What amazing strides have been made since our last post! God is faithful to provide our needs and to show himself worthy of all our praise! This photo was taken while we decorated for easter. Not knowing what, if any, Bible teaching Anastasia and Jonathan had in Ukraine, we were not sure how to proceed in attempting to communicate with them about Jesus and his resurrection which we were now celebrating. They both were very enthralled with the spring pastel colored decorations and lights we pulled out of the boxes. They loved the personalized baskets we had made for them. They also were very interested in the crafts Abbie and Hannah had made over the years. One of the crafts was a watercolor painting with three black cross silhouettes that Abbie had made. I pointed out to them the cross in the center and said "Jesus" as I acted out dying by putting my hands around my neck with a choking sound and eyes closed. They recognized Jesus from "Jesus, amen" during prayer. Then they did something amazing: Jonathan put his arms out wide and his head down. He knew Jesus had died on that cross! Anastasia then kept saying "three" which I thought meant the three crosses, but she was not satisfied until I kept guessing. She kept saying "three" then she put her arms up above her head in exuberance until I knew she was referring to Jesus being raised from the dead! They knew this story already! They know Jesus! Look closely at the first photo and you'll see them acting it out!

What a blessed Resurrection Day for us to worship together as a family knowing that Anastasia and Jonathan were worshiping the Savior along with us! Here we are after church easter morning.









Jonathan and Anastasia loved hunting for eggs after worship at Los Altos.












God is our provider! We were put in contact with a very special translater who is a Spirit-filled Ukrainian woman. She and her family came over to decorate eggs and to speak to the twins about Jesus in Russian. She brought Bible picture books in Russian. Nastia and Jonathan were hungry for God's word and had heard many Bible stories in Ukraine. Praise God.






Abbie and Hannah have been so supportive and helpful with their new siblings. I cannot say enough about their big hearts. They have also been very honest about the challenges they face. Once in a while they need some space. We have learned that keeping the boundaries intact is crucial. More than ever we have delineated whose toys are whose and we've emphasized respect for each others rooms. Here Abbie is up early for the big egg hunt at home.





Hannah and Nastia were particularly proud of their egg creations! For the sake of the twins, Hannah has been wearing her glasses all of the time even though she only needs them for distance. She has been such a good example in so many ways. She has also come to an understanding about the 'down side' of having a little sister, and it has made her more empathetic with her big sis! I love her honesty and am so proud of how much she is maturing.



Anastasia has come such a long way since the last post! She is positively blossoming. We have more and more days of just delighting in her fun and energetic personality. Clearly fairness is important to her and the more she is convinced we are fair the easier it is for her to go along with the program. It also helps when we can explain and have her understand what is going on. Sometimes we have had to ask her to comply even when she cannot understand, (like at the dentist) Those are the most difficult. In those moments Mike and I have been very convicted about our own lack of trusting God when we don't understand his ways.


Jonathan is always ready with a smile! He is also blossoming as he settles into his new family life. He often empathizes with his sister and encourages her to comply. He is also blessed by her as she often communicates for the both of them.








These special cookies were sent by Aunt Sylvia and each one has their name on it!












Grandma and Grandpa Henderson came for a visit last week. Anastasia made an important connection as a result. Every time we talk through a translator, we are in the habit of communicating that we are their parents forever. After Grandma and Grandpa's visit in which we explained that they were "Momma's Momma and Poppa," With wide eyes, Nastia asked in Russian, "Momma and Poppa will be my Momma and Poppa when I am grown?" To which we answered, "Da! Da!" "Yes! Yes!" You should have seen the sweet smile that came across her face as that realization set in! It reminded me of the feeling I get when I hear Jesus say, "Come you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest!"

Jonathan, who likes to be called "JonJon" now thanks to our friend Todd Johnson, is often content to let Nastia do the talking, but we know he is taking everything in and is very happy with the reassurance and love he feels from us. Every time the translator tells him we are his parents forever, he just gets the biggest smile on his face and wraps his arms around our necks!

So much of the past month has been spent simply "nesting." We are getting into rhythm as a family. One of the twins favorite things is obviously swimming. We swim almost every day. Maggie and Bailey love to play along, too.

Every day brings new understandings on all of our parts. The language is coming along as well. The twins start school Monday. They both will require dental work. They each have 9 cavities. We are on a waiting list for them to be under general anesthesia for the the work so it can all be done at once. They also go for a follow up visit with the ophthamologist who will determine at that time when Nastia will have her surgery. It is truly amazing all these precious little ones have been through and all they still face to adjust here. We know God has brought us together and will continue to sustain us with his mighty hand! Praise Him!