Wish I had something new to say

Hi all! I so wish had something new to report. I guess we are getting close, our agency has started talking to us about updating our documents. Now that I am no longer working certain things will need to be redone. Also, many of our documents have expired since they are only good for 90 days or 180 days, by Russian standards. Of course this means more money to spend. But what the heck, you can't take it with you. But I could get a new purse or some shoes with it instead. Don would want to pay a bill or put in savings. Go figure!

We have also been told that our dossier will probably be registered in a region very soon in anticipation of a referral to that region. I know a few people who have already done this. One of them, my friend, Marie left Saturday to meet her son on trip one. It is my understanding that this has been done for a long time but it is becoming more prominent. Since the re-accreditation in July the process has slowly been evolving and it is just not the same as it was before.

It would be nice to get a trip in before Christmas but at this point, I am just not sure. There will be U.S. (embassy) government closings for the holidays and once again the Russian government closes for the first few weeks in January for Russian New Year. Gotta love it, lots of holidays. The Europeans have the right idea, less work and more play!!!

I am currently enrolled in Guardian Ad Litem (child advocate) training. I hope to be certified next weekend and get my first case at the same time. It has been something I wanted to do for many years. At this point in our lives we are not ready to be foster parents but probably will some day. In the meantime, this is something I can do to hopefully have a positive impact on a child or two involved in the scary world of child dependency. My time commitment is minimal (4 hours or so a month) and I plan to continue to do this once we have a little baer.

I have to share what my sweet daughter did for me yesterday. While I was at training all day for the GAL program, Brynn went shopping and then to the boat show with Don. When I got home I had a wonderful little gift bag waiting for me. In it were a thermal body suit, warm sweat pants, bear slippers, and some skin balm. They were all for her little brother to use in Russia. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it!! What a sweet girl she is. She knows lately I have been down in the dumps about the adoption and it is so wonderful that she takes an interest and tries to cheer me up. This is one of the moments when I know that we are doing the right thing adding to our family. The sweet rewards of being a mom, seeing love in your child's heart!

Brynn is now playing soccer, a nice change from her beloved volleyball! I enjoy the evening games in the great outdoors. Especially now that fall has arrived in South Florida. She is driving with Don (I just cannot do it) and just turning in to a beautiful, young woman. She was confirmed a couple of weeks ago. Poor kid has done 4 years of confirmation!

I think Don and I have finally gotten beyond the disappointments that we have experienced in our delayed wait. At this point (as it was all along) we know it is in God's hands and He has a plan for us and we are just waiting for Him to show it to us. It isn't always easy but you have to just roll with it sometimes. I am honestly ready to be done and move on to the next step, being parents to a little one again.

I hope everyone has a truly blessed Thanksgiving!

The nursery

Ok I have no news on the adoption front. All we keep hearing is "anyday now". So we keep dreaming, hoping and praying!

The big news is I am learning about photos, our camera and how to upload photos on to here. So, I thought I would show everyone the nursery! Of course it is all done in fire trucks! Don would have nothing else. I did get the pretty cream beadboard with a picture rail I dreamed of. It was a happy compromise. I think it is a dreamy little boys room!

We already have the fire truck pedal car ready and waiting.

Sorry I haven't posted anything in so long, but there really is nothing new to share. We honestly don't have much idea when we will be getting a referral or traveling to Russia. It seems that is taking a while for things to get up and running after the summer holidays and re-accreditation process. We continue to hope and pray for a referral soon but we just don't know. Luckily Brynn is keeping us busy with volleyball games and tournaments. She has dramatically improved and is a wonderful player! Not to mention she is captain of the team and take her responsibility seriously. I promise to post as soon as we know something more.

July Update

Just a quick note to say things are starting to look up but we are also trying to stay grounded about it all. It is rumored that the Russian government will be issuing accreditation certificates on the 4th of July. Our agency is already seeing an increase in the number of referrals this past week. Hopefully, something will be happening for us this month but they are saying September if not sooner.

I am no longer working outside of the house. That is except for church where I have been busy volunteering at vacation bible school and now I am doing meals on wheels. Things will quiet down next week as Brynn is off to Servant Camp in Key West and vbs is over. I have many things to do before we travel to Russia.

I had to change the ticker since I found a bear to use. We are tossing around names and are pretty sure on a family name, just waiting to meet him to make sure it fits. I hope you all have a wonderful July 4th.

The Waiting Game

I haven't posted anything lately since we are just waiting. We had been told initially to expect a referral in May. We were then told when I called in the middle of May it would probably be June but it could still be May. I was getting word from several people that things were slowing down for our agency and every other agency still working in Russia.

I spoke with our agency director last week. The agency is just not sure what to tell us at this point. The accreditation problem with adoption agencies in Russia has just slowed things way down for everyone. Luckily our agency is still working with families and processing them as independent. Our agency director did say if not before then it should be in September. Also adding to problems is that government offices in Russia close down for part of the summer for vacations, like most other European countries. However this past week some families received referrals so we have moved up on the list. Where we are on the list, I am not certain. We are just waiting and praying for a referral this summer but September will be ok to0. We knew this going in to it so we are not really surprised just disappointed.

We have been working on the nursery and we are getting close to posting pictures on here of it. The walls are done, the bedding is done and the last of the furniture is on order. It is very cute with creamy colored bead board walls with denim blue above with some red fire trucks here and there for Don. As soon as the last of the furniture arrives I will put pictures up for everyone. We have left a twin size bed in there for me to sleep in the first couple of weeks we have him home. They are not used to being alone and it will help with the transition. We also fenced the backyard so that we don't have to worry as much about the creek. Don did a beautiful job on it, now I have to landscape it. I am hoping to have an English garden Florida style out back.

My last day of work is June 14th, just around the corner. I am very excited to have some time with Brynn this summer and to get some long needed maintenance done around the house. Not to mention closest to clean, etc. I also want to spend some time this summer working at our vacation bible school and doing more at church. God has truly blessed us with our church family, we feel very fortunate to have found them! They are terrific support for us through this journey along with our family and other friends.

I hope everyone has a wonderful summer!

Short Update

I guess we have encountered one of our first delays. Hopefully there won't be too many more. I spoke with our agency today and things are moving slowly right now. We were told not to expect a referral this month, maybe in June. However, several of the regions will be closing for two months this summer, they usually only close for one. So things could take most of the summer which is what we were told in the beginning. I am hoping otherwise but I it is how most Russian adoptions go.

Keep us in your prayers!

Update

Just a quick update. Our dossier made it to our adoption agency today, hopefully there is nothing that will have to be redone. I am counting on at least one thing needing revisions. It seems to be the way things go for us. We are half way through what I am hoping is a four week wait but one never knows. Tomorrow we have to be in Davie (2 hours away) at 8:00 a.m. for fingerprinting for immigration paperwork, it will be an early morning.

Don and I spent the weekend and the last two evenings working on the "nursery", sounds so strange to say. We put up cream beadboard with a shelf around the top and painted the top half of the walls a medium periwinkle/denim blue. It looks wonderful. Due to all of the company coming we are putting it back together as a guest room but it will be easy to change in to a nursery when it is time.

Michelle is graduating from USF on Saturday morning. Yippee!!! It is very exciting for her. She will be starting nursing school in the fall in the Tampa area. I hope it all works out for her. Her and I put together a luncheon after the graduation for family. One of her good friends is getting married that day and she wants to go to the reception in the evening so we didn't do anything big. When Michelle graduates from nursing school we'll have to do it up right. Don's sister, Carol, from Rhode Island is coming for the weekend and Don's parents will also be there. And then they will visit us for a couple of days afterward.