More from Moscow!

Feb. 28th, 2007
(an e-mail to friends and family)


Hello, From the other side of the world!!

It amazes us every day that this is truly happening, and more amazing still that we can communicate pretty much whenever we want across the globe!

I will tell you of our recent craziness in schedule.....


Monday found us leaving at 9:00 for a 10:15 appt. for the boy's medical exam. This is required by the U.S. Embassy for their Visa/citizenship/etc. to be completed. The boys also were required to have vaccinations, even if they had shown to be completed at some point in their history. I believe Isaac has has so many he could become a mutant form of MMR/ and Polio in some Sci/FI movie.........when in doubt, vaccinate!!

Even though we had talked with them, Dima, our driver said the boys were really nervous, and kept asking what all this appt.stuff involved. Like a true friend, he gave them a really hard time and told them all the embarrassing things they would need to endure. Joe said the Dr.was kind, and although a Russian working for the Embassy, spoke very good English. He stated after examining their files, that the only problem he felt we should look into was both had "flat feet' and needed arches. I believe they are my sons!! He also said another problem we may have with Matthew would be to find a way to keep the s away!! No kidding!

We then traveled downtown to the famous Amory museum, home of the royal treasures including the fabulous Faberge' eggs! These priceless and uniquely crafted masterpieces were exchanged at Easter by Russia's last royal couple (Czar Nicholas the 2nd and his wife) over the last thirty years of their reign -before the Revolution in 1917. Dima could not come in with us due to schedule, so we rented 1 English electronic guide to share and 1 Russian. This was the best 4 dollars ever spent!!

The boys were quickly bored with all the overwhelming "stuff"- honestly, to imagine that all these things are really gold and precious stones..it seems fake! When you are male, you can only look at so many gold-encrusted lavatory kits and rare china patterns!!
However, Joe sat them down with our electronic translator and had a good old-fashioned "attitude adjustment"--good job, Joe! Things got alot better, but it also helped the next few halls contained the Royal armour, battle weapons, etc.
The coolest part for me was the carriages- so well preserved and fabulous, after hundreds of years!! I want you all to know that I (accidentally, of course) set off the alarm in the carriage hall!! Yikes!! I got too close to the motion-sensor!! This thoroughly impressed our sons, as well as the school group that was following us. Of course, several boys, including our own, followed suit. I think the Armory was glad when we went to the throne exhibit...

I don't know if I mentioned it, but Dima's van is literally duct taped together!! The entire back window is duct-taped- a job that would do Red Green proud!! Sort of adds another dimension to downtown driving when the person behind you is honking, and it sounds like it's in your seat!!

Tuesday- Sasha, Marina's brother , picked up our documents at 8:30 for the Embassy to review prior to our 2:15 interview. He is our go-between, a linguist with perfect English, now working on publishing a book. We headed out a 11:00 with our new driver, Victor, a bear of a man in early 50's, who was a champion in CC-ski/archery (what's the name of that sport?)Too bad his English is not of champion caliber, nor our Russian!! We managed through, however painfully! We went to the breathtaking Christ the Savior cathedral, built in the 1800's, torn down by Stalin in the 1930's and unbelievably rebuilt in 1994.

We then drove around the block to Red Square, where just this year they have set up an ice skating rink!! This was the last day, today, and it was very reasonable. What unbelievable footage of the boys skating with St. Basil's Cathedral and Lenin's tomb in the background!!
They are amazing skater's, too- a good reward for putting up with all the museum stuff! An hour and a half later, they were pooped!! No, Mama and Papa did not skate, we had coffee at rink side with Victor.

Our Embassy appt. was pretty neat! There is incredible security to get in, AND only US citizens are allowed in the building. It was quite poignant to see so many couples adopting children, mostly younger, in this "adoption citizenship" waiting room. We had an opportunity to meet several of them and hear their stories. We connected with another Christian couple from PA, who were adopting a 14 month boy. The mom was originally from Uzbekistan, and her Russian was perfect!! Our boys were so puzzled, how could she be an American and speak so well?? She/and he talked with them and us for a long time, and we exchanged e-mail addresses. What a kinship in the Lord Jesus!!
The interview actually involved very little. We had to affirm that all we said was true, and then Joe answered a list of questions. Of course there was a bit of $$ involved!!
A 1 1/2 hour wait for 10 min. interview!!

How amazing to see, though, that on our translated documents, the birth certificates list us as the birth parents.....I delivered these two boys on a different continent!!
Fully our sons, no matter what the beginning!
Wow!! such a picture of how God has adopted us into His kingdom!

On a very sweet note, a big thank you to all who have been praying for us to bond with the boys!
It is going very well, despite the language barrier. Yesterday afternoon, I had drifted off to sleep while reading following the Embassy appt. at the flat. I awoke to a soft kiss on my cheek. I opened my eyes......... it was Matthew. "I love you, mama, spachoinya notche (good night)" How precious!


today, Wednesday, we left mid-morning to go to the very artsy and touristy mix of shops on Arbat street. A very famous and old street, the architechture is neat! We found some interesting souveniers and ate at the Arbat McDonalds......pretty much the same world wide,I guess.(although half our order was "lost in traslation")


Followong a battery, (I thought Victor might have a heart attack) we went to the Dom Knigi, (House of Books)---seroiusly it is like a Barnes and Noble on Steroids! We let the boys pick out some books in Russian, and after an hour or so of "deciding without a traslator" we think we have not purcahsed anything related to the ocult, etc. (Athough on Arbat St. we found out later Isaac's wristband that he wanted advertises the rapper 'Eminem', yuck I am not fond of that dude!!!) Oh, the many, many things we will learn!!

Joe summed it up right today when he said "my brain hurts from trying to think/speak/understand in 2 languages". We have a differnet form of empathy for our boys.
Please continue to pray for their adjustment and language acquisition. They already are picking up so much!!

To end on a funny note, the travel size "Trouble" game has become the new game in town within the last 24 hrs. Tonight, Matthew, right in our faces says: "Mama, Papa ...One(and motioning)....One.(meaning just one game)...... One 'Problem'!"

oh, no, Matthew... I beieve we have more than just one problem right now!! Hahaha!!

WE love you!!

..............will write more zaftra (tomorrow)

Love, Nancy