Kids start "kid's garden"

So, the kids have finally started at the "kid's garden" here in town. It was quite a process to get them signed up and have all the required tests and paperwork done. The first day went well. Josie was thrilled to start and her teacher said she did wonderful and fit right in. Jaden was very unsure, but went along with things. Jeremy cried a little at first, but settled in nicely. According to Josie, "I like school so much! The teacher picked my picture to show the class because I am very good at drawing. And I like the food we eat, it's delicious!" Jaden said, "My teacher is pretty. She has gold teeth. But I really don't want to go anymore." Jeremy said, "I have friends, Mommy! And I sleeped on a pillow!" They will attend 5 days a week from 8-5pm. That feels like a lot to me, but Micah and I agreed that it will be good for them right now to get adapted to the culture and start learning the language. I think we will take it month by month and just see how they do. This will give Micah and I more free time together, which we really need!

My quick trip to the States...

On August 14, I took a quick trip to Colorado to see my grandmother. She is battling ovarian cancer and I really wanted to see her and let her meet her great-grandson. So Justin and I packed up and headed west. We stayed with my sister, Michelle, which was great. We had the chance to spend time together just relaxing and letting the boys, Justin and Jake, to get to know each other. One evening we had a birthday party for my step-dad, Marcel. It was a nice surprise to see some of my relatives that I haven't seen in a while. I also got to see my newest nephew, Elijah. He is adorable and has tons of black, spiky hair!

On the weekend we headed up to the mountains to see my grandma. She lives in Glenwood Springs, which is a beautiful town. We spent two days visiting her and catching up. She is doing remarkably well and is still as feisty as ever. And still beautiful! We looked through scrapbooks and reminisced. She was so excited to be able to see three of her great-grandchildren. I am so thankful for this chance to spend time with her!



On my way home, I stopped for a quick layover in Phoenix. I only had a day and a half, but it was great. I was blessed to have some precious time with my family and even some close friends. I was a bit nervous about the trip home, seeing that I had a 9 hour layover in JFK and 15 hours in the air. That is tough with a squirmy 6-month old. But the Lord was with me every step and the travels went very smooth. Micah did great back on the homefront with the other 3 kiddos. He said once he got into the swing of things, it wasn't too hard. The girls in the church graciously fixed dinners for him and the kids.



I am so glad that I could take this trip and I hope I can visit again very soon!!! Check out more pictures from my trip in our photo link...

Our little princess turns 6!

Josie turned six years old yesterday! How time flies! Here are some pictures of her over the past 6 years...





We had a great time celebrating Josie's birthday with a dress-up theme. We had princesses, pirates, superheros, football players, ballerinas and cowboys. The kids had a blast with the games - pin the crown on Josie, water balloon toss, and bobbing for apples. It was a great day!



The McNamee family made 3 hour trip to Kaharlyk to stay a few nights with us. They have two adorable kids, Gavin and Emma. We have been out to their house a few times, so it was nice to be able to host them in our home. We had a wonderful time hanging out with Conor and Koren and the kids had a blast playing together. At times, it was a little crazy and there were plenty of squabbles, but it was a great time of bonding. We were especially blessed to be able to get away for a night on the town, along with the Footes. The Semenenko sisters came and babysat all 6 kids (even the baby) so we could go out to dinner. Of course, we went to Friday's and enjoyed burgers and ribs. We look forward to the next time we can get together!!!

Paris

Over the past few years, we have accrued a nice amount of frequent flyer miles and so we thought we would cash them in and take a little trip. We were able to book two free tickets as well as free lodging to Paris. It was only for a few days, but that was enough just to get away and enjoy one another and see some sights. Magdala and Annaliese graciously took care of the boys and Josie stayed with the Gollans. So, we took Justin and toured around the city, packing in as much as we could in 3 days. We saw the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Musee D'orsay, Sacre Couer, the Louvre and took a boat tour on the Seine River. But I think our favorite afternoon was spent at a beautiful park by our hotel where we just relaxed under a tree and played with Justin. We are thankful that we had the chance to get away together and see this beautiful city. Check out our picture link to see our photos...

No more babies...

Well, folks, we spoke too soon. No more babies. Our four little baby hamsters did not make it. We thought Alyona was acting strange and neglecting the little guys. And she actually ate them. Yuck! But as we have read, that is pretty commom for the first litter. Maybe she will have more in the future... Oh, and Anya is now named Sasha.

Those aren't apricots.

As you know we purchased 2 hamsters a month ago. I thought it would be fun to bring them home and surprise my kids...maybe even give them some responsibility. Well my kids named them after two girls in our little town, but have yet to clean the cage. I guess it just defaults to dad on a weekly basis. We have enjoyed them a lot but today we were in for a surprise. My wife called me in hysterics to say our hamster was having babies. At first she said she thought I had placed some apricots in the cage to be funny but after a closer look, they began to move. Well, we are a little surprised because we have (or are supposed to have) 2 females. Christy and I have been online looking up info about hamster babies. We now have four little additions to our family!

Survivor Ukraine

After 1 week of camping I have returned refreshed and pondering the events of my adventure. For those who may be unaware as to where I camped...I will explain. Take 120 students and teens, boat them all out to an island (on the Dnipro river), add mosquitos, games, camp fires, tents, Bible teaching and fellowship. Mix together. What do you get? Survivor Ukraine! Its all good though because no one gets voted off and we all come back home encouraged in the Lord. This year's theme was Love and Go. Love God (vertical), Love others (horizontal), then Go and spread the good news. It was a great camp!

I took my daughter Josie this year. She is 5 going on 12. She supplied endless entertainment and displayed her drama skills often. These were some comments made by Josie-Jo (made while in hysterics)...

"I don't want to go into the deep part of the water with my floaties on." Why Josie? "Because the fishies might bite my floaties and pop them and I will sink."

"I don't want to eat Rzhshiv's food, I only to eat want Kaharlyk's food."

She is quite a character, that is for sure! Next year we are thinking about taking the whole fam!!!