Dear Mr. Putin, Mr. Astakov and Russian government,

A year ago today, I picked up my son from a baby house in Moscow.

It was one of the best days of my life– up there with my wedding day, the gotcha day of my 2 children from Ukraine, and a few other truly special days.

Thank you for the privilege of letting my husband and I parent him. Especially, thank you to the orphanage staff, the prosecutor and the judge, who agreed that we were right for him.

Thank you for letting him be a part of our family

He clung to me as we drove away from the orphanage.

He’s rarely stopped clinging to me since.

Before I scooped him up that day, I thought that I knew him. Tiny, quiet, observant.

But, over the last year, we’ve also had the pleasure of seeing his spunk come out.

It’s been like watching the sunrise. Dawn starts slowly, then suddenly, the light starts to shine.

Now, everything is illuminated.

He delights in his siblings.

And his daddy.

We are so in love with this boy who we first met in your beautiful Moscow. And so thankful for him every day.

It has been such a pleasure to watch him grow and change over the last year.

Thank you, again, for one of the best gifts we’ve ever received. I hope that you will give other waiting children in Russia the same opportunity.

With love,

Molly