1 year home update

Well December 8th made 1 full year since we landed in the USA!  Also (on a sad note) the 9th anniversary of my dad's passing .... it's nice to have something good happen on a day when our family is so sad.

Olesya is doing very well.  She is growing and learning more every day!
She is a happy, healthy, smart, beautiful, curious, funny, caring and loveable little girl!  We couldn't be more happy with her and her progress.

She has a cold right now and a bad ear ache.  It is a pretty bad ear ache... she cried for almost an hour... poor little baby... I took her to quickcare and they put some numbing drops in her ear... and she finally settled down.   This was the first time she'd cried for such a long period of time.... I knew it had to hurt.  Thanks to grandma we caught it right away.  I'm not sure if she picked it up at daycare or if it is this crazy weather.  It's been kind of crazy here in OHIO... warm and rainy.

She spent the night at grandma's Saturday night. It was her first night away from us since we brought her home.  I missed her, but grandma said she was fine, of course. 

We love her so much and can't imagine her not being here.  We can't wait until Christmas this year. 
Last year christmas happened all too fast.  I'm not sure she remembers much from last year.  So many changes for her... from an orphanage (where she'd been since she was released from the hospital as an infant at 1 month 15 days) with children around all the time, to car rides (that she loves), train rides (that she hated), airplane rides (thank heaven for the Russian ladies on the plane that spoke English to us and Russian to her-singing nursery rhymes and telling her stories), to a new family and being an only child.  I'm not sure I could have handled that much change in such a short period of time as well as she has. She is a trooper!

December 4, 2012

She makes everyone she meets fall in love with her.  She is so very special!

December 9, 2011 - her first day at home!

I say a prayer to everyone else out there waiting to find their child or finalize their adoption or have dreams of adoption in their hearts.  A special prayer for a friend who needs our government and judge to be on the side of the child that needs parents that care for her.  FAITH, LOVE AND JOY to them on this special Christmas holiday. 

November 15, 2012 - HAPPY ADOPTION DAY!

There are children everywhere that need a family of their own, Whether it is in the same town, same state, same country or different country.   We followed through with our decision - it took 2 1/2 years but we learned alot and are so very happy and would do it all over again in a minute!  It wasn't easy - but the best things in life take hard work and dedication.  I hope our adoption story helps other make an informed decision about international adoption or adoption in general.

I've had a great pleasure of meeting wonderful people in another country who just want the best for children.  They ran around like crazy, getting papers signed and making sure everything was in perfect order.  If we could just get the governments to agree then maybe adoption would be more affordable and less complicated.  Every child deserves a family!

WE ARE SO BLESSED EVERYDAY TO HAVE OLESYA HOME WITH US - WHERE SHE BELONGS!  OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED SO NOW I PRAY FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE THE SAME DREAMS AND WISHES! 

Here she is shooting her a deer!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!
THE LEWIS FAMILY