Albert-Alex is with us!

 
 
 
 
  We thought yesterday at 11:00 we were going to see Alex .... but instead got a call to meet at 9:00 in the lobby. There he was waiting for us! Big smile and all ..... he was so excited to be here. They left the orphanage at 5:00 yesterday morning. It had to be tough on the little guy. But we are together as a family and have enjoyed getting to know this little fella.
  He is getting his visa picture taken at the moment. This little person keeps even Adam hopping! He has done amazing and keeps smiling at us .... like he can't beleive that it is real.
  Like any other three year old, he likes to do exactly what he likes to do, given the opportunity.
  We are leaving for Moscow tonight, after we receive his passport. then the paperwork in Moscow and we should head home on Tuesday. I will hopefully have some time to send pictures. Although I find the best time to do that is when everyone is sleeping !!!!!!!
  Fun times for us as a family ..... So glad that Adam is with us and apart of all of this!

Almost there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in Novosibirsk!! We had a crazy flight. After leaving Denver on Sunday morning 7:30am....we flew through Atlanta with a 4 hour lay over and then hit Moscow at 11:00am and then had a six hour layover and heade to Novo where we got delayed due to fog and had to land an hour away and then wait two hours to then fly back to Novo for our 11:00am arrival instead of 4:45am. Crazy! But we are here!
We received Albert-Alex's birth certificate today!
The orphanage let us know they would bring him to us! What an incredible blessing, not to have to drive 3 1/2 hours both directions in a very small car with six people and a child that has never traveled before! WHEW!!!!!
We are so excited! Adam is doing so well with this whole trip! He has bonded with our coordinator,Can't beleive that everyone smokes and is a bit hyper due to the excitement and nerves! But he is a trooper!!!!
We went to the grocery where we got some things to make Alex's transition a bit easier. We are ready to get him on UNcle Bob's birthday at 11:00 am.....Novosibirsk time!
Scott is sleeping and Adam just went to sleep so I am about to wrap this up! We are actually just hours from getting to enjoy this precious little boy that we have eagerly anticipated for years! What a day! Thanks again for all the prayers and support!!!!We will keep you posted and I hope to update pictures tomorrow, after Alex goes to sleep! (I'll keep you posted on how that works!)

OUR FINAL TRIP!!!!!!

Time together
The Gum-Shopping Moscow style
Basil Cathedral
At the end of Red Square
His room!


This will be our third and final trip! We are so excited to be going to bring this special little guy home!!!!!Adam is so excited to meet him and to see what Russia is all about! It will be so nice to have us all together as our family and to be able to spend the first days together and not apart! All the reservations have been made and we are ready to make this trip. I now get to get everyone packed and do all the things around here to get ready to leave. We will leave on Sunday morning and go through Atlanta and end in Moscow.....then fly to his region and then drive to his Baby home. We will return to Moscow on the 27th and be there to register him as a US citizen....get his passport and visa and head home!!!!!!!!We are thrilled that this will be our chance to get this adoption finalized and get Albert-Alex home!
Thanks to Celeste for all the input of what works and what doesn't! We enjoyed our time with them the 1st trip. We missed them in Moscow, but it has been so helpful to hear what works and what doesn't from someone who just experienced it!
We will return home late September the 2nd!!!!!

On Our Way Back Home!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are thrilled to be heading back home. It is always a nice trip.....but we are ready to be home! We can't wait to see and hug Adam. It is hard coming without him.I am going to add some more pictures......We leave again with Adam on the 23rd.....We actually make our way back to get Alex. We will call him Albert Alex for awhile until he gets used to both and can make the transition to Alex without trama. He has so much to absorb. We want to take it slow and help him adjust. Our next trip will include visits to the US Embassy to register him as a US citizen and getting him a visa. Adam halready has his passport, so he is all ready to travel.Thanks for following with us, We will be picking up again on the 23rd!!!!!!!!!!!

The Judge said YES !

We are thriled to have made it through court. He is ours....but we have the 10 day wait. We will return to go get him the 26th,in Novosibirsk.......So we are so excited and glad that this part is over!!!!!We are ready to come back with Adam and bring him home!

Today is the day!

We are enjoying our stay in a larger city before court. We went walking yesterday and found KFC. The Kentucky Fried chicken is almost the same as in the states. After eating all the other meals with a Russian influence, it is good to eat something from the U.S.. We have been able to talk to Adam on Skype.
We will post how court goes...it is just a few hours away....

Getting Ready for Court

We traveled back to our region to have court. We took the train this time and it was much nicer than the car trip. We are glad to be here and in a nice hotel room getting ready for court. Scott and I took a journey through the city today. So many wonderful memories of the trip with Chris and Celeste last time when we met Alex......we miss them!

We have a gal coming to help instruct us on the hearing tomorrow. The typical information and help with what russian to know. You have to understand I have always been a little foreign language challenge so Scott laughs as I try to learn the right way too say all these words. By the Grace of God, I have been able to remember pisit and Kakat.....two words that are very important to a three year old...One pee and the other poop......So we are getting prepared. The big day is tomorrow.

Internet Again!

We are in our region. Our hotel is not as nice as the last time. We found out what the Sibir is all about. We found out you must request a nicer room or the ones you get aren't very wonderful! Lots of smoke in the hotels here... Anyway....we traveled to the orphanage and visited with Alex....He points to himself and says Albert....so He will be Albert for awhile........HE knew us right away and smiled and hugged us......The worker asked if he rememebered us and he said yes.....It was his Mamaw and Papaw.. He did not understand why he could not come with us....He has this little frown that clearly makes you understand that he does not like what is happening. He was a completely different child. He was running and smiling. The orphanage director said he was a changed child after our visit and that he had hope after we came. It was nice to see the change! Here is a picture!

More pictures of Moscow

Scottie enjoying his Koka Kola

Adam and BeBe talking via Skype

Red Square

This is called the Gum....shops

Entering Red Square

Last night after dinner, we walked up to the city center and saw it at night. It is really beautiful the way they light their buildings. We then walked home and went to bed. We are in the hotel awaiting our pick up to leave to fly to Alex's region. There is very limited internet, so I probably can't post until after we go to court. Wish us luck and say a prayer that all will go well.

Moscow!

Moscow in Sunner

Beautiful

Big Mac

Beautiful!

After leaving Saturday at 8:45am and arriving in Moscow at 11:00am Sunday morning....We are tired. We had a great flight through Atlanta and the flight was about 13 hours and 45 minutes total with 2 hours and 1/2 lay over. Once we arrived this morning we headed downtown Moscow and figured out Red Square, then we found the underground shopping mall....pretty awesome. We had a wonderful day. We meet in the morning with the coordinator and then fly another 4 hours east tomorrow. Then drive 4-4/1/2 hours once we get there to see Alex! So it will be very crazy and limited access to the internet. So if I can't post for a few days that is why. We are to go to court 10 am on Friday. Here are some fun pictures!

On our way!

We leave early Saturday morning. All the paperwork has been completed and is downtown getting apostilled. We have all the donations and gifts purchased and just need to pack and get our clean crisp money from the bank. We are looking forward to visiting with Alex for two days before court.
We fly from here to Moscow and then another 4 hours east the following day. We will then drive to the orphanage. Then return for court. So it will be action packed and travel filled. We know there is a very slight chance that the 10 days will be waived. I am even considering staying during the wait.....we will see. At least I would get to visit with him (sometimes that can't even happen) It will all work out.

Everything is coming together!

We are busy getting everything together! Paperwork is almost complete as are the medicals and reservations! TRIP 2 HERE WE COME! We leave Saturday and fly through Atlanta and arrive in Moscow on Sunday!!!!!!!!

The Time is Here!

Our preliminary court hearing was July 31st. Adam and I headed to Indiana to visit family and got the call on Friday that our hearing had been set and we are to leave August the 8th! We will fly to Moscow and then head to see Alex and do the necessary things to get the requirements met for the court date. We will have court the 14th of August!
A few more hurdles until we can rest easy....but we are headed to Russia. There will probably be a 10 day wait.....so we may have to go back in two weeks after court to get this little guy...Keeping fingers crossed that we could get it waived and bring him home this trip. Not likely...but we can always hope!
I will update as I can. This final week will be nutty getting all the final paperwork updated....but I will update when possible!