Part 2 - GOTHA DAY - March 9, 2011

Just to catch you up to date.. it's now Saturday March 12th.   We are at our friends home in Almaty.. scheduled to leave on Tuesday @ 4 am!   Wahoo!   I am going back to last Wed. and trying to catch everyone up to date.    Yes, they are asleep... my precious adorable wondeful babies are sleeping!  :)  (Papa too!)  so.. I only have a good hour to get this written uploaded and posted... 
on to the good stuff...

Now to continue from Part 1:
We then headed to Faith and Grace's group/room to pick them up. The caregivers had dressed them already in the clothes we brought.   I also brought as assortment of barrettes and hairbows, and planned to figure out the best/cutest way to fix their hair.. lol!    The caregivers had put EVERY single barrette in their hair!  :)
As you can see in the picture below of Faith.. :)   I just smiled and let it go and knew inside that I had YEARS to fix their hair!  :)    (oh and I was so excited to see that they hadn't cut their hair again while we were gone...  thank the Lord!  I know it's just hair, but I can't wait to get it cut cute and fix it for them! ) 

I asked if we could take a picture with them beside their beds.   The caregivers weren't very happy, but agreed.   Symbat (translator) took the picture.   I was hoping she'd get the entire room of beds, but as you can see she didn't.   The room is JUST like this - lined from one end to the other with little beds.   SO SO sad...

The caregivers put their coats on them etc...  This is one of their caregivers telling them Paka (bye)!

This is the door to their group.   We went out it for the LAST time!  Thank you JESUS!!   I don't know if I had Faith or Grace here.. but, they were waving at the caregivers and their friends and telling them bye for the last time!   WAHOO!

Going down the stairs from their group...  FOR THE LAST TIME!

One of the doctors wanted to see us in her office one last time.  We were just coming out of her office here.  It made our stomachs DROP, but she just wanted to tell the girls bye and wish us luck!

When we got to this corner the staff (doctors, caregivers, etc) were all gathered out here and waiting to tell them Bye.   I still can't believe all the people who came out to tell them bye.  The girls just smiled and laughed and said Paka and Bye bye both!   Their doctor (the nice one I've posted pics of before) was about to cry.. so I hugged her.  Faith then hugged her too, and the doctor took Faith from me.  Faith started to whimper and said NYET (no) Mama and reached back for me.  The crowd LOVED that and so did her Mama!  :) 

Notice in the picture below...   if you've followed our blog all along you will remember that this is the doctor who was SO incredibly mean to us.   She was in the group.   She was all smiles and very kind.   I patted her and smiled HUGE and she smiled back.   It was one of those moments where you just KNOW that God is all over it! 

Papa and Grace are coming up the hallway.. we are heading to the door!!!!  :)

We are signing FOR THE LAST time the registry book in Bagdat's office (director)!!!  

Here we are with Baghdat.   Baghdat told us that the donation money we gave (you are required to give a large donation when you adopt a child(ren) from an orphanage here) was used to redecorate this entry way.     We were happy to hear this.. but, a little sadden that it wasn't something more for the children there.. BUT at least we know the money was used at the babyhouse. 

The classic BREAK-OUT picture!  We are OUT OF THERE!  On the front steps and about to embrace the world!  PURE joy and the praises all go to our wonderfull faithful Lord and Savior!

We then went by the ministry of education office because some of the ladies we met and got to know at court wanted to see us!!  TRULY amazing!   The twins however, were NOT happy campers in the van.   The women came down to the van to see us..  We got to hug them and they wished us the best,, etc.. but, overall it was so stressful.  The girls were so on overload!  

Svetlana said the ladies asked to see us specifically.  Isn't that wonderful?!  God so has plans and we are so thrilled to see those coming to pass!   Pavlodar.. you have not seen the last of the Gobble's!  :)

We made it back to the apartment and things were a LOT better.   It was about noon when we got back.. so we needed a little lunch.  My plan was to fed them some lunch...  give them a good bath, a nice massage with some lotion,  brush teeth and take a nap!  We discovered when we got back that we had NO water!  URG... gotta love Kazakhstan!  :( 

However, we did eat some yogurt and a banana.   They were SO hungry! 

In our bed at the apartment.. with their blankies!    This ended right after this picture was taken and one went with Papa to the living room and one stayed with me in the bedroom.  They both went right to sleep VERY easily.   Incredible!   

They slept for about 1 1/2 hours.    :)   They were in shock when they woke up and thrilled to see us!  It was SO sweet.. we got the Mama and Papa screams!  :)    Here they are playing in the apartment!

The water came back on while they were napping, so we were able to take a bath (the water was NOT clear, but it was water!)   The girls LOVE water which we already knew.    Remember the day I got to see them 'smimming' at the babyhouse in the 'pool'?   They are 1/2 fish!   Perfect cause we have 2 more 1/2 fish girls at home!   Summer-time HERE WE COME!  :)

Svetlana felt SO bad for us when they dropped us off at the apartment, in fact she really wanted to come up and stay with us to help.   :)  It was SO sweet, but we insisted that we would be ok...  She wanted to take us to dinner (since it was my birthday) and thought we could go to the RubyCom to the indoor toys that are on the 3rd floor.    Here the girls are all bathed, lotioned and ready for another outing! 

Here they are waiting to go play at the indoor playground.   Grace LOVED every second.  Faith DID NOT!   Faith was scared and ended up not playing at all.  Mama just held her.  Honestly, I should have followed my gut and declined this outing.. but, it was our last evening in Pavlodar with the staff... so we wanted to spend some time with them as well.   It was ok.. they helped us a lot, but this was to much for the twins.  

We then spent more time at the apartment packing up and getting ready to go.   We then headed to the airport.  The drive to the airport was once again KILLER.  The girls would not sit still at all. They were from one end of the van to the other and NON-STOP.  It was absolulty insane.  They were on the floor boards, standing in the seats, etc..  It was all SO overwhelming to them and they had NO clue how to react!     We finally made it to the airport and the REAL fun started!  (the van was NOTHING compared to the rest of the day.. ha ha! )     They are remodeling the airport (have been for months) so it's a complete MESS..they are construction junk scattered everywhere and everything is COVERED in dust and dirt.    The girls are running all over the place.   We literally chase them all over the airport.   At one point EVERY single person in the airport waiting area was STARRING at us!  LOL!   It was such a FUN experience!   They were not that interested in the 'survival' Dora backpacks that I packed... and I was trying HARD to save the 'snacks' for the plane ride!    The 2 hour wait felt like 17 hours.    I laughed when I looked through the pictures.  I honestly don't remember taking this picture... however, it is THEM and it's in th airport in Pavlodar.   I think this had to be the ONLY time they sat down!   I can't believe this picture.. so I included it.  

After 9,543 minutes they FINALLY announce boarding... EVERYONE gets up to leave and heads out... Grace decides she wants to be carried.  Faith throws herself in the floor.   We are LAST already... trying to head that way!    We head out the door.... the COLD blast of night Kazakhstan air hits us and they do not want to walk.   I have Grace.. Phil has Faith.   Grace will NOT let me carry her, but when I put her down she will NOT walk.  She's fighting... she is upset.    I am trying to walk against 120 mile per hour bitter cold.   They start the plane engines... YES, they do...  The blast from the engines about knocks us over and scared them to death!    Faith starts SCREAMING and kicking and YELLING Mama... we try to change kids... They are in shock, scared to death, freezing and over stimulated.    Phil and I... well, you can imagine.     Now, I have to be honest here... when I get to the point of complete stress and about to breakdown I have this CRAZY insane reaction that I can't control...   it's so wrong.. but, I start laughing.. and usually when I get to this point.. the tears and laughter all mix together.   By the time I get one twin (Faith) to the top of those stairs SCREAMING... I am at my end emotionally...  The tears start falling and the laughter starts!  Yes. you read correctly.. I walked down the entire aisle of the plane with a SCREAMING kid while I was laughing and crying at the same time...    and yes, our seats were the next to the last BACK row!  Lovely! :)

Phil finally makes it on as well.... we are trying to get their coats off and calm them down...  Phil gets Grace calmed down...  Faith is sobbing, but it's getting better.... as you can imagine I'd been praying for a solid 2 hours for peace, comfort, DIVINE intervention from our heavenly father!  ;)      Faith is still crying some and Phil looks over at me and smiles (across the aisle) with about  1/4 smirk.. like.. what's your problem lady.. I got my kid calmed down.. and the second he looks at me like that... Grace touches the window and the ENTIRE side panel of the plane comes CRASHING in on her!    Now..If you aren't laughing by this point.. just laugh!  (we are all better now.. so just go ahead and enjoy the humor in this REAL LIFE story.. and I'll admit it.. I'm cracking up writing it all out!)..

humm...  Mr. Papa had it ALL together.... NOW he's putting the plane back together cause we sure as heck don't want them to delay the flight..  lol!!!   He gets it all stuck back up there... sort of!  lol!!!! 

We sigh.. and think we're headed to the runway.. so we break out the dum dum suckers.   I thought I was so good and thought of it all.. dum dum suckers for take-off and landing... go Mama.... However, NOTE TO SELF:  Do not administer suckers to early... or all suckers will be in belly LONG before flight leaves the ground!  LOL!  Yep... you guessed it..  They chewed them up in about 2.3 seconds and we then stopped before even taking off.... LOVELY!

The suckers were LONG gone before take-off.      However, they did fairly well once we got in the air.   Landing in Almaty was some stressful.... had some crying, but nothing bad.   Faith slept a little, but Grace never went to sleep.  

We then finally land in Almaty.  (if you've ever flown into Almaty you understand this.. you exit plane and stuff yourselves on these shuttles and head in to the airport.   The shuttle ride was KILLER.. they hated it and were so exhausted and overwhelmed.... it was a nightmare again.   We finally head to baggage claim and Phil says... Ok..  can you take them both and walk straight to Penny (our new friends who were meeting us here in Almaty)... I carry them both and we head out... and I see Penny!   It was like she was GOD!   :)  She could see the desperation on my face.  Thankfully Grace let her carry her and we went straight to the car.  Their driver was waiting.   Penny got us settled with their sweet driver and went back in for Phil.      I will write more later about Penny and Richard and how wonderful staying here has been.  It's been ABSOLULTY another God thing... you will get chill bumps reading about how God once again provided for us and these precious babies!   I will write all about this later.     We arrive at their BEAUTIFUL home here in Almaty @ about 1:30 am...  We went ahead and gave the girls another bath to try to calm them... (in CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER)... Here they are sitting on the bed after their bath and lotion!

I know my stories of the nightmare mere seconds before this are hard to believe... given the adorable sweet cuteness that this picture radiates!  :)     ... and with some back rubs from Mama and Papa and some kisses and pats...  they are asleep @ 2:30 am!     

... and that's the wonderful ending to the longest, yet most rewarding, fulfilling and exciting birthday of my life! 
Check back soon..   I will post more pictures and details.. this story is LONG from over!   We continue to see God's hand and wonderful provisions for our family and these precious babies!
Did I mention that I'm still in shock!   wow!   They are really with us!
We give YOU all the praise and glory Lord!!  YOU ARE SO FAITHFUL!!!  
gotta go.. they are up!   Bye for now!