After my little tropical getaway yesterday, I am back to reality today...

Sometimes reality BITES.

Today I am here... if only in my mind :)

This is Corrina. She will be 7 years old in 2 weeks. She weighs 21 lbs.

She lives in an institution in Eastern Europe. She is available for adoption and desperately needs someone to bring her home. Adoption from this country is quick...in 5-6 months she could be home, with you, gaining weight and flourishing with your love. She is literally wasting away...

New Appt.Date~ January 26th. Bah Humbug.

There was a mix up with our date. It's actually 5 days later than what we planned on.

This is the last Christmas this child will be an ORPHAN. God willing. We are coming soon little one!

A man after Gods own heart...Please pray for his family

Derek Loux

Words from a 'Warrior for the Orphan'~ Derek Loux

I was thinking, "Man, adopting this little boy has been so much work. This is exhausting, expensive, uncomfortable, and it doesn't feel very rewarding right now." What am I doing in some little Soviet car in the dark, in the middle of rural Ukraine in frozen December, as the driver dodges cats and potholes? What if Dimitri doesn't improve at all? What if we get "nothing" out of this? Ahhh, there it was; that dark, fallen, unreedemed, selfish human love, rooted in the tree of the knowledge of "good and evil". The love the Greeks called "erao" love. The love where we treat someone as precious and treasured for what we can get out of it. This is unlike "agapeo" love, the God kind of love that treats someone as treasured and precious for their good, not for my good. It's when I love a person in order to meet their needs, having no expectation of them meeting any of my needs. At a whole new level, God is working His kind of love into my weak heart, and He's using little Dimitri to do it.On the drive home that night, the Lord whispered in my ear, "This is Redemption. Derek, do you know how far I travelled to get you and bring you back? I had to be separated from my Son, in order to get you, just like you are separated from your children in order to get these boys. Do you know how expensive it was for Me to purchase you? It cost me everything. Do you know how broken, sick, damaged, twisted, dirty, smelly, and hopeless you were? And at the end of it all, you had nothing to give me or add to me. I did it for you. I emptied myself and became nothing so that you could have it all. This is redemption.My friends, adoption is redemption. It's costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him. And when He redeems us, we can't even really appreciate or comprehend it, just like Dimitri will never comprehend or fully appreciate what is about to happen to him but he will live in the fruit of it. As his Daddy, I will never expect him to understand all of this or even to thank me. I just want to watch him live in the benefits of my love and experience the joys of being an heir in my family. This is how our heavenly "Papa" feels towards us.Today, settle your busy heart down and rest in the benefits of redemption. Enjoy the fruits of His goodness, and stop trying to "pay Him back". You'll never get close you goofy little kid

We leave in 28 days!

I told my husband he never has to buy me another gift-EVER. This little boy is everything I could ever ask for. I STILL can't believe we're actually going to get him. I have dreamed about it for so long, and it's really going to happen! So yes, my husband is 'off the hook' for life. Which is good, because he was always lousy at buying gifts :)

This is for you Missy (wink,wink)

Lindsey and her niece

Please, Please,Please consider bringing one of these children into your family...

They will literally be forgotten forever and most likely DIE without you. I don't say it to guilt you, I say it because it's true. And it breaks my heart. It's NOT too late to save them, but it soon will be. Please pray about it, pass their pictures along, help find them families. They are innocent little souls.
www.reecesrainbow.com

A committment from a family could hold them in the orphanage, and prevent their transfer to the institution.

He needs someone FAST

She needs someone FAST

He needs someone FAST

He needs someone FAST

oldie but goodie

My kids and I love watching this together.It's nice to create memories with your kids out of something that you have as a memory of your own childhood. Have you watched this lately?

another picture of Aaron

Look at those dimples! What a wonderful son he would make some lucky family. He really needs someone to save him, he will spend his life in an institution if nobody comes for him. REALLY, he will. Pretty soon that smile will fade and he will lose hope that anyone will come...www.reecesrainbow.com YOU can be the difference between life in a crib for him and a life FULL of joy and family. He is ABLE, he is happy, don't let him waste away....

The surf is up and the tide is going out.

I WILL make a difference for THIS one!

My Starfish.

http://www.nobabynoblog.blogspot.com/

Hop on over to this blog to read about this sweet boy who has ALREADY been transferred to an institution. He desperately needs your help. PLEASE go take a look, he is a VERY able little boy with tremendous potential. He can STILL be adopted...could you be the family for Aaron??

36 days until we leave for our boy!

Doncho gets his family today~YEAH!!!

a prayer-a-thon...sort of

Please join my in praying every day until Christmas for little Edie. It's less than 2 weeks. Prayer can move mountains, and this little girl needs a miracle! Lets see what we can do....

Edie needs you to pray for her, will you?

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice." Proverbs 31:8-9

Edie, this child weighs heavily on my heart. She has Goldenhar like Hunter, but her hydrocephaly is so bad. She desperately needs surgery.

She will be sent to the institution on her 4th birthday. That's in 6 months. She will die there. Someone please help her.

How can I feel so lonesome for someone I have never even met?

January 21st.

I was SO hoping for a sooner date. I know it's only 6 weeks away, but to me it seems so far away, I suppose because I was preparing myself for maybe leaving soon, like next week. But, all is good. Hoping time will fly :)

Feeling better :)

I stopped feeling sorry for myself and annoying all of my family and decided to have some fun with the monsters, I mean the kids. If you haven't visited this blog before http://apeachykitchen.blogspot.com/ you should do so. We love to see what she has for us to cook and we especially like her fun music. So tonight we got silly and made sugar cookies with funny decorations that totally didn't go with cookies, but it was fun. And of course, the music gets you in a good mood :)

This day has draaaagged on. I have a headache from tension and not sleeping well last night. I was so preoccupied about what today would bring. And so far it has brought disappointment. What is the hold-up?? I have no idea. Does Yulia have our dates? Are they for next week, next month?? I don't know. Some days it seems like we are NEVER going to meet this child, yet I know in the overall big picture we have waited SO far less than alot of adoptive parents. It's just frustrating. There is an incredible lot to coordinate once we get the travel date. I don't think it's going to be today, since it's like, what, midnight in Eastern Europe?? I don't like 'downer' blogs, so sorry I just posted one :)

Meredith has an email into Yulia to see what the hold up is...

Still Waiting.....

This sweet boy really needs a family, he will be sent to an institution soon. www.reecesrainbow.com

tomorrow's the day!!

It's been a looong weekend. Just waiting for tomorrow and finding out just when we can get our boy:) So excited and scared at the same time.

Monday is the day we find out. That's what Yulia said, anyway :)

Dang...

it wasn't today. Lets hope for tomorrow :) I am off to watch Gilligans Island with the monsters!

Vlad needs a mama. I wish it could be me :)

This is Tonya, and she REALLY needs a family. Isn't she beautiful, look at those eyes!

7 followers

Oh the pressure! Seriously.
My morning so far has consisted of chasing a naked 2 yr old around, trying to get the lipstick off the bathroom wall (and the 2 yr old) and saving my credit cards from being cut up, by said 2 yr old. (I think his Dad put him up to that one!)

Still no travel dates, but I'm optimistic it will be today :)

I can't tell you how many times I have checked my email in the last 2 days. It's becoming an obsession. A sick, unhealthy obsession :) Oh well, one of these 'clicks' and my life will change. I will be on my way to my sweet little boy. Ahh... and life will be good. :)

prayer warrior

We got our pictures yesterday of Sasha and Andriy. The kids were So excited! We hung them up in our dining room so we can see them everyday at supper and pray for them. Summer was so excited she ran over to tell our neighbors about Sasha and Andriy...now they think we are adopting two children!! It's kind of funny.

Still no news on travel.

When will we hear??

the waiting stinks :) praying for travel dates and praying for them to be sooooon!

Adopting one child will not change the world; but for that one child, the world will change" ~Christine Reed

look at this muffin! Wouldn't you love to be his mama?? You CAN be... www.reecesrainbow.com

Thinking of you today my boy.

Look at this angel. He is in our Fathers arms now, but this SHOULDN'T happen!

This is Thomas, I LOVE him!

Birthday Girl ! She needs you to come get her!

This is Catherine, look at this sad little face. She needs a family.

This is Sasha, I am his prayer warrior!

This is Andriy, I am his prayer warrior!

Magda needs a mama!

I have just figured out how to post pics from on the internet!! So here are a couple of my favorite little people, one has a mama and papa coming for him soon, and one desperately needs one!

This is Doncho, I LOVE this boy!

Happy Birthday!

November 25th is AnneMarie's birthday. Please think of her today, say a prayer for her. She really needs a mama.

www.reecesrainbow.com

waiting for the travel dates!

I'm so excited to hear when we will travel to get our boy! I can't even describe how excited I am to meet him. It's something I think about constantly. What will he be like?? How will we all feel?? I have never done this before. Simply can't wait.

Who say's Mondays stink??

Tomorrow's the day we get submitted!!! Monday's Rock :)

Doncho

http://blessedbyachild.blogspot.com

This is the sweetest little boy I have ever seen. I love him! Make sure you scroll down to see all the pics of him. I can't wait for his family to take him home!!

new pics

Michael pointed out to me that he and alex and myself were not on my blog... so now he's happy :)

me and alex

My Alex

My Michael

prayer warrior

I am excited to become a prayer warrior for 2 children on RR. I will get their pictures and will commit to pray for them every day for a year. It's something we can all do, prayer is free and it moves mountains :) These sweet angels can use all they can get!

Angel Tree

If you don't know what the RR angel tree is, go to www.reecesrainbow.com and take a look! You can sponsor a child or children and the money will go into their fund for adoption. There are SO many in need of sponsors. I chose to sponsor a little boy named Sasha(45). He is so tiny, and SO helpless looking. Oh how I wish someone would come for him. I wish I could. Please look at him and pray for him. He REALLY needs help.

it's in Kyiv

Our dossier arrived in Kyiv Ukraine this morning. Whoo Hooo :)

Paris France

That's where our dossier was today!

Dossier is OFF!

Rich is sending off our dossier as we speak. We were going to yesterday and thankfully caught some mistakes the apostille made. That could have been really bad and would have delayed our travel for months. SO, thank goodness we got it corrected. Now we just wait to hear from Ukraine on our travel date, which *hopefully* will be mid December!

Bittersweet

Svetlana has a family. As soon as I get over the sadness of knowing she will never be mine, I will be SO happy for her. I went to the families blog, and she is going to be part of a wonderful family! She will have a brother and a sister and very caring parents, and a dog and will live in Florida! How lucky is that.

We are working fast and furious to get this ALL done and overnighted to Ukraine. Has to be TODAY..

Veterans Day

I have SO much respect for our men and women serving our country. Protecting us, loving their country. HONOR is a trait we don't see much of these days, but when I see a soldier serving their country, making the ultimate sacrifice, being away from their own loved ones...well, that's HONOR. I thank them from the bottom of my heart!

YAY!

It came!!!!! Our I171 approval came today! I can hardly beleive it! So we *hopefully* will travel this year! Praise God.

correction

Sorry its www.reecesrainbow.com

5 followers! WOW

Ok now that I have 5, yes 5 followers I must come up with something interesting to say. Hmmm. My life is rather crazy, so most of the time I just stick with things pertaining to Artiom and the adoption on this blog. Maybe I will branch out. But not today, too much laundry to do :) My thought for the day is this:

REECE'S RAINBOW.
If you don't know about this site, www.reece'srainbow.com and this wonderful organization, PLEASE go and take a look. It's very near and dear to my heart. They are truly saving lives, lives are have 'no value' in the country where these children are born. They need and depend on donations to keep saving these lives. Please consider giving even a small amount, it all adds up!

Andrea is going to try to get an update on Artiom for us. I sure hope to find out more about him, and new pictures would be wonderful. His orphanage has been notified that we are coming to adopt him, so 'hopefully' he won't be transferred to the institution. I asked if we could send him gifts, but unfortunately we cannot. Not sure why. He doesn't know we are coming for him, and I can understand that. It would be awful for him to think we are coming and then if something unforseen happens and we cannot. But I'm not going to think about that! I called in perscriptions for Tamiflu for all of us traveling. Hopefully there won't be an issue getting some. I will update the information on Artiom if I get it :)

Nothing positive to report. Will probably travel Feb or March. That STINKS. Why couldn't things have just lined up a bit differently? This little boy is just sitting there WAITING and WAITING not being able to talk or hear. Just looking lost. It's so hard to wait.

no news. we are resigning ourselves to the fact that we most likely won't be able to bring him home until Feb or march. It's terribly disappointing. I wish we could get some more info on him, an update, a 'link' to him. It feels like he is SO FAR away, ok, well he is :) but you know what I mean.

Matt6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Fingerprints went fine, well for the most part. I had a hard time with mine because of Sjogrens( lack of moisture) so hopefully they will pass the mustard! So we are just waiting and wondering. Getting more concerned by the day because of H1N1 in Ukraine. Not good at all. I am so worried about Artiom, all of the orphans really, they are so vulnerable to sickness and will be the least likely to receive medical help or medication. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

Happy Halloween...

still nothing happening, but we have our fingerprint appointment on Monday, so maybe things can get done quickly after that! It's a bit stressful wondering and waiting. I can't stop invisioning our first meeting with him, and what he is going to be like. I know so LITTLE about him, nothing really, except his medical issues. I have a very 'practical' extended family and their words of wisdom go something like this... " you think you're busy now, you just wait" and "he may hate you for all you know" (nice!) " you're never going to be able to go ANYWHERE again" those are a few words of support I get mostly from my mom :) Gotta love it.

no news to report yet

Still waiting....

The Amazing Andrea!

I think that woman can do anything! She got the attention of our congressman, so we'll see where this heads :)

Awe, shucks...

Thank You! I feel better now :)

Today Andrea is going to call our congressmans office and see if they will do anything to hurry our process along. We have tried but we get no response from them. Andrea thinks that if we can get it all done NOW, we may still be able to get submitted before the cut-off. This could make a big difference for Artiom, (which by the way, is his REAL name and we are going to keep it) I am worried he may get transferred if we don't get there soon, Andrea say's he doesn't have much time left. If he gets transferred, I am really worried for him, his health, for him emotionally, and that he may 'disappear' and we may lose him altogether. So, please PRAY for him, that we can get him home soon. And I really THANK YOU for that :)

I'm on STRIKE...

I am not going to post another one of my exciting, much anticipated post's until atleast ONE person comments on how adorable Artiom is.

We recieved confirmation that the USCIS got our I600A on Oct.7th. So thankfully, it didn't take all that long. Now we wait some more. I long to meet this little person and love him!

Its on November 2nd...

We finally got our fingerprint appointment. Yay, lets hope we get it all in soon.

make sure you scroll way down, there are more pics of Artiom :)

Isn't this just the sweetest face?

my sweetie

lindsey and summer

lindsey and her collie

those are our 3 daughters. Ashley 20, Lindsey 16, and Summer Rose 5.

Shane

This is my almost 18 yr old son on a fishing trip.

Yay- I got my son to do it for me:)

Here are the pics of Artiom that I have.

Artiom

dang it- couldn't figure out the pictures.

He was delayed in sitting until the age of 2, delayed in walking at the age of 4, he only has partial hearing, he had surgery for his hernia, he has gnathopalatoschisis (splitting of his jaw and palate), hypoplasia of right kidney, his mouth is slightly wry (wried) towards the deformed ear, he has subcompensated hydrocephaly although his head is of right shape and size. He cannot really talk because he has hearing loss. He continues to experience malnutrition due to his mouth abnormalities and institutional care. He has absence of earflap, sub-compensated hydrocephaly, Goldenhar’s syndrome (no ear), closed acoustic duct, mixed hearing loss, cleft palate, crossed actopic kidney and developmental delays as well as cosmetic facial differences.


This child is likely to have the following problems - hearing problems, weakness in moving the side of the face that is smaller, dental problems - the soft palate may move to the unaffected side of the face, the tongue may be smaller on the affected side of the face, fusion of the bones of the neck.

Depending on the severity of Goldenhar Syndrome, the child may have some or all of the following surgeries - lowering of the jaw on the affected side, lengthening of the lower jaw, 3 to 4 operations to rebuild the outer ear, addition of bone to build up the cheeks, soft tissue may need to be added to the face. Other possible diagnosis could be Oculoauicular Dysplasia or OAV or Hemifacial Microsomia.

Well, our home study is complete! We are lucky to have it done in basically 4 1/2 weeks. We had a Dr from Gillette Hospital write up a letter stating what medical procedures Artiom will likely need to have and how it is very important to get him here as soon as possible. I sure hope he doesn't need even half of it done. It was extensive. Anyway, let's hope the letter will help sway getting our fingerprint appointment SOON. I sure wish it all didn't have to go to Texas!
The kids and I are going to make a pumpkin pie dessert today if we finish with home schooling in time. Michael is NOT a lover of school, and it's like pulling teeth every day. He does however, LOVE to cook, so it's a good incentive for him. He knows all the chefs on t.v and his favorite progam is the cooking channel. LOVES IT. I definitely think he will be a chef when he grows up :)
Summer brought a snake in the house yesterday. Her new 'little pet' until I made her let it go back to find its mama :) she is our scrappy doo, nothing scares her. She love animals of all kinds, and she's tough. Not a girly girl, although she does like to wear dresses. Usually with one cowboy boot and one sandal- whatever she can find as she is running out the door :)

If I can manage it, I'll post the letter and pictures of Artiom. If you don't see it, that means I couldn't figure out how!

Things aren't looking good concerning the I600A. I got a letter from them today saying to plan an a minimum of 3 months to get the form processed. Not good. I sure hope they can get it done before Nov. 23. I did send them a 'special needs child' request to expedite the process. Emailed them also. So now, we move on to Michele Bachman, congresswoman, to see if she can help.. I'm so glad I have a really smart husband. I sure wouldn't want to have to do all this stuff alone. All 4 of you who read this, and you know who you are, please pray for us to be able to get to him before the winter closure!

got 3 of the passports done! YAY! Now Rich and whichever kids we are bringing (of the little ones) still have to get theirs. Last hold up, and potentially a BIG one, I600A appointment. Totally our of our hands. Fingers still crossed.

Getting a little closer...

Our home study is almost complete. So now it's just waiting on our I600A finger print appointment, and our passports. We're getting close! I really cannot wait to see Artiom, to hug him and hold him in my arms. It's like a dream, and I'm SO excited for it to become real. I pray he stay's safe and healthy, and I pray he is cognitively better than I expect. I really hope he is as sweet tempered as I picture him :) There are SO MANY unknowns at this point. Will he be able to hear at all? Ah, too many questions, I need to just find peace in all this and be THANKFUL that he will be our son. And I am.

Not much to report today. It's days like this when it's cold and yucky outside that things seem harder than they should. The kids are crabby, I'm crabby, and it goes downhill from there :(
I like to feel like I accomplished at least one thing a day towards bringing Artiom/Hunter home, and we're at a standstill waiting for several REALLY important details to get done. We really need to get our passports and now on Monday everything will be closed so can't do it then. So hopefully, I'll have more to post in the next few days. It's hard to not dwell on what happened with Svetlana.

Details to finish and feelings about Svetlana

Well, now we are in a race to get our dossier submitted before Hunters country closes for 2 months! That would push our adoption back to march and he may certainly be transferred before then. SO, we have to get it all done.
One of the most frustrating parts of losing Svetlana is that we didn't even KNOW that we had to get it passed with our HS person ( i don't want to say SW, because she isn't) but anyway, we knew we were approved to adopt, she already told us that. RR said on the papers to ALWAYS put 2-3 children down, in case we decide on it later on in the process. So we thought the decision was totally ours to make. After much prayer, we thought we knew what God was telling us. It's not a committment to make lightly, so of course, our hearts were really in the decision.
I pictured her playing with Summer, them doing each others hair, and just being best friends. I pictured her out on the swing next summer and in the playhouse having a tea party. I had her middle name. I had told Rich that if we have another girl we would have to name her Glory, so in the morning I would say to her 'Morning Glory' cheesy I know. But we were going to name her Svetlana Glory.
I feel bad for Summer because she doesn't understand why she is now NOT going to have a sister. I wouldn't have said anything to the kids and get their hopes up if I hadn't completely beleived it was going to happen.
So, to make a long story short, we had no idea that this wasn't 'our' decision, but someone else's to make for us.
We don't want to persue other options because it would delay and jeopordize Hunters adoption, and since I KNOW where he will be sent, it's not an option for us. I totally feel for the families that lose a child after thinking for MUCH longer than we that a child was going to be theirs and to make that emotional committment and then have the pain of loss. We only had Svetlana in our hearts for a relatively short period of time, and it STILL hurts.

Thanks Nance!

Svetlana

It is not going to happen for us. There is NO changing the minds that arealready made up. We have had to place this in Gods hands and as hard as it isto accept, we have to. Please pray for Svetlana. I cannot even express to youhow much I wanted to be her mother. But if not me...the fact is she still needsa mother. Please pray for her, she has waited so long already and is soprecious. What a wonderful daughter she would make. If she is still there nextyear, we will try again, but for her sake I pray her family finds her beforethat. I do thank you all for your kind words and especially your prayers! Jodi

No News

I have in a final plea to the SW. Haven't heard back. I'm trying to beleive that Gods will is at work here...but it's hard.

prayers please

I don't think our SW is going to change her mind, I have tried everything I can think of, so now it is in the Lords hands. Please, please pray...

a bit of a setback

We are having a bit of a set back here with our home study approving 2, but I am confident we will resolve it. Please pray for us,and our journey to these children. Please pray for guidance and strength. It's hard when 'the world' is telling you that you are crazy and taking on way too much...but your heart knows otherwise. I am not a friend of doubt. I detest it. Yet it creeps in anyway.

Beautiful Svetlana...

Will be joining our family along with Hunter! I am so thankful and excited.

Yes, Svetlana is at the same orphanage as Hunter. I don't think Aaron is though. Summer is going to be far out numbered here, with 3 brothers( 4 actually, but Shane is almost 18!) , so a sister her age would be perfect :) I home school, and I think my mom, who lives very close, will have to be helping me out with this full house!

Of course I mean in ADDITION to Hunter!

Svetlana

We are considering adopting Svetlana. She is so sweet, and she would fit in here wonderfully. She looks so much like our Summer, they would be best friends and oh how Summer would love a sister her age. I wish God would speak more clearly to me sometimes.

Got lots done yesterday

Busy day around here... got the child specific form sent off to Yulia, got the I600A forms sent off, picked up all the medical forms from Dr office, and got passport forms. Was hoping to get passports today, but Rich had to go into work so it didn't work out. The lady from our home study gave me some contact information to talk to other parents of children with Goldenhar syndrome, so I emailed them. Hopefully I can learn alot about it before Hunter gets here so I know how to help him better.
I am still praying about getting a second child along with Hunter. Svetlana touches my heart. I guess I just don't hear God speaking clearly to me.
It's cold and rainy here, and I long for a warm climate!

Trying to pull it all together

I am So glad I have a super SMART husband :) I don't know how I would handle all the paper work and collecting everything we have to collect--it's crazy! I am definitly NOT good at these things, luckily my wonderful hubby is. He has been doing SO much, it warms my heart and I thank God for the change in his heart. I had to talk him into this for over a year and a half. But, atlast..he is here. I can't even describe how good it feels to both be on the same page about adoption and what's really important in this life. I hope we have such a wonderful experience with our first adoption that it will just be a matter of 'when' we do it again. There are only so many TRULY important things one can do here on earth, and adoption, especially special needs adoption, is at the top of that list.
I wish I knew more about Hunter, it's hard thinking about him all the time with such limited information. Will he understand that he is being adopted and leaving the orphanage and that we will be his family? Does he understand what a family is? What a mama is? I don't know where he is at cognitivly speaking. Can he even hear at all? I don't know. But I sure hope that once we get him home we can improve the hearing he may have in his one ear. I really don't know what the extent of the kidney issue is, or the hydrocephaly, but I am hoping neither will be much of a problem for him.
I bought him a stuffed bear and a really soft blanket the other day. Also got a memory box to fill will with mementos from his country. Have clothes in the dresser and his bed is waiting. Please pray it all goes as we hope and we can be HOME before Christmas!

finger prints today

Hi All, ( my 3 people who have seen this blog, LOL)
had my finger prints done today for the back ground check. Still wading through the papers. I get depressed on the days that I feel like I didn't make any progress at all in that day. I want to do something everyday to be one step closer to bringing him home.
I still don't know much at all about him. Mostly just his special needs, which some I don't even know the extent of. I don't know if he can hear at all. I don't think he can speak at all. Cleft palate, crossed ectopic kidney, hydrocephaly, missing one ear all together. But I tell ya, that little smile of his can completely melt my heart. What ever issues he has medically, we will face together and get through them. I just CAN'T wait to love him, and hold him and teach him all about a mamma's love.
I do wish I had some personality information on him. I don't. Not at all. But he certainly looks like a sweetie. Don't worry, I am not fooling myself too much, and I know that I should expect anything- but really I still think he will be a complete sweetie :)
Thank you to the nice lady who offered to help me with my blog! How very kind of you. I do have teenagers that are quite good at that sort of thing, it's just a matter of getting them to slow down enough to help their mom for a few minutes!
When they do~ I will post lots of pictures of the family and some more of Hunter :)
I would love to hear from others that have adopted from Ukraine, specifically orphanage 20.

I am technologically challenged...

O.K so this is the most BORING blog ever!! I have to figure out how to do things-- I don't even know how to put pictures on here! Pathetic, I know. I may just throw in the towel and forget the whole thing, I mean REALLY, who is reading this anyway?! :)

Lots to do

Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork! UGH.
The whole adoption process can be very intimidating and overwhelming. BUT...I'm sure very much worth it! I am SO excited to see him in person, I keep imagining the way it will be... CAN'T WAIT, but it seems so far away.
Doesn't he have the SWEETEST smile you have EVER seen??? I could stare at him all day!

Wow, how exciting to see that I have a comment! :)

Finding Hunter

Hello! This is my first attempt at a blog as I am not real computer savvy! But here is goes.

This blog is about our journey into international adoption and the sweet little boy that has captured my heart,Hunter, from Eastern Europe. He just turned 5 on August 26th, and will be transferred to a mental institution soon, if not adopted. When I saw his sweet smile, I knew in my heart he was to be my son. I am far from the "type" to jump into something like this. I don't like to fly, I don't really like to be away from home and certainly not away from my kiddo's, but I believe the Lord is leading me and will clear the path to our little boy.
My husband of more than 19 years is the blessing of my life! He is everything I could want in a husband. But I have to say, it did take some persuading to get him to come around to the idea of adopting, after all, we do have 6 biological children already!

I am a stay at home mom, always have been, and love it. But we do have only one income,and international adoption is SO costly, so I can see why he would be apprehensive. But, after I shared with him that 80% of children transferred to an institution die with in the first year, he stopped putting up any resistance and I believe God changed his heart, or atleast led him in the right direction!

Please pray for us on our journey, and if you feel led, we would SO appreciate any financial help you could give us by donating to help bring Artiom home. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!