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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Doin' the Happy Dance!!

I am doing the happy dance, for so many reasons!!

We got our petition to court document last Tues, just after I had posted. This document has been taking months to get back, ours is now complete. Saturday our papers came from our home study agency- yeah !! After a delightful time spent with Tim's family on Thurs and my family over the weekend, we went to Columbus yesterday and got 36 documents apostilled!! and copied in quadruplicate!! and stapled together!! and mailed out to our agency!! and it was received today by them!! and will go out tonight to Russia!!!

We have only 4 more documents to gather for the regional court, that we know of so far. 2 will travel with us as we go. We are praying for the CPS (Child Protective Services) letter to come back very soon. Thank you all for joining in with us to pray that document comes very quickly and we are able to get it finished, certified and apostilled and to Russia very soon.

Secondly, I'm praising and dancing and, yes, crying even, because the 1st of our 4 families, waiting in another region of Russia for almost 2 years for their sons (since they met them in Nov of 2005), finalized their adoption today. They should be able to be home before Christmas with their son. What joy wells up inside to be able to rejoice with them after their long wait. I can not even imagine it! Tomorrow will be one month since we met our son for the first time, and it feels like much longer.

Thank you for your prayers and your love. They mean so much to us. I'm praying that this first completed adoption will be a harbinger of great things to come and the flood gates, so long closed, would fling wide their doors and reunite all these children with their families.

Thank you God for your perfect timing. Help us to rest secure in that, even when we think we know better. Thank you for being in control!!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Thank you, God!!

When God is in control, look out world!

The Living Bible, in Ephesians 3:20-21 reads: "Now glory be to God who...is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of- infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes."

I just finished reading a book. At the end of it, the author quotes this scripture and reminds that we often forget we should "dare to ask" or expect blessings "beyond our highest hopes." She goes on to say that her goal is to "dream big, ask largely, praise Him generously and surrender what I think so the Lord can supply what He wants for me." What a great thought for us to ponder on as we, as a nation, thank God for all the blessings He has given us!

The huge backlog for completing the background checks was to have taken 10-15 business days to complete. So, I really wasn't looking for anything until the first part of December. Bummed out, knowing that God is doing this on His timetable, which is perfect, compared to mine, which us just fast :). So, I told anyone who would listen to pray that we would get these documents back more quickly. I believe I said to pray that the urgency I have in my heart and spirit to bring our son home would quickly spill over into the hearts of the people we are waiting on to finalize our paperwork.

When I left for work Friday, I had so much paperwork left to do. I contacted our friend, Jeri, who has been so awesome to notarize everything we've needed so we can bring home our son. I told her we had yet another pile to complete. This amazing woman, knowing that urgency we feel to get him home, came over Sunday morning before we left for church and notarized all 14 documents we had ready. We were so happy to share our photos, like the proud parents we are :)

WHHHhooo HOOooo!!! Yeah God!! You are awesome!! I know that this is the "season" for giving thanks- but wow- I am overwhelmed, yet again, by Your blessings in our lives!

We got our police clearances- the notarized ones- with duplicate originals so we can update both national and regional paperwork at the same time- on Sat- just 4 days after requesting them. Can you feel this amazing love that God our Father is pouring down on us? This is why we leave it in His hands!! So, Friday morning, only 2 documents ready to be apostilled, out of 30 for the regional paperwork and 12 to update national paperwork. Yesterday morning, I went to the Muskingum County courthouse, got 17 documents certified, mailed away 5 more to be certified in different counties, and copied the documents that evening we had ready to go- all 65 pages worth!

Our homestudy agency director, Therese, emailed to say that she has everything but one paper ready to go, and she'll be mailing it out soon- This is almost a third of our documents.

So, as I'm sitting here, still allowing some unease and a bit of stress to color my view, I began looking at the calender. Though I feel as if we've been away from our son forever, we just arrived home 2 weeks ago. I must share with you, though, these 2 weeks have felt longer than the last 2 weeks of school before Christmas break when we were children. The tree is up, presents under the tree, but we can't touch. My, how the time would drag by as you sat in class, contemplating what was in the package waiting for you.........seconds seem like minutes, ......minutes like hours, ..........hours like days ............and days like months.

I am so thankful to know that God is totally in control here. Otherwise, I know I'd most likely go crazy :) Of course, as any who know me know how focused I can get, I'll probably drive Tim crazy before I go there myself, as I try to get everything done that I can, as quickly as I can, and give him updates all along the way. I'm sure he'd appreciate your prayers for me that I can leave this totally in God's hands.

In this "season" of Thanksgiving, I thank God for the opportunity to pause for a minute. To consider how blessed we are, as a person, as a family and as a nation. My prayer is that we not get so hung up on the traditions, on rushing here and there, eating all that good food, wishing we had more room for that extra bit of dessert, that we miss the blessing of stopping what we are doing and thanking the One who makes it all possible. For so many things God, you know my heart, I thank you deeply and fervently. May this thankfulness carry on to every day, every minute, as we realize the extent of the blessings You've poured into our lives! And may God continue to bless you in ways that are "beyond your highest hopes!"

Thank you!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

This Most Amazing God We Serve!!

We went into town yesterday morning with several items on our list to fulfill. Our first big one was to get the fingerprinting done, starting our background checks. With the right documents in hand, this went off without a hitch!! How wonderful to be able to get it started so quickly and easily. And how friendly everyone seemed today.

We decided to go ahead and update our paperwork expiring the first of the year so we could be done with all that, too. So, while Tim went into one office to get yet another certified copy of our marriage license, I went into the Auditor's office to see if we could get the affidavit we needed for our property. We had already been told by a couple of offices that we'd have to hire a lawyer to fill out this simple form. Big thank you to our Muskingum County Auditor/Assessor Anita Adams. She took the document template we had, retyped it on her office letterhead, finished it and had it notarized. What a huge blessing that was for us!! Thank you God for the reminder to continue to place things in Your hands. You are AWESOME!!

We mailed out some documents to be certified, getting the ball rolling on several fronts at once, and, amazingly, I received my employment letter today, too. Which means, I have everything done I can do for the moment..........until I get a few more papers back.......then I can start on the next step.......

So, the items we worry about; no problem- God's got them under control.
The children we worry about; no problem- God's got it under control.
The changes we have no control over; no problem- God's got them under control.
The officials driving us crazy with new requirements; no problem- God's got it under control.

My relationship with God- the one thing He asks of me- time to spend with Him and learn to love Him- hopefully will grow since I no longer have to waste time to worry about any of the above- because really; no problem- God's got them under control.

Thank you, God!! You're timing is not always what I would plan, but you see the master plan, and Your timing is always perfect. Thank you for finding new ways everyday to show Your love for us. Could you give our son a little extra squeeze for me tonight? I'm sure missing him. Thanks for always keeping him, Tim and me safe under the shadow of your wings. I must say, what an amazing family You've made for us!! I love you!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

F.R.O.G.

Hard to believe that just 2 weeks ago this morning we were heading out to the airport for our 1st Russian adventure to begin. Now we've been home for a week and are beginning the next leg of our journey.

OK- for those of you that read the last post- when I said he, our son, had no idea how much his life was going to change- how many of you completed that thought with your own- "and neither do you Tim and Debbie?" I figure probably about 9 out of 10 of you, especially if you already have children. lol

I have been looking at pictures and watching video as we share our joy with our friends. I'm fine for the most part, but boy, do I miss our boy! I blew up some of the photos and printed them for the family album we have to complete (boy, there is a lot of paperwork still to do!!), and I'm finding it more difficult to not cry when I look at the "big picture".

OK- so here is a sneak preview, or 2.........
We were showing Elisha the photo album we brought for him- it has pictures of us, our house, the dog, his room. It was exciting to see him actually look at the pictures. We've been told that the Nanny's will go through the photo album with him. I'm not expecting this, but I sure would love to go back to the orphanage and have him recognize us and come running...... "Mama, Papa"..........AAAwwww!! OK, now that mental picture makes it hard to see the screen for me- how about you?

We found out he is very ticklish- just like his Mama- we had some good belly laughs together. I already mentioned what the sound of his laughter did to my heart. How am I going to be able to handle all this love I'm feeling for him so far away when I am able to hold and love and see him 24/7?

I love that these 2 photos have all 3 of our hands together!! We have been united into a family by such a loving God. He's been preparing our hearts for this for sooooo long. Hang on baby boy, God's working on our behalf to complete what He started!!

OK- so, for those of you wondering about the title of this blog- F.R.O.G. is an acronym for Fully Reliant On God. One would have thought that we would have learned this fully during the 14 months the whole process was shut down and the 21 months since we started this process. I am only now becoming aware of it in ways I didn't even imagine before.

I mentioned all the additional paperwork we have to complete. One of these papers is another criminal background check through the state of Ohio. Tim and I went on Wed, after I got off work. My AAARRRGhhhh moment came when I realized that my driver's license no longer has my SS# on it. Well, appears you have to have photo ID and your SS# to have a background check done. So- the process is delayed another week from even starting.

I tried to get a few hours off early Fri morning to at least get the process started. (this is where the FROG kicks in.....) It is hard for me to remember that everyone else has their own things happening and their own priorities. I look at our baby boy's picture and video and want to move mountains to bring him home. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same urgency. So, we wait.

Office closed Monday for the holiday, get printed Tues, there is a 10-15 business day back log right now, and Thanksgiving falls in the middle of that- so we will most likely not get this one document back before the beginning of December. Then we have to send it away to have it certified, and once we gather all 30 remaining documents, take them to Columbus, have them all apostilled and to our agency, then they go to Russia and we have a minimum 1 month wait from that point before they call us for court to go get our baby boy.

So, this is where I lean not unto my own understanding, which drives me crazy and says we'll never get him home. This is when I lean on God, the one who created the heavens and the earth, who goes before us and prepares the way. This is where I lean on His strength, His power, His amazing grace and love. This is where I become a FROG!!

Thank you, God, that we can be FROG's with you!! I think I may begin to wear green :0)

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

First Day Home

We actually woke up early on Monday- well around 8 or 9 was when we got up. I think it is easier to travel West regarding the time changes.

A fellow adoptive mom called to welcome us home and say that she had just received her referral! How exciting to see this process moving again! There are so many children out there that need homes and we are excited every time one of them is introduced to their forever families!

We headed out to church just before noon. A very good friend who had been battling brain cancer received a new body from God Thursday night. She is in a new pain free body, worshiping at God's feet, hearing Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" She will be greatly missed by all us remaining behind, especially her best friend and husband and 3 children. We were able to join our worship team to sing songs of praise to God at her funeral. I had such a hard time. The songs were a perfect example of the shining faith, great courage, strong witness and caring outlook of our friend. Even from the grave, she was reaching out to comfort those around her. Boy, will we miss her.

Tim's mom had a good report from the Dr- no blockages- the problems she was having must have been a virus she picked up, she should be OK!

We picked up Penny from the vet- and another good report- yes, she is old, arthritic and a little senile, but Penny should be OK and we don't need to have her put down just yet- thank you, God!!

Tim headed off for work as soon as we got home, I called our coordinator and my parents to give updates, and just like that we were back in the swing of things as if nothing were different or had changed and our trip to Russia was just a dream.

But no, it was not a dream! We have video to prove it! Our son is real and he is beautiful- 12 hours in the future, with no idea of how much his life will change in a few short months. Our lives will forever be changed just by seeing his picture and meeting him. He's already been written on the tablets of our hearts. How amazing is this- If I can love him so much and not even be near him- can you imagine the love God has for us? I am overwhelmed by this great love that surpasses anything I can even dream or imagine.

There was an encouragement posted on our chat room just before we left Columbus to start our trip on the 27th. It is one I intend to hang onto- as it works for any circumstance. She said,
"For what it's worth, I will share the best advise I got from a good family friend prior to our trip 1: God is already there. I am not walking into the orphanage, into the situation, into the hotel, into the airport (where ever it is) without God already being there, advocating on our behalf and already having set everything up for us."

Thank you, God!

Hang on sweet baby boy! We're getting our paperwork done as fast as we can, and praying for a short time between trips and that the judge calls us back soon to bring you home! This is not the end- it is merely the start of the beginning of the rest of our lives with you!

Trip home

Sunday morning we woke early, went to breakfast in the hotel and were able to relax through our meal. We checked out and sat in the lobby for a few minutes until Max, the driver taking us to the airport, showed up. He is much younger than Vladimir, who picked us up on our first trip.

It is amazing how much less traffic there is on Sunday morning, compared with Wednesday morning when we came in. We were able to move along without any problems or congestion all the way to the airport. I was very glad that Vladimir had taken us the "second route" on the way in to Moscow from the airport so we could see the "suburbs" of Moscow.

Max showed us pictures of his beautiful wife and daughter as we were travelling to the airport. She is just a few months older than our son. It is so amazing to say that. Our son. WOW! I've longed for so long to be able to use those words. OK, back to the trip.

Max took us in the airport to the first security line. He could go no further with us. We scanned the bags coming in the door, scanned the bags going into the ticketing area, took our bags over and opened them up to be searched, then over to the ticketing counter were we checked our big bags. The woman was able to speak English :) and checked us all the way through to Columbus :)

From there we went into another set of lines and through customs, where they checked our passports and visas and took back the paperwork we filled out on the way in, making sure we did not extend our stay past our visa.

Once past this area, we were in a duty free "mall". Our gate was on the other side of the airport, so we walked around, jostling past the crowds until we reached our gate. It was at this point that we had to remove all jackets, shoes and have everything scanned yet again. Whew, we made it!! We were able to sit down and relax.

I saw a couple come through the line with a small child. HHMmmm, I thought to myself, I wonder if that is the other family from our adoption agency that should be coming home today. Being the "shy" and "quiet" person I am :), I walked over and said- "Hello- are you the Dini's? I'm Debbie Swingle." It was!!! We were able to talk for almost an hour before our flight started boarding. They saw their son later in the same week we met our son. It was neat to be able to compare notes on how their journey went. Their small son had done very well meeting his brother:)

Our flight was uneventful. 3 movies, 2 meals, 2 snacks and multiple drinks- wow, 10 1/2 hours is a long flight! We arrived in New York on time, but by the time we taxied in and unloaded our full flight, we had about 40 minutes before our next flight. Boy could we feel the prayers! We went through the airport to baggage, got our bags, carried them to the re ticketing area, rechecked them, went back through screening (jackets, shoes, purses, bags all on the conveyor belt through the scanner) on through the next area- customs. We were able to make it through there pretty quickly, and had 20 minutes till our flight- at the other end of the airport!! We stopped, breathlessly at a Delta gate we were speeding past, and I asked if they could please call our gate and tell them we were on our way- please don't close the door. We heard the "final boarding call for Columbus, Ohio" 2 times while moving at a very fast clip through the airport.

And then, amazingly, we arrived- and even more amazingly, the door was still open! Thank you all for your prayers getting us home! We got on the plane and settled in. Amazing how warm the body gets after a 20 minute run in boots and wool cardigans :) Also, amazing how short a 1 1/2 hour flight is after having just completed a 10 1/2 hour one!!

We arrived in Columbus and Tim listened to his voicemail. He had a message from his sister, to call him as soon as he got the message. We soon discovered that Tim's mom had been in and out of the hospital all week and was currently in for observation for a possible heart attack, with a heart cath scheduled for the next morning. We couldn't wait to get home!!

Our luggage actually made it with us on the plane, so after a few minutes, Tim's coworker picked us up and took us back to the fire station where we had parked. After talking with his coworkers for a few minutes about our son, we took off for home.

We arrived home and checked in with Tim's Dad and talked to his mom- who seemed to be doing well. When we finally got home and in bed we realized we had been up for almost 24 hours. What a day!

Last tour in Moscow

Saturday morning when we woke up, it wasn't raining :) It was snowing- with the wind blowing the flurries sideways past our hotel window:( Brrrrrr!

After a big breakfast in the hotel restaurant , we met with Anya again around 11:00 a.m. to head out to see the sights. Outside, the air was cold and the blustery wind made us think we were in Ohio in December or January. Thinking I'd leave my hair down for warmth on my neck was a mistake. It was so staticy it ended up stuck all over my face when we went out in the wind! Kinda funny, I'm sure, for any observers out there :)

We travelled on the Metro again, and were we ever glad for the warmth in the station this day! It was amazing how empty the station was. Most people had the day off, so the crowd was much, much thinner than we had seen it any previous time. We travelled for a while on the Metro, changing trains several times. The Metro is color coded, making it much easier to get to where you are going- the trains on each color all go to the same place- you don't have to check the front of each tram to see if you are getting on the correct tram or not. Well, it's easier if you can read Russian to see which color you need to choose!! We were very thankful for Anya's assistance.

We went to Ismaylavo market- an open air market located outside the inner circle of Moscow. It was quite amazing, sort of like a permanent farmer's market on steroids :0) The booths were all made of wood and looked very permanent. We later went up into a flea market area.
There was everything one could possibly dream of here, and we only saw part of it! Jeans, tops, jackets, coats, furs, lace, handbags- just in the first few feet! There were several stands carrying all types of matruyska dolls- ranging from the original type with very simple features, all the way up to the number 24 car with Jeff Gordon- We even saw OSU- yes, Ohio State Football Matruyska dolls in the middle of Moscow, almost half way around the world!!!

Some of the dolls were so amazing! One had 30 dolls stacked within! It was almost a foot tall! We went into a t-shirt shop for a few minutes. Not to buy t-shirts, so much, as we wanted to thaw our noses :) The small shop was enclosed and heated. It was very cold and blustery outside. Reminded me of Ohio in Jan or Feb. They have temperatures very similar to ours normally, but they had an early cold snap just before we left. Anya, smiling at us, asked us if we had warmer jackets to bring back in Jan or Feb when we go back to get our son. We began thinking if we had anything warm enough :) Look out Cabela's- we may be storming the winter section soon :)

Then we continued our unique experience seeing the flea market, Moscow style, in a separate building. There were a lot of vendors selling goods from clothing, food, used items to souvenirs. We walked through the pathways between each vendor, seeing a variety of things for sale. The area, much like the rest of Moscow, was very clean. No trash along the wayside. The vendors were, each, very friendly, either talking directly to us or through Anya, our guide/interpreter. Some folks had new things to offer, often items they had made themselves. Others had pieces of their lives they no longer had need of keeping.

After spending 2 or 3 hours at the market, we made our way back to the hotel via the Metro.
It was really too cold to do much more outside. When we got back to the hotel, Anya gave us our bill from Phillip for the Moscow part of our stay. After going up to the room to get the payment for her, we ended up sitting in the lobby and talking about our lives- us in Ohio and her in Moscow- for almost an hour. We went back up to our room, rested a little, watched our tape of our time with our son again and headed out for dinner.

We didn't feel quite comfortable venturing out too far for dinner, so we went to the restaurant at the hotel again. And, again, as with the first night's dinner, we spent almost 3 hours there. It is amazing to me, even now sitting here typing this how rushed all our meals in America are. We don't take the time to enjoy each other and the meal. It's rush, rush, rush, chew as fast as you can and swallow, finish up quickly and move onto the next thing. Why do we do that? Shouldn't we enjoy every moment we have with each other, not be continually striving toward the next thing to do? I think I'll start brewing a pot of tea after each meal. It was a great end to the dining experience. I've been thinking- we prepare the meal for hours and finish in 15 minutes- no wonder I like baking better- it's much more savored :)

We had Pelmeni again- that's the name for the Russian dumplings we had for dinner the night before. They were pretty good- Tim wants me to get the recipe- I think I'll see if Kroger's carries them :)

Not a whole lot happened today. We were pretty tired after all the fresh cold air and exercise, so we packed and went to bed, thinking about our travels home the next day.

Friday, November 2, 2007

Another Day in Historical Moscow

Today is sort of dreary, overcast, rainy and cold. Temperature is in the upper thirties. Our day started on the Metro, with several train changes at numerous striking terminals. We began by walking, through the rain, in the old Arbat street area. With a lot of attractions, such as souvenir shops, restaurants, including the Hard Rock Cafe Moscow, and all the old buildings- looking beautifully restored, this historical street was pretty amazing.

From there, to the Kremlin and Cathedrals contained within its walls. There was quite an interest in the Kremlin. We had to wait in line to buy tickets for admission, 300 rb per person. But the sun came out while we were waiting and felt so good, making the weather seem so much more pleasant.

Again, Anna was very knowledgeable in regard to the history of buildings and past dignitaries, both rulers and We walked by the State Kremlin Palace and religious leaders.Anna told that congress use to meet here, and now meet at the Senate building. There was a monastery there originally, which Stalin had blown up to replace with the utilitarian looking building, so out of place with the rest of the architecture in the Kremlin. It now houses concerts and shows. There was a group of folk singers/dancers outside the front entrance to this building when we went past. They were dressed in traditional Russian peasant wear- as they would have dressed for a celebration. They were quite talented, and were having a lot of fun, grabbing passers by to dance with them.

We toured the Assumption Cathedral (It houses the remains of the Metropolitans, or Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox church. Frescos on the one wall were the original, painted in the 14th century- it is so hard to grasp the age of history we are seeing here!-1st pic on left), the Church of Laying Our Lady's Holy Robe (the small family chapel for the Tsar and his close family- very similar in size to the chapels in St. Basil's), the Archangel's Cathedral (where the remains of the Tsars, Tsarettes and their families are buried- some from as early as the 13 hundreds!! 2nd pic to the left) and Ivan the Great Bell tower(which is now used to house exhibits- we got to see the Emperial China collection- Tim was soo excited! 1st pic on right).
While at the Archangel's Cathedral a five person choir sang a prayer which sounded very nice inside the total stone and masonry construction.

We left the Kremlin and traveled by Metro to the Moscow University. When we got off the Metro, we jumped on a "taxi" that took us up to the top of the hill. It was only 10Rb per person- and warm and dry :) Very beautiful old buildings. The design of the buildings at the University have some uniqueness due to the fact that there are seven sister buildings around Moscow that share the same design as the main building. One of the "Seven Sisters" is pictured here to the right. This is a building on campus. The other 6 are all around Moscow housing things as varied as hotels to governmental offices- visible from the overlook just below the college. We thought a lot about my sister, Amity, as we were walking around campus. I wondered what buildings she had classes in, where she was able to hang out. It was very beautiful up there!

The overlook over the Moscow river is an incredible view of the city. Just down the street from the University in front of one of the "sisters," the six other sister buildings can be seen.




From the overlook we walked down the hill, around some wooded areas, and onto the newest Metro station. The station itself is above ground with a view of the river. It was beautiful, both inside, as well as the view outside. We came home in rush hour pedestrian traffic. Definitely not the time to be out if you suffer from any form of agoraphobia or claustrophobia! The good news is, the more crowded the Metro, the less chance you have of falling- as the masses hold you up!

We went to a little bar/diner for dinner with Anna and had Russian dumplings- yummy! They are a special breading wrapped around a meatball type filling in chicken broth. It took forever to come- but we enjoyed talking to Anna and watching the Ladies play Arena Soccer on the TV.

Well, that's all for today. Back in the room, and the internet connection ends in a few hours, so we're trying to get caught up on the last few days. Tomorrow we hit Ismaylovo (sp?) market and possibly something else- I asked Anna to take us someplace special.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

II Chronicles 20:13,15,17

"All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord...
This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them..
You will not have to fight this bottle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you."

Taking in the sites

We left the Moscow Marriott Tverskaya hotel with Anna and headed to the Metro. The subway system here is beautifully designed, complete with marble floors and chandelier lighting. Each stop has a different look.

Our stop was at Red Square. We walked and talked with Anna, she is very knowledgeable of the history of Moscow. We watched the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Very cool. The Kremlin was closed to visitation for the day, so Anna said we could try again tomorrow or Saturday.

We stopped a St. Basil's Cathedral for a visit. The building is fascinating. The age of the structure itself is amazing. The artwork in each of the seven chapels are very old. The history of of our country, though old, can't hold a candle to the "centuries" of history here. Anna was very informative about the Russian Orthodox Religion as we walked through the different chapels and she spoke about the Icons (the pictures painted of the Saints, Holy Family, etc), as well as the Relics (St Basil's bones in a tomb).
Outside St. Basil's, across Red square, we could see the clock tower entrance to the Kremlin and Lenin's tomb. We chose not to visit Lenin's tomb, kind of creepy, and a long line.

We then walked to Christ the Saviour Cathedral, once destroyed by Stalin in 1930 to make way for a skyscraper. When it was later discovered the soil was too soft to support such a structure, a swimming pool was built. In 1997, a new cathedral was opened. The inside of this building is beautiful with much painting and sculpting of marble, and an exact replica of the building that Stalin had demolished. We spent a lot of time inside just marveling at the design and dedication to detail. Services are held daily in the Lower level, and for special occasions- like Christmas, and the holiest of all days- Easter, upstairs.
After a quick trip back on the Metro, we had dinner at Sabarro's Moscow style with Anna. She seemed as interested in us and what life is like for us in the states as we were in her and what life is like in Russia.
We are now sitting in our room, catching up on email and recording the days events, looking forward to what tomorrow may hold.
Did I mention that the bed is comfortable? Oh, and we have a towel warmer in the bathroom- helps in the drying of clothes when you wash them in the sink :)

Moscow Day 2

We got up this morning and saved some snapshots of video of our son on Tim's IPod. How cool is that? He clipped the parts where he is laughing with us. It will be so wonderful to have this video as we count the days until we can hold and cuddle him again, and claim him as our own.

We had a huge breakfast at the buffet downstairs and prepared for our excursion out today. It was raining quite steadily in the am, so we were very grateful when it stopped before 11.

We went to the front desk to see if our papers were in yet. In Russia, you have to be registered in whatever area you travel in. The hotel, fortunately, can take care of this for you. Otherwise, you'd have to visit the consulate to register yourself. Unfortunately, they just changed the policy, and now it takes a day to do this, so we'll check back later. This paperwork must be with you at all times in case you are stopped by the police. We certainly take our land of Liberty for granted. The police checked Vladimir's papers before letting us leave the airport yesterday morning. I was so thankful that it was just a check!

As we were standing in the lobby, we saw a woman come in. She approached us and said hello that she was Anna. She seemed very pleasant, showing us pictures of her son and asking about ours. We were able to show her the video, with the precious footing of him laughing. She wasn't able to hear the sound- but she could see his laughing face :)

Moscow Day 1

We got our bags, drove around the airport (about 10 minutes) and dropped off Phillip and the Goeppners for their flight home. Vladimir was our driver again- it was so great to see a familiar face :) He took us out on the "second road" to avoid the downtown traffic as much as possible. It was so nice to get a different view and see the "'burbs" of Mosow. Some houses appeared to be nothing more than shacks, some were very similar to what we'd see in America, and many, as we grew closer to the city, looked like small mansions. We also drove by many wooded areas. How nice that was!

Traffic is absolutely insane in downtown Moscow. We had heard that it was crazy, but hadn't experienced it until we were actually downtown. Apparently, there are 2 or 3 main roads closed, so everyone is using different roads, going in loops- Kinda reminded us of the intersection in Haiti- 5 roads coming from all different directions- merging to get everyone where they are going. We were so glad we didn't have to drive!

Then we got to the hotel. WOW!! It is so beautiful! Vaulted ceilings, cherry furniture, a beautiful, comfortable bed, very nice bathroom- with wash cloths and big bath towels. The lobby has glass elevators- marble everywhere. We feel so pampered and spoiled! Philip said he'd call us in the evening to let us know about Thurs- so we had the whole day to ourselves.

We went to the restaurant and ate breakfast, came back, and then...We took a nap! I slept for several hours. Did I mention how comfortable the bed is? In the middle of our nap, Philip called to let us know Anna, his wife, would meet us at 11 in the morning to be our guide and interpreter.

Then, when we woke up, we went for a walk to the grocery store down the road. It is quite different from ours in the states. There are many similar elements, but very different. We were trying to figure out what was available here, so we'd know what we would need to bring on our next trip for our son.

By this time it was dinner time, so we went back to the restaurant and had dinner- which lasted 3 hours!! Quite yummy! Why is it we are always sooo rushed when we eat at home? It was a very nice change, as we had to wait for the bill, to sit, sip tea and talk abou our lives and all that has been happening over the last few weeks, and especially about our son.

Believe it or not, then we went to bed. I slept like a baby- until about 8 the next morning. Tim was awake most of the early morning hours, after 3. Our bodies don't quite know what to make of all this time zone jumping. Looking forward to seeing the sites!

Flight to Moscow

We met in the lobby at the Krasnoyarsk hotel at 4:30. After a long ride to the airport, we arrived, unloaded and went in to the lobby. We were so glad to have Yelena and Sergey with us. She took all our passports and tickets and checked us in. Fortunately, none of us had luggage that was overweight.

We walked through the doors to the right, put our shoes, coats and bags through the scanners, waved goodbye to Yelena and Sergey, and headed over to the holding tank (gate). It is hard to imagine what it feels like to be in a foreign land, not able to read or understand the language around you, and wonder if the overhead announcements are for you or for your flight. The area we were in was poorly lit, many people sitting very quietly all around. We were quite the oddity. We'd taken off our jackets and were talking and laughing a little. When the time came to board, we saw people stand up, so we did the same, stepping out into the night air, waiting en masse to board the plane.

We flew on Aeroflot. The plane was older, with very small seats, narrow aisles and very little storage space. Tim and I ended up with our 2 carryons on the floor talking up our foot space. O boy, we thought- 4 1/2 hours- we can handle it :0) Then, the lady in front of me put her chair back. It was quite a humorous moment. I actually could breath down her neck by leaning forward 5 or 6 inches. I thought about laying my head on her seat to sleep.

They served a hot "lunch" on the plane around 8am Kras time. When they came to serve the food, the stewardess made the woman put her seat up- she wasn't able to put the food on my tray, since the woman was in my lap.;0) Though restless, the flight was uneventful.

As we followed everyone off the plane and wound through the terminal we were praying we were headed the right way and would soon find our luggage and Philip, who would be taking care of us. We arrived at the baggage claim area, and after a few minutes, a gentleman came up to us and said, "Hello, are you flying in from Krasnoyarsk?" It was Philip. Apparently, we are very easy to pick out from the Russian crowd :)

Krasnoyarsk Day 2

After leaving baby home number 5 (and part of our hearts), we drove back into Krasnoyarsk. The countryside was pretty amazing, dotted with small villages. The houses are all so different in many ways, and yet, the same as home.

After we left Galena's office, we went to the notary and officially accepted Sergey as our referral. We went in, one couple at a time, and they made sure we knew what we were signing. The most exciting news this day, I think, was that his name would be officially removed from the official data bank for adoption. We didn't think this would happen until our final court date and 10 day wait was complete. Soo exciting!! Our first official step in Russia to bring home our son.

We went to Moma Roma's for lunch- the business lunch buffet. It was a beautiful place- the staff was extremely efficient and kind. We were able to check our coats in on the lower level. The food were tastes of Karanoyarsk. Many things we were not familiar with. With help from Yelena and Marina, we were able to discover some of the local foods. The wood all around the quaint dining room looked like dark cherry or mahogany, with, what looked like marble tile on the floor and walls. The top step going downstairs to the restroom and coatcheck was a little shorter than the rest- but fortunately, none of us practiced flying on our own.

After we finished with lunch, our driver (another Sergey) took us to a little chapel that overlooked the city, The Chapel On the Hill. What a beautiful site from the top of the hill. With snow in the air, visibility was limited, but still very pretty.


Marina was able to give us some history on the chapel, and we were able to go in and look around. She then showed us where she lived, down in Krasnoyarsk. We have really enjoyed talking to her the last 2 days. She is the kind of person you feel you've known your whole life. We are soo thankful she was our translator on this trip- and hope we have her on the next one.

There were padlocks on the fence surrounding the chapel with people's names and dates engraved on them. We found out these are the couples that got married at the chapel. Before they would tie ribbons in the trees surrounding the chapel for good luck, but now everyone seems to be using these locks so they can't be removed. There is such a lack of graffiti here, it is quite amazing. Everything is very clean!

There is also a very large cannon, just below the chapel. Marina told us they shoot the cannon each day at noon. I laughingly said I bet the people below in the town were glad it was a blank, to which she replied they really don't like it. The percussion of the cannon going off sets off all the car alarms in the area :)

Then on to a shop that sold souvenir things, mostly created by local talent. Marina helped with the communications and recommended several things of which she knew some history. We were able to get a matruska (sp?) doll painted by a local artist in Krasnoyarsk with the local buildings on the dolls and also a disk full of pictures from the sights around Krasnoyarsk.

Someone mentioned "chocolate", so we stopped at a chocolate shop located across the street from the courthouse where we will go for our adoption hearing for Sergey, during our second trip to Krasnoyarsk. We bought a box set of chocolate. Marina, being the thoughtful person she is, purchased some chocolate pieces and gave us each several to try so we could sample the chocolates made from fruit in Krasnoyarsk.

And then, almost suddenly, we were back at the hotel. And I realized it was goodbye! We would not see Marina again on this trip. So, we said good bye and Tim was able to get a quick shot of the 2 of us before we left.

Tim had purchased a pass earlier in the morning to use the internet . So, when we got back to the room, we sat down and I typed out our posts for the last few days while Tim worked on packing things up. He then went on line and posted them. I, on the other hand, after having taken medication to help me sleep zonked out completely.

It really isn't very late here, around 8:30 p.m. But, it seems like we have been awake for several days in a row. Our return flight to Moscow is at 7:10 a.m. and Yelena says they will pick us up at 4:30 a.m.:P

On to Moscow!