Around the house

We have been so busy with events and planned outings that we have really enjoyed the time we have at home. I know that is a surprise to most of you. I think I have met my match with this girl. She wants to Go Go Go Joey took Anya and Maddie to the museum. They had fun.

Texas Rodeo

We had a great time at the Mesquite Rodeo. The kids had fun in the petting zoo and really the whole things was a lot of fun. Maddie always loves the pony rides
Anya did pretty good although she really wants to ride a horse for "real" she was a little disappointed in the size of the pony.
Daddy and Grey had a great time!!!
Maddie wanted to get her face painted and chose a Tiger. I think she looks great!!!

A busy week

We have been very busy going to different places and watching Anya experience American Life. We had fun at Jump Town and she really seemed to like it. Grey is afraid of the jump houses so he just layed on the floor with the ball the whole time. But hey he had fun!!
Sweet girls!!!
Of course Maddie and Erin had a great time!! They are excited to start school together in a few weeks.
The girls thought this guy was cute and so we asked him to take a picture with them.

Hard Choices

We are still having a great experience. I will post more pictures today. My loyal readers will be the first to know that we are planning on going forward with adoption. Joey and I talked for hours last night and have both decided that we want and feel called to do this. I know many of you will say this is crazy and what are you thinking. We are not acting out of guilt or obligation but simply out of Love. Yes the fact that she is going to turn 16 and be left to the streets, prostitution and drugs weighs in on our hearts but we both think she would make it due to such a fighting spirit. The process will be long, expensive and hard but hopefully we will get her home in 6-9 Months.

Today's outing

We went to the Frisco aquatic center today and it was a lot of fun. Grey just loves Ann (aka Hannah read below) I took her shopping at target and all she wanted was a cowboy hat. She asked the traslator if it made her look like a cowboy girl!! This smile melts my heart.
This is Ann and Svetlana! I think they are very close. Sveltlana has been calling her a lot and crying at her home. I am tempted to ask her here but I am enjoying this adventure and I think that the two of them would be in their own world. I heard Joey tell a friend today that we had a guest for 3 weeks but he said "it is looking like it might be more" I am shocked at my husband. This little sports nut has taken his heart and ran away with it. Today he taught her to golf and then they spent time playing video games. It is a long process if we decided to adopt her and very expensive. It will take ~9 months to get her back here and it has to be done by her 16th birthday which is May 2nd. After that date she is not allowed to stay at the orphanage and must face the world alone. So anyway no pressure on us or anything :) Lets see what happens.
This apple was as big as Grey. He loves all the attention he is getting. Maddie didn't want me to take her picture today. I hope she isn't sick of it.

Update

Wow what a few days we have had. Well today Hannah asked that we call her Ann. Her name is Anya (on ya) and for some reason the English translation was Hannah. So we are working on calling her Ann. Here I took her to have a pedicure and Manicure. She was so cute and shocked about the treatment.
She rode the carousel at StoneBriar and was just beaming. She told the translator today she wants to ride a real horse.
This Andri, he is also from Ukraine and what a cutie. He is super head strong but really a sweet boy. Here he got to visit the candy store and was so surprised everytime he got a sour candy.

Sweet Hannah

We are so blessed to have the opportunity to have a very special girl in our home. Her name is Hannah and she is from an Orphanage in the Ukraine. She arrived today after so much anticipation and preparations. Most of you know we have been planning this for a while. So they arrived today very tired and unsure and for a few hours I felt I may have made a very big mistake. Hannah doesn't speak any English and It was a little uncomfortable for a while. We sat in silence for a few hours as Joey is gone to Austin for 2 days. Then I asked her via an online translator if she wanted to go out and she seemed excited and so I took her to Maddie's favorite place "Chuckee Cheese" So loved it and I had the best time watching a little girl with no family, hope or known future see such fun for the first time in her life. She is the girl on the far right. She was very shy at first.
You can see some of the other children here. They are all orphans and all seeking families. Hannah is 15 and considered very old. At 16 they are turned out and 60% go in to prostitution and more to drugs. Below she is playing with Grey. Amazing how a baby can bridge any language barrier. She has really taken to him and is so gentle and sweet. Maddie calls her "my sister" hmmm maybe she knows something:)

Joey will be very happy to see she is already pretty good at video games after only one trip.

So why are we doing this??? Well Joey and I took on this commitment with an open heart and a longing to help someone who is so much in need of love. I don't know where this will lead. Hopefully as her advocate we will help her find a home and a family over the next three weeks. I know that she is already changing us. When is the last time you really stopped to think about how lucky we are to live in the country. I know with gas prices so high and the economy sliding it can be hard but we are so lucky. We waste and waste because we can and we want and want because we think we should. I hope that this experience will change my heart and make our family better.
Did you know that the Bible references taking care of orphans and widows over 50 times. For example James 1:27 "pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for the orphans and the widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us"
Please check back often and follow this very unique journey. I am nervous and scared but hopeful that we can impact this sweet sweet girls life I know one thing we will never be the same!!!

The Wiggles

We were so lucky this week to have our friends invit us to the Wiggles concert. Of course Maddie and Brooke couldn't watch the show without some sweet, sticky cotton Candy. They had a lot of fun and Grey watched the whole thing without a peep. Thanks for inviting us Brooke and Tracey!!!

Crazy Hair Day

Maddie had crazy hair day at school and this was on a day that Joey had to take her. He did such a great job and even put the pigtails in her hair. Then he sprayed the color on. He said he used a lot so that it would still be in her hair when I picked her up. So cute!!!