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| Saturday, May 12, 2007 |
| Gifts from Afar |
L and El's birthday is coming up on June 6. They have been waiting literally all year for this big event. They have had to endure birthdays of all of their relatives and friends, with the exception of J who is a week after them. They got quite good at saying, "Our birt-day is long time." Well, it's finally approaching.
This week we received a package in the mail from their grandmother in Russia. It was a long box that was covered in a flour sack, sewed together on the end. I wish I had taken a picture of it. Inside were gifts for the boys, I'm assuming for their birthday. It had a letter, but our translator has been busy and hasn't been able to translate it yet.
Inside the box was a car for each boy and an outfit. There were shirts-size 5- with Mack from the Cars movie on the front. The shirts hang to their knees. They also received size 4 shorts that look like capris on them. It's funny enough to see the boys swallowed in the clothes, but what's even funnier is the "English" that's stitched on the shorts. They say, "Beatiful- A Car". The close-up below gives a good shot of it.
I am so glad that their gma is communicating with them now. She lived twenty minutes away from them when they were in the orphanage and we were told she never came. They were in the hospital in her town many times, she never visited. Now that they are on the other side of the world, she writes letters and sends gifts. I guess it isn't for me to understand. I'm just glad that they have a link to their Russian heritage. I am grateful that they have 3 Babushkas that care for them. Each of them holds a different part of their lives. What a blessing!
 ***Update: According to some of the comments, I think there might be a misunderstanding about my feelings toward the boys' grandmother. In the beginning we were told gma was extremely impoverished, living on a pension, and was unable to take care of the boys. We worried about their half-sister's well-being. I felt so sorry for her, but then we learned that no family ever visited them, even in the hospital when they were so close. This would not have hurt adoption chances. Then when we received pics of gma, mom, and half-sister, I will admit they bothered me greatly. I saw a large, round family, a sister with perfect teeth when my boys had been through so much pain dentally, gold curtains, fancy clothes, etc. For a while, I wondered why and had many questions. I felt pain for my sons. I feel that these were natural emotions to be going through. I prayed hard and God has given my heart peace and acceptance. Now, I have no feelings like that when I see those pictures. I feel sorry for them because they are missing out on these precious boys, but I'm so grateful they are home with us. We fully appreciate the communication we have with gma and are incredibly grateful for it. We hope that eventually the relationship will lead to insight into their past. In a way, gma is a part of our extended family. We hope communication continues. We value her care for them and the relationship she now has with them (even though they really don't know who she is). |
posted by 6blessings @ 5:51 AM  |
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| 13 Comments: |
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Adorable. Maybe their grandma knew if she visited them they wouldn't be adopted.
I'm very glad that she is communicating with them now.
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I tend to agree with Debbie... and how her heart must have been broken to know that she could not care for them, love them and raise them. I pray for g'ma....she knows they are loved in your home, but she misses not being part of their life. We do not know her situation, age, health. I pray that she knows Jesus as her savior and will see your family in Heaven some day. And NO translator will be needed there!
Happy Mother's Day!
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If you scan the letter and e-mail it to me, I'll get it translated for you.
Just popped in to wish you a happy Mother's Day! I hope your six blessings have something special planned.
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How wonderful that their Russian babushka is sending them gifts and trying to communicate. I know what you mean about not being able to understand the choices the Russian family made when it came to visiting the boys. My kids, who are bio-sibs, were in the same orphanage, and while the family would visit Vika, they never once visited Eamon. They were already at his orphanage! Why didn't they take the time to see him too? It is a mystery which I will perhaps never understand. But, at least he doesn't know the family, and therefore does not miss them the way Vika does.
Anyway, it's great that the bwins have some form of contact with their Russian family, and that their birthday is coming up soon. It will be a big one for them, and I bet they will enjoy every minute of it! :)
I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!
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Those shorts look huge. They still look adorable though
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Hey Kim,
I know I would have felt the same way you did ~ and rightly so. It boggles my mind that she was so close but never visited them. How sad! But it is as you say... her loss b/c they sure seem like sweet little kids. But maybe by her deciding to communicate w/ them now you can find some answers to your questions one day. Buddy got J's letter today. He was stoked! Maybe this summer we can get all the kids together. Talk to ya later ~ and Happy Mother's Day!
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The outfits are cute. I love the odd English. While the fact that she didn't communicate with them in the orphanage is certainly perplexing, I'm so glad she's willing to do so now. It's such a wonderful link for them.
Happy Mother's Day! -- It's your first Mother's Day with the bwins!
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Happy Mother's Day! I hope you are having a great day!
It is so hard to understand others sometimes, but that is such a miracle that you have brought healing to the boys and to their extended family relationships.
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You are sooo lucky to have this communication with the grandmother. Even if it seem a little wierd to us and we don't understand their motives, I think it will be good for the boys in the future to have this 'connection' to their past.
Happy Mothers Day!
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Too cute! Happy Mother's Day!
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You know it might be that was too hard to see them while they were there. I mean too hard in a guilt inducing way but now that your sons are safe from the orphanage maybe gma has more safety guilt wise to communicate? Not that you will know but something to consider. Good to know you have the connection for your sons. I wish I had something like it in China for my daughter.
Beverly
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Those are just priceless! I am so happy to know that the bwins have that link to Russia. Even though the relationship is not what you'd hoped it had been in the past, you may not have the boys if it had been different.
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I don't know about your region, but in ours, if any family member visited, the children would become ineligible for adoption; that may (or may not) be part of why she stayed away.
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Adorable. Maybe their grandma knew if she visited them they wouldn't be adopted.
I'm very glad that she is communicating with them now.