When Dreams Come True....

If you would have told me that the love that you feel for a child could be this strong, I would not have believed it!!! When Wade and I dreamed of starting a family and we found out that us giving birth to our own child may not be possible, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that our lives could be this happy!!! When the Lord brought it upon our hearts to adopt a child from Russia we were bursting with excitement and joy. All of the paperwork and waiting I believe just made this experience all that more worth it!!! I am sitting here blogging after not having blogged for a couple of weeks. Sorry about not keeping up with it, but spending time with Alyssa has been such a joy!!! We had the most wonderful Christmas that I think that we have ever had in our family!!! Also Wade and I had our 13 year anniversary yesterday!!!! When I married him I was so in love, but as time as passed by I have fell more and more in love with him everyday!!!! He is such an amazing father to Alyssa. Her eyes light up when ever she sees her papa!!! I am sitting here in tears as I am filled with such emotion about our little girl. She is taking her nap this afternoon, and Wade is at work. Yesterday morning when Alyssa got up she decided like many mornings to have me hold her and rock her on the recliner. Well, she fell back to sleep and that is where my happy tears come from. Thinking back about that very first day that we met her, she fell asleep in my arms and the joy that overwhelmed me happened again. I watched her little face as she slept in my arms. I rocked her and rocked her for almost an hour. I watched her as she was dreaming. She would get this great big smile and then move her hands and eyes. It was the most precious thing I have ever seen. I think that I could have watched her all day!!! The Lord has just filled my heart so full with love and joy for Alyssa. To watch her learn and grow everyday has been just amazing. I do not see how our lives could be any more blessed than they are. The Lord continues to amaze me with such a happy life that sometimes I think that I am not so deserving of such things. How much love and joy can fill ones heart??? I just hope that this dream that we dreamed for so long continues to amaze me and fill my heart with such love. This child that needed a home in a far away land is now here in our home, filling our lives and hearts with love. Alyssa is such an amazing little girl!!! She loves to laugh and play, and she is starting to learn new english words everyday. On the 1 month anniversary of us picking her up at the baby home (Dec. 21)
we were riding in Wade's truck. It really overwhelmed me to think about our whole story!!! We were riding along listening to Alababma on the radio, Alyssa was dancing in her car seat on our way in to town. I told Wade "Just think..... 1 month ago today this child was in a baby home in Siberia Russia on the other side of the world.... now today she is here in your pickup truck, riding along enjoying listening to Alabama in East Tennessee." It really brings things in to perspective!!! For the children that continue to wait for a forever family, we pray today that the LORD keeps them healthy and happy until their turn comes. Although we know that not every child will get a home, we pray that many, many more people will step up and help this world's orphans!!! There are so many of them not only in Russia, but also here in the United States. If any of you have a chance to help an orphaned child, please do not hestitate!!! It is the most rewarding experience that you could ever have in your whole life!!!!
Thanks for stopping...... I will keep you updated.... I Promise!!!
Love, Julie

More Photos!!!

Here are some more for your blogging pleasure!!!!

Wishing Upon a Star....

When Wade and I began this adoption journey, we had no idea how long the wait would be and how much was truly involved in the whole process. Knowing what we know now we would do it all over again. We have had people who had adopted tell us that all of the waiting and paperwork is well worth it..... We are here to tell you that it is definitely the truth!!!!! This wonderful little person has brought such joy into our lives already!!! Do not get me wrong however, we still have a long road ahead for bonding and joining together as a new family, but seeing the smile on Alyssa's face tells it all.
It has been just over one week since we arrived back in the United States. Did I tell you how glad we were to be back!!!! This country that we live in is definitely a great place to be!!!! Never, ever take this country and the many blessings that we have here for granted.... Traveling abroad will make you truly realize just how lucky we are!!!
It has been a rather uneventful week at home. Bonding with Alyssa is going pretty well. She hangs onto her mama like glue, but that is ok with me!!! When papa comes in from outside or home from work, Alyssa's face lights up and she dances and runs through the house saying papa...papa....papa!!!!
We have not taken her out to see many people yet, however she has visited with her grandparents, nephews, uncles and aunts. We are having some problems with getting her to eat any kinds of food that have texture. She does not like to eat meat except for hotdogs... She also somewhat likes macaroni & cheese and chocolate chip cookies!!! She is just like her mama..... LOVES THAT CHOCOLATE!!!
She seems to really enjoy seeing our dogs. They meet each other at the back door all of the time. Wade took Alyssa outside to play on her swingset on Saturday and while they were out there Alyssa fed the dogs a treat!!! Of course this will make Toby & Wendy her friends for life!!!
I will be posting all kinds of pictures now that I am using our home computer. I will try to upload as many as I can for you. We will leaving on Tuesday for a 2 day trip to see an International Adoption Specialist Dr. who is familiar with internationally adopted children. He himself has adopted from Russia. I have a link on our blog for Dr. Douglas. He will do some blood work and testing and tell us exactly what we need to do to get off on the right foot with getting Alyssa ready for her immunizations. He will be able to give us info about things we may have questions on that pertain to her medical. Please keep our family in your prayers as we prepare to travel on Tuesday to Concord N.C. Please also keep Alyssa in your prayers as she bonds with her new family!!!!
Thanks again for stopping by!!!
Love, Julie

We Are Home!!!!

Never in our lives have we been so happy to be home!!! When our plane touched down on U.S. soil in Atlanta late Thursday afternoon you would have thought that we won the lottery!!! We were praising the Lord for bringing us home safely and we were so thankful for being able to bring Alyssa home. The flight from Moscow to Atlanta took approx. 11 hours. In total we had been up and traveling for approx. 23 hours from the time we got up in Moscow until we got home in Morristown. For the most part our trip went pretty smoothly except for extreme fatigue!!! Alyssa once again kept us on our toes on both flights. She had me hold her the entire way. Once we made it to Atlanta we had to go through immigration with Alyssa, and at that moment she automatically became a U.S. citizen!!! A bittersweet time though being that we had to say goodbye to our close friends, the Smith family and their adopted son. They are from Michigan and we had to part ways in Atlanta. They will always be a part of our family. Spending 30 days with them and going through this amazing journey with them brings tears to my eyes.
When our flight arrived in Knoxville we had many, many people there to greet us!!! Alyssa's aunts, uncle, grandma, grandpa, and a close family friend were all there with cameras in hand watching us come down the gate. This day will be forever etched in my heart and mind. Alyssa did not quite know what to make from all of the attention. Usually she is the life of the party. She always wants to be the center of attention. She had most of the people on the flight to Atlanta waving and saying goodbye to her when we got off the plane. She is definitely a sociable girl!!!
Well, we are so happy to report that we are home this Friday and trying to get somewhat settled back in to home life. Alyssa is trying to take a nap and we are reading our 2 piles of mail from the past month along with unpacking. Please keep updated on our blog. We will be entering posts continually so that you may follow the story of little Alyssa as she discovers this great big world here in East Tennessee!!
Love,
Julie, Wade & Alyssa

Getting Packed & Ready To Go!!!!

This is our last full day in Moscow Russia!!! Alyssa is taking her nap, and we are blogging and packing. We cannot believe that the day has finally come!! Our flight to Atlanta leaves tomorrow afternoon, and we can hardly wait. When we touch down in Atlanta Alyssa will be a little U.S. Citizen!!!! She is getting more and more confortable with both of us each day, and we look forward to getting home and settling her into her new home. We are going to miss seeing the other family traveling with us though. It has been such an enormous blessing to have them with us on both our first trip and the second one. Their little boy is so beautiful, and it has been so great to see their journey as well. They will definitely be a part of our family from now on. We look forward to visiting with them in Michigan, and we hope that they can come and travel to Tennesse to visit with us!!!
Well, I guess I will sign off for now!!! We will blog again when we touch down in the States!!!! Please keep watching our blog. On friday I will be home and be able to download all of our wonderful pictures!!! We know that you will not want to miss that!!!
Please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we prepare to bring our "little Russian Princess" home!!!
Blessings..
Julie, Wade & Alyssa

One More Day In Moscow!!!

Tomorrow is our last day in Moscow!!!! We are trying to find things to do today to occupy our time. We decided this morning to try to go to the park that we can see from our hotel. The wind was quite brisk, but the temperature was not too bad!!! We pushed Alyssa in the stroller. She does ok in it, but after awhile she wants me to carry her!!! In a snowsuit and boots she feels like is weighs 50 lbs. She is definitely not fond of bundling up "the Russian way". Thank goodness she is going to be a Tennessee girl!!! We don't have to pile on the cold weather gear most of the time. There were alot of people at the park despite the cold wind. She did not want to play on any of the playground equipment, but she loved seeing the other children!!! She started to throw a small fit on our way back so we tried to bribe her with these little bread sticks that she likes so much. Most of the time it will make her hold out until we get back....but not today. We stopped and looked at the Christmas tree that they have erected outside of the hotel last night. Everywhere you look people are putting out trees with lights!!! This really makes us anxious to get home!!! Wade ventured out to the grocery store again, which is usually an everyday or every other day venture. We get milk, bread, snacks, Pepsi, juice, breakfast stuff, baby food, diapers and bananas. Alyssa loves bananas!!! You would think that she is a little monkey!!! We have decided to stay in the rest of the day. Maybe we will venture out tomorrow. It will be our last day in Moscow.....
Thank goodness!!!!!!
Thanks for stopping by..... :)
Love,
Julie, Wade & Alyssa

U.S. Embassy Approval!!!

Today at 1:00pm we left the hotel for the U.S. Embassy. Alyssa really does good on all of the car rides that we have been on so far!!! She loves to make the sounds of a car or truck (vroommm...vroommm)(beep...beep). She has not gotten car sick yet!
The other family with the little boy usually travels with us as well. I think she just likes to be where he is!! She keeps trying to hold his hand, but he does not like that idea. She also loves to throw "kisses" to everyone when she says goodbye. She is starting to pick up on a few english words already. She says mama, papa, go. She understands the words: no, yes(shakes her head), go, drink, eat, ride, tickle, and a few others. When she has had a good amount of sleep she is so funny to watch. She thinks that she is a little comedian!!!
Back to the U.S. Embassy appointment. The building is a rather large one, but we were kind of disappointed in the fact that there was not a U.S. flag on the outside of the building. The Russian flag was flying on the building though. We thought also that we would be greeted by the Marines, but that was not the case. We were however put ahead of everyone in line because we were Americans. We were told to pay and get our number in line. We took the number and waited our turn. When they called us they already had Alyssa's passport and paperwork in hand. They looked at her and she smiled and waved hi to the man. We had to raise our right hands and swear to the accuracy of our documents. We also had to sign papers saying that we would have her vaccinated when we get back to the U.S. There were about 10 other families there besides us. The children probably ranged in ages 9 months to about 10 years old. There was one family there that was adopting for a second time. They had adopted an older girl and then when they got back home, the child wanted to know if they could go back after her best friend!!! So they went back and got her!!! Now instead of best friends, they are sisters!!! They live in Italy I believe.
Once we had our papers we returned to the hotel for the evening. Alyssa had not had her afternoon nap, so she has been a little bit wild tonight. Wade is in the room with her trying to wear her down for bed. She has had her bath, and we usually try to get in bed by 9:30pm.
Tomorrow we have decided to go to the park!! We can see it from the hotel so the walk is not that far. We know that the kids will love it, as long as we can get Alyssa to agree to put on her boots and snowsuit. It was a high of 37 degrees today!!! Hopefully it will be that warm tomorrow. They will love to ride on the swings and walk around.
Thanks for stopping to check on us again!!!
We could not have done this without all of you!!!
Love,
Julie, Wade & Alyssa