Surrender

Update on Clubfeet Surgery

2011-10-23T06:29:00.003-05:00

After the first cast change on Wednesday, Andrei was in a lot of pain. They moved his feet to the full extended position and opened all the stitches behind his ankle. This was going to be done over a four week span, but the dr. was concerned that the feet were beginning to stiffen with the tightening of the skin. The wounds are now completely opened and depending on the healing process, he may need a skin graph.
The meds this week were not helping with the pain and they were making him "crazy". We took him back to the hospital on Friday and they removed a portion of the cast. One of his knees is not use to been so straight, and the pressure of the cast on it was causing a lot of pain. Since then we have seen a lot of improvement. He is still not sleeping all night, but now he is sleeping 3 hours at a time instead of waking up screaming every hour. We have also been able to remove the heavy duty narcotics that were causing stomach pains and making him "crazy".
All of the pain he has experienced has brought back some of the orphanage survival behaviors. It has been a rough couple of weeks, but hopefully we have reached a turning point. Monday he goes back for the second cast changed. I pray this time it will not be as painful. Thank You for your continued prayers.

Surgery went well!

2011-10-11T21:56:00.005-05:00

His feet were tagged and ready for surgery. They look like "praying feet." So cute. It is hard to believe that they will be flat soon.

This picture was taken right before he went into surgery. He kept telling everyone his feet were going to be "straight". He was very excited about having his feet "straight", but did not understand what that actually meant. I don't think most 4 year old boys would. Staying still, having his feet elevated, and being in pain is not what he had in mind when we talked about "fixing his feet." As soon as he was out of surgery, he wants the casts off so he could walk. Poor little thing!
Scottish Rite is an amazing hospital! The surgery went well. The doctor was able to place Andrei's feet flat while maintaining good circulation. He will be in long leg casts for about 6 weeks and then half length for 6-8 more weeks. Then, he will have braces.

The pain is now starting to kick in and the next 3 months will be a difficult adjustment. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

October 10 - Clubfeet surgery is today! Please keep Andrei in your prayers.

2011-10-08T21:09:00.002-05:00

Summer Fun

2011-09-05T21:49:00.006-05:00

At the beach in California

There he goes!!! Flying across the lake!

He loved riding Big Mable! Fearless!!!!

Pool! Beach! Lake! There was no stopping Andrei this summer!So many firsts! So much fun! One determined little boy!

4th Birthday Pictures

2011-09-05T20:46:00.004-05:00

Update

2011-09-05T20:18:00.005-05:00

Sorry it has been so long since the last update.

Family Update

We had a good summer with lots of traveling. We went to California for 2 weeks and had a great time with my family. This is a picture of my grandma with Madison and Andrei. She will be 100 years old in November.

We also went to Disney, and Andrei was great during the 14 hours we were there. He loved every minute of it. We were exhausted, but we could not leave Cali without a picture with Mickey!
We are all back to school now. This is my second year as principal at my school, and it feels so much better to have a year under my belt. It was a great beginning! I have an amazing group of teachers and coworkers!
Madison is now in 5th grade and loving her classes. She is maturing everyday and "getting along"with Andrei. They act like siblings that have been together forever, and they know how to push each others' buttons.
Andrei started in PPCD at our district and doing well. He has speech, PT, and OT services.
Randell is continuing his landscape design business from home. The summer heat in TX has made it a little slow, but we hope it will pick-up again in the fall.

Andrei Update

Feet surgery is scheduled for October 10th. He will be in the hospital for 4 days. The first four days are very painful, and for two of those days he will have an epidural. Then, he will have casts for 12-14 weeks. At least 6 of those weeks will be full length casts. Please pray for the surgeon and for Andrei's recovery.
Depending on how he does after his feet are flat, we will look at hip surgery.
His English is getting better every day. He is speaking in sentences, but because of his articulation he can be difficult to understand if you are not use to it.
He is more affectionate and loves to be hugged and kissed. He spent this past weekend at Randell's parents house, and he kept telling me "I miss you mama" when I picked him up. So sweet!
He can be very sweet, but also very difficult.
We are still dealing with lots of "survival"behaviors and fits. Fits are not as aggressive as they use to be, but they are still exhausting. Please keep praying for us to better understand him and for patience.

Scottish Rite Appointment

2011-04-12T19:33:00.003-05:00

We had our first Scottish Rite appointment. It was more of a consultation, and we did a few things to get the "ball rolling" on his treatment.

There are somethings that we knew that were confirmed, such as: his hips are dislocated, his left leg is hyper-extended with little mobility, his right knee is doing pretty well and he has control over movement on that leg, and his feet are clubbed and stiff. We also had some clarification on some other things, such as: his arthrogryposis is not typical in that it does not affect his upper body, and he may have a neurological disorder that is affecting his joints that is not necessarily arthrogryposis. They may or may not be able to identify exactly what he has, and the recommendation was to see a neurologist for some further testing. He had lots of x-rays done today, but we will not see them until our next appointment.

After our neurologist appointment, we will meet with our orthopedic surgeon once again and schedule his club feet surgery. This will not be a one time fix. The orthopedic surgeon explained that the process needs to be slow in order to avoid causing nerve damage. He will probably have at least two surgeries and there will be casting and physical therapy in between and after. There is a 50% chance that his feet will go back to club position after surgery, and we will look at other options if that happens. After the feet surgery, we will look at his mobility again. The doctor feels that often more damage is done to the hips and knee by having surgery, and with physical therapy, he may be able to compensate with how he is "built" once his feet are flat. We'll have to wait and see.

The physical therapist also looked at him, and she recommended the use of a walker with a soft brace over the knee he can not control. He walked all over the hospital and home with the walker. He is much slower with the walker than his "normal" walk, but I think he really likes being upright. Part of the reason he is not walking is not simply about the club feet. His hips and the muscles associated with that area which help us balance are not well developed.

We also have an appointment in May to look at options for a wheelchair. Although the doctor felt confident that he would walk, he was not as confident that it would be without some type of "device". He felt that it will be labor intensive for him to walk, and he would probably need a wheelchair for longer distances. This may be the case, but Andrei is one determined little boy, and if there is a way for him to walk, he will do it all by himself (words we hear often from him).

Scottish Rite is an amazing place. Not only will the treatment be free, they have some of the most gifted surgeons and specialist in the state. We are so blessed to have been accepted into their "program". Thank you for your continued prayer as we move into a new stage.

Fun Pictures

2011-04-09T12:28:00.006-05:00

Andrei's favorite inside activity is drawing. This is a picture of his "cocodile". : )

He loves spending time outside, so we now have a back yard full of fun. We have a plastic pool, Randell made a huge sandbox, and Madison got a trampoline for her birthday. The yard is a mess, but he loves it, and we are all enjoying the fun!

Cousin Mathew is holding Andrei. He is loving it!

Madison and Andrei being silly.

Easter egg hunt at Mimi and Big Pop's house.

Update

2011-03-28T22:04:00.020-05:00

It has been a while since the last update. It is hard to find the time lately. In general, we are still adjusting.

Andrei is more loving and initiating hugs and kisses. He is eating everything we offer and sleeping well most nights. He has gained weight, his hair is fuller, and I think he is also taller. He still has dark circles under his eyes, so we are giving him vitamins, and we will try Claritin to see if it is alergy related.

He is still having fits, but they are not as long or as frequent as the first month. The worst part of the fits now is the self abusive behaviors (bites arms, pinches himself, and bangs body or head). It has been a couple of weeks since he tried to bite or hit us. Much improved! We can also usually talk him down and the fits do not escalate as much.

His English is really improving. He loves music and learning lots of songs. He can sing the ABCs really clear now. He is also able to count to 20 in English. He knows lots of words and will repeat everything. A diagnostician and speech therapist from the school district tested him last week. He did well on the developmental test, but he will qualify for special education under speech. They brought a Russian translator for the tests, and Andrei did not say one word in Russian. He understood what was being said and would point, but he would use the few words he knows in English to communicate. We knew he was limited in Russian, because we had only heard him speak in one word responses or 2 word “sentences”. He is being exposed to so much English that he has lost the little he knew. Part of his fits have to do with not being able to communicate...he does not really have a dominant language right now. We will have an ARD meeting after our Scottish Rite appointment on April 12th.

Madison (daughter) is doing an amazing job with Andrei. They are adjusting well to each other. The other day, while she was helping me to give him a bath, she said she was so happy to be part of our family. It has been a big adjustment for her to share mom and dad. Thursday will be her 10th birthday. I can’t believe she is so grown up. : ) She wants to go to the Movie Grill with Randell and I for her birthday. We need to spend more individual time with her. Andrei has taken over a lot of our time and attention, and as things are starting to settle down, we are learning to balance between two kiddoes.

We have been going to church for the past few weeks, and Andrei is doing well. He stays by himself in the 3 year old class and does well playing and following directions. He enjoys role playing with the baby and singing songs to put it to sleep.

Aunt Karen send Andrei some fun knitted hats of the Cookie Monster and Elmo. Andrei and Madison had a lot of fun with the hats. They look so cute! Thank you Aunt Karen!

Randell’s aunts, uncles, and cousins bought us a jogging stroller. We don’t jog, but we love this type of stroller! It is easy to get into, rolls well, and it is a very comfortable ride. Andrei likes his new stroller, but he loved the box! He played in it for hours.

Andre is a typical 3 year old boy in so many ways. He loves to play in boxes, can’t sit still, his favorite place to play is outside, the messier the better, and he wants to do things his way. : ) In other ways, he is not very typical. He wants to ride a bike, run, jump, and climb, but is limited by his legs, so we have learned to adjust.

We have found a little power motorcycle to take care of the bike issue. It as a button he can press with his finger to make it go, and he stretches his legs over the top of it since once leg does not bend. When we go to the park, he “walks” around on his hands and feet, so he wears batting gloves to protect his hands. He uses most of the playground equipment on his own.

He is a very determined little boy, and we can’t wait to see what God has planned for him.

He is such a cute "little stinker"!

God’s love heals the broken hearted.

2011-02-13T15:01:00.003-06:00

There is nothing better than a toddler who does not speak English and is adjusting to a new life to shine a light on all the areas of sin and weakness in your life. To say that the last few weeks have been chalenging would be to make light of what we have experienced since we brought our son home. My friend says that adopting a child is like having a bomb go off in your house for the first few months...or ...for some children years. That is actually pretty acurate. I can say that after almost 4 weeks the dust is starting to settle, but occationaly we have some unexpected "explosions". Thankfully, last week there was "hope" rising out of the ashes.

Prior to bringing Andrei home, I felt secure in my ability to parent him. Now that he is home, and we are experiencing all the ups and downs of this adjustment period, I realize that all of my life experiences gave me a false sense of security. I was relying on my earthly understanding of children and parenting.

I had forgotten that parenting is a spiritual endeavor. This is a walk that can not be taken in the pride of our own abilities but in prayer and humility while holding on tightly to God’s hand. May God give us wisdom to raise our children in His ways, love to show them mercy as He has shown us, and kindness when our patience runs out.

Micah 6:8 8
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

The best way I can describe a child who has experienced abandonment and neglect is that he is “broken hearted”. Andrei is slowly learning how to trust and accept our love, and his behaviors are beginning to reflect the trust that is building, but true healing can only come from God. As his parents, we can love and guide our son towards God, but we can not heal the wound that is caused by abandonment and neglect. Only God’s love can heal the broken hearted, and I pray that someday Andrei may come to know God's healing love.

My prayer this Valentine's Day is that we may learn how to love Andrei as God desires us to love one another.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Chocolate Kisses - Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-12T22:24:00.001-06:00

Little Rocker

2011-02-12T22:13:00.003-06:00

Randell loves music and AC/DC is one of his favorite bands. He was watching a video of a concert when Andrei joined him. Andrei loves music too and thought it was a lot of fun to "bang your head" just like the people in the video! Hope you enjoy it. : )

Mall Trip

2011-02-12T22:01:00.004-06:00

The mall was crazy today! The weather was beautiful and people were out. We mostly went to the mall to ride the merry-go-round. Andrei loved it, but did not want to get off. Poor little thing! He threw a small fit, but it was quickly over. He enjoyed taking in the sights while we walked around, watched the hockey players skating, and tried some new foods.

Cute Pictures

2011-02-12T21:59:00.002-06:00

My Babies are sooo cute!

2011-02-12T21:47:00.002-06:00

My beautiful girl is growing up, but she will always be my baby. : )

She wanted her hair cut today. We cut off 10 inches and are donating the hair to Locks of Love. She looks so cute with her new hair cut!

Andrei had his hair cut also. He too will always be my baby! That is his new "cheese" smile. Too cute!

Poor Minnie! She has that "HELP ME!" look. : ) There is a toddler in the house now, so she will have to get use to the occasional squeezing. Andrei is doing much better with the dogs, but since he continues to bark at them and holds them tightly, they are scared to come near him. We'll keep working on it. : )

Beautiful from Head to Toes!

2011-02-12T21:43:00.005-06:00

We had a blast at Chuck E. Cheese!

2011-02-12T21:35:00.003-06:00

We went early in the morning, so there was only a couple of people there. Andrei played on everything in the toddler section and had a blast! He even ate a slice of pizza!

Fun in the Snow

2011-02-12T21:28:00.004-06:00

After 3 days of being looked up in the house because of the cold, ice, and snow, we decided to follow in the tradition of Andrei's orphanage and go out on the coldest day. Andrei rolled around in the snow for the first time in his life. They had snowball fights and made snow angels. He had a lot of fun!

Fun in the Sun

2011-02-12T21:24:00.001-06:00

Pictures of First Ice Cream

2011-02-12T21:23:00.001-06:00

Yum!!!!

Sorry they are sideways, but it would not upload facing the right way. My blog is doing weird things. OR It could be user error. : )

Pictures Of Andrei Relaxing

2011-01-26T20:45:00.000-06:00

Andrei and our two dogs have a love hate relationship. They spend a lot of time barking at each other. : ) This is a rare quiet moment together that only lasted as long as it took for me to take this picture. They are so funny together.

He looks so cute with Madison's slippers!

Adjusting

2011-01-25T15:42:00.001-06:00

We have had a rough start, but things are getting better. Andrei is sleeping through the night and taking naps without much difficulty. He enjoys being hugged and snuggled, and he is beginning to ask for "lovesies" as he calls them. Yesterday, he asked Randell for help without being prompted. Eating is also getting better. He is always willing to try something, but does not always like it. We have found a few things that he is eating regularly; sticky rice, toddler turkey little "sticks", Rice Crispy cereal, Fruit Loops, chicken broth, any fruits, boiled eggs, and peanut butter sandwich today. We tried baby food, oatmeal, malt-o-meal, and mash potatoes but did not have much success.

While we were going through the adoption process, I thought that was going to be the most difficult part. The reality is that the work starts now. Adoption is not sugar and spice and everything nice as Randell says. It is hard work to bond for all of us, but it is worth every minute. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we bond as a family.

Update and Pictures of our First Week in the US

2011-01-24T22:19:00.000-06:00

Loved McDonalds!

"Looking Cool!"

Feeding the Ducks

He ate more bread than what he gave to the ducks. : )

Fu n at the Park

More Pictures of Kiev & Puppet Theater

2011-01-24T21:11:00.001-06:00

Christmas was on January 7th, but a week later it is still being celebrated. : ) Ukrainians love the holidays!

Pictures of the Children's Puppet Theater

Lots of Pictures of Gotcha Day

2011-01-24T20:39:00.000-06:00

Sorry it took so long to post these. I can't believe it has been almost 2 weeks since we were able to take Andrei out of the orphanage.

The the other family in the picture is the Texan family we spent most of our time with. The Henks also had their Gotcha Day for Roman. Their family was truly a blessing to us.

Andrei and Roman look so cute! The following day two more orphans would take their spots in the groupa. I wonder who the new #11 toddler is. There is such a great need for families who are able to care for all these little ones.

Down the newly remodeled hallway...

Down the stairs...

Out the door...

Into the taxi...

and... out the gates!

First Bath

He loved the shower head.

First Meal...Ham and Scrambled Eggs

That is a mouth full! : )

Andrei loved looking out the window at the cars going by.

We are all exhausted!

2011-01-20T21:11:00.002-06:00

Transition has been difficult. Andrei has been very frustrated, and he has had a lot of fits. His world is upside down, and he must be so scared and frustrated. Randell and I are stressed and emotionally drained. Intellectually we know that what we are seeing is "normal" for a child whose world has just been ripped from under him, but emotionally it is not easy to deal with all day and night. On a positive note, we were all able to sleep last night! I am calling a counselor tomorrow to get some help for Randell and me. We need some tools to help us deal with these behaviors and bond with Andrei. Michelle, thank you for your advise and support tonight!!!

We took Andrei to his check-up today. He needed two vaccinations and had blood taken. We should get results in the next few days. We were very thankful that the nurse spoke Russian. I could see how comforting it was for him to be able to communicate with her. The doctor completed a referral for Scottish Rite Hospital. We hope to be accepted into their program and find out more information on the extent of Andrei's arthrogryposis and what will be the next steps towards improving the mobility of some of the afflicted joints.

Your prayers would be greatly appreciated during this time.

We are home!

2011-01-18T20:11:00.000-06:00

Praise God!!!! We are home!!!! Our flight was on time, and there were no delays. None of our luggage arrived, but we were home and did not need anything from the suitcases that we did not already have. It seems unreal that we are actually home with our son. We are now a family of four!

Much like child birth, our flight home is an experience I hope to soon forget. Andrei slept for only one hour, and the rest of the flight was not easy. The flight was VERY difficult on all of us. After hours of dealing with fits, screaming, and crying, I had a melt down on the plane and started crying into my pillow.

He was exhausted by the time we got home, but he did a great job meeting everyone. Randell's parents and Madison were waiting for us, and my sister and her family came by the house to see him for a little bit. He has not let go of Madison since we got home. So cute! His eyes are always on her, and Madison has been a little mama. Last night she was a little overwhelmed by his constant attention. We had a good talk about her role as a sister and making sure to take time for herself. Please pray for her adjustment to the role of a big sister.

The first night, he slept all night from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am. Last night he woke up at three crying and after some rocking he went back to sleep. I think that he is frightened when he wakes up and sees the strange surrounding. Hopefully sleeping patterns will improve as he becomes more comfortable.

I apologize for not getting back to some of you who have called or sent a text message to check on how we are doing. I finally turned on my cell phone today. There were so many text messages and emails, that I decided to leave the phone where it was and take it one day at a time.

We are all really exhausted and Andrei is needing a lot of support as he is adjusting to a new environment and new set of expectations for behavior. My brain is too tired to think and really give you all an update of the last couple of days. It might be next week before I post some pictures, but I promise to do so. We have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. I'll try to post some info then.

Please continue to pray for Andrei's adjustment to a new home and our adjustment to him.

Day 30 –Traveling Back to Texas

2011-01-15T11:55:00.000-06:00

Sunday, January 16, 2011

This is an early post for tomorrow. I'll post our arrival in a couple of days. : )

Our flight leaves at 6:45 AM. We will leave for the airport at 4:00 AM. Sooo early!!!

We will stop in Amsterdam at 8:45 AM. Our flight for Dallas leaves at 10:00 AM, and we arrive on Texas soil at 1:45 PM.

Please pray for safety, good weather, and Andrei sleeping through some of the flight. We can’t wait to get home!

Day 29 – Our Last Day in Ukraine!

2011-01-15T11:52:00.000-06:00

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Today was cold and drizzling, but we braved the elements, got a taxi and went to McDonalds for breakfast. My arteries sang with joy as they were reintroduced to fast food. ; ) From there we walked to Independence Square and then to the Children’s Puppet Theater to see the show at 11:00. This area of town is gorgeous!

The theater was amazing, and it was a wonderful performance of the Ukrainian version of the Gingerbread Man. Andrei did great during the performance. He sat and watched most of the time and was taking it all in. He loved the fish tank they had in the waiting area. After the show he got to pick out a balloon. He chose one that looks like Minnie Mouse.

We wanted to do more walking around, but it was drizzling a lot, so we got a taxi back to our apartment. Tonight we hope to go to bed early and be ready for the airport at 4:00 AM.

I have a lot of cute pictures from today's outing with Andrei, but it would take all night to post them. The internet in the apartment is terrible. It takes a long time to post. I’ll try to post them after I am back in the US.

Day 28 – Visa

2011-01-14T12:17:00.000-06:00

Friday, January 14, 2011

Andrei woke up very happy this morning. Singing and talking non-stop just like his big sister. I miss my little stinker. : ) We had oatmeal and bananas for breakfast. He ate the bananas but not the oatmeal, so I gave him some yogurt, and he liked that.

At 9:00 AM we went to the Embassy to get our visa. It took about 45 minutes, but there were no problems there. It is GOOD to be an American at the US embassy. No lines and paper work is done very quickly. God bless the USA! We can’t wait to be home!

Since we have a day off tomorrow, I asked Niko to help us find something to do that was fun for children. He recommended the circus. It has its own building, and he says that it is excellent. Unfortunately, it will not be open until Jan. 28th. If you are in Kiev at that time, try to check it out. Instead we are going to see a performance of the Gingerbread Man at the puppet theater. This was yet another story about God’s provisions for us. The tickets were sold out, but the cashier called a friend who had reserved tickets, and they decided not to go. Yahoo!! We got the tickets for tomorrow! I can’t wait to go! The building is gorgeous. It looks like something you would see in Disney World.

Then Niko drove us to TGIF where we met-up with a couple of families who were adopting, including the Texan family we have been with since Kherson. It was soooo good to have American food and speak English to the waiters.

I have been trying to remember all of Andrei’s first English words. His first word at the orphanage was “lights”. He loves to look at them, turn them off and on, and figure out which switch goes with which light. When we enter our apartment, he turns on all the lights, and he follows us around turning them on and off when we leave a room. The next word that he understood and used in context was “boy”. Today at the embassy there was another family who was adopting. He pointed at the boy and his mom and said “boy…mama” then pointed at himself and me and said it again. He repeats everything and is really starting to understand what we need him to do.

What I did not expect this early was for him to be listening to conversations and copy a word. I was speaking to our driver in Spanish, and said,“ Andrei es un picaro.” Andrei had been singing and talking in the car, so I was telling our driver stories of how smart he was and that he was a “little stinker”. Well, Andrei heard me say “picaro” meaning “little stinker” and started to repeat that word several time. : ) He had no idea what he was saying, but we started laughing, so that became his favorite word this afternoon.

Day 27 – Back to Kiev – Embassy and Medical Exam

2011-01-14T12:14:00.000-06:00

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Niko, our driver, was waiting for us at the station. He helped us to get the luggage off the train and down two flights of stairs. I had Andrei in a stroller, and a very nice guy helped me get the stroller down the stairs.

We went directly to the embassy and turned in our paper work. From there we went to the clinic for his medical examination. The doctor was really touched by Andrei and his determination. She recommended for us to also check his heart (there was a murmur) and the area above his belly (there might be a hernia forming). She also said he has a high pallet which is probably the reason for his mispronunciation of words, but that it could be resolved with speech therapy. She was not very optimistic about the correction of his feet or knees. In Ukraine there would be little hope of correction, but in the US there is hope. She “teared-up” when she saw the calices on his knuckles and gave him an apple out of her purse. When I left she told me that she sees many adopted kids, but she could see in Andrei something very special. While our paperwork was being done, we ate in the clinic café. Our paperwork was ready in 20 minutes. Usually you have to come back after 2:00 to pick-up the results. God is good!

We then went to our apartment. It is not the nicest apartment, but we are only here a couple of days. The entrance has missing wood boards that are covered by 2 area rugs, it is not very clean, and the internet is very slow. On the positive side, there is a working elevator, it is in a great location, and the bedroom is separate from the living room which helps during nap time. Andrei took a good nap when we got to the apartment, and I went shopping for groceries. For dinner, we had a sandwich. Andrei looked at it like it was from outer space.: ) We had to bribe him with dessert to get him to eat some of it. He had a nice bath and went to bed without a problem. He does talk in his sleep.

Day 25 – Passport and Gotcha Day

2011-01-14T12:12:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Today we went to the bank to withdraw Andrei’s government money from the bank and make our donation to the orphanage. It took about 30 minutes to complete paperwork, close his account, and withdraw the money. They gave us the money in small bills and it looked like a large brick. It was somewhat comical to place the large block of cash (donation) on the director’s desk.

After the bank we went to get our passports. They were not ready!!!! The “boss” had not signed them yet. We waited almost 3 hours for them. While waiting, we had to use the "bathroom" in the nearest restaurant. A picture is worth 1000 words.

Once we had the passport, we went to the market to buy diapers, fruits, and chocolates for the kids. At 2:00 PM we were able to get Andrei from the orphanage. The caregivers woke him up from his nap, and I was able to dress him.

Loved the socks!

Look how cute he looks!!!

We said goodbye to everyone, and we were out of there...down the hall...down the stairs...out the door...through the court yard...into the taxi...and...out the gates! I wanted to post more pictures, but we are having internet issues.

Since we had not eaten all day, we went to John Howard for a last meal in Kherson with the other Texan family, our taxi driver, and our facilitator. The kids did really well! Then we went back to our apartment to finish packing and get ready for the train ride at 9:00 PM.

In the apartment, Andrei had to touch everything! He is a typical inquisitive toddler plus he has not seen or touched most of the stuff around him. Randell and I were exhausted by the time we left for the train station. We are too OLD to have a 3 year old. Our backs were hurting from picking him up and my knee was giving out. At this rate, Andrei will need to push my wheelchair to his kindergarten “Meet the Teacher Night”. : )

We gave him his first bath, and he loved it! After his bath, he was so happy. He kept hugging on me. So sweet!

Our driver picked us up at 9:00 for the train station. He and Randell had to bring down 3 large suit cases, 1 carry-on, and a stroller down 3 flights of stairs. Our facilitator was able to get us 2nd class tickets for the train. It is cheaper to buy all four beds in the 2nd class compartment, then to buy two first class tickets. The compartments are the same in size except that it sleeps 4 people, and you have to share it with strangers if you don’t buy all four beds. I was dreading the heat in that box. It was like a sauna last time, but this time it was not that hot. It was actually fairly comfortable.

Andrei slept parts of the trip, but he would wake at the train stops and would need to go to the bathroom. The bathrooms are usually locked when stopped at the stations, but they were very nice to open it for Andrei. He went about 7 times, and some of the times he did not actually have to go. In the orphanage, I had noticed that he uses needing to go to the bathroom as his escape from having to do something he does not want to do. I think he was very nervous and did not know how to react to this situation.

There is a lot I can say about the bathroom experience, but I think one short sentence will some it up. I had to tuck the bottom of my pants into my boots in order to go into the bathroom. The rest I would rather forget. : )

Day 24 – New Birth Certificate

2011-01-14T11:29:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

We went to visit Andrei’s birth region today. It is in the province of Kherson Oblast which is the same province we are in, but it is in the city of Gola Prystan. It took about an hour to get there, and on the map, it is between Kherson and the Black Sea. The town is also on the Dnieper river. I tried to take some pictures, but we were going pretty fast, so they are mostly a blur.

It is a small town with mostly small homes. It took a while for the paperwork to be completed, since files here are kept with big books, and the birth certificates are typed. (Yes!!! They typed it on a good old type writer!) I think there was some kind of “payment” given afterwards since our facilitator had to go get some extra $ from the bank. These are pictures from his birth town. They are the best I could do from the car.

After we got his new birth certificate, we came back to Kherson to apply for the one day passport, which by the way costs $700. OUCH! This is where things started falling apart. There is only one place to get the passport and only two special printers that could print these one day passports. They called for a “specialist” to come fix it at noon. We checked on it at 2:00, and it was not ready. They thought it could be a computer program issue. Then they told us they would call us by 7:30 PM if the printer was fixed. Praise God, the printer was fixed, and we could pick it up the next day.

For those interested, here is some brief info about the passports. The old passport (red one) does not require a tax ID number and there is the option of getting it in one day, because it is printed in the region where the orphanage is located. There is a limited number of old passports left in each region, and once they run out, they will not be reprinted. The new passport (blue one) could take 5 or more days to receive, because the application is sent to Kiev and the passport comes from Kiev. We asked if we could go to Kiev to apply for it there, but we could not. You have to apply for it in the child’s region. Interesting system!

To make it more interesting, the new passport requires a tax ID number. The ID number given to the adopted child when their name is changed needs to match the old ID number. Somehow Andrei’s ID numbers did not match, and the guy (not sure who he was) said we were going to need a couple of days to have that corrected in his birth city before we could even apply for a new passport. We were so blessed that the printer was fixed, and we did not need to apply for the new passport.

Day 23 – Passport Pictures

2011-01-11T23:00:00.001-06:00

This is the post for Monday, January 10, 2011

Today started as a typical day for Andrei, and we had our "usual" visit.

These are pictures of Ayna, the psychologist, and Andre before we left on our little adventure. She is amazing with the kids! She has worked with Andrei since he was 7 months old and was told that he had no hope of talking, moving, or any mental ability. I am so glad that she saw the spark in his eye, and it is thanks to her hard work and his determination to succeed that he has made such incredible progress. She has a son with CP who has the same name and was instantly connected to Andrei. Ayna has been Andrei’s parental figure for a long time, and it will be hard for both of them to be apart when we leave. We are forever grateful to her for seeing the hope and determination in Andrei and giving him a chance to succeed in life. Thank you God for placing Ayna in Andrei's life!

Besides our usual visit, today we went on our first outing with Andrei to get his passport pictures. Little did Andrei know when we arrived that he would get out of the orphanage for a short hour.

These are picture of his shocked face. I think Randell’s face looks a little freaked out also. : )

He did a great job at the passport photo place, and we were done quickly. On our way back we gave him a sucker. He had never had one before and was not sure what to do with it at first. We had to show him what to do.

I can’t wait to see the world through his eyes for the first time!

Side Notes:
Our internet here at Kherson has not been the best. I hope to catch up on my Day 24 post when we arrive in Kiev. On Day 24 we went to Andrei's birth place and had some passport issues that God resolved.

Today, Day 25, we will go get the passport, take Andrei's goverment money out of the bank and donate it to the orphanage, pick-up Andrei, and get on the train for Kiev.

Tomorrow, Day 26, we will have our embassy appointment. I will try to catch up on my blogging then. : )

Madison, we LOVE you! We can’t wait to see you!

Praise God!!!!!

2011-01-11T11:28:00.001-06:00

The printer is fixed, and we will get the passport tomorrow! God has been so faithful in our journey. This is one of many answered prayers. This journey has been one miracle after another! God is amazing!!! He continues to bless us beyond measure!!! Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us!!!

All glory be to God!!!!!!

Urgent! Your prayers are needed right now.

2011-01-11T10:27:00.000-06:00

The special printer that prints the old passports is not working. Someone is trying to fix it right now. If it is not fixed, and we are not able to get the old passport, we will have to apply for the new ones. This will add 1-2 weeks to our stay here. This means added cost of changing flights and cost of extra days. It could add thousands of dollars to our cost. Please pray that the printer is fixed by tomorrow. We know God can make this happen, and we need your prayers today.

Day 22 – Last day of our 10 day wait!

2011-01-09T12:20:00.000-06:00

We had an interesting visit today. Andrei was grumpy and tired. I think he was off his schedule since there is a different crew of caregivers on the weekends. I left the camera at home this morning. Sorry no pictures of Andrei. : (

Now that the 10 days are up, we begin the process of getting a new birth certificate, a passport, and visa to the US. The last 10 days have not been easy, but they have allowed us time to bond with Andrei. We are so thankful that we had another Texan family here to spend our afternoons with. It truly made the time go by a little faster, and together we were “brave” enough to explore the city. God knew we needed that fellowship time. Here are some pictures from our outing to the river this afternoon.

The end is in sight!!!

This is one of our favorite places to eat. It’s good pizza, it’s cheap, and we can order in “Russian” since we order cheese pizza and 2 cokes every time. : )

I could not help taking this picture. Randell walked away as if he did not know me. : ) Check out the make-up! Mary Kay is everywhere!

Our plan for next week.
• Tomorrow the facilitator will pick-up our finalized court decree, and we will take Andrei to get his passport picture. I hope they let us take him out for lunch also.
• Tuesday we will go to his birth region to get a new birth certificate with our names as his parents. Tuesday afternoon we will apply for the passport and hopefully get it either later that day or on Wednesday.
• Wednesday should be Gotcha Day!
• Wednesday night we will take the train back to Kiev and arrive Thursday at 10 am.
• Thursday 11:00 am we have our embassy appointment to apply for Andrei’s visa.
• Friday morning we will go to his medical exam, pick-up the result by 2:00, and go back to the embassy for the visa.
• Saturday we hope to enjoy our time around Kiev with Andrei.
• Sunday we will be at the airport at 3:00 AM. So early!!! Our plane leaves at 6:45 AM to Amsterdam. We arrive at 8:45 AM and have a short layover until 10:00 AM. We then will go straight to Dallas. We will arrive in Dallas at 1:45 PM. YAHOO!!

It’s a tight schedule, but we know that with God’s help it can be done. Please pray that everything works out smoothly so we can be home on Sunday.

Day 21 – (day 9 of waiting period) – Singing Together

2011-01-09T10:26:00.000-06:00

We did not have internet yesterday, so this post is for Saturday, January 08, 2011

Andrei had an interesting outfit on today. Check out the red fringe on the sleeves and the green socks over the pink stockings. : ) He looks cute in anything!

He is starting to show affection without being ask to give us a hug or kiss. Today, he was loved the made up song I was singing to him and was trying to sing along. At one point he held on to my head and gave me the tightest hug. He is going to love being rocked and sang to. Can’t wait! Hope you enjoy the video.

Day 20 – (day 8 of waiting period) – Merry Christmas!

2011-01-07T09:52:00.000-06:00

Friday, January 07, 2011

Ukraine is celebrating Orthodox Christmas today. Randell and I feel so blessed to be here! Merry Christmas from Ukraine!

Hope you enjoy the video of Randell and Andrei having fun.

Day 19 – (day7 of waiting period) – Fun Inside!

2011-01-07T08:54:00.000-06:00

We had no internet yesterday so this is the post for Thursday, January 06, 2011

It was a little warmer today, so we did not get to go outside. : ) Instead, we had a good time playing in the “therapy” room.

Both my oldest and my youngest child played in the ball pit today.

Andrei has incredible upper body strength. We could not get the picture fast enough, but he could pull up his legs all the way up to the rings. He looked like a little Russian gymnast.

He is getting use to being tickled and Randell’s “playful roughhousing”. I love it when he starts giggling! He was upset when dad did not tickle him before nap time like he did yesterday. He is definitely a creature of habit. Those poor caregivers! They probably think we are crazy.

I think we are throwing him off his routine and distracting him when it is time to eat. He was eating very slowly today, and they bribed him to finish eating by offering chocolate when he finished. He is spoiled already. : )

This is picture after he took a bite of his pickle.

Then he tried to give it to me. Yesterday he ate several pickles, but today he was not as interested.

It is Orthodox Christmas tomorrow. The groupa playroom is decoraded with a Christmas tree.

Today we had lunch at our favorite place, John Howard. They have English menus, and their waitress speaks English.

I was having pancakes, which are actually crepes, and decided to ask for toast. The waitress asked if I wanted cheese with it. I said yes thinking it was some kind of cream cheese. I ended up getting a pressed grilled cheese sandwich. It was delicious! It tasted like home. Tomorrow we are coming back for more, and we are bringing our Texan friends. : )

Travel Tips for Those Coming to Adopt in Ukraine

2011-01-05T09:15:00.002-06:00

Below are a few travel tips for those who have never adopted in Ukraine. It's not much, but it might be of use for those preparing to come. Reading the handbook provided by RR was extremely helpful. It has great information, and I would recommend reading it several times and bringing it with you. This info will be mostly be useful for packing and the first day or two. It does not take long before you adjust to life here.

As you read this info, please keep in mind that we have only done this once, and the information below is specific to our experience and our region.

• Pack light! Everyone says this, but believe me, carrying luggage up and down stairs in the train station and apartments without elevators is not a lot of fun.
• Bring travel size toiletries. You will be able to find everything you need here at a lower cost. We found the same brands of shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste. There are markets everywhere within walking distance.
• Bring a simple travel dictionary. It will be of great help in the market. Make sure you have your apartment address written in English and Russian, so you can get a taxi if you get lost or tired of walking around. The facilitators are great, and if you need help communicating what you need, you can call them.
• Bring all the medicine that you think you might need. I already had to take my antibiotics. Make sure you get some from your doctor before you come.
• Bring a small flashlight. Some of the stairwells up to our apartments have been dark at night.
• Layers are a must! Stick to dark colors that you can mix and match. Also, most people wear dark colors, and you will blend a little better when walking around. In the winter, it is very cold outside, but indoors it is HOT. You will be more comfortable inside if you can take off your heavy sweater. Warm boots have been a must for me. Women were all kinds of boots as part of their everyday wear. They have boot stores everywhere, but they are not as inexpensive as you might think. They are warmer, because they are leather and lined with “fur”. Women here are almost “naked” under their big coats. Often they have short sleeves, see-through blouses, and VERY short skirts; therefore they are not hot indoors. The weather has been in the 30s, and we have done a lot of walking. I have not worn my thermal underwear much, but I do have a long thick coat. If you are hot natured, you might want to bring some lighter clothing for hanging around the apartment and sleeping. Also, if you travel first class on the train, I would recommend bringing a tank top and/or shorts, or you can strip down to your undies like we did. : )
• Washing clothes…YUCK! Bring a few travel size hand washing soap and a couple of small packs of soap for machine wash. It you are lucky, you will have a washing machine in your apartment. Most items will dry in a day or two depending on the thickness of the material. Jeans take about two days if you place them in front of the radiator. If you wear layers, you only need to wash your under layers which will dry faster. Spot clean as much as you can thick clothing. Most bathrooms have a radiator tube. If you place items on it, they will dry in a day or so. If you do not have a washing machine, either wash your clothes in the bathtub or in a small wash tub. You will need rubber cloves, or you will destroy your hands. Ukrainian tip: Wash your undergarments each day when you take a bath. They will be dry the next day. You will probably not need an iron. Each apartment we have been in has had one.

These are our essentials for washing clothes by hand.

• Taking a bath/shower…INTERESTING! All I can say is… “When in Rome do as the Romans.” If you have a big tub with a seat and no shower curtain, use the seat! We tried standing and made a mess of the bathroom. Be careful getting out of the tubs, they have a big drop.

• The market…FUN! If you like peanut butter, granola bars, oatmeal, or sweetners, bring them. These items are difficult to find. It can be difficult to find the right milk and water. What may look like milk could be cream or yogurt, and what looks like water may be carbonated water. See the pictures below to get you started. Try the delicious pasties and chocolate. YUM! Our facilitator said not to buy the pastries in the open market but the meat, cheese, eggs, fruits, and veggies are fine. I am not too sure about the meat, but we did buy some cheese and did not get sick. We always have coke, juice, bananas, cheese, ham, bread, and eggs in our apartment. We love eating grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. They make quick meals. We were very glad to have granola bars on the first couple of days and during the train ride. There will be no water or food on the train, so make sure to pack something to eat and drink.

Water…Look for the one with the mountains and a BLUE cap. I wish I had brought some instant tea mix or those Crystal Light packages that can be mixed in the water bottles.

Mayo, spagetti sauce (look for the one w/ the spagetti in the picture), and butter.

Milk and Juice
Milk - 2,5% has been the most like our milk. We bought some in a box that was the same brand but 2,6%, and it was more like a creamer. We like the mixed fruit juice the best. Our facilitator said this was a better brand, and that they also make good juice for kids.

We have yet to find a coffee maker. Most restaurants have cappuccino, latte, or American coffee available. If you like to have coffee in the morning, instant is the way to go. This one is delicious! Just add a teaspoon to a cup of hot water. I have not found sweetners anywhere. Make sure to bring them if you prefer it to sugar. I also brought packages of flavored instant capuccino mixes. I have really enjoyed those.

Love this thing! Just add distilled water and hit the button on the top of the handle…and…presto, hot water in minutes. Sorry, but I could not get the picture turned the right way.

• We have not had any problems exchanging money. There are places everywhere in Kiev and in our region as well (Kherson). We were worried about having any folds on our money, and we handled it with great care. But… I have seen our facilitator exchange money that was folded in half without a problem. You should still bring new crisp bills just in case, but don’t panic if a corner folds. : )
• Don’t drink the tap water. You may also not want to ask for ice at restaurants unless it was made with distilled water. Salads may also be questionable since they may have been washed with regular water. I ate some salad at a nicer restaurant, and I was fine. The first few days we brushed our teeth with distilled water. We asked our facilitator about it, and she said she uses the regular water, so we tried it. We have been brushing our teeth with it and have not had a problem. This may depend on the region.
• The tip at restaurants is only 5-10% of the cost of the meal.
• Money... It is worth every penny, but it is costly! There will be unexpected expenses. Some you have to pay and others are nice things to do for those who have cared for your child and for the other children in the groupa. Examples: increase in the same day passport cost from $600 to $700, taxi cost of your facilitator as they go around town getting your paperwork ready, daily treats for the other kids in the groupa, thank you gifts for the caretakers, chocolates for the caregivers on New Year and Christmas, clothes or shoes for your child if what you brought does not fit… It all odds up, so plan ahead.

The following is specific to our experience on our first day. If you are with RR, your experience may be similar.

• Kiev Airport…??!!! When you enter the building, look to your right and line up where it says “Visas”. There are some lines for “Non Visas” but they are usually not opened. We were eventually moved to the citizen window when there was no waiting in those lines. We filled out the little paper for entering the country, but the officer at customs said we did not need it since we were not staying more than 90 day. She wanted to know the address of where we were going, and we wrote the region where we were adopting. I am not sure if that was right or not, but she stamped our passport and we were in. Our advice is…go with the flow. You will then get your luggage. Use the free carts. Then, you will go through a “security point”. It is an officer either waiving you through or having your place your luggage through the large x-ray machine. After that point, you should look around for your driver. He will have a sign with your name. We did not have a driver that spoke English at the airport. It was a little scary, but don’t worry, he will take you to the apartment and Niko or Yulia will contact you. We had to pay him in dollars. It was $32, and I only had $20 dollar bills. Make sure to have some lower currency incase this happens to you.
• Niko came to our apartment about an hour after we arrived, and he gave us a cell phone, showed us where the market was across the street, and told us where to exchange $. If you are lucky, Niko will be waiting for you at the airport. He speaks English, and he will take you to exchange $ and to the market before going to your apartment. The most difficult part about not having Niko as the driver who picks you up, is the not knowing what is going on right away. Relax and know that he or Yulia will contact you.
• Make sure you buy a couple of water bottles at the airport before you fly to Ukraine. When we were left in the apartment, we had no water, no idea where to get it, and no Ukrainian money. I ended up boiling water (for at least 8 minutes), so that Randell could take some medicine. We did have some granola bars for a quick snack. It felt like we were on Ukraine Survivor that first day. : ) It did not take long to adjust to the surroundings and relax a little.
• Don’t be surprised if your driver, Niko, is also your translator at the SDA. We were expecting to see Yulia, but there were a lot of couples who needed her help that day. The SDA was very simple. We only had one question asked, “Why do you want to adopt a sick child.” Niko was great! He knows everyone there.

Day 18 - (day 6 of 10 day wait) - Fun Outside!

2011-01-05T06:06:00.003-06:00

It was COLD today!

Therefore, it was the perfect day to take all the kids out for a walk.

So...we bundled up, and out we went!

Since they have so many cute kids in the orphanage, we decided to take one more home. Just kidding! That is Roman in the tan suit. He is being adopted by the other Texan family. He is a cutie!

Now for pictures of our cutie!

Look at those dimples!

They were still remodeling, so we had to go through an obstacle course to get back to the groupa room.

They had just painted the floor in front of the door.

When you open the door to the groupa room, you first come to a small kitchen. The big kitchen where the meals are cooked is downstairs. Then to the right is a small room with lockers. Andrei is #11 for all of "his" things.

There is a #11 on "his" locker, a #11 on the cubby where "his" potty bowl is kept, and a #11 for "his" crib. He will not be #11 for long! We can't wait for him to have his very own things in a home where he does not need a number.

To the left of the little kitchen is a playroom and an eating area. They usually have soup, a plate of meat, sweet potatoes, and "rice", and a cup of warm fruit cider. I think the meat (fish) and the rice were all mixed together today. Now we know why Andrei puts the food in is mouth all at once. They are on a schedule and it is nap time after lunch. Next to the playroom/eating area, there is a smaller room for therapy, a bathroom, and a bedroom full of cribs side by side. We got to put him down for his nap today.

It's so hard to leave him there everyday knowing that he is our son. We know he is being well cared for, but he is not with us. We can't wait to get him home!

Video of Andrei Playing

2011-01-04T13:25:00.000-06:00

He is so cute!!!!

Day 17 – (day 5 of waiting period) – Went Outside with Andrei

2011-01-04T12:09:00.001-06:00

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

There was a little bit of snow on the ground this morning. It was COLD, but so pretty!

When we arrived at the orphanage, they were remodeling once again. The linoleum floors in the hallways had been removed. We went down to the first floor where we usually play with Andrei, and it was very dusty and smelled like gasoline. We played with playdough for a little while, and for the first time using playdough, there was no meltdown. Yahoo! Progress!

We had just started snack time, and when a caregiver came to invited us to go outside. We have been waiting to have this opportunity, but we did not think it would happen on such a cold day. : ) Andrei was stuffed into a snowsuit and outside we went! His little eyes were looking everywhere! He wanted to touch the snow so badly! He had a huge snowsuit, but his gloves were not waterproof. After a little bit of walking around, we found a step that was at Andrei’s stroller height. We could not resist letting him play with the snow for a little bit. His hands were cold, but he was having fun. The other caregivers, who were walking other little ones, probably thought we were crazy.

After our visit we walked around town again. We actually had to wear our thermal underwear for the first time. : ) The cold does not stop life here. The streets were busy. Kids were playing in the playgrounds, and there were people outside enjoying the carnival that was in town. The pictures below are of the theater and the carnival in front of it.

There must have been a Children’s play at the theater. We went in and found a lot of children dressed in customs, tables with venders selling toys and masks, and parents taking pictures of their kids next to the Christmas Tree and other winter decorations.

The carnival had a carousel, spinning swings, a small roller coaster, an area to ride tricycles and small cars, and some games. They also had some ponies, and of course it would not be a carnival without a camel. We have now seen on the streets …bears, lions, and camels…Oh my!

The area next to the theater was a very nice side of town. Buildings were either renovated or new. It also had a beautiful park. Besides the usual monument honoring someone, it had a heart sculpture and a bench covered with locks that were engraved with names and dates. We gathered that they were locks placed there by couples who were either engaged or married at the park. Very romantic! Randell and I had to take a picture on the bench. I wish we had a lock with us. : )

Day 16 – (day 4 of 10 day waiting period) - Sightseeing Pictures

2011-01-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

Monday, January 03, 2011

We had a great visit with Andrei today. No fits at all, and he did great taking turns. He also had on clean clothes and had been given a bath. Randell and I also had on clean clothes. : )

We did not take many pictures of Andrei today, but I do have this one.

He is in desperate need of a haircut. That little tail has to go! : )

After our visit we spent the day with the other Texan family. We decided to walk down some different streets and maybe find different places to eat. We did walk down to the river and found a nice walking area with shops, but we ended up eating at the same Pizza place that was in a different location. It’s good pizza, and for a medium size pizza and two cokes we paid around $4. It’s sometimes safer to stay with what you know when it is good and cheap! We might try the Asian food restaurant next time. The side of the river we ended up in was not the walking area. It was more of a shipping yard. We will probably walk down there again to see the “nicer” side. We also found a park that has a carnival. We may visit there as well this week.

It is hard to describe Kherson. It is a big city, but it is not a tourist town. The “river walk” area we were in today seems to be more tailored for tourists. We went into a couple of shops, and everything was expensive. Throughout the city, you can see some areas that have been abandoned and the building are in need of repair and other areas that are very nice and well cared for. I love the architecture and details of some of the old building. Unfortunately many of them are in great need of restoration. There are pieces of beautiful iron work throughout the city that was left from long ago. The city is filled with trees, and there are lots of parks with walking paths, playgrounds, statues, fountains that no longer work, and iron or wood “art work”. In the summer it must be very green. The city must have been gorgeous when all the buildings, parks, and fountains were in their prime. I still find a lot of beauty in those old building. Here are the pictures from our sightseeing.

These are pictures of the park accross the street from our apartment. The walking paths are surrounded by trees and lots of benches for resting. There are a lot of people walking througout the park.

The playgrounds are usually all metal on cement or brick. This one looks like a hamster wheel. Some are in good condition others are not, but there are lots of playareas througout the park.

The grassy area at one time was a manmade lake with cascating fountains.

These are examples of some of the art work in the park.

This is the main street. It runs from the train station down to the river. We usually turn right on this street, but today we were feeling adventurous and decided to explore to the left. You can see the river at the end of the street.

This was a shopping area near the river area. It has lots of places for sitting and fountains that are not currently working, probably because it is winter. It reminds me of a river walk. There were also several places to buy ice cream, coffee, pastries, and chocolate. The clothing stores were expensive.

This was a carnival game. They where using a pellet gun to shoot at items.

The mural and the carved tree trunk were also in the “river walk” area.

There is a naval academy in town. The men look so handsome in their uniforms.

This is an old Orthodox Church. There churches we have seen here are not as elavorate as those in Kiev.

These are some of the buildings around town. Some have been restored and others have not. I love the iron gates!

This is a WWII monument. Someone had left some flowers at the base. I am not sure what it said, but I did recognize the year 1944.

We made it down to the river. It was cold! It is the more industrial side. We hope to visit the other side sometime this week. The Dnieper River runs from the Black Sea all the way up through Ukraine.

Day 15 - (day 3 of the 10 day wait) - Randell's Post

2011-01-02T14:37:00.000-06:00

Sunday, January 2, 2010

We have heard so many other families refer to the days here to be like being in the movie “Groundhog Day”, and we now know what they mean. Everyday is the same: wake up, go visit Andrei, come home, walk to town and eat lunch, come home, sit, eat dinner, sit and then go to bed…..wake up, repeat…. As much fun as it has been to be here, and visit with Andrei, we are ready to take him out of the orphanage and go home. We miss home and are ready to see our daughter and get back to our normal routine. We miss our deep fried foods, worthless TV shows and ice! I don’t think there is a single ice cube in this entire country! Ok…enough whining.
Here are some pictures of our visit today. He had a little fit today when we started cleaning up the playdoh. You wouldn’t think a child would want to clean up by himself, but he does. We were helping him and he started yelling “sam” pronounced “sum” in Russian, which means ‘myself”. His favorite word, and then threw everything on the floor. We made him pick it up and then tried to explain to him that it’s ok if mom and dad help sometimes. We like his independence, but he takes it to the extreme sometimes.

We usually carry him back to his group after our visit, but today he wanted to “walk” back and go up the stairs by himself. I was pretty amazed at what I saw. He ceases to amaze us with what he can do on his twisted feet and legs so thin they look like they would break if you touched them. Another reason we want to get home. If he can do all of these things with what he has to work with, just think what he can do when his feet are straight and his body is properly nourished. It’s hard to imagine that he has never been out of the walls of that orphanage in three and half years. We are so excited for him, and anxious to show him the world. We are so thankful the Lord has allowed us to have this opportunity.

Day 14 – Getting Around

2011-01-01T05:58:00.002-06:00

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Everything is quiet on the streets today. There are only a few people walking around, but restaurants and the market is open.

Below are a few pictures from today's visit of how Andrei gets around.

He has calices on his knuckles from “crawling”. He is very determined, and he has found his own way to get around!

He is able to stand while holding on to something with one hand. It breaks my heart when I see his little foot turned in completely. On one foot, he is standing on his ankle.

We were playing with bubbles today, and he tried over and over again until he made a bubble. He has incredible determination and patience when he wants to accomplish something.

Side Note:
You might be wondering if these pictures are from yesterday since we are wearing the same clothes. Let me remind you of the frozen jeans. : ) We only wash when it is absolutely necessary. Just like the orphans in this baby house, we wear the same clothes over and over again.

Day 13 - The City is Buzzing

2011-01-01T05:25:00.001-06:00

Friday, December 31, 2010

This is our first day of our 10 day waiting period. We visited Andrei in the morning today. We had a fun visit. He is learning how to rough play thanks to dad. : )

This picture show his, “I can do it myself” look.

Followed by, “I told you I could!”

After our visit, we spent the rest of the day with another Texan family. We had a great time eating together walking around the market, and going to a café shop. We also went to a candy shop that was amazing. It had all kinds of cookies, pastries, and lots of chocolates. Ukraine is not the place to come if you want to lose weight. The sweets are amazing!

The streets were packed with shoppers today, because it is New Year’s Eve. This is celebrated like our Christmas. Christmas trees, Santa hats, fireworks, and lot of bunnies (it’s the year of the bunny) were being sold. To be expected, the trees were lit with Christmas lights in front of buildings throughout the city. Fireworks are part of many of the celebrations throughout the year, and tonight we should be able to see lots of them. We went to bed at 11:00 PM, but woke up at 12:00 with hundreds of fireworks going off at the same time. It was like 4th of July within a 5 minute span.

Andrei had on his New Year hat today. So cute! Happy New Year from Ukraine! We have so much to be thankful for! We send lots of love to our daughter and family back home. We miss you all!

There was one thing on the streets today that I found to be odd. It was not the fish being sold on the street, or people carrying Christmas trees under their arms, or people buying single branches of the trees (not sure why), or the pig heads in the market, or the dog with the largest tumor I have ever seen (sad), or the eggs I bought that were covered with poop, or even the bear that was in the market the other day…no… all those things seem normal now. Today I saw this…a lion in a van!!!

I spent most of the night doing laundry by hand. I miss my washing machine and dryer! I leave you with this picture. It is a pair of jeans standing by themselves. They are frozen! I miss the US and the comforts that seem so common. Tonight, we give thanks for our wonderful family and friends back home and for all the little things that are part of our day to day life in the US that make life comfortable. We are truly blessed!

Pictures of Andrei

2010-12-30T12:35:00.000-06:00

After court we went to visit Andrei. We thought we would call him Asher, but right now Andrei seems to fit him best. He might like Asher later. We had a great visit.

Andrei and mama reading a book and having a snack.

We learned our lesson from the first visit, stickers go on paper or clothes from now on.

Yum!! Chocolate time!

Andrei and Randell had some good father-son bonding. He was not sure about going up in the air at first, but it did not take long before his arms were up, and he was asking for more. Boys will always be boys in every country. : )

Look at my cute little stinker. : )

Day 12 – Court Day

2010-12-30T11:28:00.001-06:00

Thursday, December 30, 2010

We had court at 11:00 AM this morning. It was in a small office with a judge, an inspector, our facilitator, 2 jurors, a secretary, and us. We only had a couple of questions. It was very informal and friendly, and it only took about 15-20 minutes. In Ukraine, they celebrate New Year in the way we celebrate Christmas. When we were leaving, the judge told us we were receiving a very special gift for New Year. She was so right! Today, there is one less orphan in the world and one more member was added to our family.

Andrei Asher Coffman is officially our son!

He may not understand fully what that means yet, but I hope he will come to understand how much we love him, and soon he will know that he is now a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin… There are no words to truly express how grateful we are that Andre has been saved from a life of solitude and abandonment. We are so thankful for your commitment to praying and supporting our adoption.

We are so thankful that God has chosen us for Andrei. What an honor to be entrusted with his little life. As we prayed for our daughter from the time she was in my womb, we also pray that someday Andrei will come to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and that his life would be a testimony of the wonderful things that God can do.

This process has not been easy, and it is not over, but one thing has been made very clear to me…God is faithful! This has been a journey of God’s faithfulness in answering every prayer above what we thought would be possible. God has taken care of all of our needs beyond my expectations.

Please continue to pray for:
• our health and safety in the next 10 days of waiting here in Kherson
• getting Andrei’s birth certificate and passport quickly so that we can get Andrei
• safe travel back to Kiev and for Andrei to sleep
• medical appointment and getting visa quickly
• finding cheap flights back home
• safe travel back home with good weather and for Andrei to sleep during the long flight

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Day 11 – Playing with Other Kids

2010-12-29T05:31:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Today we shared the room with another family who is adopting. They are also from Texas, and they have brought their 5 year old son with them. We had a chance to see “Grady” interacting with him. Overall he did really well sharing and playing with him. "Grady" did try to swat at him once, so we corrected him, and he gave him a hug. The rest of the time they were fine. “Grady” and Madison will have a lot of fun playing together. Here they are playing with playdough.

"Grady" looked at him with admiration. He was taking everything in.

We bring him a snack each day. Today, we brought a banana, and he shared it with the other little boy who is being adopted. He looks like a little monkey when he eats a banana. He tends to shove it all in his mouth. : )

I love this pictures. Look at those gorgeous blue eyes!

If all goes well, and we receive the needed paperwork this afternoon, we will have court tomorrow at 11:00. Please pray that the paperwork gets here on time, and that court goes well.

Day 10 - Getting to Know "Grady"

2010-12-28T11:00:00.003-06:00

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

We had 2 great visits today. Things we have learned about "Grady" so far.

• He is a picky eater. He only likes some of the juices that we have brought. He likes bananas and mandarin oranges. His caregivers say he will not eat soup or meat, which are part of their daily meals. He likes bread and chocolates. : ) Today I sat with him during lunch time, and he only took a few bites of his sweet potato puree, had one spoonful of soup, and did not touch the rice or meat.
• He is potty trained and will let us know when he needs to go. He uses a little potty. He balances very well and is able to get in and out of it.
• His arms are so strong. He lifted himself up to a couch today in a blink of an eye. I could not believe how fast he did that.
• He knows how to brush his teeth and wash his hand using a sink. He will stand and balance on his little twisted feet. One foot he will place flat and the other is so twisted that he put the weight on the ankle. The shoes we bought are size 5 and they are huge on him. His feet are so tiny.
• He can open and close ziplock bags, can drink out of a water bottle, and can peal a mandarin orange.

• He knows how to take turns and does pretty well with sharing food.
• He wants to do everything himself and will get frustrated when he can’t do it. We are working on asking for help and accepting it once given.
• He will repeat everything we say. English will probably come “easy” to him.
• He is very curious and loves to press buttons. We tried watching a cartoon on our DVD player. He was more interested in pressing buttons then on the cartoons. We will need to practice how to watch without touching the buttons. : )
• He is stubborn and wants to have his way. That will be one of our greatest challenges with the language limitations.
• He loves music. He has a little drum that he enjoys keeping rhythm.

• He can do puzzles that are age appropriate.
• He is eager to learn. Today, Randell wrote his name on a little board and showed it to him. He erased it and tried to replicate it. He got the A and some of the other letters although not the exact shape. He also tried to copy the bear I drew. He is so smart.

We gave him lots of hugs and kisses today and had some good bonding time. He is soooo cute!

It was cold today, and it rained most of the day and snowed for a little bit.

Please continue to pray for Randell's back. It has been hurting all day. Please pray for me. I have a cold, and the cold weather is not helping! YUCK!

Day 9 - Little Bunny

2010-12-27T11:30:00.001-06:00

Monday, December 27, 2010

We had a good time with "Grady" today. Part of our visit was his therapy time, and we didn't get to spend as much alone time with him. We did get one really cute picture today. I am not sure why, but he had bunny ears when we picked him up. So cute!

Market Place

2010-12-27T10:29:00.000-06:00

I love the open market. It has everything you need at low cost. It is also very interesting to see everything they have.

The pictures below are of the inside section of the market where the meat, eggs, cheese, pastries, fruits and vegetable are sold. The outside market has little buildings or tents where clothes, shoes, hardware, and household items are sold. We bought "Grady" some shoes today. We have looked for souvenirs but have not found any yet.

We bought some homemade cheese. Each one had a different taste depending on how much salt is added. They have samples of each one. Delicious!

I think the circus is in town, because there was a bear with his trainer and a clown selling tickets.

Pictures Around Town

2010-12-26T13:08:00.000-06:00

These are a few pictures of the center of town. There are several monuments and lots of shopping everywhere. The main street takes you from the train station to a river. We are planning to walk there tomorrow.

The store below with the orange sign is where we buy our groceries. It's a 5-10 minute walk, and we bring our own bags, because they charge you for them. It has everything you could find in the US plus some interesting products.

This is the very center of town.

This is a school for kindergarten.

Pictures of our apartment

2010-12-26T12:21:00.002-06:00

The apartment has been remodeled. Everything is purple, and there is plexiglass on the celing. I think it looks pretty fancy!

We do not have an elevator, but we are only on the 3rd floor. It is a pretty good apartment, but the internet is slow, and we do not have a washing machine. I have been washing all our clothes by hand. : (

This is our sitting shower tub. We tried standing to take a shower and soaked the entire room, so now we use the seat on the tub. It is so weir "taking a shower."

This is our fancy entry way. We love having a place to hang out coats.

This is the entry to our building. According to our facilitator the graffity does not indicate a bad section of town. Randell looks like a "home boy" next to the graffity. : )

This is the back alley. We have to take our trash all the way to the end of the alley where they have large trash cans.

This is the park behind our apartment. We have seen some kids play there and people from the surrounding apartments hang their clothes on the lines connected to the trees.

This is our view from the balcony. There is a huge park accross the street. I am sure it is beautiful in the summer and spring when everything has bloomed.

Day 8 - Fun Day!

2010-12-26T11:41:00.002-06:00

December 26, 2010

We had a fun day with “Grady” today. Once again it was just him and us. We are becoming more comfortable with each other and getting to know what the other needs or wants. There were no power struggles today, but we also limited the amount of things we took. He also seemed to be feeling better, but his nose was still stuffy. “Grady” really connected with Randell today. Since there is little interaction with men at the orphanage, it has taken him a little longer to allow Randell to hold him and carry him. Today they laughed together a lot, and Randell was able to carry him back to his groupa. It was a really good day.

He is so cute when he is concentrating on something. I love how he puckers his lips when he is thinking!

One of the books had a mirror, and he reacted so funny when he saw himself. I am not sure if it was his first time, but he looked at himself for awhile and kept bringing the book closer and closer to his face. So funny!

He sat on my lap for a few minutes today, and Randell was able to read him several books. They had a good time together laughing and being silly.

Day 7 - Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:43:00.001-06:00

December 25, 2010

We had the perfect gift today, “Grady” all to ourselves. The only thing that would have made it better would have been having Madison here also. We took him a stocking with some little toys and clothes. As all typical 3 year old react to being given clothes, he was not too interested in them. He then go to the candy, which he stuck in his mouth whole. Then came some small little box cars. Dad tried to teach him how to roll them back and forth, but it was not his “cup of tea.” He likes toys that make sounds, light up, and spin. Then he opened the slinky. He loved it! Last but not least was a little light up spinner that hung around his neck. Loved it!

We had a lot of fun playing with building toys and playdough. It’s amazing how quickly he is taking everything in. It only takes showing him how to do something once, and he does it.

Today we got to experience his stubborn side twice for a minute or two. The first time, he had finished playing with building toys and wanted to move to the next thing (slinky). His speech therapist has trained him to clean up before playing something else, and we want to maintain that practice. So we asked him to clean, and he “cried” for the slinky. We pointed to the toys, and showed him what we wanted him to do. He pouted, but then began cleaning. When he closed the bag, we praised him, and he got the slinky. The second time, he dumped the playdough toys on the floor because he was frustrated. He became frustrated with me, because I was trying to help him with the playdough when he was struggling with doing something. He will not accept help at all and want to do it all himself. Independence is good, but part of bonding process with parents is the understanding that they are there to be a support system and accepting help is part of that support. On the other hand, I need to let him ask for help on his own. I’ve got a little of a stubborn side myself. : ) He dumped the playdough toys on the floor, so I said no, sat him on the floor and told him to pick them up while pointing at what to do. He pouted for a second, and then began picking up the toys. We praised him and off he went to the next toy happy as ever. I had forgotten what it was like to have a strong willed little one. Good thing we had a lot of practice with our first little one, because it all came back like riding a bike. : ) He is a lot of fun, and we can’t wait for tomorrow.

We did not take pictures today, because with all the Christmas presents and toys, there was already a lot of stimulus today. Tomorrow, we need to tone it down. Also, I am not sure he was feeling too well. He seems to have a cold. On a side note, he knows how to blow his nose.

We also had a chance to walk around town today, and went to a toy store and the open market. The region we are in is very different from the capital. I'll share some pictures and sights and sounds of the region on another post. The open market is a mix between a farmers market with fresh products and a flea market with odds and ends. We will be going to a restaurant tonight with another American family from Texas who is adopting a child from “Grady’s” groupa. What are the chances of that! Our facilitator is so sweet. She has arranged everything so that we could celebrate Christmas tonight by going out to eat a nice meal.

Madison we miss you and wish we had been there to see you open the gifts that Santa brought you. Hopefully we will be able to Skype later and talk with you a little more. We LOVE you!

Merry Christmas to All!

Day 6 – Time with Grady & Pictures

2010-12-24T14:11:00.006-06:00

Friday, December 24, 2010

We saw "Grady" today. He is amazing! I wanted to add more pictures, but our internet if very slow here, and they will not load. We'll try to find a place with Wi-Fi tomorrow.

He is absolutely beautiful! His caregivers said that he slept with the bear we gave him. He has not separated himself from it. Tomorrow we are taking a blanket and some clothes to him besides the usual toys to play with. We are trying to alternate the toys we have so that he does not become too bored with them. He loves music and gravitates to anything in the room that makes noice. : )

We took him some stickers today, and he placed them all over his arms. So cute! Unfortunately they stuck really well, and when we took them off it hurt and left little red marks. Poor baby! He did let me take them off, and I kissed his little arm.

He is a typical 3 year old, always on the move. He is very independent and can get from one place to the other easily. He is also able to sit in a little chair by himself, pull his pants on and off, and take his shoes off and put them back on. He has a thing for shoes, just like mama. : ) I was measuring his arms and legs to determine his size, and he gave me his shoe to make sure I measured it.

I love this picture! He is the happiest little thing! I am amazed at his determination and how advanced he is. I am so thankful for his caregivers and therapist. They truly have done an amazing job with him. Today we took some playdough. He had no difficulties molding, pushing, pulling, cutting with tools, and picking up the smallest little pieces. When he finished, he placed even the smallest piece of playdough back and cleaned the table with a sponge. He also can make patterns, follow dirrections, and match colors and shapes. As we read books, he was able to repeat key words. He is so eager to learn. The speech therapist is so patient with him, and has done an amazing job challenging him and helping him become independent. She has a son with CP and is wonderful with the kids.

It looks like we are adding one more to a long family line of strong willed and determined Coffmans and Leons. "Grady" likes to do everything himself. He reminds me a lot of our daughter…strong willed, determined to learn, and eager to please when boundaries are presented. I miss her!!!! She and “Grady” will make a fun pair.

Our facilitator is working hard to get all of our paperwork in to the court system. She spoke with the judge today. If we receive the interpol paperwork back in time, we should be able to have court by Dec. 30th! Please pray for a speedy interpol process.

Day 5 - Arrived in Region and Met "Grady"

2010-12-23T15:21:00.001-06:00

Thursday, December 23, 2010

We arrived in region at 10:00 am. I could not believe we were in the same region as our son and only a day away from meeting him!!!

Little did I know we would actually be meeting him is about an hour. Our facilitator took us straight to the social worker’s office. There his file was pulled and we found out more info about his family. I would rather not share that information at this time. The social worker was very sweet and you could tell that she really cares for the kids in the orphanage. We showed her our photo album, and then we went to the orphanage.

My heart was pounding, but I was trying to appear cool. When we arrived at the orphanage, they were doing some renovations through the building. It is going t look great when it is all done. They have a great area to walk around, a play area, and a garden. Little ones were walking with their caregiver. One of the little girls turned to us as if to say, “Are you here for me?” We went into the first building and met the director. She was beautiful both inside and out. She really cares for the kids under her care. We shared our album and talked about our family and how happy we would be to have “Grady” be part of it. She shared “Grady’s” medical condition which arthrogryposis of the lower limbs and it is affecting his knees and feet (they are not clubbed but turned in at the ankle joint). They were planning on sending him to have surgery in December, but decided to wait when they found out we were coming. I am so glad that they did.

Our facilitator told us that “Grady” is one of the favorites and that he is actually one of the older kids in the baby house. He should have been transferred at 3 years old from the baby house, but the director postponed the transfer. She sees in him a great desire to thrive. When he first came to the orphanage at 2 months, they were not sure if he would speak or be mobile. He is a very bright little boy and is working hard to be mobile. His upper body is very strong. He is crawling and pulling himself up.

THEN…”Grady” was brought in. We could not believe it. There he was…our son! He is beautiful…from his cute little lips, blond hair, gorgeous blue eyes, big hands (like daddy) with calices from crawling, to his sweet little feet. He was told that we were his mama and papa. I think he was very surprised. We gave him a teddy bear and then showed him our photo album. He sat on my lap and looked at our pictures and said mama and papa. I did not want to cry, but I could not help it. I am tearing up now thinking about that moment. Then Randell started tearing up. They told him that we were crying because we were so happy. We have looked at a little picture for months, hoping and dreaming of what this moment would be like. It excided every expectation. At that moment the world faded away, and all the paperwork, all the waiting, the long exhausting hours of travel, and the long days ahead no longer mattered. It is all worth it! He is God’s precious gift and we are so blessed that he will be part of our family.

We then played in a small room where the psychologist shared that he knows his colors, shapes, can draw, match items, can count 1-5, and is potty trained. It did not take him long to warm up to us. He moves around so fast and he is very independent. He can remove his clothes by himself. He loves music and any toy that makes sounds. His caregivers have done an amazing job caring for him and providing him with every opportunity to thrive. He is a happy little boy who is very loving and also has a strong will to thrive. The therapist believes that with therapy and surgery he will be able to walk. She says that he has the developed the schema in his brain of how to walk. This is why he is pulling himself up and trying so hard to “walk”.

When we were ready to leave, he said goodbye to all his caregivers and other friends (he blew kisses at them) and said he was going with mama and papa. He was sad to find that he was not leaving today, but we reassured him we would be back. He gave us each a kiss. We have already began the in country paperwork. We hope that court can be before the end of the year. Please pray that everything can be completed quickly. We can’t wait to get him home!

Sorry no pictures today. In the excitement, I left my camera in my bag. I will post pictures in the next few days of "Grady", our apartment, and the region which is very different from the capital. I am going to bed...exhaustion has set in.

Train Experience

2010-12-23T14:26:00.001-06:00

When you hear pack light…take it seriously. We had to drag 2 full suitcases, a backpack, a large purse, 2 carry-on bags, and a bag of water and food down 2 flights of stairs at the apartment because the elevator does not go up to the 5th floor anymore. At the train station, we also had to drag them across a very bumpy parking lot, down a set of stairs and up to the train car. Thank goodness for Niko and the young man who was walking by and helped Randell down the stairs. His back is stiff but holding up.

We are riding first class. It is a compartment (box) with two “beds”. I would highly recommend paying the $50 per ticket. The rocking motion of the train helps in falling asleep, or it might be the Motrin PM I took. : ) If you need to take a train, wear a t-shirt or tank top under your clothes. It is hot in the compartments! Also, take some water and snacks. They will serve tea and coffee in the morning, but did I mention how HOT it is in there. Imagine being placed in a sauna for 12 hours. We were down to our skivvies at night, and we kept thinking that if we passed out from heat exhaustion, they would find a couple of half naked Americans. That would be sight.

The bathrooms on the train are an interesting experience. It is difficult to use them while the train is rocking and rolling. The bathrooms are locked when you start slowing down for the next station. There are lots of stops, so you have to time your bladder just right. Randell considered using one of our empty water bottles during a 30+ minutes stop. : ) You might be wondering, why would they close the bathrooms? It would be easier to use when the train was stopped. It is all about gravity, air flow, and most of all keeping the station areas clean. When you “flush” it all is left on the tracks, so on a side note, do not walk on the railroad tracks.

Or facilitator is riding in another car. I am so glad she is with us on this trip.

Sights and Sounds Around the Capital

2010-12-23T14:22:00.001-06:00

While in the capital, we did not have much of a chance to do more touristy things like visit the museum, opera, or some of the beautiful churches and statues around town, but we have enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds of the city. Here is a small glimpse.

Weather
It has been unusually warm the last couple of days. It is cold but not unbearable. We have layered on top, but have not needed our thermal undies. It is very walk inside buildings. We have opened windows in the apartment to cool it down. If you are an RR family traveling soon, the packing lists say to bring warm clothing for sleeping, I would also recommend something light in case your apartment is as warm as ours.

Clothing
People dress very fashionably. There are lots of dark colors, boots of every size, style, and height, and furs. Women always seem to be made up. Layers, scarves, and a big heavy coat is the norm.

Supermarket
This is a large supermarket near our apartment in the capital. It is like a Sam’s club. It is located at the corner street from our apartment, and it was the landmark that helped us find our way home the other day. The first floor is food, the second floor had Christmas decorations, and the third floor has anything and everything you could possibly need including toys. It is set up like our super markets. I highly recommend the breads and pastries. They are delicious. An interesting side note, all the cashiers sit down and they place your change on the little tray on the counter. Also, milk is delicious, 2% tastes like whole milk.

Mall
There are several malls in the center of the capital. We went to one that had 5 stories of shopping and had a coi pond on the bottom floor. It was very clean and the stores look more like boutiques with a minimalist approach to how items are displayed. I wonder if there is a Walmart or Target type of stores? We have not seen one yet, but there is a large underground mall and the prices there were lower than the fancy mall. There is lots of shopping around the center of the capital, but we are enjoying all the “window watching”. Our $ is going to something more valuable than anything the capital has to offer.

Traffic and Parking
Traffic laws, what traffic laws!? Your eyes do not deceive you, people do drive and park on the sidewalks. : ) Walking around town is like a game of Frogger. Interesting enough, they are not angry drivers. They push their way through without much honking, screaming, or making certain hand gestures that are common in the US. : )

The buses are small and packed, but they run regularly and easy to access if you know where you are going. Since we already got lost walking, taking a bus is not an option. If you know Randell and I, you would know that we get lost regularly. They also have electric trolleys which are really more like 2 large buses that are connected and run on electricity similar to those in the US.

This is a coffee truck. Do not be deceived, although it looks like there is a line in front of the truck, it is actually a blob of people. There is no such thing as forming a line. You push your way in and ask for what you need. For those of you who know me, I was very excited to see that… they sell expresso everywhere!

This is the view down our street. There is lots of shopping and old architecture in the capital. Walking is part of life here. Drinking is allowed on the streets, and alcohol is sold in kiosks or a type of stand that sell magazines, cigarettes, and odds and ends. Smoking is the national sport. : ) Often you can see people in clusters hanging out on the corners smoking. Smoke usually triggers my asthma, but after the first couple of days, I have gotten use to it.

Some building and shopping areas have Christmas decorations. I have see some of the most beautifully decorated Christmas trees in the store fronts.

Day 4 - Picked Up Referral and Leaving for Region

2010-12-22T12:26:00.000-06:00

We had fun day walking around and seeing some sights. Last night we had pizza at a "fancy" restaurant. We had to rely on our knowledge of Italian to order because the menu was in Russian and Italian. Today, we ate crepes filled with apples in the mall. Delicious!

We noticed some interesting things about the mall:

People do not smile.
There is a shoe/boot place in every corner.
The people walking around look like they are in a fashion show. Women wear miniskirts with high heal boots.
Man carry "purses" or European carry all if you watch Seinfeld. : )
The mall is very quiet. People speak quietly and there are few children around.
Not very many people on cell phone or texting.
There is no access for people with disabilities in the mall or anywhere in the city.
There is little diversity.

We have seen one black person
No people with disabilities
Most people are thing and attractive

After the mall we went to the SDA to pick up our referral to visit "Grady's" region and meet him. We are leaving tonight at 9:00 PM and will arrive tomorrow at 10:00 AM. Please pray for safety and rest.

Day 3 - SDA Appointment and Pictures of Area

2010-12-21T10:14:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

We had our SDA appointment today. We drove there with another RR couple who is adopting a little girl with DS. The meeting went well, and we received some more information about “Grady”. I will share those details later. After the meeting we went to TGIF with another couple, and had a nice time getting to know each other. We then tried to find our way back to our apartment (walking) and got lost for a few minutes. Thank goodness a lot of people speak English here, and we were given directions back. Tomorrow we will go back to the SDA to pick-up our referral papers and hopefully get on the train to “Grady’s” region. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Below are pictures of SDA Office, surrounding streets, and church next to it.

Us and another RR family at TGIF enjoying our lunch. The menu was in English and our waitress spoke English as well.

Pictures of Apartment

2010-12-21T09:43:00.000-06:00

The elevator was not working today, so we had to climb stairs. We are on the 5th floor. : )

The 2 front doors and the entrance w/ 2 "closets". The outside door has a deadbolt. We feel pretty safe here. Everyone is walking around, and we were told that there is very little crime here.

This is our kitchen and dining area. The kitchen is small, but it has everything we need.

This is our bathroom. I had an interesting shower experience this morning. All I can say is that the water went everywhere, and I was slipping all over the place.

This is our bedroom. There is only one plug in this entire room. If you are planning to adopt in this area, don't forget an extension cord and several adapters.

The balcony/patio area is used for drying clothes. We are drying sheets. We have a washing machine but no dryer.

This is the view from our balcony and the side of our building.

Every Waiting Child Deserves a Home

2010-12-20T19:52:00.000-06:00

I wanted to also update you all on our adoption funding. We are now FULLY FUNDED! WOW! I am so very thankful to all of you who donated to help us bring our son home. Your generousity has taught me so many lessons about giving.

I wanted to share that in our progress towards finding "Grady", we looked at several other children, but as we prayed for them and over them, we did not feel called to bring them home. Most of these kiddoes have now found families. One little girl that touched my heart has not. Oksana is a beautiful little red headed girl with DS. If you have felt God's call to donate towards our adoption, but have not had the opportunity previously, we would like to encourage you to donate towards her grant. Children with larger grant accounts sometimes have a better oportunity of being seen and chosen for an adoption. Please consider giving her a chance to be noticed.

Recess Rainbow Description

Oksana M.

Date of Birth: January 29, 2006
Gender: Female
Eyes: Gray
Hair: brown
Nature: Calm

Oksana is a beautiful carrot top with blue eyes! She is HEALTHY, with no heart condition. She does have hard astigmatism in both eyes, so she will need to wear corrective glasses. But she is active and happy, described as affectionate and playful. Won't you give Oksana a family of her own? FULL MEDICAL INFO AVAILABLE!

Day 2 - We are here!

2010-12-20T19:21:00.004-06:00

We arrived at our destination 30 minutes later than expected. We flew on a direct flight on Aerosvit. We were concerned about the airline, since it is not well known, but it was fine. Not a lot of frills, the food was OK, and the price was great. We heard that many of the flights stopping in France or Germany were being delayed 5-10 hours, so I was very glad for a straight flight, and the weather was great.

We had a driver waiting for us at the airport. He did not speak English, but knew where we were going. He was very nice. Our apartment is great…clean and in a good location (close to the market). Our regular driver later came by the apartment to give us our cell phone with minutes and showed us were to exchange money and go to the market. We can see both places from the window of our apartment. Our driver is a very nice man, and I have come around the world only to meet someone who lived in Cuba (where I was born). He lived there for several years and worked as a translator. Part of the time he worked in the same city I lived in. His son was actually born in Cuba, and he speaks beautiful Spanish. This truly is a very small world.

We ventured out and bought some things at the market. We got some delicious bread and pastries and some fresh cheese and Canadian style ham. I did a lot of pointing, and was able to get what we needed. I am sure we look like a “deer caught in the headlights.”

W e did some skyping with our daughter and showed her the apartment. We are so lucky to have internet access here. There is a lot of guilt and fears associated with leaving Madison for this long of a time. We know it is for a good reason, but it is still difficult.

It is almost 3 AM. I have already slept about 7 hours (Randell only 4), but I am going to try to sleep some more. We have our SDA appointment at 11:00 in the morning, and I hope to have some more details about Asher then. Please pray that everything goes well.

Day 1 - We are on our way!

2010-12-20T19:20:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, December 19, 2010, we left our house at 6:00 AM to adopt our son accross the world. Ready or not, here we go.

Madison got teary eyed when we said goodbye, but grandma and aunt took her to get donuts after, and she was OK. Aunt Karen said she tried to Skype us as soon as they got back home. Please keep her in your prayers. I know she will be spoiled by grandparents and aunts, but it is a long time for us to be away.

We had some hiccups with Delta at DFW. Since we did not have return tickets or a visa to the country we were headed to, they would not forward our luggage to the next connection. I guess there must be an influx of US citizen wanting to leave the country and immigrate to a 3rd world country. : ) Our flight to New York was running late, but the time was made up in the air, and we actually arrived before the original scheduled time. According to Delta, since we were a risk of not returning to the US, at JFK we had to get our luggage from the baggage claim, and then go through the ticket counter to get our boarding passes for Aerosbit airline and check our bags. We had an “angel” sent to us who helped us get our bags from one terminal to the other and showed us the way. We would have been lost and Randell would have been in a lot of pain had he not helped us.

Once we got to Aerosbit it was not a problem. We checked our bags and went through security without a body scan or being “felt up”. : ) Randell’s back is doing well so far. He is being very careful and I am doing most… OK all… of the lifting and carrying. He said he was glad he married a sturdy woman. Finally the extra pounds have come in handy!!! Please pray for him. He is in pain and stressed out over his back…which only cases his back to get worse.

Prayer Needed!

2010-12-15T22:21:00.000-06:00

Please pray for Randell's back. He can't hardly move and is in a lot of pain. His hip is twisted (probably from lifting something) and this has caused a bulging disk that is pinching some nerves! We have lots of meds, and he is going to physical therapy the next couple of days. Sitting is what causes him the most pain, and 15 hours of sitting in planes is not going to be easy. Please pray for a miraculous healing before we leave on Sunday.

I am prepare to carry him through the airport if necessary, so I have downsized our luggage to only one carry-on. I wonder if a large man strapped to my back in a "papoose" would count as a carry-on or a personal item? : )

One More Week!

2010-12-12T22:40:00.008-06:00

At this time next Sunday, we will be on our way to Easter Europe. WOW!!!! We are packed (mostly) and ready to go. Everyone said to pack light! We tried, but there is a lot. Thanks to the comment from the post on "Packing ...Help?!," I used the "suction bags" and we were able to fit a lot more. : ) Now I need to weigh the suitcases. : ( We are taking 2 medium size suitcases, 2 carry-on bags, and a backpack for all the electronics. Our return flight will be much lighter since one of the suitcases is full of items for the orphanage.

We celebrated Christmas with our daughter today, and we will be celebrating with the rest of the family on Saturday. Please pray for our daughter while we are away. I know she is excited to have her brother home, but it is a long time to be away from mom and dad.

Only $4,000 more to go before we are fully funded. WOW!!! We have one more week until we travel, and I know that God will continue to provide. Thank you to all of you who have been so generous in your giving!!! I have A LOT of thank you cards to write!

If you would like to donate towards bringing "Grady" home, please click on his picture on the right side of the screen. Your giving will save the life of an orphan and will also truly bless our family. Thank you!

Funds Updates:

In the past couple of weeks we have gone from needing $9,000 to be fully funded to only needing $4,000.
There is now $2,300 in the Reece's Rainbow donation fund. WOW! Thank you to all of those who have donated.
I had a baby shower last Saturday. It was so kind of my friend to organize it and invite some coworkers that I had not seen for a while. Although we work in the same district, we don't always get to see each other. It was amazing to hang out with some old friends, and we had a lot of fun. Their gift was a donation towards our adoption. What a blessing! Thank you bilingual team!
My coworker and friend, who truly has the gifts of caring and giving, felt led to organized two fundraisers. One was selling candles and the other was a caring coins collection. Between the two she and my coworkers have helped to raise $340 towards our adoption. My coworkers/friends have been an amazing support system! They have donated, prayed, and encouraged me every step of the way. THANK YOU!
Our family continues to bless us with financial support. We received yet another large donation from our family members. Thank you!!!

New Section to Blog

2010-12-04T13:26:00.003-06:00

At the bottom of our blog, we have added a section on our journey. Part tells the story of how God called us to this adoption and the other part has the dates of our process and all the answered prayers. Please read below how our prayers and the prayers of those who have followed our process have been answered. God has worked miracles throughout our journey. We will continue to add to the dates section as we travel. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Prayer Requests:

Safety in travel to EE.
Smooth process in SDA appointment
Full funding of adoption before we travel

We have a travel date!!!!!

2010-12-02T19:52:00.001-06:00

God is so good! He has given us the best gift possible for Christmas. Our SDA date is December 21 at 11:00 am! We are so blessed!

Packing...Help?!

2010-11-27T12:36:00.003-06:00

Although we do not have a date yet, it helps to keep busy and moving towards that travel date. So...we have started gathering the things we need to travel. One suitcase is already full with items for the orphanage. We have also begun gathering our clothes and Asher's. We will be taking 2 medium size suitcases, 1 carry-on bag, and one backpack for the laptop and snacks. The number one advice about packing is, "pack light". We will try, but it is winter, and it is not looking good.

Since it will be cold outside and hot inside, we will be doing a lot of layering. My mom sent me a great coat and lots of great sweaters. She also sent me $ to purchase any other clothes we may need. Thank you mom!!! I found a pair of great "snow boots" at Ross, thermal underwear, thick socks, and sweaters for Randell who has little winter clothes! Randell's uncle also had some great gloves and winter underwear that will be perfect. I think we are set as far as clothes!

Next we will start gathering the extra stuff that makes life "easier" while away from home. For those of you who have made this trip before, we would love some advice on things you wish you had taken. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Once we have a travel date we will decide if we are staying for the 10 day waiting period or not. If the date is in Dec., we will stay, since I have 2 weeks vacation during that time. If the date is in January, I will need to come back. Randell will probably stay, and I'll go back for Gotcha day. Our travel day will play a role in what we pack. Hopefully we will hear next week. Please continue to pray for a date soon.

Pictures of Room and Clothes

2010-11-25T09:01:00.001-06:00

These are the items for Asher's Orphanage.


This is Asher's closet. I can't wait to see him in these. I hope they fit. : )

This is Asher's room. I love how it turned out. There is a dresser on the other side. I made the blanket on the rocker and the matching pillow on the bed. We had a lot of fun getting it ready. I feel like we are on our "last trimester". I have been doing a lot of "nesting." : )

Keeping Busy While We Wait

2010-11-24T17:44:00.005-06:00

Updates:

No travel date yet.
We painted and decorated "Grady's" room. It looks so cute. I'll post pictures later.
The suitcase for the orphanage is full of clothing and small toys thanks to my sister's help. THANK YOU Edith for your donations to Grady's orphanage. I'll post pictures later.
Madison and I went shopping for Grady's clothes. We had a lot of fun looking for cute stuff. I asked about 10 moms with little ones which size would best fit a 3.5 year old. We ended up getting size 4 shirts and size 3 pants. There was consensus among the moms that the shirts run small and the pants are just right. We'll see once we try the clothes on him.
We have a name. His first name will be his given name since it is all he has known for 3+ years. We can not share it yet on-line for privacy issues with the country he is from which we can not share either. I can tell you that his name in Greek means - strong; manly; courageous. His middle name will be Asher. We will probably call him Asher. The name Asher comes from the Hebrew origin. The meaning of this name is: fortunate; blessed; happy. In the Old Testament, Asher was Jacob's 8th son. He was promised a life blessed with abundance. My prayer for our little Asher is that he too would be blessed with abundance...abundance of happiness and love.

Prayer Request:

Continued prayers for funding our adoption
Continued prayer for Asher while we try to get him home.
Continued prayers for a travel date in December.
The government is once again voting to stop adoptions in Asher's country. Please pray that the vote will not affect special needs adoptions or adoption in progress. The vote is suppose to take place the week of Dec. 13th. Read details below regarding the vote according to embassy website.

"The ___ parliament is in the process of voting on a bill that would suspend all intercountry adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements with ___, including adoptions from the United States. The bill passed a first reading and vote, but must still pass a second reading and be signed into law by the president. The second reading could take place in the next few weeks. If the bill passes the second reading, it may be signed into law as early as the end of 2010. The draft bill appears to include suspension of all adoptions in progress. The Department will post updates as information becomes available."

Orphanage Donation

2010-11-17T23:13:00.000-06:00

Fill a Suitcase Campaign
One of the things we would like to do is take a suitcase full of items for the children who are in Grady's orphanage. We are collecting new items for children ages 1-5. Some examples are; underwear, socks, warm pj's, small toys, rattles, teethers, baby blankets, bibs, slippers, gloves/mittens, ... It would be such a blessing to be there by Christmas, and take these items to the children. Please contact us via email if you would like to bless the lives of these little ones by donating items. coffmansrus@sbcglobal.net
Thank you!

James 1:27 - Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Please Pray!

2010-11-17T23:08:00.003-06:00

Prayer Request:
The country from which Grady is from is about to have a very important change in law that could close adoptions there temporarily or permanently for Americans. There will be a vote in the next few weeks to approve this law. If it is approved it will also halt those adoptions that are in the process. Please pray that this vote would not take place or that it would be turned down. Please pray for the orphans who are in need of families and for the families who are fighting to get to their children. Please share the word! Pray for the 100,000+ orphans in this country who need families. This change in law would be devastating for them.

Update on Progress:
We are waiting to hear from the SDA. Our prayer is that we will hear from them in the next couple of weeks and be able to travel in December. We are currently "nesting" and preparation for Grady's room has begun. Randell's aunt and mom donated bedroom furniture, and we are painting his room next week. We bought some clothes for him, which was no easy task since we do not know his size. Madison wanted to pick all of the clothes. She loves the big sister role! When I have asked her what she wants for Christmas, there is only one thing that she will say...Grady home! She is so excited!

Fundraising:
Many thanks to those who have been donating to our Reece's Rainbow page. It is up to $1000. WOW! We are still short on funding our adoption, but know that God will continue to provide what we need. We are greatly blessed to have friends and family members who have been so generous in their giving.

We are Submitted!

2010-11-11T19:54:00.002-06:00

Update:
We received an email this morning that we were submitted to the SDA. Praise God!!!!!!!!!!

What Next:
Now it is a waiting game until we receive our travel date.

Prayer Requests:
Please pray that our paperwork is all accurate and that our travel date will be early in December. Also pray for us to be fully funded for the adoption.

Fundraising:
We have raised $2000 dollars selling dolls and a coin on ebay! WOW! Only $9,000 to reach our $25,000 goal. Thank you to all our friends and family who have been so generous!

When Thank You is Not Enough

2010-11-08T19:54:00.002-06:00

This is a post I have wanted to write since last week, but words were not enough to express how I was feeling.

Last week one of my coworkers gave us a special donation. It was a golden coin that is worth about $400. The value of the donation was great, but it was the meaning of that coin that brought me to tears...and still does. She shared that this coin was given to her when her son was going through cancer treatment. Her son passed away when he was 2 years old, and she wanted us to have the coin so that we could bring our son home. Words can not express how thankful I am for her sacrifice!

Since then, I have thought a lot about this special gift. I reflected on how our Heavenly Father gave up His Son so that we could become His adopted sons and daughters. When a sacrifice is so great, how do we say thank you? ... We accept His call. We do His will above ours. We focus our lives on the things He cares about. We give thanks regardless of our circumstances. We love unconditionally. We give to those in need. We love the unlovable. We share His gift of salvation so that others may be saved. These are all things I know, but do not always do. Please pray that as we prepare our travel plan and our home for Grady, we would not neglect our spiritual growth. Lord, may my thankfulness for Your gift of salvation be reflected in the life I live.

The Eagle has Landed!

2010-11-02T22:33:00.002-05:00

Paperwork Update:
We received word that our dossier arrived in Grady's country yesterday, the facilitators have begun working on it. It actually arrived two days earlier than expected! Many thanks for all of your prayers and for your faithfulness.

Fundraising update:
Randell's parents donated to us a doll collection that belonged to his great aunt. We had an appraiser come and check them out since we do not know anything about dolls. She spent about 2 hours going through them, although her fee was $50 per hour, she only charged us for one hour when she found out why we were having them appraised. We were so grateful for her generosity and for her help. We thought that if we were able to make $500 on ebay, we would be happy. After a week of posting dolls on ebay, we have raised $1,000. What a blessing!

I am so thankful for the the generosity of my coworkers and family!!!! They have been such a blessing in providing prayer support and also donating. In the last couple of days envelopes with donations marked "For Grady" are appearing in my mail box. One coworker committed to donate about $1,000 over the next few months. Another coworker has started a fundraiser by selling candles. We have also received a large donation from family members.

We still have awhile to go before reaching our goal, but we are getting closer, and I know that God will continue to provide. Thank you to all of those who are helping us bring Grady home!

Dossier is on its way!

2010-10-29T19:50:00.003-05:00

We received our approval from USCIS yesterday! Many many thanks for your prayers.

Randell went to Austin this morning to have all the papers apostille, and we mailed our dossier (adoption packet) today. We met the time line for mailing the paperwork! It was surreal to think that in that box, that contained 33 different documents, was the future of a little boy across the world and the dream of a son for us.

The dossier should arrive on Wednesday. Then it will take about 5-10 more days for it to be translated and submitted to their government. This will depend on how many other dossier are being translated. Also, Thursday is the only day that the SDA accepts dossiers in the country we are adopting from. Please pray that everything is accurate and that we do not need to redo any papers.

Once our dossier is submitted, based on what we have seen from other families, it takes 2-4 weeks to receive a travel date. We would love to be able to travel early in December and have him home by new year or soon after. This would be a very tight schedule, but God can make it happen.

As the time to travel approaches, we need your prayers and support to reach our goal of $25,000. If your are able to provide any financial support, please click on our donation picture button at the top of the page.

With GOD all things are possible! He has guided us throughout this process and has opened the doors to move forward. Thank you for your continue prayers and support to bring Grady home.

We have a fingerprint date!

2010-10-22T21:01:00.003-05:00

Update of Process:
We have been waiting for over three weeks to be assigned to a social worker who would take our case at the USCIS. Randell would call 2-3 times a week. Randell's uncle helped us to get in touch with our senator by sending an email with our story. We are so thankful for his help.

Finally, this week, during one of Randell's calls the social worker who answered took our case. Thank you Lord for putting that call in her heart! She told us that we would receive an email with our fingerprint appointment in a couple of days, and it would also be sent in the mail. Yahoo!

We receive the email and the earliest available date is Nov. 17th. Oh NO...heart sinks...we will not make it in time. SO, we decide to just show up and camp out all day at the Dallas office in hope of getting our fingerprints. Although they don't take walk-ins, we decide to take our chances.

Randell send our social worker an email explaining our story, and early this morning she calls. We have a new appointment...Tuesday, Oct 26!!!!!!! God is so good to us!

My husband has been amazing throughout this process. He has done so much running around to get paperwork done, and he has not taken "no" for an answer. If you know Randell, you know how hard it is for him to be that "pushy". I am so thankful for the man I married. We usually laugh at weddings or movies when people make their speeches with words like "you're my best friend or you complete me." But...the truth is that he really is my best friend and we do make a good team. When he reads this, it will make him gag. : )

I have been tearing up all day from the overwhelming feeling of thanksgiving. We once again have hope of submitting our dossier in time. Please pray that our approval will come quickly and that the dossier will not have any errors. My hope is to hold our little boy before Christmas. My dream is to have him home by the end of the year.

Fundraising Update:
Between our savings and the gracious donations of friends and family members, we have about $15,000 raised towards the cost of our adoption. We only need about $10,000 more.

Prayer Request:
Please pray with us that the remainder of this process will move quickly, and that we will have sufficient funds.

Garage Sale Success!

2010-10-09T17:10:00.001-05:00

Our morning started at 4:00 am, because we had so many items to set up. Last night we had spent hours sorting and preparing, and I am so glad we did. Our family, Sunday school class, and my in-laws church donating so many items. My husband's aunt also set us up with a bank bag with start up cash. THANK YOU, it was one less thing to prepare and it was very generous!
It was a perfect day to do it. There were garage sales everywhere, including one at a nearby park. This allowed a lot of people to see our signs. It was a garage sale frenzy. We had non-stop customers from 7:00 am - 2:00 pm. and we sold almost everything. Amazing!

Besides purchases, we had family members, coworkers, neighbors, another RR family who came to meet us, and "strangers" who donated along with their purchases. What a blessing! THANK YOU!!!!! I am truly overcome with gratitude!
We could not have done it all without the help of my mother-in-law and my sister. They worked tirelessly! Thank you!!!!!
I am also so thankful for my husband! He worked until he could no longer move. God touched his heart first when we started on this journey, and I will need to tell that piece of the story later.

Now for what you have all been waiting for.

The GRAND TOTAL towards the cost of the adoption was...

$1,743!!

To God be the glory!!!!

Garage Sale!

2010-10-03T15:05:00.008-05:00

I am so thankful for our family and friends! We had planned on having a garage sale this weekend, but decided to postpone it one more week. Last week there were several friends and family members donating items, and we needed time to sort and prepare. Then my sister (who is a real estate agent) was selling a house, and the sellers did not want a bunch of stuff. Friday, my husband picked up 3 truck loads! What an unexpected blessing! Our garage is packed, and it has spilled out unto our covered patio. THANK YOU to our friends and family for all the donations!!!
My sister came over yesterday and helped me to start sorting, and Friday my mother-in-law is coming to help prepare. There is a lot of good stuff! I had to make some very difficult decision as we prepared for this garage sale. Giving up all of my teaching materials and 1000+ children books, and sorting through my daughter's baby clothes to decide which to sale was physically painful. I felt like the people on that T.V. show, Hoarders. My heart is still aching over it, but collecting enough funds to bring Grady home is more important than keeping a bunch of dusty "memories".

If you live in our area (Allen, TX), please join us for our Bring Grady Home Garage Sale on Saturday, October 9th at our house. Email us if you need our address.

Why?

2010-09-27T19:51:00.005-05:00

This weekend I was reminded that we have not really shared our story on this blog.

There are lots of pieces to how we got here, but today I want to share the "why" part of the story. In the past few months I have been asked a lot of "why" questions. Why that country? Why a special needs child? Why adopt now?

For me the journey started on Sunday, July 18, 2010. At the end of service, our pastor reminded us that the song we were about to sing, I Surrender All, was a song of action, and if we were not ready to surrender all, we should not sing it.

I was convicted and could not sing the song, and so I prayed that God would show me, not what to surrender but how to surrender. That week we were introduced to Reece's Rainbow. To make a long story short... God is teaching me how to surrender, and I am definitely a work in progress.

So, the answer to all the "why" questions is simple ...God! His call was to big to ignore. For me it was not just a call to adopt, it was a call to surrender. Adopting Grady is the blessing we will receive for answering the call.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

I love this post from the Reece's Rainbow blog. While We Wait

Somewhere Out There

2010-09-20T21:19:00.004-05:00

I have been thinking about how adopting can be so different and yet so similar to being pregnant.

Both have a lot of waiting! Both are so emotionally draining; one moment can have such joy and excitement and the next such anxiety and fear of the unknown. Both bring such hope for the future of the precious little one who you will soon hold in your arms. With both you "fall in love" with a child you have not yet met.

There is one part that is so different and also so difficult. When I was pregnant I could feel my little girl growing each day, and I could care for her as she developed. My heart aches knowing that Grady could be scared, crying, sick, hungry, cold, or feel alone... and I am not there! I know that God is taking care of Grady, but the desire to nurture and care for him is still there. Tonight, he feels so far away! This made me think of the song Somewhere Out There from the movie American Tail. So sad tonight!!

Please pray for Grady that he might feel God's loving arms around him. Please pray that we might be able to bring him home soon!

Fundraising

2010-09-18T22:35:00.007-05:00

We are coming down the home stretch on our dossier paperwork. We have sent in the final documents to the US government for approval! Hopefully everything will be approved and done by November! So please keep praying that everything can get done and the agencies that have control over this will move quickly.

Meanwhile, we are now in the part of the process where we need to raise $25,000! We will be heading up several fundraisers to help raise the funds, and we hope there will be one, or more, that you would like to participate in.

Please visit the link on our blog if you would like to make a donation by purchasing a T-shirt. The shirts are also a great way to raise awareness for the many children who sit in orphanages today dreaming of a family to love them.

If you would like to give a monetary donation please click on the link and follow the instructions on the page. http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorcoffman.html Donation through Reece's Rainbow are tax deductible. Please make sure to note in your donation that it is for the Coffman Family's adoption of Grady.

We would greatly appreciate if you would forward this along through your email address book, blog about it, post it on your Facebook wall and even twitter about it! We have a long way to go, but we have no doubt God will provide!

Thank you in advance for all of your prayers and help, and we look forward to introducing you to our new son.

Paperwork almost done!

2010-09-10T22:06:00.003-05:00

We are moving now! We received our homestudy today! This was a big piece that we were missing. We have all of the paperwork for our dossier ready to go, but we will need to wait for our fingerprint date and I-171H approval. Please pray that this will come quickly. We are trying to send our dossier before November when SDA takes their break (Nov-Feb). If we can not have it ready by then, we will need to redo all of our paperwork since anything dated 5 months or older will not be accepted.

Exhausted

2010-08-26T21:52:00.003-05:00

We are back to school! I have started in my new role as principal. Long hours at work followed by longer hours of completing paperwork for our adoption. Randell has been going back and forth trying to get all the pieces from doctors, bank, county appraiser, notary... Tomorrow he is driving to Austin to have most of our paperwork apostilled! One word...Exhausted!

Our home study is almost complete and we are plugging along with the dossier paperwork. For the past few nights we have been working on paperwork, and in the mist of it is so easy to become frustrated and forget why we are doing this. We have to redo one of our medical statements. The doctor wrote too dark on one of the dates and it looks like it was written over. One word...Frustrating!

Our daughter has been looking at books to read to Grady when he gets home. She can't wait! She will be such a good big sister. Tonight, I pulled up Grady's picture and just looked at him and prayed. I can't wait to have him home. One word...Blessed!

Is it possible to feel this frustrated, exhausted, and blessed all at once?!!!

Matthew 11:28:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Friday

2010-08-19T23:29:00.002-05:00

Still plugging along with the paperwork. Things are going well so far, but still a lot more to do. It's all worth it though! Thanks for all the wonderful comments, support, encouragement and prayer.

Excited

2010-08-17T20:38:00.001-05:00

It was a great day today when we checked our email and found our link to Reece's Rainbow page that had us in the "Committed Family" section with Grady's picture. It's hard to believe it's real at times. Very surreal. But we can't wait. We know waiting to travel is going to be the hardest part, and will probably seem like a life time. We just wish we could get him home sooner.

Under Construction

2010-08-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

More to come soon!