Hello from Kiev, Ukraine!

Our Saturday morning started out at 4:00am after only a couple hours of sleep (Darrell got one hour). Joey, Noah, AND Austin slept with us and we stayed up LATE talking. I "think" Joey was really starting to sense something was up after days and days of me telling him I am going on an airplane to get Isaiah. They wanted us to wake them to say goodbye. Noah had shed his tears earlier that night...Darrell and I let loose saying goodbye that morning. It was so hard. We actually sat in the car on the driveway for about 5 minutes as we cried and prayed...thanking God for all the blessings He has given us up to that point and for safety for us all so we all come back together at the end of this journey...all safe and sound.

We met up with a South Dakota couple in Minneapolis. They are adopting 2 kids from Ukraine after adopting one last year. They have 6 bio kids. Great family. Unfortunately we won't see much of them as they are adopting from a different region.

We were to take off from New York at 4:15pm and we did but didn't get very far...just to the runway. They started up the engines and one was not working properly. We sat on the VERY warm plane for 2 hours. It was a GREAT flight with hardly any turbulence...my kind of flight. I've never been on a flight where they have updates on a screen of how far you've traveled and also with a GSP system. Pretty neat.

My first experience with customs went really well except for no air conditioning while wearing tennys and jeans and carrying heavy bags. We were told by someone today that yesterday was Kiev's hottest day...110 degrees. Today was 104. Totally miserable. Our driver was waiting for us. He took us to exchange money, to a grocery store to get a few things including drinking/cooking water and then to our apartment. We are on the 50th floor...well, ok...it's only the 5th but as hot as it is and NO air conditioning it very well could be the 50th. I don't think the hot water heater is working but right now I could care less. I told Darrell he is getting a taste of "labor"...but it will all be worth it just like labors always are.

On the long flight I sat next to a sweet young gal who lives really close to Isaiah's city. She grew up in Odessa and was coming to visit her mom and update her passport. She's been living in the USA for 6 years. She told me alot about the area and even gave me her phone number in case we need anything. We are debating on trying to find a way to drive around the country side...maybe over her way...as Darrell is really itching to see some farm land.

As we were walking down to a main area in Kiev we noticed 4 people walking on the opposite side of the sidewalk so Darrell said we should catch up to them as they look like American's. They sure were...from Wisconsin. They were visiting their son who is in the Peace Corps. The son was offering us advice as to where good places to eat are and stores to go to etc. We ate at TGIF's for supper. Was nice to see English in their menu. When we were leaving Darrell, once again, said he wants to talk to this guy we noticed while we were eating. He said he noticed us too and figured we were American's. When we asked him how he knew he said because he saw us smiling/laughing. He wasn't American but spoke it very well. He teaches English around this area. He gave us his cell phone number and offered us help in anyway we needed.

We talked to the kids on Skype. Wow! It was hard seeing Joey but SOOOOOOOOOOOO good. He kept signing mom and dad. 2 days are done for us already. Hope the rest goes this fast.

We found an underground mall and we plan on hanging out there part of the day tomorrow with this crazy heat. I HATE weather like this. I would have NEVER planned a vacation to go somewhere this hot but we are following the road God has us on. Our SDA appointment is Tuesday at 9:00am and there is a chance we could be on a night train to Nikolaev that night.

I had asked my dad a couple times if he wanted to go with me to Ukraine (jokingly) and he never even had to think about it...his answer was NO. Well, there was a man on the long flight that looked 98% like my dad. He was up maybe 10 rows but he was standing alot during the flight. I kept telling Darrell he should tell my dad to sit down. THEN our driver looked alot like him too. Too weird. So, Dad, in a way you were kind of with me on the trip.

Until next time.

Spah-koy-nay noh-chee from Ukraine.

The time has come.

We are flying out of Bismarck at 8:00am Saturday morning. We are to arrive in Kiev, Ukraine at 9:10am Sunday morning...1:10am USA central time. I'm so exhausted right now from the long busy week of getting ready...mentally and physically...that I'm hoping I will be able to sleep most of the 9 hour flight out of New York.

Thanks to all who called or emailed your well wishes and offered prayers for a safe journey. You are all so appreciated. This is a scary but exciting time...doing something I never thought I could possibly do. But I have no doubt that God led us and put us on this journey and that He will send His protection over all of us.

God willing...there will soon be one less orphan in the world.

Someone asked me the other day if I'm "in labor". I guess this is as close to real labor as possible...if not worse...a possible 5 day labor.

Soon to be a family of 8.

SDA APPOINTMENT!!!

After 27 looooooooooong days of waiting it finally came today on June 22nd. The "22nd" is a VERY significant day for me for adoption in general. More on that later. It wasn't until this afternoon that I realized that today was actually the 22nd. I've been checking my email every morning when I get up hoping "today is the day". I watched many people get their dates...travel to their country...Gotcha Day videos...travel home with their kids...this past month and with each one the wait only got harder and longer. This past month was by far THE hardest part of this adoption journey so far. Our Dossier left my hands on May 5th. My part was done and the waiting started...and continued...and continued. Not only was I waiting but so was Isaiah...getting a day older day after day. We were waiting on "somebody". Deep down I knew "who" that "somebody" really was but I was starting to think our Dossier was buried under some judges paperwork and would never be looked at. Families whose Dossiers was submitted after ours were getting their SDA appointments before us. There is just no rhyme or reason as to how the system works and if there is I surely haven't been able to figure it out.

I knew God had that perfect travel time for us but I still had to practice patience a lot. I did not want to interfere with his plan by begging and pleading for a date and then have Him go and change it all and I regret it. For a few seconds yesterday morning when another family got their travel date (submitted the same day we were) I got so frustrated and the thought of quitting came to mind because I just could not take the heartache of waiting any longer. But that thought quickly went away as there is someone so innocent in all this who has been waiting much longer than I have...Isaiah...and I couldn't...wouldn't...give up on him.

This first trip is much later than we had planned/hoped for. We now have to use Plan B...a plan we do NOT have. Airline tickets are much more than we originally were told but since it is summer the rates are at their peak. A great desire and hope is still to only have one trip. BUT if that wouldn't happen I'm actually considering doing something up until today I said I would NEVER...EVER...do. I feel I don't have the "guts" nor the "heart" to do this but I just might be staying in the country for the entire time...could be 4-5 weeks. By doing that it could save us probably $5000 plus my travel buddy for the 2nd trip will be back in college. This way if I stay I would only have to travel home alone (well, with Isaiah). So, if anyone has a prayer or two to spare we would greatly appreciate them going to us only having to travel once. We were already told the judge in this region will not waive the 10 days but I'm not giving up hope on that yet either.

Hmmmm....I just realized that I did not mention when that all-so-important SDA appointment is. July 20th at 9:00am. Woohoo!!!!

The other update we've been waiting for...Dossier Submitted!

May 27, 2010 our dossier was submitted to the SDA (State Department of Adoptions) in Kiev, Ukraine. So hopefully we will get a travel date in roughly 10-14 days...and then actually travel a few weeks after that. Lots of different emotions going on all at once...with the biggest being "EXCITED".

Another comparison with a typical pregnancy and the adoption pregnancy is the "nesting stage". This past week I've been busy with swapping bedrooms for the boys to make one big toy room for Joey and Isaiah and all Noah's farm toys. Also deep cleaning and painting...all things I want done before Isaiah comes home.

After that I will have to start making lists for the babysitters for when we are gone.

Here is another picture of Isaiah that Michelle took yesterday at mealtime being fed by his nanny. She couldn't get him to look at the camera because he wanted his food.

The update I've been waiting for...well, one of them.

Alisha, the gal who volunteered at Isaiah's orphanage, informed me on April 4th that Isaiah was in the hospital. All she was told was he had a cough. Alisha then left Nikolaev two days later to go to Ethiopia to meet and live near her two boys they were soon going to adopt. I knew I would have to wait until Michelle & Noah go to Ukraine to adopt their 3 kiddos...all in the same orphanage as Isaiah. Their two girls are actually in the same room as him. They arrived in Kiev, Ukraine on May 15th and I last talked to them via Skype Tuesday the 18th. Plans were for them to be in Nikolaev on Friday the 21st to meet their kiddos...and...they were going to hunt down Isaiah to give me an update. We didn't know where they would find him...in the hospital still or back in the orphanage. Well, I waited and waited and waited and waited...all the while also waiting to hear if our dossier was submitted on May 20th or not or if there were any documents that needed to be redone or something crazy like that. Between waiting for these two things made for some really long days and feelings of doubt would creep in here and there. To speed up the story I was finally able to talk to Michelle today!! They just got internet service. The apartment they are staying at never had the service before. I got great news...Isaiah is back at the orphanage AND she sent me a new picture. It was so worth the wait. God reassured me again that Isaiah is ours. As you see in the picture Isaiah is sporting a BIG ol' "B" on his chest. That can NOT stand for anything other than "BECKER". Also notice the "butterfly" on his left shoulder...he may be a "caterpillar" now "locked up in an orphanage" but he will soon get his wings and fly.


Now to continue the wait to hear if we've been submitted and then to get a travel date. I know God has THE perfect time for us to go but I'm as human as the next and I get a tad bit antsy at times.

We've been praying that we only have to travel to Ukraine one time. Most adoptions to this country require two trips but we were told that sometimes the 10 day wait in between the trips is waived and you can finalize it and take your child home at the end of the first trip. Michelle/Noah were told by either the facilitator or maybe lawyer (I forgot which one) that the judges have never waived the 10 days from the region Isaiah and their kiddos are from. That made me a little sad but I quickly snapped out of it and told Darrell and the boys that God is bigger than any judge and IF God wants us to only travel once...then we will only travel once. And if not, then so be it...back I go...with a travel buddy.

The drawing was held....and....~*~*~the winners are~*~*~

A BIG ***THANK YOU~~THANK YOU~~THANK YOU*** to all who helped make this fundraiser a success. All you who donated items for the prize drawing...THANK YOU...this could not have happened without you! All you volunteers who helped sell tickets and all you who bought them...THANK YOU..you are all so appreciated! Also THANK YOU to all you who sent donations "just because" to "Help Bring Isaiah Home". We feel so blessed to have such amazing/supportive/giving people in our lives. You are all part of saving a child's life.

Only ONE week left before the drawing.

Prizes that will go to the lucky winners...

~*~iPod Nano with $25 iTunes Gift Card (value $175)
~*~Uppercase Living Wall Words (value $150)
~*~Mary Kay Skin Care Gift Basket (value $250)
~*~Handmade Quilt (value: someone's precious time)
~*~Creative Memories Gift Basket (value $100)
~*~GPS Navigation System (value $150)
~*~Samsung Digital Camera (value $100)

And for the locals there is also a drawing for a 1/2 of beef including the processing (value of approximately $600)

All donations go to help bring Isaiah home! Click on the CHIPIN button to the right. $5 for 1 chance or $10 for 3 chances.

Thanks for your support!!