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.