It’s Our Anniversary!

 

No, it’s not the anniversary of when neutral observer and I got married. It’s the anniversary of when we flew from Atlanta to Moscow (via JFK) to adopt our three daughters. I wrote a post a few years back with the details.

Wow. Twenty-three years ago today. Sorry, my eyes are getting a little misty…

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  1. EODmom Coolidge
    EODmom
    @EODmom

    Oh you lucky, lucky man. And family. A day to celebrate 🎉.

    • #1
  2. PHenry Inactive
    PHenry
    @PHenry

    Happy family birthday!  

    • #2
  3. GrannyDude Member
    GrannyDude
    @GrannyDude

    Oh, Stad! I knew you’d adopted three Russian daughters, but I didn’t realize you’d done it in one “Swell Foop” (as my mother would say). Wow! What a fine day that was! Many happy returns of the day. 

    • #3
  4. Snirtler Inactive
    Snirtler
    @Snirtler

    PHenry (View Comment):

    Happy family birthday!

    Beat me to it. Happy anniversary!

    • #4
  5. DaleGustafson Coolidge
    DaleGustafson
    @DaleGustafson

    I had dinner with my daughter and grandsons today. It is a ritual because 45 years ago my wife and I met a 707 from Korea carrying our daughter to us. December 13th is a good day.

     

    • #5
  6. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    O frabjous day!

    • #6
  7. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Oh, Stad! I knew you’d adopted three Russian daughters, but I didn’t realize you’d done it in one “Swell Foop” (as my mother would say). Wow! What a fine day that was! Many happy returns of the day.

    We usually buy in bulk.  Hehe . . .

    • #7
  8. Concretevol Thatcher
    Concretevol
    @Concretevol

    Congrats on the anniversary!!

    • #8
  9. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Wow, congratulations!  Did they speak any English when you brought them home?

    • #9
  10. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    Congrats!

    • #10
  11. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    Wow, congratulations! Did they speak any English when you brought them home?

    None.  We planned on not introducing English until we were safely back in our house.  While we had them oversees and on the way back, we had a list of parental phrases in Russian to use when we needed them to do something (or as was mostly the case, not to do something).

    • #11
  12. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    Stad (View Comment):

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    Wow, congratulations! Did they speak any English when you brought them home?

    None. We planned on not introducing English until we were safely back in our house. While we had them oversees and on the way back, we had a list of parental phrases in Russian to use when we needed them to do something (or as was mostly the case, not to do something).

    The notion of a Southern couple trying to talk Russian to little girls on an airplane adds a touch of hilarity to the otherwise heart-melting story! & it all ending with Babuschka!–should be a movie!

    • #12
  13. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Titus Techera (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    Wow, congratulations! Did they speak any English when you brought them home?

    None. We planned on not introducing English until we were safely back in our house. While we had them oversees and on the way back, we had a list of parental phrases in Russian to use when we needed them to do something (or as was mostly the case, not to do something).

    The notion of a Southern couple trying to talk Russian to little girls on an airplane adds a touch of hilarity to the otherwise heart-melting story! & it all ending with Babuschka!–should be a movie!

    We did take a lot of pictures with our camera.  However, we also had an early model digital recorder – not the bulky VHS kind, but the hand-held type with digital tape.

    When we got home, we transferred everything to VHS tape just as we caught oldest daughter pulling the tape from one of the cassettes.  We eventually had everything put on DVD.

    The most priceless piece of video I shot was the Christmas pageant put on in the orphanage.  Because our girls were leaving early (and were in the pageant), they held it early, ironically on December 25th instead of the Russian Orthodox day (January 7).

    • #13
  14. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    Wow, Russian infiltration is everywhere!  Happy Anniversary to your family, Stad.

    • #14
  15. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Stad (View Comment):
    While we had them oversees and on the way back, we had a list of parental phrases in Russian to use when we needed them to do something (or as was mostly the case, not to do something).

    Nyet, nyet, NYET!!!

    • #15
  16. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    My original post was meant to get folks to think about adoption, even if older.  My wife and I were both in our forties when we flew overseas to get our girls.  Fifties and older might be a little tougher . . .

    • #16
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