Pictures from Russia (touristy stuff)

Here are some of the pictures that we took in Russia when we went to pick up the boys:

Red Square

Inside a 'mall' next to Red Square

Now that we are home...

We are home and settling in.  Things have really been an adjustment for all of us (including Sheba, our dog).  They boys are actually settling in rather well for the circumstances.  Most of the time things are rather 'normal' with some road bumps and tank traps thrown in.

It never ceases to amaze us at how we plan for things then realize after the fact that we need something new or different.  For example, Michael doesn't do well if he has too much space to move around in on the bed.  When we were in Archangelsk, he literally moved all over the king-sized bed we all slept in while staying asleep.  The only time he woke up was when he rolled off the bed onto the floor.  In Moscow, he slept in a standard sized crib and did really well.  He moved around in it, but not as much as the larger bed.  When we tried nap/quiet time on the big bed, he didn't do so well.  We realized that he would need a side rail on his twin bed here at home, so after we unloaded the van, took potty/diaper change breaks and got a drink, we made a list and headed to Wal-Mart.  Definitely a new experience for us all.  Chris commandeered the basket with the boys, while Rachael lead the way with an empty basket for the stuff we needed: side rail for Michael's bed, trashcan with a lid for the dirty pull-ups in the boys' room, more pull-ups for both boys (especially Michael), security lock thingy for the front door (they can open the deadbolt right now; we are going to change it to one that uses a key instead), bibs for Michael (he is a really messy eater, regardless of what he is eating), sippy cups with straws (we are on our second set, the Nuby ones aren't really working well; the Playtex ones seem to be a winner), booster seat for Michael and several other things I can't remember right now.  Needless to say, the basket was rather full by the time we left.  David was asleep in the basket and Michael wasn't far behind him.

So far, they have been to Wal-Mart 5 times, Babies-R-Us once and Kroger's once since we have been home (and we got home last Thursday!).  The original side rail we got didn't work out as good as we hoped.  The twin beds the boys have are storage/platform beds that don't use a box spring under the mattress.  The first side rail we got had a wide base on the post that didn't fit in the space that was available between the mattress and the edge of the platform.  We finally found a 'Cars' side rail at Babies-R-Us that works and fits great!  It is amazing how such a little thing can make a big difference!

Of course when we bought a trashcan for the pull-ups, we totally forgot about something to help with the smell.  Wet ones aren't so bad, but whew!  The dirty ones can make a stench!  Even Sheba turns away when I am taking out the trash bag!  We got a small trashcan so that we won't have too many in there before we have to take the bag outside.  We are trying a box of the Arm-n-Hammer Fridge deodorizer and hope it will work.  We may have to look into other options in the future.  Like I said, even Sheba crinkled her nose when I walked past.  Whatever we are feeding the boy is coming out strong!  We have already figured out that apple juice goes right through him (even watered down!).  Guess we will have to water it down some more or not give him any for a while....

The booster seat for Michael is working out really well.  David is having problems sitting upright on the chair, so we now have 2 pillows behind him and it seems to help a lot.  He still doesn't like to sit up straight in any chair (including the booster seat in the cars; the kind with the high back that is detachable) and we will check with the doctor about any possible back issue that may be causing it.  Or it could be that he is a four-&-a-half year old that wants to do it all his way.

Anyway, there is too much noise coming from their room during 'quiet time' right now (another blog to come all about nap/quiet time) so I had better check it out.

Thanks for the prayers; please keep them coming!

Last Days in Russia and Trip Home

Our last days in Russia were rather uneventful.  Tuesday we got the paperwork from the US Embassy and gave the boys' passports to Alex (a Buckner employee) to take to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register the boys as living in the US.  Since Russia considers them to always be Russian Federation citizens, they have to be registered as living abroad until age 18, even though they are now US citizens.  If we ever move from our current address before the boys are 18, we have to notify the Russian Consulate in Houston. 

Wednesday we had a nice leisurely breakfast and then sat around in the hotel room until lunch time.  Rachael reorganized our luggage and stuff to make it easier to get ready for our trip home on Thursday.  For lunch, we walked to the Starlite Diner.  The boys had chicken nuggets with potato smiles, Rachael had French onion soup, steamed broccoli (which she shared with the boys) and ice tea while Chris had a club sandwich, french fries and a chocolate shake (he graciously shared a sip with Rachael).  Not quite like at home, but good none the less.  As we started to walk back to the hotel after lunch, it started snowing (with some sleet/rain mixed in).  It isn't very far distance wise, but it seemed twice as long with the wind and snow mix coming down rather hard and fast.

We finally figured out that morning that the TV in the bedroom had sound on the channels that actually had some cartoons on it so the boys watched cartoons during nap time.  We watched them in the living room.

We got the passports back around 6:30 that night and had dinner in the hotel restaurant (Radio City Bar and Kitchen).  Really good food!!

We put the boys to bed and then relaxed for a bit before going to bed ourselves. 

5:30 came way to early Thursday morning.  Our ride picked us up in the lobby at 6:30 and we got to the airport around 7:30.  The first thing we did was pack the jackets, hats & gloves as they would NOT be needed when we landed in Houston. The boys did good going through the security checks (including the scanner thing).

Our flight left Moscow at 10:40 (their time) and landed in Houston at 2:00 (our time).  The actual flight time was listed at 11 hours, 45 minutes.  It seemed much longer.  The boys only slept for about 2 of the hours and we didn't sleep at all.  There was space next to Chris so David sat by him and Michael stayed by Rachael.  David was much better than Michael on the plane.  Michael liked playing with the seat belt when he didn't have to have it on, however the last hour (seemed much longer) on the plane we had turbulence before landing and he had to wear the seat belt.  Nothing could calm him down.  Two of the stewardesses tried to help distract him, but it didn't work.  Once we finally landed and stopped at the gate, he calmed down almost immediately (of course that is when the seat belt was undone).  Longest hour ever.

Chris' mom picked us up at the airport.  The plane landed around 2:00 and we finally made it outside around 3:30.  When we went through Customs, we were pulled into a 'secondary room' so that they could process the boys' visas and paperwork (those all important sealed envelopes we got from the US Embassy in Moscow - see previous posts to find out about them).  We were told that it  could take up to an hour to get processed, but it only took about 30 minutes.  Finding our luggage after that was easy, there wasn't much left on the belt (once we found out which belt it was).  Thankfully there wasn't a line waiting to hand over the arrival card and we pretty much just walked up and through. 

The boys spent the ride home looking out the windows and trying to figure out what they saw.  We enjoyed talking with Lela (nice to talk with someone else that spoke American as a first language) on the ride home and catching up on news of family.

Now that we are home, we will post pictures of the boys, our trip, and more information about how they are doing (and how we are doing as well). 

Thanks for all the prayers and support you have given.  We really appreciate it all! 

Here is our 'first family picture' taken in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square:

Pictures from Russia (Snow...)

Here are some pictures from our recent trip to Russia:

Park bench along the walk by the Dvina River outside the hotel in Archangelsk

Boat breaking up the ice on the Dvina River

Person ice fishing on the Dvina River

View from our hotel room in Archangelsk (snow!!)

The little white spots that are hard to see are SnowFlakes falling

Maybe you can see the SnowFlakes in this picture....

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!