Disappointing News

We got some disappointing news today. Our adoption agency called us with some information about the little girl in Vladivostok we have been assigned to since April. Apparently her grandmother has visited her in the orphanage and might be interested in adopting her. Obviously, she has priority over an international adoption. However, she only has until September to make her final decision. At that time the little girl will have "cleared the data base" and be closed to domestic adoption.

Because of this set-back, we will definitely not be traveling to Russia in September. Our paperwork will be on hold there until that time. If she is still available, we will travel soon after. If she has been adopted, we will have to wait for another referral.

Of course, I'm feeling a little down about this news. But, with all my heart - I want to do God's will and follow His plan. He's completely in charge. This whole adoption for our family was His idea that He planted in our hearts. So, we will wait for His master plan to unfold.

I'll continue to keep you informed as we get more information. In the mean-time, our home will be busy getting ready for the new school year. Audrey starts 1st grade, Will 2nd and Blake 3rd. Heavy sigh...

Another Step Closer to Russia

Today we got a phone call from our representative at Children's Hope International in St. Louis. She said we need to begin our next phase of paperwork. Yeah!
These documents are very specific to our region in Russia, and need to be completed before we travel to Vladivostok. Some of them expire within 60 days. So, we are obviously getting very close to our expected travel date! There are about 30 papers that we need to get together. Of course, being the NON-procrastinator that I am, I already have most of them typed up and saved in my computer until I have the last bit of information to add to them. But, they all have to be signed, notarized and appistilled in Topeka before I send them. So, it will still be a pain in the rear to get it all done. I think those Russians just sit back and laugh as they get our documents. They're probably saying, "Can you believe what these people went through to get this ridiculous information!". HA!
I'll write again soon...

A Little About Our Family

Rob and I have been married for 13 years. We have three biological children. Blake is 10 and quiet & determined, Will is 8 and tender-hearted & funny and Audrey is 7 and independent & positive. Oh, we love them so much! Rob is such a commited dad and husband. He makes family time a priority and is a Godly leader in our home. I am a stay-at-home mom and I love my job! Today I made home-made bubbles, went swimming, read "Double Fudge" and built a fort out of blankets. Does life get better than that? We are very close to our extended families. They love our kids beyond measure! We are so blessed to have them! We go to Antioch Church, which is non-denominational.Our dog May is a standard schnauzer. Today she stained her "beard" blue with a smoke bomb. We also have a darling turtle named Dribble, two fish, and two hermit crabs we're baby-sitting for the summer.We love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - the One and Only God! All things were created by Him. He holds time in His hands. We are honored He is using us to display His Redemption and Love by adopting a new little girl into our family. We are ready for a wild ride!!

Our Blog

>Our first blog post! How exciting! We wanted to set up this blog so you will be able to walk right along with us through our adoption process. There is a "time-line" on the side to give you a quick reference point.

As of right now, we are still just waiting. But, that's the way the game is played. The "waiting game" the adoptive community calls it! Honestly, God's timing has proved best, so we patiently wait for His plan to unfold. We're just the players - He's the coach!

Hopefully this will be a fun, uplifting blog! We'll do our best to keep you updated in the months ahead! Join with us as we pray for God's blessing and direction every step of the way!