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Well, we just got word. Our court date is June 19, almost exactly two months from the date of our first visit.

Somebody get me a paper bag. I’m hyperventilating.

I’ll never, ever, ever get it all done before we have to fly. Never. From finishing her room, to getting Scott and Aric off to various camps, to arranging for flights and hotels and documents and dog sitters and fish feeders.

But I’m pretty sure we’re going to find ourselves on some flight around June 16, going to make a little Russian girl our daughter. How cool is that!

How long ago did we start this project? Seems like forever. Or, at least, our neighbors think so.

But it’s come SO far. Today, with the help of Scott, Anthony, and Aric, we’re rocking the waterfalls and finally trying to finish the edges. Looks like another trip to our favorite store, Hill Country Water Gardens, is in the picture, too, since my wonderful MIL Linda brought us some amazing plants last night, and they’ll need potting.

Our water lilies have been in for just a few weeks, and they’re blooming like crazy. Just take a look!

School’s…OUT…FOR…SUMMER!

School’s…OUT…FOR…EVER!

Or, in the case of our two very happy boys, until August 15. Scott’s now officially a Freshman. Aric’s officially a 4th grader. I’m officially OLD.

In honor of last-day-of-school freedom, Aric decided to set his excess hair free. Is this a pure-D Texas boy thang? We don’t know, but this is his first experience with oh-so-comfortable non-hair. He calls it his “portable kitten.” True, it is very tempting to pet him every time you walk by. He says he’s going to start charging for each feel, though.

Time to wrap our minds around summer camps and activities. This summer is so much more complex, though, with the (we HOPE!) trip to St. Petersburg to bring home our little girl. I went ahead and signed her up for vacation Bible school the first week of August. She MUST be here by then.

Aric didn’t make it to school on time today, and so missed working in his journal. He needs the writing practice, so I set him the “homework” task of writing a page about his trip to St. Petersburg. I was curious about what he’d remember and think worthy of including in a journal.

Here it is, completely unedited. I think we need to talk about a few things…

From Aric’s journal, May 17, 2006

I went to Russia this spring. I got to meet my future sister when I arrived there. Her name is BEPA (Vera in English).

We are all racing around getting BEPA’s room ready for her, and we are also trying to become tea maniacs because they drink a lot of tea in Russia.

Our whole family thinks BEPA is a bit hyperactive.

Believe it or not there was a place there called Pizza Clown. There was a McDonalds, a Pizza Hut, and a KFC. We mostly ate pizza.

There are amazing circuses there. Trust me, I went to one. There was a fire swallower/snake fighter/alligator fighter. There was an awesome trick that a clown did. The lights went out and back on, and a blast of water was shooting the clown up in to the air. It was just darn right amazing.

That is what going to Russia is like. When you grow up you should consider adopting. WARNING it costs a lot of money.

Several of our friends have been asking to see pictures of our pond project. We’d declined, since we have much work left to do on the waterfall and planting.

But today, we got our first water lily flower, so I had to take pictures, and decided to share. Just remember that this is *in progress*!