We got through!

(Becky, Zhenya and Kevin posing for a good luck picture before we dialed the orphanage)

We talked to Sergei! We could burst right now we are so happy! I just needed to hear my sweet son's voice. Thank you everyone for praying for us to get through...IT WORKED! We have tried to get through several times and the phone would just ring and ring, this time someone answered on the first try...Yahoo! We made the call with help from Rob and Debbie Jolley and their sweet, wonderful, AWESOME daughter Zhenya! She translates for us and was adopted from the same orphanage a few years ago. No matter how late we keep her up or away from her friends she is always so happy to help, we love her so much! We were there with the Miller family who is also adopting so it was quite a party. We are not allowed to say “adoption” to the kids. It is because many parents say they are coming and then never do. So with the restrictions, this is how the call went... and no I didn't take a breath between sentences.

Me: “We love you, we miss you we are coming as fast as we can. Tell Max all about us, Suzy and Pearl wanted me to tell you they love you. We miss you so much, we love you, be good. Your boy cousins Harrison, Carter and Caden can't wait to see you! We love you!”

Sergei: “Da” aka: Yes

More of the above for a few minutes with Kevin jumping on the line as well. He told us he missed us and loved us too. He said he did get our letters which was a huge relief because I wasn't sure if they were going through. I can't wait to get my teenager and his one word replies home! Sweet Max was not on the phone but we are aching for him to get here squeeze all 4 pounds of him! Happy, happy day!



Blue Christmas....

(Becky wearing the socks Sergei left behind)

Elvis is killing me this Christmas! If you see me in the grocery store or driving in my car bawling it is because I am listening to "I'll be home for Christmas" Any version of the song, in any location makes me cry...a lot. The girls and I have been very busy with homemade crafts, cookie making and all around Christmas joy but it is so difficult not having Sergei and Max home with us. Kevin is staying focused at work and studies his Russian with the girls at night. We have not been able to reach the boys by phone yet which doesn't help. We will keep trying and keep you updated.

Sergei left a pair of socks under his bed. Sounds silly but I have almost worn them out. Wearing them makes me feel like he is not that far away. I know they will be home soon. Thank you all for loving us and following our story. Much love to you all.

Thanksgiving

(Thanksgiving plates for 2011.... of course this is Dana's awesome idea)

Yep, this one is going to be a sappy entry so get ready. So thankful for this family that God is putting together in such a miraculous way. Thankful for all my children and their healthy bodies and happy hearts. Thankful for Sergei and Max's Mother, may she rest in peace, for bringing her children into this world and truly being my guardian angel. For my family...who loves me unconditionally, who would raise one million dollars for me. Thank you, for letting me lean on you and always knowing I can. To my dear friends who cheer (and pray) for me. Letting me cry, making me laugh and loving me even though I am TERRIBLE at returning calls, emails and text. Sweet, sweet Kevin, without you I would be lost. You are the Ying to my Yang, so thankful for the life we have had for the last 12 years together and can't wait for the next 50!

Max and Sergei have been unreachable by phone. The phone is in the orphanage office which is in the basement of the building with 280 kids. Nobody can hear the phone ringing! I thought for sure one or two naughty kids would walk pass and pick up but we tried for an hour and a half and still nothing, blah. We have mailed our first stack of form to Ukraine to be translated. We are being told March is going to be the soonest we can travel because Max is only 5 and that puts him on a “baby” list which slows the process down. I know it seems slow but everything is moving pretty quickly and according to schedule. Still makes us ache not having them here. March is the goal.

So grateful for all we have....so grateful for you.

Get out and Boat!

Yesterday was go vote day.  Me (this is Kevin typing) and the girls went out at five in the evening to vote.  The girls were very unhappy to learn that going to vote had nothing to do with going on a boat.  "Bery unhappy".  Anyway this video is from a get out and vote web site.  I love this video.  Who knew Newt Gingrich had something in common with Willie Nelson!?

"Smashing" Home-study, Check!

Sergei at Aunt Dana's with his melting face paint.

What was I thinking? I just took the first appointment we could, "Nov. 1st at 9am sounds great, see you soon!" I said it alright, but on October 31st I was kind of wishing I had scheduled our Home-study appointment for the 2nd.

Halloween on a Monday people...really...who does that?! Got Suzy off to school, check. Pearl refused to wear anything at all that day, let alone a costume. Finally convinced her clothes were not negotiable but still could not talk her into wearing the cutest Halloween shirt from her Aunt Lisa. Oh, well...she is wearing clothes, check. Saved stray puppy in road, check. Visit at Grandma Suzan’s and then off to pick up Suzy from school. My moms last words as I backed out of her driveway, “Don't hit my car!” Damn...too late. Smashed into my Moms car, check. SORRY MOM!!!

Trick or treating, check. Kids finally in bed, check. Whew! Oh wait I have a home-study in the morning and I have to fold 8 loads of laundry, clean my house, wash my kids Halloween makeup off in their sleep and look rested and fresh. Fast forward to the morning....House was clean, Laundry is folded (I thought she might check my van for car-seats so I decided I couldn't hide it there). Kids were perfect and left over Halloween make up is endearing, right?

The Home-study was great or I guess I should say, our caseworker was great. We were so excited to finally be getting to this point in the adoption I was giddy. After questions and interviews, I think we passed with flying colors, minus my shoplifting shenanigans at age 12 (Listen to your parents kids, they are always right!). I was finally able to hand her the packet we had been working weeks on to compile. It felt so great to know that we can't do anything else right now but to raise funds and wait for the next step. There is still a lot left, but such a relief to know we are this much closer to getting Sergei and Max home!

When do the boys get here?



With our fund-raising efforts on the back-burner for now, we are focusing on completing all of the paperwork to get Max and Sergei here. We started on the paperwork Sept. 21, 2011. Gesh I know...no stretch marks but lots of papercuts! 

Here is our checklist:

1. Get BCI's done AKA: background checks (this took a while...don't worry we passed!)
2. Home-study appointment scheduled for Nov. 1^{st -} A homestudy is where an independent social workers checks us out, checks us out some more and then talks to everyone we have ever known since kindergarten to make sure we really check out. This can take weeks of interviews and investigating. Be prepared for a phone call people!
3. US approval – Once all of our paper work is good to go, it has to be approved by the US Government and then it is sent to the Ukraine.
4. Russian translation of all our paperwork must be completed in the Ukraine.
5. Ukraine Approval for an appointment- Once the Ukraine Government approves all the papers we have submitted they will call us with an “Appointment Date”. This is the day Kevin and I both must meet in a courtroom to prove to the Ukraine government we are who we say we are and to state our intentions of adopting Sergei and Max. The soonest possible date will be February 2012. I know, it seems so far away.
6. 2 ½ - 4 weeks in Ukraine from the date of our appointment – PRAY we are only there for 2 ½ weeks. 4 weeks is quite standard. We will be leaving Suzy, Pearl and Charlotte home in loving care of family but it hurts just thinking we will be away from them for so long. During this time we will be able to see Sergei and Max everyday and we will be completing more paperwork.
7. Back to USA for 10-days – We are required to leave for 10 days, they call it the “cooling off period” allowing either party to change their minds. This is a killer on the travel expense and the overall time process. The Ukraine government has this in place to protect their children. It weeds out the people who do not have good intentions for these children.
8. Back to Ukraine for 2 weeks to get the boys, do more paperwork and get back home so all SEVEN of us can begin our lives as one BIG happy family....starting with English classes!

So this post is serious but educational. Don't worry, next post will be funnier because I have to figure out a place to put all my clean laundry before the homestudy lady gets here. I know you might be saying, “just fold it” but there is just too much. Vote: Under my bed, in my mini-van or at my next-door-neighbors.

Let the little children come unto me...

"Let the little children come unto me...for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I can't see to type this blog...damn tears! We are in awe of the love and charity we have been shown by precious children who are helping us raise the money to get Max and Sergei home. When I first saw our thermometer goal ,even I was thinking  "this is never going to happen" and it is MY thermometer!$50,000.00  ...how could we ever raise this amount of money?

Faithful children who have written us sweet, pure, innocent letters and have given us their hard earned money have faith that takes my breath away. They never thought their $10, $5, or $1 donations wouldn't help...they just mailed it because they had faith that it would be enough. These kids, these children make me want to be better. Their faith, their prayers and their money are changing our lives. Their faith is proving that every penny counts. To all of these children who haven given so freely to us...we are forever in your gratitude. Thank you for your unshakable faith and examples that reminds us God is so great and we see him everyday in the faces of our children.

We Skated the Night Away

 My hilarious brother in law found this photo of Van Halen rollerskating. He wanted to use it on the flyers for our skate night but it just didn't scream "help out some orphans" to me. It did make me laugh though! We had a GREAT night at Classic Skate. There was some hokey pokey, a chicken dance and even new carpet!!

Our family, friends and some total strangers were once again very generous and we made over $2,000! That put our total at over $40,000!! We are amazed by this. I cry every time I think about it. The skate night was our last fundraiser, at least for a few months, and we cannot say enough how much we appreciate all you have all done for us! (We were starting to get worried that if we had one more fundraiser you were all going to block our emails!) We are going to keep working on our goal of raising $50,000 but we are going to switch our focus on getting all our adoption paperwork in order.

On that front we got some good news this week  . . . our background checks are done and all that remains for our homestudy is the social worker coming to our home! That will happen this week and step one of our adoption will be officially crossed off the list!

Our other good news this week was that we got permission to call Sergei at the orphanage. We haven't been able to talk to him since he left. We have sent him packages and letters but it is difficult for the orphans to write back and get the letter sent off without an adult to help them. The phone call requires some strategy. We need an interpreter, we need to call during Ukrainian business hours and we need to hope someone answers. We tried a call last Friday and we were able to get through to the orphanage but Sergei wasn't available. We called back a few hours later but nobody answered. We will be trying again this week, we will keep you posted!

Thank you again - this is a daunting process and it has been made much easier knowing we have the support of all of you!

(Click here to see some photos of the boy's orphanage and read some facts about orphanages in the Ukraine)

Brush off your Hokey Pokey - Guest Blogger Dana

Where was the last place you "turned yourself around"? The last place I did it was at Classic Skate in Sandy. That was about 1986 (the glow in the dark carpet hasn't changed in 25 years!). Now we are using Classic Skate as our final fundraiser to "turn it all around" (clever, right?) for Sergei and Max.

The skating is FREE and the whole family is invited. Instead of paying Classic Skate, any donation you make will go directly to the Ukraine to Utah fund. So dust of your old rollerblades, bring your scooter or your old school skates and join us! (If you missed the 70s skates, the 90s rollerblades, and the scooters of 2000 you can rent skates at Classic for a small fee).

We will be skating, hokey pokey-ing, and limbo-ing on Tuesday, October 25, from 5 to 9 PM at Classic Fun Center at 9151 South 255 West in Sandy. Just tell them you are there for the Ukraine to Utah fundraiser at the window and they will get you right in!

This is our final fundraiser - we have Becky and Kevin in the home stretch now!! Check out that thermometer right below that photo of Sergei and Max - we are at $38,926!! That means we only have $11,074 to go! I am awed by that. Becky and Kevin have amazing family and friends! Thank you so much for your great support!

The Temperature is Rising! - Dana Guest Blogger

Usually this thermometer resides on the right hand side of the blog, right under the photo of Sergei an Max but today it is getting special attention - front and center - because (drumroll, please) we have already raised $37,176, approximately $13,000 of that came from the auction!! That is a crazy amount of money!! That could buy 50 new iPads, one new (nice) car, 7 trips to Europe, 5,285 meals at Cafe Rio - and we know that many of you have given up these very things up to help us get here.

The auction was amazing, people we coming out of the woodwork to donate things, and people were jumping to buy things. One friend stayed up all night bidding to help us earn the most we possibly could. One complete stranger kept buying all the jewelry. We thought, "this lady really likes diamonds" but when the auction ended and she claimed she "forgot" to bid on the four unsold items and she wanted those too we figured out she was more concerned about our auction total than she was about how her hands sparkled. We love and appreciate your enthusiasm and support and we hope you all got something you love. Next fall there will be FREE pear jam for all of you!

We started this fundraising with $16,500 from Becky and Kevin, which they came up with by getting a loan on their car and pulling out their savings. We had to raise $33,500 - it seemed daunting. We decided early on that we were going to do as much as we could in the month of October and then give everyone a break. Now, I believe we are going to reach our goal by the end of this month! You are all amazing. People have donated, and spread the word - we have people in the UK (thanks Stacy!), South America (thanks Gabriela), Russia, and all over the United States following this blog and it feels amazing to have that kind of support.

Next Tuesday is our final fundraising event. It is a really fun, FAMILY event at Classic Skate in Sandy from 6-9. Everyone can come, bring your scooters or skates (also available for rent there) and skate FOR FREE! Instead of paying to skate, any donation you make will go to the Ukraine to Utah fund. There will be some raffles and tons of fun. We can't wait to see you all there!

YOU ARE THE AUCTION WINNER!!!!

Sergei showing off his BMX trophy at Aunt Dana's house.

I know what you are asking..."How much much did we raise with the online auction?!" We need a few days to process the payments but we can tell you we raised  A LOT - like 5 figures a lot!! It was truly a miracle.

Thank you to everyone. The sponsors, the wild and crazy bidders, the spammers who sent this to everyone they had ever e-mailed in their lifetimes. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. The donated items made this auction a reality. There really are too many stories to tell but I want to share a few.

Someone emailed the auction offering to donate candles. None of us knew this woman but she had heard our story, and we were happy to have a few more items to put on the auction. As I was at her home to pick up the candles, we talked about these kids in the orphanages who are so alone. We cried together and she handed me her candles - and a check for $500! I didn't know what to say...she took my breath away. This mother who had already been so thoughtful donating the candles, also gave us this huge donation to get Sergei and Max home. We will be forever grateful to this loving and charitable family, thank you!

Dr. Silcox, who never met me until a few days ago donated 1/2 off braces...1/2 off braces is $2,500!!!! This one donation raised $1,900 for the auction. How do I say thank you to this? It was a huge donation and a great testament to Dr. Silcox's reputation that it sold in mere minutes.

How do I say thank you to all of you who have worked hours and hours to help me do this auction, who emptied their purses and rummaged their sock drawers for gift cards we could have. To the many strangers who called to give, give and then give some more? To our dear friends who bid on stuff they really didn't need because they want these orphan boys home and they want to squeeze them as much as we do! To the pear jam bidders, to the jewelry and condo addicts, to the family who quilted for a straight week.....We know you did it all for love, thank you. Thank you from the bottom our our hearts for your help to bring these orphan boys home. If they only knew how many people love them. They have been in the orphanage for over a year and a half with no calls, letters or visits. Imagine how many hundreds of people are actually bringing them from Ukraine to Utah, they are so love, we are so loved. Thank you with all that I have, thank you.

Were you a winner? Need help figuring out payment? Have questions about your items? Feel free to call Dana 801-891-4480. We will be delivery things today and we are excited to see you all.

Don't Miss Another Deal of a Lifetime. Auction Closes Tonight!

You missed this at $2.75/share in 1980:

You didn't invest in this (it just seemed like a bad business model)

No more regrets. Don't miss this - retail $699, starting bid $100:

AUCTION ENDS AT 10 pm TONIGHT! CLICK HERE TO BID ON THIS ITEM AND MUCH MORE!

We Believe in Adoption and Pretty Teeth - Bid!!

Click here to get your pretty smile (And Everything Else at the AUCTION!)

Becky's sister Dana here - and that is me up there too! This is circa 1985, 8th grade at Hillcrest Junior High. I am only wearing one earring in this photo and my best friend, Stephanee Love pierced that ear in the bathroom about 5 minutes before this photo was taken. Try to look past the earring, the hair and the eyebrows (did we not have tweezers in the 80s?) and concentrate on the teeth. Yes, my friends those are braces and I had them on for 6 years! You will not suffer the same fate if you check out one of the newest items on our online auction - 50% off a full set of braces (up to a $2,500 value!) at Silcox Orthodontics. Dr. Silcox is funny, smart and has a great office staff that is going to help you make your kids want to follow their ortho plan so they can have straight teeth a lot quicker than I did! Dr. Silcox is a very popular orthodontist (because he is a very good orthodontist) but this one is for new patient families only.

There will be new items daily until the auction closes Tuesday at 10 PM, check them out under "New Items" on the left side of the auction site. And if you want your ears pierced before your family photo give me a call. All I need is an ice cube and an earring. :)

BID! BID! BID!!! AUCTION IS OPEN!

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Retail: $700 - Bid:$100

HURRY, CLICK HERE FOR AUCTION!!!! 

The Auction is open so start your bidding! It is a frenzy becuase prices are so low!  Adobe Photoshop CS5, 1400 Sq Foot Snowbird Condo's, Homemade quilts, Diamonds, we have everything! You better hurry because we won't for long. Buy for yourself or for your sweetie and know it is going to help get Max (5) and Sergie (14) out of that orphanage and into our arms. PS: Just get it over with and click the "Buy it Now" button!

Be sure to check the "New Items" section on the left- we will be adding stuff until the end!

AUCTION BEGINS AT MIDNIGHT!

Click here to check view auction - Starts Sunday at 12:01AM

                       1 Carat Total Carat Weight Halo Diamond Earrings in 14KT White Gold.

Retail : $1,200.00  Start Bid: $380

Stranger: “Where did you get your diamond earrings? They are so beautiful and sparkly I can't stop starring at them!” You: “I got them from an on-line auction to bring two orphaned Ukrainian brothers home. I love these earrings and the price was crazy low and it was all for a great cause.” Stranger: “I wish someone told me about this auction.” (in a sad and melancholy voice)

Men...you cannot earn more points than this! Diamonds and orphans...seriously. Auction starts at midnight! Tell your friends!

Buying Begins in Two Days . . .

We've had a few people ask why the auction isn't working - they are ready to buy! The auction starts on Sunday at 12:01 AM.

Click Here to View the Auction - Buying Starts Sunday at 12:01 AM

Deluxe Snowbird Resort 1,464 sq foot Condo, Nov.16th to the 23rd 2011

This condo is THE BOMB!! Take the week to ski/board everyday. Relax in your private hot tub after your day on the slopes and you can make your own dinner in your room or enjoy one of the great restaurants up there. The heated roof top pool is always fun but my favorite way to warm up is at The Spa steam room! Check in November 16th at 4pm and check-out the 23rd at 10am just in time to get home for thanksgiving dinner the next day! Retail value: $4,595.00 Start Bid: $800.00 ....that is not a type-o people!!! Set your alarms and say your prayers and MAYBE you will be quick enough to snag this screaming deal!

If you miss-out on this timeshare, there is still another Snowbird condo and if you want to get you tan on, go check-out the Bear Lake timeshare!

Zoom...ZOOOM!!!!!!

            www.32auctions.com/organizations/2180/auctions/2379?page=5&reset_filter=1

I was pulled over for running a red light last night. I told the police officer there was no way I would run a red light, he said I did. He asked me if I was on my phone, I said of course I was....I am a mom and my kids were in bed so I could actually carry on a grown-up conversation. He said the conversation must have been pretty intense because I did run that red and I didn't believe him. I told the Officer I was adopting my two sons from Ukraine and was talking about our on-line auction fundraiser.  I then told him all about Sergei (14) and Max (5) and how it wasn't our plan to adopt right now but your kids are your kids and God sends them to you in all sorts of way. He said "Well... I am letting you go, even though you DID run that red light. My sister and I were adopted from CA foster care and it saved my life." To the sweet officer who let me go with a warning and a hug (yes, you know I made him give me a hug) thank you!!!

Now start picking out your items! Auction Starts Sunday at 12:01am (That's right you are setting your alarms) and ends Tues the 18th at 10pm. EVERYTHING IS DONATED so crazy great prices people!  Zoom Teeth Whitening by the best dentist around, Dr. Ryan McNeil, usually: $350 Our Start bid:  $120 

Online Auction in 4 Days and Counting....

www.32auctions.com/organizations/2180/auctions/2379?reset_filter=1

When we asked people to donate to our online auction to raise money to get our boys out of an orphanage in Ukraine...they went crazy...with generosity! We have 4 days until the auction opens and we have tons of stuff, all donated. Because everything was donated, the prices are a little ridiculous, as in ridiculously awesome!!!! This BRAND NEW Flip UltraHD Video Camera is valued at $80 bucks and has a starting bid of $30! Hate an auction?  Buy it now for $50 (or because it is for a good cause -  $70! )  Shut the front door, spread the word (via Facebook, email and Pony Express if you wish), and start your bidding (on the 16th) that is!!!
Good luck and much, much thanks!

Speechless (Yes, Becky......)

I am never at a loss for words, I can talk all day and usually do... blah, blah, blah. But this weekend I felt so much gratitude, I don't know how to begin to express it. We have been surrounded by family and friends this weekend, in person and on the Internet and my heart felt so full I thought it just might burst! The financial support we received put me into silent, tear-dropping state. I cannot believe the sacrifice so many of you have made for my family, for Sergei and Max and our beautiful girls. The checks we have received, the pay pal, the auction items and notes and kind words that come with them, touched us so much. We need you to know how much each donation means to us. We know all the  money we are receiving could have gone to something else; food, gas (holy smokes it's a lot!) that great pair of shoes, that big family vacation, that sweet bike but you gave it to us, thank you. This world can be so good...no, great. I have felt and seen nothing but love since we started these adoptions. Every donation makes us cry (Sorry Kev but it had to be said) we look at each other and hear your voices cheering us on and then we get tear-filled eyes and are left speechless because we know our family will all be together soon. The sacrifices are great and it is our friends, family and strangers that will make these adoptions a reality. I am asking the people in this world to get my sons in my arms and out of that orphanage and you are doing it! Thank you, thank you so much. The world is great because of you.

The above drawing is a picture of our family that Sergei left on his pillow for us to find after he went back to the Ukraine: Kevin, Becky, Sergei, Max, Suzy, Pearl and (I know no Charlotte but she hadn't offical turned 1 yet) :)

A Small Act Will Go A Long Way

Can you see the fortune taped to this $20? It says, "A small act of charity will go a long way." My cute cousin got this fortune at dinner and the next day she mailed it to me with a donation for our adoption fund. It made me smile and cry because it is SO true. What seems like a little act of charity to the person giving seems like a big act to the person receiving. All these little acts of charity are already adding up and will soon bring our two boys home to us. Thank you for all your acts of kindness, they are all large to us!

God is Great

God is Great. When we heard about the travel required to adopt a child from Ukraine (4-6 weeks THERE) and the cost of over $50,000 for 2 children, we felt we were supposed to host these kids and only host. There was no way we could travel that long, let alone come up with that staggering amount of money. It seemed clear that adoption was not what Kevin and I should be doing...it just didn't make sense on paper. Sergei arrived and we instantly fell for him, we felt the Lord would lead us to his family and our job was to do everything we could do to find them. We wore ourselves out networking, talking to friends, talking to friends of friend's and anyone else who might have been his potential family. We had swim parties, BBQ's, zoo trips...you name it, we did it in hopes of finding a home for Sergei and Max. Everyday we fell more in love with this shy, freckled face teenage boy with stinky feet. I asked so many families if Sergei was theirs, did he belong in their family? I said this many time with tears in my eyes because I loved him so much! I heard the same reply many times, "Maybe he is yours".

Kevin and I prayed and then prayed some more and asked all of those around us to pray too! "Lord tell us what to do! I love this little boy but there is no way we can possibly adopt him and his brother". Kevin assured me I couldn't screw up God's will. We prayed and listened and ask the Lord to guide us and he did. Sergei met many families who wanted to adopt him, bittersweet. Overjoyed for Sergei and Max and heart-broken because we missed them already. When the orphans all went back to Ukraine after their 3 weeks stay, we told Sergei how much we loved him. He had been told already that we could not adopt him , we were in no position. We told him there was families who wanted to adopt him and Max, he said, "I choose you".Insert tissue box here. With tears (true confessions: snot) and hugs we said goodbye to Sergei and told him we would always be in his life.

After a few weeks, the potential family said something in their heart was not right and they would not be proceeding with the adoption. Kevin and I knew instantly it was because it was right for us. Our sons, Sergei and Max, were ours. With bursting hearts of joy the once unachievable obstacles that we faced suddenly seemed achievable! God is Great. We know with God, our friends and family, we can reach our financial goal and complete the travel to bring our family together.

GOOOOOOAL!!!!!

In America we call it soccer but in Ukraine they call it football. I always thought soccer was boring since a game could actually end in a tie but we had a blast at the Salt Lake Real game! The game was packed and we had our own little Ukraine right there in the lower bowl.Fourteen orphans and all the host families were there and we cheered so loud, clapped, hollered and even heckled the students who snuck into our section. I told them they would need to take an orphan home to keep the seats but settled on their Real scarf instead! Real must of heard our shouts and knew these kids needed one night where they could just be kids because they won the game 4-0! The fireworks were a nice touch at the end and it was a fun summer night in Utah with our sweet boy. GOOOOOOOAL!!!!!

Flu

I think when someone holds your hair back while you puke, they love you for real. The entire family caught the stomach flu and it taught us all we would make a pretty great family. "What is she talking about?!" you are probably asking yourself. I learned I can handle five sick kids and one very sick hubby. I learned teenage boys still love to be tucked in and babied when they feel crummy and that carpet cleaners are worth their weight in gold. The family was sick but Kevin and I hung in there. After everyone was beginning to recover, I was taken down...hard. I went to bed at noon and woke up at 7pm. I walked into my kitchen where everyone was laughing and eating dinner together. Sergei had made a beautiful traditional Ukrainian dinner and let the girls help him cook. We all took care of each other that week. The family that pukes together, stays together. (I am going to need that in vinyl)

Where is Max?

Maksym AKA: Max is only 5 years old and was not allowed to travel to the USA because of his young age. Max is a small boy with a big happy heart. Sergei definitely has been his brother's caretaker. Sergei helped so much with Suzy (4), Pearl(3) and Charlotte (1) he obviously had been taking care of others his whole life. We are so excited to get our family under one roof so these kids can be kids and be wild and crazy together! Max will fit right in and Sergei will get to be a big brother instead of a parent. Nicole Shon said it best..."You had me at Winner Time".

Please Eat!

I was trying to get Sergei to come out of his shell so I figured the best way to do that was to feed him and then feed him some more. I tried everything, McDonald's, spaghetti, bananas, MacN'Cheese, and every sugar cereal you could think of. My orphan would not eat. What kind of American Host Mom was I? What is more American than a few extra pounds?! I was begging Sergei, bribing him and flat out telling him had to eat something. I was worried he was going to go back to Ukraine skinnier than when he arrived!

I pulled out the big guns...my mom Suzan. By the time she got back from shopping at every European store in this state, my fridge doors would barely close. Sergei picked at a few things but just ask for the same old thing, Coca-Cola. I do have a small addiction myself to Diet Coke so it turned into our "special time". We would jump into the car and Sergei always placed a cold Diet Coke in my drink holder. See...I told you he was mine:)

He finally started eating when I was told he liked meat. I had been a vegetarian over the last ten years but if it was meat Sergei wanted, then meat it was. Our sweet neighbors cooked up some mean steaks and yes...I ate every last bite. Sergei had it right, steak and Coke rule.

Meeting Sergei

In July Kevin read an article in the Draper Journal about a group of Ukrainian orphans coming to Utah for a three week visit. They were looking for host families and I told Kevin if he wanted me to call we were going to have to adopt some Ukrainian orphans (I thought I was joking) - he said he still wanted me to call.

The day came to pick them up and I was sweating bullets because I thought I was getting two young brothers but when I arrived at the airport they told me I was getting a 13 year old boy! I don't know anything about 13 year old boys - all I have is baby girls. When Sergei got off the plane I was really nervous, so I just kept talking louder and more. Which made Sergei nervous which made him almost curl up into a fetal position. I am sure he was wondering why this American lady was screaming at him.

By the end of the first day I had stopped talking loudly and Sergei was opening up. He spoke no English but we were quickly developing a good system of charades. Kevin was learning Russian as fast as possible but I stuck with drawing pictures in the air.

The first full day Sergei was here my mom took him shopping for some clothes. Everything he picked out had a cartoon graphic on it. The next time he saw his group of friends from the orphanage many of them also had new clothes- but none had cartoon charaters on them. Pretty soon he would wear his solid black pants and shirt. I guess peer pressure is universal!