Gotcha Day!!!

Well here are the pictures -- (The rundown of our day is below the pictures)

Yulia (our facilitator and Goddess of Adoption), Jacob and Mommy



Mommy and Jacob


Leaving the gates of the orphanage for the very last time EVER!!!!



Our first meal with the new kids. Debbie and Jason Jennings have been on this journey with us. They brought their son's Jeremiah and Zach (6 & 7) along with them and they adopted little Mariah from the same orphanage as Jacob. Yulia was their facilitator also so it was a blessing to have them along with us on our journey.

This was Jacob during our first meal!! He was a tired boy!!

Well our days in Krivoy Rog were very very busy. Tuesday after an overnight train ride, our day started at 6:15 am getting off the train. We didn't get back to the apartment until 7:00 pm that night. It was a long day, but we got through Tuesday with no real glitches. Then Wednesday our day started at 8:00 am. We left the apartment, went to the orphanage to sign all the final paperwork that we were picking up the kids. Then we left there, not with the kids yet, and went to the bank. The kids each had an account that the government puts in for them and when they are adopted, we are entitled to that money. Well both Jennings and our family signed that money over to the orphanage. It will be enough to help them finish the really nice peaked roof they have started putting on the orphanage. Wonderful!! Then back to the apartment to settle up with the landlady put our bags in the van and back to the orphanage. We gathered the kids for a couple minutes, said our quick goodbye's and we were off... Out FOREVER!! Then it was to the passport office to get the passports applied for. Jacob didn't want to cooperate with the pictures so we had to take him out, feed him and try again! UGH!! Little stinker. It took about an hour longer there then we anticipated.

After we were done, she said the information would be available for us to pick up at 2 pm. We had lunch then at a great italian place (pictured above). Then we went back and picked up the packets to take to the passport office in Dnepropetrovsk. It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive. The plan was to drop that stuff off, sign the papwork to allow our driver to pick up the passports on Monday and then get on the fast train (leaving at 5:15pm) to Kiev. Well we didn't leave the passport office until 5:20pm so the train was out of the question. Our driver said he would take us to Kiev (5 hour drive). The cost of this was only about 300 grivna more than the cost of the train and we wouldn't have to deal with our baggage on the train, so we agreed, paid him and we were off. Of course, Mariah and Jacob had blowouts on the way so we stopped to change diapers and clothes a couple times on the way. Jacob and I got into our apartment in Kiev at 2:20 am.

Luckily, the kids were on a pretty strict schedule at the orphanage so they slept most of the drive to Kiev. Car seats are few and far between in Ukraine so we held the kids on our laps. It was hot during the day and a bit uncomfortable at times, but worked out wonderfully.

Once we got here, Jacob was ready to play, but we turned off the lights and both went to sleep. He woke at 8 am with yet another blow out! Stinker!! (Literally!!LOL) So I washed his clothes out in the sink today as I don't have a washing machine in my apartment. They are hanging on the line to dry now, so he will have more clothes to wear!

Today is going to be a quiet day. Jason Jennings is going to look for strollers this afternoon so we have a way to get the kids around. I have a carrier for Jacob, but a stroller would be really nice since we will be here for another week and a couple days. Jason, Debbie and the kids were planning on being ready to go home on Saturday so Jason and the boys are going home on Saturday and Debbie is staying behind with Mariah until all the paperwork is finished. Jacob and I will be moving over to their apartment on Saturday after the others leave so we can save some money and be together! That will be nice because they have a washing machine in their apartment and I can do some laundry before we go home!

I am tired just writing all that. Jacob is napping again now and we will probably venture out later this afternoon to see some things with Jason and Debbie. Not sure what we will see, but we will come up with something. I will update more with more pictures and also when we should expect to have our passports. I have booked a flight for Saturday, June 13th for us to come home. It will be a long day, but we will finally home. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Blessings!