5/13/07 - Great to be home!!!

Our flights were on time (10.5 hours to JFK & 1.5 hours to Richmond). Ira enjoyed her first ever plane ride immensely. She didn't get sick & it was hard to keep her occupied, but we managed. Neither one of us slept as we both were anticipating the trip for different reasons. Ira didn't get sick on the first plane. I gave her a Dramamine before take off and that may have helped. It was fantastic landing in the U.S. Customs was not quite what I expected. We had to deal with the curtness of the customs agents and they never tried to make you feel welcome!!! Well, that's NY. Once we got on the second flight after a 4 hour wait, Ira did manage to get sick while trying to sleep. Oh well! I had a plastic baggy to minimize a mess and it worked. When we got off the plane and headed for our luggage, Ira spotted her Mama and sister and moved quickly to embrace and kiss them. She stayed wide awake all the way home. Once in the house we thought she would crash after being up for more than 24 hours, but she was too excited to see her new "digs!" She was wide eyed and we gave her a brief tour of the house and showed her to her new room. She had a smile that went from ear to ear. We finally got her to put on her pj's and she crawled into her new bed. She slept like a baby. After she woke the next day she made her bed, put all her clothes away and took a bath. She really seems to love it here and she follows Lisa's every move.

In the last 2 days we have been blessed to have a number of Ukrainian adopted families stop by or be together for lunch after church. It totally relaxed Ira as she could talk to others in Russian and also she noted how well their English was coming along which has encouraged her to step up her efforts to learn. She said her first full sentence tonight. She came up to me and said, "I am going to sleep," and kissed me good night.

Ira did call her grandfather today and he can now rest easy that his granddaughter is safe in America.

We have not been able to post pictures for s while. Keep an eye out for the pictures of the entire trip to be put on our "Snapfish" web site in the very near future.
Pic 1 - Ira on the plane from Ukraine; Pic 2 - Ira, Nicky & Ella for after church lunch; Pic 3 - The families for dinner after church; Pic 4 - More of Pic 3 (All Ukrainian adopted families)

Thurs. 5/10/07 - Final day in Kyiv and Ukraine!

We are both anticipating our trip tomorrow to the U.S. Yesterday was a big Memorial Day holiday. We spent hours walking among the crowds in the Freedom Square area and underground shopping malls. We had a great dinner and stayed to see fireworks. They were less glamorous than we had seen in Donetsk. Ira was pretty tired so we walked our 4+ miles back to our flat and she showered and went right to sleep.

I walked to the SRC office today to pick up and pay for our tickets that were purchased on our behalf more than 2 weeks ago (last 2 seats). We will take a walk to the Botanical gardens this afternoon, have a last dinner and get some sleep. I am anticipating the flight already and the clock can't move fast enough. I simply can't wait to get to do some constructive work when I get back. My patience and feelings of being antsy are at about the end of their ropes. I have maintained my cool under some very tense moments and constantly reminded myself that there is nothing I could do to change things, just keep the faith. That's just the way it is. I believe acceptance of what things are makes it tolerable, therefore, we took in the culture of the country and didn't try to fight it. These folks have much to do to catch up to the rest of Europe and the world. Free enterprise in in full gear and construction and industry seem to be flourishing, so time will tell.

I know I said this yesterday, but I'll say it again, see you all SOON!

5/9/07 - Finally - We WILL be coming HOME!

Just got through typing a lengthy blog and it got wiped out. Love Windows. Well we now have everything necessary to get out of here on Friday. Since flights and times are at a premium, you just can't change flights at will. Weeks of flights with no seats available on anything!

We enjoyed our last super with Sergey and Ira's grandfather, Viktor. We all ate heartily and Viktor ate more than I thought was humanly possible, but I think leaving anything for the vultures is not what one does coming from his humble existence. We went to the train to have him see Ira off and they embraced for quite a while. I gave Sergey and Viktor big hand shakes and hugs. I will miss Sergey after all our time and trials together. After boarding Ira waved until the they were out of site. I made Ira's bed, she put on her pj's and went to sleep. She slept the entire 8.5 hours. I slept a couple of winks, it was too hot in the sleeper.

When we arrived in Kyiv, we were picked up and went to our new flat, paid for the 3 days here and then went straight to the medical facility. The doctor checked Ira over, reviewed her immunization card and we had to get 2 more shots, which we did. Then off to the Embassy for the paperwork and Ira's visa. Ira's passport was left for visa processing. We went back at 5:00 and picked it up. That was the first time I have felt any real relief in 5.5 weeks. We now have everything needed to go home. Our flight leaves Friday at 11:00 AM. Can't change flights, period. There are no open seats on anything for several weeks out!!! We will take in the sites for the time remaining as this is Ira's first time in her capital.

Ira has been a dream. We get along great. She is patient and learning to kiss and hug a lot on my insistence. She has learned to love it as much as I do. Ira is very stoic and doesn't always show emotions, but I see a lot more smiles & laughter now than in the weeks gone by (probably laughing at me and not with me, but who cares...)

We want to thank everyone for all their prayers. God has blessed us on this journey and we have many to thank for that. We have been praying for the Henry's as they go through their days of excitement! We have talked a number of time on the phone and will again tomorrow. See you all real soon..................................

Mon. 5/7 - The whirlwind moves ahead.

Can't believe so many days have passed since our last entry, but much has occurred since Donetsk. We left Donetsk early Thurs. 5/3 and had to stop in another town so Sergey could conclude paperwork for another family and get their documents to Kyiv (SDA) for approvals. At about 3:30 we took off to Kharkiv and then beyond to Luboytin to the judges office to pick up the final judgement on our adoption. The judge had to hang around til 7:30 to give us our 11 copies and let us be on our way. That made it offical... we now have another daughter [Irina Christine Richards]. Friday we were off to the town where her birth is registered to get a new birth certificate. We had to wait 1.5 hours. When we went back we were told that the judge had erred and that our offical 10 days were not up until after 6 PM that day. But since it was an offical decree from a judge they called the Regional office in Kharkiv and they agreed to make a new birth certificate anyway. Yea! Then off to the regional office for their offical seals and stamps and the end of another day. Sergey and I celebrated a little that night. We now had to get one more document to get the passport (21 documents needed in total!!!). We needed a signed document from the orphanage to expedite a passport. Well no luck with the orphange Saurday, but then we had to get another petition notarized authorizing the passport office to issue a passport (always another form needed for everything). On the way to our appointment to get the petition from the notary we went around a corner and the clutch cable broke and we were able to coast off the road. Remembering, to expect the unexpected, I got out of the car, had Sergey pop the hood and discovered the broken cable. So we hailed a cab, went to the notary (5 minutes to spare) got the paperwork done, and took a cab back to the car. Sergey hailed another cab, stopped at a auto parts dealer, got a tow line and clutch cable came back, hooke our car to the cab and he pulled us to a repair place. The repairman came out, replaced the cable and some other minor stuff and we were done. Total time from the cable break, notary and repair - 2 hours (the fastest thing that has happened in this country, a record!!!) Oh, and the cost... $8 for the cable and tow line, $4 for the cab, $8 for the repair (I gave the guy $10 -> 50 grivna and said keep the change!!! --- what a sport...).

Sunday, we got a cake, candy, sodas, etc. and went to the orphanage for Ira's farewell. We had a surprise when we found that Director was on duty and was able to sign our final document and save a trip today. I also presented her with a gift for the orphanage. The kids had a great time. Sergey and I sat with Ira's teachers and we talked. They each present me with a personal gift and one for Debbie and one for Lisa and, of course, for Ira. As we headed out toward the car the girls were all in an embrace, especially Ira's best friend another Ira. Prior to leaving the girls hugged and kissed, Ira hugged and kissed her teachers (they were known to her while there as mama #1 and mama #2). Lubov (mama #2) cried and as did Ira and her friend Ira. I had Ira present her teachers with another gift as we left.

Today was the last leg in getting things done here before we are off to Kyiv for the medical tests/clearances and Embassy visa. We went early to get the ball rolling in getting Ira's passport and while typing this blog Sergey got a call that the passport was done!!! He just gave it to me and again, God has blessed us with His grace. We will go to the orphanage the last time to get Ira's medical history (needed in Kyiv). Ira's grandfather will take a train into Kharkiv tonight to have dinner with us and see Ira off for the last time as we take the night train to Kyiv. We will arrive tomorrow morning at 7:14 and head over for the medical exams. We will be on a sleeper (I bought the entire compartment - sleeps 4 - for $67). I will give Ira a Dramamine and hope that she will sleep all the way. We will leave Sergey behind as he will head to Donestsk to finish the adoption with the other family and be with his wife and daughter (she got her 1st 2 teeth yesterday!). We will miss him and all his help, conversations and his great attitude. He never seems to let any adversity shake him. It's great being around such a positive person. We will certainly be in touch after we leave Ukraine.

P.S. Heard from the Henry's and they were to have their court date today at (9:00) . Again thanks God and for every one's prayers. We can only believe that it's through every one's prayers from home and God's blessings that we are able to be where we are. Thank you...

5/2/07 - Last day in Donetsk

Yesterday turned out to be a bummer. Rained all day, but Ira & I made the best of it. She doesn't like studying that much with me since she doesn't really have to yet. She is still in the comfort zone in Ukraine. But I insist and try to be as redundant as possible with terms she will hear every day. She is getting there but the road is long.

I spoke to the Henry's yesterday and they are behind the eight ball with all of this holiday business and don't know when they can expect to their court date. It's cold where they are and not much to do in the way of amusements. Jim is like me, no ear for the language. Fortunately, Jean has a great handle on the language and it is certainly coming in handy.

Today we went for a ride with Misha to a religious site about 30 km out of town, but Ira was sound asleep (probably from the Dramamine I gave her prior). She finally woke up after we were back in town and we had to stop the car and let her out. Well, the Dramamine didn't work!!! Looks like air sick bags where ever we go... We went to the circus in Donetsk, another first for Ira. She enjoyed it as Misha and I did also. We went to dinner afterwards at a place called the BANANA. It was Cuban motif and we all ate well. Ira had a large ice cream after her meal. She sure takes after here Mama on that score. Ira plays games on my cell phone while waiting in restaurants. So this evening she finished playing and forgot to give the phone back. I didn't realize it til we got home and she was in the shower. I high-tailed back to the restaurant (about 1.5 miles) and retrieved it. Need some excitement every day to stay on my toes...

We are heading back to Kharkiv early tomorrow. We will stop in a town on the way so Sergey can move some other paperwork along for another adopting couple. Sergey called our Judge and she will allow him to pick up the decree late tomorrow rather than early Friday when the judgement goes into effect. That will save us about 2 hours of driving time Friday. Friday he will head for Ira's birth town and get her new birth certificate (sounds familiar!!!). Then we will go for the passport. That may have to wait til Monday and we pray that the holidays will not interrupt us. Don't know when I will get to another Internet cafe, so this might be it for a few days. I want to thank everyone for all their prayers. God is listening...

5/1/07 - May Day (5 days of it so you don't forget!)

We had quite and interesting day yesterday. We were invited to a picnic with Sergey and his wife daughter, in-laws and friends today. Well, since the weather prediction said clear yesterday and rain today, they switched and we went yesterday. Well, nature had fun raining on us the entire time (by the way, today is sunny!!!) and it was cold, but that didn't stop us. When there is determination, stuff happens. Sergey's family and friends were unbelievably warm caring, good natured and very welcoming. They have a very loving way when they are all together and seem to cherish and celebrate the time they have together. Even though Ira had a bit of an accident on the way (driving in the car gets her sick and you guessed it, she vomited all over herself and the car). I felt so bad for her. Here we were in Misha's car with him only knowing Russian and me English. I called Sergey and we met up with him, headed to a large store, got Ira new clothes, got her cleaned up and we were off. She was fine the rest of the day. What is a little different for me is that it is a Ukraine tradition for the men to drink a shot of Vodka (+ some beer) and the women some champagne in between each little plate of food when they are together eating like this. Well, I was good for three half shots and that was it. I let the rest of the guys enjoy the rest. I didn't want to have Ira re-experience any bad memories.

After getting up this morning I found we had no water! Oh well, no breakfast, shower and all the rest. I don't know who to call or what to do about it much other than wait it out. If there is one thing you learn here... patience, which has not been one of my best known qualities! We plan to do some more sight seeing today primarily for Ira's experience. I think it is important that she knows as much about her country as possible. But first, we will do some more English lessons. I am also doing some math with her to get a sense of how far along she is since that is supposed to be her best subject according to her teachers. Two more days and then off to Kharkiv, God willing...

Sunday 4/29/07 - The bonding continues

Ira & I are getting along very very well, aside from the language barrier. Fortunately Ira has had some rudimentary English in her schooling so we are not starting from scratch. She still tends to only say yes, no and OK as she seems self conscious of making mistakes. When I ask her to repeat words she is fine and tries very hard but then can't remember them, so we try to keep things to a minimum. I am trying to get her to memorize her new address and phone number. She was able to say "John Shropshire" the first attempt! That's better than most at home! The main thing is that she seems very relaxed and at ease. The fact that there is so much around us in her own language that she doesn't hear enough English to be concerned about thinking in English. She really livens up when we around others who speak Russian/Ukrainian.

Ira & I went shopping together to a big open market. We found a number of things and when she saw that I was struggling trying to get people to understand what I wanted, Ira took over, sensing my desires and then took the right amount of money from me and made the purchase.

Later, Misha and his interpreter friend, picked us up. We got all the passport pictures taken that will be needed in Kharkiv, tried driving to get some other things but spent most of our time in heavy traffic... We went on to a soccer game at one of the very large stadiums (another first for Ira). It was a good game. The local team won 2 to 1 against a Russian team. The 4 of us then went to dinner at a restaurant called Myctahr (Mustang). Ira was non-stop talking and laughing. It was good to see. We went back to our place where she couldn't wait to put on her PJ's and lay in bed and watch another Harry Potter movie. The country is on a 5 day holiday (May Day) which started yesterday and goes until Wed. (5/2). We are hoping to leave on 5/3 to Kharkiv. If we can get the court papers on 5/3 or 5/4 we will try for the new birth certificate, then on 5/7 go for Ira's passport. Then on Kyiv and another holiday (5/9). I don't want to anticipate too much beyond that because we have truly learned to expect the unexpected!

4/26/07 - Hanging in there...

Ira & I made it through the first day, although I couldn't seem to get her to break free from the TV (many channel satellite TV). Finally, needed a little discussion with Sergey and Julia, in Kyiv, to let her know that big guys like me need to eat every once in awhile. She seemed to bounce back and went along without hesitation. She is a calm, peaceful girl and not high strung like some people in our family!!! Sergey popped into the restaurant where we were eating, chatted a while and went on to see his family. He is very dedicated and loyal and will be our friend for life. I couldn't get Ira's DVDs going yesterday because I needed an extension cord to plug it in. Those type of things are not available just anywhere and are very hard to locate... Sergey commandeered his brother-in-law, Misha (20) to be our driver today. He brought a friend to help interpret. She did pretty good and was glad to have someone to practice her English (rare opportunities to do so here). We went to breakfast, toured the city, saw a new soccer stadium under construction (will seat 50,000) and saw the current soccer stadium they are using (hugh). We stopped to buy more DVDs, food for the apartment and passport pictures for Ira.

New construction and new high rises going on all over the place here. There seems to be a lot more money here than in Kharkiv. Ira has been a lot of fun while driving anywhere. She gets motion sickness very easily and we have to stop often to settle her down. Hopefully that will change in America or we have to start utilizing bicycles more often... NOT! Have to get back to check on Ira... she is engrossed with a Harry Potter movie...

4/25/07 - Arrived in Donetsk

We are here after 4.5 to 5 hours driving. We weren't too excited with the first flat we were shown and went to another. Better, but not as good as the one we had in Kharkiv. We will be moving to a better one Friday. Heard from the Henry's and they met with their new daughter yesterday and are praying that they can get to court by next Friday (5/3) or risk waiting another week due to holidays (5/10).

Ira and I are now on our own as Sergey is off working with another family while we are here. Ira is not as comfortable without him around and somewhat hesitant trying much English as she tends to feel uneasy with the language and doesn't like to make mistakes pronouncing words. I don't get too embarrassed trying words and phrases in Russian even though no one seems to know what the heck I am saying. We don't have much in the way of kitchen facilities so will have to eat out most times. I am using the business center at a 5 star hotel for Internet stuff. The place is called Donbass Palace. Great place, but more than my budget could think of dealing with. Debbie is in Kyiv and finished with the Embassy and will fly home tomorrow. One out of three isn't bad... This has been more of an adventure than I could have ever envisioned...

4/24/07 - Made it through court - Thank the Lord!

Finally had our day in court. Supposed to convene at 2:00 PM. We have learned to expect the unexpected. We started at 3 PM. After 4:20 the judge and 2 person jury stepped out to consult and said they would reconvene at 5:00. At 5:20 we reconvened and we were read all 6 pages line for line of the judgement granting the adoption. We were done at 5:50. Everyone present, the orphanage lawyer, the village inspector, the teacher/rep from the orphanage, the grandfather and us were grilled and we had to answer many questions. Again the personal photo album came into play and was handed to the judge which spoke much for us, our home, community, family and friends. We now officially have a new daughter and couldn't be happier. Ira's grandfather was in tears when the decree was read. One of the jurors also wept. Ira was very dignified and stood up very well throughout the entire procedure. She answered all questions maturely and with confidence. We were pleased and proud. We committed to not ever letting her forget her grandfather. She will be required to write and call him often. We all went out for a celebration dinner with Ira's grandfather before we had to get him to his train in Kharkiv. He had never been to such a place and was overwhelmed and ate heartily. After leaving him off we went back to our flat, Ira bathed and started to watch a Harry Potter DVD when Sergey left and came back with a bouquet of flowers, chocolates and Champagne to celebrate this very special occasion. He is very thoughtful and always has a smile and always has a very upbeat, positive attitude. He's great to have around when you are having a tough day. He has confidence that all will work out and get done. And somehow it does!!! We have been blessed having his guidance and efforts result in continuing to move the process along. Sign up to be patient, don't plan too far ahead, take ONLY one step at a time and then, and only then, think about and move on to the next step. You can go a little crazy otherwise...

Sharon should be on her final leg to Richmond as we type this. Tomorrow, Debbie is off to Kyiv via express train leaving at 7:00 AM. She has an appointment in the afternoon at the Embassy. Sergey, Ira & I will be off on a 4.5 hour car ride to Donetsk for the next 9 days. It ought to be interesting and a new experience for Ira and I in more ways than one. I had it explained to her that she would have to be my guide since she would have to speak for the both of us. She smile and nodded a yes...

We don't have the luxury of pictures right now, but will try again as soon as possible.

4/23/07 - Day before Court !!!

Tomorrow is the big day... court date!!! Everything has been checked and confirmed for our big day tomorrow. After tomorrow the 10 day clock starts ending on Friday 5/3. The actual effective date of the adoption is Saturday 5/4 which means no birth certificate or passport until 5/6., then on to Kyiv. We learned today that there are only 2 working days between 4/30 and 5/10 (holidays 5/1 - 5/3 and 5/9 - 5/11 and extra days in between. They take their holidays very seriously here, a minimum of 2 days but as many as 5 days per holiday mostly by government workers (probably because they work so hard!!!). Debbie is having difficulties trying to reschedule her flight out. We were told Delta is booked through the end of May!!! So another little hump in the road. Maybe we can take the Orient Express and try to get home from Bejing, China. Whatever works... We have had several conversations with the Henry's. They are having their fun too. They did finally get their referral from the SDA today and are off to Berdansk via night train. We wished them well. They are hoping for a break to get their court date in somehow with minimal delays given the holiday down times!!!

After court tomorrow, we (I) will have Ira for the ten day wait, thanks to the orphanage Director. Ira will have to be my guide while we visit Donetsk since she knows the language! We will practice common phases to continue to better communicate. Although I have gotten pretty good at knowing the Russian alphabet and reading signs, my accent only gets me stares and shrugged shoulders, so I guess I could do as well trying to talk Chinese. My mouth and lips do not work right trying to say some things!!! And Ira is concerned with what it will take for her to get up to speed with English. We had her talk to a recently adopted girl from VA Beach yesterday and was given reassurances. Although it made her feel better, she still said she wishes we could adopt her and stay in Ukraine. I hate to be the one to say it, but "fat chance". As much as we are trying to absorb and learn the culture, it is difficult to make the adjustments after living in the US all your life. We bought Ira several Russian DVD movies and music Cd's and player to keep her from being too bored after staring at each other for hours... Sign language is often misunderstood so we have to try other things. Ukraine is rapidly trying to catch up with the speed of the rest of the world, and is doing the best it can.

Over the last 15 years, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the people of Ukraine are fully engaged in free enterprise, trying to work and earn money. The government is slow in moving ahead. Infrastructure is in dire need of attention and the answer heard is they ran out of budget. Can't wait to get home and "smell the roses".

One more note: The DVD/CD/Karaoke player, music Cd's and DVD movies we bought Ira's class was an overwhelming hit. They all gathered around, hooked up the mike and sang along. It was a sight to see. They preferred the karaoke over playing a movie!!! It turned out to be the best gift idea of all (and very affordable).

4/22/07 - Weekend of joy...

We were busy this weekend starting Friday. We spent some time with the Orphanage Director (Vera). We asked what we could do for the orphanage. She wanted a curtain for a stage that they use to do small productions and some help buying some English books. We gave her a personal gift and she was more than grateful. She also said we could have Irina the entire 10 days after court. Wow! We found out that she, too, was an orphan and from the same orphanage... shocking. Her son is a pro soccer player somewhere in Ukraine. Now we understand where the compassion comes from.

Court is Tuesday. Debbie will leave by train Wednesday morning for Kyiv and fly home this week. The 10 days ends on a Friday (5/3) and the decree goes into effect Saturday. That will make it 12 days before we can get the new birth certificate and passport (couple of day venture with signatures, notary and stamps). Then we can go to Kyiv for the medical and visa at the US embassy. There happens to be two, 2 day holidays (5/1 & 5/2 - May day and 5/9 & 5/10 - Veterans day) that could become more than 2 days depending... We would love to be coming home by 5/11 at the latest, but that is not a given at this point.

We were able to bring Ira back with us Friday night and keep her for the weekend. Before we left the orphanage, we presented her #1 teacher with a gift (portable washing machine she wanted). She loved it and had all the kids stand around for pictures. Saturday, we went to see her grandfather and presented some gifts (new color TV and a new chain saw). He was very happy to see us and overwhelmed. I put the saw together and demoed the proper use, etc. He brought out a couple of logs and we cut them like butter!. Not only is he excited but felt he could make money with the forestry department in the summer helping to clear wood in the forest behind his property. We were "treated" to a very humbling experience when we went into his 2 room home. It was beyond description and hard to believe. No running water or indoor plumbing of any kind. We were all invited to visit his mother (Ira's great grandmother) in the village. She is 90 years old. What a sweet, kind woman. She was most pleased that we are adopting Ira. Her home was also humbling. These people live at the very bottom of the economic scale but are proud and hard working. Most labor we do is with machines, they are done here by hand. We ate on the way back, Ira did some more English homework & listened to some Russian music. Today we tried to do some more shopping in this gigantic shopping indoor/outdoor mall to get some more clothes for Ira. We bought a few things so I could provide a change of clothes while we are together for the 10 days and return home. We will go to Donetsk for most of the 10 days (4.5 hours away). It's a big city and with a super sized soccer stadium (the owner is a billionaire).

Sharon will be heading back to Kyiv tomorrow and will be home Tuesday. Now we have to clean up the mess of lonely single men she has left behind with broken hearts.

We have a lot more unbelievable pictures. We will put them all online (Snapfish) when we get home.

Pic 1 - In the woods with Ira and grandfather; Pic 2 - Orphanage Director (Vera); Pic 3 - Chainsaw demo; Pic 4 - Ira, grandfather, great aunt (grandfather's sister), great grandmother

4/20/07 - Getting ready for the weekend...

Good day yesterday. Did some orphanage shopping and got quite a bit done. A little bit more and we should be good to go... Spent a couple hours with Ira yesterday (more English). Since we plan to pay her grandfather a visit tomorrow with some gifts, Ira's teacher suggested we take her for the night so we could go directly in the morning to her grandfather's. Ira is very positive about doing that as we are happy about it too. When we got back to our flat, Sharon had an anniversary gift waiting for us: Bouquet of roses, chocolates and an anniversary card (written in Ukrainian - could have said condolences and we would not have known the difference). It was totally unexpected and greatly appreciated. On the way to the orphanage yesterday we had to see a notary (another short 2.5 hour event!!!) to have Debbie give me power of attorney on the follow-up actions after court. We found out from Kyiv that our documents were accepted and approved by the SDA and would be picked up and returned on tonight's train. If Sergey can arrange it, we may be able to go to court Monday instead of of Tuesday. We are praying for that but the worst case is another day. We had a great meal and good time at a different restaurant last evening. The name of the place is "Fidele's" It was Spanish motif, played soft music and the food was great. All of us agreed it was the best we have had since coming to Ukraine. The had a jazz band (smooth jazz) come in around 9 PM and they played great music. The singer was great. She sang all her songs in English, but was fluent in Ukrainian. After we walked back to our flat, we had some ice cream and watched a movie, which put me to sleep (what else is new?). Debbie is looking forward to her return next week but wishes we could all come home together. I will try to get the orphanage director to allow Ira to leave for a few days with me to Donetsk with Sergey, to see some more of her country, possibly see a soccer game and sight see.

Pic 1 - Open meat market in Kharkiv (more about that when we see you, the FDA would have a field day!); Pic 2 - English lesson with Ira.

4/19/07 - 27 Years and counting!

Today we celebrate our 27th anniversary. We will do some shopping, see Ira and go out to dinner someplace... But first we would like to pay our respects as a result of the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech this past week. We are void of the news most of the time except from e-mails. Sharon, as most know is a Tech alum, has been inundated with e-mails about the entire situation. Although this event by a "crazy" happened at Tech, we are sure that everyone must feel that this could have happened on any campus in America. The big question is how do you prevent this sort of thing? Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and friends directly affected and to all those trying to deal with this catastrophe. We know the country is united in paying special homage to this terrible act.

Yesterday Sharon got a Ukraine haircut ($3.50 USD). She wanted to fit in better and see what might come her way. We thought she had great courage! Debbie considered getting her hair color touched up, but not gutsy enough, no matter the price! Hair colors here are quite eccentric, with colors from blond to red and stripes, patches and everything in-between! Much emphasis on appearance here with hair, clothes and trim figures. It's rare to find any young people overweight. Sharon even tried trolling at McDonald's again, in case she might possibly encounter a bi-lingual. But, again, no luck. Oh well! The quest continues...

We spent some time with Ira and were surprised at her abilities to talk and respond to some basic English. She has been studying and is proud to show us her skills. More today when we see her. The daily visits definitely help build our bond.

Pic.1 - Ira at our flat on Sunday; Pic. 2 - New soccer balls for Sasha and Yura; Pic 3 - Sharon's haircut - Ukraine style!

4/18/07 - Hanging out, sort of...

We have a slight lull. We found that our documents made it back to Kyiv yesterday and were submitted to the SDA today. We are again asking for some Divine intervention to move things along quickly so we can get to court and start our 10 day count down. Sergey has a meeting with the regional passport agency today to ensure all of what needs to be in place after the 10 days is done, to minimize further delays. We spent a few hours at the orphanage with Irina yesterday. Sergey helped us provide some English lessons so it will be easier for Irina & I the last few days here to be able to communicate at least at a basic level. She is trying and will need some additional practice. Of course, it will be easier over time after hearing the same phases over and over again. Ira knows about the coming court date and indicated she is nervous about it. She was reassured that we would be together and that will comfort her. The judge will basically ask her if this is what she wants and if she is going with us on her own free will. As anticipative as she might be, we are sure she is having a lot of anxiety of the unknown and being taken out of her comfort zone. She asked Sergey if she will have an interpreter waiting for her when she arrives in the US... She has had a lot of encouragement from her teachers that this is the best thing for her and the opportunities are too great to pass up. They have been so supportive and caring. That is a blessing. We pray and thank God every day and ask for His continued blessings. On one hand the road ahead seems to be getting clearer, but on the other hand we remain cautious, based on our experiences so far. We take nothing for granted, we just keep on praying. We seem to expect the unexpected! We plan to see Ira after school this afternoon. We need to do some gift shopping yet for the orphanage and the other kids in her group. An update on Sharon: We just can't seem to find anyone suitable to meet her standards, no matter the scent! Tomorrow will mark Debbie and my 27th anniversary. See that, even a kind and gentle person can tolerate an Ogre, just ask Shrek!!! - Dale

Pic. 1 - Cooking in our apartment; Pic 2 - The tram (trolley)

4/17/07 - The Longest Day!!!

Yesterday started out looking like we had to get one signature from the local inspector (conclusion) and submit our request for a court date to the local judge and then send our package on a train to Kyiv for the SDA approvals and turnaround. Well, 12 hours and a whole lot of nerves later we had what was needed. No thanks to the judge (woman) for putting undo pressure and being very fussy in sticking to the letter of the law. She was demanding that the grandfather be present at the court even though he signed off with a notary on giving his granddaughter his blessing to leave with us. Also she initially stated that we had to come to court twice (which is what the law requires although not done in many other regions). She also demanded that we go out and make 4 copies of all the documents before she would even talk to Sergey or set a date for court. She also said she wouldn't set a date until the documents came back from Kyiv. The game got worse until the special envelop with the "motivation" caused a change of heart and a whole lot of things got done after hours. Now we are down to one court date (Tuesday 4/24) if the paperwork gets back on time, or 4/26 if a delay in the paperwork. This has been an uphill battle thus far and we can only look past the court date, the 10 day wait and the final paperwork (new birth certificate, passport, medical and visa), then home. Debbie could be home by the end of next week and I will be home in 3 more weeks if all of the above happens without further undo hassles. We got back into town last night around 9:30, ate at a McDonald's by the train station and walked over to the train station and sent off our package.

Sharon met another potential mate the other day while waiting to have our washing machine fixed in our flat. The guy who came to do the work was a dashing specimen but exuded the scent of an aged salami and that put a pause (halt) in her pursuit. We have a couple days break before our next flurry. Ira spent the day with us Sunday. We bought a couple of new outfits, new shoes all of which were very appealing to her. We stopped for pizza (rather good compared to the one we had the other day at another place. That was Ira's 1st pizza. She also had an espresso coffee, also a first for her. She saw a movie in our flat (Shrek - Russian version) and had a bubble bath. She still had a lingering cold and was not up to par. Speaking of par, I could sure use a round of golf right about now! After taking Ira back we noted some envy by her friends and now can only do one thing - find something for each of them (9 girls & 7 boys)!

We are on the hunt to find a male friend for Sharon, possibly one she could "adopt" and bring home. He may need a bubble bath and new threads, but we look at is as another attempt to reach out helping someone. After all, she said she needed a pool boy. - Dale

Our 12 hour day yesterday, spent primarily in Sergey's car, while Sergey worked his magic. During a quick break to grab a bite to eat, we stopped at the local town mini-mart, about the size of our garage. They were using an abacus for a cash register, which really puts things in perspective! - Debbie

Pic 1 - New outfit; Pic 2 - Pizza time; Pic 3 - Looking for new clothes; Pic 4 - Return to the orphanage with Ira friends (some envy showed) .

4/14/07 - God is good!

Although we sent out a blog earlier today, we knew we had to follow-up. The good news was that Sergey brought back THE Birth Certificate!!! We are thrilled of course. Monday we will acquire the remaining signatures and our documents will be off to Kyiv for approval and return from the SDA. That process normally takes 5 days. Of course we will push for that to be expedited a bit, if at all possible. Once back we can go to court (Debbie will head home after that) and start the 10 day waiting period. I will do that alone and procure the final documents at the end (NEW Birth Certificate - sounds familiar, passport here, then medical and visa at the American Embassy). Then the next flight out. Although we have heard from some of the wait and down time, that has not been too bothersome to us, so far. Acceptance is the rule. If you can accept, keep up on your prayers, things will happen and get done on God's time schedule. It's really out of our hands. It is in His. We can't do it, but He can! Just keep the faith and enjoy what this nation has to offer, No, definitely not like in the US, but keep in mind it is the heritage of the child who you bring back. This is all they know and what they hold on to for quite some time, good or bad, until they become Americanized!!! Even then it will never completely clear from their memory. To think, a year and several months ago, the thought of ever doing this was farthest from out minds. Now here we are now fostering the beginning of a new way of life for someone else. We are very thankful that the Lord led us to this place.

Pic. - Holding THE document to die for........ Sergey is our hero.

4/14/07 - One more step closer!?!

Today Sergey woke early to pick up the orphanage lawyer and head for the local civil records office in the village Ira was born to get a new birth certificate. The documents made it there yesterday via express mail. He has been gone for hours, but hope that by days end he has it. Next will be the Inspectors office Monday for the conclusion and the package will be off to Kyiv. God is good! Sharon has been having fun stirring up the locals... She was verbally attacked at the local McDonald's by a native with "Yankee go home." Why Sharon, we can only surmise that she has that look! 10 days ago in Kyiv, she got yelled at by a postal worker and told in a loud scolding way where to put her letters!!! She only could wish that her daughter Kate was here to deal with it... We were able to visit Ira yesterday and again the boys dragged me out to the soccer field so they could test my stamina (not the same as it was 10 or 20 years ago). I'm going to have to get them a couple new soccer balls. Maybe they will leave me alone if I do!!! Somehow I doubt it. Ira has a cold. We played UNO again which more and more of her friends joined in as each new hand was dealt. It is a great game and easy to pick up. One of Ira's friends brought over an English book, Bedtime Bible Stories. Ira took the book and did read several sentences from it! We were happy to see that they have some Christian influence and especially that book! Today, Ira's grandfather is taking the train to visit her for the day. We thought it best to give each of them the time to be together alone. We spoke to him on the phone and said that we would come out to see him with Ira soon, probably next weekend. We have some gifts for him. We plan to pick up Ira tomorrow and bring her here in the city to get some new clothes for court and to wear back to the US. We will probably offer another bath soaking and watch some movies, play cards and go out for a nice meal before we bring her back. She seems relaxed and at ease right now, but we realize she is in her comfort zone. We expect some anxiety to set in once we are on the move away from her orphanage and friends.

Pic. 1 - Ira and friends; Pic. 2 - Dale attempting soccer on a muddy field with the boys...

4/13/07 - Some light at the end of the tunnel!!

God does work his plan in ways that baffle. Sergey has worked through the Lord and gotten a lot done in the last few days, and I do mean a lot!!! We are at the point now where the local records center is waiting for an express letter (3 to 4 days - what do you expect express to mean, otherwise a week to 10 days). The letter will authorize the right to a new/corrected birth certificate. It looks like that will be Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Once issued and another document signed by the local inspector our package will be off to Kyiv. Keep those prayers coming, God is blessing us. We will visit Ira later this afternoon and hopefully over the weekend. Will keep you posted and more pictures to follow. - Dale

We did try to post some pictures yesterday, but we were having problems with the computer at the Internet cafe. We'll be taking pictures today while visiting Irina and hope to post them tomorrow. It's been hard not seeing Irina the last couple days, but Sergey has been busy compacting 2-3 months of paperwork into a week or so. Last night Sergey treated to cooking us dinner. It was a tortellini-like pasta with a meat and onion filling served with sour cream. After that we watched the Patriot. What would we do without our American movies? The other day when Dale & I were shopping at Billa (grocery store) a man from the UK approached us and was thrilled to talk to someone who speaks English! Guess that's how our daughter will feel when we get home. We are so blessed with a ready-made Ukrainian community in Williamsburg!! - Blessings, Debbie

4/12/07 - In a holding pattern

Although Sergey has jumped through many hoops the last several days, the process has many more people and places to go to complete the task. It's amazing what schmoozing, flowers, fruit baskets and US green can do to move things along a little more quickly than normal. All to get a new corrected birth certificate and then get another new one after the 10 wait after the court date. This process can take up to 3 months, normally. We think we are looking at another couple of weeks at best and with God's grace, before we have what's needed to go to Kyiv and come back so we can go to court. Debbie will probably head for home after signing some papers at the Embassy in Kyiv and I will continue to enjoy my "vacation" alone until all of what is left to do gets done and I can come home with our daughter. We have had a couple of days of off and on rain after the 1st 10 days of fair weather. We have not been able to visit Ira the last few days since Sergey is too busy hustling from site to site and person to person to move the process along. We are giving him the room to maneuver. We've tried to pick out a few eligible single men for Sharon to take home, but she simply refuses!!! - Dale
The kids are so mannerly and anxious to please, you see the yearning in their eyes for a family and future. When they see us now, they run to find Irina. On Easter Sunday we did have fun with the kids although our plan to have them enjoy some movies didn't work out. The movies we bought are Russian, but we got an error on our DVD player, "wrong region". Even some of the teenage boys came in to try to get it to work. Sharon had brought a suitcase full of velvet coloring pads which the kids loved, and thanked us for in English. The food we brought (chocolate Easter eggs with a little toy inside, bananas, apples, coke, candies) we thought they would gobble up, but they waited to eat, and started when we urged them. We think this orphanage seems to keep them pretty well fed, a good thing. The boys got Dale outside and wore him out playing soccer!
On Easter Monday, 4/9, we enjoyed the day with Irina. At first the teacher said we could have her overnight, but the director said only for the day. Too soon and paperwork not completed and the director could get in trouble. FYI, the orphanage lawyer Sergey is working with, has a bicycle for his transportation. Irina does get motion sickness, so we do make a stop or two for her to get some fresh air. We had a nice lunch at a cafe and Irina picked a squid salad! I am getting ideas on what to fix for her when we get home! Glad she likes seafood :) Mayonnaise is a favorite food item here (they like to put it on everything) and love potatoes.
The facilitators certainly earn every penny, as we have seen with Sergey. He knows how to work the system. It's important here for papers to be stamped and notarized. There was a couple on the plane we met on the way over from Florida, who were on their 3rd trip to pick up their son. They had a court date, but each of the other 2 times they came, the judge announced he was going on vacation for 20 days. They are doing it independently, so we are happy to have SRC to help us every step. Everyone we've met and worked with have been great, experienced and have been working hard to get us home as soon as possible, working through the Ukrainian system. We thank you for your prayers, support and comments on our blog, it keeps us going! God Bless,
Debbie

4/11/07 - Birth Certificate fiasco...

We are in a holding pattern trying to get this birth certificate thing corrected. It would take pages to explain the process, steps and offices that need to be involved to get this (what you might consider minor and easy to fix) thing resolved. We could only imagine what things were like here when it was Soviet controlled. However, the Soviet way of doing business is still a mind set that the people here have not been able to shake. It's like their rest rooms (if you can find one). For those who have been here know it reminds you of a WW II movie, "bombardier to pilot, bombs away, hope we are on target." Although most of the people here seem to be happy of their independence, their infrastructure is in dire need of attention. There is far more focus on individual appearance than anything around them... It is still beneficial to witness the cultural differences and to realize the rest of the world is not like the good old USA, with all of it's own misgivings. We are a blessed people and could only wish more in the US could realize that fact. We spent time with Irina yesterday after many trips and stops to move correcting the birth certificate situation. We spent most of our time doing English lessons with her and her friends. They all really got into it. Irina got a hold of our camera and went on a picture taking binge (dozens of pictures). She enjoyed it and so did her friends. This orphanage seems to be better off than most we have heard about. It appears as there may be some sponsorship coming from somewhere (we think Italy). There have been a number of kids adopted by Italians and they know many Italian phrases. These kids are mild, under control, respectful, neat and mindful of others. It makes you love them more each visit. We get to hug more and more on each visit. When we had Ira for the day on Easter Monday, we tried to get her some new clothes for the court date (???) and beyond. However, they take their Easter days off seriously here (a good thing for the Christians) and most shops and stores were closed. We did manage a new pair off sneakers (orange!!!) that she liked and a back pack to be able to bring home her personal things. Debbie gave her a bubble bath in the afternoon which she thoroughly enjoyed. She then watched a DVD movie in Russian (Ice Age 2) and then we played cards (UNO). She got a little tired and we spent a lot of time trying to communicate. Ira seems to understand quite a bit of English but as usual time and daily exposure will enhance her skills.

Pic. 1 - Easter Buns being blessed; Pic. 2 - Easter party at the orphanage; Pic. 3 - One of many group pics at the orphanage with Ira and her friends.

4/9/07 Brought Ira to Kharkiv today

Although we had planned to do some shopping in Kharkiv with Ira today, it is a holiday (day after Easter) and most everything is shut down. The churches were packed yesterday, we got soaked getting our Easter buns blessed. It snowed last night , just sticking to buildings, but not the roads or sidewalks. And boy is it cold. Windy and + 1 degree C. We are trying to make the best of it, but the language barrier makes it tough to communicate. We spent the afternoon at the orphanage and had an Easter party with Ira and her classmates. The CD's did would play since our CD players were not able to read the format (formatted for a different world region). But we had fun anyway. The boys badgered me into playing soccer. They wore me out. I had to take off my coat and was sweating and out of breath for most of the 2 hours they had me out there!!! Bye for now...

4/7/07 - Met 2nd teacher

Starting to feel guilty if we don't make a daily entry to keep everyone up to speed. Spent time today with Irina. Went for a walk through the woods across from the orphanage. We met her 2nd mama, Lubov ( another teacher). Her 1st mama is Tatiana (her main teacher). We are glad she is so close to them and they to her and the others as it keeps them from being absent of any love. Irina always lights up when we see her and gives us both hugs and kisses upon arrival and departure. Unexpectedly, Lubov made some tea and cut an Easter bun and invited us to sit with her. We always find out more each time we visit and also about some of the others. We have come to find that quite a few Italians come to this orphanage to adopt. We are going to take pictures & try to identify some of Irina's friends and see if the orphanage will tell us if they are registered (available for adoption). It would be great to find others interested in giving them a new home, family and life. You just want to reach out and scoop up a bunch of them and take them home. The kids here are just great. The kids at this particular orphanage seem to be getting very good treatment, however, their past have left some big psychological scares.

Pic. 1 - Walk in the woods; Pic 2 - Ira's class; Pic 3 - Ira's bedroom

4/6/07 - Some more flies in the ointment!

As you might expect, when all seems to be heading in the right direction, something comes along to get your attention. When going to the Notary to petition for the adoption, Sergey noted a typo!! Well it is more than a typo. There is a "one" letter difference in Irina's last name from the paperwork and her birth certificate. Her birth certificate has a letter in it that is Russian and all the rest of her documents have the letter translated to Ukranian. Now we have to go to the town where she was born and and get it changed. Sounds simple but they want a court decree and who knows what else, then on to the Region to get them to change it, etc. In between we have 4 - 5 days delay because of the Easter Holiday. We have no idea of how long the delay or the procedures that have to be followed to move on to getting a court date. All we can do is keep on praying. We cannot leave and come back as Irina is getting more attached each day and we can't break her heart. We will see her tomorrow and then bring Russian versions of American movies to her orphanage and have all her classmates join us in watching them and we will supply the soda, cookies and candy. Her classmates are the greatest, well disciplined, attentive and so sweet you just want to bring more home with you Monday we get Irina for the day and will shop with for some new clothes and a bubble bath and "make over".... Please keep us in your prayers.

4/5/07 - Met with Irina's Grandfather

Another long day but worth it!!! We woke early, headed to the orphanage, picked up Ira, pronounced (ee-ra, rolling the r). We then went to Ira's school and picked up her teacher and headed out to meet Ira's grandfather. We had to stop the car 3 times so Ira could relieve her upset stomach (bad case of car sickness.. doesn't ride in cars much and nervous). About an hour and a half later we arrived in his village (very humbling) . He was not there (in the forest cutting wood to make more wood craft items). 10 minutes later he came into view with his bicycle with a load of wood tied to the back. Ira appeared a little nervous and of course her grandfather was trying to figure out what the 4 strangers were all about. Introductions were made and Sergey explained our purpose. Her grandfather, Victor, took it all in and did not want to stand in the way if this was what Ira wanted. She said it was and he felt strongly that he would miss her but did not want to have Ira come back to him in the future because he held her back and make her resent him. He was clear that he want to have her call and write and visit, possibly within a year. We agreed and let him know how important it was to us to have her stay in touch with her only family. He asked us to send him an available single women and I showed our neighbor (no names) and he gave a thumbs up!!! Victor and I embraced upon leaving and he added that he now he had more family! We plan to see him again before leaving the region. Much more yet to do before we can head back to Kyiv and the Embassy and head back home. It looks like we will be here about 3 more weeks due to holidays and delays. We will spend as much time with Irina as possible to bond and get closer. Her new full American name will be Irina Christine Richards - DOB: 11/27/95

Pic. 1 - Irina & Victor; Pic. 2 - Sergey, Ira, Ira's teacher, Tatiana; Pic. 3 - The gang!

4/4/07 (2) - Meeting Irina (Ira) for the first time

After the formalities and comfort setting discussion, the Director asked for Ira's teacher to come in and talk to us. We went through our album with the Director and teacher over viewing our family. They were impressed and were all smiles and felt more comfortable as all went well and then the defining moment... in walked Irina. She looked so cute although very serious and somewhat nervous. We tried to talk a bit with interpreting going of in both direction and then brought her up to speed on our family through the album again. Irina was most intent on each and every picture assessing what could be potential her new family. We found the Irina will have been in the orphanage 2 years this summer and spent 1 year prior in a shelter prior. She seemed very intent, in told control when asked questions and acted very mature for her age. Each moment caused her to grow on us more and more. She is very pretty and a delight to be around. She was put on the spot rather quickly by the Director in asking how she felt about becoming a part of our family, since there was an eagerness to get paperwork started quickly because of the long holiday weekend (Easter) . She was not 100% but felt more positive than negative. At that time I interceded and asked that it be made clear to her above all else that her decision was more important than anyone else's and she didn't need to lock herself in now and be so nervous. Also, that even though we wanted to move ahead on the paperwork she could withdraw at anytime over the next several days. Then an obstacle was brought up that had to be overcome and written off prior to proceeding. Although she had no siblings and her parents had lost all rights, she has a grandfather who visits a couple time a year and needed his acceptance in order for the orphanage to sign off. Sergey, Debbie, an orphanage representative, Irina & I will be off at 9:00 AM tomorrow to find her grandfather and provide reasons why it is in his granddaughter's best interest to be adopted by us. We spent the rest of the day touring the facility first with the director herself and then by Irina. We then played UNO for an hour or so and ended our day. All that time appeared to have created a stronger bond. We are very much in pursuit of breaking down any barriers to adopt this child...

Pic. 1 - Irina; Pic. 2 - Ira looking at family album; Pic. 3 - Ira & Orphanage Director