Saturday

Today was a Saturday much like a Saturday anywhere in the world. Slept in some which was nice. All the stuff locally for our adoption paperwork is done and in the hands of our facilitator to take care of so that we get all the SDA government approvals and then our court date for the adoption. Back to sleeping in, the apartment we are renting is quite comfortable, the sleep arrangements being no exception, so we get a good nights sleep which is nice when you're 6000 miles from your own bed! Went out to the orphanage, picking up a birthday cake, as Dylan's 14th birthday was yesterday and Andriy's 13th earlier this month. Spent some time with the kids there and then us and the kids went to enjoy a home cooked Ukranian meal for dinner. Ate WAY more than we should of, but it was so good :) And, lots of it, so many things to choose from to eat. Dessert alone was 3 different types of yogurt or jello, 3 cakes and 2 huge boxes of chocolates. I have duly treated my tummy to some Tums just in case! Back at the apartment for the evening now to digest....

Smiles

Today was one of those days you imagine when you think of what your adoption will be like. We got up and the driver took us to the orphanage where we got together with the kids. They have warmed up to our family incredibly fast. We hoped for this with Masha as she had spent the time with our family last summer on the hosting trip and it has been true to form. Andriy we expected would take a lot longer as he seems pretty quiet and shy and had not met us before, and he has far exceeded our expectations. He has turned out to be a very sweet young man with a beautiful smile, and smiles easily. We are still amazed at how these two kids have jelled with our three, we are on our way to having 5 teenagers that get along so very well with each other! The adoption process continues to move forward, the initial rush of activity will now give way to waiting for government approvals back from the SDA in Kyiv leading to our court date.

We made it to the Global, a large indoor mall in Zhytomr and our 1st trip to McDonalds. Why yes, it does pretty much taste just like McDonalds in America, although I think the cheese is better here in Ukraine. The girl at the counter spoke some english and was incredibly friendly and helpful. There is an indoor ice rink at this mall so the kids went skating and had a blast. Then some wandering around, more time with the kids, then back to the apartment for the evening. Try #2 at spagetti on the stovetop tonight :)

Previet Again :)

Today is our 2nd full day in Zhytomr, Ukraine. Low 40's, on and off rain, it's like being back in Seattle where I grew up. Our facilitator and driver picked us up this morning and we went to the orphanage to see the kids again. We got to spend probably about 4 hours there today with the kids, it was a lot of fun. We have started to talk about what is upcoming so that they are prepared for the rest of the adoption process, travel to America, and life in their new home. We figure we'll take a bite at a time of all the information while we have someone to translate! We are learning Ukranian words as we go along and that helps a lot. The kids are very sweet and it is truly a joy to be able to spend time with them. Both of them are an amazing fit into our family, it is obvious that God matched them with our family.

Our paperwork is almost complete and will then go back to the SDA for final approval to move forward with our court date. Our facilitator has been really great, we are super appreciative to be in her capable hands. We continue to pray that the process will go smooth and as quickly as possible. So far we have enjoyed our time in Ukraine, the people have been very nice and the food very good, but I'm ready for my Texas summer weather!

After appointments and orphanage we went for pizza for lunch (VERY thin crust and good), walked around a bit to get our bearings a bit more, and now settled in our apartment for the remainder of the day. Working on uploading lots of pictures we've taken so far. The kids have taken to the trip like fish in water and are enjoying this great experience for them.

Long wait, today was great!

Today was the day we have waited months for, to see Masha again and to meet Andriy face to face for the first time! Up around 8am, quick breakfast and getting dressed. Weather overcast and low 40's today. Our driver, Vitaly, a very outgoing and fun 28 yr old guy, picked us up from the apartement. We then picked up our faciliator and the social worker, and then the 20 minute or so drive to the orphanage. The orphanage is off a main road and into some thick woods. We checked in and waited for the kids. Soon Masha came into the office, it was so great to get to hug her! I guess the kids had not yet been told we were in country so it was a surprise, but a good one! She and the girls were sitting together and talking right away. We had to wait for some time for Andriy, as he was playing outside. Then we got to meet him and it was awesome. He is a very sweet young man, quite the handsome one. Everyone right away noticed how much he and Dylan look alike, no one would guess they are not birth brothers. Same applies for Masha and the girls! We spent a bunch of time hanging out and playing games, breaking the ice, while paperwork was getting done. It was so much fun to get to talk and play with the kids, they are such a natural fit for our family, it really seems like we are just picking up two of our regular kids, not adopting children from the other side of the world. Left the orphanage to go hit the market for some food stuff (larger market), then to the notary (equivalent of an attorney in USA) for more paperwork, then dinner at the American's favorite restaurant, Pan Marzipan (I'm sure I spelled that all wrong). Food was excellent :) Then back to the apartment to chill out and reflect on a very happy day for our family. We already love these kids and can't wait to bring them to their forever home!

Tuesday March 27

Well, at least I think it's Tuesday! Last night got our first good nights sleep. The apartment in Kyiv was very nice and comfortable. Finished packing up and leaving the apartment in the morning, it started snowing pretty heavy (very pretty) for much of the day :) Went to lunch at a small place in downtown Kyiv (seems like all places are small), the food so far, as usual, was very good. Went back to the SDA and got our referral paperwork so we can now continue with the adoption process. Then the couple hour drive to Zhytomr. It took much longer than usual as they are doing a ton of roadwork in preparation for the Euro Cup coming in Kyiv. Connected with Alex whose apartment we are renting for our stay in Zhytomr. Really nice guy! Went to the small local market down the street. Spent 9 minutes trying to figure out which jar was the spagetti sauce! Talk about feeling like a stranger in a new world! Settling into the apartment and cooking spagetti and bread for dinner. Internet works great :) Tomorrow is the next big day as we'll meet with the social worker and I think get to go to the orphanage and see our kids :) Keep praying!

SDA

Today was our first real appointment in the adoption process at the SDA (Social Department of Adoptions). Our biological clocks are still way off from Ukraine time, so we only slept an hour or two last night. On top of that, we somehow got off on setting our clocks by an hour so got up an hour earlier than needed! Quick snack and then we met up with our facilitator for our appointment. About a 15 minute walk to the office, but with temps in the 20s with the wind chill, it was pretty cold! The office is in a ordinary building next to one of the beautiful cathedrals here in Kyiv. Short wait, then we met with Ivana, a very nice lady with the SDA. We told a little about us, then she reviewed the files they had of the two kids are are considering for adoption. Not much information on them. We say that yes we want to adopt these two! That's pretty much it in a nutshell. We return to the SDA tomorrow to pick up our referral paperwork and then drive to the city where they are located. We should see them on Wednesday! After the appointment went to a very nice coffee shop for a light breakfast, visited a couple street vendors, ran a couple errands, and back to the apartment to warm up and chill out.

We're Here!

OK, this is too weird, I cranked up the blogger program to write this blog, and all the template stuff is in Ukranian. Hope I remember the correct colored boxes to click on! We are in Kyiv, Ukraine! No more waiting, here we go! We left Austin with no problems and had a smooth and (thankfully) uneventful trip to Kyiv. I got to sit to an older gentleman on the flight to Frankfurt who was an absolute blast so it made 8 hours seem, well, not so bad! Security (again) in Frankfurt and then the relatively short flight to Kyiv. Once there you have to ride a bus to the terminal, go through the line to get our first official passport stamps :) Our faciliator Oksana and driver Alonya (sp?) were waiting and got us to Kyiv, and settled into the apartment we'll stay at for a couple days until we depart for Zhytomr. The apartment is actually really nice, we're very happy with it, especially Bekah who is already lights out. Had dinner at an Irish pub around the corner (my pleas for McDonalds were overruled...) and the food was quite good. Unwinding now and crashing for some well needed sleep. Tomorrow is open so we're thinking of walking around and checking out Kyiv a bit. We're within a block of Independence Square here in downtown so should be lots to see. Please continue to pray for the adoption process that all would go smooth, our SDA appointment is Monday 10am! More blogs and pics to come!

Wheels Up!

The day is finally here to travel to Ukraine to adopt our two new children. We are so excited to see this whole process move from paperwork and talk to reality. Don't know when we'll have internet connection again but we will continue to update on our blog as we can. Thanks to everyone for the support and prayers, keep them coming as we make our journey to the other side of the world to give these kids their new forever home!

Just Do It!

This is a very exciting day for our family, as months of preparation and waiting come to an end, and the actual adoption trip comes to a start. Today we'll tie up the loose ends on travel details for our trip, and the homestead is all set for while we're away. Finishing the last of the packing, carry on bags for the lengthy flight overseas, making sure we've got all the wires for the electronics, etc. Tomorrow we'll climb into the plane for the 6,092 mile journey to the other side of the world. I've wondered so many times about the first time we'll see the kids at the orphanage and what that will be like. Now it's a week or less away from reality. Truly praying for God's protection and grace, for a smooth adoption process, for things to move along well and timely, so we can bring our new family members home as soon as possible.

Pack for a week, stay for a month

Woo hoo! Our flight out of Austin to fly to Kiev, Ukraine is in 4 days. All the wheels are in motion to keep the home and pets cared for with the housesitter, finances squared away, etc. etc. Now the real fun begins in getting packed for the trip. Packing for a long trip like this comes down to the smallest common denominator. What can we fit in a van with a family of seven on the way to the Kiev airport to fly home! Not how many bags we can take, or how much weight the airline will allow, or what our biggest suitcases are, or even can we fit in the car from the Kiev aiport. What will fit in the car to leave Ukraine with two adults and five teenagers! We have been waiting to get to travel and the day is fast approaching. We couldn't be happier to finally go and get our new family members!

39 and raining

This is so great! We are close enough to our trip that we can see our arrival date in the weather forecast. And, it's not zero to minus 20!

Forward Ho!

Whee! Adoptions are once again moving forward in Ukraine and we have our date! Our legal adoption will begin with our SDA (Ukranian gov't) appointment on Monday morning March 26th! We are very happy that all the preparation stuff is done and we can go and adopt these two kids now. We have been planning, preparing and waiting for a few months now we're now finalizing travel plans, packing, house sitter and pet care, getting our home ready for FIVE teenagers, etc. The kids are very excited that we are finally getting to come to Ukraine to get them!

Springing forward!

It's rainy in Austin today but sunny in our hearts as we got to talk to the kids in Ukraine this morning again. Conversations are always funny as we say something, overhear the translation in crazy fast Ukrainian, then a couple words from the kids, then translation back, and so on. We are told we should get our date this coming Tuesday, so we were excited to be able to tell them we will be there soon for them. They, we are glad to hear, are so excited that we will soon be there to get them :) From the hosting visit this past July and hearing more about them over the months, our hearts are tied to them, in our hearts they are already ours. Soon our bags will be packed and we'll embark on our adventure to bring our new son / daughter / brother / sister home to Texas. God has got this all covered for us, has matched us with the children He has intended for our family, and laid all the legal paperwork and facilitation stuff in excellent hands. Soon they will be in their new forever home, and ours :)

Happy Birthday soon to be son!

Today is Andriy's 13th birthday. We were really hoping to be there by now but the wheels on the bus go round and round at their own pace in the adoption process! I am totally loving the idea having another son and Dylan has always wanted a brother so we can't wait to get over there and finally meet him in person! We continue to be blessed with opportunities to keep in touch with the kids via phone and an occasional Skype but are so looking forward to the day I can just give him a big hug and tell him face to face that he is wanted and there is a nice place in our family all ready for him!

Speaking of the wheels on the bus, looks like they're spinning again! The word as of today is that Ukraine will start extending invitations and appointment dates this coming Tuesday the 13th. Please pray that all goes well and we'll soon know our appointment date and can pack our bags for real, and go get our kids :)