tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75763109377637156602024-03-13T06:21:14.001-04:00Living in the LightLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.comBlogger517125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-41991339593858209172012-03-29T20:00:00.111-04:002013-02-15T12:34:04.379-05:00Days of Awe (New Down Syndrome Diagnosis)<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If someone would have told me that <a href="http://www.bridgets-light.com/uploads/BridgetFirstYear0Pictures.pdf">the days and weeks following</a> Bridget's unexpected Down syndrome diagnosis would be <i>bountiful</i>...I would have thought they were crazy. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Earlier this year, I caught a link on facebook to <a href="http://aaronshust.blogspot.com/2012/01/michael-aaron-our-special-angel.html">this blog</a> (a friend just reminded me of it yesterday), which got me thinking about how we were in that same position five-and-a-half years ago.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I so wish we could have had even a tiny glimpse into our lives today. There was no reason to fear the future. But we didn't know that yet.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The news that our brand new baby needed surgery--and had a genetic condition that would impact her life in untold ways--was tough news to bear.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We wanted to celebrate, but we felt sad. We didn't want life to be hard for her, or for us. She was a brand new person. She was just beginning, and yet somehow it seemed that she was already behind the eight ball. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wish I had a picture of Bridget lying under the warming lamp recovering from her surgery. It would be even better if that picture included all three of us--Chris and I on either side of her little bed, facing Bridget and one another at the same time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;">We didn't need words to explain what was happening. The tears that fell in those moments were quiet tears of relief, of gratitude, of hope. We’d both had </span><a href="http://bridgets-light.blogspot.com/2009/09/bridgets-light.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;">an epiphany</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;"> and the fear began to dissolve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We could do this. We <i>could</i> raise a child with Down syndrome.</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For anyone just beginning this journey, please feel free to ask questions here or to visit one of the many wonderful resources for parents with a new diagnosis. Here are a few great places to start:</span></i><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">><a href="http://downsyndromepregnancy.org/">Down Syndrome Pregnancy</a></span><br />
><a href="http://www.reallifedownsyndrome.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Real Life Down syndrome</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> (</span><a href="http://reallifedownsyndrome-resources.blogspot.com/2010/02/resources.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Resources page</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">) (</span><a href="http://reallifedownsyndrome-resources.blogspot.com/2010/02/families.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">List of Blogging Families</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">><a href="http://downsyndromenewmama.blogspot.com/">Down Syndrome New Mama</a></span><br />
><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.woodbinehouse.com/Soper_booklet.pdf">What Parents Wish They'd Known</a></span>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-24761247662386788262012-03-19T11:59:00.006-04:002012-03-19T15:46:46.124-04:00Shining a Light on Prenatal Screening: Implications of the New Tests<div><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is a piece I wrote for a series o</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">f posts on the new prenatal test to detect Down syndrome early in pregnancy. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Please take some time to check out the <a href="http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/2012/03/we-have-voice.html">entire series</a><a href="http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/2012/03/we-have-voice.html"> </a>over at </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/">A Perfect Lily</a>. And please join the conversation. It's too important for any of us to sit this one out...</span></i><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">People with Down syndrome—and their families—are overwhelmingly happy with their lives, as </span><a href="http://childrenshospitalblog.org/let%E2%80%99s-get-real-about-down-syndrome/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">recent studies</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics show. And yet, advocates for Down syndrome (including self-advocates) have been working overtime to get the message out about what it actually </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">means</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> to live with the diagnosis, for good reason: they’ve found themselves in the unusual position of having to defend and explain why people with Down syndrome deserve to live as much as anyone else.</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <br />
People with Down syndrome have their own gifts, talents, hopes and dreams, just like the rest of us. They can and do make significant contributions to their families, their communities and to the world at large. They have value and worth (and self-worth). There is a chorus of voices, of parents and siblings of people with Down syndrome, and of people with Down syndrome themselves, expressing a loud and powerful message: A life with Down syndrome is a life worth living. <br />
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The emergence of new prenatal tests to detect Down syndrome early in a pregnancy means that even more women will be sitting in a doctor’s office receiving a Down syndrome diagnosis wondering how to process the news and how to proceed. The reality is that outdated images and negative stereotypes of Down syndrome do exist in a large segment of society, in the media and even within the medical community. And though there is plenty of information readily available for parents with a prenatal diagnosis (websites, pamphlets, blogs, advocacy groups, and support groups ready to provide information and guidance), many expectant parents receiving a diagnosis of Down syndrome are still not given balanced information or appropriate counsel regarding Down syndrome or their options. On too many occasions, women are still guided or encouraged to terminate. <br />
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While safer genetic screenings theoretically benefit both mother and child, the existence of these tests themselves (20 years and millions of dollars in the making) suggests they are beneficial because Down syndrome is a “problem”—an unintended and unwanted consequence best found while there is ample time to reconsider the pregnancy. Often referred to as a “seek and destroy mission,” there is still upside to early diagnosis beyond facilitating termination: it can provide parents a longer window to seek information on Down syndrome, to link up with support groups, and to process the diagnosis. Parents are free to make either choice—to continue or end the pregnancy—though the prevailing mentality often supports the latter. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">*** </span></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
We have mapped the human genome, and have uncovered exciting possibilities for improving the health and quality of life for people with all sorts of illnesses and diagnoses. <br />
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We have also begun to use the same science and related technologies to detect and eliminate humans with specific conditions. Prenatal testing itself has existed for some time. But today, our federal government has passed <a href="http://www.lifeissues.net/msg.php?newsID=00031393&topic=">legislation</a> (full document <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/law/resources/regulations/prevention/regs.html">here</a>) that all pregnant women be offered (at no cost to them) a new, safer genetic screening which detects Down syndrome in the first trimester of pregnancy. <br />
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With a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, or any other condition, there is no way to predict a particular child’s potential or long-term prognosis, and the way a Down syndrome diagnosis is delivered is quite often literally a matter of life or death. Despite the increase and widespread nature of the testing, there isn’t an equal increase in the amount of information available to parents about the diagnosis, and there are no universal standards for the type of information parents receive, or for the way a diagnosis is presented. <br />
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</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">*** </span></div><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some things to consider: <br />
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- Even “perfect” scores in prenatal testing cannot guarantee a person’s ability, health, happiness, achievement later in life. In having children, there are no guarantees. <br />
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-Ability is a continuum. We all fall somewhere on the spectrum, and are more or less “able” in the various areas of lives. Disability is part of the human condition. Fear or discomfort with disability is natural, too, but is often overcome with information and experience. <br />
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-Most parents, even those whose children do not have a specific diagnosis, say that being a parent is one of the hardest jobs out there. Yet, most parents would also say that the time, energy and money it takes to raise their children is entirely worth it. Parents of children with Down syndrome are no different. It doesn’t take a saint or a hero to love someone with Down syndrome. The loving part comes as naturally as loving anyone else. <br />
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-Economic (cost-benefit) arguments which rationalize people with Down syndrome (and other “genetic defects”) out of existence may make logical sense, but are morally bankrupt. We are not talking about things, we’re talking about people. <br />
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-“Human” cannot be taken out of the human condition. We are not robots, or genetically engineered creatures devoid of morality and at the same time guaranteed to achieve and to be free of health issues or “problems” ourselves. Being “human” means that there are complexities of condition and of mind that set us apart from animals and machines. Unlike robots, we do not fully function without compassion, empathy, values, or morals. Our conscience—and our awareness of our own imperfections--is an essential part of what it means to be human. <br />
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</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">*** </span></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If it seems like this is a heavy discussion, it should. The current prenatal screening debate carries within it some of the deepest issues facing mankind. What makes life valuable? What makes a person worthy of life and love? What things in this world can we—and should we—try to control? What is too imperfect, too expensive, too much of a burden or just too undesirable? <br />
<br />
Yet we’re seeing a common theme in today’s thrust for universal prenatal screenings: there are those among us who are too expensive, or too burdensome to live. Today, we're talking about people with Down syndrome—people with unique challenges who can, and do, live happy and vibrant lives. This line of thinking could apply to any one of us at some point in our lives. Every single one of us needs extra help at times or will need extra help—possibly a significant amount of extra help—at some point in life. <br />
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The debate over the newest forms of prenatal screening has elicited arguments from all of the angles we would expect, as each individual is coming at this from his or her own set of values and considerations. But at its core, this debate isn’t about politics or religion. It isn’t even about being “pro-life” or “pro-choice”—terms which have embedded political and religious connotations and labels that are not mutually exclusive. A person can hold a belief that the government shouldn’t be able to tell us what to do with our bodies and at the same time can still value all life. No one can know another person’s whole story, or the circumstances surrounding a pregnancy. <br />
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This is about making sure expectant parents get all the support and information they need to make informed, educated, thoughtful choices. It’s about having our eyes wide open and understanding that we’re at a critical point in the history of civilized societies. We now have the capability to “know” all sorts of information about a person before birth. What we do with the technology we’ve developed and how we use that information is our choice to make. <br />
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</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">*** </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is imperative that we stop and think before accepting these tests at face value, before running headlong into this new era of “earlier, safer” prenatal testing. This is a discussion that needs to be taking place everywhere—in schools, churches, coffee shops, at kitchen tables, online and face-to-face. Each of us needs to be asking: What do these tests mean for us and what are the implications? </span></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
At the very least, an increase in solid, balanced information on what life can be like with a diagnosis of Down syndrome (or other detected conditions) must accompany the increase in testing. <br />
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This issue is too important for any of us to sit on the sidelines. Get involved in helping others to understand what these tests do, and what they mean. Take the time to educate yourself on all aspects of this debate, and to discuss with family and friends. <br />
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Here are some questions to encourage and inspire further discussion: <br />
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· What makes life valuable? <br />
<br />
· In what ways are you more and less “able”? <br />
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· Which potential hardships trump the value of a life (realizing that we’d be speculating about the impact of those potential hardships)? <br />
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· Chromosomal abnormalities (not all of which are incompatible with life) are the current focus. Which condition is next? Do you or a loved one have—or are you predisposed to—diabetes, breast cancer, alcoholism, mental illness, autism, learning disabilities, or any other condition or diagnosis others may feel is “expensive” or a burden to them? How would you feel if a prenatal test was developed to detect any of these conditions for selective termination? <br />
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· The technology is here and will continue to advance. Where do we draw the line? For example, what happens when prenatal testing is applied to particular preferences (such as eye color or sex of the baby)? If we can engineer humans for intellect, beauty, athletic prowess or career success, should we? <br />
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· Should the doctors who recommend prenatal tests be required to provide accurate and balanced information about any condition detected through the testing? <br />
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Which questions do you think are most important for understanding the critical issues in moving forward? Please join the conversation.</span></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-74317443587024415922011-07-23T00:05:00.263-04:002011-07-23T00:05:01.222-04:00Five<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's been five years today since this little girl arrived in our lives:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6THMMqtMG8M/TicyskcgxAI/AAAAAAAACds/PYR-vWiFpXQ/s1600/New+Baby+Bridget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6THMMqtMG8M/TicyskcgxAI/AAAAAAAACds/PYR-vWiFpXQ/s200/New+Baby+Bridget.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Each year it becomes more clear that Bridget's arrival (more to the point: Bridget's Down syndrome diagnosis) brought fear and anxiety that was unwarranted. Each year, it becomes more and more evident that we wasted time and energy feeling uncertain when we should have been celebrating. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This little girl is <i>so</i> worth celebrating!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bridget, you are everything I could ever have imagined, and more. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From every angle, and every vantage point, you are precious. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Your joy is contagious. Your light is undeniable. How lucky we are to love you! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Happy Birthday, my beautiful, sweet</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> girl!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huHYNSQEHp8/TicsYfL46-I/AAAAAAAACdI/Qi9zDwtWcxw/s1600/Bridget+outside+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huHYNSQEHp8/TicsYfL46-I/AAAAAAAACdI/Qi9zDwtWcxw/s320/Bridget+outside+3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGCHDTFUS_8/Ticsi-UZYUI/AAAAAAAACdQ/s1uSbovR4vc/s1600/Bridget+outside+laughing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGCHDTFUS_8/Ticsi-UZYUI/AAAAAAAACdQ/s1uSbovR4vc/s320/Bridget+outside+laughing.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAMFLDV3trM/Ticsdv7Q5-I/AAAAAAAACdM/-mFGLlfi458/s1600/Bridget+outside+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAMFLDV3trM/Ticsdv7Q5-I/AAAAAAAACdM/-mFGLlfi458/s320/Bridget+outside+4.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oshkn-tJwLE/TicsqJkUa7I/AAAAAAAACdU/_mS29eZFVE4/s1600/Bridget+patio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oshkn-tJwLE/TicsqJkUa7I/AAAAAAAACdU/_mS29eZFVE4/s320/Bridget+patio.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6pPZpxiMYQE/Tics26NuR-I/AAAAAAAACdc/ezK73Ww7fQY/s1600/Bridget+porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6pPZpxiMYQE/Tics26NuR-I/AAAAAAAACdc/ezK73Ww7fQY/s320/Bridget+porch.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jYEEZojibGs/Ticsy-Wz7MI/AAAAAAAACdY/kdQNmEz3B14/s1600/Bridget+patio+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jYEEZojibGs/Ticsy-Wz7MI/AAAAAAAACdY/kdQNmEz3B14/s320/Bridget+patio+2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hplDsft4Yi4/TicsUWJoJXI/AAAAAAAACdE/wkpOZ3zYUoc/s1600/Bridget+outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hplDsft4Yi4/TicsUWJoJXI/AAAAAAAACdE/wkpOZ3zYUoc/s320/Bridget+outside.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uf35Ejf5Frc/TicwHTbMfBI/AAAAAAAACdg/XNcJlbYWcK0/s1600/Bridget+jumping+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uf35Ejf5Frc/TicwHTbMfBI/AAAAAAAACdg/XNcJlbYWcK0/s320/Bridget+jumping+collage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPXt0ScQRes/Tia5gTjwf_I/AAAAAAAACc4/nvRIPBu2Ik0/s1600/happy+birthday+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPXt0ScQRes/Tia5gTjwf_I/AAAAAAAACc4/nvRIPBu2Ik0/s1600/happy+birthday+3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-6340820929918918692011-06-29T08:15:00.054-04:002011-06-29T21:26:11.674-04:00Sunshine Girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GF1oA-9m-vA/TgsfOXITmPI/AAAAAAAACbM/3QZdyT86BGs/s1600/Shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GF1oA-9m-vA/TgsfOXITmPI/AAAAAAAACbM/3QZdyT86BGs/s400/Shadows.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">June 29. Sunrise: 6:06a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sunset: 9:06p</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The forecast says it is going to be 72 degrees and sunny at 9 pm tonight. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We're at the point in the summer when the days are long and there's more time for leisure</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>. </i>There is finally time each day to stop and take a breath. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It has been over a month since I've posted here, and it isn't because there hasn't been material for the blog. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This may be the first step away from the computer that I haven't telegraphed. It just sort of happened.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've slowly re-organized our closets and our schedules, and am finally making my way out of the piles of laundry and paperwork.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This year, we're back in our groove. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We're no longer stuck inside or spending our days moving from one obligation to the next. We are finally coming out to play :).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As we head into July, we are looking forward to a family vacation and many more days without specific plans.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Though the sun is shining brightly today, our Sunshine Girls keep us covered in light no matter what the weather. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Proof (and scenes from the month of June):</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ab4lk77TbV0/TgJQ5WzVlzI/AAAAAAAACa8/s6xXicCNl9E/s1600/Fla-Vor-Ice%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ab4lk77TbV0/TgJQ5WzVlzI/AAAAAAAACa8/s6xXicCNl9E/s320/Fla-Vor-Ice%2521.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01phi3uBvtI/TgJQ8uq3aAI/AAAAAAAACbA/NaU7nE8zvco/s1600/Morning+Drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01phi3uBvtI/TgJQ8uq3aAI/AAAAAAAACbA/NaU7nE8zvco/s320/Morning+Drawing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8xX4lmsr-E4/TgJQ-wI9hrI/AAAAAAAACbE/YqwGWfRkIoE/s1600/Morning+Drawing+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8xX4lmsr-E4/TgJQ-wI9hrI/AAAAAAAACbE/YqwGWfRkIoE/s320/Morning+Drawing+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9fxH7y0YWd8/TgHHU801IVI/AAAAAAAACaw/JOckzbMc-DQ/s1600/alina+flower+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9fxH7y0YWd8/TgHHU801IVI/AAAAAAAACaw/JOckzbMc-DQ/s320/alina+flower+hair.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z-T3RhK32UU/TgJRFNolPyI/AAAAAAAACbI/_gJtlP-bBvs/s1600/Bridget+by+column.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z-T3RhK32UU/TgJRFNolPyI/AAAAAAAACbI/_gJtlP-bBvs/s320/Bridget+by+column.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FTc-v7Xi1rE/Tgsfoe20AoI/AAAAAAAACbQ/odc26m-2Cs4/s1600/Shadows+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FTc-v7Xi1rE/Tgsfoe20AoI/AAAAAAAACbQ/odc26m-2Cs4/s320/Shadows+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xcP39Nh3WUE/TgsgFL9KCgI/AAAAAAAACbY/tZy3O8FnFKk/s1600/Shadows+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xcP39Nh3WUE/TgsgFL9KCgI/AAAAAAAACbY/tZy3O8FnFKk/s320/Shadows+3.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WPgMou2FzdI/TgskxB421PI/AAAAAAAACbk/3PHqlhw4ass/s1600/Daddy+and+his+little+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WPgMou2FzdI/TgskxB421PI/AAAAAAAACbk/3PHqlhw4ass/s320/Daddy+and+his+little+girls.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EzCL_6i6V2s/Tgsk12p65vI/AAAAAAAACbo/JrPLVJKXn90/s1600/Daddy+and+his+little+girls+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EzCL_6i6V2s/Tgsk12p65vI/AAAAAAAACbo/JrPLVJKXn90/s320/Daddy+and+his+little+girls+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKS5x0vRFSc/TgskrowpsJI/AAAAAAAACbg/BLHrk6Sr_G0/s1600/Daddy+and+Alina+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKS5x0vRFSc/TgskrowpsJI/AAAAAAAACbg/BLHrk6Sr_G0/s320/Daddy+and+Alina+2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fc0Sa64nUMQ/TgHGNkegeII/AAAAAAAACao/tpYsKY4yLHo/s1600/Girls+on+the+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fc0Sa64nUMQ/TgHGNkegeII/AAAAAAAACao/tpYsKY4yLHo/s320/Girls+on+the+bus.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DnQHTjYSLo/TgIo9xc1DxI/AAAAAAAACa0/vg_IjHQEtHk/s1600/Girls+on+front+steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DnQHTjYSLo/TgIo9xc1DxI/AAAAAAAACa0/vg_IjHQEtHk/s320/Girls+on+front+steps.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e4nzGmx8MzE/TgHGe2OU2VI/AAAAAAAACas/mBN8H_SgV5s/s1600/ponytails+and+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e4nzGmx8MzE/TgHGe2OU2VI/AAAAAAAACas/mBN8H_SgV5s/s320/ponytails+and+flowers.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We're taking a break again over the 4th of July, but I hope to return to posting more regularly soon. Happy Summer, everyone!</span>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-52050243252821543922011-05-03T16:30:00.142-04:002011-05-03T17:45:50.357-04:00A New Journey Begins<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Spring is a time of renewal, growth and new life—the perfect time to begin anew.</span> <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And it just so happens that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://jupinfamily.blogspot.com/">one of my favorite families</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is growing--both literally and figuratively--through adoption.</span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qtjBv8Kxnqc/TcBiuPvN2DI/AAAAAAAACZ4/AeSmFwq4oQo/s1600/Davis+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qtjBv8Kxnqc/TcBiuPvN2DI/AAAAAAAACZ4/AeSmFwq4oQo/s200/Davis+edit.jpg" width="162" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My sweet blogging friend Amy and her husband John are beginning their journey to Davis, a beautiful little boy with Down syndrome in an orphanage in Eastern Europe. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Isn’t he the sweetest thing? He’s gonna steal some hearts with those big brown eyes, I am sure. Davis turns 4 this month (thank goodness, his family found him just in time). He’ll join siblings Josh (9), Anna (7) and Ben (4, Ds). </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
Please <a href="http://jupinfamily.blogspot.com/2011/05/growing.html">stop by</a> and show this awesome family some love!</span></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-70575488278541435152011-04-23T20:25:00.010-04:002011-04-24T20:33:58.000-04:00A Look Back: One Year Ago, Alina Comes Home<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One year ago today, Chris and I <a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/home.html#comments">brought Alina HOME</a>.</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/msDQxrJ-70w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Leaving Zaporozhye</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yUq7c737310/TbOLxCvh_lI/AAAAAAAACY0/lmafEwy8oQg/s1600/DSCF0666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yUq7c737310/TbOLxCvh_lI/AAAAAAAACY0/lmafEwy8oQg/s320/DSCF0666.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On the train with Mama's iPod</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and the picture book</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h7myLmB4p0A/TbOMGMwH-3I/AAAAAAAACZA/fs457CQJ4Ew/s1600/DSCF0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h7myLmB4p0A/TbOMGMwH-3I/AAAAAAAACZA/fs457CQJ4Ew/s320/DSCF0672.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Self portraits while waiting in the cab in Kiev</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">for Daddy and Niko </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to finish grocery shopping</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qt1nrYMGD0/TbP2yn0rN4I/AAAAAAAACZ0/hKP0oVKWBcA/s1600/mama+and+Alina+in+cab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qt1nrYMGD0/TbP2yn0rN4I/AAAAAAAACZ0/hKP0oVKWBcA/s320/mama+and+Alina+in+cab.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ftf2Iss-XzY/TbOMS18Ns8I/AAAAAAAACZI/DObgzNdYKFA/s1600/DSCF0679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ftf2Iss-XzY/TbOMS18Ns8I/AAAAAAAACZI/DObgzNdYKFA/s320/DSCF0679.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9G1Kj4J8fA/TbOJ6P7Dm-I/AAAAAAAACYQ/CcW-q0A9-_c/s1600/Alina+cab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9G1Kj4J8fA/TbOJ6P7Dm-I/AAAAAAAACYQ/CcW-q0A9-_c/s320/Alina+cab.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Still waiting in the cab, t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">he first big smiles we got to see</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(We'd known Alina 1 week)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TEYk3L4cfN0/TbOKBt-fvHI/AAAAAAAACYU/BeMUJckhi-I/s1600/DSCF0744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TEYk3L4cfN0/TbOKBt-fvHI/AAAAAAAACYU/BeMUJckhi-I/s320/DSCF0744.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Laughing while Mama tosses a hat in the air</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HfMPBv7SR_Q/TbOKs2_Pk8I/AAAAAAAACYY/WpVsL4K6Uhs/s1600/Alina+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HfMPBv7SR_Q/TbOKs2_Pk8I/AAAAAAAACYY/WpVsL4K6Uhs/s320/Alina+.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nIjEuwsvxWQ/TbOKwSSxvAI/AAAAAAAACYc/wIv8jnHFweU/s1600/Alina+black+and+white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nIjEuwsvxWQ/TbOKwSSxvAI/AAAAAAAACYc/wIv8jnHFweU/s320/Alina+black+and+white.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6F0ThybfFt0/TbOK9-tCLaI/AAAAAAAACYk/Jlef6i4AlxU/s1600/DSCF0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6F0ThybfFt0/TbOK9-tCLaI/AAAAAAAACYk/Jlef6i4AlxU/s320/DSCF0727.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C7WsdvlzER4/TbOLElD5v6I/AAAAAAAACYo/Wqe7W-bqrT0/s1600/DSCF0735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C7WsdvlzER4/TbOLElD5v6I/AAAAAAAACYo/Wqe7W-bqrT0/s320/DSCF0735.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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 ;). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fDH6-9C1jM">volcano</a>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you are interested in reading a few details of our short time in Kiev before coming home, go <a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/leaving-kiev.html">here</a>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXZNn8AcR4k/TbOLRZyCiwI/AAAAAAAACYw/saetc7Oh5pI/s1600/DSCF0758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXZNn8AcR4k/TbOLRZyCiwI/AAAAAAAACYw/saetc7Oh5pI/s320/DSCF0758.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Welcome to Holland :)!</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lh7aOsNepWI/TbOLK5NFi5I/AAAAAAAACYs/JcVzbvyB1-Q/s1600/DSCF0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lh7aOsNepWI/TbOLK5NFi5I/AAAAAAAACYs/JcVzbvyB1-Q/s320/DSCF0755.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In Amsterdam, on the trip home</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">getting settled for the night</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-07P3ZvHilKQ/TbOWh0f-6zI/AAAAAAAACZs/EGOGxSYF4UY/s1600/Homecoming+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-07P3ZvHilKQ/TbOWh0f-6zI/AAAAAAAACZs/EGOGxSYF4UY/s320/Homecoming+5.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WELCOME HOME!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zfk1K5gbhSQ/TbOWhoGzKCI/AAAAAAAACZo/8YL2OW4IQ_I/s1600/Homecoming+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zfk1K5gbhSQ/TbOWhoGzKCI/AAAAAAAACZo/8YL2OW4IQ_I/s320/Homecoming+4.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Meeting Emmy and Sara</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NUlzAf-eIT4/TbOWgrNt0oI/AAAAAAAACZc/OG0oYNAI1T4/s1600/Homecoming+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NUlzAf-eIT4/TbOWgrNt0oI/AAAAAAAACZc/OG0oYNAI1T4/s320/Homecoming+1.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Meeting the Siblings</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ceg-oeYHwo0/TbOWbxFvRCI/AAAAAAAACZM/WdjK92yldmM/s1600/Homecoming+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ceg-oeYHwo0/TbOWbxFvRCI/AAAAAAAACZM/WdjK92yldmM/s320/Homecoming+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sweet, little feet</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sT8XKm8DVJo/TbOWcKX2zbI/AAAAAAAACZQ/lbJWFAZfk_U/s1600/Homecoming+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sT8XKm8DVJo/TbOWcKX2zbI/AAAAAAAACZQ/lbJWFAZfk_U/s320/Homecoming+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Baby Dolls & Crackers</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xt8i78gu9X4/TbOWcrMZ1xI/AAAAAAAACZU/9uWpI8ldmw4/s1600/Homecoming+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xt8i78gu9X4/TbOWcrMZ1xI/AAAAAAAACZU/9uWpI8ldmw4/s320/Homecoming+9.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j5ZfybqjpHQ/TbOWhIJbyLI/AAAAAAAACZg/3goQvBBSd8o/s1600/Homecoming+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j5ZfybqjpHQ/TbOWhIJbyLI/AAAAAAAACZg/3goQvBBSd8o/s320/Homecoming+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ld5OxAARKd0/TbOWhX7iIfI/AAAAAAAACZk/W_NYBLypWK4/s1600/Homecoming+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ld5OxAARKd0/TbOWhX7iIfI/AAAAAAAACZk/W_NYBLypWK4/s320/Homecoming+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_3FyHlAQBc/TbOWiEcilNI/AAAAAAAACZw/9egiIM2ZZd0/s1600/Homecoming+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_3FyHlAQBc/TbOWiEcilNI/AAAAAAAACZw/9egiIM2ZZd0/s320/Homecoming+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From the adoption blog:</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina figured out that the kids think she is cute and funny--and she was enjoying all the attention. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Their hands and feet look almost identical, except Alina's are a bit more chubby :). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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 <i>save Alina</i>.</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/NsIYEs8SAas?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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....</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></span></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-55781127282117995052011-04-18T18:56:00.005-04:002011-04-18T20:53:17.139-04:00A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 6)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Gotcha Day</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On Friday afternoon, while having our hurried, brief and last official visit with the orphanage director, we were told that we could take Alina out of the orphanage any time between then and Sunday since they finally had </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">all of the documents necessary to close Alina's file. The director handed us the small slip of paper shown below. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">It was up to us to decide the date and time of her "Gotcha Day". </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-LrdsUiXuc/TayCbnaagOI/AAAAAAAACYI/Orhmdq8QVOI/s1600/permission+to+take+alina+forever+x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-LrdsUiXuc/TayCbnaagOI/AAAAAAAACYI/Orhmdq8QVOI/s320/permission+to+take+alina+forever+x.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">Permission to take Alina forever</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">We were scheduled to take the Sunday night train out of Zaporozhye back to Kiev, and decided we should do a little bit of last minute sight-seeing (since we had done NONE yet) and shopping on Saturday morning, before we had Alina with us full-time. We agreed we'd go and get her Saturday afternoon and spend that night and most of the next day with her before heading out Sunday evening.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MbltWmifIs/TayJtQSi8qI/AAAAAAAACYM/0zWFT55yBNY/s1600/Zaporozhye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MbltWmifIs/TayJtQSi8qI/AAAAAAAACYM/0zWFT55yBNY/s320/Zaporozhye.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On Khortytsia Island</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our cab driver, Igor (pronounced EE-gur) picked us up at our hotel mid-morning that Saturday and took us on a ride through Zaporozhye along the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dnieper River, and over the bridge to historic Khortytsia Island, a 16th to 18th century fortified military camp and home to the Zaporozhye Cossacks (very interesting for others heading to Zap).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">We then asked if he could take us to a market where we could purchase a few celebratory items to leave with the nannies and the groupa when went to get Alina. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">We ended up at the largest store you have ever seen under one roof, think WalMart and Sam's Club combined, and then some (and we'd just been remarking how wonderful it was to experience the outdoor markets and small mom-and-pop grocery stores in Ukraine compared to the big mega-stores so common in the States). But this store had everything we needed: chocolates, champagne, balloons and little toys for the orphanage and some diapers, food and snacks for Alina for the next several days.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><b>Getting Alina</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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My description of Gotcha Day itself will be brief. It took more time to drive to the orphanage than it did to walk in and come out with her.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
We had no idea what to expect from Gotcha Day. We'd heard descriptions from other adoptive parents of send-offs which ranged from very small, quiet and almost somber goodbyes to full blown parties including both celebration and ceremony.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
Playing it safe, we figured our experience would be somewhere in between. So we brought items to give along with our sincere thanks, and planned to spend as much time as we were allotted to express our gratitude to the caregivers and say goodbye to the other children and the only life Alina had ever known.</span><br />
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We brought a large bag filled with gifts, our camera and a small bag with Alina's outfit, coat and a few toys for the ride back to the hotel.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
It was a pretty day, with big blue skies and lots of sunshine. Chris took a couple of short videos with his Blackberry before we entered the room:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br />
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<div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxyr5c4XGDYgtJX6_Koqy3ALD6uCcH-JFesNM4aCIrrv4ac4NswXptotmf9wIxzVsNXH5KHkE5EPJX8AOe89Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><br />
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwQ21eaQMJpOqt2bFb_ft0OxPEmk7zvTJ80ryNEE6DjopwjY1A3JaMXCK3ifDARGT2DyYk1X3srtD0k4qc3ag' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">The door from the locker room area to the main room was open, and it was unusually quiet in there that afternoon. We didn't recognize the woman who came to the door, but she knew why we were there and motioned for us to wait outside the room. </span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">Just like the moments before we visited Alina for the first time by ourselves, we once again waited in silence, standing just off the short hallway leading to her room. We were both looking around, trying to focus on each little piece of the room where we'd met Alina and spent most of our time with her so far. We looked at her locker, the one with her name taped to the front and a sticker of three small balloons--one blue, one yellow, one red. (Her locker was now empty). We looked at the board with the nursery rhymes used for circle time and the board of pictures of children who had already been adopted from her groupa, at the lace curtains and the tiny blue benches. We wanted to take in everything about that moment. Leaving felt as sacred as meeting face-to-face.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">All the other times we visited, Alina came clipping out on her own, but that day one of the nannies we didn't know very well came to the door carrying Alina, who was wearing only a diaper. The woman handed Alina to me, turned and walked back into the room, closing the door behind her. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">I took that as a cue to dress her. We took our time, talking quietly to Alina as we put her new clothes on her. She noticed, and I think she understood that the clothes and shoes and coat were <i>hers</i>.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">We sat there for a few minutes trying to determine if we should peek our heads in and ask if they would like us to bring Alina back in the room to say goodbye to everyone, or if we could bring in the gifts we had for them. We didn't know if there was a little party planned, or if there would be some other formal time to say our goodbyes.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Just then, two of the women who really seemed to like Alina came out into the locker room area. They each gave her a long hug goodbye. I picked up the bag of gifts and motioned that we would like to give them to the caregivers and the groupa, and one of the ladies motioned to the table, indicating that we should leave the bag there. I hugged each of them before they went back into the groupa's main room.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">As Chris put on his coat, one of the other nannies came into the hallway, patted Alina on the head and waved goodbye to her. She turned back around and shut the door.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">And that was goodbye. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">These are the moments directly following:</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzaDi7o7pgLkIUzP4T9OdK595NKvGgx05RIooMNi3TXy7Y8CWbz0F-9tW5KkRi7lQ44u2Ci7EW31dv98ffDxg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span></span></span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Images of the day we took Alina out of the orphanage...forever:</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 22px;"></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rJkOZlvmI/AAAAAAAABr0/A7LXfrKUcmQ/s1600/Leaving+7.jpeg" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rJp2pvuHI/AAAAAAAABr8/PH-pgxinlBc/s320/Leaving+9.jpeg" /></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rJkOZlvmI/AAAAAAAABr0/A7LXfrKUcmQ/s1600/Leaving+7.jpeg" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461399122318048866" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rJkOZlvmI/AAAAAAAABr0/A7LXfrKUcmQ/s320/Leaving+7.jpeg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="line-height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fja_Ft8h-sA/TaxWymRHusI/AAAAAAAACYA/WriUE1k8zZQ/s1600/Leaving+Solnishko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fja_Ft8h-sA/TaxWymRHusI/AAAAAAAACYA/WriUE1k8zZQ/s320/Leaving+Solnishko.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7199EugoTY/TaxUnnPvEbI/AAAAAAAACX4/nLoDzvzAnAQ/s1600/Gotcha+Day+leaving+Solnishko+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7199EugoTY/TaxUnnPvEbI/AAAAAAAACX4/nLoDzvzAnAQ/s320/Gotcha+Day+leaving+Solnishko+3.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwoJ0VIB1sM/TaxUhiFhTOI/AAAAAAAACX0/qOzpwO00s_c/s1600/Gotcha+Day+leaving+Solnishko+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwoJ0VIB1sM/TaxUhiFhTOI/AAAAAAAACX0/qOzpwO00s_c/s320/Gotcha+Day+leaving+Solnishko+2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rIj0XJdBI/AAAAAAAABrc/8xXM69tEj8o/s1600/Leaving+4.jpeg" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461398015816856594" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rIj0XJdBI/AAAAAAAABrc/8xXM69tEj8o/s320/Leaving+4.jpeg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZsHemRa5o8/TaxW10W_BAI/AAAAAAAACYE/Blv19ZKhS9Q/s1600/Leaving+Solnishko+in+cab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZsHemRa5o8/TaxW10W_BAI/AAAAAAAACYE/Blv19ZKhS9Q/s320/Leaving+Solnishko+in+cab.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rIArBW6HI/AAAAAAAABrM/rWry-KYgwK4/s1600/Gotcha.5.jpg" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461397412014123122" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rIArBW6HI/AAAAAAAABrM/rWry-KYgwK4/s320/Gotcha.5.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center; width: 241px;" /></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AU5EusxkxDY/TaxRwzik3yI/AAAAAAAACXs/nT6nBhLtlUc/s1600/Gotcha+Day+back+at+hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AU5EusxkxDY/TaxRwzik3yI/AAAAAAAACXs/nT6nBhLtlUc/s320/Gotcha+Day+back+at+hotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rIqSqaHQI/AAAAAAAABrk/QxbLBGaE6JE/s1600/Sleeping+night+one.jpg" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461398127029918978" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8rIqSqaHQI/AAAAAAAABrk/QxbLBGaE6JE/s320/Sleeping+night+one.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">This was the beginning of Alina's new life. From our adoption blog:</span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">It was an exciting and emotional day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">And it all hit us at once last night. We have saved a life. This precious little ruby, this innocent child, has been hidden away since birth. What if we had not come for her?</span></span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Our hearts are so full and grateful for her and for this journey. At the same time they are aching for the life she has missed out on for three long years, and for all of the other little ones we had to leave behind yesterday--especially the ones with no families coming for them.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">At this point, it is all too fresh to write about clearly. We are honestly moved beyond words...</span></span></span></blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyhUHjfEutg1khYceM6O634y9EEzVRXeRxREmWhEJLBj41RLa-7YEnMtqEldjANJFQNLZrwsU8kDsx3hrTjqQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In our hotel room that night</span></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-61476472062884368262011-04-16T21:49:00.492-04:002011-05-13T15:32:10.691-04:00A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 5)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-day.html"><b>Day 5</b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Since court was scheduled for Friday afternoon, we spent our last day at the orphanage with just one (shortened) morning visit, which included a small amount of play time and snack for Alina, and a trip to the market (with Alina and one of her nannies) to purchase a gift to leave with the groupa.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-McRx7GgJrdo/Tap5WT9rc8I/AAAAAAAACXU/64FsJZXitVY/s1600/snack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-McRx7GgJrdo/Tap5WT9rc8I/AAAAAAAACXU/64FsJZXitVY/s320/snack.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Morning snack: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Warm apple cider, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">biscuit cookies (tasted like graham crackers) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and a piece of candy</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(An aside...we have no idea why there was a piece of candy on the tray, or if that was common practice. It was a hard and somewhat chewy chocolate, which I immediately took from her plate for fear she would pop it in her mouth and choke. The funny <s>not-so-funny</s> thing, is that the woman who came out when Alina was finishing her crackers decided that Alina had not eaten as quickly or as much as she should have, and proceeded to shove 3 whole crackers in Alina's mouth at once, while scolding Alina and giving her orders to swallow her food. She kept looking at me as if to say, <i>This is what you do when she doesn't finish her food</i>. Chris and I were both in shock. I tried a few times to reach out and help Alina spit out the food she was trying to gag down, only to have my hand swatted away. Alina's eyes were big, and she was really trying to comply. We believe that she followed directions closely while in the orphanage. The whole episode was an eye opening and jaw dropping experience--the only one of its kind the whole time we were there, but it served as a good reminder for us, as we began to transition Alina into family life, that we'd need to step back and consider the environment and expectations of the only life our little girl had ever known. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We believe that she was very well cared-for overall, and that the majority of the workers in Alina's orphanage did the best they could under the circumstances. Many seemed to really care about the children. But the reality of the situation is that money and resources are limited, and the children far outnumber the staff. There is not much leisure. Everything about orphanage life is functional in nature.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dncK67dH8ns/TapxBuSa8DI/AAAAAAAACXM/j6jz8wc4Gbc/s1600/Calling+Out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dncK67dH8ns/TapxBuSa8DI/AAAAAAAACXM/j6jz8wc4Gbc/s320/Calling+Out.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Yes, I'd like to book a flight out, please."</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rather than bring something with us from the States to leave with Alina's groupa, we decided to wait until we we'd visited the orphanage to select a gift for them. And rather than guess what they might like or need, we decided to ask. A new stroller, table or rug for the room? A nice supply of a particular type of toy or other item? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We had no idea what they might want, so we were very surprised after the caregivers all met to discuss and came to us with this answer: new shoes for the remaining children for the spring and summer--not a luxury item, but a necessity. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It really puts things in perspective, and we were glad to be able to help with such a basic need. Many of the children in Alina's groupa had orthopedic issues and the nannies wanted safe, reasonable quality sandals and close-toed shoes with good support for them. They knew exactly what they wanted and who to send with us to get it ;).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHeGJoXilNk/Tap17kdm_iI/AAAAAAAACXQ/n80pZkdJpG0/s1600/Alina+and+nanny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHeGJoXilNk/Tap17kdm_iI/AAAAAAAACXQ/n80pZkdJpG0/s320/Alina+and+nanny.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of Alina's favorite caregivers </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">who accompanied us on our shopping adventure </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uLQ7zt_WclA/Tap-NT_41CI/AAAAAAAACXY/AhNxlcD6hUY/s1600/Orphan+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uLQ7zt_WclA/Tap-NT_41CI/AAAAAAAACXY/AhNxlcD6hUY/s320/Orphan+shoes.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina's orphan shoes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dzmHTcLYP2g?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5TQ3uZOLX4s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At the market</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina's shoes (the pair pictured above) were well worn and actually fell apart as we were walking into a shop that morning. The sole came completely unglued from the upper portion on one of the shoes and fell off, and the other sole was beginning to pull off as well. We were about to toss the shoes when Alina's nanny grabbed them and motioned that they would re-glue and reuse the shoes.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Court</span></b></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We were scheduled to appear in court at 2 p.m. that afternoon, so we left the orphanage as soon as we returned from the market. We ate a quick lunch and got dressed in our "nice" outfits. Our facilitator, Marina, was waiting for us in the lobby of our hotel by about 1:15. She wanted us to leave well in advance, even though the courthouse was only about ten minutes from the hotel, to make sure we were not late for our hearing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zcKZLwsiOw0/TapwPpDtJFI/AAAAAAAACXI/zaLu3iFEN70/s1600/Court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zcKZLwsiOw0/TapwPpDtJFI/AAAAAAAACXI/zaLu3iFEN70/s320/Court.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Happy & Excited</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Self portrait in the cab on the way to court</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jegwc01uPh8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The courtroom, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a video Chris began taking before I realized it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Please excuse me fixing the front of my dress</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I never had the chance to write about our experience that day. Looking back, it was as much of a marathon as our first day in Alina's region, though we hadn't really anticipated that. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After our hurried morning orphanage visit and market excursion, and then making a mad dash back to the hotel for lunch and to freshen up, we headed into the courtroom without having the chance to take a moment to gather ourselves and to take a few deep breaths.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Before we knew it, Marina began to give us the "court run-down": <i>Stand unless you are given permission to sit. Don't cross your legs while sitting or put your hands in your pockets at any point (both are considered rude, for men or for women). When a question is asked, look at the judge and respond directly to the judge no matter who asked the question. Speak slowly and clearly. Try not to be too emotional.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our court date had crept up very quickly on us. We were not concerned about it, but began to remember that we were in a foreign country--where we didn't know the language or the nuances of the culture--where we really didn't know what to expect. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We did know that we had a judge who was sympathetic to Special Needs adoptions. It was basically a foregone conclusion that our adoption would be approved.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We knew that there would be a handful of people at the front of the courtroom along with the judge: two members of the community acting as "witnesses" (who sat on either side of the judge at the head table) and the social worker we'd already met twice, plus a few other officals (who sat at a table perpendicular to the judge's desk). All but the judge were women. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We'd been told that our court experience would be brief, that we'd hear the adoption papers read aloud, and then would be asked about our hobbies and why we wanted to adopt a child with special needs. We'd then be pronounced Alina's parents, would exit stage left and be on our way to finish the paperwork that needed to be wrapped up by the end of the work day in order for us to leave over the weekend. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But the judge had other plans. He came in smiling, and apparently in a mood to talk.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He greeted us warmly, talked a little bit about what the proceeding would entail and then began to read the official adoption documents. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Marina translated while the judge spoke, talking quietly at the same time. She was situated to my right, which made it very difficult for me to follow either of them. (I lost hearing in my right ear with the surgery to remove my brain tumor in 2004. I do fine unless someone is speaking quietly and on my right side, or unless there are multiple sounds competing for my attention from different directions, both of which were occurring in the courtroom that day.) I was picking up bits and pieces, but really straining to do it, which was exhausting and made me feel even more "off balance".</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I caught the part which mentioned Alina's parent's names and her given name (spoken in the order of last name, first name, middle name). I wish I could write her full name here--it was gorgeous, and sounded to me like a supermodel or an actress--very Eastern European, ending in -ovna.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The judge then read some detailed information about Alina's parents and how they came to place her for adoption. He showed us the document they signed to release their parental rights that would become part of the official adoption decree. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He explained that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">no one had visited Alina or inquired about her since she was placed in the orphanage. We thought that might have been the case, but to hear it announced in the austere, quiet and cold courtroom setting that day made it seem so real, so weighty and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">so incredibly sad.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He then began the second portion of our adoption hearing: questions directed to us.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Chris was first. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The judge asked him to state his full name and date of birth, and to explain why he was there that day. He did ask Chris about his hobbies, and about his work. But it became quickly evident that he was interested in knowing much more. He wanted to know where Chris went pheasant hunting, and what month. He asked about our relatives, where they live and what type of relationship we share with them. He asked what Chris thought about Obama's healthcare plan, among many other things that had little to do with our adoption.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I could see Marina becoming concerned that our court hearing was going to last too long for us to get Alina's new birth certificate and passport by the end of the day. I made a mental note to be brief in my responses.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The judge was wrapping up his questions to Chris. He shuffled some papers, paused, and with a serious expression and tone, asked (through our translator): <i>When you first met this child...did you know right away that you wanted her for your own?</i> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Chris paused, and I heard myself inhale, feeling completely caught off guard by both the question and my sudden emotional response. My eyes were stinging from the huge tears which appeared without warning, and which I was trying my best to draw back in. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Chris was facing the judge, and I was sitting behind him, but I knew he was teary-eyed, too. I began to sob. Loudly. I wanted to stop, but couldn't. Chris looked back at me and was wiping tears from his face as his voice cracked, <i>Yes, </i>he said<i>. We knew right away that we wanted to make Alina part of our family. We love her.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I believe that everyone in the courtroom understood that for us, the emotions of that day--of the whole journey, really--all culminated in that exact moment. We wanted this child so very much, wanted to love her and parent her and celebrate her, this little girl no one else wanted. We'd crossed the ocean for her, had left the comfort of a life we know well for a set of circumstances entirely unfamiliar to us. We were standing in a court room in the middle of Ukraine expressing our hope and our faith, and our desire to make this little girl part of our family forever. It was an overwhelming feeling--still is--one which is difficult to put into words.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was my turn to speak directly after that moment, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I completely froze. I'd stood and wiped away my tears as I faced the judge. He asked if I needed a minute to compose myself. I'd have needed much more than a minute. I brushed away more tears, clasped my hands together and tried my best to listen carefully to his questions without looking away to read Marina's lips. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I tried to remember the order in which the judge posed questions to Chris, assuming his questions for me would be similar. Honestly, I thought my part would be very brief and would focus on how I planned to care for Alina and the rest of the kids.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was asked to state my name and date of birth. I was asked about my education, employment before having children, and about my interests. I was praying for a quick end to the questions, and was fully prepared to answer anything about raising a child with Down syndrome, or being a stay-at-home mom to a large brood. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was chilly in the courtroom, but my knees were knocking out of adrenaline, emotion and fear. The judge wanted to know what I did outside of taking care of the children. I said, <i>I'm a writer</i>. He wanted to know, <i>What do you write?</i> (A reasonable question, only I was completely unprepared to talk about me, outside of the adoption.) My answer: <i>Poems</i>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Poems? That is all I could think of? I wrote a chapter for a book about our experience with Bridget, I write and manage an advocacy blog, etc. There were lots of other, better answers I could have given, and I am not often at a loss for words. But I froze, I'm telling you. I just wanted court to be over. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He wanted to know my favorite poet, favorite story, and all about the town where I was born (I was an infant when I lived there, and we moved before my second birthday).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He wanted to know the meaning and significance of my name (maybe better answered by my parents?). He told an odd little story about Alice in Wonderland that had something to do with a pub and beer drinking...which I couldn't follow or assign a place of importance within the discussion. I am not sure if he thought me being a "writer" meant I wanted to talk literature, or why he threw that in...but it was interesting and a bit confusing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He then asked a few very serious questions, including one about what would happen in the US legal system to the woman who returned her adopted son to Russia. (This had just happened, and we had seen very little of the news. We didn't even know the whole story.) I had no idea how to answer that. I believe I said that it was "heartbreaking and wrong" but that I wasn't sure what would happen to her. He seemed satisfied to let it go, and turned the questions over to the witnesses and other members of the panel. The social worker took pity on me. She smiled very sweetly and said, <i>I have no questions for Mrs. Peele</i>. God love her. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With that, the judge read the adoption decree and proclaimed Alina ours. With tears, we expressed our gratitude to the judge and the others in the room and told them how excited we were to begin our life with our new daughter, that we would love and cherish her forever and offer her every opportunity to live a long and full life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The judge smiled and came to shake our hands. He said that he was very happy for us and wished us well. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As soon as he left the room, we took off behind Marina, who was already on her phone sprinting toward the cab in the pouring rain.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For the next two hours, we ran (I was still wearing 5 inch heels from court) in and out of office buildings and government agencies trying to wrap up our paperwork and obtain Alina's new birth certificate (with our names listed as her parents) and her passport.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Marina must have either used all of her charms, called in some favors, or have done a very effective strong-arm job on the gentleman at the passport agency and the woman at the bureau of vital statistics. She asked them to wait for us, well after they should have been gone for the day, to process our paperwork so that we could leave Alina's hometown over the weekend and be back in Kiev for our embassy appointments at the beginning of the week.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Long story short, we made it by the slimmest of margins, and were able to get Marina to the train station as her train was in final boarding mode. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What a day! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From our adoption blog on April 16, 2010:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-life.html">New Life</a></span></blockquote><blockquote style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When we arrived in Zaporozhye this past Monday, it looked like late winter. In less than a week's time, the trees have started sprouting leaves. There are cherry blossom trees all over this town, and they are in full bloom right now. They are gorgeous and have become our symbol of this new life--for Alina and for us.</blockquote><blockquote style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">There is a new blossom on our family tree...</blockquote><blockquote style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8jJcYyb0YI/AAAAAAAABpM/IVLEXb0XuJI/s1600/cherry+blossom+2.jpg" style="color: #375380; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460836037714235778" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8jJcYyb0YI/AAAAAAAABpM/IVLEXb0XuJI/s320/cherry+blossom+2.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;">Alina Caroline</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Adopted into our Family</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">April 16, 2010</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Zaporozhye, Ukraine</span></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TTenrLiBKkQ/Tarjkrh40UI/AAAAAAAACXk/5kzxVx5R-Gc/s1600/Alina+black+and+white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TTenrLiBKkQ/Tarjkrh40UI/AAAAAAAACXk/5kzxVx5R-Gc/s320/Alina+black+and+white.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next up: Images from Zaporozhye and Gotcha Day</span><br />
<div class="post-header" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-32067259248259390222011-04-16T17:02:00.012-04:002011-07-12T10:48:34.694-04:00A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 4)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our trip to Ukraine was a whirlwind and you can tell by the limited posts during our time there!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Though we didn't know it when we committed to adopt her, Alina's region is traditionally a very "fast" region. We met her on a Monday and had court that same Friday. We were at the orphanage for such a short time, and with two visits daily plus spotty internet connections, it was hard to post much on our blog. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So here's a re-cap (with additional details, pics and video) of the bulk of our visits with Alina (be forewarned...it is the motherload post on our adoption, with more information, pictures and video than any other post on either of our blogs!):</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Day 2 </b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We arrived to find Alina in the same green dress from the day before, but with new tights :). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(As an aside, Alina was always clean when we visited her, but she did wear that dress a majority of the time we were there. It was their "good dress" for the groupa, and the zipper was broken and the inside layer was all torn up. Someone had sewn two new--different--buttons to hold the dress closed at the top in the back. That dress means the world to us. It is covered in memories of meeting our daughter and carries within it the significance of her life before that day. So, we bought two new "dressy" dresses of the same size and asked if we could trade them for the green dress. Her nannies let us take it home with us. It is the only thing we have from her childhood.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina was happy to see us that second day. She was still very reserved--and seemed unsure of what was going on and who we were--but was somewhat interested in us anyway and <i>very</i> interested in what we'd brought along (toys and yogurt). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We were not as ambivalent about her :). She blew us away.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--hw1RMEJHG4/Tajm8fnZUZI/AAAAAAAACS4/C7qmieOW1Kw/s1600/Mom+and+Alina+Day+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--hw1RMEJHG4/Tajm8fnZUZI/AAAAAAAACS4/C7qmieOW1Kw/s320/Mom+and+Alina+Day+3.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In love, in awe</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XuJOIvijes0/TajqklbMbgI/AAAAAAAACTA/IHwZMGT577c/s1600/Day+3+Alina+brushing+mom%2527s+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XuJOIvijes0/TajqklbMbgI/AAAAAAAACTA/IHwZMGT577c/s320/Day+3+Alina+brushing+mom%2527s+hair.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina, hairdresser</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(She was very gentle & sweet, though my hair</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">did not look particularly great when she was done.)</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVtSMgqh1rU/Tajqm2SU--I/AAAAAAAACTE/g-4i1mTbnUE/s1600/Day+3+Yogurt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVtSMgqh1rU/Tajqm2SU--I/AAAAAAAACTE/g-4i1mTbnUE/s320/Day+3+Yogurt.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="272" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A sweet moment sitting with Alina </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">while she ate her yogurt...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">until she turned and stuck the spoon in my mouth</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">without warning :). I got over it :)!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz1s9dLgLvSYDSqVVT2aeYccQaKJ3AX80xZe47gDkjA2zcF7cFw2wnpHOy3MsQ_jYg0ZazzPRzt9PhfVq-vhQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina with empty yogurt container</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Listen to Chris talking about her...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">so much love already.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In all the excitement of packing up to go and see Alina after lunch that day, I left the memory card for my camera sitting in our laptop. Chris took pictures and video with his Blackberry that afternoon, and that is what you see below:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ABNOQhD8euI/Tal-hd3NJ-I/AAAAAAAACT8/5wyN_duSv4A/s1600/Music+room+BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ABNOQhD8euI/Tal-hd3NJ-I/AAAAAAAACT8/5wyN_duSv4A/s320/Music+room+BB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Music Room,<br />
the setting for the video below:</span></td></tr>
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</span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/amqzzdlqnBk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Playing in the Music Room - afternoon of Day 2</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(Please excuse me hiking up my jeans...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I haven't figured out how to edit my videos!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UJh4AKE5vII/TapApIBO-RI/AAAAAAAACV0/cnVnB5uI93s/s1600/Music+room+light+fixtures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UJh4AKE5vII/TapApIBO-RI/AAAAAAAACV0/cnVnB5uI93s/s320/Music+room+light+fixtures.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Light fixtures in Music Room</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(We thought they were pretty!)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Day 3</b></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Adoption blog posts with additional details: <a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/day-3-morning-visit.html">morning visit</a>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/day-3-afternoon-visit.html">afternoon visit</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina came out wearing...the same green dress :) on day 3. Our morning visit was very relaxed. We played, and then one of the nannies brought Alina's lunch out to the little table in the locker/hallway area. We were thrilled to get to see her eat.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pM0SNaU2WE/Tan6dB4AHTI/AAAAAAAACVc/H3BDsUZBVuc/s1600/DSCF0434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pM0SNaU2WE/Tan6dB4AHTI/AAAAAAAACVc/H3BDsUZBVuc/s320/DSCF0434.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">People have asked what she was eating in this series of pictures and video. Though it looks like cherry cobbler, it was actually chicken with apples and shredded, pickled beets. She also had a slice of whole grain bread, chicken broth and warm apple juice. All food was served warm at the orphanage, and the children eat with full-sized utensils. Alina's beverages were in an open metal cup (just a few ounces of liquid that she was expected to drink in a few gulps). </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here is video of one of Alina's nannies helping her to eat. This particular woman really enjoyed Alina and was very talkative with us. She knew just a small amount of English, but she really wanted to communicate with us. She gave us some very important information about Alina: "Alina clever. Alina messy." She couldn't have been more on target.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We laugh now, knowing her. We are sure some of her nannies miss her, but they are probably laughing, too ;).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
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</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2MqS1FFNsE8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/C2NfMqBXG8Y?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We went outside during the afternoon visit that day, and had a special treat when some of the other kids from the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">groupa came into the locker room with us to get ready to go outside. The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">little girl in the gold coat in the video below is the one I referred to here: </span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">The little girl who has the pair of shoes we brought is the most adorable little creature. I would scoop her up in a minute. She really likes Alina. She pats her cheeks and kisses her forehead as she says, "Lina!!" with a big smile. She looks out for Alina, too. When another child grabbed a book from Alina, she came over, took it and handed it back to Alina. She said, "no, Alina's" to the other child. It was so incredibly sweet. Chris and I were teary watching the interaction.</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have sent her picture to several people and have tried to find out her name, or anything about her...but have had no luck :(. Tell me she is not the cutest.thing.ever. (And don't worry, no children were harmed in the filming of this clip--even though I could not get a very tiny hat over one little girls large hair accessories!)...</span><br />
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</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pjm8HBiIt24?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina's groupa getting ready to go outside.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The little girl in the gold coat is the one</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">who took care of Alina. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4N-qQyQfHRs/TarxEPSo9KI/AAAAAAAACXo/o8zAGKQ7anI/s1600/Alina%2527s+friend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4N-qQyQfHRs/TarxEPSo9KI/AAAAAAAACXo/o8zAGKQ7anI/s200/Alina%2527s+friend.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina's friend</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/orphan-no-more.html">Day 4 </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We spent our morning visit outside on the playground. We took Alina into one of the large metal play structures (a truck) and cuddled her in while we talked quietly. She seemed sleepy and particularly content being close to us. She had settled in substantially by this point in our visits...which is perfect, because we found out that afternoon that we'd be in court to make her officially ours the following day.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WBxWr0uDO3w/TajuA0y4slI/AAAAAAAACTw/cNcPQakENzo/s1600/Alina+hat+day+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WBxWr0uDO3w/TajuA0y4slI/AAAAAAAACTw/cNcPQakENzo/s320/Alina+hat+day+3.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our blue-eyed girl...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">sleepy after snuggling with Daddy outside.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tH-x6XvR8HU/Tajup2iwanI/AAAAAAAACT0/ssX9VJ__41E/s1600/Playground+Day+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tH-x6XvR8HU/Tajup2iwanI/AAAAAAAACT0/ssX9VJ__41E/s320/Playground+Day+4.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This picture is for Jodi and Faith ;).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Check out Alina's hat and tights under</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the pants. It was about 60 degrees that afternoon!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That afternoon we arrived to discover that we were loading up in a cab and going to get Alina's passport picture taken :). She was quiet and held on to that large Evian bottle the whole time we were out. We are not sure if she had been in a car before. She was comforted by us, and was on her best behavior. I am sure her little mind was racing. She had no idea what to do in front of the camera, and the man taking the picture didn't try at all to get her to smile. Her passport picture is hilarious. It looks like something from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. The little sweater they'd dressed her in that day made her eyes look bluer than blue. She was soft and squishy and sweet-smelling. And look at how cute she was...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BvO7EZ5l0qw/TanfoFb8YYI/AAAAAAAACUs/PHY-NLkaGJc/s1600/Going+to+get+passport+photos+taken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BvO7EZ5l0qw/TanfoFb8YYI/AAAAAAAACUs/PHY-NLkaGJc/s640/Going+to+get+passport+photos+taken.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Other images from our time at Solnishko:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T2MZfJnAiUQ/TanjR9LQcII/AAAAAAAACU8/VkW3R0esq-A/s1600/Day+2+BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T2MZfJnAiUQ/TanjR9LQcII/AAAAAAAACU8/VkW3R0esq-A/s320/Day+2+BB.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TXZYaz_3vUI/TanoaN-BTJI/AAAAAAAACVQ/2eP38t9VoQ4/s1600/Daddy+and+Alina+eating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TXZYaz_3vUI/TanoaN-BTJI/AAAAAAAACVQ/2eP38t9VoQ4/s320/Daddy+and+Alina+eating.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Sua9tE1FY8/TaniEfwL4LI/AAAAAAAACUw/YR3yXJ4lg5Q/s1600/Locker+room+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Sua9tE1FY8/TaniEfwL4LI/AAAAAAAACUw/YR3yXJ4lg5Q/s320/Locker+room+.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UOrZ4uYcSfM/TaniIA1ndgI/AAAAAAAACU4/nqnp4boauHs/s1600/Car+on+orphanage+ground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UOrZ4uYcSfM/TaniIA1ndgI/AAAAAAAACU4/nqnp4boauHs/s320/Car+on+orphanage+ground.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kx_L6O6VU_0/TanljRFn5bI/AAAAAAAACVI/47uL-9vOeM0/s1600/IMG00098-20100414-1729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kx_L6O6VU_0/TanljRFn5bI/AAAAAAAACVI/47uL-9vOeM0/s320/IMG00098-20100414-1729.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5bVPaYvPH2M/TanpbEFrkzI/AAAAAAAACVY/hRn_7RBRs6o/s1600/Daddy+and+Alina+in+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5bVPaYvPH2M/TanpbEFrkzI/AAAAAAAACVY/hRn_7RBRs6o/s320/Daddy+and+Alina+in+hall.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ASQ5zp3YCDE/TankICuOuHI/AAAAAAAACVE/roUzNhq99KE/s1600/lisa+and+alina+day+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ASQ5zp3YCDE/TankICuOuHI/AAAAAAAACVE/roUzNhq99KE/s320/lisa+and+alina+day+2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7aRvM2X-MmU/Tanj-Z4BcWI/AAAAAAAACVA/pGjsyaGY20w/s1600/prepare+for+lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7aRvM2X-MmU/Tanj-Z4BcWI/AAAAAAAACVA/pGjsyaGY20w/s320/prepare+for+lunch.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bttauBuCAD4/TannR49fu0I/AAAAAAAACVM/9KO1d6l5M_o/s1600/Daddy+and+Alina+playing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bttauBuCAD4/TannR49fu0I/AAAAAAAACVM/9KO1d6l5M_o/s320/Daddy+and+Alina+playing.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next up: COURT</span></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-23933375482494705962011-04-16T11:33:00.000-04:002011-04-16T11:33:15.157-04:00Loving Alina, Forever Ours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-life.html">One year ago today</a>, Chris and I stood in a tiny courtroom in Ukraine as we petitioned to adopt a little girl abandoned at birth because she has Down syndrome. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We knew in our hearts she was meant to be ours, and crossed the ocean for her. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-he4iwRN2LJk/Tam2Pdi7pnI/AAAAAAAACUU/F38MaWlwRsA/s1600/Alina+cherry+blossom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-he4iwRN2LJk/Tam2Pdi7pnI/AAAAAAAACUU/F38MaWlwRsA/s320/Alina+cherry+blossom.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today we celebrate Alina Caroline, our little cherry blossom, who officially joined our family on April 16, 2010.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>**I have two more posts planned for today, one with pictures and video from Days 2, 3 and 4 at the orphanage, and another with more details from court and day 5 in region. Check back later for those if you are interested :)...</i></span></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-27039065806819127932011-04-14T11:35:00.004-04:002011-04-17T17:55:05.062-04:00A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>First Evening Visiting Hours (Getting to Know Alina)</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b></b></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xselB85BY4U/TacRB0Gey0I/AAAAAAAACSs/zU_wgG4B6Zg/s1600/Mom+and+Alina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xselB85BY4U/TacRB0Gey0I/AAAAAAAACSs/zU_wgG4B6Zg/s320/Mom+and+Alina.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After spending the better part of the day running all over town, we were able to go back to the orphanage and spend a full two hours (4-6 p.m.) getting to know Alina.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We walked in the main doors to her building, through the music room and up the stairs to her groupa's quarters. The building was very quiet, and we didn't see anyone on our way upstairs. Alina's room was next to an office of some sort, which looked like it was rarely used, and there were no other rooms in her wing. (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Before we traveled, we imagined we'd see lots of other children at the orphanage. We wondered if we would recognize other kids listed on Reece's Rainbow. As we made our way up to Alina's room that first day, we began to realize that it was highly unlikely we'd just stumble on other children, unless they were outdoors when we were.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We carefully retraced our steps from our earlier (and very hurried) visit, rang the buzzer for Alina's room and the door quickly opened. We presented a small piece of paper, a handwritten "pass" from the director--our permission to visit Alina's room--to the woman who answered the door. She wasn't standing in front of the door when it opened, but rather beside it on the inside of the room, so it appeared as though the door had opened by itself. She was standing quietly in the front of the hallway between the groupa's lockers and the main room in Alina's living quarters. She took the piece of paper, nodded her head and briskly headed back into the room to get Alina. She shut the door behind her.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Chris and I were left standing alone in the small entry way, wondering what the program would be, and anxiously waiting to see our little girl. I don't know if it was out of reverence or fear ;), but we were silent, expressing our curiosity and excitement through expressions and gestures only. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After a few minutes, the door opened. We could hear a lot of hustle and bustle in the room. Some of the children and nannies were talking and laughing. It also sounded like there was some scolding going on. There was a lot of activity in the room, but when the door was closed, you could not hear most of it. (That might explain why the orphanage always seemed so quiet. You would never guess that a few hundred children are living in the orphanage complex at any one time. All of the groupas are separated from one another, behind closed doors.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When Alina appeared at the door, she was by herself. One of the nannies was a few feet behind her, telling her to go out and see mama and papa. We don't know if she understood exactly what was going on, but she was definitely following orders. She started out the doorway, then began to turn back. She was whimpering. The nanny pushed her along with a sweeping motion to the backside and some verbal encouragement or further directions (we are not sure which). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina gave in to the requests and came out to see us. We were very quiet with her, and let her have her space. She was alternating between smiling and whimpering. She was so sweet. We could tell she was confused. But in typical Alina fashion, she chose to make the best of the situation. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She explored every nook and cranny of the locker room area. We watched and laughed and smiled. Chris patted the little bench next to him (we all sat on toddler-sized chairs and benches--the only furniture that was in the area we used for our visits) and Alina came over and sat down. I pulled out the bag I'd filled with little toys for her, and she was immediately interested. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first thing we showed her was "her" book--a little photo album with plastic pages, filled with pictures of our family and our house. She LOVED it. She grabbed it and turned the pages. She studied it. She was completely taken with the picture of Bridget. She kept opening to that page and pointing to it. We were in awe, and realized right then that our new little girl was very different from the lost child we had seen in her profile picture.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-obZFryuR74c/Tab29oYBVwI/AAAAAAAACSo/nyLlz69VJfw/s1600/Picnik+collage+Daddy+and+Alina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-obZFryuR74c/Tab29oYBVwI/AAAAAAAACSo/nyLlz69VJfw/s400/Picnik+collage+Daddy+and+Alina.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She did not want to put the photo book down, but wanted to see all of the other toys we brought. So she grabbed whatever she could at once. She knew what to do with the books, the finger puppets, the play dishes, the purse, the bracelet, the ball, the phone. She was very excited, and she kept trying to take the items back to the door to show her groupa. The door to her room was open, so she would stand in the doorway waving the item and trying to get someone to look out. Read more <a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/details-details-details.html">here</a>. Here are a few pictures and some video of Alina in action that first night:</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz0yhfcBZGVDwevK6EOlvupZgyjkJB_DmlN5v-SyjdFepjiGlA4E6pu6aZCFjbkSyB1boWi0VDujHu7Pxf7xg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8S0yyHgTTI/AAAAAAAABlg/QbdRBWSkupg/s1600/Alina+12.jpeg" style="color: #375380; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-abI8IrZJ3Hs/TacR9fvl4_I/AAAAAAAACSw/gNEViu_bkk8/s1600/Alina+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-abI8IrZJ3Hs/TacR9fvl4_I/AAAAAAAACSw/gNEViu_bkk8/s320/Alina+5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TopjqCcdmu4/TacluoSgGSI/AAAAAAAACS0/kQgZF6I6W2Y/s1600/Day+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TopjqCcdmu4/TacluoSgGSI/AAAAAAAACS0/kQgZF6I6W2Y/s320/Day+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8S0yyHgTTI/AAAAAAAABlg/QbdRBWSkupg/s1600/Alina+12.jpeg" style="color: #375380; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459687432819592498" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8S0yyHgTTI/AAAAAAAABlg/QbdRBWSkupg/s320/Alina+12.jpeg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; display: block; height: 320px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a></span></span>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-61235188392761450932011-04-12T23:10:00.358-04:002011-04-14T17:28:31.306-04:00A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>**Okay, so Blogger chose to eat two posts I drafted, but hadn't yet posted about our time in Ukraine and meeting Alina. So sorry for the delay on my "Look Back"! For anyone who is watching closely, I owe you a post on our stay in Kiev before leaving for Alina's region. I'm not sure when I will squeeze that in, but I'll try to do that, as well as to fill in more details of our time at the orphanage. But first, there's an important milestone to discuss ;)...</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One year ago today, we met our newest daughter.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We arrived in her hometown just after 6 a.m. on April 12, 2010 after taking the overnight train from Kiev.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ApJSBY5ItOI/TaW-pTnDFPI/AAAAAAAACSc/8dcqL6urf6Q/s1600/Running+behind+Marina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ApJSBY5ItOI/TaW-pTnDFPI/AAAAAAAACSc/8dcqL6urf6Q/s320/Running+behind+Marina.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We hit the ground running, literally chasing our facilitator, Marina (who was wearing metallic gold tennis shoes--which you can see in the above picture if you look closely--and which should have clued me in to the fact that we'd be moving at a ridiculously fast pace whenever we were with her).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We sped to our hotel, dropped off our bags, slammed down a quick breakfast and had a few minutes to freshen up before leaving again for a marathon day of paper-chasing and signature-gathering, which included trips to and from the orphanage, hotel, and various government buildings. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our first (brief) stop was at the social worker's office to get permission to visit Alina. I remember Marina asking, <i>Do you think this will be a "yes"? Do you think you will want to adopt this little girl? </i>We both shook our heads (yes) and smiled<i>. </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We then went straight to the orphanage, stopped in the front office to let them know we had arrived and for Marina to get the official paperwork necessary for us to visit Alina's room. </span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-twJtGGC668o/TaWCF_ZxDlI/AAAAAAAACSA/80v34Cffb7s/s1600/Day+1+Front+Door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-twJtGGC668o/TaWCF_ZxDlI/AAAAAAAACSA/80v34Cffb7s/s320/Day+1+Front+Door.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Entrance to Alina's Building</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4oW_WnkM0Jc/TaWCVCeEqfI/AAAAAAAACSI/mi2sN7NQyZs/s1600/Zap+lockers+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4oW_WnkM0Jc/TaWCVCeEqfI/AAAAAAAACSI/mi2sN7NQyZs/s320/Zap+lockers+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Entry Hall/Lockers for Alina's Groupa</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wrote about our meeting (find the rest of the post <a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/details-details-details.html">here</a>): </span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Before we knew it, we were climbing the staircase to her groupa's room. We {Chris and I} were both a little dazed and confused at that point. We had been planning the meeting for months, and it seems like we have waited so long to finally travel. But as soon as we boarded the plane out of the States, everything began moving in fast forward.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">As we rang the bell outside the door to Alina's room, our translator realized which room she was in--she said, "This is very good news. The children in this groupa are all typically developing!" We were surprised by this and elated. It means that someone sees her abilities and her potential. It also means that her delays are not as significant as they could be, given her diagnosis.</span> </blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">We were greeted by an older woman--speaking Russian, of course, so I have no idea what she actually said, but our translator told us we should wait in the small room just inside the door where the children have their little lockers.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">I had just looked at Chris and squeezed his hand, "This is it. We are going to meet our little girl" and then we heard her coming--clip, clip, clip. A moment later, we saw our little blondie heading toward us. One of the caregivers was standing in the doorway behind her, encouraging her to move along--she said, "Alina, mama...papa" and sent her on her way. Alina was all dressed up, with a bow in her hair. I put my hand to my mouth. "It's her. Oh my...here she is...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Priv-yet, Alina (Hello, Alina)!!"</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">She came down the small hallway by herself, whimpering a little as she made her way to us. She seemed apprehensive, but she was really, really cute. We looked at each other with tears in our eyes. It was a moment neither of us will ever forget.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">We saw some very neat things in Kiev, but the real show was here, in the middle of Ukraine, when a little girl with Down syndrome walked down a dark hallway and right into our life.</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzm3n8Mvd4hbvAzHPyz3shoI9G8EvULO6iWshBj6LsapMjGubAREnO_n26-19OYQFaR5NM3drRci1P7JbjWhg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You can hear me whispering "Ya t'voya mama"...I am your mama...which Alina ignores while listening instead to Marina's phone ringing ;).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fXx1Q5khnvo/TaWIXHQ0hNI/AAAAAAAACSU/wKYEDPPdFng/s320/Day+1+with+Alina+haircut.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Rod Stewart Pineapple/Orphanage Haircut", <br />
Big Bow and the Blackberry</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After less than fifteen minutes, we were asked whether we would like to accept Alina's referral or not (to which we answered, Y<i>ES, of course we want her!</i>), and were off once again...this time to file our paperwork to request a court date. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We spent the rest of the day driving around town, gathering more signatures and paperwork, and finished right before evening visiting hours. We were able to spend two hours getting to know Alina that night (which I will write more about in my next post). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We came home, both elated and exhausted--but wanting very much to share our exciting day with family and friends--to find that we had no internet access. Chris was able to get his Blackberry to work, and quickly typed this: </span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/from-dad.html">From dad....</a></span></span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Today was simply an amazing gift of a day! I've seen all 5 of my children born and today I just saw my 6th. It may have been a bit different, but it felt the same. This time my little girl came running around the corner and just stole my heart in the same way each of my children did the day they were delivered into this world. I'll leave the exciting details to Lisa, but I have learned many years ago to 100% trust my wife's instincts. With our little Alina, Lisa is still batting 1000! Alina is happy, healthy, loving, funny, playful, and already an important part of the Peele family. Lisa was 100% correct that day she told me "that terrible picture just doesn't show who that little girl is or who she could become".</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span></div></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I was eventually able to post late that night. Below is just a little part. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Click <a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/be-still-my-heart.html">here</a> to read the original post...</span></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please be patient with us...we are trying to get information and pictures out little by little :).</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">We already have over 100 pictures of Alina! We saw her briefly this morning (green dress) before we completed A LOT of paperwork. We were able to go back and spend two hours with her this evening.</span></span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I have details to share tomorrow, but what I can say briefly is that we met a little girl today who melted our hearts. We met a little girl who is full of potential. She is busy, and sharp, and curious and adorable. </span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">This is the first picture of us with her, taken by our facilitator, Marina:</span></blockquote></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_79Jjh3Nen7k/S8OAELOzflI/AAAAAAAABkw/QX7im58EC5M/s320/Alina+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Meeting</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"></div></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Chris took this picture shortly thereafter:</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tm5_D0mhXfw/TaXU64Q5PnI/AAAAAAAACSg/7NVnTx5eOXg/s1600/Alina+under+curtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tm5_D0mhXfw/TaXU64Q5PnI/AAAAAAAACSg/7NVnTx5eOXg/s320/Alina+under+curtain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Alina trying to <s>hide</s> look under the curtain, me trying to interest her in a toy :)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dzSEhBrJSVM/TaWIPtPTjGI/AAAAAAAACSM/KkhQSa2kMy8/s320/Day+1+with+Alina.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Still trying to talk to Alina. Meanwhile, she's trying to escape with Daddy's Blackberry :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bBl-oJyfL3U/TaWISRG_FeI/AAAAAAAACSQ/IL86kOcp6L0/s320/Day+1+with+Alina+Daddy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Daddy trying to get his phone back!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cb8ORdG6dR0/TaY9FkaSypI/AAAAAAAACSk/ufFpnHmdWJw/s1600/A+quick+hug.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cb8ORdG6dR0/TaY9FkaSypI/AAAAAAAACSk/ufFpnHmdWJw/s320/A+quick+hug.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I did get to grab her for a quick hug...and look...she's smiling!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">She came out with green ointment on her forehead. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">(It is what they use on cuts and scrapes)</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Check back for Part II of Meeting Alina...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-17698483344702639642011-04-12T08:16:00.004-04:002011-04-12T08:18:39.175-04:007 Day Blitz Winners<div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">552 <a href="http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/7-day-blitz-for-kirill.html" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">contributors</a>.</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1960 raffle tickets.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">$19,809.01 raised.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">thank you.</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">thank you.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">thank you.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">and now.<br />
for our <a href="http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/7-day-blitz-for-kirill.html" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">prize</a> winners.<br />
<br />
:::<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Canon EOS Rebel XS Digital SLR camera</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>or</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">$500 gift certificate to <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">B&H Photo</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>and</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">a lifetime membership to <a href="http://www.clickinmoms.com/" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">ClickinMoms</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sheri Holthe</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cirque</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">by <a href="http://www.reedart.com/" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">Lisa Tarkett Reed</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nancy Stinnett</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Custom blog makeover <i>(by Bethany)</i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rebekah Pett</span><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">UltraHD Flip video camera</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Amy Conner</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">Organic Bloom Frame</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>by <a href="http://www.lindseyrsmith.com/index2.php#/home/" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">Lindsey Smith Photography</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Maria Yakkey</span><i><br />
</i><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.schmetterlingszauber.com/english/index.html" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">Schmetterlingszauber</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>autographed by <a href="http://www.connywenk.com/" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">Conny Wenk</a></i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Leslie Echols</span><i><br />
</i><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">(3) handmade hats</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">#1 Carla Skelton</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">#2 Glenda Howze</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">#3 Marlene Prange</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">$50 gift certificate to <a href="http://kris10z.uppercaseliving.net/Home.m" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">Uppercase Living</a> </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jason Sheehy</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hand crafted jewelry (various)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Anna Albano</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Shylo Ulcak</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Robert Micek</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rachel Thornberry</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Carla Skelton</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kara Dickman</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">David Graves</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kimberly Giesting</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Allen Parrish</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Leah Neff</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Shane Culver</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Holly Caufield</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stephanie Dalby</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Robert McPherson</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.signingtime.com/" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">Signing Time</a> full collection</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>autographed and donated by <a href="http://www.rachelcoleman.com/" style="color: #e292b0; text-decoration: none;">Rachel Coleman</a></i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jocelyn Gilbert</span><i></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">:::</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">winners... congratulations!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and once again.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">thank you!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">thank you!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">thank you!</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-18217440014324330652011-04-10T13:33:00.001-04:002011-04-10T20:12:27.325-04:00Blitz for Kirill & Archie--Two Days Left<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Because of all of you, the Davis Family ChipIn for Kirill has reached its goal. Tesney Davis has asked us to use the remainder of the fundraiser to spread Kirill’s legacy and help another child with Down syndrome become an orphan no more...specifically, <a href="http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/coming-full-circle.html">Archie</a>. So we've opened up a ChipIn for Archie and his family. It almost over, and there's still about $5,000 left to raise. If Kirill's story moves you, please give to help Archie come home, and help us spread the love even further.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">See the </span><a href="http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/7-day-blitz-for-kirill.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">original post on Bethany's blog</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> for details :).</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 21px;">Prizes are the same, rules are the same.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> This is one continuous fundraiser and it </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">ends tomorrow</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">. THANK YOU!!</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><embed allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="color_scheme=blue" height="250" src="http://widget.chipin.com/widget/id/bc14e49619b5c1ad" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="250" wmode="transparent"></embed></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-722655677348020852011-04-08T07:32:00.003-04:002011-04-08T07:36:52.732-04:00Serious Love.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Serious, serious love going on out there for <a href="http://www.oureyesopened.blogspot.com/">Kirill and family</a>. Over 400 contributors have taken part in the giving--and thousands more have shared Kirill's story. Hearts moved because of one little boy and his faithful, sweet family. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are still 4 days left in the <a href="http://bridgets-light.blogspot.com/2011/04/7-day-blitz-for-kirill.html">7 Day Blitz for Kirill</a>. More amazing prizes have been added to the effort, and word continues to spread like wildfire. Let's keep this thing rolling!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Because of all of you, the ChipIn has reached its goal. Tesney Davis has asked us to help continue Kirill’s legacy and help another child with Down syndrome become an orphan no more.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wait until you hear the story about the child/family she's asking us to help.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Please head over to Bethany's blog and read this post: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/coming-full-circle.html">Coming Full Circle</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. {Tissue warning}...Watching this story unfold will take your breath away. What's going on here is inspiring, beautiful, amazing beyond words.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With that said, we are moving into the 4 day blitz for Archie :). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/7-day-blitz-for-kirill.html">Prizes are the same, rules are the same.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> This is one continuous fundraiser.</span></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-46607195048402309002011-04-06T22:00:00.069-04:002011-04-14T09:11:12.646-04:00A Look Back: One Year Ago (Post 1)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On this day last year, Chris and I were in transit between the United States and Ukraine, as we set out on our <a href="http://lovingalina.blogspot.com/2010/04/adventure-of-lifetime.html">Adventure of a Lifetime</a>. </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Chris, the more adventurous one of the two of us, was loving life. I was already exhausted, and after days of intense travel preparations plus an awful flight from Chicago to Munich, spent 4 hours sleeping on an airport bench while clutching my purse.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><s><br />
</s></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><s>MacGuyver</s> Chris spent our layover in Germany trying to figure out how to get our phones or an internet connection to work so we could let our facilitators know that we missed one of our connecting flights and would be arriving in Kiev later than we'd planned.</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gEvh26dg9uI/TZzTDhdPIpI/AAAAAAAACQo/wInPjThyfQM/s1600/Chris+and+Lisa+Independence+Square.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gEvh26dg9uI/TZzTDhdPIpI/AAAAAAAACQo/wInPjThyfQM/s320/Chris+and+Lisa+Independence+Square.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Independence Square, Downtown Kiev</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We made it into Kiev very late at night on April 7th, 2010 after leaving the States in the afternoon of April 5th. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nevertheless, we made it, and I plan on sharing some of the details of our time there.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I know that many people enjoy following adoptions, so here are a few families who will be making the same trip we did, and meeting their children soon: </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Local friends--<a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorarcher-2">The Archers</a> (Shelly was Sara's third grade teacher)--leave this weekend to go get their daughter (Sarah, known on RR as "Jessie"). Please follow their journey <a href="http://embracinglifesjourneys.blogspot.com/">here</a>.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Blogging friends--</span><a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorwhite">The White</a><a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorwhite">s</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">--are returning to Ukraine after adopting three children last year, and have their SDA appointment the same day as the Archers to begin their process of adopting two more little ones (Johanna Cait & Cole, known on RR as "Leesia" and "Nick"). Follow their journey</span> <a href="http://whitesadoptionjourney.blogspot.com/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Blogging friends--</span><a href="http://kkcox.blogspot.com/">The Cox family</a>--<a href="http://kareensjourneyhome.blogspot.com/">adopting Kareen</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">--already have one biological daughter with Down syndrome (Bree) and are <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorcox">heading overseas soon</a> for Kareen. They are just waiting for their travel date.</span></span></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-86387466665908546702011-04-04T06:57:00.020-04:002011-04-06T06:46:45.815-04:00A 7 Day Blitz for Kirill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYSbC_Wo2O8/TZk4hEClpyI/AAAAAAAAD7Y/MrD0HpFJLMI/s1600/IMG_0039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYSbC_Wo2O8/TZk4hEClpyI/AAAAAAAAD7Y/MrD0HpFJLMI/s200/IMG_0039.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Reece's Rainbow adoption community was shaken to it's core last month when one of our families was denied permission to adopt a little boy they want and love. They've already made two trips overseas. The most recent trip, they'd planned to bring him home for good. But they came home without him. They're appealing the ruling, and they need our help. They've asked for prayers, which they still want and need. They have not asked for money. But they have incurred substantial fees and other financial strains from the appeal and continued fight to get their son. Along with fellow adoptive moms <a href="http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/">Bethany</a>, <a href="http://www.myspecialks.com/">Renee</a>, <a href="http://urbanfunnyfarm.blogspot.com/">Charissa</a> and <a href="http://www.ourstorycontinued.blogspot.com/">McKenna</a>, I am helping to spread the word and raise funds for this special family through a one-time fundraiser: <b>A 7 Day Blitz for Kirill</b>. Thank you so much for reading and helping however you can. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Here's the <a href="http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/7-day-blitz-for-kirill.html">post from Bethany's blog</a> with all the specifics</b>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">On March 17, 2011, <a href="http://oureyesopened.blogspot.com/">the Davis family</a> sat in a Russian courtroom and listened as the judge rejected their plea to adopt Kirill, an orphan with Down syndrome. {From the Davis family blog}: <i>"The judge said, “Your application to adopt is rejected.” The basis given was that Kirill was “not socially adaptable” due to his “medical condition” and he was better off in an institution than in a home with a family. As the judge read her ruling, she stated several times that we were a good family, that we met all the criteria to adopt a child, but that she would not approve our adoption because Kirill has Down syndrome. She told us that we could adopt another child, because legally our application had no problems according to Russian adoption law. She said she would approve our adoption for a “typical” child, but not this child. Why? The only reason? Because he has Down syndrome." </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Being an adoptive mother to a Russian orphan with Down syndrome, I could expand on the million-and-one reasons Tesney and Greg's rejected application to adopt has deeply affected me. But that is not what is important. <i> </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">What is important is that they are appealing the judge's ruling to the Supreme Court of Moscow and they need our help.</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The Davis family has been through so much already... and now they have been slammed with astronomical unforeseen financial hurdles in bringing Kirill home. In order to just begin the process of filing their appeal, they had to pay $2,500. They have been told that they should plan to attend the Supreme Court hearing, which is a trip to Russia they never planned to have to make... add $3,000 - $4,000. If the Supreme Court overturns the ruling, they will have to return home and wait for a date to travel to Kirill's region to reappear before the original judge in their case... add $4,000 - $5,000. Assuming everything goes as planned, they will remain in country for the 10 day waiting period and finalization of their adoption... add $3,000 - $3,500.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><i>So how can you help?</i> A few of us adoptive mommy bloggers have put our heads together to create a 7 day blitz for Kirill.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">::</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Our first prize...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Canon EOS Rebel XS Digital SLR camera</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;"><i>donated by <a href="http://www.bridgets-light.blogspot.com/">Lisa</a>, <a href="http://urbanfunnyfarm.blogspot.com/">Charissa</a>, <a href="http://www.ourstorycontinued.blogspot.com/">McKenna</a>, <a href="http://www.myspecialks.com/">Renee</a> and Bethany</i></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>or</i></span><br />
$500 gift certificate to <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">B&H Photo</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img alt="canon-xs" height="374" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5586091158_39517eb443_o.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img alt="canon-montage" height="159" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5149/5585498245_493004fd60_o.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Read all about the camera <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer/eos_slr_camera_systems/eos_digital_slr_cameras/eos_rebel_xs_18_55is_kit#Features"><i>here</i></a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">And... a lifetime membership to <a href="http://www.clickinmoms.com/">ClickinMoms</a>. An online haven of all things photography... tips and tutorials on everything from how to use your camera to editing your images to starting a photography business.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.clickinmoms.com/" style="text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="clickin moms" height="75" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/5585743693_7d457f750a_o.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: transparent; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a><br />
<img alt="clickin moms2" height="67" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5585743787_267b84718f_z.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: transparent; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">:::</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Our second prize...</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Cirque</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">by <a href="http://www.reedart.com/">Lisa Tarkett Reed</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cirqueweb" height="302" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5057/5585447125_6b9657d27f_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approximate Gallery Value $3,400</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">recently juried into the FMH Crestwood Gallery for the <i>Celebration</i> exhibition </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">completed in 2010<br />
</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">oil on canvas</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">measures 3 feet by 4 feet</span></li>
</ul><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Oil paintings by regional artist, Lisa Tarkett Reed, celebrate and explore the relationships and patterns in nature. Reed’s paintings are inspired by her growing collection of natural objects. Flowers, crystals, rocks, leaves, shells and bones, collected by Reed over decades, provide points of departure in her work. As Reed layers line, shape and color, she discovers and plays with the geometry, relationships, and patterns inherent in organic forms. <br />
</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">In October 2011, Reed will have a solo exhibition at The Artists’ Gallery in Frederick, MD. Currently, Reed has a solo exhibition at Les Idees Gallery, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Reed has had solo exhibitions at the Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Gallery Lascaux, Gallery 937 and View from Zenith Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as well as at Shenandoah University, Leesburg, Virginia, Figure Five Gallery, San Francisco, California and the Walker Fine Arts Center Gallery at Patrick Henry Community College, Roanoke, Virginia. Reed has shown her work in group exhibitions at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mary Condon Hodgson Gallery at Frederick Community College, Frederick, Maryland, The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, Frederick, Maryland, Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, New York, the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, New Castle, Pennsylvania.<br />
<br />
Reed has taught drawing and painting for over fifteen years in regional art centers in Maryland, Pittsburgh and Virginia and at private schools in Brooklyn and Virginia.<br />
</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Reed earned a BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and studied painting in Rome, Italy as part of the Temple University Abroad Program. Reed earned an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, California.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
In 2009, Reed founded Sister MamaCita, a Mothers’ Cooperative in the Arts and sister group to the Philadelphia based MamaCita, a Mothers’ Cooperative in the Arts founded by Melissa Tevere in 2005.</span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">::</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Our third prize...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Custom blog makeover <i>(by Bethany)</i>.</span></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gICS-aQo6tc/TZm6uxuGRHI/AAAAAAAAD7g/P8GEhHyuMnY/s1600/dec+2010+header+complete.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gICS-aQo6tc/TZm6uxuGRHI/AAAAAAAAD7g/P8GEhHyuMnY/s400/dec+2010+header+complete.gif" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">You will get...</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">custom header</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">custom background</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">custom signature and sidebar headers</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">installation of pages</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">installation of facebook/twitter/rss feed widgets</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">and more!</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">::</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Our fourth prize...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">UltraHD Flip video camera.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: xx-small;"><i>donated by Joanne Charland, momma to Vinnie (a T21 friend)</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gb6NS0mM2uo/TZnMR2jRr6I/AAAAAAAAD7k/bAh0n8LcHe8/s1600/flip-camera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gb6NS0mM2uo/TZnMR2jRr6I/AAAAAAAAD7k/bAh0n8LcHe8/s400/flip-camera.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: transparent; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Read all about the video camera <a href="http://www.theflip.com/en-us/Products/ultra.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><i>here</i></a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">::</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Our fifth prize...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Organic Bloom Frame</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">by <a href="http://www.lindseyrsmith.com/index2.php#/home/" style="text-decoration: none;">Lindsey Smith Photography</a></span></i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HwHMS_BdEQA/TZtejys_zOI/AAAAAAAAD7o/qRTQJaFiw3g/s1600/frames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HwHMS_BdEQA/TZtejys_zOI/AAAAAAAAD7o/qRTQJaFiw3g/s400/frames.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: transparent; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;" width="400" /> </span></a></div><ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">measures 16" x 20"</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">choose from a variety of styles and color combinations</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X8iYVC261Yg/TZtfALwsVTI/AAAAAAAAD7s/JDVougayHjE/s1600/Smith_Frames-%2526-Colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X8iYVC261Yg/TZtfALwsVTI/AAAAAAAAD7s/JDVougayHjE/s400/Smith_Frames-%2526-Colors.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: transparent; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;" width="282" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">:::</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Our sixth prize...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://www.schmetterlingszauber.com/english/index.html" style="text-decoration: none;">Schmetterlingszauber</a> </span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(Three Little Butterflies)</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">hardcover book, signed by <a href="http://www.connywenk.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Conny Wenk</a></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ou_7SpTZrcE/TZtiZCgyARI/AAAAAAAAD70/xZYaw1e2X5o/s1600/200307_1971349404817_1275472052_32356688_3843261_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ou_7SpTZrcE/TZtiZCgyARI/AAAAAAAAD70/xZYaw1e2X5o/s400/200307_1971349404817_1275472052_32356688_3843261_n.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: transparent; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">"Schmetterlingszauber is a book about the wonderful friendship of three beautiful little girls. Although they are colorful and unique like little butterflies, they have many more things in common than they don't.</span></i></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">They love spending lots of time together, whether they hang out at home or on the playground having fun galore. Sometimes they even have picnics on a beautiful meadow. They love dressing up like little princesses, polishing their nails, having little "imitation" tattoos, singing and dancing, telling bedtime stories to each other and of course, jumping on the bed.</span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span></i><br />
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;"><div style="display: inline !important;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">They can be really wild ... but to me they are just three little butterflies."</span></i></span></span></i></div></div></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">:::</span></span></i></span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our seventh prize...</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(3) handmade hats.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">donated by Heather Randlett, momma to Bridget (a T21 friend)</span></i></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WuCm860s0A8/TZu5Uzi5LoI/AAAAAAAAD74/h9RoitbnTyo/s1600/hat+montage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WuCm860s0A8/TZu5Uzi5LoI/AAAAAAAAD74/h9RoitbnTyo/s400/hat+montage.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: transparent; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;">1. </span><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;">Newborn/Baby Beanie-Style Hat... This crocheted baby beanie is crafted with a soft cotton/bamboo blend yarn, adorned with a shabby chic crocheted flower. Perfect for cute newborn baby pictures.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Women's Beanie-Style Hat... This crocheted beanie-style hat is crafted with a super soft alpaca/acrylic blend yarn, with 3 beautiful colors - celery green, mocha, and cream.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Women's Ski-Style Hat... This knitted snug-fitting ski-style hat is crafted with a soft acrylic/wool blend yarn in a rich cranberry color.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">**All are hand wash only, lay flat to dry.</span></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">:::</div></span></span></span></div></div></div><br />
Rules...<br />
<br />
1) Every $10 donation to Kirill will earn you an entry into the drawing for one of the prizes.<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">2) Prizes cannot be shipped overseas</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>, unless shipping is paid for by prize winner (painting may be excluded)</i></span>.</i><br />
3) Donations will be accepted through Monday, April 11th.<br />
4) Winners will be announced Tuesday, April 12th.<br />
<br />
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Please blog it. Please facebook it. Please tweet it. Please share.<br />
<br />
We have a lot of love to give and $15,000 is nothing when compared to the army standing behind the Davis family. <br />
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<i>*If things do not go as planned for the Davis family, any leftover funds will be properly allocated in support of international adoption of children with Down syndrome.</i>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-23408077896741946342011-04-03T21:09:00.001-04:002011-04-03T21:10:18.371-04:00Meet the Gibson's<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...Antonio's family :)!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They want everyone to know how grateful they are for the people who have kept their little boy close at heart, and that "This journey is just not about us - it's about Christ in us...He is the only way this is possible."</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Please visit <a href="http://homeiswhereitsat.blogspot.com/">their blog</a> to learn more about Jake and Ashley and their journey to Antonio (who'll be known as Carter Benjamin), and to shower them with love and good wishes. </span></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-22120729997607379012011-03-31T20:13:00.001-04:002011-04-01T09:30:07.495-04:00Found<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Exciting news...m</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">y little Antonio has a family :)!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xN5H0MMV-gw/TZURztMzIjI/AAAAAAAACP0/cGUKGNLzpPY/s1600/Antonio+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xN5H0MMV-gw/TZURztMzIjI/AAAAAAAACP0/cGUKGNLzpPY/s400/Antonio+collage.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well, he's not really <i>my</i> Antonio, but there's a special place in my heart for this little guy and I am so excited to find out who has come forward for him! <br />
<br />
Thank you, so much, to everyone who has been praying for him, has already donated to his fund or helped to spread the word about him. <br />
<br />
Check back for details on his family, and to hear more about how you can help them get to him sooner ;).</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sleep tight tonight, little one. You are in the hearts of many and will know the love of a family--<i>your family</i>--soon...</span></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-31685041808650411852011-03-30T13:29:00.005-04:002011-03-30T16:06:07.131-04:00Back from the Beach<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Does anyone notice anything different at the top of this blog? It's a new header picture taken while on vacation last week :).</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And there are many more where that came from. Somehow, I ended up with over 600 pictures. Don't worry, I won't post them all here! But how am I going to choose ;)?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Both girls LOVED the beach. We all had a wonderful time, with lots of sun, sand, laughter and all the good things we could cram into a week-and-a-half at the beach.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have so many things to write about, with so much going on in our Down syndrome and adoption communities.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If I can carve out the time, I plan to write a lot this month, because I'll also be advocating for <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/antonio-5">Antonio</a>, as well as featuring several posts here which will look back at our trip to Ukraine in April of last year to get Alina. (Our trip was such a whirlwind, that I didn't ever get the chance to post many of our pictures, or to share some of the more interesting and colorful details and observations from our journey overseas. Please leave a comment below if there's anything specific you'd like for me to cover.)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">March is nearly over. Welcome Spring!</span></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-10974090639261450932011-03-15T14:00:00.021-04:002011-03-15T14:32:55.799-04:00Birthday in Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thank you, so much, to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes for Alina :)! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She was greeted last Thursday morning by her very own Mama & Papa and loving siblings, who were genuinely excited to celebrate <i>her</i> that day. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She LOVED her birthday--everything about it--and was beaming from the moment she got up.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I went in to read to the preschool class that morning and to take a small birthday surprise for her classmates. She was excited to see me, and ran right over with a huge smile to give me a hug. She sat down in her spot when I began reading, but ended up standing right beside me as I finished the book. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While the class sang to Alina, she looked around at each and every face in the group. She was elated. She honestly smiled and clapped the whole time. And she got to wear a special "Birthday crown" handmade by her teacher (shown below). It was a wonderful start to the day.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina received phone calls, cards and gifts from out-of-town family, and had her "special" birthday pizza dinner and dessert on Thursday. On Friday, our extended family in town came over to celebrate, and she had more birthday fun and treats.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She truly enjoyed every.single.thing about her birthday--cards (she looked closely at each card), balloons, phone calls, gifts (she liked every gift, even the tissue paper in the gifts), singing, cake...all of it. She really seemed to linger on every detail. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It brings tears to my eyes, thinking about this little girl and how much her life has changed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Celebrating Alina's fourth birthday, and her arrival into our lives, was more fun than any of us could have imagined. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-psk3ANZ4SCc/TX9jH-5g0iI/AAAAAAAACPU/bvQFopt5n58/s1600/Alina+birthday+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-psk3ANZ4SCc/TX9jH-5g0iI/AAAAAAAACPU/bvQFopt5n58/s400/Alina+birthday+collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-62892144824840163222011-03-10T00:00:00.099-05:002011-03-10T11:09:42.770-05:00Four<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Four years ago today, a beautiful little girl was born in a quaint and picturesque town along the Dneiper river in southeastern Ukraine. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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 <i>dis</i>ability is a matter of perspective, and that all people are the same within.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So the little girl waited, for three whole years, for someone to find her and claim her as their own. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9k8jYnzIT6A/TXaWxJfYnsI/AAAAAAAACNA/HtyCTvOWomY/s1600/Alina+white+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9k8jYnzIT6A/TXaWxJfYnsI/AAAAAAAACNA/HtyCTvOWomY/s400/Alina+white+dress.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">be surrounded by people who love her.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LDfJTpHcFqI/TXf74rJULpI/AAAAAAAACOY/SavAnIqVU2M/s1600/Alina+slip+dress+sweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LDfJTpHcFqI/TXf74rJULpI/AAAAAAAACOY/SavAnIqVU2M/s400/Alina+slip+dress+sweet.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Rf4D59eNGNQ/TXf7qpPkwpI/AAAAAAAACOQ/0_xEpB1hb_k/s1600/Alina+dancing+by+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Rf4D59eNGNQ/TXf7qpPkwpI/AAAAAAAACOQ/0_xEpB1hb_k/s400/Alina+dancing+by+window.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QcwNzMGN6xY/TXf8BL7z_FI/AAAAAAAACOg/0d_EoZTblZ0/s1600/Alina+tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QcwNzMGN6xY/TXf8BL7z_FI/AAAAAAAACOg/0d_EoZTblZ0/s400/Alina+tunnel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">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.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gPuIGk13tKM/TXf8EYuDB3I/AAAAAAAACOk/cOdSsFbJ6Es/s1600/Bridget+hugs+Alina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gPuIGk13tKM/TXf8EYuDB3I/AAAAAAAACOk/cOdSsFbJ6Es/s400/Bridget+hugs+Alina.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She is an absolute gem. What would we do without her?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oh Lina, Happy Birthday, little love. You are treasured beyond words...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6P16D-qkf4Y/TXagDEF26WI/AAAAAAAACNM/DbofbjR4mi4/s1600/Alina+-+Four+Years+Old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6P16D-qkf4Y/TXagDEF26WI/AAAAAAAACNM/DbofbjR4mi4/s400/Alina+-+Four+Years+Old.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">* * *</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When we found Alina, there were <a href="http://bridgets-light.blogspot.com/2009/12/to-give-with-love-and-care.html">two other children who caught our eyes</a>. One was <a href="http://bridgets-light.blogspot.com/2011/02/love-for-yana-familya-giveaway.html">Yana</a>, who will soon be going home to her forever family. The other is <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/antonio-5">Antonio</a>, who is still waiting. (We initially donated for <i>four</i> 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. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">I can't imagine why he is still waiting for his!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-orU-_x7fLTY/TXgwfX2J1NI/AAAAAAAACO4/oUTm6TvHRWQ/s1600/antonio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-orU-_x7fLTY/TXgwfX2J1NI/AAAAAAAACO4/oUTm6TvHRWQ/s200/antonio.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antonio - baby picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D9lRAZXqW_M/TXgydpXIDaI/AAAAAAAACO8/UqtiBe8E950/s1600/alexander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D9lRAZXqW_M/TXgydpXIDaI/AAAAAAAACO8/UqtiBe8E950/s200/alexander.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antonio - around 1 year old</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vdlG-GZwxpk/TXgwa0zhn4I/AAAAAAAACOw/CG2XhVZgULM/s1600/Antonio+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vdlG-GZwxpk/TXgwa0zhn4I/AAAAAAAACOw/CG2XhVZgULM/s200/Antonio+%25285%2529.jpg" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antonio - 2 1/2 years old</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We would welcome donations to <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/antonio-5">Antonio's grant fund</a> 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 <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/">Reece's Rainbow</a> 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. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This little boy will be a wonderful addition to one lucky family :)!</span></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-72087884765214688902011-03-09T13:17:00.000-05:002011-03-09T13:17:07.913-05:00You Are the Flower of the Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...and you bloomed :).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1s_WRXCMlg4/TXfAQ4aMIuI/AAAAAAAACN0/AlVS7Ynm8g4/s1600/Alina+birthday+card+from+Emmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1s_WRXCMlg4/TXfAQ4aMIuI/AAAAAAAACN0/AlVS7Ynm8g4/s400/Alina+birthday+card+from+Emmy.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sibling Love--Emmy's Birthday Card for Alina</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alina's fourth birthday is tomorrow. I have new pictures to post, and thoughts to share. Tune in tomorrow for a celebration of ALINA.</span>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-13432963868592420782011-03-04T11:00:00.035-05:002011-03-04T11:04:04.424-05:00Heard Recently Around Our House<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bridget, when she hears the microwave beep: “Mommy! Poppy ready!” (your coffee is ready!) “Oh, what that ‘mell? 'Mell like poppy. ‘Mell good!” (What’s that smell? It smells like coffee. It smells good!)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Bridget, after seeing butterflies on the potty seat: “Butterflies fly...sky ” (flapping arms, looking upward) “Angels fly!”</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Me: “I don’t want to see anyone naked in our family room. And I am especially talking to anyone who is three or four!” (The three and four year olds must not have been listening.)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bridget (heard often): </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“Not cool!” </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
“No way!” <br />
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“Stop it!” <br />
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“Oh, you’re right!” <br />
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“Oh, that is soooo silly!”<br />
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“Oh, ache you!” (Oh, thank you!)<br />
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"No Happy"<br />
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Me: "Bridget, would you like something to eat?" </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bridget: "Oh! Ache you, mommy! Yes, a piece a cake!!"<br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lDJPKcrDS1o/TW-CVT2LRAI/AAAAAAAACMA/m9nQQKYpR9E/s1600/Bridget+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lDJPKcrDS1o/TW-CVT2LRAI/AAAAAAAACMA/m9nQQKYpR9E/s320/Bridget+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Me: "Bridget, what are you doing?" (after I saw that Little Bear had ended and she was still glued to the t.v.). </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bridget: “I watchin’ Pungebobs!" (Spongebob). "I wike it!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(Bridget and Alina don't watch Spongebob. But obviously, Bridget knows who that is!)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576310937763715660.post-55616320743026297002011-03-02T12:00:00.013-05:002011-03-02T13:04:27.551-05:00Sisters, Daughters, Granddaughters, Cousins, Nieces, Neighbors, Friends...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">People. Bridget and Alina are <i>people.</i> They are not worth less because they happen to have a diagnosis which includes intellectual disability. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They have worth, and dignity, and deserve as much as anyone else, to be treated with RESPECT.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let's make RESPECT the new R-word.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KthM5LB6mSw/TW5vTtZ-xvI/AAAAAAAACL8/tiersc9kgkE/s1600/STW-Dated-Dark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KthM5LB6mSw/TW5vTtZ-xvI/AAAAAAAACL8/tiersc9kgkE/s1600/STW-Dated-Dark.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Z7S22UlpPZg/TW0v0rq9-nI/AAAAAAAACL0/FMlZY4JYl4A/s1600/Sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Z7S22UlpPZg/TW0v0rq9-nI/AAAAAAAACL0/FMlZY4JYl4A/s320/Sisters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LPaT-BNuudY/TW5vBZtj-aI/AAAAAAAACL4/uzl-bce_Ogw/s1600/altertate+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LPaT-BNuudY/TW5vBZtj-aI/AAAAAAAACL4/uzl-bce_Ogw/s1600/altertate+logo.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Important Reading: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.r-word.org/">R-Word - Spread the Word</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.lovethatmax.com/2011/03/if-you-ask-people-to-not-use-word.html">Ellen's post on Love that Max</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150151321995917&id=642121741">Thoughts from Larkin's Mom</a></span></div><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Z7S22UlpPZg/TW0v0rq9-nI/AAAAAAAACL0/FMlZY4JYl4A/s1600/Sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347490959410472081noreply@blogger.com5