The two-flag girls

Today as I drove with the girls we discovered a lovely all-American display of flag after flag after flag. I mean flag after flag. Block after block. The girls were delighted. That led to a conversation about how lucky they are because they have two flags that they can call their own, the US Stars and Stripes, of course, and the Russian flag.

I've been trying to talk a lot more about Russia, now that we've been home nearly a year. Yes, that's right, nearly a year. I think it's because Hope's 4th birthday is imminent, and will be quickly followed by Leah's 5th. Gulp. I'm reminded about their births - seeing as it is, you know, a birth-day celebration - and it's somewhat bittersweet since we weren't there at their births. I know that we weren't supposed to be, I know God put us together when we were supposed to be together, but sometimes there's a twinge of not having known the girls as babies, not having rocked them, comforted them, loved them and nurtered them.

So tonight at dinner we told Papa all about the flags and they proudly proclaimed that they got to have two flags that were theirs while Mommy and Papa (we've pretty much transitioned to Mommy but still call Papa Papa) "only" have one.

Lucky girls!