Sunshine Girls

June 29.  Sunrise:  6:06a  Sunset:  9:06p

The forecast says it is going to be 72 degrees and sunny at 9 pm tonight. 

We're at the point in the summer when the days are long and there's more time for leisure.  There is finally time each day to stop and take a breath. 

It has been over a month since I've posted here, and it isn't because there hasn't been material for the blog.  

I've taken a necessary break from technology to transition from the school year to summer break.  I needed to go dark--and quiet--to focus on my family and the little moments that make up our life.  This may be the first step away from the computer that I haven't telegraphed.  It just sort of happened.

I've slowly re-organized our closets and our schedules, and am finally making my way out of the piles of laundry and paperwork.

Last summer was a complete blur.  Alina had only been home for a month when school ended, and I was literally running while trying to figure out how to handle six kids going different directions, including one new (and busy) toddler from another country.

This year, we're back in our groove.  

The girls have been in a summer preschool program for the past few weeks, and we have a set of sisters providing respite care during the week.  

We're no longer stuck inside or spending our days moving from one obligation to the next.  We are finally coming out to play :).

As we head into July, we are looking forward to a family vacation and many more days without specific plans.

Though the sun is shining brightly today, our Sunshine Girls keep us covered in light no matter what the weather. 

Proof (and scenes from the month of June):

We're taking a break again over the 4th of July, but I hope to return to posting more regularly soon.  Happy Summer, everyone!

A Look Back: One Year Ago, Alina Comes Home

One year ago today, Chris and I brought Alina HOME.

Here's a look back, from the day we left the town where she was born through the day she came home to her forever family for good:

Leaving Zaporozhye

On the train with Mama's iPod

and the picture book

Self portraits while waiting in the cab in Kiev

for Daddy and Niko to finish grocery shopping

Still waiting in the cab, the first big smiles we got to see

(We'd known Alina 1 week)

Laughing while Mama tosses a hat in the air

Our short time in Kiev on the back end of our trip (with a busy toddler) was a bit different than our longer, and more free flowing stay there in the days surrounding our SDA appointment ;).  

In addition to Alina's final required medical appointment and finishing up our Embassy paperwork, we spent our few days there getting to know Alina and trying to keep her occupied in a very small city apartment.  We were also trying to figure out how we were going to get home since our flight out was cancelled due to the volcano.  

If you are interested in reading a few details of our short time in Kiev before coming home, go here.  

After much work, Chris found a way for us to get home by traveling KLM Royal Dutch Airlines through Amsterdam--staying overnight, and then re-boarding for Detroit the next morning.  There's a long story about getting a temporary visa for Alina (still a citizen of Ukraine) so we could stay in a hotel just outside the airport doors.  We eventually did get an overnight clearance to leave the airport terminal, and had a wonderful night's rest in a lovely and very comfortable room at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel.

Welcome to Holland :)!

In Amsterdam, on the trip home

getting settled for the night

Alina was a total trooper for us on the long trip home.  We were all exhausted, but so happy to be coming home to reunite our whole family, finally together under one roof...  

WELCOME HOME!!

Meeting Emmy and Sara

Meeting the Siblings

Sweet, little feet

Baby Dolls & Crackers

From the adoption blog:

Alina seemed very happy to meet her siblings. She was full of smiles and was very relaxed, even though she must have been a little overwhelmed--she was surrounded by all the kids on the kitchen floor. Alina figured out that the kids think she is cute and funny--and she was enjoying all the attention.  Bridget and Alina seemed to recognize one another. They are adorable together! They're about the same height and weight, although Alina is almost 9 months younger than Bridget.  Their hands and feet look almost identical, except Alina's are a bit more chubby :). There was one point last night when I had them both on my lap, which was overwhelming in itself--it is a moment I will never forget. I keep thinking about the two of them together. They are a unit now. My almost-twins, born apart but raised together. 

When we were in Ukraine, someone asked us why we think God gave us four healthy children and then Bridget, a child with Down syndrome. Chris and I have a long answer to that question that we may write about here someday. The short answer, though, may be that Bridget arrived in our lives so that we would save Alina.

One year later and the experience still leaves me breathless and searching for words.  We were so privileged to be able to make that journey, and to bring our little girl home.  

Thank you so much for taking the trip along with us, for loving us and for loving Alina.  We are grateful for all of it....

Four

Four years ago today, a beautiful little girl was born in a quaint and picturesque town along the Dneiper river in southeastern Ukraine.  

What should have been a day full of celebration for her parents quickly became a day full of sadness.  Tears of happiness became tears of grief.  

The little girl they waited for, and hoped for, had arrived.  But she was not the little girl they'd anticipated.  The child they had envisioned was not the child placed in their arms.  

The little girl they greeted that day was not a child they could welcome into their lives.  As precious as she was, she could not stay with them.  She had Down syndrome.  And in Eastern European society, there was no place for her.  

There were no supports for parents raising a child with Down syndrome.  And the stigma of having a child who is different, who is disabled...well, there just wasn't an option.  They had to give her up.  They handed their daughter to a social worker, who made arrangements to place the little girl in the local orphanage.  

Half a world away, another family also touched by Down syndrome, spent that day just as they would spend any other day.  They'd already had their day to be sad about Down syndrome and were fortunate to live in a part of the world where there was more support for children and families living with the diagnosis.  They'd already seen that disability is a matter of perspective, and that all people are the same within.

They had no idea that this little girl was born that day, that she was now alone in the world, or that she would one day play a huge role in their lives.

So the little girl waited, for three whole years, for someone to find her and claim her as their own.    

For over a thousand days, not one single person inquired about her.  But she survived anyway, in the care of her nurses.  Not having a family--or anything else--of her own would not dampen her zest for life, or her desire to learn and grow.

She thrived, despite her circumstances.  And that family half a world away, who had already made peace with Down syndrome, well, they found her.  And they ran to her, and they made her their own...

Today, as Alina turns four, she'll be celebrating her birthday with presents, balloons and Dora decorations.  She'll be sharing a birthday treat with her preschool classmates and her mama will come in and read to the class.  She'll have a special birthday dinner with some of her favorite foods--pizza, salad and berries, followed by ice cream cones dipped in rainbow sprinkles.  She will be surrounded by people who love her.

If she were still in the orphanage, today would have been a very different day for her.  The paperwork would have been ready for Alina's transfer from the relative safety and security of her baby home to a remote, regional mental institution.  I'm in tears typing that sentence.  I can begin to process it, but can't even come close to reconciling that thought in my mind.

This treasure locked away for life, this precious child...what did she ever do to warrant being placed in an asylum?  How did we find her, and what did we do to deserve her?

Alina is purposeful and intuitive.  There's a fire--and a fighter's spirit--underneath her curious, active and happy-go-lucky exterior.  She's sharp, an excellent problem solver with a strong memory, and can entertain herself for hours.  She's easily amused, quick to love and has a heart of gold.

She is an absolute gem.  What would we do without her?

Oh Lina, Happy Birthday, little love.  You are treasured beyond words...

* * *

When we found Alina, there were two other children who caught our eyes.  One was Yana, who will soon be going home to her forever family.  The other is Antonio, who is still waiting.  (We initially donated for four children, but the pictures of the two little boys were actually pictures of the same child at different ages...we must really have loved Antonio!)  This precious little guy just melts my heart.  All of the children with Down syndrome in his groupa have found families.  I can't imagine why he is still waiting for his!

Antonio - baby picture

Antonio - around 1 year old

Antonio - 2 1/2 years old

We would welcome donations to Antonio's grant fund in honor of Alina's birthday.  I am going to do whatever I can to find him a home, too.  Please, if you are considering Antonio, or if you would like to inquire about him, contact Andrea at Reece's Rainbow today.  I know parents who have been to this orphanage and would be willing to share tips and information about it, and would also be willing to share their impressions of Antonio.  This little boy will be a wonderful addition to one lucky family :)!

You Are the Flower of the Family

...and you bloomed :).

Sibling Love--Emmy's Birthday Card for Alina

Alina's fourth birthday is tomorrow.  I have new pictures to post, and thoughts to share.  Tune in tomorrow for a celebration of ALINA.

Sisters, Daughters, Granddaughters, Cousins, Nieces, Neighbors, Friends...

People.  Bridget and Alina are people. They are not worth less because they happen to have a diagnosis which includes intellectual disability.  

They have worth, and dignity, and deserve as much as anyone else, to be treated with RESPECT.

Let's make RESPECT the new R-word.

Important Reading: 

R-Word - Spread the Word

 Ellen's post on Love that Max

Thoughts from Larkin's Mom

Pretty in Pink & Pure Love

Today marks the beginning of a month we traditionally associate with love and the heart. 

It is a time to exchange sweet and meaningful messages, to spread goodness and to give unselfishly.

I'll be sharing in the upcoming weeks about a variety of things I love, things I am both grateful for, and passionate about.

See below for one of the things at the top of my list:  small moments of daily life over here.

Yes, some days are long and tiring.  But everywhere I look, there are reminders of grace.  

I'm so thankful for these little vignettes, expressions and happy sounds that quickly pull me back toward my center, my passion, my life's work:  my family.

A little girl has been playing here, I am sure of it

Peek-a-boo!

Big Sister Bridget is making sure Alina sits still for the picture :)

Love must be as much a light, as it is a flame.  

~Henry David Thoreau

My love for my children--and in particular, for my two little girls with Down syndrome--is the fuel for a light I can share with others.  I'll share my heart and my hopes for them, readily. And, I'll advocate for others with Down syndrome with as much passion and energy, because I know that, unfortunately, it is necessary.  I will hold my light high, and will hold my beautiful daughters up for others to see their worth, and our love.  

It is a pure love. 

"Pure Love motivates us to go beyond sympathy into compassion and then moves us to action"--that's what I read this morning on Patti's blog, A Perfect Lily.  Patti is my blogging friend who also has a beautiful daughter with Ds, Lily :).  

Peter (16)

Patti has been actively advocating for Olga and Kareen (from Reece's Rainbow--Kareen has a committed family now, and there is an announcement expected about a family for Olga as well).  She has been so successful in raising money and awareness for them, that she is now seeking a full grant (she hopes to raise $20,000) and family for Peter. 

Peter is a sweet boy who has been listed on Reece's Rainbow his entire life, and not a soul has inquired about him.  He has most likely been in a crib his whole life as well, and he desperately needs a family willing to give him a chance.  

Please consider opening your heart to Olga and Kareen (and the families who will be working so hard to get to them), and to Peter.  Go to the Pure Love Giveaway to learn how you can help (and be entered to win some amazing prizes, including an iPad and a Nikon D90 Digital Camera with an 18-105 VR Lens!)...


One last plea:  Time is running out (as in, almost out) for sweet, little Masha, who is living in a very poor Eastern European region. Several RR families have been to her orphanage for other children, and everyone who has met this child has fallen in love with her. Unfortunately, they are all already in the midst of their own adoptions.  There is even a family at Masha's orphanage right now (to get their two new daughters), and they were actually playing with Masha when a doctor came in to do her pre-transfer physical...pre-transfer to a mental institution. She will not make it there.  Masha has over $5,000 already in her adoption grant fund.  If you could love Masha, and be her Mama or Papa, please contact Andrea at Reece's Rainbow TODAY.