Today marks the big day that changed our world...

You might think that since this blog is about Marina (mostly) that today's post would be about her...and in a way it ends up there. But today is March 8th. And three years ago at 5:16 in the afternoon, Caylyn left. I think if the calendar was out of my sight I would still be able to tell you that today is different. The scar tears open alot on this day, every year so far. Because it still hurts so deeply in my heart for me not to be able to hold that little hand and look into her golden flecked eyes that always danced when she caught me looking at her with I love you in my eyes. In no short order, Caylyn changed the world. Not just my world. But alot of worlds around us...This is my nephew's college application summary on why he wants to go to Wofford to study pre-med. I had no idea how much his world had been changed.

"I didn’t expect to get this call. Not so soon. Caylyn had been sick for a while now, but it didn’t seem like this could be happening. She was
barely old enough to be in the first grade, let alone to be in a hospital bed, fighting with a respirator for every breath she took. I was
fourteen at the time, carefree and innocent, and wasn’t completely sure I was actually witnessing what I was witnessing. I had been at a
sleepover with a few of my friends the previous night, but then I got the call. It was seven o’clock and I wasn’t fully awake until I heard the
words, “Caylyn” and “come now.” I rushed over, pants halfway on, shirt wadded in hand, and I could feel the tension in the car on the way
to the hospital. “Caylyn’s special, you know that,” Mom kept repeating to me and my younger brother. I didn’t really know what was so
different about her. I didn’t think she was that different. Sure, she may have slurred her words, she may not have been able to verbalize
what she was thinking, and she had Down’s syndrome, but I didn’t think that made her different from any of the rest of my cousins. I didn’t
see her as a child with a disability, I saw her as family, as someone I would look after and help in whatever way I could.
The leukemia had obviously begun to win its battle with Caylyn. She began to lose her hair with the chemotherapy, and she gained a lot of
weight and retained a lot of water. I spent every spare moment with her I could—playing the games we used to play, putting on my “happy
face” to make her giggle. I guess I just didn’t understand the severity of the situation, because on that day, on the way to the hospital, Mom
seemed to think it was Caylyn’s last. Standing in a room with about ten of my family members, everyone was praying and begging for
healing for this precious baby girl. Caylyn’s dad, Uncle Tully, seemed not to care that I saw him cry for the first time. This was his
princess, his first born.
We huddled around her bed, wondering which minute would be the minute, and then we watched her go. Peace in her eyes, love in our
hearts, we stood by and allowed the doctor to turn off the respirator. That was the hardest thing I ever had to do—I almost threw myself
onto the machine, taking it upon myself to plug it back in and bring my baby cousin back to life. But there wouldn’t be any more games.
There wouldn’t be any more birthdays, more Christmases, with the child I knew as my friend.
I could barely sit through her “Celebration of Life” service. Yes, I know she’s in a better place, but at the time I couldn’t think of any place
better than right beside me. I can’t wait to see her again—to hold her in my arms, to hear her little voice, to see her as a true princess,
crown and everything, in front of a glorious king. But until that day comes, I’ll wait, educate anyone who asks about her life, and search for
a cure for her cause of death."

My sister in law went back to school and graduated on a different path than her original direction as well. She is in research for similar discoveries of a cure.

My mother in law works as an aid to SN children in school and home, making sure the parents have resources to better the world for their own children.

I have gotten so many emails over the years that we have had the privilege of being Caylyn's front line parents...that Cay made a difference to someone or some decision that someone was facing. I am pretty sure my mom has not gotten that many letters about me (that were positive about my impact on the world). Cay was and is a remarkable child...
she loved like Jesus, never cared about her hair, and skipped across the waters of heaven, leaving death with its mouth open. It may have taken her from me, but it released her into a freedom that she will never be burdened with this life again. You can't beat that for a long term sense of the way life should be. She is so close to the original Eden now I just know it. But I miss her very much. Today is hard. Because she loved like Jesus...and that is why Marina lives here. Because you can't watch someone love like Jesus, and not be affected in a life changing way. But I know in my heart that she is only a breath away, just a thin veil hangs between me and her, and it was made possible because Jesus is real and did exactly what He set out to do...not to condemn us but to bring us life abundant and set us free. Our life on earth is a battle ground, but life in heaven, well that is an entirely different playing field. And I know that I know that I know, it is real. Not out of a sense of desperation, but a sense of knowing that can't be disputed. And that has changed my life both here, and there. I am thankful God thought so highly of us to place her in our care. I Love you always, my first born. Mom

Spring fever...

I think I have the best kids in the world. You might think you do, but I have to insist that these are the best for me...of course I would add my princess Caylyn to the mix if it were possible because she would make a remarkable sister to these two wild monkeys, but life is the way it is because of her, so it is not possible to have these two paths converge...Evan has been on his "Why did God..." quest this week. Why did God make earth and not just make heaven and skip this part? Seriously. He is 5 going on 80. When did God make God? Why did God make us all different? Why did God make us speak different languages so we have to try so hard to understand some kids? It has been an endless week for these questions, and I do not know what the instigation was? Some sort of epiphany to see if this mama knows anything at all? (so far, not so much.) He has been delightful to talk with. And oh Ms. Marina! Could there be a more loving child? She is full of joy and songs and so much laughter, topped off with tight hugs and wet sticky kisses. I am including a video of her discovering what a garden hose could potentially be designed for...ukrainian idol style:) Evan could not stand the concert so it ends abruptly when he gets hold of her microphone...but he did apologize and give it back. Evan has learned to ride a two wheeler this past week and also has a loose tooth. This is the week that a little boy takes giant steps towards being a young boy. Makes my heart hurt somehow.

The kids were sick with strep last week and Evan graced me with sharing his kindergarten stomach virus, how kind! This week Tully has gone to Pennsylvania to work on renovating an old mill into an apartment building...we are very grateful for this work that he has, and not sure what we would have done had the offer not come along. The kids miss daddy alot and they tell me that in their own ways....Evan mentions it often, and Marina just hollers nonstop for him through dinner:) We utilize the computer camera but have not had great luck getting it just right, so will work on that some more tonight. The flowers are blooming like crazy, the weather is gorgeous, almost 80* yesterday and topped off with a hard spring storm. Our garden seeds are starting to sprout, and all of this reminds me that our promises from God are in fact, true to His heart and being fulfilled in the grand scheme of things. We are so fortunate to be where we are and who we are, and I am grateful for all that we have become by His hand. We of course are never too near to where we should be, but that does not keep me from enjoying various parts of the journey:) It is the part of life that matters so much, this journey we each find ourselves on.

I won't write too much today as I am trying to manage a house cleaning miracle this am but I am crazy about the weather and it does wonders when winter takes its place at your back, then the rear view mirror...

Tomorrow is dr. Suess' birthday and I want to share a sweet letter from Marina's big cousin Mayfield when he was faced with the task of submitting a letter along the lines of "Oh the Places you'll go" for a college scholarship...ya just gotta love stuff like this!

Dearest Marina,
I’m glad to be writing this letter to you. I’ve waited for years and your parents have, too. You’re a smart little girl with two special brown eyes. You can do what you dream, no matter your size. You may have flown from Ukraine to be here with us now, but we never gave up; not never, no how. And in the same way that we brought you back, just know that you’re loved—in love you don’t lack. You may think you’re different from the kids that you know, but hold your head high—let your confidence show. And one day when you’re grown and are ready to fly, we’ll watch you flourish—and I’ll tell you why. You’re kind and so sweet and compassionate too--don’t get discouraged we don’t look like you. And though other kids may not act the same way, we’ll always be with you; in our hearts you’ll stay. So don’t think of yourself as a child with no home; you have a new family, and a house of your own.

Love Always,

Cousin Mayfield

Marina, the new Ms. Maybelline!

This is just the cutest photo session! Marina was being "quiet" so Tully went in search of her...and she was in the bathroom (probably) being Mini- me. I interject here with the thought that i can draw a straighter line than she can with a lipliner but not by much haha! She had a delightful school valentines party at school friday, just judging by the amount of "stuff" stuck to her leggings and dress! Her sense of humor has blossomed this week and Tully and I were talking last night about how she laughs so much now! She and I usually have several hours to kill each day and we manage to get down right silly so much of the time! But she thinks a ton of things are funny on their own, without me sacrificing dignity to bring her humor! I love that so much about her! What an amazing spirit she has and we are grateful that she is a part of our family. Still creating kitchen masterpieces and that is the best recipe for getting dinner cooked--plop her on the kitchen corner cabinet and let her butter some bread. We have a lot of buttered bread these days for dinner but that simple act allows us to actually have a hot meal most nights. She gets a little over busy when she is hungry and wants to hurry the meal along!
She has been restless at night and wakes up easy and sometimes cries or talks in her sleep. It is time for me to get the courage to haul her (and Evan too) to the dentist soon. I wanted her to like us before we made her mad by introducing that field trip. She got a shot for her MMR update the other day and she did amazingly well. Very brave I might add! Evan came home with a sort of virus yesterday and he evidently was wiped out when he got home, which annoyed Marina that her playmate was down for the count. She did let him sleep for the duration of the day and he is much better today. I am posting a link to a post that was in an english based paper in Ukraine...I want to reiterate that the conditions in this post were not at all what we encountered and just goes to show that as in all countries, ours included, conditions can vary greatly. Please pray for the children of these lesser cared for institutions as they desperately need to be in a family. All children need a family... please see the link as it is posted in my comment section by wordgardener (me). The blogger link never works for some reason...

Happy Valentines Day and may love abound where you are...

A life in the day of the Bachmans... or is it a day in the life?

Holy smokes, It seems like every time I want to update this blog, the day is over and I am snoring away, or Marina has slapped my computer closed and I can't find the cord to update the photos...well today the perfect storm allowed for me to find the ways and means to comply with my goal. The kids are sacked out from dragging around Biltmore House and Gardens for the day, and really, for goodness sakes, Marina was in a stroller all day so what in the world makes her so tired??? Tully and I were the ones hauling her up and down castle stairs...and I wonder aloud, if they had all the amenities they did, what were they thinking, only putting in one elevator? Despite my light grumbling here, we had a great day, and had gone with my parents with whom we really enjoyed the day and a fabulous lunch. Honestly I don't think the kids could have been better. Tully was awed by the place as well...

So much has been going on I hardly know where to start...Marina was invited to her first birthday party of Evan's friend Bodey, and therefore inadvertently had her first Mcdonalds:) When all the other kids had run off to play, Marina was still savoring her cheeseburger at the table! She had a blast to say the least. She has also started going to kids church with Evan and being in his class. He is stingy about letting anyone else help with her papers and such and that makes my heart happy. Even though he is the first to torment her at home with sibling aggravations, he is intent on making sure she has all that she needs when he is the only family member around. She has really taken to following what the other kids do and plays the games and makes up her version of the songs without skipping a beat.

We went to the circus last week, and I learned that even though we got amazing seats, opening night does not come early and the kids were toast by the time half time rolled around so we lied and told them it was over. They were fine with that, and I am sure the man behind us and his date were probably glad that we were leaving since Marina was holding their hands behind us most of the time...I say their hands, since they were holding hands and Marina decided they needed one more for their grip so she reached back and locked hands. They were graceful about it and it was funny, but it was really out of character for her. Wonder what the message was that they took home? I assume she made an impact on them and I know a kid with a message of love when I see one. She had it going on that night...

Our battle these days has been with her wanting/wriggling out of her car seat. We end up sitting by the side of the road in some empty parking lot until she has complied with the rules. I have a nice Britax that was given to us, and that has been our saving grace, but Marina howls when she is restrained, and a car seat seems to meet that dilemma. We are working through that and only time will give us the victory of "belt on" that we seek.

We have made great strides with Signing Times and Marina learns new signs weekly. Evan has now taken to utilizing Marina's most frequent russian words and if we knew what they actually meant it would make me feel better about his use. He speaks like her, she tries to emulate him...no one is speaking English, you see where this is going:) Thank goodness school is giving speech lessons or we would be on an endless treadmill. Now to figure out how to get Evan into real live Russian classes for 5 year olds...

I know that Marina turned 6 on Dec. 29th but that kid had been getting presents since we showed up on the scene of her life...so we waited to officially have a kid party until this past weekend. It was a total blast! We were able to have her party for 8 kids at Hearts of Clay where the kids all got to paint a ceramic figure and then we served spaghetti and meatballs dinner (in my trusty bean pot, a must have ya'll! Just ask me how to get one!) and also decorated our own cupcakes after the ceramics were completed. It was a good party and Marina's cousins were there, along with the beautiful Maya and Maria, and Toni and Darla. Toni is Marina's new best friend at school. Ironically Toni was a little girl that Evan played air hockey with at Greenville memorial hospital when Caylyn was sick a few years ago. Yeah, small world, I know. I remembered her beautiful brown eyes and cleopatra hair cut. She is a doll and loves Marina. How odd that they are now in the same class room holding hands walking down the hall? Somehow I imagine God is not surprised by this sweet bonus.

Hmm....what else? Ah, I started work at Family Connection at the end of January. I will be a liaison to families of small children with DS (0-3 years old) and operate as a support parent for them. I am very pleased to be a part of that journey and look forward to my first new family contact coming tomorrow. Two weekends ago I also got to speak to a lovely seniors class from First Baptist, about our journey. I loved having the opportunity and my only regret was that the person who had asked if I could come and speak, was not there. Peggy, we will have to plot another location to do this, and invite you to that one! But I appreciate the opportunity to have shared the lives of my two girls. I was humbly reminded of how sweet and difficult it all had been up to this point, and how I could never tell that story if there had been no God who loved me enough to have given it to me.

We will hopefully be a part of the new Orphan ministry (adoption ministry) that is being build at church right now. With more christians than orphans, the question therefore remains...why are there orphans? Anyhow I will wait to talk about that ministry until I am sure of all that will transpire. When God's hand moves, I imagine it will be large.

Tomorrow is the first day that Marina will be scheduled at school when it opens so she will be dropped off at 7:45 and then Evan goes to school 45 minutes later. I bet she will be tired but will love it I am sure. Tonight is the superbowl and Tully is quietly watching that...quietly because the OTHER Pennsylvania team is in it and not his beloved Eagles...the kids are probably down for the night and I am off to take a nice hot shower and read a grown up book...and get ready for that early exodus in the morning.
Enjoy the new family photos...she is a honey although a feisty one, and we could not imagine life without her.
PS one more Marina story...the other day we came home from school and she told me she was hungry...not unusual. I told her wait a minute which also was not unusual. But about 5 minutes later, I smell something yummy in the kitchen so I go to check, and i find that she has dragged a chair to the stovetop, turned on the burner, melted butter in the skillet and cracked two eggs in to fry, breaking only one of the yolks...and not too many shells either! Honestly! Special needs my Eyeball! She learned to even only turn the dial on the stove to 4! She watches and learns everything. Scary stuff my friends! No more wait a minutes for her:) And never underestimate the power of a hungry kid to fend for themselves. Yes we spend lots of time in the kitchen but I did not know the kinds of notes she had been taking. The photos of us in the kitchen were of us making cookies, I was too astounded to grab a photo of the eggs..and then she ate em up and they were GONE!

Time flies and so do we:)

I can honestly say we can fly, and not just by the seat of our pants, though that is still our primary mode of transportation! I passed my ramp class this past snowy week in Philadelphia with 100% total score! Tomorrow is my first day on the job and my clothes are already laid out:) I was really worried that Marina would be sad that I was gone for 4 days so I spent an inordinate amount of time setting up the webcam before I left (my computer is so old it did not have one built in so I used my old one that was found in a well organized drawer from the days of mom and sister extreme home makeover). I am still finding myself in speechless appreciation! Anyhow, Ms. Marina did just fine and made sure that Tully knew that the tall brown coffee mug was indeed still mine, even if I was not here to utilize it.
Marina is becoming more verbal as the days go by. I heard her say Dada, EAT! today for lunch time and when I got back from Philly she could holler LAY DOWN very clearly and loudly. I had to laugh...knowing those were the first words Tully imported to her with authority. She signs and says I love you (long style, pointing at her eye first). I know she knows what this means because she told Evan this with much joy on her face to be able to let him know and she poked him hard in the chest when she got to "YOU", smiling proudly:) They are settling into a much better routine and they find many more ways to play together than a couple weeks ago when the cain and able phase of sibling joy was in full effect. Marina has learned to cry for things and we thank Evan for that deeply...on that note I feel like we ruined her haha! She does have quite a full rounded flow of emotions and I am actually very happy about that. I was afraid she could not cry when she first came, and that is a scary place to be I think. Time out is still our best weapon against being spit at, and it comes with less frequency now.
School is not exactly what I want it to be for Marina at this point and i have been furiously angling in on some better ideas for Marina. It is ok, but not satisfactory for her, and especially not for me with the crazy schedule she is on. She is there for three whole hours, where she eats lunch and takes a nap...heck we could do that at home and save the gas money! Anyhow when I figure this out better, I will surely post the results of my melted gray matter over this debacle. The teacher is super nice and the school is great, but I do not think it is in Marina's best interest to continue on this learning path.
Tully is still struggling to find work, as the job he was hired for has been put on infinite hold (as in I don't think they were awarded the contract). There are some resets coming up in the near future (next week) that he will take on but January has been tough. Prayers would be in order here if I can ask for them. No work really affects the spirit after a while.
The snow has been amazing this winter as it has already hit the south twice and it is barely mid January! We were given a gorgeous snow suit for Marina from a sweet friend and Marina LOVES that thing. Heck I would too if I were slinging myself down hills of snow! It has been tough finding warm gloves that fit a kid with Down syndrome who has very short little fingers but managed to get some thinsulate mittens on ebay last week, and they finally arrived after the snow. That is what happens in the south with snow and ice, everything screeches to a halt, even snow glove delivery.
I have to add here that Marina who went through BOXES of kleenex when she first arrived has really managed to stay healthy since coming home. Not sure how, since keeping sox on her is virtually impossible and she sneaks out the back door to bring cats in and throw cats out all the time! The kids are asleep napping as I type this long over due mundane update and I am always grateful for that small golden window of quiet time. Marina has adjusted beautifully but if I had a wish list, I wish she was not the first one up every day (sometimes that time of the morning hardly qualifies as DAY time). And if that is my big wish, I would say we are in a very good place right now. It feels safe and warm in our home for the moment, and I think it has taken a long time to get there. Tomorrow would have been Caylyn's 9th birthday and we intend to celebrate it with dinner with a group of parents who happen to be meeting for grief of losing their child...the hospital has begun this group and I just think it would be a fine time to go to a meeting, kids in tow. Marina has a way of keeping the life of Caylyn front and center, as they were cut from the same dough I think...always coming up with a plan to add some gray twinge to the hair follicles. And there is the sense of humor and twinkle in the eyes...even though they are quite different the similarity is an echo of a fine life we lost along the way and struggle to regain. This is where God steps up and gives us extra grace to do crazy things like adopt an unknown child from 6700 miles away, with confidence. God is not a crutch for tough times, He is the heart that keeps beating when our hearts want to quit. I am grateful I know Him in mine because I would not be Marina's mama without Him. And life with her is just better, even when it is harder.
I am excited to post our occasional trips that we will be allowed to journey on this year. While you don't get wealthy working for the airlines, you do fly free domestically:) Gramma Sue, Look out! And Alex, don't think we don't know how to find our way to California...Fuzzy faced Uncle Brad in Boston, Friends in Texas and Erie PA, and of course, family in Colorado...and a certain prayer warrior in Lexington Ky who has a cabin by a creek. Yes, this is gonna be a fine year.

New Year, New Life, New directions....

What a crazy week or two! I really should start all posts out with that sentence come to think of it....maybe I do. But with the week of Christmas and New Years, and Marina's birthday on the 29th, life is nothing short of a permanent party! Tully's mom Sue and his brother Alex came to celebrate the week between Christmas and New years and we had a great time! Uncle Alex is a VERY good uncle and was amazing with the kids. Marina fell for him right away! And of course Gramma Sue has the patience and love that only a gramma can have, building snow forts and then taking the brunt of the snow balls all in good fun:) And yes, it snowed in the south on Christmas day:) Marina loves presents, and by now I am sure she just thinks she gets them every week since she got them when she arrived, she got them from us at the orphanage, she got them for Christmas and she got them for her birthday. We have probably ruined her expectations by now. But then I think about how it turns out she loves snow more than presents. She was so funny when she looked out the window, covering her mouth in sheer disbelief and squealing like I have not heard from her until that point!
This next year is already upon us and lots of changes to our regular routines. You all can stop laughing now, I KNOW we are anything but regular routine kind of people:) Tully goes back to work as a retail merchandiser on wednesday, Marina starts school on Tuesday and by Sunday I go to Philadelphia to train for USAir here in Greenville Spartanburg. I will be gone for 5 days so if you are the praying sort, please put Tully at the top of the list. Marina and Evan both are complete mama's kids:) Of course I worry that Marina will think I left her but we will talk and try to set up the computer to see each other while I am gone. I am also applying for a job with Family Connections here in Spartanburg to work with families whose new or 3 and under kiddos are diagnosed with Down syndrome to make sure they realize resources and support are there for them. Both jobs are part time so it should be no conflict. I have worked for them before so I have a high hope for being hired.

Listed near the top of the photos is little Kathleen--I am committing to helping find a family for Kathleen who is in Ukraine. She is so cute! And her destiny is currently aimed at a very disheartening direction, where transfer will be extremely detrimental to her life. No child should have that facing them for any reason. I know what a difference a family can make, and I know what a difference a child like this can make in a family--it is nothing short of awesome. I will be hosting several fundraisers as the year and opportunity arises so please at least post them on facebook for me when I do. Donation fueled give aways:) Yahoo!
We are humbled by the note that Vivabeads is honoring our family and Caylyn by designing a line designed to raise funds and awareness of both the Leukemia Foundation and international adoption by donating a portion of proceeds to both of these causes when someone purchases a Remember Me item. I will be selling these bracelets once again to raise funds for Kathleen once I am able to order some from the spring catalog. What an amazing gift from the owners of Vivabeads to make this available. I have to tell you that the bracelets are so beautiful! It is a sweet way to remember Caylyn and the fight she encountered as well, and will serve to remind so many that Hope is real, even in the face of disaster. I love the name of the line and it strikes a tender place in my heart. If you have a personal relationship with a gift store, encourage them to sell Vivabeads. These are amazing bracelets and are very affordable. Full circle for a great cause!

Wishing everyone a truly amazing new year. I encourage you to find a cause and help in any way you can. Every small assistance parlays into moving mountains. And I will boldly say that the cause you choose is important. While I think trees and basset hounds are important, of course I am going to encourage you to consider something that changes the life of a person. A small person, who has no voice for themselves and no control over the conditions into which they were born. Life is amazing but we have to help each other a lot of the times in order to achieve this. Yeah, we have to help every single day. Radical living for a radical life. I know the word radical has been over-bantered lately because it is on the NYTimes best seller list. But if you have not read the book, it strips away the fog and gives energy to showing love in powerful ways. And I can't tell you enough how amazing the outcome can be. Happy new year!

End of the Year escapades

First I want to post this link to the Angel tree page of Reece's Rainbow. I am beginning to really feel the need to advocate for Kathleen in region 27. She is so cute! And man, those baby blues are gonna be dangerous:) Please take a moment if you can and contribute even a few dollars to help her grant raise to the 500.00 mark. I know from experience that without these grants it is difficult to get these children home and out of an orphanage. Kathleen is in danger of being transferred to an ugly place in a few short months and this simply cannot happen. Children deserve better in life. The Angel tree will only be up for a few more days so time is important.

And the difference a family can make is astronomical in the scope of things....just take a look at Ms. Marina!
She has really bonded into this family very well. We have a few orphanage things to work through, such as spitting when angry and showing off our back side (with our without a covering!) and she is very stubborn which is okay in the grand scheme of life. But hey, that is amazing that these are our only known battles! She loves Evan, and manages to get in equal time at the table to be funny. Dinner time is usually a riot for some reason, though I do not think it is linked to the food...we do spend lots of time in the kitchen so maybe they are just giddy and proud of their creations. Yeah, that's a stretch in my book, too. All I know is that it seems like she has been her for a lot longer than 3 1/2 weeks. We seem to belong together in a way that is hard to describe. She has taken up residence in a house that she has helped make a home. Ok let's try again. She could have made this home nothing more than a house, but she has added to it in a way that is deeply and intensely laced with love and affection and laughter. Not every "orphan" gets out that happy and well balanced. It is a joy that is hard to describe. I might add that Santa told me the other day as Marina would not get off his lap, " Usually ya can't get em up on my knee! this one is going to be hard to get off:)" Yeah, that's how it is with her. She goes the extra mile to appreciate her situation. And she kisses your hand or pats your cheek to make sure you appreciate it too. Evan has done a 180* show on his emotions almost overnight. They play chase through the house and the other day when she got put in time out for spitting, it was Evan that was there in less than a minute asking if she could come out. He remembers to get things for her if he gets one for him. He did tell her she was just weird at the table the other night when she was telling him the absolute longest story in russian, so I can safely say that all is well here. We are getting really excited about Christmas. Gifts are semi wrapped. I hit black friday because I was still on eastern europe time zone or we would not be having what we are I think, but really the gifts are only a way of saying we love each other and it is signifying the true gift of Love and Hope. If we only had each other we would be way more than fine. In the long run none of the "stuff" really matters anyway. I am grateful for friends and family, and do not take these things for granted, or at least I am trying hard not to. It is hard to tell people how really much they mean, and I wish there was an easy way to tell folks what's in our hearts. I wish there was a way to keep it there up front all year long but it's hard to be human some days.

Well Marina found one small lollipop and is set for yet another bath and another half a load of laundry. Wow, I hope the well does not go dry! Stay well and safe and thank you for taking time to see our photos. She really is a miracle that she is here. Ukraine is set to vote soon to put a halt on international adoptions so I will come full circle here and ask that if you have the time and or financial capacity, please lets make it a project to get Kathleen a home next. Time is critical for several reasons. A 35.00 donation will net you a really sweet ornament with her little face on it. Merry Christmas!