On our way to Moscow

Happy Monday everyone! Only four more days and we will be on an airplane headed to Russia...hopefully. With such short notice, we didn't get much time to order our visas. We are supposed to receive our visas on Friday and we leave on Saturday morning at 7:00 am. Please pray that we receive these travel documents! Without this visa (which is enclosed in our passports) we will not be going anywhere. We are anxiously awaiting our trip and get more and more nervous every day. On Wednesday we are headed to Charlotte to get our fingerprints done. We had this scheduled through homeland security weeks ago before we found out about our little man. It is one of the only documents we are missing for our adoption to be finalized!

We are packing our stuff (well, I am packing my stuff) and trying to get little details together. We had to order crisp $100 bills from the bank and will pick that up this week. Last night we watched videos on Russian history and travel guides. We are looking forward to visiting the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral, and GUM (the oldest and biggest department store in the World). Well, I am probably the only person looking forward to visiting GUM.

When we get back we will be running around crazy trying to get everything ready. We have a lot to do and I want to be ready in case it is short notice again!

I know I should get some sleep, but that is easier said than done. I spent most of the weekend getting ready to be out of work for a week. All those teachers out there know how hard it is to do sub plans for a week! Tonight I had to finish grading a few papers when what I really wanted to do is look at the weather channel and pack toys to bring to the orphanage.

Ok, ok, ok I am going to sleep. I am sure the typing is driving my husband crazy.

Love you all,

Cassidy (Hagen's mom)

THE CALL

Hello everyone! Today (October 12, 2010) we got "the call" from our adoption agency. We have been matched with a 10 month old boy in Russia (after only two weeks!). We do not know his exact date of birth, however, we have been told that he will be around 12 months old when we pick him up! We are leaving in 12 days to go to Moscow Russia! We are very excited and emotional. We definitely were not expecting to get the phone call this soon, since they told us it could be 4 to 6 months. We are now trying to rush to make travel plans and get our finances in order. We are so happy and blessed to have been matched with a healthy baby boy this soon! We have so much to do but can't wait for the trip! We will blog again before we leave! Thanks for following us!

Love y'all from two very happy parents,

Andy and Cassidy