We adopted Denis and Irina on January 13th, 2006 from Russia.
We first heard about Denis in the summer of 2005. He was in California participating in a Russian orphan host program and was about to leave the US. When we saw his picture and how his smile lit up our computer screen, our hearts told us that he belonged with us. We decided to adopt him and his younger sister and went to Russia to meet them in August. Almost five months later, we are back home in Minneapolis, loving every minute with our kids. They are polite, kind, grateful, helpful, smart and sweet. They are in awe of everything they see and we are enjoying seeing the world again through new eyes. Denis is a shy, healthy, tall, 8-year-old who loves school and basketball camp on Saturdays. He is a good artist and is learning everything quickly (English, reading, writing). Irina is five, very independent and strong-willed. She is very curious about everything and very creative. Both kids love their new family and seem to have adjusted very well. They both look up to their 13-year-old brother and he is enjoying teaching them new things and reading to them at night.
We are really enjoying our new adventure together. For us, these are some of the bravest and most wonderful kids we could have brought into our home. We are really lucky to have them here with us.