DECEMBER 2008 (CON'T)

WEEK OF DECEMBER 8th THROUGH DECEMBER 31st, 2008

I am sorry I have not been able to write during the past few weeks. I have been really really busy. First of all, let me tell you that we still have no news in regards to our little one. Unfortunately, we were caught up with the Holidays and CHI closed their offices from December 20th throughout January 5th, 2009, and the Ministry of Education in Tver, along with the CHI staff in Russia closed down from December 20th throughout January 12, 2009. The CHI Tver staff enjoyed a very long holiday season, ours and theirs. So, we have had no choice but to wait for good news.

On a different note, we had a nice and calm 2 week winter break. Mauri requested 2 weeks vacation during the last 2 weeks in January so he could spend it with me during my 2 weeks off. We are very fortunately that were I work we are given 2 weeks during the winter break. Well 2 days we started our Holiday, Mauri fell from the ladder while putting upd the Christmas lights from the roof. Thanks to God he is ok, but he had 2 fractured ribs and he was told that he needed to rest. We thought that we were going to have to cancel our Christmas trip to Chicago, since we were leaving on the 20th and returning on the 29th. Our plan was to spend Christmas with my sister Claudia, her husband Donnie, and Buddy (their 9 month old dog). After talking with Mauri for 2 days to see how he was responding to the pain medication and the care I was giving him, he decided not to cancel our trip and we flew to Chicago on the 20th.

Well, I can tell you that we had a really nice time with my sister, Donnie and Buddy. Since we did not have an agenda of things to do and see, we basically slept, drank hot cocoa during the first 5 days, while Mauri rested, and me too :0). I think that the last 4 days we used to go out to the movies, we went to Chicago twice, and we also went to Navy Pier. It was really really nice. It was soooo cold during our visit. We reached -6 degrees one day. That has been the coldest I have ever encountered. I think God was preparing for our upcoming trip to Russia. We visited a small town, Elmherst and we fell in love with it. Ohh my God, I loved the houses there, they were like little castles, so beautiful..... I wish we could move there.... When it was time to come back, I did not want to leave my sister, I wanted to stay there with her :0(
I pray that we see them again very very soon.

We came back around 2:00 in the morning Monday. We were really exhausted. We were scheduled to do so many things for the adoption on Tuesday the 30th that we couldn't postpone it. So there we went, we did everything we were supposed to do, it was a busy, but productive day :0)

The afternoon of the 30th, we found out that our niece Susie, was not feeling very well and her mommy was going to take to the doctor that afternoon. Well, it ended up that Susie had to be taken to the hospital because she had symptoms of appendicitis and they left her in observation overnight. In the morning of the 31st, I found out that she had to undergo an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy. Just the name sounds scary. Everything happened so fast after that. Thanks God, Susie's surgery went very well (according to the doctors). The sad thing was that she had to spend New Years in the hospital with a lot pain, along with her Mom and Dad. The important thing was she came out ok. There will many more New Years to celebrate with her family :0).

We spent New Years at home with my sister Ana Maria, her husband Nelson, their 2 puppies (Chiron and Luna) and my Mom, but we did not feel that we wanted to go to any parties. We were just happy that we were able to end the year on a positive note. We are so thankful for everything God and our Guardian angels have done for us. They always look after us and take care of us. We look forward to starting 2009 with getting the call that there is a baby available for us to become his/her parents. We have soo much love to give our child that we cannot wait to bring him/her home. Until the next post.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!