Son Adopted from Kazakhstan

The Currie Family

Hi, my name is Renat, until September 10th, I lived in an orphanage in Pavladar, Kazakhstan.

My year has been very interesting. In mid August I met a very interesting family with a Mama and a Papa and three girls—I now call them sisters. They kept coming to see me twice a day for 2 and 1/2 weeks. This picture was taking the very first day I met them. Then one day the came with new clothes and cameras. They put the new clothes on me and took many pictures. I said good-bye to my friends and caretakers and before I knew it I was in a car driving further then I'd ever gone before. I was sad to leave my caretakers because they loved me very much and took great care of me, but having a family of my own was great. The next months were filled with adjustments. Every site, smell, and sensation was new. The first adjustment was food. What great food I was given from the very start. I ate until my stomach hear. At first I thought bananas were all there was for dessert. I soon learned the joys of ice cream, cake, and candy. My next adjustment was to learn to sleep wherever my new Mama and Papa placed me. The first couple of nights I was on the floor with cushions in a small hotel in Pavladar. Next I was sleeping on two chairs pushed together in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Then it was on to Moscow where I slept on the floor again. In Moscow I saw Red Square ( my Papa was very interested in that), Gorky Park, and the Zoo. In the middle of all this I learned about airplanes, cars, buses, and trains. We finally made it home after many days of travel (Mama told me they had been gone for four weeks) and I was shown a wonderful, colorful bunk bed complete with stuffed animals that scared me at first and Samantha that kept me company up above. The next morning I discovered the dog, or more accurately, she discovered me. At first I just screamed every time I saw Callie, but as time went on Samantha taught me how to ride Callie like a horse and use her ears as reigns. Just when I got used to Callie another black lab showed up. We call him Lannie. Now Samantha and I have two dogs to terrorize, I mean pet. I ride bikes with my friends, go to Bible study and the gym with Mama, swim in the hot tub with my family, go to Cubbies at church, and have figured out that food will come three times a day, every day. I think I am now fully adjusted.

My sisters are doing well. Samantha and I share, well almost share, everything I listen as Mama teaches her to read and count. Samantha has even taught me how to walk in those high-heeled shoes and which are to put the purse on when we play dress-up. It's funny though; I never see Papa wearing that type of shoe and only Mama has a purse. Sara serenades me with her piano and is teaching me how to sing with Zoe Girl. I never knew that a magic marker can be used as a microphone, but then again I never knew what a microphone was until last month. Rachel helps me with everything. She speaks Russian much better than anyone else in the family and has helped me learn English quickly.

Renat Currie