Lots of crying in Zhytomyr today

We headed out today to begin our paperwork at 8:40 am.  We hurried from place to place until 5:00 pm.  We didn't get home until 9:30 pm and we are exhausted.  Liz and I slept only 2 1/2 hours last night.  We couldn't fall asleep and we just kept laughing at ridiculous things.  Today our laughing was worse.  We had one funny incident and then we laughed the rest of the day any time either of us thought about what happened. I know this is probably one of those "guess you had to be there" moments but it has provided a ton of laughter for us today.  Natasha dropped us off at the apartment while she ran to a notary and to the orphanage for the 100th time.  We decided to walk around a little bit.  We found a bookstore with some nice journals and books.  Liz was buying a couple of things so she got her money out of her wallet.  When she started to put her change away, she realized that her wallet was missing.  She knew she had laid it down right by her on the counter.  She started getting really worried and looking around everywhere.  We were trying to tell the ladies who worked in the store what was happening.  They started looking around also.  Liz told me that she knew it was right there and that someone stole it.  I didn't see how that could happen because I was standing right beside her.  I was still looking through her bag and she turns around and goes up to this guy in white addidas shorts.  When I looked, she was saying "...in your pocket.  let me see in your pocket."  So, Liz starts patting his shorts pockets, looking for her wallet.  The poor guy has no idea what she is saying or doing so he looks at her crazy and holds his hands up.  Then, the lady who worked at the store looks at Liz and tells her that her wallet is under her arm.  We were so embarassed.  I couldn't even breath.  I was laughing so hard that I had to leave the store.  Then I looked ridiculous doubled over, laughing by myself outside the store.  Everyone was staring at me because laughing doesn't happen much around here.  I think Tanya was just acting like she didn't know us.  Liz came out crying laughing too.  We couldn't talk for about 10 minutes.  We are crying laughing again as I'm writing this.  I'm picturing that poor guy telling his friends about the crazy American woman who assaulted him today at the bookstore.   The rest of our day was not so funny.  I started writing a journal with all the places we went, what we did, and how long it took.  It got so frustrating that I couldn't even finish.  We spent a lot of our day searching the city for a notary that was open and didn't have a crowd.  I think we went to the notary a total of 4 times today.  We went to the orphanage 3 times.  We went to the hospital 2 times and to the passport office 4 times.  I'm sure I am leaving something out.  Our biggest problem was that when we went to get the passports, they told us that they needed Tanya's old passport in order to issue a new one.  She has had one for her previous hosting trips.  Natasha called the orphanage and they told us that the passport is locked in a room at the orphanage.  There is only one key and the woman who has it is on vacation to Spain.  The orphanage lawyer spent the rest of the day on the phone calling all of the relatives of that person to try and get the key.  Only one person answered the phone and they said that the person we needed to talk to was out in the field picking mushrooms.  Mushrooms seem to be getting in our way a lot lately!  So, Natasha and I headed back to the hospital to try and find the Director since he wasn't answering his phone.  Natasha found out more about his medical condition and found out that he is preparing for surgery on his kidneys.  He will be in the hospital for 2 weeks.  When we got to the hospital, the nurses said he was in his room.  But when we went to his room, one of his 7 roomates said he left for the weekend and will return on Monday.  I guess he will be getting ready for his surgery at home.  We called him again on our way home and he told us that someone would meet us with the key in 20 minutes.  I guess the relative finished picking mushrooms.  We headed to the orphanage and right when we turned on the road to the orphanage, Alex burst into tears and started freaking out.  Tanya had already told him we were only staying for 5 minutes but I guess he just panicked and thought he was going back there.  It was so terrible and to see him so scared made all of us cry.  Tanya was finally able to calm him down.  We stayed outside while Natasha went in and he was ok then.  A teacher walked out of the orphanage and Alex immediately went up to her and told her he was going to America!  We finally got Tanya's passport from a really nice man at the orphanage.  They also had  a passport for Bogdan which we didn't even know existed.  I am so thankful that he found that because it could have caused big problems later.  So, we turned the old passports in and got the new ones.  Isn't this crazy?  I'm not even telling all of it because I'm too tired to write it all.  We are finished in Zhytomyr.  We go to Kiev tomorrow and have our 1st embassy appointment on Monday morning.  We could stay in Zhytomyr for the weekend but I'm too scared that we will run into the boy that Liz assaulted so we will spend the weekend in Kiev doing all sorts of exciting things.  We will be able to fly out on Wednesday morning.  What an answer to prayer!  We went to McDonalds tonight to celebrate getting the passports.  Tanya wanted to ice skate and we had fun watching her.  Alex played on the games while she was ice skating.  She was so cute when she ice skated.  She would look over every time she went around to see if we were watching her.   I was standing where I could see both of the kids.  Every time I looked at either of them,  they were looking at me and smiling.  Alex would yell "Mama" and wave.  Then I started telling Liz how sweet it was and how they have never had someone watch them do anything before.  They've never been delighted in before.  Isn't that so sad?  We thought so and Liz and I were both standing there crying while we watched them.  Alex didn't notice but Tanya was probably wondering what in the world is wrong with her new mama :)  We are thankful to our friends and family who have been faithfully praying for us.  It has been amazing to see God work out all of the details during the process. It seems like every time we do something, there is an obstacle.  Even though we get annoyed at the process sometimes, I have such a peace knowing that God is bigger than these details.  He has gone before us to prepare the way.  When I look back to how I felt a week ago, I am amazed at how God has changed my heart.  I no longer have the doubts that I had a week ago.  I know that God will continue to show me how to do this.  Alex has started to get really attached to me.   Before he would barely touch me.  Now he will lay his head on my shoulder in the car.  Today he got really sad and worried when I left with Natasha for a little while and later when I started to go in the grocery store while everyone else waited outside, he ran after me and grabbed my hand.  I can tell that he is much more comfortable with me.  I am enjoying spending time with both of the kids!  I am ready to be home with them though!

Passports to come home!  They are standing in front of the building where they issue passports.

Alex was so excited to hear from Papa this morning!

On our way to the bookstore :)

Alex loved riding on Liz's back.  The kids were so good all day long.  It takes a lot of patience to wait like this.  We waited in different places all day long!

We did find time to stop for ice cream!  This is right after Liz's wallet was stolen :)

This is the nice man that finally found the passports for us.  He was talking to us yesterday and this lady walked by and asked if we were going to adopt him!

Tanya loved ice skating.  I wish Ellie was here to skate with her because they both love it so much!