Our first day

It was so amazing to see her again! We really couldn't tell if she remembered us or not. She had just woken up from a nap, and was very hungry, so she was pretty crabby at first. She sat on our laps, and would play a little, but then would start crying. Once they brought in her snack and, get this... tea...she was a new girl! We really didn't get many smiles today, but did play a long time, and are hoping for more tomorrow. She was pretty shy with my parents, so they haven't been able to hold her yet, but they were just so happy to meet her! We were able to go outside and play for a little while too. It was a fun change to see her in a different environment. They really dress the kids warmly. We weren't wearing coats and were comfortable (even me!), but she had on a wool outfit, a winter coat, and a hat! After our visit, we went to see the famous Krasnoyarsk chapel. It was so beautiful! Tomorrow we will see her again, and they will start preparing us for court.

With Serge and Yelena in front of the chapel

Standing in front of the city

Safe in Krasnoyarsk

Hey everyone! We made it to Kras, but are very tired. Yesterday was a crazy day with our medicals, Moscow traffic jams, and then no sleep on the plane. The medicals were definitely an interesting experience, but we passed. We saw 7 different docs, plus an 8th had to sign off on our forms. Lots of fun stories for later :) Just went to the market, my dad made his delicious scrambled eggs, and now we are going to take a super long nap! We found out that we won't be going to the orphanage today, but will go tomorrow and Monday. It was disappointing that we won't see her today, but we were happy to hear that my parents will be able to visit her as well. Thanks for all of the prayers for safe travels!

Moscow

We made it to Moscow! The flight was long, but everyone did okay. My parents are here with us, and that helped the time go by a little faster. No one really slept on the flight, so we are all super tired. We took a nap when we finally got here (after an hour and a half spent in Moscow traffic!), just went to dinner, and now are going back to bed. Free breakfast in the morning!! We all know that will be Mark's favorite part of the day :). They are picking us up for our medicals (pray they go ok!) at noon and then our flight to Krasnoyarsk leaves at 9pm. We will arrive in Kras at around 6am, will rest a little, and then get to go visit our sweet girl!

Leaving tomorrow!

We are beyond excited to be leaving in the morning! We can't wait to see our little girl again, and are ready for her to officially become our daughter. With the help of family, friends, and our social worker, we are ready! Thank you to Nancy and the Lindbergh girls, Angela, and Molly for throwing two fabulous showers this past weekend! Also, thank you everyone for the abundance of love, support, and gifts you have given us. We are truely blessed! Here are some pictures of her room. We had to photoshop out her name above the crib, so just imagine some cute polka-dotted letters up there. :)

Travel plans

We received our flight and travel plans! Mark and I are so fortunate that our parents will be able to come with us for parts of our trip. Having them there will be such a support! Here is our itinerary:
May 19th, leave for Moscow
May 20th, arrive in Moscow
May 21st, medicals for Mark and I, and then leave for Kras
May 22nd, arrive in Kras and see our girl!
May 24th, visit our girl again
May 25th ,COURT!!!
10day waiting period, visit our girl each day at the orphanage
June 4th, Gotcha Day!
June 9th, go back to Moscow for Embassy appts and medical for our daughter.
June 13th, fly home as a family!!! :)
Our VISAS should arrive on Monday the 17th, let's all say some prayers that they do. So many things to worry about between now and June 13th...but, our sweet girl is more than worth it!

We Have a Court Date!!!

Hooray! Hooray! Our social worker called today and gave us a huge surprise....we have a court date....in May!!!! We leave for Russia on May 19th, and have court on May 25th. I am still shaking. :) More details to follow...

Yesterday, Mark and I celebrated our 5th anniversary! Today, as our present to eachother, we are painting our little girl's room, and putting together her crib. :) On the 29th, US delegates met with Russian officials. It seemed to go well, and they will be having a second meeting on May 12th. As of right now, there is not a freeze on Russian adoptions. We continue to pray that they come to a favorable agreement, and that we will still be able to travel early this summer.