Life isn't all that Bad!!!

Thank you for all your support, you have successfully lifted us up and we are again running to win the race! We have had two wonderful days. Saturday we picked up the girls and walked into town. They love to walk and they love to take us on adventures. We walked a new way into town, straight down a bluff, and I mean straight down. The girls love to run. Papa is a great runner, Marina and Yana have won medals for running and then there is Mama. Marina will never leave Mama behind, but she will not be in last place either, so Marina holds Mama's hand real tight and runs as fast as she can and Mama just has to keep up. Some times I come up with good short cuts that put us ahead of Papa and Yana with less effort. Adopting two teenage girls might end up being a weight watchers program, we will run everywhere.

Our day was spent having lunch, shopping for a few DVD's and going back to the Hotel and watching movies and just being silly. Yana was alittle under the weather so she even fell asleep. It is difficult to do much outside because of the cold and wind. The girls enjoy being with us, they don't even mind the 4 walls as much as I do.

Today is sunday, December 30. Our 10 day waiting period is over for Yana, but the 7 day holiday just began. Last week Victor, our facilitator, called the court offices and asked if they would be open between New Years and Christmas (Jan.7th) and they said yes they would be open on the 3,4, and 5. He called yesterday to make sure since he is in Kyiv and didn't want to make the trip for nothing. They have decided to close for the week. Wonderful flexibility on their behave, oh well cultural difference. We did not see the girls today, we spent the day going to church and having dinner with the founder of the church, Ernie and Anna Smith. This is the 2nd sunday that we were with them. Last week we had an translator and this week the service was in English and a translater for Russian. The service was written just for us and our situation. God is good! There was no magic to give us, but there was a whole lot of Jesus in the flesh. The people in this church have showered us with love. They asked for pictures of the girls today and prayed for them. We get as many hugs and kisses as we get at home on sunday. It is such a sweet experience to be there. The church has 2 finished apartments, they have offered us to stay in one. There is someone coming at the end of January, but hopefully we will be home by then. We will be at Hotel Berdyansk until January 2nd. The apartment is really nice, and it has a washer! It also has a kitchen. It will save us alot of money. After church we went to Erinie and Anna's home for lunch and enjoyed the visit. Their daughter was there for the holidays. She is a teacher in Chicago. We stayed with them most of the afternoon and returned to our 4 walls for a day of rest.

As you see, God has not left us in the wilderness longer then we could handle. We both are seeing His hand everyday, He is not quite. We are still praying for a miracle and want to bring Marina home now. We just adore her. I know that all things are God's will and we know we don't see the big picture. We do trust our God and no matter what we will continue to always praise Him.

We are picking the girls up Monday afternoon and keeping them until Tuesday evening. We plan to usher 2008 in together. Marina promises to stay awake, as long as we can eat at midnight. I am sure that the fireworks will keep us awake most of the night.

Rick and I would like to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR
Thank you all again for being there for us.
Fran