Wonderful Present by Rimma Rogé

Family it's a wonderful present that God gave me! Two years ago I couldn't even imagine about this special present! I always wanted someone who would love and taking a good care of me, who supported me in difficult moments. For me love, hope and trust are the most important things you need for family. I am so happy that I could have all of those!

Rimma (age 14)

Arrived home March 3, 2010

Acceptance by Jessica Rogé

When I first heard that my parents were adopting, I was kinda shell-shocked. At the time, my life was at rock-bottom. I was in the middle of an abusive marriage. I had no friends and a new “family” (my in-laws) that hated me. Most importantly, I had no hope.

My first reaction to the adoption news was purely selfish. I felt a sense of abandonment. My husband used these feelings to further alienate me from my dad. It took me a few months to get off of my high horse. I was in a communications class at the time. So I decided to do a speech on orphans, Ukraine, adoption, and all that good stuff. It was supposed to be a 3 minute speech. Once I got started, I couldn’t stop! I talked with a fiery passion for about 15 minutes. I got an A!!

It took me about another year to get my head on straight. I left my husband on January 3rd of this year. I bounced around from home to home for about 6 months after that, including a battered women's shelter.

I first met my new brother and sisters, when I came to Colorado on a one week visit this summer. The acceptance I felt when I walked through the front door was overwhelming. I was first approached by Julia. She eyed me over and asked, “Jessica, are you my sister too?” I told her I was. She thought about this for a moment, grinned big, and asked “Ok, can I paint your nails?” I wanted to cry.

I realize now that this was God’s plan. These kids were delivered from awful conditions and so was I. I accepted God into my heart, and he gave me a new family and new friends.

~ Jessica, age 22 ~

Serenity Prayer (my favorite)
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Golden Ticket!

Had to post one more time before the guest bloggers arrive. We received our 171h today! The Golden ticket has arrived! Yeah! The Dossier only needs to be apostilled now and then it's off to Ukraine!

~ Felix ~

Guest Bloggers

I’m busy at work and Heidi and I are working on finishing up the Dossier that will eventually bring Lizzie home. Therefore, stay tuned for some guest bloggers over the next few weeks...our kids! If anything exciting happens, I will be sure to post, too!

I asked our kids to write about something, anything that they would like to put here on our family blog. I told them it could be about whatever they would like to share with you, our readers and followers. Most, if not all, of their writing will be unedited and cut and pasted just as they wrote it.

I got some enthusiastic responses, some eye rolling (to which I said, “don’t look at me with that tone of voice!”) and some excuses for not attempting the effort. It will be interesting to see what topics they choose, who will be first, and who will ditch the assignment.

To the whiners, I told them that one day when we make this blog a book, they will be in it. That kinda got them motivated. Hey, it isn’t everyday that you get published :-)

Editor-in-Chief
Felix

Wishing for "Old Man Winter"

We are in the final stages of our dossier and we will send it to our facilitator next week! We are only waiting on the 171h. The USCIS e-mailed us that our case was approved and that the "golden ticket" is on it's way! I'll run down to Denver at the beginning of the week to get everything apostilled and then, we will overnight it to Ukraine...Whoo-hoo!


Lizzie knows it's getting close too. I got the following Facebook message from our sweetie today...

hi Tet'ka!!!
how are you????
I'm fine!!!soon I 'll have holidays!!!
i miss you!!!
i'm waiting for winter!!!!cause in winter you'll come!!!
i love you!!!!

Lizzie could speak a little English before she came here for 10 weeks this past summer. However, in past years she would inevitably ask for a translator after we spoke on the phone for only a minute or two. Nowadays, she carries on for long lengths of time when we call. Sometimes we have to tell her that we have to go and that we will speak again soon. Boy did that 10 weeks with us do wonders for her English skills! (Note the I'm, I'll and 'cause word use).

Yep, we both can't wait 'till Old Man Winter arrives this year!

~ Tet'ka Felix ~

A's & B's

Rimma & Nadia got their mid-term report cards today. Rimma came home with:

Language Arts = A-
Math = A
Science= A-
US History = B
Technology elective = A+


Nadia Came home with:

ELL = A
Math = A
Science = B
US History = C
Art elective = A+

I'm proud of both girls! Rimma has only been using English for 6 months and Nadia is wanting to succeed by feeding off Rimma. Good news all around! Julia & Kole should be bringing their reports home today or early next week. I'm hearing good things from them too!

Here are some pictures from Rimma's birthday outing to Red Robin. Enjoy!

Rimma's first American Birthday!

So, is she 1 or 14? Years from now she may want to use that smaller number! I can see her 40th birthday scene now, "I'm not 40 everyone, I'm 26!" And she may be right!

Rimma 11, at the Internot, Feb 2008

It's hard to believe sometimes that she was this spunky little 11 year old that stole our hearts back in 2007. We had to watch her grow up in pictures on the other side of the earth for two years. Looking back, it was money well spent to go see Rimma and Lizzie once a year, usually around their birthdays, just to see how they were doing and to continue the family bond. Rimma speaks highly of those visits.

14 today, at home in Colorado

I am haunted by the faces of those kids that would look on and attend our birthday celebrations with them, saying "Could you find me a family of my own, too?" Consider adoption, please!

~ Felix ~