It's been 2 months!

We've been home with our newly adopted daughter, Lena, for 2 months now. Everything has been moving so fast that I haven't had the time or even thought about updating our blog until asked by several people. I do plan on trying to update now once a month. Lena is adjusting very well. We have been glad to see that she hasn't had the "sad" moments that she had while she was here last summer. When we hosted her, there were many times that she would look teary eyed or like her mind was wondering and we were worried that she missed the Ukraine and her sister. She has now shared more of what her homelife used to be and it is really sad to hear. I will go into that more next month.

Now that we have been back for 2 months, we've only seen that once or twice. I think this summer she was more concerned that we wouldn't come for her. The difficulties that we faced this summer with both girls feeling like they had to compete with each other (being so close in age) has subsided to minor instances and both seem to have relaxed now that our situation is permanent. Brianne and Lena have so much fun together and have become not just friends but truly sisters. It is wonderful to see them paling around together. Brianne has been very gracious and enjoys explaining things to Lena. Lena is a quick learner and very eager to try new things.

Lena wants to understand everything that I talk about and everything that I say that we are going to be doing or the places we are going. She asks alot of questions which wears me out at times, but really helps her knowledge of our language and culture. She is speaking English in short sentences now and we have begun to help her with using the correct words. We do spelling tests, phonic, reading, writing and listening skills in English every day. It is helping to hit it from every angle. I bought her an easy Nancy Drew book and a BoxCar book this week and she finished the first in 1 day and is 1/3 of the way through the second in 2 days. Of course, comprehension will be slower, but we plan on working on that this summer. Her desire to learn and succeed make all the difference.

I feel so thankful that we are homeschooling because it allows us to focus on each girls strengths, weaknesses and character. I feel like it has allowed Lena to move at a much faster pace as well.
She has said two prayers aloud now at the dinner table and we are explaining our faith as much as possible along the way. She also reads Bible verses each day and has told me that she is thinking of volunteering for reading in her Sunday School class!

Blake takes it all in stride and for someone who sometimes has difficulties when routines are changed, he has done incredibly well for having a new member of the family instantly. He really wants Lena to play with him and she complies much of the time. He thinks that she is great "most of the time" and often asks her to say something in "Spanish". He has a hard time understanding that since Spanish is a different language and she speaks a different language why she doesn't understand it! Both girls enjoy cheering for him at his baseball games.

Brianne is a great example of striving to do your best in school. She takes MOST lessons seriously and wants to excel. Lena has watched how she works and wants to be just as diligent. I have seen Brianne grow so much and am glad that we didn't back off of the decision to adopt Lena when we had struggles last summer. She is independent in many of her lessons and I can see how homeschooling is helping to prepare her for doing lessons on her own at college. We plan to work on Spanish w/her this summer while Lena is focusing on English. This will be the first summer that we do some lessons through the summer. I think it will be beneficial and will keep all 3 kids moving forward academically.

Brianne's strength's continue to be writing and art, but she is also becoming more athletic. She is still taking tennis, but also taking volleyball now and interested in being on the competitive team. I am so thankful to have had these years of working w/her in every aspect of her life and really thankful that God brought me back after surgery a year ago. It has been a crazy but amazing year. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband and now 3 awesome kids!