Everybody loves Rimma

The last week has been great. Everyone is impressed with Rimma and she has fit into our family very nicely, as though she were here all along. And indeed she has! We told our first three about R & Z even as we were adopting them. There are pictures of R & Z throughout our house and the fact that we talk of them as their sisters all along has all helped with the transition, I'm sure. Also, it's nice to be able to call Ukraine and talk with Lizzie (Z), just as we did with Rimma.

I have caught several instances of Rimma walking arm in arm with Nadia and Julia. Rimma and Nadia were tucked under the covers of Nadia's bed last week giggling and speaking in rapid-fire Russian about something. When I walked in they giggled at me, each saying something that I didn't understand.

Rimma shares a room with Julia, so those two have a lot to talk about usually. Rimma just adores Kole, he doesn't mind too much unless she gets too rough with the play wrestling they engage in. He complains that she doesn't know when to stop sometimes. Last night I saw her scratching his back while we were watching a movie.

Rimma started school this past Monday and started riding the bus on Tuesday. She goes to a different middle school than she would if she was an English speaker. Our district has a special "Newcomers" program that teaches English all day for the entire school year. Nadia attended this program last year and graduated six months ahead of schedule. Rimma came home this Wednesday with a homework assignment. When she was finished, it was a whole paragraph in English, flawlessly written with proper spelling, grammar, tense and punctuation. Wow!

That prompted Heidi and me to tell the girls to quit speaking Russian during dinner. It felt as if there were two sets of family at the table. Nadia and Rimma would chat non stop and never offer any translation and on several occasions admit that what they were saying was secret. When Kole or Julia would offer to tell us what they were talking about, the girls would shush them. Nope, that wasn't going to happen! They can have their private conversations when they are together, but family time is that, family time. We got a little pouting over that decision. Oh well.

So, everything is going well. We seem to be stuck in this "Family Honeymoon" and nothing serious has happened. Heidi keeps expecting the other shoe to drop, but thus far, nothing but a tiny bit of jealousy from the oldest. However, even she realizes that Rimma is newly arrived and needs time to adjust. She is helping her sister immensely.

I can't help but feeling the situation is like having a new baby at home but you don't have to change it's diapers or clean up after it. Heidi and I would love to just hold her and love on her 24/7, but she would think we are crazy or something. Most days we want to get home as soon as possible to see all four of them. I still wake up at night and realize that she is actually here...in the other room and we did it, we did the impossible, something that wasn't supposed to be accomplished. We did it with God's assistance, we did His will, His work!

I pray to be waking up at night next year with the same feelings and emotions when Lizzie comes home for good. God will make that possible, too. Of that I am sure and I'm not losing sleep over the possibility at all. I've learned to put it all in His hands and let go of the worry.

It's the same with Lizzie's summer trip to our home, her home. If it is His plan it will happen. It seems the ony trouble now may be getting visas for them to come, so we will pray. Today we heard from a friend in Ukraine that the caretaker that will chaperon Lizzie to the US wants to be our housekeeper and cook for bringing them here this summer. Hey, no problem! Perhaps we'll be like the Brady bunch and call her Alice!