Monday Around Riga

Hello...well, we just had a whirlwind of activity over the last several days with the kids, so I haven't had a chance to write! There's just about any kind of transportation to take you where you want to go in and around Riga...it's fantastic! The other day we went go-kart racing, and of course I was the only one with a license to drive, and drove the slowest...that got a few laughs from A, K and R! Then the guys played pool, while A and I tried our hand at the dancing machine, which was good exercise for us both!

On Saturday, we took a trip to Rundale Palace, which is about 1 hour from Riga. The palace was one of the summer homes of the relatives of Katherine the Great. We had a tour guide who spoke English, and told us alot of interesting information about the history. We are about 3 weeks too early to have seen the 14,000 rose bushes blooming in the French style garden...too bad! It is amazing that it survived the Nazi and Communists reigns, although they did have to strip at least 4 coats of paint off all the walls to restore the hand painted walls and ceilings, as the Russians didn't want any memories of the wealthy past! Here are a few photos of the Palace and the kids:

It's been raining here alot lately, so we went to the movies again, which is the only time I hear English on a regular basis! The TV shows are all either dubbed in Latvian or Russian. These kids are amazing...they watch one show in Latvian, switch to a Russian language cartoon, and then watch movies in English! A and K are fluent in Russian, Latvian is their primary language, and they can communicate very well in English...it makes me speechless how they can switch around so much between languages. They've been very helpful to mom and me as we go around town, order food out, asking questions about what we're seeing, or helping to buy items. They are VERY sweet kids! They are also very funny with each other. Mom and I have had some really good laughs watching their antics...sometimes K and A seem older than they are, but then they do something goofy that reminds you they're only 13 going on 14!

Last night, we went to an organ and flute recital in one of the oldest churches in Old Riga. Wow, the organ was amazing, and the acoustics in the church were even more amazing. The organist played Bach and Vivaldi, amongst others, and when looking around in the church, you could almost imagine you were back in time! The kids weren't so excited about "Grandmother" music, but it made Granmother and me very happy to listen and enjoy.

Today we went bowling, and I gave the kids a good run for their money! K beat me once, and we tied on the second game...then the kids played a few more games while my mom and I watched...it was a good thing because they kept getting better!

We will have a second visit from the Orphan Court judge on Wednesday, before the fianl court appearance on June 12th, so keep praying for all of us! God's PEACE and JOY! Love, EP