Lucy before and after...

This is beautiful Lucy May before her haircut.....

Here she is AFTER her haircut.....

 
 
 

 She was embarrassed so I gave her a blanket to cover up with....

Then I knitted her this little sweater......I'm handy that way :)

In the end she decided it wasn't so bad afterall....she's keeping it positive....

2 things I am not allowed to have

Or at least SHOULDN'T be allowed to have.

#1 is super glue.  I've been banned from having that for years now.

#2 I really shouldn't be allowed to have an electric clippers.

NOTHING good has really EVER came of me having one of these.

Not with the kids, and certainly not with the dogs.  Or the cats.

I shaved poor Lucy today. WHY WHY WHY do I do it?????????

I don't know.  Really.  It's like some weird obsession thingy I do.  And once I get it in my mind, she's as good as bald.

Now she looks like a hairless rat.

And she's just sitting there shivering, traumatized.  I'm being kind and keeping the mirrors away.

But I seriously need a sweater for her....it's COLD here!

Well, my camera broke a loooong time ago.  That's why I haven't been posting pictures, because I have to use either Shane's or Rich's cell phone camera and I don't know how to download the pics.  But I do have some pictures to post if I can get them to do it!

Last weekend we made cupcakes and Mr. Toma made his own batch :)   It was so cute seeing him having so much fun and how proud he was of himself.  Even cracking (crushing) the eggs all by himself :)  With his little apron on.  so cute.

Then, I have pictures of Michael proving that YES, you can freeze your shirt completely solid in less than 10 minutes here in MN if you wet it and put it outside.  I have pics of his shirt standing up all by itself :)  Of course, he got a kick out of that.

And tonight, I'm still going to eat my sweet potato....(remember the whole juicing, healthy stuff)....but I'm going to deep fry it!!!!  I probably take a pic of that too. 

See, that's how UN-exciting my life seems at the moment. 

I think I've only been out of the house 3 times in a month and a half.  SERIOUSLY.  I don't even go out to get the mail anymore.  I just DON'T LIKE WINTER very much. 

But I have been reading some good books lately....Kathleen Morgan has a really good series out (kinda older) about the Scottish Highlands and romance...ooh, I can't get enough of them!   ( although, Gretchen was making FUN of me)  ha ha ha.  Don't knock it till you've read it Dear Gretchen.  And they're Christian.  So nothing too shocking or lurid......(now Kristin won't bother reading them....)  ha.

Been working on the potty training with Artiom, he's pretty good at going #1 when we put him on it.  But not so good with the other.  He's eating a lot better these days too.  And drinking :)  Remember for the first 6 months he didn't want to drink anything.

He always gets so excited when he sees me take out my kitchen aid mixer....he KNOWS what that means and he goes straight for the fork drawer ;)  always wants a taste.

He's a busy boy, that's for sure.

Fatherless Friday

This is Sonya, and she's in the same orphanage as the 2 girls I had on here last Friday....an adoptive mom that was there met her and had these wonderful things to say about her...Thanks Patty L. and Helle for reminding me about her!

*From one of our adoptive families who visited with her in December 2010: "Sonya was adorable and VERY smart. She was sweet and immediately crawled up to me. She and her Nanny played and sang songs. She would smile so BIG when the Nanny would rub their palms together (part of the song). She was also counting and Sonya would put down her fingers as the nanny said the numbers!! She followed directions and came when she was called. She was playing with the small stacking rings and was doing very well lining up the small holes. She would wrinkle her nose as she was trying. The nanny really seemed to dote on her. I can't imagine her being transfered and losing this play time together. When she was leaving she crawled straight up to Yuri to check him out and then crawled to her Nanny who was calling her name. We waved and said "paka" and she smiled and waived!! Oh my heart!! She is a cutie pie and needs a family!! "

And it's one year ago TODAY that we met Artiom for the first time!!!!!!!

A day I will NEVER forget....

This is Sandra....and sadly she will never know the love of family this side of Heaven.  She recently passed away...an orphan.

But thankfully, she's in the arms of Jesus, her Eternal Father.  But it still breaks my heart that she didn't know that kind of love here, in her short life :(

One year ago today....

We left to for Ukr*ine to begin the journey of a lifetime.

First we almost missed our international flight as we sat in the wrong terminal and watched the one we should be in empty out and board the plane.  Then we watched it close.  And the plane prepare for departure. 

A few minutes later we realized with a jolt that THAT was our flight.  Yikes.  Not good.  Grab the kids and luggage and see if it's too late....!  Thankfully, after looking at us like we're complete morons (!) they opened it up and let us on.  And we were the 'cheap seats' in the very back so we had to walk all the way trhrough ...getting the 'moron' stares from everyone!

But hey...we DID deserve it.

Anyway...that was just the beginning of the greatest journey we've ever been on. 

 We were so, SO excited to meet this little guy....

And even though things didn't go quite as planned and we had to leave without him after being in country for a month....(and that was REALLY hard)  it was such an AWESOME time....one we'll never forget.  It was a wonderful bonding time with our teens and our little 2 yr old LOVED the trains and planes....
We met Alexander, our wonderful friend and he showed us around the whole month.  We made good friends, tasted wonderful foods at their homes....and just enjoyed living simply for the time we were there.  We rented an apartment where we could walk to many places and found our 'favorite' little shops and eateries. 
Then I had to have a ROOT CANAL while there....oh, NOT so fun!!!  But then it got better when my dentist looked like Tom Cruise.....

Oh the memories.

And we got not one but TWO trips out of it...because we went back a month later to finalize the adoption.

I can't believe it's been almost a year since we met Artiom....I'll never ever forget that first meeting.  How small he was.  Totally unbelievable and something I'll cherish in my heart forever.

It was a wonderful time.  (sigh) 

Fatherless Friday

These two little girls desperately need someone to come for them....they are VERY near transfer...this is the information from Reeces Rainbow...

 Lindsey.....

Girl, Born May 30, 2004

I can not even express to you how blessed this child is to still be her baby house. She needs to be adopted IMMEDIATELY. She can be adopted with Sophia and/or Shawna, who all desperately need families.



Lindsay is a beautiful girl who has endured much in her life in this orphanage. She was born with a secondary heart condition, although it may have rectified itself. She is considered severely delayed, and is working on her walking, even though sbhe is already 6 years old. This orphanage has a history of medicating the children, so she has spent much of her life in a crib, repressed….





Lindsay desperately needs a family who has experience adopting older children with special needs, and who has the time to give her to help her recover from this neglect and blossom into the child she is meant to be.



More photos available. She is facing the institution very soon, and is blessed to still be at the baby house. Someone please save her.



From an adoptive family who visited with her in January 2011: " She was sitting at a little table with Sophia. I think they were having their snack. She had this rattle which makes the most amazingly loud sound, I know because my boys got to play with one just like it. She didn't make noise with it but instead was checking it out so carefully. She would put the end of the handle in between her teeth and watch the little bells roll back and forth. She is such a beauty! I didn't recognize her at first because the other picture looks nothing like her. She has beautiful blonde wavy hair and blue eyes. Her and Sophia were buds and I think would make great sisters! Surely her Momma and Daddy are out there. "

 
 
 
 
Shawna.....



Shawna (3)

Girl, Born March 2, 2004



Shawna has grown so much since her last photo! She is walking now, very social and affectionate. She has already turned 6 and is facing imminent institutionalization. She is healthy, but is considered severely delayed. PLEASE give Shawna a chance to be everything she can be, in a loving family who supports her and encourages her to grow and learn.



Shawna and Lindsay could be adopted together.



From one of our adoptive families who visited with her in December 2010: She was absolutely cute and got up to pose for the camera, she would make faces, smile and then laugh after the flash went off. She was very adorable but like many of the others was wearing a sheet as a diaper. She will be a blessing to any family. She was full of life, laughter and happiness not to mention beautiful!!


Please say an extra prayer for these girls...that they may have a future outside of institution walls.

Inception

Wow.

This movie turns your mind into putty............

and then bounces it around for a couple of hours.

Wishing I was HERE right now...

 Ahhhhhh.....dreaming a little today......

I have a million things I should be doing right now....but instead I'm looking up pictures of Naples Fl and dreaming I was there.....I LOVE it there....especially this time of year when I look outside and all I see is snow.  Yellow snow at that :(   we have 3 dogs!

 yuck.  

I WANT A VACATION!  ( alone) 

:) :) :)

Fatherless Friday

That all of these boys have very little chance of ever being loved?

Of ever being in a family?

Of ever being valued?

Of ever being someones son?

WHY?

Two reasons. 

#1) They are boys.

#2) They are considered 'older'. 

How sad it that??

I personally have adopted an older boy, and I can tell you he is such a great joy to our family, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Look at their little faces, and imagine what their future is going to be like.....then imagine what it can be like, if a family comes for them....

If you're thinking about adoption please take a look at the older children, especially the older boys. 

They are the last to be chosen.

And oh what blessings they are!

*all these boys are waiting on http://www.reecesrainbow.org/ 

Wishbone

I made a turkey the other day and of course all the kids wanted to wishbone...  after we let it dry for a day or so, me and my sweetie Michael, who is 8, decided it was time.  First of all, I always lose...really.  No matter if it's flipping a coin, wishing on a wishbone, rock paper scissors...I always lose.  But I made my wish a good one....of course it had something to do with with returning to Ukra*ne for another little boy or girl in the NEAR future :)

But of course I lost.    Michael has been dreaming of a dune buggy lately.  He wants to move to a farm so he can get one. So, I figured his wish was something along those lines....

But then yesterday he asked me if his wish would still come true if he told me what it was....of course I said yes, because I was curious :)

He told me his wish was that we could go back for another orphan.

That's why I love my boy, who can also be the most annoying child on earth!  Because he has a tender heart :)

Milk

If you have ever had milk in Ukraine, you know it's SO MUCH BETTER THAN OUR MILK.  Right???

I can still remember sitting in our little apartment like it was yesterday...having just walked the mile and a half back from the store in blizzard like weather, in the dark....but we had the milk...so it was all worth it!  Take aside the fact that it was in a bag, and very unpractical because it spilled so easily, it was the best milk ever.   So creamy and good.  Anyway, we would get out our smoked cheese, and cheesecake yogurt bars, and the milk.  Pure Heaven.  We had all the burners on the stove on high to warm the place up, with a tea kettle steaming for the extra heat...the windows all steamed up...the clown cartoon on (any of you remember that?  The wife clown was always trying to hide the husband clowns bottle of Vodka)  awwwwww....life was good.  I REALLY miss it there.

Anyway, back to the milk.... my son Shane is into 'health' stuff and started bringing organic milk home and I have to say it's the closest thing I've had here to the wonderful Ukrainian milk. Moloko.

If you're like me and miss everything Ukraine, go try some :)  For a minute you just may think you're back there ;) 

We finally took down the Christmas stuff a few days ago....I'm the kind to do it the day after Christmas every other year...but this year, I just didn't care so we left it up. 

When we took the huge Santa down from the big window, his head comes off first because it's heavy and comes apart...after Rich took his head off and handed it down to me, I thought about just leaving ole Santa up there for a couple of days, w/o a head :)   Wouldn't that have been funny?  And a little weird.  So we didn't.

We still aren't feeling well....it's the cold/chest stuff that just doesn't go away.  Artiom isn't feeling quite like himself lately either, he has a cough and runny nose.

Still juicing, just not nearly as much.  One veggie glass a day is enough for me.  And then a couple of fruit ones :)

Oh, and just an FYI for you juicing people out there....it's NOT a good idea to juice the whole grapefruit, peel and all :(  blah! 

It has a numbing effect on your mouth, like novocain.  Awful tasting too.

That's about it, it's really been quite boring around here lately....oh, and there's more snow today.  ~sigh~

*****my review for the day is this:  chicken cheese enchilada soup with a handful of sharp shredded cheese added and microwaved for 2-3 minutes.....OH MY, NUM :)

Fatherless Friday

This is sweet little 'Charity'  (whom in my mind I call Dasha, she looks like a Dasha, doesn't she?)  Oh, I love her.  She recently had a family committed to her, but sadly lost it.  Now she is back available for adoption and very much in need of a family.

She's only 2 yrs old and is healthy.  She was born with a heart condition but has had surgery to correct it :) 

Isn't she as cute as can be??  I wish we could go get her, I really do, but we're unfortunately not in a position to do so. 

Please say a prayer for her....that her family comes for her soon.

o.k. people....

This is what I'm eating right now and it is SOOOOOO good.  Oh my.  I really needed it too.    (ok, and I just had a piece of pizza)    but I can actually FEEL myself getting in a better mood already!  mellow and calm now :) :)

Which is oh so much better than the way I felt eating *#***###vegetable juice.

Yes, I'm disappointed in myself.  And yes, I'm still enjoying this ice cream.   :)

I'm making an effort....

to be healthier....and it sort of stinks! 

OK, so another post about juicing......since I got like ONE comment on the last one...and that was a sympathy comment from Gretchen, I think.

For the last week and a half probably we've been juicing LOTS of vegetables and fruits.  I like the fruit ones, not the veggie ones so much.  I've been using sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, kale, beets, cucumbers,red lettuce, yams, tomatoes,broccoli, and asparagus ALL MIXED TOGETHER for the veggie ones. 

I've been drinking about 12 oz / 3 times a day. (on a good day)

For the fruit ones, it's easier....oranges, apples, bananas, grapefruit, coconut and pineapple. With a dash of cinnamon.  Those are pretty good :)

But, I still don't feel better....and I'm getting REAL sick of the veggie ones....today I only had one 12 oz cup.  Then felt sick after downing it.

I think I'm burning out.  And Shane just ordered a new/better juicer :)  He's really excited about it and loves eating healthy and getting Rich and I to do so also.

You should look up the Gerson Therapy....it's a guy who created this diet of mostly veggie juice...like 13 times a day to actually cure diseases!  Really.  I saw the documentary....it can actually cure cancers.  Plus MANY other benefits.   This guy was 117 years old when he died!!

So, I'm going to try and stick with it. 

But I really miss cinnamon rolls.  (Christine Reed...your post today didn't help!)

Plus, I have a terrible cold....after drinking a whole garden for almost 2 weeks!

Rich thinks I have a ways to go on my 'detoxification' period....since I tend to like sweets more than the average person!  ha. :)  Maybe he's right.

So that's what's been going on around here....it's Minnesota...it's winter...it's BORING.  So, we have to find ways to entertain ourselves ;)

By the way, if I only get like one sympathy comment again on this, I'm never going to mention juicing again!

I'm just trying to help you people stay HEALTHY!