A New Life - February 5th

The day we have all been waiting for.  Wow.  I don’t quite have the words to express how this day went.  Thankfully my new dear dear friend Becky was there and took the most amazing pictures. They tell the story much better than I ever could, but I’ll try my best.

We were scheduled to meet Alla our facilitator at 10:30 amin the lobby after she picked up our official decrees from the courthouse.  At 11:40 we started getting worried becauseAlla is never late and she hadn't arrived yet.  Becky ran up to theroom to grab her cell phone incase Alla had tried to call.  She was gone for what seemed like forever andI started wondering what could possibly be going wrong now.  The judge had told Alla over the phone theday before that they would be ready to be picked up first thing in the morning.  Becky came back down to the lobby and saidshe couldn’t find the phone, of course it took coming all the way back to forher to remember right where it was.  Weall know how that goes J  So she went back up to the room and talked toour other in-country facilitator Marina. She told her that it was taking Alla longer than she expected to geteverything, but that she did have the completed and signed decrees in her hand.  Boy was that a relief.  So we hung out in the lobby for a while longerand then decided to go wait it out in our room.  I'll tell you those last couple of hours of waiting seemed to be the hardest for us.  All I could do was pace around the room as I frequently looked out the window waiting for our silver car to arrive.

Initially the plan was to pick Jaymi up around 11:30, beforelunch and naptime, drop us off at the hotel and take Becky to pickGabe up around 4:00.  Since Alla wasdelayed at the court house we had to change plans and go to pick Jaymi upfirst, it was about 2:00 when we got to her children’s home and then we drovestraight to Gabe’s Baby house to get him.  I'm so glad it worked out that we could be there for each other's pick up, it made it even more fun!

The drive to Jaymi’s baby house seemed so surreal.  I had goosebumps and I couldn’t wipe thesmile off my face, not that I wanted to, but I wouldn’t have been able to if Itried.  Our first stop was a smallgrocery store to purchase our cakes to leave with the orphanage.  In Jeana and Becky style we tried snapping afew photos of the momentous occasion and mid-click the security officer startedshouting at us in Russian to stop, that we could not take pictures in thestore.  Oops, we weren’t aware of thatrule, poor Alla had to try and explain to him but he was less thanimpressed.  Luckily we were able to holdour giggling in until we got out of the store. 

Next stop was the flower shop to purchase roses to go alongwith our beautiful cakes.  Before gettingout of the car I assured Alla that I would not be taking any pictures in the flowershop.  :) We had a good laugh, I’m sure Allais not quite sure what to do with us silly mamma’s sometimes, but sheis so good to us.

It is customary in Russia to present the orphanage staffwith a cake and flowers to celebrate the day your pick up your children.  It is also bad luck to give an even number of flowers in Russia.  Which is kind of funny because they price the roses by the 10's, but you would never buy 10.  I was also able to leave some necklaceswith some of the caretakers to remember little Vika by.  I will be sending them frequent updates onJaymi Viktoria so they will be able to see how she is doing in ourfamily.  We have been so impressed byJaymi’s orphanage and the loving people there we have met, I wish we could haveleft them a million dollars to build a state of the art facility for thechildren with special needs to live until they were all adopted by lovingfamilies.  We will always pray for thepeople there and especially the dear children that have been Jaymi’s bestfriends and family for the last couple years. 

Then it came, the familiar turn I’ve made 10 times over thelast 8 months.  You would never know her little children’s home was there unlessyou had been to it.  It’s quietly tuckedbetween tall apartment buildings and a park with a lake.  We got out of the car and waited at the securitycheckpoint while he called us in.  Allalaughed when he told the person on the other end of the call that Vika’s“American Mother” is here.  The securityguard walked us up to the door and helped me carry my big bag of blankets toleave for Vika’s group members up the four flights of stairs.  We met in N’s office, the Children’s homesocial worker.  She is the sweetest ladyand even though we don’t speak each other’s language, it was apparent from thefirst day we visited Vika that she loves our little girl so much, and Vikaloves her too.  We will forever begrateful to N for her testimony in the courtroom back in December stating thatshe was in favor of our adoption and that she has seen that Vika has bondedwith Wayne and I, especially Wayne JIt didn’t matter that we didn’t speak the same language, we both know how mucheach of us loves this little girl.  Loveis something that you feel, something that you see in the eyes of another, lovespoke to both of us and I will forever feel a connection to this sweet womanand appreciate the love she showed to my little girl over the past coupleyears.

We waited in her office for about 15 minutes while wecompleted some last bits of paperwork and while Jaymi’s care givers woke herfrom her nap and changed her into the new clothes I brought for her.  I passed out the necklaces that I made/boughtto the Director, Social worker and teacher. I had one necklace but wasn’t sure who I would give it to.  Finally the door swung open and there was mylittle girl, dressed perfectly in the clothes I bought for her months ago.  The most fitting was the sweater on top witha bird that said “Fly Free”.  Sheannounced her self the way she always does and ran over to me and I scooped herright up and gave her the biggest squeeze. We talked a bit more to the women in the room with us.  The women that have loved and cared for Vikaover the past couple years.  It was sospecial to be in the same room with all of them, if only I could have spokenRussian and told them all that was in my heart. I would love to return to Russia one day with my whole family to showthem all the beautiful city their sister Jaymi Viktoria is from and to meet upwith these beautiful women.

Vika went around giving hugs and “Paka Paka” (Goodbye’s) toeveryone and we finished dressing her in her warm coat, hat and gloves.  She was so excited to go outside.  It was so touching to see the caregiver thatbrought Vika to us hold her little face in her hands and kiss her over andover.  She then gave her the biggest hugas tears streamed down her face.  I knewI needed to give her the last necklace.  Iwill never forget the sight and the love that was felt for our special littlegirl in that room.

Vika and I grabbed each other’s hands and headed for thedoor.  After going down a couple flightsof stairs she looked up at he director and waved paka paka to her one lasttime.  Once again I could see and feelthe love this dear woman felt for my little girl.  We made the long walk to the car followingbehind Alla and the Social Worker N. When we got through the big green gate I felt another rush of emotion asmy little girl stepped out into this great big world, with me, her mama at herside.  As we headed for the car we turnedback for her to give N one last hug, that’s when I couldn’t keep the tearsinside any more.  As the car door shut Nbroke down and began to sob.  I tried mybest not to let Vika see me cry, but I couldn’t stop the tears.  I was so over joyed that I was finallypicking up my little girl, but my heart broke for the dear friends she wasleaving behind and the caretakers that have grown to love her so much.  After our first trip we left a book ofpictures with N to take into Vika and show her each day so she would rememberus the next time we came back.  N told usthat when she would look at the pictures with Vika she would cry because shemissed us.  Now I will be the one showingJaymi pictures of these dear women often, so she never forgets those that lovedand cared for her here in Russia.

As we drove away we pulled out the Matroyska doll that theorphanage sent home with us for our other girls., such a sweet and tendergift.  Then we pulled out the cute babydoll and backpack they sent for Vika to remember them by.  Oh how she loves her dolly, it will always bea keepsake to be treasured.

In the car we all headed to Gabe’s orphanage for his patientmama to pick him up.  Vika and I waitedin the car with Igor our driver and listened so some Colbie Calait on my cellphone.  It was such an amazing site tosee that cute little boy bust out of the orphanage doors with his mama.   He gotin the car and went on and on about the beep, beep, beep we were ridingin.  As soon as Vika saw him she got soexcited and gave him a big hug and a kiss! Oh how it melted my heart. Another tender mercy to come out of this waiting period is that Jaymiand Gabe have each other to play with while we finish up and head back to thestates.  Seeing them together after allthis time is so special.  Gabe had us alllaughing hysterically on the drive back to the hotel.  My face quite literally began to hurt alittle from smiling and laughing we were doing. It was awesome!!

Before dropping us off at our hotel we stopped at a metrostop for Alla to get out.  Before she gotout of the car she told us that today was the start of a “New Life” for ourlittle ones.  When she got out of the carand looked back the kids were both catching away on their mama’s phones.  It was so cute. 

Igor dropped us off at our hotel and we walked hand in handup to our rooms with our kids.  We werelucky to get adjoining rooms and so the kids played and explored together.  Both kids absolutely loved their time in thetub.  We were a little worried aboutwhether they would like baths because it’s not likely that they don't have themoften, if at all in the orphanage. Thankfully they both had a great time and they ask to take bathsmultiple times throughout the day.  Itfeels so good to finally have them with us.  It almost feels like we are living a dream,thankfully one that we never have to wake up from!

Here’s to a NEW LIFE for all of us!