Welcome Home to Liera and Grady Kayser,
and congratulations to the entire Kayser family! 
I don't think their blog is private anymore, so you can go on over and congratulate them yourself, and catch up on all their Ukrainian adventures.
Showing posts with label Kayser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kayser. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Still around
This may be my longest break between posts ever - oops!
I have finals this week. Then I'll have a week off from school and we'll be enjoying a long weekend at the beach (Gulf Shores, AL) - yay! We're hopeful that we'll be meeting some of our "adoption friends" while there. After that I begin my very last class of my MBA!
So what else has been going on? In addition to school... and work... our Ukrainian-themed lunch back in February went well, Zack & I joined an awesome new small group at church, William started back to soccer, I had a terrible stomach flu last week, Zack did an awesome job sprucing up the cabinets in William's bathroom and the half bath, we hosted a baby shower for our awesome friends Eric & Michaele, and William is going on his very first play date this Friday after school.
And just for fun, here's a pic of my two most favorite guys in the world!
I have finals this week. Then I'll have a week off from school and we'll be enjoying a long weekend at the beach (Gulf Shores, AL) - yay! We're hopeful that we'll be meeting some of our "adoption friends" while there. After that I begin my very last class of my MBA!
So what else has been going on? In addition to school... and work... our Ukrainian-themed lunch back in February went well, Zack & I joined an awesome new small group at church, William started back to soccer, I had a terrible stomach flu last week, Zack did an awesome job sprucing up the cabinets in William's bathroom and the half bath, we hosted a baby shower for our awesome friends Eric & Michaele, and William is going on his very first play date this Friday after school.
Please be in prayer for some of our other "adoption friends", the Kaysers. Shad (Daddy Kayser) will traveling from region to Kyiv tonight - with their new daughter and son!! I'm sure once he's home they'll open their blog back up and everyone can read about their amazing adventures. But until then, please pray for safe travels and for endurance to finish the race - they should be back home in America this weekend!! We praise God for leading this sweet family to their Ukie children.
And just for fun, here's a pic of my two most favorite guys in the world!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Two new buttons added; current Dove news coming
When you look to the left, you'll see I've added 2 new buttons (links) to our sidebar...
The first link is for our blog friends Mark & Courtney. They found their sons Zhenya and Dima just a few weeks after we found our William. Now they're seeking to adopt two precious little girls, Eve and Dana (also from Ukraine). In addition to all the adoption expenses they're facing, Eve & Dana will need some medical attention and therapy once they come home. If you are able, please consider giving a tax-deductible gift to this sweet Christian family. Simply click on the link, and you will be taken to their donation page.
The second link is for Shad & Jen, another amazing Christian family I've come to know through blogging. They are pursuing the adoption of Grady (Ukraine), and are also prayerfully seeking an unknown daughter from the same region. Again, you can click on their button and make a tax-deductible contribution to their adoption fund. This family has already submitted their dossier, and are scheduled to have their SDA appointment on January 22nd.
Once again, these gifts are tax deductible and any amount would be helpful. And even if you can't financially support them, please keep both of these families in your prayers as they seek to add to their family.
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Now that we've finished 're-living' our adoption journey, I will get back to some real-time blogging. We had a great time celebrating Gotcha Day and America Day last week, and I'll try to upload all the pictures soon so I can share them with you all. William's school Christmas program is also this morning and again on Thursday morning, so I'm sure I'll have some cute pictures and video to share of that as well.
The first link is for our blog friends Mark & Courtney. They found their sons Zhenya and Dima just a few weeks after we found our William. Now they're seeking to adopt two precious little girls, Eve and Dana (also from Ukraine). In addition to all the adoption expenses they're facing, Eve & Dana will need some medical attention and therapy once they come home. If you are able, please consider giving a tax-deductible gift to this sweet Christian family. Simply click on the link, and you will be taken to their donation page.
The second link is for Shad & Jen, another amazing Christian family I've come to know through blogging. They are pursuing the adoption of Grady (Ukraine), and are also prayerfully seeking an unknown daughter from the same region. Again, you can click on their button and make a tax-deductible contribution to their adoption fund. This family has already submitted their dossier, and are scheduled to have their SDA appointment on January 22nd.
Once again, these gifts are tax deductible and any amount would be helpful. And even if you can't financially support them, please keep both of these families in your prayers as they seek to add to their family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that we've finished 're-living' our adoption journey, I will get back to some real-time blogging. We had a great time celebrating Gotcha Day and America Day last week, and I'll try to upload all the pictures soon so I can share them with you all. William's school Christmas program is also this morning and again on Thursday morning, so I'm sure I'll have some cute pictures and video to share of that as well.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Q&A
Occasionally people ask questions in the comments section of our blog, or when they see us around. So I’ll answer some here…
Anonymous asked about Kriddazark, our Elf on the Shelf: “Where did you get it?” While ours came straight from the North Pole, I happen to know that you can also ‘order’ them at Hallmark.
Mamaporuski said: “I am sorry I never jumped from your last blog to your new one...but I am here now...did you miss me?” Of course I missed you. I’m so glad you’re back!
The Kaysers asked: “So, what were you on GMA and Good Day Atlanta for?
Oh, and have you ever tried dipping fries into a Wendy's Frosty, it is awesome!” I was on Good Morning America in a brief clip about a book I was featured in when I was going through chemo. CLICK HERE to read about the book – it’s really cool! I was on Good Day Atlanta as a student representative and spokesperson for Strayer College, on a segment about online education. And yes, I LOVE dipping fries into a Frosty – chocolate or vanilla. I introduced William to that just last week, and he agreed that it’s yummy!
Anonymous commented: “You never had appendicitis, but maybe they took your appendix out when they were operating for another reason- so they just grabbed it. I don't know if they still do this, but I know they used to all the time.” It took the doctors several months before they diagnosed me with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. At one point they did exploratory surgery, thinking I might have appendicitis. They removed my appendix, as well as a lymph node that was the size of an egg. All tests came back negative – no cancer. Obviously it was just too early.
And here are some common questions we get asked about our adoption...
Did you like the food in Ukraine? We were both nervous about the food. But I can tell you that in those 33 days of living abroad, we never once went hungry! First and foremost (sorry to my blog friend Michelle who must eat gluten-free), the bread is, in the words of our U.S. facilitator “to die for”! We loved walking to Abzhora every afternoon and buying a loaf fresh from the ovens. We also liked to keep these things on hand: Russian cheese, Patos chips with the red pepper on the bag, vanilla sandwich crackers, Bonaqua water with the LIGHT blue label & cap, Kinder bars, Coke Light, Milka Chocolates, and fizzy fruit drinks. And in our freezer, you could almost always find vareniky, spicy popcorn chicken, french fries, and chicken kyiv. We tended to eat 4 or 5 times a day, and every evening we enjoyed chocolates, WAY more than we eat at home. And yet, we both managed to lose a good bit of weight!
How long did your adoption process take? From the day we decided to adopt until the day of our SDA appointment, it was 9 months (then a month in country). Pretty cool! But this is not always the norm. Many families we know have experienced much longer waits.
How much does it cost to adopt from Ukraine? There are so many factors that go into it. Independent or agency will affect your expenses. The region you’re in can affect the cost of food & lodging, as well as the length of time it takes to get through the process. If you decide to do it all in one trip, you’ll pay more in lodging, food, etc., plus have more time away from work. But if you decide to make it 2 trips, you’ll probably have more airfare expense. If you eat out every meal, you’ll spend a lot more. Most orphanages request/require a donation, but the amount will vary depending on the orphanage. And of course if you adopt more than one child, you have to pay for multiple birth certificates, passports, visas, medical exams, and plane tickets (not to mention clothes, food, etc). I’ve heard some people get through everything as low as $16k, and others spending well over $30k. If you add up EVERYTHING we spent from the very first day we decided to adopt until the day we got his U.S. passport, ours was right at $24k.
It's a lot of money, yes. But NEVER put limits on God. If you truly believe that He is calling you to adopt, then don't get hung up on a dollar figure. There are grants, fundraisers, etc. It can be done!
Anonymous asked about Kriddazark, our Elf on the Shelf: “Where did you get it?” While ours came straight from the North Pole, I happen to know that you can also ‘order’ them at Hallmark.Mamaporuski said: “I am sorry I never jumped from your last blog to your new one...but I am here now...did you miss me?” Of course I missed you. I’m so glad you’re back!
The Kaysers asked: “So, what were you on GMA and Good Day Atlanta for?
Oh, and have you ever tried dipping fries into a Wendy's Frosty, it is awesome!” I was on Good Morning America in a brief clip about a book I was featured in when I was going through chemo. CLICK HERE to read about the book – it’s really cool! I was on Good Day Atlanta as a student representative and spokesperson for Strayer College, on a segment about online education. And yes, I LOVE dipping fries into a Frosty – chocolate or vanilla. I introduced William to that just last week, and he agreed that it’s yummy!Anonymous commented: “You never had appendicitis, but maybe they took your appendix out when they were operating for another reason- so they just grabbed it. I don't know if they still do this, but I know they used to all the time.” It took the doctors several months before they diagnosed me with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. At one point they did exploratory surgery, thinking I might have appendicitis. They removed my appendix, as well as a lymph node that was the size of an egg. All tests came back negative – no cancer. Obviously it was just too early.
And here are some common questions we get asked about our adoption...
Did you like the food in Ukraine? We were both nervous about the food. But I can tell you that in those 33 days of living abroad, we never once went hungry! First and foremost (sorry to my blog friend Michelle who must eat gluten-free), the bread is, in the words of our U.S. facilitator “to die for”! We loved walking to Abzhora every afternoon and buying a loaf fresh from the ovens. We also liked to keep these things on hand: Russian cheese, Patos chips with the red pepper on the bag, vanilla sandwich crackers, Bonaqua water with the LIGHT blue label & cap, Kinder bars, Coke Light, Milka Chocolates, and fizzy fruit drinks. And in our freezer, you could almost always find vareniky, spicy popcorn chicken, french fries, and chicken kyiv. We tended to eat 4 or 5 times a day, and every evening we enjoyed chocolates, WAY more than we eat at home. And yet, we both managed to lose a good bit of weight!
How long did your adoption process take? From the day we decided to adopt until the day of our SDA appointment, it was 9 months (then a month in country). Pretty cool! But this is not always the norm. Many families we know have experienced much longer waits.
How much does it cost to adopt from Ukraine? There are so many factors that go into it. Independent or agency will affect your expenses. The region you’re in can affect the cost of food & lodging, as well as the length of time it takes to get through the process. If you decide to do it all in one trip, you’ll pay more in lodging, food, etc., plus have more time away from work. But if you decide to make it 2 trips, you’ll probably have more airfare expense. If you eat out every meal, you’ll spend a lot more. Most orphanages request/require a donation, but the amount will vary depending on the orphanage. And of course if you adopt more than one child, you have to pay for multiple birth certificates, passports, visas, medical exams, and plane tickets (not to mention clothes, food, etc). I’ve heard some people get through everything as low as $16k, and others spending well over $30k. If you add up EVERYTHING we spent from the very first day we decided to adopt until the day we got his U.S. passport, ours was right at $24k.
It's a lot of money, yes. But NEVER put limits on God. If you truly believe that He is calling you to adopt, then don't get hung up on a dollar figure. There are grants, fundraisers, etc. It can be done!
Monday, August 18, 2008
School Questions
My online friend Jen asked some questions that I thought I'd just answer here, in case they might be helpful to others as well...
Could [William] have gone to kindergarten when you got home last winter? Did you do any research on the requirements of school attendance in your state? I am not sure if we will be required by the state to put our child in school when we arrive home (if she is school age) since it will be late winter or early spring. We haven't gotten any answers. I researched our state's education website but not sure where to go next.
William was technically kindergarten age when we brought him home. We could have put him right into kindergarten, but we chose a different route. He'd never been in school before, so this was totally new for him.
Had we done public school, he would have gone for full days and we KNEW he wasn't ready for that. We could have put him in private half-day kindergarten, but he would have been one of the youngest in his class with his late-May birthday. And we would have been putting him in the class in January, half-way through the school year. There was enough to adjust to and we didn't want to make it any harder than it already was. I'm sure you've heard... kindergarten is the new first grade :)
Our decision? In early January we enrolled him in a private, 4-day-a-week, half day Pre-K. It was an older 4's, younger 5's class, designed for kids who just missed the kindergarten birthday cutoff or kids who just weren't quite ready for kindergarten yet. It gave him the opportunity to get used to the idea of school, improve his social skills, and get on the fast track with his language skills. All without too much academic pressure. And it created routine which he was desperate for. It was a perfect fit for him.
Before going to Ukraine, we said we'd wait several months before putting our child in any kind of preschool or kindergarten. But we quickly realized that it would be the best thing for him. The name of the game at the orphanage was ROUTINE. Everything happened at specific times, and the children knew what to expect. You can click HERE and read a post I did several months ago about William's need for routine.
We tried to explain to him (through our limited Russian & the help of a friend of the family who is fluent) that we would take him in the mornings and pick him up right after lunch. We took him twice in December to meet the teachers and kids. Both times he shed some silent tears. But by Day 2 of school in January, he was fine with it. (We'd also been taking him to church each Sunday, and I think that helped him understand that we'd always come back) By the second week, he was excited to go each day.
As for your 'legal' questions, we honestly didn't check other than seeing if we could get him in the Pre-K class. No harm no foul at this point, I guess. If you are concerned, I would suggest calling the local school district, stopping by your local elementary school, and also maybe visiting a private school, and just asking these questions.
Could [William] have gone to kindergarten when you got home last winter? Did you do any research on the requirements of school attendance in your state? I am not sure if we will be required by the state to put our child in school when we arrive home (if she is school age) since it will be late winter or early spring. We haven't gotten any answers. I researched our state's education website but not sure where to go next.
William was technically kindergarten age when we brought him home. We could have put him right into kindergarten, but we chose a different route. He'd never been in school before, so this was totally new for him.
Had we done public school, he would have gone for full days and we KNEW he wasn't ready for that. We could have put him in private half-day kindergarten, but he would have been one of the youngest in his class with his late-May birthday. And we would have been putting him in the class in January, half-way through the school year. There was enough to adjust to and we didn't want to make it any harder than it already was. I'm sure you've heard... kindergarten is the new first grade :)
Our decision? In early January we enrolled him in a private, 4-day-a-week, half day Pre-K. It was an older 4's, younger 5's class, designed for kids who just missed the kindergarten birthday cutoff or kids who just weren't quite ready for kindergarten yet. It gave him the opportunity to get used to the idea of school, improve his social skills, and get on the fast track with his language skills. All without too much academic pressure. And it created routine which he was desperate for. It was a perfect fit for him.
Before going to Ukraine, we said we'd wait several months before putting our child in any kind of preschool or kindergarten. But we quickly realized that it would be the best thing for him. The name of the game at the orphanage was ROUTINE. Everything happened at specific times, and the children knew what to expect. You can click HERE and read a post I did several months ago about William's need for routine.
We tried to explain to him (through our limited Russian & the help of a friend of the family who is fluent) that we would take him in the mornings and pick him up right after lunch. We took him twice in December to meet the teachers and kids. Both times he shed some silent tears. But by Day 2 of school in January, he was fine with it. (We'd also been taking him to church each Sunday, and I think that helped him understand that we'd always come back) By the second week, he was excited to go each day.
As for your 'legal' questions, we honestly didn't check other than seeing if we could get him in the Pre-K class. No harm no foul at this point, I guess. If you are concerned, I would suggest calling the local school district, stopping by your local elementary school, and also maybe visiting a private school, and just asking these questions.
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