November 25, 2005 In ten days Matthew will be ours!!!

We were just in court. Well actually we went to the courthouse, Stas and the official in charge of the children's welfare went into the courtroom. Less than two minutes later the official came back out and shook our hands. That was it! We got dressed up for no reason. I even had to wash my hair using water from the teapot. The hot water still isn't working well. Yesterday it worked for 45 minutes, but that was it. So today Jeff poured water over my head and I poured it over his. Last night I even gave Jeff a haircut. He really needed one, the last one was in September. It doesn't look too bad. So in ten days (starting tomorrow) we pick up the official adoption papers at the courthouse and go to get Matthew's new birth certificate. We are lucky because he was born in Odessa so we don't have travel to get the new one. Then we have to go to a separate office to get an official stamp. The first office isn't open on Mondays and the second isn't open on Tuesdays. Then we can take Matthew from the orphanage and take the overnight train to Kiev. In Kiev we have to go to the United States Embassy (which isn't open on Fridays) for 1 or 2 days of paperwork. He will have to get a medical exam at the embassy, we have an exit interview, and immigration paperwork. Then we can finally go home. We figure 18 days from now at the most. Another couple arrived here in Odessa this morning, they are from Alabama and are going to see a child at Matthew's orphanage. This is good since everyone else left.