Days of Firsts

Michael and Matthew have been home for 6 days.  Everything is going really well and they seem to be adjusting better than we could have ever expected!   They both continue to eat and sleep well and LOVE to play with all their siblings and mommy and daddy. 

They have had many 'Firsts' these past 6 days.  Here are some of their 'Firsts' that I captured in pictures:

First birthday celebration.  Matthew celebrating Rachel's 11th Birthday

Michael and Justin waiting to celebrate Rachel's 11th Birthday

Matthew's First Christmas...not sure where Michael's picture went.  I'll find it and post it later.

Michael's First Ride in a car during the day.  He LOVES riding in the car.  Michael is in an infant car seat because of his small size.

Matthew's first ride in a car during the day.  He LOVES riding in the car, too!  Matthew is in an infant car seat because of his small size.

First Dental visit ~ Thank you Dr. Mahaney!  Visit went very well.  A little crying but that actually helped Dr. Mahaney take a good look at their teeth since their mouths were WIDE open.

First trip to Target.  They seemed to love walking around the store and seeing all the people and sights.

Ladies passing by INSISTED they take this 'family' picture of the "Triplets" on their first outing.

Michael's First teeth brushing...ever! He did NOT like it one bit!

Matthew's First teeth brushing....ever!  He tolerated it.

First Doctor's visit ~ Thank you Dr. Gray.  The visit went great!  No tears and just a little apprehension with the exam.

WONDERFUL staff at Dr. Gray's office!  It warmed our hearts to see all the staff loving on our boys and celebrating their arrival!

Home at last

Home at last...in pictures.  Enjoy!

Awesome sign Rachel and Kayla!

Anxiously waiting

 

Greeting Jeff and Michael

 First Kiss to Michael!

 First Kiss to Matthew!

Matthew all tuckered out

Justin's first touch to Matthew

Holding Michael for the first time

First nuzzle

Holding Matthew for the first time

Holding Matthew for the first time

 First family photo!

(Minus Wes)

HOME!

 Gotcha Day pic from Tuesday, 12-21-10!

The boys are HOME!  We had a tear filled and joyous time at the airport.  What a precious moment it was to finally meet our boys, kiss and hold them!!!   A dear friend joined us and she took some fabulous pictures of our first meeting....thank you, Bethann!!!  As soon as I receive the pictures, I will post a few on the blog.


We traveled the 20 minute drive home with ease.  Matthew and Michael both did very well in their car seats.  Neither had ever sat or been buckled into car seats.  When we got home, we fed all the little boys, Justin, Michael and Matthew,  and put them to bed for some much needed rest!  Both Matthew and Michael slept all night long until 9:00am this morning.  Justin slept a little longer.

Michael sleeping his first night home!

Matthew sleeping his first night home

Both boys are eating very well.  I'm making them a mixture of Alimentum, mommy's milk, electrolytes plus I am adding oatmeal to Michael's bottle since he is used to a thicker consistency.  We are feeding them 6 oz every 3 hours during the day and so far they are eating everything we have offered!  Praising God for that!  They are both extremely malnourished and dehydrated.  Please pray for their health and that they will continue to take in fluids well.

 Mommy feeding Michael

Our three little boys seem to love each other!  They are playing very well together and even sharing toys this Christmas morning.

What a wonderful Christmas we are having today!!!  We wish you all a very Merry Christmas as well!!

Off to pick up Jeff and the kids....

In 30 minutes I will leave to pickup Jeff and all the kids!!  I have not heard from Jeff since 3:15 this morning so I'm believing and praying all is well and they will arrive in Lubbock on time!


Thank you to all who have prayed with our family during this adoption.   Your prayers were certainly heard and felt!

**URGENT** Pray for Michael

It's 3:17am our time and Jeff just called me.  He and the kids are seated on the plane to Chicago getting ready to take off.  Michael is crying.  Nonstop.  Jeff does not no what is wrong.  Jeff has given him pain reliever, Benadryl and gas medicine.   Please pray for Michael, that whatever is causing him to cry will stop and that he will be comforted by Jeff.  Pray that the plane will take off despite Michael's crying so they can get to the States.

Up, up and away......ALMOST HOME!

Jeff, Holly, Jason, Matthew and Michael are in the air flying to Frankfurt Germany right now!  They will have a three hour layover and then on to Chicago, USA!!!!


They will have a 2 1/2 hour layover in Chicago and then fly to Dallas where they will make a mad dash to another airport, catch another flight and one hour later, arrive in Lubbock!!!! 


20 hours and they will be home!

Praising God, Michael ate!

Just talked to Jeff.  He said Michael ate about 5 oz of the potato slurry that he made!  Thank you, God!  

They will leave Kiev in 10 hours and head home arriving in Lubbock at 8:35 pm Thursday, Christmas Eve!!!

Both boys are coughing rattly coughs so Jeff put them both on antibiotics.  They will be fine as they are in the best of hands; Jeff's and Gods!  

Jeff discovered that Matthew has at least one rotted tooth.  It's down to the nub and bleeding.  Michael has almost no teeth and we suspect they have already rotted and fallen out.  It's been a challenge to assess his remaining teeth, but we suspect they are rotten as well.  Incredibly sad what these precious babies have suffered.  Tooth pain would explain why Michael does not want to eat.  Jeff is giving them Ibuprofen for the tooth pain. Rest assured, we will be taking them to a pediatric dentist as soon as they are home!


Prayer request:


1. For clear sky's and airport runways free of ice an snow on each leg of the trip so they can get home
2. For Michael to continue to eat/drink
3. For rest for everyone on the plane
4. For no tooth pain for the boys
5. For healing for both boys coughs, Jason and Holly as well, they are also coughing

Prayer request for Michael

As of right now, Michael refuses to eat or drink.  It has been 23 hours since he last took a bottle.  Jeff has tried different bottles, different nipples, formula, juice, water and electrolytes.  They have tried letting Holly feed him thinking he might take food from a female better....no!   Jeff is now squirting small amounts of liquids into Michael's mouth through a little medicine dropper several times an hour.  He's still refusing it and it all runs out.


Jeff is going to the store right now and will buy some oatmeal and potatoes to make a potato slurry similar to what Michael had in the orphanage.  Please pray Michael will take this!

Michael may be 4 but he has never been offered solid food.  That is why Jeff is concentrating on feeding him from a bottle.  That is all he knows.  He has also never been offered milk products.  Offering Michael milk products, not knowing if he is allergic, could be dangerous.  Our youngest birth son is allergic to milk products and it landed him in the ER once so Jeff will reserve this option as a last resort.


Matthew on the other hand is taking his bottle like a champ!  Praise God!!!

Random Pictures of Ukraine

While I am waiting for new pictures of the boys to come in, I thought it would be fun to put up some random pictures that Jeff and the kids have taken in Kiev, Ukraine.  You can click on each picture to enlarge it.

There is such poverty here, the orphanages struggle to get food, supplies and medicines, yet the public buildings, at least in Kiev, are very lavish. 

 

Down in the region our boys are from, the public buildings were not nearly as lavish and private homes are virtually non-existent.  Everyone seems to live in huge apartment complexes.  These pictures are from in region:

~ GOTCHA ~

Gotcha Day!

Today at 7:30pm Ukraine time, Matthew and Michael left the orphanage for the very LAST TIME!    

Orphans no more!

Michael Scott Hannon and Matthew Scott Hannon are FREE!

Jeff, Holly and Jason spent the entire day running around with our facilitator, Luda, doing paperwork, filling out documents, gathering official papers and driving through fog so thick it was blinding.  In the end, they went to the orphanage to pick up the boys at 7:00pm where the nanny's lovingly dressed our boys for the last time and then they were out the door in less than 30 minutes.  No time for pictures.  No time for anything.  It was a scoop and run Gotcha Day!

They had tickets for the 8:00pm train and the driver got them to the train station in the nick of time!  The boys were already tired, rubbing their little eyes and ready for a good nights sleep.  Jeff said they both have colds with a cough.  Thank goodness Jeff is the king of medicine.  He literally took medicine for just about any symptom...they are in good hands!  I can't wait to hear more about their Gotcha Day adventure! 

Once they arrive in Kiev tomorrow morning, the whole crew will go directly to the US Embassy to start the Visa appointments to come home.  Jeff will call me as soon as they get settled into their apartment after the Visa appointment.

Prayer requests:

1. That all can rest on the train

2. That the Visa Appt. goes smoothly, without hitch

3. That Matthew and Michael will accept food from Jeff, Holly and Jason to stay fed and hydrated

4. That Michael and Matthew's illnesses go away quickly

5. That Matthew and Michael are not scared and feel the love of their daddy and are comforted

6. That the weather on all legs of the return trip home clears and they get home safely

TWO HOURS...until Jeff gets our boys!

I just talked to Jeff and they were on the last of the paper chase....passports!  He, Holly and Jason will then be driven the two hours back to the orphanage and.....PICK UP OUR BOYS!  This is Gotcha Day!!!


Praise our Father!  Glory to God!  

This is James 14:18 in the flesh!
"I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you".  

I pray you, too, will submit and be the hands and feet of Jesus in the ways asked of you.  Not everyone is called to adopt, but everyone has a calling.  Listen.  Go.  Be obedient.  Grow and stretch in Christ. Be the hands and feet of our Savior in the ways that He calls you.


Two hours....

Counting down the days until we get our boys.....ONE DAY!

In ONE day, we will have our boys!  24 hours!  One more sunset! One more sunrise!  ONE more day!


Jeff and the kids were able to take most of today to rest and tour some of Kiev.  They then boarded the overnight train for a 12 hour trip to the city our boys are in at about 6:20 local time and they were off.  It has been snowing and is bitterly cold so the scenery literally looks like a winter wonder land, beautiful!!  When I last talked with them, the train had just pulled out of the train station and they were traveling through Kiev going over a very large and beautiful river. It was already dark there but the lights from the city were reflecting off of the snow and they could clearly see the river and surrounding landscape.  It sounded so pretty!


They are traveling second class on the train so everyone can be in the same car all together.  Each train car in second class has 4 beds, two on each wall with a little walk-way down the middle.  First class cars only have two beds so must be a bit more roomy.  When they get to The City, they will begin a whirlwind of paper chasing going from place to place, from one birth city to another and then over to the orphanage to pick up the boys right before heading back to the train station to catch the return train back up to Kiev.


They will spend two days in Kiev, Dec. 22 and 23rd, doing US Embassy stuff ( medicals/visas/paperwork) and then fly HOME on Dec. 24!!!  If all goes as planned, and we are believing and praying it will, they will arrive in Lubbock at 8:35pm on Christmas Eve!!!!!  

I am fixing to meet my boys for the very first time on Friday!!  They will meet their mommy for the very first time as well!!  This feels exactly the same as when I was anticipating the birth of our birth children.  The excitement, the wonder, the anticipation of holding my children in my arms for the very first time after having waited 9 long months for this day.....yes, 9 months!  I will be able to look into my boys eyes, kiss their sweet little cheeks, drink in their sweetness and hold them in my arms on Friday.....yes, it really has been 9 months since we first joined Reece's Rainbow!


ONE MORE DAY!

Answered Prayers via stand-by tickets during mass confusion

Once again, our precious Father has shown his mighty power and opened up 3 seats on a plane to Kiev!  Thank you, thank you!


Jeff, Holly and Jason's original flight to Kiev was canceled due to a powerful snow storm that virtually shut down the Frankfurt airport. After waiting 14 hours, making countless phone calls, running from one terminal to another doing everything humanly possible to get out....it was God who so simply paved the way for them to go stand-by and catch the last flight out of Frankfurt, Germany!  WOW!!  I am in awe of how effortless God moves mountains.  

Due to hundreds of cancellations and delays, masses of people were trying to get on planes, riots were taking place, police were trying to take back the airport and mass confusion was everywhere.  Jeff took the kids to a quite gate and waited out the hysteria in safety.  This gate happened to be the exact gate the last flight out of Frankfurt was to leave from.  Not and accident!  

Jeff waited in line for an hour and a half for boarding passes and he received them and now they are on their way to Kiev.  They should arrive there about 2:00am Kiev time and be able to go to the apartment and get some much needed rest before going to catch a 12 hour train ride to the city our boys are in.  They will make their Tuesday 8:00am appointment at the courthouse after all.


Two more days!  In two days our boys will be forever free.

Temporarily stuck in Germany due to winter storm....2 days until we go get our boys!

Jeff and the kids are temporarily stuck in Germany due to a winter storm that dumped over 8 inches of snow at the Frankfurt airport overnight.  Lufthansa only has stand-by flights available and there are literally about one hundred passengers ahead of Jeff standing by for flights to Kiev tonight.

We would very much appreciate your prayers and standing in agreement with us concerning this.   Jeff needs to get out today so he can get our boys out of the orphanage at the end of our 10-day wait Tuesday.  This is in God's hands now and we will trust in His timing!

Calling all Prayer Warriors...Count Down 3 days

We need you, Prayer Warriors!  It is 3 days until Jeff picks up our boys from the orphanage and the Devil is not liking this one bit. I have two urgent prayer requests:

1. Our family is under attack health wise and the devil is working over time to stop Jeff and the kids in their tracks.  Please join us in praying right now and standing in agreement that the devil is not welcomed in our family, in our bodies, in this adoption at all and that in the name of Jesus and by His stripes we are healed!

2.  There has been a huge snow storm in Germany and Ukraine that is delaying flights and closing airports.  Jeff and the kids will fly into Frankfurt, Germany tonight and then on to Ukraine a few hours later.  Both airports have seen hundreds of delays and cancellations.  Please pray for clear weather so they can land/take off safely and make their appointments to get our boys out.

And they're off....Count Down...4 days

In 4 days Jeff will rescue our boys from the orphanage!


Jeff, Holly and Jason are off to begin trip # 2.  Today is actually a very big day for Jason because he took his first plane ride.  All went well, no nerves and lots of excitement!  Today is also the day after Holly's 17th birthday....Happy Birthday, Holly!

The one thing our US and UA teams have stressed is to "Pack light."  We tried, we really, really did!  Yet, somehow, we still ended up with 3 carry-ons, 3 personal bags (backpacks) and one medium sized checked bag plus the umbrella stroller.  I don't know how people pack lighter, seriously!  We only packed the bare basics for 5 people and still ended up with all that luggage. 

I will finish preparing our home for Matthew and Michael this week while Jeff and the kids are gone.  We still need to get the new carpet installed and I'll try to schedule the installers to come do that this next week.  Can't have three littles crawling on cold cement floors!  Getting things done this week has been a bit challenging because some kind of 'bug' has been going from person to person in our house for the past week or so despite our being very vigilant about washing hands/sanitizing, etc.  Justin is having a fever for the very first time in his life.  Since his open-heart-surgery, since birth actually, we have focused on trying to keep him healthy.   This little first is somewhat challenging to not let fear take over.  He'll be fine, he'll be fine, he'll be fine.....  I'm praying this bug will be flushed out of our home well before the boys get here!

Count Down .....6 days

In 6 days, we will walk our boys out of the orphanage for the last time!


God certainly DID have a surprise for us this morning.  He opened up flights left and right for Jeff, Holly and Jason to be able to travel from Lubbock to Kiev..and they leave a day EARLIER then we had hoped for!  Of course, the God who built the universe can open up 3 rides to Eastern Europe and 5 rides back, and He did!


Jeff and the kids will board a plane and travel to Dallas on Friday, Dec. 17 where they will have about a 12 hour lay-over over night.  We have family in Dallas, so they will spend the night with my Aunt Kathy (who is actually more like a sister since we are so close in age :-)


They will then board another plane in Dallas and arrive in Kiev 18 hours later.  They will have a few hours in Kiev to grab a bite to eat, relax, and tour the city before hopping on the over-night train to The City for a 12 hour ride.  It will be an amazing adventure that is for sure. 

Prayer requests for this trip:


1. Safe, uneventful travels with good weather with no delays

2. To get ALL necessary documents and paperwork COMPLETED in The City on Dec. 21, go get the boys out of the orphanage, GOTCHA DAY!, and be able to travel back to Kiev the evening of Dec. 21.


3. To finish all documents/Visa's/medical check-up's at the US Embassy Dec. 22 &23

4. To be able to make their scheduled flight out of Kiev back to USA Dec. 24 and arrive HOME later Dec. 24.

Counting Down.....7 days

7 days until the actual day we free Matthew and Michael from the orphanage!  ONE WEEK!


4 days until we need to leave to began our trip.  We were supposed to finalize our travel arrangements for the second trip today but it has proven to be quite a challenge getting us to Kiev from Lubbock on such short notice and so close to the Christmas holidays.  We still have no tickets.  Please pray something opens up and we can get there in time to get the boys out on Dec. 21!  God knows we need to get there so we are asking Him to open up the way and make this happen. 

We are excited to see what God has for us in the morning and are continuing on with our packing and planning!

Counting down....8 days

8 days until we bust the boys out of the orphanage!


Jeff and the girls arrived home safely this morning.  They had a 24 hour layover in Houston but that actually worked out great because they got to go spend the night with my sister and her family and visit.  Everyone was extremely tired and a bit jet lagged but holding up very well.   Excitement and joy filled our house as Jeff, Kayla and Rachel unpacked and we all began to talk about their Ukrainian adventure.  What neat stories that have to tell!!


Now we start to gather things for the second trip.  And, cannot forget that the we are putting in new carpet Thursday!  We'll be pretty busy for the next 5 days while we wait out the rest of the 10-day wait, which is a good thing because the time will seem to pass faster.  It seems a little unreal that we will have our boys in 8 days!  Dec. 21 cannot get here fast enough!

We went to church this evening and they threw us the most precious diaper shower for Matthew and Michael.  I am floored at the generosity of the body of Christ!  The love they showed us through packs of diapers and money tree just overwhelmed us.  We received 13 bags of size 2 diapers and 21 packs of size 3 diapers, 6 boxes of baby wipes and several other sweet gifts in addition to the money tree.  We had the best punch and cupcakes I believe I have ever eaten!!  Thank you all so much for loving on us with this shower!  Everything was just perfect!!!

Counting down the days...9 days until we "Getcha"

In 9 days we will go pick up our boys and walk out of the orphanage for the very last time.  In the world of international adoption this is called "Gotcha Day"!  It's the day we get the boys, Gotcha!  Our Gotcha Day will happen Dec. 21.  I hope to be able to ask the orphanage workers about the boys' care, schedules and watch them being fed.  Ideally, it would be great to feed them ourselves before we leave the orphanage so they know it is okay to accept food from us.I would like to see their beds and how they were put down for naps and bedtime.  I would like to see how they were bathed and changed.  Not that I am going to do any of the things the way the orphanage workers did, but it would just be nice to know because it might explain some things that may come up once home. 




I wish we could somehow help our boys ahead of time understand just what leaving the orphanage with us means.  They have seen kids being taken away through the very doors we will walk through.  They have heard their cries and sensed the fear.  A few have been adopted by families but most have been transferred, taken away against their will, going to a place full of strangers with no hope.  I wish we could help our boys understand that this is not their fate, that they are safe in our arms and there is nothing to be afraid of when we go get them on Gotcha Day.  Your prayers for this day, that our boys will  feel comfort, have peace and no fear, are greatly appreciated.


We will fly back to Kiev around Dec. 19 and arrive the afternoon of the 20th and take the overnight train that night to The City arriving at 7:00am Dec. 21.  From what our facilitator is telling us, we will only be in The City for one day.  We will have a lot of running around to do this day with getting the court decree, birth certificates, tax ID's, closing bank accounts, getting passports for the boys and then the most important, Gotcha Day!


We'll then run catch the overnight train back up to Kiev for the US Embassy appointments Dec. 22 and 23 which entails medical exams for the boys and Visa processing.  We should fly out of Kiev and head back home early Dec. 24 and arrive in the US later in the afternoon of the 24th due to the time change.  What a wonderful Christmas present to have our boys home for Christmas!!!!!!

You are FREE!

Well, hello, our brand new sons!  Today is very special because it is the day you 'officially' became our sons!  You have actually been our sons in our hearts ever since we laid eyes on you but today it became official!  Today, you are part of a family....our family!


What does it mean to be part of our family:


It means you are FREE!


Free from being an orphan,
Free from your cribs, 
Free from the orphanage walls, 
Free from boredom, 
Free from hunger, 
Free from filth, 
Free from loneliness, 
Free from being too cold and not warmed, 
Free from being too hot and not cooled, 
Free from being wet and not dried,
Free from wearing the same clothes for months,
Free from eating the same food for years,
Free from cries and moans in the distance,
Free from fear of being transferred.
Free from death in the next crib,


It means you are FREE to:


Cry and be comforted,
Cry and be fed,
Cry and be changed,
Explore your world,
Play with toys,
Listen to music,
Try new foods,
Take a bath,
Walk barefoot outside,
Ride on horses,
Pet dogs and cats,
Learn to read,
Learn to write,
Learn about God,
Love and be loved.




Today, you have a family....forever! We love you Michael and Matthew! 


All our love,
Daddy, Mommy, Wesley, Kayla, Holly, Jason, Rachel and Justin

TWO LESS ORPHANS.....

Introducing: Michael Scott Hannon and Matthew Scott Hannon!

At 3:30pm Ukraine time two little orphans became two little Hannons. They also became sons, grandsons, great-grandsons, nephews, cousins, neighbors, friends....

Thank you all for your prayers! God is so wonderfully mighty! He flung open doors for this adoption to happen. And here we are with TWO LESS ORPHANS in this world!  Did you notice I said UKRAINE!   Yes, Matthew and Michael are orphans no more in Ukraine!   Now that we are legally their parents I can say where they are. 

Court was at 2:00pm Ukraine time and lasted about 45 minutes.  There were 9 people in the room: Jeff, Luda our facilitator, the judge, a prosecutor, a bailiff,a couple of jurors, the orphanage representative, and a reporter.  The judge and prosecutor asked many questions like: How big is your house?, How much money do you make?, Can you care for two more special needs orphans and why do you think you can?,  What does your wife do?.  

After the questions, Jeff was asked to wait in the hallway.  Luda stayed in the courtroom to wrap things up.  After a few minutes, she came out to the hallway and asked Jeff for the photo album we had put together of our family and place we live.  She took it back into the courtroom and showed all the people.  About 30 minutes later, Luda came out of the courtroom and congratulated Jeff and said they were done and that the boys were now ours!


Now begins the 10-day wait.  The court decree will be ready Dec. 21.  We will go back to The City our boys are in, to pick up the boys, get their new birth certificates, tax ID's,  passports and then travel back to Kiev to get their exit medicals and Visas.  We should be able to fly home Dec. 24 and be home for Christmas!!!


Thank you all for your continued prayers.   They have been felt and appreciated more than you could ever know!  To be a part of this process is such an honor and is very humbling to say the least.  I'll leave you with this verse,  John 4:18  "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you".   I pray you will let God use your hands and feet as His own.

We have a court date.....TOMORROW!

Our facilitator just called and said we will have court in 18 hours, Friday December 10, at 2:00pm the boys time or 6:00am our time!  

WOW!  Another answered prayer!  Thank you God!  Thank you prayer warriors for covering this in prayer.  Prayers that the judge will show favor and allow us to adopt Matthew and Michael are very much appreciated!

Traveling to the boys' City ~ day 5

Today was a VERY busy day for Jeff and the girls.  They woke up early, packed up their bags, cleaned the apartment, grabbed a bite to eat and then went and picked up a few things at the store since they are about to leave the Capital City.  They ran over to the SDA building to pick up the referral papers at 4:00pm their time.  At 7:00pm their time, they boarded an overnight train for a 12 hour trip to The City our boys are in.  Our facilitator, Luda, joined them on the trip and will help them once in The City.  I have had very little contact with them today since they are on the train but as soon as they get to The City, I will be able to Skype with them and tell you more about their adventures on the train.

~~~~~~~~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just text Jeff and he said they are just now pulling into The City!  Woo, hoo!  They are there safely!!  The day will be full of paperwork.  They will go meet the boys in about two hours....TWO HOURS!  In two hours my husband and daughters will be holding our sons for the very first time!  In two hours, our sons will be holding their daddy and sisters for the very first time!  

All I have to say is, "Thank you Father for this day!"  What a miraculous day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Keep them in your prayers that they can rest on the train.  They will have a FULL day ahead of them when they get to The City.


They should get to meet the boys tomorrow sometime!!!!  Please be in prayer that the orphanage director agrees to allow the adoption to continue and that the boys are not too overwhelmed by all the new people.


Thank you all who are praying for our family!  Your prayers mean so much to us and are felt across the ocean...