So...How Are Things REALLY?

Hello from the Hoods!

We have had such an eventful first semester of school that I do not even know where to begin. First, let me say that we are sorry for not updating everyone more. As you can imagine, we do not have a spare minute and when those infrequent times do come, we are so tired we certainly do not want to look at a computer!!

The kids are doing great! School has gone very well and our first report cards were good. Christian made all A's and Olivia made A's and B's. The reading has gone very well and we are so very proud of their progress. In August, spelling tests were such a challenge that we would spend hours every day writing 10 senetences. Now, Olivia and Christian can formulate their own ideas and sentences and Jerry and I check the grammar. We held off on any sports or activities until we knew more about how school was going to go. Now that things have gone so well, I feel sure that we will be moving in that direction. Christian's class just celebrated Christmas Around the World and his class chose Ukriane. He has the opportunity to share pictures, food, music , etc. with all of his classmates. He actually stood in front of his class and presented pictures from Ukriane. That was HUGE!!

Daniel and Vica have made HUGE progress. We have seen the most change in Daniel. He is incredibly verbal and talks ALL the TIME. He is perpetual motion-literally!! He also gets in the most trouble of the four. We work really hard on not being silly at school, but school has been a place the he loves and had thrived. Vica is no longer a baby! She has become such a little girl and is so confident. Her speech has improved considerably and talks just like any other three year old! She even has a southern drawl!!

The kids have fallen in love with football and they even go to sleep asking to watch practice film at night. Halloween was sooo much fun! Olivia was genie, Christian a ninja, Daniel was Batman, and Vica was a cheerleader!! We ate candy for a month! Thanksgiving was also great and we celebrated by having our family join us at our home for a huge meal. Christmas has been incredible so far!! We have celebrated with both sides of our families and the kids are having hte best time!! Even if Santa doesn't come, we have had a great Christmas!! The children actually knew about Christmas, and knew that it was Baby Jesus' birthday. They are so excited about Santa and we have been blessed to have an "Elf on the Shelf" living with us this year. The Elf has been a huge reinforcement for good behavior!! Our elf flies to talk to Santa every night and the family goes on a scavenger hunt every morning to see where he landed after his long flight! It has been sooo much fun!!

We had some pictures made for Christmas that I have posted so that you can see how much they have changed. Olivia has gained about 12 pounds and grown 2 inches. She has grown up in just 8 months. It is amazing! Christian has gained about 10 pounds and has the best hair ever! We love his curls! He is so smart that we really have to stay on our toes with him! Daniel has gained about 8 pounds and has grown about an inch. His left eye has straightened thanks to his new glasses! We are still working on his vision in his left eye but we believe that in the next 6 months we will see major improvements! Daniel also had 9 teeth removed this past summer which led to 2 temporary bridges. The bridges will be removed when his "big" teeth come in. Needless to say, we LOVE our dentist!! His movement has gotten so much better and he is now beginning to write his letters! We could not even hold a pencil 8 months ago! Vica is now officially a little girl! She loves to take pictures and loves football almost as much a Christian! She has maintained her weight but has grown a ton! It is amazing to look at pictures from 8 months ago and see different children.

We talk about Ukraine all the time. We speak of it fondly and have learned a lot from the kids. They tell us all the time how happy they are which makes us feel great! We are exhahusted but very happy! I am sitting here trying to blog with Christian and Vica beside me on the sofa, Daniel dancing in front of me, and Olivia entertaining her spend-the-night company. There are times that we are completely overwhelmed and then we remember how quiet our lives were 10 months ago. We are truly thankful for the chaos -including the house that is a complete disaster!!We are still trying to figure out how Santa is going to get everything done on Christmas Eve!!!

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!! Thank you again for keeping up with the Hoods!!

Merry Christmas!

Amanda

Catch-Up on the Hood's

We are sitting around the table enjoying pictures of Kylie Calame and thought that we would update the blog. Kylie, Kea and Lee prayers are answered. Get some rest. The pics on the blog are great.

From Olivia: "Bad Papa, Good Mama. I like bicyle, swing, swimming, and for Papa to get a spanking. Hello to Grandmother and Fred and Sugar. Hello to Huney and PawPaw and two keiskas. Baby Kylie and two dogs. I want to play the piano.

From Christian: Big cars, airplanes, football, lion and tiger at the zoo, power rangers, karate, guitar and drums. Adding and subtracting. Space and space ships. McDonalds.

From Daniel: Mama and Papa good. Everybody I love. Fireworks, beach, and clothes. Eating . I can eat popcorn after my teeth (come in). Later explaination. I love Huney and PawPaw. Grandmother E Fred and Sugar. Nemo. Sabbasca and Aunt Kea. Thomas {the train}. Baby Kylie.I love say blessing.Mrs. Martha,Chips, and shoppin poppin. I was on TV with PaPa. Going to Papa's School and money.

From Vica: I love Papa and Mama. Mama school, mama's. 1 and 2. Samson {fake dog} Cockit (poop) in the potty. Swimming. Soapey soapey. Clothes, big girl panties.

It has been two months since the last update. Here are some of the highlights. We have been to the beach twice. The kids have been dedicated at church. We spent our first 4th of July watching fireworks and very proud to be Americans. We have had nine teeth extracted, tonsils (4) taken out, and three ears pinned back, as well as multiple testings and placements. Olivia and Christian have learned to read in English. Daniel has had staples in the back of the head after a fall. We play on the swingset and ride bicycles everyday. We have also been to the zoo and the movies for the first time.

Mama has no patience Here she is to finish my great literary work.

Hello all! We wanted to give everyone a quick update on how things have been going.

Olivia is like a different girl. She smiles and is very affectionate. She loves to shop and had made some friends in the neighborhood. She is very anxious to start school and has been working very hard on her English. Just last night, Olivia and Christian read several stories in English. It was very exciting. She has gotten her ears pierced and had her tonsils taken out this past week, as well as had some cosmetic ear work. She is a joy and has continued to change throughout the summer. She already knew how to swim and loves the swimming pool!!! She loves to dress up to go to church and works very hard to keep her room clean. She had learned to ride her bicycle and is VERY good it now!!

Christian also had his tonsils out and had both ears worked on. He looks like a different boy. He has just discovered football and had begun telling Papa that he wants to play-we'll see. He also loves to swim and is a pro at the bicycle now. His English has progressed a little slower but he can read English and sounds out words very well. All of his doctor appointments have gone well and we hope that school is a success. I think he is very anxious but will do great!! Christian loves to watch movies and has become a very affectionate child with Mama. It has taken longer with Papa. I hope that we continue to see him emerge over the next several months. He is definitley our shyest child!

Daniel-where to bgin!! Daniel is full of personality and is so much fun. He has gotten new glasses and had 9 teeth extracted. 5 were abcessed. He is like a different child now that his teeth feel better. He will be getting a bridge ont he top and bottom in 10 days. He can not wait to eat popcarn again!! He is definitely small for his age and developmentally a little behind, but we are working on things every day. He is sleeping in his bed like a big boy and VERY excited about starting school. I think that we will see huge changes in the near future. We have already had huge successes with Daniel, like pedaling a bicycle and writing with a pencil. He can also dress himself!! None of things were even a remote thought 9 weeks ago. Daniel loves to help Papa in the yard and generally loves to work. He had a wonderful imagination and has become very independent, which is also a long way from where we started.

Vica is no longer a baby! She is now a little girl! She is officially potty trained and can dress herself in the mornings. She wants to be as big as Olivia. She loves to play dress up and play in the water. She is extremely affectionate and loves to cuddle. All of her doctor appointments have been great and we have had no surprises!! We have been talking with her about starting school in a few weeks and I think she is getting used to the idea. She loves dogs and cats and we are working with her on her numbers and colors. She makes the funniest faces and is very tough. We do not have to worry about anyone running over her at school! It is them that we have to worry about!

Anyway, that is an update on the children. We are really doing great and have not had any surprises so far (knock on wood!!) The kids are wonderful when we go shopping or out to eat. I think they will love being around the other kids in school! We have had a lot going on this summer with taking four kids to multiple doctors but we have just been trying to get it out of the way.

Thank you again to everyone who had continued to check-in on us!! We are hanging in here and loving every minute of it!!! We are very lucky to have these four children. They feel like they have been ours forever. We can not even imagine life without them!!

Amanda

A Mother's Day Update

Hello all! We are very sorry that we have not posted since getting home. It is not like we don't have anything to do!! Just wanted to update you on the latest since we have had some time to settle in. Everyone is doing great and Jerry and I never see each other! This is the biggest change that has taken the most adjustment. It isn't the four children, or the laundry, or the cooking, or the sleeplessness, it is the lack of Mama and Papa time. Jerry and I love being together so this has been a huge change for us.
The children have been adjusting well. Vica has some sleep issues that we are working through that were expected. Nothing surprsing here. Daniel has truly settled into his new life and is the funniest of all the kids! Christian is ALL boy and certainly tests the limits, but is beginning to understand expectations and boundaries. Olivia is like a totally different child. She smiles all the time. She and I have made huge strides by doing some shopping and rolling her hair. I should not be surprised. Our family has been very blessed since returning to the good ole' US of A!! Our friends, family, and community have been very generous and have helped each of the children in various ways. Thank you to all of those people that have helped with clothes, food, toys, and all of the other various assortment of gifts we have received. We feel like our gifts came home with us from Ukriane and that was certainly enough to make us happy for the rest of our lives!! We can never explain how much our community, family, and friends have meant to us through all of this. We love you and thank each one of you from the bottom of our hearts! We could not have done it without you!
There are so many stories I could tell you that would warm you heart! The children love their new cousins, grandparents, and the neighbors' children. Jerry's football boys had a swing set/tree house put in our backyard for the kids. We play on it every morning and every night!! OM guys- You are fantastic! I beleive in angels and that is exactly what you have been. The slip-and-slide is also a big hit!!! We have lots of scrapes, bumps and bruises in the first two weeks but nothing permanent. I don't think the children have ever had this much activity. One thing is for sure, they are exhausted at the end of the day!
We have begun our doctor visits-not fun!! I took Daniel and Vica last week, and there were no surprises. The things that we discussed were all things that Jerry and I were already aware of, which makes for a huge relief. This week Christian and Olivia will be going so we hope thing go well!
Today was our first day at church and, of course, Mother's Day. The children each had a card for me and some roses this morning. We spent a pretty low key day visiting with grandparents. The chidlren were very excited about going to church for the first time. They made it all of the way through big church!! Daniel fell asleep and Chrisitan and Vica left a few minutes early with Papa, but we will count it as a success. The were so precious dressed in their Sunday clothes. They were beautiful! Our church recognizes all mothers on Mother's Day. We always honor the youngest and oldest mother, and today, they recognized me specifically. They gave me a corsage and it made me cry!! When I returned to our pew, the chidlren were so proud and were grinning from ear to ear. It was a lot of fun. I think they simply honored me for being the brave soul to take on 4 new children at once:) It was a very special day for me.
The kids have been working on their English and are doing great. Olivia and I can actually almost have a conversation, supplemented by charades, of course. It is like hearing you child's first words in overdrive. We are hearing lots of new words everyday!
We have made some new discoveries. Popcorn and movies in Mama and Papa's bed are a huge hit! They are terrified of thunder and lightening. Anytime is thunders, they think we have to got to the basement, like you do for a tornado. Christian is the official weather watcher in these situations and constantly updates us on whethere things are good or bad via a thumbs up or down. We always say the blessing before every meal in English! Each of the children say their own blessing which consists of "Thank you for ..." It is really the highlight of our meals and they are very proud of themselves.
Overall things are good and changing every day. Getting to be a part of many "firsts" is a lot of fun. Jerry is a fantastic dad, as I knew he would be. It is hard to imagine life without them now (except for the laundry, three meals a day, and the staying at home because you can't take four kids anywhere by yourself!). They have been a joy and I would be rich if I had a dollar for the number of times someone has called "Mama!" in one day. And yes-Jerry and I are looking for a new car because we can not drive anywhere as a group. I sure do love my car that I have now, but I guess the family is a little more important. So bring on the "tank", or the minivan, or whatever we end up with. What a blessed problem to have!!!
Love from a new mom,
Amanda

HOME

What an incredible journey ! We finally made it back to Bham on Monday evening at 11:30 p.m. The flight began at 10:50 a.m. - Ukraine time. Our facilitator took another family with three boys and us to the airport. From there, a nine hour flight to JFK. Two hour lay over and we are on our way to Atlanta on a two and a half hour flight. The kids did great on the plane. Daniel decided that all people spoke his Russian/English language and talked a lady's ears off for the entire flight. She spoke Russian so it helped them remain interested and calm. It has been this way for the entire trip. God has always put a person in front of us that has helped with the process or entertained the children. HE is very real if we will look. George Straight has a new song, "I saw God today". Take a listen. We saw him in the faces of our children and the new friends that we made on the journey.
Another thing that Amanda and I did was to get all of the kids bage to take on the plane for small toys, etc. We have our backpacks and all four have bags. They are small enough for the kids to carry. Wrong. Papa and Mama carry all the bags and the two youngest. FUN!

Next is a three hour lay over in Atlanta. Birmingham is 2 hours away. Advice for parents from Bham - drive from ATlanta to Bham. During the lay over the kids began to show their fatigue. So I did what any good father would do. Bribed them with ice cream ! It took me two trips before we actually got ice cream. Yesterday in Ukraine - today in Atlanta airport. When your world consisted of the routine of the orphanage, this can shake anyone. Victoria (Vica) considered the entire airport her chance to play the chase me game. After ice cream it was Benadryl time. Note for adoptive parents - when flying with kids take Benadryl. We are having a good trip and then we get on the connecting flight to the Bham.

All are sleepy and the pilot announces that we will have a 35 minute delay to take some gas OUT of the plane ? Are you kidding me ? Apparently, if there is too much gas in the plane you cannot land in Bham because of the weight. It is a good thing that I didn't have ice cream or we would have been longer. One hour later we are on the way to Bham. (Reminder: Birmingham is a two hour drive). Christian begans to cry on the plane and I have to replace the man sitting in the aisle to figure out the problem. That man was very generous to give up his seat. I talk to him and cannot figure out the problem. After a few minutes, I hold him and he indicates that he has to pee. We go to the bathroom and the crying stops. It is a bad feeling not knowing what is wrong with the children because of language.

We get off of the plane and began to walk the corridor to see our immediate family. This is very surreal and exciting. The first person I see is my brother Jeff. I almost felt like crying knowing that he and Jordan wanted to be there. It is over an hour to their home in Locust Fork and it is midnight. He is a great, brother, father to three wonderful girls, and man. I love him and his entire family. Then we see all of the grandparents. Honey and Big Lee were instrumental in getting the house set up and the rooms done for the kids. Grandmother and grandmother Fred (not a typo, long story for another blog) also helped in a big way and continue to do things for us. It was great to see them all. Amanda and I love you more than words can say and know that you will get as much joy as we will from your new granchildren. P - A friend indeed.

After getting our luggage, we are off to the house. You never quite realize how much you love home until you go away for 6 or 7 weeks. We pull up in front of the house and there sits a car. It is James Willis, a young man that attends Spain Park and will play at Miss. College. Amanda and I love this boy and are very proud of the strides that he has made. James, we hope you are always in our life and will always be welcome in our home. We love you. Mr. B thanks for telling him.

Out in front is a sign welcoming the Hood's home. Kenny and Tresha, we love the sign and the help. The house looked great. We arrive inside and the kids go nuts. There are clothes, video tapes, and toys in the front room from the people at OMHS. Thanks to you all. Melissa - your generosity and leadership and appreciated. We then go upstairs and see the beautiful new rooms. All of you that helped with this, we thank you from the bottom of our heart. Aunt Deb, Jimmy, and Jenny - we are blown away by your gift of time, energy, and effort in painting, decorating, and hanging fans. You guys are awesoe. I do hope we see you more often. I do not recall every one that helped, but please know that we are grateful.

To the kitchen and there is evidence that Martha Wall has been there. Food everywhere. You are special to our family. We love you. Thank you to all that contributed to filling the cupboars. What a blessing. Randolph and board - true friends.

The kids are on overload with the toys, clothes and new rooms. The grandparents are immediately whipped. Playing and laughing with the kids. Watching Olivia model all of her clothes and smile were worth it all. Especially for her. She hasn't laughed until we got home. Now she is happy. Big Lee - Vica had you in five minutes. Christian loves his microphone and toy gun. The grandmothers were loved by all. It was a beautiful thing to see. Fred, JD, Wanda and Lee - you have made a difference in their lives already. We are blessed to have you as parents.

I go outside on the deck and some of my trees are gone and the back yard is raked. On the tree is a sign that says, "Welcome Home - From your new Big Brothers at OMHS - Coming Soon" On the sign is a picture of a playset that is being installed. Being a Head football coach is a complicated job. You are never really sure how much your players and parents care for you and your family. My players have shown my family and I incredible support and love. OMHS football players - I Love you and you have shown to be the best kind of men - warriors with heart. I am proud to be your coach. To the football parents - your prayers, e-mails, and kindness have helped us make it through. Ken and Michelle - you have big hearts, it was good to see you again and we tahnk you. Kathy, we were kept up to date with your and the others families acts of kindness. God bless you. Parents -thank you for allowing me the chance to coach your children.

We have now trying to settle in our home routine. The kids are smiling and playing. All of you have helped make a life for these four wonderful children. Vica and Daniel love the bubble bath. Olivia and Christian had a great time at practice.

We must go for now. Amanda is making breakfast and the kids are starting to play. The house seems so full of noise and energy. They all have on their pajamas and will soon have a FAMILY breakfast. God is Cool ! Got to go someone just called for PAPA. "I saw God Today"

Jerry

PS. I missed most of you that helped and supported. Please know that we thank you and love you all. Until...............

So Far, So Good...

Well- All I can say is that we are still standing! We picked up the children on the afternoon of the 22nd and are now in Kiev waiting on our visas. Once we get them, we will be heading home!! The kids are very excited about EVERYTHING! Overstimulated is an understatement. In reality, they have been doing great. They have made the most of difficult situations- driving for 10 hours in a Camry with 7 people, not eating on regular schedules, no naps, car sickness, and the list goes on and on. They are getting used to us and we are getting used to them, but it has been very good. We could not have asked for much more!

Now that the children are officially "ours", we feel a little more confortable sharing some personal insight about them. We were lucky enough to adopt 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Olivia Hope is is almost 9, Christian Ruslan is almost 8, Daniel Jackson is 4, and Victoria Faith is 3. They are all wonderful and have VERY strong personalities. Each of them is very different in their own ways. Olivia and Christian did an outstanding job in their performance on the 21st. I just cried and cried as they performed. All of their friends each stood up at the end and spoke to us as a family. They talked about how important a family is and how it is a special gift. It was one of the toughest things that I have ever sat through. Even our translator was crying!

Olivia is not so sure about me yet. She loves her papa!! She wants Jerry to help her do everything. She has been the one taking care of the other 3, and she can't quite figure out how she feels about me interrupting that. There are moments when she gets to just be a kid, like everyone else, and that is exactly the way we want it! She is very helpful with the two little ones. Christian is all boy, and can be very silly at times. We will blame that on the age! He loves to jump around, move, and play pretend karate! He is also very technology savy. It doesn't take him long to figure anything out. These two have that most challenging road ahead. They will have to work on their English, and break some habits that have been with them for years. They are good kids and are smart of enough to know what they are going to have to do. (They are not thrilled about having to learn another language to be able to talk to their parents!) The language barrier was probably my biggest underestimation. The kids get very frustrated when you don't understand them and we find ourselves getting frustrated when they don't understand why we are telling them to stop doing something. It is a true challenge and we have created signs that we use when we talk. Jerry and I have also learned a lot of Russian in the past 3 days!!

The Daniel and Victoria are great! Daniel is small for his age but is so much fun. He is very loveable in the mornings. He will tell you that he loves you and he will tell everyone when we has to go to the bathroom! He can also cry louder than anyone I have every heard. He also inconsolable. It is usually over having to go to bed, not being able to turn the lights on and off again, etc. You get the point.... He loves taking baths and that has been a huge relief for me. This was something that Daniel or Victoria had not experienced much because they had been in the orphanage most of their young life. Victoria is a MESS! She is going to be the type of girl that will steal your heart and then stomp on it! She is tough and doesn't take anything off of anyone. Baths with her have been another issue. That is an area that we are working on!! She did much better today, thank goodness. When you ask her for a kiss, she simply sticks out her cheek for you to kiss her. She is very used to being kissed by everyone at the orphanage. She has the type of cheeks that you just want to touch! Her favorite thing today was wearing Jerry's tennis shoes around the apartment. She was hysterical!

We did take the children to McDonald's today. The loved it, of course! This was the first time that I realized that we are an oddity. When we walked into McD's, everyone began staring because we had so many children. We even had people come over to talk to us about them. The children loved the french fries and the sweet and sour sauce that comes with the Chicken McNuggets. The happy meal toys were also a huge hit! Everyone wanted to keep their box, so we marched all of them out in line carrying the happy meal box with their toy in it. It made their day!!

We are glad to be back in Kiev. It feels that a semi-home. We are at least familiar with the streets and where everything is. We are hoping to get the chiildren out in the next couple of days to go see the sights before we leave!

Thank you for all of the prayers! We feel that each of you has played a part in our journey and we hope that you continue to do so. The children in the orphanage that we visited where wonderful, and Jerry and I have picked out several that we would like for people to adopt!!! They were all so precious! They deserve good homes and happy families. Thank you again for you support and interest in our journey. This is truly a life-changing experience in every way!

Amanda

GOTCHA DAY!!

April 22nd will be GOTCHA Day for the Hood family! We will celebrate it every year just like another birthday. This will be a special day for our family so, please keep us in your prayers tomorrow for the 1st annual celebration!

For our first day of celebration, we will be traveling to the captial of the region where we will apply for passports. (sounds liek fun huh?!?!) We have received some positive news about the process so keep praying!! We are hoping to travel to Kiev late tomorrow and Wednesday. Once there, we will be in a mad rush (with 4 kids) to get our embassy paperwork done and visas in hand. We can then book a flight and as the children say, "Fly to America!!!"

Our internet at our apartment is down, so the next couple of days will be scarce postings. Once we get to Kiev, we will be able to communicate with all of you again!! Please pray for safe journeys, no car sickness, and LOTS of patience!!

We are on our way to the orphanage, for the last time, to see #1 and #2 perform. They are so excited! We practiced yesterday afternoon and we all had to bow and courtsey. We had a lot of fun. It should be a very special event for us. Performances are usually held when an older child is adopted. We just dropped of our first snack for our children's friends, apples and bananas. Believe it or not, they will love them!

We are in constant prayer about what is coming next. If all goes well, we shoud be home very soon. We have been very hesitant to post pictures and the children's names until the 10 day waiting period is over. As soon as we can, we will be glad to share that with you. They all love their new names and, appropriately, Hood is the word they spelled with no help!

Thank you for the comments and please keep us in your thoughts as we begin the first steps of our journey HOME!!

Love from Mama Hood,
Amanda

The Time is Flying By!!

Well...we are still here! We are down to five days before we pick the children up. Right now, we are working on making sure everyone has enough clothes to make it home, bags to for their plane "stuff", and eating sitting down!! Rally, things are going very well. We have had some rain here so we have not been able to go outside as much. Our normal afernoon play group (mostly boys) have each come by to wave, say hello (in English!), and give Jerry their secret handshake. We found out today that one of our favorite little boys has a lady for the US here to adopt he and his brother. We were very excited!

We purchased #1 and #2 each a pair of sunglasses and now they are HOT STUFF!! We have our daily afternoon dance session, where the whole family breaks it down to "Jungle Boogie"-kids version. Of course, everyone must where their sunglasses. Today, #1 broke out the Brett Michael's rockin's out symbol with her hands. We have no idea where that came from. Let's hope she is not a future Rock of Love junkie, like her mom!

#4 was not feeling well this morning during our visit. We let the nurses know and she went back for a nap. Whatever they did, worked! This afternoon, she back for round 2, ready to go!! She said "I love you" today, which was a really big deal. She had a wonderful time with her older brothers and sisters. She has really come long way. She did not wat to leave us today. She simply sat down in the floor and when I picker her up and tried to walk into her room, she threw her foot out against the door facing. I know you don't want you child to act that way, but I was glad. She didn't want to leave us.

While #4 was not feeling well, #3 came down for a visit. We got to go outside and play on the playground. While enjoying the slide, we heard #3 begin yelling #4's name. We looked around to see #4 standing at the window waving at us. (This is while she is supposedly not feeling well!) We went over, blew kisses, and played a quick came of window hide-and-seek. It was a lot of fun. Even though the kids do not get to spend a lot time together, it was great to see how much they love each other!

We are definitely ready to begin our jouney home, although we know there is a lot to get done after we pick the children up. The orphanage has been great to us, but we are ready to get into our own routine. The children are preparing a performance for us on Monday befor we leave on Tuesday. We are taking a few bpxes of bananas and apples for snack after it is over. I am very excited to see what they have prepared. ALL of the chilren were practicing today. The orphanage was buzzing!

We really need the passport process to move quickly so that we do not get caught up in the Ukrainian holidays. If we do, we are looking well into May before we get home. :-( Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. I do not think that we can ever express how much it has meant to us. PLEASE PRAY for a QUICK passport process so that we can get home soon. There are many reasons that we need to be home, most importantly, it would be better for the children.

Love from around the world,
Amanda

Shhhh............ Amanda is in the shower and I want to post pics, don't tell her.....................................
Too late she is out of the shower and hollaring "NYET, NYET" like my youngest baby girl.
Thanks for all the post. All my boys at home get ready. Think Championship road..FINISH and BEHAVE
Word to ya muther, J

It Just Keeps Getting Better and Better...

Every day the children get better and better. The two older ones are like different people now that they know that they are going to be leaving the orphanage in 8 days!!! This morning we had some great one-on-one time with #3 and #4. #4 loved my lip gloss! We are trying to move away from black crayons!! #3 is the sweetest child ever! He will even give you his last Cheerio-that is a REALLY big deal in this family! He managed to say "I love you Big Lee" and "I love you Fred" today. Honey was a little confusing and Grandmother just completely overwhlemed him!! (Those are the grandparent names!)

#1 and #2 have made the biggest changes. My mother made some photo albums before we came of our family, our house, Sunny the cat, our schools, etc. #1 will not part with it now. Before our court date, she would not have anything to do with it! They both wrote all of their ABC's and numbers today. We are working on the verbal part. They can say most of them but need a little help here and there. They are definitley improving on writing their new names!! They really like them-I worried about that!

Today, the older two were outside with us playing. They both walked away and #2 started whispering to #1. All of the sudden, they took off and started running around picking flowers (actually, they were dandelions-in other words, weeds). Jerry and I just got to sit back and relax. After picking every flower in sight, they snuck up on us and gave Jerry and I the flowers!! They were so sweet and very proud of themselves. It think they are beginning to like us!!

Gradually, some of the other boys came over and we had a full blown block party going on. We were dribbling, kicking the soccer ball, throwing the football, etc. You name it, we were doing it! All of the kids were having so much fun. Their smiles are BEAUTIFUL and they just want to have someone to play with them and just like every other kid. We felt like we got to do that some today. I was glad that #1 and #2 did not get jealous. I really think they liked it that we were playing with their friends!

We know that some hard days may be ahead, but we sure are enjoying the ones that we are having right now! The trip is going to be CRAZY!! Everyday things get better and better. Trust is the big difference. They believe that we are not going to leave them.

Please continue to pray for swiftness (so that we can come home soon) and healthy attachment. We have several other couples here in Ukraine that we are keeping in touch with so please keep them in your prayers. They are going through the same things that we are and need your prayers and support. We talked to our Isreali friends last night and they are flying home on Wednesday! We wish them safe travels!

Love,
Amanda

Day One

We began our 10 day waiting period today. It was a great but exhausting. We tackled all four children today! Whew! Our facilitator left for Kiev today since we will not be doing anything but visiting the kids for the next 10 days. Jerry and I are back into our walking routine like we had when we were in Kiev. It is approximately a 30 minute walk from our apartment to the orphanage. We visit twice per day, which means we are walking for a total of 2 hours per day with juice, snacks, and toys in tow!

This morning we had a great time. Everyone was very CALM, which was a pleasant surprise. The oldest children, who understand what is going on, reminded me that they only have 9 days left. They are very excited and are making airplane sounds! The DVD player came in handy today as we watched a small part of the movie Cars. #2 loved it! We also had some music going. One minute everyone was calm and the next minute, we were all doing the twist! After that came Jungle Boogie! It was one of those moments! It was so much fun!Everyone went back to their group, and as Papa took #2 back, they slipped and fell. #2 bumped his head and has a big knot! Jerry feels terrible. #2 did not cry but it obviously hurt. We let the doctor look at it and he is ok. It is just a goose egg.

This afternoon was a milestone. We took all four outside to play at the same time. They all did very well and had a great time! The are very competitive for our attention. #1 really helped with #3 and #4. When #4 came to play this afternoon, she walked in wearing bright pink lipstick and green eyeshadow! I told you she was spoiled! Her caretakers had obviously been playing make-up with her! She wanted to show me and put some more lipstick on with her black crayon. All I need is a baby who likes the gothic dress!! She also used leggos to pretend like she was putting make-up on me!

We made it through day one-5 hours of playing with four children and 2 hours of walking back and forth. The more we can be with all four of them at the same time, the more manageable it gets! They all really love being together and it is obvious that it is important to them. The are very sweet to each other. If one cries, the other three run to help. Today was the first time that they let me handle a crying sibling. I picked up #3 (who was crying), and looked at the other three and told them that everything was OK. They smiled and walked away. I guess they think that I can handle it now. Before, they would have wormed their way in to make things better.

Thank you again for all of the posts! You will never know how much all of the encouragement helps. We are SOOO ready to get the chidlren home and get into OUR rountine. Any of you that know me understand that patience is not a virtue that I was blessed with. It is certainly a virtue that has been acquired through this experience. God just never stops teaching you to grow!!

Love from Ukraine,
Amanda

THE COURT RULES FOR ...

They are ours!! We now have a Hood family of 6!

What an emotional day!! There are not many days in my life that I remember being as emotional as this one. Our court hearing began at 11:30, recessed for lunch and then concluded at 4:30 today. We were asked several questions about various parts of our lives by the judge, jurors, and prosecutor. The orphanage social worker and psychologist were also asked several questions. After much tedious review and a 20 minute decision recess, the judge announced that the state of Ukraine had granted us our four children! (We knew they were already ours-they always would have been no matter what the ruling was!)

We met with #1 and #2 today after court to tell them the good news. They were very excited and are THRILLED about coming to America. #2 began clapping and smiling and #1 began thinking and asking questions. The first question was "Do you have any other children?". What a great question-we had never told them that we did not have children. We also told them that in 11 days we will arrive to pick them up and that they will stay with us forever. We will never have to kiss them and leave them at the end of the day again. Both children are excited about flying on an airplane for the first time and even mentioned that they would have to sit down and buckle their seat belts.
Amanda

God is good. If there was anyone that did not deserve this blessing, it is me. God's grace is sufficient. At the moment, I am overwhelmed that we have been granted the right to adopt these wonderful children. During the court hearing, we heard a letter that the oldest hand wrote. Between tears, I heard this: "I like them very much and I would like to have a home with them and my sister and two brothers..." . At that point, I become teary eyed and for the first time understood that the toughest of the kids may love her new parents. Later when the ruling was read, the end of a long emotional process had culminated with the words -- Approved.

We told the two older ones after the hearing. Our translator, told the oldest to come inside for some news. She asked if the news was bad. Probably due to the fact that we did not see them at the normal times and were dressed up. We told them that they would be ours for the rest of their life after 11 days. They were excited.

She did not quite understand why we had to leave. I explained to her that for the next 10 days that we have certain times that we can visit. I kissed her and hugged her. She said, "why do you kiss and hug me if you are going to leave. I explained to her that it is temporary and that once this time is finished, she can keep the clothes that we bought and be with us everyday. She said, "you mean the one's mama gave me?"

The next kiss and hug was received and returned. End of a great day
Jerry

THE PROCESS

We have had lots of questions about what happens during the process from here on. We do have a court date tomorrow! We are very excited and pray that things go well. If so, we have a mandatory 10 day waiting period that will begin on Saturday. On the eleventh day, the children will officially be ours. In the meantime, we will continue to visit at the orphanage twice per day. After the children are officially ours, we will pick them up and begin applying for birth certificates and passports. Some of this process involves traveling to the capital city of the region. We will then travel back to Kiev to have medical exams and visit the US Embassy for some final paperwork. We will be busy trying to find a flight with six open seats at the last minute (ugh!)

That is a lot of traveling for new parents with four children!! I am sure that it will be a fitting end to our adventurous journey. In the meantime, we just need to get through our court date. We are not nervous because we believe that we are meant to adopt these children. We just have to convey that to the judge!

Our Israeli friends are leaving tomorrow with their new daughter. We had the opportunity to spend some time with them tonight before they leave. Their story is very similar to ours. It is amazing how people from all over the world can meet in a strange country and and bond instantly. We learned a lot about their culture and hope that one day we will get to see them again!!

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged us!! We love reading the posts and hope that we continue to make progress. Scott- Congratualtions on your adoption from Ukraine! We would love to chat. We have A LOT in common!! We are ready to come home but know that we have a long way to go. Regardless, it is all worth it!

Amanda

Court Date

Hello from Ukraine!

We wanted to let everyone know that we anticipate our court date being this Friday (Praise the Lord!!) There are several things that have to fall into place for that to happen. We are waiting on a few key documents that will be needed for the hearing to take place. Please pray that everyting falls into place, our court date occurs on Friday and that things go smoothly. We are ready for things to progress so that we can be closer to a return date.

The children are wonderful and and Jerry and I are working on learning some Russian as I type. We had learned some Ukrianian before we left, but in our region, Russian is the dominant language. Therefore, Jerry and I will now know how to get around in several countries! We simply need to know some words so that the older two children can "get the point" when we are talking. They are doing very well and are trying to pick up some English words. They have also learned to write all of our names in English! We can also write them and they recognize whose name belongs to who. #2 became quite curious about our names this week. Instead of just being Mama and Papa, they wanted to know our actual names. We took them up on this opportunity and taught them our names in English, along with their new last name. It is a great thing that Hood is so easy to spell! They have that down pat! #3 and #4 are both picking up on some English words very quickly. It is always fun to hear them imitate us with a southern accent. We were showing them some pictures the other day, and #3 popped out the word "uncle" in true southern fashion. It sounded so out of place-it was hysterical!

All in all, things are well and we are anxious to take the next step. The children feel like ours-good and bad! We can not imagine our lives without them now. As hard as it is to be away from home, it is all worth it when they are sitting in your lap and simply kiss just because they love you.

Amanda

Lessons in Parenthood

Today I was taught a lesson in fatherhood. About halfway through the four hour morning visit, #3 had to go pee (my part of teaching English). This falls in Papa's hands. We do our business and return to play with the other five members of our family. It had to be anywhere between 20 and 30 seconds, #3 has to go again. {sidebar - papa has not covered the English word for doing poopie). He pulls down the pants and up on the pot he goes. No paper. Papa yells for wipes from Mama. A few minutes later we are washing our hands and returning to the crew. Then #2 has to go. Papa's job again.

Now some background, I have allowed the two oldest to listen to Mama and Papa's IPOD if they behave and are nice to the younger ones. #2 has an IPOD and we go to the bathroom. IPOD is attached to the pocket on the pants. Pants lowered. Ear phones fall out of ears and INTO THE TOILET. Now papa reaches to catch earphones. {At this point remember #3's adventures}
Papa pulls out headphones and they got stuck under the rim. #2 is dying laughing.
Lesson: Never get caught listening to Bon Jovi with your pants down.

Lesson #1 of many.

A thought: When you look into the eyes of the children here, you immediately realize that our lives must be lived to serve others. OM players, hug the significant male and female adult in your life and say thank you. -------------J (Hey Sela!)

Bubbles, balls, Cheerios, juice, music, yogurt, and anything with flashing lights and noise-These are a few of our favorite things!! (Kids can consume juice, Cheerios, and yogurt in massive quantities!) We are tired but are having a great time! I have never been so sore in my life! I am hurting in places that I never knew I had! Jerry and I tackled all four children yesterday and today! We would have made you proud! There are moments that we are feel like we are coralling children, but they are really doing wonderful! At least we know that we can do it. Traveling will be another issue.

We leave everyday feeling like we had some successes and discussing what we can do differently tomorrow. It gives a whole new meaning to the word TEAM. Once thing is for sure, everyone will know when the Hoods are around. We are loud, spontaneous, and big in numbers. All of the other adoptive parents are playing with their one child and they are quite and calm. And then there is the Hood family. There is no telling how it looks from the outside- to me, it is controlled chaos!! Everyday we make new discoveries and have new breakthroughs. There is no doubt in my mind that this is what Jerry and I were being prepared for. The children have wonderful personalities and each of them is very different. I feel like we are discovering a treasure every day!

We will find out about our court date tomorrow. Ukraine clebrates Easter, in addition to another holiday, the end of April and beginning of May. We REALLY do not need to get caught up in this delay. Please pray for a speedy court date!!

Love to you all!
Amanda

Ode to Many

Greetings from sunny Ukraine. I know a lot of you would like some pics on the post, however, we must wait until later in the process. We visited the orphanage today, as usual, and had a great time. It is really hard to believe that we have only known them for five days. When we get home, I will share the extraordinary feelings that you go through trying to get to know your children in this way. It will bring you to your knees. (Mostly because they don't know where to aim the ball when they throw) I wanted to stop and thank some of you for your posts. I am sure that I will leave out many, but please know that Amanda and I read them everyday. It warms our heart.

Tip of the Day for International Adopters: Your new children will learn to say Please and Thank You very quickly. Please means I get a Cherrio and Thank You means that I will get another because you crazy Americans are proud of me for saying three words.

Cara - PAP, Hang in there, you will be here at the right time.
Kea - ROL update tomorrow. Hey to Kylie
Lee - That delicious crispy smell is a little bit of Shake and a little bit of Bake
Dana - E-mail me, check with Ron or Steve
Steve - Where have you been, get back on line
Shirley - The babies will fill the house and the yard
The Bucks - You are a great example.
Mel & Jason & Grant - Go Get Them! Your friends have become our friends. We miss you
Katie - Amanda remembers and is proud that you are a teacher.
Meadowbrook Baptist - We can't wait to get home. Please block off a whole section.
Bro. Ron - Will need your help on the sidelines this fall.
Grandparents - Babuska's and Daibuska's - You will love these kids.
The Bush's - You are so sweet to my family. You encourage us with your words and actions.
Ron, Jan, Savannah - God is Cool ! next time we pray for, be specific with numbers.
Leah & Brenda - Keep Wanda calm.
June Calame aka Grandmother - Can't wait to see you.
Jeremy, Christie and Caroline - We need strategies.
The Whitfields - Your posts are so encouraging. Thanks for trying to help us. Will know more
soon.
Alpha Gam Girls - Amanda has a plan everyday. Did you guys know this before we married?
Number 1 is just like her.
Uncle John's Family - Glad that Christmas is at your house this year. Get ready Aunt Janet.
Kelley and JT - Get Martha to give you my e-mail.
Sharon - I love you. Hey to DRE
Faulkners- Keep the posts and prayers coming.
James & Suzanne - James - now I know how nervous you were when you married Amanda and
I. Suzanne - GO EAGLES! Thanks for the church update.
The Huckabees- They are a different four. Keep the faith.
Kim - Your words always touch my heart. See you on Thursdays this fall.
George, Jay,Whit, and JB - Your e-mails are very important to me . Keep them coming and keep
me up to date. I miss you guys.
OM Football Players - The coaches are reporting great things. Build the Family. FINISH. I can't
wait to see you again. Let me hear from you sometime.
Coaches - Thanks for everything that you are doing. We need to start a daycare.
Martha - Thanks for the talks. Please update babysitting license.
Randolph - Have fun at the Master's
Big Lee - One has hunter written all over him.
OM Family - You are the best.
SP Family - Glad you made it through one visit. Keep up the good work and hang in there.
Scott - Oreo's are on the agenda.
Ron G. - I know you know
Andy and Terri - Yours will be soon. Thanks for the calls. Amanda says get ready, you will be
sore.
Mark and DJ - Go dawgs!
Helena & Christy - Keep James straight.
James - We love and miss you. What did you decide? Get the grades right.
Sholmi & Nama - Our new Isreali friends - She is a beautiful princess.



I know I have missed many. Please know that Amanda and I love you and miss you.

Step-by-Step

This journey is a whirlwind!! We have loved every minute of it so far-the highs and the lows. We are waiting to find out when our court date will be. We are praying that it comes swiftly. After the court date, there is a mandatory 10 day waiting period that allows time for people to challenge the adoptions. Although we are finding our time here is very beneficial, we would like to have a court date as soon as possible. We should know something soon! This will help us know how much longer we will be here.
The great thing about the time is being able to visit and play with the children every day. Jerry and I go to the orphanage in the morning and afternoon. We are tackling two at a time right now, but tomorrow we are going to try three! Wish us luck! The time with them is critical, as they are learning who we are and we are learning the same things about them.
The children are wonderful! We have sensed some excitement, mixed with some anxiety. I would be the same way! They each have their own personality and it did not take us long to learn who was bossy, who was athletic, who is afraid of birds, and who loves Cheerios!! They also love juice! They drink it in one big gulp!
We are having breakthroughs everyday. We pray that each day we will make a little progress with each one of them. We are so very blessed. If you have ever wondered whether God was listening, the Hoods can tell you that he is. Things do not always come the way you anticipate (in our case numbers!!), but God does provide and his timing is perfect.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us and has continued to follow our wonderful journey. We could not have done this without you so many of you. The hard part is just beginning, so please keep the prayers coming! We are praying for healthy attachments, easy transitions, and low anxiety (for all of us!). We feel like our family is much larger than 6 people. We feel like each of you has been on this journey with us, every step of the way!!

Love,
Amanda

Interesting Facts

Coca-Cola in Ukraine - $1.00

Amanda's admission to every historical site in Ukraine - $50.00

Jerry's John Travolta pants - $80.00

Plane tickets home from Ukraine - $ Forget about it....

Adopting the four most precious children that we have ever seen........PRICELESS!!!

Amanda and I will petition to bring home our new children. All FOUR of them.

More to come..................................

Here Today... Gone Tomorrow

As we are waiting to begin our travel (we plan on leaving Monday), Jerry and I are trying to finish up all the sightseeing we can do in Kiev. Hopefully, the next time we return to this city, we will have children in tow. We don't anticipate we will have much time for sightseeing then. Anyway, we took the day Saturday and visited St. Micheal's Cathedral, St. Andrew's Church, and several vendors along the street. They have some cool stuff. We may have more access to internet soon. Please pray for good health. All of your prayers are being felt. We miss you. Please pray for our new friends Jason & Melonie and a quick process for them.


J&A

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR ....

you just might get it...
From Amanda....
We are sorry that we have not posted any specific information about the adoption lately. In reality, we have just been waiting for something to happen. It is a very helpless feeling. Anyway, we are reluctant to post any specific information on the blog as of now. We do want everyone to know that we have had a very good past few days.... All of the prayers have worked, more than you will ever know.... Jerry and I have some travel ahead of us the beginning of next week and we are optimistic.... At this moment, we are very happy and overwhelmed. We hope that you will continue to pray that God's hand will guide as we make some decisions. Please pray that we have the strength to follow the plan laid before us.

We will let you know more when things move forward and are more definitive. Thank you again to everyone who is following our story. Your support and prayers have definitely made this journey easier....

From Jerry::::
This is a special day. March 28th is my cousin, Teresa's, birthday. We all have joyous memories. God is in charge. As mentioned above,,,, the info that we will provide will be limited....All of the e-mails that we can remember will receive a more specific update.... Please feel free to share with anyone that may be interested....We have never been more excited and should have more info for you after the weekend....We will be traveling soon, so remember and pray for safe travel.... We miss you and please continue to comment and e-mail. Hello to all of my boys.... Whit, Jay, and George - thanks for the encouragement.... Holly, keep working the girls during 4th.... You are doing great....Later....

Patriotic War Museum

Hello from snowy Kiev!

At any point in time, it can rain, snow, or shine. It is very weird! Last night, I was reading and Jerry was doing something (I can't remember what) and our power went out. It was a real black out!! The power on our entire street went out for about 45 minutes. Luckily, we had a flashlight, but it was still creepy. Fotunately, the lights came back on so we could continue with our nightly routine.

We visited the Patriotic War Museum yesterday and we have posted a few of the pictures. Before coming to Ukraine, I knew very little about their history. This country has been at the center of some of the most horrific events you can imagine. During WWII, Ukraine was ravaged by the German army and served as a major battle ground for conflicts between Germany and Russia (Stalin and Hitler). During the earlier 1930's, collectivization farming was imposed here. The results were a dramatic famine that destroyed many families. The kids could learn so much here! Mrs. H, Coach H, Mr., W, and Coach C- I thought about ya'll the whole time. You would have loved the museum.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!!

Amanda

The Dollar is Back!

Never have we been so aware of the value of the dollar. When we arrived, we could transfer $1 for 5 grevna (Ukrainian money-spelled in English with a southern twist). Because of the US economy, the value of the dollar had dropped to $4.70 over the past several days. Today, it made a comeback!! We transferred some money at $4.90. We were getting a little worried there for a while. It really makes a big difference when you are pinching pennies!

We joined our Montgomery friends today for a visit to the Ukrainian Patriotic War museum. We got some great pictures and we will get those posted by tomorrow! They had some really incredible statues, along with the huge Motherland Statue that is the quasi-equivalent to our Statue of Liberty. It was a good day but extremely cold. We had a pretty good smow late yesterday and last night.

We are still waiting for news in an appointment. We are trying very hard to patient but certainly hope that things begin moving very soon!

Love,
Amanda

Welcome Back from Spring Break!!

Hey guys! We are still hanging out in Kiev. We are hoping that we will heae something this week. All it is is a HOPE. There is still the 45 day waiting period and we are in week 2 of the wait.

In the meantime, we have been getting around Kiev like old pros! We have also had the opportunity to spend sometime with anotehr couple who are also waiting on their next referral appointment. It is amazing that you have to go all the way to Ukriane to meet people from Montogmery. We have had a great time with them and are glad that there are some other people around to spend some time with! (Not that Jerry and I don't love being together, but it sure does break up the ole' routine!)

We got to go to church Sunday night for Easter. We attended a small Christian church and really enjoyed the service. A very nice girl sat next to us and translated everything until the sermon. The sermon was delivered in English and tranlasted into Ukrainian. It was a wonderful experience. Ukraine does not celebrate Easter the same time that we do. Their Easter will be in the next couple of weeks. This year, we will get to celebrate the occasion twice!

We hope everyone is doing well at home and that SP and OM are off to a running start after Spring Break! My thoughts go out to all of the senior teachers. . . Hang in there!!

Thank youf or your continualk prayers and support. We are beginning to get anxious about an appointment and pray that it will come soon, but most importantly, in God's time. Please pray that we will be able to move through the process quickly and that another appointment is looming!!

Amanda

Bringing a Slice of Ukraine to You!

Jerry and took yesterday (the coldest day since we have been here) at went sightseeing aound Ukraine. We set out on foot and walked down one of the main streets. Some of our favorite sights were The Golden Gate and St. Sophia's Cathedral. We also saw St. Mathew's Cathedral from a distance. We are going back to see it another day. Just a few facts:

The Golden Gate was built in the 11th century and was the triumphant entrance to Kiev. It was excavated and restored to the structure that we see now.

St. Sophia's hosts the largest set of mosaics in the world. You can still see the original frescos on the walls, while some have been restored. It is also the host to Yaroslav the Wise's sarcophagus. We were not allowed to take pictures of the inside but it is by far the oldest and one of the most amazing things we have ever seen. This cathedral was built in the 11th century and has withstood the raids of the many different countries and groups, as well as the World Wars and the Russion Civil War. Different groups have done much damage to the origianl structure but no one dared distroy it. Really amaizing!

Today is our anniversary and we are spending it Urkaininan style-in the coffee shop!! We set out to walk here and the snow had begun to fall and everything was beautifully white!!

We are still waiting to here about an appointment. Waiting patiently. . . God's time is perfect!

Thank you again for the posts! It is our favorite part of our day!

Love to you all!
J and A

Back at the Chocolate Coffee House

We wanted to let you know that we had the opportunity to meet another family from Montgomery who is here in Ukraine. They just had their referral meeting and are leaving to tomorrow to visit the orphanage. I have added their blog to our friends list on the right. Please pray that they have an safe and comfortable journey and that all turns out well!--Amanda

Sarah - Get Skype at home, Amanda says that she desperately needs to talk to you daily. You can have coffee together. Sounds like the boys are enjoying spring break.

James & Suzanne- The people of Ukraine think I am from Slapout, AL. Ukrainian with a southern twist. Yeah Baby.

Brooks. - First it is the "Big 21" not 15. Do you think I am a wimp. Those italian shiny pants are you and will be yours when I get home. They are not hemmmed. (See pics on front) We are obeying the diet, right after this cake at the coffee house. E-mail me and fill me in on the GATA week. Tell Brock that coach wants to know:"WHAT TIME IS IT?". Give Riley a big Ukrainian hug for me. Tamra, good luck putting up with Brooks all week.
Jerry

Welcome to the new neighborhood!!

Thank you for all of your posts! It is great to hear from everyone. We are now in Day 1 of waiting in Kiev. Please pray for us to find clarity in this situation and for God to show us exactly what his plan is. We have truly enjoyed our trip so far and Ukraine is a wonderful place! We simply need patience, understanding, and swiftness. We are very comfortable with the decisions that we have made since we have been here but are anxious to have the opportunity to move forward.

We have changed apartments from the first one that we lived in when we arrived. Our new apartment is in a different area and we are still finding our way around. It is about a 30 minute walk to our "old stomping grounds" which is by TGI Fridays. We are eating one big meal a day and usually snacking the rest of the time. We are certainly drinking a lot of bottled water! Jerry is completely impressed with himself on how well he is getting around. He trying to speak Ukrainian as much as possible and gets so excited when someone understands him and responds!!

We have attempted to wash our clothes. Our apartment has a washing machine and we are hanging our clothes on a clothesline to dry. You should see our apartment!!

Kea- Thanks for the Rock of Love update. We were trying to find it on the TV last night (even if they were sepaking Ukrainian! ) Jerry didn't like Krinty Jo anyway. I am routing for Ambre too! Jerry likes Daisy :) Tell Lee congrats on the big turkey! We love being able to Skype so get it set up!

Mom- I have almost read all of my books. The Darcy Daughters was very good! We are waiting on you to get to work to call you!

Holly and Carlee- I hope Sunny is madly in love with you both by now! I told you he was tempermental! The garbage is picked up on Mondays and Thursdays. They will come down the driveway and pick it up from the side of the house (as long as it is bagged!)

Ron and Steve- Download SKYPE to your computer. If you are too old to do it, Savannah can teach you both! (It is on the web.)

Shirley- We love you!

To OM and SP- Hope you are having a great Spring Break!!!! Thank you for the posts Martha! Chris and Sarah- Tell Luke and Eli to keep sending up sweet prayers!

Andy, Terri, and Jana- Thank you for the phone calls. They always come at the perfect times!

We love you all and are still working on the pictures!

Amanda

March 16th,, Back in Kiev

Dobre dien,
We are back in Kiev after our trip to visit another region of Ukraine. We will now re-focus on the next part of the journey that is to come. The course of our journey will take a different road. We believe that God has it laid out and we are just following the guide. Please be prayerful for great success in the days and weeks to come. We missed all of you via blog. We have been without connection. We are well and will check our blogs and e-mail daily. We miss you! Please continue to give us updates from home. You would not believe how excited we get to hear from you. Later.

Jerry and Amanda

A Night in Kiev

Last night, in all of the excitement, Jerry and I walked around Kiev. It is really beautiful at night! The weather has been very mild for this time of year. The sun is finally out for the first time today. There are several things that we have noticed since we have now become locals in the area-1) Everyone wears a lot of fur. The weather and style certainly fit! 2) Everyone is very skinny. There is a lot of walking here. 3) They sell alcohol out of vending machines. We kept seeing people walking up and down the street drinking beer, and realized that you can buy it out of vending machines. 4) Everyone is very friendly! We feel very safe in Kiev and people go out of their way to try to speak English so that you can understand. A lot of people speak English here. 5) Fashion is a VERY big deal here. There are a lot of high heels and very fashionable clothes!I am sure that Jerry and I are standing out like the tourists that we are!!

We have been spending a lot of time in the internet cafe. I know these people are getting tired of us and we are completely wired on coffee! Neither of us slept a wink last night. We are working on getting the pictures loaded. We are having some problems with the website right now but they will be up soon (we hope!).

We were planning to travel to the boys' town by train tonight. Our plans have changed and we will be leaving by car tomorrow. We should arrive around lunch. We do not know when we will get to meet them but we are hoping very soon!

Thank you again for all of the support and comments. I can not tell you how excited we get when we read them. It feels like we are children and are getting a letter in the mail! Do you remember how that felt?

Amanda

1, 2, .....3 children?

Well, we are here!! After a trying and exhausting journey, we are finally here. All of our bags made it, except for Jerry's. All of his clothes and our toiletries were in there. Needless, to say we are roughing it "a la natural".(Especially Jerry :)) We did not get to our apartment until late Monday afternoon because we were sitting in the airport waiting on his bag to fly in from Paris (Who knows where Paris came from!!) We ate at TGI Fridays and had to go shopping for a set of clothes for Jerry to go to our referral appointment today. Obvously, they do not make many clothes for big men in Ukraine. Everyone here is skinny! The two men that have been helping us here have been wonderful!!!! We would not have made it without them.
Now, Without further adieu.....
We had our referral appointment today. Surprisingly, we were very calm. I think it is because we really believe that things are going to work out. That is a great thing!!! When adopting siblings, it is very hard to for all of them to be young. There was one referral that really stood out- 3 boys. They were all very cute and had beautiful eyes. We have been told that their town is very beautiful. They have not been in the orphanage very long. We should be receiving our paperwork tomorrow and travel to their region tomorrow night by train. (We are praying that Jerry's luggage gets here before then!!)
This is the first good day that we have had since we left on Saturday and what a good day it has been. We are very excited to meet the boys in the next several days. The adoption process does not start until after we meet the children and are committed that this is a good fit. We are not overwhelmed but really more excited. The children are really beautiful and were described as very good and sweet boys!! Even the lady handling our case was joking about Jerry coming home with a football team. Please pray that we make a connection with the boys and that they are healthy and happy when we meet them.
God's work is very evident. The sun even came out for the first time as walked out of the building. We will try to post some pictures in the morning. We have not had ANY time for sightseeing. Things have been happening very quickly because of our late arrival. I want to thank you for the comments all of you have made on the blog. As I read them, tears came to my eyes because of how much you each mean to us and feel like you are going through this with us. Please continue to pray for us. This is the most amazing thing that I have ever been through!

Amanda

I can hear all of my coaching friends, especially Coach North, saying,"have you lost your mind?" This has been the most unbelieveable day that I have been through in quite a while. The boys on the referral are very handsome boys. I read Amanda's from above and she was relativively calm. Coach Love, can you believe that? Amanda has given you all of the details and I just wanted you to know that God is real. Most of you know that I surely do not deserve this kind of blessing. HE does bless us in HIS time, not ours. We miss you all.
Jerry
Announcement: 1. All donations for the third child should be made to .... Just Kidding.
Brooks, How is GATA week going? I know my guys are showing their toughness. Pledger, I can relate to your excitement when you found out that you and Maryann were going to have Ayden. Thanks for blogging. Reading the responses is very fun for us. Later!

Greetings from Budapest

It is 1:30 a.m. at home and we have finally made it across the ocean. We had a great flight from JFK to Budapest. I am surprised to find how much English was used. We now connect to Kiev. Maria, our new Ukrainian friend, got her flight changed and is with us in Budapest. As we walked off of the Citibank ramp, I was glad to see such a beautiful country and airport. We then walked to our Airline ticket counter, pass the Addidas and Tommy Hilfiger shops, and found our gate. I started to call all of you and wake you up. We will spare you for now. Ron, Steve,and family- thank you for the prayer, it was answered. Thank you all for the posts. We love looking at them.
Later J

The Last American Post Part II

It is Sunday morning and we are still in the US. . . I really think the whole country shut down yesterday because of some type of weather. Here is a simple breakdown of our trip thus far (We are supposed to be in Ukraine by now!):
We were delayed in Birmingham for 2 hours because Atlanta was shut down. We then barely made our connection in Atlanta to go to JFK-New York. We were literally running down the terminal!! Atlanta assured us everything was flying in and out of JFK and would definitely make our connection to get to Kiev. We board the plane, take off, and JFK shuts down. We stay on that same plane until 9:30 last night (9 1/2 hours). We stayed on the same plane so long that we had to divert to Philadelphia and refuel twice. We obviously missed our connection to Kiev. We were very concerned because the next direct flight from JFK to Kiev did not leave until Monday and our appointment in Kiev is on Tuesday. We would be cutting it close!! We land at JFK and they have rerouted us to leave JFK today at 5:00 to travel to Kiev via Budapest. We had to purchase the tickets from Budapest to Kiev. We will be world travelers before we ever get to Ukraine!

The humor in all of this is that we met a lady named Maria on the 9 1/2 flight yesterday from Kiev, Ukraine. She speaks no English. She was trying to teach us some words! That was funny!! She was supposed to connect on the same flight at JFK so we have helped her find a place to sleep and get her plane tickets rerouted. She will leaving JFK on Monday. For all of my studying of the Ukrainian language before we left, I could not remember a single work when I needed to try to talk to Maria!!! Of course, Jerry made fun of me for giving him a hard time about being a bad student!! (I will prove him wrong-eventually.) All of the hotel rooms within 45 minutes of New York were booked because of the delays. A man with a van helped get a group of us to the Holiday Inn in Plainview, NY.
So. . . here we are getting ready to meet our new friends in the lobby to travel back to JFK to try again!!

To all the Hoods (you will understand this)- The Hood patience was fantastic. Jerry really stayed calm on the 9 1/2 hour flight and while working with Maria. I think we both did a good job but he definitely gets the award for day 1!

Just a rocky start- We need to get there by Tuesday. Pray that we have a smooth travel day today!!

Amanda

The Final American Post

Well. . .It's about that time. Everything is packed and we are ready to go! This will probably be the last time we post before getting on the plane 36 hours from now. We just had dinner with some friends of ours who are going through the same process. They are the same friends that originally got us interested in Ukraine. They have been there at the beginning and end. Pretty neat huh?

We are working on getting Skype set up on our computer so that we can talk to people back here while we are away. It is free to talk from anywhere in the world. If you do not have a Skype account, simply google it and follow the directions. It is really cool! Most newer computers have microphones built in. If not, you simply buy a microphone headset and we can talk just like we do on the phone. You can also search for friends that may have a Skype account. We are on there, so let us know if you have an account. We can try to talk to some people while we are away! We will probably need a break from talking to each other! This trip has really made me brush up on some new technology tricks. It really is a lot of fun and very easy!

Jerry and I are very excited and are just ready to go. The weather is supposed to be rainy when we arrive on Sunday. We will try to blog everyone after we arrive!! Please continue praying that we receive a good referral on Tuesday. That is a big day for us!!

I look forward to bringing you news (and pictures) from Ukraine!!

Amanda

What Wonderful People!

Jerry and I want everyone to know how much we appreciate the prayers and support. We hope to be able to share this journey with you as we live it. Our hope is that you will share this blog with anyone who is considering adopting (especially from Ukraine!). As Jerry says, it is our second favorite country in the world. I want you to know how much we appreciate the support of OM and SP. You have become our families. We thank you for understanding and carrying the torch while we are away. Meadowbrook has truly become a place of comfort and growth for us. We want you to know how much we will need you in the upcoming days. Your prayers will be comforting and we can not think of a better place to raise our family. We will never be able to thank our families for all of the support they have given and being accepting of this crazy adventure. We love you and appreciate you for all of the things that you are going to do for us in the future.

God reveals himself in amazing ways. As Jerry and I sit here tonight, we are in awe of the wonderful people that are a part of our life. We are truly blessed in ways that we could have never imagined. We cannot wait for our children to meet you! We are thankful for you-We want you to know how much we appreciate your support for our family.

Only 3 more days!!
Amanda

The Week of "Lasts"

Jerry and I spent an eventful Saturday night packing all of our clothes for our "unagendad" trip to Ukraine. Can you imagine trying to pack for 8 weeks, in a country that you have never been to, during the season change, without a planned agenda, not knowing if you will have a washing machine, and taking "kid things" for who knows how many children, not mention boys or girls or ages? ( I know the commas are not right in that last sentence- The teacher part of me is worried about that!) Welcome to the world of the Hoods'!!
We went to church this morning for the last time in a while. It was wonderful to see everyone and our friend, JT gave us a few last minute suggestions. He and his wife have been through this journey twice. I can not imagine!!
We are in the moments of "lasts". Our last time at our church, our last Saturday night, our last week at work, and all of the other things that are coming this week. All of this is punctuated with the fact that this may be our last normal week as non-parents. Whoo-hoo!! Not that we don't love it being just the two of us, but we are both ready to expand the Hood family!
As Jerry sits here taking in his Sunday afternoon nap (that has immediately followed his long list of things he MUST get done), I am certainly enjoying the calmness. The weather is beautiful, which seems like such a tease, since we are headed off to weather in the 30's.
This time next week, we will be writing you from Ukraine with all the details of our journey. Please pray that we both make it over there. I may throw Jerry off the plane before we get there!! Imagine my husband, a big guy, who had the attention span of gnat, confined in a small space, in the same seat for a total trip of 18 hours. Wish me luck!
Amanda

Learning Ukrainian Words

Amanda and I completed a quick trip to Destin for a coaching/relaxation clinic. The coaches were learning more about football and the girls were getting pampered at the spa. There is something wrong with that picture! We really enjoyed the last get-away before we leave for our second favorite country, Ukraine. I am getting very excited about the journey and the possibilities. One of the fun parts of our trip was the travel down to Destin. We stopped at Steak and Shake for our usual half chocolate, half vanilla extra large milk shake. (I wonder if there are Steak and Shake's in Ukraine?)
While traveling, we put in a CD to learn Ukrainian words and phrases. Since I am a very patient person, I really enjoyed this learning process. It appealed to Amanda's teaching and learning nature. My point was that if she knew the words and we were going to be there together....... you get it. Destin is over three hours away. I learn a few words and then I drift. Amanda learns volume one of our collection. She then attempts to quiz me on the words that we have been listening to for the last 10 million miles. I learned that Tato is father and Toilete is toilet. I figured that would be a couple of great words for me to know. The rest of my answers consisted of Si... my entire Spanish language database. Truly, it was pretty cool to learn a few words.
One of my coaches could not come on the trip. John and Maryann had a new beautiful baby to care for. Ayden Alexander is quite a blessing and fun to hold. We now have many children in our coaching family. "Coachey Coach" has many friends. I know my friends realize how lucky they are to have wonderful young children.
We now have 10 days left before we leave. I can feel my anticipation rising with every day. My players have been working very hard and I am proud of them. I will miss my guys. We are busy with our jobs trying to hand off some responsibilities. Thank God that Amanda and I have great people to work with. Please keep Bro. Ron in your prayers. He is our Pastor and we love him. God is good! Until...............

Just A Little Bit Longer

We have just about gotten everything packed. We have one more weekend and that is when we will finish everything up and pack our clothes. After today, we have 12 DAYS until we fly to Ukraine! We have been so focused on when we are leaving that we forget that in approximately 18 days, we could be meeting our children. That is a pretty overwhelming thought!

I change emotions from one second to the next. One minute, I am excited and can't wait to leave. The next minute, I begin to freak out and think of all the things that I still need to get done. I guess you can equate it to getting married. You are so busy planning the wedding that you forget to realize that at the end of the day, good or bad, you will be married to the person you love. Regardless of what I do or do not get done over the course of the next 12 days, we will be leaving to meet our children. That is the important thing. Everything else will be fine. (If I sounds like I am trying to convince myself, I am!)

We are trying to enjoy our last few weekends at home. We had Mexican food today for the last in probably two months. We are counting on this trip being the best diet we have ever been on. We are going to come back from Ukraine skinny and happy!!

We will keep you posted as time gets a little closer. . . 12 days and counting!

What A Great Surprise!!

The wonderful SP faculty gave Jerry and I a surprise shower this morning. It is one of the few times in my life that I ever been truly surprised! I am very blessed to work with such a wonderful group of people. You will never know how much I admire you and appreciate everything you have done to support us as we travel down this crazy road.

We are surprisingly calm, and it seems as if there is a peace around us right now. We are certainly aware that they chaos is there, but we are just not really bothered by it. It has to be God protecting us from all of the chaos, or we are just really used to it!

Thank you again to all of the family at SP for supporting us! We love you very much!

Amanda

The Countdown Continues

We are now down to 25 days! All of my girlfriends came to town this weekend and we had such a wonderful time. It was funny to hear how our lives have changed over the past 12 years. We get together twice a year and it is funny to hear all of the updates on everyone's lives. Most of them have children and some of them are still loving the single life. Alecia and Hillary-We missed you!They came to Birmingham this time because Jerry and I are getting ready to leave. They are very precious to me and I am appreciate them leaving their families to come share this time with me. I wish everyone could have a group of friends like them. The older I get, the more I realize how rare our friendship is. "My life would be the poorer without them." I am very blessed.

Jerry and I had our last meeting this weekend and got to meet one of the men that will be helping us while in Ukraine. There was a sense of finalization after that meeting. We have just a few things left to get done. Please continue to pray for our referral on March 11th. It is really here!! 25 days and counting. . .

Amanda

So many things to do . . .

So- We are finally thinking abouit packing. Right now, that is a very overwhelming thought. Jerry and I went to Wal-Mart yesterday to buy everything we will need for two months. We pretty much got everything done in one trip. We only have a few straggling items left! We had to think about everything from washing our clothes in the sink, to possible medicines we may need, to what the children might possibly like for snack. (It is a little hard to decide when you don't know who your children are!)

We have a couple more weekends before thing start actually going into the bags. I think I will begin to feel like things are real at that point. Please start praying that we get the perfect referral on March 11th. That is the big day. We hope that the children are healthy and that we will all have an easy adjustment. We do know that it will work out as it should, but it never hurts to ask for a little help from the guy upstairs!!

Thank you to everyone who has offered to help us! We wished we knew more so that we could share this with everyone. I guess that day will come sooner than we think!


Amanda

Ukraine-Here We Come!

Finally-We received an appointment date. After much praying, paperwork, and frustration, we were notified that we have an appointment with the SDA on Tuesday, March 11th. Over the Christmas break, Jerry and I were able to book our plane tickets and get our travel itinerary ready to go. We will be leaving on March 8th from the Birmingham airport and arrive in Kiev, Ukraine via Atlanta and JFK.

Excitement and nervousness has finally set in. Jerry keeps reminding me that this is the "Super Bowl" that we have waited so long to be a part of. We have everything for the children packed and all we need to do is pack our clothes. We have two wonderful young women that will be house sitting for us. I hope Sunny the cat handles all of this alright. We are working diligently to get everything ready at work. We know that it is going to be hard on the people that we work with as they continue to do all things that we normally do, with one less person. We can never thank them enough for their sacrifice that allows us to complete this amazing journey.

There are several families in our community that are also pursuing Ukrainian adoptions. We continue to pray for them that their process will move forward quickly.

More to come shortly!!