Waiting

Mailed off the background check for Alabama today, put together everything that needs to go with the I800a, filled out the I800a. So now just waiting to get the background checks back from S.Carolina and Alabama then our home study. Really hope we will have everything sent off by the end of October and then be approved by USCIS by the end of November. At that point we would have been waiting 11 months...Praying that the Lords will be done and that we are patient and everything works out to His Glory!

Praying for you son that you are healthy, that you feel the Lords presence in your life. I pray for spiritual and physical protection on your life.

adoption update

For the Hague homestudy I have to have a background check done for each state I have lived since 18 years of age. So that means South Carolina (freshman year of college) and Alabama (where I lived for a few months with my family before going to college). I found the answers to my I800a questions, thank you to those of you who helped me during my breakdown and talked me off the ledge :)

So I am hoping and praying we will have our home study completed, background checks done and turn in the I800a with $670 by the end of October. Realistic don't you think? Ya never know with international adoption. Keep praying! Kay is still working on Bulgaria, but I am not holding my breath so am getting everything together for the I800a. I think I have a copy of our marriage certificate somewhere, thought I was done with all that!

Heard back from Adoption Unit in Detroit

Wow, that was quick! I emailed the office that originally said we were grandfathered in and then sent us a letter saying they made an error and we weren't grandfathered in after all, and Bulgaria wants us to fill out the I800a. They pretty much said they made an error as the deadline was April 1 and our application was entered in the system April 21, so we have to do the I800a and pay the fee for processing. I asked our caseworker if she could fight this one for us in Bulgaria and she said she would do what she can. We have to let USCIS know by Oct 14 what we plan to do.

I have the I800a filled out and ready to mail when we get our home study, maybe I should be looking for a job in the evenings to pay for the extra expenses you don't plan on in adoption!! I am going to look at this like being pregnant with complications!

Rejoice always,pray without ceasing; in everthing give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is the verse that spoke to me today! I am rejoicing, I am praying without ceasing and giving thanks for this 'situation' for this is the will of God for me.

This will be the verse that I will paint in my kitchen, and each time I see it I will think about my son Calvin and how in situations like this we need to keep rejoicing, praying and give thanks.

Thank you to all who have left words of encouragement on my facebook and blog.

I love this song, while I am waiting. While I wait for things to sort themselves out and wait for our son to come home I will continue to worship God, be faithful, and serve.

US goverment made an error!

We got a letter today saying, "upon review of your form I600a, it has been determined that your request to transfer your approved I600a from Ukraine to Bulgaria was granted in error August 2008. We have been notified by Sofia Bulgaria that you must file an I800a to intiate adoption in Bulgaria."

What can I say, nothing! I have filled out the I800a to the best of my ability, emailed USCIS and asked them to waive our filing fee (it will cost us another $670) because they told us we were grandfathered in. There is a question ont he I800a I am not sure how to fill out...asks about State statutes and requirments, i dont know what they are. Do any of you who are adopting? I have done all I can tonight, I am going to pray now and not worry about it until Monday.

I just want to quit...I am tired of waiting, tired of renewing paperwork, tired of this run around and tired of having to chase people to get anything done! Please pray for us that we dont have to pay the extra $670 and having to pay for a new homestudy to be done which will be $1400. I am praying it will only be an updated homestudy and the filing fee will be waived. Some days I wonder is this what the Lord wants us to be doing or is it just me wanting a little boy named Calvin? I need to pray.

Special Needs

The last few days our agency has been emailing us special needs children information. Bulgaria doesn't allow healthy children to have pics and medicals available before you are matched but they do allow agencies to show special needs children with photos and medicals ahead of time to find them families quicker. Usually the children are older than 3 so I recently have just been deleting them without looking because it breaks my heart. One little boy, about a month ago caught my attention. He looked like he was maybe 2, so I asked our agency for a video and more medical on him. Ends up he is actually 5. So i don't even want to look at the photo's anymore. From all the reading we have done for our adoption education requirements we have decided that we would like a child under 3, younger the better.

Anyway, there was a little boy recently emailed to us who is presently 2.5 yrs old, but he has a cleft palette (and cleft lip) and eye issues. He also doesn't speak yet. When I saw his photo I wanted to call our agency but once I did research on all the surgery he will need, and the fact he will be 3 when he gets here, I just didn't feel we should proceed. Chris said he feels horrible to have to look at these children and turn them down. We want a healthy boy under 3 so we will stay the course and wait to get our referral for our son. I pray for this other little boy, he is so darling, that someone else will want to adopt him. If you are interested, contact Tree of Life Adoption Center in Portland Oregon and talk with them about him.

Did you know that cleft palet and lips can either be genetic or the mom was abusing drugs when she was pregnant? Good thing to know! I think a child already in an orphange will have 'special needs' when they come home, as a result of being in an orphange. Most of these children will have ADHD because of malnutrition, sensory issues, trust issues etc.

'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:3-5

Song by Casting Crowns...Who am I

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.

Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.

Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I am yours..
I am yours..

Waiting for Homestudy

We mailed in Chris' health form to our homestudy agency last Friday, so hopefully will have our updated homestudy soon. We will have to mail this with a request for an extension on our I171h to USCIS and then we continue to wait.

Suggestions on a verse for our kitchen?

Place your vote here on what verse you think we should put in our kitchen! Hubby and i can't agree on one. He thinks it should have the words food/eat in it, I on the other hand want something to do with hospitality/family/love for God. So place your votes and maybe it will find its place on my kitchen wall.

Caroline 1st day of school

Caroline lost her 1st tooth
1st day of school at North Hills Classical Academy!

Cant seem to rotate these pictures! Caroline is loving her new school, she has 2 other girls in her class and 3 boys. She hasn't had any homework yet which is amazing. She talks about having 2 recesses and snack time when we ask her about her day! She is learning Latin chants and doing the usual 1st grade stuff. I am so glad she is enjoying it, as she says she doesn't have any friends yet! Her first day I introduced her to another girl in her class hoping they would feel comfortable to talk to one another later.

Cathryn has been doing homeschooling with me. So far so good. She is reading Caroline's books from Kindergarten which is great! We studied china and ducks yesterday. We are reading the book The Story about Ping. He is a duck in China. We also looked at what thinks float and what sinks for science. It was fun and she enjoys our one on one time together. We then went to the gym and daddy had the day off so they went swimming when I did an aerobics class. Enjoying the schedule, got a run and take Cathryn to gymnastics.

Finally done with our kitchen, just need new curtains and an area rug. I love my kitchen now.

New kitchen picture
Windows in eating area

new cabinets installed

old cabinets we removed and replace with above ones in the eating area

Old kitchen before picture

Waiting 8 months

Tomorrow will be September 6 which means that we have been waiting for 8 months now, since being registered in Bulgaria. As we wait we are keeping busy with house projects. We are in the process of painting our kitchen (blue) and cabinets (cream with a glaze). A couple of months ago we moved Caroline into the guestroom and made it hers with a newly painted red dresser, red desk, and canopy over her bed. Calvin's room is waiting for curtains and a blue rug (this will be our next project after Christmas probably). We also put up the last 4 doors that we bought a few years back.

While we wait, we pray for you my sweet little boy. We pray for your protection until you come home to us. While we wait, we worship our heavenly Father and serve Him. Trying to wait patiently, faithfully.

medical

Chris went and had his yearly physical for our homestudy last week Wednesday. His doctor had misplaced (lost) the form that needed to be filled out for our adoption agency. I had our social worker send us another one and Chris took it Tuesday to be filled out. Guess what, they still haven't done it for him. Once we get this form he is leaving that doctor's office and switching to mine. They are soo frustrating. Too big to give personal service! This will be the second day he calls to ask for them to fill it out so our social worker can finish our homestudy update.

I am trying to focus on other things such as painting our kitchen. We decided to adopt instead of getting new cabinets, granite countertops etc. So I am going to paint our cupboards, paint the wall and put up some nice curtains instead. I will post before and after pictures.

Caroline starts school next Tuesday, we are getting excited. She has also lost tooth #2, yesterday at her school picnic. Fun times.