On Maggie's First Birthday

Maggie is one today.  When I look at her petite frame I can hardly believe it.  I still marvel at this wonderful gift that God has given us and how blessed we already are by her addition to our family.  However, my thoughts all day today were on Maggie's birth mother.  What was she feeling today?  Was she thinking about Maggie and wondering where she was?  Was she remembering the delivery?  Did she even see Maggie before she wrote the statement that gave her up for adoption?  So many questions were running through my head all day.

But my prayer is that she is comforted by the Ultimate Comforter that her baby girl is with a family who loves her more than life.  A family that will take care of her and lead her on the right path.  A family who will always do what's best for her - even when she doesn't know it or appreciate it!  (That's what good parents do, right?)   We don't know much about Maggie's birth mother, but I pray for her salvation and protection.  She brought life to Maggie and for that I am forever grateful.  When I look at Maggie, I know deep in my heart that she was always meant for our family.  There is not one ounce of doubt in that.  But I know that it took a great sacrifice on the part of a woman whom I will most likely never meet.  I will always pray for her and will continue to praise God for the choice she made that cold December morning in Moscow, Russia on December 19, 2011.

Happy Birthday Maggie!!!

Mom to an 8 year old

I can't believe that I am actually the mother of an 8 year old.  Eight?  How in the world could he be eight?  I mean, I am still 27 right?  In all seriousness, I could not be any more blessed by this little 8 year old than I am.  Yes, we have our moments, we all do, but when I see into Ward's heart, I see the beginnings of a man that I know will make a great husband and father.  I see a little boy who loves Jesus and tries to do the right thing (most of the time).  I see a little boy who is giving and kind and even shares his brand new birthday toys with his 3 year old brother.  I see a little boy who loves the outdoors and everything in it - frogs, lizards, birds and bugs, just to name a few.  I also see a little boy who loves to climb trees and discover the world around him.  A little boy with a gigantic imagination who is always coming up with fun new games and creative ways to entertain the neighborhood who always ends up in our yard.  Most of all, I see a little boy who I love with my whole heart - more than I love myself.  I don't know how that can be but God knew what he was doing when he gave me Ward as my first-born.  He may not be perfect, and may have his challenges, but I wouldn't trade him or anything about him for the world.  I love you buddy!

with his little turtle he caught this summer at the lake

(with his requested birthday cookies - he is his father's son!!)

One week done

I can't believe that this time last week I was packing in our hotel room in Moscow preparing for the very long journey home (and dreading every minute of it!).  To be honest, this week has been a blur.  I feel like so much has happened, and yet I also feel like nothing has happened.  I am still struggling with jet lag (they say it takes a day for each hour time difference so that means I have 4 more days to go!) and just adjusting to having 4 kids and an almost 1 year old in the house again.

Maggie is really adjusting well.  I think that her attachment to us is going as well as it can be - she is learning minute by minute, day by day, that Ted and I are her daddy and mommy and that we are going to be here for her forever.  Sleep is still a bit of an issue, but we are working it out.  I think that the vast majority of her issues right now are also related to jet lag.  She goes to bed quite well, but if she wakes up in the middle of a nap or in the middle of the night, she is very scared and it takes a while to settle her down.  Poor girl - I cannot imagine the emotions her little body is experiencing.  It is something that the vast majority of us will never experience, much less as a baby who cannot understand what is going on.

The other issue that people have warned us about with adoptive kids is food, but that doesn't seem to be an issue as of yet.  She had never had anything other than "baby food" or "mushy food" and we have already introduced her to more solid foods like puffs, cheerios, bananas, and even pancakes.  With the introduction of this food, she does not want to eat off the spoon!  She is having way too much fun feeding herself!  I am trying to remember what I fed my other kiddos at this age.  I guess she can eat pretty much anything as long as I cut it up small enough.  Any advice is welcome!

I'll leave you with some more pictures from the week.  The older kids are really being great with her and I love to see Maggie watching them as they play around her.  I can't wait to watch these bonds grow stronger and to see her personality and how it will change and play into our family dynamic.  In the quiet moments, when it is just the two of us, I keep on having these "I can't believe that she is really mine" moments.  God is so good!!

A Reminder About Adoptive Parenting

A little friendly reminder now that we are home and adjusting to our new life with Maggie ---

There are some things about adoptive parenting that are the same as parenting a biological child, but there are also quite a few areas that we have learned are very different.  Through our adoption agency, the UAB International Adoption Clinic, books, other adoptive parents, adoption social workers, psychologists and more, we have learned that Maggie needs a specific type of environment and parenting now that we are home in order to feel safe and secure and to learn how to live successfully in our family.  

While we know that every child is different, we also understand that there are many possible things that will impact Maggie's beliefs and behavior now that she is home.  These include how much nurturing Maggie received in the orphanage, the amount and quality of food she received, illnesses, the quality of care and Maggie's unique personality and temperament, just to name a few.  Although her orphanage didn't seem as bad to us as we were expecting, it is still an orphanage and Maggie received less than optimal care for the first 11 months of her life.   The result of this less than optimal care can lead to behavioral issues, emotional disorders and a sense of grief and loss from being separated from the only home and caregivers Maggie has ever known.  Adoption is a scary and traumatic event for any age child - whether they are a newborn or 10 years old.  They're being removed from all of their routines and familiar surroundings.  Even babies feel grief and sadness at an event like this.  To help Maggie feel safe and learn that we are her parents, Ted and I are creating the type of environment that will help promote security during this stressful time.

At the recommendation of experienced adoption professionals, now that we are home, we are implementing specific parenting approaches to help encourage a strong, attached, emotionally healthy family member.  Maggie needs to learn that we are her parents.  She needs to feel nurtured and safe.  She is not used to having parents to love and care for her.

So what does this look like?  Here are some things that we are doing for Maggie based on research and experience with other adopted children --

• We are living a very quiet life with limited trips out and very few visitors for a little while.  Social workers and psychologists tell us that when children are first adopted, they may be overwhelmed, scared and nervous.  By keeping our lives "boring" at first, we are helping Maggie feel safe at home.  However, this does NOT mean that we don't want visitors!!  I would GO CRAZY!  Instead, I am just limiting the number of people who come see us each day and may ask you to come by later, or another day so it is not so overwhelming.

• We are doing all the "primary caregiver duties" including all the holding, feeding, changing, bathing, kissing, etc.  I know that everyone wants to hold Maggie, and it is so sweet of you.  However, we can't just pass her around for everyone to hold.  We have to be mindful of overloading her with new things and people.  We know you all want to hold, hug, kiss and help spoil her, but it is recommended that Ted and I be the only one to do that at first to improve her chances of attaching strongly to us.  Until we feel Maggie has attached and clearly knows that we are her parents, we will need to feed, change and take care of her.  I promise that once this happens, I will call on many of you for diaper changes and babysitting!!!  As strange as it may seem, adoptive children who act very outgoing and affectionate with strangers is not a healthy thing.  It is called "indiscriminate affection" and can mean that they haven't really attached to anyone.  It would not be a good sign that Maggie has attached to us if during her first months home she would just let anyone take her and hold her without searching for me and/or Ted, for example.  

I really appreciate you all reading and understanding this.  I posted this so that everyone can be on the same page and help us to help Maggie adjust and adapt during this stressful time in her life.  We feel confident that everything will smooth out quickly and we will be on a more normal schedule soon.  

Home, Safe and Sound

Sorry that I have not posted anything since we have been back.  To say that I am exhausted would be a huge understatement.  We are still living in a complete jet-lagged state and Maggie has her days and nights mixed up since Moscow is 10 hours ahead.  Sleep is hard to come by right now, but I am trying to nap here and there when I have a moment! (One of the main reasons I have not been on the computer!)

Maggie is doing really great at her new home.  She is still a bit overwhelmed but I think that she is handling everything great.  Ward, Ann Park and Sam are overjoyed by her presence - but it is kinda like having a new puppy.  I am sure that the novelty will wear off soon.  I am trying to spend one-on-one time with each one of them when I can as I know that will help with the adjustment for them.

We went to the International Adoption Clinic today and met with the social worker and doctors there.  Maggie is looking great and doing great, but we already knew that.  We were there for about 4 hours and the visit was supposed to end with all the blood work - to verify vaccines and to check for other things like iron deficiencies, etc.  They tried and tried and tried to find a vein (i.e. they poked and poked and poked her with a needle) and could not get anything.  They think it is because we are so close to coming home and her nutrition and hydration is not up to par yet.  So we have to go back and try again in a couple of weeks.  No fun.  But all in all it was a very good visit.

I have some great pictures of Maggie with her siblings that I will post when I have another moment.  For now I want to try to get a nap before Ward and Ann Park get home from school.  Please forgive my lack of communication!  I promise to improve!!

Last day! Last day!

Hurray!  We are in the final stretch!  I was so tired last night and decided to take an Ambien.  Well, I think that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and I did not open my eyes until 6:53 the next morning!  I could not believe it.  I don't think that I have done that on any of my nights here previously.  Of course, that means that I am adjusting to this time and that I will have horrible jet lag when I get home, but I will have many helpers and will take lots of naps to get over it!  The good night's sleep will also help with the long journey home tomorrow.

I had to wake Maggie up again this morning at 7:15, and I didn't hear a peep out of her all night long.  I think that we have a good sleeper on our hands!  Praise the Lord!  I am praying that it continues when we get home, although I am sure that it will take some time for her to adjust to her new surroundings.  We got up and played for a couple of hours in the hotel while dad packed and showered.  He then took Maggie down to the lobby so I could shower and start the process of packing.  It is about a 24 hour trip home (with a 10 hour time change) so I am making sure that I have everything that I could possibly need for Maggie in my carry-on.  I am preparing for the worst, but praying for the best.  She seems to be easily adaptable and such a happy baby at this point, but you never know!  I have heard some nightmares from more than one adoptive parent so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

After I got about half way packed dad and I decided to check out the little festival at the Anglican Church across the street from the hotel.  It was nice to hear so many people speaking English!  The priest is British and I also heard a lot of Americans.  They had a bunch of food, raffle items, and little booths where you could buy items set up all around.  They also had fun kids crafts and were going to have Christmas carols later in the afternoon.  It lasts all day long and I think is a popular even for families in the city.  We didn't stay too long since we were all getting hungry and really weren't interested in buying anything.

Today is the warmest day we have had thus far and we actually saw the sun for a little bit of our walk! (Good thing we aren't going to be here next week as it is going to be -14 degrees Celcius on Tuesday!!) I would guess that it was in the high 30s when we waked to lunch, but the weather is supposed to get colder this afternoon and the clouds are already rolling in.  We enjoyed our walk and the sun, however, on our way to Pizza Express - a favorite!  After a great lunch of chicken caesar salads and cokes, we took the long way back to the hotel and enjoyed walking in Moscow for one last afternoon.  We got back to the hotel around 1:00 and I put Maggie down for her nap.  She was falling asleep in the carrier so it was perfect timing for her nap.

I spent the first part of her nap gathering food and deciding what I needed to take on my carry-on, what I could pack in my checked luggage, and what I was going to leave with the Texas family I met last night.  She was telling me last night that she was not well-prepared and really didn't have enough food for her little one.  They went to the market around the corner but didn't have much luck.  Luckily for her, I was overly prepared and brought WAY too much food so I am making a generous donation of snacks!  And it helps me out because I don't have to pack it!

We leave the hotel for the airport tomorrow morning at 7:45 for our 10:45 flight to Paris.  We have a 4 hour layover in Paris and then a 10 hour flight to Atlanta.  I am DREADING tomorrow, but I know that dad will be a huge help!  Please pray that we are safe and that everything goes smoothly and that God's peace will cover us in our travels.

Nasty Day in Moscow

It was a nasty day in Moscow.  The total snowfall for the past two days was almost two feet and then today it warmed up enough to turn into slush.  Dirty, yucky slush.  And to add to that slush there was some nice freezing rain.  It was just gorgeous!  But dad and I ventured out anyway since I was going completely stir-crazy.

But let me back up a little bit.  Last night went really well.  Maggie slept through the night and I actually had to wake her up at 7:15 this morning.  Of course that was great for Maggie but I was still up at 3:00.  At least I went to bed at 9:00 and got about 6 hours of sleep.  I still look like a train-wreck, however, and am very ready to get back home!

After I woke her up this morning, we had breakfast and played at the hotel for a couple of hours.  Although the weather was the pits, we still decided to go ahead with our plan. We walked the 20 minutes over to Red Square and went to the mall to thaw out. I did not wear my long johns and literally had ice crystals on my jeans.  Maggie was nice and warm besides her cheeks since she was in the baby carrier under my jacket.  We burned some time in the mall and then headed to St. Basil's Cathedral.  Ted and I did not go inside on either of our two trips and I so wish that Ted got to see it.  The Cathedral is truly amazing - one of the coolest places that I have ever been.  We toured the Cathedral for about 45 minutes or so and then headed to lunch at a pizza place that Ted and I discovered on our first trip to Moscow.  Maggie was starving too and we all had a great lunch.

After lunch we headed back to the hotel and Maggie immediately went down for her nap without a peep.  She was exhausted from all the touring!  I hung out in dad's room and watched a movie that I had downloaded from iTunes while dad got a massage!  I tried to take a nap but I am just enough adjusted to this time that it wasn't going to work.  I had to wake Maggie up from her nap at 4:00 and we played around the hotel until dinner time.  Dad and I went back to our favorite spot about a block from the hotel.  I was wearing the wrong shoes and stepped in a huge puddle and was soaked through and through.  Dad was sweet enough to go back and get my correct boots so that made dinner much better.

I am now back at the hotel and have been visiting with two other families who have also adopted.  One family is the one I have spent time with most of the week from Jacksonville and today a new family from Texas came in.  They actually adopted from Vladivostok and through the same agency that we were using when we never got a child.  I am definitely going to have to look into that one when I get home. . . .

But for now I think that I am going to call it a day and head to bed.  Ambien is definitely in my future.  Hopefully I can get a better night's sleep tonight.  One more day!!!!!

A few pictures - Day 3

Here are a few pictures from tonight.  Dad and I gave Maggie her second bath.  She is still unsure about the whole bath situation and stood up the entire time. She didn't cry, but she was definitely nervous about it.  Her hair is getting softer and softer as I wash it and dad noticed that it is actually getting lighter.  I wonder how often she was bathed in the orphanage?

Her hair is wet in these pictures.  Although she has a ton of hair, it is so fine that it dries so quickly!  I can't wait for it to grow out so I can get a bow in it.  The orphanage obviously has given her some pretty bad haircuts!

happy girl after her bath!

crawling towards mama

looking at papa

big smile!!!

All Done!

Everything is complete on the Moscow end of things.  Now dad and I just have two more days to hang out until we get on our flights home!  We had to build in a couple of extra days in case anything went wrong in any of the steps that had to be completed this final trip (especially at the Embassy), but thankfully everything went smoothly today.

Last night was not as great a night as the first, but we survived.  She woke up with a coughing fit and refused to sleep in the pack and play after that.  I put her in bed with me and although she slept soundly, I didn't get much sleep.  Thankfully, dad came and got her this morning and let me get three much-needed hours of sleep.  They are really bonding and I am so appreciative of him being here.  He is so great with her and she really loves being with him.  It is amazing how fast she is adjusting to everything!  I am praying tonight goes better!

Vlad came and got Maggie and me at 10:40 to head to our appointment at the Embassy.  There is a ton of snow here and it has snowed all day long today so we left early for our 11:30 appointment.  Thankfully the traffic was not too bad and we arrived at 11:00.  The Embassy was, as it had been described to me, much like the DMV -- a lot of lines and a lot of waiting.  I didn't know what to expect, but that was certainly not it.  The place was full of Russians applying for tourist or business visas to the United States.  There were also 4 other American families getting visas for their adopted children so it was fun to get to talk to them.

The first thing I did when I got to the Embassy was to go through security and then wander around a corridor to the cashier.  There was a long line, but, thankfully, adoptions don't have to wait in those lines and get to go to the front of the line to pay the cashier.  It costs $230 to get Maggie her visa.  After I got the receipt, I turned it in to another window and waited to be called - which did not occur until exactly 11:30.  The Embassy Official (the only American I spoke to at the Embassy which I thought was really strange) swore me in and asked me a few questions - mainly confirming that everything on her visa application was true.  I had to sign a few documents and that was pretty much that.  She gave me all of my copies of the official adoption paperwork and explained to me what would happen once I got to customs in Atlanta.  Then I had to wait for another lady to call me with the "sealed yellow envelope" that I hand to the customs officials.  Those documents are the ones used by Homeland Security to issue her naturalization certificate once we get back.  I have heard so much about this envelope and it was great to finally have it in my possession.

Maggie will have both Russian and American citizenship until she is 18.  When she is 18 she can officially renounce her Russian citizenship or choose to keep it.  This is much more important for boys who are adopted because there is a mandatory draft for all Russian boys at 18.  One thing that was interesting about this dual citizenship is that if we bring Maggie back to Russia, she will have to travel on her Russian passport so we will have to renew it since it expires in 5 years.

Maggie was starving once I got back to the car and luckily I brought a bottle.  She downed it and was out - well before naptime!  She slept about 45 minutes and then was wide awake.  I fed her a late lunch and then got her to go down for a nap at 2:00.  I had to wake her up at 4:00!  She was out like a light!  Maybe a good omen for tonight?  I hope so, but I am not counting on it!!

I just realized that I have not taken any pictures today.  Ted will not be happy with that!  I will try to take some in a little while - can't miss a day of documenting this adventure!! Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and support.  We so appreciate them!

Day 2 with Maggie

Today has been a great day thus far.  It is currently 5 til 2:00 in the afternoon and Maggie is down for her afternoon nap.  I am going to try to get about 45 minutes rest, but I wanted to updated the blog as I don't know if I will be able to do it tonight.

Last night went really well.  She actually slept through the night which I cannot believe.  When I told Masha, she gave me a very surprised look and said that it is "completely unheard of."  She woke up at 7:00 but I think that dad actually woke her (but don't tell him!).  He claims that he heard her waking up, but I don't think that she was fully awake.  I didn't really care though since the doctor was coming at 7:30.  He checked her out and all was fine.  She has what sounds like a chest cold, but he said that the breathing thing that we have heard is from the teething - her lungs are clear, ears are great and throat is clear.  Plus, she is not coughing, really.

Another issue that I was really worried about before I got her was her eating.  I have heard horror stories about kids not eating anything and especially not drinking anything at all.  Again, I have been so lucky, thus far.  She is a great eater and has pretty much loved everything I have given her, and although she didn't love the spinach at lunch today, but she still ate it.  She also has taken the bottles without a problem so that is good!  She also loves Puffs!!  She is so pleased when she eats them and claps for herself.  It is precious.

After the doctor left this morning dad and I decided to take her on an outing.  We walked over the Red Square and I showed dad all the main spots.  They have set up an ice rink and what looks like will be some sort of Christmas village in the middle so he could not get the full view, but he loved it.  We also went over to the tomb of the unknown soldier which was neat. Maggie loved being in the carrier and was babbling most of the morning.  It was precious.

The more time dad and I spent with her this morning, the more and more struck we both were at what a true miracle from God she is. She is so happy and fun-loving (with a little bit of a temper so she will fit right in with the Holts!).  She is already adjusted to dad (which is a HUGE deal since she has not been around men at all) and is not crying when I leave the room (but may follow me where I go).  We even took her to a crowded lunch spot today, and she was flirting with the other people around her.  I am in awe of God's blessings on us right now and it makes me cry in wonder and appreciation for all He has given us.  All of the waiting, heartache, etc. was totally worth it.  I am overjoyed.  Now I just want to come home.

As for tomorrow, Masha presented all our documents to the Embassy today for Maggie's visa, and we got the green light.  My appointment is at 11:30 tomorrow and Vlad is picking us up at 10:40.  The appointment will take about an hour and it is right during lunch so feeding her should be interesting.  Please pray that it all goes well. Once that is done, we are done with everything and will just wait until our flight leaves on Sunday.  I cannot wait to get home!!! I am sure that we will find some fun adventures to go on, and I will, of course, be posting. 

 Here are some pictures from today:

Loves her tongue!

playing with her feet!

At St. Basil's Cathedral - it is about 28 degrees here so we are all bundled up!

Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Gotcha Day!

WARNING - LONG POST!!

Today has been one of the most emotional days of my life!  I cannot believe that it actually happened and she is actually a Holt!  My only regret is that Ted is not here with me.  I am glad that he is at home with the other kiddos though and we have already FaceTimed (is that a verb?) with Maggie.

But back to the day.  Let me break it down . . . .

First, Vlad picked my dad and me up at the hotel at 8:40 as planned.  We went to the passport center first (apparently that was always the plan but in my jet-lagged state, I missed that!), where we gave the lady Maggie's passport picture and I signed a couple of documents.  Super easy and not even a wait which was a BIG SHOCK since it seems like you always wait here!  The passport center was in an area of town where Ted and I have not been before - what Vlad referred to as "old Moscow."  The buildings were gorgeous and there were a bunch of very pretty parks.  All the monuments in the parks (well, not all but most) are gone, however, because at the end of communism they were all town down. So you see a bunch of pedestals where monuments used to be.  It is kinda weird but a very obvious reminder of what once was.

Next we headed straight to the orphanage to get Maggie.  Dad loved seeing in person what we had described and he had only seen in pictures.  We were not there long - about 20 minutes.  The workers took the clothes that I brought for her as soon as we walked in the door to get her ready to go.  We went in to see the orphanage director who gave us a few last documents (her baptismal certificate, immunization records, and a few others).  I gave him his gift and left the other gifts for the children, orphanage doctor and orphanage workers with him to give out.  Soon her favorite caregiver brought her in to us and you could tell that she was scared.  They had put on the snowsuit and she could not move! (Don't worry, I took it off as soon as we got in the car!).  Her caregiver gave me the cross that she got at her baptism (it had been tied to her crib) and also gave me three pictures of her before I met her with dates on the back.  She even wrote out her daily menu which I thought was so sweet!  But next thing I knew, we were shaking hands and we were outta there!  As we were leaving I noted that the last two times I had left the orphanage I had been crying because I was leaving without Maggie, but today I could not get the smile off my face!!

Vlad brought us back to the hotel around 10:30.  Maggie was VERY nervous as this point and really didn't like Papa.  She has not been around men at all (except her limited contact with the orphanage director) and I think that he put her over the edge in this very new environment.  Papa decided to head downstairs to the lobby to hang out for a little while and left Maggie to me.  After about 15-20 minutes she started to relax and we started to play.  I got out the toys and I started seeing her smile.  Then I started hearing her laughter.  It was so nice to hear.  She really has not stopped since.

I brought her down to the lobby to talk to Papa and she seemed a little better, but not much.  We came back up to the room and fed her lunch, which she devoured.  I was very nervous about food and had heard nightmares, but thankfully that has not been a problem for us thus far!  I think that she would have eaten more than I gave her but I didn't want to make her sick!!  

After lunch, I decided that she really needed to go down for a nap since she had missed her morning nap.  She was still on 2 naps at the orphanage (10-12 and 2-4, although she would have been transitioning in the next week or two to 1 nap from 1-4).  I decided with all the excitement that she was never going to go to sleep so I might as well try some Benadryl.  At first I thought that I had made a terrible mistake because as the 30 minute mark hit and she should have been winding down, she starting winding up.  I thought that I was in for the long haul, but then she stuck her thumb in her mouth and did a face-plant into the bed and was out.  I moved her into the crib without a problem.  I was planning on taking a nap myself (I only slept about 5 hours last night and am running on fumes), but Masha called and needed to meet with me so I could sign all the documents for the Embassy to get Maggie's visa.

So at 2:30, Masha came up and we went through the long and tedious process of filling out the 8-9 forms required for Maggie's visa.  It took a while, to say the least.  Most of the forms needed all the exact same information - so frustrating.  But I did it with a smile.  I will do anything to finish this process and get home!!  Once we were done, Vlad called and said that Maggie's passport was ready to be picked up.  Masha and I met him at the passport center, which left my dad with Maggie.  I told him to wake her at 4 and feed her a snack if I was not back in time.  I was worried about her reaction but there was nothing that I could do.  I had to be present to get the passport.

When we got to the passport center, all seemed well and we were called right in.  However, as soon as they opened the passport Vlad started talking quickly and a little bit more loudly than normal.  Apparently they had made a mistake and put her last name as "Home" instead of "Holt."  Uh oh.  And Masha needed to take it with her to the Embassy tomorrow to apply for the visa.  After some discussion and red cheeks on behalf of the girl issuing the passport, she re-did the passport with one problem - we had to go to another building about 30 minutes away (because of traffic) to get the Russian seal.  But, as Vlad says, all's well that ends well.  We got Maggie's passport corrected and Masha will go apply for the visa tomorrow!

When I got back to the hotel around 5:00 Papa and Maggie had bonded.  He had to wake her up at 4:00 and he said that there were a few tears.  But he fed her and once he got on the floor with her and started playing she realized that he was pretty fun and she hasn't turned back!  We Facetimed with Cher Cher, Aunt Bean and Ted and Sam before dinner (our time).  Dad went to a small chamber music concert with Vlad and his wife and then ate dinner. Maggie and I had a date in the hotel and then I started the process of putting her to bed.  I even gave her a bath and although she wasn't sure about it she did not shed a tear and I think that she will come to love it sooner rather than later.  I just had to wash that orphanage off of her - there is still more to come off!   Getting her to sleep took a while, but it wasn't as painful as it could have been and I am truly praying that she sleeps through the night.  Of course I can't blame her if she doesn't - I just took her from the only home she has ever known.  But I like to think that she got more love and attention today than she ever has on any other day of her life.

Okay, I am fading fast.  I will leave you with some pictures from today.

Papa as we got to the orphanage

The favorite caretaker bringing in Maggie

Getting her for the first time!

Waving goodbye

Papa holding her for the first time

Back in the hotel room - still doesn't know what to think

There's my happy girl!!!!

Back in Moscow!

I am back in Moscow!! Dad and I flew out Sunday morning (it is Monday night here) via Paris this time and landed at SVO at 4:15 local time.  Vlad picked us up after we went through customs and immigration and brought us to the hotel.  Things look exactly as they were last month when I was here (and also in September!), but Ted is not with me.  My dad has been great company and I think that this is going to be a great trip.

Dad and I got these huge connecting rooms on the corner of the hotel.  When I walked in my room and saw the crib, I almost started crying.  I can't believe that this moment is actually here.  We have been praying for this for so long and God has placed this little girl on my heart like no other.  I know that there is still a long road ahead, but the journey thus far has taught me so much and I know that the Lord has so many wonderful things in store for us all.

So what is the plan, you ask?  Good news is that Vlad was able to get her birth certificate today, without me, thanks to the power of attorney Ted and I gave him earlier in the adoption process.  So, as Vlad put it when he picked us up -- "You are already a mother of 4."  Wow.  Officially, she is ours.  No one can take her away.  Praise the Lord.

With that step done, we will meet Vlad at 8:40 tomorrow morning (Tuesday, November 27) and go straight to the orphanage.  I have all her clothes picked out and will bring everything that she needs.  I also have bags of gifts for the orphanage children, orphanage workers, orphanage doctor (who matched us with Maggie) and the orphanage director.  Once I walk out of there with her for once and for all, we will head to get her passport - her Russian passport.  She is a Russian citizen and will be one until the plane lands on US soil.

I have so many more words running through my head but I am exhausted and hungry.  I slept about 4 hours total in the past 36 hours and needs to eat and head to bed.  I promise lots of pictures, video and explanation tomorrow!!!

Day 19

Today I am thankful for my sweet girl, Ann Park.  She is currently obsessed with High School Musical and it is precious hearing her singing her heart out to the songs.  Of course, I also hear Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and various teeny-bopper others!!!

Days 16 & 17

These past few days I have been very thankful for my sweet husband.  I have started to stress (what, me stress?) about the trip over to Moscow and about some other things going on in our lives (it's always something, right?) so he sent me flowers just to brighten my day.  And the note simply said "I've got your back."  Love that man.

Today we spent time with Ward at Saint Francis for his First Reconciliation.  Ward was really nervous and Ted showed, once again, what a great dad he is.  He never ceases to amaze me.  Here we are after the sweet ceremony:

And then tonight we are having a much-needed date night.  The last we will have just the two of us before we are a family of 6 (because of Thanksgiving).  He won't tell me what we are doing.  Casual dress is all I really know.  And I know that we will have fun.  Because we always do.  Boy, am I lucky.

Days 14 & 15

Today I am thankful for our great neighborhood.  Yesterday our across the street neighbor who has a little boy Sam's age had Sam over to play all afternoon.  They had the best time.  And today he came over to our house and played make-believe for about 2 hours.  I loved watching it.  I also loved watching about five other kids Ward and Ann Park's age playing in our yard - some climbing the Japanese Maple, others doing gymnastics and some on the swing set.  What a great thing!!

Day 13

Today I am thankful for my parents.  I am thankful for the way that they raised me and I hope that I am doing the same service for my own children.  They gave me boundaries so that I would feel safe and loved.  I never doubted their love for me and that they would do anything for me.  As a parent, I appreciate all the sacrifices that they made on a daily basis that I was never aware of and generally took for granted.  Thank you mom and dad for all you did and all you continue to do!

Day 12

On this Veteran's Day I am thankful for all the men and women who serve our country and protect our freedoms.  I am especially thankful for the two in my life - "cousin Greg" as he is referred to around here (or Ward's idol) and my first cousin's fiance, Dan.  Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made and continue to make.  And thank you to your families you sacrifice just as much.

Days 9, 10 and 11

Silence as far as posting my gratitude for the day, but that was because I was at my favorite place on earth and only checked my email once the entire weekend and did not get on the internet at all.  On this crisp Sunday afternoon, I am thankful for Grey Rocks Ranch, my version of heaven on earth.  I love that I can go there and completely unwind from everything that is going on around me and escape into God's beautiful creation.  I love that Ward played outside the entire day yesterday with a friend who lives down there and did not once ask to play the Wii or watch TV (even if they did scare us half to death when they went "hunting" and did not return for 3 hours and we had to go find them as it was getting dark - they were safe and happy but it was scary for a little bit - lesson learned). I love seeing Ann Park bonding with my mom over puzzles, Jinga and about a thousand hands of "Go Fish."  And I love watching Sam light up as soon as he sees the barn and the horses.  What a fabulous weekend.

Day 8

Today I am thankful for my precious sister Kit, on today, her 34th birthday!!  Kit and I are only about 19 months apart in age and I don't ever remember not having a sister.  I am so thankful for the amazing example she sets on a daily basis for me.  I am constantly amazed by her kind heart and her willingness to put others before herself.  She is truly a Godly woman and one that I love dearly.  Happy birthday sweet Kit!!!

Day 7

I am thankful for some quiet time each night with Ted.  We make a big effort to get the kids into bed early (no later than 7:35 on a school night!) and then we can spend a little time together just the two of us.  Sometimes we may watch TV, or Ted might even do some work, but it is nice just being in the same room and not having to do anything for anyone else and just being together.

Day 6

Like most people on election day, I am thankful for this amazing country that we live in.  I am especially thankful to the men and women who risk their lives every day to protect its freedoms - and to the families who are left at home without a father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter - including my cousin-in-law Greg (and Ward's hero!).  It is truly amazing that after all the votes are cast and counted, we will peacefully transition into a new government (with the same President or a new one), and we do not have to worry one bit about blood being shed or any kind of violence.  Most countries are not so lucky.

I do think that politics have gone way too far and that way too much money is spent on it.  I wish that the money (hundreds of millions of dollars - literally) could go to better use - like feeding the hungry, helping the poor, education, or even toward reducing our huge deficit.  But alas, that will never happen.

Oh and I am thankful that I won't be seeing any more political ads on television or getting any more phone calls from candidates or pollsters.  I am also thankful that all the hateful back-and-forth regarding candidates will end on Facebook and everywhere else.  Of course all of that is because of an incredible right we have called free speech that so many take for granted.   In so many other countries people fear jail or even death for a right that is so much a part of Americans.

Day 5

Today I am thankful for new life.  I am taking dinner to one of my favorite people in the world tonight who has a newborn baby girl.  I have yet to meet this precious one and I can't wait to hold her in my arms and marvel at the miracle of new life.

Day 4

Today I am thankful for another hour of sleep (well, kinda thanks to Sam) and to the light drizzle watering our new sod.  I am also thankful for a day with my precious family.  Today we are headed out to Moss Rock Festival after Mass.  It is a great festival with tons of artists and other vendors, but most importantly, there are a ton of FREE crafts for the kids and rock climbing to boot!

Sundays are my favorite day of the week!

Day 3

Today I am thankful for healthy competition.  I had such a fun time last night watching Ward play his last soccer game of the season and seeing how much he improved over the season.  Then this morning I  watched Ann Park's team end the season with a 6-0 victory and she had 2 goals.  They even played 5-on-5 with a keeper (usually they play 4-on-4 with a keeper) and she had the best time.

And then tonight is the Alabama v. LSU game.  Of course, that kind of competition might not always bring out the best in people, but I love the way it makes my heart race . . . as long as we are winning!!!

RTR!

Day 2

Today I am thankful for sunshine. You know when you go outside on a cold morning but when you find a spot in the sun, you feel your entire body warming up? I love the feeling of the cold air around me but the sun warming my skin.  The sun makes everything a little bit better in my book!

Have a great day!

30 Days of Gratitude

A friend of mine posted on Facebook this morning that she was going to do a post each day about what she was thankful for.  I told her that I would probably steal her idea.  I am sure that many others have done some version of this, but I am going to try to post every day in November and say something that I am thankful for - 30 days of gratitude.  I realize that I might not make it every day - especially those days that I am flying to Russia and when I first get Maggie - but I am not going to let that bother me.

So for today . . . I am thankful for Maggie's birth mother and the very difficult decision she made on December 19, 2011.

Boo!

Halloween was crazy, as usual, in the Holt household.  Our neighborhood turns into a mob scene - thanks to the band that sets up across the street and the fact that everyone knows that our neighborhood celeb, Sara Evans, will sing at some point during the night.  This year was no different.  The somewhat good part about this year, however, was that we did not have our usual party at our house where I am entertaining (and feeding) about 5 other couples as well as their kids.  That made my life a TON less stressful.

We decided against our typical party this year for a couple of reasons: (1) Halloween was in the middle of the week and (2) our yard is not complete and is a total mud pit (the main reason).  The landscaping is almost done (sod goes in tomorrow!!) so we had the landscapers fence off everything except for a pathway to the front door.  That did not stop the over 500 trick-or-treaters that we had visit the house however.  They started at 4:35, right after the parade in Crestline village and we ran out of the approximately 500 pieces of candy I had purchased at about 7:45.  And we only allowed one piece of candy per visitor.  We did have some "repeat customers" but I am sure that we had close to 500 kids (and some adults which I still find VERY strange - why do some parents also have a bag and collect candy?).

Sara Evans did not disappoint.  She is really great and the kids love her.  Her son always plays the drums for a couple of songs and she sings.  Her daughter and her friends also make up a little dance to an "of the moment" song and she sings it.  This year it was "Call Me Maybe" (of course).  It was really cute.

I did not do a very good job of documenting the night, but I did get some pictures of the kids in their costumes.  Enjoy!

An Indian spirit warrior, Batman, and a Batwitch

Batwitch and Batman

having a little fun!

Batman!!!

Batwitch!!

Returning to Russia

There has been so much going on since Ted and I got back from our last trip that I have been bad about updating the blog. Of course, most of you are on Facebook or have talked to me so you know all our "news."  But since I am trying to document everthing on here for my memory's sake, let me update.

After Ted and I got back from our court trip, Lorien was very fast at getting potential dates for the return trip to bring Maggie home.  The thirty (30) days ends on Friday, November 16th, so we can pick her up any day after that.  But many things have to happen during the third trip before we can bring her home.  We have to go to the Office of Vital Statistics and get her birth certificat changed.  Then we have to go and apply for her passport, which takes 24 hours to have processed (expediated, of course).  Once we have her passport, we can go to the US Embassy and apply for her visa to enter the United States since she still will not be a U.S. citizen until we land.  That also takes about 24 hours to process. So thoese three things take three days to accomplish.  So we would be at Thursday - Thanksgiving.  And Thanksgiving poses a problem because the U.S. Embassy is closed.  The Embassy is also closed for half the day on Friday (not 100% sure why, but I don't ask those kinds of questions anymore; I just roll with it these days!).  After processing her visa, we have to process the adoption through immigration at the Embassy - which means we have to give them a bunch of documents, Maggie will have to have a brief medical exam, etc.  So all of this meant that dad and I would have to stay in Russia about 10-12 days, with a bunch of days with nothing to do, a baby in a hotel room, and freezing cold temperatures outside.  Not my ideal situation.

Lorien was aware of all this, so she gave us another option - go the week after Thanksgiving.  Although that meant that Maggie would have to be in the orphanage a week longer, it really makes more sense in the long run.  And I know that they are taking care of her there and that they love her.  I can tell that her caregivers are affectionate and caring.  More than one has told me that she is their "favorite" and that they will really mioss her.  Nice to hear!  So dad and I are leaving for Moscow the Sunday after Thanksgiving - November 25th.  We arrive in Moscow (via Paris this time) on Monday, November 26th in the late afternoon.  We will most likely pick Maggie up from the orphanage on Tuesday, November 27th - GOTCHA DAY! I know that it will be a day that I will never forget.  Then the team in Moscow will help me maneuver through all the red tape and get her home forever!!!

It is OFFICIAl (well, almost)

Court is DONE.  And she will officially be ours in 30 days.  The Judge cannot sign the papers for 30 days in case anyone wants to appeal but of course that will not happen.  I was SO NERVOUS for court today.  Ted did most of the talking and it was really not a big deal.  I can't believe that I got so worked up.

Here is how it all happened.  (Not that you are so interested, but I want to remember every single detail so I can tell Maggie when she asks.)  We met Vlad at his parent's apartment (it is an easier place for him to park) at 10:15 this morning and drove to the courthouse.  The courthouse looked very nice and even had a statue of Lady Justice (blindfolded, holding the scales of justice and a sword!) as we entered.  Although we did have to go through a metal detector, court security was not nearly as tight as it is in the United States.  The security guard barely even looked into my purse!  We went upstairs and met Masha who was our official translator.  Masha walked us through who was going to be in the courtroom and what was going to happen.  We decided that Ted would go first and answer most of the questions from the Judge.  She prepped Ted on a myriad of questions that the Judge could ask (but he really only asked a few of them.)  Then Masha went inside the courtroom and we waited.  And waited.

Our hearing was supposed to start at 11:30, but like most other things in Russia it did not start on time.  We waited until about noon and then got started.  The hearing began with the Judge explaining the purpose of the hearing and stating who all was present - us and Masha, the Prosecutor, a representative from Social Services, and the Orphanage Director.  There was also another person from the Orphanage there as well.  Ted and I have seen her on our visits to the orphanage but we are not sure what her role is in the whole process.

The Judge talked a little bit about the adoption process and then called Ted up to the stand.  He asked Ted if he still intended to proceed with the adoption and then asked him a series of questions about why we wanted to adopt, why Russia, how we would care for the child, who would care for the child, and how our children at home thought about getting another sibling.  He was especially concerned about "the oldest child" which made me laugh because I am WAY more concerned about Sam's reaction to us bringing Maggie home!!!  Then, he called me to the stand and asked if I agreed with all of Ted's answers and asked if I thought that I was prepared to raise another child.  That was about it.

Next the Orphanage Director got up and spoke a little bit about Maggie's background and how she came to the orphanage.  He said that there had been no inquiries from her biological family since she had been placed at the orphanage.  Then, the social worker got up and talked about her legal status, the search for her biological family and any potential Russians who would adopt her.  The Judge was interested in the search for any potential family members, but the social worker said that none could be found.  Finally, the Judge asked the Prosecutor if she had anything to add which she did not.  He left the room for about 5-7 minutes and then came in and pronounced that he approved the adoption and that her birth certificate would be changed to reflect that her name is Margaret Kristina Holt, date of Birth 12/19/2011, place of birth Moscow, Russia and we are her parents.  I held back the tears.  Once the Judge left the room there were handshakes and congratulations all around.

Here is a picture of Ted and me outside the courthouse after the hearing.

We went straight from court to the orphanage which is not far away at all.  Maggie was feeling MUCH better today and was more animated than we have ever seen her.  She was PRECIOUS.  Absolutely perfect.  Tons of smiles and lots of laughter.  I can't wait for each one of you to meet her.  She is going to bring so much joy to our family.  Of course I cried as we left but I kept telling myself that the next time I walk out of that orphanage she will be in my arms.  Only 30 more days.  Then both of our lives will change forever.

Well it wasn't the Mayo Clinic, but . . . .

It's Ted.

We just wrapped up Day 2 of Trip 2.  The medical exams were, on the one hand, a colossal waste of time.  On the other hand, it was pretty efficient.  I went back and forth on my opinion of the process throughout the 4 plus hour ordeal.  At times, I felt like it was 1865 and we were being interviewed by the Confederate Army's "doctors", "have you ever had a brain disease?" or "how are your toe nails?".  At other times, it seemed quite modern and efficient.  After all, if we were in Birmingham it would have taken us days to get appointments with a surgeon, a psychiatrist/narcologist (more on that in in a minute), neurologist, infectious disease doctor, internist, dermatologist and finally, a pulmonologist.   Each of these "appointments" took less than 5 minutes, but we had to wait for a half hour or more in between each "examination".  They took our blood and an x-ray of our chest, but otherwise basically asked us questions.  The psychiatrist seemed very interested that I liked to hunt and fish "when not doing my job."

The narcologist is just what it sounds like, a doctor who specializes in the treatment of drug addicts.  I think it's a subspecialty of psychiatry unique to Russia.  He didn't ask us about drugs; I guess we didn't look like heavy users.  In any event, he smelled terrible.  And he was the only doctor who actually spoke English well enough that we didn't need a translator.  The only other remarkable thing about our trip to the Kremlin Hospital (see below) was that the internist was a huge smoker; the stench almost made me wheeze as he listened to my lungs/heart.

Shannon survived the blood taking and the rest of the "examinations" with flying colors.   We did the blood test first which made the rest of it much easier for Shannon.

All of this took place at the Kremlin Hospital, which at one point was the equivalent of the Walter Reed Medical Center.  The leaders of the Kremlin, including Lenin and Stalin were treated there.  I'm not sure the current status, as our interpreter, Vlad, told us that (a) Russian political leaders basically have their own hospitals now, and (b) the status of the hospital as the "Kremlin" hospital changes with the political winds.  We did have to "star" sightings, so to speak.  The wife of the Minister of Education (who, as it turns out, is in charge of all adoptions in Russia) was having the same exams done today . . .  She wished us good luck.  Also, the head of the Russian bankers union was seeing one of our doctors today.  Vlad recognized him and said he's a billionaire.  Nice company, huh?

Above the entrance of the hospital there was the old Soviet symbol.  Here is a picture of the receptionist area the Kremlin Hospital.   Pretty cool?

After the medical exams, which ended around 3:30 PM local time (we left the hotel at 10:30 just to give you an idea of how long it took), Vlad took us to the orphanage to see Maggie.  Of course, traffic was bad and we didn't get there until around 4:45.  When we arrived, they told us Maggie had the flu - but it really seemed like more of a fever virus which they said was going around the orphanage.  They let us spend about 15 minutes with her, though.  You could tell she wasn't feeling well and that she had a fever.  I think you can see it in the pictures; Shannon had to work hard to even get a small grin!  It was tough to leave her, especially knowing she's feeling badly.  Shannon had a tear in her eye and I could tell just wanted to baby her and take her home and make her feel better.

After the orphanage, Vlad dropped us off at Pushkin Square and we went to a little Italian place (we seem to eat at a lot of Italian places here) that Vlad told us about.  It was pretty good but the entrance was very funny.  I made Shannon get a picture in front of it.

We'll go  to court in the morning and then back to the orphanage.  Hopefully, Maggie will be feeling better, or at least we'll be able to spend more time with her.  It's hard to believe we'll be heading home Wednesday morning.

Safe Arrival In Moscow

Ted and I made it safely to Moscow - Trip #2.  We were up early Saturday morning (5 am) to catch our flight out of Birmingham and Ted woke up feeling crummy.  He thought it was the stomach bug and later turned flu-like.  Thankfully he took a phenergen and by the time we got to Moscow felt much better.  (As an aside, he got a flu shot on Thursday and we think that he actually may have had a touch of the flu from the flu shot - that is possible, right?)  I am jut glad that he feels better.  A sick man is not a fun travel companion.

The other driver from the Moscow team, Maks, picked us up at the airport.  In true Moscow style, the traffic was really bad at first - closer to the airport - but it picked up once we got away from the airport and malls.  Maks said that a lot of Russians shop on the weekends and Ted remembered that there were some bad merging areas near those malls as well.  After we were past that area it was smooth going.  I was still amazed at how no one (including Maks) worried at all about the traffic lanes and thought nothing about driving in between lanes or on the side of the road.  I can't decide if all the crazy driving actually makes the traffic worse or not.   

Once we got to the hotel, we were able to go straight to our room which is right next door to the room we had last visit.  We unpacked and took about an hour nap.  Ted had to drag me out of bed to go downstairs to eat a light, late lunch.  We then decided to walk around Red Square to pass some time.  It is pretty cold (mid 40s) but I borrowed a great coat so I wasn't that cold, other than my ears.  Ted did not pack as well for the weather and I think that he was colder than I was, but he would never complain.  Now we are back at the hotel and are going to shower and head to our favorite restaurant for dinner.  I am not hungry at all, but will force myself to eat just so I can get back to the bed, take an Ambien and sleep!!!

It is very strange being back here.  It kinda feels like deja vu since we have done this all before. Of course tomorrow will be another story.  Vlad is picking us up at 10:30 (yea! we can sleep late) and I think that the medicals take about 3-4 hours.  Then we get to go see Maggie.  That is what I am waiting for!!  Makes it all worth it.

Trip 2

We leave for Trip 2 in the morning and to say that I am nervous would be an understatement. Not only do we have our court hearing, which is nerve-wrecking enough, but we have to be examined by 8 medical doctors.  And apparently it takes most of the day!  I am not the best around doctors and have been known to have "white coat syndrome" so this is not something that I am looking forward to - especially the blood-giving part.  But it is all for a good cause and it will all be worth it in the end.  I just  need to keep my eye on the prize!  And apparently the medicals are done in the Kremlin Hospital which is supposed to be very neat so I will try to take in my surroundings!  Ha! I am sure that I will have sweaty palms until it is over!

We will be blogging daily like we did before, but the trip is so short we won't have time for much sight-seeing.  Plus it is COLD there now.  We leave tomorrow morning and arrive on Sunday mid-day.  Monday we have our medicals and will hopefully get a chance to visit with Maggie as well.  Tuesday is the big court day and we will get to see Maggie that day too.  There is also a chance that we will get to take her out of the orphanage and take her passport photos. That will be really fun and I am hoping that it works out!  Then we leave on Wednesday morning.  Quick trip.  The jet lag is really gonna kill me I'm sure!

Promise to keep you all posted!  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

Court Update

So our court date is even sooner than originally thought - Tuesday, October 16th!  That means that Ted and I leave a week from tomorrow.  We will land on Sunday around lunch time and have the day to recover from travel (if that is possible).  Monday we will get our medical exams and get to visit Maggie in the orphanage.  I can't wait to get my hands on her!  I wonder if she will remember us?  Doesn't really matter, I guess.  Tuesday we will have our court date and if we are lucky we will be able to take Maggie out of the orphanage after court to go have her passport photos made.  I hope that happens!  Then we will leave on Wednesday morning and travel for approximately 25 straight hours (longer layovers this trip) and land in Birmingham Wednesday night around 9:00 p.m.  I know that we will be exhausted, but we will be one step closer to Maggie joining our family in Birmingham FOREVER!!!

Court Date! (Maybe?)

I spoke with our adoption coordinator this afternoon and she had GREAT news for us!  She said that the tentative date for our court hearing is Thursday October 18th!!!  Can't believe that it is already so soon.  I am nervous and excited.  Of course I have things that have to get done before that date, including getting some documents down to Montgomery to get the apostle from the Secretary of State.  I am waiting on a document from our home study agency (in Fairhope, AL) which should be here on Wednesday morning and then I will head down and get all the documents apostilled.  We also have to update our fingerprints for immigration.  These fingerprints are good for 18 months and don't have to get redone al that often, but as you all know, our process has been on the longer side, so we will get ours redone on Friday.

Once all that is done and court date is finalized, we will book tickets and begin the process of planning again - for home and for away.  I hate to leave the kids again - and the thoughts of leaving them a third time is almost unbearable - but it will go by quickly and I know that one day I will look back on it and wish that I enjoyed it more.  But being "in country" (i.e. in Russia) is not the most leisurely of travels to say the least - it is very stressful and, as I learned from the vascular headaches I struggled with for 5 straight days last week, I am not a very good traveler.  Oh well.

I am very excited to get past this second step.  Until court, nothing is certain and someone could potentially "take her away" from us - well, a Russian could.  That rarely happens, but it could so I am consistently praying for the Lord's protection over Maggie and His plan for her to come home with us.

But if court is on October 18th, that means we can bring her home as soon as November 19th - BEFORE THANKSGIVING!!!  Oh how I have so much to be thankful for!!!

Les Mis

The first musical I ever saw on Broadway was Les Miserables.  And I still remember almost every part.  I know every word to every song.  I can picture the set and the costumes.  I cired like a baby. It still moves me.  And now it is coming to the movies in a very real and powerful way.  I can't wait to see it.  Here is a sneak peek.  Who is going with me?

Home Sweet Home

After 22 hours of traveling, Ted and I returned home Saturday night around 8 pm Birmingham time.  We were greeted by Ann Park and Ward with lots of hugs and kisses. It felt so good to be home.  Ted and I both caught colds on the way home so combined with our jet lag are both feeling pretty lousy, but that is not slowing us down.  I am trying to just push through the exhaustion and enjoy being home.

Of course the kids and their busy schedules won't let us slow down one bit!  Sam had his first soccer practice and game yesterday.  He is playing something called Sunday Soccer where they practice for the first 40 minutes and then scrimmage another team for about 20 minutes.  It is a fun time for him - especially since he has been watching his brother and sister play since before he was even born!  He loves his sin guards and cleats and had more hand-eye (or foot-eye) coordination than I thought he would have.  He is definitely left-footed so we might have another lefty around the house, along with Ann Park!

Here are a couple of action shots:

chatting with some of his teammates!

Once the "game" started, the Red team was doing pretty well and were up 6-0, but then the rain came out of nowhere.  And everyone got soaked.  And Sam loved every minute of it!

It was a good way to end a long day.  We all came home and got into warm showers and baths and got into our pajamas.  We hung out as a family and got things ready for another week of school.

I am struggling right now, but have a long list of things to do so I better run.  We will not hear anything about a court date for a while, but I promise to keep everyone posted.

Oh, and her name is Margaret Kristina Holt . . . Maggie.