Three weeks and Counting

So, here we are Thursday, October 30th. One week after taking custody of Kathryn. We are now 7 days into our 15 day waiting period. Hard to believe November is right around the corner. We understand that it is unseasonably cool at home. I'm sure everyone is enjoying the cool weather after a hot summer and hot start to Fall. It was actually colder in FL yesterday morning that it was here in Kaz! Keep in mind that we are at the same approximate lattitude of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Yesterday was a beautiful afternoon here - in the low 50's. Cool, but the sun was shining.

I got out yesterday while Dave stayed in with Kathryn for a little bit. I took a walk down to the neighborhood baby store. It was a newly renovated, quaint shop. They had everything from diapers and formula to clothes and blankets. I got a little toy along with formula and diapers. I might have to take a trip back and get something from them that is traditional Kazakh baby for Kathryn's keepsake.

M and L are our new cottage mates and moved in on Monday. Last night we had another couple over from the other cottage - A and B. It is great to make new friends here half way around the world. They are from NC and SC - so not too far from us. We are certainly enjoying their company. M and L adopted 2 years ago from the same Children's Hospital here in Kokshetau. It is nice to talk to them and to understand how things have changed not only in the adoption process but also in this area of Kaz. We really feel blessed that this is where we were led to adopt from and that we eventually signed on with WPA. Having a great agency really makes all the difference. It is their contacts here in Kaz that make the process all the better.

Kathryn is doing great. She is much more "talkative" now then she was a week ago. She seems to be putting on a little weight and getting much stronger. Yesterday she put her feet flat on the floor when I held her up. She was also sitting against the back of the sofa holding my hands and pulled herself forward. It is unbelievable how fast the little ones can thrive with love and attention. We are so excited for everyone to meet her! We will be heading home 3 weeks from today. Just in time for Thanksgiving. What a Thanksgiving it will be! We plan on having a great family get together at our house. We certainly have lots to be thankful for.

Speaking of being thankful - Michael, Daniel and Joseph are doing great at home. They received their report cards yesterday. We are so proud of them! Even with us being gone most of the time since only a month after school started, they have kept up on their projects and assignments - thanks to their Nana and Papa!

A side note: We think we have the internet up and running again. However, if you are trying to contact us and don't hear back - don't give up on us. If we lose internet, we'll be in touch as soon as we can! I won't go into all the boring details of the internet saga, but it is frustrating.