Today, I have completed what I believe is that last bit of Major paperwork. I sent to my agency our I800. I am thrilled to be done with that part, even if I did actually enjoy doing every bit of paperwork. I would not be surprised if I get a phone call tomorrow saying that I have forgotten something. We will see??
I watched some of the video that we took while in Bulgaria. I have had a taste of M.'s personality. Now I can't wait to get to really know her. She really was so expressive and spunky. Most people think she will fit right into our family. I think she will be able to hold her own. We have video of our first meeting with her. She was so sweet and maybe a little nervous. I was nervous, too. I couldn't get the Bulgarian phrases out of my mind--I just wanted to greet her in Bulgarian. I wanted her to not be scared of us and to be comfortable with us. Seeing the videos made me miss her. I can't wait to have her home and let my kids and family meet her. We are blessed. I know we keep saying it, but we really are; wait and see, you will agree!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
We have met our little girl
I just wanted to put out a quick post..I could write a book, but it is 4 or 5 in the morning, can't sleep, but I will try again after this.
We have met her and she is amazing. We are definitely moving forward with adopting her. She is a very special little girl. She is bright and happy and easy to be with. We feel very blessed. As Bill said, "She is nearly perfect." I guess no one is absolutely perfect, so nearly is as perfect as can be! I will share more as I have time and am able. Looking forward to a few more visits with her. We will visit twice today and once tomorrow and then we will have to say goodbye.
I can't quite wrap my mind around what she must be thinking. I mean, really, who does she think we are? Silly people who can't even talk right?! But we bring candy...She is a doll and is so bright. I wish I could show you her adorable face. She does something that is very adorable...she gives us a dirty look when she doesn't like something and says "ssshhh." Seems very Bulgarian. Wish you could see it!
We have met her and she is amazing. We are definitely moving forward with adopting her. She is a very special little girl. She is bright and happy and easy to be with. We feel very blessed. As Bill said, "She is nearly perfect." I guess no one is absolutely perfect, so nearly is as perfect as can be! I will share more as I have time and am able. Looking forward to a few more visits with her. We will visit twice today and once tomorrow and then we will have to say goodbye.
I can't quite wrap my mind around what she must be thinking. I mean, really, who does she think we are? Silly people who can't even talk right?! But we bring candy...She is a doll and is so bright. I wish I could show you her adorable face. She does something that is very adorable...she gives us a dirty look when she doesn't like something and says "ssshhh." Seems very Bulgarian. Wish you could see it!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A Gift in a Beautiful Package
I am feeling great about the trip. Had a great day with 3/4 of my kids. Missing Aubrey while she is away. I realize things could slip away from me quickly, so I am trying to stay on top of things (or catch up quick, really.)
In the midst of all the "nitty-gritty" of preparing, packing, and leaving, I am feeling an escalating AWE. This whole adoption process and referral has been a huge gift. Getting a gift is great--who isn't thrilled with a gift? But opening the gift is the BEST. I am getting closer to opening the gift--meeting my littlest girl! I am feeling so blessed, so unworthy of the blessing she will be in our lives. All my children are a blessing. I just never deeply appreciated how they made it into my life and my family. When I pray with Lindsey, I always thank Jesus for giving her to me and our family. I am thanking Jesus already for Little Miss.
I know she is being given to us to experience more of God's love and draw us closer to Himself. I may experience more joy than I can imagine. I may experience more pain than I can imagine. It is all to bring glory to His name and to draw us closer to Jesus. I welcome it all. When I am doubting--remind me of this post!
Opening my package in 6 days. God is good all the time!
In the midst of all the "nitty-gritty" of preparing, packing, and leaving, I am feeling an escalating AWE. This whole adoption process and referral has been a huge gift. Getting a gift is great--who isn't thrilled with a gift? But opening the gift is the BEST. I am getting closer to opening the gift--meeting my littlest girl! I am feeling so blessed, so unworthy of the blessing she will be in our lives. All my children are a blessing. I just never deeply appreciated how they made it into my life and my family. When I pray with Lindsey, I always thank Jesus for giving her to me and our family. I am thanking Jesus already for Little Miss.
I know she is being given to us to experience more of God's love and draw us closer to Himself. I may experience more joy than I can imagine. I may experience more pain than I can imagine. It is all to bring glory to His name and to draw us closer to Jesus. I welcome it all. When I am doubting--remind me of this post!
Opening my package in 6 days. God is good all the time!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
God has given me the gift of a fairly clear schedule this week so that I can prepare to travel. Now I am getting excited! I was able to do a couple big shopping stops today to get all kinds of stuff. I laugh when I see what is laying all over my bedroom floor--mostly food! I have a very large bag of clothing for our girl and also to donate to the orphanage. I have some gift items--sort of like "housewarming" gifts. I have no idea how this "stuff" will be received. I have purchased a lot of items to entertain little miss. I have enough of that kind of stuff in my house to run a preschool, but I just had to buy new and more! I think I have lots of experience entertaining children her age. I just wish I knew what she would really like. I hope I hit the jackpot with some play item...if not, I have lots of other "tricks" in my bag!
Bill is completely confident that she will love him right off the bat--he's probably right. He seems to have that gift. He really is like a carnival--all the treats, candy, twirling, horsey rides you want. It may all backfire this time. Not sure what she thinks of men and especially men who may try to toss her in the air! Bill should stick with Smarties and Dum-Dums for the first day.
Well, this week will get spent packing, doing laundry, cleaning, packing Ryan for camp, stocking groceries--all the stuff I normally do before traveling and leaving my children. I am so blessed with a wonderful family and friends who will hold down the fort while we are gone.
It really is indescribable to think that I will be laying in bed a week from now, probably unable to sleep, imagining how meeting our little girl will go. I have to keep reminding myself that I haven't seen her in 15 months--it has been that long since her photo was taken. I bet she has changed a lot. I can't wait to see her and what she looks like now. We did not receive any recent photos of her or any video, just the official registration photo. Can't wait to see her personality. I love her, I just wish I knew her!
Soon, baby. Soon.
Bill is completely confident that she will love him right off the bat--he's probably right. He seems to have that gift. He really is like a carnival--all the treats, candy, twirling, horsey rides you want. It may all backfire this time. Not sure what she thinks of men and especially men who may try to toss her in the air! Bill should stick with Smarties and Dum-Dums for the first day.
Well, this week will get spent packing, doing laundry, cleaning, packing Ryan for camp, stocking groceries--all the stuff I normally do before traveling and leaving my children. I am so blessed with a wonderful family and friends who will hold down the fort while we are gone.
It really is indescribable to think that I will be laying in bed a week from now, probably unable to sleep, imagining how meeting our little girl will go. I have to keep reminding myself that I haven't seen her in 15 months--it has been that long since her photo was taken. I bet she has changed a lot. I can't wait to see her and what she looks like now. We did not receive any recent photos of her or any video, just the official registration photo. Can't wait to see her personality. I love her, I just wish I knew her!
Soon, baby. Soon.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Plight of the Bulgarian Orphan
Here is a great, current article on the status of orphans in Bulgaria.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g1oa_rCuxc7DwuXNWb05u9eY-X0g
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g1oa_rCuxc7DwuXNWb05u9eY-X0g
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
It's a girl!
This will be a long post as it contains the juicy details and circumstances of getting a referral.
Bill had a couple days off from work. We went to work out at the gym on Wednesday afternoon together. I was just saying to Bill..."how is this ever going to work?" I was speaking of the adoption process and how it was not going as we anticipated. My phone rang and it was my agency. I thought nothing of it. I had just gone through the process to change the age of the child we could adopt. I thought she was calling to ask about that process. We had updated our homestudy to reflect an age change. I had new FBI fingerprints to mail in since ours were almost a year old and new paperwork to send to immigrations (USCIS I800a supplement). I had put it off until after our workout. Kay began by asking me to refresh her memory...was Bulgaria waiting for anything from us? Was our dossier complete? I must admit I started to get worried, like, "what now??"
I said yes, everything was complete and we were registered. She then told me that she had a referral for us!!!! I was completely stunned, surprised, shocked. I felt a little reserved also. I knew our child would have special needs and this was the moment I would find out what kind of need they would have. It seemed especially worrisome to have been given a referral as opposed to requesting a referral and knowing full-well, up-front what the need would be. She told us she had a referral for the most beautiful little girl and she would send her information to us by email. I asked if she was sure it was a referral for us--not another couple?? She assured me that it was a referral for us. The problem at the time was that none of the documents had been translated.
We went home to pull up the email. It's true, she is a cutie. And it's true, the referral was for us. I couldn't read anything else, but our names were written in plain English. But what was her special need??
I tried google translate, but it wouldn't translate any of the documents--not even words of it.
It was Wednesday night dinner at mom's and most of the family were there. We were able to share our news with them all. We were a bit tentative not knowing her SN, but we were excited. On Thursday, we were told briefly what her need was, but that she was doing well. On Friday, we received her document translated. I wish I could say more about her, but we must wait until we meet her and we know for sure that we are meant to be her parents.
We do feel that God totally has a hand in this. Of course He does in all things, but it is very evident to us in this referral.
We will travel in July to meet her. We are excited, but scared at the same time. We can't even contemplate how our family will change. We are trying to go into this with our eyes wide open...except we can't see what the future really holds. We just believe she is meant to be a part of ours.
By the way, our travel dates were absolutely perfect for us. We had a week of family vacation planned. We were going to do a week in Chicago. All along we said if we would get a referral, that would be our week to travel. We would skip Chicago for Bulgaria! Bill has very little flexibility to change any of his summer schedule. It would have caused much hardship and probably hard feelings at his work to have to change the schedule. We are so thankful it worked out so perfectly. Is God trying to show us something??
Bill had a couple days off from work. We went to work out at the gym on Wednesday afternoon together. I was just saying to Bill..."how is this ever going to work?" I was speaking of the adoption process and how it was not going as we anticipated. My phone rang and it was my agency. I thought nothing of it. I had just gone through the process to change the age of the child we could adopt. I thought she was calling to ask about that process. We had updated our homestudy to reflect an age change. I had new FBI fingerprints to mail in since ours were almost a year old and new paperwork to send to immigrations (USCIS I800a supplement). I had put it off until after our workout. Kay began by asking me to refresh her memory...was Bulgaria waiting for anything from us? Was our dossier complete? I must admit I started to get worried, like, "what now??"
I said yes, everything was complete and we were registered. She then told me that she had a referral for us!!!! I was completely stunned, surprised, shocked. I felt a little reserved also. I knew our child would have special needs and this was the moment I would find out what kind of need they would have. It seemed especially worrisome to have been given a referral as opposed to requesting a referral and knowing full-well, up-front what the need would be. She told us she had a referral for the most beautiful little girl and she would send her information to us by email. I asked if she was sure it was a referral for us--not another couple?? She assured me that it was a referral for us. The problem at the time was that none of the documents had been translated.
We went home to pull up the email. It's true, she is a cutie. And it's true, the referral was for us. I couldn't read anything else, but our names were written in plain English. But what was her special need??
I tried google translate, but it wouldn't translate any of the documents--not even words of it.
It was Wednesday night dinner at mom's and most of the family were there. We were able to share our news with them all. We were a bit tentative not knowing her SN, but we were excited. On Thursday, we were told briefly what her need was, but that she was doing well. On Friday, we received her document translated. I wish I could say more about her, but we must wait until we meet her and we know for sure that we are meant to be her parents.
We do feel that God totally has a hand in this. Of course He does in all things, but it is very evident to us in this referral.
We will travel in July to meet her. We are excited, but scared at the same time. We can't even contemplate how our family will change. We are trying to go into this with our eyes wide open...except we can't see what the future really holds. We just believe she is meant to be a part of ours.
By the way, our travel dates were absolutely perfect for us. We had a week of family vacation planned. We were going to do a week in Chicago. All along we said if we would get a referral, that would be our week to travel. We would skip Chicago for Bulgaria! Bill has very little flexibility to change any of his summer schedule. It would have caused much hardship and probably hard feelings at his work to have to change the schedule. We are so thankful it worked out so perfectly. Is God trying to show us something??
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