Reunited (And It Feels So Good) We were dressed to the nines for Zoe's second synagogue appearance in three weeks. Six months to the day after arriving in the U.S., Zoe was given her formal Hebrew name in a synagogue naming ceremony this past Saturday before a few close friends and relatives. In an emotional ceremony attended by a few close friends and relatives, Zoe was formally welcomed into the Jewish faith.

Adding to the tears of joy was the return of Zoe's friend Laira, who we last saw in the Frankfurt airport on her way home to suburban Chicago in October. Laira and Zoe were inseparable, just as the anxious parents were during our three trips to Russia together.

What would they remember of each other? From their first few moments together in the synagogue foyer following the ceremony, it didn't seem like much; they expressed little interest when we brought them together. Then Laira simply took off like a rocket, running through the halls of the synagogue. And Zoe took off after her. For the next hour, they continued to chase each other, held hands and hugged before moving on to the celebratory luncheon.
Also in attendance was Marilyn, another of the girls' orphanagemates introduced to this blog last month. Trying to get a great pose out of just one excited three-year-old girl is a daunting task. Multiply that by three, and...believe it or not, this is the best of several shots.
The Wolfes' visit moved to our house and, aided by big brother Jesse and Laira's big sister Stephanie, quickly evolved into the mother of all playdates. Toys we hadn't seen in years came out of hiding, finding their rightful place on the floor wherever four young children decided they belonged. Today, it just didn't matter. When all was said and done, the long-anticipated reunion lasted eleven hours.
And just when we thought the emotions couldn't run any higher, we got a call from Debbie, our agency director, who happened to be in the neighborhood. Debbie took time out from an otherwise busy week for her family to visit, ignoring numerous cellphone calls from the national media in favor of quality time with our girls.

"This is what I'm working for."

A labor of love. Nice work, if you can get it.

  ¶ 12:17 PM