Mama, PLEASE Promise You Won't Cry...

We made the familiar trek to Atlanta to let Yasha go--again. Even though it's familiar, it's not easy. This time we flew down a day in advance so that Yasha could visit his best buddy who was adopted this spring by a family in Atlanta from the same orphanage that Yasha is from. It was really cool to see how the boys had become Americanized (for good or bad) and how they traded off speaking English and Russian, often completing each other's sentences in one or both languages! They both have come so far and it was fun for us to catch up with Jason's mom and dad who have now become our good friends too...a real blessing for us having someone who has paved the adoption path ahead of us. Here is a photo of the best buddies!

Next we went to visit our friends Charlie and Rhonda and they were wonderful, welcoming Yasha with open arms and love...just as if he had always been a part of our family. Special friends will do things like that, which means more than they'll ever know! Here is a photo on their front steps as we were heading to the airport.

Finally, here are some goodbye photos from the airport. I really can't describe all the emotions that go on during this time of parting, but it is difficult on us all. After the weeping we all did at the Christmas goodbye, Yasha was determined that he was not going to cry, but he phrased it as, "Mama, PLEASE promise me you won't cry." He told me this on no less than 10 different times during the course of waiting for him to leave and each time I said that it was something that I couldn't promise. Finally, as I saw how important it was to him that he not cry in front of some of his classmates that were there, I broke down and said, "Ok, son, I promise." Then I prayed fervently that God would allow me to honor that promise. Since Scott had already left a few minutes earlier on a flight to Denver (and BTW cried his eyes out), Yasha thought he was home free now that I had made my promise. As they called his name I was brave and Yasha was brave, Alek was brave too for a second, but then let out the most heartfelt cries and grabbed onto Yasha and wouldn't let him go. I had to peel Alek off all the while trying to keep myself together and help Yasha get free. He said his goodbye's before the security gate, but never looked back. A good thing...since a tear slipped out just as he was walking through the gate to leave.