Home Sweet Home

She slept for 12 hours last night! We got up and got ready to head to Memphis this morning!

I am so glad we got to stay and rest some at  my sister’s house. I was so hesitant as to what to do. Do you just keep traveling and get it over with? Do you stop and take a break? We decided to take advantage of my sister’s hospitality and stay and relax for a couple of days.

With a google translated letter and pictures we headed to Memphis. I’m not sure I got the point across that we would be in the car for at least 7 hours. We are SO thankful that the a/c continued to work, since it took closer to 9 hours to get home.

We gave her a tour of the house. Her face lit up again seeing her bed and a bible in her own language. She has already went and read it several times. She seems to like the chidren’s bible more than the teen bible. She is only 9! Although they are both bible stories the children’s bible is smaller.

We took time to go through some clothes. She is so tiny. Almost all of the clothes that I bought for her are too big. My Hannah is very tall for 6 almost 7,and wears 7's and 8's. I’m glad I save a few of Hannah’s outfits from last year. 

And then We found out that Hannah is in TROUBLE!!!!! 

Hannah's nickname is THE F-5 Tornado!!!! She just brings disaster with her!  She has always been that way!  

While going though clothes with Oksana she began to pick up the dolls that her and Hannah played with on the floor. I went out of the room to do something and came back to her making Hannah's bed. I told her Thank you,  but it's Hannah's job. Maybe just maybe Oksana can bring Hannah down to an F-3!!!!

Giggles and Grins

Giggles and Grins

I feel terrible, but Oksana did not want to eat anything last night for dinner. It must be the southern mama in me. I just wanted to get her fed, clean from traveling, and in a warm comfy bed. I think she was exhausted. We all were. So after a try at dinner it was bath time. 

A common occurrence with kids is lice. Especially in the orphanages or on the planes. Kids like to share all of these great things. I was prepared with shampoo etc. I did a quick spot check, and didn’t see anything. After her shower I combed all the kids hair, and still saw nothing. What a relief! For her too! 

Oksana woke up this morning in a smiling happy mood. We tried some Yogurt and that was a no go. We tried banana and got a Yes!  Then we tried some wholewheat toast and nutella!!!!! We had another winner!!! Anyone that knows our family well knows that we LOVE Nutella. Probably a little too much!

We headed to the pool after breakfast! Now that is how you bring the Grins and Giggles out!!!

Here are some things she tried today:

                Salt-Nay

                Baked Potato-Ate it all including the skin

                BBQ Sauce-Liked it with Chicken

                Ice Cream-A funny face at first, but LOVES it with Chocolate ice cream

We also learned about the ice maker and water out of the fridge!!! Oh how much it is to see her face light up!!

We spent the day at the pool swimming and laughing. Oksana is a great swimmer with just enough caution!  

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!