Six years ago, Sutu Forté looked up from her place in the faded plush red seats of Jesse Auditorium to the brightly lit stage where a group of older women began moving in time to the music. So inspired by their courage and art, she felt her heart go up into her throat and tears fall from her eyes.

And something inside began to ache.

She wondered if one day she could join the women onstage and dance in front of a packed auditorium. Silently she asked herself, “Could that be me?”

Following the moving concert at Jesse for Columbia Dance Academy’s annual student performance, Forté decided to write a letter to the dance studio’s owner of the past 15 years, Jeanne Szkolka.

She knows she still has the letter somewhere, Szkolka says, and she remembers the impact it had on her. “I think that was her moment to realize that it hadn’t passed her by,” she says. “That she could still dance if she wanted to. That you’re never too old.”

Four years later, Forté decided it was time to move her dream of dance from the backburner to reality. At 57, she didn’t know if her joints and limbs would let her take on the art she had always admired for its beauty and grace. Her consistent desire to say yes to life, however, pushed her into showing up for Columbia Dance Academy’s beginner’s adult class that Wednesday night in Fall 2009.

Love for the arts

Walking through the door to her first dance class was a silent act of courage. “You get these don’ts,” Forté says. Her first response to that has always been, “Why not?”

Now 59, Forté is about to enter into her third year of dancing with Szkolka’s adult class. Since beginning the dance chapter in her fruitful life, Forté ends her piano lessons at 6:45 sharp to pack up her bag and head to dance class every Wednesday for the 7:30 p.m. start. But Forté is no stranger to the arts nor a haphazard participant in them.

A highly respected professional pianist and local celebrity of sorts, this musical veteran’s background is as colorful and resilient as Mumbles, her 46-year-old parrot, who likes to caw at her while she nurses the tall tomato plants in her front garden.

Born Susan Forcade, she discovered the love of her life during her childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. That love came in the form of an ivory-laced piano.

“It was my wonderland, ever since I was 3 years old, to just explore the colors of the keys, and gradually that turned into my own compositions,” she says. “I would hear things outside, like birds or sounds in the sky, and I would come in and find those notes on the piano. Sound was so rich to me.”

Up until age 18, Forté studied with various teachers in and around San Francisco before winning a music scholarship to Stephens College. She found her niche in the “rockin’ classical music department,” located smack in the middle of Missouri.

Performance and profession

Following graduation, Forté won a competition to perform a solo with the St. Louis Symphony under the direction of Leonard Slatkin. There she played the three movements of Ludwig von Beethoven’s “Emperor Piano Concerto” at Powell Symphony Hall.

From 1974 to 1978 she attended the Julliard School of Music, where she pursued a master’s degree, though she considered her experience at the high-profile music conservatory “a real trial by fire.” After the challenging years at Julliard, she moved to New York because she “wasn’t ready to give up.” While in the Big Apple, she debuted at Carnegie Recital Hall, which earned her good reviews from New York critics.

She returned to San Francisco in 1985 after making the decision to give up classical music and then moved back to the Midwest in 1994. She began to make a name for herself in Columbia as a highly sought-after piano teacher and performer.

Growing up and into her career, Forté’s sole focus was piano. After so many years spent living a life for which the approval and opinion of others was a major force in her success, forgoing what others thought of her choices was a difficult roadblock to pass. For Forté, that was another first. But she took the blinders off and replaced them with her own dancing shoes.

From piano to dance

As the years mount up, so do restrictions from others on what Forté can and cannot do. But with the same amount of energy as many of the 18-year-olds she dances with and wisdom from living 57 years, Forté is nowhere near ready to step back and watch life go by. “I want to look forward to each year as an opportunity to do things I wasn’t able to do before,” she says.

That passion hardly goes unnoticed to those around her, especially in class.

“She gets out there and gives it every single part of her being,” Szkolka says. “And [the students] could see that; they could see that she was giving it everything she had in that moment. That was a huge inspiration to my dancers.”

After her first performance, a young woman who had been dancing with Szkolka since she was a little girl came up to the dance instructor and gushed about how Forté’s backstage presence and “contagious enthusiasm” affected the other girls. The feeling was mutual.

The women in the class have become Forté’s club, and she feels in tune with the group she refers to as her “sisterhood.” With that group of women, Forté performed in her second dance show at the 15th Annual Student Performance for the Columbia Dance Academy in June 2011. Although her first performance a year before had been fraught with both nerves and excitement, the second go at the stage brought nothing but thrill to the dancers in matching red sparkly outfits for Nigel Olsen’s classic ’70s rock ballad “Put on Your Dancing Shoes.”

“I felt comfortable up on that stage,” Forté says. “It has to be more than the correct step. It has to be an expression of something you are feeling inside. When people come to listen or see performers, they want to be given permission to feel those things that those people do on stage.”

People told Forté after seeing her onstage that night that she “made the connection from being a musician and that feeling I had when playing the piano went into my body.” They said her body was playing the music that naturally pours out from her when she sits down on the piano bench and takes her hands to the keys.

Forté’s dark blue eyes light up upon recalling the compliment because that was precisely how she felt during the two minutes and 14 seconds onstage. She wanted the music to flow through her.

“I let my theatrical self come out, and I made believe that I was a real dancer,” she says. “And that, that stage was there for me and my buddies, and we were going to have a great time and dance the best that we’d ever danced, the best they’d ever seen.”

Expressing her spirit

Mitzi St. John of Columbia was one of the other dancers onstage the night of Forté’s performance. Entering into her sixth year in the adult class, she became involved because the adult class coincided with her then 12-year-old daughter’s class at the Columbia Dance Academy. Except for a couple introductory classes in college, dance had never been on St. John’s docket, but the adult class allowed that to change. “For me it’s a new experience,” she says. “My opinion at my age, because I’m 53, is that there is no reason why I can’t go out and try something new. And Sutu also has that same attitude.”

The women enjoy a camaraderie within the relaxed class environment that gives encouragement during practice. And Forté is a major player in that realm, St. John says.

“Sutu has a very electrifying presence,” she says. “She is very sincere in everything that she says and does. And what she participates in she does so passionately.”

And passion is only part of it. During her first year of dancing, Forté was mainly worried about whether she could stand on her toes, let alone attempt a plié. The challenge was a physical one, she says.

“I want to encourage other women past 50 that as we age you begin to feel your joints, your hips, your knees, your shoulders, your arms,” she says. “Loosen up! When you move, like in dancing, you get the fluid back to your joints. And I always feel the best when I am getting ready for that dance.”

In her mind, the decision to take up dance in her 50s was not only a self-fulfilling prophecy but also a means to prove to herself that she could learn this new language. And that is exactly what dance is to her in this new chapter: an entirely new language to soak up.
“The big challenge is to be patient with myself and be grateful for what I can do,” she says as she strokes her knees. “I want to be a fan of Sutu Forté. I don’t want to sit there and judge myself. I want to say: ‘You should be proud of yourself that you’re doing this and you’re doing it consistently. You can be an inspiration to women in their 50s and 60s.’”

When asked what dance brings to her life, only one word comes to mind: “Magic,” she says. Forté sees the art as a way to not only strengthen the muscles and joints but also as an elixir for the soul. Through dance, she expresses her spirit.

Dance of inspiration

If Helen of Troy had the face that launched a thousand ships, Sutu Forté has the passion for life to inspire a generation. To her, it is not about what she cannot do; it is about pursuing what she still wants to try in the life she was given.

They say age is just a number. For Forté and the other women in her class, it might be just that, but it takes strength and a desire to keep learning to live like it is.

Every Wednesday during the session, Szkolka sees that excitement of trying something new in the women before her in the studio.

“I think some people think that if they reach a certain age and they haven’t been doing it their whole life, that they’re too old to start, and that’s never true,” she says. “You’re never too old to start. And she proved it.”

Some kitchens warm you up the moment you step into them regardless of room temperature. A golden glow and the ring of familiar laughter draws you in and makes you want to sit down and dig into hearty winter fare at a table big enough for the whole family and a few good friends. You know you’re in that type of kitchen when you simply don’t want to leave, and Elizabeth and Bruce Wilson’s kitchen evokes this sense of home perfectly.

Handsome maple cabinets hug every inch of available wall space, hide all kitchen clutter from view and unify the space. The antique table and wood floors in the dining room are echoes of the same polished shade and lend a slightly rustic look beside the view of their woodsy backyard through the large-panel windows. A reading nook in the corner has two squashy armchairs that are perfect for snuggling up with a book on a rainy afternoon, but the kitchen’s real centerpiece is the island. With a marble lower level for pastry making and a higher woodblock level for chopping, it’s a chef’s delight and the perfect gathering place for a hurried weekday breakfast.

Expanding the space

The Wilsons’ kitchen hasn’t always been this beautiful or this spacious. Until 2007 both the kitchen and dining area were sandwiched into one room that was roughly the size of a train car. There was no room at the table to have guests for dinner, and the lack of cabinet space and organization drove Elizabeth crazy. Being organized is the key to keeping her busy family on track and making sure they still have time to be together. She’s an OB-GYN at University Hospital, Bruce teaches social studies at Rock Bridge High School and runs the family’s small cattle farm outside of town, and their two sons, Henry, 12, and West, 17, are involved in various activities that keep them busy, but everyone makes time to eat together at least three or four times a week.

Elizabeth considered remodeling for years. She even spoke to Kerry Bramon Remodeling and Design after hearing great things about the firm from friends. She and Bruce weren’t sure if their current home was worth the cost and stress of a remodel, but she liked their neighborhood in southwest Columbia. “We’re still kind of secluded with all the trees and not so close to our neighbors, and that’s one thing we like about the neighborhood,” Elizabeth says.

In the end, the folks at Kerry Bramon gave her the little push she needed. “They called a few times and asked me, ‘Do you still want to do this?’” Elizabeth says. “And finally I said: ‘Yes! Yes, I do.’”

A place to entertain

The project started with one goal: to turn their back porch into a space for dining by removing the sliding glass door so the new room would be adjacent to the existing kitchen. But that led to a complete overhaul of the kitchen, garage entryway, mud room and laundry room. Now there is no reason for mail, keys or muddy boots to ever make it into the kitchen, and even better, there’s finally more than enough pantry space.

With construction lasting from January through May 2007, it could have been a harrowing experience, but Elizabeth found it surprisingly bearable, and she gives full credit to Bramon. “They just guide you through it so well,” she says. ”Even though I didn’t have a plan in my head, the little decisions you make along the way kind of contribute to it overall.”
Kerry Bramon agrees that taking one step at a time is the best way to tackle any home improvements. “Make sure you have a good space to work in, and then come back and decorate it,” he says. “Worry about function first, and then put a personality on it.”

Now the Wilsons are gearing up for the Superbowl party they’ve been hosting for their neighbors for about 10 years. Six to eight families from their neighborhood bring a dish to the chili-themed affair (one year, someone even brought a turducken!). Traditions such as this make the Wilsons glad they decided not to move. “If you like your neighborhood enough, it’s worth the pain of staying where you want to be,” Elizabeth says of the renovations.

Having a spacious place to entertain is definitely a perk of Elizabeth’s new kitchen, but her favorite part is that everything finally has its place. After years of searching, she has found what eluded her most — organization.

Dr. William and Bridgid Kinney’s home is a study in balance. Contemporary design mixes seamlessly with family heirlooms. State-of-the-art technology lives undetected amid traditional design elements. And the minimalist interior invites the outside in at every turn. In other words, their home strikes the perfect balance between design and practicality, beauty and warmth, form and function.

As you walk into the Kinney home, before you notice the white ash wide-plank flooring, the floating gas fireplace or the steel cabled banister, your eye is drawn outside to the stunning views through the large unadorned picture windows that line the back of the house. The home, which sits on a cul-de-sac in the Spring Creek subdivision, backs up to a large wooded area that extends the length of the view. The result is a very private setting and a tree-house feeling when you are inside looking out.

“This,” Bridgid says as she gestures to the beautiful view, “is why we don’t have window treatments and why we will never have window treatments. When you look out here, you feel like you could be anywhere in the world.”

The spot is so beautiful, in fact, that in May of 2011, Bill and Bridgid chose to be married on their back patio with the woods as their backdrop — just three weeks after moving in.

The best-laid plans

The building process was a true collaboration among the Kinneys, builder Jeff Herigon of Hercon Construction and interior designer Stephen Rust. The Kinneys found house plans online but wanted to make some changes.

“We worked together — the whole design/build team — to modify the plans in order to customize the home to their specific needs,” Herigon says. “It was a team effort from the start.”

Bridgid agrees: “I cannot overstate how helpful Stephen [Rust] and Jeff [Herigon] were. They were both so open and committed to helping us create the home we really wanted.”

The family that cooks together…

At the center of the home is the open-plan gourmet kitchen, meticulously designed to indulge Bill and his son Will’s love of cooking. Contemporary elements such as the stainless steel appliances, cherry cabinetry and wood floors warm black granite countertops. One of the most eye-catching elements in the kitchen is the open shelving unit that Bill custom designed himself. He worked off of a picture he found online and researched how to recreate a similar shelving unit for their kitchen.

“The concept is almost like those old industrial commercial roller doors, but he updated and modified the design,” Rust says. “He has quite a good eye for engineering and was able to use the glass and light in just the right way to create mystery in the kitchen. It’s very cool.”

The shelves are lined with LED strip lighting mounted in grooves at the base of each shelf. When the light filters through the glass on the sliding doors, the result is a soft glow that illuminates the entire space. This plays nicely against the funkiness of the Italian mosaic glass mounted on the wall behind the Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator and additional cherry cabinetry. The combination of materials, shapes, textures and colors results in a space that is beautiful, unique and above all functional. “There is no wasted space in here,” Bridgid says. “We use everything in this kitchen every day. We are a family who loves to cook and eat together, and this space works perfectly for us.”

A space for everyone

The Kinneys have three children: Will, 17, Sarah, 13, and Helen, 7. “The kids were involved in the design process from the beginning,” Bridgid says. “We wanted them to each have places in the house they could use individually but also lots of family spaces where we can be together.”

Helen has her bedroom upstairs and a craft room right off the kitchen where she can draw and create, all while being near the center of the home. Sarah enjoys an entire suite upstairs with a bedroom, a small balcony overlooking the backyard and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom that connects to her own “hang out” room with comfortable seating, funky design and all the high-tech elements a teenage girl could want. Will has his bedroom suite in the lower level of the family home, just steps away from the state-of-the-art, high-definition, 1080p front-projection system with a 110-inch motorized screen, a pool table and a workout room. Even the family’s dog kennel has its own customized system that allows the dog to “let herself out” onto the patio when the need arises.

The master retreat

The Kinneys master suite sits on the home’s second level and is accessed through two wide double doors that open into a short hallway lined with Asian-inspired textural wallpaper and sculpted carpet. To the right is the master bedroom, which is decorated in sumptuous beiges, browns and muted metallics. These colors complement the gorgeous view of the woods through the six large undressed windows in the room.

To the left you will find the master bath, which is at once luxurious and unexpected. Finished with rich brown cabinetry, porcelain tile and accents of glinting glass and mirrored surfaces, the room evokes a spa-like vibe. In the center of the room sits a stunning white freestanding tub with no bulky faucets or platforms in sight — the essence of minimalism. The faucet was actually mounted into the ceiling, and water flows down from that height to fill up the tub. To add to this effect, the ceiling is painted sky blue, which creates a gorgeous contrast with the neutral color palette that runs through the rest of the bath.

High-tech living

As manager of the August Systems division of Marathon Building Environments, Bridgid has helped hundreds of people in Columbia plan and implement technology into their homes during the past 15 years, so it’s no surprise that when it came to building her own home, technology played a major role. “We wanted state-of-the art, but aesthetics are very important to us as well,” she says.

Each room in the Kinney home has a touch-screen keypad mounted on the wall. From this control center, a person can access all electronic features of the home such as audio, video, home theater, lighting, security and climate. “All of our electronics are housed in a rack system in the basement, which allows us to watch or listen to nine different sources in eight areas,” Bridgid says. “Sarah can be listening to iTunes in her room while I’m watching high-definition satellite in the kitchen and someone is listening to the Cards game on the deck.” The sound from any of the sources plays through the flush mounted speakers in the ceiling, offering the benefit of the sound and technology without seeing big black boxes and wires everywhere.

Rust adds that using this kind of technology actually makes the home easier to decorate. “We didn’t need furniture to house electronics or even any light switches on the walls, which left more room for things that are beautiful, like artwork,” he says. “It allows for a less cluttered look.”

Bridgid adds: “We also benefit from the energy savings that comes from easily being able to control the electronics, lighting and heating and air from our room or on our iPhones. It really means that we aren’t leaving lights on in empty rooms, nor are we heating and cooling areas of the house when they aren’t in use.”

Lower-level living

In the home’s lower level, there is a large family media room, a workout facility, a glass-door wine cellar, a wet bar complete with a built-in tap for Bill’s home-brewed beer, a pool table and Will’s ensuite bedroom. The décor in these spaces remains contemporary but is definitely cozy as well. “Part of the problem with contemporary design,” Rust says, “is it can sometimes have a hard edge. We used radius curves, textured soft furnishings and things that speak to nature to soften the place and give it a homier look.”

The Kinneys have created a home that is highly customized but doesn’t feel quirky. They knew what they wanted and hired the best professionals to help them make their dream into reality. “It was a great experience,” Herigon says. “The Kinneys’ understanding of the building process and their clear vision of what they wanted made the project go as efficiently and as easily as it could, even though we were doing it during the worst winter in Missouri history.”

By Katrina Tauchen | Wrapping By Beth Snyder | Photos by Angelique Hunter

At a time when few, if any, of our holiday gifts arrive without the help of a computer or department store, there’s something to be said for the beauty of handmade details. When it comes to holiday wrapping, it’s easy to go for the readymade rolls, particularly as the presents pile up and the days before Christmas disappear, but adding a personalized touch in lieu of store-bought coverings doesn’t have to mean hours of work or tons of dollars spent. With a few simple supplies and a bit of time, these quick and easy ideas are sure to make your gifts stand out beneath that sparkling tree. Yes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts — but there’s still something to be said for a beautiful package.

Fun for the Kids

This idea is so simple but looks elegant and personalized when all is complete. It’s a great option, too, for those tiny wrappers who are eager to get in on the fun. Put them to work punching out paper while you assemble the finished products.

MATERIALS: white craft paper or brown butcher paper, holiday-themed craft punch (snowflakes, trees and stars are great options), colored cardstock, glue or tape, twine or ribbon

DIRECTIONS: Punch out a holiday shape from the plain wrapping paper in the pattern of your choosing. Before wrapping the gift, attach a colored piece of cardstock behind the cutout shapes in the wrapping paper using glue or tape. Wrap gift as usual, keeping in mind where the stamped detail will appear on the completed package. To finish, tie a bow from twine or wire ribbon.

Buttons and Twine

Simple buttons and a ball of twine are all you need for this quick wrapping embellishment. Keep it classic with a row of matching buttons in varying sizes, or add quirky shapes and a blend of colors to suit a more adventurous giftee.

MATERIALS: buttons, twine

DIRECTIONS: String buttons on a thin piece of twine, tie the twine around a wrapped present, and slide button embellishment to desired position on the package.

Easy Monogramming

We monogram towels, robes, even our kids’ lunchboxes, so why not our holiday gifts, too? Place stencil on top corner of the package and use paint to fill in the letter. You could also use a letter stamp and pad of ink or a pre-made sticker instead of paint if you’re really pressed for time.

MATERIALS: alphabet stencils, craft paint, paintbrush, white craft paper or brown butcher paper, ribbon or twine

DIRECTIONS: Wrap gift in plain white or brown paper. Place stencil on top corner of the package and use paint to fill in the letter. Once paint dries, finish the look with twine or thin ribbon.

Magazine Bows

With four strips of newsprint and piece of tape to hold it all together, these elegant gift-toppers are the perfect use for those stacks of magazines and newspapers that haven’t quite made it to the recycling bin. Try swapping the buttons atop the bows for antique brooches if you’d prefer a bit more glitz.

MATERIALS: leftover magazines or newspapers, glue or tape, buttons

DIRECTIONS: Cut four even strips of magazine paper or newsprint, each roughly ¾-inch thick. Holding one strip at a time, fold outer edges in, and secure in center with glue or tape. Repeat with remaining three strips of paper, then stack the four looped paper pieces in a staggered order and tape in place to form the bow. Using another piece of tape, secure button on top of the bow. Tie it onto the wrapped package with ribbon or twine.

Story and Photos By Katrina Tauchen

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the season, it’s easy to let the stress of planning, shopping and preparing for the perfect meal inhibit our ability to sit back and enjoy the holiday. Between the multiple dishes, the varying cook times and the never-ending list of prep work, even experienced home cooks find themselves overwhelmed with the notion of getting everything assembled, prepared and on the table by the time guests arrive. This year, rather than resign yourself to another stress-filled holiday, let Columbia Home relieve the pressure with a relaxed, easy-to-prepare meal plan that will wow your family and friends. With time-saving tips and an organized schedule, you’ll be putting your feet up in no time.

The Game Plan

Easy-to-follow play-by-play for a holiday meal for eight

MENU

Cranberry orange scones (breakfast)
Mini Brie and apple quiche (appetizer)
Spinach, roasted pear and Parmesan salad
Roast turkey (main course)
Cranberry chutney (side)
Roast parsnips (side)
Ginger spice cookies (dessert)

The Week Before:

• Finalize your menu and shop for ingredients.
• Prepare dough for cranberry orange scones. Store in the freezer until next week.

Four Days Before:

• If you’re cooking a frozen turkey, begin thawing it in the refrigerator.

Two Days Before:

• Prepare cranberry chutney, and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• Slice parsnips for side dish, and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

The Day Before:

• Bake ginger spice cookies, and store in an airtight container once they’re cool.
• Whisk together dressing for salad. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

The Day of:

• Early morning: Bake cranberry orange scones (20 to 25 minutes).
• Late morning: Chop apples for quiche appetizer; brush with lemon juice to keep them from browning, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Also, slice Brie for quiche, then return to the refrigerator.
• Afternoon: Remove turkey from the refrigerator, and let it rest on kitchen counter for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Calculate the expected cook time for your turkey based on its weight, and add one total hour (to account for the time it will take to get it prepped and 30 minutes of resting after it’s cooked). Adjust your start time for cooking the turkey accordingly. Preheat oven well in advance to ensure you’ll be ready on time.
• Late afternoon: Remove cranberry chutney from refrigerator if you’re planning to serve it at room temperature. Also at this time, shave the Parmesan for the salad, and roast the pears. Once pears are cool, assemble salad, but don’t add the dressing until just before serving.
• Hour and a half before meal: Assemble and bake the mini quiche, and serve warm once all guests have arrived.
• Half hour before meal: Remove turkey from the oven, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Now that the oven is free, roast the parsnips. Also, slice good bread from a local bakery to serve with the meal.
• Just before serving: Fill drinks, dress salad, place everything in serving dishes and bring to the table. Bon appétit!

Recipes

Roast Turkey

• frozen or fresh whole turkey (about 15 pounds)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions: Heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove giblets from turkey, rinse the turkey inside and out, and pat it dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon and 1 cup of water in a heavy pot, and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, until ingredients become fragrant. Add the mixture, along with the rosemary and sage, to the turkey’s cavity. Transfer the turkey to the wire rack of a roasting pan, tuck the wings underneath, and coat the skin liberally with melted butter. Season with the salt and pepper.

Roast the turkey, uncovered, on lowest rack of the oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Add 1 cup of cold water to pan, and cover the turkey loosely with foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in one of the turkey’s thighs reads 180 degrees, which should take about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Serves 10–15.

• Recipe adapted from Alton Brown’s roast turkey (foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html) and Real Simple’s basic roast turkey (realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/basic-roast-turkey-10000001549022/index.html)

Cranberry Orange Scones

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on tops of scones
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 scant cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing on tops of scones
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Time-saving tip: A fancy breakfast doesn’t have to take hours. Up to a few weeks before the holiday, follow this recipe until just before the baking point, then store frozen scones in a plastic freezer bag until Christmas morning.

Directions: Place the dry ingredients and orange zest in the large bowl of a food processor (fitted with the chopping blade) and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse 10 or so times (you should retain some small pieces of butter). Transfer flour mixture to a large mixing bowl. Fold cranberries into mixture.

In a large measuring cup place heavy cream, egg, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well, then pour into flour mixture. Using a fork, fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture while gradually turning the bowl (you’re aiming for a folding motion, not stirring). When dough begins to come together, gently knead dough into a ball shape.

Transfer dough ball to floured board, and gently pat it into a 6- or 7-inch circle. Use a pastry scraper or large chef’s knife to cut it into 8 triangles.
Place the scones on a wax-paper-lined sheet pan, and freeze until solid.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place frozen scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Brush tops with cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning pan halfway through. Scones are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Yields 8.

• Recipe adapted from mrslarkin’s blueberry scones on Food52.com (food52.com/recipes/11455_royal_wedding_scones/1)

Spinach, Roasted Pear and Parmesan Salad

• 8
cups fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
• 2
Bosc pears, cored and cut in half
• 4
tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2
ounces Parmesan, shaved
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2
cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pear halves cut side down in a glass baking dish, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons of water. Bake, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until pears are tender. Remove from oven, and allow pears to cool in the liquid. Once cooled, transfer pear halves to a cutting board, and discard liquid. Cut each pear half lengthwise into thin slices, and place in a large bowl.

Toss spinach and Parmesan with the roasted pears in the large bowl. To make dressing, whisk together 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk in oil, then drizzle lightly on salad (don’t overdress). Serve remaining dressing on table. Serves 8.

• Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, bhg.com (bhg.com/recipe/salads/spinach-pear-and-shaved-parmesan-salad)

Roasted Parsnips

• 1 pound parsnips, peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place parsnips on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix ingredients on the baking sheet until oil, salt and pepper are evenly dispersed over the parsnips. Spread parsnips in an even layer, dot with butter, and bake until they’re tender, about 25 minutes. Serves 8.

Ginger Spice Cookies

• ¾ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup molasses (overflowing a bit)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 heaping teaspoons ginger
• ½ heaping teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt

Time-saving tip: These homemade cookies are not only delicious, but they also can be made up to three months in advance and kept in the freezer until ready to bake. It’s also helpful to bake them a day or two in advance; chewy, molasses-filled cookies typically taste best on day two or three.

Directions: Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer, then add egg and molasses and mix together. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in a separate bowl, then add slowly to butter/sugar mixture. Mix until just combined.

Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls, roll in sugar, and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (about 1 ½ inches apart). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees, until firm on the outside but still soft on the inside. Yields 40.

[Note: To freeze dough before baking, use a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to make dough balls, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Put baking sheet in freezer until dough is firm. Transfer dough to a freezer-safe container, and store for up to three months. To bake the cookies, just add 1 or 2 minutes to the recipe’s normal bake time.]

Cranberry Chutney

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, cleaned and dried
• 1 ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons orange zest

Directions: Using the paddle attachment in a standing mixer, combine cranberries, sugar and orange zest.
Mix at a very low speed for about 1 hour 20 minutes (to keep cranberries from flying out of the mixer before they start breaking down, cover mixer loosely with a kitchen towel. Do keep an eye on it, though). After a while, cranberries will begin to break down and macerate. Serves 8–10.

• Recipe adapted from newyorktimes.com (well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/an-award-winning-chef-reinvents-the-classics)

Mini Brie and Apple Quiche

• 30 mini phyllo shells (two 1.9-ounce packages)
• 1/2 apple, peeled and diced
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of ground black pepper
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 4 ounces Brie (about half of a small wheel), cut into 30 pieces

Time-saving tip: Although these mini quiches should be assembled right before baking, you can cut down on prep time by cutting your apples earlier in the day and brushing them with lemon juice to keep them from browning.

Directions: Place phyllo shells on parchment-lined baking sheet, and divide apples among shells.

Whisk together eggs, mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl or measuring cup (something that can be used for pouring). Pour mixture over the apple in phyllo shells, and dot with Brie squares.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until egg is set, Brie is melted and phyllo shells begin turning golden brown on edges. Cool slightly before serving. Yields 30.

• Recipe from newyorktimes.com (well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/savory-pastries-to-wow-holiday-guests)

By Molly Wright | Photos by david owens

We all look forward to decorating our homes for the holidays. Traditions aside, nothing chases away winter’s dark days like the warmth and sparkle of seasonal decorations. But for many of us, the holidays end too soon, and we secretly wish we could wait until after old man winter has truly left the building to pack everything away.

Columbia resident Drew Parker, decorative painter and muralist, says we can avoid the dreaded holiday décor letdown by decorating for the winter season rather than concentrating on the few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. According to Parker, this way you have “something you can put up way before Thanksgiving and leave until Valentine’s Day or later.”

Follow these step-by-step instructions for three of Parker’s wintry designs, and your home decorations can last from the first whiff of pumpkin spice to the end-of-winter’s welcomed thaw.

Wintry Chandelier

Materials:

• 3 pieces of artificial pine garland, in varying lengths from 2 to 3 feet
• artificial wispy pine sprays and artificial juniper sprays
• 2 to 3 frosted real tree branches with real pine cones attached
• artificial pepperberry and pyracantha sprays
• artificial pomegranate branches with fruit
• Styrofoam ball covered in allspice
• groupings of artificial oranges with cloves
• bundle of large (16-inch) real cinnamon sticks tied with a ribbon
• green pipe cleaners to hold everything in place

1. To build bulk, hang pine garlands upside-down, and tie with pipe cleaners to the chandelier chain where it meets the ceiling. If your chain is exceptionally long, tie the garland closer to the chandelier. Parker prefers using artificial items inside the home. “You have so much more control over the actual piece,” she says, so they last longer and aren’t as messy. Flexible pipe cleaners are easy to manipulate and don’t scratch surfaces.
2. Add layers by tying small amounts of wispy pine and juniper sprays into the garland using pipe cleaners or by twisting the garland around the pieces to hold them in place.
3. Create movement by arranging frosted (flocked) pine branches throughout the decoration. “This adds a little twinkle without adding anything super shiny,” Parker says. Extending one branch down through the chandelier gives the decoration an outdoorsy, natural look.
4. Add color by scattering pepperberry and pyracantha sprays throughout the base greens. Parker says pay attention to proportion because adding too few of something will be lost, and too much will overwhelm.
5. Add dimension by mixing in pomegranate branches with attached fruit. Today’s artificial fruits look incredibly real.
6. Add fragrance by attaching two or three allspice-covered Styrofoam balls. The fragrance is appealing throughout the winter months, not just during the holidays.
7. To add additional volume, attach two or three groups of cloved oranges and the cinnamon stick bundle.

Winter Mantel

Materials:

• artificial pine garland with white pine cones
• artificial wispy pine sprays
• 3 vases, various sizes
• white/gray ceramic “resting” deer or something similar
• 2 decorative platters
• artificial or real tallow berry
• artificial or real juniper
• preserved boxwood in rusty urns

1. Drape garland along mantel edge, and allow the extra to flow down the ends. Secure garland with a thin wire connecting it to a couple of screws in wall behind the mantel.
2. Add wispy pine to soften the look and create a sense of movement.
3. Position taller jars on either end of the mantel with the smaller jar on the outside of one. “Use something from your own personal collection,” Parker suggests. Repositioning from other areas of the house makes the items seem new but doesn’t cost anything.
4. Place tallow berry and juniper separately in tall jars so they extend several inches above the brims.
5. Center deer on the mantel to add holiday flair.
6. Center and hang the two decorative platters on the mantel wall, with the smaller platter above the larger one.
7. Place boxwood urns at the base of the mantel on each side to frame the space.

Winter Wreath

Materials:

• basic artificial wreath
• artificial magnolia sprays
• artificial boxwood sprays
• artificial juniper sprays
• 4-inch, wire-edged champagne white and silvery plaid ribbon
• artificial shiny eucalyptus sprays
• glass Christmas balls, coordinated with ribbon color, in various sizes
• additional items such as children’s handmade ornaments (optional)
• green pipe cleaners

1. Start with the wreath. Parker says for use outside the home, fresh can be used; however, “a string of warm days can cause the greenery to go brown or dry out faster.”
2. Twist magnolia sprays into the wreath so they don’t look like they are just sitting on the top.
3. Add boxwood sprays with a similar technique. Fresh boxwood, which is green in the winter, can be substituted.
4. Add volume and a hint of color with juniper sprays.
5. Manipulate ribbon into a simple 3-inch loop bow, proportional to the size of the wreath. For wreaths left up all winter, Parker suggests using ribbons with nontraditional Christmas colors. Thread a pipe cleaner around the bow and through the wreath, and attach it to the back. Tuck ribbon tails into the wreath in a serpentine fashion so they look nestled in the greenery.
6. Add eucalyptus sprays, which can be taken out after Christmas if desired.
7. Use pipe cleaners to attach glass Christmas balls.

Storage: Cover wreath with a dry-cleaning bag, and hang it in the basement until next year to keep dust off and make the decoration last longer.

By Lauren Young | Photo by David Owens

It’s that time of year again: the time for holiday parties, family gatherings, much deserved breaks from school and work, tasty food and presents. However, the holidays can be a difficult time for many in the community. This holiday season, consider giving a little back to Columbia. Whether you choose to donate time or money, there are many opportunities to give back to the community including volunteering with children, spending time with animals or building a house. But remember, the need for volunteers and donations does not end with the holiday season. Clip this list out, put it on your refrigerator, and continue making Columbia a wonderful place to live all year long.

American Heart Association

(573) 446-3000
104 Corporate Lake Drive
heart.org

With a mission of “Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke,” the American Heart Association battles against heart disease and stroke through education and fundraising.

HOW TO HELP: To donate money online, first click on “Giving” and then “Donate Now” at heart.org. For other donation opportunities, such as vehicle donations or fundraisers, click “For Individuals” and then “Other Ways to Give.” Contact the Columbia chapter of the American Heart Association for more information about volunteering.

American Red Cross

(573) 445-9411
805 W. Worley St.
redcross-midmo.org

The American Red Cross helps provide services to victims of disasters and helps communities and people prepare for emergencies through educational courses.

HOW TO HELP: Donate online at redcross-midmo.org/donate. To learn about volunteering for the Red Cross, go to redcross-midmo.org/volunteer.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri

(573) 874-3677
800 N. Providence Road, Suite 110
bigs@bigsofcentralmo.org
bigsofcentralmo.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nationwide youth mentoring program. The organization strives to positively impact the lives of hundreds of youth through close relationships with mentors.

HOW TO HELP: To donate money to the Central Missouri chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, go to bigsofcentralmo.org and click “Donate.” Inquire about becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister by applying at bigsofcentralmo.org or bbbs.org.

Boys and Girls Club of the Columbia Area

(573) 874-1697
1002 Fay St.
bgc-columbia.org

The Boys and Girls Club of the Columbia Area is a place for children to go after school. The club provides supervision and programs for children who would be otherwise left on their own after school.

HOW TO HELP: To donate money or items, go to the “How You Can Help” page on bgc-columbia.org. Call the Boys and Girls’ Club of the Columbia Area using the phone number above for more information about volunteering.

Boys and Girls Town of Missouri – Columbia Campus

(573) 874-8686
4304 Bearfield Road
columbiaadmissions@great-circle.org
bgtm.org

The Boys and Girls Town located in Columbia is a part of Great Circle based out of St. Louis, which helps abused and neglected children. The Columbia campus provides residential treatment for children from birth to 21 years old, in-home services and foster care case management.

HOW TO HELP: For information on how to donate money or items found on the Boys and Girls Town wish list, go to bgtm.org/donate.

Coyote Hill

(573) 874-0179
P.O. Box 1, 9501 Coyote Hill Road
office@coyotehill.org
coyotehill.org

Coyote Hill provides a traditional home environment for abused and neglected children. During their stay at Coyote Hill, the children live with full-time “home parents” and licensed counselors with a focus on providing physical, emotional and spiritual support.

HOW TO HELP: To donate money, visit coyotehill.org/donate or go to coyotehill.org/donate/needs-list to see what items are currently needed by Coyote Hill. Volunteers are greatly appreciated at Coyote Hill for a variety of activities including group projects and individual mentoring. Go to coyotehill.org/get-involved/volunteer for more information.

Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri

(573) 474-1020
2101 Vandiver Drive
sharefoodbringhope.org

The Food Bank collects and distributes food to programs across central and northeast Missouri including soup kitchens, emergency food pantries, shelters, programs for low-income children and senior citizens and rehabilitation centers at no cost.

HOW TO HELP: To donate money, visit sharefoodbringhope.org/give-money. A complete list of food needed can be found at sharefoodbringhope.org/give-food. Donated food can be dropped off at the address above. Call the phone number listed above for more information about volunteering. Volunteers must be 18 or older or accompanied and adult. Please wear closed-toe shoes.

Granny’s House

(573) 442-5683
302 and 304 Trinity Place
pam@grannyshouse.org
grannyshouse.org

Granny’s House is a place for public housing children to go after school. The program provides a place to play and do homework as well as a warm meal every day from 4 to 6 p.m.

HOW TO HELP: To donate money, visit grannyshouse.org/donate. For non-monetary donations, first check the wish list on the Granny’s House website or contact Pam Ingram, (573) 881-5894. For information, please contact Angie Azzanni at angie@grannyshouse.org.

Habitat for Humanity

(573) 449-1202
1906 Monroe St.
showmehabitat@yahoo.com
showmehabitat.org

Habitat for Humanity, with the help of many volunteers, builds homes for low-income families that are not able to purchase a home on their own.

HOW TO HELP: To donate money online, go to showmehabitat.org. Groups of volunteers are scheduled by email (showmehabitat@yahoo.com); individuals are welcome Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Current building sites are listed on volunteer page of the website.

Heart of Missouri United Way

(573) 443-4523
1700 E. Pointe Drive, Suite 201
uwheartmo.org

United Way works with charitable organizations to pool fundraising and support. The major areas United Way focuses on are education, income and health.

HOW TO HELP: Donate online by going to the website above and clicking on “Give.” For volunteer information, please go to uwheartmo.org.

Love INC

(573) 256-7662
1516 Business 70 W.
columbialoveinc.org

Love INC (Love in the Name of Christ) helps match those in need to programs in churches around the area through a “clearing house” process. Volunteers screen phone calls from individuals asking for help and work to identify the correct program to address their needs.

HOW TO HELP: Donations can be made through PayPal, or checks made payable to Love INC of Columbia can be sent to 1516 Business 70 W., Columbia, MO 65202. Call the number above for more information about volunteering.

Meals on Wheels

(573) 886-7554
800 Hospital Drive
mowheels@gmail.com
mealsonwheelscolumbia.org

Meals on Wheels delivers hot meals to those in the community who are not able to purchase or prepare their own meals.

HOW TO HELP: Donate online through PayPal, or go to mealsonwheelscolumbia.org/donate for more information. Contact Executive Director Marcia Walker at the phone number or email address listed above for more information about volunteering.

Rainbow House

(573) 474-6600
1611 Towne Drive
info@rainbowhousecolumbia.org
rainbowhousecolumbia.org

Rainbow House encompasses three programs: Rainbow House Children’s Emergency Center, Rainbow House Regional Child Advocacy Center and Rainbow House Homeless Youth Program. Rainbow House strives to protect children and support families in crisis.

HOW TO HELP: For information about how to donate to or volunteer with Rainbow House, go to rainbowhousecolumbia.org and click on “How You Can Help.” Volunteers must be 18 or older.

Ronald McDonald House

(573) 443-7666
1001 E. Stadium Blvd.
mhccolumbia.org

The Ronald McDonald House provides a place for families to stay while their children are undergoing medical treatment.

HOW TO HELP: For information on how to donate or to donate online, go to rmhcmidmo.org/donate. Contact volunteer coordinator Jennifer Miller at the phone number listed above, or email her at Jennifer@rmhcmidmo.org for information about volunteering.

Salvation Army

(573) 442-3229
1108 W. Ash St.
usc.salvationarmy.org

The Salvation Army does more than raise money during the holidays with red buckets and bells. The organization runs a family and homeless shelter and thrift store in Columbia as well.

HOW TO HELP: Visit the website above for information on how to donate and volunteer.

Second Chance

(Voicemail only) (573) 445-5598
24687 Highway 179
columbiasecondchance@hotmail.com
columbia2ndchance.org

Second Chance is a privately funded animal shelter that strives to find permanent or long-term homes for animals in its care. Animals are accepted on a space-available basis and are not euthanized due to lack of space.

HOW TO HELP: For more information on how to donate money or items, visit the website listed above. For information about volunteer opportunities, please visit Second Chance’s website or contact them by phone or email.

Voluntary Action Center

(573) 874-2273
403A Vandiver Drive
vacmo.org

The Voluntary Action Center provides a place for local agencies to connect with volunteers to meet needs in the community.

HOW TO HELP: Donate online at JustGive.org, search Voluntary Action Center, or call (573) 874-2273. For volunteer options in the community, please visit vacmo.org and click on “Volunteerism.”

Some moms would have been angry. Others would have been worried. But when Dawn Felger saw her children crying and holding their brother Samuel at the back door, she took a minute to savor the moment and felt relieved that the three older kids had rallied together to care for their younger sibling.

123►

When her four kids had darted out of the door earlier on that blustery day in winter 2004, Dawn had known where they were headed. The family’s Fort Wayne, Ind., property had a spot that was prone to flooding and often froze into an ice sheet when the temperature shivered below zero. The kids enjoyed pounding away at the ice, but that day 3-year-old Samuel broke through. Next thing Dawn knew, the whole bunch was standing at the back door. Joshua was carrying the sopping wet Samuel. Hannah and Luke stood next to them in support.

“They were all taking care of Sam and at the same time making sure Mom wasn’t mad,” Dawn recalls. “It was such a neat moment, especially considering that it happened only five or six months after Sam had been home in the United States.”

Dawn and her husband, Gary, adopted all four of their children from Ukraine: two in 2002 and two more in 2004. Hannah, 17; Joshua, 16; Luke, 11; and Samuel, 10, spent the first few years of their lives in orphanages. The Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking kids initially struggled to understand their English-speaking parents and American culture. But it didn’t take long for them to become tight-knit siblings who enjoy eating together as a family and exploring their nearly 100-acre farm in Lohman, where the Felgers moved three years ago.

Choosing adoption

When Dawn learned she wouldn’t be able to have biological children of her own, she and Gary didn’t automatically turn to adoption. For several months, they stayed in a holding pattern, waiting for the right moment. They wanted kids but not until they were at a point when they viewed adoption as something they truly wanted rather than as a secondary choice.

Then, Gary learned through one of his work clients about a couple, also from Indiana, who had raised four biological children and adopted two more from Ukraine. The family shared their story and pointed Dawn and Gary to ukrainianangels.org, a website for people interested in Ukrainian independent adoptions.

Those are kids we could adopt, Dawn thought, as she looked through the site’s photos. Wanting to share her discovery, she called her mom, who said she had just been praying that God would answer Dawn and Gary’s prayers regarding children. “The combination made it pretty clear that we were meant to adopt children from Ukraine,” Dawn says.

The couple decided to adopt independently rather than go through an agency or attorney. They sought advice from Cathy Harris, a single mother from Florida who runs ukrainianangels.org. Since 1998, she’s consulted with more than 875 families who have adopted Ukrainian children independently. Couples complete their necessary paperwork — including the Immigration and Naturalization Service adoption application, a home study and medical checks — in America and hire a facilitator in Ukraine to serve as their translator. For the Felgers, the process, from sending the dossier to receiving an adoption appointment in Kiev, took about a year.

Dawn and Gary were approved to adopt up to three children, but they had their hearts set on twin boys whom Cathy had seen on one of her recent Eastern European trips. Gary’s father and uncle are twins, so they though the similarity would be neat. But ultimately, they left for the Ukraine without knowing the number, gender or age of the children they would bring back.

“Before we got there, we didn’t know whether to paint the walls pink or blue,” Gary says. “We didn’t know if we needed bicycles, tricycles or cribs. We didn’t know if we were going to bring home one, two or three children or any.”

To Ukraine and back

The Felgers arrived in the capital of Kiev in late January 2002. They then hopped a rickety plane to an orphanage in Simferopol, a city on the Crimean peninsula. There they learned that the twin boys weren’t available, so Dawn and Gary were led into the orphanage’s gym, where five or six boys were brought out for them to observe.

“One kid was riding a tricycle around the room and came close to Gary like he was going to run over his toes,” Dawn says.

Gary smiles. “He wanted to get my attention.”

That was how they met Joshua, a 6-year-old with the Ukrainian name Roman.

As they began the paperwork to adopt Joshua, Gary quizzed the staff about any girls who might fit into their new family. The caretakers mentioned a delightful girl in an orphanage across town.

“They were speaking in Russian, so we didn’t know what they were saying,” Dawn says. “But when they asked this woman about Hannah, her eyes lit up, and we knew that was a big clue.”

Soon after, the Felgers met Hannah, an 8-year-old, named Marina in Ukraine, with brown hair, delicate features and a smile stretched from ear to ear.

“We’ll spend five months trying to find a couch,” Gary says. “It took us years to pick out dining room chairs, but we picked out our daughter in 15 minutes.”

The Felgers spent about 17 days in Ukraine, a country hit with economic hardships and poverty after the fall of the Soviet Union. While there, they saw street children who had been kicked out of orphanages at age 16. Many had turned to drug abuse, alcoholism and prostitution. Dawn and Gary couldn’t help but think about these children’s futures when they picked Hannah up from the orphanage.

“When Hannah gets in the car, there’s 50 to 60 kids waving goodbye saying, ‘Please, take me to America,’” Gary says as he chokes back tears. “Dawn and I and the translator are crying … and there’s Hannah, just happily waving back to them.”

Adjusting to American life

Hannah and Joshua don’t remember much about their time in the orphanages. Joshua says caretakers advised him to talk about the positives of Ukraine. Hannah recalls asking for more to eat and being told no extra food was available. “When I came to the U.S., I thought I was just visiting until I realized I’d be living there for good,” she says.

For the first time, Hannah and Joshua had their own parents, house and family car, but Dawn pulls out their passport photos, which reveal frightened looks in their eyes. “It must have been so intimidating for them to put be in a car with three adults, not knowing who they are with or where they are going,” she says.

The Russian-English language barrier made the first month in the U.S. challenging. Before leaving for Ukraine, Dawn and Gary had learned 20 to 30 Russian words, but it often meant their communication was limited to one or two words, which sometimes led to frustration. Dawn vividly recalls the day she found Hannah and Joshua sitting on the bottom step next to the door, with pajamas stuffed in their backpacks, ready to run away. But overall, Hannah and Joshua were patient, accommodating and rarely defiant.

Dawn, a former elementary school teacher with an M.B.A. from Indiana University, left her marketing job to home-school her children. For Hannah and Joshua, who hadn’t had much, if any, one-on-one attention, Dawn strived to make their home feel like a safe place and their family feel like one cohesive unit.  “It was easy on me because they played together a lot from the beginning,” Dawn says. “It was fun to see their imaginations at work. God just put our family together.”

Two more bundles of joy

In May 2004, Dawn and Gary found themselves back in Ukraine and looking through three-ring binders depicting children available for adoption. All along they had planned to add to their family, but none of the photos were jumping out at them.

“You think, I’ll know it when I see my kid,” Dawn says. “We had been approved for up to three kids again and thought we wanted at least one girl and one boy. At first, these guys seemed too little.” Knowing the story is now about them, Luke and Samuel perk up.

Dawn and Gary assumed they might adopt children between the ages of 5 and 7. At the time, Luke, originally named Kyryl, was 4, and Samuel, known as Vladislav, was 3. Although they were young and not available for adoption until two weeks later, they looked like future Felgers. The couple boarded a train to Cherkassy, a city south of Kiev, where the boys were living. Gary describes the journey as a scene plucked from an Indiana Jones movie. As if the bad smells and flashing lights weren’t scary enough, when the couple arrived at the train station around 3 a.m., they were instructed not to utter a word of English. Although Gary and Dawn fondly remember Ukraine’s open-air food markets, wildflowers and fruit drinks, they admit that their Eastern European trips were also nerve-wracking.

“We had to carry close to $12,000 in cash,” Gary says. “We had more money on us than most of the people in Ukraine will make in a lifetime.”

The couple also became concerned after meeting Luke. He didn’t make eye contact and spoke very few words. When they went to pick him up from the orphanage, they braced themselves, thinking he would panic and scream.

“All of a sudden, once we were away from the orphanage, we were his parents, and he was Chatty Cathy,” Gary says laughing.

Wrestling quickly became a favorite pastime of Luke’s after he saw Gary playing around with a stuffed animal.

“All of the kids loved wrestling with Gary,” Dawn says. “I think it had to do with physical contact. They had had little contact and hungered for it. It made wrestling seem like a really important game. At first, Luke heard the words ‘wrestle’ and ‘muscle’ and got them confused. He’d say, ‘Dad, let’s muscle.’ ”

Samuel was still in a Ukrainian “baby house” when Dawn and Gary picked him up, but he’s heard his story enough to tell it himself. “I wasn’t exactly mom’s best friend,” he pipes up.

Gary nods his head. “All the kids were drawn to mom, so it was neat to finally have one come straight to me.”

Gary and Dawn had brushed up on their Russian before this trip, only to learn that Luke and Samuel spoke Ukrainian. The Felgers asked the translator to tell the two boys that they’d be reuniting with their brother. Luke and Samuel have the same birth mother, but they had been separated when they were 3 and 1 1/2. After picking up both boys from their orphanages, Dawn found them sitting on the same side of the car’s backseat floor. They just stared at each other. Something instinctive in their bodies seemed to be saying they were brothers — and soon to be best friends.

The Felgers

In May 2008, Gary moved his family from Fort Wayne, Ind., to Missouri after taking a job with the animal health care company Merial. He works with Missouri and Iowa cattle producers and has about 40 head of cattle of his own. The family’s fixer-up farm in Lohman, is also home to three sheep, two pigs, five cats, four dogs and about 30 chickens and ducks.

“It feels like Indiana 30 years ago,” says Gary of their quiet farming community. The move to Missouri took some adjusting for the kids, but they now spend their free time exploring their 92 acres of creeks, hills and woods.

All of the Felger children have transitioned into public school and blossomed into their own vibrant personalities. Still a smiley child, Hannah has easily fallen into the oldest sibling role, looking out for her brothers, helping Dawn around the house and greeting houseguests. She enjoys reading, playing basketball and listening to music. Although the orphanage described him as a serious child, Joshua went through a silly phase, mixing his applesauce into his spaghetti and making silly facial expressions in photos. With age, he’s grown more focused as well as passionate about pencil sketching and World War II history. Luke and Samuel are fun-loving country boys interested in baseball, basketball and Legos. Luke is the sensitive, overly emphatic child; Samuel is quick to warm up to — and playfully tease — strangers.

Dawn and Gary beam with pride when describing their family. They can’t imagine their life any differently. In their hearts, they hold a special place for Ukraine. In fact, every few months, the same question comes up: Will they adopt again?

Knowing how much love they’ve brought into their four children’s lives, they can’t help but keep it open as a possibility.