Surprise Getaway

Our next few days were spent relaxing!

We had beautiful weather and literally spent an entire day pool side resting up and having fun!

This little playground was right next to the pool, 

so the kids enjoyed a little recreation after a lunch break.

This was Mom's view for a good part of the day! :)

We stayed at Old Key West -for old times sake! 

We have lots of great memories of Steve's Mom there and it was fun to revisit after all these years!)

The pool area has evolved greatly from the beginning Vacation Club days and they had a lots of 

pool-side games for the kids to participate in.

A little Disney Pictionary!

Connor was one of the last two standing at the water balloon game...

But, oops! He lost to his new friend Cooper!

And in other games...

Musical "stars"...

And poolside sidewalk chalk

Paige and her Rapunzel Art 

WOW!! What a beautiful sunshine!!

The pool is always more fun with Daddy!

These are toes that have been in the water pretty much ALL day long!

Even Daddy can do a handstand.

Thursday the boys went to Hollywood Studios to do Star Tours, 

while Mommy & Paige went to the Magic Kingdom to see the new Fantasy Land that includes Belle's Village, Eric's castle, Gaston's Tavern and all sorts of wonderful new additions.  They are even in the process of building Rapunzel's tower!!! (I see another trip in our future!!)

Rupunzel's Tower

The boys met up with us later in the day and we spend the rest of the afternoon and evening together enjoying...

The Main Street Parade

She's got a lot of her Daddy in her!
Very much about the MAP!

The lighted castle...

The Beast's Castle...

Gaston's Tavern...

Gaston himself!

Eric's castle...right on Ariel's Sea

We went on a fun Under the Sea ride...

These two were just being so silly and 

doing nothing but making each other laugh this entire boat ride!

On the last night of our trip we stayed at the Art of Animation Disney Hotel.

This was an incredible and fun place!

Lunch at Planet Hollywood on Pleasure Island

We also had a meal at the T-Rex Restaurant in Downtown Disney.

This is where Jake FINALLY made his own "Build a Bear Dino."

(His brother and sister had both been to Build a Bear over the years and he was certain that he would never be able to go to Build a Bear for himself.  Well, here's proving that waiting has perks...he got to build at Build a DINO! The perfect place for Jake!

More Downtown Disney Fun!

Paige used her own money to buy her very own Merida (Brave Princess) doll.  

There is nothing quite like finding a treasure and being able 

to pay for it with your own hard earned cash! She was so proud!

Back at the hotel, Daddy gave the kids way too much money to 

spend the evening play in the arcade.

They had a ball!

Daddy (and Mommy) had fun too! :)

Merida and Paigey :)

And nothing says good-bye to the South like a last meal at Chic-Filet!

We never did get a family group shot on this trip, but it was a special time for all of us and we came home rested, connected and ready to hit the school books, put the house on market, go back to work, face the world! :)

Saying Goodbye

This has to be one of the hardest posts I've had to type.

These two precious girls have fingerprinted our hearts and lives in ways we never imagined.

Saying good-bye, is so bitter-sweet. 

Our bodies and minds are tired. Our parenting skills are maxed and our Russian is still pretty much as terrible as it was before they came, but what we have gained as a family is priceless!

Saying good-bye was heartbreaking.

Especially for our sweet Paige.

She has fallen in love with having sisters. 

She loves these girls deeply.

This is my most heart breaking photo. 

Our sweet, Liza, in angst.

God bless, this precious girl. 

May she feel your arms around in her in love in our absence and always!

Paigey just couldn't let go.

And down goes the sign...

too much hugging! :)

Liza, braving Daddy's whiskers to give him a kiss. 

All the Michigan kids heading to New York to meet up with all the other 280 host kids and chaperones before heading to Kiev, Urkraine and then home!

And this is our sweet girl now...

Brownies for Packing Day!

Packing day was a hard one. The reality that the girls were leaving was beginning to set in with all of us.  Thankfully, we had some fun interuptions to help lighten the mood. Our friends Katelyn, Mckenzie and Christina came by to say good-bye and to drop off over 300+ tubes of toothpaste for us to send back with the girls to share with their friends at their orphanage.  While they were here, Christina took one last family photo of us!

We decided to make some brownies.

Liza was all about it!

Meanwhile Mckenzie and Katelyn were putting on a performance in the basement.

Some pictures don't need a description...they tell their own story!! :)

Love these two!!

Boots and Friends

Let us introduce you to orphanage play...

these girls are STRONG...

they bite...

they know how to break fingers...

they don't know they're own strength...

and even if they're hurting...

they think it's funny!

Uncle Josh is astonished by the way these girls play!

God bless, Aunt Lisa for taking on Alona in an arm wrestle.

I'm not sure why Alona even dared take on Eliza!

She is one buff girl!

And wrestling turns into lots of love & hugs!

Alona wanted a pair of boots something awful. 

The problem was the boots that NHFC had in mind when they asked us to send them back with her and the kind that SHE had in mind were two completely different pairs!!

We found a pair that were a happy medium between practical (warm) and fashionesta.

She begged for them every day.  

Lisa & I found out that Alona's knowledge of english was far more than she was letting on because when I told Lisa (after listening to Alona beg to go get boots 100 times) that I had already purchased the boots and planned to surprise her with them. She began to say, 

"Me! Boots surprise, Mama!"

I relented. My head couldn't take the begging any longer.

She was just a little bit excited.

Look out, Ukraine, there's a new pair of boots coming to town!! :)