Emma and Micah became American Citizens!
My dad flew over to Kiev and met up with me to finish out the process there- we got the kids' Visas at the Embassy, shopped for everything we needed to travel home (lots of babyfood and formula) and packed our bags. Then we started the 17 hour trip from Kiev to home...
E and M's citizenship paperwork was done in the late hours of March 6th in Washington DC and then we quickly boarded a plane to Orlando! We really thought we'd miss the flight because we had to go through immigration and with the adoption there are a bunch of papers to look through... but the immigration officer looked at my packet, said "is there a photo" and told us to keep going, we needed to get those babies home :) We landed in Orlando a little after midnight!
Mike met us at the airport and we all got in the minivan to go home. We didn't arrive at our house until after 2am! Of course Brianna and Kristopher were sound asleep, with no idea that their world would never be the same :) My mom and Mike's mom were both there waiting to meet their newest grandchildren (and my mom would then take Dad home). After about 30 minutes of stories and loving on the kids, we quietly settled them into their cribs- Micah in "the boys' room" and Emma in "the girls' room" and went to bed...
I don't remember so well right now, LOL, can't imagine why not! But I don't think that any of the kids woke up until the morning. Then Brianna and Kristopher woke first- and soon we heard Micah... Kristopher said "There's a baby in there!" and we brought him out and gave him a bottle. Brianna was mesmerized by this new little baby and neither had really realized that he had been there all night. They were even more surprised when we showed them the SECOND 'baby' where Brianna slept...
Oh, yes, and K and B were both pretty happy to see Mommy again too! I'd been gone just shy of 2 months at that point and that's a long time for a 2 and 4 year old! But though I expected difficulty, God prevailed :)
God brought our children together in those first moments. We had prayed SO HARD for our homecoming. I was anxious and nervous and really, really, really hoping and praying it would go okay. I was so scared that we had just gone in over our heads. In the short time I was alone in Ukraine with the two kids by myself I was overwhelmed and had no sleep... Then recovering just a TINY bit when my Dad was there (I think he only slept 2 nights in Ukraine!) and hopping on a plane for 17 hours... well, I guess where you can see why I was overwhelmed while I was there:)
Micah was up all night there- slept very little and just CRIED if he wasn't being bounced or fed. His poor little tummy was constantly upset and he dirtied a diaper and half his clothes every 2 hours or so. Emma was pretty easy going but there was nowhere for either of them to be set down even just for me to take a quick shower because the floors were cold and hardwood and there was no crib or playpen available.
BUT-- in the midst of the biggest storms is when the CALM of Christ is most noticeable!!
I wish I could shout that from the rooftops because it has been our anthem so many times on our adoption journey and this year since coming home... From losing Sasha in country to taking on these two little ones (who were nothing like what we'd prepared ourselves for!), then the difficulty at the end of our in-country time and then the transition into home. And of course the diagnosis for Emma and the grim outlook to the PINK and healthy child I held in my arms tonight.
The Lord Prevails. He calms the storm, and His child...
So much has happened in that year and both children look so good, are doing so well, and it is a testament to what love will do! God knew both Emma and Micah needed you, and they are flourishing in your care!
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