Getting Ready to Go

Our travel date is a week from tomorrow and we are getting our stuff together to go. Kevin needs new underpants and jeans. Today I bought a Crossword Puzzle book so I'll have something to do while we "hurry up and wait". We've had all kinds of help, encouragement and advice from those who've gone before us. So, I think we'll be pretty well prepared. The most repeated warning we have received has been, don't expect anything to go smoothly and be happy if it does. Therefore, I have decided that this is an adventure and do my best to roll with the punches as best I can.

As far as I know, Kevin still hates to fly and dislikes travel in general. The fact that he is going through with all this is a testimony of his love for me; and that in and of itself brings me great joy. He doesn't want to use up all his vacation time on this trip, so he has arranged to work from our apartment in Ukraine. We are hoping to get internet access in the apartment so he does not have to go to an internet cafe all day to work. It will be more expensive, but if he's happy, I'm happy.

Kristen (my sis) let me borrow a few TV series she had on DVD, including NCIS something, Bones, and McGyver. We will not be able to understand anything on TV so we have to bring our own. My best buds Nancy and Lindsey Kravitz are letting us borrow some chick flicks and a season of Chuck. We should be all set for video entertainment. My group of gal pals, known as the BWOG (Beautiful Women of God), took me out to Bonefish for dinner and "showered" me with love and with an amazing camera. I will be able to post all kinds of pictures and even video with this baby. It will make it much more interesting than my inane rambling.

Our boy knows we're coming. I was unable to contact him last weekend by phone, so I emailed Jessica (a teacher at his orphanage who is from New Hampshire!) and she relayed the message, to the chagrin of his teachers who say he is having trouble concentrating in school because he is so excited that we are coming to get him. He sent a message to me, translated by Jessica, saying how much he loves us and can't wait for us to take him home. He signed his name Artem McCormack. Although we won't keep Artem for his name, it is so cool that he is already accepting our name as his.

Our travel plans go like this: We leave here around 8:00am on March 9th (my brother Scott's birthday, yay!) to catch a 10:30 flight out of Richmond. We arrive at JFK airport around noon. Hopefully Kelly will be there to meet us and spend some time with us. I do so miss her pretty face! Our flight leaves JFK at 7:00pm and 10 hours later arrives in Kiev, Ukraine at 12:00 noon their time (7 hours ahead of our time) on the 10th. I am told there are 2 movies and 3 meals on this flight and that all the drinks are free. I hope to get some sleep, but I will be so excited, that may not happen.

Our facilitator Victor should be waiting for us there and with the right fee to the right people, wisk us right through customs. We will most likely stay in a hotel in Kiev and have our SDA (national adoption agency) appointment on the 11th at 11:00am. We will then wait around until they give us some papers that we need to move forward with the process. As soon as we get them, that day or the next, we will prepare to take the train overnight to Zapporyzhia. I'm sure that's not how you spell it, but it's close. That is where the orphanage is where our boy lives. I am told we will have to wait for a social worker to be in attendance for us to see him, but only time will tell. If so, it may be Monday before we see him. In the meantime, Victor will set us up in our apartment and we will begin to enjoy life Ukrainian-style.

I understand that there is an "inspection" that we must pass and then a 10 day wait for our appearance in court before a judge. After that, there are medical clearance, birth certificate, passport and visa documents to get in order. When all is completed, we can come home. That will be a glorious day!

I hope you will follow along with us and pray for us and send us encouragement as we walk this journey. I know we will be changed. I hope you will be blessed.