Adoption Shower at School

Thursday, November 18th, Rachael's Elective Department hosted an Adoption Shower for us at her school (Beckendorff Junior High, Katy ISD). 

 A lot of her co-workers showed up to help celebrate our boys. 

Here are some pictures:



The yummy cake.  It was half chocolate and half white.
Rachael got 1 bite and took a piece home to Chris.





Some shots of those who came to help celebrate



Amy (the other Home EC teacher) & Kari (the Tech Ed teacher)
getting ready to serve the cake and super yummy punch



Getting ready to open gifts



Matching jammies for the boys



2 sets of sheets (Disney Cars & Toy Story)

We also got gift cards, some toys (dump truck, fire engine that makes noise,mega blocks), sippy cups, snack cups, 2 outfits and a few other things.

We really appreciated the shower!

Rachael made up a collage of pictures of us and the boys to show off to those who hadn't seen them yet.  Everyone thought they looked really adorable!

We are still waiting on our FBI clearance.  Other than that, the papers are pretty much ready to get notarized, Apostilled and sent to Dallas to check then send to Russia.



Please continue to pray for us as we finish getting things ready for the boys.  So far, it seems as if we have the funds we need, unless airplane ticket prices go up or something else happens.  We know that God will provide what we need, when we need it.

Still waiting on papers

We got some more papers in this week, but we are still waiting on the FBI clearance and the corrected age on our approval forms from USCIS.  We are still waiting on approval for our court application, then we can print it and when the rest of the papers come in, get all of our papers notarized.  Once that is done, we will take everything to Austin to get Apostilled before overnighting it to Dallas.  I am praying that we will get all our papers done and sent to Russia in early December.  We probably won't be able to get a court date until January. 

Rachael's school is throwing us an Adoption Shower this week, so our Wal-Mart Baby Registry has been updated recently. 

We are getting things ready for our boys.

Missing them and praying that we get to bring them home soon.

Kotlas Baby Home

I know this is late in coming, but here are some pictures of the Kotlas Baby Home, where our boys are currently residing.



The sign outside of the entrance.



Part of the playground (outside the entrance)



Looking out towards the river



One of the play structures on the playground



On the wall in the stairwell, made from fabrics, ribbons, paper, etc



An indoor garden that the children get to enjoy & sometimes help out with watering





Standing in the doorway of the room where we met our boys for the first time after they left for lunch (we wore blue shoe protectors while inside the building since we didn't have 'indoor shoes' with us to change into from our 'outside shoes'.

 We are still waiting for papers to get processed before we can take everything to Austin to get apostilled and send off to Russia. 

Please continue to keep us and our boys in your prayers.  We won't have any contact with them until the adoption is finalized in Russia, so we are just praying that they stay in good health.  Please continue to pray for their caregivers as they take care of our boys.

Rachael has updated our Baby Registry with Wal-Mart if you are interested in helping get some things that are needed.......








Home for now & Pictures

We have been home for a week and missing our boys!  Today we went and had pictures printed (203 of them!) to put in a book to show.  I will post some pictures here as well. 

We arrived in Houston last Sunday (10th) about an hour early which was nice.  We got home around 3:00 and met up with Chris' Mom and StepDad for dinner before going to bed (around 8:30).  We both were really glad to sleep in our own bed!  The beds at the hotels were rather hard and not very comfortable (we are spoiled) and Rachael had a hard time with the feather pillows (she will be taking her own pillow on the next trip).

Chris had the week off from both jobs and spent the time resting.  Rachael took off Monday (was a staff development day) but went back to work on Tuesday. 

Here are some pictures we took during the trip (unfortunately we can't post any of the boys):


Chris in the Novatel Hotel in Moscow the first night

 

The restaurant we ate in at the hotel.  Chris had the Meat Lasagna and Rachael had the Chicken Kiev.



Closeup of the sign.....



Chris in the Pur Novolok Hotel in Arkangelsk (we stayed in the same room both nights: Tuesday & Friday)



The Pur Novolok Hotel in Arkangelsk



Rachael with our Assorted Meat Pizza at Uno Momento in Arkangelsk (really good pizza!)



Chris on the small twin engine turbo prop plane on the way to Kotlas
(our pilots were students in training with the instructor in one of the front seats)

 

View from Rachael's seat in the third row on the plane to Kotlas.

 



The entrance to the Cafeteria in the hotel in Kotlas with the hours posted.




Rachael snuggling with the boys' blankets in the sitting area of our hotel room in Kotlas.



Flying over Kotlas on the way home.

 



Rachael relaxing in the hotel room in Moscow the night before flying home.



We will post pictures of the orphanage later.

Thank you for your prayers and support.  Please continue to pray for our children.  Right now we are back in the 'Paper work and Waiting' stage.



A Tale of Two Boys...

This is a tale of two boys that needed a good home with loving parents.

These two boys are currently living in an orphanage in the town of Kotlas, in the region of Arkangelsk in the Russian Federation.  These two boys are ages 2 & 4 and are brothers.  The home that they are living in only keeps children through the age of 3, so one of them would need to be placed elsewhere; unless they could find a home together.

At the same time, a couple in the city of Richmond, in the state of Texas in the United States of America Some wonderful people at an agency found out about the two boys in Russia and told this couple in Texas about them.  The couple were very excited!  Could these two boys be the ones they were looking for?  Could these two boys be the children they wanted to add to their family?  Maybe.  The only way to know was to go visit the children and see for themselves.

So the couple worked hard and made arrangements to travel halfway around the world just to meet two little boys that didn't have parents or a home.  They took time off work and left their dog in a kennel and got on a plane to Russia.

That plane dropped them off in Moscow where they found a hotel to spend the night and took a smaller plane the next day.  In that city they found a hotel to spend the night and took a much smaller plane the next day to the town where the boys live (Kotlas).  Thankfully they met another couple at the hotel that were also traveling to Kotlas to meet children that needed a new home.  Both couples were excited to be able to meet these children that may be theirs one day!

The day finally arrived.  They were going to meet the boys they had heard about.  Sitting in the office/waiting room seemed to take forever.  The voices of children could be heard, are they ours?  Could those voices be the ones of our boys?  A cute little face peeked around the corner.  Yes, it was the younger one!  So unsure, so confused, so sweet.  They were brought in and introduced (but an introduction wasn't really necessary for the couple as they recognized the faces from pictures).  They all seemed nervous.  The children were seated on the carpet and some toys were brought out for them to play with.  Then everyone else left.  The couple and the two boys were left alone.  Now what?  How do people talk when they don't speak the same language? 

Toys are a great icebreaker.  After a few minutes they all seemed to relax.  The little one liked the crayons and coloring books that the couple brought with them.  The older one liked the stickers and kept asking for help in getting them off the page.  Too soon the time passed.  It was lunch time for the two boys and the couple had to leave, but they would be back that afternoon.

That afternoon,  the two boys were taken by Mama & Daddy  (the couple) to the gym area to play.  Boy, did they play!  Daddy worked up a sweat and Mama wasn't far behind!  David (the older one) loves to run around and he kept everyone going.  He really liked throwing the balls and trying to catch them when Daddy threw them at him.  Michael (the younger one) liked exploring on his own.  Occasionally he would interact with the rest, but he enjoyed spending time by himself.  They both laughed and enjoyed the time with Mama & Daddy.

All too soon, the time was up and the boys needed to go (they had a schedule to follow).  Mama & Daddy were sad to say goodbye, but David refused to say goodbye.  Before they left, Mama & Daddy gave the boys the blankets Mama made for them.  They both liked the blankets and carried them as they left.

The next day, Mama & Daddy found out that the boys had been asking when we were coming back; they wanted to see them!  Everyone got to play in the gym again.  They brought their blankets with them when they got to spend time with Mama & Daddy.  Daddy didn't know it at the time, but David kept saying "DaDa............" when he wanted Daddy to do something (like try and fit inside a tube thing so David could roll him around).  He didn't call Mama by name, but that was okay with Mama.  He called Daddy by name and that was fantastic!  This play time was also time for measurements & foot drawings so that Mama & Daddy can start getting clothes & shoes for them for when they get home.  Everyone worked up a sweat again, especially all three boys!  Mama spent time talking with a doctor about their schedules, foods, etc.  This time when it was time to leave, the boys got to show Mama & Daddy their 'groupa' (the rooms they live in with the other children).  It was great for Mama & Daddy to see how nice it all was.  They each have their own bed, the playroom areas, the dining tables they sit at for meals, the bathroom & kitchen area.  A really nice situation for being in an orphanage.  It was obvious to Mama & Daddy that they are well taken care of and loved.   

David refused to say goodbye again, but that is okay for the couple as it isn't really goodbye, but see you again soon......

On the way home....

We are sitting in the lobby of the Pur Navalok Hotel in Archangelsk waiting for our ride to the airport to begin the journey home.  It is currently 11:55 am on Saturday, October 9.  Today we will fly to Moscow, spend the night and fly out on Sunday morning (10:30 am) to Houston (arriving at 2:00 pm; same day).  We are looking forward to sleeping in our own bed!

Our last post was in the same hotel before flying to Kotlas to meet our boys.  The airport we flew out of was a bit smaller than the one we arrived at here in Archangelsk.  The only issue Rachael had with the airport was the bathroom facility.  It was at the bottom of the flight of stairs, was labeled for women, had a sink and 3 stalls (with doors but no locks) and contained running water and toilet paper.  The issue was the fact that the 'seat' was on the floor (okay, it was a toilet shaped basin imbeded into the concrete floor) and you had 2 choices: to squat or to squat.  Apparently she still has fairly good 'aim' but isn't quite as flexible as she once was.  At least it had toilet paper.....

Chris fared a bit better in the men's room.....

The plane we flew on could hold 19 passengers & 2 in the cockpit.  It was an older model with 'storage space' for the luggage in the back section.  We knew our luggage would get on the plane, because we loaded it ourselves.  No beverage service, not even a steward or stewardess (no room on the plane for them!).  If you were thristy, you had to bring it yourself.  The flight was rather smooth for the hour and a half it took to get to Kotlas.  Our ears kept popping because of the pressure in the cabin, but it was okay.  I will post a picture of the view from my seat later.

Once we landed in Kotlas, things started moving quickly.  We met Dimitri at the hotel before we left Archangelsk, as well as another couple adopting from the same orphanage in Kotlas.  it has been great to have another couple to walk through this process with.  They are from Michigan and are adopting a sibling group of 2 as well (boy & girl).  We met Anya (our translator for our stay in Kotlas) and our driver at the airport.  They took us to the hotel to settle in.  Our room was rather nice (and newer) than some of the others in the hotel.  We had a 'suite' that consisted of a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom.  It was really nice to have the water heater in the bathroom!  I think it got hot enough to boil!  The shower was small (about big enough for one person who didn't turn around or bend over too much).

The 'Cafeteria' was one floor below us (we were on the 3rd floor) and pretty decent.  It was basically a corner area that had doorways, a counter to order from and tables with chairs to sit.  The food was good (once we figured out what to order) but wasn't the portion size we are used to (I think we both have lost a few pounds).  We had pork pieces with potatos the first night and pancakes (we call them crepes) for breakfast the next morning.  Once the girl behind the counter figured out our pointing and broken words, she was very helpful!  Yesterday when we went down for breakfast, they didn't have pancakes.  That was all we knew to order, so she brought out a tray with sliced bread that had cheese & meat slices on it to offer for breakfast.  Was pretty good.  Chai was the beverage of choice for breakfast.  Hot tea is always good when you don't know what else to order.

We were able to spend 3 different times with the children at the orphanage, Thursday morning, Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.  We got to spend about 2 hours each time.  We will tell you about all of that in another blog posting.

We ate lunch in Kotlas at Fortune Cafe both days .  Really good food (when it was cooked all the way through).  Anya joined us both times and we all had a nice time visiting.  Anya is an English teacher and was really excited about using and improving her English skills.  We were really glad to have her help us out.

We flew back to Archangelsk Friday afternoon on the same type of plane that took us to Kotlas (We know it wasn't the same because of the seat covers).  Vladimir met us all at the airport, dropped Chris and I off somewhere to another taxi that brought us to the hotel while he took Heather & Brian to the other airport to catch their flight to St. Petersberg.  We both got some sleep last night (finally!) and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast this morning before packing up and settling in the lobby to wait for our ride to the airport.

We will post about meeting our boys and the time we spent with them later.  We won't be able to post pictures of them until we get them home, so be patient as we will all have to wait!

Thank you for all of your prayers and support.  Please continue to pray as we enter this last phase of paperwork and waiting to bring our boys home.  We have signed papers here to start the official adoption process here, but we still have papers to work on at home (INS approval, FBI clearance, other papers to sign & notarize....)

We're Here...

Chris and I have survived the trip so far!  We arrived in Moscow yesterday afternoon (Monday the 4th) and spent the night before getting up early and flyinging into Archangelsk today.  When we got to the hotel in Moscow, we ate dinner at a Tex-Mex themed restaurant in the hotel (Don Pepe) but didn't get Tex-Mex at all!  Rachael got the Chicken Kiev and Chris had the Meat Lasagne.  Good food, but definately not like home!  At least it was a hot meal. 

We didn't get much sleep on the airplane (seats didn't recline much) but we got to watch lots of movies since we each had our own personal screen & controller!  The food was good and we had enough to eat.  Once we had dinner at the hotel & went back to our room, we both were asleep by 7 pm.  We got up around 6 am to get ready since we needed to catch the shuttle bus to Terminal D (the hotel was at the airport) to check in for our flight to Archangelsk.

The flight to Archangelsk was rather uneventful.  We had Americano style coffee (espresso with water added) at the airport before getting on the plane.  They served breakfast (hot tea, orange juice, cheese & chicken 'sandwich' with a small bag of mixed nuts & dried fruit).  Pretty good.

Tomorrow we get to meet our translator (the person going with us to the orphanage in Kotlas) when he picks us up at the hotel here in Archangelsk at noon.  We have a booking for the flight in & out of Kotlas and we will pay for that at the airport (in Roubles) tomorrow morning.  The airport in Archangelsk isn't very big.  We got off the plane, walked down the stairs to the tarmac, got on a 'shuttle' to take us about 100 yards to the drop off point (basically the open gate area) that you walked through and you were in a 'courtyard' area that was next to the street.  We waited for a bit before they opened up the door to the 'baggage area'.  It is a one room building that has a moveable belt for the luggage to go around.  They drive the baggage cart up to a door at the end, open the door & slide the luggage onto the belt.  When they finish unloading the baggage, they close the door & turn off the belt.  Very efficient!

The driver brought us to the hotel & dropped us off.  Thankfully we had a reservation in our name!  We weren't really sure what to expect.  While we were waiting to check in, we met a really nice couple from Detroit that were checking out.  They met a little girl yesterday that they are considering to adopt and were on their way home.  They mentioned an Italian restaurant close by that we are going to check out tonight.

Well, so far that is a brief update of our travels.  We have paid for an hour of wireless internet time and it is about halfway done, so we will update more later, when we can.  We don't expect internet service to be available in Kotlas, so we may not post anymore until Friday.

Thank you for your prayers and support!  We fly to Kotlas tomorrow and spend time with the boys on the 7th & 8th before starting our expedition home. 

Great Day!!!

Chris and I both took Wednesday off to get Adoption Stuff done and had a really long but great day!


*Dropped off Russian Visa applications in the morning (took about 15 minutes) without any problems.  Our passports will be ready to pick up Monday afternoon.


*Had breakfast with friends and got to spend some wonderful time with them.


*Bought really cute fabric to make blankets for our boys. {See below}


*Stopped by the church to get papers signed, witnessed and notarized.


*Added items to our Wal-Mart Baby Registry.


*Bought mattresses for the boys' beds.

*Got a phone call from the Officer that processed (and APPROVED) our Immigration Papers!!!  They are on their way to us as of Wednesday morning!


Very busy day, but so worth it!

This is the fabric that will be the blanket for David:  

This is the fabric that will be the blanket for Michael:














Please continue to keep us and the boys in your prayers during this time.  We will be traveling soon and it will be a long and exhausting trip (physically & emotionally) for both of us. 

So far we are current on the paperwork.  I plan to start working on the Dossier Part 2 next week.

Paperwork is progressing

Spent 2.5 hours last night working on paperwork and most of today (classes and students were worked in during the day) but finally got our visa paperwork ready to go.  After Chris got home and cleaned up, we went and got our visa application pictures done (had to measure before cutting as they need to be a smaller size).  They have been glued to the correct applications (getting the applications to print correctly was NOT FUN and spent 10 minutes hogging the school copier to make sure I made 2 correct copies [front & back] while others were waiting for school work stuff).  It is so nice to work with such understanding teachers!

After school I stopped by the bank and picked up a cashier's check for the visa application fee (expedited service please!) on the way home.

We are ready to go to the consulate in the morning.  We are planning on going early (they only take applications from 9-12) so that we won't have to wait long (and have time to fix any thing not correct - PRAYING THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE APPLICATIONS!)

Tomorrow afternoon we are going to the church to get papers signed & notarized (our wonderful church secretary is a notary!) and mail them off to Buckner.

All that is left to do is finish going over the other papers for our trip, work on papers for Dossier Part 2, and add stuff to the Baby Registry we have at Wal-Mart (for those who want to get specific things for the boys/us - gift cards are always welcome!!).  I am sure that there is more to do, but I can't really think right now.  Brain is not working properly due to lack of sleep, and stress.  :)

Only a week and a half before we leave to meet our boys.  We are really excited, but trying to stay calm and relaxed.

We took advantage of Babies-R-Us's Great Trade In this past weekend.  We traded in an old car seat and booster seat for new ones.  We were able to get 25% off  (each) of 2 new convertible car seats that will also work as a booster seat later for Michael, as well as 15% & 20% 2 new tall back booster seats for David.  All totaled was a great deal!!  All 4 cost less than $250!!  So, we are set for transportation issues (one set per vehicle).  We are going to get the mattresses tomorrow. 

Please continue to pray for us and our boys during this time of waiting and paperwork, not to mention the traveling! 

ACCEPTANCE & TRAVEL

We have accepted the referral and are planning our first trip around the beginning of October!

We are really excited about meeting our boys! 

Until all of this is finalized, we won't post specifics or pictures (confidentiality concerns), but we can tell you some things:

*the ages are 4 & 2
*they look really great
*we are going to keep their Russian name as a middle name and adding a new name to go with their new family
*we are going to name the older brother David
*we are going to name the younger brother Michael

Please continue to pray for us:
*that we stay calm and focused
*that Rachael can get school stuff done in a timely manner (has to leave lesson plans, etc for a sub)
*that we get all the papers sorted, organized, filled out, signed, notarized, apostilled, etc as needed and as soon as possible (the sooner the dossier part 2 is completed & sent to Russia the sooner we get a court date!)
*that we make good travel arrangements (we will be traveling to the Archangelsk Region)
*we are about $8,000 short of what we anticipate
*there are probably more things but this is all for now.......

Prayerfully making a decision

Chris and I met with a doctor this morning and have a big decision to make. 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers over the next few days as we discuss and pray about the decision as to whether or not we want to pursue these 2 precious boys to be our sons.

We don't want to make an emotionally based decision, so we have told our caseworker that Rachael will let her know on Friday of our decision.

Thank you for your prayers and support during this time.

????????

Wednesday I called our caseworker to check on the status of our dossier.  She had a referral ready for us!!!

We are being asked to consider 2 brothers (age 2 & 4) for adoption.

We have an appointment with a doctor at Texas Children's Hospital International Clinic at 10:00 am Tuesday to go over the pictures, papers, etc that we have.  We are praying that all looks good regarding their health.  We will make a decision after we meet with the doctor as to whether or not we want to pursue the boys in adoption.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we meet with the doctor and consider these 2 boys.  Also, keep the boys and their current caregivers in your prayers.

Right now, we are about $8000 short of what we anticipate needing for all of the travel expenses and fees.  Please keep our financial situation in your prayers as well. 

Not much going on right now

Not much has happened since the last post.

School started for Rachael on the 16th (a week of in-service/training sessions and work time), with the students starting on the 23rd.  Things haven't quite settled down with the class loads and such, but it will all work out.

Chris is still working with Fort Bend ISD (on the Athletic crew) during the day and part-time at Wal-Mart (4 nights a week & Saturdays).

A friend finally talked with someone in the Demographic Registrar's office in Puerto Rico about Chris' birth certificate.  As of mid-July, they were just starting to go through the requests that arrived in early June.  They usually take about 2 months to process requests.  When asked if anyone spoke English in the office, the lady said 'yes, we all speak English.  I don't know why they wouldn't talk to your friend, unless they just didn't want to.'  Gotta love government workers!  The money order we sent with the request was cashed on August 12, so at least the papers are in the process.  We are hoping to get them soon (and hopefully they will be English-translated certified copies).

Haven't heard anything yet from our case worker. 

Trying to be very patient.

Trying to focus on work. 

Can't seem to get back into the 'School Groove'.

Please continue to pray for us during this time, as well as our children.  We are still about $8,000 short on the travel funds, but we are confident that God will provide it all in His time.

Furniture is in..

A couple of weeks ago we put the beds & dresser together for our kiddos! 

We bought storage beds (2 drawers with dividers) that also have book case headboards attached.  We also got a 4 drawer dresser that matches the Alder wood finish.  The beds look really great!  Chris put them all together (with a little help from me: handing him parts and keeping Sheba out of his way) over a Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon & evening.

We haven't gotten mattresses yet; they are next on our list.

I haven't posted pictures of the furniture yet because our computer went out July 7 and we just got it back this past Monday, but here they are:

We are leaving things plain for now.  Once we find out the gender(s) of our kiddos, we will look at curtains, bedding, etc.  The laundry basket holds 4 sets of sheets (white & beige), courtesy of a gift card from Chris' mom & stepdad (was an anniversary gift).

Please continue to pray for us and our children.  We are hoping to get a referral around the end of August (would be a GREAT birthday gift for both of us!).

Fingerprinting request...

Today we got our official notice to appear for fingerprinting! 

We are requested to appear on 08/09/10 at 2:00 pm at a local Application Support Center (on Highway 6 at Voss). 

Yeah!!

This is the next step in the Application for Advance Processing or Orphan Petition by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.  Having the application process done before we go to Russia will help expedite the process after the adoption proceedings for our children in Russia.

Yeah!!!

The Waiting Club

We have joined "The Waiting Club". 

The papers that were Apostilled in Austin on Wednesday, July 21 were sent off the same day and arrived in Dallas at 8:41am on Thursday, July 22.  I haven't heard from anyone yet about the papers, but we are now back to waiting.

Waiting to hear if the papers are sent to Russia.

Waiting to get a referral.

Waiting on Chris' birth certificate from Puerto Rico.  {we have been waiting on that since June 18, when I sent in the request.  unfortunately no one will answer the phone and when they did, no one speaks English or so they say.  gotta love government workers....}

Waiting on the rest of the money we will need for travel (we have the fees covered).

Waiting on our computer to be sent back fixed (it was sent out on Monday.  warranties can be good and not so good....)

On a different note, we have the beds put together and a dresser ready for our kiddos!  I will post pictures when our computer comes home....

Waiting.  Sometimes a good thing; sometimes not so easy.

Please continue to pray for us and our children during this time.

Papers are Apostilled

A friend and I drove to Austin Tuesday afternoon, spent the night at a hotel then went to get the papers processed around mid-morning. It was a very relaxing time for both of us.

The papers had been sent to Oklahoma last Monday (a week ago) instead of to us, so we have been waiting somewhat patiently (okay, not very patient!).  They were overnighted to us this past Monday and arrived Tuesday morning.  I made the rounds (library to get some computer stuff completed as our computer is still down, church to make copies of everything, bank to transfer money to pay for the Apostilles, lunch, Wal-Mart for a hairbrush, envelopes & toothpaste then back home in time for Dawn to pick me up).  Busy day!

The Apostille process was rather quick (Thanks for the comment Ann!) which was nice.  We then walked a half mile to a  FedEx Office where I made a few copies and mailed it all off via FedEx overnight (Chris' step dad is letting us use his account - thanks Dave!).  According to FedEx, the package was signed for around 8:41 Thursday morning.

Whew.  At least that part is done.

Now we wait (AGAIN). 

Papers should be on their way to us...

Talked with our case worker yesterday: the rest of our dossier papers were supposed to be mailed yesterday!  We should get them in a few days.; then off to Austin on Monday to get them Apostilled!  Things are moving again.....

Our part of Part 1 is done...

Monday, I met with our social worker to get the Picture Books signed & notarized.  That was done by 11:00!  Yeah!!

Now we are waiting for the rest of the papers before I can take it all to Austin to get Apostilled.  I have a friend that planned to go with me if we went up on the 5th and back on the 6th, but I have a feeling that we are going to get to go on those days.  The Home Study was supposed to be finished last Monday (day the Picture Books were notarized) and sent off to Dallas, but I haven't heard anything yet.  I know that they were working on the paperwork, but until the Home Study is done, they won't send any of it!  UGH!

Good news: once the papers are Apostilled, we will get them to Dallas (possible drive up or overnight mail), they will then send them on to Russia to get processed.  Irina assures me that we will probably (no promises) get a referral in about a month.  Russia will give us dates that they want us to travel, but that is for another post....  We think that the trip to meet our children will be sometime around our birthdays.  What a great way to celebrate a birthday!!!

Please continue to keep us and our children in your prayers.  We have what we need for the fees and such, but we are still working on the funds for all the travel expenses and things we will need for the kiddos (beds, dressers, towels, clothes, etc).

Working on Dossier Part 1

I am almost done with our section of the Dossier Part 1!  Chris and I are meeting our church secretary tomorrow at the church (they both have the day off) around noon to sign all 32 papers and have her notarize them all!  You should have heard her when I told her that we have 32 papers for her to notarize.  It will be fun tomorrow!  I made sure to have 4 blue pens that work (we have to use blue ink on all papers).

Monday I have an appointment with our social worker to have her certify our Picture Books and get them notarized!  Thankfully we only have 3 of those to do.

I have been working all week to get things done.  All that is left to do is clean out the children's bedroom, straighten up my sewing room and take pictures of both.  Once I get pictures I like, I will copy & paste them into the Picture Book document, print and wait till Monday to get it all signed!  Once the Picture Books are done, our part will be completed.

Hopefully we will get the rest of the Dossier documents from Buckner soon so that I can take it all to Austin to get it Apostilled (pronounced Ap-O-Steeled).  Once that is done, we will send it to Buckner.  They will send it to Russia to get filed and we will wait.

Please continue to pray for us during this time, as well as our children.

Dossier Instructions are here!!

Our Russia Dossier Instructions came via email this morning!! Whew!

AACK. UUUHHH?? HUH??

Okay. Read them, saved a copy in our Adoption file on the computer. Left the house, ran errands. Got home, read them again, printed a copy, read the copy and decided that it can wait till tomorrow to go back over and start working on it.

Several forms have to be typed and signed in blue ink while being notarized. Have to make sure to follow very specific directions regarding notarization. Hmmm.

Need to create a Picture Book while following specific directions of that (and will need to get it notarized and signed by the social worker). Hmmm.

THINGS TO DO: Clean house so we can take pictures; get yard mowed, edged, cleaned up so we can take pictures; empty bedroom (& hopefully get furniture in it) so we can take pictures; get stuff we want for the bathroom so we can take pictures; bathe the dog so she will look good in the pictures; find money to pay for all the stuff we need......

I plan to get certified copies of our marriage license this next week and drive up to Denton with a friend to get certified copies of my birth certificate. And wait to get Chris' birth certificate copies in the mail. Hopefully they will get here in the next few weeks (or sooner!!).

As soon as we get the go-ahead and all the papers are in order, I will take a road trip to Austin to get it all apostilled (ap-oh-steeled).

Please continue to pray for our children and their current caregivers. Also continue to keep our finances in your prayers. We have enough for the fees related to the adoption, but still need furniture for the children's bedroom (we found storage beds on Wal-Mart.com that we really like that has dressers and such to match). The furniture will cost around $800 (not including mattresses). We still don't have bedding, towels, etc. I have set up a Wish List with Wal-Mart for things we would like to have. Unfortunately the furniture is not able to be listed (no gifting options). Gift cards are always welcome! :)

YEAH!!! We are getting closer......

Papers to get

I sent off the request for certified, English translated copies of Chris' birth certificate today. They should get the envelope on Thursday, but not sure when we will get the copies. Since Chris was born in Puerto Rico, his birth certificate is written in Spanish and we have to have English translated copies. I requested that they send translated copies but I am not sure if they will.

For my birth certificate, I think it will be easier and faster to drive to Denton county and pick them up in person. If I request them through mail or the Internet, it could take any where from 10 days to 6 weeks to get them. In person, it will take about 10 minutes. Road trip!!

The easiest copies to get will be our wedding certificate; it was filed in Richmond. I will see if I can get them this week.

Not sure what else we will need for our dossier, but at least this is a start.

I haven't heard from our social worker if she sent in the Home Study Update yet. She was supposed to send it in last Friday. Once it gets 'approved', we will get a copy, a copy will be sent to Immigration and hopefully we will get the information about the dossier at that time.

Please continue to keep our children and their current caregivers in your prayers.

Update not done yet...

We are still waiting for the Home Study Update to be completed. Hopefully it will be finalized by the end of the week. Hopefully. Please pray that it is!

The social worker got our email addresses messed up and I didn't get the rough draft of her report until after 9:00 last night when she called to see why I hadn't responded to her email. I will be so glad when the Update is done and we can continue on to the next step (putting the Dossier together). I sent her the corrections/additions she requested this morning around 9:00. Haven't heard anything yet.

On a side note, I have opened a new Etsy shop to sell scrub caps, scrub tops, stethoscope covers, etc. I have named it FunkyMedWear. I don't have anything posted yet, but hopefully will in the next week or so.

Adoptions continue!!!

Just got an email from one of the case workers at Buckner. Posted below is what was emailed to the waiting Russia Families. Please keep all those involved in the talks/decision-making process in your prayers.

Good news from the US Department of State:

Adoption Notice
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues

May 14, 2010
A U.S. interagency team met with their Russian counterparts in Moscow May 12 – 14 to discuss an adoption agreement. This most recent round of negotiations ended Friday, May 14, after three days of positive and productive talks. Both sides are committed to the common goal of increasing safeguards for adoption between Russia and the United States. “We listened to each other’s concerns and made significant progress toward an agreement that will improve the safeguards in the inter-country adoption process,” said the head of the U.S. delegation. The meeting participants shared their views on how to improve existing processes to better protect the children and families involved in inter-country adoption. The discussions were detailed and concerned specific issues, including the domestic laws and international obligations of both countries.
The negotiating teams are working on language of a draft agreement and plan to meet again in the coming weeks. The next meeting will likely be in Washington in June.
It is our understanding that there has been no change in the status of on-going inter-country adoptions originating from Russia. Many thousands of Russian children, who were not adopted by Russian families, have found loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through inter-country adoption. We are pleased to be discussing with the Russian government a future approach to ensure inter-country adoptions continue.

One more thing to update...

We got an email today telling us that we have one more paper to update! That's what we were afraid of. It is a Medical Form (4 yes/no type questions), so it isn't that bad. We won't need any blood work or testing done, just need to get the doctor to fill it out, sign it and send it in. It's on my list of things to do tomorrow.

As far as the social worker, I spoke with the lady who supervises the Home Study social workers about the situation and feel much better! Lack of communication can be a horrible thing! We did have to submit a Grief & Loss paper (new thing added to Home Studies for Russia). Of course I cried, read Chris what I wrote, cried some more, typed what Chris dictated, tried not to cry some more and sent it off to Pat & Kristen. Talk about stirring emotions...

Hopefully the Update will be finished soon and we can continue going forward.

Please continue praying for us during this time.

School is almost over for the year (last day with the kiddos is Thursday, June 3!).

Home Study Update update

Not the best hour & forty-five minutes of our adoption so far.

She called at 1:30 to let us know that she was running late and that she would call again when she was leaving her house. She called just after 4 pm and didn't get to our house till almost 5:15. She left at 7:00.

She kept mentioning that she didn't feel prepared because she didn't have our updated forms (I sent them off this afternoon) and she needed them for the update. She should get her copy tomorrow in the mail. Love the US Post Office Flat Rate Priority Mail!!

She kept referring to "at DePelchin, we....." even though our adoption is through Buckner. She works for DePelchin, so I can understand, but really?

Last Russian Adoption Home Study she did was in 1986. Things have changed since then. A Lot Has Changed Since Then!!

She asked about things we weren't told that we needed to update: physicals for us, Fire & Environmental Health forms (CPS forms), etc. When I showed her the letter I received from Kristen (coordinator for Home Study paperwork for Dillon), she wrote down the forms listed that we filled out and said, "Well at DePelchin, we update all parts of the Home Study, not just some of the things". Again, really? This is NOT an adoption through DePelchin!! Forgetting that are we? I know that the state requires certain things, but REALLY??

When she asked about if we had been working on the things the psychologist suggested in his report, we asked What Things? We were never told of any things to work on! After 5 minutes of conversation and her looking at her notes, she realized that we have apparently improved in those areas. Never did find out what she was referring to. We didn't get a copy of the original Home Study, so I have nothing to look at. I guess whatever she referred to wasn't an issue to Buckner as they never mentioned anything. We figured they would have said something if it was important!

After about 30 minutes into the meeting, Chris started getting nervous. He Never Gets Nervous or Anxious!! Not a good sign, because that just made me wonder if we did something wrong, forgot stuff, or would have to go through this again!

I emailed Kristen our concerns regarding the meeting on Sunday and she seemed to appreciate my comments. After she talks with the Adoption Supervisor, she will get back to me about it. Hopefully nothing will be delayed because of all this. I don't want to get the lady in trouble or have to go through this with someone else, but, Really?? Not a good sign when you make your client nervous and the client isn't sure why!

Please pray that all goes well with this situation!!

Home Study Update meeting

We heard from Pat (the social worker who is doing our update) Thursday afternoon (5:00ish) and found out that she wanted to meet with us this weekend, preferably early Saturday morning. I was able to convince her that Sunday afternoon (3:30ish) would be better. So, she should be at our house around 3:30 Sunday (May 16) to meet with us and go over any changes that have happened since our first Home Study meeting. Shouldn't take too long, not a lot to report. Okay, the fact that we have $26,000 in the bank is a GREAT update to report! Thanks to family, we were able to get there!! Chris' Wal-Mart paychecks are also helping (about $450 every two weeks). I will add $270 after next weekend (I am delivering cinnamon rolls & catering a graduation party). Oh, and our IRS refund came in today. That is going to pay for the Home Study Update and getting the air ducts cleaned out this summer.

I was really praying that I would have a large amount to deposit today, but the rain made it impossible! Liz & I had scheduled to be at a craft show in the Heights area today (scheduled it several months ago) and when we were there in October, we both did really well. Liz sold 5 of her toy cloth balls and that was it! The forecast in Houston was 40% of scattered showers. We had RAIN (not showers) starting at 9:30ish and it never stopped! It did seem to lighten up several times, but when the lightening & thunder showed up around noon, we decided that it was time to go. Over half of the vendors had already packed up or were in the process of packing up at that time. At least we got the rest of the afternoon (after lunch & two shopping stops) to get things better organized & packed back up. Now, I just need to finish drying my blankets (about half got semi-soaked) and they will be ready to go back to Liz's house for storage (at least until they sell).

Anyway, God has & still is blessing us tremendously!

Now to eat some dinner, clear off the dining table, put stuff in the garage for storage and finish cleaning for our visit with Pat tomorrow. Probably another night of little to no sleep (okay I will probably get about 5 hours), but it will (and is) so worth it!!!!

Oh yeah, only 12.5 school days left (weekends don't count)!!!

Waiting for update

Just got an email from Irina (our Buckner caseworker). We should hear soon from the social worker that has been assigned to do our Home Study update. Apparently we don't have to do much, just meet with him/her at our house. Not much information to go on, but it is at least the next step.

Yeah!!!

Home Study needs updating.....

Just found out that our I-600A application was received, but our Home Study is over 6 months old and will need to be updated before it can be sent in. The application can't be processed until they get the Home Study. UGH!!!

Okay, this will work out.

God is in control and we (I) need to leave it in His hands.

Easier said than done.

Don't know what we will have to do regarding the update for the Home Study; just found out tonight about it.

Please continue to pray for us as we deal with this new situation.

On a different note, only 5 more weeks before summer break.......