Our Siberian Tiger

hi friends...it feels like forever since i wrote... i realize that there was much writing before russia & then during russia & now it seems we haven't written at all. It's hard to explain what our home has been like lately...we have had some really beautiful joyful moments watching Andrey running & playing & discovering new things & then there have been the hard moments where thomas is just struggling with the whole little brother concept & life is chaotic...i really had prided myself on having a peaceful home but lately peace can change at any moment. So i'm posting some pictures to share the fun times. By the way, andrey is doing fabulous...adjusting, speaking some english words, understanding most everything i say...he goes around closing all our doors which drives me a bit nutty but all of his habits are most likely from his upbringing at the orphanage so i'm careful how i discipline him, etc. I finally got our announcements out in the mail - this was very special to me because during the adoption waiting i envisioned what the announcement would say, what picture we would use, etc. Our dear friend Heidi helped put it together because i didn't have the time or talent...it's just the way i wanted it & it feels like the last step in a long journey...a joyful step...an announcement that Andrey is finally here with us & happy.
Some of our friends from church had a welcome home andrey reception after church on the playground...it was wonderful! That is one of the pics.