Tomorrow is our New beginning!

Tomorrow is our big day. I guess this will be in adoptive terms Nurik's "Gotcha Day". It is also the first day of spring for us Americans. So, New beginnings all around! We have lots of emotions going through our heads as you would expect but mostly we are just anxious to get our boy home. We are excited to see the fun and challenges that await us. It is a little weird to think that tomorrow we won't be coming home with a bouncing baby as most people do when they come home from the hospital .....but a 3 year old and all that comes with that.....luckily, we get a fairly easy version...he is already so independent, potty trained, and such but we suspect that with that independence will come many battles for authority. It will be so much like having a baby in many ways because he has yet to experience so many things that a 3 year old in a family would have already learned. Just simple things like getting in and out of a car, sitting at a table with adults, hugs, kisses, bathtubs, swimming pools and lakes, real animals, etc. Just think of your average 3 year old and all that they know even though they may not be able to verbalize it. He probably will have to learn all of that and more. We look forward to the challenge and truly feel that Nurik is with us for a reason. And so the new adventure begins......

we had a nice time at the hotel. Very nice room but interesting decor. The bed (king size) was awesome and comfortable. The shower was heavenly. Food for dinner was OK but breakfast was better. We were probably some of the only people there as they were doing some serious remodeling....nice to go to sleep and wake up to the sound of jackhammers! It was kind of funny though as it was a muffled sound so it sounded like the scary sound you hear right before JAWS attacks. We could not use the internet because we didn't have a cord.....so we are back at our usual place. We will meet Masha after her class gets out and then shop for a bit and then get everything Nick-proofed at the apartment. That's about all that is going on here.....and now some words from Papa......

The one thing that all of our down time has allowed has been the time to reflect on everything. Will I be a good dad.......How do I raise my son to be honorable and someone people can count on....am I the kind of role model that I hope he will grow up to be? The one thing I have reflected on is myself and know that I have many things to change about me so that I can be a good model. Hopefully over the time we have been here I have begun to make these changes and hopefully will continue to change and grow when we get back to our "normal lives". I am looking forward to this new adventure (even when Nick and I are having times of head butting with respect to establishing which of us is the Alpha dog...HA!). We are looking forward to this next step of adjustment and hopefully can move on to Almaty some time next week and then move our way towards home. Now back to Mama....

We really have valued and felt all of your prayers and support. We look forward to introducing Nick to all of you some day. It is exciting to think that we will be bringing Nick home to such a great support system. It will be interesting to see how he develops a concept of God, Jesus and Faith but we know with all of our friends and family that he will see these concepts lived out in the lives that he comes in contact with every day. In many ways, the adoption of Nick has shown us in real terms what it means to be adopted into the family of God and what it means to be chosen. We look forward to many days ahead where we can just enjoy the sweet gift that God has given us to show us even more how much He loves and cares for each of His created ones. He has a plan for all of us and it is a special honor to be a part of an adoption as many adoptive families can tell you....it is truly a special path given to us by God.

Hopefully, we will be able to blog soon after Nick comes to the apartment. We covet your prayers during this new time of adjustment and know that we are thinking of all of you often......Karen and Patrick