The Journey Continues... Back in the USA!!

As we approach the 5 month anniversary of bringing Sasha and Olya home with us, we wanted to share a bit of the story of life back home...

So many... MANY changes...where to begin? How 'bout this - our grocery bill has increased by at least 30%! You may ask... how could two thin little girls eat so very much? (What can we say, other than we've heard this is typical.) The good news is that they like just about everything: especially bananas, chicken, chips, ice cream and pizza!

Nowadays we hear so much talk about going "green." Well, the Work family has gone "pink." Sasha and Olya have brought much beauty into our home... sparkle, lace, ribbons and curls abound. Then there is their artwork, homemade cards (lovingly tucked under our pillows) and dandelion necklaces for Mama and Babushka. Life in the "pink zone" has added breadth to our family rainbow.

And, then came the dolls... quite a procession, I might add! There are big dolls, Barbie dolls, मिनी dolls and Raggedy Ann dolls. We've got antique cradles, rocking cradles and Pat even got out the old baby stroller... so the girls could walk their "babies" up and down the sidewalk!

English/Russian language learning is going well. Every day the girls speak both languages. The boys are learning lots of Russian words and the girls like teaching their new brothers Russian words. Sasha leads the way with English and often interprets for Olya... each month they learn lots!

Jesse and the girls do a Saturday paper route together and they must have made $100 all total shoveling snow for neighbors this winter. (Oh no... we found out... the girls LOVE shopping!) Now and then Mama and Papa "hire" the kids to do extra big chores... last week Sasha, Jesse and Olya dug out two huge stumps from our front yard. (They have "earned" their last name... WORK! Ha!)

Extended family and church friends have received the girls warmly (cousins Christianna and Melanie are huge blessings) and our neighbors, the Grices and Dorothy are always waving to the girls as they ride bikes back-n-forth... the Haumessers' across the street even gave Sasha a bike!

Life is good and very, very full with six children. God has been faithful to provide the extra love and money and wisdom to navigate these new waters. The girls seem very happy and our readoption court date here in OH was nothing short of "heaven on earth..." literally the counter opposite of our day in court in Kotovsk, Ukraine.