We are excited to announce

Silas Yaroslav

joined our family on August 9th 2016 around 4:30 p.m.

Our new family with the inspector and Silas’s director at his school.

This has definitely been my longest “pregnancy”  but every second was worth it to have Silas be our son!

We had a great court and were so excited by the support of everyone involved.  It could not have gone smoother.

I know several of ya’ll are scratching your heads trying to figure out who Silas is.  Well, when we went on our “first” first trip, a name change was discussed with our facilitator. We decided to ask Silas what he wanted.  We knew we wanted to keep his birth name, Yaroslav, because he was named after King Yaroslav the Wise.  We chose several names that we knew were distinctly American names.

We went through several names  and he shook his head no with all of them.  Until we landed on Silas.  He gave a resounding yes for that one.

When we took our “second” first trip this past July, he was still very definite that he wanted Silas to be his first name.  After court, Silas was definite that we should call him that.  And he corrected his siblings when they tried to call him Yaroslav or Yarik (the nickname for Yaroslav).

So, our Y the Brave (also known as Yarik the Brave) is now Silas the Brave!

And to note:

Silas is sometimes a Greek variation of the Aramaic Saul which means “prayed for”

Yaroslav means “fierce and glorious”

Our baby, the one we have prayed fiercely for.  The one who has made us see God’s provision over and over.  Who is tender and determined and who is ours forever.  What a journey we have been on and yet, have just started!

Silas’s life verse is so fitting for the start of his life with us.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.

Psalm 147:5-6