While I was going through my video's, I found this one.  It is of the hosting families for 2008.  I thought that some of you may like to see it.  I have a lot more footage, but I will post it at a later time.  This was right before they came down the escalators to meet their hosting families.  They were all so darling, it made me want to do it all again!      

  

They never said anything about the tuff times!

First off, let me say how much I love Artem and Sasha!  I don't mean to be negative at all, but they can be so hard.  School is very tedious to them.  I just had an ESL meeting with all of their teachers today, and it wasn't pretty.  What it all comes down to, is that they are getting lazy with the work they have to do in class.  They say they don't understand, when they do, just to get out of doing it.  I know, typical teenager.  Well, after the meeting, when we got home, I put them to work on getting caught up.  It was very overwhelming for all of us.  We took away their computer hour, until they get caught up.  (That is what these boys live for.)  I asked them where they would rather be right now, here or Ukraine?  They replied, here!  I told them that from the beginning we have been giving them everything, love, family, home, clothes, food.  I was going on, and on.  I even have them watch me, when I pay cash for their tutor!  I want them to appreciate not only the time and love we give them, but what it costs us to have them tutored.  Everything cost money, and they need to learn how to earn money, so when the time comes, they can take care of their own families.  They aren't thinking that far ahead, but they did say that they are just going to live with us forever!  LOL!  We have been trying so hard to help in the transition of coming to America.  I know it's hard.  I can't imagine what it is like for them, but come on, they have to want it too.  I told them, it will be a lot of hard work.  They can complain all they want, but it won't change the fact that they have to learn.  I'm so frustrated right now, but it's okay.  They are good kids, and their teachers really like them.  They didn't like me up until an hour ago.  Artem came into my office, with a big smile, and that just melted my heart.  We played Wii, which in my opinion, is a great bonding tool.  Bottom line; I think they want us to be tuff on them.  It shows them how much we care about them.  They are getting English, and are speaking it more everyday.  They are happy, well adjusted kids. 

Thanks for all of your comments.  I was just reading them tonight.  It really helps keep my spirits up, when things get a little ugly.  When they weren't with us, I mostly thought of the good times we would have.  I knew that this wouldn't be easy, I just didn't know that it would be so tuff.  Their ours, and they were meant to be with us.  I will take the good with the bad, and stop complaining.  I'm so grateful that they are here, and they have really blessed all of our lives.          

Here is the video of team Ukraine.  If you have trouble viewing the video go to my you-tube site.  Search "cutetallgirl."  (No, I did not come up with that name, but I don't want to change it at this point)  

I have removed this video to make room for the latest one.  You can still view it on You-tube.   It has a much better picture at that site. 

A Double Day

The boy's had a soccer game, and Cat had a cheer competition.  I was able to make both.  I had my video camera this time!  The boy's did well.  They won there game 3 to 1.  I have footage that I will post soon.  I have to cut and paste that together, so as to just get in all the high lights!

Cat did very well on her cheer as well.  They had some bopples and dropped one flyer, but overall they did really good.  Cat stuck all of her double back hand springs, and caught her flyer.  Go Ignite!   

View the video on You tube.

"Soccer" to me!

The Carr's put a indoor soccer team together for most of the boys from Ukraine.  We have a great team, and it is so fun to watch them play.  This past Saturday they played a very good older team (that beat a previous team we tied with 15 to 2.)  In the first half our boys played really well, and were up 3 - 0.  Then in the second half they came back and scored 5!  A humbling experience to say the least.  They were bigger and better then our boy's, so they did a great job against them. 

 

There was a lot of pushing and words passed during the whole game.  It all came to a head at the end of the game, when one of their bigger players shoved our smallest player into the wall. Wrong!  Andrew was so mad he kicked the ball at him, and then jumped up and socked him in the face!  Very Wrong!  It wasn't pretty, especially in the stands.  

Everything turned out okay at the end, but it was pretty hilarious when it was all over, to see a 5'3 boy, punch a 5'9 boy in the face.  It wasn't right, but what could we do after it was all over but laugh.  Oh, how I wish I had my video camera!         

Jingle, Jingle!

This will be more of a picture show then a blogging.  This is how our christmas holiday has been so far.

                        Rogers family christmas party.  Anne and John 

         Kent and Brian Mindy, DeDe, Caroline, Jenna and Jamie
Cat, Sarah, Patrick, John, Lauren, Oliver, Jenna, Mary, Victor
Patrick's Missionary farewell.  Michigan bound!     

Judd, Fran, Charlie, Ali and Julie

       Madeline and Mindy 
Maddie, Lauren, and Cat
Ali bird, and Laurencita
Aaron's Missionary homecoming,  Mia, Aaron and David.
Arri hugging her nephew
Cat hugging her Cousin.
Aaron just off the plane
Artem, Sasha, Cat and Lauren, waiting, waiting, waiting
Still waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting!
And yet still, waiting, waiting........................
The kids up at the cabin
Rogers Christmas party.  
Maddie, Anne, Sarah.
Cat, Arri, Sarah.  (Sarah just jumps into all the pictures!)
John and Lauren.  (Where's Sarah?)
A Young Men's, Young Women's, Christmas Activity 
They had a blast!
Family Christmas picture!  No, I didn't get our cards out this year.  I tried!  At least we took a picture!
My side of the family, Christmas eve party!  It was very merry!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  Ours was great!  We got two very big gifts this year, and they are the best christmas presents we ever received!  They had a great time too!  Artem said "Santa is a good man!"  

                                   HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Their Day!

Our boys were baptized on Saturday the 15th of November.  It has taken me this long to get my act together and put the pictures on the blog.  It was amazing that they wanted to be baptized so fast.  We had an excellent translator that just hit it off with the boys on the first discussion. The boy's had a lot of questions, but after a couple of weeks, they really wanted to be baptized, and were excited about it.  It was a great evening.  We had a lot of people show up, and the boys thought that was really cool.  Thanks again to all that came.  It really meant a lot to us.