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
Vica
Daniel
Christian
Olivia
All 4 Faces!
Christian and his curls!
Olivia is so grown!
Daniel- He is being still!
Sweet Vica!
Vica Stage 1
Vica Stage 2
Vica Stage 3
Vica Stage 4
Silly Goose!
Daniel and Vica
All Smiles!
This is Vica!!
Olivia in her beach gear
Vica shoveling sand
Christian battling the waves
Papa Juggling Daniel and Vica
Daniel
Daniel's Sand Castle
Christian
Vica's so cool!!
Olivia and Christian
Vica in the pool
Olivia and Vica
Christian playing in the rain
Birthday Power Rangers
Olivia cruising on her bicycle!!
Daniel and Vica playing in the water!!
Christian Bundled Up!
Vica and Her Cheeks
Olivia and Papa Being Cool!
Daniel Waving to Papa
An Amused and Relaxed Christian!
Olivia and Christian in OM and SP Gear!
Victoria Hiding Behind Her Banana
Daniel and the DVD Player
Olivia and Mama's I-Pod- GREAT TOY!!
Flowers for Mama
Mama- The children love the camera!!
Papa-Notice the upward angle!!
St. Andrew's Church
Murals at St. Micheal's
Murals at St. Micheal's
St. Michael's Cathedral
Kiev from St. Micheal's Cathedral
Prince Vladimir and the Glowing Cross at the Dniper River
Prince Vladimir and the Glowing Cross
Memorial to the poeple lost during the famine of the 1930's
Jerry thinking of jumping into the Dniper River!!
Domes of St. Micheal's Cathedral
Amanda at the park behind St. Micheal's Cathedral
Tunnel Statues-Famine of the early 1930's
Lunging Soldiers- Engraved Statues in the Tunnel at the Museum
The Motherland Statue (Similar to our Statue of Liberty)
Soldier Statue at the Museum
Kiev Skyline
Helicopter at the War Museum
St. Sophia's Bell Tower
Statue of the Founding of Kiev
Tree Lined Walk
Ukrainian Flag in Independence Square
Ukrainian Street Art
Yaroslav the Wise at the Golden Gate holding St. Sophia's Cathedral
St. Micheal's Cathedral
Amanda in the SNOW!!
Park in Front of The Golden Gate
Park in Kiev
Kiev University- The "Red" University
National Opera House of Ukraine
Domes of St. Sophia's
Outside of St' Sophia's Cathedral
Roaming the Streets!
Jet Lag!!!
Independence Square
Our favorite WI-FI Spot- Coffee Shop
Jerry's New Ukrainian Clothes!
Amanda's Creative Sewing
14 comments:
Thanks for the informative post! Sounds like things are progressing in the right direction. I will be without internet until Tuesday or late Monday, but will have email access through my phone. If our cable is not hooked up by Sunday and I miss the ROL finale, it will be bad news. haha.
Amanda,
I heard about your journey and wanted to let you know that I am praying for you. I read some of your blog and am just amazed at what a process this is. I look forward to seeing your children's precious faces posted there very soon!
Jaime Swindle Griffon
Y'all are just plain famous! How wonderful and what a blessing! Think about how many thousands of thousands of people are impacted by your story!! Isn't it awesome to see God in action?
Love the info- thanks for that.
I imagine there's a minivan in store for you?? How does Dodge Caravan translate into Russian? :-) Really- how are you going to travel around there after you get to leave where you are now? I'm sure you've thought of that and have a solution! Watch out Ukraine! Here come the Hoods!
Hoods,
Congratulations, what a great article in the newspaper. I'm very happy for you. Be safe over there and we are definitely praying for you, all 6 of you.
Helena and E.J.Vakakes
Coach Hood and Amanda,
You are all so blessed. I have been praying and praying for you all. I know first hand what a trial the adoption process can be! I will know in a few months if mine will take place. I know there's a light at the end of that tunnel for sure! Please let me know what I can do to help.
KC Lewis (OMHS)
Hello!
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that we at SP are so excited for you. There is excitement everywhere. Many of us heard your story yesterday and are so excited. Some of my students were asking me today about your process and how you all were doing. They were so excited for you! One even said "she shoudl get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping adopting and bringing home four!" I will be praying for your court date tomorrow, I know that God has already given you a peace and He will provide all the way through the process! BTW, thanks for sharing that with us! Is there anyway you could get a couple more children to bring home? Several have said we would adopt them! :-) Anyhow, God bless and Best Wishes tomorrow!
Rebecca S.
Read your story in the Bhm News last night. We will be praying for you. My daughter and her husband went to Ukraine to adopt two years ago, but could not find a child that fit into their family. Sounds like you have had better luck. Hope all goes well tomorrow and during the rest of your time over there.
Hello Amanda and Jerry! I went to HS with Amanda and wanted to wish you both the best. I heard about this from Deidra and cant stay away from reading your blogs. It seems as if God had this planned way before you even knew! I am so excited that you will have a large family! I wish I could find the article from the news everyone is talking about. I tried on the computer, but it might not be online? So anyway, best wishes for a speedy process to get your new family home to the US and to your family here waiting to embrace you all! God bless.
Congrats on your adoptions !! You are in our prayers and thoughts. We adopted from Ukraine in fall of 05' and also came home with four beautiful daughters. We live in trussville area. If you need any help when you get back please email or call and we will do what we can. You two are hero's. Hope the rest of your trip is smooth. I know that is easier said than done.
Jerry amd Amanda -
We read the great article in the B'ham News and have been following your progess since then. Gordon's brother's family hosted a young girl from Ukraine several summers ago and it was a great experience.
Anne and Claire have been checking in on you from BSC and Auburn. Claire is absolutely thrilled for you! Anne has done a lot of babysitting with large families and special-need situations, and she would love to help this summer while she's home. Her degree in psychology has really come in handy with some of her those jobs!
You enriched our children's lives so much through your work with cheerleading, athletics, etc. that we know you'll both be great parents. As for handling four kids, we've seen you (Amanda) handle 22 cheerleaders single-handledly and you (Jerry) handle the football team and sometimes even the entire OMHS student body at pep rallies and basketball games, so we know that you'll be just fine with ONLY four children!
Let us know if we can do anything to help on this end, and GOOD LUCK! We love the posts so keep them coming. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Gordon and Blanche McIntyre
I am so thrilled for all of you!Everyone here at SPHS is cheering you on!I know you are so nervous, anxious, excited and overjoyed at the same time Amanda! Exactly like delivery without the pain!!! :)Lucky you!I can't wait to see those precious children. I guess I need to get ready to do some monogramming over the summer! I think Backpacks would be a great place to start!
EVERYONE, PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR POSTS, there is a reason 2 have been deleted.
This process is not over, we must pray for the next 10 days, then we can rejoice. Send them an e-mail for goodness sake.
Sorry Jerry and Amanda, that's the D/S/C/ from Spiritual gifts coming out.
I love you both, praying earnestly for continued guidance and safety.
Steven
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