Sunday, May 30, 2010
Anxiously waiting for "the words" approved!
Once again I am gripped by the anxiety of waiting. Please pray that our immigration case worker has a totally wonderful relaxing Looong weekend. Because when she comes into the office on Tuesday, there sitting on her desk will be the last few papers she has asked me for. Zip Zally done. That's it. She either makes or breaks us at this point. Maybe if she has a great weekend she will find herself in an inexplicably good mood, and type that little 171h right up and mail it to us. I cannot believe how far we have come and how little faith I still manage to fall short with. I know GOD can do it, I am not quite certain that the officer in charge listens with the same set of ears or even the same heart. So that's the request....thanks ladies and gents for being a part of this. It is so much more than a little blog about children in need. The need is larger than you can ever know...
Cathy, wanting to get Marina really really soon...
Thanks for checking on me, as I said before, maybe this is really the week. Nothing else to gather!Please...let there be nothing else to gather...!!!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Getting closer?
I have been diligent on replacing the forms that were unacceptable for our dossier this past week. I had the original dossier scanned in and emailed to a couple of stateside checkpoints but did not give them enough time to respond before I had to make a decision to send our dossier as it was, over to Ukraine by hitching a ride with another adopting mom in Ohio on her way over to EEurope. It was then that I got the many words that our dossier had some flaws. These flaws
were for the most part, cosmetic. Ukraine will not allow the notary stamp to be touching any ink on the page. None. That alone would have wiped out half my dossier because in SC the method of choice is to tie the notary workings together by stamping the embossed seal over everything. I could only do what I could do. I got mad as I was allowed and seethed on the inside for two days. Then I started over. Totally and completely over. This gives me something to do as I wait for Livescan fingerprinting which now handles NY database for all background checks to run my prints in Illinois so we can assess that I paid a fine from an incident in NY 25 years ago. Let me be clear when I say, never try to lie to immigration. They are like your mama, they already know what you did, and are only waiting to see if you own up to it, no matter how small. If you ever consider adoption, do not take the Bill Clinton route...just be honest instead. No one seems to care when you are honest but they will remember and roast you over the coals if you lie....with that being said, yes, I was honest with Immigration. But we wait for confirmation before they can approve us.
In the meantime, the sky is now black over Europe and the Volcano in Iceland is getting worse instead of better. I am so sure that the parents who are working so hard to bring these children home, have climbed many mountains of obstacles and paperwork but there was never a pending volcano listed on things to watch out for. A reminder, that God is bigger than we are and can do what He deems necessary for the good of someone lost, and not at the comfort of those who are "found". And yet he knows about all of us. It will work together for paths to cross that normally would not, that hearts will have new opportunities because life is happening out of the ordinary for so many. I prefer to place my hope in the loom from the view of above it, rather than the strings hanging down all across the backside of the big picture. I think that is the essense of faith and trust. With that being said, I struggle daily when obtaining paperwork that no one will ever look at again taxes my very being with frustration. So it faith easy? No, it is not the easy way to travel...but it is the safest place for me to allow my heart to remain alive and hopeful. If this world was all there was, I would be dark in the middle of my soul. Which technically would not even exist. Man, I do not even want to think about that!
As I was struggling with that faith and path thing about getting to Ukraine and seeing Marina and just questioning the ending of this journey from here and actually getting on a plane to there, I was feeling completely rained on. The NO Umbrella big fat pity party sort of storm. And the mail came yesterday with a total of a thousand dollar donation attached in there...for bringing Marina home. It felt like a thousand promises. I was overwhelmed not only by the amount but by the timing. The out of the blue timing....and God said, yes, you will get there.
I have been hesitant to raise further awareness of our pending financial need because I wanted to be sure we will travel before we load the account with funds that will revert to Marina in the case we are denied. But that is not quite right. Because if we love her like we say we do, if something were to happen, we would want her to have a family immediately. No matter that it would break my heart for it not to be us. So I will look into a big idea I have been mulling around in the last few weeks and see if it is doable in the upcoming month....it is a groovy fundraiser idea if it works, so I will not mention it yet. Many questions need answered first, primarily a location.
Please pray for the parents who are trapped here and cannot travel because Kiev has shut down from the volcano ash and please pray for the parents who have gone through so much and have little funding left, and are trapped in Kiev for the same reason. I posted a blog in my last post but she had to make it private the same day I did so, please forgive and disregard.
We are working hard, so if I am quiet in my posts, it is not because I am idling away my time. It is because I am afraid to whine about the paperwork and dissuade someone else from saving a child...this is not about expanding our family anymore. It is about their being a serious huge sad need for love in this world. I cannot love all of the children because that is asking too much. But if we each love one in some way, they will find homes and their lives will not be lost for the remainder of earth. This can be done in different ways....by prayer, diligent daily support...by committing to your own orphan and bringing them hope, by financially supporting a family adopting (anyone! it does not have to be me!) ...by spreading the awareness that the need is tremendous. Doing anything is better than doing nothing. Answer your own heart if it speaks. It is the podium for the spirit of God.
Cathy
were for the most part, cosmetic. Ukraine will not allow the notary stamp to be touching any ink on the page. None. That alone would have wiped out half my dossier because in SC the method of choice is to tie the notary workings together by stamping the embossed seal over everything. I could only do what I could do. I got mad as I was allowed and seethed on the inside for two days. Then I started over. Totally and completely over. This gives me something to do as I wait for Livescan fingerprinting which now handles NY database for all background checks to run my prints in Illinois so we can assess that I paid a fine from an incident in NY 25 years ago. Let me be clear when I say, never try to lie to immigration. They are like your mama, they already know what you did, and are only waiting to see if you own up to it, no matter how small. If you ever consider adoption, do not take the Bill Clinton route...just be honest instead. No one seems to care when you are honest but they will remember and roast you over the coals if you lie....with that being said, yes, I was honest with Immigration. But we wait for confirmation before they can approve us.
In the meantime, the sky is now black over Europe and the Volcano in Iceland is getting worse instead of better. I am so sure that the parents who are working so hard to bring these children home, have climbed many mountains of obstacles and paperwork but there was never a pending volcano listed on things to watch out for. A reminder, that God is bigger than we are and can do what He deems necessary for the good of someone lost, and not at the comfort of those who are "found". And yet he knows about all of us. It will work together for paths to cross that normally would not, that hearts will have new opportunities because life is happening out of the ordinary for so many. I prefer to place my hope in the loom from the view of above it, rather than the strings hanging down all across the backside of the big picture. I think that is the essense of faith and trust. With that being said, I struggle daily when obtaining paperwork that no one will ever look at again taxes my very being with frustration. So it faith easy? No, it is not the easy way to travel...but it is the safest place for me to allow my heart to remain alive and hopeful. If this world was all there was, I would be dark in the middle of my soul. Which technically would not even exist. Man, I do not even want to think about that!
As I was struggling with that faith and path thing about getting to Ukraine and seeing Marina and just questioning the ending of this journey from here and actually getting on a plane to there, I was feeling completely rained on. The NO Umbrella big fat pity party sort of storm. And the mail came yesterday with a total of a thousand dollar donation attached in there...for bringing Marina home. It felt like a thousand promises. I was overwhelmed not only by the amount but by the timing. The out of the blue timing....and God said, yes, you will get there.
I have been hesitant to raise further awareness of our pending financial need because I wanted to be sure we will travel before we load the account with funds that will revert to Marina in the case we are denied. But that is not quite right. Because if we love her like we say we do, if something were to happen, we would want her to have a family immediately. No matter that it would break my heart for it not to be us. So I will look into a big idea I have been mulling around in the last few weeks and see if it is doable in the upcoming month....it is a groovy fundraiser idea if it works, so I will not mention it yet. Many questions need answered first, primarily a location.
Please pray for the parents who are trapped here and cannot travel because Kiev has shut down from the volcano ash and please pray for the parents who have gone through so much and have little funding left, and are trapped in Kiev for the same reason. I posted a blog in my last post but she had to make it private the same day I did so, please forgive and disregard.
We are working hard, so if I am quiet in my posts, it is not because I am idling away my time. It is because I am afraid to whine about the paperwork and dissuade someone else from saving a child...this is not about expanding our family anymore. It is about their being a serious huge sad need for love in this world. I cannot love all of the children because that is asking too much. But if we each love one in some way, they will find homes and their lives will not be lost for the remainder of earth. This can be done in different ways....by prayer, diligent daily support...by committing to your own orphan and bringing them hope, by financially supporting a family adopting (anyone! it does not have to be me!) ...by spreading the awareness that the need is tremendous. Doing anything is better than doing nothing. Answer your own heart if it speaks. It is the podium for the spirit of God.
Cathy
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Why? Why? Deleted post....
It has been suggested that anyone who shared the post that I had posted here earlier this week take it down lest it jeopardize the adoption process we fight so hard to clear. So I have taken it down. Let it suffice to say that the need to adopt is not one born out of selfish love. It may start out that way but the more we discover along the way, the more we know it is in the best interest of the child to find them a home. It is bigger than you can ever imagine what we have said yes to. We blindly share hope and it must be really something. We have encountered monster sized issues that can only be attributed to spiritual warfare...and we will conquer because of whose side we battle in the name of.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Change is in the wind
Wow has it only been just a week since I wrote on here? It feels like sooooo much has happened in the last little while that it is nearly impossible to consider it has been mere days. My friend Shelly has arrived in Ukraine and has been very instrumental in a) making me green with envy for being there and 2) letting me know that the facilitator had found out that little Marina's director was planning on having her transferred to an institution with a one way door--IN, not out. I completely went in to overdrive and gathered the last few papers to have apostilled in Columbia, an easy 94 miles each way. That was monday, and as I was there I realized I did not have State police clearance papers in my possession, only in the home study. Ukraine wants them separate, so I went to SLED for another background check, and found out they do not open to the public but have to be dealt with via the mail. I called the SLED office and struck by a heavenly beam of grace, the lady filled her good deed quota of the day (year?) and told me to go get a 50 dollar money order and she would hand them to me right then. I flew back to the grocery down the block, complied and was back in 20 minutes. She told me that she never does that but when she heard it was Ukraine, she really changed her mind....someone in her office had adopted from there and she knew it was crucial. I left there with precious papers in hand, and went to the state department for apostilling of 34 pages of paper. She asked if I could leave them and come back the next day to pick them up. My stomach fell out the bottom feeling certain that fire and/or flood would overtake the capital on just this very night if I let them out of my sight but nto having packed pajamas and counting the people in her office, I left and came home. Returning the next day, with Evan in tow, I was told that in order to have the pardon apostilled I needed to have it notarized...well then what was that little seal raised over his signature for?? It was the Pardon and Parole official stamp...dragging over to the Pardon board across town it took me an hour to convince them I had to have the stamp of a notary saying the stamp was certified. This was out of their comfort zone but with nearly 8 people concurring, it was done and we were back on our way to the apostille office...Evan has lost his joy at this adventure for sure. I may add I am right there with him. We are finally finished at 4:30 and get directions to a children's museum that promptly closes at 5, right along with the zoo.:( We are very disappointed and head home, at 5 oclock travel time. Sitting in traffic at a dead stop, I look over and see, no kidding, a chuck e cheese on the frontage road of the next exit. Like a good mama I crawl the car across three lanes of unwilling travelers and we settle for that as our reward for the day. evan pals up with a little boy who is 6 and plays super hard for the next hour and a half...Getting home at 9 pm we are ever so tired!! I check email and find a letter from immigration that asks for 9 more items. I am devastated at this and can hardly sleep. But I had already ordered some of the papers i thought might have been misplaced by DSS so I was ready somewhat. The next day I spent the morning getting more court papers and more fingerprints etc etc. By 2 pm I had ordered and/or gathered everything on that list, even the obscure items. Tully's mom will pick up the rest at the courthouse in PA on monday. In the meantime I have found another family who will take my dossier to Ukraine with them on Tuesday of this next week. Other than not having a travel tracking number this is also a miracle in itself. That I am ready and they are walking out the door saves me shipping charges of nearly 120.00. Most importantly it will allow them to get started translating it all now and perhaps let Marina's orphanage director know our papers have arrived.
It has been spring break time around here, work has been a little slow (grateful for that!) and my mom has located a heat pump for us that is going to be installed next week, right after it hits nearly 90* today! Did I say SPRING? It has been a long winter and now seems as if it is instant summer. The way this adoption has all fallen into place has made it impossible to raise funds because it is too hard to ask for help when we do not have 100% knowledge that we are going to be approved. We only have 100% hope and determination and prayers and a mighty God who is not surprised by any of this...that duh huh look is reserved for us:) However with this being said, I am trusting that we will travel in the very near future to go see Marina and bring her home. Time is of the essence is a cliche that is well over used, but the wheels are picking up steam and we have to make sure we are obedient in all we can do to get her. God will move the mountains, and we better be ready when He does.
We are looking forward to a special easter weekend with Tully's mom/gramma Sue coming in this morning from PA and Evan can hardly wait to teach her how to play video games...I bet she has other plans for him:)
Remember that easter is the time in Christs life where everything changed...where hope drained with his life...and it was restored to us through his resurrection. God has some amazing ideas on how to pull us out of the hole every time. I discover this daily. I am reminded of how it is there for everyone especially as we celebrate so much more than bunnies and eggs and fancy dresses this weekend. May we all find time to reflect and give thanks for this Hope. The world would be radically different without it.
I close this post with a note that the kids from Belize came in 9th in the overall competition and that is better than last year and I am very proud of them! They are back in Belize as I spoke with them while sitting at Chuck e cheese's on Tuesday night and they all called to say goodbye. I don't know for sure that I will ever see them again here on earth, but I smile knowing I will see them again. They are an awesome group of kids, lead by an awesome team of women. The kind of women I want to be like when I grow up.
Sharing Shelly's blog here-- Burman Bunch
Her kids are so cute! I think I conjured her up out of a fairy tale to be honest, I wanted little Yulia to have a mama so much! And now Shelly is loving on that sweet little girl and reaping the rewards of a tough journey. And that is why I am green with envy for her:) Our dossier leaves this morning, please pray.
It has been spring break time around here, work has been a little slow (grateful for that!) and my mom has located a heat pump for us that is going to be installed next week, right after it hits nearly 90* today! Did I say SPRING? It has been a long winter and now seems as if it is instant summer. The way this adoption has all fallen into place has made it impossible to raise funds because it is too hard to ask for help when we do not have 100% knowledge that we are going to be approved. We only have 100% hope and determination and prayers and a mighty God who is not surprised by any of this...that duh huh look is reserved for us:) However with this being said, I am trusting that we will travel in the very near future to go see Marina and bring her home. Time is of the essence is a cliche that is well over used, but the wheels are picking up steam and we have to make sure we are obedient in all we can do to get her. God will move the mountains, and we better be ready when He does.
We are looking forward to a special easter weekend with Tully's mom/gramma Sue coming in this morning from PA and Evan can hardly wait to teach her how to play video games...I bet she has other plans for him:)
Remember that easter is the time in Christs life where everything changed...where hope drained with his life...and it was restored to us through his resurrection. God has some amazing ideas on how to pull us out of the hole every time. I discover this daily. I am reminded of how it is there for everyone especially as we celebrate so much more than bunnies and eggs and fancy dresses this weekend. May we all find time to reflect and give thanks for this Hope. The world would be radically different without it.
I close this post with a note that the kids from Belize came in 9th in the overall competition and that is better than last year and I am very proud of them! They are back in Belize as I spoke with them while sitting at Chuck e cheese's on Tuesday night and they all called to say goodbye. I don't know for sure that I will ever see them again here on earth, but I smile knowing I will see them again. They are an awesome group of kids, lead by an awesome team of women. The kind of women I want to be like when I grow up.
Sharing Shelly's blog here-- Burman Bunch
Her kids are so cute! I think I conjured her up out of a fairy tale to be honest, I wanted little Yulia to have a mama so much! And now Shelly is loving on that sweet little girl and reaping the rewards of a tough journey. And that is why I am green with envy for her:) Our dossier leaves this morning, please pray.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Evan's Birthday
This past WEEK was Evan's birthday...and we celebrated constantly in the way of surprises that kept showing up. His party was at the Karate school, and it is by far the best party in town. That young man played those kids into exhaustion and they Loved it!It was his kids from school and was just the right size for activities. Evan did get his Wii and it really has been fun for our family, though I play it very little. The day of Evan's birthday we hosted our friend from Belize, Sharon Arthurs and her team of bible quiz members, 4 kids from ages 10-12 and 2 more chaperones. We had an absolute blast with them here and enjoyed the short time with them immensely. Evan loved the kids and they were gracious to meet him on his level of interest and play. The kids did a demonstration of how they answer the questions and have also memorized the book of 1st Corinthians. Yes, all 31 verses. It was both impressive and humbling to say the least. We ended the time together by going to Landrum Dayspring church and Sharon spoke a wonderful message that day. I was sadly distressed to learn that the host and owner of the hotel we had stayed at in Belize had been robbed, tortured and murdered in that very hotel last March 10th. His son found him when returning from school. That man was such a gentle happy soul I cannot imagine his last hour on this planet without tears. They did catch the three men but the justice system in Belize is lame to say the least. Maybe it is easy to say that when you know the person whose life ended in such greed and injustice. Anyway the story said that the wife and son would stay in Belize as they cannot sell the hotel and basically have no where to go. I think I remember they were from Taiwan originally.
Evan's real birthdate was yesterday and it was very hard to convince him he was 5 again and still, rather than suddenly 6. Too many birthdays I guess. Yesterday we got home and yes, there was another gift in the mailbox. Thank You Shelly! We also got a sweet card and financial support from our prayer warrior Susan...remember when you used to just be Marina's warrior?? Thank you as well!
I know there are alot of problems in Ukraine right now getting the interpol clearance forms printed out for everyone over there who has court coming up. The clearances have appeared to be done, but not printed. So no one has proof of said clearance. Nothing surprises me anymore with government involvement in general and how often it involves paperwork that has gone amuck but that does not mean I am not troubled by these events. As long as we have been at this journey we have seen Ukraine stumble and shut down many times in this adoption department. Thankfully they get going again so far each time something comes up. In that there is some light I think. I am reminded here that we have been battling our own US paperwork troubles as well. and.....
We have yet to hear anything from USCIS immigration. I know they have 90 days to respond. They will either say yes, no or they need more docs. I am resolved to the fact that as usual this is way out of my hands. Evan asked for a little sister for his birthday as we got to school wednesday. I said not today and count on the fact that she will be big by the time we get her. I could not tell who was more disappointed, me or him. Even Tully is getting frustrated and he is usually the last to say anything about the frustration of waiting. So we go on living our lives here and trying to get ready for going there. One day it will come....
Evan's real birthdate was yesterday and it was very hard to convince him he was 5 again and still, rather than suddenly 6. Too many birthdays I guess. Yesterday we got home and yes, there was another gift in the mailbox. Thank You Shelly! We also got a sweet card and financial support from our prayer warrior Susan...remember when you used to just be Marina's warrior?? Thank you as well!
I know there are alot of problems in Ukraine right now getting the interpol clearance forms printed out for everyone over there who has court coming up. The clearances have appeared to be done, but not printed. So no one has proof of said clearance. Nothing surprises me anymore with government involvement in general and how often it involves paperwork that has gone amuck but that does not mean I am not troubled by these events. As long as we have been at this journey we have seen Ukraine stumble and shut down many times in this adoption department. Thankfully they get going again so far each time something comes up. In that there is some light I think. I am reminded here that we have been battling our own US paperwork troubles as well. and.....
We have yet to hear anything from USCIS immigration. I know they have 90 days to respond. They will either say yes, no or they need more docs. I am resolved to the fact that as usual this is way out of my hands. Evan asked for a little sister for his birthday as we got to school wednesday. I said not today and count on the fact that she will be big by the time we get her. I could not tell who was more disappointed, me or him. Even Tully is getting frustrated and he is usually the last to say anything about the frustration of waiting. So we go on living our lives here and trying to get ready for going there. One day it will come....
Saturday, March 13, 2010
When, oh when, will this mountain crumble??
Actually it seems to crumble as I am climbing the side of it now that I give this some thought. It has been hard to update this week since we were cleared by social services. I have never gotten so much as a phone call to explain to me what has occurred but from what little bits and pieces I can gather, social services had taken apart our home study to pass it around and read it. Albeit they had it for three months so why it could not remain intact is beyond me. This is the part where I write that they seem to have misplaced some of the papers. The certified ones. That are somewhat difficult to obtain at a moments notice. I have been lead to believe that USCIS will need the original documentations on these. I am so discouraged and sad, why can people not understand that every day Marina is not HERE she is losing out on opportunities to learn and be cared for? Children have windows of opportunity where learning certain things are easier when that window is Open...hers have been sliding down and closing each day that we are carelessly set back. I take some responsibility for this as well for some of the things we had to clear because we were once ever so stupid, but at this point my biggest concern is how much institutional damage has been done and how difficult to learn to love will it be for her? I have been communicating third party with the newer facilitator in our region in Eastern Europe and she does not have recent information on Marina because the director of that orphanage always wants an update on us and there is little that she has had to offer him so she has been avoiding the orphanage altogether. From what I have heard she is now very happy that there has been connection with us and will be able to talk with that director and give him the insight as to our whereabouts on this crazy board game we are hopping around on. It is a far reach but I sure hope for some more recent photos and maybe even a guestimate on what size little Marina is now. Evan talks about her at school and all the time here at home, trying to ascertain what she might know and what she may not. This has been relatively funny and sad at the same time. He did say that he might need to teach her how to be wild. I am pretty sure that is a freebie thrown in for all kiddos by God:) Then Evan asked me if she had any clothes or was she cold and naked. I wonder how that four year old little mind of his works. The day I found out about the lost papers incident I was distant and brewing a storm in my head, therefor not paying any attention to Evan even though I was giving him the MMhummm answers that are usually reserved for marriage talk. He flat out asked me, are you mad at me or what? I felt pretty bad so I sat down and told him someone lost some important papers that were taking away time to go get Marina and he fell apart and started crying! He finally was able to explain to me that he was afraid someone else would find the papers and go take Marina from us. WOW! The age of enlightenment has sure hit him earlier than it hit me, perhaps by about 35 years.
So here is my basic understanding of things. I believe that God is the creator of everything. I believe some of those things revolted because of the nature of power and greed. And I believe that there is a battle raging over our heads that we could not possibly comprehend. We are often pulled into that battle because we are the objects of God's heart and jealousy is as ugly as power and greed when left unchecked in these revolting little creatures that create mayhem and destruction on the earth to turn us from God. There is a chance that we will turn to Him as well though and that was the turning point for us that sealed the deal that we would never turn back. So now that we have chosen our side, the battle is to create doubt about the power of God. And disrupt our hearts. So as the mountain crumbles under foot as we climb forward, I know that we have been given certain abilities and gifts to navigate. And I can rest in the truth that whatever we can do, we should do. Whatever we cannot do, God will handle. Prayer is fuel. Fill'er up!
So here is my basic understanding of things. I believe that God is the creator of everything. I believe some of those things revolted because of the nature of power and greed. And I believe that there is a battle raging over our heads that we could not possibly comprehend. We are often pulled into that battle because we are the objects of God's heart and jealousy is as ugly as power and greed when left unchecked in these revolting little creatures that create mayhem and destruction on the earth to turn us from God. There is a chance that we will turn to Him as well though and that was the turning point for us that sealed the deal that we would never turn back. So now that we have chosen our side, the battle is to create doubt about the power of God. And disrupt our hearts. So as the mountain crumbles under foot as we climb forward, I know that we have been given certain abilities and gifts to navigate. And I can rest in the truth that whatever we can do, we should do. Whatever we cannot do, God will handle. Prayer is fuel. Fill'er up!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Forward motion
Today we finally got the call that we were cleared to submit to immigration for final stateside approval. After much contemplation social services has smacked their seal of approval on our homestudy....nearly 10 months after starting this process and finding out that misdemeanors are not nearly as harmless as they appear on paper. Social services of SC has forwarded our homestudy onward to USCIS where immigration adoption personnel will have the pleasure of sitting down with that 45+ page homestudy and a cuppa whatever, and again, strangers decide if we can do this thing. I honestly feel that the more yesses that are said, the less likely a NO will be the final word.
TOday, other than the homestudy approval, was not totally terrific. The HVAC dude came out and determined that our compressor was shot and our unit had a freon leak, unrepairable. I can drag this 3 and a half ton unit over to sit next to our car that was given the same diagnosis. Evan also came home sick from school but I feel he can at least be repaired. He is sleeping softly next to me as I type this. His questions on the way to school today involved various birthday plans and ideas coupled with when is Marina going to come here to stay? Can I take her to school with me? Can she come to my party? And finally, "Don,t worry mom, she really is coming here". He plans to teach her how to be wild and crazy. He will certainly be a fine teacher! He was watching Signing Times at school yesterday and that is the coolest little video! I think we will try to keep an eye out for this as it will be a great tool for teaching Marina how to speak what she wants or at least sign for it til she gets the word figured out to go with the want. Evan will be 5 in 22 days and that is the big fat deal of the century for him. Tully will be another year older on the 9th and Caylyn left on the 8th, 2 years ago. My mom has a birthday the day after Evans and my brother in laws' is the 16th. Wow, That is a lot of celebrations! I might add that World Down Syndrome Day is March 21. Since baby Sophia got her family last month I am happy to add baby ANNA to the advocation spotlight! Fundraising for her grant begins today. I hope to have one person a day donate at least 21 dollars to her fund each day. This makes a huge impact on who gets adopted as the experience is very expensive...and worth it! Please consider a tax deductible donation to help defray the costs of bringing her home so her family might take that leap of faith and commit to her!
Will keep the updates coming with the process of obtaining our 171-h, the approval of immigration. Pray for speed for us and no more financial warfare, and that Marina stays protected healthy and happy, looking forward to all the goodness that she cannot even dream about now. The days where Evan teaches her to be wild and crazy....oh boy!
ps did I mention we had a flat tire this morning as well?? Yeah, lets not bring that up!
PSS Will update photo of Anna soon as photos on other computer.
TOday, other than the homestudy approval, was not totally terrific. The HVAC dude came out and determined that our compressor was shot and our unit had a freon leak, unrepairable. I can drag this 3 and a half ton unit over to sit next to our car that was given the same diagnosis. Evan also came home sick from school but I feel he can at least be repaired. He is sleeping softly next to me as I type this. His questions on the way to school today involved various birthday plans and ideas coupled with when is Marina going to come here to stay? Can I take her to school with me? Can she come to my party? And finally, "Don,t worry mom, she really is coming here". He plans to teach her how to be wild and crazy. He will certainly be a fine teacher! He was watching Signing Times at school yesterday and that is the coolest little video! I think we will try to keep an eye out for this as it will be a great tool for teaching Marina how to speak what she wants or at least sign for it til she gets the word figured out to go with the want. Evan will be 5 in 22 days and that is the big fat deal of the century for him. Tully will be another year older on the 9th and Caylyn left on the 8th, 2 years ago. My mom has a birthday the day after Evans and my brother in laws' is the 16th. Wow, That is a lot of celebrations! I might add that World Down Syndrome Day is March 21. Since baby Sophia got her family last month I am happy to add baby ANNA to the advocation spotlight! Fundraising for her grant begins today. I hope to have one person a day donate at least 21 dollars to her fund each day. This makes a huge impact on who gets adopted as the experience is very expensive...and worth it! Please consider a tax deductible donation to help defray the costs of bringing her home so her family might take that leap of faith and commit to her!
Will keep the updates coming with the process of obtaining our 171-h, the approval of immigration. Pray for speed for us and no more financial warfare, and that Marina stays protected healthy and happy, looking forward to all the goodness that she cannot even dream about now. The days where Evan teaches her to be wild and crazy....oh boy!
ps did I mention we had a flat tire this morning as well?? Yeah, lets not bring that up!
PSS Will update photo of Anna soon as photos on other computer.
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