Surgery

Last Wednesday Rance had strabismus surgery on his eyes. The surgery center where he had the surgery was phenomenal with him, so the actual surgery went perfectly. Because Rance's eyes are so little they had a hard time keeping them open wide enough during the surgery which caused more swelling and bruising than normal. For most of the day on Wednesday his eyes were swollen shut. Top that off with being a very sick little boy from the anesthesia and Wednesday was a rough day. I was so thankful that my mom was able to be here to help with Cavin so I could just focus on Rance.

When we first got home from Ukraine Cavin was fighting a cold and ear infection and was not used to sleeping in his crib so we decided not to make him "cry it out" while he was sick. So the first couple of nights we were home Cavin slept with us because he was sick. So Rance remembered this and informed us, actually told his Grandma, that he would be sleeping with his mom and dad because he was sick.

I of course couldn't say no, and it really was easier having him in bed with us than having to get to his room in time to help him while being sick. We didn't plan on, however, Cavin crying half of the night and also eventually ending up in bed with us. I think little sleep was had by mom and dad although the boys seemed good to go!

Thursday we saw drastic improvement. Once we got his eyes open Rance was starving and ready to eat. I was thrilled to see him acting like himself and finally eating and drinking and keeping it all down! From then on, he has been fine and healing perfectly. His eyes are still a little bruised and they could be red on the parts where the doctor did the surgery for up to a month, but his eyes are fixed and are working together, and we are so thankful for a successful surgery!!

Rance has really begun to understand and even speak a lot of English. Most days I hear more English than I do Ukrainian, which is really fun for us! "What is this, _____?" is a question we hear a lot! Some of them have been really hard to answer, like, "what is this because?" How do you explain what because is with the few words he understands? After two attempts he hasn't asked again, so maybe he got it, or maybe he just gave up!

Very rarely do we have issues of sharing toys, mostly the boys play really well together. Yesterday was a day I will treasure forever. The boys played together all day. They ran in circles and around the house playing peek a boo and laughing whenever they found each other. Then they played on the couch, rolling from the top of it to the floor, which really isn't allowed on the couches upstairs but it was so cute I couldn't tell them to stop! 

Cavin is still trouble, more ornery than ever, and busy keeping up with big brother. Right now it is most entertaining to watch Cavin try to jump and do like Rance does. He still hasn't quite figured out how to jump off the ground, and its pretty cute to watch!

Cavin mostly keeps busy with his training. He got a basketball hoop for Christmas and he spends most of his days shooting hoops or working on his dribbling. You can't help but laugh in shock at how good he actually is! When he's not busy with basketball training he tends to play with one of the other hundreds of balls in our home, and if we're lucky, he might venture out of the ball zone to play with some blocks or cars!!

Here is one of my favorite pictures of the boys we got done a while back. It melts my heart!

A Big Day of Firsts!

The boys woke up way earlier than normal this morning and I have been pretty sick with a cold and sore throat so I didn't get lunch prepped so we ended up eating at Arby's for lunch after church today. I was barely able to keep Cavin awake the short drive to Arby's let alone the 15 minutes home!

As a result, Rance got to experience curly fries for the very first time! He thought they were great and kept calling them circle fries! I don't think he understood curly and I didn't think to compare it to my mess of curly hair! He just saw them as circles, which the really curly onces all stuck together are!

We came home and transferred a sleeping Cavin from carseat to bed and shortly after Rance joined him for a nap of his own. After naptime they were begging to play outside but unfortunately both Matt and I had things that needed to get done inside. This is where I wish we had a fenced in backyard that was safe for the boys to play in! One of the big reasons we are wanting to move! So I got a little creative and put our spare baby gate to block off the deck stairs to create a safe place for them to play on our empty deck! I had Matt take out the basketball goal and some cars to for them to play with. I know it wasn't exactly how they were wanting to play outside but at least they were able to enjoy the beautiful day today and get some fresh air!

I did give them a popsicle for a snack, which they both loved! Another first for Rance!

It was so incredibly nice out today that before we left for small group I made Matt go down and grab the tub of clothes/shoes I have gradually been collecting for this summer through clearance and garage sales. I dug out a pair of flip flops for both the boys to wear! Cavin hates wearing socks and shoes, they typcially come off during the car ride, but for some reason the flip flops manage to stay on!

Rance thought he was pretty big stuff wearing his new flip flops, his third first for the day! He just kept walking around the house staring at his feet. It was pretty cute. Even at smallg roup he didn't want to take them off!

Tonight at small group we were outside the entire evening. I think all of the kids loved playing outside! 

I definitely think I could get used to lots of days like today (with me feeling better of course!)

Rance is on spring break this week so I am hoping to plan a few fun things to do, I am thinking his first picnic is in order for sure, and maybe his first time swimming!

Slammed

I cannot get over how busy we have been since arriving home! I have loved every second of it, especially reconnecting with our family and friends after being away for 2.5 months.

Some Firsts for Rance:
-Lots of food! We've been introducing him to mroe and more new foods, and for the most part, he loves them all!
-Lemonade-He loves it!
-First Pediatrician Appointment
    He had to get his finger poked and he cried more than Cavin did, and he got 3 shots! Other than that, he did great! He is 44 inches tall and 39 pounds!
-First Eye Doctor's Appointment
    We are thankful some friends of ours referred us to an amazing pediatric eye specialist. They were so sweet with Rance, while I was impressed with the amount of English Rance had learned already!  We were pleased to confirm that he basically has 20/20 vision. He will be having eye surgery on March 30, it should be an in and out kind of deal.
-Wii
    A fellow in our small group introduced Rance to the Wii and he has been addicted since! We got him a Diego game which is perfect for his English level as it illustrates each direction given. He also loves bowling.
-Babysitter
    Matt and I were invited to a trivia night with some friends of ours, and while we wanted to go, we were hesitant to leave Rance. However, it just so happened these friends had adopted 2 girls from Russia about 5 or 6 years ago, who are now a sophomore and a senior. They also have two boys, a seventh and fourth grader. So we decided to give it a try. Rance did fabulous and we enjoyed our first night away in months!
-Challenge
    Rance attended his first Wednesday night class, after some convincing, all by himself. It helps that he clicked with another boy his age who was in the class as well! He really liked it, especially his teachers!
-Magic House
    We were blessed by some friends of ours who allowed the boys and I to use some of their guest passes and hang out with them for the day! Both boys had a lot of fun. I think Rance's favorite was the bubble room!
-Playtime Party Center
    Oversized McDonald's playground, lots of video games. Both of the boys had fun. Cavin of course loved the little mini pop-a-shot, and Rance loved the brightest games that made the most noise!
-Red Robin
    If you know Matt well, you know how important this is! Lol.
-Movie
    A local theatre here hosted a winter family series in which they showed old movies for free. We managed to make it to the last one, How to Train a Dragon in 10 Days. Rance loved it! We were also surprised at how well Cavin sat and watched it.
-Family Pictures
    I am curious to see how they turned out, it seems when one boy was cooperating the other wasn't and vice versa!
-Gymnastics
    This is something Matt and I debated, mainly because its kind of pricey for our budget, but Rance loves to do handstands, summersaults and backwards summersaults to flip up onto his feet. With his eye condition sports at this time aren't a great option, and with him being underdeveloped physically for his age, well, we decided it would be worth the financial sacrifice. He had his first class on Monday, and he smiled from ear to ear the entire time! He absolutely loved it. His teacher was impressed with his natural ability, and even more impressed when she found out he had no other training and just came from an orphanage a bit over a month ago. I think it will be well worth a little sacrifice on our end!


  In other news, Rance continues surprise us with how quickly he is learning English and how well he continues to adjust. School is slowly growing on him. I actually think he really likes school, he just doesn't want to leave home or his family. He is really learning a lot. Rance also loves music. Anytime we are in the car he asks us to turn on HIS music! I don't mind so much but I think Matt kind of misses listening to talk radio on his way to work on the days he takes Rance to school! He knows most of the words to a lot of songs. We have a lot of fun singing together as a family and teaching Rance the motions. It melts my heart when we're out and about to hear Rance sing, "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do..." his favorite song. I doubt he truly understands what he is singing orhow big God has already been in his life.

  Cavin is in one word, trouble. He is into everything but his toys it seems! He does love to play basketball with his new hoop he got for Christmas! He's getting pretty good!! He has learned he is just tall enough to get into all kinds of new trouble. On his tippy toes he can help himself to a drink of water from the fridge dispenser, pull things off the cabinets and open the doors.

  The other morning I was helping Rance for a few minutes when I felt a cool draft of air. I looked up to see the garage door wide open. I hurriedly slipped on some of Matt's shoes that were by the door and ran outside to find Cavin almost all the way down the driveway, in his jammies, happy as can be. As I scooped him up into my arms he giggled away. I seriously can't take my eyes off him for even a minute or two!

  The boys have totally bonded. I always go inside to pick up Rance from school. I had stopped to talk to Matt, but Cavin had kept walking to where the kids were waiting. As soon as they saw each other, Cavin excitedly started laughing and began to run towards Rance with his arms outstretched, while Rance excitedly yelled "Cavin!" and ran towards him, picking up Cavin in a hug with lots of giggles. A moment my heart will treasure forever.

Christmas!

This past weekend we traveled to my parents house to finally celebrate Christmas together! We are so thankful our family was willing to wait until we were home with Rance to celebrate! It was definitely weird wrapping presents, decorating a Christmas tree and filling stockings in the middle of February! It was so fun to watch Rance do all of this for the first time! It truly was treasured time with family!

Thursday evening we decorated the tree, well, mostly Rance and his cousin Gracie decorated the tree. My mom had found some plastic balls on clearance for them to use along with some candy canes. They were so proud of their decorating!

**First for Rance
-Decorating a Christmas Tree
-Spending the night at Grandma and Papa's house!
     He got to sleep upstairs with his cousins! It melted my heart to hear their giggling after they had been tucked into bed!

The weather was pretty nice on Friday so the kids were able to play outside and enjoy being at the farm. Rance loves being outside, although I think he was a little unsure of all of the animals!

I think the highlight of our day was when Rance and our nephew put on their new costumes. Rance loves Spiderman and was elated with his new and first costume. He and my nephew began jumping on my sister's bed, wrestling around and being boys in costumes. The funny thing is every couple of minutes Rance would jump down off the bed to look at himself in the mirror. At first he would just look at himself, but eventually he began acting silly, showing off his muscles the costume provided and making faces. The rest of us sitting in the living room were rolling with laughter watching him. It was moments that will forever be embedded on my heart. Moments that every child should experience, much before the age of 6.

**Firsts for Rance
-Haircut
    First thing on Friday Matt and Rance went to get haircuts. They went to an old school barber so I'm not loving the cuts, but I suppose its better than the shaggy hairdo's they were sporting! He did great!
-Swinging
    He tried to swing on his own, which was pretty funny and quite cute, but I think he was starting to get it figured out by the end of the weekend!
-Seeing farm animals
    He got to see some brand new baby calves, horses, and a duck. Probably more.
-Playing in the haybarn.
    Definitely not scared to jump around on those haybales!
-Playing with sidewalk chalk.
-Riding a bike!
-Opening Christmas Presents!
    Friday evening we opened our gifts from each other, except for those from my parents.
-Wearing his first costume!

Saturday we awoke to three months of shopping from a person who loves to give gifts. We heard Rance's favorite word, "WOW!" with every present he opened. It broke our hearts yet filled them with joy at the same time. With one gift we even heard a "Really Wow!" We're not even sure where he learned the word really, which made it even more sweet.

Saturday was a relaxing day with our traditional family brunch after opening gifts, then time to play games, and enjoy being together. The only thing missing was a fire in the fireplace, but it was just too warm. My mom tried to convince my dad to turn on the a.c. to balance out the fire, but he didn't go for it.

**First for Rance
-Christmas morning, presents and stockings.

Sunday morning we got up and went to church with my parents. It had been a long time since I had been to the church I grew up in. With Matt working every Sunday we normally come home on Saturday nights. However, the church family had been so supportive and encouraging to us through the adoption process I wanted them to be able to meet Rance. So while Matt went home Saturday night, the boys and I stayed behind. Everyone loved meeting Rance and Grandma and Papa loved showing off their newest grandson.

Its good to be home once more, although I again face unpacking, laundry, and trying to find a place for all of the new toys the boys got. I am so ready to have my house organized!!Tomorrow I will begin shopping around for some cheap shelves, tubs or whatever I can find to help me get organized!

Today I got some things done, but it takes forever when you're having to rearrange everything to try and squeeze in the new things. I did finally take down our Christmas tree and the few decorations I had gotten out! I was sad at first, as I love Christmas, but then I remembered I could get out my hand painted eggs from Austria, which I also love.

Finally

We have absolutely loved being home, but boy, the unpacking has been brutal! It would help of course if we were home!

Saturday we traveled to Palmyra to celebrate the life of my Great Uncle Walter Tuley, Sr. While most people hardly know their great aunts and uncles, Uncle Walter was in many ways like a second Grandpa to me. In fact, after my own Grandpa passed away, I remember Uncle Walter coming over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder and telling me it would be ok, he would be there for me, and he was. Uncle Walter and my Grandpa were alike in so many ways, so while a few of his grandchildren shared memories of their grandfather, I couldn't help the tears that came to my own eyes as many of their memories were just like mine.

**First for Rance
-Drinking out of a Water Fountain! Hilarious to say the least! Not sure what received more water, Rance's clothes or his stomach!!

We had been debating on if we should take Rance to church on Sunday or not. However, we figured if he had survived the massive Tuley family with flying colors he could definitely handle church! Rance was a little more shy on Sunday morning but he did great. He played with Cavin and I in the nursery the first hour and then went to church with me the second hour. During church he couldn't get over the big "television screens" and he absolutely loved the music! He clapped away and tried to sing along! We were again impressed with how well he did in completely new surroundings and meeting lots of new people!

**First for Rance
-Eating his first donut!! He loved it!

Monday we took Rance to his first day of school. Although he is 6 and should be in Kindergarten, we decided preschool would be a better fit for him at this time. I am not sure what Rance's perception of school is, but every time we have asked him if he wants to go, he says no. So I had to literally drag him to the car Monday morning to leave for school. We went into the Valentine's Day party and he was able to meet his friends (he was again shy), and participate in the party. He didn't want to give his Spiderman valentine's away at first, then I showed him that the other kids had valentines to give him. Once he realized what was happening, he was happy to put a valentine in each box. I think he really liked school and he told Matt last night during his bath that he went to school and said yes when Matt asked him if he liked it. He did ask to go home a few times, asked to go play with Cavin once, and still says he doesn't want to go back to school!

**Firsts for Rance
-Going to School
-Using scissors and glue
-Valentine's Party!

I was really tired yesterday for some reason, so my plans for a big homecooked meal complete with Matt's favorites for Valentine's day didn't happen. Instead he ended up going and getting 2 Little Ceasar's hot and ready pizza's. I fell asleep at 7:30 while Matt watched KU lose to K-State. What a romantic Valentine's day, huh?

Tuesday, finally a day at home for the boys and I! I wanted to take Rance to school, but we don't feel he is ready to be left alone yet, and I desperately needed a day at home to catch up. So we stayed home so I could get some stuff done! I have finally caught up on the laundry, I have one more load to fold and then I should be done for a few days! I jokingly told Matt if this is what laundry for a family of four looks like, maybe we'll be done having kids! I was able to get my kitchen cleaned up although I still have a lot of deep cleaning in there that I want to get done. But my big accomplishment was getting everything unpacked and put away. I have swept my hard floors but still need to run the vaccuum on the upstairs carpet. Not to bad, I don't think, with lots of breaks inbetween to play with the boys, help them with something, feed them, change diapers and the like. It feels so good to have my house somewhat organized and cleaned again!

Firsts for Rance
-Blowing bubbles! Someone gave him a bottle and he has been dying to use them. Finally this afternoon we went outside and he blew bubbles! Lots of giggles!

Tomorrow, we try school again....praying Rance does well!

The Long Awaited Pics!

 This is our second family picture taken of us. It was taken just a few days before we were finally able to pick Rance up from the orphanage forever! It was taken the day we had brought the clothes we had bought for him to try on. 

  

Love my boys!

Wow!!

I can't tell you how many times we have heard this word. Everything is so new to Rance. His eyes light up, his smile is big, and with awe he will whisper "wow!" It melts my heart!

We arrived home to discover a couple of surprises. We hadn't done much to prepare for the addition of our newest son, since we were so unsure on ages and sizes and interests. We knew Rance would be sharing a room with Cavin, so we cleaned out the closet to make room for Rance's things and rearranged the room to add a toddler bed in the mix. The rest I was planning on figuring out and organizing when we got home.

After finding out Rance was 6, some of our closets friends decided it would be helpful and fun to get the room ready for us. I am not a fan of surprises, and I am a perfectionist, which creates two problems. One, I am sure my house was not up to my standards yet company was in it. Secondly, I am typically really picky on how I want things, to the point normally Matt just stays out of the way.

I will say I knew something was up, as my friends had my mom trying to hint around and ask questions without letting me know what was really going on. But I wasn't expecting anything quite so big. Rance has his very own twin sized bed, complete with the comforter I had been saving up to buy for him! They also redecorated the walls a bit, something I was wanting to do after we got home. They also bought a nice 6 cube shelf for the closet to help organize clothes.

Rance walked in his room and his eyes lit up, and with a look of awe on his face he said, "Wow!". Matt and I wholeheartedly agreed! All four of us really love the room! Although it might of pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit, it has been a tremendous blessing to us!

They had also organized a "shower" or sorts and we walked into our living room to find several gifts for Rance. He had fun opening each gift, although like any child he much preferred the few toys over all the clothes! We had bought only 1 pair of pants and 2 shirts so it was perfect that we had some clothes here for Rance to wear!

Rance slept great in his new bed and Matt and I couldn't get over how comfortable our bed was! Cavin slept ok for not feeling well, and was up at 4:30am.

Yesterday we took Cavin to the doctor to find out he had one ear that was healing from an infection (Kiev) while his other ear was becoming quite infected. While Matt took Cavin to the doctor I went with my mom and sister to get some necessities for Rance and other things we needed for ourselves. I needed to pick up a few clothes for Cavin as he has gotten so tall, so we stopped by the Carter's outlet and I found some great deals on clothes for Cavin and of course, some clothes for Rance! I got everything for only a couple of dollars except for one shirt that was $4!

We came home to eat lunch and relax for a bit, but then we decided it was so nice to be out that we left again! We went to get Matt's glasses fixed and look at some frames for Rance. Then we headed to Target. Oh, how I have missed Target!

Next we headed to see our chiropractor, whom we have really missed! It felt so good to get adjusted! Even Rance got adjusted! After watching mommy and daddy do it, he didn't hesitate when the doctor said it was his turn. He just climed right up on the table and laid down. I had Matt check while he was being adjusted, and Matt said he had a grin on his face the whole time! As we were leaving the doctor gave him two stickers and one silly band bracelet, both items a first for Rance. To each item Rance promptly said "Wow!" in his awestruck way. I couldn't even get him to zip his coat up over the stickers on his shirt to go outside!

We made a few more stops on our way home, well I did. The boys waited in the van. We have all this lovely snow outside, so I was looking for snowpants for the boys and a couple of sleds. Rance has never played in the snow before! I think people here are a little ahead of themselves though as I couldn't find a single pair of snowpants in Rance's size nor any sleds in the Wal-Marts and Targets I looked in. I could find everything one would need to get their swimming pool up and running, swimsuits, and lots of shorts and tank tops!

Last night we had a nice, relaxing evening at home. The boys played while Matt and I began to tackle our mountain of laundry and the tedious task of unpacking. I really don't like unpacking!

Flying Home!

We woke up at 1:30am Kiev time to begin our journey home. Matt and I both wanted to shower and we needed time to pack up our last minute things. We woke the boys up at 2 after Matt and Yuri had very carefully crammed all of our stuff into his car. It was about a 30 minute drive to the airport. It wasn't until we arrived at the airport that it actually began to feel like we were on our way home! Because we had two kiddos in tow we were whisked through check in, customs, and security. It was wonderfully free of stress! Both of the boys ran around like crazy until it was time to board flight one of three. Our first flight was from Kiev to Frankfurt and was rather uneventful. Once Cavin fell asleep Matt napped with him while I stayed awake with Rance.

Our layover in Frankfurt was short, just enough time to grab some coffee for me, Coke for Matt, and a snack for the boys. I got some cute pictures of both boys in front of our plane. It was a "double-decker." Rance was in awe and couldn't get over how big it was! We were blessed this time with bulkhead seats, in my opinion, a definite must for any flights with little ones, but especially long flights! There is actually space for a child to get down and walk or play in front of the seats without getting in the way in the asile.

The first part of our second flight was rough. Cavin's fever had returned and I could tell he was exhausted and not feeling well. He was crying with quiet, but still high pitched, screams mixed in. He cried for 45 minutes until I finally got him to sleep. Eventually we were able to get the bassinet put up and we were shocked as Cavin slept for 5--yes 5--hours out of our 9 hour flight. It took us a while to convince Rance that he needed to sleep as well, but once he sat still for a few minutes he was asleep as well. He slept for about 4 hours. I was able to sleep most of the time the boys were, while Matt dozed while watching a movie.

The last part of the flight was filled with coloring and playing and entertaining both boys. We were very pleased with how well both boys did during the 8 hours and 50 minute flight!!

We arrived in Chicago and Rance stepped foot on United States soil for the first time, becoming a legal citizen!! After we got off of the plane and out of the way, I stopped on one knee and told Rance "Welcome to America." As we walked towards customs Rance kept repeating "America" over and over again, pronouncing it A-mer-ri-ca, rolling the second r sound, with a sound of awe in his voice. Too cute.

Going through customs was a little stressful, you have to pick up all of your luggage, take it to get scanned and then recheck it with your airline. Plus we had two little boys who just wanted to run and exert all of the pent up energy from being cramped in an airplane for almost 9 hours, when we needed them to be still! Thankfully most of the security officers were understanding, and we made it through in okay time.

We got our bags rechecked and through security again and headed off to our gate for our final flight only to find that our flight to Saint Louis had been delayed over an hour. Ugh. We stopped at Chili's to eat a little bit and rest while we made our first phone calls in over 2 and 1/2 months!

It was hard keeping the boys calm while we waited, but thankfully Cavin took a short nap and Rance rested while listening to some music on an ipod. He is starting to sing along with some of the songs! He still needs to learn not to sing along so loudly...

We finally borded our flight to Saint Louis, which thankfully was up, and basically right back down. Rance sat next to me and we colored most of the way while Matt and Cavin played with his busy book. Rance loved seeing all of the lights on the ground, lots of "ooh's, aah's and wow's!" We landed and were off to meet family!

Papa and Grandma Tuley, Unce Nate, cousins-Gracie and Samuel, and Aunt Becca were there waiting to meet us! Rance was pretty shy, but still said hi to everyone and gave them all hugs. Cavin and Rance both slept on the drive back to our house.

We were so excited to finally be home. All day Rance had been asking us when we were going to be at his new home. When we landed in Saint Louis he asked if the airport was his house, even though he had seen pictures of our house, I think he was just so ready to be there already!

Visa!!!!

We cannot believe the adoption process is finally over...its really finished...we're kind of in shock!

We to got to the Embassy, paid the fee for the visa, and then submitted another paper they were needing. Then we waited for our names to be called for the interview.

After about 15 minutes we were called back for the interview. I didn't really know what to expect, but beings they call it an interview I was expecting to be asked some questions. However, all they did was make us swear that we had filled out the paperwork truthfully, then sign all of the papers. Then we were told, "Congratulations, your visa process is completed!" Please wait while we get the visa printed within the next hour!

So we walked around the corner to a waiting room where they had some toys and books. I read a few books to Rance while Matt kept up with Cavin. Then I began speaking with a woman who was adopting their third child, an adorable 22 month old girl, from Ukraine (they had adopted the older 2 siblings last year). In about 30 minutes our names were called again, Rance's visa was printed and ready! I wrapped up my conversation with the lady and out we went!

We're now back at the apartment and soon the packing will begin in earnest!

Still cannot believe the adoption is finally complete!! We are really getting excited to be home!!

Please pray for packing to go smoothly, for the boys to go to bed early so we can finish up and get some sleep ourselves. Yuri will be at our apartment to pick us up at 2:50am...yah. It will be interesting trying to cram all of our stuff into his car and then waking the boys up at such a crazy hour. Our flight leaves Ukraine at 5:30am, which is 9:30pm tonight STL time. We have layovers in Munich, Germany and Chicago. Total travel time:22 hours.

Please pray for no delays in our flights and for safe travel!

We're praying the boys will sleep during our first flight to Munich and the first part of our transatlantic flight to help with the time change back to the States. Then we're praying they will be well behaved for the remainder of our flight time.

My next blog update will be Stateside!! I know you are all anxious to see pictures, please be patient with us, they are coming, we promise!

U.S. Visa:Part One

This morning Matt and Rance left the apartment at 8am to head to the International Hospital here in Kiev to start on the first part of getting an immigrant visa for Rance to enter the States. Since Cavin was still feverish and not feeling well he and I stayed behind. Matt said they had to wait a long time before they were seen by the doctor. Definitely glad I stayed behind with the fussy baby! They finally got in and Rance was examined by the doctor. Then she looked through his medical history, filled out a vaccination chart in English and then filled out a bunch of paperwork for us to submit to the U.S. Embassy on his medical history.

Meanwhile I was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to come and pick Cavin and I up for our appointment at the Embassy at 10:30! Finally around 10:10 Yuri called to tell me they were close and to head downstairs. Our appointment was smooth and easy. I stood at a window and a very kind lady helped me finish filling out the parts of the paperwork we were unsure about. The lady had sent Matt and the boys to a waiting room around the corner to play while I finished up the paperwork. It took me about 20 minutes to get everything finished up and then we were on our way!

Tomorrow at 2:00 we will go back to the Embassy for our second appointment, which is our official interview. We don't really know what to expect, but I imagine it will be fairly simple. We should have his visa around an hour after our interview! Once we have his visa we are completely ready to come back to the States!

Tonight we will begin reorganizing things and packing up!

One of Rance's new phrases is "I don't know." He first heard it during a phone conversation with my mom and has since mastered the phrase. Today while they were waiting for the doctor Rance was trying to name Ukrainian letters using the English alphabet. He would ask what a letter was and Matt would say it, then he would repeat it. Until they came to a letter in the Ukrainian alphabet that is unknown to Matt, he would say "I don't know," which Rance would then repeat. Its pretty cute!

We also tried McDonald's again today. We would have rather ate elsewhere but like in the States, its much cheaper than other places to eat, so that's where we headed. The first time we tried a cheeseburger which Rance didn't know how to eat and wasn't fond of. So today I tried chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, and we he devoured all 4 of them, using the entire thing of sauce! He even tried to eat the sweet and sour sauce straight from the container, which we quickly told him no too. But it made me think of my Grandpa Tuley, who first introduced me to sweet and sour sauce! He loved that stuff, I suppose he would be proud I have continued to pass the love of the sauce down to my kiddos too. Lol.

I'm off to get the boys to bed and to get some stuff done before we finally get some sleep.

Please be praying for us to get the visa tomorrow shortly after our appointment!

Please also continue to pray for Cavin to get better! His fever is still hanging on, his nose is still running, and he still isn't feeling well. We are praying he is much better by Wednesday when we travel.