Three Days

This weekend we had the last of our family Christmas celebrations for the year here in Virginia with my parents and older brother's family. It has been a long stretch of celebrating, visiting, eating, giving and receiving. All of our families have been so gracious and loving to us and to Irina. (Especially gracious with my less then creative gifts and a bit of forgetfulness to boot!) Thank you Spranza and Smith families! 

She loved the plasma car at my parents house.

It is hard to believe that we have only three full days remaining in this journey hosting an orphan. When you hear the word orphan, I'm sure all sorts of images and ideas pop in your head. They pop in my head too. We all have our perceptions and I would venture to guess that it's easier to just not think about it. Our lives are too busy and full. That is how I felt not too long ago. After this experience though, I'm not sure I will ever think of an orphan in the same way. Now there is a face and a name and a personality. A little girl who just wants to be loved. A little girl who has never experienced many things that we take for granted. A little girl who laughs and giggles. And she is just ONE girl out of 143 million orphans in the world today!!

Hosting is a tricky business. I know some of you have thought it unfair to bring the kids here to experience "the good life" just to have to send them back. Some of you have said, "If they don't get adopted, isn't it cruel to have them feel the rejection?" "They must know that adoption is a possibility since some of their friends are adopted after being hosted."

A long walk before dinner with the entire family turned into a game of chase "Papa."

I don't have all the answers. I know that God has blessed us beyond measure with the presence of Irina this Christmas. We have felt His presence mightily too! I hope and pray that He has been at work in her heart as we have prayed together and told her about Him. God is who she needs the most. We pray that He would provide her with a loving family too.

What is next in her story? We still do not know. I have to trust in the One who does. Statistically, I know that the older kids who are hosted have a greater chance of being adopted then the ones who are not. Is it worth the possible pain? I'm pretty sure the kids who have been adopted as a result of hosting would think that it is indeed worth it!

She spent a LONG time creating with Legos.

Irina knows the last day is coming. All along we've had a calendar in her room showing her arrival and departure with a clip art picture of an airplane. She has crossed off the days happily to keep track of time and see what is next. Yesterday, she realized just how soon her visit will be ending. She is sad. She knows she will be going back, but who would want to end this fun adventure? She has had a wonderful time. More food then she's probably ever had available. Lots of attention and love. New exciting experiences. Warmth and care from a temporary host mom, host dad and host brothers. Lots of extended family doting on her. New outfits every day rather then one outfit per week.

Please join us in praying for her final three days here. Pray that we would trust God as He unfolds her story. Pray for  the other children from the Ukraine who will also be traveling back with Irina this coming week.

This scripture encourages my heavy heart tonight. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 3:5-7

We can trust Him. 

He knows what is best for Irina better then we do!

Mingle and Jingle

Tonight the orphan care ministry team at our church and a neighboring church hosted a family dance party. There was food, beautiful decorations and fun music. Thanks orphan care team for all your hard work!! Irina loved it. She filled up with yummy treats (buffet tables are very exciting for her after years of very limited amounts of food) and danced happily. I'm not sure the boys will ever enjoy our at home dance parties after this exciting night.

We pulled in the driveway from PA at 5:30
and were out the door by 6:15.  Phew!

This photo captures her personality
after lots of treats and excitement.
Can you say wound up?!

Road Trip

We returned this evening from our annual trip to PA to visit Darin's family for Christmas. With a little help from google translate, a match box car and US map we explained to Ira where we were going. I drew pictures with stick figures, arrows, pictures of houses and hotels and I think she knew the plan. And for good measure, I had her on the phone with a translator just to be sure. She was ready and excited for our trip.

On our way with Mishka and her new favorite fuzzy pink blanket from Grammy & Poppy.

The car ride to Pennsylvania took about seven hours with only a 15 minute bathroom stop. We had heavy rain, slushy roads and lots of traffic. It should have only taken 5, but let me say all 4 kids did remarkably well in light of the extended drive. A little whining from our littlest traveling buddy during the last 20 minutes or so, but I was so pleased and thankful we arrived safely. (And it sure was helpful to have Ira in the middle row to pass things back to the two oldest boys in the third row!) Irina spent her time reading her Jesus Storybook Bible, coloring and enjoying Leap Frog alphabet videos with Aaron. She is learning her alphabet and she wasn't too old to be amused.

There is one word I would use to describe Ira over the last couple days... ADAPTABLE!! She quickly meshed into the throng of people. (Aunts, uncles, great aunts & uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.) There were lots of people. At one point I noticed a change in her behavior and was able to pull her aside and talk with her privately. We determined that she was nervous and our little chat seemed to help so much. This was a direct answer to prayer! So thankful that we were somehow able to communicate successfully despite the language barrier. Thank you God!

Each day we learn a little more about her personality. She is outgoing and friendly. A little shyness, but warms up quickly. Many thanks to the Smith family for so warmly welcoming her into the fold. She graciously accepted the generous gifts with "Spasibo" (thank you) for everyone. In Grandpa's words, "She is a gem!" Aunt Margi gave her princess stickers and she was quick to run around sharing them with everyone. Stickers were everywhere, including on Uncle Dale's nose. Thanks for being such a great sport Uncle Dale!!

Happy about her doll from Grandma and Grandpa!

On Thursday, Ira began calling my sister-in-law Momma too, which was a bit of a relief (takes the pressure off a bit!) And Darin finally has a name. Up until yesterday, whenever she wanted his attention she would grunt and now she calls him Papa.

Thursday afternoon, we took her to the hotel swimming pool. She was thrilled! She didn't know how to swim so I braved the freezing cold pool water to keep her safe. Such joy and excitement for her! As I was reaching my limit with the cold water, I told her five minutes by holding up five fingers and pointing to my watch. To which she held up 10 fingers, pointed to her wrist and said, "Please!" in english. This girl is learning to negotiate!!

For the two nights we stayed in PA we slept at a hotel. She is used to sharing a room at the orphanage and has had her own room at our house. Imagine her delight when all six of us stayed in the same hotel suite! She was so excited that her air mattress was at the foot of our bed and lovingly shared her Mishka (teddy bear) with Papa.

She really is a remarkable girl. A quick learner, great imagination, long attention span, very generous and helpful. Her first 8 years of life before going to the orphanage are a mystery, but I have noticed certain skills she has never been taught. Basic skills that a child begins learning at an early age in a functioning home, which through no fault of her own she clearly has not been taught. In twelve days, we've done our best to teach her many things (which she has soaked up like a sponge), but it grieves my heart to realize and see how many simple things she doesn't know. (Like not to touch the stove, etc.)

Driving through Lights in the Parkway.

I discovered yesterday how much she likes doing addition math problems. A girl after this math major's heart! She would write out a problem on her notepad for me to solve and giggle with delight when I solved it. Then, I would give her a problem and she would happily solve it for me. Back and forth the game would go! Every now and then, she had Darin join in. That's my kind of dorky fun.

Please continue to pray for a forever family for Irina as well as for our last 6 days with her. Please pray that we have made a lasting difference in her life during this visit.

Christmas Day

Okay... I know Christmas Day was three days ago, but we've been busy driving up and down the east coast. You'll hear more about that soon. Time for catch up!

Thanks Grammy for the cake!

It was a quiet, peaceful and happy day at our house on the 25th. A celebration of Jesus' birthday and time together as a family. I was given the treat of sleeping in until 7, a rarity! The boys were patient... possibly because Irina likes to sleep in too and she didn't realize the presents awaiting her downstairs. We woke her at 8 and went downstairs. After Darin read the Christmas story from Luke 2, we began opening presents. This year, each kid received three gifts: something to read, something to wear and something to play with.

We gave Ira the Jesus Storybook Bible in Russian, a pretty pink dress with accessories and a box full of crafts, also including a photo album. I had read that she would possibly not know how to react to gifts and not have been taught to be gracious, but that was not true. She was very thankful and told us so. So sweet! She loved all of her gifts, but spent the most time looking at her photo album. I had already filled 76 of the slots with the best photos from our time together. I am so touched by how much she delights in looking at these photos over and over.

We enjoyed a delicious late breakfast and then spent the rest of the day playing, riding bikes, building legos, creating art masterpieces and packing for our trip. My heart is so full and thankful for the opportunity to have Irina with us on Christmas morning. Wish I could know what her last 8 Christmas mornings were like! Really thankful that the boys have been so great about sharing their Mom and Dad this Christmas. I'd say that is a great gift for them to give Jesus for His birthday.

Christmas Eve and An Undercover Spy??

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

I listened to these words to "Away in a Manger" in the wee hours of the morning while I was running and again at church this evening. Both times it had me in tears of worship and joy. There is no mistaking over the last eight days that Jesus has been right by my side. God has provided abundantly and even in the difficult moments I have been reassured by His word that He loves me. And He loves all the dear children, including Irina!

We had some pretty special moments today and some tough ones. I'll share the special ones and keep the tough ones private. Irina was completely bursting with joy this evening at church. She wore her Christmas dress again and I'm struck by the fact that there has not been one complaint as I lay out an outfit for her each day. She is very agreeable. This is a blessing! 

She sang along to the Christmas songs with me throughout the children's service. She followed along with the program of songs and made sure we were all on the same page. I could see the joy in her eyes as she looked up at me. During one song, she pulled out her cross necklace she has on a piece of twine and said, "Christ." She was so excited!

She pointed to the word "Jesus" on the program and said in English "Jesus." She pointed to the word "angel" and said in English "angel." She was NOT repeating after me. She just knew those words and a few others that escape me now. She did it yesterday with a couple words she saw. I'm beginning to wonder if I have an undercover spy on my hands. :) Is she able to read English? I can say things to her with no google translate or gestures and she knows exactly what I'm saying and will act on it. She has begun pointing out letters in the alphabet and I have not been teaching them to her. Did someone send her to get an inside peak into our family?? Do not be tempted to talk about her when she is nearby thinking she doesn't speak the language. She seems to understand almost everything! (Although she still chatters away in Russian.)

After church, we celebrated a Christmas Eve meal with my parents. We certainly did not follow the traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve meatless twelve course meal, but we enjoyed some Kolach. (The traditional Christmas Eve bread is three loaves stacked together with a candle in the middle. We just had one and I couldn't find an oven proof object to keep the center open like a ring. ) 

At bedtime, she asked us to read to her from the Bible. She pulled a Children's Bible out of our Bible basket and said something in Russian. She looked at the pictures and then all on her own found a picture of Jesus on the cross. She pointed to the nails in his hands all the while chattering away. Then she looked sad. I said, "Jesus loves Irina, Luke, Ethan, Aaron, me, Mr. Darin and the whole world so much He had to die for us." She smiled and then turned the page. I have to say that moment probably washed away all the other hard moments from our day. What an answer to prayer! I pray this little conversation was just the beginning! This is what Christmas is all about! Merry Christmas!

Photos and the Ballet

One of Irina's favorite things to do is look at our family and baby photo albums. She looks through the photos over and over pointing out the boys, Darin and me, all our extended family, and family friends. Grandma and Grandpa, Grammy and Poppy ... she knows who you are and is learning your names! :)

I've been so torn about this psychologically. Wondering if it makes her sad because she probably doesn't have any baby photos or family photos??Wondering if it makes her long to be in a family? Or even realize what she is missing? It breaks my heart to think about how she and so many other children are essentially all alone.

So far, we just let her enjoy them. Maybe we should have thought ahead and moved all the albums before she arrived? But for now, they are where we've always kept them lined up on a shelf in our family room. She gazes at them and giggles and giggles. She loves to see pictures of the boys as babies in diapers and is so amused. If we're not sitting right by her while she looks at them, she calls for us or runs to show us her favorites. It is really quite sweet. From the little I know about her history, she doesn't have reason to be so joyful. And yet she is!

After our difficult day yesterday, we were a lot calmer and even keel today. She enjoyed church - especially dressing up and listening to special music of a flute and piano playing "Carol of the Bells."(Did you know this carol is based on a Ukrainian Christmas Carol?) "Mama, Fotografiya please." (I love to hear her start saying some English words.)

Check out the shades she received from Aunt Chrislyn & Uncle Michael.
She loves them! And she  is very reluctant to wear her seatbelt properly. :(

Following church, she and I had the special gift of going to see the Nutcracker performed by the Richmond Ballet. It was a great outing for us and good time for Darin to spend alone with the boys. She was thrilled and especially liked clapping throughout the performances. The last couple times we went anywhere alone it was to the dentist and eye doctor. I'm sure she was glad we didn't end up at the pediatrician.

In the theater waiting for the performance to begin.

Even though it has been a good day, my heart is especially hurting tonight as I think about orphans and the quickly approaching holiday. Will you take a moment to pray for orphans this Christmas? There are so many sad, hurting children around the world without the love and warmth of family. So many without the knowledge of the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus Christ!

Hard

Today was probably the hardest day in our hosting journey. It was the first day that I had several tasks I needed to accomplish to welcome family for our annual Christmas dinner. Which means it was the first day with no structure and my attention was diverted much of the day. Not an ideal situation for our sweet visitor.

Leading up to this hosting experience, I prepped like I was about to have a baby. Deep cleaning, meals prepped and frozen, all Christmas shopping completed and wrapped, etc., etc. You get the picture. I obsessed over the details. So, our first several days I was available and engaged. (Tired, but engaged.) Nothing to distract me but laundry and heating meals. It was wonderful. I enjoyed Ira and I most definitely enjoyed the time with my own three boys. A very refreshing way to prepare for Christmas.

However, today I was reminded that we MUST have structure over here and firm boundaries must be in place. With the language barrier there is no room for wishy washy. My face and body language need to communicate what the boundaries are. The same is true for my own children and they've had years under our roof to learn and understand what is expected of them. So pray for patience as we teach Irina. We were advised to not treat them as a guest for the three weeks they are here, but to parent them. As far as we know, she's never had a functioning parent. Can you imagine? So as we step into that role temporarily I am finding it to be quite challenging. Please pray for wisdom, endurance and reliance on the Lord as we invest our energy in this little girl.

Before I jump under the covers and get some much needed rest, here are two last nuggets of info:

* My sister-in-law made a special Ukrainian Christmas cake for dessert (it took 4.5 hours to make!!!) in Irina's honor. Irina loved it and told me what each layer was as she ate it. Or at least I think that is what she was saying as she spoke in Russian. Thank you Chrislyn!

* We love to listen to music in our house and the boys love to sing along. The first time Irina witnessed this was priceless. She looked from one boy to another in amazement and watched them intently. Now, whenever we enter a room she is eager to get the tunes going. She seems to love to listen to the boys sing and I'm so thankful my shy guys are relaxed enough to be themselves.

125, Eyes, Appetite, and Jesus

125:  That is the number of photos Irina took on my camera today. Yesterday it was 161. It seems we have a future photographer on our hands. She wants to take pictures of everyone she meets and everything she sees. My hair, every room in our house, the boys, the garage, and her feet, giggling all the way.  "Fotografiya, fotografiya!" We thought about getting her a disposable camera, but it would only last about 10 minutes at the rate she takes photos. :)

Eyes: Thanks to the Lions Club, three of the orphans got free eye exams! Ira did great. Her eyes are healthy and her vision is good. No need for corrective lenses. So thankful for our translator Marina and her 8 year old daughter Tanya. Then in the afternoon, we all enjoyed a play date with Russian speaking Tanya and two other friends from church. Ira was delighted and quick to join in their play. Thank you Jill Sorg for coordinating this connection and opening your home.

Appetite: Let me tell you, this girl can eat and she eats anything. I'm pretty sure her food supply in Ukraine is very limited and she seems to be making up for lost time. She is enjoying lots of fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese and just about anything I offer her. (As long as it's not too spicy!) And of course she loves sweets, which we enjoy occasionally. She and I made a quick stop at a grocery store today to grab a few necessities I had forgotten. She loved pushing the shopping cart and wanted everything. Of course we couldn't buy everything she wanted, but she was so excited about kiwi's, pineapple, breakfast sausage and cheese.

Jesus: This evening we went on our yearly "Tacky Light Tour." I mapped out a route of houses around town that are fully decorated for Christmas. Ira was delighted. Jumping, skipping about and full of joy! At every house we were at, the first thing she pointed out was "Iisus" (Jesus). I'm so glad she's noticed that this is important to us... oh I pray that He is important to her too!

We had a great day, but bring on the weekend!

Nyet, Nyet, Nyet

Our morning began with a trip to the dentist. I carefully explained where we were going through pictures, translated sentences and google translate. She smiled and I thought she understood. There was no hesitation... she hopped in the car. I thought we were golden. She knew her friend Natash was going to be there (a fellow orphan) and was happy. Until... she saw the dental chairs.

At the moment she finally realized where we were, she dissolved in a puddle of tears. She collapsed against me and repeated, "Nyet, Nyet, Nyet." (No, No, No!) You see, in Ukraine there is no floride in the water and they don't do any numbing when they do fillings or other oral surgery. Sadly, her teeth were in bad shape. It was obvious that she had some work done to try to correct the problem and it was probably a painful memory. Poor sweet girl. My heart was breaking.

Up until now, I have only seen smiles and joy. She is a cheerful and positive little girl. To see her shut down in tears was painful to watch. I am so thankful we were there with friends. The other host mom contacted her Russian speaking friend and we tried to get Ira to listen on the phone. She refused, so we all listened to Adolat on speaker phone talk sweet Russian words to her. It was as if I was watching a wilted flower come back to life. Slowly, she straightened up in her chair and the tears stopped falling. Thank you Jesus for Lori's quick thinking and Adolat's kind words!! God is always with us!

Dr. Foy, Natash, and Ira

Natash encouraged her, Ira put on the cool sunglasses and in the chair she hopped. When the hygienist started the cleaning, she began crying again but she squeezed my hand and was very brave. I'm so proud of her. She made it through a cleaning, x-rays and an evaluation from Dr. Foy. When we left the dentist, she was more subdued then usual and that continued for about an hour. I was so relieved that she was back to her giggly self by mid-day.

These last five days have been a journey. There have been sacrifices made, but there has also been much rich reward. It is easy to love this little girl and I actually feel like God has used her to teach me how to love my own boys better. God is teaching ALL of us in our house quite a bit. Yesterday, I commented here that I perceive myself to be selfish. This bothered some of you. Let me explain. In my eyes, the opposite of selfish is selfLESS. And while it is mostly selfless to host this orphan over Christmas, I am also fully aware of my own heart and sin nature. The only one among us who is truly selfless is Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter where I rank on the selfish scale in comparison to others, what truly matters is that there is only ONE who was selfless enough to die on the cross and take on our sins.  I am not sinless and I can tell you with certainty that I am selfish. (Did I mention that I ate almost the entire Ukrainian chocolate bar without sharing much with Darin?) But I can repent and rejoice!!! I'm not stuck wallowing in my understanding of my sin nature because there is TRUTH in God's word giving me hope!

Natash doing crazy poses and Ira relieved to be done!

I pray that as you watch this journey unfold and see whatever God has for sweet Irina that He works in your heart too. Please continue to pray for a family to step forward who is interested in adopting Irina.

No brain power for clever titles. :)

For all of you who are following along, thank you for your prayers. They are felt! We had another good day enjoying our giggly guest. I didn't anticipate how tiring it would be to be fully engaged with four children from 6am until 7:30pm. We are together all day and there are needs and demands through out. On a typical day without a non-English speaking 9 year old visiting, I can count on "room time" to have some time to disengage a bit. The boys know the routine and I guard it carefully -- it is precious time! Up until today I was too nervous Irina would feel isolated so I didn't push it. Today, I decided it HAD to happen to protect my sanity. I am thankful that all four kids played happily and independently in different spaces for 40 minutes and I was alone. Such a coveted time to recharge a bit. This is a direct answer to my prayer request from yesterday! Thank you for praying.

Making salt dough ornaments

It is interesting to have no idea what Ira is thinking. She still talks incessantly and laughs her cute chuckle, so it appears she is happy. But, she could be saying, "That food you made me is so gross..haha haha...." Or maybe, "You have such dark circles under your eyes... hahahahaha..." I'm hoping she is truly enjoying herself as it appears. We haven't had much success with google translate. She doesn't seem overwhelmed though by my not understanding her. I have to be careful not to say "Da" too much. Who knows what I am agreeing to?!?!

She LOVES Aaron and is very protective of him.

We went to a different park today and she still loves to hold my hand. It's sweet! But, she also loves to run with the boys giggling all the way. (Do you see the trend? She giggles A LOT!) She has entered a new phase of repeatedly calling me Momma. I've tried to discourage it, but she insists. As I've said before, she is taught to call all caregivers Momma, but it's still a little weird. It's moved on to the toddler phase of shouting it loudly whenever she needs me and it is repeated louder and louder until I come running. I'm trying not to be too quick to come to her aid, but it's hard. At the park, she called me Momma so much that another parent remarked... "Three boys and one girl. That's nice." It ended up being quite the stepping stone. I explained that we were hosting her from the Ukraine and the other parent continued to be intrigued and ask more questions. Finally he said, "That's such a nice thing you're doing." I just couldn't resist and the Holy Spirit did the prompting. You see, I'm not nice. I'm selfish and I yell at my boys more then I would like to admit. We're not doing this because we're "nice people." I sort of surprised myself when the words came out of my mouth. "It's all Jesus. He loves us so much and He's called us to love on this little girl this Christmas." Not exactly sure that's what I said, but the words that came out were His and not mine. We're not doing this because we want you to think we're good people. Truly. I am being humbled and thankful that I can lean in to Him.

In the woods near the park... following the boys on a nature hunt.

Also... a friend dropped off a loaner bike and helmet. Thank you Pilsons! Pray for our dentist appointment tomorrow. She has LOTS of tooth decay and it's not pretty. Not sure what the dentist will tackle, but her teeth are in bad shape. Please pray that she is not scared and it is a positive experience. Thank you for praying!

Giggling and Real Life

Let me tell you... Ira is a giggler!! She has been giggling all day and smiling with delight... even though things have not been as picture perfect as they were yesterday. She is rolling with it and doesn't seem phased. She skips around the house humming. She continues to beg to ride Aaron's bike and Aaron has been so gracious to share it. They can't even take turns since the seat was adjusted for her height and not easily changed. (He can't reach the peddles now.)

Picnic and playtime with friends

A little reality has set in over here though... I had a feeling my boys could not keep up their angelic behavior for too long. :) After all, they are sinners... just like me. So today, Ira got to see what it is like to be in a "real" family. There was sibling conflict, disobedience and all the typical behaviors we see. She watches me closely to see how I'll react and I thank the Lord for the Holy Spirit. I am praying like crazy and taking a deep breath. In the midst of it all,  we continue to enjoy one another.

Happy Biker!

A $1 garage sale mini flashlight is making her very happy. Thank you RP! Ira loved having it with her today when we went to go see Christmas Lights. She has done a bit of testing today. She is very comfortable with us and I've had to set up boundaries with her, much like I would with my own children. An interesting proposition considering I don't have the nine years of history, and for the most part she has responded well. Again, I think she is just testing to see what I'll do and how I'll respond. I'm grateful that she seems to feel so safe in our care. She is confident and extremely helpful. She helped Luke unload the dishwasher and insisted on helping Aaron clean the kitchen floor after breakfast. The boys are certainly noticing her eagerness and willingness to help.

Evening Christmas Lights at the Botanical Garden

Ira asked to do a page in Ethan's math workbook during school today, so I made a copy and she did the whole page independently without one mistake. Great job Ira! She was so proud! Ethan was impressed. Maybe tomorrow I'll offer a page from Luke's workbook? She continues to love coloring, cutting, gluing, beading and anything crafty. She led Darin to all her artwork from today when he came home. She chattered away in Russian and beamed at his complements.

At meal time, Ira has quickly learned our routine to pray and is quick to bow her head, close her eyes and fold her hands. She wears a cross around her neck and I am praying for the right opportunity to ask and explore more. Please continue to join us in prayer... that this sweet girl would find a family and that she would see Jesus in us!! Pray also for endurance... I'm already tired and this is just the beginning. Pray that I would find ways to factor in good down time in the midst of being "on" throughout the day.

Special Christmas Jammies!

Thank you Jesus for loving us!

"Ira" is here!

Oh how I would love to go into extreme detail and share everything from our last 2 days... God has been in it ALL!! However, I've set a time limit for myself to complete this post so I can get some much needed sleep. I've been running on adrenaline for 24 hours. :)

Waiting at the airport Sunday night with the other 3 hosting families was super fun. I was giddy with butterflies in my stomach. I didn't sleep the night before because I was obsessed with Irina's flight status. I couldn't eat because of the anticipation. We were both SO excited. So glad we had three other families to be excited with!!! Thank you Bowmans, Perry's and Scoggins!!

When she walked through the door, we quickly greeted her with a hug -- which she warmly welcomed with a huge grin. After the hug, the first thing she did was grab the teddy bear. Oh how it warmed my heart to see her clinging to it! She LOVES her "mishka." It was a flurry of confusion as we were quick to bolt out of the airport to head home. It was almost 10 by this time and we had a 2+ hour ride ahead.

Before we could even leave the airport, she was SO eager to give us gifts. With a huge smile, she rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a chocolate bar and a prayer card. We have quickly learned how eager she is to please. She is very neat and tidy. Quick to put away toys after she is done and she's even started gathering up the random socks that Aaron leaves around the house and puts them in the laundry basket. 

The boys... Luke and Aaron woke up before we tucked Ira into bed and said quick shy hellos. It was around 1:00am by this time and they just couldn't settle back to bed. They were so excited they were in and out of my room every hour or so. Ethan woke at 4 and was ready to start the day. The anticipation of this little girl seemed like the best Christmas present ever.

Ira and Aaron have become quick buddies. She strokes his head gently and they talk A LOT. Funny that it is not in the same language, but it doesn't seem to phase either of them. They played together much of the day. Luke and Ethan joined in too, but by nature they are more of the observers assessing the situation before joining in. 

This girl LOVES to color. She has come to the right home. I was printing off Christmas nativity coloring pages like crazy. All four boys colored and colored and colored. She made herself at home sharing Aaron's desk. 

We were all struck by her JOY! It was oozing out of her. Giggling, smiling, full of life! She loved the scooter and the swings! She yelled, "Mama!" at the top of her voice. Made me a bit nervous, but I learned today that she is taught to call all her caregivers Mama, so it doesn't mean the same thing we might think. She has had lots of "Mama's." 

Determination! This girl is full of determination!!! It was obvious that she had NEVER ridden a bike. She didn't understand how the peddles worked. But nothing would deter her from figuring it out... and she did. We were even outside riding bikes in the dark at 5:30pm! She was still smiling. She is learning to buzz around on Aaron's bike with training wheels... which is much better for my aching back holding her balance. I wouldn't be surprised if she learns to ride without the training wheels before she returns to Ukraine. She LOVED riding the bike.

She loves crafting so we have been having fun. As soon as she is done with a craft or coloring page, she is quick to look at us asking for approval. Oh how delighted she is that I have hung her artwork with the boys on the back door. 

Thank you Jesus for the privilege of getting to know Ira. Thank you for so many answered prayers! Help us to love her well and point her to You. Lord, help her to find a forever family!!