Day 20

It was COURT DAY!!! Our Petition for Adoption was approved! Yeah! We now are the proud parents of 10 children. Oh my goodness, when I said that out loud it sounded so crazy. The day started early for us. Up at six, out before eight. There was a lot of waiting around in the car today. Waiting for this person or that one. After we picked up the inspector we picked up the boys at the orphanage. They looked very happy to be going to court. On the way to court the facilitators were trying to get our younger boy to remember our names. Up until this point he only really knew us as Mama and Papa. He had such a hard time. Funny thing was, the judge didn’t care if he knew our names or not. We were asked many, many, many questions mainly about finances and the many children we have. No surprise there. But, they seemed satisfied with our answers. The court room consisted of a raised platform with three large and sort of prestigious chairs with the Ukrainian symbol and colors on the wall behind that. This is where the judge sat in the middle and an advisor sat on either side of him. There was a general seating area which faced the judge where we sat and a slightly raised spot with a podium and microphone between the two for each of us to get up, face the judge and answer questions. As we stood there, to our left was the secretary, inspector and prosecutor. The judge read through the court papers asking us our names, etc., and asked if all was correct. We were then asked to stand and state why we were there and what we were petitioning for. Then Hubby was up, front and center and answered questions from the judge, prosecutor and advisors. They grilled him on his business and finances and the children’s future education. He did very well and spoke with confidence. Then it was my turn and the focus was on the children’s education and how our biological children would mesh with the boys. Before I knew it an hour had passed. I suppose I was concentrating so hard on the translation of everything that my mind was constantly in motion and time went by quickly. Each of the boys was asked to stand up and they were asked a few questions. One of our older boys’ questions was, “You have family here, how do they feel about this”, his answer was, “I don’t care, I want to be adopted”. Our younger boy was asked about the names of all of our children. It was fun and special that the one name he remembered was “Michael”. That was a proud moment for Michael.

After all questions were asked we were read many more things and then asked to wait while the judge and advisors left the room to deliberate. About twenty minutes or so later they came back in. We were asked to stand and again state that we were petitioning for the adoption of these two boys, to have their names changed, new birth certificates issued with us listed as the parents, for their birth cities to remain the same and to issue passports and visas to bring them home. Many more articles and things were read and then he said that the petition was granted. On the eleventh day following court, which is April 10th, the boys will be officially our children. Because the 10th is Sunday, Monday, April 11th, the boys will be able to be in our custody as our children. We have decided, due to a lot of running around and other things, that I will pick up the boys the day we leave Zap to go to Kiev which will hopefully be the 16th but as late as the 18th. We will see. Then we will spend a couple days in Kiev doing our US Embassy work and hopefully be home right before Easter.

Today “K” and I moved into a new apartment with two rooms. We did this to share costs but mainly because this apartment had internet, or so we thought. From 8 to 10:30 tonight we had two Ukrainian strangers in our apartment messing up and then slightly undoing their mistakes and now we have internet…sort of. I sent Hubby off on the train tonight to Kiev and he will be on a plane back to the states by Saturday. I am really happy for him that he gets to go home….at least one of us does and that makes me happy. The kids need one of us at home. I will miss him like crazy but I just can’t think about that right now. I should have someone with me until I leave for Kiev, whether it is “K”, Lucy, or one other mom, “R”, who is coming around the time “K” is leaving. I hope that none of us will be here alone. It should all work out okay though.

Love you all!!! Thanks for your prayers…keep them coming….it’s working. I have to say for the most part today I felt calm in court. I have felt the spirit with me each and every day and have felt strengthened by the knowledge that Heavenly Father wants us here doing this…and what He wants, He gets!

Pictures - This is a picture of us outside the court house right after the hearing...the other two pictures were from the kids files taken several years ago. I think that they are so cute!