PARTY !!

Mary Beth Raabe, Anslee, Me, Vika & Vika McCracken

I did actually type a post the other day, but it got deleted and I haven't gotten another chance to write another one.  We celerabted the arrival of the girls and my little brother, Dema, this Sunday with a Welcome Home Celebration.  This was the first time the girls met a lot of our family and friends, and also the first time they got to see 2 of the other kids adopted from their orphanage, so this was pretty special the whole way around.  At one point last week, Anslee asked me, "66 people to my party Mama?"  She had been counting all the people that had told her they were coming and all the people we had told her.  She could not believe there was going to be that many people, it turns out, there was a whole lot more than that.  We are not exactly sure how many were there, but the lodge was standing room full!  They got showered with so many hugs, so much love, and several welcome gifts.  After we came home, they sat on their bed and were so overwhelmed by the fact that all the gifts were for them.  They have never had a real party for just them before and it was almost as if they didn't know what to do.  Thanks to all of you who made them feel so welcome and loved.  They are still processing meeting everyone and have not stopped talking about their party.

As far as other things go, they seem to be adjusting pretty well.  They are still having their english lessons with Liliya everyday and are learning a lot of new words and starting to put sentences together. We are getting prepared to start them to school.  Vika will be going to St. Matthews ( this is where our other 4 kids go ) here in Tyrone.  It goes up to 6th grade, and that is the grade Vika is in this year.  We felt like this was the right place for her to start out.  The school has been more than accommodating and are preparing for her arrival.  The girls in her class have been talking to me and asking about her, they are very excited !  We could have kept her and Anslee together for the remainder of this year, but we felt that it may be good to give them each some of their own space and do something on their own.  Vika depends on Anslee for everything and it seems like she always has.  Vika has a lot of self confidence issues and we are hoping she can make some friends and find who she is there.  She is slowly starting to take a compliment, but most times she shys away from the camera or puts her head down when you give her a compliment.  This is something we hope time will make better.  We are about about 80% sure we are going to send Anslee to Blair Christian Acadamy in Duncanville, but are going to go there on Friday to their open house to make a final decision.  We have shed MANY prayers and have talked about this decision for many hours and we are hoping God opens the doors as to where she should go.  We loved the school and pretty much everything about it, but the only issue is transportation.  Tyrone will not bus there, so it would be up to us to find our own.  This is a huge decision for us and we need to figure out if we can do it ( it is about 25-30 minutes away)  I keep going back and forth and one minute thinking, "that is too far for me to drive everyday back and forth" and then the other voice says, "it is so worth it" I instantly thought about my day and how these trips to school would effect and inconvenience me, but I know that sometimes the right thing is not always the easy thing, so I want to make a decision based on what is right for our family, not on what is more convient and easy for me. Please pray along with us in the next few days that we can decide.  Last night Russie and I talked for a few hours and afterward we prayed and God laid this scripture on my heart very heavily, Proverbs 22:6 "Train your child up in the way that is right, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it"  I feel asleep with this on my mind and felt like God pressed this strongly upon me.  It is a HUGE thing for us to try to put all 6 of our children through a private christian school, but we think it is a sacrifice we need to make.  These girls have a desire to know God and learn more about him, and we feel like we need to put them in the right enviroment where that desire can be watered and then grow.  Vika will start at St. Matthews on Tuesday this coming week.  She will just go Tuesday and Thursday and then we will see how she is adjusting and take it from there. We would like to have Anslee in school by the end of next week as well, so we need to decide within the next few days.


Here are a few more pics from the party...I uploaded more of them on my facebook page as well !  Thanks again to making this day so special for us !

Vika & Shay

Anslee, Dima Kustenbeck ( adopted by Dusty & Tina Kustenbeck,
Liliya ( the girls english teacher, & Vika )

Sadie Jackson & Anslee

This is the board we put together to try to find these kids homes.  We have met
most of these kids and they have expressed their desire to be adopted.  If you are interested in
more info about any of these kids, PLEASE let me know !