Update-----Garden------Ukraine Kittens-----church picnic

Orphan Project Update!  I received two checks today both for $100 and both from Pennsylvania!  Thank you all so much!

We now have $600 towards our goal of $1000 for the two little girls from my girls' orphanage.  I can NOT wait to see pictures of L and P with their family!  We have a nice long month of May to raise money for them!!!

 

 

Thank you for giving so they can have a family!!!!!

 

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Selah had a little bit better night last night.  She still had to have extra meds, but her alarm only went off a couple of times instead of going off for 2 hours straight.  No storming, but still not where she needs to be with her heart rate.  it's still have odd spikes but they are usually not as high.  She has been up and outside today in her chair.  We are having great weather here:)   One of my readers sent a beautiful CD of worship music for her.  We are going to try it tonight for her...thank you for the CD from Georgia:)

 

 

We have had rain, overcast skies for the last few days and my plants are going nuts:)  I LOVE rainy weather and how nice and green everything is here.   After I walked this morning, I went and bought a few more Okra plants (we LOVE okra) and a new vine for our fence.  When I got home, I planted it and weeded the garden in a nice misty rain.  I was a mess when I was finished but it was easy to work in air condition LOL! 

 

After walking I saw all these "swamp birds"  aka Sandhill Cranes.  for some crazy reason, they are my favorite birds LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are some pictures of my beautiful garden!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

my new vine!

 

collards

 

Lavender  I have 3 pots of it and it smells so good!

 

the Jasmine vine really has taken off this year!  I love the smell of it too

Squash on steroids

 

 

Potatoes!  They are pretty plants with flowers on top.  We get lots of butterflies for them!

 

My garden has done so well this year!  I've already harvested lettuce, spinach, all kinds of herbs, tomatoes and tons of collards:)  I grow 100% organically.  It's probably actually more expensive than buying veggies but I enjoy the work and it teaches the boys about work and how to grow veggies, so all in all it's worth it. 

 

Walking and Gardening are two of my favorite things to do.  Don't I sound like an old middle aged woman?  LOL  Come walk with me some day or work on my garden with me and you'll know I can kick butt LOL!

 

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A year ago today we took some pictures of the kittens as we knew we'd be leaving soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the orphanage, we went on a church picnic.  Across the street from the apartment we stayed in was a large forest behind the Russian church.  It was like one huge city block so the north edge of it was up by the Pentecostal church and grave yard.  So we were invited to go on their picnic.

 

Beautiful park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Torez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the church playing volley ball

 

 

 

 

 

the dirt road we walked up

 

Church

 

they even had christian music playing

 

Me and my baby on a blanket!

 

 

 

Me and my two babies on a blanket

 

Jon

 

view from blanket but something happened to the pic:(

this lady looks so much like a friend of mine....it was eerie!

 

 

 

So this was a Wednesday last year.  We only had ONE more normal day then Friday was going to be the crazy day of running around as our 10 day wait period was over and all the girls paperwork was released to us.  We were so excited!!!!!!  We'd get the girls for good on Saturday so things were speeding up. 

 

In spite of hardly being able to wait to get the girls, I knew our time was drawing to a close and I didn't want to leave.  I was ready for American food as I lost about 15 pounds there and my clothes hung off me but other than food...I could have just stayed where I was. 

 

Of course I knew the big tests were coming, traveling by train with 3 handicapped children was NOT going to be easy.  Then all the appointments in Kiev to get the girls their visas....and the BIG trip home....alot was coming up, all unknowns.....

 

Oh if I could only go back to this time last year.....I thought I treasured every moment....but I've learned now how to really treasure them.....