Court was successful! Yeah! We have been granted the adoption of:
Alexander (Sasha) Alan Speckman
and Mariya (Masha) Ann Speckman
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Back in Touch
We finally made it home! It seems very odd to be here after 1 month away. When we left it was just starting to get nice out. We had a few warm days and Traverse City was getting ready for summer. Now it seems all of a sudden summer has popped! The tourists are here, the fudge shops are open, the beaches are busy and oh- the traffic. I completly missed the lilacs- my favorite flower. They were just finishing up in Ust-K. Interestingly, the lilacs in Ust did not have any scent to them. The ones here are heavenly.
Its so good to be home! I really can't over emphasize that enough. I left Kazakhstan with a heavy heart and mixed emotions since we won't see the children until the end of July, early August but was so anxious to get home and get everything ready for them.
We would never have survived the whole passport/stolen credit cards and money situation with the awesome and incredible gift of our new friends and other traveling families, Gayle and Sean Storen and their daughter Alexis and Nikki and Steve Coutere and their son Chandler. They all made sure we did not go without and the emotional support was a lifesaver. God has such an incredible way of putting the people together that should be together. Galye and Sean live only about 5-6 hours away and Nikki and Steve live less than 2 hours from Daves sister in Florida. How wonderful.
I have heard from family and friends that no one has been able to get on the blog and apologize for that. But honestly, no one has really missed anything since we were not able to do much with it while in Kaz due to poor internet service and computer malfunction. Fortunatly, we were able to download images from the camera (Daves big ginormous professional one)(the cutie-petutie new Sony was stolen) and was able to put the necessary journal with photos together needed for court. Since I really want to share our experience and do some mama bragging I am opening up the blog for a week or so then will make private again until the children leave the orphange. I will send out new invites when I have to go private again.
Its so good to be home! I really can't over emphasize that enough. I left Kazakhstan with a heavy heart and mixed emotions since we won't see the children until the end of July, early August but was so anxious to get home and get everything ready for them.
We would never have survived the whole passport/stolen credit cards and money situation with the awesome and incredible gift of our new friends and other traveling families, Gayle and Sean Storen and their daughter Alexis and Nikki and Steve Coutere and their son Chandler. They all made sure we did not go without and the emotional support was a lifesaver. God has such an incredible way of putting the people together that should be together. Galye and Sean live only about 5-6 hours away and Nikki and Steve live less than 2 hours from Daves sister in Florida. How wonderful.
I have heard from family and friends that no one has been able to get on the blog and apologize for that. But honestly, no one has really missed anything since we were not able to do much with it while in Kaz due to poor internet service and computer malfunction. Fortunatly, we were able to download images from the camera (Daves big ginormous professional one)(the cutie-petutie new Sony was stolen) and was able to put the necessary journal with photos together needed for court. Since I really want to share our experience and do some mama bragging I am opening up the blog for a week or so then will make private again until the children leave the orphange. I will send out new invites when I have to go private again.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Catching Up
We finally have a chance to catch up and I hope we will be able to download photos. Two major problems have hindered us and I apologize for leaving everyone hanging- not intentional!!
Daves computer has some sort of virus and we are often kicked of the internet and weird things happen when we try to do anything. We have even had trouble trying to make files of our photos- necessary for court, which by the way is next Wednesday. By the grace of God we have managed to stay and get through all our visits and be allowed to go to court next week. This leads to our other really major problem. Our passports, ID, Money, were all stolen our first week here. We now have a replaced Credit card, money wired from home and permission from Immigration to go to Almaty at the end of "our business". There was a chance they were going to send us home at the time of the police report. There was talk that we may have had to go to Almaty immediatley for replacement passports and Visas but that they would not allow us to come back. There was a chance that the judge would not allow us to go to court without passports. And there was a chance we would not be able to fly to Almaty- 10,000 km away and that we would have to drive (10-12 hours or take a 2 day train trip- through RUSSIA!) So to say the least I have been anxious and stressed for what seems like forever.
through the awesome power of God and the work of His angel here on earth- ALMA who we consider our personal pit-bull (to see here in action) we have been allowed to stay, complete our visits, and will be allowed to go to court next Wed. We will then fly to Almaty next thursday, spend several days to get emergency passports/visa's and fill out paperwork for escort of the children home when they can be released.
I know it is through the prayers of so many that this is working out.
Thank-you!!
Daves computer has some sort of virus and we are often kicked of the internet and weird things happen when we try to do anything. We have even had trouble trying to make files of our photos- necessary for court, which by the way is next Wednesday. By the grace of God we have managed to stay and get through all our visits and be allowed to go to court next week. This leads to our other really major problem. Our passports, ID, Money, were all stolen our first week here. We now have a replaced Credit card, money wired from home and permission from Immigration to go to Almaty at the end of "our business". There was a chance they were going to send us home at the time of the police report. There was talk that we may have had to go to Almaty immediatley for replacement passports and Visas but that they would not allow us to come back. There was a chance that the judge would not allow us to go to court without passports. And there was a chance we would not be able to fly to Almaty- 10,000 km away and that we would have to drive (10-12 hours or take a 2 day train trip- through RUSSIA!) So to say the least I have been anxious and stressed for what seems like forever.
through the awesome power of God and the work of His angel here on earth- ALMA who we consider our personal pit-bull (to see here in action) we have been allowed to stay, complete our visits, and will be allowed to go to court next Wed. We will then fly to Almaty next thursday, spend several days to get emergency passports/visa's and fill out paperwork for escort of the children home when they can be released.
I know it is through the prayers of so many that this is working out.
Thank-you!!
photo trouble
We have been trying to upload photos but have been unable- probably computer problems/virus.
If we are unable I promise to give a full update as soon as we get home-
Please hang in there with us.
If we are unable I promise to give a full update as soon as we get home-
Please hang in there with us.
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