Our traveling, homeschooling Bulldawg family!

Too, too long!!!

2010-04-12T21:00:00.005-04:00

It's been too, too long since I've posted, and my oldest dear daughter recently reminded me of this. Let's see - where do I start??? Do I go back and talk about Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years???? Very special times, especially 'cause my Philly-living girl came home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many good times with family! We hosted the Homeschool Christmas dinner - I think there were about 50 or so folks in attendance. We also had our Sunday school class over after Christmas (not quite as many, but still a good time!).

Super Bowl party at the Sartain's house! I'm thinking there were about 80 or so students and various adults in attendance. We had four TV's going and lots of great food.

We just returned from a trip to Kentucky and a combined visiting relatives/field trip/reunion with classmates kind of jammed-packed four days. We first went to Columbus-Belmont State Park in Kentucky; where the Confederates thought to out-smart the Yankees by stretching a huge chain and anchor across the Mississippi to keep them out of the deep South. Didn't work & the rest, as they say, is history! Got some great pictures and learned a lot. The museum is closed during the week, but I called and they opened up especially for our "school" group!
Susan and Lillian, Larry's aunts and our favorite traveling companions, went with us. They were amazed that we saw four major rivers - the Mississippi, the Ohio, the Tennessee and the Cumberland. We spent the better part of Friday with relatives - my favorite cousin Doris and my aunt, uncle and cousins in Dycusburg. We went by the farm where Doris and my father were raised, and by the farm where Mother lived as well. Visited Mother's grave and other relatives at the cemetary there. We went to "old" Kuttawa and I tried to remember where some of the buildings had been before they flooded the town in 1966 to form Barkley Lake. Had a wonderful visit with my aunt, uncle and 3 of their kids (and some grandkids & great-grandkids). I hadn't seen them in several years and it was good to catch up.

We drove around Paducah and saw Nobel Park, my old house where I lived for 20 years on Oaks Road, saw my high school, my old church and toured Paducah. I had forgotten how pretty it is with all the dogwood and redbud trees in bloom. We went to Metropolis, Illinois - the home of Superman! Quaint old river town. Then toured Fort Massac State Park where a reproduction of the Revolutionary War fort has been constructed. Lillian managed to get in a little antiquing in Paducah. The downtown has been partially restored and there are neat shops, galleries and cafes up and down Broadway. The floodwall has been beautifully painted with murals depicting Paducah's history - from the Indians through the building of the nuclear plant and the atomic age. We finally found the statue of Chief Paduke (I think he sold Paducah to the Clark boys for about $5).

Best of all, we were able to eat Fiesta Burgers at Bob's Drive-In! Yum!!! If you've ever had one, you won't forget it! I'm craving one right now!!!

One of the highlights of the trip for me was a dinner planned by my old friend (not that she's old - we've just known each other since 1st grade) Debi Walker Crouch. She managed to get together about 7 of us at Logan's Steakhouse. David Forbis came and brought his lovely wife, Nancy LaRue was there, Minnie Duncan, Debi, Donna Ramage, and Twyla McGuins! Our high school choir teacher, Donna Green Seltzer, was able to drop by. We had a great time talking about old times and hoping for a class reunion. We laughed, guffawed and just had a wonderful time. My throat was sore we talked so much. I think the others did most of the talking and I mainly listened. (ha)

I'll try to do better in keeping this up. I know I left out lots of stuff, but keep watching; I'll do better. Baseball season has started, so look for some baseball pictures!!

I've been hacked!

2009-08-26T21:25:00.003-04:00

Hey mom - its jess and i hacked your blog! (haha)

Just wanted to say happy birthday!!!!

Where did the summer go?

2009-07-29T23:26:00.003-04:00

I hate the early school starting dates. Funny thing is, we homeschool, so we don't adhere to the "school calendar"....but inevitably find ourselves impacted by it at church, in traffic, shopping, etc. We don't have a huge need to buy school supplies right now, but if I don't buy while cheap - it will be 10X more expensive later (if you can find it)! Kickoff tonight at church for children's choir - it's only July 29th!! I remember that I NEVER went to school on my birthday (Aug 26th) until my freshman year in college. To this day, I have a tinge of regret that it's not a more widely recognized holiday. LOL We don't even close the pool until mid-late September. (somebody please tell me if I'm sounding like Andy Rooney)

Trips to the beach, camping, spent the last month agonizing over my oldest daughter's bicycle accident injuries (riding her bike in Philadelphia & hit by a car). Trying to keep a much-too-big house clean with 4 kids, 2 dogs and a cat chasing behind me, messing as they go. Grieving over a dog that had to be given away; wounded over a heart-breaking church situation.

BUT - seeing Stephen catch a fish all by himself. Watching Catherine swim lap after lap at swim team and slowly pull ahead of the others. The "ping" of the bat when Sam hits a ball; the snap of the glove when Larry catches a hard strike thrown by Sam. Observing a brown spider make her way up her web between the porch railing and roof line. Planting flowers; cross-stich; listening to Cat and Hannah laboriously practice their piano and then hear it all come together. Floating in the ocean, holding hands with my husband. Watching the Braves win......and lose. Cuddling with a fat, wriggling puppy. Gently cradling an elderly little dog, who gazes into my eyes, her dark expressive eyes emoting love, care, and devotion.

Preparing now for the school year with the same enthusiasm as always. Moving books to the right shelves, clearing out paper & junk on desks; deciding which furniture to move out or just rearrange. Figuring out how we'll juggle kindergarten, 3rd, 5th and 8th grades in the same room. God will help us through it, I know!

Spring in the Summer

2009-05-18T00:35:00.005-04:00

Boy, that scientifically-verified global warming is about to get me down. low of 43 degrees tonight and a high of 69 tomorrow. Our pool is hovering at about 66 degrees, which is not warm enough to bask and not cold enough to enjoy slushies. The rain is a blessing, one I predict we'll be praying for in late August.

So many things going on with the kids. The Bookworm had a chorus recital and a band concert, so we are finished until August. Soccer is finished, so we only have two involved in sports - baseball for both boys. Scooter hits from both sides of the plate and has a good throwing arm. Of course, if you'd spent all your life throwing things at the DIVA for your own personal protection, your aim would good as well. The Children's group at church (the DIVA is a member) had a great spring production with lots of summer fun and songs. She enjoyed being in it.

The last weekend in April, we went on a wonderful camping trip with the Homschool group at church. Several families and lots (LOTS) of children. Kept busy all week end just being kids.

General fatigue and malaise has set in, I'm afraid. I need to exercise both my body and my mind. The new weenie dog, Daisy, has everyone on edge. Her name, "oopsy, daisy, doodle" give somewhat a clue as to what her bathroom habits are. First, she doodles, then it's an "oopsy" from me as well as the threat. It takes forever to housetrain a miniature daudhsand!

I'll try to add some photos soon. My tylenol is sinking in .................*snore**

2009? already????

2009-02-21T23:21:00.002-05:00

Boy, have I been neglectful. We've had a busy, busy winter here. No snow, unfortunately..... sure do wish we'd get about 6 inches (settle down now - it would be gone in a day or two)!

Let's see - Thanksgiving. My dearest husband's favorite holiday; I think it has something to do with the fact that you don't have to decorate, buy gifts, or wear new clothing. Seriously, we have a lot to be thankful for........

We discovered in the fall that the baseball baron has a muscular problem with his eye muscles. (have I already posted about this? they say the memory is the first to go and I don't remember what the second thing is). They (his eyes) are weak and do not work together properly. He has tracking problems, focusing problems, and does not see spaces between letters or words. Fortunately, we have found a wonderful vision therapist in Marietta (about 1-1/2 hours away) that is working with him and doing a fantastic job. We want his reading to improve and he just wants to hit the baseball better! Hopefully, both goals will be achieved. Meanwhile, we have to drive there once a week until probably October or so. In conjunction with that therapy, he is also taking reading therapy which helps him to see the words better. That's in Clarkesville, a little town about 40 minutes from us ----- which leads us to another THANKFUL!

On December 22nd, we were involved in a head-on collision. Me and all 4 of the kiddos. Blessings upon blessings, no one was injured save for bumps, bruises (on me - very interesting shades of black, blue, yellow, purple and green) and a serious case of the jitters. I kept finding new bruises for several weeks.

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas - someone said "guess you'll have a lousy Christmas" after the wreck. On the contrary, were were so very blessed to be together and healthy - celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. After purchasing a replacement vehicle, we went ahead to Orlando to see our wonderful, beloved, talented, extraordinary BULLDAWGS play in their bowl game. We got to see the Citrus Bowl parade, spend some time with dear friends at their lovely home, and generally have a low-key trip. I'll have to add some photos of the trip.

The baseball dude has been playing basketball all this winter, and we've enjoyed the games immensely. He's playing in a tournament now, and the games will come to an end next week ---- just in time for BASEBALL season. Actually, baseball season never really ends around here. He is playing with a new travel team and they've been practicing twice a week all winter long.

But what's funny is that Scooter will be trying out soon for coach pitch baseball! He's so very small, but he's an absolute machine when it comes to hitting the baseball. He's already learning to switch hit (he's just 5!).

There's something about baseball. Carrying a chair in your car for months; having to take a cooler of gatorade and diet pepsi to every single game (and that means snacks for everyone, of course); the chill of the beginning of spring season and the end of fall season; the "ding" of the bat as it connects to the ball; cheering on the team until you're hoarse; watching the siblings play on the playground (go play, kid, so I can watch the game); seeing all the dogs and puppies at the ball field; the deep red of the Georgia clay on the baselines and pitcher's mound; the electric green grass on a bright summer's day. Baseball is everything that is good and right in this world. Plus, you play it on a diamond, so it can't be bad, right? But there I go again, chasing a rabbit.

Let's see - both boys start baseball within two weeks, the Diva will be gearing up for soccer soon, and the Bookworm has been taking dog obedience training classes for the black lab. Add in chorus for both, band for the bookworm (along with drum lessons), and we're always pretty busy. Oh - and we manage to fit in some pretty rigorous school work, too.

Believe it or not, we've added a new member to the family. Oh, no, you scream! Not another baby, please say it ain't so......! Well, this is a four legged baby. Black with red trim. Another miniature dachshund. She's our little Daisy, and it's amazing how a 1.8 pound creature can disrupt an entire household! But just like a human baby, she's so adorable and cute that you overlook the mess.

Are we caught up yet? I'll scoot back soon to add some pictures to this rambling mess of a post. Sometimes I feel like we're sitting on the porch, having a long conversation over a tall glass of sweet iced tea. Come to think of it, just come on over and I'll pour you a glass, too!

Catching up......!

2008-11-17T15:56:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's been a long time. Too long, I've been told! I'm not even sure where to begin.

We visited Myrtle Beach, SC over the Labor Day weekend. Our trip was intended to go there to attend a Myrtle Beach Pelicans minor league baseball game. Jon Mark Owings of Gainesville, GA is on their team and plays outfield. The Owings family are great folks, and we wanted to go to give Jon Mark some support. We enjoyed the game but we weren't too impressed with Myrtle Beach. I guess we've been spoiled by Destin! Plus, it was just too stinkin' hot!

Let's see -- what next? Things have been so very busy around here. I had been hoping to get back into the church choir and help with the Christmas production, which is a very big deal in our very small town! It's been called the "Biggest Little Christmas Production" in North Georgia. You can go to www.concordministries.net to learn more about it. Anyway, things kept getting in the way, and I was so disappointed to have to send my regrets again this year. However, the Good Lord was looking out for me and my sanity. Sam has been diagnosed with a visual muscle problem and we are now driving to Marietta (2 hours there and 2 hours back) once a week for vision therapy, also twice a week for reading therapy. Truly I would have pulled my hair out if I had ONE MORE THING on my plate!! We are excited that the baseball baron can be helped, and grateful for a wonderful doctor who can help him.

Speaking of the baseball baron, he tried out and made a new travel baseball team, the Gainesville Braves. He is very excited about this and we are already involved in practices. They will really crank up after the first of the year and are planning to play in at least three tournaments.

During a lull in the action around here (ha!), I administered the Iowa test to my three star students. The bookworm (grade 7) scored on the 12.7 grade equivalency level, the baseball baron (grade 4) scored on the 8.2 level [even with his vision problems!] and the DIVA (grade 2) scored solidly in the 3rd grade level. So I was pleased ..... it never hurts to have a little affirmation that things are going well and we're traveling in the right direction. I was more nervous than the kids while waiting for the test results.

Following our ITBS testing, we managed to grab a few days in Destin in late October. We stayed at the beach house and dear hubby's parents came down for a couple of days as well. The bookworm has turned into quite the shutterbug and took some great photographs. She's entered several pictures from last year's Key West trip in the National Geographic Photography Contest for Kids. Let's hope she does well. Grand prize is a Nikon camera!

We're beginning to gear up around here for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cold weather, the winding down of football season for our beloved Bulldogs (only more more game ..... vs. Georgia Tech), shorter days --- all draw us to the conclusion that 2008 will soon be over. For the first time in her life, I won't be spending Christmas with Jessica. She will be staying in Philly with Josh over the holidays since he can't get off during that time. Very, very bittersweet for me and she will be sorely missed. I knew the day would come, but just not ready for it.

I'll be adding pictures to this rambling mess soon, and will probably do some pretty savage editing at that time. Til then, ta ta for now!

The DIVA has a rockin' birthday!

2008-08-16T13:05:00.004-04:00

The Diva had a great birthday party. Luau theme - with hula hoops, flower bracelets and lots of bling! Swimming, pizza, chips & dip, loud Disney music on the CD player, and the airbrushed cake were enjoyed by all ....... but NOTHING compared to the limo ride! A dear friend who owns a limo service came by and picked us up to go get ice cream. What a sweet birthday gift for the Diva! Saucy little thing - she had suggested a limo ride for her birthday and then proceeded to remind the owner of "Simply Elegant" of the date of her birthday! She's not shy in the least ..... she's even been referred to as a "sassy girl" by a former fiance!

The girls' eyes were as big as saucers when they saw the limo pull up. I've never had a classier ride to the Dairy Spot, and the employees there were all tickled when they were invaded by squealing little girls (can anybody squeal like a 7 year old?).

Truly a birthday to remember. For all of us!

All things considered, I'd rather be in Philadelphia!

2008-08-16T12:52:00.006-04:00

What a great trip to be able to travel to Philadelphia by myself to have 4 whole days with Ca-ca! and what a whirlwind.......but I think we got a lot accomplished. She is changing jobs, so of course we had to visit the new campus. And of course Mom had to help pack up the old office.

And.....ta da! The first purchase of a brand new car. She did quite well for herself in choosing the car and we exhausted (quite literally) all the small cars in a 75 mile radius of Philly while we were exhausting the salespeople who had the priviledge of helping us during which time we exhausted ourselves as well.

We ate at Geno's famous Philly cheese steak joint (ok, but not up to the reputation), and a diner in Exeter, PA (specifically recommended to us by a really nice Exeter police officer -- a long story -- just a suggestion - always, always check first if you can turn left when the GPS says the restaurant is on the left) with great omelets, "home fries" [i.e., hash browns] and LOUSY sweet tea [I should have known better]. We also went to a great corner bakery that reminded me a lot of Panera Bread (yummmm!). I also got to try a water ice ... but ended up with a chocolate custard waffle cone that was big enough to share with several people. No wonder I gained 4 pounds while I was there!!!

We also had the opportunity to attend church at Calvary Chapel in north Philadelphia. I finally got to meet the pastor we've been listening to on the radio and internet and what a wonderful worship experience. If you are ever in the Philadelphia area, be sure and visit this church. The pastor said they get visits from over 40 countries on their website.

But the best part for me was the time spent with my oldest. When she comes home, I have to share her (and she has to spread herself thin) with the brothers and sisters who are convinced that she hung the moon. I'm so very, very proud of her --- it truly doesn't matter how old they get, they're still your baby!

Training camp? Hot, but fun!

2008-08-05T13:09:00.003-04:00

We did something different this morning -- visited the Falcon's Training Camp in Flowery Branch! As we were driving down, I thought how we are so very fortunate to have such a wonderful facility and the home of the Atlanta Falcons right here in Hall County, Georgia.

Thankfully, it was in the morning and we were perched on the side of the hill enjoying the breeze as we watched the scrimmage. We watched all four quarterbacks take snaps and observed the defense running drills as well. What a treat to see D.J. Shockley, Keith Brooking, Matt Ryan and lots of others. The bookworm and the baseball baron got lots of autographs -- but I think the Diva got more than anyone!

It was funny to see how small the kickers were compared to the defensive linemen---you see the difference on TV but it really shows up in person. They had several activites for the kids and it proved to be a well-thought out opportunity for the fans.

Let's just hope they give us something to cheer about this season!

Bowling camp?

2008-07-28T12:35:00.003-04:00

Yes, bowling camp! The baseball baron was signed up for a baseball camp that fell through, and the girls were already signed up for bowling, so he joined in the fun. The Bookworm (do you call it hurled? threw? rolled? ) bowled a high score of 107 for the week (no bumpers of course). All the kids enjoyed it, especially wearing the fancy footwear!

Cool time in Boone, NC

2008-07-28T12:00:00.002-04:00

We went camping this past weekend to Boone, NC. Why? Well, the day-time temperatures ranged in the low 70's and the night-time temps hovered around 60. Need I say more? The KOA was very clean and had a lot of activites: swimming pool, mini-golf (Scooter creamed everyone), ping pong table (the Baseball baron has decided he likes it), a well-equipped playground, lots of places to ride bikes, chickens and even a few very well-fed goats. Throw in a lot of kids to play with and what a great weekend!

We spent some time in Blowing Rock as well. We ate lunch at Sonny's Grill, which was apparently the inspiration for the Main Street Grille in the Mitford Series books by Jan Karon. I haven't read the books, but they really know how to make a great burger! Small hole in the wall joint - eight counter stools and three small tables. Needless to say, when our crowd squeezed in, they didn't have a lot of room left for other customers. Quaint little town - reminded us of Cashiers, NC.

Part of the reason for the trip was to scope out the ski slopes in western North Carolina. We went by Sugar, Beech, Appalachian and drove by Hawksnest. I think we're going to give them a try this winter. Some of the places were over-built (think Maggie Valley), but the views and breezes were awesome. The elevation was surprising to us - at times we were actually higher than when at Snowshoe, WV.

Of course, no visit to Boone is complete without paying homage to the local place of worship, ahem, I mean the football field. We went by Appalachian State University and strolled onto the football field. They were holding a cheerleading camp, which in a couple of years will pique the Baron's interest much more than it did last week! He was more fascinated by how "springy" the field felt, and we were interested in the huge expansion project ongoing. They are going to nearly double the size of their stadium, and tickets are at a premium because of their Cinderella win over Michigan in Ann Arbor last year.

I enjoyed the rows and rows of black-eyed Susans on campus. Their school colors are yellow and black, so the flowers were perfect! The kids all got App State gear to wear as well.

While in downtown Boone, we visited the stores on the main drag, which is King Street. A typical college town, the stores are a mixture of antiques, junk, hippie, upscale and artistic. We decided to eat at a hole in the wall place called Black Cat. The bookworm dug in her heels and refused to enter the place - she said she was scared!! Well, it turned out to be very clean (although the decor was decidely funky) and the food was .... WOW! We could have easily split two or three meals, and the food was so good that we felt obligated to stuff ourselves.

The day we set aside to visit the Grandfather mountain and Linville Falls area was the day it rained and was foggy. We still enjoyed traveling the winding roads, marveling at the need to connect one very small dot with another by building a road which hugs the mountain, switching back and forth as you gain altitude. We saw several large boulders, one of which is pictured above. My dear husband decided it looked just like a grouper. Whatever.

Back home again, but definitely a place we'll want to visit again. Penny didn't like the goats, or they didn't like her, depending upon your point of view. The nights were enjoyable, gathered around the fire with popcorn and hot chocolate. Just don't forget your blanket, because you'll need it!!

We got him, finally!

2008-07-14T18:06:00.002-04:00

In re-reading all of these emails, I am amazed at how this whole adventure (Hannah, too) was bathed in prayer. We depended on so many people to be our prayer warriors and so many, many things happened and "miraculously" worked out that it could only be attributed to prayer!

Dear friends and family: It is 2:11 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18th, a very cold afternoon in Murmansk, Russia. As you may have heard, we left suddenly for Russia on Saturday morning after only 2 days notice of the court hearing. Our flight to Murmansk was delayed by several hours, and we got in too late Sunday night to email a message home. Except for the delay, the flights were uneventful. During the rush to purchase tickets and change airports & planes in Moscow, I fell down the "up" escalator at the airport. I have several bruises on my left arm, right temple and bad scratches on my right hand. Larry said that he would be sure to tell the judge that he beat me up because I got out of line.

We got up early this morning and went to the orphanage to visit the baby. His hair is a little longer than in August, and he has a bad chest cold. He is not walking yet. Larry couldn't believe how much Stephen looks like Perry as a small boy. Other than the cold, he looks to be in fine shape. I can't wait for Dr. Hosford to take a look at him and get this cold straightened out.

Now for the exciting news -- as of 11 a.m. this morning, the judge in the Murmansk Regional Court awarded us the permanent and immediate custody of Stephen Alexander Sartain. The ten day waiting period was waived by the judge. Larry made an impassioned plea that we needed to be home for the grand celebration of his parents' 50th wedding anniversary! Even the prosecutor told the judge that the baby needed to spend his first birthday with his family! Of course, "immediate custody" in the Russian time frame probably means Wednesday!

However, we have a lot of running around to do that would be hard on Stephen - getting in and out of cars in the cold, etc. We are working on paperwork this afternoon - for some reason, some careless interpreter somewhere spelled "Larry" as "Larri" and some of the paperwork must be corrected. Believe it or not, we got here faster than the emergency paperwork of last week! Remember the papers that had to be submitted before court - they aren't even here yet!

It is cold here & the snow was piled up on the edges of the runway at the airport. I hope I brought the right sizes of clothing for the baby. The grass and flowers of this summer are long gone, and Larry remarked over lunch that Hannah and Stephen will have no idea of what their world was like. The entire city is rather bleak and looks like the worse housing project in Atlanta (or worse). We hope to get the baby's passport photo taken this afternoon, and continue to work on the Larry/Larri problem.

Tomorrow will be spent at the passport office, as we cannot travel out of the city without a passport for the baby. We hope to return to Moscow on Wednesday night, and are scheduled to be back in Atlanta on Friday. We were not able to secure reservations at the Marriott Grand Hotel, but will be staying at another Marriott Hotel in Moscow. Larry slept like a log last night, but I was pretty restless. I remember dreaming that the escalator ate my hand! I'm hoping to sleep better tonight, now that the court proceedings are over.

Catherine, Sam & Hannah - you have a new baby brother! Cat, he has blond hair like you! Sam, he won't be able to play ball yet, but he will think you are wonderful! Hannah, let's just hope you don't love him to death! Be good, and Mommy & Daddy will be home soon. We love you!

To all our friends & family - thank you for your prayers as we continue on this journey. Please continue to pray that the paperwork will be completed smoothly and that we will be on our way home soon! Please pray that Stephen's congestion clears up and that he won't get sick on the plane. Thank you all for your encouragement and friendship!

Me in Moscow with a Gold Am Ex card....Dangerous!

2008-07-14T17:53:00.005-04:00

Here's my 1st post from Moscow. I'll never forget the panic!!!! Read on....

Dear friends & family - Well, the day started out bad and went downhill from there! First, at the Murmansk airport, I missed the bus to the plane. You don't just walk onto the plane there, you have to go way out onto the tarmac to board the plane. The bus was jam-packed full and it looked like some people got off, so I figured there would be anothe plane. Well, it got closer and closer to take-off and no more buses. So I went up and asked a wizened old fellow with some of his teeth if there would be anymore buses. He immediately started shouting to the crowd "pon glisky" which basically means "does anybody here speak English". Everyone stared blankly at me. Finally a woman approached and could at least understand that I was supposed to be on the plane WAY, way out on the tarmac. The old man looked startled and pushed me along & we walked, ran, walked, ran all the way to the plane. I made it on time and thought, well, that's that. Boy, was I wrong!

Got to Moscow o.k., praise God, even though I'm sure the plane was older than me. Handed in my passport at the hotel, emailed Larry and thought I would settle in for lunch. Then I got a call and had to go to the front desk. Apparently I didn't have a certain form which proved that I had checked into a hotel in Murmansk on the 16th. So, they decided that I was in the country illegally and would need to go to the police station. Well, I balked at that and was insistent that I had entered legally and had indeed stayed at a hotel - I showed them the bill and everything! I told them "what do you think, I've been wandering the streets for 4 days?"? But I didn't have the special form. They repeated again it was "a rule", but couldn't tell me what the form looked like, and suggested the police again! I wasn't looking forward to spending the afternoon (or worse) in a holding cell in a Moscow jail while they figured everything out. At this point, I called Larry in a panic and got HIS blood pressure up (might as well share the stress, right?). I think he was ready to call the Embassy or just come get me; but both of us were determined that I was not leaving the hotel with anyone! So, I prayed, "Lord, I don't know what this form looks like, but You do. Help me find it, please." I then took my purse, my backpack, my suitcases and dumped them out in the middle of the floor in my room and went through every scrap of paper I had with me. I finally found the form - it had slipped out of my passport and stuck to the back of a photograph of the family at Jessica's graduation that I had been showing everyone. Triumphantly, I presented the form to the desk clerk and suggested politely (sort of) that the next time they wanted someone to give them some paperwork, they should at least have an example of the stupid form (since it's in Russian) so I would know what in the world I was looking for! They love forms and stamps over here, and make a big deal even out of a cash register receipt.So, that was my big adventure for the day.

I tried to find stamps for Letsa, but believe it or not, the main post office was out of stamps! Unbelievable! (I shouldn't be surprised - the hotel in Murmansk didn't have any water one day!) The day was rescued when I went to TGI Friday's and had fried shrimp and french fries! Also, I did a little shopping -- well, a lot of shopping -- well, really a tremendous amount of shopping. Perked me up pretty good, I must say. Sightseeing on the agenda for tomorrow, then an early start home on Sunday. I'll be leaving Moscow at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday morning Atlanta time, and set to arrive Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. Somehow I think Larry will be glad to see me. Thanks to all who have been praying for me - almost there, so keep it up a little while longer.

Last Post from Moscow:

Dear friends and family: I've had the most amazing day. After yesterday, I just wanted to pack up and come on home early, but for some reason I knew I shouldn't try.The main worker here for the adoption coordinators, Amrex, is Tatyana. She and her husband, Nic, have a 25 year old daughter, Maria, who also does some guide work and translation work. Maria and I did some sightseeing today. One of the first places we went to was the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. She didn't go in, because she said she's seen every church in Moscow 100 times! Anyway, I went in and was overwhelmed by the beauty of the cathedral.

I looked around for a place to pray, but it was mainly filled with tourists, looking around. Finally, I went to a corner and began to pray. Suddenly I realized that my prayers had been full of "me, me, me" all week long. I asked the Lord to forgive me and to allow me to somehow share His glory in Moscow. When I went outside, Maria mentioned something about religion, asking if I was religious, and said it in a way that swung wide the door to explain my beliefs. When I told her that I wasn't religous, because "doing things" to try to work your way to heaven was useless, she was dumbfounded and curious. I referred to Isaiah and said that we were filthy before a holy God, no matter what we did on our own. I told her that I much preferred having a real relationship with God through Jesus, His Son. She said she had never heard of such a thing and asked many questions. For well over an hour today, I was able to answer her blunt questions, including the typical "why does God let bad things happen?" and I was grateful that the answers were not my own, but given to me. With her every question, I was able to refer directly to scripture, and let her know that the Bible was written to guide her to heaven, and that was God's plan for her! She said she had never read the Bible, and didn't think she could understand it.At the end of our day, I had to go up to the hotel room to get cash to pay her and the driver. (I had spent too much of my money - sorry, Larry) I invited her to go up with me. I had with me our Sunday school literature and a copy of the new HCSB New Testament, both of which have written the plan of salvation much like I had explained to her. I knew she liked magazines, so I compared the Sunday school literature with a magazine, showing her the articles in it. I don't know if she'll read any of it, but she seemed insatiably curious about it all.

When she wanted my email address, I wrote in on the back of an index card where I had written verses from Jeremiah - because I had told her earlier that God has a special plan for her life, and that He will be found if she truly seeks Him. She was curious about why I had Bible verses written on index cards, and I explained that doing so helped me to learn them and meditate on them. Please pray for the seed that was planted today.

How gracious is God that when we ask of Him, like I did in the Cathedral, He will open the doors for us to share His glory!

You won't be getting any more emails from me -- and you may be glad of it! Thank you for sharing my journey with me. Thank you all for your friendship and for the many prayers which were lifted up for me. My flight for home leaves at 1:00 a.m. "Bulldawg" time, and I shall see my precious husband and family soon.~ Dos vadonyas ~ "Good bye" JUDY

Blessings to all -- JUDY

Even More reflections....

2008-07-14T17:46:00.002-04:00

Yet another email I found from Russia, when I was there by myself:

Dear family & friends: Tomorrow morning I go to the notary's office (much like an attorney) and fill out paperwork to prepare the petition for adoption. Then I will go back to the orphanage at 11 a.m. for another visit with the child.

I saw another group of children this afternoon - children about 3 years of age coming in from being outside. There is no playground here - only dirt and weeds. They have a few tires stuck in the ground, but the swings are gone and there is no equipment to play on. I had to stop walking and pray for those children. I cried a little, but then had to go on. My heart just goes out to them. The weather here is much like our spring, complete with pollen. So my allergies are acting up! I'm glad I brought some Claritin.

I will be glad to get to Moscow - the food here is horrible; very greasy with sauces & boiled meat. I guess I'd make a lousy missionary! I leave for Moscow early Friday morning, and will be in Moscow until Sunday morning. I will then catch a plane from Moscow to Paris, then Paris to Atlanta and should be home around 3:30 p.m. or so on Sunday. With clearing customs, etc., I should be home around 6 p.m. or so.

Stephen and I practiced saying "Goooo Dawgs!!!" I think he will get the hang of it. He's built like a linebacker!

The final day in Murmansk went something like this:

Subject: Murmansk, Day Three

Dear friends & family: I have had a full time here. On Wednesday, I visited the Ministry of Education, then went to the orphanage for a 2 hour visit. Then again yesterday afternoon, I went back to the orphanage again for a 1-1/2 hour visit. I was unable to sleep at all last night. It is still very light here until about 1 a.m., and begins to get light again at about 5 a.m. In the winter, the daylight hours here get as short as 1-1/2 hours of daylight per day! Today, we went to the notary's office to have some paperwork notarized (yes, Donna, there has been MORE paperwork). The notary didn't like the way it was worded, so she demanded changes to be made. So, we went back to my guide's apartment and he made the changes. Then back to the notary to wait in line to get the documents notarized.

It was funny, some people came in while I was sitting by myself and started talking to me. I was able to tell them IN RUSSIAN, that I was an American and didn't understand Russian! At least I can tell people I can't understand them! Then they look at me funny (which is not unusual either here or at home!).

Anyway, after the paperwork adventure, back to the orphanage for a 1-1/2 hour visit. The little boy has a bad cold with chest congestion, so he was a little droopy this morning. I came back to the hotel for a delightful lunch of boiled potatoes, boiled vegetables, and rice. I would like to go back into the kitchen with a little bit a cornmeal and teach them how to make cornbread and salmon patties! (with turnip greens, of course) Then, I decided to blow a bunch of money and call home. I was able to talk with Larry and the kids briefly while he was trying to get the kids ready for school. Somehow, I've got the feeling that he will be VERY glad to see me!

Then, back to the orphanage for the final visit. He recognized me the moment I came into the room and had a big, toothy grin on his face. We played for a little over an hour, then it was time for his supper. When the worker offered to take him from me, he didn't want to go to her - he wanted to stay with me.

My guide is a professor at a University here that trains interpreters. He had previously asked me if I would consent to be interviewed on tape so that he could use it as a training exercise. It was an interesting experience, especially knowing that my Southern-fried, Kentucky-twanged voice will be heard and scrutinized by many Russian students in the future. He asked me lots of questions, mainly dealing with the perceptions of Russia in America, the differences between the peoples, etc. He opened the door, and I was able to talk freely about my faith and beliefs. Who knows but that it may make a difference! He asked me if I was used to public speaking, because he said that I seemed comfortable expressing myself and my opinions. He also wants to interview Larry on the next trip, and I told him that he would get a good interview, because Larry is so much smarter than me. He seemed genuinely surprised that I would say such a thing in all sincerity. But, it's true!!!

Well, now I will get up tomorrow (Friday) morning at 4:30 to leave the hotel by 5:30 to get to the airport by 6:30 to check in for an 8 am flight to Moscow. I will be met at the airport by an interpreter, and I will have a free afternoon, evening and all day Saturday in Moscow.

I look forward to an American breakfast with real bacon and eggs and also to a meal at TGIF in Moscow! Bring on the french fries - I'm tired of boiled potatoes! I'll have time to shop in Moscow, and I need to bring our adoption worker some Russian items as well as a friend some Russian stamps. Oh well, what I won't sacrifice (shopping) for friendship!! C

ontinue to pray for me and for my safety. I've got a lot of photos and video from which the doctors will examine and assist Larry and I in making a final decision on the child. We desire your prayers for wisdom and discernment as we make this very important decision. I can already see God's hand all over this trip - in a city of 350,000 people, He arranged for me to meet a Christian to guide me and interpret for me! There are not many Protestant churches here - his church has a membership of about 700, and there are three small Baptist churches here that total about 300 in membership, plus a Lutheran church. And he only began as an interpreter for the adoption agency in June! Right before we realized we would not be traveling to St. Petersburg, God prepared a man, just at the right time, for such a time as this. God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good!

You'll hear from me next in Moscow! Love and Blessings -- JUDY

JUST WAIT TO HEAR ABOUT THE ADVENTURE IN MOSCOW......A RUSSIAN JAIL? SAY IT AIN'T SO, SISTER!

Where in the world is Murmansk?? Russia??

2008-07-14T17:36:00.002-04:00

I've started a process I can't stop! When we adopted our second child from Russia, the decision was made that I would go by myself to "pick out" the child.....Larry thought it would be best that one of us stay behind for the other three. So......I did a lot of prayer, soul-searching, emailing and shopping for 8 days by myself! Here's the first installment of my solo-journey around the world to meet our precious Scooter:

Dear Friends: Well, I am here safely and having a good time. The breakfast was interesting, shall we say, and I am very glad I brought slim-fast bars with me! This afternoon I will go to the airport again to pick up the proxy paperwork (power of attorney) from Larry that somehow disappeared until yesterday. I have spent the morning touring around the city with my interpreter/guide. I think he has been amazed at how I can shop - and I've been taking it easy on purpose! Saving Larry lots of money.......There WAS that grey mink hat I saw today (and resisted!)

But the really good news is that my guide is a Christian! We went to a Christian book store this morning and they were playing a Rebecca St. James CD! I bought a Russian children's bible for the kids. So even though the IMB has no missionaries here, God is looking out for my safety! There are lots of interesting monuments and things around the city. It is, as all Russian cities are, very bleak looking. It is summer here, and last night I could see my breath. My sweater today was almost not warm enough, and my hands got cold walking around the city.

I may get to go to Wednesday night church services, which are held in a member's home. They start churches here by establishing a "cell" group, which you may be familiar with. I gave my guide several packs of Russian children's tracts, which he said they can use with Sunday School and outreach. We may want to collect some children and adult Sunday school materials and other religious books to bring back next trip.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be very busy. I will first go to the Ministry of Education and officially receive the referral of the child. Then, we will go to the orphanage, which is in the city. Around lunch time, we will go to see several more sights, then back to the orphanage. I will go to the notary's office (attorney's office) either tomorrow afternoon or on Thursday to prepare and sign the petition for adoption. Then I will get to go to the orphanage again on Thursday and see the child again. This will be so very different than with Hannah. The first time we saw Hannah, we got to see her for an hour, and that was it! Hopefully, I will be able to spend a lot of time with this little guy!

I will be leaving Murmansk very early Friday morning, and will arrive in Moscow at about 10:30 a.m. on Friday. I've set aside Friday afternoon to rest, and all day Saturday to shop! Then the journey home begins on Sunday morning, which is Saturday night at home. As I am writing this, it is 3:10 pm on Tuesday, which is about 7:10 a.m. at home. My knee is better (for those of you who knew I twisted it on Sunday), and I have spent the day with a evangelical Christian. What a wonderful time I am having! Please keep praying for me. I was looking at wisdom verses last night, reading in Proverbs and Phillipians about wisdom. Please pray for me tomorrow and Thursday, that I might have wisdom and God's discernment about this child. Continue to pray for my safety. I thank God for all of you!

I distinctly remember being picked up at the airport and having my initial conversation with my driver/interpreter. I kept thinking "this guy is a Christian" from his conversation.....and finally he apologetically asked if I was a Christian! What an answer to prayer to be safe in the care of a Christian brother, even if it was half-way around the world!!

This is from the second day in Murmansk:

Dear friends & family: It is 3:15 p.m. here local time. I have had so much going on and got back to the hotel too late last night to email. My guide asked if I would like to have dinner with him and his family last night. Of course, I said yes. So we went to his apartment and I met his family. His wife is beautiful and charming, and his two little boys (aged 4 and 6) made me miss Sam very much! They were laughing and climbing all over their daddy just like our kids do. Their entire apartment is a little bit bigger than my kitchen. They have three rooms, a main room where the husband and wife sleep, which is also their living area and his office; the boys share a small bedroom, and there is a kitchen about the size of my laundry room. Plus a private bath. They asked me to pray for the meal in English, and I was so honored. They are starting a marriage ministry at their church (about 700 members).

The city has about 390,000 citizens, and they are optimistic about their church growth. They presently meet in a movie theater at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays. That's the only time they use that facility - the other meetings are in member's homes. I went this morning to the Ministry of Education and formally received the referral of our boy. I took her a huge bouquet of flowers and she was appreciative. Russians love gifts, as we learned our last trip. Then we went to the orphanage, and I got to spend about 1-1/2 hours with the child. He is very fair complected, with blond hair and blue/grey eyes. He looks, as my brother in law Phillip would say, like a little "rooskie". He is very fat and solemn, not unlike how Hannah was when we first got her. I took lots of video of him. He has 5, almost 6 teeth, and is sitting up very well and also beginning to pull up.

The orphanage was very clean and bright, also very cheerful. I was told that the contributions made by American adoption agencies are begining to trickle down to the actual orphanage and improvements made there. The difficult thing today was that I was taken to watch Stephen eat, and unexpectedly was in the room with 10 other children. All looking at me, watching me closely. One little girl obviously had Down's syndrome. How heartbreaking to know that each of these children need a momma and daddy to love them. I must close quickly now, as it is time to go back to the orphanage for an afternoon visit. Please continue to pray for me - for safety, wisdom and the discernment of the Holy Spirit. I am enjoying talking theology with my guide - he said I was a great Bible teacher and orator! Who knew??

More reflections on Russian adoption.....

2008-07-14T17:21:00.003-04:00

More descriptions of our adoption experience with Hannah. I sent this to a prospective adoptive family who was thinking of going to Russia to adopt a child, so the following is written with that receiver in mind:

We went to St. Petersburg. Our first trip over, we went straight there. We arrived on a Sunday night, and spent the day Monday waiting to hear about our appointment with the Minster of Education to meet the kids.

We spent the day with Oskana, our interpreter. She took us around the city, which is beautiful. We were there first before spring, and the city was rather bleak. It is much more pretty in summer. We stayed at the hotel there. "4 star" in Russia does not equate to "4 star" in the US. They had no washclothes in the bathrooms, and the toliet paper was like cardboard. Be sure and take plenty of kleenex, because the public restrooms have NO toliet paper. The room smelled like stale cigarette smoke. I took a solid air freshener with me to help the room air. The breakfast there left a lot to be desired, too. We were told to avoid beef while traveling overseas, so we did. We also made sure to only drink bottled water and brush our teeth with the bottled water. Fortunately, they sell "Pepsi Light" (diet) everywhere! Both the hotel in St. Petersburg and Moscow had internet access in their business center, so we were able to keep in touch. We made several long distance calls the second trip, and our telephone bill was over $250! So I really recommend the internet if possible.

Back to the first trip - we went to the Minister of Education's office (after buying her a dozen roses), and met with her. She "told" us about the children (you are not supposed to know in advance who you are looking at) and we signed a book saying we wanted to look at them. The next day (Tuesday), we drove to the orphanage in Luga (a two hour drive) with a fast, scary driver and Natasha, the main lady in charge. She is young, but knows what she is doing, and who to deal with. We got to see the kids for almost two hours, and took a lot of video and photos. When we got home, we sent the video to the University of Minnesota for review by Dr. Dana Johnson, and also had our pediatrician look at it. We had them review for fetal alcohol syndrome, attachment disorder, developmental delays, etc. We also sent them a copy of the medical report that we had received.

After visiting at the orphanage, we went to the notary's office to sign some paperwork. Everything has to be notarized over there, and there was a crowd! Oskana helped us with everything. They never leave your side while you are away from the hotel. Early the next morning, Oskana picked us up at the hotel and took us to the airport. We got home that evening (Wednesday). We made a final decision on the adoption on Friday, and an adoption petition was filed for our daughter on Monday. We then had to get the rest of our paperwork in, since we went over with only a mini-dossier completed. Unfortunately, the next several weeks included the May day holidays, so our court date was scheduled two months after our first visit. That was the hardest part, waiting to go back after seeing her, holding her, smelling her and loving her. We got word finally on a Monday that we were scheduled for the following Monday, so we left that Friday. We used (again) the travel agency in Texas (Emaly is GREAT!), and got our visas back o.k. Be sure and read your travel packet several times to make sure you take all the necessary paperwork with you. I even took extra copies of stuff, just in case.

We left then on the second trip on Friday, arrived there on the next day, and went to the orphanage on Sunday to see the baby again. Earlier that morning (Sunday), we met with Natasha and Oskana to go over the baby's medical history and social background. You will be expected to know all of this, and may be asked about it in court by the judge. We were questioned thoroughly about the baby's medical history and social background (parents, grandparents). Monday morning was our court date, and I had prepared a letter (notarized of course) stating our reasons why we wanted the judge to waive the ten day waiting period. Be sure and sent a copy early so that it can be translated. We cited the medical reasons for the child, wanting her to be seen by specialists, etc., as our need to come on home, and already had appointments with doctors lined up.

On Monday we went to court. It is in an old building (aren't they all), and we climbed the stairs to the third floor. We waited a while, and then they called us in. Be sure and listen to your translator, not the judge or people talking. However, you will need to look at the judge or whoever is talking, so as to appear respectful. When you speak, talk in short sentances or phrases, so that the interpreter can keep up. If you panic, just tell the translator that you're not sure you understand the question. That will give you more time to think of a good response. You will do fine - don't panic. They won't deny the adoption - they just are good government workers who need to justify their jobs! We went for a light lunch after the court hearing (the judge waived our waiting period), and then went and had some paperwork done.

The next day, we drove out to Luga again, went to a government building and signed new birth certificates. We then waited a while and picked up some cakes, champagne, etc. for the going away party (which didn't happen; at least in our presence). We met again with the director of the orphanage, and finally got our baby! Both Oskana and Natasha was with us that day, and since their were two families, we took a small bus (a large mini-van) out there. The kids did great on the ride back, and it was strange not using car seats! The next day was a wasted day, it being the Independence Day holiday. So I called Oskana, and she took us shopping for a couple of hours. The other family stayed at the hotel, but I wanted to get out.

The baby did great. Oskana took us to buy baby food. I highly recommend taking disposible bottles and enough clean nipples to get you through until you get home. It is next to impossible to get anything boiled there, and our baby got diareaah. I think it may have been stress-related, but who knows. We bought bottled water to mix the formula. We got our documents on Thursday, and we went to the airport that night to travel to Moscow. Oskana settled up our bill before we left, and she was very precise and very fair about costs.

When we got to Moscow, Max was there to meet us. He's great! We went the next morning to get visa photos taken of the kids. Then we went to the doctor, and Hannah got a checkup. The doctor was very fluent in English and seemed to be good. We then went by the Embassy and got an appointment. We went back to the hotel to wait for the appointment for a couple of hours. The Embassy interview was a breeze! We went into the Embassy, went through security, and talked with a lady at the window for a minute or two. Then we signed a big book, and that was it! We had to go one more place and sign ONE MORE FORM (you'll get used to that), and we were finished. We went out to eat that night at TGI Fridays, and had a great meal.

We left the next day for the airport. I had asked Max to pick us up early so that we could go through Red Square and see the Kremlin, etc., so he picked us up about 2 hours early. Then we left for the airport and came home! YEA! God Bless America! There were about 8 other adoptive families on our plane, and I ran out of diapers and had to borrow some! The baby was great on the plane, and we were glad to be home.

The mix of emotions as I read this......the waiting, the paperwork, the money, the anxiety of being in a foreign country with our baby AND the children we had waiting for us here at home. We had wonderful prayer warriors, that's all I can say.

There's a lot more I can tell, PLUS another trip to Russia for another child (the last one....that's it....nada, no more.....I really, really mean it!!). So stay tuned!

International Adoption??

2008-07-14T17:10:00.002-04:00

No, not again.....but the initial thoughts for this blog were that I would share some of our thoughts & experiences of our two international adoptions. To refresh my memory, I looked back at some of my emails of when we went to get the diva, six years ago. It's been six years!!! I just had to send her to her room because she hit the neighbor kid. Six long, lovely years!!

Here's an email that I sent out after our court hearing in June, 2002:

First of all, Jessica, you are a big sister (again)! Catherine, you are a big sister (again)! and Sam, you are now the BIG brother!

Dearest friends and family: Things went very well at court this morning.The judge and the prosecutor were very stern looking, and we were asked to answer a lot of questions, which is hard with an interpreter. When I said that I was an only child and wanted lots of children, the judge smiled. To make a long story short, Larry & I are the proud parents of Hannah GraceAlexandra Sartain, born August 18, 2001 in Luga, Lenigrad Region, Russia. The judge made an immediate decision - no waiting period whatsoever. The court was held in a very old building (all the buildings are old), with 14 foot ceilings, plaster walls, etc. It looked like it had formerly been a palace of some sort, and probably was. Everything is retrofitted for electricity, telephone and plumbing; wires run along the ceiling and pipes along the walls. I have no clue how it is heated in the winter time. We took the interpreters, the orphanage director, the orphanage inspector, and the other American couple to lunch after the court hearings. After lunch, we went shopping for a little bit, then we were dropped back off at the hotel. The interpreters went back to the courthouse to wait on the court papers. We will get the Russian passport here for Hannah, then travel to Luga tomorrow to change her birth certificate, present gifts to the orphanage, and get Hannah.

It's really hard to describe our emotions right now. We are excited, but it still seems somewhat surreal. We think that when she is finally with us, in our room, dressed in American clothes, screaming and pooping, that she willreally seem to be ours! The orphanage inspector made a very sweet speech at lunch; about how it breaks her heart to see the children of Russia leave the country, but that in the current economic times, no one here can afford to adopt. She said she traveled to the US last year and met some adoptive couples and waspleased to see how much the children she had once cared for were loved by their new parents.

I'm sorry that this is so long, but my heart is very full now, and I wanted to share my first impressions and reactions with you, our friends andfamily. Thank you so much for your prayers and support - we felt a calm presence today. I'll keep you posted ....... Judy & Larry

That was sent out June 10, 2002. We had first visited with the Diva in mid-April. In April, Larry mainly held her while I took video. I distinctly remember holding her close, nuzzling her neck and singing "Jesus Loves Me" in her ear. She was so solemn and gazed deeply in my eyes. I know that she was wondering "who is this strange lady and what gibberish is she singing?"

Her temper is legendary; her vocabulary amazing; her self-assuredness is remarkable; and her imagination truly out of this world. She is my daughter, and I (we) traveled across the world for her. Worth every mile, and more!

She's still my baby!

2008-07-03T21:59:00.004-04:00

We enjoyed a great visit with Ca-Ca in mid-June. We didn't do a whole lot - hung out at the pool, ate out a few times....but it was wonderful just spending time with her. I'm hoping to go visit her later this summer in Philly BY MYSELF!! It may not work out with her schedule or her husband's schedule, but it's nice to dream **sigh**.

She's doing a great job and is very busy at the college where she's on staff as the campus activities director. I just wish that she was a little closer; I guess my mother thought the very same thing when I left Kentucky for good and moved to Georgia. At least I was just a 7 hour drive, not 14 hours!

I offered to take her camping, but she declined. In retrospect, it does seem like a stretch for her to be spending her time in a lounge chair in the middle of nowhere. She's turned into a city girl, but I remember when she used to go with me to the farm in Kentucky as a little bitty girl. She enjoyed feeding the chickens and riding on the tractor with my dad.

She'll turn 26 in August, but for me, she'll always be my baby. I'm proud of you, sweetheart!

Camping in Paradise (well, sort of)

2008-07-03T21:17:00.008-04:00

We just returned from camping at Moccasin Creek State Park near Clayton, Ga. Called the park where "spring spends the summer", we awoke to temperatures in the low 50's over the past couple of mornings. Real blanket-sleepin' weather! The kids fished, caught turtles, rode bikes, played on the playground and just generally ran amuck. There were a couple of hectic days for me, including three loads of laundry one morning (actually kind of a slow laundry day for me), and the days I fed 8 kids for lunch. Needless to say, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were the haute-cusine in our motor home! One night, we were blessed to receive supper from friends. They had made a low-country boil and shared their excess with us. We ate until we were miserable! Good eatin'!

We rented a pontoon boat one day and I must say that my dear husband had the biggest grin on his face while cutting doughnuts in the lake, pulling the kids on a tube. For most of the trip, we not only had our four kids, but two of them had friends......so that was 6 kids. Although not huge, we did have plenty of room for everyone to sleep. The hardest thing was getting all of them to settle down for the night. There's too much to do - lightnin' bugs to catch, baseballs to hit, kids to chase, bikes to ride. The kids enjoyed just messing around each and every day.

We did manage to spend an hour or two at the "sliding rocks" near the campground. The water was ice-cold, but the Diva (our daredevil) went down at least 20 times! Always eager for more, that's her in a nutshell. The bookworm didn't even go down once, and the baseball baron managed one trip. Scooter declined as well, but our friends enjoyed themselves immensely.

One of the neat things about the campground is that it is adjacent to the Lake Burton fish hatchery. Baby fish are then released into the creek, where only children 11 years and under, or senior citizens are allowed to fish. The baseball baron and the bookworm caught several; it being the bookworm's first fish, it had to be immortalized in print.

We somehow manage to meet the nicest people while camping. Our across the street neighbors were ex-patriate bulldawgs from Florida. Great couple & we hope to camp near them again. We also ran into some folks from our church....what a small world! Their kids provided more entertainment, which allowed me some grown-up talking time (which is always sorely needed).

We're busy planning our next camping trip. Until then........ta ta for now!

Take me out to the ballgame!

2008-05-30T11:10:00.007-04:00

We've been spending a lot of time at various ballparks, including Scooter's T-Ball park and the baseball king's park (where Scooter had the unfortunate incident on the monkey bars). Last Saturday's game found Sam leading off the first inning with a home run! He later added to his hit parade with a double. Unfortunately, we lost the game. Nearly all our players this year are new to this team and to this level of play. But.....just wait 'til next year! We've got some players with hustle and talent and we'll be in the running next year.

Last Sunday we had a real treat - we saw the Arizona Diamondbacks play at Turner Field in Atlanta. One of Sam's heros - Micah Owings - pitched for Arizona and won the game. We got some strange looks - wearing our Braves paraphanila and hollering for Micah to win! We had great seats on the Terrace level and by the 2 inning or so were enjoying the shade while the folks below us were broiling in the hot sun. Weird to think that when Tom Glavine was first pitching for the Braves back in the 90's, Micah was probably in middle school or so!

I got to see Glenn Hubbard *sigh* the best 2nd baseman to ever play the game in my opinion..... well, o.k., it's a biased opinion when you consider the Cardinal's Ozzie Smith, etc., but how about the best 2nd baseman for the Braves in the modern era?? We splurged on a program and I've enjoyed reading all the articles about the Braves staff and front office. I noticed something that I thought was pretty cool - they included the pictures and names of the secretarys, admin assistants, HVAC technicians, plumbers, etc., everyone who makes Turner Field work! What a great recognition that without all of the "little people", no one could come and see Chipper hit a long one or see Franceour make a spendid diving catch for the last out.

The kids were thrilled when I was asked to participate in a contest in the middle of an inning - guess the headline, I think it was. I had a 50-50 chance of getting it right and winning a $50 Braves gift card......but it was not to be! Oh well, we got a goodie bag with a foam tomahawk, a bumper sticker, a T-Shirt and a cap.

We were fortunate that the Diva and Scooter were able to spend the day with friends at the church Memorial Day picnic and at their home. We were able to get to the ballpark early, watch batting practice, get autographs, etc. Oh - Matt Diaz was kind enough to autograph a baseball for both the Bookworm and the baseball baron. Then, two games later, he was dreadfully injured valiently trying to make a play in Milwaukee's stadium. Pray for him - he may be out 6 weeks or so. Underneath his autograph, he penned "Phil 1:6".

But I guess the biggest thrill of all for Sam was that Micah had asked his sweet sister, Abby, to give Sam a Diamondbacks T-Shirt, which Micah autographed after the game. Wonderful family and we're so proud of them all - I think Micah and his brothers would all agree that they owe all their success to the Lord and to their supportive family.

What a great day for the Bookworm's first-ever Braves game at Turner Field! We've been to many minor league games and are eagerly awaiting the opening of the Gwinnett Braves next year, but this was her first big league game and was enjoyed greatly by all.

So, just take me out to the ballgame anytime at all!

Don't ever, ever ask what can happen next!!!!

2008-05-13T13:13:00.003-04:00

I guess with four young kids at home, it's inevitable - the trips to the doctor, quick care or the emergency room. It all started out last week with the diva having a bicycle wreck. A bad one. Without her helmet - which we have scolded and scolded - fortunately not hurting her head, but experiencing some terrible "road rash". Well, when I was young, we just put cream on it and went our merry way. But she was so pitiful - the bandages sticking to the wounds. Well, I had the bright idea of putting liquid bandage on it. WRONG! At the pediatrician yesterday, we had to soak down all the five huge wounds with saline and the nurses had to pick it off with tweezers. But the prescription cream the doc gave us is a miracle! The wounds look better even this morning, and we're back to the old-fashioned tape and gauze.

So anyway, she's on the road to recovery, right? After Scooter's last T-Ball game of the season yesterday (during which he hit several line drives - but who's bragging?), we were all at the ballpark for 1st son's baseball game. The baseball baron went 3 for 4 with a couple of good put outs at second, but lo and behold, during the game, a friend brought to me a weeping Scooter. He had attempted the monkey bars (at 4-1/2 with his short little legs), fallen and was in pain. We iced it down and decided that it was just a bad sprain. Back in the day, if the bone wasn't protruding, you just "suck it up" and go on. At least that's how we did it - you just didn't go to the doctor unless things were really, really bad. But I was concerned this morning when Scooter was still crying and complaining. All the way to the quick care, I was thinking "what a waste of time; the kid's fine". Shows you how much I know - poor kid's right wrist (thank goodness he's a lefty) is broken in two places. At least it's the greenstick fracture - the bone doesn't need to be moved. We'll go back for his case this afternoon. When asked what color cast he wants, he firmly stated "red and black". I was so proud! Pictures to come later!!

This isn't his first close encounter with the monkey bars. About a year ago, while at church, he fell off the playground and split his tongue. Right down the middle. When he stuck it out, it FORKED! They couldn't stitch it or anything; just a week or so with soft foods. We teased that "when Scooter speak, he speak with forked tongue". It looked like a snake's tongue. But it's all healed up now - let's pray his arm heals just as thoroughly.

So my advice to you is to never, ever, ever ask what can happen next. Sure as shootin', it will!

May Day Ramblings

2008-05-01T10:04:00.004-04:00

I can't believe it's already the first day of May! Are we finally going to have a spring? Are we finally going to finish work on the house? Am I finally going to get these rods out of my nose and (hopefully) be able to smell? Hannah found out that May Day is a big holiday in Russia, so now she thinks we ought to have a party with her and Stephen as the stars, because, of course "they're Russian and you are not". I think we're gonna pass on the party. Better dead than red, remember that?

Today is the National Day of Prayer and our church is participating in an observance this morning. The kids are going to release balloons at the end of the service. I can't think of a more important time to deliberately pray for our country.

Mother's Day is coming up - always a bittersweet day for me. Sunday is the Mother Daughter luncheon at church and the girls and I have invited Larry's mom to come with us. She's always had a schedule conflict before, so we are excited about her attending. I know that I am my children's Mother, but it's just not the same once you lose your own mother. It's so weird - she's been gone 12 years now, but I still think of things I need to ask her, reach for the phone to call her, and see things while shopping that she would enjoy. She'll always be with me.

Looking ahead to summer --- swimming lessons, golf camp, tennis camp, church camp, two or three family camping trips --- I'm tired before we even get started and the summer is already spoken for as well. I'm already working on booking our Christmas camping trip to Key West. Too bad we can't just move down there and wait tables or something! Really, truly a paradise.

We hope to have the deck expansion done by the end of this week. We'll have doubled our outdoor living space and should be able to enjoy watching the kids in the pool from the 2nd story deck. Larry is anxious to fire up the new grill and get cooking ..... wait, did I really say that???

The support stints in my nose come out next Tuesday and that will be the moment of truth about whether or not the "patch" over the hole has held. I've sneezed a couple of times - ouch! Right now my nose just looks real swollen; thankfully no bruising. We've been blessed incredibly by friends and family with childcare, food, prayers, calls and emails. God is good to our family!

Larry's been real good and helpful to me during my recuperation. I had to get dressed up only two days after surgery and he even helped me put on my pantyhose. Well, he put them on backwards at first. He couldn't understand why it would make a difference! I told him the poochy part for my bottom has to go in the back. I guess I ought to be glad that he isn't familiar with the nuances of the fine art of putting on pantyhose!

I can't wait to be able to get out in the yard and tend to my roses. I planted my geraniums in the porch containers before the surgery, but I need to get out some begonias as well. Patience is NOT my strong suit!

Well, nothing mind-boggling this time, just some ramblings about this and that. Have a happy May Day!

When progress isn't really progress....

2008-04-15T13:43:00.003-04:00

What do you get when you mix four kids (more if you add in the neighbor's kids), two dogs, five brick masons and a sand pile the size of Mt. Everest?? Oh - and throw in several hundred square feet of hardwood floors to boot. Yes - ding, ding, ding - you've guessed it! A mess of tremendous proportions.

When we built our house five years ago, my dearest husband wanted to brick the entire house. As anyone who has ever built a house knows, the little extra "add ons" come with a *gasp* "it's gonna cost how much?" response. Not to mention, HE'S the one who insisted on wide-plank Brazilian cherry floors (but that's another story). So we decided that "someday" we would brick the remainder of the house.So every time we've ever done anything to the house, he mentions longingly "sure do wish we could brick the house". All the arguments were trotted out every single time - it would raise the value of the house (yeah, right, nothing will do that in this market), better soundproofing (there's something to that one - the neighbors are probably surprised that I haven't seriously maimed our children judging from the screaming and yelling that goes on ... but that's another story), and increased comfort, i.e., warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

So when we took advantage of lower interest rates and refinanced this spring, I casually mentioned "Why don't we brick the house?" to my dearest husband. You'd have thought it was Christmas! The light in his eyes rivaled the glazed look he gets when he approaches a heaping plate of my spagetti! What I didn't realize is that the brick masons would enjoy our family so much that they'd just stay..... and stay....... and stay!

Truth be told, they've had bad weather to deal with. For three years now, we in the Southeast have struggled with drought --- well, not to worry! Just let the Bulldawg family begin a home improvement project, then sit back and enjoy the rain! Rain, tornado-like winds, sleet (in April??), and cold temperatures have made the work - actually the completion of the work - a real challenge. Not to mention that our black lab has figured out that they bring their lunches every day. I think she's snagged at least a couple of their lunch bags and rendered them hungry for the day.

But the main problem has been the sand, the mortar and the mess! The aforesaid dogs, children and various family members have managed to reduce the mountain sized pile of sand mainly by bringing it into the house. I'm convinced that the workers didn't use much of the sand for the brick work - I'm convinced that some of it....nay most of it....has ended up on my good floors. There's just nothing like padding out to the kitchen early in the morning for my wake up glass of sweet tea and feeling the grit underneath your feet. It sounds like the rhythm section of the high school band in there! How many times a day have I swept the floors???

We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. The brick masons will be done in a couple of days. Scooter has actually laid a brick or two. The dog has enjoyed laying in the sand. The workers have bonded with the dog. I've baked bread and cake as burnt offerings to the workers to appease them. You always want to appease the workers.I guess in a week or two (or three) the driveway will be cleared of scaffolding, sand, chunks of brick, bags of mortar -- and don't forget the huge yellow-rust construction dumpster gracing our driveway. Hopefully I'll have worked in my flower beds and planted my begonias. Then my dearest husband will lean back and say to me "gee, aren't you glad we bricked the house?" Maybe they left a brick or two behind, or maybe for his sake, they didn't!

What will the next project be? Well, since we started this project, we decided that the porch railings and columns would just look really ratty next to the crisp new brick. Then a storm came up and we lost a lot of roof shingles and part of the fence. Is there ever really progress when it comes to your house? Tell you what, the next time my dear husband gets that gleam in his eye and starts talking about expanding the garage, I'll be searching for that spare brick!

T-ball heaven

2008-04-15T11:53:00.003-04:00

Well, the last one has started T-ball. Scooter swaggered onto the field yesterday, replete with batting gloves, cleats, at least 3 bats in his bat bag, and a grin on his face.

I figured it up - 21 years ago this spring, I began my weekly/bi-weekly pilgrimage to the ball park. I've coached, screamed, laughed and been irate for lo those many seasons.

Soccer has never held the same fascination for me as baseball. There's just something about the white baseball, the symmetry of the diamond (oh, yes, I LOVE that word!), and the elegance of the perfect double play.

My oldest stood in the outfield at the tender age of 4, picking dandelions and making chains with them. Staring at the clouds, kicking the dirt - doing everything but pay attention. Then - fast forward 14 years - a more determined and aggressive player you'd never find. Not the most talented member of the team by any means, she had to work harder and smarter to keep her beloved position at 2nd base. Never giving an inch, she barreled down the baseline with no quarter for the poor position player who hoped to get her out. Giving her all. Every game.

So I guess I will be traveling to the ballpark for the next 14 years. That means I'll be 64 in my folding lawn chair - cheering for what most everyone will assume to be my grandson.

Here's to the great American pastime!

A Nose by any other Name....

2008-03-31T08:05:00.002-04:00

won't be able to smell, either. The surgery is scheduled for next Monday to repair the hole in my septum and repair the valves in the bridge of my nose. It's very disconcerting to know that the doctor will make an incision and literally flip back my nose like you open the hood of your car. Still don't know what caused the hole, and there are no guarantees that the "patch" will hold. I've got a friend who offered some well-chewed bubble gum.....frankly that sounds like a viable, logical option at this time. Desperate times call for desperate measures! Bubble gum sounds infinitely more attractive than harvesting the cartilage in my ears and tissue under my scalp. "Harvesting"???? That's something you do with tomatoes, not my blasted ears, anyway!

Getting ready for 8 - 10 days without mom in charge. The laundry! The shopping! The cleaning! The cooking! The calendar! The chauffeuring! Maybe I should just wait until.....oh, next decade? But the doctor says it can't wait, so here we go! Thankfully, our family and friends have offered to stand in the gap. I'm wondering if they will still claim us after the long, hard week or so is over.....mmm?

Then there's the problem of being "out of the office". Got to catch up on correspondence, all the things I've promised folks, etc. Somehow it will all get done and who knows? maybe a miracle will take place and I'll regain my sense of smell.

Nothing very entertaining this time.....just musings on the hole in my head. Funny - all my friends always thought I had one and now it's been medically confirmed!

Pinky-toes?

2008-03-17T15:02:00.003-04:00

What a weekend! We are in the middle (actually not really started with the actual brick-laying part - just getting ready) of bricking the house, and the contractor has removed the gutters & downspouts from the drains that ever so carefully direct the water AWAY from the house. Needless to say, we had a gully-washer here on Saturday afternoon, and the new brick ledges that have been built did a very efficient job of directing the water INTO the basement. It was, of course, tinged with red mud, so we had a real mess on our hands. The baseball baron was already scheduled to spend the night with a friend, and the sympathetic mom offered to take Scooter off my hands too while I finished (with tremendous help from neighbors and my brother in law) vacuuming up the water, mopping the floor, etc. Anyway, I suddenly realized that Scooter had been subjected to beauty-party play the day before. Which means, our babysitter, the Diva and the Bookworm had been painting finger and toe nails. Well, they decided (actually I'm not sure who decided) that Scooter should join in on the fun. Yes, you've guessed it, Scooter had pink finger and toe nails. Before he left to spend the night and go to their church on Sunday, we quickly removed the finger nail polish, thinking he would have on shoes and socks at church.

Sunday afternoon was clear and bright, just the perfect weather for kids to play outside. And what do kids enjoy more than playing in the mud? And that's exactly where they headed as soon as they got home. So when it was time to leave for AWANA, much scurrying around & changing of clothes had to be done. After quick spit baths and rubbing with damp washcloths, I thought everyone was reasonably clean.......well, I was wrong!

At church later that evening, I ran into one of Scooter's teachers who was looking for me. They had removed all the kids' shoes in order to make a project with their foot prints. When they took off Scooter's shoes, they realized his socks were soaked (because his shoes were soaked - I hadn't realized that, just knew that his pants and socks were covered in mud and wet). Not only did he have on big brother's socks which were about 8 sizes too big, they saw his PINKY-TOES! We all laughed and laughed, and I was grateful that the women in his AWANA class knew us well, and best of all, have children of their own. Although to fully appreciate the situation, I feel that you would need to have multiple children and at least one boy (and a neighbor boy, too).

I guess this evening when I cut the boys' hair, I will also remove some pinky-toenail polish as well.

Back in the grind

2008-03-14T14:32:00.003-04:00

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Friday, we rolled into the driveway in the mobile mansion. After greeting the dogs, we basically fell into bed, grateful to be home.

Would we do it again? Probably not. But at least we did it! What a grand adventure. Seeing the empty desert; knowing it teems with life, watching the birds soar over the hills of Texas; wondering how long it would take those wicked looking clouds to find us and drench us. Watching those big, fat, lazy snowflakes at the Grand Canyon.

Then of course, there was "she hit me for no reason" and "he pushed me for no reason" and the ubiqutous "he/she hurt me for no reason". I suppose the qualification that the injury was not in any way provoked, i.e., for "no reason", makes the offense more offensive!

Running out of milk, out of water, and almost *gasp* out of Diet Pepsi, we made it home from a journey of about 2700 miles that began in the air over a week ago. We are truly blessed. What a wonderful country we were privileged to be born in. One of the memories we have of the trip is being directed to a checkpoint somewhere in west Texas, where we were asked "all US citizens in here?" I couldn't help but think that we, especially the little ones from Russia, had won the birthplace lottery. We travel freely around our great country and for the most part are unmolested when we do so. We have "rights" that most of the worlds' citizens can only dream about. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness --- lines written by the esteemed Mr. Jefferson over 230 years ago. Aren't we blessed that we can gather freely for religious exercise (it might do us all good if church mandated some weight-lifting and exercise!), travel, work and live without fear? God is good and His mercy endures forever.

Did San Antonio survive the invasion?

2008-03-12T23:04:00.010-04:00

Let's see.....Tuesday and Wednesday nights we actually stayed in the same place. We enjoyed San Antonio, TX at the Admiralty RV Park near Sea World. We have decided that San Antonio is one of our favorite places. We are going to try to come back sometime in the next year or so to visit Sea World, go to a minor league baseball game, visit the Riverwalk again, and do other things.

We took the bus near the RV park to downtown and went to the Alamo. First, we went to the large Riverwalk Mall in the downtown area to the IMAX theater and saw a film about the Alamo. I didn't realize all the details about the battle - that the 13 days of the siege gave precious time for the army to build elsewhere and eventually defeat Santa Ana's army.

Then we went to the Alamo itself. It is much smaller than you envision, and surrounded by tall, modern buildings. The Alamo is treated as a sacred shrine. Guards ask men entering the building to remove their hats, no photographs are allowed, and people talk in hushed tones. There are many artifacts there from the time period, including items belonging to David Crockett, Jim Bowie and the army commander Lt. Travis. I was proud to see that there were 15 Kentuckians who fought there for the freedom of Texas. Lots of Irishmen, too, but then I've always known that we Irish love both a good fight and a lost cause!

We enjoyed a boat ride down the famous Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio. The river meanders through the city and provides a cool respite from the city's heat in the summetime. Many shops & restaurants line the river, with bistro tables right at the water's edge for a romantic meal. *Sigh* maybe someday without 4 kids???

Then we headed to Mi Tierra, a Mexican cafe and bakery in the Market Square area of San Antonio. We had a great meal, and I got two of the biggest pecan pralines I've ever seen! Caramel fudge, too. Oh, well, diet tomorrow, right? There was a marahachi band serenading the patrons, and they even sang "La Bamba"!

After we left the restaurant, I got turned around and we started walking in the wrong direction. For once, my dear husband's keen sense of direction based upon his superior hunting and gathering skills failed us. We walked and walked, and it was getting closer to when we would miss the last bus out to our campground. There were some rough looking characters, and I began to pray......"Lord, keep us safe, help us find our way and send your angels to guard us". No more than a minute or two later, a trolley driver pulled up beside us and offered to take us where we needed to go. When we arrived at the bus stop there were four transit police cars there with lights blazing! They sure looked like angels to me. I told hubby that sometimes I forget what a big God we serve. We finally made it back to the campground safely; what a great day in a wonderful city. Everyone there was so courteous, nice and it was a very clean city. We were surprised at the number of tourists.

We left San Antonio this morning and started out I-10. I drove for several hours, through Houston, road construction and busy traffic. I told hubby dear that if I could drive the RV through that, I could drive it anywhere and he agreed!

We are spending the night near Biloxi, Mississippi and expect to be in Bulldawg country sometime late tomorrow, depending upon how late we sleep! I don't know if we'd do a trip of this magnitude in such a short period of time ever again, but I'm sure glad we did. I think it's something like 2200 miles in 6-1/2 days!

Oh - today I read "Even Now" by Karen Kingsbury. Now I'm hooked! So many of my friends have told me what a great author she is and I was almost afraid to try her, knowing I'd love her and have to read everything she's written....well, I was right. Where's the closest bookstore??

You're invited to take a tour

2008-03-10T23:52:00.002-04:00

Of the traveling mobile homeschooling mansion.......

We were excited to see how much room there is in the living area. Above the cab is a queen sized bunk, and in the back bedroom a king sized bed! Never enough storage, but that's the nature of the beast.

Yesterday & some today, the kids sat at the dinette and did school while traveling down the interstate. Cool, huh?

Tomorrow ---- remember the Alamo!

On the road again!

2008-03-10T23:17:00.007-04:00

Here we are, gathered in front of the mobile homeschooling mansion. Little did we know what was in store for us ..... ROAD TRIP!

Yep, on Sunday we headed out from Meteor Crater, Arizona and drove straight through the great state of New Mexico, having taken the fateful right turn at Albuquerque. I drove the motor home for several hours that day, getting in practice for the upcoming "aunt" trip, as the kids call it. Me, the kids & Larry's Aunts are planning a trip to Mansfield, Missouri, to the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. But that's another trip.

We were fascinated by the miles and miles of nothingness. The horizon stretched all around us, and beautiful rock formations rose up from the desert floor. We saw the painted cliffs, and numerous cheesy tourist traps that we avoided despite the begging and pleading of the children amongst us.

We spent the night in Van Horn, Texas and prepared for the next day. Of course, part of that preparation involved a trip to Wal-Mart -- the traveler's friend.

And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Let's see - Friday?? How about Saturday, too?

2008-03-10T22:57:00.006-04:00

Well, Friday was the day we took possession of the mobile homeschooling mansion. We finally got the thing to ourselves and made it to Williams, Arizona at about 1 a.m. local time. (that would be Saturday morning).

Saturday turned out better. After breakfast we drove to the Grand Canyon, which our "Diva" kept referring to as a "statue". When we got there, she said "I thought we were going to look at a statue". She's more blond than her big sister, we think sometimes.

The Grand Canyon is truly grand. We walked along the south rim and took lots of pictures, some of which I'm going to try to put on here. After we were there for a couple of hours, it began to snow - lots of heavy, big flakes that were coming down fast! We left the Grand Canyon and went to Meteor Crater, Arizona for the night. It's the largest meteor crater in North America.

Disneyland in one day

2008-03-07T00:23:00.004-05:00

Recipe: Take two very tired, jet-lagged middle aged (ok - past middle age, I guess) parents of four children. Mix in four kids who think that 6 a.m. is 9 a.m. and who ate 12 Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast, along with organic milk (hey, at least something was healthy). Shake thoroughly over bumpy, rough California freeways with a GPS to guide them with quick turns and slightly confusing directions in an English accent. Whisk around side streets, searching for a Wal-Mart and a bathroom, not necessarily in that order. Spread thin while parking 150 miles from the tram stop. Add a smidge, no, make that a half-gallon of whine while strolling down Main Street past all the souvenier shops, all the while saying "you can't have everything you see" one hundred twenty three times. Blend with several thousand people of varying ethnicities and languages who don't understand the concept of personal space while searching for the shortest line at the perfect ride that can be enjoyed by children varying in ages from 11-1/2 to 4. Bake in a moderate oven of not too hot, not too cold, then slice each nerve thinly as the day goes on, and on, and on, and on. Leave when the adults are exhausted but the children are not, then allow the children to fall asleep while the adults struggle to stay awake on the drive back to the hotel. Enjoy thoroughly!!

Here we are! Wait a minute....where are we??

2008-03-05T23:07:00.003-05:00

Hubby dearest said tonight, "just think, we're in a Holiday Inn in Burbank, California"....and I said, "but that's not nearly as strange as hearing "just think, we're in a Marriott Grand Marquis Hotel in Moscow, Russia". Two places I guess he never expected to go. As for me, I expect to go to the unexpected. Life's easier then, I think.

We left home this morning at 4:45 a.m. Yes ..... 4:45 a.m.! I don't get up that early for much of anything. The only hitch at the airport was that dearest hubby had forgotten his drivers license. I didn't think he'd be able to board the plane, but luckily, he didn't wear his turban this morning and I was attired in something besides my burkha. So they let him on after seeing his exasperated wife and four fitful children. I guess he didn't fit the terrorist profile after all. (his secretary is Fed Exing his license and we should have it tomorrow.) We made it to the airport in plenty of time, had the first long leg of a flight to Phoenix, then barely made our connecting flight. If I hadn't thrown some granola bars in a backpack at the last minute, we wouldn't have had anything to eat. Hubby dear was truly suffering with hunger. If you don't know him, you don't get the sarcasm there. Yes, heis the one husband in the world who had to stop not once but TWICE at convenience stores to get something to eat with me in the car in LABOR on the way to the hospital. His daily schedule revolves around the need to feed.

Anyway, we made it to Burbank fine and the joke is accurate about beautiful downtown Burbank (it's not - beautiful, that is). We are staying near the Nickalodeon (sp?) studios (no, kids, we can't go there if we're going to Disney), not far from the "HOLLYWOOD" sign. I told the kids this was no big deal as you can drive up Highway 365 and go through Hollywood (Ga.) anytime you want. They didn't seem to understand.

Anyway, we toured the motor home and had our orientation. Hubby took it for a test spin around the block and said it wasn't going to be nearly as hard to get used to as he thought. It's a used 2007 model that looks to suit our needs for the next several years. We'll pick it up on Friday and start the eastward journey, meandering through the Southwest as we study geography, weather & climate, history, topography, math (miles and fuel milage) as well as lots of other stuff.

So.....tomorrow ...... [drum roll, please] ..... DISNEYLAND! Maybe tomorrow or Friday I'll have some photos to add. It's late and I'm too pooped to pop.

Oh - reading a wonderful book by Kay Warren (wife of Rick Warren "the purpose driven life" guy) called ..oh shoot, it's in the car. Anyway, I think it's called something like Desperate Surrender or something along those lines. Surrendering our ALL to Jesus and letting Him use us in every way for His good purpose. Thought-provoking and convicting. I'm sure it's available in a bookstore near you.

Football won't be the same....

2008-03-04T14:46:00.003-05:00

Brett Farve has decided to retire. I had hoped he'd hang on one more year and I was going to try to persuade hubby dearest to take me to a Packers game for our anniversary. Oh well, life is uncertain.

Speaking of uncertain, we're still coming to grips with the fact that my illness is not at all serious. We'd had so many things bandied about by the doctors, read so many things, heard so many horror stories.....but God is GOOD and His mercy endures forever! We're still facing the surgery to repair the hole in my septum (still no diagnosis as to what caused it) and subsequent biopsy; but the alternatives were very scary. Thanks to all of you for the prayers, kind words and thoughts.

We leave tomorrow at EARLY, EARLY, EARLY for the airport. What a hair-brained scheme we've cooked up. I certainly thought my husband was much more level headed that this -- but what a grand adventure! At least, that's what I told him!! My recent illness has caused us to look at our God and our family much differently. We're going to enjoy and drink deeply from God's goodness and mercy and thoroughly enjoy the kids, too. Well......at least I'll be enjoying the kids until they get on my very last nerve in the motor home after 1800 miles of "he looked at me; she touched me; I want a drink; she/he breathed on me". What do you guys think? Do you think we'll make it to the California border without "making memories" with the kids????

Just can't resist......

2008-03-03T21:03:00.003-05:00

another photo or two of our trip to Key West. We went to the butterfly conservatory and spent an incredible amount of time there. Hannah wanted so badly to catch a blue butterfly & a lady helped her. They put out plates of fruit and the butterflies land and feed off the nectar. Gorgeous flowers, too.

Did you realize that in Key West, you are closer to Cuba than you are to Miami??

What were we thinking??

2008-03-03T12:49:00.003-05:00

Putting a blog in my hand is like handing Al Capone an AK-47. It's very dangerous! Now I've got to take the laptop on our trip, don't I? More STUFF!

All the stuff ..... things we "have" to have.....traveling across the country. Well, at least we persuaded the Bookworm to leave Penny at home! My bedroom looks like Wal-Mart exploded. Clothes everywhere; getting sheets & essentials for the new motor home. I did find out something neat, though. I went to http://www.arizonagasprices.com/ and found out where you can buy cheap gas or diesel fuel. I think they have a site for every state.

Our bookworm will miss the Cotillion dance on Friday night. I'm sad, but she is ELATED! I've never seen any one human being hate something so very much. She is worried sick about the dogs while we're gone. Esther the kitty is very low maintenance and is indoors all the time.

One other thing - we're bricking the house in the next couple of weeks. Something else to supervise. The front has always been bricked and hubby has always had a bee in his bonnet to brick the other 3 sides. So with brick prices down, we're going to get it over with. But I've made hubby dearest promise that this is our "feet-first" house - the only way I'll leave is feet first, straight to the cemetery!

I'd love to get the girls' bedrooms re-painted and hardwood floors installed. Then we want to ceramic tile the basement (replacing lineoleum - which is, by the way, indestructible).....you know the drill. You're never done. I started a load of laundry yesterday afternoon and the washer wouldn't start. My heart was in my throat......oh, no! Please last another 14 years.....! Just a blown breaker, thankfully.

Our baseball king was drafted FIRST in the minor league draft for Park & Rec baseball. We're very proud. The Diva is playing soccer again this spring, and Scooter will southpaw some T-Ball come next month. That should be cute.

Oh, well, I REALLY need to be doing something else, but I can see that this is addictive. Better close & go pick up Scooter at preschool.

On the road again

2008-03-03T11:46:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that we're actually leaving on Wednesday for Burbank, California. We found a great deal on a Gulfstream "C" class motor home, so the logical thing to do was to just fly out there and get it. And, since we're out there, we may as well go to Disneyland, right? And since we're going to be driving it home (a mere 2800 miles or so), we may as well drop by the Grand Canyon to see how grand it really is, right? And I've always wanted to see the Alamo, and San Antonio is beautiful this time of year........!

You get the picture. All 6 of us (yes, all 6 of us) are boarding a plane in Atlanta on Wednesday morning (at what Married daughter would call the butt-crack of dawn) and flying to beautiful Burbank, California. We'll visit Disneyland on Thursday, head over to the big hole in the ground (a/k/a the Grand Canyon) on Friday/Saturday, then mosey on over to the Alamo. The baseball king is planning on wearing his Texas hat in Texas and his Reggie Bush jersey in California!

I'm trying to plot out the trip while schooling, doing laundry, working some and making a list and checking it twice.

We're so excited about the motor home, but part of me is already missing our travel trailer! We had some good trips in it. These pictures are from our trip to Key West in January.

Here we go!

2008-03-03T11:33:00.007-05:00

Well, I'm not sure how interesting all this will be, but here we go!

We are a homeschooling family of 6 in Bulldawg country. My oldest daughter is married and lives in Philadelphia, where she is very smart, orgainized and efficient and earning her own living (!) after obtaining her master's degree in 2006. We're very proud.

The rest of us live together in God's country and keep pretty busy. Dearest hubby and I married in 1994 and proceeded to have two biological children and adopt two from Russia.

Our bookworm is 11 and a voracious reader while hating 6th grade math. The baseball king is a ball player - any kind of ball - 9 years old and in the 3rd grade. His attitude is "why do school when you can play?". Little Diva is truly our diva - 6 years old, born in St. Petersburg, Russia. She finished kindergarten work in about 3-1/2 months and is working on 1st grade material. Scooter hails from Murmansk, Russia, is 4 and is ALL BOY!

We also enjoy the company of Esther, the cat (who hates everyone but Hannah), Penny, the mini dauchsand, Kate, the black lab and two (at this moment) fish.

I have semi-retired from the practice of law and enjoy an adoption practice part time. We are busy in our church and love to go camping! You'll be hearing more about THAT later.......