All Smiles from Karaganda!!

Hello Family and Friends,


Notice the pictures show Marina all smiles. We are all quite happy lately, as we will soon be on our way home. This will probably be my last posting until we return State-side.

Marina has been a real trooper. Her gums are swollen and bumpy, but she tries to be happy--and she usually pulls it off. She has learned how to pull herself up to a standing position in her crib. So, mom and I have to lower the setting so she can't fall out. It is amazing to see how far she has come in such a short time.

Our day was quite typical. We walked outside a bit, took a short trip to market, I had to go to the grocery store to pick up a few odds and ends to pack to take with to our next destination. Then, we had pizza with friends of ours. I must say that the pizza tasted great. It was the best food that we have had here. We all attacked it, closed our eyes, and imagined we were home in a pizzareia (spelling:-) Anyhoo, it tasted good :-) We are going to be sad to leave our friends, as they have been wonderful to us and we enjoy sharing time with them. But, they won't be here too long after us.

Mom has been packing and piling. I am trying to organize our suitcase, as I am determined to return home with only one suitcase. We can only carry so much!!! Tomorrow evening we want to have most all of our stuff packed away. Don't worry Lonnie, I remember that you want me to pack the one cooking pot and spatula thingy :-) That is his souvernier from over here :-)

Please continue to keep us in your prayers---that our travels will go smoothly and safely and that all appointments and paperwork will get done in a timely fashion.

lots of love--can't wait to see you all,
the three of us

Ole, Ole, Ole

Hola!

Today's pictures feature Marina doing and Ole dance of sorts.

Baba is at the crib, cause Miss marina thinks she has to learn how to stand. So, she is dictating this blog entry to me......

It won't be too long and I will be a grandma back home. I am looking forward to dressing marina in more than four outfits (hey, that is one more than we have). Also, can't wait until she can crawl on carpet with padding, these floors over here are bad for babies heads. We are still waiting for a tooth to push through. Considering how it must hurt, Marina is a real trooper. She cries and smiles at the same time--sort of like her mother. :-)--who is more anxious than me to get home now, if that is possible.

We have met a wonderful couple over here, who we have deemed as marina's aunt and uncle and we just enjoy their company so much; they are good people and have much wisdom. We will truly miss them when we leave.

Pam and I have started packing, trying to determine what to leave behind and what to take with to our next destination. Pammy keeps singing--I'm leaving on a jet plane to Marina---I have heard it about a million times.

Someone might want to check out our houses for us and get our men busy cleaning---cause after a seven week tour, we better come home to clean casas. (houses).

Counting on your prayers.....love and hugs from --

Babushka, Pammy, and baby Marina

Bad Hair Day in Kazakhstan!!

Hello All!

Notice the pictures of Marina showing off her wonderful hairdo. This is called hat-hair or just bad hair. :-) Now, we know the real reason she doesn't want to wear those hats, why just look what they do to her hair.

Mom and I are counting down. We got our tickets to fly from Karaganda today. I did an actual dance in front of the hotel and in front of a bunch of wedding guests, who were at our hotel. Mom, quite aggresively, grabbed the tickets and shoved them in her bag, in an effort to put an end to my celebratory dance. On of our friends here thought my dance quite entertaining. :-) Mom has been packing up our supplies and moving stuff from here to there, in an effort to feel like we are really packing. We still have just a couple of days for the real packing to take place. But, in does feel good to put stuff on piles. :-)

Marina is fairing well. She is teething, so she is a bit cranky. We are hoping the teeth bust through before we get out the planes. ahhhhh!!

Not too much going on today, so mom and I compiled our top ten things we can't wait to get home to:

10. Ice!!
9. Being able to drive our cars!
8. Wal-Mart, baby!
7. Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Red Robin....etc--no more beans, noodles, and rice
6. US dollars, not tenge!
5. English on TV!
4. Fresh water out of the tap....goes good on a toothbrush :-)
3. More than one room in our dwelling!
2. More than three pair of pants to wash and wear!
1. Friends and family!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers, as our time here in Kazakhstan draws to a close.

love-us

Bad Hair Day in Kazakhstan!

Hello All,

Today we celebrated because we are so close to the countdown for home!!! At the moment, mom keeps making piles for when we pack. She has a big, cheesy grin on her face! :-) Even more exciting, we got our tickets for our flight to Almaty this afternoon. I did a happy dance in front of everyone outside of the hotel, including the people who were there for a wedding. Mom grabbed them, none to lightly, out of my hands and tucked them away--thus ending my celebratory dance. (The other Americans here like my dance :-)

We just ate french fries that were cold and not quite done, but at this point--who cares!!! Mom counted down all the food we need for the remaining days. Oh, the thought of home and all of our friends and family is just wonderful!!

The pictures of Marina today feature her wonderful hat hair!! She doesn't really want to wear a hat and we have to keep one on her when we are outside. So, as soon as we come in, it is off. Here is her beautiful harido after the removal of the hat!! I should have taken a picture of her screaming, as her teeth look like they are just about ready to break the bottom gums, and she is none too happy about that. It must be bothering her because she has been cranky, she slobbers a bunch, she gnaws on everything, and her cheeks are all red. We are in trouble for the flight home!!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We hope and pray to see you all soon!

love-
us

Hangin' Around In Kazakhstan!

Hello Everyone!
TGIF--our last Friday in Karaganda! Today is passing quickly, as we have been out and about quite a bit--and have kept ourselves very entertained. Notice the pictures of Marina playing in her crib. Now, she not only knows how to sit up all by herself, which she does immediately upon waking up (lucky us), but she is learning how to pull herself up to her knees in the crib. She just thinks that is a terrific new trick, and as soon as she gets up to her knees, she yells to get our attention, so that we might appreciate her talent! :-)

Today, mom and I got to travel to market with our friends. We wanted to take one, last trip before we head home. And, we don't like to travel that far without being in a group. So, we headed off and got our shopping done. We picked up a book for Marina and a few souveniers. We also purchased Marina two outfits--we needed pants to put on her for the plane ride. Mom was so happy that the one set came with little pink booties. We keep looking for booties, but can't find any here. And, tonight we have plans to eat out at the restaurant with our friends. It is like being real-person again. :-) Although, there is very little that I really like on the menu; I think I will get french fries (big surprise) and maybe the fruit salad. Mom is hungry for spring rolls and rice, but they have been out of spring rolls lately, so she might have to settle for fries. Anyhoo, it is a night out--just not on the town. :-)
We are counting down the days until we are traveling to Almaty, as it brings us that much closer to home and all of you--our friends and family. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, and if you get a chance, drop us a line, please!!!!

hugs and kisses,
usins

Grandma Takes a Spin at the Keyboard!

Babushka says--hi you all!

Family and friends....Soooo, I am a bit thinner and a bit grayer, but I am a babushka! Marina has become the love of my life, Poppy you will understand! People tried to tell me about being a grandparent and so far, this exceeds anything that I could have imagined.

I watched Lonnie and Pammy as they bonded with this little baby girl and saw their joy and my heart felt like it would burst. Their three year journey has been so very hard. Now I watch Pammy over here, laughing, playing, teaching Marina, and just loving Marina with all that is within her, and my mother's heart just sings with praise to God for I know she has so much love to give.

Today is a very windy and chilly day, and we have been in our room most of the day. Another adopting couple, who Marina has fallen in love with, asked us to lunch in their room. They treated us to delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, yum-yum. I tried not to gobble mine down, but I think I failed because it was so good. Well, so much for manners. They chose a cute little girls who is just blooming. Loving these children just changes their lives.

We are meeting many good people, other adoptive parents, and also people from here. The people at the hotel are very good to us, and most of them know Marina and come up to say "privet" , which means Hi.

One parent left with her two boys, and that was very heart wrenching, especially since her one boy called me "gram-me-mall". What is that saying, "people come into your life for a reason, a season, and then..... someone help me I can't think of the rest of it."

Lonnie, we are working on papa, but so far we have only mastered mama and baba. Your daughter has quite the personality, you won't believe how she has grown.

Our best to you all, thank you for sharing in this journey. Help us to finish by keeping us in your thoughts and your prayers.

paka paka from
babushka, pammy and marina

Saying Good-bye to a Friend!

Hello,

Today, we are a bit sad, as our friend is going to be leaving soon. We get to be a like a little community over here, sharing such an intense emotional experience and journey. We are all going to have a little party tonight. However, we keep trying to keep in mind that she is going HOME, and we are just a bit behind her travels. And, that thought makes us very happy :-)

Our day was typical. Walks, naps, lots of feedings for Marina and diaper changes, for Marian, too. :-) Mom and I are trying to keep our strength for the marathon trip home. I think we calculated that from the time we leave Almaty until we pull into home, it should be almost 30 straight hours of traveling. UGH!

Well, this is brief for the day, because we just finished feeding Marina and are heading down to the party. Please keep us in your prayers, that our health with hold and that the time will pass quickly.

Love to all of you,
us

I Can Sit All By Myself!!

Okay, Okay.....

The title refers to Marina, as Mom and I can already sit by ourselves and we consider that not too impressive on our accounts. But, Miss Marina learned to pull herself up to the sitting position all by herself today!! Mom and I started cheering and clapping and she sat there and proud as pie!!! I even called my dad and he was all proud and I left a message for daddy on the answering machine--I thought it would be a nice surprise when he got home from work.

Notice the pictures today--Mom tried the hat/hanky she picked out for Marina today because it has been very hot and she doesn't sweat so bad in it. Doesn't she just look too cute. :-) The one of Marina and me is taken in front of a yurt, a traditional dwelling of kaz. It is in the hotel gardens. The ones of M in the stroller are her just entertaining and putting on for the camera, she likes to ham it up!!!

Today was typical. Mom and I went to breakfast. Mom thought to take the ketchup to breakfast for her omlette.....she was so happy to have thought of it, as she said it was yummy. Then, we did our walks today. And, I got to go to market today and I got to go to the BIG market----I was so happy to get out. I bought 7 large containers of water and everyone was laughing at me, including the cashier when I told her I had seven bottles (well actually, sem--seven in Russian). I found some cookies called Dominos, for mom, they looked like Oreos, so I thought she might like them. She tried them after supper and decided that they are pretty good, she had seconds (something that doesn't happen too often over here).

Our friend, Ceil, is preparing to leave very soon. We are excited for her, but anxious to get home ourselves. Mom is counting down the days, and was very excited to check off another day this evening.

Well, that is about all for now. We are tired and have a bit of time to play with Marina before it is time to put her to bed.

love to all,
Us

Off To the Races!

Hello,

The featured pictures for the day include one of Marina learning how to sit in her crib. One of the three of us in the park with the turtles. Notice, the matriarch of the group is on the wise, old turtle, I am on the medium turtle (I guess in wisdom and age), and Marina is beside the itsy-bitsy turtle. Also, the ones of Mom and Marina on the horse have been what she is waiting for. Ever since the first day we walked in the park, mom has been waiting to climb up there and get a picture with Marina.

Today was typical for us. We spent about an hour in a gazebo in the garden. It was very hot today and there was a nice breeze going through the gazebo. Marina napped, so we rested. Then, this afternoon, all of our adoption community got together and we went for a walk in the park. Marina has decided that she would rather chew on her hat than wear it. However, that doesn't sit well over here, since not wearing a hat is NOT acceptable. So, mommy, being ever so clever, gave her a water bottle as a diversionary tactic. And, it worked like a charm. The hat stayed in place, completely out of mind. However, Miss Marina discovered that she would rather throw the bottle on the ground and let mommy pick it up rather than just play with it. And, mommy played this game for at least 10 tosses. Then, mommy got well, not smart, but ticked, and kicked the bottle down the parkway. Grandma and her friend thought that was quite entertaining. :-)

Not too much else going on over here. Mom and I started going through our food stash and giving some away. We have counted down the days we need stuff for and are getting this ready for travel. We are litterally counting down every day and hour!!! Please continue to keep us in your prayers--that we may soon return to our homes and all of you in a quick and safe manner.

lost of love,
US

Along For the Ride in Kazakhstan!

Hi,

So, my title today is paired with the picture of M(my nickname for Marina). The one with her in the walker. Doesn't she look like she is on a Hersheypark ride!! :-) She was having a terrific time motoring around in her walker.....she is into everything!

Interesting story for the day: I woke up and took care of the morning rituals...changing, feeding, bathing, dressing M. Then, it is grandma and mom's turn to get ready. So mom was all ready and I was trying to blow dry my hair. Now, you might recall the adventures we have been having with the hair dryer. Mom pitched a fit the one day it wouldn't work. We reported it not working on three separate occaisions. One of those occaisions led to her being practically proposed to by Mr. Electrician guy.... Anyhoo, I digress.....today I was attempting to blow dry my hair and it wasn't working properly. So, remembering Mr. Electrician's gesture to push, hard on the button, I did so. It worked at times and then it started to smell hot. I called mom over to sniff out the appliance. Side note: for the following you must remember who I am married to---mr. inquisitive/fix-it, thus, I pushed really hard on the button to see what it would do. Well, it made a really loud noise, really loud (it hurt both of our ears), blew up and flames shot out of it. I screamed, not typical of my better-half, and threw it in the sink. Then mom yelled, "why did you throw it in the sink, there is water." To which I replied, "there were flames and I thought I would contain them in the sink bowl." Rather rational thought process, I thought. After we realized we were not going to burn down the hotel we thought it quite funny. That was until we walked out into our room and discovered that the TV, fridge, hot plate...well everything that plugged into an outlet didn't work. Oh NOOOOO! Then I trekked down to the front desk to relay this information, only to discover that the receptionist spoke very little English. So, I did my best with broken Russian, English and very detailed and elegant charades to convey my problem. Rest easy, our stuff works and Mr. Electrician replaced our hair dryer. However, he wasn't as nice to mom on this visit. :-)

So, that was the highlight of our day. We also went for a walk to market with our friends here. And, of course, mom stopped for her ice cream on the way back. She was kissing it, sorry
dad :-)

Not too much else to report. We are counting down the days to food, friends, and family (not necessarily in that order :-) It is time for me to go. Mom and I are going to have some popcorn (UMMMMM) and watch a movie.

much love,
all of us

Being Cute Is Just Such Hard Work!!!

Hello All,

Today's blog features pictures of Miss Marina all dressed up. Mom and I have a little too much time on our hands over here..... We were sitting around, being bored, and we thought, what can we do? We know--let's dress Marina up and take pictures. We thought it would be cute and fun. However, Marina did not agree with us. She thought it was very taxing and hand melt-downs in between every wardrobe change. :-) But, aren't the pictures cute!!!

Currently, mom is working on putting Marina to bed. Mom's theory is make the crib and bedtime a happy place and experience. So, let me paint you the picture..... We change Marina's diaper, get her dressed for bed, and put her in the crib. Mom starts with toys, to make it extra happy. Then, she removes the toys, after a bit, "to reduce stimulation". Then, she talks to Marina and plays with Marina in an effort to wear her down, so that she may very peacefully drift off to happy dreamland. After about 45 minutes, mom has now changed Marina again, for bed, and is still wearing her down.....it is like a war of attrition. I must inform you that Marina looks no worse for the wearing down, then she did 45 minutes ago. But, mom says, hey, she isn't crying!!! At the moment, Marina is talking and blowing rasperberries......clearly a sign of a very tired little girl :-)

Our day wasn't too far from normal. We walked in the park and then walked in the hotel garden. We tried a new food item off the hotel menu. Stewed vegetables. We didn't really know what we were going to get. Mom and I thought we would celebrate Friday by going to the restaurant instead of ordering in, but Marina had other plans. She was tired and cranky, so we didn't want to chance that in the restaurant. So, we ordered the stewed vegetables, which were quite good, rice, and you'll never guess......french fries (which we add a ton of Heinz Ketchup to)

Well, that is about all for today. We are really going stir crazy and can't wait to come home. Please pray that all the paperwork will be done on time and that we will have safe travels.

lots of love,
all of us

Booty-liscious :-)

Hello All,

Notice our title today. Thought it was very creative and funny. (Hey, we are operating on very little food over here, mom couldn't even spell boot---her version-bott. ) Allow me to explain our most catchy title. We set off on an adventure to find Marina very cute booties to wear. And, what did we spy, but only pair, the pair she is modeling on the pictures. Are they very beautiful....nice and orange (Uncle Kerry will like them), and they have funky pictures on them. Mom and I are so embarassed to have to dress her so rag-tag. We were just commenting again today that we can't wait to get her home to dress her like a little girl. :-)

Anyway, not too much going on today. We have been spending lots of time playing with Marina. She laughs out loud a lot and talks a great deal. And, I am proud to say that she says mom mom mom and baba baba baba. We went to the market to exchange money for our tickets from Karaganda to Almaty (Halleluja---we hear music in the background and singing...:-)
We took our friends who recently arrived so that they could get their mini-kitchen set up in their room, and another friend who has been here for awhile went with. It was great to get out. As usual, Marina loved the adventure.

Our newest food discovery is fruit salad. At first, we were reluctant to try it. But when you are hungry enough you throw caution, common sense, and all mental activity to the wind. It was great. It is a mixture of yogurt, kiwi, bananas, orange, apples, and grapes. Mom and I scarfed it up, along with our side of fries, of course :-)

Not too much else to report. We are planning on watching a movie later tonight and resting--that is our favorite hobby.

Please continue to keep the comments coming, they brighten our day, especially in the home stretch. And, please continue to hold us up in prayer. We can't wait to be reunited with you all.

lots of love and slobbery kisses,
the love from mom and me, the slobbery kisses from Marina

Walkin' In Squares!

Hola!

So, see the title....that is our life at the moment. The weather is still chilly, so we can't take Marina outside. Thus, we walk around the second floor of the hotel for about an hour and a half at a time, twice a day, and guess what shape it is???!!! However, I am glad to get out of the room and stretch my legs. I do have to tell you that after about an hour Marina gets a bit heavy....she is not exactly light. :-)

Funny story for the day involves Mom, of course. Let me preface the story with the information that before we traveled, we were informed to remove any diamonds or expensive jewelry. Thus, mom removed her wedding band, as I did. However, I went to Kohls and purchased a ten dollar sterling silver band to wear. I kept asking mom if she wanted me to buy her one too. She kept insisting that it was not necessary. I kept advising that I thought it would be a good idea. Back to the story. Our hairdryer has been on the blitz for a few days. And, when it is on the blitz, so is mom. We were told the elecrician would be up to fix it. So, today, who appears, but the electrician. He is an older gentleman and apparently has developed quite an eye for mom. He came in to look at the dryer and showed mom that you must press the button really hard. He grabbed her hand and showed her. Then, she made the universal sign for muscles...... at which point, he grabbed her hand and pointed at the absence of a wedding band. He kept going on in Russian and the maid pulled him out of our room. Not the end of the story. Then, we are walking Marina in the afternoon, and who do we spy, but Mr. Electrician. And, what does he do, why he points to his ring finger and at mom and shakes his head. I found the entire thing to be quite amusing. :-)

Other than that, our day has been uneventful. Last night we ordered french fries, we order them just about every night because they taste like home. These were thin cut and if you closed your eyes, you could imagine you were eating at McD's. That is exactly what we did.

Well, Marina is tired and fighting sleep as always. Every single kid from the orphanage fights sleep. It is a real battle to get her to go down. However, once she is down, she usually sleeps through the night or takes a decent nap. Her gums are getting white on the bottom and swollen, so we think that the teething thing has something to do wiht her cranky fits as well.

Well, our french fries just arrived, but they are not the good, skinny, McD-like ones, but we will ravish them all the same.

Miss you all. Love
the three of us

Happy 8 Months Birthday, Marina!!

Hi!

Another day in and closer to home!! Yippee skippee. We had a very busy and eventful day. Let's see where to begin.....It was chilly out today, so we stayed inside all day. That usually makes for a very long day, but not with all of our adventures.

First, Mom and I were walking around the hotel with Ceil and her two boys. I had Marina in the snugli and we were talking and walking. Then, out of the blue, some wierd guy started talking to me......I'll fill you all in on the details at a later date.

Then, our frieds from our agency arrived. They are very nice and we are so glad to finally get to meet them, as we have been in touch via email for awhile. We spent time talking with them and getting their Internet up and running and showing them the ropes of the hotel.

Then, I got some interesting emails to respond to....so I have been very busy and am tired. BUT, the BIG event of the day was Marina's 8 month celebration. For this huge event, mom made a wonderful paper-plate sign and for a gift we gave her a Pringles chip lid to play with, she loved it. See pictures above. :-) See how resourceful and creative we are in Kazakhstan :-)

Well, mom is reading and I would like to rest and do the same. So, until tomorrow---be safe, be well, be loved!! ( I am turning into quite the philosopher over here....NOT)

love,
us

Home Is Where Our Hearts Are!!

Greetings,
Another day in, only about two and a half weeks to go.....not that we are counting or that mom has a daily count down....or anything. Every day mom can't wait until bed-time to x-off another day. Then, as we were walking today, she realized she was 2 days off, so we are actually two days closer to home than she thought....she actually did a jig as we were walking--for real!! :-)

It was very chilly outside today, so we did not take Marina out. Rather, we put her in a snugli and did many laps around the hotel halls. I got to go to market today.....it was a highlight for sure. I must have walked around the small building five times---just because it was a bit different than my usual surroundings. I was thrilled when I found Heinz ketchup to put on my french fries that we order from the hotel. Mom and I ordered some tonight and savored the ketchup. I also purchased some M&M's--mom has been hooked on those lately. I can't wait to get home and go to Wal-Mart!!!

Notice the crazy pictures today. Mom discovered how to take pictures without looking through the frame...so she just holds it up in front of her and snaps away.....it passed about a whole 5 minutes. Lonnie told me this morning that Hootch brings my sneakers and shoes out to him every morning when he eats breakfast....I really miss my doggies. Every time I see a stray over here I almost break into tears.....lack of nutrition and sound sleep will do that to you.

Well, not too much else to report for the day. We are literally counting down the days until we get home to loved ones. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, and for safe travels home when the date arrives.

Much love,
US

Aroiund the Globe for 7 Weeks

Hello All,
I hope that this update finds you all, our friends and family, doing well. We are all holding our own over here. Today was a typical day for us. Not too much out of the ordinary, but we did have an exciting night last night--allow me to explain.

So, let me set the stage. Marina was sleeping, peacefully, and mom and I were watching a murder mystery on dvd. We were settled in for the night and pooped. About 20 minutes into the movie, we heard someone rattle our door handle. Mom was like, "I am sure that it was the door outside of ours...no big deal." So, we settle back into our movie. As the plot thickens, in the movie, we hear our door handle rattle again. Okay, definitely not able to excuse this one. :-) Thus, mom, being the matriarch of our little klan over here, got up, got brave and barracaded the door with a little table, a drying rack, Marina's walker, and a chair. Then, she got the container of cooking utensils, which includes the weapons of spoons, forks, a spatula, and a paring knife and pair of scissors, and put that near her bed. Her escape plan was that she was going to lower both Marina and me out the window, from the 3rd floor, mind you. And how, you ask, was she going to do that, why knot the bedding together, of course! :-) Anyhoo, I was too tired to stay guard, so mom stayed up awhile and then exhaustion took over and we both slept, but not well. And, when morning arrived, we were safe and had a funny story to tell. We think that it was either kids going around and rattling knobs, there was a big wedding party here, or other people making jokes, as it is really rowdy over here on the weekends.

So, our day pales in comparison to our life, the continuting novel/saga. :-) Mom was playing with Marina this morning, after she ate. I warned her that she was going to get puked on, but what do I know. And about 1.2 seconds after I said that, Marina puked a nice stream all over Grandma, including her hair. I got a really good laugh out of that one. Other than that, our day was pretty average. We keep walking to pass the time. Oh, this morning as mom was giving Marina breakfast, she noticed that her gums on the bottom are all white. We think that her bottom two teeth are beginning to push through, but we'll have to keep you updated on that development. :-) (hey, it is big news for us over here.)

Notice the pictures I posted today. Specifically, the one with me pointing is the leap frog globe. Notice that I am pointing to NORTH AMERICA!!!! I keep telling Marina that we will be going there, but not soon enough.

Well, that is about it for today. Mom is down helping Celia, I think, as she has been gone for over half of an hour and that is the direction she was headed. Marina just went to sleep without too much of a fuss and crying. I walked the crib, which is on wheels, around the room and then wore a hole in the floor pushing it back and forth. But, she is down for the count, and without a major melt-down. Yeah, mommy!!!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers, as it looks like we will be here for the full time of our trip. I don't think we are going to get to leave early, not even a few days. I guess there is a holiday during our time in Almaty and that will slow us down. We keep praying that we will travel in God's time..... a lesson that has been long and tough these past few years.

Lots of love,
Us