Sunday, Day 26 Today dawned bright and sunny, but the temperature was still on the frosty side. The ice covered sidewalks and streets are now once again covered in snow, so we are able to get around much better. Sadly, all the ice sculptures around town are now nothing but lumps of ice because of the warm weather and the rain. The paint that covered them melted into a pool at the base and has now frozen at the bottom. It is a bit erie, those that were painted red look as though they bled to death. We rented the pool area again today, and Luda really enjoyed herself. Kevin swam with her for a bit, but the water temperature was much colder than last week...so he spent most of his time in the sauna. I put a toe in the water and promptly decided to be photographer and videographer instead of swimmer. We went shopping for Luda and Lily today, adding personal accessories such as hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste etc. to her small bag of earthly possessions that we are collecting in hopes of a positive court decision. Our coordinator says that the courts are almost always positive in their decision, but that they sometimes make the process lengthy and difficult. The biggest consideration would be if Lily has relatives who might contest the adoption. She doesn't remember anyone and no one has ever visited her since her parents died when she was almost three. Lily actually has to go to court herself tomorrow, the judge has asked to interview her. She will be accompanied by the social worker, one of her mamas and director of the boarding school. The judge will question her in regard to any living relatives and ask her whether or not she truly wants to be adopted and go to America. I would think this might be a little scary for a little girl who has seldom been out of instituational care, but she seems to be ready for it. She is a very sensitive child, but appears to possess an iron will and an inner strength that are unusual for one her age and background. We are preparing for our day in court on Wednesday...

Monday, Day 27 It wasn't rainy today, but it certainly was another typical Monday. We didn't have a visit to the boarding school today because of Lily's court appearance. Our coordinator is not feeling well, so we didn't have our scheduled meeting with her.  She and Kevin have both come down with a cold and probably benefited from the rest today. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Lily had a positive court experience, but we probably won't find out how it went until tomorrow when we go for our regular visit. We had school as usual and varied our schedule a bit this afternoon by heading for downtown. Our new friend Laura went with us, to shop for activities for their visits to the baby house. At the Tsum Mall, we purchased three small puzzles, two bottles of bubbles and matching friendship/sister rings for Luda and Lily.  From there, we went to the Gros, the largest grocery in town. We have been shopping at the small, local shops so this was a treat. Luda recognized some snacks from when she lived in Kaz, so we purchased a few along with some nuts, yogurt and bagels. From the Gros, we journeyed to the other side of downtown to show Laura the two less expensive shopping malls and the small food markets where we usually shop.  With the fresh new snow on the ground and the mild temperature, we had a pleasant walk. If you would have told me that I would one day consider snow and 30 degree weather as mild, I would have never believed you... Took a couple of photos from around the hotel, including the mammoth staircase, made out of granite with a lovely iron railing, that we climb everyday. At the base of the staircase is a rock fountain. The stairs are a beautiful example of local stonework, but a beast of climb. Even Luda finds herself out of breath at the top! We are going to dinner tonight with Laura, her husband Brett, and our friend Mike and his son Drew.

Tuesday, Day 28 Dawn easied her way in this morning, creeping through a softly falling blanket of snow. The air was still and the sky a lovely shade of blue as the day slowly revealed itself. The sun doesn't rise until after nine or so, so it is one of the blessings of being in Kazakhstan. It is surprising how difficult it is to get out of bed until the morning light appears. Everything begins a little later here, including meals--lunch is at 1:30 and dinner is after 8:00. A schedule that fits in our lifestyle very nicely. All dressed in pink, Lily met us this afternoon with great enthusiasm and it was obvious that she was pleased with her court appearance the day before. Dinara spoke with the social worker who said that she was very brave and quite responsive to the questions from the judge. Luba(Lily) indicated her attachment to us and wish to be adopted. The biggest issue right now would be any living relatives. The judge questioned her as to whether she remembers any relatives or not. She replied that she doesn't remember any. The interview ended with the judge giving her 200 tenge (about $1.75) to go buy a chocolate bar. We thought this to be a good sign. Kevin and I spent most of our visit talking with Dinara about our court appearance tomorrow. The girls played quietly on the table behind us, working puzzles and playing cards. It was almost as though they sensed the seriousness of the week's events...although it is hard to say just how much they understand. Lily gave us big hugs and kisses on our way out today. As we left the boarding school, passing through the heavy, oaken door, we could her parting expression of "Sod, zaftra!" which translates to "Court tomorrow!" Fingers crossed, prayers said that it all goes well...

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