He's Officialy Ours!!

We had court this morning and it was a whirlwind! Fastest court I have ever been to.....! Our translator is so very good at what she does, she's super confident and sweet! She and our driver were very reassuring before we went into court. Chris did a fabulous job answering so many of the questions. He really had the lion's share of them. I probably had about 5 questions total. The judge was very serious and you could tell she has the children's best interest at heart. Yet, her eyes were kind and it was somehow very reassuring as well. She was speaking super fast, and it was difficult for our translator to keep up with her... so much so that at the end when we were asked if we agree with her verdict... we had no idea if the verdict was Yes or not! lol! We could tell by the smile on our translators face that it was... and she nodded her head and of course we agreed. lol! And that was our time in court. I am so glad it was first thing in the morning, as I would not have wanted to wait all day.

After court we drove to the orphanage and they got our little guy ready to go out.... not because the 10 days was waived.. It wasn't. But we had to get his passport photo taken. Poor guy, he was definitely scared and cranky as it was his naptime. I wouldn't have wanted to go out in the cold either! It's funny because he cries when he has to take off his snow jacket, hat and scarf. Putting it on is no big deal. It took him a little bit to warm up to us.... he didn't want to come to me, but the caregiver kind of guided him over and I scooped him up as I knew we had to get moving!

He did great in the car, though we brought airplane bags just in case. He was fine! Just sat in my lap and watched the traffic. He was definitely tired and definitely unsure! We got the pictures accomplished and then went back to the orphanage where he cried again to have his hat and jacket and scarf taken off. Poor guy! After that Chris got him to warm up to us pretty well! Just silly daddy stuff! You could see his face not wanting to smile, but as Chris is pretty tireless in the silly daddy antics he got some smiles, then giggles, then outright laughs from him! lol!

We came home and crashed, then grabbed a bite to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe. Then Chris took me to the really nice grocery store... and boy was it really nice! Ummm I mean I'm calling it the Gucci grocery store from now on.... I do believe we may actually buy a few things from there next time. Like maybe one berry for 100 rubles. lol! We figured out a pint of Hagen Daz ice cream was close to $15.00. Like I said the most expensive city in Europe... no wonder we are flying home in between trips!

Tomorrow we get to visit the orphanage again and our count of days starts then. So, after tomorrow there are 9 left. We fly back out on Sunday afternoon, very early Sunday morning EST. I'll be glad to get back home, but it's gonna be another whirlwind trip! This next one though, we are bringing home the best Christmas gift ever!

Court Today

I had a very restful sleep thanks to my Doctor's prescribed medicine. Even Chris was helpful in the snoring department. I slept for about 8 hours and decided to get up and spend some quiet time here in the wee hours of the morning in Russia. Chris is still asleep, so he must be pretty tired out. (He didn't sleep as long as me on the plane).

Today is court at 10am. (That's 2am for all of you in EST). Hopefully when you wake we will have good news to share. :-) Our driver is picking us up about an hour or so ahead of time, and I'm going to get ready. No coffee maker in this apartment, but the bed is sooo much more comfortable. I'm going to hate to leave this one. It's much better than the last apartment. Exactly the same size, just a bit nicer. (and no smoke smell) Our next apartment the bed looks about as comfortable as a thin mattress on a board. I hope it's decent, cause it's for 9 nights. Unfortunately the biggest celebration here is New Year's, and a lot of the apartments are booked for the downtown festivities. There has been very little to choose from. :-)

I'll post when I can after court. If all goes well, we hope to see our little guy today. (Not sure though).

We're Here!

Court is tomorrow at 10am... please pray all goes well.

I'll write more later tonight, we have to go eat dinner....

Lesson Learned....

Yes, I have learned my lesson for trip #3. Do not wait until the last minute to pack.... anything. Start immediately, even if you feel like surfing the net, or watching a little ESPN with the family. Don't do it! You will pay for it at 1:46am in the morning when you are still getting the last of your items ready to go....

However, it may make one sleep better on the 10 and 1/2 hour flight. Worth it? I'll let ya know....

Procrastination

Nothing packed yet... this is adding a new meaning to the term procrastination. :-)

This quote was on my yearbook page in highschool. (How true it is right about now.)

If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done.

Leaving in less than 3 days!

We have our passports, travel visas all ready. I almost have all our documents for court. I have not gotten word back from my picture place about the photos I ordered for court. YIKES!!! I need those photos like tomorrow! Chris has to get 4 documents notarized tomorrow, and that should take care of our Final stage paperwork.

We fly out of Hotlanta (which is pretty chilly by the way) on Wednesday. We return a short 4 days later. I am armed with some stronger sleep aids for the plane this time. Thanks to my wonderful doctor!

Court is on Friday, so everyone please be praying for us that day. Especially that we would have well thought out answers to the judges questions. I pray that some how we would be an impact to the people around us. I was in Sunday school this morning and was really challenged that we are going to be in Russia during Christmas, and that the people we will be in direct contact with are all lost. Pray that if God opens up those conversations we would be aware and that he would use us to present the gospel to those around us. Yes, we will have lots of things going on while we are there.... but what better time to share of Christ's love, than Christmas.

Onto a less spiritual subject, I need to get packed up tomorrow! I mean it! Everything must get packed... so please pray that it all comes together! I feel like after trip One I am "wingin' it" this time. :-)

Still in Gear....

This weekend we have no sports! Not a one! How is that for unbelievable??? It couldn't have come at a more perfect time. We really need to knock out the rest of the baby room, and finish baby proofing the playroom. (I know I have promised pictures.... it's honestly still a mess!)

I finished typing up my Court Trip Packing List! Yay! Now, I just need to start packing everything! I also really want to plan all that we want to do and see for our third trip too. The boys want to see so much of Moscow, and I'm not sure how much we'll actually be able to do in the middle of winter. So, that is what we'll be organizing probably while we are in Russia for court.

Do you know the weather is 50 degrees in Moscow right now? How is that for crazy? It's warmer there than it is here! But no worries, it drops back down to a high of 32 degrees for the entire time we will be visiting. Hmmmm..... I still need to find boots and gloves for my kids. And long underwear. Looks like I'll be calling Land's End again.

I want to also try to make Christmas special while we are over in Russia. Nothing big, but just a little festive. Christmas Carols downloaded on the computer. I bet I have a small fake tree (like 8 inches) that I can sneak in a suitcase to use. I wish I had more room in our suitcases, we have so much to bring!

Okay, I'm off to finish off the playroom with Chris. I think this evening we might actually complete a room! lol!

Kickin' It into Gear....

Since my last post, I actually realized how much there is to get done before we leave. I thought I had all our paperwork accomplished... well at least everything that needs to be apostilled. However there are a ton of Embassy documents that I had to dig up and copy, plus a few others that I need to get notarized. UGH!!!

On top of that please pray that USCIS does not give us anymore trouble and forwards our new home study onto the US Embassy in Moscow. It needs to be cabled ASAP. I sent in a letter requesting this with a copy of our home study, and they sent one back saying that Chris needed to send the letter. Good grief! So, we FedEx'ed that today, and hopefully they will cable it to Moscow ASAP.

Packing, I haven't even begun yet.... hopefully soon! I'm still finishing up Christmas shopping for family! Crazy huh? I will try to sit down tonight and start my new Trip 2 packing list. It looks like Trip 3 will be the biggest job, I can't even begin to imagine!!

Tonight I spoke to a good friend in China who I haven't spoken to in months. Oh how I miss her so much!! Our conversation was cut short by some pressing needs by my family members... (note sarcasm).... and I hope I can talk to her again soon. I miss her very real conversations!

Back to my photocopier.....

Procrastination....

We leave in a week for court, and I am having the biggest bout of procrastination! I'm serious, I don't even have a list! I have paperwork to get ready and photos to get developed.... how about a packing list?????

Not sure what my deal is... I need to gete my act together here soon!

Third trip booked

Just want to let everyone know that we finally after much stress and saga, booked our second airline flight for over Christmas. Yay! This one is with the boys, so we will be flying out on the 20th and returning back on the 30th. 9 days in country! I hope I can make it..... 8 days was pretty long for us last time! But the good thing is we will by then have our little one with us, and we will also be sightseeing a little bit too (in the freezing cold!)

I have a list that is VERY long! So I need to get to it.... :-)

Travel Dates- Official

Okay folks! We have travel dates! Court is set for December 12th (a Friday). We have booked our tickets for December 10th and fly back on the 14th. It's a quick trip.... and we will fly back again with our children later that month.

We haven't booked an apartment yet, as I am still actually trying to figure out our apartment for our last trip with everyone. We are considering staying downtown, so we are very near the Kremlin and Red Square. It's freezing cold in December, and we thought it would be a good thing to take the kids not only to the historic sites (indoors of course), but to the GUM mall. We could easily spend a day or two there! Only problem is the apartment I want is not available the entire time we will be there. So, we would have to move apartments....soooo not fun!

The other apartments are not exactly my taste and I can't imagine staying for 11 nights. But the thought of maybe staying downtown and then perhaps on New Arabat would be cool, for the kids to see both places. So, I have decisions to make a pretty darn quick too! (I'm not good at those under pressure decisions).

Good news is that the first flight for court is non-stop.... yay! It's fast and quick and we get back in good time. I'll be interested to see what the final trip ends up being..... it's gonna be a wild December, that's for sure! I'm not even decorating!

Anyone want to throw in an opinion or two about apartments and where we should stay? Is it that hard to get someone to drive us to the places of interest and pick us up? That would be cool too.... Give me some food for thought, please! (Oh yes, and I will have a toddler who will require quiet and naps and not too much running around). And who knows if I'll even get any sleep???

Tentative Court Date

Ummmm.... a little freaked out here.... We have a tentative court date already. Dec 8th!! My exact response to that info I won't repeat, it wasn't that bad... but not something I'd put in writing. lol!

I was talking to our agency director about taking three trips instead of two. Two trips would have us in country for 24 days, and that is just too long. So, we could possibly fly back for court (4 days total) and then go back with the boys after the 10 day waiting period. However, that would put us there over Christmas. Christmas in Russia, not exactly my ideal situation....but as long as we are all together... that's all I care about.

So now I am working on updated paperwork, passport apps for the kids, updated homestudy for USCIS, a birthday for DS2, Thanksgiving for a housefull of family, and not to mention Christmas. Lists, lists, lists... I have to start making lists. If I look at everything at once, its overwhelming. So, I'm going to have to work at it in small steps....

So much to do, and sooo little time!

Home!

Just wanted to post that we are finally home again. It was a long trip back from Russia, but surprisingly easier on our jet lag than the trip over was. Sure we were up for over 24 hours, but we slept soundly for 7 at my sister's, and are headed to bed early tonight as well. The plane ride back was waaaayyy better than the one going over! (I think because it was almost all daylight travel.)

Now we just wait for a court date, so we can head back over and pick our little guy up!

Dobre Noche! (Goodnight)

Last Day to Visit

This morning we had our last visit at the orphanage with our little one. He was a little tired, and for the first part only wanted to be in my arms. (Hey! No complaining whatsoever by me!) So, we walked around the room and I did my mommy sway, since I seem to have never stopped.

I will be glad to get him home finally, where he can have more one to one interaction! Though I will say at this orphanage the caregiver ratio is pretty good, and the facilities seem very nice. We always met in the music room...which is a large area with mirrors and a little stage. But there are not many toys, so it is a good thing we brought ours with us

We hope to go back for court soon....and to finally be able to bring him home with us. But I'll tell ya, this girl, is ready to get home again. My sister and brother-in-law have been SAINTS~ for taking care of our boys. We are so grateful, and again could not have done this without them!

I'll leave you with some photos. Russian law says that we may not show photos of children's faces on the internet, until after the child has officially been declared ours by a court of law. So, here are some cropped shots for you.....better than nothing right? :-)

One of the little ducks we would pretend to feed.

Showing Daddy how to draw. See how this bright child holds a pencil? That took one look at Mama using it, and he copied it right away... smart boy!

Playing the xyllophone.

Another use for xyllophones... racing with Daddy!

Reading one of Mama and Daddy's old favorites! The pictures move!

Paka!! Bye-Bye!

Visit - Day Three

First, thank you all for your prayers and comments. They really encouraged us a great deal. I never thought this process would be as difficult as it has been, or as stressful. It would have been difficult even if we didn't have to turn down a referral! Maybe in my mind I idealized the entire process, but when people say "International Adoption is not for the faint of heart".... I get what they mean!

I'm finally sleeping better.... I really credit my lack of sleep to the stress. My mind was going a mile a minute, and your adrenelaine is up... cortizone levels are probably up too. So, I couldn't sleep if I wanted to... Now, I'm sleeping at night a little better, but I've also managed to also sleep in the car on the hour long drives to the orphanage. Our driver's name is Max, and he's GREAT!

So today we went to visit the little one in the orphanage in the morning. He was so cute! We pointed to a picture of us in the photo album that we will leave with him. We showed him Mama and Dada... (for some reason here they say Dada, but I know that at a lot of orphanages they say Papa). Anyway, by the end of the visit I would ask where's Mama and he would point to my picture, or point to me. He also would say Dada. He's been wary of Chris, because they have no male personnel in the orphanage at all. But today he warmed up to him, with the help of the xyllophone. They played musical instruments together and then raced them across the floor. (they're on wheels you know.) They also took turns putting cups on their heads and let them fall to the ground. He and I walked around singing a little tune he made up, and then pretended to feed the toy ducks. It was a very good day.

We officially filled out the notary paperwork to adopt him... Yay! This will start the process for the court documents. Our director will be presenting them in court tomorrow. We are thrilled! (Tired, but thrilled!)

Tomorrow we actually will get a chance to see some of Russia before we leave. We've seen quite a bit of it, from the car driving everywhere. One thing we won't miss, and probably won't forget is the traffic in Moscow. It makes even LA traffic look good. It's the way they make their own lanes, and decide to do a U turn across 5 lanes of traffic. It's truly never fast like our freeways are. (It's city driving, stop and go..... mostly stop) When a road is blocked off it can take 2 and 1/2 hours to travel somewhere that would normally take an hour! The jockeying for position is pretty interesting... You really need to know how to drive, if you want to drive in this city!

So, that is my latest update. We are doing much better, and feel a peace about everything. Thank you again for all your comments and prayers! They have truly been a blessing and an encouragement through this stressful process!

Jackie

Day Two Visit

Thank you for all of your prayers.... we too were praying for wisdom, clarity and direction. Today we made a very difficult decision. Unfortunately we had to decline the referral for the older boy. It was such a very difficult thing to do..... the worst! Today's visit really helped our decision.... I think the hardest part is that our coordinator is very attached to this child, and she is of course disappointed. The other hard part is that we found out today that they we will be unable to look for another referral for us. That means that we will most likely be adopting one little boy. We are saddened by that as well. All of this has been a very emotional process, and quite tough.

We did have a visit this afternoon with the younger little boy and that went well...so there is a silver lining for today.

Until tomorrow...
Jackie

Day One Visit

Well after that uplifting evening.... I struggled once again to find sleep. It seems that I can sleep for a couple of hours and then wake up completely awake and I have a hard time falling back asleep. That was the case last evening. When I did eventually fall asleep I had just horrible dreams. Typically I can't even remember a dream, but last night I could and it was awful.

Today was an extremely long day, never did I imagine it would be this difficult. We left at 9:30am and did not return until 8:30pm. The children are in two separate orphanages clear across town, so that is one of the reasons our day was so long. Plus we are visiting two children.... and it just doubles all your time.

I am so exhausted now, that I just want to post a brief prayer request. Please pray for our decision regarding the second little child (almost 4yrs old). Our visit with him was a little shorter and definitely we were all more tired. (It wasn't until 5pm in the evening.) I have several concerns, and we want to be sure we make the best decision for our family. We really need clear heads and clarity, wisdom and direction tomorrow. I never dreamed this decision would be so difficult, so please pray for us tomorrow. We go back and visit at 10:00am. We plan on having lunch and discussing everything together, and then talking to our coordinator before the visit with the littlest child.

Also if you can pray that I get some good sleep tonight I would appreciate it. After that awesome evening last night, I have definitely felt under attack. No doubt about it.

Thanks!
Jackie

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

I have to post about this before I forget it... tonight was one of the most awesome nights. And by "awe"some I mean we were just awed at the Lord's presence. It was one of those nights where you have no idea what the Lord is doing..... but He is doing something, and He was definitely in our midst.

Our friends picked us up on New Arabat Street and after a long hour and 1/2 drive through Moscow traffic we made it to the missionary's home. There were several missionaries there, 5 in total, and then the four of us. Three spoke English and two did not, so there was some heavy translation, but it was great! Introductions were made by our hostess and we quickly came to find out that each of these missionaries has a heart for orphaned children in Russia. I noticed immediately that their eyes lit up upon hearing we would be adopting two little boys. They have a heart for adoption and to see Christian families of Russia adopt more.

They asked specific questions about adoption and how it relates to our country.... and they also shared of the struggle and the stigma that is involved with Russian adoption and orphanage children in general. They shared of how they minister to children on the street and take them in as well. We met two of those older children that evening.

After dinner and dessert our hostess shared of how they will be praying for us and thanked our friends for their continued prayers for their ministry. She asked for us to also pray for them and their ministry of helping orphaned children and helping Christian families in Russia to adopt. We all sat around the kitchen table. First they prayed in Russian for our adoptions and for the ministry. I can not tell you how powerful it was to experience this evening! To hear Sergey pray with such conviction and authority in a language I don't know...but to know they were lifting us up... and then we prayed for all of them as well. It was amazing and we truly felt like we were a part of something much bigger than ourselves.

It was one of those nights when even as huge as our adoption is to us right now... and it is a big thing. It gave us a sense of how big God is... and how His people are all over the world....impacting it for His kingdom. I have no idea what His purpose was for us to be there....but I am humbled that we were included. We arrived that evening as total strangers and left as friends and fellow believers in Christ.

Dobre Dien

Which means Good Afternoon!

I finally fell asleep again in the wee hours of the morning. Those blackout masks really help to make it dark, and the ear plugs helped as well. I just wish my brain would have shut down earlier. Too many things running through my mind. Anyway, surprisingly it was 10:30am here in Russia when we woke up.

We took our time getting ready and Chris sort of made coffee with our hot pot. We started with a set back because there was not a regular old coffee machine. Then top that off with Maxwell House coffee. (Preferable to the instant though). It was a little better than dishwater flavored with vanilla creamer. :-) Thankfully after lunch we found the Starbucks. It will be utilized more often. Maybe for Chris's early morning runs. j/k

We walked along Old Arabat street today. I really like it! We had Ron and Dinia's map and so we found the little souvenir shop. We already can see we will be heading back again before we leave. I can't wait to bring things home to show the kids and for our Around the World Day next year with my homeschool group. We have quite a few souvenirs to pick up, that's for sure! We picked up two today and Irina at the shop asked if we would like to do a shot of Vodka. I declined, but Chris was all for it.... so buy a souvenir, get a shot of vodka. lol!

We ate lunch at The Hard Rock Cafe. Up until then I really wasn't affected by all the smoking people were talking about. But I guess we haven't been around it. Even at the airport it wasn't bad.... but at the restaurant... ugh! After the Hard Rock Cafe, we stopped at a small grocery store and picked up a few things for dinner tomorrow evening. I'll be making spaghetti. I should have picked up frozen pizza that we could just stick in the oven. Who knows....we may be heading to McDonalds tomorrow evening once we visit the kids.

Now we are back in our apartment for a little while before we head out to meet some friends for dinner. A couple from Chattanooga is here, and the husand works at the same company as Chris. They just finalized their adoption of a little girl, so we are all going out to dinner. They have some missionary friends who they ran into here in Moscow, and we are all going to their home. Should be a fun evening! Hopefully not too long as I need to get some rest tonight.

Tomorrow morning we have an appointment with the Ministry of Education. Then we drive to the orphanage to meet our children. We confirmed that the Drs medical evaluations have been appointed.... so that is good!

Until tomorrow.....Paka!

Jackie (who is ready to fall asleep already!)

We are here!

We made it safe and sound. It was one long flight and I dread going back again. I think California is rough...but this one has that flight beat! We will definitely pack lighter on the next trip. (As far as carry-ons) One computer bag and one carry on bag. That's all! I will learn to pack light!

We met a couple on the flight and she and I have been reading each others blogs. It was so funny, we totally knew one another... (at least in blogland)! They are staying at the same place as us, so that is cool. The apartment is really nice and relaxing. I'm soon going to fall asleep, and I just need to crash.

Chris was my hero this afternoon, when we arrived at the apartment. Seriously, my hero! I forgot to copy our Visas and he needed to locate the copy place and exchange dollars to rubles. He totally did all that, and found the grocery store as well! Right now he is at Friday's getting me a bite to eat. I have not been feeling well since I got off the plane. I'm wondering if it's equilibrium stuff, as I still feel like I'm in turbulence on the plane. Or maybe I'm just really really tired! Whatever it is, it's a dizzy feeling.... So, I'm not sure if I'll stay awake until he comes back. I'm thinking I'll be asleep!

Prayer Request: That I would feel much better in the morning and this dizzy feeling would end....

Have a good night! Dobre Noche!
Jackie

Leaving on a Jet Plane

The first leg of our journey was at my sister and brother in law's home. What a GREAT time we all had last night! We arrived a little before 5pm and hung out before dinner. It was great to see all my nieces again and all the cousins had a blast! We had Chinese Chicken salad for dinner and homemade apple pie for dessert. Before the children's bedtime we had an opportunity to pray together as families. It was quite special, and meant so much to both Chris and I that we all took the time to do that. We couldn't be doing this trip without Lisa and Kevin and the girls, and we know our boys are going to have a wonderful week!

After the kids went to bed, Uncle K. had purchased some authentic Russian liquid for a special toast. So, the saying in Russian for "To your health" is Nasta Roviya. I wish I had a picture of all of us... it was funny. My sister video taped each of us... I can't wait to see it. One toast and then we broke out the game Guesstures. Hysterical!! I have not laughed so hard in such a long long time! Everyone had a great time and what memories we have made!

So, thanks to Chris's global internet on his computer, I can blog from the airport.... I'm nervous and excited and all emotional as well. Let's just say it was hard to leave my boys... but I held it together! Next time you hear from me will be tomorrow evening. (I know I said that before didn't I???) LOL!

Paka
Jackie

Packed and Ready to Go!

Woohoo!!! My very detailed spreadsheet (Thanks to Kim!) is just about checked off.... Just three things left, makeup, medicine, and my laptop. I was so proud of myself today, as I got the boys schoolwork all organized and ready for the week at my sister's. They know just what it is they are doing... and it feels sooo good to know they will not fall behind while we are away. :-) I also was able to pack what they will need for the week, and organize their closets in the process.

The house isn't exactly how I would like to leave it...but it will be fine until we get back. Thanks to Jennifer and Jamie for watching it while we are away! You guys are awesome, and we are blessed to have you as neighbors!

Thanks also to everyone who has piped in on the comments with some great suggestions. A special thanks to Becky and Keith for sending us a great charger, adapter, mask, ear plugs and of course candy for the flight! That was such a sweet care package and both Chris and I were touched! (However, I must admit that the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups did not even make it through this week.... we'll just chalk it up to stress on both our parts!)

I probably won't be checking back here tomorrow as we head to my sister's. I might be able to before we board the plane for our long flight. So, check back Saturday, and if you don't hear anything just assume that we'll check in on our blog when we are settled in on Sunday. :-)

Dobre Nochee! (Goodnight!)
Jackie

Packing, Venting, Goofing Around!

UGH! I know I said I would do a picture post....but that was before we started packing again!

I just want everyone to know it is not in my nature to pack light! At all! Whenever I go to my parents in Florida, we pack two suitcases! Even though they have a washer and dryer!!! So, I'm telling y'all now... Packing light is not one of my strong points!

LOL! Chris wants my computer to download some movies...and I'm not giving it up until I vent. You should have seen us...

Him: "I need your computer to do something
Me: "What do you want to do to it?"
Him: "I can't tell you, but trust me...just give me your computer"
Me: "You just want to take it, so I have to pack"
Chris: (laughing): "Just give me your computer"
Me:(whining) "Please..... not yet, I have to vent!!"

LOL!!! It's amazing how therapeutic blogging can be..... (here are some photos of us tonight, goofing around instead of packing)

Update

Last night Chris and I were beginning to pack our multitude of stuff. I can say that I was officially overwhelmed. We didn't have everything, so we had pieces of outfits, which made it more difficult. I still have to run back to Kohl's today and exchange two pair of jeans that I got for him in the wrong size. I hope to finish up all the packing and purchasing today. Then tonight we can focus on packing up the boys.

My cold is still hanging on, but it gets a little better each day. I can pretty much breathe now (a good thing!) I still have a runny nose and cough, and I am hoping that at least the nose clears up by the time we board the plane in 3 days. I'm drinking lots of OJ, and chamomile tea and taking lots of vitamin C. I'm counting on it all helping!

Someone asked me if I was excited. I have moments when I am for sure, but with so much to do before we leave I haven't really let it sink in yet. I think when we are heading to the airport it will hit me. :-) Someone else asked about how the boys are feeling about everything. Again, I asked them if it's sunk in that we are going to Russia to meet two little ones, and they said "not yet". I think it's a bit of an intangible surreal thing for all of us at the moment. They ARE however looking way forward to visiting their Aunt and Uncle and cousins! One week of fun, fun, fun!!

I realize that I need to post more pictures on here.... I have been really lazy about that! So, I think my next post will be a picture post... just all pictures... :-) (Well and a few captions as well...lol!)

The Common Cold

Well, it's official I do have a full blown cold. I knew it was coming when I got the scratchy sore throat... and ds2 had a full blown cold on Wednesday. I guess it is better that I get it now, and have a few days to get over it, than to get it closer to when we are scheduled to leave. I am not very good when I am down for the count with a virus. I am glad I am not going to meet the little ones in Russia feeling the way I do. I'm not sure how I envision that first meeting, but it certainly doesn't include head congestion and a runny nose! (At least not on my part!)

Thursday I made homemade chicken noodle soup fo ds2. I'm so glad I did that, as it was the perfect thing for me today! That and some camomile tea and a long nap. There is so much to still do, and I was hoping to get some of it done this weekend. Chris has an incredibly busy 4 day week.... and I know once Monday hits our time will be limited. We leave Friday morning for my sister's house... and so all th packing etc has to be done by Thursday evening....

I'm off to take that nap, so I can feel better.....

Fun Day!

Well, today was a pretty long day, but ended well! We had our football playoffs early this afternoon. Ds1's team surprising got blown away. 27-0. Not pretty! I was just praying for the safety for our team members as we played a very physical team!

Ds2's team won 7-0! While I didn't see this game. I heard it was close, and they played their hearts out. Ds2 talked to me on the phone after the game and shared how proud he was of his team. lol! (Just like a little leader).

We all met up at our Sunday school's fall picnic, which was really nice. They had a fire pit going, and we all had chili and many roasted hot dogs. The weather was beautiful and warm, until the sun went down. Then I sort of hung out by the fire. I am coming down with a cold, so I took my vitamin C and orange juice like a good girl. I also took some Nyquil, so I'll be sure to get lots of sleep tonight. I'm hoping the worst is over before we get on that plane on Saturday!

Goodnight! ( Do bree nochee!)

Success!!

Yay! My awesome husband has totally figured out how to upload video onto our computer. We tested it last night, and taped me.... (ugh) and then he captured and uploaded that footage... played it back on my computer, and then the piece de resistance... sent it in an email to me! Woohoo!! Tonight after all our football and fall outing activities, we will actually practice taking video in the manner that the IAD wants to see it. We'll use our boys as little ones. I will also practice taking digital photos in the way they want too, so I can send it back over via email or upload on their site. (We'll have to practice that too).

Today both boys have their playoff games! Naturally they are at two different fields, in two different states no less.... So, we will divide and conquer. Afterward we have a fall picnic with our Sunday School class. I already made my chili this morning, it's in the crock pot, so I am good to go!

My list of miscellaneous things is now down to 11. I'm hoping to knock off about 7 of those on Monday. Tuesday while the boys are at homeschool enrichment I'll be packing in earnest. Did you see the weather in Moscow? It was hovering about 50 degrees most days... (very nice for me), but before we arrive it drops to a high of 38 with rain/snow. Bleck!! I find that the longer I remain down south, that I do not miss those Pennsylvania winters at all!

Visas!!

Yay! Our visa's have arrived! We are getting ready now! Chris got a new cable thing to connect our video camera and computer. I guess tonight we will test it to see if we can figure out how to upload video. I don't even know how to work the dumb video camera...so that is all on him!

I CAN however do my part with the digital camera... I deleted a whole lot of pictures from it, so we should be able to take around 700 now! Plus, as you can see I figured out how to do a slideshow if I feel like it. I'll probably just post photos...but who knows?

I have about 13 more little miscellaneous items to purchase, and then I can start laying out clothes and packing other stuff. This weekend is certainly going to fly by! It's full of football and fall festivals! I hope to get a little more organized as well... Six more days until we leave for my sisters house.... Yikes!!

Testing

I'm testing my computer savvy-ness late at night... (naturally) Just want to see how I can create slide shows if I want to from our Russia photos....

Lots to Do!

I just emailed Rachel, as she asked how I was holding up... okay I guess apart from the hair falling out that I attribute to stress. Seriously.

It's been a busy week already and I feel like I am behind the 8 ball. SO much to do! My dad comes for a quick visit today on his way out west to hunt. Last night, we found out that our air bed has a leak in it. Naturally. Our house is filled with tons of stuff waiting for a place to go... (like in our suitcases). It's all piled in various places, mainly the two worst....the dining room table and the kitchen counter!

I'm just behind in general....and need to get my act together! Just cleaning up the clutter and catching up on regular stuff like laundry and dishes will help me feel more organized. We have a super busy week with football and our fall festival at church....plus a picnic on Saturday for our Sunday school class!

I have a question for those of you who have traveled before.... how did you pack your stuff. I know that sounds silly, and I do know to divide our clothes so if a suitcase is lost we each have some clothes to wear. But what about food items? Where did you pack those? (Carry on? Checked luggage?) And Kim where/how did you pack those little creamers? I guess I'm looking for tips that worked for anyone else.....

We leave for my sisters in 8 days! With our busy schedule I'm feeling the crunch time....that's for sure!

Quick Update

Just want everyone to know that we leave for my sister's in 10 days. Chris has 8 days of work left before our trip. As this week begins to take off with all our family's activities, I just want to let you know it's hit me....

It's HIT ME! As in, we are leaving for Russia very very soon! I have some butterflies and I am a bit nervous, and even with all my preparing I'm a bit stressed now! It's coming up quickly....

Yoga anyone? Oh, I don't do yoga.... maybe I should take it up? Breathe and count to 10.

More Shopping with the Family

Chris and I have been two ships passing in the night, with his busy work schedule and our busy football schedule! So, last night we talked and talked. Just trying to catch up with life.... you know those chats. Not deep, soulful conversations, but quick bullet points... Ds2's birthday, packing lists, adapters for Russia, headphones for the trip, visas, passports etc etc etc. What came out of that talk was that we needed to go as a family to get some shopping done for our trip. That being decided we headed out this evening.

We shopped at Kohl's first. I could finally pick up my luggage for $60. American Tourister. It's a good carry-on and hopefully it will last me for awhile. Chris picked up a pair of slippers for the apartment we will be staying in.

The next stop was Walmart. Not my favorite place to shop. Ours is not very fresh and clean looking, though I must admit two reasons for my stop this evening were one stop shopping and low prices. We knocked off quite a bit of our packing list! Chris needs to visit a Best Buy, Circuit City or Radio Shack for the electronic stuff we will need.

I still need to find one of those masks that you wear to sleep on the plane. Becky, you had a picture with one on you... where would I find that? Kim, you mentioned a blow up neck pillow to sleep on the plane, where would I find that? Kelly- I know we talked about international luggage locks, but I can't find that email. Where would I purchase those? Carey, I remember reading that you guys brought a lot of candy. lol! I can see that I will need to bring some for Chris as well. He is Mr. Snack and will be so much happier if he has his sugar fix. And I will need to bring my coffee, as I will be happier with my coffee fix. Definitely!

How many movies should we bring over? Books? I know we only get to visit the orphanage once a day, but we have two orphanages to visit. I imagine our "down time" might not be a lot. Like Becky and Carrie said, it will probably be in the car riding all day in Moscow traffic! I'll be sure to have my laptop ready to type!

That's all for now....
Jackie

Yay! More of you have landed here! I love it! There still are quite a few that have not made it over...probably due to the blogger error that is affecting invitations to private blogs. Thanks Carrie for that heads up.... like I said, naturally that would happen to me when I decide to go private. I'm a magnet for blogger bugs. :-)

Carey and Kim mentioned the all important backpacks. We definitely will be bringing these. We have one for our computer that will also hold additional items and I have an Eddie Bauer backpack diaper bag that I bought at the consignment sale. My friend Jennifer found it for me ($8 total), and convinced me that it would come in handy to be hands free. She was quite right it seems.... :-)

Kim sent me along a packing list via email, and it is awesome! Very detailed, it covers most anything. I re-worked it to fit the things we were bringing and combined it with the list from our agency. Now I have one all-inclusive list that I can keep checking things off of. I'm hoping to go purchase my carry-on luggage tomorrow.

There is still so much to be done. Someone at church last night mentioned I'd be packing for the boys, and then I remembered I not only had to pack us up...but I needed to pack for my two boys for the week! UGH! Getting Chris and I organized is hard enough....I'll just pack light for the boys. Thank goodness my sister does laundry everyday. (Unlike her laundry procrastinating sister!)

That's the update for now... I'm waiting on an email from our agency to clarify a few documents needed. I'll get working on more of my list tomorrow.

Background Changes

I loved the look of the black background with my photo....but the white font was just too hard on my eyes. So, I had to switch it to grey with a black font. Not as sharp, but you'll thank me when you don't have to squint at the screen. :-)

Travel Dates

Looks like many of you have found the new blog! Yay!! I still have about 1/2 that haven't navigated their way over... Hopefully they'll make it in the next day or so.

First let me say one thing... my "e" is sticking. So if you find somthing mispelled, that I didn't catch, and it's missing an "e"....that's why. And if anyone knows how to unstick an "e", let me know 'cause it's driving me nuts.

Okay, travel dates.... We are traveling... ready? November 8th-15th. I counted it out with my mom today and it's 2 weeks and 6 days. It certainly sounds a lot closer than 3 weeks. Just hearing that 2 weeks in front, motivates me to get moving, doing something, anything along th lines of gtting prepared. Tomorrow I'm getting all the paperwork ready. I have a few checklists that I'm working on and I'm going to try and tackle one section a day. I'm also going to put two open suitcases upstairs in the spare bedroom and add all the things that are ready. Plus, I'm going to hang the combined checklist on the wall in that room, so as I add things I can check them off....Pretty good plan? I think so.

I still need to order some things for our trip... My mom and dad loaned me two suitcases (not the brand new ones thank goodness as I would worry they would get ruined). Now I just need to purchase our carry-on suitcases. I'm also looking for a good pair of boots to bring. I'm feeling cold here in Tennessee, (fire is lit this evening) so I can't imagine how cold I'll be in Russia!

It's going to be a crazy busy week. Chris has huge deadlines at work, so I'll be handling a lot of things on my own. It figures as we get ready to travel, things pick up to a very brisk pace for him at work. I'm just going to have to take things one day at a time. Right? :-)

Travel Blog!

Hi Everyone! If you found yourself here, you have received a personal invitation to our travel blog! In an effort to keep our travel info. personal and private (as requested by our adoption agency) I have created a separate travel blog. This blog is mainly for family and friends that I know in real life. Plus a few close online friends who I have known for awhile and trust. I'll be able to share more details about our journey and you'll be able to follow along as we travel to Russia. I'll still keep my other blog going, though it will definitely be more general in nature.

As you leave......please leave a comment in the comment section so I know who made it here via my invitation. (Actually, I found out that I can track that via my settings, so it's your choice on the comment....)

Yay!! I'm looking forward to posting more info.!!