P week

Well, it was "P" week at kindergarten. So we had pajama day and a trip to the Pumpkin Patch. While at the Pumpkin Patch the girls had their first experience with a Port-a-Potty ... yet another adventure with the letter "P".

Beautiful Fall Day

We took advantage of a beautiful fall evening and played at a park near by. Our sweet girls are growing up ... while at the same time staying tiny tots!!

School, gymnastics (Nataliya) and horse back riding (Juliya) keep us all busy!! Oh, and Daddy's job keeps him really busy!!

I'm actually posting these pictures b/c I'm trying something new with a photo storage program. We'll see if this makes it easier for me to post pictures on here and facebook.

Four Fun Filled Months!!

Wow ... I had no idea I'd been so absent in blog world. The last post was April 28th ... oops!

We had a great summer with the girls.

Not much time to write ... but here are a few pictures ...

1. Nataliya bravely holding a baby chick at Conner Prairie.

2. Horseback Riding in Wyoming with Pastor Isaac Smith. They LOVED it!!
Juliya is actually now riding every week at a Theraputic Horse Riding program ... so good for her!!

3. Juliya in North Carolina at Grammie & Poppy's house ... with Shatzy the sweet doggie.

4. Our family with our precious Ukrainian friends Kostya & Olga (and their son Nikita). They made a trip to the US and we went to North Carolina to visit them for a few days. What a treat. We love these guys!!

5 & 6. Juliya started Kindergarten! She loves it ... and her two teachers. She is pictured here with one of them. Both of her teachers are young, beautiful and wonderful ... we are really pleased!!

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully there will be more in the near future!!

Loving Spring

A few pictures from Easter.

After Easter dinner/lunch at Chris' parents ... Nataliya got all dressed up as a bride! After the wedding (she married Daddy and Juliya dressed up as a bridesmaid) ... she spent some time swinging while her groom mowed Grampy's yard (that's Chris' Dad in the back ground).




There are few things more refreshing than the signs of spring. I'm even happy to endure the rain ... because when the sun comes back out again ... wow is it ever green!!

The girls get soooooooooooo excited when they see something blooming or sprouting. They call it "popping out" and they are sure to point it out with great enthusiasm. Juliya peaked out of her bedroom window on Sunday morning (after we had been gone for a week) to discover the crabapple tree in full bloom ... she was so happy ... bounding down the hall to tell us!

We were all blessed to have a week away as a family last week. Chris taught at a seminary in Orlando and then we both attended a church planting conference there for a couple of days. While we were at the conference the girls spent some fun time with our dear friend Auntie Icki (Vicki) who happens to live there. We also were treated to three days at Disney parks ... such fun for two little girls who love Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy and of course Tinker Bell (the sweet one who flies around ... not the new one with a stinky attitude!!).

Our week off was good ... but the girls were ready to get back to school ... they missed it. They go four days a week right now and will go two days a week during the summer. We also have a special therapist come to the house one morning a week to help with academic/developmental areas where the girls are still delayed. Kindergarten registration is next week at our public school and we're planning to go that route for next year and see how everyone does. Our little Juliya works really hard for every inch of progress she makes ... learning does not come easily for her ... like it does her younger sister. We continue to provide all the help we can and pray for God to help her become everything He wants for her to be.

I was reading another adoptive mom's blog tonight and she was being really honest about how rough this road can be at times. And boy is she right. Our beautiful daughters are worth EVERY ounce of trial we have gone through ... both in adopting them and also making the adjustment and progress as a family over the past 2 1/2 years. I am grateful daily (hourly) for the wisdom God gives, the grace He extends to me and the amazing privilege He has given me to raise two of His beautiful children. I am blessed!!

Here are a few pictures from Easter!

We Survived!!

The girls with Auntie Donona (Donna) one of my girlfriends from South Dakota who came for a visit while Daddy was out of the country.
Daddy with the girls at the airport ... before he left for a 20 day trip to Australia and New Zealand.

Oops ... keep forgetting the blog!

Well it has been a busy month for everyone since I last wrote ...

We had a really nice Christmas at home with my brother Don (he came down from Madison, Wisconsin), Chris' parents (who live here) and our neighbor friends (the mom and daughters are pictured here with the girls ... singing Happy Birthday to Jesus).

The girls actually warmed up to Santa this year ... and that was fun. They did ask him to leave the gifts on the front porch ... not to come inside! :) And so he did!
Nataliya asked for a guitar ... so Santa brought her a pink one and Juliya asked for a barking puppy ... so Santa brought her a Pluto ... he barks, wags his tail, walks, licks, sniffs and more. She loves him and I'm thrilled with this dog!!
More later ... can't promise when :o)