Summer Fun

We decided that we would hang out at home this summer. After 8 weeks in Ukraine, we felt like we had had enough of an "exotic vacation" in 2013. We did spend a fun week in Lyon so we could see Stéphane and Hanna. I will have to find some pictures of that, our first road trip (about 9 hours each way since we avoid the toll roads), for another blog post.
But we did enjoy the summer!!! The weather was perfect and almost never spoiled our plans. We biked, swam, gardened, read, chopped wood, invited friends for homemade pizzas, ate ice cream, went to the beach, and got to know each other.

 

Where do we start?

How do we resume four years of paperwork and prayer? Don't think we can!
We did not share much about our adoption journey on the blog as we walked the path, because we had no idea where we were going, and not much faith that we would ever get there!
But here we are with 10 children! We have not been able to get all 10 Kapis together for a picture, nor will we be able to do that any time soon. Peter and Mélanie are in the Philippines, Stéphane and Hanna in Germany, and Nathan in the U.S.
We made three trips to Ukraine in March, April, and May. We lived with five children in a dormitory room in Kiev for most of May.
Now we are home and adjusting to each other.
For those that want more details, contact us and we would be happy to share!

Wesley's Birthday in Kiev

Kiev Subway experts! (20 cents to ride and kids ride free)

 Open market

 Ukrainian staples (sunflower seeds)

 Children's museum

Zoloti Verota (Golden Gate of Kiev)

 The long awaited day!!! Passports AND visas!!!

The flight home.

Mice, Fairies and Teeth

Yesterday, William, our newly adopted son, was all excited to show me he had lost a tooth. A lateral inciser. I asked him where the tooth was, and he mimed* that he must have spit it out while eating lunch at the picnic table. I told him that was too bad and mimed that if he put it under his pillow, a little mouse would exchange it for a euro (Yes, in France, a mouse does this). He rushed outside and with the help of a couple of siblings hunted for the tooth in the grass. To no avail.
A short time later, I found him in front of the mirror wiggling the matching tooth on the other side of his face... Ten minutes later, a beaming boy posed for this picture:

This morning, he came down to breakfast proudly displaying his two euros, AND the tooth, that the fairy (or mouse) couldn't find at midnight. He thinks that Mom and/or Dad might be in cahoots with the fairy/mouse...
Tonight, Nathalie, another new member of the family, came down an hour after she was put to bed, to show off a new gap in her mouth!
I had no idea that mentioning the money for teeth relationship was going to set off such a frenzy! I sure hope they don't start wiggling their permanent teeth!
*Why are we miming? Guess I have some catching up to do on the blog! We have been home from Ukraine for two weeks with our two new sons and one new daughter. I will try to tell some of the adoption story on the blog as time allows. Needless to say, we are pretty busy!

Blizzard (well, almost!)

I love snow !!!! And I love pictures of snow, especially when my kiddos are in the pictures too. So here are a few of my favorites from today.

 Nathan

 Wesley

Laura

 Blizzard (the dog) : yes, he let them do this!

 Inside the barn.

 In the hay mow.

 This is the first time our kids have seen snow drifts here in France.

 Isatis

Україна

Philip and I are in Ukraine to start the adoption process for adopting a sibling group. We thought that while we are here we might as well enjoy ourselves! And Philip is discovering his roots! (remember, our last name IS Ukrainian!)

Borscht, pirogies, pickled mushrooms, beet salad, smoked chicken wings. Sort of a Flunch Ukrainian style!

 Dany Boon, a famous French actor, has made it all the way here!