pictures from Sunday

Yeah! We have internet access. Apparently we lost it because we've used so much of it posting videos and pictures to the blog and facebook. So apparently our "unliminted" internet access does have a limit - and an additional charge :( So we'll try to control the posting of pics and no more videos!

I can't tell you how isolated we felt without it. One of the reasons this trip is so much more tolerable than our first adoption trips is because of internet. We skype (video chat) with the kids back home several times a day. It's a little harder to do with carter as he's in school while we're up and has busy schedule after school, but Rachel and Wesley keep us updated on his stuff - and we do get to talk to him every day or so. also we love your emails, posts on the blog, phone calls... So thanks for helping us feel connected to home.

Know you love the pics more than anything so here are pics from Sunday at the orphanage.
Luda and VIktor spent the whole day "instructing" Anastasia on the skills of the computer game she was playing. they were very patient (she was playing shoot 'em up games we don't have on our computer at home) as she said the game was very difficult


Seven kids and two computers and not one harsh word - unbelievable. They all just shared and helped one another for hours. These kids do look out for one another and are so willing to share what little they have. That's a great lesson for us.

Katya followed Sasha around the whole day. Makes me sad to think who she'll follow around when Sasha is gone (I'm guessing Luda! ) Here they are downloading music.

Viktor, Anastasia, and Luda sat like this for hours (well facing the computer not the camera) just talking and laughing. You can see that each of them has a big bunch of gum in their mouth. thank you crossroads pals for all the gum you gave us (we may run out of internet but I don't think we're going to run out of gum!

Katya. Sweet little thing. As we've said before we came over with several suitcases full of stuff for the kids that others donated. Zhenya (who was adopted and came home in December) and her mom Beth (who updates this blog when we're going nuts and don't have internet) purchased these flowers and sent them over with us. Zhenya, Katya loved this and clutched it like this most of the time. Thank you Zhenya for knowing exactly what your friends here in the "internat" would enjoy.

Sweet Anya. She is Vitali's sister (he was here this summer for hosting) and was a pal of Anastasia's when she was in the orphange. During the process of adopting her, we spent lots of time with Anya, so have been sad that we haven't seen her. She's been staying with relatives while the kids were on spring break this past week. On Sunday she peeked her head into the computer room, then did a double take and got a big grin on her face. Really precious, sweet little girl.