Olia had a great time at Amber's sleepover birthday party.  Amber had three friends spend the night.  They ate, danced, watched movies and sang. I think next year that Olia will just have a few friends overnight because she had such a good time.  I think it is easier to focus on just a few friends as kids get older.  After we picked up Olia, we left to visit a campground for next year's family campout. Dan, his brother, their married son/wife and married daughter/husband and our married son/wife go camping together.  Dan and Olia, and his brother and wife go for a week. Renee and I show up for a few days and the rest come for a long weekend.  Everyone always has a good time.  Last year Larry scoped out the campground and this year it was Dan's turn.  So we took a three hour drive and went to the campground.  Along the way we stopped at a few garage sales.  I usually just get books for Olia and that is what we did yesterday. It keeps her busy in the car and then we donate all of the books to the library book sale.  Of course, Olia wants to buy everything anyone is selling! Olia picked out a pretty new porcelain butterfly for Amy at the cemetery. I am glad that Olia thinks about Amy. We finally got to the campground and Dan picked out acceptable campsites for everyone for next year!  After Dan chose the campsites we decided to go visit Renee at college because we were only about an hour away from her at that point.  We kept trying to call her, but she didn't pick up her cell.  So we just drove there and surprised her. I am glad she was home!  We took her out for pizza; she is a vegetarian. Then we dropped her back off at her apartment because we had to drive home and it was getting late.  We were really glad to see her!

     This morning I have been thinking about Dasha.  She is probably now back in Odessa and back to the life she has lived for the last few years.  I am sure that she was happy to see her friends and happy that she is going to be adopted.  I am not as angry at her anymore.  She is just a kid who has been abused and rejected and neglected.  She was probably just jealous of Olia's relationship with Amber.  The strange thing is that Olia was never jealous of the time or affection we showed to Dasha and Olia was never jealous of Dasha's relationship with Amber.  She was glad that Dasha was getting a family. I hope that means that Olia is really secure in her place in our family.  She does play the "adoption card" when we won't give her her own way or she is punished for doing something.  She starts the "you are treating me like this because I'm adopted" baloney when she is upset or angry, and we are just like, yeah, right.  We just really forget that Olia was adopted. 

   Olia looked at all of the pictures of her friends who are coming for Christmas hosting.  She said....I wish I still lived with them....and I said....what?? Then she said, I mean I just want to visit them.   Actually, I am very glad that Olia still misses her friends, it means she has strong emotional ties to people.  My friend Cathy, who adopted a girl from Olia's orphanage a year before Olia was adopted, emailed me because she and Vera are so excited about the Simferopol hosting.  I emailed her the pictures so that Vera can see them.  Maybe they can help get some of the kids hosted. I emailed a man who runs the adoption ministry at the church where Olia attends Bible School.  He told me to let him know if any family needs a little funding help to host. That is a good thing, maybe another child can get hosted if a little bit of money helps. I am also going to send the info the the family who is adopting Dasha.  Maybe they can mention it at their church.  Maybe their church would even fund one orphan's hosting.  That might help another orphan get a home.  I think many people are afraid to adopt an "older(age 10+) child."  But hosting does seem to show people that 10 year old kids are just that......children.