Life is settling down...

Okay, life is finally settling back to 'normal'. School has been in session for a week and a day and we can get back to doing what we need to in regards to bringing our children home. We have been given the phone number of a family that fundraised 100% of two separate adoptions from Russia, both of them being sibling groups. I called and left a message this afternoon to get ideas and talk with them about their experiences. I am looking forward to getting some great ideas!

On another note, we have decided to put my car up for sale and use the Dodge minivan God gave us back in May. It is an older model than my car, but will hold more people and stuff. If you know anyone who would be interested in a 2000 Chevrolet Prizm, let me know (rlarkins@pdq.net).

Please continue to pray for our children and their caregivers, our fundraising and the paperwork that we need to complete. Right now, we need $680 for Buckner (Home Study part 2), $750 for US Immigration, $160 for fingerprinting, $3,500 for Buckner (Agency fee part 1). Overall, we estimate that we will need $40,000 before we can send our Dossier to Russia (that includes all fees and travel & hotels/meals/etc in Russia)

We are OFFICIAL!!

I got THE PHONE CALL today around 1:45 this afternoon from Joy, our Home Study social worker informing us that we are Officially Approved to Adopt up to 2 siblings from Russia!!!

After some crying, writing information down and trying not to break down, I called Chris at work to tell him the GREAT NEWS!! Since he could tell I was (or at least had been) crying, he thought something was wrong, but was excited once I told him about Joy's phone call.

We have been waiting and praying for this day for about a year and God has been faithful. We really appreciate all of our family and friends that have been praying with and for us during this time. Please, Please continue to pray for and with us as we begin the next step.

From here, we need to submit a written financial plan (just saying that God will provide isn't good enough) for financing this adoption process. We estimate that we will need about $40,000 by the time we are ready to go pick up our children. Yes, that is a huge amount of money! And no, we are not exactly sure where it will come from. The nice thing about Buckner is that you pay as you go. If you don't have the funds for the next step, you wait until you do. The down side is that most of the paperwork that we will need to complete is time sensitive. So, we need to have as much of the money as possible (or all of it) collected before we begin the Dossier paperwork. Once we send the Dossier to Russia, it could be as quick as 4-6 weeks to get the referral from Russia. Apparently the referral process is not as long as we had originally been told!!

Right now, we need about $7,000 to start the next step: submitting the USCIS (immigration) form and get fingerprinted, paying the first half of Buckner's agency fee and several other miscellaneous fees. Now that our Home Study is complete, we can start applying for grants with various organizations (unfortunately most of them prefer stay-at-home, homeschooling moms).

Anyway, we are really excited!

Please continue to pray for our children and their current caregivers; our financial situation; school (starts on Monday and I am NOT ready yet); we have patience during the rest of this process.

Post Office Issues

Okay, I am really frustrated with the United States Post Office. The envelope (with the last of our Home Study papers) that I sent out on August 6, 2009 (at 10:10 am) has not arrived at Buckner's office and the online tracking system has not updated since the envelope was 'accepted' at the Richmond Post Office. Yesterday I sent out copies (made from the copies I kept before sending the originals on the 6th) via Fed Ex Priority Overnight. When I checked their online tracking system this morning, it showed that the envelope was delivered at 8:35 am to Buckner.

Let this be a lesson to me (and anyone else who has to send papers in the mail) to NOT use the Post Office and send EVERYTHING via Fed Ex. It does get expensive, but it is SOOO worth it!!! (It also helps that Chris' stepfather is letting us use his account!)

Now, we get to wait some more, but at least I know the papers are at Buckner!

Please continue to pray for us during this time as we wait for our Official Approval.

Papers are in the mail

I sent out the last of the papers this morning! Yeah!! I even paid to send the envelope via certified, return receipt. Don't want them to get lost or misplaced! I email our social worker (Joy) last night to let her know that they were going out today and she said that she would get back to us in the next week or two. It is going to be a very loooong week or two! At least I go back to school (in-services for the first 6 days) next Wednesday. I am really praying that we hear that we are "Officially Approved" before my birthday (August 25). That would be the Bestest Gift Ever!

Please continue to pray for us as we wait during these next 2 weeks (or so). Also keep the Wal-Mart job for Chris in your prayers (haven't heard from them yet for the interviews). We know the next set of fees to pay are: travel for Joy to visit the house ($117) and the second half of the Home Study ($500).

Required Reading is Done!!!! (for now)

I have finally finished reading the last book! I have written my report; put it in the envelope with the rest of the papers; typed, printed and signed the cover letter; and put the cover letter in the envelope. Tomorrow, I will make copies of all the papers and mail the envelope to Buckner. YEAH!!!! This is a huge weight off my shoulders. Now we just get to wait, pray and wait some more.

Please continue to lift us up in prayer as we wait. Also keep our finances in your prayers. Chris has applied for a part-time job with Wal-Mart to help with our finances, but hasn't heard anything from them yet.

Almost done with reading

While I was in San Antonio this weekend for a Quack Pack (group of friends from high school) Reunion, Chris finished the last book we have to read: Raising Adopted Children by Lois Ruskai Melina. Woohoo! Now he needs to write up his report and he will be COMPLETELY DONE with his part. I got through chapter 1 of the book while waiting for my car to get inspected this morning, but should be finished with it sometime tomorrow afternoon or evening. Once I get my report written, I can make copies of all the papers (for our records) and send it off to Buckner!

We got an email last week from our social worker stating that her part is done, she is just waiting for these 'book reports' and a copy of the report from the psychologist.

Now we get to continue waiting, only this time we are waiting for our OFFICIAL APPROVAL to adopt. Please continue to pray for us during this time.