Sunday, June 10, 2007

Meet Eli....



Here is our little guy.... again, he doesn't like getting his picture yet, but as soon as he can understand English and we can bribe him like we do Jake then I am sure his attitude toward the camera will change ;)
So... is he not ADORABLE!!!! can't wait for you all to meet him in person... but be forwarned, he is a little shy at first, but once he gets past that he is all personality!
We will keep this one short, I want to make sure the pictures get loaded... we are back in Kiev until tomorrow, we will go get our plane tickets tomorrow and then head back to Preluky for one more night... we should be taking him out of the orphanage on Tuesday, then coming right back to Kiev... our plans are to fly home on Friday! we will arrive late on Friday night---- (for a while we thought we might be able to get out of here on Thursday, but there are NO flights leaving on Thursday, can you believe that!) Anyway, we are excited to be in our last few days... now we are off to Fridays again!!!! Chicken fingers and honey mustard here I come!


47 comments:

paige fitzhugh said...

ouOh my god! He is so doggone cute! I checked this morning and nothing was there then Tara called and said he was on here! I was on the phone with Jake when he saw him for the first time....WE were both wondering about the thing on his head! You guys picked good one!
I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL FRIDAY!
Paige and Anna

Serenity said...

Shannon and Kenny -- he's adorable! We can't wait to meet him and see you guys again. He looks lile Jake's brother!!!

Phyllis & Tom said...

He is so CUTE. I wished I had seened Jake when he first saw him.I cannot wait till your all back here and we get to meet this CUTE-CUTE child.
Love Phyllis & Tom

Angie said...

He is so adorable! I can't wait to meet him. It is so funny about the thing on the head. Adam and I were looking at the pictures and the first thing out of his mouth was "What is that thing on his head?" Anyway Adam is here with me and he says HI to Eli. Talk to you soon!

jane said...

HI, HE SURE DOES LOOK LIKE JAKE, WE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET HIM IN PERSON. I ALSO CHECKED THIS MORNING AND HE WASN'T THERE. I AM GOING BACK TO LOOK AT HIM SOME MORE. FRIDAY CAN'T GET HER SOON ENOUGH, BUT I GUESS WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SATURDAY TO MEET HIM. LOVE YOU NANNIE

Theresa said...

Good morning! Paige just called and said Eli is on the blog...how cute, he is adorable! We can't wait to meet him in person! Olivia said he looks kind of like Jake, they did good! ha

See you soon
Love
Theresa Charlie and Olivia

John & Sandy said...

He is wonderful! We can't wait to see him in person. He is going to fit right in with the slew of boys we all have. Austin and Trey are anxious to play with him. Miss you guys!

Beaven said...

I was so excited to hear I was finally going to get to see my new nephew...and he was worth the wait he is precious!!!!--Cant wait until you all get home...Love ya Beaven

tara said...

Hey guys! I was very surprised this morning when I checked the blog, seen the picture, and no one had posted. So I called Paige wondering if she new yet. And she hadn't. Wow, how exciting news travels FAST! FYI-I print out the pictures for your mom to take to church. Wow, how fast news will travel!!! She can hardly contain herself because she could get them printed. What a proud grandma!

Jake was very excited after seeing Eli. He told me in the pool he needed to go back in and look at it again.

They had a great time last night. They swam and we took him to the BATS game. They had a good time but they really wanted to swim more. Jake was great!

Syd and Bryce are very excited to read the blog with me. We can't wait to see him.

Tara

Dave and Mary Beth said...

I'm thinking that's a doo rag on Eli's head. Do you know if they have any gangs in the orphanage???

See you Saturday,

Uncle Fave

Krista and Keith said...

He is so CUTE!!! Paige called this morning and said that Eli was on the blog! The girls and I ran down to the computer to see him, but Keith on it working on something so we had to wait. Obviously his priorities are not in the right places!! ha ha

Won't be long until you are all on your way back home. Can't wait to meet Eli!!!

Krista, Keith and the girls.

jesse said...

After one look at his face, we love this boy, too! We are very happy for you, Shannon, Ken and Jake.

Love,
Johnny & Christine

Shartzer Family said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shartzer Family said...

OK - I HAVE BEEN A SLACKER! Time to catch up and I have alot!

Eli is way too cute and will look great in Lee's Fire Doo-rag...if Lee will give it up to him. The 2 of them will fit in well this summer around the neighborhood. We are only 2 weeks into summer and we have had to tell Lee more than 20 times to put a shirt on. Seems the summer attire around here is shorts, no shirt, and Doo-rag!

Junior has been putting in an irrigation system himself and his yard is a mess. He hit one of our sprinkler heads so the next time he yells at one of our kids about being in his yard, I will remind him of that.

Lots of family members have taken dibs on "favorite" this or that. Do I get favorite neighborhood Mom?

Barb - I can give you some of my Mom's drugs to get you through the next week. Believe me, you won't even care if the belt matches. There might be some other side effects and your daughters will want to send you to the psych ward, but you won't care.

Please bring some size 12 strappy shoes back for Ronnie for the next Karaoke. He already has the pink skirt to go with them.

Emily - I envy you! I yearn for the days of just sitting and holding my babies. Remember..."This too shall pass!"...and when it does (and it always does), you'll be begging for Abby to sit in your lap for 10 minutes.

I am so sad to say that we will be out of town next weekend when you all get home. Some stupid car race. Obviously Ronnie doesn't have his priorities straight.

Thought I would let you know, I turned down the Humana offer and 3 days later found out Solectron was being purchased. Still alot of unknowns for the future of my job but the new company will be an industry giant so it might be better. Or...I could get displaced. We will see!

Finally...I am very offended by the Dump Truck comment. What's wrong with Dumkp trucks? We have dump trucks and they ARE primary colors? Well, actually it is a Recycling Truck b/c that is what Lee wanted to be when he grew up (Recycling Truck Driver. But still, it is a truck on the wall. Anybody reading this who doesn't know me should know at least one thing about me...I don't really care! Just thought I would give you heck about the dump trucks. Maybe you can help us repaint it (no browns though). I am thinking camoflage around the entire room! LOL

Anyway - miss you all and looking forward to the new addition to our street. Oh yeah - I picked up the letters at PBK for Eli but they didn't have the & sign. They don't look right together over the one window so feel free to make a change when you get home. I also got the 2 beach pictures there and asked Paige to hang them wherever once the bed is set up. Lee is bringing overa Dump Truck Poster to hang on the ceiling. HA-HA.

Robin, Ronnie, Lee, Shelby

Suzanne Stewart said...

He is soooo cute. I showed my girls and it was a synchrinized "aaahhh"! The internet is a great thing. I'm sure it feels like forever for you guys, but not long and you will be home. Can't wait to meet the little guy! It is amazing how much he looks like Jake!
Madison says.."now you have a cute new member to the Zickel family...how exciting!!"
Suzanne, Madison, and Abigail

Erica Hernandez said...

Wow - he DOES look like Jake! He's so handsome guys...and a lucky little guy to have such a great family now.

You're so close now! Come home soon!!

Mom said...

ITS DAD. WEEELLLLL Looks like we got a little biker in the mix. just exactly what i need to begin lobbying the boss here really hard for a repeat of some part of my Harley experience,(Just kidding Barb, hope she doesn't kill me for this before you get home). Hey everybody says he is so cute---- SO WHAT DO YA THINK, YOU SAID HE LOOKS LIKE JAKE AND HE SURE DOES. i-we are so looking forward to meeting him and having all of you home. Love Dad

GA MILLERS said...

Eli looks like he will fit in with the family. We are excited about meeting him. I'm sure he will be overwelmed when he gets here. Hope that we might be in Louisville sometime in July-work has been very busy.
Kelly is working at a camp for kids with disabilities and is loving it. She is very sure that this is what she wants to do for her career.
Cortney is taking two classes this summer, Physics I & II, yuk! She finished I, got an A, and is now working on II.
See you soon. Keep the news coming.

Love, Cathy and Gary

rachel said...

he is SOOOO cute~ and I can't believe how much he looks like Jake too. So glad to finally get to see him :)

Missy, Dave, Calvin, Kinsey, Shelby said...

Hey Guys! Sorry we have not sent any messages. But we finally got to see a very cute picture of a very cute boy. We can't wait to meet him. And it is right around the corner. He is really cute and looks a lot like Jake. Jake probably can not wait to meet him. Well hope that you all have a safe trip home. And maybe we will see you all this weekend. God luck this next week. Kinsey was asking how old he was so we told her and she said he is close to my age but I am older right! Anyway hope to see you all soon. THE HECK"S

Unknown said...

Congratulations you guys!! What a great kid. Jake will have his own "mini-me." This is quite a story, it's sounds like a great adventure as well. Thanks for documenting and sharing. Frank just told me about the blog on saturday and he hopes to post a comment on monday as well. It has been fun to read the posts and comments.

Have a great trip home and hope to see the KY Hills/Zickels sometime soon.

Kelly Hill
San Francisco

The Blake Family said...

Shannon, Kenny and Eli, just got home from the Fire game. The Proud PaPa was showing off Eli's pictures. He does look like Jake! We could not wait to get home to check out the pictures online. He is so cute! The Fire won again, they were up 12-2 then they gave up 10 runs in two innings and let Middletown tie the game, but we came back and scored 4 more and won 16-12. Back to Eli, I bet he will be excited to come home with you all. How is the communication with him going? Does he understand much of what you are saying? Can't wait to see you guys when you get home. God is so good and has blessed you all so well. Enjoy Fridays, next week you will have to cook. Ha, Ha What does Eli like to eat? Looking forward to the big homecoming.

David, Suzanne, Austin and Aaron

jesse said...

The one thing that I have to say is, "Awww, how canyou say no to a face like that??" I am so excited to meet him!
Sincerely,
Jesse

Jennifer said...

Eli does look alot like Jake. What a cutie! We can't wait to meet him! We loved the Kenny and the bobcat story. I'm sure that if Uncle Kenny says he saw it, it was there!
Have a safe trip home. See you soon!

Love,
Rick, Jen, Maddie and Cassie

Emily and Neil said...

He is soooooooooo cute! Molly says "hot diggity"! You gotta watch her. I can't believe you will be here on Friday. Can't wait to meet him! Love, Emily

O'Neill Family said...

He is really cute. Jake is going to have his hands full with him.

Over the weekend I played golf with Tim (Dutch) & Lou Meiners. I am talking to Tim and he mentions what part of town he grew up in. I asked if he knew you or Mark. He starts going into a story about when as kids his father wakes from a nap mad because a bunch of you were making noise in his house. The kids go running everywhere, but his dad graps you and thinking your his son he smacks you on the head. He said you were saying, "but Mister Meiners I'm not one of your kids." Anyhow, I told him about your current trip and he got excited. He said that you might not know, but he has adopted 4 children from the Ukraine. He said he has a group of families in Louisville that have done the same and they get together. He gave me his business card. He said his wife speaks Russian and he takes lessons, so they'd love to help if you guys have any questions or want to talk about anything. He mentioned that in the past they had just gotten on the phone with families with newly adopted children to translate and it seemed to ease some concerns.

He said considering everything, it has been an amazing experience and so rewarding. He was obviously very excited for you and asked me to make sure you gave him a call to talk.

Have a safe trip back. Once again, we are so happy for you!

The Aneszko Family said...

Kenny and Shannon, Keep holding on strong. God is with you. It was fun sharing time with you in the Kiev flat. It looks like Eli is bonding well with you. Things are going to improve each day. We have had Max home since Tuesday night and he is adjusting very well. We know Eli will do just as well. You have a wonderful family that is full of love for him. Make the most of your time in Ukraine they will be valuable memories. May God bless the rest of your trip and return home. Love, The Aneszko family

Robyn said...

Mark and I were online together (on the phone) and saw pics of Eli...it is amazing how much he looks like his big brother Jake...what an adorable little boy! Daniel wants to come over this weekend to meet him....I told him we should wait until later when Eli has adjusted to his new home.....what a lucky little boy! He really looks like a Zickel!
Good luck on your journey home.....look forward to seeing you very soon! Love, Robyn & Mark

Unknown said...

Hi Shannon,
What a cutie....I am so happy for you guys! I can't wait for you to get home to Jake and the rest of your family and friends.
I think your family needs a little get away to Atlanta this summer....Jake and Eli would love to visit the new Aquarium! And the GE team at USM would love to meet your family!
Take care and and have a safe trip home!
Karen Pickerill

Kellie Lococo said...

Okay this is my 2nd time typing this comment for you because I did not have a google account (Barb did you have any problems or just me???...I am struggling with technology at home (need a new computer) and no time at work so Sid and I took about an hour yesterday to catch up on your trip and of course Paige has kept me updated. Sid wanted to post something but my outdated computer would not let her...anyway Eli is adorable and does look like Jake (adorable too)I am so excited for you, Kenny and Jake to have a new addition to your family. My kids cannot wait to meet him and Colin being his age will be excited to play with him.
Sounds like you guys have adjusted and are able to catch up on movies and reading as well as see Eli. Congratulations and hope to see you very soon. Kellie

DP & Laura said...

Hey Zickle Family,
Just like everyone else, I can't get over how perfect he is for your family. He must have been hand picked from above! What a bonus - pictures and a post. I had to get caught upon the post and man-awesome stories. People are not kidding on being addicted to your blog. I was so excited my sister-in-law brought her laptop. Love the cleavage and pink hair. I bet there is a small place in New York with the same look you can take Eli to if he gets home sick. I seriously doubt that will happen and he will NEVER be bored or have time to be homesick.
As always - be safe coming home.
DP and Laura
PS - Kenny really would look good with the pink highlights!!

Charity and Dave said...

Hey guys! He is too cute! Jake and Paige showed me the picture Sunday night at the ball field. Jake seems aweful proud to be a BIG BROTHER! Don't worry about Eli being shy....he'll get over that real soon and you'll be looking for the shy side again! My daughter who has a hard time doing anything in front of a crowd of people (like taking up the gifts during mass) is playing on the 1st and 2nd grade softball team. We haven't been able to get her up to bat yet but she can play the field. We'll keep workin on that! Logan played a double-header with his T-Ball team and did great. I told Paige that I thought you all should do some type of reality show on the adoption in the Ukrain. I haven't posted many comments but it's one of the first things I check every morning! You all have everyone's undivided attention. I sit and laugh and cry when I read the blog! Great for TV and Jake said he'd like to see his dad with the pink hair and we can't forget the socks and sandles! Can't wait to meet the little fella! Have a safe tip home!
Dave, Charity, Grace and Logan

paige fitzhugh said...

Okay...I have looked at his pictures about a million times...I can't get over how cute he is! Jake has been carrying around a copy of the pics and showing them to everyone....he is a very proud big brother! Hey...whose jersey did he (jake) say he wanted...I can't remember?! And since our e-mails are running about 4 days behind I'll never get the info in time except through here! I hope Eli is in Kiev with you guys now. It will be such a relief to all of you when he is out of the orphange and you can go on with your new WONDERFUL lives! Hey, why don't you celebrate by getting some ICE CREAM! You know you can get whenever...wherever! I am practicing being quiet and calm (which is a stretch for me) for when I meet Eli. I'm not so good at it (especially when I think about meeting my new absolutely beautiful nephew)but I still have a couple days! Let me know about he jersey! SEE you SOON! Love you!
paige
P.S. I'd like to send a shout out to FAVE DAVE ...the word on the street is that AUNT PIPPY is DAMN SKIPPY!

Sandra and Tom Wessling said...

Hi Shannon and Kenny,

Congratulations! Eli is one lucky little boy...and so handsome. Amazing how much he looks like Jake. This child is already loved by so many. Hope you have a safe trip home. Cannot wait to see you all.

Sandra, Tom, Madison, and Grant

Steve & the Power Crew said...

Shannon - he sure is cute, looks like he's going to be a handful! Jake better watch out, he may have some competition for the next photo shoot here at Power! Hope you guys have a safe trip back. Steve

Serenity said...

My little brother is awesome!! He is going to be a good little brother. I'm going to be a good big brother, too. I hope he has fun with our new family, but I think he's gotta get used to it. He knows my name, and he knows "some", "many", and "shoe" and "that". I'm going to teach him how to say "candy" and "Hey, dumb dumb. Gimme some gum gum". Hi, Mom and Dad. I miss you all so much, I'll see you on Friday. BYE

Jjaakkeeyy Ppoooo (That means Jakey Poo)

Serenity said...

Shannon and Kenny -- by the way -- serenity has been my sign on name for a long time. We used my name for Jake's message.

Bet you wondered who serenity was, didn't ya?

Kyle

Joanna Bolick said...

Oh my goodness he is cute, Shannon!!! I hope you're having a safe flight home right now!

jesse said...

Eli's comingggggggggg....!

Kelly Goree Photography said...

Shan, are you home???!!! OMG! He's sooo stinkin' beautiful and boy does he resemble Jake!! So excited for you all and can't wait to meet him!

Huge hugs and a safe trip home if you're not here alredy!

melissa diekema said...

What an adorable guy!!!
Congrats to all of you - I am sure Jake can't wait until you all are home!!

Trever and Alicia Camp said...

Shannon and Kenny,

He is so cute, we think he looks just like Jake. We are so happy for you guys.

Congrats. We can not wait to meet him.

Trever and Alicia

galya said...

Hi Kenny and Shannon,

It is Galya, your facilitator. I hope everything going well with all of you. How been your trip home?

Thinking of you,

Galya.

galya said...

Hello Shannon and Kanny,

This is Galya, your facilitator. How are you there? I hope everything is okay. How been your trip home?

I am thinking of you,

Galya.

galya said...

Hello Shannon and Kanny,

It is Galya from Kiev. How are you there? How been your trip hope? I hope everything going well.

I am thinking of you,

Galya.

Melanie said...

he's absolutely adorable! so excited for you guys to get to bring him home this week. :)

Carla Dixon said...

What a handsome young man. I know Jake is so excited to be the BIG BROTHER and be able to teach Eli what it's all about. We are all thrilled for you.

What size does Eli wear?