We had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful Kaz adoptive family last Thursday night! Marc and Le Anne Kieffer and their son, Rhys (pronounced Reese), who live in North Carolina were visiting friends here in Charleston, and we all met for dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company downtown. They are the nicest people and a lot of fun too! We enjoyed their company very much and look forward to having them over for dinner next time they are here. (They used to live in Charleston, so they visit a lot.)Rhys is almost 2, and was adopted from the city of Kokshetau in late 2006. He is 100% Kazakh, sooo adorable and smart as a whip. Marc and Le Anne were simply glowing with pride and love for him, and they are excited to soon be adopting a little sister from Kaz too.
It was comforting and inspiring to be around a "real live Kaz family." Step right up ladies and gentlemen, see first-hand a real live family who made it through the process and are now living happily after! :-) Rhys even let us hold him for a little while after dinner, although he was more interested in checking out his surroundings than cuddling with adoring prospective adoptive parents. Things to see, stuff to explore!
Here's something neat. A few months ago the Kieffers learned that Kazakhstan's Astana Tigers college basketball team was coming to Charlotte for a game through Athletes in Action. They went to the game with a giant Kaz flag and cheered them on to victory. Then they invited the whole team over for a cookout the next day. Now that's what I call Southern hospitality!Here are a few photos I borrowed from their blog (with permission):
How fun!Oh, and Le Anne and several other Kaz moms are going on a girl's trip soon (probably while we are in Kaz), and she invited me to join them next year. I look forward to that!
Thank you, Kieffers, for sharing so much great information, travel advice and inspiration. We look forward to your next visit, and also to future play dates with Rhys and little sis!
16 comments:
That sounds like such a good time. It is so nice to meet other Kaz families. That is so neat they met the Kaz basketball team! What a wonderful memory for their son. :)
Thanks for the compliments. We also had a great time with you guys and look forward to many more good times. You will be great parents. We also think you are going to have a wonderful time in Kaz. It can be a wonderful trip if you "go with the flow", the WPA motto, and think of it as a little vacation with a wonderful souvenier.
Best Wishes,
Marc, Le Anne and Rhys Kieffer
Oh my gosh that is so cool! I am so impressed!!!
That is awesome! What fun! He is a cutie.
How awesome! I remember the Kieffer's trip as well as Kristi M's and the Cole's at the same time. It's great to see Rhys again. I'm glad you were able to meet them. It is so wonderful to have people who have "been there, done that" to turn to. One of my best blog friends is a person who went through the journey about 8 months before I did. She was invaluable to me right before I traveled, and then once I arrived home. I'm so glad you're able to meet a "real live Kaz family." :-) (I love that.)
That is so cool. I love our community, blogging might be addicting but it so helpful and supportive. I can't wait to go and experience the process over there but I am even more excited to come home and start joining some mommy groups hopefully with lots of kaza cuties.
Sandi
How cool-and Rhys is just adorable! You are so funny--a real live Kaz family. :)
And I agree with them, you are going to be great parents. :)
oh, wow! What a great Family & how fun to have the team over, so cool. Rhys is adorable. :)
Super cool! He is adorable! Good for you, now you have something to relate to. Kaz kids are super cool! Not that I am biased or anything :) Thanks for sharing the post. Gena
How fun! That's great that you were able to meet up with a Kaz family! We hope that we can do the same someday as well.
Rhys sure looks cute :)
Hey....it looks like you started some sort of Russian blog. What does the title say? I suppose I could look at our Russian alphabet but it's easier to ask :)
Isn`t it nice to meet other Kaz families? I think is a very special feeling. The child is adorable! So much fun!
That is SOOOO cool that they invited the whole team over - and their child is BEYOND ADORABLE. How awesome that you all hooked up. Wonderful!
So gotta say it now (after respecting Frank's no comment request on the Jan 10 blog) - WOW. That's the most beautiful thing I have ever read. Thank you for sharing it. I learned about adoption from a good high school friend who was so happy in her family she was incredulous why anyone would wonder if she'd search for her birth parents. "Why would I," she'd ask.
"This is my family." I remember being so deeply touched by that - it forever made me connect to adoptive families. And now I have my own grandbaby Aila who was chosen for us from on high (who we meet next week - yippeee!) and I will think of you, and of my friend Mary. She died last month (in her mid 50s - way before her time) as both of you are teachers adoption and its beauty. I hold both of you close in my heart as I prepare to try to be the best grandmother a child could ever have. You have given so many a beautiful bright light on your black hole day.
Hello? Where are you? Way too long for a post, my friends!
Shannon ;-)
I just came across your blog! It's great you live in an area that you can get together with other Kaz families. We live in the middle of Nowhere, AL, lol!
Let me tell you about Marc, Lee Anne and Rhys...
We were in Kazakhstan in October and November, 2006 to complete our family with the addition of our youngest son, Cal (who while we were there had just turned one year old). Our older children Alina and Mac, also from Kazakhstan (2000), went back with us to see the land of their birth. We all did pretty well, but we were all missing some good Southern U.S. food. Marc, Lee Ann and Rhys invited us over, and Marc cooked us the most wonderful spread imaginable, including fried chicken and everything else we could ever want. It was the best meal we feel we had ever consumed. Later, on Halloween, we met with this family and they brought some candy to allow our kids to "trick or treat" with them.
Their kindness and thoughtfulness will never be forgotten.
McCracken Poston
www.postontrip.blogspot.com
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