Celebrate~Celebrate~Celebrate!

We received our last document in the mail yesterday and even better than that, today we received confirmation from our facilitator that it is approved.  YIPPEE!


Jeromy rushed our last 4 documents to the Post Office to get them to our State Capital to get certified. (to apostille)
(Does anyone know what the past tense of the word Apostille is? I found that Apostilled is not an English word. )

So we wait for them to return and then we mail our Dossier to Her Country.

The dossier will get translated and then submitted to the Government. 


Once the Government gets the documents and reviews them they will give us an appointment date.  It seems these appointment dates are often only a few weeks out. 


We will travel to Eastern Europe and go to the Government office for the official referral.  Please pray that this goes smoothly.

We will then travel to her orphanage and spend time with her and get to know her. Then we will go to court.


After court we have a mandatory 10 day waiting period (please pray that this gets waived. Some Judges will waive it, I am praying since she is a teenager that they will waive it. ) 


After the 10 days we can bring her HOME!


We have a long ways to go but we are getting close to the best part...Meeting her and getting to bring her HOME!


THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT
For checking on us and listening to our excitement and disappointments. So excited to have so many loving friends and family to share this with.

Fabulous Fundraisers

In an effort to keep our debt as low as possible we have been and are doing some fundraisers to help bring "Our Girl" home. We want to thank all of you that have supported us through sponsoring a fundraiser and or participating in a fundraiser.  So far we have had a Quilt by Misty, A Scentsy "Party" by Katie and a Portrait Raffle by Crystal.  Thank you so much to all of you for your hard work and generous hearts.

If you still want to participate in The Raffle or get your Name on The Quilt the time is now.  We are Wrapping these up this week.  

The Quilt Fundraiser works like this:  A donation of any amount gets your name on a quilt square.  Once "Our Girl" gets home we will give her the quilt and she will know that she is loved by you. Click on the PayPal button on the right hand side of our blog where it says "Quilt for our girl". 

The Raffle for the FREE Portrait Session by crystalbeckphotography.com is also coming to an end.  Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.  These can be purchased by sending a check to the above address.  Please make sure we have your phone number so we know how to get a hold of you if you win.  

We have also been collecting cans, cans and more cans as well as scrap copper. So if you are in the area and have cans or copper to donate, please give us a call and we will grab them when we are near you. 

Lastly we are doing an INDOOR Garage Sale on Feb. 11th in our old house.  We are simplifying and hoping to generate a few bucks. If you have any items you would like to donate just let me know. And if you like to go "garage sale-ing" and can't wait til summer this is your chance. 

All funds raised go toward our Adoption Fees.  

I think that about wraps it up.  We are so close I can "feel it"!  

Thank You ALL so much for your support!  

PLEASE keep praying for us as we prepare to travel.

Input Please!

Please let me know what you think!

I am not usually concerned about comments

I know everyone is busy and it is time consuming to comment on lots of blogs. 

But Please comment this time it will really help.

I would love to know if any of you have or do use Ad Sense

Would you recommend it?

If we used it would you be less likely to read our blog?

I would love to use it as a little way to raise funds to help bring our girl home.

Just a thought but it could help and be of no cost to our friends and family. 

I would also love to know 

how many of you read through Google Reader and how many actually go to our blog.

Thank You for your input!!!!

Laughing / Crying

This morning I woke up burdened to get this adoption finalized. Like really burdened.


I committed to the Lord to fast and pray.  My fast was undetermined. I couldn't really put a definite on how long or what I would fast.  Usually I like to have a specific commitment before the Lord.  I just kept saying every time I wanted something to eat, "I want Our Girl more".


I was up early and posted this :


We are still waiting for one VERY IMPORTANT document.
The I 171 H from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. (AKA USCIS )
We NEED this to move forward with our adoption.
PLEASE PRAY with us that it comes soon. LIKE TODAY.


God continues to make a way.
When we get discouraged, God lifts us up with a drop of HOPE.


Our girl is anxious to be HOME.
We are anxious to have her with us.


Thank You for Journeying with us. 




I shared on the blog, email and on Facebook our prayer request and headed off to therapy.

As we got home I checked the mail convinced the form would be there.  It wasn't.

A bit disappointed I began to get our docs. together to call USCIS.  
As I searched for the info. I needed, I started re-reading one of the forms we have had since the beginning of Dec.  


I was thinking "this says everything we need the I 171H to say".
Then as I scoured over it I noticed at the bottom in little tiny writing it says, "I 171H form".  I assumed it would have I 171H on the top in big letters and be on shiny, colorful paper, like the other documents we had received.

 

OH MY!  I was sick ~ happy ~amazed at God ~ and amazed at my stupidity. :(
 (kicking myself-beating myself up-won't change a thing-so why do I do it?)
 

I am so happy we have the document, but so sick that we have had it for over a month.  

We know God has perfect timing.  It all is so obvious in that as of now Ukraine is closed to new Dossiers until the beginning of Feb. We just got the money last night to pay for the all the up coming expenses.  We just received via email today a new form we have to fill out for the dossier.   


It probably wouldn't have gotten us there much sooner anyway, but I do not want to be the one holding up the process!


We received a message from our girl last night.  It translates, How are you doing? When you come?
I believe she is as anxious as we are to get her home.  

I emailed our I 171 H to our facilitator and promptly received her response.  There are 2 errors on the document.  It must be fixed.  I left a message with our officer and we are now again waiting.


So again I ask, please pray we get our new and PERFECT   I-171H  very soon, and this time I promise I will not mistake it for an update notice. 


Please pray for Our sweet girl, and that God will move mountains so we can go get her soon.



I am claiming this verse: 


"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28

Color Party!

Kaly Surprised Ayla with this Color Pary!

Many of the ideas she got from the American Girls Magazine.

She worked for days ~ every spare minute :)

Party complete with mix and match accessories game.

A perfect quote from our stamp collection.

What better way to use the loft.

This little treat is a milkshake in a glass with sliced gum drops stuck to the inside.

I love my girls!

Little Bro made it in for 3.5 Minutes.

Pictures used for a coloring project.

No color party is complete without a hair time.