UPDATING OUR PAPERWORK....ALREADY!

We started our adoption March/April of last year and now I have to update our homestudy for USCIS. The updated homestudy doesn't go to Bulgaria, it is for the American government.

I called our social worker and we will be meeting with her in our home Thursday morning to go over our old homestudy and see if there are any changes. No there aren't any changes! Then we have to get new medicals for us and our kids and clearances for Chris and I.

Once our homestudy is done we then send it to USCIS with a letter requesting a no charge extension to our I600A and we need to request to be re fingerprinted again for USCIS. Thankfully this time around there is no charge (except for the updated homestudy).
FYI homestudies are good for 12 months, fingerprints are good for 15mths and your I171h is good for 18 months. We need to do our fingerprints by August!

I asked our caseworker if any young boys have been referred from Bulgaria, she said yes a few 3 and 4 year old boys that are healthy have been referred to some other agencies. Good to hear, I am really praying that we will have our son home before we have to update our homestudy again because it will be extra money we haven't planned for.

It is raining still on and off, it is June now, where is the summer weather? We leave for our family vacation to Alabama to see my family next week. The girls are excited to go camping (one night in a tent) and do smores and maybe some horse back riding. Then we will be going to the creation museum in Kentucky/Ohio border. Can't wait. Continually praying for our children in Bulgaria!

Have you heard that the MOJ of Bulgaria is visiting Oregon June 21? If you live close by they are having a picnic to meet her. Go to Tree of Life Adoption Center and email Kay for info if you ar interested in attending.

Over due pictures

Caroline's soccer team (this was their last game this past weekend). Chris was the head coach, he is the one on the far right and his assistant was Jerod on the far left and then 2 dads assisted when needed. Caroline is in the middle back. She loves soccer!

Cathryn and her gymnastics coach at Gymnastics Unlimited - superstar!

The quilt that belonged to my husband as a child, that I repaired for our son in Bulgaria. The top picture is the top side and the next picture is the beneath.

Coming soon will be pictures of the newly painted furniture for Caroline's room. Yes I still have to start it, it has been raining again on and off. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain and I will be going on Caroline's last kindergarten field trip! Pray for sun.

Life is short...

I have been reminded this past week that life is too short and that we (adoptive parents) must not live for the future (planning for when our adoptive children arrive home) but we should experience the present. Not that it is bad to plan for the future but not to forget to live for today and enjoy today.

A friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer, he has had it removed and is undergoing radiation. He is my age with young kids and it makes you realize that it could be you! Also our neighbor is in the hospital with lung cancer and then today we found out that someone we know at church had a heart attack and died, he too has a family with some kids still at home. I was shocked to hear he had died, and it made me think I could lose my husband just as quickly and where would we be. I know this man is with our Heavenly Father but it is very hard for his family and friends not to have him here and the way he died was so sudden.

So with all this going on, I have been reminded life is short, you might not have a tomorrow so experience today and don't wish it away. Patience for tomorrow (future when our son comes home) but living for today (enjoying my kids now). Sorry for the rambelings.
Have a blessed week.

Kingdom of Heaven

This memorial weekend we went to Gull Lake Bible Conference (family camp) and we had a wonderful time. The guest speaker was Ray Vanderlaan and his ministry is 'That the World May Know' and he talked about what 'Kingdom of Heaven' means. The song I have playing is one of my favorite songs and when you hear Ray teach God's word (especially from the Old Testament) I think of this song...shout to the the Lord all the earth let us sing, power and majesty praise to our King, mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name. I sing for joy at the works of your hands...

There is so much to say about what we learned but the one thing I did walk away with is that the way we treat others is how others see our God. Do you love your neighbor as yourself, do you turn the other cheek? Do we put others before ourselves, do we give the needy our best or second best? Are we obedient to God? Do you forgive as your Heavenly Father fogives you? God is sovereign ruler of all, do we accept him ruler in our lives?

Ray taught from the 'Torah' the first 5 books of the old Testament and then showed us where in the New Testament there were similarities, it was awesome. Ray gives tours in Israel, Turkey and now there is a trip in Egypt. I have been saving some money for Chris and I to take a trip to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary and Egypt was at the top of the list. I am thinking it would be awesome to go with Ray's ministry and visit Egypt to see what the Israelites went throught when they left Egypt and wandered in the desert for 40 years because of their disobedience, forgetfullness and unfaithfullness. The Word comes alive when you understand the culture. Ponder this thought, 'We need the faith OF Jesus, not just faith IN Jesus.'
The place for me to start is with my children and how I talk to them, treat them and live my faith infront of them.
Deut 6:4-8 ' Hear O'Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.'

His eye is always watching and His hand is always leading

Wow, what a beautiful day we are having today! 80's and sunny. The girls and I have been planting flowers, riding bikes, and enjoying the outdoors. This year each girl got 6 impatients (Caroline chose red so Cathryn got white to match) and they planted them themselve and will rotate watering them each day ( they are intermixed so we don't want to fight about who gets to water.)

Have I even started on Caroline's 'new bedroom'? Of course not! I am determined to start next week by painting the furniture we bought at a garage sale and go from there. She wants to move into her new room pronto. I have been putting it off because it has been raining on and off and I want to paint the furniture outside, now that it is warming up I have no excuse.

This weekend, we are off to Gull Lake Bible Conference (Kalamazo MI area). We are very excited to be by the water, doing outdoor activities and hearing the guest speaker, Ray Vanderlaan. Do you know of him? He gives tours in Israel and speaks about the Bible from the perspective of the Jews/Christians of Israel (during the times of the Bible). I love his teaching!
We go with Chris' parents and my sister in law and her family. The girls love being with their cousins! Two more sleeps away.

I will end off on this note, we are studying the book of Esther at church now. Did you know that God isn't even mentioned in this book of the Bible BUT God has placed Esther in her position to save the Jews. Once again His eye is always watching and His hand is always leading! This is encouraging to me because even though it seems like nothing is happening with our adoption, His eye is always watching and His hand is always leading. Not my will but your will be done Lord. Give me patience and prepare us for our son as well as him for our family!

Bulgarian Recipes

After reading Mary Ellen's private blog, about her trip to Bulgaria to visit their son, I had to look up some Bulgarian recipes. She kept mentioning that the food there was excellent and that us would be travelers are in for a treat. I would have to agree with her, especially if you like Greek food such as greek salads. Take a look at this website and drool. It would also be good to collect some of these recipes to incorporate into your family. I know I will. Does anyone know of any sites where you can order special Bulgarian foods? I will have to do some research. I noticed a restaurant opened up recently that serves Turkish, Greek food. We will have to check it out sometime. I would have to say my favorite foods are French,Italian, Greek, Thai and Mexican. Actually I would eat about anything except maybe eyeballs and brains. On that note take a look at these recipes!

http://www.passionateaboutfood.net/bulgarian.php

Reply from our State Representative

I got a reply from our State Representative, thanking me for my email and informing me that he is a co-sponsor of the Adoption Tax Credit! Nice Surprise. Take time to contact your senator or state representative today and let them know that you couldn't afford to adopt if it weren't for this tax credit and that they need to vote for it.

On a lighter note, this weekend the girls and I planted some perennials in the front of our house. We can't wait until they bloom! The tulips look beautiful. We planted Black eyed Susan's, Daisies, Echinecea and Dahlia's.

Caroline (6 yr old) has been practicing her 'shoe toss', sack race and running for field day on Wednesday. She loves it! She has been asking tons of questions about why they have to run into a ribbon, and won't it break etc.

We are so blessed with this beautiful weather, employment and our children (and so much more). Happy Mother's Day for Sunday, hopefully our little ones will be home this time next year!