A reunion ...

Wednesday morning, the morning after Christmas we packed and got ready to head out of town. We left a little after lunch, Jon, me, Almira, Sarah and Katherine. We headed down to New Orleans to spend the night. We arrived about 6PM and did a quick drive through the French Quarter for Katherine to see what it was all about. The French Quarter has just lost the magic for me. It is so filthy now, with all bars and other unmentionable places. You want to shield the eyes of your children, especially so on Bourbon Street. We did one quick loop through there and then headed to the Hilton to spend the night. We went to Dragos for dinner in the bottom of the Hilton Riverside. It was the same place we had eaten before back in June of this year with Almira. Jon, Almira and Katherine had their fill of oysters. I can't believe those girls like oysters, raw and charbroiled.

Thursday morning we woke up and headed on east for our final destination. We suprised Almira and booked a condo on the beach at Gulf Shores. I had also been talking to Mary Ann, Nina's mother, who was adopted just a few months after Almira. Nina came home in September and was in the same family with Almira. It was such a sweet reunion yesterday afternoon. We arrived here at the condo at almost 5PM. The sun was setting and we unloaded the truck, with Almira still not knowing anything. Then I said I had to go put a parking pass on Jon's truck. Then I ran up to Mary Ann, Tony and Nina's condo on the 24th floor. I got them to come down to our condo on the 11th floor. I went inside and got my video camera ready. Then they knocked on the door and I told Almira to go get the door for me. What a great reunion. It was so good to see Nina again. She looks so good. She has more color, her hair is longer and she is so happy. They came in and visited and then the girls wanted to head to the beach. I took Almira, Nina and Sarah down to stick their toes in the water. I got some great pictures. Then after a while they came back up and we got ready for dinner.

We walked into this Mexican restaurant just down the road, right behind Mary Ann and her family and caught part of a conversation. The three girls that worked there were all Russian speaking. Two of the girls were from Moldova, where Katherine is from, and the other one was Russian. There was jabbering like crazy and talking. Then Almira and Nina joined in with Katherine. What a truly small world! Katherine was the first person from Moldova that I had ever met and then we walk in a restarant in Gulf Shores, AL and meet 2 more of them.

We had a great dinner and then headed back to the condo. Nina, now called Molly, wanted Almira to spend the night because she had twin beds in her room.

Then the girls all went swimming and after they came back up, Almira showered and put on her pajamas. Then she walked Nina to her room and Nina showered and got ready for bed. All this time Mary Ann is sitting down here with Jon and I getting caught up on things, like our girls. We swapped stories about their lives in Kazakhstan and the miracle of both of these girls ending up with us.

I'll stop writing now and post some pictures of the girls. As I type this all the girls are down on the beach digging in the sand and building a sand castle. Mary Ann, Tony and their son, Adam are down there supervising. Well, I must go now and join the fun. Happy New Year to everyone!

Kathy B.