TravelStream™ news feed for member salley_adoption on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/salley_adoption en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:27:23 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1219713900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1219713900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1219713900/tpod.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:27:23 -0400 Our Ukraine Adoption Journey

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St. Charles, Missouri, United States

Come visit our new blog at http://lifeafterukraine.blogspot.com/
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St. Charles, Missouri, United States

I am happy to report that I'm finally finished with summer school. I took my last final on Wednesday. Now I'm just praying that I passed that final. It was in algebra, which is not my best subject. I get a whole week off before Fall semester starts.

The kids are doing well. Phillip is going through a smart mouth phase that makes me long for the days when he only spoke Russian.

Tomorrow is a very important day for me. I have a job interview for a postion that would put me much closer to home. Please pray that all goes well. It is with the same company I'm currently with so it would be a transfer.

I've attached some pictures of Phillip and Daisy that I took today after Daisy's bath.

They are so cute. Enjoy.

Christy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1217836380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1217836380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1217836380/tpod.html Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:54:32 -0400 Our Ukraine Adoption Journey

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St. Charles, Missouri, United States

Here are some photos of the boys.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1217739660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1217739660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1217739660/tpod.html Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:29:13 -0400 Our Ukraine Adoption Journey

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St. Charles, Missouri, United States

Twenty years ago today, I married my best friend in the world. As I remember Carl today, I found myself back to this blog to remember our final days together. It has been almost three years since his death yet in ways it seems like only yesterday. CJ and I work very hard to keep Carl's memory alive for Phillip, who only knew him for a few short weeks.

Phillip has adjusted remarkably well considering the circumstances. He is now eight years old and just started the second grade. He suffers from fetal alcohol effects, ADHD, and PTSD which has made learning a challenge. Finally, after almost two years of testing, he has an IEP in place.

CJ and I are both in college now. I never thought that I would be attending college with my son. It's sort of wierd. But, as of next Saturday, I will officially be a senior and he a lowly sophmore. LOL

I returned to work full time last year so my life is very busy between, work, school, and kids. It keeps my mind busy which is a good thing.

I will attach some updated pictures and try to start updating on a more regular basis again.

Christy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1136167380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1136167380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1136167380/tpod.html Tue, 17 Jan 2006 17:05:17 -0500 Our Ukraine Adoption Journey

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St. Charles, Missouri, United States

Here are some pictures of our trip to Ukraine. Enjoy! I will try to add more later. I took over 500 pictures total.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1135022280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1135022280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1135022280/tpod.html Mon, 19 Dec 2005 15:30:43 -0500 Our Ukraine Adoption Journey

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St. Charles, Missouri, United States

To everyone who has followed our log, this will be the final entry. The end of our journey has ended in the most tragic possible way. The pain we thought was gall stones turned out to be esophageal cancer. At 1:00 am this morning, Carl passed away. The cancer exploded into his abdomen causing kidney failure.

I appreciate everyone's love and support during our travel and would appreciate everyone's continued prayer as I begin a new journey with my children.

Love,
Christy
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St. Charles, Missouri, United States

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that we made it home last night and Carl was taken directly to the hospital. He is severely dehydrated and definitely has gallstones. He is too weak for surgery at this time so he will be in the hospital for several days.

Phillip did great on the trip and was thrilled to meet his new cousins last night. Today CJ is home and is planning on spending the day with him. This gives me a chance to go up and see Carl.

I will update again later.

Love,

Christy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1134416580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1134416580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1134416580/tpod.html Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:51:58 -0500 Our Ukraine Adoption Journey

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Kiev, Ukraine

Oh Happy Day!

We are leaving this awful place tomorrow. I waited at the Aerosvit office for almost 2 hours tonight trying to get our plane tickets. It was crazy. I have no idea why it took so long but it was worth it to get out of here.

Please pray for us as we travel. Carl is still in alot of pain and this trip is going to be extra long for him.

I will post again when we arrive home safely.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and words of encouragement.

Love,

Christy
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Kiev, Ukraine

Greetings from a very cold Kiev. We arrived here Friday morning after a 2 hour flight from Simferopol. Getting Phillip's passport was an ordeal which kept us in Simferopol longer than we wanted. The lady who issues the passports only works on Tuesdays and she refused to see us on Tuesday. Wednesday our facilitator went back and she took the paperwork and said it wouldn't be ready until 5pm Thursday. We waited outside her office building for three hours on Thursday to pick it up. She was a real dragon lady.

Anyway, we are back in Kiev and have gotten Phillip's medical exam done and tomorrow we go to the Embassy for his Visa. There is a new law now that all paperwork must be apostilled at the Department of Justice before leaving the country. They check for this at the airport. It usually takes two days if the facilitator does it but if we take the documents to them in person, it is supposed to be done in a couple of hours. Let's hope so since we have plane tickets for Tuesday at noon.

Carl is still very sick. I'm pretty sure it's the gallstones he never had taken out when they were diagnosed about 5 years ago. Please pray that he will gain the strength to make the trip home. He hasn't been out of bed since we got to Kiev.

Phillip is doing great. I call him my little parrot because he loves to imitate. He was imitating the figure skaters on tv this morning. He is hilarious. The nurse at the American Medical Center, said he has the smile of a movie star. That made him laugh.

Today Phillip and I went with Irina, our translator to three cathedrals and walked through the underground markets of downtown Kiev. Phillip was so tired by the time we made it back. He got his picture taken with an owl, a monkey, and a ferret. These guys just walk around with these animals and stick them on you as your walking by hoping you will take a picture. It cost 10 grivnas.

Phillip had his first bubble bath Friday night. He was scared to death of the tub at first but once I got him to sit down he loved it. I don't think he had ever had a tub bath before. He hated the shower in Simferopol and would cry everytime. I don't even want to think about how awful it must have been at bath time in that awful orphanage.

Bedtime has been a challenge. Once I finally get him in the bed, I have to lay down with him and rub his back for him to fall asleep. Hopefully this will get better once we get him home.

We are counting the days and minutes now until we leave for home. Please keep us in your prayers.

Love,

Christy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1133885700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1133885700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/salley_adoption/ukraine_2005/1133885700/tpod.html Tue, 06 Dec 2005 11:19:58 -0500 Our Ukraine Adoption Journey

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Simferopol, Ukraine

Hello All,

Today the adoption of Phillip Levi Salley is official. The 10 day appeal period is over and we have his new birth certificate. Tomorrow we will pick him up from the orphanage.

Please pray that we will be able to get his passport tomorrow so we can head back to Kiev tomorrow night. Carl continues to be very ill and he has very little strengh. We need to get out of here and get home ASAP.

Not much else to report. The weather is warm and no rain today.

There is a very slim chance that we could leave on the 11th if all goes well with the paperwork. For Carl's sake, I hope that happens.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Christy
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