I'm a worse blogger than my mother! :P But I'm back, and have so much to share!
First things first and this deserves a post of it's own!
Short Version: I'm in Ukraine and have a new sister!
Long Version: On Nov 11th, my parents left for Ukraine. They got their referral to adopt Grace, and spent about 3 weeks visiting her while they waiting for their court paperwork to process. Then Dad came home for Thanksgiving week, and went back to be with mom the next week for court!
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On Dec 5th, Grace Olena Birschbach became an orphan no longer, and became my sister!
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Mom and Dad then came home for a week during the 10 day waiting period after court. On Saturday, my mom and I left to come back to finish up the paperwork, and bring Grace home!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Our flights were long of course, but okay. We were delayed 2 hours on our first flight, but we made the one out of Chicago because that one was an 1 hr late. We made up time in the air and made it to our gate in Germany with literally a few minutes to spare. Then on to Ukraine! Our MAF (most awesome facilitator) met us at the airport and we stayed with his and his beautiful wife last night (it's Monday morning here).
This morning, we have to go get papers to prove I don't have TB and can visit the orphanage, and then this afternoon, we drive down to region. Tomorrow we start the paper chase and I meet Grace!!! We'll continue visiting her this week while we wait for the passport. And gotcha day will sometime later this week, over the weekend, or Monday. That's when we will bust her out of that stinky orphanage forever and ever!
Then we head back up to Kiev, to do the embassy and medical appts for her. And then we will go home right after Christmas.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
When we were landing here, seeing the fields and Ukrainian looking city, the Russian on the signs and just seeing Ukrainian land again... the feeling was indescribable. At that moment it sunk in finally that I was back in Ukraine. In Ukraine.
When I left Ukraine 3.5 yrs ago, I assumed I would be back the next summer. I wanted to come back before I left. I had fallen in love with this country. Had I known it would be that long of longing to come back, I would have had to be dragged onto the plane.
When we landed, I was fighting back tears. That amazing feeling, can be summed up as my heart was finally home. There was a similar feeling when I went back to KS and NY the second time, but nothing like this. An overwhelming emotion. Home.
As I sit here drinking Ukrainian juice, I love it. The simplicity of everything, the soviet looking building and streets, the crazy driving, the juice, the borscht, the apartment building, not bring able to brush my teeth with the faucet water, hearing Russian everywhere. I love it all, I'm home.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Also, I landed on the 15th. Dec 15th. You know how I love the 15th of every month. Last Dec I was in Kansas, the year before on the 15th I found out Logan wasn't available. This year, I'm back in Ukraine!
First things first and this deserves a post of it's own!
Short Version: I'm in Ukraine and have a new sister!
.jpg)
.jpg)
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Our flights were long of course, but okay. We were delayed 2 hours on our first flight, but we made the one out of Chicago because that one was an 1 hr late. We made up time in the air and made it to our gate in Germany with literally a few minutes to spare. Then on to Ukraine! Our MAF (most awesome facilitator) met us at the airport and we stayed with his and his beautiful wife last night (it's Monday morning here).
This morning, we have to go get papers to prove I don't have TB and can visit the orphanage, and then this afternoon, we drive down to region. Tomorrow we start the paper chase and I meet Grace!!! We'll continue visiting her this week while we wait for the passport. And gotcha day will sometime later this week, over the weekend, or Monday. That's when we will bust her out of that stinky orphanage forever and ever!
Then we head back up to Kiev, to do the embassy and medical appts for her. And then we will go home right after Christmas.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
When we were landing here, seeing the fields and Ukrainian looking city, the Russian on the signs and just seeing Ukrainian land again... the feeling was indescribable. At that moment it sunk in finally that I was back in Ukraine. In Ukraine.
When I left Ukraine 3.5 yrs ago, I assumed I would be back the next summer. I wanted to come back before I left. I had fallen in love with this country. Had I known it would be that long of longing to come back, I would have had to be dragged onto the plane.
When we landed, I was fighting back tears. That amazing feeling, can be summed up as my heart was finally home. There was a similar feeling when I went back to KS and NY the second time, but nothing like this. An overwhelming emotion. Home.
As I sit here drinking Ukrainian juice, I love it. The simplicity of everything, the soviet looking building and streets, the crazy driving, the juice, the borscht, the apartment building, not bring able to brush my teeth with the faucet water, hearing Russian everywhere. I love it all, I'm home.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Also, I landed on the 15th. Dec 15th. You know how I love the 15th of every month. Last Dec I was in Kansas, the year before on the 15th I found out Logan wasn't available. This year, I'm back in Ukraine!
I completely understand the love for Ukraine! When we left, we thought we'd be back within a year....it's hard! Glad you are there, have a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new sister! This is so exciting. Grace, an orphan no more!!!!
ReplyDelete