Well, we made it!! Yay! Wednesday we had to wake the boys up early (12 am) for our 3 am flight from Almaty to Frankfurt. Thankfully that leg of our journey went relatively well. The boys were tired enough that they fell asleep about an hour into the flight and ended up sleeping for about five hours straight. We were so happy to make it to Frankfurt even though neither Dave nor I got more than an hour of sleep on that flight. We had a four hour layover in Frankfurt and we got through that by letting the boys play with internet kiosks, payphones and vending machines. All of these required money of course but they needed euros to work and all we gave them were tengi so they had fun trying to figure out why that didn't make the machines work ;) After that came the last leg of our journey and the part that we were dreading the most. A nine hour flight from Frankfurt to D.C. with almost no hope of anyone falling asleep. We also didn't get to sit together and that made things a little more challenging. So we took it in shifts to sit with Alex because he was the one that was harder to keep happy. Ethan was fine to sit and watch t.v. or play with the gameboy we bought for the trip. Thankfully we had a great guy sitting next to Alex that really helped us entertain him and keep him from having any fits! What a Godsend. Finally, for the last two hours of the flight when we were really running out of ways to keep Alex calm he fell asleep! We think that maybe he was afraid that if he fell asleep that he might miss going to America and that was why he fought so hard to stay awake for the whole flight. Well, finally we made it to Dulles and by that point our boys were so exhausted and cranky that they just kept saying "Niet America" which means "no America." But we are all home now and they are officially American citizens! Yay!
It was so great to walk out of those doors and to see my mom and all the whole Sircus family standing there waiting to greet us. Ethan and Alex were so excited to see their grandma aka Mimi and to meet Aunt Janine & Uncle Ben and Joe, Shane and Mackenzie. We had a little mini welcome home at our new house and then Dave and I enjoyed the sweet bliss of a four hour nap whilst my mom and Janine watched our boys. It's amazing what a difference having help makes. And I'm happy to report that the boys are happier than we've ever seen them and we are all finally getting a chance to really enjoy each other and to bond as a family. Being home in America has made a huge difference in all of our moods and now we just have to worry about unpacking and getting settled in.
Thank you everyone for all of your prayers and support and for keeping us uplifted and encouraged with your comments and emails. We couldn't have done this alone and God has blessed us with amazing family, friends and even some new friends that we met during this process. We will continue to post updates about the boys progress but probably not as frequently but any of you who want to continue to follow our journey are invited to stay in touch. This is only the beginning our our lifelong journey with these boys but thankfully we can now close this first chapter. We are home at last!
Tuesday
Manna from Heaven
We have been praying that God would grant us a good day on Monday so that we could get a little rest and refreshment. We really just needed a break before our big flight home. We imagined that God would just make the boys very calm and obedient for a day - that would be our answer to prayer.
Well, God usually likes to use his church to accomplish his tasks, and that's exactly what he did. We had been in contact with a friend of ours, Zhanar, who lives in Almaty. We first met her during our trip to KZ in 2003 and have kept in contact since. Before we left Petro, we had tentatively planned to have dinner with Zhanar and her daughter on Monday night. Honestly, when Monday night came, we were strongly considering cancelling. We really wanted to see our old friend, but we were also tired and not ready to manage the boys in unknown territory (her apartment). Well, in typical Kazakh fashion, Zhanar insisted that she treat us to dinner at her place, and even drove across town to pick us up. The rest of the night was heaven.
Zhanar sat us down in her living room and gave the boys tons of toys to play with. She insisted we rest while she, her daughter, sister and cousin prepared a feast for us (we actually watched a few episodes of 'House', in Russian of course). We then were treated to a fantastic Japanese meal - filet of salmon, sushi, wine.... It was by far the best meal we have had in two months. Furthermore, another friend of ours from KZ, Dinara joined us with her husband.
The best part was we spent 3 hours in the dining room chatting and catching up with our friends, and didn't once have to worry about the kids - they actually played quietly in the other room!
We left at 10pm that night feeling rejuvinated. It was amazing how God used our Kazakh friends to lift us up when we needed it. We will never forget Zhanar and her unbelievable hospitality.
Well, God usually likes to use his church to accomplish his tasks, and that's exactly what he did. We had been in contact with a friend of ours, Zhanar, who lives in Almaty. We first met her during our trip to KZ in 2003 and have kept in contact since. Before we left Petro, we had tentatively planned to have dinner with Zhanar and her daughter on Monday night. Honestly, when Monday night came, we were strongly considering cancelling. We really wanted to see our old friend, but we were also tired and not ready to manage the boys in unknown territory (her apartment). Well, in typical Kazakh fashion, Zhanar insisted that she treat us to dinner at her place, and even drove across town to pick us up. The rest of the night was heaven.
Zhanar sat us down in her living room and gave the boys tons of toys to play with. She insisted we rest while she, her daughter, sister and cousin prepared a feast for us (we actually watched a few episodes of 'House', in Russian of course). We then were treated to a fantastic Japanese meal - filet of salmon, sushi, wine.... It was by far the best meal we have had in two months. Furthermore, another friend of ours from KZ, Dinara joined us with her husband.
The best part was we spent 3 hours in the dining room chatting and catching up with our friends, and didn't once have to worry about the kids - they actually played quietly in the other room!
We left at 10pm that night feeling rejuvinated. It was amazing how God used our Kazakh friends to lift us up when we needed it. We will never forget Zhanar and her unbelievable hospitality.
Monday
Almaty
So, we made it to Almaty. Our kids first plane ride, and it was in an old Russian tin can. :)
Traveling from Petro to Alamty is like going from the middle of nowhere Montana to New York city. More people speak English, it's uch more cosmopolitian, and its HOT. We been put up in another apartment for our short stay here.
All went well at the doctors today. Both kids are in good health. Alex does have a heart murmur. It may be a minor thing that he'll grow out of, or he may need some form of surgery later. Either way, the doctor was not worried - trust us, this kid show no signs of slowing down.
Many of you have asked about our arrival at the airport. We went back and forth on this, but we finally decided to keep our arrival a small affair - family only. Lot's of things are changing for these kids, we are both exhausted, so it might be overkill to come home to a huge group of very happy friends. We do hope to have a homecoming party sometime soon though, we'll keep you posted...
In 2 days we'll be home!!!!
Traveling from Petro to Alamty is like going from the middle of nowhere Montana to New York city. More people speak English, it's uch more cosmopolitian, and its HOT. We been put up in another apartment for our short stay here.
All went well at the doctors today. Both kids are in good health. Alex does have a heart murmur. It may be a minor thing that he'll grow out of, or he may need some form of surgery later. Either way, the doctor was not worried - trust us, this kid show no signs of slowing down.
Many of you have asked about our arrival at the airport. We went back and forth on this, but we finally decided to keep our arrival a small affair - family only. Lot's of things are changing for these kids, we are both exhausted, so it might be overkill to come home to a huge group of very happy friends. We do hope to have a homecoming party sometime soon though, we'll keep you posted...
In 2 days we'll be home!!!!
Saturday
The Last Stage
So, we are finally on the last stage of our adoption journey (the KZ part at least). Tomorrow (Sunday) we fly with the kids to Almaty. On Monday we'll get them checked out by an American doctor, and on Tuesday we'll visit the US consulate where the kids will get US visas. On Wed. morning, we board a flight for the USA!!!
Petropavlovsk did leave us some parting gifts. All day today and tomorrow morning we (and the entire city) has NO running water - another benefit of communism. Needless to say it has been fun having the four of us share a toilet that we cannot flush. We took this opportunity to expose the kids to one of the perks of being a boy - peeing outside. Let just say Alex 'christened' the neighborhood playground, with full parental support. :)
We do really still need your prayers. We are very anxious about tomorrow's flight and the longer flight home on Wed. In the last two days the boys have been the most out of control we have seen them, and we are as tired as we have ever felt. We hope this is just nerves about the impending airplane ride, but we really need them to 'behave' while on these flights and while we are in a hotel room in Almaty. Thankfully, we have handled the last few days of torment much better than last time - truly a gift from God.
Also continue to keep Jaclyn in your prayers. We've been running non-stop keeping the boys inline that she's had a rocky time processing her father's death.
We just long for the sweet sight of the Dulles airport runway beneath us.....
Petropavlovsk did leave us some parting gifts. All day today and tomorrow morning we (and the entire city) has NO running water - another benefit of communism. Needless to say it has been fun having the four of us share a toilet that we cannot flush. We took this opportunity to expose the kids to one of the perks of being a boy - peeing outside. Let just say Alex 'christened' the neighborhood playground, with full parental support. :)
We do really still need your prayers. We are very anxious about tomorrow's flight and the longer flight home on Wed. In the last two days the boys have been the most out of control we have seen them, and we are as tired as we have ever felt. We hope this is just nerves about the impending airplane ride, but we really need them to 'behave' while on these flights and while we are in a hotel room in Almaty. Thankfully, we have handled the last few days of torment much better than last time - truly a gift from God.
Also continue to keep Jaclyn in your prayers. We've been running non-stop keeping the boys inline that she's had a rocky time processing her father's death.
We just long for the sweet sight of the Dulles airport runway beneath us.....
Friday
A Great Tragedy
This is Jaclyn writing to let all of you know that I just recently found out that my father has died. This is a very difficult time for me right now and I could really use all of your prayers as I slowly process this tragedy in my life and at the same time continue to pour love into the lives of these two boys of whom I am now the mother. I want to now share a bit of the story of my father and I in an attempt to honor him and to give glory to God.
I have spent most of my life without any relationship with my father. We had some small contact every four or five years until 1995 when we lost touch permanently. We were estranged from each other until January of 2008. Throughout most of these years I harbored a deep-seated resentment towards my father and I was very angry with him for abandoning me. However, in spite of this resentment and anger I still had a yearning for a relationship with my father. It was this same yearning that led me to God and then eventually to Jesus. I had a huge hole in my heart and when I realized that Jesus had sacrificed himself so that I could have a relationship with the Father of all creation my heart began to be healed. It was in April of 1994 when I received Jesus and ever since that day God has been working in my heart so that one day I might be able to forgive my earthly father.
It wasn't until July of 2007 when my hardness of heart finally broke and I was able to fully forgive my father. I was preparing to lead a team of ten women to Jamaica on a missions trip to work with orphans when I felt convicted by God. I felt he spoke to my heart and asked me how I was able to travel to another country to share the good news of Jesus with complete strangers but I wasn't able to pick up the phone and speak to my own father. Well, it took me a while to process this and then it took some time to track down my father and then it took some time to build up the courage to actually make the phone call, but in January of 2008 I called my father. It was one of the scariest and yet most amazing things that I have done. My father received me with open arms and was so excited that I had called because he had found my address and had been trying to work up the courage to write me a letter. So, we started over with our relationship and I was very honest with him and I shared that I was only able to reach out to him because of the workings of the Holy Spirit in my life and that I was able to forgive him because I had been forgiven of my own sins through the sacrifice of Jesus. He never once took offense at anything I shared with him and we spent long hours talking about God and getting caught up on each other's life over the ensuing months. After several months of talking my father asked if he could come to visit me and so we made plans for him to visit in August of 2008. Unfortunately, he got sick and couldn't make it and so we had to reschedule but in October of 2008 my father and I finally saw each other after more than thirteen years of estrangement. Amazingly, it was during this same trip, after visiting our church with us, that my father received Jesus!
God's plan is amazing! I never could understand what purpose there could be in the lack of relationship between my father and myself but God used this very same wound to bring both of us to eternal healing. The wound in my own heart from abandonment paved the way for me realize how much I need a Saviour and the forgiveness that I offered to my father in spite of his failings is what paved the way for him to realize how much he needed a Saviour. I can now, more than ever, see how perfect God's timing is. I am deeply saddened by the loss of my father all over again but I am also filled with joy to know that this is just a temporary loss and that I will see my earthly father again in heaven. I sincerely wish that I could have had more time with my father but I am thankful that we spent the last year or so reconnecting and mending our relationship.
I truly appreciate all of your prayers and support during this difficult time and I would ask that you also pray for my father's family as they grieve, especially my two half-sisters. As it says in Romans 8, "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Thank you in advance for your prayers.
I have spent most of my life without any relationship with my father. We had some small contact every four or five years until 1995 when we lost touch permanently. We were estranged from each other until January of 2008. Throughout most of these years I harbored a deep-seated resentment towards my father and I was very angry with him for abandoning me. However, in spite of this resentment and anger I still had a yearning for a relationship with my father. It was this same yearning that led me to God and then eventually to Jesus. I had a huge hole in my heart and when I realized that Jesus had sacrificed himself so that I could have a relationship with the Father of all creation my heart began to be healed. It was in April of 1994 when I received Jesus and ever since that day God has been working in my heart so that one day I might be able to forgive my earthly father.
It wasn't until July of 2007 when my hardness of heart finally broke and I was able to fully forgive my father. I was preparing to lead a team of ten women to Jamaica on a missions trip to work with orphans when I felt convicted by God. I felt he spoke to my heart and asked me how I was able to travel to another country to share the good news of Jesus with complete strangers but I wasn't able to pick up the phone and speak to my own father. Well, it took me a while to process this and then it took some time to track down my father and then it took some time to build up the courage to actually make the phone call, but in January of 2008 I called my father. It was one of the scariest and yet most amazing things that I have done. My father received me with open arms and was so excited that I had called because he had found my address and had been trying to work up the courage to write me a letter. So, we started over with our relationship and I was very honest with him and I shared that I was only able to reach out to him because of the workings of the Holy Spirit in my life and that I was able to forgive him because I had been forgiven of my own sins through the sacrifice of Jesus. He never once took offense at anything I shared with him and we spent long hours talking about God and getting caught up on each other's life over the ensuing months. After several months of talking my father asked if he could come to visit me and so we made plans for him to visit in August of 2008. Unfortunately, he got sick and couldn't make it and so we had to reschedule but in October of 2008 my father and I finally saw each other after more than thirteen years of estrangement. Amazingly, it was during this same trip, after visiting our church with us, that my father received Jesus!
God's plan is amazing! I never could understand what purpose there could be in the lack of relationship between my father and myself but God used this very same wound to bring both of us to eternal healing. The wound in my own heart from abandonment paved the way for me realize how much I need a Saviour and the forgiveness that I offered to my father in spite of his failings is what paved the way for him to realize how much he needed a Saviour. I can now, more than ever, see how perfect God's timing is. I am deeply saddened by the loss of my father all over again but I am also filled with joy to know that this is just a temporary loss and that I will see my earthly father again in heaven. I sincerely wish that I could have had more time with my father but I am thankful that we spent the last year or so reconnecting and mending our relationship.
I truly appreciate all of your prayers and support during this difficult time and I would ask that you also pray for my father's family as they grieve, especially my two half-sisters. As it says in Romans 8, "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Thank you in advance for your prayers.
Tuesday
Interesting/Funny Pics from Petro
Below are a few interesting and funny pics we've collected from Petropavlovsk. Enjoy!
This is a billboard advertising a campaign in KZ to make KZ a 'modern' 1st world country by 2030. Always good to have a long-term plan!
They paint the bottoms of all their trees white. No one really knows why, it's just tradition. The best guess we heard is that it's part of 'beautifying the city'.
This is a standard place setting at a local restaurant. Notice the shot glass...
Petro has found an interesting solution to yearly tree maintenance. Just hack them down to the trunk.
An old statute of Lenin. Not kept up well anymore.
On May 1st, we went to a local 'fashion show'. It was are first, and probably only, fashion show.
We sneak this pic at the local food court. Notice the big guy on the left with the little glass of lemonade. Now notice the petite woman on the right with a big beer....and she's drinking it through a STRAW! Yep, the lady's here use straws to drink beer - something about not messing up their lipstick.
For all you Colorado types. This is a pic from a random store in the mall. It has kid's shoes, umbrellas, and backpacks. Notice the Denver Nuggets bag. This is the only reference to American sports teams that we have seen here.
This is a billboard advertising a campaign in KZ to make KZ a 'modern' 1st world country by 2030. Always good to have a long-term plan!
They paint the bottoms of all their trees white. No one really knows why, it's just tradition. The best guess we heard is that it's part of 'beautifying the city'.
This is a standard place setting at a local restaurant. Notice the shot glass...
Petro has found an interesting solution to yearly tree maintenance. Just hack them down to the trunk.
An old statute of Lenin. Not kept up well anymore.
On May 1st, we went to a local 'fashion show'. It was are first, and probably only, fashion show.
We sneak this pic at the local food court. Notice the big guy on the left with the little glass of lemonade. Now notice the petite woman on the right with a big beer....and she's drinking it through a STRAW! Yep, the lady's here use straws to drink beer - something about not messing up their lipstick.
For all you Colorado types. This is a pic from a random store in the mall. It has kid's shoes, umbrellas, and backpacks. Notice the Denver Nuggets bag. This is the only reference to American sports teams that we have seen here.
A Lesson in Judging Others
Today I had to laugh at myself when I became the mom with the out of control kids. We wanted to meet up with a couple we met here who are leaving on Wednesday and thought it might be nice to meet at a cafe for dinner. We have taken Alex out to dinner at a cafe before and he did really well so we figured we could handle taking both boys out to dinner. All in all we made it through the evening unscathed but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a challenge. First, we picked a table that was under a canopy and shaded because it was so hot out but within fifteen minutes our shade was gone and we ended up getting baked for the next hour or so. Then, when we asked the waiter for more time to figure out our order he interpreted that as come back in twenty minutes. So, in spite of baking in the sun and having to wait for almost forty minutes to get our food, the boys did keep it together pretty well. However, towards the end of dinner at one point I looked at the boys and realized that Ethan was busily eating just ketchup with his fork out of the little dish they brought it in and Alex was just rubbing his french fry back and forth across the table trying to get the dill off of the fry! All at once I realized that I had become that mom that I always see in restaurants with the out of control kids. The same mom that I always judge and think to myself, "why is she letting her kids get away with that crazy behavior?" Well, I've learned my lesson because even though there was a point at which Alex was literally lying on the table, I was just happy that they weren't screaming bloody murder and trying to run away ;)
Sunday
Inducted into Motherhood
Well, if motherhood was a sorority there would be a hazing event shortly after you joined, right? I can now officially claim motherhood because I have undergone said hazing event. In the last two days I have cleaned up both blood and urine and have done at least 5 loads of laundry! Our youngest, Alex, usually thinks he's much bigger than he is and is always trying to play with the older kids at the playground. Well, yesterday he was playing on this big jungle gym thing and he was running across a bridge and tripped and face planted right into a plank of wood. When he stood up, blood was just pouring from his nose and I had to carry him up 5 flights of stairs to get him all cleaned up and to put all of his bloody clothes in the laundry. Keep in mind one shirt and one pair of shorts equals one load in our tiny washer. Well, that was not the end of the drama because about twenty minutes later he said he needed to use the toilet and I raced him up those 5 flights again and right as we got in our hallway and we were literally ten steps from the toilet he just couldn't hold it anymore and just started peeing in the hall. Well, our washing machine actually takes almost three hours to get through one load and it had only been twenty to thirty minutes so I had to just make a pile of pee-laundry in the corner and we had already used up all of Alex's clean clothes so I had to put him in some of Ethan's.
That whole day was very traumatic for poor Alex and it's seemed to cause a bit of a regression because today we've had two more pee-incidents and somehow I'm always the lucky one who gets to deal with it. Good 'ole "mom to the rescue" right? It's so sad because the poor little guy always tells us that he needs to use the toilet beforehand but lately, he only gives a couple minutes notice before he just starts peeing. Today, he started peeing as I'm lifting him onto the toilet and yes he got me. So, I've officially been bled on and peed on and I'm just waiting to be thrown up on. I'm considering myself officially hazed and officially part of the sisterhood of women who have no fear of bodily fluids. Now, some of you may be wondering where Dave was in all of this. Trust me he's no slacker but all of these incidents seem to occur when we are outside and someone has to stay with Ethan, so luck of the draw fell to me. But he has been drooled on (right into his mouth) by Alex, and almost had his right nipple bitten off - again by Alex - so he hasn't missed out on all the fun. Anyway, I've managed to keep my sense of humor throughout all this and just thought that all you other mothers would get a laugh out of my hazing into motherhood :)
That whole day was very traumatic for poor Alex and it's seemed to cause a bit of a regression because today we've had two more pee-incidents and somehow I'm always the lucky one who gets to deal with it. Good 'ole "mom to the rescue" right? It's so sad because the poor little guy always tells us that he needs to use the toilet beforehand but lately, he only gives a couple minutes notice before he just starts peeing. Today, he started peeing as I'm lifting him onto the toilet and yes he got me. So, I've officially been bled on and peed on and I'm just waiting to be thrown up on. I'm considering myself officially hazed and officially part of the sisterhood of women who have no fear of bodily fluids. Now, some of you may be wondering where Dave was in all of this. Trust me he's no slacker but all of these incidents seem to occur when we are outside and someone has to stay with Ethan, so luck of the draw fell to me. But he has been drooled on (right into his mouth) by Alex, and almost had his right nipple bitten off - again by Alex - so he hasn't missed out on all the fun. Anyway, I've managed to keep my sense of humor throughout all this and just thought that all you other mothers would get a laugh out of my hazing into motherhood :)
Saturday
KZ Mastercard
Birdseed for hours of entertainment (and lure for catching pidgeons - Ethan actually caught one) ....... 80 tenge (50 cents)
Empty water jug for filling up with sand ...... 170 tenge (1 dollar)
Sunglasses so you can be the coolest boys in Petro ...... 400 tenge ($2.50)
A bandage to cover up the huge gash in the eyelid you get when spinning head-first into the end table ...... 15 tenge (10 cents)
Walking hand in hand with your mom for life ....... priceless
Somethings that make kids happy you can buy, for everything else, there's parents........
Empty water jug for filling up with sand ...... 170 tenge (1 dollar)
Sunglasses so you can be the coolest boys in Petro ...... 400 tenge ($2.50)
A bandage to cover up the huge gash in the eyelid you get when spinning head-first into the end table ...... 15 tenge (10 cents)
Walking hand in hand with your mom for life ....... priceless
Somethings that make kids happy you can buy, for everything else, there's parents........
Friday
All together at last
On Wed we finally took custody of Ethan - for good.
Since then things have been good. Alex still has his episodes, but we feel more confident in dealing with them now. We are feeling that Alex is slowly attaching to us. Yay! Ethan is going through his own adjustment, is his own way. In all though, it is GREAT to all be together. Exhausting, but GREAT.
As brothers, they are doing well. Ethan has really stepped into the big brother role. For his part Alex has done a great job of taking on the role of annoying little brother. He always wants to do whatever Ethan is doing even if Ethan doesn't want help from Alex. Thanks for all of the prayers on our behalf and keep it up. We are glad to be all together but we are anxious to be home and out of this limbo period.
Since then things have been good. Alex still has his episodes, but we feel more confident in dealing with them now. We are feeling that Alex is slowly attaching to us. Yay! Ethan is going through his own adjustment, is his own way. In all though, it is GREAT to all be together. Exhausting, but GREAT.
As brothers, they are doing well. Ethan has really stepped into the big brother role. For his part Alex has done a great job of taking on the role of annoying little brother. He always wants to do whatever Ethan is doing even if Ethan doesn't want help from Alex. Thanks for all of the prayers on our behalf and keep it up. We are glad to be all together but we are anxious to be home and out of this limbo period.
Monday
Audition #2 - Ethan
Below is Ethan's audition for Dancing with the Stars. We've got two talented kids!
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