Hiccups and Blessings

Today has been a really long and ???????? day.

This morning started off as usual at 5:10 when Rachael got up to feed Sheba, fix lunch & breakfast for Chris and then get ready for the day (after going back to bed until Chris' alarm went off).

We both headed off to work.  Today was the 7th grade TAKS testing at school for Rachael.  Just a regular day for Chris (they mowed softball fields).

Fairly normal start to what should have been a normal day.

It developed a hiccup.  Rachael got back to her room around 10:15 to find that our caseworker had called her office and cell phones.  Upon returning the call, we found out that the judge in Russia decided that some of the papers we had submitted (and had been approved by the Ministry of Education and the judge) were 'out-dated' and need to be resubmitted with current dates.

Okay. 

Our medical evaluations & doctor's license as well as the psych evaluation (that was done 18 months ago, but not notarized until recently) needed to be updated before our court date.

Rachael took the afternoon off from school (She has a great administration and school secretary!!) to go to the doctor's office (after going by the house to get blank forms) and was able to get what we need there.

The psych evaluation is another story.  The psychologist is rather hesitant to do anything without sitting down with us first.  We are on a very tight schedule right now and he doesn't seem to understand that.  I emailed him information that he requested this afternoon as well as a sample of the letter we need him to write.  Hopefully, he will be able to get it written tonight and get it notarized tomorrow so we can pick it up.  We still have to take all the papers to Austin to get them Apostilled.  Chris can take them Thursday or Friday.  Please pray that the psychologist will get it all together and ready for us in a very timely manner (we want to have it tomorrow or Thursday).

Rachael was able to go back to school for a few hours to work on the lessons she needs to get ready for her long-term sub (her leave starts this Friday and goes through April 29).  She got 3 of the 6 weeks ready. 

We were able to get the last of the agency papers signed and notarized this afternoon, thanks to our wonderful church secretary!  They will go out in the mail tomorrow (Rachael will drop it off at the post office on her way to pick up our passports with the visas in them from the Russian Consulate), along with the last payment to Buckner/Dillon.

BLESSINGS: we got a call from some friends tonight to tell us that they have a check for us to help with our adoption expenses!!  God is so great!!  When Rachael left school this morning to get the papers done, she had about 1/8 tank of gas in the van.  It wasn't really enough to get her home, doc's office and back to school, but she trusted that it would be enough to get to a gas station after the doc's office.  After praying with our pastor's wife and pulling out of the driveway to go to the doc's, she noticed that there was 1/4 tank of gas, not the 1/8 that was there just a few minutes earlier.  The 1/4 tank lasted from the house to the doc's office and to the gas station.  God surely does provide all we need!!

Please continue to pray for all involved in the process to bring our boys home: us, David & Michael, their current caregivers, the judge and her staff, the Buckner/Dillon staff in Russia, and any other government workers (Russian & American) the we will have to deal with.