... all the love in the world.

We headed upstairs as we prepared for bedtime last night. Mason and Payton were a little behind... they wanted to "get water" to take to bed with them. A common ritual in our house. The two of them then ran up the stairs like a herd of elephants, exclaiming that they had made lemonade.

Payton held up her cup and yelled, "Mom! 'Nade!"



Encouraging her for a job well done -- and wondering how in the hell she made lemonade, I said, "You made lemonade? Whoa, good job!"

Fast forward... the kids went to bed and Kyle and I retreated downstairs. I went to the kitchen to grab the Mt. Dew I had opened just before we went upstairs. I understand I could have a better choice of drinks... it is my guilty pleasure. You drink wine, I drink Mt. Dew. You drink beer, I drink Mt. Dew. You smoke, I drink Mt. Dew. Ha.

Empty.

Uh huh. Lemonade alright! 

Kyle and I sat there, laughed and tried to figure just exactly how that conversation went down.

Mason: Here Payton, want some of Mom's Mt. Dew?
Payton: Yeah!
Mason: Okay, tell Mom it is lemonade. Okay?
Payton: Yeah... 'nade!

Little shits stinkers. Little love muffins.



It is moments like these that I sit back and say, "See self... she totally gets it. She can lie with the rest of 'em. She can deceive with the rest of 'em. She might have Down syndrome... but that doesn't stop her from nothing!"

And she sure is damn cute while she's at it.

::

I recently came across this cross that we were given when we adopted Nika. In all honesty... I don't even remember receiving it. But it was such a blessing to find it.


It says her Russian name + baptism + February 2, 2007.

It is the cross she was given... I presume... at her baptism.



Today is the five year anniversary of the day Nika was baptized. At the time... she was an orphan living in a Russian baby home.

There is so much we don't know about those first two years of her life... so much we wish we knew. And so much we don't know about her baptism... I guess I feel blessed to know that she even was baptized... Russian Orthodox, I assume? Did she have sponsors? I don't know... wish I knew.



I really have this yearning tonight to find Nika's birth parents. It isn't often that I even think of them... but tonight, I am. I really just want to see them. And if ever given the opportunity... I would love to show them that this little girl that they had no hope for... she is doing amazing things. And she is so deserving of all the love in the world.