journey to family: 2009

November is National Adoption Awareness Month--I had forgotten this bit of information, but as I stumbled upon this tidbit of information, I thought that I should include it on our blog as well as update our blog as well.

We have been busy with living--what's new? We were happy to have my parents here for about 10 days in October. They left before Halloween, but were able to spend time with the boys and help Will carve a Jack-o-lantern. Both boys had a bit of a challenge adjusting to their grandparents leaving. Will loved riding the bus home from school in contrast to heading to the day care, which is his normal activity. Jon loved hanging out at home. He is beginning to say more recognizable words, which is encouraging.

Will, Jon and I went trick or treating on Thursday, Oct 29. I haven't quite figured out why trick or treating rarely happens on Halloween in this portion of western PA. I "kind of understand" why we don't on Fridays (high school football is REALLY big here), but as for Thursday, I don't know why. Will dressed as a fireman and Jon was a frog. Jon was a trooper and walked most of the way and Will exclaimed that this was the best Halloween ever! He also informed me that Jon told him that he (Will) could have all of Jon's candy. Will ended that announcement with,"Mommy, isn't that nice that Jon gave all this candy to me without you asking him to do so?"

We have been very busy as fall has dawned here in the hills of western PA. Will LOVES kindergarten and is full of information every day! We have been creating a new bedroom for him since he and Jon have different sleep habits and well.....it seems easier for the moment. Jon is growing and has learned to display a temper if he doesn't get his way. He's adjusting. Since Will attends a half day kindergarten, he rides the bus to our daycare, where I pick up both boys after work.

I came across some information about the two cities from whence Will and Jon came. I want to include them here and later will add some updated pictures of the boys.

Jon was born in Vladivostok in Feb 2008.
Vladivostok is a capital of the Primorje region. It's also the largest city of the Far East Russia. The city was founded on July 2, 1860 and now its population is 659.000 people. Its territory totals over 600 sq. km. It is the end of Trans-Siberian Railway which goes from Moscow to Vladivostok and stretches for 9301 km (5779 miles). Geographically Vladivostok is actually closer to San Francisco then to Moscow! It is situated not far from Russian-Chinese border and North Korea. Vladivostok spreads along the coast of the beautiful small bay and occupies different islands so beautiful that the guests who visited this city can't forget it. The beauty of nature and convenient geographical position played a leading role when the city was founded here. Vladivostok (sometimes called the Lord of the East) is best known as the home of the Russian Pacific Fleet

Will was born in Uglich (a city in Yaroslavl), but was residing in Yaroslavl, which is listed as his birth place on his birth certificate. (June 2004)

Yaroslavl (Russian: Яросла́вль) is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, located 250 kilometers (155 mi) north-east of Moscow. The historical part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. Population: 613,088 (2002 Census);[3] 632,991 (1989 Census).[4]Yaroslavl lies at the intersection of several major highways, railways, and waterways. Preceded by Viking sites such as Timerevo from the 8th or 9th centuries, the city is said to have been founded in 1010 as an outpost of the Principality of Rostov Veliky, and was first mentioned in 1071. Capital of an independent principality from 1218, it was incorporated into Muscovy in 1463. In the 17th century it was Russia's second largest city, and for a time (during the Polish occupation of Moscow in 1612), the country's de facto capital. Today, Yaroslavl is an important industrial center (petrochemical plant, tire manufacturing plant, diesel engines plant and many others).

Uglich (Russian: У́глич, pronounced [ˈuɡlʲitɕ]) is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the Volga River. Population: 38,260 (2002 Census);[2] 39,975 (1989 Census).[3]

A local tradition dates the town's origins to 937. It was first documented in 1148 as Ugliche Pole (Corner Field). The town's name is thought to allude to the nearby turn in the Volga River.

Uglich had been the seat of a small princedom from 1218 until 1328 when the local princes sold their rights to the great prince of Moscow. As a border town of Muscovy, it was burnt several times by Lithuanians, Tatars and the grand prince of Tver.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible the town passed to his only brother, Yuri. Local inhabitants helped the tsar to capture Kazan by building a wooden fortress which was transported by the Volga all the way to Kazan. Throughout the 16th century Uglich prospered both politically and economically, but thereafter its fortunes began to decline.
The coat of arms of Uglich, featuring Tsarevich Dimitri

After Ivan's death, his youngest son Dmitry Ivanovich was banished to Uglich in 1584. The most famous event in the town's history took place on May 15, 1591 when the 10-year old boy was found dead with his throat cut in the palace courtyard. Suspicion immediately fell on the tsar's chief advisor, Boris Godunov. Official investigators concluded however that Dimitriy's death was an accident. They cut a "tongue" from the cathedral bell that rung the news of Dimitriy's death and "exiled" it to Siberia.

The Romanov tsars made it their priority to canonize the martyred tsarevich and to turn Uglich into a place of pilgrimage. On the spot where Dimitriy had been murdered the city in 1690 built the small but lovely Church of St Demetrios on the Blood, which appears on the horizon with its red walls and blue domes as one sails north on the Volga. The palace where the prince lived was turned into a museum. The image of tsarevich with a knife in his hand was adopted as the town's emblem.

The modern town did have a famous watch manufacturing plant now closed (see Chaika watches), a railway station, and a hydroelectric power station. In November 2008 was opened a new Nexans cable mill. Actually, Stalin's decision to create the Uglich Reservoir led to severe flooding of the town's outskirts. Apart from the kremlin, the city centre features other nice samples of old Russian architecture. Particularly notable are the Alexeievsky and Resurrection monasteries.