Justice!

I am still a bundle of nerves.

We had our hearing today in Enakievo.  If you've been following along, you know that Eli and Isaac have an older biological brother who lives in an orphanage about 90 minutes from theirs.  They rarely see him and don't have much of a relationship with him.  This brother seems to be rather troubled.  In order for our two boys to be adopted, they need to be legally separated from their brother.  This process is typically done in the children's birthplace; in this case, a town called Makeevka.  The powers that be in Makeevka, for reasons we don't know, would not "break the family."  They did not want any of us present at the hearing and did not specify why they wouldn't allow Eli and Isaac to be freed legally.  It's all a mystery.  Galina, the inspector in Enakievo, the jurisdiction where Eli and Isaac currently live, did not feel that we were granted due process.  Lovely, kind Galina organized another hearing, which was today.  Even though Enakievo is not the boys' birthplace, officials there do have some say.  There were eleven officials at the hearing, plus me, Eli and Isaac, Victor, Anya, and Larissa, from Uglegorsk.  The information about Eli and Isaac's biological family was presented thoroughly and fairly, as well as the history of our family's relationship with the boys.  Galina asked the boys several questions and gave me an opportunity to speak.  Galina stressed Ukrainian law's intent to protect the children and the officials' responsibility to act in the boys' best interest.  When it came time to vote, it was a unanimous decision to free Eli and Isaac to be adopted.

The report from the hearing will be presented to our judge alongside Makeevka's decision, and the judge will make the final call.  I haven't been able to speak with Victor much in the last week, but I think our Nov. 22 court date is pretty firm.  The decision from Makeevka was very distressing, not to mention the fact that they didn't want any of us present at the hearing, so it was wonderful to see a fair process today.  It seems there is more than one angel here in Ukraine.

Four more days until Curt gets here.  I will surely be ready for some relief.  Today really took a toll on me.  I've inadvertently discovered an extreme weight loss program.  I'm not sure if it's the stress, chasing these boys around, the food, carrying countless grocery bags up five flights up stairs, or a combination of those factors, but my pants are pretty loose.