And another day closer...

Hello to all!  I hear the Aggies are going to play LSU at the Cotton Bowl...Beat the hell outta LSU! Whoop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (That is about all the news I have received from home since Nov. 4th...hey, gotta know the important stuff!)

Yesterday, Derek and I took the kids to get their passport pictures taken. I am sure everyone who saw us thought...look out, here comes the Brady Bunch! We all cramed in one vehicle (not a van or surburban), so as we stepped out of the car, we looked like the clowns at the circus. Not sure if you can tell from the picures, but the kids are so small for their age. Another "to-do" done...one step closer to getting on a plane!

Since Kevin has been gone, I have been spending most of my time thinking /reflecting during the evening hours. I am saddened by the fact that there are soooooooooooooo many great kids without a family. Most of these kids are very loving and affectionate. Each day we arrive, they bolt out of the classrooms across the hall from the 'social' area and run over to say, "Hi! How are you?" When you reply with "I am fine". Their reply is ususally "Good!" For some, this is all the English they know.  However, they do enjoy practicing and learning more English. Once boy who is about to be adopted by an Italian family, sat on the sofa with me for at least 30 minutes studying English flash cards. When he learned he could not keep the cards, he became upset. I wish we would have had an extra set to give him, but Derek needed to keep the cards as an activity for Tanner's plane ride home. All the kids LOVE fruit and gum. We usually stop at the store before we go to the orphanage and purchase several bunches of bananas and a couple dozen apples. The supply goes very quickly and typically every child says "Thank you!" (yes, in English...if they don't know how they always ask another kid before walking away) You can see the gratitude on their face...something many US kids lack these days.(my opinion)

My overall impression of the orphanage is very different than I anticipated. I was expecting a very dreary building with an institutional feel. I had been preparing myself to play a "mind over matter" game to get the courage to visit. Quite the opposite. The building is full of children's murals and it is extrememly clean. The children make their beds daily and have been taught to take their shoes off when they enter a room with a rug. (Yea! I am hoping Kateryna and Nikolas remember this since they have carpet upstairs!) They also do very well with conserving energy. The children only turn the lights on in the main room when it is dark. I don't mean dim...dark. (My Dad and Kevin struggles with my lack of conserving sometimes!) Another trait many have learned is to share. If I give one of my kids a pack of gum, they don't keep it for themselves, they immediately start passing out the other pieces. (As does Derek's boys.) I really hope they keep their chraritable spirit as they age...many of us seem to be stuck in the "me" world and need to learn to appreciate all the opportunities and overall lifestyle that exists in our homeland.)

Back to the children, I can totally understand how someone can find peace in working with underpriviledged kids. I have a niece currently teaching in Cambodia and a dear friend and her husband working to educate folks in Turkey. Danielle and Heather- I now truly get it! It takes special people to sacrifice EVERYTHING for a meaningfull cause. You are in my thoughts and prayers daily...Much love and respect to you!

Ok...now I have too many tears falling as I type... I am in a restaurant with Derek (Kevin & Tamara- we are in Coffee Inn again)...more to share later!

Love to all!