Making the Adoption Tax Credit Permanent
Adoption Action Alert
April 1, 2009/Martha Osborne
The federal adoption tax credit has helped thousands of families say yes to adopting a child. It's vital that this financial support stay in place to help families offest the costs and fees associated with adopting a child. Unfortunately, the tax credit is set to expire in December 2010 unless Congress votes to continue it. It's time to take action!
The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009, H.R. 213, will keep the adoption tax credit from being repealed, and may make the tax relief measure permanent. It only takes a few minutes to e-mail or call your senators and congressmen. It's important for them to hear from families impacted by the tax credit.
Currently, there are 76 State Senator and Representatives cosponsoring H.R. 213. However, there are 16 states that currently have no sponsors of this bill, including eight on the East Coast (one of the largest areas of the US with internationally adopted children). H.R. 213 is currently in committee, where most bills die. It is imperative that adoptive families, and all friends of children waiting for families, act now.
It only takes a few minutes to write, call or e-mail your representatives. Please do so today!
E-mail Representative: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
E-mail Senator: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Currently, the following states have no cosponsors or commitments of support for H.R. 213:
West Virginia
Delaware
Connecticut
Rhode Island
New Hampshire
Vermont
Massachusetts
Maine
Idaho
Oregon
Montana
South Dakota
New Mexico
Arkansas
Hawaii
The two states offering the greatest support are Texas and Georgia with 6 cosponsors each, closely followed by Pennsylvania with 5. Honorable mentions: Florida, Indiana, Illinois each with 4 sponsorships each.
Pass this on to friends and family, and ask for their help in writing, calling, and posting on blogs and Facebook. To gain momentum, we must have an absolute ground swell of families lifting their voices together for the well-being of children throughout the world.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Time with God
This past weekend, Chris and I went with 8 other couples on a prayer retreat through our church. It was wonderful to get to know other couples better, to pray with my husband, to pray for others in our church, to pray for our church and most of all to just talk with my God.
My favorite time was praying with my husband for our children! We prayed for you, my son, in Bulgaria. We prayed for your protection and your character. We prayed for your health and for your birth family, we prayed for your spirituality and your future spouse. We did the same for our two girls and it was amazing to lift them up to the Lord. Don't get me wrong, I do pray for my children, but this time was different because I prayed for them with my husband. I hope to do this more often with him.
Another awesome thing we did was look at the attributes of God and praise Him for them.
He is:
independent, unchangeable,eternal, omnipotent, unity, invisible, omniscience, wise, truthful,good,love, holiness, righteous,just, jealous, wrathful, free, perfect,blessed, beautiful,glorious, sovereign and omnipotent. And so much more!
What a mighty God we serve! Angels bow before Him, heaven and earth adore Him, what a mighty God we serve!
My favorite time was praying with my husband for our children! We prayed for you, my son, in Bulgaria. We prayed for your protection and your character. We prayed for your health and for your birth family, we prayed for your spirituality and your future spouse. We did the same for our two girls and it was amazing to lift them up to the Lord. Don't get me wrong, I do pray for my children, but this time was different because I prayed for them with my husband. I hope to do this more often with him.
Another awesome thing we did was look at the attributes of God and praise Him for them.
He is:
independent, unchangeable,eternal, omnipotent, unity, invisible, omniscience, wise, truthful,good,love, holiness, righteous,just, jealous, wrathful, free, perfect,blessed, beautiful,glorious, sovereign and omnipotent. And so much more!
What a mighty God we serve! Angels bow before Him, heaven and earth adore Him, what a mighty God we serve!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Updated Paperwork for Bulgaria Questions Answered
Today, Kay Monte, from our agency sent an email answering some questions people had about updating their paperwork after waiting for a referral. She stated that we need to keep our USCIS paperwork upto date (that would be fingerprints for them, home study updated and mailed to them). Our medicals and FBI prints only have to be updated again once we receive our referral and travel, they will be need for our court proceedings. So even though these papers expire after 6 months when you are getting your dossier together, as long as it doesn't expire before it gets to the MOJ to be registered, they are fine until you get your referral. Once you get your referral you will have these two things done again and mailed to your agency and MOJ. Hope that answers some of the questions out there.
For us we will be updating our home study in late June and redoing our fingerprints in August. The fingerprints are free this time around but next time we will have to pay again. The home study will probably cost us I am guessing $700 to update. I wish we were seeing some young ones coming home but I haven't seen any yet. I believe an Italian couple last year got a 2 yr old boy, hopefully some more will be referred.
Mary Ellen, if you are reading this please invite me to your blog. I emailed you our email address but haven't heard back, I know you will be traveling soon and have been praying for you guys. Bon Voyage!
Jeremiah 29:11
For us we will be updating our home study in late June and redoing our fingerprints in August. The fingerprints are free this time around but next time we will have to pay again. The home study will probably cost us I am guessing $700 to update. I wish we were seeing some young ones coming home but I haven't seen any yet. I believe an Italian couple last year got a 2 yr old boy, hopefully some more will be referred.
Mary Ellen, if you are reading this please invite me to your blog. I emailed you our email address but haven't heard back, I know you will be traveling soon and have been praying for you guys. Bon Voyage!
Jeremiah 29:11
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Chris' baby quilt
I am proud to announce that I have completed my first sewing project! When I was in middle school my mom tried to encourage me to sew, I did try but never actually finished a project.
A few weeks ago, my mother in law gave us Chris' old baby blanket that he obviously dragged around with him. Each corner was torn and it definitely needed some repairing. So I thought that it would be great if I repaired it and gave it to our son from Bulgaria. It is little (great for a crib or toddler bed), but it need a ton of work. Thankfully, my mom was visiting for the weekend and helped me. We had to buy filling for the quilt and some fabrics to replace the ones that were torn and thinning from age.
Needless to say I finally finished it today, and it actually looks pretty good. Thanks mom for helping me. We had to do it by hand as we had no sewing machine so it was a labor of love. Next week I will begin on getting the guest room ready for our oldest so we can move her in there this summer and get our son's room ready for him.
Wish I had more news for you about our adoption, but I don't. Praying and planning for him.
A few weeks ago, my mother in law gave us Chris' old baby blanket that he obviously dragged around with him. Each corner was torn and it definitely needed some repairing. So I thought that it would be great if I repaired it and gave it to our son from Bulgaria. It is little (great for a crib or toddler bed), but it need a ton of work. Thankfully, my mom was visiting for the weekend and helped me. We had to buy filling for the quilt and some fabrics to replace the ones that were torn and thinning from age.
Needless to say I finally finished it today, and it actually looks pretty good. Thanks mom for helping me. We had to do it by hand as we had no sewing machine so it was a labor of love. Next week I will begin on getting the guest room ready for our oldest so we can move her in there this summer and get our son's room ready for him.
Wish I had more news for you about our adoption, but I don't. Praying and planning for him.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday/Easter
Today is Good Friday and as a believer I couldn't let this day go by without blogging about what it means to me that Christ died on the cross for my sins.
Do you have the resurrection eggs? We do and I love to do it with my kids. There are 12 eggs and within each egg there is an object that tells the story of Christ leading up to his death and resurrection. If you don't have this, you can order it on line through Family Life or buy it at a Christian book store.
Anyway, in one egg there is a nail, another egg has the thorny crown and another egg has a spear. These three object lessons remind me that it was painful for Christ to hang on a cross with nails hammered into his hands and feet. He had a crown made of thorns pushed down on his head and when he died, the soldiers stabbed him in the sides with their spears and he bled.
As well as this horrible pain, he was humiliated (spat on, made fun of, whipped, had his only possessions taken away (his clothes)). Makes me put things into perspective.
I am also reminded that Jesus was a man, he didn't want to suffer and die, he asked his father to take this from him, but in the same sentence he say "Your will be done". If only we prayed like this!
The good news is after he died, he rose three days later as it was prophesied. Because He is Risen we are able to live with him for eternity, if we are his children.
Thank you for our Redeemer. Thank you for your grace Lord. Thank you for adopting me into your family.
"There is a redeemer, Jesus, God's own Son. Precious Lamb Of God, Messiah, Holy One. Thank you O my Father, for giving us your Son. And keeping your presence on Earth ,until your work is done."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave us His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."
Do you have the resurrection eggs? We do and I love to do it with my kids. There are 12 eggs and within each egg there is an object that tells the story of Christ leading up to his death and resurrection. If you don't have this, you can order it on line through Family Life or buy it at a Christian book store.
Anyway, in one egg there is a nail, another egg has the thorny crown and another egg has a spear. These three object lessons remind me that it was painful for Christ to hang on a cross with nails hammered into his hands and feet. He had a crown made of thorns pushed down on his head and when he died, the soldiers stabbed him in the sides with their spears and he bled.
As well as this horrible pain, he was humiliated (spat on, made fun of, whipped, had his only possessions taken away (his clothes)). Makes me put things into perspective.
I am also reminded that Jesus was a man, he didn't want to suffer and die, he asked his father to take this from him, but in the same sentence he say "Your will be done". If only we prayed like this!
The good news is after he died, he rose three days later as it was prophesied. Because He is Risen we are able to live with him for eternity, if we are his children.
Thank you for our Redeemer. Thank you for your grace Lord. Thank you for adopting me into your family.
"There is a redeemer, Jesus, God's own Son. Precious Lamb Of God, Messiah, Holy One. Thank you O my Father, for giving us your Son. And keeping your presence on Earth ,until your work is done."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave us His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Referal for 10 yr old girl
I heard from our agency last night that a family that had their dossier submitted Dec 08 received a referral for a 10 year old girl, so should be traveling soon to see her. So if you are interested in an older child it looks like referrals are made quickly.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Still Waiting...
It is freezing here, and some parts of Michigan have had snow yesterday and today. My poor tulips, hope they survive. My weather forecast on the bottom of my blog says it will be 70 degrees in Bulgaria tomorrow,wish I was there (for other reasons too.) Nothing to report on our adoption other than just waiting, spring cleaning, making tons of desserts (don't know why just have) and have been researching homeschooling curriculum. Any homeschoolers out there?
My birthday is also coming up soon! Too funny, someone at church asked me how old I am, I couldn't remember. It seems like when you hit 30 your birthdays just start to blend, or maybe I just want to forget!
My friend Sarah will be home tomorrow. The courts in Russia approved her and her husband to adopt their little girl. So they will be returning in 10 days to pick her up. I can't wait to hear about her experience in Russia. When I was in high school my dream was to to to France and Russia (I actually got travel video's and watched them when I was in high school.) I did make it to France but never to Russia. Maybe someday. Never even thought about Bulgaria, but have always wanted to go to Greece and Bulgaria has very similar food as Greece so I am looking forward to eating there.
Enough rambling. God is teaching me patience, giving me time to research homeschooling stuff and fine tuning my parenting skills! I am so glad He has had patience with me!
My birthday is also coming up soon! Too funny, someone at church asked me how old I am, I couldn't remember. It seems like when you hit 30 your birthdays just start to blend, or maybe I just want to forget!
My friend Sarah will be home tomorrow. The courts in Russia approved her and her husband to adopt their little girl. So they will be returning in 10 days to pick her up. I can't wait to hear about her experience in Russia. When I was in high school my dream was to to to France and Russia (I actually got travel video's and watched them when I was in high school.) I did make it to France but never to Russia. Maybe someday. Never even thought about Bulgaria, but have always wanted to go to Greece and Bulgaria has very similar food as Greece so I am looking forward to eating there.
Enough rambling. God is teaching me patience, giving me time to research homeschooling stuff and fine tuning my parenting skills! I am so glad He has had patience with me!
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