Day 26 - Church and Party and Church and Party

We love to spend time with people. Even better, we love to spend time with family. And even better than that we love that Denys loves to spend time with our family. Since today was within 48 hours of his departure, we decided a party was in order.

After church most of the Robinsons, a few of the Hatchetts, and some Griffiths gathered at Gmama's for pizza, salad, and cake. We had a wonderful time visiting and enjoying each other's company. And every single person in attendance had pictures made with the Guest of Honor!

Now, this silly boy gets excited easily, but his thrill was palpable when I pulled out the camera. When he arrived he'd already hugged everyone in the room. (He discovered early on this is way we greet each other in our world!) But the wattage of his smile was amped up immeasurably for these photos. I wish there were room to post every single one of these, because they are precious.

This is how we roll.

I know I can tell you all day how much fun we have together and how close we are, but I had a chance to grab a picture that sort-of explains this "Robinson Phenomenon" in a way words cannot. See, even Daddy Mac was in on the action!

The kiddos played like crazy in the yard and were completely filthy. MG was in such bad shape she had to have a shower before she could leave Gmama's. Jason then took her and the boys home for showers before church began - Because NO ONE wanted to sit and sniff "stinky boy" during the service. (I'm not sure anyone loves The Preacher that much.)

AR is still a bit puny so I let her finish her nap and then headed to church a bit late. But seeing as how I brought pizza and cake for dinner after the service, no one seemed to mind my tardiness.

So we ate and talked and just enjoyed each other's company. (Did I mention that we love to spend time with folks?) Of course, the kids were bored with pizza rather quickly and went to wreak havoc on one of the Sunday School rooms. Amazingly enough, when time came to clean up, the mess had not been made by a single one of my children! Too bad for them; they had to clean it up anyway.

Dad wins again.

We came home and, as I'm trying to get the kiddos settled in, I hear a roar coming from J's room. Apparently Dad and the boys had decided a little wrestle mania was in order. I think Jason whipped them all pretty soundly, but they returned again and again. Yes, Mom just stayed on the outskirts and watched and managed to avoid being dragged into the melee.

Monday's are always wild around here. I've got several loads of laundry that need to be finished and a suitcase, looking smaller and smaller, that needs to be packed. We'll also do our usual piano and gymnastics. It's probably a very good thing we'll be rather busy and somewhat distracted since no one is looking forward to Tuesday morning.

~Megan

*There will be no 4 Under $40 this week.

Day 25 - The Final Countdown

ящірка (yeshuka) - lizard

There are 3 days left. THREE DAYS! Where did the time go? I am amazed and delighted that 12 weeks ago I didn't not even know there was a Denys in the world and now I feel about him nearly like I feel about my own children. This boy is a precious treasure.

Today we spent time with Uncle Dan - who, if he didn't already have a middle-schooler, would bring Denys back to live with him as soon as possible. The kids rode bikes and came home with the majority of stuff Uncle Dan was cleaning out of his garage (isn't that always the case?!?).

AR is feeling a bit puny today, so she and I stayed home while The Preacher took the kids out to Luther Ranch for the afternoon. They caught fish . . .and LIZARDS! I heard a tale that one host kiddo made it home with a lizard in a small aquarium-thing on one NHFC trip, but I didn't share that story because, sure enough, it wouldn't work this time. So, the lizards remained at the ranch and the rest of the dirty crew came home.

Showers and movie time and maybe we'll be in bed before 11pm?!?

Just like I promised, here are some pictures of Denys' artwork. Yes, the "Angel" is copied from a book illustration, but it's a  freehand copy. He sees a picture and he draws it in his sketch book. I happen to love the blowfish (not copied, just drawn). It's a favorite.
I had one downloaded entitled "Soccer Dad."
I'm not sure why "Soccer Dad" won't rotate correctly, but it's sideways . . .and tonight it will just have to stay that way and not make the cut.

Yesterday was also a fun day. Denys had seen my portraits of the kiddos and had expressed interest in them. I asked him if he might like to have some nice pictures made. He indicated that he would, but that he would especially like a photo in a frame. I had a "Picture People" coupon (those things are GREAT) and so we had portraits made of all the kids together. The nice thing about the "PP" coupon is that it only costs $20 for a about 20 pictures. The down side is that you only get to choose one pose. I let Denys make the final choice of the one he liked best. Of course it's probably the most precious photograph ever made, but then you probably knew that! (he he)

Look at those babies! They are precious and I love them like mad.

I can't believe our time is nearly up. I can't say I'm going to be ready for Denys to leave early, early Tuesday morning. But, we are at peace and trusting God to be as BIG as we know he is. I'll end with a copy of the letter we're sending home in his suitcase. (And there are no words when you're writing a letter to a child that feels like yous that you may never see again.)

~Meg

Dear Denys,

We are so excited that you came to visit with us this year. We could not have asked for a young man with better manners or who played so well with our other children. We will miss you and thank God you came into our lives. 

We believe that God has a great plan for your life and we cannot wait to see how it unfolds. Be encouraged that you were created intentionally and with great purpose and the God who already inhabits the future will continue to protect you.

You have been a blessing to us. Jonah feels you are one of the very best friends he has ever had. Millie loved receiving the piggy back rides you were always willing to give. And even though she doesn’t understand it, we are grateful for the protection you always showed to Anna - watching out for her and keeping her safely out of trouble. 

In the future choose your friends wisely and strive to make good decisions that will keep you from harm. You can always ask God for help and protection and he will certainly guide you. Continue to read your Bible, especially the book of John. It will help you understand exactly who God is and precisely how he feels about you. 

We are sorry we did not finish your care package before you left, but we wanted to make sure you received these letters from all of us in it’s place.

We love you and we will miss you. We are so glad that we can call you friend. 

Love, 
Jason & Megan

Day 23 - A Heavy Heart

NOTE: This blog has been edited and changed from it's original content. Denys has expressed an interest in viewing the blog once at home and we want to make sure he enjoys it 100%!

We had another busy, busy day. I headed off to see our pediatrician this morning for the girls' annual well-checks. They both got Mary Poppins reports (Practically Perfect in Every Way)! Yay! AR does have a bit of a sinus infection, but amoxicillin should clear that right up. The boys did some more wood hunting with Dad, who commented that Denys is a "Great Wood Hauler." I suppose in The Preacher's world that is a high compliment. I'm not sure it's resume worthy, but Jason was impressed. I was worried when they walked back into the house this afternoon because I noticed right away J had worn his "new" tennis shoes (a "no no" for wood hunting). Fortunately he didn't get out of the truck so his shoes remained in decent condition . . . lucky for him and his dad!

We all ate an early dinner at Mimi's (thank goodness for Mimi and fried chicken), left AR in her care and headed to the University of West Georgia basketball game, courtesy of our good friends from church, The Grays.

Because we are those people, we made sure we were at the game plenty early enough to get the free t-shirts on free t-shirt night. And yes, they are wearable. And yes, you will see us in them again. Denys refused to put his on, he suddenly decided he was a Valdosta State Blazers fan - as much to drive J bananas as anything else - but the rest of us Hatchett's donned ours immediately.

The games were good - big fat "W's" for both the gals and the guys. It was also a record setter being the most highly attended basketball game ever in Gulf-South Conference history. Our highlight was a special trip made by Wolfie, the mascot, particularly to see us! When we got home J decided he was going to draw a picture for Wolfie and send it to him. I told him I thought that was a wonderful idea.

And now we're home and it's 11pm, again, and all children are so wired from snacks and Cokes and another late night that they're having trouble falling asleep. Surprising? Nope.

~Meg

Day 22 - The Preacher Blogs

My apologies before you read for the lack of eloquence tonight as my wife has given me (Jason) this responsibility for day 22.

Today began early with a return trip to Southern Dental in Carrollton.  Our appointment was for 7am so we arrived about 6:45 and waited in the lobby with my now new friend from Cuba- who introduced himself as follows:

"Hey!  Do you speaka da englas?  Well Me very little!  I from Cuba- my wife over dere- she Spani- You probably never understand me"

So it was me, a Cuban his Spaniard wife and a Ukrainian in the Lobby at 6:45- At this point I'm thinking I should have been more on time!  Denys was mostly asleep and my Cuban friend was sharing his disgust with Obama (that I understood as it crosses all language barriers).  As everyone arrived I was invited to go back with Denys and sit right in front of his chair.  I love Denys and was glad to be there with him...however I am not a fan of dentist office noises- especially the drill!  I've never seen it from that angle however and am almost certain that I will not cry the next time I sit in the chair now that I realize it is not an 18 volt Dewalt with a 3/8 in bit

I do still here the noise in my mind and it creeps me out.

Denys however could not have been more calm.  Two cavities filled and one old filling fixed with no Novocaine!  Way to go Denys.  (I asked for some and was rejected)

Thanks be to our God for His servants!  The Doctors Mr. and Mrs. Drew donated their time and service for Denys.  That's right- no cost!  I tried to pay and expressed that people had given us money for this expense however I was told to spend the money on Denys and to keep them informed as to Denys' future. THANK YOU DREW FAMILY!!!

Let me say if you are looking for a dentist- try this place.  If you are not looking for a dentist try this place.  Yes they blessed us and Denys, but more importantly they loved on Denys as well as provided extremely professional service (not to mention they are in a really cool historical house!)

The rest of the day included a trip to MiMi's for chicken dumplings (everybody say Yeah!) and ice cream, oatmeal pies, apple pies, rice crispy treats..... the list goes on and on- it was MiMi's

It was so good to see Mamaw up and about showing glimpses of her old self again.  Thanks for your prayers on her behalf.

The afternoon featured bicycle riding in the yard and a special appearance by Papa Jim who carried Jonah, Millie and Denys across the road to ride the bikes on the track.  They loved it- however Denys was a bit disobedient on the way back across the street and rode his bike instead of pushing as instructed by Papa (and did not look for cars).  I understand that a death threat from Papa Jim translates to most any language including Ukrainian so he got the message never to do that again.

Next Tuesday is looming- pray for us but mostly pray for the will of the Almighty in Denys' life.  We want him to know Christ and live out his purpose.  We want him to have a forever family

Day 21 - Less Than a Week to Go

I promised the kids a surprise this morning when they woke up . . . at nearly 10am! (Did I mention we know how to wear some children out?!?) They had to pick up their rooms and make their beds, but I promised to tell them the secret after I was ready to go. The big surprise . . . SWIMMING!

Yep, swimming in the middle of January. Around here that is not your usual January activity and although MG has been wanting to swim weekly since the mercury began falling she was a bit panicked when I mentioned a pool. "Mom, it is cold outside." "Mom, you know it's the middle of January." And from Jonah, "Mom, are we going to swim in the creek?" I made them wait and ponder where we might be going and whether or not this would even be fun or merely an exercise in abuse. They continued to question, but obediently put on the summer's swimwear (Denys in his gym shorts and slippers) and we headed out the door. Thankfully Dad decided to go too; we hate for him to miss out on the fun.

Are you an Olympian?
No, but I did "swim" at a Holiday Inn Express.

We headed to our local Holiday Inn Express where the manager had graciously permitted us to swim, today only, without the purchase of the room. (Yes, I pulled the "Ukrainian Orphan" card again, but swimming was an activity we were strongly encouraged by NHFC to do while they children were here.) He asked that we come in between check-out and check-in; working out perfectly with my plan for the day. We arrived. Swam for an hour and half and came home for lunch.

Now, if we were smart and reasonable people the busyness of today would have ended there. An hour and a half is a enough swimming to wear out any kid. But, for some reason we decided we needed to go bowling again. And not only did we need to bowl, but we needed to take friends.

Our favorite dumpy bowling spot is closed on Tuesdays and after a quick Google search, Newnan offered the what appeared to be the most cost friendly option - though I did forget to print off the coupons. Off we rode Mom, Dad, Denys, J, MG, and AR, our friend Matthew, Cousin Jack and Grandmother. Yep, you're right, there is not a family vehicle made to carry a group that size. We commandeered a 15 passenger van and hit the road. Oh, you saw that correctly. My grandmother DID go with us and enjoyed herself and we were so thankful to have her.

There have been many, many times in these past two months we have seen God do some pretty incredible things, but I must confess, it's when He shows up in the common and simple places I am often most humbled and overwhelmed. Tonight, early Tuesday evening, all 8 of us bowled for $21. Yep, it was league night and we were there early, bowled our hearts out for an hour and it cost us no more than $21. Oh yes, dear friends, that is, indeed, a Mighty God in action in my life.

A well-behaved crew at the Olive Garden.

After bowling our boisterous crowd need to eat and Olive Garden sounded goo to us all. I was concerned that our 6 children would not remember their manners. Other than realizing we need to have, yet another, spaghetti pasta lesson, I was very proud of the way each one used their manners. A funny moment - Denys chose broccoli as his side dish. It was delivered to him steamed and he didn't seem to know what it was. With his fingers he ate every piece and seemed to like the flavor. It was a giggle moment for me as I debated whether to correct him or not. Eating steamed broccoli with your fingers is improper, but it is not disgusting and unappetizing to the rest of the party, so I just let it go.

Home again, home again. Jiggity jig. Everyone was dropped at their necessary locales and our kids had showers done in gold medal time. Teeth brushing was going well and Jason had to tell Denys they would leave early in the morning to head back to the dentist. Boo! He remembered what I had told him about repairing his fillings so he doesn't seem too worried about the procedure. Whew.

Prayer for his mouth tomorrow and that Dr. Monicha will be able to do all that needs to be accomplished quickly and without delay. Pray that he will tolerate the procedure well and recover without difficulty.

Your prayers for his continued improvement in communication are being answered. Slowly, but surely, he is opening up and using more English. We are working to memorize Philippians 1 and he repeats everything I say very clearly and, if he doesn't feel the need to be too silly, rather correctly.

Also begin praying for his return and especially for a little seven-year-old boy who will be left here to sleep in his room alone. I'm pretty sure he's going to be devastated.

~Meg

Day 20 - The Dentist

AHHHHH . . . Not the DENTIST!

I never had dentist problems. I grew up seeing Dr. Wylie, in Americus, and he was a friend. At 34 years-old I've still never had a cavity. Jason, on the other hand, hates the dentist (I met his and I may know why . . .). He has pretty good teeth, but abhors the biannual cleanings - they always seem to come up with something wrong.

At some point, Denys has had experience with the dentist. That experience may not have been terrific, but at least he didn't run screaming when we broke the news he was going. And like any good parents, we didn't tell him until we were headed out the door. (No sense worrying over the inevitable, right?)

We arrived at Southern Dental, in Carrollton, 15 minutes early for his appointment, and they took him right in. The hygienist (whose name I am embarrassed to say I have forgotten) was awesome and did her best to make Denys as comfortable as possible. She asked me if he had any mouth pain or problems, and I told her he had not mentioned any, but that I would ask - via Google Translate. He denied any mouth problems. Then she asked me to tell him she would be doing bite-wing x-rays of his teeth. I told him:

"She will take pictures of your teeth. X-rays."

Which translated:

"вона буде знімати ваші зуби. рентгенівських променів."

He freaked out.

Unfortunately, on the Google Translate app you cannot easily double check what had just translated. Once home I tried it again and posted it back from Ukrainian to English and it translated:

"She will remove your teeth. X-rays."

As I'm writing this I am laughing my head off! No wonder he panicked. Poor kiddo! But, together we calmed him down and she showed him on herself first every procedure she was going to perform on him. And the rest of the visit was a breeze. Just like my other kiddos, he thoroughly enjoyed "Mr. Thirsty." (That suction thingy.)

After his cleaning the dentist came in and said that his teeth look really good. He has no new cavities, but . . .

Sidebar: The word "but" is one that I don't often love to hear or to see. The only place it's ever good news is in Biblical prophecy when God is showing his great grace. Otherwise "but" generally leads to a big fat mess.

But, she continued, the four fillings done earlier (in Eastern Europe) were completed with a material that is falling to pieces. There is more decay around the fillings where they are coming loose and one is even leaking. It's not urgent, but these need to be fixed. There are also some orthodontic issues that will need to be addressed in the future, but are fine for the time being.

Want to know how much fun it is to tell a kid that you're doing great and have no cavities, but your fillings have to be redone so it's dental work for you?!? Well, it's not. In fact I'm probably going to have to call the translator to explain this one. Great. And not only that, but we have to squeeze this work in this week because he leaves early Tuesday morning. Double Boo! (Insert prayer request - Pray that the dentist is either able to complete all the work early Wednesday morning or that there is another opening this week so the work can be finished before he returns home.)

Before I move on let me just say that Southern Dental was wonderful to us today. They covered the cost of this first visit and gave Denys a great gift by doing so. Their treatment rooms are bright and airy and immaculately clean and their staff all seemed happy to be working. Visiting there ranks as one of the most pleasant dental experiences I have ever had. (We're seeing if they're taking new patients!)

After the Dentist we came home and the kids played for a bit before Jason took them wood chopping. I know, it seems he thinks we live in 1872 in a Little House in the Big Woods. (ha) And yes, Shane Smith, our heat works just fine. But, the man loves a fire and a fire requires wood, so off to the lease to chop down trees it was for him and the kiddos.

I met him later and took J to piano while he continued wood hunting with Denys and MG. We all met up back at the house just in time for me to grab MG and take her to gymnastics. Finally all meeting up at Mimi's to watch the stomping that is the SEC. (Alabama #1. Georgia #2. Thank you very much.)

We introduced him to what our friend, Brent Vohun, refers to as "football food:" buffalo chicken dip, chips, rice krispy treats, fried pies, etc. I left after the first quarter to bring the baby home and put her into the bed, but the word on the street is that he's eaten so much junk he may puke tonight. Great. I told The Preacher that was all him.

I only took one photo today of Denys and didn't love the way it turned out. Instead of pictures tonight I'll leave you with this little jewel of a video.

~Megan

4 Under $40 - Eastern European Style

I received an email last week from someone who was very interested in my 4 Under $40 and how it was working out. I thought I'd begin again and really work on getting creative with the menu. Once my house guest is gone I'll review how 4 Under $40 works. I'm also still in the process of working out a good format so bear with me as I proceed. But, since I have an Eastern European in my home for another week I though cabbage and sausage might be a good place to begin . . . .

Monday - Crockpot Roast ($9.68 less Potatoes)

Round Roast (3+#) $6.12

Carrots (2#) $1.88

Potatoes (ok, forgot to purchase, but already had plenty at home) <$3

Seasoning Packet $1.68 (Next time grab a can of Campbell's Beefy Mushroom Soup)

Throw it all into the Crockpot and cook on Low for 8 hours. Dinner is DONE!

Tuesday - Stuffed Cabbage ($12.21) 

Head Cabbage - ($1.87/lb) $1.08  - - organic cabbage is only $1.98/lb

2 qt Water

1 Tablespoon butter

1 onion ($1.98/3 lb) chopped

1clove garlic ($1.26/3 bulbs) chopped

2 cups cooked rice ($.93/lb - Laura Lynn Brown Rice)

1lb ground beef ($1.21lb) $3.60

salt & pepper

1 Tablespoon dried parsely

4 cups Tomato Puree ($.84 can Laura Lynn) $3.36+/-

*Cook Rice according to package directions.

*Core cabbage. Boil in water until leaves begin to peel back (2-3min). Reserve 1 cup of cabbage water for later use. Separate leaves and shave/trim thick stems (do not cut off, just trim down so they aren't as woody).

*Saute' onion and garlic in butter.

*In large bowl combine onion mixture, cooked rice, raw ground beef, salt & pepper, and parsley.

*Place 1 cup tomato puree in bottom of Dutch oven. Put 1/3cup rice filling into each cabbage leaf, fold stem end first and place into dutch oven. 

*Mix remaining tomato puree with reserved cabbage water and pour over stuffed cabbages. Bring to a boil, immediately simmer. Cover and cook 1 hour until very tender. Use remaining puree mixture to cover stuffed cabbages as needed.

This recipe was taken from HERE. It's by far the most involved of the week, but it sounds delicious and should be worth the effort.

Note: The full cost is $12.21, but that is your full price for onions, garlic and rice and you won't use it all with this meal so your "per serving" cost is much lower.

Thursday - Kielbasa Dinner ($2.48)

5 medium potatoes, cubed 

4 whole carrots, peeled and cut into sticks

1 large onion, quartered or smaller

1 lb Kielbasa, cut into 1in pieces - Johnsonville Polish Kielbasa $2.48

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 in baking dish and fill with all ingredients. Salt & pepper as desires. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.

This recipe was taken from HERE. And there is also a "creamy" version with milk,  cream of mushroom soup, and cheese. I've also already included the full cost of potatoes, carrots and onion in Monday & Tueday's prices so there's no need to repeat them here. 

Friday - Chicken Noodle Soup and Chicken Salad ($10.82)

Whole cut-up chicken ($1.28/lb) $5.34

Large Laura Lynn Cream of Chicken Soup $1.68

Manischewitz Fine Egg Noodles (in ethnic foods) $2.12

Bakery Croissant Rolls ($1.68/6)

*Boil chicken as desires. (I add salt & pepper, thyme, rosemary, and anything else I think might make my broth yummy - sometimes even a chicken bouillon.) Remove chicken and strain broth. Add Cream of Chicken soup to broth continuing to simmer.

*Debone chicken and return 2 -3 cups to broth reserving the rest for another meal. 

*In separate pot, cook egg noodles per package directions. When done, drain and add to chicken broth.

At $10.82 this meal gives you a bonus Chicken Salad to go with your soup or as lunch on Saturday or Sunday. 

*Mix reserved, chopped chicken with desired amount of mayonnaise. Salt & pepper to taste and stir until creamy. Add other ingredients as desires.  Place into Croissant Rolls ($1.68/6).

Whammo! It's a two-fer! 

Here's my entire receipt. I did forget the potatoes and I don't usually include pantry staples like butter and spices into the price. This week you get not 4 but FIVE very healthy mostly whole-food meals for $36.25 (unless you have to buy potatoes and you'll still be under $40) and that is quite a deal.

~Megan

**Let me add that if you a plan-ahead-er, you might also want to grab some of the ground turkey and chicken breasts that are on sale for meals I have in mind for next week. Throw 'em in the freezer and we'll discuss on Monday.