My baby, 1 year ago.

I don't have much time to post, but I went through my albums and these pictures were taken last year on the 25th and 26th of November. 1 year ago today! During this time, not too much was happening. We got through some major issues we encounter with our Judge and a few other road blocks but at this point we were just waiting for a court date so that we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. We were into the trip 2 weeks and still had 3 to go. O was on her best behavior as you can see from the picture above (haha) and mommy and daddy were loosing thier minds! ahh the memories!

Sorry for the delay. I just haven't been in the blogging mood. Things have been pretty busy around here lately and by the time I even get to the computer the idea of posting is "painful".

I went back to last November and read the blog entry I made, and I looked in my journal. At this point last year, I was not a happy camper :( I was starting to get terribly home sick, my little angel had turned evil! and I had enough of living with 2 men in a 800 square foot flat with nothing but Russian television or Meet the Fockers on DVD. Meet the Fockers was the only DVD we brought that actually worked in their players. Much to my surprise, it seems that DVD players are formatted to only work with certain DVDs. Look on the DVD itself, and you will see a globe, and a number in the globe must be '5' in order to work over there. Keep that in mind! We ended up watching it about 4 times a day because we could not stand to watch another program that we didn't understand!

Our life was pretty repetitive, kinda like Ground Hog Day. We would get up, eat breakfast of tea, sausage/cheese and crackers, we would walk to the orphanage, visit until about noon, walk home, stop at the market, eat lunch, take a nap, wake up and walk back to the orphanage, leave there about 6:30, head home, eat dinner, then sit around and talk with Gene, or I would read.
That was life for about 2 weeks.....boring!! I think back now and feel guilty for those feelings but I understand it was a point where we were both exhausted, mentally and emotionally...all I wanted to do was go home and be with my family.

At this point in our trip we also ran into some other problems. I wish I could go into further detail but being a public blog I am not crazy enough to post them here and take any risks, but I want to share with those of you traveling soon, issues will arise. Be prepared. Ukrainians love to drink, sometimes way too much. And Ukrainians know Americans have money, and sometimes they want too much!! Regardless, we had a huge support system when our issues did arise, Cathy and her Team were there the second we called on them, and our families were here at home, working things on this end! It all turned out for the better and the adoption went on of course, and we hold no hard feelings against anyone. Adoption is a way of life over there - it is what puts food on the table for many families. Some do abuse the system, but that is just a fact. Choosing Ukraine was exactly that....a choice. I educated myself as much as I could, and I was always aware of what was going on and what to expect, and that is way I now cherish my experience, and remember the good points and not so much of the bad. Every time I look at this little girl I am filled with so much love and passion, none of that re enters my mind, for the most part, it is forgotten. I guess it is like giving birth, the pain is all forgotten once it is over!

Thanksgiving was also on the same day last year - November 23rd. That was a coincidence! I wanted to take a moment to reflect back over this year a share a few of things that I am most thankful for....

*Of course, top on my list is Olena and her awesome transition. She is one of the bravest little girls I have ever known and she has really opened her heart to learn to how to love and trust us. That is a huge feat for such a little girl.

* I am thankful for my friends and family, especially my parents, for the support that they have given us as a family, financially and emotionally. There were many days over the first few months were I had to just "give up". I am not saying that babies are easy, but at least when you bring a baby home, for the most part they just eat and sleep. You feed them and then do things for yourself while they are sleeping. Then over a period of a few months, the demands get tougher, but you are gradually worked into that routine. We went for worrying about nobody but ourselves to having a crying, whining, running, screaming, hungry, sick, confused, and EXTREMELY tired toddler. She kept us up all hours of the night, she screamed and cried a lot, and I never knew what she wanted...I don't think she knew either ;) It was one of the toughest, and most testing moments of my life!

*I am thankful for my husband. He had to tough it out too and I know it was hard. All the while we stayed strong as husband and wife. He held me the many times I cried in frustration, and he was always there to take over when he knew I hit the breaking point.

*I am thankful for my employer who has been a complete blessing over the past year. They firmly believe in "family first" and that has made my life so much easier!

*and last but not least, I am thankful to Tonya Kissack. Though she is hundreds of miles away, and we don't talk too much personally, she has been an inspiration, a teacher, and a great influence. Much more than she will ever know! (until now) Many of you who read my blog read hers too, so you are aware of what kind of mother and wife she is - which is AMAZING!! I have learned many parenting tips and ideas, I have read many of her recommendations and because of her I know I am a better person and a better mother. She radiates love and a strong opinion of faith - she is an angel in disguise for many people and I am sure for many of the you who read her posts everyday! I for the first time in my life have decided to read the Bible. My husband and I went to church for the first time for Sunday Mass a few weeks back, I now strive to be a better person, wife, mother, daughter and friend. This is definitely something that has proved to be much easier with the help of God and the power of prayer. If you have read my blog from the start, you are aware that I was never a person of Faith. I lacked that in my life and I now know that my heart was very empty because of it. A dear friend put me on the path before we left for Ukraine, but once I came home, for whatever reason it was tough to continue. I got sucked back into the old bad habits. Reading Tonya's blog, and hearing her "words" put that glow back in my heart and encouraged me to get back on the path and move forward. It has been a slow process, but I am trying and that is all that matters. It seems Tonya is always there to pull you back up when you start to slip! and she does it without even realizing it. So without boring you all too much, Cheers to Tonya. I will remember her and her family tomorrow and thank God for bringing her into my life!
Thank you Tonya for being a true inspiration~

Say a prayer tonight for all of your family and friends. And lets not forget those little ones we left behind!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from the Warchol Family! and God Bless.

The day we met.

November 15th is the day we met.

We got off of the train in Mykolayiv at 6a.m. in the morning after a 12 hour trip. We couldn't visit the orphanage until we got approval from the Municipal Council - which didn't open until 9 a.m.! So what do you do?? First you lug all of our luggage off of the train. Your tired, you stink, you look like crap and your legs wobble when you walk because you can't shake the feeling of being on a moving train. Then with wobbly legs you (and all of your luggage) climb 4 flights of stairs to walk across a bridge and just walk back down. We then had to pay to sit in a waiting room so that we could try to take a nap. Every time I closed my eyes, I got "train" spins and I was sicker then hell do to low blood sugar. At this point, we had not eaten anything of substance since dinner on Monday night (it is now Wednesday morning). We hang out for a few hours then we decide to take a taxi into town. There is a McDonalds there, so Gene wanted to get a bite to eat and at least wait where it was warm until the M.C opened. We hail a cab, put everything in the trunk, and take the ride through Mykolayiv. This is where the reality sets in. Kiev is so much different then typical Ukraine - as you drive through the town, you see how Ukraine's majority lives.
We get to McDonalds and they don't open for another hour, so we sit in the outside court yard, freezing our butts off. When they finally opened, we rush in and all of us are starving so we go to order. The menu is a bit different there though....no breakfast. Yep, we scarfed down a double cheese burger at 8am in the morning, and I have to admit it was probably the best dcb I have ever had :)
At 9a.m we hail another taxi, go the the Municipal Council, unload the luggage again. We go in, taking the luggage with us and Gene takes us into this office that I swear was no bigger than my bathroom. It is packed with 4 desks, 4 ladies with an ungodly amount of perfume on, filing cabinets, stacks and stacks of paper everywhere. We figured we would wait in the hall....oh no, come on in, and don't forget the luggage! Good grief! and to top it all off - they ALWAYS close doors in a room. Now the claustrophobia kicks in :) Just kidding. It was fine, but pretty comical. They were very nice to us, and babbled on in Russian all the while just smiling at us (hhmmm, wonder what they were saying??) but we got what we needed and got the heck out of dodge.
Now the fun begins. It seems that the taxi drivers in Mykolayiv require no common knowledge of City and the places that are in it. Our first experience with this was finding the "desky dom". After we leave the M.C, get another cab, get our luggage in, again... we're off to the orphanage. But not before spending 45 minutes, driving through woods, back alleys, dead end roads, construction sites and only God knows where else, we FINALLY arrive. Unload the luggage drag it into the orphanage, just to find out that the director just left for court about 5 minutes before hand. We have to wait for her to return before we can see Olena. So we wait, we wait and yes, we wait a little more. There is a nurse that keeps walking back and forth between one of the rooms and the exam room, each time with a different little girl or boy, and each time having them say "Dobry den'!" (good day!). Some would smile with pure joy and obey her command, others would give us a laugh by purposely defying her and acting silly! Olga, the director, finally returns after about 2 hours. She has us follow her up to her office (still dragging the luggage) She welcomes us in, has us sit down, goes over a few things about Olena and her birth parents. Then is asks us if we are ready to meet her. If you recall from our original post, we were introduced to the wrong little girl first. There was another Olena K. who was a bit older, the error was discovered fairly quickly though. All laughs aside, and now more tense then ever, we walk back through the halls and through the doors of the toddler room. They were eating lunch. She points to Olena and said that's her. OMG! the most absolutely gorgeous little girl I had ever seen in my life. I was bawling my eyes out before I even realized it.
Those next 30 minutes were and are the most magical moments in my life. I will never forget them.

we didn't think to bring out the camera, so Gene was taking pictures with his camera phone.

This was taken within minutes of meeting her.

We took these pictures when we returned later that night to visit her again.

Well it seems great minds think alike because I read Tonya's blog today and she had the same exact idea I did...I was going to spend these next 50 some days remembering our time in Ukraine. I thought I would post a few things that we didn't while there due to obvious reasons, and try to share some of the great memories I have that I just didn't think to post at the time.

Our adoption trip was perfect, and I tell that to everyone I meet. I still do read the adoption boards, and yes I am still a blogging junkie - scoping out all of the new blogs and following the stories of those families who are currently there - I love to relive the experience. Every time I start to reminisce I will usually remember something small that I had forgotten about that brings a smile to my face. Reading all of this, I often hear/see words of frustration due to the snags you hit along the way....inaccurate paperwork, delays, delays and more delays, expediting fees, etc. Jason and I were thrown a few curve balls during our time there, believe me. That doesn't mean we had a bad experience. I expected it, expected it all. And because of that, we were able to tackle anything that came our way. We didn't stress about it, we just accepted it. That's Ukraine! We are all told that from the very beginning. Expect the unexpected if you chose to adopt from Ukraine. I educated myself upside down and backwards. Gene very rarely even had to explain what he was doing, because I already knew. Just like the ole' saying goes "knowledge is power" and that is why we were able to enjoy this experience to it's fullest!

Anyhow, like I said I will go back in time, and start to re-blog our path to parent hood. Our "Family Day" will be celebrated on December 17th. I know that is not the date that we officially became a family, but it is day that I officially FELT like a family. December 17th is the day that I stepped onto US soil with my daughter in hand and the first night she slept under my roof, where she belongs.

December 17th will also be the day that I end the blog.
I have done my part to advocate adoption the best way I can. I have shared my time before, during and the whole year after. If this blog isn't testimony enough, as to why adoption is such a miracle, then sadly I have failed what I was striving for. I have shared my daughter's daily life with the whole world for a year now, and I think it is time that I start to respect her privacy. I hope that this blog will serve many purposes....to inspire others to adopt, to educate those who will adopt, and bring comfort to those who have adopted.

I have grown to know many of you in the cyber world and I would love to keep you posted with how she progresses. If you are ever curious please do not hesitate to email me!

Thank you to everyone who actually found my life interesting enough to read about.

One year ago!

November 13, 2006....the "due" date of our adoption. The one date that we waited for, for almost 2 years!

One year ago today, Jason and I walked hand in hand through the door of the SDA, leaving Gene behind. Walking down the hall, through a room with parents who were already in their meeting, through another door into a small office. Closing the door behind us, the translators asks us to sit down. There are 2 other ladies in addition to the translator...the psychologist, and a "reporter" who recorded the whole meeting. They explained to us that they had preselected 5 young girls, all under the age of 3. All were healthy with the exception of developmental delays. "Are you ready?" they asked. Jason and I scared out of our wit just nodded our heads in agreement. She laid down the first profile in front of us, before she could even speak I busted out in tears. I couldn't contain myself any longer. "Are you alright?" the translator asks. "YES, this is just the moment I have been waiting for 2 years, I am just excited". She gives us some details of this little girl (who turned out to be Angelina White), then she lays down the second profile...Olena. The picture was beyond beautiful. She had this huge smile, and huge brown eyes, and a brown fuzzy head, she was 6 months old and absolutely perfect. They went on to show us 3 more, all of whom where beautiful but at this point I couldn't stop thinking about the first 2. After seeing all 5, the psychologist asks "Do you have any questions?"
Jason, looks at me, "what do you think?"
"I really love Angelina - the first one, she reminds me of the gerber baby!"
I pull out her file and Olena's lay them next to each other and look at both pictures again. The translator, points to Angeline's file, "the caregivers say she is really really cute!"
"she is, but maybe this one instead" I grab Olena's file.
Jason perks up and smiles, "Yes, she is the one! I know it, she looks like my sister!"
"OK." I hand the file to the psyhologist. "We want to meet her!"
"No questions about her, or the others?"
"No, we don't care - we want to meet her"

That was it. It lasted maybe a whole 10minutes. We showed them the photo album we brought, they loved it! they asked us about our home and our family, and gave us many compliments. A few minutes later, the translator hands us a piece of paper and shows us a map. "Here is where she lives, Myckolayiv! and here is her name and birth date. "
she hands me a paper with some writing on it.

'Olena Sergivena K. 1.20.2005'

They hug us both and send us out the door. We walk back down the hallway and the translator pushes the door open, Gene, and a room full of families and there facilitators are all staring at us. Silence....."we found our daughter - she lives in Mykolayiv" I wave the piece of paper in the air like a trophy. Gene snatches it from my hand, and grabs his cell phone, he starts making all the necessary plans. The families and everyone else, surround us, asking us questions, hugging us, crying, it was complete chaos, but also a moment of complete relief, and happiness.
And that is how is all began!!

Happy Appointment Anniversary!

the long awaited Halloween pics!

I don't have a lot of time to post tonight - I have a couple of important chores to tackle but I know that many of you have been waiting for Halloween pictures, so here are a few! BTW, she is a trick or treating champ! 2 hours, and a huge, UN-needed bag of candy that daddy and Aunt Rickie will devour!

In case you are wondering, she started out as a fairy, but became a little goulish somewhere down the line! She somewhat reminds me of Beetlejuice!