Little Sofia

In two weeks, our friend, Sofia, will turn 5 years old.  She was diagnosed about 2 years ago with cancer in her brain in Ukraine.

They were treated in Israel next and finally, were able to come to the United States.  In Cincinnati, the Children's Hospital is one of the best when it comes to cancer treatments.

After so much radiation, proton therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell therapy (from her baby brother, Timothy's umbilica cord)...her brain had undergone so much stress and was weakened.  She had a stroke Dec. 17, 2013.  Then, a few days later, she had a much more serious stroke.  The left side of her body was affected and she is still trying to regain strength  by physical therapy.  She also lost her ability to see.
She has been in the hospital 3 months today, but was able to come to church yesterday for the first time in months!!!  All the children gathered around her wheelchair, holding her hands, kissing her cheeks and greeting her with love.  She went to Holy Communion.  I took her little brother to Holy Communion, as I am his Godmother.  

I took these two pictures of their whole family in October 2013 when our parish moved from the old building into the new large church!  Everyone carried an icon to the new church. 

I ♥ Sofia's smile in this photo.  She is supposed to be going home this Thursday Feb. 20th.  We are all praying she continues to heal little by little. 

I ♥ this...

I made this really delicious chicken and avocado salad with cilantro.  We will be making it again very soon. 

Olivia really likes to use the Rainbow Loom and make stuff.  She made 16 bracelets to give to the kids in our homeschooling group today. 

 Jenny read the life of St. Valentine, as the children wrote messages for each other. 

With God's guidance, Father Steven picked the patron saint of our homeschooling group today.  A couple weeks ago, each family had done some research and picked out a saint they liked.  The children stood up and made presentations on each saint.  Many of the saints had beautiful lives or struggled with learning and through prayers were able to overcome any difficulties.  There was:

• the 3 hierarchs (St. Basil, St. Gregory and St. John)
• St. Catherine the Great
• St. John of Kronstadt
• St. Sergius of Radonezh
• St. Emmelia
• St. Artemis

And now, it is....  the St. John of Kronstadt Orthodox homeschooling group of Cincinnati area!  From this website, http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/johnkr_e.htm:

"his intellectual development was delayed, for he had great difficulty in learning to read" and "he prayed earnestly for divine enlightenment, and one morning, after he had risen during the night and prayed while his companions slept, he found himself able to read easily, and to understand what he had read."

Wintry weather

Hot organic chamomile tea from Trader Joe's in the thermos we got from IKEA...very nice when you're sitting in cold snow!

We went across the street from our house and built snowforts!  A beautiful sunny (but very cold wintry) day.

 

 Down the street from us...I like how these people stacked up the ice.  It wasn't a normal snow, more like tiny bits of hail...and ice in the end!

My mom on her 69th birthday yesterday, a wonderful day...started it off with going to Liturgy for St. Xenia of St. Petersburg.  After, a potluck lunch and homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, my sister made lemon bars, and an apple cake that a woman from church made and chocolate chunks, but most of all being with those we ♥ love...

Wish

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday!  I made her a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. 

 

I added new items to my etsy shop and am offering 20% off if you use the code:  LOVE20 ♥

Olivia started guitar lessons with my friend Maria last month.  Her fingers are getting used to the strings.  Evening lessons while the weather got colder and some tea to warm us up.
We got a fresh batch of snow stuff....maybe it was tiny pieces of hail, because it pelted out windows last night.  And this morning, it was crunchy like ice.  

Happy February!

 Olivia and I made a garland of hearts.  Happy February!  ♥  Not only this month, but all year around, we should show our love for one another.  

"Love one another"

-John 13:34

Sometimes it's hard, relatives who live far away, or friends who don't seem to make an effort to get together or do something that may upset you.  It's not easy for me to forgive and just love...instead I turn to those who are kind to me, and reciprocate their kindness.  Any helpful advice on how to "love your enemies"?  Although I don't have any enemies, there are people who are more difficult to love.

 Hannah...kissing Velvet...our black kitty. 
Velvet is one of those...tough love types, she will accept your affection, purr, purr...and then swipe her paw at you when she's had enough and leave you with a scratch.  I don't understand her.

Yesterday I saw that Shutterfly is giving 10 FREE cards, I had already made some and ordered them, so I immediately took another photo on the same card that I had saved and am going to be getting 10 more soon...to send to those I love the very most.

Use code  XOXOCARDS when checking out!!!

Homemade hot cocoa

I've stopped buying hot cocoa at the store.  Yep.  We've been making homemade hot cocoa this winter and I hope you will, too, (because it's easy and delicious and cheaper and probably better for you):

• 1/3 C cocoa powder
• 1/3 C sugar
• 4 C milk (you can use cow's milk, almond milk...whatever)
• vanilla extract, if you want
• top with whipped cream...extra yummy, but not necessary (I haven't bought marshmallows in a long time, as I think real whipped cream is much better)

So, first you'll mix the cocoa powder, sugar and a half cup of the milk in a pan on the stove over medium heat, just until it comes to a boil...stirring with a spoon.  Stir in remaining milk and vanilla.  Pour into 6 mugs and top with whipped cream...enjoy!  ♥

High of 20'F

Yes, it was a cold day, but the sun came out in the afternoon.  The same today, high of 20'F expected but the sun is shining on the snow and the sky is blue with a few clouds...

First thing, we feed the animals...I went out into the backyard and was surprised to see the chickens on the grape trellis!  Pepper had a good inch of snow on her back and when I helped her down I tried to brush it off, but much of it was actually ice and stuck to her feathers!

I lifted the oldest girl Nutmeg down first and put her in the coop.  She will be 3 years old this spring.  I felt like Cinnamon and Pepper were telling me "I'm scared and don't want to get down."

Then, we went to a nearby park and went sledding with Lusy, who ran free, sniffed in the woods and ran as fast as she could, like a wild animal.

 Olivia trudging up the hill with her sled.  We talked about the possibility of harnessing the sled to Lusy, since she had so much energy, and hoping she'd bring the sled up the hill...

 Lusy takes a rest.

Checked in on the chickens again, all ice and snow melted off their feathers and they ventured out in the snow.  They even had laid eggs in their nest inside the coop...I was thankful. 

We gave the chickens a treat, some cubes of cheese (cut to about 5cm by 5cm) as a thank you!