ayat: exploring Khabarovsk

A year ago today we were getting settled into our rooms at the MarKuel apartment and exploring the surrounds.

Forty-some years ago today I was making my world début, specializing in cooing and crying and having lots of dark, messy, sticking-up hair. I'll try to find a baby pic and post it. I still have naturally messy hair.

ayat: Khabarovsk

A year ago today we were hanging about the apartment catching up with our posts. It gets a little confusing with dates, being on the other side of the international date line, but if you don't mind a few time warps, here is a post on the Seoul airport and one on arriving in Khabarovsk. These are different posts than those linked to yesterday.

Re-Adoption Day

At about 9:04 in the judge's chambers, our state adoption decrees were signed. He swore us in, asked a us a few questions, asked Dandy if he liked school, and had us affirm that we wanted to proceed (?!). Now we will have English language adoption paperwork and, more importantly, the children will have English language birth documentation for their adult needs. Much easier to get a copy from the local courthouse than from Khabarovsk.

So, we have Certificates of Citizenship, Social Security Cards, English-language documents; I just have to do the US passports and a couple more post-placement reports and we are all done with the paperwork, or at least with this flavor of paperwork.

ayat: a year ago today

A year ago today, we received the official referral for our daughter, signed our intent-to-adopt papers (at which time we had to determine their names), and visited the children for the last time until August.

. . . adoption is not for the faint of heart . . .

The first picture in this series is the entrance to the notary's office. There was a huge line-up, but apparently we had an appointment. Our translator knocked on the door and we went straight in. A huge collective grumble from the weary waiters followed us through the doorway. After our traveling companions, Elle and CS, signed their papers and we had signed ours -- in duplicate as we were adopting two children -- the notary said farewell and wished us good luck in navigating the hallway. Apparently appointments are not the norm and we were seen as queue-jumpers. It was a bit embarrassing.

We got to see the children in the afternoon. We took clothes and presents and played and wept when we left. The children were told that we were their new mama and papa and they rejoiced and were glad. Andy, as you can see in the pics, glued himself to us. When we left they cried out "Dasvedayna Mama y Papa." I carried their voices in my heart for the next four months as we waited for permission to return.

We had traveled to Khabarovsk on only the referral of our son, hoping and praying for our daughter, but not having any assurances. We got the referral for her the day before we left. She is the sunshine and light of our family life. I get a little shaky thinking how close we came to not being blessed with her referral. Adoption is not for the faint of heart.

ayat: a year ago today

A year ago today we were visiting our children for the second time. For some reason I don't recall, we didn't take pictures.

ayat: a year ago today

A year ago I was posting the news of the day from Khabarovsk as we waited to go meet our children. We toodled about the city and time passed very slowly.

Today, one year later, we spent the day cleaning the playroom and visiting Grandpa, reading books and watching Pinocchio after dinner. Time no longer passes slowly.

yat: years ago today

Thirteen years ago today I married the nicest man. We had a lovely small ceremony on a Sunday afternoon in my parents' living room, marrying in front of the fireplace with our parents as our attendants. My sister and brother provided the music and our reception was a wonderful open house at home. It was old-fashion, peaceful, and low-stress.

a perfect wedding

The morning of the wedding, my family went to church and I stayed home. I picked flowers from the garden and made the posies for us to wear or carry. We hired a portrait (not wedding falderal) photographer to come for one hour and take portraits. We did not photograph the wedding, but had it video-taped. Tonight we will share that video with our children and look at our albums.

It was a perfect wedding. I only wish I had invited a few more people; we kept the guest list too short.

One year ago we celebrated our anniversary in Russia as we waited to meet our children. We started with snow and then more doctor visits and a strange lunch and then ended the day eating at The Ruskie where we were seated near the large table of highly decorated military officials and another table full of black-suited sun-glass wearing men with gold filed (that's not a typo for filled; I really mean filed, as in pointy, all pointy) teeth and small black satchels hand-cuffed to their wrists. We were prepared to duck at anytime.

ayat: a year ago today

I was posting about our adventures exploring Khabarovsk as we waited to meet our children. The first pic here shows the meat section of the local grocery store. See the big wood stumps? The cows walk themselves in and are slain and dismembered right there on the spot. How does one sanitize a butcher's block anyhow?

ayat: a year ago today

A year ago today I was posting pictures from our first day in Khabarovsk and reporting on our progress through the famous eight doctor medical exam.