God's Grace - A Christmas Blessing

Christmas has come and gone, and as I sit here thinking over the events of the past couple of weeks I find myself truly at a loss for words. I do not deserve the grace God has shown me. I am a worthless sinner, but God has shown me grace and blessed me with six wonderful children and a loving, God fearing wife. I still have a job after a reorganization than left many long time co-workers without a job. We have a roof over our head and food in our belly. God is good.

We celebrated Christmas with family and we tried to explain to the three younger children what we were celebrating - what Christmas was all about. For the past two weeks, all the children could talk about was Christmas. Once we put up the tree, their eyes got bigger and bigger. Dawn took the four youngest to the dollar store and gave them each about ten dollars to buy presents for each other. To say they were excited was an understatement. Nastya kept wanting to tell me what she bought for me and I kept telling her to wait and let it be a surprise. When they got home to wrap the gifts, then they wanted to wrap everything they could find and offer it as a gift to a family member. So, our Christmas tree was packed with odds and ends from around the house (books mostly).

A few weeks ago, we also went to the local Christmas parade. The three youngest did not know what to think. They stood in amazement as people rode by and thew candy at them. The next morning, Nastya and Dima walked up to me asking if we could go back to that parade. They were a little disappointed when I explained it was gone.

After visiting family, we had our special time together Thursday night. The kids were excited and wasted no time opening their gifts. Their expressions were priceless and I can not do them justice here tonight in trying to describe them.

Like any family, we have had our moments the past day or two with children misbehaving and getting into trouble. But I repeat myself by saying, I am unworthy and truly thankful for the blessings God has provided.

Merry Christmas!

T-Shirt

Christina created the above t-shirt. Below is a link to the site.

http://www.redbubble.com/people/thesilent/t-shirts/2204115-1-slava-bogu

Thank You Lord

A few weeks ago, I was asked to share a testimony at church about our adoption and how God worked in our lives. Since there are parents waiting to adopt reading this, I wanted to share a little with you all.

We started on our adoption journey in 2006 after feeling it was something the Lord was leading us to do. In September 2006, we signed with our agency after months of research and phone calls. We initially started thinking of adopting a boy around three years of age, then as time passed, we felt the Lord wanted us to adopt a sibling group. Now it was time to start working on the paperwork. In particular, the homestudy. Keep in mind, we are a single income family with three kids already. Our household income is less than $100,000. We did not know how we were going to pay for this adoption, but we knew this was God's will and that He would provide.

God was there, holding our hand for the journey. However, we had more company. The devil himself was there to stir things up. When we announced to the family in the summer of 2006 that we were going to adopt, my mother was diagnosed with cancer just a few weeks later. Not just any cancer, but a rare form of cancer that was inoperable, could not be treated with radiation and, did not respond to chemo therapy. She was not expected to live through Christmas.

In October 2006, I was in Sanibel Island, Florida at a meeting and on the last day, my group learned that we were receiving a $2,000 bonus in our next paycheck. Now, I work for an insurance company. Believe me, this was a very unusual move for them. In my 20 years with the company, they had never done this. I called Dawn and told her the good news. God had provided the money for our homestudy.

We knew most people preferred girls over boys and that sometimes, siblings were broken up. In March 2007, we learned of a sibling group of three in Eastern Russia that needed a home. We KNEW these were our children, now we just had to convince the US government and the Russians. Mom had made it through Christmas and asked me every few weeks, when we would be able to get the children home. At that time, we thought if things moved quickly, we could be home Christmas with the kids.

In Alabama, the state DHR has to approve your request to adopt. So, once our homestudy was completed, and our state police clearance was in, our social worker sent the documents to DHR. They can take a week or even up to five weeks to process your documents (our state clearance had already eaten up six weeks). One Friday, while working in Pensacola, FL, I received a call from our social worker - our homestudy had been approved in just five business days. Again God was taking care of things. Now, our homestudy could move to US Immigration (CIS). Atlanta CIS was taking six weeks to process applications. About five weeks in, we received our approval - but there was a problem. When we originally filed with CIS, we were only thinking we would adopt two kids. Even though our homestudy cleared us for three, they went by our application. For the next month, we sent several e-mails and hard mailed documents twice to CIS. We finally got our documents changed to approve us for three children. Once again, God was there..

Mom was doing worse and was now to the point of being bed ridden. She had beat all expectations, but it was becoming clear her end was near. It was October now and she asked me again (as she had done many times before) when the children were coming home. I told her I didn't know, things were moving slower than anyone had expected. The state police clearance and the CIS issue added about two months to our process. I was worried we would be in Russia and she would leave us. However, God was there.

On November 4, two days following her birthday, Mom died. She fought a good fight, and it was time for her to go home. A little over two weeks later, on November 21, we received a call from the agency asking us if we could travel the next week to meet our kids. there was never any question, we said YES! I rushed that day and ordered tickets for us to leave on November 29.

On November 23, while returning home with my oldest daughter after feeding the horses, my wife called, her 1993 Explorer seemed to be smoking. She called, and I told her to pull over and I would come get them. After returning home with them, not 20 minutes after her first call, the phone rings its the police. Dawn's car was on fire. We drive to the scene and the truck is nothing but a hunk of charred metal. We were so thankful she and my daughter had pulled over and parked the car and had not driven it any further. God was there and took care of them.

We traveled to Russia on November 29 and arrived in Vladivostok on December 1. Did I mention we had to make an emergency landing in New York - complete with emergency trucks lining the the end of the runway? God was there and took care of us.

Speed to the end of the story, on April 19, 2008 I received a call from our social worker - we had a court date for May 19! We were elated! Late the following Monday, we received our final "bill" from the agency. I won't get into specifics, I'll just say through no one's fault but my own, the bill was $6,000 more than I had expected. I was in shock because the error was really on me. I had no idea of what I was going to do at that hour. I shared the information with Dawn and told her that I could pay the bill, but had no idea of how we were going to pay for the travel expenses. We said nothing to our friends and prayed. I'm talking hard, down on your knees praying in tears. The following Sunday night, our pastor asked my family to step out while they discussed somethings about us. Keep in mind, we had told no one of our problem. We were called in later and the pastor walked up to me and told me we were the recipients of $6,000 in donations that had come from several people. Once again, God was there and took care of us. Things would be tight, but we were going to make it.

Final note - we arrived in Russia and learned that the motel rate was $40 per night more than planned. Okay, $40 extra for 21 nights. That was going to eat up our travel cushion. Two days later, we received an e-mail from a group we had applied for a grant. They were notifying us we received $1,000 in grant money. We were elated! God was there, taking care of us.

There is more, so much more. But I did this for myself as much as anyone else. To remind me and everyone that God is always there and will care for us if we just seek Him.

Happy Thanksgiving -

Tony

Russian Christmas Gift

As part of National Adoption month, I presented a brief overview Sunday night and requested money for Christmas gifts for children in a foster home run by a friend we met in Vladivostok. Jeff is a fellow believer that we met in Vladivostok while meeting our children for the first time this past December.

Anyway, part of Jeff's work is to oversee a foster home that currently houses 9 children and foster parents. These children are given love and attention that is just not possible to receive in an orphanage. Not that some orphanages don't try, but they just don't have the ability with the caretaker to child ratio.

My church family shocked me by donating over $1,400! Honestly, this was three times more than I expected. We are a small church and that night there were only about 120 people including kids present. I wish I could have shared the joy of telling Jeff with each and every person that contributed.

Soon after sending Jeff an e-mail, I received a phone call from him. He knew I was taking up a love offering, but I think he was as shocked as I was at the response. These funds will allow the foster parents to spend the money they had set aside for Christmas gifts on necessities like food and clothing.

I write all this to encourage those in the adoption community to not forget the children we could not bring home. Find away to help them. It is very hard to open one's heart to adoption if they are not inclined to do so. However, there are other ways to help. There are many reputable organizations out there working with orphans all over the world. Donating straight to an orphanage is risky, but many of these organizations will make sure your money is put to good use.

If you are interested in the group I took a love offering up for, please click on the link below:
http://hopeforlifehome.net

Birthday Wishes

Wednesday was Nastya's 5th birthday. She was so excited as she was able to start celebrating early. My sister came by from out of town and gave her presents to start what turned out to be a 3-day celebration. Of course she loved it and soaked it all in. After our "month of birthday's" the three youngest have learned that birthdays are special and now they get very excited. While we were having cake and icecream on Wednesday, I asked Polina if they fixed birthday cakes at the detsky dom. We had heard that at some orphanages, they fix one cake each month for the kids that have a birthday in that particular month. Polina told us they did not get any birthday cake. It is sad to know that birthdays come and go for all the children over there and there is no one to hug them and tell them "happy birthday" and to let them know they are special. Such a small thing it seems, but to see their faces light up shows that it means something special to them. Just this morning we received an e-mail from Aunt Tatiana wishing her a happy birthday and apologizing for not being able to send a note sooner. She does not have a computer, but she knows someone who does that lives nearby.

After the birthday celebration,the kids all went to Awana at church. They came home wound up and full of energy so it took a while to settle them down for bed. About 10:30PM, I made the rounds to check on everyone and to tell Jeremy and Christina goodnight. Nastya was asleep, but a few minutes later,Dawn heard her crying. She often cries while she sleeps which is oddly common for kids with their background. When Dawn checked on her, she was awake and crying, so she brought her to our bed. Nastya told us she was sad and when we asked why, she told us she missed her groupa. She said she wanted us all get in the car, go to the airport, get on an airplane and go visit her groupa. We explained that it was very, very expensive to go visit her groupa and that we could not do that just now. She cried, and then Dawn started to cry with her. Then my precious little girl said somethings that made me tear up. She told us that at her destky dom, they did not have new shoes, they only had old shoes - and she wanted them to have new shoes. She said she wanted to send them her money so they could buy new shoes. We hugged her and explained that we had collected money from our church to buy them some new shoes (about $800). That seemed to calm her down a little.

If only the rest of my Christian brothers and sisters had a heart the size of my little girl's . . .

Siblings

Construction, First Report and Siblings

I have not posted much in the past month only because we have been a bit busy. Dawn’s dad was very generous and is paying for some needed work on our home. Our home is 40 years old and was built with one and half bathrooms. When the work is complete, we will have three full bathrooms. For about the past 4 weeks, we have been trying to make do with just one toilet and that has been hard for a family of eight. Sometimes the line to get into the bathroom is a little long. Hopefully, work will be finished in about two more weeks. That work started about the same time we learned our HVAC system was dying. Seems like only yesterday we had the system installed! On Tuesday, our serviceman installed a new system and set me back about $8,000 at a time when we really did not have it, but the Lord provides. We financed it with the plan to pay it off in January.

This past Monday was our first Post-Placement visit by our social worker. The Russians require reports to be completed during the first three years to update them on the health and welfare of the children. So, here we are with two huge holes on the backside of the house. We have taped up plastic in the openings, but it is still dusty and a bit chilly early in the morning. Because of the contractor vehicles, ours are parked in the street and yard. Needless to say, finding a parking spot was a bit hard for her. The visit went well – I think! The young lady that completed our home study is out on leave because of her own adoption and another young lady from the agency completed this report. She was very sweet and understanding and didn’t seem to be caught off guard with all the construction noise and the kids running around. We have to send it off to the Russians by the end of November. These follow-up reports are a requirement of the Russian government and some may question why do it when we already have the kids. Well, number one, I am obligated by the courts and I will not go back on my promise. Secondly, the Russians need to see that the kids are adjusting well and are happy. In the past eight years, about seven kids have been killed or died of neglect or abuse after being adopted. This is a tiny fraction of the thousands that have been adopted, but the media magnifies them. Young children are often told that the Americans will kill them upon getting to America. These horror stories are repeated by children in the orphanages and by adults. Yes, adults. We plan on mailing the kids orphanage a bunch of photos for them to share with the children.

Over the past month, it has been such a blessing to see the children bond more and more. You might think, gee, their siblings, they should be close. Well, my youngest three were not always together. For about one year, Nastya lived in a separate detsky dom. Then, after she joined them, she lived in a separate groupa. In fact all three were in separate groupas because of their ages. Groupas are the name given the group that the children lived in. Typically, each groupa has 8-9 kids. They slept together, ate together, had school together, etc. That was their “family”. Nastya misses her detsky dom sister whose name is Katia. Polina does not recall a little girl with that name, but Nastya is very adamant about that being her name. At Sunday School, the teacher went around the room asking the little children if there was anyone the kids wanted to pray for. Nastya asked that they pray for her aunt Tatiana, cousin Vladick, and Katia ( I was there to interpret). I thought it was very sweet of her to think of them.

As for the bonding of the youngest three with the older kids, it has gone very well and we are very proud of them. The adjustment was probably the hardest for Sarah. One day she was the youngest child in the family, had her own room and then overnight she had three younger siblings and shared a room. I am very proud of the young lady she is changing into. She and Polina are very close and she knows more Russian than dawn and I ever knew. She and Polina will jabber away in Russian acting like it is just as natural as speaking English.

Well, that’s about it. Several weeks ago we sent photos of everyone to our extended family in Russia – Aunt Tatiana. It took about six weeks for the photos to arrive and Polina had even sent a new letter before we got an e-mail from Tatiana telling us how excited she was to receive the package. We will work hard to maintain contact with her because she and her son are family.

A Month of Birthdays

September is a busy month for us - we have four birthdays to celebrate! Dima's birthday was first ending with Jeremy's on the 21st. We were able to do something special on each person's birthday. Although it may not have been a lot, we had four opportunities to celebrate as a family. These were special times together. With Jeremy turning 18, it made me realize how fast time is passing and how little time we actually have with our children. I truly feel blessed that God has allowed me to be a part of their lives.

Dima was a little overwhelmed by the whole birthday thing. He obviously had never had such a fuss made over his birthday. The grandparents and my sister came by with presents and my brother shipped him some presents. He also had some friends over to help him celebrate.

All the kids are doing great. Once again, I must brag on Dima and the advances he has made since May 20. I will not get into specifics, I'll just say that he is learning how to make friends and does not lash out when things do not go as he would like them to. He is a very brave little boy who has been through more than a six year old should have to endure. For those adopting, anger is something that is present in every child you bring home. Fortunately, the educational classes we went to prepared us for what to expect. Complete trust is not something that comes quick and he is slowly starting to talk to us when he gets angry. I know we still have work to do, but he has just made amazing progress. When I tuck him in at night, I tell him how proud I am of him and what a good boy he is. Unfortunately, these words of encouragement and love are new to him.

For those still waiting to bring your children home, we are praying for you and your children. Take the time to learn as much as you can about adoption. The whole process has taught me more about true love and how thankful I am for God's grace. We regret nothing and although there have been moments of stress and frustration, let me again say how blessed we are that God has allowed us to share our lives with six wonderful children.

God Bless -

In 2008 Is It OK for Baptist to Dance?

Last night at church, the younger children (all but Jeremy and Christina) went to Children's Choir. I thought it would be good for all of them. I accompanied them because I think it is a little early to leave Nastya and Dima since their English is still a little limited. Polina followed along with Sarah and seemed to be trying to learn the songs. I helped Dima by pointing the words out as they sang. Nastya hummed all the songs and on the last couple, decided it was time to dance! She wasn't being disruptive, but she did get the attention of the other children. As far as I am concerned, if the music moves you (or the Spirit) - then dance away!

All the kids are doing great. School started a few weeks back and they are back into a routine of sorts. Polina and Dima are doing great in their school and have learned so much. It has helped a lot with their English in particular. When we got home, Dima couldn't even hold a pencil and would get very frustrated when we would work with him. Now he is writing letters and has learned his ABC's

Jeremy and I have been busy working to get our phone patch working so he can make phone calls from his 2 meter radio. Our club patch was taken out of service recently. As a result, we purchased some used equipment to get our own system up and running. Hopefully next weekend the last $12 component will be installed and the system will be up and running. For those wondering what this is all about, I do not believe kids need their own cell phone. Jeremy and I are amateur radio operators and we have the ability to access the phone lines if necessary (when the eqiupment is installed). So, when he is out and about and needs to call home or 911, he can do so without a cell phone. Now if I can just get his sisters to get their license....

Many people have asked if we have gotten into a routine yet. My answer, is well sort of. We do have a basic routine, but that does not mean it is followed every day. Evening TV is pretty much gone and has been gone for a long time. Not a major loss witht he current programming.

I'll close with adding, once again, that children are a blessing from God. Each passing week I can point to events that made me proud to be the parents to each and every one of them. Our six kids are the second greatest gift God has blessed us with. They are all strong, smart, resilient and loving in their own way.

Beach Trip

Last weekend, we loaded up the Suburban and took our first trip to the beach for the summer. A little late I know, but we have not had any time. I did try to get reservations back in July, but the places we looked into were full. We drove down to Pensacola and the weather could not have been better! The beach wasn't too crowded and the water was crystal clear. The best part is that we only saw two jelly fish and no sting rays!

Everyone enjoyed the sand, water and sea shells. There was a beach (Sea of Japan) about 300 yards from our hotel in Vladivostok. We walked down there with the kids while we were there, but you couldn't pay me to get in the water (the Gulf Coast has spoiled me with it's clear water). So Polina, Nastya and Dima had been to the beach, they just had not been in the ocean. They loved the water and after an hour or so, they even enjoyed getting knocked down by the waves.

Lessons Learned

Well, we have had the kids about two and a half months and have had some struggles, but there have been tons and tons of joy! Children really are a blessing from God. They keep me down to earth and I am reminded daily of their complete innocence. Don't get me wrong, they screw up just like anybody else and tell a fib now and then and will try to manipulate you. But their love is unconditional. The hard part is remembering that emotionally, they are a year or two younger than their physical age.
I have a hard time punishing any of our kids. Considering the past of the three youngest, I really have a hard time punishing them when they do something wrong. But, we have to teach them boundaries because they really do not have any. Time sitting in momma's or papa's lap is the most common form of punishment. In the long run, they seem to be okay with it and understand when they have done something bad (fighting, taking something not theirs, etc.). This type punishment would send the oldest three screaming!

One of the things we have recently learned is that the two youngest have no concept of ownership. They do not care if a toy they have been given is destroyed or thrown away. They do care if someone else takes their toy, but that is where the attachment to the toy stops. Lesson, buy toys from the dollar store.

Trip to the Zoo

Progress

The past week or so, we have had glimpses into the children's past. Polina has told us some things about her past and Dima, through his reactions to certain situations, has given us an idea about his past. All very sad and I am sure we will learn more in the future. We were told this would happen in time, but it still caught me a little off guard.

They are making amazing progress since we have been home. Dima honestly seems to have grown two inches! He is strong as an ox and is all boy. Each morning he is the first to get up out of bed and he first to greet us. He will come and give me a great big hug and say "dohbray ootra Papa" (good morning Papa). He has a habit of taking things that don't belong to him and hopefully we are slowly breaking him of that. He has gotten much better in that he will reluctantly tell me where something is if I know he has taken it. However, the whereabouts of my college ring are still in question. You should see him when he accomplishes a task! He smiles so big and we make a point to tell him how proud we are of him.

Nastya loves playing with her baby dolls and with Dima. She is very independent and can cut a look that is amazingly similar to my mom. Mom would have enjoyed Nastya because she is all girl and loves to hold and cuddle her baby dolls. Dad let each of the girls pick a necklace from mom's jewelry collection. I have tried to explain to them that mom died, but I am not quite sure they understand.

Polina is trusting us more and more and, as I said earlier, has told us a little of her past. I hope she will open up and share more as time goes on. She loves playing with Sarah and watching old Russian cartoons on You Tube. She can get moody and be a bit aggravating at times, but I guess we all are to an extent. The school she will attend a couple of days a week had open house Friday. She was not happy with all the talk about school! This is a great place started by some friends and it is specifically for Russian speaking children.

We went to the Zoo Saturday with my dad. The kids had a ball. I don't think Polina, Dima and Nastya had ever been to a zoo from all the squeals! My poor dad was about worn out at the end of the day and Nastya ran to him wanting him to carry her - he's 79. He ate it all up though and carried her a short ways until he could not do it any longer. It also made me very proud to watch Jeremy interacting with the younger three. He would pick them up and point to different animals that were hiding behind bushes and such. Teenage boys can be very "distant" at family activities, but he enjoyed the time together as well. Christina was sweet and helped take the girls to the rest room and helped point out animals. She enjoyed taking pictures of the animals.

New Hair Styles

The pictures above are from a round of water balloon fights this afternoon.

Well, for second or so time, Nastya and Dima have found the scissors and given themselves new hair cuts. Dima ended up getting a buzz and Nastya just looks like she has a fade on top. Otherwise, all are doing well! Below are answers to the most common questions we are asked daily:

• Do they speak English? Very little, but more each day.
• Do they speak Russian? Yes (I must say I am puzzled by this question)!
  
• Do you speak Russian? Yes, sort of. I refer to it as redneck Russian (every other word or so Russian). Correct gender - nope. Correct verb form - probably not. They understand it and that is all that matters.
  
• What do they eat? Food
• Are you going to enroll them in public school? No. We homeschool. Polina and maybe even Dima will attend a special school a couple of days per week for Russian speaking children. The rest of the week, they will be homeschooled with the rest of the children.
• Do the Russians know you homeschool? Yes. When you adopt, there are NO secrets. We were asked in court about this and it is in our homestudy.
  
• How are they adjusting? Quite well - better each day. We have our moments of drama, but things are going well. They have come soooo far since we picked them up on May 20. I'll go over some of the changes in another post.

That's all for now, God bless -

4th of July

This past Friday, we went to the local fireworks display and I wasn't sure how the three youngest would react - terrified or excited. They loved it! The noise did not bother them at all.

The kids are doing great and settling in to the routine(?). We still have our moments of drama, frustration and some residual institutional behavior. Nothing we did not expect and nothing bad. The important thing is everyone is healthy and everyone appears to be happy! They seem to have gotten used to Papa being gone for work one night per week. This past Wednesday, I made certain to explain to them that I would not be home tonight that I had to work (all in Russian naturally) - and they said they understood. Dawn told me that come bed time, the kids wanted to know when I was going to read to them. She explained that I was working away from home and would return the next afternoon. She said they did not get upset, just appeared a little disappointed. I read Winnie the Pooh stories to the little ones and books from the Narnia collection to Sarah and Polina. The three older kid know what I do for work, but the three younger kids don't quite understand it yet. They know that a couple of days a week, I am working from home on the computer and a couple of days I am not home.

Below is an update by child:

• Jeremy: Took his college entrance exams the weekend after we returned from Russia and did far better than I did some 28 years ago! He is going to retake the exam later in the year to see if he can bump his score up a point or two. He has gotten used to having little brother and sisters coming into his room uninvited. He has taken time with the the two youngest and I am very proud of him.
  
• Christina: Still busy with her horses, writing, drawing and photography. The photo at the top of the blog is one she took this past Friday. She is amazing with her graphics capability. She has taken the three younger children with her to the pasture and let them ride Kando. This week she took Kando jumping in the pasture.
• Sarah: Sarah has the Alabama State 4-H competition this week she is participating in (photography, art and modeling). She is growing out her hair so it can be cut and used for wigs for kids with cancer. I am very proud of her! She and Polina have become pretty close sisters and play together most of the time.
• Polina: She is learning a lot of English and will speak it around us, but not in public. In fact, non of the kids will speak English in public. Like all my children, she is a sweetheart. She is learning about living in a family and having a mom and dad. She will step in at times and tell the little ones something if she sees Dawn and I struggling with the Russian. I would love to see her gain 5 pounds! She eats pretty good, she is just a little picky about what she will eat.
• Dima: He is an eating machine! If it resembles food, he will eat it! He is all muscle with not a lick of fat and is incredibly strong for his age. He will follow me wherever I go like a puppy dog. He is a very good boy, but can be mishevious. We are learning things about his personality that give little hints to his past. The grin he has on his face when he accomplishes something or completes a difficult task/assignment is amazing!
• Nastya: Miss Priss is almost as mischeveous as her brother. She is strong willed like her momma and pappa. She loves to be held and loves her babby dolls. She and Dima play together a lot and are typical brother and sister. One will do something and the other will get mad - and haul off and punch the other one.

Note to other families: You can't bring a 'sick' child into the US. I promise they don't have kooties...

Blessings

The past 4 weeks with the kids have been amazing. The first couple of weeks, they were getting used to us and the last couple of weeks, they are getting used to their new home and the older kids are getting used to a larger family.

Some one at church asked me how things were going, my reply was "Every day is a blessing, but there are moments each day when there are problems." These are minor, text book, problems that we were told institutionalized children would go through. As I look at the kids, and what they have been through, I think to myself, wow! I grew up in a lower income bracket family in Alabama and we always had food on the table. Maybe not much, but I always had something to eat at meal time. My younger children were not that fortunate early in their life. Then, when put in the government home, it was a environment that was cleaner and better, but they were still in a survival mode. This behavior pops its head up in small situations each day. Dima will eat any food, or anything that resembles food, in sight. He is getting much, much better, but we have to be careful.

Polina is afraid to sleep alone(?). Mind you, she shares a room with Sarah, but she does not like to sleep alone. She has slept a couple of nights with Nastya, but that is disruptive. Nastya will not settle down if Polina is in bed with her. She has slept with Dawn and has asked me to "spaht" with her as well. It troubles me because she will cry if she can't sleep with someone else. Last night after I read them a chapter in one of the Narnia books, I laid down with her and she wrapped both arms around one of my arms and locked them tight. It was if she was afraid someone would take her away. Other than this, she is doing well. She is a typical nine year old! Dawn was being stern with her the other day and trying to get her to go do something and I saw Polina (she had her back to Dawn) start mocking Dawn by moving her mouth and making faces. I called out and told her I saw her, she looked embarrassed that she had been caught. I laughed and told her to obey momma. She grinned and complied.

I look at all the children each day and think what a blessing! Every day, they teach me something! I am sure there will be difficult moments in the future, but I also know there will be moments of joy and happiness. As I write this, Nastya is besides me singing to one of the dogs in Russian. I have no clue what she is saying other than a word here and there. But it sounds sweet.

Well, that is the weekly update. I'll try and post some photos later.

Family Photo - Father's Day

Today we took the kids to Sunday School and church - their first time. Dawn and I went into Sunday School with Nastya and Dima. They speak little to no English at this time and I did not want to turn Dima loose on a poor unsuspecting teacher. He did very good though! He told the teacher (in Russian) hello and thank you! I was really proud of him because he can really be a handle if thinks he can get away with it. Polina went into a class with Sarah and also did well. I think at times, she got a little overwhelmed because at any given moment, there were about 4-5 little girls surrounding her. When we got to the sanctuary after Sunday School, she huddled close to me and wrapped her arm around mine. Then, during announcements, our whole family was called to the front for a special gift. One by one ALL the kids were handed a gift. You should have seen their eyes! Our new additions were each given large baskets with toys and new clothes. Jeremy, Christina and Sarah were each given a gift card to Target. Our church family has been such an amazing blessing throughout this process! We will never be able to thank them enough. Dozens came by to tell us that they had been praying for us, not only through the process, but during our recent travel. That alone is such a blessing to know that so many cared to include us in their prayers. That is something Dawn and I truly cherish and value!

The kids are really doing well. Dima has learned that he must obey, although like any five year old, he will often choose not to listen. This afternoon, Nastya tattled on him and told me Dima had put the kitten and it's food in my car. I opened the door, got the kitten out and told him he had to clean up the food. He almost started to cry, but he cleaned it up. He found some change in the seat and showed it to me. I told him he could have it and to put it in his pocket. That seemed to make it all better in his eyes. Nastya is doing well and is very attached to Dawn. Thursday she found the scissors and trimmed her own hair. Dawn had to try and even it out and had a hard time. Her hair is now a short shag. Polina has started to let her guard down more and is not as guarded as she was just a week ago. I have to admit I cut her a lot of slack and at times I get pretty frustrated with her. Yesterday she was climbing the magnolia tree in the in the front yard. It started lightening and I told her to get down and she did not want to. I had to get stern with her and she knew I was aggravated. Right now she is very upset we will not let her call her aunt in Russia. At $5 a minute we just can't afford it ( I checked at&t as well as my mobile service - same price). I did let her call her friend that lives in California. Masha was adopted at the same time. They talked for about 30 minutes and everything was fine until we tried to explain she could not call her aunt. Polina e-mailed the aunt last week, but the aunt has not responded. I don't know why and I can't "fix" that problem. We told her we could write her a letter and send her pictures, but she is still upset.

Today was Father's Day and what a special moment to be at church celebrating this day with my six wonderful children! Children are a special blessing from God and whether you have one or ten, it is a wonderful feeling! So to my family and extended internet family, Happy Father's Day!

More Baby Steps

Monday and Tuesday morning, the kids were up at 3-4AM and would crash about 6PM. Our body clocks were not much better, but we were forced to get up when the kids woke up. Yesterday morning, they slept until 5:50AM! At 6:15 in the morning, Nastya was outside on the swing yelling, "Papa, push me"! Yep, I know the neighbors were wondering what in the world the child was yelling.

I went back to work yesterday (all day instead of half day like Monday and Tuesday). Dawn said Polina missed me while I was gone. I spoke to her on the phone on the way home (I was in Birmingham). I told them before I left that Papa had to go to work and they had to obey Mama. So, they knew I went to work, they just didn't realize it was 90 miles away.

We sent in our paperwork for registering the kids with the Russian Consulate yesterday holding up to one of many commitments. They are still considered Russian citizens and are required to be registered.

The language barrier has really become a non-issue. We can understand most of what they and there have been fewer problems. Sarah is adjusting well and spent Tuesday fixing Nastya's hair.

Before I go, I wanted to comment about a Slip-n-Slide some families bought for the kids. We got it out Monday and my sister purchased new swim suits for them. They got outside and Sarah showed them what to do. Well, they had never had swim suits and wanted to take them off to keep frm getting them wet! Dima and Nastya started strip right in the front yard and I started yelling nyet, nyet, nyet! It was funny and they had a ball. We got it back out on Tuesday and it was a good way to eat up a lot of energy!

I'll post some family photos this weekend. God Bless -

Back at Home - God is Awsome

We arrived home early this morning at about 1:30. Such a very long day for travel - about 28 hours from the time we got up to the time we went to bed. However, God used that time to show us His love and the love of complete strangers. After 12 hour 15 minute flight to Atlanta, we had a 5 hour lay over. Just before boarding our flight to Birmingham, this group of adults that were sitting next to us started asking us questions about the kids because they heard us and them speaking some Russian. So, I shared our story - what we did, why we did it and what a blessing the kids are to us. As we got in line to board the plane, one of the men walked up and poked something in my hand. I looked and saw a wad of bills and explained that it really wasn't necessary. He said, well, "God told you to adopt those kids and he is telling me to give you this money." I was shocked and tried to refuse but he would not budge. It is very hard to accept the generosity of strangers in this way because I do not know how to respond. God is good and has blessed us in so many ways. I know the kidney stone midst our adventure had a purpose, although I don't understand it at this time.

By the way, my stone did not pass until this morning. When I got home, I went staight for my medicine cabinet and took two pills. Not saying that is what did it, but I do believe our pharmaceuticals are second to none. I asked for this particular medication in Moscow, both the pain medication and the medicine to help flush the stone. Doctor said he had heard of it, but that was all.

Anyway. back to the kids... When we got home this morning, Dima went straight for the hat assortment (hard hat, cowboy hats, ball caps) and books, Polina went straight for the clothes and, Nastya went straight for the books. They are shocked at the dogs. They were not afraid and just giggled as the dogs licked them in the face. They know the dogs name's, but they jut walk around saying "sabaka" when calling them (that is Russian for dog).

We are all beat and only got about 4 hours sleep before the kids were calling out "ootra, ootra" (morning, morning). This is their way of telling us it is time to get up out of bed. I am posting one quick photo of the kids on the day we went to visit before court. I will post more later tonight. Dima (Dimitry James) is our son, Polina (Polina Hope) i s our oldest new daughter and, Nastya (Anastasia Grace) is our youngest daughter.



That a million for all of your prayers. While speaking with some of the other families on the trip, everyone had the same story - how much prayer from friends and family had meant to them.

Were OK

This is Jeremy, at home.

Dad called today, they have run out of internet minutes, but will buy more when they get to Moscow. Dad has been struggling with a kidney stone the past few days and has not felt good enough to post recently. They are leaving for Moscow later today.

Two Good Days

Last night, about six families got together in a small room at the motel to socialize. Counting us, there were four families with their kids. The other three kids were 2 and under and I was worried how our son would act around them. I was not sure if he would be too rough around them so we kept an eye on him. He was an angel! He was so careful around the little ones! We stayed there until about 9:15PM and then it was time for bed. I told him I was so very proud of him. The afternoon had been filled with three or four instances of him acting out and disobeying. He even missed a treat in the cafe (ice cream) because he would not put his shoes on. He just kept saying “nyet”. I told Dawn to take the others and go get ice cream without us. He needed to learn that there are consequences to disobeying. His older sister even tried to tell him to put shoes on so he could get some ice cream. He refused to comply. He then decided to get puzzle pieces and throw them. When he refused to pick them up, that resulted in time in my lap, sitting still, with no television or distractions. These were all minor instances, but each time he was corrected and told to obey, he basically told us he did not have too.

Dawn and I have prayed that God would help us not to show anger, only love in these little episodes. It is very, very sad to sit and think what these kids have been through. Yesterday while Dawn was out getting ice cream with the others, D__ was in my lap crying and the kid does not cry like you would think. I noticed the same thing in his little sister earlier when she bumped her head. When they cry, they moan. It is not a cry like you are accustomed to hearing. I sat there holding him like a baby and rocking him telling him I loved him and he must obey Mama and Papa. He and his sisters really have no concept of living in a family and following the instructions of a mother and father. They are used to several adults watching them and giving them instructions. I'm sure some caretakers love the children, but their role is not that of a mother. It is now 4:30PM and he has been a good boy all day! Right now he is eating an ice cream cone and smiling ear to ear.

Most of the previous post have been about our son with few comments about the girls. The girls are doing fine. They too have their moments! I have had to be a mean dad and take her away from a friend who was adopted and staying just down the hall. I am trying to limit their time together because she needs to spend time with us - her family. She has shed some crocodile tears, but is doing fine. Her little sister flung a fit last night when we told her it was time to go to sleep. Dawn rocked and held her the same as I have done her brother.

To the folks back home, we look forward to seeing you soon. We miss Jeremy and Sarah terribly and can't wait to hold them and hug them. Although with Jeremy, we both have to look up to hug him. I know Christina misses her big brother and sister as well. Take care -

Baby Steps

Each day that passes is a little better than the previous one. Although there is a short spell once or twice per day where our youngest son has to sit in may lap for some bonding time, I can say we are making progress. He is a typical 5 year old boy with the added issue of never having a mother and father. As a result, there are times when he will openly disobey. We are trying our best to give them a little freedom and easing into the discipline. As Dawn has pointed out, all of them disobey to a degree, the youngest is just a little cuter in her own way. The oldest girl is really very good and will just blink her eyes, smile and say pazholstah (please).

Each night about 8:30, our son will start to act out and it is obvious it is time to settle down for the evening. I will tell him “D___ and Papa spaht” (D___ and Papa sleep – or something close to that anyway). He will go and climb into bed, but at times, like last night, he wants to act out by jumping up and down in bed. That his when I hold him, tell him I love him and to go to sleep. His older sister does not like to see or hear them upset. I assure her he is okay and she will usually go to her room once she sees that he is not hurt. After about 15 minutes, he is fine and settles down. He will then wake up in the morning and say “good morning Papa”.

Our youngest girl has had a a few bumps and bruises from playing with her brother, running on the playground and stuff. She is a real trooper and has handle these bumps like a trooper! She is a dancing machine and her Mama's baby. She too can be hard to settle down at night. This weird time zone where the sun does not go down until 10PM is unbelievable and does not help. In there eyes, the sun is out, it is time to play. Our local facilitator told us that the kids in the orphanage do not go to bed until around 10 for that very reason.

The oldest girl will go to sleep on her own very easy. She has attached herself to Christina and sleeps with her at night. She will get jealous occasionally if she thinks she is not getting enough attention.

Today we had a very special lunch in the restaurant – french fries and Sprite. We have been criticized for giving them a soft drink but that does not bother me. We don't have sweet tea and there are just few options. I am not going to drink one then tell them “no”. We brought tea and have some tea, but it is hard to get it to taste right for some reason.

Well, that's about it. Another day at the Vlad Inn. This afternoon we are supposed to have the kids passport photos made. One step closer to going home...

Homeschooling and Court

Jackie: You asked about court (and any others interested). Please send us an e-mail to us at and we will send you info. Our internet connection is poor so we type out our notes in advance then paste them.

Five Nights and Counting

Dohbrehootra from Vladivostok! It is Sunday morning here and I am sitting on the couch with Christina and my “new” oldest daughter as we watch some Russian cartoon. We would love to go to church, but a driver and car would cost us $100, money we can't afford to spend right now.

Things have gotten better each day. Our son no longer fights bed time, and the oldest is no longer afraid of being in public. Previously, she would ask to go to sleep if we were in the lobby (or the playground) around other locals or other families. Last night we had supper with about four other couples. One of the couples adopted a daughter from the same home as our children and she is about two years older than our oldest. She was quite comfortable in the restaurant and never asked to go back to the room. She even walked to the market this morning with me. She got a little upset because she wanted to spend the night with her friend who is just a couple of rooms down from. Neither set of parents thought that would be a good idea right now. This is a period of adjustment and bonding that we need to work through. I am so happy we got the children during the 10 day wait. I can not imagine working through all that we have in the short time we have between the day we receive our documents and then fly to Moscow. That would be a little stressful!

We are all very, very tired. I am the jungle gym they all climb on and jump on and, mom is the giant teddy bear they all like to hug. Poor Christina is worn out as well – mostly from continuously telling our son nyet. For families coming to Vlad, there is a brand new swing and playground set, very big, for all the children. The weather now is still very cool and the kids have to bundle up to go outside. With their immune system weak, we are afraid to let them stay outside long.

We called our son this morning on Skype and it was good to talk to him. I told him when we got home, he had to take me somewhere to buy a large Coke full of ice. Ice is rare here. You can get some in a glass if you ask for it, but we don't have it in our rooms because the sink water is unfiltered. The staff here at the Inn are very accommodating and helpful. They will do what they can to help. The best thing is that they think nothing of kids running around. The restaurant is popular among the locals, particularly local officials and their families. As a result, there are many kids here running around.

Friday was the last day for Rebecca, our social worker with our agency in St. Louis. She was the best! Many would simply refer to her as a coordinator, but she was more than that to us. She became part of our extended family in the past 14 months. We sent her an e-mail thanking her for her help in making these children part of our family.

A small stomach bug appears to be making rounds. Our youngest threw up yesterday and Christina threw up last night. It has not hit me or Dawn yet. I know my stomach is a little more tolerable than Dawn and Christina's.

Tomorrow, we have photos for the kid's passport's taken. One step closer to getting home! In a couple of days we can use names and post pictures.

Getting Closer and Growing Pains

Good evening from Vladivostok! As I post this note, Dawn is reading to the two youngest, while their older sister is in the tub (koosaka). They love koosaka time! The two youngest will take the coldest baths you can imagine.

Tonight, another young girl, age 10, from the same orphanage came by to see the kids. Her parents had court today and she came back to the motel with her parents late this evening. Her mom said she was asking for the kids as soon as she walked through the doors of the motel. She knew they were here. I think it did the two of them good to see each other.

The kids continue to keep us in stitches, particularly the youngest. She will dance to any beat she happens to hear. And believe me, she can cut her eyes at you and give you a look that pretty much tells you her opinion of what you have said without a doubt. She is very expressive and loves her momma.

Our son is having difficulty obeying, but that was somewhat expected. Just about every class we went to indicated that the children will resist authority in the beginning to see how far they can go. So far, he is the only one to show resistance. These moments result in time in Papa's arms in the bedroom where there are no distractions. He fights for about 5 minutes straight and then settles down. He will scream “ya boylna” (I hurt) when all I am doing is cradling him in my arms like a baby. I know I am not hurting him and I tell him so. I tell him I love him and he is a good boy (in Russian). He is slowly getting better.

The oldest girl continues to watch after her brother and sister. During meal time, she shares her food with them even though there is plenty to go around. She is a sweetheart and can look-up and say “pazhalsta (please) Papa” when she wants something – usually candy. She knows exacatly what she is doing and yes, I have given in on occasion.

Well, time to go. It is bedtime, almost 9PM. Some have requested info on questions about homeschooling and court. I promise to answer soon. Our internet connection is very poor and somewhat expensive. We are saving as much time as possible to speak to our kids over Skype ( I recommend this for families traveling with kids back home.

Blessings and Lessons from God

In my walk with the Lord, I have learned that He blesses each person in a different way. Dawn and I have been blessed by six wonderful children, each very special in their own way. We could not have made it this far without the many, many prayers and support of family and friends. So, thank you from the bottom of our heart.

Our new children have shown me patience, love and humbleness. Patience in dealing with the language difference. I am learning new words every day to lessen the frustration they must feel. Last night, our new son had an accident in his pants while we were eating supper with another CHI family. He very well could have told me had to go, but I missed it. I thought I had learned the two potty words, and he did say something earlier in the meal, but I could not tell what he was saying. I assured him it was okay. I think he was afraid we would be mad.

The innocent love they show is genuine and so wonderful! They wake up each morning with a hug and a smile. One of the things they tell you in adoption classes is that you should prepare yourself that your children may never love you. They are very open with their love towards us and are very guarded when we are in public. They stay close to us. I believe our oldest thinks someone may take her away from us because she does not like being around other locals. They also care very much for each other and do not like being to far away from each other. I think the fact that they understand each other helps with the transition.

Humbleness. Last night, the two youngest got in the tub – they love the tub! After a while, their sister came in, took off her tights and got in the tub and washed each of her siblings hair and bathed them. Afterwards, she got out, dried her legs and put her tights back on. Poor child has had to look after her brother and sister her whole life and she will show her care and affection towards them when you least expect it.

I will not sugar coat the past couple of days. There have been some difficult times but nothing that comes close to the joy the experience has been. Night times are tough because they do not like to settle down. The fact that the sun is out until 9:30PM does not help! We did manage to get to bed at 8PM last night which is better.

We miss our two back home a lot. Speaking to Jeremy each morning is wonderful, but it does not replace me hugging him good night each night. Yes, I hug my tall 17 year old each night I'm home and tell him I love him. I do that with each child and not being able to do it with Jeremy and Sarah right now is hard.

So long for now....

Our First Supper

This afternoon, we went to the orphanage to pick up the kids and we had the opportunity to meet their aunt. She was a very nice woman, about 6 or 7 years younger than we are. She was very sad to see the children go, but we assured her we would take very good care of the children and that we loved them very, very much. She was afraid we would not let the children write her, but we told her we would send pictures on their birthday, Christmas and, Women's Day (sort of like our Mother's Day). We had to stop at the store and buy them some shoes. Wow, the stores are really proud of their shoes! No Payless or discount store prices here.

After about an hour in the motel room, we went to the hotel dining room to eat. We ordered chicken fingers and fries for everyone. Little Sister is a hoot! Definitely a Baggett! She was eating ketchup by the spoonful. And like her big sister Sarah back home, butter by the spoonful! She kept us in stitches the whole time by mixing things and trying to get us to eat it.

They are in the tub now and having a ball. First one in was brother. He started out by saying “no – not ever, no- not ever”. When he finally saw the water, he started taking his clothes off. Soon his sisters were joining him once they figured out what was going on.

Thanks heavens for a Russian to English dictionary! Have to stop now and try and get them to calm down for dinner.

For the folks back home – we presented the director with the donation from church. Our social worker recommended we give it to them instead of trying to buy the clothes ourselves. When I presented the money, she was shocked and very appreciative. She told me she would use it to purchase summer clothes for the children to wear to camp this summer. In most places, the kids go to camp for a day or two during the summer as a retreat from the orphanage. She told me to tell everyone it was a very special gift and was very thankful.

Petition Accepted!

We are pleased to announce that our petition was accepted and Dawn and I are the proud parents of three wonderful children from southern Siberia. The rules are a little uncertain, so I do not believe that I can legally post their names yet. I know pictures are not allowed until we have the court decree in hand and that will be in ten days. Tomorrow we go at 1:30PM to get the children.

The judge was very curious of our home schooling and asked many, many questions. Homeschooling is not known to them and they do not understand the concept. Then again, many Americans do not understand it.

Thanks to friends, family and extended internet friends who have prayed for us! I can not thank you enough nor tell you what it has meant to us to have you pray for us. I think I can go eat something now without fear of losing it!!

More tomorrow -

Court Day

It is 7:30 Monday morning here in Vladivostok. We will meet with our social worker today at noon and then leave for court which is scheduled for 2PM. If all goes well, we will be able to pick-up the children tomorrow afternoon and be able to keep them during the 10-day wait period. The kid's aunt has requested to meet with us before we take them from the orphanage. I am glad we will be able to meet her. This is something we wanted to try and do back in December. We want her to know how much we love the children and that she has nothing to worry about. From the little we have been able to learn of her, she is a good person and has maintained contact with the children.

For our family back home, please say a prayer for Jeremy. Poor kid has had to deal with animal problems for the past three days. He had to take one dog to the vet and he just told us one of the horses got out into another pasture. Tomorrow he will have to mend fence lines until I can get home and make a permanent fix.

Hope to have some good news later today regarding the court proceedings.

Blessings From God

Hello everyone back home!

Before we tell you about our visits yesterday, we have great news! We received an e-mail telling us we received a grant from a group that is helping to defray our travel costs! Praise the Lord!

We are getting adjusted to the time change and rested from travel, thankfully. God is awesome! We had been sure that we would not get the children in our custody until after the mandatory 10 day wait following the court hearing. However, a new law has gone into place and we may actually get to have them with us during that time in the hotel. However we won't be able to leave the hotel area, since it is not “official” that they are our children until after the 10-day period. We talked it over, and decided that we still wanted to ask for them, since that will give us that time to get better at communication prior to travel.

Yesterday, when we saw the children, we thought that the oldest was a bit sad talking to the interpreter. When I asked about this, our interpreter said that it was just that it is hard for her when we come and leave again, that she is ready to come with us! What a relief; I had thought she might be sad about leaving her friends and everyone she knows.

After court on Monday, instead of going directly to the orphanage as previously planned, we will have an opportunity to do the shopping we thought we would do during the 10-day period, and then pick up the kids on Tuesday. We will be able to buy shoes for our kids, as well as the items for the other children with the generous donations from the church folks back home.

We met a couple who were adopting a baby from the baby home near the orphanage our children are at. We enjoyed talking with them and hearing how God worked in their lives in much the same way as he has ours. They are adopting a little girl with a cleft lip and palette which they have already gotten plans for surgeries to correct. They had court yesterday, and got the 10-day wait waived, so they will be able to finish up and head home shortly. We are so happy for them and their daughter! She looks like she is about 6 months younger than she really is, due to her difficulty in eating. We met another adoptive family in the motel who has custody of their new little boy during the 10 day wait. He is also about 6 months behind his actual age in proportion, but so cute!

Another blessing: we were given the big suite at the hotel at no extra charge! We are so grateful, especially now that we will have the children with us for most of the time here.

We got to visit a small Russian Orthodox Church yesterday, but were unable to go inside since we weren't dressed appropriately (didn't know we would have this opportunity beforehand). Tony was able to purchase a couple of cross pendants to give to Big Sister and Little Sister later on as a keepsake from their birth country. We will have to come up with something for our little boy! We also went to a small museum and then flew through a Chinese market, just to see what it was like! It was nice to walk around in the beautiful weather and compare the flowers here to those at home. We ate at at little restaurant which was western themed, but served pizza as the main dish. It was very good actually! We stopped at a grocery store to get some bottled drinks, and I got two small bottles of water, only to find later that I had gotten the kind that was carbonated “with gas”! Tony laughed and assured us that the large bottle he bought for the room was without gas, but alas, it was carbonated as well! We are learning!

As you see, God continues to bless us in a multitude of ways, and it is an exciting thing to rely on him and see the amazing things he does.

We're Here!!

It is Friday morning here. We arrived Thursday morning at about 11AM and by 2 o'clock we were on our way to visit the children (unexpected). What an amazing joy it was to see them once again. They kids had been told we were coming this week so they were expecting us. They each ran to us and gave us a big hug. Big Sister was in school when we arrived and so it was about 40 minutes later before we saw her. I grabbed her hugged her, and said (in Russian) "My darling daughter, I love you"! She told me she loved me too! Such sweet kids. Brother very carefully brought out a stuffed animal we sent by the Stencavages and he brought out some pens and paper. He seemed to want to show us he still had the presents we had sent. Bless his heart, it looked as if he had not used them at all.

Little Sister took to Dawn and wouldn't let her out of her sight. We were worn out from 20 hours of flight and spending time with them, but what a joy!

Can't spend much time now posting, we have to leave in a few minutes and I am afraid I am about to run out of air time on this card (purchased in December). Promise to post more later.

Good News! It is possible we may get to keep the kids during the ten day wait. This would be wonderful and allow us to spend time bonding before the long ride home.

Dear friends and family and extended AP family, thank you for all the prayers and support. I can not express what it has meant to us!

Packed and Ready - Finally

Well, it is nearly 2AM and we are finally packed. It is a harder job than you think! One bag each, can't be over 40 pounds (each), clothes for 3.5 weeks and clothes for three children. Copy of dossier ready, paperwork for embassy ready, tickets, passports, cash (hopefully it is all good enough for the money changers).

We'll post when we arrive in Vladivostok. Should arrive Thursday (their time) at about 11:30 AM.

Thanks for all the prayers! God Bless -

Tickets & Travel Visas Have Arrived

This morning our airline tickets arrived and yesterday we received our travel visas. We sent our travel itinerary to the adoption agency so they would have a copy of it and know when to expect us. On our way into Russia, we have a very brief layover in Copenhagen and then we fly into Moscow via Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). Hopefully there will be some English speaking folks there in the event we get twisted around in the airport - I have a hard enough time managing Russian!

Last night at 11:30, Dawn went through the clothing we are taking for the kids to see what we should take. She has had their bags packed for three months and the weather is much warmer now getting up to 72-75 in the day time, but dropping as low as 35 at night. It is our understanding that in Russian culture, kids are still expected to wear long sleeves and long pants. Exposed skin apparently will subject you to scolding by the older women in the community. We originally thought it would be frigid when we returned for court, but that will not be the case. So, we are taking jeans, long sleeved shirts for the two oldest and some jumpers with tights for the youngest. We took out the heavy coats and are just going to take light jackets. They take up a lot of space and the weather just does not require it. The weather in Moscow seems to be pretty close to the same as that in Vladivostok so we should be okay.

Motel reservations for the return through Moscow have been made. I have had to e-mail them to see if it will be acceptable to have one adult and two children per room. They have a two person limit per room. I used my Holiday Inn travel points to book the rooms in order to save money - about $1,800. Glad to see ALL those nights on the road were good for something. There is a huge park two blocks away. I believe it is called Sokolniki Park. Dawn's sister-in-law has spent a lot of time in Moscow and she said it was a good place to go. It will provide a nice break from things I think.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. I will go to the bank and get checks for our final payment to the agency and, I will also start the quest for crisp bills. The currency exchangers in Russia will not accept any bills with ink marks (counterfeit detection), folds, etc. They basically have to be perfect. That can be a challenge, so I am giving myself two days to collect the currency. I spoke to the bank a couple of weeks ago and they essentially said they would do what they could. How encouraging...

I have become a firm believer in the power of prayer over the last year and in particular the past few weeks. I have a long list I go through nightly for those adopting and others experiencing some challenging times. If you have such a list, please add us...

Making Progress

Slowly, we are making progress on the "to do" list. Visas were ordered Tuesday and due to multiple Russian holidays ( May 1, 2, 8 & 9) we had to pay for 3-day processing in order to have them on time. Then it was time to order airline tickets. Wow what an ordeal! It was not just a simple phone call as trip number one was. Several hours were spent on this one issue. Since we are at the end of our journey, we have our final fees to pay and have to watch and manage every expenditure.

Thursday, I called a travel agent that works with a lot of adoptive families. Her quotes were significantly higher than those we purchased for trip one ($7,000 vs. $4,000) and add to that the cost of three one way tickets for the kids - total cost was about $11,000. I asked God to find a way to make things happen within our budget. Late Friday afternoon, I contacted the travel agent we used on trip number 1 and she was able to save us about $2,000. What a blessing!

So, our plan is to leave Tuesday, May 13 out of Birmingham and we will return Saturday, June 7. We have lots of ends to tie up before leaving and only about 9 days to do it all. God has answered many, many prayers and we are truly thankful for those who have been praying for us. When we return, I hope to list each and every prayer that was answered to show how God is watching and listening...

Trust in the Lord

Our last post indicated we had hit a "bump in the road". Without going into detail, I'll just say that the Lord took care of that problem tonight. I am embarrassed that I even had doubts, no matter how small they were. He has taken care of every need every step of the way.

Bump in the Road

We hit a bump in the road this past week and just ask that you keep us in your prayers. Nothing bad, but a bump none the less. God has blessed us tremendously, answered many prayers and will not forsake us. We still plan on leaving sometime before May 19, but do not know specifics yet. Looks like we will return sometime around the first weekend in June.

Great is THE Lord

When I called, you answered me;
you made me bold and stouthearted.

May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth.

May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.

Last night I was out of town on business and read the above verses from Psalm 138 just before calling it a day. I awoke to an Alabama spring day and was able to finish things up and return home early. Well, this afternoon just as I was pulling into our neighborhood, I received a call from our social worker in St Louis - we have a court date! We go to court Monday, May 19! As I sit here tonight, I find myself asking if it really happened - did I really get the call. Technology is a wonderful thing because all I have to do is look at my "Recent Calls" list for a quick verification.

The past three weeks have been really difficult in managing the wait, but God has not and will not forsake us. I'll keep you posted on our travel plans...

Tony B.

С Пасхой!

Unfortunately, we have no news. We had one document that we had to get corrected and we sent that back to the agency on Tuesday. We included a card to the kids. The agency sent everything to Russia on Thursday so maybe the kids will get our card next week.

Regarding my last post, I have been assured our daughter is fine and was likely caught off guard by everything. Nevertheless, I pray the Lord will watch after her and her brother and sister and keep them safe and warm. Yes, it is warming to a balmy 40 degrees during the day and then back below freezing at night. According to the various webcams I have found, it appears most of the snow and ice has melted. Although, they are having snow showers as I type this.

About two weeks ago, our church family collectively donated $800 for us to use to purchase clothing and shoes for the older children in the orphanage when we travel on trip #2! What a blessing! Not only that, but Wednesday we received word from our pastor that we were given a $1,000 donation (anonymous) toward our adoption expenses! A second blessing! God has been VERY good to us in more ways than I will go into now, which brings me to a final comment. The most common verse in the bible starts off with, "For God so loved the world...". It doesn't say He so loved the Israelites, the people of Cyprus or, the people of Philipi - but the world. So how can people who claim to be believers say they can't love a child that is not theirs, or they just can't love another child? Sounds a little selfish to me considering what He did for us.

FYI. The title means, "Happy Easter"!

Как дела?

Yesterday morning we received an e-mail from another traveling family that had court this past week. They are adopting three boys (see, we are not the only ones doing this) and have two girls at home. It was a great surprise to wake up too! Their boys are in the same orphanage as "our" (the court says they are not mine until the decree is issued) kids. They took some presents for "our" kids and also took some quick snapshots of them for us. The two youngest look happy, but the expression of the oldest has bothered me a lot. The photos were taken in a rush as the kids were lining up for a special program and a worker pulled them from the line so the photos could be taken. That may explain the expression on her face, but the mom explained to the kids that the photos were for us. I have looked at the new pictures and her expression and compared them with her expression in pictures we took - even from the first photos where she met us. She could be sick or just feeling blue - I just don't know. And, I guess that is what bothers me the most - I don't know. This gnawed at me all day yesterday and I finally had to offer it up to the only one who can do anything - God.

The agency notified us they were sending back one document for us to have fixed. All other documents were sent to Russia. If we get the document back tomorrow, we can have the correction made and send it back all in one day. We may send a card with some short notes that we can write in Russian. Letters are more difficult because I am likely to use the wrong tense of a verb.

Anyway, that is our update. We are praying for a court date sometime in April. Please pray with us!

Before I log off, I guess I should explain the post title to those unfamiliar with the Russian language. "Как дела?" means "How are you?/How are things?"

Updated Documents Sent

Well, we shipped our final (?) documents off today! This included our updated physicals and police clearances which have short lives (90 days). This batch will hopefully make it through the audit process and be shipped to Russia next week. Short of an error in somebody's signature, this should have us set for court. The judge could request additional paperwork when the documents are presented, but we are praying this will not happen.

We are bit drained emotionally and in many other ways. There is soo much to do to get things ready and not much time. Not only do we have lots of painting to finish up, we have to replace Dawn's SUV that burned up at Thanksgiving. Last weekend we helped two friends who suffered significant damage to their respective homes from the tornado that hit our small town on February 17. Afterwards, we came home to work on our own home improvements. We are just thankful we did not suffer any storm damage! God has been wonderful and shown us so much grace. We ask for his continued blessings.

We have not heard anything from our kids in Vladivostok. I had hoped that we would get a short letter from our oldest by now, but it has not happened. Another couple is traveling next week to our orphanage for court. They are taking some small gifts for us to give to the kids. We are hopeful we will get something back when they return. The waiting is difficult, but manageable. If we could just get a picture once a month e-mailed to us or some update on their health, it would make it so much easier.

Petition to the Court & Paper Update

This week we were able to send our Petition to the Court (in Russia) asking them to hear our request to adopt Big Sister, Brother and Little Sister. On this document, we also had to indicate what names we would give them. It was never a question for us, the children would keep their first names. We will call them by their given birth name and nicknames. If they decide later, on their own, that they want to be called by their middle name, then that will be fine.

This week we were also able to forward updates on all our paperwork that would be expiring by April 30. In the adoption process, none of the paperwork can be more than 12 months old, some less than that. So, we were able to get all our paperwork updated AND get the required psych evaluation. This was difficult because we had to find a psychiatrist or psychologist that was not only willing to complete the assessment, but also provide us with a copy of their license. The fourth person I called was willing to do the assessment and give us a copy of their license. Best of all, he did not charge us anything! This saved us about $600. It turns out his sister adopted internationally and he is familiar with the paper chase. That leaves us with our physicals , local police clearance and one document from our home study agency to get.

All of the updated paperwork was shipped to Russia yesterday along with a letter we had written to the kids. There are two families that we know of traveling to our region for court this month so I am confident the kids will get our letters. We are thankful to a young Russian school teacher at the Cultural Learning Center in Birmingham for translating our letters for us. The CLC is a school started by some friends of ours that adopted some children from Ukraine. The school is for Russian speaking children new to the US. It allows them to transition slowly into the public school system by teaching them in their own language while teaching them English grammar.

The question everyone seems to have on their mind is, "When are you bringing those children home?" The answer is, when the Russians allow us too. We don't know when, but we are praying it will be soon. We were told to prepare for 4-6 months and it has been just a little over 2 months already. Things are moving in Russia so we hope it will be closer to 4 months.

We have a great social worker at the agency in St. Louis which has turned into a friend. She has been very patient and sweet throughout the process keeping us up to date on any changes or requests. She deals with stressed out parents and has to be the bearer of bad news when there is a problem with paperwork.

Our Comfort

A dear friend who has had a bumpy ride on the adoption road shared a verse with me before Christmas that has been with me daily....

Isaiah 43:5-7 (NIV)
Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!'
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth -
Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.

There are so many families waiting to bring their children home and others, just starting their journey. I say a prayer each day for all I have communicated who are traveling down this road. Today was 'Sanctity of Life' day at our church and I was reminded of how very special we all are to The One who created us all. I know He is in control and that He is watching after our children because they are very special to Him.

Document Update

March 1st will mark the one year mark we started down the paperwork road. As a result, some of our documents are expiring and have to be updated. Items like, Letter of Legal Residence, Marriage Certificates, Power of Attorney, Letter of Employment and, notarized copies of passport photos. It is odd to think that our marriage certificates are expiring! Yesterday and today we spent the afternoon getting copies of everything and making a trip to visit a notary. Now we have to take the documents to the Secretary of State's office and get them appostilled before we mail them to our agency. Hopefully this will be the last major update before we get to go to court. It is not that big of a deal, but it can be a little stressful.

Our next project is to find a psychiatrist that will complete an evaluation for us. Our region is one of a couple that require this. Unfortunately, in our neck of the woods, you can't find anybody that can give you a referral to see one. Then, sometime in late February or early March we have to update our medicals (physicals). Medicals are only good for 90 days so we do not want to do these too early - but at the same time we need to be prepared.

That's all for now. And for your information, as of 9AM it is -13 degrees Fahrenheit in Ussariysk.

Brrrrrr!

It is cold here at home today with a temperature around 28 degrees. One of my daily routines is to check the temperature where the kids are living - and I do this about four times per day as well as check a webcam focused on the train station in Vladivostok. Well, according to the Weather Channel, it is currently -13 degrees Fahrenheit (that is MINUS 13 degrees) in Ussuriysk which is where the kids live. Our daily prayer is that the kids - all the kids - are warm inside the orphanage (or school). Last week they got about 16 inches of snow and our thoughts have been on Big Sister who must walk about 30-40 yards across the orphanage playground to her school. God has been good to us and blessed us with so much and I know he is listening and taking care of them.

I also think of the hundreds of homeless kids in that very area that live on the streets. At night, they find abandoned buildings to crawl in and also use underground sewer/utility areas to get out of the cold. Please say a prayer for these children.

Also, just to update everyone, we mailed Big Sister a letter and some photos just before Christmas. Some friends in Birmingham translated the letter into Russian for us. The agency will drop of the letter on their next trip to the orphanage. Hopefully, that will be in the next week or so.