Friday September 4, 2009

Hi everyone,
Its been so long since I have been able to blog it feels weird. So I am sure most have heard by now but Jeff and Madison are leaving around 9PM ET ( 4AM Ukraine time) for the airport in Kiev to start the journey home. Finally the journey to bring our angel home has arrived. When we title the blog we probably didn't see it as a journey but gosh what a wonderful journey it has been.
Webster defines the word JOURNEY: as something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another As I reflect back to the beginning the journey symbolized the actual act of traveling to the Ukraine to get Nina. Just zoom over there meet some people, pay some money , sign some papers, make her love us and zoom home back to normal life...wow I should have really read the definiton before. Our journey has taken us to a place Jeff and I have never been before as a married couple not just in the since of to new places but as a couple who since before we were married having always had Josh we got to experience things other couples did before children, that was nice. I got use to it to tell you the truth. Even though during the day we had Madison we still had alot of time to just be a couple and talk and laugh and just be relaxed with each other. Our Journey also took us from one place in our life to another. The place we were at was lets raise these children and get one with our lives the place we are at now is lets watch our children grow up and make our life in which they always want to share it with us. Then the Madison journey...wow Jeff Gordan has taken us on so many car journey's to get this little girl. The trip to the sea to meet her, the trip to Madison's home town to seperate her from her previous family, the trip to Yalta to give her a day at the beach, the many trips to the courthouse, the trips to the orphanage and finally the trip to the airport to leave. There has been so many obstabcles that have been placed in front of us and times when we really thought our hearts were physcially breaking if we ask ourself was it worth it and would we do it again absolutely we are going to.. we have a little girl still there so our job is not done and she begged Jeff to not forget her and please come back so no matter what we will be back to get her. Jeff's heart broke as he left the orphanage for the last time saying goodbye to Tonya and watching Madison cry as she left her siblings and friends it truly was bittersweet. Jeff and I will never be the same people we were when we left and for that I am thankful. It has made us softer and more apprecitative and able to prioritized the important things in life and truly disregard the things that are trival and unimportant. So I ask for prayers for safe travel as Jeff and Madison arrive home. I also want to say thank you for your emails and comments many days it was those correspondenses that kept our heads held up. They will arrive on Sat at 5:23 pm and all is welcome to come to the airport to welcome them.

I also thought I would give a total talley of the Dziedzic's at 1011 Gagel it is
1 Dad (Papa)
1 Mom
3 Sons
2 Daughters ( 1 legal 1 pending)
1 Daughter in Law
1 Pending Daughter in Law ( just waiting on the invite from Trev)
1 Grandson ( Eli)
4 Dogs
1 Cat
2 Chincilla's
= 17
Wow.....Christmas is sounding expensive but fun this year...
Love
Jeff , Donna, Madison, Josh, Trevor, Zach, Allison, Tonya and Diane

Thursday |September 3rd

Ok dont be to judgemental Im on a computer in a internet cafe and the keyboard is in Russian and something else.We went to the poassport office on wensday and they told us it was there but we would have to come back at 5:55 and if they could get it signed we could have it if not tommorow. Well we got and it has been a mad dash ever since, finished packing run by Gargarina and tell Tonya goodbye and Madisons brother and run to the airport. Well not even the airport was without chaos, we arrived and tryed to checked in and our flight was supposed to be from Simferopol to Kiev but they had us going from kiev to Simferopol, try to explain that with a language barrier. Thank goodness for Oksana and Donna, I had to walk away it was about all I could take. We finally boarded our flight at 9:10 and arrived in Kiev safley and by the time we found our apartment and got to bed it was 12:30 and we had to meet Gayla at 7:30. We have been to the U.S Embassey and completed our paperwork and have a meeting were we should recieve the last thing we need before we can travel. So if all goes well 24 hours from now we will be booking flights for Saturday morning and we will finally be out of here. I do not have the luxury of internet in my apartment so the blog will be slow. I will be turning it over to Donna and she can keep everyone up to date on our travels. It is hard to believe that we will have Madison home in a little over 48 hours. She enjoyed the flight to kiev, she has never flown and she really likes Kiev. Well that is all I have for now I will see everyone at home soon. (I hope)
Love
Jeff and Madison

Tuesday September 1st

WOW four days till opening of deer bow season in my great state of Kentucky. If you told me I would not be back in time for that when I was getting ready for this trip I would have laughed at you. And here it is! Well today was another eventfull day, the passport did not show up,SURPRISE SURPRISE!!!! How do you write that so it sounds like Gomer Pile? Well like I said no passpot, but they recieved something today, THE CEILING! The ceiling feel in on the passport office, can you belive that one. In all of the Crimea there is one lady, one office, and the ceiling falls on it, the computer, the desk, camera and all. I would have paid good money too see that, I have allready paid good money I just wish I got to see the show. Well I am keeping the faith because I not only have God on my side I have two women who can do anything and they are Galya and Oksana, if there is a way to deal with it they will. I dont even ask I just sit there and shut up because I know they will figure it out. When I first heard of the ceiling incedent I was on the phone with Oksana while I visited Tonya and I said how are you today and she said a little worried. Now when Oksana says a little worried I get concerned because she does not get to wound up over much but when we got done talking about the ceiling she was laughing. I dont know how this one will work out but I bet it will be good. God must have bigger and obviously longer plans on me staying in Ukraine. By staying longer I did get to see two sweet little girls leave Gargarina and we went out and had dinner to celebrate. They will be living in California. I have become freind with their new parents and they are great people, they may even be moving to Kentucky with his job. He had to go home a week ago because of work and since, he has had some health issues that are really taking a toll on him. He does not know the extent of his condition but the doctors are concerned as is his wife, who is still here in Ukraine. So if you will please say a prayer for Ron and his family, he needs it right now and so does his wife with traveling home with two new daughters and alot on there minds. I will keep you up to date about Ron and his family. I spent the better part of the morning trying to sleep in, that is hard for me to do but I made it to 7:30. Madison and I tried to stay busy and not think about the passport and we left about 1:00 and went to the market, you walk around the market by the time you fight the crowd you burn a good hour. We headed to Gargarina at 2:00 to visit with Tonya and her brother. We left there at 5:45 to go home and get ready for dinner and celebrate Sidney(Ulia) and Riley (Oksana) leaving Gargarina and their new family. We got home and that is the extent of our day I hope tommorow finds us with a passport in hand. (I just went and pryed the remote from my little girl hand and gave her a kiss on the forehead and turned off the tv, thats a first) I pray this find you all well and remember Ron in your prayers.
Love
Jeff, Madison & Tonya

Monday the last day of August

Hey everyone,
It is hard to believe as of today I have been here 55 days and looks like one or two more to go.
No passport as of yet and I have heard nothing, trying to be patient. I have waited 55 days what is a few more hours a or a day or two. We hung out at the apartment the better part of the morning trying to figure out if all this stuff will fit in two bags. Madison has no concept of how they handle your bags and it can be dificult to try and make her understand. We went to Gargarina to let her tell Yauri goodbye he was leaving for school about sixty kilometers away and I wanted her to be with him and the rest of the siblings as much as possible. I would have went sooner but they have been very strict on visitation times. I had asked the caretakers if I could take Tonya and Madisons two brothers about 100 yards down the street to a restraunt that you can see the back door to the kitchen from the front porch of the orphanage and they said absolutely not, I don't understand there thought process sometimes it is difficult to figure. So we stayed there and let everyone visit as long as they could, finally the van pulled up and about 15 boys and girls got in, all have graduated and are going on to what is equivelent to high school, so they go else where for that part of there education. So Madison told her brother good bye and that was sad and of course her other brother was sad because in a few short days he will be there by himself with one year of school before he is reunited with Yauri. We went around back to sit in the shade and visit some more and I noticed four boys I have never seen before, so I watched them and they and four others go over the back wall and come back fifteen minutes later. I watch and a small crowd starts to gather and it is the usual suspect that are allways up to no good. So ten minutes go by and the have 2 large 1.5 liters of beer and are smoking ciggaretts and I think to myself I could not take three kids 100 yards away to eat and there are 15 smoking and drinking on the property and theese people are sitting on there buts allowing it to happen. The longer I sit there mader I got and then Lanna(the Translater) shows up at the wrong time so I take her to the caretakers and ask them if they are going to get off their butts and do there jobs. That is around about what I told Lanna, but I know she would not say that, so who knows what she said but about six women get up and go around and break up the party. Of course the are apologetic because they are emmbarased that some one pointed it out, but I at that point I really did'nt care if they liked it or not. I will probably pay a price for it one day when I come back, but they seem to be as much a part of the problem some times as the ones out doing theese things. There are a lot of good caretakers here that really care about the kids that have a real intrest and will sit and spend time with the kids and then you have the ones that are putting in the time for a paycheck. Those are the ones that tend not to be in your favor because you are taking there job security. I have heard that a couple of times and its hard to keep your mouth shut when you have days like yesterday. Five years ago I would have probably gotten myself in a lot of trouble yesterday, and I may have but nothing like before. It is hard to sit and watch some of theese kids go down the same road their parents did that put them here and they have no idea or they do and dont care. I tried to talk to a handfull afterwards and several really seemed to understand and others laughed it off and walked away. I was told you cant save them all and I know that but it can be hard to watch these kids and see them struggle with the things that get thrown at them. Don't take this the wrong way all these kids are not bad , but there are some and they can drag others down with them. Well I have vented enough and I probably have said way more than I should have, but thoose of you who know me well, know sometime I just dont care and somethings need to be said. Thank you for letting me get thatoff my chest. Hopefully Tuesdays post will be a little more inspiring.
Love
Jeff, Madison & Tonya

August 30 Day at the beach

We got out at 8:30 and picked up Tonya and made the 60KM drive to Sevastopol to the beach. The girls had a great time they would get in the water for an hour and a half at atime. Madison got a little to much sun and Tonya cant get enough. That girl get darker by the min, it is unreal the change in 5-6 hours. I of course got to much myself but that is normal. They had a sunscreen battle. Madison asked Tonya to put some on her back and she squirted a line of cold sunscreen on her and it was on. Before it was over they both were covered and Tonya rolled Madison in the sand and she was as mad as a wet hen. They get along great and I have never seen or heard a cross words, but if it was going to happen I figured this was it. To my suprise she gave her a funny look at headed for the water to rinse off. She came back and they went on with their normal way of giggling and laughing. We had lunch at the beach and left for home at 4:45, we had to get Tonya back at 6:00. Madison and i have a lot to do the next couple days. The new passport should be here Tuesday or Wensday so we have to be ready to get a flight from here to Kiev so we can finish paperwork at the US Embassey and then find a flight home. So we are in the hurry up and wait mode, I am getting good at it. Two month oo it is starting to make me a little crazy. well like I said, it will be shaort and the water and sun has drained me I've got to get to bed.
Love
Jeff ,Madison and Tonya

August 28-2009- Yurai, Madisons Brother

Well it is Friday night once again and as you know I will be missing another game. We play Central Hardin who is a 6A team and we are a 2A we are a 3 point favorite acording to the goofball at CJ. Its a guessing game for thoose guys. GO COLTS.....Well we had another great day, the one and only showed up for work today and did her job so we will have a passport in a few days.(one and only- read yesterdays post) We left out of the passport office and went back to the apartment and made lunch and studyied English, Madison learned a few new words and so did I. I told her what a frown was and she told me alot of words I will never learn. She is all girl no doubt. We really had a good day, we went to Gargarina at 1:00 so I could look at two wash machines that were broke and visit with Tonya. The wash machines were the easy part it was crawling with kids today, I dont know where they are coming from. I have seen in the last 3 days 60 plus kids I have never seen before. School starts next Tuesday . Madison, Tonya and I are sitting there and a group of boys I have never seen walk by and go in and Madison says that is my Brother and I look and he is not the same kid from before, I say that was not Alex and she says no that is Yurai. When I got here we had a referal for Madison and Alex but he is 14 and ran away from school the week before summer break, and from what I hear he does it once or twice a year. Yurai is 16 and he apears to be a good kid, he graduated in May and will be going to State school next Tuesday. When he graduated they would not let him out and made him go to summer camp so he ran away from there 3 or 4 days before we got here. He went to his brothers house who is 19 and stayed with him until it was time to go back to school. These kids have sibling that are in the same home with them and they know they are family but they dont seem to look out for each other like most kids do, Madison knew her brothers were out on the streets the whole time we were here and she never mentioned it or talked about it and if you ask they are not really concerned. If you find a sibling group that has a child that is 3-4 years older than the others it tends to be diffrent but if they are seperated by 1-2 years between each they dont take care of each other as much. It is a diffrent world when you are struggling to survive and exist in a world that is not very Loving or caring. Well I got Lanna the translater and Madison and went and found both brothers because I wanted to meet Yurai and talk to him and Alex, they did not realize Madison was leaving in 4-5 days and I wanted to let them have a chance to talk to her before she is gone. We had a good conversation, Alex and I talk almost daily so it was mostly Yurai and I and he had alot of questions and I asked about a way Madison could communicate with him and he didnt want any part of that at first and by the end of our conversation he gave me his address and seemed eager to hear from us and Madison. It is hard to understand what theese kids feel and go through and what is going on in their minds. After you talk and find out each situation you start understanding why they act the way they do some times. It is a very diffrent world for them and for most the future looks bleak. When I arrived there was a couple sitting on the bench and I did not stop and talk I needed to get to the washing machine before they closed the building. So when I got back and met them I found out they were from Italy, Scicily to be exact and they had a referal for two sisters that didnt really want much to do with them. So I asked the two girls why and they said they are not American, i told them Italy was a great place and a family was the most important thing not where they were going. I stopped and thought abot it and ther has been 5 familys there in the last two months and all were from the U.S. so I guess they thought they needed to go to America. Everyday is a new experience some good some not so good, it has been a long two months and it will take a lot longer to digest all of this. Tomorrow the girls and I are going to act like it vacation time we all need a break so off to the beach, and like I said yesterday the blog will be short and to the point from here till monday.
Love
Jeff , Madison & Tonya

Thursady August 27th waiting and more waiting

This place cracks me up, I thought things at home were crazy but this place has one person and one person only who can process paperwork for a new passport and they sent them out on an errand at 9:00 am and their car broke down so they never made it back to the office. And what makes it all a little crazier is I will apply for the new passport and they send it to Kiev and Kiev will mail it back so I can take it back to Kiev and apply for a visa, See a trend here? There are a half million people or better in Simferopol and they have one person. Well my plans are to head to Keiv early next week and get home by kick off for the rival game against Holy Cross (your heart they dont fire their coach again for a butt kickin ) Cougars. Not to mention it is a home game and that makes it even better, I wil get to see a lot of my freinds and the game, what more could one ask for. Well we have had a good time today, we hung out at the market waiting on one and only passport lady and had lunch out with Tonya and took her back and waited some more and finally said to heck with it and walked back to Gargarina to see Tonya and let Madison visit with some of her friends. They treat her like a movie star or something when we arrive I guess its because they know sooner or later we will show up for the last time and that will be it, and I dont even know when thats going to happen. They gather around her and greet her and finally they spread out and it gets back to normal. I took pictures of Tonya and her sisters today and they are cute little girls they were born 1 year and 4 days apart, last week they both had birthdays, eleven and ten if anyone wants two beautiful girls that need a family. They had a family wanting them and found out there were three and some thing happened. We will adopt Tonya and that should really help their chances. Some people just dont want a older child. Tonya and Madison are inseprable they hang out together all day. This will be our last weekend in the Crimea and we are going to Bakhchysarai(Bachsary) Saturday and the beach in Yevpatoriya(upitoria) Sunday. Saturday will be filled with Castles and a lot of history and a little hikeing from one place to another in the hills.
Sunday will be a lot of fun, I have not told the girls yet or I would never get them to go Saturday.
Monday I will do a little packing to make sure all the stuff will fit in the bags.(this is the part where I need more prayers) My wife likes to shop and so does Madison, enough said. I should have a lot of pictures by Monday and will send them out first of the week, I will update the blog over the weekend but it will be short and to the point because we hope to stay busy so the time will pass.
Love
Jeff, Madison & Tonya