Monday, August 21

Hours with no sleep - 56
Airports passed through - 5
Drunk Russian men in row behind us on plane to M. Vody - 3
Flight from Moscow to M. Vody - 8740 rubles
Fee for luggage being overweight - 450 rubles
Water at the airport - 90 rubles
One night at Intourist in Pyatigorsk - 1900 rubles
Two Glasses of orange juice - 40 rubles
Hose for court (since I forgot them) - 75 rubles
Seeing and holding my two beautiful girls after 4 months and 1 day - PRICELESS!

First, let me say how thankful I am to have my best friend, J with me. Those of you who know her know she could win "The Amazing Race" and "Survivor" so I am not as worried about anything! The flight to Moscow was long, noisy, and uncomfortable. In front of us, sat a family of 5 whose baby Katarina was NOT happy; no sleep for me. We arrived at the airport and met Oksana, who arranged for us to be driven to Vnukovo Airport to wait for six hours. By this time, my ankles had tripled in size and I had to change shoes! I made a spectacle of myself by sitting on the floor and propping my pitiful feet on my luggage. Those who know me know that it must have been terribly necessary - I would usually be the mouse in the corner drawing NO attention to myself.

We finally boarded the plane to M. Vody which I was somewhat excited about. It brought me to the place where my daughters were born and to Fima, the BEST Interpreter/Driver in the world! The drunken men seated behind us were a little intimidating, but the food was okay. Seeing Fima at the airport in M. Vody was a huge relief. He has seen the girls several times and said they are excited. Whenever the children are told Americans are coming to the orphanage, K & A ask if it's their Mama :)

We traveled to Pyatigorsk and stayed at the Intourist in a tiny room with NO A/C. We are not going to do that again! In the region, it is so hot and dry that fires are a problem. We could see them from the plane. The next morning we traveled to the sanitorium (a resort spa) to meet the social worker and most importantly to pick up my daughter K. The drive was beautiful - lots of mountains and countryside. While we waited on K at the gates, the social worker asked many questions. It started to prepare me for court. K saw me before I saw her. My back was to her, but they told me that it was all she could do not to run. She hugged me so tightly and her first word was "Mama". After being away for four months I realized, at that moment, how much she and I bonded in April. She is such a beautiful child inside and out. She could not stop smiling. I am so thankful that she can read Russian. I have some great books that make communicating a little easier. We drove to the children's home to see A. My goodness, has that child grown! She may grow to be taller than all of us including her brother. Her hair has grown and she has good bangs. For those of you who don't know, A took scissors and removed her bangs before I saw her in April. She also has lost her two front teeth since I last saw her. A saw K first and ran to her. It warms my heart to see how close they are. A didn't see me until the social worker said "Mama" and A took off towards me. She is so small that it is easy for me to pick her up and that I did! To hold and love these children is such a blessing! We played games, read books, blew bubbles, and worked with their sticker books. They seem so happy.

The caretaker wanted to know which state I lived in and if we had any natural disasters. I responded "Yes if you consider this weather a natural disaster." It is approximately 100 degrees there which is NOT typical. Unfortunately I am accustomed to that in Georgia. I had to sign some additional paperwork and was told more about their medical and social histories. I was aware of most of it and had already picked up on their personalities. A has such a carefree spirit about her with no fear and K is so charming and reserved. I am so lucky to be the mother of these children. After visiting with the girls, we traveled to Stavropol to stay 2 nights for court on Monday and Tuesday. It is very nice here (although they have NO internet at the Euro - KC you should find that amusing). We have A/C and a grocery store nearby and they had the hose I needed for court! KC - thanks so much for your map. It is such a huge help and I am grateful.

There are issues with my medical report and it is a long story, but I am not happy when it comes to miscommunication. To make this long story short, I had to go to 2 Russian clinics on Monday AM for a chest X-ray and a blood test. Very interesting! I was surprised by how affordable it was. I was prepared to be charged hundreds of dollars, but all tests totalled approximately $40, and that includes expedited services. I am now waiting for court this afternoon. K will be present to testify on Tuesday.

I will post when we have a decision.

L: I miss you SO much! I hope school and football are going well for you. I hope you enjoy your packages. Be sweet, work hard, and you know how much I love you!

E and J: Thanks for helping. Love u!