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A New Life

Yesterday evening Bella and Sophia arrived from Bulgaria with their escort. Finally, after waiting and planning and hoping — they are here, and we are so blessed that these girls are a part of our family. It has been a long journey and sometimes frustrating but it was so worth it. I cannot explain to anyone how it felt to see those two girls coming up the ramp in their stroller and knowing that they are finally ours — ours to hold and love, to teach and to play with and to spend the rest of our lives with.

We arrived at the airport about 30 minutes early to find that the flight was going to be 25 minutes late. So we just waited and walked around and goofed off. We were all pretty excited and kept checking and checking to see if the flight information had changed.

Bethany found two dolls that she begged me to buy for Bella and Sophia, so I bought them.

Finally, the plane arrived and we saw them being strolled down the gateway.

Everyone was crowded around and we were starting to block other people so before we could get them out of the stroller we had to move out of everyone’s way. Then everyone finally got to hold our girls. Since the escort’s son-in-law was late arriving to pick her up, we stayed with her at the airport and just took turns holding the girls and just enjoying the moment.

We all went home and gave the girls baths, fed them and got them ready for bed. After each one was rocked for maybe 30 minutes they fell asleep. The escort had told me that Bella slept well, but that Sophia did not and would get up by 4:00 am every morning. I was really hoping that she didn’t get up quite so early and she did not. They both must have been very tired as they slept until after 8:00 am. We finally went into their room to see if they were ever going to get up this morning and this is what we saw — Bella and Sophia’s first morning of waking up in their new room. We are so blessed.

Snow

Last night as I looked out from my front porch this is what I saw. Snow!

It was so pretty and the kids were so excited. Bethany tried to convince me to let her put on her coat, hat and gloves and her boots and go outside — just so I could take a picture of her, so she said. She knows how to play me, I guess. But, I wouldn’t let her do it — even for the picture. It was too late. So, as soon as everyone had eaten breakfast this morning, and Bethany had gotten her nebs and vest, I let those that wanted to play outside go out. Only Sarah, Caroline and Bethany went. There really wasn’t much snow and so the others didn’t think it was worth the trouble.

They stayed out for almost an hour and then came in and changed into warm pj’s (because they were so cold) and then had hot chocolate.

This is all the snow we have gotten this year and it wouldn’t surprise me if this is all we get. It was fun for an evening and morning, though.

Tomorrow evening Bella and Sophia will be here, finally. It has seemed so long since we last saw them. I did have one family, that was traveling, contact me that she had seen my girls at the embassy in Bulgaria, and actually went up and spoke to them. It was so good to just hear something. She said Bella was all smiles but Sophia looked tired. Actually, the escort and our girls are probably at the airport in Sofia right now. It is so hard to believe that they are finally coming! They are almost here!