2010 Gilca Family Yearly Newsletter

Dear Family & Friends,

We hope this finds all of you in good health and spirits! 2010 turned out to be a year of ups and downs. Then again, isn’t every year? Unfortunately, you have to start somewhere so I guess I will start by saying that my mother passed away on September 9^th. We had her funeral that weekend in Ucon, Idaho. Todd and Nathan built her casket with the help of everyone else who was around that weekend. It turned out really nice. She is in a much better place now as she had late stage Alzheimer’s. Todd, Terrah and I all went a month earlier to visit her in her new residence. It was nice, family-type nursing home. It was a house that was converted to a home for those with dementia. It was as if for one fraction of a second she knew who we were and then as quickly as it came, it left, and her recollection was gone. She was having a pretty good day and gave us all hugs when we left.

On to better news! I got a new job and started June 1^st. I work for HCA (Hospital Corporation of America) in the Mountain Division office (MountainStar Healthcare – “not bigger, just better” J). The mountain division includes nine hospitals; six along the Wasatch front, two in Idaho and one in Alaska. I am the data specialist and keep busy by running reports involving patient satisfaction and physician referrals. It’s a great job! I really love it. The people are great and the pay increase was a nice plus as well. The building is very nice, with covered parking, and it’s a 6 minute commute. I couldn’t ask for much more.

Things are also great at the dojo (karate studio). Marius teaches regular classes on Monday – Thursday nights and then a competition team most Fridays. It seems like at least one weekend a month on average he is either out of town for karate or has a seminar to attend. So, he keeps busy with everything. During the day he stays home with our boys which is great for them. Among other things, he takes them to the park at least once a week and regularly around the neighborhood for walks so they get plenty of outdoor time.

In May, before I started my new job, we were able to take a 9 day vacation. We went to San Diego and then up to Anaheim. It was such a great vacation! We went to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Disneyland and California Adventure. The San Diego Zoo was incredible! I think we spent almost 9 hours there. We were there from the time it opened till it closed. Nicolae loved seeing all the animals we were reading about in his books. Disneyland was also a blast! Nicolae cried on most of the rides, but he actually did enjoy them. Elijah didn’t cry on any rides. However, he held on REALLY tight on the drop in Pirates of the Caribbean. I think his favorite ride was It’s a Small World. Nicolae told us as we were packing up to head home that his favorite was the roller coaster in Toon Town. That was definitely a surprise! We plan to go back February 2012, right before Elijah turns three, when his admission will still be free!

Nicolae turned 3 in August. He started Preschool the day before his birthday and has enjoyed it since day one! It’s amazing to see how much he’s learned and retained in such a short amount of time! He knew all of his letters going into Preschool but now knows all of the sounds. He is counting past 10 and also knows all his colors. That’s a lot for only going twice a week for about 2 ½ hours a class! He loves to play and run downstairs. He plays good with Elijah for the most part but still loves to antagonize him. I guess that’s what big brothers/sisters do, right Terrah? J

Elijah will turn 2 in March. He is a great kid but cannot sit still! Since he started walking in July he is always on the go. As soon as he finishes his food, he wants down immediately. At least he eats good, right? In October we gave him Nicolae’s toddler bed and got a twin bed for Nicolae. It was a bit of an adjustment for him because now he could get out of bed whenever he wanted! With lots of patience and the “Super Nanny technique”, he now stays in his bed when we put him down to sleep. Stickers were also a good motivator. Now we are working on the thumb sucking. He is extremely smart and great with language. He can watch you say a word and usually nails it. It’s amazing some of the things he starts saying out of the blue. However, some things he is stuck on even though he knows he can say it correctly. Nicolae is “Nee-Ga-Ga” and Mickey Mouse is “Me-Ga-Ga”.

We'd love to hear from each of you and hope you keep in touch! Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year!

With Love, Marius, Rebecca, Nicolae and Elijah