You've Got To Be Kidding!

July 21,2011
We got up this mornng with high hopes and headed to the subway to meet Irina as planned at 8:20am. We rode the subway to the bridge where we met Anatoly and off we went to the court house. Irina, Anatoly and I went in and Dianne sat outside praying. So we get upstairs and the judge isn't even there yet but arrives shortly after 9:00 and has to walk right past us. He goes into his office, opens windows and shuffles things around and then I look in and he is primping himself in the mirror, fixing his hair and putting on after shave. Finally he calls us in and he has what looks like the court decrees and says he is giving us 2 copies to start with. We then need to take these to the 2 birth certificate places, the local SDA, the orphanage and one other place to have them sign off on them and then return with a letter from them saying they are ok. Then we apply to the councilry for the "official decrees". He was not giving us the decrees he was giving us the drafts. After we go to all those places and return with the letters and after he and the jury then decide to sign off on the decrees we may get them around 2pm-You Have Got To BE Kidding! So off we go on the "amazing race". We had to go to the orphanage to get them to sign off so we visited with the girls while we were there and had a great time, but once again when we left we felt like we had been through a major workout! But off we go to get it all done. So we finally head back to the court house, Dianne waited in the car and we headed in with the copies. We waited and waited, once again in the hot court house once again. Irina was so hot she was wiping her face and arms with a wet wipe. A very large man was standing there and his shirt was just soaking wet. But anyway then he calls us in and says that the head of the court was supposed to sign the copies but she has left for the day and we can't get them signed. We were trying to find a way to track her down and find out. We later found out that she did not have to sign them that our judge could indeed sign them and he just needed to add the official stamp. Finally he was ready to sign them and it took him 10 minutes to do this. Then they had to be sealed. Anyway after an hour and a half we were out of there and on our way to a place to get another letter that was needed to take with us to the birth certificate places. Then they said no we had to get it from the judge. So back we go to the court house. Finally with letter in hand we head to the first birth certificate place for Marina. In we go and take everything in. Suddenly Irina hears talking going on and stands behind the door to eves drop. She hears them discussing how this can't be done--anyway there was a problem with who to list as the father on the birth certificate. The judge ordered in the decree to leave it blank since I was adopting as a single and Tim would readopt in US and have his name added. They said this can't be done. They all argued-Anatoly, Irina and the representative at the birth certificate place for over an hour. Finally they did it the way they wanted. This was to list the natural father. So now we may not be able to get past passport control at the airport to take them out of the country. So now they need to obtain a letter from the natural father stating he had given up all rights to the child. Anyway all the time in the birth certificate place Dianne and I are trying to make light of it all and making jokes about the judge being the AntiChrist etc. Anyway Dianne starts yelling in Ukranian like she was yelling at the people there, anyway we got to laughing so hard. We realized now that we had not used the bathroom, or eaten or had a drink all day. Dianne says I didn't know when I signed up that I wouldn't be allowed to pee, drink or eat all day! We were laughing so hard. So we told Irina who told Tola so he found us a bathroom. So Dianne goes first and then me. Well I go in and there is no toilet paper, no soap to wash with and no towel. I come out and say to Irina who is next-no tissue, no soap no nothing. She comes out laughing and says no tissue, no soap no anything, not nothing. She was Ukranian and correcting my English grammar. We were all so slap happy at this point. We finally get the birth certificate done their way. We leave there and race to the next district to get Vika's birth certificate. We don't know what will happen there. But we give them the request and papers and they said great, come back at 6pm to pick it up. No questions? Could this be. We left before they could throw a fit. We went to get a bite to eat finally--we had only had a piece of fruit around 7am. We had a nice meal and headed back to the birth certificate place. We go in and it is ready but they stated that this is not the way it should be done and they explained again that the judge is wrong but we will give it to you anyway. We took it and ran! So finally at 6:30 pm we had accomplished getting the court decrees, and both birth certificates and we should never have to deal with that judge again! We headed home with plans to get started at 9am by going to the notary to get the birth certificates notarized then to get both of their ID numbers and God willing then to finally apply for their passports! Dianne and I got to the apartment and collapsed, But we realized we needed to go to the store for water, and toilet paper. When we finally headed out it looked like a big storm was brewing so our leisurely walk turned into a footrace again--poor Dianne, I think I am killing her. We made it home from the store just before the storm broke loose. God is so Good! Praising the Lord for all that was accomplished today. Once we apply for passports we will know what day we will be returning home! Get ready Alexandria for 2 more precious little treasures!



Pictures of our time with the girls: