tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50985477326991434702024-03-12T15:57:01.644-07:00The Jensen's JourneyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-35202697781447802822011-06-05T07:39:00.000-07:002011-06-05T07:43:15.333-07:00Three Days!<div style="text-align: center; ">"Three days, and I'm outta here," Nathan says!</div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxrQr4pD5kAAOPfDKw0l6dAHXvymzg3oAm-PnVbth-9z1WmSskpOXTcPu8_HDyf94b56PuhfZyrenUFrYS82nw4GUJc29jSIxrijWYJn998T_X3h6NMnmgeIKIso6UfMaDUP87cGOeYiF/s320/100_0560.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614743054131054306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 320px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left; ">Today we had our last visit with Nathan until he gets out of the orphanage on Wednesday. He was in an awesome mood and the weather was very nice so we got to take him out on a walk again. He's such a character! I think he wants to be the family photographer...he always goes right for the camera:0)</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9W2G2GM5w-qRjiG3pDO52DaHN8c88teNeuX7YT5fKeyQcAxBa33R2PajUsKz-FsIedj6WSfGYH9a-81K0fIqwMxT_ZfK8uKYmOmiZsUMrLlcVfauQHxpr55baUCXWHGW5y8-DbD77LDha/s320/100_0561.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div>After hugs and kisses, he went back to his groupa and we went to pick up his meds and food he is used to eating since the next few days will be busy. Monday, we get his adoption certificate. Tuesday is running around for more paperwork and buying his plane ticket back to the capital. We get to pick him up on Wednesday after lunch. Stay tuned for gotcha day pics. I just can't wait!!!! So close!</div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-8740243604577015232011-05-31T02:13:00.000-07:002011-05-31T03:15:17.856-07:00Eight Days....<div style="text-align: left; ">Eight days until Nathan leaves the orphanage! We were able to visit him again today. The 5 days since our last visit seemed like an eternity. The director gave us permission today to come again on Saturday:-) Hooray!</div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div>They are trying something new with his legs and back to build strength in his muscles. You can see the red weights they made for him in most of the pictures. Today the fun game was cars with Dad:-)</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4BN8AzcJCIOr8S1ylf31MxQaUTxBb4nFm4V4DmdL26t3cJhK8LPJek9sPxP3DZbJ6uYMhWLBzPyH7xqErxgPJL6tZxDmSiiFwX33oaKZNJ6W2w9yDxLmSVxhE8uenKfnSBpFZ_MUW1_Q/s320/Nathan+May+31+019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612802360297334946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 320px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgpYZhsgAQf-jcINx6V7Qjlvwz_A6VCw1GhFlW4maXoQ9xWEzNzPAoOYPc_OScTT5XoeepZZuybsKz9hyphenhyphen7dVNRYD0WwnGa_6Pwam1XW0IVExIGj22D7FkUxeudnMuMZ1dSzAlW-8gZf04/s320/Nathan+May+31+009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612801965148313954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RF_R3ZhK9Uzx6mGjFlCJJbsJ4eDZzWa_YMtlLv9NN6SIneAloufaOhcJyJniKZhrx3-UeSjTCS04kYLHAAz478sj-QQsnQIOHBKU6mWHu7oYurva2qcsbwy3pTwA_GJFzEzcLIJ6Ifpu/s320/Nathan+May+31+012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612802072237399762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 146px; " /><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidReaVm8wtVK2RyP2LxQrq7cKOGQptXrpc8yAQPB0_C-OTlHKPQX1HtApVfv0dy1RicUfsGH5AaNI8LSa7g-gER_7eL5Dx2LoiuBy3ilm95uRrqV0xaI-RIQSGRGqJ5hgqDgAhgpmRx6D0/s320/Nathan+May+31+015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612802249222187090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px; " /></div><div><br /></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-24881717498182659562011-05-29T04:10:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:19:24.845-07:00Around Town<div style="text-align: left; ">We've seen lots of cool things on our daily walks around town. There are so many statues. Here's the first one. Have no idea who he is, but then, where's the excitement in knowing everything, right!</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkUM9iX8sJV3iXAWJABfp12-So7btWgv_H_rsRSAmrumhL6AcM6UtNY0qj4G0W-0FzctIrnzdYVr7BuYHJzyH0L_NoY3B5FKfNG85QCfy7-2a0Uacxdl40pSc_NhJahu9v3sGIxtQcwl5/s320/Stavropol+May+29+106.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612088901104544130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /><div style="text-align: center; ">A view of some of the beautiful buildings...</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_xTSY1Z4ps4vTEuwmCT5eNetW3h0axkcg7IhpfHJI1AnO1TKw9DQL-xcyMr24njqTVhRLQuCyry2v2BdHBbW55Dis9YvPPVz3nMF4eXs7vAngg6kTK1EiVdfsLRdxE58TdlPxzGr-GY0/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+104.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_xTSY1Z4ps4vTEuwmCT5eNetW3h0axkcg7IhpfHJI1AnO1TKw9DQL-xcyMr24njqTVhRLQuCyry2v2BdHBbW55Dis9YvPPVz3nMF4eXs7vAngg6kTK1EiVdfsLRdxE58TdlPxzGr-GY0/s320/Stavropol+May+29+104.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612088734276646930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 168px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; ">Another statue....</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxM3tMSUUPwDNmw741e-Ri3Vv5c_ZKOL-tqwTXfoHgXGvKQJnLWivUcFK8BAiK21gMkDNsBVRS9yQTUJWi5LjPKQiBCfKf_jyycQeH-FMeAE0kAuCytpThLt9hYJLfXV4oOHZ7hUpRk5jb/s320/Stavropol+May+29+103.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612088531708165378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><span><span></span></span>This guy looks like he belongs in the Lord of the Rings movies:-) I think this is a war memorial...<br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CcLEsFgrJPYZxUC37G9oBt3hNk6IQDV0FHR5LpB4kz68-S2UHqrGTC_yMvdNCqORa3VL_X5BA90Tg-aPBml1IgavMTuoBW-l__baV3bytSnVzJOYHSFjLRMfJaqGHWBc3dp9Vr2obdCC/s320/Stavropol+May+29+041.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612090557922077554" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /><div style="text-align: center; ">While we were taking pics of the cool Lord of the Rings guy, a big procession of people came by. There were lots of girls in formal wear waving flags. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSoXR2z3Un_ADKdB6ANpvuzUCzXZBDYNvCd9nnzWDmhLI86KB2C8BFSREmmNtVIRVibMjLHbl5z0ZV8K_TYYIVM0DuIvoTBn5Nh1k_Sp1vIU1jq8japuNtPEq8AeAVOhT1Z8qvsg4PaFw/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+077.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSoXR2z3Un_ADKdB6ANpvuzUCzXZBDYNvCd9nnzWDmhLI86KB2C8BFSREmmNtVIRVibMjLHbl5z0ZV8K_TYYIVM0DuIvoTBn5Nh1k_Sp1vIU1jq8japuNtPEq8AeAVOhT1Z8qvsg4PaFw/s320/Stavropol+May+29+077.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612087843852724018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 96px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrAXQn07xPtrriMEfhUiTxEhwrHMCBrXVqRCb8mYLYYLoBWPRYAeb6IcrMlVjNhkc5PuoYs4cmT8iQud1IoKEJrXOZb6PkKU-G29vnZCVU7P7Bk4prOeuHOcBCW3_sEWMJ9_BBD92GIDe/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+057.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrAXQn07xPtrriMEfhUiTxEhwrHMCBrXVqRCb8mYLYYLoBWPRYAeb6IcrMlVjNhkc5PuoYs4cmT8iQud1IoKEJrXOZb6PkKU-G29vnZCVU7P7Bk4prOeuHOcBCW3_sEWMJ9_BBD92GIDe/s320/Stavropol+May+29+057.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612087688310099074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30LqW1XK4RcEQJ5fNkJ9gkSoFA5vMH8iDTLm2MglpWnUjUspvG4xyQRcBPDcoCQnl91VSTgTNqE8NQgJV3MyEwELv8EBxF_zLZVwMbziEA99UdEvN6-PK0_goNVepiWStffo50lumT9ZK/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+062.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30LqW1XK4RcEQJ5fNkJ9gkSoFA5vMH8iDTLm2MglpWnUjUspvG4xyQRcBPDcoCQnl91VSTgTNqE8NQgJV3MyEwELv8EBxF_zLZVwMbziEA99UdEvN6-PK0_goNVepiWStffo50lumT9ZK/s320/Stavropol+May+29+062.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612087244315396706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4JUSyC0C3GRytGHUW4q1fgQWqSo64M-faA8iawC7EUcnf7QSXBTCnXL_s-lXn-wukUsC9NJ8_UXCl9XuQgj-Rr9vVd-NPrW7f6SBvmXSD00sUzMqbW9E2JQHVYjksnO6_4Cx3cy97WbE/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+053.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4JUSyC0C3GRytGHUW4q1fgQWqSo64M-faA8iawC7EUcnf7QSXBTCnXL_s-lXn-wukUsC9NJ8_UXCl9XuQgj-Rr9vVd-NPrW7f6SBvmXSD00sUzMqbW9E2JQHVYjksnO6_4Cx3cy97WbE/s320/Stavropol+May+29+053.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612087064749981618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2uWMUeOjwJE9sJ4u0GjQ5kRH6mkX-SvYisddwvS5WToibAyjkZ9rj-6Y_yP3xTm7cF-iRnHD7GA3O_TfL3Am4g6C5S84mJSsQCh54xJYQ2n2_CBoQqi4cz6Ov3msl1xtaWhAm97Hz_38/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+051.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2uWMUeOjwJE9sJ4u0GjQ5kRH6mkX-SvYisddwvS5WToibAyjkZ9rj-6Y_yP3xTm7cF-iRnHD7GA3O_TfL3Am4g6C5S84mJSsQCh54xJYQ2n2_CBoQqi4cz6Ov3msl1xtaWhAm97Hz_38/s320/Stavropol+May+29+051.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612086965211854626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 320px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; ">This stone cross is the symbol of Nathan's birth city.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DQPhNvqmR1MW1MTjvVjlLU76963B7HsC8pTfFqlniOUnEsao91VtXvpSDnGHjDi7LiIvn3HZ1cXGwfcD1H21f4QnqyrLP-jXpr8beo4MIjrk7G7jMMJwojrDdNloF7h6fqv5qLrKb2nb/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+034.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DQPhNvqmR1MW1MTjvVjlLU76963B7HsC8pTfFqlniOUnEsao91VtXvpSDnGHjDi7LiIvn3HZ1cXGwfcD1H21f4QnqyrLP-jXpr8beo4MIjrk7G7jMMJwojrDdNloF7h6fqv5qLrKb2nb/s320/Stavropol+May+29+034.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612086378535079602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a>I think this is a memorial for Victory Day which they celebrate to commemorate their victory over Hitler's army in WW2.<br /><span><span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIj5Jq6xwQ1dILUMq3lMQ9D_1OfPFcFXXmQBH1w1JD08SMFjgbf0o_rGJO64UPCPfxt9tPx_aGYF-IL-NHLAOBc2YG22_lTXMpJY7tltYH473Lwc61DcNvSO9DzKT-xuyTtAR5CiSiJpC2/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+033.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIj5Jq6xwQ1dILUMq3lMQ9D_1OfPFcFXXmQBH1w1JD08SMFjgbf0o_rGJO64UPCPfxt9tPx_aGYF-IL-NHLAOBc2YG22_lTXMpJY7tltYH473Lwc61DcNvSO9DzKT-xuyTtAR5CiSiJpC2/s320/Stavropol+May+29+033.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612086155245309026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; ">Here's another statue....</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGVGVHwovo74Lqd3T1kWSjlBo0Yh_SnrHrokc4L4YzvyGf1RTd7YMMKsOPDKkhF8bas9qm8apS7qlUfu_Vb3b7zWimwx7XmGgHY5Nou90S0HcPLKgd0VmB3titOJZnm8Hsz5BLji_LWEs/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+029.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGVGVHwovo74Lqd3T1kWSjlBo0Yh_SnrHrokc4L4YzvyGf1RTd7YMMKsOPDKkhF8bas9qm8apS7qlUfu_Vb3b7zWimwx7XmGgHY5Nou90S0HcPLKgd0VmB3titOJZnm8Hsz5BLji_LWEs/s320/Stavropol+May+29+029.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612086009678386258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; ">And something we could tell was important, but we don't know what it is:-)</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRK56EY82ziosM2ieI2MSLomvqEYGEtHW5_RWqe0gDoKPDrANZNVg6avqkm35DGkG27dlaeHxNjII0nWb7_fUmNtvmVJwFo6RZPslAzEml-ya3TaoZOuBf_A6FSS0UF8dB77BU2g-u3fb0/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+025.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRK56EY82ziosM2ieI2MSLomvqEYGEtHW5_RWqe0gDoKPDrANZNVg6avqkm35DGkG27dlaeHxNjII0nWb7_fUmNtvmVJwFo6RZPslAzEml-ya3TaoZOuBf_A6FSS0UF8dB77BU2g-u3fb0/s320/Stavropol+May+29+025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612085847067495922" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a>This is a war memorial with an eternal flame burning. You can see it in the bottom right corner of the picture.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0PMi8REOcNZ_tnlBKvvmVNvQbtT1Y1YJcHJJCvA5UXVgHHleYspbmjzHXyBjQBIUSE45q3ubwpOwSG3-IXMDUap1LTMNQXcxTJ3OqFMbYsYLihNF5Ff18OhW6U1vCSmDhcCJ4vnxPO1G/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+017.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0PMi8REOcNZ_tnlBKvvmVNvQbtT1Y1YJcHJJCvA5UXVgHHleYspbmjzHXyBjQBIUSE45q3ubwpOwSG3-IXMDUap1LTMNQXcxTJ3OqFMbYsYLihNF5Ff18OhW6U1vCSmDhcCJ4vnxPO1G/s320/Stavropol+May+29+017.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612085600212996658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; ">This is a picture of a flower dislay and walkway leading up to a church.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCktM6f5O7f6fQg0f4_y3VfqwnDaihw4jI4qiZmUNCl2uciI3QvjPBttL1sRluRJEDIngvCH9AUqwLcrBAZZYmNtiYiSUZ2RxdzcxhLT8i5rmaum0Si-hR9jpwSGpoJqTGgFdvYIj0qUHC/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+015.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCktM6f5O7f6fQg0f4_y3VfqwnDaihw4jI4qiZmUNCl2uciI3QvjPBttL1sRluRJEDIngvCH9AUqwLcrBAZZYmNtiYiSUZ2RxdzcxhLT8i5rmaum0Si-hR9jpwSGpoJqTGgFdvYIj0qUHC/s320/Stavropol+May+29+015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612085431081580754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a>This is the city's triumphal arch. It was built to commemorate a victory in 1812. It was distroyed during the communist era than was rebuilt in the 1990's.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH5WkwRmrgeXvA5kdWhhwaug2wkKMWCrFAqyt3rRNFHmMM-7kowT0SBLQ7JzAW1rTZCmNvzyRBNlOCxB-2szJBIy1MNNXLvovRZcVo8paTB2bLD6yhxN4Cc5LFst4-eMMU9419MwfZ5s9/s1600/Stavropol+May+29+001.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH5WkwRmrgeXvA5kdWhhwaug2wkKMWCrFAqyt3rRNFHmMM-7kowT0SBLQ7JzAW1rTZCmNvzyRBNlOCxB-2szJBIy1MNNXLvovRZcVo8paTB2bLD6yhxN4Cc5LFst4-eMMU9419MwfZ5s9/s320/Stavropol+May+29+001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612085025032857010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a>This is an important general...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ3K6T_lkb245Z3DvR1cegDoFVNkp9k3Ji9qL98KRpcNsfmx3a1ifQJus0LXJ_yLLpRj38qyozUL8jh0p08XzXwImaUHshDWR8cUjdSwFPratYa2-j9twGgV4UhowaN4lkkPHq0MASMnA/s1600/Stavropol+May+27+and+28+002.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ3K6T_lkb245Z3DvR1cegDoFVNkp9k3Ji9qL98KRpcNsfmx3a1ifQJus0LXJ_yLLpRj38qyozUL8jh0p08XzXwImaUHshDWR8cUjdSwFPratYa2-j9twGgV4UhowaN4lkkPHq0MASMnA/s320/Stavropol+May+27+and+28+002.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612084432588546146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a>All in all, it's been fun seeing Nathan's birth city. We have lots more to explore and lots of questions to ask when we next see our translator!</div><div><br /></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-77802199704019517312011-05-26T02:42:00.000-07:002011-05-26T03:50:40.579-07:00Hanging Out<div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>Yesterday afternoon we got to see Nathan for a little while. It finally stopped raining here, so we went on a walk. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610958416078182834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdF6-ypKu0ycbZ7tApzBc17z_kWDVn0AjUuiEBpl8ES9gzca60B0kcImw8yQupKGRrCURDlZMdYx5QKgdyTSzdH79RvP3y7itz-ZGcl5j7onvwQiy-Ke70myD4YLQ_J1VEhD5HdzXXFH0N/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+003.JPG" border="0" /> Nathan loved being outside, but I think in his opinion, stopping to take pictures was highly overrated! He wanted to go near the bushes so he could touch everything. Pretty soon, he was trying to climb out and explore, so Dad carried him:0)<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610958891098851826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFXmJq_FJKka5GYF4Nnz2Ayqhzi8BOdfsG8cAsxTfiuVDc5onmWQTjYbsOPsdbJ-v9DYF4PZy6heFo_oKzEKXyxjqpM-XxCNGw3NDE4BhAJeFu0RvM_JeqIbZsY-rkueScErzSaxT9Zpd/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+007.JPG" border="0" /> By the look on Nathan's face, I think he was a little disappointed that we didn't let him crawl around...and he might have been thinking, "I can't believe they made me wear this hat!" LOL!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610961997694688466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 282px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtaBA9w9fVORGg913nJE4-1BnrUB0-pAOyBKSjVckqO0d2bVCKNuULyeLps2aBSIgA2Bst2SHNCKlwwVC1HMbgPcZzfFemJjG2qw9R_22UYDtt4aZ39sOHZl7ksgf3W7KbQaw2h3yU9nt/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+001.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div>The hour passed very quickly, and after hugs and kisses we returned him to his groupa. We'll get to see him again in about a week. Gotcha day is projected to be June 8, although I hope it will be sooner:-) Until then, we have lots of time to walk around Nathan's birth city and explore. It is truely a beautiful place.<br /><br />Today we walked around near the hotel and found this beautiful church.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610963757560026450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 279px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc7YfUb3PfMDexqSAu_nb_ganxcvW-irDhJK5eVshf-CYYzKAb__1bgXCxmTpdYUTcyxu_FKp84zYvaa0gzfNsgmoNNhzG8M3eDO971PN_Z3RvUbyAZujXq4Eyef3nSNqzfZQUfIbFKfg/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+028.JPG" border="0" /><br />From what we understand, the original church was destroyed during the era of communism. It appears that it has been rebuilt on part of the original foundation. That's what we think the plaque in front of it is about, but of course we can't read it...</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Because no good thing should be experienced without an effort and because this city has a lot of hills, we had a few stairs to climb to get to the church:-) This picture was taken about half way up them...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610965522252007778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQv3MMhLNO_zhOAq71eDY0Qu5v308UMZZJYo3DYYI2RoWcIQbkqWfGv51uQOaEbIyq3U8jWR1AlV6a0YEYeTlQxwXqlpmOdQhQnfQdmJePXNwb2bUqVYr01aLQC2wmNPxjprhnWwAjLBf/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+024.JPG" border="0" /> Of course, Randy wasn't even winded, but I wanted to lay down and take a nap when we got to the top! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610966495354955202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapUds2Y0cNdj9CcHEeswdv9JFSg6b-IwTMxZS-PiHkMUefn5iSsBI2Ij4PQxCAun85xmTv6Ub7HKMvVgtSGCN6HrqZ-jQvxRZbQe9yMLOPOSai8QeDHN5hpNTCb9O_ra0BkDle9YrxX7m/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+034.JPG" border="0" />After we saw the church we went down another huge stair case. Did I mention that I love going DOWN stairs? At the bottom we found a statue of a man. Obviously he's important...I think he may be a famous writer. You can't see it really in this picture, but he's holding a quill pen. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610967381984482770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQSkJASAdJDigr7IOmJTHNLi71bosIj_VdT2lEFTT4g9un1fV62baNysOvxne3JweqKufVBqC-qHALGi_57RE0CSsZB1Ayb93uhHsRboHjm2cSa55op0cpJ8gq6tJ3kJbgLkcooUF5zZU/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+046.JPG" border="0" />Then we happened upon this pretty fountain...</div></div></div></div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610967873838708642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBFWuwgbv_gzE3IaGVPO7HHeEYKFtiVAhbDIoVxwsv89xffkHuO_wPoUxZKgzJQaEpZV-m-_5WNrLVGAFs4Hfkvs7dSWW8dYzOvXUsAPyaFd0oR8ro0xmatvS4TrZHYoRHY6mxYpu7VXr/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+049.JPG" border="0" /> There are lots of nice wooded walkways. The trees and flower displays are in bloom and the air smells sweet from the perfume of the flowers. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610968570467263666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9xHmNwtByH68kB7XxUNVZ9wbSkdEg2lJ_3tWFB8g4xxW727KAJVF1LOP2imeEGBUqmINLbGObZd3cBMuoXW5YfZpfTx6kz0jOir_FSHbcWtHHguuF3jk0omQK4ukyIdJ3P-ccrozZd2N/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+050.JPG" border="0" /> These are just some views of the stores and streets on the way back to our hotel.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610969490220203458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohuosfwKSVhf-55aUNtko0cfCF2vtgN39v7ou2CGEn83wE1uxCarB2Ngurzn065hlw4Ap4xuz4jVeD-MCbfID3JffFSGVQ6GEy8VrLR5o7JodkXKEVDsoMxLpb10FZ7XfVlRr994uKViY/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+056.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610969329855067554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiXkxCU6DKDrls_aHBzg0EXxDlfHeMQAS_sz-W8AGpKkL819RYbv_Ha-I6UQG_B9mVmEwIcEvhemtXMXcnDocjy4S4PKZ3QjdAgdxGtRycFBw7mQYCyzuONS1CEAmSUcJvywnuWEe-KAX/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+053.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610969163409188978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsM1aPsBgkZo38Lrb72QRwrJY6uDaAx_S5FeXBF2GsSlJqC6o__D5U6o3_BJIf3Pyzvuxym8inkSfDlEIVW4L2Ol8485rdmYcRTD6Sho4C4D4Bp9OAgY_xwuqOj0s69O5Q49F0-WTvNwR/s320/Russia+May+25+and+26+051.JPG" border="0" />There are so many more things to see and experience. I'll try to post more pics as the days go along. We are happy to have such an opportunity to see Nathan's birth city. We'll have such cool things to tell him about as he grows up!</div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-40803267629341250232011-05-25T01:22:00.000-07:002011-05-25T01:25:21.811-07:00Overjoyed!The judge said yes! We are now the proud parents of Nathan Louis Jensen:-) Later we will get to go see our SON at the orphanage. We have a ten day wait, which is in accordance with the laws of Nathan's country, so we'll be hanging out, learning more about the culture and language, and counting the days until Gotcha Day!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-73675897679413666942011-05-23T07:53:00.000-07:002011-05-23T08:49:14.134-07:00About Me<div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div>We'd better start with the obvious...my mama says I'm definitely the cutest little kid on the planet!</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609926491316731234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 384px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__Vl_AVVbwC1Pp1yE1XmOjxIgCuxjz43Zz4pV9UWDLJ-fLaW2hkvOJkz5D9whvLbT9G8XStBmjGvFV6rssY_LTuwPBWwGQmt6-RVpijzZCL8hRoz8q2HfVdH0AB5YS1dWveqI1SZCfi2D/s400/Nathan+May+23+pm+049.JPG" border="0" /> But, I hate to tell you, I'm not really a morning guy, no matter how hard you try....<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609926702500723842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0d2YTiKKoitto6T2vcpXSI3rYZRZovxqS94dAeh0jTdnqMHC_Q3ILFj7C6I_hxns502BiGNioXvDk4uMcP6KcQTrP8SrShaDaBnbmPH5HJzYXkEIBj3YkN_Kiobc_rmF-49VaeJHkXw28/s320/Zhenya+May+22+005b.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>I'm pretty much sold on any toy with lights and music....</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609927176333383874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 199px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibK7zsBfQ3juS9xpBP-P3BPD1V8oiaR1CJPUSTG7twonWPT2zLBWkRIsQD_iGRuE_acJ0ZoLv62Cuy8LTrd3xIZWzy4PEVCkCMU6N3-ZEMSf24kZbZuAofcfAoFYKJDmgcQhvOBMtD54cE/s320/Nathan+May+23+pm+023.JPG" border="0" /> I can guarantee you that my dad will go get this if I throw it...works every time!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609927597548882210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 227px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMooNLhGdM1Dc0gYUWadGSrulU_nn28k716BsLtXHSUbjETHYh3T4Xnn3EUn-hdQr7CMe-5PGwrgYXHM68wcheoa725VIGJ6j9tCISDzDWxMa_vh9CtFTl0JQiEg2tZdWKJO7iHd-UDCJ/s320/Nathan+may+23+am+015.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>And, I love to save the best for last...check out what I can do!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwypzRZcOV6PHqnTxKNdvoeXL8jETZCMKezo3SEolVTY20uzx2G7n7X-co4-JDeCtwaAQAiXoQODqkpgx-N3A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-26594201605467943422011-05-22T01:47:00.000-07:002011-05-22T02:21:51.021-07:00Our Little Family<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjla4J14SNU39nrKxLcndENdLz4dEVRiXezyR5qOWc_6wYKytoJ6-dQZTOyxLF9LR96bnskknpGRJ23LDrAq3qBjaJuRMqOZktnhChKLIC_xJpMMw_FCViznavOlbT0f1z8baLmZCrDJN/s1600/Zhenya+May+22+005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609461904079219010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjla4J14SNU39nrKxLcndENdLz4dEVRiXezyR5qOWc_6wYKytoJ6-dQZTOyxLF9LR96bnskknpGRJ23LDrAq3qBjaJuRMqOZktnhChKLIC_xJpMMw_FCViznavOlbT0f1z8baLmZCrDJN/s320/Zhenya+May+22+005.JPG" border="0" /></a> <br /><div></div><br /><div>We got to see Nathan again for a little bit this morning. The facilitator needed a pic of the three of us for court, so here's our first "family picture." Hopefully in the next family photo op, we will be able to get Nathan to smile. This one was taken towards the end of our visit and he was getting tired and hungry. We learned today that he's got a one track mind once he sees the woman with the serving pans go by! Even a ride in the back of this little truck complete with sound effects from dad couldn't divert him:-)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Tomorrow we will be meeting with the agency's attorney to prepare for court, which will take place on May 24th and 25th. Please pray with us that everything will go smoothly during our hearing. We have been told that our ten day wait will definitely not be waived. Even though it will be hard to be away from home longer, this will be a great opportunity for us to pick up more of the language and to explore and learn more about Nathan's birth city and culture. We want to be able to tell him as much as we can as he gets older. Overall, we really like it here. The people we have met have been pleasant and helpful and our hotel is very close to the main city square. There are several beautiful old buildings and large flower displays. It has been rainy since we came, but we hope to be able post some pictures of the city soon:-)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-76727142005384078762011-05-21T01:14:00.000-07:002011-05-21T07:06:54.148-07:00Our First VistWe got to see Nathan this morning:-) He has grown and changed so much! As you can see below, he can now pull himself up into a stand. He isn't actually walking yet, but I think he's close. It makes me happy to know that we will still get to see his first steps.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghL2MEMudnqEU2O9PYEwrD8IVS7KS3LdelHbA-7VUi1xebYwrpGZlo0PjUOIE6jPUrjoVxo2znGXmecxVBZD80gQKXFGRwGuDP8NXaDWHYR3kcU-KqPIumKCLOfnjvQRXPU5lO8H-aqnVG/s1600/100_0097.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609081963366197746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghL2MEMudnqEU2O9PYEwrD8IVS7KS3LdelHbA-7VUi1xebYwrpGZlo0PjUOIE6jPUrjoVxo2znGXmecxVBZD80gQKXFGRwGuDP8NXaDWHYR3kcU-KqPIumKCLOfnjvQRXPU5lO8H-aqnVG/s320/100_0097.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our little guy is so full of life and joy. Today we found out he is really ticklish, likes to blow rasberries, loves to play "fetch" with dad (dad gets to fetch, LOL!), and loves to rock.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609080926754374162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclxwhIk1KTHWRTCkDeAu7f9VHsgISdSShUb41XsV__j-1ZkL3vpLhuEtCnZmie88q-31g2ZR6iDBezRCzY7mOINNsZV8-nSJhzA9Pf0YtKXWkNRAJKmXbnY3D_Z8RHYzuu7_74q3Hp5Md/s320/100_0072.JPG" border="0" /> <br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-17482943940307434732011-05-20T14:18:00.000-07:002011-05-20T14:45:41.276-07:00Upgrades:-)It's 1:30am on Friday here and we are now safely in Nathan's birth city. Everything has been going smoothly...for the most part:-) Here's a short recap:<br /><br />*After traveling for 24 hours, we landed in Moscow on Wednesday at about 11:30am. This was followed by a 1 1/2 hour ride in heavy traffic to the medical clinic...<br /><br />*For the next 5 1/2 hours we were examined by 8 doctors with lengthy wait times between each-they most have known we like to power nap, LOL!<br /><br />*Finally, in a near catatonic state of exhaustion, we hit our first very cool upgrade. We signed up for an efficiency apartment for the first two nights, but boo hoo! They were all booked. So the owners ended up putting us in a different "arrangement." This "arrangement" happened to be a huge two bedroom apartment with a sitting room, full kitchen, living room, big 'ole bathroom complete with a washer and a little enclosed balcony. Score! It was awesome! And the best part...the price was amazing at wayyyyy less than $200 a night. We felt totally safe even though we weren't in a hotel because of our huge burgandy "fortress" door:-)<br /><br />*At 7pm today we were scheduled to fly to Nathan's city...then a mini-bummer hit. Our flight was changed to 2 1/2 hours later and we didn't really have anywhere to go in the meantime. THEN, the upgrade:-) We were bumped to first class, which was completely awesome! First we got to hang out in a spiffy newly remodeled lounge with comfy seats and complementary refreshments, then on the plane we had even more comfy leather seats and a three course meal. They even served us with real plates and gave us linen napkins. Shazaam..sure beats the cold prewrapped mystery meat they serve in economy class any day!<br /><br />* I love it when God does more than we expect:-) Sometimes our clouds really do have a silver lining!<br /><br />*Please pray with us that He will come through again as in my original exhausted stupor on Wednesday I misplaced a rather important piece of paper. We know He can help us overcome this hurdle:-)<br /><br />In 8 hours we get to see Nathan. We can't wait! We'll post pictures as soon as possible.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-67937306488701529712011-05-05T18:51:00.001-07:002011-05-05T18:56:56.893-07:00FINALLY!!!!Our agency called today and we will be leaving for Nathan's country in 11 days!!!! We are so excited and overwhelmed. We are amazed at the way God moves and are praying that He will keep ordering our steps as we arrange to travel at lightening speed. Court will be May 24 and 25th. Thank you to everyone has given and prayed so that we could get this far! I'll post more as things take shape for our trip.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-26787903636653217712011-04-11T18:24:00.000-07:002011-04-11T18:27:13.989-07:00The Eagle Has Landed:-)We heard today that our dossier was delivered in Nathan's birth city, safe and sound. It will be translated and "legalized" this week. I'm not really sure what legalizing is, but once these things are complete, all of our paperwork will hopefully be reviewed by the judge next week. We are praying that a court date will be set soon after that. We can't wait to see our boy again. We miss him like crazy!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-33771482963943250672011-04-08T21:41:00.000-07:002011-04-08T21:44:07.743-07:00ProgressOur dossier is complete, and has been sent to Nathan's birth country. It will probably be at least another week before we hear about a court date since everything must be translated and reviewed. We'll update again when we have more news:-)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-79034538901215139402011-02-24T15:09:00.000-08:002011-02-24T15:23:42.974-08:002 years old...Today Nathan turned two. In an orphanage. On another continent. We met him five months ago this week and never thought that it would take this long to get back to him. Please pray with us that God will keep our sweet boy safe and healthy and that He will make the path smooth with our paperwork. We miss Nathan like crazy and want nothing more than to have him at home with us, safe and sound.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-12986743608645086292011-02-20T06:34:00.000-08:002011-02-20T06:42:49.341-08:00Fundraising FinishlineWe have crossed the fundraising finishline:-) First, the glory must go to God, who has moved miraculously in this situation. And.... we would like to thank all our friends and family for their prayers, encouragement, and financial support. We couldn't have done it without you! We are also grateful to Reece's Rainbow, Gift of Adoption, and Katelyn's Fund for making Nathan's adoption possible through their grant programs. <br /><br />We are so excited to have cleared this hurdle in our adoption journey. We are praying that God will continue to work on our behalf as we wait on word from our region on what final documents are necessary to finish our dossier process.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-19467896176919123582011-02-03T17:21:00.000-08:002011-02-03T17:48:07.840-08:00Mountains Are Moving!Less than two weeks ago, we still had a huge amount of money to raise for Nathan's adoption. $12,000 to be exact. God has been doing some serious moving of our finacial mountain. Here are some of the ways He has been working:<br /><br />1. A $5000 grant from the Gift of Adoption.<br />2. A $3000 grant from Katelyn's Fund.<br />3. A $2,000 donation from our church organization.<br />4. $300 in donations to our Family Grant Fund at Reece's Rainbow.<br /><br />Last night, after getting word about the Katelyn's Fund grant and the donation from our church organization, I was over the moon. Our son is actually in reach. We only have $1,700 dollars left to raise! I am quite sure that with God's help we will reach this goal! To get started, we are going to be hosting a Indian Taco and Menudo fundraiser this weekend in Lower Brule. Donations to our Reece's Rainbow FSP are also welcome:-) Just click on the sponsor button at the top of our blog.<br /><br />So, for all of you who have prayed so hard for the finances to come in, we only havea little bit to go! Our main focus now can shift to finishing up the paperwork for our dossier. Some documents have been very difficult to get completed as the judge has tightened the requirements for families adopting from Nathan's region. Please pray that God will help us get this dossier done so that we can get a court date soon. It would completely awesome if we could have our dossier translated and submitted by Nathan's 2nd birthday on February 24th.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-33639153503013793552010-12-16T08:07:00.000-08:002010-12-16T08:34:03.210-08:00God has been working in amazing ways with our adoption funding! Our latest rummage sale in Chamberlain made $1200 and we have received two large donations totaling $6000 to our Reeces' Rainbow Family Grant Fund! Nathan's country fee is now raised as well as all of the airfare to and from his birth country. We are still working to raise the rest of the adoption costs (dossier completion, hotels, medical exams, translators, facilitator fees, drivers, embassy fees, visa fees, and other in-country costs) and remain optimistic that we will raise the total amount needed to bring Nathan home! We are very grateful to our friends and family for helping us as we work toward our goal. <br /><br />We are in the process of completing more paper work for our dossier because the judge from Nathan's region has changed some of the requirements this week. Our agency is projecting that we may be traveling in Feburary for court. We are praying that God moves the paper work and money mountains to make this happen. Nathan's second birthday is February 24th. Wouldn't it be wonderful if he could celebrate it as a son, cousin, nephew, and grandson instead of as an orphan? <br /><br />This week we got word from our agency that Nathan is healthy and eating okay. No word though on whether he is walking or talking yet. I still wish we had been able to press a "pause" button on him...we don't want to miss another minute of seeing him grow and learn. I miss his sweet little spirit, his funny little mannerisms, his joy at the simplest things. We can't wait to hold our precious boy again! I hope it's soon:-)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-17053343078663394082010-11-23T19:23:00.000-08:002010-11-24T00:59:29.321-08:00Still Waiting....It's been a long time since I posted, mostly because there hasn't been much to report. We are still working on the second part of our dossier. Paperwork requirements in Nathan's city are in transition, so some things have had to be redone to fit the new guidelines. We're also pushing on with fundraising. Our next fundraiser will be in Chamberlain on December 4...more details will be available soon. Please pray that God will continue to provide the finances we need to finish Nathan's adoption. We know He is able and the money is slowly but surely coming in!<br /><br />This adoption journey has been a crazy roller coaster of rushing, then waiting, more rushing, more waiting...but Nathan is worth it. We miss him like crazy. It's been 2 months since we saw him and I constantly wonder if he's healthy, how much he's grown, if he's starting to walk, and if he's starting to talk. I almost wish we could have pressed a little "pause" button on him when we left:-) I don't want to miss even one more moment of his life. But, God, in His wisdom has the perfect timing. So we wait for now and trust Him to hold our boy safe in His hands until we make it back!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-30752006076417284682010-10-25T15:41:00.000-07:002010-10-25T19:49:56.863-07:00Waiting...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPVugpCJFrR7CB-Mklc2IWKmNUUSVW3w-dtCyJ2G6r1BhdA0OUfJxq0A5VfMLGIzdpRtmUgAbdxQEAYHJ9zHWSJjmDyCvpJ17gmeDM2mYvSh4j8bzxoWNUo7K1HgNIHYI-tF5Vf-KgvEP/s1600/Nathan+September+21+005.JPG"></a> <div><div><div>It's hard to believe it has already been a month since we returned home from meeting Nathan. My heart longs for him and my arms ache to hold him again. I can't wait to get him home so that we can see this sweet sight everyday...</div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 348px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532126795310676562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIw1OXpBTHOrQXoWfuWdG0EBBvdqlIDN2kokICQ6ezZMsJ5ftK7YTpLUqOHG3ZM-0gNHmGOyFju-qDO_B_M-5RvEXCXe8MWU7jHoNxwWygabOWqAgmqajBpyT7A2LUUUxtJDfthKnlS4P/s400/Nathan+Sept+21am+006.JPG" /></div><div>Currently, we are working to compile the second part of our dossier. Some of the documents have been difficult to obtain, but we believe our persistance will pay off! We are also in the midst of fundraising to complete Nathan's adoption. Our first priority is to finish raising his country/program fees (about $5,300 to go). Then we will move on to airfare, hotel, translator, facilitator, medical and visa fees. The money mountain seems formidable, but we are asking God to move it! If you would like to help, you can click on the "sponsor" button at the top of our blog to make a tax-deductible donation to our Reese's Rainbow Grant Fund. We would also greatly appreciate your prayers for Nathan. We are asking God to keep him healthy and safe, and to provide for his needs as well as for those of all of the children who reside in his orphange.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-77656760693990599562010-10-07T07:17:00.000-07:002010-10-07T07:47:26.316-07:00Regarding NatalyaNatalya, the little girl we first committed to adopt, has been returned to the orphanage. If it were at all possible, we would take her home to be Nathan's sister. However, our region only allows one adoption at a time unless the children are biological siblings. Even though we have struggled to understand this turn of events, we trust God and know that he has a plan for Natalya's life.<br /><br />At this point, we must concentrate our efforts on raising the remainder of the funds needed to complete Nathan's adoption. We have only a few months to come up with thousands of dollars to get him home. Once his adoption is complete, we plan on becoming Natalya's best advocates and fundraisers. She is so beautiful and we earnestly pray that someone will see her and fall in love like we did. She is tiny and fragile and needs a momma and daddy's love instead of life in an orphanage/institution.<br /><br />Lu from Poppies Blooming has stepped up to help us once again by making a beautiful button for Natalya. If you have a blog, we hope that you will post her buttton. The more she is seen, the better chance she has of receiving the blessing of her very own forever family!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-22549005403924108322010-09-23T04:47:00.000-07:002010-09-23T07:39:47.463-07:00Leaving My Heart In Eastern Europe...I can't believe we have already started our journey back to South Dakota. We are currently at a hotel in Moscow for an overnight layover. It's rainy and cold, so no sightseeing today:0/<br /><div></div><br /><div>Yesterday we got to see Nathan twice. Our morning visit was so much fun. It's amazing to see how much our little guy has come out of his shell in only 3 days. Here's a short video of him practicing his new skill...take things out and put things in:-) I love how he sticks out his tongue when he's really trying hard. Could he be cuter?? I don't think so!</div><br /><div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxn0WQAPfM-EEUoM0L1Ahz2F3_rrHvpgatRtqHkJzfKUPjfvsogljz9n8IlXhXARxTnN1drUD0daMloeSsZ-g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>Our second visit was more difficult than I had anticipated. As hard as I tried not to, I cried on and off the whole time and sobbed as we gave him back to his caretaker. As I walked out of that orphanage, I knew with certainty that I was leaving my heart in Eastern Europe in the sweet little hands of an orphan boy. </div><br /><div></div><div>But not for long...we are going to be working double time to get back to him as soon as possible so we can finish the process of becoming his forever family. Until then, it is a blessing to know that God has answered one of our most often whispered prayers for Nathan...that there would be a special someone in his baby home who loved him and made sure he was well taken care of. Below is a picture of our little prince with a very special lady named Valentina. She has the heart of an angel and we are so thankful that she is a caretaker for Nathan and all of the other kiddos in his groupa.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520082794506142770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFI3Cql6CcIY6F3sY6Qwz2dACtRzNUaiIinG5VB6eLHwmReAdpToGCVO7hu1LYZTV2amZx5q5kDfNASKICiaHQbz4oxIZozztxcHir-tMmIQ56-q4_R4j1ujoH0U_4BwPBjOiWIe7TDsUo/s400/Nathan+September+21+030.JPG" border="0" /></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-31536541179113665602010-09-21T08:30:00.000-07:002010-09-21T09:19:42.038-07:00Hanging Out With Our Little Prince:-)We started off the day today by finishing up the process to officially accept Nathan's referral from the minister of education. With the help of our translator/facilitator, everything went very smoothly, so we were able to get on to the really important business...spending time with our son:-)<br /><br />When we got to the orphanage, we were allowed to take Nathan around the grounds for a little while. Yesterday, we were watched very closely with him...but today they were much more relaxed. We borrowed a stroller and went on a short stroll...until the wheel fell off, LOL! We sheepishly handed back the stoller after a bit, but they didn't seem upset. Nathan enjoyed the stroller while it lasted. The only other slight complication was the "safety strap" ...which didn't keep my little jello boy from sliding down what seemed like every 30 seconds! Check out his high tech conveyance in this pic:-)<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519394054806298450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 325px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfzQ8XMawlRckYFEFM9LfGduttJv7Vcc8UTsEJO-DMYCJ3RtQInJWx6rz9lY4GaFfaDTeUGPcQD5T76XU-M488AwBazyI0BSoxFP9o2KwWEh1m1SP9RzFmY1CkII0x4IIPKZqGUep90U2/s400/Nathan+September+21+001.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>Then we went inside and did what Nathan loves best...the therapy ball. We definitely have get one of these. I think he would play on it 24/7 if someone would let him:-)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519395095305239634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiCqmVyTu3UnzmGI6IfSVA5SR5q5O-yNoKBNkPfIb8zl6WWX-DPtLBPi8jevIT35rlsTqpoq2RFEnW740nLvkfdoIodpWQ5ctv94MpwDd0xGa31xGgMVkhVtuhrIJofd-8DqFaP08N91-/s400/Nathan+September+21+010.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Randy encouraged him to stand using his favorite toy...<br /><br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519396715122944578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYr6mb4LYrlGj-HzXpv86VhPHA1_rGhcJ8uLGoz6hrBLbWTrFObawI-o3toHMxHNAhXT2_3688DBK7agNLCNdI3gafIN8S17RiU_RsusBpRZ5e31FZj_GQFZzN_GU_A2nBR_Z_b1gev0C/s400/Nathan+September+21+019.JPG" border="0" /> And any boy can be coaxed to practice his crawling skills if there's a lego bus involved...<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519397470289796546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 374px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cijDmQN9ILBQpkebe3hwh8BmX9Zm6a_pmxPqGqPXT-LdAWbS5IPZ7SZ5GVhoT5dj3sKaKslPbBTePeB0On1OOE9HysCJvGkunDiQuppxAZHSGc8mBYCG1dldM5iJd99lpEfYYAgPhoah/s400/Nathan+September+21+024.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><p>Last but not least...one of Nathan's cute little mannerisms. He often has his hands folded like this and even finds a way to do it when he is sucking his thumb and napping:-)</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519399937240006018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYu85-MuUrxmv7Tw_58oaWWVL2VbCwqvHGQj2jXvbgSibXHbzFk8oCYqY1BF81eplx7qkE48MsBR2reBwF4isnZFz08X_4RB0M975z5pvU1U0eNGqVXSBgE3aoBq1E0YjF7RKujv_-_4t/s400/Nathan+September+20+007.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p><br /><br /><br /></p>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-27228418679242183692010-09-20T08:33:00.000-07:002010-09-21T01:36:58.451-07:00The Big Day...Barring a gallon of sedatives, there was not one way I was sleeping last night. To say there was excitement about today is an understatement. Think bigger than Christmas when you were six years old, then multiply by 1000! God has worked so mightily in our lives to bring us to the moment today when we met our son for the first time.<br /><br /><br />We started by going the minister of education at about 8:30am. She was very gracious and the interview went well. She gave us permission to go to the orphanage to meet Nathan. We got to spend about a half hour with him. What a sweet little guy! We are completely in love with him. He was very tired and ready for a nap, so our visit was kept short.<br /><br /><br />After lunch, we went back to the Minister of Education to pick up a document that we needed to sign with the orphanage director, accepting Nathan's referral. We were then able to spend another hour with him. He recognized us as soon as we walked in the room, gave us a huge smile and started crawling toward us. He is so good natured and cuddly. He loves being sung to and rocked, playing on the therapy ball, and playing with trucks and balls. He does not like getting his picture taken...so tomorrow we are going to have to be more sly, LOL!<br /><br /><br />In the morning, we will go to another government office to complete the last step of the official referral process. Then we get to spend more time with Nathan, whoohoo!<br /><br /><br />And now, what you've really been waiting for...check out this sweet pic of Dad and his boy having some fun:0)<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519028064902636498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBDh4OtzOM4AfOYrT68diGBZ8PwR566DxMAvNYQ59vb_Q5iGP4B3Wie_gP2g8ujqlf65pFJGtENsHFmeskBdX8uZ7DL837Id0AeMLsFosYuDJ1hINiYxdbJL_gyTPphu9S5PrP93q4_mu/s400/Nathan+September+20+012.JPG" border="0" />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-45429051964519774072010-09-02T14:35:00.000-07:002010-09-02T17:28:54.328-07:00Travel DateOur agency called today. We will be meeting Nathan on September 20th! I am so excited I can barely stand it, and so scared I can barely think! Please pray that God moves supernaturally to provide the remainder of the amount we need to travel for this first trip. We need about $5000...Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-70289181571544160642010-08-19T16:40:00.001-07:002010-10-25T15:30:54.510-07:00Introducing Nathan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1z3BkyffInc0nUdjyGhtempfYFsWhxmBQ7ocbPLuejiGkGo9vtp3hUHPQ8fpzMZgA2OOLh3J8chgfbSKriFz75NDIbEmKFgywihaJ1ZlUjpVdiybuiJCcIoEO-qbC9bAgRhh4bkFULXPt/s1600/luke-4%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507554856766511506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1z3BkyffInc0nUdjyGhtempfYFsWhxmBQ7ocbPLuejiGkGo9vtp3hUHPQ8fpzMZgA2OOLh3J8chgfbSKriFz75NDIbEmKFgywihaJ1ZlUjpVdiybuiJCcIoEO-qbC9bAgRhh4bkFULXPt/s400/luke-4%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a> Meet the future Nathan Louis Jensen! Isn't he simply beautiful?<br /><br />We truely believe that finding Nathan was part of God's plan. Therefore, we are resisting the urge to let the fear of losing this new referral rule us, or to allow it to diminish our commitment and drive to bring him home. He deserves our whole-hearted effort, so we press on...<br /><br />No changes in our paperwork were required, and the first packet of our dossier will be sent to Eastern Europe this weekend. Our first trip should occur in the next 6-7 weeks. We are working hard to raise the approximately $17,000 that is still needed to complete this adoption. Your prayers along the way would be much appreciated! We know that God is faithful to meet our needs and we can barely wait to hold our son for the first time:-)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098547732699143470.post-53611487732884795592010-08-12T06:08:00.000-07:002010-08-12T06:36:33.690-07:00Farewell, NatalyaNothing could have prepared us for a call from our agency letting us know that Natalya was no longer available for adoption. Our lovely girl has a happy ending. Her family has taken her home from the orphanage. <br /><br />I feel selfish to be so sad, in the light of God's blessing to Natalya and her family. We are asking God to give us the courage to let her go and to go on with this journey we started. We know that there are other children in Natalya's orphanage that still face the horrors of a mental institution if they reach the age of four without being adopted. Please pray with us as we ask God to show us which child to bring home. <br /><br />And to Natalya: You are in our hearts forever, sweet girl. You will never know how greatly two strangers across the ocean loved you. However, we hope your joy is complete with your birth family. May God bless you and keep you.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14807443436069284464noreply@blogger.com3