I just have not done good at blogging this time around.  First I was exhausted.  Then we were without internet for 3 days.  Then.....I don't really have an excuse for why I haven't blogged more since we got internet back. 

The news:  Gotcha day will be Wednesday!  Gotcha Day is the day I get the kids out of the orphanage FOREVER!!  Their passports will be ready that day, so that afternoon I will get them all out of the orphanage and then we will take the night train to Kiev.  Once in Kiev, the process of getting the kid's visa(so that they can enter the United States) takes two business days.  I am PRAYING that we are able to do this on Thurday and Friday, so that we can fly home on Saturday, but I won't know this until Wednesday because the Embassy is closed for the weekend and then they have two days of holidays on Monday and Tuesday.  So I won't know until Wednesday when they are giving me an appointment for.  Could be Thursday, Friday, or Monday.....  Praying for Thursday.

Visits with the kids have been going well.  Kellen has fully recoved from whatever he had(we're thinking Roseola??), so my mom has been able to come to the orphanages and meet the kids.  She had been staying at the apartment with Kellen while he was sick.  She was able to meet Danil and Josslyn 2 days ago.  She was supposed to meet Parker yesterday, but the driver took us to the wrong orphanage, so she wasn't able to meet Parker until today.  Parker, who made even more progress at my Friday visit, re-treated in to his shell a little bit today when I had my mom and Kellen with me at our visit.  I am realizing how hard all the changes are going to be for him.  I'm praying for wisdom on how to make the transition in to his new family, home, and country easier for him.

Josslyn is very very very ready for me to bust her out of that orphanage.  That girl has changed so much since I first met her.  At first, at the end of our visits she WANTED to go back to her group.  Then she slowly started to NOT want to go back to her group, but she would hug me, say bye, and then trot off to join her friends.  The last two visits have ended terribly.  Both times, when I started to walk her back to her groupa room she started saying "no!no!no!".  When we got the the door she tried to push it shut and hold on to the door frame to keep from going in.  She clung to me for dear life and was hysterically sobbing by the time I pried her off my and handed her to the nanny.(Whom she fought to let her down so that she could get back to me.)  I felt terrible for her!  I have never seen her like that.  I think that all 3 of my new children are going to have very different reactions to leaving the orphanage.  And I think my 3 biological children are going to have 3 very different ways of adjusting to our new life as a family of 8.  EIGHT.  That is alot of people in one house adjusting to our new family.  We'll get through it though, and come out much better on the other side. 

Here are a few random photos from the last couple of days.

Josslyn and Kellen on the swing.

Josslyn LOVES to swing and Danil LOVES to slide.  Oh, Josslyn is also responding more to being called "Josslyn".  I can even get her to point to herself and say "Josslyn".  The only problem is, she cannot pronounce "s" at all(in English or Russian), so it doesn't sound like she is saying "Josslyn".  Great.  I picked a name that she can't even say!  It is really cute to hear her try though!

This is Parker being hugged by a friend.  Stay tuned and tomorrow I will explain who this little friend of his is.  This is good stuff.  You are really going to want to know. (How is that for leaving you hanging??)

Josslyn pushing Kellen on the merry-go-round

Swangin'

This girl is such the princess.  She was so proud of that hat she was wearing.  She just loves accessories....and make up......and jewelry.  Like I said, Grade A princess.

Going to run!  Almost time to skype with Josh and the kids.  I miss them!!