Mid-June

Well, there is not so much to report, but I haven't written in so long....
The boys are out of school - it has been three days and they are already asking to go here and there. We are packing out on June 28,29, and 30th so there won't be so many activities before then. We are just very busy getting things ready and also doing things "for the last time". We are going to miss Vienna so very much. We love it here, it is so beautiful and we have made so many good friends.

When I picked the boys up from school on Tuesday, all the kids were sobbing as they came out of their classrooms. How different than from when I was a child. All I could think about was, yeah! 3 months no school! But here, children come and go and best friends get left behind and things change drastically at the end of the year. It was so sad. Even the boys were sobbing.

The church in Vienna is awesome. I have made friendships here that will last into eternity - how often can someone say that? It has been fabulous. I hope there will be plenty of good works for us to do in Frankfurt. That is the best way to heal a lonely heart.

We made a decision about homeschooling next year. We are going to use Calvert School which is a homeschooling program/curriculum with online support from teachers. I think it will be very good for me as a first year homeschool teacher to have that extra support. The curriculum looks very traditional. The boys all had to take a placement test and I guess it will take some time to get the results back.

I am excited to re-learn all the things I've forgotten. I know it will be a huge challenge, but I think there will be so many rewards too.

No news on Anastasia. We are still waiting in limbo. It just feel so surrealistic now. She seems so far away and sometimes the boys forget her name and it is just so sad. We continue to hope and pray and know that somehow, though it may be beyond our ability, we will have her as part of our family.

Our baby: Well, things in China have really slowed down now. We should have had her by now, but we don't even have our referral yet. Sigh. Well, as of now, we are expecting to have her before Christmas. We have finally decided on a name...............drumroll please..........Grace. We had been thinking all along that we would name her Judy Rose, Judy after my mom and Rose, just because it is such a pretty and dainty name and we felt it would suit a chinese girl. But, then Grace popped into our heads and wouldn't go away. Anyway, I think it is settled now.

I have to go now and cut the boys' hair - they all look like shaggy dogs, I have just been so busy.
We will still have our computer up until the time we leave (July 12) so I will post again. We are so excited about our vacation plans.