THE NOULLET FAMILY

Ron and Gail adopted Katya in March, 1999 when she was 3 years and 8 months old. She has been a wonderful little girl and constantly brings great joy to our family! She is now 6, going on seven, and is in Kindergarten. She is reading and writing. She loves to play, ride her bike, swim, and sing. She came home a little peanut and is now caught up in all ways. She is a beautiful child; very sweet and king; loves to give kisses and hugs and likes to sing and entertain us.

Because Katya was 3 1/2 when we got her, she still has strong memories of her life and friends in Moscow and we encourage her to keep and treasure them. She has had no physical, psychological or emotional problems in her transition and has blossomed into a very happy child.

One little anecdote about her adjustment that we like to share is that after she had been with us about one year, we were out walking hand-in-hand on a sunny afternoon, when Katya said, "When I got back to Russia". We immediately reassured her that she was never going back to Russia, but would always be with us. Her eyes lit up and a big smile broke out as she shouted, "YES!! I love you guys!!". We had just realized that she had been harboring thoughts that she was going to have to return to her homeland one day and that this was just a temporary time with us. Ever since that moment she has exhibited a very strong sense of security and trust in her place in our lives.

Working with Adopt-a-Child was wonderful; they handled everything! We were very concerned that we find the right agency because we had hear many horror stories about the foreign adoption process that others had encountered, but AAC took care of every jot and tittle; we let them do what they do best! We had researched their agency extensively and spoke with adoptive parents who had used them and found AAC to be very professional, up front, honest and they were there for you all the way. We can't say enough about their ability to meet every need and concern. We recommend them highly.

Russia was very cold in February! All the women were in fur coats (no, my husband didn't buy me one...) and the men wore fur hats, and the people were very warm and friendly. The Adopt-a-Child people in Moscow were very competent and handled everything for us. They picked us up at the airport and were with us each and every step of the way throughout both visits. They kept us informed of each step we would encountered and always made sure that we had the support (drivers, translators, etc.) we needed. When they weren't at our side they were always available by phone. They made the entire process simple and very enjoyable. We never felt the least bit concerned about our well being or about the process from arrival to when we were boarding our return flights. It was so special for us to see and enjoy the rich cultural heritage that our daughter came from so that we will always be able to share stories and pictures of her homeland with her.

Katya is indeed blessing from the Lord, and we thank God for her every day. Even though our situation is a bit different than that of most (my husband is 20 years old than I am and he is retired), God can still work miracles!

We will always be most grateful to all of the wonderful folks at Adopt-a-Child for being so instrumental in bringing Katya into our lives.

Thank you AAC!!

Gail and Ron Noullet