One month in America

First here are some answers to frequently asked questions:


Yes, the boys are learning English very rapidly. Tyler is teaching them formal classes and with all the talking going on in our home they are pretty well saturated with English. They are really able to communicate so much better and seem to understand most of what we say. We are able to do less and less as far as charades and it is fun to witness the miracle of learning English right before our eyes.

Yes, I am still wearing red white and blue (although I try to squeeze in a couple other colors occasionally.) I will probably look funny in a flag sweater at the holiday program at school, but America is Awesome!

No, still no accounting from Oksana for the money she took.

Yes, the family is jiving and although the honeymoon period has worn off and the kids are claiming their turf and treating each other more like siblings than guests now, it appears to be going pretty well. No angelic choirs, but there is a bit of harmony amidst the chaos.

No, Vitaly didn't persist in being called Andrew. He switched to Andy and then went right back to saying we should call him Vitaly. I hope this isn't a multiple personality things popping up.

Yes, we will probably be placing the boys in their age appropriate classes and it may change once they do evaluations after school starts. Vitaly will be in 7th grade and Spencer will be in 3rd grade. Vitaly thought he would be in 6th and so he was delighted to learn he is closer to graduation.

end of aanswers to frequently asked questions

Vitaly had a great 12th birthday. He kept changing his mind on whether he wanted to go to Lagoon or the Aquatic center and finally settled on Swimming. It is less driving and they had a blast. I made the 4 layer blue cake (the wedding cake he had drawn) it was pretty ugly but it tasted good. I took a picture but I am too embarrassed to post it. Birthday cakes are not my specialty. He got an Ipod (he has wanted one forever) and he loves shuffling from song to song and between him and Daniel I have heard the Baby Baby (Justin Bieber song) a few too many times.

Tyler is dating again.
Bryan has his first baptism in Ukraine.
Devin is excited to go to scout camp and do manly things. Today we were working in the yard and I asked him to push the wheelbarrow of rocks and he said he had to protect his sore shoulder for camp so he could do manly things, I wanted to suggest that he start doing manly things like taking the wheelbarrow but I bit my tounge. Somehow sharing that with the world now makes my tounge feel less bitten :)
Daniel is not as excited about scout camp, probably has something to do with the girl population at camp.
Vitaly is going to camp and is looking forward to the swimming and rope swing over the lake that Devin went to great lengths to describe.
Spencer went to a cub scout camp recently and everyone is talking about the miracle that a returned missionary from Ukraine just happened to be there and was his guide and friend the whole day.
Alisa is more outnumbered than ever and we are working on getting in touch with her feminine side again, school shopping should help.
Scotty is surviving. He doesn't understand the pecking order thing that the boys brought from the orphanage and I keep explaining that Scott is the baby and always will be and he just automatically gets what he wants and isn't to be ordered around and picked on. I think they are catching on.

I am very grateful that the EFY office was inspired enough to schedule all my talks in August. It would have been too much for July to get the new talks ready but since things are beginning to settle down it will be perfect.

All is well!

Christy and Crew