Out of internet time!

Our card ran out of time so we're having to go purchase another one this morning. It is so cold here we didn't venture out last night. JJ called about 8:30pm our time – we've loving those nightly calls! Then we were trying to watch some episodes of WAT but between the two of us I don't think we saw one full episode – so we can watch those again! I slept pretty well last night, Brian not as well, but we are adjusting after almost 1-week here. We got a call at 6:30am that a taxi would be here for us at 7:30am so we got ready quickly. We went back to the bigger hospital that we had done our different tests at the other day and we waited in the lobby while Alex got the paperwork completed. We're on our own for the rest of the day now – he said he will call later once he hears what happens with the H's in court and also to confirm plans for upcoming days. He is doing some running around yet with the papers/stamps for these medicals but nothing he needs us for. He needs to talk to Andrew and find out when we can plan to go to the BH again also and visit Nathan Genya. We need to get better pictures of Brian interacting with Nathan Genya – I will have to be taking some these visits!

So we're going to head out into the cold (-25c) and explore the town some! We have a dinner invitation for tomorrow night from a missionary family living here in Irkutsk (found them via Kathy Friend!) so will connect with them later to confirm. I'll continue on the report of our day once we return with more time on the dial-up card!

We ventured out into the bitter cold – with a wind – and were numb within blocks – but we pressed on. First stopped at the office supply store Kirsten gave me direction to for some coloring books for Nathan Genya at our next visit (he said last time he liked coloring books) and we bought a cheap book of paper to make paper airplanes next visit also. We then went to the "Fiesta" for lunch – Brian had a sausage with noodles and most of my borsch soup as I had a piece of chicken with lemon on it and a side of boiled potatoes (along with the borsch). The potatoes started barely warm and were cold by the end of the meal so I left a lot of them but the chicken was good if not completely tender. But it was overall a good meal – I think we ate there in 2004 and we'll go back again. Then we went on to the shopping mall and got Brian a woolen scarf to keep the wind off his neck and face as needed. Nice clerks helped us. Then I stopped and got some face cleaner and we headed out to the cold again. Snapped a few pictures of the frog picture nephew Justin sent with us so will have to figure out how to download those! Then we went grocery shopping – it's not as easy without the translator along. I was able to make sure I was buying chicken and the rest we bought pretty much by picture – we'll see what we got! Honey Nut Cheerios is the same English and Russian lol Walked back to the apartment and now we're just hanging out happy to be able to be "online" again – and also waiting to hear what happened with the H's hearing today.

These Russians are tough – we're not weather wimps but we are bundled up and we look cold. They run around with their beautiful fur jackets (I would take just about ANY of them!) but often with just tights on their legs or maybe not even zipped up – and their faces aren't all red like ours gets! That probably gives us away as foreigners if nothing else does!

So we'll say "da zvedena" (goodbye) for now!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

One thing about buying a first laptop computer two days before flying halfway around the world – you don't know how to do many things on it. This computer has "vista" which I've never used so am learning as we go with it. But one really neat feature of the word program we loaded is that it has a "publish" feature and you can write your blog and upload to blogger (or some others too) directly from word. So that allows me to type my chapters without taking the time off the dial-up connection AND I can start in the morning and finish in the evening!

This computer also has a built in webcam and skype but we have NO IDEA how to use that! Might have to ask Mike & Judy – and then find someone in Hustisford who has a web cam (Dave P, I'm thinking you might?) and maybe we can conference in with JJ someday! We do have plenty of time on our hands so have to just check out what else this machine can do!

Tuesday evening we decided not to venture far into the cold but did try the pizza place directly across the street. They did have an English menu but the servers didn't speak English. They did like we do –just kept repeating what they wanted to say but louder each time! LOL But we got our points across and had a delicious pizza. Most everyone who came in gets just an individual slice but we had ordered a whole pizza – it was like our regular 12" size. It was very good – not a tomato sauce on it but a oil/garlic type one, then we had "meat" (sausage, very good), tomato slices and cheese. We'll go back! Then we had our first Russian Ice Cream for dessert. It was like frozen cream – oh man, it coated the tongue! We probably should have split one (due to fat calories) but no, we each had our own. Chocolate shavings on the top – it was a delicious treat! Paid our bill (about $20 with the sodas and tip) and walked back across the street. We then watched several more episodes of "Without a Trace" – I was falling asleep way too early watching it but then JJ called. "Mom, I miss you!" – boy if that doesn't break your heart! "Do you know when you are coming home yet?" "Will it be right away after the 30^th?" (he's listening!) "Will I still be able to go to Sarah's house tho?" (lol, that made it real and much easier to deal with!) I asked him if he liked his present – the DVD "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (great movie!) - but he said he wasn't going to watch it until he can watch it with ME. I said "no" we can watch it again when I'm home but watch it with Grandma and Grandpa – that's why I got it for you! He can be stubborn tho when he gets something in his head so I'll have to wait to hear if he watches it or not. We had such a nice conversation – he sounded so much more grown up than a week ago!

When I get tired things become a "blurr" so I had to ask Brian what else happened last night! He said I fell asleep during the last episode he watched so I need to watch it again, too complicated to explain what happened. I actually slept quite well last night and woke up a little before 6am today! Jumped online to check comments and emails – our WI Bethany office has everything under control and the needed documents should be on their way to Russia in just a day or so. I can't Thank God enough for the wonderful ladies we work with – both in WI and MI – when you are so far from home it is priceless to know you have people covering you So many people have helped so much in this adoption! As some of my friends are blogging – when our kids get older and say "you don't love me", we have LOTS of ways to tell them how much we have loved them, including as Judy says "we got swabbed for you!" LOL

So now we are just waiting to be picked up to head to the TB specialist this morning. I am not sure if I posted this earlier or not but the reason we're having to do these again (and the H's for the 2^nd time in a week) is that the Judge says she got a new directive/law (like last week Friday?!?) that all international families must complete the medicals like Russian families do. So if we do exactly as that it "should" suffice… And JJ's medical form is just fine – children only need the one page documentation, just the adoptive parents need the 8-specialist one.

JJ, dad says that you need to get that Mario book so the next time you call you can explain better to him where the secret door is – he's having problems finding it! The DS is a good companion for Brian but JJ sure can kick his butt in most of the games!

We're back now from the TB hospital and got our stamps-our lungs look good. Tomorrow we get the infectionist results and then Alex will take the medicals to the judge to see if they are acceptable. If not, we have time to correct yet.

Alex did get a call that wasn't as good – apparently the prosecutor wasn't happy with Brian's presentation in court so we're going to have to work hard to change her mind at the next hearing. We're going to go in with pictures to prove Brian wants to be a dad to Genya and Brian is going to be working really hard in the next week to have his testimony ready. I really don't know why he was chosen to go first in the presentation – he shouldn't have according to our "court outline" and historical precedence but Alex probably should have prepared us a little more also. We specifically ask for prayers for Brian – to help him realize he didn't "fail" this first time and that he does a pleasing presentation to the court next Friday. We have the time now to prepare for this and I think he and I will both be better prepared. I know God didn't get us this far to have something like this stop us – we will be "on" next week! Also learned our necessary documents will be on their way to Russia by Wednesday afternoon your time… God is good and the State of Wisconsin SO helpful!!

This afternoon Skip H. came to visit while his parents ran around IRK a little more. He is an active 6-year old boy and we had to stay inside because it is SO COLD (-23c) today but we all had fun. He pretended he was a dog most of the time LOL. After he left we ate some dinner and now will be watching some more DVDs. I'm not exactly sure what's happening all tomorrow but pray for the H family as they're back in court at 10am. I think we're going to get the results of our last medical test tomorrow but not sure what else is happening. Sometimes we just go when called rather than trying to preplan anything.

You want us to put what where?

Day two of medical paperwork chase had us out of the apartment a little after 8am. We had fallen asleep easily last night but the dreaded 4am wake-up still happened… so we watched a few episodes of "Without a Trace" on DVD. We went to the huge State hospital directly – so much traffic on the way. It was about a 30-minute+ drive from the apartment. We gave our coats to the coat check and put on the plastic blue booties… Two things about Russia that aren't all bad – when you enter a building you have a coat check for free! And you put little booties over your snowy shoes to help keep the floor cleaner! So we went up a level and waited in a hallway for a long time – the Holmes joined us there again. Brian helped keep Skip entertained throughout most of the morning – Skip's no longer shy with us! So then we had to do our first tests for the Infectionist – Irena (Holmes facilitator/translator, like our Alex) says to Judy "be brave!" But Mike went in first and got the instructions… Basically we had a long stick that had to go "where the sun don't shine" and then we put it into a test tube and it self-closed. This was done by us all individually in the privacy of a big room (but we were in there alone-it wasn't some wierd group activity LOL)… It was, to say the least, interesting. So then we went back up the steps for more swabs – we got our nostrils and throats swabbed. We'll find out the results Thursday morning but we're also not sure exactly what they were testing us for (parasites maybe?) – but overall it really wasn't bad. As Judy said "will make for interesting blogging tonight!". Then we were seen by the Neurologist. He was a Dennis Brendemuehl look alike (so some of you can visualize this)! He did reflex tests on us and made sure we could touch our noses when our eyes were closed. Next we went to a general doctor who took our blood pressure and listed to our hearts. We then split from the Holmes and we came back to the apartment for a quick lunch – I made Brian a cheese & egg sandwich and I made some of the rice pilaf Kathy had given me. Then we went to the dermatologist that we weren't able to see yesterday. That was a great visit as Alex just got the signatures and stamps without us having to be seen. Then it was on to the diagnostic hospital – last time we had done a number of tests here, this time I think it is only one or two. But we had our oncologist appointment – this was painless also as Brian and Alex went into the room and came out a while later with the signatures and stamps for both of us. So I didn't get my examination this time (that's ok!). So we have the TB specialist yet and will do that tomorrow – we'll have to get a chest Xray for that and then the infectionist results Thursday and we'll be done with the medical forms! Alex also said he had talked to Judy D @ Bethany headquarters last night so I know first thing today that's all going to be worked on. I forgot you had MLK Day in America yesterday!

So now we're back at the apartment warming up our feet – somehow they got very cold today. It was snowing for awhile in the afternoon and the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. It's still not too bad tho, but we haven't been out in the elements much either. There is a restaurant just across the street from the apartment that says "pizza" so I think we might try that for dinner tonight. We were going to head to Subway but that will be a longer, colder walk. And there is a place next to Subway I want to try also – says "Welcome" on the sign on front so hopefully they have an English menu – Alex says they serve salads, pancakes, etc.

And tonight we'll probably just hang out in the apartment watching DVDs and maybe jump online later to watch the inauguration.

Oh also, the US Embassy in Moscow called Alex this afternoon inquiring how our case went and also how the Holmes are doing. I was impressed with that and happy they know we're here! And Alex also talked to the Guardianship Committee (who is in charge of Nathan's wellbeing) and said he told them what we were doing with the medicals and getting additional documents from the USA – he said he told them to "cheer them up" so they must have been upset at yesterday's events also.

I will answer some of the questions posed in comments:

Barb U – the ice cream here is so smooth – it's like custard but not as heavy – definitely beats Blue Bunny! If I could I'd bring you some home!

Dave P/Jim – you guys play nice and continue to make comments and maybe someday you'll get a gift from us!

Morgan – You would say "dra-stwit-za" to say hello, but when most everyone answers their cell phones they say "hello"

Pete – I didn't have to go into the cage, but Brian… No, not really – It was empty during our hearing! Thank goodness!

Craig - the documents are all in English but then translated into Russian and attached. No real interesting food yet. And the interesting tests you learned about above!

We're doing ok – not sure when we'll see Nathan Genya again but working hard to get everything done so we can have some good news soon! When I told Alex about JJ's phone call last night and his sadness at my response he said "well hopefully we'll be able to give him some good news soon" – and we pray we will!

After the court hearing

I'm sure there are many of you who have been checking this throughout the night to find a report and here it is. Overall, even though an adoption did not get approved it was NOT a totally bad experience. Let me explain. First of all, we aren't denied – we have another court hearing scheduled for January 30^th at 10am. We need to have our medicals done here in IRK and we need to get a number of updated or new documents from the USA. The biggest issue right now is that the judge doesn't understand the relationship between Bethany Christian Services (our homestudy agency) and Nightlight Christian Services (our overviewing agency who is accredited to work in Russia). She doesn't know why it's not just Nightlight for home study, etc. Alex tried to explain but we need to get better documentation on this and get letters from the State of Wisconsin to say they're aware of this. She doesn't want Nathan to get forgotten due to the different states involved. I've already emailed the list off.

So we get to court for our 10am appointment and waited in the courtroom. (My hair looked very nice due to the flat iron Kathy left for me to use!) The court room is very small and has the cage for criminal trials in there also. It was not nearly as formal or imposing as I expected it to be – even the judge's seat was on the same level as us, not elevated like in the USA. We were prepared for the judge and she really was quite like I expected – she's of Asian descent, wears glasses, never really changes her expression but wasn't as scary as I thought. Brian said she didn't really like direct eye contact either, she'd often look away when he looked at her. So anyway, we all state who were are, we say we don't speak Russian and need an interpreter and Olga (works with Alex) was our interpreter. She did well – lots of talking. When we first came in the room the window was open and it was a little chilly but not too bad. Before we started that window was closed and by the end of the 3 hours it was stifling in there!

So we were prepared that I would talk first and then Brian would present – and he could pick up some of the items he might get asked from my presentation. But for some unknown reason (Alex doesn't even know why) she called on Brian to go first and he got grilled with lots of questions he really didn't know the answers to or wasn't prepared enough with answers. For the most part he did really, really well – there are only a few I said later what she was looking for. I think he, and later I, were so nervous we were reading things into questions and for awhile it was confusing if they were asking us questions about Nathan or JJ and we really need to clarify those for next time. There were lots of mentions of Joshua – what he is like, how he does in school, how are we involved in his education, what does he think about a sibling, will they sleep in the same room, some questions about his adoption… his ears were probably ringing!

We did feel all the prayers – I really was not nervous after the first few minutes and really just more observant on what was happening. The hearing was postponed until the 10-days we asked for a little after 1pm. The time had gone fast. I was so hot and thirsty that I needed something to drink (just water, not vodka!) Alex, Olga, Brian and I went to a place near the courthouse – they had an English menu – and we downed some water and cokes. Nice lunch. We went over what the judge all wants for the next hearing so that I could get a handle on it to request from our agency. The Holmes family and their facilitator met us at the restaurant – we are working on doing our medicals together so they appear the same as we're both going after the same thing right now. It was nice to meet them in person finally! So after lunch we all headed out to get some of our medicals done – we already have the drug & alcohol specialist, the psychiatrist and I think one other done. Tomorrow we have three meetings (the oncologist had our names in the system from last time!) and then the final two will be done on Wednesday I think. But we really have to get the documentation from the USA to make it worthwhile to head back to court on the appointed day. It is doable but will be a lot of work for our wonderful support people in the states!

We finally got back to the apartment around 5:45pm and I made dinner. We've just hung out here again tonight – like we did last night also, never got out for ice cream! We haven't ventured out once yet but really due to no time. Maybe during these next few days. Hey, Kathy or Kirsten, do you know if they sell Clinique product here? I really have to get some face cleaner – the cheap stuff I brought along just isn't cutting it! J

So I know this isn't the report you were hoping for but it's as well as we expected it to be – JJ called just a bit ago asking "how'd it go?" and was very disappointed to hear we don't have Nathan – give him a little extra support today please!

Until later – keep commenting!

And dial up is very, very slow and jerky! :)

Kathy, yes - got the suitcase this afternoon so can have straight hair for tomorrow! Trying that download now also -- couldn't get the internet card to work that you sent me? I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but have a different one now... Trying that download now! Seeing Judy tomorrow, we're apparently doing some of the medicals together! More update tomorrow!

First Sunday in Siberia

We had a good night's sleep and woke at 6am to be ready to leave at 7am again. Uneventful trip and a nice visit. We had brought a little Fisher Price flip phone that says numbers and teaches numbers and letters, etc - and takes some fake pictures. Nathan Genya loved that and would not give it up! He was very sad leaving the room without it at the end of the day! And you all know how Brian continually opens and closes his phone??? Well, Nathan Genya does the same thing! Somewhat annoying - LOL! We played with a balloon again, watched a Russian DVD, saw his "costume room" and got a picture with us all in funny hats and just had a nice, though much quieter than the previous days, visit. Maybe he realized he doesn't have to entertain us all the time. We did some color with water and played cars awhile too - but the phone was the big star.

After we got back into IRK Alex came by to go over the court hearing with us. He wasn't able yet to make any medical appointments for us as he's trying to check what "correct hospitals" we need to go to. So we're not certain how far the court hearing will go tomorrow - if it will end after we do all the introductions, etc and after she rejects our medical papers (that we know will happen) or if she'll go further before postponing. The postponement length is uncertain at this time - after we would resubmit the papers it could be a few days or many days. Life is just full of lack of timeframes right now.

I was thinking of this on the trip home today - how it's so hard to be away from JJ for this length of time but yet this is not a trip for him to have taken. He is at the best place he can be right now (surrounded by friends and family and in competent care) - and he has known us as his mom & dad since he was 1-day old and he's 8 3/4 years old -- so now JJ needs to give us up for 1-week for every year he's been alive so we can give another little boy a chance to have a family. We are Nathan's chance - he probably won't get another one - and we press on.

As for the communication barrier - yeah, it's there! But we do manage to get our points across - Nathan Genya pulls you to where/what he wants you to do or says "nyet" when you pull something out to do and he doesn't want to or if all else fails we just go to something else. Starting to do a little bit with "signing" and saying the english and russian work -- but he really does repeat so well that once he stops hearing the Russian so much I think the English will come. And once we're home in WI I do have a friend lined up to come in and translate for us -- she's a native Russian speaker and will be an immeasurable help to our family (Hi, Elena!) :)

Tonight for dinner I'm making pork chops with some "tex fries" - we didn't have lunch so it will be an early dinner. We'll probably hit a convenience store for some sodas and ice cream too - yummy russian ice cream! My travel scale says I've dropped 5 lbs in these last days (which probably isn't right) but gives me some room to eat ice cream. Since we now don't have to go to the internet cafes to post we don't get out of the apartment as much!

The trip to Cheremkhovo today was again done in the dark - the sun doesn't rise until after 8:30am! But the trip back today I actually got to see the countryside and small villages we go through as I didn't fall asleep! It has to be a very hard life for many people here.

Few final things - 1. Happy Birthday, Betty! I never remember the exact day but I know it either just was, is or is coming soon (the 17th is it?) and 2. JJ you can have the gift when Grandma gives it to you - remember I said Sunday or Monday?? You don't have many this time so you have to spread them out! 3. Samantha, how's Candy doing?

And to all of you suffering in the cold in Wisconsin - it's actually very pleasant here in Siberia - it was -11c this morning and is much warmer when the sun comes out -- yep, we came here to warm up!

JJ, we love you and miss you so much! Everyone, please keep us in your prayers tonight - we're anxious but not nervous for tomorrow - we will answer any questions honestly and feel quite prepared for what she might ask us. We'll just review and review in our heads tonight and then get a good night's sleep and have breakfast and then we'll be there. We give our trust to God.

Love the comments - keep them coming!