4 SEVERAL DAYS NOW, I HAVE BEEN TRYING 2 WRITE A POST ABOUT THE NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR FAMILY 4 THE SUMMER (OVER THE WEEKEND, WE PICKED UP 2 KIDS FROM THE UKRAINE, DIMA & MAYA). BUT LIFE CHANGES DAILY, SO BY THE TIME I FINISH WRITING A POST, & HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY 2 POST IT, IT IS OUT OF DATE!

ANYWAY, ZACH, WHO USED TO BE SHORT, UNTIL HE HAD HIS RECENT GROWTH SPURT, IS A GIANT, & EVEN SOPH, WHO IS YOUNGER THAN 1 OF THEM, IS STILL BIGGER THAN BOTH OF THEM! DIMA & MAYA DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH–YET—BUT THEY ARE LEARNING! SAT. NIGHT, AS I WATCHED MY FAMILY ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, I GOT A HUGE KICK OUT OF SEEING EVERY1 DEAL W/THE COMMUNICATION BARRIER THAT I DEAL WITH DAILY. BUT I BET THEY WILL PICK UP ENGLISH SUPER FAST, OUT OF NECESSITY, CUZ THAT’S LIKE ME NOT BEING ABLE 2 SIGN EVERY DAY (& I DO ONLY 1-2 “NO SIGNING DAYS” A WEEK)! BUT I’M GLAD DIMA & MAYA HAVE EACH OTHER–THAT COMMUNICATION BARRIER IS LONELY & TOUGH ALONE!

IT’S ALWAYS INTERESTING WHEN PEOPLE MEET ME, & SINCE THESE KIDS DON’T KNOW ME, & WE CAN’T FULLY EXPLAIN ME TO THEM, IT HAS TAKEN AWHILE 4 THEM 2 “GET” ME, BUT WE PLAYED A GAME LAST NIGHT THAT I THINK HELPED THEM TO UNDERSTAND ME BETTER, & I HAVE BEEN MAKING AN EFFORT 2 COMMUNICATE MORE WITH THEM—AFTERALL, THEY SPEAK 2 EVERY1 ELSE “MY WAY”—BY TYPING ON GOOGLE TRANSLATE ON THE IPAD), OR THEY PANTOMINE/SIGN.

AT THE AIRPORT, I WAS ALREADY USED 2 PEOPLE NOT BEING SURE HOW 2 REACT 2 ME, SO I WAS FINE W/MEETING THEM. BUT WHEN WE MET THEM, I GOT THIS OVERWHELMING FEELING THAT GOD PERSONALLY KNOWS THEM, & SENT THEM TO US. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY WERE SENT TO US, & WHILE I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT I WAS A CHILD OF GOD, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO KNOW THAT GOD KNEW THEM TOO, & CARED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS 2 THEM, TOO!