Second appointment set

Calling all Prayer Warriors!

Battle formation! And get your prayer on!

Late this afternoon we finally heard from Zhenia. Our second appointment is set for 4pm tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb 1st). That's 8am CST.

This should go like the first appointment. We will have 1 hour to look at files and make our selection. If we don't find a child at this appointment, we still have one more chance. Zhenia says it doesn't take as long to get a third appointment. Praying we won't need a third!

Time Difference

The time difference between Ukraine and home is really difficult. When we are getting up in the morning, our friends and family are going to bed. When day breaks at home it is mid-afternoon here. And when we are ready to go to bed, our friends and family are in the middle of their day. That leaves only a few hours a day to contact anyone in real-time.

I have had a few online chats with my mom and with one of my brothers which helps me to feel connected to the outside world. In our period of "down time" right now we all feel a bit adrift, and being able to "talk" to friends and family helps a lot.

Cliff rather likes the time difference. He gets up in the morning and takes care of all his work emails, etc. while no one is in the office. Then he checks in periodically throughout the day just in case there's something that needs attention during the work day.

What we don't know right now is what our communication opportunities will be like outside of Kiev. Phone calls are expensive, so internet is our best tool. But internet could be limited once we're out of Kiev.

Thank you to all you readers who comment whether here or on facebook. You keep us from getting lonely.

Weather

Ever since we got here, the sky has been any of a variety of shades of gray. We have snow on the ground but no new snow since Tuesday. Temperature, as best we gather, has ranged from about -7C to +2C (That's about 18F - 35F). We have been told that -15C to -23C (+5F to -10F) is not unusual for February. Can't wait! NOT!

The weather in the first region we visited seemed slightly colder than Kiev with more snow. Still gray skies. Will be interested to see what it is like in the next region. Depends entirely on where we end up.

And then today in Kiev the skies cleared and we had beautiful blue, cloudless sky. Unfortunately, Cliff was the only one to get out in it. Viv is still not well. Fever today in addition to the cough and stuffy nose. So Emma and I stayed in with her. I think a day of rest did her a lot of good.

Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping in Kiev can best be described as an adventure. We shop for a couple of days at a time, because we have to carry everything about 1/2 mile from the store to the flat (uphill and up the stairs).

The market is across the square from where we live. The grocery is actually located in the basement of a clothing store. Yes, you read that right. It is small and very close quarters. The organization seems a bit haphazard, but it is amazing the variety of products that are available.

The primary meat available is chicken. Some pork products also but little or no beef. I must admit we are getting very tired of chicken.

Not a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. Most is frozen and the selection varies from visit to visit. Fresh fruit is grown in Crimea (region in south Ukraine) or imported from Egypt, Lebanon or other warm countries. We generally have apples, small oranges and bananas on hand.

There is a lot of fresh looking bread and other baked goods. Not so great for us being gluten-free. But it is good to see it there for those who can eat it.

Probably the most unusual part of our grocery experience is having what amounts to stores within the store. Personal goods are in their own little section, and before you leave the room you must pay for your items. Same with fresh fruits and veggies (a small room that also houses nuts, honey and pet food). Any items not in their own little room are paid for as you leave the market. And you pay for bags to lug it all home.

All labels are in Ukrainian or Russian except for some recognizable brand names in English. We generally take a good guess off the pictures on the package and try to stay with things that don't require following directions in order to prepare properly. We've guessed fairly well so far.

Our main starch has been buckwheat. We could also choose rice or millet quite easily. Having never prepared buckwheat, I was glad to have our internet connection. Pretty tasty stuff and a common starch here in Ukraine.

Coffee and tea are big in Ukraine. Sodas are available but served room temp like in other parts of Europe. Coke is "Light" not "Diet" here. No one drinks the tap water, so we have to buy bottled water in addition to our food. That adds to the urgency of going to the store and to the weight of what we bring back.

When we were in the first region (for 2 whole days) the market there was more like a store in the U.S. - just MUCH smaller and no stores within the store. Less variety but still plenty to choose from.

If I can get some pictures of the market, I'll post them.

While We're Waiting

Last night I was cooking dinner and this song just popped into my head. I hope the video and lyrics come through.

No news yet on next appointment day or time. So still waiting. . . .

Lyrics | John Waller - While I’m Waiting lyrics

Not Today, Not Tomorrow

I have been waiting to make this post until we know when our next appointment will be. Unfortunately, I still don't know. Just not today and not tomorrow. Zhenia says Tuesday, but we don't have official confirmation and a time yet. And it may not even be Tuesday. So we wait.

We spend most of our time at the flat. Our Nintendo DS systems will not charge here (yes, we have a converter, they just don't charge), my Kindle is messed up from the trip and not working properly, and until yesterday we had no TV. We've played a lot of Uno and other card games. And read, but we'll be out of material soon. We try to get out at least once a day to get some exercise and fresh air.

Current routine is to get up and have breakfast and get schoolwork done before lunchtime. After lunch get out and get active, do errands, etc. The sun rises here about 7:30am and sets about 4:30pm. We shop for groceries every other day. We don't want to have too much on hand AND we have to carry it all about 1/2 mile from the store to the flat (uphill, too). Our washing machine takes about an hour and a half to run a load, and then we have to hang everything to dry.

If I seem a bit out of sorts, I am just frustrated right now. Bureaucracy is no fun no matter where you are. And Zhenia has a much different idea of communication and preparation than we have. For example, our exercise today was to walk over to SDA by ourselves to sign something (I know not what) that is supposed to get us our appointment. We got a call, put on our shoes and coats, and left immediately. That's how we do things. Everything at the last minute. At this rate, we may not know when our appointment is until he is standing at our door to escort us back to SDA. Catty, I know. But I'm frustrated!

The Meeting

This morning we met Zhenia in the lobby and went by taxi (2 taxis) to meet with the inspector. She is the same inspector that Zhenia worked with the last time he was in this region. They seem to have a very good rapport.

The office opened at 8:30am. She called us into her office and asked us our names, ages, and work. Even the girls answered. They said their work is "being a kid." She thought that was funny.

The inspectors are a little bit like social workers in the U.S. They keep track of all the kids in orphanages in their region. They are supposed to visit each child twice a year. So they do "know" the kids. This is our first contact with someone who has actually seen her. The inspector's assessment is mixed, but she thinks we should go to the orphanage.

So we all load up in the taxis and go to the orphanage. I must admit that the orphanage is not what I expected. It is institutional - rather like a school - but also homey. It smelled wonderful. Made me wonder what was for lunch.

We met with the assistant director, the inspector, and a teacher. They told us background and their assessment of the child. Then they brought her in to meet us. They did not tell her that we were considering adopting her. She thought we just wanted to meet a child and tour the facility.

She is a beautiful child. Honey blonde hair, clear blue eyes, lovely smile, petite build. They had her hair up in pigtails. She wore a red jumper with little black scotties embroidered on it, a white turtle neck, and lacy off-white tights.

Before we arrived, we knew that she had some delays (expected due to orphanage conditions), and we knew she had "speech issues." When we got there, we found that while she understands a lot and can follow directions, she is basically non-verbal. She can say her name and "da" (yes), and when Zhenia asked what was on her dress, she said, "Arf, arf." This was actually more than we thought we would hear after talking to her teacher who said she only babbled.

Unfortunately we made the painful decision to not adopt this beautiful child. The caregivers said they had not seen much progress and did not have much hope for progress for her.

So we caught the overnight train back to Kiev. We are back in our original flat. Cliff and the girls are resting. Even though this train trip was better for all of us (we slept more) we are still tired.

Zhenia says we need to officially request a second appointment with SDA. That requires a notarized form. We will do that this afternoon. Hopefully we will get a quick appointment (ideally Thursday, so we can pick up referral paper on Friday, travel again over the weekend, and get to orphanage on Monday), but it will likely take longer to get an appointment.

So we wait. And pray.

The Train

So we left the flat on time and went to the train station. Other than Emma falling on the escalator (talk about traumatic!) we had no problems getting to the train.

Zhenia was able to get us our own sleeping compartment. He stayed next door. The compartment is very small. Four beds - 2 bottom, 2 top - and very little room to move around. Also extremely hot. We have learned that Ukrainians do not like to be cold!

The top bunks hold two sets of a mattress, sheets, wool blanket and pillow rolled up together. So in this very small space with four people in it, you must make 4 beds. It is remarkably well arranged. We were able to get all of our luggage (which is considerable with 4 of us) stowed out of the way (the bottom 2 bunks lift up for storage). So once the beds were made, we locked the door and tried to sleep.

The girls have never been on a train before. Cliff and I took trains from DC to Philadelphia and NYC before but not overnight. I did do an overnight train from Rome to Brussels when I was in college. So no one slept very well. Just so different! And hot! And exciting!

We arrived in our city about 6:30am, got breakfast at McDonalds (because it was open) and arrived at the hotel. Fortunately for us, the hotel is near the orphanage. Our room is quite small - about 1/3 the size of the flat - and being a hotel, we have no kitchen facility. Zhenia also says he is having trouble finding a flat for rent, so we may be "stuck" in the hotel for a while. Not great, but there is a cafe down the street with "not so bad" borscht (Zhenia says he makes better), and the grocery is an easy walk. What we don't have is internet, so our updates will be less frequent.

We rest from our trip and prepare for tomorrow. We must be ready to leave at 8am to meet the Inspector.

Oh, and there is more snow here than in Kiev. Snowing lightly all day. The girls are in heaven!

Waiting to travel

So today we spent the day at the flat. All day long we could hear music and speeches coming from the Square. Zhenia said it is a holiday. Every January 22nd is "Ukrainian Unity Day" or something like that. Hundreds of people were in the square. We decided not to join them. We could hear everything quite well from the flat, and there seemed no need to be in the crowd.

Of course we could not understand the speeches or the song lyrics. Most of the music was folk or pop style. We did recognize the Carol of the Bells, though. All in all, quite an enjoyable day.

Travel Tonight to Region

We leave the flat at 9pm tonight (1pm CST) to travel by overnight train to Dnipropetrovsk region (arriving 6am). The orphanage is in Kryvyy Rih. Zhenia has done one other adoption from this orphanage, so he may already know the orphanage director, if it is the same person he dealt with before.

On Monday morning we meet first with the Inspector from the regional SDA office. Then we meet with the orphanage director. It is very important that these people like us, as they have input into whether the adoption happens or not and how long it may take. After meeting with the orphanage's doctor, we will meet our girl.

In this region, the people primarily speak Russian.

Walking Tour

Today we got a walking tour of Kiev - in the snow. Yes, we awakened to about an inch or two of snow on the ground. Temperature-wise it was around freezing.

Our guide, Lenya (sp?), came by around 11am. We walked down the street, through Independence Square and past the Ukrainian cafeteria. After that, I have no idea where we were.

She showed us some of the different architecture of the city, National Bank, the "Central Park," and several government buildings. At the end of our tour, we went through a museum exhibit of micro-miniatures (fascinating!). I think the museum was in the area of the Monastery of the Caves, but I'm really not sure. Lenya did not seem to be a religious person, so our questions did not produce understandable answers. If it WAS there, then some of the buildings in the area date from the 12th century.

After the park, we passed their WWII Victory monument on the way to the memorial of the "Time of Hunger." Apparently when the Soviets took over Ukraine, the Ukrainians were not cooperative. So the Soviets destroyed Ukrainian fields, food stores, farming implements, etc. and starved them into submission. The Soviets deny that this happened. Ukrainians estimate that between 15 and 50 million people died. The underground part of the memorial contains books of names of people from several different regions who are known to have died during that time. Many more remain unidentified.

The micro-miniature exhibit was really cool. It was a small exhibit (no pun intended) of maybe 20 or so miniatures. Each had to be viewed through a microscope. Some of the works were mounted on 1/2 a poppy seed or etched on a human hair. I thought the gold sculpture of the camels and pyramids in the eye of a needle was quite impressive. Viv's favorites were the chess set on a pin head, Columbus's ship the Santa Maria, and a rose placed inside a hair shaft. Emma's favorite was the chess board, too. Cliff's favorites were the chess board and the rose. At the end of the exhibit was a regular size portrait of Lenin made entirely of the words of his writings. It reminded me of the portraits made from hundreds of photographs.

As we left the exhibit, we saw a wedding party having a snowball fight. Cute!

After the museum we caught a bus to the underground and took the underground back to our area. Neither was a long trip. The bus was interesting, because people got on front and back and passed their money forward and change back. Very different from U.S. buses where everyone gets on the front and does business with the driver. The underground station where we boarded is one of the deepest in Kiev. Two very long escalators down. We only went one stop.

On our way back to the flat we stopped at the cafeteria for a late lunch. Yummy again! Lenya commented that Vivian's Russian is good. She doesn't know much, but what she does know is good.

Lenya finished university a couple of years ago. That is where she learned English. She wants to get it "perfect" and then learn French or Italian. She is well on her way with English. She needs more practice. She said that English is necessary to getting a good job here. She also told us that under Soviet rule, Russian was the official language, so when Ukraine gained its independence in 1991(?) speaking Ukrainian was seen as a point of national pride. Ukrainian is the official language, but many people also speak Russian. They are similar languages and share some words, but they are not the same. People in the east (closer to Russia) are more likely to speak Russian. People in the west are less likely to speak Russian. People in cities generally speak both. Movies and TV are made or dubbed in Ukrainian.

Lenya also mentioned that culturally Ukraine has some very rich people, a lot of poor people and no "regular people"(her words, not mine). That makes it very difficult for them economically.

First Flat

Below are pictures of our flat in Kiev. We arrived Tuesday night straight from the airport. Zhenia made sure we knew that it was "nice place." He is right. It is VERY well located and reasonably priced for its location ($95/night). This is much better than hotels that are about $150/night and up. Plus we have a kitchen and living room and internet access.

At the top of our street is St. Sophia. At the bottom of our street is Independence Square where the Orange Revolution took place in 2004 (Zhenia was there). We also have a McDonald's at the bottom of the hill. St. Sophia and McDonald's are our landmarks for getting home. The SDA office is about 10-15 min walk. We are also close to embassies and government agencies we will need when we return to Kiev at the end of the trip. Hopefully we can stay HERE again!

We are on the top floor of a 4-story building. Getting our luggage up the stairs was quite a feat. Down should be somewhat easier. The first thing we noticed when we walked in was how HOT it was. Stuffy. We immediately opened windows and have kept them open - even at night. This is apparently cultural. Ukrainians avoid "fresh air". It isn't healthy. At least we now know what the orphanage could be like - hot and stuffy.

The kitchen is small but quite functional. The gas stove and oven are old, but everything else is fairly new. Love the little fridge. And we have a microwave. No dishwasher.

The bath/shower, sink, and washing machine are in their own little space in the kitchen. No dryer. The toilet is in a closet in the hall across from the bedroom. The bed is surprisingly comfortable. The girls sleep on a sofa bed in the living room. It, too, is surprisingly comfortable.

We have a TV, but we haven't used it at all.

Today is The Day!!

I'm sitting here in the early morning trying to imagine what this appointment will be like. How will we choose? How will we say "no" to those we do not choose? I realize we are not personally rejecting them. But what is it REALLY that differentiates "the one" from all the rest? This is like nothing I've ever done before. The importance is overwhelming. And yet, I do not feel overwhelmed. I know that God led us here, and I know He will see it through. I have prayed almost all night long. We have friends and family in the States who offered to get up in the middle of the night (4am CST) to pray us through our appointment. We are ready.

. . . . . . .

Zhenia will be here shortly. He has prepared us as best he can for the appointment. The girls are excited. They will be with us, but they have things to keep them busy. We are to smile and be patient and let Zhenia do his job. We have our photo album just in case they want to see it. They may ask questions. They may not. We will see files of children who meet our age criteria. He says we will see boys, girls, and sibling groups of 2 (because we are approved for up to 2 children). We have 1 hour. He seems quite certain we will see "good kids."

. . . . . . .

Oh, where to begin! We walked up our street to St. Sophia cathedral, down a major street to St. Mikhail's cathedral, down a side street to the ministry which stands in the shadow of yet another church. We had a short wait - maybe 15 min. The walk did us good. Settled us with some exercise. They called us in about 10 after 12.

We met with the supervisor of the adoption ministry. Zhenia said this is a good thing. They are all good, but having the supervisor was especially good. She took out our dossier and asked one question: Why 3-7 years old? Why not 2? I was prepared for many questions but not that one. Thankfully, Cliff had a response - that we wanted to keep the child closer in age to our other children. We smiled, stayed engaged through all the translation, and she got up and went to get files.

She came back with about 5 files all recently made available for international adoption. Three looked interesting, so we took a closer look. We can't give details in a public format, so please understand. Then we narrowed to 2. The supervisor called the region for more information. We asked if there were any other files available. She brought back a binder of girls. We flipped through, asked about a few, and then we found her. The picture "spoke" to both of us immediately, and we asked for more information. It didn't take long to realize that this was the best match of the day.

We cannot tell you much about her. She is 6 years old. Her birthday is in November. She has a great smile and a terrific name. She lives in an city east of Kiev. I'll find it on a map and post it later. Zhenia says this is a good region to work with. We will get to meet her in person on Monday.

Next steps:

Receive referral papers tomorrow afternoon.

Travel by train to region overnight Saturday to Sunday.

Get settled in region.

Meet our girl Monday morning.

Make final decision about the match (Yes/No)

After our appointment we took a picture outside the agency, walked back past our flat, and to a Ukrainian cafeteria where Zhenia helped us pick out some "traditional" food. I'll post separately about that. Then he left to do more paperwork for us. Now we're back at the flat enjoying some down time.

Arriving in Kiev

Tuesday

We touched down in Kiev almost exactly 24 hours after leaving our home. We exited the plane down stairs and boarded a tram to the terminal. Once inside, everything went really fast. Cliff was in front with Emma. I was behind with Vivian. I don’t know how (because I couldn’t see what Cliff could see) someone collected us, took our passports to customs, rushed us past everyone else in line, got our baggage and had us out the door in less than 15 min. Next thing I know, I’m meeting our facilitator, Zhenia.

Zhenia was a little surprised by the size of our group. He was expecting just Cliff and me. But he handled everything with a smile and great optimism. Our transportation was a bit snug, but we all fit with all of our luggage in a little Japanese van (steering on the right). Zhenia asked a lot of questions and gave a lot of information on the ride in from the airport. He took us to our flat which is very well located for all that we have to do in Kiev. I will post separately about our flat and neighborhood. Then he took us to the market to get some food (also another post). And then he left us for the evening.

We have internet access in our flat, so I was able to post on facebook that we arrived. I also got a brief online chat with one of my brothers (who just happened to be online at the time).

We decided we were too tired to cook, so we got McDonald’s, made sure we stayed awake until 8pm, and then crashed!

Travel Day!!

Monday/Tuesday

Our day started at 5:30am (after being up until 3:30). We got the girls up at 6:30, got breakfast, cleaned up, packed the car, and left a little after 8am. Cliff’s mom lives on the way to the airport, so she offered to take us. We left Leo (our dog) at her apartment, picked up Grandma, and continued to the airport.

Viv-ism for the morning: “It’s finally here. And yet. . .it is still so far away!”

We arrived at the airport in plenty of time, made it through security without body scanner or pat down or luggage search. We did, however, gamble that we would be in Terminal C when we were actually at the very far end of Terminal E. About a mile and a half later, we were at our gate.

Our first flight was to Newark – about 3 hours. We were on a 767 which is a big plane with 2 aisles. The girls and I were in the three seats between the 2 aisles and right behind a bulkhead (extra leg room!). Cliff was across the aisle from me. I think we all partook of the in-flight entertainment. Bulkhead was great except we had to put all our bags up above (less convenient). Worth it, though!

Once in Newark, Cliff took us to the Continental President’s Club to await our flight to Munich. Weather in Newark was about 28 degrees with snow on the ground. Viv was excited to see the snow. NYC skyline was dark gray against a lighter gray sky. Still cool!

The flight to Munich was also on a 767 but it was an older model and not quite as comfortable as the other. We had bulkhead seats again, but Cliff was a row ahead due to a slightly different alignment of the rows. Our plan was to stay awake through the dinner service and then sleep as much as possible until breakfast service. We had problems immediately when Vivian’s in-flight entertainment system didn’t work properly. Rather than switch seats, I just let her use mine.

Next problem arose when the girls “weren’t sleepy” after dinner. I let Cliff handle it, because I was really tired. I draped my coat over me, flipped the hood over my face, and went to sleep (sort of). I think I actually slept a couple of hours and dozed another 2 or so.

About 2 hours from landing, Vivian was miserably tired but could not get comfortable. The tray tables on bulkhead seats are in the armrests, and we couldn’t put the armrests up like on other rows. So I used part of my coat to give her some padding, and we flipped an arm of the coat over her eyes to block the light. She was asleep fairly quickly. I sat and watched the map as we closed in on the British Isles.

Emma, on the other hand, did not sleep at all. She determined before we even got on a plane that she would not be able to sleep. And she didn’t. After late nights at D-Now over the weekend, she was running really ragged.

Viv-ism upon landing: “I’m finally on another continent!”

Weather in Munich was about 34 degrees, gray, and wet. We tried to get into the President’s Club equivalent, but because it was not Continental it would cost us 80 bucks to get the girls in. We decided to “rough it” at the gate. Cliff and I stretched out and slept some more. The girls chose to play Nintendo DS. I’m not sure how Emma managed, but she stayed awake (by choice).

The flight to Kiev was on Lufthansa. It was a big change for us. We carried our bags down 3 flights of stairs, got on a tram, and rode out to the plane. We boarded the back of the plane up a flight of stairs. All instructions were given in German first and then English (thank you European Union!) and then Russian. Not sure what the make of the plane was, but it was a typical older short-haul model with 6 seats on a row and one aisle down the middle. As soon as we sat down, Vivian pronounced the seats much more comfortable than the other planes. Within minutes of take-off she was asleep. Cliff and Emma were sitting behind Vivian and me. Emma was asleep before the plane left the ground. Everyone slept but me. I dozed and may have slept some. As we left the ground, my eyes got teary with anticipation of reaching Kiev.

Preparing to Travel

First let me highly suggest NOT getting sick. Shortly after I posted my last update, I started running a fever. That left me pretty much out of commission for about 2-1/2 days.

So I got sick Thursday afternoon. Cliff came in from Virginia late Thursday evening. Then he left about 8am to do the Austin run. I took the girls to the farm for the last time before the trip. Cliff got back from Austin around 2. He took the girls to taekwon do and dropped the girls at their evening activities. Vivian went to Open Gym for some gymnastics fun. Emma spent Friday night, all day Saturday, and Saturday night at the church for Disciple Now weekend. I think I fell asleep around 8pm. Friday night was supposed to be our opportunity for one last “date night” before the trip. Oh, well.

Saturday was not much better for me, but we had things we needed to do. About all I could handle was going to the bank to assure that we could access funds overseas. It was more involved than we thought it would be, but it was not bad. I still had a fever, so it seemed to take a lot longer than it probably did. Cliff and Vivian did some shopping for last minute items (long underwear and such). Emma was at D-Now. I slept.

Sunday, I awoke feeling a bit better. We met Emma at church. Our pastor prepared a sermon on prayer. Shortly into the sermon he stopped and called Cliff and me up to the front for prayer. He also invited anyone else in the congregation with a prayer need to come up as well. He had the staff and other church leaders there to pray with people. One of our youth pastors prayed with us. It was a very moving experience for me. I am aware of only one way Josh could have prayed as specifically as he did, and that is through divine inspiration. By the time we left church, my fever was gone.

To be completely ready to go, we needed copies of certain documents and a photo album. Being sick, I was not able to get that done when I wanted to have it done. So it came down to Sunday night before leaving Monday morning. And it literally took all night. It seemed to be a comedy of errors all piling up. I sent the digital pictures to Walgreens online. Their machine broke. They called me to tell me the machine was broken. I sent the pictures to another Walgreens. Then I got an email from the first Walgreens that my pictures were ready. I went to pick them up and got this really rude woman who insisted that she had called me to tell me that the machine was broken. True, but the email led me to believe that the machine was fixed and my pictures were ready. By then it was too late to go to the other Walgreens (not a 24-hr store), so I had to find another way to do pictures. Same thing happened with finding a place to make copies. Just one thing after another! Finally I ended up at a 24 hour FedEx Office for the copies and another 24 hour Walgreens for the pictures. Finished around 1:30am and still had to pack. Yea! Went to bed at 3:30am.

So the moral of this story is DON’T GET SICK!! But I must admit it wasn’t all bad. I probably had too much to do and would have been miserable to live with while I tried to get it all done. By getting sick, I had to focus on only the most important things.

Okay, okay. I'm updating!

I have been informed that it has been entirely too long since my last post.

In the time since my last post, we have been busy with the holidays and getting ready to go to Kiev. We leave in 4 days.

As of Monday of this week (1 week before travel), I only had half my Rx order from my mail order pharmacy (big source of stress for me), and our agency informed me that we needed to process some more documents before we go (which requires a road trip to Austin).

We have money, parkas and warm clothes. And the house is clean. Today I got my documents notarized, and we three girls got our hair done. Cliff comes in tonight.

Tomorrow Cliff will make the run to Austin and then notarize a couple more documents. I will "pre-pack" with the girls to see what we still need (if anything). I will also get all of our documents copied and stowed and start a list of last minute things to do. Also need to get some pictures printed for our photo books that we must take to court.

Yes, we are excited. Yes, we are nervous. I think everything will feel better once we get on the plane.