Oh .. My ... Deer...

Oh .. My... Deer...

One of the many things that we're trying to get Tamara to do is truly appreciate her natural surroundings. To be at peace with nature and have a sense of appreciation for it.

Sometimes that entails lying in Daddy's hammock watching the clouds go by. Sometimes it's feeding the fish in our ponds. Sometimes it's taking a long walk down the street. And sometimes it's giving her a camera and seeing things her way... for the first time ... again.

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Below Daddy and Tamara wave for the camera during one of our many stroller walks.

I thought I'd post a few pictures that were taken during our walks this week.

Oh.. My... Deer. Yes we have them. Lots of them.

The Bambi's in our area are not freaked by humans at all. Which in it's self can be a tad bit annoying... especially if you're a gardener. Grrr...
A stream that goes under our road.

Pretty no?

View to the right...

View to the left.

OK.. so now... what is a sure fire way to get your baby girl to really notice stuff in the garden and get some cute shots in the process? Give her a camera and let her have some fun.
Sometimes you have to crouch down to get that perfect shot.

Cute no? Tamara takes pictures of the flowers.Looking around for new subjects.
Smile Mommy
Daddy working.. looks on. Looks so serious doesn't he? Must be an important meeting.

Flowers in Mommy's Garden.

And more flowers...

and more.

Time to swing.

Such hams.

Time to go in.. Daddy throws her over his shoulder.

Tamara reaches for Mommy.

Yogurt break

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This was a photo shoot after church on Sunday. Although a beautiful day .. still a little toasty in the sun. Here Tamara complains about the heat. She's such a Drama Queen. lol

Very expressive uses her hands a lot.

OK... SMILE

DO THE THINKER
DAY DREAM
OK.. SAY CHEESE
Soon it was back in the house for a cool drink.
Tamara briefs Lilly on her photo shoot.


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This week we had a few firsts.
One morning I went to get Tamara up and as I entered I said "Hi Baby"
and she responded "Hi Mama".
I almost fell over... just too cute.
She can open doors and knows how to work the facets in the house.
She understands HOT is to the left, COLD to the right.
This week she finally started to allow us to read a whole book to her without her flipping pages or loosing interest quickly. I guess no one ever read to her in Tbilisi?
Another first was an apple-pear. She likes them as do Mommy and Daddy.
Have you tried them? Below is a picture of them. It's a real fruit... new breed apparently? and Tamara calls them App-el-p
Yum!

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Chicken Pox Dance

Chicken Pox Dance

We were doing the Chicken Pox dance tonight...

Lilly our youngest kitty watched in amazement.
You see today was Tamara's first experience with Spaghetti.

I haven't made it as until this week as she wouldn't touch anything made with tomato since we left Tbilisi.

As you can see.. Tamara likes Spaghetti. This is the messiest she's ever gotten. And Daddy helped out by wiping her clean. After dinner I noticed a few tiny red bumps between her eyes, another on her cheek. I immediately called my sister who is an RN and a mother of two.

"What do Chicken Pox look like?" I asked

"Tiny little red bumps" she replied

"Oh shoot... she must have gotten them from the Chicken Pox vaccine last Wednesday. Grrr... " then I started thinking about it.. "Wow.. they appeared suddenly" So I got a wet paper towel and proceeded to wipe the Chicken Pox away. Teeny tiny spots of tomato sauce. lol.

I looked at Tamara and said " You're cured!" she of course giggled, my sister laughed... although I could hear her rolling her eyes all the way from CT. ;o)

First time Mommy.. I'm still learning. ;o)

Below.. Tamara gets a kiss from Mommy

Tamara and Daddy wave for the camera.
Tamara likes to see how things work.. here she's about to grab for the camera.
No Camera? OK.. I get the remote then and I'm watching baseball.

Seriously she'd rather watch baseball. She is one well rounded little girl.

Tamara being cute.

Mommy and Tamara head out for a stroll in the neighborhood.

It was a rather chilly day for August.
Tamara in the kitchen. She loves to help with dinner. I always have to put on the oven light so she can see what's cooking. And pick her up so she can peek in the pots on the stove.
I heard a beep... now what?
OK.. my friends it's been a long day.

Time for Mommy to take a nap.

Good Night!

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The Russians Are Coming.. the Russians are coming.

The Russians Are Coming.. the Russians are coming.

No they're not.. yes they are.. no they say they're not.. but wait here they come... no ..no they're turning?

What are they thinking? That has been the billion dollar question today. As I watched CNN, Fox, BBC the news seemed to change as quickly as I could flip channels.

One can't help but wonder what on earth are they thinking? Or are they?

What motivates one country to attack another? Some say it's an old wound that the Russians refuse to let it go? Some say it's the oil pipe line that runs through south of Tbilisi? Some say because they think they can?

Are they testing the waters for other battles? Checking to see where our ( the civilized world)boiling point is? Who will be next? The Ukraine as some suggest? One of the many "stan" countries I researched for international adoption? Is it really NATO they fear next door? Are they trying to rebuild their empire?

So many possibilities.. so many broken promises. This whole Georgian war saddens me. Not only because we now have a personal connection to it's people and they don't deserve to be "punished" as the Russian president said in his speech to his people yesterday. But because that particular region of the world has such great potential and this war as well as any others that might be started there after will hinder their progress for many years.

I fear if this is allowed to continue there will be no winners.

Just a sad chapter in our human history.

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To my friends who are still in the process of adopting from the Ukraine and Kazakhstan.. don't stop now... keep going. But get a move on it. Make sure you are doing everything in your power to move things along quickly.

When Bruce and I started our paper chase we were told we had approximately 6 weeks to get our Dossier to Tbilisi. I cleared my calender and told our agency. "You say jump and I'll say how high" . We filed our I600A and found a wonderful social worker who completed our home study in a few weeks. The Fex EX and DHL guys were my new best friends. We paid an extra $20 per page to Trenton to have the apostiles done in 8 hrs or less and then had it Fed Ex'd back and forth. If you do the math our documentation was about $50+ per page. But worth every penny. Certain things you can't control like the Hague treaty which is huge these days. But do your part quickly. With unusual , unexpected circumstances... a month, week or even a day can make a difference in the success of your adoption.

I'm sorry if this sounds a bit bossy but I can tell from the emails / messages I've been getting that a few of you are cowering. International adoption is not for the faint of heart.. you knew that going in... so snap out of it and have at it!!!

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OK... sorry about that but some things just need to be said. ;o) and I would hate to think that some adoptions in that region will be effected by this war. If we had listened to the news reports in April / May we would never have made it to pick up Tamara. Yes.. the Russians were getting in position even then.

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So no word from our friends in Tbilisi the past 2 days :o( although we're pretty sure our driver Gea was on CNN yesterday driving a reporter to Gori. Such a small world.. isn't it?

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Quick up date.. ROG

Quick Up Date... ROG

Good Morning.. just a quick update as several of you have called & emailed expressing concern for our new extended family in the Republic of Georgia (ROG).

Yesterday we received a very quick short response from Anna (our Nanny) via Skype. No details given but she appears to be ok. Also had a message forwarded to me from our Facilitator who said "we are OK" and thanked everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Have not heard from Nina (our translator .. my Turkish coffee buddy) perhaps she is on vacation?

As of this morning the Russians are just a bit north of Tbilisi. It appears as if they may retreat? Hard to say... we certainly are praying they do.

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Keep those warm thoughts and prayers coming they are very much appreciated and the increased flow of positive energy floating about can only help. ;o)

OXOX

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Shaking It Up...

Shaking it up...

Tamara loves her fresh fruit and yogurt shakes. When ever I get the feeling she needs a healthy boost Mommy makes a blender full. Fresh berries, bananas, yogurt.. sometimes ice cream shake. Topped with real whipped cream and a straw. Tamara loves them so much she usually drinks most of mine too. I wonder where she puts it?

Below are a series of photos we look tonight.. oh yes I got a new camera.

Can you tell?

It's faster and has an 18X zoom so I should have better luck sneaking up on her. ;o)

Enjoy the photos

Shaking It Up.. baby

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This has been a somewhat stressful few days.

I'm sure by now you've all heard that the Republic of Georgia and Russia are fighting.

This is what all the posturing of Russian troops was all about before we traveled to Tbilisi in May. We were concerned then.. we are concerned now.

We worry about all the wonderful people we had met on our trip. We worry about the Tamara's Foster Family. We worry about the children we had met at the Baby House and Orphanage.

See "We Are The World" post.

We worry about Tamara's Birth Family. Some day she may want look them up... it would be nice if someone was still there to find.

As I've mentioned before things are very expensive in Georgia.. especially for Georgians. I can't imagine how they will survive if this battle turns into a full scale war.

I called our Agency tonight. I asked if they had.. had contact with their staff in Tbilisi since this conflict started. They haven't. I also asked them to keep an eye on the children there. Should the conditions deteriorate I may do another fund raiser to help the orphans. This time I'd like to mobilize all the families who have adopted Georgian children across the USA and abroad.

Yes it sounds like a huge undertaking but one I will have to pursue so I can sleep at night.

One that will be necessary so I can look my daughter in the eye and say we did everything we could to help her little friends when they needed it most.

Should the need arise I hope all of you will rise up and help me meet this challenge.

~

Below are a few new pictures of Tbilisi .. yes we have more ;o)

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From The U.S. Government today.

Travel Warning - GeorgiaThis Travel Warning updates information on the armed conflict in South Ossetia between Georgian forces on the one hand, and Russian and separatist forces on the other. On August 9, 2008 the Department of State authorized the departure from Georgia of eligible family members. The Department recommends that American citizens defer non-essential travel to Georgia and that American citizens remaining in Georgia review their security situation. U.S. citizens remaining in Georgia should avoid unnecessary travel within Georgia, defer all travel north of Gori and avoid all travel to the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Private Americans unable to reach Tbilisi should consider transportation available in the Batumi area. This supersedes the Travel Alert for Georgia issued August 8, 2008.
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The U.S. Government is evacuating some 2000 Americans immediately. Thank God this didn't happen while we were in Georgia. Imagine we arrived 5-21, our court date was 5/22, we had custody of Tamara 5/23 but we couldn't take her home for another 15 days. If this had happen during our visit in May I would have been wearing a bullet proof vest & helmet. We would never have left her so unless the U.S. and Georgian Governments agreed to bend the rules and let her come home early we probably would have been on CNN.

Hi Mom

Well I did say during our 3 year search for our daughter that if I thought she was in Iraq I'd strap on a bullet proof vest and go get my daughter.

~

OK.. so some of you probably still think Tamara is from Atlanta... just kidding but they did ask me at the Dr's office this week if Tamara had ever been out of the country? Ah.. let me think? Idiots.. read the chart... Grrrr.

Gotta love people... ;o)

Anyway below is a little background on Georgia and the situation they're in. Perhaps it will shed some light on yet another war? Of which there are way too many lately. A tab bit scary.

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Georgia is a country in western Transcaucasia, a region that separates Europe and Asia. It is bordered by Russia on the north and Turkey on the south. Armenia and Azerbaijan are on the southeast. The Black Sea lies to the west. Georgia is a land of great natural beauty. It has majestic forest-covered mountains, deep valleys, and many mineral and hot springs. It also has warm, sunny beaches on the Black Sea coast.In ancient times, western Georgia was called Colchis. It was famed as the site of the legendary Golden Fleece, the prize sought after by the Greek hero Jason and the Argonauts. The Romans named the country Georgia. However, the native people call their land Sakartvelo. Long fought over by competing empires, Georgia was conquered by Russia in the 1800's. It was briefly independent (1918-21) before being absorbed into the Soviet Union. Georgia regained its independence when the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991.

People: The Georgians call themselves Kartveli. They trace their roots back some 3,000 years. The Georgian language belongs to the Caucasian language family.Georgia adopted Christianity in the A.D. 300's. It has its own national church (Georgian Orthodox) within the Eastern Orthodox Church. A small but important community of Muslims (followers of Islam) resides mainly in the region of Adjaria in the southwest. Georgia also has a notable community of Russian Orthodox Christians.Georgians make up about 70 percent of the population. Other nationalities include Abkhazians, Armenians, Russians, Azeri Turks, Greeks, and South Ossetians.

Land: Georgia lies between the Greater Caucasus mountain range on the north and the Lesser Caucasus range in the south. Mount Shkhara is Georgia's highest peak. It rises 17,063 feet (5,201 meters) on the Russian border. In the west the mountains widen, giving way to the Kolkhida Lowland. The major rivers are the Kura and Rioni.The high wall of the Greater Caucasus shields Georgia from the cold winds of the north. In the west the country is open to the warm air of the Black Sea.

Economy: Georgia's diverse industries include the manufacture of steel, aircraft, and electrical appliances. Its chief mineral resources are manganese and copper. It has some of the world's richest deposits of manganese.Georgia has limited farmland. It produces citrus fruits, tea, hazelnuts, and vegetables. Grapes are grown, chiefly in the Black Sea region. They are used to make local wines and brandies. Livestock is also raised.The cities of Poti and Batumi are Black Sea ports. They make Georgia an important transit point for goods and resources from Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Tourism has failed to develop. This is largely because the country's primary resort area lies in the politically unstable region of Abkhazia.

Major Cities More than half the people of Georgia live in urban areas (cities and towns).Tbilisi (pronounced teh-beh-LEE-see) is the nation's capital and largest city. It is in east central Georgia on the banks of the Kura River. Founded in the A.D. 400's, it has long been the national center of culture and education. Tbilisi has a population of about 1.1 million.History and Government

The first Caucasian kingdoms arose in Georgia in the 500's B.C. The region was the site of early Greek settlement. Later it became a part of the Roman Empire. Georgia was divided between the Persian and Byzantine empires in A.D. 562. After the Byzantine decline, Georgian monarchs created an independent state. It reached its height between the 1000's and early 1200's.Between the 1500's and 1700's, Georgia was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. It was again divided, this time between the Turks and Persians. A third power, Russia, joined in the struggle for Georgia and the rest of Transcaucasia. It annexed eastern Georgia in 1801 and gradually took over the rest. After Bolshevik revolutions took place in Russia in 1917, Georgia declared its independence on May 26, 1918. However, in 1921, Bolshevik (Soviet) troops occupied the country. It then became part of the Soviet Union. A native Georgian, Iosif Dzhugashvili, who took the name Joseph Stalin, ruled the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953.Georgia proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. This was followed by civil war between rival political factions. As a result, President Zviad Gamsakhurdia was ousted in 1992. He was replaced by Eduard Shevardnadze. Meanwhile, great internal conflicts broke out. Separatist movements arose in Georgia's two autonomous republics, Adjaria and Abkhazia. South Ossetia, another breakaway region, sought to reunite with North Ossetia, a part of Russia.

Georgia's constitution was adopted in 1995. It provides for a president, who is elected to serve a 5-year term as head of both state and government. The one-house legislature is the Supreme Council, or parliament. Its members are elected to 5-year terms.Shevardnadze was elected president under the new constitution in 1995 and re-elected in 2000. But in 2003, a weak economy and accusations of political corruption led to a popular uprising. Shevardnadze was forced to resign. The parliamentary speaker, Nino Burjanadze, briefly served as acting president. Mikhail Saakashvili was elected by popular vote in 2004. Shortly thereafter, in an effort to regain control over the entire country, he forced Adjaria's leader from power and imposed his authority in the region. Saakashvili considered this the first step toward reuniting Georgia. In a 2006 referendum, South Ossetians voted to become independent. Georgia's refusal to recognize the outcome led to increased tensions with Russia. Saakashvili was re-elected president in 2008.

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On the home front everything is going well. Tamara & Daddy are currently sleeping. Mommy is still trying to plow through her 10,000 emails. So far we still have our health, sanity and sense of humor. Life is Good!