Bonding Day 3!

Are there any words really needed to describe this picture? NONE! Our precious angels in their new clothes and with their new baby dolls!

Playing with the new baby dolls! Phil and I had NO idea that these baby dolls sang songs and counted. However, when taking them out of their packages with the girls... we found out that they sing 3 or 4 different songs in Russian. The girls were SO excited. They played with these dolls the entire hour and a half after we gave them to us. They were NOT happy when it was time to put them up. We wonder if they've EVER seen a baby doll that sings of talks.

Here is a picture of us putting their new clothes on them. The second they see that I pulled out the clothes.. they start jumping up and down and start yanking their clothes off! It was adorable and heartbreaking at the same time.

I started to not include this picture... but, couldn't resist... LOOK at Faith's face... priceless and pure sweetness!! ;)
An attempt at a family picture of all four of us... We were not successful with getting everyone to look at camera, etc... I told you the other ones have been a MIRACLE!!

Our singing/cuddle/loving time. This is Grace. Every time we go they do better and better.. :) I just know they can feel our love... It's amazing how much I already love these babies SO SO SO very much. I have loved them for 3 years! Thank you Jesus for allowing me to FINALLY hold them in my arms!

AWE.... Papa and Faith!

Grace with her baby doll. Grace doesn't like to smile for the camera nearly as much as Faith. As you can tell by the pictures... she's WAY to busy to stop for pictures! She smiles just as big as Faith... we just can't seem to capture it with the camera! :)

This is Faith! I had to include this picture. She'd just discovered that the baby sang songs... and you can see by her face that she's VERY excited!

The caregivers told us today that the girls LOVE to sing and dance. They will fit in greatly with their big sisters. Bay and Brook put on shows for us all the time. I can't wait to see the first show starring all 4 of our baby girls... I will bawl!!!

I miss Bay and Brook so bad that I can hardly stand it.. We've had lots of people ask what their response was to having 2 sisters instead of a brother. We called them.. and told them on the night we met the twins. They SCREAMED so loudly that SKYPE disconnected the call!! They are thrilled. After the excitement settled and it really sank in they asked.. but, Mama what about the room? LOL! Nana, Daddy, and I told them... we'd all thought the same thing.. but, honestly it's just some paint!! I have had LOTS of people offer to paint their room, etc.. and I'm still considering this. I really want to do their room for them myself... and I have NO idea the theme that I want to go with. I'm thinking.. and I'll decide something soon.. PROMISE! Thanks so much for all the offers of help.. touches my heart so much!

We've also had LOTS of ?'s about the time frame and specific prayer requests. This is a quick version of the process from here on out. We are required to bond for 14 days. You can not bond on Sundays, but they are allowing us to bond on Saturdays. If there are NO holidays we will be finished with bonding on Nov. 20th. (We've heard from locals here that there is a HUGE holiday on Nov. 15-16.. so we might not be able to bond those days... prayer request number 1.. that they'll allow us to go to orphanage on those holidays and continue bonding.)

If bonding endson the 20th, our lawyer will petition the court for a court date on the following Monday (Oct. 22nd).. we will then hear when our court date/time is.. it can be within days... to 2 weeks later.. (request number 2 = the quickest court date anyone in history has ever seen!) After court there is a 10-14 day waiting period (nothing can be done during this time).. the judge (in rare cases) waives this waiting period. (Request number 3). If he waives that waiting period we will then be able to pick up girls and have them with us at that point. It will take another 1-2 weeks to process various paperwork and exit appointments, etc.. We would most likely stay and bring them home with us. If the waiting period is not waived.. we will (most likely) come home right after court... be home about 3-4 weeks and then return for a 1 week trip and pick them up. I can't imagine leaving them here.. but, we really miss Bay and Brook too... so it's a tough decision. We don't know what we'll decide... but, please join us that we'll know the correct decision to make and that we'll continue to see favor with officials here.

A lady from the Dept. of Education came to our afternoon visit today and watched us. She was VERY kind... it was the same lady who GRILLED us with ?'s at one of the interviews. She was very sweet today.. and thought the girls already acted calmer! :) yippee!!!

I will answer more questions later... I am SO tired. Oh.. another prayer request.. Please pray for Phil.. he woke up yesterday morning with pain in his lower back. As the day progressed it continued to get worse. He feels like he's most likely pulled a muscle. Overnight it felt much better and he survived throwing his twin daughters around and in the air just fine this morning.. but, as we were leaving the baby house around noon... he seriously slipped on the steps and FELL all the way down about 12 steps to the ground and out the front door. After making sure he was ok... I died laughing! He got tickled too and said that was supposed to be me... LOL! I am usually the one who falls over nothing while attempting to walk. As you can imagine his back is sore... both hands are bruised... and his pride is dented! ;)

However, it will be a memory neither of us EVER forget!!

Paka from Pavlodar... until tomorrow!