A short flight & one long flight home

morning temperature: Moscow -21 C, -5 F
day temperature: Denver 24 F

It's 4am, Corbin & I are up getting ready. We wake up the kids at 4:30 & finish throwing things in bags. The kids are both like zombies. They are up, getting dressed, brushing teeth, packing their suitcases, but seem like they're not quite awake. By 4:45 we are in the lobby waiting for our driver. At 5 am we are in the car on the way to the airport. By now, we are used to L's catatonic state whenever we ride in cars. At least it doesn't seem so odd this time because it's so early.

Of course, we arrive at the airport in full snow gear so, upon entrance we strip the kids down to just their clothes, sneakers & a jacket. Everything else gets packed in the last empty bag. The kids have got their backpacks. We ask the airline employee to translate to them that we will leave their suitcases here & they will arrive in America...it's a stretch, but we are prepared to carry them on if need be. Luckily, they're only half-awake so they don't seem any more distressed, then they are already, about leaving their suitcases.

Now on to customs. We take the escalator upstairs & the kids are falling over! They are searching for balance & unsure what to grab. We realize this is probably their first escalator ride! I can't say it was a ton of fun, but we made it up w/o either of them crying. The line for customs is short for families, which is great. We just want to get through this airport & onto that plane! Our turn...the agent takes her time looking at our American passports. She doesn't speak English. She begins to look at the kids Russian passports & asks questions. Of course, we still don't speak Russian so she gets nowhere. She calls a supervisor on the phone & we wait. The supervisor asks us if we speak Russian. I answer no, but L does. I understand enough to know that she asks L if we are her parents. She answers no. What? I try to not look alarmed & smile...what else can I do? The supervisor asks O the same question & he gives the same reply. Really? She comes around from behind the counter & bends down to talk w/ the kids. In different words she rephrased the same question. We finally get a yes from L-yahoo! Then O repeats what his sister said- relief! She asks us in English if we have paperwork in Russian from the court. Yes, yes, yes we do! Please read it, read all of it, we need to get out of here! We are extra cautious because of the pending adoption ban for Americans adopting Russian children. Everyday things seem to be getting worse, not better. If we wait any longer & we may get stuck here...and miss Christmas! Praise God all is in order & the supervisor lets us through. Hopefully, this will be the last snag.

We buy some snacks; I grab a coffee; we board the plane. The kids are excited for their first plane ride. Eventually, L crashes out next to me for about an hour. O hits overdrive at that point. It's still early morning & the other passengers are not thrilled that we keep taking pictures of O. He is laughing & is totally impressed w/ all of the things he can do w/ the travel pillow! Literally, he crashes hard the last 10 minutes of the trip. We try to gently wake him, but instant meltdown occurs & we decide it's better to deal w/ cranky sleepy kid when the plane lands than hysterical crying kid now.

We have landed in Frankfurt, Germany. We get a bite to eat, walk a bit to stretch our legs. We were warned that if we missed our flight & had to stay the night, we would then need to go to the Russian Embassy. The kids will become American citizens when we touch down on American soil. Until then, they are Russian citizens. Russians need a visa to go to Germany, but a stop-over is fine. Again, everything goes smoothly...until we board the plane. We realize that our seats are not together. The airline employee says that we need to wait until we board the plane to change this. They let us board first because we have small children. Then they tell us to wait until the rest of the passengers have boarded to change our seats...it seems like there should be an easier way. This airline is German, which leaves an interesting situation because our family speaks English or Russian, but not German :) Eventually, they can get us 2 seats here & 2 seats there.

We get settled in our seats. It's chaotic & I can't find where they put Corbin & O. L seems alright, so I don't make a big deal of it. She is excited to see she has a tv. She turns it on, off, on, off, volume up, volume down, changes channels, plays music, etc. for 20 minutes. By the time she looks around, she realizes that we are in the air climbing. In a split second, I can see sheer panic come over her. She is pale, she is clammy...oh yeah, you know what's coming. I search the seat pockets. Don't they have these airsickness bags in every seat? You know the ones that are always in your way that you never need...well, now I need it & I need it now! I look over to see her cheeks bulging & her hands covering her mouth! I'm in a panic, too! I press the attendant button. I'm still searching & I can't find bags anywhere! I press her attendant button- why aren't they coming? A mom across from me realizes I need help...she speaks German, of source. I give her the int'l sign for puking & she hits her attendant button & begins searching for those bags, too. Backup is the airline magazine...doesn't work well :( but, I can't wait anymore. It's spilling everywhere. We head back to the bathroom. I find 2 airline attendants in their seats & they tell me we need to sit down. Apparently, the seatbelt sign is on...I am so frustrated there are no nice words! I give them the int'l sign for pukage & get L to the bathroom. Of course, she's all done, but at least I can throw away this magazine.

We get back to our seats & I inspect the damage...we have just begun a 9.5 hour flight w/ no extra clothes. Amazingly, there is no damage! Not on the seat, not on her clothes...I'm utterly amazed. The attendant comes over to give us wet towels. She mentions that there are airsickness bags...don't even start! I explain my dilemma. Recently, they decided to put these bags in the new 2nd pocket behind the tv...information that would have been useful earlier :) she is very sweet & finds us seats closer to Corbin & O, so L can see them. She checks on them regularly during the remainder of the flight. O spends most of the flight napping on Corbin. I spend most of the flight talking the ear off of the guy beside me. L spends most of the flight switching activities every 5 minutes for 9.5 hours. I have been rattled ever since the vomit incident & it doesn't subside until the last hour of the flight.

Finally, we arrive in Denver. On our way out of the terminal, there are huge glass walkways. We can see the Colorado plains & snow covered mountains. I get teary. We did it! We made it! We are finally home! I look down at L. She is home, too & it feels anything, but home. I had so many things I wanted to tell her, but it took all I had not to cry. In the end, I managed to point out the windows & say "America!" & put a fake smile on.

Customs, Immigration & finally out the glass doors to see the faces of our friends & family. There were friends w/ their biological children & their adopted children. There was Grandma, Grandpa, brothers & sister. This is where our new life begins. One journey is completed & our next journey begins.

Slowly, we will find our new normal.

Last day in Moscow

temperature today: Moscow -17 C, 1 F

This is our last full day in Moscow. We do our best to translate for the kids that tomorrow we will be going home on the airplane. We decide for lunch to walk to a McDonald's we saw not too far away. It is cold! Before we make it out of the hotel, a middle-aged hotel employee sees us heading for the door. He stops me & tells me it is very cold today. He says that L needs thicker pants. We were warned by a number of people that strangers in Russia will scold you on the street if they think you did not bundle up your children enough. I smile at him & say OK. I head back up the elevator (their new favorite toy) & to the room w/ L. We put on her snow pants & grab O's as well. Before we head out, we put O's snow pants on, too. I'm sure to spot the employee on our way outside & say thank you as we leave for our walk.

It is cold, but it feels good to be outside. We make a stop at a bookstore & let each of the kids pick out a book. Thank goodness we warmed up inside because the McDonald's ends up being farther away than we remember. It's crowded. Finding a table for 4 isn't going to be easy. Lucky for us, two woman are just leaving & offer us their table. When one realizes we speak English, she asks where we are from. She's a lawyer & has done adoption work in the past. She is happy to hear that we have adopted these children & that they are siblings. This is a question we are always asked in Russia, "Are they siblings?" I think because it's popular for Russians to have only one child, siblings are less likely than a single child to be adopted by a Russian family. It's nice to hear Russian people speak positive about Americans adopting here, especially given the pending ban.

Corbin waits in the long line to order, although it's hard to make out exactly where the line is. We plan to order a variety of items since we don't know yet what they will eat. He ends up w/ most of the food we wanted. There are certain items that Russian McDonald's staff seem to understand easily: Big Mac, Fries, Coke, etc., but most Russians don't speak English & the same is true here at the Moscow McDonald's. Corbin decides to just take the order as is since the line is long & he's already struggled once trying to order in Russian.

The kids seem excited at the sight of the food although I'm sure they have never had McDonald's before. Before long, we notice a young woman sitting at the next table staring at us. I'm guessing that she's not too happy w/ either the fact that we are Americans or that we just adopted Russian children. After a short conversation, we decide it's just best we finish up & head out.

OH MY GOODNESS, it's cold!!! I'm so glad that we put snow pants on the kids because my legs are frozen! We get back to our room & soon after our driver arrives w/ the kids' visas. What a relief! We eat, get ready for bed & Skype one last time w/ the kids at home. L & O decide that maybe this IPad voodoo isn't so bad. Soon they are showing off all of their belongings for their new sister & brothers. T, J & H play along by oooing & ahhhing at everything. Finally, it's time to say goodnight & call it a day. Can't wait to get home :)

Day 3 w/ the kids

temperature today: Moscow -17 C, 1 F

I slip away early to grab a cup of coffee while the kids are still asleep. It is so nice to sit in silence for a few minutes. We have been stuck in this hotel for days w/ 2 small kids who have little to do. We have read every book, colored every page, watched every tv show, walked, ate, swam & it seems like the days are much longer than 24 hours somehow.

I return to the room & Corbin pulls me into the bathroom. He hands me the paper. The Moscow Times front page says that the government just passed a law yesterday that will ban foreign adoptions from Russia. This ban is set to begin January 1st. Are you kidding me? Tomorrow we are to obtain visas for our kids to leave Russia. Technically, they are Russian citizens until they are 18 years old even though legally their parents (us) are Americans. Russians are not allowed to leave Russia & enter the US w/o a visa from the Russian government. There is nothing we can do but wait to speak w/ our driver later today.

Our driver tells us not to worry. He says many people are upset by this news & it will need to be voted on 2 more times before it moves on to the next branch of government. They will need to vote on it 3 times before it would then move to the President. We are on our way to the US Embassy to get our children's paperwork in order. Most of the people inside are Russians getting visas to visit America. We do meet a few Americans though. One southern couple just adopted a baby. They are leaving tomorrow. It's nice to speak w/ people in English. Once you do though, you stick out like a sore thumb. It calls attention to the fact that we are American. This can be good or not so good. Some Russians have strong opinions about Russian children being adopted by non-Russians. While we are out of the hotel, Corbin & I try to not speak too much. I use the few Russian words I know to talk w/ the kids. Since they speak Russian, we usually get by as Russians. Once we are heard speaking English, the gig is up.

L spends much of the time singing a song or poem repeatedly. We think this is the same one we heard her sing during one of our visits to the orphanage. A woman next to us is waiting w/ her 2 boys. She strikes up a conversation w/ Corbin. She doesn't speak great English, but enough to make small talk & ask about our children. She tells us that the kids are beautiful. She also thanks us for taking them & says that we are good people. I suppose you have to be willing to hear the good & the bad. If she didn't hear us speaking English, then she wouldn't have said anything. Then we wouldn't have heard the positive comments from those Russians who are happy we are here.

As we leave the building, we see a large memorial set up in the front of the building. It is for the Connecticut school shooting that just happened. There are flowers, stuffed animals, posters & letters all along the fence. It is all covered w/ a thin layer of this morning's snow. It is a good reminder that while we are praising God for the blessings of our two new children, there are also parents mourning the deaths of their children back home today. Thank you Lord for today!

Day 2 w/ the kids

temperature today: Moscow -18 C, 0 F

We are up bright & early today! We dress, make the beds & are ready to brush our teeth. Where's the toothpaste? We had it last night. After searching for it, we explain to the kids that we can't find the toothpaste. L runs off & reappears w/ the tube. Oh, OK thanks. When we finish she grabs the tube back & puts it in her backpack. It looks like we have a new holder of the toothpaste!

We are off to breakfast down the hall. They love the yogurt drink we find in the executive lounge. The employee there speaks to the kids in Russian & returns w/ a 6-pack of the drink for each of them! We are the only family here, but no one seems to care. All of Corbin's business travel is paying off :)

Soon after we get back to our room, the western dr. arrives to examine the kids. He is sent by the US Embassy to make sure the kids are not sick & able to enter the US. Overall, they are healthy. He briefly mentions that we will be buying our dentist a BMW soon, but signs the paperwork & is off. I ponder what he means...

The kids are more comfortable in the hotel today. They explore the room examining every drawer, bag, paper, etc. They are thrilled w/ the many toiletries they discover. Before I can halt four quick hands, they are spraying hairspray like perfume & have shampoo in their dry hair. Well, I suppose it's time to wash hair. As I grab a towel, L has already hung her head over the tub & turned on the water. Of course, nothing is done orderly & after washing two little heads of hair, we now must change into dry clothes, too. I forgot what it was like to have two sets of busy little hands "help" you do everything.

L asks where T, J & H are. With all the confusion, I never really explained that we are staying at a hotel. I try to tell her that this is not our home. We will be here for 3 more days then go home to America. I'm unsure if she understands anything I said.

We decide to venture out for lunch. We had spotted a Chili's nearby. Our server speaks enough English, which makes lunch very easy for us. The kids draw pictures, drink apple juice & speak w/ the server in Russian. She's young & very sweet. Their pizza comes & they are excited! They taste it & are not. Strike one. Luckily, french fries are a winner & that's what they basically eat.

The kids are getting into the habit of holding the room key & trying to open the door as we return to our room. This time, L & O run down the hall w/ the key. She is successful at unlocking the door on the first try. I start to run down the hall, but the door closes before I reach it. "Please tell me that you brought your room key, too." Thank goodness he did & all is right w/ the world. We enter & find no one. Did they not open the right door? Just as I'm about to panic, we hear tiny giggles. "Oh my goodness, where did they go?" Giggle, giggle. "I guess they're not here. Maybe we'll just take a nap." Neither one could hold back a second longer...hahahahahah, blah blah blah, Russian, Russian, Russian hahahaha. Some things are the same no matter where you go :)

Later, we Skype our first 3 kids at home in Colorado. L & O are extremely cautious about this IPad thing. They see us talking into it & other people talking back. They want nothing to do w/ it. They are trying to stay far away from it & not to look at it. How do you say, "you won't get sucked in," in Russian?

It's the end of Day 2 & we are exhausted again. We ask L for the toothpaste & all brush our teeth. At 8:00pm, we are all in bed.

Our first day!

temperature today: Moscow -15 C, 5 F

I can see our driver out the window as the train pulls in. We feel extremely lucky that both kids slept great on the train. Of course, it was after 11pm when they finally fell asleep. This was after they examined each & every item from their backpacks. Wows, ohhs & ahhs were flying around the room. Corbin & I hardly slept. Between the adrenaline, hard seats & bumpy ride, we spent much the night whispering to each other. Life can be surreal!

We arrive at the hotel in Moscow after another catatonic car ride w/ L. As we check in, our bags are being loaded on the bell hop's cart. The kids fetch back their backpacks & decide it's best to hold onto them themselves.  We get to the elevator. The doors open & neither child wants to enter. The walls are glass. I get in & say, "See, it's OK." I'm not convincing them. The bellhop talks to them in Russian & tells them it's alright. They enter cautiously. When it begins to move, I'm not sure exactly which emotion they felt the most. It was strange excitement!

By the afternoon, Corbin & I are utterly exhausted. We end up falling asleep as the kids are watching tv. We wake up to find that they crawled into their bed & fell asleep, too. First day & we have already failed at being their parents! Nice...

We get a second chance about a half an hour later when they wake up. Let's feed you two, bathe you & put you to bed like we're supposed to!

Are we there yet?

night temperature: Kirov -26 C, -14 F

I just want to get to the train. It's a short ride, but L is catatonic. There is nothing that would have prepared me for the rush of feelings that flooded my mind when I realized she was catatonic. She is completely unresponsive. I watch her stare straight ahead w/ no expression as the car drives into the night. We try to catch her eyes. I rub her back. She doesn't answer our translator. I try to see her face behind the snow jacket's hood. She isn't moving at all, just staring. A million fears race through my head about what this might mean. I have my panic moment- "WHAT HAVE WE DONE?" As fast as the fear fell upon me, it is gone again. I remember our training classes. This is hard stuff, certainly overwhelming for an 8 year old! We were told that most orphans are not used to riding in cars. They spend their days, day in & day out, at the orphanage. They eat, bathe, go to school, see the doctor & grow up at the orphanage. There is little reason to leave the grounds. This orphanage is out in the country, in a village. You don't see a lot of cars here. Most people walk regardless of the weather. I realize that the only other time she may have ridden in a car is when she arrived here. What is she thinking? I wish I knew. I may never know her full story, but hopefully, together we can deal w/ it.

We arrive at the train station & wait in the car since it is so cold. Five minutes prior to departure, we exit the car. L is beginning to come out of her funk. As we unload the luggage, I hand L & O the backpacks I packed for them. They are beyond thrilled! We head to the platform to wait for the train. It is cold & dark. Luckily, the train arrives within minutes. We quickly realize that our car is the first one that pasted us as the train approached the platform. Next thing I know, we are running towards the front. Our driver is in first after he grabbed our large luggage, Corbin in second w/ another bag & O in his arms, our translator in third & I am in last place practically dragging L, who is now weighed down by her new backpack. This train is only momentarily stopping & apparently they will wait for no one, even if they see you running!

We make it to the right car, flash all of our paper bling & jump on board. I turn back to see our translator & driver who have helped us navigate the way to where we stand at this very moment. I have only a second, so I say thank you, thank you, blow a kiss & then usher the kids to our cabin. I leave poor Corbin to kick & drag all our luggage behind me. As he pulls the last bag into our cabin, we slide the door closed. We did it! We are here! We have the kids! I rearrange the bags & find my missing glove! Yay! I remember to text Corbin's parents who are waiting to hear from us..."on train, have kids, will arrive in Moscow in the am :)"

Off to get the kids!

We head out to meet our driver. One more long bouncy car ride & we are there! He has a new car. It's smaller. I'm hoping he remembers that we will be picking up two kids when we leave today. I don't ask. It's more comfortable & warmer than his old minivan...definitely less bouncy, which I appreciate.

We have lunch at Corbin's favorite place (wink) just outside of the orphanage. I begged him to order pasta, but alas, he decides to order pizza...again. He has never liked the pizza once here, but still orders it. He tells me that he has a new angle today. He requests just pepperoni pizza. He is denied. That is not on the menu. How about just cheese pizza? No, that is not on the menu either. They have an entire list of pizzas they make. All of them have strange toppings. We are told that they make the pizzas fresh here, but somehow they can not just put on cheese. Whatever. I told him to get the pasta.

Finally, we are on our way to get the kids! It's about 4pm & the sun is setting. We arrive & the director is more friendly this time. She still avoids eye contact, but shows a slight smile to us. We get to the room where we always visit the kids & they are already waiting for us. They are excited, but certainly nervous, too. They are coloring. The psychologist is in the room working w/ another student who is not introduced to us. After a few minutes, she directs our kids to play w/ toys. L pulls out a small dollhouse & O grabs a large car. L takes out all the small animals & divides them into groups. She sets up little trees & gives the animals hay. She then returns to rearrange the small cardboard furniture in the dollhouse. By this time, O is driving around the room w/ his car. He clumsily drives through L's zoo. Trees fall & animals are knocked over. I'm guessing this may have happened before since his sister doesn't mind too much.

The kids leave for dinner briefly while we sit down w/ our translator. The director goes over the kids' schedule & I write feverishly. There are a few last papers to sign. I have a list of questions I'd like to ask if time permits. The kids have eaten in record time & are now back. L remembers the photo books we gave them last time & tells the director they don't have them. They run back to their rooms to retrieve them, but can not find them.

It's time to prepare to leave & the tension in the room increases. We have a complete set of clothes for each of them. The director watches as we pull out shirts & pants, socks & underwear, hats, coats & boots. "These pants are too thin," she says. "We will put snow pants over them," I reply. "The air will go right through this sweater," she says. "We will put this shirt underneath it," I reply. She looks over the coats, hats & gloves. She seems pleased. Russians are serious when it comes to keeping kids warm in the winter. "Scarf? There are no scarves!" She says. (She almost had me on this one. As we were packing the bag I remembered the scarves last & so they were thrown into the side pocket.) "No, I have scarves," I reply...thank goodness! I got the feeling that she was ready to tell us to come back tomorrow since I didn't have a scarf :) Now we are ready. I realize I can't find my glove. Corbin tells me not to worry about it, we need to go. I look everywhere. The kids join in. Corbin offers to buy me a new pair. It's got to be here! The other adults join the search. This is crazy! It's got to be here! I didn't go anywhere else. No luck. Finally, I give in & Corbin hands me his gloves.

As we get to the front of the building the director says something quickly & runs inside. Our translator tells us to wait here. I can see the car. I just want to get in the car. It is cold. The director returns w/ the social worker. They talk w/ the kids, give them hugs, give them kisses & then another big hug. I can see them crying, trying to hold it back. It is hard to watch them. Before we leave she asks me, "Please take care of our children." I can barely respond. "Of course, we will." We are all on the verge on tears & everyone is trying to keep it together for the sake of the kids. I grab their little hands & turn toward the car. We get in.

It is completely dark outside. The car drives slowly on the dirt driveway. As we pull away from the orphanage I turn & see two middle-aged woman watching our car leave w/ their arms intertwined. They turn & embrace each other. I look down at our children. I know they were loved by these women. Although they are happy to have found them a family, it still hurts to let them go...especially to let them go out of Russia. I know they are also worried. They don't know us very well. They have heard horror stories of American parents hurting Russian children. They are taking a chance that we will be good parents to them, that we will love them as we love our biological children & that they will be better off w/ us. Here at the orphanage, the director can be sure that their basic needs are taken care & that they are safe. But, what she can not offer them is a family.

I wondered how this part would play out. Now, I know. It's painful. There are parts of adoption that are painful. You can't undo the pain, you can't make it go away. It's part of the process. I can only do my part to make things better & although leaving the orphanage is painful, leaving my kids there does not make their life better.

Is it time? Is it time?

temperature today: Kirov -21 C, -6 F

It's 4 am. Can't we just start the day? Is anyone else this excited!!! We have wifi here at the hotel so it's a great time to catch up on FB since it's 5pm in Denver.

At 5:50am I can hardly stand it & jump in the shower to get this day on the road! Breakfast is open at 7am & there is nothing I like more when we travel than breakfast :) Corbin's not a fan of the Russian breakfast here at the hotel, but I've grown to really like it. It's sad (for me) that this is our last real Russian breakfast. In Moscow, we stay at the Marriott so most of the food is American-style. At the hotel here in Kirov, they always have some sort a hot cereal, which is never oatmeal, but oatmeal-like. Then there's this egg casserole thing that is white & light, but doesn't taste eggy. When's the next time I'm going to see these cute little curd pancakes that I'm told are so popular w/ the kids? To be truthful, I will not miss the instant coffee.

Kirov, for the last time.

temperature today: Kirov -23 C, -10 F

We arrive in Kirov early, but it's not bright. It's 7:30am & completely dark outside. There's hustle & bustle on the streets, buses, people & cars everywhere. The shop owners shovel the sidewalks, kids walk to school & ladies walk arm in arm, locked at the elbows. Fur is everywhere! Both men & women wear big, fashionable fur hats & fur-trimmed coats. There is dirty slush covering the streets, although the sidewalks are clear.

Today is for paperwork. Our translator meets us at the train & we arrive at some type of government building. We are told to wait on the small wooden bench in the waiting area. Our translator is talking in a back office. A grandmother-type woman enters & starts up a conversation in Russian. We smile & remain silent. She speaks with the woman behind the desk who is busy making Christmas ornaments out of paper & shows her paperwork from her purse. A woman from the back appears & tells the grandmother something that is not pleasing. The grandmother continues on w/ our conversation while putting her paper away & zips up her coat. I can still hear her speaking as the office door shuts behind her. The woman behind the desk just grins & shrugs her shoulders at us.

A little while later, the woman from the back reappears w/ a long string of paper Christmas ornaments. The woman behind the desk comes over & they debate for awhile where they should be hung. Here? No, here! Maybe there? Maybe here? Finally they decide to hang them down the side of the doorway. I'm stumped. Really? That's the best spot? I decide to keep my opinions to myself since I didn't come all the way to Russia to hang Christmas ornaments. The two small Russian women struggle trying to tape the ornaments up high. It is an awkward moment as I sit beside my tall husband. Should he try to help? We quietly mumble back & forth. We decide that it's just too complicated to try to offer assistance. We sit & watch painfully for a moment. Luckily, we are called back to the office. After a bunch of sign here, sign here, we now have official paperwork which lists us as the parents. Yay!

We exit the building about 10:30am & the sun is beginning to rise. Our next stop is the electronics store. It is customary to bring a gift to the orphanage for the children who are left behind. Our translator tells us that they would like a tv. She helps us buy it & then we arrive at the hotel. It is cold...very, very cold!

We are free for the rest of the day. We make a quick stop at a sourveniour shop & then stop at the market for train ride snacks for tomorrow night. Last trip we thought we might go eat in the train restaurant- it didn't turn out well. :) This time, we are planning ahead. For lunch we decide to go back to a cafe we ate at last visit. They had a good chocolate milkshake, which is really more like frothy milk slightly chocolate...but it is good. We walk a bit afterwards just to be outside, but it is so cold! We head back to the hotel for a nap & accidentally sleep until 9pm! Oh well. I hate when we miss dinner. We snack a little, watch Bollywood movies in Russian & finally go to bed at midnight. So excited for tomorrow!

Where to find a hat?

temperature today: Moscow -7 C, 19 F

This is our last free day in Moscow. We start the day off at Starbuck's, which is right near the hotel. The line moves slowly. It's our turn & we fumble Russian words trying to order drinks. In desperation, we settle on any coffee drink that the employee knows the English name for. We ditch our food order last minute.

Afterwards, we decide to shop for one last item. T wants a grey Russian hat w/ emblem. Last time we were here, we saw them everywhere! It was also tourist season. This time, we looked all over to find the one that T requested, no luck. Moscow is pretty at Christmastime :) Long story short- it was very cold, we took a very long walk around Moscow & three hours later we found the hat! T- we love you...I was so cold, your dad was cranky & I got 2 blisters...Yes, I will be reminding you of today's events for years to come :)

Next up, we fill out paperwork while we wait for the train. The sights & sounds are more familiar this trip, but the hard train seat I won't miss. I find myself a bit sad that this is our last trip. It's interesting how strange Russia seemed on our first trip. Everything was new & different. Honestly, we couldn't wait to get back home. Now things feel more familiar & we know what to expect. I wonder what L & O will think about America. We will find out soon enough. We are on the train to Kirov!

We are in Moscow!

temperature today: Moscow -10 C, 13 F

We spotted a tired couple from the US in the passport line. I could just tell by the look on their faces that they were here for the same reason we were. Plus, she was wearing the same boots I was, different color :) Adoption agencies advise clients not to discuss their business in Russia & usually we don't. This time though I want to share our joy, encourage them for their journey & settle any fears that may have. After a few questions w/ vague answers, they knew we were there to adopt as well. The northern CA couple shared that they were on their first trip to visit a sibling set of 3: 6 year old twins & a 5 year old sibling. We chatted through the passport line, through customs & finally while searching for our luggage. We decided to carry on all of the kids' clothes because I was so worried about it getting lost. Ironically, both of us had a missing bag, but then found both bags hiding behind the Customer Service desk...we didn't ask. We said goodbye as our drivers took us to separate exits & I prayed for their trip. It took forever (almost) to get to our hotel. Apparently, we were in Moscow Christmas traffic. It was so hard to keep my eyes open after missing a night's sleep. After an hour & a half ride, our driver joked that it might take another hour to drive the last few blocks. Soon after this comment, we ended up walking behind him the rest of the way to the hotel since the traffic was so backed up. We checked into the hotel, grabbed a bite & then were off to sleep.

To the airport we go!

temperature today: Denver 24 F

We purposely left the morning open so we could have breakfast w/ everyone before we left. Grandpa & I went to the donut shop & then Starbuck's for the kids. I decided to just drink my coffee at home, bad choice- it never happened. I had to order one more Christmas gift I had forgotten (gotta love Amazon!) & then we were off to the airport!

This is it!

It's been a busy week. We finished our math books & officially started Christmas break, got carpets cleaned, cleaned house, packed, got dryer fixed, did laundry, put up Christmas lights, stopped by library, picked up milk, had last PE class & prepared for the grandparents' arrival today. Corbin also fit in a last-minute dentist appointment this morning- he had a crown pop right out of his mouth last night! I had to give up a few items on the list that I just couldn't get done no matter how I planned the day. We still have a pharmacy stop to make tomorrow on our way to the airport & grandma has offered to finished wrapping the presents we couldn't get to. I think we are ready...