Summer school!

It's the end of June, school has been out for about six weeks, and we are starting to settle into a summertime routine! It's funny because six weeks from now, school will start again and we will be trying to find a new routine. I spend a lot of time wishing for a new, and easier, season to arrive. But, of course, each season has it's own unique challenges. I should know that by now, right? A few weeks ago, I got to take a mini-vacation...a complete break from the challenges at home. Hanging out in California was just the recipe for recharging these old batteries. While I was there, I was blessed to accompany my future daughter in her quest to find THE dress. It was a great day, full of anticipation, excitement, disappointments and ultimate victory! So much more to do before the wedding in November... Back home, I had to learn how to get the three little Amerikrainians out of bed, pottied, dressed, fed and on the bus for summer school by 7:45am each morning. It's like a mini-marathon! But, it's doable. I have until noon to get things done around the house, but really, I feel like going back to bed once I'm done getting those boys ready to go! It's worth the trouble though. Max, Theo and Zhen are loving school...loving life. I thank God for the privilege of caring for them.

Not giving up...

II have been too heartbroken to write for awhile. What do I have to say that anyone wants to hear anyway?

People who were dear to me have turned their backs, removed me from their lives. My friend's cherished little boy died in his sleep. Another friend's baby boy has very serious heart problems including a surgery that didn't go as planned. I have Ukrainian friends who are separated from their family and home in Crimea, perhaps for good. I have children I care for in Crimea, children that I have watched and prayed over for years, who suddenly have no hope of ever having a family. I have witnessed adoptive families threatening each other, turning their backs, slandering each other and worse.

It all makes me want to hide under the bed covers. Tell me when it's over...

But then the darkness wins, doesn't it.

Even though I may be doing this wrong, or even badly, something in me won't give up. Enjoy some photos from the past few weeks...

For a few blessed days, all my children were under the same roof!

Oh my...look who found some scissors!

I let some school supplies slip through my fingers in the chaos of the end of the school year. 

Max has discovered the joy of sprinklers.

Richy spent a few weeks with us...and has inspired a future javelin thrower...

Pizza on the front porch, with your best friend. Priceless!

Just enough room on the front porch for the baby pool. Pure joy for these water obsessed boys. 

We are down a bed tent. Looking at all options to keep the little boys safe. 

Daddy let her have a blue drink and blue candy. Spoiled, I tell you. 

Ralph can sing!

These two...best friends in every possible way! 

We attend worship services as a family every week. The kids sit with us. Every week. When everyone stands, we all stand. When everyone sits, we all sit. When everyone sings, well...

Ralph likes music, but he isn't crazy about it. If you play something thumping, he might dance. When I sign, "time to sing," he says "no!"

Until last Sunday. I caught him singing! I told him, "awesome job, singing!" He smiled. Will he sing next week? Probably not! I can hope though, right?

Ripping seams

There is a very special boy who has just been adopted from Ukraine and is coming home to the USA today. He was once Theo's roommate and was the last orphan to get out of Crimea. His passport didn't make it out though, so that caused a big delay.

I'm working on a comfy, raggy quilt for him. I just put the last piece together and spread it out to take a look. Oops. It's all wrong. If I had looked more closely at this photo I took yesterday when I was getting started I would have seen it. The strip on the left is upside down. 

Out comes the seam ripper. It's got to be right. After years of ripped and patched sheets, communal clothing and no one to give a hoot, he's getting a well done blanket. It's not nearly perfect, my old sewing maching is giving me fits, but it's got to be my best. 

What does your Sunday afternoon look like?

FB made me a lazy blogger...

Last week I heard from a friend, a dear friend, a really grown-up friend who is taking a break from Facebook. She said she would be keeping up with me through this blog. Ouch!

Let's face it, FB has made me a lazy blogger. 

FB is a great tool for connecting. I have contacts all over the world that I interact with daily. I get instant feedback and validation. I get a lot of work done but it can be like a drug!

Here I feel like I'm writing to a big empty space. I see that there are page views but rarely get comments. NOT complaining! It's just a different experience and I got sucked into the quick-fix, easy feedback world of FB. 

My spring resolution, in honor of my sweet friend, is to keep a better blog. I can make spring resolutions, can't I?

Comfort Food

We are expecting snow today. The sky is heavy gray. It's the perfect morning for some comfort food...biscuits and gravy!

I can't believe I have never really been intentional about the way to make B&G. This morning I found myself pondering which to start with first. If I try to make both at the same time, something would definitely get scorched!

I thought for a few minutes and it suddenly made sense. I prepared the biscuits first and I let them sit while I make the gravy. It gives the baking powder a little extra time to get started and I get fluffier biscuits. I sometimes make drop biscuits, but I almost never regret the extra work it takes to knead and cut them. Who doesn't love all those yummy layers?!

Lately, I have been using this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jps-big-daddy-biscuits/

I use half butter, half coconut oil in place of the shortening. I also use half unbleached white and half whole wheat flour. 

For the gravy, I use 1 pound of Jimmy Dean sausage. You can use less if you are cooking for fewer people. It's easy to adjust on the fly. I add a little coconut oil to the crumbled, browned sausage because the Jimmy Dean is not too fatty. Dump some white four into your greasy meat and stir. Keep adding flour until the oil is completely absorbed and then add a tablespoon or so more. Pour milk over your meat/flour mix. It's great, and quicker, if your milk is at room temp. (Quick, throw those biscuits into the oven now)

Stir and stir and stir while you bring your gravy to a boil. Don't walk away!! Season with salt and lots of pepper. I like to use poultry seasoning or sage and thyme also. My boys like eggs cooked over-easy on top of their B&G. The biscuits (I make mini sized ones) and gravy disappeared almost faster than I could get a photo!

We really enjoy comfort food on snowy days like today. What is your favorite snow-day comfort food?

One Year Later

One year ago today I carried my Maximus out of the orphanage he called home. He has blended into our family with apparent ease!

He has his quirks, like any other person in the world...but...

He is obsessed with water.

And you know what? Zhen is obsessed with water.

And Theo is obsessed with water.

What is up with that?

Last week I watched a video about Engedi, an oasis on this western side of the Dead Sea, located on the edge of the Judean Wilderness. The wilderness is dusty, desolate and lonely. Tucked in an unlikely corner of this wasteland, the waters of Engedi pour out of the rocks, creating a lush little piece of paradise.

In the Bible, when the water pours from a spring or a fountain like Engedi, it's called "living" water, as opposed to water from a cistern, or storage reservoir. Living water is life giving, cold and refreshing. Water that's been sitting around is not cold, not refreshing, and who knows what's been floating or swimming in it.

“My people have committed two sins:

They have forsaken me,

    the spring of living water,

and have dug their own cisterns,

    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.  Jer. 2:13

Water is so powerful. It is essential for life and well being. Without it we die. I consider my boys' time in the orphanage as time in the desert. They were barely sustained. They were literally and purposely dehydrated by the people in charge of their care. Less pee = fewer diapers. My boys are non-verbal, but just today I heard from a mom of another un-orphan who is verbal. This is what the child told his mom, "I was very thirsty in Ukraine. Nobody wanted me to have wet mouth. It was hard." They were sustained by a broken system/cistern that could not hold water but they knew nothing else.

They knew no "living" water.

...to be continued.