Things I Just NEVER Expected...

Ok I think I am strong enough now to post this blog without crying through the whole thing! From start to finish this entire trip was nothing like I expected it to be! Most the trip and everything that went on for the Ukraine side of things. Now most of you are going to be broken hearted as I am but our “Gotcha Day” was like a tornado and it blew by before we were able to get pictures or anything. I think Shelly and Danna may have snapped a few but I have nothing!!! As we post previously we got news that the kids passport were done and we would have them Monday and then be on the overnight train to Kiev. So that meant getting the kids out Monday afternoon… PERFECT!!! Fred and I packed everything and we were ready to go when we went to get the kids at 1pm Monday March 14th, but we got a call that the passports were not ready and that we might have to wait another night… fine no problem! We went and got the kids; we went to Cole’s room first, he was the only baby in the room and there were only two ladies working when we showed up. Sadly like every day before there was NO emotion, the lady took the cloths walked over to Cole (swinging in a swing) grabbed him out, by the hands, and went in back to change him. She then brought him out and handed me him and his mittens and that was it. Really she just said bye and closed the door.
Next we went to Rorieann’s room, still no other kids out but a whole group of women working???? They took her cloths and went to change her. When they brought her out they were all smiling and said bye and that was that. We were FREE… free to un-layer them… free to leave and NEVER come back… but wait a minute now what? Here I am in a crazy mixed up country, I can’t speak the language let alone understand the writing and I know nothing about these two precious kids schedule or routine. Everytime I asked they would say “Oh we will let you know before you leave with them, we will give you a list of foods they can eat”… I never got a list. So here I am a new Mom with a new Dad and two children that need to eat… but what do they eat? When do they sleep, how do they sleep? I felt like I was thrown in with the lions. We were beyond happy to have our kids in our arms and be walking out of that place but now we had to wait to see about the passports. We got a call saying that they still we not ready but they would call to check on them and try to get us on the late train but that we should be ready! Well about 15mins after that call when we all sat down for lunch we got another call, passports are done and the drivers are on their way we should be ready in 20mins. Drivers showed up in 10mins and we were gone in 20mins. 20 mins to make sure we have everything, gather ourselves together and say our good-byes to the family that took such good care of us for 6weeks. I’ll be honest it was nothing but a tear fest!!!! From that moment on we didn’t stop… We ran to the train, just making it in time, we did get some things from the bazaar for the kids to eat and just prayed it was some that would fill them up until we could get help in Kiev.
I just never expected to be so emotional, from start to finish your emotions are all over the place. I never expected that going home would be so hard, I thought once we were going home I would just be so happy that nothing else would matter. It’s more complicated than that, going home was strange because it’s not like I’m going back home to my life… my life has changed now, my life now includes two beautiful children that ARE my life. I never expected that when I came home I would have to learn to breath again, I have been holding my breath and my feeling back for so long that now how do I… how do ????
I am sooooooo happy to be a Mom and every time I look at their faces I just think I never expected that I could LOVE something or someone this much!!!! This trip was the HARDEST thing I have EVER had to do but to hold them close and know that they are mine… I would take this trip a thousand more times!!!!

Here are some pictures we were able to take once we were on the train and things were calm!!!