The "Bear" Truth

Okay - I've been getting all kinds of grumblings from friends about not updating my blog. There is one very good reason - I turned into a bear. Annie and I were exhausted upon our return from Russia. It seemed like we closed our eyes and it was Thanksgiving. We host an open house at our home for Thanksgiving for anyone who doesn't have anyplace to go. We cook a traditional meal, put it on the table from 1-3 for anyone who wants to stop by. People can come anytime they want, but if it's after 3 they may have to heat up leftovers out of the fridge. Anyway, after that came a very important tradition in our family - BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING!!! We stood in line all night for items that were for someone else - it was a blast! We met some wonderful people that night. The couple in front of us began sharing with Annie and I how they were at the beach the week before to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. They received a call from their son who said "don't hurry home - you don't have anything to come home to." They had lost everything they owened in a house fire. They encouraged me with their fire story, I encouraged them with our adoption story and before we knew it, we had talked for 5 hours! God blessed everyone there that night (actually, morning!), and we all left with smiling faces and warm hearts (and full buggies, of course). It seemed like we went to sleep again, and when we woke up it was Christmas! We had a wonderful Holiday season that was filled with blessing from beginning to end. Part of what made the time go so quickly was dealing with paperwork. When I was wasn't wrapping presents, I was doing paperwork for the adoption. Sleep - paperwork, sleep - paperwork,... this was our cycle. Paper comes from trees so I've been telling everybody that Annie and I are like bears hybernating in the forest, it's just the the trees are already cut and processed! lol The paperwork really has been overwhelming. The reality is that the adoption is very expensive. I have applied for several grants and am getting ready to begin some serious fundraising. I guess you could say that I'm hoping the forest turns green soon. Please don't take that wrong - I can easily support my family and I am not out to make any money. However, I need help wtih the initial adoption costs. I hate debt and my little Max has some real needs. I want to be the best parent that I can be (especially since I am both parents in one). So, anyway, that's the "bear" truth. Hmmm - If I had a picnic basket you could just call us Yogi and Boo Boo!

Monday, Nov. 1st - Is that Subway, subway, or "subway"?

I got to see my boy twice today! Hooray!!! It was definitely a bonding day for Max and Annie. This morning she got her first Max hug. He was playful with me, but he wanted Annie. They crawled together, played piano together, played ball together,... he was all over her! He was fascinated with her brackets (braces)! He watched everythind she did and everything she said. He watched how she formed her mouth to make words and he mimicked her sounds. These are all great signs that he can learn, will learn, and has bonded with Annie!!! The only thing that would have made all of this better is if my other daughter could be here. Then came time to eat - they have Subway in Russia! Annie and I both really like Subway and, considering that we single handedly caused stock in McDonalds and Pizza Hut to drastically increase this week, we were ready for a change. So, we quickly found out that Subway isn't the same in Russia. We decided that one more trip the the Golden Arches was a preferred option. Something is really wrong when you choose to eat McDonalds because it's easier on your stomach than the other options! lol So now the real fun begins. We took the subway as we've done for the passed three days. I counted the stops... four on the red line, get off, and then six on the blue line. I counted carefully and made sure we were right by the doors for the sixth stop. The subway comes to a stop and you aren't going to believe this... THE DOORS DIDN'T OPEN!!! We rode to the next stop and since I didn't know what to do I got off so that I'd have time to think. While standing there trying to figure out what to do we noticed a young girl quite sick. I quickly emptied one of our bags and grabbed my little packets of tissues and Annie ran them to her. By the time she got back to me, the young girl and her companion were back on the subway. Let's recap - I'm lost in Russia, can't read any of the signs, can't speak the language to ask directions, we're hungry, and now my hands are full - and until this trip, had never been on a subway even in my own country! There were only two lines at this particular station and I knew that the one I just got off of had already passed my stop, so I got on the other one. We went one stop and got off and we were at our stop! Whew!!! By this time I'm emotionally drained and Annie was tired, so we decided to just get a pizza and take it back to the hotel. We got to Pizza Hut, placed our order, and said "to go". And you won't believe what the waitress said..."ahh, yes, subway". NOOOOO! I've had enough "subway"! The word subway is supposed to be English. I'm supposed to understand English! May I speak to the bilingual 3 year old again, please - at least she, I'm not supposed to understand! So, we decided not to eat at Subway, we got lost on the subway, and we got our pizza "subway"!

Sunday October, 31st - Hallelujah!...the universal language! (but what does mmoooo sound like in Russian?)

We went with our friends, the Alikin family, to church this morning. It is an Assemblies International church and it was WONDERFUL! It is an English speaking church and the Pastor is a retired military Chaplain from California. Most everybody there spoke English, but it's amazing how none of that matters when you are praising God! Scripture is scripture and praise music is just that - it's not the language that defines it. Anyway, we had a great time praising God with our new friends. We then went out to eat at a cafe for a Russian meal - pigs in a blanket, mashed potatoes,and Pepsi! Mmmmm. It was really good. We then went to the zoo. We all had a good time, but the kids in particular had a BLAST!!! I was especially touched that their oldest son was begging for us to come back for his birthday on Dec. 4th! I do hope we are here for it!! The ongoing joke between Annie and I, since we've gotten here has been what different things sound like in Russian. It all started because she saw toy monkey in the DC airport that laughed. I told her to wait until we got to the St. Pete airport because maybe they'd laugh in Russian. She naively agreed. When we landed in St. Pete somebody sneezed and my comment was "that's what a sneeze sounds like in Russian". At another point, we passed a dog and I said that I wonder what a bark sounds like in Russian. Then somebody blew his nose and ... you get the idea - it's been like that and we've laughed since we got here. Cows are Annie's favorite animal and unfortunately they were eating so we still don't know what a moo sounds like in Russian. lol We have had the best time here and to make a fantastic weekend even better, I found out this morning that we will be able to visit baby Max twice tomorrow! Hooray!!! Is it 10am yet???

Saturday October, 30th - Where am I???

It's Saturday! Our day to get to sleep in - and we did! Our bodies still have not adjusted to Russia time. On top of the 8 hour difference, everything here happens at about a 2 hour difference. For example, the sun doesn't rise until around 9am, so it feels like it's 7am. This has almost made us late a couple of times. The day starts later, schools get out later, meals are later, etc... which sounds like it would work in our favor, but it doesn't. Somehow between the hours forward and two hours back, our bodies have defaulted to "it's night and we want to sleep." I figure we'll get it all straightened out sometime on Monday - we're leaving on Tuesday. lol Regardless, we had a blast today!!! We went to a Russia bakery and bought a chocolate cake kinda thing to take to our friends' for desert. I had no idea what they liked, but chocolate for female never seems to be a bad choice. My friend was going to pick us up so I kept looking out the window for him to pull up. Well, I didn't realize that "I'll pick you up" meant that he'd ride 2 subways, a tram, and then walk 3 blocks to the hotel! How incredible that he would do this for people he doesn't really even know! We then repeated the travel process in reverse to get to his family's apartment. We walked in and it smelled WONDERFUL! His wife is absolutely sweet and his kids are so friendly. We were all sitting on the floor of his 3 year old's bedroom when she, in Russian, kicked the adults out so that she could play with the "americana" (aka - Annie) by herself! Their two sons (8, 11) flirted with her in the typical pat on the shoulder and run kinda way. It was fun to watch the kids all interact since they did not speak any English. I helped prepare a salad while we had great spiritual conversations. Dinner was delicious! We had a traditional Russian meal, which was basically a big meatball, mashed potatos, and salad. During dinner, their daughter began speaking French! How in the world is a 3 year old bilingual?! I do good just to be lingual - see! lol Anyway, we then all gathered on the boys' bedroom floor for a game of Memory. I knew before we even started that this wasn't going to be good. Then it got worse...I saw the cards. I can keep picuters of Disney characters straight or Winnie the Pooh, but no.... these cards were from Holland! I was surrounded by little windmills, geometric shapes, and wooden clogs with patterns on them. Okay, I'm an American who only speaks English, sitting in a Russian home with a three year old speaking to me in French, playing a game from Holland...where am I??? The world suddenly became even smaller than it was when I landed here and my awareness of how uncultured I am became huge! We enjoyed a delicious pumpkin pie and the chocolate stuff for desert, and then headed back to the hotel. You won't believe this - I offered for him to just tell me the number of stops so that I could count them, get off the subway, and then walk to the hote, but he refused. He insisted on escorting us the entire way back to the hotel and then he repeated to journey home. God is good. No, God is GREAT! And, I am very thankful to my new friends for extending their hands, opening their home, and sharing their hearts! I can't wait until church tomorrow!

Friday, October 29th - Sonny Boy..."what's my name?"

First of all, NO! I'm not old enough to know that song. Secondly, his name is Maxim Alexey Stickley! I decided to keep it pretty much the same. I wanted his initials to be MAS, and coincidentally, his birthname initials were MAS. And most importantly, he already knows and responds to his name. Anway, I only have a few pictures from today because my little boy is sick. I chose to return him early today because he was feeling so miserable! It was really hard for me to do, but I know it was best for him. The workers agreed to make sure that he gets to see the doctor. I won't get to see him again until Monday. :-( Then, Annie and I did something we've never done before - we rode the subway. I have to tell you, it was quite interesting! It started off very empty but by the time we got to our stop, it was rediculously crowded. All that pushing and shoving - I hope I didn't hurt anybody! I'm actually serious - we had to shove our way off. I don't know what we'd have done wandering around a huge city where we don't speak or read the language. I had my backpack, purse, and computer bag, and Annie had a bag - we'd have looked like street rats! Anway, this weekend will be a time of sightseeing with friends and church on Sunday! I'm hoping that it makes Monday come quickly and we can see Max!!!