Zoya's Six Year "Gotcha Day!"

It has been over 5 years since I last posted to our Blog describing Zoya's journey from Orphanage to forever home.  Well today, May 8, 2020 marks Zoya's 6 year "Gotcha Day!"  Zoya is now a spunky and sassy 16 year old young lady!  She is and always will be my Bulgarian Princess!

So what can I say about the past six years and keep it somewhat short....The easy answer, and as I state throughout my entire blog, we have been blessed by Zoya more than words can describe!  Zoya has not only blessed our family, she has blessed pretty much anyone that has become a part of her life!  And vice versa, I will not name names for the sake of not getting their permission to include in a blog, nor do I want to inadvertently forget a name, but there are so many people that have blessed Zoya with their love and friendship!  I THANK everyone with the bottom of my heart for your love and generous caring about Zoya!  It means the world to Amy and I!  THANK YOU!

I love telling stories to anyone that will listen and I can say, I start many with, "Zoya this and Zoya that..." She keeps us laughing in her own witty way!  My favorite ever Zoya story was during a vacation in Durango, CO only a few months after the adoption.  We all decided we would do one of the guided river rafting trips down the Animas River.  We were at the park waiting our turn to gear up and have some fun on the river and in the background someone had loud hip hop music playing.  Zoya started to dance, shaking her hips and really giving the music what it deserved...a good rump shake!  Amy stated, "Zoya, that dance is a bit inappropriate!" Zoya stopped, turned around and bowed with a waving hand and said, "Thank you!"  Due to the nature, Zoya had no idea what inappropriate even meant, her thank you was a sincere "Why Thank You" notion!  We all cried in laughter!  I thought Coen was going to fall in the river from laughing!  I have so many more stories, like being at the park and realizing she still has her bowling shoes on from an earlier birthday party.  To pranking her favorite teachers. And of course, all the silly things she will do or say!  In short though, she keeps us entertained!

Zoya has made some great strides in the past year or two in her education.  While Zoya will always have special needs, and is cognitively delayed, Amy and I have seen so much growth lately!  When I hear her reading, even if it is a 1st grade style book, it warms my heart!  She still struggles through it, but if you only knew where her starting point was just 6 years ago, you too would be impressed!  She is starting to get a better understanding of simple math problems.  I appreciate all her teachers and especially her mom, Amy who has the patience and love it takes to teach.  I stink at it and Amy just sits in the background laughing at me trying to teach Zoya anything....Speaking of teaching her something.  I took Zoya to play Top Golf with Coen and I.  If you need comedy relief and like to live on the edge all at once, go play golf with Zoya.  You will get a laugh, and someone might get hurt!  She has a special talent to be able to hit a golf ball on about every fifth swing and the ball will never go forward.  I eventually had to think about the safety of the other patrons at Top Golf and remove the clubs from her special talent!

All I can say is Amy and I love Zoya so much and while the adoption was a life saving event for her, she has blessed us beyond words!  She has two brothers that love her and are so patient, or at least as patient as big brothers can be!  Zoya has grand parents and great grand parents that spoil and love her!  Of course all the aunts and uncles, cousins that give Zoya so much love! Again, to all  THANK YOU!

Finishing up, I have told so many people over the past several years, I wish everyone could have a Zoya in their life!  Happy Gotcha Day Zoya! Mom and Dad love you so much and we cannot wait to continue our journey and adventure with you in our lives!

Zoya's Journey

Throughout our adoption journey, I have written our blog based on our experience and time with Zoya.  Our journey has been a glorious and blessed time.  Over the past several months, we have seen so many milestones in Zoya’s life;  The many “firsts” that Zoya has been able to experience.  All the things we have taken for granted, Zoya has embraced them as if she was given the greatest treasures.  Amy and I have taken some time lately and started looking back into our files and all the paperwork that went into adoption.  Within the paperwork are Zoya’s reports from the courts and social workers.  In addition to reading, Zoya has started to open up more about her life as an orphan.  Some of her stories and depictions of growing up can just tear your heart open.  Therefore, based on some research within the court papers that include a timeline of Zoya’s different placements in social care or orphanages and Zoya’s stories, I thought it would be nice to share Zoya’s journey.  Disclaimer: I can write only what I have read and heard, I cannot depict what Zoya’s life was really like, nor have the emotional capacity to fathom what an orphan’s life is like.  On that note, here is Zoya’s journey.

March 6, 2004: Zoya Meglenova Angelova is born in Berkovitsa, District of Montana, and Country of Bulgaria.  Zoya’s birth mother is known and father is unknown. 

June 9, 2004: Due to extreme poverty, a Social Assistance directorate is issued and Zoya is removed from her mother’s care and put into a home for medical and social care in the city of Berkovitsa.  Courts rule that Zoya’s mother is unable to care for her because of extreme poverty.

December 14, 2004: After 6 months, the Social Assistance directorate ceases and Zoya is placed back with her mother due to reintegration with her biological family and filing an application and statement with social services.

Zoya lives with her mother for nearly two years, however on November 14, 2006 (nearly four month shy of her 3^rd birthday), Zoya is placed back into the home for medical and social care in Berkovitsa due to her mother’s inability to raise her.

Shortly after Zoya’s 4^th birthday, she is transferred and placed into the Home for Children Deprived of Parental Care in the village of Georgy Damianovo on March 24, 2008.

August 13, 2010: Zoya’s profile is submitted to be added to the Bulgarian national adoption registry and the courts officially added her to the registry on September 18, 2010. After no Bulgarian families showed interest in adopting Zoya, her profile was submitted to the international adoption registry on July 29, 2011. It is not until August 9, 2012, over a year later, that the courts officially added Zoya’s profile to the international adoption registry.  Little did she know that on the other side of the world, a family in Carlsbad, NM would start the adoption process and send in their initial application on August 19, 2012, just 10 days after she was added to the registry.  And 6 months later that very same family would open a web page listing children on the “Waiting Child” list and would see her for the first time.  It was at that very moment, February 10, 2013, that Amy and I knew God put Zoya in our life and on February 14^th, we signed papers to Zoya’s profile for adoption.

Zoya remained in the Georgy Damianovo orphanage for three and a half years.  On September 29, 2011, Zoya was placed in the Center of Family Placing orphanage located in the small village of Gavril Genovo.  It is this orphanage Zoya would live until being united with her forever and loving family.

Since Zoya was taken from her mother on November 2006, her mother only visited one time and made only one attempt to call her over the next seven years.  Though, Zoya’s mother never gave consent for Zoya to be adopted, the courts determined she had no say in the matter as she never made attempts to integrate Zoya into her family.

August 21, 2013: Our application to adopt Zoya is entered into the registrants and on September 18, 2013 the International Adoption Council determines we are suitable adoptive parents.

October 8, 2013:  The Bulgarian Ministry of Justice grants consent of the adoption procedure.  Zoya is now told that a family wants to come and meet her and potentially adopt her.  We are notified of the great news and start planning our travel to meet Zoya for the first time.  This is considered the referral phase of the adoption.

November 11, 2013:  The day we get to meet our precious Zoya for the first time!! Zoya recently shared her remembrance of this day.  Because we were coming, Zoya did not have to attend school that week, so Zoya was the only child there (except one other boy that was sick).  Zoya said she was so excited to meet us and asked if she could wear a pretty pink dress for when we arrived.  She said she anxiously awaited and looked out the front window facing the street……Then the car we were in pulls up and Zoya said, “There is my Mommy and Daddy!”  We will never forget this day.  Amy and I were so anxious and nervous at the same time.  All we knew of Zoya was how quiet she was, so we thought she might be scared, shy or stand offish.  Nothing could have been further from this as she ran into our arms for a huge hug.

We spent about 4 to 5 beautiful hours a day until November 15^th.  Zoya had seen other children come and go during her time in the orphanage, so she was well aware that she would remain in the orphanage and that we would have to go back home without her.  While, I may not currently know how that day was for her after we left, but for Amy and I, it was bitter sweet.  We were heartbroken we had to leave our precious daughter at the orphanage, but eager that we were that much closer to finalizing the adoption.

November 15, 2013: Amy and I leave Zoya and go to Sofia, the Bulgarian Capital, and sign our consent to adopt Zoya (acceptance of the referral) and the legal proceedings are now allowed to begin.

January 23, 2014: The United States Department of State enters it’s agreement to continue our adoption process.

February 26, 2014:  The Deputy Minister of Justice submits his letter giving consent for Zoya’s adoption to the Hollis Family.  All that remains at this point is setting a court date.

March 28, 2014:  In the capital city of Sofia, court is in session to potentially finalize our adoption.  Maya, our Bulgarian legal representation gives her testimony and then Zoya takes the stand and states her desire to join our family and acceptance of a name change to Zoya Angelova Hollis.  The decision of the court was made shortly thereafter, approving our adoption of Zoya.

I then receive a call while at work notifying me that our adoption is completed and approved!  I call and leave Amy a message to call me as soon as she could.  I wait for her call back to tell her our great news!!  We officially are the parents of Zoya!!

May 8, 2014:  “GOTCHA DAY!!”  As all adopting parents know, the day you pick up your child is called, gotcha day!  It will forever be a second birthday for Zoya! 

Zoya spent approximately 8 total years in various orphanages and about 2 years in extreme poverty conditions with her biological mother.  Zoya has shared some of her experiences with us.  Some of the stories include being bullied by older children in the orphanages.  Zoya has the scars all over to reflect this.  Zoya does not remember much about her mother, but we do remember her fear of travelling through her birthplace of Berkovitsa while we were in Bulgaria.  The heartwarming portion was that she said as long as her dad (me) was with her, she would feel safe and protected.  Amazing how God already put in her heart that Amy and I will be her parents and will protect her, the rest of her life.

The beautiful thing with Zoya, as of May 8, 2014, she no longer has to think about her past.  Just as I have mentioned in prior blogs, Zoya’s name means “To Live,” as like the resurrection.  Zoya’s prior life as an orphan is over!  She now can live the life she deserves!  God is so good!  The bond between Zoya, her two brothers and us is beyond awesome!  Most people comment on how if they did not know our story, they would have thought Zoya was in our life since her birth. 

Zoya has experienced many firsts.  Thanksgiving was amazing and of course we had so much to be thankful for.  Then there was Christmas!  Just amazing!  We asked Zoya about Christmas in Bulgaria and all she could tell us was that Santa would show up at the orphanage, knock on the door and would then give them some candy.  Now, in the states, Zoya had a part in the church Christmas play, sang Christmas songs at the school program and just loved all the celebrations!  Her joy on Christmas day was great!  Her smile seemed permanent!  We are just so happy Zoya had a great time!

Some day Zoya will be able to share her story herself, but for now I am proud to share what I can.  But more importantly, so proud and happy I can say I am her father, her DADDY!!  The other day, I told her I love you, as I do many times a day and she responded with, “I love you more!”  One proud and happy Daddy!!

A Blessed 4 Months!!

Hollis Selfie at the end of a Camping Trip - 2014

  Hello!! I apologize for the delay in updating the blog.  Our entire family has had a busy summer....you know; regular life and adopting a beautiful daughter and all! HAHA

All and all we have had a very busy summer.  As soon as we returned from Bulgaria, we were in full swing of baseball and did not finish the season until mid-July.  Then it was time to take some time off for a family vacation.  Then next thing we knew Amy and all three kids were back in school (Amy teaching and the kids learning).

Enough with the excuse of a busy summer!  You all want to hear how Zoya is adjusting to being a Hollis.

Where to start......oh yeah, from the end of the last blog.

Our friends and family threw a shower for Zoya and it was a beautiful day!  It was such a pleasure to see all the love and support for Zoya's new beginning.  She loved all the attention!  She received many gifts of toys and decorations for her room.  She would open a new gift and ask, "Ha Зоя?" (pronounced nă Zoya, and translated "for Zoya?").  You could see the excitement in her face when we would tell her yes, it is for Zoya.  A child that pretty much had nothing of her own and had to share everything now has her own things.  She even had to share her clothes at the orphanage.  Not any more!  All this was just for her!  She is now a princess in her mind!  She was very appreciative as well, telling everyone thank you.  And I am pretty sure all those that attended received multiple hugs!  Thanks to all that came see Zoya!

Zoya enjoyed the baseball season, not because she wanted to play or watch baseball, but because many of our friends would be in the stands and she could play with their kids.  It is so cool to see other children play with Zoya even though they do not share the same language.  The other kids would all try to speak basic Bulgarian to her.  So every now and then you would hear other kids saying Da for yes and Neh for no.

Communication improves every day.  During the first couple of months, we communicated well, but had to rely quite a bit on Google translate to get our point across.  For the basics, even though Zoya spoke in Bulgarian and we spoke in English, we knew what each other were trying to say.  During the last month, communication has improved greatly!  Amy and I only need to use the translator for things we have never discussed.  Zoya more and more is using English words when talking.  I joke that some of her sentences are in Bulgenglish.  Today, Amy asked her what an apple was in Bulgarian because we had forgotten, and Zoya had almost forgot as well.

Zoya started summer school in July and she absolutely loved going to school.  We were so happy that Sunset Elementary, the same school Amy teaches at and where Coen attends, was offering the 6 week summer program.  This was summer school to help children keep on track and hold onto the education normalcy.  So we decided that this would be a good step in getting Zoya prepared for the actual school year.  We decided to start Zoya in the 3rd grade.  She is 5th grade age, but as I may have stated in a prior blog, she could not read or write Bulgarian.  In orphanages, the tendency is not to ensure all the children progress with their education.  They just ensure they make it to and from school.  There is no accountability ensuring that homework is completed and/or if they progress as they should.  Zoya was tested when she started school and her education level was at a pre-kindergarten level.  Summer school was a true positive for Zoya.  Not only did she enjoy school, she was getting prepared for the school year.  School started mid-August and Zoya started in the 3rd grade, but spends the majority of her day with the special education teacher.  In all, Zoya has done well in school.  The positives are that she is progressing with her education.  It can be difficult at times, but she is progressing.  In regards to behavior, she is pretty good.  There have been times when she has acted out in displeasure, but most of the time she displays good behavior.  When she gets tired and frustrated she starts to shut down.  If she is held accountable and there is perseverance in instruction, she continues to try.  If she is allowed to get out of working, she takes that opportunity.  The downside of being in special education is that there can be multiple types of personalities and attitudes.  A couple times, Zoya has tried to act like one of the other children in class that is in continuous trouble.  After Zoya learned that the teacher will just go get mommy down the hall and that daddy and mommy do not appreciate bad behavior, she has been much better.  Zoya does aim to please, so that is a true positive in her education and behavior patterns.  In summary, Amy and I have told all, whether it be her teacher or any adult, treat her as they would their own child.  Just because she spent her life in an orphanage and is the new kid, she needs to be treated and taught the same as every child.  If you show favor or become lax, she will take advantage of it and will think she does not have to try hard and can act in less desirable ways.  Zoya spent her first 10 years without structure and stability.  Now that her life is stable, we pray her education will strive in the way she needs.  Her recent test show that she has improved to kindergarten plus 6 months.  This is a definite improvement and we are so proud of our Zoya!!!  She is a smart and intelligent child!  It is only a matter of time.

Before school started, we took time to go camping.  Camping is one of our family favorite things to do.  We love nature and getting away from daily life and distractions.  We camped for four days at Monjeau Peak, near Ruidoso, NM.  The four days were awesome!  We dealt with some rainy weather, but that did not dampen our fun together.  Zoya got to experience many more "Firsts."  Zoya got to go fishing, sit by the campfire and roast marshmallows, and of course eat her first smore.  Zoya even got to go for her first hike in the mountains.  We learned quickly that Zoya's opinion to hiking was less pleasurable.  She kept wondering where are we going and when to we get there.  For her sake, the rain started to come in and we had to cut our hike short.  Again this was a great time with the whole family!!

Zoya got to celebrate her first Independence Day for America on the 4th of July.  It was so cute hearing her walk around the house saying it is America's birthday!  She enjoyed the fireworks and playing with sparklers.  She looked so pretty in her red, white and blue!

I took Zoya to the eye doctor for her first examination in the states.  In Bulgaria, they did an exam and they were going to put her in glasses.  When we arrived to pick to get her, we noticed she was not wearing glasses.  When we inquired about her glasses, they said Zoya intentionally lost them as they were bulky and heavy.  I am pretty sure they were free or very cheap glasses and not kid friendly or comfortable.  Zoya does have a lazy left eye and after ten years, her brain has started to just rely on focusing with her right eye.  The exam went well, long, but well.  The staff was absolutely wonderful at the Eye Site.  In fact, they even started to speak some Bulgarian by the end of the exam.  Zoya has been fitted with glasses and must wear them all the time, except when on the playground.  The glasses should help her left eye strengthen and may eventually correct her overall focusing.

Zoya has been to the dentist and I will not get into to many details, but we are pretty sure she will be an expensive child in regards to her teeth.  In short, she will need to have braces in the future.  But first, Dr Simmons is having to research something we have not seen before.  Zoya's front two teeth are fused together.  Next step is to see if the two teeth share the same root, or just fused above the gums.  Not sure of the fix, if any, but all will be good.  Zoya is already a beautiful girl, so regardless if her teeth can be 100% corrected she will continue to be beautiful!

Zoya has also gone to our pediatrician for one vaccination and a general physical.  All is well with her health.

Zoya loves going to church as well.  She loves being around the other kids!  One Sunday she was ill with a horrible cough and congestion so we decided she should stay home.  She agreed to the decision but after I left the room and came back she had tears in her eyes.  It broke our heart!  She was so sad she was not able to go to church.

As you can read above, we have had a very busy four months and I most likely forgot to share all the stories.  But the reality is that our life with Zoya is a blessing!  The relationship between Stephen, Coen and Zoya is amazing!  It is like they have been brothers and sister their entire lives.  Stephen and Coen are such great brothers!  They help Zoya out when she needs help and play with her when she is bored!  Zoya looks up to her brothers and likes to spend time with them; even if it is only to watch them do their thing.  With Coen and Zoya only 3 months apart in age, they are exactly what you would expect from a brother and sister.  They aggravate each other (in a fun way), support each other and most important, laugh together!  My, and Amy's, favorite sound in the world is hearing our children laugh.  You can hear them laughing in the same room, in their bedrooms and in the back seat of the car.  It is such a contagious laugh!  If you want to put a smile on my face....have a laughing child near me!  But the thing that has made me respect Stephen and Coen the most...They love their sister, Zoya and they look after her.  They always make sure she is ok!  They know that Zoya is our little princess and their job is to help protect her.  Without hesitation, they look after her best interest!

As I just said, Zoya is my little princess!  I tell her as often as I can that she is my princess and in return I get that smile I love to see!  Amy and I love hearing her say "I yuv you!"  She struggles with her "L's"  but it warms your heart regardless!

While typing this blog, Zoya has done more than she was probably able to or allowed to do in her whole life.  She has spent time playing with her brothers and cousins.  She has been sitting at the table practicing her writing by spelling all our names, her grandparents' names and her cousins' names (and doing very well with it).  And I just heard her ask Amy..."Mom, can I have a snack?" all in English.

Life is good in the Hollis house!  Our love for each other is stronger every day!  And watching Zoya live with the life she deserves is priceless!!  GOD is GOOD!!

Zoya enjoying her first 4th of July!

Homecoming

Amy, Zoya and I left our apartment in Sofia on May 17, at 5am (Friday, May 16, 8pm MST). Twenty-eight hours later, midnight in Carlsbad, we arrived at our house, Zoya's forever home!

Now let me summarize our 28 hours of travel:  All three of us did not get a full night of sleep before our early morning rise.  Zoya was over excited and Amy and I were making sure all our bags were packed and ready to go.  Our 4am wakeup came quick.  Though Zoya should have been tired, she was up and ready to go.  She repeated over and over that we were headed to America and she would see Stephen and Coen.  When I say repeated, I mean repeated hundreds of times!!  It was so cool.  Maya and Ivan picked us up right at 5am and we headed to the Sofia airport.  The airport was packed and of course the kiosks were having issue, but after several hiccups of getting in the system, we were checked in.  Now it was time to say goodbye to Maya and Ivan.  Again, we were so ready to come home, but it is always hard to say goodbye to friends.  We then proceeded through security and passport check.  The passport check was our first time to show proof that Zoya was our adopted child.  All went well and we were so glad Maya showed us step by step process of what all the passport checks will need to see and what immigration in the states would need to process Zoya.  We arrived at our gate in plenty of time.  If I have not mentioned in prior posts, Zoya is impatient.  She kept asking "what we were waiting for, the plane is right there."  We over and over repeated that we had to wait until the plane is ready.  After several impatient requests, Amy Google Translated what we thought was "We cannot go right now...." because the plane was not ready, however, Zoya understood it as "We are not going now."  She almost collapsed to her knees and started to sob and pretty much went into a panic. Amy and I were confused at first until we caught on to what she was saying, and we both quickly started punching in a new translation into Google Translate.  We finally got the correct translation out and as quick as she sobbed, she was back to saying "Going to America!"  and of course; "What are we waiting for?"  Finally, we made it on the plane.  In short, the flight to Frankfurt is about 2 hours, had a short wait in Frankfurt and then had a 10 plus hour flight to Dallas.  Zoya, could not have been any better!  She was an angel!  Amy and I were so proud of her!  Zoya was not only a great passenger, she did not sleep one minute of the flight.  As with most children, if they do not sleep, you do not sleep.  Amy and I were so tired by time we got to Dallas.  And we still have a 7 hour drive ahead of us.  But first, we have to go through passport check and then go to the immigration processing station.  Two and a half hours later, Zoya was a US citizen based on her IH3 visa.  Finally, we arrived at our car and the long drive started.  Guess who fell asleep minutes after getting on the freeway....yep, Zoya and Amy were snoring!  We stopped in Abilene for Whataburger and Zoya's first meal in America.  Then the drive continued....

At midnight, Amy called her mom to let her know we were pulling into town.  She told us that the boys were waiting up for us.  I think Amy and I perked up immediately knowing we would be able to see Stephen and Coen!  We woke Zoya up and we pulled into the driveway.  Zoya knew immediately from pictures, this was her HOME!  We all got out of the car and headed to the front door, but before we could get in the door, we could hear the boys running down the street from Mamaw's house so we waited for our warm greeting!  That is when we witnessed a heartwarming event and something I will not ever forget!  Zoya saw Stephen first and ran towards him, just like in the movies, Stephen and Zoya ran into each other's arms and hugged.  She squeezed him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  Seconds later, Coen came behind Stephen on a skooter and Zoya ran to him and the two of them hugged tight and she kissed him on the cheek!  It was so beautiful!!

We then went into the house and regardless of how tired we were, Zoya was now experiencing her first ever bedroom.  She was also so excited to have her brothers.  The three of them went on for about an hour before we all started to wind down for the night.

We have been home now for over a week and all we can say is that Zoya has continued to bless us!  We are trying not to overwhelm Zoya in any way, but based on her reaction and response to everything to this point, we are not sure if she get's overwhelmed.  She has been very friendly with all our family and friends.  We arrived back in the states at a very busy time.  It was the last week of school and our nephew, Nick graduated so we had lots of family in town.  We took Zoya to the school Amy teaches at and where Coen attends.  It is also the school Zoya will attend next year.   All the teachers and students that have supported our adoption were so excited to meet her and likewise, Zoya was so excited to meet them.  I also took her to CNB, the bank I work at as they have all been wanting to meet her.  She gave everyone hugs and it was nice to see how well she is doing around everyone.

Throughout the week, we see all the "FIRSTS" for Zoya.  From riding a skooter, to jumping on a trampolene, to playing with different toys, and to eating different foods.  She is not shy to try anything.  She is very coordinated and picks up new tasks easily.  She will try new foods (we are not shocking her with any thing crazy or spicy).  She is amazing!

Now, in a few years, Zoya will probably be mad at me for putting this in a blog, but I feel it is a huge accomplishment.  One of the issues the orphanage staff told us was that she occassionally wets the bed at night.  In Sofia, 8 of the 10 nights, Zoya did have an accident during the night.  Some were legitamate accidents, and some did not appear to be accidents, but on purpose.  That is when Amy and I had a thought that in the orphanage, they may not have been able, or allowed, to leave their rooms during the night and that at times may have just wet the bed out of necessity and not just accident.  So we asked Ivan to explain to her that it was ok to get up and go to the restroom.  So he did and she understood now that it was ok to get up at any time.  She still had an accident, but there were no more "on purpose" messes.  We are more proud to say that since she has been home, here in Carlsbad (nine nights), she has had Zero accidents!!  She is so comfortable in her home and in her own bed!

Zoya is understanding us more and more.  While she may not be able to speak English back to us, she is understanding English quickly.  She is starting to say some things in English and we praise her and encourage her when she does.  This summer Amy will work with her regularly and prepare her for the next school year.

Amy and I thank God for blessing us with two beautiful and supportive sons and now with a beautiful daughter!!  We are a very happy and loving family of FIVE!!  We are truely BLESSED!!  Also, thank you everyone that has supported us through out our journey!!  It is so cool seeing people wear our Love shirts.  We are also so overwhlemed with support from everyone!  We love you all for everything, expecially, the love and support from our family!!

It Is Final!

On May 15, Amy and I went to the US Embassy in Sofia for our Interview to get Zoya's Visa to enter the U.S. approved.  As soon as the interview was complete, we were told her visa would be ready the next day.  As of about 4pm Sofia time, May 16, Zoya's passport included her Visa and was picked up at the US Embassy.  About an hour later we met up with Maya, our Bulgarian adoption representative, who had Zoya's passport and we had a celebretory dinner.  At the dinner, we received all the final documents regarding Zoya!  Our adoption is complete!  PRAISE GOD!!!!!

Now that I have shared all the great news, I would like to share our experiences over the last couple days with Zoya.  In short, they have been great!!  As mentioned before, Zoya is quickly getting more and more comfortable with Amy and I as her parents.  She is such a joy!! Her laugh is very contagious, so I tickle her as often as I can!!

We did however have one of those moments all parents experience with their children, and that is a deliberate disobedience to something that has been repeated over and over.  Amy and I (and Ivan) have explained to Zoya that when we are walking near streets and especially when we are crossing a street, that she must hold one of our hands.  Zoya does not have much experience around cars and traffic.  The village she is from may only have a few cars, and with the exception of the orphanage worker's cars, I never saw another vehicle.  The first busy street we crossed, Zoya almost broke out of my grip and she put herself in danger of being hit by a car.  Therefore, since then we have been adamant that she hold one of our hands.  Well yesterday, Amy and I along with Zoya were returning back to the apartment from lunch and I pointed out a dog sleeping on the sidewalk.  Zoya has not been around many animals/pets, so she is fearful of them, so when I pointed at the dog, she yanked her hand out of my hand and darted across the street.  Fortunately, the car coming down the street was about a 1/4 a block away and Zoya was not in dire danger.  However, it scared Amy and I to death.  As all parents should do, we had to really get onto her about how that was not a good thing and she could have been seriously hurt.  So we punished her by taking away some of her toys and gave her a stern lecture.  At the end, we requested that she apologize, but at first she did not quite understand what we were trying to say (again, the language barrier was in play).  Eventually, Amy got the point across, but Zoya decided to be a little stubbarn and would not apologize.  She could also sense that Amy and I were not pleased with her disobedience.  We gave her the option, apologize or go to bed.  She refused to apologize.  As Amy, took Zoya to her room, she started to realize our displeasure and started to weep (this is something Zoya does not do...cry.  Even the orphanage stated she rarely cries, even when she gets hurt).  Zoya, then decided it was time to apologize to me for braking away from my hand and being disobedient.  Zoya came up to me and as she started to apologize she started to cry uncontrollably.  You could legitamately see the sincerity in her apology!!  As an orphan, you can tell she, as with other orphans, have it in their mind that they would be taken back to the orphanage if their paremts were unhappy with them.  Her teary apology broke my heart!!  I gave her a major hug and had to fight back my own tears.  Amy and I then explained that the reason we have rules is to protect her!  We want to protect her because we love her!!  While it was a tough situation, it was a major milestone for all of us!

Today, May 16th, we explained to Zoya that today is our last day in Bulgaria and we are headed to America tomorrow.  Zoya has been non-stop excited!! She cannot stop talking about it!  I think every stranger that walked by was told that she is headed to America!!  The excitement in her face and heart have been awesome to see!!

While today is our last day in Bulgaria and Amy and I are so excited to get Zoya home and to be with our two beautiful boys, Stephen and Coen, it is also bitter sweet.  We are also leaving behind new friends.  Ivan, Mihaela and Maya will all be missed!!  We have joked that we will start the adoption process to adopt Ivan, but looks like we will have to pass as Mihaela, Ivan's girlfriend says no!

We are so happy though to be headed home.  We miss our family so much and we cannot wait to show off our newest family member, Zoya Angelova Hollis!!  She will fit in perfectly as God has placed us all together to be a family!  Zoya is a gift from God and we will cherish her forever!

Stephen and Coen; we love you and can't wait to introduce to you, your new sister.  Along with Mom and Dad, your job as big brothers are to protect and love her!

We are headed home!!!!

The Learning Curve!

Amy and I are now finishing our 4th day being Zoya's parents and while it has been a very blessed time, both Zoya and us have had a some adjusting to do.  First, there is the language barrier.  Amy has been doing a fairly good job retaining some words and phrases to help in communicating.  I have been limited to a few words here and there, and Zoya just laughs at my attempts.  Something else...Just as I had to learn in India, head nodding is opposite of what us Americans understand.  Up and Down means "No," and side to side means "Yes."  Again, Zoya laughs at my attempts to understand this difference.  

Each day Zoya is learning more and more of what she can get away with, but the testing is continuous.  When we must get onto her, she just laughs at us until she realizes the seriousness of our tone and face.  All in all, I think we are being effective in teaching her that we are in charge as parents.

Lastly, though Zoya is 10 years old, Amy and I feel as if we have a toddler in the house (Sofia apartment) again.  Zoya has had extremely limited experiences in her life.  Amy gave her probably one of her first baths of her life (probably only had showers at the orphanage) on Thursday night.  On Friday night, Amy let Zoya be a child and just splash and have a great time!!  Though, I was not allowed to this party, it will be one of my favorite memories.  Zoya was laughing so much it was amazing to hear!!  All I could do is laugh from my seat in the living room!  Once the bath was complete, Amy comes out of the bathroom soaked to the bone!  Not to mention that the bathroom needed some mopping!  Now each night when we say it is time to put PJ's on, she give us the hand signalling that it is bath time.....and the suckers we are, Amy takes her to the bathroom for a bath!  It is also very cute to watch her and Amy blow dry her hair (even I have helped with her hair).  Back to the toddler experience; we have to watch what we leave down.  Her curiosity is rampant and she gets into everything.  So we must keep anything harmful out of reach.  This morning she saw me shaving my head and later in the morning, I wondered what was taking her so long in the bathroom, and as it is with most children, the quieter they are the more scared you get.  Finally, I ask if all is ok and as she exits the door, one side of her face is covered in shaving cream.  Oh, the life as a parent!  Amy and I are just so excited for her, and as long as she does not get hurt, we are happy she is experiencing new things.....I am just glad she could not reach my razor!

Since my last post, we have had some fun being tourist as well as parents.  On Friday, along with Ivan, we walked around Sofia and toured the Archaeological Museum and the Temple Sveta Sofia.  On Saturday, we took Zoya to her first movie in a movie theater.  We watched Rio 2 in Bulgarian.  And the movie would not be complete without a jumbo popcorn, large bag of M&M's and a soda.  After the movie we went shoe shopping and bought Zoya some new shoes.  Not 100%, but Zoya may have been just excited about the new shoes as she was about the movie.

Later in the evening, we successfully connected with the boys via Face Time.  Zoya and the boys were able to see and talk to each other for the first time!!  It was so good to see the boy's faces!!  But I think the time was so good for Zoya! She even told Stephen and Coen (Amy figured it out.....again, she is amazing at understanding Zoya) that she wished they were here so she could hug and kiss them!  Then she said those precious words, Obicham te (I love you) to the boys!!  It was so cool!!  Zoya was so excited to see them and she talked about it constantly.

Today, we went for a tour of the Boyana Church (боянска църква) and the National Museum of History (национален исторически музей).  The tours of these two venues were amazing......for Amy, myself and Ivan.  Not so much for Zoya.  As with 99% of all children, museums and historical sites are not all that interesting.  None the less, there were at least playground equipment near both and she got to have some fun.  As I have stated in prior posts, Ivan has a Bachelors in History so we do not just walk around, we get an education.  It is so cool to learn so much about Bulgaria and its rich history!!  So many of the museum items go back as far as the 17th century BC.  The National Museum of History takes you to the early BC years and as you make your way around this large museum, you eventually make it to recent history.  Amy and I are always in AWWWWW!!  We thank Ivan for all our tours!!

Going back to Zoya not having much fun in the museums and other historical sites, she has really enjoyed the playground equipment we find.  It is obvious she has not had much time on some of the equipment and can get scared at times.  But that is when I get so proud of her.  If I am with her and show her that all will be ok, she will give it a try (most of the time) and she proves she can do it.  The smile on her face when she does something new is priceless!!

As with our first trip, the Bulgarian cuisine is very good!  We have eaten many different things (again, we are so happy Ivan is with us most of the time to help us order).  Today, I had ox toungue.  I even convined Amy to try it and she admitted it was good and tender.  I have had beef tongue in the past, so now I can take ox tongue off my list of new foods.  Near our apartment is a tiny market with fresh fruit and veggies (it is like a small convenient store as well).  The fruit and veggies come from a nearby so it is all fresh.  All I can say it is absolutely wonderful and the best tasting fruit and veggies we have ever eaten.  The staff at the market is very nice and helpful.  I think the novelty of having some Americans come in the store often is neat to them.

Well, this post went longer than I expected and I know it may not been as exciting as prior post, but it is good for Amy and I to look back on our experience here in Bulgaria.  This blog also serves as our future reminder of our first days with Zoya!  If the last 4 days are an indicator of our future......We are so excited!  God has blessed us dearly with two wonderful boys and now a wonderful daughter!!  Today is Mother's Day!  All I can say is....Stephen, Coen and Zoya have an Angel for a Mom!!  She is the most wonderful person I know!  She is not only my best friend, she is the most wonderful wife and mother of all three of our children!!  Obicham te Amy!!  Thank you for all you do!!  Happy Mother's Day Amy!!

The Start of A New Chapter

May 6, 2014 seemed like it would never get here, and then the next thing we knew, it was upon us and we had to get prepared for the next step in our journey.  We got the boys over to my parents late on the 5th and then we went home to finalize our preparations.  I do thank God for the wake up call the next morning as we needed to leave town early and I apparently turned the alarm off instead of getting up when we originally planned.  However, we did get on the road on time.....at 3:45am.  Our drive to Dallas was smooth (Amy got some rest and I managed to stay awake the whole way).  25 hours after jumping in the car, we were at the Sofia airport picking up our luggage.  Besides the happiness to see all our luggage arrive with us, it was so awesome to have to bring additional luggage; A suitcase with Zoya's clothes and toys.  We then met up with our translator, Ivan, and our driver, Dimo, and headed to our rented apartment.  After settling in, Amy and I took advantage of some quiet time and caught up on some necessary rest!!

.....That leads us to the next chapter of our lives!!

Thursday, May 8:  Ivan and Dimo picked us up from our apartment at 7:30am and we headed to the village of Gavril Genovo.  After our 2 1/2 hour drive, we made the familiar turn down the road to Zoya's orphanage.  The butterflies really started to hit Amy and I as we headed through the gate and towards the door.  That is when we see Zoya in the front window and we could see her familiar smile!!  The door opened and out came Zoya.......A big hug erased all the butterflies!  We finally have Zoya in our arms again!!

After delivering gifts to the orphanage and finalizing paperwork, Zoya said her goodbyes to the orphanage for the last time!  Zoya held our hands and we walked to the car.  Though, it was another 2 1/2 hours in a car, it was so cool to have her fall asleep in my lap!! We arrived back in Sofia and met Maya, our Bulgarian adoption representative (and Ivan's boss and Dimo's mom) at the immigration center to start Zoya's passport process.  While, I may be biased, Zoya's passport photo blows all other identification photos out of the water.

It was then time for a late lunch.  We found a nice pizzaria down the street from our apartment.  We ordered a couple of pizzas thinking we would bring the left overs back to the apartment for later.  Nope, that did not happen.  First, I have a pizza addiction and I can pretty much put down more pizza than any person should eat in one sitting.  But found out, Zoya can hold her own, as she put down four slices and a small plate of spaghetti.

After lunch, we said goodbye to Ivan for the rest of the day.  Amy and I are now alone with Zoya for the first time ever.  It is time for us to be her parents and for her to be a daughter in a loving family!!  It is also time to see how well we can communicate with each other.  Zoya does not speak English and while Amy and I are trying, we do not speak much Bulgarian.  It has been a little over 5 hours and God has continued his blessings as we have been able to pass the communication test.  While we do not understand all she is telling us in speech, we do understand what her needs are by action and constant interaction.  Amy has done a fantastic job creating ways to teach Zoya and for us to learn from her.  I am always amazed with Amy and her interaction with children!!  Zoya has definitely tested her limits with us and we have had to ensure boundaries are not to be broken or compromised.

It has been such a glorious day!! Amy and I have been able to hold and hug our precious Zoya!! Holding hands while walking down the street are memories that will last forever!!  Amy gave Zoya a bath and put her in brand new PJ's.  It is so cool to see Amy with our daughter, making her all pretty; blow drying her hair and putting bows on her head!  It is getting late and it is time to put Zoya to bed (and Amy and I are about to fall over asleep)!!!

Please continue to pray as this chapter in our lives will last forever!!  Thank you all for your support!!