The Smith's

Hello Myrtle Beach.......

2010-06-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

We have reached another Milestone in Cassidy's life - MYRTLE BEACH!!!!!!! As we sit on the beach, her legs, arms, face... covered with sand - she said, "Mom, I miss the snow....." Oh Jeez!!!!

It's been a while Ole Friend.....

2010-03-11T16:00:00.003-05:00

Yes, it has been a while.. we have been BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!!! We managed to survive Thanksgiving, Gotcha Day, Christmas, New Years, Cassidy's Birthday, Valentine's Day... and now on to ST. Patty's Day and Easter!!!

This year seems to be going by so quickly - Next thing you know I will be sending Cassidy off on the bus with Max and Ethan.

A quick update on each of them.....

Max is doing well with school. Baseball season is starting this week, and the practice & game schedule is going to be VERY demanding!!!

Ethan continues to be the "ham" of the house!!! Like his brother he is going to have a very taxing baseball season, but he is looking forward to playing on his favorite team - The METS!!!

Cassidy is learning her letters. Her teachers are saying that she is well on her way to being a Kindergartener.... She is enjoying her time with her brothers and learning a lot of BAD habits.... HA HA HA HA.....

WOW.......

2009-09-24T10:52:00.006-04:00

Where has the time gone? This time last year we were waiting patiently (and by patiently I mean crying, worrying, anxious) to bring Cassidy home. Now, we look back and can't remember a time she was not part of our family. We have to give the Russian Ministry props for selecting the PERFECT child for us. She just FITS!!!!

So much to catch up on.....

2009-08-28T08:49:00.010-04:00

I apologize for lacking on my blog page... I know I have so much to catch everyone up on. Where to begin? I guess with Cassidy's eye surgery. As most know, Cassidy had very bad strabismus with some nerve damage on both eyes. The Dr & staff were wonderful and have corrected about 60% of her eye's. She still has some difficulties, and will most likely require another surgery, but her sight is dramatically improved. She was the hit of the ER. She brought Cassidy Meisha and he did EVERYTHING with her. If she got her blood pressure taken, so did he. If she got a cap & gown, so did he. It was the best. Then they told her that she was going to get to blow up a balloon. She was so excited about it she practically RAN to the Operating Room. (She wasn't as happy when she came out)

In about 3 weeks her eyes healed up nicely and we took the kids to the Cole Circus. (why didn't anyone warm me that the Big Top should really be call Sweat Top? It was soooo hot under the tent!!! I was actually HAPPY when Cassidy had to run to the bathroom every 10 minutes.

Then all too soon came time for school - Cassidy's 1st day of Pre-K! She had so much fun. She was very excited to use her new Dora backpack and lunch box. She is meeting new friends and she truly looks forward to going. She tells us EVERYTHING that happens. It amazes me that this is the same kid we brought home 8 months ago!!!!

Cassidy & Minnie Mouse - Perfect Together!!!!

2009-07-21T20:02:00.006-04:00

This was Cassidy's 1st trip to Disney. All I can say is AMAZING!!!!! See for your self.....

6 months.....

2009-06-09T13:38:00.005-04:00

We have been home 6 months now - What a whirlwind this ride has been. Dennis and I have learned so much from this journey and we hope that we can continue to inspire and share with our family & friends.

Life with Cassidy has been fun, exciting, exhausting and emotionally challenging. Add 2 boys into that mix and you get one crazy house!!!! The boys, as I have said in earlier posts have taken to Cassidy incredibly. Max is the older, wiser brother, while Ethan is her play friend. Cassidy loves them both, but unlike the orphanage, not everything in our house is fair. The questions have started coming - WHY!!! Why do I have to go bed and Ethan & Max stay up later? Why can't I go outside if Ethan & Max are playing outside? Why can't I get new shoes if Ethan and Max get new shoes? Why can't I go to the movies if Max & Ethan get to go to the movies? Our answers - " Cause Life Ain't Fair".

It is easy to forget that she has not always been with us, and like her, we too are adjusting to her personality. With Max & Ethan we had a large influence in the development of their personality's and what was right, wrong, fair, unfair, mean, childish, unacceptable, and proper. With Cassidy, she came "as is." She has her own personality, primarily influenced from the 3+ years in the orphanage, and her own way of doing things. For us, that has been the hardest part, remembering that she is her own individual, and no matter how long we were waiting for her, she has only been here 6 months - and we can't expect everything to be perfect all the time. But honestly for the most part, it has been wonderful!!!

Language and a 4 year old

2009-05-19T09:58:00.004-04:00

When you are adopting you read ANY and ALL books you can get your hands on. Especially when you are adoption an older toddler. Not that Dennis and I were "new" at this parenting thing (we do have the 2 boys), but hey - why not be as prepared as we possibly could. We read books on transitions, incorporation of customs, sleep routines, discipline, and language. Out of all of the issues that we expected to be hard - we thought language would be the worst. I started listening and learning Russian as soon as I could. I would speak Russian to her, and Dennis would speak English to her, and maybe the transition for her would not be so difficult. Well - difficult is not the world I would use for her language skills. Cassidy is speaking FLUENT English and has had no issues with the transitions of such. The 1st week or so was difficult. Learning her Russian slang vs. my broken Russian. However, by the time we got home we could understand almost every one of her needs. By 3 months home, he vocabulary had increased by almost 200%, and now at 6 months she has the speech recognition of a 45 month old (according to CHOP) HOW AMAZING!!!!!! Her voice inflections are correct when she uses sarcasm (yes, already she is adapting to the ways of our house) and when he is adamant about something (usually making her brothers do something she wants) he tones gets very stern. It is AMAZING to see the changes. Every day she learns something new and teaches us something else.

I thank God every day that we were blessed enough to have the resources to bring her to our family. We joke that we can't remember what life was like without her. Maybe because she was always meant to be ours!!!

Easter 2009

2009-04-23T13:00:00.005-04:00

What a great time we had this Easter. Cassidy had lots of fun "finding" the eggs - we are not sure that she understood it, but she had a good time. The boys have been very very good with her. I could not be more proud of them!!!!

We hope you all had a very Happy Easter!

Mommy Monkey's

2009-03-22T20:55:00.005-04:00

The 3 of them are MONKEYS!!! They are all over the place - It is great. Cassidy has been home for over 3 months now and everything is going along smoothly. We have scheduled our homestudy follow up, and we are working with Cassidy everyday on her letters, numbers and phonics. It is amazing how much she already knows!!!

Enjoy some new pictures!!!!!!

It's been so long.....

2009-03-08T15:13:00.004-04:00

I know it has been so long, but we are trying to spend as much time with the kids as we can. A few weeks ago we celebrated Cassidy's 4th Birthday. We are not sure that she ever celebrated her birthday before, so we wanted to keep it as quite as possible. Even with the simplest "Cake & Coffee" party, it still was quite taxing on her. (But she has fun).

Everything is getting MUCH MUCH better. The boys & Cassidy are getting along very well, and with the ensuing nice weather, we have been able to spend more and more fun outside. Cassidy is slowly acclimating to our BIG family. It is hard for her in large crowds because she doesn't understand the concept of meeting, greeting, and then leaving. It is the leaving part that is so difficult. It has been on of the few "orphanage" hurdles we have not yet been able to surpass. But, we are working on it.

Otherwise, we are getting ready for our 1st Post Adoption follow up. I am sure we will all pass with flying colors - It is amazing how much Cassidy has integrated us into her life. She has made this a happier, funnier family. It is amazing that she has only been with us for 3 months and already I forget what life was life before her.

I want to wish everyone still in the process GOOD LUCK!!! I know that things have been changing dramatically, but it is ALL WORTH IT in the end.

SNOW!!!!!!!

2009-02-05T11:19:00.004-05:00

We enjoyed the snow outside. Max, Ethan & Cassidy had a blast making snow angels and throwing snow balls at each other. The best part - HOT COCCO afterwards!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

The Little Things....

2009-01-20T10:09:00.004-05:00

Each day that goes by you follow your routine. You get up, shower, dress, get kids up, dressed, breakfast... and so the day goes. But every once and while you have to step back and smile at the little things. This was one of those moments.

For those who have adopted from International countries, you know that sleep is one of the more difficult things to manage. In our case it is no different. Cassidy still has a tough time sleeping - so when she was yawning over lunch, and I asked her if she was tired and she said yes - I didn't believe her (BAD MOMMY). Obviously I should have!!!!!

Welcome 2009

2009-01-05T14:40:00.004-05:00

Welcome 2009. We have so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to. Now, as a family of 5, there are changes, experiences, and lessons that need to be learned. I can honestly look back and now and say WOW!! I was not certain that we were going to get through 2008, but now we have something to look forward to - 2009.

Max, Ethan and Cassidy have enjoyed their time together. They have started to really bond and it makes Dennis and I smile how easily Cassidy is adjusting in with the family. They enjoy movie night, riding bikes, and just building with the blocks.

We hope that 2009 is as fun and enjoyable as 2008 has been!!! We wish all of our friends and family the BEST IN 2009!!!!

Merry Christmas from the Smith's

2008-12-29T08:33:00.004-05:00

We hope that this Chistmas was spent with family and loved ones!!!

Is it over already????

2008-12-22T13:54:00.007-05:00

Today's topic of conversation is ADJUSTMENT.

How are the boys adjusting, Cassidy adjusting, parents, etc.... Well, let's just say the honeymoon is over. And in all honesty I am surprised it has lasted this long. For the first week or so, Max & Ethan have been very conscience of Cassidy, playing with her, helping her - NOW IT IS SIBLING TIME!!!! Yes, that is the time in which we stop playing nice and treat each other as siblings. You know that time right? The time when "NO, that is mine", or "NO, you can't play with that", or "Why do I have to sit and color?". Yes ladies & gentlemen - It is SIBLING TIME in the Smith house. And yes, Cassidy is holding her own. However, that does not mean we don't have fun, because we do. Below are some pictures of tree decorating!!!!

More Pictures.....

2008-12-10T13:11:00.007-05:00

The Trip Home

2008-12-08T13:53:00.006-05:00

I think we were ALL ready for the trip home!!! Cassidy was SOOOO good on the plane. I am not sure how she did it. She was awake for the 1st 3 hours of the trip, then she slept for 5 hours, then she was awake for the last 2 hours.

Moscow Pics

2008-12-08T12:51:00.013-05:00

Our trip to Moscow was very nice. We visited the histocial Red Square & The Kremlin. We even stumbled across a memorial dedication. The Russian Army band was very Impressive!!!

Enjoy!

What a day.....

2008-12-05T10:44:00.002-05:00

What a day this has been. It started off a cold and dreary day, but it was better to be outside then trapped in a hotel room with a bored 3 year old. So we borrowed an umbrella and took a walk to Red Square. Cassidy walked most of the way, so we tired her out early!!! Then we met up with Kathy & Anya and were off to the US Embassy for our interviews. On the way over, you could see how tired Cassidy was.

Once we were at the US Embassy she and Anya played and walked around while directions and information were handed out to the parents. Cassidy has become very attached to Anya, and when we had to bring her with us to the interview she had a meltdown to be taken away from Anya. (Plus she was tired & had no nap today). Then after the interview she threw a fit because Anya was not there. I feel so bad - she is so tired, cranky, and doesn't really understand what is going on.

Needless to say, all our plans for the evening went KABOSH after the US Embassy. We were suppose to meet up with Dan, April & Ava for dinner, but because of Cassidy's meltdowns we thought it best to go straight back to the hotel (DAN, APRIL & AVA - Sorry!!!!). Thankfully, we did go back to the hotel, because once we got out of the van and said goodbye to Kathy & Anya, Cassidy had a FULL FLEDGED meltdown. She refused to eat dinner, she refused to get her PJ's on, and she is currently refusing to go to bed. (WHAT A NIGHT).

Anyway, I believe we are all set to return home tomorrow. We can't wait. We miss the boys and our family!

Please say a prayer that all goes well -
Stephanie

A Day in Moscow

2008-12-05T01:20:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we spent the day visiting around Moscow. We met Kathy & Anya Roberts (who we went to the medicals with). Anya is 12 years old and a true joy!!! She was wonderful with Cassidy. They had a lot of fun in the car. Hopefully they will be able to come to dinner with us after the embassy this afternoon. Cassidy has been talking about Anya all morning.

This evening was just as eventful. We had dinner with Dan, April & Ava Isreal. They introduced us to this great little American Diner called the Starlight Diner. The food was very good. and it was close to the hotel. The walk there was pretty, we got to see all the sites along the way.

And Ava - What a CUTIE Ava is. She laughed, smiled and looks just like her papa. She is very attached to April. You can certainly see the bond already forming between mommy & daughter.

Today we have our interview at the US Embassy at 2pm. Afterwards we hope to go to dinner with Kathy, Anya, April, Dan & Ava. It should be a fun night!!!

I will post more pictures later.

ENJOY!

Stephanie, Dennis & Cassidy

PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES.....

2008-12-04T00:15:00.009-05:00

I apologize for taking so long to update the site. We have been very busy keeping Cassidy WORN OUT!!!! We have gone for long walks, playgrounds, running around the apartment. Below are some pictures from our trip to the Planyetta Mall. They have one of the nicest kids playgrounds that I have seen in a mall. ENJOY!!!!!

Brrrrrrrrr......

2008-12-01T10:05:00.004-05:00

Can you say COLD!!!!!!! It was -15 degrees here today - and what did we do? We went and played outside! Yes, we may be slightly brain damaged but there is only so long that you can stay cooped up in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment. Our trip outside only lasted about 1 hour, but at least it was some exercise.

Tomorrow is suppose to be colder!!! Wonder what we will do then. Maybe take a trip to the Planyetta Mall.

Enjoy your day,

Stephanie

Sleep - It's Over Rated

2008-11-30T04:56:00.007-05:00

Well, at least that is what Dennis and I are telling ourselves. We are not sure what the problem is, but Cassidy REFUSES to sleep. The battles begin as soon as she see's the bed. We understand it is unrealistic to expect that she will sleep through the night, or that she can sleep by herself (coming from sleeping with 11 other children) however, we did expect some sleep. Last night we gave her a bath, calmed down, and then pulled out the bed - only to have her go into a FIT of RAGE, screaming, crying, hitting, etc - Finally, somewhere after 2 hours of this, she finally calmed down and slept for 2 hours. Yes, you read right - 2 hours!!! And no, she has not slept since - Dennis and I had to take turns staying awake. As you can imagine, we are hoping that tonight is slightly different. So, that was the NOT so fun part of our evening, let me tell you about the funny part.

Cassidy can EAT!!! Between her brothers and her, Dennis and I will be working for the food bill. Last night she ate 2 helpings of carrots, a whole potato and 3 pieces of London Broil - and we had to stop her from more for fear her belly would get upset. Later that evening she had yogurt for snack. This is a good sign that hopefully she will put some weight on.

Currently, according to the orphanage she is a whopping 26lbs (seriously, her clothes are falling off of her). I brought all 4T's with us, and they are all TOO big. Thankfully her cords and jeans have the adjustable waist so we have tightened then as much as possible, tuck in her shirts, and roll up the bottoms.

Anyway, tonight is a new night, and I am sure a new battle. Hopefully Dennis and I will be able to implement some of the hard lessons we learned (from last night) to make tonight easier.

We will continue to keep you posted.
Stephanie (and Dennis)

GOTCHA!!!!!!!

2008-11-29T01:20:00.009-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2008-11-27T21:26:00.002-05:00

While it is no longer Thanksgiving for us here in Russia we want to wish all our FAMILY & FRIENDS HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!

We have so much to be thankful for this year. We are truly blessed to have each and everyone of you in our lives. We look forward to sharing many more Thanksgivings together.

All our love,
Stephanie & Dennis

Brief visit today...

2008-11-25T23:27:00.005-05:00

Today was a brief visit with Cassidy. We were only allowed to play outside with her today for 30 minutes. Something was going on in the "visitors" room, so we were not able to get a full visit in with her. But, we did have fun in the snow!!! She really likes the outside, and I think she is getting more comfortable with us by the way she has begun to test us as parents. It begins - The Battle of Wills!!! Somehow I think she believes since she is so cute she can get away with it. Little does she know!!!! HA HA HA

Anyway, here are some pictures from our visit with her yesterday. It was a fun day. It started by playing outside, then we moved inside and colored and listened to music.

We will post again soon with more updates!!! (BTW - only 2 more days until GOTCHA day!)

Ok.. I give in... The BOWS have it

2008-11-24T00:47:00.004-05:00

For many of you who know me, I was never the girly-girl type. I much preferred jeans, t-shirts and sneakers then dresses, tights, and ponytails. Being over in Siberia has made me appreciate style much more then normal. (Now please - don't get me wrong, this wont change my style, I have just learned to appreciate it more) Everyone dresses up just to go to the market. Designer clothes are ALL over the place, and it is a HOT day in Siberia before women wear sneakers. Most wear VERY high-heeled boots through the winter in the snow & ice!! (GOD BLESS THESE WOMEN!!!)
Each day that we go to visit Cassidy, I am amazed at the number of women hiking up HUGE hills covered in ice & snow wearing designed coats, skirts and boots! More amazing are the kids at the orphanage. The kids all share their wardrobes (with the exception of a few pieces), but for the most part, they are well kept and well made. What I find the most amusing is the hair styles.
In a previous post, I was lamenting over this BIG WHITE BOW that Cassidy had in her hair. Well - Ladies & Gentlemen, I will NEVER, EVER say a thing about the big white bow again!!! I think this next pictures says it all!!!!

Yes, those are the latest fashion trends here. Dennis kept calling her Princess Cassidy - and trying to make her say "Help me Obi-One, your our only hope". It didn't really work, but he got a chuckle out of trying to get her to say it.
Anyway, we continue to keep ourselves amused. We are watching a lot of TV, and reading quite a bit. Tonight we are going out with Sveta & Oleg (Dasha is studying for finals) and then it is back to work for me (starting at 9pm local time).
Enjoy your day, and we will post soon.
Stephanie

Passport Picture Day

2008-11-21T12:55:00.005-05:00

Today was our 1st day out with Cassidy. We took her to get her passport picture taken. She was very excited to go for a ride in the Machina (car) with us. She got to sit in between us with her eyes wide open!!! Everything was moving so fast.

After pictures we went back to the orphange and played a little longer with her. It is very difficult occupying a 3 year old in a small room for hours. We asked to take her outside but it was too late and getting close to the time we would have to leave.

We hope to be able to play outisde tomorrow (if it is nice enough).

Have a great day!

Stephanie

PlayDough....

2008-11-20T12:02:00.003-05:00

Do you know how many things you can make with play dough? Me... I can only make 2 recognizable things ( a snowman and a worm) - Daddy on the other hard can make dogs, cats, birds, turtles etc - the list goes on and on.

As you can imagine today was our "creative" day. We made animals, shapes, rolled the play dough out of the table - only to scrunch it all up and do it again. It was fun, and I think all 3 of us had a good time.

Anyway - News alert - BETTER BOWS today!!!! Much easier to handle.

We hope all is well back home and we can't wait to be able to post her face!!!!

Love Stephanie

A visit with Cassidy....

2008-11-19T11:18:00.003-05:00

I have to admit, I never laughed so hard as when I was getting scolded by a 3 1/2 year old (in Russian) over a BOW!!!! I know I should not have laughed, but you had to see her face. It all started when she came out with this HUGE bow in her hair. Now, Cassidy has very fine hair - and because of that they usually put her hair in pigtails (they stay in easier). But not today. Today she had a huge white bow on the top of her head, and every time she would tumble into the ball pit, or jump after the balloon it would fall out. Then she would pick it up, bring it to Dennis (and then Dennis sent her my way - he has no clue how to wrap a bow in her hair). So finally after the 3rd time, I just took it out of her hair and put it on the table. Well - Let's just say that is NOT how you do things at her children's home!!! Nyet Mama, NYET!!!! Then she started rambling (in Russian of course) then huffed, and stomped away from me. TOO FUNNY. Eventually I did have to put the bow back in her hair because she kept trying to do it herself and was obviously not going to give up until she completed her mission!!!

(just thought you might like to see how BIG the bow was - not exactly a child's size - HA HA)

Anyway, Dennis and I think she is starting to get used to us. We are trying to stay consistent with her schedule, and believe it or not, we have already had to tell her Nyet (No) a few times.

We can't wait for her to come home. Her brothers are going to go CRAZY over her.

We will continue to keep you posted.

Stephanie

COURT Update

2008-11-18T17:41:00.002-05:00

WE WERE APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously we still have the 10 day wait until we gain official custody of Cassidy but at least this stress is over. Court went very well. The judge was very nice, and Dennis got the majority of the questions. Thankfully Sveta prepared us for everything. We found out that not only did they speak to the birth mother, but they also had the grandmother and aunt sign a release waiver (just in case). So we are very happy!!! Soon we will be a family of 5.

Thank you everyone for all your support & prayers!!!

Love Stephanie & Dennis

Our Day with Cassidy

2008-11-17T09:55:00.006-05:00

What an exciting day today was. It was the 1st time in 6 months that we got to see Cassidy Masha. I was soooo nervous that she may have changed, or that she would not want us there. Thankfully, my fears disinegrated withing minutes of being there. 1st - when she walked in the door and saw us, she started telling the care giver that her mama & papa were here. She played with us, laughed with us, she even let Dennis hold her most of the time (I think she may be a daddy's girl - and I think she already has papa wrapped around her little finger!)

Cassidy Masha has not gotten much bigger since the last time we saw her. She did however get new shoes - The outfit was the same, but the shoes were new.

Cassidy Masha definitly rememebered the backpack - she dove right into it. It was almost laughable. I didn't realize that we had not taken some of the chocolate candy out, and when she found it her eyes got wide. Unfortunately, I had to tell her Nyet - I don't think she was very happy with me at that moment. But, she did find Dennis's MP3 player again - and her and Papa danced away. Later, Cassidy Masha took Mama to play in the ball pit - she could not stop laughingh as we put our feet into the small ball pit and wiggles our toes around. Then the 3 of us played catch with a balloon and she could not stop cracking up!!!

Too soon it was time to leave - and all 3 of us were upset to go. We promised Cassidy Masha thst we would be back soon. Tomorrow is court and hopefully all will go well.

We thought we would include a teaser photo - we can't put her picture up on the blog yet, but hopefully in 2 weeks.

Say a prayer!!!!

This post will be 1 word......

2008-11-15T19:51:00.001-05:00

SNOW!!!!!!

Medicals are DONE

2008-11-14T12:08:00.010-05:00

We have finished one more step in the process. We have completed our Medical Evaluation at the Moscow downtown hospital. We have the documents in hand and we are ready to take another step towards bringing Cassidy home.

It was a long day at the hospital. We got there at 10am in order to be the 1st in line (evaluations start at 12pm). The process went relatively quickly. We had to see 7 doctors - and it only took a little over 2 hours. Not bad!!! There were 7 other couples behind us in line, so I was very happy that our interpreter got us there early.

Afterwards, we went out to lunch with our interpreter at a nice Italian restaurant - Il Patio. The food was good, and the company was enjoyable. It was nice to talk to our interpreter outside of the adoption process. She is a very nice woman, and I hope that we get to see her on the round trip back to Moscow with Cassidy.

This evening, Dennis and I ventured down the street to the KFC for dinner. I got a great picture of Dennis in front of the chicken!!!

Tomorrow is our big sightseeing day, so hopefully I will have lots more pictures to post then. Until then, some of these local (non exciting) pictures will have to do -

Enjoy for now, and we will post as soon as possible.

Privyet from Moscow

2008-11-13T08:25:00.003-05:00

Privyet from Moscow.... This is our 1st official post. It is Nov 13th at 4:30pm (8:30am US Time)

We decided to fly Aeroflot for the WHOLE journey. I must say - the food on Aeroflot is MUCH better then the food you would get on Delta, Continental, etc. The flight was uneventful - no movies were offered, but I slept most of the way, and Dennis read and watched movies on the portable player.

We are staying at the Marriott Grand in Moscow. It is beautiful and only a few minutes walk from Red Square & the Kremlin. We can't wait to go tour - But for now, I think we are going to try and relax, grab something to eat, and just chill -

We will post some pictures as soon as we can.
Love Stephanie (and Dennis)

We are packed......

2008-11-11T08:58:00.002-05:00

Yes, you heard me right - with one day to go, we are COMPLETELY packed. We were able to get everything into our 3 pieces of luggage. Go figure - I hope we packed heavy enough clothes. As the temperature changes here in NJ, so does it in Russia (except in Siberia there is usually a - in front of the #) HA HA HA.

Anyway, now that the packing is out of the way, it is on to the document review. I have to go through ALL the documents to make sure that we have EVERYTHING that we need. Including all the documentation for the kids school since we will be away for so long.

I have my list, I am checking it twice!!! Hope I don't forget anything.

Race against time.....

2008-11-09T08:47:00.003-05:00

Race against time.... that is what I feel like right now. Everything has to get done, checked, and double checked. I finally got our suitcase packed last night. Dennis and I have taken everyone's advice and PACKED LIGHT! We are bringing only the bare essentials, and figure we can do wash while we are over there. All of our outfits are mix & match, so that helped save room. Closing the suitcase - 43lbs. 1lbs under the maximum weight!!! WHOOOO HOOOOO.

Next on the list is Cassidy's suitcase. Her's is going to be the most difficult. They told us we should bring 7 outfits for her, plus a plain white shirt for her passport picture. Also, she will need a full snowsuit & hats/gloves/scarfs (Those are not a problem). What is going to be a problem is deciding what to bring!!!! She has so much already. Her closet is a far cry from what she has now at the orphanage (3 outfits, 1 set of stockings, and 1 pair of sandals).

Hopefully we will be getting all this done within the next day because I would really like to be able to relax and get in one last FAMILY FUN DAY - (whether it be on a Sunday or Monday or Tuesday....)

We will continue to keep you posted.
Stephanie

CIS - Immigration

2008-11-07T18:41:00.002-05:00

CIS - Immigration.....Those are the words that usually bring fear and dread into my heart. But NOT TODAY!!! I have to give Kudos to the CIS staff, they really went above and beyond the call of duty for Dennis and I. Let me tell you the story -

Yesterday, as I was packing up our documents for Russia, I realized that our old Immigration fingerprints expired, and the new ones would not be taken until the I-171H extension was completed. What does that mean??? That means we would not be able to bring Cassidy home because we were not "officially" cleared. So, I called the 800# for CIS and they told me that Dennis and I had to meet with a local field agent to figure out if there was anything we could do. We went on-line, made an appointment, and 2 hours later were travelling 45 minutes away to the field office. When we got to the field office they told us - oh no - we are your local field office but adoptions are only handled at the Adoption Unit in Newark, NJ. You have to call them. UGH!!! Ok - so, instead of leaving there and calling from home - I whipped out my handy dandy blackberry and called the 800# the CIS agent gave me - Ring.... Ring.... Ring.... no answer. Ring... Ring... Ri... Hello?

Finally, we get a Newark agent on the phone. I explain the situation - ya know what he says? He says call back next Wednesday between 1pm - 4pm - that is when we take adoption questions. UMMMMM - NO - I am suppose to be in Russia on Wednesday!! So, at this point I am in the CIS office in Mt, Laurel trying to keep my cool. I start to get a little loud, so the nice man on the phone goes and talks to his supervisor. He gets back on the phone, asks me to explain the situation again, and once again, goes back to talk to his supervisor. Finally, he comes back on the phone and says that Dennis and I need to come to CIS Newark - Adoption Unit, and pick up new letters tomorrow and that we could get appointments to get fingerprinted! YEAH!!!!!!!

So, needless to say, today, we went to CIS Newark, picked up the appointment letters and finally got to meet face to face the woman I have been corresponding with via email for weeks - Mona, I want to say THANK YOU!!!! She gave us the new appointment letters, we went over to get fingerprinted and were down with everything within 1.5 hours - WOW!!! You go CIS Newark!! Good Job!!!!!

SO - the moral of the story - Keeping your cool allows calmer heads to prevail and more things get accomplished. And now, I think I have accomplished boring all our friends and family, so I will move on.

Have a great day - I will post again soon,
Stephanie

ITINERARY

2008-11-05T07:46:00.003-05:00

Well, it is all set. Our itinerary is as follows:

Nov 12th - JFK to Moscow
Nov 13th - Arrive in Moscow
Nov 14th - Medicals in Moscow
Nov 15th - Leave for Krasnoyarsk
Nov 16th - Arrive in Krasnooyarsk
Nov 17th - Visit with Cassidy
Nov 18th - COURT DATE!!!!
Nov 28th - Gotcha Day
Dec 3rd - Return to Moscow
Dec 6th - HOME!!!!!!

Now, of course, this can all change. But, I can't wait to get Cassidy home. It has been a long time coming!

Also, I want to say CONGRATS to our friends who has ther GOTCHA DAY!!! He is beautiful and you are truly blessed.

We will continue to keep you posted.

Stephanie

Knock on wood!!!

2008-11-02T20:08:00.003-05:00

Wow, I guess all stars aligned and the earths magnetic waves were adjusted - I spoke to Marriott and between my father and I we had enough Marriott points to book our stay at the Moscow Marriott Grand (both trips) and still have points left over.

I was so happy to hear that! It saves so much $$$$.

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.”

Busy, Busy, Busy.....

2008-11-01T22:29:00.002-04:00

I know it has been a few days since we have posted, but we have been very very busy. When we found out that we got out court date we had a momentary sigh of relief. And I do mean momentary- since then it has gotten CRAZY!! We have had to get plane tickets, order new money, etc - The best was our visa's. I ordered our Visa's on Friday afternoon, thinking that I had a solid week for them to be processes. Guess what - NOTHING is every simple. As it turns out, Monday & Tuesday are a Russian Holiday and all forms of government are shut down. That means that our Visa's won't be processed until probably Wednesday or Thursday. That doesn't give us much time to get them back, but we have faith in the system........

Additionally, work has been crazy busy as well. Q4 is always the most hectic for my company and this year is no different!!!! I have lists of things EVERYWHERE. 1 for work, 1 for the kids, 1 for documents, and 1 for a to do list. And I only have 11 more days to accomplish everything. That is right 11 days!!!!!

Our itinerary is as follows:

Nov 12th (JFK to Moscow) - got a GREAT deal on Areoflot.
Nov 13th - Arrive in Moscow
Nov 14th - Medicals in Moscow
Nov 15th - Leave for Krasnoyarsk (Moscow to Krasnoyarsk)
Nov 16th - Arrive in Krasnoyarsk
Nov 17th - Visit Cassidy
Nov 18th - COURT
Nov 28th - GOTCHA DAY (Hopefully)
Dec 3rd - Leave for Moscow (Krasnoyark to Moscow)
Dec 4th - Appointment at US Embassy
Dec 6th - Return Home (Moscow to JFK)

Dennis and I will try and keep the site posted on our activity as often as possible.

Have a great day,
Stephanie

The Post you have been waiting for.........

2008-10-30T11:41:00.007-04:00

WE GOT OUR COURT DATE!!!!!!!!!!!

We don't have all the information yet, but we know that we will be in Court on Nov 18th.

Thank you all for all your prayers, and please keep them coming!!!!

Quote of the Day - 10/27/08

2008-10-27T11:35:00.002-04:00

Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God.

Quote of the Day - 10/26/08

2008-10-26T22:16:00.000-04:00

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

(Galatians 5:22-23)

Apostille

2008-10-24T13:07:00.003-04:00

It's rather amusing that I am on a 1st name basis with the nice lady at the office when we get our documents Apostilled. Today, our documents (for Apostille) have been picked up and overnighted to the St. Louis office and hopefully to Kras by next week.

I want to take a quick moment to say CONGRATS to our friends in Kras now - they are now a FAMILY OF 4!!!! (I can't wait to see pictures)

"If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes"

Corrie TenBoom

Extension of I-171H

2008-10-22T08:57:00.002-04:00

We found out that since we (most likely) will not be travelling to Russia until December, that we need to file for an extension of our I-171H form which expires December 21, 2008. This is the CIS (Citizenship & Immigration Services) form that allows us to adopt. It is officially called the Orphan Petition and we need it in order to bring Cassidy into the US.

The estimated time for an extension is 6 - 8 weeks. I hope that it doesn't take that long!!!!

5 Months

2008-10-21T11:23:00.000-04:00

"Endurance is patience concentrated"
Thomas Carlyle

Today it has been 5 months since we said "farewell for now" to Cassidy. I feel like it was only yesterday that we were playing with her, holding her, laughing with her. She does not realize what a huge impact she has already made on our lives (even though she is not physically here with us). We thank God that he has kept watch over her in our absence, and that we have had the support of our family and friends the past few months.

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We look forward to bringing her home soon.

Stephanie & Dennis

Quote of the Day - 10/18/08

2008-10-18T09:54:00.003-04:00

“May the love hidden deep inside your heart find the love waiting in your dreams. May the laughter that you find in your tomorrow wipe away the pain you find in your yesterdays.”

More Docs?

2008-10-17T10:19:00.005-04:00

I guess I should be taking my own advice right now - FAITH. I am trying, but it is very hard. I received an email yesterday from our agency asking us to send documents that we already supplied (in duplicate, notarized, and apostilled). I am confused at this point, and hope to get some clarification by the end of the day today.

I remain confident that this little girl is meant to be part of our family, and Dennis and I will walk through fire to bring her home to us!!! Patience is my middle name.

"Be patient enough to live one day at a time, letting yesterday go and leaving tomorrow until it arrives."

Quote of the Day -

2008-10-16T11:48:00.002-04:00

"When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing One of two things will happen: There will be somethign solid to stand on or You will be taught to fly"
~ Patrick Overton

Pick Up

2008-10-16T10:41:00.001-04:00

OK - so final two (2) documents have been picked up and shipped off to the St. Louis Office. I have sent them via UPS overnight delivery so that they can be included as part of tomorrow's weekly mailing to Russia.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Also, please keep in your thoughts and prayers all our friends in Krasnoyarsk region. They are working hard to keep the ball rolling!

Stephanie

Drop Off

2008-10-15T13:37:00.001-04:00

Went to Trenton, NJ today to drop off documents to be Apostilled for Russia.
(Thanks for notarizing them so quick Cheri)

Hopefully I can pick them up tomorrow. So far so good.

Progress

2008-10-14T08:26:00.002-04:00

We are making progress!!! Our documents have made it to Krasnoyarsk region. Upon review of our documents in the Kras region, they asked yesterday to get a copy of a document from our original home study service (Adoption House), which is no longer in business. They needed a document from 2006/2007. Thankfully I keep EVERYTHING, but I don't know what I will do if they need it notarized and apositlled.

Keep your fingers crossed!!!

As always, please continue to keep us, and all the families in Kras in your thoughts and prayers.

We will update you as soon as possible.
Stephanie

Not the news we wanted

2008-10-09T11:01:00.002-04:00

Well, it certainly is not the news we wanted. We found out today that our court date would probably not be until December (if then). Our documents have still not been translated and notarized after 6 weeks of being in Russia. As you can imagine Dennis and I are devastated, hurt, pissed, mad, and obviously very emotional.

According to the Moscow representative, they hope to have our documents finished and to the Krasnoyarsk region sometime in October. Oleg, the Krasnoyarsk region rep, estimates that we will not get a court date until December (if then). He mentions that it is all up to the judges in the region.

We have many friends in the Krasnoyarsk region right now (and in court). We pray that you come home soon with your little ones. Good Luck and know that you remain in our thoughts and prayers.

Stephanie (and Dennis)

Nothing Yet -

2008-10-01T17:17:00.002-04:00

No news regarding our court date yet - But I want to say CONGRATS to Geoff & Karey who got their court date!!!!!! (and on my birthday no less - lucky day - Oct 14th).

Judges are back in session in Kras this week (from vacation again), so hopefully we will here something soon. Keep praying!

Stephanie (and Dennis)

Cassidy's Room

2008-09-23T11:18:00.002-04:00

FINALLY!!!! We finished putting together Cassidy's bedroom. We still need to put the finishing touches on, but the furiture is done and it is just WONDERFUL!!! I hope she loves it!

Happy Monday

2008-09-22T08:37:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday everyone. Another week has passed, and while we have no news of a court date, so much has been happening for our friends! We have heard that many of our friends have been getting court dates, travelling, and getting referrals.

We continue to pray for a safe journey for them and their families.

Have a GREAT week!!!!
Stephanie

Still Waiting....

2008-09-15T16:39:00.003-04:00

Hello friends and family - (Ciao Amici e Famiglia , Privyet друзья и Семья )

Yes (si, da) - I am trying to brush up on both my Italiano and Russky. I was reading a book the other day and it had a lot of Italian in it. Or at least the Italian I heard a lot of growing up (most of which cannot be typed on this page HA HA HA), but it got me thinking, second languages are a part of our culture. Growing up in a large Italian household, there were just some things that were common place. We don't have dish towels, we have mopina's. We don't put sauce on our pasta - we put gravy on it. And anyone who was at my house while growing up - well, you know what Grandpa's jumbot was. We laugh about it now, especially when we get those email that go around - You know you are Italian if.... Well, the sad part is - they are true. Sunday is family day and yes, dinner starts at at 1-2pm.

But this leads me to a more important issue. One I can use some advice on. I have grown up being Italian and doing/saying Italian things. I hear myself saying things like mio dio or telling the boys venni qui , or che cosa fai - they understand it because that is all they have even known - How will Cassidy adapt to it? Not only are we going to ask her to adapt to an American culture, but also to an Italian family. I am trying to find ways to preserve her Russian heritage. Let her be proud to be from Russian heritage, but how do I blend the 2 (russian & italian)together?

Has anyone else had or felt this way? I could use some suggestions.

Update - There is none. We are still waiting for a court date. As soon as I know, I will post - I am READY!!!!!!

Have a great day, and please continue to pray!
Stephanie

No News

2008-09-10T12:50:00.002-04:00

Dennis and I have not forgotten about everyone - we just don't have any news. We know that our documents are suppose to be in Russia, but that is it. We did find a glimmer of hope through our friends the Aker's, who should be getting their travel dates soon. They are travelling to the same region as we are.

Good Luck to all the family's travelling!!!!!!!

We will update you as soon as we hear anything.
Stephanie (and Dennis)

1st Day of School - 2008/2009

2008-09-04T08:49:00.009-04:00

Another summer has passed us by and the Smith Boys are back at school. Max and Ethan were very excited to begin the school year. Max is starting 3rd grade and Ethan is starting 1st grade.

Can you believe it? It feels like only yesterday that they were baby's. Look at them now - Ready to take on the world (or the 3rd grade & 1st grade at least)

Our bus stop has 13 kids - Yes, you heard me right, 13 kids!!!!!! We filled 1/4 the bus.

I hope that they have a great day!!!!

Documents in St. Louis

2008-09-02T08:34:00.002-04:00

Good Morning Everyone!

I feel much better this week since I know that my documents have arrived in St. Louis today. Hopefully they will be in Russia by the end of the week and maybe we can have a court date by the end of next week.

Please continue to pray for us, and those family's waiting.

Have a great day!!!
Stephanie

Off to Trenton, NJ

2008-08-28T11:08:00.002-04:00

I am off to Trenton to get copies of the boys birth certificates and the adoption documents Apostilled. Hopefully this will be the last time I have to visit Trenton for a very long time.

Wish me luck!
Stephanie

One Day Glitch

2008-08-27T15:20:00.002-04:00

We have a one day glitch. It seems that our documents sent in April (to Krasnoyarsk) are no longer valid for our region. Hence, my documents were wrong and I could not get to Trenton yesterday. We are hoping to have them tomorrow and then off to Trenton we go for Apositlling (s that even a word?)

Anyway, in the meantime, we have been BUSY!!!!!!!!!

Keep your fingers crossed we get the docs tomorrow.

Another Step ....

2008-08-25T10:11:00.005-04:00

What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars, 1939, translated from French by Lewis Galantière

Another Step taken. We have received our paperwork from our new Home study Agency (HAPS) and hopefully we will be in Trenton, NJ getting everything Apostilled. I am hoping to keep to our timeline (1) Tuesday 26th, drop off docs to get Apostilled, (2) Wednesday 27th, pick up Apostilled docs, (3) Put Apostilled docs overnight into UPS mail to CHI, (4) Thursday 28th, CHI receives and reviews, (5) Friday 29th, CHI put in mail to Russia!!!!!

Each little step that we take keep bringing us closer and closer to bringing Cassidy home. I have a running joke with our CHI rep (Anna) - I keep reminding her that my wedding anniversary in on August 30th, and a really good gift would be a court date. So, everyday I sent her a little email with the new countdown reminder!!!! HA HA HA.

Anyway, this weekend my mother and I continued our quest for the CUTEST clothes for Cassidy. We are slowly building her closet up (as you can see below). We found a pair of pink Uggs - How cute!!!! I hope they fit her -

I will continue to keep you all in the loop. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Stephanie

Another Pebble avoided....

2008-08-18T11:52:00.005-04:00

Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown

WOW - another pebble passed, unfortunately, many more are on the horizon. Today is our Homestudy update (with a new social worker). We had to start fresh with a new social worker and a new report (due to our old agency closing down). HAPS assigned us a new social worker last week and already we are scheduled for the meeting. HAPS is really on the ball. They said we would move quickly and we are. As a matter of fact, they said that we should have our paperwork completed by the end of the week. I am so happy that things seem to be going along well.

What does all of this paperwork mean? Well - It means that as soon as this documents package is back to Krasnoyarsk we can get our Official Court Date. That is hopefully the next "BIG" news that I can post.

Until then, keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Stephanie (and Dennis)

When it rains......

2008-08-12T14:22:00.004-04:00

IT POURS!!!!

We just found out today of another glitch in our adoption process. Our homestudy agency (Adoption House) closed it's doors 2 weeks ago - and NO ONE BOTHERED TO CALL!!!! We only found out by accident because I was emailing with our local social worker. As if that was not enough, we were in the middle of homestudy update. Our new CHI rep Anna has been looking into everything for us. She is trying to get the nitty gritty on what Krasnoyarsk will need from us with this change.

But, for every rain shower, there is a rainbow. And for us, that rainbow comes in the form of Homestudy & Adoption Placement Services (HAPS) in Teaneck, NJ. They are going to be taking over our Homestudy and see what he can salvage from the old files. Dennis and I are both looking forward to working with them.

We will continue to keep you posted.
Stephanie & Dennis

A quote to end today's post -

Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; Hold fast; Hold Out. Patience is genius. (Comte de Buffon 1707-1788)

Lots of Prayers....

2008-08-11T17:04:00.003-04:00

We ask that everyone say lots of prayers for our friends adopting in regions close to the Georgia borders (especially Astrakhan). With this conflict in the region, we (Dennis and I) are preparing ourselves for the worst. The US Government has not yet issued any restrictive travel for the Russian Federation, however, I fear our agency will postpone adoptions (due to the conflict) because of the need to travel in and out of Moscow frequently.

We are thankful that Cassidy Mariya is NO WHERE NEAR the conflict, but it does not mean that we will not be impacted from it.

I will keep you updated as I hear anything. In the meantime, please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Stephanie (and Dennis)

Small Update

2008-08-05T15:42:00.003-04:00

Some minor changes have been occurring. First, we are losing our CHI rep Marti. She is moving on but we wish her the best!!! She has been very helpful, and I hope that our new rep is as efficient.

Secondly - Things have been changing in our agency and they have been for the better. We found out that we are now able to speak directly to our representatives in our regions for documentation updates. This will eliminate "the phone game" with the middle man (as long as we cc the middle man). So, hopefully we will get more answers quickly. We have wonderful reps (Oleg, Dasha & Sveta) in the region.

Lastly - We are sending our package out to Cassidy today. We had a friend of mine at work translate a letter from Mommy & Daddy so that the caregivers can read it to her. We are also enclosing a bunch of stickers and small items (our package can't be over 1/2" thick). Hopefully she will continue to remember us and know how much we miss her and can't wait to bring her home!!!!!

As always, I will update as I can. Keep praying for us.
Stephanie (and Dennis)

Feedback Anyone?

2008-07-29T12:30:00.003-04:00

In one of my comments, a friend posted a link with a recommended language tool http://www.karensadoptionlinks.com/product.html

I have looked into this and it appears very interesting. It says that it has over 150 adoption specific phrases that will help with an older child's language. It also has a CD that comes with it to help the children learn English quickly as well. It is $90 for the parent CD, the child's CD and the book.

Has anyone used this? Is it worth the cost?

I would love to hear from anyone who has used it.

Stephanie

Learning the Language

2008-07-23T21:31:00.002-04:00

Privyet -

Dennis and I keep hoping and praying, and hoping and praying (and a little more praying) that we will get back to Cassidy Mariya soon -

However, the time we do have left we are taking advantage of - We are learning Russian. We have tried the "In-Flight" tapes, and tried the 4 hour courses with Rosetta Stone, but unless you start at the beginning, you are going to get no where.

And the beginning is with http://www.listen2russsian.com/ - All I can say is WOW!!!!!! Step by Step - I am slowly learning the necessary words to communicate with her. Right now I am working on one (1) word translations like bathroom (Vannaya), downstairs (vneezoo) etc - soon, I want to be able to work my way up to simple statements like "It's ok" or "Mommy is here". The hardest part is the constant listening and pronouncing new syllables. But, I want her to feel a little comfortable - a few words that she can remember as she gets older.

Hopefully next time, I will be able to share a few more words with you, and little good news.
pakAh, (BYE)
Stephanie

New CHI Rep

2008-07-23T14:25:00.004-04:00

No new information on the adoption, but we have changed representatives within our agency (Children's Hope Int). Our new rep is Marti, and so far she has been wonderful. She is on the ball, and has gotten us the information we needed in a quick and professional manner.

Hopefully one day soon she will call us with our court date!!! Keep your fingers crossed for us (and a few prayers wouldn't hurt either)

Enjoy your day,
Stephanie

Pictures of Krasnoyarsk

2008-07-17T08:55:00.009-04:00

As I anxiously await the date of our 2nd trip, I find myself going through our pictures more and more frequently. I don't want to forget a single thing about the culture, the building, or the people. I thought you might like to see some of them. (Please note that due to our adoption not yet being finalized, I will not be posting pictures of Cassidy Maria)

This 1st picture is of the Krasnoyarsk Airport. Small building. It reminded me of a local airport here in NJ.

This is the view from our apartment. We stayed in a very nice 1 bedroom apartment that all the amenity's of home (minus hot water). This flea market I heard has lots of stuff, but we were advised not to venture there alone.

The viewes below are from the top of the Krasnoyarsk Chapel. The church has great historical significance and has amazing views (as a side note, it is also so well known it is on the rubles)

Dennis & I can't wait to get back and spend more time looking and learning about her origins so that we can fill her in as she gets older.

Enjoy the pictures and I will post again soon.

Documents Submitted for 2nd Trip

2008-06-30T11:53:00.002-04:00

It's been a long week and weekend, but we finally got ALL our documents, had them Apostilled by the State of NJ and sent them off to Children's Hope in St. Louis. We have a new representative there (Jeff) and hopefully he will be as wonderful as our last representatives were. Jeff is currently in receipt of our documents and promises to have them to Moscow by the end of the week. What the next step is - I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!! I guess at this point it is just a waiting game.

Speaking of games - Max played in his last baseball game of the season (The All Stars Game) this weekend. He did GREAT!!!! Now that baseball is done for both Max & Ethan we plan on starting to enjoy the pool - I keep telling everyone - I don't have children, I have FISH!!!!!!!!

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Stephanie

No Update -

2008-06-20T11:12:00.001-04:00

I didn't want everyone to think that I had forgotten about the blog, but as of today, I have no update. I am still waiting on the last document from our home study agency, and then I can get the documents apostilled.

In the meantime, we have been moving bedrooms around, ordering furniture and trying to finish up the end of the year. Max & Ethan are done with school, but Dennis still has a few more days. (Manalapan HS goes until the 24th - Can you believe it? And they have no AC)

Otherwise, we are looking forward to some projects around the house, and lounging in the pool this summer. With any luck Cassidy will be home before the start of the school year!!!!

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers!
Stephanie (and Dennis, Max & Ethan)

Last Document - Patiently Waiting

2008-06-10T20:09:00.002-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. As you can imagine we have been diligently pulling together our final documents the past few weeks and we are almost done. We have all of the documents ready expect for the NJ Licensing Letter. Due to some unfortunate scheduling (of vacations) my homestudy agency has been unable to obtain this letter.

Patience has become my new best friend (or at least I keep hoping it is). It has been difficult to think of Cassidy in Russia and not having a court date to look forward to. Hopefully we will get this last document soon and we can begin looking forward to the next stage. With any luck, we will be returning to get her by August.

On a brighter note - we want to wish all of our friends leaving for their 2nd trips a Safe and Quick journey home!!!!

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers!
Stephanie & Dennis

Updates

2008-05-28T16:06:00.002-04:00

As you can imagine, things have been crazy at our house lately. Just getting back into the swing of things, plus the RUSH RUSH RUSH to get more documents done. And of course, we are approaching the end of our year in which all our documents expire - so more work!!!!

But, amidst all this paperwork, we know there is a little girl waiting for us to come back and get her. And we are looking forward to the rest of our lives with her.

Keep praying for us!
Stephanie

Greetings from Russia !!!

2008-05-22T05:29:00.003-04:00

Good Afternoon (and by afternoon I mean ours)

It is currently 1:30pm here in Moscow (you are all in bed still sleeping). We have made is safely to and from Krasnoyarsk. Let me begin by telling you a little about our adventure. It started out in JFK where our plane had to be switched out for another one because it was broke!!! Hence, we were delayed by about 2 hours to Moscow. That being said, past that, the 9 hour flight was uneventful - other then the obnoxious odor in the cabin!!!!!!!! Ewwwwwwwww!!!!!

We arrived in Moscow, only to check into a hotel for a 3 hour a nap - and $150 later we were on another flight to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. For those of you who do not know, Dennis is not a fan of flying, however, the flight to Krasnoyarsk. by his own admission, was pretty good. (I think we should take that as a good sign). We arrived in Krasnoyarsk (Kras) approx 6am the following day to more good news - NO HOT WATER!!!!!!! - Seriously, for some reason, the region shuts down it's hot water in preparation for the new spring/summer schedule. We just happend to pick that time. Needless to say, we had to boil water to take small baths. Washing my hair was a treat - can't wait for a HOT shower in Moscow.

So, if you can follow this time line - We left JFK at 6:30pm on May 17th, arrived in Moscow at noon on the May 18th, and from Moscow to Kras arriving at 6am on May 19th. So, we somehow lost a day from flying - WHOOOOOO, good times!!!!!

Anyway, I divert - We arrived in Kras at 6am where we were greeted by Sveta (our translator) and Dasha (one of our CHI reps). They took us to the apartment that we would be staying at, and we got about 2 hours sleep, and off to the Ministry of Education to get some information about our referral. But 1st - let me tell you about Business Lunches in Siberia - Well, what a concept. For about $12 pp you get a salad, a soup, a main meal, a dessert and a drink. And these are not some small portions. The soup bowls were bigger then my bowls at home. Needless to say, the food has been an adventure here for me - Dennis has been able to enjoy most of the food. He had a soup called Borscht that he really enjoyed. Personally, I have tried most of the foods, some was ok, some I could do without. No way was a I eating rabbit!!!!!! But the traditinal Russian cake dessert was very good. It was similar to Tiramasu. These Business Lunches were only only "true" meals of the day. In the mornings Dennis would have oatmeal and I had cereal. In the evernings (if we were awake) we would have a cup of soup (Oddles of Noodles).

But I digress - back to the real reason of this email - So, after the Ministry of Education, we went to the Director of Social Services. There we were greated by our other CHI rep, Oleg. Very nice man. He was a nuerologist in Russia prior to devoting his time with adoptions. At the Dir of Social Services we got all of the information on her. We learned all about when she was born and under what circumstances she was released to the orphanage. From there we went to the orphange to meet her.

Let's give you a little information about the orphange - It was a very nice facility, run by caring people. The rooms were all well maintained, and there was laughter in the halls. We were brought upstairs to the vistors playroom where we met with the Orphanage doctor. I have to say, in all honestly, the orphanage doctor was very very impressive. She has lots and lots of details on our referral, down to 8 specialist who see her on a regular basis for standard check ups. After going through 1.5 hours with the doctor, it was finally time to meet our little girl. (okay, let me preface this for you - EVERYTHING we read prepared us to expect a child who would be very reserved, want limited conact, and was developmentally challenged).

When she 1st entered the room we met the CUTIEST little girl. She has dark blond/very light brown hair, grey-blue eyes, and a quirly little smile. She came over to Dennis and I where we started coloring, playing music, singing - and we KNEW that this little girl was ours!!! She babbled in Russian (not that we could understand a word she was saying) and was truly quite a joy. She is a tiny little thing, probably no bigger than a 2.5 year old would be. She is SKINNY, just abut fits into 3T's, and has a love for dresses (The caregivers say she doesn't like to wear pants) HA HA HA HA!!!!!!! Not sure the closet in the bedroom will be big enough for all her clothes!!!! Anyway, we got to spend about 3 hours with her the 1st day, then had to leave. We returned to the apartment (which was very nice), put together the documents for our Doctors at CHOP, emailed them, and then Dennis and I CRASHED!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, Yes we did!!!!

The next day we spent the day getting to know our little girl a little bitter. She opened up a little more, and according to the caregivers recognized us from the windows. We got lots of video, pictures and started showing her the photobook that we made for her. Alas, again, our time flew by and we had to head back to the apartment. We sent more revisions of our medical reports to our Dr at CHOP and of course, Dennis and I CRASHED!!!!! Sleep has been becoming an issue. Our bodies can't figure out what time zone we are in, and what time it actually is. Anyway, by 1am we were back awake and decided to call the Dr. Now, you are probably askng - why call the Dr? Why not just email her - Well, you see - after I sent out the revised docs, the internet in ALL OF KRAS went down - NO INTERNET!!!!! Another joy!!!! Anyway, we called our Dr at CHOP at 1am ( 1pm EST) and gave her the additinoal findings. By 2am our time we had the OK - and we were ready to accept the referral for adoption.

The following day we spent our last time with our little one, gave her her new clothes, her toys, and cried when we had to leave her!!!! We went to the notary to prepare the documents for court adoption and to change her name. We named her Cassidy Maria - and at that same time we were informed that the process to come back and get her could take up to 3 months. Can you believe it - 3 months? So, we vowed that we would do everything we could to get her home sooner. That means LOTS of paperwork (CHERI - get out that notary stamp, we have to form that assembly line again!!!)

Anyway, that leads me to current - Dennis and I are sitting in the business center at a hotel in Moscow. We took a 5 hour flight from Kras this morning, and are waiting for our room to be ready for check in. We plan on spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing, and then we are meeting up with another couple we met (also adopting in Kras) for dinner by the Red Square. Should be fun, but we can't wait to be home. We miss Max and Ethan desperately!!!!!!!!!

Well - I believe that is all I have to report for now (like it wasn't long enough). I hope you enjoyed our run down of activities this past week.

Stephanie & Dennis

Details, Details, Details....

2008-05-11T19:56:00.003-04:00

As they say, it is all in the details and the next few weeks - that is all it will be about. Travel arrangements, medical arrangements, transportation arrangements (and let's not leave out all the prep for Max's communion which is on the day we leave). We are slated to leave JFK on Saturday, May 17th at 4:20pm. We are going to be able to see Max's communion, and some of his party - but then we are being whisked away to JFK. Thankfully I was able to find direct flights to Moscow (and not as expensive as I thought) on Delta. We will have a few hours in Moscow, and we leave on a 9pm from from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk. We arrive in Krasnoyarsk at 5:30am on May 19th, and meet with the Ministry by 9am. (Not much time). BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!!!

Dennis always complains that I have "lists". Well, I certainly don't hear him complaining now!!!!! Organization will be the key to getting us set for the communion and the trip (oh - and BTW, did I mention I was gone all this week on business???) HA HA HA HA. Some things you just can't make up. So, I have a business list (of all the items I need), then a school list (of everything I need to do for my classes), a home list (emergency contacts & schedules for the boys), and finally a Russia list (what we need to bring). I have lists ALL over the place.

Well, I will continue to fill you in as details become available - but suffice it to say we will be in Russia from May 18th through May 23rd. Please don't forget to pray and keep us in your thoughts.

OMGosh - We got a referral !!!!!!

2008-05-08T22:37:00.003-04:00

We got a call from Rebecca at our CHI office this afternoon. She let us know that they had a referral for us for a little girl (3 years old). We don't know many details, hopefully we will have more to report soon - They are requesting we be in Krasnoyarsk from May 18th to May 23rd. We have asked for a short delay since Max's communion is on the 17th and we don't want to miss that.

I will let everyone know as soon as we hear anything!!! Thank you all for your prayers, please keep them coming.

We are OFFICIALLY REGISTERED!!!!!!!!

2008-05-07T13:11:00.004-04:00

We got great news today!!!! Our CHI liaison, Rebecca (the best!!!), let us know that we got our official documentation that we have been registered in Krasnoyarsk. WE ARE OFFICIAL!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!! Come on Referral!!!!!

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers!!!!

I was Tagged!!!!

2008-04-28T12:28:00.002-04:00

Rules:

Link to the person who tagged you: Heidi http://findingrfamilee.blogspot.com/

Post the rules (see below)

Share 6 unimportant habits/quirks about yourself: see below
Tag three other people - Renae, Mary, Kim

Make sure the people you tagged know you've tagged them

Unimportant Habits/Quirks (Just 6???)

1. I check the blogsites EVERYDAY to make sure that I have not missed anything in the Adoption Community. So many family's are experiencing travel and I want to be able to congratulate them !!!

2. When eating, I do not like it when the food on my plate touches other food on my plate. I know, I know, it is all going to the same place. But what it tastes like going down makes a BIG difference.

3. I email with my sister EVERY day. Yes, I know it would be easier to pick up the phone, but it has become a habit.

4. I am a techno-geek. I run 2 computers, 1 blackberry and 3 phone systems all at the same time. I love the new gadgets that come out and have to research them all!!

5. I am a true Jersey Girl!!!! I love the beach, the techno-hip hop sounds, the boardwalk, the sausage, pepper, onion sandwiches, the high hair, and the funky slang.

6. And finally - I would say, just being married to my silly husband makes my quirky - I think his sense of humor has rubbed off on me after all the years together.

It's another update

2008-04-24T10:52:00.003-04:00

Another update, albeit not so good news. We received an email from our CHI office on April 18th, explaining that the Russian Government is strongly encouraging Russian families to adopt from the Russian orphanages. That being said, if a Russian family does adopt, the Russian government is giving each family a small stipend to help afford the cost of that child. As it seems, more and more Russian Families want little girls. According to our Russian CHI rep, Russian residents are waiting on line for girls, so, the issue becomes that the only girls who are open for international adoption will be the girls who are not adopted domestically, most often due to medical or behavioral reasons. So, Dennis and I ask ourselves, where is the silver lining in this news? The answer is - most Russian Families want to adopt infants (in Russia that is considered from birth to 18 months) - Dennis and I are hoping to adopt a 3 year old. With any luck, that may move us away from that long line.

Alas, the wait continues. We thank all our family and friends for your continued encouragement, prayers, and warm wishes. We hope that we will be able to update you on some better news soon.

Paper, Paper, Paper.....

2008-04-14T21:15:00.004-04:00

Well, paper, paper, paper. I should have taken stock in paper companys before starting the adoption process. I could have kept multiple companies in business for a long time. Documents came back to Dennis and I this week, and new revisions have started. The Ministry of Education in Russia has asked for more documents. It seems as if I am the epitomy of the term "paper pusher".

Hopefully this ends soon. We are now in the 16th month (from inception) and hopefully I wont be writing this same post in month 24!

As always, we look forward to the future, and continue to spend time with the boys (It's baseball season you know... )

March Madness

2008-03-25T15:38:00.002-04:00

It seemed like the appropriate title (and not because it is the NCAA tournaments). March has been a whirlwind for us. Easter seemed to creep up on us this year - Thankfully the Easter Bunny is always on time!!!!

The spring has come quickly and it continues to get warmer everyday - what does that mean?? MORE WORK OUTSIDE!!!! We continue on projects around the house and outside to keep us busy. Those projects, combined with Max and Ethan's baseball schedules, we usually have about 22.4 seconds to ourselves a night. I know this sounds like an exaggeration, but it sure feels like it. And that is usually the time I think about the adoption and wonder when we will get "the call".

I want to say to all my friends on the yahoo group boards how EXCITED I am for those of you traveling on your 1st and 2nd trips. I cannot wait to hear all your adventures and to see pictures of your children. It warms my heart to know that many of you have gotten your referals and are starting the journey. For those of my friends who remain on the "wait list" like Dennis and I, I wish you all the Patience and Prayer from my heart.

Enjoy the rest of the month of March - and lets look forward to a new month of April.

Another round of Paperwork down -

2008-03-02T20:19:00.002-05:00

Another round of paperwork has been completed. We submitted our registration documents to CHI St. Louis and then off to sunny Siberia the documents go. The timeline is "iffy" but here is a rough idea on how we understand the next step will proceed -

Documents submitted to Russia for translation. (2 weeks turn around time)
Review of documents by Russian Ministry of Education for referral.(4 weeks to unknown period)

So, what does this mean??? It means anytime after April we could hear about a referral. Keep us in your prayers.

And the Winner is......

2008-02-26T12:44:00.003-05:00

It appears that the winner of this round is Max. (wonder why he likes the name Leah so much - could it be his obession of Star Wars?). In the Smith house, the name choices (from the boys) change daily. Yesterday, Ethan thought that a good name would be "Lady", after his girl train from his Thomas the Train set. And Max, well - he continues to fight the internal struggle between the names "Princess Leah" and "Pink Power Ranger sister". So, we will see what the future holds for us.

Anyway, things continue to progress here. Final documents are being submitted to the State this week to be apostilled, and then off to Russia they go again. I will continue to keep all our family and friends updated as we progress. We are getting closer!!!!!

#1 in Krasnoyarsk

2008-02-19T21:04:00.002-05:00

Good News has come our way. We got confirmation this week that we are ranked #1 for a little girl over 2+ years of age in our region. As many of our family and friends know I had surgery this week but this great news made me forget about my discomfort. Even my mother driving me through Trenton to get additional paperwork for the adoption (and missing all the turns) couldn't bring me down, or maybe it painkillers the doctor prescribed me after my elbow surgery (just kidding, of course). Dennis and I are on cloud-nine, as are the boys, who are thinking of names for their soon-to-be sister, like Princess Leah (Max's choice) or Sally (Ethan's choice).

We welome your imput on these names chioces. Please vote for Max or Ethan. Let's see who wins!!!!!

All about Krasnoyarsk (Siberia)

2008-02-14T12:57:00.005-05:00

As mentioned in our ealier post - We have been assigned to the Krasnoyarsk region in Siberia. Each step in the adoption process brings new information, and we thought we might share a little information about where our little girl will be from.

Krasnoyarsk is one of the newest regions that our adoption agency is working with. First of all, because the region itself is very big. It occupies 1/7 of the territory of Russia. It is three times bigger than the entire State of Texas! The region stretches for 1800ml (3000 km) from north to south which means great differences in climate. Thought, as everywhere in Siberia winters are very cold and snowy and last about 5 month with average temperature around -15F, but occasionally can go below 40F. Springs are short but nice, summers are hot 68-75F and falls have changing weather.

In 1628 year the city Krasnoyarsk was founded as a fortress to guard south-eastern borders of the expanding Russian Empire. The city stands on the banks of the most beautiful and the most abounding in water river in Russia called Yenisey. It is surrounded by mountains, giving a very interesting flavor to the city views. The population of Krasnoyarsk Kray significantly increased after building Trans-Siberian railway. During Stalin era many prisons for political prisoners were formed in Krasnoyarsk Kray, but now it is a cultural, educational and industrial center. Its population is close to one million inhabitants, there are 12 Universities, 5 theaters and lots of museums and picture galleries. Krasnoyarsk is the site of the Siberian Federal University, one of the four largest educational institutions of Russia.

02/13/2008 - Region Assigned

2008-02-13T21:01:00.003-05:00

We recieved some wonderful news today. We have been assigned to the Krasnoyarsk region in Sibera. We still have paperwork that has to be done, but we are one step closer to meeting our new daughter.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I look forward to next year's Valentine's Day with a family of 5 instead of a family of 4. The boys (Max & Ethan) have made Valentine's Day cards for their soon to be sister. They talk about her all the time, and tell their friends about their sister to come.

Dennis and I remain quite about our adoption, almost as a way to not get our hopes up too much. We answer everyone's questions, we keep the family abreast of all our news, but inside, we feel as if everything has been going along too smoothly.

So, we continue to work on the new region paperwork, and hopefully we will have it registered by the end of the month.

Look for more updates as we continue upon our journey!!!

2007-11-12T16:49:00.000-05:00

DOSSIER SENT!!!!! 9/21/07

2007-11-07T12:53:00.001-05:00

We received confirmation from the St. Louis office that our dossier has been sent to Russia. While we used to stress over the paperwork, we now stress over the long long wait. We know that the next year will be difficult and we hope that we can find a way to get through this wait.