Below is a start-to-finish listing of all the blog posts from our Kazakhstan Adoption Adventure. I did this because I found it quite challenging to find a single day's post in Blogger's method of archiving on a monthly basis. So, this is kind of a table of contents, for lack of any better term.
The entries start at the top with the earliest entry, when we started this blog back in September of 2004. It's all paperwork and waiting until May of 2005, then the fun started: travel, meet, cry, pray, rejoice, groundhog days, court, waiting, and, finally, home sweet home.
To see how things are going since Homecoming, please visit www.garshok.com You may need an invitation to login to that blog. If so, please email me.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - Beginning the adoption process
Thursday, October 07, 2004 - Immigration red tape...
Friday, October 08, 2004 - Immigration approval!!
Tuesday, October 12, 2004 - Changes to Kaz adoption program
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 - All paperwork sent...whew!
Tuesday, October 26, 2004 - Slight delays
Friday, November 12, 2004 - November 12 2004
Monday, December 06, 2004 - Trust and obey
Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - We prayed for a clear answer...
Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - Bureaucratic red tape type stuff
Monday, January 10, 2005 - Finally, dossier is translated and in NY
Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - When you pray for rain...
Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - TWO BOYS!!!!!
Friday, February 04, 2005 - Ok, more info, time to focus...
Monday, February 07, 2005 - More info on the boys
Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - Destination known
Friday, February 11, 2005 - Medical evaluations
Monday, February 14, 2005 - Travel time frame
Saturday, February 26, 2005 - Small world
Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - UPDATE!
Friday, April 15, 2005 - God's time, not ours
Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - The Letter of Invitation has arrived!!!
Friday, April 29, 2005 - Travel visas
Tuesday, May 03, 2005 - Visa update
Tuesday, May 03, 2005 - Visa update
Wednesday, May 04, 2005 - Visa update
Thursday, May 05, 2005 - Morbidly obese friends...
Saturday, May 07, 2005 - We're here!
Saturday, May 07, 2005 - Almaty
Sunday, May 08, 2005 - Almaty
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - Taraz!
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - Papa
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - Our first family picture!
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - Day 2 in Taraz
Thursday, May 12, 2005 - The **BIG** News
Friday, May 13, 2005 - Open wide!!!
Saturday, May 14, 2005 - Stockings of the Day
Monday, May 16, 2005 - Just a bunch of pictures
Monday, May 16, 2005 - More Monday...
Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - What a HANDFUL!!
Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Thursday, May 19, 2005 - Peanut Butter
Friday, May 20, 2005 - Is there DFACS in Taraz?
Saturday, May 21, 2005 - Mine's broken!
Sunday, May 22, 2005 - History of Taraz
Monday, May 23, 2005 - Day 14 of the 14 day Bonding Period
Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - Groundhog Day
Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - Another day in paradise
Thursday, May 26, 2005 - Kazakhstan or Colorado?
Friday, May 27, 2005 - Schedule
Saturday, May 28, 2005 - PMS
Monday, May 30, 2005 - Girly- Girl
Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - Sweet Fancy Moses!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - The heat...my God, the heat!
Thursday, June 02, 2005 - Milestones and disturbing images
Friday, June 03, 2005 - ICE CREAM!!!
Saturday, June 04, 2005 - Day 4 of 15 in the books
Monday, June 06, 2005 - Badges? We don't need...
Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - N-E-K-K-I-D
Wednesday, June 08, 2005 - Who’s the Boss?
Thursday, June 09, 2005 - Plof
Friday, June 10, 2005 - Sippy cup...DA!
Saturday, June 11, 2005 - Fashion Show
Monday, June 13, 2005 - 2 more days and a wake up!
Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - Garshok
Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - First time for EVERYTHING!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - By the time you read this post...
Thursday, June 16, 2005 - Decisions, decisions...
Friday, June 17, 2005 - The Good Kids
Sunday, June 19, 2005 - Parrott Monkeys
Monday, June 20, 2005 - Falling out of bed...
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - Ookah-Bookah!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - The Playground
Thursday, June 23, 2005 - Hard Day's Night
Friday, June 24, 2005 - Earthquake?
Saturday, June 25, 2005 - Cool days, mountains, parks, and weddings
Sunday, June 26, 2005 - Our Last Sunday in Kazakhstan
Monday, June 27, 2005 - Last night in Almaty
Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 24 Sandlin Style
Thursday, June 30, 2005 - Good morning
Friday, July 01, 2005 - Happy July 1!
Saturday, July 02, 2005 - Ahhh, the weekend
Sunday, July 03, 2005 - First time in church
Wednesday, July 06, 2005 - Settling in, and a bunch of "firsts"
Saturday, July 09, 2005 - Thank you!
Thursday, July 14, 2005 - But wait! There's MORE!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Thursday, July 14, 2005
But wait! There's MORE!
Yes, this chapter in our lives has come to a close; however, this chapter was just the introduction to parenthood for Angel and me.
Many of our readers asked, and we thought it would be a good idea to maintain a regular blog of the monkeys' lives and our interractions with them. I don't know how long it will go on, but think about the possibilities, assuming Google (operator of blogger.com) stays financially stable, of maintaining an online blog for life! I doubt I'm the first to consider that.
So, without further adieu, please join us on occasion at http://dubandlena.blogspot.com, which has been in progress for a few days now, in stealth mode.
Enjoy.
Blessings,
kevangelenadub
Many of our readers asked, and we thought it would be a good idea to maintain a regular blog of the monkeys' lives and our interractions with them. I don't know how long it will go on, but think about the possibilities, assuming Google (operator of blogger.com) stays financially stable, of maintaining an online blog for life! I doubt I'm the first to consider that.
So, without further adieu, please join us on occasion at http://dubandlena.blogspot.com, which has been in progress for a few days now, in stealth mode.
Enjoy.
Blessings,
kevangelenadub
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Thank you!
The journey that has led up to the adventure is past, and now our adventure in adoptive parenting has begun. So, with this chapter of our lives coming to a close, we want to offer a final blog post. It's simple, but it's the most meaningful of all our posts.
Thank you...
- to all the people who commented on the blog, emailed us directly, and otherwise contacted us to encourage, support, and pray for us and our kids. You know who you are, and we would not have made it, emotionally or spiritually, without your daily outpouring of love and support. Just as you looked forward to reading our blog each day, we couldn't wait to wake up in the morning and read your humorous and heartfelt words. We will forever treasure all of those words.
- Vera and Mit, without whom we never would have made it 2 days in Taraz. We hope and pray that you are reading this blog, because you truly have a gift from God to do what you do. You are blessed, and your amazing talents were a blessing to us for our time in Taraz.
- Marina and Sam, who still have never lost an American family in Kazakhstan! We tried real hard, but somehow they kept us safe and sound.
- The Morin and Miller families, who helped us, prayed for us, talked with us about the craziness that is Kazakhstan adoption, and were just plain God-sent friends for the better part of 2 months while we were all a little out of sorts and 14,000 miles from home.
- Marlene Shea at Delta Airlines. Who knows where we'd be if it weren't for your persistence and superb service. Perhaps someday you'll get to meet the monkeys!
- To the incredible Frankfurt based flight crew on the Frankfurt-to-JFK Delta flight for making us so comfortable and overwhelming Lena and Dub with love and attention as they became American citizens.
Thank you God, Jehovah Jire, who provides all things...
- for calling us to adopt children
- for giving us a vision with these words on Fathers day 2004: "Somewhere in Kazakhstan there are kids of some age waiting for their mom and dad to come get them. We don't know who they are, how old they are, or where they are, or where they are from, but I am their Daddy and Angel is their Mommy. We must now wait for God's appointed time until we meet them, but we already love them."
- for fulfilling that vision with William Roscoe and Miriam Helena, our monkeys, Dub & Lena
- for Karla Anderson, who faithfully walked us through all the initial questions and paperwork
- for Lori at Little Miracles, who saw us through to the end, answering all our last minute panicked questions
- for allowing us to tell our families in person, and for allowing us to maintain a bit of discretion until we could do so
- for moving our paperwork through immigration, translation, the Kazakhstan Consulate in NY, the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs at exactly the perfect timing. God's timing is always perfect.
- for several tests of our faith and willingness to simply accept your plan for our lives and this adoption process
- for providing a wonderful friend at the City of Conyers records office to clear the path for Kevin's youthful indiscretions to be finally and officially cleared.
- for FedEx, when it absolutely, positively, had to be there overnight. Our Kazakhstan visas within our passports, 2 days before we were to leave.
- for the diligent people at the Kazakhstan Consulate in NY, who recognized our dilemma, and turned our visas around in 1 day instead of the normal 5-7 business days.
- for modern communications, which allowed Angel to call Kevin from the highway in Louisville, KY to give him the news that we had gotten our referral
- for the amazing generosity of our Christian friends, who enabled us to fly to and (mostly) from Kazakhstan in the amazing comfort and luxury of international business class. Only God can provide hearts so willing to give.
- for providing exactly the funds we would need to travel and stay in Kazakhstan for 56 days
- for blessing Kevin's business, so much that he could put all of his daily work in the hands of his Christian business partners, leave for 56 days, and causing the business to grow during that time.
- for giving Dub & Lena such loving, open hearts that they can feel comfortable at home in any surrounding, even though they've never been in any other surrounding except the Umit Baby Home in Taraz, Kazakhstan.
- for providing us with a home that is well-suited to two toddlers, with a big room for them to sleep and play in, a big back porch for them to get rowdy in, a playground in the backyard, and a neighborhood now positively busting with new children!
- For Mary Alice, who turned her own life upside down to house-sit for us for 8 weeks, including walking our beloved doggie, dealing with our insatiable and insufferable cats, and taking perfect care of the place we call home to the extent that we did not have to think once about what we would do - or did do - while we were gone. You will always have a place in Fezzik's and our hearts, and in our home!
- for somehow getting us through a 46-hour marathon trip home, on standby for every flight, with limited pull-ups, no sleep, very little direction, and unlimited and totally undeserved grace.
- for giving Lena and Dub a limo ride home at the end of that surreal journey
- for all the people at the Church of the Apostles, our spiritual home, who embraced us and our journey as if it were a mission of the church itself, and whose staff leads us past the sometimes rough waters of jumping into toddler-dom with two feet just by showing us which room they belong in.
- for America, and all the military who protect her on a daily basis. Until we spend far too much time away from our home land, we tend to take it for granted. Forgive us God, and forgive us all you who serve in the military, for not appreciating everything about the greatest nation on Earth, the U.S.A.
God provided every detail and dollar down to the final day, and we rely completely on Him to provide for the growth, strength, and maturity of these incredible children, His children, for whom we are blessed to care for a season. Thank you, God! You truly are the Great Provider, Comforter, and Father to the fatherless!
Blessings,
Kevin, Angel, Dub, and Lena
Thank you...
- to all the people who commented on the blog, emailed us directly, and otherwise contacted us to encourage, support, and pray for us and our kids. You know who you are, and we would not have made it, emotionally or spiritually, without your daily outpouring of love and support. Just as you looked forward to reading our blog each day, we couldn't wait to wake up in the morning and read your humorous and heartfelt words. We will forever treasure all of those words.
- Vera and Mit, without whom we never would have made it 2 days in Taraz. We hope and pray that you are reading this blog, because you truly have a gift from God to do what you do. You are blessed, and your amazing talents were a blessing to us for our time in Taraz.
- Marina and Sam, who still have never lost an American family in Kazakhstan! We tried real hard, but somehow they kept us safe and sound.
- The Morin and Miller families, who helped us, prayed for us, talked with us about the craziness that is Kazakhstan adoption, and were just plain God-sent friends for the better part of 2 months while we were all a little out of sorts and 14,000 miles from home.
- Marlene Shea at Delta Airlines. Who knows where we'd be if it weren't for your persistence and superb service. Perhaps someday you'll get to meet the monkeys!
- To the incredible Frankfurt based flight crew on the Frankfurt-to-JFK Delta flight for making us so comfortable and overwhelming Lena and Dub with love and attention as they became American citizens.
Thank you God, Jehovah Jire, who provides all things...
- for calling us to adopt children
- for giving us a vision with these words on Fathers day 2004: "Somewhere in Kazakhstan there are kids of some age waiting for their mom and dad to come get them. We don't know who they are, how old they are, or where they are, or where they are from, but I am their Daddy and Angel is their Mommy. We must now wait for God's appointed time until we meet them, but we already love them."
- for fulfilling that vision with William Roscoe and Miriam Helena, our monkeys, Dub & Lena
- for Karla Anderson, who faithfully walked us through all the initial questions and paperwork
- for Lori at Little Miracles, who saw us through to the end, answering all our last minute panicked questions
- for allowing us to tell our families in person, and for allowing us to maintain a bit of discretion until we could do so
- for moving our paperwork through immigration, translation, the Kazakhstan Consulate in NY, the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs at exactly the perfect timing. God's timing is always perfect.
- for several tests of our faith and willingness to simply accept your plan for our lives and this adoption process
- for providing a wonderful friend at the City of Conyers records office to clear the path for Kevin's youthful indiscretions to be finally and officially cleared.
- for FedEx, when it absolutely, positively, had to be there overnight. Our Kazakhstan visas within our passports, 2 days before we were to leave.
- for the diligent people at the Kazakhstan Consulate in NY, who recognized our dilemma, and turned our visas around in 1 day instead of the normal 5-7 business days.
- for modern communications, which allowed Angel to call Kevin from the highway in Louisville, KY to give him the news that we had gotten our referral
- for the amazing generosity of our Christian friends, who enabled us to fly to and (mostly) from Kazakhstan in the amazing comfort and luxury of international business class. Only God can provide hearts so willing to give.
- for providing exactly the funds we would need to travel and stay in Kazakhstan for 56 days
- for blessing Kevin's business, so much that he could put all of his daily work in the hands of his Christian business partners, leave for 56 days, and causing the business to grow during that time.
- for giving Dub & Lena such loving, open hearts that they can feel comfortable at home in any surrounding, even though they've never been in any other surrounding except the Umit Baby Home in Taraz, Kazakhstan.
- for providing us with a home that is well-suited to two toddlers, with a big room for them to sleep and play in, a big back porch for them to get rowdy in, a playground in the backyard, and a neighborhood now positively busting with new children!
- For Mary Alice, who turned her own life upside down to house-sit for us for 8 weeks, including walking our beloved doggie, dealing with our insatiable and insufferable cats, and taking perfect care of the place we call home to the extent that we did not have to think once about what we would do - or did do - while we were gone. You will always have a place in Fezzik's and our hearts, and in our home!
- for somehow getting us through a 46-hour marathon trip home, on standby for every flight, with limited pull-ups, no sleep, very little direction, and unlimited and totally undeserved grace.
- for giving Lena and Dub a limo ride home at the end of that surreal journey
- for all the people at the Church of the Apostles, our spiritual home, who embraced us and our journey as if it were a mission of the church itself, and whose staff leads us past the sometimes rough waters of jumping into toddler-dom with two feet just by showing us which room they belong in.
- for America, and all the military who protect her on a daily basis. Until we spend far too much time away from our home land, we tend to take it for granted. Forgive us God, and forgive us all you who serve in the military, for not appreciating everything about the greatest nation on Earth, the U.S.A.
God provided every detail and dollar down to the final day, and we rely completely on Him to provide for the growth, strength, and maturity of these incredible children, His children, for whom we are blessed to care for a season. Thank you, God! You truly are the Great Provider, Comforter, and Father to the fatherless!
Blessings,
Kevin, Angel, Dub, and Lena
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Settling in, and a bunch of "firsts"
Today's Wednesday, and we'll be attempting our second visit to church, this time for our "Hour of Power", which is a praise, worship, and prayer service at Apostles, very informal. But it will still be a first for Dub & Lena. We're still a bit overwhelmed at the attention they got on Sunday!
Well, July 4th fireworks were completely rained out, but we did get in a few other "firsts". We went to our neighborhood pool, and put D&L in a real pool for the first time. They seemed to know what it was all about, or at least they are really good at faking it. There is a small (about 10' in diameter) kiddie pool at Umit, and we were told that they let the kids swim in it during the summer, but we never got to see that. Anyway, both Lena and Dub were very comfortable in the water, and both loved "READY...JUMP!" off the side into Mama or Papa's arms. Angel got them some great floaty swimsuits. Lena's works fine, but Dub's little floats get all up in his face, so we'll try something different next time.
Does this bathing suit make me look fat?
Daddy! Get a tan!
I don't think they've ever seen such a lawn, or any other wide open space!
So, as if I were herding cats, I had to go round 'em up!
Then we went to have dinner with the Lucas family in Marietta. We went to Taco Mac, where Mama and Papa chowed on some wings and Lena & Dub chowed on their first taste of good ole American Mac&Cheese! They ate it all up, and sucked down a large glass of lemonade (another first) to boot. They crashed hard in their carseats on the way home, and slept through the night.
Tuesday was the first day of "reality": Papa back to work (albeit in the basement) and Mama taking on the 2 monkeys on her first day as a full time Mommy. There were a few incidents, but everyone came out unscathed, and both Monkeys were fast asleep a little after 9pm. We're slowly going to pull that bedtime back, but since it's summer and that's what they've been used to for all their lives, we won't worry too much about that one just yet.
I mentioned earlier that Fezzik (aka, Pie Boy) has assumed the role of "MSS", or Monkeys' Secret Service. Well, he continues to refine that role. He goes where they go. He sleeps in their room, and WILL NOT leave until they are asleep. He is their body guard. He knows their value. Fezzik is one very special dog.
Below are some more pictures from the rainy July 4th weekend. For now, please pray that we will continue to be able to communicate well with L&D, and that God would enable them to grow and thrive in our new home. God is good.
Blessings,
Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bears
The Barnetts have Monkeys too!
Not sure where D&L picked up on this little thing, but they like to make this funny face like they're going to blow their top. Odd...but that's what makes them fit so well into our home.
NayNay got Dub & Lena new hats from Guatemala. Dongo, NayNay!
Sparklers are now legal in Georgia.
You'd think they'd be scared of something other than cats...like fire, maybe...not.
Mama dressed the monkeys up all red, white, and blue for Independence Day.
When all else fails, take a long drive.
Not sure how we got this shot, but Lena somehow stopped for a photo in the middle of all the action.
A whole new generation.
Lena and Dub LOVE their new toys. So does Papa, because Lena and Dub LOVE to push their little cars up the street, then down, then up, then down, then up, then down, and then it's nap time, just like that.
Well, July 4th fireworks were completely rained out, but we did get in a few other "firsts". We went to our neighborhood pool, and put D&L in a real pool for the first time. They seemed to know what it was all about, or at least they are really good at faking it. There is a small (about 10' in diameter) kiddie pool at Umit, and we were told that they let the kids swim in it during the summer, but we never got to see that. Anyway, both Lena and Dub were very comfortable in the water, and both loved "READY...JUMP!" off the side into Mama or Papa's arms. Angel got them some great floaty swimsuits. Lena's works fine, but Dub's little floats get all up in his face, so we'll try something different next time.
Does this bathing suit make me look fat?
Daddy! Get a tan!
I don't think they've ever seen such a lawn, or any other wide open space!
So, as if I were herding cats, I had to go round 'em up!
Then we went to have dinner with the Lucas family in Marietta. We went to Taco Mac, where Mama and Papa chowed on some wings and Lena & Dub chowed on their first taste of good ole American Mac&Cheese! They ate it all up, and sucked down a large glass of lemonade (another first) to boot. They crashed hard in their carseats on the way home, and slept through the night.
Tuesday was the first day of "reality": Papa back to work (albeit in the basement) and Mama taking on the 2 monkeys on her first day as a full time Mommy. There were a few incidents, but everyone came out unscathed, and both Monkeys were fast asleep a little after 9pm. We're slowly going to pull that bedtime back, but since it's summer and that's what they've been used to for all their lives, we won't worry too much about that one just yet.
I mentioned earlier that Fezzik (aka, Pie Boy) has assumed the role of "MSS", or Monkeys' Secret Service. Well, he continues to refine that role. He goes where they go. He sleeps in their room, and WILL NOT leave until they are asleep. He is their body guard. He knows their value. Fezzik is one very special dog.
Below are some more pictures from the rainy July 4th weekend. For now, please pray that we will continue to be able to communicate well with L&D, and that God would enable them to grow and thrive in our new home. God is good.
Blessings,
Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bears
The Barnetts have Monkeys too!
Not sure where D&L picked up on this little thing, but they like to make this funny face like they're going to blow their top. Odd...but that's what makes them fit so well into our home.
NayNay got Dub & Lena new hats from Guatemala. Dongo, NayNay!
Sparklers are now legal in Georgia.
You'd think they'd be scared of something other than cats...like fire, maybe...not.
Mama dressed the monkeys up all red, white, and blue for Independence Day.
When all else fails, take a long drive.
Not sure how we got this shot, but Lena somehow stopped for a photo in the middle of all the action.
A whole new generation.
Lena and Dub LOVE their new toys. So does Papa, because Lena and Dub LOVE to push their little cars up the street, then down, then up, then down, then up, then down, and then it's nap time, just like that.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
First time in church
Whew, what a day! Up at the (now) normal time of 0630, morning walk through the neighborhood, eat breakfast, and get ready for church. This was a model morning for what is sure to be a struggle often enough. We arrived at church 45 minutes early! The kids were very, very good in church, and we had decided beforehand not to press our luck, but rather to leave just as the sermon was starting and listen to it from outside the sanctuary. Good decision. The July 4th celebration at Church of the Apostles was spectacular, as usual. However, today was extra special for the Sandlins. First, we had two brand new American citizens with us (that'd be Lena & Dub, in case you are still on your first cup of coffee). Second, Stan Carder was doing the morning announcements and welcome message, and he offered a very special welcome to Dub & Lena, not a small task in such a large church. We were moved to tears as he asked us to stand up and be recognized for adopting these two wonderful kids from Kazakhstan.
Lunch, and then headed east, first to Conyers, where we met up with "Nana" and Jim Hartley at the GA Int'l Horse Park, where Nana (that's Cator) is at a horse show all week. The kiddos loved Nana from the start, and had a blast petting horses and just playing in the barn while the rain poured down for over an hour.
Then we hopped back in the car and headed further east out to Lake Oconee to meet NayNay and Gee (DNell and Jimmy Borland) to eat, ride in Gee's boat, and see the July 4th fireworks from Reynolds Plantation. While we had fun with sparklers and kids running all over in the pouring rain, that rain was really strong and prevented us from seeing any fireworks. We're pretty sure Reynolds cancelled them, but we didn't (couldn't) get in the boat to go see.
Lena & Dub love NayNay and Gee, and we had a great time. Kiddos slept for 90 minutes in the car on the way back, and went straight to sleep when we got home.
Ahh, great weekend. Monday should be a fine day of rest for all, then we start "life" as we'll now know it with kids, meaning a normal daily schedule and some solid routines that the kids can get used to.
Blessings!
K,A,D,L
Lunch, and then headed east, first to Conyers, where we met up with "Nana" and Jim Hartley at the GA Int'l Horse Park, where Nana (that's Cator) is at a horse show all week. The kiddos loved Nana from the start, and had a blast petting horses and just playing in the barn while the rain poured down for over an hour.
Then we hopped back in the car and headed further east out to Lake Oconee to meet NayNay and Gee (DNell and Jimmy Borland) to eat, ride in Gee's boat, and see the July 4th fireworks from Reynolds Plantation. While we had fun with sparklers and kids running all over in the pouring rain, that rain was really strong and prevented us from seeing any fireworks. We're pretty sure Reynolds cancelled them, but we didn't (couldn't) get in the boat to go see.
Lena & Dub love NayNay and Gee, and we had a great time. Kiddos slept for 90 minutes in the car on the way back, and went straight to sleep when we got home.
Ahh, great weekend. Monday should be a fine day of rest for all, then we start "life" as we'll now know it with kids, meaning a normal daily schedule and some solid routines that the kids can get used to.
Blessings!
K,A,D,L
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Ahhh, the weekend
We made it through 2 full days of being home. Seems like MONTHS that we've been here. Today, we're reconquering our home after the onslaught of arriving with 2 new toddlers and a keen sense of total confusion and unfamiliarity after being away for so long.
Yesterday, Friday, we went to Chick-Fil-A, again, mainly because Angel and I were craving a fine chicken sandwich, but also to give the kiddos their first taste of a fine southern tradition. However, they just don't like chicken. No idea why. Dub tricked us by making all his chicken disappear, so we gave him his reward for making all gone, a bite of a brownie. A few minutes later, we found half of his chicken on the floor. Oh well. Lena ate half of hers. The both LOVE fries, and, of course, brownies. After lunch, we let the gals from Paper Affair (Angel's former employer) gush all over them. Lots of fun.
Naptime, normally 12-3, turned into 3-430, and we woke them up to see Aunt Liney (Caroline) and her husband Ronnie and daughter, "Princess I", Jessica. Su Jackson, a dear friend from Church, also visited with her children. Dub & Lena were fairly gracious, but very shy with their new friends. One thing's for sure: they take a while to get comfortable, and then they let loose. We're not sure what that "while" is yet, and maybe it's different for each environment.
We did finally see them act themselves in public, as we went out for pizza with Diana and Mark Harris and their newborn, Houston Harris. We went to NY Pizza in Vinings, which is right next to a train track. When this BIG machina went by, Dub and Lena were in awe. There was also some LIVE entertainment, to which Dub sang along gleefully. But, for the most part, they were pretty quiet...until we got them in the car on the way home, then they wouldn't shut up! Obviously, they are very comfortable with us, and rightfully so, but we do hope that someone else will get to see this very funny side of the monkeys.
So, you're caught up to today. Tomorrow, Sunday, is a big day. Church at 1030 - July 4th is something else at Church of The Apostles (www.apostles.org) - and then lake and fireworks on Oconee in the afternoon. I'm sure we'll be exhausted after that. Good thing Monday is actually a holiday.
One story to relate, from last night. Dub got up all by himself to garshok in the middle of the night (4am). He climbed up on the stool, just as Papa arrived to make sure he didn't fall over or whatever. I got him turned around (he faces forward now with the new training seat, and does just fine), and then he leaned forward as he always does to make sure, uh, things point in the right direction (down rather than up). At that point, I don't know what happened. Somehow, he missed the seat when his hands when to prop him up, and he tumbled head first and arms behind him onto the tile floor. His head softened the fall, if you can imagine that. I picked him up to comfort him, then realized that he might be so hurt or upset that he'd garshok all over me! He didn't, and he has a remarkably hard head. After a couple minutes of comforting, he did his thing, and toddled off to bed as if nothing ever happened. then of course he proceeded to keep mama up for the next 2 hours babbling and refusing to go back to sleep. She finally got him to sleep at 6...then Lena squawked "gaahhshuuuaak". That's 'garshok' with a distinctly southern drawl.
Oy. Now for the pictures. We had to FIND the camera and the flashcard reader first!
Nothin' like flying first class!
Lena is noticeable weary, and this is the FIRST of three plane rides in 36 hours.
Papa, whassat? Whassat? Whassat?
Dub made a new friend in cousin Jessica, aka, Princess I.
He even dresses like Papa!
We got a good long time playing on a playground WITHOUT any rude tweenagers!
Remember YOUR first time on an airplane? They were a little scared, but more curious.
We saw on Thursday just how small Dub and Lena are for their age. William and Madaline are 9 months older, and 2x as big.
The new Sandlin dinner table. Notice the dog underneath. He serves several functions in their new lives. First, he licks up everything they drop. Second, Fezzik has taken on the now official role of personal body guards to the monkeys. I'm reading "Executive Orders" (Tom Clancy) in which Jack Ryan is suddenly made President. He hates having the SS always around him, but they have a job to do. Fezzik is the MSS - Monkeys' Secret Service.
Thank you to the Hales for a lovely - and edible - homecoming treat!
First trip to Chick-Fil-A
EVERYTHING with wheels is a machina, including their new wheelbarrow.
EEEEEEK!!! Newman's gonna eat us! PAAAAAAAAAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Really?!? We get to play here all day? With nobody to knock us down? WOW!
Perfect size for little Kazakh monkeys.
Be it ever so humble...This is a fresh photo from our morning walk, sure to be a new daily event. At just before 7, we met up with 2 other couples out walking their new additions, and lamented the fact that it's not gonna be "cocktails in the cul-de-sac" but rather "sippy-cups at the sandbox" for most people on our street. Four new babies arrived while we were in Kazakhstan.
Still reeling a little, and everyone is still nursing colds. We'll get there. One thing that helps is that it only takes a few seconds to upload all the pictures. Back to the re-conquest of the house!
Blessings,
Kevin, Angel, Lena and Dub
Yesterday, Friday, we went to Chick-Fil-A, again, mainly because Angel and I were craving a fine chicken sandwich, but also to give the kiddos their first taste of a fine southern tradition. However, they just don't like chicken. No idea why. Dub tricked us by making all his chicken disappear, so we gave him his reward for making all gone, a bite of a brownie. A few minutes later, we found half of his chicken on the floor. Oh well. Lena ate half of hers. The both LOVE fries, and, of course, brownies. After lunch, we let the gals from Paper Affair (Angel's former employer) gush all over them. Lots of fun.
Naptime, normally 12-3, turned into 3-430, and we woke them up to see Aunt Liney (Caroline) and her husband Ronnie and daughter, "Princess I", Jessica. Su Jackson, a dear friend from Church, also visited with her children. Dub & Lena were fairly gracious, but very shy with their new friends. One thing's for sure: they take a while to get comfortable, and then they let loose. We're not sure what that "while" is yet, and maybe it's different for each environment.
We did finally see them act themselves in public, as we went out for pizza with Diana and Mark Harris and their newborn, Houston Harris. We went to NY Pizza in Vinings, which is right next to a train track. When this BIG machina went by, Dub and Lena were in awe. There was also some LIVE entertainment, to which Dub sang along gleefully. But, for the most part, they were pretty quiet...until we got them in the car on the way home, then they wouldn't shut up! Obviously, they are very comfortable with us, and rightfully so, but we do hope that someone else will get to see this very funny side of the monkeys.
So, you're caught up to today. Tomorrow, Sunday, is a big day. Church at 1030 - July 4th is something else at Church of The Apostles (www.apostles.org) - and then lake and fireworks on Oconee in the afternoon. I'm sure we'll be exhausted after that. Good thing Monday is actually a holiday.
One story to relate, from last night. Dub got up all by himself to garshok in the middle of the night (4am). He climbed up on the stool, just as Papa arrived to make sure he didn't fall over or whatever. I got him turned around (he faces forward now with the new training seat, and does just fine), and then he leaned forward as he always does to make sure, uh, things point in the right direction (down rather than up). At that point, I don't know what happened. Somehow, he missed the seat when his hands when to prop him up, and he tumbled head first and arms behind him onto the tile floor. His head softened the fall, if you can imagine that. I picked him up to comfort him, then realized that he might be so hurt or upset that he'd garshok all over me! He didn't, and he has a remarkably hard head. After a couple minutes of comforting, he did his thing, and toddled off to bed as if nothing ever happened. then of course he proceeded to keep mama up for the next 2 hours babbling and refusing to go back to sleep. She finally got him to sleep at 6...then Lena squawked "gaahhshuuuaak". That's 'garshok' with a distinctly southern drawl.
Oy. Now for the pictures. We had to FIND the camera and the flashcard reader first!
Nothin' like flying first class!
Lena is noticeable weary, and this is the FIRST of three plane rides in 36 hours.
Papa, whassat? Whassat? Whassat?
Dub made a new friend in cousin Jessica, aka, Princess I.
He even dresses like Papa!
We got a good long time playing on a playground WITHOUT any rude tweenagers!
Remember YOUR first time on an airplane? They were a little scared, but more curious.
We saw on Thursday just how small Dub and Lena are for their age. William and Madaline are 9 months older, and 2x as big.
The new Sandlin dinner table. Notice the dog underneath. He serves several functions in their new lives. First, he licks up everything they drop. Second, Fezzik has taken on the now official role of personal body guards to the monkeys. I'm reading "Executive Orders" (Tom Clancy) in which Jack Ryan is suddenly made President. He hates having the SS always around him, but they have a job to do. Fezzik is the MSS - Monkeys' Secret Service.
Thank you to the Hales for a lovely - and edible - homecoming treat!
First trip to Chick-Fil-A
EVERYTHING with wheels is a machina, including their new wheelbarrow.
EEEEEEK!!! Newman's gonna eat us! PAAAAAAAAAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Really?!? We get to play here all day? With nobody to knock us down? WOW!
Perfect size for little Kazakh monkeys.
Be it ever so humble...This is a fresh photo from our morning walk, sure to be a new daily event. At just before 7, we met up with 2 other couples out walking their new additions, and lamented the fact that it's not gonna be "cocktails in the cul-de-sac" but rather "sippy-cups at the sandbox" for most people on our street. Four new babies arrived while we were in Kazakhstan.
Still reeling a little, and everyone is still nursing colds. We'll get there. One thing that helps is that it only takes a few seconds to upload all the pictures. Back to the re-conquest of the house!
Blessings,
Kevin, Angel, Lena and Dub
Friday, July 01, 2005
Happy July 1!
Starting to feel somewhat human again, but not totally. We took the monkeys out to see their near-the-same-age cousins, William, Madaline, and Sam. William and Madaline are 3-4 months older than Dub & Lena, and Sam is 9 months younger. William, Madaline, and Sam are all WAAAAY bigger than little Lena and Dub. Yes, Dnell, it's true: William is almost twice Dub's size. Of course, it really seemed to us that William and Madaline had grown a foot or two since we left, then we realized that while they probably have grown, we have seen nothing but little orphanage kids for 2 months, so our vision is skewed. Dub & Lena will catch up soon, as they eat their fill of food and get lots of lovin from Mama and Papa!
This trip to Aunt Leah's was their first time in car seats. They didn't mind at first, because they both fell instantly asleep. They skipped their nap yesterday afternoon - you try sleeping in a brand new room full of way cool toys that you've never touched before! When they were sleeping in the car, they tried to get a little more comfy and the car seats wouldn't let them. Not good for them, but they'll get used to it. The love riding in Mama's machina!
They slept all night last night, and we got to sleep in this morning till 0630! They woke up happy, and went straight back to their toys.
Papa's still sick, Mama's gettin better, and the kids still have this deep, rattling cough, but seem no worse for the wear, and already adjusting very well. They were very shy with William, Madaline, and Sam, and William kept asking, "Why don't they say anything?" This morning at the breakfast table, we couldn't shut them up, so it's just a matter of comfort with their environment. A few more trips to Aunt Leah's house in Covington will take care of that.
Today, Dub & Lena will get out of the house a little more in Mama's machina as we try out Chick-Fil-A, more for Mama and Papa's cravings than theirs, but still to see if they are real southerners. They don't like grits, or at least didn't this morning, so the jury is still out on that one.
House is a mess, and we don't know where our clothes are or which light switches go to which lights anymore...where are we again? What day is it? Who are these little people and where did they come from? Oy...guess it'll be a few more days.
Blessings,
Sneezy, Doc, Happy, and Jumpy
This trip to Aunt Leah's was their first time in car seats. They didn't mind at first, because they both fell instantly asleep. They skipped their nap yesterday afternoon - you try sleeping in a brand new room full of way cool toys that you've never touched before! When they were sleeping in the car, they tried to get a little more comfy and the car seats wouldn't let them. Not good for them, but they'll get used to it. The love riding in Mama's machina!
They slept all night last night, and we got to sleep in this morning till 0630! They woke up happy, and went straight back to their toys.
Papa's still sick, Mama's gettin better, and the kids still have this deep, rattling cough, but seem no worse for the wear, and already adjusting very well. They were very shy with William, Madaline, and Sam, and William kept asking, "Why don't they say anything?" This morning at the breakfast table, we couldn't shut them up, so it's just a matter of comfort with their environment. A few more trips to Aunt Leah's house in Covington will take care of that.
Today, Dub & Lena will get out of the house a little more in Mama's machina as we try out Chick-Fil-A, more for Mama and Papa's cravings than theirs, but still to see if they are real southerners. They don't like grits, or at least didn't this morning, so the jury is still out on that one.
House is a mess, and we don't know where our clothes are or which light switches go to which lights anymore...where are we again? What day is it? Who are these little people and where did they come from? Oy...guess it'll be a few more days.
Blessings,
Sneezy, Doc, Happy, and Jumpy
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Good morning
Everyone slept till 10am this morning, thank you GOD! Kids weren't used to the house and the garshok location, so woke up at 3am standing at their bedroom door wispering "garshok" in their innocent little voices. Took care of that. Then they slept till 10. Lena woke up and came to bed with us at some point this morning, but she went fast to sleep between us. Dub woke up at 10 screaming because somehow their bedroom door got closed all the way. I found him crying pulling on the closet doors trying to get out.
Dozens of emails have come to us praising the God of the Universe for our safe return. We are overwhelmed by His grace. He brought us home. We're home. Home to...
Our beloved doggie
air conditioning
our bed - did we mention the beds in Almaty were a box spring with a 1" futon on top?
coffee on demand - in Kazakhstan, you get one teeeny weeenie little cup, period.
Diet coke on ice
broadband internet access
normal toilets
washer & dryer
dishwasher
Mary Alice's apple cake
New toys (galore!) for the kids - they LOVE them!!
my wireless network
people speaking English
Our neighbors - and at least 4 new babies since we've been gone!
Home. Folks, never take it for granted. Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. When we were frantically trying to get Lufthansa tickets, the agent asked "Don't you like Kazakhstan?" I guess I looked at her like she had a zebra for a nose, and said "No, Kazakhstan is fine, but it is not my home." She understood.
God is so good. We are home. We have 2 new kids, who are just as happy as they can be. Thank you God for bringing us home with these 2 little gems.
Later tonite, when I can think better, I'll go through and fill in some of the harrowing details of our trip home. The blog from last night really is just the generalities. OY!
Blessings beyond all comprehension,
Sneezy, Sleepy, Grumpy, and Happy
Dozens of emails have come to us praising the God of the Universe for our safe return. We are overwhelmed by His grace. He brought us home. We're home. Home to...
Our beloved doggie
air conditioning
our bed - did we mention the beds in Almaty were a box spring with a 1" futon on top?
coffee on demand - in Kazakhstan, you get one teeeny weeenie little cup, period.
Diet coke on ice
broadband internet access
normal toilets
washer & dryer
dishwasher
Mary Alice's apple cake
New toys (galore!) for the kids - they LOVE them!!
my wireless network
people speaking English
Our neighbors - and at least 4 new babies since we've been gone!
Home. Folks, never take it for granted. Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. When we were frantically trying to get Lufthansa tickets, the agent asked "Don't you like Kazakhstan?" I guess I looked at her like she had a zebra for a nose, and said "No, Kazakhstan is fine, but it is not my home." She understood.
God is so good. We are home. We have 2 new kids, who are just as happy as they can be. Thank you God for bringing us home with these 2 little gems.
Later tonite, when I can think better, I'll go through and fill in some of the harrowing details of our trip home. The blog from last night really is just the generalities. OY!
Blessings beyond all comprehension,
Sneezy, Sleepy, Grumpy, and Happy
"24" - Sandlin Style
My name is Kevin Sandlin, and I am a new parent of two Kazakh children. I have spent 56 days away from my home. My children have been ripped from the only surroundings they've known for 3 1/2 years. We're now free to come home. This is the longest day of my life.
The following events happen between 5AM Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, June 28, 2005, and Midnight EDT on Wednesday, June 29, 2005. Events occur in real time.
5AM EDT (3PM Kazakh Time): We left the apartment, with all our bags packed, to go to our American Embassy interview and then head straight for the airport to leave for Moscow at 7pm. We had to be there 2 hours early to get through customs, passport control, etc. The embassy interview was simple, painless, and quick, and we were out of there by 430. On to the airport.
7AM EDT (5PM Kazakh time): We arrived at Almaty Int'l Airport in 2 cars, because Sam's car was not big enough to carry all our luggage and the 2 kids. We went though the security scan, showed em our passports, and tickets, and headed to check-in. Marina is still waiting, watching to make sure all was well through check-in. And that was a good thing, because all was not well. We learned very quickly and clearly that we needed a visa just to arrive at the Moscow Airport (Sheremetyevo). Unfortunately, nobody had told us that before. Not the hotel with whom we had a reservation. Not the travel agency who sold us the tickets. Nobody. And, it takes 2 days - at least - to obtain a proper transit visa for Russia. Our flight left at 7pm, and we were without options. While Kevin discussed the matter with Marina, AirAstana, and Airport security, Lena and Dub had repetitive meltdowns in the middle of the airport while Angel struggled to keep her sanity for a few more hours.
8AM EDT (6PM Kazakh time): We arrived at the travel agency to (a) get our money back for the tickets, and (b) ask them why they would sell us such tickets without even the slightest mention of a visa. We had to leave a credit card with Marina, so she could go back the next day during normal business hours and get our card credited. They never did give an answer on the visa thing. I decided that they owed us at the very least the use of their phone to call Delta long distance. They obliged. I spent 75 minutes on the phone with Delta (long distance, agency's dime) trying to find seats on a flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta, then Frankfurt to anywhere in the U.S. Meanwhile, Lena and Dub had a cracker for dinner, wet their pants several times, and got filthy playing all over the sidewalk in front of the travel agency.
10AM EDT (8PM Kazakh time): We left this travel agency with 2 kids with dirty pull-ups, no explanation of the visa thing, but confirmation that we were on a Delta flight from Frankfurt to JFK in NY. We also learned that we needed to get Lufthansa tickets to Frankfurt after 10pm when the Lufthansa ticket office opened at the airport. No, don't ask why their business hours begin at 10pm. The travel agent assured us that there were "plenty of seats" on this Lufthansa flight.
1030AM EDT (830PM Kazakh time): We arrived back at our apartment (we'd paid through Wednesday) to get the kids something to eat, let them garshok, and gather our thoughts and options now that we were not going to Russia. I took a long hot shower and changed clothes (looking back, it's a real good thing I did that, since I had not bathed that day, and was pretty rank from all the previously mentioned activity).
1230PM EDT (1030PM Kazakh time): We are sitting in the office of the Lufthansa ticketing agent, who tells us with a blank stare that this flight from Almaty to Frankfurt is totally full, and there are 4 people on standby. That said, she recommends we get on the standby list and wait it out. The flight is scheduled to leave Almaty at 320AM local time, 5 hours from now. I remark to Marina that she should never do business with this travel agency again, since they have as of this point totally hosed this customer.
1PM EDT (11PM Kazakh time): We arrive at the Almaty airport, against the pleas of Marina who offered to drive us back into town and take us out to eat, and set up camp for the next 4 hours in the general waiting area of the airport, which is noisy, crowded, cold, and filthy. We told Marina that we were very tired of driving, and wanted to be stationary and prep and plan for the next 72 hours. During these hours before the flight that we might be on, we fed the kids some more, and them let them lie down and sleep on their blankeys on the floor. No fewer than 8 people walked right up to us and demanded that we move the kids to the benches (typical airport bench fare, e.g., not real comfortable to lie down on) because they'd get sick for lying down on a cold surface or would wake up with a back ache. The kids slept hard for 2-3 hours while we waited on pins and needles to find out if we were going to get on this flight. Moscow was out...NYET! We tried to get a meal, but the nearby airport cafe was out of most things, including bottled water. As I reviewed the menu, the waitress hovered over me as if I were a restaurant critic.
5PM EDT (3AM Kazakh time): I'm in the men's room helping Dub garshok - we're almost exclusively on the big potty now, just in case you were curious - and Marina sticks her head in the door, and yells, "Kevin! You must hurry! You have to check in!" So we got on the flight! Poor Dub, to be on the other end of that speed-garshok!
11PM EDT (6AM German time, the following day): We arrive at Frankfurt airport after one of the most miserable, hot, crowded airplane rides ever. Just to mention that it was Lena & Dub's very first airplane ride is the only thing that was good about the flight. That, and the fact that it got us halfway home. Lena and Dub both cried mercilessly at every drop of the hat, such as when we put their seatbelts on, when we told them, "no, you cannot go wander around - in the middle of the night - and bother people", and especially when we said no to their 17th request to garshok within a timeframe of about 30 minutes. When we got off the plane, it was cold and rainy in Germany - we had to get out on the tarmac and run to a bus - and it felt SOOOOO good! We met a bunch of college students who were returning from Kazakhstan after visiting for Campus Crusade for Christ. They were extremely nice, and they all regretted not approaching us earlier in the flight so they could babysit while we slept!
1130PM EDT (630AM German time): At the Delta counter, Angel learns two things. First, we are NOT confirmed from Frankfurt to NY because our tickets from Moscow to Atlanta never got cancelled, and she left her contact lens case and glasses case on the plane from Almaty to Frankfurt. While Angel babysat 2 very upset, tired, irritable kids, Kevin trapsed all over Frankfurt airport trying to (a) find the Delta desk to make an actual confirmed arrangement, and (b) trying to locate a lost & found function to get Angel's contacts back. Well, 1 outta 2 ain't bad, is it? We were confirmed on the 11:55AM flight from Frankfurt to JFK. We confirmed that Angel's contacts might come to us in the mail, but we're not counting on it. The Frankfurt airport is absolutely HUGE, and, perhaps it was the time of day (0630), empty. At times I was wandering down huge halls completely alone, not another soul in sight!
430AM EDT (1130AM German time): Dub and Lena get their first taste of what it's like to fly first class. Ohhhhhh...swweeeettttttt! Looking forward to an 8-hour flight, we provided the kiddos a dose of children's tylenol night time. "May cause drowsiness". Yes, please. They both literally conked out at exactly the same time, as we waited on the tarmac to take off. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed an hour, significantly eating into the actual medication time. Dub slept hard for 90 minutes, and was then wide awake. Lena slept for all but about 2 hours of the flight. All of the flight attendants and many passengers gushed and ooohed and aaahhed over the kids, and all were blown away that this was their maiden voyage home from Kazakhstan to live with us. We need to remember the very special cabin steward, a very nice German man, who adopted us for this flight, babied the kids with everything we could ask for, and generally made us feel right at home. Thank you God for providing such angels in our path.
315PM EDT: William Roscoe Sandlin and Miriam Helena Sandlin touch down on American soil, thus becoming American citizens! Now for the paperwork part. Customs took a total of about 25 minutes, including standing in a short line at JFK. We now have all we need to make Dub & Lena active citizens of their new country, like a Social Security Card, an American Passport, etc. They each actually maintain dual citizenship until they are 18 years of age, much like their father, who held dual citizenship in Zaire.
415PM EDT: We find and go into the Delta Business Elite Lounge at JFK. Ultra sweet. Everything you could want to make a brief stay thoroughly enjoyable. Kevin walks over to gate 12 to find out that our planned flight to Atlanta is not only overbooked, but they hvae 44 people on standby. When Kevin was gone so long, Angel figured we weren't getting on the flight, and we'd have to stay in NY (yeah, like she would argue with that!) or find another flight. But Kevin's patience and God's totally undeserved grace provided. At 645PM - the plane was due to take off at 520PM - Kevin came running into the lounge yelling "let's go! let's go!" We grabbed everything - except Kevin's cell phone, which was charging in the lounge - and ran down the jetway and got on the plane. Angel realized the missing cell phone when she got to her seat (we weren't sitting together; girls in business, boys in steerage), and the gate agent called the lounge. A representative from the lounge came sprinting down the jetway with the phone. Unfortunately, it wasn't our cell phone, but someone else's! The nearest flight attendant managed to get the airplane door open again and tossed the phone out so that whoever just lost their cell phone wouldn't have such a hard time getting it back. Ces't la vie! This flight was also delayed due to harsh weather in NY. As we waited on the tarmac, I decided to pre-empt Dub's garshokiness. He had already made a mess, and these were our final pair of pullups. I got him all cleaned up, and, since he had JUST gone, I figured I was safe. My instincts are not good. We had been back at our seats maybe 5 minutes when Dub totally soaked his pants. I guess I reacted with some degree of disappointment, and that brought Dub to heartbreaking tears. He cried himself to sleep, and slept until just before landing, when we managed to find a change of clothes and a new set of pullups (I think we took Lena's off her and put them on Dub).
10PM EDT: We're in Atlanta! Woo hoo!! We decided, as we did with flying Business Class wherever and whenever we could, that Dub and Lena only get to "come home" once, so we called Carey Limousine and got a fancy shmancy car to bring us home. Mary Alice was waiting with open arms, and as of 215AM, they are still in awe at the pets, THEIR toys, their beds, their room, their bathtub, their new clothes...their new home.
10AMEDT: Everybody slept in this morning, Thursday, June 30. We're home.
God is an awesome God. We will get some much needed rest, and then post some follow up messages to this amazing chapter in our lives, as it draws to a close, and prepares the way for an exciting new chapter!
Thank you for your prayers. They worked. We're home with 2 beautiful children. I am stunned silly, and can hardly believe we're actually home.
Blessings,
Kevin, Angel, William, and Miriam
PS - if it sounds a little like I'm blathering, that's possible. Please have a little grace. We got home 3 hours ago, and I have actually fallen asleep 3 times on my keyboard, but I wanted to make sure everyone was up to date.
The following events happen between 5AM Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, June 28, 2005, and Midnight EDT on Wednesday, June 29, 2005. Events occur in real time.
5AM EDT (3PM Kazakh Time): We left the apartment, with all our bags packed, to go to our American Embassy interview and then head straight for the airport to leave for Moscow at 7pm. We had to be there 2 hours early to get through customs, passport control, etc. The embassy interview was simple, painless, and quick, and we were out of there by 430. On to the airport.
7AM EDT (5PM Kazakh time): We arrived at Almaty Int'l Airport in 2 cars, because Sam's car was not big enough to carry all our luggage and the 2 kids. We went though the security scan, showed em our passports, and tickets, and headed to check-in. Marina is still waiting, watching to make sure all was well through check-in. And that was a good thing, because all was not well. We learned very quickly and clearly that we needed a visa just to arrive at the Moscow Airport (Sheremetyevo). Unfortunately, nobody had told us that before. Not the hotel with whom we had a reservation. Not the travel agency who sold us the tickets. Nobody. And, it takes 2 days - at least - to obtain a proper transit visa for Russia. Our flight left at 7pm, and we were without options. While Kevin discussed the matter with Marina, AirAstana, and Airport security, Lena and Dub had repetitive meltdowns in the middle of the airport while Angel struggled to keep her sanity for a few more hours.
8AM EDT (6PM Kazakh time): We arrived at the travel agency to (a) get our money back for the tickets, and (b) ask them why they would sell us such tickets without even the slightest mention of a visa. We had to leave a credit card with Marina, so she could go back the next day during normal business hours and get our card credited. They never did give an answer on the visa thing. I decided that they owed us at the very least the use of their phone to call Delta long distance. They obliged. I spent 75 minutes on the phone with Delta (long distance, agency's dime) trying to find seats on a flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta, then Frankfurt to anywhere in the U.S. Meanwhile, Lena and Dub had a cracker for dinner, wet their pants several times, and got filthy playing all over the sidewalk in front of the travel agency.
10AM EDT (8PM Kazakh time): We left this travel agency with 2 kids with dirty pull-ups, no explanation of the visa thing, but confirmation that we were on a Delta flight from Frankfurt to JFK in NY. We also learned that we needed to get Lufthansa tickets to Frankfurt after 10pm when the Lufthansa ticket office opened at the airport. No, don't ask why their business hours begin at 10pm. The travel agent assured us that there were "plenty of seats" on this Lufthansa flight.
1030AM EDT (830PM Kazakh time): We arrived back at our apartment (we'd paid through Wednesday) to get the kids something to eat, let them garshok, and gather our thoughts and options now that we were not going to Russia. I took a long hot shower and changed clothes (looking back, it's a real good thing I did that, since I had not bathed that day, and was pretty rank from all the previously mentioned activity).
1230PM EDT (1030PM Kazakh time): We are sitting in the office of the Lufthansa ticketing agent, who tells us with a blank stare that this flight from Almaty to Frankfurt is totally full, and there are 4 people on standby. That said, she recommends we get on the standby list and wait it out. The flight is scheduled to leave Almaty at 320AM local time, 5 hours from now. I remark to Marina that she should never do business with this travel agency again, since they have as of this point totally hosed this customer.
1PM EDT (11PM Kazakh time): We arrive at the Almaty airport, against the pleas of Marina who offered to drive us back into town and take us out to eat, and set up camp for the next 4 hours in the general waiting area of the airport, which is noisy, crowded, cold, and filthy. We told Marina that we were very tired of driving, and wanted to be stationary and prep and plan for the next 72 hours. During these hours before the flight that we might be on, we fed the kids some more, and them let them lie down and sleep on their blankeys on the floor. No fewer than 8 people walked right up to us and demanded that we move the kids to the benches (typical airport bench fare, e.g., not real comfortable to lie down on) because they'd get sick for lying down on a cold surface or would wake up with a back ache. The kids slept hard for 2-3 hours while we waited on pins and needles to find out if we were going to get on this flight. Moscow was out...NYET! We tried to get a meal, but the nearby airport cafe was out of most things, including bottled water. As I reviewed the menu, the waitress hovered over me as if I were a restaurant critic.
5PM EDT (3AM Kazakh time): I'm in the men's room helping Dub garshok - we're almost exclusively on the big potty now, just in case you were curious - and Marina sticks her head in the door, and yells, "Kevin! You must hurry! You have to check in!" So we got on the flight! Poor Dub, to be on the other end of that speed-garshok!
11PM EDT (6AM German time, the following day): We arrive at Frankfurt airport after one of the most miserable, hot, crowded airplane rides ever. Just to mention that it was Lena & Dub's very first airplane ride is the only thing that was good about the flight. That, and the fact that it got us halfway home. Lena and Dub both cried mercilessly at every drop of the hat, such as when we put their seatbelts on, when we told them, "no, you cannot go wander around - in the middle of the night - and bother people", and especially when we said no to their 17th request to garshok within a timeframe of about 30 minutes. When we got off the plane, it was cold and rainy in Germany - we had to get out on the tarmac and run to a bus - and it felt SOOOOO good! We met a bunch of college students who were returning from Kazakhstan after visiting for Campus Crusade for Christ. They were extremely nice, and they all regretted not approaching us earlier in the flight so they could babysit while we slept!
1130PM EDT (630AM German time): At the Delta counter, Angel learns two things. First, we are NOT confirmed from Frankfurt to NY because our tickets from Moscow to Atlanta never got cancelled, and she left her contact lens case and glasses case on the plane from Almaty to Frankfurt. While Angel babysat 2 very upset, tired, irritable kids, Kevin trapsed all over Frankfurt airport trying to (a) find the Delta desk to make an actual confirmed arrangement, and (b) trying to locate a lost & found function to get Angel's contacts back. Well, 1 outta 2 ain't bad, is it? We were confirmed on the 11:55AM flight from Frankfurt to JFK. We confirmed that Angel's contacts might come to us in the mail, but we're not counting on it. The Frankfurt airport is absolutely HUGE, and, perhaps it was the time of day (0630), empty. At times I was wandering down huge halls completely alone, not another soul in sight!
430AM EDT (1130AM German time): Dub and Lena get their first taste of what it's like to fly first class. Ohhhhhh...swweeeettttttt! Looking forward to an 8-hour flight, we provided the kiddos a dose of children's tylenol night time. "May cause drowsiness". Yes, please. They both literally conked out at exactly the same time, as we waited on the tarmac to take off. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed an hour, significantly eating into the actual medication time. Dub slept hard for 90 minutes, and was then wide awake. Lena slept for all but about 2 hours of the flight. All of the flight attendants and many passengers gushed and ooohed and aaahhed over the kids, and all were blown away that this was their maiden voyage home from Kazakhstan to live with us. We need to remember the very special cabin steward, a very nice German man, who adopted us for this flight, babied the kids with everything we could ask for, and generally made us feel right at home. Thank you God for providing such angels in our path.
315PM EDT: William Roscoe Sandlin and Miriam Helena Sandlin touch down on American soil, thus becoming American citizens! Now for the paperwork part. Customs took a total of about 25 minutes, including standing in a short line at JFK. We now have all we need to make Dub & Lena active citizens of their new country, like a Social Security Card, an American Passport, etc. They each actually maintain dual citizenship until they are 18 years of age, much like their father, who held dual citizenship in Zaire.
415PM EDT: We find and go into the Delta Business Elite Lounge at JFK. Ultra sweet. Everything you could want to make a brief stay thoroughly enjoyable. Kevin walks over to gate 12 to find out that our planned flight to Atlanta is not only overbooked, but they hvae 44 people on standby. When Kevin was gone so long, Angel figured we weren't getting on the flight, and we'd have to stay in NY (yeah, like she would argue with that!) or find another flight. But Kevin's patience and God's totally undeserved grace provided. At 645PM - the plane was due to take off at 520PM - Kevin came running into the lounge yelling "let's go! let's go!" We grabbed everything - except Kevin's cell phone, which was charging in the lounge - and ran down the jetway and got on the plane. Angel realized the missing cell phone when she got to her seat (we weren't sitting together; girls in business, boys in steerage), and the gate agent called the lounge. A representative from the lounge came sprinting down the jetway with the phone. Unfortunately, it wasn't our cell phone, but someone else's! The nearest flight attendant managed to get the airplane door open again and tossed the phone out so that whoever just lost their cell phone wouldn't have such a hard time getting it back. Ces't la vie! This flight was also delayed due to harsh weather in NY. As we waited on the tarmac, I decided to pre-empt Dub's garshokiness. He had already made a mess, and these were our final pair of pullups. I got him all cleaned up, and, since he had JUST gone, I figured I was safe. My instincts are not good. We had been back at our seats maybe 5 minutes when Dub totally soaked his pants. I guess I reacted with some degree of disappointment, and that brought Dub to heartbreaking tears. He cried himself to sleep, and slept until just before landing, when we managed to find a change of clothes and a new set of pullups (I think we took Lena's off her and put them on Dub).
10PM EDT: We're in Atlanta! Woo hoo!! We decided, as we did with flying Business Class wherever and whenever we could, that Dub and Lena only get to "come home" once, so we called Carey Limousine and got a fancy shmancy car to bring us home. Mary Alice was waiting with open arms, and as of 215AM, they are still in awe at the pets, THEIR toys, their beds, their room, their bathtub, their new clothes...their new home.
10AMEDT: Everybody slept in this morning, Thursday, June 30. We're home.
God is an awesome God. We will get some much needed rest, and then post some follow up messages to this amazing chapter in our lives, as it draws to a close, and prepares the way for an exciting new chapter!
Thank you for your prayers. They worked. We're home with 2 beautiful children. I am stunned silly, and can hardly believe we're actually home.
Blessings,
Kevin, Angel, William, and Miriam
PS - if it sounds a little like I'm blathering, that's possible. Please have a little grace. We got home 3 hours ago, and I have actually fallen asleep 3 times on my keyboard, but I wanted to make sure everyone was up to date.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Last night in Almaty
We're booked on Air Astana to Moscow on Tuesday night, hoping to get on the flight from Moscow to Atlanta on Wednesday. We're on the waitlist, but with SkyMiles, you never know. We will go to the ticket counter and beg, plead, or whatever else it takes.
Today we had the requisite medical examination of Dub & Lena, required to get our exit visas. They are both healthy. Dub weighed in at just over 26lbs and Lena 23lbs. They're about the same height, 33". The doctor gave both kids a clean bill of health, with a few recommendations. He said Lena's "outey" belly button should go away. First time I've heard that. He said, after we told him that Dub sings all the time, to make sure that we get him in front of lots of music asap.
After a great nap (all 4 of us), we just played and played and played, then went out with Marina to a local mall where they have another great indoor playground filled with the little plastic balls. We ate at "King Burger", which is actually BurgerKing, not sure why they changed the name like that. Dub devoured half a hamburger and a bunch of fries. Lena wouldn't eat her hamburger, but loves fries. Go figure. Came home, said bye-bye to the Morins, who are here till Friday night, and put the kiddos straight to bed. BIG day tomorrow.
Our embassy interview is at 4pm, after which we go straight to the airport for the 5+ hour flight to Moscow. We arrive in Moscow at 10pm local time, and don't expect to get to our bed until at least midnight, having heard that Moscow customs are wearying to say the least. We'll do our best to keep the kids up until we get to the hotel, so that they will be sure to sleep through the night and be ready for an evern bigger day (God willing) on Wednesday.
So, I don't know if we'll post tomorrow, probably not, since we'll be traveling until very, very late. We're staying in the hotel across the street from Sheremetyevo airport, so we'll hoof it over there first thing and beg to get on the SVO-ATL flight.
Please pray that God would grant us this little piece of totally undeserved grace by putting us on Wednesday's flight to Atlanta. If He chooses not to, so we'll spend Wed-Sat in Moscow and head out on our confirmed flight on Sunday. Thursday through Saturday's flights are overbooked, so those don't look likely. Pray, pray, pray!!!
Blessings,
Sleepy, Weary, Grumpy, and Happy
Today we had the requisite medical examination of Dub & Lena, required to get our exit visas. They are both healthy. Dub weighed in at just over 26lbs and Lena 23lbs. They're about the same height, 33". The doctor gave both kids a clean bill of health, with a few recommendations. He said Lena's "outey" belly button should go away. First time I've heard that. He said, after we told him that Dub sings all the time, to make sure that we get him in front of lots of music asap.
After a great nap (all 4 of us), we just played and played and played, then went out with Marina to a local mall where they have another great indoor playground filled with the little plastic balls. We ate at "King Burger", which is actually BurgerKing, not sure why they changed the name like that. Dub devoured half a hamburger and a bunch of fries. Lena wouldn't eat her hamburger, but loves fries. Go figure. Came home, said bye-bye to the Morins, who are here till Friday night, and put the kiddos straight to bed. BIG day tomorrow.
Our embassy interview is at 4pm, after which we go straight to the airport for the 5+ hour flight to Moscow. We arrive in Moscow at 10pm local time, and don't expect to get to our bed until at least midnight, having heard that Moscow customs are wearying to say the least. We'll do our best to keep the kids up until we get to the hotel, so that they will be sure to sleep through the night and be ready for an evern bigger day (God willing) on Wednesday.
So, I don't know if we'll post tomorrow, probably not, since we'll be traveling until very, very late. We're staying in the hotel across the street from Sheremetyevo airport, so we'll hoof it over there first thing and beg to get on the SVO-ATL flight.
Please pray that God would grant us this little piece of totally undeserved grace by putting us on Wednesday's flight to Atlanta. If He chooses not to, so we'll spend Wed-Sat in Moscow and head out on our confirmed flight on Sunday. Thursday through Saturday's flights are overbooked, so those don't look likely. Pray, pray, pray!!!
Blessings,
Sleepy, Weary, Grumpy, and Happy
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Our Last Sunday in Kazakhstan
Today was our final Sunday in Kazakhstan, God willing. Who knows when we'll actually leave, but worst case has us in Moscow one week from yesterday, and over the Atlantic on Sunday.
Today, we only had a few major meltdowns…before breakfast! Lena had another hard day. I imagine that their not being able to express themselves makes it tough on them to express themselves. Frustration leads to meltdowns, and we had a few today, but ended on a good note.
At least they both melted down at the same time. Saves a lot of time, you see.
We went to the park again this morning, since it was so nice and cool. Still can’t get around the rude pre-teens who run over our kids, though. This time, Angel caught up to one, just as he left Dub on his face. From then on, I followed them around, and got in the faces of these pre-pubescent urchins, and made it clear that they were to act like humans and not animals, at least while we are there. No idea what their parents thought of me yelling “NYET!!” at their kids every 5 minutes. D&L had fun, got dirty, and had a nice long nap to show for it.
This could have been a major catastrophe, but Mama’s mommy touch averted that one. Note Dub’s expression, which occurs just before he explodes. Funny, but it takes 5-10 seconds for this look to fully develop, and then a few seconds after that for the sound to emanate from his lungs. It’s a good warning system.
We think this animal is some sort of deer, but we’re not sure. L&D love them (there are two) and we finally got a chance to get a shot of them riding it. The other one looks as if it is grazing, with its nose close to the ground, so everyone piles up grass pullings from around the area and puts them under its nose, L&D included.
After nap time we went for a good hunting (my kind of shopping) at Tsum (pron: zoom) for all kinds of neat local Kazakh stuff.
Lena melted down for the 17th time on the way home, so only Dub got to spend a few minutes before dinner playing on the playground at the apartment with Chelsea and Alec Morin. So Dub got even dirtier!
This is the view from our bedroom window. Kinda gray today, but cool. We asked Marina where something was located relative to the hotel, and she said, “It’s the gray building.” Oh, that helps.
All in all, a good, full, fun Sunday. Blessings to all. Please pray for our safe and uneventful passage home this week, whenever that might turn out to be.
kevangelenadub
Today, we only had a few major meltdowns…before breakfast! Lena had another hard day. I imagine that their not being able to express themselves makes it tough on them to express themselves. Frustration leads to meltdowns, and we had a few today, but ended on a good note.
At least they both melted down at the same time. Saves a lot of time, you see.
We went to the park again this morning, since it was so nice and cool. Still can’t get around the rude pre-teens who run over our kids, though. This time, Angel caught up to one, just as he left Dub on his face. From then on, I followed them around, and got in the faces of these pre-pubescent urchins, and made it clear that they were to act like humans and not animals, at least while we are there. No idea what their parents thought of me yelling “NYET!!” at their kids every 5 minutes. D&L had fun, got dirty, and had a nice long nap to show for it.
This could have been a major catastrophe, but Mama’s mommy touch averted that one. Note Dub’s expression, which occurs just before he explodes. Funny, but it takes 5-10 seconds for this look to fully develop, and then a few seconds after that for the sound to emanate from his lungs. It’s a good warning system.
We think this animal is some sort of deer, but we’re not sure. L&D love them (there are two) and we finally got a chance to get a shot of them riding it. The other one looks as if it is grazing, with its nose close to the ground, so everyone piles up grass pullings from around the area and puts them under its nose, L&D included.
After nap time we went for a good hunting (my kind of shopping) at Tsum (pron: zoom) for all kinds of neat local Kazakh stuff.
Lena melted down for the 17th time on the way home, so only Dub got to spend a few minutes before dinner playing on the playground at the apartment with Chelsea and Alec Morin. So Dub got even dirtier!
This is the view from our bedroom window. Kinda gray today, but cool. We asked Marina where something was located relative to the hotel, and she said, “It’s the gray building.” Oh, that helps.
All in all, a good, full, fun Sunday. Blessings to all. Please pray for our safe and uneventful passage home this week, whenever that might turn out to be.
kevangelenadub
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Cool days, mountains, parks, and weddings
What a fun, full day we had today!
Lena and Dub, ready and waiting to head out to the mountains.
But first, have to relate the adventures of the previous night. Dub sat up singing to himself from 830 until 11, when he finally drifted off to sleep. Four different rocking sessions made no impact at all, but at least he went to bed willingly and without tears. Somewhere around 3AM, Lena fell out of bed. Kevin found her not beside the bed, but right in the middle of the floor. Guess she knows how to fall properly, and rolled to avoid solid impact. Right. Looks like we'll need to get some bed rails from Wal-Mart when we get home. Both Monkeys woke up at 6am, and hopped in bed with Mama and Papa. Although we didn't like being jolted awake at 6am, it is so encouraging to see these two gaining so much confidence in their place in our lives that they get up on their own, garshok, and then hop in bed with us.
Speaking of garshok, we had a breakthrough of sorts today. Dub, for the first time, decided he wanted to use the big potty. He's seen his sister do this since we busted them out of Umit. He was scared of sitting backwards on the potty for a while, but just today overcame that fear without warning. We like this development, although he looks very funny sitting backwards on the toilet with his little legs splayed all about, and it works.
So this morning, we went with the Morin family and Kate (local interpreter) up to the mountains. It's somewhat cool here anyway because of the recent rainstorms, but on the mountain top, it was probably no more than 60 degrees. Boy did that feel good. No weddings parties on the top of the mountain today. In fact, it was just about deserted. Kate explained that it was so because of the very rainy weather the past few days.
The view from the top of the avalanche dam, above the Olympic skating rink, below the ski resort, called Chimbulak.
This is the opposite side of the dam from the skating rink. In the summer, people go down and spell out their names and messages with rocks.
Then we went to the Ramstor mall, which is very much like any of our smaller U.S. shopping malls, except that it has a large grocery store inside. We looked for a khaki skirt for Lena (no luck), got some necessary groceries, and then ate at the sort of equivalent of KFC. Lena is the first child I've ever seen who wouldn't even look at chicken fingers, much less chow on them. So she went without lunch. Didn't want anything to eat at all. Dub made up for it, as usual. They played for a long time in the typical fast food kids playground (the same kind that require lots of Purel in the US), and then we headed home and tried for naptime. You'd have thought they'd have been exhausted, but Dub slept maybe 30 minutes, and Lena only an hour and a half or so.
Dub's first ride on a good ole mall amusement ride. This one being Mighty Mouse.
Lena's first ride on the same Mighty Mouse.
So, our goal for the afternoon was to get them some serious exercise. That took us back to the local park, Panfilov Park, which, by the way, is very beautiful, for the playground and to visit the Soviet Great Patriotic War (WWII) memorials and see all the local wedding parties there. Success! Although we still are not able to find a time at the playground when pre-teens are not pounding all over the contraption knocking down our (and others') toddlers. Kevin has to act as something of a body guard, lest the Monkeys end up under the sand with half a slide on their heads. We walked the entire park, got lots of pictures, chased pigeons, chased brides and grooms, and just made it home in time for dinner and bath time.
We've mentioned the Kazakh weddings, and we'd love to incorporate this tradition into Dub and Lena's weddings. In the Kazakh tradition the bride and groom get married (usually a civil ceremony unless they are very religious) then they and the ever-increasingly-intoxicated wedding party of family and friends visit 15 different locations around the city paying homage to their lost relatives and their country. One location is on top of the mountain, and the rest are scattered through the city. They leave a bouquet of flowers at each location. In the park, one of the 15 stops is a huge WWII memorial with the eternal flame for the Soviet soldiers who fought in the War. The memorial is simply stunning. The wedding parties decorate their cars with streamers and they drive around the city honking and everyone waves. Then, whoever is left standing (it's OK to drink in public here) finishes the evening with a typical reception.
Decorated wedding party car.
You can see how many brides have visited the eternal flame and left flowers just today!
Here is one wedding party after they paid their tribute at the eternal, flame.
Here is the main face of the Soviet Great Patriotic War (WWII) memorial. As with the millions of roses, a picture cannot do it justice. It's stunning. At the bottom, you can see a newlywed couple getting their picture taken here.
Below are three of the minor memorial statues, just as stunning, but not as big, as the main one.
Another view of the gorgeous Russian Orthodox Church at Panfilov Park, across the street from our apartment. Outside the church in an open courtyard there are battery operated Jeeps that kids ride on and have photos made, and the area attracts a lot of pigeons.
A very fun day was had by all. Each Monkey had one meltdown, but recovered quickly.
At most, one week till we're home. Thank you for your prayers and continued encouraging emails and blog comments.
Blessings,
KA+dl
Lena and Dub, ready and waiting to head out to the mountains.
But first, have to relate the adventures of the previous night. Dub sat up singing to himself from 830 until 11, when he finally drifted off to sleep. Four different rocking sessions made no impact at all, but at least he went to bed willingly and without tears. Somewhere around 3AM, Lena fell out of bed. Kevin found her not beside the bed, but right in the middle of the floor. Guess she knows how to fall properly, and rolled to avoid solid impact. Right. Looks like we'll need to get some bed rails from Wal-Mart when we get home. Both Monkeys woke up at 6am, and hopped in bed with Mama and Papa. Although we didn't like being jolted awake at 6am, it is so encouraging to see these two gaining so much confidence in their place in our lives that they get up on their own, garshok, and then hop in bed with us.
Speaking of garshok, we had a breakthrough of sorts today. Dub, for the first time, decided he wanted to use the big potty. He's seen his sister do this since we busted them out of Umit. He was scared of sitting backwards on the potty for a while, but just today overcame that fear without warning. We like this development, although he looks very funny sitting backwards on the toilet with his little legs splayed all about, and it works.
So this morning, we went with the Morin family and Kate (local interpreter) up to the mountains. It's somewhat cool here anyway because of the recent rainstorms, but on the mountain top, it was probably no more than 60 degrees. Boy did that feel good. No weddings parties on the top of the mountain today. In fact, it was just about deserted. Kate explained that it was so because of the very rainy weather the past few days.
The view from the top of the avalanche dam, above the Olympic skating rink, below the ski resort, called Chimbulak.
This is the opposite side of the dam from the skating rink. In the summer, people go down and spell out their names and messages with rocks.
Then we went to the Ramstor mall, which is very much like any of our smaller U.S. shopping malls, except that it has a large grocery store inside. We looked for a khaki skirt for Lena (no luck), got some necessary groceries, and then ate at the sort of equivalent of KFC. Lena is the first child I've ever seen who wouldn't even look at chicken fingers, much less chow on them. So she went without lunch. Didn't want anything to eat at all. Dub made up for it, as usual. They played for a long time in the typical fast food kids playground (the same kind that require lots of Purel in the US), and then we headed home and tried for naptime. You'd have thought they'd have been exhausted, but Dub slept maybe 30 minutes, and Lena only an hour and a half or so.
Dub's first ride on a good ole mall amusement ride. This one being Mighty Mouse.
Lena's first ride on the same Mighty Mouse.
So, our goal for the afternoon was to get them some serious exercise. That took us back to the local park, Panfilov Park, which, by the way, is very beautiful, for the playground and to visit the Soviet Great Patriotic War (WWII) memorials and see all the local wedding parties there. Success! Although we still are not able to find a time at the playground when pre-teens are not pounding all over the contraption knocking down our (and others') toddlers. Kevin has to act as something of a body guard, lest the Monkeys end up under the sand with half a slide on their heads. We walked the entire park, got lots of pictures, chased pigeons, chased brides and grooms, and just made it home in time for dinner and bath time.
We've mentioned the Kazakh weddings, and we'd love to incorporate this tradition into Dub and Lena's weddings. In the Kazakh tradition the bride and groom get married (usually a civil ceremony unless they are very religious) then they and the ever-increasingly-intoxicated wedding party of family and friends visit 15 different locations around the city paying homage to their lost relatives and their country. One location is on top of the mountain, and the rest are scattered through the city. They leave a bouquet of flowers at each location. In the park, one of the 15 stops is a huge WWII memorial with the eternal flame for the Soviet soldiers who fought in the War. The memorial is simply stunning. The wedding parties decorate their cars with streamers and they drive around the city honking and everyone waves. Then, whoever is left standing (it's OK to drink in public here) finishes the evening with a typical reception.
Decorated wedding party car.
You can see how many brides have visited the eternal flame and left flowers just today!
Here is one wedding party after they paid their tribute at the eternal, flame.
Here is the main face of the Soviet Great Patriotic War (WWII) memorial. As with the millions of roses, a picture cannot do it justice. It's stunning. At the bottom, you can see a newlywed couple getting their picture taken here.
Below are three of the minor memorial statues, just as stunning, but not as big, as the main one.
Another view of the gorgeous Russian Orthodox Church at Panfilov Park, across the street from our apartment. Outside the church in an open courtyard there are battery operated Jeeps that kids ride on and have photos made, and the area attracts a lot of pigeons.
A very fun day was had by all. Each Monkey had one meltdown, but recovered quickly.
At most, one week till we're home. Thank you for your prayers and continued encouraging emails and blog comments.
Blessings,
KA+dl
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