Another day in Moscow

The day started off with Matthew being ravenously hungry as usual- he DOES enjoy eating- seems to eat anything offered to him and EVERYTHING offered. You can see here- the oatmeal above his left ear-and the general mess he made-he is not real good at feeding himself but gobbles down every bite put into his mouth. He does not know how to hold a sippy cup upright to get the liquid into his mouth which is a bit frustrating for him.
Kelly and Matthew took naps, then lunch, then we headed over to Red Square just to get out and do some souvenir shopping. We walked through the department store across from Red Square- it is 3 stories but the 2nd and 3rd are -2 and -3 on the elevator because they are underground- very interesting- I have seen more trim- cute girls in their very sheik dress- and NO overweight women or men anywhere! The streets are spotless and the people well dressed and friendly -well-at some things. Like women and men offer us seats on the subway but NO-ONE will hold a door or allow us to go through first- even with a stroller.
Kelly is nursing something- fever and sore throat and flu like symptoms. Please pray for her!
Tomorrow we head out for a few more visits with country officials. Just 4 more days in Russia until we head home on Friday. We are both very anxious to be home!

Russian Sites

We have been in Moscow for a total of 5 days now and are getting a bit more used to getting around. Today Kelly and Matthew and I ventured out on the Metro (the subway system). It is only because I am with world traveler, Kelly, that I would attempt such a fete! We started out this morning in the middle of downtown Moscow and went out to see the Cathedral of Christ our Savior. It is a beautiful Cathedral but a bit frustrating since all the historical facts, etc. are in Russian and we, both being history buffs of sort- well= at least we both taught Social Studies! Anyway- we couldn't read it! Tonight we have spent some time on the internet reading a bit of Russian history for some of our future ventures! Kelly carried Matthew all day in a front pack and since we got off at one stop a bit farther than we had intended- we got lots of walking in. We had to stop and have pizza to recoop and then came home and napped quite a while. So...tonight we will be up reading and updating our blogs. Be sure to check in at Babyjellybeans.com and put in Matthew Hasz for more details from Kelly.
Matthew is doing so well in adjusting to his new life. He had a rather rough day yesterday- but for his first outing and probably first restaurant meal today- he did great. He took his morning nap in the front pack and enjoyed while awake- seemed to be taking in all the sites and sounds of Moscow. He is sleeping and eating well and is a happy little boy. He sings- which is so cute- and smiles often. Tomorrow we will venture out on two different Metro lines to take in a Shopping District. Kelly does not have another "meeting" until Monday when we go to the Ministry of Education and the American Embassy.
We so appreciate all the prayers of you all. Thanks for stopping by!

From Russia with Love

Here he is! With his happy and proud mama! We were on the way home from the orphanage after a LONG day of getting all the proper documentation in Moscow and then again in his town- 2 hours from Moscow. We got him about 7 last night and then drove home in beautiful snow to Moscow. He slept well all night and woke up singing! What a joy!
Today we are off to the DR and then to the Passport office (which is closed today..but...we'll see) Things are going well here. THanks for all your prayers and keep praying. We would like to get out of here before our Dec. 5th scheduled departure and that all depends on getting the passport and visa earlier. Prayer can move mountains...and Passport and Visa offices!

We're Going to Russia

Last Wednesday I got called out of Staff Chapel at Teen Mania to receive a phone call from Jon- He and Kelly were in Moscow, Russia. I knew that their court date had gone well that day and that Matthew was "officially" theirs. So- it was with fear and trepidation that I made the walk from the Cafeteria to the Ad building to await the call. Why would they be calling me???? They had already talked to Dave in the morning and given him all the details. What had gone wrong? When the phone rang- Jon sounded quite relaxed-some small talk- then asked me if I would like to come to Russia with Kelly to pick up Matthew next week. I was so surprised and so honored to be asked to do this...so after checking with Dave ... and making sure the Hasz 4 were covered ( I had already agreed to assume partial care of Dave and Beth's kids while they are in Italy) I said yes.
Now, we are anxiously awaiting my passport and Visa which are on a rush order and are due here by Friday.
Sunday is the take off day for Moscow and Tuesday is the day that Kelly can get Matthew. We then have to stay another 10 days before we can leave the country with Matthew. Since Kelly is a veteran world traveler and tour guide- she will keep us busy I'm sure. Our apartment where we will be staying is just 2 blocks from Red Square so we'll at least see those sites.
I ask that you pray for all the details of this trip and I'll keep you posted and updated.

O Give Thanks Unto the LORD!

It was a day of cooking and fun and sleeping and movies and eating and cooking and sleeping and eating and cooking and...
Saturday morning 18 girls stepped out of their "homes" to a crisp, windy but sunny day and headed north from Teen Mania to our home for a day of Thanksgiving dinner preps from SCRATCH! About the only thing that came out of a "box" was corn starch and baking soda. We started the day about 9:30 with all the raw ingredients- a turkey, flour, yeast, cranberries, celery, onions, apples, pumpkin (this was in a can-but not the pre-mixed kind); potatoes, etc. By 4:00 after all the girls had several turns in the kitchen they turned out a 16 lb. stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, a luscious salad, a cranberry relish jello salad, Parker house rolls, and PIES! 2 pumpkin, cherry, apple, chocolate and lemon meringue. What a feast it was.
Some of the girls had never cooked anything from scratch so we had some interesting moments- learning to READ and follow the recipes....working with yeast doughs, and lots of laughs and just really great fellowship. We had girls from all over the country, from California to Maine, Washington, Colorado, Virginia, Oklahoma, Indiana, Ohio, and beyond.
Thank you Lord for the opportunities you give me to speak into these young girls' lives. I am so blessed!