PAPA'S Birthday

Happy
Birthday
Papa!!







HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!!!!!!!!!!
Hello everyone!! Today is Thursday---less than a week until we are home! Every day I sing "Going to America" by Neil Diamond (I think) to Zhanna. We are all so excited to be coming home. Today is Zhanna's grandfather's birthday. We will miss the birthday party he is throwing for himself, but we can celebrate again when we get home.
Tomorrow Tamara and Lena will be here at 10:30am to go over the final paperwork and give us the passport, adoption papers, and new birth certificate with my name as mother!! I took advantage of Zhanna's nap today and left her here with my mom. I went to the next street over and bought some food from an older woman on the corner. There are many "street vendors" on the busier streets, selling homemade foods and milk. I had some difficulty in communicating with the woman, but finally ended up with 1/2 kilo of fresh pickles for 60 Tenge (approx 50 cents) and 1/2 kilo of salad with carrots and sauerkraut for 40 Tenge (approx 31 cents). I also bought some dumpling type things for dinner. I'm getting brave with the food--- even ramen noodles get old after a while!!
Tomorrow is St Patricks Day, and Mom brought decorations from home and made a shirt for Zhanna to wear with shamrocks, so stay tuned.......