Back to the US of A

We have flown in and out of Moscow 4 times now, and we have seen more in the last two days than ever. Last night we took a taxi to the largest tourist trap in Moscow. The street is called Old Arbat street and it is where American Baby Boomers are dropped, by the bus load, to boost the Russian economy. Old Arbat street is where you will find matroshka dolls (nesting dolls) on every corner and large packs of retired Americans, talking loudly with confused looks on thier faces. Several ladies stopped to talk with Lilia. The street is closed to traffic and is actually a lot of fun. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe to eat a big American style meal. Instead we sat, and sat, and waited. "Can we have menus?" we finally asked the waitress. Then we waited and waited some more. Then we left. Walking the streets we found a cafeteria style restaurant called Moo Moo's. We ate there, and then decided to walk back to our hotel. Using a big, touristy map from the hotel, the kind with big cartoon depictions of monuments, I decided to navigate us through the complicated streets of Moscow. We walked for an hour. No, we did not get lost, but I was often saying things like, "Is that the big building with the star on it?"

Today we went with a tour guide and toured Moscow. I can't tell you how neat it was to stand in the center of Red Square and take pictures of St.Basil's Cathedral. We walked through "Goom", the largest shopping area, very uppity and expensive. We saw amazing, historical buildings, and wonderful replicas of "historical" buildings, which the USSR tore down during it's reign and the Russian Federation rebuilt in the mid 90s. We were very overloaded with info, info that will hit us when we have more time to process it all. From the campus of Moscow State University (which sits on a hill above Moscow) we got a wounderful view of the city. MCCM, we also purchased a hockey jersey. We then went to the US embassy and got our final documents for re-entry to the US. We now have Lilia's Russian passport, birth certificate and more proof that she is a true Cope.

The package sent by SG to us in Astrakhan (almost 3 weeks ago) finally arrived yesterday. Unfortunately, we were not in Astrakhan to sign for it (they would not let the other american couple sign for it). So, the post office will hold the package for a few days and then return to sender! So, Sis, look for it in the mail in about . . . 3 weeks! It's the thought that counts.

We now prepare for our trip home. Sbarro's pizza was our last Russian meal! Doesn't make sense, does it? We leave for the airport at 9:00am and take off at 1:10pm. "Meet me in St. Louey".

The Greatest News!

We will be coming home a whole day early! Home again on Thursday, Aug 30. Camping Caleb, meet us at the airport at 8:07pm!

It's such a relief to know we only have one more appointment while in Moscow . . . US Embassy, and then we are free to pack for home! It's your last chance to request a Russian souvenir.

Moscow- One More Time

It is said that "through many trials comes great strength." We are feeling very strong today. Last night our plane left at 8:30. Lilia was sitting on Andi's lap, and I was waiting for the storm. Yes, Lilia did break down. Yes, she did cry loudly. Then God answered our prayers and she fell asleep. I think waiting for the break down was worse than the actual breakdown. Poor Andi held Lilia's limp body for the whole flight, but at least she wasn't thrown-up on. Yes, I was vomitted on by some woman standing by the bathroom door. There was a curtain that got most of the goods, but my right leg got a quarter-sized glob of...you know. Thank God for our baby wipes.

Once we got to the Airport it took an hour to get our luggage. Then we walk outside. Look. Look. Our driver is not there. After fumbling English/Russian, I buy a phone card and call our contact in Moscow.
"You are here tonight?" she asked.
"Yes we are standing at the airport."
"Oh! We were not expecting you until the morning." she said.

It is approaching midnight, and I don't know how long I have until the baby's head starts spinning around and fire shooting from her eyes.
She tells me to get a taxi. She tells me she will try to get us a room. I hang up, hail a taxi, and we are driven to the hotel. All the while, we have:
Beyond Tired Baby
Wife With Beyond Tired Back
Vomit On My Jeans
$100 Taxi ( They Can Smell Us Americans A Mile Away)
Maybe No Hotel Room

We are feeling very strong.
In the end all turned out well. Our heads hit the pillows at 1:00am.

Today we went to see the Doctor at the childrens hospital. Lilia is a healthy girl who needs only TLC to cure her developmental issues. Tommorow we get a tour of Red Square, and then go to the US Embassy. If all goes well, we may travel on Thursday. Please Pray that we can come home Thursday. We are ready. We'll know definitively by this evening.

Leaving Astrakhan

Astrakhan is a city that sits on the Volga river just before it slips into the Caspian Sea (the river not the city). It is almost 450 years old (the city not the river), and has it’s own Kremlin (the word Kremlin simply means fort). During the time of the Soviet Union it was known for its production of salt and vegetable, and, of course, oil. Today Astrakhan’s main production is gas. The gas production company here employs about 1/4 of Astrakhan’s 500,000 people. It’s the largest gas company in the world. The average salary is very low and only the very wealthy own a home. Most of Astrakhan lives in huge apartment buildings. The people of Astrakhan are very stylish and take pride in their appearance. This does not apply to the local fishermen that fish off the port in front of our hotel. Very few people own cars, there are taxis and buses. Astrakhan has 3 baby homes that house children from 0-4 years of age. I am not sure of how many children are in each home, but it’s more than we could take home in one trip. There are about 8-15 children in each “group” of the orphanage. Who knows how many groups there are! Today a little girl is leaving this region for the first time in her life. She doesn’t know it yet. Right now she is crying in her crib (it’s nap time). Everything she knows will disappear behind a cloud of jet fumes as we leave for Moscow. We are ready to leave, but we know that possibly the hardest part is yet to come. The big question is how will she do for the 2 hour flight to Moscow? I predict mucho crying. This is the end of our journey in Astrakhan. We talk about returning one day maybe when Lilia is a teenager. We are taking our last pictures and videos so we have some history for her. Andi is packing with a feverish pace. Lilia naps. I try to just stay out of the way. Here we go . . .

The Last Sunday

Tomorrow we leave Astrakhan, actually it’s 28 hours. The flight leaves at 8pm. Andi is already packing. Our “little whiney” is, well, whining. She is also throwing fits. I told Caleb on the phone last night, that Lilia is whining like he used to. “You mean like I still do.”, he corrected me. We are trying to play the role of the patient parent. We know she has a lot of stress to deal with. She is adjusting to a new environment. She may miss her friends, and caregivers. She also has the God-given duty to drive her parents crazy. Andi and I are growing very tired of the hotel room and leaving will be so great. As I am writing, Lilia has started do the hand sign for “more”. She keeps signing “more” for the bread Andi is feeding her. She’s so advanced for her age. We used hand signs with Caleb and they were a great way to find out what he wanted before he could say the words.

Today was our day of lasts. We made our last stop by the grocery store. We bought our last 5L water jug, again, from the tiny store behind the hotel. We will spend our last night at the Azimut Hotel. We are about to go and have our last supper with the other couple here. Then we will take our last walk down the river front to the statue of Peter the Great. This has become something we do every night. We walk down to the statue and sit with the locals, and watch the sun spread color across the Volga as it sinks in the west. It really is worth the trip if you can make it over here sometime. You should stay a month if you can. There are many lasts that I am not even thinking of. The curtain on this part of the adoption process is closing, and we are moving on like knights charging into the last legion of enemy. But I am sure there will be a lot of things that we will do for the last time here, that we will reflect on there.

Read This One

Ah! Moscow in 2 days! Today was an uneventful day. We ate the last of the Ramen noodles, with the help of the other couple’s hot pot. Lil tried the pizza crust from our San’s pizza we had for dinner. She really liked it. She didn’t like the taxi ride to San’s Pizza, though.
We’re anxious to get home, where Lilia can get to a pediatrician, Jonah can have homemade salsa, and I can have turtle cake. And there’s always that wonderful little boy waiting for us. I cry just dreaming of the day we get off the airplane, and can run over and give him the hug of all hugs. A hug that will make him POP! Get ready, Cabe! You may get a tickle, or two, also. I keep telling Lilia that she will love her big brother, and that she has all kinds of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends waiting to meet her. She never says anything in response. I guess she hasn’t learned her manners, yet! J
You all need to know what a great time we’re having getting to know Lilia. Out of the entire adoption process, this part (bonding with her) has been the easiest! The hardest part . . . being separated from Caleb for so long, being in a hotel for a month, not knowing the language . . . the list goes on and on! Jonah and I both agree that Lilka (as the caregivers called her) fits into our family like a missing puzzle piece. We’ve had a great life up to this point, but L is going to add so much more, just as Caleb has (and continues to).

Our Last Wedding Day

In Astrakhan, Friday is a “Wedding Day”. Brides and their entourage are found in just about every park in the city. Walking the streets, we saw many decorated cars parked outside the Kremlin, waiting for their brides. Today we enjoyed our third Wedding Day and our last Friday in Astrakhan. We watched the last weddings caravan by, honking their horns (their very LOUD horns). We bought our last 5L bottle of water. We enjoyed saying things like, “this is our last Friday to…”

Out of desperation, tonight we found a new place to eat. It was a nice coffee shop, and offered a good break from our usual stops. It took three young Russians behind the counter to understand, “Ham sandwich.” We also had bowls of ice cream! How wonderful is ice cream? Do you have that in the States? The other Americans had their gotcha day today. We spent the evening in the lobby talking and watching the kids play. Lilia was cranky, then happy, then cranky. Andi thinks she is teething. When we put baby Orajel on she did quit whining. L is really close to walking and any day could be the day. Right now we are trying to put her down for the night and she is having none of it. Overall, she is really coming to life. She lights up when one of us enters the room, and that just makes our hearts feel like bursting with joy. She loves to put shoes on because that means we will be going out for another adventure. Beware though. If she is not out the door within 2 sec of getting those shoes on, she has her vocal ways of motivating us out the door.

We finished the extended versions of the LORD OF THE RINGS and now A is threatening me with WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING. We think we will be heading home Friday, Aug 31, but will double check with our agency to make sure that's correct. Oh, Happy Birthday, Papa!

A Great Thursday!

We both brighten up when we see new comments from you all. Just knowing that you are all (commentators and observers) able to get a glimpse into this "dream world" means a lot to us.

We went to an antique shop tonight after supper and I saw some things that would really be neat to own. One of the items was an old Church bell, but that might pose a problem when I check it in at the airport. The other things they had were military pins from the Soviet Union. We looked a long time at the pins but couldn’t pull the trigger to buy one. Andi and another mother (other American) went shopping in the kids clothing store while another father and I stayed out on the side walk and tried to look cool with a big empty pink stroller parked beside us. We pulled it off, of course.

One of Lilia’s favorite games is the “no” game. We say “no” when she tries to put her hands in her diapers, she giggles and continues to do that exact thing, giggling harder and harder. We say “no” when she starts to crawl toward the stairs in the lobby. She crawls faster and faster, giggling the whole time, while our footsteps get closer and closer. Then she is so overcome with excitement, she sprawls out on her belly, squealing with delight. Today, she has on a dress. Every time she tries to crawl, the dress gets caught under her knees, and crying begins. She is full of all the regular toddler traits. Here we go! Tomorrow another couple will have Gotcha Day, and we are looking forward to the two kids playing together in the hotel lobby. We often joke about the way we, after only an introduction, become “best friends” with fellow Americans going through the same trials.

Well another day has come and gone. Still another hour before bedtime, and we are going to walk to the Peter the Great Square. We do it all again tomorrow and soon we will…..

Long days in Astrahkan

There is a noise in the other room of our hotel. The sounds are pitiful and expecting. These noises expect two adults to react, and , if it’s not too much trouble, react as soon as humanly possible. But what could this little noise be? These noises could not be from our little girl that left the orphanage a couple days ago. No, these children are quiet and don’t cry. These children have been in an environment where crying gets them nothing. They have given up whining and wanting instant gratification. WELL NOT THIS GIRL. She demands constant attention, and entertainment. Lucky for us we are ready to do all of these things for her. Lilia is so full of personality. She likes to crawl toward anything she knows she’s not supposed to touch and when you approach her she crawls twice as fast giggling loudly. She gets really hyper before bedtime and we have a lot of fun laughing together. I can’t wait till our family is back together. I miss our little boy more than I can stand, and I just want to be home. We are confined to our room since the heat is back. Being in this hotel all day makes the days extra long.
Lilia is sleeping well although you have got to see her going to sleep routine. She is swaying and rocking ever night and nap time, it is sad to see what kids have to come up with to comfort themselves. We are very homesick and each day grow more anxious of home. I have to go Lilia is calling.

The First Night

Last night L slept great! We were intrigued by her bedtime rituals. She has some interesting ways of soothing herself to sleep. Right now, L is taking a nap in the crib. She is rocking on her hands and knees and babbling. It breaks our hearts that she has had to learn to soothe herself so early in life, yet it’s comforting knowing that she is able to fall asleep fairly easily, even in the most unusual circumstances.

This morning she is bright-eyed and ready to conquer the hotel. L is eating very well. She likes rice cereal, fruit, potatoes, yogurt, you name it. We’ll take it easy on the variety until we see how her tummy adapts. The first bath went a lot more smoothly than expected. There was one small whimper when some water dripped down her face. This morning she was ready to climb into the tub again.

As for J and I, we are having a blast! L is such a happy girl, even a little crazy at times. J loves her crazy, wild side. He says he can “identify” with that tendency. By the way, L is sound asleep now! J calls L a “little mystery”, and we just can’t wait to unfold all the pages of her personality. This little girl is truly teaching us that nothing on this earth is ours. You would think we’d learn this concept with C, but we’re not all that smart. God simply allows us to enjoy his great gifts while we wait for his greatest reward. We are so thankful that C and L will be able to enjoy the friendship and love of a sibling. Now, we pray that our own mess-ups won’t mess them up too badly. Grace and Mercy . . . thank the Lord! We read all of the wonderfully encouraging posts. J thinks a little testosterone will take care of the "tears" problem. But we are both touched by your genuine care for L and our family.

C, enjoy your time with Memom and Grandpa J, aunts and cousins! Make sure you give lots of love to Hershey and Pongo, too, but save a couple of hugs for Daddy, Mommy, and L! Hey, C, can you come up with a nickname for your little sis?
Praise the Lord for another day!

Gotcha Day!

GOTCHA DAY is what we are here for. It’s what we talk about with the other Americans. It’s the reason we mark off days on the calendar. And for us, our day is here.

We ate our usual breakfast down in the banquet room. I munched on a roll while Andi poked her bread and cheese with a fork. Like all of our joyful things here, they start off in some huge government building, signing papers. After breakfast we met our translator in the lobby, loaded into a van, and headed to just such a building. I signed documents that would start the process of Lilia’s passport.

We then went to the grocers to buy a cake for the orphanage workers, our way of saying “thank you”, and then headed to the orphanage. We were excited, yet cautious. How would Lilia react? When we got out of the van we saw Lilia through the fence, playing with her group. We went over to her and picked her up, she was all smiles, as where we. When we picked her up out of that play group, we ended her last play time with that group forever. We ended her life as an orphan. We would take her out of this familiar place. We went into the music room and changed her clothes. Lilia was familiar with the music room, so she started the “usual” routine. She crawled around and picked up a ball. How could I explain to her that she should take this time to look around, soak it all in, maybe even say goodbye to her favorite toy. But she had no idea what was coming. Her caretaker came in and kissed her and said bye, bye. She told us to take care of her and wished her good health. Then we gathered our things, and Lilia, and left. Our translator ran the video camera as we walked out of the orphanage. We had never seen Lilia cry, that is until we got to the car. She cried for a few minutes then just laid very close to Andi as we bumped down the rough roads. When we got out of the car at the hotel she looked around with her “I’m not happy face on”. I had to run off and purchase plane tickets for our flight to Moscow next Monday. Buying tickets felt so good. Lilia was fine once she got into the room. She smiled and laughed and enjoyed playing with the TV remote. First, we fed her, then we bathed her. Washing her is something we had wanted to do for a very long time, not that she was dirty, she just didn’t smell like a baby. Now she plays on our rug in the room. She is full of personality, and I find myself laughing a lot. She is a sweetie, and we can’t love her enough. Well, the real stories are about to begin. We treasure your prayers.

Tomorrow!

To-morrow! To-morrow! I love ya, Tomorrow! You’re on-ly a day a-way!
We have the crib, and Lil’s “Gotcha Day” outfit is packed for the trip to the orphanage tomorrow. R family, you are correct in calling tomorrow “gotcha day”. You know your stuff! Today has been a lazy day. We walked around the “city center”, through Lenin Square, around the Fraternal Park, and down some quiet roads just exploring. We found an antique store, closed of course. Tonight we’re headed back to the Academy of Beer to work on meeting the graduation requirements. HA! If you ever find one in your neighborhood, order the “Tornado”. It’s melted cheese, ham, and tomato wrapped in a soft tortilla. Um, Um Good!
My husband is presently looking through our Russian phrase book, practicing his Russian. Needless to say, he is entertaining himself quite well, and there is not a single Russian sound coming from that mouth. I’m quite amused, you would be too!
Smiles from both of us (and L)

Last visit

Today we made our last visit to the orphanage. The next trip there will be on Monday to PICK LILIA UP! We are tired of the visits and are ready to bring her back to the hotel. Tommorow we will not see her because it is Sunday, and I guess she will be in fasting and prayer all day. We can't wait. We made a trip to a babystore today (for supplies, not babies) and got food and wipes and all that junk. I can't believe we are going to have to change diapers again, yuck. Tommorow we will shop for a hat and I am going to look for a drinking glass that is bigger than these hotel cups. I mean, when I'm thirsty I don't want 15 shots of water I want something I can chug.

Today, all 4 American couples met in the 3rd floor lobby to eat pizza and visit. Two couples will be leaving Monday, which will leave us and another couple. After dinner, we went out to the Peter the Great Square and were eaten by mosquitos (mostly Andi). We stopped by a little whole-in-the-wall store in an alley behind the hotel. They have the best prices on water, snickers, and coca-cola. It's sad to think we won't be able to pass on any of these great finds to another couple (since no one else will arrive before we leave). Now, Andi does laundry in the bathroom tub, after that we will watch a movie and head to bed.

We miss you all, especially our boy, and hope to be home soon.
Each day draws us closer to a dream that started many years ago.
Thanks for your posts. They are fun to read, and we love hearing about your lives in the States.

The Kremlin

This morning we finally went inside the Kremlin. The bell tower has been built 3 times in the last 200 years because it starts to lean after a while. The Leaning Tower of Astrakhan we call it. We were able to tour the Torture Tower, where all kinds of horrible things were performed on those that needed to be tortured for whatever terrible things they had done. The tower was even used during the Soviet times to hold those that opposed the Soviet Regime. We don’t read Russian, so all the wall plaques meant nothing to us. The museum worker insisted on giving us a “tour” of the place even though we repeatedly told her “an-glis-kee”, “ya ne-pin-yi-mah-yo” – We speak English. I don’t understand. We gathered that the room was used for an armory or soldiers, she made motions and noises like she was shooting a gun.
Our visit with Lilia was in the afternoon, and she was in a great mood! She smiles with her entire face and just loves the mirror we found on the wall today. She kept pulling us back over to the mirror where she could sit in a chair and admire herself. She passed unpleasant gas today, proving that she has at least one thing in common with her daddy. We visit again Saturday, not Sunday, and pick Lilia up Monday! We are ready to start our lives together, feeding, bathing, sleeping, etc.
We haven’t been able to upload pictures. The wireless is not working regularly, therefore, we access internet through dial-up. We might be able to send some when we return to Moscow on August 27th! Yes, we just found out we will leave Astrakhan next Monday night! Then we spend 3 or 4 nights in Moscow. J family, we will keep our eyes out for hockey players (and jerseys).

Vacationing in Astrakhan

So you want to vacation in Astrakhan?
If you are reading this, then you’re considering Astrakhan as your next exotic vacation destination. And why not? Astrakhan has something for the whole family. There’s “being badgered by gypsies” for the kids, dried fish jerky for mom, and large statues of former communist leaders for dad. And if you like awkward shopping experiences, come on down. There are, of course, some simple phrases you will need to know:
“Khak-de-la”- Hey, if you didn’t know it already, I am an American.
“pa-zha-loo-sta, spa-see-bah”- I have sweaty palms.
“Nyet”-Go away gypsies! I worked hard for this bottle of water and I’m not about to go through the hassle of buying another.
“Dah”-That’s what I was pointing at like a stupid American with my “deer in the head lights” stare.
Remember to always end your horrible Russian with a questioning tone. That way the person you’re dealing with knows you’re not really sure what they are saying and also not real sure about what you’re saying. Your eyes should always say HELP when speaking broken Russian.
Today we walked, and walked, and walked. We walked to a mall, which was big, full of stores, and none of the stores had anything we wanted, and they were overpriced. Hey! We have those kinds of malls in America. Then we walked through a huge local market. I was amazed at the amount of raw meat hanging around in front of stands, and enough fish to fill a small pond, if you wanted a pond full of dead fish. The smell alone was worth the price of admission (there was no admission fee). And I can’t even begin to describe the cart of cow parts as it was pushed past us. I know that I looked stupid and touristy taking pictures and giggling at the sight, but hey as the days go on I ‘m growing used to that feeling. After this, we walked across town to a restaurant, then to a cell phone store, then back to the hotel, then to the grocery store than back to the hotel…aaaaaaahhhh. It was actually nice walking today. It’s overcast and the evening was cool and mild. We saw Lilia this morning. She continues to unfold her personality each day. I would describe today’s personality as “a little whiney”, which means she will fit into this family like peas and carrots.
Well tomorrow we go to the Kremlin. More on that subject later! Aunt CC, no, we don't drink the tap water. We buy "Vada, still" from the grocery store, and there's always Coca-Cola and Pepsi. "Nyet-Nyet" is another way to say No-No. If anyone has any other questions, ask, and we will try to find the answer!

Just another Day

Every morning is started with the same breakfast buffet at the hotel. The first morning, we had our plates full and big smiles on our faces. As the mornings go by, our plates have less and less food on them and our faces have less and less smiles. My husband finally tried an omlet today. He was not disappointed, thought it was a nice change. Outside the hotel, the jackhammer continues playing its same old tunes.
The visit to the orphanage went quickly this morning. Our daughter was brought out in a cute, peach-colored dress and white bandana hat. She must have been sleeping when we arrived, because she was a little drowsy acting at first. We went outside for a while. Lilia can walk when holding onto our hands, she’s not quite balanced enough to toddle on her own. While in the music room, my husband and our translator played a duet of “Heart and Soul” on one of the pianos. Lilia loves to “dance” to the music. Dancing consists of smiling, waving her arms, and babbling. We are driven by the excitement of knowing there are only 5 more days until we make our final trip to the orphanage. Yahoo!! We ate at a great pizza place for lunch, and now we’re getting ready to go to the Academy of Beer for dinner. Jonah has claimed this as “The Day We Ate”. It’s been a joy to hear about what is happening in all of your lives. Many of our days drag on forever, but we’re so entertained by your posts.

Visits to the Orphanage

Andi and I stand outside of the front doors of our hotel. We watch the parking lot for the familiar silver van. There are others milling about, sitting on their haunches by a shrub, huddled tightly talking about something in hushed mumbles. We feel safe. Our driver is never late, and like clockwork he pulls up and our translator opens the door. We greet each other as we get in the van and then sit back for the Russian rollercoaster ride to the orphanage. Our translators are young college age adults and are very friendly. We talk to them about all sorts of subjects as the van weaves between potholes. Our orphanage, baby house #3, is among an apartment complex. The van turns up and down streets past children playing in the cinnamon colored dust that is the ground here. It is soon that we see the faded multi-colored fence that surrounds the orphanage’s playground. The playground is made up of a few monkey bars and several tires half buried on end. We open a loosely chained gate and ascend 3 steps into the orphanage. We walk into the entry way, where an old black couch sits against the wall. Also a desk is in the corner were a worker usually sits. They know us there now, because when we walk in they mumble something in a questioning tone then go get Lilia. When she arrives, she smiles and reaches for us, then we take her outside. In the playground, she walks holding our hands and babbling a little. After about 30 minutes we head inside to the music room. Today, Lilia was so excited to go into the music room that she almost leapt out of my arms when the door opened. The music room has 2 pianos, a puppet theatre, small chairs, musical toys, stuffed animals, etc inside. We play, dance, walk, sit, crawl, throw balls, and wipe her nose, since she has a cold. After about 1.5 hr we head back down the long, narrow hallway to hand Lilia back over to the caregivers. We wave byebye (pa-ka, pa-ka) and she is taken down a different long hallway to her group’s room for lunch. Today she was more talkative, jibber jabber mostly.
Now, we head to the grocery store to find some lunch and get more bottled water. The heat is back, which makes the trip more difficult. Maybe we’ll see some more exciting stuff on the way. Yesterday, there was a fire at the “theatre” and the entire Lenin Square was filled with smoke.

Monday Monday

Monday the 13th day of August , 2007.
The sun rises on Monday. Light stretches across the Volga, tankers float by, the air conditioner hums from its spot in the window. The light starts to spill into the bedroom through the shear curtains. It enters my eyes (the light, not the curtains) and the optic nerve receives the light image, translates it into electrical impulses that go to my brain for processing. My brain then takes the “there’s light in your eyeball”, message and tells the hands to rub eyeballs. My brain then tries to gather it’s bearings; I’m in Russia, I’m in a hotel. I have drool on my face. I roll over to look out the window, but the window sits too high so I just stare at the wall. I think of the things that have happened so far. I think of all the things to come. I think of Caleb and how funny he can be. I think of the way he throws a ball, or of his face when he’s got his blanket to his mouth while I tell him a story. I think of the way he makes me smile when he uses grown-up words in his “know what I did today” stories. I miss that little stuff a lot. I think of Lilia and how she has no idea who these strangers are, and what these strangers have in mind. How different her world is about to become, and my world also. I can’t wait to get to know her, to see who she really is. Every child that has come back to the hotel shows change, literally over night. I think of all of us together, going to Church, going to see family, or just playing in the back yard. It will be a great day, another blessing to an already blessed life. I continue to stare at the wall and then it hits me, “I am hungry, I must get up.” We went to the orphanage to see Lilia this morning. She is such a happy child and she adores Andi.
Side story:
Yesterday, we walked to the market. On the way, we passed a lovely, dead goat hung on a gate, bleeding out. On the return trip, we witnessed the same dead goat being skinned. Hmm, that will be a packed café tonight . . . FRESH MEAT!!

Seven days and counting

Sunday
We slept untill 7:30 this morning, wow. As our bodies continue to adjust our minds still are having trouble contemplating the amount of time we will be here. Several families are leaving next week for Moscow and then home. They look haggered and ready to get out of town.

Today we did not get to see Lilia. Our driver and translator are off for the day. We spent our time going to the store, watching movies, and looking out the window. At the store we purchased a quart of butter mik for our cereal. Hey we like butter milk on our cereal! Yes, it was what we meant to buy, you should try it. After we poured the butter milk in the sink we had sandwiches with mystery cheese spread and mystery meat. It was actually good. OK I have a story from yesterday. We went out to eat and when the waitress handed me a fork I said "Zdras-tvwee-tya" (Hello) instead of "Spai-see-ba" (Thank you). I didn't think this was a funny story but my wife thinks otherwise.

The sunset over the Volga is beautiful, and there are a lot of small cruise ships anchored along the pier. The local Astrakhan mechants are on the pier selling their wares. Dried, smoked fish seems to be the big attraction, although the watermelon are supposed to be wonderful. We just don't have any way of cutting one if we bought it.

Saturday #1

Today is Saturday. We went for a walk by the Kremlin this morning. I bought a Mountain Dew and Andi drank a Pepsi. We then ate an ice cream bar we purchased from a street vender. We looked at each other and decided that we are completely bored. There are three American couples here adopting. They all have their children and are leaving in the next week or so. The whole bunch of us went to a restaurant called “The Academy of Beer” for lunch. It was very clean and the food was fairly good. We walked in as this bunch of loud Americans with strollers and language barriers and low blood sugar confirming several stereotypes for the Russians trying to eat lunch. It was great. We went to see Lilia at 4pm (7am in the States). We were walking into the orphanage and a caregiver was walking out with children under each arm, while pushing a stroller, and carrying a walker. We helped her get out the door and then realized Lilia was one of the kids in the stroller. She lit up when she saw Andi and reached out for her, it was a tear jerker moment. It was pretty symbolic watching Andi lift Lilia out from among this group of orphaned children. Well we had planned to eat in the room tonight, but Andi just plugged our hot pot into the wall without the converter, poof no more hot pot. So we will walk somewhere and eat a most unsatisfying meal.
Till we write again.

TGIF in Astrakhan

Friday, August 10, 2007, 4:15am. I am awake, and lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. At home every one is enjoying their Thursday evening. Here I am still fighting the time change. Today is cool, I mean almost cold, in fact I just turned off the air conditioning. Outside it is bright and sunny. The Volga river ambles by with a steady current, carrying tons of heavily polluted water to the Caspian sea. Birds eat trash off the river banks and, sandal clad construction workers are plugging in extension cords to begin their day of jack hammering. There is major construction going on all around us. In fact, today it appears workers on scaffolding will be outside our window, fun. We were supposed to see Lilia this morning but plans have changed and we will see here around 4:00. She was really talkative yesterday and said ca ca once and dada, that’s what I heard, maybe daddy I love you, yah that’s what I heard. We went for a walk in the cool of the morning and then went to some huge kids type department store with another American from the hotel. The department store was pretty big and full of stuff for kids and many discussions on what size Lilia is and how big is a 19mm and could she choke on this, and “no you can’t buy that sword.” It was …fun. We ate a meat and cabbage pie last night for supper and it was pretty good. Apparently, these pies are a Russian dish and so we, being the adventurous type, tried it. We will post the excitement, as the adventures are sure to continue.

Court Day

Today is quite a bit cooler than previous days. We are really enjoying the reprieve. Up at 4:30am, we wasted time until we could go down for breakfast at 7:00am. We found that the juices at breakfast are still cool if we go early. This morning we had our court appearance.

Oh, are you waiting for something? Oh yeah! You haven’t heard the news, yet. Our application has been APPROVED!!!! Yep, we will have custody of our daughter, Lilia Marie Cope, in 10 days. After the 10 days we will get Lilia and all the papers to prove that she’s part of the Cope family now!

We can’t think of a single negative thing to say about the court hearing. Everything went smoothly. The judge, prosecutor, guardianship rep, and ministry of education rep were all respectful, polite, and professional. Due to my nervousness, I was a tad spastic. My husband is more than willing to share a few humorous stories about my performance in front of the judge. Just ask! We’re beaming with excitement and feeling very light-hearted. Another huge weight has been lifted. We are so thankful for your prayers and extremely grateful to the Lord for his hand in this entire process. It’s not over, yet, but much closer. Caleb, you’re a big brother!

Leaving for Astrakhan

We leave at 2:00pm to head to Astrakhan. We spent our morning doing nothing but wait to hear what the plans were for transportation to the airport. Got some good laughs at Cabe's descriptions. You know, he can sit and read a book or just BE. He would never agree to that, but I've witnessed it before! Gotta go check out.

Moscow, Again

While your Monday is just beginning, we are trying to figure out where our’s went. We’ve survived another flight to Moscow. I wouldn’t describe the 10 hour flight as enjoyable, but definitely more bearable than our last. We’re staying in the Marriott Hotel Tverskaya tonight. Upon arrival we commenced “Operation Sleep”. Now we are trying to build the courage to go out and make fools of ourselves as we attempt to order dinner. We fly to Astrakhan tomorrow afternoon, but hope to see the Kremlin and Red Square before departure.
It’s midnight here and we finally bought an hour online. We did manage to find food. During the search for a hotel, we thought we would be closer to the Red Square, but we are actually about two city blocks from our hotel that we stayed in last time. So we are somewhat familiar with our surroundings. We couldn’t bring ourselves to return to the restaurant where the famous “pointing episode” began. Upon much searching and exploring we found a restaurant called Sbarro’s Pizza. It was great authentic Russian pizza and drinks. Veggie pizza (like it should be), beer, and water.
The weather here is wonderful ! It’s about 70 deg and partly cloudy, very comfortable for me and somewhat chilly for you know who. It is good to be back in Moscow with it’s smells and sounds and general crowdedness. We actually cannot wait to get to Astrakhan tomorrow. Astrakhan is more accessible by foot. Time to move to our new home (blah).
Sounds like “the grandson” has started off with a big bang. Love to you all!

THE JET LAG STRKES BACK (return to Russia)

We sit in Lambert International Airport and sip 10$ waters, and try to prepare for this trip, again. We leave St.Louis at 10am (today is Sunday) and fly to Atlanta, then the long torture to Moscow. Leaving Little Moo was no easy task. He, of course, is all smiles, anxious to get on with the party. We, on the other hand, are crying like babies , calling for our mommies, and sucking our thumbs. Yesterday we stayed home and tried to have a normal day. Caleb and daddy played army, wrestle and napping soldiers, a game I’m trying to get Caleb into, it goes like this:

Daddy: Alright Soldiers lets take a nap
Caleb: A nap? No lets keep fighting
Daddy: No it’s nap time and that’s an order!
Caleb: Let’s play something else.
Daddy: That’s it private! You’re court marshalled.

We learned Friday that we may be expected to stay in Astrakhan three extra days. Astrakhan has changed their passport processing, which could cause a delay. We are praying for the 10-day waiting period to be wiaved or shortened, for Lilia’s passport to get processed on time to return on the 31st, and for God to soften hearts in the court, etc before we arrive.
Pray for us
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