Wed., March 16th - GOTCHA DAY!!!

Today had to be the best gotcha day anybody has ever had! It was really hard saying good-bye to the youthgroup at the university. We then went to the orphanage where I got my boy! I gave them the outfit, which fit perfectly - and it is BLUE! We said a sad good-bye to the director. She is such a wonderful lady! From there, we went to the train station. Max did fantastic in the car! He cooed and talked to Annie. Once we got to the station we grabbed lunch. I couldn't get Max to eat or drink anything, but Annie and I had our fill! With wonderful help from SWAF, we hopped out train and came to Moscow. Again, Max did great on the train! Annie is a WONDERFUL big sister! We met Ilya once we had stopped and he helped us with out luggage, took us to the apartment and even ran an errand to the convenience store so that we had water. He was wonderful! We are now snuggled in. I tried to get Max to eat and he simply rolled over and went to sleep. lol This was all just too easy! All of my concerns were completely unnecessary. I am truly blessed!!! Now it's time to challenge my Annie to a couple games of Rummy before bed!

Tues., March 15th - "My bags are packed and ready to go, standing here..."

Max now has a passport - HOORAY! It was a rather easy trip to and from the documents building, yet still with city traffic, took about 3 hours. We got back tot he hotel and packed. It was rather sad. St. Pete is struggling with the recovery from communism, as well as having lost the status of "Capital" of Russia. They struggle for their identity, which seems to be an indication of the same issues that the people struggle with individually. There is so much work to be done here. I feel truly honored that I was able to be here for this time and I to, struggle with seeing how this all fits into the big picture. I have made some wonderful friends here! I have learned some great ideas to take back to America. And, I get to bring home a son! I am so beyond blessed! At the risk of sound ungrateful, I a really sad about leaving. This town and these people will always hold a special place in my heart! So, tomorrow I pick up Max from the orphanage and we hop a train to Moscow! Tomorrow starts a whole new life for us and a whole new chapter of our adventure. I can't wait to see my little boy - and he will be wearing blue~!!!

IPAD and MORE GIVEAWAY!!!

For those of you who don't know, Annie feels that God wants her to raise the money for the adoption. I haven't agreed to this because it is such a large amount. Some friends have joined together and are hosting a "thank you" giveaway for donations. PLEASE HELP ANNIE HELP MAX! Donations are tax deductible, too! Also, please help spread the word by passing this to everybody you know! THANK YOU!!!

Mon., March 15th - What color are your M&Ms?

Got to see my boy today - HOORAY!!! He was so content and sweet today - not at all restless. He and Annie played and played. For about the first hour, he was content to just sit with me. He'd get down an play a minute, but then would crawl back up on Mumma's lap. He would interact, but it was like he just wanted Mummma to hold him. So, of course, I did (and threw in a kiss or two - or a hundred!lol). Toward the last half of the visit, Annie and Max built towers and knocked them down - over and over. He laughed each time. I love that laugh! After our visit, Annie wanted to go to the Oken. She found a couple traditional Russian toys that she wanted to get, and I got chocolate. Okay - Russia is so archaic they not only don't have blue M&Ms, they don't even have orange ones! Just red, yellow, green and brown - looked like a dirty stoplight! lol I also got a big ugly watch, that I happen to like. Anyway, tonight was the "big event" - Annie and I led the youthgroup devotional time. It was wonderful! These are a great group of kids. We focused on our adoption that was accomplished at the cross. Then, a great time of fellowship in my room until 3AM! Love the energy of these kids! Well, tomorrow is our last day in St. Pete. I can't believe it! I pick up Max's passport. I am so sad to leave - I pray that God allows us to return someday!

Sun., March 13th - Word of the day: PULL!

Today has been an emotional day! We went to church at ICA for our last time. We worshipped with a great group of people! I so wish we had about a year here! Sofie was sick so we didn't get to see her or Marina. That was also disappointing since I've grown to really love this family! After church, Annie and I walked around that part of the city for awhile. Annie then she announced that she wanted to go to the Teaspoon. I can't say that we've experienced a variety of food this trip, but I can say that we have had great food! Annie and I had a great discussion over lunch - it completely tapped into all of her creative juices and boy was she off and running! This lifted our spirits a bit. We then went to a little boutique where nobody spoke any English. Forgetting that Russia doesn't have the fire exit laws as we have in America, I stood there pushing on the door. Figuring that we must have use the other exit, I turned to leave just as a clerk walked up and PULLED the door open. It was at that moment that I had encountered the second sign I wish I had been able to read - PULL! lol After a quick trip to the 5 for some groceries, we went back to the hotel. Once the youthgroup got back, we played a card game called spoons. It was fun - a little violent, but fun. Lots of great discussions were happening! Tomorrow I get to see my boy! Then, Annie and I are supposed to speak at the youthgroup meeting in the evening. How exciting to get to form relationships with these kids and their leaders! We are so blessed!!!

Sat., March 12th - This just keeps getting better and better!

Well, we did something very practical this morning - we cleaned! After that we went out to eat - back to the Teaspoon! We no longer have to order - they see us and automatically place the order! lol We then went shopping, and actually bought stuff this time. I bought Annie a traditional Russian stuffed animal that talks and Max a stuffed teddy bear that talks. Of course, we have no idea what they say...! lol But, the big purchase of the day was a baby sweater for Max. It's BLUE! Not pink, BLUE! Three of the last four times I've seen Max, he's been wearing a baby girl outfit. After a very successful shopping trip, we returned to the hotel. Not long after we arrived, an entire youthgroup got here. They are from Texas and are here for a week long mission trip with Orphan Outreach! How awesome! Noticing that we speak English, they asked why we were here. Well, once they found out, they asked if we would give our testimony at a Bible study on Monday night. I have figured out that I have no idea what to expect on this trip - I'm just along for the ride. I'll just walk through whatever doors God opens. This just keeps getting better and better! On a sad note, tomorrow will be the last day that we will see our dear friends at International Christian Assembly. I just can't believe that this trip has gone SO QUICKLY! I'm sad to leave - I really wish I had about a year here. But, I'm excited about what God has for our family's future!

IPAD and more GIVEAWAY!

For those of you who don't know, Annie feels that God wants her to raise the money for the adoption. I haven't agreed to this because it is such a large amount. Some friends have joined together and are hosting a "thank you" giveaway for donations. PLEASE HELP ANNIE HELP MAX! Donations are tax deductible, too! Also, please help spread the word by passing this to everybody you know! THANK YOU!!!

Fri., March 11th - Well, when I as young, I had to walk 25 blocks, in the snow, carrying a plate of cookies...

What a day! It started by getting to see my boy! He was so happy, as usual. He and Annie played and played. I enjoyed watching them so much! We had a long time with him today - almost the full 2 hours. Then I did get some bad news - the lectures couldn't be rescheduled - there was just no time in the university schedule. We are going to take a different approach - meeting Sunday after church. :-) After that, we stopped by an outlet mall and I found Annie the cutest Russian hat on clearance for only $6! It is perfect for this Russian weather and will be great for sled riding at home. Then I decided to be adventurous. When we got off of the bus, we walked the opposite direction from what we usually walk. I saw some letters on a store and told Annie I wanted to see what it was - it was a baby/toy store! Boy did we have fun in there! I was able to get Max diapers, wipes, snacks, toothbrush, etc. By the time we left, we were laughing so hard that I thought they were going to kick us out. We came back and baked peanut butter cookies for game night at the pastor's house tonight. After some rather creative planning, we got the address and directions to the Machino flat. Well, the bus driver said that he would tell us when to get out and he did. But, he dropped us off too early. We ended up walking 25 blocks, in the snow, carrying a plate of peanut butter cookies. Once we finally got to the flat, after all that walking, we opted for the elevator instead of steps. That was a good decision - until it got stuck! Renee stuck her head out and yelled "we're on the fourth floor." I replied "we might be a little late - we're stuck in the elevator." I don't know what she did, but the electric came back on and we made it in no time. We had a GREAT evening! We had tacos/nachos for dinner, met some great people, and played Sequence. At the end of the night, Pastor John drove us to the metro and we were home in two stops! Ahhh - settled in after a great day. Annie can now say to her kids "You think you have it bad - when I was a kid I had to walk 25 blocks, in the snow, carrying a plate of cookies, in zero degree weather...." lol

Thurs., March 10th - "HAVE YOU PEOPLE LOOKED OUTSIDE!"

We crossed a big hurdle today - we did laundry! I have not proven that I can procrastinate doing laundry even on the other side of the world! Annie and I had a good time and laughed as we pushed buttons and tried to figure out how to work a Russian washing machine, but in the end, nothing was ruined. And, since they don't have dryers here, we even got all of our socks back! After that, we were ready for some nourishment - Teaspoon time! We headed to the Teaspoon - our favorite restaurant! I think their stock has sky rocketed since we've been here. After a fabulous meal, we stopped by the mall. It's funny how people's attitudes have completely changed since last Friday (Russia's "Good-bye to Winter" holiday. Everybody is more energetic and talks about winter being over and how it is now being Spring. I just want to scream "HAVE YOU PEOPLE LOOKED OUTSIDE?!" lol There are still snow piles that have cars buried in them - to the point that you can't see the car. Whenever we walk anywhere, I hold Annie's hand for fear that I might lose her in a snow bank! It was around zero degrees outside, and the sun didn't shine at all. These are not the characteristics that I associate with Spring! lol Regardless, missions work continues. Lots of English lessons and practice. The two lectures are to be rescheduled, if possible. And, I get to see my boy tomorrow! HOORAY!

Wed., March 9th - The stinker can almost walk!

Today we ran some errands and then I got to see my boy! We went to the "Building of Documents" where we bought our train tickets and applied for Max's passport. This all took about half the time that it took us to get back to the hotel - traffic was HORRIBLE! The people from SWAF were very helpful and very nice. Once we got back to the hotel, we went to our favorite restaurant to eat - The Tea Spoon. We ate "pancakes" and drank Pepsi. We bought what looked like and icing covered pastry, but it was hard spun sugar filled with marshmallow cream. Can you say sweet! I can eat just about anything, but I couldn't eat it! Neither could Annie. We then hopped the bus to go see my boy! He was great today! At first he was really hyper, but we started singing and playing with him and he calmed right down. Music is the key with this little guy. He did something today that we didn't know that he could do - he held on to our hands and walked all the way across the floor and back (about 45 feet!). I called him a stinker for not letting us know that he could do this, and he just laughed. When his little legs got tired, he sat down and put his hands behind him so that we couldn't get them to stand him up. It was so cute! He is going to learn to walk pretty quickly once we are home. It won't take him long to figure out that he can keep up with Sissy better if he walks! It was so good to see him! They let us keep him for almost 2 hours. We came back to the hotel and I had a surprise for Annie - her class Skyped her and she was able to talk to her friends. It was great! She has really been missing her friends! This time it was just voices, but I'm hoping that next time she will have a video cam so that we can actually see each other. Tomorrow is a day of laundry and English! HOORAY!!!

Tues,. March 8th - Volleyball - not just for summer anymore!

Today was GREAT! Today was Womens Day (kinda the eqivalent to our Mothers Day). Our friends, whose children are learning English, wanted to go to the winter park and invited us. We got dressed (which takes awhile here with all the layers), ate, and headed to the metro. We had a day of new experiences. We started off sledding. Now this sounds fun, but in reality - it's work. They are Russian Finishing Sleds. Somebody sits on a seat while another person runs behind and jumps on the runners. This is done on flat ground. A good run my take you 10-14 feet, so we ran a lot! After that, we took the older kids to the shooting range. Annie got her gun! lol Valara did a great job teaching her how to use the sites and he taught her how to load the rifle. Then, off to the ponies! Annie and Sofie each rode a pony. Annie is a natural (she gets it from her sister!)and the girl completely let go of the lead. Everyone was amazed! Then we did something very interesting - we ate lunch OUTSIDE! Yes, we had a picnic in the middle of like 5 feet of snow! This is how they do things here - life just goes on. This is a major city and they just don't have room for health clubs and spas, and even if they did, the economy is so poor that nobody can afford it! Lots of families were gathered around eating their lunches and they drink hot drinks - usually tea. Hot tea is very popular here! By this time it was going on 3 and the kids were wet. On the way out of the park I saw something completely amazing. Three volleyball courts and they all were taken! Yes, volley - not just for summer anymore! They plow the volleyball courts, the basketball courts, and the soccer fields, bundle up and the game is on. We are now home, snuggled in, tired, and SORE! I found how that I am more out of shape than I thought. UGH! These missionary days don't feel much like I'm doing missions work because the focus is on teaching English - which we use anyway. Annie is doing a great job interacting with the kids here and teaching them! I just like to socialize so it doesn't feel like work to me at all. Anyway, tomorrow I'm back to adoption stuff for the day. I get to apply for Max's passport, get our train tickets to Moscow, and hopefully get to see my boy! :-)

Mon., March 7th - Lazy days in the winter!

My only plan for today was to get laundry done, and I didn't. lol We slept in. I have been fighting a sinus infection. It hasn't been horrible, but enough to keep me tired and lacking in energy. My big accomplishment for today was paperwork! I hate paperwork! I hit a point of crisis when I found out that in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for a month long trip, I made a stupid banking error. It wasn't a money error - it was a memory error. lol I completely forgot that the account I used had a $500 minimum per check, and wrote 4 checks for under that amount. Only 2 (both to the same person) had tried to clear, but of course didn't. Ugh! THANK YOU to Chessie Federal Credit Union and Debbie for working with me from the other side of the world to straighten out what was clearly my mistake. You guys are awesome! I also owe an apology to SWAF and the person they use to help with the Visa process. I'm too young to be having Senior moments like this! lol Actually, I was just trying to remember too many details while getting Annie and I both ready to leave the country for a month - not to mention everything I needed to bring Max home! Ahhh, my Max! I miss him so much! I'm really hoping I get to see him on Wed. Tomorrow will go fast - we are going to a "winter park." I'm not sure what all will be there, but it sounds fun!

Sun., March 6th - Communion in Russia!

We left early for church and were quite surprised when we got there - communion Sunday! What a blessing it was to get to partake of communion with our Russian "family"! There has been just blessing after blessing here! Church was wonderful, as always. We enjoyed the fellowship time and getting to know a few more people there. And worship is always wonderful! We were invited by Marina to got to lunch with she and Sophie. We had a great lunch followed by a shopping trip. I promised Annie that we would find a toy store. We found three! Yet, nothing struck her fancy. Everything is just so expensive here that she was struggling with getting something now, or waiting until she gets home where it only costs about a third. I think she has decided to keep her purchases here to only items that she can only get here or are souveniers. She was disappointed, but was easily consoled by a trip to Baskin Robbins! Yep - that's my girl! After a long and fun day, we are now home and are ready to crash! I think our trip to the winter park is being postponed until later in the week. This will give me a chance to do some laundry! I really need to put some Russian Tide to use! I'm excited to see what blessings will come our way tomorrow!

Sat., March 5th - TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

What a day! Emotional roller coaster is an understatement! It started off by going to a lawyer's office to have some papers notarized, then to the orphanage. I was supposed to get to see Max, but he was sleeping. I wanted to see him sooo badly since today the adoption is official! But, it just didn't seem right to have them wake him from his nap. I keep telling myself that we'll have a lifetime together. Anyway, from there we went to a bank to close an account. This was time consuming and somewhat emotional, but everyone was so nice! By then, Annie and I were starving! The driver and the interpreter, without knowing it, chose to go to my favorite pectopah - the Tea Spoon! They have the best pancakes (crepes) and have awesome fillings. I got my usual potato, mushroom, and cheese. Annie got hot fudge, without bananas this time! YUM! Then it was one more stop at another bank for money exchange and home. Yes, we have been here so long that we are referring to the hotel as home! We are now snuggled in and resting. Church tomorrow morning! HOORAY! We just love Pastor John and his messages! And worship is always great! Then, I promised Annie we'd find a toy store. She has been such a trooper through all the errands, paperwork, and WALKING! We have done more walking here than we have the whole rest of our lives! We are ready for a power shopping trip tomorrow!

Fri., March 4th - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

What a day! I woke up to an e-mail that said that I had an adoption appointment at the same time I was to be giving the lecture at the university. Since the appointment couldn't be changed, I'm having to reschedule the lecture. We headed out to go see my boy! We got there right on time, but the orphanage was different. There were decorations everywhere and people scurrying around. Come to find out, the children were putting on a program to celebrate "Women's Day" (which is a holiday coming up on Tues. - Russia's equivalent to our Mothers Day). We got to see the some of the cutest little kids dance and perform dances. I even got some on video! Then they celebrated by having a little snack and tea. Anyway, we had the best time!

We hurried back to the hotel to tell them why I missed the prayer meeting and to make sure that they got my message about the lecture. Guess what?! They had not gotten the message (yet, they were very gracious toward me), and prayer meeting had been cancelled. UGH!

At that point, it was time to go back to the hotel room to regroup. After a few minutes of resting and watching some funny videos with my little girl, we were off to tutor Anatole in English. What a great guy! God has some fantastic plans to use this man around the world! What an honor it is to know him!

After a great hour, we made a quick trip to the local grocery for batteries and chocolate! We then snuggled in for a dvd, great talk time, and Annie went off to sleep. I'm not far behind. Tomorrow is a BIG day! The adoption will be final and Max will officially have a forever name of Maxim Alexey Stickley! Ahh - that sounds so wonderful!

Thurs., March 3rd - How cold must it be?

Today was designated a "lazy day." We have been going hard and strong since we got here, and Annie and I were both very tired! I was afraid that she was getting to "run down" and that she would get sick, so we spent the day here at the hotel. We slept in, watched movies, ate leftover potato soup (yum!), and didn't even get dressed until time to go tutor Anatole. We spent an hour witha this amazing man talking about God, His will, and how He has worked in all of our lives. It was wonderful! We then decided to go for a quick shopping trip to the mall a couple blocks away. We had fun looking at all the jewelry here, but most of it is way too expensive to buy. Anyway, we laughted and had a good time! Everywhere we've gone since we arrived in Russia, the men wear really warm fur lined hats with ear flaps that fold down for when it's cold, but none of them have them folded down. How much colder than twenty BELOW zero does it have to be... lol Men are just big boys in Russia, too! Tomorrow morning we're off to see my boy, then prayer meeting, then English tutoring with Anatole! It should be a good day!

Wed, March 2nd - Pedestrian Speed Limits in Moscow?

I got to see my boy today! He is so funny - anytime he doesn't get his way, he just sits in the floor and yells at the top of his little lunds. He doesn't fuss or cry - just yells. Of course, it does't work, but it is funny. I just looked at him and said in a very sing songy voice "you can yell all you want to but you still aren't going to pull down the curtains." One of the social workers from court happened to be there with another family. She was laughing at how Max was crawling all of us. She said a few things to him in Russian and then said Mumma - he immediately looked at me! She was so surprised, and then she went around the orphanage telling everybody. They really underestimate what DS kids understand! Anyway, it was a tender moment.

We then left and went shopping! I learned two very important Russian words:s "sale" and "clearance!"

One of the guys couldn't make it to the discussion group so it ended up being a tutoring session with Anatole. He had a lot to do so he was a little distracted. We talked for about 45 minutes, and then he went on his way. Everything is so fast paced here - busy, busy, busy! One person made the comment that Moscow is very fast - not laid back like St. Petersburg. Well, if this is laid back, we're gonna get run over in Moscow! Ilya will be our driver/interpretor - I hope he is a body guard, too!

We enjoyed and evening "at home." We made potato soup, listened to some music, and watched two movies. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring!

Tues., March 1st - Humor: Courtesy of the Hermitage

Toured the Hermitage today - it was BEAUTIFUL!!! I have to say though, there is something just not right with them displaying a bust of John the Baptist! This flung the door wide open for a whole bunch of sick jokes and anyone who knows me knows, you can't leave the door open like that expect me not to walk through! lol I mean no disrespect for John the Baptist - after all, Jesus chose him to baptize Him. But, in combination with a very busy schedule and lack of sleep, this was hysterical! Regardless, the Hermitage was wonderful -I could spend months in there and not see everything! I'd like to go back, but I'm not sure it'll fit into the schedule. We made a quick stop at the Lego store in "the center" (the center of St. Petersburg) and a stop at the grocery store, then off to the English only round table discussion group. I listened to Anatole give his testimony. It's incredible to me that a person living in this culture could find a relationship with God. There is religiosity and idolatry all over the place. He said that as a small child he remembers looking at the idols that his mother and his grandmother prayed to and thought "maybe God exists in this somewhere." He accepted Jesus at age 24 and walked faithfully Him, despite not going to church because there was no evangelical church anywhere around where he lived. After a year he moved, and then was able to go to church. His pastor saw his passion for God and sent him to "missionary school" for 3 years, then he returned to Russia as a missionary in his church for 10 years. He is finishing his Bachelors degree in May and then is hoping to work on his PhD in Holland, to be a career missionary. How awesome! I look forward to hearing more at tomorrow's group - but not until after I see my boy!!!