Let me start by apologizing ... I had updated our blog four times ... only to find out they had not posted. Bummer! I'm getting an error message ... so we'll skip those and pick up with today ...
Here is our post from December 1, 2006 from Kherson, Ukraine. Our court appointment had been November 27th and we were waiting the mandatory 10 day wait before we could take our girls in our arms and be a family forever!!
I'm going to make some current comments in bold italics throughout this post.
From December 1, 2006
Here it is … still morning where you all are and it is pitch dark outside here!! It gets dark here really early … like around 4:00 p.m.
As you may have guessed … today was much the same as yesterday! :o) Except we just had spaghetti for dinner and not peanut butter toast! :o)
This morning Max came to pick us up and he had his wife and little boy with him. She is beautiful and he is adorable! He just turned 2 years old in September. When I got in the back seat he was standing on the little bump between the two floorboards … holding on to the front seats. I thought when Max started driving he would sit down. Nope. His mom told me he likes to stand and see everything. I just cracked up … because you should see (or experience) how his dad (and everyone else on the road) drives! He is really good at hanging on to the front seats!! :o) I was just telling Max yesterday how seatbelts are a law in the US … he laughed! :o)
We saw Joy this morning and had a good visit with her. I especially like the part where she acts like a “real” 2 year old! You know, taking the wand from the bubbles and running off with it … “hiding” in the corner with it … then putting it in her mouth. She gets a “nyet” from us when she puts it in her mouth!! :o) I do love the sparkle in her eye while she’s testing our limits. I think it says a lot about how she feels with us! I know, I know … you’re all thinking “you won’t think it’s so cute for long!” And you’re probably right … but for now I’ll say it’s cute!
Reading that now makes me laugh! I should have known what I was getting in to! Nataliya "Joy" has been a delightful and strong-willed daughter! I guess she was trying to show us a glimpse of herself!
While we were with her this morning I measured her. I checked those measurements against a few of the clothes I have and I’m declaring her a 2T. I do have a few items in 18 and 24 months that will fit her right now … but I think anything I buy her will be in a 2T. She is 32 inches tall and her foot is 5 inches long. I would love to hear from a few of you who have toddlers I know and let me know how tall they are. That would help me to get a sense for who she compares to … size wise.
Well, my calculations were way off. The girls both wore 18-24 month clothes when they came home ... 2T stuff was huge on them until a year later. They are just now moving into 4T sizes ... very exciting ... since they are now 4 1/2 and 6 years old!!!
After our visit Chris went running and I went for ***** and to the Internet café with K&A. Oh, they told me I can tell you their names … Kevin & Angie. They are such sweeties.
When I got home Chris was here. He had a fun time out running … discovering all sorts of things … and getting LOTS of stares! He was telling me he ran to the train station and he said “man, there were lots of stares” … but I thought he was saying “man, there were lots of stairs!” I was thinking that was strange because I hadn’t seen any when we were there a few weeks ago! :o) I finally said to him “oh, you mean people were staring at you!!!” It was funny … maybe you had to be there!
This afternoon Chris worked on some stuff for work while I took a nap! After my nap I made dinner and started writing to you.
You are probably wondering … “what about Grace?” I miss her too!
This morning while we were visiting with Joy we received a call from Kostya. The director from Grace’s orphanage had called and was concerned that we hadn’t come this morning. If you’ll recall, yesterday they told us to come in the afternoons … that’s when the social worker’s office would be available to us! So, we had planned to go there this afternoon. I told Kostya that and he called her back.
While I was at lunch Kostya called again and he had talked with the director. She wanted us to know that she feels very much for us with Grace. She said she and the staff recognize how much we are trying and how committed we are to her! She relayed to Kostya that it took them a long time to get her comfortable with them when she moved there. She told Kostya she would understand if we just want to come pick her up next week without trying to visit her between now and then. Kostya told her he thought we would want to see her … so she told him she would leave instructions with the weekend staff to let us use the social worker’s office and also for someone to go get Grace from her groupa. She said the social worker’s office wouldn’t be available this afternoon so we should wait and come in the morning.
We now know ... Juliya hated her life at that orphanage. Poor thing was an emotional wreck during those weeks I'm sure! So glad she's in a loving, stable environment now. We are far from perfect. But God knew what she needed and we're doing our best to be that.
We decided this afternoon that since she was trying to work with us that we would respect her suggestion and not go this afternoon. So we will be going to see Grace at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. We figure that even if she sees our faces … that is better than nothing. We’re planning to have Kostya on the phone when we get there and we will hand the phone to the first adult we see and let him do the explaining!
Of course we covet your prayers for Grace as we ask the Father to prepare and protect her little heart for another big change. Please also pray for Joy … because while she has done so much better with us … this is also going to be a big change for her. One of her caregivers was giving her big hugs and kisses yesterday … I know she is going to be missed … and she will miss those who have cared for her.
Well, it is Friday night and after we leave here we will stop at the grocery store for a little more excitement (we need to buy some toilet paper!!)! I think we may even have some chocolate ice cream before the day is done! Wow!
Yes you are loved! I’m hoping Chris will write an entry this weekend. He is ALWAYS on his computer writing … but it is always for work or school work. I know he has some funny things in his brain to share! Oh, and I just remembered we still need to tell you about last weekend.
So, stay tuned … the Conrad saga continues!
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