~Worn out but excited!~

We left at around 8:30 a.m. this morning from this district to go to Gabby's birth district (about an hour from here).  When we got there we found out the office that registers birth certificates also registers marriages.  In Ukraine it is tradition to get married on Friday-Sunday so that family and friends can stay throughout the weekend to celebrate.  This being said, lots of marriages needed registered today.  We had to wait from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to get Gabby's brith certificate but we got it! We now have her official birth certificates listing us as her parents!!!!!! During the wait period we went to make some copies of paperwork, went to lunch at a pizza cafe (delicious by the way), went to the maternity house where Gabby was born, and even got to see something else that was a special part of Gabby's history (the apartment building that Gabby's birth parents lived in at the time of her birth and still may live in).  I will not share the photo of the apartment building (even though it is not necessarily revealing)...I want to be fair to all people involved.  However, it was wonderful to see Gabby's birth place and get to experience that!  It was a great experience to be able to see and know what life would have been like for her as compared to what life will be like for her.  The crazy thing is...I feel this odd connection to the town.  I suppose it is because I know our daughter was birthed in this place but I had alot of mixed emotions looking around...that is for sure!  I can't wait to be able to share the photos and memories of the place with Gabby as she gets older and if all goes as planned...hopefully we can bring her back here in a few years down the road to get a brother or sister :)

After we got the birth certificate we headed back to Kherson. When we arrived, we picked Gabby up from the orphanage, went to the notary's office, and then the passport agency (where we waited for so LONG).  It ended up being worth the time & energy though because WE WERE ISSUED A RED PASSPORT for Gabby that we will pick up in the morning!!!!  This means tomorrow the plan will be to go get the passport, do some gift shopping for the orphanage, and then go bust Gabby out of the orphanage!!!  We will then stay our last night in Kherson before heading back to Kiev on Sunday.  Thankfully this will be by car this time (8 hours) instead of the train (13 hours).  On Monday and Tuesday we will go to the necessary appts. before finishing up and we will have Wed & Thu. free to do nothing (hopefully) before leaving for home on Friday the 12th!!!!! We will arrive home (well technically in Knoxville) on the 13th! THANK YOU GOD!!!!


Now for a few treats :)

The Dnieper River (from Nova Kakhovka Ukraine)

Don't ask me why I think this tree is pretty...it just is, haha.

 Our baby's birth district (Nova Kakhovka of Kherson Ukraine)

 This is just a random picture of a guy fishing at the Dnieper (the other guy, not fishing...is our driver & has come to be a wonderful friend )

Our sweet princess was born at this maternity house!

 This is just a picture I took in front of the maternity house.

I will try to post after we get Gabby out of the orphanage tomorrow (with Gotcha day pics) but I don't know if I will get to do this or not.  It depends on how well she sleeps, haha.  Again, we will be traveling back to Kiev on Sunday so I don't know when my next post will be exactally (maybe tomorrow) or maybe Monday.  If you would like to see our little Gabby (live)....get a free skype account and assuming I know you, lol....I'll add you and let you see our little angel tomorrow (maybe).