Oh Happy Day!

As previously posted, we have tickets out of IRK for Moscow on the early flight tomorrow. We figured we'd drive ourselves NUTS sitting around for the afternoon flight and aren't going to sleep well anyway!

Genya slept until after 8:30am today! What's up with that?? I got a call from Sarah E, Samantha and JJ – JJ telling me his likes Turkey Loaf and LOVES fish frys "don't you remember, Mom? I have liked since I was 7!" I said I didn't but we'd discuss in person soon as Dad and I are totally craving a Wisconsin Fish Fry!!

We woke up to SNOW this morning – and it snowed all morning and early afternoon! Probably the most snow we've seen at one time since we've been here! Funny!!

We also got a call this morning telling us we'd meet at the passport office at 10:30, not 10am. I said that was fine but we had to be at the airline office by 1pm when they close for lunch! I had check flights online in the morning and it said you had to book at least 24-hours in advance so I thought we maybe would only be able to get the afternoon flight (2pm) tomorrow and didn't want to miss that. Alex and Andrew both arrived on time and by about 11am we had the passport in hand. It wasn't so quick and easy as it usually is apparently but I had seen it at one point so I knew it was there! It might have been an issue as Genya's name is only spelled with one "N" at the end in Ninmann – but Andrew said not to worry as it's the Russian name that matter. Nathan is Naytan – but it is stamped that he can leave the country – YEAH!! Then we went to the Aeroflot office – we were (obviously) able to purchase the tickets for tomorrow morning's flight! I told Andrew he had to wake up early but can sleep afterwards LOL Little payback to him – oooh, mean! The ticketing process took longer than getting the passport – was probably about a 30-minute procedure! The girl spoke quite good English but it was just a process to get – copies of our passports, coppies of our visas, hand write the credit card slip, call in for credit verifications, print the e-tickets, etc… Brian and Genya waited patiently!

Then Alex, Brian, Genya and I went to our apartment where Alex went over all the paperwork he was giving me that I hand over to Philip in Moscow. There was one word translated wrong that he's going to re-do tonight – it said in WI we could adopt if the child's parents were both "diseased" (deceased is the correct word!) so he's going to change that word out in the document and get us new copies with Andrew tomorrow. There also is an error in the letter from the Ministry in Moscow (the one stating Genya was on the databank long enough) – anyway they have us living in France in the Russian letter but Alex translated it correctly – AND he spoke to Philip about this and he's not concerned so we shouldn't be either. We then paid him the obscene amount of rent for living here for 60-days! Took a picture of Alex with Genya and then said our goodbyes. Alex said he might come to the USA in July so if he does we'll try to meet up with him then – otherwise I said I wasn't sure we'd be in Irkutsk real soon so would have to meet him in America sometime! We then asked him to tell Genya that tomorrow we're going on an airplane, etc. Genya's response? "Do I get to wear a helmet and special gloves?" We think he thinks he's flying a military plane!! Oh, he might be disappointed! LOL!

As Alex was leaving Genya was helping Brian change the phone line from the computer to the phone – well, yes, he tugged too much again and killed the phone! Brian indicated for me not to tell Alex and was able to fix it (again) in a little bit. He told Genya he can't fix everything with "Scotch" (Russian word for tape)… The phone line works fine again!! I emailed to Philip in Moscow our arrival information and asked when I should have the travel agent book us a flight home…waiting for that response as I type this.

We headed to our "blue door café" for lunch – had to say goodbye to that great lady. I had Alex write out our goodbye note and she read it and wrote us a response so now we have to find out what she wrote to us!! While taking our order she asked Genya, in Russian, if he spoke English – he said "nyet" but I said "yes you do! One, two, three" and some other words… he must not realize he's speaking English when he does! We had a good lunch again today – Genya wanted soup but didn't eat much (didn't eat much all day today?!?) but he did put my tea bag in his apple juice and thought that was great! He doesn't like his tea with milk – just with a little sugar. He did finish a sip of my coffee this morning and DIDN'T like – good! Then Brian and Genya went for a walk while I went back to the apartment to start packing. Put in "Abba's Number Ones" CD and started… by the time the disc was done I had it pretty much done – just the last minute items to do. I did use our three big suitcases – figure the somewhat broken one will work fine and better than jamming into the smaller one! And they're all just over 16-kilos so even when adding the last minute items we should be underweight – or at least not too much overweight on luggage!

When I was finishing up the boys came back – Genya found my luggage scale and started playing with it – entertained him for HOURS! Glad I saved that until the last day (actually was packed away so sort of forgot about it). He weighed everything he could and then just kept pulling it. One casualty this morning was my travel alarm clock. Genya dropped it accidently (about a 6" drop) and the seconds hand got stuck so it doesn't work correctly. Sure, the day we NEED the alarm to wake up! So Brian set the alarm on the DS and we are waking at 4:19am tomorrow – I asked why that time and he said "because!" I said it's fine as I'll not sleep much anyways and I have to let the flat iron cool before packing anyways!

As they were watching a DVD I went to our local deli hoping the blond girl was working so I could have her read my goodbye note – she was and she smiled and said "spasiba" – I then bought some pierskees for us – cabbage for Brian and I and potato for Genya. Now we're just watching TV cartoons until we go to dinner later across the street and show those girls our goodbye note and have a nice dinner. I plan for us to watch "Monsters, Inc" tonight after Genya's bath. I'm sure he won't go to bed any earlier but not sure if sleeping in his clothes for tomorrow would be understood so I'll have him sleep in his PJs and we'll just dress him in the morning!

I'll probably post one more time tonight but going to put this one out there now so maybe we can get a few comments before bed tonight and travel tomorrow!

So today I get to post some of the Psalm verses that I found a few weeks ago – please take these in the spirit they are intended (the first is so relevant even tho we had snow today!) Actually I'm only posting two – the "appropriate one" and a wonderful one… some more might come when we leave Moscow!

Ps 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand; He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

Ps 150 – Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.