Still here in Kyiv

We have just now found an Internet cafe to make a quick post. We are all well and safe in Kyiv and Christopher is making many new discoveries. Unfortunatly, our connection tool on the laptop is not cooperating, so I will have to post my mama musings when I get back home. I will post more photos too for all of you who are requesting them.

Christopher and I will be arriving in Atlanta at 9:55 pm tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day!!! Thanks be to God!!! Mark will be home with the boys the following weekend.

Just hangin out in cyberspace!!!

Lately, I have spent entirely too much time in the Internet cafe'. Hours, in fact, since Artyom and 'Andy" are in school during the day and Zhenya is an hour and a half away waiting for two more days until his Papa and Mama will take him home forever.

I am beginning to get those swirly halos dancing in front of my eyes. It wouldn't be so bad if so a mouth would appear on the monitor and begin to console in my native tongue. Ahhh, the sound of English is so soothing. Yes, Mark and I are still speaking and still best friends, but he is presently consumed with catching up on NFL (for those who still care, the Patriots are 9-0). Please, I am just the messenger!! Then there is the Star Trek, the old William Shatner series. Is there anything else? Mark reminds me of how he wants to purchase the entire 79 episodes on DVD. "I can dream, can't I?", he pleads for sympathy. Then, when I told him I'd like to watch a movie last night he suggests the Special Features on The Incredibles, which he has seen for the last three days! See what I mean? O.K., I admit, I may be sounding a little stir crazy. After all, isn't this the very results (brain malfunction and visual impairment) that we lecture our computer savvy children about.

I miss the sound of my children fussing and fighting over a toy or who is irritating who. (My family and friends have my permission to remind me of this admission in a month when we are all experiencing the "togetherness" again.) I miss sitting on my own potty, in my own bathroom and I understand why I was born after western toilets were invented. I do not miss though, living in the 80's anymore. What do I mean? The fashion (very sparkly and furry for women) and the music ringing in my ears, in the taxis, restaurants and Internet cafe' is very reminiscent of the 80s and early 90's. Not all bad, but I guess this is where I am feeling my age. I miss my daughters who have been my greatest supporters and e-mail buddies. I miss our homeschool playgroup on Friday afternoons and one hundred other things I haven't mentioned but that are equally as important. I miss just picking up the phone to check in on my family or friends without hearing a Russian speaking operator on the other end speaking to me incoherently about how I am not getting through.

I do know now why God said, "No, you will not be living for years in a foreign country as a missionary," in answer to my childhood prayers. It is not the romanticised life I imagined as an idealistic child, dreaming of how I could make the world a better place.

I will return home to America with a greater appreciation for so many things we take for granted. I will make it foremost in my thoughts and prayers to consider the great sacrifices that individuals and families who are called to be in the mission fields of the uncomfortable for a lifetime and who do it with joy. These are real sacrifices.

Dear Lord, Now we need that van, please!!!

Today was a great day in Gorlovka! Mark and I are the proud parents of two more bouncing boys!!

Thomas Artyom and Andrew Vladimir had big smiles when the judge announced her favorable decision granting our petition to adopt them. The judge told the boys to enjoy their new family and life in America, to work hard in school and learn English. She told the boys to be good to their parents and to respect us and listen to what we instruct.

It's that last admonition that I wonder about--ha! They are, afterall, our children now.



"Blessed are you among men" is a quote of Mark's in reference to me and my position these days as the matriarch of the household. Chloe, my sweet girl beagle is the only one who comes close to really understanding me now. Still though, I love my boys even among the stinky socks, random burping contests and other humorus boyish habits we won't mention right now. God has blessed me more than I could ever have imagined and I just pray for the graces that I know I will need to raise these little guys into compassionate, God fearing men that will have the level of integrity that their Daddy does.




I must admit though I am counting on my lovely daughters to rescue me from time to time for a girls only day out.

Alot Happenin'

Our court date has been moved up one day to Tuesday at 11:00am. No problems, just a delay in the receipt of a neccessary document for the court.

Monday we will take Volodymyr and Artyom for their visa photos and pick up some clothes for V since I did not bring anything his size.

Yeah !!! Theresa and Zhengya will be home to Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day. Mark, Artyom and V. will be joining them on November 30th or Dec. 1st.

We have a court date in Gorlovka

We have a court date in Gorlovka next Monday for Artyom and Volodymyr. We are hoping that it is much shorter than Torez. A. tells us to compare, as it will maybe be 15 minutes.

Mark and I just wanted to say Thank you so much for all of your prayers and heartfelt comments. As those of you who have been here before us know, it is what keeps us encouraged and makes everyone at home seem so much closer than the thousands of miles between us. Be assured that the families that are waiting are in our prayers as well.

A great day in Torez!!

Well we made it through the court hearing and received a favorable decision to adopt Zhengna. He is now legally our son. There is now a mandatory 10-day waiting period before we can take physical custody of him. The judge told us to come on the 9th day and we could take him then. She already has written the formal decree. One might ask us why if he is legally our child, why we have to leave him in this sad orphanage. The explanation we are given is that this waiting period is for any appeals to be made by either us or other parties interested in the child's welfare. I better not express my strong opinions at this time, or this Blog will no longer be family friendly.
Zhengna, Pondering the events of the day.

We introduce the newest member the Wollschlager family, Christopher Eugen Wollschlager.



For those of you that like the details, just click on the link to The Mama Chronicles.

Court Date in Torez, Ukraine

We have a court date on Monday, November 5th at 10:30am. This is the court date for Eugen "Zhengna". We will hope for the 10-day waiting period to be waived which we know will require a Miracle . A. went to meet the judge today so that we knew what she required in documents and such. "We do not want any surprises", states the General. A. comments that the judge, a woman , is very nice and professional. This is her first adoption though in the city of Torez. Torez, unlike other larger cities, has just one orphanage and it happens to house only children ages 4-18 with special needs. It is making me concerned that they are going to bring in the media to broadcast their first adoption in this city. We are getting a clearer understanding of how really big of a deal this is. If you think our media representation is "over the top" (I am being G -rated with my adjectives) the programing here is totally inappropriate! So let's hope this courtdate is low key.

Because of our limited time and access to the Internet, I have begun to keep more detailed journal of our activities and life here in Gorlovka. This way I can just create in MS Word at any time of day and copy and paste when we are at the Internet Cafe. Just click on the link in the upper right column, www.themamachronicles.blogspot.com to read more of what is happening.

I am still a few days behind, but hope to get current soon. Here are some photos to go with our ongoing adventure.