Welcomed

We are HOME! It is hard to believe, but SOOO wonderful. Our 13 hour Aeroflot flight was well...l...o...n...g...and it was on Aeroflot...I will leave it at that. Ivan did great though--he slept a bit and won back some of the favor of the grumpy man behind me who thought I shouldn't be allowed to lean my chair back(!)...thus the extra long feeling of this already long flight!

We were warmly welcomed home on Friday evening at the airport by Phil and Ivan's 3 older siblings! It was so special to witness Ivan "meeting" Maggie and Maryn. It feels like he has been part of our family for a very long time already...months of talking and praying about him made it seem so normal and expected in one sense, and in another sense it seemed the strangest, wildest, most unreal thing possible.

We received another warm welcome once we arrived home: a large "Welcome Home Ivan" sign hanging on our garage door, an "It's A Boy" stork, balloons, and homemade posters galore...it was a wonderful welcome indeed.
These first hours have been full of many firsts: Ivan's first glimpse of (and obsessive licking by) a dog...(TERRIFYING to be sure but he has warmed up to our little dog quite well); first steps in the cold wet grass...not exactly how he prefers to spend his hours; his first experience in L.A. traffic (the ride home from the airport that almost did us in!); first of many swings on our swing-set; first time to go #2 in the bathtub...you know all of the essential 'firsts' to squeak into those early hours! He has done amazingly well honestly. He is a trooper for sure and has amazed us with his good attitude. I would also like to say here that Ivan being a trooper does not at all negate his very spirited tantrums and crying spurts. Unfortunately for him, we still find them very cute and are even tempted to photograph such adorable sights...Again, I know the cuteness of this will pass, but for now, I drink it all in and want to remember each and every second.

My mom, "Nana", was able to stay and meet Ivan, yet another wonderful treat. She had been here looking after the kids (and Phil!) while Clara and I waited out the week in Russia. We were thrilled for him to get to meet both of this grandmothers so soon.

A highlight of the weekend was making an appearance at the playoff soccer game that Phil was coaching. Literally, as we got out of the car, our team scored a goal and went on to win the game only minutes later. Ivan was quite the celebrity for sure. As the game ended, Ivan and I walked toward the player huddle, eager to introduce Ivan to these remarkable men who had hosted a send off for us on the night before we left for Russia to bring him home. As the team saw us coming, they began to chant, "Ivan Wolf! Ivan Wolf!"...it was music to our ears. The beaming smile on Phil's proud face as he introduced Ivan to his team was a sight to see. I can't wait to tell Ivan the story of this moment over and over for the rest of his life. It was so special, so memorable, so much like the movie Rudy!(...the chanting that is.)

We have now settled in and plan to lay low for a bit. We are loving these early days with Ivan finally home. Our family of 6 feels wonderfully full. The welcoming continues with phone calls, delicious meals, generous gifts, and even praise filled tears. People keep saying, "I just can't believe he is here...in the flesh...this is the one we have been praying for". We feel the same way. The fulfillment of this dream feels too good to be true.

We are abundantly thankful and blessed beyond words.

"The LORD has done great things for us and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3