Monday, December 24, 2007

MOM


It is hard to say goodbye to a loved one. My Mom passed Dec 23. It was her time to be with the Lord. She is going to be so missed. If there is one thing that I can say about my mom, is that no matter what she had to walk through she always had a smile on her face. She had a laugh that was contatagious.

Mom I love you and will see you when it is time for me to come home. Know that you will always be in our thoughts. We will take care of everything.


WE love you.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

some pictures in KYIV






These pictures are from Kyiv. There was alot of snow. It is beatiful. Mike, Forrest and the girls are having a snow ball fight.

1 month home now.

Yes, we are still here. What have we been up too. Let's see. Sick, school fundraiser, school concerts, christmas dinners. I am sure I am forgetting something. Oh and some Christmas shopping

I can't believe that it has been one month since we left Ukraine. I miss Ukraine. I do not miss my washer and lack of a dryer, the snow. I do miss Ukraine and the food. :) Yeah, I like to eat. I also miss our friends that we met while we were there.

I still have lots of photos to put up. I am just trying to find the time. Christmas is in 5 days. I am not done shopping. Have not even started my Christmas cards. People probably think that I fell off the face of the earth. LOL... I feel like it sometimes.

About family life. All is going well. The kids are all adjusting well. The are happy with each other and fighting the next. The love of siblings. :) I am glad that they feel comfortable enough to act the way that they do. The girls have started school. Except today starts the days of Winter break. I have lots of fun things planned. As dad is on vacation too. Go see the snow, if there is any in Ca yet, ice skating, hanging out, bowling. Just some fun things to pass the time.
We have also started our Disneyland fund. We are collecting recycle. We plan on going in Oct. If all works out. The kids are so excited about that. I will need to be praying and fasting the week before. 9 people in Disneyland. I will probably loose my head. That week. LOL.. Just kidding. It should be loads of fun.

We are still waiting on the girls beds. After the new year. I can' wait. They are beautiful white beds. They are excited to get them.

We are still hear. The posts will probaly be coming at a slower pace. For you who are waiting to go. The time will be here before you know it. God has special people that he may want you to meet. Take this time to reflect. Enjoy your family. As when you get back. It will be a never ending day/days of running here and there.

We love all of you.
Keep the comments coming. We love to hear from you all.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Adoptive moms.

Being an adoptive mother is not for every woman. She must possess

not only the natural mother instinct but an understanding and

appreciation of the situation that brought a child into her arms

making her a mother. The adoptive family comes to be by choices

made, choices made by the first parents and by the adoptive parents.

This bond the adoptive mother has with her child grows over time,

like the child did within his first mother's womb.



Day by day, touch by touch, with each tear, kiss, and memory made

they became a family. Adoptive mothers have that special knack to

let love grow.



Adoptive mothers know that she's a mender of wounds, not just of the

physical skinned knees with a band-aid and a kiss, but of the heart.

She gives love, acceptance, and permission to ask and talk about the

day he was born and of his first parents.



Adoptive mothers are embracers, not only of the child with many hugs

and kisses, but of the child's heritage and history. She embraces

the facts of her child's past with strength for herself and the

child. She's not only a memory maker planning family vacations,

activities, and birthday parties, but also a memory keeper.



She's a tier of shoelaces and of hearts. She weaves lives together

into a tapestry of a new family, with many different brightly,

colored threads showcasing their individualities and family origins.

Together they create one unit attached to each other.



Adoptive mothers are experts at finding lost objects, but understand

and validate the profound, deep loss left by adoption. She allows

the tears to fall and grief to be felt, allowing the mourning of the

mom not there. She is secure in knowing that she's not a

replacement, but a finisher of a race for someone who, for whatever

reason, could not run any longer.



This role is not for the weak of spirit, or the easily wounded.

Loving a child not born to her but calling him her own, but this is

what she does, it is her calling. She is a mother.


This is the best poem. I have ever read. It sure sums it up. This is my purpose in life. To be a "MOTHER". I thank God that he has blessed me with 7 great children.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Big Storm in Sevastopol






Here are some pictures of some of the damage that the storm caused. We did not hear a thing. We did get so soaked one day while we were out. The water was coming down like buckets of water. It was running down the street like a mini river. We would step out into the street into the water and it would pour right over our shoes. It was an amazing thing to see.

Monday, November 19, 2007

The girls





WC/laundry/plants



Pictures of Sevastopol




We are home!!!!

Well, FINALLY!!! We are home. It has been the 2nd day. I think that we are almost back to are good ole USA clocks..... The last few days have gone by so fast. The girls are doing well. Playing outside/making new freinds. Olya's English is still very good and is progressing fast. Nadya is a little mocking bird, repeating all that we say.

I want to post some pictures. So I am making this short. :)

Friday, November 16, 2007

Last Night in Ukraine

It is currently 7:40pm and we are all excited to be flying home tomorrow. Gail talked to her sister and was told that everyone was very excited back home and can't wait to see us.

Today was a good day. We walked around the city of Kyiv and got to see some of the sights. It was cool to be able to get a close up look at the iron maiden statue they have here. It's a statue of a women holding a shield and sword, she was donated by the Russians and she faces Moscow. After seeing the statue, we were able to walk through some of the old churches, some from the 17th century. When we got back to our friends flat we had home made pizza for dinner.

Olya told Gail that she wants to go home (in America), Nadya is scared and says that she wants to go back to Desky Doma (the orphanage). It will be an interesting trip home due to this being the first time that Nadya has ever flown. Should be a fun time. We haven't told the girls yet but we have planned to have a limo pick us up at the airport in San Francisco to take us home. They should be pretty stoked about it, every time they see a limo here we have to stop so that they can stare at it.

So, our next post will be on U.S. soil and we will be posting pictures. We look forward to seeing everyone back home again, it's been a long haul for us. It's the longest we have ever been away from our other children and not something that we look forward to doing again.

Hugs and Kisses to our kids back home, we will see you tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Embassy today

We definitely got to see the weather change during this visit to Ukraine. When we first arrived in Sevastopol we walked around in shorts and sandals and when we left we were bundled up and using umbrellas due to the rain just pouring down. The last full day we were there we lost power from 1pm until 9am the next day. We had a nice train ride from Simferopol to Kyiv even though we didn't see much due to it being dark outside. However it was soooo hot on the train it was hard to sleep. We made it back to our friends flat safe and sound.Today we had our embassy appointment. It was at 11am, and we were there for 2 1/2hrs. Tomorrow we go back and get their visas. Then all that's left is to wait until Saturday for our flight home. We are so excited that we finally get to go home!!!

We want to tell our kids back home that we love them and can't wait to see them on the 17th. Big Hugs and Kisses to all.

We will post our pictures when we get home. Well . . ., maybe the day after.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Been busy

Hello everyone. Sorry that it's taken so long to write. We won't put all the details as it would bore you.

However, we were able to pick up the girls on Tuesday the 6th. A day later than we had planned due to a new rule stating that you need to have their new birth certificates as well as the court decree. We had to drive 40min out of Sevastopol to get Nadya's birth certificate from the town where she was born (Balaklava(?)), Olya's was easier as she was born in Sevastopol. When we got both certificates we had to get them certified/notarized. Later that same day after we got back and had the girls we had to run back from the orphanage to the passport office in order to have their pictures taken so we could begin the passport process. They have a new system here where they take down all of your info attach your photo to it and then send it to Kyiv for verification. This wasn't done the last time we were here. We should have the girl's passports on Monday due to the weekend. We hope to be able to travel back to Kyiv the same day by train. That should be an adventure, it's supposed to be a 16-18 hour ride.

The last couple of days we have been running around getting a new printer and some paper for the orphanage. We also left some Ukrianian money with the Director so she could get the internet hooked up to her secretary's office computer. They just recently had a new roof installed and are in the process of installing new windows, they need all the help they can get. They are doing their best to keep the orphange nice for the children with whatever funds they get.

We met a great couple Jamiee and Andy from So-Cal who are here to help plant a church/be missionaries. They were youth pastors at Safe Harbor church in Orange County and are currently involved with a youth outreach program here. They introduced us to a pastors wife Adrienne. She and her husband have been living here for 15yrs. They are in the process of building a church/Bible school. Adrienne has been holding Bible studies in her home every Sunday even while her husband is away to the States. We had a great time of fellowship with her and the group she meets with last Sunday.

The weather has changed alot since we got here in Sevastopol. It went from sunny days to having snow flurries. It's still too warm for the snow to stick around, but it's neat to see it coming down.

Our next post will be from Kyiv :), as the cafe here will be too busy this weekend for us to get in.

Can't wait, we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We are actually looking forward to the long flight back home on the 17th. The girls are both just as excited as we are. Olya can't stop smiling whenever she thinks about getting home. Nadya is a little scared about the flight because she has never flown before, should be interesting.

We want to send Hugs and Kisses to our kids and family back home. We will be home in 8 days from today. Yippppeeeee!!!!!! Can't wait to see you all.

Love Mike and Gail

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Party Day

Today we get to go to the orphanage and have an adoption celebration for the girls with their group. For the girls, this is a happy and a sad time. The reason is they get to leave.

However, while we are celebrating here, we are going to miss out on another celebration. Our youngest son is turning 12yrs today. We are sad to miss his B-Day, but he knows it's for a really good reason.

Jacob:

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Jacob, Happy Birthday to you. You'll get your B-Day love taps when we get home. :) LOL. Hope you have a great day with the family, let us know how it goes and please take lots of pictures. This is a day that we don't want to miss even though we are not there.

Love to all,
Mike and Gail

Friday, November 2, 2007

Day 10



This picture is from our day at court. We were finally able to download one picture, we had to go thru the main server.

As of 17:00 today, no one will be able to contest the court decision. However we won't be able to bring the girls home with us due to not being able to get the court decree until Monday morning at 09:00. Then the girls are ours forever.

It's raining here again today, wish we remembered to pack umbrellas. They want to much for them here. Almost $20 USD for a cheap one. Right now its 10:50 here, as soon as we are done here we're of to see the girls.

Big HUGS and KISSES to all our families. Talk to you all later.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Day 9

Well we should have been home 2 days ago, but are waiting to see what God has in store for us. We met two American missionaries yesterday that are from So-Cal that are here to plant a church and help out the orphans. We plan on going to church with them on Sunday. The girls are starting to get anxious about leaving. They are still asking, "How many days are left till we get to go?" Even though we have been here longer than expected, when it's time to go it will be hard to leave. We still love Ukraine, it would be easier if we had all of our children here.

Yesterday, we got to go with the kids to watch a seal and dolphin show. We had alot of fun and the kids really enjoyed it. It was great, because we did not get to go last year due to it being closed.

This morning as we are surfing the web, our two daughters surprised us by showing up at the internet cafe, they both had Drs. appointments and decided to surprise us. Boy did they ever. :)

We still are amazed how far the American dollar goes here. For a 20oz. soda and a 1/2 liter of juice it only cost $1.20 USD. It cost us 80rph for the dolphin show which is only $16 USD for both of us to go. They let all the orphans in for free. :).

We want to send our love to everyone back home in Cali., Oregon, and Oklahoma. We pray that God keeps you all safe and rested.

Love,
M&G and O&N

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Getting closer

Yesterday was "Day 6" of the waiting period. The kids didn't have school so we met them at the orphanage early. Their group was getting ready to go on a field trip so we joined them. We had a great time walking thru some of the cities parks and riding on some amusement rides. We got some great pics of the city from way up high on a farris wheel. But once again, we still can't post them from here. We will have lots to post when we get to Kyiv.

Today is "Day 7" and the girl's group is planning on going bowling, should be a great time. It sure helps the time go by faster, with us joining the group on their outings. We would recommend to anyone adopting to get as involved as possible, it not only helps you bond faster with the child/children but its fun as well. We have met some really great kids in the orphanage that we would not have been able to meet otherwise. So if their is anyone out there that has been thinking of adopting from this area (Sevastopol, Ukraine) let us know.

Hugs and Kisses to our kids back home in America. Where's your comments???

Hey Volleyball kid, we saw the pics of your truck on myspace. You should be thanking God every day. A little less than a foot higher and that power line would have come thru the window and hit you. When we get home, we need to find you another truck like that one, cause it was a good one.

Hey Superstar, we heard that you've been giving 110% out there on the field. Keep it up buddy. Wish we were there to see it. Please ask Coach Brown if he will video tape some of it for us.

Hello Cheer girl, hope you are all better now, caught up with your homework and practicing your cheers. Look forward to seeing your outfit.

Hello Honor roll girl, congratulations on your grades. Keep it up, you make us very proud. Have you been practicing for volleyball? You know it starts soon.

O and N can't wait to get to America. They are so ready to see you guys and to start their new lives. They mentioned something about going out for volleyball as well.

Anyway, we have to be going. Time to head to the orphanage for more fun. Look forward to seeing our families (personal and church) soon.

Love you all,
M&G

Saturday, October 27, 2007

A Great Surprise

Well, when we picked up the girls.. The Director said that they may stay the night with us. They were so excited. They are counting the days everyday till they never have to go back to the Desky Doma. They had smiles so big. They are ready to come home as we are. We believe we will be home soooooon. They looked so cute in their new PJs. They seemed to sleep well, we got the biggest hugs in the morning. I can't wait to be able to get hugs from all of our kids. :) I will be the happiest Mama in the world. :)

Love,
M&G

Hello to C,J,T,J. We love you guys. Where are our comments?? Miss ya. Good talking with you. Talk soon.


Saloyou
Love,
Mom and Dad

Friday, October 26, 2007

Day 3

The skies here are still overcast. But with each day that we get closer to our waiting period being over, they just seem brighter. Looking forward more every day to finishing up all of our Docs so that we can head home.

We are looking forward to seeing the rest of our children sooo much that it almost hurts. We love you guys soo much.

Just want to thank Mike's mom again for watching our kids for us.

Hope that J.L. is feeling better, heard she was sick.

Love to all,
M&G

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Waiting "Day 2"

Well, we are still here in Sevastopol. We only have 8 more days till the court decision is uncontestable. Then we get to pick up the girls and never have to take them back to the orphanage. We have pictures but can't seem to get them loaded onto the computer here. Will try again in Kyiv. Right now, we have brought the girls to the internet cafe for the first time and they are having fun playing. They can't wait until we are on the plane flying back to America. When the girls found out that we had a court date, Nadya started jumping up and down with a big smile on her face and Olya just kept asking over and over about the date like she couldn't believe it was really happening. Now they count the days just like us. The weather is turning cold again and Gail's allergies are really starting to kick in. Lots of molds out here due to all the leaves and such on the ground when it rains. We are just glad we remembered to bring the Loratidine and the Benadryl. Will write more as it happens.

M&G

Sending all our love to our children at home. See you guys soon. Can't wait to give you all a great big hug and kiss.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Verdict Is!!!

Well, we went to court....
We were all pretty nervous about seeing the judge due to hearing that he was mean. But we found the opposite to be true. He was kind to all of us and very curtious. He asked Mike about 10 different questions and asked Gail about 4. Then it was time for the girls to come before the judge. They were both scared. He made them feel at ease by smiling and joking with them. All in all it was a very pleasant experience.
The only thing we had to tell the judge about was Mike's income, our (M&G) health status, who would care for the kids, what the living arrangements would be, Mike's character in Gail's opinion, and made us aware that when it came time for the girls to get married that it would be our responsibility to take care of the arrangements as there wouldn't be anyone else to take care of it.

So without further ramblings. We are now the proud parents of two more girls, Olya Marie age 13 and Nadya Nicole age 12 for a total of 7 children.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Great News

We finally got our court date. We see the judge at 4pm today. Can't wait. Details to follow.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

God's Blessings

We received a phone call from home today. M's mom called to tell us our middle son "The Volleyball Kid" was in a car accident. We are so thankful that the Lord protected him and that he is fine and resting at home.

We want to send a big THANK YOU, to our family at Calvary Open Bible/History Makers for being there for our family at this time. We truly appreciate the love and support since we are away.

Hey Volleyball Kid, we are very excited to hear that you are OK. Don't worry too much. Just know that Mom and I love you very much. Get plenty of rest and let your body heal. You need to get well soon so you can get back on the court.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Sending Love

Hey kids, C, J, T, & J. We really look forward to being home with your new sisters so that we can give all of you a really big hug. Tell J.L. that we look forward to hearing about her fitting for her cheerleading uniform. J.S. we can't wait to see the skateboard that you bought. We are proud that you earned and saved the money to buy it on your own. Also, yesterday, we saw the boy that J.S. played soccer with last year. Man has he gotten tall. He didn't recognize us though, maybe because it was night time. If we see him during the day we will try saying hi to him.

We want to hear from ALL of you kids so post comments.

XOXOXOXO

Love, Mom and Dad

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

A few busy days

Well we havn't gotten a court date yet. Our judge was called away on a business trip before he could give us an appointment. The last few days have been busy. For "O" Marie's B-Day on Thursday we went to the orphange with some cake and juice for the group. All the girls demolished the cake, :). Afterwards the girls wanted to go to a park to play, so we took them on three of the rides that were there. On Friday we went with all of the children from the orphanage to the mountains where they had their orphanages 10yr aniversary. It was an all day affair. We were so tired afterwards that we were in bed by 7pm. The last few days it has been getting rather chilly here. 5deg C. Yesterday, (monday) we decided to take a bus trip to see the city. Sevastopol is alot bigger than we thought. While we were out on our trip we were able to get the girls some coats to wear since its getting so cold. Especially since it's even colder in Kyiv where we hope to be going soon.

Hugs and Kisses to our children back home who are constantly supporting us while we are here. We miss you alot and we love you even more. :). Talk to you all soon.

Gma N. give us a call when you read this.

Love,
M&G

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Yippeee!!!

We just found out today that we will know when our court date is on Monday. Please be praying for us about this.

M&G

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Sleep, Whats that?

Haven't gotten much sleep here. Too much to do with hanging out with the girls and the fact that our minds won't quit running. LOL. We've been getting alot of good pictures while we're out, we will post them when we get back to Kyiv. The internet/computers are to slow here to download pictures. "O" Marie's B-Day is tomorrow the 11th, she is very excited. We plan on taking cake and juice to her orphanage on Friday to celebrate with her group.

Dad, from what we understand, it's approx. $20k for a vacation home down here by the black sea. A small one. That's just for the apartment, then you will probably still have to pay fees for the privitization of the place. Do you want us to forward your email address to our friend out here?

All is well here with us, we miss our kids back home a whole bunch and can't wait to get back home.

God Bless,
M&G

Monday, October 8, 2007

Hello again

Monday morning, Oct. 8th.

Our facilitator should be back tomorrow, so far we have been able to survive on our own. Hopefully we will have court this week or early next week. We were finally able to find some sneakers for "N". She wears a size 9. A big foot for a 12yr old girl.

We were laughing this morning, Rachel Ray brags about being able to keep her spending down to $40 a day for food, well we have her beat. We can go five days on $40. :) The food here is cheap. Unless you go out to eat.

Hey kids, tell Uncle Gary happy birthday, it was on the 7th. The internet cafe is way to packed to come on the weekends or we would have tried to email him then. We miss and love all of you. Be good for Gma.

Pray for kids out here, they need it. We have seen kids sniffing glue in bags. Pray that they would find God so that He can fill whatever hole is inside them.

There are alot of children out here that are wanting families. Please be praying about wether God would have you adopt.

Love to all,

M&G

Thursday, October 4, 2007

On our own

Hey everybody, just wanted to let you know that things are still moving along great. Our facilitator/interpretor has gone to Kyiv to get our paperwork from the SDA. He should be back soon and then we can have our day in court. So we are now taking the buses by ourselves to pick up the girls. We look forward to celebrating "O"'s birthday in 7 days, we plan on taking her to an amuesment park of some kind. We had some borsht from a Ukrainian cafe yesterday and it was the best we have had. As a bonus, it was within walking distance of our flat. If any of you have questions, feel free to ask. It makes it easier to talk about more than just the adoption process.

Folks from the Tesoro gang. Mike can't access his company email from here so feel free to email him and let him know how things are going. Use this email account: gmnealey@yahoo.com.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Photos from Sevastopol

The photo above is a sideways pic of our patio.
This photo shows the side of our apartment. It's nicely enclosed. Very private.


The view down and across the street from our apartment.

Internet access finally

Greetings from Sevastopol!! We had an exciting arrival into Simferopol. The girls Mamma (Caretaker from orphanage #2) met us at the airport with her husband and transported us to the Orphanage Inspectors office an hour away and to meet the girls. Normally her husband would get paid for this, but we didn't have to pay anything since she feels we are family to her. What an awesome surprise. They were excited to hear that "T" is doing very well in school. We finally found an internet cafe. Mike is feeling better. The girls are constantly wanting to be on the go, can't seem to sit still for long. The flight home should be interesting. We do have access to regular email (gmnealey@yahoo.com). Our facilitator is preparing to take our Docs to Kyiv within the next day or two. We hope to have our court date sometime next week. :) The girls have both written their official declarations for wishing to be adopted. Their names until we get back to Kyiv will be "O" Marie and "N" Nicole. They are both currently 12 years old. Both have long dark hair and brown eyes and have grown so much since we saw them last year. Look forward to sharing more news as it developes. Will try to upload photos in the next few days. That's all for now. Look forward to hearing from all of you.

M&G

Wendy W, email us to our personal address instead of thru the blog. Answer these questions. Inquiring minds (K) are dying to know. 1) Where are you in the process? 2) When will you travel?

Saturday, September 29, 2007

In Sevastpol

Hi this is C posting for Mom and Dad. We have been in regions for three days. All is going well. We have met the girls and taken them out around the city. We have a really nice apartment for cheap US dollars. First day we saw O we got the biggest hug ever. It is warm out here. The sea is very beautiful.
Keep prayers coming , Dad has a touch of something. Mom says don't forget to give them hugs for us.
Love you all, good bye

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

SDA and photos

Another Kyiv Street

Souvenir Street
Street SDA is on.


Church next to the SDA



We recieved our referral for two girls,ages 12. We had our appointment at 11 am. It was very fast. We were asked to join our faciltator upstairs in a back room. Where we went over the girls files. The whole appointment lasted about 15 minutes. The psychologist was very detailed on what she did know about the girls. We will find out the rest when we get to the orphanage. The translator and psychologist were very nice. They did ask,why not a boy?We told them we had 3 great guys at home. :) They smiled.
The appointment was over and we were asked to return the next day to pick up the referral.
So today we picked up all the necessary documents to travel to region. We are praying to see the girls on Thursday. I cannot wait to see O face. She is going to be smiling ear to ear. I will post when we can. We will have to find a internet cafe there. Sp packed and headed south.

We did take some more pictures, while out and about in Kyiv. So here they are.
Thanks for all the prayers. Things are moving quite fast. Praise be to God.
Love to all of you back home. Please give our kids a big hug from us. We miss them so much. We just keep getting praise reports,that they are doing well.
Next post from region.
Keep praying. God is answering.
Love
Mike and Gail








Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Kyiv Photos







First 2 pictures are from our flat. The second one is what is seen from the other side of the street. If you walk the whole thing it is about 3 miles. It is beautiful out there. You can see people walking their dogs, their children, or just enjoying the sights. I will post more pictures as we take them.


Saturday, September 22, 2007

In Ukraine

Greeting from Ukraine.

We love you C,J,T,J. Call us anytime.
We are enjoying our time here. The flight over was great. It went faster than expected. Mike was actually able to get some sleep on the ride over from the JFK airport. Our facilitator was at the airport in Kiev ready and waiting for us as well as a friend of ours. After arriving we went to our friends house/flat where we are able to stay and relax. They made an awesome lunch for us ( Pelmeni) Chicken dumplings with potato, parsley and carrot. Later on we went to some friends of theirs for dinner which was great and some wonderful conversation with some missionaries. We look forward to finding out what time our appointment is. We should find out on Monday. Hopefully the paperwork will all be in order so that we can go to Sevestopol on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

Talked with Mike's mom today. She is doing fine and had some news for us from the home front. Our oldest daughter tried out for cheerleading and made the squad (Yiipppeee!!) on Friday the day we left. Meanwhile our youngest son performed exceptionally well while playing for his flag football team. Grandma says she screamed her head off as he scored touch downs.

Please give our kids big hugs for us when you see them.
Prayer requests
That we will get our referral paperwork for O and ? same day as appointment.
We will get court date quick.
Judge will waive 10 day wait.

Well, thats all for today. We will update after Tuesday our appointment.

Paka (bye in Russian)
Love you all, love us.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Last post from the good old USA.

It's 1:00am and we are still awake trying to tie up the last few loose ends. Please remember us in your prayers as we leave our family behind. The next time you hear from us will be on Ukrainian soil.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

tickets


Ok, We finally have made arrangements to fly with Delta. They had the best deal for return flights for our daughter/s

It was a few hectic days trying to figure this all out. I was going so crazy that I thought we are not going to find tickets. God knew who we would fly with. I just forgot to ask. Once I did it fell right into place. Praise God. So glad to have this crossed off my list.

Blessing #2

Yesterday we recieved and email from some friends we met while they were visiting the states. They are missionaries in Ukraine, working with Ywam. They have offered us to stay with them while in Kyiv. We will stay in Kyiv for 5 days then head to our region, be there for a least 3-4 weeks. Then back to Kyiv, where we will stay with them again. What a blessing. It will save us quite a bit of money. Thank you Lord for taking care of our needs once again.

Monday, September 10, 2007

10 days till we leave

Ok it is 10 days till we leave. I still have a few things left on my list to do. Like get a massage. :) Get my nails done. LOL.... I need to relax before I go. It is stressful leaving the country.


The hubby has been working. No days off. He will be off Wed and Thus. He has his list started all by himself. Clean the pool filter's, get computer downstairs to work, take a sample of pool water in. We have been having a hard time keeping that thing Blue this year. I guess because it has been so STINKIN HOT!!!

We are tying to figure out how to keep our luggage to a few pieces. I need some help.... Any ideas. I checked the weather is has been in the 70's PERFECT.... I know it will get a little colder though. So we need to pack for 2 seasons. :) At least there will not be snow. For me a Cali girl. I might freeze. At least I hope there is no snow. When the wind blows, I am freezing. LOL...

Well, as you can see. I am posting way past my bedtime.
Thanks for following are journey. :)

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Now Adoption feelings

It is still 14 days until we leave. How do we feel. Still very excited. Have a million and one things on the to do list. I think I have then almost all scratched off. I am glad that we will have 5 weeks of down time. To recover from getting ready to go. Well, really I do not know how much down time we actually will have. Grandma comes in 1 week. The kids are getting really excited that she will be here. Our oldest leaves to go back to school. I have been printing out a bunch of pictures to take. I just know the kids will grow so much while we are gone. I have never been away from any of my children this long. I guess this is how it will be when they are all grown and gone. Unless we keep adopting. Then they will always be here. :) I guess I need Mike to jump on that band wagon too. :) Well, it is late I need to try and get some rest. What is that?? My wheels are turning even when I am sleeping. I am excited, to bring our daughter home. We will get to spend her birthday with her. What a blessing. Well. I hope you are all enjoying my rambling. Hope to hear from you. So I know that you are out there. :)
Good Night

A Proud Moment


Certificate time

Getting ready



Giving it all to the Lord




Making a Stand for Christ.


Playing the drums. He has been playing since he was 9.



The Group

After 10 months, ready to hurt someone. JK LOL.....
The biggest smile

The boys

This is what happens when you are a brat to 2 sisters. (brat is Russian for brother)
Handsome young men.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Look at them now



Our beautiful girls

First Family Photo

Our First Family Photo





Wow! Where did the time go? 16 months ago we brought our beautiful daughters home. Boy! Have they changed. We are so blessed.