Lily was released from the boarding school on Easter Sunday, taking her first plane ride with our coordinator Dinara to Almaty. She will stay with Oleg for a couple of days to complete paperwork. This morning we found out that she will arrive in Knoxville on Wednesday evening, April 11 on the 9:38 pm flight from Memphis. She will arrive just a few hours before her tenth birthday which is Thursday, April 12.

Wednesday, April 11 After monitoring the flight schedule for last 24 hours, we determined that Lily and Oleg should be arriving just a little later than scheduled. The three of us went to eat at Uno's, and headed over to the airport about 9:30. As we took the exit for Tyson McGhee, we saw an jet approaching for a landing. Luda said "I bet that is Lily's flight!" We quickly found parking spaces and headed inside. Indeed, the little girl was right, it was the Northwest plane from Memphis--it had just landed. We had two wonderful angels that met us at the airport, Laura and Jenny, who are both graduates of the music program at Maryville College. They were among the greeting committee when Luda arrived two years ago and wanted to be a part of Lily's arrival in Tennessee. They came equiped with two beautiful stuffed ponies, one bay and a black and white paint--one for each girl. The five of us watched the exit from the airport very closely, getting excited whenever anyone under five feet passed through the security system. When we saw a little figure in pink, moving very lightly in matching pink & white tennis shoes scurrying through, we knew our Easter Lily had finally arrived at her destiny, destination. Luda raced for her, they embraced and the rest of us watched this little miracle of fate. Our two little Russian daughters, all the way from Kazakhstan, who charm all they meet with their slavic beauty and East Tennessee accents, holding each other in a loving embrace in the Knoxville airport. The last time they saw each other, they were a half way around the world. Oleg followed behind Lily, looking a bit more weary and worn than his pink charge. He said that the flight from Memphis was very turbulent and that he was feeling a bit, er, on the green side. We all expressed our empathy and headed down to baggage area.  While waiting for luggage, Laura & Jenny presented their ponies to the girls, which were a very big hit. (they carried them around the next day, braiding their mane and tails for entertainment) Once home, there was a lot of excitement while Lily met "the losers", our canine companions, and toured the house. She and Luda had a lot of fun exploring every corner, and making plenty of discoveries. Oleg, Kevin and I spent a couple of hours catching up, discussing the changes in adoptions in Kaz, analyzed the state of the world--you name it, we discussed it. The girls headed to bed about midnight and I followed shortly after. Kevin & Oleg broke into the whiskey and stayed up until about 2:00. It is was amazing to think of the variety of people staying under the same roof this night...and the diversity of cultures and life experiences they represent. "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." --A. Einstein I believe it all is indeed a miracle.

Sunday, May 6 Update Ms. Lily is growing like a weed...since her arrival, she has grown quite fond of American food and has gained eight pounds and jumped a clothing size. She loves both of her schools, and has given each one a big thumbs up when gets home each afternoon. Riding the bus home in the afternoon with her big sister Luda and next door neighbor Jessica has turned into quite the social activity. Last weekend, we took out the pontoon boat and had our first lake experience. Lily loved every second of it, was very willing to hop off the side of the boat into the water numerous times. The weather was warm, but the lake water is still very chilly, so she was a bit of a frozen popsicle when she finished. Luda made it in a couple of times with her, but didn't stay very long herself. This past Friday night, Lily experienced her first sleepover, spending the night with Luda's friend Callie and a couple of other girls. Ever the extrovert, she headed out the door with the sleeping bag confidently strapped to her tiny little body and a big smile on her face. (not sure she knew what it was for, but she is good about pretending!) Last night was a concert at the college where the Head of the Fine Arts Department introduced them to the community. Luda loved the attention and Lily was a big confused by all the fuss, since she didn't quite understand what was being said. They both smiled and waved from the audience. This morning was our first trip to the IHOP where the kid's pancake, compete with smiley face whipped cream and cherries, was a big hit. All in all, the adjustment is going well. As the honeymoon period has worn off, they are beginning to act like "real" sisters and get into occasional spats with each other. But by the end of the day, they are hugged up in the bed for their ritual saying of the Lord's Prayer and the singing of "Jesus Loves Me".

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