Final Letter to Roman and Maxim

I began this blog in Spring 2008 as a way to chronicle and share the journey Stephen and I were beginning to become a family. Writing this blog and recording our adoption experience became a labor of love and also connected me with so many new and amazing friends!!! It's funny because when you begin the adoption experience one of the questions you get asked by your agency and social worker is how you will talk to your children about being adopted and the journey you went on to become a family ... all I can say to that is "START A BLOG". This has been a great adventure in writing about not only our experience to become a family but it also tells the story of our family life since we all arrived home on November 14, 2009! Two years ... AMAZING ... these boys were meant to be ours and this is the journey Stephen and I were meant to take to become parents ... just like a puzzle ... the pieces were there and just needed to come together to make the family we are today!!! I have enjoyed keeping this blog ... the friendships I know have with other adoptive Moms is a treasure I will always be grateful for ... the friendships span the entire United States and I don't think you could get that out of Lamaze class!!! I will continue to post on Facebook pictures and stories of life with Roman and Maxim so if you aren't my FB friend and want to follow along ... please let me know!!! One of these days I will make our blog a book for each of the boys so they have a keepsake of our Adoption Journey and the first two years as a family. This is on last letter to them so they know how much love they give us each and every day and that we are so blessed to have found them and become their Mama and Papa!! Thank you for being a part of our journey and for all the love and support you have shared with us!!

Christine and Stephen


Dear Roman and Maxim:

It's been 2 years since we stepped out of Baby Home #6 in Yekaterinburgh, Russia at approximately 4:30pm. It was a chilly night, snow was on the ground and it was getting dark and we were headed to the airport to board a plane to Moscow and then back to the United States to begin our life as a family of four! Roman, you were so talkative on that ride to the airport! You talked about everything you saw out the windows .. the houses, the cars on the road and the people walking! Maxim you were our silent observer, just looking with those big, brown eyes of yours at everything we passed ... you never said a word ... you just took it all in! Papa and I were so anxious to begin the next step in our journey with you, our dream of bringing you home was finally coming true!!!

You have brought so much joy and happiness to our lives! You are amazing little boys with defined personalities ... Roman you are our on the go, little energizer bunny. You are constant motion and don't like to sit for long periods of time! You are always affectionate and give hugs and kisses freely and let us know that we are "best friends" and will always be friends because we are family ... a quote from you on one of our drives to school!!! Maxim, you are such a happy child! You are always singing and you can be stubborn. I'm not really sure if you will ever learn to blow your nose or button your pants and I guess with that cute little smile you have, it will be okay. You are also constant motion ... there is a song in your heart or your head because it is seldom you aren't singing about something. You also share hugs and kisses whenever possible! Both of you are very loving little boys and I hope you never lose your kind spirit and willingness to help other people!!!

Roman and Maxim ... thank you for bringing the sunshine into our lives and making every day an adventure! We have truly been blessed to have you as our sons and to be your parents ... the receivers of your hugs, kisses and smiles! Thank you for making my dream of being a Mama come true!!!

Always know and remember that we love you ... BIG BIG!!!

Mama and Papa

Pictures of our life as a family:


First "official" family meeting - October 26, 2009

First Ever Family Photo - November 14, 2009

Family Photo - October 2010

Our Family Today - January 2012