Meeting mommy ~ and brothers and sisters for the first time!

Meeting Sydney and Sarah for the very first time was amazing!  They are both so precious and loved beyond measure.   

My dear friends, Bethann and Melony, joined us at the airport and took amazing pictures and video of our first meeting.  What priceless pictures and video's these are to us!  Thank you both so much!  

Sean, Melony and Bethann ~ treasured friends!

Enjoy!

Rachel and Kayla anxiously waiting to greet their new sisters!

Justin, Matthew and Michael waiting to meet their new sisters with mommy!

Mommy meeting Sydney for the first time!  Pure love!

Cradling Sydney for the first time

Mommy's first kiss to Sydney

Looking directly into the eyes of your new daughter...priceless!!

Meeting Sarah for the first time.  Pure JOY!!

Coming to mommy!

Nuzzling Sarah for the first time

Sarah finally in mommy's arms

Meeting Justin, Matthew and Michael

Our youngest 6 children!

Sydney meeting Justin!

Welcoming Holly HOME and Sarah meeting oldest sister, Kayla, for the first time

Welcoming Jason HOME!

Kayla holding Sarah

First family photo ~ minus biggest brother, Wesley.

As many of you know, Jeff and I adopted Sarah and Sydney in quite the unusual way.  Jeff adopted the girls alone and I will adopt them here in America.  Ukraine allows this type of adoption only under very strict guidelines.  The couple has to be married (which we are, 26 years this year!) and the person not adopting in Ukraine has to have a dire medical reason that does not allowed him/her to travel OR be over the required age limit.  The first is our reason since I had to stay home to care for Michael while he recovers from previous surgeries and is being prepared for his final surgery.


I did not travel to Ukraine at all so the first time I met Sarah and Sydney was literally when Jeff brought them home 9-9-11.  Jeff traveled without me with two of our older children on each of two trips to Ukraine.  We Skyped and texted so I could be a part of the experience but it was not quite the same as being there.  I did get to Skype with Sarah and Sydney after "Gotcha Day" and talked to them but it was nothing like holding them in my arms for the very first time and kissing their precious cheeks.

God has been so gracious throughout this whole adoption journey!  He literally moved mountains time and again to bring our girls home.  There are two less orphans in the world today and we give Him all the glory!

HOME!!!

Jeff, Holly, Jason, Sarah and Sydney arrived home Friday, September 9, 2011 at 7:45pm.   

Below are pictures chronicling their 25 hours of travel and first day HOME ~ in America!

Dawn ~ On the first day of your lives in America, taken from our back door.

My sleepy beauties at 2:00am the day you begin your journey HOME!  It is a 25 hour journey so this picture was actually taken 9-8-11 as you waited to go to the Kiev airport.

At the Kiev airport, leaving the country of your birth.  Ukraine.

Holly and Sarah flying to Germany on their way home

Jason and Sydney flying to Germany on their way home

Daddy carrying Sydney as they step out of the plane in Lubbock ~ HOME!

Holly carrying Sarah as they step out of the plane in Lubbock ~ HOME!

Mommy holding Sarah for the very first time! 

Mommy holding Sydney for the very first time!

First family photo ~ minus big brother Wesley

 

 

Safe in your car seats for the 20 minute ride home ~ all tuckered out!  Sydney never did wake up and slept until 9:00am the next day!

Sarah woke up and wanted to explore some toys....

...and the TV

VERY happy to have a bedtime snack!  First American meal... oatmeal with strawberries!

Sarah sleeping in her very own bed for the first time.  She slept for 12 hours straight that first night!

Sydney asleep in her very own bed for the first time.  She also slept for 12 hours straight that first night.

A very exhausted Jeff!  

 

Sunset on the day you arrived home! What a wonderful day!! 

 

I am playing catch-up with posting about the girls first few days home.  Bear with me.  Everything is going well with the little kids but sickness got a hold of quite a few of we bigger people the last few days.  Jason and Holly were sick pretty much the entire two weeks in Ukraine with travelers sickness.  Jeff started getting sick the last day and once home and the adrenalin settled down, he was literally in bed with fever and chills for several days.  I, too, was sick with who-knows-what.  Praise God, the younger 6 did not get it!


Here are a few pics from the day after Sydney and Sarah arrived home. 

Sydney!

Sarah!

The 5 youngest brothers and sisters!

L to R, Justin, Sarah, Matthew, Sydney and Michael