A cowboy, a princess, a mummy, and one of the three blind mice!

Halloween was amazing, running house to house for candy? This country ROCKS!

Running barefoot, eating ice cream, learning to swim

Our 4-Square!
These are just a few of the fun things we've been watching Nicholas learn to do! It is so amazing, crazy, strange even at times to see a boy this big actually doing some of these things for the first time. Everything thrills him. His eyes open wide and he gets this very Nicky-esque smile. Each day, it seems, he does something new. Today he went on a trampoline for the first time; and a merry-go-round.

He's also getting used to some routine things like going to the "Y." He does great in the kids club with Isabelle, so I'm able to work out a bit. He loves our regular babysitter, Lauren, so I'm able to get some work for WHO done still. Everything is really going better than I ever expected. I mean there are the regular sibling tug-o-wars for Mommy's time or a certain toy, and the busy-ness of summer definitely leaves me ready to collapse into bed, but it is just so amazing that Nicholas is finally here! He's grown an inch, and although his blood work came back with a high level of lead (20), we should see that go down. The health dept does have to do an inspection of the house though. What an awesome country we live in, yes, inspect my house for lead! They will also send a letter which I plan to forward on to the orphanage since it's likely that other kids there are being exposed and have high levels.

I'm including a bunch of photos...out of chronological order because the ones of our last days in Kaz were on the memory card that sunk to the bottom of the pool. The card was fine although the camera drowned.

Lastly, my suitcase arrived back here on my doorstep on July 12th, some of the stuff moldy, including my Russian Phrasebook for Children which I mailed to British Airways with my receipts, as a symbol of the inconvience they caused me. Unreal. I will never fly them again with checked luggage and avoid London at all costs. The terrorists have succeeded in destroying 'normal' life at Heathrow airport. Oh, and they lost my Kaz-purchased stroller on the way home too!

Signing off now. I may post again sometime in the fall. Thank you to all for your love and prayers and support. Oh, along those lines, I memorized and repeated Psalm 23 to myself hundreds of times in Kazakhstan, especially on the flight from Almaty to London. Let's just say Nicholas doesn't fly well. Ok, "hell on wings" might be used to describe the experience. Just before embarking on the London to Chicago flight, I visited the prayer room at Heathrow (big windows looking out at sky and runway) and was practically bawling as I prayed 23 again. I was so excited to go home and suddenly felt so full of God. It was really surreal, a most cool feeling, just before going to our gate. Got to our gate and looked at the big sign "Gate 23" and it struck me that what had sustained me thru so much, was the same gate thru which I was passing to the future, to our lives together, reunited with my family, back home finally, again, after a difficult, but unforgettable time. It was awesome. Thanks for taking the journey with me. (tons of photos below...)


Nicky at the Hyatt in Almaty, one night reprieve and first glass elevator ride.
Nicky at the Hyatt pool, just before drowning camera!
Lines, lines, more lines on the travel home
Finally reunited with the family at O'Hare. Me crying in what has come to be known as my Kaz dress.

First haircut
Lunch time! Goosna (yummy)

At the pool

All smiles

Coming to America

Stephanie and Nicky arrived in Chicago safely late Saturday afternoon. Steph's lost bag never caught up with her and we're hoping that British Airways will reimburse us fully for all the items in it. Nicky was a terror on both legs of the journey, which we're chalking up to all the change he's been through and the long flights.

Here's a shot of Nicky at the International terminal, looking sporty in his warm-ups. We spent Sunday at Church and the pool (Mom skipped swimming and took a nap with Isabelle).


Nicky also got his first US haircut, took his first ride in a convertible and hit the car wash with Dad. Here is photo of Nicky at his first Holland dinner (he slept through last night's dinner).



Stephanie will have a more complete post with her thoughts some time soon... after she's caught her breath from a long and harrowing journey. Thanks for all your prayers and words of encouragement, they really helped pull us through this long ordeal.

Coming Home!

Quick post because I have to get to sleep to make an early flight. Success at the U.S. Embassy today. Nicholas' visa was issued in his Kazakhstani passport and he will become a U.S. citizen upon entry! Next stop: London.

All is well with Nicholas. Tonight he pulled his blankie over me, making sure it was tucked nicely under my neck--it's blue and silky, a gift from Grandma Barbie, sent for him on the first trip. Nicky had it on his little cot for a month at the orphanage before I came back. He's very attached to it and his "sabatchka" (stuffed doggy) that Katrina gave to him from her collection.

We've been playing with Elena, his little friend from the Dosky Dom (orphanage), who will soon be leaving for California with her new Dad. She has not been feeling well, gets terribly carsick, and Nicholas is so sweet to her. It's nice to see that he can get really wound up, but can also be quite gentle.

Here's a photo of cousin Cole. Isn't there a family resemblance? Well, I can't wait to get these good ol' boys together for a little 4-wheelin' and skeet-shootin' at the cabin. Actually that may have to wait. But Aunt/sister Deb is planning to visit with Cole and big sister, Marissa, in August. I can't wait to see the two little guys together!

I miss my girls terribly, just terribly. I'm going to be a bawling mess when I see them, and my dashing, handsome husband, at O'hare. The worst thing about how long adoption takes is the children left at home. Today at the Embassy I met a woman from Salt Lake, adopting a severely handicapped, but very happy, six year old girl. She has 5 kids back home waiting for her. She got the visa today too, so the journey is almost over for them as well. And the best is ahead! Cheerie-o.

Holland Boy: A Chip Off the Old Block

I’m afraid that bloodlines are not the only indication of a child’s true nature. Stephanie validated as much for us yesterday after a trying day with Nicholas in Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan. Let’s just say that our boy tested his boundaries throughout the day. It seemed all was well by the afternoon when Stephanie took her young charge to the pool at the Hyatt, where they were staying for one night of recuperation following 12 days in Ust.

I’m not sure exactly what transpired at the pool… only that it ended with our digital camera at its bottom. This is the second camera claimed by Kazakhstan (the first was dropped, lens first, on the pavement in a park).

This second camera was actually a gift for Sophie, to reward her for outstanding grades (7 A’s and 2 B’s). Lucky for little Nicky that Sophie is 6,481 miles away, or he would have experienced his first big sister beat-down.

But nearly all else is well. Stephanie is still wearing the same clothes she traveled in (they’ll be donated to the Science and Industry museum upon her return). We should have the results of Nicky’s visit to the SOS Clinic any day, and tomorrow Stephanie will take him to the US Embassy for his passport. We’ll need to keep him away from the camera of course, or be forced to use the image above until we can properly restrain the boy.

Those of you who have know me since my youth must find this terribly amusing. It’s nice how things come full circle.

Around town

Walking around Ust is fascinating in many ways. For one, Russians (caucasians) and Kazakhs (asians), as far as I can tell, have totally meshed here. I think I said this in a past post. This is evident not only in the way they all live/work together, but in their features. I can't help but look twice when I see a blue-eyed, jet-black-haired asian man, sitting on the park bench with his red-haired russian wife, and their blond-haired, almond-eyed child!

Anyhow, I don't have many photos of the people because I feel awkward interrupting regular people to take their photos. But there are lots of other surprises here too. Picking thru a dumpster is not just for the homeless (hmm what have my neighbors left for me today). Ok, I did once take a plant that the Philipps' had set out for pick-up, but that's not a habit of mine. Broken side walks and over grown grass adjacent to meticulously maintained, expansive rose gardens. Perfectly ok for a male child to pee into the grass, not ok to step on it. We were reprimanded (army dude blowing whistle at us). Enormous attention paid to fashion--it's like Fashion TV on the streets. Also a photo of a shooting gallery. These are found on neighborhood streets. No idea why. I haven't seen anything other than a policeman pistol since I got here. The photo of the turquoise booklet is Nicholas' birth certificate and next to it, his adoption decree, with his new name: Nicholas Peter Holland (the "h" in Holland is written as an "X" here; the "p" in Peter is the symbol for Pi). The little log cabin in the flowers is a tiny Christian church.

As far as my plans, Sunday night I hope to be at the Hyatt in Almaty for a one-night mental health day. Just FYI, those Brits still haven't gotten me my luggage. I'm such a baby, but feel legitimately sad that I have no gifts to give, rum-pa-pa-pum.

However, I now understand that the lost bag is God looking out for us. The Friday, June 29th flight which was completely sold out (no chance of being done as originally scheduled, on 26th). But since Justin has been calling British Airways daily to find out about the bag, he was able to use the lost bag as leverage for a little special treatment. We have seats on the full flight. I'm always amazed by how I see the verse "What man intends for evil (or just screws up), God uses for good!" Amen.