She's Come a Long Way

To Our Dear Readers,

I promise I'm working on the third post in the trilogy about Josh proposing to Zhenya. I apologize for the delay!

While you wait, I thought I'd share a photo of Zhenya taken about 3 months after she was adopted from Russia in 2001. (She's on the far left.) This picture was our first Christmas card photo as a newly formed family of eight.

May God bless and keep you!
Denise

Children from left to right - Zhenya 8, John 9, Sarah 7, Anna 11, Alison 9, Matt 6

Russian Adoption: What Was Going Through Her Mind?

When we were blessed to travel to California in April, Daria, age 18, was able to stroll the ocean's edge for the first time. Her beach combing was an experience she most likely never would have had without having been adopted. I wonder what she was thinking as contemplatively sifted the sand with her toes.

A Dream Trip

Mrs. Beaver:

I'd mentioned in a recent post that the our nine youngest children and I were utterly blessed to be able to tag along with their dad and brother, John, on a business trip to Santa Monica, California.

Winter in the upper Midwest had been very odd--almost no snow during months it was expected. Then when April arrived, snow blew into the area repeatedly. Even though our trip was scheduled for the period when fruit trees are normally flowering in our area, we left Iowa with white stuff coating the fir trees...

...and found ourselves in a different world. One of our reasons for investing in the travel was to allow our children to experience a world vastly different to rural Iowa.

Photo credit -- Natasha

Photo credit -- Natasha

Photo credit -- Natasha

Coastline lifeguard SUVs wearing surfboards next to the Santa Monica Pier...we had definitely achieved the goal of expanding our children's world! We'd flown into a West Coast wonderland!

Our second reason for saying, "Yes" to the trip was stepping back from the every day demands of life to allow for dedicated moments of family fellowship.

When the opportunity presented itself, Mr. Beaver and I debated the cost. But who can put a price tag on giving orphans their first chance to see the ocean?

When we reached the ocean side on our first day in California, Daria asked me to take a photo of her running her toes through beach sand for the first time in her life.

She was one gleeful former orphan!

The hassle of applying sunscreen didn't even phase her...

...or any of her siblings.

With sun protection in place, the water was the goal.

Eight-year-old Oksana paused to take in the awe of the rhythm of the waves before entering. Just like her older sister, Daria, her grin stretched from ear to ear.

I have so much more to share, but this post is long enough. More to come...

Russian Adoption: A Birthday She'll Never Forget

Yesterday Amy turned eleven.

We're certain she always remember this particular birthday because she spent the day in California. Her dad and brother had a week-long business trip so we decided at the last minute to  make it a family trip.

First thing in the morning, we gathered and walked to a renowned breakfast restaurant in the area.

Even thought we got there before the crowd did, our wait was still fairly long. You get used to this when you travel as an extra-large group.

Super-hungry Oksana kept checking to see if the restaurant was ready for us.

The rest of us us fellowshipped.

I was even able to sneak in a photo of our first Russian trio whom God placed in our family through adoption almost 12 years ago: Mark (17), Jaynie (almost 20) and Sarah (18).

The breakfast was outstanding--worth every minute of the wait. However, on the walk back from the restaurant, we indulged in sweatshirts for our youngest little girlies. Their goose bumps were enough to evoke our sympathy.

As a photographer, I quickly discovered the two girls looked mighty fine together in these colors. This worked out great since the duo are best friends.

Here Amy wrastled with a pink-flowered water snake...and eventually won!

Next we were off to beach...about a block away.

The birthday girl and her best buddy tentatively made their way to the water's edge. While the others had forged on ahead of them to begin wave hopping.

Later, older sisters, Jaynie (left) and Daria (right) help the birthday girl work up the courage to do a bit of wave hopping.

Mostly, though, Amy was content to play in the sand. These are her legs after some of that sand play. We weren't sure we'd ever get her clean!

After the hours of beach play, the kids were quite hungry. When we reached the restaurant, we told the birthday girl she could order anything she wanted (first time off the kids' menu!). She immediately set her heart on the "Danger Burger", a hamburger large enough to scare anyone but Amy.

We finished the day by a stroll down the Santa Monica Pier--a happening place at night. Our birthday girl was tired and happy after her first-ever birthday in such an exotic locale.

Why Adopt a TEEN?

Mrs. Beaver:

Mark, Samuel, Alexander, Tatiana (hidden) and Daria (left to right)

My title is too big for what I can accomplish tonight. In fact, this title is too big for a post of any length. After 14 months of parenting a teen who most Americans--most Christians--would write off as too damaged, I could write a passionate book on "Why Adopt a Teen?" In my few words here I can only say that our God IS big enough! Our God provides grace freely but only once we trust Him and thrust ourselves into a vulnerability that demands we depend fully on Him. The Lord has amazed Mr. Beaver and I at every turn as we've been blessed beyond measure to parent Daria.

Some day I'll try to tackle "Why Adopt a Teen?" in a more concrete manner, although the subject is so beautiful, so well--magical--so "of God" than I'm not certain there are words equal to the wonder experienced.

For now please read the post of my dear friend and co-adopter, Jamie. Her insight about teens who are seemingly unadoptable carries an profound insight about OUR adoptability by God.

We spent Thanksgiving with Jamie and Marcos and their son of four months, Samuel. Mr. Beaver and I first met Samuel in Moscow two years ago on the trip which allowed us the chance to meet our children-to-be Daria, Alexander and Oksana. All four kids were in the same orphanage in rural Russia.

Above, I've included three favorite pictures from our Thanksgiving vacation in Minnesota. Please follow their sequence carefully to get the full impact of Samuel's act of kindness. To me, the pictures seem prophetic of the role God will grow Samuel into--reaching out and helping others in need.

Our couragous, faith-filled friends on their family's first Thanksgiving together -- Praise God!

And just to think, Samuel could have easily aged out of the system, lost to crime, desperation and possibly even suicide.

Our Adoption: Dad--On His Own

Mrs. Beaver:

A year ago I had the easy job. I was in Chicago with Lissie, Natasha and Joe who had each qualified locally to compete in the National Bible Bee Finals.

Opening ceremony -- Lissie receiving her medal for qualifying

Banquet on final evening -- Meggie, Bonnie Leigh, Natasha and Lissie (l-r)

Because of the need for me to be at the Bible Bee, Mr. Beaver was a world away, alone in Moscow, Russia. He was single-handily beginning to parent the three children who were finally ours at the end of a court-mandated 10-day wait, following the judge's "Yes," to our petition in late October to adopt Daria (15), Alexander (11) and Oksana (5).

Here's the link to Mr. Beaver's story of God's overwhelming goodness during the adventure of a lifetime: First Day with the Kids

Five!

Mrs. Beaver:

For the past couple of days we've been caring for the children of our dear friends, the Nordstroms. Their mom, Heather, had to have emergency surgery on Tuesday afternoon. (We thank God that we can pass along the news that, although she'll have a multi-week recovery, the danger has passed and she's doing well.)

Today I took both our families to a nearby park to relish what will probably be the last of the 80 degree weather this year in our northern plains location. At one point, I saw 14-year-old "T-Bird" scoop up his little sister "Peaches." Our long-time readers will remember that Peaches is a precious former orphan who was adopted from Ethiopia by the Nordstroms about six months ago.

As I saw brother and sister looking so photogenic, I raced over to take pictures. I began asking Peaches about her birthday tomorrow. Her response was precious:

In no uncertain terms, she told me...

...with much exuberance... 

...that in one day...

 ...she would no longer be four...

...she would be FIVE!!!

Not only did I get to enjoy the antics of a precious little girl, I got to watch a big brother caring for his little sister in a way that would make any parent proud. T-Bird was protective and aware of Peaches' needs. He was gentle and kind. He was interested in what interested her. As I stood watching the two of them interact, I felt as though I was being allowed the privilege of getting a peek at T-Bird maturing into a man. At the rate he's going, he will do so bringing glory to God as he is being changed into the image of Christ.

Happy Birthday, Peaches! We love you!

Another Adoption First

Mrs. Beaver:

As we were eating dinner tonight, Alexander surprised us. He said in his broken English, "I never eat corn like this before."

Judging from his cob and the twinkle in his eye, he became an immediate fan.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Part 1

Mrs. Beaver:

Last Sunday, while visiting Denver, we attended a Colorado Rockies baseball game with Mr. Beaver's mom, Jane, and his Aunt Jean. We took the light rail to the Union Station stop in the "LoDo" section of downtown Denver.

LoDo was run down, dilapidated and dirty until some people with great vision brought life back to the area. Now its a beautiful example of urban renewal, a "happening place," that includes Coors Field, home of the Rockies.

We had several blocks to walk to the stadium so we arranged for alternate transportation for Grandma and Aunt Jean.

Our first view of Coors Field

Banners for the home team hung along our route. I thought this one was of special interest with a pair of shoes so carefully arranged 20 feet in the air!

My beloved gang in front of the stadium's entrance

Some happy men--not many professional sports teams in our area!

This photo captures the view from the other side of the sculpture that welcomes Rockies Fans to the Coors Field. This native Coloradoan treasured the glimpse of the Rocky Mountains in the background!

However, now that I've bean an Iowan for nearly a decade, I appreciated that one of the giant mosaic "baseballs" in the sculpture included a cow.

Our seats were way up, which allowed for magnificent views of the interior of the stadium, of LoDo and of the business district of downtown Denver.

Once we got to our seats, we still had nearly an hour before the game began...plenty of time for silly antics.

...enjoying each other's company...

...and people watching.

For Alexander, Daria and Oksana this was their first taste of "the Great American Pastime."

As always, Mr. Beaver and I took real joy in the blessing of sharing a "first" with our precious adoptees. We enjoyed their wonder and curiosity about the hoopla and pageantry before the game even started.

God has so richly blessed the two of us in allowing us the opportunity to enlarge the world of nine fatherless children over the past decade. We thank Him every day for showering His mercies on us! He is a good God. As the Lord has enlarged their worlds, He has enlarged our hearts and our faith. He has also increased our adoration of Him.

More to come on our experience of game time in Part 2