To be continued...

We are taking a family vacation.  We'll talk again soon!

Photo of Whidbey Island by Levy Scheckler

'Cause he's a good snuggla.

We've always allowed the girls to sleep with us when they need to.  We've always encouraged them to sleep in their own beds, but when the room is too dark, they don't feel well, or they just need to cuddle, they are welcome with us.  

They will be grown very soon and we will be left with very sweet memories of cuddling with our girls.  (I have very fond memories of sleeping with my parents at night when I was little).  

The other night Thea just needed Papa.  She made no excuses about coming to our room.  She just wanted Papa.  She said she needed him "'Cause he's a good snuggla".  (snuggler)

Bounty

The garden has kicked in to full force!  We have been eating beets, collard greens, potatoes, strawberries, greens of all kinds, carrots and lots of herbs.  The tomato plants all have little tomatoes on them and are about to give lots of delicious tomatoes (hopefully before vacation).  

This year has been our best year of gardening.  I already want to add new things next year:  red and yellow bell peppers (my favorite for dipping hummus)!.  Cauliflower (we do tons of stir fries).  Gardening is addictive, especially when it really starts producing.  

Here is Katherine, wearing Papa's hat, bringing in last nights load of goodies.  This was taken right before we went fishing again.  (That is another  thing that is addictive-and fun too!)

"Oh Dear"

Seems my week is not quite exciting enough.

Yesterday afternoon Thea calmly came and found me and reported that Katherine had been in a small accident.  Uhh-huh, how small, I wondered.  

Thea then continued to report that Katherine had stuck a nail into her foot, but thankfully she was able to pull it out.  

"Where is Katherine now, Thea?"

"Oh, she's in the bathroom, because there's blood going everywhere, even on your bathroom rug."

She reported correctly on all fronts.  Katherine had indeed rammed a rusty nail into her foot and was bleeding all over the bathroom.  

Off to the Dr. we go.  When the Dr. asked for the story, Katherine said "Let me just tell you the story, because I'll just tell it to you the way it is.  Mom will take too long."

So, she proceeded to give him the facts and ended it by saying "I just thought to myself when I poked the nail in my foot, Oh dear!"

The Dr. cracked up and said that he's sorry that we seem to be there too often as of late, but that he really loves our kids.  He says they always make him smile.

I see.  Well, no offense Doc, but we are going to try and make it awhile before we make you smile again.

Perfect

Photography has become a popular past time in our home as of late.  Katherine received a digital camera from Grandma and Grandpa Ocean a couple of months ago and has been taking pictures of everything in sight.  

So, since Katherine loves taking pictures, Thea has now cultivated a love for photography as well.  

The other day when Thea bonked her head on the coffee table, I took a picture of it for my blog.  Thea agreed to the intrusion of privacy by saying that I could take a picture of her head if she could take a picture of me.  I agreed.  

Snap goes the picture of her and then she took a few minutes to contemplate her shot of me.  Once she figured things out, she had me sit in our bathroom, under the window.  She said things like "that's really nice mommy".  I let her take a few shots and then called it done.  She, of course, wanted to see her work and so I showed her.  "Perfect" she said.  "What makes it perfect?"  I asked.  

After studying the picture of me for a minute or so, she said "See the frog, he's perfect."  

So, if you look to the left of my head you'll see the frog balancing on the towel hook.  

Perfect indeed.

Ahhh, my precious little ones...

So, most of you know that Fr. Justin and I have decided to adopt.  We feel very strongly that this is God's will for our life.  We are looking forward to this journey.  I'm sure that you all will be hearing about the good, the bad and the challenging over the next few months/years, who knows. We are optimistic and full of hope for our future child/children.  I'm sure we will have our hands full-well actually we already do, but we are ready for more kids to love on.  

Having said that, I'll go ahead and start Chapter one.  I'll call this chapter "The Ball".  

Well, Fr. and I went to our orientation (step 1) meeting last week for adopting through the state and we are now ready for step 2, the classes.  So, I was on the phone talking with a lady who works for the state about our plans, our hopes our excitement about adopting.  Meanwhile, the girls are running around the house playing.  I was finishing up my conversation when I hear Thea crying the cry that means she is really hurt.  So, I ran into the living room and am quickly trying to wrap up the conversation and blood is dripping out of Thea's hair (all the while trying to remain calm on the phone.)

Katherine, the excitable one, is screaming "She's bleeding! she's bleeding! Mommy, she's bleeding!", which in turn is making Thea cry harder.  The lady on the other end is saying "Is everything alright there?"  

Me:  "Huh", oh yes, everything is fine...I think I should go for now.  I look forward to meeting you soon!"  click.

So, I rush Thea to the bathroom to find a nice little gash in her head.  Fr. and I agree it must be looked at by a Dr. 

Two hours later Thea and I come home with four staples in her head.  I'm thinking about the conversation with the lady I just had about bringing more children into my home.  

I check my e-mail for an information packet she is sending us to fill out and of course she writes "I hope your daughter is OK?"

I guess this couldn't have happened at any other time, huh?  

Seems the girls were playing with a new ball I bought them earlier in the day.  Thea decided to sit on it on the couch and then proceeded to bounce on it, then proceeded to bounce off the ball onto the coffee table.  Ouch!

More children, bring 'em on!

In all seriousness, we ask for your prayers.  Pray that a good "match" be made for us; for our family and for the children we hope to make part of our family.  Most of all, pray that God's will be done and that He be glorified!

S Prazdnikom!

A blessed and joyous feast of Pentecost to you all!!

Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God,

Who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise

by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit

Through them Thou didst draw the world into Thy net

O Lover of Man, glory to Thee!

~Pentecost, Troparion

When the Most High came dow and confused the tongues, He divided the nations

But when He distributed tongues of fire, He called all to unity

Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the All-Holy Spirit!

~Pentecost, Kontakion

I love it too...

Fr. Justin just forwarded this blog site to me.  I would preface it, but it's better just to go there and read.  

www.reallivepreacher.com/node/1422

I think I know how he felt the first time he visited.  

After becoming disenchanted with Christianity, or rather the churches I was attending, or rather the form of worship and lack of tradition, I began a quest to find out what happened to the original Christian church.  I was constantly reminded and deeply saddened of the ongoing splintering of the Christian Churches and I was tired of listening to why this church was better than that one or this pastor was more exciting than the other.  I decided to do my own research to find out, more than anything else, what had, and was continuing, to happen to the Christian churches.  

I won't go into my conversion story right now, but suffice it to say that after doing research on the early church and christian history, reading my Bible,  and praying,  I found out that the early church was still in existence.  I had to visit. 

My first visit to an Orthodox Church was a Hierarchical Liturgy with our precious Vladyka Dmitri and it blew me away.  While some non-orthodox see a bunch of pomp and circumstance in the liturgy, I saw, and heard, theology.  Old and New Testament theology.  I saw reverence, humility, love, truth, tradition.  I smelled the incense.  I saw burning candles, ladies with their heads covered.  I heard the reader chanting the Psalter and the Epistle,  the priest reading the Gospel, the choir singing beautiful songs of worship and truth, the censer tinkling.  I saw beautiful iconography.   I heard children crying, chattering.  

It was rich and colorful.  It was humbling and glorious.  It was truth.  It was home and I never left.

As the pastor at this blog site says, I too "loved it, loved it, loved it."

Fishing with Papa

Well, we loaded up the girls and the Barbie fishing poles and headed to a small lake here by our house Sunday evening for a little fishing.  It was a great time.  The weather was not too hot.  We found a nice place on the bank shaded by trees.  And, the most important thing, we were parked next to a nice (experienced) fisherman who kept gently making suggestions on how to make our fishing experience a little better.  

Seems Papa and I are a little rusty.  Both he and I fished in our younger years, but it has been awhile for both of us.  

I forgot how much I love to fish.  It's totally addictive to cast out a line and sit and talk and wait for your bobble to bounce.  

The kind man next to us kept his two or three lines coming in and out with fish on them, while saying things like:  "umm, a little more weight might help you out" or "the line needs to go down in the water a little further".  Thankfully, he made no remarks that we were fishing on three foot pink and purple Barbie fishing poles.  

And you know what?  It didn't matter, cause we caught a fish!  Yep, Thea caught a decent sized Bass!  Cool!  This just fueled the fire.  By the time we left, we were talking about bigger poles and decent bait.  

So, we came home, cleaned the fish and ate him.  Well, they all did.  Seems Katherine has become a bit refined in her tastes.  She said she liked the fish, but prefers her fish baked with lemon and butter.  Oh, I see.

Brings back great memories of my childhood.