Last post for a while

Just wanted to let everyone know this is the last we'll have free internet from our computer. We leave very early in the morning tomorrow. Please pray for our flight. 7pm your time. Jack hasn't been very happy lately so we're hoping for the best on the plane for 4.5 hours.

I'll try to post while we're in Moscow but I can't promise anything. My love to you all!

Great morning, and then....

Funny thing, this is part of the cold weather suit we got Jack at the flea market here. It wasn't until we got back 'home' that we noticed the "J" in the corner!

This morning was so sweet. Jack popped up from his crib and stared at us. (Our bed is in same room as crib. We decided to upgrade to a suite so we wouldn't have to tiptoe around him. I'm so glad we did as it wasn't too much more per night.) I got him out and brought him back to the bed and he was very interested in the covers. He seemed kind of slow moving so I turned him and he laid back, in between me and David and we stayed there together with Jack playing with the covers and then our fingers and such for a long time. What a precious moment.

He'd had enough and off we go. We got him fed and then had a nice, calm morning. We still had to keep him occupied but it was calm at least. Then it started. Not sure how, but he started getting cranky and when it was time for lunch he didn't want to eat. (he'd eaten everything before) It seemed like he wasn't feeling good but I couldn't tell for sure if he was just being irritable. He went down for a nap pretty quickly but was very restless and didn't sleep quite the whole scheduled amount of time. We went out again after he got up, like we did yesterday, but he didn't seem like himself and was kind of whiny.

When we got back he seemed a little warm to me. We tried to take his temperature but he pulled it out from under his arm before it finished. Even still it was a little over 100º and I don't like that. We have OTC medicine for him and started him on it before dinner. We tried to feed him and he did eat a little more but just didn't feel well enough to finish.

After a little while longer we decided to let him sleep, which seemed like what he wanted to do, even though it is a little early for him. He might wake up in the middle of the night, but that's ok. We'll be keeping an eye on his temperature but please continue to keep us in prayer. I'm not tremendously worried because it's not like we're in a third world country, but I'd like to not have to get a doctor involved.

Go Bucs

Thanks for all your wonderful comments. It's nice to see notes from home as it's really starting to get a little 'old' being here.

Learning

Suffice to say, it's been a long day. We started out with a nice morning. Jack was in his crib restless for about the last 2 hours of his sleep. I know because David and I both woke up with every turn. Finally, we got up and checked on him and he was peaking through the sides, calmly, with his wide eyes open and just stared, figuring out the situation. I said hello and he immediately got up and wanted me to pick him up. David and I played with him a little in the big bed but he's a morning person so it was playtime first thing.

We had a nice breakfast and then some good play time. He's a tantrum thrower when he doesn't get his way so that's been oh so fun. He seems to be more sleepy than his schedule accommodates for but maybe that's just because everything is so new and it's wearing him out more. He took a mini nap right before lunch and then after lunch took his regular nap. He was up with a cry and then we decided the afternoon was too beautiful to waste. We walked a lot, going to stores and generally watching people and horses. He was definitely worn out when we got back and acted much nicer than yesterday. We had dinner and then a little more play time, along with a visit from his friend Julie. It was then off to the bath which he's ok with as long as he has his squeeky toy but he won't sit down in the tub.

We hung out a little while longer but then I was able to hold him until he fell asleep. I move him to the crib but if he's not far enough gone then he wakes up and cries. Poor little guy. So many new things for him to deal with. Now he's asleep and hopefully he'll have another good night's sleep tonight.

It's been tough as we have to constantly keep him occupied. David has been wonderful about walking up and down the halls with him. Gives me time to clean up and ready the next meal. If he doesn't get his way he likes to throw a tantrum but I think we're learning how to deal with it. It's tough being in a hotel where it's important to keep a lid on his crying. We won't really be able to start any true discipline until we get home due to the circumstances.
(check out the slippers! They rattle when he walks and he finds them very interesting! The floor maid held him a little bit, they've been really great. She decided, along with so many others around here, that his shirt should be tucked into his pants... and they're pjs too.)

We are here another couple of days waiting on passport documents for Jack. We arrive in Moscow on Wednesday for our last week to this trip. We really didn't have a difficult time during our inital two weeks here. We found things to do during down time and slept because we were sick so that helped pass the time. :)

That's all for now. Gotta get ready for tomorrow!

Day 1 of the rest of our lives....

Hello everyone. I really should be in bed right now. The time changes here tonight. We are now 12 hours ahead of EST. I thought I'd introduce you all to Jack Yuri Pentecost though.


We picked him up from the orphanage at about noon and he was all smiles, which was wonderful!!! He fell asleep in the van on the way back to the hotel. About 3 pm he was up and we had snack time, play time, outdoors time, dinner time and then bath time. Getting him settled for bedtime went a little slow but I was able to rock him to sleep. David spent a lot of the play time with him keeping him occupied and trying to avoid all the things he shouldn't get into. That was tough as Jack is a really, really curious little boy.

We are so thankful for all of your prayer and support. Keep it coming. It's all new and kind of stressful at this point. That's all for now. We must get some sleep "for the morning cometh quickly".... love you all!

End of day 10

I'm not sure I got all of my post titles correct but either way, today was the end of day 10 of our 10 day waiting period. Tomorrow, Saturday, we have to be downstairs at 9am to head off to a couple of different stops for yet more paperwork. This will include Jack's new birth certificate among other things. We'll come back to the hotel while our facilitator submits paperwork for Jack's passport. When she returns we will then head over to the orphanage to actually get Jack into our custody. It truly seems surreal.

Today's visit was a little tough at times, but it was still good to go. He's definitely coming out of his shell, if he had one, and we're learning all kinds of things about his personality, his likes and dislikes. He runs to us and gives us kisses and hugs. I think playing kookoo (peekaboo) is his favorite time to do this.

So, this might be my last post for a while, (at least until tomorrow night) but there's no telling what tomorrow will be like so I can't promise anything. Just continue to pray for us and I truly feel God's strength in everything we've done so far.

That's all for tonight. We're gonna get a good night's sleep, hopefully, and become a 3 person family tomorrow! AHHHHH

Rounding the bend... Day 8 into Day 9

It's 8:30 on Friday morning. The weather has warmed up significantly since we arrived. Not sure what the high is supposed to be but it's already 43ºF. Even with a short sleeved shirt on, it gets really warm under my coat. Oh the drama...

Yesterday was a nice day. We started out by going to the orphanage at 9:00 am. Jack walked through the door with his caregiver and saw us from down the hall. He didn't exactly run to us but he didn't holler either which was a great thing. We had to hang out in the lobby area of the 2nd floor since there was a music class going on in the room we usually play in. It took a little coaxing to keep him content, but we did it. They brought out his snack while we were waiting. The same apple slush that he had before. We were told it was juice. Hmmm. So, they clarified, it's like a puree but they call it juice. It was probably made there at the orphanage and I think it was pretty good.

When we got into the play room we could tell he was a little cranky. It wasn't until the end though that it became a tiny bit of a problem. On the other hand, there were several people coming in and out of the room, which kept distracting Jack from us and that didn't help. There were two other families that came in with little babies, probably spending time with the little ones they might adopt.

The unexpected event of the morning was that we got to see his playroom and his sleeping room. He was NOT happy about going in the sleep room. I think he thought he might have to lay down again. The room was kind of small and full of cribs and what I would consider toddler beds. They were higher off the floor than toddler beds back home, but they had little rails on each of the 4 sides. I asked if he'd gotten out of these because of the acrobatics we've seen him do with us. I'm not sure they understood the question and just said he sleeps through the night. That's good news.

His play room had about 12 other children in it with 4 caregivers, at that moment. I thought the room was kind of small for that amount of children but it worked. There were lovely drawings on the walls and homemade banners from the caregivers. In all the place was made to be more like a daycare and wasn't clinical feeling which was nice. Jack is definitely the biggest in his group and I understand why they say he's the 'boss'.

Our time came to an end and we headed back to the hotel. We met up with the other two couples and made it to Micks, a contemporary style cafeteria with very good food. We then walked to the Children's store and found some more toys and boots for Jack. Hopefully they'll fit!

We had purchased tickets for the theater which is right next to our hotel and went to see a Tchaikovsky Opera at 7pm with the other couple that came in with Josh and Julie. The building was old, but lovely. It seemed a bit small but it actually held quite a few people comfortably. The backdrops were really well done too. We didn't understand a thing but the orchestra was incredible, the voices were very expressive and emotional, and who really understands what's being said in an opera anyway. Here's a snapshot of the theater curtains, and the coat check coins/program.

We got back and spent an hour hanging out with Josh and Julie since Josh has to head back home this morning. He'll be back but after we leave so we won't get to see him again until they decide to vacation in Florida!

Today, Friday, we are scheduled for another visit with Jack at 3pm... the last real visit. We were told we will be doing paperwork on Saturday morning and then we'll pick up Jack, for good, some time around noon, if all goes according to plan which seems to be about 75% of the time.

I can't promise consistent blogging after we get Jack but I'll do my best! :) Thanks for the comments and notes of encouragement. We really appreciate you all!

Day 7 into day 8

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a really nice day. We slept in a little because we didn't have to go to the orphanage until 3pm. We ate a good lunch out and had a couple of great Lattes. 'bout time we had some good coffee. :) It's getting warmer here so the ice is melting and dirt and slush are everywhere. My poor boots...

When we got to the orphanage we were asked if we'd like to spend time with Jack outside or in, and so we said, 50-50. As I said, the snow was melting and it was very slushy/dirty but we wanted a little time outside instead of keeping him couped up in the room for the whole two hours. Jack came outside where we were and wasn't very happy with the situation. I don't think he can breath under all of those layers of clothes! We had an ok time outside and he initiated a time of peekaboo (KooKoo). We then went inside and had a much better time out of that stuffy coat and boots that were too big for him. He was much more verbal and more affectionate at times, even though he fussed every once in a while. Over all, the visits are getting better and we're learning more and more how to handle him. We even each got kisses from him, purposefully, so that was a highlight!

After we got back we hung out with Josh and Julie while we ate our nightly dose of ramen noodles. Their court hearing was successful and that was great to hear!

I am looking forward to another great visit with Jack today. We also need to do some shopping for baby food as the weekend is almost here, the part of the week we've all been waiting for!

Below are some pictures of Laundry day. Oh such fun.
Here's a picture of the little nook of a room we're in. I'm standing at the window. There is a desk to the left and a TV to the right but basically, this is it! :)

Day 6 of 10

On Saturday, on the way to the Flea Market, we took some pictures with Pushkin and his woman. I was trying to do my facial expression like hers but all you can see is my puffy red nose and cheeks. I think that was the coldest day so far, with the wind making it feel especially cold. At this point the weather has warmed up a lot. The ground is basically slushy mud, great for shoes... (not).
We went to see Jack again this morning and because there was music class going on the the room we normally play with him, they told us to take him outside for 30 minutes. We waited in the lobby for him. He was walked in with all his outerwear gear on. He saw us and started running the other direction. I really think he just doesn't like going outside, at least not with us. We went out to the playground and he just stood around and walked a little. Towards the end of our outdoors experience his 3 fingers found his mouth and he started to doze off a little. We went inside and took off his warm clothes and he was happy again. He was definitely a little more focused today, playing with the toys in the room and sneaking a cheerio from us every once in a while.

By the way, the other family's child wasn't actually at our orphanage so we didn't have to share a room with them.

We were able to feed Jack lunch again today. He didn't want to finish all of it though. At first I thought it might be because of the Cheerios we'd been giving him but I think it was because of the teacup of thin applesauce he drank about 30 minutes before they brought in his lunch. After lunch we said pa-Ka and he waved his hands goodbye (without looking our direction). It was a good visit.

We got back to the hotel and met up with Josh and Julie for lunch. They just left to go for their first visit with their little boy this trip. Tomorrow is court for them so please pray for them! Their orphanage is about an hour away so it's a bit of a trek each day for them.

Until next time....

Sunday is almost gone

We had a great day today. It started with me getting up to meet the American couple, Josh and Julie, that we've been waiting for... :) They just arrived from a long night of travel and were getting settled in this morning.

David and I got up and got ready to head out to a church service that started at 11am. We took a taxi there and it only took about 15 minutes, so we were a little early and spoke with the pastor. He and his family have been missionaries here for about 10 years. There service was (obviously) in Russian and it was very nice. The service was pretty traditional. They opened with singing, the pastor then got up and said some words and then prayed. Then there was congregational singing from a hymn book, a couple of which we recognized, a man then spoke a short sermon. Then a woman came up and read something, maybe a scripture section. The pastor got up and preached in Russian and after that there were more congregational hymns. Prayer and dismissal.

We sat in the back for a while longer until the song leader came and tried to speak with us in English. He was very nice. We spoke with the Pastor and his wife for a while after that and learned a lot about the culture and religious nature of the area. We were very glad we were able to attend even though we didn't understand more than .0001 % of what was said. :)

An American woman who lives here was nice and brought us back to the hotel and we relaxed for a little bit. Josh and Julie were up and we went to a late lunch together at Traveler's Coffee and stopped at the grocery store so they could pick up some things. We get along great and it's so nice to have another couple to speak in english to. :) We might do something with them a little later too.

We're relaxing in the room again. David might doze off soon... We get to go back to the orphanage at 9am tomorrow. There is another couple whose children our living at the same orphanage as Jack so we'll be heading over there and visiting our children together. Not sure yet if we'll all be in the same room together.

Saturday begins... more tidbits of info

Well, it's 10:30 am here. I've just eaten my morning yogurt for breakfast. The packaging is pretty easy to recognize in grocery stores. The milk wasn't so easy but we got it figured out. We bought some Nesquik cereal puffs for those days we're not interested in oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast. Actually, David has been having a sandwich of Nutella and bananas, or Peanut Butter from home and bananas.

The stay in this 12x12(ish) hotel room hasn't been too bad. It's a little small but it's been livable. It helps to have the large window to open things up. Unfortunately we are on the fourth floor and our window overlooks the landing that supports the large hotel sign and limits our view of the courtyard that we enjoyed viewing last time we were here. The other unfortunate thing about being on the fourth floor is that it's where all the noise happens. We were told this was the cheapest room and we've learned why. Not that we're complaining about cheap because 18 nights in a hotel can be quite expensive, but the breakfast buffet, the dentist, the maid service people, the wood floors in the hallway with everyone wearing loud heels/boots, all can get quite loud, especially at night. Oh well. It's nothing to really complain about. :)

Our room has a refrigerator, a telephone, a tv (that doesn't have plug ins to attach an external DVD player to), a desk, a queen-ish size bed, a toilet room with shower stall and pedestal sink, a small coffee table, nightstand, two chairs and NO CLOCK. Yep, I had forgotten that from the last visit and I was very thankful we brought a little travel clock we were given as a groomsmen gift. We also have David's cell phone so we set them both for the times we need to get up, just in case we wouldn't wake up to one... we didn't want to take any chances with the time change and all.

We brought a small water kettle made by bodum. It is really handy. There are hot and cold water dispensers on every floor, but the kettle boils the water and also makes for a handy caraf coming back to the room. Funny thing, I thought it was dual voltage as everything else we have is, so we've just been using an adapter plug. The thing boils water in less than a minute so we have to watch. The directions online say it boils water in less than 4 minutes though I got curious and finally emailed the manufacturer as to whether it truly is dual voltage, since I couldn't tell from the casing. Turns out it is NOT and we've been really blessed that the thing hasn't died on us, or worse. I did bring our converter box, just in case, so we'll be using that with the kettle from now on. :) I think the only "comfort from home" (other than my doggie) I truly miss is my morning coffee. We've resorted to instant and we're making due but I think we're going to try the Traveler's Coffee place down the street sometime soon.

Lets see, what else can I say at the moment, since David is sleeping in, trying to stave off this cold he is starting to feel... It's laundry day today... I brought a travel clothes line my mom had and I'm going to try to find a place to hang it. Not an easy task. There was a warm pipe in the bathroom in Moscow and we just used that to dry the clothes on, not to mention, everything dried fast there, even in the main room. Here, it seems to take a bit longer, but still overnight is enough. We've been able to close the radiator knob so it hasn't been so stiffling in here. We would have to open the window in 5ºF weather, just to cool things down a bit.

I think that's all for now. Thanks for all the comments and helpful tips, especially on the last post. I really appreciate hearing from you all. :)

--------- addition
We've just returned from a wonderfully nice day here. We decided to go for a walk and head to the flea market. We basically need all new outerwear for Jack because what we could find at home was 12 month size. We thought that since children are typically small for their age that it might work for Jack. Turns out he's very close to his age's size, which I think I've mentioned before, so we have to get him new outerwear. We had gone to the children's store but I didn't like much of what I saw there. We ventured out to the flea market today and on the way out we found a booth with just the right size coat/pants set, and another booth that had a warm fuzzy cap that came down over his ears along with a scarf. Now all we need are boots. :) The ones we brought might fit him but are designed in such a way that we can't get his foot in them. He like to help to put on shoes and arches his toes down, making it extra difficult putting shoes on.

We returned to the hotel for a quick potty break and went back out for an early dinner. We made it to Travelers Coffee and were surprised they are a full restaurant. I had the Fettucini with Chicken and Mushrooms, as did David and he added a broccoli/spinach soup. Everything was quite tasty and very reasonably priced. It seemed to be extra windy today so the warm food was especially good. We ended our meal with a well made espresso and latte. (finally some good coffee). After that we went to the grocery store near there to try to find tissues and restock on some other things. Still no luck with the tissues. So, now we're back, relaxing in the room. Well, actually David is downstairs checking for some maps. We're also looking into attending a local church service in the morning and we'll have to take a taxi to get there so I think David is checking on how to do that too. So that's been our day so far. I think we will relax and read books or watch a movie tonight. Hope you all are doing well.

Day 3 of 10

Today started out grey. After a little while the snow started coming down. I thought it was neat because yesterday was on the warm side and I wanted to walk on snow today instead of slip on ice. :)

Our ride came at 9:30 and off to the orphanage we went. Jack was brought in and we said Hello. He walked right over to me and gave me a hug. How sweet it was! We started playing with the toys in the room and then it started getting a little - hmmm - well, rough. We think he might have been teething or tired or both because he started throwing things and when I wouldn't let him pull down the VCR in the room he started throwing a tantrum. Needless to say I was a little nervous about the crying fits since we were on other people's turf with our driver and facilitator watching. I tried to calm him down but he would have none of it. Our driver, Serge, came over and started talking to him in Russian, sort of rough, and that seemed to calm him down a little. We played a little longer and then he was at it again, wanting to get into something he shouldn't and me stopping him and him throwing a tantrum. The next hour pretty much went the same way with others intervening when they didn't want to hear the crying.

At 11:30 they brought in his lunch and we were told we could feed him. I was hoping we would be able to watch him eat with the other children in his group but no. His food was in porcelain dishes, with an adult size spoon and a porcelain teacup had warm tea. First was a bowl of soup and they told us he could feed himself. Uhh, no. He started to but then turned the spoon upside down to get it into his mouth, thus spilling the broth down his chin and back into the bowl I moved up to his chest. They told me to take the spoon and so I fed him the rest, and he munched on a piece of bread in between slurps. Then came the hearty portion, mashed potatoes and a gravy like meat mash. He ate that like a pro with my help. He had some tea in between potatoes and that was a little hard to serve him. In the end we finished without too much of a mess. The caretaker came in and we were told our visit was over as it was Jack's time for a nap. We needed one too.

So, our first really fussy experience was definitely a learning one. We don't get to see Jack over the weekend so we will have to wait until Monday morning to see him again. I think we'll try to find the flea market other's have mentioned, provided David is up for it. He started feeling a little stuffy today so pray it doesn't get to what I had. It's not fun.

FYI: If you ever come to this region, here are a few things that tend to be hard to find in the grocery stores: Tissues, Coffee Filters, Paper Towels, regular Napkins, good Peanut butter and I don't think Washcloths exist. On the other hand, we've had plenty of ramen noodles and there are many different flavors of hot tea! I'll post things like this as I think about them! :)

Day 2 of 10

We had a great visit today with Jack. We had a surprise from our facilitator. She told us we were going to take Jack to get his photos done for the Visa. This was wonderful news except I hadn't come prepared for it with bib and baggie just in case he got car sick. You see, these children have likely never been in a car except for the one that brought them to the orphanage originally. There is a chance they've gone to medical exams, but typically all the medical stuff is done at the orphanage.

So, here we were, waiting in the hall of the orphanage for the caretaker to bring Jack to us for our fun car ride, and in walks this tightly bundled little thing with face all pudgy and worried. He started balling when I picked him up so I passed him to the facilitator who calmed him down in Russian and then she put him on the floor and the three of us walked hand in hand. I got in the van first, then David gave Jack to me to sit on my lap and then David got in. Jack was a little hesitant and fussed a little, but then calmed down. When the car started moving he grabbed my arms tight and that was a wonderful bonding moment for me.

We got to the photographer and took off his thick coat and hat, put him in his little high chair for the pictures and he started smiling at the photographer. When the pictures were taken it was back into the coat and hat and back into the van. On the way back he basically fell asleep and stayed asleep even after getting out of the van and walking around the orphanage grounds.

We got back inside the orphanage to the play room and took off his outerwear when he finally woke up. It was fun after that as Jack was giggling and playing with us a lot. It helped that we had Cheerios for him too. :)

We left after about an hour and after returning to the hotel decided to take a walk to a restaurant nearby that had a buffet lunch. It was pretty good. We walked around the area a bit more going into a children's store, looking for a snow suit for Jack since he's bigger than we expected.

Now we are back in the hotel and relaxing. Tomorrow is when we'll be able to watch him eat either a snack or lunch. It should be interesting. They say he likes to feed himself.

Oh, we were also given 3 of his fingerpaintings. It was really sweet of them to share them with us.

p.s. I'm feeling much better today. Sinus headache is almost completely gone, just some congestion around my nose, so thanks to everyone for your prayer!

Day 1 of 10

Artwork by Jack Pentecost

Today was the first of our 10 day waiting period. We weren't scheduled to go to the orphanage for our daily visit until 3pm so we had the morning to do as we pleased. I still don't feel all that great so I decided to rest some more and David relaxed, read some, and did exercises (ran stairs, tae bo, etc.) We then ate lunch and got ready to go.

We got to the orphanage right after their naptime so Jack walked in a little groggy. We had a little coaxing to do but eventually he started playing with us and giggling. :) We had a good 2 hours with him. Tomorrow our visit is early in the morning and I think we'll be able to feed him his morning snack.

Our driver and facilitator then dropped us off at the California Pizza Kitchen (no relation to the U.S. version that I can tell) and we had pizza for dinner. We walked back to the hotel and now we are drinking hot tea and it's yummy. I think we'll read a couple of good books, maybe watch a video sermon and try to get a good night's sleep.

Thanks for all your comments and well wishes. We really appreciate them so keep 'em coming when you can. :) Love you all!

The Court said DA!

We have just returned from our court session. We were told it was unusually on time, unusually fast, and not a bad experience at all. We appreciate all the prayer as we know God had ultimate control. Soooo, after everything was said and done, the judge stood up and said "Congratulations, I approve you as parents to this child". That was that!

We are thrilled and excited. We are also happy this is now over with. We were told we will pick Jack up next Saturday the 28th so we look forward to that!

Thanks again to everyone for their prayer and support. I'll fill you all in as the days go by. We get to visit Jack tomorrow!

Court tomorrow

Hey everyone. Woke up to about 2ºF this morning in Krasnoyarsk. It was great!

Just to let you know we saw Jack this morning. Woohoo! He was our little boy who grew up a little. He's got a bunch more teeth, a little less belly, but the same adorable personality. I'll write more tomorrow because I must get some rest now.

We have court tomorrow (for you guys it will be at 10:30pm EST Monday) so please keep us in prayer that we say everything that we're supposed to and nothing that we're not. David will be doing about 96% of the talking so especially pray for him.

Just a few pictures to give you a clue as to how we're doing. We made it to the Region of Krasnoyarsk and got off our plane outside, in the -8º C snowing weather. It's like 17ºF, we found out. Tomorrow and Tuesday will be the coldest in the past few weeks.. lucky us... But we will be able to visit Jack Monday morning so it's all worth it! We are unbelievably excited, as you might imagine. I will post more tomorrow afternoon, but these pictures will have to do for now.

Oh, please pray for me (michele) as I have developed a sinus infection/head cold. The last thing I want to do is pass on any sickness to our son. I appreciate all of your prayers!

Until next time...
Russia's version of hot beverage cups - we have cocoa!!!:
Ice Sculptures in front of our hotel - oh so fun!:

Remember the boots with dirt... it's been replaced with Snow!!!

Approved.. Approved... Approved!

It is about 3pm our time and we are done with our medicals. We left the hotel about 11am and returned at about 2pm. The experience was pleasant and I didn't feel nervous at all. It went very quickly as we didn't "sit" very much in between doctors. There was another American couple there so we chatted with them too.

When we were finished and paid our fees, we were given our papers with all the doctors' signatures of approval and that will go with us to court.

Another step completed! We leave the hotel tomorrow at 5:45 to head to the airport to fly to Krasnoyarsk where we will arrive on Sunday. Pray everything goes smoothly with the flights and we don't have any trouble. I'll fill you all in on the first part of our trip when we arrive at our region hotel, so don't worry. :)

Feel free to comment. We love reading "letters from home". :)