Arrival

So we had a little adventure on the way to Atlanta. Our a/c in our car went out for about 3 hours today. That HOT southern sun, in the car, on the interstate is NOT fun. It was literally on one minute, and then just kept getting hotter and hotter in the car over about 10 minutes. You could hear the fan, but nothing was blowing out.

We took the HUGE blue icepack out and the kids just took turns rubbing it on their face! The kids had such great attitudes! They said, “just roll the windows down!”

After passing Birmingham and after lots of water and prayers I decided to try the air again, and it WORKED!!! Praising God!!!!

So after our little adventure we waited semi patiently at the airport. We had been in the car since 7:30. The air was out for half the trip, and now I told the kids that we had to wait at the airport for another couple hours. The icing on the cake was that it would be another hour to get to Aunt Kacie’s house. I had to remind the kids and myself that this was only a tiny piece of what the kids traveling from Eastern Europe went through to get here. Some traveled on trains for 15 hours. Then an airplane for another 20 hours to a county they have only heard about and never seen.

Finally Oksana arrived. She was terrified when it was her turn to go with her family. I cannot even imagine what she was feeling. She had been flying and traveling for almost 24 hours. She went from everyone speaking Ukrainian to no one. She cried. I cried. The translators said she may cry for a couple of days. We were all overcome with emotion. She was the tiniest one on the plane. Brave doesn’t even describe this sweet little girl. Courageous, Incredible, Strong, and Brave only begin to describe these children.

 Hannah built a build-a-bear and we got a small smile as Oksana hugged it tight!

We are headed to our Atlanta home for the next 2 nights. Thanks to my gracious sister and brother-in-law. 

Oksana is a sweet 9 year old little girl living in an orphanage in Eastern Europe. God has blessed us with the incredible opportunity to host this little girl from Eastern Europe  for 5 weeks this summer! Oksana is a bright young girl who loves to play with barbies, and bears, and all things girly! Sadly, the future is bleak for an orphaned child in Ukraine. Without intervention, upon leaving the orphanage, 60% of girls will end up in prostitution, 70% of boys will be on the streets or in jail, and 15% will commit suicide within the first two years on their own.   Hosting can make a huge difference in the lives of an orphan!   They get a first hand glimpse of what healthy relationships can be! Some of these children have never experienced love in a healthy manner or been able to show affection. They also learn about hygiene, American culture, and they’re immersed in the English language! Their lives can be impacted greatly by their time in the U.S.A. and in a family. Orphans usually feel left out, left behind and unworthy. Their self esteem is many times so low. After coming on our program for 4-5 weeks most children learn as much English as they would typically learn in 4-5 semesters if taught at home in their school. This gives the children pride in themselves and helps boost their self esteem tremendously! Receiving unconditional love and nurturing and being treated as a member of their host family who will usually maintain contact even after the child returns home to their orphanage. This gives them hope. Learning that they do have a Father, the same Father in Heaven that we all have…who loves us dearly and is always with us and lets them know they are never alone. To learn more about NHFC, read about their program here: http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org   Please pray for our family as we embark on this adventure to bring Oksana to America this summer. Your prayers for us and Oksana are coveted! Our first need is to raise her hosting fees.  Thank you for your support on this journey! If you would like to help you can visit our webpage. http://www.active.com/donate/Summer2013/hostingoksana   I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. - John 14:18

Baseball is Back!

Ethan Lives, Breathes, and Eats BASEBALL!  He says he has baseball running through his blood. He told me the other day, "Mom, Baseball just MAKES SENSE!!" He loves ALL sports, but BASEBALL just MAKES SENSE!!!

 

Fishing At Grandma's House

My parents live on a lake. Ethan LOVES to be there and just be a boy!  He enjoyed fishing in the rain! Hannah enjoyed bugging him! 

 

 

Easter

Every year my parents neighborhood has a good Ol' Fashion Easter Egg Hunt!  No running out on baseball fields and scrambling for eggs. A True Egg Hunt in the field. The kids have a blast!  The rain held out just long enough for the hunt and a small cookout in the park! 



Aunt KC's Park and THE Vulcan

We had so much fun at Aunt KC's house for Spring Break! Their favorite things were playing at the neighborhood park, going to IKEA,Legoland, and most of all loving on their sweet cousin.

 

 Everytime we go through Birmingham, AL we look for THE MAN ON THE BUILDING! We'll on our way home we saw a billboard for The Vulcan! THE Man on the building. We decided we were in no rush and made a special trip to see him.

 

The Fickle Pickle

Being Silly on Spring Break in Atlanta at The Fickle Pickle!

This is a great restaurant if you are ever in the Marietta Square/Atlanta Area you should check it out. You serve yourself drinks. It's totally kid friendly.  You can sit outside or inside! LOVE it!!