a shout out to costa rica

many of you know that i am full spanish, and that is because i was adopted from costa rica. i was placed in my mother's arms when i was 2 days old. she had to stay in costa rica for about 3 months to close the adoption. i was brought home at christmas time and was holly and adam's christmas present that year.
although i wondered for years about where i came from, there was no way of contact but my parents would share all there memories of my birth parents. my dad would always share with me about my grandma and how so was so tiny and wonderfully kind. my mom would share stories of what an incrediable brave birth mom alba was and how she gave my parents one of the greatest gifts...me. as i grew up i would day dream about my birth family and hoped they were doing the same. in my youth i would even write them letters and i really believed they could hear my heart. ever since i can remember my parents promised me they would take me back to costa rica after high school, and sure enough they kept their promise. it was about six years ago that i returned, and to my surprise it wasn't that difficult to find my birth family. it is one of my most prized memories. that in the rain, under an umbrella that my parents held, i embraced my birth mom for the first time. and later that evening my birth mom alba lead me down the street to the home of my birth father mario. it was amazing to hear about their life and to know that they to felt like a huge part of their heart had been returned.
we had a big celebration and i met my half-brother and half-sister and neices and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins, employers & friends. it was behind all that i'd ever dreamt!
i returned home and life has gotten away from me and i've had no contact since that week. i have thought about my birth family all the time. wishing that i could share more of my prized memories such as in falling in love to the man of my dreams and marrying him and my very favorite having the honor of becoming a mother to such a strong spirited daughter!
okay now a small break in my story. many of you know that my brother adam and his family have made the long trip out to milwakee, wis. to finish his residency for dermotology. my parents went along for the ride and i agreed to stay at their home and watch the three younger kids. which hasn't been to difficult cause faith and mystery are at girls camp and holly took jonathan for the second part of the week.
okay back to my story, today i was rather bored, just playing on the computer talking to holly on the phone, when the other line rang in so i told holly i'd call her back. this is how my call went.
janie:hello
lady caller:is merry taintor there?
janie:she's not available right now, can i take a message?
lady caller:well i'm calling for a friend named alba, from costa rica.
janie: umm(speechless)
lady caller:hello?
janie:i'm sorry, alba is my birth mom
lady caller:oh my gosh, is this janie?
janie:yes
lady caller:i'm an interpretor and alba has been trying to find your information for years and she is standing right here and wants to talk to you. and i will interpret.
janie:(crying)..okay
we carried on a conversation for about 30 mins. or so, telling each other all the inportant details..like that she has a granddaughter! and that i'm a aunt again!(from my half-brother)..and just how much we have missed each other and she shared that she thinks about me everyday. (now i asked about my birth dad, because he was in bad health when we went down there six years ago) she told me that she sees him everyday when she goes to work and that after we get off the phone that she will go give him a hug and kiss and tell him he's a grandfather.
then the interpretor and i exchanged information, #'s, e-mails and such and she asked if i could send a picture of my husband and daughter to her e-mail right now so that she could show alba. i asked if they had internet and she said yes, so i told her that i have a blog (i have to thank my sister holly for bothering me so long to get a blog started, cause see what came of it!) and so the interpretor said she was going to show her right now...and then there was a lot of crying. then the interpretor said she had to go but that alba has been working on something and want to say goodbye. alba gets on the phone and in english says "janie, i love you so much and think of you everyday, goodbye my daughter."
it was unbelievable! she has been learning english! it made my day to think that she's had the will at her age she to learn english so she could tell me that she loves me! it made my heart fill with so much joy!
next week I'm signing up for night school to take a spanish class!..i mean there has got to be a balance...and come on I'm full spanish and can't speak it, that's a little embarrasing :)
anyway, my family in costa rica this is a shout out to you...
TE QUIERO!!

now here are a few pictures of my family from when we went to costa rica




and this is for my birth family. my memories that i wasn't able to share with you till now.

Park City

May 31,2008 - June 7, 2008
i'm very behind with my blogging in regards to our family trip to my parents time share in park city. it was such a great vacation, but we were sad to see it end, especially because it was our last vacation with the taintors before they leave us for 3 long years.
the week was full of exciting activities which mostly consisted of swimming, but we also enjoyed activies like: the hokey pokey, dance dance revolution tournament, jumbo jenga, ping pong tournament, hiking, guitar hero tournament, tie dying shirts, art classes provided by my mom, eating out, and board games. the week was full of laughter and good memories!!



holly caught these cute videos of elizabeth. the first one is with william (benjamin's son). the second video clip is my very favorite!

Taintors we will miss you!

June 21, 2008
many of you know that adam and danielle are making the move with the kids to milkawee, Wisconsin for the next 3 years for adam to finish his residency for dermotology.
we packed up their moving truck and cleaned there home and all went out to dinner to say our goodbyes.
i acutally almost didn't make it to the dinner, cause i felt emotionally exstausted. i had been crying a couple hours before and i was a mess. i was home with a rag over my swollen face from crying, when holly showed up and physically picked me up out of bed!(i'm not kidding, she's tough!) i just hate saying goodbye, especially to people that i so dearly care about! adam couldn't have been a better big brother to me over the years! he is such a wonderful example to me and is always telling me all the things that i'm capable of when i doubt myself. plus, he is so funny and is always making me laugh! then there is danielle, but i have always called her danielleee. we actually haven't always been that close, but she was become someone that i truly aspire to be like. she is so caring, and talented and NEVER asks for anything! she is so strong in the gospel and radiates that to everyone around her! then the kids, kennedy, seth and caleb! i will miss watching them grow! they all have such sweet spirits! i'm so excited for their journey though and i already can't wait for them to come home for a visit! i love you guys!!

Caleb and Ellie

June 15, 2008
i was able to babysit my handsome nephew caleb, he is one of the closest in age to elizabeth. it makes me so sad to think that when he gets back from wisconnsin they will both be 4 years old! elizabeth and him had a lot of fun playing together. we will miss the taintors so much when they leave!!

Happy Father's Day

June 15, 2008
it was my first week as the primary chorister and i had the opportunity to lead the children in sacrament while they sang a couple songs to their fathers. it was so nice, and it reminded me when i sang to my dad and how much he really means to me. my dad has always been there for me and i have always felt like he is one of my closest friends. i have always felt like i could accomplish anything from his words of encouragement. dad you are my hero and i love you so much!

i also have to brag about what a wonderful father ryan is to elizabeth. he works so hard and is also going to school, but he always makes time to spend with elizabeth. and of course she just adores her daddy!

I'm so tired..but I'm Hungry..but I'm tired

ryan was feeding elizabeth lunch before church and what came of it was a very funny video.

Tug-a-War

June 9, 2008
elizabeth can entertain herself very well, but one of her favorite ways to do that is to play with sugar. she will run after sugar and then sugar will run after her and elizabeth thinks it's so funny when sugar jumps up on her and licks her face. they have a lot of fun together that's for sure.

Primary Here I Come

June 8, 2008
today i was set apart for a calling that i have accepted as the primary chorister. yes that's right...the primary chorister i was suprised when they exstended the calling. i thought...umm well i don't read music, i don't understand beat patterns, and i can't really carry a tune, but the savior knows where i'll learn the most and i guess that's why once again i'm in a primary calling :)
i have to say i was a little nervous when today they just told me to stick to 3/4 or 4/4, it was like..haha okay. but luckly the substitute showed up and said i could just observe for the day. fathers day is next week so i do get to participate in my first program. i know that heavenly father will guide me to teach the incrediable children in the ward, and although i am a little overwhelmed i'm so excited to learn all i can from the children. and if anyone has any tips or advice i'd love to hear them!

There Is A First Time For Everything

June 1, 2008
danielle has many talents as a wife, and she was willing to teach me one of them. she is a great teacher, and i'm sure it will take me much practice to get it down just right, but i have given ryan his first hair cut by me. the good news is that the hair cut was good enough that ryan didn't complain, he actually was quite pleased with it.

Little Buddies

May 24, 2008
while my parents were gone over the memorial day weekend i also took care of the cutest little puppy named hersey. who totally fell in love with elizabeth and brighton.
mary has been meaning to take there pictures together for so long and they turned out so cute!

Flour Anyone?

May 24, 2008
when i was younger my dad always used to play this flour game with us and i remember it was so much fun, we always laughed and had a good time together. my parents went to california for the memorial day weekend and we stayed at their home and watched my younger siblings and we made sure that every minute count. we invited our best friends landon and mary and their sweet baby girl brighton over and we played the flour game. i couldn't remember the rules or how we used to play when i was younger, so we just made two mounds of flour and put a quarter on the top and whoever got the quarter first won. we had so much fun and it brought so many good memories back of when i was younger. then we also stayed up late playing jenga...yeah you heard me..jenga and we had a blast. i'm telling you it was so fun and you don't want to go up against faith or mystery cause they are little dare devils!

Gateway Fountain

May 17, 2008
we had a very eventful saturday afternoon. we went and saw my brother adam finish a bike race, which was like a 50 mile marathon. we also went and saw my aunt barb at a festival where she shows people how she makes wool rugs. my favorite part of the afternoon was going down to the gateway water fountain with my younger siblings and watching them have so much fun running around getting wet. my dad and i laughed about it a little cause they were the oldest kids there, they still had such a blast though!