Awards

this has nothing to do with the rest of the post but. We went Horse back ridding and despite the staff at the place being really rude to 5-year-old rocky. He had a great time. Every few minutes I would see him lean down and pet his horse on the neck and tell it "good job"  so cute.  

Anyway John was in the News paper here in Houston! this came out in Sunday's paper.  

Then on Tuesday Viktoriia had an awards Ceremony for her High School.  She got Distinguished Honor Roll, (A's all year) outstanding Professional Communications student, and Outstanding U. S. History Student.    Super proud.  that is hard to do In your native language and she did it in her 3rd language. 

Rocky and Knoxx loved going to the event they were yelling Yaa VIKTORIIA  long after she had sat down.  ha ha.  then Rocky would say "rocky, Honor ROll..... KNoxx....Honor roll.....mommy...honor roll."  he said after that when he     goes to that school he is going to get an award too. 

the Next day was a very sad one. we woke up at 4:00 am and took Viktoriia to the Airport. 

As hard as it was to say goodbye. It is nice to have this VERY long week of saying goodbye over with.  Although we still miss her very much. 

then that same day Viktoriia went home John had his awards Ceremony. I had fun getting dressed up and dropping the kids off at a friends house. 

JOhn's brother, Ammon, was able to come and hang out with us.  

 We all were seated at the center table with the Houston Police Chief  and also  the President of the 100 club.

John was one of 3 HPD officers to get the award.  It was a really great night and it was Super cool to rub solders with such amazing men and women. 

In case you haven't had a chance to read the story of the event that led John to receive this award here it is.  JOhn received two separate awards. one was a life saving award that he got back in March that was presented by HPD itself and the other award was the 100 clubs police officer of the year.  that was awarded this week. 

Officer C. Glenn, assigned to Northeast Patrol, and Officer J. Pickett, assigned to Northwest Patrol, were working an extra job at an apartment complex when they saw a building on fire and smoke billowing from an apartment.

A woman inside the apartment screamed that she couldn’t find her baby. The officers entered the smoke-filled apartment and found a child in a crib. When the child was safely brought out of the apartment, the mother told the officers there was a second child inside the apartment. The officers found the second child in the living room where flames were engulfing the apartment.

The child was secured, and the officers maneuvered through the flames and smoke finding their way outside to safety. The mother was reunited with her second child and they were transported to the hospital for evaluation. The Cy Fair Volunteer Fired Department made the scene and extinguished the fire.

HPD was proud to award Officers Glenn and Pickett with the Life Saving Award.

Thoughts on Sending Ukrainian Exchange Student Home

Tomorrow I am taking my Exchange Student to the airport to send her back to her home country of Ukraine.   This would be a hard enough because I have grown to love her as if she was my own daughter, but the situation is much more complicated than that.

When I looked at her profile I only vaguely knew where Ukraine was.  I was humbled to learn that Ukraine is about the size of Texas.  Upon her arrival I was enchanted by the pictures of Churches that were built in the 11^th century. Pictures of people wearing crowns of brightly colored flowers, their holidays sounded like they were from a fairy tale.

Learning about the beauty meant that I also had to learn about the hardships. The people in Ukraine live on a salary of a couple hundred dollars a month. They take care of what they have because if they don’t have what they need they must learn to live without, and many live without.

This Ukraine changed in a few weeks to a country of unrest and uncertainty.  I know that my student will make it home safe to her friends and family. But then what? It is so hard for me to let her go when I know that War or Annexation are in the near future. 

I wish I could keep my student here and not send her back. The visa rules are strict. She would be penalized if she stays after her visa expires.  I have watched the despair in her eyes as the United States Visa office closed in Ukraine making her dream of coming to college here seem impossible. The value of the Ukrainian hryvnia  has dropped in value by almost half. Making it harder for her parents to afford college in any country.  

Part of me feels that she must go back. She isn’t mine.  She belongs to Ukraine. Ukraine needs her they need her strength, her courage, her honesty.  Somehow I feel like sending her back will fix the country.  They have fallen apart while she is gone and maybe she can bring balance and leadership back.  

But my heart breaks and I think no! She is mine! Why her? She is too precious and sweet to be in such a harsh environment.  Can’t I keep her here where she will be safe, and have everything that she needs.  Why must I send this beautiful gem back into the uncertainty and darkness of the unknown?  I feel powerless and naive for not finding some way to fix this. Would someone else in my shoes be able to fix this problem?  

So, tomorrow I will hug her and say goodbye and try and smile as the tears come.  As she walks away I will pray that someday I will get to hug her again and listen as she tells me stories of her once again peaceful Ukraine.