Day Nineteen or...

We are Family!

Court went exceptionally smoothly. Tom testified while I kept Cameron outside, and then we switched placed and I testified. The questions they asked were not difficult. The prosecutor asked if I had enough love for two children. The judge asked about us teaching Katya English and her fitting in to an American school. Katya was then brought in to testify as well. She handled it like a trouper. Little Dante, Dante's Ambassador was permitted to stay for the entire proceedings. Court itself lasted about 45 minutes. The judge only took about 10 minutes to make her decision, and I think it was because it took that long to type it up. We were all brought back in, along with Cameron, and the judge read her decision. She granted us the adoption!

Following court, we stopped at the store for a beautiful cake and some candy. We returned to the Shelter and our party with Saule. We first had a tour and saw what had been purchased with the money raised at the Shelter Shower at our church. Curtains, a rug, and repairwork to the walls and ceilings.

What a spread! Delcious Kazakh tea, juice, CHAMPAGNE, cookies, fruit, candy, and of course the cake. The was much laughing and chatting with Saule. She was impressed that Tom cooks and changes diapers.

Marina told us that we are the first family that she has had such a celebration with, that we are special to her. Saule told us, that when we return to pick up Katya, that we will have another celebration and that she wants us to meet her family. She has a daughter about one month younger than Cameron.

Saule also has permitted Katya to spend the night with us, and we will return her to the Shelter in the morning.

When we got back to our room, we called Grandma/Babushka with the good news. We thought she might be asleep already, but no, she was awake, waiting for news.

Marina will return at 4:00 p.m., we will run some last minute errands and have dinner and a movie in our room. We have to leave for the airport at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Likely, I will not update the blog until Thursday.

Katya seems very happy and we are all in a good mood!