Winds of Change

A lot can change in 6 months.

Six months ago today Ivan arrived to the United States. He became a U.S. Citizen. Our older kids welcomed him with wide open arms into our home, our family, our lives. These last six months have been filled with laughter, tears, frustration, joy, sleepless nights, babble-filled days, and a "fullness" that words can't explain.

Six months ago we had a boy terrified of animals--especially our less than 10-pound dog, Zizou.
Today we have a boy who carries Zizou, tries to walk him on his leash, lays down on him to suck his thumb and squeals with delight at the sight of ANY animal...no matter how large.

Six months ago we had a boy who was wobbly and unsure on his feet.
Today we have a boy who literally gallops around our house. He climbs everything and runs and runs and runs until he is either out of breath or laughing so hard his feet can't move anymore.

Six months ago we had a boy who only said "Nyet!"
Today we have a boy who is jabbering non-stop, saying quite a few word we can understand and about 6,532 we can not ;)

Six months ago we had a boy who was often clingy and a little nervous.
Today we have a boy who is full of life. He is confident, funny, brave (a little TOO brave sometimes!), charming, mischievous, and basically owns every crowd he is in.

A lot can change in 6 months.

The winds of change are blowing in our "family-life" as well...

First of all, I now look like this: (It still shocks me to see!)
AND, our family is moving to Texas! We are headed to the Dallas area in mid-summer for my husband's new job there. It has been a wild few weeks, but things are coming together and we are feeling hopeful about our new life and adventure there. We've sold our house here, I leave next week to house-hunt there, we are looking into programs, schools, etc. and trying to imagine ourselves in Texas...

Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of this new adventure is that we will be less than 2 hours from Ivan's little girlfriend! Though he hasn't seen Ashlyn since they were together in an orphanage on the other side of the world, I am certain they will fall in love, go to prom, and perhaps get married :) Of course I am kidding (kind of), but we are over the moon excited that they will get to see one another again and for me to meet Tracy, (her blog is here) who has been a treasured friend through our adoption of Ivan from Nizhny Novgorod.

So, as I said, things are changing. And the changes are feeling O.K. We certainly feel like we have our hands full, but our hearts feel very full as well. Sometimes change is good. Maybe even very good.

Whoa!

I honestly had no idea just how long it had been since I posted. It seems impossible that 6 weeks have gone by. And I realized that I have a few more "major" things to share in the coming days and weeks, so I better had do a little catching up or I never will. (And the only reason for the above picture is that I felt it needed to be shared. My son is a riot.)

First things first:
Ivan is 2! He had a fantastic birthday celebration with many beloved family friends on a gorgeous afternoon--it was prefect! He also had a special "bracelet night reunion" with the students who literally helped to bring him home. Here is a little proof of our memorable celebrations: (Please note that the same balloons that later "attacked" Ivan brought him great joy for many hours. Please also note that I had to photograph the attack before I attempted to rescue him.)











Ivan got a few cars, trains, and clothes for his birthday. He has a strong affinity to his red Thomas shirt that he nearly jumped out of the cart in T@rget for so it was only fitting to wear it on his actual birthday. And it clearly went well with the rain boots. And the thumb I think...don't you?Ivan has also started speech therapy 2 times a week and works with an infant teacher 1 time a week. All of this is going wonderfully and we feel so thankful that he qualifies for these amazing resources. For the record, Ivan REFUSES to speak for his speech therapist, but is quite chatty between her visits. She doesn't seem too shocked or irritated by this, but I find it mildly frustrating. It could be that the toys and books she is using are AT LEAST 3 decades old...but I am not entirely sure ;)

On the home front things have been a little busier than usual. We just finished a bathroom addition (inside an existing room so it is more of a re-model I guess). It was a long time coming...we have only had 1 bathroom for the last 8 years. It is fantastic to have 2...Although now there are 2 toilets beckoning Ivan for a "dip".

Just as the bathroom project started, we all got really sick. A nasty little virus with a lingering fever and canker sores all in the mouth. This is a modern day plague I am certain. We were sick for 3 full weeks. I literally asked my pediatrician if he could admit my oldest son to the hospital because he was so miserable. He smiled at me. I then asked him in all seriousness if he could admit me until the plague passed. I probably got my first gray hairs during all of this.

Speaking of hair, I gave away 12 inches of my hair to Locks of Love last week. It was honestly shocking to see the thick braids of hair be cut from my head. I have not had short hair in over 5 years. There are lots of double-takes when I see people. Let's be honest, I even double-take when I see me.

Also speaking of hair, I still have not cut Ivan's. I can't. His soft blond curls are too precious. And I will tell you that I work on a college campus and the mullet is coming back. And you might be shocked to hear that so is the rat tail...WHAT?!

This post is very random I recognize. I just needed to post or I feared I never would...Well, I am happy to report that we are healthy and happy here at the Wolf casa...all smiles as you can see!