Week 1

I'm counting down the days until we see Danil (Paul Daniel) again. We have no idea exactly when we'll be going back...but by all accounts, we should be headed back over there in two months.

Twice this week I caught myself just standing and staring in our house - trying to imagine Danil in this room or that. Carl and I have been coming up with a list of simple things we can do with Danil that are a part of everyday life, but that would help Danil catch up in his development. I understand that one of the best things I can do for Danil is talk to him - constantly! I can do that!

Carl and I rested from our trip on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. On Sunday night we discovered we had a water leak under our house. The plumbers arrived on Monday and confirmed there was a leak under the floor in our bedroom. On Tuesday they were back with a jackhammer - they had to pull up the carpet and pound a hole in the foundation. It made a mess of our bedroom, of course, but thankfully I'm good at cleaning and there was no damage to our walls and carpet. They were able to find the pipe with the hole in it and repair it.

Carl worked from home Monday and Tuesday to oversee the water leak repair. On Wednesday he worked in the morning. In the afternoon we went to Waxahatchie to a doctor recommended to us. She did our medical exam and blood tests for our adoption paperwork. On Monday we do the chest x-rays at a chiropractor's office in Grand Prairie. We had to search far and wide for an office that had not converted their x-rays to digital because we have to send the actual FILM to Russia - not digital images. Thankfully our friends Lisa and Greg (who are now on their way to Russia to get their little boy!) told us about this chiropractor who still had the old machine!

This is a short post because I'm short on time this morning. The boys from my Sunday School class will be here at 9:30 for breakfast. This is their treat for applying themselves in Bible class, always doing their homework, really working hard to memorize the category of books in the Old and New Testaments and memorizing the prophets. I also have for each of them a Russian candy bar...and unfortunately one of them will have to take the bar that got a little squished on one end in the suitcase. :)

I wish I had something interesting to tell you. Sorry about that! I'm enjoying showing Danil's photo to everyone. If I haven't emailed you with his photo, just tell me. I'll send it!