The Avilla Family's own....

Adoption Adventure

First Day in America! April 1, 1999 - We arrive with our three girls and unite with Vanya and Lise

Hey, we are back! Got in yesterday afternoon and were greeted at the airport by my parents and two sisters with four cousins and Vanya and Lise. If you were expecting a grand Kodak moment, it was more like one mob meeting another. There were a lot of very cute scenes amid the celebration, though. Vanya was beaming and within minutes was chasing sister Sveta around in circles. Each of the girls held Lise and was very sweet with her, touching her hair and gently kissing her. On the way home in our van (filled to capacity now with kids), Lise was looking intently at oldest sister Elena, while Kerry and I marveled at the reality of our family being together in one place. At mealtimes Lise has been gazing at Elena, too, and I have watched as their eyes meet and they grin at each other. Vanya was unusually gleeful all day today, and was being goofy and showing off for his big sisters' benefit. I know he is enjoying the new relationships in our family. When the five kids lined up at the bar for lunch and they were all moving, eating, and talking, Kerry and I looked at each other and marveled that our dream has finally become reality. After dinner, while I was washing up the dishes, Kerry sat on the couch with Lise and Toma, and the other three were on the floor just goofing around enjoying each other. Folks, the memories of the past twenty-four hours alone are worth all of the work to bring our kids together!

So what did our Russian kids do their first day in America? First of all, Toma and Sveta were awake at 5:15 a.m. For two very jet-lagged parents, that was like a nightmare. Then it looked like this: Before Breakfast:beg to ride bikes. Breakfast. After breakfast:ride bikes. Lunch. After lunch:ride bikes. Before dinner:buy Elena a new bike. Ride bikes until dinner. Dinner. After dinner:beg to go outside and ride bikes. Bedtime. Dream about riding bikes. You get the picture. I was out in the garage most of the day and felt like the ringmaster of a three-ring circus. Some other notable moments: before dinner last night, barely home an hour, Sveta (8) brought in a fistful of beautiful flowers - from the neighbor's yard. Then later, a bouquet of California poppies (which are illegal to pick in California). Elena jumped on my mountain bike without knowing how to apply the brakes to stop. She was heading right for our new van at a frightening speed, then hit a dip in the lawn, had the bike bounce out from under her, and she planted two handprints on the side window of our new minivan. No harm to child or vehicle, but my heart was pounding-for both of them!

One of the delights of the day for me was taking Elena to WalMart to shop for Easter shoes and then surprise her with a new bike. I have been looking forward to buying bikes for my girls for months. I asked the store clerk to pull four bikes down from the display rack, then told Elena in Russian "You choose". Without a second's hesitation, she pointed to the teal colored bike and the green safety helmet. Back home in the expansive culdesac down the street, she beamed joyfully, riding in circles with me. As we turned to leave, she ran up against the curb and fell off her bike. We'll have to work on that brake thing…

I have many things to share about our trip, which I will do in posts over the next few days. Summary: Everything went like clockwork, no hitches, surprises, or even time pressures. I look forward to sharing with you many of the wonderful moments of our first couple days together.

Even just being back a little over 24 hours, I can already tell you emphatically that for us, five is better than two. Family in any configuration can be a wonderful experience, but we already see the joy in our two little ones' eyes just being with their older sisters and we know that the dream we have pursued for over two years is bearing good fruit. Thank you very much for all of your prayers and love.

David and Kerry Avilla
Lise, 4, Vanya, 6, Tamara, 7, Svetlana, 8, Elena, almost 12

Click here for the next episode: Day Two in America: "Aw, Papa, Magazine!"

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