Prayer Request

I want to pass along a prayer request. A friend from college, Arja, and her husband Brad need our prayers for their baby boy, Jacob. Jacob and his twin Sawyer were born on January 10 at only 27 &1/2 weeks. Little Jacob has recently began to struggle with what they now know is an "unusual congenital kidney syndrome that his very serious".

Please pray for Brad, Arja, and little Jacob (as well as Sawyer though he is going great). This precious couple has already endured tremendous hardship and loss in previous pregnancies.

We are asking God for a miracle for this family. Please visit their blog:
www.regiertwins.blogspot.com

In the Bathroom

Today I ate a fudgesicle in the bathroom. I sat on the toilet (with the lid closed!) and shut the door. All I really wanted was a fudgesicle and I did not want to be interrupted. Little hands knocked at the door and little mouths tattled and questioned at least 17 times in the few minutes I sat there. But I will happily tell you that I did not open the door and no one ever knew what was REALLY happening in the bathroom! I am thankful that there is one very small room where I am truly "unavailable". I think I might retreat there more often.

And also in the bathroom today--Ivan emptied all of the contents of my makeup/ other necessary bathroom items drawer into the sink and then gave himself a fabulous half-mustache with my mascara. I would have photographed the scene and culprit, but I also saw some on his teeth and with Maryn's question, "Is that poisin?" felt it best to swift him away for a little clean-up, etc.

Just a very small window into my day. And into my bathroom.

A Little Looking Back

A post with words will follow soon. Here are photos from the last 6 months home. It is amazing to see how much Ivan has changed! Especially all of that gorgeous hair he has now...what the photos at the end of this post do not show is how close to "mullet-status" he is. We are going to have to do something about that. But I will also tell you that we saw some of the BEST mullets ever worn by a human when we were in Nizhny...maybe we should let him give it a try? :)

Meeting Ivan. July 2008. 16 months old

Pictures taken in between our trips on the camera we left for the orphanage staff to document the 3 months until we could come back.

Trip #2. October 2008. 19 months old.

(The one of Ivan and I was taken on our last morning in Moscow by another adoptive parent in our hotel...such a treasure for me!)

November 7, 2008. Finally HOME! 19 Months old

December 2008. 1 month home. 20 months old.

January 2009. 2 months home. 21 months old.



















February 2009. 3 months home. 22 months old!