Bumps in the Road

Yesterday we had to go back to Dnepropetrovsk to have Olga scanned for her passport. But first we had to have some papers signed by an official here in Krivoy Rog. Olga, was especially happy today when I saw her. She gave me two big hugs and I think she even tried to kiss me. I took her hand and outside we went to the van. It didn’t take much for her to giggle, all the driver had to do was back up the van and her eyes lit up. We are moving!! So she smiled and giggled especially when we hit bumps in the road. She giggled a lot, the roads are not the smoothest. Lesson learned that not all bumps in the road are a negative thing ;). This trip was going to give us some good bonding time and determine how she handles traveling. She was amazing! We played with her coat. It’s a game of here’s my coat, now give it back, here’s my coat, now give it back. Sometimes we played this game with her hat. At times she was glued to the window looking at the countryside and trying to fight sleep. It was past her nap time. Sleep finally took over and she was out. I laid her down on my lap so she was comfortable. She looks so sweet when she’s asleep. Well we made it to Dnepropetrovsk and she did great. We had her picture scanned and we were off again. We stopped at the market for a snack for Olga because it was past dinner time. She is a trooper! We made it back to the institution past her bed time. Thank God someone was at the gate when we pulled up. I walked Olga to the building and one of the caregivers took her in. Although we had been on the road long and it was late, she was still all smiles and it was as though she was thinking “wait till I tell them what I saw today.”

Wait Training

On our way back from Dnipropetrovsk yesterday, I was thinking about waiting. Waiting is key during the final weeks in the Ukraine. Don’t get me wrong, bonding with our little Olga is most important. But since she is recovering from the Chicken Pox, I WAIT. I thought that all this waiting can be looked at as some sort of training like the triathlon. They run, swim and bike, I will wait sitting down, lying down and standing. So we are in training to WAIT. For example, this morning I woke up early so we can get the final paperwork done for the adoption of Olga. I WAITED for the translator, then we WAITED for the driver. We went to the court house and WAITED for the translator to proof the document, make copies and bind them. I was trained for this 2 hour WAIT, sitting down mind you. Then it was off to drop off a copy for the case worker. That was a sprint because we didn’t have to WAIT long. Then off to the institution to drop off a copy and get authorization to have Olga’s birth certificate and tax identification changed, I WAITED standing up, pacing and sitting down. Then we were off to Dnipropetrovsk, we WAITED to get to our designation (this will call the moving WAIT), 2 hours later, the Vital Records building. We made it and only had to WAIT 30 minutes. During this time we replenished our strength with snacks such as traditional Russian cookies and water. Then it was off to the Tax office. This WAIT involved standing around and watching people watch me WAIT. Then we were on our way back to Krivoy Rog, a 1 hour and 30 minute moving WAIT. We got back to Krivoy Rog and made one final stop at the caseworkers office. Whew!!!

Putting the fun aside, I thought about the spiritual connection as well. I was thinking about waiting and how the Lord asks us to wait on Him. “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Ps. 27:14. We are to rest in the Lord. “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Ps. 37:7. We are to wait on the Lord as we are going through tough times. “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me. And heard my cry. Ps. 40:1. Refreshing comes as we wait on the Lord. “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strengthen;” Ps. 40:31. We are blessed when we wait on the Lord. The Israelites waited on their coming Messiah and those who believed were blessed. And its the same for us today. Jesus said “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29. Jesus asked the apostles to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which” He said, “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5 And now we wait on Christ’s return. “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Hebrews 9:28

Waiting can bring blessings! Those families that have adopted and those that are currently going through the adoption process understand how difficult it is to wait. Especially knowing there is a fragile child waiting for them. God, give us the patience to wait on your perfect timing.

Patience Endurance

I was able to visit with Olga this morning for about 10 minutes. It was so nice to see her I've missed her. I wasn't able to see her over the weekend. She is still not allowed to go to the playroom so we have to meet outside of one of the back exits. It's been raining and its cold so we met in the stairwell. I was so thrilled to see her happy face. I gave her a picture of me and Tim so she could take it back to her room. She pointed at Tim and said "dada". Then she gave me the "more" sign. I am now the candy lady, hmmm. I pointed to the picture of myself and said "mama", she pointed at Tim and said "dada". We went back and forth till she finally pointed at my picture and said "papa", close! Tim, is "dada" and I am now "papa". I tell myself maybe its easier to say "papa" then "mama", but no matter what she calls me I'm blessed that she acknowledged me.

We should complete more paperwork tomorrow for the completion of this chapter and the beginning of our new life together. There is so much waiting time. I believe this is a lesson in patience. Its quiet here in this apartment but its strange I don't feel alone. I know no matter where I am my Lord is with me. That gives me the peace that passes all understanding. Aside from missing Tim and the girls back home, I miss the body of Christ. There is something about having fellowship with those who are like minded and love the Lord. We should never take our brothers and sisters in the the Lord for granted. God had provided us a way of communing with one another on a level different then any other. There is truly a spiritual connection. God is Sovereign! Not only did He create all things, reconciled our relationship to Him through His Son, He created a network of believers too, the body of Christ. In this network we are asked to pray for one another and encourage one another. We are to come along side those who are weak or new in the Lord. Most importantly we are to love our brothers and sisters.

Smarty pants.

Tim, left this morning for Kyiv. He will be leaving for the U.S. early Saturday morning. I hoped that we would all be able to go back together but Olga and I will be home soon. I went to visit Olga this morning at our usual time. Andrei, was getting the update on Olga's condition from the caregivers and he said that the doctor said Olga will recover in 14 days. She will only be quarantined for 3 of the 14. That's just in time for us to fly back to the U.S. That's God's perfect timing!



Today, I was allowed to spend 20 minutes with Olga. They brought her outside through the back exit like a movie star:). As the caregiver handed her over into my arms Olga was signing "more". Ah! I know what she wants, candy! It was a little cool outside with the wind blowing but we went over to the swing anyway. I pushed Olga and told her I was happy to see her. I was pointing to myself and saying "mama". She said "papa", it figures. She was eyeing my coat pocket....she wanted candy. I gave her some and when I asked if she wanted more, she just moves her head side to side, rolling her eyes, as to say "what do you think! Although she's sick she is all smiles and giggles. Our 20 minutes were up so we headed back. I knocked on the door so someone could come and get Olga. As we waited Olga signed "more". I gave her some more chocolate candy. She signed again and again until the piece of chocolate was gone. It's amazing how quickly she learned to sign "more". If chocolate motivates her, well then we need to buy some stock in the Hershey Company. That just shows her ability to learn, I'm so proud of Grace Olga. As Tim and I always believed, all children have the ability to learn if they are given the opportunity. Thank you Lord for giving us this privilege.

God is in control.

We had a very short visit with Olga today because she has come down with the chicken pox. Our poor little Olga. When we went to visit her today we thought that she would probably still have a runny nose but not the chicken pox. It was funny because the caregivers were explaining to our driver/translator who we call friend, Andrei, what she had. He tried to translate to us but was having difficulty explaining it. Finally, with the help of Marina, we found out. Olga, was going to be quarantined for 10 days. They said since we both had the chicken pox we were able to visit for a few minutes. Tim, could not leave with out saying goodbye. They brought her out through another exit and she had this great big smile on her face and it was kisses and hugs for both of us. She is so sweet. We were happy to see her.

I received a wise word today from my dear sister-in-law. She said that it was probably good that the appeal process wasn't waived because we would have had to wait anyway because of Olga. She said God knows the bigger picture and he is just covering us. Yes! She is right God is in control and faithful in all He does.

Amazing Grace

10/13/09 I haven't written because we had no Internet service. This weekend with Olga was nice just like everyday is nice. Although she doesn't call us Papa and Mama she knows some thing is up. I over heard the caregiver talking to the director of the institution, no I don't understand Russian, but I was able to make out that the caregiver was bragging on Olga. Olga, does call us Papa and Mama when were not around. This weekend we saw lots of parents and grandparents visiting with their child or grandchild. You can see much love in their eyes for their children. I understand how it would be difficult to care for them here in the Ukraine. I think about those children that will never know their biological parents. The families usually come with candy, a snack or they bring a picnic. One mother brought her child food from McDonalds. Yes, there is a McDonalds in Krivoy Rog and it's pretty good. Anyway, I thought that was sweet. Chocolate candy and McDonalds, I'll have to try it sometime. We have been bringing Olga candy. We have been working with her on the "More" sign. She is stubborn, but smart. Today, she finally signed to us "more" candy, not once, but twice.

There was a missionary group from Canada visiting the institution today. They gave us some candy for Olga. It was a blessing to see the body of Christ being the hands and feet of Jesus. They spoke English.....Yes!!! They shared with us that they have been to several orphanages and institutions. They have even visited the hospital here. They have been helping out and evangelizing. They said that they would have plans to do something but then lead by the Holy Spirit to do something else. We were blessed to see them. That's God goodness shining through saying....I'm here.

This evening we bought a stroller for Olga from the grocery store. The stroller will help with our traveling through the airport. Tim, put it together last night. We just laughed, who would have known we would need a stroller at this time in our lives :o. God!!

10/14/09 We went to visit Olga today but she couldn't come out to play because she's sick. Her nose had been running but it didn't seem to bother her. She is just like Emily when Emily has a runny nose. Emily, just giggles and laughs and goes about her business. You wouldn't know that she was sick. Its comforting to know that they gave Olga medicine so she would feel better. The doctor told the caregiver that she needed to stay in because they don't want her to get worse. They told us to come back tomorrow :(. We will pray for Olga's quick recovery.

A beautiful morning

Today is a beautiful fall morning in Krivoy Rog. The trees are changing colors from green to orange and yellow, its just beautiful. The weather is very nice too. Tim, Olga and I played outside again today. We try to get her out as much as possible for some fresh air. She also enjoys the playground equipment. I was watching the leaves fall from the trees and the wind blowing them in all directions. I told Tim, it looks like the leaves were jumping off the trees and running away....you just have to have a little imagination.

Olga played on the slide today and actually let go of one of Tim's hands as she went down. She usually hangs on to him as she slides down. Then she called us into the little play house....its little. All you hear is grunting as we enter and exit :). Well she called us in for a meeting. While we sat in there I pulled out the candy, surprise! She just loves candy. We sat there while she enjoyed her chocolate. I tried to clean her mouth but she doesn't like to have her mouth or nose wiped. Come to find out its because she is able to do it on her own. So I just handed her the tissue, she wiped and gave it back to me. She's a big girl!

Andrei, arrived so it was time to go. We walked around the building one more time as we came around the other side Olga recognized Andrei's car. She came up to him and he opened the door for her....she jumped right in. Tim, jumped in next to her then she waved to me to jump in too. That's how she directs us...she just waves "come on". She's a little bossy pants. A very cute one at that. It made me think of our little Emily. These children know exactly what they want and how to get it. I believe Emily will be good for Olga and vice versa. They can learn from one another. As we talked to the translator Nadia and the director Maria yesterday we explained to them that Emily loves to cuddle with her daddy. They sit and watch football together. We told them we have a chair big enough to hold all three of them. That's going to be a sight. Sarah, can't wait to meet her new little sister Olga. She is a blessing!

We would like to introduce to you..

Its official!! We are the proud new parents of beautiful Grace Olga Polen. We are now a family of five Tim and I, Sarah (13), Emily (12) and Grace Olga (5). We had our court appointment at noon. We picked up Olga's caseworker (Andrei's mom) and Maria, the director of the institution and we were off. We met our translator Nadia at the court house and shared our adoption story with her in the hallway as we waited. They often referred to us as hero's. We are not hero's, far from it. It is God who deserves the glory in this. We explained that it was God who put this desire in our hearts. This was the first adoption out of this institution and this district. Maria, hoped that there will be more. Tim, said if anything we want people to know about these children.

Well it was time to go in and stand in the gap for our Olga. The room was very small with a cage to the right, I guess for criminals. Two rows of benches, a desk for the court reporter and a desk for the case worker. The court session began by asking us our personal information. Then the judge wanted to know why we wanted to adopt a child with special needs. Tim spoke and did a great job explaining why. They asked how our visits with Olga had been going. Then the caseworker and Maria were asked about our visits. They both agreed that our contact with Olga had been good. We treated her like an individual and they could tell by our eye contact with her. Maria, said Olga was always happy to see us. After going through the formalities the judge and her assistants left the room so the judge could make the decision.

The judge returned and announced her decision. They were allowing us to adopt Olga from the Ukraine and change her name to Grace Olga Polen. Was there any doubt? Finally! It's official!! I whispered to Tim, I can't believe we're sitting here in this little court room in Krivoy Rog, Ukraine. I would never have guessed what God had planned for us.

The judge then stated enough with the formalities and removed her black robe. She came over to congratulate us and began showering us with gifts. She began to cry which caused everyone in the room to cry. It was amazing! You can tell that God touched her heart. She was blessed that we were adopting a child with special needs. She gave us a vase with landmarks of the Ukraine, a doll with customary dress for Olga, a blanket with roses (symbolizes love) that is given to people when they leave the Ukraine and a bouquet of mums. She asked Tim if he would be offended if they gave us an icon. Tim said no, she left and came back and gave it to Tim telling him this was for Olga's protection. We thought it was a nice gesture. We know that Jesus and only Jesus was and will always be Olga's protection.

The waiver of the appeal process....well we are still waiting on God. We're not sure what He has planned for us but so far it has been amazing.

We didn't get to visit Olga this morning because of our court appointment but we were able to visit her this evening. We were now bonding with her as the official mama and papa. We played a little but did a lot more hugging. It was really nice. Kinda like saying it's done, we are now officially a family.

God's Sovereignty

Our greetings with Olga are the same....she is always happy to see us. First into Tim's arms then into mine. Now into Andrei's. The director of the institution asked us how the adaptation was going. As she also reached out to Olga and Olga went into her arms. We said it is going great! Today they gave us a ball to play with. We went outside and Olga played on the slide. Tim helped her climb up and helped her slide down, so this went on for awhile. Tim and I played with the ball ;). She also played in the sand box. She likes to hit the mound of dirt with a stick so it goes everywhere. She seemed a little quiet today. She still responded to us but its as though she was tired. Maybe, we're playing to hard....yeah, right! We walked around the building and saw this lady with three young disabled children. Two were very energetic one was in a wheelchair. They seem to young to be here, I guess they were visiting from another orphanage. Two of them had Down syndrome. Tim was holding Olga and Olga was just looking at them. She didn't recognize them or else she would have been giggling or saying something. No, she just looked at them. One of them came up to Olga and was rubbing her leg as she said "baby". Olga, was ready to go back inside. We said "ba-ca" bye, she waved and was gone.

While Tim and I waited outside for Andrei. Tim, said he still could not believe that Olga was just across the street from the cathedral. All this time! See Tim found a website called The Best of Ukraine http://www.thebestofukraine.com/. It provides alot of helpful information about Ukraine. Tim would oftened look up Krivoy Rog and view the pictures of the cathedral. So all this time he was looking at that picture not knowing Olga was in the institution across the street. I don't think that was a coincidence. Andrei, told us yesterday that he was all packed and ready to leave for Egypt the week we arrived. We arrived on Tuesday he was leaving Thursday. His mom called him and told him he needed to stay and help. He told us that he will stay with us until we leave Krivoy Rog. He's a good kid. I believe that these things happen for a reason. It gives us a glimpse of God's goodness and assurance that He will never leave us or forsake us. And He is still in control, Amen!!

Lunch today....PolStar.

Surprise, surprise!

Our visits with Olga get better and better. She greeted us both with great big hugs this morning. She even had one left for Andrei. She loves to be held, hugged and kissed. That just shows you that these children are not only taken care of physical but emotionally as well. All the time we were going through the adoption process our prayer was that God would bring someone along side her to provide her with nurturing love and kindness. And not just for Olga but the other children as well. We have witnessed God's faithfulness first hand. He continues to show us His loving kindness through the people He has brought into our lives. We have met some good people here in Krivoy Rog. Olga, played on the merry-go-round today. Round and round she goes. I tried riding with her but it just makes me dizzy. One time she got off the merry-go-round and stood there. You can tell she was dizzy. She kept looking at the ground and murmuring something. It was as though she was frustrated because the ground didn't stay still for her. She got back on....she's brave!

Marina, came to the institution this morning to go over what will happen in court and the steps that follow. She said the Judge was a very nice lady. She is not only a judge but a counselor for drug and alcohol addiction. She said she has never worked with a judge who had dual occupations. They have been wonderful and are genuinely concerned about our well being during our stay here in Krivoy Rog.

After our visit, Andrei took us back to the cathedral so we could take pictures. Its so beautiful inside. While we were at the cathedral I got a call from Marina. Yes, I forgot to mute the phone! Our court date has been rescheduled for Thursday at noon. She said that there is no problem its just that our whole situation is different. The prosecutor wanted to attend the court hearing too and he will be in town on Thursday. Usually the prosecutor sends someone in their place. As Marina put it these people do not understand why you would want to adopt a child from a Invalid Home. This is the first adoption out of this institution, this is new for all of them. Marina, said that we were pioneers opening up doors and paving the way for future parents. I told her that we are blessed by this. We believe that God is planning something big. To God be the glory!!!!

Late for a our date

When we first arrived and started to come out to the institution for bonding time with Olga we had the hours set for us. Come for the morning visit at 10:00am and leave at 12:00. Then we are scheduled to come back in the evening at 5:00pm, and leave at 7:00pm. Of course our visiting hours are flexible based on Olga's mood.

This evening we were running late because we were Skyping with Sarah back home. Well we finally arrived and Olga and her caregiver were coming outside. Or should I say Olga was pulling her caregiver outside and downstairs. She was so excited to see us. Her caregiver told Andrei that she knew we were coming. She ate her dinner really fast, put on her clothes to go outside and waved to her friends bye and said Papa. She was getting ready because she knew we were coming. Although she didn't say Mama she was happy to see me too because I got the biggest hug. It's amazing to see this little girl blossom. It is so wonderful what God is doing in our lives. And just think He knew about this from the beginning. I would never have in my wildest dreams could imagine such a wonderful privilege. God is so good!!

Hugging day!

Our visit last night was good. She came downstairs and ran into Tim's arms as she always does. I knew she would eventually warm up to me. Last night was a good example. We played with a puzzle we bought her. Its a really nice puzzle made out of soft sponge. It came in a clear plastic container. While I put the puzzle together she played with the plastic container. That's a child for you. They are more interested in the packaging then the gift. Next visit we are going to bring her a cardboard box to play with....JUST KIDDING!!! Anyway, she sat on my lap and I bounced her up and down. She hung onto the container and then would let it bounce until it fell off my lap....she just laughed. So we did it again and again and again. It was a very good bonding time for us.

Today, she greeted Tim as she always does. But this time she reached out to me. I held her and hugged and kissed on her. Then she wanted to be held by Tim. So he held her and hugged and kissed on her. It was back and forth from then on until she decided she had enough. Then it was off to the playground. Olga, loves the swing. She was on it for at least 45 minutes. She would say "oh- da" up - down. Its the same as when a child is swinging and their saying "up -down". She was in a hugging mood she even gave Andrei a hug. He just smiled. At this institution they treat these kids well. Depending on the weather, they get to go outside for fresh air and some physical activity like walking around the building. There is one group of children that Olga knows very well. I guess these are her room mates. When she sees them outside she runs to them and giggles. On our first visit to the institution she stayed with her friends. Today, she smiled real big, grabbed our hands as to say "my mama and papa" and proceeded to walk the other direction. It's getting better everyday!

PolStar...is a place here in Krivoy Rih where they make polish jeans. From what I hear they are really high quality jeans. Anyway, they have a cafeteria downstairs that is open to the public. Guess where we have been eating lunch? The food is Ukrainian of course. It's all meat, potatoes, salads and desserts. And it is very reasonable. God knows what we need before we ask...this is true. We didn't know where we were going to stay or how we would get around town. All has been provided by our wonderful, caring, loving Father. Thank you Jesus!!!

I found out today that our court date is scheduled for Wednesday at noon. The judge wanted a little more time to look over our paperwork. Marina, assured us that there is no problem they just wanted to make sure all is in order. Please continue to keep us in prayer.

A better understanding

Today we went to the institution for our morning bonding time with Olga. I had noticed that there were other parents there too. They were visiting with their children. One brought food, drinks and candy. At one time I thought that once these children were sent away they were forgotten. In talking to one of our translators the earlier part of this week, she believed in God but believed that these women must have done something terribly wrong in their life so they were being punished by having a disabled child. I'm not sure if they all feel that way but it was an eye opener. Now we can see first hand, since we have been living here, how difficult it can be for these families to care for their disabled children. It was a blessing to see that these parents, although they could not properly care for their children, were still involved in their lives. Anyway, we did explain to the translator that these children are not a punishment but a blessing.

Olga was in one of her silly moods today. It wasn't raining so we were able to go outside and play. As the caregiver was getting her ready to go outside she told her that she will have to learn English. Of course Andrei translated the conversation for us.

Olga is like a ping pong ball back and forth.....lots of energy. She went over to one of the visiting moms and was trying to push the child's wheelchair. The lady proceeded to give her candy. Oh no! That's what she did not need! I guess if we would have eaten some maybe we would have been able to keep up with her. Olga had enough fresh air so we cut our morning time short. She was ready to go upstairs and get ready for lunch. We said good bye or "BA-ca" to Olga as she went back upstairs. I can hear the caregivers upstairs saying in English "Bye, bye". As we waited for Andrei we tried to communicate with an old lady that worked there. She was very kind and when she spoke you can get the just of what she was saying....of course I showed her the family album :).

When we left the institution we went across the street to the Cathedral. It is amazing not only from the outside but the inside as well. We couldn't take pictures of the inside because it was Sunday but we will go back during the week to take them. On the ceiling there are four corners and on each one of them is a painting. An angel with a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle. Andrei, said that you can find these in every church. I told him that those pictures are based on Revelation "The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man and fourth living creature was like a flying eagle." Revelation 4:7. Words cannot describe it...Tim said it gave him chills. In the center of the four corners up high on the ceiling in the tower were the letters Alpha and Omega. Very cool!!!

What has been said about Ukrainian food is absolutely true. Needless to say we have been eating very good.

Grace Olga

First of all I want to share our experience with Olga yesterday evening. We had a very good visit. I was telling Tim, I wonder if Olga thinks we're her really old playmates. We visit and play with her and when she is ready to leave the playroom she will go to the door and try to open it. She tried to escape a couple of times. Like I said before she's really fast. We did change her name to Grace Olga Polen. She knows her name Olga so we didn't want to change it. It's pronounced Ol'ya. We chose Grace because it speaks for itself. We have been reconciled to God by His grace. We have been adopted into the family of God because of His grace. God has given us the privilege of adopting Olga. That's His goodness.

Before we went for our evening visit Andrei said he was going to bring his police uniform for Tim to try on and take pictures. Andrei was a police officer for a couple of years. Here he is a Ukrainian Police Officer. We were joking that we wanted the court appeal process to be waived so Tim joined the Ukraine police department, yeah right!!!

Today our visit went well. Its a joy to see her. She always comes downstairs with this great big smile and then runs right into Tim's arms. We went into the playroom today because it was raining outside. I know she would have loved to go outside for a walk. One of the caregivers came in and gave us a snack, apples. Olga, loves apples. She sat and ate and ran and ate, jumped on Tim's lap and ate. I was concerned that she would choke, but no, she was just fine. She likes to go through my purse and take everything out and then put it back in. Its a game! I always bring our little family album so she can get familiar with her sisters and her new home. She always knows right where its at. She is full of energy. As Grandma says "She knows what side her bread is buttered on." We will go back this evening for more bonding time.

Andrei, took us out to have pizza for lunch. It was very good (du'bry'den). God continues to meet all our needs. Thank you Jesus!

Olga goes for a car ride.

10/2 - Today we picked Olga up at 9:00am to take her to get her picture taken for her visa and passport. One employee of the institution went with us. I thought Olga was going to be frightened when we went for the car ride. She was just talking and laughing away. She really enjoyed the car ride. That's a good sign...she likes to travel. Olga, followed instructions really well. The lady who came with us and Andrei told her to look at the camera, arms folded to the side and stand still. She did exactly what they asked. While we were waiting she just wanted to explore like a typical three year old. Tim had his hands full. When we were done at the photoshop we went back to the institution. Olga, was ready to go upstairs again. One of the caregivers brought her back downstairs so we could take her outside for a walk. Andrei's grandmother gave us a bag of apples from her own orchard so I took one to Olga. She went after it. Tim and I notice the little but important things like....she can chew! Yes, our precious little Emily does not chew. She has all her teeth but refuses to take them for a test drive. But that's what makes Emily, Emily!!! As soon as Olga was able to run free she took off... she's fast! We are so blessed to be able to adopt Olga. We can thank God for this privilege. Again, I will keep saying it...God has been and will continue to be faithful because He is good.