CHRISTMAS VIDEO

I saw this video a few years ago.  It touched me and brought tears to my eyes.  It was the first time that I seriously thought about adoption as an option for our family.  Now that we are on the other side of the adoption, it holds even greater significance for me.  I wonder what our kids were thinking about last Christmas.  I think that while we were praying for God's leading in our lives, they were praying for a family.  Pretty neat how that has all worked out, huh?

I love this video because it reminds us that there are many older children that need families. There are 50 million orphans in the world - minus three!!... I also love it because the words are meaningful.  I hope you have the time to watch it.

We just experienced our first Christmas with our three newly adopted children.  This video still brings tears to my eyes, but as I watch it, the reality of our adoption makes me so happy that we answered the call.  Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!  We did!  I'll be posting more soon!

Steven Curtis Chapman Music Video

CONGRATULATIONS, LINDSAY!

Lindsay graduated from Northwestern College yesterday.  What a fun day!  The graduation took place yesterday afternoon.  The last college graduation I was at was...Allens!!!  Wow!  Where did the time go??  I saw a name of a girl that I recognized on the program.  She was  was also an elementary education major.  Allen and I realized that she was a girl that Lindsay had played with on many occasions when we lived in Sioux Falls during our residency years.  I'm sure we have pictures somewhere of the two playing together.  Katie was about 5 years old when we last saw her and her parents!  Lindsay of course knew her from the education program, but they had never made the Sioux Falls connection.  It was very weird to look at them all grown up and think of all that has happened in the last 17 years.  (I should have taken a picture of them.)  

Anyway, the graduation was very nice and we couldn't be prouder of Lindsay.  She has already had one interview and within hours after the graduation, she had a message on her phone from a school requesting another interview!   Not bad for a new graduate.  I have no doubt that she will be a great teacher and make a huge difference in the lives of many kids.

After the graduation, we went to some friends for a wonderful dinner and party. My parents and Bjork's parents met us there.   Allen, Lindsay and I lived with Ben and Phyllis for a few months when Allen was in medical school.  We have pictures of Lindsay sitting on Ben's lap when she was 18 months old.  Again, it is hard to believe that 20 some years have passed and she is now ready to launch her career AND get married.

We had such a nice time at the dinner party.  Ben and Phyllis had not met our new kids so it was EXTRA fun to reconnect!  After dinner, we went downstairs for a fun time of Christmas singing.  They have an old player piano and lots of instruments...so we made music for the rest of the evening.  You can't see this from the pictures, but it was a wild and loud time!  Lots of fun and what a gift!  Thanks Ben and Phyllis for sharing this special occasion with us and for graciously sharing your home and your lives with us.   

Yesterday was a great day of celebrating and of thanksgiving.  Congrats to Lindsay!  You are amazing!

THE CHRISTMAS RUSH

Christmas is only 9 days away and we are all in the middle of the Christmas rush.  We didn't exactly have a choice as far as the timing of our adoption, but it seems that a month before Christmas would not have been my first choice.  Oh well... having said that, we can only live one day a time and try to do the best we can with.

I am really trying to NOT feel overwhelmed with all that is going on in my life, but I am having a bit of trouble.  It is not that I am at the verge of a breakdown.  That only comes about once or twice a week! :)  I am simply doing my best to keep my head above water.  My nose is barely out of the water but I am managing to stay afloat!  There is laundry to fold, dishes to wash, bills to pay, phone messages to answer.  Add on top of that homework help, voice lessons, basketball and wrestling practice, school concerts and activities to keep children occupied.  We are trying to keep Christmas as "normal" as usual...which means shopping, baking, Christmas concerts, etc...   I know that most of you are in the same boat.  I know how crazy this season is and how we all try to do TOO MUCH.

I have lots to tell about and it makes me happy to know that there are a few of you out there who are reading along.  I like my blog and and am committed to writing about our life for another nine months or so.   However, it seems that I am definitely caught in the Christmas rush and writing has become a bit of a chore.  Anyway, sorry but right now I can't keep up with ANYTHING! so well... will you keep checking back?  Be patient with me in the next few weeks.   My number one goal in blogging is to keep a record of what is happening in the life of our family, but I also love sharing our story.  

While I think about it, to all of you who know our family (which is most of you!) know how much we have appreciated your love and support.  From prayers...to meals... to showers...to babysitting...to encouraging words.  THANK YOU!  We so appreciate you.   I wish I could send a special gift to all my friends for Christmas this year...but it's not going to happen.  If you are my friend, know that I am truly grateful for you and how you have embraced our family.  That is my Christmas message for you.  You are the best!!

In the meantime...does anyone have any tips about light sabres???   Yes, I am afraid the Morks are about to enter a world that we thought we would NEVER enter.  But I need help.  Evidently, you can spend $5 or $150!  My preference would be closer to the $5 end please!!  and by the way...Shhhhh, don't tell.

JILL

Last week, our adoption counselor made a follow-up visit to our home.  We have talked to this person many times in the last year about our kids and our adoption paperwork.  She helped us to navigate through fingerprint fiasco, and all of the new Hague guidelines.  I'm sure she got tired of answering all of our calls.  It was really kind of surreal to have her in our home WITH our three newly adopted kids.  Somewhere along the line, we knew it would really happen, but it seemed strange to be on this end of the adoption.  

We had a nice visit with Jill.  She met the kids and asked us how things were going...  After visiting with her, we realized just how well the transition is going.  She told of other adopted families who have experienced many, many problems (right from the start).  She was so encouraging and optimistic about the progress of our kids.  It made me happy and proud of our kids.  Considering the HUGE change that they have experienced...they are doing GREAT!

Being an adoption counselor is no doubt very stressful.  Every family is waiting, waiting, waiting and probably not always very patient.  Everyone feels that urgency to get their kids home.  There is only so much an adoption counselor can do to move the process along, but for the families, they are the one person that will help to make it all happen.  On the flip side, it must be SO rewarding to place children in loving homes and know that you played a big part in the process.  I hope that Jill went home feeling really happy.   I was happy that she got assigned to our case.  We will not forget her.

REINDEER RUN

Saturday was the Reindeer Run!  It is a 5K race around Lake Harriet where thousands of people dress up in holiday costumes and enjoy the outdoors.  This has become a Mork family tradition. Well, actually, this is only our second year, but I am confident that this won't be our last!  It is a fun environment and pretty low key.  Everyone agreed to attend the race and the predictions were as follows...  When asked, Romeo and Rodrigo wanted to RUN the race.   That would put them in first place!  I thought that maybe Allen and Bjork would be close behind.  Lindsay was hinting at also running.  I knew that no matter what, I would be walking.  And Steph was definitely NOT running, but had agreed to be a participant.  Kristin (with her stress fracture) would be cheering us on from the sidelines and Roselyn would be by her side.  Well, we were all wrong!  Here is what really happened.

Kristin decided that her foot was feeling better so she and Steph(!) took the early lead.  They got caught up in the flow of runners at the start of the race and that was the last time we saw them.  Since Kristin was IN the race, Roselyn decided to also participate.  Lindsay, Roselyn and I advanced to the middle of the pack with an initial steady walk.  The boys started out running, but that lasted for only about 200 yards.  It very quickly turned into a walk and then a stroll down the snowy path.  Allen and Bjork hung with the young guys. I do believe that they all had a good male bonding time together.

As we made the first turn around the lake we could see that the wind was going to be a problem.  It was VERY COLD (even by Minnesota standards).  Lindsay and I tried to block the wind for Roselyn but in spite of our efforts, Roselyn was obviously FREEZING to death.  We were at about the halfway mark when Roselyn asked..."How much farther, Mom?"  As I looked past her, I could see the bandshell which was on the opposite side of the lake.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that we had to get to the huge building ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE! so I just said..."Well, we have a little ways to go.  You are doing GREAT, Roselyn!!!"   She didn't say anything, but I'm sure she must have been wondering what we had gotten her in to.  (Just for the record, with the wind, it was probably below zero at this point.)  I called Bjork to see if the boys had turned around and maybe, just maybe... he and the rest of the guys could come pick us up in the van.  No such luck.  Although we couldn't see them...the boys were trudging along about 500 feet behind us.  Bjork had Rigo on his back and they were slowly inching themselves towards the finish line.  Romeo and Allen were bringing up the rear.  It seemed more like an expedition than a race.

The best thing about these little Fun Runs is the assortment of snacks at the finish line.  It had been a difficult race for our family but there was some anticipation as we headed for the snack table.  Unfortunately, the only snacks left were bags of potato chips and water.  I did manage to snatch a cup of coffee, but there was no hot chocolate to be found.  All the bananas, granola bars, donuts and other good stuff was gone.  Steph and Kristin decided to wait for the snacks until we all finished, so they missed out as well.  The boys, however were thrilled with the potato chips and took several bags!

The race was...an adventure.  There were a few desperate moments, but all in all it was something our family did TOGETHER.   I am sure we will all laugh about it someday...but for now we will let the memory fade a bit before we speak again about next year's Reindeer Run.

BEDTIME

Bedtime has changed a bit around here in the last few weeks.  A few weeks back our evenings were spent watching Food Network, reading, sitting at the computer and thinking about the day to come.  Now our evenings are spent reading to kids, talking about the day, and praying.  Allen and I usually Divide and Conquer!  I read to Rigo and Allen reads to Romeo.  We then spend some time with Roselyn and close out the evening with Steph.  It has become somewhat of a routine.

Reading to our older daughters was one our favorite parts about being a parent.  It is such a warm and cozy time.  This was definitely one of the things Allen and I were looking forward to as we took a step backward and had the chance to read to young ones again.  Bedtime is indeed very time-consuming these days, but we are really loving it!  Some of our best discussions have come at nighttime.  We talk about God.  We talk about family.  We talk about CSC and the Philippines.  We talk about life in Cambridge, Minnesota.  It is the best!  For our kids, it is a time that has been missing from their lives for a long, long time.  It may actually be the first time ever!  

For Allen and me, it is one more chance to read to our children and enjoy the closeness that comes with reading and kissing them goodnight.  Having raised older kids, our perspective is different this time around.  I would say that bedtime is one of the more precious and important times of the day for a parent and child.  Maybe we didn't appreciate that the first time around...?  We get one chance... and then they are gone!  This picture of Rodrigo was not at bedtime, but I think it looks warm and fuzzy...much like the reading time that happens at bedtime.

MORE STITCHES

Yes, there was another mishap at the Mork house this weekend. It all started when Allen took the boys ice fishing on Sunday afternoon. They had a great time! Although ice fishing was new to all of them, they did manage to catch a fish. Allen has always been a "catch and release" kind of guy so he has never actually cleaned a fish at our house in Cambridge. I have always been in favor of this kind of fishing because it meant that I would not have to worry about stinky fish in my kitchen. Selfish, but true.

All of that has changed. The boys assured Allen that they knew how to clean a fish because they had done it (or at least watched it!!) in the Philippines. Naturally, Allen thought this would be a great opportunity to bring their two worlds together so...after carefully demonstrating his surgical skill on a fish, he handed the knife over to Romeo. (You know what's coming, don't you??) According to Allen, things started out beautifully. Romeo was a natural with the knife!! But as Allen turned away to grab something, Rodrigo exclaimed, "Dad! Look! Romeo is bleeding!!!" As you guessed, the knife slipped and Romeo carved a healthy gash in his index finger. It didn't really phase Romeo at the time, but as the night went on, it began to hurt quite a lot. Allen (once again) performed an operation at our kitchen counter. A little novocaine, two stitches and...Romeo was good to go! His biggest worry was whether he could play football today at school.

All of this took place while I was bringing Kristin back to Bethel. (The only pictures of the event were from Allen's cell phone.) I was kind of sad that I missed all the excitement...but then again...I've had a lot of excitement these last few weeks and it was ok to just hear about it. I have a feeling that this is not the last medical emergency for these two boys. I guess we will just have to wait and see!

TRIMMING THE TREE

Friday was our first trip to the tree farm with all of our kids. I kind of feel like a spectacle when we go out because there are so many of us!!! Something I just have to get used to, I guess. Anyway, our adventure to the farm was fun. Later that evening we decorated the tree. I had purchased three Filipino Christmas ornaments last January and then another three this November. It will be a fun keepsake for each of our kids as they remember 2008 as the Year of the Adoption!!

THANKSGIVING DAY

Our first Thanksgiving Day together was just the NINE! OF US!!!! Wow! It is going to take a while for me to get used to...such a big number! Anyway, we had a pretty low key day and had our big meal at dinnertime. We had all the usuals (turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie) and RICE! I'm not proud of the fact that I didn't put more effort into making this meal familiar (with Filipino dishes) for our new kids, but really, they didn't seem to mind. They don't celebrate Thanksgiving in the Philippines so maybe it was ok.

It was wonderful to have all of us at the dinner table at the same time...and yet, very odd. This is definitely the NEW NORMAL that I was talking about a few weeks back. We usually try to talk about what we are most thankful for. Roselyn was the first to speak up with her answer of "family". It was a highlight of the day and something I will always remember. I wouldn't have expected such a quick response because she is usually very quiet and cautious in her conversations. It meant a lot to Allen and me.

We ended the day with some game playing. Things moved little slow at first, but our newest kids were really good sports and happy to play. I might mention that the girls' team CRUSHED! the boys' team! :) Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!

THANKSGIVING EVE

Wow! This has evidently been an extra busy week because I have not had a chance to blog about it! I actually have lots to share, but, well... neither the time or energy to share it! Let me start with the Thanksgiving Eve service. This is always a wonderful and meaningful service. Allen and I were asked to talk a bit about our adoption journey. You may already know all of this, but I thought I would post it for anyone who might be interested. Here is Allen's part...

For those of you who don’t know us – our family has been a part of 1st Baptist for almost 18 years. We are so thankful for our church family and how you have embraced and supported us as we have started a new chapter in our lives with the adoption of 3 more kids who arrived home just a few weeks ago! We’re excited to fill you in on some of our journey this past year.

Roselyn, Romeo and Rodrigo are siblings who for the past 3 years have lived at Children’s Shelter of Cebu (CSC) in the Philippines. CSC is an amazing ministry that we and many others in this church have supported for a number of years. Our involvement with CSC began over 20 years ago as we looked for a way to honor a friend and medical school classmate who had just died.

After many years of supporting CSC, the opportunity arose for me to help chaperone our youth group’s short terms missions trip there 2 ½ years ago. Our daughter Kristin also came on this trip. At the time – I saw this as a “once-in-a-lifetime” kind of trip. Little did I know what was in store!! Seeds were planted for me then – I just didn’t know it!

About 9 months after our team returned, the quarterly CSC newsletter came and profiled a sibling group of 5 kids that no family had yet expressed any interest in. As I read Paul Healy’s article – I was moved in a way that…to be honest – really scared me! But I had met these kids and knew they needed a family! I started looking at our house and wondered how we could fit 5 more kids in. It took a few days for me to get up the courage to share this with Mary!! Despite the fact that she is much more of a risk taker than I am, the thought of bringing 5 children into our household was not readily embraced!! We had occasionally talked about adoption before – but had never both been “ready” at the same time. In spite of her response, it was at this point that we started having more discussions about the possibility of adoption. We brought our kids into the discussion on Father’s Day of 2007. From the start, they were all supportive. (By the way – this sibling group of 5 was adopted last year)

We made plans as a family to visit and experience CSC to see how God was calling us to be more involved in this ministry and made our trip there last December. At that time, we were still undecided about adoption and personally, I was thinking that adoption was NOT what God would ask us to do. A number of things happened both while we were there and after we came back to change all of that. I would like to say that we saw God’s calling quite clearly from the beginning and that we readily accepted it – but that is simply not the case. Now as we look back, it so clear to see how God has been gently pointing us in this direction for many years. We just didn’t always recognize it. Our goal is to be obedient to what God has laid on our hearts. Fortunately He is patient and honors my hesitant and seemingly feeble efforts to respond to Him.

As we have undertaken this journey – we have appreciated so much the love and support of our amazing church family and staff. All of you mean more to us than we can put into words. Thank you!!

Here is my part...

A few years ago, Allen and I started thinking about what our lives would be like after our three girls were grown. We felt like God had something special for us to do, but we weren't REALLY sure of what it would look like. Now that we are here, with our complete family, we can see God's fingerprints everywhere as look back on our journey this far.

As we were considering adoption, I was struggling with what it means to truly walk by faith. We all sing about loving God with our whole heart, about going anywhere and doing anything for Him but what did that REALLY mean for me??? At this point in my life, I really felt that the one thing that God was asking me (and my family) to do was to open my heart and my home to three more children. There was no good reason for me to say "no". I have always felt incredibly blessed and supported. Other than my own weaknesses, I had been given all the tools to choose adoption, but my heart was not ready. To make this step of faith meant that I needed to be willing to let go of some things that I held closest to my heart...i.e...my family and my life as I knew it.

After much prayer and what we believed was a calling from God, our family took a GIANT LEAP OF FAITH into the unknown world of adoption. It has been frightening, challenging and humbling. It has also been exhilarating, exciting, and fun! It has required a lot of adjustment and change for ALL eight of us! Change is a hard thing for most people because we love safety, security and comfort. But change is also what helps us to grow...and yes, I believe that we are growing.

I guess that the biggest lesson that Allen and I are learning is that there is incredible freedom in being obedient to what God is calling you to do. It is ok of us to be afraid and to stumble along the way because we know that God is holding us in the palm of his hand. He has been walking with us every step of the way.

WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING

Last night, the Mork girls (along with Bjork's mom!) went to look at wedding dresses with Lindsay. I don't want to give anything away so I won't talk about any of the details. It was a fun outing and of course, Lindsay looked great! We all went out to eat afterwards. What a fun outing and what a great shot of all the Mork ladies!! It makes me happy to see all of us together! (For you who have been following my blog... I finally have a new picture of the 5 of us for my Moms and Daughters picture frame!)
By the way, the crutches you see are for Kristin who is nursing a stress fracture in her foot! Poor girl!!

FLYING SOLO

Allen left for Kentucky last night. He left me all alone to do a brief stint at single parenting. God bless the single parents in this world because it is really hard. Having said that, all in all, it went quite well. Last night Lindsay and Bjork came home to join us for a night at the movies. We went to Madagascar 2 and it was a big hit. Thanks guys, for joining us!!

Today was a busy day. We spent much of the day with my friend Roxanne and her daughter, Greta. Greta lives on a farm so this was an added treat. Not only that, she and her husband have THREE boys who love to play, play, play! Our kids played hard both inside the house and outside. Rodrigo especially loved the roosters. He is no stranger to these birds as his house parents would let Rodrigo feed the two roosters that they had at the shelter. It was fun for us to get to know this family better and we loved the outing!

This evening, the boys, Steph and her friend Jess went to the Snowflake Parade. (Roselyn was at a friend's house.) It was a new experience, but yes, very cold! We stayed for about half of the parade and then bailed... I brought the boys back to the house and introduced them to the hot tub! It felt SOOOO hot to them that they stood in knee deep water for a few minutes before actually dipping into the water. Once they made the plunge, they loved it!! They asked if we can go again tomorrow morning.

My one day of flying solo was ok I guess, but it makes me so very thankful that I am part of a team.

MORK OF THE WEEK

Allen and I decided that Bernie wins the MORK OF THE WEEK award. Our dog has gotten so much LOVE (if you know what I mean!) in the last two weeks. He has been dragged, hugged, kissed, chased and carried constantly by our two Filipino boys. Rodrigo spends the most time pursuing Bernie. For Bernie, it is a bit of a love/hate situation. And yet, we find him snuggling up to one of the kids not too infrequently. Once in a while he gives a little growl, but for the most part he just takes it. Bernie is ALWAYS waiting with a smile and a wag at the door when we get home. I am so glad that we have this welcoming little dog in our family. Good job, Bernie! You win the prize!

By the way, in case you were wondering... Rodrigo does own other sweatshirts. He just happens to love this Bluejacket one!!

BLUE DAY

Today was blue day. That means that Rodrigo did not have school. I have been looking forward to this day for quite a while. Allen started back to work today and the other children were all in school. That meant that Rigo and I had the whole day to spend together! One of the reasons I have been so excited about this day is because it gives us some time ALONE. Allen started bonding with Rodrigo from day one. For some reason, it has taken Rodrigo a bit longer to feel comfortable with me. Last Thursday was the first time he would even sit on my lap. It is all ok, and I have tried not to push it, but it has also been hard to hold back my affection for the boy. Anyway...it is much better now and today...well, today was great! We had a ball!

I did allow 30 minutes of PBS Kids programming. I watched from the kitchen and thought it was quite good. Rodrigo learned how to make popsicles! We thought it would be a good project to work on so we went to the store for all the ingredients. On the way, we stopped at the car wash. What a fun activity!!... "MOM! We go to wash car now??" He was very curious about the whole process and kept pointing at all the dirty cars in the parking lot after we left. Our trip to the grocery store was fun as well. He convinced me that he should have a shovel. After all, it was snowing and this IS Minnesota! He kept saying "MOM! It is snowing. I will shovel the snow. I will help Dad!". How could I resist?

Rodrigo is a very independent little person and wow(!) does he like to HELP. When we were checking out at the grocery store, he loaded all of the groceries onto the belt, then ran over to bag them. I didn't say a word. He just did it! When we got home, he hurried into the house so he could help me bring the groceries into the kitchen. Again, I didn't ask. He just volunteered. They told us about this at the shelter. They said that one of his favorite things to do was to work in the garden with the house mother. I hope he doesn't grow out of it!!! He wanted to help me make dinner, so we worked on lasagna together. It was really fun.

My day with Rodrigo was a highlight. It feels so great to have my son say..."MOM"...300 times a day! Maybe it is fun for him too. He never had that chance before now so I guess he is making up for lost time.

PRETTY SWEET, HUH??

SWIMMING SECTIONS

This weekend our family attended the swimming section meet in Blaine. This was our 9th swimming season and yes, it does feel like we have been doing this for a long time. It's all fun though...and what a great sport. Anyway, Steph did a great job and we were so proud of her. She has had a lot on her plate this week with lots of homework, the pressure of sections and well, three new siblings in the house! She has had a bad respiratory infection going on for the last few days to boot!



I, personally was ready for the season to be over. It is a long season and gets more intense as the season comes to a close. Things will settle down now and Stephanie will (hopefully) be around a bit more. It was so much fun having Lindsay, Bjork and Kristin come to cheer Steph on. Our family takes up an entire row now! Here are a few pictures from the weekend!

THE PRESSURE BEFORE THE BIG RACE IS ALMOST TOO MUCH FOR ONE GIRL TO HANDLE!!

ONE WEEK AT HOME

I am not quite sure what to say tonight. I really want to say that everything is just perfect and all is well, but I would be lying. Today has been a day of ups and downs...both for me and for my kids. I don't really want to share any specifics but just know that at the end of today, I feel kind of sad. Things are really going very well- over all. We have made lots of progress in one week and I believe that we are all bonding as a family. All three of our new kids have been to at least one full day of school. I'm proud of them for getting started so soon. All of the administrators and teachers have been so helpful and WONDERFUL! We are so appreciative.

So why am I sad? Well, relationships are complicated...no matter what. The dynamics of our family has changed and we all are adjusting. I have been mothering children for a long time, but why do I feel so inadequate now? I have never been one to hover over my kids, but I find myself hovering a lot these days. I want to make sure everyone is happy and getting along. I have that insatiable urge to FIX everything. The reality is... that I can't fix everything or make everyone happy. Is it wrong to wish that I could???

People come to me and say, "You are so wonderful" or "Wow! I could never do what you are doing" or "You are doing such a wonderful thing!" As much as I appreciate those nice words, I sure don't feel so wonderful. I don't feel very patient or kind or qualified to parent more children. I am supposed to be the mom, the leader, the steady and seasoned one...but I am just me, doing what I think is right with a giant dose of humility. I guess that in spite of my weaknesses, I am trying to do the best I can. I am learning so much about grace for the day. If I didn't believe that God was holding me in the palm of His hand, I don't know what kind of shape I would be in. It gives me great comfort knowing this.

While we were in the Philippines, someone VERY dear to me sent this passage of Scripture. It was so helpful to me then. I would like to share it with you now.

"I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit - not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength - that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! LIVE FULL LIVES, full in the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:16-30 (The Message)

Thanks for allowing me to share my journey.

OUR FIRST FEW DAYS AT HOME

Life has been very busy the last few days. I haven't totally unpacked quite yet, but am working on it. We have had a number of visitors and the kids have been busy meeting family members. On Monday night, we had a visit from Mitch and Ruth Olendorf and their two sons. Both Mitch and Ruth work at CSC and are home on furlough for one year. Our kids know them very well and were happy to spend a few hours with them. We have certainly had others pop in to see our kids as well.

Today was a big day. Rodrigo started school today. His class made a visit to the fire station and we all thought it would be a shame for Rodrigo to miss it! Allen went along to make sure the transition went well. I'm pretty sure he volunteered to go because he has never been to a fire station. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - Allen or Rodrigo! The rest of the day went very well. I went to eat lunch with Rigo. What a trip!! It has been a few years since I went through the cafeteria line at school. Really, it was quite fun and I got to meet some of the other kids in Rigo's class. It was interesting for me to see which kids Rodrigo is drawn to. I watched him running around in the gym. He wasn't shy in the least! I was proud of the way that he just jumped right in. At one point, I could feel the tears swelling up in my eyes. I was very happy to see him so happy.

Tonight was our first time at Wednesday night clubs. After dinner, the boys immediately joined in to play basketball with the other boys in the gym. It didn't take long for the sweat to start streaming down their forheads. It made me laugh and I was so happy to see them blending in.

Romeo and Roselyn start school tomorrow. They are both excited and nervous but I am confident all will go well. I am proud of the way they are handling this transition. Step by step, we are all getting used to living life together.