Leaving for a long time (Attention whore thread :) )

[Father Demon]

Thanks all for the thoughts and well-wishes.

Today's the day -- we're on our way in a few hours.  I can't wait to go, and I can't wait to get back.  Hoping for the 4 week trip instead of the 6 or 7....

[Sgt PSN]

Best of luck to ya bro.  Have a safe trip and enjoy the holidays overseas. 

[Feva]

Thanks all for the thoughts and well-wishes.

Today's the day -- we're on our way in a few hours.  I can't wait to go, and I can't wait to get back.  Hoping for the 4 week trip instead of the 6 or 7....

Well, either way... getting the goal accomplished is the main thing.

[Father Demon]

A quick update....

We arrived on Sunday, after a flight delay, a mad rush to make the Ukrainian International flight (with three minutes to spare or we would have had to spend the night in the Paris airport).  Of course, once we got to Kiev, our luggage was missing.  An hour wait to file a report, and then on our way.  Luckily, our driver was still waiting for us even though we were about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule.  Two of our bags came on Tuesday, and a third is still missing.  Of course we are missing a few things that the baggage handlers took as souvenirs.

We went to our first appointment on Tuesday to look at available children, and there were only two healthy boys, and a healthy brother-sister combination.  Since we only want a daughter, we refused them.  Our second appointment was on Wednesday (normally, 2nd appointments take a few days, so we were lucky), and there was a single healthy girl available.  We will be traveling by overnight train tonight (hopefully, with all our luggage) to meet 16 month old Svetlana.  She is much younger than we were hoping for, but as we are finding out there are no certainties or promises with international adoption. 

Wish us luck and that the baby is as healthy as the paperwork says she is.  We should know in a day or two if we have found our daughter!

[MadMarchHare]

Cool, Demon.  Good luck.

[T_Section224]

Good luck Demon

[MURP]

Good luck man!

[PhillyGirl]

Good luck!

[Wingspan]

A quick update....

We arrived on Sunday, after a flight delay, a mad rush to make the Ukrainian International flight (with three minutes to spare or we would have had to spend the night in the Paris airport).  Of course, once we got to Kiev, our luggage was missing.  An hour wait to file a report, and then on our way.  Luckily, our driver was still waiting for us even though we were about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule.  Two of our bags came on Tuesday, and a third is still missing.  Of course we are missing a few things that the baggage handlers took as souvenirs.

beck inn rdussia...baggage loses you!

[Philly_Crew]

Serious question:

What made you decide to adopt overseas?  Problems with american adoption agencies?  Cost?  Concern about helping children in dire circumstances?

Once again, best of luck.

[rjs246]

A quick update....

We arrived on Sunday, after a flight delay, a mad rush to make the Ukrainian International flight (with three minutes to spare or we would have had to spend the night in the Paris airport).  Of course, once we got to Kiev, our luggage was missing.  An hour wait to file a report, and then on our way.  Luckily, our driver was still waiting for us even though we were about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule.  Two of our bags came on Tuesday, and a third is still missing.  Of course we are missing a few things that the baggage handlers took as souvenirs.

beck inn rdussia...baggage loses you!

Hilarious!

[fansince61]

A quick update....

We arrived on Sunday, after a flight delay, a mad rush to make the Ukrainian International flight (with three minutes to spare or we would have had to spend the night in the Paris airport).  Of course, once we got to Kiev, our luggage was missing.  An hour wait to file a report, and then on our way.  Luckily, our driver was still waiting for us even though we were about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule.  Two of our bags came on Tuesday, and a third is still missing.  Of course we are missing a few things that the baggage handlers took as souvenirs.

beck inn rdussia...baggage loses you!

AAH..the working man paradise

[rjs246]

Seriously. I'm not one to go around praising others for anything, but that was funny. The 'beck in russia...' quote, that is.

[Father Demon]

Serious question:

What made you decide to adopt overseas?  Problems with american adoption agencies?  Cost?  Concern about helping children in dire circumstances?

Once again, best of luck.

In order, yes, no, and yes.

The biggest issue is the problems with American adoptions where the birth parents never really lose their rights to the child.  Granted, it's rare, but if the birth parents want it bad enough, they can force the courts to have the adoptive parents surrender the child to the birth parents, which isn't good for anyone except the parents who gave up the child in the first place.  In Russian and Ukrainian adoptions (the only ones I know anything about), the parents sign an order that removes all future rights to the child.  No matter what happens in the future, or how bad she wants to reverse her decision, it can't be done.  The adoption records are sealed, and cannot be opened once we are legally the parents.  The cost is high for international adoption, so that actually favors US adoptions.  We also wanted to be able to provide something to a child that otherwise had little chance at a normal life, but that also applies to US adoptions.  So, what it all comes down to after the desire to adopt (for us) was not having a chance at becoming a Lifetime movie of the week years from now.

[Sgt PSN]

So, what it all comes down to after the desire to adopt (for us) was not having a chance at becoming a Lifetime movie of the week years from now.

That right there is reason enough to adopt overseas.