A different kind of resolution

Every year about this time I am inspired by news agencies and websites that give a summary of events from the past year. 2011, the year in pictures. Top news stories of 2011. Famous people who died in 2011. You get the idea. Every year I want to do something similar... keep notes, a journal, a diary etc... to document the events of the coming year. And every December I look back and try to remember what happened during the past year because I (again) failed to document the events in writing. This year will be different! (Yeah, right!) because Sveta will be coming home. I am dedicated to it this time.

Here is my lame attempt at recalling some 2011 highlights (and some not-so-high-lights) for the Meyer Family.

January- Jessi and Barry announce their decision to adopt a little girl from Russia.

February- I turned 44 years old. I can tell you in all seriousness... this was my turning point. Meaning this is the year I actually began to feel my age. My vision and hearing are diminishing. My body aches most of the time. My memory is not as sharp as it once was. My hairline is receding at an alarming rate. Things are happening to my body that won't be mentioned on this blog.

April- We become members of the Bible Chapel of Delhi Hills. The church where Tami and I will attend the rest of our lives.

May 4th- Michael's lung collapses at school scaring the daylights out of everybody. He is in the hospital about a week.

June 2nd- Michael's lung collapses for a second time (again at school). Our early June cruise vacation is in serious jeopardy. The doctor says he'll need surgery after our vacation (If we go).

June 8th- Michael recovers in the nick of time and we leave for our vacation somewhat against the doctor's recommendation (he never ordered Michael NOT to go). Later that same day in Lebanon, Pennsylvania Michael experiences pain in his chest. We stop at a hospital fearing the worst. But it's only a false alarm resulting from a long day of driving.

June 9th-18th. Bermuda and Caribbean cruise goes off without a hitch. Michael has no problems with his lung. We had a wonderful time.

June 18th- We hit a deer in Zanesville, Ohio returning from vacation. Car damaged, but is still drivable. My amazing Father-in-Law fixed the damage at a greatly reduced price!

June 19th- Father's Day. Dinner at La Rosa's restaurant with Tami's parents is interrupted by Michael's third lung collapse. He was scheduled the next day for an appointment to set up the surgery for later in the week.

June 21st- Michael's lung is repaired via surgery and has had no further problems. Praise the Lord! He was in the hospital 8 or 9 days.

July 20th- Tami and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

August- I enter my 22nd year of teaching. Abby is a freshman. Michael is a senior.

September- I learn that legislation in Ohio officially passed changing my retirement plans. Formerly I was eligible to retire in 2020. New law extends my teaching career by 8 years. I'm still sick to my stomach over this.

October 1st- I launch this blog. A tremendous outlet for a silent and seemingly shallow guy.

November- A lot of time going through the ups and downs of the adoption process with Jess and Barry. Many roadblocks during this time.

November 12- Watched my niece Mary win a state soccer championship in Columbus with her team, Summit Country Day High School. This was quite a thrill for the entire Meyer family.

December 7- Jessi and Barry get the call informing them of a court date on the 23rd.

December 23- Court goes well and the Russian judge grants custody of Sveta to Jessi and Barry.

Christmas Holiday- Things feel different this year. The kids are older and we are distracted with Sveta's impending adoption. Great Christmas nonetheless. Decision made to leave tree and lights up until Sveta comes home to see them

December 31- I look back at 2011 remembering far more than I thought I would. Thanking God for his everlasting mercy and grace. As I typed this post I saw in text just how much God has blessed the Meyers this year. My prayer now is for Sveta to be home next month and for God's continued protection and blessing on this family.

Happy New Year everyone! May 2012 be your best ever. Thanks to anyone who checks this blog regularly. I'm flattered that anyone would care enough to read this drivel.

One secret to a happy marriage

I've been very happily married over 20 years. I guess this gives me the right to speak about one of the secrets of my good and happy marriage. About twice a year Tami and I take a little trip together. No kids. Usually it's around our anniversary in July and the week between Christmas and New Years Day. We just returned from our winter trip. We stayed in Knoxville, Tennessee and took a daytrip to Gatlinburg. Tami and I had a lot of time to talk and one of the things we discussed was the importance of these little trips. We agreed it's crucial for couples to take time away for themselves. Throughout the year that means taking the time to go on dates with your spouse. Going out to dinner or maybe a little shopping trip. Just a few hours to unwind, converse, reconnect and enjoy each other's company. Then occasionally taking off for a night or two. It's much easier to relax when you are not looking at housework, not worried about bills and not dealing with everyday life. Obviously this used to be more difficult because we had to find someone to care for the kids while away. Nowadays things are a lot simpler. Our kids are old enough and (more importantly) trustworthy enough to be left alone for a day or so. They even said they enjoyed a little bit of freedom and having the house to themselves. I have to tell you folks, it's a mighty good feeling knowing you can leave your kids alone in the house and not having to worry about them. We returned home to find the house just as we left it (except some dirty laundry and a considerable dent in the food supply). The bottom line is this... there's no shame in leaving your kids for a day or two. Whether you have to find a sitter or can leave them alone, they'll be no worse for the wear in your absence. Besides, did you ever consider maybe your kids need a break from you too? When mom and dad take time together, they're better off for it and the kids naturally benefit from having a couple of parents with recharged batteries. So there you have it, folks. One of my many secrets to a long and happy marriage. Take time to date your spouse and occasionally take some time away.

P.S.
How come nobody ever told me Gatlinburg is insanely busy at Christmas time? Wall to wall people would be a gross understatement. I mean, how many t-shirt shops, handmade crafts and Smoky Mountain candy kitchens can a person look at? And what's up with the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum? Frankly the only thing I can't believe is that people actually pay money to see that stuff. Sheesh!

Christmas Goose

I received a goose for Christmas. Not the kind of goose you'd find on the Cratchit's table in Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but a crystal goose from Russia. As many of you may recall, Sveta lives in a place called Gus Khrystalny. Literally translated it means "Crystal Goose". This small Russian town even has a museum dedicated to cut glass and crystal.

A few months back I expressed a desire to have a goose made of crystal. I said it would be a constant reminder of the beginnings of the life of my first grandchild. I received that goose today. Jessi and Barry brought it back from Russia. It will be displayed prominently in my home and I will treasure it forever.

2 out of 3 ain't bad

2 out of 3 ain't bad... but it ain't good either.

Jessi and Barry arrived home safely last night after a very long day of travel. But they arrived home without Sveta. The Russian Christmas and New Year celebration made staying in Russia impractical. There just would have been too much time with absolutely nothing to do. Therefore they flew home yesterday (Christmas Day) and will return in the middle of next month to complete the adoption process and finally bring Sveta home.

I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I am happy they are home and we may get to visit with them. On the other hand, I am disappointed the process is going to be delayed again by a few weeks. But at least the end is near... we are now talking weeks instead of months. Now there is no question of "if", but only of "when" Sveta will get home.

Merry Christmas

We spent Christmas morning at my in-laws house. My mother-in-law cooked an incredible breakfast for the whole family. We returned home mid-afternoon. The rest of the day was spent in quiet relaxation. There was very little excitement to our time after returning home. This is not a bad thing at all. Peace and quiet on Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas just isn't the same...

It's Christmas Eve. We just returned from our church's candlelight service. It was truly beautiful and helped our family remain focused on the true reason for the Christmas holiday. Tami and I have been marveling lately at how Christmas just isn't the same anymore. When the kids were small their excitement would build over wondering what was in the brightly wrapped packages under the tree. On Christmas morning the kids would tear into them like crazy. As they got a little older some of the excitement had begun to fade, but there was still some magic in Christmas. Today, Jessi is married and has a life of her own. Michael and Abby are teenagers and the thrill of receiving gifts is all but gone. It's the natural order of things I suppose. But kind of sad really...

This is another reason we are so eager to get our Sveta home. We know that Sveta and subsequent grandchildren will bring a revival of sorts to the wonder of Christmas. I can't wait to see young grandchildren opening gifts from Grammy and Grampy and squealing with delight. I can't wait to see their eyes as big as pie plates when they see the multitude of lights and Christmas decorations. Please don't misunderstand. I know Christmas is not about gifts. It's not about lights and decorations. But there will be definite joy in watching our grandchildren experience all of this. Then when all the excitement has died down, we'll settle in, Read Luke 2 and thank the Lord for our family and remember the best Christmas gift of all... Our Lord and Savior, Jesus. I am certainly looking forward to that day.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign unto you: You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men". Luke 2:11-14

The Russian Judge said...

The Russian Judge said, "Da!". That means "yes" in Russian. She granted custody of Sveta to Jessi and Barry. We now have a granddaughter! Praise the Lord! If you're interested in the details of the court hearing, view Jessi and Barry's blog to the right under "Blogs I follow".

The only difference now is the waiting period. Apparently as of January 1, 2012, the law will be changed from a waiting period of 10 days to 30 days. That means Jessi and Barry will fly home to the United States on Christmas Day without Sveta. Then they will return in mid-January to begin filing paperwork for her passport and visa to leave the country. Why not begin filing paperwork immediately you ask? Good question. It's because the Russians celebrate Christmas on January 7th. And just like the U.S., everything (including all government offices and business) comes to a grinding halt for the holidays.

I'm not sure if getting the ruling prior to January 1st, allows them to avoid the 30 day waiting period or not. Right now details are a bit sketchy, but here is what I know... Jessi and Barry fly home December 25th. Jessi will fly back to Russia alone on January 9th or 10th to get started on paperwork. Barry will join her in Russia on or about the 19th. The amount of time it takes to receive the passport will determine when they get to bring Sveta home for good. This could take some time as you may guess... government red tape is not limited to the good ol' USA.


Thanks for all your prayers everybody. We'll keep you posted of further developments.

I feel SO old

Last night we took a little trip to Half Price Books just for kicks. They have a little bit of everything... books, CDs, Old VHS tapes, magazines, novelties and... old vinyl record albums. We were all browsing through the dusty old records when Michael took one out of its sleeve and said, "So THIS is what a record looks like!". It blew me away that he had never seen a record before. He then asked a bunch of questions that seemed so comical to Tami and me. He wanted to know if there was a specific place on the record to place the needle to get the record to play. He wanted to know if there was something wrong with it because it was so flimsy and floppy. I explained that records are made of vinyl which is much more flexible than the space age material CDs are made of. I also showed him how you could look at the record and see the divisions between the songs on the surface of the vinyl. In the end we all had a good laugh about how kids today have no idea what records are or how they work. After the laughing died down I wandered the aisles of the store alone and I began to feel very old. My son is going to college next year, My eldest daughter is on the other side of the world getting ready to bring my first grandchild home and my youngest daughter reminded me that she can get her drivers learning permit in 6 months. Perhaps I should start making plans for my mid-life crisis. Should I get a BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes or a Porsche?

Russia Update

I will not attempt to summarize the first day or so of Jessi and Barry's trip to adopt Sveta. If you are interested in the details, you can find a link to their blog on the right side of my blog under "Blogs I follow". It's called "A path home". Barry posted a good summary of their trip to date. Check it out...

FIREBALL

There are many adjectives used to describe a child with a lot of energy. She's active, she's energetic, she's spunky, she's full of personality, she's a pistol, she's somethin' else.

I haven't met Sveta yet. The only way I know her is through the 10 minute video taken back in April. I've literally seen it dozens of times. No matter how many times I watch it, the same word keeps coming to my mind to describe my sweet little Sveta. I just keep saying, "She's a ball of fire!". It's for this very reason I've already decided to call her FIREBALL. This could all change once I've spent some time with her. Isn't that how nicknames are born anyway? But for now she's my little Fireball... and believe me, the name fits.

They made it!

Rather than type my own update, I just copied and pasted the latest from Jessi's blog...

Our flights were just fine...and customs took no time at all...neither did passport control. Barry and I have not been able to sleep much...so pray we can tonight.

We just pulled into Vladimir and are headed to our home away from home for a while. More later when We settle.

Praise the Lord! They are one step closer to bringing Sveta home.

Today's the day

Today's the day Jessi and Barry leave for Russia. They fly out of CVG early this afternoon. Once arriving in Russia, they will get to visit with Sveta Monday through Thursday before the court date on Friday the 23rd. After the court date there is a 10 day waiting period. This waiting period is designed to give the biological parents the opportunity to change their minds. However, Sveta has already been turned over to the state, so it seems the waiting period is a legal formality at this point. But... we will keep praying until Sveta is safe at home with her Mama and Papa.

Christmas Traditions

Most families have them. Some families have more than others. Some are fun. Some are serious. Some are downright silly. I'm talking about Christmas traditions.

Growing up on Sullivan Avenue in St. Bernard, my parents had some neat things we did every year. Driving around looking at Christmas lights, the "Mystery Gift" and listening to Dad's 8 track Christmas tapes as we decorated the tree. I have nothing but fond memories of the Christmases spent with my parents and two siblings. In addition, every Christmas Eve would be spent with my Grandma and Grandpa Meyer at their house in Mt. Healthy. A few blocks up the street from their house was the manger located at the Paul R. Young funeral home. We'd visit the manger EVERY YEAR! What's the big deal you ask? Mangers are a dime a dozen at Christmas time, right? Right, but this one is special. Many years ago Paul Young created very life-like wax figures for the manger in front of the funeral home. He placed them in a barn-like structure made of wood and straw. There were live sheep and donkeys too. I'm telling you, it was something I looked forward to every year. The place was magical and it still is.

When I started dating Tami in 1989, I wanted to take her and Jessi to this magical place. We went that first year together and have not missed a Christmas since. It's one of our most special traditions. Of course, Michael and Abby have now been many times as well. I remember one year, the weather was particularly nasty. The roads were snowy, icy and treacherous. We told the kids we probably wouldn't be able to visit the manger. Michael nearly came unglued. Christmas (in his mind) could not happen without this traditional trek. Guess what we did? We packed the kids in the car and slipped and slid to the manger. Who am I to deny my children the wonder of Christmas? I don't regret it. Especially since it reinforces the true meaning of the Christmas season. The birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

We have another tradition too. Every year we visit two houses that go all out with their Christmas light displays. They are within a stone's throw of each other and call themselves the North Pole and the South Pole. Both places you park the car and walk through the yards looking at the displays. The North Pole even has a garage set up as Santa's Workshop. You walk in to be greeted by electric trains and about a million christmas toys and decorations. Our kids love it to this day.

Tonight Tami and I will make this trip for the 23rd time together. Michael and Abby look forward to it every year. Jessi used to love it too, but she has a family of her own now and lives an hour away. I'm already making plans to take our Sveta to the manger, the North Pole and the South Pole next year. This tradition that began when I was a small boy will very soon be carried on with my granddaughter and hopefully many more grandchildren in the future. I can't wait for that!

A Happy Goodbye

Today we said our goodbyes to Jessi and Barry. It was the last time we'd see them before they fly to Russia. They fly out Saturday afternoon and will get to visit with Sveta for several days before the court date. The court date is scheduled for December 23rd at 10:00 A.M. (That will be 1 A.M. here at home. Basically that's late Thursday night, into Friday morning for us.)

I never thought I'd say I was happy to say goodbye to my daughter and son-in-law. Especially knowing I will not see them for Christmas or The New Year. Knowing I may not see them until February. But I was thrilled to see them go. Thrilled because I know when they get home, they will have my granddaughter in tow. It blows my mind to think I'm going to be somebody's Grandpa. Sveta and I are going to have such grand times together. Swimming, fishing, picking flowers, shopping for toys or any number of other fun things. Whatever she wants to do, we'll do it. It's going to be a long wait, but I'm guessing the time will go quickly. As my Grandma Meyer used to say, "It won't be as long as it has been". That saying never made complete sense to me, but now it does. It's been a long wait, but now that wait is almost over.

Sveta, your Dadushka is at home waiting for you. I can't wait to meet you and wrap my arms around you.

I'm not jealous

A professional baseball player just signed a 10 year, 250 million dollar contract. That's 25 million bucks a year for the next 10 years. Albert Pujols, arguably one of the best players to come along in a very long time will make $68k per day for the next ten years. That's per day, folks. Not per week, not per month... per DAY. Even when he is not playing, he makes $68,000 in a days time. Breaking down the baseball season, he will make $154,000 per game. That's approximately $50,000 an hour for a game that lasts approximately 3 hours. Taking it even further, that's approximately $10,000 every time he comes to bat. He makes the money whether he hits a home run or strikes out. Even the best hitters only get a hit 30%-40% of the time.

Am I the only one who thinks this is totally ridiculous? Believe me, I'm not speaking out of jealousy. I am content. I am more than satisfied with what The Lord has graciously provided for me and my family. I am simply marveling at the absurdity of all this. The world is so out of whack, I don't even know what to say...

As I read somewhere this week... "Money can't buy you happiness, but you can rent a smile for a very long time." I don't quote this because I think it's true. I quote this because I found it humorous. Money won't fulfill us. We think it will, but it won't. If I had an extra $10,000 this year, would I do something honorable with it? Honestly, probably not. I'd most likely fritter it away on something I didn't need. The point being... there is only One who can fulfill. Jesus is the constant. Everything else is just stuff.

Mr. Pujols, congratulations on landing the second largest contract in baseball history. I have no idea how many gazillion dollar houses you will buy with all that cash. However, as for me and my house, we will serve The Lord. Joshua 24:15

Court Date GRANTED!

It's always darkest before the dawn. Just when I thought the Russian adoption process would never move forward, God decided to show me how wrong I was and how great He is. On Wednesday morning, Jessi called and uttered the words I have yearned to hear for ever so long. "We have a court date!". I was at school at the time and I nearly broke down into tears of joy right there. However, I held it together and just said how happy I was. I felt like the expectant grandfather whose pregnant daughter had just gone into labor. All I could think was, "This is REALLY going to happen!".

At this point it looks as if Jessi and Barry will fly on December 17th or 18th. They will stand before the Russian judge on the 22nd or 23rd. What incredible news! Just in time for Christmas.

Just when my sweet Sveta will get home is difficult to say. Jessi and Barry will be in Russia for 4-6 weeks. I'm very eager for Sveta to get here, but now that I know something I feel like I can wait for that incredible day when I first get to meet my granddaughter.

This is proof positive... prayer works. God deserves all the glory in this adoption and He shall have it. Praise the Lord for what he has done so far and praise be to God for what He will do on the final leg of this long journey. Thank you to all who prayed with us during this time.

No news is...

As the saying goes... No news is good news. This is not the case today. Jessi reports that she has heard absolutely nothing from Russia and isn't even sure the judge granted "V" an appointment to see him. We know just as much today as we knew yesterday, last week and last month... NOTHING! If you think my words sound impatient, you're correct. It's difficult to wait. It's difficult thinking we may finally move forward and then nothing happens. Here's a snippet from Jessi's blog that may give you some insight...

Every day I wake up, I realize that my little girl is waking from a nap, and preparing to eat dinner…a dinner that probably won’t fill her completely as is eerily similar to the lunch she ate earlier. Then she will play alone, or with children that are younger than her, and she will go to bed: without a bedtime story, without a kiss on the forehead, without a prayer, without being tucked in by a loving parent.

This is why I want Sveta to come home so badly. I know what her life is like in a Russian orphanage, and I know what her life will be like here. My heart breaks for the wait Jessi and Barry are enduring. It breaks for Sveta who is missing another day of unconditional love.

As is always the case, you look for something positive when things seem bleak. Jessi also reports that a team from the Boaz Project is planning a trip to Gus Khrystalny later in the month and will be able to check on Sveta. It's not the same as having her home, but at least they can have a first hand account of her well being. We have to latch onto these nuggets and keep praying. Praying continually for my granddaughter, for the judge, for Jessi and Barry. I love you, Sveta. I've never met you, but I love you more than I ever felt possible.

Keep Praying!

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the day, "V", the in-country liason travels to Vladimir to request a court date for Jessi and Barry. Please pray that "V" is able to speak with the judge and he allows Jessi and Barry to have a court date very soon. The quicker they have a court date, the quicker our dear Sveta can come home where she belongs. This has been a very long, drawn out process. There has been one stumbling block after another. But we know it will all be worth it when she gets here. I know I sound like an expectant grandfather (that's because I am!), but I am growing more and more eager with anticipation as I await her arrival. Please everyone, keep praying.

We'll leave the "Lights" on for you

Today was the day I put up all the exterior Christmas lights. I got a late start, had multiple interruptions and encountered many more difficulties than usual when nearly half my strands didn't work. I strongly considered just giving up and not decorating outside this year. After all, my kids are now in high school and don't seem to mind if the lights go up or not. They both refused my requests for help with the project anyway. However, I decided to press on.

Things progressed very slowly as I encountered problem after problem. I was about to throw in the towel again when my neighbor came over to chat and check out my work. I mentioned my shortage of working strands of lights. She said she had two brand new strands that she didn't want and asked if I wanted them. As it turned out, it was exactly what I needed to successfully complete the project. 7 hours later, the house was glowing with several thousand twinkling lights.

As we have decorated our home to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our family has decided to leave the christmas tree and lights up until Sveta gets home from Russia. We hope and pray the decorations aren't up for too long after the new year, but we are committed to leaving them up for as long as it takes. I really don't want to take the lights down in the warmth of spring or the heat of summer... but I will if it takes that long for her to get home.

As I was hanging the lights on the gutter and draping the bushes with sparkling strands, all I could think of was seeing Sveta's face filled with wonder as she sees Grandma and Grandpa's house for the first time. That will make every bit of my troubles worth it.

So, Sveta, my love, hurry home to see grandma and grandpa's Christmas tree and pretty decorations. We'll leave the "Lights" on for you.

Ballerinas, tutus and men in tights

Our school took the students on a field trip to see the Nutcracker Ballet at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. This is not the Cincinnati Ballet Company at Music Hall, but it featured some really talented kids. I must confess I was very skeptical going in. Ballerinas in tutus, men in tights showing way more than I care to see, sugar plum fairies prancing and twirling around the stage. It was 2 hours long and I was dreading trying to keep my wild savages from bouncing off the walls. Much to my pleasant surprise it was actually a very good show. It kept the attention of my students and it kept my attention too. Cool costumes, some neat dancing, pretty scenery and some wonderful music. I'm not saying I'm buying season tickets to the ballet, but I consider myself a little more cultured today.

I'm sure you've all heard portions of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. Parts of this very famous piece of music are heard in many movies, TV shows, commercials and practically every shopping mall in the world at Christmas time.

We had a good time, but I really could have done without seeing guys in tights. That's just gross!