6/16 - Summer Host Kids are Here

The Latvian kids for the summer hosting arrived on Tuesday and it was so neat to be on the other side as an observer this time. Most of the kids are from Christina's children's home so it was especially nice for her to see her friends. We loved watching the families as they met their kids for the first time. They were all so excited and a little nervous too. We remember that feeling. Now that Christina knows more English, she's able to tell us more about how she and Olegs felt when they met us for the first time. They were just as nervous as we were.

The other highlight of this week was going to dental appointments. Christina has a few cavities that will have to be filled and a tooth that has to be pulled. She was very nervous as they cleaned her teeth at the dentist. The hygenist was so sweet as she explained what she was doing at every step. On Thursday, we had an appointment with the oral surgeon who will be pulling the bad tooth. Thankfully, they can knock her out for that. On a side note...both the dentist and the oral surgeon brought up the dreaded word "braces." Christina says she refuses to get braces. We just told her right now we're getting her teeth fixed and we'll talk about braces later. We want her to have time to start school and make new friends before worrying about that.

Today was a fun group event at U.S. Play with the host kids and their families. It was nice that past host families like us were invited because it gave us time to catch up and visit. One thing I miss is getting together with the other families who hosted when we did. I have to say that U.S. Play showed us a great time and went above and beyond by allowing us all to bowl for free. Not only that, but they even furnished pizzas and drinks at no charge and allowed the kids to play games for free. Very nice!

As soon as we got to U.S. Play, Christina was off to hang out with her special friend, Agnese. She gets a little bit of attitude when she's around her Latvian friends but it wasn't too bad this time. Plus it helps that she knows that I'm not afraid to assert my parental authority and take her home the minute she acts up. Unfortunately, Robert had to work so he couldn't join us but we're looking forward to our family day tomorrow as we celebrate his first Father's Day. Sometimes it's still hard to believe that we have a child.

6/11 - First Sleepover at Our House

Sorry I haven't updated in a little while. We're just continuing to enjoy our Christina. Things are almost going too well if that's possible. Christina is really working hard on her English lessons we're doing at home. She also finally sold enough bracelets to buy herself an Ipod nano. You should have seen her excitement when she opened the box that came in the mail. She was screaming at the top of her lungs and jumping up and down saying, "I can't believe. I can't believe!" The best part is that she earned the money herself and is seeing how hard work can pay off.

We had our first sleepover at our house. Christina's friend, Tena, came to spend the night this past weekend and went to the Braves game with us. We really had a great time except it was a million degrees outside (okay, maybe not a million but it sure felt like it). We decided to leave the game early and go for ice cream. That was a big hit! The girls were really well behaved so our first sleepover was a pleasant experience. They stayed up late, of course, and giggled and talked but finally went to sleep around 1 or so.

Tonight we're getting excited because the kids being hosted this summer will be arriving tomorrow for their 4-week stay. We're going to the airport to be part of the welcoming committee. I'm looking forward to being an observer this time and watching all of the host families as they meet their kids for the first time. It's hard to believe that this time last year, we hadn't even met Christina yet. We talked with her about what the new group of kids must be feeling. How strange it must be to come to America to stay with people you've never met before. Many of the children are from Christina's former children's home so she's excited. She has been getting homesick so I know it will do her good to see her Latvian friends.

We still can't help but miss Olegs. There was just no way we could host him this summer. We talked to him last week and found out that he's going to summer camp for the rest of the summer. Hopefully, he'll have fun there. We most likely won't be able to talk to him or write him until August. Each time we call now, we feel that he's growing more distant. All we can do is pray and wait to see how the court will rule in his case. It's possible that he may say he doesn't want to be adopted after all. Who knows? We've said it many times. We just want him to have a happy life, whether he's in Latvia or America. Of course, the selfish part of us wants him with us. We just have to remind ourselves that God has a plan for his life. I just wish He'd share that plan with us. In the meantime, we're just enjoying Christina so much.