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
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
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....
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....
Thursday, March 27, 2008
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
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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
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
Monday, March 24, 2008
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
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
Thursday, March 20, 2008
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
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
Monday, March 17, 2008
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
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
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
Sunday, March 16, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
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
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
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
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
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
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
Thursday, March 6, 2008
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
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
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
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
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
Sunday, March 2, 2008
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
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
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