Monday morning sucked! I knew going to see her meant that we were leaving her. It was a rough, rough morning. We got up, finished packing up our bags and met Marty and Eva downstairs to check out and put our stuff in the car. We ate a quick breakfast, and then met the director and we carpooled to the orphanage again. When we got there we went into her office and she wanted to talk to us. We were in there for about 45 minutes, and I kept watching the minutes tick off on the clock above her head. Every minute we sat in here talking to her, was one less minute we got with our daughter. ugh.
The meeting was productive though. We set up an English tutor to come 3 times a week for one hour. We also set up Skype dates with our daughter (every Tuesday and Friday at 5pm Germany time). We paid up front for the first month, and decided that we would wire her the money every month after that. I didn't feel comfortable leaving here 3-4 months worth of money with no guarantee of services...oh well. We exchanged email addresses and then she said she was going to get our Princess.
When we saw Gia she was super excited to see us, a little skeptical at first because we came out of the director's office -- she had that look of "uh-oh what did I do now..." She got her shoes on very quickly and we went outside. We played soccer and chase and swung her around. Then we went to the market and got her ice cream. It wasn't super hot on Monday, but we promised her ice cream the day before, and I didn't want to lie to her on our first visit :)
After our ice cream Marty offered to show us where the home was that she lived at before, so we went for a walk. The old orphanage was larger, and was overgrown with weeds. The orphanage closed, but Eva didn't know why and Marty said he didn't either. Then we walked back to the home, and it was time to say good bye. Eva took one last picture of the three of us, and then we gave hugs and kisses and I promised to be back as quickly as possible and told her I'd see her soon. Then we got in the car and drove off. I wanted to open the van door and jump out and run back to her. It is completely unnatural to leave your children for so long!
I just stared out the window for awhile trying to keep my emotions under control.
We stopped about 1/2 way back to Sofia (the total drive time was about 6 hours) at a gas station that was Flintstones themed.
When we got back to Sofia we dropped Eva off and said our goodbyes, and then Marty dropped us off at our hotel. He set up a Taxi to take us the airport on Tuesday and we said our goodbyes to him too.
Then we went upstairs, I laid on the bed and I didn't want to go anywhere. Bobby found a pizza place that delivered and we watched the season finale of Homeland (great show btw) and some Community and Big Bang Theory. Then we fell asleep and slept until almost noon. We had plans of picking up souvenirs in Sofia on Tuesday, but it didn't happen. We stayed in bed in the hotel room for as long as possible, then we got ready, redistributed the weight in our bags and went downstairs to check us out.
Then the taxi driver came and took us the airport. At the airport we were starving because we hadn't eaten since the pizza the night before so we ate at a little bar in the airport. We each had a pizza thing, and a soda and it was the most expensive meal we had the entire time we were there.
We got on our flight and we were delayed again. Which meant when we landed in Austria our other plane was boarding so we sprinted through the airport again...never every flying through Vienna again (unless that is my final destination) and Austrian Airways sucks with on-time departures (although their magazine claimed they were #2 in Europe for on-time departures...).
When we got to Frankfurt our friend Chuck met us, and brought us home (first feeding us McDonalds). When we walked in the door Lucy greeted us, and Desi was super loving. Our friends had hung a sign up that said "Welcome Home Mama and Papa" and their daughter drew a really pretty picture on the back of it. It made me feel happy to be home. We jumped in the shower and climbed into bed.
This was a very emotionally and physically exhausting trip, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Well maybe I'd have brought Geo and Gia home with us....
I can't wait until October. We are hoping to bring them home in October if the rest of the process goes smoothly!
Monday we have our doctor appointments to redo our physicals (they are only good for 6 months) and then after that we are notarizing all of the documents and putting them in the mail to my brother to apostille. This is our last set of documents to go to Bulgaria, unless the judge requests more (I hope not...). Our USCIS 1800 paperwork was sent off on Thursday too. So hopefully by the end of the month that approval will go through... :)
I hope you had an incredible week!
Love,
Lura
The meeting was productive though. We set up an English tutor to come 3 times a week for one hour. We also set up Skype dates with our daughter (every Tuesday and Friday at 5pm Germany time). We paid up front for the first month, and decided that we would wire her the money every month after that. I didn't feel comfortable leaving here 3-4 months worth of money with no guarantee of services...oh well. We exchanged email addresses and then she said she was going to get our Princess.
When we saw Gia she was super excited to see us, a little skeptical at first because we came out of the director's office -- she had that look of "uh-oh what did I do now..." She got her shoes on very quickly and we went outside. We played soccer and chase and swung her around. Then we went to the market and got her ice cream. It wasn't super hot on Monday, but we promised her ice cream the day before, and I didn't want to lie to her on our first visit :)
After our ice cream Marty offered to show us where the home was that she lived at before, so we went for a walk. The old orphanage was larger, and was overgrown with weeds. The orphanage closed, but Eva didn't know why and Marty said he didn't either. Then we walked back to the home, and it was time to say good bye. Eva took one last picture of the three of us, and then we gave hugs and kisses and I promised to be back as quickly as possible and told her I'd see her soon. Then we got in the car and drove off. I wanted to open the van door and jump out and run back to her. It is completely unnatural to leave your children for so long!
I just stared out the window for awhile trying to keep my emotions under control.
We stopped about 1/2 way back to Sofia (the total drive time was about 6 hours) at a gas station that was Flintstones themed.
When we got back to Sofia we dropped Eva off and said our goodbyes, and then Marty dropped us off at our hotel. He set up a Taxi to take us the airport on Tuesday and we said our goodbyes to him too.
Then we went upstairs, I laid on the bed and I didn't want to go anywhere. Bobby found a pizza place that delivered and we watched the season finale of Homeland (great show btw) and some Community and Big Bang Theory. Then we fell asleep and slept until almost noon. We had plans of picking up souvenirs in Sofia on Tuesday, but it didn't happen. We stayed in bed in the hotel room for as long as possible, then we got ready, redistributed the weight in our bags and went downstairs to check us out.
Then the taxi driver came and took us the airport. At the airport we were starving because we hadn't eaten since the pizza the night before so we ate at a little bar in the airport. We each had a pizza thing, and a soda and it was the most expensive meal we had the entire time we were there.
We got on our flight and we were delayed again. Which meant when we landed in Austria our other plane was boarding so we sprinted through the airport again...never every flying through Vienna again (unless that is my final destination) and Austrian Airways sucks with on-time departures (although their magazine claimed they were #2 in Europe for on-time departures...).
When we got to Frankfurt our friend Chuck met us, and brought us home (first feeding us McDonalds). When we walked in the door Lucy greeted us, and Desi was super loving. Our friends had hung a sign up that said "Welcome Home Mama and Papa" and their daughter drew a really pretty picture on the back of it. It made me feel happy to be home. We jumped in the shower and climbed into bed.
This was a very emotionally and physically exhausting trip, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Well maybe I'd have brought Geo and Gia home with us....
I can't wait until October. We are hoping to bring them home in October if the rest of the process goes smoothly!
Monday we have our doctor appointments to redo our physicals (they are only good for 6 months) and then after that we are notarizing all of the documents and putting them in the mail to my brother to apostille. This is our last set of documents to go to Bulgaria, unless the judge requests more (I hope not...). Our USCIS 1800 paperwork was sent off on Thursday too. So hopefully by the end of the month that approval will go through... :)
I hope you had an incredible week!
Love,
Lura
I'm hoping that all is well. Keeping you and your little ones in my prayers.
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