Firsts

Sometimes people make some boneheaded comments when they find out you're adopting. Most folks, even the most wonderful, have a hard time making polite conversation about subjects that make them uncomfortable...and somewhere in human history, the subject of adoption has come to rank alongside such pleasant topics for public conversation as death, divorce, incurable disease, and sex. Complicating things for us is Ali, "Yes, she's ours...biologically."

At some point in the past few years, someone said something to Rachel along the lines of, "Aren't you sad about all the 'firsts' that you'll miss by adopting a toddler?" This individual was surely talking about such traditional firsts as first laugh, first smile, first steps, first words, etc. To give them the benefit of the doubt, I'm sure they weren't trying to be idiotic and insulting, but let's face it, there's really no good way to take such a question. Personally I'll rank it right up there with the unfortunate but all too often overheard funeral comment, "They did such a good job on him." What the heck does that mean, anyway? But I digress...

Since we've had some time to think about this comment, Rachel and I were not long ago discussing a list of 'firsts' that we'd get to experience and share with our son, including:

• First smile (for us, anyway)
• First words...in English
• First time to fly in an airplane
• First time to see the ocean
• First pets
• First room of his own
  
• Etc.

After going to Ukraine and seeing how the orphans lived (which really wasn't too bad, all things considered), a few items have made the list that I wouldn't have thought of:

• First yogurt (you've seen the pictures)
  
• First nap in mommy's arms (you've seen this, too)
  
• First time to sleep in an air-conditioned room (no really, it happened on Friday, Aug 10th)
• First time to run barefooted in the grass (sandals only in UA)
• First doughnuts
• First time to catch toads in the back yard (we've got a yard full)
• First Thanksgiving (forgot this totally American holiday)

Oh, yes, and let's not forget the obvious one...first family. Looks like we've a lot to look forward to!

Back home again...

After leaving Kyiv early (that never happens on American airline flights!), a four-hour layover in Prague, missing their flight from Atlanta due to a hangup in American immigration (the 3 year old looks suspicious?), and getting the last two seats on a the red-eye...the gang made it back to Houston at 10:30 p.m. last night...safe, sound, happy, and exhausted!

They're all sleeping it off...more later!

Homecoming...

After five weeks and two days...today is homecoming day!!! Expect a brief update tonight when everyone gets home.

Countdown...

Believe it or not, everything is set for the gang to come home tomorrow...as planned! The embassy came through with SRCJ's visa yesterday (Monday), so after packing everything up, the gang is just spending some time walking the streets of Kyiv a final time this trip and enjoying not having to stress about paperwork (for the first time in a month). When I spoke with them this morning (three o'clock in the afternoon), taking it easy was the order for the rest of the day because our facilitator is picking them up at 4:30 am to begin their adventure trip home! Regardless of what the gang does today, tomorrow night the girls will be sleeping in their own beds for the first time in 36 days and Russie in his own bed for the first time...ever.

Countdown...

I just got off the phone with Rachel (in Kyiv) who was heading to the U.S. Embassy to pick up SRCJ's visa and finish up paperwork! It looks like they'll have everything in order a day ahead of their flight out on Wednesday, which is a total switch for a change, ha, ha. Anyway, all is well and the gang is looking forward to getting home Wednesday night. Like Becky S. said, I'm sure Rach will kiss the ground when they land in the U.S. of A.

A whole bunch of pictures!!!

Hey all...I've been meaning to sort these pictures and get them posted for over two weeks now, but with the gang coming home soon and me in the middle of working twelve days straight in support of the shuttle mission, it ain't happening! Anyway, here are 200+ pictures of our first two weeks in Khmelnytskyy at the orphanage with Russie. They are in chronological order, and I've put captions on some of them to give you a glimpse of what was going on, but that's all the organization we're going to get.

It's funny to look through them and see how clothing changed in the span of two weeks: from sweatshirts and jackets, to shorts, to the kids in underwear and sandals (w/ socks of course), back to shorts, and back to underwear and sandals (and no socks because it was really hot)!

I enjoyed reminiscing and thinking back on these two weeks...it will be good to get the gang home in a couple more days. Until then, have fun with these!

Khmelnytskyy/Orphanage Pics

The gang is in Kyiv...with passport in hand!

A bit of good news to pass on to everyone...Rachel, Ali, and SRCJ headed to Kyiv yesterday (Friday) in a caravan of taxis with the two other American families in town. They all arrived safely after a multitude of extra stops between Khmelnyts'kyy and Kyiv due to one of the young ones fighting a rough bout of carsickness and getting sick over and over and over...yuck! Fortunately, Rachel said that Clark had a blast in the car and was no problem at all, which is a tremendous blessing considering the marathon airline flights that await them!

But in Kyiv the plot thickens...(stage direction: ominous music begins playing softly)

So everybody heads to Kyiv without passports for any of the children...just more promises that the passports could be picked up in town. No sooner did they arrive than they found out that the passports were on their way to Khmelnyts'kyy and probably passed them on the highway going the other direction!!! (stage direction: ominous music reaches a crescendo) But never one to be troubled by logistical problems, the mysterious Mr. X. hires a courier to chase them down and return them to Kyiv, where they arrived this evening, Saturday (stage direction: angels begin singing Hallelujah chorus).

Now, parents, children, and passports are all safety together in Kyiv, where our gang will head to the U.S. embassy on Monday to begin their final paperwork and visa applications. I almost hate to say anything yet, but it looks like everyone will finally get to head back to the States by mid-week. Rachel and Ali are still having the time of their lives but are also ready to be home after so long apart. Clark is probably totally confused and wondering why he gets to talk to Papa everyday on the phone but hasn't seen him in two weeks. Between my Air Force training this year and our adoption trip, we've all spent more time apart than we ever did on active duty--so much for stability, ha!

Anyway, in honor of the safe return to Kyiv, here are some pictures we took way back in mid-July when we first got to town. These are from our day-long walking tour of the center part of the city of Kyiv and reflect, in part, what a wonderful city it is. Enjoy...

Kyiv Photos

A great day was had by all......

What a great day God blessed us with! He knew I needed a little pick me up today. He gave me the thought this morning as I was getting ready....to call my facilitator and see if I could take Ruslan to the hotel for the day.....he called the orphanage and they said YES! It was so much fun. We took a taxi, went to lunch (he was a good boy..ate a little food...then wanted in my lap to rest on my shoulder)..we then came back to the hotel and he took a nap for almost 2 hours. He and Ali played and played...watched a little of "Cars" on Ali's DVD player, etc. It was fantastic. He wasn't scared at all. A funny little side note as I am not used to taking boys "potty"...I had him sitting on the toilet and he shot tinkle all over his clothes....OOPS!! I will learn! He kind of looked at me like "Mama, what are you doing"...pretty funny stuff.

We were told today...again...that passports were being printed today and SHOULD arrive here tomorrow. We PRAY!!!

If all goes as planned (that is a joke by the way)...we HOPE to fly home maybe next Wed. Oh we sure hope and pray!!

Thanks for all the comments...I love reading them. Just knowing everyone is praying means more than you could possibly know. I will keep you posted or if we leave tomorrow, T.C. will probably post for me. LOVE YOU GUYS!

Hurry up and wait.....some more!!!

Well, here we are on Wed. here in Ukraine...and we still do not have a passport for Ruslan. There was a mix up with some code the children need that had to be updated when we changed his name...well, his name was printed wrong and had to be updated....therefore delaying his passport being processed. The other family had the same thing happen, so we are both waiting. Our facilitator has been "promised" that it will be here on Friday....haven't we heard this before? We were promised last Friday. So, we have to once again change our flights...keep in mind that we had to purchase all new airline tickets to get home...now these have to be changed. I don't know what the cost will be for this. I just want to get home!!

My mom made it home safely Tuesday afternoon (your time). There was a little problem in Kiev, but was resolved and she left on time. I believe she was very nervous and probably has NO desire to travel international by herself any time soon! :) I will probably be saying the same thing after I fly with both kids all the way home....I believe I will have had enough traveling for quite some time.

I thank you for all your prayers...I know God hears them...I am just discouraged at the moment. It is tough being this far from home without T.C. and not knowing when the end of the wait will come. I just want to be on the plane headed for the good ole' USA! For that I am certain.

I didn't have very good visits with Ruslan Clark yesterday or today. I don't know what is wrong. He won't listen and just seems to be out of sorts. I know he has to be confused as well. I am trying to be patient. Wish I could post some new pictures...I am just scared of wiping out our memory card again.

Oh yes, to top off all the problems I have had getting his passport.....I also have an issue with customs and immigrations. Well, my fingerprints expire Aug. 16th (next Thursday)...if I don't fly out by then...I will have to be re-fingerprinted and who knows HOW long that would take. T.C.'s expire on Aug. 23rd....and I was told that "worst case scenario"...if I haven't traveled by then, that T.C. will have to be re-fingerprinted in the states as well. Isn't that grand? Just adds to my headache. Ok...I will quit complaining now!

Would love to hear from you all........email me.

Still no passport...crunch time

I just got off the phone with Rachel (8:30 pm her time) and found out for certain that no passports came in today! Our facilitators will find out before lunch time tomorrow whether or not they will arrive tomorrow (Tues), which will still allow everyone to fly out on Thursday morning...with zero room for delays or hiccups. Anyway, if they don't come back, we're essentially stuck in the same situation with airline tickets that we were this time last week when we were assured that they would come in no later than Friday.

Please keep the whole situation in your prayers, especially Rachel, who was really looking forward to finally having a concrete date for coming home. We'll find out more tomorrow and let everybody know! Until then...

What is love?

As I sat and watched my daughter and son playing today....I contemplated this thought. As a 30 something adult...I, of course, know the answer to that question. However, watching my 3 year old play I realized he does not. He has never known love...never felt love...he has just survived. Ali, on the other hand, came into the world knowing love...from the moment she entered the world she felt our love. She has always known that Mom and Dad pick her up when she falls, kisses her boo boos, wipes her tears, gives her more hugs and kisses than she knows what to do with, and will ALWAYS love her no matter what. So my question is this...how do you teach a child what love is all about? He will have to learn all that Ali has learned from birth....only he is starting 3 1/2 years late. But he WILL learn! He will learn that Moma and Papa will always love him, always take care of him, always wipe away his tears....and just as we would do for Ali...we would do all in our power to protect him...even giving our own lives for his. That is what our little man will have to discover about love. Not only that...he will have to learn that God loves him even more than we are capable of loving him. He will have to learn to trust in God whom he has more than likely never heard spoken of before. God has truly entrusted us with such a gift as our son! We are blessed beyond measure....more than words could express here. The wait was all worth it. When I lean down to kiss Ruslan (Clark) and see him light up... I know it was all worth it. God planned his birth before the creation of the world knowing full well that he would be our son...and we would be his proud parents. All I can say is that I am humbled.

Please continue to pray for us as we await to see if Ruslan's passport is ready tomorrow. I want it in my hands!!!! We are packed up and ready to head to Kiev.

Just another day.....

It is so strange being here and doing the same things day in and day out. I am used to being at home and constantly running here and there with Ali. This has been so different for me.

Ok Kathy....so why did you have to go and bring Jason's Deli into this? Huh, tell me why!!!!! heehee....we sometimes joke around here about where we would like to eat when we get home or what we miss eating. Today our friends, the Seals, mentioned glazed donuts...YUM! They don't have donuts here. We also talked about Texas Roadhouse...and I have wanted Mexican food like crazy. I am used to eating that like once a week back home. Yes Kathy...we will have to share a treat and let the kids play....that sounds sooooo good right about now! We miss you guys...Ali will SOOOO look forward to playing with the kids again.

Well, today between visits Mom, Ali, and I did a little shopping. We still lacked some souvenirs to take home...so we went in search of some. (don't worry, T.C., they don't take credit cards...haha) I still need to pick up a couple of more things...but I found what I wanted for the most part. I really wanted to take quite a few things home from Ukraine to put around the house. We want Ruslan (Clark) to know we love his birth country....and want him to feel like his birth country is woven into our family. I want to be able to pull things out on Christmas, etc. that are from Ukraine....I think that will be neat for him.

We will pack up our things tomorrow......YIPPY SKIPPY!! However, we still do not know what time we will be leaving town. The sooner the better! I can't wait to pick up Russie from the orphanage. I just wonder what his reaction will be? He had a great day today at our visits. Ali wanted to bring the stroller to see what he would do. He loved it....had a huge smile on his face while she pushed him around.

I am having trouble logging into my email account...so I am going to put a couple of notes here to people I can't seem to email. Suzanne...why were you in the hospital? I hope everything is OK! Email me soon. April, we found some marigold plants today and we picked a ton of seeds for you. I will bring them when we come to Louisville or either I can mail them to you. I think we will keep some and plant them also...what a great idea! I love hearing your stories that you have posted of your experiences! I will be emailing you about questions regarding how it went with getting Hailey settled in at home, etc. Miss Faye...so glad you are able to keep up with us. Can't wait for you to see Ruslan...very cute if I might say so myself. ;)

No passport as of yet....

Well, today brought the news that Ruslan's passport will not be ready until Monday. Bummer! But, God did bless us with a taxi driver here that does speak a little English...and he agreed to drive us to Kiev on Monday. He is charging us a fair rate...which is a huge blessing...this trip has cost a nice bundle...as you might imagine.



Our visit with Ruslan Clark went well today. He was as cute as ever...of course! Ali bribed him with food and had him repeating some words. He has a cute little voice. He said "Mama, Papa, Ali, I love you, MiMi, Nona, Poppy"....we haven't figured out how to introduce T.C.'s dad (Papaw) to him yet....you see...over here they call fathers Papa instead of Daddy...so we aren't sure about that one! :)



I spoke with T.C. today...he had a meeting at Kennedy Space Center yesterday and today. He will return home Sat. evening, I believe.



Well, there really isn't any news around here.......it is a strange existence...wake up...go to the orphanage...find something to do all afternoon...then head to the orphanage again in the afternoon...have dinner...go to bed. Ha! Sound exciting? Ali is looking forward to getting home and seeing her friends. She is already planning a sleepover....ummmm, I told her Mommy gets a day off when we return home. Ha...yeah, right! The truth of the matter is that Mommy doesn't get a day off because Daddy has to get up early and go to work the next day....he has something that he can't get out of. Bummer! So it should be interesting with 3 of us suffering jet lag all at once...and one being a 3 year old that will be totally confused on top of it all.



I found a stroller at a shop today. I was so glad to find one. I had not seen any at all...but I knew I had to eventually walk into the correct store. And....finally...I did. I knew I would HAVE to have a stroller in the airport...with 2 plane changes. It will help out so much. I just hope I can pull my carry on and push a stroller. It should be an experience of a lifetime traveling from Ukraine to Houston with 2 kids....that will have gotten up around 4:00 AM to make our plane on time.



I will close for now. I will post as I know more about when we are leaving for Kiev!!!! You might here my shout from here. heehee

Hello again...

Seems I could not log into our blogger account yesterday to make a post. So, I will back up a day and fill you in. We still do not have Ruslan with us in the hotel. Everyone fought me on that...seems "everyone" thinks it would be a bad idea to have him in the hotel for several days. Ugh...we really wanted to get him out of the orphanage.

We are currently waiting on his passport to be processed. We had an appointment with passport on Tuesday and had his picture made, etc. We are now being told that it SHOULD be ready either tomorrow or Monday. Please pray it will be tomorrow so that we can get to Kiev over the weekend and begin our meetings there on Monday morning. Can you tell I am ready to come home? :) T.C. made our returning flight reservations for next Thursday...pray it will all be finished by then so that we will not have any added expenses with our tickets! My mom will fly out on Tuesday morning. Pray for her as well...she is nervous to make the trip alone again. It was just more economical for her to use her return ticket and just pay a $200 change fee...where we actually had to buy all new return tickets for Ali and me. I told her..."just think about me...I will be flying alone with 2 kids"...that hopefully made her feel better. Ha! So one week from today we will, God willing, be landing on U.S. soil again.....and I think I might actually kiss it!!!!

We had a good visit with Ruslan Clark this morning. He took a pretty bad fall and got a goose egg on his forehead. Poor little man.....Mama had to give him extra kisses for that one.

T.C. is on his way to Florida (lucky dog) for a 2 day business trip to Kennedy Space Center. Something about there is a shuttle being loaded and he had to attend some meetings down there. You know...he so totally didn't have to rub that one in!! I was a tad bit envious.

Ali once again was able to bring some joy into the kids lives at the orphanage. They just LOVE her. Several children played with her on some play equipment for the longest time today. As they were leaving one boy kissed her on both cheeks...so cute. She will remember them forever...I believe. I hope it gives her a heart for orphans. There are so many beautiful children that need homes and love and they have such bleak futures. They may never hear the name of Jesus. Oh it just tears your heart out.

As you can see...I don't have much exciting news. Just know we are still coveting your prayers. Please pray we get Ruslan's passport tomorrow...and we can travel next Thursday! Love you all.

I'm baaaaaaaaack!!!

I am finally able to post again. I have not been able to get online since last Wed. Ugh! I miss more modern technology.

So much to write about yet I don't know where to start. T.C. mentioned our outing this weekend to the castles. I will add that it was in the 90+ temp. and it was a WALKING tour! Ummm...we were all dying of heat. I have a hard time with long periods of time in the heat anyway..so needless to say I experienced heat exhaustion and was really sick when it was all said and done. I get major headaches in the heat and other things...which I will spare you details. Needless to say my prayer on the way back in the van was "oh God please don't let me get sick in the van...please"!!!!! :) I know we have mentioned the driving around here...so being sick with these drivers isn't a pleasant experience. Oh well, after about a 1/2 gallon of water and some Excedrin...I felt better after a couple of hours. I was glad that I made the trip when all was said and done. The castles were amazing, beautiful churches, wonderful scenery, etc.

Ruslan Clark's going away party was yesterday. It was crazy. The kids were so wound up. We brought them chocolates, juice, and cookies. (give them sugar and then let the caretakers suffer the consequences...) Today was day 11 for us after the court hearing. I will remove Ruslan from the orphanage in the morning. I am so excited about that. Ali and I have been in Ukraine for 3 weeks today. Just ask me how homesick I am! I have enjoyed Ukraine and all....but there is nothing like home. I miss so many things....especially my husband.

The party yesterday was such an amazing experience, despite the sugar levels. All of those children are so in need of human touch. They all want to be held, touched, loved on, etc. Mom sat on a couch and several children wanted their turn to sit on her lap. One little boy wanted to sit as close as he could to her...it was precious....but heart breaking at the same time. I want to take them all home. There are so many children at the orphanage that are so full of life, smiles, and love....but they don't have anyone to love them back...wow! To think about their futures is a sobering thought!

Please pray for our passport situation...well, not OUR passports, but Ruslan's passport. (and the other American family) See, recently the passports have changed and the new passports are taking longer to process. We were originally told we could wait an extra 10 days for his passport. Ummmm.....didn't make me happy! But our facilitators have worked SO hard for us and are trying to get that changed. In fact, in the morning one facilitator is waiting to hear if SOMEHOW we can get them in the same day. Please pray for that. If that could happen, we could drive to Kiev tomorrow or the next day to start our Embassy meetings to get the heck out here. That means we could possibly fly out this weekend...if we could find flights available. I will keep you guys posted....or T.C. will.

I will close for now. I need to go and pack our bags JUST IN CASE we leave for Kiev tomorrow. We get such short notice around here...better to be safe than sorry.

Anyway...again...tomorrow is freedom day for our son! YIPPY!

And on the tenth day...

...the children had a party! Today marked the tenth day since our adoption was ratified in court and so now is officially complete! No one came forward to object to the unpublished verdict of the judge, surprise, surprise--but we're not complaining. The kids at the orphanage had a party today for Ruslan, Artoom, and Katia, hosted by Rachel/Ali and Don/Jackie. Some chocolate and milk for the kids--champagne for the caregivers--and it sounds like everyone had a great time. When I talked to Rachel this morning (mid-afternoon for her), she wasn't sure whether or not young Clark would have to spend one more night at the orphanage or be able to come back to the hotel with her today. Either way, tomorrow begins the process of picking up birth certificates, applying for passports, requesting visas, and preparing to COME HOME!!!

While I don't have any pictures of the party to share with you (Rach's internet connection is still down), I did manage to find some pictures of the girls' weekend to show everyone. As you know on Saturday, all three families in Khmelnetsky took a castle-hunting tour to the towns of Kamyanets-Podilsky and Chernivtsi, which are about 25km from the Romanian border. Here are some pictures I found online of the region and the castles they visted:

Castle in Kamyanets-Podilsky

Another picture of the castle...

Chernivtsi

BTW, all of these pictures are © by the US-Ukraine Foundation (i.e., I'm not stealing them!) and can be viewed here with lots of other great photographs. I highly recommend this site to everyone to get a taste of what a beautiful and diverse country Ukraine is We didn't get to all the regions with photos, but I can vouch for every picture of Kyiv that is shown...absolutely wonderful! These will have to suffice until the girls' internet connection is back up at the hotel or they get home, whichever comes first.

Rachel and Ali say to tell everyone hello and that they miss you and being able to read your comments here on the blog! They continue to be adventurous and find new places to eat, shop, and enjoy what little time they have away from the orphanage. At a Greek restaurant they wandered into to a few nights ago, they were getting stuck on the Ukrainian-only menu (i.e., no English), when they ran into our wonderful, somewhat-English speaking cab driver, Gnadi, who so faithfully drove us around town until someone rear ended his 26 year-old Mercedes two weeks ago...anyway, he stepped up and ordered for them and saved the day! Everybody enjoyed seeing him there as well as he quickly became our friend right after getting to town. His English, which is pretty good for someone who has never left continental Europe, the pride he took in his city (as evidenced by driving us by every WWII monument, cemetery, and memorial in town!), and the great gifts from all over Europe he and his wife sell at the local bazaar each Sunday (we bought a beautiful bronze crucifix from Germany), endeared him to us right from the start. He's really a pretty cool guy with a great sense of humor, and we're all praying his car gets fixed soon since driving is his livelihood.

Enough rambling for today. I won't leave you with any strange Ukrainian pop star videos today (though I do have a really funny Ukrainian Army recruiting video on my blog over here). Just some great pictures of castles I've never seen and some second-hand tales of children's parties and new friends...can you sense my jealousy at having to come home? Ahhh...Хорошо (it's ok).

Foreign Frivolity

Well, the girls haven't had an internet connection at the hotel for the past few days, so I figured I'd write a short blurb to fill everyone in on there news from our short phone calls each day (11pm in Houston / 7am in Kiev)...Rachel's mom arrived without incident on Thursday evening after two long flights and one harrowing van ride from Kyiv to Khelmetsky. Little Russie has thankfully not had any more quirky, ugly toddler days since Wednesday, which is good for Rachel et al since they have enough to deal with without a moody three year-old! Other than that, Rach reports more of the same--good times playing with and loving on Ruslan Clark, Ali being the hit of the orphanage, still not understanding exactly what they're eating all the time, and enjoying every minute of it all. As I just got off the phone with her (Saturday AM there), Rachel, Ali, and Alice (Rach's mom) are getting ready to head off for the day to visit castles in the southwestern part of the country...I'm totally jealous!

With most of my jet lag behind me now, I've had some time to post some videos from our trip...both of them comedies, of course. The first is Ali's YouTube debut (she's so totally impressed that she's on YouTube, grin) and is the direct result of long days in the heat, too much sugar, some strange French can-can influence, a bit of gangsta rap (huh?), and...of course...some Elvis thrown in for effect. [BTW, I had to rotate this video 90 degrees because I took it in 'portrait' mode, which YouTube didn't know how to handle...hence Ali looks a bit short and stout, sorry kiddo!] Enjoy...



This second video is all three of 'our' orphans (Russie [in blue] as well as Don and Jackie's two, Artoomie [in red] and Katia) being introduced to bubbles! It's really funny to watch them but at the same time points out a lot of the observations we've been writing about for days, like:

1. Ruslan's little giggle (he's the quiet laugh here and Artoomie is the loud one)
2. Boys acting like boys...trying to stomp, pop, and otherwise squash bubbles
3. All three of them pretty amazed by the novelty of everything
4. Boys getting clocked in the head and not missing a beat
   
5. The 'orphan toy swap'...actually an attempt by Artoom that fails and ends up in a great display of toddlerhood, kids are the same around the world

Anyway, enjoy this one too...



This last clip doesn't feature any of our clan or have anything to do with us except that it is Ukraine's entry in the 2007 Eurovision music competition. The singer Вєрка Сердючка (Verka Serduchka) is actually, ahem, a guy who started this 'Boy George meets Richard Simmons' act in college...frat boys are the same around the world too...just like toddlers. Anyway, this guy is on TV all the time and this song is wildly popular, in a sort of Russo-Germanic, pop-polka sort of way. I think the act is hilarious...and come to think of it, we did see a crew of cross-dressing types in Khelmetsky on a Monday afternoon, so maybe this does have something to do with our trip...anyway, Хорошо (it's ok!).

Chasing the sun...thoughts on travelling home

Well, I have made it home to TX, safe and sound, after a 100 mph cab ride across Ukraine, a jostling car tour through Kiev, two flights on Air France (the best airline food ever!), and a long night sleeping less than soundly in CDG airport in Paris on a huge couch with a bunch of other vagabonds. I've never spent any time in this house without the girls, but even with two completely neurotic cats here that won't let me out of there sight, it doesn't feel like home--three-fourths of my family is 6000 miles away!

Anyway, let me echo Rachel's humorous observations from Tuesday and make a few of my own titled, "Things I didn't miss while I was gone..."

1. Houston's weather...I guess I forgot how humid it was here, ugh!
2. American food...aside from the few moments we weren't sure what we were eating, the food in Ukraine is outstanding and inexpensive. Fast food? Didn't miss it.
   
3. Coffee...the guidebooks are wrong, good coffee is not hard to find in Ukraine. Good espresso costs about $0.40, can be found everywhere, and (get this) comes in a real cup...you actually must slow down and enjoy your coffee. None of that nonsensical four dollar StarBUCK$ in a paper cup!
4. Toilet paper...guidebooks were wrong here, the toilet paper in Ukraine is fine...if you can find it
5. American drivers...sure they're better than most drivers elsewhere in the world, except Germany (no, really, we do drive pretty well here compared to other nations), where else can driving 100 mph on the highway, passing people on the sidewalk, and driving the wrong way down a one-way street be considered 'good driving'? How exciting! The taxis should charge more and call it a 'thrill ride.'
6. Cable TV...who cares if I can't understand what's on? It mostly sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher here at home anyway!

As I was sitting in the airport this morning (Paris), I did think of one thing I missed about the States. You're going to think me a total redneck to saying this, but...uhm...I missed country music. Yep, it's official, I can write this and own it, right? I missed country music. Every nation I've ever visited recognizes good classical music, no problem. Every nation listens to U2, Avril Lavigne, and Maroon 5, for better or worse depending on your taste. Every nation has their own pop/club music, which really sounds all alike whether or not you understand the words. But nobody else, and I mean nobody, has country music.

One example will suffice, and then I must tend to these crazy cats...As soon as I got home I ran to Wal-Mart to get an international calling card (which has atrociously high rates, BTW, got a much better rate from the phone company). I started the car and dialed up the country station I listen to most just in time to hear, "She thinks my tractor's sexy, it really turns her on..." Ahhhh, home, sweet, home.

Friendship is not bound by language

I have come to a realization lately that friendship isn't bound by language. Isn't that amazing? Ali has had the greatest experience at the orphanage with a few children from Ruslan's group. There are a couple of boys that look to be maybe 5 years old that totally took to Ali. They will daily come to her for hugs, wanting her to pick them up, and they try talking to her. Well, today we were playing outside with Ruslan and his group came walking by and they ended up playing near us. Ali likes to "spy" on them and watch the children from a distance. Today their caregivers allowed these 2 boys to come play with Ali. They played together for at least an hour. First it was looking for snails, then climbed on the jungle gym, slid down the slide, etc. They just had the best time...the kids new she didn't understand them...but somehow they still managed to communicate. We have had a similar experience with another family that is adopting from the same orphange. They are from Israel, speak very little English, but through hand gestures we manage to get our points across. They are a precious couple becoming a family of 3 with a beautiful 2 1/2 year old boy. What a miracle God works through adoption...allowing a couple to become parents who wouldn't otherwise get the opportunity. What an amazing God we have!

We started out our day on a very rough note. Ruslan Clark was in RARE form and a terror...if you must know. To think of the calm easy kiddo we met those first couple of days. WEW! I was looking for some gypsies to sell him to...hahaha...you know I am kidding. I left our visit completely disappointed. We went to lunch with another couple, then came back to our room to regroup for our afternoon visit. God reminded me that I did not agree to be Ruslan's mom only when things were going well. I am his mom from now until forever...regardless of his actions. It is an honor to be his mother...I know God will direct my path. I waited a long time to be his mother....and am so blessed to have 2 children that God has trusted us with. I am so grateful for the woman that gave birth to him...I wish she could know he is loved and will be well taken care of.

So....I was a tad bit nervous to return for our afternoon visit. However, it went considerably well. He came out of his room all smiles and glad to see us. We brought him a new toy and he loved it. He played and played and was sad to say good bye. I wish he understood that we won't be saying good bye for much longer. Today was day 5 of our 10 day wait...then he will say good bye to the orphanage forever. I know that will be a bittersweet day for him...not fully understanding what is happening. Our precious boy just has no concept of what family is. I can't wait for him to figure it all out...and figure out that there are so many people that love him...something he has never had.

I must confess...there won't be any pictures...for a while at least. I knew I shouldn't have tried that. I erased our memory card.............can you believe it? Thank goodness it was a new card and not the one we used for most of the trip. This card we just switched out a few days ago. I couldn't believe it. I am just glad we only lost a few days worth of pictures. But, it did have a family picture that we took the day T.C. left...at his last visit to the orphanage. I know we will have many opportunities for family pictures soon! But, I think I messed up the format on the card also. Leave it to me!!!! I am going to talk to T.C. when he gets home about it and see what I need to do. I know I shouldn't have messed with a computer written in Cyrillic. DUH!!!

T.C. gets home tonight...well, it is day there. I can't wait to talk to him. It is strange being this far away from him. Right about now my mom is waiting in the Houston airport to head over here. She is in for a culture shock. Ha!! I think she will arrive at our hotel around this time tomorrow evening. (well, evening here) She is flying in the same day as another American couple. One of the families we are here with have parents coming in tomorrow also. So, we planned Mom's trip around when they were coming in. That way our translator can drive them all here together. It is about a 4 hour drive from Kiev...which is where they are flying into. Mom is so excited to meet our little man. Hope he doesn't act like he did this morning! :)

Again, thank you for your comments and prayers. Jill...I bet you can relate to our stories....has it been 2 1/2 years since you were here? Kay...yes, I can imagine how Sarah felt when she held her son. It is something you just can't describe. Our little Samuel Ruslan Clark is an answer to pray...it was just all in God's perfect timing.

Until next time.....

Random observations.....

I am starting out on a lighter note tonight (at least it is night here in Ukraine). I wanted to make some random observations about life here in Ukraine...at least from what we have seen. :)

1. the women REALLY like SHORT skirts, sexy tops, and HIGH heeled shoes!!!!
2. everyone smokes...and I really miss non smoking sections....
3. no drinking age, so even young teens walk around with a beer in their hands
4. dogs are everywhere...there are no pounds here, so stray dogs are plentiful
5. drivers are terrible...the taxi rides are never boring!
6. not really any speed limits...the ride from Kiev was quite a speedy ride!
7. PDA abounded in Kiev....smooch, smooch!
8. I miss knowing what I am eating! heehee
9. it is quite hot and not many places have AC....spoiled Americans...that is what we are calling ourselves!
10. I miss driving where I need to go!
11. people walk just about everywhere....the sidewalks are ALWAYS busy with walkers...even late into the evening
12. and Ali wants to add...how in the world am I to know what I am ordering off a Russian menu? ;)

Well, just a little glimpse into our life as of late! There isn't much to write about. Our days tend to be just about the same day in and day out. I know you guys get tired of reading my boring posts. Today we visited Russie per our norm...he was once again "Captain Underpants!" The little guy won't know what to do when we make him wear clothes every single day. He just might decide when he is outside playing that the clothes need to come off...we will see. He was a rascal this morning. I had the joy of chasing him around just about every square inch of the orphanage grounds. Ummm....he was wired for sound. He thinks it is QUITE funny to run from me while I am saying "NO, NO"...he looks back with a big grin still running. As you might imagine...I find it not quite as charming. :) Though I do thank God for blessing us with this precious boy...I do believe we have some challenging days ahead of us. I know after several months he will pick up on English and things will be better. I know VERY little Russian, which doesn't help. My slim vocabulary of "yes, no, cost of the taxi, please, thank you, I don't understand, good boy, one hour on the internet, etc" just doesn't get me very far with a toddler. heehee....but we will manage. Hey, no accidents today...he was so proud when he would go potty for me...just a big ole' grin on his face...because I act like a nut and go "woohoo...way to go"...etc. Oh the simple joys in life.

I talked with T.C. for a total of 1 and a 1/2 minutes today on the phone. He was calling from the Kiev airport before going through customs. He put all the change he had into a pay phone and that is how much it got him. He was able to tell me that he was able to visit a beautiful church there and that he got all of his portion of our paperwork signed at the Embassy....then the phone beeped. So I guess I will hear from him when he gets back to the states. I miss him already.

I heard from one of our translators today about the passport situation. It looks like our best case scenario might be an extra 3-4 days here after the 10 day wait (which is over on July 31st), then after the passports are issued we head back to Kiev to finish up our paperwork which consists of applying for the visa, finish up with customs and immigration, and have a medical exam for Russie. I believe that will take 2-3 days or so. So I guess we won't be returning until at least Aug. 7th or so. It is all about flexibility...which I am not that good at...but am learning...the hard way. :)

Well, I have tried and tried to upload some pictures...but haven't been able to do so. If anyone can walk me through it....feel free to email me. T.C. left instructions...going through picasweb...but I can't seem to find the pictures on the computer. Oh well, maybe I will get it figured out.