Fun posts and great news!

I was looking through some of our pictures the other day. Sometimes it helps, bringing back nuances of what it was like to be with our son for such a short period of time.

I came across my first "Mummy" pic from the hotel in Moscow- the room was a cozy 72 degrees- normal for us at home (even warm this time of year) but it seemed soooo much colder- because most places we were at indoors in Russia were closer to 80-82 degrees.

So, in this pic, I'm resting, and instead of getting under the covers for a few minutes before we went to dinner, I pulled the silk bed scarf over me. Tim thought that was quite funny- what do you think? It was actually quite warm, after I made sure it was all tucked in properly :)

Tim was/is such the consummate photographer. He has such a way with lighting and angles- I can't wait to be able to put pictures up of our son that he took- or even better, pictures that Tim will be taking here, at our house!

Here is a not so candid one of him, taken by yours truly. I'm so glad we had the extra few days in Moscow on our first trip to just take in the sights. It was in the double digits temperature-wise, too.

In this picture, we are inside the Kremlin- you can see the bell tower in the background. It was cold and rainy this day- but, even when it seems cloudiest- you can still glimpse a little bit of blue sky in the distance :)

OK- so the great news- Several more agencies received accreditation just recently. I am celebrating for these families I just found out about this evening. I was told that there are a few families that received referrals before the accreditation closed down, and they are now able to come back and finalize their adoptions. Hallelujah for more answered prayers. It's a very delicate line to walk here. In celebration for these families, still in deep prayer that they can have their court dates soon, and so can we, so our wait doesn't become even longer.

I am so blown away by God's grace. The analogies He has given me over the last few days have been incredible and life changing for me. I don't have to worry about tomorrow. I will hope and dream, and, yes, even plan, but know that my Father in heaven knows what tomorrow holds and I don't have to worry about it. He is so infinitely wise!!

The new perception

OK, so I really enjoyed the sermon on Sunday!! As a closing comment, Pastor Dorean mentioned a profound statement about Job that a friend of his had made. We had been studying how, even after losing all the blessings on this earth that Job had obtained, even his health, he still praised God- "Naked I came into this world, and naked I depart- the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord."

After struggling with these mighty trials for so long, Job was pretty worn down. Here comes that amazing comment.

We only see a little portion of what is going on in the physical realm. What would happen if we could see all that is going on in the world around us as well as in the "heavenlies"- with the powers and rulers and principalities that we are actually battling against. Pastor John's friend said- could you imagine what Job would have done if he had known that Satan was trying to prove to God that the only reason Job was the righteous man everyone thought him to be was due to all the blessings that God had poured down on him.

His friend said Job would most likely have responded- bring it on!! rather than sitting in a puddle wondering what he had done to "anger" or displease God.

That makes me wonder, in this incredible tug-o-war for our souls we call life, could our struggles and temptations be due to Satan doubting our love for God, God knowing our hearts and that they are pure and turned toward God, and the struggle Satan is having trying to prove his point?

HHHHmmmmm........... God, may our love for you outshine any and all circumstances surrounding us. May others looking at our lives never doubt where our strength, hope and peace come from. What an amazing journey this has been and continues to be.

Have I told you lately how much I love you and how proud I am to be a daughter of the Most High God? As my paths cross those of people you are in the process of trying to "adopt" into your kingdom, may my gaze remain on you, may your words flow through my lips and my heart beat in time with yours. Praying for our adoption- for our son to be united with us for this short span we call life- praying for Your adoptions- for your precious children you grieve over that you have been waiting so long to embrace and call your sons and daughters for all eternity.

May we all become adoption agents for Christ!!

Great thoughts....

I mentioned in my last post going to church with my folks. Pastor Dorean prayed so sweetly for us and encouraged us so much! This was an "additional announcement" in the bulletin. I had to put this on our blog- it spoke to me so much.

"As a pregnant woman is enlarged in her waiting, so are our hearts. Our God does not always rescue us out of a painful season. You know that He does not always give to us what we so desperately want when we want it. He is after something more valuable than our happiness, much more substantive than our health. He is restoring and growing in us an eternal weight of glory."
Stasi Eldridge, Captivating

Thank you, God, for always giving us the words we need to hear, when we need it most, as we keep our gaze focused on you and our ears tuned to your voice. Thanks even more for continuing to speak to us when we forget you exist as our gaze is turned inward and we try to solve all our problems by our self.

Exciting Surprise Road Trip

We travelled to PA this weekend to visit my mom and dad. Just a short trip- a little over 24 hours- but oh, so nice!
We went to church with Mom and Dad Sunday am. An old friend of mine asked how everything was going. I gave him this analogy and thought, oh my, that's good- it describes exactly how I felt/feel. So, here goes-

Last Friday, one of my lowest points so far in our adoption, as you can read in the post I did that day, I'll compare to a road trip.

God is my Daddy driver, and I'm His special little girl sitting in the front seat with Him. We're going out on a special trip together. Like date night with my Daddy as I was growing up. As we are driving along, I recognize the landmarks and I'm sure we are going to Pizza Hut. The excitement begins to build- I can almost smell and taste the pizza. I know how much Daddy loves pizza, and I do, too, so I just know that is where we are going. We come nearer and nearer, and I'm straining against the seat belt, on the edge of my seat. I just know that's were we're going. I see it up around the bend and brace myself for the turn into the little parking lot.

Only, we don't slow. I've so built up this as being my end destination that I am crushed when we don't stop. We just drive right on past, with Daddy not even looking over at the little pizza shoppe.

Then, slowly, like a ray of light peaking through the densest, heaviest cloud cover, I think a new thought. We aren't going someplace I've been before. This is a true adventure, and with God in control, the one who knows me even better than I know myself, I don't need to fear what the end stop will be. It will be PERFECT, and happen at the PERFECT TIME.

This truly has replaced my mourning with dancing and given me an excitement and zeal to see what this surprise is the Father Daddy has planned. It means I no longer need to fear if I get a court date, or when it will be. If I can keep the perspective of the one steering the car, relax and enjoy the trip seeing sights I've never seen before, learning more about myself as we have all this time to talk and converse together and get to know each other better, then I have actually received 2 very precious gifts from my Father Daddy.

I have received time alone with Him, learning to rest in His arms and trust the direction He's leading me, and at the end of the journey, we'll be dining with my new family. What an awesome surprise party that will be!!

Thank you, Father Daddy God, for giving us these amazing surprise road trips. Thank you for restoring my excitement in the trip as well as the next stop- thank you that we'll always have these special times together, even when I'm old and gray and nearing the end of this journey here on Earth. Thank you for revealing that next facet of You to me. You become more incredible every day. Please expand my mind, so I can learn even more of you!

Fasten your seat belts, lift your gaze, wipe away your tears and enjoy this amazing journey you are on with the Creator. Savor every moment- though some roads may become so familiar that you see them in your sleep, other roads you may only pass by once- don't miss all that God, your Father, wants to bless you with. You Go God!!!

Are you dancing?

Today is our little chat groups prayer day. How amazing is it that we, the creation, can come before the creator and ask for the desires of our hearts, knowing that God desires to bless us and fulfill the amazing things He wants to do in our lives.

Today I am lifting up the people adopting, their children as they join into these families, the process- God has already shown that He can move mountains and He is sooo in charge to fulfill his purposes in our lives.

One of the most difficult areas to rest in for many of us is the financial end. Tim and I have been very blessed in our jobs, but this is still overwhelming for us. It is also something that our culture has made taboo- talking about money. I am so excited as we come near the final part of our journey- because, no matter what I think can or can't happen, God owns everything. He has called us to this child and He will provide for us to bring this child home. Instead of looking at this with fear in my heart, I'm actually excited to see what all He will do. We've been so blessed by many friends and family at home and church who have shared the excitement they have in their hearts for us, and also contributed to our fund to bring our son home. This really blows me away. God has already placed such a love for our child in the hearts of the people in our community. I stand amazed and in awe of what God is doing in our lives!

Received this email from a very good friend of mine. Haven't been able to stop thinking about the truth in this. I leave you with this lovely example- For now I'm Goin' to dance with my Jesus....

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word
And I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
And everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
Both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
Or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
And attentiveness from one person
And gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw 'G': I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'.
'God, 'u' and 'i' dance.' God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life and once again,
I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
And mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God,
Trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

Let's continue to pray for one another.
And I Hope You Dance !

Can you hear it?

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

Just received this great scripture from our worship leader at church. Can you hear God singing? Listen closer.....Quiet everything around you tuning out any surrounding sounds and really listen.........What a glorious sound. As you can probably tell from past scripture postings, I've been enjoying reading scriptures I've known for a while in the NIV and KJV in the LB. Here is what Zephaniah has to say in a slightly different translation.....

from 16......
...."Cheer up, don't be afraid. For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will give you victory. He will rejoice over you in great gladness; he will love you and not accuse you. " Is that a joyous choir I hear? No, it is the Lord himself exulting over you in happy song:
"I have gathered your wounded and taken away your reproach. And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones, and bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory to my former exiles, mocked and shamed.
"At that Time, I will gather you together and bring you home again, and give you a good name, a name of distinction among all the peoples of the earth, and they will praise you when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the Lord.

Zephaniah 3:16-20

OK, OK so I kept on reading- I'm serious- this is good stuff. If you haven't read for a while- pick it up- you'd be amazed how God speaks through His word.

Against all odds, the family we travelled with back in October found out they are going back for court and to bring home their 2 sons in just over 2 weeks. I am joining in with the angels singing for this great thing God is doing, and I'm watching,.......... and waiting........... the excitement is growing......... I'm about ready to bust......... I can't wait to see what God has in store for us!!!! I'm learning to lean fully on Him, no matter what the circumstances appear to be around me. He already has it all worked out. So glad this awesome omniscient creator is my Daddy. Can you tell I'm in love? I can't wait to see how this chapter is going to end. The master story teller has me in his grasp- I can't even put down the book of my life. How amazing to be reading this while it's being written. Is your life-book a best seller, too?

Rejoice at all times, again, I say, REJOICE!!

I thought a lot about many different things today as I was driving. I don't normally drive the long distances when we travel- Tim is great about that. So it was with a bit of concern that I set out this morning to drive to Findlay. The trip started in a "netherworld" of sorts. I was able to pretend I was already in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, as I struggled to see through the snow storm that blew in, the incredibly high winds and the heavy traffic. It made me feel closer to my son than just about anything else could have. Thanks for getting me safely through the storm, God!

I was able to pick up the documents I needed in Findlay, (thanks again, Therese!)get to the SOS (sec'y of State's) office in Columbus where I had these and a few other documents apostilled, over to Whitehall, where Tim was working, to make copies, and then to FedEx before 4 to get everything in the mail. If everything goes as planned, our documents should be in Krasnoyarsk on Sat, hopefully translated and in the judges hands by Wed of next week.

********If********this all happens, we may still be able to have a court date in Feb. I will allow a lot of hope here, but try to keep my expectations more realistic, and my focus solely on God. Afraid I got distracted last week and almost went over the deep end.

We are having a "prayer day" with our chat group this Sat- the 26th. For any and all of you reading, we'd love to have you join us. Our prayers are mostly for the children, court dates to go get them, assurance of God's financial provision for this increasing expensive journey, divine guidance on paperwork and packing, etc. We are praying for a court date soon, that our travel arrangements would fall into place and that God would already be preparing the path for us to follow as we journey back to Russia to reunite our family.

Another thought I had today- This joy, down deep inside, is to always be there. I pray that it is there in the rough as well as the great times- today, I guess it is just easier to find.

Oh yeah, I checked out Target today, too. My blogging buddy, Lori, keeps singing Target's praises. Boy did I find some stuff today!! How exciting...... ;0P

Thank you God for the people who make Map Quest possible. The directions today were very easy to follow and I didn't get lost at all. Thank you for friends and family praying for us. Thank you for holding our son and us close- may all our hearts beat in time to yours. Thank you for everyone reading this blog. I pray they feel your presence in a new and powerful way today- rest for the weary, peace for the distraught, strength for the weak, health for the sick- and for everyone, a glimpse of something new that they never knew before about you. I love you!!!!!!

Perspective

God is so incredibly good all the time. As far as we know, our son is in an amazing facility in South Central Siberia, in pretty good health, as attested by his chubby little body, easy laughter and pleasant personality. Our paperwork, minus these 2 documents, is all in the hands of our prosecutor, ready to be turned in to court so we can travel around the world, attest to the desire to gather our son in our arms and return home turning the page to a new chapter in our lives. It is all in God's hands and will be done in His perfect timing. I can either stew and fret and lose the grace God has placed in front of me, or I can embrace it and Him even more fully as I cling to Him and wait to be wow'd as we travel this journey.

Though I still covet your prayers for our journey, I have another family I'd love to have you place on your prayer list. I came across this family through a friend of mine on Facebook. What an incredible story- full of love and trust and the amazing frailty of life that God guides us so carefully through. This story is about a young man, Nathan, his wife, Tricia, and their tiny infant daughter, Gwyneth Rose, weighing in now, almost 2 weeks old at just over a pound and 12 inches long. If I've done this correctly, you should be able to click on their name and see their blog/website. Nathan has been posting several times a day, and, amazingly, has found that over 300,000 people are praying for them- close to 400,000 in just the last few days. All over the world, God is calling His family to lift up this little family He's formed in the southeastern USA. This is how Nathan describes his blog:

My name is Nathan. My wife, Tricia has Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and had been preparing for a double lung transplant until we discovered we are pregnant. Tricia is the most incredible person I've ever met. She keeps me humble and in love. This is our story from my perspective...

I am humbled by their faith and trust in the God of the unknown, the God who knows the plans He has for them. They are struggling with literal life and death issues minute by minute. I pray for them that they may know the strength God gives when you are weak, the joy he gives when you are down and the healing He gives to all who are sick and weary.

I'm praying for miracles for us all!! Go God!! And thank you for showing me a new perspective about how it feels to bring a child home. It seems impossible that a hospital a few miles from home could be further away than an orphanage over 6,000 miles and 12 time zones away! Praying big things for your family, Nathan!! Hope you all are united soon! Praying protection for your Gwyneth's little body, that she grow big and strong and surprise even the most skeptical doctors and that your wife receive the lungs and health she so desperately desires as well as strength for you as you travel this journey you are on.

Bummed out in Ohio

Well, I thought we were at the top of the highest hill. Apparently, that first bit of downhill swoosh on our roller coaster ride ended up leading to an even bigger hill. What a ride this will be by the time we finish!

Found out tonight around 4:45 that our Kras paperwork needs duplicates of 2 more documents that are in our dossier- and up to date. The infamous home study agency license, which held us up in the referral process, too, as well as a copy of the Adoptive Parents Financial statement. They need a copy of the "original" license to show that our agency was licensed for the initial period of time. So, we scanned through our copies- hhhmmmm, wonder which of the 6 times we sent it we should make copies of? Lord help me here- keep the bitterness far away- I feel like I'm bathing in it right now!

I can't express to you my frustration. First of all, it wouldn't be polite, second of all I don't talk like that, Thirdly, I am struggling to place this back in God's hands and find His peace and Joy. As Tim is reminding me, and I said on Wed, this is in God's time and it's perfect. Suffice to say, I'll probably need some cucumber slices in the morning to get my eyes open.

I covet your prayers now, even more than ever before. I'm in a rough spot just this moment- there is definitely only one set of footprints in the sand right now. Thank you God for carrying me!

"You have turned on my light! The Lord my God has made my darkness turn to light. Now in your strength I can scale any wall, attack any troop (or document).
What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him. For who is God except our Lord? Who but he is as a rock?
He fills me with strength and protects me wherever I go. .. You have given me your salvation as my shield. Your right hand, O Lord, supports me; your gentleness has made me great. You have made wide steps beneath my feet so that I need never slip.."
Psalms 18:28-32,35-36 LB

OK, wow. So, I still covet your prayers that we get these documents in soon ( all govn't offices will be closed Mon due to the holiday- so the earliest we can start is Tues)- but wow. Word of God speak- thank you for calming my spirit, lifting my head and wiping away my tears. Hold our son close and send us back as soon as you can. I love you soo much and this love you are giving me for our son is just incredible.

Weeping may endure for a night- but JOY cometh in the morning. Thank you for your promises, your assurance and friends praying for us and lifting us up when we've stumbled and fallen so low.
Sooooo, I guess now I'm not so Bummed out in Ohio- I'm going to be excited- Tim just asked me to go out on a date- We'll savor our time together before becoming parents. God is so good!!


Update:
Just got back from a nice dinner with Tim. We went to the chinese buffet- it was very nice. The family next to us had a little boy just a few months older than our son- he walked just the same way as our son as he toddled out. Our fortune cookies were quite appropriate- Tim's said,"A huge fortune at home is not as good as money in use," and mine said,"There will be plenty of time to work hard; enjoy yourself!"
God does speak in mysterious ways, doesn't he?

Oh yah, I found my smile just before we left :0)

Update

Wow! What a week it has been- and it's only Wednesday!

So, it has really been a roller coaster- the super-duper flying you upside down and all around til you lose your stomach kinda week.

Some lows:
Due to the decreasing value of the dollar, we found out the adoption foreign fee has been increased a little over $2,000. It, the decrease of value of the American dollar, also means, as I'm sure everyone has heard in the news, that it is now more expensive than ever for international travel- the dollar truely doesn't go as far as it used to. If only we could all, as Americans, start living within our means and not have such a large debt to income ratio.
We found out today that no court dates will be given until ALL documents are in the hands of the attorney in Russia. There were a few documents we had been told we had some more time to work on.
On a more "cheeky" note, Tim and I both have been having dental work done. Is this just part of the aging process? :0) lol Praying everything is finished before it's time to go to Russia, for 3 1/2 weeks!
And, though it is nothing to sneeze at, I am still trying to fight off whatever sinus ailment I've picked up at work and been struggling with since Christmas.

Some not so sures:
We lost 2 fish today- the shark and the red one- can't remember what kind....... Apparently, white blisters are caused by ick- it is icky!! But the internet is great- I got the home remedy started - and the other 3 are still alive :) 1 Tablespoon of salt and then picture the heating pad wrapped around the tank...... yeah, it made me laugh, too! Low due to loss of life- high- because we won't have to have anyone "fish-sit" for us while we are gone if there aren't any left.... lol

Some Highs:
Our FBI prints made it to our Family Coordinator yesterday, finishing all our paperwork. God's speed to Krasnoyarsk to our paperwork. I would really love to have a court date before/by our anniversary- Feb 12, and finding out this week would really be a dream come true.
Finally got the covering done on the hearth of our fireplace- 2 inches of foam covered by a creamy colored fabric- softening the stone corners for little heads and knees. Finishing it is the high- the actual placing of the fabric over the foam by myself had a certain amount of angst- lots of prayer and talking to God!! And the glass table top protector is now in place, too- for all the cars that will be driving over it.
2 more families got court dates last Friday. That means things are moving again after the new year holidays. Yeah for the families!! Please remember all in prayer that are travelling now and soon to come. They'll be there for a while. We hope to soon join them :)

Loop-de-loop:

We finally got our CPS letter in hand........just a few hours after we received word that we no longer needed this document- the one we've been praying over and stressing over since the first days of November. But- we are taking it with us, just in case the judge decides she wants it when we appear in court. Thanks to our case worker for all the work and time she has poured into getting this document for us.

We are in some sort of numb place now, all the things we can do for the adoption done, just waiting on God's perfect timing for the phone call to travel, have court and bring our son home. I look at his face in our pictures, listen to his laugh on our video and long to hold him close in my arms and look and listen in person. I have a whole new depth of understanding for a few of our families that adopted from a very difficult region- they waited 2 years to go back and get their children. What Grace they must have been given. I don't even want to think of what that would be like.

"Why am I praying like this? Because I know you will answer me, O God! Yes, listen as I pray. Show me your strong love in wonderful ways, O Savior...Protect me as you would the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings as you hover over me...But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to face."

Psalm 17:6-8,15 LB

The highest high of this week and the whole journey:
Knowing that God is, was and always will be in control not only of our adoption, but in every area of our life, and that none of these "delays" surprise Him. His purpose will be fulfilled and our son will be in his own bed in our house in Ohio on the exact day that God planned before the foundation of time. Knowing I can rest in that makes all this bearable- and allows me to find the joy in every moment, celebrating the hurdles, instead of cowering before them.

Amity's Quilt

Well, I finally finished the quilt I made for my sister for her wedding/Christmas around Thanksgiving. It was such a joy to watch them open this gift at Christmas. I designed the quilt to pick up some of the outstanding things in both her and her husband, Justin's, lives. This first picture was taken just before I finished it- I had it all laid out across the living room carpet. HHmmm, the things I won't be able to do for a while with a toddler running around.........

The center is called a Russian Sunflower. This reflects Amity's travels there for schooling. Also very dear to our heart, since our son was born there. Justin did some research in Texas- thus the Broken Star of Texas surrounding the Russian Sunflower. The whole thing is hemmed in by all the peaks and valleys we experience in life, making us stronger, just like the hem makes the quilt stronger (and nicer looking, too, eh?)

Hey, I even made it reversible-just like in life- make sure to keep the behind the scenes area nice enough to show the world ;0).

Joy In The Moment

So much joy in my heart. I stand in awe of what God has been accomplishing in our lives to bring our son into our home.

Yesterday, thanks to the amazing tracking system FedEx has, we were able to watch our FBI clearances as they were certified and apostilled in WV and sent back to our Family Coordinator at our adoption agency, AWAA. Hallelujah!!! We've been waiting since Christmas to see this accomplished- Thank you, God, for doing this great thing for us!

The only document remaining for us now is the CPS, or Child Protective Services, letter. There has been some controversy over the signing of this document. We have been praying for the completion of this single piece of paper since the very beginning of November. We found out yesterday.............. It is finished!! Our caseworker in Ohio emailed to let us know she had received it, AND made it to the FedEx office before they closed, so it should be here by Wed evening.

I am really beginning to get a brief glimpse of the joy that David had when he danced before God with all his might. I've never been hunted down by people trying to kill me, or many of the things David went through, but, my oh my, these psalms are really ringing true. It is definitely the "Living Word"- pour over it, let it fill and encourage you.......


"The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory. There I'll be when troubles come. He will hide me. He will set me on a high rock out of reach of all my enemies. Then I will bring him sacrifices and sing his praises with much joy. Listen to my pleading, Lord! Be merciful and send the help I need.........
Don't be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and he will come and save you! Be brave, stouthearted and courageous. Yes, wait and he will help you."
Psalms 27:4-7,14 LB

This makes me ponder. As the popular song says, "You give me joy that's unspeakable...... and I like it, yes I like it....." HHHmmmmmm. ........ God tells us this joy should be in our hearts at all times. Not just when things are going right. WOW. The joy of the Lord is my strength. Weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the morning. Even the song we sang as children, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, WHERE? Down in my heart, WHERE? Down in my Heart!! I've got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.

Thank you God for your overwhelming Joy in the moment, in everything we do. Let our praises and joys always be raised to you, no matter what our current circumstances are. You are always you, never changing, always loving, always working things for good. You make my joy complete- help me remember that even when it's not going smoothly.

God's protective covering

Yeah!!! We got our FBI background checks back today. Finally. It took 3 weeks, due to the holiday backlog, vacations and closures. It arrived today on our basement doorstep in the mid- afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn't get home until close to 7, and the downpour (a good old-fashioned thunderstorm!!) has been going on for quite some time.

The Fed Ex envelope was waterlogged. As you can see in the picture- almost 3 inches on one side and about an inch along the top were soaked. I literally felt ill as I looked at the outside of the envelope, watching water run from it as I carried it inside. I'm doing a "help me" prayer at this point- please help me- let it be dry, if it isn't help me stay sane- a million different scenarios running through my mind on how we could get this done again. Who knows, maybe, suddenly, the Russian court won't require us to have "perfect documents," I hope the ink didn't run- maybe I can blow it dry with the hair dryer, maybe it won't be warped too badly......

I carried it to the office and had to cut it open with my trusty scissors as it had been completely sealed with that great packing tape that has the threads running through it. Praying all the time, I extracted 2 perfectly dry manila envelopes from the soggy mess. Incredulously, I looked inside the FedEx envelope, thinking that maybe it was plastic coated. No. It's not. And the cardboard inside the envelope was just as wet as the cardboard outside the envelope.

Thank you, God!! Thank you for caring for the little details. Thank you for your cover over us- in this case literally :) Thank you for proving, yet again, how you are handling everything- I praise you for you are so incredible. I thank you that you will continue to smooth the path for our son to come home.

THANK YOU, GOD!!!!!

Baby Shower Pictures

As you can see from the fireplace view in our Embers Room at church, my friends did an amazing job decorating. What a neat idea with the clothes line- if you look closely, the diapers in the middle spell his name- ELI!

There were toys in primary colors all over the room with balloons, gifts and food in abundance. Delicious soups, great salad with all the toppings and accoutrements, cheese and crackers, bubble bath punch, complete with rubber duckies. Each table had a theme with toys as the centerpiece. It was all so lovingly laid out and blessed us greatly



Tim even stayed and did the masculine job of running all the AV equipment so everyone could watch our meeting with Eli, larger than life on the wall. Isn't modern technology amazing?


We had so many pictures- video of us as well as pictures of our son and a ton of pics from Krasnoyarsk.

Thank you so much to everyone who had a part in making this day so incredibly special for us!


It is so amazing to me. Having a shower really makes it real, doesn't it? I am actually going to be a mama soon. Tim will be a papa. A beautiful perfect little creation that God is placing in our care will be looking up at us soon, and, with big trusting eyes, say "mama" and "papa," and he will be calling us that. It is so hard to grasp after all this time that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.



I laid out all the gifts and toys and books and clothes and pictures we received Sunday so Tim and I can play with them for a little while before Eli comes home. We decided to pack away several toys- that way he is not overwhelmed- and he'll get a chance to play with each toy to it's fullest, as we pull out a few toys at a time and have a blast playing together.

My thought on this is so deep. This love I feel grows more each day. Having these expressions of love from our friends and family, both here in Ohio and in PA makes me think more about our son and what parenthood is going to mean, which makes my love grow so much deeper. If I feel this deep and overwhelming amount of love for this little boy of ours, how much love does God the Father have for me- who created and knows my inmost being. No wonder Mary pondered these things in her heart. They are unfathomable to think about- this amazing love God has for us. Thank you, God!!

Baby Shower

My girlfriends at church threw a baby shower for us yesterday. It was amazing. I'll try to post a little about it soon, once I get a chance to look through the pictures.

God is so amazing, as are our friends and family that so saturate us with His love. I guess that is why they call it a "shower", eh?
more tomorrow-

Merry Christmas, dear son!! Jan 7 is the Russian Orthodox Christmas- so that is when our son celebrated the birth of Jesus.

The Sweet Blending of 2 worlds

What a great blend, eh? The Russian teacakes on the left and the Ohio Buckeye candy on the right! Doesn't this just bring it all together? Can't wait to go get our little boy!! Miss you, son!!

Happy Holy Days!

Hope you all had a wonderful blessed Christmas and New Year.
We had an amazing time with our families. Our family production of Kidstuf at church did a program called Jingle Jam for Christmas Eve. We had such a blast doing it!! I think, over all, we had around 600 or more people between the 2 services. Here is a pic of Tim and me in character as Gordo and Cammie.
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We had a special time with each of our families, talking and laughing together, opening gifts, sharing memories. It was a joy, and a surprise to have gifts for our son to open. How humbling it is to see all the thought and care that goes into preparing these special gifts.

We don't make it home to my mom and dad's very often, and very rarely do all my siblings make it home at the same time- but we were all there, together, at some point this week. Mom hosted an open house party for all our friends in and around Carmichaels. I think over 50 people showed up........ and stayed the whole time. It was so overwhelming when I realized they were all there to show how much they cared- about me and Tim and our son and our journey to unite our family. We hadn't asked for any gifts. This was just a time they could rejoice with us- but there were so many gifts. It is very humbling. Here are a few photos-


Tim and my dad put together a video using footage from our visit in Oct with our son. I realized that it is possible to relive every moment all over again as we watch the footage of us with our son. The pictures and video, along with several of our favorite songs, played softly in the background while we do-si-doed around the rooms, surrounded by love, family and friends.


Thank you to all- we pray special blessings on you for making our time so sweet- and to my mom and everyone who had a part in the evening- all you did was amazing and filled our hearts up to the brim. Even Baka enjoyed helping us open presents for Eli! Though, I think she just wanted to eat more paper :)

May God bless you all richly during this coming year, filling your hearts and lives with all He has for you- praying we all remember to stop and listen for that still small voice, directing us, guiding us, showing us the path to follow as we stay centered in His will.

God Bless you all!!

The Swingles