Merry Christmas! It is surreal to write this Christmas letter while listening to my children squealing with delight as they play together in the background. After almost 2 1/2 years, Galina "Hope" is finally home and we are enjoying our first Christmas together as a family! We have been home 6 1/2 weeks and everyone is doing great!
Galina has adjusted incredibly well! As I've talked with other families who have adopted from Russia and the professionals at Children's Hospital, I am realizing that she is an exceptional child considering her start to life. She has been learning English at an incredible rate and already understands almost everything we say. I am astonished each time she speaks and I hear new words come out of her mouth! I have learned a lot of Russian to help with the transition and we are communicating very well, mostly because of her ability and desire to learn. Benjamin has learned a bunch of Russian, too, which has helped so much ... both kids are just amazing! Chad, on the other hand, has had a little harder time with the Russian language, lol, but he has been doing great, too. Galina understands him nonetheless and adores her Daddy and his silly antics! :) Many people have asked if we are calling her "Galina" or "Hope." Since she was 2 1/2 when we met and almost 3 when we brought her home, we felt it was important to keep her name, so we are calling her Galina for the most part. "Hope" may be incorporated as a nickname later, but if you see her, please call her Galina. She will have no idea what you are talking about if you call her Hope! :)
Benjamin has been enjoying having a sister very much. Just ask him and he will tell you, it's nice to have a sister! It is obvious just by watching them together that he truly loves and enjoys her. He had a little difficulty adjusting at first, which is to be expected, but we did our best to provide a "best case scenario" for him. Thanks to wonderful social workers and our agency, his mom and dad were equipped to help and one of the most important things he got to do was to travel with us to Russia for 3 weeks and to meet his new sister there. He was able to visit her on her turf twice a day for 2 weeks, going "home" (back to the hotel) alone with us each day while we were in our 10 day waiting period, which helped with his transtion a lot. Then we had another week together in "neutral" territory (our hotel in Moscow) before going back to his real home (in the U.S.) and having to share a home, parents, cats, toys and, well, everything in life, with this new little person. He is such an amazing boy and we could not have asked for a better transition for BOTH of our children. They are doing remarkably well and it just gets better and better every day!
As for us, well we are just delighted to have another little person to love and share life with. Galina is a delight to be around. She is funny, smart, talented, affectionate, obedient, kind, gentle and just a sweet, sweet girl (and she can hold her own with a big brother who likes to sword fight, lol). We could not be happier with her or with Benjamin. They are both wonderful children and we are so happy and proud to be their parents. We are so thankful to have them both!
Christmas is a time of year to be thankful and reflect on the goodness of God and the gift of LIFE he gave us in his Son, Jesus Christ. This year we are celebrating the arrival of "Hope!" There are many people, however, who are hurting because of the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, health problems, financial problems and many, many other difficulties. It's easy to focus so much on our own joy and happiness that we forget those who are hurting around us this time of year. Our hearts are especially close to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one as five years ago we faced the most difficult Christmas ever: the loss of our precious daughter, Abigail. If you know someone who is missing a loved one this Christmas, please call, send a card or visit and remember to mention their loved one's name and genuinely ask how they are doing. You are not reminding them of their loss. Trust me, they remember. Instead, you are touching a place in their heart that needs to be touched at Christmas and all year round. Please reach out to those who are hurting around you and let them know their loved one is not forgotten:
How To Console A Grieving Friend During The Holidays
We pray for blessings and give thanks for each of you this Christmas, especially those who helped make the dream to bring Galina "Hope" home a reality. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, but for us, it takes a village to HAVE one! We are forever grateful for everyone who has walked with us on this long journey to Hope and pray that you have the Merriest of Christmases and a New Year that is full of God's richest blessings for your life!
Much Love,
Chad, Emily, Benjamin & Galina "Hope"
And remembering ^Abby^ always ...
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