Coming Home

We're in a McDonalds so must keep this brief. The court would not change the date so heading to Kiev for the night and to try and get a flight home. Saying goodbye was heartbreaking but Julianna understands what's happening and why. Hope to see you all soon.

Wednesday April 28 Roadblock

We went to Chernigiv with Alona’s family as planned. The driving wasn’t as bad as I feared, Grandpa is a safe and sane driver by Ukrainian standards. We only had a handful of near death experiences. I was a little worried on the way home when I glanced in the rear view mirror and noticed he was taking a nap. We made some noise and told him we were too hot so he rolled down the window and that seemed to help.

We first went to the apartment of Uncle Wowza and wife Vita. We got to meet Alona’s cousins Vladic (8) and Milana (2) who are super cute and energetic kids. They had arranged an interpreter to tour the city with us which was very thoughtful. Vladic got to miss school and go with us so his perpetual grin got even bigger, if possible. Dad had to discipline him at one point and practically picked him up by his ear, which I thought were big enough already, but Vladic didn’t seem to mind too much.

We toured a number of churches and visited a museum. They were all incredibly ornate and beautiful. Hard to describe so you’ll have to wait for the video. We also walked through some caves where the monks used to live. Their underground accommodations made the apartment in Kiev look pretty good by comparison. They had also planned to climb a huge tower to get a good view but it was under construction so I kind of dodged a bullet on that one.

We went back to the apartment for lunch/dinner. It was another great meal similar to what I’ve described before. The hospitality can be kind of overwhelming and it’s hard to relax but we’re getting better at it. After the meal we went to a souvenir store. They had some plates on the wall with images of the churches we had visited. Diane had the great idea of buying three so we could give Alona’s grandparent and Uncle a gift. At first they were reluctant because they thought they were way too expensive but we insisted and they seemed excited about the gift.

We headed back to Schors and along the way we stopped for groceries so G & G could treat us to yet another meal. I noticed I had missed a call from Julianna and Nastya so took the opportunity to call them. Nastya had some bad news. The judge they usually have for the adoption cases is on a one month vacation. The replacement judge wants to schedule us for May 18, when we were hoping for May 6. This would mean we either hang around here, not really an option, or go home now but Diane would have to come back with me for court. Nastya was upset because they had made the court “a generous offer.” I asked if this meant they offered the court money and she acknowledged this was true. I told her to make the court a more generous offer and see what happens. She’s coming to Schors tomorrow to talk to the court so we’ll see. This has been going off without a hitch so far so we had to expect something would happen eventually. My only concern is making sure Julianna understands what’s happening. Also we promised we would go to her show tomorrow so I hope this is possible. We may be heading home ahead of schedule and returning to Schors May 18 for court.

We went back to Alona’s place for the evening meal. We were very tired by this point but didn’t want to offend anybody by going back to the hotel. G & G left to take care of the animals so I played cards with Alona and we had a nice visit. Grandpa stopped on the way back to tap a birch tree so we could have some juice. I’m not sure why I didn’t know you could do this since we had a lot of birch trees growing up in Ontario. Maybe they’re a different type here. The juice is like a mild lime juice. They add seeds to the mix for flavor, then strain them out and add sugar.

We got to see the animals and meet Grandma’s mom (84) and Aunt (80) on the way home. They had a couple cows and a new calf, baby chickens and some little porkers. I taught Alona the english word for these guys, “bacon”. The garden was huge and they had a makeshift greenhouse where they grow their sweet cucumbers.

Here’s hoping I have a good report for tomorrow but Nastya’s not optimistic.

Tuesday April 27th

Quiet day today. Spent most of the morning writing about yesterday and doing laundry in the sink. Rigged up a clothesline in the window. Went to the store and purchased some suasage and spicy mustard for lunch. We feel obligated to walk around and try to shop occasionally to entertain the locals.

We were supposed to see Julianna at 3:30 but Pasha was held up with Olga at court so we were late. She called and asked “Why you not here?” so I guess she’s not tired of us yet. Most of the other kids were gone somewhere so we got a chance to snoop around a little. The bathroom/laundry room was interesting. They wash their own clothes in the sinks and hang them from lines strung across the ceiling. It made for a good (artsy) picture.

We told her we would be gone tomorrow and she seemed to take it okay. They are putting on a show on Thursday so we assured her we would be there for that. This will be a good opportunity to get some video.

Her friend Nadya spent the night at the hotel last night with her Italian host family so Julianna was disappointed she couldn’t do the same thing with us. We tried to explain that we can’t do anything to risk the adoption and she seemed to understand.

Leaving for Chernigiv at 8 am tomorrow so lots of opportunities for good pictures and undoubtedly, good stories. It will nice to spend the day with Alona but will also miss Julianna’s smiling face.

Correction: I wrote in the last entry that Julianna likes Russian field music. I found out today that she was actually trying to tell me about a specific song on her Ipod with the lyrics “… love is a battlefield….you better put on your armor…” Pretty appropriate when you think about it.

Monday April 26 Scrutiny

This morning we met Olga at some type of government building here in Schors. We were ushered into an office to meet with a well dressed man. This was the meeting where we were just supposed to try and look friendly but he ended up asking me through Katya why we wanted to adopt a Ukrainian child. I hadn’t practiced looking friendly and talking but I think it went OK. Katya and Olga probably improve anything I say anyway. Next time I’ll say we need more help around the house. The guy was definitely eyeballing us the whole time. Olga was blowing kisses at the building after we left so I take that as a good sign.

During the middle of the day we went to the foster home to check email and catch up on updating the blog. I can’t get on the blog but I’m sending everything to Justine by email and she’s doing the rest. There’s a cute little guy there named Koyla who’s around seven and has a little sister Nastya who’s around five but we didn‘t see her in person, just video. They’re both fully adoptable so I took a preemptive strike and told Diane to knock it off even before she said anything. Not surprisingly, she knew what I was talking about and told me “just don’t look into his eyes and we’ll be OK.”

This foster home is amazing. Pasha (also our driver) and Oksana take care of 13 children, including their own. They have obvious love for each other, the children and God so it’s a special place to visit. Their daughter Katya has been our interpreter and we found out she’s getting married next April so they’re very excited about that. We’ll want to find a nice gift.

We went back to the room and upgraded our attire because at 3:00 PM we were going to court to meet the judge. I guess the process is to ask him permission to submit the papers and set a court date before we can consult with the court clerks. This is where the title of the blog “Scrutiny” comes from. He looked at both of us for extended lengths of time including deep into our eyes. He was a good looking man with pretty clear blue eyes and only one gold tooth so I’m developing a small man crush. We’ll see how he’s does in court before I’ll know if this is going anywhere. Olga was happy after this visit too so I guess we passed the test.

We went from there to visit Julianna. She met us at the car as usual, but this time introduced us to a different friend named Alona. Diane said “Oh, another Alona!” Our hopefully newest daughter said, “I not Alona, I Julianna!” I guess she likes her name. We did some crafts and played some Uno. It was a nice visit. She tactfully let me know she would prefer to listen to the music on her ipod so we’ll do that next time. I asked her what kind of music she likes and eventually she came up with russian field music. Interesting.

We got back to the Icebox and Alona R, Gramps and Granny were waiting for us. We offered to take them out to a restaurant but they wanted to take us back to their flat (apartment). Then I tried buying the food at the grocery store but Granny wasn’t having any of that either. Stopped by Alona’s school on the way and took some pictures which was very cool. Julianna called while we were there to check up on us so we had her talk to Alona briefly. We squeezed back in the LADA 1500 to finish our journey home, so named because it takes a lada luck to get where you’re going. Actually I think it’s a russian built car. Grannys door swings open periodically when we’re careening down the road but it doesn’t seem to phase her enough to wear the seat belt.

We had a nice dinner consisting of potato soup, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, chicken, sausage, cheese, wine, juice, coffee and sweets. Alona informed us Granny believes you need to eat soup every day to keep the plumbing working.

Alona did a nice job as interpreter and they asked several questions about America. They want to know about nutrition, hospitals, salaries, home costs and our criminal justice system. Granny wanted to know if we kill criminals in America. I told her we have capital punishment but it’s rarely used. They don’t do this in Ukraine but Granny’s definitely a big fan of the idea. They were also amazed that we have soup in cans.

They want to take us to Chernigiv to join up with son Wowza and his wife and take a tour of the city and it’s churches. We’ll take all of Wednesday to do this. I’m sure this will be very cool but there’s some real apprehension about an extended trip in the LADA. Should of packed some duct tape for Granny’s door.

On a semi serious note and not to worry anybody but if anything does happen to us I want somebody to finish this process we’ve started. Sorry, but it needed to be said.

I think that about covers it, another great day with our two Ukies.

Sunday April 25 Oops, the Day isn’t Over Yet

So we’re chillin’ in the room thinking about going to dinner when our door gets attacked by a flock of woodpeckers. Of course I can’t find the key but eventually the door gets open and there stands Alona Rebenok with Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Wowza (at least that’s how it sounded). Alona had dressed up for the occasion and she looked really beautiful. So we hugged her and much awkwardness ensued because Alona’s English is pretty weak until she’s been with us a few days. We talked, or tried to, for a while and then they invited us to their house. Diane thought her Grandpa seemed really emotional. He seems like a really nice guy and I later found out he’s only 56 however the years wear a lot harder here.

We accepted the invite and I’m thinking to myself there’s 6 of us and unless they have the only big car in Ukraine this is going to be really interesting. Somehow we jammed in the car and Uncle Wowza was off dodging potholes, driving on the sidewalk and other entertaining stuff. He’s pretty funny though because he made some comment about a Ukrainian Roller Coaster.

We got to the apartment and they started preparing a feast in our honor. They were frustrated we couldn’t communicate very well so they went and got Alona’s English teacher Larissa and she helped a lot. Somewhere along the way I got a call on my cell phone and it’s Julianna. She’s like “Hello Father, how are you? What are you doing? Thank you for shopping today, I really like. I asked her what she was doing and she said she was listening to music but the battery went dead. We gave her a small Ipod today with Russian and American music on it. I told her we would charge it tomorrow with the computer and she said “Good night Father, I love you.” I told her the same and hung up. I told Diane I’m not sure how much more I can take in one day.

The visit with Alona’s family was very enjoyable. The hospitality is unbelievable. They wanted us to sleep there but given the size of the apartment that was more of an adventure then I was ready for. They got their other son Roma to bring us home and Grandma and Larissa escorted us to our door. Roma wasn’t as cheerful as Wowza but he spent slightly more time on the road so I liked him too.

I think I’ll remember my 50th Birthday.

Sunday April 25 I Don’t Feel 50

Woke up this morning and Diane wished me Happy Birthday but I took some solace in the fact that it’s not after midnight yet where I was born so technically I was still 49. We went to the orphanage at 10:00 and Julianna greeted us and gave me a small angel figurine as a gift. Evidently she’s very perceptive regarding my personality.

This time we went upstairs to a classroom on the sunny side of the building which was a nice warm location for our visit. Julianna and Nadya got busy working on gift cards for me. We brought along a few different treats to share so Diane and I contented ourselves with doing research on the local sweets.

I’ve taken pictures of the cards the girls made and I really hope they get included here. This will be my first attempt to send photos.

From: Julianna A Purvis
To: Ted Purvis

My dear father! Happy Birthday! I love you very much! I wish you to be happy, lucky, healthy. I am so happy that I will be your daughter and can named you “My father”.

With love your daughter Julianna 25.04.10

You can imagine how I felt when I read Julianna’s card. I don’t want to sound too girly but it was pretty painful trying to maintain my usual cool demeanor. I let her have some treats.

They allowed us to take her shopping so Pasha drove us “downtown”. She needs an outfit to wear to Court so we purchased jeans, sweatshirt, shoes, socks, bra and underwear. She had very definite ideas about what she wanted, big surprise (not). Diane suggested one item and she said “Mom!” with the disdain that comes naturally to a teenager - pretty funny.

During our shopping trip a funeral procession walked by followed by a bus decorated with pictures of the deceased and playing appropriate music. They were carrying the open casket of the young man on their shoulders. Of course I didn’t film this out of respect for the family but I wish I could of. Another vivid experience that will stay with us. We found out later that he died of Tuberculosis. So preventable and so sad.

We returned Julianna to the orphanage and said goodbye for the day. We won’t visit her tomorrow until 4:00 PM because she has school. We have some court business to take care of in the morning. Nastya says we just have to stand there and look friendly so we’re going to practice tonight.

One last thing. Olga, the local Inspector (social worker), showed up at the Icebox with a gift for me. Olga has known Julianna since she was a little girl living with her mom and she’s very happy about the adoption. The gift consisted of tulips, champagne, chocolate candy and Axe Dry Dark temptation deodorant. I kid you not. She also kissed me three times on the cheek so she’s three ahead of Diane at this point in the trip.

Saturday April 24 Afternoon Visit

We went back to the orphanage at 4 PM and went directly to Julianna’s sleeping area. She’s in a room with about 16 beds attached to another room with about the same number of beds. I think this area is for the older girls however there didn’t seem to be any restrictions on other kids entering the area. She showed us her locker and a good selection of pictures she had there. Included were two pictures of her mom and dad with her as a baby. We were really happy to see these as we think it’s important she have these memories.

We discussed more details of the adoption and she was very happy that court would be relatively soon. I made a mistake previously when I said court would be next Thursday, we’re actually shooting for May 6. She was also happy that Jillian would be returning with me to bring her home. I think she’s anxious to meet her siblings.

One interesting request she had was for us to help her distribute her money. She’s been getting some from the government since both her parents are deceased. She wants to use part of it to buy gifts and donate the rest to the orphanage. I have a strong feeling she’s had some official guidance on this one but we’ll support her wishes. The other interesting question was if we would like to meet her sister. This was a bit of a shocker but we said we would be glad to. I casually asked her if her sister knew about the adoption and how she felt about it. She said her sister was very supportive and felt she would have a better future with us. It turns out she’s a half sister so I don’t know if she has any legal standing anyway. We played Uno for awhile (I won) and then Pasha drove us back to the icebox. It turns out they turn the central heating off on April 15 so I might try involuntary cryogenics on my 50th Bday.

We went for dinner at our new favorite place. The waiter is really nice but his English is on par with our Russian. Basically we grunt and point and misunderstand each other and then he brings us some food. We ended up with beer, tea, salads, soup and bread so it turned out OK. The grand total before tip was around $6 USD.

I broke Diane’s hair dryer, our only heat source, trying to dry our only towel so tomorrow we go shopping. I’ll also try to find a memory stick so I can upload some photos/videos to the blog on the foster home computer.

One last note, Julianna has taken to calling Diane Mom already so she’s pretty happy. I’m not going to give her any Bday treats tomorrow until she calls me Dad.

Da svidanya.

Saturday April 24 First Extended Visit

We went to the orphanage at 10 am as planned. All of the kids were outside working around the orphanage. It was quite a site to see all these kids laboring away with rudimentary tools. It's amazing how hard everybody works here. Most people, including the very young and old, are working in large gardens or fields with nothing but a shovel. Anyway, Oleana got out of working to visit with us. She was allowed to bring along her friend Nadia. The first thing she did was go get the same boy she danced with in the youtube video and put on an extended routine for us. I got it all on video so they enjoyed watching it afterword. Next we were moved to a small room upstairs and the girls worked on a USA puzzle we had brought along so we could show her where we live. During this time we had the discussion about her official name (also on video). She said she wanted to have the J sound in her name like her siblings. So we suggested variations of Jolenna or Jalona to try and incorporate her existing name. She wasn't really buying this approach and wanted some more choices. It looks like I'll have a third daughter that's not afraid to speak her mind. What was I thinking? I digress. Diane suggested a name we have always liked that was Diane's great grandmothers name and she really liked it, so I would like to introduce:


Julianna Alyona Purvis


Justine and Jillian, you can switch the letters around on the wall in her room from AJ to JA. Great planning on our part.

That pretty much wrapped up the visit. We asked her if she wanted us to come back later and she said "it would be her pleasure if we would come back" so we're heading back at 4:00 PM. I'm writing this at the home of our driver and interpretor, father and daughter respectively. The parents run a foster home with 13 children and it's an amazing sight to see. Very special people. Bye for now.

Friday April 23 A Very Special Day

I'll try to keep the build up short and get to the good stuff. We had time to waste this morning so left our room at the Hilton and walked back to the souvenir area to exchange something we got yesterday and, as it turned out, buy more stuff. We checked out of the apartment at noon and went with Nastya to get some paperwork notarized. After that we raced back to the SDA and waited around to get our referral. There's a statue outside the SDA that's very popular for wedding pictures so it was cool to watch all the wedding parties dropping by. We then headed to Schors at breakneck speed. From now on when I say we went somewhere you can insert the phrase "at breakneck speed" and save me some typing. We picked up Inspector Olga and drove over to her office to fill out more paperwork. We could tell she was agitated by the way she was talking to Nastya so we were worried something was up with the adoption. It turns out some local guy bludgeoned three people to death out on the road so she was scared even though the guy had been captured. Whew, what a relief! (Not really, forgive my sick humor)

OK, here comes the good stuff so grab the Kleenex.

We drove over to the orphanage and spent some time in the parking lot organizing donations, gifts, paperwork , cameras, etc. We started walking toward the building and this small group of people were walking toward us. I didn't realize it at first but Olena was in the middle of the group crying. Diane recognized her first and gave her a hug. Next she came to me and I did the same thing which kind of choked me up as you might imagine since I didn't know how she would respond. Many of the kids in the orphanage and the Deputy Director were watching. We walked into the office and started the paperwork process. The child has to write a statement that they want to be adopted and they understand all the implications of this decision. Sometimes it may take days for them to do this or they may never do it as they are understandably nervous about leaving everything they know. They asked her if she was ready and she showed no reluctance in writing the statement. Diane couldn't control her emotions at this point and made some kind of weird joyous noise. We're not completely out of the woods yet as she can still change her mind but this is a very positive step. The next big step will be court, possibly next Thursday.

After the formalities were over we had Nastya read her a letter Justine wrote welcoming her to the family:

"I'm writing this letter from your future brothers and sisters to let you know how excited we are to have another sister. All four of us are very different but we truly love and respect one another and consider everyone in our family like a best friend. When my parents decided to bring you into our family, we were all very excited. We want you to know from the moment you walk into our life, we will treat you like a sister, like one of us. We will protect you, respect you, and love you forever. It will be like you were always a member of our family.

Our mom and dad are amazing people. They have devoted their lives to parenting us to be good, happy, and healthy people. They love one another so much and have so much more love to give. My parents have always encouraged and supported us in our life passions. You will have so many opportunities.

We can't wait to meet you.

With Love,
Jacob, Justine, Joseph, and Jillian"

It was a great letter and she really enjoyed looking at the pictures of her new siblings. She made a comment about all the "J" names. We then showed her a photo album we prepared for her. She looked at everything carefully but the pictures of her bedroom really made an impression. She really liked the make-up station and bed. Tomorrow we get to go see her at 10 AM. Nastya and Alexiy are gone but we have a local interpreter and driver which should help. We're staying at the railroad hotel in Schors for about $16 USD a night. The beds look like an upgrade from the plywood mattress at the Hilton in Kiev.So tomorrow the three of us decide on a new name and hopefully see Alona Rebenok. We're not sure if she knows that we're here.

We are very happy.

April 22nd SDA Appointment

Today we walked to our SDA appointment. It was pretty low key, the young lady asked me a couple of questions about my family and why we wanted to adopt. I said if you met my family you would understand why we’re trying adoption. The joke must of got lost in translation because she didn’t laugh. She showed us Olena’s (note the name change) file and a couple of picture we hadn’t seen. It turns out both her parents died in Feb 2007 but we don’t know the details yet.

While we waited for Nastya to finish up some business we met a couple from California that are here to adopt a baby girl with special needs. Of course Diane knew all about them already from the blogosphere so I had to reassure them she wasn’t a stalker. We had a lot in common so it was nice to compare notes.

Nastya still wasn’t ready so we walked up to some souvenirs stands to do some shopping and we met our new best friend Andrey Krahmalnyi. His English was good and his sales rap was even better so we dropped a wad replacing the stuff that was stolen last time Diane was here. Actually it was very educational as he explained the difference between Russian and Ukrainian artwork. Evidently he goes to the villages to get this stuff so no Made in China stamped on the bottom.
Nastya then took us on a walking tour of the area which mercifully ended at a buffet. The food here is really good and it’s fun trying new stuff. I told her how sad Alona R was to go home last summer and she started to cry. I felt like a heel but at the same time it shows that it’s not all about the money for her. She truly wants to help these children. We talked a little about how we could help Alona R with education when that time comes. She had some ideas for getting her to the States on an exchange program so we asked her to explore that further.

We hope to travel to Schors tomorrow afternoon if we get the referral from the SDA in time. The way Nastya describes the area it won’t be on the Travel Channel any time soon but with the driving here we probably won’t make it anyway. In the event another travel miracle occurs, we’re very much looking forward to meeting Olena and seeing Alona. It will be a great 50th Birthday present for me and did I mention the beer is really good?

We will be out of luck for internet service but we can be reached on the following number at no cost to us. I would suggest using an International calling card on your end.
+38 096 457-2833

I’ll blog again asap but it may be a while. Miss you all but enjoying the experience. T& D

Note: My editors only feedback on this is that Olena should be spelled Olenna so people pronounce it correctly. I think it looks funny but your feedback is welcomed on this critical decision.

We Made It

Today was kind of a surreal experience. Of course we'll never know the odds of actually making it here but I think we won the scheduling lotto as we were surrounded by cancelled flights. Needless to say, we are very thankful.

At the Frankfurt Refugee Camp (airport), we couldn't find our flight on the board so joined a long line of people at the Lufthansa counter. One of their agents was making his way down the line with a clipboard giving everybody the bad news. When he gets to us he says, "Oh, I think your flight is still going, go directly to Gate B50." I thought they liked the male / male kissing thing in Europe but he didn't seem to appreciate it.

Alexiy met us at the airport and the race was on. We survived the demolition derby and stopped at a mall to exchange money and get some groceries. Diane chose boring stuff like bananas, yogurt, water, etc. I had Alexiy pick out an assortment of beer for me. I thought about calling this entry "Beautiful Women and Good Beer" but that's not the emphasis my editor is looking for.

We then went to our apartment in downtown Kiev next to Independence Square. It's spartan but the price is right and we have to go through three locked doors to get in so it must be safe. We were on our own so walked over to the Square to do a little shopping and get something to eat. They have a restaurant called McDonalds here that was pretty good. We bought a couple of Russian dubbed Disney movies for the Alona's, Jungle Book and Up.
Nastya called later to welcome us and go over the schedule. We have our SDA appointment

Thursday morning and hope to get a referral and travel to Schors on Friday. The process is to get to know your child for five days before the next step in the paperwork process can happen. Evidently Alona R's guardians want to meet us as well, so that should be interesting.

Diane got really bad leg cramps during the night so a lot of screaming and crying involved until we could get her straightened out. Probably didn't make the best impression with the new neighbors.

Stay tuned ....

They have arrived!

I got a text from my parents early this morning, it was very brief. They have arrived in Kyiv and are at their hotel. Unfortunately, they don't have any internet there-- which explains why they haven't blogged!

Their SDA appointment is at 9AM Thursday, which is 11 o'clock tonight our time. Please be thinking about them!

An Update

My parents made it on their flight to Washington D.C. this morning, and as of now, their flight to Frankfurt, Germany is still "on schedule." They are supposed to depart within the next half an hour. It looks like they might get lucky and get to Kyiv without any problems! A near miracle!

A Quick Clarification!

So from now on pay attention to who posts the blog. At the bottom of the post it will either say "posted by Ted" (which means either my mom or my dad) or it will say "posted by Justine." It will be easier to follow if you know who is posting. At times, I may need to try to relay information from my parents. They probably won't have internet at their hotel in Shors (the small village Alona is from) or when they are in transit. I'll try to help keep people updated.

Please feel free to leave comments on our postings, don't be shy! Other families who have adopted talk about how much support they feel through comments. It's a little piece of home and offers comfort when things may seem hectic and stressful.

Keep thinking of my parents as they try to navigate to Ukraine tomorrow!

Hoping to Leave in the Morning

Everyone has probably heard about the volcano by now. This has caused some worry in our flight plans. As of now, our flight still says "On Schedule." We are all packed and plan to get up like we are ready to go. Our flight is scheduled for 7:23 AM. Please wish us luck!

Her room is waiting!

I moved out of the house a couple months ago to North Seattle so Jillian moved into the basement into my old room. Alona is going to get Jillian's old room. We didn't worry about repainting it since we aren't even sure of what colors she likes. We did redo some other things to make the room unique to her. The black walls are chalkboard and magnet walls. Here are some pictures.







See the initials AJ on the wall? Why you ask?
We are planning to keep her first name Alona. However, Ukrainians don't have middle names. With her siblings having the names Jacob, Justine, Joseph and Jillian she will clearly be getting a "J" middle name. What name? We aren't sure.

A video of Alona!

Go here to watch a video of Alona. We were so excited to receive this! Mike and Rebecca Klein took this video while throwing a Christmas party at her orphanage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGgwf79qx2A

Our Flight is Booked!

We have officially purchased our tickets. We are departing Tuesday, April 20th. 12 days and counting....

-Posted by Diane

OUR SDA APT...

Is April 22nd at 9AM. My parents are currently booking their tickets!

A post from my mom...

I have been asked many times what do you have to do to adopt from Ukraine? With this post I hope to answer some of those questions.

The first thing you have to do is a home study. This is where a social worker comes into your house and interviews family members, examines living conditions, and makes sure everything is suitable for another child. He/She also gather a lot of other information, such as:

Birth Certificate
Passport
Genogram Family Tree
Autobiographies
Ten Year Residence History
Personal Refernces
Washington State Patrol and Child Protective Services Background Check
Medical Statement
Marriage Certificate
1040 Tax Return
Financial Statement
Gaurdianship Designation
Employment Verification
Authorization Form
And online training classes

The second part is the dossier and is the official packet that you send to Ukraine. It includes the following:
Petition to Adopt
Petition for a Specific Child
Home Study Report
Home Study Agency License
Social Worker License
I-171 H form USCIS
Employment Statement for both parents
Proof of Home Ownership
Proof of Home Valuation from county assesor
Medical Certificte for both parents
Passport Copies
Letters of Obligation
Power of Attorney Documents
Copy of Medical Doctors License that did our physicals
Petition for Interpol Clearance
Copy of Tax Return from Last Year

So here are the alarming statistics of kids who age out of the orphanage at around 15 to 16:
10% of orphans commit suicide
60% of the girls end up in prostitution
70% of the boys end up in crime
Only 27% are able to find work
The older the child gets, the chances for adoption dramatically decreases.

In November when I traveled to Ukraine, my heart ached for the street children. Their shoes were so worn and torn and their clothes were not suitable for the cold weather. Up close, you could see their open wounds and scars. Their clothes hang off of them so I can't even begin to imagine their frail skinny bodies. There are no soup kitchens or homeless shelters. They dig through peoples trash, this is something no child should ever have to do. There are many ways people can help these children and the orphans of Ukraine.

Here are some great ideas:
Our friend in Ukraine, Becky Dewett, wants to open a house to help girls who age out of the orphanage to gain skills and provide a safe shelter until they are ready to function fully on their own. Donations would gladly be accepted.
She is also helping us set up a sponsorship program that Justine and I have started to execute with Global Family Alliance. It's $20 a month for you to pen-pal and sponsor a child from the Boyarka Orphanage in Ukraine. She would help match you with a child who has no family. For these children, the thought of somebody across the globe thinking about them through writing and providing for them (through the $20 a month) means so much.
Lastly, we also have hosting program. You can bring a Ukainian orphan into your home for 6 weeks and show them love and give them hope.

If your interested in any of these programs, please e-mail me at etpurvis@comcast.net.