We have a travel date!

Saturday April 26, 2008 the phone rings at 7:30 am. Joe is already up and answers it. It is Shelli, our US adoption connection, asking if we had seen our e-mail yet. Joe, being the wise, conscientious husband that he is, waited until later to come jumping on the bed, singing (very badly off-key) "We've got a travel date! We've got a travel date!"

We have an appointment with the SDA (Ukrainian version of an adoption agency) on July 21st. Therefore we will be leaving the country July 18th. Now, I was hoping for a June date for several reasons. One; the entire family could stay the entire time, not leaving me there to melt in the heat alone at the end. Our kids start school on Aug. 13th and will need to be back by then. Two; June would be cooler. Three; They do not have air conditioning and the Indiana family that was there last July could not emphasize enough how hot it was with no trees and lots of pollution. (Obviously, I am not a candidate for peace corp!) Four; We have a 10 hour train ride from Kyiv to his town on a train that the windows do not open and again, has no air conditioning. Oh yea, and no bathrooms to speak of, so we shouldn't drink anything before getting on. In additon, there is no guarentee that we will get a court date by Aug 10th. For those who are just tuning into our saga, getting a court date sometimes takes weeks then the Ukraine has a 10 day waiting period after the court date during which time the adoption can be reversed if a family member steps forward to claim the child. The shortest time to adopt in this city is 4 weeks. After the 10 day waiting period, there are documents to get which take 3-5 days more.

Okay, so I need to suck it up and be real about being there by myself. I just need to keep my mouth shut and not complain how badly my clothes smell from wearing them for weeks in 100 degree heat. So much for no curly hair while I'm there.

P.S. We are thrilled to have a date! The faster we get this child out of the orphanage, the sooner he can start his life! Remember, childbirth is an act of nature, adoption is an act of love.