Today is the day. The day where we finally get our new daughter after months of waiting.

We are getting a little girl from Russia. Her name is Sophie Marzinita; she's seven, a beautiful little thing with fine, blonde hair, eyes as blue as cornflowers, and pale, pale skin. Perfectly healthy, but in need of a forever family--and a home.

We are to be that "forever family". She will finally have the home and family she's been dreaming of for a very long time.

My name is Evelin Ybarra. I live in West Covina, California, with my husband Juan and our two other children, 11-year-old Yacinthe Maria and 6-year-old Josue' Ricardo. Now we will be adding Sophie to our family; we can't be any more excited/happy than we are right now.

In only a few short hours, we will be leaving for the airport to pick up our daughter. My mami and papi, who live in Los Angeles, are coming with us to pick up our newest family member.

It is going to be a day of celebration.

And some tears, no doubt--happy tears.

We applied to adopt a little child back in 2006 (December); it was only about November of last year when we finally received word that we were approved. Next came the nervous time, the time right before our child would arrive. The reason for the delay: beaurocratic red tape on both ends, final medical checkups (and then waiting for the doctor's report), and any last minute loopholes that needed ironing out.

It's been nothing short of frustrating at best.

Now all that is going to be behind us as we pick up our new daughter. We can love her as our own, help her adjust, help her with English, help her with the fears of being in a strange country where a language completely different from her own is spoken.

We can also teach her Spanish. In our family, we speak both--English as well as Spanish. Then Sophie will know three languages.

The adoption agency tells us she is very smart. I don't doubt that. We have a video tape of her singing a song in Russian. She has a pretty singing voice. She also loves to read, draw, make up stories, games. So I know for a fact that Sophie is smart. Very smart.

I am sure we all will be crying: Sophie out of fear as she's handed to her new family, and us from the sheer excitement of the moment. Papi will be busy videotaping the experience, and the rest of us will get to revel in welcoming Sophie to America.

Sophie Marzinita. Our new daughter. Even the words make me glad!

It's been nothing short of a miracle!

~To be continued.~