Note: Dates subject to change, as one must be open and flexible in international adoption.
We received some new communication from our agency regarding some changes going on in Kaz, with the Washington DC embassy not accepting dossiers right now until new personnel understand the process (glad we are thru there) and changes in the way the MFA is issueing 2 entry visa's. Whereas before we were urged to consider 2 trips due to lengthy stays in country due to extended court dates, now we're being urged to take on trip due to the time you are issued visa's for the 2nd trip. The last thing was that there are very few young girls available for adoption right now. The wait times to be invited to adopt a girl under the age of approximately 5 years old has been extended indefinitely. Fewer girls are relinquished by birth parents and Kazakhstan families are adopting girls more often.
Joe and I discussed it, and we really do have our heart set on a little girl. We have told our agency we will wait for our daughter. Plus, if we're encouraged to take one trip, then summertime works much better for us for Sean. I don't want him to miss school, but I would pull him out if we were to go in May. I don't think missing the last month of school will kill him and his chances for passing 4th grade.
SO....with that, I was informed today that they are planning to try to send us in May, June, or the latest, July.
That makes me really happy. :)
But, I know, I know, things can change quickly, and I must remain flexible.
I'm so excited for Karen and Bob, who are traveling next week, and for Sandi, who travels in March. I am sure that quite a few people are going to traveling in the next couple of months. I am excited to be a cheerleader from Florida for their trips, and then they can be home and hopefully be my cheerleaders, if they have time with their own kiddo's in tow.
Sean is greatly relieved, as he was not happy with the 2 trip option and him missing going the first trip.
So, for today, anyway, we will hopefully be spending summer in Kaz.
Has anyone been during May-August time frame? What's the weather like? I am pretty safe to return my boots, don't you think?
I have a bunch of fleece and stuff I bought cheap off Sierra trading company, so if anyone needs warm weather gear, let me know. :)
Summertime in Kaz-I will go from worried about freezing to sweating and worrying about bugs. :)
Is their beer cold?
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26 comments:
That is awesome news!! I hope you guys can go in the summer so Sean and you can relax knowing there is no school pressure. Hopefully I can get a new sister for my birthday!!! I love you, congrats!
we were in Astana from April 26th to June 9th 04, it snowed the first morning we were there but then it was perfect "sweatshirt" weather for a few weeks, a little chilly in the morning then warmed up by early afternoon, by the last part of May it was HOT, or we thought it was. :) We were sweating like crazy(gross I know) when we were outside, inside was still ok at least in our apartment. We were in Almaty from the 9th to the 17th(same yr) & it was hot there too, not quite as hot as Astana though. Being from IN when it gets up toward 75 we start thinking it's hot. :) The humidity was high in Kaz from what I remember. So, no you will not need your boots, just a good pair of running shoes, on both trips I bought a great pair before we left & they were worn out by the time we came home.
How great that Sean will be able to go with you for the entire time. A once in a lifetime experience for sure. :)
I think it is meant to be - how perfect for the three of you - soon to be four! Congrats!
Hey, that is good news, and the timing will be great! I'm glad you got an idea of when you'll be traveling. Waiting until summer doesn't seem too terrible. It's much better than waiting "indefinitely"! Surely summers there are milder than summers in central Florida, but I think it'll be too warm to wear those boots.
Hi! Sorry to hear you may have to wait a little longer, but traveling in May or later will be so much better. Yes, I think it would be safe to return the boots. :-) We were in Uralsk in May-June 2006 and it was perfect weather. Some days were cooler than others and some hot, but we loved it. Jeans some days, shorts on others. The flowers were blooming and the bugs weren't too bad, though they did get a little worse as it got warmer. Coming from FL, I think you'll be much happier! And how wonderful that Sean will be able to go with you! I'm glad your agency is being upfront with you about the wait.
Nope. The beer is warm. Well... there are a few varieties of cold beverages, but even "cold" is relative. I had a milk shake that was only slightly below room temperature. Hmm... Not what I expected. Miller beer was served at around 50 degrees. Chilled, but not cold. Really. 33 degree beverages don't really exist unless you cool them yourself in your own fridge. Most beverages are just served at room temp. BYOI! (Bring your own ice!) :-) We actually brought our own ice cube trays. Thank goodness we did!
Anyway, what bummer news that you have to wait even longer! I'm sorry to hear that. The positive side is Kaz is very beautiful in the summer, and there are many more opportunities to go exploring the city and local countryside. The temperatures vary depending on which part of the country. It's common for the southern parts (Almaty) to be 20 degrees warmer than the northern parts (Petro or Kokshetau). We arrived on June 10the and the temp was in the 50's. Brrr... We had court on July 2nd, and the temp was 97. It does get a little... um... warm, but you should be ok with that being a Florida girl.
We loved and lived in our Teva's. Course all the women knew I wasn't local simply by my unglamerous footwear.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop myself. :-)
You can get cold beer in the grocery stores, but not in the resturants. :-) We were there from April 20th to June 13th and it was gorgeous the whole time. It was a little cool when we got there maybe 50's for a week or so and then it got warmer. It was perfect weather. Rained a little but nothing big. We enjoyed the weather, we were outside alot. It was a little warm towards the end of our trip and with no air probably would have been really hot, ask Gretchen she was there until the end of July. I think it got pretty hot. It is REALLY smoggy in Almaty so if you have allergies or asthma bring extra medicine!! Whenever and wherever it is just know that she will be worth it, I can't wait to "meet" baby kaz!!!
Hi Susan,
These are great news! Is this something related to the fact that your agency found out you are star? I am happy Sean will be able to travel with you and bond with Baby Kaz - Katya?. Not sure about the beer, but you, Florida girl can safely return the boots and will certainly enjoy much more the weather! Cheers :)
I have a feeling we'll be there at the same time - wouldnt that be too cool to meet up in Almaty (at least)! Thanks for asking the weather/clothing question. I've been wondering that myself. I guess the Alaskan hiking boots may be out - and I broke them in on the treadmill! Oh well they are really comfy.
I'm sorry you have to wait a little bit. But then the timing is totally out of our hands and in the meantime, we can prepare!
Glad you got a timeline - I almost emailed you yesterday to see what was going on!
Sorry you can't use your cool boots and that you have to wait, but I agree that summer in Kaz has to be way better than winter:) That is great that Sean will be able to go for the entire time. What a great experience for him!!
I keep the mantra that "everything happens for a reason" going through my head during this whole process. Expect the unexpected and expect to hurry up and wait. That is what I am learning:)
ps - I am a total closet country fan. My mom and sister listen to it all the time so I have a special place in my heart for it!
The beer might be warm but maybe the Vodka is cold? ;-) We had a great shopping adventure for cold weather clothes so maybe we should share a great returning adventure for cold weather clothes....
We'll get there, girl, and boy will it be fun when we get back!
Shannon
Summer would be a great time for a family from FLA. It seems too hot and humid for me - but I'm not acclimated. Though the current temp. - lows well below zero - are a little painful too. The good news is that you have some dates you can plan for... that, for me, would relieve a lot of the stress of the wait time.
So glad you have a tentative timeline that seems a little concrete :) As concrete as Kaz can be, anyway :) Good news - and it sounds like the timing will be perfect...hmmm......
I love your clip art photos in your posts. BTW - nope, not running in RNR this year.
PS - Did your agency give you any indication on when they thought the Embassy would start accepting new dossiers? I am kind of freaked out right now about them not accepting new dossiers since we are on the verge of submitting!! Always a roller coaster, right?
Susan, I'm so glad the adjusted timeline seems to be working better with your family's situation! You might want to check with Gretchen Bilbro about the weather in Kaz - they went to Kaz in the early summer, I believe. So sorry about your fabulous boots! Oh well... exchange them for some equally fabulous summer footwear!
Can you explain your comment about the visa situation at the MFA? I haven't heard anything about that. Is the visa-issuing slowing down?
We were there in the summer. We arrived in May and it was a bit chilly for me at night and after it rained. (it rained every other day). About mid June it started getting really warm and by July it was HOT. I would take a sweater but tank tops too. Layers are the key. Be prepared for no air conditioning and if you have an apartment with a fan, be prepared for it to be loud outside when you open the windows. I brought ear plugs and that helped. Email me for more specifics!
I think you will be really glad to be there in summer. I know I was! :)
Heck, maybe we will be there together! That would be so great! Summer certainly sounds more appealing. It will be here before you know it. I can see myself in the future saying, "It seemed like so far away that's why I didn't do anything and now I am losing my mind because I have so much to do."
So early summer in Kaz sounds very nice! I think it will be a beautiful time for you to experience your daughter's culture. It will be here before you know it.
Can you elaborate on what your agency told you?
We had planned to travel in May on our first attempt to adopt. With school, etc, it would have worked out well. It didn't work out that way for us, but I think it is a great option! We took two trips and it helped us prepare everything for the kids in between. We had planned on bringing home a 5 yr old little girl, so N's room needed much change! I'm glad you got news!!!
Susan, you can rest assured that if we by some lucky, random chance travel before you, we will without a doubt be your head cheerleaders when you travel. You have been such a faithful blogger for months, and I am sure there will be dozens and dozens of people who will be refreshing their browsers regularly when you are posting in-country updates. You will have an amazing time as a family -- something you'll never replicate, so how cool is that going to be?! I am so happy for you that you are going to continue to follow your dream to your daughter.
Thanks for the mention and for being one of our biggest chearleaders. And, of course, we'll be there routing you on come summertime when you'll be there with your darling son. (And super hip hubby.)
Just be sure to stock up on the chicken wing sauce—you know Joe is going to go into withdrawl over there. Hee-hee.
What's going on today????
We were in Astana July and August, and I have to warn you... it is HOT! And I am talking way over 100degrees! Not like the weather here or in FL, as it is highly uncomfortable. They say it is a dry heat, but we were always over heated. We walked everywhere so that probably didnt help! I would bring a pair of pants, a couple pairs of shorts and a few shirts. Dont over pack, you will have a washer! Everyone wears the same thing over and over again, so dont worry about that! Let me know if you need anything!
Oh and one more thing, we DID have cold beer! Tony and my favorite is Efes. We highly recommend drinking lots of it!
Being flexible - going with the flow - is a must! Doesn't mean we have to like it 100%. The good news for you would be getting to take Sean! It would be an adventure for him as well. Glad there's an upside for this change of yours.
Like Regina, I would love to hear more about what your agency told you.
Also...congrats on being FAMOUS!! hee hee
Thanks for your comments on our blog. We'll keep the squirmy baby thoughts in our minds when changing baby. One thing Pat has done was to bolt the pad, for saftly purposes, onto the back of the dresser (hard to explain how).
Hey....we're not one of your favorite blogs :( Only kidding. I can imagine that there a so many it's hard to keep up. The list could go for miles!
Eileen
Congrats on your region and travel news. I am excited for you. I can't comment too much on the weather as I was sweating buckets in early May over there. It will al be great.
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