Boat Hair

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We spent the weekend fishing and boating on Lake Marian in Osceola County. It was Kristina's first time on a boat and she loved it. We were treated to up close and personal views of alligators, wild turkey, deer, and armadillos. Those weren't the only wild life on our trip though.

Back to the Future

Over the last few weeks, Kristina and I have slowly opened up her past and discussed things. In small doses we have discussed the people in her life, the memories good and bad, and what she sees for her future. Its amazing how readily we are able to communicate even when we can't use exact words. Today we talked about boys. She told me about one she had a crush on in Ukraine. We talked about boundaries and feelings. Its the conversation a mother has with her daughter.

Most of you have seen the hundreds of pictures I took while in the Ukraine. Kristina and I sat down and went through those pictures shortly after she arrived here. She would point out people and tell me things about them. She talked about Vika a lot. Vika was Kristina's best friend in the orphanage. She was blessed to be adopted a few months ago and is now living in America. After a few e-mails, I was able to get Vika's mom's e-mail address and sent a message. Vika's mom wrote back and graciously agreed to let the girls reconnect.

I called and spoke with Vika's mom this evening. It was good to hear her experience and how Vika is flourishing with love and time. When I handed the phone to Kristina, she squealed and danced to hear Vika's voice. High pitched Russian rolled over her tongue as she spoke a mile a minute to her dear friend. The language has always sounded abrupt to me, but tonight I can hear happiness and excitement mixed with the harsh guttural tones. I'm sure it was a relief to carry on a full conversation in her native language after so many weeks or broken phrases. I would love to know what they spoke about for over an hour. I think in a life full of lost pasts, its important for Kristina to be able to hold on to something. Hopefully this conversation will allow Kristina to connect part of her past with part of her future.

Girls Gone Wild

The day of beauty didn't end at the salon this morning. The girls found the curlers and begged me to roll their hair. I think I might have wrapped them a little too tightly beacuse they were bouncing off the walls for the remainder of the evening. Imagine how this experience has been for Hannah. She finally has a girl in the house that will do girly things with her. They paint each others' nails, play Barbies, build blanket tents, fix Robert's lunch together. But on the flip side, Hannah is also learning to share on a level she hasn't had to with her brothers. I wish you all could see the lessons God has and is teaching the children through this experience.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Kristina has never been to a salon to have her hair done. Today I took her to see Tara for a beauty experience. Kristina has beautiful naturally wavy hair, but I told her she could have it cut any way she wanted. She thumbed through a book of haircuts and picked a slightly shorter and sleeker style. Tara seated her at the shampoo station to have her hair washed and you could tell that Kristina felt pampered. She reached her hand up periodically to touch the suds and smell the luxurious shampoo.



She watched herself in the mirror as Tara began to snip away at the length. When the hair dryer and flat iron came out, she made faces at the heat and loud noise. But when it was all said and done, she looked at her reflection and declared, "I beautiful girl!"

Hook, Line, and Sinker

The Landrums are a fishing family. We all love to stand on the dock and spend a lazy afternoon casting into the water. Robert decided it was time to initiate Kristina into our family tradition. When I told her where we were going, she got a little teary eyed. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, "I don't know how." Not a problem!

We spent some time at a creek where she cringed as the boys baited her hook for her. Although she wouldn't touch the worms, it didn't take long for her to get the casting down.



The creek was disappointing and so we packed up the tackle box and headed to Lake Lotus Park. We had the fishing pier to ourselves and the kids had a ball, not one complaint about the heat or the bugs. When he got a bite on his line, Robert called Kristina over and let her reel in the fish.




After we had exhasuted our bait, we hiked back to the entrance of the park to wait for the shuttle. The park ranger pulled up and stepped out of his vehicle with two baby alligators. It seems Hannah had a conversation with one of the rangers on our way into the park and told her about Kristina. The ranger had brought the baby gators just for Kristina to see and touch. He gave us his card and invited us back to the office later in the week to see all the animals they house in the ranger's station!

The Need for Speed

We travelled to Tampa this weekend and spent time at Busch Gardens theme park. As you can imagine, Kristina was entranced by everything she saw. She insisted on trying everything, including the roller coasters!

In a Barbie World

While shopping, I made the mistake a walking down the Barbie aisle. Kristina literally fell to the floor when she saw the row of displays. Hannah has one Barbie doll and hasn't played with it in years. The two of them talked me into buying one more so that they could play together. They spent the rest of the afternoon locked in their room having half English-half Russian conversations with the two dolls.

As providence would have it, Laurie brought Hannah handmade wooden doll furniture back from Brazil. When she and Kristina opened the package and saw it, they were estatic. When Patti heard how fascinated Kristina is with all things Barbie, she offered to let the girls borrow some of Kaitlin's Barbie stash. Now they have created a whole world in the floor of Hannah's room!

Girls' Day Out

Robert took the boys to work with him today, so Hannah, Kristina, and I decided to take advantage of our girls only status. Kristen and Sasha joined us for a trip to New Smyrna Beach. While her hometown of Odessa is located on the Black Sea, Kristina has not seen the type of surf we have here in Florida. She, Hannah, and a girl they met on the beach played in the waves, collected seashells, and dug in the sand for several hours before the afternoon rain clouds rolled in.

Show Me The Doughnuts!

Phrase of the day: "Oh my gosh!" We introduced Kristina to an American favorite: Krispy Kreme doughnuts. When she saw the display case full of the delicacies, I though she would go into a sugar coma on the spot. "I want this! No, this! No, no, this!" She didn't have enough fingers to point at everything she wanted to try. Needless to say, the doughnut giant has a new follower.













What do you mean there's no more doughnuts???

20/20

Last week Hannah had her annual eye exam and Kristina came along with us for the appointment. In her enthusiasm, Hannah went down the slide into Lake Crestridge WITH her glasses on. Needless to say, there is a fish with a new set of spectacles somewhere at the bottom of that lake! I knew Hannah would need a new pair; it never crossed my mind that Kristina may need them too.

As we waited in the exam room, Kristina asked if the doctor would look at her eyes too. I asked her why she thought the doctor would need to look at her eyes. She indicated that she couldn't always see things far away and sometimes her head hurt. Eye exams are not part of the health care provided by the orphanage. I made an appointment for her on our way out. Today we drove to Sanford to see Dr. Frutchey again. The doctor was aware that Kristina spoke Russian and a little English, but she wasn't concered about how they would communicate. Hannah and I watched as Kristina squinted her nose and narrowed her eyes in an attempt to read the eye chart. Through a series of hand signals and lots of humor, Kristina and the doctor managed to get through the exam. We dissolved into giggles along with Dr. Frutchey as Kristina looked through proper lenses at the chart. "Whoa!" she whispered. I wish I would have brought the camera! Her vision isn't terrible, but the glasses will help when she needs to see the board in school. We'll order her glasses soon and I'll be sure to post a pic!

Attitude Adjustment

It rained most of the day today, so we headed out to the bowling ally. We saw Kristina's competitive side come out and it wasn't pretty! She had a tough time just enjoying rolling the ball down the lane. Our kids were laughing and high fiving each other even if they only knocked down one pin. Though the other children were cheering her on, she got frustrated and cranky at one point and decided to quit. After about 15 minutes of sitting and pouting, she decided to rejoin us and apologized for her behavior. It has been a good thing to see her recognize unacceptable behavior and correct it with little prompting from us. She is adjusting and given the circumstances, she's doing a great job.

Speaking of adjusting with little prompting, I am not as successful as Kristina in rolling with the punches lately. I need your prayers for just learning to be still. Most of the time I'm with Kristina, a barage of questions goes through my mind: "Will she be with us forever? How can we possibly afford an adoption? How can we bear to send her back?" Pray that I will be at peace and trust God to unfold things according to His will. News came from the Ukrainian govenment this week that no new adoption petitions will be accepted until January of 2007. What??? January 2007??? Then I came across this verse today:

Do not move the ancient boundary in the fields of the fatherless; for their Defender is strong; He will take up their case . . . - Proverbs 23:10-11

Pray that I will joyfully leave things in the hands of our Defender. Let us see what our God will do.

Have Bike, Will Travel

Kristina asked to do two things when she came here two weeks ago: swim and ride a bike. We quickly learned that although she had a strong desire to do both things, she didn't know how. Robert took out Joshua's bike for her and Kristina climbed on unhesitatingly. But that's all she could do! Robert spent a little time trying to show her how the pedals worked, but we concluded that a set of training wheels would give her greater confidence. Patti was kind enough to let us borrow one of Kaitlin's old bike and I swung by Wal-Mart this afternoon and we picked out a helmet and set of training wheels. I told her Robert would put the wheels on when he got home from work. I could tell she didn't want to wait. She paced back and forth with her riding helmet on and finally asked if she could just sit on the bike in front of the house. I agreed knowing she would probably get distracted watching the boys play four-square until Robert got home.

I am busy putting away our Wal-Mart purchses and Hannah runs in the house shouting, "I taught her! I taught her!" It has been less than ten minutes since the children went outside, so I'm sure she's not talking about bike riding. As I walk outside I hear Kristina's voice shouting, "Leslie! Leslie!", as she whirls past me. Unbelievable! Where there's a will, there's a way! Of course I ran back inside to grab the camera. Its been two hours and she's still riding back and forth in front of the house. She has fallen once and scraped her knee. She came inside to show me her war wounds half defeated and half with pride. As she sat on the bathroom counter and I cleaned her scraps and applied a band-aid, she goes through the medicine cabinet next to her trying on my braclets and perfume. And now she has returned to wearing a back and forth pattern in the pavement in front of the house. Periodically she will shout, "Oh no! Oh no!" as she steers into the grass, but she's doing great! :)

Playing with Fire

Happy Independence Day, everyone! We watched the fireworks display of Red, Hot, & Boom from a parking lot off 436 last night. Kristina was sleepy and only took notice of the lights when a large one would go off. So today Robert bought a few fireworks to set off for the kids. Kristina danced around with the sparklers and squealed as the larger displays were lit. After the final explosion she shouted "thank you!" and gave Robert a big kiss. We retired inside for ice cream and warm brownies before bedtime. I don't know that she grasped the historical significance of the day, but I doubt that she will ever forget it!

Set the Example

I find myself repeating that to the children over and over in the last few days. When we can't find the words to explain something, showing often does the trick.

I wondered how we would explain to Kristina God's particular love for her. How would we share with her God's faithfulness (Deuteronomy 31:8 - The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.) and his boundless love (Psalm 136:2 - Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.)? Although she speaks Russian and we speak English, we have found that the spirit speaks another language altogether. The witness of the transformed life points to its transformer. Words are not the only means of communication. It has been a tremendous lesson for all of us. The children have been reminded that what they do often sends a louder message than what they say. I have learned that my role as tutor of my childrens' hearts is an assignment that I will teach by example in and out of the home.

Why did the writer of Titus (2:4) find it necessary to exhort women to love their husbands and their children? Doesn't that go without saying? But once again, I am reminded that the writer is not speaking of a passive love, but a dynamic love required of a woman of strength and conviction. I am striving to be that woman; to set the example for those God has entrusted to me.

And Then There Were Five . . .

Okay, I apologize to those of you who are faithful to check in. We left Thursday the 29th to pick up the kids from summer camp in North Carolina and I haven't had a chance to sit down and update you. Let me back up and I will get you up to speed with where we've been and what we've been doing.


Wednesday the 28th, Robert, Kristina, and I walked around Downtown Disney. We had lunch at The Rainforest Cafe (overpriced, mediocre food but great atmosphere). Kristina was a little anxious around the animatronics and light/sound effects, but we enjoyed things nevertheless. That evening, Robert was craving a little taste of home so he took out the boiler and cooked Cajun crab legs. Kristina cringed watching him cook them. I wonder what she thought they were! He teased her as he peeled and crack each one. She eyed him cautiously until curiosity got the best of her and she took a piece offered to her. By the time dinner was over, she was cracking and eating them all by herself.


Thursday morning we set off for the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to pick up the kids from summer camp. I was a little concerned about how she would handle the nine hour trip. Before she left Ukraine, I had one of the translators purchase her three books in Russian to help her pass the time. She "oohed" over the changing scenery as we got closer to the mountains. A few renditions of "If you're happy and you know it wash your hands!" (yeah, we're not sure how that got messed up) and we were there. She did great and only got restless the last hour of the trip. We checked into the retreat center at Ridgecrest and decided to hike up the mountain side to expend excess energy from sitting in the car all day. We found ourselves at a picturesque lake right before dusk and walked the circumference of the lake as the sun was setting.

As it grew darker we hiked back down the mountain and found ourselves surrounded by lightning bugs. As Robert caught bug after bug for her to inspect, she could only whisper "wow". Friday morning we got up bright and early to attend the closing ceremonies at CrestRidge Girls Camp. I knew the girls were excited to meet each other. Hannah saw us driving into camp and jumped into the backseat with Kristina where they made their own introductions. From that point on, they held hands as Hannah showed her around camp. At lunchtime we headed over to the boys camp Ridgecrest to claim our boys. The boys were equally welcoming and things fell into their natural rhythm.

We drove home immediately following the boys' camp ceremonies and got back to Orlando at midnight. We took things slowly Saturday, sleeping in and swimming at the pool later in the afternoon.


Sunday afternoon we drove over to Tampa to see the Florida Aquarium. The aquarium is located in the port where cruise ships line the terminals. "Look, look, look!" she would squeal as we drive past the massive ships. In the aquarium Kristina would cover her mouth and look wide eyed at the huge grouper fish and delicate sea dragons. After touring the facilities we went outside to play in the fountains.


We are looking forward to celebrating the Fourth of July with Kristina this year. I will update you again soon!

Yes, there's more to do than just the pool . . .

Joey, ALex, and Kristina tried their hand at Congo River Golf today. I think Alex & Kristina were more interested in the Koi fish and baby alligators though!

Diving Lesson

Sorry, you'll need to rotate the computer screen for this one.

Not One, But Two Trips to the Pool Today

Just Say No

Nope. I didn't post yesterday. I was spent after a day that wouldn't seem to end. Yesterday was difficult for me and for her.

I didn't notice it until I heard the soft sniffling coming from the passenger's seat. Her head was turned to the window and she wouldn't respond when I said her name. There was lots to do yesterday: house cleaning, running errands, grocery shopping, laundry, etc. She is very helpful around the house; she loves to clean and organize. We have tried to tell her "no" when she tries to clean, but she genuinely wants to help and it hurts her feelings if we persist in our objections. She's actually outside in the car with the Dustbuster as I write. (No, you can't borrow her.)

Things are different here. There are different people and different rules. Teaching her the rules is taxing. When we left the airport last Wednesday, I buckled her into the seat. When Robert showed her the sunroof, she sprung up out of that seat quicker than I could react. She did not like the seatbelt and did not want to wear it. Each time for the first few days she would say, "Leslie, please no!" I would say "Da." I would win. She would put the seatbelt on with a heavy sigh. After a few days I wouldn't say anything. I would put mine on, start the car, and just sit in the driveway. After a moment she would look up and say, "I know. I know!" I have forgotten how tiring the struggle is. My four know the ropes and are at an age when I rarely have to remind them of the basic rules. So there have been a lot of "No" moments in our home lately. I resist the temptation to spoil her because she has not had things before. I try to remember the limits that we live within and follow those. When she wants to eat chocolate for breakfast, I have to say "nyet". When she wants to carry the cats around (they hate that), I have to say "nyet". I find myself saying it more than I am used to and probably more than she is used to hearing. So we are both tired from the growing pains of this relationship.

I try to put myself in her shoes and feel what she is experiencing. We are new adults telling her what to do and not to do. Our children are gone for camp and she is here alone with us. She is accustomed to being with kids 24/7. So I am getting the bulk of her energy. The entire experience is overstimulating and she was hyper yesterday. I said we would go swimming again and it rained. She was disappointed and that combined with all the new rules had gotten to her.

I waited until she had gone to bed before I had my meltdown. Peridically a verse would run through my mind. "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) I didn't want to hear that though. I just wanted to sleep and forget about things. I know that both of us are being disciplined thorough this experience. And if she feels anything like I do, we're both exhausted. . .

Wearing Out Your Welcome

When I was growing up, my mom would tell me before I went over to a friend's house to play, "Don't wear out your welcome." In other words, don't make your presence taxing to your hosts. Some people get this feeling when they've had house guests for an extended period of time. Its difficult to be "hospitable" over time. Why is that?

Kristina has only been here four and a half days and yet I find myself growing weary of being hospitable. "What!" you say, "Shocking!" But this state doesn't really have anything to do with her. My day in and day out routine has been interrupted. My comfortable way of life has been altered. As much as I want to provide for this child, it is a struggle to do so. Her very presence forces me to examine my mothering skills. After many years with my own children, I don't find myself questioning why I do the things I do with them. But with Kristina, I must look at where my weaknesses are as a mother and as a womanly example. And so I am weary of being hospitable. Its much easier to do things the way I have always done them. But my "house guest" has caused me to look at the relationships in my life. That's a painful process.

For those of you who are checking in to hear about Kristina's experience, I apologize for the running commentary. Let's get on to what you're really here for! Today is Sunday and we went to church or "Jesus' house" as Kristina called it. I used the online translatr to explain where we were going and what to expect. I asked her if she knew who Jesus is. She typed her response in Russian and cliked the translate button. The screen said, "Son of God. The divine one." Kristina has been particularly blessed to have a number of Christians in her life. People like Galina, Larisa, Olya, and Lela have faithfully ministed the gospel to the children in her class. We attended early service at St. Andrews and then to Orangewood for a quick visit. It must be difficult to not carry on a full conversation for several days and so I wanted her to be able to see Alex and chat a bit. She did fine at both places. I had forgotten how easily she gets cold. She is not accustomed to air conditioning. By the time the offering came aroud, her hands were like ice and she was shivering so we slipped out of the Orangewood service. We headed home and enjoyed just vegging for the afternoon. We had plans to swim at Patti's house again until I got a call from camp and learned that Joshua had hurt his hand and was going in for an X-ray. You'd be proud of me! I didn't go into a tail spin at all! We waited for the return call to learn that he had fractured a finger but would be fine. Later in the evening Sasha called to invite me to movie night, a long running tradition with these girls. Kristina and I headed over to the Torrez home and had a wonderful time. She is becoming more and more at ease with the people in our life. She instantly took to Gabby (I think the two of them are a lot alike :). After several loud card games, pizza, and endless Torrez puppy kisses later, we left for home to keep from wearing out our welcome. I think we will take Kristina bowling tomorrow. I'll take new pics and post them soon!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Pardon me for quoting Tina Turner, but she raises a good question. I was talking to Patti about how it is that we can love this child, this total stranger. How do you look at a child that is not yours biologically and love him or her? What makes us look at Kristina differently than any other child that crosses our path?

In contemplating the nature of love, I am brought back to the example that Christ set for us. How is it that God could love us in the state that we were in? I think that our concept of "love" is much different than the example that Christ showed humanity. We tend to think love is an emotion. And as such, it is subject to change, die, fluctuate. But God showed us that love is a choice, not a feeling. It is not dependent on its object and it is not subject to outside forces. If we are to love our neighbor (Matthew 19:19), our spouses (Ephesians 5:25), our children (Titus 2:4), our enemies (Matthew 5:23), and even our Lord (Mark 12:30) then we must choose to do so. Let's face it, there are days that we don't feel like being particularly loving to our spouses. When we choose to love, regardless of the object of our love, we are practicing Godly charity. It is this understanding that has helped me to maintain many a relationship in which I felt wronged or dishonored. Love is sometimes a difficult choice.

So we approach our time with Kristina with that in mind. We choose to love her because Christ chose to love us. Yes, it is easy to love a child when she is sweet and thankful. But when she challenges our authority, we will love her. When she doesn't trust us, we will love her. We will love her because it is an extension of the grace of God in all of our lives.

Speaking in Tongues

Kristina and I were left to ourselves today as Robert returned to work. We ran errands and did what I would have done on any other day. We swung by the school to drop something off and she was able to meet a few of the teachers and staff. It was good to see how welcoming and kind everyone was with her. She really wanted to go swimming again, so when Patti called and offered a playdate I was thrilled. Spending time with Patti gave me a chance to think things through out loud; she's always such a good sounding board and she's faithful to remind me of how God works through all things. Kristina and Kaitlin swam and played with the kittens. There's a lot to be said for nonverbal communication! While swimming she suddenly stood up and said, "I am hungry." I was surprised and happy to hear the declaration. Everytime we have asked her if she was hungry, she would say no several times before accepting food. Its good to see her becoming comfortable with the concept of eating however much she wants, when she wants. And she's eating! She eats about every two hours. I talked with Kim and she said that Alex is the same way.

We returned home and the jetlag finally hit her. Her heavy eyes tried to stay awake, but finally she succumed to the couch and a blanket and said, "I slippers now". When she awoke a few hours later, I showed her the computer and English software that Steve at Russian-Toys.com had sent to help Kristina with her English. She worked on the program for two hours and had made incredible progress. She wrote down dozens of words in English and Russian to practice.

After dinner I sat down at an online translator and typed out a few things I wanted to tell her. "Do you need anything?" "We will drive to get the children in a few days." "Robert will be home from work in one hour." "Do you ride elephants?" She thought that last one was hilarious! Then she reversed the translation and told me, "I love you and I think you love me too?" There's not much lost in translation there!

Spending time with Kristina makes me miss the children more and more. I can't wait until we're all together. Pray that the merger is smooth and that we can all find a way to live with our differences over the next few weeks. More later!

Just Add Water

I can see her swaying in the hammock in the backyard. One bare foot is propped against a tree to maintain the hammock's gentle rocking. She is completely at ease in our world.

I laid awake last night for what seemed forever dwelling on the strangeness of the day. I could see the darkened doorway of Hannah's room and I found myself rising to check on Kristina several times. Each time I would find her twisted a different way in the enormous bed, but fast asleep. How has any of this happened? Wasn't I just contemplating a solo missionary journey? How is it that this child has managed to follow me back? There is an awe that comes from praying for something that seems so big and watching God deliver faithfully.

She awoke before us and had made her bed and finished organizing the closet. As I was getting ready I could hear Robert offer, "Kristina, do you want to take a walk?" I heard his feet stomp the floor as he played charades with her to illustrate his question. When they return he is laughing at her amazement of walking the block and finding herself on the doorstep again. He said she saw a squirrel and squeeled "Squirrel!" and took off after it. Thankfully it got away :)

Robert is determined to feed this child. He took her to a breakfast buffet and the two of them ate and ate and ate. We went to Sam's Club to get groceries and the two of them picked out almost more than our freezer can hold.

Since she woke up this morning, she has been asking to go swimming. We managed to make it to the pool this afternoon. Does she like swimming?



I know that the ups and downs will materialize this summer. Thanks again for your faithful prayers. I know that you are holding us up to the Lord!

Kristina is Here

To view the video full screen, just double click the small video window below after the video starts.

The Ukrainian Has Landed

I had braced myself for pretty much anything. After 19 hours of travel time, I wasn't sure if she would be exhausted, wired, sick . . . I just wasn't sure. Robert and I stood in the airport with Kim and Joey and waited. Ulyses was there with video camera in hand (thank you, U). The plane arrived a few minutes early and we watched as passenger after passenger came through the gates.

And then there she was.

Arms wrapped around herself, backpack in tow she stood with Alex and her guardian Boris. As Boris reunited with his family who lives here in Orlando, we stood back and waited. I desperately wanted to call out her name, catch her eye. But I waited. When she saw me, she rushed forward unhesitatingly and hugged me as if we'd only been apart a day. She looked into my face and said "I love you!". I stepped to the side to introduce her to Robert. As soon as his name passed my lips she hurried to hug him and repeat the same greeting, "I love you!" Robert was taken aback by the instant attachment.

On the way to the car, we ask if she is hungry. She says she is not but she asks to go to our house. I try to indicate that we will go there eventually. We haven't eaten dinner and I try to explain that we will stop and get something. But the best translation I can come up with is, "We need to feed Robert." When we get to the car she "oohs" over the size of the vehicle and climbs into the back seat. As we travel down 436 she counts the McDonalds that we pass. Two! Three! There is one McDonalds that I saw in Odessa and she is shocked as we pass more and more. Robert puts down the automatic window next to her and she gasps and then giggles when she realizes he has done it. He shows her the sun roof and she is out of her seatbelt and standing up in the opening before I can say "nyet!"

She settles back into her seat as we pull into Sonic for a quick bite. I ask again if she is hungry and Robert indicates that she can have anything on the menu. She asks for an ice cream and we decide to indulge her for the evening. Robert orders a hamburger, fries, and onion rings. I watch as the two of them split the meal. I had forgotten how usual it is for the children to say they are not hungry when they really are. She asks to take the leftover french fries home and finishes them in the car. She asks again if we can go to the house.

She notices everything: the writing on the tires, a convertible car, all the restaurants and stores. Its a new world for her. On the way home from dinner I go through her backpack to see what she has brought: one pair of underwear, one dress, one pair of shorts, two shirts, and one pair of socks. Most are worn and look too small for her. Robert says we will stop by Target and get her something to wear for tomorrow. I had held back from buying her clothes before she came. The only purchase I made before she came was a nightgown for her to sleep in the first night. At Target she picks out a pink shirt and shorts, her favorite color. She asks again to go to the house as we check out.

Finally we get to the house and the cats are in the driveway to greet us. She hops out of the car, scoops Jack up, and nuzzles him as long as he will allow. She "oohs" as we walk into the house. I imagine our humble home is quite extravagant in her little eyes. We walk her from room to room and show her where things are. She returns to Hannah's room where she will be staying and asks something in Russian. A few attempts later she shrugs her shoulders and says, "Hannah?" She had wanted to go to the house because she wanted to meet Hannah! We explain as best we can that Hannah is gone and will be back in a few days. For those of you who don't know, the kids are all away at camp until next week. She is a little disappointed, but is quickly distracted when Robert shows her the cat treats and her feet are swarmed by hungry kittens. He shows her the water and ice dispenser in the door of the refrigerator and her eyes grow big. Robert is having such a good time showing her our modern conveniences! He gets such joy out of watching her eyes grow big and the inevitable giggle that follows.

We watched as she explored Hannah's room looking at the things in the desk. She open the closet doors and sees the mess that Hannah has left as she prepared for camp. Robert and I watch puzzled as she starts taking things out. We can't figure out what she is looking for. And then it hits us. She is cleaning the closet out! Robert stops her and tells her there will be no working for her this summer. She settles onto the bed and asks, pointing to the nightgown, "Hannah?" When we indicate that it is hers she holds it up and says "thank you, thank you!" She wants to take a bath so that she can change into the gown. I draw her a big bubble bath and get the same awed look that she has sported most of the evening. After her bath she climbs in the chair with me and I brush out her wet hair. I am struck by how natural and easy the entire process has seemed so far. Weariness gets the best of her and we find her snuggled into Hannah's queen size bed. She hugs and kisses me goodnight as Robert finds a nightlight for her. He decides she needs a flashlight "just in case", but she is fast asleep by the time he returns. And so now I go to that same place. I know tomorrow will be a full day and I will need my rest. Continue to pray for us! I will update you and post pictures tomorrow.

For Unto Us a Child is Given

Its midnight here. She comes today.

Its 5am in Odessa, Ukraine and I know a very sleepy child is boarding a plane that is scheduled to leave at any moment. She has a very long day ahead of her. Three plane rides and she will be in our arms. Pray with me for her safe travel and for courage to make this strange trip. She is coming because you have been so generous with everything you have. She is coming because God has a plan and has blessed us to watch it unfold. Do you feel that? It's the future beginning.

Doubting God

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. - Matthew 7:7-8

Shame on me. How many things God has shown me in the last seven weeks, yet I continue to second guess His plans. God put Alex on my heart and so I wrote about him on the blog. When Dr. R e-mailed and asked me to put the word out about Alex needing a host family, I was already ahead of him. But what did I really expect to happen? After talking with Robert about Alex's plight, he unhesitatingly said, "Tell them to send Alex to us." Half of the time I think my sweet husband has tremendous faith, the other half I think he doesn't think things through. Shame on me.

I spoke with Dr. R and told him to send Alex with Kristina on the 21st. What's one more? The kids were excited about having another boy in the house for a few weeks; and I was excited about having such an incredible child to love thoroughly. When everything was said and done, I called my dear friend Kim to tell her we would be having one more this summer and to ask her to pray about working out the financial details. As I am walking her through the events that led to us choosing to bring Alex to Orlando, she says, "We'll take him."

Come again?

I tried to talk her out of it. I insisted that she take some time, speak with her family, sleep on it. She calls me back a few minutes later with the same concrete declaration: "We'll take him." I don't know what shocks me more, my own lack of faith or God's patience with his doubting daughter. Pray for Kim and her family. Pray that the financials will be worked out for Alex. Pray for me. :)

Yes, it's all about Kristina, but . . .

God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity. - Psalm 68:6





Alex was the first orphan I met when I arrived in Ukraine. As I walked through customs at the Odessa airport and passed through the double doors, Alex was standing there with a sheepish and sincere grin on his face. The first place we went from the airport was orphanage #5, Alex's home. As Dr. R showed me through dark corridors and up old staircases, Alex stayed a few steps behind watching and listening. I attempted to take his picture a few times that first day and involuntarily his head would bow when I focused my attentions on him. He is a sweet and quiet soul. In my attempt to find old pictures of Kristina online, I have come across pictures of Alex. Pictues that go far too far back in time. Pictures of him as a little boy living in the same orphanage. His big brown eyes have not changed in 12 years.

Last year he had the opportunity to come to American through the hosting program. Dr R told me the story of Alex's first few moments here in America. His host family picked him up from the airport and drove home. Alex cried sitting in the car and out of concern, the host family called an interpretor from the group to find out what was wrong. They quickly learned that Alex was crying because he was happy to be here. His time in America was a wonderful experience for him, but his host family was not able to or interested in adoption.

So why am I telling you this? Alex has the opportunity to come to America again. In fact he is coming on June 21st. The problem? He doesn't have a host family. He will stay with Dr. R or one of the Frontier Horizon staff through July 5th. If you know of anyone who is willing and able to host Alex this summer, please constact KT Bronson at Frontier Horizon (kt.bronson@frontierhorizon.org). Many families host with no intention of adopting. The purpose of the program is to expose the children to the community, raise awareness of their situation, and provide the children with a "family" experience for a few short weeks. Ask God to move on Alex's behalf. Pray for him.

Two Weeks and Counting!

The clock is running, people!!! Kristina is scheduled to fly in on the 21st. I'll post when I have more information. Keep praying!