Mary and John changing into play clothes and getting shoes on to go outside and play;-)
Casey and Little Trisha....Best friends.
Karissa working with a smile on her dedicated little face!!!
Katie Aunna...my beautiful Russian scholar.
Happy Annie...The Siberian Princess....and she knows it...ha ha! 
Mary Beth ready to jump up out of her desk. 
Schools out!!! Schools out!!! Happy times are well deserved. 
It was so warm that the kids just needed a light jacket or sweater cover-up.
John sliding and Christian getting on the sky glider with Katie.
Now Mary and John will try the sky scooter;-0.
Today our weather was beautiful (76 degrees). The sky was clear and blue as the golden sunshine warmed our world. There was no wind blowing....just a warm and calm day. I must brag about how hard the kids worked today in school for me. I would periodically notice one of them looking out the window and I knew very well what they were thinking. It was so difficult not to excuse class and send them outside. Maybe, according to many who are homeschooling, that's exactly what I should have done.
It is true that learning occurs in more than a classroom. However, their resolve to stay on task was so admirable. At 3:00 o'clock I asked them to put away their books. Then I told them to go outside and play. They looked like Christmas morning....full of joy and delight. As I ponder on the activities of today, my heart is filled with admiration and respect for their eager resolve to learn. I am so proud of them!!!
I guess some of you may have noticed the frigid cold temperatures in Murmansk. It has been 29 degrees below zero for several days. I hope Katie's precious friend "V" is doing well along with the other children there. The cold is so harsh for her injured leg. My mind often returns to Murmansk and our experiences. Katie's friend's face is a vivid picture in these memories.
Please, be in prayer for God to provide His Holy Will and guide us in our love for "V" (we will refer to her as Alexis...Lexi for short from here). We just can not get her out of our mind, heart, or memories. Especially, of the day we went to pick up Katie Aunna from the orphanage. Lexi walked over to me and looked deeply into my eyes and I knew without one word what she was asking..."Please, love me too. I've been waiting faithfully for so very long. I'm a very good girl who only wants to please you."
Lexi then gently laid the side of her face on my shoulder and gently nuzzled into my neck where she breathed in my scent. She inhaled deeply as though she would store and hold my scent in a special container deep within her heart forever there labeled as "the one desired to be my mother". I gently patted and stroked her face. Her eyes swelled with tears....but, she swallowed hard and bucked up as they told her to leave the playroom.
I can not say that our 27 day stay in Russia was a time of relaxation. However, it was a treasured time with Katie Aunna as we soaked up the beautiful Russian culture and enjoyed the kind people we met there. Truly, during those days, it seemed like forever until we returned home. Now I can see it was but a blink of the eye in my life.
We will always remain attached to Murmansk. God has been very generous to us there and we continue to thank Him for His generosity. Each night as I go to sleep...I pray for Lexi and wish to see her once again someday. May God's Will be done in this matter and not mine. I pray He carries the plan and I do not have to decide what to do. Let God provide the answers and means for us to be faithful to Him in ALL things.
I hope you enjoy a few pictures of the children today. Oh yes, Katie Aunna is reading and sounding out words that are new to her. Her English acquisition continues to amaze me.
Many blessings!!!
1 comment:
Great photos Trisha. We too are praying for "V"-Alexis. I told her story at Christmas this yr. with our extended family. They too were very touched and wish for her to find a family. I always look forward to your posts.
blessings,
Vickie
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