I can't believe we are coming up on a year with the girls. We have our one year home study this coming week even though we are 2 months away from our year anniversary. Each girl has grown so much, and developed more than we could have imagined. Other than the expected colds and ear infections, we have been doing well. The weather has been cold and wet, so getting outside has been a challenge. Each girl seems to be happy in our home environment, with very distinct personalities. Sasha is talking so fast her brain can't keep up, and Dasha is trying her best to tell us what she wants. Her favorite phrase is, "Where is Papa"? Both girls like to sing, read books, dress up, and go to school.

MaryEllen and I are feeling the result of having little germ carriers in our house. Both of us have been sick more times than we can remember since March. As we review this past year we are filled with awe over the blessings God has given us in these little lives. Not a day goes by that we realize how fortunate we are to have two beautiful little girls to care for. They are both so good.

We look forward to going to North Carolina this summer to introduce the girls to their Uncle Joe, and spending some time on the beach. I'm sure we will have many walks on the beach and time with Uncle Joe learning how to fish. The van will get another workout this summer it looks like. We are also looking forward to a visit from some friends we met in Russia who also adopted a little boy. We became very close in a short period of time as we helped each other through some difficult times. Now we just need to get though the winter. We look forward to planting a vegetable garden this spring and teach the girls where food comes from. We will let you know how that project turns out. For now, blessing to all of you from our happy family of 4.