She's here!!! Dear, sweet, loving Alina is finally here! Grandma and Grandpa came to the airport with us - thanks a million times over Mom and Dad, for being there and supporting us! Grandma got to hold the Ukrainian flag while she sat in her wheelchair. There wasn't as much space for introductions and pictures there at the airport like there was last year so it got a bit loud and confusing. We had a translated letter for Alina to open that welcomed her and introduced us. A family in our group that Paul seems to be drawn to and likes is hosting a 12 yr old girl, Christina. As it turns out, she looks like Alina's best, best friend!! Those two hugged and kissed and talked for several minutes. They both seem just cute as ever. (It's funny, we almost hosted Christina...) Alina showered us with kindness, Thank yous, hugs and kisses at the airport, in the parking lot including Grandma and Grandpa and at home. She loved the dogs and interestingly enough, neither one of them barked at/because of her! She gave Paul a beautiful red Ukrainian egg. She gave Jessi a lovely blue necklace. She gave Arcadia 3 braclets. She gave Kenton and I counted cross-stitch pictures. She gave us a piece of paper with words and numbers on it...figured it was a phone number. We asked her if it was her phone number and did she want us to keep it and call her after she went back to Ukraine. After several attempts to understand, we called our group leader and asked her son (thank you, thank you, thank you - it was midnight!) what Alina was needing. He told us that it was Alina's "grandma's birthday today!" We didn't have a calling card to call her - we felt bad but Alina said we didn't need to call if we didn't want to. (Of course, we wanted to...). She asked him if we could understand her. He told her no, and that she probably didn't understand us, either. He also said she "likes us very much. I liked them very much from the minute I saw them at the airport". (Apparently, Alina volunteered this information - no prompting from him). Oh happy day!

This morning, Sunday, Alina was up and dressed in her church clothes! She is such a sweetheart in all ways! We asked her if she wanted sausages for breakfast - "Da" (yes). We asked her if she wanted a banana, too - "Da Da". We asked her if she wanted buckwheat cereal - "Da" (our group leader gave us some buckwheat from the Russian grocery store). We asked her if she wanted herbal tea - "Da Da". We asked her if she wanted orange juice. She kept saying something that I didn't understand so I thought maybe she wanted the orange and not just juice. I had Paul hold up an orange and she got even more verbal - pointing like dots all over her face. I asked if she was allergic to oranges - "Da Da Da". Makes me wonder if there is anything else. She ate five sauages, a bowl of buckwheat cereal, 2 eggo waffles, a banana and a cup of tea. I am thrilled that she has an appetite and wants to eat. After we ate, Alina said something and ran and got the paper with Russian translations of basic English terms and she found and pointed out "This tasted good!" I can't tell you the joy that touched the inner parts of my heart! What a beautiful, happy, loving, friendly, mannerly, darling young lady.

She had a bloody nose this morning. Must be the altitude...they warned us last year but Igor and Natalia didn't have any bloody noses. I guess I forgot this could happen (they live at sea level). Just as a side note, after breakfast they wanted to watch some 'Sponge Bob'. Alina pronounced it perfectly then ran and got her glasses. Did not expect that...What a wonderful blessing from the Lord to have such a choice daughter from across the world here with us for 3 weeks!!!