SUMMER

Summer is here! Ben had his last day of school on Friday, took the SAT on Saturday and left for camp on Sunday! What a weekend. This year’s camp is in Florida and he has been looking forward to it for years. Its part of the Sea Cadet's program that he is in and they only took twelve kids this year and Ben was one of them. He's training with the Navy's Special Forces and I'm sure he will love every minute of it!

Sara leaves for her camp in about a week and she's just as excited for hers this year. What else but skiing, she will be training for two weeks out in Oregon at Mt. Hood. And who thought summer was for relaxing?

I'm putting the final touches on the house that we are hopefully flipping this summer and then getting our cottage (aka the boat) ready. We had work done on the boat this past year so we just had it put in the water last week. Our faithful Capt. Niko even took the last day off school to make sure everything went well! We hope to be taking her up north this weekend.

Capt. Niko making sure Sola Gratia has a successful launch. Well Done!

It was a big week for boats last week we added another vessel to our White Lake Dock and Dredge fleet! Always exciting!

Capt. Bob and Capt George.

Capt. George being towed to her new home!

On the adoption front we continue to wait out the six months, only three more to go! I called HFTW to let them know how great it was to see Marjada on their web site video. Cherie told me that they had a newer one and that they had again chosen Marjada to speak. It's from last summer's mission trip. She sent it to me and sure enough a few minutes into the video and there she is, it's great. She's only in it for a minute or two but it was so sweet to see her.

HFTW will be taking another mission trip this September I pray that it will be the last time they see Marjada without a family. Wouldn't it be great if she was assigned to us by then, then she could tell Roger and Cherie all about us!

The small things...

The other day I was poking around the Hope for the World website. When you adopt a child you miss so much of their past and wanting to fill that in is so important, even more so for the child than for yourselves. I was hoping that since HFTW has been working in Marjada's orphanage for so long that perhaps I would see her in a picture or two. Wishful thinking I know but still... So imagine the joy when I clicked on the video and within the first three minutes I see her! Yeah it was great. I'd have to guess that the video is three or four years old, but that's fine, she's the first child to hug one of the visiting Americans, she's wearing blue jeans with little flowers and a blue and white t-shirt, I knew it was her the minute I saw her! Then she says "welcome to our country" and one last appearance where she says "He knows my name", it's such a treasure.

Here's the link: http://www.hopefortheworldalbania.com/video/

We don't really have any new news. We just have to wait. I have asked Bethany if we could send a gift for her Birthday, they said that we can but it has to be very small something that will fit into an envelope and nothing to suggest of the upcoming adoption. So we are thinking a bracelet. Bob wants to send a White Lake Dock and Dredge t-shirt! Subtle I know :)

I've had a few questions on how Lucky is doing so I'll post that news as well. All in all he's doing well. He had another treatment yesterday and the Dr. says his numbers where all in the normal range. Such great news! But we have had a few hard weeks, depending on which medication he receives that week. Last week was tough on him, he had two nights and days of nausea (I love my Little Green Carpet Machine). Other than being completely whipped when he gets home, he's doing good this week. Only five more treatment's to go.

My mom made this fleece blanket a few Christmas's ago and Lucky always cuddles in/on it. As soon as we got home yesterday I took it out for him. Poor little guy.

It's been cold here but the afterglow last night was so pretty I thought I'd share.