Lazy Days - Friday

As you might guess from the title, this has been a relatively slow day in St. Petersburg.

We got up at 8:55 for our 9:30 meeting with our driver and translator. We left for the baby home around 9:45. The M and M was not very happy to see us today, to say the least. When we went into her group, we could hear her crying in the back, so she was already upset about something. Then she set off about two others and there was a whole cacophony of crying toddlers. When they finally brought her out to us, she was not crying... until she saw us, then the fountain started again and she was on the verge of a tear the rest of our visit. She would calm down and play for a minute or two, but she would quiver her chin at the slightest thing (even when I tried to switch which hand I was holding during our walk) and the littlest thing could set her off.

We walked, sat and played with stickers, and tried to get her out of her mood, but the best part of the day was when her group came outside to play. She went and got in the swing with another little girl sitting RIGHT beside her (it looked like a front porch swing, but smaller, for three kids) and they swang and smiled. We actually heard her speak! And in the mean time, the other kids were going to take full advantage of two free and willing adults. One little boy threw a ball to Brian, he threw it back and the little boy caught it and started laughing this awesome contagious laugh. The next thing you know, about four kids have balls and are throwing them simultaneously at both Brian and me. The balls are flying everywhere, into the flower bed, over the swings, etc. etc. It was fun and the kids were loving it. The caregiver even joined in at one point. They were all laughing and the one little boy who started the whole thing got sillier and sillier to get more attention. He reminded me of Jack because he started tossing the ball into the air and letting it hit him on the head, etc. Just to be in the middle of the action. I played with two little girls, one named Masha, who was the same little girl who said the "Mama and Papa have come" comment last time. She and I were kicking the ball to one another. The other little girl is a child I had seen many times on the database and actually one my friend Nicole had asked me about. Nicole, I am happy to report that this little girl is alive and well and BEAUTIFUL and living in MM's group in her same baby home. She is tiny compared to the other kiddos, but has the most gorgeous curly long hair and hazel eyes. She was very coquettish and would not throw the ball, but would hand it to me and grin from ear to ear beneath her eyelashes. :) It was actually one of my best memories at a baby home ever. I hope that tomorrow, we will be able to play with the group again. As they were leaving to go inside, they all began to wave and MM waved and said "Paka" to us several times. Although she thought she was getting back to the safety of her group, I think in reality she got to observe us from afar and I hope that helps her warm up to us a bit more tomorrow.

After we left, we went by the notaries office to get some papers ready for court. While we were there, they were able to get all the papers done that we will need for the staff here to get our papers in order without us IF the ten days is somehow not waived. I would please like to encourage each of you to stop RIGHT now and ask God to interject His might and power over the judge into our situation. Ask Him to waive the ten days for us. I meant to bring the Bible up here with me so I could quote the verse exactly, but I don't have it, so I will have to paraphrase, but the very verse I quoted the other day says that the same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead is the power He interjects into our lives if we have faith. I have prayed in total faith that God is going to intercede here on our behalf. I have packed her things and packed as if we are bringing her home. The staff here is telling me there is no point in even asking for the ten days to be waived because she absolutely will not waive it, but we know that there is One who is able to do mighty things and we are asking you all to call on that Power on our behalf. I miss my boys something mad and I almost had a cry session at the notary office this morning just thinking about them. So the thought of leaving them to come back here alone is not an exciting one. But beyond that, it's harder on them than it is on me. And even beyond that, I want those extra two weeks to have her in our life and start the bonding process, start the life that she has waiting for her. And start the rest of our lives as a family. It's not as if it's the end of the world if we have to come back. God has already given us amazing grace through the things He has provided for us already. We have seen His hand and His care in all of this process. And if that is what is required, of course we will do it. But it seems so senseless for her to spend another two weeks in a place where she's not special. When she could spend those two weeks in a place where a multitude of family and friends have been praying for her for a very long time and waiting so longingly to meet her.

Okay, now to the lazy part. When we got back to our hotel around 1:30, we went for lunch at a place called Bili Jili. It's a pizza parlor with outdoor seating. The weather here is GORGEOUS and we enjoyed ICE in our drinks! Wow! What a treat. Afterward, we walked through the Mikailovsky Park near the Savior on the Spilled Blood Church and sat on a park bench reading our books. It was a setting from a novel or something because as we are sitting reading, two "babushkas" were on the next bench and they were feeding the pigeons in front of us. It was so pretty and relaxing.

Today there were brides EVERYWHERE. It's a Russian tradition to have the bride and groom drive all over the city having their photos made while the parents are at the reception entertaining guests. So we saw ALOT of brides today.

Then we returned to the room, called the boys on Skype. If you don't use Skype, you need to! It's amazing. We talked for about thirty minutes for less than two dollars.

Anyway, after that, I laid down and took a one hour nap while Brian joined a conference call and did some work. Bliss! :)

Now I am off to have some dinner and then probably walk around the city and take in some of the draw bridges in the evening as they are lit up and beautiful during the white nights. The sun doesn't actually set here this month, so it's very light outside 24/7.

Thanks for following along with us and please keep praying for Monday!