7 months home

Disclaimer: I really did start writing this update in July. Life is busy… it’s the summer… school starts on Monday. Please forgive any measures of time that aren’t exactly perfect. I think you’ll still get the point. As of August 31st, we will have been home for 8 months.

It doesn’t seem real that at this time last year Dan and I were mulling over photos and Facebook posts about a friend’s mission trip to Ukraine. She’d been before… we’d seen the pictures. What was different this time? God was calling us. I distinctly remember talking with her on the phone on July 20th, 2009. On August 22nd, we had the first interview for our home study. The next few months seemed like a whirlwind of never ending paperwork, phone calls and running each day from one government office to the next and then, before we knew it, we were packing and leaving. I’ll spare you all those details, especially since you’ve heard them before, and move on to the update. Yes, you’re right, this update is long overdue. I actually do have some pretty good reasons (besides the obvious two very involved kids and the accompanying dog) why I decided not to blog frequently. If you’re really curious, drop me a note and I’ll be happy to explain it to you.

For the short version readers: Rebecca has adjusted amazingly well since arriving in the US on December 31st, 2009. She’s doing well in our family and is becoming a true American girl – her favorite store is Target and she wants a red car for Christmas. (Please don’t burst her bubble and tell her about the Matchbox Dad is likely to buy!)

For the long version readers: It’s amazing to me to look back at the early photos we took of Rebecca and see how much she has changed. Like any child, it’s less obvious when you are with them every day, but she is growing and changing. Since arriving home on New Year’s Eve, she has gained more than ten pounds and grown over two inches taller. At that point, she probably knew 15 English words, and most of those were the numbers 1-7 and the four colors needed to play Uno. I remember shortly after coming home listening to a friend talk about her two little girls and how they would talk her ear off. I also remember thinking that would be amazing. Even when Rebecca did talk to me, I didn’t usually get the whole conversation. I’m pleased to report that is no longer a problem. If you give her a few minutes to get to know you, she WILL talk your ear off… and you’ll probably understand most of what she’s trying to tell you. (I called my mom one day to ask her if I "made her ears tired" when I was a little girl. Her answer was an enthusiastic yes. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.) Rebecca's academic language development (reading comprehension, etc.) is a bit further behind her spoken language, but considering she just learned the English alphabet 7 months ago, she’s really doing very well. She spends time reading each day (sometimes on her own and sometimes out loud to Timothy) and also doing some type of language practice. (I know what you’re thinking… you’re glad your mom wasn’t a teacher and you didn’t have to spend your summers that way!) We work on math, too, trying to reinforce the concepts she knows and build on things that were not previously taught… like logic and multiplication. It’s not always fun, but Rebecca is a hard worker and very, very smart. We have no doubt that she’ll catch up to her classmates with time. Since I wrote those lines, we’ve added division to the skills Rebecca is learning. We also met her 5th grade teacher last night. The teacher has spent the past few years teaching reading and language arts at a private school… there are no coincidences in life.

Socially, it has been really fun to watch Rebecca develop and flourish. She and Timothy weren’t sure what to think of each other at first, understandable since she didn’t speak English and he doesn’t speak at all, but they have come to enjoy each other. A few weeks ago, one evening when he was being very quiet, Rebecca came to me and told me Timothy was sad. I’m not really sure he was sad, more likely recovering from a seizure, but she made it her goal to make him happy. She stood next to his bed, lowered the bed so they were face to face, and offered him toys, music and books until she coerced a smile from him. Then, not only did he smile, but he squealed with delight as they enjoyed reading his favorite story together. One day, after we dropped him off at summer school, she told me she wanted to “stay at school with Tim tomorrow so she could help him.” So sweet. It wasn’t a passing thought, either. She asked again that evening as she went to bed and a few times the next week if she could go with him. Nope, sorry. The school said, “no.”

Groups of kids are Rebecca’s forte. She was anxious to start school in January and did so with gusto. Her 4th grade teacher was truly phenomenal and frequently reported how well-liked Rebecca was by her classmates. They even let her cut in line - up to a point. They eventually started telling the teacher who mentioned it to me. We explained to the teacher that it was definitely a cultural thing. (Do you recall our stories from Ukraine? Especially the airport? Their culture doesn’t support the idea of an orderly queue.) We also explained things to Rebecca and didn’t hear any more reports of cutting in line after that. The first time we went to church and suggested she attend kids’ church on her own, she was a little apprehensive about leaving us, but has grown to enjoy it. Actually, I think attending a ministry arts summer camp and a Vacation Bible school were among her favorite activities this summer. She and Tim got to attend one week of the arts camp together and they both had a great time. It was held at the church where Dan and I grew up and his mom was more than a little pleased when Rebecca declared “Babushka’s church is the best church!” I think it may have had something to do with a pool party and waterslide…

Thinking back and writing this for you, I am reminded of a saying I’ve heard often from a friend who is a very wise mom of five: “The days are long, but the years are short.” I think it’s especially appropriate as summer draws to a close and the kids and I all look forward to everyone going back to school on Monday. We’ve not quite reached a year together as a family, and sometimes the days are indeed long, but time is moving very quickly and our new little girl is growing and changing right before our eyes. (This is where Rebecca would tell you, “I’m not a little girl. I’m a big girl!”) God truly blessed our family.

Thanks for all your love, support and prayers. We appreciate each and every one.

I’ll leave you with the verse that guided us as we traveled… I think it still fits.
    The Lord says, "I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you." -Psalm 32:8