I just read through my journal notes from our stay in country, and forgot to mention our appointment with the government agency in which we had to request permission in person to meet Lina before our first visit on Day 1. We were advised the appointment would take about 15-20 minutes, and we would be asked questions regarding why we wish to adopt etc.- items that are in our home study. Well we walked into the kind woman's office along with our facilitator and translator, and must have walked back out about five minutes later! She was SO sweet- she spoke very good English- only needed the translator's help once, and expressed her thanks to us for pursuing our adoption. She saw how excited we were as soon as we walked in the door, and we also recognized Lina's photo hanging on the wall behind the woman's desk, along with another couple cuties adopted not long ago from the same region. :) We signed her document and off we went! No questions asked. :)
On to Day 2's visit! I was feeling much better after a full night's sleep- the only full night's sleep I would enjoy the whole week! I had been fighting some congestion, and since we had been struggling to get to sleep before 2:00 AM I decided to take some nighttime cold medicine- and that certainly did the trick!! Ahhhhhhhhh....
We left our hotel at 10:00 am and trekked the hour and a half drive out through the country to the orphanage. When Mike and I walked into the room of Lina's groupa, a little boy took her hand and immediately brought her over to us- they knew who we were here to see! :) Some others who were climbing on us yesterday again raced over for some attention, so after a couple minutes we took Lina back up to the psychologist's office for our alone time. Lina came right with us, holding my hand again as we walked through the building and up the stairs. Our translator wasn't with us today, so the assistant director whom we just met when we arrived today- offered her help since she speaks some English. She was very kind also, as everyone was whom we met inside as well as outside of the orphanage.
Lina opened up quickly and was very verbal today since there was no one else around speaking lots of Russian to her.
I traced her hand and her foot in my little notebook, and she insisted on coloring each one. :) Then she wanted to trace Mommy and Daddy's hands. :)
Passing Daddy the crayons after she's done with them... only to scoop them all back up moments later. :)
On to Day 2's visit! I was feeling much better after a full night's sleep- the only full night's sleep I would enjoy the whole week! I had been fighting some congestion, and since we had been struggling to get to sleep before 2:00 AM I decided to take some nighttime cold medicine- and that certainly did the trick!! Ahhhhhhhhh....
We left our hotel at 10:00 am and trekked the hour and a half drive out through the country to the orphanage. When Mike and I walked into the room of Lina's groupa, a little boy took her hand and immediately brought her over to us- they knew who we were here to see! :) Some others who were climbing on us yesterday again raced over for some attention, so after a couple minutes we took Lina back up to the psychologist's office for our alone time. Lina came right with us, holding my hand again as we walked through the building and up the stairs. Our translator wasn't with us today, so the assistant director whom we just met when we arrived today- offered her help since she speaks some English. She was very kind also, as everyone was whom we met inside as well as outside of the orphanage.
Lina opened up quickly and was very verbal today since there was no one else around speaking lots of Russian to her.
She bent her head down so I could fix her hair bow. ;)
I traced her hand and her foot in my little notebook, and she insisted on coloring each one. :) Then she wanted to trace Mommy and Daddy's hands. :)
She could seriously color all day long.
Look at those beautiful brown eyes!!
She did an excellent job with the lacing cards- she had no problem at all working the string through the little holes.
This next pic was my favorite photo, but it's a bit grainy since it was from my phone, and I was using the side without a flash so she could see herself.
Our visit was about an hour and a half- which felt like about 10 minutes- we were shocked when it was time to leave already. We weren't ready to go!
Amy, the coloring pictures are my favorite! The crayons in a certain country must be magic...they certainly seem to hold the attention of cute little girls (or at least Lina and Charlotte)!
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