The beginning of 2010 found us knee deep in adoption paperwork for Sasha. We did not use an adoption agency so the paperwork was more intense and many of the rules had changed since 2006. We pressed through (with several re-dos), but the process only took 6 months this adoption instead of a year! On May 7th all five of us flew to Ukraine in pursuit of the newest member of the family. The trip was full of emotion and all 3 boys connected with family they had in Ukraine and hadn’t seen in a very long time. Tyler had an experience of a lifetime and spent 2 nights in the orphanage. Dave, Nicky & I were interviewed on TV (through translation) about our adoption experience. After 6 long weeks, “Cody Aleksander” became our son and made our home complete. We had been praying for so many years for him. God answered our prayers and we witnessed His goodness once again.

Our other big news is we moved! After 20 years in our Williamsburg home we moved 30 minutes up the road to Providence Forge (a small community between Williamsburg & Richmond). Dave work transferred him to Richmond and the good news is Dave’s employer offered a relocation package, which meant they bought our home and paid for our move. We were able to purchase a beautiful home in a great neighborhood with good schools. Once again, we saw the goodness of God.

I am still working in Williamsburg which is a blessing because I wasn’t ready to cut all ties to the community & friends I had come to know and love after all these years. A few highlights about the kids…

Elliott–20 years old and doesn’t know if he likes not being a teenager anymore! We were so proud when he graduated from Lafayette High School in June. A big accomplishment for not knowing English until he was 16! In the summer he worked at the Winery in the Vineyards. It was 107 degrees on his first day! He attended community college part-time in the fall and worked at Chick-fil-a. His passion continues to be for the things of God and he plans to go to ministry school next year.

Nicky – Yikes…Is he really 16?? He graduated 8th grade after 3 years at Berkley Middle School. Nicky is still playing drums, skateboarding and dreaming big! Nicky spent a month in the summer with Tobi & Tommy and went to see Phantom of the Opera for the first time. Changing high schools freshman year wasn't easy but he was able to run in a track meet his first week in the new school!

Cody turned 16 in October (does this mean we have Irish twins?) and he experienced his first birthday party ever. He was overwhelmed at couldn’t say thank you enough. Transition hasn’t been easy though as EVERYTHING is new. Family, food, culture, school, language (even the boys have changed since he knew them years ago in the orphanage)

Tyler is 14 and in 8th grade. He has such a unique & witty personality and his friends are his life at this point in time! He loved the Ukraine and is still dreaming about going back for the katushka free (potatoes) if nothing else! Ty did his annual month of travel between Illinois, Florida and Georgia again & came home with a huge amplifier for his guitar. He continues to play the guitar learning new songs all the time without lessons and also loves videography!

Tobi (36) & Tommy are still loving their new abode and traveling every chance they get. Tobi started dental hygiene school in the fall, became class president and is working her little bootie off to maintain a high GPA while continuing to work on the weekends. Our son-in-law Tommy lost his Father in December to a very fast growing cancer. He was a great man and such a wonderful Father to Tom. We are so saddened by this great loss.

Les (36) & Kraig are still in Davenport and are adjusting to their first year of parenthood. Chase is adorable but keep them on their toes! It is a challenge with both of them working and having a life before Chase! However, they can’t imagine life without him now!

I still can’t find enough hours in the day to work, play and take care of this family. One thing is for sure, I am not bored! When so many of our friends are thinking of retiring, I’m just waiting for the time these words become obsolete in this household..“MOM, I AM HUNGRY!”

Until next time…
Lovin you all,
(from our new pad with our new kid & the rest of em too!)
The Schweickert’s

A recap of 2009 Greetings to all of our dear family and friends! 2009 just flew by! Amazing. I remember my parents always talking about time going faster the older they got. I thought they were crazy. Funny how my perspective changes the older I get!

So here is the scoop on a few of the happening in our lives in the year 2009.

Dave - What can I say about this husband of mine that hasn’t been said before? 19 years at the Power Plant and still never comes home and complains! Impressive. He continues to serve a boat load of people with his bicycle and computer expertise. His new field of servanthood is for our church as “The Sound Man”. He operates the sound equipment for the worship team several times a month. He still dreams of riding his bike across America.

Kath - Still practicing electrolysis and love my job. I joined a small group of women this year for a Bible Study on Wednesday nights. I also joined a gym and ventured out to try a new form of working out…SPIN! The hardest exercise I’ve ever done. Once my body got over the shock & the initial pain, I’ve enjoyed it. I was able to join my Illinois girlfriends for a wedding in June. Two of our dearest friends (Nancy Stalter & Peggi Swift) children, Mike & Abby got married. What a blast and blessing it was!

TOBI – Tobi has finished all of her pre-req classes to get into Dental Hygiene school with a 4.0! She and her husband, Tom also purchased a big beautiful home outside of Atlanta in Buford, GA. There is a ton of room for guest, which they love having! Tommy & Tobi’s travels continue with the boys being the recipient of their love on the go! Spring break this year took them to all the theme parks in Orlando.

LESLIE – Kraig got back from being deployed to Egypt in February. We are so proud of him. He is such a great role model for our country! Of course, we had to join in celebration for his welcome home party March! Kraig and Leslie welcomed their first child, Charles Lee Hunnemuller, a.k.a. as “Chase” on November 13^th 2009. Proud parents and baby boy are doing great. Yes, he really is a beautiful baby and yes, we are prejudice!

ELLIOTT – Elliott is 19 years old and a SENIOR in high school (tear,tear). He continues to play club (indoor & outdoor) soccer, as well as for the high school team. I am amazed at his reading and comprehension of the English language. Elliott continues to seek God and loves to worship and pray. He had a lot of fun working at the Williamsburg Winery restaurant over the summer.

NICKY - Nicky is 15 years old and still asking for a cell phone… everyday! Our answer is still the same…everyday. He makes us laugh and makes us scream…everyday. Nicky played football for the first time in the fall. He was the fastest runner on the team and ended up being a great kicker! He continues to love skateboarding and actually made it through the year without an ER visit!

TYLER - Ty is an official teenager now! He is finding school a bit boring this year and can’t wait until high school! Tyler & his Papa rode the C&O Canal on their bikes in August for 6 days, logging in over 200 miles! His passion this year is playing the guitar. He practices for hours and has acquired 3 guitars of his own already!

We went to Illinois for Christmas and ran smack dab into a snow storm. It only took us 2 days and 24 hours in the car, loaded down with luggage, presents, 2 boys and a big white fluffy R-O-T-T-E-N dog! My sister Cyndie was calling on the way out and referring us to “The Griswolds”! The good news is our entire family (except for Ty L) was together which rarely happens. You should have seen all of us trying to take Mom’s place in the kitchen. It was a sitcom in the making!

My Mom has been moved to a nursing home in Bloomington from Peoria. It is still very difficult for all of us to accept that she is in the condition she is in. Mom has her good days and not so good days. Somedays the staff would like to choke her and other days they want to hug her! She continues to do and say some pretty funny things and as always…we just shake our heads and say “that’s Snoz for ya!”

Our BIG NEWS is that we are expecting again! I know, I know. This is it…just one more time…REALLY!

“Adopting one child won’t change the world; but for that child, the world will change.”

His Ukrainian name is Sasha. He is 15 years old. He lives in the same orphanage that Elliott & Nicky were in. We met him 3 years ago and fell in love with him. We have been praying for him ever since. The boys are so excited they can hardly wait! We are almost finished with what has felt like never- ending paperwork and hope to travel in a few months to bring home our new bundle of joy! Praying and trusting God for His perfect timing. Proverbs 3:5,6

Follow our adoption journey at http://www.ukraineadoption-dave.blogspot.com/

So, that about wraps it up. Keep in touch and know that you are loved, valued and prayed for.

Huggin you from the Burg,

The Schweickert’s

A recap of 2008

Once again, the year has flown by. I don’t really know if it is because of the boys or because I am getting older. At any rate…here we are smack dab in 2009. Unbelievable.

Church, trips, sports, school & work was in full swing this year with not much down time.

Elliott turned 18 and is advancing in his language and understanding. He really enjoys reading and it has been fun to watch him be able to devour books in English. His passion is Jesus and soccer. He excelled in soccer for the high school team being the highest scorer with 20 goals! He also played soccer for a local soccer club for 6 months, basketball with a rec league, ran a little track, worked at a grocery store and went to church camp! The Lord is doing an amazing work in and through him and it is a blessing to watch.

Nicky is now 14 years old and a skateboarding fanatic! He lives, eats and breaths it. He took a break in the fall to play club soccer and scored the most goals for the team. After four months of hard work, Nicky performed in the school play "Godspell" landing one of the leading roles. We see improvement in his reading and his teachers tell us how curious he is about EVERYTHING...we agree! He has grown a foot and gained over 30 lbs. since his adoption two years ago and everyone comments on his voice change.

Tyler is 12 years old and has left his elementary school years behind (so sad...his Daddy was 12 when we moved to Virginia). He ended the 5th grade year with high marks, new friends and some really long hair! Ty attended a football camp in June at the college of William & Mary. Brett Favre, his favorite player not only attended the camp, but Ty was able to get his Daddy’s Green Bay Packer jacket autographed. Tyler ended the day with a spot on the evening news telling his story! Ty loves animals, anything to do with the 80's,video games, reading, swimming and hanging with fam and friends.

All 3 boys love music. Ty is really into the 80’s music, Nicky loves it all,and Elliott is ALWAYS singing (with or without headphones)usually to praise music. They have all started music lessons, each with a different instrument. Elliott is learning guitar, Nicky, drums and Ty the piano. Praise the Lord, each instrument is in different rooms of the house. At least, for now! (this pic shows them rocking out to "Guitar Hero" that Tommy & Tobi gave them for Christmas)

Among many firsts for the boys were a canoe trip, white-water rafting and sailing. All received rave reviews and they are anxious to do all of it again! We also took them to Illinois for the 4th of July. It made great family memories and another first, swimming in Grandma Snoz and Diane’s pool. Tommy and Tobi took the boys to the resort “Atlantis” in the Bahamas in April. Needless to say they had a FABULOUS time! Yet another first…snorkeling and swimming with sharks!

We were involved hosting a weekend reunion for adopted children from the Berdyansk orphanage (where the boys lived)in Ukraine. There were a total of 26 kids from several different states. We started the weekend Friday night with a dinner and disco dance. The kids sang their hearts out to Russian music and danced the night away. Saturday, we spent too many hours at Busch Gardens (Mama speaking) and ended the weekend with church, a picnic and a big soccer match! We try to keep the boys connected with their friends from the orphanage as much as possible. We had several of the kids come and stay with us over the summer.

With all our crazy busy schedules, Dave and I were loving the few times we were able to escape for much needed R&R! In April, we went on a cruise (first time on a Italian ship) to the Western Caribbean. We ate too much, read, took naps and got up and did it all over again! In October we went on our annual hiking weekend. We love to find new places reasonably close to where we live. This year’s find was Monteray, VA, a sleepy little town of 300 on the West Virginia border. We stayed at the “Highland Inn” built in 1900. It was just what the doctor ordered. Mr. & Mrs. Tom Veri joined us unexpectedly on their way to PA. A really nice surprise!

Dave is dreaming of retirement, still volunteering and riding his bike as often as he can. In September, he diligently mapped out a bike trip that would take him around the Chesapeake Bay in one week. He did some stealth camping for the first time and was in and out of 3 different states. Always up for an adventure, that’s my man!

I still have my electrolysis business and am working 3-4 days a week and loving the freedom it allows me. I did a Beth Moore Bible Study in the fall which was water to my soul. I went on my annual (14th year) beach babe trip in March with my girlfriends from the Burg and I managed to sneak in some girlfriend time with my Illinois girls too. I cherish my girlfriend time and don’t take it for granted.

Tom & Tobi are doing great. They are still living in Atlanta but don’t go too long without traveling somewhere! Many of their trips are centered around family and friends. They are very loyal to both and we love that about them. Tobi has been taking pre-req classes all year in preparation to enter the Dental Hygiene program. It has been tons of work and we are proud of her accomplishments.

Kraig and Leslie are still living in Davenport, Iowa. Kraig is in the National Guard and was deployed to Egypt for a year, just returning home this month. We are so happy he is back on US soil, but not as happy as his wife! Leslie has been holding down the fort with their dog, Harley, and still working as an accountant.

My Mother continued to struggle with seizures and strokes throughout the year and now has stroke induced dementia. She is in a nursing home in Peoria, Illinois. It has broken our hearts to see what it has done to her, but she is a fighter and she isn’t going down easy! About the time you think things are worse, God gives us a ray of hope and she rallies. Thankfully Diane, Cyndie, Andie and Rosa have helped shared the load in her care.

Our year ended with a much anticipated new member to our family. His name is Meshach, better known as Shack, or Shack-a-doo, or Doodle (and a few others names that I won’t mention)! He is a Goldendoodle (half Golden Retriever/half Standard Poodle) and yes…we are certifiable crazy! After two years of 3 boys BEGGING daily for a dog, Dave and I finally caved. He is adorable and exhausting but the boys are thrilled! (This pic was taken in Ohio on the day we saw Shack and his littermates for the first time. Nicky is holding Shack.)

Finishing up '07

November & December was very busy for our family. It's nice to have a slower pace for the month of January.
On November 21st, Heart for Orphans ministry brought back "The Old Russian Shoemaker" play for 2 weeks accompanied by 17 orphans from the Ukraine. This is the same venue that brought our boys to the States in December 2005. This year we were BLESSED to host Losha and Sergaey in our home. Losha & Sergaey are two young men from Kiev who are responsible for the sound & lighting for the play. Our boys had established a deep friendship with Losha & Sergaey when they traveled and performed with the Shoemaker 2 years ago. The love between all of us was incredible and I now feel like we have two more sons from across the pond. NO... we are not going to adopt them, although if they weren't 30 years old we might have considered it!

The month of December was a lot of fun with lots of activities. We started going to a different church in October and really enjoyed celebrating the birth of Christ with our new church family. We hosted an annual Christmas party with close friends which is always a good time. Tommy & Tobi joined us for 4 days at Christmas and spoiled the kids rotten! They gave the boys a "Wii" and and 3 games and it was a huge surprise! We have not allowed the kids to have any video games here but decided to give it a try because it is interactive and the entire family can join in the fun. Right now there is a fierce competition on who is number one in bowling!

Elliott ran indoor track. He's really fast and as much as the coach wanted him to stay for outdoor track, he decided to move on to soccer. He is also playing basketball with the Rec league, which he loves! Nicky became obsessed with skateboarding and has become quite good. He tried out for the school play and made it. He has several parts including a solo. The every night rehearsals are interfering with his skateboard time! Ty continues to play the trumpet, play with Brennan and is obsessed with growing his hair!

FUNNY TY & NICKY STORY: Nicky THOUGHT he needed a new skateboard as his old one has taken a lot of abuse, however he lacked ten dollars to be able to order one. He tried hard to talk his Dad into loaning him the money but to no avail. Next he started working Ty(Mr. Money Bags)who likes to save his money. After several days of pleading and trying every angle, Ty finally conceded and gave Nicky the 10 bucks. We were all anxious to hear about the transaction. Nicky gave Ty his two gift cards (worth $25 that he received for his birthday)from Barnes & Noble in exchange for ten dollars cash. Ty loves to read and Nicky doesn't so they both thought they got the better deal! I know everyone else in the house was glad it was over!

Summer/Fall 2007

We survived the heat of the summer and went full throttle into Fall. Our summer went way too fast but was lots of fun in spite the extreme heat!

Here are a few of our summer highlights:

Tyler spent the fourth of July in the Bahamas at the Atlantis resort with Aunt Tobi and Uncle Tommy. The best part was a celebrity costume competition they entered, dressed up as the American Idol Judges. Not only did they win first place but a return trip to the Atlantis Resort! He came back just in time for football camp. By the end of July he was back on a plane again. This time off to visit family in Illinois!

Elliott continued working part-time at Farm Fresh until mid-August. He attended a 2-week Cross Country running camp and went to Myrtle Beach for a week with the church youth group. He came back on fire for the Lord! It is a beautiful thing for parents to watch their child experience the love of Christ first hand.

Nicky went for a week to a Christian Camp called “Kaleidoscope”. He had a great time. He loved meeting new friends and did a lot of fun activities, including archery & a ropes course. He didn’t quit talking about camp for weeks! He is extremely affectionate, very animated and WIDE OPEN! There isn’t anything he won’t try, curious about EVERYTHING and talks 24/7! Saying all of that he has a difficult time “chillin” and keeping him busy over the summer was a challenge! For that reason, we were both glad when school started!

Our family rented a beach house at the Outer Banks for a week in August. Tobi and Tommy came from Atlanta and Grandma and Diane came from Illinois. The kids had so much fun they want to do it every year! You may view vacation pics at: http://picasaweb.google.com/kathie914

This fall has brought new schools and new schedules. Elliott is at Lafayette High School, Nicky at Berkley Middle School and Ty at Rawls Byrd Elementary. I feel like I am on Gilligan’s Island with a “three hour tour”, starting a 6 a.m. and finishing at 9 a.m. The boys leave one hour a part from one another, which is nice because I have individual time with each one. By the time I leave for work at 9 a.m. I feel like it should be time for lunch!

Elliott was apprehensive about going to a large public school but playing football has really helped. He started practice in the summer so he already knew kids when starting school. When he went to his first practice he didn’t know a soul, had never seen a football game and still limited in the language. That took a lot of guts! His biggest challenge is keeping up with his homework with the hours required to play football. Outside of school, Elliott had the opportunity to speak for a few fundraisers for a ministry called “Heart for Orphans”. http://www.heartfororphans.com/ He openly shared his story of being in the orphanage and his adoption experience. He is compassionate about the children left behind and happy to do whatever he can to make others aware of the tremendous need.

Can I just tell you that Nicky LOVES everything about middle school! He is doing well in class and the teachers all love his enthusiasm! He is participating in choir and drama club, which are both a great fit for him. He has attended 2 school dances and came back excited and exhausted! Nicky is also in Adventure Rangers at church and is having way too much fun doing rough boy stuff.

Tyler is officially at the top of his game being a 5th grader at Rawls Byrd. Brennan (his best friend) and Ty worried all summer that they wouldn’t be in the same class this year and were thrilled when they found out they were! Ty is playing the trumpet and running for Vice President of the school. He is also doing Rangers this year, but can’t wait until he is old enough to be an Adventure Ranger because they do cooler stuff than Discovery Rangers!

September 14th was a big day in the Schweickert household. Nicky became a teenager and Kathie became a speed limit and a senior citizen! We started the day with a much anticipated early morning run to Starbucks for a “decat” coffee. After school we both got pedicures and went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. Back to the house for chocolate raspberry cake and homemade ice-cream compliments of Dad. We had a houseful of friends join us to celebrate Nicky’s first birthday in America. Nicky said it was the best birthday he ever had, and the queen decided it's not such a bad thing to share her birthday after all!

Nicky and Dad biked the C&O Canal (http://bikewashington.org/canal/) from September 21st to the 24th. Mom took us to Cumberland, Maryland the morning of the 21st and we rode about 30 miles the first afternoon. Each night we camped at one of the HB (hiker/biker) campgrounds and ate freeze dried food. For breakfast, we had oatmeal. I was worried that Nicky wasn’t going to like the freeze dried food but he actually thought it was fabulous! For lunch each day we stopped in a town along the route; Hancock, Md on Saturday and Harper’s Ferry, WV on Sunday. On the 24th we got to DC about noon and ate lunch at the canal walk mall and then did the quick tour of the sites – Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Capital, and White House. It was great to do on our bikes because you can ride right up to the site! Mom picked us up at Gravel Neck Park, just north of Reagan National Airport – it is right at the end of the runway and you can watch the planes take off and land up close and personal. I decided that this was the ticket and I wanted to bring Elliott up to do a bike tour of DC also.

So… the next Saturday, Elliott and I loaded up the bikes and headed to Gravel Neck Park. It was packed but we found a slot to park and headed up the Mt Vernon Trail to the Arlington Cemetery. Then we took the Memorial Bridge across the Potomac to the Lincoln Memorial. We saw all the sites that I took Nicky to in addition to the Vietnam memorial, the WWII memorial, and we spent the afternoon at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. In addition, we discovered that the The Call was going on at the foot of the Washington Monument. So we kept going back there during the day to check it out. We sang praise music and prayed there. We rode up to the Canal Walk Mall to eat lunch and show Elliott the canal. What a great day!

Tyler turned “11” on October 30th. His request was to eat at the “Golden Corral” and to have a sleepover with Brennan along with a campfire in the back yard. Request granted, he was a happy boy!

The boys both dressed up for Halloween and went trick or treating. Their different outfits reflect their different personalities. Another first for Nicky. I've never seen a child get as excited about dressing up as Nicky did!

Elliott turned “17” on November 6. His request was to go to North Carolina to see his friends from the orphanage that had also been adopted. So, Mom and son took a rode trip to NC for two days and had a great trip! We came back and opened the garage door and a red punching bag was hanging in the garage. The boy was excited! He loved his first birthday in America, but is already worried about time going too fast and getting too old!

Spring/Summer 2007

We took the boys to Illinois for my niece Jodi’s wedding. We drove 9 hours the first day and stopped in Lexington, KY to spend the night. After checking into a hotel with an indoor pool, the boys couldn’t get their swim suits on fast enough! They swam until the pool closed. All three were a big hit at the wedding reception with all their “John Travolta” moves” until Nicky broke his thumb break-dancing and Ty threw his neck out with some wild moves! It was Nicky & Elliott’s first time meeting sister Leslie and brother-in-law Kraig (Elliott’s first time meeting the rest of the Illinois family). Leslie commented they fit in the family so perfectly it was like the boys were interviewed before we adopted them! Picture, left to right: Elliott, Tom Veri, Tobi Veri, Kathie, Nicky, Myself, Tyler, Leslie Hunnemuller and Kraig Hunnemuller.

The school year ended in June and all 3 boys did very well. Tyler made the honor roll and found a new best friend this year. Nicky had an awesome group of teachers who were very patient and attentive with him. He had a “stepping up” ceremony (for 5th graders going to Middle School next year) the last day of school. He was so excited about it and after much bantering back and forth I let him wear Tyler’s tuxedo to this NOT so formal event! (He even tried to get me to wear a formal). He was the only one wearing a tux but it didn’t bother him at all. He was so proud of his accomplishment and so was I! Elliott ended his year at WCA with the “Presidential Award for Physical Fitness”. The unfortunate part was we were not notified ahead of time so we could have attended, but he did not understand the significance of it either.

Dave and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on May 30th! We had a great meal (alone) at a fabulous new restaurant and reminisced about our 20 year journey. We both feel very blessed and can’t believe we are new parents together at this time in our marriage. I never dreamed that we would have children together, which always saddened me. God still amazes me in His goodness towards us!

This summer we purchased Busch Garden/Water Country Passes for the family and can I just say the boys cannot stop talking about “The Griffon”, the biggest baddest Roller Coaster ever! Just ask Nicky, he will give you ALL the stats you ever wanted to know! This was DEFINETELY a new experience for them! We have all had a ton of fun at Water Country too. So it shouldn’t take much imagination to figure out where and how we are spending a lot of our free time this summer!

June started off with the annual Royal Rangers “Pow Wow” weekend camping outing. After several weeks of Nicky and Ty constructing a cardboard boat with their team, Nicky and Ty were the two chosen to row the boat together. To lead their team into victory...Uhmmm. We were both somewhat apprehensive as this event had capability of great bonding or great division. Thankfully, there were no injuries, they were still speaking to each other by at the end AND they came in 3rd place with a trophy! Way to go guys!

The most exciting thing that happened in June was the boys getting baptized in the James River! It was a decision both of them made by themselves and understood the significance of what they were doing. Family & friends rejoiced as they came out of the water and at their desire to identify with Christ in this way!

Elliott went to his first high school retreat at church in May. Can I just say that communicating clearly is still a bit of a problem! I thought he understood when I told him (in detail) about the upcoming high school retreat and ask him if he was interested in going. He said “YES”! However, when it came time to go, I found out that he thought it was just a night out (like when he went with the group one night to play Laser Tag)…not a 3 day event! He was apprehensive (and wanted me to get my money back) but agreed to go. He was on my heart all weekend, and I was praying that God would break down the language barriers and Elliott would get to know HIM better, and have a great overall experience. The last day he called me to say “Thanks Mom”. He told me it was “very very very good”, God spoke to his heart, great praise and worship, lots of new friends and a ton of fun. Thank you Jesus!

Right after school was out in June, we headed to Baldwinsville, NY (10 hour drive) to see our good friends Bill & Nancy Stalter. They adopted two girls (now 14 & 15) from the Ukraine in 2003 and we were anxious to get our families together. We had a great trip with LOTS of Russian speaking. We adults held our ground though, refusing to speak anything but English! About the Russian…it has now been 6 months for both children in the country and their language is really coming along good. We have asked them not to speak Russian if there are people around who do not understand them. It is working well unless they get in a fight and then the Russian starts flying. On the flip side, it helps them remember their native language! Nicky says he no longer thinks in Russian but Elliott still does.

Elliott and Nicky are attending summer school and both are excited about what they are learning! Mr. Elliott Schweickert is now gainfully employed! He is working part-time at one of the local markets in town called “Farm Fresh”. He really likes it and is a very hard worker. Nicky is officially on the pre-teen gymnastics team at William & Mary and practices every Monday night for 3 hours. He LOVES it and can’t get enough! He is pretty good and has already advanced to Level 4 in a short amount of time.

Meanwhile, Ty is in high demand this summer. He is off again flying by himself around the country! It doesn’t even faze him as he’s been doing it since he was 6 years old. He left last week for a visit to Florida with my sister, Andie and her husband, Rosario. Tomorrow he leaves for a surprise trip to the Bahamas with Aunt Tobi & Uncle Tommy. Ty visits them every summer in Atlanta and they take him on what they call “a trip within a trip” (camping, white water rafting, Disney World). Ty is going to be so excited about the surprise! (He is anticipating another camping trip). Later in the summer he will go visit his Illinois family for two weeks and return in time to go to the Outer Banks for a week with us! Now this is what I call living!

Lotsa Yard Work and Hiking

I have taught Elliott and Nicky how to mow the lawn! It is so good to have someone help with the yard work! They are at the 85% level now – apparently, in the Ukraine they don’t have much grass and they just find it and mow it. Maybe as the grass gets thicker they will be able to tell where they need to concentrate their efforts. I showed Elliott how the gas trimmer works but I can tell it will take some experience with that before the edge looks right.

We took a tree down in the front yard and had fun with that. I climbed the extension ladder and cut the limbs and they trimmed them on the ground while I supervised. I borrowed a chain saw to do the main trunk and Nicky wanted to try his hand at that – I don’t think so! Elliott wanted to do one of the main limbs so I let him and he realized that it was a lot of work (see picture). He has more respect for me now!!

One Saturday, we got six yards of mulch and spread it around. Nicky and Elliott made a competition out of it. Although I don’t quite think they understand why Americans put mulch down and where it comes from! I get it from across the street where there is a tree recycling business. They dump two yards in the truck at a pop and then we go spread it. I’m nice…I bought each one of the boys their very own pitch fork. I’m gonna get ‘em each a rake this fall too!!

Easter week was very special for our family. We attended several Easter services throughout the week at various churches and watched "The Passion" together. We are so thankful for the understanding that the boys have about the cross and their salvation. Thank you Jesus! We shared Easter dinner with our good friends, The Hathaways. It was a true blessing as they were so instrumental in our adoption (they were the first family to to adopt from Williamsburg 5 years ago). For Easter we have a tradition where we hide a bunch of Hershey’s kisses all over the house and then have the kids find them. Since Ty wasn't here we had to explain to Elliott and Nicky what the object was. In the past, our kids don’t find all the kisses and we can’t remember where we put them all so we end up finding them all year long (some are in not too good of condition when they are found!). Nicky and Elliott are dedicated kiss hunters. We hid 85 and after much determination & diligence they found 82 of them. (I may have eaten one or two myself while hiding them or maybe we miscounted!). I got all the boys a disciples crosses (made from carpenters nails and red, white, and blue wire) with a black leather string. They loved them..along with the supersoaker squirt guns and frisbees!

Nicky and Ty have become good friends and when at home, are together 24/7. They are more like brothers than uncle and nephew! They are over riding the school bus and for the past month they either ride their bikes to school or walk together. We are cherishing those times knowing that next year Nicky will go to middle school and it will be over. Nicky & Ty have both started gymnastics and all three boys love to play football and baseball on our side yard. The neighbors have graciously allowed them to use the basketball hoop and only one window has been broken...so far! (I won't say which boy broke the window!)

School is going good for Nicky – he had to do a science report and put the report on a backboard. I got approval from the teacher to have Nicky pick the topic and then I would help him find reference material on the topic. I was going to have him write it in Russian and then he would explain it to me and I would write it in English. As we covered the reference material, I had him take notes. After we were done I told him to write it up. The next day he showed it to me and all he did was rewrite the notes. I realized pretty quick that he couldn’t write it in Russian as the terms were all new to him and he only knew the English for them but he didn’t know enough English to write the report. I explained the format for a report and coached him through it. He gave me the information he wanted and I wrote the report as we discussed it. He then at down and meticulously copied it word for word (he caught a lot of mistakes that I had made!!). He decided what pictures to print from the internet. He couldn't wait to tell me to tell us that he got an "A". Way to go, Nicky!

Last weekend, we took the Nicky and Elliott hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains on Friday. Elliott was on spring break and we took Nicky out of school for the day. The weather was great Friday and there was supposed to be a nor’easter on Saturday. We were concerned that that the hike may be too difficult for Ty so he so he spent the weekend with his other grandparents. We chose a circuit hike in the Shenandoah National Forest known as Old Rag (for Old Raggedy Mountain). The entire circuit is about is about eight miles with a total rise in elevation of about 2500 ft. What is really neat about this hike is there is a rock scramble for the last mile and a half. The only problem we encountered was keeping them from running the entire hike. After we got to the summit and ate we gave in and let them run all the way back. As we were WALKING back down the mountain we would ask folks we passed "Have you seen two boys run by?" Many people laughed and said "Yeah, they were flying". We spent the night in Luray, had a great meal and went to Luray Caverns the next day. A great time was had by all!