Our court date is Monday at 11AM. We know that this is just procedural and takes about 10 minutes. Once court is over and we go to the notary to get the POA's notarized Lev and I will be on our way back to Kiev. On Tuesday morning I have a 8AM appointment at the consulate to sign-off giving Drew authority to complete the process. After the Consulate I am going to the airport to catch an 11:50AM flight to Amsterdam. I have an overnight in Amsterdam and then a direct flight from Amsterdam to LAX and will arrive home on Wednesday.
The ten day waiting period starts on Tuesday July 24th at which point Drew will be able to get the re-issued birth certificate and passport before heading back to Kiev.
Likely will not be able to update the blog again till back in the states.
Love & Light,
A3 + J
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Thursday - Update
To all,
We had a delightful day today. It was only 35C instead of the 40C that it was yesterday.
We are hopeful that our court date will be on Monday and should know this for sure tomorrow.
Olga will be joining us for the weekend and we look forward to her company.
Andrei is learning new words in English as we continue to pick up a few words each day in Russian. Andrei is getting realy comfortable with us and is now playing games on Drew that are really cute. We feel so fortunate to be on this side of the adventure (aka the down hill slide).
We also found Ukrainian fast food that is healthy and of course Drew has fell in love with since we ate there for lunch and dinner (preparing Drew for his time alone and scooping out places that he will be able to order food).
Once we have court I should be home two or three days later.
Love and light,
A3 + J
We had a delightful day today. It was only 35C instead of the 40C that it was yesterday.
We are hopeful that our court date will be on Monday and should know this for sure tomorrow.
Olga will be joining us for the weekend and we look forward to her company.
Andrei is learning new words in English as we continue to pick up a few words each day in Russian. Andrei is getting realy comfortable with us and is now playing games on Drew that are really cute. We feel so fortunate to be on this side of the adventure (aka the down hill slide).
We also found Ukrainian fast food that is healthy and of course Drew has fell in love with since we ate there for lunch and dinner (preparing Drew for his time alone and scooping out places that he will be able to order food).
Once we have court I should be home two or three days later.
Love and light,
A3 + J
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
To all,
Today the interface to the blog is in English (I think this is going to be a lucky day). Last night when I went to upload pictures the interface was in Russian and I was having all sorts of problems. So, the picture posted last night was not the intended post as the picture does not to just to either Andrew/i.
We have met another American family from Colorado that we have been spending time with during our visits with Andrei. They are also adopting a little boy and brought their two older children with them for the experience. The Houghton's leave today for court tomorrow and will be flying home for the 10 day waiting period and then returning. Andrew and Alie the Houghton kids have been great with Andrei and having all the kids interact makes the whole time go by just a bit quicker.
The pictures in sequence (note the last uploaded pictures show first).
Picture 1 - The Houghtons - Richard (Dad in hat), Cindy (Mom), Alex (Translator blue and gold shirt - great guy), Ali & Andrew
Picture 2 - Drew & Andrei
Picture 3 - Andrei, Andrew & Ali
Picture 4 - Drew, Audrey & Andrei
Picture 5 - Andrei in position waiting for the ball from Papa
Picture 6 - Lev our translator (we look forward to seeing him again soon we have been on our own since Saturday)
Picture 7 - Mom & Andrei
As you can see we have a lot of A's in the group. We actually met yet another family from Mission Viejo, CA and the mothers name is Angie. Angie and co. are staying in a place with air conditioning and an inside hot shower and will be staying the 10 days in Skadovsk (where we have been since Saturday - by the Black Sea) and offered Drew the use of their facilities.
We called Lev to check on the status of things and our documents have been delivered to the SDA and we have been informed that we should have their consent to proceed with the adoption either on Friday or Monday. Once we have the SDA consent we will be able to get a court date. I am praying that the stars are all aligned and that we have a court date on Monday morning in Khearson. Once we have court we have to get some POA's in place to authorize Drew to take care of the balance of the documents with out me and the last step is I need to visit the US Embassy in Kiev sign some documents to the same effect and then I am on a jet plane out of dodge en route for the good old US of A.
I am working on making sure that one or another cafe that we have frequented in this last week can make sure that Andy has one good meal a day without to much of a struggle with ordering.
We have been enjoying seeing how quickly Andrei is already learning English and remembering his manners. I think his transition will be easy given what we have seen already. The kid is completely heat resistant. Today Andy's legs were cramming from the continued oppressive heat that we have been experiencing and I though I was going to wilt. Not a complaint but there really is no such thing as ice in this country given the state of refrigeration and electrical capacity etc. I have to give in up to the Ukrainians as they are made of much tougher stuff than we are at this point in our lives.
We are getting to the down hill slide and have seen the light. Thanks again for all the e-mails, comments on the blogs and phone calls. You all have provided a lifeline to our reality back home.
Just a bit of additional data. Andrei's full name is Andrei Eli Hoeller date of birth 9/5/2002, currently he is 43 inches (slightly shorter than Jackson) and weighs more than Jackson by a couple of pounds.
Much love,
A3 + Jackson
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
Quick Update
To all,
There is so much to say and so little time. Hard to believe put power goes off consistently here at least twice a day and when I try to get on the internet there are tons of little boys playing games on the computer so getting access is challenging.
I am coming home after we get our court date - our court date should be determined sometime later this week and G-d willing set for the first of next week (hurry up and waaiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttt - not my strong suit). We have determined that getting home is no problem and the airline is honoring our tickets and they are easily changeable - yippppppppppeeeeeeeeeee.
Andy is staying to hold down the fort and bond with Andrei.
We are staying at a place that is like being at summer camp. We have no inside toilet or shower. We have been showering in freezing cold water - I guess it could be worse.
We have met another American couple who is going home for their 10 day waiting period since they brought their two children and their process has mirrored ours as far as time in country etc.
We will update as we know anything more.
Please know that it is like a breath of fresh air to get e-mails and phone calls from home. We chatted with Peggy aka flight specialist the other day and I got happy just hearing a friendly voice.
Love and light,
Audrey & Andy
There is so much to say and so little time. Hard to believe put power goes off consistently here at least twice a day and when I try to get on the internet there are tons of little boys playing games on the computer so getting access is challenging.
I am coming home after we get our court date - our court date should be determined sometime later this week and G-d willing set for the first of next week (hurry up and waaiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttt - not my strong suit). We have determined that getting home is no problem and the airline is honoring our tickets and they are easily changeable - yippppppppppeeeeeeeeeee.
Andy is staying to hold down the fort and bond with Andrei.
We are staying at a place that is like being at summer camp. We have no inside toilet or shower. We have been showering in freezing cold water - I guess it could be worse.
We have met another American couple who is going home for their 10 day waiting period since they brought their two children and their process has mirrored ours as far as time in country etc.
We will update as we know anything more.
Please know that it is like a breath of fresh air to get e-mails and phone calls from home. We chatted with Peggy aka flight specialist the other day and I got happy just hearing a friendly voice.
Love and light,
Audrey & Andy
Friday, July 13, 2007
Continuation of the Story
We were in Lviv over the weekend and ran into several English speaking couples. On Saturday we were in the center square of town when a group of Ukrainian kids asked us in very proper English how they could help us out. We were able to find our way over to a very old drugstore that I had read about on the internet as a place not to miss. While in the drugstore there was a young Polish couple that spoke English. We went on the tour together and they were thankful to have found this hidden treasure that they were not aware provided tours.
On Sunday we were passing time till we were to board the train back to Kiev. I heard English speaking folks and decided we would introduce ourselves/ The couples were Ameicans living in Southern CA in the next town over from our home. Funny to find people half-way around the world that literally are your neighbors. We spend a bit of time with them and it was enjoyable to speak with other English speakers besides ourselves.
Tuesday - July 10, 2007
Today we spoke with the Deputy Director the head of the SDDA (thru our translator) and stated our case as to why we needed to have our second appointment soon. We explained how we have left our first son in America and that at some point very soon if nothing moved forward we were going to have to go home empty handed. We wanted the Deputy Director to see pictures of Jackson since we adopted him from Ukraine and that he is so happy and well adjusted. The Deputy Director befrudgingly looked at the pictures and we really feel that it impacted him since in fact we did get a referral today. We will be going out to the region (Kherson) and will see the child on Thursday. We will not be positing this until after we have seen the child and spoken with Jackson (promised that Jackson would be the first one to know all the details about his sibling).
The little boys name is Andrei ( could not be any closer to Andrew and Audrey). We will not change Andrei's name and Andy is willing to change his name and go by Drew (what I call him already) since it is likely that andrei will be called Andy at school etc. Andrew will turn five just after we get home. i guess I was not meant to have a daughter this go round.
We had dinner this evening again with Olga's nieces. It was a delightful diversion from hanging out in the one room apartment. Ira, Lena and Vaidm have made us feel very welcomed in Kiev. Someday when they have an opportunity to visit the US our house is open.
Thursday - July 12, 2007
We started out at 2:00Am to come down to Kherson 400 miles south east of Kiev. The ride itself was more of an adventure than we bargained for. Once we got into town we found out that our referral was in summer camp on the Black Sea another 100 km away (getting closer). We had the pleasure of meeting Andrei today and have decided to pursue adopting him (Andrei has two step brothers that need to be legally seperated by the board of custody befoere we can complete this process - just another pothole). Andrei was examined by a Dr. (we will save comment on this till later) who concurred that Andrei is psychologically and developmentally behind ( that is expected when a child is in an orphanage and given Andrei's particular backgruond) and he is physically fine (may also need glasses - no big deal).
Of course Andrei looks like Andy and really already adores his Papa ( no surprise here). Andrei is a soft soul and we look forward to the conclusion of this process. I was feeling sickened when lasty night we were reviewing the to-do list and timeline with our translator Lev after dinner this evening. In the best case scenario we could all be back on a plane going home in just over 3 weeks from now (we have already been away from Jackson for 3 weeks) and otherwise it could be slightly more than a month from now. The rules have changed since we adopted Jackson last time and there is a mandatory 10 day waiting period after all the paperwork is concluded (Andy is now calling this whole excursion Andy's fat camp as he has lost at least 10lbs since we walk everywhere and the food is only marginally appealing - note I have lost 1 or 2 lbs). Andy and I have been talking about me going home over this period to be with Jacksn, work, r\take care of the cats, pool duties, pay bills, and give Andy a FastPass ticket to heaven. I of course have heard of couples where one went home over the 10 day period and never in a million years could I conveive that Andy would be comfortable enough to be in Ukraine on his own and would ever consider this as a possibility I figure I would be the one to stay as I am the one who navigates all the communications etc.
We will be working out all the finer details over the next several days and will be investingating the possibility of flights home for me.
Just a note the conditions in this country are of course far worse than I remeber (thank g-d that like child birth some things are quickly forgotten). We walked into the translator's room in Kherson and all I could say to Andy was if I was even slightly high maintenance I would have gong out of the room screaming like any good self-respecting American woman would have given the sight and condition of Lev's room. American Frat Houses are luxurious compared to the accommodations in the region. When we were in Pryluky and you flushed the toilet the water came up throught the bathtub. We have a lot to be thankful for at home.
On Sunday we were passing time till we were to board the train back to Kiev. I heard English speaking folks and decided we would introduce ourselves/ The couples were Ameicans living in Southern CA in the next town over from our home. Funny to find people half-way around the world that literally are your neighbors. We spend a bit of time with them and it was enjoyable to speak with other English speakers besides ourselves.
Tuesday - July 10, 2007
Today we spoke with the Deputy Director the head of the SDDA (thru our translator) and stated our case as to why we needed to have our second appointment soon. We explained how we have left our first son in America and that at some point very soon if nothing moved forward we were going to have to go home empty handed. We wanted the Deputy Director to see pictures of Jackson since we adopted him from Ukraine and that he is so happy and well adjusted. The Deputy Director befrudgingly looked at the pictures and we really feel that it impacted him since in fact we did get a referral today. We will be going out to the region (Kherson) and will see the child on Thursday. We will not be positing this until after we have seen the child and spoken with Jackson (promised that Jackson would be the first one to know all the details about his sibling).
The little boys name is Andrei ( could not be any closer to Andrew and Audrey). We will not change Andrei's name and Andy is willing to change his name and go by Drew (what I call him already) since it is likely that andrei will be called Andy at school etc. Andrew will turn five just after we get home. i guess I was not meant to have a daughter this go round.
We had dinner this evening again with Olga's nieces. It was a delightful diversion from hanging out in the one room apartment. Ira, Lena and Vaidm have made us feel very welcomed in Kiev. Someday when they have an opportunity to visit the US our house is open.
Thursday - July 12, 2007
We started out at 2:00Am to come down to Kherson 400 miles south east of Kiev. The ride itself was more of an adventure than we bargained for. Once we got into town we found out that our referral was in summer camp on the Black Sea another 100 km away (getting closer). We had the pleasure of meeting Andrei today and have decided to pursue adopting him (Andrei has two step brothers that need to be legally seperated by the board of custody befoere we can complete this process - just another pothole). Andrei was examined by a Dr. (we will save comment on this till later) who concurred that Andrei is psychologically and developmentally behind ( that is expected when a child is in an orphanage and given Andrei's particular backgruond) and he is physically fine (may also need glasses - no big deal).
Of course Andrei looks like Andy and really already adores his Papa ( no surprise here). Andrei is a soft soul and we look forward to the conclusion of this process. I was feeling sickened when lasty night we were reviewing the to-do list and timeline with our translator Lev after dinner this evening. In the best case scenario we could all be back on a plane going home in just over 3 weeks from now (we have already been away from Jackson for 3 weeks) and otherwise it could be slightly more than a month from now. The rules have changed since we adopted Jackson last time and there is a mandatory 10 day waiting period after all the paperwork is concluded (Andy is now calling this whole excursion Andy's fat camp as he has lost at least 10lbs since we walk everywhere and the food is only marginally appealing - note I have lost 1 or 2 lbs). Andy and I have been talking about me going home over this period to be with Jacksn, work, r\take care of the cats, pool duties, pay bills, and give Andy a FastPass ticket to heaven. I of course have heard of couples where one went home over the 10 day period and never in a million years could I conveive that Andy would be comfortable enough to be in Ukraine on his own and would ever consider this as a possibility I figure I would be the one to stay as I am the one who navigates all the communications etc.
We will be working out all the finer details over the next several days and will be investingating the possibility of flights home for me.
Just a note the conditions in this country are of course far worse than I remeber (thank g-d that like child birth some things are quickly forgotten). We walked into the translator's room in Kherson and all I could say to Andy was if I was even slightly high maintenance I would have gong out of the room screaming like any good self-respecting American woman would have given the sight and condition of Lev's room. American Frat Houses are luxurious compared to the accommodations in the region. When we were in Pryluky and you flushed the toilet the water came up throught the bathtub. We have a lot to be thankful for at home.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Weekend - Quick update
We have been granted great weather over the weekend and a charming little town to walk around. We had a great time finding all the sites and amazing ourselves that we can get around even though largerly we do not speak the language since on the western part of Ukraine they speak Ukrainian.
We will be headed back to Kiev this evening on the train (I can already hear Andy's excitement at this prospect).
In light and love,
Audrey & Andy
We have been granted great weather over the weekend and a charming little town to walk around. We had a great time finding all the sites and amazing ourselves that we can get around even though largerly we do not speak the language since on the western part of Ukraine they speak Ukrainian.
We will be headed back to Kiev this evening on the train (I can already hear Andy's excitement at this prospect).
In light and love,
Audrey & Andy
Friday, July 6, 2007
Editorial Section - Week in Review
FIRST PORTION OF THE WEEK
It seems that something transformative occurred over this week and we thought we might try to capture this in writing. There are also many funny moments worthy of note.
Firstly, Audrey was never comfortable with the referral of the little girl and was hopeful due to the faith that Andy was holding that this would all turn out perfect. In the end this did turn out perfectly.
The day of decision making started out with a phone call from my beloved mother at 4am (she was thinking it was 4pm). In Kiev the longitute is so much further north than Southern CA it seems it is always light it gets dark after 10pm and is light before 4am. Audrey in particular is attuned to the light and has not been sleeping well given the light, the mental gymnastics and the being sorely homesick. So, the first day that Audrey is sound asleep past the witching hour of 4 am the phone rings. Note that the rooster did not start his song and dance till way after 5 am and we figure he needs a reminder call from CA every morning about his morning duties.
We were both hoping that we had a strong sense or sign of how this part of the story was suppose to go and hence, would not have required the long hours of discusssion. The discussion itself between us was rather amazing when Andy spoke he added clarity to how Audrey saw things and vice versa. The decision on this matter really was a true result of partnership where we were able to build off each others strengths to get to the right answer for us as a family. As time has past and we have discussed this further it is clear as day that we made the right decision on many levels.
During the course of lot's of discussion over this week we have had a lot of levity over how Andy plays the rooster (mouth piece) at times and at times is very happy to pass the rooster role over to Audrey. Over the last several years Audrey has had the opportunity to actually see that she is not the main and only rooster in the coupe.
It seems hard to capture that during the discussion and decision making process regarding the first referral we now have a little less exprectation and are not attached to the end result in a very healthy way. We guess the only way to say this is in truth we do not have control over the entire process and however it turns out it was meant to be. This is a very freeing spot to be in since in our daily lives we try to think at least that we are in control of how everything turns out. It is clear that we can do all that is required of us and at some point the rest is left to faith. As we have said about this journey it take a tremendous amount of faith to go out on a limb like this and a certain amount of crazy to just hang out with however it turns out.
MID WEEK
Being back in Kiev on Tuesday night gave us pause to consider what our options were for the rest of the week. We knew we would wait on word from the SDA if we could get a second appointment this week or have to wait till next week. In the interim we forged out into the rain on Wednesday. There has been persistent rain since we have been here far different than three years ago when it was hot as blazes (and we are prepared for that). On Wednesday out during our errands we ran into two English speaking women from Canada trying to dodge the rain at this upscale coffee house. We sat and chatted for about two hours. These gals are in Kiev with their kids who were performing the next evening at the Kiev Opera house doing traditional Ukrainian dance. As we were talking on of the gals was telling us about her trip to Lviv last year as this is where her heritage is from. We found it humorous that Lviv was on of three options for our weekend divertion and that we would sit with someone who knew none of this and was sharing abou the things to see and do in Lviv.
Flying anywhere seemed prohibitively expensive and g-d forbid we did not have access to our lifeline the cellphone we decided we needed to stay in Ukraine. As you know we took the train to Lviv. Ukraine as a country has a lot of economic issues which play out in things like their energy grid and plumbing (if you can call it that). So, we feel very fortunate to actually have had a washing machine in the apartment but no one in Ukraine (except for maybe the very wealthy) have clothes dryers. Audrey washed our clothes first thing in the morning and it seems the washer takes like three hours and hung everything to dry before our late night train excursion. Surprise it rained all day and the clothes were not drying. Audrey was actually ironing everything from undies to t-shirts in the hopes of drying out to put into our backpacks. On the train ride all our personal undergarments were strewn throughout the cabin still trying to dry out.
The train ride is made for smidges/midges. Andy was making fun of everything from the minute we got onto the train. Andy really was humorous as he went on about the Russian music that we were subjected to in the cabin and how Mr. Proper really did not care what anybody thought at this point anymore. Andy was climbing up on the sleeping bunk shoes intacted trying to do anythig to get rid of the music when in comes the train attendant. It was just a funny moment of many on our uncomfortable ride from Kiev to Lviv last night.
We are at the Lion's Castle this evening and have not seen a lick of Lviv as it has rained/poured the entire day additionally it was virtually impossible to sleep on the train. We actually splurged and paid for the best class cabin on the train and would not do that again. We will be venturing out to the internet cafe (our home away from home) and we did go our for a exquisite (Andy's words) dinner this evening that cost USD $70 (such a deal). We have not gone out to dinner since we have been in Ukraine and this must be some kind of a record for us.
Our hotel in Lviv is quite and peaceful which is a large contrast from where we have been staying in Kiev. The various apartments in Kiev have been in the center of town and very noisey. The other morning the translator called at 10am and we were sound asleep since we probably were up till around 3 am given all the noise.
Well it is a blessing that we took the train to Lviv as it is cooler and delightful here. We look forward to seeing the town tomorrow. Lviv seems to be alot more like western Europe.
Have a loverly weekend,
Love,
Audrey & Andy
It seems hard to capture
It seems that something transformative occurred over this week and we thought we might try to capture this in writing. There are also many funny moments worthy of note.
Firstly, Audrey was never comfortable with the referral of the little girl and was hopeful due to the faith that Andy was holding that this would all turn out perfect. In the end this did turn out perfectly.
The day of decision making started out with a phone call from my beloved mother at 4am (she was thinking it was 4pm). In Kiev the longitute is so much further north than Southern CA it seems it is always light it gets dark after 10pm and is light before 4am. Audrey in particular is attuned to the light and has not been sleeping well given the light, the mental gymnastics and the being sorely homesick. So, the first day that Audrey is sound asleep past the witching hour of 4 am the phone rings. Note that the rooster did not start his song and dance till way after 5 am and we figure he needs a reminder call from CA every morning about his morning duties.
We were both hoping that we had a strong sense or sign of how this part of the story was suppose to go and hence, would not have required the long hours of discusssion. The discussion itself between us was rather amazing when Andy spoke he added clarity to how Audrey saw things and vice versa. The decision on this matter really was a true result of partnership where we were able to build off each others strengths to get to the right answer for us as a family. As time has past and we have discussed this further it is clear as day that we made the right decision on many levels.
During the course of lot's of discussion over this week we have had a lot of levity over how Andy plays the rooster (mouth piece) at times and at times is very happy to pass the rooster role over to Audrey. Over the last several years Audrey has had the opportunity to actually see that she is not the main and only rooster in the coupe.
It seems hard to capture that during the discussion and decision making process regarding the first referral we now have a little less exprectation and are not attached to the end result in a very healthy way. We guess the only way to say this is in truth we do not have control over the entire process and however it turns out it was meant to be. This is a very freeing spot to be in since in our daily lives we try to think at least that we are in control of how everything turns out. It is clear that we can do all that is required of us and at some point the rest is left to faith. As we have said about this journey it take a tremendous amount of faith to go out on a limb like this and a certain amount of crazy to just hang out with however it turns out.
MID WEEK
Being back in Kiev on Tuesday night gave us pause to consider what our options were for the rest of the week. We knew we would wait on word from the SDA if we could get a second appointment this week or have to wait till next week. In the interim we forged out into the rain on Wednesday. There has been persistent rain since we have been here far different than three years ago when it was hot as blazes (and we are prepared for that). On Wednesday out during our errands we ran into two English speaking women from Canada trying to dodge the rain at this upscale coffee house. We sat and chatted for about two hours. These gals are in Kiev with their kids who were performing the next evening at the Kiev Opera house doing traditional Ukrainian dance. As we were talking on of the gals was telling us about her trip to Lviv last year as this is where her heritage is from. We found it humorous that Lviv was on of three options for our weekend divertion and that we would sit with someone who knew none of this and was sharing abou the things to see and do in Lviv.
Flying anywhere seemed prohibitively expensive and g-d forbid we did not have access to our lifeline the cellphone we decided we needed to stay in Ukraine. As you know we took the train to Lviv. Ukraine as a country has a lot of economic issues which play out in things like their energy grid and plumbing (if you can call it that). So, we feel very fortunate to actually have had a washing machine in the apartment but no one in Ukraine (except for maybe the very wealthy) have clothes dryers. Audrey washed our clothes first thing in the morning and it seems the washer takes like three hours and hung everything to dry before our late night train excursion. Surprise it rained all day and the clothes were not drying. Audrey was actually ironing everything from undies to t-shirts in the hopes of drying out to put into our backpacks. On the train ride all our personal undergarments were strewn throughout the cabin still trying to dry out.
The train ride is made for smidges/midges. Andy was making fun of everything from the minute we got onto the train. Andy really was humorous as he went on about the Russian music that we were subjected to in the cabin and how Mr. Proper really did not care what anybody thought at this point anymore. Andy was climbing up on the sleeping bunk shoes intacted trying to do anythig to get rid of the music when in comes the train attendant. It was just a funny moment of many on our uncomfortable ride from Kiev to Lviv last night.
We are at the Lion's Castle this evening and have not seen a lick of Lviv as it has rained/poured the entire day additionally it was virtually impossible to sleep on the train. We actually splurged and paid for the best class cabin on the train and would not do that again. We will be venturing out to the internet cafe (our home away from home) and we did go our for a exquisite (Andy's words) dinner this evening that cost USD $70 (such a deal). We have not gone out to dinner since we have been in Ukraine and this must be some kind of a record for us.
Our hotel in Lviv is quite and peaceful which is a large contrast from where we have been staying in Kiev. The various apartments in Kiev have been in the center of town and very noisey. The other morning the translator called at 10am and we were sound asleep since we probably were up till around 3 am given all the noise.
Well it is a blessing that we took the train to Lviv as it is cooler and delightful here. We look forward to seeing the town tomorrow. Lviv seems to be alot more like western Europe.
Have a loverly weekend,
Love,
Audrey & Andy
It seems hard to capture
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Weekend
To all,
We waited around today to see if the SDA would call to give us a second appointment this week (no surprise) we did not receive a phone call and anticipate that we should get an appointment the first of next week. It seems that there are a multitude of issues at the SDA at this point and we are one of 50 families awaiting a second appointment. I think we are different to the extent that we actually went out to see the child and then declined as opposed to refusing the referrals given without even seeing the child. At this point only time will tell the final outcome and if we are meant to add to our family with a son or daughter.
I mostly cannot imagine the thought of spending another weekend waiting around in Kiev. I have seen as many Churches as I care to for along while. Hence, we are off by train to Lviv. My grandfathers family was from this area. Lviv is close to the Carpathian mountains and if nothing else since we really only have two HEAVY backpacks with us we might venture into the mountains. I do have to say that this was not at all the way I imagined this trip to go.
However, all said I have learned and seen another side of my sweetie that is confirmation of what a good man he is and Andy has also had an opportunity to see me in new and different light.
I do not think that there is much else to say except that we are open to whatever possibilities show up for us at our second appointment and ask all to hold good thoughts and prayers that we get an appointment early in the week and early in the day that will have a child available that matches our criteria and will be a compliment to our existing family.
To all a grand weekend,
In light and love,
Audrey & Andy
We waited around today to see if the SDA would call to give us a second appointment this week (no surprise) we did not receive a phone call and anticipate that we should get an appointment the first of next week. It seems that there are a multitude of issues at the SDA at this point and we are one of 50 families awaiting a second appointment. I think we are different to the extent that we actually went out to see the child and then declined as opposed to refusing the referrals given without even seeing the child. At this point only time will tell the final outcome and if we are meant to add to our family with a son or daughter.
I mostly cannot imagine the thought of spending another weekend waiting around in Kiev. I have seen as many Churches as I care to for along while. Hence, we are off by train to Lviv. My grandfathers family was from this area. Lviv is close to the Carpathian mountains and if nothing else since we really only have two HEAVY backpacks with us we might venture into the mountains. I do have to say that this was not at all the way I imagined this trip to go.
However, all said I have learned and seen another side of my sweetie that is confirmation of what a good man he is and Andy has also had an opportunity to see me in new and different light.
I do not think that there is much else to say except that we are open to whatever possibilities show up for us at our second appointment and ask all to hold good thoughts and prayers that we get an appointment early in the week and early in the day that will have a child available that matches our criteria and will be a compliment to our existing family.
To all a grand weekend,
In light and love,
Audrey & Andy
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Update Pryluky Referral
To all,
We went out to the region on Monday to visit with the little girl that we were given a referral for. First seems like nothing has changed when being in the region it is hard to obtain good communications in any form (cell or Internet).
When at the SDA (Ukraine Adoption Agency) we were shown a handful of children that did not fit our criteria and we chose the little girl in the Pryluky region. As I already said we visited the little girl on Monday and to our dismay and grand disappointment there were many health conditions not previously disclosed to us. The long and short of it is that we had a very long day mulling over what the right choice regarding this particular adoption was for our family. After much discussion we have chosen to decline going through with this referral. We are scheduled for a second appointment for another referral soon. Once there is any substantive news we will update.
Andy was stellar today in making one of the toughest decision that we have ever had to make as a couple. Working through this together allowed us to make a very hard choice and what in the long run we believe in our hearts is best for all concerned parties. In connection with the events in Pryluky I have to say for the record that Andy was 100% correct in being stubborn about not bringing Jackson. It was hard enough to face what we saw, felt and discussed without the concern of the love of our lives.
We can not say enough thanks to everyone for all the various forms of support.
In peace,
Audrey & Andy
We went out to the region on Monday to visit with the little girl that we were given a referral for. First seems like nothing has changed when being in the region it is hard to obtain good communications in any form (cell or Internet).
When at the SDA (Ukraine Adoption Agency) we were shown a handful of children that did not fit our criteria and we chose the little girl in the Pryluky region. As I already said we visited the little girl on Monday and to our dismay and grand disappointment there were many health conditions not previously disclosed to us. The long and short of it is that we had a very long day mulling over what the right choice regarding this particular adoption was for our family. After much discussion we have chosen to decline going through with this referral. We are scheduled for a second appointment for another referral soon. Once there is any substantive news we will update.
Andy was stellar today in making one of the toughest decision that we have ever had to make as a couple. Working through this together allowed us to make a very hard choice and what in the long run we believe in our hearts is best for all concerned parties. In connection with the events in Pryluky I have to say for the record that Andy was 100% correct in being stubborn about not bringing Jackson. It was hard enough to face what we saw, felt and discussed without the concern of the love of our lives.
We can not say enough thanks to everyone for all the various forms of support.
In peace,
Audrey & Andy
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Kiev - July 1st 2007
Good Day,
It is the middle of the night here and it is pouring down rain (Jackson it is raining cats and dogs). Being the light sleeper that I am I thought I might as well get up and do something besides lay sleeps in the room. Having grown up as a child on the East coast and remembering the summer rains and the fond memories I find the sound very pleasing even if it is keeping me up this evening/morning.
My quick story on the pictures is as follows:
Picture 1) The first view of the Church where we visited today.
Picture 2) A closer view of the entrance to the Church where we visited today. We went to the caves located on the Church grounds. An experience for all. The caves take you what seems like a long way down under the ground. I thought the ground was shaking under there and maybe experienced for the first time a touch of claustrophobia. For Andy the challenge was his height since a large portion of the caves were not much taller than me (mama mia - the poor fellow).
Picture 3) My beloved and me somewhere in Kiev.
Picture 4) Olga and Ira on the Church grounds. Ira is Olga's niece. It was a delight to meet Ira and as you can see she is a beautiful young lady and has an equally lovely personality.
Picture 5) Olga, Ira, Andy, Lena and Vadim at the train station in Kiev. Lena is also Olga's niece and Ira's sister. Vadim and Lena are boyfriend and girlfriend. Vadim studied English at the University and speaks English amazingly well and was helpful in clearly translating stories that got some good giggles.
Picture 6) It is a special day when there is more than one picture of me. Andy and Audrey on the Church grounds in Kiev.
We had another grand and very full day today. We were warmly welcomed by all of Olga's family. Being busy has been a blessing for both us since waiting is HARD and we get to go to Pryluky tomorrow evening.
We had a lot of very good laughs today regarding the many similarities in English and Russian. It was also a great honor to have the opportunity to spend the entire weekend with what feels like family in a land far from home.
Thanks for all the e-mails and posts to the blog as it is nice to wake up to look and see that there is someone on the other end of cyber world.
Good night/Good Day - Love,
A&A
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Weekend - Pictures
Well it was eventful this weekend since it is still Indepence Day celebration and many demonstations as well. See attached photos and explanation of sites.
I will number the pictures down the left side and then continue on the right side.
Picture 1) A picture of Kiev from the river boat we took down the Dnipro River.
Picture 5) Andy in the park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Kiev.
Picture 6) Andy and Olga in Independence Square by statue of Horse. I tried to get Andy up on the horse Evaleen/Charlene for a great shot and Andy would not oblige (afraid the police would arrest him). Holy oh me oh my I have never seen so many Police (Militia) in one day in my entire life i.e., anticipated demonstrations.
Picture 3)St. Michael's. The grounds are loverly and the church is stunning at night with the glimmer off the gold domes.
Picture 3)St. Michael's. The grounds are loverly and the church is stunning at night with the glimmer off the gold domes.
Picture 2) Bela I am assuming you might be the only one to recognize what party the red and blue flags belong to. Having witnessed demonstrations of both parties one very pro East/Putin and the other pro West let's you know that there is a free speech.
Picture 4) Ola and me in Independence Square by the same horse that Andy would not ride.
I hope everyone had a loverly weekend back in the states and will have many stories to share with us when we get back home.
Much love,
A & A
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Pictur es - Kiev
Picture:
1) is the gate way to our Apartment,
2) is across the street from the apartment,
3) where the gal is coming out is our apartment building, and
4) is a statute in Independence Square.
Loading pictures is so simple it is just a push of a button. Soon to be showing pictures of new family members along with other members of the existing family.
Photos Amsterdam
Amsterdam is really charming and enjoyable. Maybe someday when we tour Europe we will visit again for more than a day. Photos - Cousin Marc Amsterdam
Mom & Leo,
Thought you would enjoy seeing Marc and his girlfriend Celine. I cannot believe how Marc is the spitting image of Gloria.
Love,
A & A
Independence Day - Kiev 2007
To all,
The day started out with a Bang. At the stroke of midnight fireworks were set-off right next to where we are staying in honor of Independence Day.
They block off the major roads around Independence Square (where we are staying) during this Holiday period. There were lot's and lot's of people out today and some great people watching. I will say in general the people here are far more fashion conscious than Americans and they do wear some of the most impractical and darling footwear.
We were on our own today and where able to navigate grocery shopping in 4 different stores and were successful everywhere with a combination of Russian and some English. We have stocked the fridge since our friend will be here tomorrow. As much as I have itchy feet and would love to be on the move I bow down to Mr. Practical and will do what is easiest as it seems unlikely that with a Ukranian citizen we can cross over into any of the bordering countries.
Please know that we are so grateful for all the help received from back home in the states till this point regarding various technological, communication and other needs that we have had.
We are looking forward to seeing Olga and actually walking around all the sights. Based on experience I will take tons of pictures since I do not think that we plan on being back on this side of the world for a long while.
As we seem to have a lot of time on our hands we should be able to figure out how to upload pictures in the next couple of days.
Much love,
Audrey & Andy
The day started out with a Bang. At the stroke of midnight fireworks were set-off right next to where we are staying in honor of Independence Day.
They block off the major roads around Independence Square (where we are staying) during this Holiday period. There were lot's and lot's of people out today and some great people watching. I will say in general the people here are far more fashion conscious than Americans and they do wear some of the most impractical and darling footwear.
We were on our own today and where able to navigate grocery shopping in 4 different stores and were successful everywhere with a combination of Russian and some English. We have stocked the fridge since our friend will be here tomorrow. As much as I have itchy feet and would love to be on the move I bow down to Mr. Practical and will do what is easiest as it seems unlikely that with a Ukranian citizen we can cross over into any of the bordering countries.
Please know that we are so grateful for all the help received from back home in the states till this point regarding various technological, communication and other needs that we have had.
We are looking forward to seeing Olga and actually walking around all the sights. Based on experience I will take tons of pictures since I do not think that we plan on being back on this side of the world for a long while.
As we seem to have a lot of time on our hands we should be able to figure out how to upload pictures in the next couple of days.
Much love,
Audrey & Andy
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Our meeting at the SDA today
To all,
For one who really does not get to nervous I am happy today is over. The appointment went well we have a referral for a little girl and are going to Pryluky which is about 20 kilometers from Kiev in the Chermihiv region see link to map attached. We will go to the region on Monday evening as Thursday and Friday are Holidays here.
Our friend Olga from Lughansk will be joining us in Kiev tomorrow and hopefully we will be able to arrange to go to Budapest for a long weekend.
We will provide more details about the child once we have visited her in the region.
As a point of referrance we are staying in the heart of Kiev right next to Independence square.
http://lemko.org/atlas/atlas.html
For one who really does not get to nervous I am happy today is over. The appointment went well we have a referral for a little girl and are going to Pryluky which is about 20 kilometers from Kiev in the Chermihiv region see link to map attached. We will go to the region on Monday evening as Thursday and Friday are Holidays here.
Our friend Olga from Lughansk will be joining us in Kiev tomorrow and hopefully we will be able to arrange to go to Budapest for a long weekend.
We will provide more details about the child once we have visited her in the region.
As a point of referrance we are staying in the heart of Kiev right next to Independence square.
http://lemko.org/atlas/atlas.html
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Another Rainy Day - Kiev
I think we are following or being followed by the rain. We are now in the apartment in Kiev and we are having a thunder and lighting storm. The weather reminds me of when I was a little girl and the New York summer's seemed to be hot and miserable and then it would rain and would be delightful. I am happy that the umbrella ended up on the list and came with us since we have had more occassion to use it here than in a normal year in CA.
We are truly stunned at how much Kiev has changed. All we saw were designer shops for as far as the eye can see. We also had the opportunity to expierence how expensive things have gotten. While out we went to get fruit (fukta) and paid more than $8 for what I think was a pound of grapes.
We got our technical difficulty with the phone resolved by buying another one (we love supporting their economy).
Lauran, Mom and Grandma Sharon I am completly hooked on Suduko. I will have to get my fill while in Ukraine because I can see that the addictive side of me is coming out and I am still on the simple ones. The goal is to finish the book I have with me so that I do not need to carry it back to the states.
Yesterday when we finally arrived in Kiev after various delays (KLM seems disorganized in Amsterdam and Kiev) the translator and driver were amazed at how lightly we packed. However, the backpacks get heavy even if under 40lbs.
Well by technical side kick is kicking me off the computer becaause of the thunder.
Later.
Love,
Audrey and Andy
We are truly stunned at how much Kiev has changed. All we saw were designer shops for as far as the eye can see. We also had the opportunity to expierence how expensive things have gotten. While out we went to get fruit (fukta) and paid more than $8 for what I think was a pound of grapes.
We got our technical difficulty with the phone resolved by buying another one (we love supporting their economy).
Lauran, Mom and Grandma Sharon I am completly hooked on Suduko. I will have to get my fill while in Ukraine because I can see that the addictive side of me is coming out and I am still on the simple ones. The goal is to finish the book I have with me so that I do not need to carry it back to the states.
Yesterday when we finally arrived in Kiev after various delays (KLM seems disorganized in Amsterdam and Kiev) the translator and driver were amazed at how lightly we packed. However, the backpacks get heavy even if under 40lbs.
Well by technical side kick is kicking me off the computer becaause of the thunder.
Later.
Love,
Audrey and Andy
Monday, June 25, 2007
To all,
We are now in Kiev. The weather is stunning and it is truly summer with all the people out. We of course cannot seem to access our cellphone (who is surprised) and would love some help from the states on this.
We are currently in the apartment with internet access and it feels like we are in the Ritz compared to the expierence that we had last time. We are directly in downtown Kiev and the section we are in is reminiscent of Rodeo Drive. Our Landmark to get back to the apartment is that we are just across the street from the Luis Vaton store.
Our translator is a very young fellow and we will take in some sights or something tomorrow since without a phone or local currency there is not much for us to do on our own.
We will update when there is news.
Love,
Audrey & Andy
We are now in Kiev. The weather is stunning and it is truly summer with all the people out. We of course cannot seem to access our cellphone (who is surprised) and would love some help from the states on this.
We are currently in the apartment with internet access and it feels like we are in the Ritz compared to the expierence that we had last time. We are directly in downtown Kiev and the section we are in is reminiscent of Rodeo Drive. Our Landmark to get back to the apartment is that we are just across the street from the Luis Vaton store.
Our translator is a very young fellow and we will take in some sights or something tomorrow since without a phone or local currency there is not much for us to do on our own.
We will update when there is news.
Love,
Audrey & Andy
Sunday, June 24, 2007
To all,
Jackson got off on his plane to Babuka's (AKA Grandma) safe and sound. It was tough for Mom to see the little guy without us for the first time. Thankfully Jackson is easily distracted and the anticipation of seeing his newest Pokemon video made him quite happy to be going to Babuka's plus the anticipation of seeing all the family up North, going to Art School for three weeks and the rest of the Summer Adventures planned.
We made it to Amsterdam this afternoon. It has been raining the entire time, however, we were able to successfully maneauver the train, tram and the short walk to the hotel. Andy, however, did not fair so well on the plane, those long legs are clearly a drag when flying and he is trying to work out the crammed feeling.
KLM was not the most organized and when we were waiting for our luggage Andy was convinced that our luggage went somewhere without us (you have to know that I would have non-of that non-sense talk). So, when the luggage arrived (surprise) Andy had to admit already that I was right and that all would work out fine.
I have ventured out on my own (not something I usually would do) obviously found an internet cafe and was able to navigate the internet in Dutch since there is no English on google here (thankfully the buttons are all in the same places).
We are hoping to be able to hook up with my first cousin at some point this evening and enjoy a pleasant dinner.
This thought is for Peggy and any other shoe fanatics. In your honor Peggy I have already bought one pair of shoes and spotted a hot pair of boots for serious consideration.
We will be taking our flight to Kiev tomorrow afternoon and our appointment regarding the adoption is on June 27th.
Enjoy,
Audrey & Andy
Jackson got off on his plane to Babuka's (AKA Grandma) safe and sound. It was tough for Mom to see the little guy without us for the first time. Thankfully Jackson is easily distracted and the anticipation of seeing his newest Pokemon video made him quite happy to be going to Babuka's plus the anticipation of seeing all the family up North, going to Art School for three weeks and the rest of the Summer Adventures planned.
We made it to Amsterdam this afternoon. It has been raining the entire time, however, we were able to successfully maneauver the train, tram and the short walk to the hotel. Andy, however, did not fair so well on the plane, those long legs are clearly a drag when flying and he is trying to work out the crammed feeling.
KLM was not the most organized and when we were waiting for our luggage Andy was convinced that our luggage went somewhere without us (you have to know that I would have non-of that non-sense talk). So, when the luggage arrived (surprise) Andy had to admit already that I was right and that all would work out fine.
I have ventured out on my own (not something I usually would do) obviously found an internet cafe and was able to navigate the internet in Dutch since there is no English on google here (thankfully the buttons are all in the same places).
We are hoping to be able to hook up with my first cousin at some point this evening and enjoy a pleasant dinner.
This thought is for Peggy and any other shoe fanatics. In your honor Peggy I have already bought one pair of shoes and spotted a hot pair of boots for serious consideration.
We will be taking our flight to Kiev tomorrow afternoon and our appointment regarding the adoption is on June 27th.
Enjoy,
Audrey & Andy
Monday, June 11, 2007
We are excited, nervous and delighted to be getting closer to going over on our second adoption adventure to Ukraine. We are leaving on June 23rd and will arrive in Kiev on June25th. Our appointment at the Adoption office "SDA" in Kiev is on June 27th. Once we have our appointment we should have more details to share regarding the child(ren) that we will be adopting. Once we get into the adoption process we should have more clarity as to the possible timing and return leg of the adventure (all subject to change).
We are hopeful that we will be updating our blog frequently and posting pictures etc. Anything would be more frequent than the last time we tried using the blog when we adopted Jackson.
For now our focus is getting yet more legal paperwork in order before we leave and wrapping up items at work that can be addressed over the next several weeks.
We will not be updating this again until we have touched ground on another continent. Stay tune.
Audrey, Andy & Jackson
We are hopeful that we will be updating our blog frequently and posting pictures etc. Anything would be more frequent than the last time we tried using the blog when we adopted Jackson.
For now our focus is getting yet more legal paperwork in order before we leave and wrapping up items at work that can be addressed over the next several weeks.
We will not be updating this again until we have touched ground on another continent. Stay tune.
Audrey, Andy & Jackson
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