the Life of Olena

Well if you haven't noticed, I have updated the Title of my blog.   And it is an expression of exactly how my life feels right now.   I have sat here staring at a blank posting page several times over the last week.  Thinking about what exactly do I say?  How do I even explain what we are going through?   I decided I would be honest.  I would bare the internal soul of this house for everyone to read.  I decided this for several reasons.  1. I think it is only fair to other potential adoptive parents for me to keep it real.  Share how damaged these kids REALLY are and how not to take on more than what you believe you are capable of  2. hopefully I can inspire others.  Granted this hard and I will tell you things that will make your jaw drop, but it is not impossible.  I have faith and hope, though very slim at the moment.   I also know what me and my husband are capable of and I refuse to let an 11 year old break us.  3. I have noticed a change in myself, in the way I communicate w

The time has come.  Though our adoption is not final we are comfortable sharing a bit more information and sharing a few details of what types of days we have been facing. Iryna  (pronounced Ear-ina) is 11 years old from Ukraine, the Donestk region.  She likes to go by the nick name of Ira. (ear-a).   She was sadly placed in an orphanage for the mentally impaired at a young age, however, you can clearly tell that was not where she belonged.  In my own opinion her story is divine, amazing and nothing short of a miracle.  To be in the "older child" category, in a home for the handicap, and just about to age out of that current home in a matter of days.   Hope for finding a family at this point is usually slim to none. But by God's amazing grace a family from the US was willing to call her their daughter.  For a girl with such tragety in her short life, most would imagine that this story went on and ulitmately had a happy ending.  Her and her new "forever family&qu