Yulia Turns 11!!!!

We knew Yulia's 11th birthday was going to be a big day when she came downstairs in her party dress. Appears the rest of us were all under dressed in our shorts and t-shirts.

Colyn gave Yulia a proper party doo.


Early in the day, opening family presents. She wanted a suitcase so she can go to Texas and visit her "family."

Yulia and Gracie, Albert and Thresa's daughter.

She had been wanting a basketball goal for quite some time. She's hoping to get a role in the upcoming "High School Musical 3".

Her first ever American birthday can't be captured in one blog. Please see Parts 2-4 below!

Part 2

The theme was High School Musical!


On the right are two of Yulia's friends from school. They were very good about telling her what she needed to do at the party. Like blowing out the candles and getting the first piece of cake.

Couldn't have done without my Sis. Here she is helping with cake service.

Part 3

For all of you who know us well, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the party wasn't complete without this giant slip and slide.

The slide wasn't quite "fast" enough, so it was quickly deflated and moved to a bigger hill.

The kids seemed to enjoy going up the slide more than down at times.

Yulia on the slide.
No sliding event would be complete without a Kozmo slide. Once the party ended, we really had a good time on the slide with just the adults.

Part 4

Birthday weekend ended with a visit to the St. Louis arch.


Yulia and Gracie are holding hands as they ride to the top of the arch. Yulia had been to the arch, but never up inside. Gracie and Albert(Uncle Bubba) enjoyed their first visit ever!

After we put Aunt Debbie, Gracie and Uncle Bubba on the plane, we celebrated Father's Day. Colyn's flight left shortly afterwards. We miss everyone so much :(.

Overall, it was a very fun but tiring weekend. Pop and Mom have decided they're too old to host 20 young hoodlums and their parents.

Wine Festival

The weather was finally nice this weekend. Not rainy. And we found this little Wine and Dine Jazz Festival right across the border in Illinois.

Yulia on bass!

Kitty continues to progress well in Texas. May be released to skilled nursing or rehab this week.

We're hottly preparing for the "High School Musical" Birthday Party Saturday, where Yulia will turn 11!!!

SCHOOL'S OUT (AT LEAST FOR A WEEK)!!!!

Is anyone else SO HAPPY school's out? I am exhausted. Remember, I am an older mom, and the last week's of school have WORN ME OUT!

Thursday, we had track and field day.

Friday started out with a KickBall Tournament(the height of excitement)

Yulia's 5th grade class tied for 1st place! Basically, the teachers and coaches got tired of the kid's continual tying up the game and called a truce.

After the big win(uh, tie), we celebrated with the end of school party. Yulia's WONDERFUL teacher is at the very back. Yulia is up front on the right with an attitude.

Although Yulia made the "A" honor roll and graduated from 5th grade, we've made the decision to repeat the 5th. While she's done very well, she still has a lot of trouble with basic reading, writing and math. She's going to summer school 4 days a week. In the fall, she'll go to the school where she should have been attending all along. It's closer and she'll be able to ride the bus. And the fact that it's a new school is exciting to her. Plus, she won't see the 4th graders from her old school going into the 5th at her old school. She'll be in a new environment. Another plus, many of the girls at church who'll be in 5th next year go to the new school. It was a hard decision for us holding her back, but everyone who's adopted said repeating the 5th was the best thing they've ever done.

Now to more important things, Yulia has selected "High School Musical" for the theme of her 11th birthday coming up June 14th. It was a tough decision between HS Musical and Hannah Montana, but HSM won out. More to come on the big party, I'm sure.

Hannibal, Missouri

So, it's supposed to be almost 80 today, so we decide we'll head to Hannibal, MO, the home of Mark Twain. Paul and I put on our shorts and sandals. We laughed at Yulia when she put on long pants and a jacket. Well, she was right. The temperature didn't get above 58 on May 24, thank you very much, and we froze our Barry batoozkies off.

Still haven't figured out how to turn the pictures right side up.

In front of Huck Finn's house.

In front of Becky Thatcher's house.

Mark Twain's boyhood home is the white house on the right. Note the white picket fence that Tom and his friends painted.

I was driving on the way home. Got lost. Seems Paul Barry has gained such notoriety in these parts that they've named a town after him!