The Saga

I didn't want to go into much detail last night until I had the information confirmed by our Agency. We heard from our agency today, so it's officially going to print about the situation at K's orphanage.

Our daughter lives in a very nice Orphanage (#6) about 40 minutes outside of Ekaterinburg -- and Ekaterinburg is located on the western border of Siberia. As of 34 minutes ago (10am Friday in Ekat), it is exactly -13 degrees Farenheit. Yes, 13 degrees below zero and snowing. Bbbbrrrrr.

Apparently, a water pump broke leaving the Orphanage without any water. Where is the water pump located? Deep below the frozen ground! Our friends, Jeff and Dawn, were told that the children were relocated to various orphanages and hospitals until SPRING when they would have the water pump fixed. Our Coordinator in Russia was surprised that JD and I knew about it already but confirmed that all the children were fine and they think K is now in Orphanage #5. Our coordinator will be at Orphanage #5 next week with another family so she has promised to get pictures and measurements (height and weight), if indeed, K is at #5.

Our agency said "Don't worry -- she'll probably be back at Orphanage #6 by the time you get a Court Date." I wrote back and told her we were hoping for a Court Date **before Spring**. I don't think our Agency was told that the children wouldn't be relocated until Spring...

Stay warm, our little Russian angel!! xoxoxox

Signed, Sealed, Delivered....Back to US!

I'm experiencing a mirage of feelings: frustrated, relieved, excited, bummed, and hopeful.

Frustrated. Today, the package that we sent via FedEx on January 2nd was returned to us. It was a Customs issue and although we included all perinent data, I also included on all my notes on the contents "For K and her Friends", "For all the children in the Orphanage", etc. I just have to accept the fact that Customs Agents have no heart. (Ok, so they are doing their job...I've just got to vent!) They rifled through the box, tore open the photo album I had wrapped (ok...my bad...I never wrap anything when I travel in the event it has to be inspected) as well as pulled out the clothes and shoved them back into the gift bag, etc. The only thing they didn't open was the envelope which had a brief letter explaining what the gifts were for and a picture to put faces to the names of the senders and adorable recipient.

The box that travelled across the world in search of a little girl!

We have no idea what the sticker on the box says...but evidence that it made it close to our daughter in Russia!

Relieved. Thank goodness the package arrived home with what appears to have everything intact. At least the Customs Agents didn't have sticky fingers! We hope to somehow "vaccuum shrink-wrap" the blankets and fit them in a suitcase when we have to pack. Hey, where's Ron Popiel from Ronco when you need him?

Excited. The friends we made in Ekaterinburg back in September (adopting a little boy from the same Grupa and Orphanage as K) got the call that their court date is February 20th! We submitted our p/w before Halloween in October and Dawn and Jeff submitted their p/w 3-4 weeks later around Thanksgiving in November so we're hoping that perhaps we're not too far behind. I may have mentioned before that their agency deals with the male judge and we deal with the female judge...so I may be comparing apples and oranges. But still ~ we remain hopeful!

Bummed. This is a teaser as I'm not going to go into great detail until I hear it directly from our Agency but apparently, something happened at the Orphanage where K lives and all the kids have been relocated to other orphanages/hospitals throughout the city of Ekaterinburg. The kids are fine...but it leaves me with such a helpless feeling not knowing where K is. Everyday, I imagine her in her Grupa room, or in the music/playroom, or out on the playground bundled up so tightly that she can barely walk! Is the place she's in now clean?

Hopeful. I have to thank Mom for instilling hope into my thoughts tonight. When we talked about what happened at the Orphanage, she said maybe this will move things along faster since the kids have been relocated and perhaps the other Orphanages may be crowded now. We're so far into the process that I will hang onto this thought and remain hopeful. I mean -- what more can the judge possibly want from us? She knows more about us now than our own family does!

As soon as I get an e-mail back from my agency (who I asked to contact our Coordinator in Russia STAT), I'll post again. So continue to check in...the saga continues!!!

4 Months Ago Today....

K: It was 4 months ago today that we held your hand, gave you a hug and kissed that sweet face of yours for the very first time. It's been the longest 4 months and we think of you all the time. Not a day passes that Papa and I don't talk about you, wonder what you are doing, and hoping that we get a call soon to come and bring you home. I contacted AO last week and asked for an update on you. They have requested that Olga get a picture and info about you when she sees you next. We bet you are getting so big and that your hair is getting longer. Are you saying some words yet? Four months ago, the only thing you said was a breathy "bah, bah". I can still see and hear you clearly in my memory.

God bless you, sweet angel of ours. Мы любим вас, K. (We love you, K.) ~~ Mama xoxoxo

On Vacation!

OK -- so imagine this: It's between -3 and 20 degrees in Ekaterinburg right now and it's snowing. You're coming off the Russian Christmas on January 7th and the Russian New Year on January 13th. What would you be doing if you were living in Russia right now???

Yep --- you would go on vacation where it's warm and sunny, right? Well, that's exactly what our judge has decided to do! (To be honest, I don't know where she went but I'd love to imagine that she's poolside with a computer set up and cell phone in hand reviewing our dossier! ) She left January 15th and won't be back until February 2nd. When she returns, our Russian Coordinator will be meeting with our jetset judge to discuss our case along with one other family's case.

On a good note, we were thrilled to learn last night that friends Jeff and Dawn have been asked to submit more paperwork quickly so their judge can set a court date. (We met them in Ekaterinburg at the infamous Park Inn Hotel back in September. They were there to meet their little boy who is at the same orphanage as K!). I'd love to use Jeff and Dawn as a "gauge" which would mean we'd be coming up soon but they have the other judge...and he's not on vacation! ;)

So we continue to wait patiently as we think of K daily, hourly --- all the time.

Can a box get frequent flyer miles?

We got a call from FedEx International earlier this evening with an update on the box we sent to K at the Orphanage. The box has been in Moscow Customs awaiting clearance for 4 days and was "rejected" tonight. The reason? Our value of $99 was understated, according to the pricing gurus in Customs. Hello.....we shopped at Wal*Mart, not Macy*s!!!

So, FedEx is now returning the box to us -- and as a courtesy, will most probably charge us for the shipping back to the US as well. I just have to chalk it up as one of those tiny glitches. I just pray the box makes it back -- intact -- and then we'll decide to mail via DHL or USPS or simply bring it with us on our Trip #2....whenever that will be.

On a brighter note, the holidays are officially over and I guess the Russian workers are back at work. A blogger friend, Melissa, just got her court date today -- Feb. 4th! Melissa and Mike are also adopting from Ekat and they submitted their p/w 8 weeks before us. I'm keeping up with all the latest and hope we're not too far off from getting they infamous e-mail "we have a date!".

Also, congrats to Joy and Gerard who received a referral for a little girl today! It's just so encouraging to read good news. Just shows things are moving along!

P.S. Today, January 14, marks one year ago when we sent our application to our agency. Because of work obligations, I then put all adoption plans on hold for 4 months until last May... But boy, as soon as we completed our Homestudy in June, it's been a fast and steady ride!

Good night, sweet angel --- we think of you all the time!

Happy 2nd Birthday, K!

It's January 9th here in CA but in Russia, K is already turning 2 years old on January 10th. We knew it would take a miracle to have her home by her birthday so now we hope by Easter, which is April 12. That week, we will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary...wow, wouldn't that be an awesome gift?!

What's incredible, is that 2 years ago tonight, when K was being born, we were attending our very first Adoption 101 seminar to learn more of the process. What are the chances of that happening?? Some things are just meant to be...

С Днем Рождения (Happy Birthday), KD -- we have a few small birthday gifts waiting for you when you come home.

Love,
Mama and Papa xoxoxo

С Рождеством! In Russian...Merry Christmas!

But wait...wasn't Christmas almost 2 weeks ago? Well, here in the United States and in other parts of the world -- yes. But in Russia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7. So right now, our little K is probably in the Music Room at the orphanage -- and hopefully, it's adorned with a Christmas tree and other holiday decorations.

When we celebrated here on December 25th, it was quiet...just JD and me. Later on, we had JD's brother and our neighbors over for dinner and really had a terrific Christmas. We opened wonderful gifts that friends and family sent K and they still await her under our tree (yes...the tree's still up but only until after the Russian Christmas tomorrow and then time to pack up all the decor and clean up the tons of needles the tree is dropping by the minute). A few gifts remain that we will open tomorrow when it's officially the Russian Christmas.

Almost every gift under this tree is for K...from everyone but us! Thank you, dear friends and family. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.

Papa and Mama...the only gift missing under our tree this year is K!

We sent K a big box of goodies to the orphanage using FedEx and we're really hoping it makes it there. FedEx said it falls out of their service area but they still accepted the package...so fingers are crossed that the blankets, clothes, toys, and Q-Tips for all the kids in K's Grupa make it. We also sent another small plastic kids' photo album with pictures of JD and me with K back in Sept. This is our small birthday gift to K who will be turning 2 years old this week. (We're hoping she'll find us somewhat familiar when we eventually go back, that is if the caregivers show our pictures like they said they would.)

Just a sample of the box that is traveling the world somewhere ~ with the hopes of making it to Orphanage #6 in Yekaterinburg!

UPDATE: Last week, we submitted revised dossier docs to our agency which are currently getting apostilled this week and sent to Russia by Friday. We had to re-do our 8-doctor medicals, update our FBI Clearance (which indicates we still don't have arrests on record!) as well as getting updated "Letters of Good Standing" for 2 of our Social Workers. These docs were not requested by the judge....the originals we sent in October were only good until the end of December so we took the initiative and got updated docs before she ("the" judge) has the chance to decline us... Trying to stay one step ahead! Russia is basically on vacation this week due to the holiday so we don't expect to hear anything ... atleast not in the very near future.

KD: Merry Christmas, малютка! Mama and Papa think about you all the time. Did you know that we have your picture on our computers, on our phones, in picture frames throughout the house, and in my purse so I can take it out at a moment's notice to look at you? We pray everyday that the wait won't be too much longer and we can come to Russia, dress you up warmly, and take you home. And lots of people ask about you all the time. If you only knew the love that awaited you....but you will someday. Enjoy Christmas with all your friends and next year, we look forward to celebrating Christmas with you.

KD: This is when Papa was looking at the very first Christmas gift you got him....

Merry Christmas, KD. We love you. ~ Mama and Papa xoxoxo