We're Leaving for Russia!

We got "the call", and we're leaving for Russia on Tuesday, July 5th. There had been much uncertainty about when we would travel. We had been told June 20th, but the paperwork in Russia took longer than expected. We applied for Visas, and sent updated paperwork to Russia, but it wasn't until Thursday June 30 that we found out we'd be traveling 5 days later!

We'll arrive in Moscow on Wednesday, July 6th at 2:00 PM. We get to spend 5 days in Moscow sightseeing and goofing off. Our Court date is July 12th in the Regional capital, Kemerovo. After the hearing we'll drive 3 hours to Prokopyevsk, and claim our girl. We then have 2 days of paperwork in Kemerovo. The only concrete task I know of is getting an updated Birth Certificate which reflects the adoption. But I'm sure there's more to do.

On Friday, July 15th we return to Moscow for more paperwork. Our daughter will get a medical checkup, and we'll apply for an immigrant visa at the US Embassy so she can enter the US. The processing can't be completed in a single day, so we'll be staying in Moscow over the weekend. We hope to do some sightseeing with our new daughter, but a lot will depend on her temperament and ability to handle her new surroundings. We'll finish the paperwork on Monday, and return to the US on Tuesday, July 19th. We'll be home around 8:00 PM, after a 12 hour journey.

Next