Easter Week Happenings

I am so thankful it's April!  We've even enjoyed a couple warmer weather days this week.  And I'm pretty sure I spotted the sun a few times too!  We don't typically take the week off of school though many homeschooling families do.  I try to use this time to do a little school, annual testing, and just try to keep it low key but productive.  Tuesday I enjoyed the annual (26th annual to be exact) homeschooling moms' luncheon.  For the first time I actually brought some of our used curriculum to sell figuring I'd donate whatever money it generated to our orphan ministry.  I was thrilled to bring home an empty bin and $84 for Justice For Orphans.  And the Lord is always at work behind the scenes.  I was introduced to a mom who is in the midst of adoption paperwork!  Her family is adopting from Ukraine!  As it turns out, she was sitting at the table just behind me.   We had a wonderful time talking about Ukrainian adoption.  And now that we've exchanged emails and phone #s - the conversation and friendship continues!  

Anna Promoted!

 Last week Anna took the promotion test in Karate and Thursday night she learned that she passed!  She now has a yellow belt with an orange stripe - that's half way to an orange belt!  Great job, Anna!

Lunch by the river.

 After Anna's promotion test we got Subway for lunch and Sierra suggested we eat it down by the river since the weather was nice.  Sierra, Andrii, Jordan, and Slava are pictured here.  Anna and I opted to eat ours in the car where it was warmer.

Christ Has Risen!

Here is Slava on Easter morning eating his Ukrainian Easter bread.  This is the traditional bread that the babushkas bake in coffee cans and bring to the priest at the Orthodox church for him to bless.  Then they bring it home to eat it on Sunday morning.  

Death In His Grave

On Easter morning Curtis, John H., and Sierra performed this song.  They did a great job for only 2 practices.  This week my boy Curtis turned 21 years old!  Where did the time go???  It seems like another lifetime that my bio kids were little.  I guess it was another lifetime ago, or at least a different season.  It's bittersweet.  We are very proud and excited that Curtis just got accepted to RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)!  This is quite the accomplishment for any student, not to mention a homeschool graduate!  He is on his way to becoming a civil engineer.  Way to go, Curt!

Andrii will turn 16 this week also.  He's still counting down the minutes to his permit.  Then we will have 2 permitted drivers in the house...or should I say on the road.  Yikes!  So tomorrow we will have a  family party after church to celebrate both birthdays.  And now I'm off to take the little boys to a birthday party for a friend.  May you all have a blessed week.