After our busy Christmas I finally have a day at home so thought I would quick write an update on here. A lot of you have been asking what's new and the answer is NOTHING! We are still waiting for a late term mother that would like to place her baby. I've heard that around Thanksgiving and Christmas is the slowest time in the adoption world, because the mothers are not wanting to think about that during the holidays and so it gets pushed off till things settle down a little. We are hoping that is true in our case and now sometime soon there will be some action! When I start writing about it, it always makes me feel guilty that we are sitting over here just chomping at the bit waiting.... for a mother to give up her baby so we can have it! I know I know that is so incorrect language and all the agencies would love to delete that sentence and say, "make an adoption plan" and yada yada, but the truth of it is there has to be a 'loss' for us to have a 'gain'! For some reason that always dampens my spirits a bit in my wishing for it to happen NOW! It seemed so different to me for some reason when we got Pey, his mother had already made the decision and he was in an orphanage and obviously needed a family asap! But now to go this domestic route and deal with the birth mother directly and be involved in her pain and know her story and sense her love for the baby... it's so hard emotionally to deal with that extra aspect of it! :( Sometimes it looks like the easiest thing to just have one child :) But then I start thinking more realistically and remember how thankful we are that God gave us the opportunity to adopt and how we have been blessed far more than we ever imagined with our first little miracle boy and how worth it it will be in the end! And then some days believe it or not I start feeling so thankful and undeserving of the life we have been given and I wonder how will we ever be able to stop when we have SO much to share?!! I think time and money will stop us long before we are 'done' adopting!! :)
Ok so I realize this got to be some rambling of thoughts :-/
Just dreaming out loud here.. I'm just hoping that in about 2 weeks we will get matched with a mother due the first of March, and as far as gender.. just depends on which day you ask me :) So.. I'll try and update then :)
Friday, December 27, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Moving On
Well, we have decided (with some advice) that maybe it would be best to move on and leave the Carol situation behind! :( It's such a sticky, uncertain mess right now and Carol doesn't see at this point how it will work, so we are trying to release her from out hearts and minds. We felt a connection with her and it is really hard to leave it behind, but we are trying to trust that this is the open door we are suppose to be walking through!
We had a ray of hope for a couple days when our lawyer told us of a preemie boy that had been born and the young, single mother had decided after being with baby for 6 wks in NICU that it was too much for her to handle alone. But they had taken mother to the nearest specialty hospital to have the baby and that happened to be in the next state and our lawyer couldn't get the legal part all worked out and then the mother requested the family to be from Arkansas so that fell through as fast as it came to be!!
Vaughn has a mother now that he needs a family for, but she is only 4 months along and he feels quite confident that there will be a mother come to him later in pregnancy that he could match us with. So for now we are taking his advise and going to hold out for a possible later term mother.
I just hate the uncertainty of it all!!! It feels like we back to square one not knowing if we will have a baby in 6 weeks or 6 months and if it will be boy or girl!! If we were just starting out 6 months would seem so quick, but after counting down weeks for the last several months and dreaming and getting prepared for a girl it's hard to switch gears and be totally neutral on gender and accept the possibility that it could be after our original due date! Oh well such is life, eh?! In the grand scheme of things this is such a little bump, but it's pretty easy to make a mountain out of a mole hill! :-)
Maybe next post will be some really exciting news!!!
We had a ray of hope for a couple days when our lawyer told us of a preemie boy that had been born and the young, single mother had decided after being with baby for 6 wks in NICU that it was too much for her to handle alone. But they had taken mother to the nearest specialty hospital to have the baby and that happened to be in the next state and our lawyer couldn't get the legal part all worked out and then the mother requested the family to be from Arkansas so that fell through as fast as it came to be!!
Vaughn has a mother now that he needs a family for, but she is only 4 months along and he feels quite confident that there will be a mother come to him later in pregnancy that he could match us with. So for now we are taking his advise and going to hold out for a possible later term mother.
I just hate the uncertainty of it all!!! It feels like we back to square one not knowing if we will have a baby in 6 weeks or 6 months and if it will be boy or girl!! If we were just starting out 6 months would seem so quick, but after counting down weeks for the last several months and dreaming and getting prepared for a girl it's hard to switch gears and be totally neutral on gender and accept the possibility that it could be after our original due date! Oh well such is life, eh?! In the grand scheme of things this is such a little bump, but it's pretty easy to make a mountain out of a mole hill! :-)
Maybe next post will be some really exciting news!!!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Turmoil :(
Have been wanting to post an update, but hasn't been a lot to post about, until... this week. Our lawyer contacted us and said he saw red flags in the adoption.. NOT what one wants to hear!! The boyfriend/husband which is the father of the baby does not want to adopt it out and he has been putting a lot of pressure on Carol to back out. Carol has been out of state for over a month staying with her mother who had a stroke and was paralyzed, she is under a lot of stress the way it is and then to have pressure from her husband has been very difficult for her! She doesn't feel like they can give it the life she would like for it and still wants to go through with the adoption, but..... As much as we liked Carol and would love to have her baby we have the other side of the coin that if the father wants his baby, no matter if it's not the ideal circumstances we don't want to stand in his way! I think that would forever haunt me, and I would feel like we 'stole' it!! And to think sensibly down the road who's to say she won't back out after she has it and the father has held it and fallen in love with it??? It would be a lot easier to accept now!! Our lawyer feels like it's too risky of a situation and we should move on and be matched with another mother. Our lawyer says it's possible a mother will come to him later in her pregnancy and we could be matched with her and not have to wait so long, which would be a plus not to have to start with a mother who is barely pg and wait 7-8 months again!
So for now we are TRYING to just relax and wait on God to open a door for us... I know it will all work out in the end, but it's the 'in the mean time' that isn't fun wading through! :(
So for now we are TRYING to just relax and wait on God to open a door for us... I know it will all work out in the end, but it's the 'in the mean time' that isn't fun wading through! :(
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Meeting the birth mother
No, this is not Bill :) But he is still saying he is going to post.....SOMETIME!
We went last weekend to meet the birth mother. We had made out earlier to be at Red Lobster at 6. We quickly found out first hand what others had already found out and warned us about... Marshallese culture doesn't follow the American clock! :) We were at Red Lobster a little early and our translator was actually there already, and told us last he talked to Carol she just had to get the baby ready and then would be on the way. After 'some time' of waiting and Justin starting to get a little antsy he decided to go look for her. In the meantime Bill looked up cell phones, thinking it would be a good idea for Carol to have one ;-) After another amount of time Justin calls and said he had gone clear back to her house and hadn't seen her and her Grandma said she had already left, after confirming we had not seen her either, he headed back. After Justin got back we waited for 'a few' again, and he finally said he thought we should go get some supper and he would go wait for Carol at her house and when she got there he would just meet us at our hotel. Seems simple enough right? At 10:00 we decided to call it a day and tried getting up with Justin to figure out what the plan was for tomorrow... doesn't answer phone or text :( Called our lawyer and he text back in a few and said they were on there way to the motel now. What? at 10? Left Pey in his pj's and we got a little more presentable although not our original all matching, impressive, "first meeting" clothes! :) Our hotel had a big lounge area, with big comfy leather chairs and lamps in a secluded corner that actually worked just perfect for the occasion! Was probably a lot more relaxing than sitting around a table at Red Lobster although a few hours earlier would have been even more relaxing yet :)
Although we have nothing in common, but the baby, we did actually find stuff to talk about till 1:00! I have so many questions I want to ask her about her self and her family etc. etc. but there is a part of me that wants to hold back, because I feel a little bit invasive? selfish? I don't know how to describe the feelings...
We decided to meet for dinner yet before we cam home. They wanted to try Red Lobster again... they were going to church and would be out at 11 and meet at 11:30. I'll let your imagination fill in some of the gaps, but at 1:45 Justin finally calls (yes we TRIED getting up with him 'multiple' times) and said they were at Wal-mart and would be heading our way soon! :-O Yes we did eat at Red Lobster and no in 5 years from now it will never matter, but yes it IS stressful especially to someone who likes to KNOW what is going on and not be left HANGING!! Had a nice time visiting again, and left feeling very glad we had made the time to go see her! It was worth it, stress and all, and it makes it seem a lot more real!! It's so emotional... such strange feelings that one can experience:) When I see this lady with this little bump under her clothes and know that she is carrying MY baby........ I want to give her a big hug and plead with her to take oh such good care of it.. and then when I think of the sacrifice she is making... such love, I can hardly fathom! She very clearly loved her baby and to think that she loves this one too and is unselfish enough to 'let' someone raise it and love it and give it everything she isn't able to provide...makes me so thankful and makes the responsibility of it seem all the more real!
Now just ONE MORE DAY till is will seem even more real!!! She's having another ultrasound Thursday so I can start dreaming in blue or pink! :)
ADOPTION ~ Is a very sacred exchange, It is not done lightly on either side! Jamie Lee Curtis
Once there were two women who never knew each other
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother
Two different lives shaped to make you one
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun
The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim
One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried you tears
One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do
The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.
Now, which of these two women, Are you the product of?
Both, my darling, Both, Just two different types of love.
Unknown
We went last weekend to meet the birth mother. We had made out earlier to be at Red Lobster at 6. We quickly found out first hand what others had already found out and warned us about... Marshallese culture doesn't follow the American clock! :) We were at Red Lobster a little early and our translator was actually there already, and told us last he talked to Carol she just had to get the baby ready and then would be on the way. After 'some time' of waiting and Justin starting to get a little antsy he decided to go look for her. In the meantime Bill looked up cell phones, thinking it would be a good idea for Carol to have one ;-) After another amount of time Justin calls and said he had gone clear back to her house and hadn't seen her and her Grandma said she had already left, after confirming we had not seen her either, he headed back. After Justin got back we waited for 'a few' again, and he finally said he thought we should go get some supper and he would go wait for Carol at her house and when she got there he would just meet us at our hotel. Seems simple enough right? At 10:00 we decided to call it a day and tried getting up with Justin to figure out what the plan was for tomorrow... doesn't answer phone or text :( Called our lawyer and he text back in a few and said they were on there way to the motel now. What? at 10? Left Pey in his pj's and we got a little more presentable although not our original all matching, impressive, "first meeting" clothes! :) Our hotel had a big lounge area, with big comfy leather chairs and lamps in a secluded corner that actually worked just perfect for the occasion! Was probably a lot more relaxing than sitting around a table at Red Lobster although a few hours earlier would have been even more relaxing yet :)
Although we have nothing in common, but the baby, we did actually find stuff to talk about till 1:00! I have so many questions I want to ask her about her self and her family etc. etc. but there is a part of me that wants to hold back, because I feel a little bit invasive? selfish? I don't know how to describe the feelings...
We decided to meet for dinner yet before we cam home. They wanted to try Red Lobster again... they were going to church and would be out at 11 and meet at 11:30. I'll let your imagination fill in some of the gaps, but at 1:45 Justin finally calls (yes we TRIED getting up with him 'multiple' times) and said they were at Wal-mart and would be heading our way soon! :-O Yes we did eat at Red Lobster and no in 5 years from now it will never matter, but yes it IS stressful especially to someone who likes to KNOW what is going on and not be left HANGING!! Had a nice time visiting again, and left feeling very glad we had made the time to go see her! It was worth it, stress and all, and it makes it seem a lot more real!! It's so emotional... such strange feelings that one can experience:) When I see this lady with this little bump under her clothes and know that she is carrying MY baby........ I want to give her a big hug and plead with her to take oh such good care of it.. and then when I think of the sacrifice she is making... such love, I can hardly fathom! She very clearly loved her baby and to think that she loves this one too and is unselfish enough to 'let' someone raise it and love it and give it everything she isn't able to provide...makes me so thankful and makes the responsibility of it seem all the more real!
Now just ONE MORE DAY till is will seem even more real!!! She's having another ultrasound Thursday so I can start dreaming in blue or pink! :)
ADOPTION ~ Is a very sacred exchange, It is not done lightly on either side! Jamie Lee Curtis
Once there were two women who never knew each other
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother
Two different lives shaped to make you one
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun
The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim
One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried you tears
One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do
The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.
Now, which of these two women, Are you the product of?
Both, my darling, Both, Just two different types of love.
Unknown
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Still feeling like a dream! :)
I've been wanting to post an update, but not a lot to post yet! It is all so unreal yet and sometimes expect to wake up and it all just have been a dream!! We have skyped with the BM a couple times now and we REALLY like her! She is more of a soft spoken, reserved personality, but is very sweet and likable! We were hoping to find out if it's a boy or girl last week, but Dr. couldn't get baby to move so now have to wait clear till next Thursday!! Some days it feels like March 25 will NEVER get here, but I imagine with the speed of life as of the last couple years it "will be here before I know it!" (It's better for me to say that than for you to tell me LOL)
In the meantime we are working on getting our international HS changed over to domestic and trying to not buy all the cute little baby clothes I see :) I had long ago given any newborn stuff I had accumulated over the years away. So will be fun to go shopping!
We are hoping to go to Arkansas this month and meet the birth mother and her family... I'm sure it will probably be awkward at first, but think it will be beneficial to all involved. Didn't want our first meeting to be at the hospital! :(
Some other exciting news.. The family that adopted their little Asian boy from Russia the same time we adopted Peyton, was matched last night with a Marshallese baby as well and it's due very close to the same time as ours!! We think it's pretty cool that we will have two of our children adopted from the same place at the same time:)
Have been bugging Bill to contribute here a little so maybe the next post will be his take on it all! :)
In the meantime we are working on getting our international HS changed over to domestic and trying to not buy all the cute little baby clothes I see :) I had long ago given any newborn stuff I had accumulated over the years away. So will be fun to go shopping!
We are hoping to go to Arkansas this month and meet the birth mother and her family... I'm sure it will probably be awkward at first, but think it will be beneficial to all involved. Didn't want our first meeting to be at the hospital! :(
Some other exciting news.. The family that adopted their little Asian boy from Russia the same time we adopted Peyton, was matched last night with a Marshallese baby as well and it's due very close to the same time as ours!! We think it's pretty cool that we will have two of our children adopted from the same place at the same time:)
Have been bugging Bill to contribute here a little so maybe the next post will be his take on it all! :)
Thursday, September 19, 2013
From Kazakhstan to Arkansas
You hear the saying when God closes one door he opens another...well sometimes he doesn't even close one before he opens another!! We just had a DRASTIC change in our adoption plans... just last week we were waiting on Kaz to open and dreaming of little Asian boys and now this week we are counting down the days till March 25 (which btw is 187 days :) and dreaming of little Marshallese babies!!
So... for the details. I spent a couple hours writing this once and when I hit 'save' the computer crashed so just now got enough courage to rewrite. :( For those reading this may get a little boring, but wanted to write the details so we wouldn't forget!
Way back in our research of countries we ran across the small adoption program in the Republic of Marshall Islands. We looked into it a little and found the people and their culture very intriguing! After finding out that only one U.S. agency is licensed to work there, making for a very long wait, we decided to put our name an the waiting list to even get into the program. Our estimated timeframe in January was 3 years before we would be able to start our adoption process, which we thought would be about the time we would be thinking of adding #3 to our family. Every several months we would get updates on the program and where we were in line and it would always spark enthusiasm, but of course we had started our Kaz adoption so always had it on the back burner for the time being. One day while reading back posts on a RMI blog I had joined I found people talking about this large group of Marshallese that had settled in Arkansas and this adoption lawyer that facilitated adoptions primarily for this group of people. After posting a few questions I found out that it is a lot quicker and easier process than going the traditional route to the islands. I told some of my friends about it and told them they should check it out!
Fast forward to last Friday. This attorney from Arkansas called one of my friends who had inquired about it and told her he had a mother with a baby due in March and he had just matched the last family currently in his program...would they be interested? Asluck God would have it they had just been matched with a baby and so she passed on the info. When I read it I just had 'that' feeling... forwarded the message on to Bill and he promptly called and wondered what in the world that was about :-) Nonchalantly told him just had read it and decided to forward it on for fun ;-) He didn't see any reason why we wouldn't at least call the attorney and get some more details. E-mailed him and when he did't respond in 10 minutes decided I would have to call LOL He didn't answer, but e-mailed back and said he had a birthmother in his office and couldn't talk, but I could text a few basic questions and he would answer. Now..how in the world do you ask 'A FEW BASIC QUESTIONS' when you have a gazilion DETAILED questions you need to know NOW!! He did as promised and answered a few more than a few ;) and then said let's talk tomorrow in detail. Saturday came and went and he wouldn't return phone, e-mail, text, nothing, zilch! :-( Now my dear hubby had proclaimed at this time that HE wasn't getting his hopes up (but was talking about it nonstop like it was a done deal) love that enthusiasm babe :) But now me on the other hand was not even proclaiming such, and was very disappointed that it had all fallen through, because after all we couldn't get up with him for a whole day!!! Trust me it's different when your in it! :) So as one last feeble attempt I text him late Saturday night and asked if he had found another family? He text Sunday morning and said no he hadn't found a family and still had us in mind, but had gotten very sick and was hoping to be good enough that we could talk Monday afternoon. Ahhh another ray of hope :)
Finally, Monday when I thought it was far enough past 12 to be considered afternoon I called him.... and he answered! He answered all of my questions and gave me all the info on the situation...he said if we were interested he would talk to the mother about us and if she agreed we would talk on Skype and go from there.
After talking it over with Bill we got back with Vaughn and told him that yes we were interested and wanted to pursue it. Little did we know what the rest of the day would hold!! He calls in 30 minutes and says his translator had gone to talk to the mother and she was very excited and could we talk at 7??!! TONIGHT?? To a lady we had never even heard of a few days ago?? Oh the emotions of adoption... one moment nothing can move fast enough and the next moment its going way beyond comfortable speed and your world is SPINNING!!! Now what would YOU say and ask to a lady that was scrutinizing you to see if you would make the most wonderful parents for her unborn child???? Scary doesn't begin to describe it!! Of course Bill worked till WAY to late for my liking and per request I had his clothes all ironed and ready :) I asked him if he wanted to wear his suit HA (which btw they couldn't get their video to work on their end so she couldn't see us anyway so guess we could have been lounging in our pj's..maybe would have been more relaxed...or not!!) We had a special prayer, and leaving it up to God to direct our conversation. The call went very good, and we loved her immediately! (this may be really weird, but I had all kinds of 'what if' thoughts.. like what if she was grotesquely fat and ugly and sounded weird?) She was a very sweet lady and easy to talk to!
We let Vaughn know that the call had gone well and we were comfortable and...err..willing :) to continue. He said she had just called him and said she wanted us to be the parents!!!!!!!! REALLY??? WHY??? WHY US???? Do we laugh or cry or scream or all 3 at once? God is so Good!! We feel so unworthy and humbled that this happened so quickly and easily, but we will very thankful accept!!
to be continued...
"This is the Lord's doing; and it is MARVELLOUS in our eyes!"
Psalms 118:23
So... for the details. I spent a couple hours writing this once and when I hit 'save' the computer crashed so just now got enough courage to rewrite. :( For those reading this may get a little boring, but wanted to write the details so we wouldn't forget!
Way back in our research of countries we ran across the small adoption program in the Republic of Marshall Islands. We looked into it a little and found the people and their culture very intriguing! After finding out that only one U.S. agency is licensed to work there, making for a very long wait, we decided to put our name an the waiting list to even get into the program. Our estimated timeframe in January was 3 years before we would be able to start our adoption process, which we thought would be about the time we would be thinking of adding #3 to our family. Every several months we would get updates on the program and where we were in line and it would always spark enthusiasm, but of course we had started our Kaz adoption so always had it on the back burner for the time being. One day while reading back posts on a RMI blog I had joined I found people talking about this large group of Marshallese that had settled in Arkansas and this adoption lawyer that facilitated adoptions primarily for this group of people. After posting a few questions I found out that it is a lot quicker and easier process than going the traditional route to the islands. I told some of my friends about it and told them they should check it out!
Fast forward to last Friday. This attorney from Arkansas called one of my friends who had inquired about it and told her he had a mother with a baby due in March and he had just matched the last family currently in his program...would they be interested? As
Finally, Monday when I thought it was far enough past 12 to be considered afternoon I called him.... and he answered! He answered all of my questions and gave me all the info on the situation...he said if we were interested he would talk to the mother about us and if she agreed we would talk on Skype and go from there.
After talking it over with Bill we got back with Vaughn and told him that yes we were interested and wanted to pursue it. Little did we know what the rest of the day would hold!! He calls in 30 minutes and says his translator had gone to talk to the mother and she was very excited and could we talk at 7??!! TONIGHT?? To a lady we had never even heard of a few days ago?? Oh the emotions of adoption... one moment nothing can move fast enough and the next moment its going way beyond comfortable speed and your world is SPINNING!!! Now what would YOU say and ask to a lady that was scrutinizing you to see if you would make the most wonderful parents for her unborn child???? Scary doesn't begin to describe it!! Of course Bill worked till WAY to late for my liking and per request I had his clothes all ironed and ready :) I asked him if he wanted to wear his suit HA (which btw they couldn't get their video to work on their end so she couldn't see us anyway so guess we could have been lounging in our pj's..maybe would have been more relaxed...or not!!) We had a special prayer, and leaving it up to God to direct our conversation. The call went very good, and we loved her immediately! (this may be really weird, but I had all kinds of 'what if' thoughts.. like what if she was grotesquely fat and ugly and sounded weird?) She was a very sweet lady and easy to talk to!
We let Vaughn know that the call had gone well and we were comfortable and...err..willing :) to continue. He said she had just called him and said she wanted us to be the parents!!!!!!!! REALLY??? WHY??? WHY US???? Do we laugh or cry or scream or all 3 at once? God is so Good!! We feel so unworthy and humbled that this happened so quickly and easily, but we will very thankful accept!!
to be continued...
"This is the Lord's doing; and it is MARVELLOUS in our eyes!"
Psalms 118:23
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Disappointing News
Was hanging on to a slim thread of hope that Kaz would make their formal re-opening announcement after they heard the sentence for the Worcester couple found guilty of raping their adopted children, but alas the sentencing was postponed for over a month!! :(
All is well that ends well, but just wish the 'ending well' would be sooner rather than later!
In the meantime we are ATTEMPTING to learn Russian!! Oh, but it is SO hard :-( There are some sounds you can repeat and repeat after the tutor and you just simply can't make your mouth contort to such strange sounds!! Decided to try and learn the alphabet so we will be able to read (like menus :) etc. when out and about in Kaz and also learning phrases that we will use in public and also to be able to talk to this little boy of ours that has never heard English. THEN if time permits, which at this rate looks like it might, will try delving into more of the nitty gritty part of it. So watch out if I start babbling off some indiscernible guttural, grunts and hisses next time I see you, I haven't gone mental LOL
All is well that ends well, but just wish the 'ending well' would be sooner rather than later!
In the meantime we are ATTEMPTING to learn Russian!! Oh, but it is SO hard :-( There are some sounds you can repeat and repeat after the tutor and you just simply can't make your mouth contort to such strange sounds!! Decided to try and learn the alphabet so we will be able to read (like menus :) etc. when out and about in Kaz and also learning phrases that we will use in public and also to be able to talk to this little boy of ours that has never heard English. THEN if time permits, which at this rate looks like it might, will try delving into more of the nitty gritty part of it. So watch out if I start babbling off some indiscernible guttural, grunts and hisses next time I see you, I haven't gone mental LOL
Thursday, August 8, 2013
...and we WAIT!
Just when we thought we were on the brink of Kaz making the official announcement, another scandal surfaces! A husband and wife are on trial this week for raping their 2 adopted children from Kazakhstan. Besides the fact that it so closely affects our adoption it really is a gut wrenching story. The adopted girl who had dreamed all her life of being adopted and having a family had to end up in such a horrific situation! She finally told her neighborhood friends what was going on who in turn told their parents and then the police. When investigated the girl denied it all, and when asked about it now said she couldn't bare the thought of possibly being taken away from the very thing that she had dreamed all her life of having, not knowing if she would go back to an orphanage or what, so out of fear of the unknown had denied all charges and chose to endure what no child should ever have to go through! Now if that doesn't make your mama bear hair stand on end I don't know what will!! The case was turned over to the jurors last night, so we wait to see what they decide. Needless to say Kaz is NOT impressed, and very rightfully so! I'm hoping that if they are both charged guilty and sentenced adequately (according to Kaz) that it will help, and Kaz will not judge the U.S. based on this case and still re-open shortly for the rest of the harmless, loving parents that are waiting to adopt!!! It is also in our favor that these children were adopted years ago before the Hague was implemented and it was through an un-reputable agency that is no longer in business.
Despite the fact that some people feel this is the tip of the iceberg for Kaz and they will permanently close adoptions to U.S. our agency feels like considering the circumstances and the outcome of the trial it is still highly possible for them to still re-open. So... we still have hope. It's not over till it's over. In fact we still have enough hope that we went to Birmingham yesterday for our bio-metric fingerprints :) Interestingly the man at the front desk was the same as 3 years ago... in more ways than one HA He tried acting all rough and tough and like he wasn't going to be able to take us today because we came two weeks before our scheduled appointment yadayada.. after some sweet talking and pleading he said he would check with the technician to see if there would be anyway he could squeeze us in today if we would be willing to wait. Not sure what happens in the back, but same as last time he came back whistling and gave us our forms to fill out and pretended there had never been a problem! Maybe his mama was back there and gave him a good stern look and told him he better choose to be friendly and helpful OR ELSE! LOL So we sat down to begin our 'implied' lengthy wait to get worked in and a mere 10 minutes later the technician said he was ready for the walk-ins :-) It seems like people would get a bigger satisfaction of just being sweet from the get go instead of having to show there stuff and throw there weight around, but guess I don't know much about it!
That is the last piece of evidence USCIS needs and should approve our case to bring our little Kaz sweetie to the U.S.
It's amazing how you can get attached to a child thousands of miles away that you have never even seen and in fact know NOTHING about, but it's true! Have been getting so anxious lately to go get that little punkins, and it is proving to be entirely too many delays and obstacles in the way! That's one of the few things Wal-mart doesn't sell...PATIENCE!
Despite the fact that some people feel this is the tip of the iceberg for Kaz and they will permanently close adoptions to U.S. our agency feels like considering the circumstances and the outcome of the trial it is still highly possible for them to still re-open. So... we still have hope. It's not over till it's over. In fact we still have enough hope that we went to Birmingham yesterday for our bio-metric fingerprints :) Interestingly the man at the front desk was the same as 3 years ago... in more ways than one HA He tried acting all rough and tough and like he wasn't going to be able to take us today because we came two weeks before our scheduled appointment yadayada.. after some sweet talking and pleading he said he would check with the technician to see if there would be anyway he could squeeze us in today if we would be willing to wait. Not sure what happens in the back, but same as last time he came back whistling and gave us our forms to fill out and pretended there had never been a problem! Maybe his mama was back there and gave him a good stern look and told him he better choose to be friendly and helpful OR ELSE! LOL So we sat down to begin our 'implied' lengthy wait to get worked in and a mere 10 minutes later the technician said he was ready for the walk-ins :-) It seems like people would get a bigger satisfaction of just being sweet from the get go instead of having to show there stuff and throw there weight around, but guess I don't know much about it!
That is the last piece of evidence USCIS needs and should approve our case to bring our little Kaz sweetie to the U.S.
It's amazing how you can get attached to a child thousands of miles away that you have never even seen and in fact know NOTHING about, but it's true! Have been getting so anxious lately to go get that little punkins, and it is proving to be entirely too many delays and obstacles in the way! That's one of the few things Wal-mart doesn't sell...PATIENCE!
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
A Tribute To The Other Mother
I often think of Peyton's Mother and wonder.. where is she by now, what does her life consist of, and most importantly does she think of her little boy every day?? Oh, how I would LOVE to talk to her, tell her of all the cute little things he did and said today, the milestones he's reaching, the endless amount of happiness he brings to our lives EVERY day!! If I could just tell her how much he is loved, and how her act of unselfishness has blessed our lives beyond words... to you, young lady we will forever be grateful! I choose to believe that somehow she knows... as only a mother can, that all is well with her son! So I sigh a prayer for her again today.
I have been reading this wonderful book, 'A Child To Call My Own' lately, and this story has left a little footprint on my heart...
A Tribute To The Other Mother
She trudged up the flight of concrete steps, her daughter's small hand tucked in hers.
She entered their two-room apartment, and set her woven market-basket down.
Shopping made her so tired these days, but she smiled as she set a pot of rice to cook
and began to chop vegetables.
A tiny flutter under her heart caused her to straighten, and a laugh escaped her rosy lips.
"Ah, new life," she whispered. "Little one, you are loved," she murmured.
Yes, life was good. But... what if... A flicker of fear showed in her dark eyes.
What if the authorities would discover this new life? This seemingly illegal child in a communist country?
Stories of fleeing parents, burned houses, and abandoned babies flitted through her disturbed thoughts.
The days passed.
Each day, she sang softly to her baby, and dreamed of the good times their children would have together.
And then one day the time had come. A baby's cry rent the stillness of the night... a son was born!
The parents and big sister were thrilled, but their happiness soon turned to fear and anguish.
Something was not right.
They soon realized that their precious baby would need help, more help than they were able to give.
Their baby needed a doctor! "But we don't have money!" the mother cried.
"And even if we had the money, we still couldn't take him to the hospital," the father said.
"The minute we would get there, they would check our records and discover that we have two children."
The grieving parents went through each day, with sadness in their eyes and tears on their faces.
Each day, they discussed their options, and held their baby even tighter
When they realized the decision that lay before them.
Finally after a few weeks had passed, they knew they could wait no longer.
One evening, after darkness had descended upon the city,
The mother bathed her little sweetheart one last time,
And carefully dressed him in a white sleeper.
The parents made their way softly down the apartment steps, out into the warm spring night.
They walked until they reached the city center, and they chose a bench tucked back in the shrubs...
And there they said their good-byes. "I can't do this, I can't!" she sobbed quietly.
Her heart felt like running. Running away from this harsh reality.
Away to a place where mothers can keep their precious babies
She watched as her husband stroked their baby's soft, black hair,
And whispered his last messages of love into the tiny ear.
As tears streamed down his face he handed the baby to her, and her heart wrenched.
She wept. She rocked and crooned and cuddled...
She told him of her love for him and that part of her heart would always go with him.
The baby awoke and whimpered as if somehow he comprehended this parting, this momentous moment.
But then, it was if angel wings brushed the air, and the baby's eyes closed.
The Father of the fatherless was watching over him, and everything would work out for his good.
The burdened parents arose and walked to the place-- the spot they had chosen to place their small son.
Their tears fell on the baby's soft, brown cheeks as they kissed him...for the last time.
They waited till a passer-by had gone on, and the father crushed the baby to his chest one more time
And then tenderly laid him on the doorstep.
Then together they turned...
They turned and with tears streaming down their faces they stepped behind a clump of trees and waited.
They jolted, for down the street past the steps walked a police officer.
He stopped and looked down. The bundle on the steps squirmed, and the officer bent to look closer.
His heart softened, and he whispered, "Another baby," as he gently picked it up.
The grieving parents waited till he was gone, and with their hearts breaking in a million pieces,
They walked away...into the night.... back to their small daughter, the big sister.
Back to where they would try to go on, where they would try to forget.
But her mommy-heart would always remember this night,
The night they said good-bye to their son-- forever.
Though unknown to her, at that very minute, God, the Father of the orphans,
Was already orchestrating the details of their tiny son's life.
And unknown to her, He was preparing the heart and life of another mommy...
Half a world away.
And I, your child's other mommy, would like to thank you!
I thank you for giving me the gift of your son. I thank you for giving him life,
And for tenderly caring for him as long as you could. I cannot fathom the grief, the wrenching,
Crippling pain that must have knifed through your very soul.
I cannot fathom the amount of tears you've cried or the size of hole that your baby has left in your heart.
I can only imagine that this pain and anguish has left you a different person,
And has colored your every moment.
I wonder... does a day ever go by when you don't think of your darling baby,
out in the big world..somewhere?
I don't know if you have the sweet Spirit of God to whisper assurances and ease your pain.
I don't know, but if not, I pray for you.
I pray that you will learn to know Jesus as your Lord.
I pray that God will give you a gentle confirmation in your heart that your son is being cared for.
I will try my very best to care for your son, and teach him about God.
I think of you often...
When I feel my son's chubby arms come around my neck for a hug;
When he calls "Mommy" in the morning when he wakes up;
When his soft lips touch my cheeks with his little-boy kisses...
Then I think of you, and my eyes fill with tears.
And I tell him about his other mommy in China who loved him very much.
Your loss has been my gain. It doesn't seem fair that you have lost so much for me to gain a son.
Why? I don't understand, but for now, I rest in the fact that this was God's divine plan,
And I will love your son as my very own.
Because he is.
I will probably never know you, but my heart is linked to yours in a special bond,
A bond that surpasses time and oceans, cultures and lands...
The bond of mothering the same child.
Maybe... maybe someday
God will put the pieces of our pasts and our futures together, and we will be able to meet.
Until then... I thank you from the depths of my heart for making one of the bravest,
Most unselfish decisions a mother can ever make.
..Marilyn Wiens..
I found it very interesting that when I contacted the author for permission to copy her story, their family was on a mission trip in Hong-Kong and from there were going on to their sons orphanage and 'finding' place in China!!
Wish you the best Leroy, Marilyn and boys...our prayers go with you!
I have been reading this wonderful book, 'A Child To Call My Own' lately, and this story has left a little footprint on my heart...
A Tribute To The Other Mother
She trudged up the flight of concrete steps, her daughter's small hand tucked in hers.
She entered their two-room apartment, and set her woven market-basket down.
Shopping made her so tired these days, but she smiled as she set a pot of rice to cook
and began to chop vegetables.
A tiny flutter under her heart caused her to straighten, and a laugh escaped her rosy lips.
"Ah, new life," she whispered. "Little one, you are loved," she murmured.
Yes, life was good. But... what if... A flicker of fear showed in her dark eyes.
What if the authorities would discover this new life? This seemingly illegal child in a communist country?
Stories of fleeing parents, burned houses, and abandoned babies flitted through her disturbed thoughts.
The days passed.
Each day, she sang softly to her baby, and dreamed of the good times their children would have together.
And then one day the time had come. A baby's cry rent the stillness of the night... a son was born!
The parents and big sister were thrilled, but their happiness soon turned to fear and anguish.
Something was not right.
They soon realized that their precious baby would need help, more help than they were able to give.
Their baby needed a doctor! "But we don't have money!" the mother cried.
"And even if we had the money, we still couldn't take him to the hospital," the father said.
"The minute we would get there, they would check our records and discover that we have two children."
The grieving parents went through each day, with sadness in their eyes and tears on their faces.
Each day, they discussed their options, and held their baby even tighter
When they realized the decision that lay before them.
Finally after a few weeks had passed, they knew they could wait no longer.
One evening, after darkness had descended upon the city,
The mother bathed her little sweetheart one last time,
And carefully dressed him in a white sleeper.
The parents made their way softly down the apartment steps, out into the warm spring night.
They walked until they reached the city center, and they chose a bench tucked back in the shrubs...
And there they said their good-byes. "I can't do this, I can't!" she sobbed quietly.
Her heart felt like running. Running away from this harsh reality.
Away to a place where mothers can keep their precious babies
She watched as her husband stroked their baby's soft, black hair,
And whispered his last messages of love into the tiny ear.
As tears streamed down his face he handed the baby to her, and her heart wrenched.
She wept. She rocked and crooned and cuddled...
She told him of her love for him and that part of her heart would always go with him.
The baby awoke and whimpered as if somehow he comprehended this parting, this momentous moment.
But then, it was if angel wings brushed the air, and the baby's eyes closed.
The Father of the fatherless was watching over him, and everything would work out for his good.
The burdened parents arose and walked to the place-- the spot they had chosen to place their small son.
Their tears fell on the baby's soft, brown cheeks as they kissed him...for the last time.
They waited till a passer-by had gone on, and the father crushed the baby to his chest one more time
And then tenderly laid him on the doorstep.
Then together they turned...
They turned and with tears streaming down their faces they stepped behind a clump of trees and waited.
They jolted, for down the street past the steps walked a police officer.
He stopped and looked down. The bundle on the steps squirmed, and the officer bent to look closer.
His heart softened, and he whispered, "Another baby," as he gently picked it up.
The grieving parents waited till he was gone, and with their hearts breaking in a million pieces,
They walked away...into the night.... back to their small daughter, the big sister.
Back to where they would try to go on, where they would try to forget.
But her mommy-heart would always remember this night,
The night they said good-bye to their son-- forever.
Though unknown to her, at that very minute, God, the Father of the orphans,
Was already orchestrating the details of their tiny son's life.
And unknown to her, He was preparing the heart and life of another mommy...
Half a world away.
And I, your child's other mommy, would like to thank you!
I thank you for giving me the gift of your son. I thank you for giving him life,
And for tenderly caring for him as long as you could. I cannot fathom the grief, the wrenching,
Crippling pain that must have knifed through your very soul.
I cannot fathom the amount of tears you've cried or the size of hole that your baby has left in your heart.
I can only imagine that this pain and anguish has left you a different person,
And has colored your every moment.
I wonder... does a day ever go by when you don't think of your darling baby,
out in the big world..somewhere?
I don't know if you have the sweet Spirit of God to whisper assurances and ease your pain.
I don't know, but if not, I pray for you.
I pray that you will learn to know Jesus as your Lord.
I pray that God will give you a gentle confirmation in your heart that your son is being cared for.
I will try my very best to care for your son, and teach him about God.
I think of you often...
When I feel my son's chubby arms come around my neck for a hug;
When he calls "Mommy" in the morning when he wakes up;
When his soft lips touch my cheeks with his little-boy kisses...
Then I think of you, and my eyes fill with tears.
And I tell him about his other mommy in China who loved him very much.
Your loss has been my gain. It doesn't seem fair that you have lost so much for me to gain a son.
Why? I don't understand, but for now, I rest in the fact that this was God's divine plan,
And I will love your son as my very own.
Because he is.
I will probably never know you, but my heart is linked to yours in a special bond,
A bond that surpasses time and oceans, cultures and lands...
The bond of mothering the same child.
Maybe... maybe someday
God will put the pieces of our pasts and our futures together, and we will be able to meet.
Until then... I thank you from the depths of my heart for making one of the bravest,
Most unselfish decisions a mother can ever make.
..Marilyn Wiens..
I found it very interesting that when I contacted the author for permission to copy her story, their family was on a mission trip in Hong-Kong and from there were going on to their sons orphanage and 'finding' place in China!!
Wish you the best Leroy, Marilyn and boys...our prayers go with you!
Monday, July 29, 2013
USCIS... for the record
Just for our own records and anyone interested in a time frame for future reference.
We sent off for our immigration approval on July 10 and received our bio-metric fingerprint appointments today!! Sure put a smile on my face to see an envelope from Homeland Security in the mailbox! Not a BIG deal really, but is a very important step in the grand scheme of things and couldn't proceed without it so am happy to rejoice and jump up and down with happiness :-))
Appointment is for August 16, but on our last time around we called and asked if we could come earlier and they said we could come and be worked in, which worked very well, was in and out in 30 minutes! So thinking we will try that again :-)
We sent off for our immigration approval on July 10 and received our bio-metric fingerprint appointments today!! Sure put a smile on my face to see an envelope from Homeland Security in the mailbox! Not a BIG deal really, but is a very important step in the grand scheme of things and couldn't proceed without it so am happy to rejoice and jump up and down with happiness :-))
Appointment is for August 16, but on our last time around we called and asked if we could come earlier and they said we could come and be worked in, which worked very well, was in and out in 30 minutes! So thinking we will try that again :-)
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Proof of exicitement
Just had to share a little 'moment' with Pey yesterday...
He was all of a sudden quiet at the table and then blurted out, "I'm just thinking of going to Kazakhstan to see my little brother!" :-) He had such a far away, dreamy look in his eyes, and I just had to think to myself.. if he only knew what all this 'little brother' was going to mean to him he might not be so anxious to go see him! LOL I'm afraid we will have some rough days at the first with him being so used to being King of his castle and then having to share the attention etc., but we will all find a way to work through it I'm sure!
It was just a precious moment I chalked up in my 'special memory' place! :-) I LOVE YOU PEYTON JON!!! Thanks for bringing so much joy to our lives!! love you "mostest" :-)
He was all of a sudden quiet at the table and then blurted out, "I'm just thinking of going to Kazakhstan to see my little brother!" :-) He had such a far away, dreamy look in his eyes, and I just had to think to myself.. if he only knew what all this 'little brother' was going to mean to him he might not be so anxious to go see him! LOL I'm afraid we will have some rough days at the first with him being so used to being King of his castle and then having to share the attention etc., but we will all find a way to work through it I'm sure!
It was just a precious moment I chalked up in my 'special memory' place! :-) I LOVE YOU PEYTON JON!!! Thanks for bringing so much joy to our lives!! love you "mostest" :-)
Friday, July 26, 2013
Paperwork....ALMOST....finished!
Just an update on our paperwork... I sent off our dossier for apostilles again today. Had sent them last wk and they were returned because our marriage certificate was signed by the county clerk instead of the Probate Judge! I don't remember reading anywhere that it had to be signed by the probate, so not sure who's criteria this was, but none the less got new ones signed correctly and sent back to secretary of state. Also got a confirmation from USCIS that they had received our packet and had sent it to the Hague unit, so are waiting for our fingerprint appointments now! :)
Have been dreaming and scheming of ways to make a few or rather a whole lot extra money! As we wind down with paperwork and the reality of it all sinks in the financial reality also has a way of sneaking in and testing ones faith if we'll actually be able to have it all come together in the end or not!! :-(
Have been dreaming and scheming of ways to make a few or rather a whole lot extra money! As we wind down with paperwork and the reality of it all sinks in the financial reality also has a way of sneaking in and testing ones faith if we'll actually be able to have it all come together in the end or not!! :-(
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Kaz officials mtg.
We had high hopes of Kaz re-opening before they took their annual break in Kaz, but alas it didn't happen! On the bright side some of the Kaz officials were in Washington last week and confirmed that they had received the post-placement reports and were satisfied with them and also talked with the officials at the 'ranch' in Montana and were happy to hear that they have been licensed and are running legally now. They will be back in office the first of August sometime and are hoping they will make the official announcement soon thereafter!!
Details on process
Since I got my diary all transferred onto here now and may someday decide to make this public thought maybe I'd share a few of the details...
As you know, we chose the country of Kazakhstan (for those of you that were sleeping during geography, Kaz is bordered by China, Russia, Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan which is where Peyton's mother is from)
Kaz people would be mostly considered Eur/Asian. With adopting from the city of Almaty(it is clear in the southern part of the country, right above Kyrgyzstan) we are expecting a more Asian looking child, similar in looks to Peyton. Although there are quite a few Russians that have migrated in, it is a chance we could get a Russian. Wouldn't that be ironic to go to Russia and get an Asian and then go to an Asian country and get a Caucasian? HA
We are requesting the youngest age bracket, which is 9-36 months. Ideally we would like around a year and Lesley has promised to do what she can! (it's not what you know, but WHO you know) think this would apply here ;-)
We are not requesting gender and so therefore are expecting a boy, which if we had to choose would be what we would pick! Pey needs a little brother :)
FYI: there are more boys born than girls worldwide and most adoptive parents choose girls, thus leaving for way more boys available. Which is quite fine with us, think I would much rather raise a boy than a finicky, emotional girl! :-)
Once we get all of our papers finished and send our dossier to Kaz and get it translated they are only expecting a 1-2 month wait for referral!!
Country timeline ~
The first trip is called the 'bonding trip' and it is for 30 days. We will get an apartment and go to the orphanage for 2 hours twice a day, I believe weekends are optional. At the end of 30 days we decide if we will accept the child. If yes, court date is issued.
Come home for a month and then return for court.
Come home for approximately another month while they finalize all the papers in both countries and then return for pickup!! O HAPPY DAY :) Seems like forever away!!
Here's a few statistics for you to ponder...
EVERY 2.2 SECONDS another orphan ages out, with no family and no home.
Do you have room in YOUR heart to reach out and share your love? I can attest the returns are 100 fold!!!
As you know, we chose the country of Kazakhstan (for those of you that were sleeping during geography, Kaz is bordered by China, Russia, Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan which is where Peyton's mother is from)
Kaz people would be mostly considered Eur/Asian. With adopting from the city of Almaty(it is clear in the southern part of the country, right above Kyrgyzstan) we are expecting a more Asian looking child, similar in looks to Peyton. Although there are quite a few Russians that have migrated in, it is a chance we could get a Russian. Wouldn't that be ironic to go to Russia and get an Asian and then go to an Asian country and get a Caucasian? HA
We are requesting the youngest age bracket, which is 9-36 months. Ideally we would like around a year and Lesley has promised to do what she can! (it's not what you know, but WHO you know) think this would apply here ;-)
We are not requesting gender and so therefore are expecting a boy, which if we had to choose would be what we would pick! Pey needs a little brother :)
FYI: there are more boys born than girls worldwide and most adoptive parents choose girls, thus leaving for way more boys available. Which is quite fine with us, think I would much rather raise a boy than a finicky, emotional girl! :-)
Once we get all of our papers finished and send our dossier to Kaz and get it translated they are only expecting a 1-2 month wait for referral!!
Country timeline ~
The first trip is called the 'bonding trip' and it is for 30 days. We will get an apartment and go to the orphanage for 2 hours twice a day, I believe weekends are optional. At the end of 30 days we decide if we will accept the child. If yes, court date is issued.
Come home for a month and then return for court.
Come home for approximately another month while they finalize all the papers in both countries and then return for pickup!! O HAPPY DAY :) Seems like forever away!!
Here's a few statistics for you to ponder...
There are at least 143,000,000 orphans in the world.
EVERY DAY, 5,760 more children in the world become orphans.
Do you have room in YOUR heart to reach out and share your love? I can attest the returns are 100 fold!!!
Update on paperwork
Just a quick update here..
We finally got our HS completed with a few delays and bumps, but it is now in Dallas along with all the other necessary papers awaiting USCIS approval. Also sent dossier off last week for apostilles. Immigration is currently taking 6-8 wks to process, so by the end of September should have everything ready to send to Kaz!!! :)
Should note our little 'detour' last week... Mark Miller posted a situation with a baby to be born July 24. We felt drawn to the situation and decided to apply. Before we could get our papers all ready and sent in she changed her mind and decided to parent her self! The sonogram had shown possible hydrocephalus and she decided she would be the best person to care for it. A very wise decision for a 17 year old! We were disappointed, but at the same time relieved --paradox-- It reconfirmed our hearts are really in Kaz!
7-15-13
We finally got our HS completed with a few delays and bumps, but it is now in Dallas along with all the other necessary papers awaiting USCIS approval. Also sent dossier off last week for apostilles. Immigration is currently taking 6-8 wks to process, so by the end of September should have everything ready to send to Kaz!!! :)
Should note our little 'detour' last week... Mark Miller posted a situation with a baby to be born July 24. We felt drawn to the situation and decided to apply. Before we could get our papers all ready and sent in she changed her mind and decided to parent her self! The sonogram had shown possible hydrocephalus and she decided she would be the best person to care for it. A very wise decision for a 17 year old! We were disappointed, but at the same time relieved --paradox-- It reconfirmed our hearts are really in Kaz!
7-15-13
Go Lesley Siegel! :)
After a mtg. with agency coordinators and other officials, in which they discussed WHAT could be done to get the two families refusing to send post placements to cooperate, they decided to take it upon themselves to reach them personally. Lesley was able to get through to one family and another agency to the other AND they both families agreed to do what ever it took to get this resolved!!!! WOOHOO :-)
So now hopefully by the time we get our paperwork done Kaz will be open and ready to process dossiers!
So now hopefully by the time we get our paperwork done Kaz will be open and ready to process dossiers!
HS started and agency chose
We have officially started working with Lifeline again for our HS and have also chosen our placing agency... Across The World Adoptions from California. We had several at the top of our list and a selling point for each one, but finally decided on ATWA with one of the biggest reasons beings they do adoptions out of Almaty city versus a remote town in some outlying region of Kaz. All adoptions are finalized in Almaty and also this is the city you fly in/out of. It seemed very appealing to us to be able to stay in a big modern city, especially for our bonding trip of 30 days! We found out talking to other APs when in Moscow that it was a huge bonus that we adopted out of Moscow. It also eliminates any in-country flights, which my DH is NOT fond of :) So far we have been pleased with Lesley at ATWA and she also seems to have a good team in Kaz which is almost more important!
We are SO excited to be starting another adoption and can hardly wait to see what kind of little, bundle of joy the Lord has for us! With our first adoption going so smoothly and getting such a perfect miracle, it's scary for us to even hope for it again, but we know we can't limit God and need to have faith that we WILL get the perfect one for us!!
4-1-13
We are SO excited to be starting another adoption and can hardly wait to see what kind of little, bundle of joy the Lord has for us! With our first adoption going so smoothly and getting such a perfect miracle, it's scary for us to even hope for it again, but we know we can't limit God and need to have faith that we WILL get the perfect one for us!!
4-1-13
Kaz still closed :(
Kaz still has a ban on U.S. adoptions due to the two boys that went through the program at the 'ranch' in Montana. The families are refusing to co-operate and beings both of their agencies they worked with have since closed, it will take some time for someone to get through to them and 'help' them decide they actually want to provide reports:) It is SO frustrating knowing these families know all what adoption is about and they are holding up the whole process of ? how many families, just because they don't want to do what they committed to do in the first place!! GRRR
4-11-13
4-11-13
Back on the road to adoption!
Decided to start a blog instead of keeping a diary as we start on another adventure of adopting again!
Where to start? We had lots of feelings, discussions etc. leading up to this point over the last several months. We were both getting more and more excited and ready to dive into this whole process again, so I headed for the computer and started researching. Russia put the ban on U.S. adoptions in December so we knew that wasn't an option! So much has changed in the last 3 years! :( We briefly considered several different countries, but none of them seemed like a good fit. I called Andrea Jacobs from Little Miracles one day because I had heard Kaz had recently re-opened. Yes it had, and she was very optimistic and enthused about it! We liked everything about the program except how expensive it was!:(( It was our country of choice last time and then when it showed signs of closing we had switched to Bulgaria,and of course, ultimately ended up in Russia, so Kaz has always been close to our hearts. Now with Peyton's mother being from Kyrgyztan we have the extra tug, beings the children would favor a lot. So... we decided on Kazakhstan.
Bill wanted to wait a few months to see how this batch of chickens were going to do before we started any paperwork. Well in our months of waiting we started to question our decision because of how expensive it was and wondered if maybe there would be another country just as good that we had overlooked somehow! Went back to the computer and did MORE research trying to keep a very open mind to any possibilities! Called...e-mailed...researched...inquired about a waiting child from South Korea...joined adoption groups...prayed...prayed...prayed. Finally decided our hearts were in Kaz and everything else seemed second best!!! I remember coming to a peace about it one day and it just feeling SO right :) If God is leading us to Kaz he will surely have a way for us to pay for it...easier to write than to believe :-/
So...now we are setting our faces towards Kaz and praying for patience during the long process and also for our little boy that is most likely already born and living thousands of miles away...
Hold on little one, we will come for you just as soon as we possibly can!!!! Love you already!!! xoxoxo
3-21-13
Where to start? We had lots of feelings, discussions etc. leading up to this point over the last several months. We were both getting more and more excited and ready to dive into this whole process again, so I headed for the computer and started researching. Russia put the ban on U.S. adoptions in December so we knew that wasn't an option! So much has changed in the last 3 years! :( We briefly considered several different countries, but none of them seemed like a good fit. I called Andrea Jacobs from Little Miracles one day because I had heard Kaz had recently re-opened. Yes it had, and she was very optimistic and enthused about it! We liked everything about the program except how expensive it was!:(( It was our country of choice last time and then when it showed signs of closing we had switched to Bulgaria,and of course, ultimately ended up in Russia, so Kaz has always been close to our hearts. Now with Peyton's mother being from Kyrgyztan we have the extra tug, beings the children would favor a lot. So... we decided on Kazakhstan.
Bill wanted to wait a few months to see how this batch of chickens were going to do before we started any paperwork. Well in our months of waiting we started to question our decision because of how expensive it was and wondered if maybe there would be another country just as good that we had overlooked somehow! Went back to the computer and did MORE research trying to keep a very open mind to any possibilities! Called...e-mailed...researched...inquired about a waiting child from South Korea...joined adoption groups...prayed...prayed...prayed. Finally decided our hearts were in Kaz and everything else seemed second best!!! I remember coming to a peace about it one day and it just feeling SO right :) If God is leading us to Kaz he will surely have a way for us to pay for it...easier to write than to believe :-/
So...now we are setting our faces towards Kaz and praying for patience during the long process and also for our little boy that is most likely already born and living thousands of miles away...
Hold on little one, we will come for you just as soon as we possibly can!!!! Love you already!!! xoxoxo
3-21-13
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