The Blog is Moving --

Hey everyone, thanks for following our story.  We have set up a more complete blog at a different location.  We promise to post a lot more and you can count on frequent posts during Christmas because barring any issues we are hosting Sergey again.  Here is the new website:

http://www.bowenfamilycentral.com/

FedEx Mystery

After a 10 week wait we finally got our FBI clearance back.  This was the last piece of the puzzle that we needed in order to submit our first dossier.  So, we put it in a FedEx envelope and sent it off to our adoption guy, Patrick.  As the package was in route we found out that the address had changed so Ashley got online and had it rerouted to a PO Box that accepts FedEx packages.  After it arrived Patrick went over to pick up the package and it was nowhere to be found.  We called FedEx and they promised it had been delivered and signed for.  After both Patrick and Ashley had spent hours on the phone with FedEx the mystery continued....  So, out of nowhere (a few days later) I get a call from FedEx saying the package is there waiting to be picked up.  Strange huh?  So Patrick went and picked up the package and got a lecture about rerouting a package to a federal post office...   Apparently we had broken the law and the package was grabbed for inspection.  Crazy huh?  Check out how marked up this thing was...

Anyway, our package is now in Russia and we are hoping to submit our dossier by tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed. 

Long Overdue Update

Ok, I apologize for not posting an update in a very long time.  Ashley and I have been working hard on getting our paperwork together and now are starting to feel like we're getting somewhere.  So here's the update.

A while ago I explained process.  Here's the recap:

1. Home Study

2. Dossier #1
3. First Visit
4. Dossier #2
5. Second Visit and Court
6. Third Visit and Return Home as a Family

We finished our paperwork for dossier #1 about 3 weeks ago and it is in Russia being translated as we speak.  Once the translation is complete it will be submitted to Russia and we will await the invite for our first visit.  That typically comes about one month after your submission.  I say typically because there are no guarantees on timelines.  If everything goes well we're hoping to take that visit sometime in January.

Nike Shorts or anything Nike please!!!

We sent Sergey a package that was delivered personally by our hosting program. In it was:

Nike Shorts
Sweadish Fish
Warheads (sour candy)
Wallet
Two cards
More Pictures
Gum

Ashley got a chance to talk to Sergey and asked him about the package and he was already wearing the Nike shorts… He really is a walking Nike ad.

Lost in translation

So I was on the phone with Sergey over the weekend and Sergey had a special request. Unfortunately he didn't know how to say it in English and my Russian is a little weak so he sent it in a text message in Russian, it said:

"Please send toilet water mine is all gone"

As you could imagine, we were a little confused (and amused). Later we found out that the direct translation of toilet water in Russian is Cologne (in French it's Eau de Toilette). Anyway, we thought it was pretty funny how simple things really get lost in translation.

Special Delivery

Ashley found a Russian company that delivers things to people in Russia and sends a delivery confirmation picture in an email. We have taken advantage of the service two times thus far; once to test (we sent chocolate and a card) and once to send a cell phone so we could easily get in touch with Sergey and he with us.


The day Sergey received his phone we called him 3 times and since have spoken with him on average every other day and text regularly. He likes to send a message before he goes to bed. All of the communication makes us work even harder to complete the adoption as fast as possible.

The most expensive chocolate bars ever… But it was worth it!!!

Adoption Update

Today was monumental – Sergey returned to Russia 4 ½ weeks ago and today was the first time we were able to speak with him. We had a 30 minute conversation without a translator and it appears as if Sergey has retained much of the English he learned while living with us this summer. This was a big blessing and as Ashley says "The Best Day Ever"!!! We would like to thank our friends Stephanie and Randall for giving us their daughter Tanya's cell phone number which facilitated the call.

Now for and update on the adoption. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Eastern European adoptions here are the basics:

1. Home Study
2. Dossier #1
3. First Visit
4. Dossier #2
5. Second Visit and Court
6. Third Visit and Return Home as a Family

Today we completed our home study and submitted it to USCIS for immigration clearance. This takes approximately 45 days which means we have 45 days to complete our first dossier. Please keep us in your prayers that we will have a smooth process. Thank you for all of your support!!!

EJ and Ashley

The end of the beginning!

On Sunday, August 1st we had to send Sergey back to Russia. Our house and family is definitely missing a key piece. We only wish we didn't have to send him back. This was the single most rewarding program we have ever participated in. As we have told anyone who will listen, Sergey has taught us much more than we could ever teach him. He is an amazing, talented, and intelligent boy with all of the potential in the world to be very successfull at whatever he chooses to do. And, for those of you who are wondering, the answer is yes, we are proceeding with the adoption. Please remember us in your prayers as the process will be difficult but we know it will be worth it. Stay tuned...

My Family Love Me Ferrari and Lamborghini Big!!!

We took Sergey to the Ferrari dealership to take pictures. As we made our way into the showroom we told Sergey he couldn't touch any of the cars. After walking around with him for about 15 minutes a salesman came over to see if we had any questions (I guess we look like some strong potential customers...). Sergey said no. We then explained the situation and said, "we do have one question... Can he sit in one?" He agreed and asked Sergey to pick one... Well, he picked the orange Lamborghini with the butterfly doors... It was pretty cool!




For the second time on the trip he was petrified to get in luxery car (the first being the ride in the Maserati). He was literally shaking. He gathered himself and sat down. This might have been the highlight of the trip for him. When we walked out of the dealership he told us that his family loves his Ferrari and Lamborghini big. That made us smile!

What is steak?

We needed to make dinner one night and noticed that we had some steaks in the freezer. We pulled them out and come to find out that he had never tried steak... Or at least a good steak off the grill...

Needless to say, he loved it so much he went back for seconds!!!

Me Spiderman!!!

As coordinated as Sergey is, EJ was curious to see how well he would do on a climbing wall.

Since this was his first time climbing he thought the equipment was a little strange...

No matter how strange the equipment, Sergey found some time to pose for the camera

He got a quick tutorial from the attendant

After his tutorial, he was off...

He climbed the wall so fast a group of older girls noticed and were cheering him on. When they learned it was his first time they about fell over... It was as if he'd been doing it for years. When he came down he said "me Spiderman!!" Seriously, the way he climbed, maybe he is....

We let him climb the easy, medium, hard, and expert trails... Easy and medium were no challenge but he was a little too short to get to the top of the hard and expert trails... He still did better than all of the others making the same attempt... This kid never ceases to amaze us...

Good morning, it's time to get up!!

EJ and Ashley have very different styles to waking Sergy up....



Ashley likes to crawl into bed with him and scratch his back and let him wake up gradually....

EJ, on the other hand, fills up a spray fan with ice water and sprays Sergey until he gets up...

Surprisingly enough, Sergey seems to prefer Ashley's way better.... Hmmm, Who would have thought?

Clearing out the Blackberry

As we mentioned in past posts, Sergey really loves baseball. We took him to the batting cages and true to form he was very good.... I mean seriously, he hit in the Fast cage.

Sergey LOVES go karts!!!!!!!!! He would have driven them all day ever day if he had the chance.

EJ's two favorite people in the world!!!

More go karts. He loves them so much they he is now a card carrying member of the Andretti speed way.

Sergey takes his pool games very seriously. It was a lot of fun since it was something we could do as a family. We also took the opportunity to learn the numbers and colors in each other's languages (you had to say the number and color before each shot). Sergey learned much faster than Ashley and EJ.

More Sergey Stories

"I From Russia"
When we went to visit family in Utah we knew that Sergey would have to pass through security at the airport. Since it was only his 10th day in America we explained to him if anyone asked him questions to just tell them he was from Russia. Well, in true Sergey form when we arrived at the front of the security line the officer asked him his first and last name and Sergey said loud and with a thick Russian accent (one we had't heard before) "I From Russia" and flashed his name badge... We all, including the TSA guard, started laughing and he sent us on. I'm sure that story made it home with him.

"My Work"
EJ works from home and spends much of his time on the phone. Sergey came in one day and Ashley called EJ's work line. Sergey saw this and quickly picked up the phone, put in the ear piece, pointed to it and said "My Work" and walked off. The crazy part of this story is how long and detailed of a conversation he was able to have in English over the phone. His English has really gotten good in only 4 weeks of being in America. He is very smart.

Last Week -- Baseball, 6 Flags, Dogs, and More Cars

So we now know that Sergey is a big dog lover. He sat and played with my Boss's dogs for almost and hour. Unfortunately, while trying to find a new tennis ball to play with he locked the keys in the trunk... Ooops... It was all good though, we were there to take a ride in the new Maserati.

We introduced batting to Sergey this week at our last Braves game. He is now like every other kid and prefers hitting over pitching... Honestly, I can't blame him

We let Sergey drive the golf cart back from the driving range... The problem was, he didn't know how to drive... I found myself grabbing the steering wheel so nobody (mostly other people) got hurt Here he almost hit a helpless pedestrian...

Here's us just missing the curb.

Ashley took Sergey out shopping and came across a Russia National Team jersey. He wears it proud and we almost had to force it off of him to wash it..

Sergey at the Braves game with his best friend Vlad's American parents -- Stephanie and Randall

He is very proud of his models.

This one was extra special since he built it at EJ's work while he was in a meeting. When we first arrived at the office he wanted to be in the meeting but after seeing how many people were there he quickly realized hanging out in an office was definitely the better option

EJ's Boss's husband Brian offered to take Sergey for a ride in his new Maserati. Sergey was a little scared at first but he quickly got over his fear

Here he is loving the journey.

On our last trip to 6 Flags we decided to go on the river ride. Here is the before picture.

And after... He loved it so much he wanted to go again... Luckily it was the end of the day :)

His favorite ride it Batman -- Ashley and Sergey are in the last row on the far right. EJ's stomach wasn't feeling so well after 5th roller coaster so he stayed behind to take pictures...

Funny kid

I wanted to share a few funny stories from the past couple of weeks.

Sergey and Ashley were driving to soccer camp and listening to the radio. The song would spell a word during the chorus, and Ashley was singing along. Sergey joined in, but he was mixing up the "P" with a "B" (or so it sounded like to Ashley) -- so she tried to help correct him and give the proper spelling. Sergey replied, "I K-N-O-W." It was hilarious. Ashley almost had to pull over she was laughing so hard.

The second story is the exact opposite situation. Ashley and Sergey were driving again and she asked him how to say "goose bumps" in Russian. He told her and she gave it her best effort and struck out miserably. She thought she heard an "r" sound in the middle of the word -- which was not the case. So Sergey would say it again and Ashley would try again, and Sergey would say it again, and Ashley would try again (every time saying the "r" sound in the middle) -- until after about 5 minutes and she finally figured out the problem and said it correctly. Sergey started clapping and saying "good job, good job." He is really good about helping us sound out the Russian words, but he holds a pretty high standard for correct pronunciation!

EJ had to go into the office today for some meetings (he normally works from home), and EJ invited Sergey to go with him. Sergey was pretty excited, even though it meant waking up early. He loves spending one on one time with EJ. So, we wake him up and it takes him a few minutes to really get up, so when Ashley came back to check on him, he was all dressed up in his Sunday clothes. You see, when EJ goes into the office, he dresses up, so Sergey figured if I'm going to work with EJ, I better look the part. It was too cute.

Finally, the other day at the store, the clerk said to him, "How's it going, man?" After we left, Sergey said to Ashley, "He call me 'man' -- I no man, I boy." So she explained it was cool and taught him how to say, "What's up, man?" Now he pays attention and anytime he is called "man" he gives a big grin.

Breakfast of Champions

There's nothing like a Green Smoothie to start your day off right:

1 ½ cups pomegranate juice
1 cup of frozen fruit
3 oz avocado
1 banana
½ squeezed lime
Any other fresh fruit I can find (cherries, strawberries, grapes, etc.)
6-8 oz of spinach

He drinks about 6 oz per day and loves it (or at least he tells me he does). It's nice to know we're at least putting something healthy in his body… Unless you're counting the French Fries and ketchup as fruits and vegetables :-)

Keep your head down

Driving home from soccer camp, we passed a golf course and Sergey asked if we could play, so we took him to the driving range and hit a bucket. He did pretty good for his first time -- he did let the club slip and it flew backwards about 30 feet -- but other than that, no one was in any real danger. He really enjoyed it, but next time we go, we need to learn the Russian for "keep your head down." Maybe the Russian will make more sense to Ashley and she'll remember to keep her head down, too. :)

He would laugh at EJ and Ashley for taking practice swings, but whenever he whiffed (which was often) he would say "Practice, Practice." He did connect pretty nicely on a few swings and was asking when we could come back to hit more.

They gave us a cart, and EJ let Sergey drive back. That just might be the reason he wants to return so bad.

Soccer Camp

This week Sergey is spending his mornings at the YMCA youth soccer camp. When we told him over the weekend that he would be attending soccer camp, he said, "I am sorry, but I do not want to go." The only definition he knows of "camp" is in the summers his orphanage shuts down and they combine a lot of orphanages and call it "camp." He thought we would be sending him away, and he didn't want to leave. When we explained it was just for a few hours in the morning, he softened up and he is LOVING it. He made a great little friend, Winston, and really admires his trainer, Wes. He's a bit more skilled than the other kids, and I think he likes being the example for all of the drills. :)





They play in doors some of the time because it is so hot outside. Sergey is very appreciative.

Sergey and Winston (yellow shirt) planning their attack on the kick off.

They have a snack time everyday, and Sergey chose to bring an unopened, giant tube of Pringles (he loves Pringles and Cheetos). When Ashley picked him up, the Pringles were all gone. Sergey explained, "I like and Winston like." He asked to go to the grocery store to get some more for the next day (we obliged) and today he took 2 bottles. Sure enough, both were gone at the end of the morning. He said, "I like and Winston like and everyone like." It's good to be a friend of Sergey. :)

Keeping the Peace

I forgot to add a couple of pictures from the week with our families -- both have great stories behind them.



Without sports, this wouldn't be disgusting... Sergey has no idea what a contradiction this outfit is. He is proudly showing no bias to either school and working to keep the peace in strong rivalry in true Sergey fashion. Ashley's family bought the BYU shirt and I bought the Utah hat. Lucky for me two of his favorite colors are black and red :-)

For the first time since Sergey's arrival, he has made a strong connection with someone outside of me, Ashley and Jason. My brother Jonathan quickly became one of his best friends on our trip. It really showed when they had to say good bye at the airport and Sergey went back for multiple hugs.

Two Weeks In The Books

So We've been a little slow with posting this week so I'm unloading the pictures and stories all in one post. Sergey is doing great and we're loving every minute of the experience. It is crazy how much he has naturally fit into our family.

You might remember that Sergey loves two things, soccer and cars (maybe Martin Prado makes the list now). Anyway, on our way to Six Flags Over Georgia we drove past a Ferrari and we just had to stop. I told him I liked Ferrari's, so he said he took these pictures for me. He shares just about everything he has if you show an interest in it.

We asked Sergey if he liked roller coasters and he didn't know what they were so Ashley had to show him a picture. After realizing what we were talking about he really wanted to go on one. Unfortunately for him we picked a really bad one to be his first (Mindbender). He HATED it!!! We had to convince him to try one more (Batman) before he passed judgement. Luckily he really liked Batman and plans to go on more when we go back.

We let Sergey play a few games before we left; basketball and the hammer. Believe it or not, he hit his first shot and won a basketball.

Ashley and I really wanted Sergey to meet our families so we decided to visit Utah this past week and work remote. As we were flying into Salt Lake City he couldn't resist taking pictures of the mountains. He was glued to the window.

Sergey loves to ask Ashley and I to kiss. We think it's because it shows that we love each other. In the first week he asked us to kiss for a picture and loves to look at it. He says it's his favorite picture. He loves to blow it up on the iPad and zoom in on our lips and show it to everyone. On the plane he zoomed in and then yelled Ashley's name (she was sitting across the aisle). It was hilarious. She took this picture on her phone and he showed it to everyone.

Sergey joking around while deplaning --

We met up with Ashley's family for the Provo 4th of July parade. Sergey was a little shy in the beginning so it took him a little time to get comfortable. Once he was comfortable he was back to his old self joking around with everyone.

We introduced Sergey to Arby's -- After 3 days straight of the Arby's Burger and one more request we are conviced he likes it... Ashley was trying to catch him with a weird look on his face here since that's what he does to us all of the time.

As expected he could pretty much do anything he wanted off of the diving board. Here's his front flip.

We took him up into the mountains to go hiking and fishing. He called this his Ninja pose.

He remined me of myself running all over the mountain and climbing everything in sight. This is just one of the many rocks he ended up on top of.

We made it to the top and he just sat there for a while and stared at the lake. He loved every minute of it.

My parents and me and Sergey at Lake Mary.

A duck flew in and he started following it around taking pictures. It was funny to watch because it seemed as the duck knew what was going on and was trying to swim away from him.

The Lake - I love the panoramic feature on the new Soney camera!!! And, as soon as Sergey learned about it, so did he. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all of the pictures but at least they look great!!

In true Sergey fashion, climbing something and playing around -- I had to hold myself back from going and getting him...

We took him fishing at one of my old fishing spots -- We assumed he wouldn't catch anything but we were quickly proven wrong. After about 30 minutes, 6 fish (catch and release of course), and tons of bug bites, we decided to call it good.

For some reason my parents have an old hockey mask in the garage. Sergey grabbed it every chance he got and acted like he was Jason from Friday the 13th... We all just about fell over laughing when he went and got a shovel and walked up as my brother was driving in... Such a joker!! he makes us smile all of the time..

We really wanted to take Sergey to Temple Square. We watched the Testaments (he said it was good) and had a tour from a great Sister missionary from the Ukraine. He loved the experience! Later we learned that his tour guide was also an orphan and connected very easily with him. Coincidence? I think not...

Those miniature people at the reflecting pool are Sergey and EJ.

Sergey has an infatuation for go karts. He hates losing and was somewhat of a crazy driver... This is at Boondocks in Centerville.

My Dad let us borrow the car while we were in Salt Lake City. He told me the engine was on its last legs... Unfortunately, its last leg was a few miles short of where we needed it.

Sergey said he is ready to go "home" to Georgia. We had a great time in Utah, but it will be nice to be home! Thanks to everyone for a great trip! He can't stop talking about the fun times and great family that he met.