Merry Christmas Sergei and Max!

The Christmas goods we sent to the orphanage.

Notice there are no noisemakers...I would hate to be denied once we arrived!

Today is officially Christmas in Ukraine! We mailed this care package and hope it reaches the children unopened. We have heard of packages being open and rummaged through before making it to its final destination. We crossed our fingers and taped a million notes in Russian that it was for "ORPHAN CHILDREN" and taped a few pictures of Jesus to scare any would be thieves away. Kevin doesn't think my crafty tactics will work but who would steal with The Big Man watching......
and I am not talking about St. Nick!

So relived to have spoken to Sergei and knowing our letters were getting through. It makes everything just a little easier over here. We are in the middle of our last humongous stack of security papers which include two fingerprinting appointments and a Syphilis test to boot...Yowzer!

Well on that note...MERRY CHRISTMAS and I am taking the tree down tomorrow morning!

We got through!

(Becky, Zhenya and Kevin posing for a good luck picture before we dialed the orphanage)

We talked to Sergei! We could burst right now we are so happy! I just needed to hear my sweet son's voice. Thank you everyone for praying for us to get through...IT WORKED! We have tried to get through several times and the phone would just ring and ring, this time someone answered on the first try...Yahoo! We made the call with help from Rob and Debbie Jolley and their sweet, wonderful, AWESOME daughter Zhenya! She translates for us and was adopted from the same orphanage a few years ago. No matter how late we keep her up or away from her friends she is always so happy to help, we love her so much! We were there with the Miller family who is also adopting so it was quite a party. We are not allowed to say “adoption” to the kids. It is because many parents say they are coming and then never do. So with the restrictions, this is how the call went... and no I didn't take a breath between sentences.

Me: “We love you, we miss you we are coming as fast as we can. Tell Max all about us, Suzy and Pearl wanted me to tell you they love you. We miss you so much, we love you, be good. Your boy cousins Harrison, Carter and Caden can't wait to see you! We love you!”

Sergei: “Da” aka: Yes

More of the above for a few minutes with Kevin jumping on the line as well. He told us he missed us and loved us too. He said he did get our letters which was a huge relief because I wasn't sure if they were going through. I can't wait to get my teenager and his one word replies home! Sweet Max was not on the phone but we are aching for him to get here squeeze all 4 pounds of him! Happy, happy day!



Blue Christmas....

(Becky wearing the socks Sergei left behind)

Elvis is killing me this Christmas! If you see me in the grocery store or driving in my car bawling it is because I am listening to "I'll be home for Christmas" Any version of the song, in any location makes me cry...a lot. The girls and I have been very busy with homemade crafts, cookie making and all around Christmas joy but it is so difficult not having Sergei and Max home with us. Kevin is staying focused at work and studies his Russian with the girls at night. We have not been able to reach the boys by phone yet which doesn't help. We will keep trying and keep you updated.

Sergei left a pair of socks under his bed. Sounds silly but I have almost worn them out. Wearing them makes me feel like he is not that far away. I know they will be home soon. Thank you all for loving us and following our story. Much love to you all.

Thanksgiving

(Thanksgiving plates for 2011.... of course this is Dana's awesome idea)

Yep, this one is going to be a sappy entry so get ready. So thankful for this family that God is putting together in such a miraculous way. Thankful for all my children and their healthy bodies and happy hearts. Thankful for Sergei and Max's Mother, may she rest in peace, for bringing her children into this world and truly being my guardian angel. For my family...who loves me unconditionally, who would raise one million dollars for me. Thank you, for letting me lean on you and always knowing I can. To my dear friends who cheer (and pray) for me. Letting me cry, making me laugh and loving me even though I am TERRIBLE at returning calls, emails and text. Sweet, sweet Kevin, without you I would be lost. You are the Ying to my Yang, so thankful for the life we have had for the last 12 years together and can't wait for the next 50!

Max and Sergei have been unreachable by phone. The phone is in the orphanage office which is in the basement of the building with 280 kids. Nobody can hear the phone ringing! I thought for sure one or two naughty kids would walk pass and pick up but we tried for an hour and a half and still nothing, blah. We have mailed our first stack of form to Ukraine to be translated. We are being told March is going to be the soonest we can travel because Max is only 5 and that puts him on a “baby” list which slows the process down. I know it seems slow but everything is moving pretty quickly and according to schedule. Still makes us ache not having them here. March is the goal.

So grateful for all we have....so grateful for you.

Get out and Boat!

Yesterday was go vote day.  Me (this is Kevin typing) and the girls went out at five in the evening to vote.  The girls were very unhappy to learn that going to vote had nothing to do with going on a boat.  "Bery unhappy".  Anyway this video is from a get out and vote web site.  I love this video.  Who knew Newt Gingrich had something in common with Willie Nelson!?

"Smashing" Home-study, Check!

Sergei at Aunt Dana's with his melting face paint.

What was I thinking? I just took the first appointment we could, "Nov. 1st at 9am sounds great, see you soon!" I said it alright, but on October 31st I was kind of wishing I had scheduled our Home-study appointment for the 2nd.

Halloween on a Monday people...really...who does that?! Got Suzy off to school, check. Pearl refused to wear anything at all that day, let alone a costume. Finally convinced her clothes were not negotiable but still could not talk her into wearing the cutest Halloween shirt from her Aunt Lisa. Oh, well...she is wearing clothes, check. Saved stray puppy in road, check. Visit at Grandma Suzan’s and then off to pick up Suzy from school. My moms last words as I backed out of her driveway, “Don't hit my car!” Damn...too late. Smashed into my Moms car, check. SORRY MOM!!!

Trick or treating, check. Kids finally in bed, check. Whew! Oh wait I have a home-study in the morning and I have to fold 8 loads of laundry, clean my house, wash my kids Halloween makeup off in their sleep and look rested and fresh. Fast forward to the morning....House was clean, Laundry is folded (I thought she might check my van for car-seats so I decided I couldn't hide it there). Kids were perfect and left over Halloween make up is endearing, right?

The Home-study was great or I guess I should say, our caseworker was great. We were so excited to finally be getting to this point in the adoption I was giddy. After questions and interviews, I think we passed with flying colors, minus my shoplifting shenanigans at age 12 (Listen to your parents kids, they are always right!). I was finally able to hand her the packet we had been working weeks on to compile. It felt so great to know that we can't do anything else right now but to raise funds and wait for the next step. There is still a lot left, but such a relief to know we are this much closer to getting Sergei and Max home!

When do the boys get here?



With our fund-raising efforts on the back-burner for now, we are focusing on completing all of the paperwork to get Max and Sergei here. We started on the paperwork Sept. 21, 2011. Gesh I know...no stretch marks but lots of papercuts! 

Here is our checklist:

1. Get BCI's done AKA: background checks (this took a while...don't worry we passed!)
2. Home-study appointment scheduled for Nov. 1^{st -} A homestudy is where an independent social workers checks us out, checks us out some more and then talks to everyone we have ever known since kindergarten to make sure we really check out. This can take weeks of interviews and investigating. Be prepared for a phone call people!
3. US approval – Once all of our paper work is good to go, it has to be approved by the US Government and then it is sent to the Ukraine.
4. Russian translation of all our paperwork must be completed in the Ukraine.
5. Ukraine Approval for an appointment- Once the Ukraine Government approves all the papers we have submitted they will call us with an “Appointment Date”. This is the day Kevin and I both must meet in a courtroom to prove to the Ukraine government we are who we say we are and to state our intentions of adopting Sergei and Max. The soonest possible date will be February 2012. I know, it seems so far away.
6. 2 ½ - 4 weeks in Ukraine from the date of our appointment – PRAY we are only there for 2 ½ weeks. 4 weeks is quite standard. We will be leaving Suzy, Pearl and Charlotte home in loving care of family but it hurts just thinking we will be away from them for so long. During this time we will be able to see Sergei and Max everyday and we will be completing more paperwork.
7. Back to USA for 10-days – We are required to leave for 10 days, they call it the “cooling off period” allowing either party to change their minds. This is a killer on the travel expense and the overall time process. The Ukraine government has this in place to protect their children. It weeds out the people who do not have good intentions for these children.
8. Back to Ukraine for 2 weeks to get the boys, do more paperwork and get back home so all SEVEN of us can begin our lives as one BIG happy family....starting with English classes!

So this post is serious but educational. Don't worry, next post will be funnier because I have to figure out a place to put all my clean laundry before the homestudy lady gets here. I know you might be saying, “just fold it” but there is just too much. Vote: Under my bed, in my mini-van or at my next-door-neighbors.