Last week mommy had a new baby starting at her daycare, he is the sweetest little thing!

His name is Ian we met him at your playgroup back in June when he was only 5 weeks old!!!! Ian is extra special like you, and he is just so precious!

At first you wern't very "fond" of him! You would take his blankies and you didn't like us holding him!

 But now you love him!

(Holding him with Mandas help!)

Ian is such a sweet baby and I just know you were as sweet as him when you were a baby!

I wish you were here in our family when you were a baby but God knew you would come home on March 30th 2011!!! And I'm so glad mommy and daddy fell in love with that brown-eyed, fuzzy red-head baby that they saw in a picture last year!

This is the baby boy, this is YOU the little boy that pulled at mommy and daddys heart that is YOU Vahnya! The little boy that God told mommy and daddy to adopt the little boy that brightens my day and makes me smile the little boy that I can't imagine my life without! You are the most amazing little brother anyone could imagine (along with our brother Jordan) I look at the very few "baby" pictures we have of you and I just wish we could have had you with us when you were that age! I wish I could have said "Happy Birthday" to you on the 3 birthdays you spent without us, but you will spend many birthdays with us in the future! We might not have been able to kiss you and have a great big birthday party on your 1st birthday but we will be able to do that on your 4th birthday! I know I say this in a lot of my "letters" to you but its true, YOU have blessed my life so so so so so much and I cannot imagine life without you! I love you so much baby boy!!!!!!!

Forever and Always

Love sissy Madison!

Smart little man

Vahnya you are one smart boy, you can sign 19 words and say 18 words! You have only been home for 4 months!!!!!! Are you a smart cookie or what?

These are the words you can sign

"swim"
"banana"
"milk"
"more"
"eat"
"done"
"please"
"thank you"
"love you"
"apple"
"bath"
"daddy"
"mommy"
"sleep"
"cracker"
"bye bye" 

"hi"
"hot"

"baby"

and these are the words you can say

"no"
"don't"
"stop"
"up"
"hot"
"done"
"baby"
"step"
"hat"
"dada"
"Denzy (Kenzy)"
"Dosh (Josh)"
"Danda (Manda)'
"milk"
"hi"
"bye"
"owee"
"boo"

You are the cutest little boy ever if I do say so myself and I think many people would agree that you are a smart little cutie!

Forever and Always

Love sissy Madison

Picture Post

Your beautiful big sister Mae mae

Such a sweet boy!

You love playing outside

This is one of my favorite pictures of you!

Love those big brown eyes

Having fun with Josh!

Right after this picture was taken you signed "more" so Josh would throw you in the air again

I love that sweet smile

Cutie pie

Messy boy

Having fun on the trampoline

You love playing on the trampoline

You have the cutest little feet <3

You and Jordan

I love you baby boy!

Love sissy Madison!

Look at you now.......

(March 2011)

(August 2011)

Can you see the difference?

4 months HOME....

Hi buddy, it has been 4 months since you came home! I remember the day you came home like it was yesterday! I started my count down on facebook when its was 23 hours until you came home and then the last post I posted on facebook before I had you in my arms was "‎2 MINUTES BEFORE WE LEAVE TO THE AIRPORT" It was such an amazing day!

Here is a post that I posted on here 3 hours before you came home

"In 3 hours I will meet you for the first time, I will hug you and kiss you I will look in those amazing brown eyes and tell you I love you!!!!!

I just want to jump up and down and run outside screaming "Vahnya is coming he is coming he is COMING" at the top of my lungs! Buddy we CAN'T WAIT to meet YOU!!!!!

Some people tell me "He is going to be so blessed to be apart of your family" and I think we are going to be the BLESSED ones to have you apart of our family!!!!
I love you buddy and can't wait to see you tonight!!!

Forever and Always love sissy"


And here is the post I posted about your homecoming

"Hi Vahnya, I'm going to tell you about your homecoming...ok?

Well at 6:00pm on Wenesday night (March 30th 2011) we (Manda, Kenzy, Jordan, MaeMae, and I) went to get you a balloon from QFC! It was really hard because all of the balloons said "Happy Birthday" or "Get well soon" so we decided to get you this BIG snail balloon and we also got you some cupcakes!!!

We had to wait for Uncle Steve to come over so he could take us to the airport!!!
It took us around 15-20 minutes to finally get to the airport I was texting Ashley the WHOLE time I was so nervous.....I wasn't nervous to meet you I was just so excited that everything was done and you were on your way home after 1 year and 20 days of waiting!!!!!!!!

So when we were driving up the parking garage at the airport I was sooo excited I couldn't belive it...I was shaking and stuff!
We all got out of the cars (it was us and Uncle Steve, Aunt Jacky, and our cousins) and the kids were acting crazy! One of your cousins wouldn't stop talking!

So anyway when we were at the airport we waited and waited and waited.........

It felt like FOREVER....... and then at 8:45pm your plane landed and you guys were coming!
We got by the "rope" and held up the sign waiting for you to come! We all kept saying "their they are"
and everyone was so excited! Mommy was pushing you in your stroller and daddy was carying one of the carry on bags! I held back my tears and I was shaking even more as I saw mommy getting closer and closer when you finally got to us I hugged mommy really tight!

 I couldn't belive it was all done! Manda got you out of the stroller and held you! I just couldn't believe you were finaly here!!!

Daddy, Josh, and Uncle Steve went to get your bags and we played with the legos and play set they had at the airport!
You loved the legos!

You were everything I dreamed you would be and more!!!!!!!

When we got home you just ran around exploring!

We put you in your soft jammies and then we just played the rest of the night. You weren't used to the time change so you stayed up really late! I love it when you giggle and dance! It was a long day and one of the best days of my life!!!!!!!!!
I'm sooooo happy you are home :)
And I LOVE you so much!!!

Forever and Always
Love sissy"
Buddy when I just read these two posts it brought tears to my eyes, happy tears of course! It seems like you have always been here! It dosn't seem like you were in Russia a little over 4 months ago! You have blessed our lives so much and I'm so happy you are my little brother! WE LOVE YOU VAHNYA!

~~~Forever and always love sissy~~~

You are a blessing...

 (sorry I havn't written in a few days/weeks)

On the 21st it was 4 months since GOTCHA DAY, the day you left your baby home and drove in a car with mommy, Anya and Heather. The day I got to skype with you and "meet" you for the first time! 

(Goctha Day 3/21/11)

(Going on a walk 7/8/11)

 

You have gotten bigger and your hair has gotten longer!

(Gotcha Day 3/21/11)

 

(playing at the park 7/8/11)

 but your still as cute as can be

 

 

(Gotcha day)

(Playing at the park 7/8/11)

You have the same huge contagious smile and amazing eyes that you had 4 months ago....but now I get to see them in person everyday instead of looking at pictures or waiting for new picture to be posted!

(gotcha day)

 

(playing at the park)

You become more silly/funny each day

(gotcha day)

(Playing outside 7/6/11)

and you make EVERYONE smile no matter where you go!

 

(Gotcha day with mommy)

(hanging out with Caitlin 7/23/11 )

You are a blessing to our family in so many ways and I'm so glad mommy and daddy said "Yes" when God called them to adopt a little boy with amazing brown eyes and fuzzy red hair!!!! You are the person that makes us all laugh and smile when you do a funny face or when you dance!!!! You are one of the best dancers I know if I do say so myself ;) You sing you little heart out when we listen to music and you clap, yell/scream, and put your hands in the air when we are at baseball/softball games or when we watch "Deal Or No Deal"! You are one smart little boy and you know how to sign "mommy", "banana", "milk", "more", "apple", "all done", "swim", "night night", "I love you" and others that I can't think of right now!!! You also know how to say a few words like "Wow" and "Laura" (your little girlfriend ;))You are an inspiration and one of the best little brothers anyone could ever ask for. I can't imagine my life with out you I don't know how I lived without you before! Buddy, you are amazing I love looking into those brown eyes and telling you that I love you then having you smile back at me.....I waited one year and 20 days to hold you and tell you "I love you" and buddy you know what? The waiting was SO worth it you are more amazing then I ever thought you would be (and I thought you were gonna be pretty amazing) We all love you so much and we are so HAPPY you are in our family! I LOVE YOU SUNSHINE BOY!!!!!!!

 

~~~~Love sissy Madison~~~~

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: PURE JOY

-Madison