Billy Comes to visit

 Billy Came to visit.    

My only Brother came to visit this last week this was his first time here in Houston. 

He has been on Tour with the BYU Chamber orchestra for the last 3 weeks in Europe.  He had a little bit of Jet lag but we still had a great time.  We made Pizza the Italian style.  

Billy went on a ride allong with John. while he was gone it RAINED!  so hard at our house.  Rocky played in the Lake on the side of the house. and Knoxx complained about being dirty. 

 We went to the museum of Science.  which was really fun.  I think the best part was the dinosaur exhibit. I liked the Egyptian Exhibit but Rocky got supper scared and we didn't get to finish it.  and the

I really like this shell Exibit because it really helped me on a Certain Project that I have been working on for the last 3 years. 

We went to Galveston and ate at our favorite restaurant down there.  I think the theme of my brothers visit was PIZZA  we had it like 4 times.   Also Blue bell  we ate that almost every night and Went to the Bluebell factory.

Billy found a trumpet.  (he plays the french horn in the chamber orchestra)

the kids really wanted a picture with this bear. 

Then we drove up to Valerie's house where we Celebrated Billy's 23rd Birthday. 

the kids all loved having cake. 

We put candles in all of their cake and let them each have a turn blowing it out.  

as always Knoxx was right were Veronica was. 

Knoxx is talking so much. he will repeat what he wants to say over and over again. until you can convince him that you heard him correctly. 

the last day we were there we went to a neat park.  I stayed up at the park with Rocky Veronica, and Knoxx. while  Val and her kids and billy all went down to the water. If i had known how cool it was down there we would have joined them sooner.   there were tadpoles in the water that the kids kept catching. 

Then we headed home to Houston.  

 We took billy out to eat one last time before he left. we had a great visit with him and hope he comes again soon.

 and some cute pics of my family and I.

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.

Family visit/knoxx2

JOhn's family came to Houston for  Ammon and Kira's new baby, Evelynn's, baby blessing.  We went to the Blue bell ice cream factory on the first day and then john took the big boys hunting.  the girls and the little boys all had a big sleepover at a condo that was near Ammon and Kira's house. We have learned it is cheaper and easier to rent a vacation home for everyone then stay in  a hotel.  the boys got back from hunting and fishing Just in time for Knoxx to turn 2.

We celebrated KNoxx's 2nd birthday!!  I made him this Gretta Cake.  It was really yummy and he liked it.

The condo was near Sylvan BEach and so we went there for the day. So we went to the beach during the day and then that night we had a birthday party. We had a  yummy dinner and then had him blow out his candles. 

Rocklond love helping Knoxx open his presents.

I think knoxx liked his presents. HIs favorite one was a wooden train that his grandma gave him. 

the next day we drove up to Rock's 2nd to last soccer game.  He doesn't like the pressure of the games and usually wont play but he looks so cute.

then we drove to the pickets favorite place to visit. Brazos BEnd state park.   I bought a state parks pass last time they were all in town and boy has it been worth it.  we all got in for free with our 2 passes. :)

everyone loved playing on the vines.

and looking for alligators. there is a good size on in this picture of Rocky. can you see it's tail?  (Rockland and his cousin had a little piggy back accident and rocklond ended up with a great scrape on his forehead.)  

Rocky and his cousin Brynn

then that night Viktoriia (who had been at youth conference the whole weekend) and I went to Pasca at the Russian Orthodox Church.  it started at midnight and goes until about 6 in the morning. we just stayed for an hour.

inside the church.

everyone brings baskets with bread and eaggs and things to be blessed by holy water

The women need to cover their heads and so here we are showing off our scarves.

Here is the church from the outside. Viktoriia said the one she goes to at home is about 4x larger, but this was the only one here is Houston.  It was great to go to Viktoriia's church. she has come to our church (the church of Jesus Christ of Later day Saints)  Every Sunday all year and I thought I should at least go to hers once.  and it was so cool to see it on Easters eve.

Then the next morning back at My church little Evelynn was blessed

then Sunday night everyone JOhn's family flew back to Utah.  We have just spent the day recovering from lack of sleep and trying to clean up.   Here is  Knoxx taking  a nap. ha ha   What a fun weekend