court visit

Last night it was a challenge getting to sleep for all of us. Our room in on the 7th floor. The restaurant/lounge in on the 10th floor. They were having a big party with a DJ and very loud music. We could have had our own dance party in our room if we would have had the energy.


I had taken my shower before Mike and Viktorija awoke. After my shower I lathered myself in what I thought was lotion. We had purchased it yesterday with Viktorija (she also thought it was lotion). I thought it was thick going on, but that didn't stop me. Our skin is so dry. When Vikorija came out of the bathroom later she informed us that is was shower cream. I got back in the shower to rinse off, and sure enough...it turned into suds. It's tough when you can't read/understand another language. It gives me greater appreciation for Viktorija learning English:-)


We had a visit with 2 ladies from the court this morning. Very nice ladies. It was pretty painless, really. They came to our room and asked Viktorija what she has been doing with us for the past several days. They asked us if we had any questions. That was pretty much it. I think they can tell we've already bonded, and there are no issues that need worked through at this time. However, they are still required by the courts to make a 2nd visit on Tues of next week. Viktorija presented each of them with a gift, which I think they were surprised and happy about.


The day we checked into our hotel with Viktorija, she told us that she had 8 cards for us, We would get one each day until there were no more left. They have all been very sweet...."Thank you for everything", "I love my family", a picture of the 3 of us and our dogs, and today it was, "I want a puppy....PLEASE!". We just laughed. She is persisent, if nothing else:-)


I decided to take Viktorija to get a new pair of pants/jeans. She has 2 pair, and with our laundry situation, I thought one more pair would certainly be appropriate. This was an interesting trip to the "mall". It is very much like an indoor flea market. Because she is so tiny, there were not many choices. But, we did find 1 pair that she was really excited about. Truth be told, they're still a little big. But, the man gave her a belt as a "gift" and she said she was fine with that. The styles here are much different also. And, sizing would be a challenge for most Americans. Their clothes are so tiny! Jeans are extra skinny, tops are very clingy, and there is a lot of "bling", shall we say. I miss White House/Black Market and Ann Taylor Loft:-) I think I'm too conservative to live here;-)


Tonight Mike gave us both a lesson in Chess. It has been years since my grandpa taught me to play. Needless to say, I'm a bit rusty! Vitkorija is picking it up pretty well. The NOOK Mike gave me for Christmas is coming in so handy here! I'm enjoying the books I downloaded prior to coming here. I also downloaded the Bible. It's pretty great to have all my books on one small piece of technology!


I hope you enjoy the links below. Mike is in full form:-)


More later..... HUGS to all



http://personalspace.sony.net/email/file/6d7061576e6d553d?rd=8412557#i0

http://personalspace.sony.net/email/file/6d7061576e6d453d?rd=1139624#i0

getting out

Today was "laundry day". That was fun! Caroline Ingalls has nothing on me! :-) It's funny...as a child I used to fantasize about living like "Little House on the Prairie". I find myself saying this all the time now..." We are so spoiled!!".

We needed to get photos of Viktorija today for her temporary visa. So, after Math with Mike, we ventured out into the cold, cold day. Poor little Viktorija's hands and face are chapped from the cold wind. She says she stays like that all Winter long. Needless to say, we are lathering the lotion on.

We then found a place called Hessburger to have lunch. I guess it would be most like a Burger King in the US. Mike and Vikotrija were happy with this. Tonight will be dinner in the room. We went to the grocery store for some chicken. The grocery store here is such a busy place!! I feel like we're in a train station each time we go! We wonder why people aren't working, or children are not in school during the day. If all of these people are without a job, it's a LOT!! I notice that people don't buy many grocery items either. When I shop at home, I shop for 2 weeks at a time. I feel I save money this way. But, I guess since most people are walking or riding the train, they really can't buy too much at a time. It's interesting to take all of this in.

I know most people have seen the movie, "A Christmas Carol". My brilliant husband decided to do an "experiment". Will the tounge really stick to a metal light pole when its cold outside?!? Let me just tell you, he figured it out in about a half of a second!! There are no words for my thoughts on this. :-)

Viktorija was able to get on her Latvian "facebook" today. She was so thrilled that Mike offered to put pictures up on her page. She didn't have any photos posted, and was thrilled that now she had a family to show her friends. This made her giggle with excitement.

Something else that was pretty special for Mike was when Viktorija showed us a necklace she had purchased with some birthday money she received. It is a necklace that says, "Daddy's Girl" on it. This really shows how excited she is to have a father figure in her life. I'm so happy for her!

I find myself smiling as I listen to Viktorija taking a bath. She has been only allowed one shower per week. Now that she can take a bath, or shower, anytime it is funtime for her. She chooses to take a bath with "lots of bubbles":-) I guess we'll never really understand. I try to put myself in her place and I just can't phathom her prior life.

Tomorrow...our first visit with the social/court worker.

Click the link below to see a short video. Our love to all....

http://personalspace.sony.net/email/file/6d7061546d32453d,first?rd=8608678#i0

Today was pretty uneventful, and we liked it. Got up around 8:00 and then went for our breakfast at the hotel since it's include with our room (that's a blessing!). We then came back to our room for some study time. Math with Mike is going better. Viktorija said, "I think it won't be so bad now". I think she meant that Mike is a good teacher and she is getting a better understanding of algebra. Heaven knows she's better off with Mike teaching the Math than me!!

She spent some time playing computer games and then we had lunch in the room. PB& J...you can't beat it! Then it was time for some English and spelling, with me. Nouns, verbs, and prepositions were the course for today. She caught on well. Her little struggle is with spelling. The Latvian alphabet looks much like ours, but sounds totally different. So, learning the letters and sounds in English is a lot of repetition. She's doing well.

To relax, Mike and I read while Viktorija played her games. I also had this great idea that I would bring some theraband along on the trip so I could get some exercise (there's no gym around). Well, today was the first day I used it. It's not quite like going to a gym and feeling exhilarated. But, Mike and I tried:-)

The clothes and coat we sent home with Viktorija in the Summer didn't return with her. She said she doesn't know what happened to her new coat. But, we were told that everything kind of becomes shared property. So, I know we will have some fun shopping for some new clothes that are just hers.

When we were at court on Monday, Mike took Viktorija out of the room so that I could ask more in depth questions about her background. Viktorija had told us that she was dropped off at an orphanage when she was 5, by her alcoholic mother. What I was told was that, yes, her mother is indeed an alcoholic, but that Vktorija was found in an abandoned house when she was 6 yrs old, by herself. She weighed only 13 kilograms (approx 30 lbs) at the age of 6! She was literally starving. She was found and taken to a crisis center. From there she was sent to one foster home for 7 yrs. This foster family apparently did not do a very good job, so she was removed and placed less than a year ago with the latest family. Her first foster mom continues to try to contact Viktorija, as she doesn't want Viktorija to be adopted. The courts do not want her to have any contact with this woman, which Viktorija is aware of and in agreement with. However, since we've been here, there have been 6 attempted calls from this lady. I can't imagine what must go through Viktorija's mind. She has thankfully been seeing a psychologist about all of these changes. She tells us she is very happy with the way things are going now.

She's a tough little lady. I admire her strength and her will. I can learn a lot from my daughter. It is with great love and respect for her that I continue on this journey of motherhood.

That's all for today. More memories tomorrow.... Love to all!

Our "Tour"

Wow! Another wonderful, but exhausting day. We spent the majority of our day with Viktorija's foster mom and dad (whom will now be referred to as Maria and Arlis). They picked us up from the hotel around 10:30, and Arlis drove us to several special areas of interest in Viktorija's life within the past 10 months that she has lived with this family. Since living with Maria, Viktorija has had her confirmation in the Catholic church. This seems to be extrememly important to Maria and her family who are devout Catholics. We saw the church where Vikorija was confirmed, and then another huge Catholic church where she took a pilgrimage in August,after she returned from the US. This pilgrimage is taken by many Catholics throughout the world. People come from everywhere to pray for 2 days. The churches are beautiful. You can tell the people take much pride in their places of worship. At this second church, Maria knew a priest who speaks English and he gave us a tour of the entire place. Much history. Maria asked the priest to ask us what our religion is, and would Viktorija be able to complete the 12 sacraments. I told the priest we were "Baptist", that we believe in Jesus, and that we would be certain to teach Viktorija of Jesus' love for her. I don't know if that satisfied Maria, but we got no more questions about it.

Maria and Aldis were wonderful to spend their entire day with us. We got a lot of history of the area, and of Lativa. We went to a World War II museum, and a "bread museum". We were taught about how they make their bread, and then treated to an authentic Latvian meal. I seem to have a few things in common with Latvians....they love their dark bread---I, too, like bread. They love their cheese---I, too, like cheese. Can you see that this common denominator could be a little challenging in regards to the healthy diet I have chosen? :-) That's not going to be happening while in Latvia, apparently:-) I must say, the food is good. I can't really tell you what it was for certain....potatoes, sausage, cheese, sour cream....do you see what I mean?!?!? I chose to put small amounts on my plate, and Arlis took the bowls and started piling copious amounts of cheese and sour cream on top! Well, I ate it all with a smile on my face:-) After dinner, we danced. Yes, I did say dance. The lovely lady who was serving us grabbed Mike and took him to the middle of the room to dance with her. The next thing I knew, we were all dancing! What a wonderful memory to share with our daughter, and our new friends.

Latvia is such a poor country. Many people have left this country to find work anywhere they can. Nobody looks happy. Mike asked our attorney yesterday if we looked like we were from America. She said, " you look like you're from somewhere other than Latvia. You look too happy." That really struck me. We are so blessed in America! I can't tell you the appreciation I have for EVERY thing in my life. From the littlest things. I am going to be doing laundry the old fashioned way while we're here (in the sink). That in itself makes me appreciate home! We were told they had laundy facilities here. That means they will do your laundry for you...for a stiff fee.

I can tell you I wouldn't trade this experience for anything, but I will be happy to get home with our daughter. As a good friend said, "This is a big adventure". And, it really is. Unforgettable.

Please continue to pray:

1) For our witness to others as we are here.

2) For Viktorija--she is already worried about school. We've been doing school work here, and it's evident that she is frustrated. We're starting from the alphabet.

3) For our safety

4) For our 2nd court date on 2/25. We have 2 scheduled social worker visits in the nexk week.

I'm now going to watch a movie with my family before bedtime. Love and hugs to all.....

our reunion

After a night of fitfull sleep, we awoke to frozen pipes at the bathroom sink. But, thankfully, the shower was working!! I was so grateful for that! I didn't want to show up for our court date and our first meeting with our daughter to be without a shower.

Our attorney met us at 9:30 and drove us the 3-1/2 hours to Daugavpils to Viktorija's foster home. They greeted us with open arms and had lunch prepared for us. I was the one who got the first glimpse of our sweet girl. We both immediately had tears in our eyes and it was so hard to let her go. But, of course, Mike needed his turn:-) Viktorija kept saying, "I can't believe it!". We felt the same. It was so surreal. Very dream-like. Noone in Viktorija's foster family speaks any English, so it was fun having Viktorija and our attorney translating, and teaching us words in Latvian. It really is true that a smile and a hug go a long way. Who needs words when you have that?!? The foster mom, Maria, and "grandma" are very caring and loving people. They were honestly happy for Viktorija to have a forever family. There were tears shed by grandma as we left, but I know she was truly happy for all of us to be a family.

Maria, the foster mom, came to court with us. Court went well. We were asked why we wanted to make Viktorija our daughter. It didn't take long before everyone in the courtroom (about 8 people) were cyring. The foster mom also spoke and said some wonderful things about how Viktorija had really wanted to be a part of OUR family. She said she wanted a dad and a mom that would love her. Viktorija told Maria how we would read the Bible together every night and pray together before bedtime when she was in America.

We finally got to settle into our apartment about 4:30 this afternoon. Had a special dinner with Viktorija....pizza, chicken wings, tacos, coke. This will NOT be the norm, however, it is a celebratory day, after all! She hasn't had coke since she left America (not a bad thing).

We were able to talk via skype to Mike's parents and his sister. But, when we tried my mom, we were having great difficulty connecting. In fact, we couldn't even access email or our blog!! That was a big problem. Finally, we got some help and things seem to be working better now...thank the Lord for that!

We our happy with our apartment, and the location is good. We can walk to most things we need (grocery store, bowling, library, movie theater, etc). Tomorrow we have an early day again. School work, breakfast, and then Maria (foster mom) is going to take us to see Viktorija's church and some other areas of interest. She is very hospitable and we are so grateful for her giving Viktorija good care and keeping her safe for us.

The pictures of the foster home and our day will speak for themselves.

Love to all.....

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Reunion Eve Feb 13

Today was a relatively quiet day. We woke up at 9:20 (after going to bed at 6:30 last night) and then had breakfast at the hotel. We then ventured out for a walk and to see our surroundings. We went to a grocery store to see if Mike could find any Red Bull....low and behold! They have Red Bull in Latvia! All is right with the world now. Needless to say, Mike was quite a happy boy. We walked several blocks to a park that was absolutely covered in snow. We weren't out long before our hands started freezing...literally. Yes, we had gloves on. In fact, I'm so thankful we invested in some really warm coats and snow boots! They are a MUST for survival in this kind of freezing weather. The temp today...0 degrees, wind chill -7, and low tonight -8!! Not temperatures we're used to, for sure.

So, we did a lot of reading in our room, emailing, and resting. We had the chance to skype with Mike's sister, Kim tonight. We then had a 3-way phone call with Viktorija. This was the first time she has ever "met" her aunt Kim and cousin Josiah.

We have spoken to Viktorija 3 times since our arrival. She is so very excited about tomorrow. She told me she is getting up very early in the morning to take a shower and help her foster mom with preparing food for us. The plan is to leave our hotel at 9:30 am with our Latvian attorney. She and her husband will transport us 3-4 hours to Viktorija's foster home. We will visit with them for a short time and then off to court. Once court is over, our attorney will take us to our new hotel in Daugavpils where will will stay with Viktorija until 2/25. We have a second court date on 2/25 and then the attorney will take us back to Riga (where we are now). We will handle immigration details in Riga on 2/28 and 3/1. We will be very excited to return HOME on 3/3!

During our "bonding time" with Viktorija we will be doing school work, reading, watching movies, and probably a little bit of sightseeing. I can't imagine we'll be doing much outdoors since it is unbearable after such a short time. Either way, we will be happy just to have our daughter with us. It's been 6-1/2 months since we've seen her. Will she be taller? Will she look/act different? In about 18 hours we will see:-) Until then....goodnight all.

We're here in Latvia!

We arrived in Riga, Latvia 2/12 at 2:45 pm (we're now 7 hours ahead of the USA). We had a good trip with only one delayed flight. We're pretty exhausted....been awake for about 30 hours now and really can't even think straight. I'll be sure to srite more after what I hope is a great night's sleep:-)