Christmas Blessings

Merry Christmas!  It's certainly been a busy holiday season around our house!  Amid all the chaos I try to find time to update my Gratefulness Journal which I started a few months back.  I'm up to #573 even though I don't write in it daily, which is what I wanted to do, I do add a bunch of things each time I sit down with it.  

Cookie Baking!

Jordan, Wayne, and Anna

 #570- I'm thankful that Sierra and Anna help me with all the holiday baking!  It was a blessing to be able to hide in my room and wrap presents while the girls were doing the annual baking.  They were a huge help to me.

Christmas Eve morning football anyone?

 What's with teenagers who have to be doing something somewhere all the time with their friends?  A bunch of the kids from church like to get together often to play football.  And of course Christmas Eve morning sounded like a good time to play!  #571- I'm thankful for a husband who will shuttle Sierra, Andrii, and Anna off to play football, while I stay home and get my Christmas broccoli casserole made.

Christmas Eve 

Around the island l to r:  Wayne Jr. (seated), me, Sierra, Curtis, Keith (my nephew), Nicholl -JC's fiancee (seated), and Kerri (seated).  

 Our Christmas Eve is celebrated with my husband's family, and we take turns with hosting the celebration.  This year it was Wayne's brother John and his wife Liz's turn to host.  In spite of the incredible heart break that our family has been walking through with the loss of John and Liz's son, my nephew JC, back in September, they decided to go ahead and  host the gathering.  After appetizers and a ham dinner we gathered together for my mother-in-law to read the Christmas story in Luke.  Then she shared some words and my father-in-law (our beloved patriarch) shared some words.  My son Curtis was asked by Liz to read the poem "Christmas In Heaven."  Then my father-in-law closed in a prayer of thanksgiving.  It was a tearful time, but we made it through even though a V.I.P was missing.

John, Vienna, and Wayne

 This pic cracks me up because Vienna hopped right in my husband's lap.  I think she thought he was John - like she didn't realize the difference!

Christmas Morning Stocking Opening!

 Slava & Jordan strolled out about 7:15am to check out the tree.  Anna joined them shortly thereafter.  After waking up Daddy (Mommy was up first!)  we let the little kids open their stockings while waiting for the big kids to roll out of bed.  By about 8:00am we were all gathered in the living room where we all prayed and then sang, "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.  Then present-opening commenced!

Christmas Morning Breakfast!

 It's been our tradition to have Christmas Quiche for breakfast.  It makes the morning easier since I make it the night before.  The home-made cinnamon rolls are a newer tradition we've done about 5 years now.  The inspiration for them came when we were in Ukraine 6 years ago for our 1st adoption.  We spent Christmas morning there at the home of dear missionary friends, Joey and Laura Stoltzfus.  Laura made these delicious cinnamon rolls for breakfast that morning, and now I make them for Christmas morning too.  Actually, this year, Sierra made them.  They're pretty easy since we make them the night before, and I just have to put them in the oven for 20 minutes when we get up.  Yummy!  Notice the new stove.  #520 - I'm thankful my oven broke a week before Christmas (in the midst of baking cookies) instead of breaking on Christmas morning!

Missy got a microwave for Christmas!

 Missy joined us for Christmas Eve and then had to work 11pm to 7am.  She came from work after picking up her boyfriend, and made it in time to open presents with us.  Then she went to take a nap in Sierra's room.

Officer Flach

 Jordan wants to be a police man.  He asked for a police baton for Christmas.  We got him the baton, the uniform, hand cuffs, and a badge.  He loved it!

Wayne Jr., Kerri, and Andrii!

 #572 - I am so blessed to have ALL of my children under one roof for Christmas Day!  Wayne & Kerri arrived around 2pm after spending the morning with her family.  Her parents and sister joined us for Christmas dinner as well.

Jordan, Sierra, and Slava

 Christmas night ended with Sierra hosting a sleep-over in her room with the little boys.  And to all a good night!

Oops, this pic is out of sequence, sorry.

My parents arrived by noon to exchange gifts and have dinner with us too.  #573 - celebrating Christmas with both of my parents.  My cousin, Vess, and Jean & Earl Smith Missy's God-Parents) also joined us for dinner - that made a total of 20 people around our dinner table.  It was a busy, blessing filled day of family, friends, food, and fellowship.  God is good!

Christmas Preparations

December and all the busyness that comes with it is upon us.  Our days are filled with homeschooling, appointments, and holiday preparations.  This past week Slava began Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy at the local elementary school.  I bring him one morning for a 30 minute OT appointment and one afternoon for a 30 minute PT appointment.  So far he really likes it and I don't mind sitting in the school office for just a half hour.  The school has been very open to helping us help Slava even though we are homeschoolers.  I'd prayed for favor in this area and the Lord certainly has provided.  We spent last weekend at our camp in the Adirondacks for some much needed time off from work for Wayne.  The only down side was that many of us had bad colds.  On Sunday after church we got our Christmas tree.  

Which tree?

 Wayne isn't into cutting down the tree, so we've made it a tradition to pick one out, throw it into the truck, and then go out to lunch.  Works for me!

This one is just right!

Some good lookin' kids here!

 I love seeing Curtis and Sierra together.

They have a great brother/sister relationship.

Out to eat at Applebee's.

 Once home we set up the tree and began decorating it.  Each of our kids has their own box of personal ornaments.  Each year I get them a special ornament for Christmas.  They will get to take them with them when they get married or move out.  They will always be able to have their childhood ornaments. Wayne Jr. took his ornaments and his stocking, however his stocking came back home.  I guess nobody fills a stocking like his Mom!

Slava & Jordan as elves!

 Who needs an "elf on a shelf" when you have a Jordan & a Slava bouncing off the walls!  These guys bring us so much joy, laughter, and exhaustion!

Our living room all decked out!

This week in the midst of baking cookies my oven quit.  Though it was frustrating, I'm very grateful that it didn't happen on Christmas day with a turkey in the oven.  A new one is being delivered this week, then holiday cookie baking will commence.  In all the baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, and running I am very aware and very grateful that I've already received the greatest gifts:  salvation, family,  and much love.

Gratefulness

With gratefulness I update this blog.  My intention is to update it weekly, but I guess I have so many things to be thankful for that there just isn't time to actually post as often as I'd like to. 

Slava & Sierra 

 Where did November go?  It was a very busy month for our family.  We celebrated the wedding of a dear friend, Thanksgiving, Sierra's 16th birthday, and National Adoption Month!  I cannot believe my baby girl is 16!  We celebrated with a lovely sweet 16 party where her brothers were the DJs and family & the entire youth group showed up to party!  And she got her permit, so watch out, she's driving!

Slava & Jordan at the Adoption Rally

 November was National Adoption Awareness Month.  I took the kids to Albany for a rally organized by Albany County  Dept. for Children, Youth and Families.  We had a good time.  But it was the 2nd time in one week that I attended an event where, as a Christian, I was in the minority in the adoption community.  It is very disappointing to realize that the Church...the very people the Lord mandated to care for orphans in James 1:27, is actually asleep on this issue.  My pastor's wife and I attended an adoption fair in the Capital District area and realized that people were looking at us as a "couple" interested in adopting.  When we explained that we had an orphan ministry through our church we got some strange looks.  While the Church sleeps the enemy has invaded our territory and is stealing our children!  Yes, children need homes, but God designed the family to be a place where children are brought up learning about Him.  This is the Christian community's responsibility!

Thanksgiving Day

 We had a lovely day for Thanksgiving.  Wayne Jr. & Kerri and Missy came, along with Kerri's family and Missy's God Parents, Jean and Earl.  My parents came for dinner and Wayne's parents and brother & sister-in-law came for dessert.  It was a full day.  Around the table we all shared what we're grateful for.  I couldn't help but tearfully express my thankfulness for all of my children present around the table, for I am painfully aware there was a table with a very important person missing.  Our hearts still ache by the loss of our nephew, JC.

Orphan Ministry banner!

 Some exciting things took place in November in our ministry.  Mary and I spoke at a local church and we held a foster care focused event called "Faultless - The American Orphan".  It wasn't attended as well as I'd hoped, but the Lord reminds us to not despise small beginnings.  Our family was also the feature on The Sound of Life's morning Cup of Joe show.  They came to our house and did a live broadcast to celebrate Adoption Month.  All of the kids participated.  It was very exciting and a great way to share God's heart for the orphan.  Another radio station approached me with the idea of Justice For Orphans hosting our own 30 minute, weekly radio show.  This too would be a great way to rally the Church for the cause of the fatherless, but it also comes with a price tag.  We're praying about whether it's something we should do.  If it is then I know the Lord will provide the $300 per month we'd need to do it.

My end of the kitchen table!

 Life is so busy with homeschooling, raising kids, keeping our home, running 3 teenagers around, and orphan ministry that unfortunately this is typically what the kitchen table looks like.  My desk is in the background and it's overflowing too.  I try to sit down to pay bills and do paperwork, but I always get called away to do something.  I'm thinking I need an assistant or a secretary or another me!

Wayne Jr. & Jordan face-timing each other!

Wayne Jr. and Kerri came over the other night for dinner.  It's always a blessing to have them over.  The little kids love it when their big brother comes to visit.

I'm sure there are tons of things I've forgotten to post.  November was a blur.  Now it's December and Christmas shopping and decorating is added to an already overflowing to-do list.  Next week Slava will begin Occupational & Physical Therapy at the local elementary school.  We had him evaluated, and thankfully the Lord showed us favor with the school district.  I knew going in that even though we are home schoolers, we still are entitled to special education help if it's deemed necessary.  The school did not make it difficult at all.  They really want to work with us.  Slava's been labeled "Other Health Impaired" because fetal alcohol, sensory processing, and ADHD make it a bit challenging for him to learn.  He can learn and is learning, but it's a challenge.  I will take him to the school Monday afternoons for an hour and Thursday mornings for an hour.  In February he has an appointment with a developmental pediatrician.  This is the doctor who will officially diagnose the things we already know he has.  This little boy is a lot of work, but he is so precious and we are thankful the Lord placed him in our family.  What a privilege it is to be his mom!  When he strolls into my room in the morning he usually announces, "I love you."  The other morning I beat him to it and said it first.  He then said, "I love you back....And I love you front."  I guess he was paying attention when I was teaching him opposites!

We are working on a website for Justice For Orphans.  Once it's complete I will post the address here on the blog.  You can check us out now on facebook - just look for Justice For Orphans!  Make sure you "like" us!

Until next time, may your blessings over flow!

Happy 13th Birthday to Our Ukrainian Princess

This week we also celebrated Anna's 13th birthday.  She's come a long way in the past 6 years.  When we first met her in Ukraine she was a feisty, attention craving, 7 year old.  Now she's a feisty, attention craving, 13 year old!

Anna and I the first day we met at her orphanage in Ukraine.

 Anna is a very photogenic, beautiful girl.  She's strong, loves animals, and loves to be with friends.  She loves attention, I think because she and Andrii were in an orphanage for older kids where she got lots of attention from them.  And of course, she lacked being the apple of her parents' eye as a small child.

Another day at the orphanage.  

 Anna always begged us for candy when we visited - she still has a sweet-tooth.  I still remember the visit where I tried to impress her by counting to 10 in Russian.  She showed me up by counting to 10 in Spanish - go figure!

Opening birthday presents!

 She got some very nice gifts and some money which she used to by an I-Touch she'd been saving up for.  Not only did we have a family party, but since she turned a special age we also had a friends' sleepover party.

Anna & Company

 Anna is in the center of the bottom row of the pyramid!

Home-made chocolate chip waffles is what's for breakfast!

 I made waffles for all the girls.  They were a huge hit and rather delicious if I do say so myself!

Instead of cake - make-your-own-sundaes!

The birthday girl was pretty pleased with all the celebrating.  And we were thrilled to be able to bless her on her special day.  Anna has always been a very demanding child, always asking for something all the time.  I had reached a point where sometimes I would say no, and for no real good reason.  I just grew tired of her always asking.  Recently I learned, however, that "kids from hard places" never really had a voice.  What that means is - no one ever responded to their voice.  When we have our babies we come when they cry, we feed them when they cry, we change them, rock them, hold them, all because they cry out and we hear them and basically say "yes, I'm here.  I'll take care of you.  I'll keep you safe. You matter to me."  We rock our infants, hold them, tickle them, cuddle them, etc.  Always sending the message that they are valued, loved, precious.  But kids in orphanages and even in foster care, no one ever did hear them. Like they never had a voice.  So we've learned to give voice by saying "yes" as much as we can.  If you're thinking that that could spoil a child, you might be right if you're talking about your own biological child.  The child who had voice since they uttered their first cry and you came running.  But kids from hard places never had a voice.  No one ever came when they cried.  No one ever pulled out the camera and gushed over their first smile, word, or step.  We must go back and do what never got done.  We give voice.  We say "yes"!

Yes, Anna, you are loved.  Yes, you can eat the pickles.  Yes, you can have a friend overnight.  Yes, you can join youth group.  Yes, you can watch a movie.  Yes, you can get a puppy when Mary's puppy has puppies in 2 years.  Yes, you can have a horse......wait, did I just say yes to that?????

Celebrate Adoption - Happy Birthday Slava!

This time of year I start feeling sentimental.  Maybe it's because both of our Ukrainian adoptions came to fruition in late fall.  We traveled in November 2006 to adopt Andrii, Anna, and Jordan.  Then 2 years ago we traveled to Ukraine again in late October to bring Slava home.  And we just celebrated Slava's 7th birthday on Oct. 16th!  It amazes me that he's been here 2 years, yet we cannot imagine family life without him.  However, life has changed considerably since his arrival!  We thought adopting one child would be a piece of cake since our previous experience bringing 3 home just clicked miraculously.  But this little guy turned out to be waaayyyy more difficult then we had expected.  Not that we were surprised, after all I had done lots of research on the challenges of children adopted from orphanages.  But, we were not really expecting it to be so hard.  

Tumble Time!

 This is a typical school morning.  It was about 8am and Jordan (blue) & Slava (black) were doing flips on a gymnastics mat.  This type of sensory activity is excellent for Slava.

Slava & Daddy in Ukraine 2 years ago.

 Slava has changed so much and has come such a long way in 2 years.  When we first got him he was like a wild animal.  Now I know that was partly from fear, language differences, fetal alcohol issues, sensory processing disorder, and some ADHD to make things interesting.

Every Guy Needs A Ford Truck!

 This is what Slava wanted for his birthday and lots of family pitched in to make it happen.  He drives it all over the place.  When he woke up the morning of his birthday he came into my room and asked me, "Is Slava seben (7)?"  I dramatically proclaimed "yes!" and started singing him Happy Birthday.  He got all excited and said, "I love you guys!"   We love you too Slava!

Slava on his Sit-and-Spin

He got the sit-and-spin for his birthday too from Aunt Becky and Uncle Aaron.  I'd heard that this is an excellent sensory activity also.  So what's with all this sensory stuff?  Let me share a bit on our precious boy:

Since adopting Slava we've learned a lot.  He was definitely much more difficult then the other kids even though he is a bio sibling.  Why?  Well, we know his bio mom drank alcohol extensively.  It's one of the reasons why the Andrii and Anna were removed from the home at ages 5 and 3, parental rights were terminated and they were placed in a government orphanage in Ukraine.  Then when their brother, Sergiy (our Jordan) was born he went from the maternity hospital to the orphanage which is where he was when we adopted him at age 3.  Slava was born 2 years after Jordan (we discovered he was in the same orphanage but not yet actually available for adoption).  Slava too went from the hospital directly into the baby orphanage.  He remained there for 5 years until we were able to adopt him.  Alcoholism is a destructive, progressive disease prevalent in Eastern Europe.  So it only makes sense that the bio mom would drink more excessively over time, and that had huge impact on Slava.

We have been learning a lot in our efforts to help our son.  One of the best books I've ever read on this topic is "The Well Connected Child" by Dr Karyn Purvis.  It was so helpful that I even purchased some of the dvds that she has done with Texas Christian University.  Wayne and I have learned so much that we even attended a conference taught by Dr. Purvis in Nashville back in September.  The Empowered to Connect conference was excellent teaching that we feel not only benefits our family, but can help us to help other families too.  Dr. Purvis refers to kids like Slava as "kids from hard places" and if a child is in foster care or an orphanage they are a kid from hard places.  Slava surely qualifies as a "kid from hard places":  he was exposed to alcohol in the womb, abandoned at birth, neglected in an orphanage for 5 years, and according to his social worker - most likely hit a lot in the orphanage.  Any one of these  categories would qualify him as a kid from hard places, and he has all of them.  Fetal Alcohol issues effect brain development. Most likely that, combined with neglect in the orphanage during his formative years, triggered the Sensory issues.  Slava is sensory seeking, which means he craves stimulation:  all the banging, hitting, loudness, constant motion, and other things are not because he's naughty but because he needs stimulation in order for his brain to process information.  But there is hope.  Many adoptive families believe love is all they need.  Well, yes, love is an important part of the process, but it is not enough.  Really helping kids like Slava to connect with the world around them requires love but also an understanding of where they've been and what they've been through and how that impacts everything about them.  All of the above traumas that Slava has experienced in his childhood had a profound effect on brain development, which in turn has a huge impact on behavior.  So understanding that a child is not "bad" or being bad, but that his behavior is due to faulty wiring.  We must re-wire this child and that takes educating parents and the hard work and commitment involved in the process.  Yes, love, hard work, and the Lord.  Without the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit we just couldn't do this.  And we've seen powerful breakthroughs.  Discernment that the Lord provides is crucial too.

Just this week we discovered that Slava had an infected tooth.  We only realized it when he woke up one morning with the side of his face swollen.  I asked him if his tooth hurt, and he said, "Yeah, pretty badly."  Now mind you, up until that moment he'd never once complained of any pain at all.  A trip to the dentist revealed he had an abscess and needed antibiotic before the the tooth could be fixed.  It was the same tooth that had to have root canal and filling within the first 2 weeks that he was home from Ukraine.  The filling must have cracked and bacteria got in or something.  After 5 days on the meds we went back to the dentist where she cleaned it out, drained the abscess, and put a temporary filling in.  He had to stay on the antibiotic, but within 5 days we were back at the dentist having the tooth pulled.  During those 5 days Slava still didn't complain of the pain, but I have learned to ask him if it hurt.  And every time I asked, he'd tell me it hurt "pretty badly".  I also noticed that he was sticking his fingers in his mouth a lot.  Looking back to before we discovered the infection, I now realize he's been sticking his fingers in his mouth a lot, and his behavior had been worse then usual.  He'd been doing a lot of hitting, slamming doors, and even started kicking.  Now I realize that the pain was triggering the behaviors.  Why didn't he just ever say that his tooth hurt?  Well, when you spend the first 5 years of your life in an orphanage, and nobody ever comes when you cry (whether you cry because you're sick, in pain, hungry, or scared) - you learn that nobody will come, so you stop crying.  In the past 2 years we've poured love and attention on Slava.  We connect with him as a parent would an infant - going back and giving him what he should have had in those formative years.  He has bonded with us.  But does he trust us yet, maybe not completely.  I believe the day will come when he will know that he can tell us what he needs knowing we will give it to him.

We are absolutely in love with our little Slava.  All the hard work is worth it, and we have no regrets.  We could not do this without the Lord or without our family.  It takes a whole team of us working together to get through the days.  We run this race with endurance, keeping our eyes on the prize.  For we know that the Lord placed each of our kids in our family exactly where He wanted them.  Knowing that, and knowing where they'd be and what their future would have been like without having been adopted....we fight the good fight.

Fall Family Times

October!  Already.  October is a busy month for our family.  We've got 3 birthdays:  Slava will be 7 on the 16th, Wayne will celebrate on the 18th (I won't give away his age, but next year he'll be the big 5.0.!), and Anna will be 13 on the 22nd.  Thankfully we can get a way with one family party, but I am letting Anna have a friends party since she'll be officially a teenager.  She even got to start youth group and go on the youth retreat to Vermont last weekend.  These kids are growing up!

Slava playing with the 100 matchbox cars we have.

 Slava will be turning 7 this month. I can't believe just 2 years ago we were heading to Ukraine to bring him home.  We've learned a lot about "kids from hard places" in the past 2 years.  I've been meaning to do a blog post on just that topic.  I'll try to get to it soon.

Jordan & Daddy playing checkers.

 Jordan is getting pretty good at this game.  I love it when the kids bust out the board games.  It's one of my favorite family things to do.

Wayne Jr. turned 23!

 We had a family dinner a couple weeks ago to celebrate with Wayne Jr.  We don't do a huge extended family thing once the kids turn 18.  After that we just do our immediate family and the grandparents.  We gotta give those precious aunts & uncles a break!  So small meant about 25 of us!

Homeschooling Moments

 This is one of the few moments during our day that Jordan & Slava actually play together.  Typically they do their own thing when I'm not nailing them to the chair to do school work.  Of course I don't use nails...duct tape works just a well.

Apple Picking Time!

 Wayne loves to take the kids apple picking.  This year all the big kids were away on a youth retreat, so we had to recruit my parents in order to have enough pickers!  One of the above boys likes to throw apples at the other children.  Can you guess which one?  Hint:  he's the one holding the green bag!

Slumber Party!

 Last night Sierra invited the little boys to sleep over in her room and watch a movie.  She's an excellent big sister.

Orphan Sunday Cup Sleeves

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to speak at Abounding Love in Ravena.  Mary joined me and we shared on the orphan crisis and the Church's responsibility to care for orphans.  We shared some practical ways people can help and extended an invitation to our Orphan Conference.  On Oct. 13th our ministry, Justice For Orphans, is hosting a free conference.  We'll be sharing more in depth on orphans, adoption, foster care, and global orphan care.  We hope to rally the Church for the cause of the fatherless.  Orphan Sunday will be here before we know it and I'm trying to recruit churches to do something on Nov. 4th.

Defend the cause of the fatherless.     Isaiah 1:17

God Turns Our Mourning Into Dancing

It's been a very difficult 2 weeks for our family.  I've been needing to update the blog but not really wanting to.  Our family lost our precious 29 year old nephew, John C. Flach Jr. (JC), in a tragic accident on September 6th.  He leaves behind grieving parents, a brother, a fiance (they were to be married in November), grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, a race team, and so many friends and business associates.  J was a successful mechanical engineer in the family business.  He was an excellent stock car driver and achieved his first win this summer.  He was treasured by so many people that the viewing lasted 8 hours!  As the funeral procession made its way through town the entire local Ford dealership lined the road in honor of J.  This tragedy has taught me the meaning of the word "surreal".  It's the only word I've been able to find to describe the past 2 weeks.  Our entire extended family has rallied around JC's immediate family.  But this is a long road for them, for all of us, and it holds no answers this side of heaven.  We take comfort in knowing that JC knew the Lord, so we know we will see him again one day.  But that doesn't make life any easier here and now.  I keep thinking that since we're all appointed a time to be born and a time to die, as it says in Scripture, then maybe we should each come with an expiration date stamped on us.  How much differently we would all live, how much differently we would treat each other, if we really knew each others expiration date?  Life here on earth really isn't about life here on earth.  But we get so wrapped up in it:  what to cook for dinner, what will I wear today, what will we do this weekend, and on and on we go never giving a thought to eternity.  I don't have the answers, but I know who does.  Will we get the answers to the questions we ask?  Probably not this side of eternity.  And I'm not really sure if any answer to the "why?"question would be good enough for any of us anyway.  Since the first night of this nightmare I've been asking the Lord to show me what we're to do with this?  Because of my intimate relationship with my Lord, I take Him at His Word.  I know He is good, I know He is God and that I am not, I know He works all things together for good (however I've been asking Him to show me how this could have good come from it).  He has been giving little glimpses of good.  One way is by how this tragedy has brought so many people together, especially the family.  

 I've been reading through the New Testament, and the other morning I came across Hebrews 2:14-16 - Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  This scripture was powerful to me.  God created man without death as part of the plan.  Adam and Eve lived a perfect, disease free, stress free, death free life...that is until sin entered the picture.  But the devil, in his power (he has power, but he does not have authority), brought death to mankind in 2 ways:  1-when he tempted Eve and she sinned, physical death entered the world (the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is life eternal).  And by the way, I'm not saying that our sin is the reason why we die.  I'm saying that because of the fall of man, way back in the garden, death became a part of life on earth. For up until the fall of man there was no death, disease, or suffering.  The devil has power and his plan is to steal, kill, and destroy.  2-With physical death, spiritual death also came - sin separates us from God.  This is Satan's goal.  But God is all powerful and has all authority, so He did an over-ride.  He sent Jesus to break the power of the devil and death.  Jesus made the way for us to have eternal life where there is no sickness, pain, suffering, darkness, or death.  Now we have eternal life - living forever with God which was God's original plan.  So we get life, eternal life...with God.  Life on earth is not about life on earth, it's about eternity.  It all makes me realize that life should be lived with eternity in mind because that's real life.  Well, that's what the Lord has been "down-loading" into me.

God loves us.  We live in a fallen world where we are guaranteed pain and suffering, but God is good because we don't have to go through it alone.  And we have the promise of eternity.  And yes, I did say God is good.  He knows exactly what we need when we need it.  For on September 19th, a very special baby boy was born into the Flach family.

Deegan JC Nichols

My niece Jessica (JC's cousin) and her husband Jimmy blessed our family with this precious little bundle.  He's the first great-grandchild for my in-laws, our first great-nephew, and a special gift that has brought us some joy and dancing in the midst of the heartache and grief.  And as you can see, he's already a race fan - he's sporting on that tiny little hat JC's number:  77J.

If you patiently read this post all the way to here, I would ask you to keep in prayer my brother-in-law and sister-in-law (JC's parents) John and Liz Flach, Keith Flach (JC's brother), and Nicholl (JC's fiance).  Thank you.

School's In Session

We took the kids to the Columbia County Fair for a final summer hurrah.  My parents joined us and we had Curtis, Sierra, Andrii, Anna, Jordan, and Slava. 

Jordan & Anna on the swings.

Slava loved the rides!

Jordan, Slava & a Police Dog.

 Jordan is obsessed with becoming a police officer.  Much to his delight the State Police had a nice exhibit at the fair.

SCHOOL IS IN SESSION!

And I am so thankful for the freedom to educate our children at home!

Studious Sierra

 Sierra is dual-enrolled at home and at Liberty University this year.  She's doing 11th grade at home and is a year ahead at that.  Her subjects are:  English 101 (LU), Biology 101 with Lab (LU), Algebra 1 (again), and American History using "America:  Covenant & Calling" by Peter Marshall Ministries.  Peter Marshall wrote the books "The Light and the Glory,"  "Sounding Forth the Trumpet," and "From Sea to Shining Sea."  His daughter, a friend of mine, wrote this new curriculum.  On top of academics, Sierra has weekly piano lessons, Karate, a baby sitting job, a part-time job at her uncle's laundromat/dry cleaners, Missionettes, and Youth Group.  Yup, I'm tired just typing it!

Happy Students:  Slava, Andrii, and Anna.

 Andrii is in 9th grade and is doing Saxon Algebra 1, Mystery of History (world history), for English he's doing a combo of:  Learning Language Arts Through Literature, Total Language Plus, and 180 Daily Grammar Lessons.  For science he's doing God's Design for the Physical World/Machines & Motion.  In addition to his academic subjects he goes weekly to Fife & Drum, Royal Rangers, Youth Group, and will be working 1 day a week for his grandfather.

Anna is in 6th grade.  I just had to explain to her that she has not been held back (which she was telling her friends), but she started late.  It's this thing that happens when you come to the U.S. at age 7 and can't speak English yet...you have to start from the beginning.  Sigh.  Anna is a good student, but things don't come all that easy for her.  She's doing Saxon Math 7/6, Mystery of History, Exploring Creation with Zoology, and for English:  Easy Grammar, Total Language Plus, and Spelling Power.  She's also doing Growing in Wisdom a Character Concepts study.  During the week she also has Karate, Flagging, Missionettes, and this year she can start Youth Group.

Jordan is in 2nd Grade

 Jordan is doing Saxon Math 2, A Beka's Letters & Sounds and Language, A Reason For Spelling, Hand Writing Without Tears' Cursive (his idea), Exploring Creation With Zoology, and for history/geography I'm doing a study with both little boys on the 50 states.  Also with both Jordan and Slava I'm doing Character Concepts as our daily Bible Study.  Weekly Jordan will also go to Royal Rangers and Karate.

Slava & Anna

 Slava is very excited about doing school.  He's an official Kindergartner this year!  He is doing Saxon Math K, A Beka's Letters and Sounds and Kindergarten Readiness book, and an Activity Book by Christian Liberty Press.  Slava will be doing Zoology, 50 States, and Character Concepts with Jordan.  He too does Royal Rangers and Karate weekly.

Slava & Jordan doing puppets.

Anna got the little boys doing puppets which was really cute.  Two of the puppets were Wayne Jr. and Kerri (they did a lot of kissing....hmmmm).

Pretty much the little boys do school, go run and play, do some more school, jump on the trampoline, do school, ride bikes, etc.  Basically if they were stuffed in public school they'd be pumped with meds...no thank you.  Plenty of hands on activities and tons of patience for mom (pray for me please) and we do pretty good.

With the big kids we're finishing up a Bible study that we'd started last year which I love.  It's called "What We Believe Volume 3 - Who Is My Neighbor? And Why Does He Need Me? by John Jay and David Webb.  Previously we did Volume 1 - Who Is God? And Can I Really Know Him? and Volume 2 - Who Am I?  And What Am I Doing Here?  Like I said before, I'm so thankful for the freedom to home educate our children.  It's important to us for them to have a Biblical worldview.  Each year I ask the Lord to give me a Scripture for our school year.  This year He gave me Colossians 2:6-7:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,

continue to live your lives in Him,

rooted and built up in Him,

strengthened in the faith as you were taught,

and overflowing with thankfulness.