We can hear you now…

Tonight has been another great night with the family. We have had lots of calls from home, Jan and Jerry, Chelle, and Sheri… What a wonderful thing that you guys all took time out to check on us. We appreciate your friendship and we are praying for each of you and your families.

We made some bizarre version of tacos which were really a hit with the two here. We hope they will be with John and Kevin too and can’t wait to get the whole Smith clan together. Lori being her most amazing self, after her “Russian recital” today, went out to see the boys on our behalf. She got Kevin on the phone and helped him to talk with us. She text messaged us to tell us she was there and the guard was calling for the boys telling them “America is here.” She is our America the Beautiful and we are so thankful for all she is doing to keep our family together while we are apart. Then Max and Kevin had their first introductions. They talked to each other about how old they are and where they are from. Max is such a fruit cake when he gets to talk to anyone on the phone. John was not able to talk then he was in some cleaning time the orphanage was having but he called a bit ago and Max talked to his new “big brother” and it was precious to hear John’s voice as he handled talking to Max. Of all the kids I feel like John is the one who while it is hard for him on the one hand God have him to us because on the other hand he just knows how to ride through things and is being such a rock and patient with this whole process. Kevin is excited for his Papa to get back to Kiev and they have a date to skate next weekend. I am missing them both so much it really hurts to be away from them this long. Hearing their voices makes it better and we are so thankful that their phones are working now. We still do not know what happened but things are working so at this point that is all that matters.

My nephew and sister in law just called with my Mom! What a great night! We are so thankful to hear from you guys and to know that you are ready in Jackson’s words to “have a big party” when we get home! We are ready to party too. I know that the kids are ready to be home in America, Kevin asked again today, “Mom, Mom, America March???”

Tomorrow is Mark’s birthday so the party theme continues! Anna and Max want to get their Papa a “torte” and have been planning this all week long. Papa just wants some pizza so we are going to get that too at the Pizza House after we post these notes on the blog. It has been snowing here so that always makes for fun times getting places! Max loves to slide on the ice which makes my heart stop then I think he is a professional he has been doing this for years.

We have tried to establish a routine of sorts to help the days go smoothly and to keep the kids on some kind of a schedule. When I talked about school please do not think it is like some amazing thing that is happening. More than anything it is only about an hour and it is a lot of them playing some alphabet cards with us or copying some words after I write them. They may not know all of what they are doing but slowly they are picking up words and we are too. We are really I think doing pretty good considering the language barrier. The melt downs (Please Jesus we know this is because of you and has nothing to do with us) are getting fewer and farther in between. The teasing and family joking is getting more and more fun. They LOVE their Papa SOOOOOOO much. Max will just walk up to Mark and announce “Zerbert Papa!” which is hysterical to all of us. Anna and I watched them wrestle tonight and I taught her how to call her brother a “Goober” you know it is my job to teach them all the “important” words in English! She delights in being an ally who cheers her Papa on, and then tells him, “FOO Papa!” when she catches him biting his fingernails! I have asked him to stop that for years to no avail, here Anna is in one foul “foo” and he stops! I love it! We love her! She is 200% girl. Hairspray (ugh) clips, fingernails, pink everything… I am excited to go shopping with her when we get home… after we have been there a while. I can tell you right now, running right out to start that party of what do you want the world is your oyster would be a HUGE mistake. Just a trip the market can be a “oooh Mama!, Mama! Mama! Dah Mama?” extravaganza. And that is like I said, over hair spray and soap… add clothes and shoes to that and we would have a monster on our hands. No thank you! At the same time, some things which they will need will be so precious to get the experience of getting for them as it is teaching them to trust us to provide for their needs. Again, a picture of God’s goodness to us and how we are to seek his face and hand for all things.

The idea that we are coming to realize daily is just this, our kids are special. I mean they are special to us because God picked them out to be in our family. They are also special because of the circumstances that they have been through. Living with Max and Anna is a privilege because it tells us so much about some of the things that are going to be challenges and struggles with them before we ever hit America. The food issue is huge. These kids are not used to being allowed to ask for food. They got what they got when they got it end of discussion. Now, they have apples, bananas and oranges, cheese and bread right here all the time. This has made for some interesting discussions on when they can have something more and when they can’t. They LOVE peanut butter and right now they think it is candy. Please, American Mom’s, do not spoil this for me! They think I am so cool to let them have some for lunch. I wish I had a second jar! Anything that you do that is like a soup is considered an instant hit. Much to my delight my daughter will eat onions RAW. I will keep her doing this at least until she is in her mid 30’s! She is a very pretty girl and we are all about keeping her out of the boy department as long as we can. All though we know she has one boy here that she really likes but has not been pinning for too much and we are so thankful for that! Max will eat anything you put in front of him. We are thankful that we have not had a lot of trouble with them in this area as far as what they will eat. More than anything we are watching to make sure they are not sneaking snacks at night thinking they will not be there tomorrow.

Some of you coming behind that will be going through this process and trying to adopt from two regions… let me tell you it is worth the effort and it is worth the hardships. Mark and I are a team. Always have been always will be. Being apart from each other is doable, not preferable, ever. Still, in order to get to the goal, which is our family all together and home, divide and conquer has always been an option for us. It has worked all our married life and we are thankful to God for this. We have so much that we are glad for in this journey. We are friends, still, as much as ever. We are a team still and stronger. When at times it seems like us vs them we have each other’s back. If you know your kids are in two different places, dig in, let God work on your behalf and do not back down for anyone. It can be done it just takes time. We left America one month ago tomorrow the 16th. We are, as Bill Stroup used to say, not the same people who we were an hour ago much less one month ago. We are in that constant state of change. Even you who are reading this sat down one way and will be different for what you have seen one way or another maybe not monumentally but in some small way. I hope that as God is changing each of you the way He is changing us that you will celebrate with Him the good the bad and the ugly of it along with every blessing that comes your way. This is not a walk in the park. The days are long and sometimes back and forth on a roller coaster of emotions personally much less for your kids. The final analysis however is, if you are called according to His purpose, He still works all things together for His glory and your best good.

Praising Him and pressing into the hardest leg of this climb so far (court, and solo parenting)…

The Mama.