Full House

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
-Luke 2:16-19


I wonder about the kind of woman Mary must have been. Periodically I'll pick up on little things in scripture that give glimpses into her personality and disposition. As a young woman called to such a overwhelming role, I am sure that she couldn't possibly see all that laid ahead for her. She couldn't know the true nature of the role this child would play in the history of time. She was human, like me, a woman called of God and chosen for such a time. So I love that Luke recorded these words: But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Many times, Mary must have watched things come to pass, knowing they were of great significance, but not understanding the true impact of these events. It was at times like this that she collected these things in her heart, to consider and meditate on them cumulatively. I find myself doing this as we continue to walk through Kristina's adjustment. Lately she and Hannah have been at each other's throats; they cannot seem to reconcile the tension between themselves. A portion of this can be contributed to being in a strange environment and out of our normal routine, but things have been intense lately and it gets me to thinking . . . and pondering.

Some of you may remember two summers ago when Kristina first came to visit. It didn't take long for us to learn that she has a fierce competitive streak and is a poor loser. We've been passing time by playing cards quite a bit lately. Kristina has a really hard time with this. She outwardly revels when someone else loses. She is ungenerous and makes excuses when she loses. She huffs and slaps her cards down on the table when things are not going her way. Plain and simple, its bad manners.

When one of the other kids tries to point these things out, that just agitates her further. After talking to her for the twentieth time about her attitude, a thought crossed my mind. Things would be much easier for Kristina if she had been adopted by a couple with no other children. She could have had the undivided attention of a mom and dad and eased into a life in a different culture.

And then it hit me, since when do any of us "ease" into life? God placed Kristina in this family because we are the perfect fit for her. Now, I didn't say WE were perfect. This chaotic, loud family is exactly what she needed. She needed to be a part of something that wasn't all about her, because she struggles with pride. She needed to have a mom and dad that don't let even the smallest things go, because she fights authority. She needed to have a sister that goes toe to toe with her, because she needs to learn that when love is shared its not divided, its multiplied. She needed to have three annoying brothers, because . . . well . . . she needs to develop patience.

While we are far from perfect, we are perfect together. My weaknesses are challenged through my relationship with the man and five children that God has entrusted to me. When we hit these little speed bumps in life, I ponder the outworking of these things and know that God weaves our lives together for our good and His glory.

Consider Him Faithful Who Has Promised

Now the LORD had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.

I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
and you shall be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
-Genesis 12:1-3

We've moved 10 times in the nearly 14 1/2 years that we've been married. Ten times. You would think I'd be a pro at this. Things have not gone well since our move and I have been looking for some clarity from God concerning what I thought would be and what actually is.

Today makes two weeks since we arrived in Mississippi and admittedly, I was not crazy about the move to start with. I was content in Orlando and could have happily stayed there, but God had different plans.

Just to get you up to speed, let me start with the problems. The housing we were counting on fell through, so we're still at my parents' house. Now granted, they've been gracious, but this is not what we anticipated. Because we're still here, Robert is commuting 3 hours round trip each day to get to his job sites. And have you heard about the price of gas??? Tuesday the brakes went out on the front of my Durango and had to be replaced. Wednesday Robert had to have emergency dental work (side note: insurance hasn't kicked in yet). And to top it all off, our sweet Jack cat went missing a week ago. I am longing for my friends, my comfortable little house, and the relative predictability of my life.

So let me tell you how this child of grace reacted to all of this. I second guessed God, my husband, and myself. I cried, I got angry, and I haven't been the most positive person to be around. Surely all of this was coming to pass because we grossly misunderstood His directing. I asked God for some reassurance and was led to start reading in Genesis chapter 12.

Has anyone ever thought about Sarah's perspective of this story? Here Sarah was in her comfortable life in Ur when Abram informed her they were moving to Canaan. "Um, where? Why would we leave all we love? We have family, friends, a life here." But according to the scriptures, Abraham took Sarah and headed into this unknown land on a promise. The scripture goes on to tell us that they found a picturesque setting, built a lovely new house, were surrounded by great neighbors, and made friends quickly . . .

NOT

They followed God's promise to go into Canaan where their name would be great, they would be blessed, and they would be protected. When they got there, they found the country that God had promised them, but it was inhabited by a hostile people and there was a FAMINE! Clearly that was not in the travel brochures.

So they went with Plan B: head south to Egypt. Sweet! Egypt! Always wanted to visit there! Of course when they got there, Abraham made a less than favorable impression by lying to the Pharaoh about Sarah. Sarah almost ended up as one of Pharaoh's wives, God sent a plague to remedy the situation, and Pharaoh kicked both of them out of the country.

Can you imagine the conversation that went on behind closed doors??? "Abe, you're still clinging to this promise right? Great name? Blessings? Protection?" Do you think that at any point Sarah said, "Okay! Enough! Things are clearly not working out." How did any of these problems, or the problems to come, impact or alter God's promise for Abraham and Sarah? The truth is, they didn't. God was faithful and saw His plan through in His time.

Sarah and I have a little bit in common here. I am forced to relearn the lesson of being a good steward of circumstances over and over again. I tend to get bogged down in the details and fail to see God working in even the small issues that arise. I consistently fail to understand that the struggles are part of the process. This, friends, is how faith is cultivated.

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
-Hebrews 11:8-10
In essence, Abraham died before seeing the promise come to its fruition. His faith is counted great not because he saw and believed, but because he didn't see yet believed. How shallow my faith is when I consider those who suffered genuine tribulation, not the inconveniences I've experienced recently. A work in progress, that's what I am, and so very far from being finished. I have a lot to be be thankful for and I guess things could be worse. After all, Sarah was living in a tent!

Hello Goodbye

Sorry it's been so long since we posted. So much has been going on here! The girls are all home from college and so our evenings have been occupied with three more in the house. These are all girls I taught in high school several years ago. We formed a bond that only strengthened once they graduated and went their separate ways to colleges here in town, on the East coast, and on the West coast. But every Christmas, Spring Break, and summer we end up together again for countless movie and game nights, our regular dinner at Kobe's, and runs to Jeremiah's for ice cream. I am so blessed to be part of these girls' lives. They're truly members of our family and blend right in whether we're cooking biscuits in the kitchen or teaching the kids a new card game.


It's not all fun and games though; we've gotten a lot of work done here on the house lately. The attic has been completely cleaned out. All the closets have been purged. The boys have been working in the yard and have pressure washed the sidewalks and driveway. I found this message for me one morning:



Its hard to believe that Kristina first joined us for a summer that changed all of our lives two years ago. This summer Frontier Horizon arranged for over 100 orphans to be hosted by families in the US and among them is Kristina's best friend Karina. The girls have chatted on the phone several times in the last few weeks. Kristina has missed Karina so much. She felt she would never again see the girl who was like a sister to her all those years in the orphanage. There was a real sense of relief when they were able to reconnect. Karina is being hosted by a family in Mississippi, so as it turns out, they'll be able to see each other as well.

You see, tomorrow is our last day in Florida. We're moving home to Mississippi. As it turns out, Karina will only be a 90 minute drive from our new home. That information set Kristina to dancing. We know God has been ordering things, we just haven't been sure to what end. A Mississippi school I had applied at over a year ago called me out of the blue about a teaching position. Long story short, I couldn't pass it up. Robert also received a call to preach again at Ellisville Presbyterian. He has some leveling work to do before he embarks on his PhD, so we'll be spend that time in Mississippi surrounded by old friends and family. We are incredibly sad to be leaving St Paul's, the best church we've ever been part of, but we know God has used our experience there to prepare us for the work that lies ahead.

So we begin a new chapter in our journey with a little sadness, much anticipation of a what lies ahead, and great trust in a God who has always guided our steps for our good and His glory. Please pray for us as we make adjustments and get settled in. We'll have some important decisions to make that will require great wisdom. We'll keep you posted on our transition!

"For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."
- Jeremiah 29:11

Swim Meet

Just Another Day in the Landrum House

Robert is the king of breakfast. He's been up well before the rest of us and has had something different cooking each morning in the last week. Much to the kids' chagrin, he also enjoys waking them up to let them know breakfast is ready. He tiptoes into their rooms, positions himself just so, takes a deep breath, and crows. Yes, crows. Like a rooster. Well, you can imagine how well this goes over with 5 adolescent kids!

Yesterday we were treated to a taste of home when he made beignets and Cafe Au Lait. We picked up a box of mix last time we were at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. Beignets never taste quite the same unless you're sitting on the crowded patio under the green and white awnings with a musician playing jazz music in the background, but we made do.



Father's Day was low key. We went to church, ate lunch out, and spent the rest of the day tinkering around the house. Robert and Kristina made cupcakes and then realized we didn't have frosting, so we made a run to the grocery store. Robert made Manwich for dinner. I never have been a fan, but the kids like it. As Kristina polished off her's she asked, "Dad, can I have another Man Sandwich?"

We laughed at the things the kids say quite a bit. Kristina wanted to know why the boys keep telling her to pull their finger. Ugh! My advice? Don't do it! Don't pull the finger. Robert is jotting down the silly things they say and posts them periodically here. During family devotions the other night, we were discussing heaven and debunking some myths about what that will be like. Kristina wanted to know if God would speak Russian. I thought that was an endearing question and it made me think about my dear friend Alicia from Honduras. I loved that whenever we prayed together, she would always pray in Spanish. We encouraged Kristina to speak to God however she could best express herself. God hears our requests even when we cannot find the words for what we need to say. What a comforting thought.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
- Romans 8:26

Who's Afraid of Biscuits?

Please Fasten Your Seatbelts

I had the brilliant idea of getting all of the school physicals, immunizations, and dental checkups appointments done as soon as school was out. So our first full week off of school has been spent running back and forth between 10 appointments. We're all done though and I'm relieved to have one (ten!) less thing to do before the next school year rolls around.

I was a bit nervous about Kristina's appointment. She hasn't had consistent dental care and I figured she would need a little work done. Watching her sitting in the chair, I flashed back to a similar moment two years ago when I accompanied her to a Ukrainian dentist office. I had known her just a week and was trying to understand the unusual connection I felt to her. Two years later, she sputters a mile a minute in English with her thick Russian accent and calls me "mom". Who but God could have orchestrated that? It turns out she had three small cavities and the dentist was able to take care of everything that day. She was a real trooper and the only problem was that she couldn't talk while the dentist had the drill in her mouth. :)

In addition to all the doctor checkups, the boys have all been in basketball camp at my high school this week. Several of my students play on the varsity team and are serving as coaches. They were quick to claim the boys and take care of them when we walked in on Monday. My students always had lots of questions about my kids and family, so it was good for them to finally be able to meet. Most of them were shocked to learn that the collage of photos of kids on my desk were all mine. Usually they'd count them and say, "Five? You've got five kids, Miss L?!" Things are going well and so far, Samuel has been voted MVP and won a shootout challenge. At almost 5'9", the twins are taking advantage of their growth spurt.

So we're off to a running start with all of our "down" time. If the rest of the summer is anything like the first week, we'll be exhausted by August!

Steward of Circumstances

It is with a great sigh that I end this year of teaching. It was a year like no other. I have no doubt that God placed me in this classroom for such a time as this; as I learned how to minister in ways I never have before. And perhaps more importantly, I learned how to be a good steward of my circumstances.

Last year, I taught at a school with a freshman class composed of 69 members. This year, the freshmen class of my school was made up of 775 members. That was only one of many differences. Many of these kids faced difficulties that I can not begin to comprehend, and sometimes those difficulties manifested themselves in the classroom. All of them crossed the threshold of my classroom looking for something. I learned to sharpen my spiritual eyes to learn what it was they needed, to provide what I could.

My experience with Kristina has been a wealth of training. She is slow to confess her hurts and to give voice to her needs. Often I have to look for the signs and attempt to unravel things from there. It is rare that she follows up with "Thanks for the discipline, Mom!" or "Thanks for loving me even when I acted like I didn't want to be loved!" And similarly, it is rare to get that kind of feedback in the classroom.

In the last week, I have been slowly tearing down my classroom in preparation for next year. All the posters, student work, and notices have come down. By yesterday, all that was left was the contact paper on my bulletin boards. Knowing the paper would end up in the trash, I refrained from saying anything when I saw kids scribbling on it throughout the day. As the final bell rang and students were dismissed, I stood in the doorway as they scrambled from the room. I'd hear "Mizz L!" periodically and see a hand wave goodbye above the mass exodus as the hall emptied. I stepped back in my room and surveyed what work needed to be done. I reached up to pull down the faded yellow paper on one of the bulletin boards on my way back to my desk when I saw my name scribbled in an unidentified hand. I stood before the board and realized the kids had signed their names, left quotes from things we read and discussed, and written little personal notes of gratitude. I read each of the entries and moved to the other bulletin board to find the same thing.

Finding joy in our calling depends largely on our motivations. It's easy to loose sight of our purpose when circumstances are less than ideal or when there appears to be little "pay off", but that should never affect our calling. Since Robert graduated RTS last May, we've felt like we were sitting on "G", waiting on "O". We know that there is something out there that God has for us to do. Orphan ministry and teaching continue to be huge desires of our hearts. As a family of seven, we have prayed over where God would send us to accomplish this ministry. Could I take my children and go to Eastern Europe or Africa? Would I really be willing to sell everything, leave friends and family behind, and journey to a distant land to see this calling through? We wrestled with that possibility in the last 6 months, making connections in Uganda, and discussing the options with commissioning agencies like MTW. Still, we wait on doors to open and God's directing to be clear.

There is a great line that opens the movie Bella:

"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans."

In our finite understanding of the grand scheme of things, we cannot possibly see all the possibilities. Kristina's presence in our family is a souvenir of that truth. This school year has been a reminder that regardless of whether I serve in Orlando or Odessa, Mississippi or Malawi, the measure of my faithfulness as a servant depends only on the desire to see His work through.

"For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord."
- Romans 14:7-8

Humbling Experience

We traveled the long road home to Mississippi last weekend. I took several additional days off from teaching around the holiday weekend to visit with my parents who live just south of Hattiesburg. The end of the school year is always a hectic time for teachers who are trying to squeeze in last things and hold a quickly sinking ship together. So the couple of days off was a reprieve in the middle of the whirlwind. But time with the grandparents wasn't the central reason we went home. Robert had a teaching interview in Hattiesburg and a preaching engagement at Ellisville Presbyterian Church.


Early Sunday morning, we journeyed north to Ellisville and found a picturesque white church with a steeple that stretched toward blue skies. Erected in 1892, the Ellisville church is in its original historic sanctuary. The steeple tower contains the original bell that rings each Sunday to call the surrounding community to worship. The interior of the building was bathed in rainbow light streaming in through the stained glass windows as the children and I settled onto red velvet cushions on dark wooden pews. As Robert made his way to the church office to meet with the pulpit committee, we were greeted by the kindest congregation.
It was an excellent service and as I listened to Robert bring the sermon, I was struck by memories of his early preaching days. We were much younger and the twins were just babies. The boys were good babies and if I planned well, I could usually time it so that they slept through service. That morning I glanced down the row at not two, but five covenant children and wondered at the graciousness of our God. After the service, we lingered and fellowshipped with members who were full of questions. I pulled a reluctant Robert away (he REALLY wanted a chance to ring the bell) and we began the drive back to my parents' home. Thinking back over the morning service, we were humbled by the warmth of the people at Ellisville PCA and the calling to ministry that God has allowed us.

Ellisville is also home to Ellisville State School, a residential facility for the mentally retarded. As we passed the large state run building, Robert pointed it out to the children. As a ministry student many years ago, he had visited the facility and met with the residents. Kristina listened to all of this intently and asked, "Dad, you've been to that school?" Robert nodded and without missing a beat she asked, "Dad, you used to be retarded?" We all dissolved into fits of laughter as Robert attempted to clarify the situation to a very confused Kristina.

Cheers and Tears

Today was the awards ceremony at Kristina's school. Robert was able to go and snap a few pics of her and Hannah receiving special awards. Kristina received the Language Arts Award. Pretty impressive for a kid who spoke Russian just a few months ago! She has accomplished so much in her short time in school and we are so proud of her. She's jumped right in and tried everything. When she's stumbled, its just made her try harder. She's made lots of friends and is rarely afraid to try things. If something's happening, she's right in the middle of it.



One place she's always elbowing her way into is the kitchen. Robert was making hamburgers this evening and Kristina offered to pitch in. She got a little more than she bargained for!

To the Adoption Community

I was broken this morning when I heard the news about the death of Maria Chapman. Maria is the youngest adopted daughter of Christian singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman. I cannot begin to grasp the grief this family is experiencing. The Chapmans have done so much to raise awareness for international adoption. Maria was the youngest of three girls the Chapmans adopted from China. I am comforted to know that God has numbered each of our days and even this seemingly tragic turn of events is part of God's sovereign plan. Maria's brief life was not in vain. She fulfilled the purpose God had intended for her.

When I got home from school, there was a package waiting for me. Inside was the new edition of Tom Davis' book Fields of the Fatherless. I read the first edition two years ago and it has profoundly shaped my understanding of mercy ministry. Opening the cover, I was touched to find that Tom had sent me a signed copy. I re-read the foreword by Steven Curtis Chapman and was reminded what a immense effect orphan ministry has on the world around us.

Robert and I have just completed the first in a series on adoption that we've been asked to write for The Progress, our church's magazine. As we reflect on the journey we've taken to find and claim Kristina as our own, God has brought to mind what an important role the adoption community has played in our experience. We found wisdom, direction, prayer, and strength in the words and efforts of hundreds of people united to practice mercy ministry on the behalf of one little girl. Let us unite again to seek God. Pray that God will comfort the Chapman family with His presence and surround them with believers who will lighten this burden for them. And continue to pray for the millions of Marias still waiting for families.


A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.
-Psalm 68:5-6

Rock On

I hate store bought cards. I won't send them and I forbid Robert & the kids from buying them for me. So the kids made me their own cards on Mother's Day. Kristina wrote in big letters: Mom, you're rocks!!!"

. . .


Okay, I get what she meant, but perhaps she wasn't too far off.

But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” - Luke 19:40

Liar, Liar

Guess what phase Kristina is going through. Not that this is my first time dealing with this issue; all of my children have tried on their fire britches at some stage. Thankfully, their conscience usually got the best of them, they confessed, and quickly learned the consequences of lying. Kristina, however, has been a tough cookie. Even when confronted with the truth, she digs her toes in and clings to the lie. I haven't known exactly what to do with this; its been a difficult thing to process. Sometimes when she does confess her transgressions, I find myself tensing for the next time, not fully able to let go.

As always, God has chosen to teach me through this experience. We are abundantly blessed to have Dr. Don Kistler as a Sunday school teacher. His lessons are the kind that Robert and I find ourselves still talking about and wrestling with days and even weeks later. We completed a series on forgiveness recently and I was unpleasantly surprised to learn how short I have fallen in this area. At one point, Dr Kistler raised the question, "Why does God not grow weary with us continually asking for forgiveness?"

I never really thought about that before. Our omniscient God knows when we sin against Him. He knows the sincerity of our repentance. And He knows when and if we'll commit that sin again. If He knows we'll sin against him in the same manner in the next moment, how is He able to extend abundant grace and forgiveness to us? I was struck by Dr Kistler's answer, "God never grows weary of forgiving because He is able to manifest His true nature in the act of forgiveness. He joys in offering mercy."

I understand that there is no greater act of forgiveness than what my Father did by sending His Son to the cross on behalf of my transgression. What I didn't fully grasp is how we are like the Father when we forgive . . . repeatedly . . . without guarantee from future trespasses, and with great joy. It sheds light on my difficulty with letting things go, which in essence, is a pride issue. I haven't found joy in the act of extending mercy and forgiveness like I should. Pray that I will be conformed to the image of the Father and in so doing, will show my daughter the depth of His love.

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry for ever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
- Micah 7:18,19

God Loves TV?

I hum unconsciously all the time. My students will catch me and ask what song is playing in my mind. When I tell them "The Old Rugged Cross" or "The King is Coming", they remind me that I'm not at church. One of the things we miss about the Baptist church is the music. We have an old hymnal and these are the songs we sing during family devotions.

Yesterday we were headed to Cocoa Beach singing along with a CD of these songs when Kristina interrupted and asked, "Mom, why does God love TV?" A little puzzled, I glanced at her in the rear view mirror and asked, "What makes you think God loves TV?" "The song is singing about it," she replied. We laughed when we realized she was referring to the song playing: Love Lifted Me.

How Time Flies

Things have NOT slowed down since we returned from Spring Break. I thought that I could catch my breath at the end of that first week, but not so. I am skipping school tomorrow to chaperon the girls' class field trip. They're going on their wet walk/dry walk. I volunteered for the dry walk. :)

Kristina continues to grow and amaze us. She experiences something new every day, things that we take for granted. She and Hannah went to Rock Springs yesterday to tube the cold clear waters with a group of girls from school. It was her first time swimming in the springs and she loved it. With the fabulous Florida weather, we've been cycling quite a bit lately. We made the twenty mile trek from our house up the Wekiva Trail and back. The magnolias are in bloom and Robert couldn't resist pulling down a giant creamy bloom for Kristina to get a whiff. Kristina is a fount of endless energy, so she enjoyed the workout the bike route provided.

Its hard to believe that I will have four in middle school next year! The girls brought home their schedule options for 6th grade classes. Kristina was flustered and excited over all the choices available to her. She settled on drama class, music, study skills, and PE for electives. The middle school has an amazing music program and she's excited to try out for an instrument. And, well, you know how dramatic she can be. I have a feeling drama class will be a good outlet for her.

She'll still be in ESOL Language Arts class, but she's mainstreamed for everything else. In fact, she's mainstreamed now with the exception of Language Arts. Her language skills confound us and we feel that perhaps God has gifted her in this area. At any given time, she has two novels in process, one in English and one in Russian. She just finished Little Women and Pollyana in Russian. We rented the Little Women movie after she finished the book. After viewing it, she declared the book was much better than the movie. A girl after my own heart!

Simple Pleasures

Spring Break was only last week, but it feels like ages ago already. We spent the week enjoying things close to home. We wandered the primitive walkways of a few state parks in our area, spied on baby alligators darting through marshy edges of lakes, watched raccoons climb the canopies, and visited "The Senator". A box of sidewalk chalk called up kids from all over the neighborhood.

A morning of gun safety led to target practice with the BB gun. We tuned up the bikes and rode everywhere including a 12 mile trek. Everyone completed at least one novel and ended the week with sun kissed faces from several trips to the pool where they learned that diving off Dad's shoulders is much more fun than diving off the side of the pool.

Have You No Shame?

Apparently not because I continue to publish these videos. Okay, these clips are somewhat related. The purpose of this first one is two fold. First, it took us a little while before we figured out that our hotel keys did more than just open our door at Hotel Rus in Kiev. You have to insert the key card in a slot on the wall to turn the lights on. Additionally, the key card also has to be inserted in a slot in the elevator to make it go. The first time we got in the elevator, the doors closed and we just stood there. We pushed the button for our floor, but nothing happened. "Oh, great," I thought, "We just got to Kiev and we're trapped in an elevator. That'll make an interesting blog post." Eventually the doors opened and another couple got in, slid their card into the slot and off we went. "Ohhhhh," Robert and I murmured in unison. You'll see the card slot in the video. But I really want you to take a look at the Kiev city skyline. Notice the gold domed church in the distance. No, really notice how far away it is.



This next clip is the two of us climbing the last of many hills leading to that church dome in the video. Yes, we walked the entire way there and back. It was well worth the hike. We got to see the beautiful architecture of the city and burn off nervous energy as we had just completed our SDA appointment.



This final clip is of us after we had reached the church and were wandering the church grounds admiring the ancient buildings. Well, the rest is self explanatory.

Scaredy Cat

School is back in session this week and Spring Break seems like a lifetime ago. We've started a new term and I'm in teacher mode, so my mind is clouded to writing personal stuff. Hopefully I'll be on top of things and able to refocus by the weekend. There's lots more I'd like to share about Kristina and our daily lessons in love and humility. Soon, soon.

I continue to download video clips from the adoption trip and Robert and I have laughed ourselves silly at our foolishness. This is a clip from the JFK airport. It actually precedes the last video we posted.

Now keep in mind, Robert was not happy about flying to Ukraine. He wanted to know how long it would take by boat; that's how much he hates flying. This stems from a flight we took from New Orleans to Atlanta about ten years ago. Horrible experience. The smell of jet fuel was nauseatingly overwhelming and we thought we would pass out before we landed. He hasn't gotten on a plane since. I've been blessed to have lots of travel opportunities though and have flown to places like New York, DC, London, Rome, Ukraine. I assured him that every experience I've had since has been wonderful. I actually like flying and I was sure he would too, but this was Robert's first flight since the bad experience and he was skeptical.

Our flight from Orlando into JFK was great until the landing. The plane wobbled pretty violently right before we touched down and it freaked Robert out. I had to keep a happy face on though because we had two more flight ahead of us that day and I couldn't afford for him to back out. I remember being tired and thinking we had just begun the journey to Ukraine. The uncertainty of what laid ahead was heavy on my heart, but God had given me peace and a guy to laugh at with. Can't ask for much more than that.

Ukraine Adoption: The Lost Videos

We took a video camera with us to Ukraine to record events along the way. I am downloading the video segments (yes, I know its been almost four months) and thought I would share some of the clips here and there. Don't count on much of it being educational. It will serve to show what misfits we are. So here's video number one. This proves that the number one thing to pack for an international adoption is a sense of humor.

Life's a Beach

We headed to Cocoa Beach today for some sun and sand. The boys took turns burying each other in the the sand and body surfing. The girls clung to an inner tube giggling and tumbled with the surf. I relaxed with my current novel in a beach chair alternating between answering cries of "Mommy, Mommy, look at me" and laughing at Robert being tossed out of the tube by crashing waves. Near the end of the day, Nathanael was stung by a jellyfish on his chest. Robert teased him about the two options for treatment: vinegar or pee. Mortified, he opted for the vinegar and we went in search of the park ranger. Poor guy, the vinegar hurt almost as much as the sting, but he gritted his teeth and allowed me to spray him down. He wore the welt as a badge of courage as the neighborhood kids all came by to see the battle scar later this afternoon. We were surprised that the kids had the energy to go outside after cleaning up from the beach, but they played for several more hours tossing the football in the front yard. Kristina came in here a few moments ago and leaned against the bed asking about something. She lost her train of thought for a moment and, surprised, I looked into her face to see her eyes heavily lidded. "You're tired!" I exclaimed. "No, I not," she returned. "Oh yes you are. I can see it in your eyes," I confirmed. Not to be outdone, she replied, "That's not tired. That's sea water, Mom"