Going Home

Hi, we got Ally immigration papers and her visa today. We are going home tomorrow. I have just finished packing what I can for tonight, and hopefully in about 35 hours we will be safely home. Fingers crossed. We have lots of little videos and pictures to compile when we are back. The experinece was definately one in a life time and we have learned so much. Ally is doing pretty well considering and each day getting more and more comfortable with us. She started acting like a normal toddler yesterday getting into everything. I have started having to raise my voice with the Nyet when she found the stove so fun. She is getting used to Thomas and when looking at our pictures today said, "mama and papa" for the first time. All in all we are so ready to get home and the whole impact has not sunken in yet. I won't feel relieved till we are safely back home. Please keep good thoughts for our travels.

Love Christine, Thomas and Allison

Latest news and updates

Moscow

Well everyone, we are back in Moscow now. We got her passport on Friday from the police station. (militia station) Sunday was the 425 anniversary of the Arkhangelsk City and all sorts of festivities had been set up and planned. In fact we almost could not stay the last night at the hotel as it was rumored the President of Russia was coming and had a lot of diplomats and security that needed the hotel. We were told about 3 days before that everyone had to leave. We think however, that plans changed and the hotel could not find us another place to stay, that they allowed us to remain. However, they cut us off from the internet and it was generally annoying. At least we were not out on the street. So on Saturday it was beautiful out and we found a little fair set up. Ally and I road on a little train and Thomas took pictures. She also ate some French fries and got excited to see a person in a bit cat outfit. Daddy bought her a pin wheel and a little car that she picked out from a vendor.

Sunday morning we left the Pur hotel and Arkhangelsk for Moscow. She did really well on the plane but I was a bit uncomfortable. It was a little plane and that had a lot of heat on. So glad to get it over with. We were picked up and taken to a little apartment in downtown Moscow. It looks like a very old building and is very small. Thomas took a video of it. It also has the elevator of terror. We only ride it up as we are on the 6^th floor, and take the stairs going down. It is very small and makes a lot of rattling and chain clinking noises when it runs.

We are glad to have air conditioning, internet and a small kitchen. Although we were pretty tired we ventured out to the main street and found and English restaurant to eat in. We had fresh vegetables and steak, and the best Guinness that Thomas said he has ever had. I even drank some and I won’t touch it at home. It tastes like burned coffee at home. It was an expensive, but glad to get normal food again. There is a McDonalds down the street, but we have not gone there yet.

This morning (Monday) an embassy representative doctor came to the apartment to give Ally a check up and make sure all her immunizations and Dr. reports are in order. That was fine and our representative has taken all the paperwork over to the embassy to submit for us. We are just now waiting to make sure all of it is in order and get an appointment for Tuesday. We will then go meet with them and get all of her travel documents. (fingers crossed) we are close.

We can’t wait to get back home. She is not quite sure of the new places and keeps brining me her shoes and every time I get up to move she jumps up like we are leaving. It will be good to get her home and settled. She loves all of the toys and things we have for her. She has been pretty good about sharing with the other little kids we have been playing with. However at the airport yesterday, a little girl wanted to play with the learning puppy and so I let her. Ally looked a bit funny. Then when she had her cars out the other little kids wanted to play too and she took them away. That was the first time I saw her show possessiveness. I got a look from her a bit earlier as if to say, stop making friends for me, these are my toys. J We have also learned that colder milk is not good in the morning and causes reguratiation. Must warm milk first. J Overall she is doing pretty well for what all is going on. We just can’t wait to get home. We miss you all and our dog Moffitt too. J

Only a couple of steps left and hopefully will be on our way in about 48 hours.

Ally Day

Well, we have Ally now, and so far it is going better than we expected. Tuesday evening we flew to Kotlas on this old twin engine plane that vibrated a lot and did not make me relax. The flight luckily was only about 75 minutes so not too bad. We were greeted by a very talkative Adoption Interpreter named Anna. She was great, and just about the happiest Russian, ever. Our first stop about 8:30 PM was to the orphanage to drop off the outfit for Ally. She was still awake and so we got to see her for about 30 minutes and talk to her Doctor about general habits. There were a few tears as she was not still sure about us.

Kotlas was nicer than we remember from February. As there was green growth and we understood a bit more Russian. We go to the hotel and while waiting for the receptionist to copy our passport information; a very drunk Russian started happily talking to us. It was funny trying to communicate and talk thru Anna. We found out that #8 on the Redwings is from Russia, we think. It was pretty funny, but by this time we just wanted to get to our rooms. We had the suite that our friends had last time, and it was so much nicer than ours the first time. I told her than she had no reason to complain. You have to keep in mind that this is still no more than you would expect at a general Inn. We did have one bed instead of two twins; that was strange after so many weeks of having my own. We took a few pictures and will post them eventually.

Anyway, we could not sleep and were awake early. We went from euphoric to panic every so often. By 6:45 am we were on our way to the orphanage to get Ally. She was all dressed and ready for us. Both of the kids were given a juice box and a grocery store bag. They kept those bags like it was all they owned. At the time; I guess it was. I gave Ally the same toys that she got the first time; a My Little Pony and musical seahorse. She kept them either in the bag or her arms for the trip. There were zero tears and she was awesome. We got her on the plane and she even understood a bit of my Russian speaking to her. (come to mama and take my hand, etc.) We boarded the same plane from the night before, but this time it was not full. (8AM) This was not one where seats are assigned, they just check off like 30 numbers when you check in, no boarding passes. Very low tech.

During the flight she played with her musical seahorse and I got out my Ipod to show her. She did not like/understand the headphones at first and her favorite was pressing the buttons. So when she did her songs thru the headphones she would not wear them at first, but kept putting the ipod up to her ear. Eventually. She understood the headphones and played with all of those things for the rest of the flight. She sat quietly and we were so happy. It was better than we had ever imagined as she was so shy and this is such an incredible change for her.

We got back to our hotel and it took a while to get checked in, but we got a suite this time with a living room and we like it a lot. We are both sitting on an actual couch while I type this. We have missed real furniture. Thomas got us some lunch and we played with some of Ally’s new toys. One very cute thing I have to mention is that she has this little wooden puzzle with sea animals of different shapes. She would try and piece and would turn them to try how they fit in the space. Every once in a while instead of turning the piece she turned the whole puzzle board so that the piece fit the way she had it.

There were only a few tears when we tried to put her down for a nap. We did get her to sleep about 30 minutes, which I think was good for a first day. The other little boy was so wound up that he was hyper all day and did not sleep. We went out for dinner and again she was good. She does try to stuff a lot of food in her mouth if you let her. She also will need some dental work done. I am going to make an appointment tomorrow for when we get home. Her bottom teeth are fine, but her top are very rotted. She takes a while to chew. We got thru a bath, but she was pretty scared stiff about it, and brushed her teeth, but did not know about spitting the water out. So I need to research about how to say that tomorrow. She went to sleep pretty easily tonight, just rocked and watched a couple Russian cartoons. She had to be exhausted.

So tomorrow is another day and on Friday we are supposed to get her passport. So we are getting closer and hoping to be home late on the 1^st still.

Last Full Week in Ark

Well we are into our final full week here and still don’t feel like parents. I am getting so tired of waiting and telling people we will have her soon, but we will. It is Sunday here in northern Russia and the sun finally came out after a few chilly, gloomy days. I felt like taking a few pictures. These are pretty much local scenery around Arkhangelsk. Some of the highlights from our week include; Thomas trying caviar for the first time on Friday and finishing our 1,000 piece puzzle. We did a bit of shopping, but not too much. On Friday, to celebrate our ten business days being over, we went with the other family to a new Armenian restaurant. It had the shislek or grilled meat that we had at the beach last weekend. It was pretty good, but more of a bar/club atmosphere and pretty smoky. That is where Thomas could cross caviar off his life list. He thought it was a bit salty and weird to break open/chew the little eggs. He had enough. He will try just about anything though.

Some days were pretty slow and we just ventured out to find dinner or do a bit of grocery shopping. We have pretty much accepted being here and don’t feel nervous going out anymore. People look at us, but just out of mild curiosity. Thomas has been writing a survival guide and will post when he is finished. One thing that makes me a bit sad is all of the stray dogs around here. Most of them look like German Shepherds so it breaks my heart that I can’t help them and makes me miss Moffitt more. I guess she is having a good time with Grandma and Grandpa and riding in the boat.

We have all day today and then tomorrow we can start paperwork. Our representative is flying up from Moscow today to help us get thru all that stuff this week. Tuesday night we fly to Kotlas and drop off clothes for Ally at the orphanage. Really early Wednesday we pick her up and go right to the airport for an 8 AM flight back to Ark. It is sort of annoying in the fact that with the hotel and Visa registration we have to check out of this hotel and then check back in. So we have to pack up all of our stuff just to be gone for about 14 hours. Luckily only one of our friends is going to Kotlas so the husband and little girl are letting us keep our stuff in their room for the night. We are hoping to just take a couple of small bags with us and keep it simple. This is the older smaller plane and will be a bit of a nervous flight. I am sure it will be fine though. We are also nervous and excited to finally get Ally. I am sure we will learn really fast how unprepared we are. I have not been able to pick up as much Russian as I will need so will be carrying papers around with me for a while I suspect.

Anyway, we then have the rest of the week in Ark to wait on her passport. Then a week from today we fly down to Moscow and get thru the last steps before coming home. The US Embassy trip is the last part. We should have a bit of time for sightseeing there and then we can’t wait to get home and join in the summer.

Saturday

Hello Everyone, We have completed the 10 business day wait, so starting Monday we can start filling out paperwork and getting her documents. This week has been pretty boring and we have been just walking out for a bit of shopping or finding resturants. We did find one new one and think maybe a Chinese one today. We will have to go back to try that one either later tonight or tomorrow.

The weather is colder and gloomy the last few days. Good for taking naps and such. It still does not get dark though. Thomas did most of the work, but we finished our 1000 piece puzzle yesterday too. :-) Apparetnly he is obsessive complusive when he gets started on a puzzle.

Anyway things will start happening in two more days and still planning to be home late on the 1st. We can't wait and are so ready to come home.