Made it back late last night after a slightly delayed flight from London. Rachael and Brendon Derr picked us up. Today we are resting, unpacking and sorting through all the mail that piled up. Liam is bouncing off the walls with happiness. When we walked in the door last night we were shocked to see that our house church group bought a brand new bike for Liam, a cool BMX xtreme sports bike. Plus all kinds of gifts, flowers and a freezer packed with prepared meals and a big sign in the living room that says "Welcome Home Carroll Family." We are so grateful!
It's great to be back but we are feeling a little disoriented. It kinda feels like we just woke up from a strange Wizard of Oz experience...."and Toto was there and you were there Uncle Henry, and you too auntie Em, and you, and you....all of you were there!"
There's no place like home!
Spaceba (Thank you) and blagoslovit vas Bog! (God bless you.)
Do svidania, (Good bye)
Bill, Beth and Liam
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Goin' Home
Our appointments at the U.S. embassy to get a visa for Liam went well. Yesterday we went to apply for the visa. They received all of the paperwork such as the adoption court decree etc. Today we returned to pick up the visa and everything went very smoothly. So, everything we needed to do is done and we will be heading home tomorrow afternoon. We on on a British Airways flight via London. Should be home around 9 or 10 in the evening.
After our embassy appointment we went to the old city section near the very ornate Adreavsky church, where there are many street vendors and bought some gifts including a Ukrainian flag and a Euro-cup scarf for Vlad. Then we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. Menu was in Russian and Italian so we could kinda figure out the Italian which was nice. We feel like five year olds here...can't read or write or make ourselves understood. Yesterday we got hopelessly lost on the metro because we couldn't read the signs. Despite all the difficulties in communication etc we feel a bit nervous about coming home to the "real world" and picking up our routines again. It will take awhile to get back into the groove.
Beth is massaging Vlad's head right now and he is falling asleep. It's time for all of us to head off to bed.
Goodnight and see you soon.
Bill, Beth and Liam (Vlad)
After our embassy appointment we went to the old city section near the very ornate Adreavsky church, where there are many street vendors and bought some gifts including a Ukrainian flag and a Euro-cup scarf for Vlad. Then we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. Menu was in Russian and Italian so we could kinda figure out the Italian which was nice. We feel like five year olds here...can't read or write or make ourselves understood. Yesterday we got hopelessly lost on the metro because we couldn't read the signs. Despite all the difficulties in communication etc we feel a bit nervous about coming home to the "real world" and picking up our routines again. It will take awhile to get back into the groove.
Beth is massaging Vlad's head right now and he is falling asleep. It's time for all of us to head off to bed.
Goodnight and see you soon.
Bill, Beth and Liam (Vlad)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Passport Received!
We went to the passport office with our Simferopol helper, Dmitry this morning and after a short wait we received Liam's new passport. The lady at the passport office has a reputation as a meanie. She has given others serious problems in the past. So you have to treat her like the Soup Nazi....try not to make eye contact, don't ask any questions, sign your name and move on quickly before she changes her mind. Our friend Ed got into an argument with her the other day and she said to him, "All you Americans do is take our children away and send them back when your tired of them." (A reference to that woman who sent her adopted children back to Russia on a plane.) Later he tried to appease her with a "gift." He was just ahead of us in line this morning and everything seemed to go well for him, thankfully.
So now we are sitting in our apartment watching Daffy Duck dubbed in Russian and waiting till it's time to go to the train station. We will leave at about 3pm get a bite to eat, meet Ed, Dina and their kids, Aidan and Colin who will all be on the same train with us then it's off to Kiev. Our appointment at the U.S. Embassy is tomorrow morning. We hear they are very pleasant and helpful there.
Photo: Artwork that Liam did on the computer last night.
In Kiev we will stay at a hospitality house run by a Christian woman who runs it as a ministry to adopting families in Ukraine. She offers a place to stay free of charge which is great.
So now we are sitting in our apartment watching Daffy Duck dubbed in Russian and waiting till it's time to go to the train station. We will leave at about 3pm get a bite to eat, meet Ed, Dina and their kids, Aidan and Colin who will all be on the same train with us then it's off to Kiev. Our appointment at the U.S. Embassy is tomorrow morning. We hear they are very pleasant and helpful there.
In Kiev we will stay at a hospitality house run by a Christian woman who runs it as a ministry to adopting families in Ukraine. She offers a place to stay free of charge which is great.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Heading for the Home Stretch!
Hi Friends,
It's been a while since we blogged. Just a quick update: We left Kerch with Liam (Vlad) about 2 weeks ago. We are in an apartment in Simferopol. Last Tuesday we applied for Liam's passport and we should be able to pick it up this Tuesday. In anticipation of this we have booked train tickets for the 14 hour overnight trip to Kiev for Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday morning in Kiev we will go to the U.S. embassy on to apply for an immigrant Visa and then get a medical exam for Liam. On Thursday we will return to the embassy to hopefully pick up the Visa. Then, if all goes well we will get on a plane for home on Friday!!!! We can't believe things are finally coming to a conclusion. Please pray that these final steps go well and we can actually leave next Friday as planned.
Liam chillin' in our apartment in Simferopol.
Liam is doing well. We are having fun together and getting the hang of being a family. Lots of things for all of us to learn. But by and large he is very cooperative and very affectionate. (but also very goofy just like his dad.) Today we went to the circus and then hung out in a park with our friends Ed and Dina who have adopted two young kids from Kerch.
Can't wait to be home. Very thankful that we've gotten this far and that Liam is with us.
Hope to see you all soon!
Love,
Bill, Beth and Liam
It's been a while since we blogged. Just a quick update: We left Kerch with Liam (Vlad) about 2 weeks ago. We are in an apartment in Simferopol. Last Tuesday we applied for Liam's passport and we should be able to pick it up this Tuesday. In anticipation of this we have booked train tickets for the 14 hour overnight trip to Kiev for Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday morning in Kiev we will go to the U.S. embassy on to apply for an immigrant Visa and then get a medical exam for Liam. On Thursday we will return to the embassy to hopefully pick up the Visa. Then, if all goes well we will get on a plane for home on Friday!!!! We can't believe things are finally coming to a conclusion. Please pray that these final steps go well and we can actually leave next Friday as planned.
Liam is doing well. We are having fun together and getting the hang of being a family. Lots of things for all of us to learn. But by and large he is very cooperative and very affectionate. (but also very goofy just like his dad.) Today we went to the circus and then hung out in a park with our friends Ed and Dina who have adopted two young kids from Kerch.
Can't wait to be home. Very thankful that we've gotten this far and that Liam is with us.
Hope to see you all soon!
Love,
Bill, Beth and Liam
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