BIG UPDATE

IT'S THE BIG ONE!!!  Well, there are other big ones to come, but this is the BIGGEST SO FAR!!!  Yesterday we got word that we are traveling... IN TWO WEEKS!!!  I meant to post yesterday, but figured that my readership is pretty low and Facebook is better for simply letting everyone know.  It's so exciting to post something so concrete on this little blog of mine.  We travel April 10th (a Friday) and arrive in Kiev by Monday.  We are taking a one day layover in Oslo so Zack and I can have a little anniversary date.  We celebrate 10 years in a few months, and since it's going to be super difficult, if not impossible, to have our annual anniversary trip any other way, that's how we're going to make it happen this year!  And then our official appointment with the SDA in Kiev is on April 15th.  That will be a big day.  That's the day we receive a profile of a child (or two?) to meet.  My to-do list, like, exploded the last 24 hrs.  I'm going to be keeping everyone updated through this site as we travel, so bookmark this blog if you are interested.  It's really happening, people!!!

Another update on waiting

So here we sit.  I procrastinated writing this post because it's a little bit depressing.  Ok, that sounds worse than it is.  Come back, keep reading, it's not that bad.  We had about a month delay with our paperwork.  We were hoping to be approved late February but now we will have to wait until late this month to hear whether or not we are approved.  So that puts travel around May/June.  This adoption waiting is weird and vortexy but all told, it's not so bad.  There's lots to keep us busy.  Also, the more we think about this new timeframe, the better it seems.  There are a few pieces we can put into place before we travel.  We may even be able to take two trips which would be ideal.  So anyway, with that in mind, thanks everyone for sticking with us!  We'll keep you posted!  We're super close, and soon my posts will be way more exciting!!!

Update on our waiting

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!  People kindly ask me every so often - "Any adoption news?"  And I answer them honestly - yes, but it's still super boring!!!  Our dossier paperwork was submitted on Jan 22 to the Ukrainian government.  I tell people, "You can't tell, but I'm bulging paper-pregnant!"  Now we wait for our approval and our "invitation to travel".  The estimated time to get our approval was, at the earliest, today!  Seriously, Old Christmas and Valentines Day have been weird this year because they have been paperwork timing dates.  We should be receiving our approval soon.  If we're approved, that is!  So, rather, we should be hearing in the next week whether or not we have been approved.  *nervous twitching*  After that, it may be four days, it may be four weeks until we receive our "invitation to travel", which will then occur approximately a month after we get aforementioned invitation.  Clear as mud?  Told'ya it was super boring.  But... that's what I have for now!  Continue to keep our family in your prayers as we prepare with excited trepidation (is that a thing?) for this vague event in the unknown, equally hazy, future.  Ooh, a foggy post.  You know what else?  Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the first post of the adoption chapter of this blog!  We have been in process for 2 years now.  Wow.  Looking back on this journey, God's timing and sovereignty is evident in so many ways.  We marvel at how He got us to where we are now.  What a long, strange, paper pregnancy!

LIFE - preparation!

Every day Zack and I have a little fluttery moment that this is becoming so real!  Old Christmas in Eastern Europe is tomorrow and then... well, we don't know what yet, but we've been thinking more about Old Christmas this year than ever before in our lives.  We are learning Ukrainian (we spent about a week on the alphabet alone, it's really hard!).  Remember that list of books I read to prepare for this adoption?  Well, it's grown... quite a bit... and now it's time to go back through and read about what we need to know in this phase.  I'm so glad I took the time to take notes.  I also filled the little Android tablet that Kian got for Christmas with games and books for the plane.  We've tested a few out already - Kian approved!  (His favorites so far are Endless Alphabet and Pet Doctor.)  We are also going to shop for a few gifts for the orphanage workers.  I've bought a few very lovely brooches from Save and Serve thrift shop already.  My mom and I dug up some hairbows from my sister's and my childhood (was that correct grammar?) to donate to the kiddies in the orphanage.  This is some really fun stuff, right here!  We feel freer to do these things now that Christmas is done and we are looking at travel in the not-so-distant horizon!

PAPERWORK - Dossier in Ukraine!

Update sorely needed!  First of all, our dossier has been apostilled and sent off to Ukraine!  I'm told it's being translated and reviewed by staff in Ukraine.  Picked apart ad nauseam.  Then after the first of the year, (Old Christmas is celebrated in Ukraine) it will be submitted with the SDA.  That is, if we don't have to redo a portion - which often happens.  If it gets submitted early in January, we may be looking at travel by March!  That's so exciting to have a clearer picture of the process.  Liiiiiiittle by liiiiiiittle we are inching our way towards our child(ren)!!!  Carrie and Drew are being updated regularly on all this, too, as they are having to plan their lives around potentially traveling with us.  Kian asks every so often, "are we going to get my sister from Mykraine today?"  I have to tell him, "No, today isn't the day yet."

I am excited and yet terrified at starting this journey.  There are so many unknowns.  It's still so vague and impalpable.

The other day we were at Once Upon a Child in Canton, and we went over to the older youth clothes to take a look.  It put things in perspective.  I bought a size 8 outfit (no clue what size they'll really wear), just because.  It wasn't as large as I thought it would be - it still looked like a little kid to me.  I also bought two extra pairs of Christmas jammies.  Just cuz.  Our hearts are more and more ready - and it feels right that our family is just about ready to expand again.  Christmas is keeping me busy - after Christmas I'm going to need to find things to do.  Until we get our invitation to travel I'll probably be pacing the floor!  I'll keep you all updated, but it might still be boring for juuuust a little longer!

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

MONEY - garage sale, necklaces, candy bars

Our recent fundraisers have been surprising in many ways.  Since our dossier paperwork was creating a lot of... waiting... we decided to work on fundraising some more.  We can't be left with nothing to do!!!  :) just kidding.
   First, our town has an Antique Festival every fall, and we were excited about the opportunity to have a little garage sale and bake sale.  I say that a little sarcastically, because we weren't terribly excited about it.  We felt the need to take the opportunity, but the thought of having another garage sale so quickly was a little, um, overwhelming.  And what was going to be a small bake sale with a few garage sale items quickly turned into another full-fledged legit garage sale.  Lots of donations is a GOOD PROBLEM.  *keeps reminding self*  Bake sale items were made, items were priced, we were open for business.  Then it sleeted.  Not kidding.  Somehow despite the unsavory weather and the meager turnout, we made $141!  We were surprised by that.

   The next surprise came when we set out some candy bars to sell for our adoption.  We put them at our respective places of work.  I went to pick up the money in my envelope the same day our biggest bills came from our agency (translation is NOT CHEAP!).  I was shocked to find a WAD... not a few or singular.. but a WAD OF 20'S.  They didn't even take a candy bar!  I'm not sure why I'm fixating on that, it's my way of not being overwhelmed by the graciousness of unidentified people.  Talk about surprise!  Seriously the grace of people astounds me. 
   Next to report is our sale of necklaces.  Compelled Designs (www.compelleddesigns.com) sells the most beautiful necklaces and gives them dirt cheap to adoptive families to sell for fundraisers.  They are breathtakingly beautiful.  Check them out on my facebook page.  We have sold about half of them now, so pick them up quick for the holidays!!!

   Dossier update: paperwork is being sent in the mail today or tomorrow!  We are DONE with our portion!  (I'll let you in on a secret - that's a REALLY GOOD FEELING!  I'M TALKING IN CAPS A LOT IN THIS POST).  From here on out it's the waiting game!  Waiting for the dossier to be submitted by our agency to Ukraine.  Waiting for the invitation to travel.  Waiting to travel.  Waiting to meet our new children!  Pray for us in this critical preparation time.  Thanks to everyone!

PAPERWORK - Dossier update

Sorry another boring post!  We're having a fundraiser this weekend and so then we may have some pictures to provide.  Until then, let the snores begin.  We are working through our dossier.  We have noticed that the dossier is less paperwork and paperchasing than the home study, but it's so METICULOUS!  Everything has to be dotted and crossed just perfectly!  The wording in some cases has to be just so, and things like that.  We are trudging through, in spite.  Here's a a list of the major items and what we've accomplished so far in the dossier world:

renew Rachel passport and get passports for boys - done
employment verification letters - almost done (need one from 61 Surplus yet)
marriage certificate papers - done
apostille marriage papers and home study - need to send to Columbus
medical certificates including bloodwork - done
criminal background checks - needed to be redone - got fingerprints and papers, need to send it away
proof of home ownership - had to get a lawyer to write this one since we don't have mortgage, we are working on it

Fun list, huh?  That's where we're at, as you can see a lot of things are coming together, shouldn't be long until we can send it!

Rachel