Home Sweet Home

We are finally home!

Left Moscow at 10:40 am (their time)

&

Arrived in Houston at 2:00 pm (our time)

Only spent about 15/20 minutes in the 'secondary office' of Customs getting the boys' visas registered.

It is so good to be home!

Will post pictures and more later

(we have lots to share!)

Still in Moscow

So far we are enjoying our stay in the Peking Hotel in Moscow.  The suite is comfortable (not very child friendly) and we have settled in for our stay here.  Last night was 'bath night' for all of us.  It was rather interesting when all we have is a shower stall that is barely big enough for one person.  Thankfully the boys cooperated with Rachael (David did great; Michael was not too happy with the whole process) and it was done rather efficiently and with minimal water on the floor or Rachael!

Yesterday morning the doctor (Boris) came by with the official papers for their medical check (took about 15 minutes total) that is required for their visas.  They are both in good health (except for flat feet) and have stuffy noses due to colds (no surprise since they are both good at dripping snot on things).  All the papers were submitted to the Embassy yesterday and we got the call around noon that we would have an 'interview' on Tuesday at the Embassy to get their visas.

Yesterday we walked back to KFC for lunch and went to an 'American Style' diner close by in a park for dinner.  It serves American type food and was very reasonably priced.  The boys were not too keen on the grilled cheese sandwiches, but Rachael enjoyed the Grilled Ham with Brie Cheese sandwich while Chris had the Chicken Quesadillas (the guacamole was kind of like the McCormick packaged mix variety).  They had Iced Tea (with ice) that Chris really enjoyed!!

So far the boys are still doing well.  We are all starting to get 'cabin fever' again, but only one more day to go!  Last night Michael was fighting sleep for about 30 minutes, but since they didn't get a nap during the afternoon, we weren't that surprised.  Thankfully David seems to be able to sleep through it all.  Once he was asleep, he didn't wake up during the night like usual; definitely progress!

Today was Visa Day at the Embassy.  There were 6 other families there when we were.  Our appointment was for 11:30 and we were done and back at the hotel around 12:30.  Alex is going to take their papers & passports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register them today.  He will call tomorrow (Wednesday) after 3:00 to let us know when he will meet us in the lobby with their papers & passports.  Apparently Russia will allow them to keep their Russian Citizenship for life, as well as their Russian passports.  If they ever travel to Russia, they will have to travel with their Russian passports, not the US ones we will get them.  Didn't know about that.  Also, if they set foot in Russia between ages 18-29/35, they can be immediately taken and put in the Russian Army (mandatory service and Russia still considers them a citizen).  Didn't know about that either.  Need to file that under 'Things to Remember for the Boys'.

Tomorrow is another 'free day' for us, except we need to be in our room by 2:30 and wait for Alex's call.  Then we just need to repack/reorganize for our flight home on Thursday.  We have their 'visa envelopes' in a safe place.  When we land in Houston, we will have to present their passports and will be 'escorted' to a secondary room where we will hand over the 'Visa Envelope' that is sealed, stamped and EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT IT STAYS IN GOOD SHAPE to the customs person.  We were told that NO ONE BUT THE US CUSTOMS PERSON OPENS IT as it is government property and contains the papers that the US government needs to verify their visas/citizenship.  Once the boys get THE STAMP in their passport, they will be US Citizens.  Once we get home, we will file for US passports, Social Security cards, Certificate of Citizenship, etc.  We keep thinking, just a few more papers to fill out......

Not sure what we will do for dinner tonight.  Chris went to KFC and got us chicken strips and Nestea for lunch and brought it back to the hotel.  It was easier than dragging the boys back out after getting in from the Embassy visit.  Well, they are probably awake from their nap (if they actually slept) so I had better sign off for now.  Chris is doing a great job with them, but usually has a look of 'are you leaving me alone with them again? for how long??' when I mention that I want to check email, the bank account and update the blog.  I will try to update before we leave Moscow, but not sure if it will happen. 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Playing Tourist in Moscow

Dinner last night was wonderful!  Natalia showed us a KFC not far from the hotel and we walked there for dinner.  Once we figured out the English menu (print was about a size 5 font), we ordered 2 chicken strip kids meals with french fries and apple juice, fries & chicken strips for us, Rachael had Coke (no ice offered) and Chris had Nestea (he savored it, even though it was lemon flavored!).  Apparently David doesn't like french fries and Michael eats everything.  We are still working on the sippy cup concept....

Even though beer was offered (2 varieties on tap), we declined.  Wonder if they will ever sell beer at the KFC's in the States???

The boys had another good night of sleep (Michael was in a crib and David & Rachael shared the bed while Chris slept on the sofa. 

This morning we had a good breakfast and met 2 other families that are here because of finalizing adoptions (a single lady from Chicago and a couple from Georgia).  It was wonderful to speak American!  It is amazing how much you miss it.

We also found out that the bar & restaurant have free WiFi, so that is good.  Trying to figure out the Internet card thing is hard. 

Natalia picked us up just after noon today to take us around some of the touristy places here in Moscow.  Thankfully she called about an hour before coming by since they had a time change last night that we didn't know about.  We are back to a 9 hour difference.

We went to Red Square and got pictures (Chris played photographer today!) in front of St. Basil's Cathedral (the traditional place for pictures) as well as other places in Red Square.  We saw Lenin's Tomb, but it was closed to visitors today and we couldn't actually see him.  Cool thought, but kinda creepy to see a guy dead for so many years....

We walked through a mall type place (3 stories and about 2-3 blocks big).  We walked through a 'food store' that is in there and really enjoyed the smells!  Didn't buy anything as we were trying to keep the boys from touching things (like the expensive wine bottles!).  We also saw the Cathedral of Jesus Christ the Savior.  Beautiful place, but so sad to see those people praying to icons, pictures, relics, etc.  Totally missing the message of Jesus.

Natalia had washed her car for us before we drove around and the kids totally dirtied it up with muddy shoes and animal cracker crumbs!  Guess that is what we will have to expect our cars to look like!

The boys were put to bed just after 2:00 for a nap, but didn't (no surprise there!).  They are probably up by now (Rachael left Chris upstairs with them, heh, heh, heh).  Rachael also left Chris upstairs this morning watching Sponge Bob (in Russian) with the boys while she checked out the free WiFi in the bar (heh, heh, heh).  This could become a nice thing....... (for Rachael, that is).

Not sure what we will do for dinner tonight, but it is bound to be good.

Tomorrow (Monday) morning the doctor will visit our suite to check the boys' health for the embassy paperwork.  He is scheduled to be here between 7:30-8:00.  According to one of the other families, it will probably take about 10 minutes.  Then on to breakfast before going back to the room to wait (from 10:00 - 11:00) in case Natalia calls from the embassy with any problems.  If all is good, we should have our Embassy appointment Tuesday morning around 11:00.  Wednesday we will register the boys at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will fly home on Thursday. 

Cannot wait to get home!!!!!  We already have a list of things we will need to get as soon as we eat dinner Thursday night: lock for refrigerator, side rail for Michael's bed, milk, coffee creamer, orange juice, apple juice, step stool for in front of the toilet and several others things not remembered right now.  Rachael just wants an ice cold can of Dr Pepper.  Chris wants a nice cold glass of plain ice tea.  Real coffee would also be good.  Anyway, we will be glad to be home and start settling the boys in.  We have wondered how Sheba will adjust to them......

Please keep us in your prayers for a few more days (or longer if you want!!) as we get things finalized here and ready to fly home. 

Will try to post more before we leave Moscow.  We will post pictures when we get settled at home, promise!

Last Days in Archangelsk

Friday was a good day for us.  The boys went to bed Thursday night around 8:00 and slept for about 11.5 hours!  Unfortunately, we didn't.  David sleeps really well; he doesn't seem to wake up or be bothered when Michael wakes up crying.  Michael was not very considerate of the others in the bed (we shared a king sized bed).  He moved around A LOT, kicking whoever was closest to him (mostly Chris on Thursday night).  He is waking up several times at night crying, but is usually easy to get back to sleep. 

It wasn't snowing Friday, but was bitterly cold outside, so we stayed in most of the day.  We had a late breakfast, so lunch was light.  Rachael left at 4:30 to wait for her ride to get the boys' passports (the appointment was for 5:00).  She was back by 5:45 and we all trooped to dinner at Uno Momento for the last time.  Most of the things we had there are good; we wouldn't recommend the Assorted Cheese Pizza (has 4 different cheeses; Blue Cheese being one of them....).  It didn't set well on Chris' stomach but Rachael was fairly okay.  Friday night, the boys went to bed at 8:00 while we stayed up and watched TV.  Chris decided to sleep on the loveseat while Rachael braved the 'kung fu king' on the bed. 

Saturday, we had breakfast then waited for our ride to the airport.  Our flight left at 12:20 and the boys did great!  David seemed a bit apprehensive when we were taking off, but once he looked out the window, he was better.  They amused themselves by playing with the safety card, magazine and tray table in front of them.  Sandwiches were given out for lunch and the boys seemed to enjoy theirs. 

The landing in Moscow was extremely rough, but Rachael amused the boys and made fun of the movements of the plane (we don't want them to be scared of turbulence when flying).  The gentleman sitting next to Chris was turning rather green, but thankfully kept his lunch to himself.

Natalia met us at the airport and brought us to the hotel.  Once we checked in and got settled in the room, we did the paperwork thing and then she walked us around the area, pointing out places we could eat and such.

As much as we enjoyed our time in Archangelsk, we are glad to be gone.  The staff at the Pur Navolosk are really nice, but we are ready to get home.

Thank you for all of your prayers!  We really appreciate them!  Keep them coming; we aren't home yet!

The Boys Have Arrived!

The boys were brought to us at 9:00 this morning.  After a quick change (we gave the things they were wearing back to the social worker), an exchange of papers and signed 2 papers, the social worker left and we had our two boys.

Okay, now what to do?  The room we were supposed to move into today wouldn't be ready until around noon and the room we were in was rather small.  Around 10:45, the reception desk called to say that our room was ready!  Rachael went down to get the keys while Chris stayed with the boys and packed up.  Thankfully the room was just down the hall!  So much easier to move everything!  David even helped carry some things.  Michael just looked confused.

So far today we have experienced several firsts:
*David had a melt-down when he realized that we wouldn't let him leave the room
*Both boys seemed to like the animal crackers they had for a morning snack
*We had a nice walk to Uno Momento for lunch; we had assorted meat pizza and the boys had chicken nuggets and french fries
*David proceeded to spit up some of his lunch because he was eating too fast and tried to drink apple juice at the same time
*David fell asleep for about 10 minutes at the restaurant
*As we were leaving, Michael had a massive blowout in his diaper
*Rachael carried Michael back to the hotel where he proceeded to pee again, which overflowed his already full diaper (of course this happened just as we got off the elevator and headed to the room)
*Chris had his first experience with a really nasty poopy diaper (he proceeded to throw up in the bathroom as Rachael cleaned up Michael in the bathtub)
*Rachael washed out the wet pants and socks so that Michael would have another pair of jeans to wear
*Nap time didn't go as hoped (yes, we thought that they would at least lay down for a bit; no, we were not surprised)
*Both boys like to open and close doors, drawers, etc. as well as David turning the lights on and off constantly

We have 'barricaded' ourselves in the sitting area for now.  We haven't really decided on much else.  There isn't much for the boys to do right now.  It is very cold outside and not a lot of places they could play (if any).  We have some books, cars, coloring books & crayons but not much else.  There isn't really any place to walk either except by the river and we don't want to do a lot of that.  Not sure about dinner either.  We are almost afraid to go back to Uno Momento because we don't want to have another blowout!

David seems to be fitting the 4T tops & jeans.  Michael fits the 2T tops, but the 2T jeans are too big for him.  Of course we don't have a belt for him, so he is saggy.  Didn't figure on this problem....

The boys seem to be learning how to use the sippy cups we brought.  Michael can take the top of the Take'n'Toss cups, so we have switched to the Cars cups with the twist on top.  Hopefully he won't be able to get those off.  Chris finally found some cartoons for the boys to watch on TV, so I will sign off for now.

Please keep praying for us.  We don't have anything on the schedule for tomorrow except for when Rachael gets picked up at 4:45 in the afternoon to go and get their passports.  We are thinking it is going to be a LONG day!

Cabin Fever on a Snowy Day

Since we arrived in Moscow on Sunday, it has snowed on and off.  It was snowing when we left the airport and headed to our hotel for the night.  It was snowing as we took off from Moscow to Archangelsk.  It was snowing when we drove from the airport to our hotel.  It was snowing when we went to sign for the birth certificates and adoption certificates.  It was snowing harder when we went to get the boys' tickets to Moscow.  It was snowing when we went for a walk this morning. 

It only seems to snow when we are leaving the hotel or going to a hotel.  Must be the coats, hats & gloves we brought with us.  Right now it is bright and sunny.  If we leave to go on a walk, it will probably start snowing again.  What to do???

Anyway, yesterday we signed the papers to get the boys' birth certificates and adoption certificates.  We don't have any of the papers in our possession right now, as they were taken to the passport office to apply for the boys' passports.

Today is a waiting day.  We are really tired of just sitting around and waiting!  Especially when we can't find anything really good on television to watch.  We have watched the same episodes of America's Next Top Model so many times we are starting to recognize the Russian translation!

We did watch Tremors on the computer last night.  Rachael stuck the 4-pack of the Tremors movies in her bag along with Cars (that one is for the boys to watch) before we left home, just in case we got extremely bored.  Watching it on a small screen was a different experience, but it was nice to cuddle on the twin bed and watch a movie we could actually understand!  Popcorn would have made it better....

Tomorrow we are supposed to get our boys!  We don't know what time they will be brought to us, but we are so ready!  Or at least as ready as we can be at this time.  We are also moving to a bigger room (a suite we think).  We don't know when that will happen; we are hoping to move rooms before the boys arrive as it would be an easier transition for all of us.  We also think that the Italian place (Uno Momento) that we have been frequenting for dinner has a kids menu.  That should come in handy.  Hopefully it also has English like the regular menu. 

Well, Rachael's backside is starting to hurt (the plug is not near the desk) so that is all for now.  We will try to update when we can and will post pictures when we get our boys home.

Please continue to pray for us during this transition time: for us, our boys, the workers we will deal with, the officials (both Russian and American) that we will deal with.

Week of Blessings

This week has been a week full of blessings (and a little bit of frustration).

Rachael's paycheck on the 15th was docked by just over $1000 and we won't know exactly why until the office opens back up after Spring Break (Extreme Frustration!!)

Monday we cancelled the tickets we had already bought for our last trip to Russia.  That could take up to 5-13 days to get refunded (frustration).

Monday we bought the one way tickets for us to Moscow (lower cost than we first thought it would be).

About 15 minutes later on Monday, we tried to buy one way tickets for all 4 of us to come home from Moscow (extreme frustration!).  Since we had 'unusual activity' with our card, the bank flagged everything and wouldn't let anything else go through (frustration).  Finally spoke to someone that night that said all the previous charges/reversals would be cleared by 9:00 am the next morning and we could try again.  Tuesday morning I called the fraud department at the bank to notify them that we would have charges to Singapore Air going through and to mark our account for this so that it wouldn't be flagged again.  They were very nice about it and said that if we had any other problems to call them directly.  About an hour later, Singapore Air called, we placed the charges and it all went through! (blessing!!)

We have the tickets we need to go and bring our boys home!  We even have the same row of seats that we have had on the past 2 flights.  We like those seats!!

Tuesday afternoon we got the call from Wal-Mart letting us know that Chris' Leave of Absence (4 weeks) was approved and he would need to fill out the papers that night when he went in to work. (blessing!)

On the way home Tuesday, Chris called and said that he was stopping by Wal-Mart to get his battery checked (light was coming on).  He had to get a new battery and also found out that the alternator in the truck was dead (hence the battery problem).  We took the truck to our car place in Richmond and thought it would cost around $300 to get a new alternator put in.  When we went to pick it up about an hour later, they told us that there wasn't any charges! (BLESSING!!)  The people that own the car place are friends from church and we were talking with them when we dropped off the truck about how the adoption was going.  We had absolutely no idea that they were going to bless us in such a way.  God has truly blessed us this week.

Today some really good friends emailed and have a donation for us to help with our final travel expenses.  The amount is more than enough to cover the travel insurance we took out for the trip! (Blessing!!!!)

We are supposed to take small gifts for the director and caregivers at the Baby Home and Rachael has been able to find some nice things for very low prices!  Also, some of the other things we need for this trip have been a lower cost than anticipated!  (Blessings!!!)

Some other really good friends are going to take Sheba (our dog) in while we are gone, allowing us to save the $420 we would have had to spend at the kennel. (blessing!)

Sunday, we were listening to KSBJ and a song came on (I don't know the title) that seems to be our 'theme song' right now.  It was all about how God uses the little things and frustrations to bring us back to Him and to rely on Him.  Through out this process, we have trusted in God to provide and He has in so many ways!

Please keep praying for us as we get all the little things done and bring our boys home.

Court Trip to Russia

We are home from our very quick trip to Russia for the Court Hearing to finalize (make official) the adoption of our two boys.  All went well.  Our hearing was at 2:00 and we were back at the hotel by 4:00.  Other than the judge stating that we are now the parents of David & Michael, we don't actually have anything to show (we won't get any of the documents until we go back to pick them up and bring them home).

The weather was rather nice (averaged around 0-1 degrees Celsious).

view of the S.... airport from the Park Inn Hotel in Moscow our first night in Russia

view of the Dvina River from our hotel in Arkangelsk (the river is actually frozen over)

 The person in red (lower right side) is cross country skiing on the river

On the way to dinner after our court hearing

 Natalie (our translator) took our picture outside of the Arkangelsk Regional Court after our hearing was over and we were declared to be the parents of David & Michael Larkins

Resting at the hotel in Moscow near the D... airport the night before coming home.


We are now waiting to return to pick up our boys.  Please continue to pray as we have had to make some airline changes and have come across some unexpected financial issues (possible problems). 
We are trusting in God to provide what is needed.  He has been faithful to us in so many ways, but it is hard to not get frustrated or nervous about the issues.
We are looking at about $2200 in various fees in Russia for the boys' papers.
We are anticipating about $2300 just in lodging (hotel stays, not counting meals).
Katy ISD has docked Rachael's March 15 paycheck by just over $1000 which is throwing us off (the offices are closed for Spring Break until the 21st) and we won't be able to get it sorted out before we leave again.
Chris' last day with Fort Bend ISD is this Friday (March 18), and will be on leave from Wal-Mart for about a month, which means no income from there.

Please continue to pray for us, our boys and all the little things that have to be done and in place before we go to pick them up.  Also pray that we will have a good transition home.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!!

As of about 3:45 pm (Russia time) Thursday, March 10, 2011, the judge declared us to be the parents of the Larkins boys!

Now to wait some more before we will be able to bring them home.

We will post more later, right now we need to find something to eat for dinner (we didn't have lunch because our court hearing was scheduled for 2:00 and we were too nervous to eat!).

Anyone know the Russian for: 

Yippee!  Yeah!  Praise God!  Now what??

A comedy of errors????

We have made it to Archangelsk and our court hearing is scheduled for tomorrow at 2:00 pm.

Neither one of us slept very well on the plane to Moscow (I think we both got about an hour each).

We did sleep better at the Park Inn hotel in Moscow, where we spent the night before getting up early to catch our flight to Archangelsk.

Thankfully we didn't have any problems with carrying on our luggage (we didn't want our court clothes to get lost in transit).  However, we did feel like squished sardines on the flight from Moscow to Archangelsk.

After arriving at the Pur Navolok Hotel and checking in, we took a nap until we were to meet with Dimitry (the paperwork guy here).  We handed over the 4 apostilled papers we scrambled to get last week so that Dimitry could get the translations attached and notarized.  We met up with him around 4:45 and got the papers back.  We then paid him the remaining balance of the Russian Program Fee plus the cost of the plane tickets he bought for us (this trip and next trip).  However he preferred rubles.  The exchange bank at the hotel was closed, so I was directed to an automated bank machine that would do the exchange.  We were able to exchange enough to pay him, however, the machine kept one of our $100 bills.  After a phone call from the doorman to the bank, then the girl at the check in desk talked to the bank, and the other girl at the desk talked to the bank, I had to get Dimitry to find out what was going on.  Needless to say, we should be able to get our money back tomorrow morning when someone from the bank comes to the hotel to check the machine.  Nothing to do right now but laugh.......

We met with Natalie this evening at the Adoption Office to go over the papers we had submitted to the court and get prepped for our hearing tomorrow.  Tonight I have to write up our 'speeches' to give in court tomorrow.  Haven't quite decided how to explain the concept of Chris being a stay-at-home dad and I will stay as a working mom.  Not a common concept at home, much less here.  Pray for us.

We have come across several unexpected expenses and we are not entirely sure that we have the funds we need right now.  Once we get back home, we should be able to sort it all out.  Either way, God will provide.

Not sure what the time is right now here in Archangelsk (can't see the clock because Chris is sleeping and if I move I might lose the Internet signal again), but I had better get to work on the 'speeches'.

Please continue to keep us and our boys in your prayers.  Oh, and the judge (a man, not the lady that wanted the updated papers we scrambled to get last week....) and the other participants of our court hearing.

We will post more tomorrow after our hearing.

Hiccups and Blessings

Today has been a really long and ???????? day.

This morning started off as usual at 5:10 when Rachael got up to feed Sheba, fix lunch & breakfast for Chris and then get ready for the day (after going back to bed until Chris' alarm went off).

We both headed off to work.  Today was the 7th grade TAKS testing at school for Rachael.  Just a regular day for Chris (they mowed softball fields).

Fairly normal start to what should have been a normal day.

It developed a hiccup.  Rachael got back to her room around 10:15 to find that our caseworker had called her office and cell phones.  Upon returning the call, we found out that the judge in Russia decided that some of the papers we had submitted (and had been approved by the Ministry of Education and the judge) were 'out-dated' and need to be resubmitted with current dates.

Okay. 

Our medical evaluations & doctor's license as well as the psych evaluation (that was done 18 months ago, but not notarized until recently) needed to be updated before our court date.

Rachael took the afternoon off from school (She has a great administration and school secretary!!) to go to the doctor's office (after going by the house to get blank forms) and was able to get what we need there.

The psych evaluation is another story.  The psychologist is rather hesitant to do anything without sitting down with us first.  We are on a very tight schedule right now and he doesn't seem to understand that.  I emailed him information that he requested this afternoon as well as a sample of the letter we need him to write.  Hopefully, he will be able to get it written tonight and get it notarized tomorrow so we can pick it up.  We still have to take all the papers to Austin to get them Apostilled.  Chris can take them Thursday or Friday.  Please pray that the psychologist will get it all together and ready for us in a very timely manner (we want to have it tomorrow or Thursday).

Rachael was able to go back to school for a few hours to work on the lessons she needs to get ready for her long-term sub (her leave starts this Friday and goes through April 29).  She got 3 of the 6 weeks ready. 

We were able to get the last of the agency papers signed and notarized this afternoon, thanks to our wonderful church secretary!  They will go out in the mail tomorrow (Rachael will drop it off at the post office on her way to pick up our passports with the visas in them from the Russian Consulate), along with the last payment to Buckner/Dillon.

BLESSINGS: we got a call from some friends tonight to tell us that they have a check for us to help with our adoption expenses!!  God is so great!!  When Rachael left school this morning to get the papers done, she had about 1/8 tank of gas in the van.  It wasn't really enough to get her home, doc's office and back to school, but she trusted that it would be enough to get to a gas station after the doc's office.  After praying with our pastor's wife and pulling out of the driveway to go to the doc's, she noticed that there was 1/4 tank of gas, not the 1/8 that was there just a few minutes earlier.  The 1/4 tank lasted from the house to the doc's office and to the gas station.  God surely does provide all we need!!

Please continue to pray for all involved in the process to bring our boys home: us, David & Michael, their current caregivers, the judge and her staff, the Buckner/Dillon staff in Russia, and any other government workers (Russian & American) the we will have to deal with.