We are headed to Ukraine!

We finally got the call today that we have been invited to Ukraine. We will leave next Tuesday (April 20th). Here are some specific prayer requests for our family...

Xan

-He will adjust to Sasha and eventually enjoy Sasha's presence in our family.

-Sensory Processing Disorder - Xan REALLY needs routine, security, and familiarity and there will be none of that on this trip. He also has issues with smells. Things that most people can ignore, Xan simply can not. For example, the smell of Pine Sol makes him gag, therefore, he is not able to eat his food. So, please pray that his little nose won't be so sensitive to new and different smells in a foreign country (like a yucky public potty, body odor, cigarettes, etc). He is also a picky eater, please pray that we can find something he likes to eat.

-He will be able to adjust to our apartment in Ukraine and be able to sleep well at night.

Brennan

-If you know Brennan, you know he is WILD and on the go unless he is asleep! Please pray that we can keep him entertained during long flights and layovers.

-He will be able to get a good night's sleep on the plane ride.

-He will adjust to his new sleeping arrangements while in Ukraine and get his needed "beauty" rest.

-He will remain calm during court hearings and other vital appointments.

-That we will not experience any racial hatred while out of the USA. (You can pray this for Xan as well)

Sasha

-That he will mesh with our family and come to love all of us deeply.

-His transition to the English language would start immediately.

-His heart as he mourns the loss of the orphanage he has called home for the last 3 years, the older brother he will leave behind (he was too old for the orphanage when their mother died and no one knows where he is now), and of the place that holds all the memories he has of his birth mother.

-His salvation. Bucky and I, above anything else, want to see him come to know Christ. To become a man after God's own heart. To become a man of integrity, wisdom, and honor.

Our family in general

-Safe and peaceful flights

-Safety in public transportation

-That our court date will be scheduled within a reasonable amount of time, therefore, making our trip shorter.

-That we would remain healthy.

-Patience and long suffering with each other.

Let me thank you in advance for praying for us. We love you all!

Easter 2010 Part Two

We had a wonderful day today and the boys just had to spend a little more time outside when we got home from dinner this evening.

Easter 2010 Part One

Here are some photos from our fun filled day....

Brennan was really excited about the Easter egg hunt.

Xan was terrified of the Easter bunny. He did not want to participate in the egg hunt after he saw the bunny. He is such a funny kid.

The picture above is Xan keeping his eye on that scary bunny.

The spoils of the egg hunt.

Adoption Update

We found out on Monday that our paperwork was submitted to the adoption authorities in Ukraine on March 23. That was one week earlier than we expected. We now are waiting to hear either that we have to redo something or we will receive our travel date. We, of course, are praying for a travel date because we are so sick of paperwork! I had to change the ringtone on my cell phone so that anytime our adoption agency calls it rings differently than when anyone else calls me. I did this because I was jumping out of my skin anytime the phone rang thinking, "could this be 'the call' with our travel date. "

I pray you have a wonderful Easter!

A bit of a setback

So, we found out today that the Ukrainian government is now requiring two "new" documents. It is really quite silly because the information they need on the new forms is on several of the other forms in our dossier. All they have to do is look for it in the paperwork they already have. But instead they want it on it's own sheet of paper. GRRRR...this means our paperwork will not be submitted on the 16th.

Update

Our dossier is complete and will be on its way to Ukraine by the end of this week. YIPEE!! However, our adoption agency has requested an extension from the Ukrainian government because our paperwork will not be ready for submission by the initial March 9th deadline. We thought we might make the March 9th deadline, but part of our paperwork has to be notarized after it arrives in Ukraine and this cannot be accomplished before many businesses and government agencies are closing for a national holiday. Therefore, our paperwork will not be notarized until after the holiday. Apparently, the Ukrainian government only accepts new adoption paperwork on Tuesdays, hence the having to wait until the 16th to submit our documents.

I am really unsure of how long it will take after the 16th before we hear anything as to when we can travel. I am a bundle of nerves and so anxious to see my son again.

Stinkin' Medical Forms

Ok, I have to vent a little so that I don't cry....

On February 9th, we had our medical forms for our adoption completed by our doctor. I found out earlier this week that the form had an error on it. Not MY error or the doctor's error, an error on the form that the Ukrainian government gave us. But, even though it was THEIR error on THEIR form, they would not accept it until it was redone.

So, on Tuesday morning, I dropped off the new forms with very specific, written instructions to our doctor's office. Here were the instructions, let's see if you could follow them (keep in mind they had already done this for me about 2 weeks earlier):

1. Copy the forms onto your letterhead.

2. Complete the forms.

3. Date the forms with today's date.

4. Finally, have the forms notarized.

Seems simple enough right. I thought so too, but apparently not. What they actually did was complete the forms and THEN copied them onto letterhead. So, instead of having an original signature on the letterhead, I have a copy of a signature on letterhead. What person with a high school education thinks that is appropriate? What government agency is going to accept a piece of paper that only has a copy of a signature on it?