Happy Birthday Rob! We all love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Happy Birthday Rob!
This is a birthday wish to Uncle Rob (who is now the big 4-o) from Caleb. Clearly, C is not quite sure just who is forty :0)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
One Year's Time
Last year at this time, we had just two days left to be without our son. The week of Gotcha Day last year just dragged on and on, and there were certainly times when it felt to us like it would never come. And here I sit, almost an entire year later, wondering where the time has gone. How could a year have passed since then? As I reflect on all that has transpired in the past year, I cannot help but be in awe... and such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude floods my mind and heart. Caleb is home and he is growing and healing. If I had been able to glimpse into the present back then, I would have found it hard to believe that the happy, loving little 3 year-old who is our Caleb today is the same little boy we brought home last year. This past year has certainly been a lesson for me in God's healing power. I know Caleb still has some healing to do, but I also know the transformation he has made so far just takes my breath away... I love you so very much my little Dimka-doo!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Trip #1- A Look Back
Finally got this on here... this was from our first trip (trip #1) in December of 2007.
It still seems so surreal, even to this day.
Be sure to mute the music below before starting the video.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Why Adopt?
"So why did you adopt?"
This is a question we often hear. Most are simply asking out of curiosity. I usually respond by telling people we felt led to adopt and that we view adoption as a natural way to add to our family. While this is certainly accurate, the story is really so much deeper and profound than that. Some people ask about adoption because they themselves are considering growing their own family through adoption. This is what I share with them...
While clearly our story is mainly about a little boy who was once named Dima finally having a forever family, it has also been an incredible personal journey for us. Adoption did not just add a child to our family or give a little boy a home, it drew us closer to God than we have ever been drawn before. It changed our hearts forever by forcing us to stand right next to real and precious children who do not have families. Their little faces are forever stamped in our minds and their need for families burns into our hearts. These children are REAL. There are millions of them. It often awes me that my son was once without a family. Yes, he was already our son in our hearts from the moment he was born, but he was physically without a family for the first 2 years of his life. That is a difficult reality for me to even begin to understand. Our son is home now, though, and he has a family. What about the kids who never end up with a family? I am haunted by those little faces we saw in the orphanage. What will become of them?
Some more questions we get...
Q: Did adoption scare us?
A: We were terrified.
Q: Was it hard?
A: The hardest thing we have ever done.
Q: Did we have the money needed to complete the process?
A: No, but God provided.
Q: Was our faith perfect through the process?
A: Not even close.
Q: Was God faithful?
A: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So why adopt?
Because it is one of the ways God grows families.
Because these kids NEED families.
Because if God is calling you to it, you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams if you do as He asks.
"You need to perservere
so that when you have done the will of God
you will receive what he has promised."
Hebrews 10:36
"God makes everything happen at the right time.
Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done."
Ecclesiastes 3:11
"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
James 1:27
This is a question we often hear. Most are simply asking out of curiosity. I usually respond by telling people we felt led to adopt and that we view adoption as a natural way to add to our family. While this is certainly accurate, the story is really so much deeper and profound than that. Some people ask about adoption because they themselves are considering growing their own family through adoption. This is what I share with them...
While clearly our story is mainly about a little boy who was once named Dima finally having a forever family, it has also been an incredible personal journey for us. Adoption did not just add a child to our family or give a little boy a home, it drew us closer to God than we have ever been drawn before. It changed our hearts forever by forcing us to stand right next to real and precious children who do not have families. Their little faces are forever stamped in our minds and their need for families burns into our hearts. These children are REAL. There are millions of them. It often awes me that my son was once without a family. Yes, he was already our son in our hearts from the moment he was born, but he was physically without a family for the first 2 years of his life. That is a difficult reality for me to even begin to understand. Our son is home now, though, and he has a family. What about the kids who never end up with a family? I am haunted by those little faces we saw in the orphanage. What will become of them?
Some more questions we get...
Q: Did adoption scare us?
A: We were terrified.
Q: Was it hard?
A: The hardest thing we have ever done.
Q: Did we have the money needed to complete the process?
A: No, but God provided.
Q: Was our faith perfect through the process?
A: Not even close.
Q: Was God faithful?
A: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So why adopt?
Because it is one of the ways God grows families.
Because these kids NEED families.
Because if God is calling you to it, you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams if you do as He asks.
"You need to perservere
so that when you have done the will of God
you will receive what he has promised."
Hebrews 10:36
"God makes everything happen at the right time.
Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done."
Ecclesiastes 3:11
"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
James 1:27
Monday, May 04, 2009
Baseball Season
Well, it's almost that time again... baseball time! This year, D finally gets to be a coach (his job has always prevented him from doing so in the past) and we are all VERY excited about it!!!!! Last year, Caleb came home in the middle of baseball season, so he didn't really get what was going on. Just 10 1/2 months later, Caleb has changed so dramatically. One of the biggest changes I have noticed lately is that he is developing an extremely strong desire to be just like Daddy and his big brother, which means that anytime Daddy and Andrew are doing something, he MUST be involved. It really is so sweet! Keep this explanation in mind, though, as you watch the video of Andrew practicing with D... he was extremely upset that it wasn't his turn :0(
Not to worry, Caleb had plenty of "practice" time with Daddy!
Not to worry, Caleb had plenty of "practice" time with Daddy!
Friday, May 01, 2009
Ice cream... or a creamy puddle? Which do you prefer?
The day after we picked C up from the orphanage in Russia, we all had ice cream to celebrate. There are ice cream stands everywhere in Krasnoyarsk during the warmer months (their version of summer- although it certainly wasn't very "summer-like" to us!). Now, it is important to explain here that just about all food in Russia is served at room temperature. Even dishes that are expected to be piping hot here in the U.S. are served in Russia luke-warm at best. The hot dishes would actually take an eternity to be served while we were dining in restaurants there because the staff allowed quite a bit of time for the dish to cool off before bringing it to our table. On the cold end of the spectrum, there is no ice in Russia (guess they don't really need it, if you think about it). So, for example, if you get a soda at a restaurant, the soda is lukewarm with no ice. Certainly a big difference from what we here in America are accustomed to... none of the Russians seemed to be bothered by it, though.
Anyway, the day after we picked C up from the orphanage, we got an ice cream cones and Caleb insisted on trying some. We was fairly certain he had never had ice cream before, so we were prepared for the absolutely awful face he made after he tasted it! He scrunched up his entire little face in absolute displeasure and his entire body shook with what was obviously the heebie-jeebies. It was quite funny!
Since returning home from Russia, watching C's reaction to very cold and very hot foods has continued to be entertaining. He STILL struggles with this aspect of our American culture. The cute thing is, he tries so very hard to be like our other kids. Take ice cream, for example...
we all love it, and C tries his best to tolerate it. There is an ice cream place near our house and we go there as soon as there is even a hint of warmth in the air. With that said, we have already been there several times this year. The other night, we announced it was time to go get ice cream. Just like the other three, C jumped up and down and squealed with delight. We usually eat our ice cream at the picnic tables at the ice cream stand, but on this particular night, we brought it home and ate it at the bar in our kitchen. After about 2 minutes of ice cream eating, C blurted out, "Mom, warm this up". Perplexed, I said, "What, honey? Warm what up?" C proceeded to point to his ice cream and then tell me to put it in the microwave. We tried to explain to him that ice cream cannot be warmed up because that would ruin the very nature of the ice cream. There was no convincing him, though.
Hmmm... guess I learned a lesson... never let C eat his ice cream within eye-shot of a microwave. On the other hand, if C prefers creamy puddles of sugar over ice cream, why not?
Anyway, the day after we picked C up from the orphanage, we got an ice cream cones and Caleb insisted on trying some. We was fairly certain he had never had ice cream before, so we were prepared for the absolutely awful face he made after he tasted it! He scrunched up his entire little face in absolute displeasure and his entire body shook with what was obviously the heebie-jeebies. It was quite funny!
Since returning home from Russia, watching C's reaction to very cold and very hot foods has continued to be entertaining. He STILL struggles with this aspect of our American culture. The cute thing is, he tries so very hard to be like our other kids. Take ice cream, for example...
we all love it, and C tries his best to tolerate it. There is an ice cream place near our house and we go there as soon as there is even a hint of warmth in the air. With that said, we have already been there several times this year. The other night, we announced it was time to go get ice cream. Just like the other three, C jumped up and down and squealed with delight. We usually eat our ice cream at the picnic tables at the ice cream stand, but on this particular night, we brought it home and ate it at the bar in our kitchen. After about 2 minutes of ice cream eating, C blurted out, "Mom, warm this up". Perplexed, I said, "What, honey? Warm what up?" C proceeded to point to his ice cream and then tell me to put it in the microwave. We tried to explain to him that ice cream cannot be warmed up because that would ruin the very nature of the ice cream. There was no convincing him, though.
Hmmm... guess I learned a lesson... never let C eat his ice cream within eye-shot of a microwave. On the other hand, if C prefers creamy puddles of sugar over ice cream, why not?
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