May Madness

I don't have time to write about the craziness of the last 3 days; nor do I have the energy. We drove on Monday morning for 9 hours; got a room, then woke up and drove another 8 hours to the border of Ukraine to get three birth certificates; then got on a train at 8:30 pm the same night in Kiev, and rode all night; then arrived at 6:30 am here in Zap; then went out at 8:30 am to try to get a final birth certificate and apply for a passport. We didn't eat all day. We finally sat down for a meal at 4:30 pm. Now, I feel like Glass Joe on Mike Tyson's Punch Out.

I am too tired and to whipped to write anything of substance. So you might want to read Kimberly's blog www.betheglory.blogspot.com (I am also under the gun to make some final edits on my book, which I hope to get to this weekend).

We almost got to the application of the passports today, but unfortunately we found more paper work that we had to do. Apparently, our new kids' biological parents decided to roam all over Ukraine, which means the paper trail is everywhere. Hopefully, tomorrow we will apply for passports and then wait for them to come in. Before we do that, though, we have to go to another town and get a tax ID number for our youngest (it's boring stuff, and I will spare you). If we do apply for passports tomorrow (Thursday), we will have to wait extra long for them probably because both Friday and Monday are holidays. It seems that we adopting kids during the holiday season: May. However, we did get the final birth certificate, and we are listed as the kids' parents. Three of them were born in the last village before you get to Belarus in the North (where they still ride in a horse and buggy), and the youngest was born here in the south in Zap.

Hopefully, we can see the kids tomorrow and get their passport pictures around 3:00 pm. Our day will start at 8:00 am, and we will see more of Ukraine. I'm ready now to see my eyelids.

Thanks for your prayers. We are trying to eat this elephant one bite at a time. I have clicked my Chuck Taylor's three time and repeated "there's no place like home" but it hasn't worked yet.