tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42628908178883597962011-12-29T09:26:40.992-07:00...........The journey to find our little girl.Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.comBlogger2691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-84304322531877840182011-02-06T20:40:00.002-07:002011-11-02T20:46:59.882-06:00

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-86213221883113273542008-02-02T22:53:00.002-07:002011-11-02T20:41:07.728-06:00

Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, feels better than walking off the plane and into the arms of your family. I cried. Out loud. I didn't care. We were finally home. Maddie wasn't quite sure what to make of everything at first. She had a death grip on my hand and stuck pretty close to me, which is so unlike her. MORE --> The kids were estatic. Each armed with a stuffed animal, they gathered

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-88035575821304247502008-02-02T04:21:00.001-07:002011-11-02T20:41:44.380-06:00

Alright already! Jiminy but you guys are an impatient lot! ;>) I guess I deserve all of the razzing for keeping you waiting for so long. Yes. We're home!!! Now, sit back and let me finish my story. I've got to get it all written down before my swiss cheese of a brain forgets it all! :) ----------------------- I remembered to set my alarm last night. But I didn't needed it. I couldn't have slept

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-24545952563908792962008-02-01T22:30:00.001-07:002011-11-02T20:42:26.428-06:00

I overslept. How could I oversleep today of all days?! The cab was supposed to get there at 7:30 a.m...it was 7:15! Aaaaaaach! I jumped out of bed, yanked some clothes out of the suitcase, ran a brush through my hair and put on some foundation. Then I got Maddie up. She wasn't too happy with me...until I showed her a banana. The kid is nuts about bananas. She got dressed and we ran out the door.

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-19741558548354695702008-01-31T22:30:00.000-07:002008-02-04T05:03:14.125-07:00

Kiril arrived at 9:05 a.m., ready and willing to do whatever it took to get us to Kiev.He was a great kid. And by kid...I mean kid. He was barely 21.But he spoke great English and he talked to me.A big improvement, I must say.Turns out, Kiril had spent a year in the U.S. as an exchange student, and he had such a great experience and grew to love the country so much he wants to immigrate here

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-18633043621628339872008-01-31T20:17:00.000-07:002008-01-31T20:34:52.516-07:00

Hello!! Meshack(I), will try to fill you all in since Tami won't be able to for a while. Tami said the passport was finally in her possession in the afternoon Odessa time, and Maddie and her were going to Kiev as soon as transportation was available. Tami was catiously optimistic, but it looks like a trip to AMC and the US embassy on Friday. If all goes well then Mom and Maddie will be

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-63032447232977175072008-01-30T10:54:00.000-07:002008-01-30T12:14:08.484-07:00

I have decided to follow my mother's sage advice to start thanking God for all of this. While I don't know if I'm quite ready to thank Him for not delivering on the passport, there are several things for which I should be incredibly thankful. I'm hoping it will help my attitude to share them with you. So here they are...David Letterman style.Tami's Top Ten Things to be Thankful For...10. It's

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-61872296463207432722008-01-29T11:33:00.000-07:002008-01-29T13:43:47.624-07:00

Warning: Rant Ahead - Please feel free to skip today's post. It's all part of that honesty bit I gave you yesterday. Unfortunately I honestly feel pretty cruddy right now and I'm having a hard time processing all the junk I went through today. The following post is real. The names have not been changed to protect the innocent (except for Maddie) and I'm starting to understand why Russians and

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-39125834405211893272008-01-28T14:55:00.000-07:002008-01-30T04:31:04.346-07:00

I promised myself three things when I started this blog. I vowed I would try to blog every day, write actively and with a strong voice...and I swore I would always be honest. Honesty is the only defense pre-adoptive parents have in the crazy world of international adoption. It is the only thing that really prepares them for what they're about to go through. I knew if I sugar coated the process I

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-68729209006958687252008-01-27T22:46:00.000-07:002008-01-28T13:55:50.358-07:00

Another quiet day in Maddie's Odessa home.We spent the day playing, watching more videos and doing pretty much whatever Maddie wanted to do.Not that I'm spoiling her! ;)There's not much to tell about today. We're pretty much just waiting for tomorrow. (A terrible attitude to have, but one that I've resigned myself to, in this process.) We're always waiting for tomorrow. On this particular

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-75980957507743137172008-01-26T06:52:00.000-07:002008-01-27T14:45:35.283-07:00

It was another day of firsts for Maddie.The first time talking on a phone.The first time using a washing machine.And the first time eating at the golden arches...Mikky D's.Let's start off with the phone.Maddie got to talk to Q-ball, Punky, JacJac and of course Daddy today.She loved it.She giggled, babbled and stared at the Skype phone while listening to each one of them. It was amazing to watch.

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-41708511198066865452008-01-25T22:59:00.000-07:002008-01-27T06:51:32.452-07:00

What a great and marvelous day.It couldn't have been more perfect.I don't think it gets any better than this.I have our little girl.The little girl we have waited forever to find is finally ours.Sigh.And so far, the honeymoon is great.She's doing incredibly well with all of the changes. Especially since Lev said he doesn't think anyone explained to her what was going on.Jiminy.The only true

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-9681375529305294832008-01-25T22:35:00.000-07:002008-01-26T11:51:30.270-07:00

Aren't they cute?!Meshack decided to surprise me.It made me cry...in a good way.They are now the background on my computer screen...I see them every time I turn this thing on.And hopefully in just a week, I'll be able to see them in person.I can't wait!

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-25489196962906996842008-01-24T22:52:00.000-07:002008-01-26T11:18:56.594-07:00

I woke up bright and early this morning...ready to head to the orphanage.Lev didn't. He slept in.Okay...he didn't really sleep in. He left at 5 a.m. to meet the first train to pick up some paperwork Meshack sent over. I guess I can't complain too much, but he didn't get back up and around until 10 a.m...and by that time I was about ready to drag him out the door by the collar of his black leather

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-53376408747944711342008-01-24T22:14:00.000-07:002008-01-25T11:17:05.790-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. Everything is great...I've got Maddie!!! I just haven't posted because (a) there's tons to say and (b) living with a 3 yr old means I don't have a lot of time to type up.I'm working (as we speak) on posting an update. When it's finished I'll take this little note down and put up the details. You want a sneak peak? Suffice it to say - there's never a dull moment in

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-38715566200000998262008-01-23T22:59:00.000-07:002008-01-24T13:57:18.901-07:00

We have the Tax ID number. Boy...that was easy. I hate to even mention how easy it was because it has caused so many other people such headaches. Lev was in and out in a couple of hours.While he was doing official stuff...I was doing fun stuff.I took our cab over to the orphanage and visited Maddie.It was the first time I had seen her in two days...and she was THRILLED!As soon as she saw me she

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-53994196750606691912008-01-22T22:02:00.000-07:002008-01-23T23:34:53.979-07:00

Today I did something I have never done in any of our adoptions. I went back to the beginning.We are at the part of the paperchase where it's time to get Maddie's birth certificate changed to reflect Meshack and I as her parents. It's a big step - in more ways than one.Lev and I hired a driver to take us to the small village where Maddie was born. It is located an hour outside of Odessa...I'm not

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-12062588315722610962008-01-21T21:12:00.000-07:002008-01-24T00:01:14.637-07:00

Sorta...Today is the day the court decree goes into effect. The 10 days of waiting are behind us and now we get to start the next round of paper chasing. So, while I'm technically a mom of four beautiful kids now, I don't actually get custody of her until sometime later this week. I'll let you know when 'gotcha day' will be.In the meantime, I'm chasing the all elusive paper.Lev arrived around 9

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-15445626499809630292008-01-20T22:59:00.000-07:002008-01-21T00:36:17.872-07:00

Today's visit was similar to yesterdays, minus the church goers, so I've decided to forgo a real post today (besides, I gave you enough to read yesterday to last all weekend! :)Instead I'm giving you some new video of Maddie.She's gotten bored with the toys I bring with me, so I pulled out a comb, hand lotion and lip gloss.We had a great time. She especially loved the hand lotion.So here you go..

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-23925464819308196132008-01-19T22:52:00.000-07:002008-01-20T23:39:13.050-07:00

Before I even arrived at the Detsky Dom this morning I knew something was up. About four blocks from the orphanage we hit a traffic jam, like none I had seen in this part of town.Usually it is incredibly quiet. Stray dogs roam the streets, peasant women walk down the middle of the road on their way to the bus stop, and solemn seminary students carry their Bibles on their way to class at the

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-31466345356375040382008-01-18T22:21:00.000-07:002008-01-19T14:28:39.251-07:00

The visit with Maddie was typical today. That's the way it gets with this process...each day is the same as the day before.Today we went outside. Due to taxi troubles, I didn't get there until after she was already dressed to go outside, so I decided to give it another try.It didn't work. There's too many distractions...and no opportunity to really get to know each other. She goes from one toy

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-67271351598915084702008-01-17T22:26:00.000-07:002008-01-18T06:55:43.035-07:00

Seven days down...three to go.Not too bad.It's gone pretty quickly.In Ukraine, you have to wait 10 days for the court decree to take affect. It gives you time to bond with your child...and a chance for anyone who wants to, to contest the decision.But once that wait is over...they're yours.Only three more days until I'm officially a mommy of four.Wow.We've been pretty lucky with this part of the

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-3992415513963975792008-01-16T22:17:00.000-07:002008-01-17T12:16:58.471-07:00

Okay...don't freak out. I don't want you freaking out.Do you promise not to freak out?Okay...I was in a car accident this morning.Really...it wasn't that big of a deal. And no...I wasn't driving! ;)It was one of my crazy taxicab drivers...but the funny thing is...he wasn't a crazy taxicab driver. I was actually thinking at the time how nice it was not to have to worry about his driving. He was

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-9221873833805980192008-01-15T15:13:00.000-07:002008-01-15T15:31:19.303-07:00

I didn't get to visit Maddie today.Not because I missed my cab or because anyone was sick, but because today is a religious holiday.Unfortunately, no one told me.I walked into the orphanage doctor's office at 10 this morning to check in and was greeted with confused looks. I tried asking (in my general pantamime way) for permission to go visit Maddie and they replied with way more than their

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-36871582691032532012008-01-14T22:48:00.000-07:002008-01-15T13:13:01.291-07:00

I've reached the point where I'm having a hard time keeping track of what day it is.It's kind of scary to admit...but I'm choosing to blame it on the fact that I went so long without any measureable amount of sleep...the time difference...and not going to church last Sunday.It's certainly not because I'm losing my mind or anything.I've resorted to checking the computer calendar to make sure of

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-64556041864961324522008-01-13T22:33:00.000-07:002008-01-14T13:37:33.434-07:00

Isn't there a song by that name? Who sang it anyway? No, wait! Don't look it up! I've got time...I'll google it! Sigh. Today was my first day absolutely on my own and I have to say I did alright...except for one little trash throwing incident but let's not tell Meshack about that, shall we? It'll just be our little secret. ;) The day started out bright and early with a phone call to Meshack to

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-2738784999991229592008-01-12T22:08:00.000-07:002008-01-14T05:38:51.187-07:00

...and the worst of times.Never has that line been more appropriate than today.Today I got to play with my little girl to my hearts content...And I had to say goodbye to my best friend.Sigh.What an emotional day.It started out great. Lev left last night to go back to Kiev to wait out the 10 days, so it was just Meshack and me. Just the way we like it.We left around 9:30 a.m. for the orphanage. It

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-63892861325962420542008-01-11T22:37:00.000-07:002008-01-13T08:56:50.069-07:00

I have quite possibly the coolest apartment in Odessa.No, really, I do.It's awesome! It has absolutely everything I need...a king size bed...high speed internet...a water heater (no going without hot water! woohoo!)...satellite TV...a safe...a dining room...heated towel racks...central air (great, if I were here in the summer! :)a full sized refrigerator/freezer...Oh, and did I mention the

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-33120417560317024122008-01-10T22:55:00.000-07:002008-01-13T08:33:28.193-07:00

After court we finally had the chance to go visit our little girl. I know I have already shown you most of the pics, but I thought you may like to see a few more. (See...I'm thinking of you! :)The first visit went remarkably well.When we opened the door to her playroom, her caretakers told her, 'Nastya, your mama and papa are here!' She looked up from her snack, jumped out of her seat and flew

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-77116800739726726642008-01-10T20:55:00.000-07:002008-01-13T08:49:37.040-07:00

Honestly, after all of the craziness of the past few days, court was a breeze. We were in and out in less than an hour - much quicker than it had been for the other three kids.The only snag was when Lev indicated it could end up being a rather informal hearing, held in her office instead of an actual courtroom. Instead she decided to go ahead and go through all of the formalities.That was fine

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-51647951434721252122008-01-10T18:30:00.000-07:002008-01-13T09:02:51.885-07:00

A 25 pound...3 foot long...brown-haired (yes, it's brown...for those of you who saw the facilitator photos, I double checked, it's definitely brown), brown-eyed beauty.Okay...so I'm not too sure about the measurements...never mind that!Isn't she precious?!!!Maddie was officially added to our family at 12:34 p.m. today! :)Now, I'm going to bed.It's almost midnight here and I think I have finally

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-68238789040819215832008-01-10T13:14:00.000-07:002008-01-12T06:23:18.759-07:00

Have I mentioned we haven’t had a whole lot of sleep lately?Um…yea. We’re kind of sleep deprived...and at this point, it’s not too pretty.After our Wednesday afternoon nap, Lev called with the plan.He wanted us to call a cab and meet him at the train station at 9:30 p.m. We were taking the overnight train to Odessa.My moment of truth had come.I was finally going to be riding the train - long

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-29045961729684637132008-01-09T17:33:00.000-07:002008-01-11T11:51:01.841-07:00

We were up bright and early Wednesday morning…Bright – as in 2 a.m.Both of us are having a hard time with the time change this time around.I brought some Melatonin with us on this trip, but can’t find it. So we’re struggling with getting sleepy in the middle of the afternoon and being so tired that we can’t help but take an afternoon siesta, falling asleep again around 7 p.m. and then waking up

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-57000001762728129902008-01-08T11:59:00.000-07:002008-01-11T15:05:06.749-07:00

I finally have internet access...And it's DSL!Can somebody give me a WOOHOO?!!! I'm working tonight on posting all of the blogs I've been writing for the last several days - doing some tweaking and spell checking so keep checking back. There are tons of posts coming.And don't cheat! Start with Wednesday...

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-88149175017579660262008-01-08T10:15:00.000-07:002008-01-11T11:58:12.100-07:00

We're here.Finally.Boy, it takes a loooooong time to fly to Ukraine.And it wasn't without it's hitches.We started out early yesterday morning by arriving at the airport late.Really late.We barely had enough time to check the luggage, go through security and get straight in line to board. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.It was par for the course yesterday...we cut it close for every

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-7604213367035620382008-01-06T11:55:00.000-07:002008-01-06T18:10:43.809-07:00

Here we are again, on the eve of leaving for Ukraine...This time will be so different...Thankfully.We won't be waiting for an SDA appointment. We don't have the uncertainty of not knowing who our child is.And hopefully this time it won't take as long.Hopefully.What is not different this time is the laundry list of things that still need to be done.- Laundry- Packing- CleaningAnd, thanks to mother

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-88554504144477048752008-01-05T07:14:00.000-07:002008-01-06T14:09:11.887-07:00

Busy..busy..busy...Today it's all about the little things.Basketball...Girl scouts...and Pure!l.Q-ball has a basketball game today...the first in a long line that I'm going to miss while I'm in Ukraine. Thankfully, some other moms have offered to take him to practice and games for us. And Meshack will be home next Monday and should be able to catch at least a couple of them.Then there's Punky

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-30433555416091520062008-01-03T20:36:00.000-07:002008-01-04T08:48:33.576-07:00

UGH.Can I just say...UGH.The lack of customer service is enough to make you sick. And I'm not talking about Ukraine...I'm talking about the good old U.S. of A.The heart of capitalism.The same country who dreamed up the the slogan, 'Have it your way.'UGH.Meshack and I spent over 50 minutes on hold last night with D!recTV...At the 20 minute mark, Meshack hit his limit and handed me the phone.So I

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-79275833374848666832008-01-01T16:14:00.000-07:002008-01-02T08:00:43.856-07:00

Some semblance of order is starting to emerge out of the chaos that is our home.To be honest, the last minute court date had us scrambling. We had hoped to put off the court date for a week, but when I finally talked to our agency on Monday morning they told us that if we didn't do it now, (a) it wouldn't look good for us and (b) court could be put off indefinitely.Nothing like having no choice

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-67910469954924179432007-12-31T16:16:00.000-07:002008-01-01T16:39:56.933-07:00

1. Will you post her picture after court or after the 10 day waiting period?I'm not sure. Nobody actually said we couldn't post her picture...I just don't want to do anything to tick anyone off. I'm thinking after court I can share a pic. So mark your calendars for Jan. 10th! You're really missing out ya know. She's a cutie! :) Although all of my co-workers were quick to ask what size she wore -

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-22669281791019792292007-12-28T22:34:00.000-07:002007-12-29T07:46:54.844-07:00

I was going to post the first of a series of profiles today, but guess what?WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!!!And it's only a little over 10 days away! January 10th.AAAAAAAGH!!!I don't know how we're going to do it! We have to find tickets...and then find a way to pay for them. Find someone to take care of the kids, notify our employers...again...There is a laundry list a mile long with stuff to do.Oh

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-33085823531426328672007-12-26T15:10:00.000-07:002007-12-28T08:45:48.926-07:00

Alright...you can stop your letter writing campaign to Santa. I've heard your pleas and realize I have left you in the dark for way too long. So here you are...a detailed account of our trip to meet Maddie. Warning: it's really long, but you asked for it...so enjoy.And stop bothering Santa...he needs his rest!--------------------------We left Kiev at 3 a.m. on Friday morning...incredibly tired

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-68368497247092551612007-12-25T04:38:00.000-07:002007-12-26T07:44:22.777-07:00

It's been awhile since I've been able to share a JacJac'ism. But as soon as we got home, I found a classic.In our mailbox was a copy of last week's local weekly newspaper.Inside was an absolute gem...A letter to Santa from JacJac.Enjoy...Oh, and I do get presents...honest! ;)------------------------Dear Santa,I like Christmas because we get to put lights on everything and we get to put all of our

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-48069743690116404992007-12-24T17:51:00.000-07:002007-12-25T04:38:25.446-07:00

Ahhhh...We're home.We got in late Sunday afternoon to a very chilly Kansas City (there's more snow here than in Kiev)...But we got a very warm welcome from three great kids...Oh, and a dad and brother too! ;) It's good to be home. Yesterday was spent sleeping, playing, trying to put everything away...Oh...and shoveling. After Mom, Dad and the kids left we got another eight inches of snow, so

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-47051227943912222582007-12-22T11:16:00.000-07:002007-12-22T11:53:42.534-07:00

Alright...I know I'm jippin' you out of some great reading material, but I can't post much of anything tonight.I've got to pack! We leave in about eight hours for the airport!!! ;)Please be praying for the kids at home...they've all come down with a nasty fever and cough combo that has left them feeling pretty rough - and grandma wondering if they need to go to the doctor.Hang in there kids!

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-36112885901587077432007-12-21T22:08:00.000-07:002007-12-22T11:57:02.576-07:00

Can you believe it?!!!We've found our little girl!!!!It still doesn't seem quite real.After 321 days of paperchasing, waiting, praying and searching, we finally found our Maddie.She is a little 3-year-old (facilitator had the wrong age) brown haired, brown eyed beauty in the Odessa region. And the issues that we had feared would be huge, are so small you can hardly notice them.Now all we have to

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-34208854580197859242007-12-20T07:46:00.001-07:002007-12-20T08:17:08.264-07:00

You all know the rollercoaster ride we've been on in the last few days and weeks. We've had to hold on to the roll bar with one hand, while downing a bottle of Pepto with the other.The ride was nauseating...and we wanted off.Now.But then we got a call this afternoon asking us to take one more trip on the rails.And we have decided to take a chance.We have a referral! ;)It's for a little 4-year-old

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-29804073139652168602007-12-19T09:59:00.000-07:002007-12-19T10:07:46.208-07:00

Actually, eleven hours, 58 minutes...She cut it pretty close.Our American friend who came here hoping to adopt a little girl six weeks ago, may have finally found her daughter.She went to her appointment yesterday without much hope. Her only chance lie in the fact that she got an unprecendented third appointment. NOBODY gets three appointments.Surely, there would be a little girl in the files for

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-47694839963796599082007-12-17T10:20:00.000-07:002007-12-17T14:08:29.268-07:00

We woke up this morning excited.Over the weekend, we decided to visit a little boy in a region eight hours away by train.We had talked with our pediatrician on Friday and after hours of research we decided we could handle the little guy's epilepsy diagnosis. But God must have other plans.Thirty minutes after we called our facilitator with the news, he called back to say a French couple who

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-33958335270029037952007-12-15T12:55:00.000-07:002007-12-15T12:58:38.697-07:00

Just to prove we are actually in Ukraine and not on some remote desert island, I have attached some pictures we have taken of Kiev. Enjoy!

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-13817116493316649892007-12-14T01:00:00.000-07:002007-12-15T09:40:22.130-07:00

Three hours.That’s how long it took us to get from the train station to the apartment last night.Three hours.Insane.It took us that long to get to get back from Vinnytsya on the train!Evidentally the problem was that we arrived at rush hour. But their rush hour is like none I’ve ever seen. The closest thing I can compare it to would be the traffic coming out of Arrowhead Stadium after a Chief’s

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-38244882249478986682007-12-13T03:53:00.000-07:002007-12-14T04:16:29.141-07:00

We are heading back to Kiev.It wasn’t Maddie.She was a pretty little girl, with light brown hair, huge hazel eyes and a smile that lit up a room. She had on a yellow jumper with a pink sweater and flowers in her pigtails.She proudly showed me her ‘La-la’ – a doll with bright yellow hair and one eye that didn’t open all the way.She played with a stuffed ‘sabaka’ with Meshack and pretended to growl

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-41696860770196625342007-12-12T03:50:00.000-07:002007-12-14T03:52:29.312-07:00

Would you like to go for a train ride?I’ve got three hours to kill and two hours worth of battery on my laptop so I thought I would let you tag along and we could chat. It’s been awhile since I filled you in on the little details of our trip.Just put your luggage on the top bunk, have a seat and make sure you take your coat off.It’s hot in here.Let me catch you up on our morning.It started early.

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-69019403406716084132007-12-11T11:02:00.000-07:002007-12-11T12:07:31.275-07:00

Which will it be?Train...Bus...Car?If our facilitator has his way it will be a car.When we started this process almost a week ago, I was dreading riding the train.I had heard horror stories about the bathrooms...I didn't look forward to being cooped up in a compartment for hours on end...And I wasn't sure that I could make it through the ride without getting horribly car sick.So when Lev said the

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-87759130224227488532007-12-10T11:13:00.000-07:002007-12-10T11:28:59.134-07:00

Sounds pretty good to us!That's the day we should finally get to meet the little girl.Woohoo!!!!!!!The wait may finally be over.Our facilitator called this morning. He talked with the assistant orphanage director and she said we could come either Wednesday or Thursday.WEDNESDAY SOUNDS GOOD TO US!!!!!!! :)That's two whole days sooner than we thought it would be, in what we thought was our best

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-25941094092310685162007-12-09T22:28:00.000-07:002007-12-10T11:11:34.947-07:00

We took the bus to church today.It was virtually empty and the streets were deserted.At 10 o’clock in the morning most people were sleeping in, except for the faithful few…and a few merchants headed to their booths for the day.As we rolled along, I couldn’t help but think of a book I read as a child.It was the story of a little boy named Yuri, who lived in Siberia during the days of the Soviets.

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-75936646769796040772007-12-09T11:10:00.000-07:002007-12-10T10:27:26.288-07:00

Okay...Who took away my commenting ability?I've been spending this quiet Sunday afternoon surfing all my favorite bloggie friends, reading their insightful posts and then trying to leave them a comment...BUT this silly computer won't let me comment!!!If I'm really persistent, after about seven times of hitting the refresh button I may get the comment page...but by the time I push 'publish', most

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-38537036760409777952007-12-08T14:04:00.000-07:002007-12-08T14:08:33.411-07:00

Since we've got some time on our hands, we went sightseeing today.Forget the metro, grocery stores and sidewalk vendors we've been visiting the last few days. This time we wanted to see all the touristy stuff.So up and down the streets of Kiev we walked, taking in the sights and sounds surrounding St. Andrew's, St. Sophia's, Independence Square and Khreschatyk street, with Allya, our

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-58251253714287253532007-12-07T10:12:00.000-07:002007-12-07T10:36:26.172-07:00

We've made a decision.We're going to wait for the little girl.For some reason, none of the other children really 'spoke' to us like that little girl.So we're waiting.We have no idea how long of a wait it will be...probably at least until the middle of next week.Not too long in the big scheme of things...but an eternity for right now.We want nothing more than to go and find Maddie...Let her know

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-90564425110874598752007-12-06T16:13:00.000-07:002007-12-07T10:11:44.947-07:00

Thank you everyone for your prayers, your support and your honest feedback. It has been a true blessing to come back to the apartment tonight and read all of the notes of encouragement. Thank you.I would like to update you on where we stand, but unfortunately there's not much new.We had another appointment this afternoon (technically considered to still be our first appointment). In that meeting

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-28654679017643085742007-12-06T04:36:00.000-07:002007-12-06T04:41:49.028-07:00

While you were sleeping, we hit a roadblock.Evidently the girl we were supposed to meet had surgery yesterday to correct her strabismus and now the orphanage director won’t let us come and visit her for a week.And even if she did, Dr. Yuri doesn't think he could make have a good observation of her.Needless to say this has put a big wrench in things.It looked like we were going to have to make a

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-60844151556152801292007-12-05T12:25:00.000-07:002007-12-05T14:09:03.832-07:00

We had a good day today.A very good day.It was busy, non-stop...but it was a good kind of busy.The kind of busy that may have helped us find Maddie.Our meeting with the SDA was very productive. It was a quick meeting. I don't think we were in there a half an hour. But we didn't need to be in there long.We think we've found Maddie.We're going to be meeting a three year old girl, who is as cute as

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-60033300843964032642007-12-04T14:29:00.000-07:002007-12-04T16:03:10.476-07:00

We had soooooo much fun!It was a blast to finally meet the people we had only known in bloggy world!Mark and Courtney and Sue and her husband, Chris, joined us for dinner at O'Panas in downtown Kiev.If any future PAPs are looking for a good restaurant with authentic Ukrainian food and decent prices, you should give this a try.The atmosphere was great. It was set in a little hut-like thing in the

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-70961294096223322582007-12-03T18:28:00.000-07:002007-12-03T14:22:35.144-07:00

Saying goodbye to the kids was much harder than I thought it would be.As we were hugging the kids I kept whispering to them…’Daddy will be home soon, Daddy will be home soon.’ I couldn’t bear to remind them of how long I would be gone.And I wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would be to walk away from my little ones. Those teary little faces kept popping over the divider as the kids jumped to

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-60744251277832543092007-12-02T06:46:00.001-07:002007-12-02T07:13:25.904-07:00

...on a jet plane.Don't know when I'll be back again.--------------I know it's cliche' but I've been waiting to use that line for the last 10 months! Cut me a little slack! :)We're leaving!In just another hour the mom-mobile will be pulling out of the drive and we'll be on our way to the airport...destination - Kiev.Wow!After 10 months of paperchasing, paper cuts and reams of paper, we're finally

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-73815620758876649472007-12-01T19:26:00.000-07:002007-12-01T20:05:53.843-07:00

We're ready.Well, we're as ready as we're ever going to be.The suitcases have been packed, packed and re-packed and are jammed full of everyday necessities and a few luxury items.All that is left to do is get a good night's sleep, get showered and dressed in the morning and take off for the airport.I would appreciate it if you could send up a quick prayer for Q-ball, Punky and JacJac.They seem to

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-62064731316209830042007-11-29T17:37:00.000-07:002007-11-29T18:08:03.716-07:00

...at least for the next two months.I am officially on maternity leave.Wow...that sounds kind of weird.But it's true.I wrapped up things at work today...and I'm all done until February. The big project is pretty much complete. There are a few snags to be worked out, but one of my co-workers is going to take care of it for me.So I'm free.Whew.Now the real fun begins.Do you realize the counter is

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-90842752812637453742007-11-29T06:35:00.000-07:002007-11-29T09:20:09.648-07:00

You've lucked out!Kate has saved you from another post about my case of the nerves...(which are much better by the way. Thanks bloggies for all of your wonderful posts of encouragement.)She posted this neat little quiz about pie...Give it a try...and let me know what you are.You Are Apple PieYou're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional. You prefer things the way you've always known

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-11083292221405749842007-11-28T06:49:00.000-07:002007-11-29T09:21:01.954-07:00

Okay...I'm starting to freak.Not in a bad way...Just in a 'Wow, this is really happening' kinda way.And it's happening VERY soon.A little over three days.Wow.Do you ever get that way?You work so hard to do something...and then once it's a reality you start to get a little nervous over it?I do this EVERY time.I did it for our wedding.I did it when we adopted each of the kids.I do it every year

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-49007280712181430992007-11-27T19:47:00.000-07:002007-11-27T19:55:53.339-07:00

The long range forcast is looking a bit wet for Kiev.I just checked it out on the weather.com.Check it out HERE.An umbrella is now on the list of stuff to take! :)

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-54287236335133088652007-11-27T17:03:00.000-07:002007-11-27T17:12:02.907-07:00

It may seem like a little thing to most people, but three couples have taken a huge step today. They have moved from the 'waiting' list on my blog to the TRAVELING column!Woohoo!!!!Congratulations Mark & Courtney, Rick & Fran and Steve & Gail...We're almost there!We only have...4 MORE DAYS!!!

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-19383160194478757272007-11-26T21:34:00.000-07:002007-11-27T13:37:43.877-07:00

We are spending these last few precious days, doing a lot of little things...playing catch-up.I'm making lists...crossing things off...and then making a new list so I can read my list.Have I mentioned I like lists?All of the big stuff is pretty much taken care of ...but it's the little things that'll get ya.Thankfully most of my big jobs at work have either been completed, or farmed out. There is

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-90225792202984621922007-11-25T20:52:00.000-07:002007-11-26T10:58:24.144-07:00

We got the 'phone call' this weekend.Our agency called to go over everything we need to know for our trip. Whew.There's a lot to know.Now keep in mind we've been through this process before...Three times.But each time is a little different.And add to that the fact that this time we're going to a different country and you've got the recipe for a big case of the nerves.I've been downing pepto

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-27874213434983124242007-11-24T20:39:00.000-07:002007-11-26T08:50:42.830-07:00

Sorry...didn't mean to confuse anyone with the change in the comments section. I went with unmoderated comments for awhile, but I missed being able to really read the comments. They had a way of sneaking into the blog - and even though I got an email letting me know they were there...I didn't always catch them all.This way, when I log into my blog, I'll see a little note telling me...'Hey! You've

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-3300642568270120502007-11-23T21:29:00.000-07:002007-11-24T12:33:17.539-07:00

I saw this over on Jenni's blog and just had to give it a try. Check it out...it's hilarious. CLICK HERE.Yes...I know I have better things to do with my time than to 'elf' my family...but I neeeeeded a break! (Am I whiney enough for you? - I thought so.) I promise to put up a 'real' post later.

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-904077190158950752007-11-22T21:28:00.000-07:002007-11-23T09:40:05.390-07:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.We're busting at the seams.Our friends, Tom and Lynda and their six kids joined us for Thanksgiving dinner.We had kids everywhere.They were sitting at the table, in the living room...I think a few even ate their dinner sitting in the middle of the laundry room floor.We had a ball.It was great to have an opportunity to get together and just chat. Lynda and I

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-88892739143455848812007-11-20T20:26:00.000-07:002007-11-29T09:23:06.530-07:00

We've reached another milestone, bloggies...This is post number 200.I wish I had something profound to tell you. A story with deep spiritual meaning. But alas, I am plum out of deep thoughts.I don't even have any clever, funny, quippy kind of kid-stories to tell.Where are those kids when I need them?!I need good blogging fodder!Sigh.So you're stuck with a plain, post full of a bunch of tidbits...

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-53611362644588275032007-11-19T19:03:00.000-07:002007-11-19T19:48:36.274-07:00

We were in Ukraine (I never saw Meshack...I just knew he was there.)We got on the train that was to take us to the region...and suddenly I was standing in the door of the train's bathrooms.I went into the facilities and was immediately called out by my friend Lynda, who had gone into labor. (She's due IRL in January).I realized I needed to get water for her...(don't know where I was going to heat

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-88363000851852164422007-11-17T18:10:00.000-07:002007-11-29T09:23:58.876-07:00

I never did go back and get that suitcase.Sigh.I figured it would be just one more expense - and I'd rather save that money for VIP service at the Kiev airport.For some reason this trip I'm wanting as much hand-holding as possible.Maybe it's the new country.Maybe it's all the stress lately.Maybe I'm just getting old. (Hey! I'm only 37!)You'd think I'd be an old hand at this by now.Nope.Take for

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-50994870800078451052007-11-16T19:58:00.000-07:002007-11-16T20:25:37.582-07:00

I'm sorry for all of the complaining. I'm usually a much more 'glass is half full' kind of gal, but something has gotten ahold of me lately and I'm really feeling it.Maybe it's a early case of PAD...I don't know.Whatever it is, I need to shake it.This should help.I was offered a job today.And I took it.Do you remember six weeks ago when I told you about my boss getting 'laid-off?'Ever since then

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-36262828132393501282007-11-15T20:07:00.000-07:002007-11-29T09:24:54.494-07:00

Okay...who put all that stuff back on my 'To Do' list?!I turn my back for one minute and things magically appear...It multiplies overnight.Every time I think I've checked a couple of things off the list - a couple more get added.Soooo......To save my sanity, I'm giving up.There are only a few things that really HAVE to be done before December 2.- Sign the POA forms- Buy Christmas presents for the

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-41756519867199367962007-11-13T18:30:00.001-07:002007-11-13T19:10:43.716-07:00

The closer we get to our travel date the more conscious I become of where our daughter is and what she is going through right now.I wrote in my very first post about all the questions that go through my mind at this point. I start thinking about Maddie laying in a crib...waiting for someone to pick her up and hold her. Knowing she may be cold, wet and hungry. She doesn't have anyone to lovingly

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-39942599590653801312007-11-11T20:08:00.000-07:002007-11-12T14:18:36.078-07:00

It's all done (thank goodness). Punky and Maddie's room is complete...minus a few touches...like a bed for Maddie...and curtains.But let's not dwell on the negatives, shall we?Let's revel in the knowledge that the painting is complete and I can check off another item on the list. The top picture shows you Punky's bed...cute isn't it? We found her bedding and just fell in love. What you can't see

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-33693794294580969322007-11-10T10:47:00.000-07:002007-11-10T10:53:13.437-07:00

This is the weekend.I'm going to get it done.I'm painting Punky and Maddie's room.We went to the store last night and purchased the paint...a lovely Bahia Grass.It will look great with her purple bedspread.I know...I know...It's a little over the top, but come on! This is a little girls bedroom! What would it be without tons of color?!Actually it looks pretty good together.Wish me luck. I had big

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-19901962246009534652007-11-09T22:58:00.000-07:002007-11-29T09:39:39.108-07:00

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD:YEA!!! It worked! Thanks to everyone for all their techie advice! Enjoy! EDITED TO ADD:Okay...that didn't work! Does anyone know how to put the slideshow on here?!------------------------------I've seen so many other people attach albums to their blogs through Picasa, but I don't have the foggiest idea of how to do it, so I'm testing it out BEFORE I get over there!Seeeeee...

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-47331210166966256722007-11-07T22:55:00.000-07:002007-11-10T07:17:36.582-07:00

I finally found some boots.Yipppeee!Of course, all of the women of Ukraine will probably be laughing at me...And Meshack is convinced I am making a horrible fashion faux pau.He thinks they're 'go-go' boots.Alright...They ARE over the calf boots...And they ARE black...But they're not HIGH HEELED!That's all I cared about!I couldn't imagine walking down (or up) the streets of Kiev (how are we

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-57123346955411108412007-11-06T22:17:00.000-07:002007-11-10T06:23:50.048-07:00

I don't usually get this passionate about luggage.It's all pretty cut and dried to me.I just want a valise to get my clothes, makeup, hair accessories, shoes, pjs and other paraphernalia from point A to point B!I don't really care what color it is, as long as it's not pink with purple polka dots. (Although that would be pretty easy to locate in baggage claim!)Meshack has never been married to

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-4974703081587462812007-11-05T06:32:00.000-07:002007-11-29T11:16:59.323-07:00

My baby girl turned 7 today.Wow...seven.How did that happen?It seems like just yesterday we met a shy, tiny toddler in a babyhouse in Russia. She was sitting across the room on a worn, wooden bench, picking dolls, horses and blocks out of a white fabric bag. Her face scrunched in concentration as she listened to what her speech teacher was saying.Every so often she would glance our way, and then

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-70994187228567167352007-11-05T06:18:00.000-07:002007-11-07T14:33:53.191-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA lately.My life has been in fast-forward...times 8.You know the option on your DVD player that makes time skip forward at break-neck speed...so fast that you can't even see what's going on in the scene, let alone the background.That's what I feel like right now.My life is in Fast Forward x8...and it's stuck and I can't find the Power Off button!It's been non-stop at work...and

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-36421958761102351372007-11-04T10:17:00.000-07:002007-11-05T14:26:49.248-07:00

Okay...I have a confession to make.I made waaaaay too much out of yesterday's babysitting duty and I need to apologize to Lynda. I'll do it the first chance I get. (Unless of course, she's reading this...in which case, 'I'm sorry, Lynda!')I also need to admit I have been a little too concerned about myself lately and not nearly concerned enough for others. Call it self-absorbed...call it

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-16354449441287689142007-11-03T09:55:00.000-06:002007-11-05T10:08:14.283-07:00

In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month I've gone grape. (At the urging of Elle.)Purple is actually one of my favorite colors...thanks in large part to my alma matter.You couldn't survive five years at that institute of higher learning without picking up some loyalty to the most royal of colors...Purple. (Go Cats!)I'm supposed to have a neat little graphic on here celebrating National

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-40258295596784296312007-11-02T22:51:00.000-06:002007-11-03T17:05:12.842-06:00

Good news.I survived the shot.It was a little touch and go for awhile...but the Tootsie Pop saved the day.(Actually, I got two for being such a big girl! ;) )Check.Check.That's the sound of two more items getting crossed off the list.- Get flu shot - check.- Buy Punky's birthday gifts - check. Yep...finished that one up tonight as well.Unfortunately all of this great progress is coming to a

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-20429760125524179802007-11-01T22:20:00.000-06:002007-11-02T08:44:54.990-06:00

...a thousand to go.I checked a couple more things off the list in the last couple of days.I bought a photo album, ordered pictures and have started working on putting it all together. MoscowMom has graciously offered to translate everything into Russian for me, so I'm quickly trying to get the list of pictures together for her...but I'm not sure I'm going to get it accomplished. I sure do

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-66672529634097307122007-10-30T18:41:00.001-06:002007-10-30T20:15:00.534-06:00

I'm proud of us!We did pretty well.We didn't get everything checked off the list, but we got a good start.Meshack picked up most of Punky's birthday presents (I'll need to do some cleanup buying this weekend.), he's working on the camcorder's battery as we speak (discharging it, recharging, then checking). He didn't get the furnace checked, the will updated or the clothes for court...but a girl

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-17592168943802387232007-10-29T22:27:00.000-06:002007-10-30T18:41:15.977-06:00

We're on a mission.Meshack and I are going to tackle the 'To Do' list tomorrow.We're going to split up...and take on these things head on.It's the only way we're going to get anything done.I'm tackling four things on the list. He gets five. (He has Tuesday's off, I think it's only fair.) ;)Meshack will...- Buy Punky's birthday presents (Nov. 5) - (This is a step of faith for me. I usually do the

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-32694330824150921032007-10-28T20:23:00.000-06:002007-10-30T09:21:33.875-06:00

...and Happy New Year!Yea, I know...it's a little early...but it was on my "To Do" list today.- Address envelopes for Christmas cards.And you know me and my checklists.I have to follow them to the 'T'.Now before you go getting all impressed, remember, I'm going to be gone in December.I usually wait until the last minute to send this thing out, fighting the crowds at the local post office (okay,

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-66801473380683138312007-10-27T20:21:00.000-06:002007-10-30T09:22:03.242-06:00

I finally did something to get ready for this adoption, besides making a laundry list of things to get done.I went shopping.The funny thing is I didn't get that much accomplished.At least not if you look at my 'To Do' list.I didn't get much checked off at all.But I did take care of a couple of 'biggies'...for me.I have two main concerns while we're there. The first - laundry. There's been a

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-63171232519658640922007-10-24T15:00:00.000-06:002007-10-25T15:42:32.087-06:00

While I was gone, Justine tagged me to do the 'Fours' meme. I'm excited...it's been awhile since I've done one of these.So here you go...more information about me than you'd probably ever want to know! :)Jobs I've had:1. Photojournalist - TV station in Wichita, KS. Loved it! I got to do a bunch of exciting stuff including storm chasing - which is my absolute favorite thing to do. Can't do it

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-24574706946915275182007-10-23T20:24:00.000-06:002007-10-24T07:52:52.194-06:00

Aaaaaah.It's good to be back.I'm am sitting in my way-to-huge, comfy computer desk chair, sipping my skim milk, munching on 0reos and lazily reading blogs.It is sooooo good to be back.It feels like forever since I've blogged anything real...but the funny thing is you all aren't that far behind in the life and times of the ______ family.Nothing much has happened in the last week.At least nothing

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262890817888359796.post-53439909869417749772007-10-23T12:22:00.001-06:002007-10-23T15:09:03.312-06:00

Meshack just called!The box arrived!WE HAVE INTERNET!!!!Yea!Now I can get back to posting...and checking all your blogs.What have ya'll been up to?And did anyone notice while I was gone we broke the 40 day barrier?We have...ONLY 39 DAYS!!!

Tamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381915866366125201noreply@blogger.com4