All posts by Molly

Adoption, Everyday Life, Orphan Care, Second Adoption

Why Russian Adoption Matters

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…in my humble words.

I’ve been silent on the Russian-U.S. adoption ban. Any words I come up with seem inadequate. It’s too familiar. There was a time when I was filled with the fear that my baby would never come home. We were told his region was CLOSED. Uncertain when it would open again. At this point, we had already lost Alyona. And then, Gus’s region screeched to a sudden halt. No, it’s not the same. I can’t imagine the real-life nightmare that these children and families are living through. But, I still remember my despair, fearing that my baby would never come home.

Why does it matter? Why is it so important to reinstate Russian adoptions, when there are millions of orphans in the world and hundreds in our own country? 

In short, a child is a child. No matter where this child lives. And, the conditions that many Russian orphans live in are horrid. Unimaginable. This collection of photos is not how all Russian orphans live, but it is the tragic reality for many. If you’d like a more detailed explanation of why a family choses to adopt from Russia instead the US, I really like Bethany’s. There are so many different options for adoption and it is absolutely not a one-size-fits-all sort of journey. Hundreds of thousands of orphans wait in Russia, and for many American families, Russia is the best fit for their family.

And as for the children? Is it really best for them to leave their culture and all that they’ve ever known? No. I don’t believe being adopted internationally is the best option, if there is any other option. I cannot speak for every single Russian orphan, but for so many, being adopted internationally is their only chance. Particularly for children with special needs, like Anton, there is NO ONE else coming for them. Dasha waited years for her family to show up. Charlotte was turned down by 500 families under her mama and papa said “yes”.

Adoption is far from perfect. We cannot deny the tragedies of 19 Russian children adopted by Americans. But, for so many Russian orphans, international adoption remains their only hope of a life beyond the orphanage walls, beyond the bars of their crib.

Please pray that Russian/American adoptions resume soon. Please pray for the orphans and the families who want to bring their babies home.

Everyday Life, Photography

Remembering 2012

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2012 was a big year for our family! There were a lot of tears, but also a lot of joy as we welcomed Gus into our family. The  first few pictures are very Gus-centric, but it was a very Gus-centric year!

This picture wasn’t taken in 2012, but the first time I saw it was in January 2012. It is an absolute favorite of mine.
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The first time we met our sweet boy, in February 2012:
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In March, we sent Gus a package with some friends of ours. And it included some pictures from Reed and Lena. I actually re-took this picture with shoes on, but this is my favorite.

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In April, I got one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten… pictures of our boy taken just hours before! It gave me some much-needed hope!

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May 2012, we truly hadn’t seen Gus’s real personality before the day we passed court!

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June 2012, Reed and Lena’s first beach trip! “That’s a really big lake!” -R.

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July 2012, this boy had my heart the moment I picked him up.

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August 2012, Reed’s first day of school. He was so excited!

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In September, Lola came to visit!
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October 2012. This was probably my favorite month of the year, although July was really wonderful, too. We got to spend a lot of time as a family, including our short trip to Colorado, which was a lot of fun. We have lots of fun pictures from home, Colorado and Halloween from October and it’s hard for me to pick! But, a family portrait wins!

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November 2012. In sharp contrast to October, November was definitely not a favorite of mine. However, this picture, and the ones that went with it were fun!

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December 2012, this is easy!

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“I think the beauty of twinkle lights is a perfect metaphor for joy.

Joy is not a constant.  It comes to us in moments – often ordinary moments.  Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down the extraordinary moments.  Other times we’re so afraid of the dark that we don’t dare let ourselves enjoy the light.

A joyful life is not a floodlight of joy.  That would eventually become unbearable.

I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, and inspiration.”

-Brene Brown

Everyday Life

A Snow Day and a Bad Hair Day

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Today was Reed’s first snow day. We woke up to a few inches this morning and no school!

And, during our lazy day at home, this happened…
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The horrible self hair cut.

Anyways, on to fun pictures…

Our weather was a beautiful 60 degrees on Tuesday…
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Now it is…

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And that’s exactly how I feel about it.

His papa handed over his own gloves, since Gus doesn’t have any of his own.
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Tonight, I took her to get her hair cut. I realized I had never asked her why she cut her hair, and she told me “To look like you.” “You really cut your hair to look like me?” “Yes.” Oh, I melted. Any disappointment I had about it disappeared, knowing she wanted to be like me.

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At this point, when she rested her face up against me, I realized she was burning up. Poor girl is sick. I’m thankful for our wonderful nurse and doctor friends who have kept me from panicking. We will see how she’s doing in the morning and have a better idea of what’s going on and what she needs.