June 30, 2004
Life has changed, but we are
managing to adjust. I am not so worried about making the house perfect although
I do like it neat and seem to have a broom or towel in my hand most of the time.
I am getting quite adept at holding a baby girl and doing 2 other things while
also reading to Nickolas or helping him with something. Nickolas likes his new
sister and she likes when he makes animal sounds. Lately they have been rather
scary sounding dinosaur ones, but she still laughs and runs away hoping he will
chase her. He is working on being gentle and not thinking she is rough and tough like he is. But… the other night she pulled him down so we shall see who wins the toughness battle! SMILE
They
had their check ups today and we are happy to share clean bills of health! Nickolas is up to 42 inches and 38 pounds.
That is thanks to his grandmas’ good cooking back in MD. He ate for both of them better than he does
here. He had a school physical and is
ready for preschool. HE is being red
shirted to start in the hopes of his immaturity will catch up. HE is eager to learn and already knows way
too much!
Katia
was happy being checked by her new lady doctor. Didn’t like the male one that did her visa medical
exam. She screamed the entire time. Dr. Ball felt she looked good and responded well to things. She was an active little thing all over the
room. She is 21 pounds 14 ounces, 29 ½
inches long with a head circum, of 45 ¾. Starting out bigger than Nickolas when he first came to us so we know she
will catch up just like he has. She
hated her shots and cried most of the day because of soreness. Thanks to good records by the orphanage
doctors, we have a good history to go on and she won’t need as many tests or
shots as Nickolas. She is going for
blood work tomorrow to check a few things.
Summer
is flying by, but we are busy going for walks, playing
, and going swimming. Nickolas
loves the water while Katia is getting used to it little by little. She gets wet
up to her knees on a good day if I am holding her. But she will get used to it I am
sure!
Hope your summers are going well. I
was told I have about 3 ½ weeks left before school begins for teachers! I guess I better go and get to work on the
graduate I am taking and also
on my plans for the new year. The kids are in bed by 8 tonight which is our
record so far! Yay! That gives me an
hour ½ to work
before I crash!
rolls
around quickly and we start all over again! Have a blessed day! You are in our prayers and
thoughts!
Amy
-------------------------
June 20
We have just arrived home after a stop at the Longaberger Homestead. It made
the trip shorter for the kids. Nickolas loved swimming in the hotel pool while
Katia didn’t want a thing to do with it. She did look cute in her bathing suit
though! SMILE We had to make several rest stops to
stretch, but thanks to naps, cheerios, and lullaby music Katia and Nickolas both
did great in the car!
Katia
is having a great time walking around her new home and seems really fascinated
with the sink in the bathroom. The
toilet flushing scares her! Her favorite
thing to play with is my Longaberger trash basket. She is pushing it around the room. I wonder what she is thinking as she sees all
these new things.
So now the adjusting to a new life
for us all really begins! We are very
blessed and thankful for your prayers and love. Please contact us if you know of anyone thinking about adoption. Our 2 gifts from God are enough of a reason
for others to see how wonderful it can be! We love you and pray God blesses you
all!
Peace!
Amy, Jack, Nickolas, and Katia
Insley
---------------------
June 18
Hello All!
We have arrived back in the states and are in Maryland introducing Katia to her grandparents. She has enjoyed meeting everyone and they have enjoyed meeting
her. She is adjusting to the time changes and is eating and sleeping well. She
doesn't like the beach (yet) while big brother was a regular beach bum. She
liked the monkeys and elephants at the Baltimore Zoo. Nickolas loved the scarlet
macaws and the dinosaurs.
Katia's 8 hour plane ride was much better than her 1st plane ride, just a few
crying spurts. Thankfully there were 2 nice men next to us who understood
babies. Immigration at the Detroit airport was easy. They took the packet of
documents and stamped her in and she is a new US citizen. We just have to apply
for all the govt. paperwork to prove it. Like a SSN and a passport. We'll be
heading west tomorrow and Jack will be returning to work on Monday.
We'll email again when we get home to Rineyville.
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Have a wonderful weekend.
Love A, J, K, and N.
-------------------------
June 12
Hello from Amsterdam!
Our last 2 days in Kiev were very busy so we didn't get to the internet cafe. On
Thursday we went to the consulate for Katia's visa. It was crowded with lots of
people--2 other families with children so there were 3 of us with little girls.
We even met a man who is a teacher/researcher at University of Louisville who
was trying to get his fiancée to be able to come to the US.
We finished fairly quickly and had to return in the afternoon to pick up her
passport with the visa in it.
We visited souvenir street to get some pictures and a couple of other things as
reminders of the Ukraine.
We finished up early so we changed our tickets to leave on Friday. This gave us
one full day to visit Amsterdam instead of just overnight as we had planned.
We arrived in Amsterdam Friday evening and had to get a transit visa for Katia.
Thankfully the chief of immigration approved our request and gave us a 72 hour
visa. It probably would have been better to get a regular visa in Kiev at the
Dutch embassy if there had been enough time just in case the chief of
immigration had not been in an agreeable mood.
We spent the day wandering the city. Didn't get to the museums because Jack
can't read a map, but we did get to see the outside of the Anne Frank House.
There was a line around the block to go inside. Lots of beautiful buildings and
canals everywhere along with some other local flavors that we shouldn't mention
in public(Red Light District). It is an interesting place! Katia loved the music
from the church bells and from the restaurants.
We leave for the USA at 11AM Sunday. It will be a long day. Katia didn't like
her 1st plane ride--cried for most of it.
We'll email again when we are back in the states!
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
A, J, and K
-----------------------------
June 9
Sorry to not have been able to write sooner. It's been a whirlwind of activity since we arrived in Nicopol on Monday morning. The train was nicer than the hot
train we took to Lugansk. Jack and I shared a 2 person cabin while Natasha was
in a cabin next door she shared with a stranger. It was a rather bumpy ride, but
we managed to get a few hours of sleep.
We picked up our court decree early Monday and found an error in so they had to
redo the copy. Since it wasn't a big deal(in Kiev it would be) we were able to
go get Katia's birth certificate changed with our names as parents and with her
new name. The lady was very nice and got it done quickly. She even had a little
presentation of the new one to us as the parents of Katia on June 7th.
officially. It was sweet. The town she was born in was smaller than Nicopol. It
was once a town for the fabric industry during the communist times we were told
by our driver Dimitri.
It was back to Nicopol (about 30 minutes by car) and more paperwork collecting.
Finally at about 4:30 (very exhausted ad falling asleep)we visited Katia. She
looked at us from the playpen and shoed signs of recognition as she walked
toward us. The first hour or so she mostly clung to Amy, but she began to play
and warm up. She still wasn't the smiling happy girl she was when we left in
May. We let her stay one more night at the orphanage since we had to go to the
passport office Tuesday morning. We left her in a better mood and we were off to
the grocery to buy diapers and sweet treats for all the ladies that take care of
the children in Katia's group. We got cakes, cookies, candy, and tea.
Tuesday:
Thanks to our driver Dimitri's help, our passport work was quickly done in
Nicopol and we were ready to leave for Dnipropetrovsk to get the passport and
legalization of the birth certificate. We were packed and ready to go~~one last
stop was to get Katia.
We got her dressed in her pink shirt and pants and matching hat. She looked very
cute! The shoes didn't fit her so we took her in her socks. All her friends
lined up in the playpen watching her get dressed. It looked like they knew she
was leaving and probably wished it was them. We were off! She cried in the car
briefly. It was all so new to her. She was wide-eyed and curious about
everything she saw. We were on a lucky streak--- legalization and passports were
done by 3:30 there were seats available on the express train at 5:00 PM back to
Kiev!
Wednesday:
After a well rested night, we went to the medical exam that is required for
visas. We didn't wait too long. Katia is healthy and fine. She is about 10.5 Kg
and 76 cm tall. The rest of the day will be spent resting and wandering the
shops in the city center. It is chilly out like April not June so we have to
find some spring clothes instead of summer clothes.
That is all for now. Look for more from Kiev soon.
Love,
A, J and K.
----------------------
Sunday, June 6th
Left Baltimore on Saturday at 4:00, went through Detroit and Amsterdam. We arrived today at 3:00 p.m.(Sunday) and have been wandering around Kiev
watching the street performers and just stalling time until our train leaves
tonight at 1100. It is sunny and nice and our flights were all on time and uneventful. We are tired, but figure we can sleep on the train tonight. Our quick stop in Amsterdam gave us time to look around the shops and find our
gate. Lots of wooden shoes and windmills! It is a big airport with lots going on.
We ate at TGI Fridays since for the next 3 days we will eat Ukrainian foods in
Nicopol. Plan to stop at our favorite cafes. We are catching up with Gregory and Natasha and getting filled in on what we
will do this week. Tomorrow we will get the court decree, go and get a new birth certificate and
see Katia. More paperwork on Tuesday.
We are eager to see her and hope she will remember us. I am sure if we bring kid
cookies she will have no trouble knowing who we are!
We will email more from Nicopol. Hope you are well and enjoying the week!
Peace and prayers,
Amy and Jack
-------------------------
June 3
Finally the 30 day wait is about
over! It has been a long month missing Katia, but the bags are packed
again! And we are ready for the long
drive to MD to Amy’s parents. Nickolas will spend the week on vacation there
doing gardening, playing, and helping Grandma! Probably talking her ear off! She
will love it all I am sure! Grandpa will
have someone to share ice cream treats with too!
Jack
and I will be flying out on Northwest Air on Saturday and will arrive in
Sunday
afternoon. We will be taking the train
overnight to Dnipropetrosk and will take a car to Nicopol. We will get the court decree and visit Katia
before going to get her birth certificate changed. There will be lots of running around. More
details once we are there!
We
will email when we can and hopefully on this trip there will be no more car
accidents 2 weeks ago Amy and Nickolas were hit
from behind on the right side. Someone not paying attention to slowing and
stopping cars just ran right into us. So our 4 Runner is still in the shop. We
have been using a rental car since. It
couldn’t be driven due to a bent bumper rubbing the wheel. We just have had bad
luck), snow delays or missed flights!
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers again! They work! May God Bless
You!
Peace and prayers,
Amy
----------------------------------
April 19
We are in Lugansk after a gruelling hot bumpy 18 hour train ride. Nickolas was a
trooper. We met with the director of the orphanage and are waiting on some more
information. The little girl is very cute and sweet looking according to
everyone we have asked. We met her doctor and teacher and saw some of her work.
We saw some pictures from this past Christmas too.
As soon as we get more information we may get to meet her in the hospital in Odessa. We'll let you know as soon as we know.
Thanks!
A, J, and N
------------------------
April 21
Dobrey Dyen!
We are once again in Kiev! We took a long 2 hour car ride from
Lugansk to Donestk over a bumpy "highway" that appeared to be right out of the
1950's. Along the way we drove through Yenikiev, the village where Nickolas
was born. He was asleep in the car but Jack took a few pictures. Just a small
village near an industrial plant of some sort and with a few ponds/lakes with
some of the locals fishing. We didn't see this village when we were here last
time. When we got to Donestk we went to the airport and waited for 1 hour for
our plane to board then we had a 1 hour flight to Kiev. The plane was not very
new but it was bigger and it was a jet! A great improvement over the 1940's
vinytage prop plane we took last time! Not much security at the airport just a
quick x-ray of the bags and a walk through the metal detector.
We have a new apt in Kiev right in the center of the city. It is big with 3 rooms. Kitchen,
bedroom , and living room. spacious and clean. We went to dinner at TGI Fridays
and had a real salad with lettuce! (No cabbage) and a real hamburger and fries!
YUMMY!!!!
We now have to write a new application requesting another
appointment at the National Adoption Center for another referral. It could take
2 to 5 days.
The little girl we went to learn about was not at the
orphanage, but at a sanatorium/recovery center (10 hrs drive away) in Odessa. We
were orginally told she had TB, received treatment and was clear of infection
and doing better. We got a translation of her treatment record and faxed it to
Nickolas' doctor in KY. She reviewed it and felt pretty good but had a few more
questions. So we returned on Teusday to get some more details. We were ready to
say yes! Then we were told that her TB was active again and she was receiving
treatment again. We were also told we would not be able to see her if we did not
agree to accept her before we met her in person.
We didn't feel right about
that. We couldn't base such an important decision on what some strangers told us
and some pictures. We also didn't like that on Monday we were told that she was
receiving vitamin treatment and diet balancing to rebuild her immune system,
when in reality she was receiving TB treatment again!
It was too iffy. So
we called it off and decided to return to Kiev. We hope we did the right thing.
We keep praying. We know we'll be shown the way.
Breaking
news!!!!
This just in!We have another appointment at the NAC for
Friday at 10 AM! We will update you after that.
Love,
A,J, and N
---------------------------
April 22
Today we had no water all day so we left the apt and visited the Kiev zoo. It
was about $5 US for 4 of us to get in. A lot of the animals were inside or
elsewhere. We didn't see the Tigers, elephants, or rhinos, but we did get to see
4 flamingoes, 2 gorrillas, lots of baboons and monkeys, a zebra, 4 lions, and
many varieties of birds. There was plenty of room for Nickolas to run around
free as well. as a ferris wheel that he and Jack rode. It moved at about the
same pace as the trains...slower than slow!
After a quick nap (where the
only ones to sleep were Amy and Jack) we have been watching tv. Cartoons on a
Polish channel and a Ukrainian one. Cute ani,mals and music make it like
watching a silent movie. You just block out the dialog.
We were in the
modern underground mall where they have a food court, it's usually packed! A bit
of western world here! We heard Celine Deon singing, finally something we
understand!
Staying in tonightand playing UNO and coloring. Nickolas
turns out to be quite a card shark! Hold on to your walletts!
Our next
referal appointment is for Friday at 10 AM.
Take care!
Bye for
now!
A, J, N
----------------------------------
April 23
A rainy day with spurts of sunshine. Sort of how our emotions ran
today.
We had our appointment this morning and waited less time than last
week. We met with the same psychologist who was nice. She had 1 referral. Brand
new. We were told a little girl-- 15 mos Just off the list, no health problems,
is beginning to walk. The picture was a baby seemed alert. Couldn't tell eye or
hair color.
We were very happy to think there was a little girl with no
serious diseases! What a surprise!
It appeared we would have to adjust our
thinking of an older 2 - 3 yr old, but no problem! We accepted the referral. She
was in the Donestk region.
A bit later after a "small" misunderstanding,
we found out she was really in the 30 day wait region of Dnipropetrovisk.
Our excitement crashed! and morphed to anger briefly. After talking it
out we realized we would have to go with this -- you just don't get young
healthy girls very often. But we would have to come home and then make a second
trip to pick her up and finish the paperwork 30 days after the court
date.
This really changes everything we had planned, but being flexible
and facing each hurdle as it comes, we know it will work out as it should in the
end.
We'll go south Sunday morning via the express train. (only 5 hours
in the modern train) and hope to meet her on Monday.
Hope you all are
well. Thank you for your prayers, support and love!
You are in our prayers
too! We'll email again from the region after we know more!
A, J, and
N
----------------------------------
April 26
We arrived via the 5 hour express train which was 100 times nicer than the last
train! It had real seats like a plane and there were only 5 other people in the
whole car.
We went to the baby house orphanage this morning and met the
little girl: she is 17 months, birthday Nov. 14. She has brown eyes and light
brown hair. She cried at first, but warmed up to us and snuggled with me and
then even with Jack even though she has never seen any men. She was sitting on
his chest all cozy! She waved at us when we left. She is small for age about 9
month size, but walks, and appeared alert: she looked in the direction of voices
and noise. She didn't like the light flash of the camera and closed her eyes.
We will email pics next time. She has a lot of the same delays Nickolas did so
we feel she will catch on quickly once in a good home with lots of love,
attention, and food!
So we said yes to her and then spent the day
running around getting papers and people to do the work we need so we can get a
court date!
The problem is this region takes 2-3 weeks sometimes to give
court dates! We hope to speed it up. Holidays for May Day and Victory Day are
in the next weeks so we hope to have a date before then. Don't know if we will
make our plane date. Are trying! IT is a real roller coaster of emothions and
nerves. IT is such a different world over here.
We are in a hotel which
is nice. We have a seating room and a bedroom. BAthroom with hot water! YAy! A
large group of evangelical missionaries from America with 40 large suitcases are
in here too. Haven't spoken to them.
We have found food to eat,
but not as much variety as in Kiev. Only 3 stations on TV so we play lots of
UNO and color. Nickolas is fine. HE just wants to run around and play. THe
playgrounds are a mess, but he gets to climb a bit and run. They wouldn't pass
our safety tests at all! THings are much dirtier than we like, but we are
managing.
We will visit with Katia Alyona(Aloona)(Elaine or Helen in
English)tomorrow 2 times a day: 12-2 and 4-7. We will share more then.
Keep
praying that we get a quick court date! Thanks! We miss you all!
Amy, Jack,
Nickolas, and Katia
--------------------------------
April 27
As I write this message I am trying to upload just one picture. 800kb It is
taking forever. I may have to try again tomorrow without the whole gang waiting.
They are impatient and can not wait any longer. So you all will have to wait one
more day for a picture of Katia.
-Jack
PS: The required papers are
on the train to Kiev and are to arrive at 5:45 AM Wed. There is a chance they
could be back in our hands by Friday. NAC has to approve them and this may take
as many as 5 days. Once we get them back a court date can be scheduled then
after court we can return home for 30 days. Then we can come back and bring
Katia home!
She is warming up to us and seems happier. She especially likes
Jack! Haha...
--------------------------------
April 29
Hello! Of course the internet and all associated tecnology isn't
cooperating here so I still cannot send pictures. VERY frustrating! All I have
been able to do is burn what I have to CD.
Yesterday we had a visit from
old man winter. Colder 40's and drizzly rain all day. A big change from the 60's
and sunny we have had so far. There was even a big snowstorm in Moscow
yesterday. Very unusual or the end of April.
We took a long walk along
the Dnipro river yesterday. With a good imagination it was like being at home.
They have a few beaches along it so we pretended we were in the Bahamas!
Nickolas found a few shells for his collection even. The chestnuts, lilacs,
tulips, and other trees are all in bloom. They are the beauty against the
backdrop of old rundown looking apartment buildings and homes. (pictures can't
capture it all)
We ahve seen Katia warm up to us and she babbled some
noises yesterday. She likes hanging upside down, silly noises and looking out
the window. Nickolas loves her, but is having to deal with someone else getting
lots of attention. (That's tough for him!)
Saturday is May Day so there
will be a big demonstration parade and celebration. Lots of political speeches
and marches. It should be interesting. During the Soviet times this holiday was
used to indoctrinate the people in the "virtues" of communism...
On
Tuesday the whole town had no water for 4 or 5 hours. They were using buckets
and boiling water they had stored to clean the babies a the orphanage. So many
things we have would be luxuries here! It's like stepping back in time to 1942.
They would be in awe at all we ahve in our lives like cable, good roads,
multiple cars, more than a 3-4 room rundown home or apartment, electricity and
water whenever we want and all those electronic gadgets!
The ladies
caring for Katia and the 13 other babiesin her group are like angels. Doing all
they do for little or no pay! Laundry alone is a huge job! No wonder there is no
time for 1-1 attention. They are always cooking, cleaning, or washing. We can
never repay them for all they have to keep Katia as well off as she is.
We hope you are all well! We know many things are happening inthe world
and in your lives. We are thinking of you and keeping you in our prayers. God
bless you all! More soon!
Schedule update just in... Our papers are in
Kiev at the National Adoption Center. If they can return them today to our
facilitator we could have them on Friday. Then it is just a matter of having a
court hearing. That might be on Friday or we would ahve to wait till Wed or
Thurs. If court is on Friday we will not have to change our flight schedule
home. If court is on Wed or Thurs then we are not sure about our return home. A
lotwill depend on how fast we can get to Warsaw. We'll update you more when we
know more!
A,J, and N
-----------------------------------
May 4
Greetings one last time from Nickopol, Ukraine! We have had a busy few days of
the May Day holiday. Nickolas enjoyed some rides at the festivaland he got a
tie-die balloon! We've enjoyed warm weather, lunches at the outdoor cafes, and
have taken several long walks around the town or along the river.
Katia is a
real snuggle bear! She giggles and smiles and looks oh so cute in her new fancy
blue hat. She's starting to pose and smile for pictures too! She is now 10Kg or
about 24lbs. She loves the baby cookies we bought her at the kid store in town.
She is fascinated by the leaves, loves pink flowers, and can even find the noses
of the babies in her book. She has reading timewith us on our evening visits.
We've talked and played with her friends who love the attention. One boy
loves Nickolas~he looks a lot like Nickolas did when we first met him! a little
girl named Marina always has a happy smile for us.
They are all so tiny for
thier age. Katia is one of the biggest. Most are visited by family so they can
not be adopted. That is the sad part. Even 1 visit a year keeps them from taking
away the parent's rights so most grow up in the orphanage while the parents go
about thier life.
We have a court date for Wednesday the 5th of May at
11AM. It is quicker than we thought but slower than we hoped. If it weren't for
the holiday and Monday and Tuesday being included as holidays, we would have had
court already. After court we have to wait 30 days to get the official decree.
On June 7th we can get it, get a new birth certificate, and passport. Then we'll
go to Kiev for a doctor appointment and the embassy for a visa to and paperwork
to bring her back to the states. About a weeks worth of work. But due to money
and the need to keep a job, we'll be returning home for a few weeks and then
Jack and Amy will return to get Katia and bring her home! Wish we didin't have
to leave our sweet girl!
We'll be leaving Nickopol after the court and
driving 3 hours to Dnipropetrovsk to catch the express train to Kiev hwere we'll
spend what is left of the night. Then Thursday morning we will fly from Kiev to
Warsaw. Our return flight to the USA is Friday.
We bring fond memories of
the kind people we met and also the constant reminder of how blessed we are to
live in the USA! Seeing falling apart buildings that are being lived in, dirty
children begging for food in the streets, a group of orphans 6 - 10 years old
walking in a line down the street so they can see life in the world, all the
other things we've seen... It's a wake up call to us all to do all we can for
the poor of the world!
Until our next email, (Hopefully from Poland!!)take
care and God bless you!
PS: We are leaving from Poland becuase when we
booked our flights the visa processing was still being done in Warsaw. So as of
mid April that processing is now being done in Kiev. It was too expensive to
change our flight itinerary so we'll spend one day and a free night at the
Marriott thanks to rewards points.
A,J, and N
--------------------------------
May 12
3 weary travelers arrived in the USA and are spending a few days with family in MD before heading home to KY. Sharing lots of pictures of Katia and thinking about her constantly. We departed Kiev with no problems and spent a day in Warsaw. Found some cute clothes at Smyk kid’s store and visited the Old Town part of Warsaw. The Marriott was awesome and we even enjoyed a swim! Nickolas swam with just water wings so he is ready for the pools to open for summer.
We had a 6 hour layover in Paris so we did the touristy thing and saw the Eiffel Tower and other sites. Was so much better than hanging around at the airport. The flowers were in full bloom and Nickolas enjoyed a nice park and playground. Other than the historic areas the city was like any big city. Amazing what movies and books make you think it is like.
Now we just wait the 30 days which is almost down to 3 weeks! We pray for Katia all the time and look at her pictures. We hope she isn't missing us as much as we miss her. But we will be back to get her soon. Amy is finishing up the last 2 weeks of school and Jack will be back at work until we leave again. Trying to get back into life like we knew it and not have to live out of duffels for a month! When we left it was chilly and now it is 80 degrees! Where did spring go? We will have laundry, grass mowing, and exercising again! We will be busy!
Thank you for your continued prayers and love! Once we are home we will email pics of Katia. Internet in Ukraine isn't quite what we know. Tried repeatedly, but the connections weren't good. Take care and God bless the USA!
Amy
