One reason why my blogging MAY return to 'normal'

Click the title and find out! :-)

Blogging has been VERY 'lite' here lately...

...because we've been a bit distracted and/or preoccupied--you might say we have "Senioritis"










.

Bach's Fuga VI

(Update: 03/08/09 Olga received word earlier today that she has been accepted into the music program at OSU!)

This is a short clip of Olga warming up for her piano audition today (she had another one at a different university last Saturday!). Sorry, but the audio on our digital camera isn't the best!

BTW, today is the 7th anniversary of when we first heard about Olga!

In Memory of Theodore ~ 08/08 - 10/17/08

This adorable little guy was part of our family for a very short time recently--in our hearts for many weeks while we waited for him to be old enough to be weaned from his mother.

Unfortunately, he tested positive (twice) for feline leukemia and we had to make the VERY difficult decision to put him down. He was technically Olga's kitten--so naturally there have been some difficult and 'maturing' moments recently.

Lots of opportunities for John and I to teach and discuss with our girls, but does one ever 'adjust' to the consequences of the Fall?

Moments before hearing the bad news of his second test.

Snuggling with Nina days before the second test.

Cuddled in my lap while sitting at the computer--the day after he joined our family.

Facing my idols

One inescapable thing about pursuing Biblical Counseling training is how what I learn supposedly for the benefit of others actually 'hits' me and lays me low FIRST. Of course, that's by God's design, but it always seems to catch me off guard!

Consider James 4:1-3,

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

I'm finding this especially applicable to myself in my relationships with my daughters. Is what I want for them what God wants for them? Is what I want from them what God wants from them? In many cases the answer is, 'no'--it's simply what I want.

Sigh... Looks like I'll be spending the rest of the day (week, month, lifetime) in Romans 6, 7, & 8. :-)

"Gotcha Day" ~ Six Years Ago Today...

...we legally "got" our daughters! We celebrate this day EVERY year by eating out or going/doing something special--this year will be no exception, but it's still a secret for now!

This photo was taken just before we left the flat where we had lived for almost a month! Pictured front to back, Fareed (our driver), Nina (our youngest daughter!), Olga (our oldest daughter!), Helen (our translator), Nelya (hosted us in her family's flat), and last but not least a brand new Mama and Papa!

And, here we are at the Yekaterinburg airport waiting to fly to Moscow--finally on our way HOME!


And, these are our girls today!

25th Wedding Anniversary ~ WONDERFUL Breakfast at the B & B!

It's funny, pretty much every time we mentioned the B&B we planned to visit people would instantly 'light up' and start talking about the fabulous breakfasts they serve! Needless to say, we were anxious for our turn--and we were NEVER disappointed!


You know, in our 'younger' days we lived in the 'fast lane'. I'm glad we've slowed down cause we really enjoyed visiting with the B&B owners/hosts and other guests while we enjoy our breakfast each morning.


Of course we bought their cookbook--and made several dishes within days of returning home!

25th Wedding Anniversary ~ Our Beautiful Room at the B & B

Our room was definitely perfect for us--off the beaten path, quiet, private, and oh so cozy!

Here's the entrance to our room from our 'private' veranda.


This beautiful four-poster bed is the focal point, but doesn't over-power the room.

Yes, I did feel like royalty for a couple of days! What a comfy bed!

Yet another 'perfect' thing about our room--comfy chairs where we enjoyed reading together.

We did enjoy a couple of movies that we borrowed from the B&B's video/DVD library.

And, we were pleasantly surprised by the roomy vanity and bath area.

25th Wedding Anniversary ~ Bed & Breakfast Parlor

Here we are our first evening at the B&B--getting ready to 'step out' for a nice Italian dinner. The town is so small and quaint that we decided to walk to the restaurant.

I'm happy to report that we were able to stay true to our 25 year tradition of eating some manner of 'shelled' appetizer with our anniversary meal. This year it happened to be mussels in a wonderful garlic and white wine sauce. In years past we've had Australian cockles, escargot, oysters on the half-shell, etc. :-)

And no, he didn't have to 'train' me or force me into this tradtion--we ARE a 'match made in heaven'!

25th Wedding Anniversary ~ Bed & Breakfast

This was our first Bed & Breakfast experience--and we loved it!

My ancestors ~ John Calvin and John Wesley (seriously)

True confession, I'm a genealogy 'nut'!!

I have been since about 4th grade when a dear neighbor lady, who was a much loved history teacher, introduced me to an 'ancestral chart' and showed me how to trace my ancestors. Oh my, was I ever hooked--all those nice neat lines expanding across pages and pages lending credibility to hunches and solving 'family mysteries'.

So, imagine my delight, bliss, and laughter when I discovered ancestors by the names of 'John Calvin' and 'John Wesley'.

John Calvin is on my paternal side which is Pennsylvania Dutch, and John Wesley is on my maternal side which includes British and Irish ancestry.

So, now you know! :-)

Olga and John Calvin

Many parents expect their daughter to someday bring home a nice young man to meet the family. Imagine our delight when our oldest recently brought John Calvin home with her!

Our Olga works part-time for Grace & Truth Books. Not only does she greatly enjoy the work, she enjoys the opportunity to build her personal library--she's bought some really substantial and foundational works. That's my girl! :-)

Oh, You're My BEST Friend...

...for 25 years!

Where ARE these young men today?

"I think every church probably has a David or two--he is the rare college student who is passionate about theology, and feels a little bit like an outsider because of it. I wouldn't go so far as to put him in the 'rabid young John Piper groupies' department, but if he met a beautiful young girl wearing glasses, no makeup, and an indie-rock T-shirt, reading Calvin's Institutes, he probably wouldn't hesitate to ask her to 'court'."

I'm just wondering because our oldest daughter--who recently purchased her own copy of Calvin--would like to marry someone 'just like dad'! :-) That's my girl!!!

And as a side note, when her dad and I met (26 yrs. ago) I wasn't wearing glasses, most likely was wearing make-up, had no idea what an "indie-rock T-shirt" was, and while I wasn't reading Calvin's Institutes at that time I was definitely wanting a guy who was 'passionate about theology'. :-)

Quote from: Why We're Not Emergent

"THE" phone call...

...came six years ago today! Read about it HERE.

Dallas ~ Food Glorious Food!

Shameful, isn't it? I title this one, "Food, glorious food!" :-)

Going back to Dallas is like going 'home' for us (hubby and me) because that's where we spent eight years of our early married life while he completed his undergraduate and graduate work. So it's only natural that we've shared our fond memories with our girls and passed along our love for many of the unique things and places that make Dallas special to us--one of which is our affection for a number of Dallas restaurants! Hubby and I have a number of all-time favorite places and have indoctrinated our girls accordingly.

To illustrate how serious this is, consider that prior to our recent extended weekend in Dallas I spent time on the internet plotting and noting the locations of various restaurants we 'had' to visit on our short trip. I know, it sounds pathetic, but it is 'who' I am--"Hello, my name is Connie and I'm a 'foodie'."

I blame this on my dear husband who is a card-carrying, certified Cajun by birth--these people know GOOD food. And, those who are believers take 1 Corinthians 10:31 (and other passages) quite seriously! So you won't be surprised that we managed to visit five of our favorite eating establishments during our very short visit.

Here's where we ate:

Le Peep They have locations in just about every state bordering Oklahoma, but not one IN Oklahoma--what's up with that!

Kuby's (this was actually a visit to their grocery store so that Olga and Nina could find some familiar 'Russian' food items--which they/we did!)

La Madeliene The next best thing to being in Paris! :-)

Great Outdoors "I'll have a number six with the 'works', please." Our love of this place goes way back to 1984!


These other pics. were taken while we were enjoying dinner at La Madeleine.

You say you want a "Rebelution"...

This past weekend our family turned a one-day event, the 2008 "Rebelution" tour, into a really fun family outing! More details and pictures will follow, but I will tell you that one of the highlights of our weekend was getting to see TWO of my fellow-blogging friends face-to-face (Lisa @ Deo Volente, and Kim at Lifesong)!

Oh, and once again Olga and I were mistaken for SISTERS!!! I kid you not--it's happened to us at least a half dozen times over the years, and yes I do understand how 'weird' it sounds. I try not to think about it too much cause there will be a day (all too soon) when there will be absolutely NO question who the mother is!

On Being the Mother of One of God's Chosen, and One of God's Enemies

Today I've had another 'bittersweet' time of rejoicing in God's providence. I have the joy of being the mother of one of His chosen children, and the sanctifying burden of being the mother of one of His enemies. The weight often seems like more than I can bear, but it always drives me to Him as I remember that it is God who softens a hard heart, and it is God who saves--not me, not others, and not some 'event'.

Yes, it was a very nice day (& birthday)...

...to pose in front of these beautiful azaleas at the home of dear friends.

New Pictures Added on Our Adoption Blog

In case you're interested, I've posted some more photos--mostly from the past--on our adoption blog.