Words Can't Begin to Describe: The Day the Gavel Came Down…

This picture are the 4 families that a lovely woman judge in Kirov made very happy today -- 2 wonderful families from Germany, our Michigan friends, and us....

It took me a while to decide where to begin this post…I have tried to maintain humor throughout my postings, and today, while humor, smiles, and gratitude permeated the day, the feelings we had, and how to capture them, well, how do we begin to describe that?
After all, when two people experience together the realization of a dream – and the knowledge of all that led to that, the hope, support, generosity, and love of others that enabled it? For a lifetime this has been my goal.
And, for over a decade…
…I have had the incredible fortune and blessing to have an amazing man join me in that goal... and he has been an incredible rock, side by side with me in the race & pushing us forward when I had no strength to do so…

…We have had this incredible support of family, and friend who are family to walk a road that was far different from any one we could ever have expected…

…I have had the utter pleasure of an IA program, working and growing with an amazing team of women – and, together, we have come to know so many of these amazingly wonderful, absolutely incredible little souls of children – inspired by their resilience, driven by their brilliance, admiring their parents persistence on the road it took to get to them… And wondering when someday we'd have the good fortune of joining their ranks...

…Regardless how busy or full life got, there has not been a single day I didn’t wonder: ‘when would “this day” come?’…

And today…today we walked into a courtroom as a couple hopeful of a future….
And we walked out parents.
And today, we I looked into the eyes of our incredible son and, again, I say, words cannot begin to describe this day…. The day the gavel came down.

Proud Papas -- No Cigars but you can buy beer on every corner
and drink it on every corner....and they did just that :)

For those interested in some details, I will wrote those and post tomorrow– Before I sign off, today, May 13, was also a VERY BIG day for others we know, so before we drown your eyes with our day, please join us in:
• Congrats to Laura and Jon for springing Kristina free from EKat – I hope you guys had safe and seamless journey to Mocow!!
• YAHOO to Bethany, who finished her COMPs today for her PhD – I KNOW she did awesome and I look forward to being on her committee ☺
• Congrats to Kendra, Dave, and JJ – we think you left China today for home??
• Carolyn & Bruce hopefully arrived safely in Ireland – have a great time, guys!!

THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who has helped us along our journey to this point – we still have a week to go in Russia, but for now, more details on court tomorrow --- I am going to sign off, and go back up and share the bottle of wine I just got in the crazy little café at the top of our hotel with my incredible husband… and toast our son’s future for the first time officially!!