Does the Jesus know the Easter bunny?

Pretty good question, huh? The boys had a wonderful Easter and are still trying to answer that question and it was pretty interesting to listen to them try to explain it to each other. "Well of course, Jesus knows everyone" "Nuh ugh, only Mama and Papa know the Easter bunny" "Well I haven't seen the Easter bunny so maybe no one knows him except superman" "Jesus is in charge of Superman too, you know". Precious conversation on the way to church that Sunday. Pretty easy to tell the comments went in order of age 19, 7,5,4. It was really nice to have Travis home from college to spend Easter with us and get to go to a few of the boys activities. They loved having their biggest brother there to watch them and play with. I think he might have enjoyed it a little as well.

Vanya was in a little Easter performance at church and was the hit of the show. Take a listen; Hollywood watch out! In case it isn't readily apparent, he was the E in Easter and his line was "Jesus died for Everyone!" He was flirting with the little girl next to him the rest of the time while he tried to sing with the other kids but still keeping his eye on mama right there in the front row smiling at her little man.

Easter this year was such a joy and the excitement on the boys faces as they waited at the top of the stairs to come hunt for their baskets (which they had no idea about) was priceless. They were excited that the Easter bunny had come but weren't quite sure what that meant for them except they were pretty sure it had something to do with candy. We had decorated eggs with Yana and Fran a couple of evenings before which was so much fun. They had colored Easter bunnies and at school and learned about the resurrection of Jesus at church and now it was time for the Easter bunny to finally come and for Jesus to rise from the dead. Trying to explain that one was pretty interesting as well. Then we all got dressed up for church and the boys really like getting all dressed up so it was fun. Then off to church we went where they got multiple compliments on their spiffy outfits which always brought big smiles to their faces as they were soooo proud of themselves. After church we went over to our friends house for Easter dinner and some R&R. Not so sure they called it that though with 3 very active little boys running around their house. They have 3 girls who are 22, 19, and 13 so boys are foreign to them and what a difference it is. Darryl got worn out throwing the ball, breaking up the wrestling on the trampoline and stopping the swings from going completely over the swing set. Christine and Rob and I had wonderful conversations with each other and her parents. Christine was so sweet and put together little goody bags with aggs adn candy in them for the byos and made a wonderful dinner which was nejoyed by all. After a very long day and loads of sugar we packed up 3 very cranky boys and headed home for the nighttime rituals. After that we were exhausted and went to bed as well. No sugarplums but content in the knowledge and love of the Lord that we were able to show our children today. The Lord is risen indeed, hallelujah !!!

Mama Mama Mama

Vanya turns 4!

What a day! For a little boy who has never had a birthday party before Vanya knew exactly how to act; KING FOR A DAY. He just loved being the center of attention and getting to dress up and wear papas bow tie. He got to look at himself in the mirror in his class and you could just see how proud of himself he was with his crown on. What a ham.
So here it is form the beginning: We woke him up in the morning and sang happy birthday and then papa brought him downstairs after the other boys and I had decorated and laid out his presents. He wasn't really sure what to think and even asked if the little bike was for him. After he knew that all of the presents were for him he was just thrilled. Of course his brothers decided to "help" him open his presents which ended up as him watching them open his presents. He was such a good sport about it and wanted just to play with whichever one was opened.
I must say he was the most adorable kid in the whole world after getting all spiffied (sp?) up for school with his bow tie. It almost brought tears to my eyes seeing what a blessing we have in him. He was so happy his brothers had each made him a card and were genuinely excited for him about his birthday.
Instead of having a party at the house with his friends (who are quite numerous) we decided just to do a party at his preschool class. He chose to have an Elmo party so we got all the trimmings and had a very interesting time. We were grateful that the teachers let us have his party there. Containment containment containment was the fare of the day with 10 preschoolers on extra doses of sugar and excitement. Vanya got to make a crown and the class had practiced singing happy birthday to him the day before so he was really thinking that it could be his birthday every day from then on. It was quite special because mama and papa and Travis came to his class to do his party. We also got to have Yuri and Veecha come from their classes to sing and have cake and ice cream. We did a balloon race which was really humorous because most of the kids didn't weigh enough to pop their balloons when they sat on them. Rob had to start using his keys to help. On top of that, they didn't really get the concept of running down to the other end of the play yard to sit on your balloon while the rest of the line waited. The puzzled looks were priceless. We got some bubbles for them to do and the teacher even had a bubble machine which was a big hit. The "put the sticker on the Elmo nose" was funny also because they all peaked to make sure they got the sticker on the right place. Each of the kids drew him a picture in the notebook I had gotten for him and the teachers each did one too. Good keepsake. All the kids sang happy birthday to him and he blew out his candles with no problem and even blew off some of the wax onto my fingers. We made little goody bags for all the kids (I guess that is what you do now) and after giving them cake and ice cream it was time for them to get on their bus.
We cleaned up and Vanya just loved having all the adults to himself and was in no hurry to leave. Papa and Travis left first and mama stayed a little longer to let him play and eat up the attention of his teachers for a few extra minutes. They are so good to him and just love him to death. I'm sure he is the most spoiled kid in the class. Actually I'm the most spoiled mama because he always gives me the biggest grins and hugs as he proudly announces "that's MY mama". I wish he could stay this little forever (well, let me rethink that).
After getting home and letting him play a little with his new toys and games we went to get the other boys from school as they attend the "good news club" on Tuesdays which is like Sunday school. After getting back home all the boys enjoyed playing Candy Land and racing the hotwheel cars on the new track. After that mama and papa took him out all by himself for a special birthday dinner at Mirabellas. It's a good Italian place since he requested a fare of spaghetti.

The best part of the day for mama was after we got home though. It was past his regular bedtime and after a long day of excitement he was sooo tired. We got his PJ's on and teeth brushed and he asked me to tell him a story. When I asked him what kind of story he said he wanted to hear a Jesus story! So I got to retell, in common language, the story of Easter to my little boy as he fell asleep in my arms on his very first birthday with us. What a day!

mama mama mama

Rainy Days and Mondays

Well the boys have certainly taken to the American culture quickly. They all needed to have their OWN umbrella and rain boots. Since mama thought it would be really fun to let them jump in the big puddle we get on our front walk, I thought I would capture it on video. What a hoot!
Enjoy!

Of course I didn't want htem to get hte bigwheel out and run it through the lawn and throw cups of water on each other but I guess we take the good with the bad sometimes. They really had a great time getting all wet though so it was worth it.

We have also had a few visits and visitors. We went up to PA to visit the grandparents and had a fun time meeting new cousins and getting to sled down their back hill. We always get good food there and the boys love playing with the cats. Not so sure how the cats like it though.

Mayra has come home a few times and now has a new boyfriend, Doug, who has made a big hit with the boys. They have now listed him as part of the family. A little premature for sure but it's nice to see a young man with such a Godly disposition and genuine friendliness for everyone. He makes time for the Lord each morning nad shares his devotions with Mayra each night at school over the phone or computer if they aren't together. We've only met him once so he still has to try to pass the papa test a few more times (beating him at pool) before he is "in".

We are getting ready for the big "spring break" trip to babushka's house. We made the mistake of telling them we were going to go there in April. Now everyday they ask if we are leaving for babushka's house. It's getting a little tiring trying to explain that April is still several weeks away. They are very persistant when they want to know something or think we should be going somewhere that minute.

Yuri, Veecha, and Vanya continue to keep[ us on our toes (and everything else for that matter) and our constant attention is always desired. I'll take that anytime since I know as they get older they won't necessarily want that. Their smiles are infectious and their hugs and kisses are numerous. There are less and less crying spells but the discipline is far from over. Still a long way to go for constant obedience but they are making leaps and bounds with the whinning so that's a relief. I still feel like we're playing catch up and hurry up all the time but I think we are starting to get the hang of this!

Mama mama mama

Valentines Day

What a great day Valentines Day has become in the Passanita family! Two years ago today Rob took me out to dinner at Guiseppe's Restaurant (great Italian place) and gave me the best present ever. He announced we should start the process of adoption from Ukraine! And now here we are two years later with the most special gifts we could have been blessed with in our three new sons.

Getting those valentines that each of the kids made in school that say "I love you mama, Happy Valentines Day!" just made me absolutely melt. I didn't know I could love someone so deeply as I do these children. Don't get me wrong, the love I have for my man is the best and will always come first in my life; but this kind of love for my kids is different and touches a whole different place in my heart. These little guys just make our lives so much brighter and the things they do and say keep us in stitches regularly. Their hugs are genuine and with one little look you can make their eyes sparkle with happiness. Just to be able to be a part of that has been such a gift from God at all the right times.

Valentines day itself was very interesting. Mama decided it would be so nice to make chocolate chip pancakes for the boys since they had never had them. (first mistake) Of course they loved them and gobbled them right up. Since we had gotten a little snow the night before and they already had all their valentines ready for school and were all dressed, they wanted to go out and play a little in the snow before school. (second mistake) After getting our SLOW eater finished and snow pants on I went out to find the boys jumping on the snow covered trampoline. (third mistake) As we looked at the time we knew we would have to hurry to get the snow pants off and school jackets on to get to the bus on time for Yuri and Veecha. We accomplished that however we did have to jog a little to get to the bus in time (fourth mistake). I got them both on the bus and hurried back to the house. Since I had volunteered to help in Vanya's class for his party that day I needed to take a shower before his bus came which gave me about 20 minutes to get ready. (I am getting rather adept at getting ready in a flash these days; no lengthy hot showers for this mama :( ) As soon as I got all the shampoo in my hair I hear all kinds of commotion coming up the steps. My thought was that Vanya finally did decide to roll down the stairs but alas it wasn't that at all. Yuri rushes into the bathroom and spouts off something so fast I couldn't even understand it. Here I am buck naked with soap in my hair and my 7 year old is standing in front of me in hysterics. We have a glass shower so privacy is unheard of now. When I finally get what he is saying I have figured out that Veecha has gotten sick on the bus and the bus is now in front of the house waiting for me to come and get him off! So much for 20 minutes to get ready. I told him to tell them I am on my way but that I have to get out of the shower. I quickly get the soap out of my hair and dry and throw on my robe and run outside with no shoes and my hair standing straight up only to find that Veecha had already gotten off the bus and was in the house. The bus driver handed me the towels she used to clean him off and wished me a happy day. What a way to start the day. After getting inside I ask Veecha what happened and he said "me eat, me jump, me run to get on bus, me get sick". Yep, I think I'll get the mother of the year award for that one along with my OJ run to bus in my bathrobe in the snow in front of all the kids on the school bus and half the neighbors.

The balance of the day got better and Veecha felt much better after having cleared his stomach of the "special breakfast" has had. He was able to get back to school and join his class for their party. Vanya and Yuri also had parties and they all probably ate too much candy but they had a great time.

That evening we went over to our very special friends house, the Rahns, to share a great valentine meal with Rick, Fran, and Yana. Fran had gotten balloons for all the kids and had a red tablecloth and all the fixing's for a wonderful meal. Just spending time with them is always a lots of fun. Stressful because the boys chase their dog all over the house and use their highest decibel voices to talk but all together a fun evening.

What a day!

All I can say is that Valentines Day is a day to show those you love that they are special. I felt incredibly special and I hope I was able to make those in my lifefeel special as well. To God be given all the glory!!!!!!
mama mama mama

Fun in the freezing cold

The boys continues to melt my heart even as the cold weather freezes us all. The boys don't seem to mind the cold and have often come home without their hats or gloves or jackets only to have to go find them outside somewhere. Boys! They did really enjoy the one snowfall we had that accumulated enough to make a snowman at the Rahns house. They had just returned from Ukraine with their wonderful daughter Yana who is 15. Their house is one of my boys favorite places to be. We often hear them plead with us to go see Giny (their dog). Rob thinks we should get a dog because they love them so much. My answer, "Family closed!" Taking care of the FOUR of them is enough for mama right now. The dog would probably learn how to say mama too and then I would be mama mama mama mama. Aghhhhh!

Yuri is doing very well in school and enjoys his time playing outside after school with the neighborhood kids. He tends to be a little shy at times and a little mischievous at times as well. He is usually the instigator of either of the others getting in trouble. We still have a way to go with some of the abandonment issues and his competition for our attention and love but he loves to help with anything and everything we are doing. He is very good at building things and is interested in cooking as well which is to the delight of papa. We are trying to get him to talk more and pronounce things correctly so he can express himself.

Victor (Veecha) is always (well, almost always) happy and smiling and is by far the most obedient one of the bunch at this point. He still has a stubborn streak about him but is so eager to please that it only takes a little prompting and a kind word for him to happily do whatever we ask of him. He is becoming much more accepting of giving and receiving affection. A kiss from him really means you have arrived because he is very selective about who gets them. He enjoys school but the learning is a little slow going. He gets frustrated easily when he doesn't understand but enjoys being able to accomplish things he does get.

Evan (Vanya) is just as funny as can be and frequently makes us laugh with his new phrases and actions. His "pink pinks" (pancakes) are one of his favorite breakfast foods and "pixie doo" (scooby doo) is a favorite video. I'll have to make sure to write down the other ones as they escape me right now. (Lots of things escape me right now). He loves preschool and is learning up a storm. He corrects his older brothers on many things which is not very well accepted by them. Unlike Yuri, Vanya talks ALL the time. He is speaking all English and loves to talk on the phone to anyone and everyone.

Mama has gotten the opportunity to get away for a night with a girlfriend and go to the Amish stores in Western VA. That was a blast but I did my miss little boys (and the big one) and their kisses at night. They did very well knowing that mama was coming back after only one "sleeping". Then to give papa a little break the rest of us went to Uncle Brian's house and explored Washington DC for a few days. What a hoot to watch them as they got on the Metro subway (the "choo choo train") and her them giggle with delight to look at the animals at the zoo. We also went up in the Washington monument thanks to Uncle Brian standing out in the cold at 7am to get us just the right timed tickets. They chased birds on the mall and saw a 3D movie at the air and space center. They enjoyed being able to sit in one of the planes and pretend to be flying it. It was also nice to come home to a boquet of flowers and welcome home balloons for the boys. I think papa missed us :)

School visits have been the highlight of mamas days recently as I have been able to go in and help with different projects in all the classes. It is great to see them with their friends but the best part for me is when they notice I have arrived and they light up with excitement. There is no better feeling than that! (other than the love of Christ that we carry in our hearts)

Mama Mama Mama

And a Happy New Year!

What a year this has been! I can't think of any other year we have seen God work so mightily in our lives. The way our adoption process worked out and so many other things that we have been able to participate in and witness have blessed us tremendously. I hope we can live up to the trust God has placed in us to raise our boys to be great men of God.

We finished up the year with a few more firsts! We are fortunate enough to still have my grandmother with us who turned 98 in November. She told us she would only travel up as far as Myrtle Beach so if we wanted to see her we would have come down there. Well of course we wanted her to meet the boys and they had never been to the beach before so off we went the day after Christmas for that 7 hour drive. The boys did such a great job on the trip. They brought some of their favorite toys in the car and they got their fill of movie watching. Our cousins have a condo at the beach that is close to where they live so we got to stay there with my mother (the famous babushka) and my grandmother (matriarch of babushka's side of the family). We also got to see our other cousins from Ashville, NC whom we hadn't seen in quite some time. Their children are 17 (Django) and 13 (Lucy). They had a ball playing with the boys and the boys were equally as happy to have other kids to play with. The highlight for Vanya was going for a ride on Ama's (great grandmother) walker. He thought that was a hoot! Yuri had a great time learning how to play the dominoes game "chicken foot" and he was became quite good at it and even won a few games. Veecha, as usual, was our little social bug whose smile could light up any room he entered. The beach was obviously the most exciting thing for all the boys. They had never been to the ocean and thought it had soap in it because of the breaking waves. They squealed and giggled for as long as we let them stay out there. The water was ice cold but that didn't deter them one little bit. Below is the very first beach experience to share with everyone.

We had wonderful company, great food, and fun entertainment. What a good mini vacation to end a blessed year of first activities for all of us. Below is the gingerbread making activity with cousin Carol and babushka and Ama(while mama and papa got a rare opportunity to go out to dinner together. Thanks guys!)

When we got home we rang in the New Year with some friends. We found some great sparkling apple, pear, and cherry cider. The kids loved it! They all made it except Vanya who konked out in my arms at about 11:30pm. All in all a great year.

We hope you all have an incredible 2008 as we see what God has in store for us this year!

Mama mama mama

Merry Christmas

All that can be said is that we are extremely blessed

to have been given the greatest gifts of all in the birth of Jesus and the birth of a new life for our sons! Merry Christmas to all our family and friends who have showered your prayers on us throughout this year. We wish you all a happy and prosperous new year!

Santas Helpers

Well this Christmas will definitely be busy at the Passanita household. My little Christmas elves have been hard at work making all kinds of gifts for everyone and have gotten the ho ho ho down pat. It warms my heart to hear the laughter and joy that comes form each of them as they discover the wonder of the holidays. None of them have ever had a Christmas before and when asked what it meant to them the only recognizable answer we got was from Yuri who said that it was the day you get candy in your socks. It almost made me cry. And then to ask Victor what he wanted for Christmas and to have him reply, "A banana, an apple, and a big glass of milk" that just completely humbled me. They are so excited just about some of the simply things we take for granted. When putting up the tree Victor went out and gathered up all the neighborhood kids and paraded them through our living room to see the tree. The other kids were going "Yea, its a Christmas tree" but to Victor it was the best one he had ever seen and he got to help put the ornaments on so he was soooo proud. Vanya, of course, is just happy about everything but doesn't really understand most of what is going on other than he gets to wear a Santa suit that he just loves! The other boys got shirts and a Santa hat to wear as well since they don't make the full suit in their size. If it had come in their size they would have worn it. Other kids their age might not have wanted to be caught dead in a Santa suit but these guys would have gladly donned it and had grand time. It truly reminds me that they are really the best gifts (after the Christ child of course) I could ever have been given. Jut watching their expressions and seeing that they have a spirit of giving already when they haven't really ever experienced the receiving side until recently is quite impressive. Victor has tried to give his gifts to other people for about a week now. Anyone who comes over he wants to give something to and he is the one who probably experienced the poorest treatment of the three. Mama and papa took each of the boys out to get a present for their brothers and it was neat to see what they picked out. They really put thought into what they thought the other ones would like. My heart is just overflowing with joy to watch them run around (and around and around) the house laughing and playing and being happy. The hugs and kisses are a bonus too. Victor is really warming up and and now loves to be held and asked for extra kisses and gives them out a little more liberally as well. Yuri still reserves his for just mama and papa but one day he might get there as well. Vanya loves everyone and you will be able to tell what mood he is in by how many hugs and kisses you get. The lights on the houses are still an amazement to all of them and the ooohs and aghhhs are tremendous and the smiles are just as precious. They have done artwork, baked cookies, dressed up, gotten their picture with Santa, and bought presents for the first time in their lives. What a privilege it is to have been given these precious gifts from above. They remind us continuously of the wonders of the Christmas season and how absolutely blessed we are.

We wish all our friends and family the merriest of Christmas's and a new year full of God's blessings. Be ready to look for them in the most unexpected of places. Just as Christ gave us his one and only son on that Holy night so must we give to those whom He puts in our path.

One very overjoyed mama mama mama