Noel adoption adventure

It's been a while...so here is an update on Dema

2011-03-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we have updated you on Dema's transition, so here is a snapshot view of our lives over the past month.

Dema had 7 teeth extracted, of which 2 are already being replaced with adult teeth! And he now has glasses!! When we looked through them we couldn't believe just how bad his eyes are! A big thanks to Dr Beamer in Lewistown and Dr Kelly in State College! Those 2 men have made a huge impact on Dema's quality of life.

It's been 2 weeks since Dema started school--and he loves it! He is going to The Great Commission School in Altoona, a private Christian school with very small classes--there are only 4 kids in the 3rd grade He spends the fist 1/2 of the day with his class, then eats lunch (his favorite part of the day!), then heads off for an afternoon of one on one tutoring--they are focusing on word recognition and he is starting to learn to read. Math seems to be his best subject, and he has excellent hand writing...but he has lots to catch up on! The bus picks him up and drops him off at the end of the lane, but that means a really long day for him--pick up at 7:00 and return home at 4:00!

Last week we got Dema 30 laying hens...but they were only hours old. It was going to take 21+ weeks for them to lay eggs and Dema really wants to sell eggs and make $$$$! So today I spent the afternoon at the poultry auction getting him a ready made flock!
I came home with 12 hens, 2 roosters, and 3 guinea hens for mamas. (Somehow I became papas and Cindy is mamas)

As of today his chores were limited to cleaning up after himself after a meal, making his bed, and putting his clean clothes away, but starting tomorrow, his daily chores will be increased! Each day after school he will feed and water the chicks and chickens, gather eggs, clean and package the eggs, and help with the fire in the seed starting station.

The question every family seems to be asked is, "How's it going?" Well, after a couple of weeks of trying to get our feet under us while adjusting to our new addition, and getting him started in school...It's going pretty well--actually we have no complaints or regrets!

For right now, Dema is one of the most compliant kids we know of. If we correct a behavior, he just says, "Okay...sorry" and moves on the something else. Sometimes he forgets what we have taught him, but he usually catches himself, stops and says, "Sorry!"

There was a problem at school this week, but with an evening of no Sponge Bob or Mickey Mouse, and us explaining that the teachers are there to help him...everything seems to be squared away.

He told us that in Ukraine, he didn't listen to the teachers because they were mean, so he brought the behavior with him! There are plenty of little issues that he brought with him, but with a little effort--we can help him to leave them behind!

When we were talking about why he needs to listen, we explained that he is a little boy, and the adults in his life are there to help him learn. He said to me, "Me 9, when me 12, me big and no listen" When I explained that in America he wouldn't be big until he is 18...well I wish you could have seen the expression as he said woohoo--too big!

I don't know, but maybe 12 years old is some sort of right of passage in orphanage life.

Our new life!

2011-02-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, after nearly a full month of being home and trying to settle in it's about time I give an update.

We have been awfully busy trying to keep up with our business, changes in our lives, and of course,the addition of a 9 year old child! Thankfully, this is our slowest time of the year so we have the extra time to give Dema the time and attention he deserves and needs.

The first question most ask us is, "Is he still eating as much?" The answer is no, but he still eats nearly twice what I do in a day! We visited his new family physician--Dr Jason Henninger in Tyrone on Friday and he weighed in at 71 pounds, Monday, we went to his new pediatric dentist and he weighed in at 74.5 pounds! We are looking forward to getting his Ukrainian medical report translated to see what his height and weight were the day before we left...we are fairly certain that he is a good bit taller since he arrived. And, we KNOW he has added several pounds, but we still can't find any fat on him! His energy level is...well, let's just say he never stops! This morning he told me he watched his Sponge Bob DVD until 2:00, then he was up and ready to go at 7:00--all we need to do is figure out how to harvest all that energy!

Dema is working hard to learn English, he has his Skype lessons 4 or 5 days per week and we work with him daily to reinforce his lessons. We bought him a Leapster game console with several reading, mathematics, and kindergarten level games--this has been extremely valuable! While in Ukraine I found a computer game designed to teach young Ukrainian children the basics of English--the game uses characters such as Winnie the Poo, and many of the other characters the Disney movies to teach word recognition, numbers, and beginning phonetics. This week he has started to communicate with short sentences, and he told his tutor that he understands most of what we say (we had better watch it!).

We have found that his plans for the future have been a valuable tool of encouragement in his learning English! Many of you remember that he told us he wants to be a business man, so we told him that once he learns English and we can communicate better we would buy him a bunch of chicks and he could start his own egg business! Most days he helps me feed the chicks in the brooder, so the plan is to order his chicks for a May arrival--22 weeks later he will be in business...assuming he can care for them and nurture them to laying age! We have also used other "encouragements": he will be able to help mama in the kitchen, or he will get his own 22 rifle and we will go squirrel hunting with his "brother" and nephew Bubba, or we will get him his own bow and we will be able to shoot at targets. I think we will have a good little red neck on our hands--almost daily, he points at my buck mount in the living room and says Dema, papa shoot deer! (No, I didn't "encourage" that comment--he came up with it on his own!!) We have found that google translate is one of the most valuable tools we have...

Monday we began to "fix" the physical problems Dema has had to deal with. The biggest problem he has is his oral health. So, we made an appointment with a pediatric dentist in State College. Dr Kelly truly is as good as our friends say he is! When you enter the office, the waiting room always has a childrens movie playing on the TV, there are video consoles for the kids to play, a jungle gym to play on, and toys everywhere...definitely a place for kids! When we were called back, there were kids in front of a large mirror learning to brush and floss properly, and there were more video game consoles for the kids to play while they waited for their cleaning. I just can't speak highly enough of the facility, but the care that Dr Kelly showed Dema was beyond words!

Beyond the kind child friendly environment was the reality of why Dema was there--he ended up with 4 extractions and there are 2 more to go! Unfortunately, there were complications with the first round of extractions because Dema had an "anatomical anomaly" and there was a vessel where it shouldn't be. We ended up spending 5 hours in the State College ER. The Doc tried to chemically clot the vessel, then she moved to a clotting sponge, then sutures, then finally an electric cauterization tool...nothing worked! She finally sent us home at 2:00 and said to go to the dentist Tuesday morning. By the time we got to the office at 8:30, the bleeding had stopped and his mouth was feeling better than before we went to the dentist. The biggest problem was the numbness--he told Liliyan that he had a tooth pulled in Ukraine and it relaay hurt but at least he could feel his mouth when they were done! I'm guessing no Novocaine!!! We'll go back in 10 days for the last 2 extractions--we were happy to hear that there were no adult teeth that needed to be extracted!!!

Next, we will address the lazy eye...the family physician told us that there are three steps normally taken to correct this problem. The first and easiest is to patch the good eye and force the brain to use the other. We really think that will work because in the short time he has been here, the left and right movement has increased and it doesn't seem to be drifting as much. But if that doesn't work, other options include corrective lenses and finally, surgery. We will visit a specialist next week to assess the problem.

And, all of this is leading up to SCHOOL!!!! Today we visited Great Commission in Altoona and St. Matthews in Tyrone. It looks like we will be sending him to Great Commission--they offer exactly what we are looking for--a faith based education that teaches the moral and social values that we share. While talking to them today, we decided that they would allow him to join them for 3 or 4 days prior to him joining them on a more regular basis. We plan to start with 5 days a week, for 1/2 days. The first part of their day includes bible study, math, group play , phys ed, and reading...and of course lunch! We will plan on this schedule until he either asks to be there full days or we see him becoming comfortable with the new environment. He will finish the year with the third grade class, then we will talk with the teacher to decide whether or not to move him to 4th grade next year.

Yes, our lives have taken a drastic change, but neither of us would trade it for anything! We are amazed daily...either by how quickly he is learning, or watching his expression as he experiences new things, or seeing how much he loves his entire extended family--he does belong here with us, and we with him!!!

Home at last!!

2011-01-21T06:51:00.000-08:00

It took nearly 26 hours of travel, but we are finally HOME!!!

When we boarded Ukraine International the question started, "Dema mama America?" I was able to show him a wold map and explained that we would be stopping in Germany then we would go to America. Just before we landed, I asked the stewardess to explain that we had to get on another plane, then it would be 10 hours until we got to America.

As we counted down the hours--Dema would wait 10 minutes or so for the countdown, so it took 5 or 6 "9's" to actually make it to the 9 hour mark...we was bursting with anticipation!

Word spread quickly among the flight attendants as to why we were there so they treated him like a king--plenty of juice, 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 ice cream sundays from the first class menu!

When we finally hit the 1 hour mark, for the entire hour, Dema sat in the seat pumping is arms up and down just repeating, " Dema America mama, home, Dottie, dadushka, buba, gracie, Dusty, Caleb!"

The pilot had heard that he was on the plane and wanted to show him the cockpit, but when we stopped to meet him Dema wasn't interested, he saw the others leaving the plane and just waved his finger back and forth at the pilot and said Dema mama America! So, we skipped the cockpit tour and headed for the customs and immigration desk!

We quickly passed through the USCIS and went to meet the family--the reunion was great, but we had another 7 hours to fight through a snow storm and get from JFK to Warriors Mark!

We're here, we're done, but it's just begun!!!

Thanks for joining us on our journey...

Comin' Home--well, almost...

2011-01-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

Well, it's here--Dema's last day at the children's home and his first day as a member of our family!

When I arrived, the kids were all getting ready for their 5 minute trek to school--I got to say one more "good bye" to the gang!

Dema was fresh out of bed ready to go! I handed him his bag of new clothes, new boots and a new coat, he got dressed and wanted to leave immediately!

Dema was so excited to leave that he didn't even want to say good bye to the boys in his group...but finally after some coaxing he ran through the group waving and yelling ba-ka, ba-ka (bye-bye). When he got to Dan, he stopped to give him a hug, shake his hand and said ba-ka Dan.

He left his group and headed for the girls room doing the same thing then grabbed my hand and said ok papa.

We were out the door headed for the apartment!

When we arrived, Dema said num-num (feed me). Fortunately I had made a few trips to the grocery store to prepare. Between 9:00 and 4:00 Dema ate 8 bananas, 2 packs of ramen noodles, a large jar of pickles, 1/2 pound of peanuts, 1 frozen pizza (cooked of course), and several sugar wafer cookies!
At 4:00 we met Mick and Janel to go out for their celebration dinner--1 more child with a home, several thousand to go! When we got back to the apartment, Dema took care of eating anything that might be left--the cupboards were bare!

We spent the day playing with is new Leap Frog, watching Star Wars with Russian voice overs, and learning English--we started pretty simple working on letters, body parts, stuff in your house, and reviewing the family album we had given him.

We are on our 8 hour train ride back to Kiev, and when we boarded, we found ourselves in a first class cabin--Svetta thought it best if we had some privacy.

Dema is enjoying his complimentary cup of green tea, playing Star Wars beginner reading game and enjoying the ride!

When we pulled out of Krivoy Rog, Dema let out a huge laugh and said bye bye Krivoy Rog then stuck out his tongue...there was no bitter sweet departure here--he's ready to go!

We will spend the next two days in Kiev taking care of required embassy work, trying to fix the airplane ticket mistake, and doing some sight seeing. Cindy and I feel that is important for him to have some memories and a history of where he came from, so the pictures of the Capital will be nice. Right now he doesn't seem to share those feelings! While at dinner, I had Svetta ask him if he wanted to have his hotel in America, Ukraine, or both. He glared at her and said AMERICA! Yep, we're bringing our American boy home!

Dema's last night in the children's home!!

2011-01-16T11:17:00.000-08:00

I figured I would take this opportunity to share some of the pictures we have received of Dema from the summer of 2005--he would have been 4 years old!

The information we had been given originally said that Dema was placed in the childrens' home when he was 2 1/2, but we have found through official government documents that these pictures were taken shortly after he arrived.

I don't know that anyone could imagine taking a 4 year old child and putting them in an institution...actually, the court documents say that his birth parents dropped him at a strangers home, and it was those strangers who dropped him at the orphanage. The information we have says that Dema's birth father is alive and living locally, but he has no home and is an alcoholic. His mother died when he was only 2.

Ok, enough about the sad past...let's talk about the happy present and his brighter future!!!

Today Mick, Janel, and I took our kids and headed off to the the cinema. Our hope was to see Rapunzel, but it didn't work out that way! Ordering anything here is difficult and frustrating both for us and those we are trying to deal with, but we thought we were doing pretty good here. When the movie started, it turned out to be a cartoon--something about Cossack super heroes--not Rapunzel! The kids seemed to tolerate the movie and the adults did get a much needed nap!

We didn't find any of the now infamous caviar pop corn, what we did find was a rainbow colored sweetened pop corn--believe it or not it was too sweet for me! So, what else could I do but go back and get a bag of the bacon flavored potato chips!

After the movie we went to a little restaurant that reminded us of a waffle house down south--it was called the potato hut. When we walked in there were dream catchers, a native American statue, and lots of native American art, and I had heard that they had the best steaks in Krivoy Rog, but when I saw one, I decided against it--I'm pretty sure it was a center cut out of a round steak and very very well done. I ended up getting a plate of potato wedges and a 1/4 rack of ribs--they actually were very good!

And Dema who may eat more than we can grow and produce ate part of my ribs, a pretty big pork chop, a plate of his own potato wedges, some of my wedges, 1 1/2 rolls, and the rest of Andre's steak, and he was hungry within 10 minutes of leaving!

Not wanting to spoil him with my extraordinary cooking skills, I got him a frozen pizza, a couple packs of Ramen noodles, and a bunch of bananas to eat tomorrow--that should hold him over until we meet the rest of the gang for dinner!

(That last comment was a bit of sarcasm--I function best when not allowed in the kitchen!!)

Tomorrow Svetta will go with me to the orphanage to bring Dema back to the apartment for the day--8:30 tomorrow morning, the life of an orphan will be in the past!

I told him tomorrow he will be an American boy!

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Just a word of advice to any family coming behind us...Cindy is home for this trip, we both thought it best if she stay and take care of the home, the dogs, and the business. That was a decision that we both regret.

If there is anyway possible, make the time and spend the extra money so that both of you can be here when all of your time and efforts come to an awesome conclusion. You'll be glad you did!!!

From the time we arrived on December 6th, I have looked forward to this day--the last visit to the children's home, BUT, it wasn't what I had envisioned! As we headed out to get in the car, the kids were holding on to me, they would not let go. As families plan to make their trips over, you can not begin to imagine just how excited the kids are for you to be here with them. Those could have been the most difficult moments of the trip although it was never said, as they were holding on I could tell the kids were just hoping and praying that I could take them with me...thankfully we will see the majority of these kids again!

A day for play!

2011-01-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

Today (actually it was yesterday) Mick, Janel, and I took the kids out for a day of fun...

Andre (our driver) came to pick us up right on schedule and we were off the the children's home for the kids! When we got there, the boys were working on their weekly showers--a shower base with a hose coming out of the wall that has a hand shower nozzle attached to the end. They washed themselves, then while still in the shower area, grabbed their socks and underwear from the week and began to wash them, then the boys ran out for their fresh socks and undies!

(No, I'm not some kind of wierdo--the teacher was standing there watching the boys go in one by one, and she motioned me over) While standing there, I had a disturbing high school flash back--Mr Gallager screaming BEAR and WET to the entire gym class, and all the guys lining up for inspection!!!

Vika and the gang were in the small room with Luba having their English lessons, she was just getting the class started and had their books along with some snacks on each of the desks ready for the kids. Luba holds two classes per week, one for the older kids and one for the younger group. It was good to get to meet Luba because she and the team of missionaries she works with have been so important and instrumental to all of the the kids...when we first started this process, they emailed us several pictures and video clips of Dema when he was younger.

Andre took us to a huge building that looked relatively new compared to most in the city--we learned that Krivoy Rog was a huge WWII battle site because of the large concentration of iron ore deposits and the smelting facilities that are spread all over the city. The German's wanted it and Russia had it! We were told that 99% of the city was destroyed in the battle, so most everything was built or rebuilt since 1945. Through WWII, there was not a single family in Ukraine that did not loose either a father or brother to the war. Every town and city in Ukraine has an eternal flame to remember the fallen and commemorate their loss.

The building we were entering was huge, it housed a bowling alley, a fitness center, a 6 theater movie cinema, a kind of food court, mini bars, and an ice skating rink, and the place was packed! When we arrived, the bowling alley was full, and there wasn't a very good selection of ice skates. Dema's skates were probably 3 sizes too big, and I think Micks were 2 sizes too small! Ice skating didn't last too long though--Dema wasn't as good as he had hoped, and when I went to help, we both ended up on the ice--he'll learn quickly that papa isn't the most graceful guy around!!

We left the rink and headed for the bowling alley where we found an older gentleman working the desk--probably the owner, but thankfully he spoke English! He helped us with the shoe size conversion from American to European, and we were off to our lanes. None of us were going to make the PBA tour, but we had a good time until the 6 pound ball got to be too much for the kids. We definitely got our 126 grivna's ($15) worth for the hour.

Our next stop was a mall complex where Vika got to do what little girls like to do best--shop!! Yesterday, Svetta took us there and showed us a play area where Dema might want to go...He seemed to have more fum here than with the bowling and skating combined!

When we went in, I recognized a little vioce, but thought--no way, it couldn't be! Sure enough, Nastya was there with her new Italian mama. It was good for me to see their interaction, Nastya is happy and her mama is a very nice lady! After the two kids had played hard for a little while and were sweated up, her mama spoke to me in Italian, motioned to the kids and walked out the door, I figured she was headed out to pay 2 grivna to use the public toilet in the mall, but she returned with 2 drink boxes for the kids!

My Italian is pretty much non existent, but I was able to say "gratsi" to which she responded "your welcome"! I thought "great!" she speaks a little English, so I tried to convey just how I knew Nastya, but it didn't work. Maybe someday, Nastya will tell her mama how she knew the American in the mall. I had hoped for a picture of Nastya, Dema and her new mama, but Nastya would have no part of it. But, I was glad to be able to see that Nastya was happy, and her mama is a very nice woman!

The day ended with a very short trip to the children's home where the kids had a chance to Skype with their friend Liliya in America. On Monday, when Dema leaves the orphanage to come to the apartment, he will be Skyping with Liliya so that she can begin to prepare for his English lessons that will start Saturday after he returns! He and I will spend the day playing on his new Leapfrog with a game designed for 4 year olds teaching them the basics of reading...we're not wasting any time breaking down the communication barrier!

Dema's "official" last day as a resident!

2011-01-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

When Cindy and I were here on our first trip, I seem to remember just a little difficulty adjusting to the time difference--I had several folks tell me that when you travel east the adjustment is easier...I wish someone would have reminded my body and mind! Since I left on the 9th, I have had only18 hours of sleep! The night before last, I completely skipped the whole sleeping thing, and tonight as I sit here it is 1:30a.m. and I am wide awake--I went to bed at 7:30pm--I was so exhausted, I just couldn't stay up any longer. Guess I am awake for the day!

Today Dema had his going away party! So we went to the pizza shop and got a bunch of pizzas, then we went to the market and got bacon flavored potato chips, juice, bananas, paper plates and cups, and of course a cake for the celebration...yes, you read it right bacon flavored potato chips!!! Why can't we get these in America??? You can knock out 2 of the food groups in one small snack...and man are they good!

Before we ate the teacher had Dema stand up then each of the boys in his group proceeded to stand and share well wishes for him. They each wished Dema health, a loving family, a good life, and plenty of friends in America--it was really great to see considering that there must have been at least a little jealously in each of them. As Dan stood, Svetta translated that he said, "I love your mama and papa, I know that you will have a good life!" He really is a special guy--we will really miss him and his sisters!

We ordered pizza with cheese, ham, sausage, tomatoes, sweet peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and a full layer of basil! It was kinda neat to watch them eat--the pizza and bananas and juice were enjoyed far more than the sweetness of the cake.

I had to employ our first babysitter yesterday! I had 2 choices--either take Dema from the orphanage and jump a train to Kiev and wait 3 days for the passport so we can begin the final phase of paperwork at the embassy, or stay in Krivoy Rog and keep Dema at the orphanage. Cindy and I talked before I left and both agreed that the later was the wiser move. Ukrainian law prohibits foreign parents taking children from their orphanage and staying in the same region for more than 24 hours.

So, in order for me to be able to stay here where I have the benefit of American friends, a familiarity with the town, and knowing our drivers well enough that we can get where we want to go and do what we want to do (but beyond that, to be able to keep Dema in a place where can be entertained by friends, live in a familiar environment, and have the structure that he needs). I had to sign a contract requesting that he be allowed to stay there for another 2 days--as a GUEST and not a resident!

Today, our driver Andre will pick Mick, Janel, and I up at 11:00, and we will go to get our kids (that seems strange to say!) we will then head off for the bowling lanes! We were going to go ice skating, but Vika fell and hurt her ankle so we went to plan "B". We know Vika likes to bowl, and there are "kid friendly" lanes here in Krivoy Rog. We are sure that wherever we go, whatever we do, Dema will just be happy to be with us! After our bowling venture, we plan on taking the kids out for dinner...anywhere BUT McDonalds!

Tomorrow, our plan is to take the kids to the movie theater! We're not sure what movie is playing, but we are hoping for an American movie with Russian voice over. Last time we were here, they were showing the newest Narnia movie in 3D. The exciting part of this is looking forward to the caviar flavored pop corn! You read it right--no salt and butter here!

Early on, there is little chance of field trips for parents and their kids, but as things progress, the rules seem to relax and you have more freedom with the children.

Over the past few days I have been preparing for our big exit--part of that prep work included trips to the video store. The first store we went to had all 3 of the Narnia movies (including the newest one!)on 1 DVD with Russian voice over...I only paid 25 grivna--about $3 for the three movies. I learned that "pirate" video stores are not regulated and are everywhere! The second store we went to I got Star Wars A New Hope, and a video game that teaches English--this was a "new" video store and both totaled less than $10 American! We will be going to one more store today hoping to find some Mickey Mouse videos!

Remember Ruslana from postings during our first trip--the girl who begged for a home and a family in America? Cindy and I were sure her hopes would be realized...well, they have been!!! That is one more child with the hope of a brighter future in America with a loving family!

Today we only have our driver scheduled until 6:00, so I don't anticipate being able to spend much time with the kids at the orphanage. Tomorrow will be my last to spend with the kids until they all get home. They have all become part of our family...they will be missed, but I am already getting excited for our first big family reunion!!! It will be a great day when we can get together with all of the children from Ukraine who will be joining us in Central PA!

I thought a friend might enjoy this picture--looks like this guy is growing a fine "stash"! A Tom Selleck caterpillar or an old west handle bar mustache??

(Nope, the smile hasn't stopped yet!!)

Got a heart for orphans???

2011-01-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

"America...PLEASE???"

Those were the words we heard more than one time...

After our first trip to Ukraine, Cindy and I were even more excited bring Dema into our home. But over the 3 weeks that we were here together we became convinced that Dema was not the only reason that we came. There are so many children who's eyes plead for a home and a family of their own and several of the children have actually wraped their arms around us and begged for a home in America. Yes, this trip has been a heart wrenching experience. But because we can not bring each and every one of them home, we have made a commitment to do what we can to find other families who are willing to consider adopting a Ukrainian orphan child.

James 1:27 tells us that:

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Although that passage of scripture does not command or even ask us to adopt one of these kids, it does let us know just how important these kids are to our Father. So, as you scroll through the pictures, why don't you search your heart to see just what He is asking you to do...chose a child and pray that they might find a family, forward this to a friend who is considering adoption, or jump in with both feet and say, "yes I will"!

There are many of these children who are not alone in the children's home--many have siblings, some are part of a family of 3, 4, or 5 kids. We have found some of the most "adoptable" children are part of a larger family group...maybe that is because they have some sense of family, or maybe it is because they are the children who have a little higher level of self confidence and they are wiling to come hang out with a group of strangers who don't even speak their language.

Because these children are wards of the state, and considered "state property", we can not post names, birth dates, or any information we have on the kids. If you would like to know more about our trip and our time here, please feel free to email us...we would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Mick and Janel McCracken are here to bring their daughter Vika Grace home and will be here for another 3 weeks or so. If you would like further info, please email either:

Eric & Cindy at:
sales@edenvieworganics.com

or
Mick & Janel at:
jmccracken@verizon.net

The children at this orphanage range anywhere from 5-16 years old, but the younger kids are pretty much off limits for "just stopping in" and visiting, we spent most of our time with the kids ranging from 8-16 years old.

In Ukraine, there is a huge emphasis on the arts. We have seen many of the girls and some of the boys preforming in dances, singing, and acting roles. And it seems that most of the boys who are not involved in the arts are part of either the boxing team or the soccer team. The orphanage does a great job of getting these kids involved and active.

The art program at the orphanage is a top-notch program. We spent most of our time visiting with the kids in a room dedicated to developing the drawing and painting skills of the kids. If you go to the Artful Giver web site, you can see some of the outstanding work these kids have done.

Not all the children in these pictures are eligible for adoption, there are several factors that weigh in to determine if and when they are permitted to be adopted by a foreign family. How long have they been in the orphanage? What is the status of their biological family? Do they have siblings and do all siblings want to be adopted internationally? Are there siblings who are over 18 years old?

These are all questions that our adoption agency asked and screened for prior to saying that yes, he/she is ready and available to come to America.

This is the group of boys that our son Dema calls family. They range in ages 8-11 and they all seem to be great boys.

I just met this young man today--he is blind, but it is amazing to watch the little boys take him by the hand and help him find his way. When I asked him if I could take his picture, he got this huge smile on his face and said "DA"! The smile was still there 15 minutes later when I left the group.

It has become very difficult to adopt younger single children from Ukraine in recent years. The government has made it very beneficial for Ukrainian families to keep the children in their home country. This seems to be in an effort to lower the number of orphans here. (Which from the last count I saw was 100,000+) There have been success stories from children who have "graduated" from the orphanage, but far too many of the kids end up on the streets--some girls turn to prostitution, while many of the boys turn to a life of petty crime. These kids are sent out at 16 years old, some have done well enough at school to qualify for State funded technical school, but many leave with no hope for a future.

This is the group of girls just across the hall from Dema's group. They too would probably range from 8-11 years old. The children in this orphanage are housed in separate wings and separate buildings, so our contact with the older kids was very limited, and the youngest kids were completely off limits.

There is a family group of 4 children here who Cindy and I have fallen in love with...we have said, "if we were younger, if we had an addition on our house, if we had different jobs, if we had a better income" we would bring them home. But we're not, and we don't, so we are here to advocate for them and find not only them, but as many kids as possible good loving Christian families! Please don't hesitate to ask us anything!

Was it the Baja 500 or Daytona??

2011-01-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

There are many folks who wanted to know where the kids go to school...here it is. It didn't seen too terribly different from our schools, I could see students sitting at desks through the windows, and the gymnasium had sounds of what I guessed was a good game of dodge ball. The size was pretty much equivalent to one of our elementary schools. But, as far as what goes on inside the school, time will have to tell that story, we'll know much more as we begin to bring these kids home.

Svetta called at 10:00 and said she would be here in 15 minutes--be ready and be downstairs! We went to school to pick up Dema and we were off the Donstrokip(I'm sure the spelling is way off, but phonetically it is close!) That is the capitol of the region where we needed to apply for Dema's passport. When Dema got in the car, Andre said (in broken English)"put on seat belt"...that was the first time I had heard that from him, so I was a bit concerned!

Most of the trip was on a 4 lane highway, but like nothing I had ever been on before! The ride was kinda like being part of a kamikaze road race video game! 120 kph (75mph) down a 4 lane highway with pot holes big enough to swallow a small child! I think the driver kind of enjoyed it, because the "obstructions" came up so quickly that it required a quick jerk of the wheel to avoid them! And when it came to passing other slower cars, you don't seem to pass anyone in Ukraine until you check for imperfections on the other guys bumper!

Well, we made it there and back in one piece, and I must say that the ride was kinda fun! We applied for the passport, which should be in hand next Tuesday, so everything is on track to be on the flight Thursday at 8:00am!

We did make it back to the children's home in time for a short visit, Nastya and Vika were Skyping with Dema's mama, and a few kids came over to visit! Andre was so excited to get his gift from America, hopefully tomorrow, I will have time to show him a video and spend some more time with him.

The kids are ALL excited!!!

2011-01-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Today was a very productive day! We now have a legally binding birth certificate which states that Cindy is Dema's mother, I am his father and his full name is Dmytro Ericson Noel! We also have all of the needed documents ready for us to take the road trip to apply for Dema's new passport. We will leave tomorrow on a journey that will total 6-7 hours, and it doesn't look like we will be leaving until noon or later. Today's visit with the kids only lasted for 1 hour because of the documentation that we needed to secure, and tomorrow, there may not be a visit at all....BUMMER!

For those of you who are considering adoption, it looks like Thursday our facilitator will be joining us for a trip around the children's home for some pictures and information about some of the kids. We will be mainly focusing on the kids that families from our group have met while they were here on their adoption journeys.

Unless something big happens between now and then, the blog Thursday evening (Ukraine time) will be solely devoted to the children who still need homes!

These young ladies are excited beyond words for the arrival of their family! Vika who most times shies away from the camera was more than happy to pose with me for her mama and papa. I wish I was going to be here to see the reunion--if my hug was just a hint of what mama and papa will receive...I'd think they had better start to practice holding their breath!

Mick and Janel are right on track to be out of here...well hopefully before Easter!!! No, actually, they have their court date on the 14th, then the 10 day waiting period, then a few days for the final exit preparations. If you aren't already following their journey, check out their blog at

http://bringingvikahome.blogspot.com/

This was great to watch--his face didn't change through all 3 viewings of the video that Joe and Ginger sent! When he finished watching, he looked at me with misty eyes and said Joe Ginger Skype please??? Hopefully we will be able to get them on the line within the next couple of days...

Made it!

2011-01-11T02:25:00.000-08:00

After nearly 40 hours on the road I have finally made it to Krivoy Rog! The trip was pretty uneventful, but some way, some how, when I boarded the Lufstanza plane from Philly to Germany, I found myself in business class...I looked at the seat number, then my ticket--they matched up, but I decided to keep going into the economy section. I figured that the numbers must start over...nope, they didn't! Now, I know how the other half lives!

When I landed in Germany and went through their security checkpoint, the guard pulled me and my back pack to the side--he said that it showed a reading of high levels of "organic matter". (I guess their scanner is more than just an x-ray.) Well, I told him it was more than likely my zip lock full of ground coffee, but he wanted me to empty the bag and show him. I started and the first thing I pulled out was my 1000 page book "The Real History of George Washington". It is a good look at Washington's life through he and his wives diary entries as well as several from the commanders who served under him from the French and Indian Wars through the Revolution. But anyway, when the guard saw the book he smiled and said oh--George Washington--your good--go ahead! He never checked the validity of the coffee claim...who knows what kind "organic matter" I could have been carrying!

The Train Station in Kiev

I arrived in Kiev with a little time to catch my breath, then Mick, Janel, Svetta and I headed for the train station. Mick and I shared a second class booth while Svetta and Janel shared the one right beside us. We had some good conversation learning about our upcoming schedules, but nearly as important, we began talking about some of the kids we met who don't have families and what we could do to find them homes. We counted 11 potential kids that we are all actively engaged with. Keep watching the blogs for updates, introductions, and plenty of pictures!

Mick and Janel are in our old apartment, and I am in Tina's old place, it's only about a 5 minute walk. Svetta didn't think there was room for them, her, and me in the same place...so here I sit all by my lonesome! I guess I might as well enjoy the peace and quite while it lasts!

Today, Svetta is getting the official court resolution document and certifying Cindy's power of attorney forms, then she is coming by to get me to go and apply for the new birth certificate. Hopefully, we can get that done in time for me to visit Dema and the other kids...if so, I'll post again tonight!

Goin' Back!

2011-01-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Well, here I go again! Sunday at 4:05 the plane leaves from State College en route to Kiev. This trip, should be pretty straight forward--pick up Dema's new birth certificate, apply for his passport, wait 5 days, take Dema from the orphanage, go to Kiev for a medical exam, and wait for approval from the US embassy. ...arrive in country on the 10th, depart on the 20th.

But, nothing related to this process can be that easy!!!

When we booked our airline tickets for the second trip, we needed to book 3 one way tickets because of Dema traveling...the return trip required that an adult book a trip with a child. So, we booked well in advance ensuring the best possible price. The plan backfired!!! We purchased the tickets expecting Dema's given name to be Dema, but for one reason or another, we had to go with Dmytro. So, the name on the ticket is wrong!!! I have to go to the Aeroflot desk in Kiev and beg them to make the change--if they will not do it, the mistake will end up costing us an additional $1000 for two more tickets a rental car, and a long drive from JFK.!

It'll all work out...just another bump in the road!

Home...Finally!

2010-12-31T03:10:00.000-08:00

We arrived at the airport in Kiev nearly 3 hours before we were to board our flight, we thought we were on our way home!! BUT, once boarded, we sat on the tarmac for 2 hours!!! Kiev had an unexpected 2 inches of snow, so they were having a tough time getting all of their departures deiced. As we were in route to Zurich, I checked my watch and said to Cindy, well, our flight to JFK is boarding...When we arrived to Zurich, we hustled to our gate, but at the security check point, the guard told us that our flight left 5 minutes ago!!!! We were stuck!

When we reported to the transfer desk, we found that there could be days worth of waiting due to a massive snowfall in NYC. But, she booked us for standby on the first flight out the next day. The airline put us up in a nice hotel and gave us vouchers for meals while we waited! When we arrived at our hotel, we had just about 2 hours of daylight left, so we dumped our gear in the room and headed out for a walk. We had decided to leave our bulk luggage in the capable and qualified hands of the airlines, so we needed some toiletries--no better excuse for a stroll!

Day 2 in Switzerland we arrived to the airport at 6:00 AM for our standby flight, it should not have been a surprise, but we didn't make that flight. So, back to the transfer desk--she booked us for standby on a flight to Dulles--we didn't make that flight either!!! So, back to the desk! This time, she booked and CONFIRMED us on a flight to Paris, then to Dulles...but it was for the next day. We ended up leaving the airport at noon--what a bummer!!!

What in the world were we to do??? Who would want to be STUCK in Switzerland?? Well, as it happens, Switzerland was on the list of the top 3 places Cindy wanted to visit! I wasn't too upset either!

We got our complimentary room assignment, meal vouchers, and carry on luggage (once again we decided to leave the bulk of our luggage in the capable and qualified hands of the airlines.) and jumped on the shuttle bus. When we checked in, there was no Wi-Fi, so I jumped on the public computer to let the folks back home know what was going on--Cindy had a tour book and was looking for something for us to do.

We had 2 hours before the tour started, so we hopped a taxi and headed downtown. And, man are we glad we did!!! This was a once in a lifetime experience for us--just a couple Central PA hicks walking and gawking! The history was amazing--check out the date on the statue--Columbus hadn't even been here yet! Obviously, after seeing the little that we did, we were torn--should we return to the airport the next day and offer our tickets to some other poor stand by passengers, or come home on our scheduled flight?? We had been gone for more than 3 weeks, so the desire to get "on the road" was too strong!

These buildings, the river, the fact that we heard folks speaking English, and we could communicate with just about anyone in our native tongue made this place almost heaven!

I could see James Bond in a chase scene driving down the cobble stone roads and escaping the villain by jumping out a window--diving into the river!

Our tour took us on a bus through Munich to a cable car that took us into the foothills of the Alps--unfortunately, the clouds were so low that we didn't actually see their glory until we took off from the airport. After the cable car ride, we walked 1/2 mile across the top of the mountain to a small cafe where we enjoyed some Swiss chocolate and a cup of coffee.

What we had initially considered to be a major inconvenience, turned out to be a huge blessing! We needed the opportunity to relax, decompress, and catch our breath! And, we had planned on visiting Germany, but because of flight delays on the front side of our trip, and financial constraints on the back side we couldn't afford to do it! But, our airline ended up covering the bulk of the expense! We couldn't have planned the trip any better!!!

Remember the capable and qualified baggage handlers?? Well, we will officially call our trip complete once Fed-Ex shows up here at the house with my lost baggage!!!

I'll be on my way back January 9th at 4:00pm, and return home January 20th with the newest addition to the Noel household!

A word from the train!

2010-12-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, we really are that happy!!!

The judge said yes, and we are on the train headed for Kiev! I just posted our victory story, but had to say some more...our internet was down for the day and we had lots of folks back home just chomping at the bit to know what happened! So, the last post was written this afternoon in hopes that we could get the info out ASAP!

Just about 2 hours ago we left Sunshine orphanage with 2 Vika's in tears and 1 Dema on top of the world! All of the kids know that Mick, Janel, and I will be back January 10th, and others will soon follow, but from experience, we can tell you that 3 weeks here can seem like an eternity!

Anyone coming after us, please think about getting us a homemade dvd to show the kids--YouTube videos are great, but with the slow internet connection, we need to figure 1 hour to download every 1 minute of play time. With all the Skyping that happens, download time is tough to come by!

I really need to put this out there one more time, but as I was leaving Dema's group, one of Dan's sisters Nastya came over grabbed hold of me with a big hug and pleaded...America please! I'm just sayin' we've got plenty of pictures and stories to go with this family of 4 kids.

And, finally, to wrap up this trip...Cindy and I would like to thank Svetta for all she has done for us! Our process was longer and more difficult than most, but she fought right through every road block and obstical that was in her way--if it weren't for Svetta and The Stork Agency, Dema wouldn't have become part of our family! And to the other families who were in country with us--thank you for your patience! We know that our problems compounded your time here. Thanks for waiting!

Our courtroom story!

2010-12-27T09:30:00.001-08:00

Today was it—the final decision…and all we have to say is “THANK YOU JESUS!” After a rough night of sleep for both of us, Svetta arrived at 6:30 for courtroom preparations—the prep was short, but necessary. This time, we were asked very few questions, and they were just repeats from Thursday. The major player was the Director from Dema’s brother’s orphanage. He said everything that was in his letter, but added the fact that Dema’s bio-father is around, but he is a vagabond of sorts—he has no home of his own, we have heard that he is an alcoholic who has little to no interest in Dema. The most disturbing thing that we heard was that the father does visit and take the brother to the park. He does not do that for Dema, nor has Dema ever had the opportunity to go on one of the trips with the two!

Our trial lasted only 45 minutes, but the deliberation between the judge and jury of 2 took another 45 minutes. About ½ hour into our wait I asked Svetta if it normally took this long…she said, “no, just wait”…so we did! At about 40 minutes into the wait, the courtroom reporter returned for some documents—she was glassy eyed, pursed lips, and wouldn’t make eye contact. Up to that point, I was confident—just 30 minutes ago, the prosecutor, directors, and local “big boss” and all told the judge that they supported the adoption and separation. (Svetta looked up and said, “thank you God” under her breath) But, after watching and probably over analyzing the reporter when she entered, along with the time for the deliberation, I was worried about the outcome! Five minutes later, the judge and jury entered with gifts! Russ said that if they come in with treasures in hand, it’s a good thing! And it was! Dema’s new name is Dmytro Ericson Noel, and according to his birth certificate, Cynthia Lee Noel is his mother and Eric Thomas Noel is his father! We know that there were folks at home awake at 4:00, praying on our behalf, thank you, thank you, thank you! And for everyone who lifted up our situation as it transpired, thank you! We know God heard the cry of His children on behalf of His child, our gratitude will never fully be expresses!

Because their past and their culture is so important to the folks of Ukraine, we received some very cultural specific gifts—a crystal bell, a hand painted wooded plate, a ceramic plate with Mary and Jesus probably when he was about the age Dema is now, and a shawl that is used in Ukrainian wedding ceremonies. We were told to display the shawl with the ceramic plate, we’ll need to find out why. As the judge, the jurors, and an unknown woman handed us our gifts, the each shared their well wishes.

It is over, done, kaput! We are now headed for the notary bureau to finalize paperwork, then we’re off to the orphanage to tell Dema the good news! From there, we’ll hopefully have time for a bite to eat before embarking on our long voyage home!

Looking forward hitting the road, but leaving all of these kids behind will be bittersweet!

Last full day in Krivoy Rog!

2010-12-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

Today was the last full day that we will be in Krivoy Rog, Ukraine--and it was actually the first day that we could say that we saw blue sky and the sun! Tomorrow evening we're off to the the train station for our 31 hour trek home!

Dema really wants to come with us...NOW, but in 2 short weeks I will be back here to finalize the adoption.

When we arrived, I assumed that we were staying the taj mahal of Krivoy Rog, but Svetta told us that these houses area in fact the most sought after properties in the city. The residents can have their own gardens, and best of all, a level of privacy that does not exist in the towers.

Today was another "off" day for the kids--no one was themselves! There are many factors at work contributing to this feeling, but we shouldn't go into detail here. When return home, please ask us! In the mean time, these children, and every child that has visited us in America needs all of the prayer support they can get!

Here is yet another Vola--I think that she is 3rd that we have met in these past few weeks! She joined us for some snacks and a couple games of picture bingo. Then, like the others who have joined us, she disappeared as quickly as she arrived.

This is the most smiling we saw today, the girls had a chance to Skype with Lena, Erik, and Dema who are in Kiev.

Well, tomorrow is IT!!! Our second day of adoption court. Our in country attorney said that the judge has heard all of the testimony she needs from Dema and from us, so if all goes as we hope, and she has planned, the director from the mentally handicapped orphanage will testify to the fact that Dema's older brother is not able to leave the orphanage to testify on his own behalf. That director has already submitted all necessary documents supporting the separation, and stating that Dema's brother could do physical harm to himself and others if he were to leave his comfortable surroundings. So, as far as we know, this is just a formality. We believe that Thursday's proceedings were in our favor, so we go with a confidence we didn't have for round 1!

We have been told that this is it..."no more court", so everything we have been through to this point hinges on the judges decision tomorrow! We will enter the court room tomorrow morning at 11:00, or time, 4:00am your time! Once again, we are asking that you set the alarm clocks and pray for wisdom and discernment on the part of the judge. Dema already knows what the outcome will be, he tells us daily Dema papa America January 20th!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2010-12-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

The driver picked us up at 3:30, and we said "market"--they all understand it, and we normally go to the same market every time, but this time he pulled into a little corner store. So I made the international sign for rotisserie chicken--put your hands under your armpits and flap your wings, then spin your hands around each other. Fortunately, the driver was fluent in sign language and he pulled out to head for a big market. It was obviously a bad day for grocery shopping--I think everyone in Krivoy Rog had the same idea, there was a 15 minute wait for the chicken!

When we finally arrived at the childrens' home the kids were all waiting...well except for our Dema! Vika and I went to get him and then the birthday party could begin! We were going to read the Christmas story out of Luke, but didn't figure they would understand! So, Cindy was able to have Nastya translate that we were going to celebrate Jesus' Birthday--they all understood! After we gave thanks, for the food and for the kids, they each said "awmeen".

We brought 2 rotisserie chickens, 12 drink boxes, a bag of potato chips, a couple of Ukrainian salads, 3 loaves of bread, and of course a birthday cake! Nastya told us American bread bad, Ukrainian bread good! They don't seem to be fans of typical "Wonder" bread, they would rather have the bakery fresh loaves. The cake was pretty good, lemon icing, banana middle, and a heavy white cake. (The cake was less than $5 American)

Cindy and I didn't want to eat--this was for the kids, but they weren't happy until we each had a little on our plates! I had big plans for my Christmas dinner--3 packs of Ramen noodles...Yes! Happy day! They do have Ramen in Ukraine!!! Cindy was going to have a bowl of homemade tomato soup with some salad.

Everyone was right, this was going to be our most memorable Christmas ever! It was the first night that the Noel family of 3 got to celebrate Christmas together! And, how many of us have ever had the opportunity to share a Christmas birthday bash with a group of kids who have probably never done this before?

Whatever food was left, the kids divided up and at the end of the night and took to their groups to share...there wasn't much!

Vika and Cindy enjoying the birthday cake!

If you had the opportunity to meet Dema over the summer, you know he LOVES to eat! He had 4 helpings of salads, we guess 1/2 a chicken, several pieces of bread, and cake.

We had hoped that there would be more kids join us for the party, but Valia was the only one to come! We wanted the girls to find Roseanna from last night, but they didn't know where she was. And Andre knocked on the door only to turn and run away before we could invite him in...the little kids seem to be under tighter reigns than the older ones.

They make a really good sourdough cheese bread that the kids just love! It is my favorite too--makes a great lunch! Unfortunately, Vika was being camera shy tonight, I had to sneak the few pictures I have of her!

Dema will make a good American--After getting his belly full he staggered to the other side of the room and laid down for a nap! He just laid there holding his belly, eyes closed, with a big smile on his face! That didn't last long--we had a happy excited little boy on our hands. That was a complete 180 from last night!

It was Christmas Day, so we had to Skype with some pretty important people, Russie, Cheri, Joe and Ginger, and Mick and Janel! The kids loved being able to chat across the miles separated by only a computer monitor!

Nastya seemed a little down today, we're guessing it had a lot to do with the fact that her friend just left the childrens' home. We had never really considered it, but it really is a bitter sweet moment when someone gets adopted. They are leaving their friends, and their home and going to a new land, knowing a very few people. And, those left behind...well, just think about it!

Our Christmas visit ended wit an awesome gift! For the first time, Dema gave both of us kisses on the cheek, then asked for a hug, and he actually asked us each to give him a kiss! This may not seem like much, but from Dema, it's huge!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Young kids in action!

2010-12-24T11:32:00.000-08:00

Tina called this afternoon asking if I had any pictures of the outside of the orphanage...hmm...nope! She was thinking ahead! I'm sure y'all (Mike G.) are curious, and I think the kids might like to look back someday.

Yesterday, Nastya corrected me when I was talking about the Orphanages 25th birthday (today), and she quickly informed me that it was the 25th birthday for "the childrens' house". So, from now on...it's the childrens' house!

Here is the entrance to Dema's part of the childrens' house. Every time we come--no matter how cold, the door is standing open. And you can't see them too well in this picture, but there are metal bars on all 1st floor windows.

I have tons of pictures from many of the children and for some reason, I haven't been able to post them on Facebook for the past 3 days... If you would like a collection of pictures for a specific child, or everything from our trip, just get me a flash drive and I will download them for you.

Here are some of the kids from the performance, Dan is in the back in the yellow, while his sister Nastya has the microphone. Dan is one of the children who asked if he and his 3 siblings could come to America...Cindy and I are actively looking for a curious family. It's like Russ said, with the federal tax credit, if you adopt four kids, the adoption process would would not cost you a dime!

This is Ewore, the spelling is probably wrong, and only a few know him, but this little guy is quite the performer!

Andre could be the next king of the dance floor! He and his date really cut the rug!

We just met this young lady a couple of days ago, and she brought some of the adults to tears! She asked if we could find her a family, she said that she is 16, doesn't have anybody, and nobody wants her. She is really a sweet kid, we know there IS someone who wants her!

The kids danced the macarana--Dan is in the yellow, and Nastya is just behind him. For those of you who don't know, Nastya and Denis agreed to be adopted by an Italian family yesterday. That family sat in front of us at the recital and seemed to be a good family. They brought their daughter with them, we're thinking she is 14 or 15, so the kids will have a good playmate!

The kids did a type of salsa dance...not sure how appropriate this is for the age group, but I guess we all need to be aware and conscious of the cultural differences. There will be plenty of learning...for both children and adults!

As of 8:00, Cindy and I were the last in Krivoy Rog! Everyone else has headed for the train station en route to Kiev. Mick and Janel will be U.S. bound tomorrow evening, while Russ Lori, and Tina will spend the next 7 days in Kiev with their new children...they will be homeward bound Jan 1st. Our flight comes into JFK Tuesday late in the afternoon, and then Mick, Janel, and I will return to Kiev on January 9th.

Wishing we were home to celebrate Christmas with our family! But, we are blessed to be here with these kids and our new families!

A good evening after a tough day!

2010-12-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

This was yesterday, but Tina had the opportunity to share some pretty good news with Artur--Joe and Ginger have their travel dates!!! Check out their blog for more details (Adopting Artur)!

Artur wanted to Skype with Joe today, but the battery died on the computer...maybe tomorrow??

We just booked new tickets for our return from this trip...unfortunately, we couldn't afford a day in Germany. A direct flight to JFK saved us over $4000 vs. jumping around Europe and flying into State College. Bummer that we can't explore while in this part of the world, but we'll do whatever we have to do!

Artur is quite the competitor! He played bingo with Cindy tonight and yelled GO FISH--BINGO! After beating her, he wanted to take me again at arm wrestling! Here he was cleaning up on Russ with the hand slap game...

It's a good thing that Mick and Janel are adopting Vicka Grace...there would otherwise be a line of potential families for this little girl!

Yesterday, we decided to give Dema his Christmas gift a few days early--we thought it might lighten his emotional burden before the court date this morning. We're not sure that it worked, but after opening it, he told the other kids that it was just like in his dream...now he was a business man!

Is it dadushka (grandpap)Russ, or da-da (uncle) Russ--we think it is both! Vika was so excited today when I told her I was da-da Eric! Why not!!

One happy little business man with his new wallet!

We opened the Christmas card that Russie and Cheri emailed us--the kids loved the pictures, but once I ran the text through Google translate, the room was silent as Nastya read to the group!

Ok, who looks better??? It's amazing what no sleep and a little stress will do to you!

If you know the two of us, this is a once in a lifetime picture, so why not share it with you!

Every day, Andre sneaks down to see us, he normally shoves something in his pocket--a snack, some play dough, or a toy and scurries off to his room. I don't think he is allowed to visit, but most every day we see him for a little while!

Momma and Dema Skyping with Rocky, Dusty, and Caleb.

Here are the girls Skyping with Russie, Cheri, and the kids!

Do you think they are happy??

I think these girls have a sixth sense...if you point a camera their way, they can feel it--they drop whatever they are doing and pose!

...

The happy family!!!

Court was TOUGH!!!

2010-12-23T04:25:00.000-08:00

Well, court is over and we have not adopted Dema...YET!!!! Through the entire trial, Dema sat behind us listening to the testimony. Testimony started with a few basic questions about us, how we met Dema, where we met Dema, why we want to adopt Dema, and how we would care for Dema. This time, court was a different world--our service to the hosting program was acknowledged with a grin and a head nod, but more importantly, our faith was viewed as an asset--questions were friendly, and our answers brought smiles to the faces starring back at us! But then things got tough--this round of testimony included: the fact that no one in Ukraine wanted Dema, information about his mother's death, the fact that his father left him and has no rights to him, and there was also information about the brother he didn't remember and the fact that his brother didn't want Dema to live in America.

After nearly 1 hour of testimony, the judge called Dema to the front of the courtroom. And asked him several questions--do you want your name changed(DA), do you want to live in America (DA), is it alright to separate you and your brother(DA), do you remember your brother(NIET), do you want Eric and Cindy for your momma and papa(DA), then Dema BROKE!!!! We watched his knees get weak, and then he began to weap uncontrollably. The court room emptied immediately, and Cindy and I were left with directions to take care of him! We took him outside for some fresh air, and the court folks consoled him with candy and a lego toy. Once the ruckus calmed down, the judge returned to the bench only to tell us that court would be continued Monday at 11:00. We are confident that we are still moving towards our goal, but it will take longer than we had hoped! (So, family--do not wait for us for Christmas gatherings, we hope we will be celebrating the victory in Germany on Tuesday)

Cindy and I are completely at peace with how things ended today, our hearts ache for Dema though--Svetta told us that the reason he broke was two fold, #1--the stress of everything he had to listen to, and #2--the fear that we would not be his momma and papa. Please continue to pray for us, but more specifically, that Dema would share the peace that we have!

We are looking forward to tonight's visit--these kids have away of helping you to forget all of your cares and worries!

I am posting pictures from last nights visit on Facebook, just no commentary!

No new news...too busy!

2010-12-22T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry, no blog today..it's 10:30 and or adoption attorney has just left after our pre-trial preparations...we will be spending the rest of the evening preparing...our trial is tomorrow morning at 11:00...please be praying!!!

We hope to be finished with our court appointment in time to get something out!

More kids=more fun!

2010-12-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

When we got to the orphanage the younger kids were being entertained by the older group of dancers...I'm guessing it was part of their Christmas celebration. Unfortunately, Dema had to go back to his group to complete his homework before he was allowed to come and play with us, so we used to opportunity to find Denis and Nastya. Neither of them have been permitted to play with us, but it was good to see Denis healthy and out of the hospital!

I think Artur is becoming more comfortable with us--we are seeing him more often and for longer stretches of time. He wanted to arm wrestle Mick and I--he ended up "beating" both of us!!!

And, I think Nastya's face might be stuck! My mother always said, "if you keep making that face, it will be stuck like that forever" I don't think this was the face she was talking about though!

A strange phenomenon happened today, more kids showed up to play than normal--they were outgoing and eager to join in on our games and activities. It just seemed odd that for the first time, the caretakers didn't show up to shoo them off! We were just glad that we were able to get to know so many kids beyond our group!

As we communicated with them, (can't really call it talking) we found out that each of them have 2 or 3 additional siblings in the orphanage with them...hmmm, could there have been an agenda behind allowing these specific kids to join us????

Momma had a great day with Dema--he spent nearly the entire 3 hours at her side playing!

Here is one of the new little girls that came to play, (Vola) she had a tough exterior, but the shell was easily cracked! I got to do a couple word American word searches with her and teach her some English as we played. There was something about her smile that reminded me of my niece Lucy!

Play Doh (I just learned how to spell this!!) is a great item to bring, the artistic kids create some amazing things, while the "less creative" kids (and adults) love squeezing, cutting, and rolling the stuff into balls! I don't think these kids have ever had the opportunity to experience this little tub of joy!

We sure are enjoying our time with these kids!

The art teacher showed up tonight all gussied up! Plenty of make-up, and a fancy dress...I told some of the others that I thought the kids might not be the only ones looking for an American family...guess I might have been wrong--Cindy said she was wearing a wedding band!

Cindy was playing Bingo with a couple of our new friends. Dan's sister Nastya was one of the kids that got to spend the evening with us...

AND...we finally got to meet Dan's oldest brother-- so we have met the entire family...our "source" was right! This guy is 13, definitely the patriarch (which is a sad place for a 13 year old in my mind), but he never quit smiling! It is official, this family of 4 kids is great!

We still haven't found out if they are eligible for adoption, but the way our evening turned out...we are guessing that they are!

We'll try again tomorrow to find out more information...

Nastya, Vika, and Vika ALL LOVE to pose for pictures...Cindy is excited for the first birthday to be celebrated in the US--she is suggesting a spa day type of party where these gals can be pampered, dress up, and have a photo shoot--they would be in their glory!

I don't believe it, but there are no pictures of Tina! Thanks for praying--all her problems have been addressed, she will be getting Dema's birth certificate tomorrow!

Nastya...

Vola....

The gang is all here!

2010-12-20T12:10:00.000-08:00

It was a big day at Sunshine Orphanage--The Americans took over! Russ, Lori, and Tina all came for their final trip to bring their kids home. Mick and Janel have finally been released from their purgatory in Kiev, so they had their reunion with Vika!

After our visit at the orphanage, we all went out to a local pizza shop that is a huge chain and is located throughout most of Europe( it is owned by some studly Italian actor). This place is great--Cindy and I can eat till we're full for less than $10 American. It's an outstanding deal for some really good food!

Andre was sure to come and visit us, and of course he immediately posed for the camera. Russ and Lori brought him his Christmas gift from Doug and Linda, which he took and immediately ran off to his group room...we never saw him again--it was a big bag so I'm sure it took hime a long time to get through everything!

Unfortunately, I didn't know what was going on in another corner of the room, but Artur opened his gift from Joe and Ginger--a new watch, and he loved it! So no picture, but he absolutely loved it!

Today we found the boxing room thanks to Tina. It smelled like a dirty wrestling room, the boys were working the speed bag, heavy bay, and were sparring in the ring. This poor boy in the blue shirt was being beat upon by Dema and the boy in red.

Dema's sister sent him a gift for Christmas--a rubber ball that he wouldn't let leave his sight!

Nastya and Vicka had their Christmas gifts delivered as well--coats, boots, digital cameras, and jewelry!

It is amazing the bond that is forming between these kids...while at the hosting program there were definitely lines drawn between the age groups--the lines are quickly dissolving! We all need to continue to get together once we all get home!

Vika's momma and papa made it today, all went well--Vika was sooo happy that she finally got to see them face to face after skyping with a poor connection for the last 5 days!

Today we got some good news! We were told that we have yet another letter of recommendation supporting our adoption, this time the letter came from the federal level!

I wish I had video for this, but Russ was teaching Erik how to belch on command! Erik was falling short so Russ picked him up and commenced to "burp him"!

NO--THIS IS NOT A JOKE, WELL IT WAS PRETTY FUNNY, BUT IT REALLY DID HAPPEN--LORI WAS SURE TO SCOLD RUSS FOR HIS ACTIONS!

Someone brought bubble gum for the kids so Tina decided to teach Dema how to blow bubbles! Every time he tried, he ended up blowing the wad of gum onto the floor! Finally, he figured out that if he held the gum with his fingers he could blow a small bubble.

It's amazing, the small things we take for granted!

Please pray for Tina--there was a paper work snafu that could cause her some serious problems...tomorrow, Syvetta will try to work her magic!

Nastya with her new camera!

Fun with the gang!

Here is another of Dan's siblings, we don't remember her name, but she is a really quiet and shy little girl! One more of the children to go, then we'll have pictures of all of them.

Tomorrow Syvetta will find out if they are eligible for international adoption.

Who is St Nicolai?

2010-12-20T00:45:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest persons we have experienced while in Ukraine is St Nicolai. We knew that he had some relation to our Santa Clause, but beyond that, we didn't know much!

Because St Nicolai is such a big part of the Ukrainian culture, more specifically, in the lives of these children, I needed to find out more.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=98

We did make it out to buy Dema his wallet, but decided that we would give it to him when we left to come home--as a Christmas gift. We are now wondering what is going through his mind...why didn't mama and papa give him his St Nicolai gift yesterday?

Hopefully, when he gets his Christmas gift, we will be able to help him understand that in America we will celebrate Christmas, not because of the works of a single man, but because we are honoring, remembering, and celebrating the birth of our Savior!