And The Judge Says
by tara - 2007-12-05 14:00:00 ( in family, adoption, holmes, travel) [php version] rebuild
She's ours!
It's official! Elizabeth is ours. The court hearing went very smooth. It took about an hour and a half. There was a judge, prosecutor, a rep from the Child protective services, and the Minister of Education. They had a lot of questions about our parenting style, our finances and guardianship of her in the event of both our deaths. They asked some questions that really surprised us. Like, "if you divorce, who will get custody of her?" We have to admit, that's not a question we had considered. But, we managed to come up with an answer that was satisfactory to them.
So, now we start our 10 day waiting period. We will be allowed to see her once a day everyday, except Sunday during the 10 days. We will take her from the orphanage on December 10. Then we have another 5-7 days in Astrakhan to get her passport and translated adoption papers.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, I think they worked! But, keep it up, because we're not outta here yet!
Tara 
Here's a screenshot of the entrance
UPDATE: Recently discovered this map showing the entrance of the orphanage on yandex.ru
similar posts here ... and elsewhere
Comments (We enjoy free speech. Try not to offend, but feel free to be offended.)
Thank God! I'm so happy! Can't wait to meet her!!! Please hurry and get back before we leave!
- sandy, 2007-11-29 08:00:39Congratuations! Cannot wait to meet her.
- Dawn, 2007-12-04 02:02:15Leave your own comment:
Here is the complete blog of the adoption experience in paperback form, Russian Adoption: From Nashville to Astrakhan and Back (PDF). And here is the fictionalized, future "homeland tour" (action adventure) version in various forms: on Kindle, various electronic formats, and in paperback.
This Time Next Week -- Preparation for Our First Trip to Russia -- Travel Day -- The Day Before -- Tuesday (10/2/2007) -- In the Air -- We're in Moscow -- Adoption Videos -- -- First Time in Moscow -- It's Only Monday? -- Check-Out Time -- We're in Astrakhan -- What a Day -- It's a Girl It's a Girl -- Great Visit -- Sights of Astrakhan -- Wednesday in Astrakhan -- Last Visit for a While -- Thursday in Astrakhan -- Another Great Visit -- We're Home -- Back in Atlanta -- Round Two -- Skora Mweh Tam Boojum -- Elizabeth's Room -- Internet Access -- Back in Moscow (11/26/2007) -- Tuesday (11/27/2007) -- Mweh Yeddum V Aeroport Eta Ootra -- In the Air Again -- Back in Astrakhan -- Comments Welcome -- Russian Adoption Consultant -- Russian Bureaucracy -- It's Showtime -- And the Judge Says -- Success -- Went for a Walk -- Much Better Visit Today -- The Day After -- Beet Salad -- Saturday Morning -- It's Going to Be a Good Week -- She's Warming Up to Us -- Light at the End of the Tunnel -- Picture of Us Before Court -- She's Ours -- The First Hours of Parenthood -- More Pictures (12-09-2007) -- Bowel Movement -- Nothing Much to Update About -- Sleep, What a Concept -- Here's Your Update -- 51-1/2 Hours -- Back in Moscow (12/18/2007) -- Pictures of Our Life in Astrakhan -- Just Another Week to Go -- Riding the Metro, Part Deux -- Update to the Update's Update -- Moscow Update Continued -- Can't Leave Early -- To the Embassy -- Still in Moscow -- Riding the Metro -- We're Home! (For Good, this Time) -- A Few Pictures -- Stay Tuned -- Summary of Our Russian Adoption Experience -- Baby Shower -- Doctors Say She's Normal -- Recent Photos of Elizabeth -- Holmes Russian Adoption Videos -- Elizabeth's First Video -- A Few More Videos -- Adoption Videos Updated -- Our Russian Adoption Story -- Our Adoption Story -- Gotcha Day and Merry Christmas