Just an update ...

Anna in the kitchen. Fun on the trampoline.

The girls on the couch looking at Almira's adoption pictures.

Things have been moving right along and the girls have just hit 5 weeks in school. They have 9 week semesters. So far so good with everyone. Almira has done really well with almost all A's and B's. She works so hard and is a really determined student. I've talked to some other friends this week and they've told me that their Russian kids don't really care how they do in school, which must be really hard to overcome. She is very conscientious about her school work.

We have made some more friends here in Monroe for Almira to speak Russian with. We met Anna a few weeks ago after church through someone at the college. Anna is from Petropavolvsk, Russia, which is on the outermost Northern tip of Russia, almost touching Alaska. When Almira met her she was really shy and Anna is very sweet, but a little reserved as well.

We had the CenturyTel company picnic on Saturday the 15th and we took the girls. Almira was a little bit slow getting started because she thought all the rides were for little kids. But she ended up riding a ride that spins you around and turns you upside down. She also did this really tall rock climbing wall. I told her she was my little monkey because she can climb so fast. Right before we left the picnic I found out about a lady that works here that is hosting a foreign exchange student from Moldovia. Her name is Katherine and she speaks Russian. Katherine has only been in town for a month. The lady here at CenturyTel, Karen, said that her host family backed out on her and someone had called her to see if she can help with her. Katherine is at our local university with no car and no cell phone. Karen is taking her most weekends and helping her out, but mentioned she could really use some help.

So on Sunday afternoon, the 16th, I called Anna and Katherine and had them over for a cookout. The girls had such a good time. Katherine is such a delight and so bubbly. Anna is very sweet and almost a little shy like Almira. Both girls were so good for Almira and really pulled her out of her shell. I got some great pictures of the girls together. I'll post later. After dinner Sarah mentioned that she wanted to go out and jump on the trampoline. Katherine got so excited she asked if she could go play too. So, I had all 4 girls out jumping on the trampoline together for about an hour. They really had such a good time. We are so happy that we found someone that Almira can still speak Russian with.

Almira called the orphanage Friday night, she had been bugging me about it for a while. She finally got to talk to Katya her best friend there. I think she was a little disheartened after talking with her and Zhenya. I think Zhenya accidentally hung up on her. She even said "I think Katya doesn't want to be my friend anymore." But the good news is that one of the girls that was in Almira's family is coming home this week. Her name is Nina and Jon and I both really liked her. She is 12 years old. She is coming home to Alabama, maybe Montgomery, but I haven't heard for sure. There is another family there now, the Perry family, I think from Utah. They are adopting two sisters, I think maybe 8 or 10. The older sister was also in Almira's family.

I'm so happy for these kids that are getting adopting and coming home to families that want them so desperately. Almria is really doing well and I can see her coming along every week. She told my Mom one day after school that she really likes school. She has opened up more with me and has told me more things about her childhood and about her past. Things about her mother, it is just heartbreaking to think what some of the children have been through. Hopefully with lots of love and a happy family she can overcome those years.

Well, I thought I had better update since it had been awhile. I'll check back later,

Kathy

Busy, busy, busy ...

Sorry it has been so long since I posted. We have been so busy. The girls are doing well in school, but we've just been so busy. Almira is making all A's and B's and is learning so fast. We had a good Labor Day weekend. We have a friend that has some horses and he called so we could go out to his ranch. Almira had been asking and asking if I knew anybody that had a horse. She is just crazy about horses.

So I've got some pictures attached of her riding a horse. He was a big sweet horse named Cadillac.

Then this past Tuesday we had a nice cool snap and the girls went bike riding after they finished their homework. Then they got out the sidewalk chalk and decorated our entire driveway. I hate we are getting hit by this little hurricane tonight, it is washing away all their beautiful drawings.

My friend Apryl with the Antares Foundation is over there right now, visiting all the kids. She has a blog going so I will post that link if anyone wants to follow her journey. In a way I'm jealous she is there, as it was so great to see those kids every day.

http://antaresorphans.blogspot.com

Things are going well here and everyone is great. I'll sign off and post some pictures now.

Kathy B.

What a fun weekend!

Well, the girls survived their first week of school and so did we. Almira really seems to be getting the hang of everything and said she enjoys school. She is with a really good group of girls, that will be nice to her. I just hope she can make a good friend this year.

Friday I left work early and went and picked up the girls from school about 1:30 p.m. I had to wait until Almira was through with all her tough subjects. I checked her out during study hall and then she only missed P.E. Jon was already at home and we got everything together and headed out to Dallas, Texas. This is a five hour drive for us and I was able to study my Biology for a while and Almira did almost all of her school work. We had to go back over almost all of her notes she had taken in class. She did suprisingly well with most of the words. She had to write down the reactions from some science experiments that were done in class on Thursday or Friday. I had quite a time guessing of some of the things she had written, but finally got almost all of them. Needless to say the first thing I did this morning at work was to send an e-mail to all her teachers and ask for help and send home more written things, so I can figure out what she is talking about. I heard back from all her teachers by e-mail within an hour. I love that school!

Friday night I attended the Women of Faith conference in Dallas at Reunion Arena and Jon, Sarah and Almira went and checked into our hotel, next to Ranger stadium. Jon's best friend, Dickie and his daughter were already there. The girls and I shared a room and the guys had a room all to themselves across the hall. While I was at the conference Friday night they were in the hotel pool for hours. They had a blast.

Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast downstairs at the Sheraton before Jon drove me over to the conference. Dickie kept the girls with him and they headed to the waterpark. Almira was so excited as this was her first ever water park. They went to Hurricane Harbor, next to Six Flags. They ended up staying almost all day. Jon dropped them off at the hotel and then returned to get me about 5:30 on Saturday afternoon.

Then about 6:30 we headed over to Texas stadium and were hoping to see Mercy Me who sang outside the stadium. But we did not get there in time. We bought tickets for the game and headed in. Some nice man and his wife had handed Dickie two tickets before he bought any. They turned out to be right behind the Rangers dugout. Me and the girls ended up at the very top of the nosebleed section. After the first inning Jon called me on my cell phone and said that there were empty seats all around them. We headed down and found some great seats about 11 rows behind the Rangers dugout. Almira took lots of pictures, which I will have developed. It was quite interesting trying to explain the game of baseball to her. She was amazed by the baseball stadium and especially the crowds at the stadium, when the Rangers hit a home run.

We really did have a great weekend and the girls had a blast. Needless to say I was so happy to get home last night and catch up on my sleep. Sleeping in a room with 3 giggling girls is not exactly restful. Sarah got stuck sleeping with me (or maybe the other way around) because Almira and Kellen said she kicked in her sleep and moved around too much. Sarah is just a bed hog and sleeps right in the middle of the bed.

We got home around 5:00 Sunday afternoon, in time to get started on more school work for Almira. She worked on history (which is really Louisiana geography), then English until time for bed last night. I'm glad she has a really good work ethnic about her school work, which makes it easier to get everything done.

I'll post some baseball pictures soon after I get them developed.

Thanks, Kathy

A new school year

Today was the first day of school for Sarah and Almira. Yesterday I spent the morning at school with Almira for middle school orientation. She was tested and they decided 6th grade would a good fit for her. Her math tested out at almost 7th grade, but reading comprehension was lower. The principal and I talked last week and we agreed since she has not even been in the country 3 months and is reading at a second grade level, just think how much better she will be by Christmas. She seemed pretty comfortable once we walked through her entire schedule and I showed her where everything is located. I had an opportunity to talk to most of her teachers and tell them about her and that English is a second language for her, one she is still learning. They were very understanding. All of Sarah's teachers from last year were so excited to meet her and promised to look out for her. I have no doubt she will be well taken care of. There are only 14 kids in her class. As I was leaving the school this morning I remembered that I forgot to take a picture of the girls on their first day of school. I will try and capture one tomorrow.

I received an e-mail this afternoon from Boris with the Antares Foundation about Almira's going away party and also about Vika's birthday party.

As some of you may not know we are now sponsoring Roza, the pretty girl with the dark features. While Mom and Dad have started sponsoring Vika (aka The Darling Vika).

Here is a link to the post about Almira's going away party in May and Vika's birthday party.

Thanks, Kathy

http://www.antares-orphans.com/activity.aspx?id=70505

Full fledged citizen

Someone had asked me for pictures of the judge in Petro that heard our case. I can't remember where I saw that. Please send me an e-mail and I'll send to you personally.

Well, we headed down south Sunday after church to New Orleans. We received a letter about 2 weeks ago telling us to come to New Orleans for Almira to take an oath of allegiance to the country. We spent the night in a nearby hotel and got up Monday morning and headed across the interstate to the immigration office.

We could not bring in a camera at all, so Mom had to take it back to the car. There was only room in the small office for Almira and I so Mom and Sarah stayed out front in the waiting room. The waiting in the waiting room took longer than the entire process. They had a big thick file on Almira (or maybe it was on Jon and I). They pulled out her Certificate of Citizenship and she signed a few places and then took an oath and that was it. We were done by about 9:30. Our appointment was at 9AM and we got there about 8:40. They truly do not call you back until it is your appointment time. We got called back at almost 9:15.

Then we took our time coming home, stopping in Baton Rouge and taking the girls to the big mall there and then having lunch. Back to work today for me and another day hanging out with Memmie and Pawpaw.

Almira will go to the school on Thursday and get tested to see what grade they think she can go into. We are still thinking 6th, which would only be 2 grades behind where we are now. But she might surprise me and do well enough for 7th. I do worry about her being mature enough for 7th grade here in America. At times she seems much younger than 14 and at other times she seems older than her years.

Tonight we had Russian night at our house, kind of. We stopped at the grocery on the way home and bought stuff to make chicken salad. We just baked our chicken and then I put it in a food processor with lots of mayo (courtesy of Almira). Then she cut up tomatoes and cucumbers with lots of salt and pepper. We made Jon some without the veggies. Then we cooked Blinys. Almira wanted to do them almost all by herself. I helped her get the ingredients out and measure them. She cooked them all by herself and did pretty good. They were of course thicker than the ones we had in Almaty, but I think it is an art form to making blinys.

She is a pretty good cook and really enjoys cooking. I just wish I could get her to love cleaning up, although she does pretty good.

Things are going well here and the countdown is on for school to start. The girls go back on Wednesday, August 22nd.

Till later,
Kathy B.

What a fun weekend

These are the dress-up night pictures, not the wedding, just in case you're wondering.

Thursday night started the fun with dress up night.

Almira and Sarah got in the play makeup and had a great time. Then came the costumes. Almira threw something together and Sarah went to the closet after last year's Halloween costume. I just had to snap a few pictures it was wonderful.

Then Friday after work we went shopping for Sarah a hamster cage. Now we have two hamsters in our family, the hermit crabs didn't make it long. After that we had dinner, just me and the girls. Then we headed to the mall and shopping for Almira a special dress to wear to a wedding. We found her a new dress that she liked and also some shoes she was comfortable with. We had such a good time and shut down the mall on Friday night.

Then on Saturday Svetlana came and did English lessons with Almira while Sarah and I ran a few errands, which included us bringing home Simon, the newest family member. Then after we got home the girls went swimming for a couple of hours. Then inside to get ready for the wedding. This was Almira's first wedding to attend and she had a wonderful night. We attended the wedding and then stopped by Mom and Dad's house before going to the reception. I knew they would want to see the girls all dressed up.

Almira ended with saying it was a wonderful night and when could we go to another wedding. I hope you'll like these pictures.

Good night,

Kathy

A few more pictures ...

Just a few more. Check out the hat that Almira and Memmie made. These others are Almira at the camp. She is showing off her proud catch. For those not from the south, that is a catfish she is holding. They are yum yum! She loves them now.