April 11, 2008
Remember when...
Three years ago today we were stuck in Ukraine, trying to figure out how to re-do our fingerprints with the FBI so that we could get a Visa and take Tara home to the good ol' USA. It's so hard to believe that it's been three years already since Tara's adoption. But then again, we can't imagine our lives without her.
If you want to visit or revisit this crazy day in our 2005 adoption story, you can click right here.
So this means I must file another annual report on how Tara is doing and send it along with 10 photos to the Ukraine Embassy in Chicago, and they are supposed to send it to the adoption center in Ukraine, and maybe even forward it to Tara's actual orphanage in Kyiv. I always wonder if the pictures ever reach her orphanage and whether her former caregivers get to see them. They would be amazed at her smile these days!
So this is a shout-out to my dear cousin Sally, who was with me in Ukraine three years ago this week. It was an adventurous, frustrating, exhausting time. But having Sally there made it so much better. Plus, she could speak English.
Posted by Laura at April 11, 2008 02:27 PMPosted to Tara's Story
Wow! That was the fastest 3 years. I still laugh recalling the fun you and Sally had over there. Congratulations on raising your baby!
Posted by: Greta at April 11, 2008 09:18 PMI remember talking to my friend in the FBI fingerprint section and she kept saying "Well we can't have an American citizen stuck in Ukraine..." She was one of those people who don't just "try" to help you out, she did what she said she would.
Three years, wow. Has Sally remembered all the English she learned? LOL
Posted by: karen wiz at April 12, 2008 05:33 PMHi Laura - i found this website the other day....I thought you might enjoy the pictures. We spotted a few of Katie's caregivers in some of the shots! It also shows the amazing re-construction of the orphanage.
Congratulations on your 3 years home with Tara! She is beautiful, what a doll!! I enjoy popping in on your blog every once in a while...knowing Tara and Katie shared the same home for a short while.
http://antiaids.org/en/projects/help/561?photogallery=true
Kerri
Posted by: at April 13, 2008 01:39 PMThat was the best time ever! Running around Kiev with Laura and Natasha, boy was I glad I was in shape from my Jazzercise--we flew! In and out of those gov't offices, up and down steps, over cobblestones, into the car, out of the car--wait, hurry up, wait, hurry up some more!
And finally, we picked up our little prize from the orphanage, and gave her her first bath that night in the apartment. Then Laura put her to bed and we pretended not to notice that she got up and peeked over the couch at us in her new jammies, very curious about her new life and her new mama.... a whole new chapter of her life just begun....
Posted by: sally at April 14, 2008 09:38 AMSeeing Tara on Sunday, it was so amazing to see how much the 3yrs have changed a beautiful girl to a 5-yr old beautiful and smart child. She loves to color posters and signs and give them to me. She writes LOVE TARA. She likes signing her name on everything. She is becoming a great artist. Keep it up TARA. GRANDMA LOVES YOU
Posted by: JEANNE at April 14, 2008 05:09 PM