Comng home

We have finally well almost finally worked out the details for the kids arrival home.

We are a bit disappointed on the length of stay "suggested" for the 3rd and final trip to bring our children home.  The schedule given was leave on September 1st returning home on September 14th.  WOW we were annoyed and questioned the lenght of this trip and we were told that we just never know how long things will take to be processed - the Visas could take 2 days or could take 5 days - they don't know how busy the women will be in the Visa office....................Great.

So the flights will be booked with changeable return tickets for the trip back so if & hopefully we pray that things will move much faster then scheduled.  The schedule went something like this.  Arrive in the region on Monday the 3rd, pick up birth certificates.....Tuesday bring birth certificates to Visa office..........?  what so of course I had to ask why, why can't the birth certificates be picked up on Monday and dropped off on Monday which seems like a logical question and although no one answered the question directly  I do think they got the message.  Are you kidding us - we have now been waiting over 9 months,  haven't we "waited" long enough!!

OK so on to bigger things.  Dennis my wonderful husband and father to our children will travel to pick up the children alone & this decesion was made for many reasons -  14 days is just too long for us to be away from Nicholas again and although this was always our plan it is more so now that Nicholas starts kindergarten that same week so how could he not be here for that??  Anyway we (I) always felt that having the 2 of us (Dennis & myself) travelling back with 2 (totally freaked out ) kids and us both being jet lagged, exhausted, out of sorts & high stressed would not be good for any of us so we had decided this would be our plan....................not a well thought out plan but our plan.  Long story short is after meeting the twins the first trip we (I) didn't think that Dennis travelling alone with two kids was a good idea at all.  Dennis of course disagreed - and yes I know Dennis can do ANYTHING and will do anything for our family but at the end of the day (or trip) would him travelling along be best for any of them?  Our kids will be 3 years old,  not speak or understand a word of English, taken from the only life they know and be on a plane  for a 10 hour flight with a new  person they don't know very well........................no, nope, I really wasn't happy with this idea......................

So for months I have mentioned to folks how we were looking for someone to travel back with Dennis and the kids with the only requirement being they need to speak Russian................not quite as easy find as I thought but finally we did and we were happy that we had this very important piece covered for the kiddos sakes...........but atlas that fell through last week when we wanted to finalize the trip.  I must admit I panicked and was very concerned - Dennis not so much because as noted above Dennis was like it's OK I can do it - don't worry. Again I know he can and will do anything for us but this was not going to be a good idea.  Longer story short we have thankfully gnow have a Russian speaking travel companion for the trip home for the kids!!!   (YEAH).

The schedule is Dennis leaves on 9/1 & arrives in the region on the 3rd......do region paperwork that could take 3 days or could be 5 days so anticipate  5 days  which means he will leave the region on Sunday night 9/9 with the twins & an escort to help with the kids for the 10 hour train ride.  They will arrive in Moscow on the morning of the 10th to process passports, medicals, embassy visit etc with the assistance of the person who will fly with the kids home......passports should, should take 3 days which means in theory he could leave Moscow maybe on Thursday the 13th and arrive home a day earlier...........we are really hoping the region piece will be 3 days, even 4 which would get them to Moscow on Thursday or even Friday the 6th or the 7th which would start up & step up the paperwork in Moscow earlier which means they could possibly be home in theory Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.   I know it's a long shot but I am hoping it will be the earlier rather then the later scenario.

So we have been getting a few of the last minute things we are thinking we need - we (I) have been shopping for clothes for the kids - a difficult task only because when I look at clothes sometimes they look too small to fit Angelina and sometimes they don't so hopefully I'm getting it right...............Dennis will need to bring clothes for them with him to bring them home.........................sadly they literally leave with nothing from the orphanage - which I understand but it is sad to think that after 3 years they leave as they came...................................happily it does bring my heart joy to shop knowing our littles are finally coming home!!  We also needed to get a bigger kitchen table - ours was a pub style with 3 chairs so time to get a family table  - which we did a few months back with seating for 6.  We finished out downstairs playroom and family room and the only thing that is a must have is another vehicle..................our current vehicle works somewhat for now anyway - Nicholas will move to the third row which is fine however we have a console  in the second row so the only way he can get to the 3rd row is to climb over the console or through the back which I'm sure he will be thrilled  to do - climb but me not so much - I'm thinking  rain, snow, and then he will climb in all over the kids seats to hop in the back.........................yeah so we need a new vehicle once we all get settled in.

So right now these are our plans.

Here are a few pictures to hold us over for few more weeks.

   DND