Our story begins January 11, 1997. A son was born to us, Alexander Frank. He
was perfect in every way and within a year we were talking of having another
child. Five years later we had experienced 4 miscarriages and years of fertility
drugs. We did not want to try invitro and were worn out physically and mentally
from years of disappointment. Alexander prayed from the time of our first
miscarriage for a baby brother or sister. He did not stop until he had his
brother.
We talked of adoption but Greg was slightly unsure. After research of agencies and different countries and talking to various couples, we decided on Russia. There were several agencies we considered; in August 2002 we attended an EAC seminar and were impressed. And that is where our journey to Nolan began.
»We laugh a lot more since we have Nolan!
Months of paperwork, homestudies, and endless phone calls to EAC and other adoptive couples finally ended in February, 2003. We were given a travel date.
By the end of March we were traveling to Russia. The war had just begun but we put our faith in God and EAC to keep us safe in our travels. We arrived in Moscow and were greeted by a representative of EAC. The following day we met a coordinator who was with us the entire trip and was wonderful. We were with another couple who were there on their second trip and knew what to expect. We felt safe the entire trip.
The next morning we went to the infant’s home to meet our son. They brought him
to us in a very nice playroom. He looked so small, sad, and frail, but had the
most beautiful brown eyes. Within minutes he was sitting on my lap eating a
cookie. We played for a couple of hours showing him books, rolling a ball, and
giving his papa "hi-fives." He was content just sitting on his mama's lap and
rolling the ball to his papa. We felt an instant bond with him but wanted those
brown eyes to light up. We saw him three more times before we left with tears in
our eyes, promising to return.
Five weeks later we returned to Moscow on Mother’s Day. Our “Gotcha Day” was also our anniversary. This was definitely meant to be! Nolan seemed even sadder on the second trip. We were a nervous wreck for our court date. I looked at the judge as he entered the court room and said a silent "Thank you" to God--the judge had kind eyes. Greg was impressed with the quick and efficient court system. Soon the judge told us "Happy Anniversary...you are now parents of Nolan Robert Frank."
We were so happy to carry Nolan out of the orphanage and to our hotel. The instant smile on his face and laughter in his eyes made our hearts soar...it was as if a light went on that day and we will never let it go out again. Gone was the pale, sad little boy--now we have our son, Nolan, who loves to run and laugh and play. One day our son, Alexander, said "We laugh a lot more since we have Nolan!"
Within days Nolan began an incredible bond with his brother and it continues to grow with cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. He is loved by all. We have 2 beautiful sons. Both are miracles, brought to us in different ways.
We thank EAC for helping us find our son. Nolan has brought us yet another miracle--three months after our return, we found out we will be having another baby. Our due date is March 31--the day we met Nolan. God knew our path before we did; we just had to put our trust in Him.
Greg & Heather Frank
Presented by European Adoption Consultants, Inc.