In Russia, Day One

We left LAX at 3:00PM on Christmas Eve after waking at 5:30AM for our quick rendition of Christmas morning! It was fun waking all of the kids up and video taping the various comments and swollen eyes! Sounds somewhat mean, but we do this each year and the kids look forward to watching themselves on “tape”! It went just as planned! Instead of Christmas dinner, we had Christmas Eve morning breakfast.

The kids were all thrilled with their gifts and very excited about our trip to Russia to meet their new niece, nephew, cousin, and for my mom granddaughter and grandson! The Russian adoption did not overshadow Christmas, as I was afraid it would, but rather, it added to the joy and anticipation. My family is so excited to love on these children that it is not even funny! How blessed am I? Amazingly so…

We arrived in Frankfurt, Germany 11.5 hours after leaving LAX. We spent five VERY LONG hours in the airport there and were fortunate enough to find a section of about 50 reclining chairs in which we fell sound asleep. It was COLD in the airport and this is where Gina noticed that her jacket had been forgotten! Not a happy moment when being dead tired and cold is on the ticket! So, long story short, we went shopping in the airport something that one should avoid if possible! She is now the owner of a very nice Lacoste winter jacket! There is no Macy’s or TJ Maxx in the airport. It was Lacoste or Escada, and you guessed it she picked the “cheaper”. Now she must go to the snow back home in sunny CA at least 5 times to make it worth the money spent!

After the long layover in Germany, we continued on a 3-hour flight to Nizhny Novgorod, which is north of Moscow and south of St. Petersburg. When we arrived, it was after midnight, which means it was Christmas Day 2006!!! Upon arrival, we got off the plane outside on the tarmac and were shuttled over to the airport where we went through customs (long wait) and then got our luggage. I noticed that they take seriously the registration of foreigners visiting their country. I do not think they would handle the Mexico Cali border like we do! Do not even get me started on the pat downs over here! They are serious about it. Perhaps, in America we are not as strict because we have this prevailing sense of personal space.

After arriving in NN, we were greeted by Olga and Sergei who held a sign saying, “DEANA MARIE RIVERA”. It could not have been easier from that point on. They are both very nice. Olga is the interpreter and Sergei the driver. I will pay them a certain amount each day to help me in this facet.

We took a long drive to the hotel, which is in the center of NN. When we arrived, Olga and Sergei came in, helped us get checked in, and walked us up to the room before leaving. Olga took my cell phone number, and I took hers so we could communicate by text messaging. They then left and we crashed after long hot showers.
The first day was a free day during which we slept until noon and then had lunch in the hotel. The food was very good. I ordered an appetizer of chicken and mushrooms in a cheese sauce, French fries, and a blini with maple sauce. It was all great! The chicken and mushrooms came in what looked like a silver measuring cup about the size of ¼ cup. We laughed. It was tiny, tiny, but good, good! Fries are fries and the blini was like crepes with syrup. The taste is a little different than crepes but good as well. I topped it all of with a Pepsi Light. A Pepsi Light here is 28 rubles, which translates to about a buck! I know there is a God. In Italy and France a Diet soda was between $5 and $8, and for any of you that know me, I will pay what I must for my drug of choice.

After lunch, we walked down the riverbank to a pedestrian shopping area. It was VERY cold, but great fun living it up with the locals. Most look exactly like Americans look just add a fur hat to the top of their heads. You know like the one I have had for years and take out each winter only to be called Babushka! A Russian actually stopped me and asked me a question today in Russian. It must have been the hat!

There are not any souvenir shops in this city center and there are no Americans to be seen. It is cool to be in a place and able to simply enjoy it for what it is without any tourist traps per say. I was surprised, however, that I was looking for the traps! I did make one purchase of two nativities, which are gorgeous and native to Russia.

Christmas is January 7th here. There are Christmas trees everywhere. They decorate them a little differently than we Americans do. The lights are strung not around the tree but from top to bottom in straight lines. It is kind of cool. Garland is EVERYWHERE. There is a bridge over which one must cross to arrive the center of town. Lights are strung from one side to the other. I also see Santa Claus billboards everywhere. His is just in a more colorful suit.

The people here are beautiful and thin which makes me wonder where the babushkas come in. It is like once the women hit 40 they gain tons of weight cause the young women are very fit. They are all beautiful though large or small. I am no one to be dissing the big beautiful women out there! Shout out to my girls! You know who you are!

So, I have been pondering how incredibly AWESOME God is! He is so wonderful to us! He has chosen these children for me before not only their births, but also my own as well! He has brought me here and allowed Gina to join me. Thank heavens for such great friendships. I see Him everywhere. Signs of His great love for us are all around. I just do not see how anyone could not believe in a greater power. I mean there is definitely someone who orchestrates all of this, and my life has been His symphony! May it continue to be so! Thank you Jesus for your bountiful gifts of love and for the doses of reality we need now and again. And, lest I make those who do not believe think I am a freak, just know that His love is higher than the highest mountain, deeper than the deepest sea, and it even touches those who do not believe each day!

Good night from Russia, and I must add that Lauren, you were 100% correct about many things, but the one that comes to mind first off is that I CANNOT SLEEP a wink!!!

In about 10 hours, I will meet my children, and my world will be forever changed. Now signing off for the last time as the person I am today! J