Nikoli the Only Bear

Nikoli the Only Bear... it is a book we bought off of Amazon that arrived yesterday. It is a childrens story that tells of a little bear who lives in an orphanage. The problem is, he is the ONLY bear...everyone else are humans. No one talks or understands him when he speaks bear. He watches all sorts of people come and take other kids home, but no one wants a bear. Until one day someone with a furry face (beard) comes and talks to him, then he comes back with his wife who doesn't get scared when Nikoli puts his paw up ... and Nikoli feel's soft bearish...he finally has a family.

I think Todd and I were in tears as we read the book to the kids at dinner last night. What it must be like to live in a place where you feel like no one understands you and you watch others "get picked" but you never do just because you are a little different. It breaks my heart.

The girls furniture arrived today. Todd will have a great time getting that all put together in the next few weeks!

I am working from home today. The house is very quiet... quite the change from what it is normally like! I am enjoying the silence!!!

So now what...

I have 6 weeks and 3 days until we leave... in some respects that seems like no time at all and in other respects it seems like a lifetime to wait!!!

6 weeks and 3 days ago it was the Friday after Thanksgiving and I was out at Wal-Mart at 4 am watching grown men hit whatever got in their way as they raced for tv's on sale!!! Yes... that was the spirit!!!

So when I think about all the things that I have done in the last 6 weeks and 3 days it seems like FOREVER ago... and I don't have the holiday festivities between now and Feb 27th... all I have is the long cold winter here in Central Illinois!!

*sigh*

So we will continue to get the house ready, finish the bathroom remodeling, clean some closets. We ordered bedroom furniture for the girls, so that should be coming in the next few weeks.

Todd and I are also spending a lot of time with the kids. We saw the Harlem Globetrotters this weekend and are really enjoying some family time right now. We are hoping Meg will be fully adjusted in her big girl bed before we bring her sister home and throw all routine out of the window for a bit!

We are also starting to get things ready for when we travel. We are SOOO very lucky that we have friends who are able and willing to help with the kids. Our main child care coverage is coming from one of my former students who is staying with the kids during the week (I think she'll need a break on the weekends, but we haven't talked about that yet... I only say I think she'll need that because I would!!!). She does all sorts of volunteering with special needs kids and I know the kids will be in wonderful, loving, very competent hands while we are away, and that makes leaving so much easier. Stacey is an answer to our prayers!!! The kids will have a great time with her!!! So that is one less worry...

Our friend Lou who is adopting from the same orpahage in Ukraine leaves this week to bring her little girl home. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. I am anxious to hear about the journey, since we will essentially follow in her footsteps in a few weeks!!!

It is beginning to sink in!!!

Todd and I fly out on Friday, Feb 27th and arrive in Ukraine on Saturday Feb 28th. We appear in court on Monday, March 2nd and then have to travel to the region where Alina is after that (I believe it is about a 6 hour train ride). Then once they approve us and the director signs off, we have to have another court date, deal with power of attorney and come home. We are scheduled to return on Saturday, March 14th... and that is if everything goes perfectly. It could be later that week.

So now I am beginning to freak out. The idea of leaving my kids for 16 days is a lot to think about! Plus then I will have to go back for another 10 days to get her at the end of March! I am really going to miss them!! Fortuantely we have great friends who are going to watch the kids while we are gone so I know they will be fine.

Still... I am sad to think about leaving them. Plus I am starting to have the "what the hell are we thinking?!?!?!" moments!!! But I had those same moments before I had each of my kids, so I am not surprised I am having them again now!!!

So we need prayers for safe travels, quick turn around with court documents and that the kids here will be just fine while we are gone.

Feb 27th.... that is 7 weeks from Friday!!! Yikes I have a lot of cooking and cleaning to do!!!

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!!

On Christmas Eve we got the call we have been waiting for... we appear in court in Kiev Ukraine on Monday, March 2nd to start the official process! We cannot wait to go get our little girl! March 2nd seems so far away, but I keep telling myself that with the holidays, Meg has surgery for tubes and adnoids and all we need to to do to prepare it will be here before we know it, right?!?! We will probably leave on Saturday Feb 28th, so that in only 2 months from Sunday...

The kids are very excited. We were at Target today stocking up on christmas stuff for next year and they picked out her stocking. We took Meg's crib down and have been looking for some twin beds for the room.

We had a wonderful Christmas. The kids seemed to be happy with what Santa brought them. We just opened presents, played all day and stayed in our jammies... the perfect holiday!

Holiday Cheer!

I cannot believe we are 4 days from Christmas... and that 2009 is just next week!

On the adoption front, while we know our paperwork was submitted, we still have not heard anything on a court date... so we are waiting. We were hoping to hear something by the holiday, but it looks like we won't know anything until mid January at the earliest... so again, another opportunity to practice patience!!!

Todd and I went to a Christmas show at church this weekend and the production was amazing. There was one song though, sang from the perspective of a little orphan boy, that ripped my heart out. The song said "all I want for Christmas is a family" and "I need a family because I don't belong anywhere" and "I just want a mom to tuck me in at night"... by the end of the song I was sobbing... I kept thinking "I tried to get Alina home by Christmas, I tried really hard but it just didnt' happen"... I wish she would be with us over this holiday.

I had a very proud mommy moment this past weekend...
Last week a friend from High School wished me a happy birthday via facebook. Several months ago when I joined facebook he friended me. I haven't ever really "talked" to him via facebook, although I checked his page and found out he got married and has a really cute little boy...

So I get the birthday message and click on his page. The status says he is "asking for prayers his family was in a fire 2 days ago and while they are okay they lost everything... with no renters insurance." So I contact him a few times and find out his little guy is 4, wearing the same size as my Caleb and very into the typical boy things. His little boys name is Noah, so then all I could think about was what if my Noah had no clothes or toys on Christmas... so I boxed up 3 huge boxes of clothing an extra winter coat, boots, all sorts of stuff to send.

Todd and I told the boys the story at breakfast on Friday morning. We suggested they each pick a toy to send to him. Noah says "We will send him the good stuff, not the stuff that is scratched or broken... we'll keep those for us." Caleb agreed and they went to the toyroom and gathered a huge box of toys for me to send. It was all their favorites too... their best rescue heros, their best dinosaurs, their new football that Noah got for his birthday, a favorite big dump truck... all sorts of stuff. I kept telling them that if we sent the toys they would not get them back, that we were GIVING them away, not letting him borrow them. They said they understood and helped me tape the box all up and carry it to the car.

I am SSSOOOO proud of these guys. They often drive me crazy, but they are really sweet boys at heart...

Like last night was Meg's first night in her big girl bed. About 3:30 am I heard her awake and excited in her room... I went and crawled into bed to get her back to sleep. This morning we wake up and Noah says "I was going to go climb in with Meggie to keep her safe, but I saw you were already in there... so I climbed in with Daddy to cuddle with him instead."

Last night Todd and I wrapped the gifts and got ready for the holidays. We have so many blessings... a warm home, secure jobs, healthy kids, and the love and support of friends and family... God is so good in what he does for us!!!

Anxiously awaiting a court date!

So now it has begun to sink in... we are going to have a 4th child soon!!! All the efforts and paperwork always made the end result seem so far way, but it is getting closer!!! Soon our little Alina will be home with us... we cannot wait!

Through RR I learned that another family who submitted their paperwork 2 days before ours heard they will be traveling in early Feb. So I am hopeful that we will also have a travel date soon... maybe we will even know that date before the holiday. There is also another RR family traveling right now and are at the orphanage where Alina is, so we are hoping for updated pictures of her soon. It will be so wonderful to see how she is doing, changing and growing.

Our family is doing great. Everyone is healthy and the kids are excited about Christmas. So much to be thankful for right now!

We'll update as soon as we know a date!!!

BIG NEWS!!!!

We learned yesterday that our dossier was submitted in Ukraine last Wednesday! It was the Thanksgiving miracle we had been praying for! So now we wait to hear from the Ukraine government about our court date... most likely in either late January or early Feb and then Todd and I will start to make our travel arrangements! It is really happening!

Noah said this morning, "You know, I already love Alina... I just can't wait to meet her!" He asked us the other day why we were only bringing one when we had so much room and there are so many kids who need a home, we explained that we are starting with one and going from there.

The good thing is the wait between now and January will go quickly with the holidays to celebrate! Plus we need to get Meg into her big girl bed so that the girls room is ready when our new daughter comes home!

This is great news for us but please keep those prayers coming... we still have a long road to brining her home!