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Journal for August 31, 2004

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Jeff says: This journal wasn't set up originally so that I could easily make changes, edits, or replacements later. However, I'm going to do it today anyway. I'm writing this at only 11:15am on the 31st, so I'll need to come back later and let you all know what happened in the afternoon. Today is a dreary, grey day in Uralsk, Kazakhstan. It is the first such day we've had here, really. (When it has thundershowered the past two times, it has been only at night.) We got up this morning and got ready for court. I had intended to go to church at 9:00 to prepare myself spiritually, but it was pouring, so I abandoned that effort. We left at 9:50am. I got into Philipich's car and said to him, "Idyot dozhd" (it's raining). He responded with his 66-year-old wisdom and assurance, with a twinkle, and said, "Dozhd XOROSHO!" (rain is good!). His prognostications were accurate. We went through the court proceedings. We requested that the judge grant our application for adoption, and also an application/petition to waive the 15-day waiting period and grant us immediate execution of the adoption. The prosecutor looked like a real cold (but elegant) woman, and in the end, after my moving speech, she recommended (uncharacteristically) that the judge grant BOTH petitions. As of 10:45 this morning, we are Alexander Jeffrey Holton's parents. Wow. How do you type a big smile? Now, at the end of the day, I can honestly say that fatherhood suits me. My little boy is an angel. After our court pronouncement this morning, we went out to lunch one last time at the Kamelot. We had a few minutes back at the apartment to refresh, and then we were off to meet Olga at the Records office. There we signed some book of some sort, and received birth and adoption certificates for Alexander. Then, we were all off to the babyhouse to collect our bundles (of joy, that is). Alex was pretty stoic throughout the meeting. He didn't fuss, but nor did he smile. Dr. Irina gave a short and heartwarming speech. You know, I honestly have no idea what her last name is. I don't even know if she has a last name! We distributed some gifts to her, to Alex' caregivers, to the staff physician, to Olga, and to our interpreter and driver. Then we put Alex in a car for what may have been the first time in his life. (Well, he had to get to the babyhouse from the maternity hospital somehow, but we're not sure how.) He sat on Dina's lap and just stared at things, anything, everything. He soaked it all in, full of curiosity and wonder. When we got home, we fed Alex his first dinner with us, some concoction of the Russian version of Gerber chicken and rice, plus some diluted apricot juice. Very appetizing. He ate most of the dinner, and all of the juice. Afterwards, we played patty-cake and peek-a-boo for a while. He just loves that! He giggled and squealed and laughed a whole lot...except when Yiayia or Nana called, during which times he went completely silent. We tried to put him on the phone with Nana. That didn't work so well. As he hadn't had an afternoon nap today, he started to fade around 7:30. We had originally intended (upon recommendation) to have him sleep in the largest of our suitcases, but we found it was not large enough, so we didn't even try. We arranged all of the pillows in the apartment on our bed so as to form a barrier so that he can't roll off. It should hold, but then, why should it matter? Does anyone really think we're going to take our eyes off him tonight? We can sleep when he's 18. Pretty much since 7:45 then, he's been asleep. He stirs every once in a while. He rolls over, then he rolls back. He dreams a lot, and he smiles quickly in his dreams. Sometimes he pumps his legs. We assume he's dreaming about playing peek-a-boo. There is a little boy in my apartment. He's my son.

Dina says: He's ours! And we were granted immediate execution! I am mommy to the most beautiful boy I've ever seen! God is good. More later! I’m sitting in the bedroom of our apartment watching our baby sleep. OUR BABY! He is so incredibly beautiful and we are so blessed to have this gift from God. We cherish him and will take care of him. He is truly a gift from God. Today was a good day. Today was an unbelievable day. Today, I learned that I could be happier than I ever thought possible. Today, I became a mother. Our court proceeding went just as we anticipated. I was a bit nervous, well, nervous isn’t really the right word. Maybe what’s more accurate is that I knew this was REALLY important and I wanted to make sure we did everything right. There I was, sitting in a courtroom in a foreign land, halfway across the earth, waiting for a man to determine whether or not Jeff and I could be the parents to this child we love so much. A child who is not biologically a part of us, but fully and completely born in our hearts. Court lasted about 30 minutes. It was very similar to pre-court, with all the same people. The only difference was there was a representative from the records department and there was a prosecutor. I was very intimidated by the prosecutor when we saw her walk in. She was very well dressed in a beautiful suit, and was very polished, attractive, and poised. We were told that she isn’t necessarily pleasant (she’s there to do a job, after all, not make friends) and were expecting the worst. But it really wasn’t that bad. She only asked one question and it was for Jeff. She asked why we requested immediate execution. Jeff did an amazing job with everything. I was so proud of him. As opposed to giving birth, the man really does most of the work in the proceedings for a foreign adoption. At the end, he gave the most heartwarming speech. I was too nervous to cry because I knew that I had three sentences to say at the end. I told the judge that I, also, was requesting the court to consider our petitions for the adoption and for immediate execution. I told him that I agreed completely with everything Jeff said, and I thanked him for his consideration in our petitions. The judge then asked the prosecutor if she had anything to say. She basically summed up everything we said, then stated that she supports our petitions to adopt and for immediate execution! We were totally surprised, as we were told that her job is to say that she doesn’t support immediate execution. But I guess it isn’t always that way. We didn’t care! We were so happy with what she had to say. Then, the judge stated that he was granting our request for adoption and for immediate execution. That is when I totally lost it and started bawling. Everything we had worked for up until this point was finally coming to fruition. Our dream of being parents had been granted to us. Praise God! We walked out of the courtroom and Assia gave me a big hug. Then Olga, I was sniffling and snorting because I was crying so hard. I didn’t care! We saw the Scheblers, who were waiting outside the courtroom. I saw sue wiping tears away, and she later told me that she couldn’t look at me because she would have lost all of her composure right then and there! Jeff and I then went downstairs to find Philippich waiting expectantly by his car. He yelled to us, “Mama & Papa?” we gave him the thumbs up sign, and he was all smiles! He gave us each a hug and kept muttering something about “Mama, Papa, Mama, Papa”… I think he was happy for us! We got back to the apartment and made calls to our family who were all waiting anxiously by the phone. There were many tears of joy shed. We then changed our clothes and waited for the Scheblers to arrive. We ran outside as we heard them pull up and we ran outside to share some hugs. Their hearing went well and were also granted immediate execution! We all took Assia out to lunch, her choice. She chose Kamelot, it’s her favorite place to eat. I decided to branch out and try something new. I got the Forest Apple-Tree Schnitzel. It was fantastic. It’s pork wrapped around apple slices, then breaded and baked. Yum yum. I had ordered a Greek salad, but when he brought it to me, it was definitely not a Greek salad. I got a chicken salad with apples and dried apricots. I told the waiter not to take it back, I thought it looked interesting. It was really delicious. After lunch, we came back to the apartment, and rested a bit. We had to wait to go to the records office to sign for his birth and adoption certificates. After that, we went to the baby house to pick up the children. We sat in the same office we sat in three weeks ago. The one where Alex cried so hard and was so scared of us. He was wearing the new outfit we brought for him. He looked so serious when they brought him in. Not a smile, nor a tear. He is a very smart boy, and knew something was up. I held him and kissed him at least a thousand times. The baby house director gave both families a wonderful farewell message, and then we distributed our gifts. As I walked out the door to the baby house, I felt a very powerful feeling. It’s hard to describe it. It’s happiness and sadness all rolled into one. In the car, Alex was still very quiet and serious, but incredibly observant. He looked out the window and followed things closely with his eyes. I can’t imagine what’s going through his little head. This is a whole new world to experience! We arrived at the apartment, and decided to play for a bit. We used the same blankie and toys that we had at the baby house so he’d find them familiar. We thought that might be comforting to him. Jeff and I taught Alex peek-a-boo yesterday by covering one of our heads with a cloth diaper (why am I explaining how to play peek-a-boo?). Alex was semi-interested yesterday. Today, it was the funnest game in the world! He laughed SO hard, it brought tears of joy to my face, and it took every fiber of self control not to pick him up and squeeze him forever. There is nothing like that toothless gummy smile that results from a HUGE belly laugh from a 9 month old baby! We fed him dinner at about 6:00. We are following the same schedule he was on in the baby house. I made some rice cereal and mixed in half a jar of chicken and rice baby food. He washed it down with some diluted plum and apricot juice. After dinner, we played some more, and as if on cue, he got fussy and started rubbing his eyes around 7:30. I held him and rocked him a bit, then he fell asleep, no problem! He’s been sleeping peacefully since then, and I’ve been sitting in the room just soaking it all in. There’s a really comfy chair in the bedroom, and I perched myself here with my laptop. I’ve been following up with emails and working on this post. Tomorrow night, we will be picked up at 8:00 for our 9:50 PM flight back to Almaty. It is not a direct flight, we will be making one stop to pick up some passengers. We do not have to change planes, as far as I know. We and the Scheblers upgraded to business class, so this will most likely make the trip much more bearable. We arrive in Almaty around 5 or 6 in the morning. We’ll go to our apartment, then I don’t know what happens. The people over there will hold our hands and take us each step of the way. What would we do with out World Partners!?!? Thank you again for everything. This has been such a life-altering experience for all of us. Due to popular request, Jeff and I plan to maintain this website on at least a monthly basis, perhaps even more often. We have so many family members and friends who live far away, that we feel this will be a great way to keep in touch with all of you.

Comments for August 31 Comment from Auntie Julie I am first! I am so happy! I am in tears! I am in love with my first nephew! Praise the Lord! Julie Comment from Darcy Congratulations on the safe arrival to your parental arms of your son!!!!!!!!! This is wonderful and a true answer to prayer!! Congratulations again.....I'm so happy for the three of you. Comment from Liz Branch Wahoo! Congratulations you guys. Can't wait to read all about the day bringing Alex to the apartment! Comment from maggie clermont Welcome to the Holton family, Alex. I've been following your parents' journey to you and it's quite a tale! Soon, you'll be experiencing even more new things as you come to your new home in California. As Dr. Suess said, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" Comment from Francesca (from LJ) Congratulations! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful news! Congratulations! Comment from Karen Walton We rejoice with you on this, the fourth anniversary of the day we became parents. There has never been a more exhausting and all-consuming task than being a parent, but the love and joy that you feel today for your little boy will only grow. May God richly bless your new family! We will be praying for a safe and joyful trip home. Comment from Lou E. Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Holton and Family: Congratulations, Congratulation, Congratulations, Congratulations!!!!!! You have made this day a VERY happy one for all of us. Comment from Tesa Praise God!!!! Comment from Colene The day we have all been waiting for. Best wishes and sincere congratulations!!! Colene Comment from Laura & Paul ...And baby makes three...Congratulations Jeff, Dina, and Alex. What a beautiful family you are. God has truly blessed you. May your lives be filled with love and happiness forevermore. Comment from Karyn (prayerwarrior) YAY!!! God IS good!!! I am so happy for your all!!! What a wonderful day!!! :-D Comment from jeney Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! That's it. You're a mommy! And daddy! There have never been better parents than you both will be. I am so.....elated! Thrilled! And other words that mean the same thing! I am so sleepy - just about to get my kids out the door to school, feeling a bit lethargic and ho-hum..but now I'm bouncing off the walls! You're parents! He's yours! Oh, this is the best, guys. I am unspeakably happy for all three of you. Comment from JD, MARIA AND ANISA God Bless your family! We are so happy for you and wish you many years of health and happiness. What a journey? Now get back here (safely) so we can hold baby Alex!!!! Nas Sas Zeesee....Love always, your new Koumbari..... Comment from Julianna I'm crying. I can't see the screen through the tears!!!! We all knew it would happen! What judge couldn't give that boy to you? You are going to be (already are) the best and most deserving parents ever! And Alex will have the best life! Especially once you get him home and I can squeeze him! I love all three of you! -Julianna Comment from Yiayia Connie Dad and I are just beside ourselves with happiness and love for you three. This all seems kind of sureal in a way, but also perfectly natural like it was meant to be. I think God brought Alex to you and us and I know he is going to bring so much happiness to our families and he is going to be blessed with the best parents who will give him endless love all his life. Can't wait for next week!! LOVE, LOVE,LOVE to you three. Mom Comment from Becky HAPPY FAMILY DAY!! Congratulations! Becky Mama to Declan Azamat, also a graduate of BH1 Comment from Tyanna Congratulations mommy and daddy. Alex you have the best parents any little boy could ask for. Congratulations to the three of you. Comment from Dawn Hirsch I am so happy to hear the news! I'm also SO glad you sent the link to this site again because I accidentally deleted it and haven't been able to view! But what a treat being able to see from day 2 through final adoption! Alex is SO adorable and you all look so happy!! Congratulations! Comment from Katherine (krikketgirl from LJ) Congratulations!! There are no really good words to say what I feel...welcome to parenthood! Comment from deltamiss How absolutely wonderful!!! Congratulations!!! I don't know who the luckier is...you two or Alex. :) Comment from Karen Walton We rejoice with you on this, the fourth anniversary of the day we became parents. There has never been a more exhausting and all-consuming task than being a parent, but the love and joy that you feel today for your little boy will only grow. May God richly bless your new family! We will be praying for a safe and joyful trip home. Comment from Pat Shikany Congratulations to all of you. Lou called me from work and said your dad is walking on clouds. I then talked to your dad and he is so excited and can't wait for next week. One of the best things in having children is BEING GRANDPARENTS!! This has been a very moving experience hearing about your days and now the wonderful news that you ARE MOMMY AND DADDY. I heard from Dad that Alex is with you today, and you will be on your way tomorrow toward your next step of paper work. I wonder just how much sleep you got tonight touching Alex to make sure it wasn't a dream. Love to all 3 of you, and hurry home to Grandpa, he's waiting for you, Alex. LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!!! Comment from John Alfiers Ahhh... And now the journey REALLY begins. As one so wisely stated: "Leaders are not born... they're RAISED" - With the patience, heart, perspective and wisdom that you both possess I see no reason why Alex will not become his OWN MAN, with his own Godly mission. We're all thrilled for the 3 of you. Might you be back in time for our Alfieris Picnic in Livermore on 9/11?? - HOPE SO! ... Love'ya 'cuz' Comment from a random person from LJ I'm so happy for you all that I'm crying--and I don't even know you! Comment from Uncle Dan Everything that's been said above to the 10th power!! Now that tears are trickling down my cheeks, I can read all about it. It was difficult a couple of minutes ago. Try reading a computer screen through a foot of standing water!!! Fawaz called Ramzi earlier. Ramzi immediately called us. We danced a jig around the living room. Now I'm here getting it all confirmed from "The Source". We are happy for you three. I could blather on here forever, but we're emotionally exhausted. I can not imagine how you must feel!!!??? I suppose that tonight will be YOUR SON's first night in the apartment with you. What a change for you all!! It'll be almost like a home. Just wait until you get back to the real world! If there are any sounds of crying in the night, you'll be terribly upset, but Alex may be disoriented by the absence of such sounds. May the Lord bless and oversee the adjustments!! Love, Love, Love, and Kisses, Kisses, Kisses! Uncle Dan and Aunt Samar Comment from Uncle Dan What do you mean "There are no photos in this album yet"???? This is the ultimate birthday!!! This is not acceptable. Get those pictures out there. If you didn't make any, you'd be well advised to lie about it and get to staging some fakes immediately! Unka D Comment from Sharon Durant What an exciting outcome!! You are so deserving and so blessed! Enjoy the rest of your trip and come home safely. Sharon Comment from Nana Nina Gramps and I were so overjoyed when you called us last night. We didn't get much sleep after that. I called Joanna, but her phone was already off, and since she's in Spokane, I don't know if she has computer access. But she does know the news. Alex, welcome to the family. You cannot imagine the joy we're all feeling. We're not going to get much done before next Wednesday, waiting for that first moment when we get to meet you. Jeff and Dina, I imagine you'll be tired after your first night as parents, but don't forget to take Alex out of the suitcase before you pack tomorrow morning! Comment from evangeline I've followed your journal on and off after randomly seeing a link to it. I am SO happy for you. God bless! Comment from shemaiah This is awesome news!!!!! I was finally able to log in today and check out all the lovely pictures! I am so happy for you guys! I wish you were back in town for I will be in your neck of the woods next week! Comment from Genevieve CONGRATULATIONS, Mom and Dad!!!! God bless the three of you on your new adventure as family!!! :) Comment from Thea Evonne CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HOLTON FAMILY!!!!!! (Doesn't that sound good? Wow - I knew it would happen, but I'm so relieved. Can't wait for you to come home. Comment from Dana Washington Congratulations!! I am all teary eyed reading this!! I am so happy for you!!! Cannot wait to see you all when you come home!! Dana Adoption Connection Comment from Joanna I'm in spokane, wa, now and didn't find out the news till 11pm last night when my mom left me a message, but after reading about what you went through in the courtroom dina, I'm crying too. i can only imagine what jeff must have said. And i'm practicing a lot, too...holding zee's 6week old niece so i'll be all set to see alex next week! Comment from Linda Pipe Ohmygosh! He is just the most beautiful angel baby! I am soooooooooooooo excited for all three of you! What a wonderful day it is and we can't wait to have you back in the states and home! YEA! XOXOXO L Comment from darcy ok.. that picture of all of you holding your children just about killed me! What a wonderful day this must be for you all. How great that your little boy is sleeping so soundly - just like he has always been with you. Thanks for deciding to keep this site updated monthly - I think I'd go into shock by not having a Holton Family Fix!! Comment from Nana Nina I've just had the opportunity to read the complete journal from August 31. You've touched my heart greatly. I'm sort of scared to look at the photos. Why do I have to be sitting here at my desk at work instead of in the apartment in Uralsk? I guess so I can earn enough money to buy toys and nice things for our new grandson. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm crying. This is not a good thing to do at one's desk at work. Good thing I work amongst compassionate people. I have Alex's photo on my door, and when Ron walked in I said: "Isn't he just the cutest?" And since Ron doesn't yet have any grandchildren, he said: "Yes." So there. It's pronounced! Love you all. Comment from Uncle Dan Well, I don't think that was the same journal enty that I read earlier. Either you changed it or replaced it. The last version (OLS.2?) is better. If the first one made me weepy dyed, this one, ... well, I have the cleanest tear ducts along the Atlantic Seaboard and I hope that Daniel doesn't come up here and see me. There is not a gram of salt left in my body. I'll have to raid his stash of Gator Aid. And the pictures are up and they are great. My faviorite for today and perhaps all the days is no. 13 which is that last one of His Nibs sleeping with his thumb in his mouth. He looks like a totally innocent angel and I'm sure that he is, but be aware that they'll be able to create this illusion long after the condition has passed. And you'll sleep when he's 18? Excuse me while I convulse with laughter. You won't know what sleepless nights are until he IS 18. Still, it's worth it all in spades!! But get used to his imaginary friend named Knotme. As in "Who marked on the wall?" "Knotme!!" Who was out past curfew last night?" "Knotme". Love, again, Unka D Comment from Nana Nina O.K. That's it. That last picture did it. I'm on my way! Comment from Yia Comment from Yiayia Connie Dear Dina and Jeff, I just read your updated journal for today. Good thing the kids have all gone home because I am sitting here bawling like a baby. You have no idea what a mother feels when she hears her baby say "Today I became a mother". I feel truly blessed to have had this experince in my life and to witness such a wonderous and happy event in my children's life. There is so much love around you guys right now I feel so peaceful and know that God is working miracles. I am so proud of both of you. You are remarkable young people and Alex is the luckiest boy to have been guided to you.You worked hard to make this happen and it took a lot of courage and faith. You will be rewarded millions of times over. That picture of him sleeping is priceless in itself. Alex, my first grandson, you cannot possibly know how much you are already loved!! You have two sets of grandparents who can't wait to hold you and kiss you and hug you and (spoil you). We wait for you impatiently and look forward with great anticipation the times when we can watch you learn everything about your new world and new life. Lots of love, Yiayia Comment from Jeddo Fawaz What a wonderful day! What a glorious feeling! What fabulous couple, Dina and Jeff! What a story for the ages! I am sure there has been other adoptions before and many in the future for couple all over. What is so remarkable about my grandson's adoption is the collective LOVE and affection and goodwill and care and positiveness and emotions and ...(etc) ...of so many people. This is the unique thing about this case; a tsunami of pure and exquisite love. There are NO gift that is larger than this ever, for a parent, to see their children shine like Dina and Jeff. I want to echo Connie's praise of Jeff and Dina. Their noble characters and courrage to expose their private and personal lives, for our benefit, is beyond heroic. I am so proud of both of you. And as so many people stated, my beloved grandson is blessed beyound measure to have you as parents. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to cry in the office without shame or discomfort. Today is THE happiest day of my life, next to the birth of Julie and Dina. May God keep you, the three of you, under his love and care. Counting the minutes to your safe return. ALL my LOVE. Comment from Ammo Ramzi Let me try to squeeze in a little extra love..! there is never too much of it.. Jiddo & Yia'yia we are so happy for you.. We are so happy for all of us.. Congratulations..! The Holtons.. CONGRATULATIONS ..! we are so joyed with our expanded family. Julie.. Congratulations you are going to find out how great it is to be an uncle or an aunt.. take it from me I know..! Jeff & Dina.. I don't beleive I can say I know how you feel..I can only imagine.. This is a miracle of love that will be embeded in your lives, your dreams and your prayers.. Alex ..we are all yours and we love you very much Comment from zeina i wish you every happiness this world has to offer with the nwest member of our very interesting family. Alex, welcome...put your seatbelt on cause you are in the ride of your life!!!!Jeff and Dina, you are going to make wonderful parents, i just know it. Congrats to you all. we love you and wish you a safe return. cant wait to see you soon special congrats to jeddo, you are going to be the best jeddo ever and nobody can tell me otherwise. love always zenzoon Comment from Jill Bertaina What words can one offer when such a gift has been given from the Lord above. It is overwhelming to picture your son lying in your arms, from the giver of all good things. A million congratulations at all that is to come as you begin your lives together with your precious Alex. Comment from Chrysten & Ike CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your detailed description today gave me goose bumps and definitely had me reaching for the Kleenex. We couldn't be happier for your new family! Chrysten & Ike Waiting for travel dates!!! Comment from Cousin Lana WAHOOOOO!!! *Doing a little dance* so excited I don't even know what to say ahhh!!! COGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE YIPPIE!!! idwugh9GHT(#$*GHhwr9th948hg that's all I can think of saying I"m so excited for you guys and boy does Jeddo Fawaz have a nice ring to it!! Welcome to the family Alex we love so so much and can't wait to meet you!! Comment from Lauri Realini Oh what a glorious day!! Dina and Jeff, you have been blessed wih a beautiful baby boy and Alex, you have been blessed with two wonderful parents!! Welcome to parenthood! He's a thumbsucker! I love it! Both my boys were thumbsuckers (now ages 20 & 24). You have a great adventure ahead of you and you're going to love every minute of it! Congratulations!! What is a Boy? (written by Alan Beck and published in Reader's Digest in 1954) Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find a delightful creature of a boy. Boys come in assorted sizes, weights and colors. But all boys have the same creed: to enjoy every second of every minute of every day and to protest with noise (their only weapon) when their last minute is finished and the adult males pack them off to bed at night! Boys are found everywhere: on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them and adults ignore them. A boy is truth with dirt on its face, beauty with a cut on its finger, wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and the hope of the future with a frog in its pocket. When you are busy, a boy is an inconsiderate, bothersome, intruding jungle of noise. When you want him to make an impression, his brain turns into jelly or else he becomes a jungle creature, bound on destroying the world, and himself with it. A boy is a composite. He has the appetite of a horse, the digestion of a sword-swallower, the imagination of Paul Bunyan, the energy of a pocket-size atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the shyness of a violet, the audacity of a steel trap, the enthusiasm of a fire cracker, and when he make something, he has five thumbs on each hand. He likes ice cream, movies, Christmas, comic books, the boy across the street, woods, water in its natural habitat, large animals, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday school, composing, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults or bedtime. Nobody else is so early to rise or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can cram into one pocket a rusty knife, a half-eaten apple, 3 feet of string, 2 gumdrops, a five-cent slingshot, a chunk of unknown substance, and one supersonic code ring with a secret compartment. A boy is a magical creature - you can lock him out of your workshop, but you can't lock him out of your heart! You can get him out of your study, but you can't lock him out of your mind! Might as well give up! He is your captor, your jailer, your boss, and your master. But when your dreams tumble down and the world is a mess, he can put together the broken pieces in just a twinkle with a few magic words...I LOVE YOU! Comment from Amy Abels God bless you guys! What am I saying...He has blessed you exeedingly abundantly beyond all you could ask or think! I am so happy for you, and I can't wait to meet Alex Holton! Comment from Roxann Dear Dina and Jeff- I have been watching your webpage the past few weeks and today is the day I have been waiting for. Congratulations! I am so happy for you and your new family. Alex is so lucky to have such caring people in his life. Have a safe trip home, Roxann Comment from Amanda C. Jeff and Dina, I've been following your web site and am so excited for you. Congratulations, and may God bless you and your precious little one and grant you every happiness. What a beautiful family! Amanda, mommy to Olivia Rose, b. Taldy-Korgan 2/9/03 Comment from Angie Morrow After reading both of your comments, I wept of course. How wonderful! How beautiful! How exciting!. I had you in my mind all day today at school..just kept thinking about the three of you. Do you know what I was thinking about as I read your journal for today? I thought: what a cute Christmas card they will be sending to their relatives and friends this year. A delightful picture of the three of you with "Merry Christmas and love from the Holtons--Jeff, Dina, and Baby Alex." Congratulations and God's Blessings. God is good, God is great. Comment from shadowfaxjm I'm SO happy for you, the THREE of you!!! It is so wonderful to be able to read this! You're Mommy and Daddy now!! I'm SO happy for you!!! Comment from Katherine and Andy BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! The three of you belong to each other! Nah mas zeesy! I hear in your words . . . complete joy wonderment at being a family eagerness to open your world to him gratitude for this miracle Dina, your mother called me early this morning to say three words, "I'm a yiayia!!!" And at that instant I heard in her words . . . complete joy wonderment at the beginning of the next generation eagerness to open her world to him gratitude for this miracle And you know the other three grandparents are busting with exactly the same emotions. This day is a new forever. Ecstasy. Our deep love and joyful congratulations to all of you. Comment from susan vogel Your cup of happiness runneth over and we are overjoyed for you and your families. Cannot wait to embrace the three of you! Love, Susan, Ron & Ashley Comment from mary and Lou Evans Congratulations! What a blessed day. Lou and I have been thinking of the three of you all day. We are vey happy for you. Have a safe trip tomorrow. Your son is beautiful. Comment from Shirley Gray I have been crying and crying (and for those who know me, you know that crying comes so easy for me, but it is always from the heart!) I am so very happy for all three of you and can not wait to meet your precious son! He is so truly blessed to have you as parents and you are so truly blessed to have him as your son. As we are getting ready to go to the Ranch, I think back on these past few years...the ups and the downs...and there truly was a reason for all that happened, even though you might not have been able to see it at the time. Looking back, God had His plan, and we now know that you were supposed to be Alex's parents! May God bless you and keep you safe and bring you back to family and friends (and even strangers) who have been so touched by your beautiful story. Comment from Andrew Jeff and Dina - Words can't express how happy we are for you guys! Glad everything went so well and that you were granted immediate exceution. Best, Andrew (and Kathleen) Comment from Melanie I think I may be last!!! GAH! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! This is so great!! And I've loved every step of the process! Thank you for having this journal. :) Comment from Mary & Pam Petsas :O) God Bless You! Congratulations on your Beautiful Baby Boy. What a Blessing for the whole family. May you all enjoy your good fortune. Have a wonderful trip home and we can't wait to meet Alex. All of our love to you. Comment from Kathleen Andrew beat me to it today! Congratulations to all three of you. Alex is one lucky little boy! We look forward to meeting him in person. Kathleen Comment from jeney The fact that you were BRINGING HIM BACK with you hadn't even registered! He's in your room! All the time! Why didn't I think of that?!! HURRY HOME!!!! Oh my gosh. He's yours. It's done. All this time of waiting, you're parents! Comment from Beth Chapman Congratulations, Mommy & Daddy! I sit here in floods of tears...tears of joy and wonder. I have often been astounded at the perfect match God granted our family with our cat. How much greater the wonder that God matched you with your perfect son, even halfway across the world. May your family continue to enjoy God's bountiful blessings. We love you, Beth Comment from mairesue Congratulations. That word is not enough but it will have to do. I am so very happy for both of you. God Grant your Family Many Many Many Years, Health and Salvation. Comment from Thea Diane I'm overwhelmed by all you say; by all that has happened and by the sheer joy of it all. We are all so very happy for you. Your long journey has brought all three of you a wonderous gift from God. How blessed you and all of us are to have experienced God's grace in this way. Alex, you are my littlest Koumbaro. I can't wait to meet you and give you hugs and kisses and let you know how much we all love you. We look forward to wonderful years growing up with our grandchildren and building memories together that will last a lifetime. Comment from The Ted Polyzos Family CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! ONCE AGAIN, GOD HAS GRANTED US ANOTHER BLESSING. BABY ALEX IS YOUR PRECIOUS SON! AND AS YOU SAID, HE WAS BORN FROM YOUR HEARTS. HE IS ANOTHER ONE OF GOD'S LITTLE MIRACLES AND HE IS SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS HIS LOVING PARENTS. JEFF & DINA, WE HAVE ENJOYED SHARING YOUR JOURNEY IN THE PROCESS OF ADOPTING ALEX. YOU HAVE SHARED YOUR MOST PRECIOUS & PRIVATE MOMENTS WITH EVERYONE THAT LOVES YOU SO MUCH! WE ALL FEEL TOTALLY BLESSED TO HAVE YOU IN OUR LIVES. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE YOUR JOURNALS AND TO TAKE THOSE PRECIOUS PICTURES. AND NOW TO THE HOLTON FAMILY, JEFF, DINA & ALEX, MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU AS YOU CONTINUE ON YOUR JOURNEY TO COME HOME. WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR YOU! TEARS OF JOY ARE RUNNING DOWN THE CHEEKS OF THE ENTIRE POLYZOS FAMILY. LOVE, THEO TED, THEA MARY ANN, KAREN, TEDDY, GEORGE, STEPHANIE & ALEXIA (ONE OF ALEX'S MANY GIRLFRIENDS!) XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO Comment from Kassie from LJ-Land Congratulations "Mama and Papa"! :) He's gorgeous, and I know you will love him always! :)

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