07:52 - Ukraine Adoption 8
Current mood: thoughtful
Category: Life

not much has changed since my last blog entry.  We will probably not take a train to Kherson from Kiev, we will most likely rent a van.  I hear it is cheaper and safer..?    We have still been sending letters and conversing with Natasha, via Yuliia.   Natasha has been curious as to what our jobs are and when school is, how her brothers are doing, that sort of thing.  

Becky has officially finished decorating the girls rooms.  Natashas room is very elegant looking.  It is maroon, dark purple, and olive colors.  Anyas room is light green and light purple.  It looks eastery (I know thats not a word), it has pastel colors..   We have all been really trying hard to learn the russian language,  it is tough.  A whole different alphabet altogether.  Very slow going, but we are making progress.  We hear Natasha has been having the same problems with the english language, we will get it eventually.

33 days remain

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19:46 - Ukraine Adoption 7
Current mood: ecstatic
Category: Life

Here it is, the news we have been waiting since August to hear.  We have our registration number with the Ukraine Government, our travel date, and our airline tickets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a monumental step in the adoption!   We will be leaving USA on the 11th of March.  We will leave Memphis International Airport bound for Amsterdam, Netherlands, from there we will go to Kiev, Ukraine.  Once in Kiev we will stay there until the 14th where we will meet with the SDPRC, (ie. governmental adoption authorities) Then we will take a train to Kherson on the 15th or 16th to see the GIRLS.     : )   

We should be in Ukraine anywhere between 2 1/2 weeks to 4 weeks.  We are all excited.  Even Natasha.   Yuliia told Natasha the good news!!   She also sent us an updated picture of  Natasha, which I have recently posted here on myspace.  take a look. 

43 days remain.

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08:32 - Ukraine Adoption 6
Current mood: grateful
Category: Life

well,  heres the latest....

still no word about a registration number and/or travel date to Ukraine.

On the up side..  we have gotten in contact with a very nice young lady from Kherson, Ukraine (which is the same city Natasha and Anya live) who is a christian.  She has been helping us keep in contact with Natasha.  We wrote Natasha a letter and she printed it off, translated it and brought it to her.  Little did we know that when she went to deliver it,  Natasha wasn't at the orphanage.  She was in the hospital!!  She has been having increasingly impared vision.  So she was put in the hospital for tests.  The young lady (Yuliia) went to see Natasha at the hospital and bring her the letter.  Natasha was very happy and encouraged to recieve our letter.  Yuliia has been back to see Natasha twice since then.  She has also sent us a letter back from Natasha that says how glad she is that we are adopting her and that she appreciates our letters.  From what we understand Natasha is doing fine and she will most likely just need glasses to slowly correct her vision problems.  God sent Yuliia to us just at the right time.  She says it is a pleasure for her to see Natasha and she is such a nice, friendly girl.  They are planning on taking a walk together this weekend and spending some time together.  Normally it would take 2 weeks for us to send her a letter.  Now with Yuliia as an intermediary it only takes a day or two.  It was a relief knowing we could let Natasha know we were thinking about her and we love her in her time of need. 

thanks for all who our praying for our adoption and for the girls, God answers prayers. 

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22:38 - Ukraine Adoption 5
Current mood: gloomy

more of the same.  delays, delays, delays.  Due to the new adoption authorities, new proceedures and holiday delays.  Our registration number will not be given to us for another couple of weeks. 

Maybe we will travel around the first week in February.   We will see.

All we can do is wait. 

meanwhile, we are all practicing our Russian.  And saving our money. 

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13:42 - Ukraine adoption 4
Current mood: depressed
Category: Life

well, i wish i had some good news to bring you but you will just have to wait.  We still haven't heard about the registration number, there were some additional delays due to the holidays in Ukraine.  We were supposed to hear something yesterday or today but we haven't been able to get ahold of our adoption agency correspondant, so we are anxiously awaiting word from her.

another bit of bad news is concerning the phone conversation we were going to have with Natasha, which i elluded to in the last blog entry.  Our translator came down with the flu the same day that the phone call was going to take place and we havent had the opportunity to try it again.

needless to say becky and i have been bummed out, about the adoption "happenings".

an additional bit of interest concerning the adoption.  We are now taking all three of our boys with us to Ukraine.  With all the delays in the adoption Jodi will be unable to watch the kids when we leave, and after much deliberation we have just decided to take them with us.  Yes, yes i know you think we are stupid.  But think of the memories the boys will have of this trip.  It will be a great experience for them and they will get to see how fortunate they really are when we visit the orphanages.  With that said, please be in prayer for our sanity.  I dont relish the thought of traveling for thirty hours with our boys, we cant even go to grandmas house in the car without having to pull over at least once. Anyway, i think, in the long run it will be an action packed, emotional trip for everyone. 

Now we just need the patience to wait on Gods timing.  Sooner than later, I pray.

till next time-

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13:14 - Ukraine adoption 3
Current mood: determined
Category: Life

well, to update the process of our adoption.   We won't be going to Ukraine in the middle of January like we initially hoped.  Our registration was delayed until after the holidays, apparently there was some paperwork on Natasha that wasn't yet in order.  Some medical records or ukrainian citizenship papers, or something to that nature.  Anyway, because of this the next meeting between the SDAPRC, which is basically the Ukranian adoption officials, and our adoption agency is not until January 9th.  We should be traveling to Ukraine about two weeks after that.

also, we are going to get to talk to Natasha on the phone for the first time this friday.  We will have Beckys friend Tonya with us, she speaks Russian, and she is going to translate a 3 way conversation.  It will be an exciting moment just to hear her voice.  We have only been able to correspond with her once, via letter, since we started this adoption process in March.  Partly because of the uncertainty of us being able to adopt her for certain.  After our recent conversation with our adoption agency, we are 99.9% certain of adopting both girls successfully. 

well there you are, fully up to date.  I will add to the blog as I recieve more information.  Probably next week to fill you in on the phone conversation.

thanks again for your interest, concern, and prayers

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12:25 - ukraine adoption 2
Current mood: anxious
Category: Life

whoopie,  we have finally recieved word from our adoption agency and ukraine about our girls.   We will tentatively travel to the ukraine around the 12th of january.  We will find out our exact appointment date on friday the 15th.  This process has taken quite a while, we have been dealing with this since march, so it is very nice to finally get to know when we will be going abroad. 

the boys will be staying with beckys sister, jodi, while we are gone and our parents will be relieving her from time to time so she can maintain her sanity. 

please remember us in your prayers as all this is new and exciting to all of us, especially the girls.  Also pray for safe travel for Becky and I, there has been increased attacks on americans in foreign countries.  I would hate to have to whip some foreigner.  he he!!?  

anyway, i will post more information as we get it,   probably next week.   we will know our exact date of meeting with the ukrainian adoption officials and when we will be leaving for ukraine. 

thanks for the interest

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17:48 - Ukraine adoption 1
Current mood: optimistic
Category: Life

hello, within a few months my wife and i will be headed to Ukraine to adopt two girls.  the youngest being 2 and the oldest being 15.  both of these girls are in an orphanage.  The youngest girl has a disability where her legs were deformed at birth.  We are anxious to get her back home so she can get medical treatment that she might be able to walk someday.   The oldest girl is in fine health.  Adopting is new to us and if anyone has any tips or information that might help us along this journey of adopting we would appreciate it.  We already have three boys that are also anxious to bring home their sisters.  We have all kinds of thoughts and dreams of what life will be like once the girls are here but arent quite sure how our family will change.  Everyone is very excited, and are willing to tackle any challenges that we might face.  In the end we are certain that love for each other will overcome.  

So if anyone out there reads this and has some adoptive child rearing tips or just a comment or even traveling abroad to Ukraine info, please ring in. 

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