First Hair Cut!!

In a weekend of firsts, mom is totally falling down on the picture taking front. I seem to either not have my camera with me or the battery is dead or someone has to keep up with the kid and can't take photos! This weekend we had our first EKG (the trip to the cardiologist was great - everything is OK!), first hair cut, first hot dog, first wagon ride, first craft fair, first movie, the list goes on and on. The only thing I was able to capture was the hair cut. Papa went first so we could watch and then it was his turn in the big chair. He did a great job!!

Before:

We told him the tickle bug was getting him....

After:

The final result........

Bath Time

I am pretty sure I have never met a little kid who loves his bath more than Daniel! I think they had a 'shower' in the orphanage so a bath is a whole new experience, and he LOVES it! He calls it 'coo-possuh' which means to swim. In the beginning he would ask me 10 times a day if he could take a bath. It's great. If he won't drink his milk at dinner I just tell him, 'No milk, No bath!'. That's all it takes - he gulps it right down. The kid loves his bath!

In the beginning, we didn't have any bath toys so I gave him a plastic cup and a watermelon shaped sponge and he was happy as a lark! The sponge and the wash cloth would have a big fight. What fun! I am not sure who was winning, but it was a great battle! Uncle Chuck and Aunt Brandi got him some tub toys so now he is in his glory. He has some squeezy toys that fill up with water and then squirt. They are great! (yeah - we'll be getting them back for that!)

Happy Birthday Foffee!

A BIG weekend!

I know I am sounding like a broken record, but it was another weekend of firsts for Daniel Karlen. We had a great time with the following adventures....

Friday we drove up to Northern Kentucky to visit with Babushka and Diyadushka (Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob) who hadn't met Daniel yet. On the way up, we stopped at the Kentucky Speedway. Daniel's first visit to a racetrack, first of many I am sure! There wasn't a race going on, so we just stopped and looked around (and got a geocache).....

Uncle Bob has been in the hospital so he and Pat hadn't met Daniel yet. It was an exciting moment when they finally met.... (check out his cute shirt, made by Omah, with his name and the American flag)

Then Saturday was Thunder over Louisville. For those of you that don't know - that is the air show and fireworks display that kicks off the 2 weeks of events leading up to the Kentucky Derby. We actually had beautiful weather this year, so we decided to take Daniel down for the air show. He gets so excited when he sees a plane in the sky so we thought he would love it. We didn't actually get into the crowds but sat on the top level of a parking garage and watched the planes. We had a great view and he really loved it. He was so excited, jumping up and down. He didn't know whether to clap, cover his ears or eat his apple. It was so cute....

When we were ready to go, he drove us home.....

Today he went to church with us for the first time. When we dropped him off at his room, there was a teenage boy checking the kids in. I told him, 'He has only been in America one week and doesn't speak English.' You should have seen the panic on his face! Luckily, he was working the room with his mom. They were great. They took him in with no hesitation and sent us off to church. I don't know how much we got out of the service. We were both anxious the entire time, watching the screen for our number to pop up. (that's how they page the parents if they are needed) But, we never got paged. When we picked him up they said he did great! That boy stayed by his side the entire time. What a blessing! He said he had a good time, so we were so relieved.

He is learning more and more English every day. We are constantly amazed by the things that pop out of his mouth. He is repeating a lot and asking what things are. We still can't have a full conversation, but we are communicating very well. It is obvious that he understands way more than he actually speaks. We are so excited with how he is progressing! Praise the Lord for His continued blessings!

Exploring the world

It's a big world out there for a little boy to figure out! We are having fun watching Daniel learn about the world and rack up so many new experiences. Our routine is to go somewhere in the morning to play and wear him out so he will take his afternoon nap. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been that great so we are finding all of the indoor play areas in town.

Yesterday we went to the playland at McDonalds and today it was Chick-Fil-A. He hadn't seen a tunnel slide before, so he wasn't so sure he wanted to go down. He wouldn't try it at all yesterday, so today Mom climbed up in there and slid down with him. (good thing not many people were around!) That's all it took - one time down together and then he was off and running. No fear - up and down about a million times. He had a great time!!

The sun came out this afternoon so we went off to the park. He loves to throw sticks in the lake, so that kept us busy for about an hour. Then on the way back to the car he discovered the dandylions. There really isn't anything cuter than a kid blowing a dandylion. I couldn't bring myself to make him leave. It was so sweet! He picked every dandylion in that field and blew it apart. After awhile he figured out that it was more fun for the 2 dandylions to fight it out. So cute! Everything is new, everything is exciting - we are having such fun!!!

Catching up

Sorry for the delay in posting. We are finally to the fun part that you all want to hear about and mom is so busy, I can't find time to post!! Coming home right before Easter weekend made things especially crazy for us. Daniel is doing great - overly excited and I am sure he is overwhelmed - but great!



We met the WHOLE family at Claudia Sanders on Saturday for our Easter luncheon. 26 new family members for him to meet. He wasn't shy at all - handed out hugs and smiles liberally. Everyone was so nice and he got lots of Easter baskets (thanks everyone!). Who wouldn't smile about that? Then it was off to Uncle Jon and Aunt Jenn's horse farm for an Easter egg hunt. Whoa! Talk about blowing a little kid's mind. He is going to want to go there all the time - they grow candy in their yard!!! He was so excited and so cute. He overcame his fear and actually pet the horse AND the cats! We couldn't believe it. By the time we left he was actually seeking out the cats for more petting. He was calling 'Spike! Spike!' It was really a great weekend!

Sunday he found his very first geocache in America! Thanks JBLane! We had a great time exploring the Anchorage nature trail!!

This week has been about trying to get him back on schedule. He resisted his nap on Sunday - who can sleep when there is so much to explore? But Monday and Tuesday he went right to bed without a whimper and slept for 2 hours!

God is so good. We are thoroughly enjoying this little boy He has blessed us with.

1st day in America!

What a big day!! It was all about exploring and playing today. I am pretty sure Daniel thinks America is the next best thing to Heaven! He has had a grand time playing with all of these toys.

Aunt Jenn and Uncle John came over and took Daniel for his first donut. We felt it was appropriate that they were there for his Krispy Kreme initiation. Here are some pics:

Here he is playing with the Legos. I am not sure who is having more fun, Daniel or Papa.....

We are home!!!

The long awaited return has happened! We arrived in Cincy last night at 7:15p. Whoa! It was a long day. Daniel did good on the plane, but it was so exciting that he only slept about 1 hour. The rest of the time he was bouncing around, watching movies, kicking the chair in front, asking how much longer, eating, playing and just generally being a 4 year old on a 17 hour trip. We were so glad to hit Cincinnati! I am so glad that we didn't have to get on another flight to Louisville. We were done! I don't know what I would have done without Galya. She was such a big help to me.

As soon as we got off the plane, Galya and I told him that Papa is here. This is it! Let's go get Papa! So the entire way through the terminal he was calling, 'Papa! Papa!' When we came up the escalator and saw them all lined up - Papa, Chase, Mammaw, Pappaw, Omah - it was an exciting moment. He was squealing and Mom was crying. It is so good to be home! He fell asleep on the way home and we carried him in and put him right in bed. He slept until 6:15 this morning. Today has been a day of excitement and exploring.

I can't thank you all enough for the outpouring of good wishes and gifts! WOW - what a Welcome Home! This boy has enough to play with, that's for sure! We had a big Welcome Home banner in the foyer (thanks Card girls and Lisa) and tons of loot. Let the spoiling begin! Our neighbors across the street, George and Lori, put up a big banner 'Welcome Daniel' across their porch. When you look out his bedroom window, that's the first thing you see. How nice! We are just so moved by everyone's love and support. It is so great to have you share in our excitement!

We are praising God for His many blessings - all of our friends and family and this wonderful little boy that He has brought into our lives. He has been such a great addition already.

Here are some pictures......

On the plane:

This is the very moment that Daniel became an American citizen, when the plane touched down in New York. See Galya clapping.......

At the airport:

Neighbors welcome banner:

In my new tent:

Coming Home!!!

Day 45 and our long awaited return home is tomorrow! I am so excited. We went to the Embassy today and picked up Daniel's Visa and we are all set to travel. When we came back Galya made Daniel a familiar treat from the orphanage to celebrate. He had been asking for 'manna-kasha' which is a floury type of cornmeal (I am calling it cornmeal, I really don't know what it is) mixed with milk (boiled), sugar and butter. It totally looked like grits. Who knows - maybe it's the same? I got a bag to bring home so I can make it for him. He was so thrilled about having it again!


It has been a long journey and we are so excited to be headed back to America!! Thank you for all of your sweet comments and words of encouragement. This has been a great adventure, but I think the real adventure is just beginning!!



Here is another picture for you......



At the WWII Museum:

See you soon!!

Reuniting with Kelly and Daniel (and Galya too!)

I am so excited to have Kelly and Daniel come home! All of our friends and family have been so supportive throughout this journey and we truly appreciate everyone's well-wishes and prayers. It almost seems inconceivable that we are coming to the end of "phase one" of our new lives.

God has been so great to us and has clearly guided this process throughout. It is amazing to see His hands in things and it is awesome to know that you are walking on His pathway.

For those that are interested, Kelly, Daniel, and Galya will arrive in Cincy (AKA Northern Ky) at 656PM Thursday. It's an exciting time in our lives to say the least!

Passport!!!!!!!!!

Quick update - the passport came today. Praise the Lord!!!!!! I haven't talked to our travel agent yet but this should mean that we will come home on Thursday. We may fly into Cincinnati instead of Louisville, it's been running cheaper there. I will update more later, just had to share my happiness with you. YAY, YAY, YAY! We are coming home!!!!!

A good Sunday

Well, I am sorry to report to you that the passport did not arrive in Odessa on Friday as we had hoped. We are still waiting. This means we won't be coming home on Wednesday. Who knows when? I am not making any more plans, just waiting on the Lord.

Today we went to church with Galya. I was worried about taking Daniel because their service is 4 hours long, but I had to get him out of the apartment so we thought we would be brave and try it. We went to Victory Christian Church and what a blessing it was. Their worship style is very similar to what we do at home. When we walked in and I heard those familar songs I just started to cry. I don't know what it was - homesickness, I guess. I was just so moved. It was so good to be in the Lord's house. They sang in Russian and I sang in English. It was just what I needed! What a great work is being done in that church! There were about 1000 people there for the morning service and there was another service after ours at 2:00!

Daniel did great! He jumped and clapped during the singing - he really loved it. He was having such a great time and then he would look up at me with a huge smile and throw his arms out for a hug. What a sweetie! When it was time for the children to leave for their church, Galya asked him if he wanted to go and he said, 'Cool - I get to go to school! Bye, bye Mama!' And off they went. They were gone for 2 hours and he came back with a big smile and another masterpiece for the refrigerator. It was such a blessing that he went so easily. This was his first time in church and it was a great experience. I had Galya tell him that next week we will go to church in America with Papa. (I hope!) He is excited!

We saw another plane in the sky this afternoon. He always notices the planes going by. He said, 'Oh, similout (plane). Hi Papa! Hi Papa!' He waved and waved. We miss you papa!

This afternoon he made a friend on the playground here by Galya's apartment. They had a great time playing and went down the slide about 200 times. It was good to see him playing with other kids. Usually he just stays with Mama but this boy came running up to us and was so friendly. He wouldn't go away and they talked and talked. Of course, it was all in Russian. I would have loved to have known what was said. I did hear him ask Daniel about his Papa and he told him that Papa is in America.

That's all for now. I really appreciate your continued encouragement and prayers. I am terribly homesick but so very blessed.

Day 40

Today, Friday, is my 40th day here and I am ready to come home! The passport 'should' arrive in Odessa today and in Kiev tomorrow. If that happens, then we will have our medical appointment on Monday and apply at the Embassy for Daniel's visa. We would pick up the visa on Tuesday and fly home on Wednesday. I am hoping and praying that's how it will work out and I will keep you posted.

Until then, I thought I would catch you up on some photos.....

Daniel in Odessa:

Getting on the train in Odessa:

My first bath (loved it!):

Eating pizza:

At the circus:

Quick update

Just letting everyone know that I talked to Kelly on the phone and the passport didn't reach Odessa again today. We have gotten word that whatever the issue was with the security number has been resolved and the book is printed.

Unfortunately, that practically guarantees that Kelly and Daniel won't get home until Wednesday night. Please pray for them for encouragement as they are both anxious to get home.

The good news is that it's fairly likely that Gayla will be traveling with them! We love her and are so glad that we've become friends.

One Karlen Down, Two To Go...

Well, Papa made it home safe and sound. While I am distressed about not having my favorite boy and girl with me, it is nice to be home and back on American soil. I make no secret about my love for this country and it always feels great to get home. It was tough, though, heading to the check-in counter with my little boy jumping up and down and yelling, "Papa!" across the terminal. I know that they are in great hands, though, with Gayla. She has been such a blessing to us.

Omah and Foffee picked me up at the airport and brought me home. It was nice to catch up with them face-to-face instead of watching the minutes on the cellphone!

We are continuing to pray for a minor miracle that everything will fall into place and Mama and Daniel will be able to get back Saturday night, but we're being realistic with our expectations too.

Anyhow, I'm heading off to bed. Thanks for everyone's support throughout this journey. Please keep posted as we will maintain the blog well after everyone gets back home.

Oh - Judi and Bob: thanks for the nice comments. In regards to sizes, Kelly said, "I was guessing when I said he is size 5 or 6. I don't really know and the sizes here are totally different. His shoe size is 29. Here are his measurements: Arm (shoulder to wrist) 13", Pant (I forgot to do the inseam, this is waist to ankle) 20", Waist 22".

Goodbye Papa

Still no passport so Jason headed home today. It is so hard for a little boy to understand what's going on. We had Galya tell Daniel that Papa is getting on a plane to go to America and get our home ready for him. Mama and Daniel will fly to America in a few days. After Papa left us at the airport, Daniel turned to Galya and said, 'Will he ever come back?' :( We miss you papa. Now every time we see a similout (plane) up in the sky Daniel says, 'Papa!'.

Jason leaving today was the right decision. As of 9:00p on Wednesday, still no passport. We are waiting and hoping to come home on Saturday but it is starting to look like it may be next week. Jason is still flying as I type this post, so please say a prayer for him.

Mama and Daniel moved out of the apartment and in with Galya. We are happy not to be alone and Galya can explain to him what's going on. I am using this time to learn more and more phrases in Russian so we can communicate with our son when we get home. I know God has a reason to keep me here. My prayer is that I can accomplish His purpose and make these remaining days meaningful.

Thanks for your encouragement! I can't wait for you to meet this amazing boy God picked out for us. He is so great! He knows his name (still says Daniel Tolic) and today he is actually adding Karlen on the end. He has been saying 'Thank you' for quite some time and today we added 'You're Welcome'. So now he says them both together. What a smart boy!