Kasey Grace in ColorGuard
Kasey Grace in Colorguard
Dinner with half the kids
Brett, Dad, Kyle and Ryan
Dad, Kyle and Neiko
Kasey
Kasey loves to mismatch her socks
practicing in the yard
More practice in 110 degree heat this summer
sisters
Alesa on a mission trip
Daddy's girl
Julia our girlie girl
Julia
Zhenya doing what he does best-EATING!
Dad and Alesa, Julia, Kasey and Zhenya at the lake
Mom and Julia
Mom and Alesa
Alesa
Monday, August 30, 2010
Karina
We miss her! An entire summer sped by so quickly and now all we have left are our memories and pictures. Brett calls her big bird because she is tall and still so childish in her manner sometimes. He thinks she would be a great volley ball player. She laughs easily and cries just as easily. She etched a place in our hearts. Karina we love you!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Trial to Triumph and Letting Go...
I have debated about how much to share on my blog I feel like I want to be transparent about all our joys and difficulties but then I know I need to also not share too much that will be too private about our kids. I told you I would tell you some of our trials in the past several months. I wrote this and then thought I had probably shared more than I should so I am going back and see if I can do a better job. The first one is literally a trial to triumph story and I want to share it to show how God can heal and bring us through difficult times. God can change even the most seemingly hopeless situations to victory.
We adopted our Zhenya when he was 14 years old. He came to us a skinny shy boy who had been in an orphanage from a young age. He didn't want to bond with us at first and he hated women in general. We didn't know it at the time, but after he came home he would sneak out at night and smoke cigarettes in the backyard putting them out under the leaves, apparently he had been smoking and drinking since the age age of five. One night one of his smoldering cigarettes came within 5 minutes of burning our house down. We caught it in time called the fire department and had many thousands of dollars worth of damage, but the firemen said another 5 minutes and it would have been too late. We knew we had some work to do to bring him into the family fold, to obey our rules, and to help him overcome the debilitating previous damage done by people who were supposed to love and take care of him.
We spent several years working through some of those issues. Was it easy? No it wasn't, but was it worth it? Yes it was! He went on to excel in school and became a starting football player. We were thrilled that he seemed to have put his past behind him. He would initiate hugging me where at first he avoided any contact, adored his dad and was great friends with all his siblings. Zhenya seemed to be so happy and at peace until it came time for graduation and college.
A few months before graduation Zhenya started withdrawing from the family once again. He seemed very sad and we attributed this to his imminent graduation and coming departure for college where he was accepted into the electrical engineering school.
When we went went to adopt Zhenya there was another family there at the same time adopting a girl the same age from his class. These kids were very close friends and had grown up together at the orphanage. They live about 4 hours from us and we visited only once when we were all back, but after that Zhenya wanted nothing to do with anything from his past. We all lead busy lives, and consequently did not keep in touch.
Just before graduation this girl and Zhenya found each other on face-book and so they began corresponding. She decided to come for his graduation. It was a wonderful tearful joyful reunion. She is a lovely girl with a great family and she has overcome so much.
When this girl came for graduation, Zhenya's past came into his present, as he was trying to get his heart and mind prepared for a future and a change he didn't think he was ready to meet. Little did we know that a storm bigger than any of us could have imagined was brewing around inside him and all these events came together and created " The Perfect Storm"
Zhenya had a breakdown that pulled the whole family into an abyss that took us all by surprise. It was a very difficult time period and I won't go into it but lets just say that God was faithful and pulled everyone through.
Through intensive prayer and counseling he was able to get everything in perspective and he understood that college was not a change to be feared and that we would still be here. He is coming to realize that his past is just that- his past- and it can't hurt him anymore.
Our family came together and we are so proud of our children! They really supported us, each other, and Zhenya through this whole ordeal. They formed a circle of care and love around him.
We were going to keep him home and let him go to college from home but his counselor told us we needed to let him go that he is ready to make the change now. He is at a school only an hour from here so he knows he can come home if he needs to have a break. Praise God for getting all of us through. Please pray for Zhenya that he will know the love of God and have peace and that he will continue on with no more trauma from his past having any power over him. We said good-bye to him last week and we have to rest with the knowledge that our faithful God, the great father, is in control and is much more capable of taking care of him than we are.We thank God for being the great healer and for keeping all of us wrapped in his arms during difficult times.
Our sweet and faithful Kyle left for college last week and he was by our side the whole summer. God abundantly blessed us with this young man as our son. He returns to visit often so we look forward to each time we see him coming back through the door.
Kenna, although she wasn't home for the summer because she has her own apartment went back to school this week as well. We spent some fun times together this summer. She is such a hard worker and only has one year of school left.
Brett interned for an attorney's office and decided that is not what he wants to do with his life so he is currently looking for a job and is waiting on a job he interviewed with for the Texas legislature and will hear in the next couple of weeks if he got it.
Ryan is at home starting air conditioning/heating school next month.
Karina left this morning so we had to say good-bye for the third time in less than two weeks. She is just a delightful, sweet, loving and caring girl. She came into our room last night threw herself into my arms and sobbed "I don't want to go back to Ukraine". We talked and we cried. She wanted to know after that if she could call her babushka which she does every few days. It must be so hard to be so torn between two worlds.
She and Mark spent the day together yesterday as he has been out of town this past week and the rest of us have been in school. She adores her "daddy" and he took her shopping (this alone will tell you how much he loves her he hates shopping) he said she wouldn't buy anything for herself she just wanted to buy something for "mom". She picked out two cute shirts for me I couldn't have done better myself.
As I saw her off this morning I can only pray for what the future will hold for everyone I have to trust that in the Lord's time his plan will be the perfect one. Everyone knows I am the huggy one in the family. They all tease me mom could lose all her senses and be fine unless it was the sense of touch then she would never make it. Karina has the same nature she must have hugged and kissed me a 100 times this morning assuring me that everything would be OK. I know it will because my father has a plan for all of us greater than anything we could have put together. I just pray in my own heart that his plan includes Karina as our daughter.
My mother gave me this saying one time when I was nurturing a broken heart as a young woman and I have never forgotten it:
IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING, SET IT FREE. IF IT COMES BACK TO YOU, IT'S YOURS. IF IT DOESN'T, IT NEVER WAS.
Thank you God for being with your children, the ones you have brought to us, and as they leave our home we pray that they go with your peace, and if its your will that all will return to our home.
We adopted our Zhenya when he was 14 years old. He came to us a skinny shy boy who had been in an orphanage from a young age. He didn't want to bond with us at first and he hated women in general. We didn't know it at the time, but after he came home he would sneak out at night and smoke cigarettes in the backyard putting them out under the leaves, apparently he had been smoking and drinking since the age age of five. One night one of his smoldering cigarettes came within 5 minutes of burning our house down. We caught it in time called the fire department and had many thousands of dollars worth of damage, but the firemen said another 5 minutes and it would have been too late. We knew we had some work to do to bring him into the family fold, to obey our rules, and to help him overcome the debilitating previous damage done by people who were supposed to love and take care of him.
We spent several years working through some of those issues. Was it easy? No it wasn't, but was it worth it? Yes it was! He went on to excel in school and became a starting football player. We were thrilled that he seemed to have put his past behind him. He would initiate hugging me where at first he avoided any contact, adored his dad and was great friends with all his siblings. Zhenya seemed to be so happy and at peace until it came time for graduation and college.
A few months before graduation Zhenya started withdrawing from the family once again. He seemed very sad and we attributed this to his imminent graduation and coming departure for college where he was accepted into the electrical engineering school.
When we went went to adopt Zhenya there was another family there at the same time adopting a girl the same age from his class. These kids were very close friends and had grown up together at the orphanage. They live about 4 hours from us and we visited only once when we were all back, but after that Zhenya wanted nothing to do with anything from his past. We all lead busy lives, and consequently did not keep in touch.
Just before graduation this girl and Zhenya found each other on face-book and so they began corresponding. She decided to come for his graduation. It was a wonderful tearful joyful reunion. She is a lovely girl with a great family and she has overcome so much.
When this girl came for graduation, Zhenya's past came into his present, as he was trying to get his heart and mind prepared for a future and a change he didn't think he was ready to meet. Little did we know that a storm bigger than any of us could have imagined was brewing around inside him and all these events came together and created " The Perfect Storm"
Zhenya had a breakdown that pulled the whole family into an abyss that took us all by surprise. It was a very difficult time period and I won't go into it but lets just say that God was faithful and pulled everyone through.
Through intensive prayer and counseling he was able to get everything in perspective and he understood that college was not a change to be feared and that we would still be here. He is coming to realize that his past is just that- his past- and it can't hurt him anymore.
Our family came together and we are so proud of our children! They really supported us, each other, and Zhenya through this whole ordeal. They formed a circle of care and love around him.
We were going to keep him home and let him go to college from home but his counselor told us we needed to let him go that he is ready to make the change now. He is at a school only an hour from here so he knows he can come home if he needs to have a break. Praise God for getting all of us through. Please pray for Zhenya that he will know the love of God and have peace and that he will continue on with no more trauma from his past having any power over him. We said good-bye to him last week and we have to rest with the knowledge that our faithful God, the great father, is in control and is much more capable of taking care of him than we are.We thank God for being the great healer and for keeping all of us wrapped in his arms during difficult times.
Our sweet and faithful Kyle left for college last week and he was by our side the whole summer. God abundantly blessed us with this young man as our son. He returns to visit often so we look forward to each time we see him coming back through the door.
Kenna, although she wasn't home for the summer because she has her own apartment went back to school this week as well. We spent some fun times together this summer. She is such a hard worker and only has one year of school left.
Brett interned for an attorney's office and decided that is not what he wants to do with his life so he is currently looking for a job and is waiting on a job he interviewed with for the Texas legislature and will hear in the next couple of weeks if he got it.
Ryan is at home starting air conditioning/heating school next month.
Karina left this morning so we had to say good-bye for the third time in less than two weeks. She is just a delightful, sweet, loving and caring girl. She came into our room last night threw herself into my arms and sobbed "I don't want to go back to Ukraine". We talked and we cried. She wanted to know after that if she could call her babushka which she does every few days. It must be so hard to be so torn between two worlds.
She and Mark spent the day together yesterday as he has been out of town this past week and the rest of us have been in school. She adores her "daddy" and he took her shopping (this alone will tell you how much he loves her he hates shopping) he said she wouldn't buy anything for herself she just wanted to buy something for "mom". She picked out two cute shirts for me I couldn't have done better myself.
As I saw her off this morning I can only pray for what the future will hold for everyone I have to trust that in the Lord's time his plan will be the perfect one. Everyone knows I am the huggy one in the family. They all tease me mom could lose all her senses and be fine unless it was the sense of touch then she would never make it. Karina has the same nature she must have hugged and kissed me a 100 times this morning assuring me that everything would be OK. I know it will because my father has a plan for all of us greater than anything we could have put together. I just pray in my own heart that his plan includes Karina as our daughter.
My mother gave me this saying one time when I was nurturing a broken heart as a young woman and I have never forgotten it:
IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING, SET IT FREE. IF IT COMES BACK TO YOU, IT'S YOURS. IF IT DOESN'T, IT NEVER WAS.
Thank you God for being with your children, the ones you have brought to us, and as they leave our home we pray that they go with your peace, and if its your will that all will return to our home.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Karina
The summer is almost over and I am soon going back to work and our precious Karina will return to Ukraine the end of August. Even though she says she wants to stay on one hand on the other she just can't seem to leave Babushka (grandmother) I should now title my blog Triumphs and Trials which I may later on down the road. As I told you I would I will share the trials later but for now I need to share the times we spent with Karina this summer. There were truly magical moments, she brought such joy and happiness and our bonds grew even deeper.
We were able to do some really fun things but the best was a trip to the mountains that the girls and I took. Unfortunately dad had to work and the other kids couldn't go for various reasons. Some very dear friends of ours (thank you Martha and Glenn) invited us to their mountain retreat for some much needed restoration, rest and relaxation. They spoiled us and it was over a week of horseback riding, bike riding, mountain trails where the most beautiful wild flowers grew (thank you Lord for the beauty of your creations), dinner in little cabin restaurants, jewelry making ( Karina made a lovely necklace for her grandmother), there was country western line dancing run by a young christian couple who were such a shining example to the girls there were people from 8 to 80 doing the boot scoot boogie. They went swimming (not mom, only the Ukrainian princesses could handle that cold water) After all I shiver when it is 90 degrees outside, but they were in their element in the cold mountain air. The girls love their Martha and Glenn, they are like family and they did everything they could to make our stay fantastic. We always try to teach our kids to help and leave a place immaculate when we have been there. I love the girls attitudes as they were so sweet and helpful. I was able to spend a lot of time in the bible with them. We have bible verses we memorize each week and on Sunday night we say them to each other and see who can get them perfect but more importantly how they can be used throughout the week. We been studying 2 Timothy 2:23-24 about quarreling and we were memorizing it. We were walking the trail looking at wild flowers and Julia and Alesa got into a small tiff. Very unusual they hardly ever exchange words. Immediately I used our bible verse and we had a discussion right there on the trail and we never had another quarrel the rest of our trip.
For me one of the most beautiful moments were when we were invited to go to this church in the mountains. The hearts of the people shone like stars in the night sky. They gathered together and worshipped God with complete abandon. That night the Lord wrapped his loving arms around me as I raised my arms to him, and I cried for all the children that need to truly know God and to be healed because of pasts that continue to come back to try and claim them. I asked God to forgive me for the times I have failed him. Right there in that little church I was so close to him and I knew he held me in his loving and forgiving arms. Later after that church we attended another one where the majority of the population were elderly folks. They were singing hymns at the request of members of the congregation. The girls went up and asked if we could sing America the Beautiful. After the service a lady came up to them and said we have been watching you all and you give hope to us for the younger generation and for America. Other than the Lord's approval you can't get a better compliment than one like that from someone with age and wisdom.
Karina finds hearts in every day things we were walking down the mountain trail and she saw this rock in the shape of a heart and wanted to take a picture and give it to me. She also wrote me these notes I will put a picture up but they aren't very good. The first one says:
Hi mom I love you You very good mom You best best forever I very much want to stay in America. (She wrote this by herself)
Next note says:
Thanks mom You hes (has) pretty pedgames (she meant Pajamas) and feis,nails ( fingernails) I love her use of commas) hear (she meant hair) You very butifuol very-very (beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder lol) I love you my littee pony, littee
pony.
I cracked up when I was trying to read and she was slipping these notes to me. Remember if you are thinking of adopting you will never ever have personal space again especially if they are girls. Going to the bathroom alone is a treat. If I am out of the room for more than 5 minutes they come looking for me. "MOM WHERE ARE YOU?" "On the toilet!" "Oh, OK I was looking for you"
No kidding!! Then they wait right outside until I re-emerge. We rarely let them watch TV but if I need to go to the restroom I turn it on and sneak off that usually works.
We are sad about Karina returning this may be the last time we will ever spend with her. I can't talk anymore about it because it makes me sad and she still has two more weeks to be ours. I will share her beautiful nature with you through the pictures. I have to tell you a friend of ours who lives in the same town that Karina's orphanage is in came to visit us for a few days. She was amazed at the transformation of Karina she said she could hardly believe it was the same girl. Karina has a harder edge at the orphanage and has been in some trouble for things. When she came and picked up Tanya's plate from the table for her and was so polite Tanya said it was like seeing a different girl. We saw that side of her when she was with her grandmother, but in order to survive the orphanage she has to have a tougher persona but while she is here she can be the sweet child she is at heart.
Thank you God for the time you have given us!
We were able to do some really fun things but the best was a trip to the mountains that the girls and I took. Unfortunately dad had to work and the other kids couldn't go for various reasons. Some very dear friends of ours (thank you Martha and Glenn) invited us to their mountain retreat for some much needed restoration, rest and relaxation. They spoiled us and it was over a week of horseback riding, bike riding, mountain trails where the most beautiful wild flowers grew (thank you Lord for the beauty of your creations), dinner in little cabin restaurants, jewelry making ( Karina made a lovely necklace for her grandmother), there was country western line dancing run by a young christian couple who were such a shining example to the girls there were people from 8 to 80 doing the boot scoot boogie. They went swimming (not mom, only the Ukrainian princesses could handle that cold water) After all I shiver when it is 90 degrees outside, but they were in their element in the cold mountain air. The girls love their Martha and Glenn, they are like family and they did everything they could to make our stay fantastic. We always try to teach our kids to help and leave a place immaculate when we have been there. I love the girls attitudes as they were so sweet and helpful. I was able to spend a lot of time in the bible with them. We have bible verses we memorize each week and on Sunday night we say them to each other and see who can get them perfect but more importantly how they can be used throughout the week. We been studying 2 Timothy 2:23-24 about quarreling and we were memorizing it. We were walking the trail looking at wild flowers and Julia and Alesa got into a small tiff. Very unusual they hardly ever exchange words. Immediately I used our bible verse and we had a discussion right there on the trail and we never had another quarrel the rest of our trip.
For me one of the most beautiful moments were when we were invited to go to this church in the mountains. The hearts of the people shone like stars in the night sky. They gathered together and worshipped God with complete abandon. That night the Lord wrapped his loving arms around me as I raised my arms to him, and I cried for all the children that need to truly know God and to be healed because of pasts that continue to come back to try and claim them. I asked God to forgive me for the times I have failed him. Right there in that little church I was so close to him and I knew he held me in his loving and forgiving arms. Later after that church we attended another one where the majority of the population were elderly folks. They were singing hymns at the request of members of the congregation. The girls went up and asked if we could sing America the Beautiful. After the service a lady came up to them and said we have been watching you all and you give hope to us for the younger generation and for America. Other than the Lord's approval you can't get a better compliment than one like that from someone with age and wisdom.
Karina finds hearts in every day things we were walking down the mountain trail and she saw this rock in the shape of a heart and wanted to take a picture and give it to me. She also wrote me these notes I will put a picture up but they aren't very good. The first one says:
Hi mom I love you You very good mom You best best forever I very much want to stay in America. (She wrote this by herself)
Next note says:
Thanks mom You hes (has) pretty pedgames (she meant Pajamas) and feis,nails ( fingernails) I love her use of commas) hear (she meant hair) You very butifuol very-very (beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder lol) I love you my littee pony, littee
pony.
I cracked up when I was trying to read and she was slipping these notes to me. Remember if you are thinking of adopting you will never ever have personal space again especially if they are girls. Going to the bathroom alone is a treat. If I am out of the room for more than 5 minutes they come looking for me. "MOM WHERE ARE YOU?" "On the toilet!" "Oh, OK I was looking for you"
No kidding!! Then they wait right outside until I re-emerge. We rarely let them watch TV but if I need to go to the restroom I turn it on and sneak off that usually works.
We are sad about Karina returning this may be the last time we will ever spend with her. I can't talk anymore about it because it makes me sad and she still has two more weeks to be ours. I will share her beautiful nature with you through the pictures. I have to tell you a friend of ours who lives in the same town that Karina's orphanage is in came to visit us for a few days. She was amazed at the transformation of Karina she said she could hardly believe it was the same girl. Karina has a harder edge at the orphanage and has been in some trouble for things. When she came and picked up Tanya's plate from the table for her and was so polite Tanya said it was like seeing a different girl. We saw that side of her when she was with her grandmother, but in order to survive the orphanage she has to have a tougher persona but while she is here she can be the sweet child she is at heart.
Thank you God for the time you have given us!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Explanation
I have been totally overwhelmed by the responses I have gotten from my last post both on my blog and my private e-mail. I am so amazed I really thought I was only signing off to a few followers. I can't tell you how much you have meant to me since we started this journey. There were more loving friends than I knew who were still following this blog.
I left everything hanging and I realize that since you have been faithful enough to follow all this time I needed to give more of an explanation. First, I ask for your forgiveness for ending so abruptly, and then I ask for your patience for a little while. After I have spent more time in prayer about what to say I will share my heart with you.
God keeps us in his palm and he knows our innermost thoughts. It is because we rest in God's peace and his plan, and because he loves us so much that I can share with you both our triumphs and trials.
Many blessings to all of you ,and as soon as I am able, I will write. Let me sign off now by telling you we have some of the greatest and most supportive kids that any parents could ask for, and we have been abundantly blessed beyond measure.
I left everything hanging and I realize that since you have been faithful enough to follow all this time I needed to give more of an explanation. First, I ask for your forgiveness for ending so abruptly, and then I ask for your patience for a little while. After I have spent more time in prayer about what to say I will share my heart with you.
God keeps us in his palm and he knows our innermost thoughts. It is because we rest in God's peace and his plan, and because he loves us so much that I can share with you both our triumphs and trials.
Many blessings to all of you ,and as soon as I am able, I will write. Let me sign off now by telling you we have some of the greatest and most supportive kids that any parents could ask for, and we have been abundantly blessed beyond measure.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The End
I am going to post one last time and my blog will end. Sometimes things don't always turn out as we have planned. We do the best we can and it isn't the path we thought we would be on. There have been some issues that have changed the course of things and wedo not care to discuss them on a blog. In the end it will be what is best for everyone and it is in God's hands.
Karina has had a wonderful summer and we love her deeply and vice versa but she wants to return to her grandmother whom she can not leave. We feel that because of other circumstances that have occurred this summer in our family we needed to put it on hold anyway.
Thanks for the journey and all your prayers.
Karina has had a wonderful summer and we love her deeply and vice versa but she wants to return to her grandmother whom she can not leave. We feel that because of other circumstances that have occurred this summer in our family we needed to put it on hold anyway.
Thanks for the journey and all your prayers.
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