First week--Good news on Andrey -- Prayers needed

Good news! LeAnn has found someone who has agreed to fly Andrey here to USA. Please pray this winter storm does not affect this child's chance to spend Christmas with us. Tonya and Vlad are doing well on their first week back in America. They have grown about an inch each since we saw them last Christmas 2008. We are getting along wonderfully. They love for us to ride bikes with them. It is good because it forces me to get out an exercise, but little sore the next morning. We went to my Dentist. Dr Keith Smith and his staff were kind and patient with my non English speaking kids. I really like my dentist. Firs week has been slow because we kept preparing for Andrey's arrival. I miss him.

My most of my kids are home

Finally, Vlad and Tonya have arrived for a month's visit. We are all ecstatic. We missed them so much. Andrey had a visa problem, but through God's intervention will be here with in three days. Thank you New Horizons for Children for bringing my kids back to me. Now we are watching Kung Fu Panda.

We got through to them!!!

We finally got through to them!!! Praise GOD!!!! We were able to talk to Tonya and Vlad. I was so thankful. They could not find Andrey in time :( I was disappointed on that note, but otherwise generally thrilled. Vlad and Tonya mentioned they were studying English, Russian and taking life skills courses. Tonya told us that she and Vlad were in a dance competition. They won best dressed couple and something else. I was so proud of them. They mentioned they had not yet received their care packets we sent them. NHFC checked on it for us and the next Friday wheil I was at work I was presently surprised to find this picture in my email. It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you very much to the person who took this photo.....you made my month. We are going to try to call them this Friday (today) or tomorrow. I am so excited. Please pray for us.

A Test of Patience

These past two 1/2 months have been a test of patience for Randall and I. We are trying to get in touch with the kids. We have not spoken to them since they left for camp back in the beginning of June. It was difficult getting a working number. Our translator, Tim, has been very patient and helpful as we tried to get a new working number. Last Tuesday, he was able to talk to someone in the orphanage who mentioned the kids were there but were in school. She told Tim to call back later in the Russian evening. We were at work and were unable to call til this weekend. So far we have been unable to reach them. Please pray for us. We are very frustrated.

Skittles

I am way behind in updating our blog. Last time I blogged we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the kids from Russia. Once they landed it was a world wind until it was time for them to fly back home. They were only here for five weeks. At times that felt like an eternity and other times it felt as if we were cheated by time. It was definately harder keeping up with three instead of just two.

Some neat stories to share:

• Upon landing at the ATL airport at 4 AM instead of the scheduled 11 p.m. was a tale in and of its self. The positive thing about hanging out at the airport for that lenght of time is that we were able to welcome and send off a great number of our military men and women. It was a source of pride to see our heros coming and going. They have my deepest appreciation. Then the magic call came that the kids had landed. The Latvian kids arrived first the same morning. Then the Russians landed. Yeah!!! Again the first one I saw was Tonya and she ran right into my arms ;-P Not to Randall which I expected. Vlad did the same. Andrey when he walked up with Vlad was not sure about all this hugging, but seemed to do well. You would have expected them to go right to bed when we got home at 5 a.m. right? Well, you would be wrong.
  
• Skittles story. I was at work when I received an email from Randall asking if I knew where Vlad's skittles were in the house. I can usually find things that the kids had misplaced. Well Vlad had lost his candy and asked Randall where it was as he was working from home that day. Randall told Vlad that he would email me at work. Vlad at the same time told Randall through part charades and part using English .... Stephanie is at work. Reading Randall's email on the computer. Stephanie responds to the email Skittles .. I do not know where the Skittles are...As she eats several (um um um his words). Randall emailed me that story right after it happened. I was rolling on the floor with laughter. We still laugh about that today.
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