The Best Apple Pie Ever!

Okay, nothing to report relating to our adoption. We're still WAITING!!!! So, I thought I'd post on a recipe I just learned to make. Let me just fill you in on my cooking/baking skills, they are non-existent. I can order food with the best of them though! My mom is an amazing cook and is actually a chef. My sister is also a wonderful cook but I got none of those "I love to cook and I'm good at it" genes. Cooking is actually more painful for me than menstrual cramps. Get it... I hate to cook. Anyway, a friend of the family (Debbie) is in my humble opinion, one of the best bakers I know. Her apple pie is out of this world, the best I've ever had. Sorry Mom! Debbie came over my sister-in-law's house last week and taught her and I how to bake the infamous pie. The first attempt at making the crust failed miserably but we did better the second time around. The pies turned out great, tasted just like Debbie's. So, tonight we have New-Comer's night for our church and I thought I'd try out my new pie-baking skills. I just pulled the pie out of the oven and it looks fabulous and smells even better. I kind of want to be selfish and eat the whole thing myself, but of course I won't.=) I actually enjoyed making the pie, it was so easy. By the way, its got the crumb topping not the lattice. I love the crumb topping, it's sooooo good! If it wasn't about 200 degrees right now, I'd be tempted to eat a slice.=)
Anyway, that's what's going on in my world. I think we might go to the beach tomorrow, maybe bring some left-over apple pie!

Hello All

I know it's been a while since my last post but not very much is happening here. Our agency's update this week pretty much said the same thing as Lisa's post but you can click here if you want to read ours. It is encouraging news and I am praying desperately for our reaccreditations to come this month.
I am continuing my Russian lessons with Natasha, she taught the classes I took a few months ago. Only now I'm being tutored by her once a week. She wasn't able to offer an intermediate class so I asked if she would be able to tutor me. It's really starting to get hard. All this verb conjugating is really hard stuff. It's fun though and I know it'll be helpful once we finally go to Russia.
Chris has to have knee surgery next month to repair his torn ACL. It's been torn for a long while now but he is just recently been in too much pain to go on without the surgery. We've been holding off for the adoption but we just can't any longer. He'll be unable to walk for 2 weeks and on crutches for 4 weeks. Please pray for me too!!!=)
My old family coordinator who left our agency to pursue her dream of ministering to children in russian orphanages has hooked me and my family up with pen pals. She is an awesome girl and I wish that I had been able to go over there to love on the kids in those orphanages. Anyway, my pen pal's name in Nastya and she's 11. That's her in the picture. Isn't she cute? I wish I could take her home with me too. I sent her one letter already and Sara said she was so happy to receive it. I'm sending her another one soon with some small gifts. My sister-in-law and her 3 kids and my mother-in-law also have pen pals now and are sending letters soon. If any of you are interested in getting a pen pal, let me know. Sara said there are so many children waiting and not enough people willing. These are older children too, the ones with little to no chance of ever being adopted. Sara is trying to create a life skills book for them so that when they are released from their orphanages, they'll be more prepared. She's hoping to be able to include skills like how to cut hair and repair cars and such. I know it's a huge task but if anyone will do it, she will. I am so blessed by her love and passion for those kids.