Many stories to tell

If you are interested in more pictures and stories please keep coming back. I have had some funny and not so funny things happen over the last two weeks. I will also start from the begining and what made us get involved in a Latvian adoption.

I will be starting from last spring and coming forward to the current time. I will post both pictures and stories, some serious and some funny, some sad but all will be true.

Once again thank all of you, friends,family and friends of family from your prayers and support. You all have made it all possible.

Ken Robin Aaron and Deniss

Still Traveling...but alls well that ends well

DOG TIRED DEFINED The Dog and Cat Show

It has been a while since I posted anything of signifigance. I told you all I would be home Wednesday night. Well guess what... I lied. well not really. We landed at JFK in Pew York. yes I spelled the word correctly, at 3:35 PM Valentines Day. It was anything but a sweetheart of a time. It was looking good because we had cut 30 minutes off the trip from Prague to New York. Well 6:45 we were allowed to get off the plane. It was 8:45 when our bags came to the claim area, along with bags from nine other international flights. Customs officials were very nice. They told us to get our bags and keep moving and do not stop, just hand us your declaration form and move on. OK next time I want to smuggle something in I know to do it during an ice storm.



OK now it is about five and one half hours after we landed and two hours after my flight to ATL had taken off so I went to search for a Delta representative. Believe it or not I found one almost immediately and no one was in line. Oh great my luck is changing. NOT. She informed me she was closing and someone would open the counter the next morning at 8:00 AM. I asked what I was suposed to do since I just came in on an international flight. She told me where to go, not there Tony, but just as bad. I was in terminal 4 with three heavy suitcases of my dirty drawers and socks, two carry ons, a heavy coat and the begining of an attitude, after being informed to go upstairs catch the air train to terminal 3, then back down stairs to ticketing. Sounds easy enough, OK, but it is snowing and wind gust of just under 100 MPH, did I mention I lied occasionally? Well I got as far as the door when an irrate Delta agent informed me no one else was allowed in the building. I asked where to go, well to make a long story short, I visited four more Delta locations only to be told there was nothing they could do, in a very rude way and eventually Robin got an answer from one of the Delta Direct lines that all they could offer was standby since we missed our flight and there were no confirmed seats available until Sunday, which by the way is when the next snow storm is due to return. Not accepting this, we stood in yet another line until three employees anounced they were tired and going home, they had been on duty since 11:00AM. OK right I understand work rules and your shift ends and you have to do as you are told, but don't announce it to 200 people that have been traveling for 24 hours.



We were dog tired so we threw in the towel got a cab to a hotel and crashed. After getting some rest we rented a car and started driving home to ATL. Along about Baltimore I finally got through to Delta reservations. We had been calling for the last 12 hours and not getting through. I got lucky after 45 minutes on hold and a voice said may I help you. Well it scared me and I droped the phone but luckily I did not lose my connection. I was checking to see if by chance I could get a flight out of Richmond to ATL. None on Thursday but they had one on Friday at 6:45 AM, but there was a catch; first you went to Cleveland then Cincinatti, Nashville then ATL, well that would not work for two reaasons, one if I kept driving I would be home before that flight finally got to ATL, so we checked various cities and finally BINGO<>

Dog tired defined by the cat:

Not a good river for ice skating...but when these guys want something to do you never can tell. BTW our driver said he has lived here 15 years and never seen the river freeze this way or this early.

Soccer, excuse me FUTBALL, anyone?

This is the day we arrived in Likumi. I think Deniss was happy to see us , but you be the judge.

More Pics

This is a home hockey rink made by the kids at Likumi, notice someone has a black eye. The above sign was being held by Deniss as we drove up to the gates of the Orphanage in Likumi.

I will post more pics when I return home. We have to be at the airport at 5:00 AM and it is now mid night and the sleepy bird is calling.

Pictures

Just a few pictues of the area.

C) The river at a standstill, Locals say they have never seen the river do this, It usually freezes smooth. (Double click all picks for a larger view) L) Our hotel room was drafty, now I know why.

The End is Almost Here...maybe

Well today was the big day. We went for our recomendation from the Orphan Court, which has been responsible for Deniss since 1998, to see if they would vote in favor of the adoption moving forward. YES! It was a unamious vote in favor of moving forward with the adoption process. Now it is time to hurry up and wait again. We will be traveling back to ATL tomorrow, Wednesday I believe it is and be arriving home about 9:00 PM.

The purpose of the last two weeks was for the Orphan Court staff to determine if this adoption is in the best interest of Deniss. It was a joyous moment when the votes were cast and smiles were shown by all. We were very encouraged by the way the staff treated Deniss and his new family throughout the whole process. The Director of the Orphan Court told us he would do all in his power to speed the process up. Paper work was filed with Family Court while we waited. If they can find the Judge that makes and writes the final decision in the next few days I will be back In Latvia the first part of March, and then twenty one days later I will return and do the embassy paperwork and bring our new son home to America. He will be an American citizen with his new name that he chose for himself. Deniss Fomins Hartzog. He is very proud of his new name and family.

After all papers were signed and we were finishing up with our business, the Orphan Court Director requested that LeAnn of New Horizons for Children, the agency we are using, to please try to find more Americans to adopt these Latvian children. You cannot believe how I was feeling when he said that. And rumor has it that there will be at least fifty children from Latvia on this summers hosting program. Please pray that this comes to pass, because is that not why we the Hartzog's are where we are now. Thanks all for the prayers and support.

We have also been informed another family has their hearing coming up on February 23rd. They will be adopting three children and already have four bio kids. Amazing. I have just checked my email and someone had read our blog that is adopting from the same home that Deniss is in and is not part of our group. Small world and thank Al Gore for inventing the internet.

I could tell you these last two weeks have been easy but it would be a lie. I know how Deniss felt not hearing his native tongue for days on in. It is very hard trying to survive in a country that you do not speak the language. You are staying in the best hotel, and only hotel the town has to offer and can't get basic services such as a meal from the open restaurant in the evening. The waitress would say " not working" fifty percent of the time we went in for dinner. There was one other restaurant within walking distance that we could eat in. It was a nice place to eat, the food was good, but we were never sure what we ordered. I told Robin it was either pigeon or rabbit. She ordered what she thought was a chicken plate and it turned out to be fish, at least that what we think it was, it could have been spoiled pigeon. It was also very inconvienient to walk to this place when the temperature hovered between -10 and 0 F almost every evening. It snowed the first few days we were there and then the sidewalks turned to ice, and were very slippery. We made it this far with no serious slips or falls, at least no bumps or bruises to show for the slips.

Inconvienient yes. Was it worth it? You tell me when we arrive home and we tell you of the many joyous experiences we have had with Deniss, his friends and caregivers. Zenta the orphanage director, and another young man named Edgars, took us on another trip to Riga on Sunday. We had a very nice meal then the boys were able to ice skate for a couple of hours. No Robin and I were wimps and sat back and watched. It was so cold out that the windows inside the car froze over as we traveled to Riga. I know I keep drifting back to the cold, but I will tell you, -5 to 0 is warmer in Latvia than 25 in ATL. Go figure but it is. The cold did not bother me near as bad in Latvia as it does in Jawga.

It is almost midnight here so I will close for now, so I can get up at 4:00 AM and catch the plane back to Jawga. Love all you guys and girls, keep those cards and letters coming.

Last post for a while. We go to Orphan court in the AM. Please pray for us. There are many indications that I will be back in Latvia by 1st of March. If this is so Deniss will be in USA before the end of March. So far our family is the only one not experiencing problems.

Saturday night was a very tough night. Martins (a friend of Deniss') came to visit and was drinking, He was using his brothers passport to buy alcohol. He wanted to take Deniss but we said no. He left but called many times during the night to try to talk to Deniss. The last time was %:00 AM on Sunday.

Cant finish the Gestapo has spoken.

It is bone chilling cold

We met with the Orphan Court yesterday. Deniss had to sign his papers and choose what name he wants to be called. It is with great pleasure to annouce his new name will be DENNIS FOMINS HARTZOG. We have never discussed this subject but this is what he chose on his own. The director told Deniss he was very happy for him and the Hartzog family.

Our friends the Moore's had their final hearing this morning. All went well and the twins have been approved for adoption by this family. The director for the Orphan Court said he would be their advocate for Adoption Court. They were told today that they may return as soon as March 6 for this hearing. Well that lets me know we will probably be coming about the same time, because our hearing is Tuesday AM. We will then leave here and return to Riga for the night. We will fly out Wednesday AM and be in Atlanta around 9:00 PM.

Time has really flown since we have been here. We miss everyone and will be happy to get home but not to leave Deniss Hartzog behind.

It is so cold where we are they have closed the schools, the heaters will not keep up. As most of you know I cannot stand the cold. The first week it did not bother me. Now that a real cold front moved through it is getting to me. Last week in the afternoons it was in the low 30's F and snowing, this week it only goes to the very low teens and single digits. It is too cold to snow. I went out for coffee this AM about 9:00 and it was 0. The end of my nose actually had the skin peeling off before I returned in five minutes.

Tony The train is the 4:10 Xpress from Riga. LOL

Trip to Riga

We got up at 6:30AM Tuesday and caught a bus to the train. We took a two hour train ride to Riga. Then we took a taxi and arrived at the Lido, famous Latvian attraction. By now it was 11:30 so we had lunch at a very big buffet. The food was good and filling and we enjoyed it very much.

We took the kids to the ice skating park and Deniss had a bad fall. Yes more bruises and a bad headache, but he did not stop. They skated for two and one half hours and finally gave it up.

We took a taxi to the train to begin the long journey home. The train was a shocker. We were treated to an X rated videos all the way home. Oh yea this is Europe. There was no control to shut off the trash so we had to not watch and try to keep children from watching. Deniss and I slept most of the way and Robin and Peggy tried to keep the twins occupied.

We finally returned home at 7:00 PM and were exhausted and frozen. Another cold front moved through and it is between -5 and -8 C.

Got to close out for now Deniss wants to move on.

More later and hope pictures soon.

Well we made it through the weekend with flying colors. Learning more of the culture as days go by. We learned the hard way restaurants do not open on Sunday evening. Deniss and I made a quick trip to the Beta for some junk food and sodas. We are in a very small hotel room with no cooking facilities. Oh well live and learn.

I have some pictures to post but that will have to be another day, by luck of the draw I got and old computer that does not have a USB port so I am stuck.

Tomorrow we are going to Riga so I will not post again until Wednesday. The hotel Internet is closer to working, but as they say...maybe tomorrow. I come to the library to post on the blog. I came earlier today but they made me get off the machine and share with the other American family, their two girls and Deniss. It did not matter that there were four unused computers, it is one per family. Well Deniss has a library card and now I do two so we can eliminate that problem. They do not realize that we are related since I am American and he is Lativian. Oh what we will do to communicate.

We had a call from our lawyer and will have our home inspection on Friday before 1100.What this is they come and see how we have been getting along and make a decision if we are compatible. Please pray for us, but best do it before you go to bed or else you will have to get up at 0400.

Deniss is fine and talks more every day. His favorite color is still white so we bought him some new tennis shoes today, yes white. He talks about America and the summer past a good bit. He enjoys sitting in the room with us at night and talking and just visiting. He does not get quite so frustrated now when he cannot say or think of the word he needs. He is a great help in the restaurants when we have to order food and it makes him feel good to be able to help.

Well I will close down for now but hope to be able to add pictures on Wednesday. Something to think about is how did Deniss get that black eye? What is that net he is standing by? And last but not least what are those huge white blocks on top of the river and where is the water?

Hope all have a good day and God bless you all.

Jekabpils we are here

We arrived on Thursday. Deniss andZenta met us at the gate to the orphanage. Deniss was holding a sign very similar to the one we had to welcome him to the USA. They were very excited. They fed us a nice lunch and then the lawyer and Zenta had business to take care of, so Deniss took Mam and Poppy on a tour of the grounds and buildings where he lives. He has pride in where he lives and the surroundings. It was all very beautiful(even though it was run down) in the new snow that is on the ground. ( Pic later when we have Internet at the hotel, it is not working but they say maybe Monday).

We left shortly after our tour to go to the Orphan Court. It was an unsettling experience having nine of them in the room and only two of us. Many questions were asked, and I guess the most important one was did Deniss have a problem living with a Christian family. He was asked if he had been forced or promised anything in exchange for the adoption. All is well in the end because they voted in favor of us having custody for two weeks. Some time next week they will come check us all out with little or no warning, and give us the results.

Today we met the Moore's from Marietta(they are adopting twins) and had lunch then came to the library to use theInternet. It is very hard to do anything in Jekabpils because of the ice and snow. We will take a two hour train ride on Tuesday to the capital city of Riga, and the two families will spend the day in Riga.

Good food is hard to find. There are only 2 restaurants that we have found and both are fairly expensive. The hotel includes breakfast in the room rate. We are not sure what we eat but there are English peas at every meal. No menu at breakfast, just what they stick in front of us.

Got to cut it short. There is a long line for the computers and I am soaking in sweat. Very hot inside and bitter cold out. Much more later.