Big Week--the sequel

After this process being stagnant for so long, it has been exciting having things happen almost every week!  This week we received our biometric (fancy way of saying "fingerprints") appointment from the U.S. government.  We go in on March 8 for our final step before sending our dossier (fancy way of saying "whole heck of a lot of papers") to Ukraine.  Also this week, we made contact with the lawyers in Ukraine who will be serving as our facilitators for the adoption.  They have agreed to take our case, and are going to start the leg work in finding all the available info on Artyom.  Prayers would be appreciated that all of his paperwork is obtainable and quickly found!

New (old) Pic

This picture is kind of amazing.  I spent a lot of time praying this morning that I could have some kind of connection today.  This was sent to Aaron in a facebook message this evening!  It was actually taken this summer after Aaron's trip to Ukraine.  Aaron bought the soccer ball (or football) for Artyom and got the boys a matching one.  Doug (in the picture) is a missionary in Ukraine that works closely with the kids in the orphanage.  Most of the pictures that we have come from him.  It is a real comfort knowing that there is someone there loving on this precious boy when I can't.

  Maybe I am a bit bias, but I think he is pretty darn handsome!

Room for Two!

Cal has been living alone in the big room since Trent moved out on his own a couple of years ago (just into two seperate bedrooms...both of my children do actually live under my roof).  He has been so excited to get a new roommate and has been eagerly helping me put together a new room.  We have matching bedspreads and are going to be decorating around these fun colors!

The lime green "t-shirt" is actually a pillow that Cal made at school from an old shirt of his that didn't fit anymore.  Thanks Mrs Cameron!

Big Week!!

It has been months since my last post.  There have been many times that I have thought about it, and even had big ideas about what to write about...I just never could quite make it to the follow through.  We have had many hold ups and snags, and to be honest, I was getting very discouraged.  I didn't want to write because in my eyes, nothing had changed.  BUT, this week things changed!  On Valentine's day we finally got to file our I-600A.  An I-600A is just another government paper of random letters and numbers that I knew nothing about until we entered into this process.  Now, I get so excited saying those all-important letters and numbers.  Once we recieve our approval and fingerprints from the US government, we can send our dossier across the ocean to Ukraine! 
People's favorite question is, "what does your timeline look like?''  Honestly, I have absolutely no idea, and I try not to even speculate.  One thing that I have been trying to learn is that when come up with my own time-table, I am never content to rest in the plans that God has for us and for Artyom.  All I do know is that this week, we did something. And, this week was a good week. 

                                Cal sending our I-600A.  He has hard time containing his excitment this week!

A couple of weeks ago, we got an unexpected update picture of Artyom.  It did a lot to revive our spirit and keep us pushing forward.

We'll just have to wait and see

Aaron just got word yesterday that there is a small chance that Artyom will be at camp when he goes to the orphanage.  This has been in the back of my head for awhile, but it hit him out of nowhere.  We are praying that it doesn't happen, but we know that God's timing is perfect.  Who knows, it might be too much to leave him, and no one wants to see a big, bald 32 year old man break down and cry like a baby!

Artyom and Aaron last year

I hope He has a bulldozer!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. 
                                                               Proverbs 3:5-6

Such a simple verse; there is even a children’s song from it!  Memorizing it is easy; living it is much harder.  “Our own understanding” is what we know.  How do you prevent yourself from relying on what we know and what we can clearly see with our own eyes?  It is a question that Aaron and I are dealing with daily as we go through this process.  We are going so much on feeling, that discouraging days can send us reeling.  We must continue on with conviction!  We know what God has called us to do, and we must trust that He can see it through.

The footnotes of this verse in my Ryrie Bible say that “make your paths straight” simply means that He will “clear obstructions and enable one to go forward.”  Those words are a comfort to me because there are many obstructions in our path (more than I care to mention).  We aren’t doing this alone, there is Someone going ahead of us that has already cleared the path and is holding Artyom’s future in His hands.

Starting to Feel Real!

     As of today, I have sent out all four requests for our reference letters that the social worker needs for our home study!  Here's hoping everyone thinks as highly of us as we are assuming!  Each e-mail I sent with the reference letter made this process feel a bit more real.  I have been saying for awhile now that I am just ready to get the process started, and now that it has, I am shaking from the inside!  I realize that there are lots of exclamation points in this post, but that is the genuine emotion that is bouncing around in my head!!!!       Aaron leaves in 1 week and 2 days for Ukraine for 10 days.  He will be lucky to get to spend 20 min. with Artyom, but I know he is really looking forward to every second.  I am struggling with the disappointment of not getting to go, but we both realize that the timing isn't right.  I am not sure that I could hide my emotion from a little boy that has no idea the plans that are being made for his life, either!  I am looking forward to the pictures and all the information that Aaron will bring back from his trip, though.