When we decided to adopt from Russia I told Abby that since we are going to Russia then we better get to see some snow. This morning we were Skyping with the kids and looked up and what do you know...it was snowing! It only lasted 5 or 10 minutes and hasn't snowed again since then. But I got to see Russian snow.
Today we start packing and have our last night in the good ol' Vlad Inn. We will start our journey home about 10:00 pm Phenix City time tomorrow night. We are wondering how Lex will do on the plane rides home, but to be honest, at this point it don't matter! Because we are coming home. The kids have been marking off days on the calendar since we left, which then seemed like it would never get here, but today they had us down to one day until he day they get to see us.
It has been awesome to see God at work through this journey. It has also made us thankful for our friends and family back home, the small things we take for granted, and the great USA! I can't wait to get back and have church, t-ball, soccer, gymnastics, work, yard work, football games, ESPN (of course), hanging with friends, and most of all the small times I get with my kids. Hearing Levi scream for me every time I walk in the house, saying War Eagle to Colby ever night, helping Micah with her home work, and taking Mayson to soccer practice. It will all get started back in a day.
Tomorrow also starts a day of firsts for Lex. The first time on a plane, the first time in a car seat, the first time with his brother and sisters, the first time he walks barefooted in grass, his first Central football game, his first day at church, his first night in his own bed...in his room with his brother, the first time being held by grandparents...aunts...cousins, and the list will go on and on. So this may be the last post from Russia, but it will back home to the Cook House to start our lives with our completed, perfect (as much as we can be) family of 7.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Lex is a Cook for good!!
Today marked the end of our 10 day waiting period since court. Our court decree is final today and Lex is officially a Cook forever. As it turns out, not only was the 10 day wait a time when his family could've taken him back, it was a time when we could've changed our minds and given him back. I thought of that today when Irina said that to us. She said, "Well it's official today. Your 10 day wait is over and he is yours no matter what! You've had your time to think it over and now he is yours!" She was saying it jokingly of course, but it got me thinking. God has shown me time and time again that He chose this little boy to he our son long before we every laid eyes on him. Today was just a reminder that this all was just a formality....a means to an end...a journey to pick up our son that for whatever reason needed to be born in Russia. All of the hoops and obstacles that we ("we" meaning us and Lex) faced along the way was just a journey of faith. A lesson that sometimes we are not as strong as we think we are. We need God and family and friends to ultimately help us get to God's planned destination. For Lex, for now, that Phenix City and a family. For us, it's children we could never imagine and loved ones who never cease to amaze us. We don't know what the future holds for this family, but through this I have learned that God truly is in control of all of the tangled webs that are our lives, as long as I trust in Him with all my heart, I will never be lost. My prayer is that all of the people this adoption has touched will see God's mighty hand at work and recognize how truly amazing and faithful our Lord is!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Countdown Has Started
Well it really started the day we left, but now it seems to be working. After chasing 4 kids around and getting them to different places different days our lives pretty much has come to a halt. We are at a hotel that is a good 20 minute drive from town and we are here all day. Our routine is get up, eat breakfast, Skype the kids, eat lunch, rest, walk around the hotel a few times, eat dinner, chill out, and then go to sleep. So we are taking every small victory we can in our countdown to get home.
We are now under two weeks until we start our journey home. With each day that passes we say...One more Wednesday and we will be home. Micah has one more day at gymnastics or its one more t-ball game. Since our 10 day waiting period is almost over we will have more things to do to get ready to go home. So those times out will also help. Micah is also at home checking off days on the calendar and the kids are getting excited too. This has been an awesome experience but we are ready to be home.
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and words of encouragement during this time. A big thanks goes out to the ones taking care of our kids! GABC oh how I miss thee! Thanks to all of you who stepping in while I am away.
I know we still have a good bit of time left, but small victories each day are building moral. So the countdown is on!
We are now under two weeks until we start our journey home. With each day that passes we say...One more Wednesday and we will be home. Micah has one more day at gymnastics or its one more t-ball game. Since our 10 day waiting period is almost over we will have more things to do to get ready to go home. So those times out will also help. Micah is also at home checking off days on the calendar and the kids are getting excited too. This has been an awesome experience but we are ready to be home.
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and words of encouragement during this time. A big thanks goes out to the ones taking care of our kids! GABC oh how I miss thee! Thanks to all of you who stepping in while I am away.
I know we still have a good bit of time left, but small victories each day are building moral. So the countdown is on!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
ALMOST
Right around a year ago Abby and I began thinking and praying about the idea of adoption. It was totally a God thing, but we knew we wanted a large family from the time we got married. We obviously have a thing for kids, being we both have jobs that deal with kids. But our love for kids is more than just our job it is what has driven us to have a large family. As you have read time and time again we love our kids to no end and family is a big thing to us. Not just with our kids but our extended families mean a lot to us also.
One thing that drew us to adoption was the chance to give a child a home and family that had a life where no one wanted him and he had never meet his mom or dad. From the moment we saw his picture we thought of him as one of ours. There was no doubt in our mind that he was the one God had for us. From that moment the relationship started and only got stronger when we met him. Then we waited 2.5 months until we could come back and finish the process. God has been good to us through this entire process and now he is ours.
We had a feeling while we were away from Lex that our family was not complete. Our family may be complete legally but won't be completely back together until we get home. We miss our kids and family and are counting down the days until we can be together again. We knew we wanted a large family and God open the door to adoption and we are almost done. ALMOST means two weeks away from friends and family. I miss the small things like pushing Levi's nose and telling him goodnight (strange but it makes him laugh), watching Micah hit in the t-ball game when I pitch it to her, sitting in the long car rider line to pick up Mayson and Micah to hear how their day was, and hearing Colby say she wants the same thing I get when you pick up food. Soon I will be able to do those things again and the time away is a littler easier knowing our kids are completely taken care of by our family. But it is still hard on us both.
God and prayer has got us this far, so please continue to pray for us while we are away from our family. We are closer today to being done than yesterday and soon this too will pass and we will be home again. And before I go I have to say......WAR EAGLE!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Another big blessing
After court, God provided us with another HUGE blessing. I can't really go into detail on this blog, but I will say that something we thought we would have to wait a week for came early. If you talk to any of our family they can fill you in. After getting back to the hotel, we realized that now it's another waiting game. There is not much to do here except sit around and wait. Daniel of course is handling this much better than I am. Every time I talk to the kids I want to cry. I guess knowing that I have 17 more days until I see them again, makes it worse. I just miss them so much. I have had time to think about all of the people who loved us through this process and provided so much in the way of prayers and money and other things to help us bring Lex home. I want so badly to tell you all how much you mean to us. We are so truly blessed to have such a family, set of friends, and church family that love us so much. So on top of missing my children, I now miss all of you. I know my emotions are high, and that's hard for me. I 'm not usually the emotional type. It's been such a long road. I told Daniel after court on Thursday that I feel like I've been holding my breath for a year. Hoping no one found anything that would affect our adoption. Praying that God would provide the money we didn't have. Worrying about Lex while we weren't there. Worrying about our kids while we are gone. Now I feel like I can finally breathe. I can take a deep breath and know that Lex is ours and soon our family will be together again. I guess that is where these emotions are coming from. A place of relief....a place of love.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Oh What A Day
Today started earlier than expect for Abby and I both. She just happened to wake up at 4:15 am while I had been awake for 15 minutes. I awoke with the thought that the time on my phone was set wrong and what if we miss our court time. I was so convinced my phone was wrong that I went to the window to check and make sure it was still dark outside. After laying in the bed for two hours the alarm went off and we got out of bed to prepare for our big day in court.
The ride to court was very quiet, except the times I told Abby, "I got to get my game face on." This was me trying to hide the fact that all night I kept thinking that I was going to really mess this up in court. So we get to the court room and wait in the court room for about 30 minutes before the judge walks in. And then it begins.....
They asked basic question to start and then it was all on me! From the time we went into court until we finished, I was very calm. I did mess up a little on the medical information we got on Lex, but overall I did very good. My question time was much shorter than expected and I had to explain what a Children's Pastor was. I guess over here the church does not minister to children. Then it was Abby's turn and she got more questions than I did. She did great, expected she talks with her hands too much and she wouldn't keep them still.
After our questions the prosecutor stood and read her opinion of what she heard in court. All remarks were good. Then the social worker stood gave her opinion about the adoption. We found out that they offered Lex to 8 families and no one wanted him. They also ran his picture on the TV station showing the orphans and no one called about him. She then went on to read that she thought the adoption was good for Lex and approved. The judge then sent us outside so she could decide what she wanted to do.
As we waited for a few short minutes I thought about how far we have come and now we get the final say on a year long journey. The judge opened the door we walked in and stood to hear the verdict. I will cut to the chase....SHE APPROVED OUR ADOPTION OF LEX DANIEL COOK! I started to tear up but thought if I cried the judge may think something is wrong with me and change her mind.
We celebrated as much as me and Abby celebrate and hugged and thanked God for this awesome process. After we left the court we went to see Lex Daniel Cook and it was great knowing that he is now ours.
We could not have made it this far without the prayers and support of so many people. I could tell we had many people praying for us during our court hearing and thank you! It made a huge difference. We now wait 10 days for the court hearing to be finalized and then it is time to prep to come home. So it has been an emotional ride today and we both are slap tired! So if this blog made no since I am sorry. I would love to give more details but this blog is long enough already. God is good and without Him none of this would be possible.
The ride to court was very quiet, except the times I told Abby, "I got to get my game face on." This was me trying to hide the fact that all night I kept thinking that I was going to really mess this up in court. So we get to the court room and wait in the court room for about 30 minutes before the judge walks in. And then it begins.....
They asked basic question to start and then it was all on me! From the time we went into court until we finished, I was very calm. I did mess up a little on the medical information we got on Lex, but overall I did very good. My question time was much shorter than expected and I had to explain what a Children's Pastor was. I guess over here the church does not minister to children. Then it was Abby's turn and she got more questions than I did. She did great, expected she talks with her hands too much and she wouldn't keep them still.
After our questions the prosecutor stood and read her opinion of what she heard in court. All remarks were good. Then the social worker stood gave her opinion about the adoption. We found out that they offered Lex to 8 families and no one wanted him. They also ran his picture on the TV station showing the orphans and no one called about him. She then went on to read that she thought the adoption was good for Lex and approved. The judge then sent us outside so she could decide what she wanted to do.
As we waited for a few short minutes I thought about how far we have come and now we get the final say on a year long journey. The judge opened the door we walked in and stood to hear the verdict. I will cut to the chase....SHE APPROVED OUR ADOPTION OF LEX DANIEL COOK! I started to tear up but thought if I cried the judge may think something is wrong with me and change her mind.
We celebrated as much as me and Abby celebrate and hugged and thanked God for this awesome process. After we left the court we went to see Lex Daniel Cook and it was great knowing that he is now ours.
We could not have made it this far without the prayers and support of so many people. I could tell we had many people praying for us during our court hearing and thank you! It made a huge difference. We now wait 10 days for the court hearing to be finalized and then it is time to prep to come home. So it has been an emotional ride today and we both are slap tired! So if this blog made no since I am sorry. I would love to give more details but this blog is long enough already. God is good and without Him none of this would be possible.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
It all comes down to this......
While many of you are reading this we are TRYING to get a good night sleep before the biggest day of our life with Lex. While many of you are heading to church tomorrow night we will be heading to court. Now that I think about it that way, what better place could we have the people who have support us through this process, other than in church praying for us. I hope that each of you will take some time tomorrow, especially around 7:00 pm to pray for us while we are in court.
We found out today that the man goes first and many of the questions are to him. I know that is the way it should be, but I also know a lot is riding on this one final hour. I keep reminding myself of the great things God has done up to this point. I also know that He has brought us this far and He is not going to leave us know. As big and bad as I like to act, I will admit this is a little nerve racking.
It all comes down to this....this one hour....this final hour. We were told it will take about an hour to answer the questions then we will leave the room. The judge will make her decision and then we will be ask to come back in to hear the verdict.
So tomorrow please pray that we will not be nervous, that the judge will hear our hearts, that God will speak through us, and most of all that God will get the praise and honor for this journey in our life.
-Daniel Cook
We found out today that the man goes first and many of the questions are to him. I know that is the way it should be, but I also know a lot is riding on this one final hour. I keep reminding myself of the great things God has done up to this point. I also know that He has brought us this far and He is not going to leave us know. As big and bad as I like to act, I will admit this is a little nerve racking.
It all comes down to this....this one hour....this final hour. We were told it will take about an hour to answer the questions then we will leave the room. The judge will make her decision and then we will be ask to come back in to hear the verdict.
So tomorrow please pray that we will not be nervous, that the judge will hear our hearts, that God will speak through us, and most of all that God will get the praise and honor for this journey in our life.
-Daniel Cook
Monday, September 26, 2011
So we met again...
Today was our first full day back in country. We went to sleep last night (well technically it was still afternoon..but who's counting) around 5:30. Yeah 5:30 that's pm not am. We slept until around 6:00 this morning, so we got a good 12 hours of rest. That might be the most sleep I've gotten in, how old is Mayson?...11..ok 11 years. It was great to be able to sleep for that long except Daniel had the a/c turned down on "north pole" so I froze all night even with a shirt, pajama pants, socks, and 3 blankets. Needless to say I vetoed the a/c as soon as we got up. We had a great morning until my darn straightener broke. Apparently the luggage people were not very nice to my luggage because my ridiculously expensive straightener came out in 2 separate pieces. If you've seen me lately, you know my hair desperately requires a straightener. Oh well, it is what it is.
We got to Skype the kiddos this morning. They were just getting home from school and we caught them before we had to run out the door. We had a good talk. They all were happy. So much so that Micah and Levi spent very little time talking to us and more time playing with their cousins. That's a good sign though that they aren't missing us too much. It really helped to be able to talk to them and tell them we love them.
After catching up and scoffing down a cream cheese bagel and Coke, we were off to the baby home. Seeing Lex again was a little surreal for me. We've been gone almost 3 months and every day when we were home, I would think "What's he doing right now?" I'd do the math on the time difference and picture him doing whatever part of his daily routine he should've been doing at that moment....which was usually sleeping. It was so weird to have spent so much time picturing him and then all of a sudden walk in and actually see him sitting there eating lunch. He's grown since we left. He's gotten taller and gotten more hair and teeth. He has 8 and a half teeth now and it looked like he had gotten a hair cut. He looked at us and just stared for a good minute or so. He looked like "I think I've seen them before" and he was trying to figure out where. The baby home has gotten more children since we left so he had been moved to a new room. They cleaned him up, dressed him and then handed him to me. We stayed in his room and played with him for about 2 hours. It did not take us long to realize that while we were gone, our baby learned to walk. He can stand up all by himself and walk. He is so confident and strong. I was so impressed, but selfishly part of me was hoping he couldn't quite do it on his own yet. Taking their first steps is one of those milestones every parent waits for, and Lex took his without us. That's super selfish I know, but I hate that I missed that part of his life. It makes me think though of all the milestones we will be a part of. I can't wait to see what God has planned for this precious baby boy.
After lunch, we had our medical exams. It would be the understatement of the year to say that it was a little awkward. We went in a little room with 8 doctors. 2 of them asked us questions about our mental state, drinking, smoking, jobs, children, etc....1 of them looked like some detective off of a New York cop drama (black leather jacket, shirt unbuttoned on top) Then... in came the calvary. There were 2 small beds. 1 behind a curtain (if you could call it a curtain) and 1 in the open. I got the "curtained" one. I was instructed (in Russian) to undress from the waist up. After being examined and having my breathing and blood pressure checked, the last doctor had me stand up, close my eyes, and touch my fingertips to my nose. Then I had to squat down and up. It was the most interesting medical exam I've ever had (kind of comical too). But...we passed...again. That was I think the 5 or so medical exam we've done. Guess they had to see for themselves.....So, tomorrow it's back to see Lex and then court preparations. Can't wait!! 23 days and counting....
We got to Skype the kiddos this morning. They were just getting home from school and we caught them before we had to run out the door. We had a good talk. They all were happy. So much so that Micah and Levi spent very little time talking to us and more time playing with their cousins. That's a good sign though that they aren't missing us too much. It really helped to be able to talk to them and tell them we love them.
After catching up and scoffing down a cream cheese bagel and Coke, we were off to the baby home. Seeing Lex again was a little surreal for me. We've been gone almost 3 months and every day when we were home, I would think "What's he doing right now?" I'd do the math on the time difference and picture him doing whatever part of his daily routine he should've been doing at that moment....which was usually sleeping. It was so weird to have spent so much time picturing him and then all of a sudden walk in and actually see him sitting there eating lunch. He's grown since we left. He's gotten taller and gotten more hair and teeth. He has 8 and a half teeth now and it looked like he had gotten a hair cut. He looked at us and just stared for a good minute or so. He looked like "I think I've seen them before" and he was trying to figure out where. The baby home has gotten more children since we left so he had been moved to a new room. They cleaned him up, dressed him and then handed him to me. We stayed in his room and played with him for about 2 hours. It did not take us long to realize that while we were gone, our baby learned to walk. He can stand up all by himself and walk. He is so confident and strong. I was so impressed, but selfishly part of me was hoping he couldn't quite do it on his own yet. Taking their first steps is one of those milestones every parent waits for, and Lex took his without us. That's super selfish I know, but I hate that I missed that part of his life. It makes me think though of all the milestones we will be a part of. I can't wait to see what God has planned for this precious baby boy.
After lunch, we had our medical exams. It would be the understatement of the year to say that it was a little awkward. We went in a little room with 8 doctors. 2 of them asked us questions about our mental state, drinking, smoking, jobs, children, etc....1 of them looked like some detective off of a New York cop drama (black leather jacket, shirt unbuttoned on top) Then... in came the calvary. There were 2 small beds. 1 behind a curtain (if you could call it a curtain) and 1 in the open. I got the "curtained" one. I was instructed (in Russian) to undress from the waist up. After being examined and having my breathing and blood pressure checked, the last doctor had me stand up, close my eyes, and touch my fingertips to my nose. Then I had to squat down and up. It was the most interesting medical exam I've ever had (kind of comical too). But...we passed...again. That was I think the 5 or so medical exam we've done. Guess they had to see for themselves.....So, tomorrow it's back to see Lex and then court preparations. Can't wait!! 23 days and counting....
Sunday, September 25, 2011
We are here!
We are officially here! We made it after what seems like 2 days of being on an airplane. Quick dinner and shower tonight. Up early tomorrow to go see Lex. We will visit him tomorrow and do our medical exams. We should get to see him again on Wednesday and then court Thursday morning. Court is at 10:00 am Thursday morning so make sure you pray for favor with the judge. We are 15 hours ahead so 10:00 am here Thursday will be 7:00pm Wednesday for everyone at home. Keep us and Lex in your prayers. Can't wait to see him again.
24 days and counting...
This trip has been a long time in the making...almost a year in fact. As we sit here in Seoul, South Korea awaiting our next flight, I am missing my children more than anything else in the world...ALL of them. I miss Mayson, Micah, Colby, and Levi so much it hurts, but I also miss Lex just as much. Everyone kept asking us before we left if we were excited, and the answer, though I didn't always give it so convincingly was YES!! We are beside ourselves with the excitement and anticipation of bring Lex home. God has worked in a miraculous way in the lives of our family to bring this little boy home to us. We absolutely cannot wait to see him this week and get to hold him again after being gone for 3 months. So many questions...so much still to do. On the other side of that same coin though are 4 sweet babies at home wishing Mama and Daddy could be there and us wishing we could too. It's so strange to be so filled with joy and so filled with sadness at the same time.
Let me just say that Daniel and I have the most amazing parents any couple could ask for. They are such a blessing to our family, and honestly without them there is no way we could do this. As much as we miss our 4 at home, we know they are in good hands and will be fine until we get back. It's funny how your heart and your mind often times are in such opposition to each other. My mind knows that my children are fine. That they are probably laughing right now and playing together. Micah and Colby are probably fighting over something or playing house together, and Levi is probably playing with a ball or bat. Mayson is probably outside kicking the soccer ball or running around the block with her dad. I KNOW they are fine, but my heart still wants to be there in those moments to laugh with them, or break up their fight, or throw the ball, or play outside. It's all just such a strange emotion.
The joy of this occasion I know, in the end, will erase any small memory of sadness we feel now. And seeing their new baby brother for the first time will erase it in the memories of Mayson, Micah, Colby, and Levi as well. I can't wait to come up that escalator in Atlanta and see them all standing there. I can't wait to see there faces as they lay eyes on Lex for the first time. This trip has been a long time coming, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I know the end will be here soon enough. 24 days and counting....
Let me just say that Daniel and I have the most amazing parents any couple could ask for. They are such a blessing to our family, and honestly without them there is no way we could do this. As much as we miss our 4 at home, we know they are in good hands and will be fine until we get back. It's funny how your heart and your mind often times are in such opposition to each other. My mind knows that my children are fine. That they are probably laughing right now and playing together. Micah and Colby are probably fighting over something or playing house together, and Levi is probably playing with a ball or bat. Mayson is probably outside kicking the soccer ball or running around the block with her dad. I KNOW they are fine, but my heart still wants to be there in those moments to laugh with them, or break up their fight, or throw the ball, or play outside. It's all just such a strange emotion.
The joy of this occasion I know, in the end, will erase any small memory of sadness we feel now. And seeing their new baby brother for the first time will erase it in the memories of Mayson, Micah, Colby, and Levi as well. I can't wait to come up that escalator in Atlanta and see them all standing there. I can't wait to see there faces as they lay eyes on Lex for the first time. This trip has been a long time coming, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I know the end will be here soon enough. 24 days and counting....
Monday, August 29, 2011
Still Waiting
It's now almost September and we are still waiting on a court date. We are told we will be going back in September, but we are not sure when. Hopefully we will get our court date at the latest next week. Lex's will celebrate his 1st birthday on Oct. 13th. Daniel and I are praying he gest to celebrate that birthday in the United States. I've done the math and Lex has been waiting on us for exactly 60 days. That is 8 weeks and 4 days. He will be waiting I would guess another 2 weeks minimum. A few people have asked how I have felt since I've been home. It's hard to really put it into words. When we left Lex, needless to say, it was REALLY tough. Over the past 8 weeks, I have thought of him every day...always doing the math (13 hours ahead for them)...wondering what he is doing...if they have shown him our picture or talked to him about us. This week though, Lex has been on my mind constantly. I wake up thinking about him, go to sleep with him on my mind, think of him during school. I'm not sure why God is laying him on my heart so much so many times a day. It is such a helpless feeling. Knowing that there is some reason why your child needs you so much, but not knowing why or being able to do anything about it is an awful feeling. This whole thing has been huge lesson in faith for me. These last few weeks seem to be my biggest lesson yet. This is my lesson in trusting God to see this thing through....to guide me in my prayers for him...to help me be the mother he needs.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
9 months today
Lex,
You are 9 months old today. I didn't realize it before, but you were born on October 13, 2010 and we began our journey to you on October 10, 2010. God is so amazing!
Your daddy preached about you tonight at church. He shared the story of this journey God has put us on to bring you into our family. He started at the beginning and explained the process we have gone through...from the calling God placed on us to our first meeting with you. It was strange to think about what you were doing in that moment as we were all talking about you. I miss you so much. I wish tonight we were celebrating this milestone in your first year of life together. I wish I could hold you tonight and tell you how special you are, how much you've grown, how much you've changed. You have had a tough first year of life, but God has so much more planned for you. He has seen you and chosen you for a special purpose. Your daddy talked tonight about how we are all adopted by God. How he paid the ultimate price for us all, how he has chosen us to be his children. You, sweet boy, have given us such a new perspective on God' love for us. Even as a tiny baby, you have taught us so much what it means to love unconditionally.
Through you, we have learned what God truly means when he said we are a "chosen people". That we are adopted to be His children. As I sit here tonight thinking about you and wishing above all else that you were here with us, I know that God has already adopted you. That you ARE loved. That you ARE wanted. Not just by us, but by the greatest Father anyone could ever ask for. We are so humbled and grateful that God has chosen us to be your parents, but nothing we could ever give you could ever compare to the love God has already shown you. I pray tonight that when you are old enough to understand the unusual journey God took us all on to bring us together, that you will understand exactly how much He loves you and that He "knew the plans He has for you" even before you were born. I love you. I will see you soon.
Love,
Mama
You are 9 months old today. I didn't realize it before, but you were born on October 13, 2010 and we began our journey to you on October 10, 2010. God is so amazing!
Your daddy preached about you tonight at church. He shared the story of this journey God has put us on to bring you into our family. He started at the beginning and explained the process we have gone through...from the calling God placed on us to our first meeting with you. It was strange to think about what you were doing in that moment as we were all talking about you. I miss you so much. I wish tonight we were celebrating this milestone in your first year of life together. I wish I could hold you tonight and tell you how special you are, how much you've grown, how much you've changed. You have had a tough first year of life, but God has so much more planned for you. He has seen you and chosen you for a special purpose. Your daddy talked tonight about how we are all adopted by God. How he paid the ultimate price for us all, how he has chosen us to be his children. You, sweet boy, have given us such a new perspective on God' love for us. Even as a tiny baby, you have taught us so much what it means to love unconditionally.
Through you, we have learned what God truly means when he said we are a "chosen people". That we are adopted to be His children. As I sit here tonight thinking about you and wishing above all else that you were here with us, I know that God has already adopted you. That you ARE loved. That you ARE wanted. Not just by us, but by the greatest Father anyone could ever ask for. We are so humbled and grateful that God has chosen us to be your parents, but nothing we could ever give you could ever compare to the love God has already shown you. I pray tonight that when you are old enough to understand the unusual journey God took us all on to bring us together, that you will understand exactly how much He loves you and that He "knew the plans He has for you" even before you were born. I love you. I will see you soon.
Love,
Mama
Monday, July 4, 2011
Not sure what normal is...
Well, we are home. Daniel and I got home Sunday about 6:30pm. It was a VERY long trip home. After an extremely long and uncomfortable flight to Moscow, a terrible night's sleep, and another long and uncomfortable flight home on Sunday, we were feeling a little out of sorts to say the least. It was great to see all the kids again. We missed them so much while we were away. To say they were happy to see us, would be an understatement. Nothing beats coming in the door and having them run up to you and yell "Mommy!"It really was great to be home. So, we were back.....now to get things back to normal. The problem now is though that I'm not really sure what normal is anymore. You know, before, it was like Lex was just "out there" somewhere. A baby that would be here "some day". A son God had chosen for us, but wasn't here "yet." But now.....
Now, he is so real. He is ours. We have held him, fed him, played with him, sang to him, and kissed him. He has become our son....one of our children....a part of our family. How do we do normal without him here? I knew leaving him would be hard. I knew I would worry about him, be impatient to bring him home. What I didn't bargain for was this huge hole that leaving him has left in me. I miss him more than I can ever describe to anyone else. He consumes my thoughts. "What time is it in Vladivostok right now? (and then I start adding 15 hours to our time) What would Lex be doing? Oh, he's eating lunch right now. or It's his naptime."
I love our children, and I hate the thought of leaving them for 3 weeks (that's how long our next trip will be). The thought of leaving them for that long makes me feel sick. I feel so torn. I can't wait to leave, but I don't want to. My heart is just so divided. I know it will be worth it. Something Irina said to me during our trip just keeps playing over and over again in my head. I asked her how to say "I love you" in Russian. She told me (it was something crazy that I couldn't say). When I asked her to repeat it, she said...
"Just say it in English. He will understand. He's never heard anyone say that to him--even in Russian--so he wouldn't know what it meant anyway. Just say it and he'll know. Kids just feel things."
Those words come to my mind every time I think of Lex. At 9 months old, he's never heard the words "I love you". Those will be the first words I say to him next time I get to hold my baby boy. I can only hope that in the short amount of time we got to spend with him, he felt it.
So,we are home and we are doing normal again as best we can....We'll keep doing this "normal"until we can actually have our whole family together and show Lex what "normal" really looks like (at least normal in the Cook house :) Can't wait!!
Now, he is so real. He is ours. We have held him, fed him, played with him, sang to him, and kissed him. He has become our son....one of our children....a part of our family. How do we do normal without him here? I knew leaving him would be hard. I knew I would worry about him, be impatient to bring him home. What I didn't bargain for was this huge hole that leaving him has left in me. I miss him more than I can ever describe to anyone else. He consumes my thoughts. "What time is it in Vladivostok right now? (and then I start adding 15 hours to our time) What would Lex be doing? Oh, he's eating lunch right now. or It's his naptime."
I love our children, and I hate the thought of leaving them for 3 weeks (that's how long our next trip will be). The thought of leaving them for that long makes me feel sick. I feel so torn. I can't wait to leave, but I don't want to. My heart is just so divided. I know it will be worth it. Something Irina said to me during our trip just keeps playing over and over again in my head. I asked her how to say "I love you" in Russian. She told me (it was something crazy that I couldn't say). When I asked her to repeat it, she said...
"Just say it in English. He will understand. He's never heard anyone say that to him--even in Russian--so he wouldn't know what it meant anyway. Just say it and he'll know. Kids just feel things."
Those words come to my mind every time I think of Lex. At 9 months old, he's never heard the words "I love you". Those will be the first words I say to him next time I get to hold my baby boy. I can only hope that in the short amount of time we got to spend with him, he felt it.
So,we are home and we are doing normal again as best we can....We'll keep doing this "normal"until we can actually have our whole family together and show Lex what "normal" really looks like (at least normal in the Cook house :) Can't wait!!
Friday, July 1, 2011
A Few Thoughts From Dad
Today we did not get to see Lex, because we had to make sure we signed the papers to say we were adopting him. If we missed this it would put us out another month having to get things signed and translated. With the President still around it made it hard to travel, so we played it safe. As we were sitting eating lunch enjoying ourselves, I couldn't help but think, "What is Lex doing right now?" It will be a long three months (that is when we hope to return) because this thought will continue to arise.
Irina, who has been great, keeps making a statement..."The blind say we will see." This is an interesting place with an interesting history. The history continues to impact the way people think and act today. There is so much truth to this statement just referring to the people here and God, it is too much to write about. So I will stick to this statement and its relation to Lex and us.
As we started on this journey we knew there would be some hard times and difficult decisions. We understand that not everyone comprehends our decision to take on the task of adoption. To be honest, sometimes I wondered myself if we got into something to big for us. Back home and even here we get asked the questions; Why do you want to adopt if you can have kids? Do you need more kids? How can you support a family of 7 with your salaries? People are blind to the opportunity we have been given to change a life forever. People only look at surface situations of us and not the life that can be changed forever. I myself, sometimes have allowed myself to be blinded to the awesome calling God has placed on us to do this.
We continue to have a long road ahead of us. We have more paper work, travel again, more hurdles to jump through, money, and court. This week God has confirmed this decision with me so many times. As you have read in the previous post, the journey was not the easiest. Times with travel and other things here, were not always smooth. But when we had the few hours to spend with Lex nothing else mattered. His cool outfits, his laughter, his smile, the funny noises he makes, and most of all his kisses have made every dollar, paper, test, and trial more than worth it. The hard part was saying goodbye. Abby will find this out the same time you do, but I had to walk away or stop talking many of times to keep from crying. It is tears of joy, for the life I love as my own, and also sadness because yesterday was the last time I will see him for probably 3 months.
We asked our translator how to say "I Love You.". She told us and of course we have no idea how to say it. Then she made the statement that will stick with me for the next few months. She said it does not matter how you say it to Lex. He has never heard someone say that to him and it doesn't matter how you say it...he will know what you are saying when he hears it. Not only the thought of any child having to live a life like this, but now I love this child who has to live this life for the next few months. We have fallen in love with this child, but just knowing he had a life like this is hard to swallow.
So as the saying goes, "The blind say we will see." People question our decision and sometimes I question how we things will work out. I know it is a lot of work, miles, and money. The great thing about it all is...I serve a God who can make the blind see. When He calls us to something he will provide a way. The people here will see how great my God is as he continues to show himself strong. I will trust in God even when I cannot see, because I know he has called me to do this. And one day, the ones who do not understand this will also see, when we arrive in a few months with Lex. They will see a life forever changed, a boy who loves to laugh, loves to smile, and loves to give kisses! That day the blind will see God's greatest and we will look back and see him holding us through it all.
Irina, who has been great, keeps making a statement..."The blind say we will see." This is an interesting place with an interesting history. The history continues to impact the way people think and act today. There is so much truth to this statement just referring to the people here and God, it is too much to write about. So I will stick to this statement and its relation to Lex and us.
As we started on this journey we knew there would be some hard times and difficult decisions. We understand that not everyone comprehends our decision to take on the task of adoption. To be honest, sometimes I wondered myself if we got into something to big for us. Back home and even here we get asked the questions; Why do you want to adopt if you can have kids? Do you need more kids? How can you support a family of 7 with your salaries? People are blind to the opportunity we have been given to change a life forever. People only look at surface situations of us and not the life that can be changed forever. I myself, sometimes have allowed myself to be blinded to the awesome calling God has placed on us to do this.
We continue to have a long road ahead of us. We have more paper work, travel again, more hurdles to jump through, money, and court. This week God has confirmed this decision with me so many times. As you have read in the previous post, the journey was not the easiest. Times with travel and other things here, were not always smooth. But when we had the few hours to spend with Lex nothing else mattered. His cool outfits, his laughter, his smile, the funny noises he makes, and most of all his kisses have made every dollar, paper, test, and trial more than worth it. The hard part was saying goodbye. Abby will find this out the same time you do, but I had to walk away or stop talking many of times to keep from crying. It is tears of joy, for the life I love as my own, and also sadness because yesterday was the last time I will see him for probably 3 months.
We asked our translator how to say "I Love You.". She told us and of course we have no idea how to say it. Then she made the statement that will stick with me for the next few months. She said it does not matter how you say it to Lex. He has never heard someone say that to him and it doesn't matter how you say it...he will know what you are saying when he hears it. Not only the thought of any child having to live a life like this, but now I love this child who has to live this life for the next few months. We have fallen in love with this child, but just knowing he had a life like this is hard to swallow.
So as the saying goes, "The blind say we will see." People question our decision and sometimes I question how we things will work out. I know it is a lot of work, miles, and money. The great thing about it all is...I serve a God who can make the blind see. When He calls us to something he will provide a way. The people here will see how great my God is as he continues to show himself strong. I will trust in God even when I cannot see, because I know he has called me to do this. And one day, the ones who do not understand this will also see, when we arrive in a few months with Lex. They will see a life forever changed, a boy who loves to laugh, loves to smile, and loves to give kisses! That day the blind will see God's greatest and we will look back and see him holding us through it all.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Day 3- Seeing Lex again
Today started off very interesting. We were supposed to leave the good ol' Vlad Inn at 8:00 to be there by 10 to see Lex. We did not get to leave the hotel until around 9:15 because the President was staying in a building that is about 50 yards from the front gate. There were military and police everywhere. They weren't letting anyone in or out of the hotel grounds. Finally Irina, our facilitator, got in to get us and then we had to walk about 1/2 a mile down the street to where they made her park her car. They weren't going to let us out at first, but Irina worked her magic and they let us go. She is AMAZING!! She has been such a blessing. She speaks amazing English and is very well-connected. She has made this trip feel so safe and stress free. After we leave, I will continue to pray for her and the work she does. There is truly a special place for her in heaven.
We finally made it to the baby home around 11:00 (only an hour late). We were afraid we would only get to visit for an hour, but we ended up staying until 1:00. I was wondering all morning if Lex would recognize us. Yesterday when we met him for the first few minutes he had this look of terror. He never cried, but he looked scared to death. lol. I guess he was trying to figure out who the heck these people were (especially Daniel being a man) and what were they saying (he does understand Russian). I was really hoping not to see that face today, but to see a face that remembered his mom and dad. They brought him to us bundled up because they said we could take him outside for a walk (bundled up and it was like 80 degrees outside). When I say bundled up, I mean 2 layers of clothes, shoes, and a hat. When they came through the door with him, he looked at us with a look of "Hey. I remember you!" It wasn't a bright smile, but it definitely was not a look of terror :) Thank God for small victories!
We took him outside for a while. I tried to make sure he got to experience as many things out there as I could. Besides the playground stuff, we felt wood, trees, dirt, grass, flowers (mostly he just tried to put them all in his mouth). I don't know how often he gets to go out so I tried to cram as much experience into his short outing as I could. Daniel would call me a nerd and say that's just the teacher in me, but I couldn't help it. It's like he is just this sponge that is waiting to experience this life that we all take for granted. I think back to our other children and how even as newborns we took them everywhere we went--the beach, the ballfield, church, the store, anywhere. I think of all of the experiences they have already had in their short little lives. They know the feeling of sand between their toes, water splashing around them as they swim, the fur of cats and dogs, the feeling of sunshine on their faces. I can't wait to be able to fill Lex's life with those things...to give him those experiences he otherwise would never have. I knew coming here, I wanted him. I wanted to take him far from this place and give him a life, but after today and seeing the way he wanted to learn all about the world around him and getting to share that with him, I can honestly say that I am so in love with this little boy. He has stolen my heart the way all of our children stole my heart when they were born.
After our walk, we went inside to meet with the social worker. This was a very brief meeting in which she informed us of the little info she has about his birth mother. Then.......we got to feed the big boy lunch!!! Needless to say, he ate it all. They feed him from an adult sized bowl, spoon, and cup. I made a mess! At one point I swear he baby signed "more". After lunch, we got to undress him and take some more pics. We actually got to take pics of him in the exact spot where his referral pics were taken. He LOVES being naked. I mean what guy doesn't I guess, but he loves it. He laughed and played like it was the best time he's ever had (he was probably just happy not to be sweating from all those clothes). After a few minutes they came to take him for a nap. We kissed him goodbye and he actually waved Paka (bye) to us before we left. We may get to see him again tomorrow. We aren't sure yet. We have to get to the notary on time to sign the official "We want him." papers. After that, no one can get him except his birth mother. (Hallelujah!!)
I really hope we get to see him tomorrow, but if we don't I know he is going to be okay until we get back. He seems really happy despite his surroundings, and he loves the people at the baby home. Every time any of them walk in the room, he lights up. He smiles at them and they play with him. Everyone there is amazing. It takes a special calling to be able to do the job they do, and they are absolutely amazing. I pray that God will bless them for taking care of these babies as well as they do with what little they have. On top of the great caregivers at the baby home, I know he is in God's hands. I know that is the best place to be. If he is there, nothing can touch him.
We finally made it to the baby home around 11:00 (only an hour late). We were afraid we would only get to visit for an hour, but we ended up staying until 1:00. I was wondering all morning if Lex would recognize us. Yesterday when we met him for the first few minutes he had this look of terror. He never cried, but he looked scared to death. lol. I guess he was trying to figure out who the heck these people were (especially Daniel being a man) and what were they saying (he does understand Russian). I was really hoping not to see that face today, but to see a face that remembered his mom and dad. They brought him to us bundled up because they said we could take him outside for a walk (bundled up and it was like 80 degrees outside). When I say bundled up, I mean 2 layers of clothes, shoes, and a hat. When they came through the door with him, he looked at us with a look of "Hey. I remember you!" It wasn't a bright smile, but it definitely was not a look of terror :) Thank God for small victories!
We took him outside for a while. I tried to make sure he got to experience as many things out there as I could. Besides the playground stuff, we felt wood, trees, dirt, grass, flowers (mostly he just tried to put them all in his mouth). I don't know how often he gets to go out so I tried to cram as much experience into his short outing as I could. Daniel would call me a nerd and say that's just the teacher in me, but I couldn't help it. It's like he is just this sponge that is waiting to experience this life that we all take for granted. I think back to our other children and how even as newborns we took them everywhere we went--the beach, the ballfield, church, the store, anywhere. I think of all of the experiences they have already had in their short little lives. They know the feeling of sand between their toes, water splashing around them as they swim, the fur of cats and dogs, the feeling of sunshine on their faces. I can't wait to be able to fill Lex's life with those things...to give him those experiences he otherwise would never have. I knew coming here, I wanted him. I wanted to take him far from this place and give him a life, but after today and seeing the way he wanted to learn all about the world around him and getting to share that with him, I can honestly say that I am so in love with this little boy. He has stolen my heart the way all of our children stole my heart when they were born.
After our walk, we went inside to meet with the social worker. This was a very brief meeting in which she informed us of the little info she has about his birth mother. Then.......we got to feed the big boy lunch!!! Needless to say, he ate it all. They feed him from an adult sized bowl, spoon, and cup. I made a mess! At one point I swear he baby signed "more". After lunch, we got to undress him and take some more pics. We actually got to take pics of him in the exact spot where his referral pics were taken. He LOVES being naked. I mean what guy doesn't I guess, but he loves it. He laughed and played like it was the best time he's ever had (he was probably just happy not to be sweating from all those clothes). After a few minutes they came to take him for a nap. We kissed him goodbye and he actually waved Paka (bye) to us before we left. We may get to see him again tomorrow. We aren't sure yet. We have to get to the notary on time to sign the official "We want him." papers. After that, no one can get him except his birth mother. (Hallelujah!!)
I really hope we get to see him tomorrow, but if we don't I know he is going to be okay until we get back. He seems really happy despite his surroundings, and he loves the people at the baby home. Every time any of them walk in the room, he lights up. He smiles at them and they play with him. Everyone there is amazing. It takes a special calling to be able to do the job they do, and they are absolutely amazing. I pray that God will bless them for taking care of these babies as well as they do with what little they have. On top of the great caregivers at the baby home, I know he is in God's hands. I know that is the best place to be. If he is there, nothing can touch him.
Day 2- Our first visit
Today started early for us. We were up by 6:00. It's a 2 hr drive to our destination so we had to get a head start because of the traffic. We had a great Skype with the little ones this morning. It was so good to see Micah, Colby, and Levi and hear their voices. I miss them so much already. It's a strange feeling to be so sad to be away from your children, but at the same time not want to leave because you know you would be leaving one behind. It's pretty tough emotionally.
We went for our first visit today. It made all of the mess we went through yesterday traveling seem like a tiny pebble in the road. I cannot put into words the way it felt to actually see our baby boy for the first time. All of the worrying and fear was gone as soon as I had him in my arms. I wasn't really sure how I would feel when I saw him. Would I immediately feel like he was mine? or Would I feel like I was playing with a baby somewhere like in the nursery at church? I can honestly say without hesitation that as soon I held him, I knew he was ours. I knew God has chosen him to complete our family. He is absolutely perfect!
It took him a few minutes to warm up to us, but after just a little while he was having so much fun. He took to Daniel a lot quicker than he took to me. Maybe because he hasn't seen a lot of men...maybe because he liked Daniel's beard (he was fascinated by this), or maybe they just already have that father/son connection that I prayed for. Whatever the reason, it was so amazing to watch them play. He even gave Daniel some kisses! I prayed for so long that God was not only preparing us, but that He would prepare Lex for our visit. Again God showed how faithful He is! It seemed like Lex had already chosen us just like we had already chosen him. We only got to visit for about 2 hrs. They took him away to eat lunch. I asked if I could feed him, but they said no. Hopefully tomorrow I will get to.
We will get to visit again tomorrow! Can't wait. The President is coming to visit here so the traffic is supposed to be unbelievable so we are not sure if we will get to visit again Friday. I am praying that we do. I am already dreading leaving Lex here. I am going to miss him so much. I know God will keep him safe and take care of him until we can bring him home. Praying for the patience to wait for that day.
We went for our first visit today. It made all of the mess we went through yesterday traveling seem like a tiny pebble in the road. I cannot put into words the way it felt to actually see our baby boy for the first time. All of the worrying and fear was gone as soon as I had him in my arms. I wasn't really sure how I would feel when I saw him. Would I immediately feel like he was mine? or Would I feel like I was playing with a baby somewhere like in the nursery at church? I can honestly say without hesitation that as soon I held him, I knew he was ours. I knew God has chosen him to complete our family. He is absolutely perfect!
It took him a few minutes to warm up to us, but after just a little while he was having so much fun. He took to Daniel a lot quicker than he took to me. Maybe because he hasn't seen a lot of men...maybe because he liked Daniel's beard (he was fascinated by this), or maybe they just already have that father/son connection that I prayed for. Whatever the reason, it was so amazing to watch them play. He even gave Daniel some kisses! I prayed for so long that God was not only preparing us, but that He would prepare Lex for our visit. Again God showed how faithful He is! It seemed like Lex had already chosen us just like we had already chosen him. We only got to visit for about 2 hrs. They took him away to eat lunch. I asked if I could feed him, but they said no. Hopefully tomorrow I will get to.
We will get to visit again tomorrow! Can't wait. The President is coming to visit here so the traffic is supposed to be unbelievable so we are not sure if we will get to visit again Friday. I am praying that we do. I am already dreading leaving Lex here. I am going to miss him so much. I know God will keep him safe and take care of him until we can bring him home. Praying for the patience to wait for that day.
Monday, June 27, 2011
The Neverending Day
WE MADE IT!!! Yep, we made it all the way around the world and boy do we feel like we've been all the way around the world. Our trip started Sunday morning at 10:00am when we left for Atl. We landed in our region at what would have been 6:00 pm Monday night at home. Along the way we had quite an adventure. The airport we flew into in Moscow was NOT the airport we were flying out of to get to Vlad. So Daniel and I...you know the experienced world travelers we are...had to get ourselves through Moscow about 1.5 hrs away to the other airport. This required that we take a train out of the airport to the subway in downtown Moscow. Then we had to figure out how to get on the right metro (subway) to get to another train station to take a train ride to the right airport. Each train ride was 35 min and the subway was supposed to take about 10 min. Weeellll, 4 metros and about 30 minutes later we emerged at the train station to take our last 35 min train ride to the airport. Sounds easy enough right? Problem is EVERYTHING in Russia is written, well, in Russian. If you've ever seen Russian you know it doesn't look anything like the word sounds in English. We were armed with a Russian map that a kind lady had so graciously circled our destinations on. We finally made it, and took off for the last 1/2 of the trip.
First flight= 10 hrs.
Moscow adventure= 2.5 hrs
Second flight= 9 hrs
Did I mention that the entire time we were traveling, it was daylight? Yep, no nighttime for like 48 straight hours. Really weird feeling.
Our coordinator met us at the airport and took us to the hotel. They told us the roads here were awful. Well, awful ain't the word. It took us 2.5 hrs to go about 10 miles. There are NO traffic laws, no lanes, no pavement, and no even roads. It was a very interesting trip to say the least.
Once we got to the hotel, we met a very nice couple from California and ran some errands with them. Our first errand was going to the Ministry of Education to get permission to visit the baby home tomorrow. We were both pretty nervous. The lady asked us some basic "Why did you want to adopt when you already have 4 kids?" questions. The same one a lot of you have asked, only she did it in a much less friendly tone. Russia is a very interesting place. Very different from America, but interesting in its own way.
We are going to bed early tonight. Just ordered room service and plan to hit the sack in a little bit. We have to be ready by 7:45 tomorrow morning to make the 2.5 hr drive to the baby home to see Lex. Can't wait to meet him. God has shown me just in the short time we've been here how he has this baby planned just for us. Can't wait to share it with all of you. We miss you and we love you! Say a prayer for us tomorrow.
Good night from the Vlad Inn!!
First flight= 10 hrs.
Moscow adventure= 2.5 hrs
Second flight= 9 hrs
Did I mention that the entire time we were traveling, it was daylight? Yep, no nighttime for like 48 straight hours. Really weird feeling.
Our coordinator met us at the airport and took us to the hotel. They told us the roads here were awful. Well, awful ain't the word. It took us 2.5 hrs to go about 10 miles. There are NO traffic laws, no lanes, no pavement, and no even roads. It was a very interesting trip to say the least.
Once we got to the hotel, we met a very nice couple from California and ran some errands with them. Our first errand was going to the Ministry of Education to get permission to visit the baby home tomorrow. We were both pretty nervous. The lady asked us some basic "Why did you want to adopt when you already have 4 kids?" questions. The same one a lot of you have asked, only she did it in a much less friendly tone. Russia is a very interesting place. Very different from America, but interesting in its own way.
We are going to bed early tonight. Just ordered room service and plan to hit the sack in a little bit. We have to be ready by 7:45 tomorrow morning to make the 2.5 hr drive to the baby home to see Lex. Can't wait to meet him. God has shown me just in the short time we've been here how he has this baby planned just for us. Can't wait to share it with all of you. We miss you and we love you! Say a prayer for us tomorrow.
Good night from the Vlad Inn!!
Friday, June 24, 2011
The ups and downs and then ups again...
It has been an eventful 3 weeks around the Cook house to say the least...Should I start with Daniel's kidney stone, traveling and then not traveling and then traveling again, or maybe VBS?? I guess it's easiest if I start with the beginning.
Daniel, my husband who never ever does anything halfway, went and grew himself the world's largest kidney stone. When I say big I mean like over a cm. Apparently in the world of kidney stones, that's like Mt. Everest. So needless to say..he was in ALOT of pain. During the course of 2 weeks we made 3 trips to the ER, had 3 procedures that required him to be put to sleep, filled about 10 different prescriptions, and had somewhere around 5 visits to the doctor's office. As hectic as all of this was I learned a lot about our little lives....First, I learned that we have the most amazing group of family and friends. So often so many people around us go overlooked because of the chaos that is our life, but God just made us stop for a while and depend on some of these precious people to get us through this time. We had dear friends that were willing fill in for Daniel several times at church, go out of their way to keep our children during procedures and emergencies, offer to bring us food, or keep me company at the hospital while I waited on news about Daniel. God even spoke to me during VBS. He allowed me to talk with an amazing woman of God in our church who has adopted. She just shared with me so much wisdom and perspective that I needed to hear. She could understand my fears and knew a lot of what I was dealing with without me having to even say it. We are just so blessed to be surrounded by people who genuinely show the love for others that God has called them to.
Second, I learned that God really does order every single one of our steps...
During the kidney stone ordeal, we got a call that we would probably be traveling this upcoming week. Honestly, I was so excited but really freaked out at the same time. Daniel was so sick, and we had no idea when he would be better. We knew we couldn't reschedule our first visit. (It isn't one of those things where you can say "Ummm, sorry. That week just doesn't really fit my schedule. Let's do it another time.") When they say go....you go. So, we just prayed that God would work it all out and put it in His hands. Keep in mind, Daniel is supposed to be preparing for VBS during all of this which is no small chore. Again....we put it in God's hands.
Ok, so a week or so later, we get a call that we in fact are not going to travel this week because there is a typo in our homestudy. (Yes, a typo) The same homestudy that was proofed by at least 3 people, 1 of whom was myself. The next to last line said Mr. and Mrs. Baker instead of Cook. It was a standard blah, blah, blah paragraph that only changes the name with each homestudy and nothing else. Well, our social worker forgot to paste our names in and we all didn't read the whole thing. So, not traveling for at least 2-3 more weeks. Really, really bummed, but really trying to trust God and not question.
.....To be real, I was so very upset. I couldn't understand why all of this was happening. Why was Daniel having such a hard time beating this kidney stone. Why did they tell me I was traveling, and then call me only to say "Not so fast..."? Why did it seem like all of my prayers were just hitting the ceiling? If I'm being completely honest with myself, I was at a point where I didn't know if God was really listening, or was really working, really saw me at all. I mean I knew it in my head, but knowing it in your head and truly trusting God completely in your heart are two VERY different things. So, one Thursday night, at during Micah's t-ball party at the church, I snuck off to the sanctuary. I just felt like I needed to get alone with God and I hadn't been to the alter in a long time. I went in to the dimly lit, silent room and immediately just felt God's presence. I knelt there and poured my heart out to God. I gave him all of my frustrations, and fears, and worries, and questions. I laid them all on that altar, and told Him I was leaving them there. I cried in His presence for the first time in a while. When I left there, I knew He had heard me, that He was listening, and that He did care. When I got home that night, I was reading my Bible and I came across the verse that talks about "walking by faith, and not by sight". Holy moly did I need that one. I remembered something that I had forgotten from the beginning of our adoption journey....
This whole road is a walk of faith for us. We knew from the beginning that we could not adopt our son without a miracle from God. This was in every sense of the word "a leap of faith"and it still is. He is reminding me of that daily, but He also reminds me daily to "walk by faith, and not by sight."
So now the end of our crazy 3 weeks is here, and God is again so unbelievably faithful. Daniel is fine again, VBS went great, and we got a call last Thursday saying we ARE traveling this week, and while I was extremely worried about getting our visas here on time, they are scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning!! Since Friday, we have booked our flights, had a "cultural session" with our adoption agency, overnighted and paid $200 extra for our visas to get into Russia, packed, scheduled babysitters for our children for 8 days, and somehow managed to make it through VBS. It's amazing the things you can do when God is in control!!
We are flying out Sunday (June 26th) from Atlanta and will be in Vladivostok, Russia on Tuesday (June 28th). We are finally going to meet our son Alexsy (We are going to name him Lex). I am excited beyond words. This is so much different that being pregnant. I don't know if I can ever truly express it. (I'll save it for another post on another day). Today, I just want to write down some of the roller coaster memories of our adoption, and look forward to next week when I get to hold my new baby boy for the first time. One of my very good friends said to me today "This is just like child birth. You are going to go through some pain to get him here, but one day he will be here and you won't remember the pain anymore."
Lord,
Thank you God so much for the lessons You have taught me over the past 3 weeks. I am so sorry for the times I have worried, and been angry, and questioned why You weren't doing things the way I thought they should be done. Who am I, Lord, to question Your sovereignty? I trust You completely with this adoption, and with my family. I know Lex is better in Your hands than He will ever be in mine. I know You have every step of and every need of this adoption planned. I thank You that You love me enough to teach me new things and allow me to go through trials that will bring me closer to You. Keep Daniel and I safe as we travel this week. We leave Mayson, Micah, Colby, and Levi in Your hands. Prepare our hearts to meet our son, and prepare his little heart to meet us. Give us favor and go before us in every interaction and situation. Continue to teach me and build my faith in You. I love you Lord. ---Amen
Daniel, my husband who never ever does anything halfway, went and grew himself the world's largest kidney stone. When I say big I mean like over a cm. Apparently in the world of kidney stones, that's like Mt. Everest. So needless to say..he was in ALOT of pain. During the course of 2 weeks we made 3 trips to the ER, had 3 procedures that required him to be put to sleep, filled about 10 different prescriptions, and had somewhere around 5 visits to the doctor's office. As hectic as all of this was I learned a lot about our little lives....First, I learned that we have the most amazing group of family and friends. So often so many people around us go overlooked because of the chaos that is our life, but God just made us stop for a while and depend on some of these precious people to get us through this time. We had dear friends that were willing fill in for Daniel several times at church, go out of their way to keep our children during procedures and emergencies, offer to bring us food, or keep me company at the hospital while I waited on news about Daniel. God even spoke to me during VBS. He allowed me to talk with an amazing woman of God in our church who has adopted. She just shared with me so much wisdom and perspective that I needed to hear. She could understand my fears and knew a lot of what I was dealing with without me having to even say it. We are just so blessed to be surrounded by people who genuinely show the love for others that God has called them to.
Second, I learned that God really does order every single one of our steps...
During the kidney stone ordeal, we got a call that we would probably be traveling this upcoming week. Honestly, I was so excited but really freaked out at the same time. Daniel was so sick, and we had no idea when he would be better. We knew we couldn't reschedule our first visit. (It isn't one of those things where you can say "Ummm, sorry. That week just doesn't really fit my schedule. Let's do it another time.") When they say go....you go. So, we just prayed that God would work it all out and put it in His hands. Keep in mind, Daniel is supposed to be preparing for VBS during all of this which is no small chore. Again....we put it in God's hands.
Ok, so a week or so later, we get a call that we in fact are not going to travel this week because there is a typo in our homestudy. (Yes, a typo) The same homestudy that was proofed by at least 3 people, 1 of whom was myself. The next to last line said Mr. and Mrs. Baker instead of Cook. It was a standard blah, blah, blah paragraph that only changes the name with each homestudy and nothing else. Well, our social worker forgot to paste our names in and we all didn't read the whole thing. So, not traveling for at least 2-3 more weeks. Really, really bummed, but really trying to trust God and not question.
.....To be real, I was so very upset. I couldn't understand why all of this was happening. Why was Daniel having such a hard time beating this kidney stone. Why did they tell me I was traveling, and then call me only to say "Not so fast..."? Why did it seem like all of my prayers were just hitting the ceiling? If I'm being completely honest with myself, I was at a point where I didn't know if God was really listening, or was really working, really saw me at all. I mean I knew it in my head, but knowing it in your head and truly trusting God completely in your heart are two VERY different things. So, one Thursday night, at during Micah's t-ball party at the church, I snuck off to the sanctuary. I just felt like I needed to get alone with God and I hadn't been to the alter in a long time. I went in to the dimly lit, silent room and immediately just felt God's presence. I knelt there and poured my heart out to God. I gave him all of my frustrations, and fears, and worries, and questions. I laid them all on that altar, and told Him I was leaving them there. I cried in His presence for the first time in a while. When I left there, I knew He had heard me, that He was listening, and that He did care. When I got home that night, I was reading my Bible and I came across the verse that talks about "walking by faith, and not by sight". Holy moly did I need that one. I remembered something that I had forgotten from the beginning of our adoption journey....
This whole road is a walk of faith for us. We knew from the beginning that we could not adopt our son without a miracle from God. This was in every sense of the word "a leap of faith"and it still is. He is reminding me of that daily, but He also reminds me daily to "walk by faith, and not by sight."
So now the end of our crazy 3 weeks is here, and God is again so unbelievably faithful. Daniel is fine again, VBS went great, and we got a call last Thursday saying we ARE traveling this week, and while I was extremely worried about getting our visas here on time, they are scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning!! Since Friday, we have booked our flights, had a "cultural session" with our adoption agency, overnighted and paid $200 extra for our visas to get into Russia, packed, scheduled babysitters for our children for 8 days, and somehow managed to make it through VBS. It's amazing the things you can do when God is in control!!
We are flying out Sunday (June 26th) from Atlanta and will be in Vladivostok, Russia on Tuesday (June 28th). We are finally going to meet our son Alexsy (We are going to name him Lex). I am excited beyond words. This is so much different that being pregnant. I don't know if I can ever truly express it. (I'll save it for another post on another day). Today, I just want to write down some of the roller coaster memories of our adoption, and look forward to next week when I get to hold my new baby boy for the first time. One of my very good friends said to me today "This is just like child birth. You are going to go through some pain to get him here, but one day he will be here and you won't remember the pain anymore."
Lord,
Thank you God so much for the lessons You have taught me over the past 3 weeks. I am so sorry for the times I have worried, and been angry, and questioned why You weren't doing things the way I thought they should be done. Who am I, Lord, to question Your sovereignty? I trust You completely with this adoption, and with my family. I know Lex is better in Your hands than He will ever be in mine. I know You have every step of and every need of this adoption planned. I thank You that You love me enough to teach me new things and allow me to go through trials that will bring me closer to You. Keep Daniel and I safe as we travel this week. We leave Mayson, Micah, Colby, and Levi in Your hands. Prepare our hearts to meet our son, and prepare his little heart to meet us. Give us favor and go before us in every interaction and situation. Continue to teach me and build my faith in You. I love you Lord. ---Amen
Sunday, June 12, 2011
I know...it's been a while.
Sorry it's been so long since my last update. A lot has happened in the life of our little family... well, I guess it's not that little :)
Most of you already know that we have received our referral. In adoption lingo that means we have a picture and a name of our baby. A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from our agency with a referral for a beautiful, healthy baby boy. We sent the info. we had to the International Adoption Clinic at UAB. The pediatrician called me back the next day with news that brought me to tears. She could not see ANYTHING that concerned her. Looking at his pictures and reading what little medical info. we had, she was very pleased. I cannot begin to explain the joy that I felt when I heard her say that he "was one of the best referrals she has ever seen come out of that country". Daniel and I have prayed for so many months that he would be safe and healthy and taken care of. God was so faithful and has taken such good care of our son.
Honestly, there have been very few moments in my life where I can say that God has taken the form of a "burning bush" for me. There are so many times I have prayed for him to speak to me that way, but for one reason or another, he usually chooses to whisper to me rather than shout. This was one moment though that he might as well have walked right into my kitchen and sat down for a chat. Whenever I prayed for our son, I always prayed this phrase exactly..."Lord, please let our son be in an orphanage where he is picked up, loved on, and talked to." When the doctor from UAB was talking to me she said, "Abby, based on the measurements he has and how on track he is developmentally, I can tell he is in a good baby home. One where he has been PICKED UP, LOVED ON, AND TALKED TO." When she repeated back to me word for word the prayer that I prayed over our baby for so many months, I lost it. She probably thought I was crazy, but it might has well have been Jesus himself saying "Don't worry. I'm here. I've been here the whole time. I've heard you. I have your baby in my hands and he is going to be okay."
We are going to be traveling in a few weeks to meet our new baby. We still have a LONG way to go, especially financially to bring him home...One thing God has shown me through this whole process so far though is that He is listening, He is faithful, and that it's in His hands-- not mine. My favorite Bible verse is Colossians 1:17: He is above all things, and in Him all things hold together. God gave me this verse shortly before we decided to adopt, and now I know why.
Most of you already know that we have received our referral. In adoption lingo that means we have a picture and a name of our baby. A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from our agency with a referral for a beautiful, healthy baby boy. We sent the info. we had to the International Adoption Clinic at UAB. The pediatrician called me back the next day with news that brought me to tears. She could not see ANYTHING that concerned her. Looking at his pictures and reading what little medical info. we had, she was very pleased. I cannot begin to explain the joy that I felt when I heard her say that he "was one of the best referrals she has ever seen come out of that country". Daniel and I have prayed for so many months that he would be safe and healthy and taken care of. God was so faithful and has taken such good care of our son.
Honestly, there have been very few moments in my life where I can say that God has taken the form of a "burning bush" for me. There are so many times I have prayed for him to speak to me that way, but for one reason or another, he usually chooses to whisper to me rather than shout. This was one moment though that he might as well have walked right into my kitchen and sat down for a chat. Whenever I prayed for our son, I always prayed this phrase exactly..."Lord, please let our son be in an orphanage where he is picked up, loved on, and talked to." When the doctor from UAB was talking to me she said, "Abby, based on the measurements he has and how on track he is developmentally, I can tell he is in a good baby home. One where he has been PICKED UP, LOVED ON, AND TALKED TO." When she repeated back to me word for word the prayer that I prayed over our baby for so many months, I lost it. She probably thought I was crazy, but it might has well have been Jesus himself saying "Don't worry. I'm here. I've been here the whole time. I've heard you. I have your baby in my hands and he is going to be okay."
We are going to be traveling in a few weeks to meet our new baby. We still have a LONG way to go, especially financially to bring him home...One thing God has shown me through this whole process so far though is that He is listening, He is faithful, and that it's in His hands-- not mine. My favorite Bible verse is Colossians 1:17: He is above all things, and in Him all things hold together. God gave me this verse shortly before we decided to adopt, and now I know why.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
We did it!!
Today was a great day! We finally mailed in our dossier to our agency to send to Russia. We got our last piece of paperwork in yesterday and I of course already had everything else ready and waiting, so Daniel was able to get the packet in the mail today. It should get to Ohio (which is where our agency is) by tomorrow, and to Russia hopefully, next week. You would think by now I would have learned not to put any of this on a timeline. I've been saying for about 3 weeks that we were mailing our dossier in the next week. But, it IS officially sent. So now....we wait!
The next thing we will do in this adoption is see our baby boy. Soon, we will receive our referral. We will get a few pics, some medical info, and....well that's about it really. Just a few pics, his name, and a very brief medical history. Then...we travel to meet him. I am so excited. I can't wait to actually know his name and have a real little face to pray for. We have been praying for him for so long just as "our baby", "wherever he is", "whatever his is dealing with"...just general stuff, but soon we will have a face and a name and a place to pray over specifically. Just can't begin to put into words how anxious we are to meet this little boy.
We are trusting God to put OUR son into the hands of the person who is in contact with us. I truly believe that God will send us the son He has chosen for our family. We know that through Him we can face any difficulty our son will need us to face and we can overcome any delay he may need to beat. We have put all our hope and trust in God throughout this whole process, and that is what we will continue to do.
Hang on little man...we will be there soon.
The next thing we will do in this adoption is see our baby boy. Soon, we will receive our referral. We will get a few pics, some medical info, and....well that's about it really. Just a few pics, his name, and a very brief medical history. Then...we travel to meet him. I am so excited. I can't wait to actually know his name and have a real little face to pray for. We have been praying for him for so long just as "our baby", "wherever he is", "whatever his is dealing with"...just general stuff, but soon we will have a face and a name and a place to pray over specifically. Just can't begin to put into words how anxious we are to meet this little boy.
We are trusting God to put OUR son into the hands of the person who is in contact with us. I truly believe that God will send us the son He has chosen for our family. We know that through Him we can face any difficulty our son will need us to face and we can overcome any delay he may need to beat. We have put all our hope and trust in God throughout this whole process, and that is what we will continue to do.
Hang on little man...we will be there soon.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
New News
We have mailed off our dossier (which is the fancy name they use to talk about the huge stack of paperwork that goes to Russia). We mailed it to the State Dept. to get apostilled---that's adoption lingo for "super notary". It should be back tomorrow and then we are done except for that one small little thing called the homestudy. The same thing we've been working on since October. It is almost done too, just waiting on a few things to be edited and signed. Realistically, we are looking at probably the end of next week to mail everything to EAC for them to send it to Russia!!! Yeah!!!
Daniel and I both talked with our caseworker tonight. We went over everything that is our upcoming process. Our referral, first trip, second trip, third trip, and possible 4th trip. What info. we would get in our referral, what to do in country, what not to do in country, how long in between trips, how much money to take, etc...Like I said..everything that is our life in a few weeks. I have been praying that God would allow us to bring our son home by the summer. After talking with Kim tonight, that is not looking very promising, but I know God is faithful and his timing is perfect. I trust Him to bring us together at exactly the right moment. I can't wait to meet our son...I am so anxious to finally know his name, see his face, get to hold him and play with him. It's coming, just not soon enough for me :)
Our biggest prayer request right now is still for God to provide financially. We are a long way from where we need to be. We know God will provide, we are trusting only in Him. Also, please keep praying for our baby. He is waiting for us right now, needing someone to hold him and love him. Pray that God will keep him in his arms until we can get him home.
Daniel and I both talked with our caseworker tonight. We went over everything that is our upcoming process. Our referral, first trip, second trip, third trip, and possible 4th trip. What info. we would get in our referral, what to do in country, what not to do in country, how long in between trips, how much money to take, etc...Like I said..everything that is our life in a few weeks. I have been praying that God would allow us to bring our son home by the summer. After talking with Kim tonight, that is not looking very promising, but I know God is faithful and his timing is perfect. I trust Him to bring us together at exactly the right moment. I can't wait to meet our son...I am so anxious to finally know his name, see his face, get to hold him and play with him. It's coming, just not soon enough for me :)
Our biggest prayer request right now is still for God to provide financially. We are a long way from where we need to be. We know God will provide, we are trusting only in Him. Also, please keep praying for our baby. He is waiting for us right now, needing someone to hold him and love him. Pray that God will keep him in his arms until we can get him home.
Monday, February 14, 2011
We are family! (Blog 2 by Daniel)
Tonight we held our second fundraiser for the adoption; overall we had a great night. We were able to raise some money and saw people help out in different ways. As you begin to think about all the hoops we have to go through, the time it takes, and cost you wonder how this will be possible. Tonight while running around in the gym with 17 kids, 3 older students to help, and 5 adults I started to see something.
When we decided to do this we figured we could do it and ask one or two friends for help and be ok. Then we had some families in the church that said they wanted to support us in the process and wanted to come help. Then we had some students who also volunteered to sacrifice a few hours to help. We also had a few families who went beyond what we were asking and gave a little extra.
I begin to think how awesome it will be when we bring our child home for the first time and these families get to see the child they helped bring home. It will be a joyful day when it is finished and the process is over, but it will also be a joyful day for everyone who has sacrificed something to see a life changed by something they helped with.
This adoption is not only about adding one more to our personal family, but bringing another member to our church family. It was great seeing members of our church family support us in so many ways. One day soon our family will have a great day when we have our child home, but it goes far beyond just us to all the people who have are supporting our adoption through money, time, and prayer.
A believe more support is coming because we have great friends and a great church family. Thanks to everyone who has sacrificed something to help us in the process. You are making a tremendous impact in the life of a child and because of you the day is getting closer and closer for us to bring home our child.
Friday, February 11, 2011
It's my birthday!!!
Happy birthday to me!!! I'm am officially 30 today. Don't really know how I feel about it, but ready or not...it's here. Its been a great day. Everybody at work made a big deal about it (that really meant a lot), Daniel was out of the ordinary sweet to me, the kids all picked me out a gift (Colby-gum, Micah-gummy worms, Mayson-egg-shaped chapstick, Levi's too young to have an opinion) and we went to eat with my family at Logan's. My dad drove down from Albany, my brother rushed home from work an hour away, and my mom ordered me special cake just because I'm her little girl. Being able to spend my birthday surrounded by my family just talking and being together was so great. As I rode to school this morning and I was thinking about the plans we had tonight, it occurred to me how blessed I am to have a family that would go out of their way to make this day special for me. Today I was reminded how much they all truly love me. With all this fuss about me today.....
It makes me think of this child, our child, that is waiting for a family like that. Waiting for a mom and dad, sisters and brothers to go out of their way to make him know he is loved. What he doesn't realize is that he already has a family like that...our family. He doesn't realize yet that he is loved beyond anything he could even imagine right now, and that everyday we are getting closer and closer to being able to celebrate his special day....together. Can't wait!
It makes me think of this child, our child, that is waiting for a family like that. Waiting for a mom and dad, sisters and brothers to go out of their way to make him know he is loved. What he doesn't realize is that he already has a family like that...our family. He doesn't realize yet that he is loved beyond anything he could even imagine right now, and that everyday we are getting closer and closer to being able to celebrate his special day....together. Can't wait!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Adoption Video
I just watched a video of a family's adoption story. They adopted a baby boy from Ethiopia. It was such an amazing story. I cried the whole time just thinking that our baby is somewhere right now waiting for us to bring him home. It showed the moment she saw him for the first time. That gives me chills. I cant' wait for the moment when I lay eyes on him and know that all of this that God has called us to is worth it. Seeing him, I know, will make every frustration and worry disappear. The video ended with a quote that is so true:
"Following God's plan for your life will be worth it every time." Amen
Watch it if you have time. Believe me...it's amazing.
"Following God's plan for your life will be worth it every time." Amen
Watch it if you have time. Believe me...it's amazing.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
God is so cool
I can honestly say I have seen God answer prayer...not in hindsight....not from someone's testimony, but up close. Here's a long story made short...
To adopt from Russia you have to add up all the assets you have and subtract the liabilities. The difference has to be $35,000 dollars more assets than liabilities. Weeelllll...as you could probably guess, that was a bit of a concern for us. Being in your 20's with 4 kids, mortage, student loans, etc...doesn't exactly make for a whole bunch of assets just lying around. So, we've been praying about it for a while, and we found out this week that we could add something we didn't think was an asset into our assets (hopefully that makes sense) Doing that put us waaaay over the $35,000 difference we needed...That's a huge sigh of relief you hear. God has also led a few people to donate to us just kind of out of the blue. We still have a looong way to go, but we know we will get our baby here soon because like I said......God is so cool!!!
To adopt from Russia you have to add up all the assets you have and subtract the liabilities. The difference has to be $35,000 dollars more assets than liabilities. Weeelllll...as you could probably guess, that was a bit of a concern for us. Being in your 20's with 4 kids, mortage, student loans, etc...doesn't exactly make for a whole bunch of assets just lying around. So, we've been praying about it for a while, and we found out this week that we could add something we didn't think was an asset into our assets (hopefully that makes sense) Doing that put us waaaay over the $35,000 difference we needed...That's a huge sigh of relief you hear. God has also led a few people to donate to us just kind of out of the blue. We still have a looong way to go, but we know we will get our baby here soon because like I said......God is so cool!!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A few loose ends
Ok...I know its been awhile...again. Can't imagine why I don't just blog every day :) Anyhow, here's the update. We have finished our part of the homestudy. Passed the home visits and have been deemed fit parents (just a little late I think, but we'll take it) The social worker is finishing up her part and hopefully it won't take DHR forever to put the final approval on it all. Pray for that because we need the homestudy to apply for grants....to raise the money....to continue the process. It it is all starting to run together, but I know God is in control and He is always faithful.
We are about finished gathering all of the documents for the Russian packet (aka "the dossier"). Once that's done, paid for, and sent in, we should have a referral pretty quick ("they" say). We've been praying for a quick process and so far I guess it's been pretty steady, but it's like the last 3 months of pregnancy when you can see the end in site, but can't speed things up at all. I just can't wait to meet him, and I worry about him every day. My little Micah even prays for him every night that God will "keep our little brother safe while he's waiting on us to adopt him". It can't say it better myself.
Some more good news is that we've gotten in touch with another family close by that are adopting from Russia too. They are a family of 5 and are just a little ahead of us in the process. The wife and I have emailed some back and forth and exchanged prayer requests. I think this relationship will be such a blessing and I am looking forward to rejoicing with them as they bring their baby home.
So, be in prayer for them too as you pray for us and Jonathan and Jessica. It's amazing to see God calling so many to change the life of a child. Also, we are doing a fundraiser on Valentine's Day to raise money for the adoption. Keep that in your prayers too. Hope to bring more good news soon!
We are about finished gathering all of the documents for the Russian packet (aka "the dossier"). Once that's done, paid for, and sent in, we should have a referral pretty quick ("they" say). We've been praying for a quick process and so far I guess it's been pretty steady, but it's like the last 3 months of pregnancy when you can see the end in site, but can't speed things up at all. I just can't wait to meet him, and I worry about him every day. My little Micah even prays for him every night that God will "keep our little brother safe while he's waiting on us to adopt him". It can't say it better myself.
Some more good news is that we've gotten in touch with another family close by that are adopting from Russia too. They are a family of 5 and are just a little ahead of us in the process. The wife and I have emailed some back and forth and exchanged prayer requests. I think this relationship will be such a blessing and I am looking forward to rejoicing with them as they bring their baby home.
So, be in prayer for them too as you pray for us and Jonathan and Jessica. It's amazing to see God calling so many to change the life of a child. Also, we are doing a fundraiser on Valentine's Day to raise money for the adoption. Keep that in your prayers too. Hope to bring more good news soon!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
One down, One to go...we hope
So today we had our first of two (we hope) home visits by the social worker. She said she may have to make more than 2 visits. She was very nice and overall the visit wasn't really as bad as we thought it would be. She did a quick tour of the house and took lots of notes about space and different details like gas/electric, floors, safety stuff etc....Then we sat down and talked about some of the information we had submitted with the homestudy paperwork. It was all very straightforward stuff like medical history and employment. The biggest part of the conversation was.....you guessed it....money.
We spent probably 30-45 minutes discussing our financial statement. Debt/assets, loans, credit cards, discretionary funds....She asked a lot of questions about where our money goes and how much we have. As she left, we were left wondering "How will this look to the courts in Russia?" They are the ones that ultimately make the decision about whether we get to bring our baby home. I mean, Daniel and I know that our children are taken care of, our bills are always paid on time, and we have a little extra left over to do a few fun things every month, but on paper....Will their government see it?
We've been praying about this for a long time and we know God has gone before us in every step so far and He will continue to be faithful, but......Well, no but. I just have to trust in what I know (as my husband so wisely told me today) and I know that if I "lean not on my own understanding and in all ways acknowledge him, He will make my paths straight." He will continue to go before us and make a way for this to happen. A way for us to not only be accepted by the Russian government, but also to raise the money we need. I wonder....Shouldn't saving a child and bringing him into a family that will love him be about more than just money? This I'll never understand.
We spent probably 30-45 minutes discussing our financial statement. Debt/assets, loans, credit cards, discretionary funds....She asked a lot of questions about where our money goes and how much we have. As she left, we were left wondering "How will this look to the courts in Russia?" They are the ones that ultimately make the decision about whether we get to bring our baby home. I mean, Daniel and I know that our children are taken care of, our bills are always paid on time, and we have a little extra left over to do a few fun things every month, but on paper....Will their government see it?
We've been praying about this for a long time and we know God has gone before us in every step so far and He will continue to be faithful, but......Well, no but. I just have to trust in what I know (as my husband so wisely told me today) and I know that if I "lean not on my own understanding and in all ways acknowledge him, He will make my paths straight." He will continue to go before us and make a way for this to happen. A way for us to not only be accepted by the Russian government, but also to raise the money we need. I wonder....Shouldn't saving a child and bringing him into a family that will love him be about more than just money? This I'll never understand.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
More Progress
We got a call today from the social worker assigned to our case. Our form we have been waiting on for 2 months from DHR finally came in and she is coming to do her first home visit Sunday at 2:00. We are so excited, but honestly I'm a little nervous. Daniel is much more of the answer on the spot kind of person. I am not so articulate and need a little time to formulate what I think is the perfect response. Won't have that luxury Sunday. She is going to do a home inspection and begin the "interview" process....sounds scary enough right?
I know everything will be okay, but there's nothing like someone coming to evaluate whether you are ok to parent a child. Makes me a little nervous anyway. All that aside...this brings us one step closer to bringing him home. Can't wait to get it done. After these visits are done, she will write her report and then we will only have our dossier to finish. The dossier is another pile of paperwork we have to do and send to Russia. When they receive it, our end will be finished. Then...we wait.
Right now we are praying for great home visits, a great report from the social worker, and a quick finish to the dossier. We are trusting God to go before us in this...and we know he will.
I know everything will be okay, but there's nothing like someone coming to evaluate whether you are ok to parent a child. Makes me a little nervous anyway. All that aside...this brings us one step closer to bringing him home. Can't wait to get it done. After these visits are done, she will write her report and then we will only have our dossier to finish. The dossier is another pile of paperwork we have to do and send to Russia. When they receive it, our end will be finished. Then...we wait.
Right now we are praying for great home visits, a great report from the social worker, and a quick finish to the dossier. We are trusting God to go before us in this...and we know he will.
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