Ivan is leaving.

Summer is already gone.  Ivan leaves in 8 days.  It has been a fun, interesting summer.
Ivan is a fun, active, observant young man.    Many have asked me if I will host him next year.  I won't be hosting him he needs to be with a family with a Dad. He wants to be adopted and he has a younger brother in the States.

Ivan is funny.
Ivan kind and a mischievous big brother.
Ivan is sweet and sensitive.
Ivan is a very good at football, swimming, pool, tennis, ping-pong.
Ivan is adventurous.
Ivan loves biking.
Ivan is considerate and helpful.
He is quiet and takes a little bit of time to feel comfortable.

Ivan wants a family to play with, to grow with, to have fun with, to fight with, to tease with, to laugh with.  He is a wonderful, wonderful boy.

Vanya is on the right with the green eyes.  My son is on the left with the brown eyes.

Ivan is now here.  He is a wonderful, quiet, observant boy. He got a big initiation to Alberta.  I picked him up from some friends who were also hosting around 8:30 pm and I still had another 4 hour drive to reach our camp site.  I had already book a camping trip with the Forest Wardens for this week-end. We spend the first night in the van.  It was too dark and we got there too late.  The next day we found our campsite and waited for everyone to wake-up.  Ivan was very excited to help me set-up my tent and inflate the mattresses.  He had a big smile when he realized that the mattress and sleeping bag was for him.   The other Forest Wardens went caving, we went White Water Rafting.  He laughed, being such a serious boy it was wonderful to hear him.  I then decided the next day to take the long way back home to Edmonton, instead of a 5 -6 hour drive it was going to be 8 hours or more.  We were going throught the Rocky Mountains.  I realized the he loved nature and I wasn't going to be able to go back to them.  It was wonderful, We went to Johnson Canyon, Lake Louise, the Athabasca glacier.  Ivan's favorite activity is throwing and skipping rocks and boy does he have a great arm. It was a long trip, we arrived home at 4:00am.

He had a huge when he saw the Queen bed for him.  All day today, he spend it playing with all the toys.  It was amusing to see him play with the cars, and all the toys.  He just went from one toy to another.

I hope to add pics soon.  I will be adding many more details.  His observant skills at seeing what someone needs is amazing.

Today I finally paid for some of my fees.  I also received news that the other family has made public the child they will be hosting this summer.  They are such a wonderful and beautiful family.  They will be picking their hosting child, Ruslan and Ivan at the airport as I am unable to go pick up in the middle of a weekday.  I willbe picking Ivan up from their home. The airport is also in the other major city in Alberta, Calgary, about 3 hours away.  Not a big deal on a week-end but literally almost impossible for me during the week-day..

I encourage you to go check-out their blog at http://krazy-love.blogspot.ca

They also have a daughter who is presently in Uganda working in an orphanage.  Here is her blog.
www.askingwithfaith.blogspot.com

I hope I will be able to link to the other families hosting in Canada this summer.  There are 9 orphans visiting Canada this summer.  

Well a week after declining to host, I receive an E-mail saying someone was willing to help with the fees of hosting.  So I'll be hosting Ivan after all.  This time I feel at peace and excited.  When I said yes the first time,  I was really agitated and unsettled and went to bed, in the morning I knew I had to back out.  I was sad but realised that I couldn't do it since I was not in a position financially to cover the fees and whatever unexpected expenses that may come with hosting.  This donor is donating what I need to feel comfortable hosting.  The rest I'll tightned family belt and save what I need.  The first week-end of June, I'll also have a garage sale.  I've already told my son that he won't be going to camps. My daughter has never been to a camp so she'll have one art camp this summer.  I live in an area that is considered inner-city and one of the advantages are all the low-cost activities available.


Today I printed off the application form at the library and I hope to send it off.  I'll probably fax it.
My police check was done this past Monday and so I can send that in as well to the Canadian contact.

Decisions, decisions

I'm a single Mom, thinking of embarking on a crazy hosting adventure that I just learned 2 days ago,  Come and follow me and my family.

Any donations to help with hosting Ivan will be greatly appreciated.