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| Thursday, June 29, 2006 |
| Lasts and Firsts |
Life is full of "lasts" and "firsts". I have experienced many of these with my children. Before my first daughter was born, I was so excited, but also nervous. I realized that life would drastically change, and it did! We didn't know when I'd go into labor, so every day was full of wondering about lasts. Will this be our last meal with just the two of us? Will this be the last night with just the two of us? You get the idea. After she came, life was filled with firsts. The first time we laid eyes on her, the first time we walked into our home with her, the first night(it was horrible!), the first smile, first step, first word, etc.
Three years later, I went through another series of lasts. For some reason this was the most impacting on me. One morning I drove H to her Mother's Day Out class. I hugged her extra tight when I sent her into her class that morning. Then I stood at the door watching her play and cried. Her life was about to change forever. It had been just the three of us for so long. How in the world would she cope? Would I have enough room in my heart? She was being invaded. I walked out, got in my car, and drove to the hospital to have a c-section that would bring twin girls into the world. Life would never be the same. Now it again was filled with firsts. The first time H saw her sisters, the first time she held them, the first time it was all the girls not just H and me, the first night, first smiles, first steps, first words, etc.
Again, two and a half years later, we went through another series of lasts. This time we didn't know when it was going to come, but each day was full of wondering. Would this be our last meal with just the 5 of us? When dad was gone to work, I would wonder if it was the last day that it would be "just the girls". You see, this time I was having a boy. What are little boys like? Would I have enough room for in my heart for one more? Would the others be cheated out of 'mom' time? How would I handle another one? Again, the lasts were replaced with firsts. The first time I laid eyes on my baby boy, the first time I used the word "son", the first time his sisters doted on him and mothered him, the first night, the first smiles, first steps, first words, etc.
Now I found myself in this familiar spot again. As I had my children at the McDonalds playplace yesterday, I watched as all four of them gathered around a video game and played together. They are so close, what will 2 new brothers bring? The boys will need so much attention when we get home and we will be separated so long from these four, how will I manage to balance everything out and meet all of their needs? I stared at my four beautiful children and felt overwhelmed with emotion. Then last night, very late, I was heading to bed. I checked on all of the girls then I went to my son's room. It hit me like a brick that this was yet another last- the last time he slept in his room by himself. The next time he slept there, it would no longer be "his" room, it would be "the boys'" room. I laid on the bottom bunk where our new sons will sleep. The bed is ready, the pillows are fluffed, and the stuffed animals are placed. Will my heart be able to handle two more? Will little J get along with these new boys? Can I balance everything and everyone?
I have come to realize that every last has a little bit of grief that comes with it. Grief over losing life as we know it. However, through the years, I have also realized that when there are lasts, there are many firsts that follow. Our firsts will be different this time. It will not be first steps, first smiles, first words. It will be first words in English, the first time my kids meet their brothers, the first time they ride on a plane, the first time they run to me with their scratched knees, their first McDonalds, their first trip to the zoo. We missed all of those early firsts, but there is a whole new world of firsts. Thanks to my bloggy friend, I realize this. We have five years of first to make up with them.
Now I'm going to add one more last. This will most likely be my last post before leaving the U.S. to go to Russia for court. From here on out, life will again be full of firsts. |
posted by 6blessings @ 4:56 AM  |
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| Wednesday, June 28, 2006 |
| Priceless |
22 documents notarized and apostilled- $220
22 documents FedExed to Russia Priority- $136
22 documents notarized and apostilled for the second time- $220
2 tanks of gas running around everywhere - $100
Bringing our children home. . . . PRICELESS!
Yes, we are done!! Thanks to everyone for all of their prayers. It took two adults and four children all day, but all of the papers are now completed and in our hands(of course, not without a few hitches along the way). We are now going to celebrate our paperwork completion and our have our last family fling before we leave. We are going to the local pool to swim and then we will come back home for some ice cold watermelon. After that, it's back to packing and cleaning.
Again, thanks for all of your sweet thoughts and words of encouragement on our last post. Also, thanks to my four terrific children for enduring today! You are awesome and I will miss you so much! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 3:28 PM |
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| Tuesday, June 27, 2006 |
| Testing |
I am being tested today and I refuse to be pulled down. A few days ago I crumbled when we had trouble. Today our trouble is even worse, but I'm not going to be defeated. The troubles of a few days ago were a few medical licenses. We have worked hard and we just found out today that we have them all now. Woo Hoo!!
However, we've been thrown another major road block. Remember the paperwork I overnighted by FedEx to Russia for $136 two weeks ago? Well, it isn't there. It arrived in Moscow two days after I sent it and has been stuck in customs ever since. I have made numerous urgent phone calls to FedEx to no avail. They have no control over Russian customs. Apparently, Russia is checking 100 percent of everything coming in to the country. Everything is in a big pile-up. Our paperwork is somewhere lost in the shuffle. FedEx apparently has hired some legal representatives to try to remedy the situation, but we all know what that means! More time!
Therefore, our agency has told us it is in our best interest to redo all of the documents we sent in that package, renotarize, reapostille, and hand carry them in when we leave in two and a half days. They will have one day to translate them before we go to court! It is too risky to think that the FedEx package will clear customs and make it to region in the next 3 business days. So, we have been calling all of the people we need to redo things and are hoping to get it together in time. In the meantime, I'm not getting anywhere on the packing side of things or cleaning my house. Of course, it has to be perfect when we bring our children home. I guess I shouldn't be blogging, but it really does help relieve some of the stress. Besides, your support and encouragement is invaluable to me. A few minutes isn't going to make a big difference in the overall scheme of things, right? :-)
All of that said, I know that it will all work out! I will NOT "freak out" this time. I know who called us to this and I know He will see it through. The Bible says that testing develops perseverance and perseverance develops character and character develops hope. I believe that we will get on a plane in 2 and a half days with everything we need to come home with our children. God is bigger than any brick wall we come against. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 3:21 PM |
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| Monday, June 26, 2006 |
| Packing |
Packing has been so much harder this time around. Before, there was no court, no hot weather clothing issues, no little boys' clothes, 6 days instead of 3 weeks. This time, we have to pack for court- not just one day, but two. The weather is hot in region, yet sandals/flip flops aren't really okay. We're staying a whole lot longer.
As far as the boys go, I have packed and repacked and repacked again. I have gone shopping, taken stuff back, gone shopping again, and taken stuff back again. Do you know how hard it is to buy stuff for 5 year old boys that weigh 26 pounds and are generally the size of 2 year olds? How do we know how much they've grown in the last 3 months? We took measurements but they seem unrealistic. I bought all 3T pants and then got out their measurements. Everything was 2 inches too long and 2 1/2 inches too wide in the waist. However, when I look at 2T clothing, I think they look too small. I remember being totally shocked at how tiny they were when we met them, but now it seems unimaginable.
Also, I had bought several short outfits, but everyone says that even the kids don't really wear shorts there. So, the shorts went back into the drawer. What I ended up with is the stuff in the pictures at the top. My favorite thing is the light-up tennis shoes. I can't wait to see their faces when they take a step and their shoes light up. I know tennies aren't great either in Russia, but I'm not budging there. Tennis shoes with velcro- the only way to go! The only thing I didn't take a picture of was the belts to hold the big pants up, the socks, and the totally cool Superman and Spiderman underwear big brother picked out for them. :-) |
| posted by 6blessings @ 12:55 PM |
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| Friday, June 23, 2006 |
| Showers of Blessings |
When I first started this adoption blog, I was completely and utterly consumed with the financial aspect of adoption. When we first felt called to adopt, we said, "It's impossible!" It was way too much money. We were already supporting 4 kids and all of their activities, medical needs, etc. We are just average people. My husband had just started his own law practice and we were in debt from getting that up and going. Of course, since it was new, the clientele was low, and the ones he did have were mostly non-paying. We didn't see a way. However, we listened to the call and stepped out in faith.
Through the journey, God has been refining us and making us into who He wants us to be. We have suffered loss of children, paperwork troubles, accepting a new mission with older children who had medical needs, etc. God has been with us through it all. You would think I would have learned my lesson. Even this week though, when things looked bad, I still "freaked out" momentarily and panicked. The next morning, I realized that God has been with us on His mission through this whole thing and He would not abandon us. I calmed down at that point and put my trust back where it should have been from the beginning.
Anyway, throughout all of this, my focus has gone off the money and onto the really important things- becoming who God wants me to be and bringing home the kids that He wants to be a part of our family. I always knew that God would provide the finances. However, I thought he would do it in some lightning bolt way, like some totally anonymous person walking up, handing us a check for $40,000 and saying God told him to do it. Needless to say, that has not happened. God could have made that happen, but that was not His plan. One day, part of the way through this adventure, I realized that my husband's business was doing really well. In a still small voice, I heard Him say that He would provide in His time and His way. I realized that even if we had to borrow it, God would provide the way to pay it all back, but His timing for these children was now.
Over the last month, we have had a garage sale that made $900, an end-of-the-season/adoption money gift from my gym/work, beds and table donated, clothing given, etc. One of our other concerns was the fact that my dh is self-employed and would be missing almost a month of work. He settled a case the other day. Guess how much his cut was? ... Enough to pay August bills! How cool is that! Then, last night we had a family night. We went to the local pool and then to get sno cones- a last big family outing before we are separated for 3 weeks. When we got home, we checked our mail. In the mail was a letter stating we had been approved for an adoption grant in a very large amount(enough to cover all of our flights for this trip- to and from the US and to and from region for everybody)! God does provide... in His time and in His way. We still have incurred debt from this ordeal, but God has shown us time and again, just when we needed it, that He is faithful and He is with us when we are obedient to His call.
Will I "freak out" again? I'm quite sure I will- probably next week or maybe tomorrow or maybe even tonight. I'm kind of stubborn like that. Hopefully, though, I am learning to come out of my "freak outs" quicker and trust His loving arms to carry us through. His showers of blessing have been raining down upon us financially, emotionally, spiritually, and through our family. I am such a blessed woman. Thank you God for all of your blessings. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 11:47 AM |
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| Thursday, June 22, 2006 |
| Stumbling to the Finish Line |
I feel as if we are stumbling to the finish line. We have had road blocks pop up everywhere, but God is breaking through them. At this time, we should be packing and getting the last minute touches finished on the room, etc. We are working on those things but doing everything else too. A few days ago, we weren't sure if we were even going to get to keep our court date. We are breathing easier now.
As many of you know, after we received our court date, we realized that our CPA license and two doctor's licenses would expire on June 30- 4 days before court! This has been a real problem. Everybody is depending on everyone else to do their job and get these licenses renewed. The CPA and one of the doctors are supposed to have theirs any day now according to the licensing boards. However, the other one is held up in a bureaucratic mess. He sent his application in to the hospital he works under a long time ago. They are supposed to cut the check for his renewal and send it all in. They haven't done this yet. I called the his office and they told me to call the hospital. I called the hospital, they told me it was completely confidential and was none of my business. The only person who could find out about the status of his license was the doctor himself.
So, I called the doctor's office back. The lady that answered the phone was extremely rude. I told her who I was and started explaining the situation. She very sharply said, "Oh, we all know who YOU are and what YOUR problem is." I went on to explain what the lady at the hospital told me. She said, "Look, he's never going to get that license back in YOUR time frame!" I explained to her that there were two little boys sitting in a remote Russian orphanage and that if I didn't get this license, that is where they would remain. She agreed to ask the doctor about it, to which I asked her to have the doctor call me directly.
The doctor called me back and said there was nothing he could do. The hospital only cuts check on Fridays, no exceptions. He did find out that his check is supposed to be cut this Friday. Then the hospital will have to send it in to the licensing agency and they will renew his license.
I called the licensing agency and the lady on the other end was an angel. She said she had his chart pulled and would drop everything else when she received his renewal. However, she cannot give me a copy of his license. He has to do that. As you can see, we are going to run out of time. Therefore, I asked if they would issue a letter stating that he will be renewed and for what period of time. At first she said they couldn't, then she put me on hold and came back and said she had talked to the director. They would do anything they had to if it would get our kids home. Thank you God for those angels.
So, we are still waiting. However, by next Tuesday or Wednesday I should have everything in my hand. Then I will make one last trip to the Secretary of State and get the licenses apostilled. At that point I will breathe again. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 11:56 AM |
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| Tuesday, June 20, 2006 |
| Life Lessons |
You know, as rough as this adoption road is to go down, the rewards will always outweigh the troubles. My oldest daughter, H, started saving her some of her allowance back when we started this journey. She was ten then. The other day, she said she was ready to spend it.
Today we went to the store and she bought all of the stuff in the picture above for the girls at the orphanage. Our orphanage is fairly small and made up of mostly junior high and high school kids. She thought the girls would like lip gloss, nail polish, smelly lotion, pretty notebooks, cool mechanical pencils, and jumpropes. At first she purchased the lip gloss and nail polish. I thought that was sweet. When we talked about how much it was, she commented on how much more she had left to spend. I had no idea she wanted to spend it all, but that's what she did- over $50!
There are many tough things about adoption, but watching your child give unselfishly for others is a reward that is beyond them all. Having mercy and compassion on others is a life lesson that is extremely valuable. I'm so proud of her for listening to her heart and loving others who are less fortunate than she is. Who knows? Maybe she will go down this road one day and I'll have grandchildren born in her heart. Thank you God for your life lessons. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 5:08 PM |
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| Sunday, June 18, 2006 |
| Birthday Fun |
 J had his birthday party at a Splash Pad here in town on Saturday. It had rained for the first time in months and I just kept praying that it would be dry for our 2 hour slot. It stayed dry for one and a half hours. I was thrilled.
 J got a double Slip N Slide for his birthday. One side was Batman and the other was the Joker. He is quite a pro at it. I love his face in this picture!
 Here's his cool Batman cake!! No, I didn't make it. It was the first time in 11 years of doing birthdays that I got a store-bought cake. My plate is just a little full right now and I knew my limits. He loved it!!
 These last picture is of my dad(PaPa) and J putting together his new sandbox my dad made for him. The above picture is of J with his siblings and cousins playing in the sand. It was a big hit!!
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| posted by 6blessings @ 8:18 PM |
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| Thursday, June 15, 2006 |
| Happy 15th Anniversary! |
I just wanted to wish my dh a Happy 15th Anniversary! We've been through a lot over the years- bachelor's degrees, master's degree, juris doctorate degree(enough schooling), job changes, moves, birth of four children and the challenges with them, medical issues, and most recently, adoption. Instead of driving us apart, it has brought us closer together. We love each other more than ever. I'm not just saying that, it's true!!
I love you, D! Happy Anniversary! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 11:54 AM |
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| Wednesday, June 14, 2006 |
| The High Cost of Peace of Mind |
Well, I found out yesterday how much peace of mind costs. A lot!!! I finally got the last of our paperwork that was redone picked up from the doctor yesterday. I then booked it to the Secretary of State to get it apostilled. $220 dollars later I left with it in my hands. I went to Kinkos and copied it all off and then went to FedEx it. I'm sure some of you know how much that costs, but I didn't. We had to make sure it got there quickly because we are running out of time. We paid $136 to have it there by Friday. The only other option was to get it there next week sometime, maybe, for $91. We opted for peace of mind that it was there in time. Anyway, it's done.
We also hit a snag with our visas. The agency we are getting them through called and said we had filled out the wrong form and needed to redo it that day or our visas would not go through in time. We downloaded the "right" form and realized it was exactly the same. The only difference was the "old" form had grid-type blocks to write your letters in. The "new" one just had an open box. Some of this stuff is absurd. Anyway, after faxing it twice to them, they said it was finally all okay and would get it done.
Now all we have left is to get a copy of these 2 medical licenses and one CPA license that expire 4 days before court. I've been calling the licensing agencies, bugging them to get them to the people, get me a copy, or something!! After I have those in my hand, I will breathe easier. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 11:32 AM |
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| Tuesday, June 13, 2006 |
| Happy Birthday, Dear 6 Year Old!! |
Well, today is the day that my little boy was born 6 years ago, almost to the minute. He was my fourth child and by far the easiest birth. He also turned out to be the easiest baby. I think it was because he had to be.
He is such a beautiful child. He is really laid back and easy going. He is very good at playing independently and is often in his own world (of which he is the superhero). He is the ham of our family and always keeps us laughing. He is very giving and generous. He, like most of my other children, is very small for his age. At his kindergarten graduation at church, he was almost the shortest out of about 20-25 kids. One little girl was littler. He is pretty athletic. He can do a back handspring, but his specialty is running. He is super fast (of course, all superheroes have to be fast). We call him Flash.
He is loved on by his sisters who think he hung the moon. They would do anything for him. He loves Spiderman, but is having a Batman birthday. He is incredibly smart and is already a pretty good reader. A few months ago, I asked him to spell "elephant". I didn't think he would have any idea. He slowly spelled out "e-l-e-f-a-n-t". I told him that was excellent, but there was a letter pair that he didn't know about yet that went together to say "f". He said, "Oh, ph." I said, "Yes, how do you know that?" He said, "Well, I watched Phil of the Future the other day and saw how it was spelled on TV. Phil says "f", but starts with ph." He amazed me. He then proceeded to spell elephant correctly. You can also find him quite often reading his children's dictionary or playing on his Learning Laptop.
The picture above was taken a little over a week ago at kindergarten graduation at church. As they called him to get his certificate, they called him their "little preacher man". Why, you ask? The boy has to wear a suit every Sunday. He will not dress like all of the other boys in khaki shorts and a knit pullover shirt. He has to be in his suit and tie. I have to say he always looks very handsome.
Now you know a little about my precious baby boy. One thing I didn't mention is how much my "baby" wants to be a big brother! His wish is coming true! I think he'll be the best big brother ever! Happy Birthday, Son! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 11:08 AM |
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| Monday, June 12, 2006 |
| UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Can you hear me screaming? No, I'm not screaming but I sure feel like it. I usually sit down and write carefully, but I'm just going to vent for a minute. Feel free to tune out. I just need to get it out. Actually, I just need to cry and I don't have time for that.
This paperwork stuff stinks!!!! We are supposed to have all these last minute paper redos over in region by THURSDAY!!! We have worked really hard, but you can't always get others to move at the same pace that you want them to move. After weeks of calling doctor's offices I finally think we are going to have it all together. NOPE!!
I am in the middle of coaching a week long gymnastics camp at OU. I am working 8:30 to 12:30, 2 to 5:30 and 7 to 8:45 every day. That doesn't count the 15 minutes one way to and from the gym, loading kids up, feeding them, etc. Right before noon today, I call the doctor's office to ask one more time if our papers are ready. "Sure, they're ready, " they say. I load my kids plus two more in my van and head to pick them up in Oklahoma City. I get there and guess what? They're not done. We wait about 20 minutes and they bring them to me in a manilla envelope. I open it up, just to check. Sure enough, it's wrong. In addition, this doctor's license also expires June 30- 4 days before court!! That's three expirations that have to be fixed before we get on a plane on June 30. Anyway, they tell me they can have them done by tomorrow.
I rush back to work and I'm about 15 minutes late. I explain that I'll need to have tomorrow afternoon off to get these papers and head to the Secretary of State to get them apostilled. My boss is sympathetic and says it will be okay. Whew!! I coach several more hours in the heat and then head home to feed the troops in my hour and a half that I'm free.
I get home and open my emails. The people we are using for our visas has left an urgent message saying we filled out the wrong paper. There's also an urgent message on my answering machine telling me to call right away. First of all, we filled out the exact same form we did the first trip. Has it changed in the last few months? Anyway, I call every number I have for them and kept getting answering machines.
On top of all of this, my son turns 6 tomorrow and I don't have any presents for him!! I guess I'll go shopping tomorrow while I'm waiting for the apostilles. I also need to make a cake. I did get tomorrow night off to celebrate!! Thank goodness.
Oh yeah, I also had a parking ticket on my car when I left the gym this afternoon. I have parked there in that same spot forever. One of my gymnasts' mom is a police officer and she parks there and says it's fine. However, today, I got a ticket for parking there. Lay it on! Just lay it on!!
Well, thanks for listening or at least putting up with the rambling. I just needed to vent. My head is ready to explode. Really, I have a throbbing headache!! I know (or at least hope) that everything will work out and will be okay, but I'm starting to get worried about getting there with the right stuff so we can bring them home. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 4:08 PM |
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| Saturday, June 10, 2006 |
| Paperwork Woes |
We have had some paperwork woes lately. Right after trip one we worked really hard to get all of our paperwork done and sent in very quickly. Our agent told us to hold off on medicals because they are only good for three months and we were unsure of getting a court date in that time frame. We had already had quite a few of the medical tests done and they were dated April 10. Well, when we got our court date of July 3 and 4, we were so excited because that fell within the 3 months, barely. Then we were told we might need to redo them anyway because of how close we were cutting it. A few days later, we were told they would be accepted as is.
Anyway, in the midst of all of this we are checking the licenses of all of our professional signatures. We found out that the notary license on one homestudy paper is expired. We found out our CPA license will expire on June 30- 4 days before court! Then we finally get our medicals back from the doctor. Guess what? His license also expires on June 30! Anyway, now we are praying they get their renewed licenses before we leave in a little under 3 weeks. We will have to renotarize and reapostille all of these licenses-- and apostilling in Oklahoma is not cheap!! We have already invested well over 500 dollars on apostilles. In addition, our region seems to need not one, but two copies of everything! This is not due to us adopting two children. It is just the region. I keep telling myself that this is the end of the paperwork, but it seems to keep popping back up again and again! I will be so glad to see the end of it all!! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 3:00 PM |
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| Thursday, June 08, 2006 |
| What to Wear |
I need everyone's help out there. I'm trying to get everything together that we will need for our trip. I have started getting some things for the boys. I had not bought clothes, done the room, etc., for fear of losing them. However, since receiving our court date, I decided I better get busy. They really are coming home.
Anyway, here's what I need to know from all of you people who know a lot more about Russia than I do. What do Russians wear in the summertime? I need to know what adults wear and what children wear. What is acceptable? What is not? Do adults wear shorts, capris, sandals in the summer or do they stick with the long pants and the infamous "black shoes"? BTW, I'm with Jen-- no little black shoes. I wore a pair of black shoes, but they were comfy leather, no heels. I'm all about comfort when travelling- not style.
What about children? I know the babushkas will get you in the winter if they are not bundled with a jillion layers, but how about summer? Can they wear shorts and short-sleeved shirts?
I'm having trouble packing and don't want to be offensive to the culture. I need your help please. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 5:06 AM |
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| Monday, June 05, 2006 |
| Happy Birthday, Dear 5 Year Olds!!! |
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday L and E!
Happy Birthday to you!
Yes, you just got the first letter of each of our sons' new names. I have been meaning to name them for you for some time now, but never got around to it. I had asked my dh about bloggy names for them. He said Prophet and Priest. You see, all of our children have Bible names. Our son at home is Josiah. In the Bible, Josiah was a king at age 8. When picking names for our two new sons, we decided on the names of a prophet and a priest. Therefore, we will have a prophet, priest, and king. Let's see if any of you Bible scholars can figure out our names with those two hints. We are also keeping their Russian names.
It just turned midnight in our region. Therefore, our sons are officially 5 years old. We sure wish we could have had them home by now and celebrated with them, but the pain is eased in knowing they will officially be ours in 29 days! Next year, we'll do it up big!
Happy Birthday Prophet and Priest! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 12:55 PM |
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| Sunday, June 04, 2006 |
| Prayer Needed |
| Seven year old Kraleigh, who had been battling cancer, went to be with Jesus this morning. Please pray for her mom, dad, twin sister Calysta, and older sister Scarlett. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 6:36 AM |
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| Saturday, June 03, 2006 |
| Itinerary Complete |
Well, we just finished our itinerary. We leave Oklahoma on June 30 a little before 8 in the morning. We will arrive in Moscow on July 1 at about 10:30 in the morning. We will hang out all day there and fly into region that evening. Whew! That will be one long day!! We get to go see our children on the 2nd and get prepped for court.
July 3rd and 4th we will be in court. We were curious as to why our region had 2 days for court. They said the judge interviews us the first day. The second day she talks to the orphanage director, medical doctor, etc., and then makes her ruling.
We will wait the 10 days from July 5th to July 14th. We are still praying that by some miracle we get them waived. However, we have been told that they are not waiving the 10 days for anyone, anywhere, for any reason. Anyway, we will fly to Moscow with the 2 new Cagle kids on July 15th. We will rest the 16th and then begin all of the Moscow stuff on the 17th. We are hoping to fly back to the USA on the 20th or 21st of July.
We went shopping the other day and bought me a suit for court and the boys' "coming home" outfits. It was fun! Damon also made a doctor's appointment for the boys after we returned. He said it felt good to tell the doctor their names and see it written down. It is all really happening!!
**Update on other things: Several posts ago I talked about a little 7 year old girl who was battling cancer. I am asking everyone to please pray for her and her family again. She went in Thursday to start a new treatment and was told that she didn't qualify anymore because her cancer was too advanced. The doctors have told the parents that there is nothing more they can do for her. We are praying for a miracle. The family needs prayer more than ever. Thanks!** |
| posted by 6blessings @ 6:59 AM |
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| Thursday, June 01, 2006 |
| 8, not 6 |
We are moving from a family of 6 to a family of 8. That is a big transition. Most minivans hold 7 or fewer passengers. Most tables hold 4-6 people. The transition to 8 jumps us from medium to large. Along with this transition comes many needs: more beds, more bedding, a bigger table, more plates, more silverware, more chairs, more toothbrushes, a bigger van, etc. The list goes on and on. As you know, when you are financing an international adoption, there isn't ANY left for these other items. God has blessed us so much with generous friends who have helped us out in this area.
A few weeks ago, some church friends brought us a very nice set of bunk beds. I will post a picture of them when we get them all ready. They also brought us 2 dressers they didn't need anymore. When my SIL found out we didn't have another mattress to put on it, she said she had one we could have. In addition, my dear friend and her beautiful family just came today and brought us the table in the picture above. It fits perfectly in our dining room and is large enough for all of us to sit down at it together. We will cherish the memories we make around that table. My mother has been on a mission to supply us with some clothes for the boys. She is a tremendous sale shopper and has gotten several great deals.
I am incredibly grateful to everyone for all of their help. I consider all of these items, but more importantly, all of these people, special blessings from God. I cherish each of you. May God richly bless you for your generosity. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 9:08 AM |
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