The Next Phase

I am exhausted, my eyes burn & sting, and I am STARVING. I feel like I've been swimming in a super-chlorinated swimming pool for a gazillion hours - with my eyes open! And I have this hollow echoing in my ears – like everything is farther away than it really is. In actuality, what really happened is that my family just hung by a thread for about two weeks – and all the while, I held my breath. Other families who submitted their dossiers on the same date as us not only received their SDA appointment dates, they actually *had* their appointments! What the heck?!?

But at long last, we have a date to begin the formal process of adopting our two children in Ukraine!! April 5th!!

I don’t know if I was more relieved for David or for us when David called today to share the good news that we had a date!! Other than delivering us our appointment date today, none of David’s job over the last few weeks has been enviable (at least, with regards to us). We have been nothing short of increasingly distraught. So here’s a HUGE shout out to David who we have come to know, respect, and trust. We value our business and personal relationship with him

Our situation was in the prayers of so many friends and family. We are beyond grateful for your support. God heard you!! J

I’m sure you want to know “what’s next”! We haven’t booked airline tickets yet, but we have the good fortune to have the same SDA date as another family who we have gotten to know recently and we will likely plan to arrive in Kiev a few days before our Tuesday appointment and take in the sights (and speak English!) with them.

I know it’s unadvisable to “plan” anything about the experience in Ukraine (and, David, I still meant what I said about giving over control of the process once we arrive in Ukraine!) but here’s a skeletal outline of what just might happen while we’re there:

·         Obtain SDA referral to go to Valeriy’s orphanage

·         Travel (12 hours by train + 2 hours by car) to the region of Valeriy’s orphanage & meet him (and all the other important people who have to do something in order for us to be able to adopt him)

·         Spend up to a week (but maybe less) in the region visiting with him for a couple of hours a day at the orphanage

·         Return to Kiev (I’m assuming a 2 hour car ride + a 12 hour train ride) for a second SDA appointment to obtain a referral to go to Nastya’s orphanage

·         Travel (9 hours? by car) to the region of her orphanage & reunite with her!! (and meet with all of the other important people who have to do something in order for us to be able to adopt her)

·         Spend up to a week (but maybe less) in the region visiting with her for a couple of hours a day at the orphanage

·         Travel/return (10 hour? car ride?) to the region of his orphanage for a court hearing to adopt him & start the 10-day waiting period before the adoption is final

·         Travel/return (10 hour? car ride?) to the region of her orphanage for a court hearing to adopt her & start the 10-day waiting period before the adoption is final

·         Travel/return (10 hour? car ride?) to the region of his orphanage to obtain his new birth certificate, claim him from the orphanage & assume responsibility for parenting him (!), and obtain his passport with his new name

·         Travel/return (10 hour? car ride?) to the region of her orphanage to obtain her new birth certificate, claim her from the orphanage & assume responsibility for parenting her (!), and obtain her passport with her new name

·         Travel/return (9 hours? by car) to Kiev to have medical exams and obtain visas for them.

·         Travel/return home!

I purposefully did not include timelines because we really don’t know. We would be thrilled if the whole hoorah was wrapped up in 8 weeks.

We probably have about a week-and-a-half before we begin our travels. In addition to tending to a nice, manageable “to do” list, this will be an important time for us to prepare our hearts for God’s will for our family. We have carefully selected all of the items we need to take along. Now the real work begins…

On that note, if you have something you would like to share with me or you need something from me, please use my email or phone to reach me. The “standard” and most predictable means of communicating with me (facebook) will be not as reliable as we are all accustomed!

We are nothing short of delighted to end this phase of the adoption process and start the next! We got word today that another family currently at Nastya’s orphanage spent this evening with her and she is SO READY for us to come. She did to them what she did to everyone else who met her, charmed her way right into their hearts with her genuine sweetness!! I can’t wait to wrap my arms around that girl and resume our relationship!! And to begin my relationship with our lil’ guy……

Thank you, again, for your love and prayers. We are not yet done but we are a whole lot closer than we were yesterday!!!