In about 3 hours...

We should be at the orphanage where Marina is. I cannot believe that as Shelly B. put it, the moment we have met hundreds of people to sign hundreds of papers and shed thousands of tears over, is here. Evan is so excited, he lights up at the mention of her name. We went to the store yesterday and he was already adding to the cart, One for me, one for Marina...one for me, one for Marina. Chocolate and cookies and juice boxes. He is so sweet and is probably the most ready of all. Tully watched the Eagles last night but too bad for him we left that high speed internet in Kiev! Shelly Burman thank you for the air card for the computer. I would have been a mess if I had not had that to at least start the mime conversation with at the Kiyevstar internet store. We did have to walk back to the super mall again, hauling the computer with us. Long story short, we obviously now fixed that problem.
The neighborhoods here are unusual for our current understanding. The inside of the apartments we have seen are so amazing. Perhaps this is because the outside is so incredibly shot out. It looks like government housing...perhaps it is. But like the kind you would see in NYC in the Bronx. The playground is neat, as it has just been built I think. It is right beside an old metal one with hundreds of layers of paint, like the others we have pictures of. The kitchen here looks like Ikea, and is very fancy. Right now it has workmen in it and the nice landlady fixing something with the water or under the sink. We are fortunate to be here. I will try to upload photos later but the camera is in the kitchen right now and there are plenty of people in there already.

Marina (facilitator) is so amazing. She is smart and beautiful and very sweet. Usually all that does not come in one package. She said that little Marina looks like me. Probably why I think all that nice stuff about her haha! I actually am most fascinated that she can be so nice to us and walk so fast, all while wearing the tallest shoes I have seen.
We still have some major hurdles to overcome. For one, I thought we would be able to see baby Anna before making a decision but Serge told us yesterday that we cannot. Personally that is ok by me, but we are still having some discussion here about what we are to do. Please pray for discernment and wisdom. Tully has some logical concerns and I tend to live more by daily faith. Both have their merits when blended, and both have their faults. Again, this is a serious time for us if you could wrap our decision in prayers.
We will also meet Marina's mother this afternoon as well so there will be a lot of bawling I feel sure. I get a lump in my throat every time I even try to picture this really happening.
I am waiting on coffee to be ready so this post is all over the place and if it were a writing project would likely just be handed back for editing, or rewriting. I am also so excited to get ready to go see her. Today she turns from a paper doll into a real live child. One I hope the judge deems ours.