We made it to London!!!!

Its 10:15 am London time and we leave at 10:40 am onto Frankfurt.
We had a great flight,and thanks to Ambien, I slept almost the entire way.

So far, so good!!!

It's very interesting noticing all the different nationalalities at the Heathrow airport. Lots of women dressed to the nine's, and people drinking beer very early.

Love ya! Onto Frankfurt!!!

Our bags are checked....yet here we sit!!

Our good buddy at American who didn't charge us any overweight fees and wished us good luck on our trip. He was really nice!!!



This is us before we headed out the door. This is our checked bags. We are light packers. Only 3 outfits each (yeah, riiiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!)



Sean posing on front of all the bags being transported to Kaz!!!

Hello! This is my FIRST TIME to use my laptop in the airport. I feel TRULY COOL and hip to have figured out how to find the free wifi. It was really easy!

Well, i'ts now 10:02 am...we were "supposed" to be headed towards our first leg of the trip to meet Baby Kaz at 8:50...but, there is some electrical issue. They keep saying "15 more minutes" but we have been re-routed thru JFK to Heathrow "just in case" this plane doesn't get fixed. So......we are STILL IN TAMPA!! (but there is free wifi and I am on my laptop, feeling "ultra hip") I am grateful for long layovers right now!!!

Update: We are booked to leave at noon to fly into JFK, then JFK to Heathrow. We have 3 hours at JFK. Not to be a princess, but, that airport is really disgusting. I recall going in the bathroom there once and it was WAY DISGUSTING. But, hey, good thing I got the "be flexible" message when I started this adoption journey. I just hope our luggage makes it...that's our only real concern. I will try to avoid the way gross bathrooms..ICK!!
I was up at 4, cleaned out the fridge, unloaded the dishwasher, put on my 'Money' and my passport and we were picked up at 6. By 7, we were thru security and sitting down at Chili's for breakfast. The American airlines guy who checked us in was a real sweetie, and did not charge us one overweight fee...and he could have charged us $150. The money doesn't even show, and it's comfy. I forget I am wearing it.

I feel pretty relaxed. I did not sleep great last night, and had a really funny anxiety dream that actually made me grateful for the 4 am alarm. :)


I love my purchase for travel..check out the matching carry on bag and purse, or diaper bag. CUTE, HUH?
Can you even tell I am wearing my passport and my money??

Our bags are packed, and we're ready to go...

Taxi's waiting...blowing his horn...
I'm already so freaked out that I could CRY.....
cuz we're leaving, on a JET PLANE, don't know when we'll come home again...
OH BABE...I'M SO READY TO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

This will be my last update for Casa De Serra in Florida. :)
Our "jet plane" leaves Tampa tomorrow at 8:40 am, our driver is coming at 6 to pick us up. Here is our itenary:

Leg 1: Tampa to Chicago (arrive 10:20 am, depart 5 pm)
We will be checking our carry on's at a hotel nearby and going to tour Chi-town)

Leg 2: Chicago to London (our longest flight) 8 hours baby! Arrive London at 6:50 am and depart 10:40 am for Frankfurt.

Leg 3: Arrive in Frankfurt at 1:20pm. We get to get our bags,(lucky us) and then hop over to Air Astana,where we board at 8 pm. Rather longish layover...I will have myself a German beer, methinks!!

Leg 4: Depart Frankfurt at 8 pm for Astana!!! I think it's a 5 hour flight. It's so hard to figure the time change. Arrive Astana at 5:45 am

Leg 5: Depart for KOSTANAI Kazakstan (where BABY KAZ AWAITS!!)at 9:50 and arrive at 11:35 am. Will we go sraight to meet Baby Kaz? Will we have time to change? I hope so...I anticipate smelling and lookin rightly scary!!

Our bags are packed, many bags. Yes, I know, pack light, but I did my best. I am a fashion diva, i cannot help it. Thanks to Sara Tennen who helped me pare down my list. We have 2 rolling duffels, one large heavy suitcase, and one small ish suitcase. Plus, Joe and I both have carryon's.
2 of the suitcases are filled with food and gifts, so they will be empty on our trip home. I have lots of mac and cheese, granola bars, trail mix, coffee,and peanut butter. Like me and my love of clothes, I have "comfort food" for us and coffee for Joe. We also have like MEGA movies.

My emotional state is good. Well, today anyway. Yesterday, I was hysterical and crying at the drop of a hat. I think it was because I did not sleep one wink Sunday night.
My husband told me no one was more prepared than I was, and I cried. Sean gave me a tad of sass, which started a whole 15 minute bawling jag. LOL And, I am not even there yet!!!

My contacts are loaded on my laptop, and we got our cash. Benjamen (my cat) is living with Jillian (THANKS JILLIAN) and we take Miles to Jill's tonight. (THANKS JILL!)
Miles (our 105 lb labradoodle) is sad. He can tell something big is up. He is making me tear up too because he has cried a couple times. However, he is staying with my BFF Jill, and her golden retriever Mia, and their 2 boys, age 10 and 8. He will have so much fun. He will miss eating Ben's food, raiding our pantry, and eating cat poop straight from the litter box. However, I expect to find him a much thinner dog after being at "fat camp" while we're gone.

Thank you TO EVERYONE for all of your support thru our journey to Baby Kaz. We will meet Baby Kaz on Friday, August 1st (so I am told). I will post as soon as I can. Please just pray Baby Kaz is healthy and really, that is ALL THAT MATTERS!
Thanks to John, Jenny and the lovely Roxanna for their Kaz cell phone. It's all charged and we got our Kaz phone number!

See you on the otherside. I am not sure how fast we'll have internet access, so don't panic if you don't hear from us. :)
I may try to log on in Frankfurt just to give you a play by play. I loved it when Sandi and Shannon did that. I know how it feels to be in the states and dying to hear updates. :)

Ok...I'm off to see my doctor to get some sleeping pills so I can be coherent. :)

LOVE TO EVERYONE! thanks for your support! It truly means the world to our family!!! I cannot even attempt to convey how much everyone's support means to us.

Baby Kaz-honey-HERE WE COME!!!

(My eyes just started watering again)

Packing Pandemonium!!!

pan·de·mo·ni·um noun 1. wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos. 2. a place or scene of riotous uproar or utter chaos. 3. (often initial capital letter) the abode of all the demons. 4. hell.
I LOVE to travel, especially preparing to travel for the trip of a lifetime...to meet our beloved "Baby Kaz",but, I have to say, I HATE PACKING! I am not a very good packer,either. I am always the one who packs way too much, and agonizes over every outfit. It cracks me up, because I take no time deciding what to wear on a day to day basis. I haven't even started on my wardrobe yet--that is reserved for this weekend where it will no doubt take me all day. The "pandemonium" you see in the pictures is Baby Kaz's room-with the toys, gifts, kitchen stuff, carry on stuff, etc that we need to somehow find homes for. We did start packing Sean's stuff today. I tell you, age 10, is totally "pre-teen". He is kinda "high maintence" for a boy. His shorts cannot show his knees, and his SOCKS CANNOT SHOW! I just bought him 8 pairs of new socks last week. We can only find 5. Where do the socks go???? One good thing, while cleaning out his sock drawer and getting rid of the tons of socks he refuses to wear because "they show", we found his old Nintendo DS. We looked high and low for it, but never found it. So, we felt we could not endure all the flights to Kaz and 6 to 7 weeks in Kaz without his electronic buddy. So, I bought him another one 2 weeks ago. I guess I should have cleaned out his sock drawer weeks ago.... In fact,I should be packing NOW, but, nope, I am blogging instead, because, frankly, it's more fun. :) I had another task to do when we returned home from YET more errands today....rebook some flights I had just booked 2 days ago. We got some EXCITING NEWS TODAY-we can MEET BABY KAZ ON AUGUST 1ST NOW!! So, no need to wait until the 5th anymore. Remarkalby, the change in flights was incredibly easy. In fact, even saved us money. You know me and my "signs", I just think God is sending me another message to CHILL out, that he has Baby Kaz picked out for us and I can stop worrying already. So, no overnight stay in Frankfurt, just 6 1/2 hour layover, then we're off to Astana. We arrive in Astana at 5:45 am, on August 1st, and then are whisked off to Kostanai at 9:50, to arrive in Kostanai at 11:35. So much for resting before we make the most important decision in our lives...BUT HEY, WHO NEEDS REST? :) I am so blessed that this is all working out-of course I know it has NOTHING to do with any kind of coinsidence...God is defintely good. Even Eldo (LOVE ELDO AT Golden Rule Travel..he is BEYOND COOL!!) told me that we were defintely LUCKY to be able to use my dad's miles. He says it's hard to make it work out. In fact, using my Dad's miles MADE IT WORK OUT! Previously, I tried to get to Kostanai on August 1st and it did not work out-because I could not arrive BEFORE August 1st since our LOI was FOR THE FIRST! However, using my dad's miles,we had to leave a day earlier from Tampa and endure many more layovers. "Sign, sign, everywhere a sign...blockin up the scenery, changing mind"...
Last, but not least, check out Sean's stylin court duds. I found these pants at Wal-Mart (of all places, I never shop there) for $13,and the shirt and tie combo (clip on baby) for $11. I think he looks pretty darn handsome.:) However, he WILL be getting a haircut on Saturday..don't worry. His hair is awful right now.
And, saving the best for last....Sean is performing for us. He can be this annoying lil "pre-teen" with a sassy mouth, but then he comes out with this....cracks me up. I think Baby Kaz will find him VERY entertaining. However, I am afraid he will teach this child to do the eye roll and sarcastic comments WAY before I'm ready for it.

Making Progress!!!

Well-we are making some serious progress ,I am happy to report.
The biggest one that makes this feel really REAL, or , surreal, is that WE HAVE BOOKED OUR FLIGHTS! OH MY GOODNESS! We leave a week from Wednesday!!!!

On the way to the airport in Dallas when my Dad was taking Sean and I to catch our Tampa flight last week, he was asking about our flights to Kaz. I was telling him about how insanely expensive they are. He said he wondered how many miles he had (he travels a ton on business) and called his most wonderful travel agent (and good family friend of ours). Long story short...we are using his American Airlines miles to get us to Frankfurt, then Air Astana directly into Kostanai. We leave a day early, but stay over night in Frankfurt. I am actually excited about that, because we can sight see and break up the flights. We arrive in Kostanai on Saturday, August 2nd. That gives us Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to "recoup" before meeting Baby Kaz on Tuesday. :)

Now, I gotta figure out how to pack everything that I want to take. That will be challenging I am sure. However, I packed Sean and I in one rolling duffel at 46 lbs for our recent week vacation. I have NEVER packed that light...my sister had 2 huge suitcases for the same amount of time. :)

I also have touched base with 2 other families from my agency that are traveling at the same time we are. In fact, one family just got there and is meeting their baby Kaz tomorrow. The other couple is leaving the 2nd of August. They both seem VERY cool, and the even neater thing is, that we all have children we are bringing along. Sean is the oldest, at 10, but the couple who just arrived have 2 boys, 4 and 3, (one adopted from Kostanai 5 years ago!), and the other couple has a 5 year old son. I am really excited about that because they both seem really fun and it will be fun with all of our children together. :) The couple there now, has shipped a playground for the Delphin house and will be assembling that while we're there. That will be something really neat to be a part of.

I feel calm (somewhat) but I am a mess. I can't sleep, but I can eat. (darn it)
My list is diminshing-I can't believe we leave ONE WEEK FROM TOMORROW!!!
I think Sean is really nervous/anxious as well, but he won't admit it.

Tricia is such an inspiration too. She is over there now, waiting out the waiting period with her son, Rustam. Her husband left after court (7 weeks!!) and she is living it up.

My flights are booked, our travel insurance is purchased, our shots have been adminstered, and our conference call with our international adoption doctor is tomorrow.

Now, to try to figure out how to pack....Baby Kaz's room is a real wreck. :)

It's a date!!!!!!

Yes sir reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.............We got ourselves a date!!!

August 5th is the day we get to meet "Baby Kaz!!"
I was in Babies R Us of all places with Sean (bored stiff) and Karen and Ryan (my lil buddy) when I felt my phone vibrate. It was a message from Donna, my coordinator telling me that WE HAVE OUR DATE!

I have NO information on WHO it is we are meeting on August 5th though....so, you will all have to wait with US to find out if Sean will have a lil brother, or a lil sister--it's kind of exciting!!!

There will be 3 other families with my agency there at the same time as we are, so that is fun! I am excited to have other families there-it sounds like it will make it more fun.
Plus, Tricia is still there so I am excited to see her too.

I still need to figure out our flights. I had made tentative plans to fly out July 31st, arriving August 2nd. But, that was before we had our "blind date" to meet Baby Kaz on the 5th, and before my Dad offered to share his miles with us. So, I have some work to do about that. I would like to arrive on the 4th I think..but can't take a chance of missing any flights or anything. Since our LOI is for August 1st, at least we have the option to arrive in plenty of time before our "blind date" date to meet Baby Kaz on the 5th!!

Joe, Sean and I are traveling and are all planning on staying thru court, which has been averaging 6-7 weeks. Then, the plan is to head home, and I will come back in about 5 weeks to bring home Baby Kaz. I will either be traveling with Joe, or perhaps a friend of mine may accompany me instead. We'll be playing that by ear. I don't want to do it by myself, so we'll see who gets to come with!!
School starts August 20th, so Sean will miss a couple weeks, but the beginning of the year is the best time to miss. I have a few games packed, and TONS and TONS of movies...we raided my dad's movie library. I have 2 seasons of Friends, West Wing, Ally McBeal, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Andy Griffin series, Popeye, Felix the Cat, Beverly Hillbillies, just to name a few. I think we'll have enough to keep us busy, plus the other families. Tricia has been telling me all the fun things to do, so Sean is pretty excited. We'll see how bad he gets on my nerves for 6 weeks. :)
He is very "pre-teenish" these days. We went for his yearly checkup and he is 90 lbs! He no longer orders off the "kids menu" and he likes to sit in the front seat. Good thing I'm getting a youngin' cuz it's making me sad watchin my "baby" grow up!

Wow..I can't believe we have a date. August 5th it is!!!

No way, it's July ALREADY??

I am SO very sorry I have been such a SLACKER BLOGGER lately! But, rest assured, I have been a productive girl in my time away.

Last time I posted, I was a mess!! I was a tad freaked out, and felt pulled in every direction! However, I am happy to report that I am doing MUCH MUCH better now. I attribute this new found "peacefulness" to a couple mitigating factors. Factor number 1 is that my apostilled dossier #2 is now safely in my coordinator's hands and she told me it was "perfect", AND we have our visa's!!! I went to the bank today and drove away with thousands and thousands of dollars of cash. That was pretty surreal!! I started packing (baby stuff only and apartment stuff, and entertainment stuff for the family) AND, I had the MOST WONDERFUL VACATION EVER with my most hospitable Aunt Jane and "Uncle Hunk" who hosted my grandmother, Sean and I, and my sister Stacey and her 2 darling sons, Jan (age 7) and Will (age 3 1/2) in their lovely home in Oakland, California and their beach home in Bodega Bay.
Back when I was in 7th grade, "Hunk" was THE WORD used to describe cute boys. I thought my Uncle Bernie was SO COOL! Not only is he an amazing father, but he is also SO CUTE and so fit. He was just always so nice to us, and his own kids (my cousins) that I just called him Uncle Hunk and the name has stuck. :) My aunt Jane is my mom's younger sister and she is the COOLEST lady ever. She and my grandma (My mom's mom) are the two talented ladies who designed and made the quilt for Baby Kaz that was posted on my blog a while back. I am so lucky to have them in my life. :)
Sean got to spend 2 nights with his big brother Joey and even got to go to school with Joey (he is a summer school principal) and had a great time. I was finally able to relax, get plenty of sleep, eat lots of fantastic sour dough bread, and drink some good wine!! We really did miss Daddy (and Miles) though...but he has to work so he can get some time off to go to Kaz, after all! We called him and talked him on Skype everyday though!! We were spoiled with temps in the 60's (PERFECT RUNNING WEATHER!!) and numbing cold water, but I played in the ocean with my nephew anyway because I am COOL AUNT SUSAN after all! Sean and I stayed 2 nights in Dallas with my parents on the way home, where Sean got to see his 2 other cousins, Giulia (age 10) and Georgia (age 8) and even put up with them "dressing him up".















He is going to be a pretty cute big brother. He would have a fit if he KNEW I posted the pictures, so I may have to delete them but I was in hysterics watching the girls "fix him up". He really needs a haircut right now, and he will have one before we go to Kaz.





Our official departure date is still TBD, we should know more next week as to the day we are allowed to go to the babyhouse. I will update that when I know more!!