Friday, November 28, 2008

Another bump in the road


Ruslan's wall. Notice the Curled Small Family Photos


Ruslan's Wall of Fame

Utah Jazz Poster with Tanner's Photo (Center)


Ruslan's Bed and Postered Walls



Photo of Front Door of Courthouse taken from Cab

Today is day nine of our waiting period. The Evensons left this morning for a visit to Sumy Orphanage so we watched Tonya and Tamila today. Natasha had some paperwork for us to help her with today, so we traveled with her to the notary, the court, and the birth certificate office. At the birth certificate office we hit another bump in the road. We learned that new legislation takes effect on December 1, 2008, which requires Poltava region to use a new computerized system. The legislation allows the office THREE MONTHS to process a birth certificate. After Ann and I woke up from fainting, Natasha informed us that the office will be closed on December 1st to train on the system. That was the day we were set to begin processing Ruslan's new birth certificate, usually a one day process. Natasha said that it could be 2-3 days now and we can't start the passport process until we have the new birth certificate. We are trying to stay positive, and we still may be able to make our revised time to come home, we will know more after we actually get the birth certificate.

On a positive note, when we got to the orphanage to pick up Ruslan, they didn't have anyone to go get him, so we were allowed to venture deep into the orphanage dorm area. Ruslan resides on the third floor and rooms with Max. We got to the room and his wall is covered with pictures of soccer teams. At the head of his bed he has several posters and pictures of the Utah Jazz and smack in the middle of his largest poster is a picture we sent him of Tanner from the Deseret News as he played against Bountiful in the state basketball tournament. Additionally, we had sent him several pictures we photocopied onto sheets of regular paper and sent with a letter back in September. He had cut out every one of the pictures and tacked them to the wall between and on top of his soccer and jazz posters. They were pictures of the entire family, Grandma Richardson, and Grandpa and Grandma Carr. Some of the pictures were curled and worn but they were all there! Ann and I were so excited to see his room. The dorm rooms are very old but clean. It has the feel of a very old hotel or boarding house. We saw the homework room where the kids do their homework and use one computer. The supervisor asked us through Natasha, if we would consider buying some blank CD's for the kids' use as well as some computer games. We will visit the orphanage tomorrow and visit with Ruslan's class and hopefully take some additional pictures. Hopefully, the bump we hit today will be a small one, but we will have to wait and see.

4 comments:

Andreas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Andreas said...

The pictures on the wall are so neat. It has to make you happy to know that he was so much looking forward to being part of your family. You were the last people he looked at when he went to sleep and the first he saw when he woke up. From the looks of all these posters, it sounds like he'll be ready for soccer and basketball camp as soon as he gets here!

Can you elaborate a little on the new computer system you talked about and if that will effect anything else in the adoption process?

Kirsty said...

Wow! I just about fainted when I read your post too! We will keep you in our prayers and hope for the best in getting this adoption done!

The pictures on the wall of your family are so sweet. I can only imagine him looking at each of you and couting the days until you arrived to pick him up.

Lisa said...

well that probably tugged at your heart to see those pictures up there! how adorable. this sure is an unpredictable adventure...almost stacks up to flying standby out of germany i'll bet! i hope you'll be getting back by christmas, but i'll bet your hoping just a titch more than i am even!