Things are moving so slow here.  Still waiting on the central registry checks for my oldest daughters to come back.  I thought I'd share a picture of Julianne.  She always makes me feel joyful just to be her mommy.  I can't wait to get my other four Chromosomally Enhanced children home to enjoy as well.  Please pray that things start to move quickly and for my babies in Eastern Europe.

This is Julianne and Dayton.  They all love her so much.  He hates his picture taken, but will get it taken just to be in the picture with her.  :)  She has us all wrapped around her teeny, tiny, crooked pinky finger.  :)  We aren't complaining though.  :)

Reality Show?

I was just telling my husband that I think they should do a reality show here as we are trying to do two adoptions (5 kids total) at once.  Here's how it would go:

Episode 1:  They introduce the family and how it came to be.  Then they say as far as the adoptions - "waiting"!

Episode 2:  Tell a little about what is happening in our family that our children who are waiting are missing and then explain - "Still Waiting".

Episode 3:  Same theme as above, but different thing they are missing.

Episode 4:  Same theme as above, but different thing they are missing.

Episode 5:  Amanda has a tantrum, because there is still no news.

Episode 6:  Amanda sobs endlessly while imagining her children stuck in mental insitutions in Eastern Europe.  She also receives word that Cody is asking about coming to "Hio" and eating with Dayton at every meal, so she sobs more. 

Do you see where this would end up?  Maybe the rest of society would see how horrific the process is made to be by our government.  I mean, I wish I could say that any of the hold ups were Eastern Europe.  They aren't!  They are our government (which thankfully didn't "shut down" as I'm not sure how much slower I could survive) that keeps making all the processes more difficult. 

Episode 7:  Amanda talks about how our government's foster care system is so messed up that the children from Eastern Europe are going to arrive in less time than it took to get Cody home from Texas.  She then discusses all the things and bonding time that were missed with Cody as a result.

I wonder how many episodes it would take to get all 5 kids home???  Good grief!  Another useless weekend!

I WILL SCREAM!

Just so that everyone understands, IF the government shuts down and affects my adoptions then I WILL SCREAM!  I just need to make that clear.  I don't want to sound crazy, but I may go crazy as well. 

I need ICPC and USCIS to continue processing everything and not slow down.  I am almost done with ICPC (Cody's adoption) and almost ready to send off to USCIS.  I need the office that does Central Registry checks to keep moving too!  I need that in order for both adoption to move forward.  ICPC has state offices, so unless federal spending helps run it then we should be ok.  The same goes for Central Registry checks, I think.  USCIS could be a BIG issue.  It is federal!  My kids don't have time to mess around and neither does my sanity. 

Keep them moving!

More Waiting

I just went back and re-read my last post about the cost of my adoption.  I am trying to dwell in how easy I have it in comparisson with what God had to do to adopt me.  I am going to try to not have a pity party and just update you on the international adoption process.

We are now waiting for "Central Registry Checks" to come back.  Those can often take months, but we are told that it will be 2 wks to 1 month.  Our agency called to get them expedited on account of Cody's adoption.  His placement can't happen until they come back either.  They aren't for Brent and I, but instead for our 18 and 19 year old daughters. 

We can't send off to USCIS (to start that horrific wait) until those come back.  At that point we will have to get a signed and notarized copy of our homestudy to send to USCIS.  I'm begging God to make them get here in a little less than 2 wks just as a special gift to me, but I know I shouldn't really complain so I keep re-reading my last post. 

I'll let you know when I hear something else.

Reminding Myself of the Cost of Adoption

My frustration level is running so high right now.  I want to hold Cody and get closer to bringing my children from Eastern Europe home too.  My international homestudy is having corrections made and so I still haven't been able to send it off to USCIS.  That is driving me NUTS!  Cody's adoption is being once again prolonged because ICPC in Ohio is making us have more background checks run on my two daughters that are legally adults, even though we had everything run that was required before now.  I don't know when things are going to move.  I am tired of pushing, but I have to push.  I have to get them all home!

Some days it really does feel impossible and like it is too much.  Some days I wonder if Cody will ever make it home.  Some days I beg God to take the enemy out of the mix and let things run smoothyly (ok that one happens more than "some" days). 

When the times come I have to remind myself of the cost of adoption.  I don't mean the cost to me of these adoptions either.  I mean the cost of my Father to adopt me! 

See my Father loved me so much that He had His Only Son go to die for the sins I would do.  He loved me enough to sacrafice His Son!  All of that just so He could ADOPT me!  I am not worthy at all.  I hadn't even been born yet.  I wasn't even suffering from my sins yet.  He did all that for me, before I was ever born. 

Wow, when you look at that "cost", then I really have no room to whine or gripe.  I really can't even bring myself to stomp or pout!  I have to just thank Him for loving me that much.  If that is all He'd ever done for me then He would have gone to the extreme, yet He didn't stop there!  He loves me each day.  He loves me so much that He has allowed me to be blessed with 12 children here already and 5 more than are already in my heart and need to make it home.  They were His from the beginning of time and yet He chose me to get to love them, fight for them, and learn true love from them.  I know about His true love in a way that people who've never loved a child that they were yet to hold will never understand.  I know that He loved me even when I was so far from Him.  I know how He rejoiced at my "adoption" even though He already had so many others, but yet I was so special to Him. 

I am going to go to bed very thankful tonight for all of that.  I am going to once again beg my Father to move things along and slap the devil out of our business.  I am going to pray that He helps my little ones know that they have a mommy who loves them.  I am going to keep right on plowing along.  I am going to do it with a heart of gratitude because He deserves it!  I may not feel the peace of them all in my arms, but His peace can help me ride the waves until we get them into my arms.  

Thank You God for adopting me and the sacrafice that it took.  Thank You for making the price I pay to adopt my babies so much less.