Busy Week...So much to write!!!

Artyr, Dima and Erik, all together again !

The past few weeks have flown by and we are not sure where they went!  Each day is a new step in this process.  We learn new things, feel new feelings, witness new emotions and adapt a little more than the day before.  I am sure you fellow adoptive parents can relate.  I think my biggest adjustment personally is my lack of sleep.  I remember back to the days when I had a brand new, colicky baby (Laynie), and 2 other little toddlers.  I remember the sleepless nights and the weariness that came with it.  Although, this is not the same magnitude of that phase of my life, I have been remembering some of those same feelings.  I ask myself some days, "why am I so tired, these girls sleep through the night, they are not colicky babies who stay up all night?"  But there have been so many things to try to fit in, that the days and nights seem so short.  Russie and I have realized that to stay on the same page on a daily basis, we have to sacrifice a few hours of sleep every night, so we can evaluate the day and prepare for the next.  

Last Sunday, was a great ( and busy !!) day for us. Our church had a Welcome service for the girls.  Our pastor prepared words for each of us and we had a short ceremony during church.  There was a tall glass cylinder filled with white sand, brown sand and rocks.  He explained to us about a good foundation and that they represented the father, the son and the Holy Spirit.  We then, one at a time, took a different color of 

sand and poured half of our jar into the cylinder, making layer by layer until all 8 of us went.  We then took the remainder of our colored sand and poured them all in the cylinder together.  Our pastor covered our sand with more white sand symbolizing that we are covered in God.  This was an amazing moment for us as a family.  I think the girls will always remember pouring their sand with ours.  

We have the jar in our living room, so we will all remember that special moment.  The love and support our church family has showed us has been vital to us and getting us to this point, we are so thankful for them !  We headed from there to celebrate Russie’s grandfather’s birthday.  We were thankful that all Russie’s family could be there to spend it with him, we had missed them since they had all been in Florida for the week.  Once again, we could have not done this without all their love and support for us, and helping with our kids while we were in Ukraine. We then headed to State College for a Welcome home party for another young boy, Artyr, that just came to America.  It was an almost surreal feeling seeing Artyr finally home with all the kids that have came before him.  I honestly thought that when I saw Artyr in Ukraine and when we talked about him coming home with his family, that his smile could not possibly get any bigger, I was wrong, on Sunday he was smiling from ear to ear and was one happy kid !!!

Another BIG step for us this week was, school.  I had mentioned previously, that we are sending Vika to St. Matthews, here in Tyrone, with our other 4 little ones.  She started this week and went a half a day on Tuesday and a full day on Thursday.  This has proved to be our biggest issue since we have been home. There were several tears shed both days.  We have learned ( and are still learning) that although most of the time these kids seem like normal teenagers and fit in with normal teenagers, there are still moments and situations where the reality of their past comes out and makes you realize they have not learned the proper way to process certain emotions and situations around them.  We are going thorough this with Vika. She is weary to go anywhere new and is very afraid to go do things on her own or with new people.  Several times this week she was hesitant to do things, but once she did them, she realized that she had a good time and was glad she tried them.  We think school is still going to be the issue with her that we are going to have to continue to work through and in time, we think she will gain the confidence she needs in herself.  Her friends there, her teacher, the principal and all the people connected to St. Matthews have went above and beyond to welcome her and make her feel at home.  Russie and I are so blessed by this, and know even though this is a hard adjustment for her, without their love, excitement and understanding; this would have been so much harder for her.  Even though, we had some tough moments with her this week, I see the potential in Vika and it excites me so much to see her true self unfold.    

Anslee started school this week as well.  We had visited ACCS ( a private school in Altoona ) last week and decided that if a few things lined up and the doors opened that this school was an option for us.  When we met with the principal we expressed our concerns and what we needed for this to work for us.  Obviously, we told him financially this would be a burden to send both the girls there next year, all while still putting the other 4 through St. Matthews.  He offered to talk to his colleges and get back to us.  He told us on Thursday that they agreed to give us a scholarship for next year for the girls, this was essential for us, so just chalk it down as another blessing.  Then the final test was how Anslee would do and like the school.  So Thursday, we took her up and dropped her off for the day.  She was an absolute trooper, if she was scared at all, she never showed it to us.  She walked in with a smile on her face and said "goodbye" and was off.  When Russie and I got to the truck we felt an empty feeling in our stomach and we prayed for her.  She did not know anyone and we were scared for her.  We had ourselves worried all day.  When we went in to pick her up, as soon as I saw her, I did not even have to ask how her day went, it was all over her face.... she said she loved it !!!  She made a lot of friends and she said it was a very good school for her. As soon as she said that I think you could physically see the weight lifting off Russie and I.  She has not stopped talking about all the kids in school she met and is excited to go back this coming week. God filled in all the pieces for her and for us as well.  We even found out after she went that she is in class with one of the other adoptive parents daughter!!! We had no idea that this family’s daughter went there and were thrilled when Anslee told us.  

We had a great weekend thus far too! Last night we went out to dinner with a group of our friends that meet on a regular basis and we took Anslee, Vika and Vika Mccracken with us.  Vika McCracken came for a sleepover.  We had been talking about this for a while so all-3 girls were so excited for it to happen.  We are not sure what the girls thought about us at the restaurant because we could not stop laughing.  After we came home, Anslee said to me “wow, mama & papa very crazy friends, they laugh, laugh, laugh and no stop!” It has been fun letting them see all parts of our life this week, the serious moments with our church, our time with our families, and the craziness with our friends!!!  Here are some pictures to highlight our week ! Also, please keep two families that are in Ukraine this week in your prayers, Mike & LeAnn Gurley, they are adopting siblings from the Mariupol orphanage, and Stewart & Ann Echols who are adopting from the Mariupol orphanage as well !

Russie's Pap, Larry

My nephew, Uriah

Gracie and my niece, Harper

This is amazing to see these 8 kids who were all half a world
away a few short months ago, and now all together in
America, what a sweet picture it will be when the rest of them get home!

Laynie and Riley had a play date this week...they are 2 crazy girls
when they get together !!!