The Paley Family

Merry Christmas!

We went to Greg's parents on Christmas Day. It was wonderful. Elsa was very open to her new family. We can't let anyone but Greg and I hold her, feed her, or take care of her needs because she has had so many caretakers and she has to learn that only Greg and I are her parents, but the family found ways to connect with her. She even doled out hugs without being prompted. She really loved her Aunt Drew. We all sat on the floor and played with a crochet ball that was a Christmas gift for Elsa, rolling it back and forth to her. She enjoyed all the attention. When she ran up to her cousin Jack, to give him a full body hug, he thought he was under attack and stepped aside, in what he thought was the nick of time. Elsa ended up doing a face plant on the carpet. We had no idea that Jack had become so agile. Once Jack understood that Elsa was attacking him out of love and not aggression, he was happy to let Elsa jump on him. Elsa is quite tough and didn't hold it against him. In fact, she was delighted that he accepted several hugs after the face-plant incident. Elsa even gave hugs to her Grandpa, Papa-Paul. That is big progress considering that she was terrified of men a week ago.

Jack is 8 now, but when he was a baby he named his Grandma "Waga." Somehow, it sounded like "Grandma" to him. It stuck, so we all call Greg's mom, "Waga." The word for Grandma in Russian in Babushka. "Baba" for short, like "Gramma," then the first name after it. So, Ursula's name now is "Baba Waga." Is that the cutest or what?

So, in addition to playing with Jack, Elsa also played with Finn, 6. Finn was kind enough to bring out big legos for Elsa to play with, and Tyrone, 8 months. Uncle Dylan was there, and Elsa liked him, too. She really liked Baba Waga and asked her to pick her up. I'm sure it was very hard for Baba Waga not to...

What a difference a year makes. My mom died last Christmas day. I was by her bedside in Illinois. Our nephew, Seth, was gravely ill, at the time, as well. And Greg and I had been in the China adoption program for a few years at that point. It has been a difficult year, with many changes. Mom is gone, Seth has had some very difficult, but highly successful surgeries. He turned 17 and is healthy and happy. Greg and I have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Not Chinese, as it turns out, but Russian is just fine with us. My sister, Vickie, told me last New Year's Eve that the year would be filled with trials and tribulations but that by the end of the year, we would be victorious. How is that for a good, solid, and very TRUE word? We got in right under the wire, but victorious we are...and very, very blessed.

BEFORE & AFTER Elsa - October 2008

Before & After - Elsa - December 17th

Look what we got in Russia

St. Basil's

Our cute baby girl

We're Home!

Elsa is in her high chair eating cheerios. Boy, it is nice to type that. Greg and I have taken turns this morning. We went to bed around 2:30 am. We got home around midnight but there was too much for Elsa to check out and she slept so much of the flights that she wasn't about to go to sleep right away. The flights went well, by the way. She is a good traveler. Anyway, it is exciting to have a new home so she was up before 7:00. I took shift one, then Greg let me get a little sleep and he is down for a nap. I'm hoping that Elsa will be ready for a nap soon but so far she isn't convinced. I'll write more later but Elsa needs me. Just wanted to say we are home and thanks for all the support and prayer. Here are a few photos.
Love, Greg, Laura, & Elsa

Everything is done but the plane ride home!

Wed update!!!

Laura just called from Moscow and said that things are going along wonderfully! Elsa had her physical this afternoon and then they went shoe shopping for her. Currently they are all asleep as it is after midnight there. She said that the baby is attaching so well to them, allows Greg to carry her as long as she can see mama...that she says mama and has started saying dada too! Thursday they have an embassy appt. that they do not attend but wait for a message that all the papers are in order for her visa, then Friday they have their embassy appt and are free to leave after that to come home. Currently they are still set to fly home Monday! Maybe say prayers asking for some seats to come open on the flights and they could come home early! Also include prayers asking that all their papers are in order and go thru so the visa is issued. R

Monday update!!!

We made it!!!!! The rescheduled flight from Chicago to Moscow was uneventful and so was our regular flight from Moscow to Stavropol. Yeah!!! And, WONDERFUL news, we take custody of Elsa tomorrow!!! Apparently, the official adoption decree was issued today, along with Elsa's new birth certificate. The team figured a way through it all so we can still get Elsa tomorrow. Actually, we have to split up tomorrow. Greg goes with one of our interpreters to pick up Elsa's passport as they need to see a parent and our passports, and I go with another interpreter and our driver to Elsa's orphanage to get her. I'm sorry that Greg can't be there as well, but just happy that it is actually happening. WE will fly back to Moscow on Wednesday morning and Elsa has her medical exam that afternoon. Our paperwork is dropped off at the American Embassy on Thursday morning and our interview is Friday afternoon. We were told that they expect that we can still go home after the 20th. We have to try to change our tickets BACK from the 24th to the 22nd now, if we can...that is the next project. I think that Greg may have picked up an eye infection on one of the flights. His eyes are bloodshot and don't look very good. One of my eyes is starting to itch, too. Thanks for following along with us, for your prayers and support. Please stay tuned for the next installment....although we are gonna be busy with our little Elsa around now...and we can't wait... Love, Laura

Sunday afternoon update-sorry so late!

I so greatly apologize,my computer was so slow last night that it would not upload this update from Sunday afternoon---Ruthi
Here we sit at chicago ohare airport when we should be in moscow waiting for our flight to stavropol. The whole flight was canceled due to mechanical issues. What an adventure this has been. For a while we thought that we would make it to moscow by way of brussels but that didn't work either. Too bad. Neither one of us has been to Belgium. I hear they have good chocolate. Anyway, our flight isn't for another for another 3 hrs and if we catch any hint of there being trouble with this flight, we are going to insist that they get us as close Moscow as possible. There is supposed to be severe weather in Chicago but not until late tonight. You never know, though, considering how things have gone with our adoption. Dan n Sandy Roberts at our agency here in the States find it hard to believe all the stuff that has happened too. Dan agreed that if there is an issue today, getting to Frankfurt would be in our best interest. It is amazing how everythin is scheduled so there is no room for error, yet nothin ever works the way it is supposed to. Greg and I were very grateful to have a nice meal last night and a comfortable hotel room. We live in a country where Airlines rebook tickets, give hotel and food vouchers, and they don't just cancel flights and close airports without notification or accomodating passengers. We did have to change our tickets to fly home on the 24th. We had to ensure that there will be enough time to get everything done and we will have seats to get home. Since it was AA's fault, they made the changes at no charge. We were very concerned that this delay could set us back a few thousand dollars. The agency must be quite concerned about the timing as the famous Natasha, head of the Frank Foundation in Washington called herself this morning. I get the impression that there are issues with it being the holidays. There is a bright and shiny silver lining in all of this. Little Oksana at Elsa's orphanage is being adopted, too, and her adoptive parents will be in the region but we were going to miss them by a day. We will probably get to see each other now. See, Christine, God works all things for the good of those who love and trust in Him....boy, am I leaning on that scripture!!! Love you guys. Thanks for the support, prayer, and encouragement. And the cookies, Waga. They hit the spot on the way to the airport. Hugs, Laura

Hi everyone, Bad news

This is Vickie again, I just spoke with Laura. She and Greg are still sitting in LAX. the flight to Brussels didn't work out. LAX couldn't locate their bags they had just checked in, and so they are waiting to fly to Chicago where the airlines will have to put them up in a hotel and they will fly out of Chicago tomorrow night at 5:30. Pray, Pray, Pray that everything will go fine.

Urgent Prayers Please.

This is Laura Sister Vickie posting for Laura and Greg. Their 1 flight from Chicago to Moscow has been canceled due to mechanical problems with the plane. They have made arrangements to flyto Brussels and then on to Moscow. PLEASE pray they make all flights and ON TIME. There is NO ROOM for error folks. This is critical. Please pray that connecting in the air and on the ground are met and that they get Elsa and bring her home as planned. Thanks. I'll keep you posted as I hear.

please pray for flights to be resolved! blog problem to post! fliight schedules interuppted....

Coco trying out Elsa's new gear

Russian bathroom - notice that it isn't a bathroom, it's an outhouse. An outhouse with no seat, to be exact. And you have to provide your own tissue.