When I got home from a busy day at work, Viktoria was there to greet me with a hug and a kiss. What better way to come home? It appeared that she and Mike had a fun day together. She tried to explain to me that her chic-fil-a sandwich was very "big", but she liked it. She's not too fond of sweet tea though. Not that that's a bad thing since it's basically sugar water:-)
I'm a huge Mexian food lover! So, tonight I tried simple tacos for dinner. I think she liked them. She watched everything we did in making our tacos, and then how to eat them. They were messy, but she's such a dainty, well mannered little lady at the dinner table.
Her competetive spirit came out after dinner when she asked us to play games with her. It's fun to watch her get so excited. We then had our reading time in her bedroom. First, she read from her English (beginners) Bible and then from her Latvian Winnie the Pooh book. It takes twice as long to read in Latvian. It seems like it requires more words to say the same thing. She got a big kick out of Mike trying to read her Latvian Winnie the Pooh:-) She couldn't stop laughing.
She's now familiar with the nightly routine. She got her stuffed bunny and then reached out to hold our hands for bedtime prayer.
I marvel at her bravery and resilience. I catch her looking at me, or Mike, sometimes and I have to wonder what she is thinking. Where did her life begin? What happened to her parents? What does her future hold? These are questions I have. But, I do know that God hand picked this child to be with us this Summer. Viktoria has absolutely no idea how God is using her to change my life.

Megart Day and more...

This morning Viktoria (yes, that's the correct spelling we just found out..no "j") and I went to MegArt and worked on some special pieces. They'll be ready next Thursday. We worked well together and had fun choosing the pieces and the colors. From there we went to Targets to just look around and spend some time together. Viktoria likes to hold my hand when we walk from the car to our designation. After that we tried out Chick-Fil-A and she loved the chicken sandwich. Since it was raining we came home (no pool today), and played the game "Operation"and then watched the Disney Channel until Julie got home. Interestingly, Julie had left my camera on yesterday and the battery needed recharging. As a result I don't have any pictures from MegArt. I did take a picture of Viktoria later after the battery recharged. Well that's all for now...

Got home from work this evening and found Julie and Viktorija giggling while playing a board game. It was obvious right away they had experienced a wonderful day bonding. Julie is really great with Viktorija. I got to hear about their day together and I then I spent some time playing a game with Viktorija. Something that was really beautiful to see and hear was Viktorija reading the first two chapters of the Bible in ENGLISH aloud! She did great. Julie and I were both amazed and touched. We then told Viktorija it was time for bed. We then put her to bed by holding hands, saying a prayer, and then each of giving a hug and a kiss. Tonight she chose the big fluffy stuffed bunny to snuggle up with. Tomorrow is my day with her, so I asked her what she wanted to do....of course she said SWIMMING.

DENTIST!

Today was "my" day with Viktorija and I LOVED every minute of it!!! She wanted to make pancakes for breakfast again. She has taken quite a liking to our two dogs, Cosmo and Rosie. She made 2 very samll pancakes for them. Needless to say, they are in love with her too:)

We spent a few hours at the pool this morning. She is a fish! She could go after those dive sticks all day! We had such a good time together. My friend/neighbor came to the pool for a short time and was quite impressed with how personable and polite Viktorija is. Her personality is starting to shine. I hear her talking to the dogs and laughing. She was quite animated with me at the pool today too. There is nothing sweeter than the laughter of an innocent child.

After lunch, and rest time, it was time for her first dental appt. She was a trooper! I was so worried she would be scared. If she was, she surely didn't show it. The dental staff loved her! She does have two cavities, which will be filled. But, overall, her teeth are in pretty good shape. We were told that they aren't given novacain (sp), as a general rule, for orphans in her country. Please pray for her next Fri. I don't think she realizes that it will be a "big" day at the dentist that day.

After dinner she thanked me and then proceeded to help clean off the table, rinse the dishes, and put them into the dishwasher...without being asked. She is a rare gem!

Mike, Viktorija, and I played some games...Operation, Connect Four, and The Memory Game. She definitely has a competetive spirit:-) Mike claims it was a tie on the Memory Game...Hmmm, I thought it was Viktorija's win;-) I'm certain there will be a re-match though.

It's been another great day! I'm cherishing every moment with her. To all of my friends who have emailed and called, I apologize for being delinquent in getting back with you. I love you all, and will get back with you as soon as I can. I feel guilty taking any time away from her since her time with us is so short. Please continue to pray for sweet Viktorija. She is doing so well!

I woke up with angst that I had to go to work and leave her today. But, I knew she and Mike would have a great day together. It was a wonderful surprise when they came to visit me at work!! When I told her I missed her, she said, "I too". Of course that made my day:-)

I got home rom work at 3;40 and went straight to the pool. I found Viktorija floating on a pool noodle with a huge smile on her face and waiving at me as I pulled my car into the parking space. Is she really this sweet, or is she just really smart and knows how to tug on my heart strings?!?!?! Before dinner she presented Mike and I with a piece of her artwork (pictured above). She has been working on it since yesteday. She took a lot of time looking up the English words in her dictionary. She wouldn't let us see what she was working on...it was to be a surprise. The paper reads..."I love you...I'm happy being with you". She also had made me a lovely (pink) beaded bracelet that she had wrapped for me. Needless to say, I turned to mush and shed a few tears. I explained to her that they were happy tears. I hope she understood that.

She will try most any food we set before her...a blessing! We ate our first truly healthy meal tonight after cheeseburgers and pizza yesterday. She did well.

After dinner was some good bonding time over manicures and pedicures. Of course, she chose PINK for her fingers, and sparkle for her toes. :-) It just makes me smile. She started to open up about her favorite music and friends. She told me about the necklace she wears (a cross and a picture of Jesus). She got it after her communion. Anything to get her talking. We only had to go to the Google translator once! It's amazing how much easier it is to communicate than I had imagined. And, thank the Lord for Google translator!

Our nighttime routine includes Mike and I going into her room and "tucking her in" with a hug and kiss, and we say a prayer. I pray she will come to know how much Jesus loves her. I pray we can be good examples of His love.

Thank you to all of you for your kind words, encouragement, and prayers. We are very blessed to have family and friends with such loving hearts. Goodnight... (for those who know me, it's past my bedtime:-) ).

Mike and Viktorija Meet Julie at Work and Go Out to Lunch

We sort of surprised Julie at work today and I believe I saw a tear of joy in Julie's eyes when she hugged Viktorija. We introduced her to everyone Julie works with and then we all went out for lunch at Friendlys. After lunch Viktorija and I went grocery shopping and then to the pool for about 3 hours. My parents came by and visited us poolside. They were very sweet. Viktorija feels very comfortable with them. We're now at home and I'm planning to grill dinner for the girls. I'm sure Julie will add her comments later this evening with capital letters, exclamation marks, etc.... Sorry, my writing is mechanical. The main thing about my first day that I will never forget is that I was able to express and demonstrate to Viktorija a father figure's unconditional love for her.

Monday Morning with Mike - June 28th

Viktorijia and I shared breakfast this morning...fruits and cereal and then proceeded to build and paint a birdhouse. I had to restrain myself a little not to put it together for her. When I did help her I first asked if she neeeded help. She's very neat and organized. She reminds of somebody I know...We're headed to meet Julie at work (Presby-Huntersville) for lunch.

Our 1st FULL Day with Viktorija

We had such a busy first day with Viktorija. She handled it like a trooper!! We went to a friend's surprise b-day party. Although she didn't complain, we could get a sense that she was a bit overwhelmed. We only stayed to give our b-day wishes and then went to the universal place for a hamburger...McDonalds! She knew exactly what she wanted too...a cheeseburger, fries, coke, and ice cream cone. I guess you can live anywhere and know what McDonalds is:-) The next event was shoe shopping. She knows exactly what she likes, and it consists of the color PINK, and anything sparkley! A girl after my own heart! :-) We finally got to the pool about 3:00 and she lit up like a Christmas tree! The child loves the water! She kept showing me that her little fingers were like prunes. But, she didn't want to get out of the water. After pizza for dinner...yes my "diet" is totally shot....she is having some much needed down time. She is enjoying the arts and crafts supplies very much. And, she's already put together 3 puzzles! Looks like I need to do some more shopping:-)
Tomorrow will be an interesting day, as I go to work and Mike will be with Viktorija all day. I know he will do a great job, and it will give them time to form a bond. I, on the other hand, will be missing her and wishing I were at home with her. We are so blessed to have been able to work out our schedules so that she will always be with one of us. I work Mon and Wed, and Mike will work Tues and Thurs. We're both off on Fri. God is good!

Our first morning together has been
better than I could have expected. Since she was so tired from her travels, we let her sleep in. We will start church with her next Sunday. She woke up about 8:00 and came

out of her room dressed, and bed made (pretty good, too!)! She presented Mike and I with a gift....a lovely picture of a mountain house near a stream. We were deeply moved by her thoughtfulness.
It was then time for breakfast. She helped make the pancakes while I made the eggs. She did great!! And, she is eating well (another concern we had). After she finished eating she thanked me for the breafast! I'm completely overwhelmed, and humbled at the same time. We are so blessed to have this time with Viktorija.
Our next objective for the day is to go shopping for shoes, and then to the pool. Through the google translator, we asked her if this sounded ok with her. She was very excited! I think she's mostly excited about swimming.
Currently, she is working on a puzzle and seems to be content. My heart is exploding with joy right now! I realize the entire 5-weeks might not be this smooth. But, believe me, we know that people have been praying for us!! So far, this has exceed any expectation we may have had. Viktorija is going to do so well here in America these 5 weeks. I pray for God's leading in her life and ours.

What a true blessing to have Viktorija here...FINALLY!! She is precious in every way!! It was all I could do to hold back the tears. One of my many fears was that she wouldn't know how to accept love. That was immediately put to rest when she came up to me and gave me a hug. I thought I would have to be the initiator. I was so deeply touched by that. We were fortunate to be able to share this moment with my mom, sister, and Mike's parents, who were also at the airport to greet her. She does know a few words..."yes", "thank you", and "no". I think she will pick up on words quickly.
Another touching moment was when I showed her her room. I had been collectimg some crafts, books, puzzles, etc, and was saving them in a big tub. When I told her that was for her, she gave me another hug and said "thank you".
I praise our wonderful Lord for allowing us to meet this special little girl and spend time with her. I'm already in love!!
Keep those prayers up....we thank you all for that!!

Stay tuned.......

Arrival Pics

Arrival Date Delayed till Saturday Evening

We just received word that Viktorija will not arrive in Charlotte until Saturday evening at 7:24pm. One of her flights was missed...At least she'll get some rest/sleep tonight in Frankfurt, Germany. She leaves for Charlotte Saturday morning with another layover in DC.

By now she has received the special letter we wrote to her and has pictures of us, our pets and our home. The letters and pictures are not given to the children until they get on the plane. I hope she wasn't dissapointed when she saw my picture...but I'm sure she was impressed by Julie's smile.

New Flight Arrival: US Air #3640 from Dulles 6:06 PM - Charlotte 7:24 PM

Viktorija's Expected Arrival

Viktorija will be arriving at Charlotte Douglas Airport this Friday night (June 25th at 11:00pm). Julie, her sister Tracey, and I will be at the airport to welcome Viktorija and bring her home. A normal direct flight from Riga, Latvia to Charlotte is probably 10 hours. However, Viktorija's travel will include trains, and flight layovers to the extent she will have been up for at least 30 hours when she arrives in Charlotte. Tracey will take pictures of the arrival and our first meeting with Viktorija. We'll post the pictures soon after. We're really excited!