Life is absolutely crazy (and not in a good way)....

Things have been crazy in our house for the past few weeks!!

*Our outside AC unit started acting up about 2 weeks ago, and last week it finally died.  As in, Totally Dead!  We have a Home Warranty company that we really like (most of the time!) and so I called them last Monday night and they assigned it to a repair company who came out on Wednesday (23rd).  The motor is shot and the wiring is really bad, so they totally disconnected the unit from the electrical supply to prevent any further problems (fire hazard??).  They then contacted the warranty company to get approval to replace the entire unit, who then said that they wouldn't pay for some things (removal of old unit, removal of old R-22 freon, acid cleaning of copper lines going into the house & placement of a sight glass on the new freon line=$525)  We approved the first 3 things but declined to accept the 'Optional Up-Grade of the Sight Glass ($150).  The AC company then said they wouldn't put the unit in unless we said we would pay for the 'Optional Up-Grade of the Sight Glass'.  Apparently, future reading of the freon won't be accurate if they can't 'see' the level.  I thought the freon was checked via the pressure.  Guess I was wrong!!  Anyway, as of Friday (25th) afternoon, I had contacted the AC repair company: approved the charges of $375, declined the $150 Sight Glass; contacted the home warranty company who then contacted the AC repair company and got 'official approval' to order the new unit.  The home warranty company then pushed the order through and it should be sitting in the 'Orders to be Filled' box at the suppliers when they open for business on Tuesday.  It is really hot in our house and we are praying that the order gets filled on Tuesday, the AC repair company can get it installed on Tuesday (Wednesday at the very latest!) and the house can get back to a normal temperature (most anything below 95 degrees would be great!!)  It would also be nice if we all could get a good nights sleep!!  Although Chris and I have both lost weight........

*We got 'The Letter' from the IRS on Thursday (24th).  Was so hoping that we wouldn't have to deal with this.  Basically, 'The Letter' is a form letter stating that the IRS is going to 'Examine' your tax file to see if you really qualify for the exemptions that you claim, regarding adoption expenses in our case.  Since we only make about $75,000 a year (between the 2 of us) and are expecting to get around $30,000 back (most of it is a one time thing since you can only claim international adoption expenses one time after the adoption is finalized), I am not entirely surprised that we were 'Red Flagged'.  I spent 20 minutes on hold then 30 minutes talking with a really nice lady at the Philadelphia office of the IRS Examination Office.  I put it rather bluntly to her: What (exactly) do we need to do to get this processed correctly and completely the first time?  What exactly do we need to send in?  What exactly do you (IRS) want to see?  What do I have to do to the individual papers (put Chris' name & social at the top of each and every one)?  After she got done laughing (apparently most people don't ask those questions), she told me exactly what papers/documents/receipts to send, what to put on each page, how to send it in (certified, return receipt requested and we sent it in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope) and the basic time line to expect (30-45 days to 'review', if all is okay and file is closed then we would get a check in 2-6 weeks).  Not really happy about having to wait any longer!!  We really need that refund right now, but we know that there is a reason it has been delayed and that God will provide for us through this time!!  Anyway, made the phone call Thursday night, got the papers organized Thursday night, put name & social on papers Friday and made copies Saturday morning then dropped it off at the Sugar Land Post Office around 11:00 Saturday morning, sent in a flat-rate Priority Mail Envelope, certified mail and return receipt requested.  According to the USPS website, it is on its way and is scheduled for delivery in Philadelphia on Tuesday, May 29.

*The last week of school is upon us (both David & Rachael) and I hope things go well (and that we don't sweat to death before the AC gets fixed!!)  David's Kindergarten Graduation is Wednesday May 30 and we are really excited!!  They have decided to promote him to 1st Grade next year, with ESL support.  We (us and the school) decided to keep him in the ESL program which will give him the extra support and time needed for reading.  He is doing great (mastering) everything else.  This summer I will work with him specifically on reading to help make sure he is ready for 1st Grade in August.  We are all so ready for Summer Break!!!!

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!

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.

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.

The missing papers arrived today....

The papers from the psychologist came this afternoon!

Now to get them Apostilled on Monday.  Copies made then send overnight mail via FedEx. 

They should arrive at Buckner Tuesday morning.  They will send them out to Russia that afternoon.  Papers should arrive in Russia by the end of next week.

YEAH!!!

Talked with our caseworker this afternoon.  The judge that will be hearing our case has resolved his issues with the apostilles and our papers should get to his desk in time to get a court date.  Our caseworker thinks that we should be able to get a court date for around the end of February (unless it comes earlier).

YEAH!!!!

Getting closer......

Please keep praying that the process goes smoothly.  Once we get a court date, we will have to apply for multiple entry visas (a little higher cost than expected), buy plane tickets to Moscow and make sure that we have everything we think we will need in Russia for the court date.

Please continue to pray for our boys as they are waiting for us.

Oh, by the way, YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More Papers...

Apparently, our Dossier made it to Russia without some necessary documents.

We thought that we had it all ready to go.  Checked the list & documents before heading to Austin.  Checked the list & documents after getting them Apostilled.  Checked the list & documents at the FedEx Office after making copies.  Checked the list & documents before sealing the envelope. 

The papers we are missing were not listed.

Papers they need:

*2 notarized copies of the Home Study with the correct ages listed.  (check)
*2 notarized copies of the Psychological Evaluation for Chris (No check)
*2 notarized copies of the Psychological Evaluation for Rachael (No check)
*2 notarized copies of the psychologist's license (No check)


I have contacted the psychologist.  He should be able to get it all together tomorrow and get it in the mail to us.  He is in Houston, so it shouldn't take long (mail wise that is; not sure on the timing of the psychologist).

We have copies of the Home Study ready to go.

Now we wait again.

This shouldn't put us behind as the judge that will be hearing our case (along with several other families) is having some issues with the Apostilles.  He wants the Apostille to verify the signature of the person signing the paper, not the notary's signature.  The whole point of the notary is to verify the signature of the person signing the paper.  The Apostille is to verify that the notary is legally allowed to verify the person signing the paper.

Confused yet?????

Either way, we should be 'back on schedule' by the end of next week.

On a different topic, our water heater decided to spring a leak yesterday.  Thankfully the home warranty assigned a great plumbing company to it.  By the time I got home (around 4:00 pm), we had a brand new water heater installed and heating water!  Our cost: $55 service fee.  Home Warranties Rock!  Since the date on the old water heater is from 1979, I think it had a good life......

Papers are on their way...

We got the Dossier papers Apostilled Wednesday morning and sent them to Buckner the same day!

It took less than 2 hours total to get what we needed done:

*pulled into a parking garage at 10:14
*walked to the Secretary of State office, signed in & went to the basement office
*waited about 10 minutes for the papers to be processed & brought back to us
*spent 2 minutes checking them to make sure they were ready to go
*went back to street level, signed out, walked down 1 block and then down Congress about a mile (Chris said it was more like 17 miles!) to the FedEx Office
*made copies of the Apostille papers
*mailed the package via FedEx Priority Overnight to Dallas
*walked back to the parking garage and left there around 11:50

All in all, a good day's work.

Got an email from our case worker today stating that they were going to forward the papers to Russia today.

Now to wait for a phone call letting us know the court date!

Getting closer!

Please continue to pray for our boys and us during this time.  So far we think we are okay financially with what we have in our Adoption Account (based on estimated costs, unless things change or go wonky).

Adoption Shower at School

Thursday, November 18th, Rachael's Elective Department hosted an Adoption Shower for us at her school (Beckendorff Junior High, Katy ISD). 

 A lot of her co-workers showed up to help celebrate our boys. 

Here are some pictures:



The yummy cake.  It was half chocolate and half white.
Rachael got 1 bite and took a piece home to Chris.





Some shots of those who came to help celebrate



Amy (the other Home EC teacher) & Kari (the Tech Ed teacher)
getting ready to serve the cake and super yummy punch



Getting ready to open gifts



Matching jammies for the boys



2 sets of sheets (Disney Cars & Toy Story)

We also got gift cards, some toys (dump truck, fire engine that makes noise,mega blocks), sippy cups, snack cups, 2 outfits and a few other things.

We really appreciated the shower!

Rachael made up a collage of pictures of us and the boys to show off to those who hadn't seen them yet.  Everyone thought they looked really adorable!

We are still waiting on our FBI clearance.  Other than that, the papers are pretty much ready to get notarized, Apostilled and sent to Dallas to check then send to Russia.



Please continue to pray for us as we finish getting things ready for the boys.  So far, it seems as if we have the funds we need, unless airplane ticket prices go up or something else happens.  We know that God will provide what we need, when we need it.

Still waiting on papers

We got some more papers in this week, but we are still waiting on the FBI clearance and the corrected age on our approval forms from USCIS.  We are still waiting on approval for our court application, then we can print it and when the rest of the papers come in, get all of our papers notarized.  Once that is done, we will take everything to Austin to get Apostilled before overnighting it to Dallas.  I am praying that we will get all our papers done and sent to Russia in early December.  We probably won't be able to get a court date until January. 

Rachael's school is throwing us an Adoption Shower this week, so our Wal-Mart Baby Registry has been updated recently. 

We are getting things ready for our boys.

Missing them and praying that we get to bring them home soon.

Kotlas Baby Home

I know this is late in coming, but here are some pictures of the Kotlas Baby Home, where our boys are currently residing.



The sign outside of the entrance.



Part of the playground (outside the entrance)



Looking out towards the river



One of the play structures on the playground



On the wall in the stairwell, made from fabrics, ribbons, paper, etc



An indoor garden that the children get to enjoy & sometimes help out with watering





Standing in the doorway of the room where we met our boys for the first time after they left for lunch (we wore blue shoe protectors while inside the building since we didn't have 'indoor shoes' with us to change into from our 'outside shoes'.

 We are still waiting for papers to get processed before we can take everything to Austin to get apostilled and send off to Russia. 

Please continue to keep us and our boys in your prayers.  We won't have any contact with them until the adoption is finalized in Russia, so we are just praying that they stay in good health.  Please continue to pray for their caregivers as they take care of our boys.

Rachael has updated our Baby Registry with Wal-Mart if you are interested in helping get some things that are needed.......








Home for now & Pictures

We have been home for a week and missing our boys!  Today we went and had pictures printed (203 of them!) to put in a book to show.  I will post some pictures here as well. 

We arrived in Houston last Sunday (10th) about an hour early which was nice.  We got home around 3:00 and met up with Chris' Mom and StepDad for dinner before going to bed (around 8:30).  We both were really glad to sleep in our own bed!  The beds at the hotels were rather hard and not very comfortable (we are spoiled) and Rachael had a hard time with the feather pillows (she will be taking her own pillow on the next trip).

Chris had the week off from both jobs and spent the time resting.  Rachael took off Monday (was a staff development day) but went back to work on Tuesday. 

Here are some pictures we took during the trip (unfortunately we can't post any of the boys):


Chris in the Novatel Hotel in Moscow the first night

 

The restaurant we ate in at the hotel.  Chris had the Meat Lasagna and Rachael had the Chicken Kiev.



Closeup of the sign.....



Chris in the Pur Novolok Hotel in Arkangelsk (we stayed in the same room both nights: Tuesday & Friday)



The Pur Novolok Hotel in Arkangelsk



Rachael with our Assorted Meat Pizza at Uno Momento in Arkangelsk (really good pizza!)



Chris on the small twin engine turbo prop plane on the way to Kotlas
(our pilots were students in training with the instructor in one of the front seats)

 

View from Rachael's seat in the third row on the plane to Kotlas.

 



The entrance to the Cafeteria in the hotel in Kotlas with the hours posted.




Rachael snuggling with the boys' blankets in the sitting area of our hotel room in Kotlas.



Flying over Kotlas on the way home.

 



Rachael relaxing in the hotel room in Moscow the night before flying home.



We will post pictures of the orphanage later.

Thank you for your prayers and support.  Please continue to pray for our children.  Right now we are back in the 'Paper work and Waiting' stage.



Great Day!!!

Chris and I both took Wednesday off to get Adoption Stuff done and had a really long but great day!


*Dropped off Russian Visa applications in the morning (took about 15 minutes) without any problems.  Our passports will be ready to pick up Monday afternoon.


*Had breakfast with friends and got to spend some wonderful time with them.


*Bought really cute fabric to make blankets for our boys. {See below}


*Stopped by the church to get papers signed, witnessed and notarized.


*Added items to our Wal-Mart Baby Registry.


*Bought mattresses for the boys' beds.

*Got a phone call from the Officer that processed (and APPROVED) our Immigration Papers!!!  They are on their way to us as of Wednesday morning!


Very busy day, but so worth it!

This is the fabric that will be the blanket for David:  

This is the fabric that will be the blanket for Michael:














Please continue to keep us and the boys in your prayers during this time.  We will be traveling soon and it will be a long and exhausting trip (physically & emotionally) for both of us. 

So far we are current on the paperwork.  I plan to start working on the Dossier Part 2 next week.

Paperwork is progressing

Spent 2.5 hours last night working on paperwork and most of today (classes and students were worked in during the day) but finally got our visa paperwork ready to go.  After Chris got home and cleaned up, we went and got our visa application pictures done (had to measure before cutting as they need to be a smaller size).  They have been glued to the correct applications (getting the applications to print correctly was NOT FUN and spent 10 minutes hogging the school copier to make sure I made 2 correct copies [front & back] while others were waiting for school work stuff).  It is so nice to work with such understanding teachers!

After school I stopped by the bank and picked up a cashier's check for the visa application fee (expedited service please!) on the way home.

We are ready to go to the consulate in the morning.  We are planning on going early (they only take applications from 9-12) so that we won't have to wait long (and have time to fix any thing not correct - PRAYING THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE APPLICATIONS!)

Tomorrow afternoon we are going to the church to get papers signed & notarized (our wonderful church secretary is a notary!) and mail them off to Buckner.

All that is left to do is finish going over the other papers for our trip, work on papers for Dossier Part 2, and add stuff to the Baby Registry we have at Wal-Mart (for those who want to get specific things for the boys/us - gift cards are always welcome!!).  I am sure that there is more to do, but I can't really think right now.  Brain is not working properly due to lack of sleep, and stress.  :)

Only a week and a half before we leave to meet our boys.  We are really excited, but trying to stay calm and relaxed.

We took advantage of Babies-R-Us's Great Trade In this past weekend.  We traded in an old car seat and booster seat for new ones.  We were able to get 25% off  (each) of 2 new convertible car seats that will also work as a booster seat later for Michael, as well as 15% & 20% 2 new tall back booster seats for David.  All totaled was a great deal!!  All 4 cost less than $250!!  So, we are set for transportation issues (one set per vehicle).  We are going to get the mattresses tomorrow. 

Please continue to pray for us and our boys during this time of waiting and paperwork, not to mention the traveling! 

????????

Wednesday I called our caseworker to check on the status of our dossier.  She had a referral ready for us!!!

We are being asked to consider 2 brothers (age 2 & 4) for adoption.

We have an appointment with a doctor at Texas Children's Hospital International Clinic at 10:00 am Tuesday to go over the pictures, papers, etc that we have.  We are praying that all looks good regarding their health.  We will make a decision after we meet with the doctor as to whether or not we want to pursue the boys in adoption.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we meet with the doctor and consider these 2 boys.  Also, keep the boys and their current caregivers in your prayers.

Right now, we are about $8000 short of what we anticipate needing for all of the travel expenses and fees.  Please keep our financial situation in your prayers as well. 

Not much going on right now

Not much has happened since the last post.

School started for Rachael on the 16th (a week of in-service/training sessions and work time), with the students starting on the 23rd.  Things haven't quite settled down with the class loads and such, but it will all work out.

Chris is still working with Fort Bend ISD (on the Athletic crew) during the day and part-time at Wal-Mart (4 nights a week & Saturdays).

A friend finally talked with someone in the Demographic Registrar's office in Puerto Rico about Chris' birth certificate.  As of mid-July, they were just starting to go through the requests that arrived in early June.  They usually take about 2 months to process requests.  When asked if anyone spoke English in the office, the lady said 'yes, we all speak English.  I don't know why they wouldn't talk to your friend, unless they just didn't want to.'  Gotta love government workers!  The money order we sent with the request was cashed on August 12, so at least the papers are in the process.  We are hoping to get them soon (and hopefully they will be English-translated certified copies).

Haven't heard anything yet from our case worker. 

Trying to be very patient.

Trying to focus on work. 

Can't seem to get back into the 'School Groove'.

Please continue to pray for us during this time, as well as our children.  We are still about $8,000 short on the travel funds, but we are confident that God will provide it all in His time.