Happy Birthday Michelle!

Today is Michelle's Birthday and we had a fun time celebrating it with her this evening!
This morning Galina arrived and brought news that the court decision will not be until the 30th ( I guess they start the ten days the day after court). She had already made appointments for us in Kiev at the US Embassy for the 30th so we had to reschedule them. Thankfully, we were able to get two appointments for the 3rd of January at the US Embassy and are praying that both appointments will be quick. Especially, the medical one as it is at 10 o'clock and the other appointment will be at 11:30 so we would love to have prayers that both these will go smoothly so we will be able to get both completed on the 3rd. Our second prayer request is that we will be able to get a flight out of Kiev on the 4th. We have tried to call with the International numbers we were given from the Nortwest Airline people when we were in the states but we only got through to one and I don't think it is a KLM # . The other # isn't going through.
We will have much to do on Friday the 30th and it doesn't help that we won't have Viktor that day! Lela will return from the states and she will now need Viktor again. So a prayer also for a driver for us on Friday when we will be doing all of our running around. Tomorrow, we will have a party for Natasha's teachers at the Beckers and then attend her Christmas party in the evening. I am thankful that she will be able to go to this and celebrate with her friends one last time. We will leave for Kiev on the 30th at night. We couldn't get any appointments for the US Embassy for the 2nd because since the 1st fell on a Sunday, they are closed for the holidays on Monday. I guess this is how it is sometimes too in America with some stores and businesses.
We arrived at Michelles and the girls strung some bracelets and necklaces together while Michelle quickly went to the Orphanage to do a few things. She made us homemade pizza when she returned and used her special sauce that her mother sent her from the states. She enjoyed every bite! It was really good and reminded me of the kind that I make so it was a wonderful meal had by all. After dinner we had a Ukrainian cake(which looks like an American cake on the outside but is more like a torte on the inside)and ice cream. Michelle put 11 candles on the cake representing the 10 children who have been adopted and one for her. She said that she wishes that she will be able to add ten more to her cake next year. We pray her wish will come true. After cake and ice cream, she opened her gifts from us (we got her a pair of mittens and a rug for her room) and gifts from the states that her family sent over with us to her. She enjoyed everything, and the girls had fun playing a miniature Simon game. We were thankful that we were able to celebrate her birthday with her and were glad for the invitation. All these partys and get togethers have really made the time fly for us while we have been here and we have been so thankful for this. Now, we will have two partys to attend tomorrow and then a day filled with running around to get documents and such completed. Then we will be headed to Kiev on Friday evening. So Thursday will be our last Blog. We will try to get some e-mails sent out to Grandma to post through Galina's computer while we are in Kiev and we pray that the time will go quickly there for us. Thanks for all your continued prayers as we head down the homestretch! One more day until Natasha will be officially apart of our family, two more days until Kiev and then we pray that it is only 7 more days for us now until America!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures are of Michelle with a phone call from Mom; "Someone's in the kitchen with 'Michelle' "; special homemade pizza dinner; Michelle blowing out the candles and Michelle opening her gifts