3 weeks overdue

Well, it has been about 3 weeks or more since I last put a post on here.

The holidays went great and I think Marina really enjoyed everything . . . especially having 4 Christmas celebrations with extended family! However, she was a bit bummed that we don't give New Years gifts :) Apparently in UA, they do. Anyway, we have gotten back into the usual routine of things and everything is going fairly well. Things seem to be getting easier in regards to following rules and listening to us. So, that is a BIG plus! Of course there are still moments each day, but there are with any child. It's just become less frustrating and I'll take that any day:)

Marina is making some new friends and that is very important to her. Two of the girls were also adopted from UA, and the other two were born here. There are 3 other kids I would like her to meet and then as she gets plugged into some activities soon, I know she will meet more.

Marina keeps begging me for a dog of her own, and I keep telling her that we already have 2 and don't need any more right now. She whines and cries and it makes me feel terrible, but I know the brunt of the responsibility would fall on me and I already look after 2 horses, 6 chickens, a dog and a cat. I think that's enough. Plus, Georgie wants a cat and I have told her not until our other cat is gone. It's very difficult and I wish this phase would pass. I told her maybe some day, but not now.

She wanted a pair of roller skates for Christmas, but we had already bought all the gifts we were going to buy. So, she saved up her money from helping around the house and bought herself a pair . . . and the best part of it is . . . she got them for $6 at Goodwill!! Then she had extra money to buy herself some clothes:) That was so much fun for her . . . and me:) She LOVES the 2nd hand stores . . . ME TOO! I can take all 3 girls shopping and not break the bank.

School is going well, and I don't have to translate hardly anything anymore. She understands most everything. It's really amazing! The only thing I still translate for her is Bible, because it is so important that she understand that in it's entirety. Plus, some of the ideas or concepts are not so easy to explain with a limited vocabulary. We talk about the verses out loud after she reads them in Russian.

About 3 weeks ago Hannah and Marina and another girl were jumping on the trampoline and Hannah landed on the outside of her ankle!! She broke 4 chips off the end of the bone and is in a Velcro boot for another week. Then we will have it reevaluated and see if it is healed up. As of right now, it is still swollen and still has some bruising. I am not very optimistic that she will be free of the boot in another week. We'll see.