April 15, an important day for many to remember to file their taxes. For us it will be the day that Cole Matthew Lennard legally became a part of our family. We began the day at 5am with a call to our precious daughters. At 6:15 we were picked up by Victor and drove to the train station to get Galina. After that on to the internot to give Kolya clothes to wear to court and to meet with the director. Kolya's friends did not want to see him go and there was much hugging and picture taking. One friend asked if we would take him today and I asked if that was okay and he said it would be better tomorrow. Next on to court, we waited 1 1/2 hours for our turn, the americans ahead of us didn't have papers ready and so took a long time. We got in to the court room which is not at all like american court rooms, just an office. We were asked questions like our address, occupation, living conditions( I wasn't sure what to answer to that)They asked if we spoke Russian and I said I could say please and thank you. The judge laughed at that. When asked why we wanted to adopt Kolya Kyle said we wanted a boy and didn't want to take the chance of having another girl of our own. He said he had the same situation at home. Kolya was asked by the judge if he was a holligan and he said no. After court Kolya told Victor he had prayed before we went in. Next up,the tortuous van ride for the rest of the day, to the vital statistics for the birth certificate where they scrutinized everything, asking Kyle wasn't MO for Montana and not Missouri? Tried to pay the tax at many banks that were closed for lunch. Scrambling to get the already been paid but still wants to be ornery birth certificate lady to stamp our papers. On to the Passport office where Ben Franklin got us a passport in 1 hour. Poor Kolya didn't get to go with us until we had the passport and so had sat waiting for us all day in the asst. director's office wondering where we were. New Rule,(there are alot of those here). Got back to Lela's at 7pm. We are exausted! Lela cried when we showed her the birth cert and passport. We will probably stay at Lela's until Sun when we will head to Kiev. Keep praying that all will be well with his medical checkup there and the embassy. Also have to have a paper stamped by NAC again. We thank you all for your continuing prayers, God has truly blessed us this day.