We just wanted to thank everyone for your prayers about Nikolai. I spent about 45 minutes with him yesterday and about an hour with him today. He still has a bit of a cold, but, nothing like it was on Friday. And the best news yet is that we get to pick him up on Saturday instead of Monday!. YEA!!!! That is the same day B and our daughter S are flying in to Moscow. She is not even 6 and will be flying all the way to Russia...I still can't believe it. Then, we will all fly back together the following Saturday. So, I will be here for another week and 1/2. Our smallest child (well, now...our next to smallest child) M will be with Nana and Pa back in the States. Boy, do I miss our babies!!!. Can't wait to see everyone at home!.

So.....now that Margaret asked me that question about clothes...I really, really have been playing close attention. Remember, I am in the city (Moscow), so, i can't tell you about what everyone is wearing where Elle is and the other towns. But, here in Moscow...the rules have changed now that it is getting warmer. More jeans are showing up. Still the black shoes, but, different colored tops and jackets are being worn besides black.

Here are a few pictures of people on the street. Notice that behind the people are the little "markets" where I can shop for my food. Some of them have the beef, or chicken, some are ice cream, some are pastries. Each are different.


Besides seeing our sweet little boy....I took the Metro by MYSELF today for the first time. The other adoptive family that is here with me was able to take their son home today (out of the orphanage to their host family). So, they don't have to go back to the orphanage. I could get one of the drivers here to take me. But, if you ever come to Moscow you will understand me when I say that it could take an hour to get from one end of the street to the next sometimes depending on traffic. Here is a very normal, light traffic day on Arbat street. And mind you, this is a side street. Wait until you see the highways! I say that with a big grin on my face... Boston..LA...New York...you might have found a city that beats you in traffic.

Back to the Metro. The Metro is not some little rinky dinky subway system. We really don't have a system like it that is comparable in the US. It is a monster. Here is a link to the map of it....Metro This map is written in English. There is no English here. I am trying to figure it all out in Russian. If you look on the map...I take the green to the purple to get to the orphanage. Now, if I want to go to Red Square, I take the Green to the Blue. See what I was talking about the other day in my post? :) Today went just fine...I got a little lost on the way back transferring to different lines. But, it all worked itself out.

I do have a bit of very sad news about the Metro. The exact stop where I transfer to go to the orphanage at the exact same time that I usually transfer to this line something tragic happened. I was fortunate that it was on Sunday, or I would have been on the same line (they call it "line" here not train. The train is a seperate station and totally different thing). Anyway, I would have been on the same line with the men who killed this boy. The 17 year old boy was an Armenian student and a group of young men were around him and one stabbed him and jumped on the "Green Line" and took off. On Monday, I saw his family and friends at the site of where he died with tons upon tons of flowers and candles mourning it. Some are calling it racial motives. Others say it was someone he knew. But, most say it was skinheads who have a problem with Armenians. But, I don't know where the truth lies. I just know that is scary, because it happened at 5:00 or so in the afternoon. BROAD DAYLIGHT. THE SAME PLATFORM where I stand to get on my next train. Freaked me out. My prayers are with that family.

Sorry, didn't mean to bring you down. It is just hard to believe that that only a few weeks ago..I got up and got our kids dressed, went to work, took care of the house, the girls, stressing out about the adoption, etc. etc. and here I am in a totally different world realizing that a pile of laundry is not really a whole lot to get stressed about in the scheme of things. There is so much going on in this great big world. I just had to get outside of my box.

I will write more later my friends! Hope all is well with yoU!!

P.S... If anyone has any questions for me about Moscow or Russian life, or what I am up to while i am here...feel free to ask. Or about adoption process, rumors, etc....