Wednesday, May 12, 2010.
This morning, we got the “pink slip” for the girls (a.k.a. court decree that makes them legally our daughters!) And the great paper chase begins! To be continued…
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Day 31
Tuesday, May 11, 2010. Today is a “relax” day. We cannot pick up the court decree until tomorrow. We also found out that the Registry office is closed tomorrow, so we can’t get started on the birth certificates and passports until 8am Thursday morning.
We went to the orphanage at 2pm as usual. The girls were waiting for us, and wanted to know if it was okay if their brothers came to meet us. Of course! This was a very exciting time. We found out the entire story about their family. Before, we thought that the girls were 2 of 5 children. Today, we found out that they are actually 2 of 7! They have 4 older brothers and their older sister. Their oldest brother has lived in Russia for the past 9 years and has not seen the girls during that time, but saw the other brothers about a year ago. We met the other three brothers: Roma is 19, and the twins Denis and Dima who are 25. One twin is married to a nice girl named Kristina and has a 14 month old daughter named “Gianna”.
Something that I find interesting is that our girls are going from a sibling group of 7 here in Ukraine to a sibling group of 7 in America… and both groups with a set of twins! Coincidence? We exchanged contact information with them so that the girls can keep in touch, which I think everyone really liked. They were all so loving and caring, and you can see that in the photos that we took. They were respectful, and said that they were happy that Anastasia and Kristina were being adopted and going to America.
From the left... Roma (age 19), Dima (ID twin, age 25), Anastasia, Kristina (sister in law), Gianna 9age 14 months), Denis (twin, age 25), and Kristina:
We went to the orphanage at 2pm as usual. The girls were waiting for us, and wanted to know if it was okay if their brothers came to meet us. Of course! This was a very exciting time. We found out the entire story about their family. Before, we thought that the girls were 2 of 5 children. Today, we found out that they are actually 2 of 7! They have 4 older brothers and their older sister. Their oldest brother has lived in Russia for the past 9 years and has not seen the girls during that time, but saw the other brothers about a year ago. We met the other three brothers: Roma is 19, and the twins Denis and Dima who are 25. One twin is married to a nice girl named Kristina and has a 14 month old daughter named “Gianna”.
Something that I find interesting is that our girls are going from a sibling group of 7 here in Ukraine to a sibling group of 7 in America… and both groups with a set of twins! Coincidence? We exchanged contact information with them so that the girls can keep in touch, which I think everyone really liked. They were all so loving and caring, and you can see that in the photos that we took. They were respectful, and said that they were happy that Anastasia and Kristina were being adopted and going to America.
From the left... Roma (age 19), Dima (ID twin, age 25), Anastasia, Kristina (sister in law), Gianna 9age 14 months), Denis (twin, age 25), and Kristina:
Day 21-30
Saturday, May 1 through Monday, May 10. We spent our entire 10-day waiting period in Rome. It ended up being 13 days, since the judge did not count the holidays towards that period. We found out that the flight that we took from Donetsk to Rome was the first ever flight between those two cities. Pretty neat!
The day after we arrived was May 1st, a very large holiday here in Europe. Rome was packed full of people. We saw all of the sights, and walked absolutely everywhere (only took a taxi to/from the airport the entire time!). We must have walked 10 miles every day, and got to know the city very well in the process. The shopping here is incredible- all of the big designers and well-known brands... Gucci, and Prada, and Armani... oh my! This place is a shopaholic’s dream!
Our current favorite restaurant in Rome, called Girarrosto Fiorentino, is incredible. It is a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but always packed with people with incredible service, food, and wine. If you happen to be in Rome, please visit this restaurant and sit with Benedicto or Evaristo.
There are so many things to see and do in Rome. We went to see the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Palatino, the Pantheon, Vatican City, St. Peter’s square and the Basilica, the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel… all amazing sights and feels. We took pictures of almost everything (the Sistine Chapel pictures were not allowed, unfortunately).
We left Rome the morning of May 10th, bound for Donetsk. The trip to the airport by cab was easy- about 45 minutes. The flight was equally as nice, about 3.5 hours and uneventful. We arrived in Donetsk about 5:15pm and cruised right through immigration, and no customs! This was a very different airport experience from Kiev. We did have to wait in the line, and they only asked us where we were staying before stamping our passports and sending us to baggage claim. No other questions about ANYTHING. And no Customs department!
Natalia was waiting for us with a cab, and we drove the two hours back to hotel Mir in Severodonetsk. They are so nice, they saved our old room for us and one of our bags. We even have two towels and real toilet paper in our room this time!
Colisseum:
Palatino:
Trevi Fountain:
Caesar:
Vatican Museum Doors:
Vatican Gardens:
Gelato!! (everywhere in Rome)
Michelangelo's "La Pieta", located in St Peter's Basilica:
Kelly's New Ride (fully loaded with guns and seating for 12):
Cuban Cigar:
Where the heck are we?!?:
Pantheon (under reconstruction):
LUNCH!:
The famous Carabineri:
The day after we arrived was May 1st, a very large holiday here in Europe. Rome was packed full of people. We saw all of the sights, and walked absolutely everywhere (only took a taxi to/from the airport the entire time!). We must have walked 10 miles every day, and got to know the city very well in the process. The shopping here is incredible- all of the big designers and well-known brands... Gucci, and Prada, and Armani... oh my! This place is a shopaholic’s dream!
Our current favorite restaurant in Rome, called Girarrosto Fiorentino, is incredible. It is a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but always packed with people with incredible service, food, and wine. If you happen to be in Rome, please visit this restaurant and sit with Benedicto or Evaristo.
There are so many things to see and do in Rome. We went to see the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Palatino, the Pantheon, Vatican City, St. Peter’s square and the Basilica, the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel… all amazing sights and feels. We took pictures of almost everything (the Sistine Chapel pictures were not allowed, unfortunately).
We left Rome the morning of May 10th, bound for Donetsk. The trip to the airport by cab was easy- about 45 minutes. The flight was equally as nice, about 3.5 hours and uneventful. We arrived in Donetsk about 5:15pm and cruised right through immigration, and no customs! This was a very different airport experience from Kiev. We did have to wait in the line, and they only asked us where we were staying before stamping our passports and sending us to baggage claim. No other questions about ANYTHING. And no Customs department!
Natalia was waiting for us with a cab, and we drove the two hours back to hotel Mir in Severodonetsk. They are so nice, they saved our old room for us and one of our bags. We even have two towels and real toilet paper in our room this time!
Colisseum:
Palatino:
Trevi Fountain:
Caesar:
Vatican Museum Doors:
Vatican Gardens:
Gelato!! (everywhere in Rome)
Michelangelo's "La Pieta", located in St Peter's Basilica:
Kelly's New Ride (fully loaded with guns and seating for 12):
Cuban Cigar:
Where the heck are we?!?:
Pantheon (under reconstruction):
LUNCH!:
The famous Carabineri:
Monday, May 3, 2010
Day 20
Friday, April 30, 2010. Today we left about 5:30am, enroute to Donetsk. It is about a 2 hour drive because of the road condition. Donetsk is a large, newer city that is much better taken care of than the smaller towns. According to Natalia, the richest man in Ukraine lives here.
The airport is small but everyone was very nice and efficient, and we had no problems whatsoever. We never felt uncomfortable or harassed at any time. We breezed right through customs with no questions, and even the boarding for Rome was announced in English as well as Russian. We chose to fly Ukrainian Air instead of Alitalia so that we could experience a Ukrainian airline, which was actually a very nice flight. Everyone was courteous and spoke English and Italian. Before boarding, we noticed that all of the Ukrainians lined up outside of the boarding area and were smoking as many cigarettes as quickly as they could. It was literally a huge cloud of smoke. For people not used to that, you really need to hold your breath when walking through there!
We arrived in Rome a little after noon. The line through Immigration was long, but easy. Our passports were stamped and we went to get our luggage. We had the same experience here as in Paris- people asking you if you need a taxi before you even exit the airport. Please- DO NOT do this in an airport ever! You will get scammed and pay three to four times the amount of a regular cab. Wait in the normal taxi line outside and get an actual car that says “Taxi”.
Rome!
We arrived at our hotel- the Intercontinental De La Ville, which is located directly at the top of the Spanish Steps. Beautiful location! We had dinner at the hotel, which was lovely and delicious. Everyone here is extremely helpful and accommodating. We love Rome!
Our hotel:
Spanish Steps and fountain at the bottom:
Furniture Delivery Truck. What fits in there?!
Habana (Havana)! Even spelled correctly!
The airport is small but everyone was very nice and efficient, and we had no problems whatsoever. We never felt uncomfortable or harassed at any time. We breezed right through customs with no questions, and even the boarding for Rome was announced in English as well as Russian. We chose to fly Ukrainian Air instead of Alitalia so that we could experience a Ukrainian airline, which was actually a very nice flight. Everyone was courteous and spoke English and Italian. Before boarding, we noticed that all of the Ukrainians lined up outside of the boarding area and were smoking as many cigarettes as quickly as they could. It was literally a huge cloud of smoke. For people not used to that, you really need to hold your breath when walking through there!
We arrived in Rome a little after noon. The line through Immigration was long, but easy. Our passports were stamped and we went to get our luggage. We had the same experience here as in Paris- people asking you if you need a taxi before you even exit the airport. Please- DO NOT do this in an airport ever! You will get scammed and pay three to four times the amount of a regular cab. Wait in the normal taxi line outside and get an actual car that says “Taxi”.
Rome!
We arrived at our hotel- the Intercontinental De La Ville, which is located directly at the top of the Spanish Steps. Beautiful location! We had dinner at the hotel, which was lovely and delicious. Everyone here is extremely helpful and accommodating. We love Rome!
Our hotel:
Spanish Steps and fountain at the bottom:
Furniture Delivery Truck. What fits in there?!
Habana (Havana)! Even spelled correctly!
Day 19
Thursday, April 29th, 2010. Today we spent the day packing since we’ll be leaving for Rome, Italy in the morning to wait out our 10 days. We went to a travel agency and booked our flights from Donetsk to Rome (direct, and about a 3 hour flight), and Natalia’s flight back to Kiev. The direct flight from Donetsk to Rome is brand new and only on Fridays and Mondays, so it worked out perfectly. The costs of the flights were about $1100 roundtrip for both Jerry and I, and about $208 for a roundtrip ticket to Kiev for Natalia. We will all return on Monday the 10th in preparation for getting our official court decree, amended birth certificates and passports for the girls, and “Gotcha!” day when we finally leave the orphanage with the girls.
How they expand their privately owned apartments here:
The path to the orphanage:
We went to the orphanage about 3:30 and picked up the girls and the lawyer from the orphanage. We were able to snap a few pictures before court which was scheduled at 4pm. We waited out in a waiting room before heading into the court room. When the judge walked in, we all stood up until he sat, just like in an American court room. We all (including us, Natalia, the orphanage lawyer, the Inspector, the Prosecutor, and the girls) had to stand, state our names, positions, addresses, and birthdates. With Natalia translating for us, the judge read our entire dossier, each document included therein, and then asked us questions such as why we want to adopt these girls, what we think that we can give them that they cannot get here, and how long we have known the girls. Something to make note of here- when the judge asked us this, Jerry started to talk about the hosting program, how the girls spent 11 weeks with us, and that we have known them since last summer. The judge then stopped Jerry and restated his question and asked how long we “officially” have known the girls in Severodonetsk. He does not want to hear anything about the hosting program! Apparently this has to do with a law stating that children can’t be preselected and that we must “meet” them here.
Getting ready to go to court:
In front of the courthouse with Natalia and the orphanage attorney:
Waiting to head to the courtroom:
He then asked us if we think that we can afford adding two more children to our family, the make-up of our family including the children’s birthdates and our wedding anniversary date, etc… The judge had a sense of humor and asked Anastasia if she would stay here if he built a swimming pool in the orphanage, and we all laughed. The girls were nervous, but ultimately all went as planned.
The judge locked us up for psychological evaluations after he found our that we already have 5 children and want to add two more!
The whole process took about an hour, and everyone was very nice and polite. We spoke afterwards with the Prosecutor (who asked Jerry to host her in the USA). She is a very nice lady.
After a short break, the judge came back with our ruling, and our petition to adopt Anastasia and Kristina was approved! According to the judge, our “10-day waiting period” doesn’t end until May 12th, which is a couple of days longer than we had hoped, but we will do what we have to do.
After court:
When we left court, we headed back to the orphanage to say goodbye to the girls since we are leaving very early in the morning. We showed them on the calendar when we will return, and they were very excited. We went and had a celebratory “martini” at the hotel. (*note, the “martinis” here are not like in the USA. Apparently “martini” is the name of a liqueur and not a type of drink. I believe their version of a martini is 2 parts vodka and 1 part “martini” liqueur, which is a bit sweet.) After, we picked up Larissa and her son and had a celebratory dinner at the Golden Palace.
How they expand their privately owned apartments here:
The path to the orphanage:
We went to the orphanage about 3:30 and picked up the girls and the lawyer from the orphanage. We were able to snap a few pictures before court which was scheduled at 4pm. We waited out in a waiting room before heading into the court room. When the judge walked in, we all stood up until he sat, just like in an American court room. We all (including us, Natalia, the orphanage lawyer, the Inspector, the Prosecutor, and the girls) had to stand, state our names, positions, addresses, and birthdates. With Natalia translating for us, the judge read our entire dossier, each document included therein, and then asked us questions such as why we want to adopt these girls, what we think that we can give them that they cannot get here, and how long we have known the girls. Something to make note of here- when the judge asked us this, Jerry started to talk about the hosting program, how the girls spent 11 weeks with us, and that we have known them since last summer. The judge then stopped Jerry and restated his question and asked how long we “officially” have known the girls in Severodonetsk. He does not want to hear anything about the hosting program! Apparently this has to do with a law stating that children can’t be preselected and that we must “meet” them here.
Getting ready to go to court:
In front of the courthouse with Natalia and the orphanage attorney:
Waiting to head to the courtroom:
He then asked us if we think that we can afford adding two more children to our family, the make-up of our family including the children’s birthdates and our wedding anniversary date, etc… The judge had a sense of humor and asked Anastasia if she would stay here if he built a swimming pool in the orphanage, and we all laughed. The girls were nervous, but ultimately all went as planned.
The judge locked us up for psychological evaluations after he found our that we already have 5 children and want to add two more!
The whole process took about an hour, and everyone was very nice and polite. We spoke afterwards with the Prosecutor (who asked Jerry to host her in the USA). She is a very nice lady.
After a short break, the judge came back with our ruling, and our petition to adopt Anastasia and Kristina was approved! According to the judge, our “10-day waiting period” doesn’t end until May 12th, which is a couple of days longer than we had hoped, but we will do what we have to do.
After court:
When we left court, we headed back to the orphanage to say goodbye to the girls since we are leaving very early in the morning. We showed them on the calendar when we will return, and they were very excited. We went and had a celebratory “martini” at the hotel. (*note, the “martinis” here are not like in the USA. Apparently “martini” is the name of a liqueur and not a type of drink. I believe their version of a martini is 2 parts vodka and 1 part “martini” liqueur, which is a bit sweet.) After, we picked up Larissa and her son and had a celebratory dinner at the Golden Palace.
Days 16, 17, and 18
Monday, April 26, 2010 through Wednesday, April 28th. These days just kind of blended, one into another. We spent the days waiting for our court date, visiting with the girls, and walking around town. We finally got our court date late on Wednesday, for Thursday at 4pm! This is great news, because we get to start the 10-day mandatory waiting period which goes by calendar days (as opposed to working days), so weekends count as well.
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