Merry Christmas and may Christ Bless you and your Family this Season!!!

As usual we have had a very busy December. Preparations for Little David's Birthday, Christmas and then Big David's Birthday have kept us all busy. We had a 4th Birthday party for Little David at a local park. We made the party a pirate theme party and did a treasure hunt and played pin the flag on the pirate ship. The local Bible bookstore had plastic gold coins with verses or Christian logos. We hid several around the park and had the treasure hunt. Each child that returned with a gold coin could trade it in for a visit to the treasure chest. We had a lot of fun and several of the adults dressed up as pirates too including Big David and myself.

During the preparations for the party, Little David was helping me wrap up the treasure box gifts and had his safety scissors. Well as you can imagine I was not too happy when he came around the corner with a new hair cut. My very next statement was...I hope you did not touch your sister's hair....too late, she has a new hair cut too. I remember having my bangs cut very high on my forehead because I tried to cut them myself, I think I was in second grade, my school picture had the really short bangs. Oh well, hair grows.

We had Danielle's baby dedication on the 21st. We went to Shekinah Christian Assembly where we were married, which was my home church when we met. We continue to visit several times a year, they are up in West Palm Beach, it is about an hour north of us, it makes for a lot of sit time for the kids, for that reason it is not where we attend every Sunday, but it is where we feel at home. We shared the ceremony with another family. Their son was born two months early and we waited two years for Danielle, so one baby was really early and one felt very late, but we know God's timing is always perfect. Several friends, all of our local family and one niece visiting from college were present. We went to a local restaurant after the Dedication and had a wonderful time. It was such a good day. It ranks right up there with Salvation day, Baptisim day, Engagement day, Wedding day, Birth of our son and his Dedication day, and Gotcha day for Danielle. After the dedication, David and I were sharing about the day and we came to the realization that Danielle has completely become our daughter and we are fully her parents and our family is her family. It takes some time after the legalities for this to occur, some call it the attachement/bonding period. We are pleased to announce that Danielle has become our daughter.

When we returned from Russia, we had both kids in the same bedroom. David wanted his sister to be in his room and Danielle had never slept alone in a room. This week, we moved Danielle into her own room, they will each need the extra room for the new Christmas toys and David is now at the age where some of his toys could become choke hazzards, so it was time to separate them. Danielle loves her new room and this is the third night she is sleeping in there.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say Merry Christmas. I know there are many facing long waits for their referrals and for return trips to receive their children. I know there are also many families facing financial and health trials, as well as spiritual battles and loneliness. Some of us have loved ones in the Military doing dangerous work for our nation. Please allow me to encourage you. Jesus, who came to Earth and put on flesh, the Son of the Living God who lived a perfect life as a man, became the sacrificial lamb, paid for the wages of our sin, rose from the grave to conquer death, then ascended to be reunited with God the Father and sits at His right hand making intercession for us is able and willing to help each of us through our fiery trials. This is the true meaning of Have a Mighty Christmas!!!

Wow, It's been over Three Months since Got-cha

It has been over three months since we had our "Got-cha Day" for Danielle. She is adjusting very well. She is so innocent and happy. She does not have any established safety boundaries, we must teach her everything in this area which tends to seem like all we say is no, no, no. She tests almost every situation to its limit. I tell her to not touch something and the little index finger comes out and she reaches to touch the item that is off limits. She will do this with a smile and dare me to correct her. So far I have tried to be up to every challenge and it is exhausting. But most two year olds must establish their limitations and test the waters. She smiles all the time and loves to be tickled. She has been to the Doctor and had all the recommended tests and is an average sized healthy little girl. Thank you Lord. Danielle is no longer afraid of our dog, a brindle boxer named K'Ehlyre (Kaylar) named from a Klingon Character from Next Generation Star Trek. (She looks a little bit like a Klingon with her pointed ears)



Danielle loves her big brother and he loves her most of the time. One day about six weeks ago we were driving and passed the area where the Goodyear blimp hangar is located. I pointed out the blimp as it was landing and David was very curious about the blimp and wanted to know if we could fly in it sometime. When I said that could happen someday, he promptly spoke up and wanted to know if we could fly Danielle back to Russia in the blimp when it was time for her to go back home. Funny story, but his sentiment was real. He continued asking when Danielle would be leaving for about two more weeks before he gave up on the idea of sending her back to Russia. He is still adjusting to becoming a big brother. He tries to be her parent most of the time and wants to show her how to play with toys rather than let her discover how to play with them on her own. He is coming along and each day gets a little better for him. When we meet someone new, he promptly introduces his little sister... Hi this is Danielle; she is my little sister................. we got her from Russia. It is so funny, that big David and I have started chiming in when he blurts out the final phrase.

It has been two months since I posted to this blog and a lot has happened. Danielle is learning a couple of words a day. She says: Let me see - translated can mean let her see what we have or it can also mean let me do it, or let me have it. She says Juice please for any drink. She says I love you several times a day and she will also say kiss, kiss. Each day when she is dressed I put her in front of the mirror and say pretty, so of course she can say pretty and says it about herself during the dressing process. She loves shoes and can say shoes, socks, monkey, lion, elephant, tiger, dog, cat, bird, eyes, ears, hair, elbow, feet, legs, brush teeth, mouth, nose, head, tummy, body, potty, poop, and pees-pees and so much more. She wants me to give her the English word for everything she sees. She is bright and is learning very well.

Danielle has went to the Science and Discovery Museum three times, the Miami Metro Zoo once, a small water park once, swimming at a friend’s home, trick or treating, bounce house (several times), several of our local playgrounds, a huge Thanksgiving at her Great Aunt Sharon’s home where over 32 relatives were able to get together. During the time at Aunt Sharon’s she got to ride a four-wheeler, go to a bond-fire, see goats, horses, cows, pigs, chickens, rooster, and dogs. Today we were able to take out our boat and she got her first experience in the boat. She loves to go anywhere, just to go and be going makes her very happy. She has met most of our local friends and family. She seems to be fine with new people, at first she did not like strangers to pick her up, and she would look for mommy or daddy to rescue her, now she is fine with any new person she meets.