieved 4 inches of snow, thank heaven for my snow removal equipment, (Kyle and Trisaha) who cleared the driveway and stairs.  Erin and Kyle are coming to the end of this school semester and testing.  It has been a crueling week but they both have done exceptionally well with their tests.  Well, just wanted to share this most beautiful picture of such a happy baby.  Hopefully will have more pictures to share after the holidays. Isn't this what's Christmas is all about!

Kai took a train trip

Well here is just another opportuity for the world to see our beautiful grandchild Kai.  He seems to be as happy as a clam all snuggled up in the arms of his uncles in Finland. 
He is becoming a world wide traveler and at such a young age.  He just takes everything in stride and seems to be welcoming of everyone whom he meets. 
He is growing so quickly and soon will be walking and getting into everything!
Papa and I can hardly wait to see him!

Halloween in Finland!

                                                   

Katie, Jyri, and Kai enriching Finland,
one holiday at a time! That's our kids!

It's Halloween time in Finland, thanks to our little social butterfly, Katie and her brave husband and his little side kick....RAMBO BABY!!


It's a good thing that his mommy has super powers and is able to restrain this little power ball from unleashing his cuteness upon the 
world. 

Kai is really in training as a Future Strippling Warrior!

My Neice is a little movie star...Bailee Michelle Johnson!

It is offical, I just learned that my sister's daughter, Bailee Michelle Johnson, 10 years of age, has the roll of the little sister of Aron Ralston. "The latest movie from Oscar Award winning director Danny Boyle is “127 Hours” and it premiered on the last night of the London Film Festival.“127 Hours” tells the true story of American adventurer Aron Ralston, played by James Franco. Ralstron goes out solo in the Utah wilderness and gets trapped with his arm under a boulder for you’ve guessed it 127 hours. He eventually has to resort to self-mutilation to free himself. Ralstron originally told his story in his book “Between a Rock and a Hard Place.”...this came from Ben Hedges NTD News London."
How proud are we of her.  She has the acting bug and is very talented and gifted. My sister shared with our mom that it's a shame Bailee will not be able to see the movie, because it's rated R.  My sister said Bailee is seen playing the piano with James Franco during the end of the movie.  It is scheduled to come out November 5, 2010 in the US.  Can hardly wait to go see it.  Way to go Bailee!  Do we see an Oacar in your future?  Time will tell.

It's a great day!

We are the proudest grandparents in the world!! Is this not the greatest smile, it warms our hearts. I realize that all grandparents feel the same way, but I can't help but be a little prideful. Kai looks just like his mommy and has the cutest little nose. Grandma and Grandpa finally mailed off goodies boxes and had so much fun shopping. Although Grandpa gladly paid for everything, and Grandma went crazy shopping, Grandpa did pick out Kai's snowsuit. Grandpa was so proud of himself, it was he that choose all our children's first snowsuits, so it was only right that he choose Kai's. We have been busy shopping for a crib when Katie, Jyri, and Kai come for Christmas. Poor Grandpa keeps shaking his head as we stop to look for a highchair, car seat, stroller, safety gate, bouncy chair , and ever so much more. Family is doing well, Trisha is teaching herself the flute and playing tuba in the Community Band, through UAA. Erin and Kyle are busting their bottoms to get A's on all their tests. We have not seen any snow as of yet, but some super winds that lasted 3 days, so strong, we thought we were back in Kansas! There is the cutest video on Katie's and Jyri's blog ...The Koivisto Perhe... the song is very cute, unfortunately we don't understand it but we almost have it memorized, the video is the best, and I watch it daily! It's fun to read the experiences Katie and Jyri are having as new parents. Grandpa and I find ourselves remembering and sharing with the very same experiences we had with our children when they were babies. Good memories and now new ones to make, how blessed are we.

I'm Still Alive

Well, it's been some time since my last documentation. It seems I worked myself into a big bunch of trouble. It started with a simple sinus infection and led to multiple doses of antibiotics and little rest and I ended up in the emergency room with a oxygen saturation of less than 88% on room air. My labs were all out of whack and it see,\ms i scared my family to death. If it had not been for all the prayers and phone calls,I may not have done as well as I am. I was in the hospital for about a week, and am still not back to work, but will be seeing the doctor next wk and see how things are going. For someone who never drinks, smokes, or does drugs, it seems that disease is no respecter of anyone. My poor lungs seemed to have been attacked and now it will just take time and rest. I am so thankful for my family, especially my husband. He stepped up so quickly, and took charge of my care. I'm not sure if I would still be here without him. It seems that while I was being rushed from department for tests, the hospital went on diversion status and all the ER patients were going to be transferred to other hospitals. As I returned to the ER department, I saw patients being wheeled out and I began to panic. Pat had contacted hospital administration and I was going to be admitted to the hospital, thank you Heavenly Father. I was assigned a private room and settled into bed and placed on 4 liters of oxygen and given wonderful drugs to help me breath. Pat stayed with me the entire time until i fell asleep. Pat and the kids were at the hospital everyday. My mom and sister and brother called every day and I was so excited to hear from Katie in Finland, I even got to hear my little nugget coo over the phone. It made my day and helped me to breath better.
As I said, I'm home now, and will be going back to see the doctor next Tuesday. This will be an exciting week as Trisha will be taking her driving test, so she can drive me to work and home. My sugars have gone sky high, and Trisha and Kyle are giving me insulin. This will be short termed though, my sugars will be coming down as my medication decreases.
My goal is to be healthy 100% because Katie, Jyri, and The Nugget (Kai) are going in December and I have so much shopping to prepare and buy baby furniture!

Summertime in Alaska

Or the lack of summer in Alaska. While I was trying to get a few more hours of sleep today, Pat and Kyle (Trisha was to go also, but remained in slumber land) Anyway, I digress, Pat and Kyle faced the early dawn to fight the mighty silver salmon. They arrived to one of our favorite spots, the tail race in Eklutna only to discover that the waters had risen 4 feet over the bank. And to make things even more frustrating, there were foolish fisherman standing up to their knees, shoulder to shoulder, trying to place their hooks into the river and not into each other. There where a few that did catch someones cap standing next to them. But after a few moments, it was clear to Pat and Kyle that no one was catching anything other than frustration from reeling in an empty hook. So they came home, rod in hand, head hung down, but the dreams and hopes of going out again, Saturday morning, same time, different spot. But this time, they will be taking mom with them, a truly gifted and optimistic fisher woman. Ever the hopeful with each cast made by dad, or Kyle, or Trisha, "This is the one, this cast will be the one you catch the biggest salmon. And dad and Kyle are going to make me some smoked salmon." I even go on to say,"Kyle when you go down to see Nana and Uncle Rick, you will take salmon with you. And make sure Uncle Rick gets the salmon, you know Nana and fresh fish. Remind her we share in this family"
So tomorrow, the Sullivan's of Alaska will arise early and adventure out and catch the mighty silver salmon...and yes we do share. But I get the first of the smoked salmon that dad and Kyle make!
As for our most beautiful grand baby in the world. Papa is going to print off some of the beautiful pictures Katie and Jyri sent to use via email and decorate my office wall! I can hardly wait to mail off the fun presents I have gathered. But they pale in his perfection. He looks just like his beautiful mommy and he looks just like his handsome daddy, and I see a bit of Sullivan and Heaton in him to! Perfection, pure perfection! I was looking at his picture I have as my screen savor and he has the cutest little freckles on his beautiful little nose! What a heart breaker he is. I can hardly wait to hold him and tell him all about his family in the USA. How blessed he is, just born and already a world traveler! That's our boy!

Our Little Finland Nugget

Is this not the most beautiful baby boy in the world. He has his mommy's perfect nose and his daddy's dreamy eyes and such a handsome little face. He weighted 6 pounds and 12 oz, this is a real keeper. A perfect mouth and adorable chin and chubba-wabb cheeks. According to traditions in Finland, the baby's name is introduced at the baptism, so we have sometime to wait. Strickly speaking, as the grandparents in the USA, we should not have to wait. But the baby is living in Finland with the mommy and daddy, so we will have to wait just like the rest of the world. No matter what they name him, he is wonderful, marvolous, the most beautiful baby in the world....our little nugget! We are blessed. Looking at some of the pictures Katie and Jyri posted, they may have to work two jobs just to feed him while he grows, he has such big hands and feet to grow into...but than he will be a real heart breaker and such a handsome missionary!Again, we are so blessed!

Still Waitig for baby pictures

I have shared with everyone I know about the newest member of the family. I am hoping that pictures come soon, and will share them with everyone who will hold still long enough to see them.

The Halibut of it

Left Sunday just before midnight on a wonderful mini vacation. Pat, Trisha, and I left for Homer to fight the mighty halibut and bring home food for the coming winter. Pat put sea sickness patches on Trisha and me when we stared the trip. Pat was able to get a few hours of sleep before the trip and Trisha and I slept the entire trip. When we arrived in Homer Pat showed us around the sleepy little hamlet, we saw the hospital that he worked at for two weeks as a travel nurse and the place he stayed at, a little B&B, and of course, the stinky car rental that gave him a car that smelled of dead fish. The owners of the car rental are a young couple who happen to be LDS and when they realized Pat was Mormon, apologized for giving him this car, but it was all they had. Pat told them not to worry, it reminded him that summer would be coming and fishing season would arrive.
We arrived to Captain Mike Charters, and where welcomed warmly: "Hello Pat wonderful to see you" called out Captain Mikes wife. Pat checked us in, while Trisha sat on the bench outside. The second part of our fishing buddies arrived, Rich, a respiratory therapist at Alaska Regional Hospital brought two of his friends, two nice gentleman from Canada. The weather was cloudy and the water was so smooth. Trisha and I sat together and cuddled and slept, while Pat spoke with Rich, the gentlemen from Canada, and of course, Captain Mike.
I caught the first fish, if you call it a fish, the fish was a skate, a ugly thing that is a member of the shark family. It was hugh and Captain Mike put it back in the ocean. Put the real start of the trip was Trisha and the hug halibut she worked so hard to land. The rest of the men just stood there wishing it was them. All dad could do was smile from ear to era saying thank you from the Canadians and Rich from the hospital when they kept saying, "Good job" to Trisha and "You have a wonderful daughter"
I got a little sea sick, but poor Pat actually did get sick, after I elbowed him in the stomach, by accident of course. I was trying to hold onto the fishing pool and accidentally hit poor Pat and almost knocked the air out and what little food was in his stomach.
Everyone got their limit and we came home with was over 100 pounds of filet's. We spent the night at the Best Western had a filling dinner, took a wonderful hot shower, watched a movie, and fell asleep about 7pm. We woke up at 730, nice complementary breakfast and hit the road. Poor Trisha got car sick on the way home, but we were able to rehydrate her and after a little sleep she felt better.
The next halibut trip is scheduled in August for Pat and Kyle, and Captain Mike has them in the book. We should hve lots of halibut to send down with Kyle when he goes to California in December 2010.

This is a great Weekend

I was working when I received a call from Pat who left me a message. "call me when you can" was the voice message. I called back as soon as I could to learn that Jyri had called and that Katie was in active labor and at the hospital. I so wanted to speak with her be had to wait. At about 11:30 pm Jyri called, "He's a boy! He is perfect and Katie is fine, tired but fine" He sounded so tired and I could only image how tired Katie was, but she was good and the baby was perfect, of course, so we spent a moment thanking Heavenly Father for this wonderful blessing and for watching over Katie and Jyri and our grandson.
Katie called about 2am and it was so wonderful to hear from her. Other than "It hurt so much" and "I'm so tired', she told us they had not picked a name yet, that he was over 6 pounds and had her nose and Jyri's eye's, and of course perfect and beautiful. Have not heard anymore, but this was wonderful news.
I called Nana, Aunt Donna, Uncle Ricky, Aunt Melissa, Aunt Michelle, Aunt Janet, Carla, Doug, ans everyone I could think of. Everyone sent their love and had so many questions. I shared all I knew and promised to contact them as soon as I knew anything else.
Katie and Jyri have a blog and Pat and I have been checking it, but no updates.

Newest Member of the Family

Received a call fro our son-in-law Jyri in Finland that Katie's water broke and they are on their way to the hospital. What a wonderful experience and time for time and all of us. July 15th was the 18th birthday of our youngest, she turned 18, and it was also the birthday for Jyri. Although the 15th was the due date for our most perfect grand child to enter the world, if this child is anything like her mommy, there will be no sharing of their birthday with anyone else. I am reminded the day Katie was due, her grandma arrived for the birth, and even with all the walking, grandma said "I think we will have to coax her out with a cookie, and not just any cookie a gourmet peanut butter one." They are in our prayers and I have called everyone in the family to share the news. Can't wait to see the beautiful and perfect grand-chid in the world.

Nursing can kill you

I have been working my bum off these past three months and am now suffering from a respiratory illness and have been made to stay home and 'get some rest.' It started with a sinus infection and a course of antibiotics and turned into an upper respiratory infection and another round of antibiotics, still not better, a third round of antibiotic's was issued. And finally a second visit to the Urgent Care a fourth dose of antibiotic's and a third visit back to the urgent Care, now on a breathing machine and continued with antibiotics and a second bout of predestine. My wonderful husband, 2 beautiful daughters, and an amazing son to bully me to stay in bed, take my breathing treatments every four hours and drink lots of fluid. I am blessed to have these wonderful people in my life. Pat and Kyle gave me a blessing on Sunday, and I knew this was what I needed, and it's working, I'm on the mend.

I have entered the electronic world!

I have just now entered the electronic world of the internet, not bad for an old gal. I wonder how the world will be in the next 5 or 10 years. If my children and grandchildren will be thankful for the changes and/or improvements.
Being that this is my first attempt at blogging and I am setting up this site, any suggesstions from anyone would be appreciated. I am just not sure if anyone would find this interesting.