The Reason You Don't Have A Christmas Card From Us

I just had my sixth cup of coffee for the day...and it's 9:40...in the evening! The adrenaline from our homecoming has officially worn off (not bad - it lasted for several weeks), and I have resorted to caffeinated substances (and a short nap) to get me through the day. :) Our days are tiring, but the disjointed nights are taking a toll; the little man likes to wake around 12 and 4 every night. That and I feel like I sleep with one eye open and one ear tuned to the baby monitor that glows on our night stand.

So...just what have we been up to in the weeks since our return on November 27? We:
- Unpacked from our 6 week jaunt around the world
- Reacclimated to our time and culture (the time change was easy...but the excess and ease of life that we have continue to boggle our minds)
- Introduced Asher to family and friends
- Started back to work (tutoring some and Florida Virtual) 3 days after our return
- Had family visit for four days
- Bought dining room chairs in Jacksonville (so exciting! We have had a beautiful dining room table since May that we have not sat at!)
- Hosted a family dinner for Derick's birthday...five days after our return
- Hosted a Welcome Home party for Asher...eleven days after our return
- Created two different slide shows of pictures from our journey to Asher (one is long and the other is really long :) )
- Battled a mean cold (Derick and Asher)
- Decorated for Christmas...sort of (I put the Christmas tree up and put the lights on...the ornaments still sit snugly in their box next to the tree...that is okay - the lights were always my favorite part anyways). Derick also put outside lights up for the first time in our married life; I love them! :)
- Braved the mall to go Christmas shopping (my first time at the mall without looking at the other mothers and wondering "what would it be like if...")
- Completed our first post-placement report detailing Asher's first month as a Wyss
- Raked the yard and planted some trees
- Became official holders of the Sam's Club silver and blue card (diapers and formula add up!)
- Had our first "professional" family picture
- Best of all, grew in our love and bond with our precious boy

In that same time, Asher:
- Got another tooth!
- Went to the pediatrician's for the first time
- Was diagnosed with a sinus infection
- Had a cold
- Met more than 40 people who already love him
- Met his puppies
- Went shopping
- Went to Starbuck's (more than once)
- Gained 3 pounds
- Decided that being held is preferable to sitting on the floor
- Grew more hair
- Learned how to pull up
- Celebrated his 11 month birthday
- Became a pro at standing (while holding on)
- Learned how to get small pieces of food from his tray to his mouth
- Had a million pictures taken
- Added "ooba, mamamamama, kkkkch, and agaa" (and other sounds) to his vocabulary
- Learned just how to melt in our arms and fit his head perfectly in the crook of our necks

I know it is not good to make excuses, but do you see why I haven't sent out Christmas cards? Just imagine these pics on the front of your card :)




I hope to write again before Christmas, but just in case (seven cups of coffee might be pushing it)...Merry Christmas to our dear friends and family!! May your day be joyous as you celebrate the amazing gift of Christ.

Asher Makes New Friends

The second most common series of questions that we get since our return home is: How does Asher like the dogs? How do the dogs like him?

Check out the slideshow below to see what Asher thinks of his furry friends (and to see what they think of him). :) It helps that Asher doesn't mind a spit bath.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Family Anniversary

One month ago today, we woke up in Semey to a perfectly pristine layer of snow that made all that was gray the day before sparkle. We also woke up to an inbox full of notes of encouragement and joy. One month ago today, a rotund Russian woman handed down a decision that forever changed our lives. We went to sleep that night knowing that although we were parents on paper, the next day when we would pick Asher up from the Baby House would mark the true beginning of our experience as mama and daddy.

It is hard to remember before - that is before we held Asher, heard his laugh, and gazed into his sparkling eyes. We're not sure if it is the pure joy and delight or the whirlwind that we have been living in since...September, but our memory seems hazy when it comes to recollecting our lives before Asher. There is after court, after the apartment in Semey, after that unforgettable flight from Semey, after our 10 day stay in Almaty, after our first week home, after Asher's welcome home party...and now. I hear Asher in the bathtub, splashing and vocalizing his great joy, and I hear my wonderful husband blowing raspberries with our son. The tinkling of his bedtime music plays over the intercom, and all seems right in our little corner of the world.

It is hard to believe that a month has already gone by, and yet, it feels like our little man has been a part of our family forever.

p.s. We have some great pictures and video to share as well as riveting reflections to record, but we decided that today would just be about celebrating our family's anniversary. Thank you for rejoicing with us.

Asher Checking In

Mama and Daddy are extra tired today so I thought I'd help them out by posting this morning to tell you that we made it safe and sound. We are finally home; they kept telling me about this "home" place...so far it's living up to everything they said. When we got here, there were decorations courtesy of mama and daddy's friends, Erica and Josh, outside welcoming us. I loved the balloons and streamers!


When we stepped inside, I saw flowers, balloons, presents, fresh fruit in a bowl, and yummy food in the refrigerator. Mama kept saying how wonderful everything was; she especially appreciated the floor to ceiling cleaning (she was pretty sure she left the house a wreck when they left to come get me). My grammy and great-grandma were very busy preparing for our homecoming. It made mama and daddy happy and feel so special so it made me happy too.

I had a pretty big day. It felt like it was 36 hours long. We began our travels when we left the hotel at 1:30 a.m. There was some trouble at the airport when we checked in, which frazzled mama and daddy and Joanie and Jayne. Finally the problem got worked out after an hour and a half. We thought we were in the clear until we went through passport control. This frowny-faced lady dressed in green asked for our immigration cards, and my daddy patted his jacket pocket, then his pants pocket, then he ran his fingers through his hair, and began freaking out. I guess the cards got packed into the suitcases...that were already loaded onto the plane! Mama ran like a wild woman to the counter to beg the ladies in blue to retrieve their bags; these ladies were not happy about it, but they did it. Suddenly Daddy was running like a madman and disappeared for awhile. He told me later that he had to go up into the plane with a man who only spoke Russian and who also was not happy about our little problem. Daddy said it was stressful to be under and in the plane and be able to hear people boarding at the same time; he kept checking his watch to see if we would have time to go through passport control and security. It all worked out, but for a little bit, it was looking like we might spend a few more days in Almaty . (Later my daddy whispered to me that it was an even closer call...he almost threw those little white papers away the day before when he was packing!)

I was a very good boy on both flights. I think that I might have a magical power to make people disappear. On both flights, the person sitting next to us mysteriously disappeared before take-off. So I sat in a seat like a big boy, and I also slept in the aircrib. In this picture, I was taking a break from sleeping to provide some comic relief to everyone around me. All the girls flirted with me...who am I kidding? I flirted with them too!

When we arrived in Orlando, my daddy fell down and kissed the ground! Sometimes I think he is a strange fella, but he makes me laugh. We went through customs, and I became a U.S. citizen! My mama couldn't take any pictures...something about following the rules or something. The customs officers were very nice and smiled at me...I think I'm really going to like this place (even if one of them did think I was a girl!). They said I should get my certificate of citizenship within a couple of weeks, but it is official now. Even though it was very exciting, I was pretty tired from all of the traveling so I just didn't want to smile for the picture.

I met my grammy, my poppy, my aunt, and my cousin last night too. They think I am pretty terrific, and they love my smile and the funny faces that I make (they kept telling me this - that's how I know. I might be able to type, but I am not a mind reader!). I love this thing called "family."

I also rode in a car seat for the first time. I'm not a big fan at all. It was much more fun to ride in my parent's arms, but they say it's the law so I guess I'll have to get used to it. We finally got to this place called "home" a little after midnight, which felt like 11 o'clock in the morning to me. I went to bed at 2:30, then I woke up at 5:30 - I had a great nap. :)

My mama is calling me and she is holding my bottle. Once the day stops feeling like night, mama says she is going to write more. For now, it feels so good to be home.

Wub you,
Asher

p.s. Today is a big day too! I'm going to Starbucks, and I get to meet these furry things that mama calls puppies. I'll let you know what I think of them later.

Leaving the Kaz-bah

On this, our last night in Kazakhstan, it seems like we should write something profound, but the only thing that is running through my mind is "woohoo!!" I know...not what you expect from the class nerd. :) Today marks day 39 away from home.

We leave for the airport in three hours and have opted to forgo sleep tonight...maybe we've lost some of our sanity? I guess that we are hoping that adrenaline and unadulterated excitement gets us through our long day tomorrow. We'll let you know how it goes. Crystal, Jayne's friend that visited earlier in the trip, said that the jet lag felt a great deal like being hit by a mack truck. Fantastic! Really I must be hyped up on joy - who says "fantastic" about the inevitable fatigue, lethargy, and general mental haze inherent in jet lag? Someone who is very excited about home - that's who!

Tonight at dinner, we talked about some of the things that we are most excited for. Here is our partial list:
1. Being reunited with loved ones
2. Witnessing our son become an official U.S. citizen (it happens the moment we go through customs in the airport)
3. Introducing our little man to all of you
4. Seeing Joe, Pete, and Roy, our yellow labs (will they remember us? will they forgive us for being gone so long? will they just love Asher?)
5. Wearing clothes that have been dried in a dryer (there is something about the cardboard texture that our clothes have taken on that leaves something to be desired)
6. Wearing clothes that are machine washed (the liquid detergent has been tough on my hands, and leaning over the bath tub has been hard on my back)
7. Being able to understand others and communicate effectively (we are so ready to abandon our caveman-like gesturing!)
8. Using the telephone without dialing several access codes and without that tinny echo echo echo
9. Being warm (I wore two layers of everything to bed last night)
10. Taking a shower without having to bathe in standing water (Derick has been looking forward to this since day 2!)
11. Sleeping in our king-size bed
12. Going grocery shopping
13. Eating our favorite foods
14. Driving
15. Sipping a Peppermint Mocha from Starbuck's
16. Being able to read labels on Asher's food and formula
17. Having high-speed internet
18. Getting caught up on our blog posts and journaling
19. Breathing clean air - smokeless and smogless
20. Being home

Don't get us wrong - our time here has been wonderful, but we are ready and filled with excitement to be home. Upon our arrival, we are sure to realize even more that we have missed; we imagine we will also realize what we miss from Kazakhstan too.

Our thanks and love to you for journeying half way around the world with us.

Our Personal Stonehenge

When we named the chronicle of our journey “Our Ebenezer Stones,” we chose it because we wanted to always remember what God had taught us in our journey to become a family of three. At the time, we didn’t know how significant that phrase would be or what an encouragement it would be to us in some of the difficult and uncertain times that lay ahead of us. It might be a logical fallacy, but we know it to be true: If God has been with us, He will continue to be with us, and it follows that with Him, we can get through all things (an important reminder when learning how to parent…let alone learning to parent isolated in a foreign country!)

Today, we want to raise many stones in remembrance of the ways that the LORD has been with us. Each stone has shown us that “The LORD is gracious and compassionate...and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” – Psalm 145:8-9

Some of these “stones” are more than a year old, and some represent God’s great compassion within the last couple of weeks. I apologize in advance; brevity is not my strength. :) I wanted to preserve the details so that we will always remember and so that Asher will one day know that God had a wonderful plan for his life and that He is intimately involved in every detail.

1. So That Our Decision Was Without Doubt
Last November, when we were contemplating adoption, I made an embarrassing mistake due to unusual circumstances. I received flowers one day announcing a friend’s pregnancy – but because the card was signed with only a first name, I mixed up which friend was expecting. I sent a congratulations note to the wrong woman – much to my mortification. For this particular friend, there was much to celebrate as their conception would be considered by doctors a “medical miracle.” Days later, I received a call from the other friend with the same name. She subtly asked if I had received something…my mind became frantic! What had I done?? Even though it was mortifying to make the apology phone call to my other friend, I saw in hindsight that this mix-up was for our good. Receiving news of a very good friend’s pregnancy (we had celebrated 24 births with friends through the time that we were trying to conceive) while we were contemplating adoption could have made us doubt the stirring in our hearts and made us think that we were acting from our own impatience; we didn’t get her phone call until after we had officially made our decision to build our family through adoption! We felt protected in this and grateful for my snafu as our decision was totally ours and from the LORD, without any doubt. Knowing that we had been called to adoption rather than working from our own strength and devices has proven significant to us when things were challenging.
2. Questions and Answers in Surprising Places
Two weeks after my mix-up, I was struggling a bit with different issues and questions. The questions that plagued my mind were: Would this child be able to love us? Would we be enough for him or her? How would God make a family out of us? One night at bible study with my good friends, we watched a video of a Beth Moore talk on the condition of our hearts. The video was from the mid-90s, but it spoke to me right then that November night. Moore read a poem that she had written about their son’s adoption, and I sat stunned in my friend’s living room. Her poem spoke of God’s truth, love, and his parenting model – and it answered my exact questions. This was the second time my breath had been taken away (remember my in-the-car epiphany that I, too, had been adopted) by answering my unspoken fears and anxieties. That night, I had to keep my overflowing excitement to myself as we still had not told our friends our news, but you can imagine the awe-struck exchange that Derick and I had when I returned home. Upon our arrival in Florida (just two more days!!!), I am going to re-watch the video and write out the words of the poem that ministered to my heart in the exact way and moment that I needed.
3. A Powerful Example
The following week, when I couldn’t keep our news to myself any more, I shared with my friend Leah. She was overjoyed and shared with me words that brought us great comfort and encouragement. Very good friends of hers had recently returned from overseas with their daughter; the husband had shared that at one point he wondered if he would be able to love a child that was not biologically his as much as one that did have his genes. With great tenderness, he went on to say that each night when he rocks his precious baby girl to sleep, he wonders if he would ever be able to love a biological baby as much he loves her. I was overwhelmed by the story of this man’s great love for his daughter and by the fact that, again, God ministered to our anxieties. As a side (albeit profound) note, we look into Asher’s eyes and wonder the very same thing. Could we ever love another like we love him?
4. Friends to Share the Journey
Weeks later, we got together with friends that we had not seen for awhile. As we sat down to dinner, we caught up on what had been going on in each other’s lives over the last month or so. We left out our big news as we were still processing things and didn’t know all the details. My friend was vague about a conference they had recently attended, and being the interested person that I am, I asked a million questions. She answered vaguely that they had been at a meeting with Bethany. Just Bethany – not Bethany Adoption Services. Something must have flickered in my eyes, because she paused and asked with eyebrows raised, “Do you know who they are?” Did we know who they were?? We had just been poring over their informational packet we had received in the mail! Of course, we spilled the beans and found out they were considering adopting from Russia. It still gives me goosebumps to think of how God provided great friends with whom we could share the journey. They have lived what we have lived and that has brought us great comfort and encouragement. To add to the awe, we used to be in a small group bible study with this couple…when we lived in Colorado! We were in the same group for just a short time, as we moved to Florida in 2001. Six years later, we reconnected in Gainesville, Florida; just months after reconnecting, unbeknownst to either party, both families decide to embark on the journey of a lifetime to build their families through international adoption. God knew I needed a friend, and He provided not just a fellow sojourner but a most treasured friend!
5. Someone to Take Care of Us
We quickly learned that adopting required lots of paper and even more signatures. God provided a wonderful friend that was willing to help us…again and again. It turns out our bank’s vice-president was already a friend (I had tutored her son, and she was the one who graciously forgave my “congratulations, you’re pregnant” snafu). She notarized countless documents and shared our joy from the very beginning. She even closed the door to her office and listened to me share updates or the lack of news for seriously hours on end. To add to the awe (again), this friend and her husband began the adoption process around the same time! What an unexpected blessing to make a friend that would share our journey with such joy and that would be willing to take care of us in this way!
6. Comrades in Strange Places
On the day that we went to Tallahassee to have our documents apostilled (remember that is essentially the notary of the notary), we checked and rechecked our documents. The two hour drive was filled with butterflies. Did we have everything? Did we do it right? Were the ladies at the Department of Corporations going to be difficult? I was sure that everything was perfect; it turned out that I was wrong. Our I-171H was missing a statement from us, our signatures, and a notary’s verification. We were too far from home to run to our friend’s office, so we drove around looking for a branch of our bank. We found it and before we went in, we prayed that they would be willing to notarize the document for us. (We had to have something similar done on a day that our friend was out of the office, and the bank employee could not / would not notarize the document for us). We opened the glass doors with some trepidation – if we couldn’t get this document notarized that day, we would have to return home and make another trip to Tallahassee, in short, prolong sending in our completed dossier. We waited for a bit, and a curly-headed cheerful woman offered to help us. We explained our need, and for a moment we saw the hesitation in her eyes. Then she graciously said, “no problem” and went on to tell us how she and her husband had also longed for a baby for quite some time. Another prayer answered in an unexpected way.
7. Support of Loved Ones
Friends and family have rejoiced with us each step of the way – from the paperwork phase to the fruition of a real live baby! Words of encouragement were provided at just the right moment. On the day that we went to court, we received 46 emails from loved ones! We checked email quickly as we prepared for the big day; imagine our awe and gratitude when we saw our inbox overflowing with words of hope and joy. If you are reading this, then please know God has used you to be an encouragement to us. We see his great compassion in you. Thank you.
8. Happy Mother’s Day
This Mother’s Day was an awkward one for me. Was I a mother or not? In my heart, surely I was…but did that count? We didn’t go to church that day because I didn’t know if I should stand when they asked all the moms to be recognized. It might sound silly, but this was a struggle for me. Women who were pregnant would undoubtedly stand, but did I deserve that honor? The fact that I struggled with this prompted me to do some thinking about the adoptive parent’s sense of significance. I’ll spare you my epiphanies for now. That day we fixed brunch for my mom and grandmas, and secretly I wrestled with wanting someone to recognize my status as an expecting mother. My validation came from a most unexpected source. As we were leaving my parent’s house, my 12 year-old nephew gave me a toothy grin and said to me, “I bet by next year you will be a mom and your baby will give you a great present!” I wanted to cry…again, God tended to my unspoken desires. I needed someone that day to recognize me, and he used a boy to do it.
9. The Great Calendar Project
You already know about my dear friend’s generosity of time and resources as she raised funds for our adoption, but the great calendar project deserves a “stone” because it reminds me of God’s provision and of the bond of fellow believers. Many women that do not know us donated countless hours to help with this project not to mention their prayers on our behalf. We were thoroughly touched by this great outpouring of love. And the funds raised paid for one of our airline tickets!
10. Answered Prayers
All we have to do is read the blog to see the countless prayers that have been answered. Whether it was the speedy processing of our I-171H, the ease and efficiency with which our homestudy was completed, or the fact that we have a direct flight from Frankfurt to Orlando on Tuesday, we see that God is in the details. The people that we have worked with, the Baby House Director and Asher’s caregivers, the relative ease of our journey here - all of it has been delightful, and we know it is because of countless prayers uttered on our behalf. This stone is to remind us to bring our hopes and needs before the LORD with anticipation.
11. From the Word
Interestingly but not surprisingly, several bible studies that I have been in over the last year or so have had lessons on different facets of our spiritual adoption, which have been so enlightening and encouraging to us in regards to our earthly family. Beth Moore’s A Woman’s Heart, Living by the Fruit of the Spirit, and Believing God (I probably sound like a Beth Moore junkie, but her studies are so fantastic!) as well as Timothy Keller’s study on Galatians all contained small lessons that were pivotal in refining and encouraging us. God continually used his Word to teach and minister to our minds and hearts.
12. Traveling Companions
How incredibly cool is it that we have been able to share this part of the journey with two women who live just hours away? Our kids shared the first 10 months of their lives living in the same room, and now they will live just a state away! It has been so good for our spirits to have others to laugh with and to do things like prepare for court and travel internationally. We feel very blessed to have shared this time with Joanie and Jayne; in our newfound friendships, we see that God’s provision is limitless and far greater than we could ever have anticipated.
13. A Day with Beth Moore: The Blessing of Asher
Can you believe God’s infinite compassion? Seriously, a talk entitled “The Blessing of Asher” just weeks before we traveled to meet our son and just two days after I asked the LORD to help me to understand that specific scripture passage? We are still in awe, and we are so excited that when we get home, the DVD of the talk should be waiting for us…and how amazing is that? Recall, the folks at Women of Faith said they usually don’t tape the “pre-conference” but decided to do it this time. When we left the center that day, I turned to Derick’s mom and said, with tears in my eyes, “Our God is a compassionate God. He has given me a great gift today.” She looked at me like what I said was kind of out of place…that is until later that evening when Derick told her over the phone that Asher was to be her first grandson’s name. I’ll never forget that day, and I am so glad that we have this stone to help us remember God’s great love and tenderness.
14. A Six Word Email
On November 9, our court day, we received many encouraging emails from friends and family. One of them said, “I am definitely praying. Jehovah Jireh.” This was another one of those breath-taking moments; it was exactly what we needed to hear. Jehovah Jireh: God Who Provides. All of our nerves and anxiety for our hour in front of the judge dissipated when we contemplated this name of God. We were so humbled by this awesome truth and reality of God in every facet of our adoption. This stone is a fitting one to close our reflection as it summarizes in two words what it has taken me four pages to chronicle.

Each of these “stones” serve as a remembrance that indeed “the LORD has been with us” and that our God is a most compassionate Father and Provider. It has been amazing to walk through this experience with an eye for how God has walked with and before us; with each of these “stones” we felt we received a most generous gift. The Giver knew exactly what we needed before we even knew it, and He provided for every need and desire.

Jehovah Jireh: Our Rock

Another Side of Kazakhstan

This past week has taken on a much more leisurely pace than our weeks in Semey. We have had time to walk around the city, at least the area surrounding our hotel. It has been great to stretch our legs and have the chance to enjoy the metropolitan side of Kazakhstan.


Derick and Asher in front of our home for the last week. The Hotel Alma-Ata is very central to downtown. From our hotel room, we can see the Opera House and a square that is probably beautiful in the summer and spring.


Asher and I on the way to the grocery store that is just a block away from our hotel. We have to walk through an underground toystore in order to get to the grocery store. The grocery store was so exciting to us after shopping in small markets in Semey, but it was expensive too. A carton of raspberries cost around $10, and a package of ground meat averaged $9 - not to worry though, our purchases have been limited to diapers, wipes, water, diapers, more wipes, baby food, and more water! It was so enjoyable to just walk up and down the aisles and see so much selection.


This fancy apartment building is next door to our hotel. We have observed that there are many nice homes and even nicer cars! Derick counted 6 Porsche Cayennes (his dream car) in four blocks! Kate, one of our translators here, told us that there is a great deal of oil wealth here (Kaz is very rich in oil). She also told us that teachers are paid $180 per month...good thing we don't live here, huh?


Our mocha from CoffeeDelia! One word - yum! (isn't it pretty too?)


Asher talking on the phone with loved ones. He loves to babble and squeal. He says something that sounds like, "I wub you." :)


One afternoon we headed to the Alatau Mountains, which border the southern edge of the city. Alatau is a Kazakh word that means "many colors;" with the trees that cover the mountain side, we can imagine that is is beautiful in spring, summer, and fall. It is even pretty now covered in white. On the day that we went to the mountains, it was a very nice day. We saw the grounds for the upcoming 2011 Asian Olympics and a huge skating rink. Kate told us that from the mountains, China is a four hour drive, and Krygzstan is three hours.


We celebrated Thanksgiving dinner at the InterContinental hotel. It was beautiful. All of the babies behaved wonderfully! Asher loved everything that we fed him from the cream of pumpkin soup to the cranberries and squash! We, of course, thoroughly enjoyed our meal too. (Being at home with loved ones would have been better, but if you have to celebrate thousands of miles away, it might as well be in style and comfort.) :)


It snowed last night; this view is what we woke up to this morning. Although very cold, it was a beautiful sight.


We braved the cold to have a change of scenery. This Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1910 and uses no nails in its construction! When an earthquake this past century leveled every building in the area, this church was the only structure standing for miles (according to what we have been told). The church is so incredibly ornate, an extraordinary sight.


In this picture, you can see a Christmas tree and lots of pigeons. This square bordered the church and was also quite a sight. The Christmas tree is for the Russian Orthodox Christmas which is celebrated on January 7. The pigeons landed on people, and the kids in the picture squealed with delight (maybe terror).

As you can see, we've had a great week of seeing another side of Asher's birth country. We're down to one hand for our homecoming countdown! We have our US Embassy appointment on Monday afternoon, and our flight leaves at 4 am Tuesday! We have 18 hours of flying time, but we are grateful that our flight from Frankfurt to the US is a direct one!

My lofty plans for catching up on all of my posts isn't coming to fruition. I guess they will have to wait until we get home. Ah, home.

We Wub You :)

The Picture Says It All

Happy Thanksgiving Loved Ones! We miss you and cannot wait to see you again.

With Great Love and Gratitude for You,
Derick, Shannon, and Asher

Almost...But Not Quite

We have just returned from dinner and Asher's doctor's appointment. As we already knew, a healthy, happy baby boy has stolen our hearts. He was a trooper when they pricked his finger and drew blood, and he flirted mercilessly with the doctor and nurses. :) We have a real lady-killer on our hands.

Our boy tipped the scales at 9.625 kilos and 72 centimeters! Everything else checked out so now we just need to meet with the folks at the Embassy.

We did find out late this afternoon that we won't be able to go to the Embassy until Monday afternoon, so we will be celebrating Thanksgiving at a hotel and spending another 6 days here. Even though we are eager (minor understatement) to get home, we will enjoy our remaining time here. I'm sure that The InterContinental's turkey and fixings won't be like my mom's, but I guess that Thanksgiving really isn't about the food - right? Regardless of where we celebrate, our hearts are full this holiday...I sense a gratitude post coming... :)

We're almost there! :)

Mochas, High Speed Internet, Sidewalks...Heaven on Earth

Guess where we are right now?? We are sitting in a cafe, sipping mochas, and using high speed internet! We were able to take Asher for a walk; the sun is shining; we had hot showers...doesn't it sound like heaven on earth? We are thoroughly enjoying the "small things" that we have gone without for the last month.

We are amazed by how different it is here than Semey. The weather is much warmer - still cold, but icicles are not growing on our noses. We are within easy walking distance to restaurants, a huge grocery store (huge by Kazakh standards...still no comparison to Publix, Target, or Wal-Mart), the opera house, and museums. Last night we ate at an Italian restaurant. Derick keeps reminiscing over his "perfect order" - tagiatelle pasta with salmon and a mocha latte. :) Almaty is relatively westernized city; after all, we are sitting in an internet cafe - very similar in look to a Panera or Starbuck's. We have a gorgeous view of the opera house and the mountains from our hotel room. On the whole, we have noticed more smiles and less stares.

We are enjoying our time, but boy are we ready to come home (if only we didn't have to do those flights!). Still no word on his passport...but we do have our SOS clinic appointments this afternoon. Hopefully we will be able to get into the US Embassy by Friday and get flights on Saturday! We might be dreaming as we imagine this is a busy travel weekend. Please pray that we would be able to come home this weekend. We're so close we can taste it! :)

We're off to our appointment. We'll post more later - hopefully news of a passport!

Tough Day

Whew! We made it! It took us awhile, but we have arrived in Almaty! We are currently at the Hotel Alma-Ata - both breathing a sigh of relief and nursing sore muscles. We have decided that we are tired on a cellular level. It is official - it is nearly impossible to carry four sizeable suitcases and a baby in a slippery snowsuit!

We arrived at the Semey Airport at 9:30 this morning and witnessed a Kazakh tradition of fried pies and vodka toasts (yes at 9:30 in the morning!). We didn't partake; instead, we had some tea and visited for one last time with Larissa. We laughed alot and were actually shushed by the "toasting" party. Due to circumstances that we were not able to understand (because they explained in Russian!), the plane was delayed...for 4.5 hours! Typically that wouldn't be so terrible, but it was pretty rough today. The airport is not heated, and we could see our breath. Asher had to stay in his snowsuit and could not go on the ground to stretch or crawl. We were freezing too. In the picture below, you can see Joanie, me, and Jayne by a hole in the wall - literally. We congregated here because hot air was gushing out of the unsightly hole! We had to defrost our fingers and toes a few times during our wait!

We provided plenty of amusement for those who were waiting for their flights. All of us had people ask if we were the babies' "mamas." I had a woman ask me twice; I said "yes" - twice! She was confused but accepted my firm "da da." I don't think I have ever had so many people staring at me at one time; after awhile I became paranoid that I had boogers hanging out of my nose or I had grown a third eye in my forehead! I guess they were just staring at the very cute baby I had in my arms.

They stared at Derick too because he took care of all of us women. Larissa joked that he should act like a sheik with many wives. He took care of rallying all of our heavy bags; we tried to help but found it difficult to carry much with the extra 20 pounds each of us had already been carrying around! After watching us struggle some, other passengers helped, which we were so thankful for. I wish we had been able to take a picture of us struggling through the airport; I am sure someone somewhere had a good laugh. We all took turns carrying multiple bags or multiple babies. :) We barely made it to Kate, one of our translators here in Almaty, before Asher and Hayden slipped out of Joanie's arms!

The flight was...not horrifying. Asher fussed some but on the whole did fine. In the picture, you can see he didn't thoroughly enjoy his first flight. :) He's cute even when he cries! The worst part of the day (after freezing and growing a third eye) was when we had landed and Asher got sick - three times - on me! As soon as we checked into our hotel, I headed for a hot shower, hot food, and serious chocolate!


Still no word on passports...hopefully tomorrow! :) Hooray for being one flight closer to home!!

Amazing Race

It has been a while since I have run a race (my friends in Gainesville can attest to just how long it has been since I have run - at all), but if I remember right...as I round the bend in the track and sprint the last 200 yards, the muscles in my legs burn and feel as though they will turn to noodles the moment I stop, and my lungs ache and gasp for one more gulp of air as I push to the finish line. This past week (ok - last couple of months) has felt much like that last 200 yards.

But tonight as I write, we really are nearing the finish line. Our bags are packed (mostly), and everything is ready for our 10:30 departure tomorrow. We are leaving Semey, which has been our home for the last four weeks, and heading to Almaty. Our whole bodies feel like they will turn to noodles when we stop. :) Although we are so excited to be one flight closer to home, we do feel sad to leave Semey. We have loved the team here and feel like we are leaving family. We wonder if we will ever return and hope that we will so that we can share the experience with Asher; the orphanage director did invite us to come back for brothers and sisters for Asher...so maybe we'll be back sooner than we think! :)

Our first week of parenthood has been wonderful. We managed to maintain the busy pace that was established during our bonding period; every day we learned new things about parenting and caring for a baby, ran around town for various baby supplies, went out to eat (sometimes for lunch and dinner), visited with other American families, worked for several hours, and generally pushed our physical limits! (Can you see why there haven't been any posts this week??)

Asher continues to blossom. When we met him, we loved his contagious smile; today we are absolutely enamored with him - smiles, laughter, fits, and all. He just delights us; when we walk into a room and see his face light up and his smile spread, I feel like he thinks we are the greatest people on earth (we're treasuring that feeling because we know that it won't last forever). Our hearts are so full.

We are amazed that we are already leaving Semey (I think we are close to being the "record time"). On Monday, we will have been gone from home for one month. Our return depends on when we receive Asher's passport and when we can schedule our appointments with the US Embassy and the SOS clinic (both of which depend on when we receive his passport). We could be on our way as early as Thursday - Thanksgiving - or as late as the next week. Can you believe it?? Woohoo!!

Please pray that Asher's passport will come on Monday and that we would continue to relish our journey. Please also keep us in prayer as we travel with our baby (I am nervous about keeping him entertained and comfortable on all of the flights - especially the long ones).

I have 14 posts that I want to write (I might not have had time to write this past week, but that doesn't mean I stopped thinking of things that I want to write about - to share with you and to record and preserve for Asher). I hope you will follow us to Almaty and then on to our beloved home.

Thanks for cheering us on as we continue in our race. Your encouragement has helped get us closer to the "finish line." It's been an amazing race, hasn't it?

Here are a few pictures from the week:

Our apartment building...more pics of the inside to come.


We took Asher, Hayden, and Noah to a play place that had a ball pit. All of the babies were rather shocked, but they seemed to enjoy it anyway.


Don't you love the mischevious look in his eyes? The seats here are covered in plastic; it was his mission this week to tear the plastic off. :)


Asher loves bath time; splashing brings him great joy. He especially loves being able to wiggle and squeal after his bath.


Precious Babies in a Row - Elena, Noah, Hayden, Asher, Anna, and Cameron

Can You Think of a Better Day?

We have had a wonderful day. :)


Okay...I am spoiled! This morning Derick treated me to a complete spa experience! Jayne, Joanie, and Larissa accompanied me on this little retreat, and we had a fabulous time. Although massages are very different in Kazakhstan, it was a wonderful way to relax after court and before picking up Asher this evening! Derick slept in one last time and thoroughly enjoyed it. :) After our tough morning, we had lunch at the Royal, and then the running around began!


At the Office of Vital Records, we signed for Asher's new birth certificate listing us as his parents, and we received his adoption certificate - one side was in Russian, the other in Kazakh. The lady next to me is the representative from the Office of Vital Records, and the lady next to her is Olga, our attorney, facilitator, and miracle worker (*take note: we are in an official government office on a Saturday afternoon, picking up papers that usually take weeks to process! Olga has worked countless miracles like this one on our behalf!).


We met with the director of the orphanage to sign additional documents declaring that we had in fact adopted Asher and that we were indeed taking him with us! You will notice Jayne and Joanie in the picture as well; they both received favorable decisions yesterday too! What a joy and blessing it has been to share this journey with them!

We were not able to pick Asher up until 6 so we also ran to several stores to buy the baby necessities that we had not brought from home. We had to have Larissa translate the food boxes and cans for us so that we would know what in the world we were doing...we're not sure that the translation is enough for us to feel like we know what we are doing, but we're sure that we'll figure it out...somehow. :)


When we arrived this evening, Asher had just woken up from his afternoon nap and was having his last meal at the orphanage. After eating, he was changed into the clothes and diaper that we brought for him. In this picture, you can see that he is coming to us just as he came into the world.


One of Asher's caregivers dressed him for last time as we looked on. It was very moving to us, and still brings tears to my eyes. Most of the pictures of me this evening are with tears. We were good parents and brought two layers of clothing for him as well as this precious fuzzy bear suit. They loved the little ears and tail that are on his snowsuit (it was 7 degrees today!).


6:20 p.m. - Asher and mama leaving the Baby House together. One journey ends and another begins!

What an amazing evening we have already had! As I type this, Derick and Asher are sitting together watching soccer with Russian announcers, and the living room floor is littered with toys. Derick thinks he smells "something." :)

We have loved and treasured your emails and comments to us. We want to share more about what court was like, the remaining procedures, Semey, and lots more.

Time for me to log out...we have to figure out how to feed Asher Kefir, a thick yogurt-y like substance (does he drink it? from a bottle? does he eat it?)...may the next phase of the adventure begin...

Thank you for rejoicing with us every step of the way!

Balshoy Spaseeba - Our Deepest Thanks

"Mama and Papa" - the sweetest words we could possibly hear today!

And so, we say "Balshoy Spaseeba" to you with overflowing hearts. Our prayers were answered!

The judge granted our petition to adopt Asher as well as our petition for immediate custody!! We will go to the Baby House on Saturday, November 10 at 3 pm to bring our son home forever...forever...that is a sweet word too, isn't it?

These are some of the thoughts that have been on our minds today:

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him." -1 Samuel 1:27

"I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands." -Isaiah 49:15-16

Jehovah-Jireh: God Our Provider

"Thus far the LORD has been with us." -1 Samuel 7:12

"Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom...The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving to all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing."
-Psalm 145:3, 13b-16

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and with shouts of joy." -Job 8:21

And, indeed, He has!

We are...delighted...overjoyed...in awe...filled with gratitude and praise...officially a family of three!!!

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The photo below is quite possibly one of Asher's first car rides. Among the many errands we had to do this afternoon was have a picture taken for Asher's passport. You will notice he is sans carseat...they don't use them here - even when the roads are icy as they were today!

Our Day // Our Journey

Today paralleled our journey to grow our family in many ways:


Ready and Filled with Anticipation


Tickled with Everything


A Little Bit Crazy


Joy!


Tired, Content, and Strangely Flexible






Check in with us tomorrow for the outcome of our court proceedings. Our hearts are full, knowing that you are praying for us and loving all of us.

Our Web

If you are reading this (and you obviously are!), then you are a pivotal part of our support at home. You have been with us from our days of longing for a family to our announcement that we would be growing our family through adoption and then to our departure for Kazakhstan. You have been so important to us in this journey; we are so grateful for your love and support all along the way. Many of you have called, commented, and emailed (which we absolutely LOVE) during our absence; we wish you could be here with us to experience every moment as we have experienced it.

You certainly have not been replaced...but God has provided us with friends here as well. We'd like to tell you more about our little group here in Semey. Jayne, a science teacher, and Joanie, a genetic counselor, both live in Atlanta (different areas); they arrived one day after us. Jayne is adopting a 10 month old little boy whose smile lights up his face, and Joanie is adopting a 10 month old little girl who loves to go. Noah and Hayden are in Asher's same group; they all like each other and are very social together.

In this picture, Jayne and Noah are first, then Joanie and her wiggleworm Hayden, then the Wyss Family. It is nearly impossible to get all of the kids to look at the camera at the same time.


Asher and Noah practice sharing. They get along well - except for when Asher tries to teethe on sweet Noah's forehead!


Asher and Hayden share everything - from clothes to teething rings!

Two families had just gone to court when we arrived - the Poags and the Chapmans. When we met them, they already had custody of their little ones. We had lunch with them several times and tried to soak up all that they had to say. The Poags are on their way home to Hawaii with their little girl Nezhanna, and the Chapmans made it safely back to Illinois on Monday; even though Tyler, the Chapman's son, is in the same age group, he was in a different room than our three babies. These two families returned to the Baby House a couple of times for a change of scenery and for a chance for their kids to play with our little ones (and different toys!). It was great to have them there, and to see that everything really does come to fruition.

Another family arrived on Monday, Theresa and her mom Donna. Theresa is adopting an 8 month old little guy (ok - he really isn't that little...he is bigger than all of the kids in our group!). Another family from Florida is set to arrive on Sunday, and another one is arriving the next weekend. We have corresponded with and prayed for many of these families for months...isn't it wild that we will meet for the first time here in Semey, Kazakhstan?

Derick jokes that there is an adoption cult; I think that he means "community." And it's true and so important. It has been so helpful and encouraging to share others' journeys either before or as we started our own. We are grateful that God weaves a web of support for us whether we are at home or at the far edge of the earth (I know the earth has no edge...it's just how we are feeling right now). :)

Please keep these other families in your prayers; for all of us, we are one step closer to becoming the moms and dads we have longed to be.

**All of our little group of three families has court on Friday: Joanie at 9, Us at 11:30, and Jayne at 12:15. We all have different judges and prosecutors.**

Our gratitude to you for being our support all along.

We Have a Date

This just in!

We are going to court this Friday - yes, that's right THIS Friday!!

**November 9 at 11:30** (that is 12:30 a.m. in Florida and 11:30 p.m. Thursday in Colorado)

Thank you for your prayers!

Petitions, Trust, and Sippy Cups - Oh My!

On November 5, we officially filed our petition to adopt Asher. Larissa translated the documents for us, and we signed them right there on the playroom floor! We will hopefully know our court date today (Tuesday). Last night we worked on choosing the pictures to show for "evidence" of bonding; it was hard to narrow it down - Asher is one cute baby. Sadly, there were plenty I could eliminate because of a goofy smile or closed eyes on my behalf. :) We also began working on the speech, which should be around 10 minutes. He cannot use notes so it will be important to practice several times this week (there are certain phrases that we must say). My part is shorter but still needs to be written.

In addition to praying for a favorable outcome and immediate custody, will you please be in prayer for our health? I have come down with a terrible cold that has kept me away for a day and a half (and really it should be more); I am worried that asking for immediate custody on the grounds of the illnesses in the Baby House will not be received well if I am sneezing, coughing, and sniffing (not to mention terribly nasally). I have been taking medicine that we brought from home and some Russian medicine. Larissa took us to the drugstore yesterday; all drugs are behind a counter and a glass partition. She translated the box for me, and said, "this will work for you!"

Have I mentioned the trust involved in our experience?? We are so grateful for the team here and trust them with everything from translating what a sign says to completing the adoption of our son. We trust them to pick us up and get us where we need to be, which we also trust them to tell us when and where we need to be somewhere. We trust them to translate the trivial (menus) and the extraordinary (our court petitions). We trust their recommendations and their cautions. In these short weeks, we have become totally dependent on the team here; we are so grateful for their care. I hope they don't think that we are always so helpless...

In the pictures below, you can see the present that we brought Asher yesterday - his first sippy cup!! We hate to make him digress; after all, he is drinking / slurping from a teacup now...but he LOVED it! As you can see, a great deal of the water spilled down his front. We set it several feet away and saw him crawl faster than any other day. He is still figuring out that he needs to hold it upright - a lesson for another day. :)

Papa

Two things were different today: the sky was a bright blue instead of the overcast gray that we have become accustomed to, and we were able to take Asher outside for a walk! These changes lightened our step and brightened our day. Asher’s usual three or four layers were supplemented by a snowsuit and hat. He looked like a little marshmallow. It was still quite cold out so it is good that he was so bundled. We walked around the Baby House grounds and enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs and soak up some sunshine (remember we’re from Florida!).

While we were outside, we saw two different groups of little ones. One large group of children had to be three year-olds; they loved to run toward us with their arms raised and make animal sounds. They were full of life. It was amazing to see the universal language of smiles and play bridge the gap between young and old, American and Kazakh. I wanted to scoop them all up and bring them home with us.

There was a smaller group of two year olds who were also bundled up; these little ones touched our hearts and reminded us that despite their enthusiasm and sweet laughter, these children are very much orphans. They ran up to Derick, saying, “Papa, papa, papa!!” One little boy grasped Derick’s finger and jumped up and down while chanting “Papa.” Their voices were playful and sweet, imploring him to be their papa.

Oh, how we wished in and since that moment that Kazakh law was different and permitted adoption of unrelated children!

Once again, we saw how earthly adoption gives us a precious glimpse of the significance of our spiritual adoption. If our human hearts could be so softened by one little word uttered with pure hearts, how much more our heavenly Abba’s heart must fill when we cry out for Him.


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Asher Update: Our little guy is getting around better and better everyday! He babbles a great deal, and by the look in his eyes, he's serious about what he is saying! He loves being tickled, and his eyes light up when we enter the room. We were able to change him for the first time today! It was the first time that we saw his skin (usually he has on 3-4 layers!). One of the caregivers stood by and supervised everything, which was a little unnerving, but all went well. She had to help put his second pair of pants on, but other than that, we did it on our own! :)

Adoption Update: We had our first court overview / practice today. Olga gave us an outline of sorts for the speech; there are three parts which break down into additional parts. We will work on our speech (that Derick will give) over the weekend, and I will brainstorm my part as well. I have a three minute soliloquy during which tears are highly encouraged (I don't think that will be a problem!). We should know our court date by Tuesday. Please be in prayer that we would have a favorable decision and that the judge would grant us immediate custody.

Thank you again for your continued prayers and support. Our love to you.

What's for Dinner?

Beef with Broccoli from P.F. Chang's, Prime Rib with Shrimp on the Barbie from Outback, Broccoli Cheese soup from Panera, the Sirloin with hot rolls from Texas Roadhouse, Swiss Mushroom Burger from Conestoga's, Peppermint Mocha from Starbuck's, Stuffed Shells from Mom's Kitchen, Coke Roast from our kitchen...yummy!

This is what we talked about at lunch today...the food that we will eat when we return home. :) This was probably a dangerous exercise at this point in our trip, but it felt somewhat satisfying just to talk about all of these dishes! Crystal, Jayne's friend that visited this past week, is heading home tomorrow so she was telling us about what she will have for dinner on Sunday night; she said that she will feel a little guilty thinking of us as she sips her chardonnay and eats delectable delights from P.F. Chang's. :) This spurred our discussion and the lengthy list that begins this post.

Now, don't get us wrong. The food here is fine; we have had many tasty dishes. The Kazakhs are known for their shashlyk (also known as shish-kebobs) so we have had that in several places. I have included a picture of some pork shashlyk that we thought was tasty as well as the restaurant that we got it from. This place is out in the country, about 30 km from Semey. Yes, that is where they cook the shashlyk, and yes, that is an outhouse in the background. Everyone else was sick the next day (except for us) so I don't know that we will return to this place.




I have found several soups that are very good, and we both like the fajitas at the Royal. Derick likes the lamb at Istanbul Picnic, and I love the pea soup. We had chinese food yesterday; the beef with vegetables was delicious...the chicken with nuts...not so good. We eat out for lunch every day, and by now (day 13), we have figured out our favorite places. Our translators have to read the menus to us so we are often tempted to choose things that sound somewhat familiar. For dinner, we usually eat some bread with strawberry jam and hot tea. Derick supplements his bread with sausage from the local market.

We have included a picture of Asher eating at the little table. Derick loved feeding him here as Asher did not have to look all around the room to see what was going on. You can see that he eats a soupy mixture of beef - and depending on the day - potatos, tomatos, turnips, or other unknown / unidentifiable foods. We gave him a little cracker today; he liked to chomp on it but was unsure of the texture.


Are you hungry after reading about all of that food? Go eat something yummy and think of us. :)