Our Journey of Love

Our Week at the Ranch

2012-01-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the ranch on Monday morning. From the moment I stepped out of the car, I felt loved. Let me back up - as we were driving down the quiet road to the ranch I was praising God for what He was doing in our lives. I prayed and thanked Him. The scenery was beautiful.

We began with an intake with Mr. James, our therapist. He was and still is absolutely fabulous. Nancy greeted us the moment we stepped out of the car. She even made us homemade truffles. (for parents only)

Here the kids are practicing strong sitting. We do this at home, but I learned a few things more about it. For example, in the photo below, Ruthie is actually not showing strength. She is moving her mouth around. You see strong sitting is sitting like is here. Straight back, body quiet, eyes straight forward, etc. The purpose? to help their brains shift from the back part of their head to the front. Ruthie is showing that her brain definitely hasn't shifted, yet. People with RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) function in a state of fear due to trauma, abuse, and neglect. The back part of the brain developed stronger than the front. People without this disorder function with the front part of their brain. Am I making any sense?Sooooooo, strong sitting helps them shift to the front part and with time, will help their brains develop. Other activities will do the same.

Later in the week, after many therapy sessions, we practiced trust falls.

Here is a Ruthie Sandwich. She loves it!!!

We also did trust walks. Here Ruthie is listening for Daddy's voice and then walking towards him.

Walking over stumps.

Joshua's turn - notice he is running.

This was crawling through the dragon's tummy. He was afraid, but with encouragement, he did it. He was so proud! And so were we!!

A trust fall up high at the end!

We made apple pies one night for everyone. This was an opportunity to work as a family. There was always a therapist nearby if behavior became an issue. It was a perfect way for Joel and I to practice our therapeutic parenting skills. Oh, and the pies were a hit with everyone.

If our kiddos did A plus work on their chores and being respectful they could ride Calypso. Who what of thought that a huge rocking horse would be such a hit!!!

This is Miss Karen, on the left, and Nancy Thomas. Karen was visiting from England and she works with many children there who have the same diagnosis. Nancy? I can't say enough good things about here. She is amazing. I praise God for her. She is loving, kind, patient, funny, purposeful, edifying, honest, firm, .... From the beginning, we kind of bantered back and forth about us living there and helping in someway on the ranch or helping other families. By the end of the week, we discussed it some. As we were leaving, Nancy said that she was confident that our paths would cross again. Joel and I are praying. We would love to work with her and her team.

Supper one night with everyone. There was one other family there doing the same things we were. It was amazing to watch the changes in their youngest. The fact that he is sitting at the table shows that Nancy's methods work. When this little guy first arrived, he wasn't even allowed out of the car without a therapist. In this photo, he is polite and respectful. He even ate by this time.

One of our last photos taken with Mr. James and Nancy.

Well, that is just a glimpse of what happened. Okay, that was pretty much some of the nice parts. The ugly and painful stuff has no photos. And yet there is a beauty about it as well. Knowing that my children, my husband, and myself were in good hands with years of experience, was healthy. We learned a lot about ourselves, each other, and our childrens past. I praise God for our time there. Can we go back?

Christmas Happenings

2012-01-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick update of our Christmas! Both kids were in the Nutcracker Ballet!

Ruthie as a rat! She really gets into character!

During the party scene, they had the opportunity to dance with each other. It was precious.

Joshua as a trumpeter!

In the near future, we are headed for a week of intensive therapy. We would appreciate your prayers.

I apologize that this is so short. I will try to write more at a later date. Blessings to you and your family.

Nancy

Yesterday and Today

2011-09-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

It started yesterday, more than usual. "It" as in behavior. I deal with behavioral issues all day, every day. It never lets up. There is quiet, calmness, and normalcy at bedtime. Then, however, I am usually so exhausted that I am toast.

There are some moments that are calm, but they are when I decide to put in a movie or let them have computer time. These are rare, of coarse, because according to the experts these activities aren't beneficial for a child who is trying to heal. Plus, it just isn't relational.

Okay, so Monday, Joshua had what I would call major behavioral issues. Yesterday and today, Ruthie has been having behavioral issues. I can't recall all of them because there have been so many. By yesterday afternoon, Joel and I had a decision to make - ballet or not? Should I take her or should she be home in bed resting? We have had to decide this many times and I definitely need to figure out what is the best thing to do. This is tough for many reasons:
1. she loves it
2. in order to truly learn the syllabus and take exams, she needs to be there
3. we committed
4. it is paid for the month

On the other hand, is it the best thing to take her when she can't follow my simple directions? or treat me with honesty and respect? In the end, I ended up taking her. She did fine in class. Not even a simple thank you was said before or after. The interesting thing is she knew she shouldn't have been there. Tough.

We arrived home and the same attitude/thinking prevailed. I left. (Thank you, God and Joel for the break) Joel then dealt with her. She ate, showered, and went to bed.

This morning it continued. She was shocked at my new resolve. I was tougher than ever and I am continuing to be. (for the moment) As I type this, Joshua is "resting" (due to behavior) and Ruthie is working on strong sitting. (due to more behavior) See what I mean? it doesn't stop - EVER.

So, what do I do? I pray. I also try to have soothing instrumental Christian music playing. I tell myself to breathe. I tell myself to talk less.

Good news is that next week, I am flying to Cheyenne!!! for a conference with Nancy Thomas. (She is one of the leading experts on this Reactive Attachment Disorder) Yes, I will get away for a couple of days, but the whole time will be focused on them. It will be nice and, hopefully, I can learn more on how to help our kiddos. I thank God for Joel's airline and hotel points. It makes this doable.

I guess that is it for now. Take care and God bless.

Nancy

Birthday Time!!!

2011-08-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Ruthie turned 10 and Joshua turned 7! I can't believe how much they are growing up. This year we decided to do something a little non-traditional for their birthdays. We let each of them choose a restaurant to eat at and they got to choose from the menu. Then about half way between their birthays we went to a place called Makutos Island. It is an indoor HUGE playscape with fast slides, climbing ladders, etc. They both also invited a friend to go with us. In the end, Joshua had to make a friend with someone there. Can you believe I invited 4 friends and for some reason or another no one could attend? That was a bummer. Good news, is that Joshua makes friends easily, so he had no problem.

For their birthday meals, Ruthie chose Benihana's. She says she loves the food and because they cook it right in front of you. Joshua chose PF Chang's because they have crispy green beans and there are horses by the entrance.
One reason we chose to celebrate like this is because we didn't want to focus on gifts. Joel and I purchased each of them a watch for their gift. (I insisted that the watches were analog, to reinforce telling time in school) They also received cards from grandparents and other family. Other than that those were the only gifts. It was good. You see we have read that it is better to give them experiences, rather than material things. It is true. They don't value whatever they have and they simply don't care about it much. Don't get me wrong there are a few items they wouldn't want to part with. ie. Snowy, Julie, and Katya. (2 stuffed animals and a doll) Overall, though, they don't care. This is remnants of their history and their mindset.

We are continuing therapy and I have met with a neuropsychologist for possible assessments. We are waiting to hear from his office in regards to our insurance.

Second adoption? It is still tabled as of now. I am not sure what is going to happen there.

Other news:
-Joshua has started ballet. Yep, you read that right. Teacher student ratio is 3:1. You can't beat that. Our purpose in putting him here, is for self-control, discipline, coordination, strength, accountability, ..... He can hardly wait to go back. He is also excited to dance with Ruthie. I think that is cute, don't you?
-I am using coupons when shopping. I must admit it is fun to watch the computer screen as it deducts money from the bill.
-we have switched to a different church. I will try and address this in a different post.

For now,
Nancy

Rejected

2011-07-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

The following is a post from another blog called Storing Up Treasures. This will give you a small glimpse into our lives. Much of what you are about to read is the same in our home. There are a few things that are different as well. I hope it helps you understand.

Nancy

Not too long ago I wrote about my issues with rejection.

Many of you said you could relate. And it got me thinking about parenting children with RAD and how hard it is for someone like me who already struggles with rejection. A child with Reactive Attachment Disorder spends an exuberant amount of time rejecting the people closest to them. Usually the Mom takes the brunt of it. I can tell you I have and continue to take the brunt of the rejection and behavioral issues from our children with RAD.

Two of our children with RAD actually believe that Daddy can do no wrong. They cling to him and love on him like he is God's gift to the world. And then all in the same moment shun me. They break my things. They steal from me. They are cold and unaffectionate towards me. And they spend a great deal of time manipulating me and triangulating my relationship with my husband.

To say that it feels like a slap in the face would be an understatement.

Professionals will tell you that you can't let the behaviors hurt you. That it isn't personal. And that you need to have tough skin when it comes to parenting RAD. All true. Definitely all true. But, it is much easier said then done. It is so very hard to not take their rejection personally. To not wonder what is wrong with you or why it is so hard for them to love you.

I will be the first to admit that I took it very personal for several years. In fact, it hurt me deeply. It is one thing to be rejected by a friend, or a peer, but to be rejected by your own child is a new level of pain that is truly indescribable. It is like nothing I have ever experienced before.

We all go into adoption with the highest of hopes. For me, I couldn't wait to just love on my kids. I was in love with the idea of adoption. I was in love with the photos hung on my fridge. I was in love with children I had never met. I talked about them constantly to anyone who would listen that year we prepared to bring them home. The excitement and anticipation was almost unbearable. I was on cloud nine and all I could think about was getting my babies home and loving on them.

Then reality hit.

No sooner than day one after court.

Rejection.

My daughter didn't want me to do her hair. She didn't want to cuddle in my arms. My son didn't want me to help get him dressed. He didn't want me to hold his hand. They broke the gifts I brought for them. They hugged perfect strangers and charmed the socks off of the other parents in our group. But, they barely wanted to acknowledge me.

The let down was almost debilitating.

This wasn't what I expected. Why didn't anyone tell me this is how they would be? In my mind I thought they would be so happy to have a Mama. Of course I knew there would be challenges. But, I had no idea that they would push me away like this. I had no idea that after such a long wait and so much work to get them home, that I would spend the next three years trying to earn their affection, trying to love children that didn't really want my love.

Interestingly enough, most of the adoptive Mamas I know suffer with rejection issues. Most of us were abandoned by one or both parents. Now, I realize that is a generalization, but from talking to so many adoptive Moms, I am starting to see a pattern. I am starting to see that those of us who were hurt as children desire to help hurting children. It's as if we want to make up for what we lost or couldn't have. I imagine this may seem like a recipe for disaster. The rejected trying to parent the rejected. Yikes.

Yes, it could be a disaster if we let it be.

This is why it is so important to separate the RAD from the child. In essence you have to separate the hurt from the behavior. It isn't easy. Trust me, I know. But, I know that in order to love my children, I had to not allow their rejection of me to hurt me. Why you ask? Why not be hurt? After all, these are my children who are outright pushing me away!

Well, because the natural reaction of someone who has been rejected and hurt is to reject and hurt.

Step parents know this better than anyone else. If you are trying to parent a child who has been hurt by their biological parent, you know that child is going to reject you. You know that child is going to fight you and push you away. How do I know? Well because I had a step Dad. And trust me, I spent most of my time rejecting him. I was too hurt by my Dad to let this guy move in and take his place.

Our adopted children feel the same way, except on a much deeper level.

The rejected reject.

If you have struggled with rejection in your life and now find yourself parenting a child that is rejecting you, your natural inclination is going to be to reject them right back. Your natural reaction is going to be to push them away. The last thing on earth you are going to feel like doing is pursuing their love.

And this is where a very bad, very destructive pattern occurs for parents parenting a child with RAD.

Not only is your child rejecting you, you are now rejecting your child.

I get it. I totally get it. I was there. I literally thought to myself, well they don't want anything to do with me, so why should I even bother trying. Why should I keep putting myself out there when they are going to just continually hurt me? It is easier for me if I just don't even bother. If I just go through the motions and never get close.

Have you been there?

Maybe you are there right now.

I want you to stop and think about the people in your life that rejected you. Perhaps it was your Mom or your Dad. Maybe it was a friend or a family member. Maybe it was your peers in school. All of us have been rejected by someone in our lives. Maybe it was even your spouse.

Now I want you to think about how things may have been different. What if a wonderful step parent came into your life and was able to help you heal? What if a new friend came along who was willing to stick with you and make you feel like you can trust again? What if after being abandoned by your spouse you met someone who loved you and was committed in ways your first spouse was not?

Of course at first you are going to push these people away. Of course initially you are going to question their motives. You will lack trust and you may even reject them at first before they can reject you. It may take years even for you to feel safe, for you to truly let your walls down with them. You may constantly feel insecure. And the tiniest thing may set you off. You may constantly live in fear. Because of my Daddy issues, my husband understands this more than most. I spent the first three years of our married life convinced he would leave me. I still am so insecure. I still get fearful. He has to reassure me often.

Our adopted children are in the same boat. But their feelings are magnified 1000x over. They live in this place of fear, mistrust, and rejection DAILY. And even if they had the most loving birth parents, the rejection they feel cannot be comprehended. It consumes them to the point that having a healthy relationship with anyone can seem impossible.

Then we swoop in. And we believe our love will save the day.

How very.... ummmm.... gallant of us.

More like naive.

If you expect your child to feel safe and to feel secure and to be able to love you fully, you better get your battle gear on. You better get your big girl undies on. Because this is going to be a full on battle. And believe it or not, our kids want us to fight for their love. They are so terrified of it, so engulfed in fear and pain, they will do just about anything to keep you from getting to their hearts. And if you want that.... if you truly want it with everything you have in you.....

You are going to have to fight for it.

It will be the fight of your life. You are going to get weary and at times you will wonder if you can even keep going. You will question if you will ever get there, if you will ever earn a place in their hearts. At times you may see glimpes of healing. It may seem like they are letting you in, and then just like that, the smallest thing will make them run like hell. It is truly a battle..... a battle for their hearts.

And it is not for the weak.

It took me having to take a long, hard look at my own heart, my own issues, to really be able to understand why my children are the way they are. There is a reason that those of us who were rejected are the ones who find ourselves parenting these children. I believe it is because God knew in the end we were going to be the ones who got them. We were the ones who were going to truly understand to our very core what they feel and how they hurt. For me, when I finally set aside my feelings and truly could see that their behavior was only a reaction to rejection, it changed how I parent them. It changed how I saw them, and it gave me the strength to fight for them.

God appointed you for this task. He knew that only you could do this. Believe that. Believe that nothing you are doing for your child is in vain. Believe that He allowed things in your life, so that one day, you would be the one to reach the hurting places of a very broken child's heart. Get ready for the battle. You can do this. YOU CAN DO THIS. If I can, so can you.

"Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

God will use you where you are weak. He chose YOU, the rejected, to love the rejected.

Yee! Haw! Saddle Up Your Horses!! It's a Vacation!!!

2011-07-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here are the kiddos and I at the Denver History Museum. Great view of the city in the background! and after being in the desert for so long it was wonderful to see all of the green. We had a blast at the museum! In science, we are finishing up studying the human body, so we took advantage of the science lab. The kids had fun making their own slides and checking out microscopes. We would have loved spending more time here, but I suppose the workers do want to go home. One of Ruthie and Joshua's favorite activities while on vacation was helping Grandpa. My folks live in an area where there are alot of trees. The pine trees are continually dropping pine needles and pine cones. The kids loved using rakes, shovels, and, especially the wheelbarrows in helping Grandpa.Lit'l Bit was one of the first to saddle up a horse. He didn't care for the cowboy hat much, but tolerated it just for the photo shoot. Cute, huh?You will notice in this photo, that they are now wearing glasses. Yep! They are ready for anything western. Joshua thinks he is the sheriff, notice the badge on his shirt.One of the things I was determined to do on this trip was take the kids to a cave. Well, the cave just so happened to have a zipline. I was pumped! I love ziplines! Sometimes I just feel the need for speed. My sister-in-law and I give it a thumbs up.Joshua and Joel had a screamin' good time. Ruthie and her cousin, Reata gasped and giggled all the way through the fun! Aside from all of those activities though, I asked both of them what they loved the most. They both said spending time together with all of our family and riding horses. You will notice that Grandpa is in control here. It was great for both of our kids to ride. They thought they had control, but I think they realized they didn't. Perfect. I may check into horse therapy for this very reason.This was a typical scene while we were there. The kids running around with excitement. I loved that they actually had the space to run and just be kids. It was great for all of us.

Ballet, Bunnies, and Bikes

2011-05-03T21:30:00.007-07:00

Recently, Ruthie completed her second Royal Academy of Dance exam. She worked hard and it is so good for her. We are now waiting for the results to come in. Miss Kelly praying for her students before they enter the exam room.

Rosie, Samantha, Corinne, and Ruthie in their character skirts after the exam.

While waiting for their turn in the exam room, the girls show us a little of what they learned.

Happy Easter! a little late, I know. However, here are a few photos from our Resurrection celebration!

Hey! where did this third bunny come from?

We aren't proponents of the Easter bunny, but we did color some Easter eggs. Besides coloring the edible ones we all participated in coloring some paper ones. I then hung them in the kitchen for all to enjoy! I have saved them, so maybe next year I will put them back up. Joel even colored one and it was fun for all of us!

We have been getting out with our bikes quite a bit this spring. This was a photo of all of us in the middle of one of our biking adventures. The kids are learning bike etiquette, safety rules, and having a blast! We are enjoying spending time together in this way. Besides it is so healthy for all of us! Yea!

On another note: we are are trudging ahead. Some days better than others. We finally received the paperwork and have dropped it in the mailbox for San Diego State. So, now we just wait to hear from them.

Second adoption? jury is still out on that one.

Trying to keep the faith,

Nancy

A HUGE Puzzle Piece Found

2011-03-23T20:27:00.008-07:00

I have been postponing this note for some time now. I have avoided it because for some reason to "announce" it was scary. However, I need the support .... and I have needed it for some time. I need your understanding. I need to know that I am not alone. I need your prayers. As you know I have been searching for answers for some time now. Well, a HUGE puzzle piece was discovered recently.

So, here it goes.

My children have been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder. There I said it - now let's hope I have the courage to actually publish this post.

Sooo... "What is Reactive Attachment Disorder or RAD?

RAD is a condition in which individuals have difficulty forming loving, lasting relationships. They often have a nearly complete lack of ability to be genuinely affectionate with others. They typically fail to develop a conscience and do not learn to trust. They do not allow people to be in control of them due to this trust issue. They can be surface compliant for weeks if there is no loving relationship involved. With strangers they can be extremely charming and appear loving. Some adults misinterpret this as the child trusting or caring for them. If they cannot trust and love their own family that loves them, they will not trust and love casual acquaintances!" This information is from Nancy Thomas' book, When Love Is Not Enough.

Here are some of the symptoms:

-superficially charming (phoniness)

-lack of eye contact

-extreme control problems

-chronic crazy lying

-no impulse controls

-learning lags and disorders

-lack of cause and effect thinking

-lack of conscience

-abnormal eating patterns

-persistent questions and chatter

-abnormal speech patterns

-triangulation of adults

-parents appear overcontrolling or angry

Having said that, as you know from a previous post, we are getting help. It is imperative for all of us. We don't just want to survive each other. We want to live. We want to live life! We are working on healing. We are continuing getting help and we will do whatever it takes. We will do our best.

May I encourage you to listen to Michael W. Smith's song Breathe that is listed in "Our Music"? I am lost without Him. I have been crying out and on some days several times in a day. I ask Him to equip me with what I need to help these little ones heal. I ask Him to heal them. I see their pain. I feel their pain. I live their pain. It is heart wrenching. It is exhausting.

Today, one of them became so angry that they screamed and screamed. They mentioned tearing down a wall in their anger and they punched a chair. It wasn't pretty.

The good news is that our attachment therapist has told us that they aren't severe. She has said that they are workable. This means that it is possible that they can heal. It won't be a sprint, but more like a marathon. There is hope.

In a future post, I will share more information with you about RAD, therapeutic parenting, and more.

So, there... I have said it. It is out in the open. I think I feel better. Wait a moment, do I? Jury is still out on that one. I am still sorting through my own emotions and coming to terms with this. Atleast I have an answer. I am 100% confident that the diagnosis is correct.

Nancy

A Few Answers

2011-02-14T20:27:00.005-07:00

Tonight I am left alone to my thoughts. Nice. I can actually think, that is if I want to. Usually, I am so exhausted mentally I don't want to. I just want to relax. Joel is out of town, the kids are on the way to sweet dreams (I hope), and the ferocious 5 pound canine is guarding me. Let me update you on our current status.

-I checked out fine via the doctor. Yea. I just need to complete one more exam. You know the one - where certain body parts are squished into shapes you don't think possible? and you wonder yourself how that can be?
-we are continuing to see an attachment therapist and are learning as much as we can about attachment and related issues. We had learned about this previous to coming home with R and J, but it is completely different to live with them in it. It is painful for everyone.
-this Saturday, we are going to visit an attachment support group.
-yesterday, a gal came and spent 2 hours with the kids, whom I hope, with time and training, can become part of our therapy team. She is young but eager to learn. I have ordered a training video on attachment that hopefully will help me train her. The main purpose of her coming is to give me some respite. You see a couple of weeks ago, we knew that was the end. An end of what we were doing that wasn't working. On Wednesday morning, I called the local school district and I was exploring options for enrollment. Well, with time and lots of talking with a wise friend, my dear husband, and God, we decided that homeschooling was still what we needed to do. So, then we began to explore other options. What could we do differently in the home? The main consideration is: how can I get a break when my dear husband travels so much? what would that look like? how often? financially? are there any services for adoptive families that could help us? etc. Well, Miss S came today and it was quite interesting, but that is for another post. Maybe.
-last Wednesday, the kids and I traveled to Tucson and spent the day with a specialist. Both kids were screened. You see we are wondering if some of their behavior is out of their control. Are they always choosing to misbehave? do they truly understand cause/effect? consequences to actions? I learned a lot! but I am not quite ready to share. It was a screening. However, I think we will investigate this option some more.
-this Sunday is Orphan Sunday at our church. I hope people really begin to grasp the concept of orphans. My prayer is that God will work in the hearts of believers and that He will reveal to them how they can help. I also am praying that they will then walk in obedience. Afterall, walking in obedience is true worship.

So, in summary, God is my Jehovah Jireh, my Provider. My giver of mercy and life. I praise Him for holding me in the palm of His hands. In my weakness, He gently holds me. He restores my soul. Thank you Lord.

Nancy

Orphan Sunday Video

2011-02-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

Seeking Answers

2011-01-31T15:08:00.005-07:00

Okay, I haven't been here in awhile because my life is exhausting. Usually I am an emotional mess, a train wreck of sorts. I look around and see these "perfect" birth families and it is nauseating. Why do I have to play these cards? Can I just fold? No, I can't. God has called me to this and it is my 24 hour 7 days a week mission field. I am drained and tired. I never seem to recover and here comes another blow. There are some days when it is one after another. It is painful and rarely ceases.

God, I am desperate for you! How can I parent these children day in and day out? And you want us to adopt again? How can this be?

****************************************************************
We are seeking answers ... I can no longer pretend. Gee, I never thought of myself as a "pretender". Anyway, life is tough, real tough. I don't mean the run of the mill, every day kind of tough. I mean real tough. You may not understand or even want to try and understand. That's okay, I am not asking you to understand. This writing is mainly for me. An outlet, a pouring out. I am tired of hearing, "Oh, my children do that too." Yea they may, but do they really? like mine? have your children been traumatized? neglected? abandoned? have they ever had to worry about a meal? have they ever really been hungry? have they ever had nothing? I seriously doubt it.

We have started to go to an attachment therapist. Last week, I went for the first time. I chatted about what goes on in our home, etc. At the end of the session, we discussed when to meet again and bring the children. She looked at her calendar for the next week....... I asked, "what do you have available for tomorrow?" I am so glad I did. This last week Joel came and this week we will go again. We have already started to read, research, and we are looking at what we need to do differently.

I will need to post more later when we have more information and when I am ready to share it.

As part of our seeking answers to what has been going on, I went to my doctor today. I am making sure I am doing okay. I talked with my doctor extensively and she conducted all of the normal wellness check-up procedures. Now, I wait for the results of what we discussed and the routine items.

So for now I am practicing breathing and working at relaxing.

Love, Nancy

Winter Wonderland Christmas

2011-01-02T17:40:00.003-07:00

This Christmas we headed North. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and took our time traveling to and fro. Our kiddos had the privilege of sledding for the first time and had a blast. A couple of years ago they got to experience tubing, but sledding is a little different. ie. you have to get yourself to the top of the hill I love that part, it wore them out, which means good sleeping. Hmmm ... maybe it was the cool winter air, instead. On any account, it was great!

Time with cousins is always precious. Decorating Christmas cookies is finger lickin' good.

Joel's side of the family has a long standing tradition called "petites". This year I had the pleasure of learning how to make them. My dear mother-in-law taught me. Petites are a rolled sweet dough that also has walnuts, sugar, butter, and raisins in them. Can you say yum?

Christmas Eve was memorable with Grandma Kiki and Papa Lew! We met other family members at the service and then went over to Uncle Chris' house. Christmas Day was at Aunt Paula and Uncle Jan's. The kids had a good time and I loved playing cards with some family members. What precious memories!

On the way home, we planned to spend an extra night in Salt Lake. Due to weather, we stayed longer than what we desired, but we were together and safe. All is good on that front.

During the Christmas season, we also heard that we have been certified to adopt by the state of Arizona. Next step, is to complete the necessary documentation for Immigration. We will work on that this next week.

Nancy

Pelmeni, Anyone?

2010-12-05T20:11:00.010-07:00

Dressed in one of many kinds of Russian traditional clothing. This gal sewed clothing and then sold it. It was way too pricey for us. They were beautiful, though.

Ruthie and Joshua "riding" in a Ural Sidecar. Did you know there was a club just for this mode of transportation? I had no clue.

This photo is for my brother, Jason and my dad. I thought they would be interested in some weaponry from Imperial times. The man below is dressed in Imperial type clothing.

A few of the dancers that we watched throughout the day.

The video below is of an older gentlemen reciting poetry. I thought you might really like to hear the language.

Ruthie dancing!

Makin' Progress

2010-11-22T19:30:00.003-07:00

Yes, we are making adoption progress, even if it is slow. Our home study has been reviewed by our international agency and it meets their approval. So, today it was sent to the state of Arizona for certification. This should take a couple of weeks. Once this is completed, we will prepare our dossier for Russia.

Meanwhile, we are in the process of rearranging the house once again. Our homeschool space is needed for another bedroom. (we thought this would be best because there will be an age difference between our kiddos and for adjustment sake) So our "formal" living and dining rooms are becoming our school space.

This last weekend we went to the First Annual Arizona Russian Festival. I will post photos when I can squeeze it in.

Until then,
Nancy

Kind Man

2010-11-17T14:43:00.007-07:00

On Saturday, November 6th in Salt River, Arizona Joel was adopted into the Navajo Clan System. He was adopted by Johnny Hollister, one of his co-workers. Joel is now part of the Bitter Water People. Below you will see Joel amongst his clan during the opening ceremony. He was also given a Navajo name: Hosteen Jo' Baaht (pronounced Haassteen Joe-Bot) and it means "Kind Man". Here he is with his new brother, Johnny. Joel is humbled by this and we learned much during the Pow Wow itself. Johnny presented Joel with a bow guard and a turqoise and silver ring. Johnny explained that the bow guard is something that was given to him and it is now Joel's responsibility to care for it.

During the event, there was an inter-tribal time when anyone could dance around the circle. So, here is Joshua. However, he isn't dancing at all. This was the last song and we continually told him this is your time to be wild, jump, or whatever. Well, instead, of taking us up on the offer, he first needed to muster up some courage to join the circle. That took quite awhile. He stood with his hands in his pockets, which raised his pants enough that they looked like high water pants. He would scooch just an inch and then look back at us. It was hilarious! Finally, we acted like we weren't watching and then he joined the circle. Albeit just walking around. He never did jump or anything. Too funny!

Then there was Ruthie - she had the time of her life. On the way home she said she LOVED it. And now besides wanting to be a famous artist and wanting to be Amish, she wants to be Navajo.

Even the littlest of guys danced.

The dancers were from all over the country and not just Navajo. I am not sure what tribe these following dancers are from.

Congratulations to Joel. I mean Hasteen Jo' Baht. Thank you to Johnny Hollister and the Bitter Water People.

Family Fun Night!!!

2010-11-01T13:39:00.003-07:00

Can you believe it is already November? Amazing.

Lately, we have been studying Ancient Egypt. So, we decided to travel back in time at our recent Family Fun Night!! We kicked off the evening by making golden headbands and writing our names in hieroglyphics. Next, we tried out some Egyptian make-up. Yes - even the boys did it! Everyone wore makeup in Ancient Egypt.

Next, we ate dinner. I didn't have time to plan the menu around this theme so we ate the leftovers in the fridge. Well, the interesting thing about our meal is they didn't use utensils. So, we ate with our fingers. I thought it might get messy, but it didn't. Sensory wise, Ruthie was fine. Joshua and I were a little challenged. We don't like getting our hands messy.

After dinner, we watched Steve Martin's video "King Tut" and the music video by the Bangles, "Walk Like An Egyptian". This gave us the opportunity to discuss what a comedian does and to dance around a bit. During school we had also read some on archealogical digs and how King Tut's tomb was discovered. So, we decided to hide just a few pieces of candy and our little charges could "dig" for treasure. They squealed with delight with this one. They LOVE looking for things. It doesn't matter what it is either.

Following the big treasure hunt we brought it down a notch and turned them into mummies. They loved this and it was challenging for one to hold still. I am sure you can figure out which one that would be. No it wasn't Ruthie.

Finally, the evening ended with finishing up the sphinx we were building. It turned out well and they enjoyed this activity with Poppy. (aka Dad) Fun was had by all and I love that we reinforced what we have been learning in school. Chalk up one for Mom!!

On the adoption front:

-all of our references are complete. We had to ask someone else to complete our last one. The person who said they would do it, didn't. This is still puzzling to me when they agree they would. Sigh. The good news is that a GREAT friend stepped up to the plate and completed it in 2 days. We are so very grateful. Thank you, R!!

-we are now waiting for our homestudy to be completed. This should be done in about a week or so.

On the home front:

-talked with Dr. Ed Riley at San Diego State about issues with J and R

-last night talked with a nearby leading expert about issues as well

-I am processing all of the information mentally and may post on this further at a later date.

Nancy

You've Come A Long Way Baby!!

2010-10-28T13:47:00.003-07:00

Yesterday, Ruthie finished racing around the Language Arts Raceway! This means she completed 36 steps to learn how to read, write, and spell. It took her about a year and a half. I talked with a curriculum specialist this past summer about this curriculum and she said it actually covers first and second grade. So, if I take that into consideration, how long she has been home, learning a new language, overcoming some behavioral issues,...... It is quite remarkable. We are SO very proud of her accomplishment. We celebrated with a diet-root beer float (her request, as it is extremely rare they have any soda. In fact, I think this is the only kind of soda they have had.) It was yummy and special.

Before the floats arrived, our "principal", AKA Daddy, presented her with her certificate.

After all of the lip smacking ceded, we thought it would be appropriate to give her a few new books. Currently, she is enjoying the Berenstain Bears. I think this is fantastic because they also deal with character issues.

Nancy

Social Worker Visits

2010-10-25T19:55:00.004-07:00

Quick update:

This past Saturday we had our appointment with our social worker. For those of you who are not familiar with the adoption process, this is part of our home study. All went well and it was actually nice to visit with him. The appointment lasted about 45 minutes. He asked us questions, we answered. Then, just when he thought he was done - we asked our questions. It was a nice time.

So, now we are asking more questions and beginning to tackle paperwork. Later I will list what documents we will need. This first round isn't too bad.

Do you remember the gal last spring who sent her adoptive son back on a plane to Moscow by himself? Well, her actions have affected all adoptive families to Russia. The region that Ruthie and Joshua are from is not processing American adoptions because of her. Our hopes are to adopt from the same region, so Ruthie and Joshua could return with us and see where they were born. I would appreciate your prayers concerning this matter. Please pray that Russia and the USA can resolve this matter so adoptions would be processed. There are children who are waiting and who desperately need their adoptive families.

Thank you. Nancy

Latest Projects

2010-10-13T19:52:00.004-07:00

We built and started a compost bin. One of our efforts in going green. I am amazed how much "stuff" we put in it on a daily basis. Let's hope we get some rich soil from it for our garden.

I have been on a canning kick. These look a little precarious and frightening- yep, they sure do. I have never had a pickled egg before but we are going to try them.

My batch of apples, soon to be applesauce and apple butter.

My artsy shot. Gee, they are pretty.

My feet don't hurt here - so let's get started.

Joel helped me core them. Boy does he make it look easy. Thank you Joel for your brawn and willingness.

Starting to cook them down. Notice the cores and included and no peeling.

Now that they are all mushy, little by little I put them through the food mill. I then added some cinnamon. I chose not to add sugar, so this is really healthy.

Filling the jars is so satisfying. Then they are off for a waterbath.

This is just part of the applesauce. I turned the remaining applesauce into apple butter. Can you say - yum?

On the adoption front:

-praying regards to gender

-starting our dossier

-our homestudy is underway, our social worker comes on the 23rd for a visit

-trying to figure out how to reconfigure the house

-will be taking some required online adoption courses soon

Blessings to you and yours,

Nancy

Botany Presentations

2010-10-06T20:23:00.005-07:00

I thought you might enjoy a quick botany presentation. Ruthie was adorable and acted so formal. Joshua, for some reason, digressed a couple of years in the tone of his voice. However, they have learned much in science.

On the adoption front, we are working on our homestudy.

Oh, remember to scroll down and mute the music. Otherwise, you won't hear them.

Nancy

Soup du' Jour

2010-10-01T15:34:00.004-07:00

Not too long ago, Joel took us out for a nice dinner. It was a special occasion and Joel let our kids choose between a salad and soup for an appetizer, in addition to their meal. They eagerly chose soup. Joshua decided on the potato, while Ruthie chose the seafood gumbo. We didn't think anything of it. Now, I know you are probably thinking seafood gumbo is spicy - she won't care for it. When it arrived, I finally thought the same. Oh, well.

After a few minutes, Joel and I noticed that Ruthie was just sort of stirring her soup and not eating any. She hadn't even tasted it at this point. So, Joel asked her if something was wrong. She asked, "Where is the gum?" She really thought there would be gum in it. Hiliarious. We laughed, no, I mean we REALLY laughed. An out loud, people were beginning to look at us kind of laugh. (which we needed by the way) I am chuckling as I am writing this. You see Ruthie has a space maintainer in her mouth because the condition of her teeth when she first came home was absolutely horrible. The purpose of the maintainer is to allow her permanent teeth to come in where they are suppose to. Therefore, she can't have gum or anything sticky, etc. ie. caramel

She didn't care for the soup in the end, and I bet she will never order it again. We have told her over and over to ask us if she doesn't understand something. She chooses not to do that, so this was a great natural consequence. And, yes, she thought it was spicy.

The other interesting tidbit is she didn't think we would notice she had gum and we were sitting right next to her. Silly girl.

Here We Go Again!

2010-09-29T15:10:00.005-07:00

We have decided to adopt again! We have started the process, but we are in the very beginning stages. We are currently chasing papers and memories are flooding back from the first time we did this.

Some people have asked, "Why?" and then "What would you do that for?" It is quite simple really - obedience. Obedience to our Father. It is really clear in the Bible that we are to take care of the orphans. We believe this wholeheartedly. Having said that, not everyone is called to adopt and that is okay. We are. However, may I encourage you to care for orphans in some way?

We have actually known this for quite a while. Last Christmas Eve, we were attending services and that is when I knew we would someday be returning to Russia. I didn't say anything to Joel, however. I was somewhat intimidated by the whole process, Joel's response, and quite frankly I was overwhelmed. As time went on, I gingerly put out some feelers. We began to talk about it but nothing transpired. Then recently I woke up with an urgency I can only try to explain. Everything I thought of led back to Russia. I remember thinking; add peanut butter to the grocery list and this would lead to thoughts of; you took peanut butter to Russia. This happened over and over. The next day it was the same. During my time with the Lord, I opened up the Bible and then closed my eyes to pray. At the time I just flipped it open and didn't look to see where I was in the Scriptures. During my prayer, I asked Him to show me what I should read. Immediately, Isaiah 43 came to mind. (this is the same passage my good friend, Ryann directed me to prior to bringing J and R home) I opened my eyes and I kid you not that is exactly what I had turned to before I prayed.

Here is the passage:

Isaiah 43: 1-7

But now, this is what the Lord says-

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name;

you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

Cush and Seba in your stead.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you.

I will give men in exchange for you,

and people in exchange your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

I will bring your children from the east and

gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'

and to the south. 'Do not hold them back.

Bring my sons from afar

and my daughters from the ends of the earth-

Everyone who is called by my name,

Whom I created for my glory,

Whom I formed and made."

Later that day, I conveyed to Joel what had happened and he read the passage, too. I told him that I have a great urgency and now is the time. Not tomorrow but now.

On Sunday, we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner with dear friends. On the way home we were trying to figure out how to round up enough funds for our initial application. Later, that was provided as well. Joel went to the mailbox and pulled out a check we forgot was coming our way. It was enough to send in our application and get our homestudy started. So, we are now on a "Journey of Love" once again. We would greatly appreciate your prayers and support.

I will need to write more through this blog now, because this is such a great spot to document all of our happenings for us but also for the new member of our family. So, hang on because I am sure God has some interesting twists and turns for us. Now, where did I put that pile of paper work?

Signing off for now.
Nancy

Summer Happenings

2010-09-19T18:24:00.012-07:00

Well - what can I say? I am busy and don't seem to have the time to blog. I always say I am going to get better, but then I fail. Sigh.... Anyway, here is an update from our summer. Our dear children joined the local swim team. It was neat to see them improve. At the beginning of the season, Joshua couldn't swim the length of the pool. By the end he not only could swim the length, he earned a 1st place on a relay race. Needless to say, we celebrated with a hot fudge sundae after that one.
Here is Joshua getting ready for a race. Notice the little grin.

On your marks, get set, GO!!!!

Not too far down the lane this is what we would see. We could hear him gasp for air from the sidelines. Adorable.

Down again.........

And a little bit further ---- still smiling. :) His favorite swim strokes were all of them. (that is what he just told me)

Ruthie really worked hard. She learned what it means to be on a team, too. She really practiced her form.

Talking with her coach prior to a heat. Her favorite swim strokes were breast and free-style.

I absolutely love this next photo. Notice the suction marks on his forehead, the toothless grin, and her swim cap squishing her ear.

This photo was actually taken last year with their art teacher. We go to a local hobby store on Friday's for art class. It is very affordable and their teacher is a retired art teacher. It is a great fit and they love it. On Independence Day we spent time in the pool and had Uncle Brian and Aunt Colleen over. I thought the kids would love a watermelon eating contest. Yup! I was right!!! Enjoy the sticky faces.

Ruthie turned 9! I can hardly believe it. She lost her sunglasses when we were in CA, so she got a new pair for her birthday.

She expressed the desire to have a caterpillar cake for her birthday. It was yummy!

We asked her what she would like to do for her birthday, stipulating that we may or may not get to do it. She asked to pick up trash. I kid you not. She wanted to take care of God's creation and the community we live in.
Joshua finally turned 6! (after having 2 five year birthdays)

I had lots of fun creating his shark cake. He loved it and the shark was the last to be eaten.

Signing off for now. I will try and write more soon, but I am not making any promises I can't keep. Does anyone really read this anymore anyways?

Nancy

On A Serious Note

2010-07-12T11:17:00.004-07:00

In a previous post I mentioned that both of our kiddos were diagnosed with ADHD. Most of you probably know what those letters represent, however, for those who don't, it means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I like this representation better: Attention Different Hyperactivity Disorder. They are amazing and I read in one book that Walt Disney may have had the same issue. Apparently, he had a train that he could ride at his house and one day while riding, he crashed. Why did he crash? because his brain was thinking about the whole Disney theme park idea. Isn't that amazing?

Well, anyway, after receiving the diagnosis a friend of mine asked me if I agreed with it. At the time, I didn't hesitate and said, "yes". We decided to visit a naturopath doctor. I have never been and really didn't know what to expect. The doctor was pleasant and for the first time I felt like someone was listening to me. It was wonderful. We conducted a vitamin level test on Ruthie and a brain chemical test on both of them. I didn't even know you could do that - did you? The vitamin level test came back with three deficiences and we are trying to take care of them through vitamins. The brain chemical test revealed the levels of their neurotransmitters. Discussing these levels with the doctor was enlightening. By all indications, we thought, that, yes, this confirms the psychologists diagnosis of ADHD.

The naturopath got us set up with the appropriate supplements to lower their neurotransmitter levels. These supplements are outrageously expensive and we know we won't be able to administer these long term. We decided to give them a try, though, to see if they would help. This has all happened about a month ago. On Thursday, we have a follow-up and I have many questions to ask.

Here is what is interesting. The supplements seem to be helping Ruthie some, but not Joshua. There are so many unanswered questions: have the supplements truly helped her? or has her health improved due to the vitamins? are there food allergies involved that we aren't aware of? what about diet? are we really dealing with ADHD or is it post-traumatic stress? if the ADHD diagnosis is inaccurate and it is post-traumatic stress, what do you do with that? I guess the bottom line is we need to get the levels lowered. Most research is on increasing the levels, this makes this difficult.

While all of this has been going on, I have been trying to learn about food preservatives, additives, etc. and trying to cut those out of the menu. Between these issues, planning for our school year, getting ready for company, working through behavioral issues, traveling back and forth to swim team, etc. I have been busy.

I am looking forward to the follow-up and figuring out where to go from here. Meanwhile, I am taking Joshua off the supplements.

If anyone out there has any information in this area I would appreciate your input.

Nancy

Penny Divers

2010-06-21T20:53:00.006-07:00

Yes - it is true! and I have to admit I get real tired of it. Let me explain. Anytime and all of the time, if there is anything remotely interesting on the ground, under the cash register, etc. I and all around me will learn about it. Hmm - if they would just use those same skills in their schooling.

The other day we were headed to a local not-so-healthy place to eat. Before we left the house, I told both of them to go to the bathroom and wash their hands, thinking that we could then just walk in, order, and eat. (Gee, what was I thinking? Is that ever possible with these two?) After arriving, we were walking and, lo and behold, there was a copper penny that couldn't be resisted. I can't recall which one dived for it - but that foiled my "no bathroom" plan. I get that one taken care of and we ordered our food. Oh, yes, now I recall, it was Ruthie. Anyway, I kid you not, it was seconds later, after firmly scolding her, Joshua went diving. AAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! This was a couple of days ago and I have calmed down, but, boy, is it frustrating. So, now we have a new rule. They have to ask me before they go diving.

I will say they are very resourceful and helpful. They usually turn around and give me the money. They have such giving hearts. My other comment is: only in America would you find money laying around.

Okay, so we took a trip in May to Southern California and had a GRAND time. We are all still talking about it. We finally took them to Disneyland. So here they are in Toontown prison. What actors I have!

Ruthie is making a wish to be a real princess someday in Snow White's wishing well.

Joshua's wish was to be a real super-hero. Recently, he asked Joel if Bibleman and Superman know each other. These were my favorite characters. I loved Mary Poppins!!

One day, we went to the Flower Fields in Carlsbad. Joshua and I are in the middle of a sweet pea maze. Aren't we sweet?

My sweet beach baby, having a blast digging!

What is there to say about this one? She is beautiful, inside and out!

Yep - that is Joshua at his best! Being a boy and doing everything
with gusto.

Playing, with sand everywhere! She just had to look at everything upside down!

My dear husband, finally relaxing some.

This is his Baywatch photo!

My three little ones running together our last morning there. No one wanted to leave!

This was taken on Memorial Day at Saguaro National Park down in the Tucson area. They became Junior Rangers for the fourth time. We also had a picnic with no one around. It was too hot! for others. The good news is that it was quiet. Thank goodness we had ice.

Ruthie, as a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz ballet. This was really fun because we read the book in school and, of course, watched the movie. It was awesome when she blurted out at rehearsal that that isn't how the book goes. I adored her for that because I now know she really is listening to me as I read page after page.

I guess that is all for now. I hope this finds you healthy and seeking the Lord. I will try and post a more serious update soon.

Love,

Nancy

Gaining Perspective

2010-04-20T19:09:00.003-07:00

We have been attending the Perspectives class at our church. This class has opened our eyes to God's purpose in relation to all people groups. Each week we have had a different professor/teacher. We have gained a wealth of information and conviction. It will be interesting to see what God has for us in the near future.

Having said that, I need to share a heart warming story with you. I can't take any of the credit, it is God working in Joshua's heart. This last Saturday, we held a garage sale. Prior to the sale, Joel had discussed with the kids that they could sell any of the toys that they wished and that we would set them up with some ice water. The day of the sale, Joshua was eager to get started. Joel made him a sign and he began asking people if they would like to buy some water as they came. (Ahem, Ruthie wasn't allowed to participate, in the end, due to some behavioral choices) Anyhow, Joshua learned much that day. ie. how to greet people, that 2 quarters is a half dollar, how to make a quick little sales pitch, etc. It was adorable. One guy even tipped him a whole 50 cents!!! There were a few times he got bored, but overall he did fantastic! After reimbursing us for the cost of the water, I think he made $19. We then asked him what he was going to do with the money.

Now, I have to jump back to the Perspectives class. There is a gal in our class named Emily and in a couple of months she is headed to an undisclosed country in Northern Africa. Her job will be to homeschool several children of missionaries. She is part of this team and it is exciting to know her personally. We recently received a letter from her, as she is trying to raise support. I read this to Ruthie and Joshua when it came in. We plan to have her over for dinner, hear her story, and pray with her. You also need to know that Ruthie and Joshua, while we were attending our class, they have also been participating in a children's Perspectives class. They have been studying people groups and learning about the 10/40 window. It has been fun to talk with them about the good news, who the first missionaries were in the Bible, etc.

Okay, so when we asked him what he was going to do with the money, he said that he was going to give it to the poor. Then, it came time for our Perspectives class. He asked if he could give the money to Emily. Of course, we said that would be fine. So, as we arrived for our respective classes I pointed out Emily to him. Usually he is a bit timid, but he had absolutely no qualms going up and talking with her. I explained to him, prior, that he needed to explain to her what he was doing. He began to talk and then handed her the money. It was amazing to see and, at that point, I knew that God is working. I need to remind myself of this on those days when I think the contrary.

On another note, we recently have learned that we are dealing with ADHD. Joel and I don't want to run to our M.D. for a quick fix, so we are trying a couple of things. We are also considering a naturopath doctor. It seems that they would be able to determine if there is a lack of a certain vitamin, etc. If anyone, has any advice in this department I would appreciate it.
That reminds me I still need to order a few books on the subject. Any excellent recommendations?

God bless you,
Nancy

Oh, a few moments ago you would have heard squeals of delight at my home. Can you possible guess why? I don't ever remember being so excited as these two were when they got to wear their new pajamas. They even modeled them a bit for Daddy. Yep- there is some more perspective for all of us.

Today ....Two Years Ago!!!

2010-03-08T21:28:00.002-07:00

I remember it like it was yesterday. The exhaustion was unbelievable. When walking off the plane, I wept. Joel did, too. Our little ones were bewildered, scared, and overwhelmed. When we reached the concourse, I saw good friends and family. We were home. I so wanted to just lay down and kiss the ground. (I wander what stopped me?) Instead, I was embraced lovingly and I cried. We have photos of this and we all look disoriented. The kids looked terrified (and were) as all of these strangers wanted to meet them. After retrieving our luggage, we headed to the car. Our welcoming committee helped us to the car and we hit the road. By this time it is 11:30 pm or so and all we heard was some chattering in the backseat. Joel and I began to discuss how we were going to handle things when we pulled up to the house. We decided to walk them through the house room by room. If a room was off limits we would convey to them through Russian and mime that it wasn't for them. We showed them there was food as well. When we got to their rooms they would exclaim to one another about various things. To this day we have no idea what they were saying, however, we knew they were excited. I think they fell asleep by 2 am that night. I believe we slept in the hallway.

Now, life is very different. We are crazy blessed to be together and it will be interesting to see what God has in store for us as a family in the future. Speaking of future, Ruthie and Joshua talk about it all the time. Just the other day Joshua was telling Ruthie that when he gets bigger he is going to have a truck with a big trailer. He is going to load it with food from his house and take it to all of the childrens (Joshua's way of saying children) who don't have mommies and daddies. Ruthie countered with the notion of being a missionary. I piped in and said, "How about being a missionary that helps children find mommies and daddies? or mommies and daddies find the children?" Ruthie said with astonishment in her voice, "You can do that? How?" I said something like - when God wants us to do His work, we need to be obedient. He will provide a way and, yes, it is possible to help families come together. She then stated, as a result of memorizing scripture, that God will make our path straight. The Bible verse is: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6

On a lighter note, we recently celebrated Joel's birthday. I believe he had a nice day, even though we had to celebrate it a few days later. We all enjoyed some good barbecue at Famous Dave's and now the restaurant will be known as the "fancy restaurant with the garbage can lids". This is because you can order a family style meal and it is served in a garbabe can lid. I wish I had photos of their inquisitive expressions, as they studied the lid. Sigh. We ended up explaining to them that it was a new lid and that it was clean, etc. etc. Isn't the birthday boy, handsome?

Well, I guess that is it for now. I will attempt to post again soon.

Much love,
Nancy

Gods Heart: Adoption

2010-02-11T19:30:00.001-07:00

To watch this - scroll way down to where the other music plays and pause it. Otherwise, you will have two audios running at the same time. :)

Dealing With Behavior

2010-02-05T09:53:00.003-07:00

Yes - you got it! We are dealing with behavior. I would say this kind of behavior is extreme or so ingrained that it seems insurmountable to change. However, I know that God is in control.

Please don't misunderstand me. Our children are precious and amazing. They have been through SO much. As I am typing this I am looking at one of them and I am amazed at how well they are doing. However, there are the other moments when it doesn't seem like we are making any progress.

The above writing was actually written last week and I just never posted it. Since then things have improved. It seems like "it" comes in spurts. Last week was absolutely horrible. By Friday, I was like a washcloth that can't be wrung anymore. I felt beat up emotionally. As I am writing this, I feel differently. We had a GREAT day today! I am so thankful. Thank you Lord.

Christmas Joy!!!

2010-01-06T09:53:00.005-07:00

Can you believe it? I am actually posting a post within a reasonable time period. Whew!

So, here is Joshua at the Little Gym. He still giggles a lot and while he is learning, he is having a blast. In this picture, he is showing everyone that he is learning to hold himself up on the uneven bars. Oh, not too long ago, the instructor, at the end of a class was reviewing what everyone worked on. She then said that Joshua just would not bend when she asked him to do it. He was standing beside me, so I asked him to bend over. I quickly realized he didn't understand the word, "bend". So, I then explained to the new instructor what had happened.

We experienced the Nutcracker ballet several times during Christmas. Here Ruthie is a gingerbread cookie. She also played a toy soldier, an angel, a page, and a trumpeteer. She loves it and is doing quite well. Now she is studying for the Royal Academy of Dance exams. This will determine her skill level and whether or not she gets promoted to the next level.

During the Christmas break, Joel took me to the Moscow's version of the Nutcracker. It was amazing. I wish I could describe it. I will say I have never seen ballet like that before, I was even in tears once. It was so incredibly beautiful.

Decorating cupcakes for Jesus birte (Ruthie's way of saying the word "birthday")is an essential in our household. She takes it very seriously, as she should. One night they prayed that God would come down and eat one for his birte.

This tastes yummy!

Really, really yummy!

Papa reading the Christmas story on Christmas Eve.

I must tell you, dear reader, that this Christmas was much better than our first Christmas at home. Everyone knew what to expect and we actually enjoyed one another. Last year, was tough. It was their first time to decorate a tree, open gifts, sing to Jesus, and for all of us to be a family. I asked them if they remembered last year and Joshua said that his head was spinning lots. We have truly, bu God's grace, come a long way. We truly experienced Christmas joy!

Trying out the convertible skates to roller blades for the first time. We had a blast! By the second time out, at a rink, they were helping others.

Recent quotes and conversations that went somethink like this:

"Wow! Look at the sky! The light! God has opened up heaven for us."

Joshua was talking about jello and making it. Then he simply said that he was going to adopt a lot of "childrens". I asked, "What does that have to do with jello?" He stated with some consternation in his voice that when he will be all grown up, he will make jello for his "childrens".

Yesterday, at lunch, out of curiosity, I asked them if they would ever like to go back to Russia to visit. Joshua quickly said no, because they (the children) were mean to him. I assured him that he probably would not see them. Then, I asked Ruthie and she said, "Yes". I asked her why and she said because of the food. Then, I told Joshua, "Yea! you could eat lots of pelmini." He decided that would be good.

Well, that's it for now. Take care and God bless!

Nancy

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T19:24:00.002-07:00

It is very surreal knowing that we have another post-placement report due soon. Tomorrow, our social worker is coming to visit and start the report. It seems possible that we have been home this long, but to look over that time and see the growth is astounding.

It takes us both back to Astrakhan and all of the memories there, as well. The adoption process is amazing and if you know of anyone who is starting it, I want to encourage you to follow them through it. Join the ride, come along side of them and pray much.

I will try and post more later about Christmas and our visit.

Way Overdue!

2009-10-13T15:37:00.006-07:00

Oh, I am so sorry I have been a poor blogger. It just seems that time flys by. Our school day flys by and I am amazed how little I get accomplished. I always seem to plan way too many things in my head and then I feel doom and gloom. You would think I would adjust, but for some reason - I don't. I apologize and hope someone still checks this blog now and then.

Anyway, there are several photos from the last couple of months. Enjoy!

Joshua and Ruthie, out in the field, drawing wildflowers at Devil's Tower National Monument. I just love this photo. Nothing like learning out in the real world. And, this was on vacation.

This was taken in South Dakota. I love the tippy toes and pretending to look through the telescope. He thinks he is seeing all kinds of neat things. Ruthie, on the other hand, understood that it needed money.

When we were in South Dakota, in September, Joshua and Ruthie observed a round-up. For the city folks out there that means that, yes, the cowgirls and cowboys round up the cattle for market. It really does still happen. How do you think you get to enjoy that juicy hamburger or tasty steak?

Our darling little ones in front of Mt. Rushmore National Monument. Notice there Junior Ranger badges, they earned three of those this past summer.

Getting ready to ride the 1880 train in Hill City, SD. This was something I thought they would both enjoy and as we go along in our studies we can revisit the topic. Notice Joshua bent down checking everything out.

In our reading, we had just finished reading The Boxcar Children, so naturally we needed a photo in front of a boxcar.

Here we are feeding trout at fish hatchery. We spent a total of 50 cents on food. The rest of the time both children scavenged for fish food people had dropped on the ground. I was amazed at how much they found. They had a blast collecting and feeding the fish.

Okay, so this post is better than nothing. Next time, I will try to write more.

Until then, Nancy

Five Again!

2009-08-31T12:30:00.006-07:00

Last year at this time I was posting that Joshua turned five. Well, as many of you know now, he was really turning four at the time. However, we didn't know it. So, this year we celebrated his 5th birthday again. He chose a safari theme and he loves playing with the animals that I placed on his cake.
When we asked him what he would like for his birthday he said a policeman costume. So here he is apprehending his sister. She was really into the role of being a criminal. One day Joel didn't return the mail key where it was suppose to go and so I gave him the permission to arrest daddy. It was quite fun and we had a few good laughs over it.

In school, we just finished reading The Boxcar Children. As we were reading we began working on dioramas. Both children enjoyed this a lot. I am hoping it made things come alive for them.

When they were finished, I also had them do a short video presentation. I thought it would be good to make an oral presentation. (plus now I have a memory and it is on video) Yea!! You can't see it in the photo, but Ruthie even has a fish in her brook and it is swimming upright.

A recent conversation around our dinner table was about God coming and swimming with us. Joshua said that would be so cool and he could jump high. Ruthie said, "Swoosh!" Wouldn't it be great?

I guess that is it for now. I apologize that this is short and sweet.

May God richly bless you as you follow in obedience.

Nancy

Second Day of School

2009-08-11T14:14:00.002-07:00

We are in the middle of our second day of school and everything is going well. I know it is just the second day, but I sure am feeling calm about things. If you know me well, then you know that this is good for me. It's really good for me. And obviously it is good for little ones, too. As I am typing this, Joshua is napping and Ruthie is practicing some spelling.

On the left side you will see two photos - this is a glimpse of our classroom. In the above photo, you see Joshua's desk, his workboxes, and our wonderful bookshelf. You will also notice our Bible timeline on the wall.

In this photo, you can see Ruthie's desk, my desk, her workboxes, Lit'l Bit's tent on the floor, our maps, etc. I hope it gives you some ideas. As far as the workboxes go - so far so good. If you want to know more about them click on the following link: www.workboxsystem.com This was recommended to me last spring and we are now trying it. The idea is that each child has a set of 12 boxes. They are numbered 1 - 12 and your child works one box at a time and they must go in order. So, your child's work is spread out within the boxes. So far, they can hardly wait to see what is in each box as they work through their day. The pace is up to them and they can see what they need to do.

For read-alouds or subjects that we do together, I just tell them we are going to read now or do our Bible study. After completing that work, they simply go back to their workboxes. For one of mine, it is giving them some control which they are always trying to obtain. So far it is good, real good. I think it will be interesting when one finishes before the other when a lot of messing around was happening. Talk about natural consequences! I love those and I continually look for them.

I created a lesson plan sheet that I am refining. If you are interested, let me know and I will email you a copy.

For curriculum we are using:

Sonlight Core K (our read-alouds, History/Geography, Bible)
Math-U-See and Horizons Math (I alternate these - in the future, I am hoping to get rid of one of these)
Sing, Spell, Read, and Write (for language arts)
Bible Study pages through Rainbow Resource (for our actual Bible Study)
Sonlight K - more language arts for Ruthie
Rosetta Stone (let's learn the English language)
Other: Explode the Code books, Minute Math drills, Sight Word practice, Everyday Graces, etc.

We have decided to table science for awhile and really focus on language arts. Our goal is to get Ruthie reading more proficiently and then we will bring the science back. This doesn't mean we aren't doing any science, however. That just comes naturally in conversation or experiencing it. In fact, just this morning we had two big discussions on nutrition and health. One discussion was what would happen if a bear ate too many blueberries and the other was about visiting the doctor. Another goal is to work real hard on Ruthie's speech, so we can eliminate that from our schedule.

Finishing up for now,

Nancy

Family Adventures

2009-07-29T20:44:00.005-07:00

Howdy! from the wild, wild West! If you look at Joshua in the photo below you will understand why I am starting this post like this. Apparently, he picked up two imaginary six shooters between our home and the Grand Canyon.
Our next stop was .... (read below)

We got caught in some rain but we didn't mind a bit. We found it refreshing and just part of the adventure. At the National Parks we visited, we started our National Park family passport. It was fun to stamp the date in our books and add the parks special stamp. This will be something that will be fun to discuss and add more stamps as the years pass.

After spending the night with good friends in Bozeman, we headed to West Glacier. We didn't make it to the Tetons this time, it was just too much to squeeze in. Sigh ... maybe next time. Anyway, we had a short but very sweet visit with our friends.

When we arrived at West Glacier we were still doing great. The kiddos did great in the car. We have been busy reading, listening to music, doing our devotional, etc. I have a variety of activities for them to do and I switch the activities now and then. It has worked great!!

Our first fun activity was picking Flathead cherries at a U-pick. I packed old clothes but no one got messy at all. Now we are continually draining water and throwing ice into the cooler to preserve them.
On Friday night, we went to the Backroom Restaurant in Columbia Falls. It was delicious! Aunt Paula and Ruthie had a rib eating contest. Joshua joined in, too. Joshua had four on his plate and when he finished he thought that he had won. I thought the winner was the one who finished first. Can you believe that he is wearing white and didn't get any sauce on his shirt? I was amazed. As for Ruthie and Aunt Paula, they both ate six. Ruthie was stuffed afterwards and I think Paula was too. Aunt Paula, who was sitting across the room, told us afterwards that she would glance over at Ruthie while eating. Ruthie would smile at her and then keep on eating. It was fun!

The next day we hiked to Avalanche Lake and walked the loop of the cedars. By the time we were done we had walked/hiked 5 miles. It was beautiful! and quite adventurous. We saw a buck in the velvet, chipmunks, and a fresh bear track.

On our hike, we encountered a Park Ranger. We asked her all kinds of questions. We were working towards the Junior Ranger badge, so this was great! We asked questions like: what is your job? have you been here during a forest fire? have you seen any animals? like a bear?

One of our favorite places to go is the Lake Macdonald lodge in Glacier National Park. So.... here we are!

After a few moments here, we headed up the Going to the Sun Road. At one point, Joel said, to Ruthie, look at your window. Ruthie said, "Please, don't make me." If you have ever been on this road you know why she didn't want to look. It is extremely trepidating to be on a side of a mountain at a high elevation.

This is my sweet girl checking out St. Mary's Lake and looking at Wild Goose Island. What a beautiful place! Wouldn't you agree?

As we headed East, leaving the park we rounded a corner and stopped. There was another vehicle in front of us and it took a few moments to realize why we were stopping. Right on the road stood a black bear. It was amazing! Joel is saying, "Get the camera! Get the camera!" By the time I reached for it and got the lens cap off the bear galloped into the underbrush. It was great to see and amazing that our children experienced it with us.

We had a nice time with family at the reunion and in Great Falls, Joel's hometown. We spent a couple of nights at Joel's parents home and that was enjoyable. Our hopes are that Joshua and Ruthie will really remember this trip and meeting the rest of their extended family.

Two nights ago we were in Idaho Falls and we stayed with some good friends. We took the kids to the park and they played for awhile. After the children went to bed we visited late into the night. It was sweet.

As I am typing this, Joel is back at work and the kids and I are hanging out in a hotel room. For some of you, you may be thinking how is she doing it? Ahh - no problem. This is how our relationships started. This is a breeze, now. At one time it wasn't - ahum, like in Russia. Hey, we even speak the same language now. Anyway, we are enjoying this time before we finally head home. As we spend these last moments out of town, I am beginning to plan our schedule and our school year. So, we are in Arizona, but enjoying lingering moments of vacation.

I guess that is it for now. I think I am going to take the kids swimming. They will love it! Who knows maybe I will get in, as well.

Blessings to you and yours.

Nancy

In Salt Lake City

2009-07-20T21:20:00.002-07:00

Well, here we are - that is we are in Salt Lake City, Utah. We are on vacation and everyone seems to be having a great time. We are on our way to West Glacier and can hardly wait to visit Glacier National Park. You see Joel and I love National Parks. In fact so much so that since we left yesterday, we have visited two already. We have been to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and today we took in a little of Bryce National Park. (by the way, Robert U., you are right, the Ranch House in Page is really tasty. We ate there this morning.

We drove through several thunderstorms and it was beautiful. After living in the desert for so long it was magnificent. Granted the desert does have thunderstorms sometimes, but usually it is a monsoon. The thunderstorm I am talking about is different. I guess it has something to do with all of the green around me, the different colors of rocks, the ominous clouds, and the majestic mountains. We really enjoyed it.

As we drive along we have been doing numerous activities: singing, reading from the Bible, reading The Boxcar Children, coloring, listening to the homeschool convention sessions that we missed, marking stars on our maps, etc. By the way, the kids are loving pulling out their maps and placing a sticker where we have stopped. I think they like seeing the progress. I am hoping they will pick up some geography and, naturally, ask some questions.

I am sorry I don't have any photos, I will try and do that on the next post. Okay, I better go and find my pillow, because tomorrow is another big day. We are hoping to drive along side the Grand Tetons (another National Park, by the way), on our way to Bozeman. After Bozeman, we are headed to West Glacier. There we will settle for a few days. It should be fun and I know a great time will be had by all.

American Day in Court

2009-07-15T07:15:00.007-07:00

Here are a few photos of our Re-Adoption Day. Everything went well. We could tell that one of our little ones was concerned and worried. In fact they didn't sleep well because there were worries of being sent back. Then after the court proceedings I was asked if I was going to leave them there. I said, without realizing the seriousness of the question amongst all of the activity, "No, all of us are going together." I will need to revisit this with this little one and discuss it some more.

On another note court was much, much easier and different this time. It was pretty much opposite of our Russian experience. This even includes the gender of our judge, the temperature outside, the kind of seats, the lighting, the amount of questioning, etc. The only disturbing thing that happened was when we stated our names to the judge. I said, "Nancy Mee, their Mama." I was quickly reprimanded by the judge stating that this court will determine that. I have to admit I was put in my place, but I was also a little upset about it. What role does the judge think I have been in the last year or so? And we chose to be standing there, no one has to readopt. Anyway, enough about that. Everything turned out fine. Now we will be able to get the kids US birth certificates and, if they choose, as they grow older, they can keep their adoption private.

Ruthie recently celebrated her 8th birthday. She chose to have a princess party and she had 3 little friends over. We limited the number of guests to help encourage real friendships. She gets along with anyone but has a hard time remembering their names. So, we thought it was good to keep it small. Plus, this was Mom's first time to do a party like this.

I put "jewels" on her cake and she loved it. She, of course, wore a costume and absolutely loved it. Joshua was a knight and, oh, my goodness, did we strike gold with this. As the guests arrived, Ruthie curtsied and said, "Welcome to my party, Princess ???." Joshua stated that he was the knight and that he was here to protect them. It was so adorable. Ever since the party, they now play princess/knight and sometimes wedding. Yesterday, they were asking me how they should dance when there is music at the reception. It was cute.

This is a poor photo because Joshua's eyes are closed, but Ruthie is truly being herself. My heart melted, once again. Soon, I will need to plan his 5th birthday (AGAIN) and I am hoping he chooses, out of the theme topics that I am offering, one that would include a costume. In October, I think I might pick up a costume or two that they could play with over and over.

For those of you who would like to address some specific areas in the social arena, I have found a great resource. People can check out videos, books, etc. for free from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library. It is actually called The Center for Disability Resources Library. Anyway, they mail whatever you would like to look at and then you just mail it back. The only expense is mailing it back. I checked out a video called, "Fitting In". On the video there are 13 lessons. The video addresses: how to start and end a conversation, accepting criticism, taking turns talking, speaking too loudly, embarassing situations, interrupting, ... Each lesson is modeled by children; first the inappropriate way and then the better way. I was very pleased with it and I think my kiddos gleaned some good information. The link to this is: http://uscm.med.sc.edu/CDR/index.htm

I am looking forward to our home school convention that will begin in three days. I am trying to prepare, so when I talk with the vendors I have my questions in order. We pretty much have our curriculum for Fall. However, I will need to pick up a few things and research for the school year as well as the future. We will also be having lunch with another family whom we adore.

On Sunday morning, YAHOOOOO!!!!, we are getting out of here. That is getting out of the heat. We are headed to Montana. We hope to pick cherries, hunt for bugs, do some bark rubs, look for alligators, (Joshua is anyway) meet the rest of our cousins for the first time, play, breathe fresh air, and talk. We are planning on visiting with a few friends along the way and coming back. That should be fun, too. Joel and I are looking forward to talking along the way. He has been gone a lot lately and I miss him. My prayer is that we can reconnect as we head down the road. We are looking forward to it.

Okay, so I better go hand out popsicles and check the dryer. Oh, I will try and post photos of the classroom when we get back.

Blessings to you and your family,
Nancy

Ballet and Biting Ants

2009-07-06T17:45:00.003-07:00

Hello All!

We have been busy. I thought during the summer that things were suppose to slow down. In some ways it has but in others it has gotten busier. Please don't take me wrong we are having fun and even squeezing in some speech practice, reading, and math flashcards.

Our new classroom is almost complete. For those of you who don't know, Joel and I have switched rooms. His office is now downstairs and the classroom is upstairs. We needed more room and I think Joel's office gives him more quiet. I will have to post a few photos when I get things hung on the wall. This was our big project for the summer.

Ruthie danced in the ballet "Sleeping Beauty" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The music is beautiful if you have never listened to it. Anyway, it was quite the event at our house. We had several friends come to watch and Ruthie was delighted. It was fun for Joel and I to watch her in action. She would attempt to warm up with the big girls and she tried to move like they did. It was adorable.

Joshua and I were photographers at dress rehearsel. He brought his little plastic camera which isn't one really. He said he charged it and that it was ready to go. So, when I would take a picture, he would as well. Sometimes he would exclaim that he took a really good one and then he would show me. What a great imagination!

Recently, he asked Joel how God washes his clothes. And tonight while in the bathtub he was asking me if alligators eat fish. I answered him and then he asked, "When they burp, do they way excuse me?" I said I wasn't sure but in alligator talk they just might. If then asked, "Do they cover their mouth with their tails?" He even asked this later at the dinner table. He comes up with some good questions, don't you think?

We also finished a 2 week session of swim lessons. Both kids love the water and I think they would swim all the time, if I let them. Joshua has improved much but needs to practice his backstroke. Ruthie has passed to the next level. She will be in level 4 next year. This summer she learned how to dive in and can swim down 11 feet to get the plastic ring. She is amazing. I never learned how to dive, I just couldn't get it.

On the 4th of July, we talked more about why we celebrate this day. That was fun for Joel and I because it gave us the opportunity to talk about freedoms of all kinds. We also talked a little about persecution and being grateful to soldiers. It's so sweet when you hear your little ones singing a patriotic song, even if the words aren't right. I love it! ok, any song for that matter.

We had a gathering at our house in the afternoon and then in the evening we set off to find some firework activity. When we arrived Joel dropped us off and then he went to park the car. The next 5 minutes were probably hilarious to watch. When stepping out of the car I heard that there was going to be a flyover. So, I took out my camera and told the kids to look up. We had a snack with us, drinks, and our chairs. Then the hopping started by all of us! We were quickly notified that we were in ant territory. Whew! did they sting! Joshua panicked, cried, and was hopping around. Ruthie seemed fine, but then she joined in. I was trying to help Joshua and hold my heavy camera. Meanwhile, I was getting bitten, too. The sad thing is we totally missed the flyover. The good thing is we now have a funny memory. Well, it wasn't funny at the time.

When the fireworks started I caught this photo. Ruthie wanted me to take a photo of each and every one. I tried and then on the way home she asked me if I could put them in her photo album. She said she didn't want to ever forget those. Joshua was concerned they were going to break open the sky. I assured him that the sky was much bigger and that it was okay. Joshua then became scared, with time we figured out what was really going on. The loud booms and crackles, etc. were just too much for him. We covered his ears and then he was fine. Oh, he was also very concerned about all of the smoke. He truly is our safety guy. Last year, we didn't get to see any because it was stormy. So, this was another first for them.

Tomorrow is a very special day for us. It is our Readoption Day. I am excited about this and it will truly be memorable. It will be great to stand before a judge as a family. In Russia, it was just Joel and I. Here it will be more of a celebration. I can't wait. Speaking of which I better go and figure out what I am going to wear.

A Struggle

2009-06-29T20:27:00.002-07:00

Okay, I just have to vent for a moment. My daughter told me for the umpteenth time that I was her favorite "Mama". To some of you, it probably seems like - no big deal. However, for me it is painful. Don't take me wrong I am happy she is calling me "Mama" and obviously she is somewhat endeared to me. I struggle with the word favorite and what she is saying without knowing it. I am saddened, and yet glad, that this gives us a glimpse of where we are emotionally and with attachment. The fact that I am her favorite reveals that she doesn't see me as her sole mama but possibly one of many. I suppose I need to ask her what she means by that because I suppose she could be talking about her birth mother and me.

A part of me is selfish, I suppose. My desire, like any mothers, is to be it. There should be no competition.

I continue to pray for attachment and healing. I hope her wounds will be healed and her memories only happy ones. I need to continue practicing unconditional love and get over myself. Okay, I type that but the next time she says, "your my favorite, Mama.", I know I will struggle. Ugghhh.

Morning Prayer

2009-06-16T07:49:00.003-07:00

This morning during our family devotions, we were talking about being thankful that God gave us life. We then prayed. Joshua's prayer went a little like this: Heavenly Father (which comes out more like - heavfe fawfer) I hopes we will live and not be dead. If we are dead we go to heaven. This is good, also excellent.

I just thought it was adorable and wanted to share.

Unhelpful Test Results

2009-06-15T19:05:00.003-07:00

Hello! All!

Today we visited a developmental pediatrician and he tested our children. This was a result of questioning Joshua's age. After much discussion with a close friend, we decided to have Ruthie tested as well. The tests administered weren't exhaustive, however. Presently, I am wondering if the results are really worth anything. Joel got the impression that the doctor was wondering, why we were there. The 2 tests that he did administer revealed that Ruthie was average in her abilities. Joshua, however, came back as an advanced 4 or an average 5. Ugghhhh. I thought we were going to learn more. For some reason, I thought fine motor skills were going to be evaluated. What about gross motor? social skills? etc. The only suggestion that he gave us was to get both of them in speech therapy. Ruthie already is and I am going to request it for Joshua in the fall. I guess I need to check out other options for evaluation, if we deem it necessary. If we did, the testing would be more specific and the results more revealing. I think we need people who have experience with post-adoption issues, with children from orphanages. Sigh..

This last week was Vacation Bible School. The kids had a blast, with a few talks and consequences when we arrived home. I must say that one of the frustrating things when working with adults is educating them about your child. On Wednesday night, Ruthie was getting too close with a leader. For attachment purposes, I pulled her out and she sat with me. After our pastor was finished, one of her leaders approached me. She asked if I was upset because I looked like it when I called for Ruthie. I then explained. I went into the whole thing. Ruthie cannot sit in someones lap, other than mom and dad. She may not "snuggle" up to someone, etc. I explained that Ruthie is learning that I am her Mama, and no one else. She is learning what it means to live in a family and that we are working on attaching to one another. I asked if she understood and even stated that she was probably thinking I was being cold-hearted. She said that, yes, she was thinking that and she couldn't quite understand. I explained that infants, during the first year, bond or attach to their parents. Well, we missed that and now we are working on it. It is EXTREMELY important. I explained that with children from backgrounds such as theirs it is crucial and if attachment doesn't occur they could end up in the criminal justice system. She exclaimed, "Wow, it is that serious?" Yes it is. She said that she would respect what I requested. Thank goodness. I could tell, however, that she still thought I was being mean or self-centered or just plain cold. When these things occur it is frustrating. And yet how can we expect people to understand, most won't and some don't really care about attachment. Why would they?

This part of adoption is tough. I read a book years ago about having tough or thick skin like a rhinocerous. The book talked about letting things roll off your back or just being tough. I have tried and on this topic I struggle. It is exhausting emotionally and yet I will fight for my children's sake. Our social worker said that it was our job to foster it, etc. The MOST frustrating thing to see, was Ruthie's behavior. I thought we were further along then that. This gave us a glimpse where we are emotionally and that we have a lot of work to do - still. So, we are forging ahead. However, I would appreciate your prayers.

Tomorrow night, is our second counseling appointment with the kids. Hopefully, we will start doing some work and get past the "getting to know you" phase. I am hoping for "homework" as a family. Things for us to do, practice, etc. I am thinking it would definitely be more fruitful and effective.

On a lighter note, we are enjoying our summer. The kids start swimming lessons tomorrow. We are having fun with the summer reading program and setting up our new classroom. I am beginning to think about next year and what curriculum we would like to look at, etc. at the homeschool convention. Ruthie is in rehearsels for the Sleeping Beauty ballet and is learning much about the theater.

Here is a cute story or two:
-the other day we were having a snack of baby goldfish crackers. Joshua said, "Mama? did they catch the fish, kill them, and then put crackers on them for us?" I then explained that no, Joshua they are just crackers in the shape of fish.
-during VBS, each night there was a short drama. In the drama a young girl is given the opportunity to drive the spaceship. The spaceship was full of Bibles to share with others. However, the young girl didn't read her guide book to fly the ship. She neglected it and read the new and improved one. Needless, to say they got "lost". Joshua told the captain of the ship that he shouldn't have let her drive because they could have crashed and all of the Bibles could have burned up. Too cute!!!
-during VBS, our pastor shared the story about Elijah, Elisha, and King Ahab. One night Ruthie prayed that Elijah wouldn't die. Cool thing, as you know, he doesn't. Ever.
-every year there is a tradition of eating ice cream on the last day of VBS if there are a certain number of kids there. On Thursday night Ruthie prayed that there would be 500 so she could have ice cream. She earnestly told God that she loved ice cream. Not only did He answer her prayer, there were 537 on the last night. WOW!!!

Until next time,

Nancy

How Old Is He?

2009-05-11T15:28:00.002-07:00

It started as a joke. Joel would look at me and say, "I think they got his birth year wrong." We would joke about it and then forget it. As time has passed it has become evident across all areas of development that Joshua could very well be four years old, not five. As an American this isn't something we usually question. However, we began to wonder and question if we should have him checked. A week or so ago, I learned that we would need to submit a letter and other documents requesting to change his birthdate and that this is usually done on their re-adoption day. After learning what we would need to do, we decided to have him tested. I took him to see our doctor and she sent us for a bone density test. The results came back that, yes, he is four, not five. Whew! so we aren't crazy and what we were seeing all of a sudden made sense. Don't ask me how this happened because I have no idea. I can tell you that we are asking to change his birth year to the year it should be. It will be better for Joshua since on paper he would be turning 6 in August. At first my head was whirling about, but now I am relieved for Joshua. Changing his birth year to the correct year will be good for him.

As a result of this, we are also having both of them assessed by developmental specialists. At first I was real, real leary of the idea. Then I talked with my good friend, Tiffany. She indicated that it would be good because then we would get to know them better and the testing would indicate what areas we need to really focus on. So, they are scheduled for their appointments in June. Oh, the reason I was so leary is because I didn't want a label stamped on their forehead that they have a disability when they actually might not. It is difficult to put a square peg in a round hole. When we arrive for their appointments I will have numerous questions. Questions like: do you have experience with children from orphanages? how are you actually measuring their scores? are they compared with children froom similiar backgrounds or with children who have had the best of everything? I guess when it really comes down to it - I am pretty much sure they are delayed - gee, why wouldn't they be? everything has changed for them. BUT , are they delayed because they are truly delayed and don't have the ability or was/is it due to lack of exposure, etc. Are they simply behind because they are learning a new language? etc. Am I making any sense?

Tomorrow night should be interesting. Joel and I are meeting with a counselor. So, if you are reading this, please pray that we would know if this is the counselor we are suppose to work with. We are having a sitter come over to watch the children. So, that should be interesting as well. In fact, she will be putting them to bed. This will be the first time for someone else tucking them in.
Here we are on a little field trip to the botanical gardens. They have a butterfuly exhibit and we had a blast observing the butterflies. Joshua even said that he was brave. The butterflies were flying all around, you know, and he wasn't even scared. Ruthie was cute. She was striking all kinds of poses hoping a butterfly would land on her. It was adorable to watch her.

Recently, they participated in the AWANA Grand Prix at our church. They had fun with dad creating their cars. Joshua ended up winning first for his group- the Cubbies. Ruthie placed third in the Sparks. Way to go!!!

These last two photos are from the Chihuly exhibit at the Botanical Gardens. For those of you who are unaware of his work, he is very well known for his work with glass. He creates the most beautiful pieces.

Well, I hope you will count your blessings. Count them one by one. He is faithful.

With love,

Nancy

House Disappears

2009-04-13T08:46:00.003-07:00

The other day when we were enjoying our rootbeer floats, Joel came across an interesting tidbit of information. He found it in a Coffee News, one of those papers you find at a salon while waiting to be called for your appointment. So, I thought it would be good to share it with you. We were quite amused.

"House disappears: When Yuri Konstantinov returned from a trip to visit relatives, he discovered his house was gone. A resident living in the Astrakhan region of Russia, Konstantinov returned home to see that only the foundation of his house was left. He was dumbfounded, he said, to hear that his neighbor was responsible for the disappearance. The neighbor had dismantled the house, brick by brick and removed everything. Police told Konstantinov the neighbor took the materials away bit by bit and used them in another construction project. Police also said this wasn't uncommon in some remote areas of Russia."

So, what do you think? Isn't that something? The interesting thing is that Astrakhan isn't that remote, atleast where we were visiting. This must have haven't happened outside of the city.

Nancy

Newest Adventures

2009-04-08T17:18:00.009-07:00

Hello Everyone! Here is our ballerina!

We recently took the kids to Southern California. Here is a family photo that was taken after being at Sea World all day. What a day it was! I love Sea World and I think my enthusiasm rubbed off. Last time I was at one of these parks, during the Shamu, killer whale show, I cried. Well, guess what, this time I cried during the dolphin show and the Shamu show. My goodness, what is wrong with me? Oh, I know I am in awe of what God has created. They are amazing animals! and SOOO beautiful.

My family watching Shamu leap in the air! Joel is holding a video camera and I love it. His body language says dad, dad, dad all over it.

Checking out the stingrays. Ruthie has no qualms with animals. If she could, she would be in there with them. Joshua, on the other hand, is another story. We couldn't even get him to touch a starfish.

This was taken at the San Diego Zoo. Our goal here was to see the animals we hadn't seen before. So, we headed straight to the panda bears and primates.

During lunch, we listened to this lady from Ghana, Africa sing. Afterwards, Ruthie had questions for her. Ruthie asked her what she was singing about and then asked her if she knew Jesus. The gal hesitantly said she knew who he was and then moved on. She asked Ruthie if she would like to sing a song. Of course, Ruthie said yes and began singing "Jesus Loves Me". The lady tried to sing with her - it was precious and bold. That's our Ruthie.

Here is their first time on the beach. Wow! They were amazed. They loved that the water came in and out. They ran back and forth with the water until it was time to go. I love this photo because of the reflection on the sand. I love the simplicity. It is a good reminder to keep things simple and enjoy the blessings that God has given us.

Due to the weather, being overcast and a little cold, we took a little drive to La Jolla. We stopped and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along the way. After that we explored a little on Shell Beach. This beach is enclosed and really neat. We dug out our little nets with plastic tweezers and explored the tidal pools. The kids had fun exploring and we did, too! The above photo was totally him posing. That's my Joshua!!!

This is back at Mission Beach. They ran back and forth and back and forth. They had a blast! and so did we watching them. There is nothing like experiencing God's creation firsthand. I wish we could have had more time hanging out here. Hopefully, we will return one day.

"I like to be at the beach! I like to be in my glasses and my eyes. I like my hat. It's cute and cool." Joshua just saw me typing and I asked him what he was saying and that was his response.

Here Ruthie was playing with another little girl. When I see this photo, I see a glimpse of the future. I can picture her older.

Other News:
-we just finished an alphabet scavenger hunt. I made an alphabet card for each and then we drove around and snapped photos of the letters as we found them. My hopes are that they would recognize the letters and than understand that letters are important. After we took a photo of each letter with them standing beside it, they circled it on their card. This was actually an easy process because many times we could get several letters at a time. It was fun and now I will make them each a quick ABC album. Oh, I also tied in a little goal setting "talk". We celebrated reaching our goal of getting all of our letters with a rootbeer float. This was another first and they loved them. Who wouldn't?

-I am thinking of self-publishing this blog. I think I have found a website that is easy to work with and that isn't too expensive. It will even include photos.

-I have been reading a lot on Russian history. I encourage anyone that has adopted to read these books: The Stalin Era, The Russian Federation, and Putin's Russia. I am in the middle of Putin's Russia and it is quite interesting. For those of you who are unaware, Anna Politkovskaya, the author of this book is no longer alive. She was assassinated on Putin's birthday in October of 2006. Her life had been threatened many times for her exposure of events pertaining to the Chechen war and Putin. She was found in the elevator of her apartment building in Moscow. After her death, one of her collegues started to investigate and was poisoned with radioactive pollunium. Anyway, the reading has been interesting. It has helped me to understand some of the experiences and things that we saw while in Russia.
-the re-adoption court date was suppose to be April 15th, but somehow they have lost our fingerprints. This is disconcerting and now it looks like we will have our day in court sometime in June.

-Today, we had a dental appointment and our dentist says that they are both brushing well. Yea! She also said that Ruthie's teeth have improved a lot since she has come home.

-the Speech Therapist that is working with Ruthie did an informal vocabulary test to compare with her previous scores. She has improved tremendously and in some areas has surpassed her peers. She continues to work on her articulation skills. She is currently working on the "ch" and "sh" sounds.

-we have tested Joshua for allergies. He is allergic to many grasses, trees, and shrubs. Does anyone have any suggestions for help that takes a more natural approach?

I have to admit that lately we have had some issues that we are seeking help for. I debated whether or not to share this with you and have decided that it would be wrong to paint a picture that isn't entirely true. We are struggling with control issues. Our perspective indicates that attachment is going well, but we aren't the experts. We need help with some issues that will help us all become a healthier family and individuals. Our hopes and prayers is that He would guide us to the people or person who can guide us the most.

So, for now that is it. This is quite lengthy, but I hope you have enjoyed it.

With many regards,

Nancy

Celebrations and Reflections

2009-03-04T21:17:00.003-07:00

To think we stepped off the plane a year ago is surreal. As I think about it, my stomache churns with the memory of how I felt while sitting on the tarmac in the airplane that was delayed to our final destination. I literally thought I was going to die. I am not exaggerating. I was more than burnt toast. I was in agony and now when I get overtired, my body gets those same feelings. Yuck!!

At the time, our precious children, who were really little strangers that talked in a different language, hadn't slept at all. (from Moscow to New York) I can remember them finally falling asleep on the last leg. I can remember Joshua, at the time, Genna, laying over 2 seats and about falling off. We were so exhausted, we didn't realize it. I remember Ruthie (Angelina) casually pushing and laying her legs over the top of the young gentlemens legs sitting near us. Thank goodness he was kind to us.

On the flight from Moscow to New York, I naturally made Ruthie eat half of her sandwich instead of dessert first. She wailed and wailed. People were looking at us, but I insisted. Joel and I got in a heated argument about the situation. The lady across the aisle, who was Russian, offered to give her candy to keep her quiet. I won the battle and, in the end, Ruthie ate her dessert.
I remember walking off the plane and seeing friends and family. It was great to see them, but really I wanted to just lay down. I sobbed and sobbed. Joel did, too. I felt like collapsing and thinking back I am wondering why I didn't. I remember my good friend, Ryann holding me and I didn't want her to let go - ever.
I remember when we loaded up the luggage and Joshua examining Mama's machina. He was enamored. On the drive home, Joel and I discussed how we were going to handle the next part of what was going to happen. We discussed how to show them their home. As we pulled into the garage, we unloaded and walked them through the house room by room. I remember saying things like, "Papa's. Nyet Ruthie. Nyet Joshua." etc, etc. We immediately set the boundaries, which later had to be made smaller, until we learned a few things. When we got to their bedrooms there were excited exclamations. It was endearing to hear them talk back and forth about their rooms with such excitement.
Our flight got in late and then with everything, I mean everything, being new we didn't get to bed until 2 am. I didn't sleep much because I didn't know how they would do. (this went on for months)
Our journey has been amazing! I now sleep through the night and we are more relaxed with each other. We are still learning about each other and we still have a long way to go, but remembering back a year ago is a reminder of how far we have come. My heart is overwhelmed with what God has done. My prayer is that we can continue to serve Him and that Ruthie and Joshua would grow up to serve Him in a mighty, mighty way.

This photo and the very first one is of us - just off the plane.
Planting our vegetable garden. Joshua is helping with the tomatoes and Ruthie is helping with the peppers.

GOTCHA DAY!!!!! We had a very special meal. We ate pelmini, meats, and cheeses - all from Russia or made by Russians. It was delicious!!! and definitely took us back to another place and time. For dessert, I made blini. Oh my goodness were they a hit! When I told Ruthie that I was thinking of making them she squealed with delight. That sealed the deal, I had to make them. It was quite the process but, boy, are they yummy!

Ruthie is really excited about her blini!!!

I guess that is it for now. I hope you find this post encouraging in some way.

Have a blessed day!

Re-Adoption in the Works

2009-02-18T15:13:00.007-07:00

"Lit'l Bit dwop it! " (no, that isn't a misspelled word) This is what I am hearing as I type this. Ruthie is dressed in her leotard for ballet class. We have a couple of minutes and she is trying to get Lit'l Bit to do what she wants. I am trying to teach her, what I have taught him. She has heard me clear my throat to gain his attention, so instead of doing that when she should, she just does it repeatedly. It is so funny! The dog doesn't seem confused either. Thank goodness.

Today we signed papers on Ruthie and Joshua's re-adoption. You are probably asking - what is that? You have to do more? Well, we don't have to, but it is the wise thing to do, in our opinion. This will provide them with a US birth certificate. Right now, all they have is a Russian one with an English translation attached. So, we are in middle of our readoption. In about 60 days or so, we will have our hearing in court. Yes, we get to go to court again. When it is complete, it will be a day to celebrate!!!

We have completed our 2nd post adoption report already. This has been sent to the Russian Federation and we will do this 2 more times. We have completed our 6 month and 1 year. Two down and 2 to go - a 2nd year and a 3rd year.

A couple of weeks ago we attended the missionary conference at our church. We explained to Ruthie and Joshua that we would get to have yummy pancakes and hear from missionaries. There was a special class for the kiddos on some of the things that missionaries do. Well, prior to going, Ruthie decided that she was going to give her savings to a missionary. She said that she wanted to help them, so they could buy more Bibles or help people who don't know about Jesus. So, when we walked into the church and collected our pancakes, she began to ask me who were the missionaries. We sat by a gentlemen named Don with Sports Outreach. We began to talk to him about his work and then Ruthie decided to give him her money. Joel and I were so blessed and so was Don.

After the conference, Ruthie and I stopped at Lowes for some stain. (I had a few projects to complete with stain) Anyway, we ran into a friend and Ruthie told her she was praying whether or not God wanted her to be a missionary. Talk about being blown away! Then at the checkout she loudly announced that she was a missionary. The cashier exclaimed and asked, "Really? where?" Ruthie said, "America". The conversation continued with me stepping up to the plate, opening my mouth, and inviting Andy to church.

Several weeks ago, Joshua, Ruthie, and I were pulling into the garage from running errands or something of the sorts. I was explaining to them that doing schoolwork is a law. If Mommy and Daddy don't teach them, in particular Ruthie, because of her age, we could get in BIG trouble. During the conversation, Joshua reassured me. He said that when he gets bigger, when he is a policeman or sheriff, he will come to the door. He than stated that if I wasn't teaching Ruthie, he would show me grace. He wouldn't take me to jail. Isn't that so cute? and then the fact that he understands grace the way he does. It is amazing!!

I suppose I am a little biased. I just can't help it. I just can't seem to stop talking about them. I asked a very dear friend if I was being boastful. She assured me that I wasn't, instead she said that I was just falling in love with my children. Ahhh.... and you know, I think she is right. For eighteen long years I hoped for children, and now God has blessed me, so why not marvel at what He has done?

Having said that - I must share with you that Ruthie has progressed in her schooling. At the beginning of the school year she was doing preschool work. She is now doing first grade school work. We are so proud of her and all of her efforts. She is reading short vowel books, learning her addition facts, she completed her first AWANA book, ... She is enjoying ballet class and she is so adorable doing it. Her athletic ability is stunning. Her instructor said, after only 3 lessons, that she will promote her to the next level in August!

Joshua loves the Little Gym and looks forward to it. Joshua likes his sleep and sometimes plans his sleep a day in advance. Because of this, we really work at getting them to bed on time. On "no nap" days, bedtime is 7 pm. They will then get up between 6:30 and 7 am. One day, during breakfast, he asked us if he was going to have rest time. We said, due to the schedule, that, no, he wouldn't, but that he could go to bed early. He then asked about the next day. I suppose a lot of moms would love this, am I right? Besides participating in our Bible study time and story time, Joshua is learning the names of the letters. His most current career choices are: policeman, bulldozer, and sheriff. I asked him if he wanted to operate the bulldozer or be one - he said that he was going to be the bulldozer. Too funny.

I guess that is it for now. Tomorrow we are celebrating their first Gotcha Day! I will post the happenings when I can.

Court a Year Ago!

2009-01-28T20:15:00.009-07:00

Here is a recent photo at a small Russian concert that we attended. It was held by a community college and it was pleasurable to attend. We heard fluent Russian again and experienced a very small sampling of culture. This renewed our semi-fresh memories of Russia and now we long to return. I would say that we both long to learn more about the culture, history, and the changes happening currently. Joshua and Ruthie didn't seem to understand much, but I know that the music must have touched them. How could it not?

Sunday, the 15th will mark our anniversary of our time in the Astrakhan court in Russia. Below is an excerpt of the posting during that time.

"Before court, we were nervous and excited. We were surprisingly calm, though, and I think that it is because of our faith in Him and your numerous prayers. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We arrived at the Astrakhan District Court at 10 am. Our appointment didn't begin until a little after 11 am. This was this particular orphanages first adoption and they didn't have a document there in time. So, we needed to wait for the social worker to bring it. So, we chatted with Vika, our translator. The neat thing that we both liked is that while this was happening and during our proceedings, big, white fluffy snowflakes were slowly drifting down. As we looked out the window, Joel said that it was a symbol of purity and new beginnings. Ahh - sigh. What can I say? Truly amazing.The room we were in was extremely cold but we were layered and ready. When it was time the judge walked in and, of course, we rose. This was our first time to be in court- ever, so this was exciting. The people present were: us, our translator, the judge's secretary, a lady from the Ministry of Education, the judge, and a prosecuting attorney. Joel was asked most of the questions because he is the head of our household. I was then addressed. After that, others could ask us questions. After this was completed, the lady from the Ministry of Education and the prosecuting attorney could ask us their questions. When this was completed the former two people gave their recommendation. The judge then left to deliberate and make her decision. She returned fairly quickly and read her prepared document that we were granted parental rights. She then briskly left the room. We hugged each other and Vika gave us a hug and customary kiss. Vika sought out the judge with a question and asked if she would return to the room for a photo. She obliged and I am so very thankful. The children, hopefully, will appreciate this later in life. Oh, I also wrote down what I was feeling before we left for court. This will eventually be entered in their adoption albums. We desire to share with them all that we are able as they grow older."

I read that and I am amazed that that occurred a year ago. It is all still so fresh in my memory. I can remember the people sitting in the hall and us marching in with our translator like we owned the place. I can remember thinking - this is a courtroom? I remember no heat in the room and the numerous questions. The questioning lasted 2 hours. Certain questions were reworded to see if they would be answered differently. It was interesting, exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and wonderful. Thanks again to Vika for all of her help and encouragement!

Now for a lighter note:
In January we flew to South Dakota to celebrate my dad's retirement. Flying this time was definitely different - we could talk to each other and understand each other, too!!!!

Ruthie riding on Grandpa's horse and asking to go faster. Joshua, on the other hand, felt safer on the other side of the fence.

My side of the family acting like our silly selves. I think the camera tilted and we just followed in suit.

Grandma and Grandpa with the grandchildren.

I forgot to mention that we surprised my dad. He was shocked! It is hard to surprise him, so this was HUGE for us, too! He hadn't a clue.

We all went tubing at a local ski mountain. Everyone had a blast! Joshua and Ruthie ran and giggled like never before! It was fabulous! And then there were my two grown brothers, who were acting like they were 10, racing down the slope, etc. etc.

Grandpa and I helped Joshua and Ruthie make their first snowman. I think this was the highlight for them on this trip. It is what they wanted to do more than anything else.

Below are a couple of videos from this same trip! We had a blast! and in between all of the fun we did our schoolwork!

Other updates:

Joshua attends a class at the Little Gym. He is loving the running and all of the skills he is learning. He just grins from ear to ear when it is time to go. Yesterday, he walked on a balance beam that was pretty high. His instructor was holding his hand and assured him that if he were to fall, she would catch him. It was good to see him take a risk.

Ruthie is learning classical ballet. The studio that she is attending is perfect for her. It is small and the stimulus is limited. So far, she is loving it! We are currently working on a acquiring a video so she can practice.

On Tuesday mornings, while I attend a Bible study, they are in a class with other homeschoolers. We are waiting for their books to arrive. Joshua is in the Little Contenders of the Faith and Ruthie is in the Little Keepers of the Faith.

Joel is busy with work and is trying to add "working out" to his schedule.

As for me? still trying to relax in my new role.

In the near future, we are planning their first Gotcha Day celebration! I will write about that later. So, for now, enjoy the videos and God bless!

Merry Christmas!!!!

2008-12-25T11:00:00.006-07:00

The following post is long, long overdue. I started it along time ago and am now just posting it. Sorry for the delay.

Oh, what a glorious Christmas! I feel like I am living in a dream, a wonderful dream. We have been busy shopping, wrapping presents, making ornaments, decorating the tree, explaining everything, reading Christmas stories, whipping up a batch of fudge, ordering more books for school, ... and enjoying every moment of it.

Last night, we attended the Christmas Eve service and it was absolutely beautiful to worship with others. We all dressed up in red, black, and white. Ruthie and I just had to have sparkles. I am sure whoever sat where we sat at the next service now has sparkles too, because I think we left a trail almost everywhere we went. Ruthie LOVED her dress and her new dress shoes. They click as you walk, you know. clickety click clickety click Her hair had "curl-ups" and a beautiful red bow in it. Joshua doned his new shoes, little black corduroy pants, and his red argyle sweater vest. They were adorable and even behaved themselves. (most of the time) We have learned to explain things to them, so they can kind of prepare themselves. It helps to discuss and answer questions so they know what to expect. Most situations are new for them and sometimes we forget.

Our first celebration of Him was sweet and memorable. :)

Celebrating a Year Ago!!!

2008-12-10T19:54:00.005-07:00

Hello! All! I thought you might like to see the changes in Ruthie and Joshua. Above and below are photos of them on the third day we met them. A year ago, we had just returned from meeting them. It is amazing to think where God has brought us all. We are all very grateful.
The next couple of photos were taken just a couple of days ago. What a difference!!! They are just beautiful, inside and out.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!
On Thanksgiving, we kept it low key and discussed the purpose of Thanksgiving. Several weeks prior, we colored paper turkeys and then added a feather each day. On each feather we wrote what we were thankful for, then on Thanksgiving we each shared our feathers. It was a great way to give thanks and we could focus on giving thanks more than one day.

Since then, we have been decking the halls, baking, decorating the Christmas tree, rehearsing for dinner theater, and planning our Christmas. I even went shopping on Black Friday. I had never done that before, it was kind of fun. Although, I decided who shop with is very important. Thanks Ryann!!!

Oh, I must tell you a Ruthie story. In school, we have been talking about matter. There are three kinds of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Yesterday, Ruthie and Joshua had the opportunity to ride along with Papa as he golfed. At one point, Joel stated that his shot wasn't very solid. Hearing this, Ruthie asked, "Was it liquid?" Too cute, huh?

I recently told them that they should start thinking what they would like to give Papa for Christmas. Joshua will be shopping for Spiderman shoes and Ruthie, curl-up shoes. I think she means elf-looking shoes. I told them that we would look for them when we go shopping.

Update:
-Ruthie will be finishing her first math book tomorrow and she is almost learning all of the sounds of the alphabet. She is excited to read and can hardly wait to read a book to Papa. So, it sounds like I will be doing some curriculum shopping soon. Shucks! huh?
-Ruthie is really working on her speech and is now combining 2 phonemes that she is working on. For example, the [L] sound and the [SH] sound in the same word. (seashell)
-Joshua is keeping us in stitches with his imagination. Recently, he had a lizard but a rock fell on his head and died. Currently, there is a donkey and the elephant lives on.
-I recently told Ruthie and Joshua that the words they were still speaking in Russian, no one else would be able to understand them. I explained the reasons in great detail and the reason I did, is because I think the few words they are using are becoming a habit. Well, Joshua is now asking Ruthie, when she uses the Russian word for "tomorrow" (zaftra), what that means.

That's it for now. I need to get to bed. My first performance of dinner theater is tomorrow night and it runs four evenings.

The following videos are of Ruthie and Joshua "reading" what they have written or drawn. I just had to share them.

Family Fun Night

2008-11-23T21:09:00.005-07:00

My little sweetheart! with her hair rolled up, getting ready for church. When we first tried this and it was time to go to bed, she took them all out. So, we put them away, but now she understands. Oh, Joshua likes curlers, too. For some reason they won't stay in, though.
This is a photo of the next morning - all ready to go. You can't tell really from this photo but her hair is beautiful, just like the girl.

These are our scarecrows we made in school.

Every now and then we have a Family Fun Night or Family Fun Day! We all look forward to it with great anticipation. This particular evening everyone had the choice of what they would like to do for 30 minutes and then we all participated. The kids loved, including the big ones - us! Joshua chose to play with playdough. He was busy cooking. Joel made funny faces and really cool frog. It even had a fly on its tongue. Ruthie made an animal and I made a corral with a pig in it.

After the playdough was picked up, Ruthie chose to play Hide N' Go Seek. We ran all over the house and hid. It was fun! Joshua was a little scared to find someone by himself, but we had a blast. After this it was Joel's turn. He chose to go outside, sit around the fire, and eat popcorn. It was so nice. Ruthie started singing songs and we took turns singing. That led to praising Him. At one point I looked over Ruthie's way and she had her arms raised to Him. What a glorious sight!

It was then my turn and I decided to build a huge fort in the middle of the living room. We then crawled in and went to sleep. (yes, mine was longer than 30 minutes but no one minded) I explained to the kids that I would probably end up in my own bed because of my back. Thank goodness they were okay with that or I would probably be a miserable wreck come morning.

Sometime during the night we also ate caramel apples. They were gooey, but tasty.

Now I must tell you about the animals in our home. One night, for some unexplainable reason, at bedtime, I asked Joshua if he would like me to take care of his pet elephant. Well, as time has progressed his pet elephant has had some friends. Papa added a chicken. One night at dinner, we ate the chicken, so at bedtime there was no more chicken. Joshua was okay with it and added an alligator. We asked him how that could be, because alligators have BIG teeth. He said that this alligator is a nice one. Well, recently we ate "alligator soup", so now the alligator is gone, too. He then stated that he had numerous animals. A few nights later all of those animals were gone. He sent them back to the zoo because they were biting him and not being obedient. I kid you not, those were his words. The elephant is still around and hangs out in his room. One night the elephant slept with him and she wore pink pajamas. Tonight, while tucking him in he asked me, like every night, to feed his pet elephant. I asked how many peanuts. He said, "Sixty-eighty-ninety." Then asked me if that was a lot. I said yes. He then proceeded to tell me where to put them. They were to be placed all over the carpet and on his bed. I commented that the elephant will probably make a big mess and he said, "No, not on my bed. Too messy." Put them all over the carpet and in my drawers. I asked him who was going to clean up the mess and he said he would because he can clean fast. He then told me like every night, "Good sleep, be safe, pajamas, bed right away." (kindly telling me what to do) What a sweet boy!!!

Before I close, I must say Joel and I are both a little melancholy as we think back to a year ago. We were in Astrakhan for the first time. This Tuesday will be when we first met our little ones. I will try and post a few photos and write about this later in the week.

For now, God bless.

Keep the faith,

Nancy

Scooters and Patches

2008-11-06T13:46:00.003-07:00

This is just a quick update.

-we purchased scooters for the kids and they absolutely love them. They wear their helmets faithfully and if they accidentally drop the handle they blow the dirt off of them. I don't know who is having more fun, the kids riding or the parents watching. What do you think?
-Ruthie started speech therapy. Yea! She has gone a couple of weeks now and is currently working on her "L" sound. The speech therapist says that she is really working hard at it. She also said the most students don't improve each session. Ruthie is - she is a real go-getter. The therapist said that her superior was observing her and was amazed at Ruthie's language, only being in the country for 8 months. Yea! What a praise!!
-For a fall project we made small scarecrows using socks, old ties, sticks, buttons, etc. When making them and gluing patches onto the "clothes", Joshua exclaimed, "He is going to AWANA!!" It took me a minute to realize what he was saying. In AWANA, the kids earn patches for their vests. I cracked up laughting.
-Joshua loves to the use word, "amazing". We were walking down the hall of the local school, taking Ruthie to therapy, and the walls are painting green half way up and then they are right. He is said, "Mama, look at that wall. That's amazing."
-Homeschool:
-we have recently decided to really cut Joshua's school time down. He simply isn't ready. I talked with a great friend who is in a similiar parenting situation and she told me something that really helped. Neither of our children, more than likely, had time to be 1,2,3,4, etc. like other children. There may be times they need to go back so they can move forward. Joel and I really see this with Joshua and, at times, with Ruthie, too. If you think about it, play is a very important part of development. Play helps organize the brain, stimulates activity, etc. So, for now, we are really lightening his schoolwork to very little. I think his playtime will be more beneficial right now.
-Ruthie is doing great in her schoolwork. Just today she could tell me all of the letters in the alphabet. She is counting by 2's and 10's, starting simple addition, and overall is eager to learn. I think part of this is her age and her personality. She does everything full speed ahead. I love her enthusiasm and desire to learn new things.
-tomorrow we are meeting with a group of other homeschoolers and it is an "open mike" event.
Each student will be allowed to share whatever they would like to the other students. Joshua is planning on sharing his firetruck and what firemen do. Ruthie is going to talk about Russia. In fact, this afternoon she wants to practice. She is going to wear traditional Russian costume, share information her matroishkya doll, teach the others to count to 5 in Russian, and recite a poem in Russian. I am hoping to record it, especially the poem recitation. Many kids, I think are timid with a microphone, I know Ruthie isn't. She is going to love it.

I guess that is it for now.

Have a blessed day!!!

Enjoying Education!!!

2008-10-16T13:54:00.009-07:00

School is done for the day - well, kind of. When we were prayerfully thinking about homeschooling a couple of months ago, a good friend (Tiffany), said that it was a lifestyle. I, now, understand that more than ever. I am constantly teaching, beyond what I actually have written down in my lesson plans. It just happens naturally. For example, we are going to bake cookies this afternoon for our church picnic this Sunday, Ruthie can hardly wait! As I type this, she is loading the dishwasher and telling Joshua what we are going to do. She is getting ready. So, the teaching will come in to play in many areas: vocabulary, reading, math, life skills, and following directions to name a few. And, of course, there will be test tasting. Yum!!!

In our social studies book, we have been studying the community and all of the workers, etc. that make a village, town, or city operate. One of our fieldtrips was visiting a bakery and, yesterday, we toured a car dealership. They both had numerous questions. On the way there, Ruthie was asking me about antennaes, which led into a BIG discussion. Learning just c0mes naturally - it is GREAT!!! Oh, and Joshua loved that we got to see a car come off a transporter. He turned and exclaimed, "That's cool, Mom!" (notice the language change- which by the way, we are now called a variation of all forms of Mama and Papa)

I love the fact that I know exactly where my children are in regards to their education. I know their interests and their struggles. For example, I know that Joshua is beginning to write numbers and the number 3 is really difficult. I also learned that his new pencil is a distraction for him. He loves the black and white eraser, which he thinks is a zebra. I know that as of today, he wants to be a helicopter pilot and all of the passengers need to sit down. Yesterday, he stated that he would like to have a lion with big teeth as a pet. Ruthie is learning her letters, but is struggling to remember Gg, Ll, and sometimes confuses Mm and Nn. She is real close to mastering and naming the numbers 11 - 20. She wants to be an astronaut and go to the moon. She said that when she is big, she will have a big house and build her own rocket.

I love the flexibility. I can build their schooling around their interests or I can enhance it. Several weeks ago, sitting around eating our lunch, I asked each of them what topic they would like to learn more on. Joshua chose police cars and Ruthie thought and thought. She then stated that she wanted to learn how to take care of a baby because when she gets big she will need to know this for her own baby. So, we traipsed to the library and pursued our interests. We found books on the topics and a video. I thought to myself, will they really watch this video on how to take care of a baby when it is actually designed for new mothers? They did! every second of it and then had questions. Need I say more?

Oh, we went on a short business trip with Joel last week to Kayenta. This is on the Navajo Indian reservation. We experienced Monument Valley and the Navajo people. We had our "formal" school in the hotel and then had lots of hands on experiences. At dinner, with Joel's manager, Ruthie was asking his wife lots of questions about the Navajo. She asked, "Do you live in a hogan? do you have sheep?" It was so rewarding to me, to see that she really was comprehending and even carried it over in an appropriate conversation at the dinner table. WOW!!! She stuns me in many ways.

Hangin' out near a hogan! Nothin' like seeing one firsthand.

Trying to push over the boulder! Can you hear them grunting?

Another praise is that Ruthie will start receiving speech therapy on Monday for articulation. After testing, it revealed that, yes, she did qualify. However, the speech therapist had to compare the English phonemes (sounds) to the Russian phonemes. The sounds that she is misproducing also had to be in the Russian language or she wouldn't have qualified. They would have said that she needed more time to acquire the new sounds in English. There are some sounds that are like this, however, she had 5 that are in both languages. Whew! I am thankful because she realizes that people can't understand her sometimes, even though I do.

This past Sunday, while getting ready for church, Ruthie declared that when she is big she is going to visit Russia. She said, I think I will stay one day, no, maybe two. Then she calmly stated that maybe she would bring one home. I don't know if I shared this or not, but several months ago, again while getting ready for church, Ruthie stated that they don't talk about Jesus in Russia. I stated, you know, you're right. I then said that maybe she could go back and share when she gets bigger. She loved the idea!

On our return trip from Kayenta we sought after some fall colors. It is kind of difficult to teach about the seasons where we live, because it doesn't really change much. So, we found Lockett Meadow and had a blast. We also collected science specimens to study when we get home. They had a blast building their collections.

This is a display of raw, hard core muscles from Ruthie and Joshua. They had BIG fun pushing and rolling this log around. Ruthie is showing you her BIG and strong muscles.

Some good ole' fashioned fun with Papa! giggle-giggle

This photo is for Grandpa, who is always picking up pinecones in his yard. We found pinecones at Lockett Meadow. Grandpa, would you like us to send these to you?

Better start baking those cookies, my helpers are eager and have waited patiently for me.

Love,

Catchin' Kisses at Bedtime

2008-09-29T20:07:00.010-07:00

Hello! All!

I realize it has been awhile since we have written. It just seems that I am so busy. I am kind of getting a routine down, though. Thank goodness! Now, if I could just get a routine down in cleaning the house. It seems so low on the priority list. So here is a quick update and then I have some videos and photos to share.

Update:
-We have been home for 6 and half months already. Their progress has been amazing and their language acquisition has been astounding.
-Ruthie was tested for articulation and we are now waiting for the school district to call a meeting to discuss the results.
-Today, I think we have gotten to the bottom of Joshua's hearing. We have had him screened, tested and retested in regards to his hearing. Today we went to a specialist of a specialist and they ran a test to determine his hearing ability. During this test, Joshua didn't have to respond, so it was more objective. All of the other tests weren't consistent enough. So, the plan now is to wait awhile and retest in 6 months to see if there are any changes.
-we took them to their first county fair and we had a blast. We drove out of the valley to Prescott. We wanted a fair that felt like it was in the country and not in the city. We also wanted one that was small in size. They got to try cotton candy for the first time and ride a couple of rides, among a menagerie of other firsts. It was fun! Joshua was terrified at the petting "zoo", but loved playing a farmer. Ruthie loved and I mean loved the animals. They are both so different from each other. It keeps us hoppin'. Joshua couldn't understand why tractors had small tires and big tires. Ruthie wanted to know if any rocks in the gem section of the exhibits were from Russia. Actually, there were and it was fun to talk about them.
-Joel took them to a football game, while I played with photos for a night. It was a nice break for me and they had a grand time with Papa.
-School is going wonderful. There are many times that I am exhausted, and yet I am enjoying it. Oh, on my last post I mentioned that we were checking out some information on emergency vehicles and baby care from the library. They both intently watched the video on how to care for a baby, along with all of the other books, etc. we checked out. Next thing I know, they are swaddling their dolls or teddy bears. Joshua has begun to rock his bear. It is adorable!
-they are both enjoying AWANA and the Tuesday morning Bible study with their friends. They have both earned patches for their vests. They earn there by memorizing Bible verses.

Okay, so now for the photos:

During our Bible time in the morning. She likes to carry the red pillow around in hopes that Lit'l Bit will sit next to her. It worked this morning!

At Home Depot, building football goalposts. They can't wait to go back this month.
Bring your Teddy Bear to school day. They loved it, although the bears had to sit on the floor most of the time.

The videos below are absolutely precious. When Ruthie and Joshua first came home they couldn't swim at all. They thought the swimming pool was a HUGE (koobacha) bath. Ruthie had no fear at first and that is how she takes on everything in life. Joshua is a little more cautious and takes things in before he proceeds.

The last video clip - I apologize that it is sideways. You will get the idea of it, but you may need to watch it a couple of times to get all of it. I love the ending especially. Enjoy and tell us what you think.

Okay that's it for now. Oh, in reference to the title of this post, one of the great ways I am busy these days is catchin' kisses. This occurs most often at bedtime. I love giving them and catching them. It is a beautiful thing. Joshua will also tell us to sleep good, and be safe. I will try and post some fair footage and photos later. Have a great day!

I'm Bigger Now! I'm 5!!!

2008-09-04T19:54:00.004-07:00

Wow! I think Joshua is excited about his birthday. He is looking at his gifts, a Happy Birthday sign, and some balloons. He loved it!!!

Checking out a train, tracks, trees, etc. I love how is studying it.
Oh! grunt - grunt! I can't get my WAY cool firetruck out of the packaging. (which by the way, the plastic that is over the truck was the garage for awhile)
Loved his firetruck cake.
On Labor Day we headed to Flagstaff to get out of the heat. We went to a city park, picnicked, played, took in a very small art festival, and drove up to Snowbowl for the scenery and fresh air. It was fun to relax and just spend time together, with no real plan.

In the above photo, you can see that Lit'l Bit enjoyed playing, too!!!

Ruthie and Papa trying to grab the football first.

Other news? Homeschooling is going well, but we need to work out a few kinks. We are still trying to figure out what is going to work best for everyone. Ruthie is very eager and excited when she has accomplished a new skill or concept. Joshua wants to, but at times I wonder. I have had to really change what I am doing with him, because in many ways he is really a pre-schooler. Next week we have another appointment for his ear, so that should tell a lot as well. I am wondering if he really can't hear some of the things that I say or is he acting like a typical preschooler.

I called our local school district, finally. Sigh... Whew! So far they have been receptive. Joel and I are requesting testing for Ruthie. Next week we have an appointment to discuss the testing, etc. We believe she has an articulation issue. We were told in Russia that she had one as well. I have tried to work with her on certain sounds and she doesn't seem to have the ability to say them. Anyway, next week should help us schedule a testing time.

Today during our lunchtime, I asked both of them what topic they would like to learn more about. Joshua, of course, said firetrucks. Ruthie thought and thought about it. She then conveyed that she would like a book about caring for babies. She stated that she would need to know this, so when she was bigger she would be able to care for her baby. She is going to be a GREAT Mama someday. So, when we went to the library we looked for information on firetrucks and babies. We are now waiting for 2 videos and 2 books on the subjects.

I will close for now. Thank you for reading our blog. Also, if you are an adoptive family or would like to know more about adoption, please contact us for any help we may be able to offer to you. We would be honored to help you.

With love, Nancy

Counting our Blessings

2008-08-08T08:21:00.005-07:00

Good Morning!!!

First, I would like to tell those who post comments that I am grateful for your input. Your comments are encouraging and motivating. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't check our blog for encouragment. So, my hat is off to you.

As far as maintaining the blog, time will tell. As of now, I am going to post as I can. Just so you know, one reason I would stop it is so that I could print the entire blog for each of our children. I think it will be a precious gift when they are older and more mature. It is amazing to me that we have been home for 5 months now. Their growth is incredible and I am really beginning to feel like a family. For those of you who are in the adoption process, you will understand this once you are home. For those of you who have never adopted, you may never truly understand. I don't want to come across harsh in my writing, it is just something you must experience. I can remember when we first came home, reading the question: "When do we start to feel like a family?" in a book. I can remember thinking, what an absurd question. Then as time passed, I began to realize that I had the same question. I can't really answer it except to say, give yourself, your spouse, and your children time. Focus on attachment and bonding - that is your goal. One of the things that we are grateful for is our swimming pool. (we live in the desert) Anyway, the physical contact in the pool has really helped. We try hard to never turn them away when they are wanting to be held, etc. , no matter how inconvenient it is. It may look strange when you are in a doctor's office, etc., but you get to the point where you don't care what others think. Again, your goal is to attach.

I also learned recently that the attachment is reciprocal. I knew this in my head, but didn't really experience it until Joel was out of town awhile. I gathered some courage, then the kids and I jumped in the pool. I made sure the boundaries were clear for safety reasons and then I took turns with the two of them. Well, Ruthie is a fish. I am wondering if she will grow up and be a synchronized swimmer. She is amazing. Anyway, Joshua needs a little more help. After he would swim, he would cling to me. During this time, I experienced an epiphany of sorts. I don't know how to descibe it exactly, but I do know that I liked it and he did too.

EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!
On August 3rd, 2008 Ruthie invited Jesus in her heart! My eyes tear up typing this news. You see from the time we decided to adopt, we began to pray. We prayed earnestly for their well being, their ability to attach, that they would come to know Jesus, and that they will serve Him in a mighty way. During VBS, her and I were talking and she said that she wanted to know Jesus. At the time, I was kind of unsure what to do - I questioned, in my mind, if she really knew what she was talking about, did she understand what Jesus did for her? etc. etc. So, nothing happened. It came up again some time after that. Then this last Sunday, after her shower, she told both of us that she talked with Jesus in the shower. She indicated that Jesus was in her heart. (I just asked her again and she told me the same) Okay, my heart is over-flowing, once again. Words can't express my gratitude to Him, calling her to himself. He really does answer prayer and this time, my answer was a "yes".

My BIG regret: I wish I would have responded to Ruthie in a different way during VBS. I wish my questions and doubts didn't get in the way. I missed the blessing of praying with her and leading her to Christ. I was lacking faith. The good news God completed His work, despite my failings. I am thankful for this and wonder how many other blessings I have missed.

Other updates:
-medically: Johsua is doing fine, just waiting for another ear appointment. Yesterday, we had a follow up on the ultrasound of Ruthie's liver. She is fine. We are now testing for something called IGA. Apparently, people can have this and simply means they are more susceptible of catching things easily. I am also back to collecting samples, to see if her body excreted them. Other than that, they are doing wonderful. Yesterday, I told Joel that I was going to try and not complain about all of the doctor appointments and lab waits. Overall, their health seems great and we should count our blessings.
-on Monday, we are starting school. Yesteday, Joshua's chair arrived and Joel assembled it. He was so proud to have a chair. A chair that he chose. It is orange. He loves the orange and yellow. His favorite color is yellow. Ruthie's is pink. Her chair will be pink, it just hasn't arrived.
Anyway, we are excited about school. I think Ruthie is ready and eager. I think Joshua will struggle some after about 20 minutes. All he likes to do is play. I did a little assessment on them and one of the questions was, "What do you like to do?". His answer was play. I asked if there was anything else and he said no. He is all boy and, yet, he has a real tender heart.
-Ruthie's first shopping excursion: Recently, Ruthie had the opportunity to spend some of her birthday money. We went to the dollar store. I talked with her about being a smart shopper, etc. She shopped and shopped and shopped. She chose a little battery operated car for Joshua first. What a heart she has!!! Then she chose a stick horse for herself. They are both very giving that way. (there is another blessing)

Okay, so I better close for now. I need to tie up some loose ends for school and we are having a Family Fun Day today. Joel has planned it, so I am not sure what we are doing. I do know that we are going to take them to the IMAX theater. They earned tickets through the summer reading program, so we definitely want to use those. Plus, Mama loves the topic. We will get to watch whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures swim for a whole 40 minutes. I think if I would have grown up near the coast I probably would have become a marine biologist. As far as the rest of the day - who knows what Joel has planned. I am sure it will be fun. (this family fun events are great - the goal is to have fun - duh) This is good for me, because I just tend to work and work. It makes me take a break. Yea!!!!

Craig and Phyllis - I tried to contact you but couldn't reach you. I would love to chat with you, if you would like. Any support I could offer is extended to you.

Until next time,
Nancy

Your Opinion, Please?

2008-07-29T13:47:00.003-07:00

Hello! All!

I once again apologize for my lack of writing. I have no excuse, other than I am busy and this blog is low on the priority list.

Here is what we have been doing:
-medical appointments (still trying to gain information and treatment)
-the homeschool convention was just as great as it was last year (Yes, we have decided to give it a try. We have sent in our letter of intent to the state, curriculum is on the way, and we are setting up a classroom in our home. Yesterday, I assembled a bookshelf for our materials. Today, I will assemble their small desks.)

Okay, so that doesn't seem like much when I only type 2 items. However, we don't take our children's education lightly. We are very serious about it and will do our absolute best for them. This is the curriculum we are starting with:
Sonlight (this is a literature based) this will also include some science and social studies.
Sing, Spell, Read and Write (phonics which uses music) I used this in my classroom and the kids loved it.
Math-U-See (this math is hands on and very reputable amongst homeschoolers)
Bible (simple Bible stories and a small activity) I chose this because we will already have some of this in our Sonlight. The kids will also be attending AWANA at our church. They will memorize scripture in this program and we will use this as part of our school day.
Rosetta Stone (this is a full immersion software program that will help them learn English) We are excited about this and someday hope to purchase the Russian version. The goal now, though, is to learn English.

As time passes and we get into a school routine, we will consider gymnastics for them. We think that they would both benefit and enjoy it. This would also help in developing better gross motor skills. Down the line we may join a physical education program for homeschoolers.

So, at this moment in time I am feeling pretty confident about our decision. God's word is real clear about homeschooling and I know that He will equip me. I also pray that He will fill in the gaps that I miss or that I can't provide for whatever reason. My prayer request is: that I could come up with a workable schedule that will encompass our school day, managing our home, etc. Also, that I would delve into His word on a more consistent basis. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am trying to figure out how this is all going to work. (Bible reading, school, running a business, getting the house cleaned, etc.)

One other thing - I would like to take a poll on whether or not to keep this blog going. Please, let me know what your opinion is - either through a comment or you can email me. :) Thanks.

Much love,
Nancy

Change of Heart - I Think

2008-07-10T20:20:00.008-07:00

Good Day to all who read this. First, I thought you would like to see some photos of camping.

Ruthie - trying to catch a dragonfly with plastic tweezers. Believe it or not, she didn't fall in. They both had great fun finding bugs, crawdads, dragonflys, etc. Simply being a kid is great!
First time fishing at Watson Lake, in Prescott, Arizona. Here fishy, fishy, fishy.
Still waiting.
And still no fish. Ruthie couldn't understand why they just didn't come. Notice her posture in this photo. We finally had to explain that it was probably too hot and that maybe the fish were sleeping.

Later, we ate s'mores. They were gooey and yummy.

On the Fourth of July, we dressed patriotic, hung our American flag on the house, ate hamburgers, and waited for the fireworks. Unfortunately, the fireworks didn't happen due to poor weather conditions. In the above photo, Ruthie is getting ready to sing karaoke. Oops, on my part - she can't read yet. Plus, she knows few songs in English. (atleast what you can clearly understand) So, instead, she was handed the microphone. She sang Jesus Loves Me beautifully. After that she sang Spacoina Noche, a song in Russian. Spacoina Noche means Good Night. That's our Ruthie - no fear of anything, living life to the fullest.
As far as me in the photo? I am saying, "Man, it's hot!" either that, or I need the first aid station. The sign is behind me.
Eatin' some good ole' waermelon. I mean watermelon. Joshua just says it like waermelon. Too cute.
While we were waiting for the weather to improve, which it didn't, we would periodically get up and dance. Ruthie with Papa, Joshua with Mama, etc. Here they decided to dance with each other.

On Wednesday, Ruthie celebrated her 7th birthday. It was a BIG, BIG day, despite our efforts in trying to keep it small and low key. She had fun, but at times we could tell she struggled. We are thankful that we made the decision to keep it real small and simple. At times, she was trying to invite people to her party. Thank goodness they couldn't quite understand her. We then explained to her that her party would only be for family. Then when we sing and have cake, your godparents will come. Again we were so thankful we did it this way. Anything else would have been way too much.

Opening a gift or two, was fun. Her butterfly wings she is wearing are now proudly on display in her bedroom.

Now for the change of heart topic:

We are reconsidering their education. For the last couple of weeks, homeschooling keeps popping into my head and it keeps resurfacing. People I barely know have been asking if we are going to homeschool. So, we are praying and seeking His will. Our desire is to be obedient, He is our authority. I do want to make it abundantly clear that this doesn't have anything to do with finances. We know from past experiences with God, that God would provide the finances for private school if that is what He wants for our children.

For those of you who aren't familiar with homeschooling I encourage you to read up on it. If you have been reading this blog for a long time, you will know that last year we went to the homeschool convention. At that time, we were checking into it and considering it even then. Next weekend is the same convention, we are planning on attending. At the convention, there are numerous workshops to attend with topics such as:

Elements of Writing Instruction

Homeschooling Works and Increases Freedom

How Do You Know What They Know?

Home Educated and Now Adults: Were the Criticisms True of False?

Clutter, Clutter Everywhere and Not a Spot to Think

Manners Matter

Biblical and Classical Education

SAT Preparation for Christian Students

I'm Sorry: Training Young Apologists

Biblical Character Training for You and Your Child

Learning Through Play

Principles for Principals

Nurture and Admonition - Not Pain and Provocation

The History and Future of American Education (the description for this says, "The Massachusetts Puritans enacted the first compulsory school law in 1647 to make sure that every citizen of their new commonwealth could read the Scriptures. Today, second-graders in public schools can't do a book report on a Bible story. How did we get here from there? Where do we go tomorrow?)

Also, at the convention their will be numerous vendors. This is the time to check out all of the curriculum choices. The choices are numerous and there are several ways you can homeschool.

So, that is what has been happening. We would like to ask you to pray for our decision and that we would remain focused. Have a blessed day!!!

With love and great joy in my heart,

Nancy

Bad News

2008-07-01T09:06:00.003-07:00

We received an email yesterday that was disheartening. The Displaced Pupil Grant is not being funded to help with their education. We are bummed, but will find a way somehow.

I know that people can contribute to their education and receive tax credits. I believe, though, that this is only for Arizona residents. I will post later about this with more information. Some of you may want to help and receive a tax break on top of it.

On a lighter note, we went camping this past weekend for the first time. It was hot, hot, hot! I suppose we didn't go North far enough. Anyway, setting up the tent was fun for all and so was breaking camp. The kids loved looking for crawdads, trying fishing, eating a s'more, and sleeping in a sleeping bag. Ruthie couldn't figure out why a fish wouldn't come to her and we had to show both how to sleep in a sleeping bag. When we first laid them down for the night, they just grabbed their blankets and laid down. We explained, no, you first unzip it and then crawl in. Oh, they also loved looking for bugs and digging in the dirt.

Now, we are home recuperating and enjoying the air conditioning. Ruthie has started a summer program with the local school and we have swim lessons in the early evening. Other than that we are trying to slow down, relax, and just spend time together before school starts.

That's all for now. Take care. Nancy

A Little of the Old and the New

2008-06-24T21:04:00.004-07:00

Hi! All!!!

I hope this note finds you well and enjoying your summer. We are continuing to work on becoming a family. Today, over lunch, Joshua was saying something about him and Papa only. He then stated Ruthie and Mama only. Ruthie told him, "no" that it was all of us, all of us are a family. Yea!!! I think she is beginning to really understand what that means. You have no idea how much this warms my heart. I think back to about 3 months ago and the changes that have occurred since then. It truly - is amazing! It is beautiful!

Previously, Joshua and Ruthie knew little about each other. Their overall diet was limited. Their natural curiosities weren't allowed to develop. Their world was one building and a limited playground. As a whole, their world was real, real small. I mean literally. Think about living in one building and a playground that was limited. If you take the time to really think about it, you will figure out how small their world was.

Now, life is very, very different. Their world is still small, (on purpose, as not to overwhelm them) but not like before. They know each other real well. In fact, they pick on each other like siblings do. What a blessing this is to us, as well. Each wants to make sure that they get their fair share of whatever is the current topic. They love to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, hamburgers, and pretty much all that I put in front of them. (we are doing this on purpose, to expose them to new tastes, etc. Research shows that after being home for about 6 months, they may decide to become picky. People have said feed them a variety now and they will be less picky later)

Their love for shopping carts has subsided some, but now like to ride under the cart. Oh, bother. However, they both love speed bumps and telling mom how to drive. Like any child, they don't understand waiting very well. For example, when the light turns green and I can't go because there are other cars in front of me, they exclaim to me, "Go!" or something that expresses frustration because we aren't moving. Sigh.... After I take another deep breath, I try and explain what is happening.

Swim lessons have gone well. The first week, we talked a lot about appropriate behavior while in a class. I had to teach them this. I know that it is basic, but somehow it escaped my mind. I think, though, that Joel and I made a mistake with swim vests. We bought them vests to keep them safe while we swam at home. However, now it seems they have no fear of the pool. So, we are now talking about pool safety a lot and we have new pool rules. We have also signed them up for another swim class.

When reading books, Ruthie is asking more and more questions. I try and take my time. I explain things to her and we talk about vocabulary words. It is REAL good and I am thankful for her inquisitiveness. I hope this continues. Joshua is learning to sit still and listen. Then he wants to talk about things that aren't really related to the story.

This past weekend I went to a Get Away Scrapbooking event. I got a lot done and it was good to be away. For the first time in my life, I felt like a Mama. I called them and prayed with them before bed. It was good and healthy for all of us. Joel said they missed me, which is, obviously a sign that attachment is happening. (I don't think I am wrong anyway) While away there was a group of ladies talking about their children. Someone asked me how old my son was - I paused - and realized I better answer. I am not use to hearing my son or my daughter. My friend said that I paused for a minute and then answered. I suppose you could say this whole adjustment that we are going through isn't just for Ruthie and Joshua, but all of us. We are slowly becoming a family - a real family. One that I will never take for granted.

Oh, I wanted to mention a few of my music choices that you can listen to. In particular, 'Joseph's Song' - I encourage you to click on it and listen to the words. It will give you a whole new perspective on some things - mainly, adoption. Yes, Joseph adopted Jesus. The song, 'Somewhere Out There' is one of the songs that Joel and I listened to frequently while waiting for Joshua and Ruthie to come home.

I guess I will sign off for now. I kind of feel like I am rambling. If there is any topic, you would like me to write about, please let me know and I will try.

Have a blessed evening. Goodnight.

Nancy

Talkin' Attachment

2008-06-11T18:20:00.004-07:00

Hello! All!

This past week has been a whirlwind. On Thursday, our good friends, the Andrews arrived. So, leading up to that we were busy cleaning, buying groceries, etc. By the way, the kids love to run the vaccum. I am sure that will be shortlived, but for now we have to divide the carpet. There is only one problem. When Joshua vaccums he isn't really picking up anything because the nose of the vaccum is in the air. Well, when Joshua was done, Joel re-vaccumed it. Next thing, I know - Joshua is crying. I talked with him and he was upset because Joel revaccumed. In the end, we worked it out. In the future, I will need to make sure the part that I give him doesn't need much cleaning. (I am okay with my carpet being a little dirty for the sake of my son knowing that he contributed to the family) Boy, I have a come along way in this department.

Back to our friends - it was fun to spend time with them. We hadn't seen each other in a real long time and it was fun to rekindle our friendships. We went to the Phoenix Zoo. Yes - it was hot, hot, hot. The good news is that our kiddos got in free and we could take in our own lunch, etc. I now have a gazillion zoo photos. It was also a blessing to worship with them.

On Saturday, during all of this fun, we basically "kicked" our dear friends out of the house. We are grateful for their good attitudes and understanding. Let me explain. Ralph, our social worker, came for our first post-placement report. It is due in Russia on August 15th. Even though, we have been home only 3 months it was time to get the ball rolling. It is imperative that this report is not late. In fact, when we were doing all of that paperwork we had to sign a post-placement commitment statement. You see adoption agencies can lose their accreditation with a country if they are not completed. So, of coarse, this could affect other families adopting and children that need homes. Besides all of that, we were interested in getting Ralph's perspective on how we are doing. It was good and the timing was perfect, despite kicking our friends out. I think Joel would agree with me. Our report was favorable. We asked for some feedback and he said a couple of things that have really stuck:

1. Our focus for the next year and a half should be on attachment
2. Joel and I have the responsibility to work on attachment, it starts with us

We knew this from before, but it was an eye-opener. We needed to hear it again. The timing was perfect. We understood it even more than before, because now we have a little experience with our children. You are probably asking, what does this mean exactly? Let's see if I can explain it: our children don't know the difference between a stranger, friend, and Mama/Papa. The lines were never drawn. Okay, I was talking with a friend today about it. During our conversation she stated that if Joel and I needed to get away that she would be willing to come over and watch the kiddos. She suggested coming over and getting to know them first, so they wouldn't "freak out". I said that is the problem. If you came over, they wouldn't freak out. They would be totally okay with it. They are accustomed to people going in and out of their lives. The boundaries that most children grow up with aren't there. (By the way, if they did freak out, that would be a GREAT BIG PRAISE! Joel and I would be estatic!!) I hope you, dear reader, are grasping the concept that I am trying to portray. Please, let me know if you don't because we need people to think about it. Not just for our sake but for other families that you may come into contact with or whom you could encourage.

From a practical standpoint, here is what we need to do or continue:
-encourage as much physical contact with Joel and I, as possible (we are thankful for the swimming pool, for this reason)
-rock them as long as we are able and make eye contact
-educate others on how to interact with our children ie. no hugging, etc. handshakes and high fives are okay

This last one is difficult. It challenges people to think outside of their normal thinking. It definitely doesn't follow the mainstream. Some people take offense to it or dismiss it as nothing. It can be frustrating.

Now, I would like to air a pet peeve of mine. Joel and I are getting real tired of some peoples questions. I realize that people don't intentionally try to annoy me. (atleast not normally) Anyway, but the common question is: "Oh, are they brother and sister?" or "are they blood related?" and then they usually follow that with, "Different father?" or something along those lines. RRRRrrrrrrrrr!!! What does it matter? These questions are the common ones. I won't tell you some of the others and how some people will inadvertently make our children out like a zoo exhibit or something. Some people are just downright rude and nosy.

I guess we are being stretched once again to grow. It is time for both of us to protect our children and not answer some of these questions. They now understand the majority of what we are saying, especially Ruthie. We both need to become more diplomatic and vague in our answers. I need to develop a thick skin for the sake of our children. In fact, all of these questions, are one reason why we chose Russia. We thought the children would look more like us in skin color and facial features. We thought our adoption story could become, with time, private. The children could then decide for themselves if they wanted to share their story or not with others. It wasn't automatically public. I know, I know, with time it will get better.

On a lighter and more positive note - they keep us hopping. This week, both are enrolled in Vacation Bible School. They are having a blast!! In fact, tonight Joel took them. Aha! this explains this long post, doesn't it? Joel is busy with work and got to play golf recently. I started my cake class and this next week starts the hands-on portion. I think Joel is looking forward to a little cake. The kids are eager to pick out their cake pan for their upcoming birthdays.
(Mom - will veto some choices)

As far as the grant for their education? okay, we thought it was taken care of - actually it isn't. We received an email that the funding might not be granted. The funding is being held, waiting for a Arizona Supreme Court decision on vouchers.

Our prayer requests:
-that grant funding would happen
-that people would try to understand attachment and if they refuse, Joel and I would be kind, but tough in working with these people. These people would include Sunday school teachers, new friends, teachers in the fall, etc.
-that Joel and I would begin to find regular time for each other

I guess that is it for now. Take care and enjoy your summer!!!

Nancy and her fun-loving mini gang

Ruthie's Prayer

2008-06-03T20:55:00.003-07:00

Greetings All!

I have much to share, but little time to write. I will do my best, however.

First of all, when we go to bed each night, we pray. We usually do this individually, it works better. This way no one is trying to gain attention over the other, etc. When Ruthie and I had our time together, I prayed first. She followed and her prayer, almost verbatim, was:

Thank you food. Thank you Mama. Thank you Papa. Thank you home. Thank you America. Thank you Joshua. Thank you Ruthie. Thank you ???(I can't remember) WOW Jesus Amen

I was moved by her prayer and once again grateful for the blessing she is in my life. I love the "WOW", the most.

Second, we have a HUGE praise and answer to prayer. Joshua and Ruthie were both awarded the grants for their education. What a blessing! We are hoping this will continue through the year. Some education professionals, etc. are fighting against it and trying to pull funding. Time will tell. Right now, though, we rejoice.

Third, we took our first mini-trip away from home. We traveled with Papa to one of his accounts in Aztec, NM. We had a great time and it was fun. I think this was really beneficial for us as a family. Plus, we learned that each time you stop, it can never be quick. It just takes everyone awhile to get settled. You know - first, there are the trips to the bathroom. Then there is gassing up the car. There might be a snack involved, so we sit and eat it. Lit'l Bit needs to go to the bathroom, so we take a little walk. After that, he might be thirsty, so we pull out his water. Etc. etc. I know you know what I mean. At the same time, though, I loved it. So, did Joel.

Other Updates:

-summer is in full swing This next week both will attend Vacation Bible School. In the very near future, swim lessons are on the calendar. We are doing the reading program through the public library and they are enjoying it. Afterall, you earn prizes. Oh, popsicles are yummy!

-we have company coming Thursday night and we are looking forward to meeting our new friends (mainly the 3 year old)

-Mama has signed up for a cake decorating class because birthdays are coming up quickly. The cakes just have to be adorable.

Below are a few photos for you:

-the 1st will show you how far along Joshua has come in his relationship with Lit'l Bit. It isn't and hasn't been a problem for a long while.

-the 2nd and 3rd - Mama's is enjoying kisses and counting her blessings.

Tidbits of Happenings

2008-05-23T08:58:00.002-07:00

On Tuesday night, we met with another family that has adopted from Russia. This was Joel's first time meeting them and my second, although Tiffany and I have chatted on the phone. We met at Chick-Fil-A and everyone had a grand time. After eating, all of the kids, 7 total, played on the indoor playscape and the adults could visit. I have to tell you we were truly blessed. It was so refreshing to visit with someone who has been home for awhile with their children. Truly a breath of fresh air and affirmations. There are times I doubt myself and it was great to talk. Thank you Tiffany and Robert.

I also wanted to share a couple of more stories:
-On Sundays, I figure out what Ruthie and Joshua are going to wear for the week. Well, I knew that there were special days for Ruthie and I needed the piece of paper that would tell me what was planned and when. Despite my organizational skills, I couldn't locate it. Ruthie and Joshua were even looking for it. It was funny! They were looking in places that weren't even possible. Finally, I had an A-Ha moment and we all stopped and prayed. Joel was present, as well. So, I prayed that Jesus would help us find the paper. Then we began looking again. Shortly after the prayer, I looked in my purse and there it was. I exclaimed, "Thank you, Jesus! I found it!" Joshua and Ruthie ran around saying, "Thank you, Jesus!" We then ran out and told Papa. Not too long ago, I had read to not only pray for the BIG things in life with your children, but the small, as well. So, I did. He answered my prayer and my children had the opportunity in seeing God do it. Yea!
-We have been practicing and using our manners quite regularly now. This morning it is overcast here. (pretty rare for where we live) Anyway, Ruthie thanked me that she could wear her jeans because it wouldn't be hot. I said, "Thank Jesus. He plans and creates the weather." Joshua then piped in and said, "Thank you, Jesus." Shortly after, he said, "Jesus-no-your welcome."
-We are trying to teach them to say they are sorry and then ask for forgiveness when needed. About a week or so ago, I heard Joshua apologizing to the bathroom soap because he knocked it over. Too cute!!!

As far as the funding for school - we are hoping the letter will show up today. I pray that it will be positive.

Have a great day!

Nancy

The School Issue

2008-05-21T11:20:00.002-07:00

Yes - we are still here. I apologize to those who check this regularly. I keep thinking, "I need to post.", but then I never get to it. It seems that dishes or the laundry or something takes its place. On any account, please accept my apology.

So, where to begin - hhmmmm.

Let's see - on Friday, I will be taking Ruthie back in to the dentist for the fitting of the spacer. She has lost another baby tooth and another is loose. She has one permanent tooth coming in - this baby tooth was gone when we met her. It is hard for her to eat some foods because she has so many teeth missing.

As far as other medical appointments - I need to schedule them. We need to see a specialist for Joshua and his hearing. It seems that his left ear has some issues.

School update:
First, I need to vent just a little. Yesterday, I completed my Once-A-Month cooking marathon. I prepped and prepared 30 meals. They are now in the freezer. Yea! I feel so accomplished. Due to my cooking, Joel took the kids to school and then picked them up. Ruthie had a day where the kids wore their pajamas, took a pillow, and their favorite book. The book that Ruthie chose to take was her Bible. When Joel returned home, he thought that the school would be calling us about her Bible. Instead, when he picked her up he heard from the teacher. Apparently, Ruthie was handing out things from her Bible from Sunday school. (Joel and I thought - "Yea! You, Go Girl!") The teacher told Joel to not let Ruthie bring her Bible again. She said that there were other students in the class and the parents wouldn't like it. I was glad that Joel was there and not me. He told her that the hand-out stated to bring your favorite book, so she did.

When they got home, Joel told me what had happened and I have to be honest with you, I was really upset. I talked with a friend about it and she said that the school is wrong. Ruthie has every right to take her Bible, if she chooses. She has the constitutional right to take it. She could even give a sermon, if she wanted. I am slowly calmly down, thank goodness.

What makes matters worse, is that Ruthie was told that Jesus didn't hurt on the cross. We told her that her teacher was wrong. He did hurt. We reassured her that taking her Bible was okay and that she wasn't in trouble.

Having said all of the above, our decision for schooling next year was reaffirmed. Joshua and Ruthie will be attending a small, private school. The student to teacher ratio for Joshua will be 1:12 and for Ruthie 1:20. However, I don't think there will even be 20 students. We have also decided with much prayer, talking with others, etc. that Joshua will enter their pre-school program and Ruthie will attend Kindergarten. The public school wouldn't allow for this - they would push to place Joshua in kindergarten and Ruthie in second. Typically, the public sector places by age, not ability. All adoption research indicates they should be placed by ability. If you think about - how can we expect either one to jump in their skills, language, etc. when they haven't even been exposed to any education at all? Plus with all of the other changes that are happening - we think this will give them more time and their education in the long run will be stronger. The goal isn't to "graduate with their peers", but to equip our children to be good citizens who will be capable and contributing. One of our desires for them is that they will love to learn. I hope this makes sense to you.

On the financial end, we have applied for a grant that they should qualify for to help pay for their education. We should know what the answer is by the end of the week. So, I will try and post about it when I can. If the grant doesn't work out, there are some other options for financial assistance.

That's it for now. Joel and I need to coordinate our schedules and eat lunch.

By the way - do you like the music? I feel so brilliant adding that to the blog. Now I just need to add more songs.

Nancy

I Like America!

2008-05-12T20:33:00.003-07:00

A few quick stories:

On my way home from picking up the kids today Ruthie really started to use in English:
"I like ______. I like _______. and on and on. She shared that she liked hamburgers. She named some other things as well. I joined in, thinking I could name a few things that she liked but maybe she doesn't know how to say it yet. So, I named waffles. She then said, "I like America." Isn't that the greatest? I wonder if she really understands.

Over the weekend, we replaced some dead plants in our yard. Recently, she has had a great interest in bugs and flowers. Usually when I pick her up from school, she has picked some of the nearby vegetation or landscaping for me. So, on Saturday after trimming the numerous bushes in our yard she kept a handful of lantana and tried to plant it. By this time we were finishing up. She proceeded to pour her water over it and then told us that we all needed to be careful. The twig by this time looked pathetic. I, of course, didn't say anything. We were told that we needed to be careful and not step on it. She then said, "Ploha. Jesus.", as she pointed up. Joel and I looked at each and said, "okay then. I guess she told us." The word ploha means bad. So, essentially she was saying that if we stepped on it, it would be bad and that Jesus would know.

Joshua has requested to sing with Papa like Ruthie sang with Mama.

When my folks were here, I picked up a tank top for Joshua that had a boat on it. He says, "Mama. Joshua taller. Joshua boat. Joshua fast." At the same time, he is gesturing taller.

Recently, he said that he doesn't sleep because he is scared. Joel figured out by talking with Ruthie that he thinks there is a ghost in his room. So, we did what any normal parent would do, we prayed with him. We went to his room and hers and prayed for their protection. We told both of them that when they get scared that they can say, "Go Away! in Jesus name." After praying in one room, I needed to use the restroom. Joel and the kids were waiting for me. While I was gone I naturally needed to use toilet paper. Well, when I unrolled the toilet paper, which is on the other side of his wall, Joel said he displayed a surprised and then scared look. So, now we are wondering if he had a bad dream or if the toilet paper unrolling on our part is scaring him or if something else is going on. I am thinking it is the toilet paper unrolling. On any account, however, we continue to pray for their protection.

I guess that is it for now. I hope you enjoyed these.

Nancy

Tears of Joy

2008-05-11T20:11:00.003-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I hope everyone out there had a memorable and special day celebrating motherhood or simply being a woman. Previous to this year, I usually became very melancholy and somber. It was painful. The good news is because of my experience I am more sensitive to people who don't have children. For example, when I meet someone I usually don't ask if they have children. If they don't but would like to "have" children, answering your question is heart wrenching. I know this firsthand. When I know I am talking with a mixed crowd and I know that someone doesn't have children I try not to talk about mine. This, too, can be very painful and how could they contribute to the conversation? It just isn't kind or considerate.

This morning for the first time I truly celebrated Mother's Day. The day started out with a yummy breakfast and a gift from each of my family members. The kiddos were overjoyed and delightful, especially when they were saying, "Happy Mother's Day!" At church, I was full of joy and appreciation. Ruthie had the opportunity to sing with the other children and the choir. I didn't get to see her sing, however, Joel took photos. (sitting in the second row every Sunday is nice) When the choir rehearsed this morning, she stood with me and we sang together. For the first time my finger pointed at the music and the words for my little one.

During the rest of the worship time I found myself wiping the tears that were streaming down my face. I stood there in awe of the whole picture. I once again was overwhelmed with what God is doing in our lives as a family. I thought how blessed I am and what a privilege it is to be a parent, to be Joel's wife, and to have God as my Lord and Savior. I was humbled and I prayed that I would never take any of those for granted.

Joel and I take our parenting very serious and we are very intentional with what we are doing. We are learning and growing, it is quite exciting. Stepping back and looking at the BIG picture really helps me gain perspective when I get impatient or I am reminded that I need to work on my self-control. For this, I am once again thankful.

Okay - now for some updates:
-I was wrong about Ruthie's teeth. They aren't kid dentures. It is basically a wire that stays in her mouth so that when her permanent teeth come in the spaces will still be there. We went in this last week and it didn't fit properly, so we will return again when it is time.
-Joshua's fillings went well, except the little cocktail to knock him out for a little while, didn't work. Nope - sure didn't. We decided to proceed anyway. They gave him laughing gas, although no one was laughing. That relaxed him some and he endured what happened. He was a trooper. Later when we got home, we think it kicked in because he slept for 2 hours.
-The school assessments were really a kindergarten screening. They weren't extensive but atleast we got some information. I was thankful for Oxana and her willingness to help. As a thank you, Joel paid for gas. She is a new teacher and desires to teach 2nd grade, so I gave her a BUNCH of my teacher supplies that I have been storing. I think we were all appreciative of each other. As far as the assessments themselves, the only real news that we need to follow-up on is Joshua's hearing. We learned that he isn't hearing certain frequencies in his left ear. As far as the rest, I will spare you the details. I will tell you that what I had been thinking confirmed what I thought.
-tomorrow we have an appointment with the private school. I am anxious to talk with them and listen to what Joel thinks about it. Hopefully, we will be making our decision soon.

Everytime something interesting happens I think, oh-I should put that on the blog. Then when I sit down it is gone. I, so ,need to write more things down now. I will work on that with everything else I am working on.

Goodnight for now.
Nancy

Family Happenin's

2008-05-01T12:03:00.002-07:00

Hey! All!

Here is the latest on our NEW family:

Ruthie's mouth has healed quite nicely since her surgery. We are now waiting to schedule another appointment for her maintainers. She has numerous holes in her mouth where there are no teeth. The maintainers are kind of like a retainer that always stays in. Joels says they are really kids dentures. I look forward to having this done because right now, she eats primarily with one side of her mouth and only the side, not the front teeth. Eventually, her permanent teeth will come in and she won't need the maintainer.
Joshua is scheduled this next week for a consultation and then a dental appointment. At the dental appointment, he will get a little "cocktail" that will knock him out. He has four cavities they are going to fill.
Tomorrow, we are all heading to the local school for assessments. I have arranged for a Russian translator to come and help. This has been an issue and I will be glad when this is done. My hopes are that we will get a semi-clear picture of where our children are developmentally, educationally, etc. Research indicates that for every 3 months a child is in an orphanage they are 1 month behind. Joel and I would like to know now where they need help, rather than waiting and having lost all of that time. We would like start intervention sooner, than later. We are so trying to set them up for success.
I have visited the same private school twice now. This is after checking out charter schools, etc. Both times that I have been there the environment has been calm and quite pleasant. I have a peace about the place and I can see Ruthie attending there. The reasons we are considering it? smaller class size, calmer, more discipline, Bible teachings, and I don't think she would be "lost". They would be taught the truth about creation, evolution, etc. and when holidays roll around they would be taught the truth as well. For example, Thanksgiving and the pilgrims seeking religious freedom. Right now, she is in a class size of 27. Oh, another reason: next year she would be in a special class for atleast 4 hours a day for English Language Learners. This sounds fantastic, at first. However, just yesterday her ELL teacher told me that Ruthie is mimmicking everything, including the Spanish she is hearing. The teacher told me that she had to instruct her other ELL students not to speak Spanish and that she couldn't talk in Spanish either. UGGHHHHHH!!!! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I just knew this would happen. I was hoping it wouldn't, I was hoping I would be wrong. NOT!!! Anyway, this would be another reason to switch to a private school. She would be surrounded by English only. Can you imagine how confused she must be?
Another BIG question we are trying to decide is what grades to place them in. In the public setting, it would be by age. There is really no other option. They don't budge from this much. In the private, we have more options. Again, all adoption information tells us not to place by age but by ability. The private school is willing to start her in kindergarten and if she takes off, we could move her into first.
We are beginning to scrutinize our finances to see if we could squeeze the finances out for this private school.
Tomorrow afternoon, I am heading to a Women's Retreat with our church. Joel and the kids will be on their own. Recently, Joel received a book on things he needs to teach his son. One of the lessons is teaching him how to eat an Oreo cookie. Joel doesn't know it yet but earlier today I picked up a pack just for this occasion. I thought it would be fun for Joel to teach them both that while I am gone.
This past weekend was a BLAST and a whirlwind. My parents flew in on Saturday morning. Joel had a meeting, so the kids and I headed to the airport. They both understood that Grandma and Grandpa were coming on an airplane. So, every airplane that we saw in the sky they LOUDLY exclaimed, "Grandma! Grandpa!". I replied, "Maybe, maybe." They were so excited! You see they had seen their photos from the time we decided to petition to adopt them, so they clearly understood. When they saw G & G they ran to them and gave them BIG hugs! I was delighted this happened and my folks were surprised. (it was a reminder to me, though, of how vulnerable they are - the fact, that they would go so willingly is a bit scary) Anyway, it was great fun!

After Papa came home, we headed to the park. The plan was to let Ruthie and Joshua play. They could get rid of some energy and it allowed us to visit some. It worked perfectly.

The next day we got up and Papa had cooked a special breakfast. We then headed to church. It was a real exciting Sunday morning. We had them dedicated. We wanted to dedicate them to the Lord and commit to raising them up in Him. Some day, if they choose to accept Him as their Lord and Savior they will follow in baptism. This is their decision, not ours. Baptism doesn't save you, it is an outward expression of obedience to Him and as a testimony of what Christ has done for you. It is symbolic. Your old life is washed away and you now have a new life in Him. Our hopes are that as they grow and understand more of His teachings they will learn to love Him and will desire to live for Him.

Pastor Steve is fabulous. He was actually on vacation and his secretary called us last minute. He indicated that he would be back in town and that he would be willing to come in to the service just for us. He knew that my parents were here and that it was important to us. What a blessing He is! Thank you, Pastor Steve for your giving heart.

On Monday, my parents headed back to South Dakota. We were all sad, but glad that they came. As far as airplanes in the sky? yes, they still exclaim, "Grandma! Grandpa!" oh, when you read that try to add a Russian accent. Just roll the letter r and you will have it. Too, cute!

Ann - Lit'l Bit is faring quite well. There are times I feel sorry for him and I try to give him my time. In the mornings, he is quite demanding. While I am trying to get the kids ready and to the car, he barks at me to throw his football. So, I am juggling 3 children. The other thing is that he tries to sneak out when we leave the house. He wants to go with us. This breaks my heart. I can't blame him. Those little sad eyes looking at me are unbearable. We just need to find ways to include him more.

Okay, I better go. I have lots to do and this is quite lengthy.

With much love, Nancy and gang

Two Juice Boxes and One Cup of Applesauce

2008-04-22T14:37:00.002-07:00

WHEW!!! can you say it? We are home, safe and sound. I think.

Let me start with what has happened in the last 24 hours. Yesterday at this time, I was on my way to pick up the kiddos from school. When I left home, I had their snack ready and "homework" ready for both of them. I had plans of lasagna for dinner. Well, after picking up Joshua, Joel called and wanted me to head to the Honda dealership. (in between our trips to Russia, we researched mini-vans and decided which one we would choose if it came to it) In the last two weeks, the subject came up again. We began to pursue it and Joel began to talk serious with the dealership. The reason I am sharing this with you is because we could see God working again. We were unsure but in the end we could see His fingerprints. Here are a few: the salesman that we worked with when purchasing our Nissan Murano now works for Honda and, Rick, a friend from church, is one of the financial guys there.

Because of the market and because Honda's hold their value, buying new was the same price as buying used. Yea!! The price was below invoice price, so this was good. At first the trade value wasn't what we were hoping for, so Joel kept talking, while we prayed for His will. It came down to the final decision on the dealerships end and they called a special meeting to discuss it. That in itself is amazing. We know that Marce, our salesman, and Rick, our friend, were pulling for us. We thought if it was to be, it would be. In the end, the dealership gave us $500 more than what we asked for on our trade-in (part of this is because they asked the trade-in specialist about the Murano and he said that he has never seen a trade-in SO clean and in great condition. It looked new and not 3 years old. I guess my determination to have a clean vehicle paid off, literally), the salesman didn't make any commission, and the dealership lost $1,000. So, we now own a 2008 silver Honda Odyssey mini-van. Typing this is humbling. We are blessed and give God all of the glory.

While they were drawing up papers for the van, we grabbed dinner. Ruthie ate an entire adult size hamburger, a bunch of cantelope, a few fries, and drank her milk. I was glad to see her eat so much because it would be awhile until she could eat.

When Joshua woke up this morning, we dressed him and I took him to his school early. When Ruthie woke up we headed to her BIG dental appointment. At about 10:30 am and after she asked me over and over and over and over to eat, we were called in. The shot wasn't fun and, in fact, this is the first time she has fought it. Hopefully, we are done with shots for awhile. Anyway, she quickly fell asleep and they carried her off. Two and a half hours later, they called me back in. She was waking up and quickly, I might add. It seems like she does everything fast and faster. The next two hours were rough. It was difficult for me to get her home by myself, but I managed. When I first entered the room, she was flailing around and then said in Russian that she wanted to eat. When we got home, she downed two juice boxes and one cup of applesauce. The dentist office said to wait and give her liquids and soft foods when she asks for it. I think most kids take a little while before asking. Uhhh - not Ruthie. Currently, she is watching Finding Nemo and whines every now and then. I would say that overall she is doing well. She has already checked out the look and feel to her "new" mouth. Hopefully, the rest of the evening will go fine. We thank you for your numerous prayers and encouragement.
We can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate you.

Tomorrow, Joshua has an eye appointment. Next week, Ruthie has a follow-up to her surgery. In May, Joshua has a dental appointment that will require sedation, just not as extensive as Ruthie's. We also have a consultation for a couple of other medical issues. It will be good to get all of this out of the way and completed. It will also be a HUGE relief.

Well, that's it for now. I need to get the lasagna in the oven for tonight.

New AHA's

2008-04-17T13:57:00.004-07:00

Two days ago we received Ruthie and Joshua's official citizenship papers, along with a letter from President Bush. We were taken with emotion, which was unexpected. Joel pulled out Ruthie's and proudly held it up for her to see. He handed it to me and I began to read (quickly due to a short attention span) the letter from President Bush. Joel pulled out Joshua's and I heard with great enthusiasm, "Wow! Thank you! Pop!" I teared up and explained to Ruthie that Papa and Mama were happy, not sad. Later that night around the dinner table as Ruthie prayed in English and Russian, I heard her say, "Papa happy. Mama happy. America." I swallowed my tears of joy and inwardly counted my blessings. It was a great moment!

Joshua ceases to amaze us with his cuteness and his take on life. Ruthie does as well, but sometimes follows Joshuas lead for attention. It is interesting. They are definitely developing that good ole' sibling rivalry. It is challenging for us as parents and yet we are happy to see it. A couple of months ago, he didn't even know he had a sister, so this is all okay for us.

The newest AHA's:
-the light in the refrigerator door after getting water - turns off automatically. They exclaim, "Watch - watch!"
-last week, I took them to the Bible study we are a part of for the first time. It is at night, as we left, it was dark. I think this was the first time being out after dark. It was a whole new experience for them. Because of this, the overhead light in my car is a fascination as well. They love to watch it dim after the doors are shut.
-the car is still great fun. The newest? shutting our own car door and, oh my, if I shut it, it doesn't fly. So, I am teaching them to ask me or whoever appropriately for what they would like to do, etc. There are definitely a lot of teachable moments and dealing with our emotions.
-this last Saturday, we (Joel, Ruthie, and Joshua) got in the pool for the first time. It is too cold for me, still. Anyway, now they point to the pool and say, "Koopacha?" which means bath. We tell them it isn't a bath, but a swimming pool. They loved it, but definitely need swimming lessons. By the way, Grandma H, for some reason they are asking me if you are going to swim when you come. Last night, I told them 10 more days until you come and now they are wanting to know if you will swim. Funny, huh? You may want to bring your suits or something that can get wet. Don't feel obligated, though, you could just dangle your feet in like me. I told them I had to take photos and they were fine.

Medical Update:
-it appears Ruthie's eyes are fine, Joshua's appointment is next week.
-we had a follow-up general medical yesterday. Ruthie got a shot to update her immunizations and a prescription for her fever blister. Dr. B let me snap a photo of the 3 of them, which will be great in their albums. What memories I am collecting for them. Oh, they each gained 3 pounds, which was good. We also talked about the upcoming screening in Russian and it confirmed to me what I had in my head from the beginning. We also talked about Ruthie and school, a little. Dr. B agrees with me -she is in a class that has too many students and probably needs more structure. By the way, I think I have found the solution for this and I am waiting to visit an Open House they have scheduled on the 29th. It is a private school so we will need to figure out the finances.
-Ruthie is scheduled for her oral surgery on the 22nd. We would appreciate your prayers, she will be under for awhile because the work is quite extensive. Dr. B told us to expect a real growth spurt after this because she won't be in pain anymore and because of another issue that needs to remain private. I told her that last night she ate 3 servings of roast. Dr. B said we may need to monitor her eating after things get ironed out. She may start to gain too much weight. Time will tell.
-Joshua has 4 fillings we need to take of and a couple of medical procedures I need to check into. That is on my short To Do list.

Other news: as I drive them to school, I play children's praise music. They are requesting certain songs, which is great. The favorites are: This Little Light of Mine, The B-I-B-L-E, Jesus Loves Me, and Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho. Oh, Joshua calls the last song, Joshua Gennady Jericho. I told Joel - I hope he doesn't think his last name is Jericho. Funny, huh? And then because Joshua has a song, Ruthie wants a song with her name in it. For awhile, she would say over and over, "min yah, min hay, min yah." This basically means, me too.

We did show them their names in the Bible and they loved it. One night Papa read out of both books. They were delighted.

Well, I guess that is it for now. I will try and write more, as funny things happen. Have a blessed day!

Nancy

I Survived Flying Solo!!!! And They Did, Too!!!!

2008-04-11T10:45:00.003-07:00

On our second Family Fun Day, we went to Cabela's to check out the fish and wildlife. The shopping cart is still popular. I am glad because then they can't run off. Anyway, we also had a grand time checking out a truck and riding the escalator.

On Tuesday, Ruthie and I had a mommy/daughter day. I took her to the local beauty college for an inexpensive pedicure. She took it all in and chose a light blue polish for her toes. (I only let her choose between 2 colors that were appropriate for her age) Afterwards while waiting for Mama, she played with a mannequin head. She asked for scissors to cut the hair, as some people were doing this around her. It was cute, but I said, "no".

WHEEE!!!!! I am jazzed here and can hardly wait to hear the rev of the engine. What a treat from Joel! He understands my sense of adventure. I appreciate him, so. He knows when I need a little or a lot of fun! Thanks, Joel!!!!!

Getting buckled in and directions on how to get out!!! I'm thinking, "Okay, let's go!!!" Can you 140mph? OHHH, yea!!!

Joel was out of town most of this week. This photo is from last night when he returned. It was great! I'm sure Joel was overjoyed and could hardly wait for this moment. While hugging Ruthie, Joshua is trying to show Papa his new machina. (car)

Personally, I am glad Papa came home. Earlier in the week was real tough for me. I was unsure if I was going to make it or not. Bedtime on the first night was real rough. However, I am no longer a rookie in this department and now I know the ins and outs. I suppose I was lacking confidence of flying solo. By the end of the week, they both went down with comfort and ease. Last night, no one cried, including Mama. Yea!!

Current prayer requests:
-I have called a meeting with Ruthie's school. Joel and I think we need to meet with them. Also, yesterday when we got home there was a message on the answering machine saying that Ruthie needed to be picked up. I didn't get it until after picking her up. So, why didn't they call me on my cellphone?
-we are considering purchasing a van
-upcoming medical appointments-regular doctor, teeth, and eyes.

Thanks and have a GREAT day! Keep the comments coming, if you don't mind. They are encouraging. Also, if you have any prayer requests, pass them on.

Love,
Nancy

Suppose to be a Quick Note - yea, right

2008-04-06T20:12:00.003-07:00

Hey! All!

I am back for a quick note.

Update:
-dentist appointments We found a great dentist through our great friend, Ryann. Thanks, Ryann. Samm you are right about pediatric dentistry. I wanted to have my teeth cleaned. They even got a coin to put in a machine to get a prize. So, not fair for us adults. Oh, did I mention the entertainment and the cool theme of the whole place. Okay, you get the point.
Joshua's teeth aren't too bad - 4 cavities that we will need to take care of soon. Ruthie's teeth, on the other hand, need a lot of help. Every tooth in her mouth has a problem. She is scheduled for surgery on the 22nd. We are using an IV because she needs so much help. Some of her teeth will be extracted, while others will be filled. After the extractions, the dentist will place maintainers there until her permanent teeth start coming in. There is one tooth that is a mystery. There is something in it and the dentist doesn't even know what it is. It is long and white. It will be interesting to find out what that is all about when our doctor gets in there up close. Currently, her teeth are infected and I am surprised she didn't complain more about her mouth hurting now that we have this information. Her pain threshold must be extremely high. You are probably asking why her teeth got into this shape. Well, it is probably a combination of real poor nutrition, a lot of sugar, and poor hygiene. Our dentist has told us that she shouldn't have any sugar, juices, etc. So desserts will be a real special treat. I know I can't control all sugar intake because there are times I am not with her, so I have decided to monitor it as close as possible and then let the rest go. What else can I do?
-Joel and I were checking out photos of our kiddos and it is amazing to see the difference already in their faces. They have more color now and they don't look so ashen and white. It is great to see.
-Yesterday we had our second family fun day. We checked out the fish and wild game at Cabela's. Papa always loves to go here, so he loved this just as much as the kids. We then headed to get some photos taken at JC Penney. They are on order. (Oh, the adoption announcements have arrived and I will be working on them soon. So, yours should be coming in the mail **unless I don't have your address) The new photos we had taken were of them in traditional Russian costumes. They were adorable. Then we had some more casual photos taken. In the near future we will go back for a family photo. After all of this, we went and watched Uncle Brian drive a Nascar for his 50th birthday. Papa surprised Mama and paid for Mama to ride in a Nascar. I absolutely loved it. I only got to enjoy 3 laps. On the first lap around, I waved and said, "look Ma, no hands." The second lap I waved out the window. My heart was pounding and it was a great way for me to have some fun. Kick back a little. I am grateful for Joel, he knows when I need to let loose and then he helps me.
Looking back at our day, we realized we did too much. Today, after church and dinner, we came home. We just hung out. The kiddos played quietly for the first time. It was nice. They also helped Papa replace a dead plant in our backyard. They love to help Papa with anything.
-Speaking of which, when we have dinner in the evenings, Joshua sets the table with some guidance from Mama. After dinner, Mama rinses and puts things away. Ruthie loads the dishwasher. We have decided this is good to teach them right from the get-go. Families play together and work together. It is good. Oh, I have to tell you that I have a laundry basket in place for them and when they get ready for bed that is where they place their dirty clothes. Recently, we have been teaching them to make sure things are turned right side out and that socks aren't scrunched up.
-this week, on Tuesday, Ruthie's class has a fielt trip. I have decided to keep her home that day. Their will be plenty of opportunities in the future. The reason? over-stimulation and safety. At this point, she would be enthralled with the bus ride. So, Mama is planning something special for Ruthie and Mama to do that day.
-English is coming along. They understand alot more than what they can express. This is normal. Some of the things that are being said are quite amusing. For example, Joshua started saying, "Please georgina." We said to ourselves, Huh? Joel asked him, "Who is Georgina?" Then we figured it out and laughed and laughed. You see, we are trying to teach them when someone does something they don't like, they should say, "Please don't do that." In his cute little voice he says, "Please Georgina." Have I mentioned the eggs? anytime he sees an egg he exclaims, "Jesus!" (even in the grocery store)

Okay, I got longwinded again. Sigh. .. I guess I can't help it.

Ann and Aunt Pat - thanks for your words of encouragment on the evaluations. It has been tough and the local school districts, for some reason, don't seem to know the significance of evaluating them in their first language. This is ludicrous to me. It is the only thing that makes sense. So, I offered the Russian translator. I think they are only doing it because I gently kept asking about it. Our next education challenge is placement for next year. I am not so concerned about Joshua because of his age. Ruthie, on the other hand, is a huge concern. The school district, more than likely, will want to move her to first grade. She isn't even close to doing kindergarten work. It would be unfair to her to place her in first. Another challenge: school districts don't understand the post-institutionalized child. I have given Ruthie's teacher an article. I need to follow-up with her and see if she has read it.

Goodnight for now.

Joshua's Funny School

2008-04-01T20:27:00.002-07:00

In the whole scheme of things, the first two days of school went really well. Joshua says, "Joshua's funny school." He is trying to say that his school is fun. At dinner we try to talk about school and he tells me that he sleeps, eats, and plays. So, it is good to hear that his school is funny.

Ruthie seems to be doing well, but I have my reservations about the school. I suppose time will tell. I am wondering if it is structured and strict enough for her. We are really working on self-control. I am planning on talking with the teacher as soon I am able about her situation. I also have to keep in mind that it has only been 2 days.

However, today after picking her up, I turned the car around, everyone got out, and then we proceeded to her substitute teacher and the ELL teacher. Ruthie took something that wasn't hers. We had a little chat, she apologized, and then she lost 10 minutes of play at home. Sigh.. it is amazing what you can communicate with just a little language. She completely understood me and accepted her 10 minutes. We even got to practice some self-control. When she didn't sit quietly, the timer was stopped and re-started.

Tomorrow we head to the dentist for the first time. I am looking forward to this visit, especially with Ruthie. We think her teeth are going to need a lot of work.

In a couple of weeks, we see their doctor again to see how things are going. We also have eye appointments scheduled. It feels great to knock these things out and learn exactly where they are in different areas.

Oh, did I mention that on the 9th of May they will be screened by the school district. I am providing someone who speaks Russian to help. I am thankful that the district is letting us do this, because I think we will get the best results possible. I guess I don't understand how you can assess and get accurate scores when they don't understand what you want them to do. I mean really, how would you do if someone was speaking Russian to you? The gal that I have coming is even finishing up her education degree, so she comes with some knowledge and a little experience. Thank you Jesus!

Yipee! Yipee!

2008-03-30T21:14:00.002-07:00

This morning in Sunday school class, Wade asked if anyone had any praises. I immediately shot up my hand and gleefully exclaimed that we are sitting in Sunday school. Today, Ruthie and Joshua attended their 2 hours of Sunday school without us by their sides, while we participated in the service and then our Sunday school. We were a bit nervous, but knew they could find us immediately via our cell phones being on vibrate.

I must tell you, it felt great to participate in corporate worship. I think it had been 7 weeks since we had that privilege. I wanted to hug everyone and Shout (truly shout) to the Lord. There were times I preferred to be prostrate in reverence to Christ. Our sermon was about false teachings and when our pastor mentioned Oprah and what she is promoting, I was deeply saddened at how that will affect so many. My spirit was grieved so much, I wept. You see after experiencing what we have over the last 26-27 months with Christ, hearing words that are deplorable and that don't honor Christ is sickening. We MUST fight for truth and line it up with His Word. At the end of the sermon, Pastor Steve asked, "When Jesus was tempted, what did Satan use? you got it - scripture. Yes, Satan knows scripture but he twists it. So, I encourage you to ask for discernment and always pray, pray, pray for Him to lead you.

On another note: Tomorrow is a real BIG day for all of us. Ruthie and Joshua are heading to school. Ruthie is going to finish out the school year in kindergarten and Joshua is going to a Christia pre-school. They are both very excited and can hardly wait. They have been counting down for 3 days now. Mom is a little apprehensive and nervous. I am pretty sure they will do well, but I suppose if I wasn't nervous at all something would be wrong.

Oh, I need to tell you a funny little story: yesterday we were at Target picking up some items that we needed. Well, we forgot an item so after church, we stopped by on our way home. Joel was driving. We turned into a parking lot which in his mind, he thought was Targets. All of a sudden he exclaimed, "Where am I?" We both cracked up laughing. We weren't even close to Target. Since we have been home, Joel has said several times that he was worried about me getting from one place to another because I was thinking about so many things. I told him not to worry, I would eventually find my way. And then - A HA - it happened to him and I was with him. We laughed and laughed. The other funny thing about it all is that I didn't notice either. Okay, I am still laughing about it as I am typing. I looked at him and said, "Welcome to my world."

Okay, good night for now. I hope you have a great day and that you will remember to count your blessings. Count them one by one.

Love,
Nancy

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-22T20:41:00.006-07:00

Happy Easter! to all of our family and friends! What a glorious day - to think what He has done for us! When I think of what He did and what He does for us now, I wonder how we can be so stupid sometimes by not listening to Him? or not being obedient. Food for thought.

Recent Happenings:
-Joel's parents are in town and the other night Ruthie and Joshua got to meet them for the first time. We tried to keep things real low key. We grilled hamburgers and ate a real nice dinner. Joel and I are delighted that they like beef. They will even eat roast! Yea! Anyway, Ruthie and Joshua enjoyed their grandparents.
-Yesterday, we joined several family members from Joel's side of the family and went to the Wildlife Zoo. We were wondering how they would do, they had a blast! That is, as long as they got to ride in the wagon. We packed in strawberries and they gobbled those up while Papa found lunch. I am quickly learning what works and what doesn't. Man, you really have to be organized. I am still working on this one. Thank goodness I like to organize things.
-Today, Lit'l Bit came home. He was very excited to be coming home. Before going, the kids took turns playing doggie and owner. They came up with a leash and took turns being the dog. I, now have photos of Joshua pretending to eat out of the dog dish. It is quite funny.

Interruption: someone won't go to bed without me

Next day:
So, where was I? who knows? So, I will tell you about our Easter. We woke up and ate breakfast. At breakfast we opened our Easter cards. We proudly displayed them and Ruthie loves looking at hers. After breakfast, we got ready for church. They both looked adorable. Ruthie got to carry a little purse. It was Easter afterall. I remember having a little white wicker purse that I carried to church each Easter. It was always special, so I thought Ruthie would enjoy a purse, also. I was right. She loved it. When we arrived, Joel took Joshua to Sunday school and I took Ruthie. This is working real nice. We each sit with them and we are gradually becoming more comfortable with the surroundings. I stepped out for a few minutes and another gal observed her while I stood out of sight. She did great! I was gone for about 15 minutes. Then, I stepped back in the room and she was still okay. She showed me what she had done and she even showed me her leftover snack. It was precious. Since this went well, I told her that she could stay and play for awhile and that I would be back. I asked her if that would be okay and she indicated "yes". I don't know if she was nervous, but I was. It was real difficult leaving her just for a short time. Earlier when I stepped out, I was just on the other side of the wall. This time I walked down to see how things were going with Joel and Joshua. Joel said he was doing good also. What a praise!

Joel and I stepped into the last service of the day and sang a few praise songs. We were so blessed to be there. We were both anxious parents, knowing they couldn't communicate well if they needed it. However, we knew they were in good hands. This next week, I am planning on calling their teachers and chatting with them a little. Hopefully, this will help Joel and I, as well as, their teachers. The teachers need to know that any comfort our children may need, it must come from us. And that neither should be sitting in anyones lap, etc. This is because we are working on attaching with one another, not with other people. This is normal when you adopt and our children need to know that we are "it". We are their Mama and Papa, no one else. They are accustomed to many caregivers and now they need to learn they can rely on Mama and Papa. I hope this makes sense to you and if you know of someone who has or is adopting this is crucial. I hope you find this information beneficial. Many people don't slow down enough to really think about it.

After singing a few songs, we went and picked them up. Next week, we will do the same, but maybe we will be gone longer. Its all about baby steps. We don't want to increase their anxiety, we want them to enjoy going.

Okay, back to our day. After our time at church, we went home for a snack and to get ready to go out to Uncle Brian and Aunt Colleens house. After snack, Mama and Papa gave them an Easter basket filled with some goodies. Some of the goodies came from Grandpa and Grandma H. By the way, they G & G H, they love the stuffed animals. If one makes theirs sing the other pushes on their animal, as well. The other big hit, is the light up pens. We heard more gasps when they discovered the lights. Joshua tends to carry his around and sings what he can. This is helping him learn, "Jesus Loves Me", a song that we had begun teaching them while in Russia. Oh, at Sunday school Joshua was given a plastic egg with a piece of candy in it. We are doing the Resurrection Eggs, so because of this he exclaimed, "JESUS!" Joel said it was cute. Also, when we do the Resurrection eggs we review the previous items from the previous eggs. The first day is a donkey. Jesus rode on a donkey. So, I show them and ask them what it is - when Joshua speaks it comes out as "jonkey". Too adorable, I must say!

We ate our Easter dinner at Uncle Brian's and Aunt Colleens. Overall, they did really well. They played and we continued to teach them boundaries. Joel and I were both pleased.

Check out the photos below. I think you will enjoy them. So, for now I am going to bed. They are happily sleeping, getting ready for tomorrow. I better do the same thing.

Good Night! With love,
Us

Adjusting and Becoming a Family

2008-03-18T13:19:00.002-07:00

Hello All!

As you know there have been numerous changes at the Mee household. We are finally unpacked and slowly finding a routine. Many nights when the kids finally go to sleep, we follow. We are busy and adjusting. This last Sunday we all tried church. It was Palm Sunday and our church does special music that tells the story. Ruthie and I made it through with a lot of fidgeting and one bathroom break. Joshua and Papa, on the other hand, made it half way through and then walked around. During Sunday school, Joel sat with Joshua and I sat with Ruthie. Our plan is to do this for awhile, until they are feeling comfortable.

At home, though, we are praying to Jesus. We are learning "Jesus Loves Me" and when we pray they try it, too. We hear the words: Mama, Papa, Ruthie Angelina, Joshua Gennady, sabachka (dog), and Jesus. The rest is all in Russian. I am sure they are mimicking us and that is okay. A part of me, though, wonders if they are really praying. We are also doing the Resurrection Eggs, which is good. They probably don't understand everything we are reading but they enjoy seeing what is in each egg. I think doing this will help us get in the habit of daily family devotions. Ruthie usually reminds me if I haven't mentioned it.

Here are a few things that Ruthie and Joshua love at the moment:
-shopping carts (you would think we were at Disneyland or something) In fact, the other day, Joshua and I stopped at a bookstore for a soundtrack to "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom". When he realized that there was no shopping cart he dramatically fell to the floor in angst. I thought, oh boy, how am I going to handle this one? Well, I offered him the carrying basket - new fun!! It worked and I didn't need to remove him from the store.
-Mama's car (they love to go for rides. I am asked daily about it.)
-bathtime (this is a relief because we had heard that some kids are terrified of water after living in an orphanage. Not ours, in fact, if one is in the tub the other is worried that they won't get their bath, especially Joshua. He walks around and whines until he sees Ruthie getting out. Sometimes that doesn't matter and he begins undressing anyway.
-paintiing with water (this was fun in Russia, as well)
-gum (I only give them sugarless)
-playing outside any time I will let them

On the medical front, so far they have both checked out fine. We are waiting for some results to come in still. So far so good anyhow. We are thankful. Next on my list is the dentist. That oughta be fun. Yea - right!

On the education side? I am still working on it. When we first got back, I thought public school. Ruthie and I went and visited a classroom and it seems like a good school. However, I am leery because of her lack of skills. You see, in Russia, kids don't start school until age 7. Because of this, she is not ready to join her peers. Joel and I are praying and we are thinking of homeschooling Ruthie and placing Joshua in a pre-K program for the rest of the year. This summer enroll them in a Jumpstart Kindergarten program. This runs for the month of July. Then in the fall re-evaluate.

We would appreciate your prayers in this area. We want the best for our children and our family. The other BIG prayer request is our dog, Lit'l Bit. Joel and I are trying to decide what to do. We are thinking of having a countdown until Lit'l Bit comes home. Then coming up with a plan of how we are going to work through it. Does anyone have any advice? or suggestions?

Until next time,
J,N,R, and J

Settling In

2008-03-13T21:40:00.003-07:00

Hey! Everyone!

Yes, I am still alive. For awhile I was real unsure if I was or not. On the plane ride from Moscow to New York, I really thought I was going to lose it due to pure exhaustion. We were so relieved to head West, towards home. It was impossible to get where we wanted as fast as we wanted. Neither of our children slept at all. It was in the middle of the night for them, but it didn't seem to matter. Ruthie and I sat next to a gentlemen that was real helpful. I know that God placed him with us for a reason. He spoke Russian and English. Because of this and his sweet attitude, he would chat with Ruthie and explain things to her. At the end of the flight, with tears in my eyes, I expressed my gratitude to him. I thank the Lord for him and I hope he will be blessed.

In New York, our flight was delayed a little. At one point, our children were laying right in the middle of a semi busy walkway. One was laying on top of his backpack and the other just sat there staring off into space, but wouldn't move. Again we were so thankful to feel the plane ascending up into the clouds. When we landed in Phoenix and began to walk towards family and friends, Joel and I both wept. We were dragging, but we had made it. As dear family and friends greeted us, we wept, laughed, and several said hello to Ruthie and Joshua. They were solemn, of coarse. Oh, they did finally sleep some on this last flight. Joel and I were rubber-necks along side of them. Whew! Any winks we could catch, we were grateful.

When we reached Mama's car (machina), Joshua was excited. He checked it out and thought it was pretty cool. Neither one had any issues with being strapped in - thank goodness. You see in Russia, there are no constraints. We told them that the plane rides were over and that we would now go home. As we drove home, Joel and I discussed how we were going to handle bringing them in. We decided to walk them through room by room and show them. We first went to Mama's office and said this is Mama's room. We did this room by room.

When we got to their rooms, of coarse, they were excited. She would exclaim, "Gen!" come look at this or that. They went back and forth for a little while. It was fun to see them enjoying their new rooms, rooms they could call their own. They don't have to share them with 25 or more other children. Talk about a NEW world!

That first night everyone slept in their respective beds. We were wondering how this was going to work and if we would need to sleep in one room. Well, we didn't. They were fine. I think this is because they had photos of their rooms and they knew what to expect. Anyway, this hasn't been a concern.

During, these last several days we have had some friends help out as needed. We have had friends bring food over for dinner, as well. Their help has been wonderful and we are so grateful. We pray that they will be doubly blessed as we have been blessed by them.

Tomorrow, we will be home a week. During this last week, we have made some huge adjustments and we will continue to do so. This isn't something that happens over night. It will take time for us and them. I can't say it has been easy. I think it is different for a man, than a woman. Joel would say it has been great. Maybe he hasn't struggled as much as I. We are dealing with exhaustion, a big time zone change, food changes, taking care of 2 children after 17 years of none, etc. etc. However, as time passes we are slowly getting rest and into a routine. The children are learning that they can depend on us for food, the bath, clothes, love, etc. This part has been GREAT!

Let me tell you - these kids can eat some serious fruit and cucumbers. In this department they are a good influence on Joel and I. te he te he They currently love any moving automobile, shopping carts, rides in Mama's car, light switches, and seeing what they can get a way with. They love their baths and each always wants to have their bath first. Yesterday, Ruthie lost a tooth and so we now have it in a container to look at. She is even more adorable with her front teeth missing.

As far as photos, we are working on an adoption announcement. It will still be a little while, but know that it is coming. If you want one and want to make sure you get one, please let us know. When it comes time to ordering them we want to make sure we order enough.

Tonight, we received a phone call from my parents. My mom, Jo, was pleasantly surprised at work recently. All of her co-workers put together a HUGE basket of goodies for Ruthie and Joshua. This just amazes us - that is, how many people have been following our journey in bringing Ruthie and Joshua home and their giving hearts. We appreciate your thoughtfulness in giving to Ruthie and Joshua, as well as letting Grandma know the love she has at her workplace. We feel your hugs - thank you.

We also want to thank everyone for lifting us up time and again while we were in Russia or traveling. At times, we could feel His presence through your prayers. We thank God for you. It seems as we were called to adoption, you were as well through prayer. We will always appreciate you and the many we don't even know personally.

New Prayer Requests:
-that Joshua would not be fearful of our dog, Lit'l Bit
-that our children would continue to adapt as well as they have
-that Joel and I would get back in the Word and seeking Him
-that as we slowly get them involved, they would enjoy the changes and that we would know when something is too much or too soon

Well, I better go for now. It is late and usually when they are sleeping we are, so we can get caught up. Now that things are starting to settle, I will try and write more. Don't hold your breath, though.

Hugs from Us!
Mama, Papa, Ruthie, and Joshua

Praise God Almighty, We are home at last!!!!

2008-03-08T09:59:00.003-07:00

Just a quick note to let all we made it home last night at midnight. The flights we long but fairly good. Joshua and Ruthie were good during the flights except for a few encounters. Of course that is to be expected considering that we traveled for over 20 hours to get here.

We were vey blessed to have a loving group of family and friends greet us at the airport. It was overwelming to see them all. We were so exhausted but truely blessed.

I have to mention that this morning Ruthie ad Joshua were carrying around their bibles. They are so excited to have them because they belong to them. I was up early with Joshua this morning and we spent most of the time going through what was his and what was Mama and Papa's They both seem to understand the difference and stay away what is not theirs. In fact right now Joshua is pointing out what is ours and his to me.

So far this morning things have went very well.

Thank all of you for your prayers to this point and we ask you continue to pray for during this very important adjustment period.

I am sure Nancy will have mre to say later so I will keep this short.

Until next time

Joel, Nancy, Ruthie and Joshua

Leaving Russia

2008-03-06T12:02:00.003-07:00

In the morning we are leaving for the airport. Thank goodness. I will be glad when we get settled on the plane and it is flying.

The embassy interview went well. We have their visas and all of their paperwork that we need to turn in. We have their packet of documents that we need to register them at the Russian Consulate. You would think we would be done with paperwork by now. Not a chance. There is still a lot to do. Within the year we will apply for their US passports to simplify their US citizenship. We need to get them social security numbers, etc. We will re-adopt them in the US this will give them American birth certificates. Beside all of that we will have post-placement reports and photos due at 6 months, 1 year, 2 year, and 3 years from their Gotcha Day. Yuck! but it is all necessary.

Signing off for now from Russia. We can't wait to be on US soil and see the American flag.

With love,
Joel, Nancy, Ruthie, and Joshua

Red Square

2008-03-06T00:55:00.004-07:00

On our bus tour yesterday, we made a quick stop to see the oldest convent. It survived the Patriotic War, known to us as World War II. Many churches didn't survive, unfortunately. We think 300 churches didn't survive in and around Moscow.

Yes - it is St. Basils Cathedral! I could hardly wait to see Russia's famous landmark. Every adoption story that I had read in our adoption magazines, showed photos of families in front of it. I loved seeing it. I wish I could have taken it in more, but it was cold and the kids were impatient. We purchased a book on Moscow, so hopefully I can learn more about it through it - someday. We did learn on our tour that during WW II, the Russians built a fake kremlin area to fool the Nazi's. To protect the real one, they had anti-aircraft balloons to protect the area. St. Basils is home to 10 different churches but is only used twice a year. We didn't have the opportunity to go in but we were told that inside it has a middle ages look.
This church is also inside Red Square. It is used on a regular basis. The architecture around Moscow is beautiful. It is very diverse. On our tour we saw an apartment complex that was constructed during communism. It was very plain, no paint, and very dreary looking. Our tour guide said that it was communal living and a long waiting list to get in. There was no lifts, only stairs. During communism all flats and apartments, etc. were taken away from the wealthy. They were then given to all of the common people. Many of the wealthy were sent to Gulag prisons, never to be seen again.

This morning we are just hanging out in the hotel. In a few minutes, we will head out to find some lunch. We will then go to the Embassy for our interview.

Prayer requests:
that the behavior of our children would subside, that Mama and Papa will remain calm, travel safety, and that the children would settle down on the remaining flights that we have

Polly- Email Ryann again or read yesterdays comments

Thank you and I will post again tonight with the Embassy news.

In Moscow

2008-03-05T01:26:00.003-07:00

We made it to Moscow! and in one piece!

They loved their rolling backpacks for the plane. Before we gave the backpacks to them, I pulled out some of the activities for the long, long plane ride to New York. We will add the rest of the activities and a change of clothes when we leave on Friday. The traffic to the hotel wasn't too bad, either. Usually, the traffic is a nightmare. It is much worse than the Phoenix area.

We are all tired, but hanging in there. At one point, Joshua even admitted that he was tired. This is a first. Oh, Joel wants me to tell you that he didn't want to wear his seatbelt. Ruthie, after showing her the throw-up bag, decided to try and make herself sick. I caught on to what she was doing and said no. She then forgot about it. We arrived at the hotel around 11:45 pm.

This morning we had to be up real early for their medicals for the embassy. So, we have those completed. Yea! Tomorrow we have our interview at the US Embassy to get their Visas. Apparently, to enter the USA, the US requires an interview, unlike coming into Russia.

Their medicals went fine. We now have their weight. Ruthie weighs in at a whopping 45 pounds and Joshua weighs 43 pounds. She has a Vitamin D defiency and will need some help with her feet. Our other one is a healthy cheeky monkey. This wasn't a thorough exam but atleast were learned more about them. The doctor was excellent and I think they enjoyed it.

In a few minutes we are heading down to Red Square while we have the time. Joel has arranged with the front desk for a taxi. We will see St. Basils Cathedral, Lenin's tomb, and more. At
2:30 pm we are taking a bus tour with an English guide around to see some of the sites and take photos.

When we get back, I will try and get on again. It should be much easier because the internet is dependable here and we have it in our room. I do need to say that we feel like we are back in 21st century. Our hotel is nice and our surroundings are more modern, not so decrepit.

Until later,
The Mee Family

Last time in Astrakhan

2008-03-04T07:27:00.002-07:00

I have to be real quick with this one. It is evening and we are being picked up in about 30 minutes. Joel and the kids are upstairs and they are waiting for me. They love their rolling backpacks. We practiced with them, so hopefully it will go well. It seems we have a lot of stuff. Oh, well. Who cares in the end?

I will write again as soon as I can. Have a great day!

With love from Astrakhan for the last time,

Joel, Nancy, Ruthie, and Joshua