Passing Through The Waters

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;  the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;   Isaiah 43:2-3

These verses are very comforting to me.  This week was a typical busy week, but the Lord is always faithful to carry us through.  On Monday I took my mom to an appointment for a bone-marrow-biopsy. She did pretty well considering she's not a patient patient!  We'll know the results sometime this week.  She's had polysythemia, which is a blood disorder, for about 13 years.  Complications can arise from having this condition for so long.  It could be controlled with medication, or spleen removal, or other stuff which we're not discussing.  We're praying that medication is all that will be necessary.  

Slava - the little towel folder!

 

 Jordan and Slava completed their first week using our behavior chart system.  We are pleased with the results.  Their behavior is showing signs of improvement and their chores are getting done.  They are even doing more chores and finding ways to be helpers to earn more stickers.

Andrii at our monthly Chipotle date.

 Once each month Andrii and I go to BJ's to stock up the household supplies and food stuffs.  He is the best and only helper I bring.  It takes 2 overflowing carts and his muscles and car packing skills to get it done.  I always reward him with lunch and our favorite spot is Chipotle.  Thankfully Wayne brought the other kids to Karate Thursday night so we could just go get this done.  Kerri was only able to come 2 days this week, so I had to fit the shopping trip in on Thursday night.   On the way home Andrii opened the door up for a conversation we've been needing to have with the kids.  He mentioned that one day he might want to return to Ukraine to find his birth parents.  I sent up a quick prayer as I began to share some info that we'd learned 2 years ago while in Ukraine for Slava's adoption.  It's taken 2 years for us to share the info with the kids because there just never seemed to be the right time to tell them.  But Andrii made it the right time the other night.  I had to tell him that we learned that his biological mom, Tetyana, died a few months after we had adopted him and Anna, and Jordan.  His father's name is Anatoliy, and he is still alive as far as we know.  Andrii wanted to know what else we knew.  The only other thing we knew was the name of the village that the kids were born in and that the bio father no longer lives as the last known address.  I told him we had documents that he was welcome to look at anytime and that he could ask us anything and talk about whatever he wanted to.  We knew that Andrii and Anna had both lived with the bio parents until they were removed from the home due to neglect because of the parents alcoholism.  I explained to Andrii that though his parents had made some poor choices, life in Ukraine is incredibly difficult and generational issues certainly played a roll.  He said he'd prayed and forgiven them already.  Later that evening he did ask to see the documents that I had.  In the end he said that maybe he'd name his first born daughter, Tetyana.  I think it is a very beautiful name.

Anna & Slava at Panera

Since the little boys earned their behavior chart rewards, I took them to Walmart and out to lunch on Friday.  Since Sierra and Andrii both work on Fridays, the rest of us skipped school and went shopping.  Jordan is not in the picture because he's developed an aversion to having his pic taken.

Oh My Deer!

 Saturday morning we discovered 5 deer eating outside our window.  We always see deer but never this close to the house.  They stayed around for quite a while.  Daddy would have liked to see this too, but he is at our church's Men's Retreat this weekend.

Slava's Vacuum!

 The little boys are enjoying their rewards.  Slava picked out a hand held vacuum.  He'd seen one at my mom's and had been really wanting one.  It's real, not a toy.  Jordan picked out a small Lego set which he was able to put together all by himself by following the directions.  He's becoming such a big boy!  Now if we could just get him to stop sucking those fingers!

This morning I took both little boys to Karate.  I couldn't resist recording them fighting with Sensei.  

So far the weekend is going pretty well.  I was a bit worried since Wayne really takes over with the little boys on the weekends.  He's at the retreat until after church on Sunday.  The big kids are helping me and the behavior charts have a positive affect too.  I'm looking forward to my trip to Nashville in May, so I'll get my turn away too!