I guess it might be time to update our loyal followers so you don't think we have fallen off the face of the earth! It has been a busy week. Ana jumped right into our family life without a blink! We have been busy with our usual activities plus dr visits, school visits, hair cut, and a couple of shopping trips with finally today's trip being a success!
The only real issue we have had is clothing. Ana likes tight, 2 or more sizes too small and Jim and I say no. This has led to a few "battles" over google translate. Last night was the most intense but the most effective. Today we went to the mall after the drs and bought a couple of things that are both mom and Ana approved! Last night's session on the computer ended with - you have to say yes to some clothes or go naked! She decided to say yes!
Our plan was to keep Ana home this week and start school next week. However, she had different plans. By last Friday she was saying - Mom, school? I want school! So, we decided if she is feeling like she wants to go - she should go. Tomorrow is the big day and she is beyond excited! She will shadow Mary Beth tomorrow and start her own schedule on Thursday. She has her bag packed and an outfit that is parent approved!
It is amazing to me how brave she has been. I know how all of us felt while we were in Ukraine. We didn't speak the language, we thought the things they did were strange and we were uncomfortable most of the time. She is so excited about jumping right in and trying everything. She has made some connections with our friends and with Mary Beth's friends. She can't wait for school, dance class and to play basketball! I would be scared to death. She can hardly contain her excitement. Mary Beth has also been great with showing Ana what to do, looking through the yearbook to point out friends and teachers and just being a great sister. I know in time that Ana will become more independent and have her own set of friends and interests but right now I am enjoying seeing the girls forming a close relationship. I can't imagine my life withour my sister - I consider her one of my best friends and we talk almost every day. I am so happy that our girls will have the opportunity to enjoy being sisters!
Seeing Ana's smile, enjoying her hugs and hearing the excitment in her voice when she talks about everything she wants to do and be here in America has made the past week unforgetable! Can't wait for what's to come!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Last Day in Ukraine
Well, it's official. I picked up Anastasia Michelle Raabe's official immigrant Visa up today at the Embassy. We have plane tickets for tomorrow and we will be home. Both of us are excited. I can really say that this whole process went very smoothly. We had our concerns and our little difficulties, but overall I would not have changed anything. Unlike some others who have come before us, we have not had the problems and frustrations that some of them have had. We have listened to many of the people that have gone through this journey and learned. But mainly, we listened to what God was telling us.
I feel God lead us down paths that we would have never followed unless he was directing the way. After reading an article that my friend Ken wrote this morning, I feel God directs the way by combined rational thinking as well as that sub-conscious bump that leads to a perfect harmony. It is that gut feeling as well as thought provoking questions answered along the way that lead us down the "right path", God's path that is set for us. A perfect balance that makes ones life and the lives around them joyous and thankful for what has been achieved.
As I look back on this time, I am much more aware of what FAMILY really means, and why I value it so much. I have been blessed by a wonderful family, wonderful friends (too many to count), prayers from people from all parts of the world, and especially my God. As Ana and my family finish this short journey and travel into the new and unchartered waters of a family of 7, I pray that we can live up to our fullest potential. My prayer would be that we provide not only a loving and fulfilling life for my children, but that we can provide inspiration to our community (everyone we know) to show that God's love abides until the end!
Thanks to all for following. We could not have done it alone.
Love the Raabe's - Jim, Michelle, Kyle, Ana, Mary Beth, Keegan, and Kelton!!!
PS - See everyone in the STATES!!!!!
I feel God lead us down paths that we would have never followed unless he was directing the way. After reading an article that my friend Ken wrote this morning, I feel God directs the way by combined rational thinking as well as that sub-conscious bump that leads to a perfect harmony. It is that gut feeling as well as thought provoking questions answered along the way that lead us down the "right path", God's path that is set for us. A perfect balance that makes ones life and the lives around them joyous and thankful for what has been achieved.
As I look back on this time, I am much more aware of what FAMILY really means, and why I value it so much. I have been blessed by a wonderful family, wonderful friends (too many to count), prayers from people from all parts of the world, and especially my God. As Ana and my family finish this short journey and travel into the new and unchartered waters of a family of 7, I pray that we can live up to our fullest potential. My prayer would be that we provide not only a loving and fulfilling life for my children, but that we can provide inspiration to our community (everyone we know) to show that God's love abides until the end!
Thanks to all for following. We could not have done it alone.
Love the Raabe's - Jim, Michelle, Kyle, Ana, Mary Beth, Keegan, and Kelton!!!
PS - See everyone in the STATES!!!!!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Off to Kiev!!!
Well it's been a long wait but in about 2 hours we will board the train and Ana will spend her last few minutes in Mariupol. Both of us are so excited to get on our way. Not sure what tomorrow will be like, I just hope that it will go smoothly and we will finally feel relief. It has been a long and strenuous journey. And I also know that this is just the start. I'm sure we will forge a lifetime of memories and this will just be a small part in God's grand scheme of the adventure. We are packed and ready to go and have about an hour before Kostya gets here. So, I think we will head out for a walk to the local bakery and exchange some money so we can leave.
Yesterday brought confusion and laughter. We have been communicating fairly well with google translate, itranz (app for the iphone), and hand gestures. But, yesterday was pretty funny. I called Kostya to translate for me that I would take Ana to the park that she had been wanting to go to since we arrived in Mariupol, however I had no idea how to get there. Ana would have to take me. So he translated that and she called us a taxi, and we were off. When we drove by the amusement park I looked back at her and she just looked at me funny. So I went with it, because she said she knew where we were going. At last we came to the park that we had been to before for the Azovmash basketball game. Now I was really confused. I paid the driver and we started walking. Right up to the Ice Skating Rink. LOL!!!!! She wanted to ice skate the whole time and couldn't figure out how to tell me. So we had an hour and a half to blow before we could skate. We walked around the park for a while, went to the Azovmash ticket window to see if I could buy her a shirt, watched 7 brides get their pictures taken, and then went skating. I thought she was going to be a good skater since this was the place she wanted to go. Boy was I wrong! She only fell 5 or 6 times and didn't let go of the wall for anything. I thought I was going to be bad, since I haven't had hockey skates on for over 20 years. I looked better than 90% of the guys skating and didn't fall once. It was a lot of fun and we laughed sooo hardd!!
We came back to the apartment and did our nightly stroll out to the store for ice cream. Back for dinner and off to bed. Oh and some skyping with Karina and we skyped Michelle and the kids 3 times yesterday.
So now to the next part of the trip. I might not be able to update you for a while, but, stay tuned and pray for us!!
Yesterday brought confusion and laughter. We have been communicating fairly well with google translate, itranz (app for the iphone), and hand gestures. But, yesterday was pretty funny. I called Kostya to translate for me that I would take Ana to the park that she had been wanting to go to since we arrived in Mariupol, however I had no idea how to get there. Ana would have to take me. So he translated that and she called us a taxi, and we were off. When we drove by the amusement park I looked back at her and she just looked at me funny. So I went with it, because she said she knew where we were going. At last we came to the park that we had been to before for the Azovmash basketball game. Now I was really confused. I paid the driver and we started walking. Right up to the Ice Skating Rink. LOL!!!!! She wanted to ice skate the whole time and couldn't figure out how to tell me. So we had an hour and a half to blow before we could skate. We walked around the park for a while, went to the Azovmash ticket window to see if I could buy her a shirt, watched 7 brides get their pictures taken, and then went skating. I thought she was going to be a good skater since this was the place she wanted to go. Boy was I wrong! She only fell 5 or 6 times and didn't let go of the wall for anything. I thought I was going to be bad, since I haven't had hockey skates on for over 20 years. I looked better than 90% of the guys skating and didn't fall once. It was a lot of fun and we laughed sooo hardd!!
We came back to the apartment and did our nightly stroll out to the store for ice cream. Back for dinner and off to bed. Oh and some skyping with Karina and we skyped Michelle and the kids 3 times yesterday.
So now to the next part of the trip. I might not be able to update you for a while, but, stay tuned and pray for us!!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Anastasia Michelle Raabe!!
Wow, where to start today.
We have been waiting for this day for such a long time now that I don't know where to begin. I feel that I have been so blessed by God that words can't describe the emotion of the day. With each birth of my children, a tear of pure joy came to my eyes. Only the joy that God can provide to his children. I remember the day Kyle was born, I just stood there in awe of the magnificent gift that God gave to Michelle and I (in fact I almost passed out). The same with Mary Beth when she came so fast I thought she was going to fly across the room. And then the big red face of Keegan screaming at me, knowing that he was the smallest out of them all. Then finally thinking that I was actually going to have to deliver Kelton and seeing his little nose and quivering lips. I thought this was all behind me, until today. When Ana walked (skipped) down those gray steps of the Orphanage today all full of smiles and cheer, I knew that I had saw God one last time! My heart skipped a beat and a tear came to my eye again, and I knew that all of the hard work up until this time was all worth it. It was meant to be, and it was truly another gift from God. As she took the roses that I had stopped for earlier in the day, I think her face was going to have a smile permanently etched in. It was amazing!!
The day started out by waking up at 6am so I could get the apartment cleaned up and ready for the landlord to show it to another renter. I have gone 4 weeks of not feeling sick in Ukraine until this morning. I felt terrible. So, I took some tylenol, drank some water, and started my day. I called Kostya and told him that he was going to have to call me a taxi because I just didn't feel good enough to walk, and I was off to Court. When I got there Kostya came out of the doors and told me he already had the court order. It was time to go get the Birth Certificate. So we walked to the next office down the street. Only to be told that the court order was not an official one. Back to the Court Office. Got an original court order then back to the Birth Certificate office. Meanwhile I was not feeling very well. We left that office and had to head to the Social Workers Office (had to stop by McDonalds because Kostya is always hungry) then we walked to the SW Office. On the way, I grabbed some roses for Ana. Thank goodness Kostya was with me because I almost bought a half dozen - big mistake. In Ukraine it is tradition that you only buy an even number of flowers for funerals - boy that would have been hard to explain - lol... After the SW Office, we decided to walk to the Orphanage to pick up Ana. Wrong again, this Orphanage Director has just about tried all of my patience by now. So she made us sit down in her office while she lectured me on how to raise Ana. I understand being concerned for the children, but, this lady went over the top. She basically told me that if I did not raise Ana her way she was going to be lazy, a couch potato, and a miserable child. I sat there and smiled. After that, she told me that I did not have all of the paperwork she needed, that Ana's account only had 600 uah ($80) in it, and that she wanted me to donate it to the orphanage. If it wasn't donated it may take a couple of days to get it. Not only did she make me pay 200 uah yesterday to take Ana to lunch for an hour, she was now telling me that I needed more paperwork and she wanted Ana's account. So, back to the Birth Certificate Office, then back to the Social Workers Office, a talk with Kostya, then back to the Orphanage. I really wanted to take Ana's account just for sheer spite, but I conceded and donated it. After Ana and I went to the bank to sign the account over to the orphanage, the lady that was with us wanted me to hand the cash over to the Director. I just handed it to the lady and started waiting for our taxi. So at that point in time, the Director comes out to meet us in the parking lot, said something to Ana and I, then Ana proceeded to hand the roses that I bought for her to the Director. Wow, talk about a mix of emotions, again thanks to God for giving me patience, I just smiled. I think over the years, God has really been helping me with this one!! After all, this was the outcome!!!!!
Next Fun and Exciting Part of the Day!
As soon as we got back to the apartment, which Ana really liked, we called home. It was 6am and Michelle wasn't even out of bed. But, I had to call, I was so excited. You should have seen Ana's face when she saw Michelle on skype. Again, a smile that I don't think can get any bigger... After we talked to Michelle, we called Karina before she went to school again all smiles. Not sure what they talked about but, I think Evon(Vanya) to them, was mentioned a few times. Then she called some of her friends from the Orphanage on their cell phones, until being the mean Dad that I am had to stop her so she didn't use all of my minutes. We vegged out for about a half an hour and then went for a walk. Well, I thought this girl was lost until she asked me where the Automobile garage was that Michelle had taken a picture of when she was here. I took her to the garage and her eyes lit up. She made me hand her the iphone and the first thing she did was tell me she wanted to get ice cream if that was ok. OF COURSE IT WAS OK!!! So we had some ice cream, a soda, and I bought her a pack of gum!!! WooHoo for Dad being the guy... After we came out of the store, Ana wanted to take a walk.
Now comes to the tough part of the day!!
If you were not teary before, this part is where you will be. At least I was and it was really hard to hold them back and to keep a smile (because I knew I had to). We started walking down the street not but 3 blocks from where Michelle and I had been staying and Ana pointed to a building and said this is my school. I replied, you go to school here now? She said no, my old school and then asked for my phone again. She called Kostya, muttered some words and then handed me the phone. Kostya proceeded to tell me that this was the school that she went to as a little girl when she lived with her Mom and then asked if I was ok with walking around her old neighborhood while she reminisced. I said of course as long as she wanted to. I also told Kostya to let her know, if she wanted any pictures I would take them for her. So, I took a pic of Ana at her old school and we were off again. She asked me if I wanted to see her house. I said if you want to. She proceeded to take me back into some apartments and pointed. That's my house. Ok, I'm starting to get a little teary. All I could think about was these places didn't look too bad and the people looked fairly well off. Why Ana? Why would someone let this gift from God go? I asked her which apartment she lived in and she pointed to about the 3rd floor. At this point in time I was starting to feel a little awkward. Was her Mom going to see us there, etc??? So we walked a little further and there was an old man and woman sitting on the bench. The woman said Nastya and Ana smiled. She said this is Nina. Nina talked to her a little and Ana explained that she had a new Dad and Mom and she was going to America. The lady started getting teary. Ana just smiled the whole time and then when the lady asked if she had seen her real Mom or Dad (that was about the only thing I could pick out of the conversation), Ana got a little angry. The lady started talking to someone else that was passing by so Ana decided to make a break for it. About a minute later Nina called, Nastya and came up to her and hugged her and let her know that she loved her and Ana would always be in her heart and wished Nastya a good life in America. She also told me Thank You. Just like that the conversation was over and we walked on. I asked Ana if she was ok and she looked at me with that smile and said she was good, asked me if I was good, I replied yes and we walked right on out of that apartment complex. I asked if she wanted a pic and she quickly said no! I really wondered what she was thinking. It truly broke my heart knowing that someone could give up something this good......
Now for the End of the Day!
We came back and I can't say that I cooked the best of meals tonight. We ate some meat raviolis, cheese, and bread and she is watching some Russian TV while I am typing this.
Sorry for the long post!!
We have been waiting for this day for such a long time now that I don't know where to begin. I feel that I have been so blessed by God that words can't describe the emotion of the day. With each birth of my children, a tear of pure joy came to my eyes. Only the joy that God can provide to his children. I remember the day Kyle was born, I just stood there in awe of the magnificent gift that God gave to Michelle and I (in fact I almost passed out). The same with Mary Beth when she came so fast I thought she was going to fly across the room. And then the big red face of Keegan screaming at me, knowing that he was the smallest out of them all. Then finally thinking that I was actually going to have to deliver Kelton and seeing his little nose and quivering lips. I thought this was all behind me, until today. When Ana walked (skipped) down those gray steps of the Orphanage today all full of smiles and cheer, I knew that I had saw God one last time! My heart skipped a beat and a tear came to my eye again, and I knew that all of the hard work up until this time was all worth it. It was meant to be, and it was truly another gift from God. As she took the roses that I had stopped for earlier in the day, I think her face was going to have a smile permanently etched in. It was amazing!!
The day started out by waking up at 6am so I could get the apartment cleaned up and ready for the landlord to show it to another renter. I have gone 4 weeks of not feeling sick in Ukraine until this morning. I felt terrible. So, I took some tylenol, drank some water, and started my day. I called Kostya and told him that he was going to have to call me a taxi because I just didn't feel good enough to walk, and I was off to Court. When I got there Kostya came out of the doors and told me he already had the court order. It was time to go get the Birth Certificate. So we walked to the next office down the street. Only to be told that the court order was not an official one. Back to the Court Office. Got an original court order then back to the Birth Certificate office. Meanwhile I was not feeling very well. We left that office and had to head to the Social Workers Office (had to stop by McDonalds because Kostya is always hungry) then we walked to the SW Office. On the way, I grabbed some roses for Ana. Thank goodness Kostya was with me because I almost bought a half dozen - big mistake. In Ukraine it is tradition that you only buy an even number of flowers for funerals - boy that would have been hard to explain - lol... After the SW Office, we decided to walk to the Orphanage to pick up Ana. Wrong again, this Orphanage Director has just about tried all of my patience by now. So she made us sit down in her office while she lectured me on how to raise Ana. I understand being concerned for the children, but, this lady went over the top. She basically told me that if I did not raise Ana her way she was going to be lazy, a couch potato, and a miserable child. I sat there and smiled. After that, she told me that I did not have all of the paperwork she needed, that Ana's account only had 600 uah ($80) in it, and that she wanted me to donate it to the orphanage. If it wasn't donated it may take a couple of days to get it. Not only did she make me pay 200 uah yesterday to take Ana to lunch for an hour, she was now telling me that I needed more paperwork and she wanted Ana's account. So, back to the Birth Certificate Office, then back to the Social Workers Office, a talk with Kostya, then back to the Orphanage. I really wanted to take Ana's account just for sheer spite, but I conceded and donated it. After Ana and I went to the bank to sign the account over to the orphanage, the lady that was with us wanted me to hand the cash over to the Director. I just handed it to the lady and started waiting for our taxi. So at that point in time, the Director comes out to meet us in the parking lot, said something to Ana and I, then Ana proceeded to hand the roses that I bought for her to the Director. Wow, talk about a mix of emotions, again thanks to God for giving me patience, I just smiled. I think over the years, God has really been helping me with this one!! After all, this was the outcome!!!!!
Next Fun and Exciting Part of the Day!
As soon as we got back to the apartment, which Ana really liked, we called home. It was 6am and Michelle wasn't even out of bed. But, I had to call, I was so excited. You should have seen Ana's face when she saw Michelle on skype. Again, a smile that I don't think can get any bigger... After we talked to Michelle, we called Karina before she went to school again all smiles. Not sure what they talked about but, I think Evon(Vanya) to them, was mentioned a few times. Then she called some of her friends from the Orphanage on their cell phones, until being the mean Dad that I am had to stop her so she didn't use all of my minutes. We vegged out for about a half an hour and then went for a walk. Well, I thought this girl was lost until she asked me where the Automobile garage was that Michelle had taken a picture of when she was here. I took her to the garage and her eyes lit up. She made me hand her the iphone and the first thing she did was tell me she wanted to get ice cream if that was ok. OF COURSE IT WAS OK!!! So we had some ice cream, a soda, and I bought her a pack of gum!!! WooHoo for Dad being the guy... After we came out of the store, Ana wanted to take a walk.
Now comes to the tough part of the day!!
If you were not teary before, this part is where you will be. At least I was and it was really hard to hold them back and to keep a smile (because I knew I had to). We started walking down the street not but 3 blocks from where Michelle and I had been staying and Ana pointed to a building and said this is my school. I replied, you go to school here now? She said no, my old school and then asked for my phone again. She called Kostya, muttered some words and then handed me the phone. Kostya proceeded to tell me that this was the school that she went to as a little girl when she lived with her Mom and then asked if I was ok with walking around her old neighborhood while she reminisced. I said of course as long as she wanted to. I also told Kostya to let her know, if she wanted any pictures I would take them for her. So, I took a pic of Ana at her old school and we were off again. She asked me if I wanted to see her house. I said if you want to. She proceeded to take me back into some apartments and pointed. That's my house. Ok, I'm starting to get a little teary. All I could think about was these places didn't look too bad and the people looked fairly well off. Why Ana? Why would someone let this gift from God go? I asked her which apartment she lived in and she pointed to about the 3rd floor. At this point in time I was starting to feel a little awkward. Was her Mom going to see us there, etc??? So we walked a little further and there was an old man and woman sitting on the bench. The woman said Nastya and Ana smiled. She said this is Nina. Nina talked to her a little and Ana explained that she had a new Dad and Mom and she was going to America. The lady started getting teary. Ana just smiled the whole time and then when the lady asked if she had seen her real Mom or Dad (that was about the only thing I could pick out of the conversation), Ana got a little angry. The lady started talking to someone else that was passing by so Ana decided to make a break for it. About a minute later Nina called, Nastya and came up to her and hugged her and let her know that she loved her and Ana would always be in her heart and wished Nastya a good life in America. She also told me Thank You. Just like that the conversation was over and we walked on. I asked Ana if she was ok and she looked at me with that smile and said she was good, asked me if I was good, I replied yes and we walked right on out of that apartment complex. I asked if she wanted a pic and she quickly said no! I really wondered what she was thinking. It truly broke my heart knowing that someone could give up something this good......
Now for the End of the Day!
We came back and I can't say that I cooked the best of meals tonight. We ate some meat raviolis, cheese, and bread and she is watching some Russian TV while I am typing this.
Sorry for the long post!!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Quiet
Wow, what can I say but I miss the noise. Until today, I had not spoken to anyone with the exception of Skype and a couple of phone calls. Kostya showed up today and is staying the night. I will tell you that when you are living in a foreign country by yourself and not only is the language different but the alphabet too, it is lonely. With the exception of Saturday we have really only seen Ana about 2 hours/day which now I am finding just a little crazy. I think I am ready for this trip to be done!! I will post some more later today since it is already 3am here.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Last full family day in Mariupol
Today was the last full day for the kids and I in Mariupol. It was eventful to say the least!
The day started out sorting through 3 weeks worth of stuff and packing for the long trip home. When we were ready to leave to go see Ana, we called Kostyia to get a taxi. The taxi arrived and we all piled in, just like we have done for the past 3 weeks. I could tell the driver was not happy and he kept holding up 5 fingers. We figured he was upset that we had 6 people. Jim called Kostyia again to talk to the driver. After a heated conversation - at least from the body language of the driver, the phone was handed back to Jim and Kostyia told us to get out of the car he would call for another. We got kicked out of the taxi!
During our visit today, a group of boys Keegan and Kelton's age were having a phys ed class. They were playing soccer and Ana asked the teacher if the boys could play. They had a great time playing with the other kids and, typical for here, the kids loved playing with American boys! I found some English learning apps for my iphone (which is staying here with Jim) and showed them to Ana today. She loved the games and saying all of the English words. Hoping that English comes pretty quickly for her!
We decided to walk home from the Center so we could get tacos one last time. Everyone stopped at the taco stand and Kelton and I walked to Mc Donalds for his dinner. The lady at McD's must have remembered me or else I just looked American - she said "hi". When we met up again I found out that it was a good thing we got tacos today and didn't wait until tomorrow. Our English speaking Ukrainian Taco guy was working his last day today. He is going to another stand in the city. Jim had a good conversation with him today. It was very interesting to me that he told Jim he speaks very little Russian - enough to run the stand. He has lived here for 10 years and at home his family speaks English and Arabic. We were so lucky to find him while we are here because it made it an easy place to order food. He always had a smile on his face when we walked up to the counter!
After stopping at a playground to eat our dinner we continued our walk home. When we realized that it was already after 6 and we would be pushing it to make it home before dark, we decided to try a bus again. We remember the numbers that went past our apartment so we waited for one. The busses were so crowded tonight. There was no room to move at all let alone breathe. It is not often that I feel like I might pass out but I was not sure I was going to make it through the ride. It was a very hot day here today - one of the hottest we have had and with all those people crammed on the bus it was stifling. I was very happy to get off and get some fresh air!
Back at the apartment, all four kids played outside for a while. Jim and I skyped with my parents who took care of fed -xing some paperwork to us today and then we tried to finish up everything here that needed done.
Tomorrow we will visit Ana for a little while and then the kids and I will get picked up to take the 2 hour, indy 500, van ride to the train station. We will ride the train overnight and catch our flight out of Kiev on Sat.
The kids have had enough of being here and all this togetherness. They are ready to get back to America and our family and friends. I think Jim and I have had enough too. However, it is going to be really hard to leave Jim behind tomorrow afternoon. In our almost 18 years of marriage we have been apart for a week or more only 4 times! I worry about him here waiting out the rest of the 10 days for Ana. I will feel better after next Friday when I know that he has Ana with him and they are on their way to Kiev.
We have decided to get the quick passport for Ana so that Jim's time is lessened here. So it looks like they will get to fly home on the 28th! A week earlier than expected!
Not sure how much internet service the kids and I will have between here and home Saturday night. Jim will be taking over the blogging and pics on facebook now. I will be just like the rest of you, at home waiting for him to post something!
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