It was a whirlwind trip, to say the least! I worked 1/2 day yesterday (my _0th birthday) then we all packed into the car and drove the 6 hours to the Parris Island area arriving around 9:30pm. Woke up at 5:15am to be there by 7:30am and waited on the bleachers until 9 for the ceremony. It was a beautiful ceremony, and I must admit, I couldn't help but cry on several occasions!! When I first spotted Nat, I got so excited!! I couldn't miss those adorable cheeks of hers!! She looked very serious standing/marching with her battalion and, while she was far away, I used my telephoto lens to get some photos. I noticed that Jennifer (the woman who used to be her foster mother while she was finishing up high school) and a friend (?) of hers was sitting fairly near us, but didn't notice we were there.

Afterward, the kids and I LEAPED from the bleachers to find her!! By the time we found her, she was already with Jennifer, and I practically attacked her (Nat, not Jennifer!)!! I was SO EXCITED and caught up in the moment, that I think I scared her to death when I ran up and hugged her, saying "Natasha! Natasha! It's Mom!!"!! She jumped back and looked at me like I was out of my mind, though she knew who I was (I probably embarrassed her, too). She gave me a slight hug and said she didn't think we were coming (???). She gave Reese and Nikolai slight hugs too but didn't really speak to them, (which crushed Reese, who adores his big sister), and shook Mark's hand. She did seem very uncomfortable to be talking to us. Jennifer was right there the whole time. (I so wished we could have had a few minutes alone with our Natasha...) Nat said she was sorry but she had to go. She politely posed for a few pictures, and left. We drove the 6 hours back home and arrived with one minute to go before the kennel closed and we picked up Adam (we took Daisy with us on the trip).

So while I'm absolutely heartbroken (and shed more than a few tears in the car on the way out of SC) that she was so not-happy to see us, I know in my heart that this is my child and that I was proud as a PEACOCK to see her doing something so wonderful with her life!!! God knows what's going on and I keep hanging on to those 2 completely separate prophecies (one in Wal-Mart, one in the courtyard of our apt. complex) that I received so long ago when she was 5 and 6. I do believe those were given to me by God because God knew the struggles we'd have in later years. I thank Him over and over for those gifts, because without them, I don't know how I would have been able to handle these past hellish 5, almost 6, years.

So it was a bittersweet "reunion" that lasted at most, 2 minutes. Just seeing my beautiful daughter makes everything worthwhile, though. Please do keep the prayers coming (and you know who you are!!).

And now, here are some pictures of my little girl's very big day!!! I'm so proud of her and I love her soooooooo much!!! I only hope she feels it!!! WE LOVE YOU, NATASHA KAPUSTINA!!!!

Little Erik did SO WELL on the entire trip!!! What an easy kid he's turning out to be!! He just really goes with the flow and just sort of does what we do! Here he is in the hotel. He was 4 hours past his bedtime, no nap, and he discovered the mirror. He had a BALL waggling his dog in the mirror!! It was so cute!!

Here are my men by the Iwa Jima statue replica on base. It meant a lot to Mark as his father George Taborn survived Iwo Jima.

She's in there somewhere...

Here they all are, getting repositioned closer to the bleachers. There were so many of them!!!! Nat was in an all-female battalion, from what I understand. There were 2 of them, and I believe, 6 male battalions. The drums were beating out the tempo of the marching, and I admit, my foot was tapping in time, too! I felt like getting out there and marching right along with them!

Here she is!!!!! In the front, with the black bun. She's the fourth from the left. The pretty one. ;o}

God bless my new camera and it's high powered lens! Here she is again, behind the flag (in front). I was so proud I was literally shaking. Knowing what she's been through since she was born and seeing what she has now accomplished really is incredible. Surely God has his finger on her!! I'm SO honored to be the one who adopted her. That God has used me to bring her here and give her love, a family and a name fills me with so much humility...

This is the former foster parent that Nat lived with for the last couple of years of high school. (I was bored waiting so long in the hot sun so I took her picture.) I guess her husband couldn't make it. She was sitting (in the packed bleachers) down a few rows and over a bit to the left.

Here they are, with the Senior Drill Instructor in front. It was a hot morning, and they'd been standing for such a long time, but no doubt, they were used to it!!

And here we are!! With our whirlwind pictures!! Doesn't she look great?! (My legs were literally shaking so bad I thought I was going to need to sit down or fall down.)

I'm so glad I got one of the two of us!! I just couldn't get enough of looking at her and marveling at her accomplishment!!!! Happy Birthday to me!!

Meeting her baby brother for the first time.

My four wonderful kids, all together for the first time!!! Again, Happy Birthday to me!!!

Are we there yet...??