2 months down...

Marina and Ivan November 2008 
Marina, Ivan and Anya left two months ago today.  Yesterday I got an email from Anya (who helps kids at orphanages write to pen pals), saying she saw the kids and these were pictures she took of the kids on her last visits.  Anya isn't in any because she was with her class.  But she said the kids still want to come and that Ivan got his package for his birthday (last month).  They haven't received their Christmas package, but they are getting some of the letters that we have mailed to them (every week).  It will be interesting to see what letters have made it.  I try to send a picture in my letters and the kids have drawn pictures or once Ethan sent them each a paper airplane...   Anya said that they were going to stay with their grandmother for the holidays and would be back on the 13th of January.  I've written Marina a couple times and told her to ask her grandma about her life and to write down all of her grandmothers stories.  I hope she will be able to.  I think that is something the kids will like to have later in their life.  Especially since we don't know when, if or how often they will be able to go back to the Ukraine.
Marina's hair keeps getting longer -- December 2008

Happy New Year!

Yesterday Troy went fishing and I left the kids to clean up while I collected last minute documents for the apostille.  They did a pretty good job and so we decided to celebrate by going bowling.  Grant invited a couple of friends and then Morgan, Ethan and I bowled.  The pictures are off my iphone (no flash) and the lights were dimmed with the florescences and disco ball going (not the greatest quality of photography), but we had a good time!  

Things I've learned with this Adoption...

We submitted our paperwork to be Apostilled today and we'll pick it up on Tuesday! Very exciting.  Just a couple things I've learned.  You have to have a certified copy of your Marriage Certificate and Warranty Deed.  We got copies notarized and they won't Apostille those.  The date was wrong on our Marriage Certificate and the adoption agency said to just notarize our original, but they wouldn't accept that.  So we had to go get it changed and new ones printed out.  Also for those who live in Davis County, the County Assessors office doesn't have letterhead to go with the forms they print out (for property assessment) so I had to type up one similar to SLC for them to fill out. (If anyone needs a copy let me know and I'll send this one to you).  Good Luck to everyone out there doing the exact same thing.  I'm so relieved that I won't have to go get anything else fixed or notarized again (with correct wording... don't use original or copy of original, they will only accept True Copy), or at least I hope I don't!

Now the waiting game begins : ) or : ( I don't know if it will be better or worse.  I'm tired of running around getting documents, but it has kept me busy.

Jazz Game

Troy and I went to the Jazz game last night with my sister and her husband.  As you can see we had front row floor seats!  Justin and I had our cameras out for most of the game.  We could even read all of Darren's Tattoo's.  It was a great game and great fun to be a couple feet from all of the players!  They kept about a 10 point lead against the Mavaricks all night and won 97 to 88.  

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Tingey Family Chirstmas Party

Last Saturday was the Tingey family Christmas Party.

Lots of yummy food to eat and lots of family to share it with.

The kids put on a talent show (all pics on moms page).  Morgan sang her songs from Annie.


Grant played "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and Ethan sang his Hanukkah song.



All the kids sang lots of Christmas songs and then we had the privilege of listening to Kathryn for a while (till the kids needed adult supervision).