Journey to Jyly

Lazy Days At The River

2011-04-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Jetskiing with Daddy

Learning to skip stones with Uncle Keith

Disneyland March 2011

2011-04-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

2011-04-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

Springs Preserve Las Vegas Feb 2011

Christmas 2010

Thanksgiving 2010 in Las Vegas

2011-04-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2010

First day of school

Summer fun

Oh My Goodness!

2011-04-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

Has it really been that long since I last posted? Well I guess so and I apologize but life just gets a little too crazy.

We ended 2010 with our foster children moving on to an adoptive family. We also decided to take a job transfer to Arizona about an hour and a half from Las Vegas. It was hard to leave the older boys in Texas but they are all grown up and have their own lives. We still miss them!

Jyly had started school in Texas and was going to pre-k full days five days a week. What a shock when we got to Arizona and found out she would only be going 2 and 3/4 hours four days a week.

We had our third gotcha day in January! I still can't believe when I see the counter that over a thousand days have gone by since she stepped on US soil.

I looked at Jyly the other day after finding an old passport picture we had taken a little over a year ago. Wow has this girl grown! She is tall an skinny and looking less and less little girl everyday. How does this happen without us realizing?

The end of next month we will be going to DC for Heritage weekend. We are very excited because for us it is a Kyrgyz reunion. Our flight is booked and we are all trying to stay in the same hotel. I know Jyly won't remember any of these children that she spent the first 2 years of her life. It is going to be more fun for us adults. We have a great little adoption community and followed each others adoptions so it will be great to put faces with names. Yes we follow each others blogs and facebook but it's better to meet in person.

The other thing on the agenda is a trip to Bellingham, WA for my neices wedding. Jyly is so excited. She has never met my neice so I did not feel right having the girls in the wedding but I did want them to feel like they were a part of it. I got them flower girl dresses and she can't wait to wear her beautiful dress. Maybe I will get some good pictures. The next few months are so busy that they will fly by and school will be out for the summer. We are ready for some fun in the sun!

2010-07-31T05:41:00.000-07:00

I blame it on Facebook

2010-07-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is as close as we have come to a family portrate.

On July 7th we finalized Aubrey's adoption. The girls looked so cute in their matching dresses but I couldn't get a picture of them together.

Jyly seems to have a little hoarding problem!

I am a horrible blogger and I freely admit it. The problem is not that I have 5 children under the age of 5 to keep me busy everyday. The problem is that I am friends with most of my blogger friends on facebook. Social networking is addictive and now I have joined the Russian version of Facebook.
I joined www.vkontakte.com mostly out of curiosity. A part of me wished that when I put Jyly's birth mothers name in I might just find her. I knew the chances were slim but I gave it a try. Unfortunately I came up with nothing. I did reconnect with one of our Russian exchange students. In the future I do plan on doing a birth family search. I have an address and I am going to send a letter but in light of recent events in the Osh region I may never find anyone.
Jyly is now 4 1/2 and has been with us for 2 1/2 years. She is tall. skinny and beautiful. Oh did I mention intelligent? If she is not studying the Atlas, she is reading every book about the human body she can find. Well, she's not quite reading yet but she's almost there. On August 23rd, she will go to Headstart fulltime. I'm excited for her since she hasn't shown any excitement yet.

A Decade To Remember!

2010-01-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

2009 is now over. As we embark on a new decade, I must reflect on all the incredible changes the last decade has brought us. Our family moved from Connecticut to New Hampshire which is where Jeremy and I both grew up. We lived in an incredible neighborhood with wonderful people. The boys learned about good friends and compassion for others.
In 2006 we revisited the idea of adoption and began our Journey to Jyly. At first we thought that our little girl was in Moldova. After many delays, we were persuaded to change countries when our agency sent us a picture of a beautiful 14 month old baby girl. It took us over a year, but we brought Jylyanna home from Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan in January 2008.
While we waited to bring Jyly home, we opted for warmer weather and accepted a transfer to Odessa Texas. Even though Alex was an adult and could choose his own path, he decided to move with us. It was an excellent choice because he got a good job that he really likes and he was able to buy a house. Camden also became an adult, graduated high school, started college, and moved in with Alex.
In July of 2008, I received an email with a picture of our next baby girl. I knew we couldn’t afford it since we had only just brought Jyly home. When you are an adoptive parent a picture is all it takes to set things in motion. In September of this year, we added little Aubrey to our family.
Life goes on during the adoption process. Jyly was thriving and enjoying daycare while I was working. I liked my job and thought I was going to be there for a long time. I got laid off in February and although I could collect, I needed to do something. That was when I found High Sky Children’s Ranch.
We moved into a therapeutic foster home on the High Sky campus in July and received three siblings in August. The children are 2, 3, and 4 years old. At times, life is crazy with 5 children under the age of 5 but we manage.
A decade is a long time with lots of opportunity for change. I think our adoption adventures are over but we still anticipate many things. We look forward to 2 more sons becoming adults. Jyly will move into her teens and Aubrey her tweens. That just means the fun has yet to begin. I will try to continue to blog but the girls may protest at some point. Who knows, they might start blogs of their own. I just know that I am going to enjoy every moment.

Christmas Fun

2010-01-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

This is what Christmas looks like when you have 9 children!

I had the girls posed with the 3 foster children. This picture came out the best but I had to crop out the other children because I can't show their faces. They all looked so cute.

More pictures

2009-12-05T19:52:00.001-08:00

Here are some more pictures of Thanksgiving in Florida. Jyly, Aubrey, Keegan and Daddy went to Grammy's house while Mommy stayed in Texas with the foster children.

OK, so Melanie called me out!

2009-11-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have to apologize for being so far behind on my blog. Things have been crazy since we moved to the ranch. Within a few short weeks of moving in, we got our three foster children who are 2 1/2, 3 1/2, and 4 1/2. Less than a month after that, we were off to Korea to bring Aubrey home. Once we get through the holidays, life short calm down a bit. Here are a few pictures of Jyly from right after Aubrey got home and Jyly's 4th birthday. I will post more picture in the next few days. Jeremy took the girls and Keegan to Florida for Thanksgiving so I have all those pictures but they won't be home until tomorrow night.

Just a little back story on Melanie. She met Jyly before I did and her little girl Bella, also from Kyrgyzstan, just turned 4 on the 25th.

Mi CASA

2009-08-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

We have been absent for a little while because we have been very busy. Over the past 2 1/2 months, we have been training for our foster care license. Then 2 weeks ago, we moved over to Midland to High Sky Children's Ranch www.highsky.org . The final goal here will be achieved on Tuesday when we make the final transition of 3 siblings. They are 2, 3 and 4 years old and I have already spent a lot of time with them. Jyly is not to sure about sharing toys or ME with them but she is adjusting. The big house, playground in the side yard, loads of land and three horses are making the transition a little easier. By the way, the house is known as the CASA house!

Sunday Fun!

2009-07-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday we go to the pool for a fee hours and Jyly loves the frog slide.

Endangered Species

2009-06-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

We spent several hours today at Alex's house. Well, the house that he is buying. The grass (or should I say weeds) was very tall. Also, the yard was full of glass and construction debris that the builder had no intention of cleaning up. So we took rakes, a weed whacker, gloves and a garbage can and cleaned up the front and back yard. While I was sweeping by the front door, I found a horny toad. Jeremy picked it up and let Jyly hold it. It was fine until it moved. Then she tossed it.

Kids Say The Darndest Things!

2009-06-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Last night, Jyly was sitting on her bed reading a book. She then picked the book and held it close to her face. What happened next completely surprised me. She sniffed the book and exclaimed "smells like bum". It was one of those moments that you are dying laughing inside but you can't show her that what she said was funny. If she thinks it's funny, you never know when or where she might say it again. So now the question in my mind is, where did she come up with that!

Making A Splash At Balmorhea

2009-05-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

I caught Keegan mid splash!

Juan must have jumped up first because I caught him in the air.

Jyly decided to try swimming without the swim tube for awhile.

We spent Memorial Day at Balmorhea State Park. They had just cleaned the pool so it was crystal clear. I don't think the fish liked how clean it was because they were nibbling on Jyly and Krista's toes. The kids had a great time and we left just before the rain and hail.

Video Montage

2009-05-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is obviously a bit late since we just completed our 18 month post placement report.

This is how we wash the truck

2009-05-10T16:24:00.001-07:00

No, they didn't use her as a sponge!

Mother's Day At The Park

2009-05-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

The boys decided that we should go to the park today. Alex had to work so he couldn't join us but Juan could. We call Juan Jyly's brother from another mother because she always has to know where Juan is. We all had fun. I had to pull rank as the mother. Being Texas, the slides were all really hot. So, I made the boys hold Jyly on the slides. Long shorts rule!

While in New hampshire

2009-04-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Jyly and I went up to NH the beginning of March to visit family. While we were there, we were able to get together with two of Jyly's friend's from her orphanage in Tokmok. Because they spent every moment of their early lives together, they are more like siblings. Beck was the first of the three to arrive home in NH in September 2007. Then Jyly in January of 2008 and Aidai in October 2008. Jyly doesn't seem to have any memories of her time in Tokmok because she was so young but she still had a great time playing with Beck and Aidai.

Hey! What happened to Easter?

2009-04-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

I know Easter was a few weeks ago and "Yes" we did go on an easter egg hunt but the video was MIA. Jeremy had it on his camera and his computer. He couldn't get it to send to me. He finally put it on a memory stick and now I'm going to try to show it to you. Cross your fingers! Well it's a no go. For some reason, we just can't get the video to load. So as to not have angry mobs, I will show you the picture of Jyly and Camden before the prom. By the way, Jyly had a great time at the Easter egg hunt.

Jyly's trip to Florida

2009-03-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

In January, Jeremy had to go to Orlando on business so we decided that he would take Jyly. While he was working she stayed with my mother in-law. The first weekend he was there, he took Jyly to Animal Kingdom. She had a great time! She got a first trip to Disney pin and the flight attendants on the plane let her help out on the flight home.

A fun filled day at Animal Kingdom wore her right out!

Jyly, Daddy, and Pooh.

Big hugs for Pooh! No fear here.

Jyly at The Tree of Life.

Jyly's First Christmas!

2009-01-03T14:58:00.001-08:00

Look at that Elvis snarl. She loves to get into the act! The first thing she did was run to her new kitchen. Jyly got lots of food for her new kitchen.

It Snot Happening!

2008-12-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

No that isn't a misprint. I was happily shooting pictures of Jyly by the Christmas tree. I thought all was going well and the pictures were great. It wasn't until I decided to change Jyly's outfit that I noticed it. "It" was a great big boogie. What a way to ruin a perfect picture!

Happy Birthday Baby!

2008-11-13T18:37:00.001-08:00

Grammy sent Jyly a furry mask

Crabby joins sharky, froggy, and fishy

Word world mega blocks and a dirty face to boot

Daddy and Mommy worked hard to turn a teddy bear cake into a frog just for Jyly!

November 11th marked Jyly's 3rd Birthday and the first birthday she has ever celebrated. Christmas is going to be a blast!

More pictures

2008-11-02T06:36:00.001-08:00

Happy 1st Halloween!

2008-11-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

So now you know. Jyly was the cutest little mouse for Halloween. We decided that the entire concept of trick or treat would be beyond Jyly this year so we did something else. One of the local churches held a huge festival for the kids so we took her there. They had games, candy, bounce houses and funnel cake. Jyly had a fantastic time and we didn't have to walk all over the place.

Thank you Donna and Orphan Grain Train!

2008-10-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

Last week, a member of our Kyrg adoption group informed us all that she found a company willing to send our orphanage donations to Kyrgyzstan for free. Orphan Grain Train has come to the rescue and now 4 of the 6 cases of clothing donated by Life is Good are on their way. 2 of the cases are still in NH and I am trying to get them shipped as well. These cases are loaded with socks, shirts, onsies,rompers and sweatshirts. All of these clothing are going to make such a difference in the cold months to come. I will be forever grateful to the wonderful people at Life is Good for their incredible donation and to Donna and the kind people at Orphan Grain Train for getting this donation to the children. THANK YOU!

Getting ready for Halloween

2008-10-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about Halloween this year. I remember looking at all the adorable costumes last year and longing to see Jyly in one. Oh, how it hurt to miss out on yet another special occasion with my precious little girl. Now we get to share them all with her. Daddy got to pick the costume and I must say, he made a good choice. Afterall, she does love cheese! Sorry, you have to wait. No costumes until Halloween.

Jyly's little corner

2008-10-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is one of Jyly's favorite places in our house. Every night she pushes the table out from the wall and climbs behind the doll house. For some reason, she loves to play on that side. She prefers an empty house but I filled it up for the picture. Her favorite thing to do is to climb up on the table and sit "in" the living room. She opens the doors to the patio off of the master bedroom and puts the dog out. I have NO idea where she learned this!!!! I guess she is imitating us putting the dogs out to do their business.

This is one of the rare occasions that the house is free from the "Jyly Bomb". We clean up everyday and she goes behind us and dumps everything back out. Such are the joys of having a 2 year old. We just have to laugh about it. I am so glad that I am not working until Friday night. We have our next post placement visit on Friday afternoon and I need to keep the house picked up between now and then. We will have to wait until the last minute to pick Jyly up from daycare or we will have our work cut out for us.

Keeping the pictures coming

2008-09-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Riding a turtle!

She had no idea what she was doing.

Getting her feet wet

Jyly's first Red Socks game with Daddy.

No game is complete without snacks!

Fun with Jyly

2008-09-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Mom goes to work and the boys decide to pick on their little sister. Yes, that is a Walmart bag!

Jyly put up a good fight!

In the end she tackled the gator!

Summer Fun!

2008-08-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

Whenever we have visitors from outside of West Texas, we have to show them the sights. Wednesday, we went back to New Mexico. This time we took the nature path into Carlsbad Caverns. That means we had to descend 750 feet into the caverns on foot. Thankfully, we could take the elevator back up because the whole thing freaked Jyly out this time. After the caverns, we went to the Living desert and Gardens. What a great place! It's kind of like a zoo but on a nature trail. Jyly loves zoo's!

Yesterday, we went to Belmorhea State Park. We renewed our National Parks pass here because it is worth many returns. The attraction is a giant spring fed pool. It is 40 feet deep at it's deepest and crystal clear. The only downfall is the algae on the bottom and all the little fish you get to swim with. None of that bothered my little fish!

An Artist In The Making

2008-08-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

We have an aspiring artist and I think there's a little hippy in her too. Just look at the rainbow colors and what's up with that long hair!

A Brother's Love

2008-08-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Even at 17 he can still be a fun big brother. Camden got a box from the garage and made a spaceship for Jyly. Then he cut out cardboard stars because he knows how much she loves stars. The picture of Keegan walking with the box over his head did not come out, unfortunately.

They play like siblings and fight like siblings should. Last night, Camden pretended to clip Jyly with a chip clip and she burst into tears. Today, she gave him a drum stick and when he wouldn't give it right back, she pulled the hair on his leg. It was hilarious and she knew just what she was doing.

Time for a trim!!!!

2008-07-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

We decided on Monday that Jyly was ready for a trim. I really wanted to just let her hair grow but she had this Eddy Munster "V" going on her forehead. After having her hair shaved for so long in the orphanage, it was growing in very funky. Now she has nice "straight" bangs.

A New Kyrgyz Friend

2008-07-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

While in Houston, we got to meet Elijah and her family. Elijah came home from Kyrgyzstan last September. With her mom Holly, Dad Tanner and brother Atticus, we all went to the Aquarium. We had a nice dinner and looked at all the fish until it was time to say goodbye. We will definitely have to get together again. It was fun!

Lazy Vacation Days

2008-06-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

We've been having fun in the sun. Saturday, we left for San Antonio. We spent a couple of hours at Sea World but it wasn't a great success after the long drive. Sunday we hit Sea World early and it was a much better day. Jyly loved all the fish and the rides. I'm not sure that she enjoyed getting soaked but it had to be done. Now we are in Houston hanging out in our hotel room and at the pool while Jeremy works.

2008-06-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Getting wet on the Texas Splash down
OK, when they say the first 16 rows are the splash zone, you don't sit in the third row!

2008-06-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

What a way to start the day at Sea World
Daddy forgot to bring cash to buy fish to feed the dolphins
This one is for Beck
Riding with Daddy
Spinning Mommy in the paint cans

2008-06-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

Friday morning before school.

The Wonder Years

2008-06-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

It is so amazing how the mind of a two year old works and yet I don't think there is an adult alive that could remember being two. Jyly is constantly doing new and incredible things. Some days she takes me by surprise and I have to stop to think, when did she start doing that.

Speech therapy has been going great. We go every Tuesday morning. The first few weeks, Jyly would play but, she wouldn't talk. She would retain everything that Miss Charlotte taught her. Now that she has gotten comfortable, she participates and enjoys it.

It has been a long time since my last post which I apologize for. We enjoyed our visit with Auntie Renae and family but Jyly got croup as soon as we got to Dallas and it took a week after we got home for her to fully recover. I had forgotten what it was like to have a sick baby. It is so not fun! We ended the month on a good note by moving in to our new house. It's so nice to turn a corner and not bump into someone. Don't get me wrong, I have a close family but that was too close for comfort.

Today we went to visit a friend and Jyly got to meet Lulu. Lulu is a calf and I think she is about two months old. When the weather gets a little cooler, Jyly is going to do a little horseback riding.

Jeremy has to go to Houston once a month for work so we are going to make a family trip out of it this month. We are going to drive to San Antonio and go to Sea World and then spend the rest of the week relaxing by the pool at our hotel in Houston. I may have a busy schedule with lots of overtime but I love my one week off a month and I try to make the best of it.

April Has Been A Busy Month

2008-04-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

As you can see, it has been over 100 days since Renae and I left to bring Jyly home. It's hard to believe. To look at Jyly, you would think she has always been here.

Since it has been almost six months, we had to have our first post placement report done. The social worker came out and asked us questions about how Jyly has adjusted to her new life. Then she looked around, took some pictures and was off to write her report. I guess we will see her again in October when we have to do the next report. Yes, that's every six months for the first three years and then every year after until Jyly turns 14.

Jyly also had her audiology evaluation this month. We are thrilled to say that our instincts were correct. She has a minor hearing deficit in her right ear only. What that means is when she hears certain tones, she can not determine where they are coming from due to the imbalance. The audiologist recommended speech therapy. Since they had an opening, we were able to get her right in and she is now going every Tuesday morning. They will also continue to teach her sign language because it is a very effective way for her to communicate.

We heard the call to New Mexico again. So, we hit the road and then ventured 750 feet underground (by elevator) into the famous Carlsbad Caverns. Jyly was in awe as were we. Someday we will settle down in New Mexico. It combines the warm climate of the South West and the picturesque landscapes of the North East. What more can you ask for?

Last Thursday night, Keegan was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. He is well on his way to scholarships, college and a great career. In what, I just don't know!

That same night, we went to see Finding Nemo on Ice. We missed the first thirty minutes but our timing was perfect. Had we been there any longer I don't think Jyly would have made it. I think she enjoyed it. I know she enjoyed the $10.00 snow cone and purple tongue. The circus is coming in July. I hope that goes over as well!

Friday night, we had dinner with a very nice family that is just beginning their adoption journey. They have three children and are looking forward to bringing home a baby boy from Kyrgyzstan. Yes, we met them on the Kyrgyzstan adoption message board.

Jyly and are are going to finish off the month of April with a trip to Grapevine, Texas. Auntie Renae and her family are spending their vacation at The Great Wolf Lodge. As I understand it, it is a hotel with an indoor water park. I hope Jyly does not get overwhelmed. She has never been swimming much less to a water park. I hope she handles it better than her first bathtub experience. I think she is going to look adorable in her new bathing suits.

I am looking forward to a mellow month of May. The only thing I hope to do this month is move into a much bigger house. I think the entire family feels the same way. I will try to be better at pictures and updates. I can't make any promises. Life with a toddler and teenagers can be very hectic.

2008-04-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

2008-04-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes crackers are better the second time around! Jyly's new thing is to chew her food until
she gets tired of it and then she spits it out.

It's been a long day!

2008-04-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

After a long day at school, this is what happens to Jyly's slowly growing hair. Yes, there is a headband in there somewhere.

We realized the other day that the "Honeymoon" is over. Jyly has completely settled into her new life as a US citizen and the terrible two's have begun. She has even begun to test the waters at daycare. Now the real fun begins!

Day at the Carnival

2008-03-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Down the slide with Daddy

Riding with Mommy.

We took Jyly to her first carnival last night. She rode a few rides, ate funnel cake and fried twinkie, and had a good time.

2008-03-21T19:41:00.001-07:00

Jyly at Mescalero Sands

2008-03-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

We Love New Mexico!

2008-03-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

When the cows come home!

2008-03-21T19:35:00.001-07:00

Sadly, A Kodak Moment Missed!

2008-03-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

Today we went to New Mexico where we have some property. Jyly got to see all the cows that graze on our land. As we were leaving to go to Santa Fe for some snowboarding, we spotted some horses getting ready to be exercised. Jeremy took Jyly over and the owner allowed her to sit on one of the horses. By the time I got the camera out, she was off the horse. Then Jeremy walked back to the truck before I could even get a picture close to the horses. We are here all weekend so I hope to capture something!

Bubbles!

2008-03-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

It is so amazing how all of these incredible little people come home scared to death of the bath. Soon after, they love it. Jyly sure does!

A Day At The Zoo

2008-03-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

We had a great day today! We got up and made the 2 1/2 hour drive to Abilene to go to the Abilene Zoo. It wasn't a big zoo but we still had fun. Jyly even got to feed a giraffe. Outside the zoo gates was a very nice playground where Jyly and Keegan got to slide swing and climb. It was very windy which Jyly absolutely loves. Every time a good gust would hit her in the face she would laugh. Before we made the drive back home, we went to the mall. Jyly got some new shoes at payless. She has some wonderful shoes that Auntie Renae bought her but, they are a size 5 and they are just a little big still. Next week we are going to go to the circus. We are having so much fun!

Too Cute!

2008-02-16T12:58:00.001-08:00

Updates Finally

2008-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

I do apologize for the long delay between updates. For those of you that have already brought home your little ones you will understand when I say these last few weeks have been incredibly busy. Since we returned home, I have only had three full days off of work and we haven't stopped running from one appointment to another.
Our first visit was to the pediatrician. Unfortunately, Jyly had to have 5 shots because 2 were done too soon and she needed 3 for daycare. The pediatrician didn't think she was saying enough words so he referred her to a speech therapist. We decided to wait until after she spent some time in daycare to see if she really had a problem. The lumps on her little bottom needed to be addressed as well. The Dr. couldn't tell us what they were so off we went to the hospital for some x-rays. We don't have the results yet.
Our next visit was to the dentist. To me, it looked like she had a loss of enamel on her top front teeth. The dentist was very good with Jyly. He felt that her teeth had not developed properly, most likely from being premature. So, we sealed them and we will do it every three months for a year. By then she will be used to going and we can start regular cleanings. Also, he was able to get a better look in her mouth than the pediatrician and he agreed that she has geographic tongue and her tonsils are large. Now she is on a multi vitamin with iron.
Yesterday, we went to the opthamologist. The pediatrician was concerned that she has a lazy eye. As you can see from the picture, we need glasses! She fits right in with this family. Today we picked out the style of frame and they told us that they could order it in pink. Now we have to wait about ten days and hope she keeps them on.
In the middle of all these scheduled visits, Mr. Mom decided that Jyly was pulling on her ear. Way to go Dad! She has a slight ear infection. Amoxocillin is OK in Jyly's opinion.
Despite all the changes and chaos that is our lives, she is settling in very well. She has even adjusted to daycare. We still have a bit of seperation anxiety with Mama but I think it is getting better.
My next update should have more fun and less doctors in it. Don't get me wrong, we are having fun! We love tickles and hugs and going for walks. We have also gone to the park and slid down the wavy slide. Mom and Dad just need a little more time to recover financially after the final adoption expenses. Then we can start having more fun!

All Settled In

2008-01-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

Hi all its Jeremy again. Well we are back at home and all settled in. Marnie is back to work tonight so I thought I'd catch everyone up.
We got in late last night. Camden and Keegan were there to greet us. Then Jyly got to meet the dogs. We were a bit worried, but she wasn't the least bit flustered by them(except she didn't want any puppy kisses) A short time later she settled in to her bed and slept until almost 8 am.
After breakfast and a bath we went and visited some daycares. We found a great one which she will start Feb 5th. Only $85 a week breakfast and lunch included. It is structured like a preschool so she will not only get the social environment, but also learning activities. The dogs have learned the hanging around Jyly is a sure way to get a snack.
After Marnie went to work tonight she was stuck with her brothers and me. After about half an hour of crying she settled down to watch TV and play. She climbed up on the couch and after being tickled by Camden, fell asleep around 8 pm. She is now tucked in her bed till morning (I hope).

Home Sweet Home ...

2008-01-21T11:04:00.000-08:00

This is Renae ... I'm sure that Marnie and Jeremy are busy this morning with Jyly, so I figured I'd update everyone to let you all know that we landed safely last night just after 9pm. It was a very long flight home, but we made it safe and sound.

Leaving Kazakhstan was a bit tense ... we had a small problem with getting Jyly's boarding pass for the London to Boston flight, so when we got to Passport Control, they were a bit uncertain about what we had intended to do. The man in control listened as we told him what the manager at the ticket counter told us then he proceeded to say "really". He said this at least twice and we explained the situation to him very clearly both times. I know my heart was pounding and Marnie was beside me holding Jyly very tightly. I think at that point I would have done anything to get the 3 of us out of that country. The man finally gave up questioning us and probably decided that we were telling the truth, so he let us go.

Getting on the plane was the first step toward a new life for Jyly ... we were extremely happy when we finally boarded the plane. Jyly did extremely well on her first flight. We gave her some juice to drink during the take-off just in case the pressure bothered her ears. She did just as well with the landing. She did just great on both flights.

Landing in Boston was amazing. I know that this is just the beginning of a wonderful new life for Jyly. In just one week I was able to watch Jyly change from a very shy timid little girl to one that seems to be getting more and more comfortable with her new life. She's smiling and talking more and more every day.

At the airport we had lots of family and friends waiting for us. It was a wonderful reunion for everyone. There were 2 special guests waiting to see Jyly ... the smiles were precious. Getting a group shot of 3 little ones was tough, but this is the best one that I got, so it will have to do for now.

Well ... after all is said and done I am so glad that I was able to share this very special time with my sister and Jyly ... the newest addition to our family. I'm proud to say that I have a very beautiful little niece.

The Packing Begins …

2008-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

As Jeremy has already told you … everything went fine yesterday at the Embassy, so Jyly is finally OURS!!

We’re all ready to leave here, but not looking forward to the very long flight. Jyly’s had some cranky nights and we know she has a temper. Her routine has already been more than disrupted and her diet has completely changed (not necessarily for the better). Potty training has been a challenge … needless to say, we’ve gone thru 2 pkgs of diapers. Both Mommy and Jyly are content right now to stick to the diapers. Oh, by the way … we are officially part of the “blow-out” club.

Jyly hadn’t grown as much as we had expected. She’s 85cm tall and only 11.8kg. The closet at home will remain full for quite some time. Thankfully I’ve covered several sizes.

The temperature outside hasn’t been very friendly. We’ve ventured out only a couple of times. We found a grocery store, so walking 2 blocks has been about all we can stand. The sidewalks are perpetually covered with ice and snow.

We met several other couples that were adopting from Kazakhstan. They were all very friendly, but definitely kept together as a group. It was understandable since several of them had met during their 1^st visit … a required 4 week stay.

Jyly seems to be easy to amuse … she’s been playing with a tide-2-go pen, paper and pen, etc. We brought plenty of toys, but those seem to make her happiest. She’s been doing lots of walking around the room since last night. She ventured into the bathroom and has been enjoying playing in there with the mirror. Lots of smiles and giggles when she sneaks a peak out the door and sees us watching her.

Jyly is a bit behind for her age, but she seems to be catching on quickly. I think that once she’s home and around her family things will change fast. She’s a very smart little girl.

We noticed several lumps and bruises on her little bottom. Thankfully we’ve gotten her out of that situation and she’ll have time to forget any trauma that she’s been thru. We’ll see what the doctor says on Feb 4^th.

Please send good vibes our way so that we have a quick and safe trip. We’ll see everyone at the airport when we get home!! Pray for good weather!

Just the Flight Home

2008-01-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

Hi all. Jeremy here again. Just wanted to update everyone. Well the medical exam is done and all the embassy paperwork is complete. All that remains is the flight home. There was a slight money snafu at the embassy, but it was all worked out and our baby has her passport and visa.
Now as long as British Airways can keep the plane on the runway there should be no more hurdles, but I will feel a lot better when they get through customs here in Boston.
On a side note, my sister called me Thursday night saying she had an extra ticket to the AFC championship game these weekend, but I couldn't convince Marnie to come in on a later flight :) .
SO I guess I'll just have to watch the game on the TV and then listen to it on the radio to the airport. More updates and pictures to follow am sure.

SOS Success!!

2008-01-15T22:27:00.000-08:00

After a very long 7 hour drive we made it to Almaty at midnight last night. We arrived at the hotel only to find that we didn't have a reservation. After some discussion we were given a "single" room. You can only wonder what they were thinking when we said that the single room woud be fine. It's a single bed ... not meaning only 1 bed ... yes, that's right it's a tiny single bed. Thankfully we have the princess blow up bed and they supplied a crib. Jyly didn't like the crib much, so she ended up sleeping with mommy on the princess bed ... and also under the crib.

The trip to the SOS clinic was successful other than the finger stick ... Jyly's been out of sorts since that ... ouch!! She's also very off schedule, so that's probably not helping much.

Nothing more to do today or tomorrow except relax. Friday is the big day at the US Embassy. Hoping that all will go well there! We leave to come home early Sunday morning.

Janiece and Johnda ... sorry about our plans. Our coordinator didn't get our plans, so she booked us at the apartments.

Rachel ... we took lots of pictures of your little girl. We'll send them to you as soon as we arrive home.

Jyly's Squeeky Shoes

2008-01-15T22:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of Jyly just after getting dressed to leave. She was very surprised by the squeeky shoes.

Now for the drive

2008-01-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

Well Marnie finally got to Bishkek, after flying in circles for awhile and being told they were being rerouted to Almaty due to weather, to clouds cleared and she landed. Then there was a slight mix up with the hotel so Marnie and her sister found themselves at the apartment we stayed in back in July. So no internet have to wait for pictures until they get back. But it was all worth because yesterday at around noon she picked Jyly up from the orphanage. After a bath and change of clothes it was time to go to bed. Marnie says its going well so far. Tomorrow they go to embassy in Bishkek, then head for Almaty in the evening. Hopefully all the paperwork and exam goes well. Everybody keep your fingers crossed. More info to follow.

On the way

2008-01-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update from Jeremy. After a rearrangement of luggage (I think they took at least 4 suitcases) Marnie and her sister departed Boston last night for the flight across half the world. She called to say they had reached London OK and that their flight to Bishkek was still going as scheduled. They should be there by 630 pm tonight. They both took their cameras and Marnie has promised to get as many pictures as time allows. If they can get on the net she will try to download them, so check back. More to follow.

What happened to the time?

2008-01-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

Didn't I just put up that count down clock? It seems like just the other day it was 28 days until we travel. It seemed like such a long time but, I knew it would fly by. My sister asked me yesterday if I was all packed. Of course, Not! I haven't even got everything in that I ordered last week. So I procrastinated a little.
We didn't procrastinate on our visas but we still don't have them in hand. As soon as we had our travel dates we applied for the Kyrg visas. Those came back in no time. They believe in FedEx! Then we sent our passports and application to the Kazakhstan embassy via express mail. That's the only way they will accept them. We got confirmation that they were received. We found out today that they have not processed them yet because they have not received the letter of invitation. We were told we didn't need one. So, we are working on getting that resolved today so that they can "express mail" them back to us in time. OK, the stress level just went up! And I thought my biggest worry was the dry cleaners.
On a brighter note. I haven't got new pictures but, I have an update from Janiece. It seems Jyly still has a love for bananas and cookies. I bought banana puffs for the plane trip home.
In the past , I've asked everyone for good vibes to reach our goals and everyone has come through. I' m going to ask you to send those good vibes again so that we get our visas in time. I can live without the stuff I ordered but I can't travel without the visas. Thanks everyone!

Updates

2007-12-26T14:44:00.000-08:00

I got new pictures today from a couple who recently visited their little girl for the first time. We can see how much she has grown based on the top she is wearing. That sounds silly but, we have a picture from this past summer that she is wearing the same shirt in and now the sleeves are short. It actually is a significant difference which makes me a little sad because I've missed all that time. It looks like she is doing well with stacking blocks. This tells us that her dexterity is developing. It also means that she can build things with her brothers. They were afraid she was going to be all girly baby dolls and tea parties. I think I have to find her a purple dump truck!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2007-12-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

While we missed having Jyly home with us this Christmas, the children still had a good day. Being of the video game generation, the family got Rockband. With Alex on the drums, Camden playing guitar and Jeremy on Vocals, they created their own band. Until it was time to switch. Apparently, we need more components to get the entire family in. Keegan took over the drums and Keith played the guitar in their own band. At one point Jeremy stopped singing which made us all happy since he's a little rusty as a soprano. I sure hope Jyly can sing!
After loads of Rock bonding and food, the kids tossed the ball around outside and then headed off for the traditional Christmas day movie. An enjoyable day was had by all but we look forward to next year when we will all be together.

The More The Merrier

2007-12-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

You might have noticed that I added a few more links to my blog. We are growing quite the Kyrg adoption family and we hope to one day bring all of our Kyrg Kiddos together. Today Jamie and her Hubby are off to bring home Baby "Z". While Jamie was waiting for her flight, she got tagged by Gen and fulfilled her obligation. You see, if you get tagged you need to write 8 interesting facts about yourself on your blog. On your hundredth post, you need to write 100 facts about yourself. I can tell you right now, I am not that interesting. Anyway, now I'm it so here goes.

1. I met my husband when we were 5. I went to preschool with his cousin(my friend) and we have been married for 21 years.

2. When Jeremy got out of the Navy in 1998, I got an honorable discharge. I think it was for the 7 times we moved in 12 years.

3. In 1998, I met a wonderful man and agreed to be a surrogate for him. After 2 invitro attempts, Success! Now we have an incredible little boy.

4. Over the last 13 years, we have hosted 6 exchange students. 4 of them stayed with us for the entire school year and 2 for short summer programs. One of our students from Germany just had her first child so we now have a Grandson.

5. We were one of those crazy couples that took 5 kids to Disney. If that wasn't crazy enough, a year later we took them to Vegas.

6. In my spare time (like I have any) I remodeled my house right down to laying ceramic tile and building kitchen cabinets.

Boy this is getting harder!

7. A year ago, I didn't know what a blog was. Look at me now!

And FINALLY

8. Jeremy and I decided after our 2nd son was born (16years ago) that we would someday adopt and we always knew that we would have a little girl. In less than a month, we will fulfill that dream.

Ok, that was a challenge and I guess it is now my turn to pass it on. Janiece, Michelle, and Suzanne, TAG YOUR IT!

Up Up and Away

2007-12-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

As you can see, the count down is on. We had a few changes in dates due to Embassy closures but it all works out. My sister Renae and I jet off to London on January 12th and arrive in Bishkek in the wee hours of the morning on the 14th. After a little bit of sleep at the Asia Mountain Guest House, we head to Tokmok to retrieve my little angel. We will spend the next few days bonding and doing the necessary stuff at the embassy in Bishkek. Then it's off to Almaty. We haven't heard many stories about pleasant rides and easy border crossings but it will be late at night and hopefully Jyly will sleep. In Almaty, we get Jyly's medical exam and finish all the immigration stuff. We make the long Journey home on the 20ith. I sure hope I can keep Jyly busy and quiet on the flight home. I will have toys, and DVDs and Bush's Rescue Remedy. I so can't wait to get her home!

Soon to travel

2007-12-09T17:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I should have had travel dates by now. We have to be in Bishkek on January 10th. Our exact travel dates are going to depend on when we can get flights. Can you believe the bargain I just found? I can get to Bishkek in 56 hours for $15,000.00. OMG! Thank goodness for discount travel agents.
As soon as I actually book my flight, I will let everyone know and I'll get one of those fancy counters going. Wish me luck!

Sweet Memories

2007-11-29T10:06:00.000-08:00

As I sat folding laundry this morning, it reminded me of something that happened when my second child was born over 16 years ago. I know folding laundry wouldn't remind most people of giving birth but I promise, there is a correlation.

My oldest son was almost 4 when my second son was born. Up to that point, he was still my baby. It wasn't until I felt the difference between the skin on his hands and that of my newborn that I realized he wasn't a baby anymore. Well, he turned 20 yesterday.

So now the link to the laundry: I finally bought tee shirts and underwear for Jyly and laundered them before I packed them. As I was folding these tiny little panties, I realized just how small she is still and how it has been such a long time since we have had clothing that small in the house, much less a child that small. I can't wait to bring her home. Yet, we still haven't got travel dates.... Maybe tomorrow!

IT'S OFFICIAL

2007-11-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

We got the official word that we are now the extremely proud parents of a beautiful little girl. We are so excited! I don't know if my cell phone bill is. I'm sure I've used up all my minutes just in the last 4 days.

We should have our travel dates by Wednesday and then I can put up one of those fancy countdown clocks. Jeremy thinks this month is going to drag as we wait to leave. I think it's going to fly by. I still have a few things buy for Jyly. Then I have to try to squeeze everything into 2 suitcases. It's a good thing they are both expandable.

Wow! It's really happening.

Unofficial Word

2007-11-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

We got third hand unofficial word today that everything went well with court. We won't jump for joy until it is confirmed on Monday. Thanks for all your good vibes. It looks like they just might have worked!
Our next step should be getting our travel dates so that we can get our visas and airline tickets. Then I have to figure out where we are going to stay. Our agency has an apartment in Bishkek which is nice but it costs a little more then Asia Mountain with no amenities. Asia Mountain includes breakfast and we can order other meals if we wish. There is also computer access. We brought the laptop last time and couldn't use it at all. Jeremy and I walked to the Beta store for food and we went to the Internet places but, he isn't going this time. My sister Renae is going with me and once we have Jyly with us, I don't think we will be as adventurous. As for our stay in Almaty, I have no idea. I am going to wait to see if our agency any special arrangements there. The cost of hotels is more than double the cost in Bishkek.
Then there is the packing! I am just like Jackie. She had her daughter's things packed ahead of time but nothing for herself until the day she left, I think. It all worked out for her and she should be with her baby in a few days. I have had Jyly's bag packed forever. I could care less what I have for myself as long as I have my little girl.
So listen real hard on Monday because I am going to be shouting from the rooftops when I get the official word and everyone is going to hear me!

Jeremy to the rescue again!

2007-11-22T18:25:00.000-08:00

About a month or so ago, Jeremy rescued 4 baby bunnies after a rain storm collapsed their nest and their mother abandoned them. Unfortunately, even hand feeding them they died one by one. I told him that it was natural selection. So today he was at work and got a call from the gate guard that a family of dogs was on site. That wasn't a problem until he saw the Mother and Father dog pacing back and forth at the edge of the pond. It was immediately obvious that the 2 puppies had fallen in. By the time Jeremy got to them, all 4 were in the water. He got them all out of the water and tried to get them into the plant to dry off and warm up since it was snowing but only one puppy went in and the others ran off. Thankfully, the owner had put a tag on the puppy with his phone number on it. Guess what! He's away for Thanksgiving. So the plan was to bring the puppy home for the night and a relative would come get him in the morning. It gets better, the other puppy shows up just as Jeremy is getting ready to leave work and we end up with 2 guests for the night. It's a good thing that our 2 dogs aren't territorial or we would have a big problem! Picture 4 dogs trying to drink from one bowl.

For those of you that don't know us that well, this is the way of life for us. We always have extra animals or relatives or exchange students living with us. Adoption just seemed like the next natural step. We thrive on chaos and love every moment of it. By the way, we haven't heard anything about court. No news is good news!

Confession is good for the soul!

2007-11-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

OK, I have a confession to make. I am an ebayaholic. They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step to a cure. I'm just not sure that I can be cured. After 20 years of dressing boys, I am going to be able to dress my little girl. Don't get me wrong, there are some great boys clothing out there but it's just not the same. I am a little concerned about Jeremy. He spent a week in Colorado on business and came back with an outfit for Jyly that matches the color scheme of her other outfits perfectly. Then he told me that he found the "Janie and Jack" store at the mall. If you have never seen the clothing from there, I've added a link. I think we are in trouble!

Things to be Thankful for....

2007-11-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

This year, I am thankful for my court date. Yes, we have our court date and it is Thanksgiving day! As most of you know, the court date does not mean that it is over but, if you have been following our journey you will realize what a great victory this is for us. This has been an incredibly long 10 months for us and although we will still have about 6 weeks before we can travel, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We just need to keep our fingers and toes crossed that everything goes off without any hitches in court.

A few of our Kyrg adoption friend's will be making their second trip to bring home their little ones over the next few weeks. They have all been so kind to offer to check on Jyly if they are allowed. Now they can tell her that Mama and Papa will be coming back for her soon. She won't really understand but, I will feel better. I hope that she still has the blanket that we made for her. If I didn't tell you before, we made a blanket with all of our pictures on it and put it on her bed during our last trip. In my heart I know that she doesn't understand all of this but, I have this dream of walking into her room and her running into my arms for a big hug as soon as she sees me. I can dream can't I?

Keep sending those good vibes and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Baby!

2007-11-11T16:27:00.000-08:00

Today is a bittersweet day. It's Jyly's second birthday and I am sure there was no cake to celebrate in her little orphanage room. Our friend's want to have a shower for me before I travel to bring Jyly home. I think we will just have a fabulous belated birthday, gotcha day, homecoming party when" We" get back.

On a much happier note, we should hear back on our request for a court date soon. Another family was about a week ahead of us with their request and their court date is tomorrow. I sure hope ours moves as fast. It looks like we won't be traveling in time for Christmas but it's alright. It would probably be overwhelming for her to come to a new country and a new family and then Christmas. She is going to be spoiled enough, don't give us another excuse!

Jeremy is already planning our first family trip for February. He wants to take the boys snowboarding in Ruidoso, NM. I told him that I thought Jyly was a little young to learn but if he was insistent I guess we could get her out on her first snowboard. No, I am just joking. She just started walking. I think we still need to work on the basics. Besides, we can have some real girl bonding time while the guys are on the slopes.

Cross your fingers and send us good vibes for a speedy court date! We need to get our little angel home.

Waiting for Condoleezza

2007-10-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

I know I posted earlier but I found out this afternoon that we are waiting for Secretary Condoleezza Rice to return from her trip to the Middle East to sign our documents. I hope they are on the top of her pile!

The waiting game

2007-10-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I last posted. That is mainly because there hasn't been anything new to tell. We haven't even had any updates from Kyrgyzstan since our friend's returned in early September. Needless to say, the wait is difficult!
We are truly hoping for an incredible Christmas gift this year. For those of you that don't know us, our boys are all getting older which takes the magic out of the holidays, if you know what I mean. Having a toddler around again and seeing the excitement on her little face after a visit from Santa will be wonderful. I would like to think that even the boys will enjoy that. I just have to figure out how to control Jeremy. Daddy hasn't had a little girl to spoil in a long time!

I'm a big girl now!

2007-09-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

The day we found out about Jyly, she was 14 months old and we were supposed to have her home in just over a month. I was so excited that I rushed home and took the crib out of storage. Then I found the perfect bedding set and got busy putting it all together. Well, Jyly is now 22 months old and has outgrown the crib before she even got to sleep in it.

I had made up my mind to put away the crib and find a toddler bed after I saw the sleeping arrangements in the orphanage. Jeremy wanted this Dr. Suess looking bed from Ikea but getting to Ikea is a challenge and they wanted $300 to ship a $150.00 bed. I decided to try ebay and I found the perfect little bed from a company in PA. Now my little girl has a big girl bed waiting for her when she comes home.

Generosity from strangers

2007-09-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

I got a call the other day from a clothing company that I sent a donation request letter to. I knew that they generally had some misprint product and I asked if they would be willing to donate what they couldn't sell. I thought that I would end up with a small box of clothes that I could check on the plane when I return to Kyrgyzstan. Imagine my surprise when the representative told me about the pallets of clothing that they were going through for us. They are even willing to arrange shipping. I never in my wildest dreams anticipated such a sizable donation. I hope that we can use a little PR to make others see what a difference this can make. We live in a society of perfection. We will throw away a perfectly good item just because the logo is upside down. These children don't care how it looks as long as it keeps them warm and comfortable. My next challenge is to find a shoe company that will make a donation.

A little help along the way

2007-09-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

In my quest to find out more about Kyrgyzstan, I stumbled upon a Yahoo message board for people who are adopting or have adopted from Kyrgyzstan. The information that I have received from this group has been invaluable. I have also made a lot of new friends who have allowed us to be involved in their adoption journeys.

As families go over to Kyrgyzstan to meet their children or bring them home, they take pictures of Jyly and give me updates on her progress. It was from another families trip that I learned that Jyly's diagnosis of hearing loss is very likely incorrect. From what I have been told, a family wishing to adopt a deaf child had the referral for Jyly. After they spent some time with her, they did not feel that she had a hearing deficit and they turned down her referral. Their loss is my gain!

I got some new pictures today from a family that just returned with their little boy. I am so happy for them and so greatful that they would take the time from their special trip to think of us and take pictures. When I bring Jyly home, we are going to get the kids together.

Love at first sight

2007-09-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

This was the very first picture that we received of Jyly on January 30ith. One look and she had my heart.

Day 3 at Tokmok

2007-09-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

To make a long story short, we started our adoption journey a little over two years ago. My husband Jeremy and I chose Moldova for personal reasons but after submitting our dossier we hit a brick wall. We just kept hearing that there were no children that fit our criteria.

Our Journey to Jyly began on January 30ith. Our agency contacted us about a beautiful little girl from Kyrgyzstan that they were trying to find a host family for. They wanted to bring 4 children to the states for medical evaluation. They told us about this 14 month old little girl that was born premature and had a suspected hearing deficit. One look at her picture and I was sold (and in tears).

We started the paperwork process and expected to have our baby girl by early March. She was to be with us for 6 months on a medical visa and in that time we could process her adoption. Due to politics, the medical program was denied and by April we were full force into the adoption process. We were not going to lose this little angel.

Our homestudy update took forever. We had to start from ground zero recreating our entire dossier. This also meant re evaluating our finances because the fees for Kyrgyzstan are higher and just gathering all the documents again is costly. I have to say that the money issues did slow us down and everytime we thought we were on track we would get hit with another curve ball.

We were initially told that Kyrgyzstan was a one trip process. Then the new Minister of Education changed that. For those of you not familiar with international adoption, the rules change constantly. The last week of June, we found out that we had to go to Kyrgyzstan for a bonding period. We decided that we would both go. By both of us going, we fulfilled the requirements set by the USCIS (Homeland Security) meaning that Jyly would be able to become a citizen upon entry to the US. If just one of us had gone, we would have to readopt in the states.

After booking our flights only to find out that Aeroflot had cancelled their leg of the trip because they did not agree with the price that Continental had given us, we were off. July 12th we flew to JFK and spent the night with friends. On the 13th we flew Turkish airlines to Istanbul. That was a very nice 10 1/2 hour flight. We had about a 5 hour layover before we were off to Bishkek.

At 1:30 Sunday morning we arrived at Manas Airport in Bishkek. Our facilitator Chinara met us with our driver and took us to our apartment. Chinara told us to lock the door, get some sleep, and she would be back in the afternoon to take us sightseeing. Being that it was Sunday, we couldn't go to the orphanage until Monday. We slept for a few hours and decided to be adventerous. We walked a few blocks to the ATM and withdrew 500 Soms. That turned out to be about $13.00. Then we went to the Beta store and got some bread, juice and water. By the way, you have be careful when buying water because some is spring and some carbonated.

Chinara arrived around 3:00 with our translator Ksenia. We went to the Central Department store to buy some things for the nurses at the orphanage and some things to take home for the boys. We went to a local restaurant for a late lunch early dinner. We all had Logmon which is a traditional Kyrg dish of Mutton, vegetables and noodles. Then it was back to the apartment. We fell asleep until about 9:00pm. The National Geographic channel is not very entertaining and you can only watch so much Sponge Bob in Russian. Because of the time difference, 10:00 at night made for a good time to go to the phone and internet place to email and call the boys.

Chinara and Ksenia picked us up at 8:00 Monday morning to go to Fatboys for breakfast. It's an American cafe. We had a quick breakfast and then took the Silk Way to Tokmok. We had to be at the orphanage at 10:00am. We met with the doctor and she took us to the playground to meet Jyly. As she carried her to me, she told her "this is your Mama" and she said "Mama". My heart melted as I took her into my arms.

For the next 2 hours, we played with all the children until they had to go in for lunch. They have a very strict schedule that they have to adhere to. After lunch, the children went down for their nap and we said our goodbye. We spent the next few days continuing this same routine of visiting with the children and bonding with Jyly. Then we would go out to lunch, shop and go back to the apartment. By our last day with the children, they were a little out of control and Jyly would not stay in her seat for lunch but we had a great time. We loved all the children and wish we could bring them all home. It broke my heart to leave my little girl behind but I know that she is being well cared for.

Jeremy got sick on the last day. Be very careful of what you eat in foreign countries and always bring Pepto. With all of our flight times and layovers it took us 44 hours to get home. Jeremy was so happy to be back in his own bed.

Now we are dealing with the authentication portion of our documents. Once we are done with this, we can finally get a court date. Keep your fingers crossed that everything moves quickly. We still have a month and a half wait after we go to court to bring Jyly home.