Hello all and Happy Spring!!!
We are all doing well. We had a great Christmas and got the joy of traveling to Jamaica with Jeff's parents in February and had a blast. The resort gives you a Nanny. We had a delightful woman named Tonya who was fabulous. The kids had alot of fun and Jeff and I actually felt rested when we left. Life has returned to the normal hustle and bustle. The three little ones are playing soccer this spring. I use the term "play" lightly but they have fun. It is hard the believe that the boys have been home 3 years on May 1st. Travis is 6 and in Kindergarten. Blake is 5 and Devon will be 5 in May. They will both be in Kindergarten in the fall. Sydney is finishing up 10th grade and is in the musical again this year. They are doing Legally Blonde. She is also in Key Club and 4-H as well as riding as often as she can. She is looking for a summer job so I doubt I will see her much. Branagh is still dancing as well as 4-H. She is looking forward to 8th grade graduation and dance and can't wait to go to Tech in the Fall. We look forward to seeing everyone as the weather warms up. If you are in the area, be sure to give us a call. Happy Easter to ALL. Christ is Risen!!

Hello all,
I know it has been a long time but Dear Amie reminded me that some people still look at it so I am attempting to redesign it and give it a fresh look. This is a work in progress so bear with me. Sydney turned 15 in September and started 10th grade at Sussex tech. She is doing great in school, still riding her horse Independence G, in 4-H and joined Key club this year. Branagh in 13 and in 8th grade at Sussex Academy. She is enjoying being the big dog this year. She is dancing Ballet and Jazz/Hip-Hop and 4-H club. She got to Dance down Main street USA in Disney World in June. It was awesome and quite an experience (it was also 106 degrees). Travis will be 6 in November and is in Kindergarten this year. He is ALL boy, very curious and non-stop. He only has two speeds, fast-forward and asleep. Blake and Devon are 4 and in pre-K this year. They are both doing great and learning so fast. Jeff says they are like an old married couple. They tell each other what to do and say and Devon calls Blake honey.
Jeff is getting ready to go off to Tulsa for US National Arabian Horse show, so wish him luck. I will continue to work on updating this so check back soon. Best Wishes, Jodi

Hello all,
I will keep this short and sweet. I posted some new pics so check them out. Everyone is doing great here. Syd is doing great in High school, on the honor roll every marking period so far. Branagh is gearing up to dance in Disney in June. Travis, Blake and Devon are being typical healthy kids and trying us at every turn. Jeff tore his rotator cuff but is on the mend. I am crazy at work and crazy at home but happy and healthy. Hope all is well with everyone. Best wishes to all.

Hello Everyone,
I know it has been a while but here is the latest with the Allen Seven. Sydney started high school at Sussex Tech in September. She is doing great and really loves it. It is a fabulous progressive school and she is thriving there. She is enjoying all the high school activities, football games and new friends she is making. She is Vice President of the local 4-H club and is still riding horses whenever she can. Branagh is in the 7 th grade at Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is doing great in school. She auditioned and was accepted on a dance team that will perform in Disney World next June. She is dancing two nights a week to get ready and is loving it all. She is also in 4-H as the song leader. Travis started Pre-K4 at Seaford Christian Academy and is adjusting to the new schedule. He thinks he should working on the Farm instead of going to school. We are trying hard to convince him otherwise. Devon and Blake are still in daycare and growing like weeds. Blakes eyesight continues to improve and he is just a delight. Devon is still running the place and has a vocabulary that is out of this world.

Jeff is really busy on the Farm right now and trying hard to balance everything. Work for me is busy busy busy but I am grateful for a job with so many out of work. I will try harder to add more pics to keep everyone up to date. Love to hear from you all, Jodi

June 2010

Hello Everyone....
Summer has finally arrived and we are loving it. Sydney graduated from Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences and is off to High School in the fall. We are all very excited. She is gearing up for her first Horse show of the Season in Lexington VA the second weekend in July. Branagh successfully finished 6th grade (also at Sussex Academy) and went to 4-H Camp at Camp Barnes. She had a great time and has not stopped talking about it. She also had a great Dance recital (Tap) and got lots of awards for it.
Travis is doing great. He is growing taller by the minute but we still have to hold onto him when the wind blows. He is happy and active and getting a great tan. He will go to Pre-school at Seaford Christian Academy in the fall. Blake is growing too and now officially out weighs his brother. He is going great and his language has really taken off. We kid each other that this was the little boy who barely said a word a year ago. Amazing! Devon is growing great too and still holds the heavy weight title for the toddlers. She has quite a sense of humor and takes a lot of pride in bossing everyone around.
Jeff and I are doing great. We would love to see anyone who is in the area this summer so feel free to give us a call. Hope everyone is happy and healthy. Love J&J

SPRING at last!!!

Spring at last! We are so excited to see some warm weather and get outside again. The girls are on Spring break this week and the weather is glorious. Sydney is in her last 8 weeks of middle school, I can't believe it. She has to learn dancing for her 8th grade dance. She is excited to go to High School but even more excited for Summer break. Branagh turned 12 in February. She is growing up so fast. She did really well this marking period and earned a cell phone so she is psyched. Travis is very excited to be outside (and so are mom and dad). He decided to ride his bike on the steps and needless to say, he is minus a few teeth. All Boy! All the time. Blake is doing really well too. We have been patching his good eye trying to strengthen the weak eye and the results have been great. He is seeing much better and his cooridination is improving as well. Devon is .......well Devon. God made her cute on purpose. She still runs the show and has a vocabulary that is out of this world. She has the words to express her ideas and it keeps us in stitches. We had a great Easter. Enjoy and the pictures. Happy Spring!!

February 2010

Hello All,
We have been buried under about 2 1/2 feet of snow. Add that to what we got in December and we have had more then Anchorage Alaska. In spite of that, we are all well. Blake turned 3 in January and Branagh is 12 next week. Sydney got into Sussex technical High School and we are very excited. It is a blue-ribbon high school and has lots of opportunities for her. It is done on a Lottery and there were over 700 applicants for about 320 spots. The girls have had an extended winter break and are ready to get back to school. Work for me is getting crazy busy but I love the challenges. Jeff is working hard with the snow and one less employee. He is gearing up for the spring and can't wait for the snow to disappear. Love to all, please leave comments we love to hear from you. Jodi

2010!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!
We had a great Holiday. It was very exciting and the kids were great. The boys took it all in stride and seemed to enjoy all the new activities. The little kids went to see Santa and Blake was soooo excited he screamed SANTA for 10 minutes. The Big girls got two extra days off school for snow the week before Chirstmas when we got over 12 inches. They all had a ball. Blake will turn 3 on January 19th and he is very excited. He has definitley figured out what Birthdays are all about. Syd and B are back in school and we are all tring to navigate the very cold temps the best we can. Here are some new photos. God Bless and Happy 2010!!

Merry Christmas to ALL!!

Merry Christmas everyone. I can't believe it has been 2 months since I posted last. I guess I know what one of my New Year Resolutions will be. We spent Thanksgiving week in Orlando visiting Mickey Mouse. Jeff's Parents gave us all the trip for an early Christmas present and we had a ball. We rented a house and it was super. It had a heated pool, game room and plenty of space for all of us. Jeff and I are still in debate who had more fun, the kids or Poppop Howard. We had some family time, big kid time, grandparent time and an overall great time.

Travis turned four the day we returned and got his first taste of an "American Birthday". We loved seeing the big smiles and joy on his face. He is doing really well. His English is fluent (well 4 year old fluent). We wish he was putting on weight faster but he is growing wonderfully. He is never still and we are just afraid he will try to rewire the Christmas tree before we take it down.

Blake will be 3 in January and is packing on the pounds. He loves to eat and I love to feed him. He is growing well all around and is a generally happy kid. He is speaking well and loves to learn. He can count, knows colors and is learning shapes.

Devon is a trip. She has grasped language skills with a lot of flare and keeps us laughing. God knew what he was doing when he made her cute. She has her own ideas about how things should be done and what pace they should be done as well. Needless to say, she is our challenge right now. She is very loving and it is so great to hear " I lob you too mommy".

Sydney is just growing up so fast. We put in her application for Sussex Technical High School. I can't believe she will be in High School next year. Her grades have really improved this year and she is finding her way in a teenage world. Her sense of humor keeps us in stitches. We are really enjoying her these days.

Branagh is doing Irish Tap dancing this fall and loves it. Her first recital is next week and we are looking forward to her performance. The middle school transition has proven to be quite a challenge for her. She seems to be settling in and hopefully will show improvement the second half of the year.

The weather has not cooperated with Jeff in November. All the rain has made it difficult to get corn and soybeans out and get wheat planted. He has kept a brave face and moved forward the best he can. He has been very busy with 4-H with Sydney and Branagh and it is good bonding time for them.

Overall, Work is work, Home is busy and God is good. We are so excited to share the holidays with our family complete. It was just a year ago we got the referrals from Russia for both boys and they have been home almost 8 months already!!! We wish you all the Merriest of Christmas' filled with Love, Joy and most of all each other. Come see us if you are in the neighborhood. We don't get out much but love the company.

October Already

Needless to say, things have been really busy around here. Sydney and Branagh are back in school and working very hard. The school they attend is very challenging. Branagh is in 6th grade and the transition is always an uphill battle. Sydney is having an easier time as this is her 3rd year there. Both girls are still riding horses as often as they can. Branagh is also taking dance classes in Irish Tap and is really enjoying it. Both have joined 4-H and are active in the Church youth group.

The "Toddlers" (as we refer to the three little ones) are all doing well. Travis had surgery to have his teeth fixed and is doing well. He is very proud of his new "dinosaur" teeth. Blake is growing like a weed and can not seem to get enough food. He loves to watch Mickey Mouse and is very loving. Both boys speak all English and are doing great. Devon is quite a handful these days. She wants things her way and is very unhappy when Mom and Dad see it differently. She is healthy and happy though so what more could we ask for.

Jeff has been crazy busy on the farm. The Corn has all been harvested and he has started on the soybeans. He has worked wonders cleaning out the woods by the house and it looks great. Please ask him about Pheasants. You will love the response. Things are the same for me, working 3 days a week at the Hospital and trying to keep up the rest of the week.

We are all going to Disney for the week of Thanksgiving. Not sure if we are brave or stupid but we will let you know when we return. Jeff's parents are going too so at least we have some extra hands. It should be a Turkey day to remember. Love to all, I will try and do better keeping up with this and I will post some new pics soon. XXOO Jodi

Has it been a month already? Time sure flies. I have been back to work for a month and everyone is adjusting well to the new schedule. The Boys have joined Devon at Miss Elaine's daycare and seem to really enjoy it. Miss Elaine says the boys are the best behaved in the place, Devon is another story. She is definitely acting like a two year old.

Sydney and Branagh went to East Coast Championship horse show in Lexington VA. Branagh won Champion for her division and Sydney finished with a top 5. We are so proud of them both. They are off to camp in North East Maryland on 8/16 and then school starts on 8/31. Jeff has been busy keeping up with the farm. All the rain dances he has learned have not helped at all. It is still very dry here and we are thankful for Irrigation.

Travis is scheduled for Dental Surgery on 8/24 so please keep him in your prayers. We are excited to finally get his teeth fixed. They are very decayed and we are sure he is in constant pain. Travis has not gained weight as fast as Blake and we are hopeful this will help. Both boys weigh a little over 26lbs and look so much healthier. They love to be outside and have a great tan. I will post more pictures soon. Love to all, J&J

Happy 4th of July...

Hello everyone,
I realize that I have been falling down on my "blogging" responsibility. Things have been very busy but everyone seems to have adjusted to our new state of controlled (and sometimes not controlled) chaos. The boys are doing well and are really enjoying having their big sisters at home. Blake has grown 2 inches and gained 2.5 lbs since the beginning of May. Travis has grown 1 inch and gained 1 .5 lbs. They still have a lot of catching up to do but are off to a good start. Unfortunately, my leave time is coming to an end. I have to return to work next Monday so we have begun yet another adjustment period. They started daycare this week with Devon at Miss Elaine's. The did well the first day but only stayed until lunch time. Today they will stay through nap and we will see how that goes.

The farm has been so crazy. Poor Jeff has been leaving for work at 5am and not returning some nights until after 9pm. He is trying to catch up now that the weather is cooperating somewhat. The big girls have been my saving grace. They are growing up so fast. We are leaving for the Region 15 championship Horse show this Thursday. Both are showing in 2 classes and are really excited. I love the time alone with them but dread leaving the little guys behind.
Hope everyone enjoys the 4th of July Holiday. J&J

Summer update...

Hello all from Chaos grand central,
Summer is finally here. Both older girls are now done school for the summer. They both did well and are ready to move on to 8th and 6th grade. Somehow it does not seem possible that they are both in Middle school. We will start looking at High Schools for Sydney in the Fall. WOW, where are our two little girls.

We are heading off on Wednesday to Lexington VA for a horse show with the two older girls. Branagh will ride Saddle Seat this year. It will be a little different for her but she looks great so far. She will ride Mr. Holland LOA (the horse Syd showed last year). Sydney also shows saddle seat but they are in different age groups still this year. Syd will show X Factor, a new horse we purchased this winter. He is working well for her so far. I will be sure to post pictures when I can.

Devon is doing well and is getting very proficient at expressing herself. She told me this morning that I was using Nina's cup. She is definitely acting her age and expressing herself and her opinion at every opportunity.

The boys are doing better everyday. We are still working on attachment issues which are foreign to all of us. The social worker gave us some great tips and assured us it just takes time. Travis needs some pretty extensive dental work and will have to go the the Operating Room at AI Dupont to have it all completed. WE are still working through some medical issues but so far no major surprises. Blake is doing really well with his glasses and his eye is improving already. He leaves them alone for the most part except for the day he thought they needed to be cleaned and placed them in the kitchen sink. Took me a while to find them (only after tearing the car, yard, living room apart looking for them).

I will update soon best wishes to all....... J&J

Hello all,
SO sorry it has been so long since made a post. We are doing very well with our new family. Sydney and Branagh are almost done school for the year and we are all looking forward to summer vacation and a slightly slower pace. Travis is doing great. He is inquisitive and does not miss a thing. He can sing the alphabet and count to 5 in English. We are working on shapes and colors and he is a fast learner. He speaks about 75% English but still rambles in Russian on occasion. Blake is doing great with his english as well. He has come into his own and shows it with temper tantrums. Devon is still the queen B but really enjoys playing with her "brodders" and bossing them around. Here are some new pictures. Enjoy!! J&J

We are still alive!!!! We are sorry that the blog has not been updated in awhile but we have been kinda busy enjoying life and getting it done!! When we hit the 3 and under group goes to bed we are ready but then we have the 11 and over group to assist. Then try to recover the house.

This week has been much better. Everyone in the Allen household is getting a routine established. Seems kinda hectic but so far it has been fun.

The boys are understanding us as well as we are understanding them more each day. Who know are Russian tutor would be 3 years old.

Jodi has spent alot of time with the boys and it is showing. We (especially Jodi and Branagh) are constantly told I love you.

The farm seems to be a hit for the boys. the other day I was planting corn across from the house and Travis went ballistic. Climbed out of his car seat and yelled MACHINA!!! The three and under group took turns cutting grass and washing cars today.

Hard to believe but we have celebrated Devon's 2nd birthday!! She is in love with her brothers and has to give them kisses and hugs before going to bed.

Where would we be without the older girls??? They have been a great help and have proven to be as special as we know they were.

We appreciate everyone being patient with the visits. It seems like the boys do well outside or with short visits from friends. Just makes it hard to have everyone at once.

Thanks to all those that have made the phone calls, sent cards and e-mails. The supports has meant alot to us.

Hope to get some new pictures up soon. There are just so many to choose from.

Love YA

J and J plus 5

Hello from Delaware..

Hello to all,
Sorry it has been a few days since the last post but things have been so busy. We are trying desperately to establish some new routines. They boys are doing really well and even experienced thier first shopping trip to Target. It was short but they did really well. We also went to get some desperately needed new shoes. They were both troopers. Mommom Marge went as back up and support for Jodi "just in case".

The girls are feeling thier way around the new form of "busy" that fills our home. We are counting down the days until school is out and we can all relax a little more. Devon was probably the hardest hit but now wants to hug her "brodders". They are not to sure about that but she does not give them much choice. She is still the queen bee and as Branagh says "have you ever heard of a king bee??".

Thanks for all the calls and support. We are slowly inviting visitors and really appreciate your patience. Any disruption in routine right now is felt by all but we promise to welcome you all in time. I will try to post some new pictures when I can stay awake long enough to get everything done. Lots and love, J&J

First Day Was Good

Well the first day was good. Jodi and I have been up since 4 discussing about today and the upcoming week. Jodi has always had the theory Schedule Routine for the kids and she it right it makes the Allen Household better.

Devon was a little surprised when she woke up yesterday to find what that the "brother fairy" had been. She was so excited to see that her Mommy and Daddy where home.

Nina made breakfast and Mom Mom made dinner, they are spoiling us. Like the maid service and especially the cost, lol.

The boys and girls played hard all day, including the big girls. They enjoyed being outside and loved the farm. Both boys loved the horses and took their first ride. Any sponsors for the Allen Equestrian Team?

We appreciate all the phone calls.

I think the washer has run non stop for the last 24 hours but the end is in sight, YEAH!!

Maybe Jodi will get a minute to post some pictures today. Nap time was enjoyed by all yesterday.

More to come later

J and J

WE ARE FINALLY HOME!!!! Words cannot not explain what it felt like to see Bridgeville's sign "If you lived here you be home now". Heck just to be able to read a sign in English.

The trip home was pretty uneventful and exhausting. We left the hotel at 4 am Moscow time and got home last night about 7:45 pm. When you calculate all the time zones we were traveling over 24 hours. Oh do not for get the 1 1/2 hours at airport/immigration and the Friday traffic jams on 495.

Both boys made out incredible. The one flight was over 9 hours and both boys played, woke everyone up and sang. Yes the people boarding had to be saying "Please don't let me be seated by them.

The boys were anxiously greeted by sisters and Grand Parents, oh and Scotty too. When we drove up the driveway we told Travis he was at his dome (Russian for House) and he lit up like a light. Now remember last night made bed number six that the kids have slept in in the last week.

They went to everyone and gave hugs and played with Scotty. Ate and went to bed.

It was great to be home and see the girls/family. Devon did not stay awake for the big home coming so we anxiously await her waking up. Don't think she would appreciate our jet lag at 4 AM.

It was a great feeling to come home and see the grass cut, house cleaned and everything in order. Nina, Mom Mom and Pop Pop have done a great job and we cannot thank them enough. No I don't think they are for hire.

Well the washer is done the first load of many for the day.

Jodi will post more later in the day.

Love you all and thanks for your support.

J & J

Last Day.. YAHOOO!!!

Well it is our last day in Moscow and we are justing trying to pass the time and wear the boys out before they wear us out. Not sure who is winning right now. Our driver will be here at 4:15 am to take us to the airport and we are off on a really long day. That is 8:15 pm your time (thursday night) and we land in Washington at 3pm your time(fridy afternoon) then drive in Friday rush hour traffic. Yikes. Will certainly be a long day but we are so anxious to get home. WE can't wait to hug our girls and show the boys where we really live. I will post some new pictures and can't wait to talk to everyone when we get home. See ya soon, J&J

Yeah were done!!!!

We have just gotten back from the Embassy and all went well and we are done the Russia Paperwork!!!! Now just more when we get home but at least we will be HOME!!! I don't care what anyone says Bridgeville DE is one of the greatest places to LIVE!!!

Okay now that we have fixed the problem we can share. We have had one heck of a time getting batteries for the camera. We have bought several but we can't speak Russian let alone read it so buying batteries is a challenge.

Between being in Russia and having the boys Jodi and I challenge anyone to a game of Sherraid's.

Boys are doing extremely well. They are picking up English already. Picture books are great. Travis is really into it and picks up the books all the time.

We have gotten through this step realy fast and now we have a day to spare. Tried to get a flight home earlier but they are all sold out.

You know its a bad haircut whenn I encourage Jodi to cut Travis's hair. It looks better than it did and the long bangs where bugging him.

The boys are taking a nap as well as Jodi (I hope). I came down to the bar for my most expensie Jack and Coke, $35 bucks!!! One is my limit today, but it is the first one in a while and wow it tastes good.

I cannot wait to get home to see my girls!! I know everyone wants to come and see us and the boys and we love you for it. I do ask that you give us a couple of days and call before coming. Not trying to be Bucky Bad but each situation is a new one and we have to figure out one step at a time.

We think the boys are going to adapt easy but we will not know until we are there. Travis is going to go crazy when he sees Pop Pop s farm. Everything is "machina" to him and Blake it is "Beep Beep". Jodi brought picture books and they always go to the tractors. Watch out Pop Pop you have riders on the Rogator.

The boys are fun to watch as they are figuring out everything. They know who Momma is. The just sing and smile in the stroller.

Now for all you hospital folks, who needs Mediafast. Just walk 20 miles a day with your 2 boys. Yeap thats all the boys want to do is walk or stroll. I believe Jodi has lost another ?x? lbs.

What is amazing is the indepence the boys have been taught at such a young age. They dress, brush teeth, go to the bathroom, make beds, and they will walk 5 city blocks and much more. Watch out Allen Household girls, the boys are in the house. But you can have Scotty on your side, lol.

Okay to end my rambling blog. I thank God for my five children and a wonderful wife and great family. I want to get out of a city with 500 million people, yes 500 million people!!! I want be a country boy.

Love all of you and thanks for your support, love and prayers.

JWA