Here We Go!

Long time with no posts once again....but what is there to say when you are just waiting, and waiting? In some ways it was nicer than the paperwork stage because I didn't have the stress of gathering and waiting for tons of documents over my head. But, some days I just began to wonder if the call to travel was EVER going to come, especially before all the paperwork expired again....and not knowing often would lead to feelings of sadness over the time we have already lost with these darling boys - a total of almost eight years of experiences and time if you add up their ages. BUT, now it feels like the end is actually in site!

As many have already heard, WE GOT THE CALL TO TRAVEL! Russia here we come! Yesterday morning brought the news that we are to be in Russia the morning of Nov 9th! That is 19 days notice, which already seems to be flying by...only 10 more business days until we leave...which we will need every one of in order to get our tourist visa's back in time. With the call came a huge feeling of excitement, thankfulness, some surrealism, and stress with getting our visa applications done and back. This amount of notice feels perfect - fast enough that I don't feel that more time is simply being missed with them, and just long enough to get everything together and ready to go.

So we will likely fly out on the 7th in order to arrive at our destination in time. We will be picked up at the airport and then wisked off to the Ministry of Education where we will officially receive the referral on the boys. After that I believe we will be headed to the orphanage! I am sure it will be one of the longest days of my life with the time change and flight half way around the world, and am certain I will be desperately yearning for a shower and fluffy bed.

I can't wait to meet the boys, but am really not 'expecting' any sort of reaction from them. We will be strangers to them that hardly can even speak Russian. There may be crying, they may be terrified, or they may be excited to have someone to give them so much attention and play-time. The Albertan family that took the pictures we have of the boys back in June had an 'interesting' time with their referral. Their little girl was so scared that she wouldn't be alone with them, let them touch her, or ever smile for all of their first trip and most of their second. They understood her feelings though, kept strong, and had compassion on her - and once she was legally their daughter and they were able to leave to start to make the trek home, a 'switch flipped' in her and she changed into a happy three year old. I could honestly even see the difference in the pictures they posted on their blog, and it makes me tear up! It is my best guess that it wasn't until they were leaving with her that she finally felt secure in that they really were going to be her forever family. I hope for an easier time than what they experienced, but know that their story will help to keep our spirits up if it is a 'rough start' with the boys.

We also got a little bad news today. I was thinking from other's past experiences that our court date would come about a month after our first trip, so around mid December. When I was talking with our agency today, though, they informed me that their rep in Russia figures we won't get a court date until the end of January ....but God is bigger! So I invite everyone to pray for a quick court date, a smooth process, and for us to remain in good spirits and see God's leading in all situations. Thanks so much for your prayers, love, support, and excitement!

Paperwork Pregnant Again

Sorry for no posts for so long. Been busy doing paperwork and haven't had much to post until now.

As you may notice in my previous posts the pictures have been deleted at the request of my agency. Why? Well, things don't exactly go by the 'book' all the time...like we are to have no info on any children until we travel to Russia, but we are fortunate to have gotten some in round-about ways. This could get some in trouble, plus there is always the 'fear' that someone else could steal a referral, although I don't know really if that ever happens. So it was either delete the pictures or make my blog private, which means anyone wanting to read my blog would have to put in a person request to have access to it which I would then have to approve - a pain for you and me. So hopefully you already got a sneak peak!

So paperwork is done again! SOOOOO glad for that. Well, except for applying for Sponsorship for a third child which I first need to do our 2009 taxes to do.

Also, our agency just informed us that the boys have been examined by the Designated Medical Practioner and that he was very pleased with how healthy all three are! So we are now waiting for his report, then have to decide whether or not to have it reviewed by a doctor specializing in evaluating and interpreting internation adoption referrals. I'd love to have someone tell me that they don't have any medical issues like FAS, but they can't be 100% sure, and I am guessing that it will cost us hundreds of dollars per child. I just don't know. Every penny is needed right now with things looking like they should be happening pretty fast, and Aaron and I both feel that these are 'the ones', so I'm not sure if spending the extra $$ is really worth it?

About when will all this be happenning? MY best GUESS is that we will travel in Oct or Nov to meet them, and then have a Dec court date...so may be spending Christmas in Russia. :(  New prayer request is that we will ALL be home before Christmas!

Boys Boys Boys :)

So lots of good news! First, and most exciting, verbally we got the go ahead from the AB gov't to adopt three! I hope to get the letter saying so this week. Thanks so much for praying! The okay didn't come in time to have the boys medically examined, so we will just have to wait on that. Next, I have almost all of the documents we need for our new dossier, whew! And we got new wonderful pictures, taken just last week by the family who went to see a little girl referral! As I said on Facebook - I am so smitten!

I always get nervous posting pictures on our blog... but since I haven't stated what agency we are with, what region we are adopting from, any specifics like names or ages of the boys, and because I totally want to share with all of you, here they are :)

(Pictures deleted for now at request of agency)

Yup, totally smitten! So, as you may have noticed the baby picture is not the same baby as in the photo we previously got. Since all of these photo's are 'unofficial' and have been taken by famillies who have visited the orphanage, that is why there likely was a mix-up. It is most likely that these pics are of the baby we hope to adopt.

Other good news is that the last two famillies who have adopted from this orphange through our agency only had to wait one month between their first trip and their court date! That is so awesome because I already want these boys home now, and expect for it to be torture to have to wait after getting to meet, play with, and hold them in my arms. A month seems do-able!

It seems crazy that for two years we had nothing but bumps in this adoption road, and since being told about these boys it has been smooth sailing. I pray it continues! Also, I know that my blog name no longer fits - but to change it would only confuse everyone, so it is staying as is.

I was recently asked a question that many of you may be thinking, "Do you think you guys can handle adopting three at once?" I certainly have my worries at times. I am reading a book right now about a child with attachment disorder and it scares the heck out of me, so I pray we won't have that issue. In the meantime we prepare however we can. I know God told us to walk this road, so if the road leads to three darling boys - I trust Him to give us just what we will need.

Call to PRAYER!

So first for some good news. We have gotten Russian approval to proceed based on our finances. Also, our homestudy agency being on the 'blacklist' doesn't look like it will cause us trouble. And, WE GOT PICTURES! I had looked on the Russian database and made my best guess as to who the boys were based on their ages...came up with 3 pictures of absolute cuties...and then later found out my guess was right when a family who has just gotten back from that same orphanage had pictures of the boys which were then passed on to us! I have modified the pictures, so here is a peak :)

(Pictures deleted for now at request of agency)

So cute eh!? That is if you ignore some of their attire...

Now about the 'mountains'. So if you refer to the previous posting, mountain 2 and 3 are gone. I am currently trying to climb mountain 4. It is mountain 1 that we need God to move. This is what I ask you to pray: first, that we get provincial approval to adopt three children, and second, that it happens quickly. We just found out that IF we get approval soon, we can have the boys examined by a Designated Medical Practioner on June 22. It is my best guess that we have this opportunity even though the region is technically blind (where you can't get info on the children until you are in Russia) because another family with our agency will be there meeting their referral and would be getting her examined then. So, if we miss this window we likely won't get any medical info on the boys until we travel to Russia.

Thanks so much, and I'll keep you posted!

Mountains, Mountains, Mountains!

Definitely time for an update! So much has happened in the last couple weeks.

First, we found out May 8th that we are not eligible to adopt the sibling group I previously talked about due to our family size already. I was very surprised to find this out since I have never heard of Russia having a family size limit, but every region is different - so I guess it did matter in this one. Canada is like that too - every province has their own rules. I was just told that you basically aren't allowed to adopt sibling groups if you live in Ontario. Either way, door closed! So, now I will tell you that the possible referral was of twin boys who will be a year old in July.

Along with the sad news came news of another possible referral, this time in another region as well. It took days of consideration, stress, prayers, questions...but we again have decided to proceed with bringing these children home. It is almost funny to me how stressed and confused I felt just days ago when I have complete peace now. So what could be better than two little blessings and require so much stressful thought? How about three little blessings! Yup, this sibling group consists of three little boys - the oldest currently being 3 1/2 years old.

But, SO MANY MOUNTAINS! The mountains scare me at times. Some mountains we can't even climb, so I pray that if this is God's will He will move them. First mountain - getting provincial approval to adopt three when getting approved to adopt two wasn't very easy. Second mountain - getting Russian approval to adopt three based on our finances. Third mountain - getting our homestudy agency off of the Russian blacklist for missing post-placement report(s) (yup, when the blacklist was published in April there were only two Canadian agencies on the list, an ours was one of them!). Forth mountain - getting another dossier together, legalized, translated, and to this new region. Then we wait for Russia to call us with a meeting date.

I hate that everything takes months when these boys are getting older each day. I wish we were leaving next week to meet them.

On a good note, our agency has agreed to give us a cut on adopting three, so we should still end up just paying the $70,000 that I had estimated it would cost us for adopting two. That is especially helpful since now we will have to buy a larger passenger van since our Montana only holds seven people. I was planning on getting one of these anyways, I just thought that we still had a couple years before it would needed.

Another good item worth mentioning - a lady from Calgary should be leaving some time in June to meet the little girl she is adopting. This little girl is in the same orphanage as these boys, so she has offered to try to take some pics/video of the boys for us! That would be SOOOOO GREAT!