Party Like a 4 Year Old!

This weekend we had the privilege of having the beautiful "Shevchenko" family over [along with 3 other graduates] to celebrate Vala's 4th birthday!

Things were a little crazy with 10 people staying in 800 square feet of apartment, but I think it's safe to say that fun was had. We had Dusya and Sergey take Vala out for a little while as we decorated the apartment.

Her pretty little face lit up at the sight of flowers, streamers, balloons and a butterfly cakes - all for her.

McDonald's for dinner, presents from us, her family and friends, and even from some other friends in America. She was definitely a bit spoiled. :) We had a crazy and beautiful day celebrating Vala, our little bundle of energy and excitement! We are thankful to have been in her life since she was just 5 weeks old and look forward to continuing to watching her grow up...

Please be in prayer with us for this precious little family as they're going through a lot of changes right now. They also just moved back to the village, Ivanivka [literally right next to the Pravdinska orphanage]. There is a lot of work to be done on their house and they're working hard to save money and be able to fix the things that need it. We're hoping to be able to help them with as much as we can.

Also, you may have noticed a little baby bump in the family picture... We are excited to share that Dusya and Sergey are expecting their 2nd baby in early September! Vala is so excited to become a big sister! Dusya and baby are both doing well right now. She did have to have an emergency operation last year after some medical complications, and we're a little concerned about her having issues because of that. Please keep her and the baby in prayer, as well as the rest of their family. We will keep you all posted!

Thanks for your support and prayers! We're so thankful to have all of you and wouldn't be able to be a part of the Shevchenko family without you.