Mark- Day 2, 3, 4 plus...

Opps, just realized I should probably give an update in case you have not heard or seen us.  Corey does an outstanding job at his blog- so follow him too..I get side tracked easy and leave you hanging if you haven't noticed... www.crayonsandkeyboards.BlogSpot.com

So Friday morning Mark woke up a totally different kid.  He was rested and a ready to take on this adventure.  I hesitated to take him to the last day of Summer Camp at our church for fear of overwhelming him...but did it anyways.  I was so glad I did because he did awesome!  He joined right in with the crafts, clapped to the music and played with all the kids.  It was a great day.  He requested PIZZA after camp so we obliged and afterwards we took him on a shopping spree.  Then that night we had a church picnic.  All of which he had a blast. 

The weekend was full of more fun, food, family and friends.  Jaxson and Annabelle are getting along great with Mark.  They all play together and it makes my heart sing!  They play legos, they draw, they read stories, they watch TV, the play outside ALOT, and they really just enjoy each others company.  Mark is so sweet with AB, he includes her and is so sweet with her.  Him and Jax are total boys together - you can imagine.  Aye yai yai.  Mark is a trouper when it come to food.  He eats anything...such a blessing because who the heck knows what Russian food is like?! 

Kids amaze me...everyone has taken to Mark really well...with the language barrier I thought it would be more of a challenge but it just works for kids.  Mark is already saying more and more English words and he is understanding more and more.  I am working on speaking slower...if you know me- you know that is no small task...I run at a million words a minute. 

The last couple days I have had to worked and Papi has graciously watched the kids.  They have had a blast, riding on the tractor, eating more cookies that I ever really want to know and running up a $40 tab on Papi's phone on apps.  Really Dad?  Very grateful for him and even more grateful that he pulls more than his fair share of the weight on Fun Bus because that working mom business is for the birds!  Shout out to you Dad for splitting the load so I can do what I really enjoy doing- just being a mommy! :) 

We have a few more activities this week...including a dentist appointment for Mark.  Pray his teeth are healthy.  Then we are beach bound for a while....HOLLA!!!  Belarus is land locked so this will be the first time Mark has ever been to the beach- lots of "firsts" and fun to be had. 

K...that's it for now.  Peace out.

Mark- Day one- check!

Wow.  What an exciting, overwhelming and exhausting day!  Shew!  We got to the airport at 1:30...it was hurry up and wait..and wait and wait.  I was so overwhelmed with excitement, fighting back tears as to what was about to come.  Customs is a great place for people watching so we were entertained.  You see the electronic doors open a million times, anxiously waiting to see the face you have long to see for months and months.  For us it was only in a picture...a picture that I found out was actually Mark from 3 years ago.  Yicks!  Most our group walked out and we all cheered and hugged and cried ...but wait.  No Mark.  Soon to find out the poor kid did not "claim" a sandwich and had to go to a higher level of security.  Opps.  We laughed because we got the rebel of the group. 

FINALLY Mark comes out...white as a ghost might I add.  He speak very little English and if you know me you know I talk a million miles a minute and am bubbly and out going and touchy feely (sorry Mark...that's the cards you got dealt).  I am working on toning it down.  But needless to say we were all overwhelmed..but very happy! 

We decided to take the group to McD's for ice cream.  As we drove there, Jaxson had a Russian/English book and him and Mark sat in the back pointing at pictures giving thumbs up or thumbs down.  We found out he like sharks, bananas, swimming, and pizza. 

After ice cream we headed home.  I turned back to check on Mark in the third row of the car on a windy road and he was green.  You ok buddy, I asked?  he said his stomach hurt ...then BLEH- pukes.  Aye yai yai.  We scrounge to pull over strip the kid and get as cleaned up as possible to finish the trip home.  My heart ached for him- how terrible.  All he asked for was his mom. 

We have an app on our phones and ipad...it works good but sometime messes up because I am pretty confident after he puked his guts out he was not asking for "pancakes!, pancakes" or telling me that "ladies feel good".  This should be interesting as there is quite the language barrier.  After he showered he opened the door to the bathroom and just babbled something over and over.  I wish I could have taken a picture of Corey face for y'all.  He looks at me and says "what's he saying?"...I have not a clue, get the translator, dude!  He could not figure out how to turn off the shower...that's all. 

So we got home, showed him around and what to our wondering eyes appeared in his bag?!?  LEGOS!!!  The kids all got their out legos and played and laughed. 

He got sad a couple times and when it was time for bed he got very sad.  Broke my heart in two.  How scary it must be for a 9 year old. 
A little something about me...I never spent the night out, ever.  I hated the feeling when it was time for bed and all I wanted was MY bed and MY parents!  To this day, I hate it...but now it MY husband and kids.  So I can relate and I hate that for him.  I did find his brother on facebook and we were able to talk to his sister who is also here in the US.  Once he laid down he was out and is still sleeping this morning.

My prayer is that he is well rested today and we are able to provide the comfort he needs to know it is all going to be ok. 

Giving.

You know how people suck?  Yeah me too.  I am one of those people...I have battered and bruised others and have been battered and bruised by others.  Did you know that church people are just people and they suck too?!  Yeah...I am one of those too.  That's a hard one...you mean people that go to church are not perfect?  Hummm..weird!

It happened a church a few years back...you get hurt by the church or someone at church and you get totally turned off.  Then you re-coup go back or to a different church and what?!  Same thing again.  Well duh...church people need Jesus- we all do.  So mow over the issue and let new flowers bloom.

I get discouraged, I get worn down, I get battered and bruised but every time I do, I pray harder and guess what ..prayer works!

I was wearing thin on the fundraising...people ALWAYS want something for nothing and I give it to them, personally and in business.  People always have a cause and those causes always get me right in gut.  Then it is my turn to need something and I get a door slammed...or so it felt.  But you know what?!  I will keep giving because that is what I am called to do.  Christ wants us to love and give- shew!  At least I am good at those...(most the time).

Maybe just one day I will give someone the feeling I had one recent morning.  When a door was slammed another opened...
We were at a stand still with our host program...we needed $1,000...omg!  That's a lot of money.  We needed it in 20 days.  One night I got an email from a friend saying that someone wanted to donate.  I gave her the info and the next morning- BOOM!  $500 in our fund!  I see the name of the family who donated, I do not know them at all, I don't know how they knew our story or what we were doing, but they wanted to donate to us- to Mark.  Wow- what a feeling.  This family has no idea what a burden they have taken off my shoulders.  I am over the moon grateful.

In the last week, we have had more donations- monetary and stuff.  Graciously, Corey's parents have included Mark in our Disney plans too.  Many years in planning to FINALLY go to Disney and we get to take Mark too! 

7 days until he gets here and I am already feeling so blessed to have him in my life.  Love seeing God at work and can not see what is in store for the weeks to come!