So very close!

Went to the airport last night to welcome Griffan and Lydia home. Tuesday we will head back to welcome Libby and Julie home!! Everyone is getting home before Christmas. Now that is a good present!! Lydia gave me more information on our sweet Allyson. She said that she was let down before by a family that was going to adopt her and changed their minds. She wants to make sure Todd and I are positively sure that we want her. I said ABSOLUTLY!! She is missing a front tooth, not sure why. Lydia said when she smiled she would cover her mouth so that no one would see her missing tooth. I am calling today to speak to a few pediatric dentist to see how soon we can correct that for her. I just can't wait to wrap my arms around her and tell her she is coming home!! Our little guy Jaydon has a calendar to mark down the days until we come to get him. Life is so good for Todd and I and God is truly blessing us over and over. We have two great biological children and now sounds like we are getting another two great children to raise and love! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Nothing new! We made our traveling arrangements to fly out on January 21st. I am kind of freaked out that it is so close. All of this waiting and now it is just around the corner. Julie is 7 days away from coming home with her new daughter!! That will be us at the end of February and then there is no turn ing back. No more peaceful evenings at home. Homework, laundry, supper, practices, and countless other activities will fill up our time. Best rest up now because the next ten years will be busy busy busy!!

Yesterday was such a good day! I took the day off of work because we were having new carpet installed. I was so glad to get new carpeting because we had the other carpet for 15 plus years and it was way over due!! This however, was not why it was such a good day. At 7 a.m. (2 p.m. in Ukraine) I called and spoke with my little boy!!!! He was so happy to hear my voice and to know that we would be there really soon. I told him his room was all ready for him and that Papa could not wait to take him fishing. He told us that he is so happy and he is excited about coming to America to be in our family. He also told the translator to tell me that he wants to be called Jaydon!! A few days ago he was crying because he didn't think anyone was coming for him. Now you can't wipe the smile off of his face!! So, all the waiting and emotional turmoil it causes in your life to go through the proess of any adoption it so worth it knowing that you are putting a smile on a child's face forever!!

We have our date for the SDA appt. It is on Monday, January 25, 2010. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I am also very pleased to announce that we will be traveling with some friends that are going to get their little boys. Their boys are in the orphanage that Olena was in. So we will be separating for some of that time but hopefully will be able to spend some time with them in Kiev. This means that Todd and Brad might be able to leave after the court dates and Trisha and I can stay to bring the children home. Our little boy was upset yesterday wanting to know where his family was and when he would be able to go home to his forever family. I am going to call him Wednesday to let him know that I am his FOREVER MOMMY and that we will be there after the holidays. They have Christmas celebrations the first two weeks in January. Poor little guy, my heart just breaks for him. He is confused because some of the children that came over this summer have their families there getting them now and he is frightened no one is coming for him. Our daughter has no clue we are coming so she is not upset at all. I am calling this week to make travel arrangements and will let you know when this will be. I am so super EXCITED!!

Really nothing new to report. I just recieved an email from Julie. She is in Ukraine now and has had the priviledge(sp) to spend time with our children. She said that Jaydon (Oleksiy) is excited about living in Indiana and that he loves to come out and play with the other children while they are visiting the orphanage. Allyson (Iryna) however, is still pretty shy. Julie said that she is very tall (Im thinking volleyball) and has the sweetest smile and huge dimples (I love dimples). Julie also said that she is missing a front tooth. Now, I have a hard time remembering back to when my boys were that age, but I am pretty sure that they started loosing front teeth around age 6 or 7. Julie said she thought she seen another tooth coming in but was not sure. She is going to try and get a better look tomorrow (actually, it is tomorrow for them now). Allyson still has no clue that she is getting adopted. They do not want her to know until we get there. You just never know what could happen and you hate to get her hopes up. Jaydon thinks he is getting adopted by a family in Indiana, just not our family. So that is about all I have now. Sleep tight everyone!

We did not get a date today....nor will we get one this week. Two other families did, we did not. Communication issues again with the agency. Remember the form that we had to change?? Our original submission date was to be on 11/4/09 but was moved to 11/11/09 because of the correction of form. Well, just found out it was not submitted til 11/18/09, would have been nice to know!! So, all families that had a submission date 11/10 and 11/11 recieved dates today. Who knows when we will get ours. I emailed the director of the Ukraine adoptions and voiced my "anger" because she is the one who started the process of her adoption five weeks before us and is there in Ukraine now with a court date Friday. Hmmmmm.....seem a little odd to anyone else??

Hello All! I really have nothing new to report. Lydia and Julie have been visiting the orphanage everyday and have enjoyed spending time with Jaydon (Oleksiy) but Allyson (Iryna) has been too shy to come out and visit while they are there. On Tuesday, they are going to ask her again and also see if they can get more information on her. Lydia said that she was taller that Jaydon but he is pretty short. Also, I am suppose to find out my SDA appt. date Tuesday as well. Keep your fingers crossed! So hopefully I will have lots to report tomorrow!!
God bless all!

I got an email yesterday that said because of the quarintine a few weeks ago, everything is backed up and we will probably not get a call or email about an SDA date until next week....

None of this is really important. It bothers me, but not important. What is important is our children. The children that will have such a different future when they are with us!! The children that God has intrusted us to raise in His honor!! That is IMPORTANT! But, I am human and I let all those silly things get in the way of the "WHY" I am doing all of this and the WHY is my GOD!!

Once again, thanks for listening!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

No, I did not get a call, email, voice mail....nothing!! Please note that this blog has been designed so that I can voice my joys, frustrations and other emotions. So with that being said, I have to get some things off my chest!

I know that this adoption process can be hard, I know that we are doing it alot quicker than it was done in the past and I know that there is nothing I can do to change things but this is what I don't understand:


We are about the only ones out of our group that do not have an SDA appt. as of yet. We had a few delays but know more than anyone else. We are still waiting. I feel that we have been just pushed to the side and are left in the dark. If we do not get our call tomorrow, what should I do? Just ignore it and hope that someone will contact us to tell us what the **** is going on! Call someone......but who?? I guess I will have to call the Adoption Agency and see if anyone is working tomorrow. I just feel that someone from there should be keeping us posted on what is going on.!!!! I hate to keep bugging them. Shouldn't it be their responsibility to keep us informed?? Even if they have no information, just a call to let us know they are still on board and remember that we are still waiting.

Okay, okay, I am done! Communication, that is ALL I ASK!!

Time to go eat turkey and get this whole thing off my mind.

Peace!

Lori

Almost Thanksgiving!! I am thankful for God!! That pretty much sums it all up!! I did not get that much awaited call today :(( Maybe tomorrow. Until then, I am enjoying the day. Just got off work for 4 days (yea) and my plan is to clean, clean, clean!! Some organizing, moving furniture, cleaning the garage and maybe, just maybe getting some Christmas decor out. I wasn't going to do that but since it looks like we will be in Indy for awhile, mind as well enjoy Christmas while we can!! Julie and Lydia are now in the region and got to visit with their children for about an hour today. Both kids signed their letters to be adopted. Once step closer!! I am hoping that on the next visit to the orphanage, they might get to see our little ones and give them their presents and letters and also send us some pictures!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL BLOG READERS!!

My sons, Trenton David and Brandon Todd. Brandon is now 23 years old, going to University of Indianapolis and currently has a minor in Human Biology. He is very goal-oriented, head strong and wants the best of everything. Trent is 20 years old, loving, easy-going and also head strong but doesn't really care much about materialistic things. He is not sure what he is going to do for a career at this point. Both boys are my life!! Todd and I enjoy being parents and supporting them. My only regret is that we did not raise them in a Christian home. I pray everyday that God will forgive me for not teaching His children the love of their Father!! Now that Todd and I are going to be parents again, it is my goal to make sure that Jayson Oleksiy and Alison Iryna know that God is the most important thing in their little lives. God is giving these children to us to raise in HIS NAME!! These kids our His children, not ours. I am so excited to give the kids their very own rooms, warm beds, good education,family, caring parents and a LOVING GOD!! I so hope to get a travel date soon!! What a great Thanksgiving it would be! Taa Taa for now!!!

This is our family!! (FOR NOW). In January, there will be two blondes added to our family photo. It is 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, 2009. We had a great day at church today. The Colts won again. 10-0 baby!! This is a short work week. Thursday is Thanksgiving and we will have a four day weekend!! The only way things could get any better, is to have a phone call with a SDA appointment!! Lydia and Julie are now in Ukraine. They have their SDA appointments Monday. Hoping to get some updates on our kids this week too. I have been sick for a week and am starting to feel better!! Oh yea! I also wanted to tell you they great way God has already worked miracles through our adoption. When we had our Chili supper, I was reunited with a highschool friend that I had not seen in years. She brought her sons to the fundraiser and one of my friends daughter's (Anya) thought her son Sean was "hot" so they actually started dating. Anya invited Sean and his mother (my friend) to church and today Sean was baptized!! WOW!! Good night all! I am sure I will post soon.....WITH A DATE!!

Still in Indiana!

Todd and I are still here in Indy!! A few other parents left today for Ukraine. Others will leave next week. We still have not recieved our call. I would like to say, maybe next week but......

So, now we can spend Thanksgiving with our families since we might miss the whole Christmas thing!! I sent letters and presents to the kids through Julie and I hope they will get this early next week. If I am lucky, I might even see some new pictures. That will keep my heart from aching for a little longer. So we could possibly have an SDA appt. sometime the week of December 14th if we get our call next week. This means we will be missing all the festivities here at home and our boys will have to celebrate without us. I am sure they will manage. It will be the first Christmas & New Years that we have ever been away from home and this will be FAR FAR from home!! But I will be recieving the best Christmas presents ever. Two of the cutest little blondes in the entire world!! Hopefully, the next post will be giving you a date of departure. Chow!!

I know, I already posted today but I am just wanting my children here so badly!! The other day, I left cartoons on the television and literally pretended as if the kids were in there watching them...Oh my gosh..I think I have LOST MY MIND!! Lydia posted on her blog today. She said "all" of her families she is working with got thier travel dates. That is not a true statement, because we have not!! We are sooo close though.. I HOPE!! I think what I need to stop doing is putting a time line on everything. I thought for sure that this would be the week that we would get our SDA date but after the form change, it delayed that much awaited phone call to.......who knows when. I would hope this happens next week and that we will be able to travel within a few weeks, but once again...I am doing that time line thing again that always ends in disappointments!! I am praying that God puts peace in my heart and negativity out of my mind.......IT IS JUST SO HARD!!
I love you Allyson and Jaydon!!! Mom will be there as soon as God makes my travel arrangements :)

Happy FRIDAY!

On Tuesday we found out that Ukraine wanted a form revised. It was Todd's medical. He was diagnosed by the doctor with acid reflux. They now wanted a ICD-9 code with it. I was a little stressed because I needed to stay at work and make some money, but also needed to go downtown to get the new form apostilled!! I was just going to put it off until I could get some time off work. Who knew when that might be!! Luckily, when telling Lydia my frustrations, she took over and did the new form for me, faxed it to our doctor, picked it up and went downtown to get it apostilled and mailed it off to Ukraine (I THINK). I really never asked her, but I am sure if there was a problem, she would have told me!! THANK YOU LYDIA! Otherwise, it could have been forever before we could go get the kids. It is so hard to work full-time and try and accomplish the task of adoption!! However, it can be done!!! Today, Lydia and Julie got their call to travel to get their kids!! They leave next Friday. Please pray that there are no more delays and they get to their kids that they miss so much!! Until the next blog time...GOD BLESS!!

BLAH!!

Since last blog, I have found out two things. Todd and I are not really married! I have been married to the minister who married us!! FUNNY STUFF! That has since been corrected and was suppose to go with another family that was leaving for Ukraine this Friday, which brings me to the other thing I found out. Ukraine has shut down all court & referral dates for adoptions due to the swine flu. Therefore, we will be delayed until mid December or January. I understand that they want to keep the kids safe and I thank them for that concern. This time will give us the opportunity to do some things around the house to prepare for our little ones. It will also give my older sons time to find them an apartment. Soooo, the rush to get things done can now slow down a little. Todd will also be able to hunt this season, which I am sure makes him happy!!

Hang on my sweet son and beautiful daughter, we will be there as soon as we can!!

Time will soon change

I am sitting here on my couch this Thursday evening, all the candles are lit and a warm sweet aroma is filling the air. My two puppies are playing next to me and my oldest children are in the living room playing videos together. My husband is laying on the floor watching baseball. I am trying to imagine my two youngest children being here and how it will change the dynamics of our evenings home. I am sure that they will be cuddling next to us and chattering about their day. I know that the peace and quiet I know now will soon be changing. I am absorbing it all in and enjoying the quiet time while I still have it... Soon, very soon we will once again be doing homework, getting baths and running to sporting events, dance class and whatever else in our evenings instead of resting...Oh God give me the strength to keep up with these little ones!

Well, I think I need to change the name of my blog to prince and princess. We have decided to adopt a boy as well as girl. TWO!! TWO!! This means I will be a mother of four...FOUR!! If you would have asked my a few years back if I thought this would be happening I would have said No very quickly! However, I cannot seem to wipe the smile off of my face today!! God is amazing. I still love and miss our princessa that visited us this summer and there will always be a special place in my heart for her. If I recieved a call today asking if we wanted to adopt her I would do it in a heartbeat!! But God was a just God and filled our hearts with love for other children and I am just blown away with the love I already feel for them. We should travel around the end of November. I am just ready to see thier sweet faces!! The little boy was here this summer as well and we had the pleasure of meeting him and spending time with him as he swam in our pool. We have only seen pics of the little girl!! Until next blog time, have a blessed day!!

Finally, some news!! We have our submission date for our dossier. It is on Wednesday, November 4, 2009. After they sumbit the paperwork, we then will recieve a SDA appointment date and we will be off to see our children!! So for now, we wait yet again but it will all be worth it in the end. GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is a great day! We recieved our approval to adopt an orphan today. This letter will be sent to Ukraine this week to be added to our paperwork. Now we wait to find out when our submission date will be and we will be on our way!!

Just waiting on a submission date for our dossier from SDA!!

I am very happy to announce that our dossier is now in Ukraine in the hands of Jenya!! It will now be translated and then I should get my submission date. Still have no leads on our daughters. We are just going about our daily routine and trusting God to find them. I need to remember to keep my thoughts on Jesus always!! To not get caught up in all the other things in this world. I went to a great christian concert last night with my husband and some dear friends! It was very uplifting and put my whole adoption plight in a whole new light.

I am very happy to announce that our dossier will be mailed off Thursday!!! I am so glad to get that all accomplished. I can now rest easy for awhile anyway. Still waiting on referrals. I need to change my blog address to say thomasprincessa's-bringing our daughter's home! There is a "big" chance we will bring two little darlings back to be a part of our family. I feel it might be easier if we have two so that they will have each other to lean on when things get hard. It would be horrible to be in a home where you cannot communicate with your family. How wonderful it would be if they could have each other and learn together. That is just my thoughts!! I have been thinking of names for the girls (American names). Brandon, Trenton and I will need some more names ending in "on". Addison, Allison, Grayson, Madison, and Payton are some that I have thought of. Any suggestions??

Oh Happy Day!! Our fingerprinting is done. Now I just sit and wait for the I 171H form to come back to give us permission to adopt internationally. Should take 3-6 wks!! We are so close now...Still waiting on a couple additional forms for our Dossier. Planning on getting that submitted and sent to Ukraine this week. Then we wait for our submission date. Once the paperwork has been approved in Ukraine, they send information with our court date. We still are searching for our daughter or daughters. I am just waiting on God to show us where she/they are. I am in a much better place now!! God is so AMAZING!!

Finally, GOOD NEWS! We recieved the letter with our final fingerprint appt. in the mail today. We are going Monday morning. Once this is done we will wait to get our letter to travel. Next step is completing the dossier and getting it notorized and apostilled, then mailed to Ukraine. Everything is finally happening! I bet you that we will be gone for the holidays. That will be sad but look at the wonderful Christmas present God is going to give us!!
Happy weekend everyone!!

Nothing new!! Still waiting on a couple forms so that I can submit my dossier. I have redone these particular forms several times and it is starting to get a little discouraging. I am hoping to get them in the mail Friday and then can mail dossier to Ukraine. YIPPEEE!! I am also hoping I get my approval for adoption from the USCIS today or Friday. Then off for more fingerprints and back to the waiting game. Once the USCIS form and the Dossier meet, I will get a travel date. Seems simple but it will be a few months down the road I am sure. Until then I just wait and prepare. I am ordering some books to read regarding International Adoption and looking for some language lessons as well. I would like to make some flash cards with pic's and Ukraine/English words to put around the house to help her feel more comfortable in her surroundings. I can't even begin to think about how scary it will be for her. Before we hosted Olena this summer, I started a journal that I planned to give to her a few years down the road when she had learned English. Now that she is no longer coming to live with us, I am going to have to start a brand new one to give to our unknown daughter. I guess this will keep me busy while I continue to wait. Thanks to all my friends that keep encouraging and sending scripture my way. Love you All!

I am excited. September is almost over!!! Hate to wish my life away but October is my favorite month and I am ready for a new beginning!! Trent is doing better. We are still waiting on additional referrals for our adoption. I am so impatient. I keep forgetting that this is not the adoption agencies main priority in life so they are not quite quick enough for me. I really wish that more information would be found out about the little girl we recieved the picture on. She really touches my heart!! Our fundraisers are not going very well. Little disappointing but I will keep trying to raise more money so that we do not go broke in the process of this adoption. I know that God will provide!!!!!!!!! Not much to report at this time. I can't wait until I am writing this blog in Ukraine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Do you ever feel like for some unknown reason you are just being picked on?? Well September has been that kind of month for us. Tuesday night we had to admit our son Trent (20) to the hospital. He is a hemophiliac and had a really bad bleed. He is being discharged today but I am sure the medical bills will be horrible. Really concerns me that we will not be able to go through with the adoption now. Money is an issue with us. If the medical expenses are to high we will not have the funds to go through with finding our daughter. Is this SATAN on attack!! Part of me is soooo tired and thinks maybe this is the final sign that we are not suppose to do this. The other part of me is fire mad and ready to tell SATAN where he can stick it!!!

Well, no new news!! Some parents have already submitted their dossier, had there fingerprints and are so close to traveling. I was right there with them until I lost my daughter to an Italian family!! Now, I am taking my time to finish up because I am just not feeling a reason to rush. We recieved a couple of pics of children. There were two little girls that Todd and I felt a connection with and decided to inquire about them. Today we learned that one of them had two siblings and the other they could not find any information on. I was told not to get attached to them. So, once again my heart is just sitting idle waiting on my daughter or daughter's to be found. It is like an emotional roller coaster and I tell you some days I am so ready to get off the ride. I know that everything is done in Gods time and that I need to wait and be patient but I just want to know her, touch her, love her, comfort her and I want this all NOW>>> I have already waited for three years on this dream. Maybe they should wait until they have all the information on the children and are for sure they want to be adopted before they send pics and tell you not to get attached!!

I am so down and depressed. I just can't seem to get out of this mood. I just can't understand how this happened. I am trying to stay positive and upbeat and want to go on with an adoption of a different child but I am just not into it! I have looked at other children's pictures and try to get excited about them...it is just not there!! I am hoping this changes soon. I don't even care about finishing the paperwork. Last week I was so excited that we were almost finished with the dossier and now I just honestly dont care. We have a chili supper fundraiser...dont care!! AHHH! This is just not the outcome I expected. I was counting down the days until we could see the excitemenmt on her face when we got to the orphanage.....well, the Italians stole that from me!! I am bound to get better...I will just pray!!

Writing this post in blue because that is how I feel. Yesterday I recieved a phone call from our adoption agency that the little girl we were trying to adopt was adopted by an Italian couple. OUCH!! We had this little girl in our home for three weeks, they did not know her at all. She is just a little girl who wanted love. They were there, we were not!! My heart is broken but my spirit is strong. We are once again on the search for our daughter. I know she is out there and we will find her with Gods help. This is a bump in the road (more like a crater) but God will heal our hearts and we will continue on down the path that HE is clearing for us.

We sent our I600-A form in on Saturday, September 5th. This is a petition to adopt an orphan. When they recieve it we will be called for additional fingerprints. It usually takes around 3 weeks to get this appointment. Once they recieve the fingerprints it is my understanding we will then be sent another form granting permission to adopt internationally. The whole process takes 4-6 wks. WAIT WAIT WAIT!!!
I should have the dossier complete the end of this week and will wire the money needed to Ukraine through a Moneygram (all new to me). So one step closer to seeing our princess again. Keep us in your prayers.

Nothing to exciting to report. I am currenty working on my dossier. Taking off Wednesday so I can try to speed things up a bit. Little discouraged for some reason. Wish I could just wake up in the morning and she would be in her bed all wrapped up in warm soft blankets with her favorite puppy Jack by her side. But, life is not that easy. Everything is a challenge that makes us stronger, better people in the end. I think of all the stories in the bible where people waited hundreds of years for answers to their prayers, for some kind of sign from God. I guess a few more weeks for this form to be signed and that paper to be approved will not kill me!!! I am so blessed to have great family and friends to encourage and embrace me.

We have now had our homestudy and are now focusing our time on the dossier. Our goal is to be in Ukraine by November and bring our girl home by Christmas. Our garage sale was this weekend as well. We profited 15 hundred dollars. Not as much as we would have liked but more than we started with!! The next event is a Chili supper....fun stuff. I am going to take pics so that our daughter can see how much the community wanted her home!! This has truly been a humbling experience and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us next.

As most know, an international adoption is not the cheapest thing in the world but you cannot put price on love!! With that being said there are a few of us AP moms hosting a rummage sale/carnival at the Pleasant View Church on Saturday, August 22nd. Time to be determined at a later date. I have had a great response from family, friends and neighbors which have been donating items for th garage sale. It is just one of the things I am doing to keep my mind off of the time spent waiting for paperwork to be completed and forms to be approved. We are just in the early stages of this process and I am already going crazy!! I get to speak to my little sweetie tommorow @ the orphanage. I can call every two weeks!! She understands nothing I say, and I understand nothing she says but it doesn't seem to matter. We can hear the love in each others voices and that is all that seems to matter. She says "Hello Mamma, I love you" and this is all I need to understand at this point.

Todd and I have been married for almost 24 years and have raised two beautiful children who are turning in to some pretty amazing men. We have recently decided to add to our family by adoption. We are very excited but scared also. God is sending us on this journey and we are just along for the ride!! We turned in our homesudy paperwork and are waiting on ou homestudy which will be on Thursday, August 22, 2009. It is just a "hurry up and wait" game that we just have to play in order to get our daughter back home