Long time no see

It has been a long time since I posted.  Summer came and went and school has started again. (I have some more pictures of summer that I will have to post in a separate summer post).  The purpose of the summer was to continue to give the girls a variety of activities and keep up some math skills.  I tried, but with four, it became difficult. I also had to work for about 6 weeks (June and August), so all the books I took home that I said would do with them, stayed in their bags.

  We were able to move Yesica and Sucena to a closer school to me, and that is great.  With the second year at school come more challenges.  The older girls are actually having a tougher time with school than last year.  They are taking more classes and getting less help from the ESL teachers.  We do continue to help them develop their study habits, sometimes this can be quite a challenge.  Imagine coming from a place where you had no responsibilities (it was up to you and a worker that called all the kids to do their homework), and you ran around with kids your age for most of the morning or afternoon with limited supervision and then watched T.V. most of the day.  Now you come and have homework, chores and expectations.  This continues to be our challenge with the girls, breaking old habits, complying with parents and expectations from school.  The distance continues to be a challenge specially on days when Milena has 5 tests in one day and she wants to do an after school club. 

Mirellen is doing band and playing the French Horn.  We thought she would be doing percussion but the Band teacher needed French Horn players.  I wished she practiced more :)
Yesica is playing the violin.  I wish she practiced more:)  The girls are also in Catechism class so they can eventually do First Communion.  Our Sundays are consumed with Church now.  We still try to see family as much as possible.

As for us, we are hanging on.  There are difficult days that leave us emotionally exhausted.  The girls still miss La Casita, Colombia and still talk about their past.  They still cry and grieve.  Then there are wonderful days where we stand amazed at how far they have come. 

Never a dull moment.