More Pictures and more anticipation....

Carol and Richard passed court on July 21, 2010 and they are now officially adopting their beautiful Son, Cole, and daughter Shannon. God Bless them.  I spoke to Richard briefly after their return trip home, and they graciously volunteered to take some documents to Olga for me the following Saturday, when they pick up their children.  Thanks ! Every few dollars of savings helps in this chaos. 

Richard said court was brutal, three hours of interrogations that left them feeling like they were bad parents and bad people. The female judge is every bit and worse of what they say she is.  Her disdain for Americans is very apparent, and her disdain for working women is even more apparent.

                                                                      

So here is Noah (Sasha) going for a walk in JULY, wearing a hat and sweaters. You gotta love these heat crazed people !

I try to breathe and anticipate what questions she might ask us, but its futile. I know that whatever I prepare for, she will throw a curve ball at us.

Ok..I am really going to try not to bring these photos out when my boys are 15 years old. Take a close look at Noah on the right....Do you see the Bumble from Rudolph??  Pink bonnets on Jack...hold on kids, mommy's coming !!!

Jack and Noah, actually looking like little boys, playing outdoors in shorts !!  This si a great play area. When Joe and I were there it was covered in a lot of snow !

Jack looking all serious !

Gotta Love a bonnet on a little boy in July !

Noah Laughing ...but still wearing floral jumpers.
Ah, oh well. I love this culture !

Richard and Carol DeGrace with Cole and Shannon

A Bitter Sweet Day in July

Friday July 16th appeared to be like any other ordinary day.  I would soon discover tears of Joy and heartache streaming down my face.  To begin, we had waited over 4 weeks for an updated Social Worker Certification license from the NJ Board of Social Work Examiners.  Since Golden Cradle requested thisI sent repeated emails to Monica who had Brenda Freed Mazel (the CSW) call to no avail.  The voice mail box was full, is what she kept saying.  Well, you know how that old saying goes " you want something done....". I got on my trusty computer (it hasn't let me down thus far!) and I look on the Div. of Consumer Affairs website for NJ and found the Directot J. Michael Walker and his email address for the Board of Social Work Examiners.  I sent him an email on Wednesday July 14.  Thursday I heard back from the automated email that I would get a response in 24 hours.  Well, I got a response and Michael was right on it.  I explained to him what happened with the notary on the first copy and that Russia would not accept it unless he notarized it. He quickly had a secretary call me, verify my address, sign it, seal it and notarize it and mail it to me on Friday the 16th.  Wheh !!!  The last paperwork hurdle over for now. Once that arrives I can apostille it and sent the last 3 documents to Ekat.  My paperwork was still being translated the last time I spoke to Olga, so hopefully we are well on our way. I pray !

The Bitter Sweet part was receiving an email Friday morning from Richard and Carol DeGrace of Cherry Hill, NJ.  They also are working with Frank Adoption and they have waited a grueling 13 months for their court date for their Boy and Girl, Cole and Victoria.  They are the ones that forwarned us about the space in the last name, since they already climbed the hurdle with DeGrace.  When they noticed LaMonaca and DiEduardo, they quickly warned us to make sure all of our paperwork had the space or no space, but as long as it matched the passports.  This, I am certain, saved us a tremendous amount of time and I could never thank them enough.

Carol DeGrace, My Boys and Her Daugther

Carol DeGrace & My Boys

My Big Boy Noah Walking !!

My Lap Lover Jack with his Care Taker

They asked at the orphanage if they could see my boys, and since they were also working with Frank Adoption, they brought them in for 5 minutes to allow them to send us some pictures.  WOW ! I cried like the day I left them when I saw those photos. How big they got, and to see them walking without Mama and Daddy's hands was also Bitter Sweet.

The boys are still holding onto one another.  Noah always reaching out a hand to make sure Jack is beside him.   It was such a wonderful day to see those pictures and to see how much they have grown.

That room brings back so many joyous memories, and those few photos will get me through another few months. 

That Friday was one of the best I have had so far in the waiting.  Thank you to all those wonderful parents our there who know what it is to wait and help us all get through it during these trying times.

As Jesus said in FootPrints..."It was then that I carried you..."

God Bless you Richard and Carol and your wonderful new family.

Best of Luck to you in court on July 21, 2010...I know it will be a wonderful day !!!

Entering the Fourth of July Celebration Weekend......

Well here we are entering the celebration weekend of the summer at the beach in Wildwood.  A second round of re-done docs was sent to Ekat last Friday.  The waiting game continues and now my hopes of travelling in the Fall quickly fade to..."please before Christmas".  The cruelty of the waiting game is very distressing, but I try to occupy my time and much of it is occupied with changing documents. 
The boys' room is ready to go, all the finishing touches in place, except my kids.
Every week I read another story in the paper about Russia that stops my breathe in anticipation...spys, nukes, orphans, relations, etc. --Why can't we just get along, the Cold War IS OVER people.