This Date In History 7/7/07 - The Newest Queen of America - Our Adoption Story

After almost 24 hours straight of travel (from the time we left our hotel in Moscow to the time we walked in our door at home) the new "Queen of America" was crowned. After an exhausting journey home, a small group of friends greeted us at the airport and even my brother, Marty, drove 4hrs from Central Pennsylvania to greet us (Thanks Kelly for organizing!) For obvious reasons, I did not send out an email to friends and family this day but I would like to share two items below:

The first is an email sent to me from my brother, Paul.

Hopefully you are in the air and headed west as I type this. I was
finishing my steamy jog when your taxi driver picked you up. This all
according to your itinerary. It was nearly 90 here today and I was
reluctant to head out on a jog. But I did it because I am training for
the Olympics. (Senior Olympics)

Penny and I just finished commenting on the picture gallery you sent. It
looks like you guys are really starting to bond. I'm sure there will be
a tidal wave of mixed emotions when you get home. Wallow in them. Every
emotion is important. In the end all will be well. I look forward to
seeing you and hugging all of you (even David). You're almost home!

-Poo

Secondly is the contents of a blog post on my brothers' blog titled "The Newest Queen of America". This post was actually written and posted by Marty (7/9) after his return to Pennsylvania but I thought it was appropriate to post today. The photo above is the one Marty also posted on his blog. It was take at the Buffalo Airport. The tiara was given to Madeline by a flight attendant on our flight from Washington DC to Buffalo. You can tell by the photo that Madeline was a bit overwhelmed by the entire experience.

Meet Madeline Olga, the newest citizen of the United States of America, and the newest Mazurlander. She is the adopted daughter of my youngest sister Amy and her husband David. And now she is the newest Queen of America. Like the coming of any royalty, Madeline's arrival on these shores, indeed her entire journey here, was accompanied by auspicious signs.

This blond-haired, blue-eyed girl, obviously a royal descendant of the Vikings who long ago plied the waters of the Volga River near her birthplace in Astrakhan, had been given the Norse name Olga, meaning "Blessed one". She shares a birthday with our late mother, her maternal grandmother. Ma Mazur had a picture of Olga, knew she would be coming soon, and prayed for her daily. Amy and David left for Russia on June 9, Ma and Dad Mazur's wedding anniversary. They had chosen a new name for their girl, Madeline, a name that honors the woman who recognized and served our only True King. She came from a place where royalty was banished: no man is King, but until recently, every man was a slave. After four weeks as "Prisoners of Astrakhan", the whole family, Amy, David, and Madeline Olga, touched down in America on that most auspicious of all days, 07/07/07. And now a whole country full of wonders greater than those in any Harry Potter movie awaits her. She is now a citizen of a country where everyone is a king, or a queen. But Madeline is more than that: she is queen of our hearts!