Happy New Year!

Wow, here we are and it's New Year's Eve. The time has gone by so quickly. Kathryn and her 3 brothers are doing great. We have had a busy Christmas season and are ready for all the great things 2009 has to bring. We took the family for our annual visit to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Kathyrn enjoyed the cool, beautiful evening outside and all the lights. The boys mostly enjoyed the rides. Joseph took his first ride on Space Mountain!

We wish all our friends and family a Blessed New Year. Thank you for all your prayers and support over this past year. May all your dreams come true in 2009 - ours sure did in 2008!

Daniel, Joseph and Kathryn at Disney 12/19/08

Kathryn in her new room!

Daniel, Joseph and Kathryn at Church

Maddi, Michael, Steve, Daniel, Joseph and Kathryn on Christmas Eve 2008

Kathryn and Daddy on Christmas Eve

Nana and Kathryn on Christmas Eve

Papa and Kathryn with Nana giving her Winnie the Pooh on Christmas morning.

Maddi and Kathryn - Opening gifts is exhausting!

Kathryn all dressed up on Christmas!

Michael, Daniel, Joseph and Kathryn on Christmas night.

First Encounter with Santa

This morning we went to Breakfast with Santa at our church. Daniel and Joseph had a lot of fun with their friends Max and Nina. They did some crafts, had their pictures taken with Santa and made Reindeer food to put out on the lawn on Christmas Eve! We did pictures first since the line was short and the kids were anxious to get to the crafts. We only waited a few minutes and it was our turn. I wasn't sure how Kathryn would do, but . . . she sat on Santa's lap without a fuss. As you can see, she was very curious, turning and looking up at Santa, but not a whimper or a cry. It was fun!

Joseph, Daniel and Nina decorating a paper plate. I think the most fun was the finger stampers! Love the ink all over the hands!

Joseph, Max and Nina making a wreath. The cutting took so much time, they lost interest and barely finished the craft! Good cutting practice for the kids and for Mom.

How time flies!

Kathryn and . . .

Joseph

Michael

Daniel

Aunt Debbi

Mama Louise (Great Grandmother)

Kathryn eating her first carrots!

Can't believe we have been home for 2 weeks now. It has been incredible and time is passing very quickly. It took us a few days to get resettled and readjusted to the time change, but we didn't have much of a choice. We just jumped right back into the life we left for a month. Nothing was put on hold, it continued without us. It almost felt like swimming in a stream with a heavy current - we just had to jump in and go with the flow.

Over these last 2 weeks, Kathryn has been introduced to the entire family and to many of our friends. It has been wonderful and she has handled it all with grace. At times she becomes overwhelmed, but when we see that happening Dave and I stop passing her around and make sure one of us has her. She then seems to calm down and is happy again. Meeting so many strangers is a lot on the senses.

On Sunday after we returned Kathryn made her first trip to church. She really enjoyed the praise band and then slept through the sermon :-) It was great to see all of our friends again. We really missed everyone. That afternoon my Mom and Debbi hosted a shower for me and Kathryn at our church. Most of those who attended were friends from church. Kathryn did great through the whole shower. We got such wonderful, thoughtful gifts! Kathryn will certainly be the best dressed baby girl in FL.

Of course one week after arriving home was Thanksgiving. What a wonderful holiday we had. My Aunt Carol, Uncle Dick and cousin Abby came into town and stayed at my parents. It was great to see them even though it was a short 3 days. We also had some college friends come stay with us from Port Charlotte. It was a great weekend with them and the kids had a blast together. On Thanksgiving morning, the dads and kids headed to the local school athletic fields for a game of Football. Michael had invited a bunch of his friends and they had a great turnout. Everyone had a great time. This gave me a chance to get started on the mashed potatoes and pies!! Kathryn helped to taste test the mashed potatoes - her first solid food.

Thanksgiving dinner was at our house! I really enjoy having the family get togethers here and this Thanksgiving was no exception. We set up 3 tables in the Living/Dining room and had 21 people for dinner! It was so much fun. Everyone pitched in and brought food. We even ended up with 6 pies for desert. Kathryn had a great day. I couldn't believe she went down for a nap right when we were sitting down for dinner.

When everyone left with full tummys, Kathryn had a rough night. Not because of overstimulation, but because she decided it was time to get her third tooth. The next two nights were a bit rough. She was inconsolable the first night and had a fever the second. But, sure enough, by Sat am the tooth was fully through the gums and she was content once again.

Now that she has 3 teeth, she has figured out how to put them together and make noises and grind them. Hopefully that won't last long. She continues to discover new things. She loves her bouncer and has learned to pull the toy to make the music play - and does it over and over again :-)

Just this week we have taken the kids to two tree lighting celebrations - it is nice to get into the holiday spirit. It is going to be a truly blessed holiday! I can't say enough how great it is to have our family of 6 and it feels so complete. The boys continue to love on Kathryn and have not become bored of her yet. They are so willing to get up in the morning and get ready on time if it means they get a few minutes of holding Kathryn before school. The boys each wants his turn sitting next to her in the car and they are always willing to help me with the bottles and diapers. They are such wonderful BIG brothers.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Homecoming!

Kathryn and Mommy as we landed in Orlando.

Welcome to the United States.

Our first Family photo at the Orlando Airport!

Aunt Debbi, Nana and Maddi with sleeping Kathryn.

Daniel and Joseph enjoying their new sister!

After over 30 hours of travel from door to door, it was great to be home. We were welcomed in Orlando by The 3 Big Brothers (Michael, Daniel and Joseph), Nana, Papa, Aunt Debbi, Uncle Dennis, Maddi and Steven. It was great to get hugs from the boys while Kathryn fell asleep on Nana's shoulder making her a very happy Nana! Thursday was Debbi's 40th Birthday, so we were able to wish her a Happy Birthday too. Our family of 6 now takes up an entire van with only one seat leftover - Wow - so it took 2 vans to get all of us home. It was a talkative ride with the boys wanted to catch us up on everything that has happened and lots of questions about our trip. With all the activity, Kathryn still slept the whole trip home.

It is hard to believe the entire travel journey is done. The real journey is just beginning as we settle back into a routine. The days seem to be going by so much faster now that we are home and have so much to do. The days in Kaz were quiet and slow, while our daily routine here at home passes the time so quickly.

Thursday night we all slept through the night - even Kathryn. It was great to get some sleep after so many hours of small cat naps along the way. Kathryn woke on Friday with a big smile after a great nights sleep in her crib. I really think she is going to like her crib as the mattress is so much more firm that those that she slept in in Kaz. At least we hope so. After a day of running errands and taking Kathryn to her first doctor's appointment, we went to Mama Louise and Grandaddy's so they could meet their newest Great Granddaughter. We had a great time and Kathryn did really well with all the activity. She continues to look for her Mom and Dad when she is over stimulated or startled. It was a lot of activity that she was not used to, but she really adjusted well.

The Big Brothers continue to want to take their turn in holding Kathryn and playing with her. At Mama Louise and Grandaddy's their was a lot of competition as to who was going to hold her - just about everyone got their turn. Papa had some one on one time at the office earlier in the day since he didn't get a chance to hold Kathryn at the airport. Uncle Dennis, Steven and Aunt Cheryl are still awaiting their chance to hold her. In due time . . .

We will continue to update the blog as we begin our time as a family of 6. Thanks to everyone who has followed our journey. Your thoughts and prayers have meant the world to us! The journey has just begun . . . stay tuned!

Press 1 For English

I think everyone should learn at least one foreign language. It's a shame that in America most people do not speak a second language because the ability to communicate through a foreign language is empowering. We have had the opportunity to meet people in our travels and have encountered no less than four different languages spoken. The people at Lufthansa need to be fluent in a minimum of two languages and most know at least three or four. For us, of course, the language we most frequently encountered was Russian which I did manage to learn a little prior to traveling and it came in very handy. Nontheless, for some silly reason I was never mistaken for a Russian speaking person. Maybe it's my western European features or maybe my tan sub zero winter coat I got from Land's End. That one really seemed to draw a lot of attention. Almost everyone here wears some shade of black. I would walk into a store or onto a plane and hear either German, Russian or Kazakh spoken only to be greeted with a "Hello".

One time during our stay I was in the grocery store looking for some jelly, not just any kind but I had to have grape. So I'm standing there looking at the pictures to see if I can see any semblance of grapes in the pictures. I did learn the Cyrillic alphabet so I can read the words but am completley reverted to 5 year old status when I try. Ok that letter is a "P", that letter is an "L". After I finally transliterate the letters then I have to break it down to syllables and muster a pathetic effort to pronounce the word. My patience and understanding level just increased for reading with my 5 year old. So I'm standing there with a jar of jelly in each hand intently looking at the pictures when I hear a voice say in perfect English, "Do you need some help?". Now, at first I thought I was hearing things, especially when I looked up and saw a young Kazakh woman standing there looking at me. Up to this point the only people who spoke English with us were the interpreter and other Americans. In amazement, I said, "you speak English!" She was kind enough to ask the clerk for me and told me she learned English at the local university.

After weeks of trying to communicate in another language I guess you could say you get into a mode. I was in Russian mode. Communicating with the driver, the housekeeper, buying things at the store or green market. No one knows English (except for the nice young Kazakh lady at the store). We would even joke around with the other adoptive parents there and try to speak Russian to each other. So we are on our final leg home at the airport in Frankfurt and I'm looking at our boarding passes and the seat assignment just didn't seem like it was a bulkhead row so I head to the closest ticket counter to ask an agent. The closest Lufthansa ticket counter that was open was for a flight to somewhere in Africa that I have never heard of, and my geography is pretty good. So I walk up to the counter and before I could say anything the agent looks up and says hello to me...IN RUSSIAN. Okay, I'm in Germany, at the ticket counter for a flight to somewhere in Africa, and I get a "ZDRASTvuytye". Maybe it was my black shirt. I'm pretty sure I had the same stupid look on my face as I did in the grocery store. So of course being completely out of mode all I could muster was a lame, "Hello". Darn it, I missed my opportunity.

We patiently waitied out the next 5 hours for our flight home and looked forward to not having to hold Kathryn for the 10 hour flight. She will appreciate that too. So finally time comes to get on board which we do and find our seats, right on the bulkhead. As the flight attendants come around to assist people with their seats and luggage one comes by us, notices the infant, bulkhead row, I'm sure she was thinking 'ok these people will need a bassinet'. She says "Sprechen zie Deutsch?" Now I'm really confused and not sure wheather to fish or cut bait let alone figure out which language I'm supposed to speak. Maybe it was because I have already been awake for 24 hours, maybe it was because the lady at the African ticket counter threw me back to Russian mode, or maybe it was because I just wanted to redeem myself for the lost opportunity of being mistaken for a Russian speaking person and this was the closest I could get, I simply answered her, "Nyet!"

It’s Time…We’re Coming Home!

It’s our last full day here not only in Almaty but Kazakhstan as well. Tonight, Vitali will pick us up at 2330 and head to the airport to begin our 31 hour journey home. Today I went to the Lufthansa office and was able to get Kathryn’s ticket for the flight home. The lap tickets aren’t too bad running just under $300 and we were able to get the bulkhead row so we can use the basinet for Kathryn to sleep. That will be more comfortable for all of us.

Last evening we caught up with another American couple here from central Illinois who are with the same agency. We had Vitali pick them up at their apartment and meet us at a Mongolian restaurant for dinner. As usual, Vitali came through for us and got us settled in and translated our dinner order before he left. Tonight they braved the unknown city and walked over to our apartment for dinner. It’s great to be a part of our agency as they really foster an environment for the families to communicate with each other. A good ending to a great experience in Kazakhstan with new friends. Later we will get ready to head to the airport and say goodbye for now to Kathryn’s homeland. We should arrive home at 640p and Kathryn will become a U.S. Citizen as soon as we land!

Hello Alma-Ata

We arrived in Almaty Sunday evening after a brief delay leaving Astana and an uneventful flight. The weather leaving Astana was foggy but very shortly after takeoff we were above the cloud deck revealing the last of a blue sky and beautiful sunset out our window.

Kathryn was a great traveler and slept most of the way on the flight and about half the way on the four hour car ride from Koksheatu to Astana. It seems to get colder as we went further south to Astana getting into the vast openness of the steppes. There is still snow on the ground and trees that makes you cold just looking at the scenery.




Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan before they moved it to Astana in 1997. It is a large city that could be compared, on a smaller scale, to New York or Chicago. Lots of new construction going on with their expanding economy and as they are prepare for the Winter Asian Games in 2011 as well as make their bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2014. Monday we had an appointment with the sisters to go over our schedule for the three days and sign some final paperwork. Kathryn had her medical exam as well at the international S.O.S clinic. Nice doctor from South Africa working there and he was thorough with her medical information and answered any question we had. Kathryn did wonderfully and we were finished in about 30 minutes. Tuesday is a free day for us as Kathryn’s passport needs to be registered in Astana so we are heading to the mountains for some sightseeing and lunch. Wednesday I will stop by the Lufthansa office to purchase Kathryn’s ticket and hopefully get us a spot in the bulkhead row before heading off to the American Embassy for some final immigration paperwork.

Today, Tuesday, our driver Vitali took us to the mountains here. The Tien Shen range is about a 45 minute drive from the city and you are quickly in colder weather. The Tien Shen range runs from Kyrgyzstan in the south through Kazakhstan, China, to Tibet in the north. The mountains here host a ski resort that, too, is undergoing reconstruction as well as the skating rink which will be used for speed skating, etc. for the games. Normally we would be able to take a gondola to the top but unfortunately it was not in operation during our visit. So instead we took the opportunity to enjoy the clean air on a cloudless day with the temperature cold enough that the snow does not melt but in direct sun warm enough for us to enjoy lunch outside. Vitali ordered lunch for us which was a Russian soup that resembled vegetable beef as well as some chicken kabobs. Of course, before the soup it is Russian tradition to have a little vodka prior to eating. Who are we to break tradition. It was an excellent lunch at the restaurant at the base of the slopes overlooking the mountain peaks with a blue sky backdrop. Please enjoy some of the sights in the pictures below.

Medeo Ice Arena near Almaty that will be used for the 2011 Asian Games

The view from our lunch table

Last Full Day in Kokshetau

Today we will begin packing for our trip to Almaty tomorrow. We do so with sadness and joy in our hearts. The sadness because this is Kathryn's birthplace and we have enjoyed our time here. The life here is simple. We have made new friends here. Even our landlady brought us a gift for Kathryn. It is a beautiful hat. Every Kazakh beauty must wear a hat outside during winter or summer. Of course, there is joy in the fact that we will finally be heading on our way home to the rest of the family and our friends. We have missed you all so much! Talking to the boys every day on Skype is no substitute for the hugs and kisses every night! We are excited to begin our life as a family of 6 after our 16 month journey to Kathryn.

Today we will pack and then go out with Makhabbat one last time. This time she is taking us to the local college to meet some students who are studying English. A few weeks ago Dave mentioned that he'd like to meet some of the students. Little did he know that Makhabbat would actually arrange it. She is amazing. After we go to the college, we will take one last trek to the Green Market. We need to find some shoes/booties for Kathryn's trip. I did not bring any with me and we don't think it will be acceptable to the older Kazakhs to have her in socks. Tonight we are planning dinner of take-out Shish Kabobs from The Rainbow Cafe with Justin and Cathie. You have to order them by 2pm, but you can't pick them up until around 8pm. It makes for a late dinner, but boy are they good!

Saying Goodbye to Luba. Kathryn will miss her and I'm sure Luba will miss Kathryn. All the Russian talk between the two them that we couldn't understand. :-)

Saying Goodbye to Makhabbat was difficult. She truly became a friend to us. She is holding an art piece that her 7 year old daughter, Arajan, just finished. Looks like it was made for Florida.

Cathie and Kathryn. It was great to have Cathie and Justin around for the the past week. We wish them all the best with Landon.

Some random facts about Kaz

Mustard and Ketchup come in squeeze packs not bottles.

It is a tea country not a coffee country (which I have come to enjoy).

There are stray dogs everywhere!
People are out at all hours of the night.

People walk everywhere, even across town.

High heel, stilleto boots are the common fashion statement.

The yogurt is amazing - I could eat it every day, and practically have.

You can't find less than 1.5% milk.

A loaf of bread costs .36 cents (45 tenge) and it's really good.

No matter how hard you try to blend in, you will always look like an American.

Black is the wardrobe color of choice.

Children here go to school 6 days a week.

Children are out and about without adults all the time, and it's ok!
Some cars, not all, have the driver's seat on the right.
They sell Chocolate butter - no I did not try it!

They have awesome cookies and torts - yes I did try them!
It gets really cold!
PaKA Kokshetau! We will miss you!

And then there were Three...

What a difference a few weeks makes.
Picture on left from early October. On right from early November.

It's hard to believe that we only have three days left here in Kokshetau before heading to Almaty to finish out our paperwork and medical evaluation for Kathryn. This place has become as much a part of us as Kathryn has. I guess you could say that we not only bonded with her, but her place of birth as well. We had seen so many blogs from families travelling here that when we walked into the cottage it was already a familiar place, as were some of the people here that appeared in pictures. We have enjoyed our time here and have met other wonderful adoptive parents whose trips have overlapped with ours (six other families) and will leave with many wonderful memories. It's much different when your here, someplace that is new and the places to be discovered like the small shops and markets. The people here have been gracious, especially someone that has had no obligation to us...Makhabbat. She is a translator that almost always works with families that travel to the baby house about an hour away from Kokshetau. She has literally gone out of her way to show us as much of the culture here as possible.

Picture below is Makhabbat in front of Kokshetau Museum

Yesterday, Makhabbat took me and another adoptive family to the Kokshetau regional Museum for a little history while Karie was enjoying some time with Kathryn. The city of Kokshetau was settled in the early 19th Century as a Soviet administrative outpost. One of the early Soviet administrators from the early 20th century actually lived in the house that now serves as the museum. Under Soviet rule the country was used not only as farm lands for cotton and wheat (including the catastrophic failure of the wheat program under Khrushchev in the 1960's) but also as a place where Stalin deported whomever he felt like. Not just individuals but entire races from many countries in which the communist party had control. It was also the place for the Soviets to detonate more than 700 nuclear test bombs over 40 years. The population of this region consists of Kazakh (mostly), Russian, Ukrainian, and German. The cotton fields were supplied water from the Aral Sea via man made canals to Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the south. As a direct result, the Aral Sea has been drained and what was once a source for a booming fishing industry for the region is now one of the biggest environmental disasters in history. Towns that thrived on fishing and ports such as Aral City on the northern shore now sit 45 miles from the nearest shoreline of the Aral Sea. The Aral, once the fourth largest lake in the world, has actually divided into two seas and the water has been reduced by two thirds or an area about the size of Ireland.

Below is a picture and replicated armor and weapons of Ablai Khan, a Kazakh leader in the 18th century. He sought to protect and unify the country.

The Kazakh people have suffered tremendous brutality but have shown themselves to be survivors. By the beginning of the 19th century, Russian tsarism had taken hold and eliminated the power of the Khan. Interestingly, the sister city of Kokshetau is Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Below are various items of Kazakh history including minted gold Tenge bills (currency) and the Golden Man, a symbol of the country's strength and independence.

Our guide explains the history of Kokshetau and Kazakhstan.

The Kazakhstan story is one of tragedy, struggle, and recent triumph with the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. They will host the Asian games in 2011 and make a bid for the Winter Olympic Games in 2014.

More Paperwork - This time THEY had to do it!

Throughout the adoption process it seems the paperwork never ends. Today, however, it wasn't us doing the work. We left this morning at 0930 to head to the "registry" building. It seems that this is where all local government paperwork is done. I guess you could equate it to our government buildings where ID cards, property taxes, licenses, etc are taken care of. We went there to sign for and pick up Kathryn's birth certificate and paper saying our adoption is complete! They had to do all the work - we just signed for it! Everything here is still done in ledger books and on paper - no electronic document files. Not sure which way is better, really.

Next we went to another part of the building to apply for her Kazakh passport. After a good 30 minutes of waiting for our interpreter and coordinator to work with the officials on the paperwork, they let us know of a new requirement. They wanted to see Kathryn and compare her to her passport picture. Inna and I went back to the cottage, where Luba was watching Kathryn, and quickly put her in the snowsuit and headed back. We walked inside, let them see her and then left. Apparently this has not happened in the past, but it does make sense. It was really no big deal!


On our way back to the cottage, Dave ran into the Green Market for a few veggies and bread while Kathryn and I sat in the car. Kathryn decided it was a great time for a little shut eye. While she slept, I enjoyed the view outside the car of the snowfall! It really is pretty to watch the snow coming down. It was coming down so hard, it looked like rain.



Kathryn smiling at Luba

The temperature is going to warm up slightly over the next few days. We are hoping for sunshine when we get to Almaty. We will want to get out and see some of the city while we are there. I think yesterday was the coldest day so far. It was in the teens with a wind chill in the single digits - as low as -1 degree in the am. I think we are surviving ok, considering we've lived in Florida for 20 years.

Introducing Kathryn

Kathryn was officially welcomed into our family on October 23, 2008- now making us a family of 6! We are so proud of each of our children and cannot wait for her big brothers, Michael, Daniel and Joseph to meet their little sister, Kathryn.













This photo is from our first visit with Kathryn. In the picture is Dr. Victoria and the Ministry of Education Representative. This was a wonderful day!




The many faces of Kathryn.

As of yesterday, Friday, November 7th, 2008, our fifteen day waiting period was completed. The order of the judge to make us Kathryn's parents has now been executed! We were very relieved last night to have this milestone behind us. We will go on Tuesday and apply for her birth certificate that will name us as her parents and for her Kaz passport that will allow her to leave the country. As soon as our plane lands in Orlando on Nov. 20th she will be a US citizen and will be a dual citizen of both the United States and Kazakhstan until she is 18.



Us after court and at Children's Hospital to pick up Kathryn with Dr. Victoria






First car ride......First bath at "home"......What a day,Sweet dreams!