Get Ready!

Ok, there will be a Giveaway with some pretty cool prizes starting here VERY soon!!  I have to finish a quilt for the Hidden Treasures Auction that will be helping us HERE.  After I get it finished, then I will get the Giveaway up and running.  I wanted to give you another little update as promised, but wow paperwork, fundraising, and 18 kids sure did keep me busy.  So here is an update that you can "see" with your own eyes.

If you remember, Nicholas came to us very "monkey" like.  He was in a horrible institution.  He was sweet, but had not had any socialization.

Tuesday, I took Nicholas to Kroger with me all on his own.  He had never gone on a real grocery shopping trip with me and I figured I'd get a few necessities and get him a candy bar for a treat and then exit.  He'd already been to the doctor's office  and done very well, but had to be redirected from his "edge of the seat" "jump and run" stance a lot.

WELL, Nicholas did wonderful in Kroger.  We filled the WHOLE CART!!  I reached him things and he put them in.  You would have never known that he was so food obsessed and had lived in such deprivation!!!!!  I was and AM so proud!  He didn't even obsess or notice the candy bar I was getting him at checkout and then got it after being buckled into the van.  He still had most of it left when we got home (about 5 minute drive but still a BIG deal!).  That means he didn't STUFF it!

So here is Nicholas's picture from the day after we picked him up.  He seriously rocked so much on day 1 that we couldn't get one that wasn't blurry.

Now here is Nicholas's most recent snap shot.  This is not from the shopping trip.  He was doing so well that I wasn't taking chances with throwing him off!  lol

ISN'T HE HANDSOME?????  

Ok, stay tuned for big things!!

Dossier will head over soon!

Yes, we have been working hard to get things ready to send over.  Because of our large family size there are always extra hoops to jump through.  We understand and expect them at this point.  So we had to jump through some extra hoops and we have jumped through them successfully.  Right now most of our dossier is already in the country that our children are in.  A few of the last documents will leave as soon as we can send them. The copy of our USCIS approval is on its way to our state's capital to get apostilled right now, so as soon as that comes back, then the last of it will be on its way!

Please pray that things move quickly.  We need to get these kids home quickly.  Matthew especially is in very bad shape.  He is 9 years old and only 18lbs.  He is atrophied badly and his contractures are severe.  He has to be in pain and they have no way to get him the treatment and care he needs. 

Aleshia (just came home in July) will be having her heart repaired June 6th tentatively, so we were really hoping to manage trip #1 before that surgery. . . PRAY!

We've been busy hurrying with paperwork, fundraising, and daily life.  I haven't gotten the full updates on the kids, but I thought this would give you an idea as to an update on how well the kids are doing!  This was done in February!!  That is Keith with the same brother (who is typically growing) the day after he came home and then 6 1/2 months later!!!  Keith is in Mega growth and is in Mega development.  He is taking steps and cruising the furniture.  He is CLIMBING TOO! lol

 

We can't wait to see the next three home and thriving. 

 

We are updating Facebook much more often and have fundraisers running on there much of the time.  You can visit us on Facebook at:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/ThreeMoreForTheUnroesChristmasAuction  (I started a "Christmas Auction" and it has so many likes that it won't let me change its name!  I guess we'll just keep remembering that by next Christmas they will be home!)

 

I will be putting up some special incentives there and I'll put them here soon, because the Mulligan Stew has started back up and they are graciously helping us again!!!  We'll have some cool stuff going on here too soon!!  Right now I have two children who have doctor's appointments, so stay tuned!

Where We are

Keith, Aleshia, Anita, Nicholas, and Ahnja have been home for 6 months now.  So much to update you on with them!  They are INCREDIBLE!!! 

The thing is that we are right in the middle of paperwork to bring home our next 3 children and it has to take priority.  I haven't forgot about the blog or updating you.  I just need to get to the kids as quickly as possible.  We've been doing fundraising via a Facebook page and updating there more often since the updates are shorter and reaching a large audience is easier.  Here is the link:  http://www.facebook.com/ThreeMoreForTheUnroesChristmasAuction 

The children we are adopting will be named Charity (3 year old girl with Autism), Johnathan (6 year old boy with hydrocephalus and a shunt), and Matthew (9 year old little boy who has a brain injury and severe atrophy with his legs bent at the knee and won't straighten and only weighs 18 lbs).  They are all in the same place that our Keith was before coming home.  Matthew really needs to come home and get medical treatment.  His brain injury was caused by being beat into a coma by his birthfather and there will be lots of trauma from that and being left in a crib since it happened when he was 4 1/2 years old.  A 9 year old that weighs 18 lbs is so hard to imagine unless you've seen a child from a place like they are from.  My heart hurts and I feel sick when I think of how much pain he must be in laying there unable to straighten his legs.  I worry about Charity and Johnathan too, but not nearly the same worries as I have for Matthew.  They all need home, but he needs home quickly desperately.

 

Here is Matthew, age 9

 Johnathan, age 6

 Charity, age 3

 

 

If you would like to help with the cost of getting them home, then you can donate at the chipin on the right side bar or you can visit the link for our Facebook page and be a part of auctions, stores that donate some proceeds, or contact me if you have an item to donate to an auction.  Please pray for our process to be quick and for the children as they wait!

 

More to come soon and I'll do much better with updating as soon as this paperwork is into the hands of the next person who needs it!

Christmas Pictures Any One?

Christmas pictures of the 5 Bulgarian Blessings are here and ready to share.  :) 

First of I'll show you the Family Christmas Picture!

 Ahnja

 Nicholas

 Anita

 Aleshia

 Keith

 Our 5 Bulgaria Blessings Together

 Ahnja with Destiny (these two are tight)

 Another family shot

 

I think if you look at both of the family shots, you can see the spots that 3 more little ones are meant to fill!  We can't wait to get them home and are still working hard on the paperwork to get them here. 

 

I will try to get all the kids posted on the family blog soon.  Right now it is time to bake Christmas cookies! 

Small Update

Just thought I'd give a small update.  As of today, our homestudy is being reviewed by our international agency to see if any corrections need made.  After that it will be officially printed and sent to them for the Hague certificate that we need.  Then it will go to USCIS.  All that happens rather quickly, up until USCIS.  That often takes a couple months.  Please pray that someone gets it who moves it through quickly!

We just finished up a quick auction on Facebook and I will be busy mailing things out.  The auctions have been a huge help with getting together those beginning funds.  Adoption is expensive and we just finished the last one just months ago, so the auctions have really helped us to keep moving forward funds wise.

Our social worker just finished up our first post placement visit.  That is being reviewed now.  It is AMAZING how much the children have changed.  I should have new pictures to share soon too.  We just had Christmas pictures done that I will send with our post placement report. I may be a little partial, but my kids were sure adorable dressed up in their Christmas clothes!  Hope to show you soon!

Here are a couple little boys who are waiting in the same place that Thad, Carson, and Presley are waiting.  These two still need families!

CHAD


KRAMER


Both of these boys need families so badly.  You can click on their names to learn more about them.  Reece's Rainbow has more info on them or you can email Shelley at shele337@yahoo.com

Update and Adoption Auction

Sorry I haven't been on much.  Things have been a little busy and when they are the updating here is the first thing to get left out.

Keith has had an infection in his sinuses and ears ever since I picked him up.  He's had antibiotics almost constantly and even tried antibiotic shots.  We've been to ENTs that were afraid to do anything because of his size, but who said that he wouldn't get better without surgery to put in ear tubes and remove his tonsils and adnoids.  A couple weeks ago the infection got too bad while we were waiting to go to a new ENT that upcoming Monday and he ended up in PICU.  He'd only been off of antibiotics for about 5 days!!  Thursday at an appointment with our primary care provider his lungs were clear and Saturday he had pneumonia.

The pneumonia ended up being a lot less scary than watching his response to being in a PICU room in a crib with people in scrubs.  :(  I can't even describe to you what it is like to see your baby that scared.  I found that his stress and fear was much reduced if I was in the crib (they should make those things bigger!) with him, so for 3 nights this Mama slept in a crib at the hospital.  I came home one time for a shower and not until Daddy and Dayton were there with him!  Dayton stayed over there during the days, bc we didn't want him to feel like he was in an "isolation room" again.  I held the breathing treatment mask, bc the scrubs scared him that the hospital staff wore.  Crazy how we never think about those connections and how they must be woven in their brains until you see the terror on their sweet little faces!  Children don't belong in places like that.  They need medical care, love, and comfort.  Cribs should never bring fear into a child's eyes!  Here at home, he is never in the crib except at night.  Not even naps are in the crib!  He spent far too long in a crib and I won't have him in one unless it is necessary.  I usually get him to sleep before I even put him in it.

I will say that we had a not good experience with one of the PICU doctors.  Keith (and Dayton) got to see what happens when someone messes with Mama Bears little cub.  Any time what happens comes up and I tell someone the story, Keith laughs hysterically.  He might look little, but he is FIVE year old in there and he fully appreciated the wrath of Mama coming down on the doctor who wasn't doing it right!  lol

The picture above is of him heading home from the hospital.  He's home and doing wonderful again now.  We went to a new ENT this past Monday and he will be having the surgery he needs this coming Wednesday.  Yes, the day before Thanksgiving.  Not the best time to not be feeling well.  Our hope is that he will not be hospitalized for this one, but if he is then we will have Thanksgiving whenever he gets out.  He needs this done so that he can get healthy and that is the first available appointment.  He will NOT be off of antibiotics at all until after the surgery.  Please pray that the surgery goes very well and he heals up perfectly!

This picture is how happy Keith was even at the doctor's office when the "people in scrubs" (AKA nurses) left the room!  Love that smile and so blessed to get to be his Mama!

We also went on a Wednesday night to speak at a large church locally about adoption.  Our kids do great at church usually.  Nicholas got out of the van and immediately freaked out.  The church was a large brick building just like his institution.  :(  It took him a very long to calm down and a lot of reassurance and time to feel safe.  He was loud and afraid.  It was pitiful to watch.  He was terrified that he was "going back".  At home, and in places that he has been and knows, he is a very comfortable acting little guy.  You put him in a place that looks like it could be an institution and in the dark and he is still frightened.  He will get better the rest of the way.  You'd already not recognize him as the little boy that I picked up!  He just has to keep experiencing that even places that look like that will never separate him from the love of his family and whatever was scary behind those walls, will never bother him again.

I just won't apologize for Nicholas's noise the other night either.  That is exactly why Christians need to get off their butts and go adopt children.  Children should NOT be in institutions.  They should NOT be in foster care.  They should NOT be in orphanages.  CHRISTIANS should be DOING what GOD SAID and then children would be loved and cared for.  The Bible says that what we do unto the least of these we do unto Him, so that means we are leaving Him to waste away, be afraid and alone, and feel unloved and forgotten . . . to the point that scrubs, brick buildings, and cribs are all scary things.  No child should live that way.  I dare to say that it isn't the fault of the governments. . . yes that probably isn't a popular belief.  Governments are not the ones commanded by God to take care of the "orphans".  God told US, His adopted children, to take care of them.  Is it expensive?  YES  Is it difficult?  YES  Do you end up in uncomfortable situations (like a crib)?  YES  Will you get your hands dirty?  YES    BUT IT IS WORTH EVERY SINGLE SECOND AND THE REWARD FAR OUTWEIGH THE COSTS!!  That is the truth of it.  God said to do it and no matter how uncomfortable it makes people, that is what we are suppose to do.  LOVE THEM LIKE HE LOVED US!

We do have a Facebook Auction going on right now.  It will help with the fees to bring home the next 3 Unroes!  Lots of wonderful Christmas presents are available to purchase at great prices!!  We've had some wonderful donations so go check it out!  Three More For the Unroes Christmas Auction

Little Girls Outting

Well yesterday was Monday, which was Brent's day off.  Aleshia had an appointment to follow up with our primary medical provider.  I took Julianne, Anita, Ahnja, and Destiny along and got their flu shots.  I was ready for A LOT of whining, but it just didn't happen.  I had Destiny go first, because I knew she wouldn't whine.  Everyone else just followed her lead I guess.  The girls looked so cute!  I put them all in matching outfits and they were so THRILLED about all having the "same" outfits.  I figure I better enjoy it now, because any day some of them will start to not like it and then it will be over! 

The girls were so funny in the doctor's office.  Ahnja and Destiny are a hoot together always.  Anita and Julianne are like two peas in a pod as well.  Aleshia still isn't to the point that she can interact and join in the same way they can, but I love how they try to include her and show her things.

After the appointment I drove through McDonalds (we hardly ever do that!) and got them pies and ice creams.  We took extra to share with grandparents and headed to their house.  Mommom and Daddy Bill (what we've always called my grandparents since I was little) couldn't believe how neatly the girls ate and how sweet and loving they are.  They were so well behaved that even Daddy Bill was talking about it!  His vision is very bad now, so he thought Ahnja was me at one point.  I told him that I'll take that as a compliment, because she is WAY cuter than I ever was. 

After we left there, we went to Walmart to pick up a few things.  We went to the Christmas aisle first.  I love hearing my little Bulgarian Americans exclaim over the exciting things that we've put up here and they saw there for Christmas.  We picked out some new singing Christmas characters.  Ahnja and Destiny were quietly singing Jingle Bells through the store.  Ahnja's English is coming along so well!  They both got quieter (and Destiny quit on me), when I got out the camera to record it, but at least I got a little.  I heard people talking about the "cute little girls" and "look how well behaved all those kids are".  I love that they saw those things instead of noticing that 4 of the 5 kids with me had Down Syndrome.  No one even mentioned or seemed to notice their "extra".  I love that little extra chromosome, but I want people to see them for all their wonderfulness and then notice that "extra" blessing.  :)  There was an older couple in front of me at checkouts.  They turned and said that they'd never seen such well behaved children.  I wondered later what they would have thought if they'd known that 2 of those girls had spent time in institutions????  I wondered how many of the people smiling at Ahnja and Destiny singing got a blessing from hearing their joy of getting ready for Christmas?  I wonder if any of them ever think about the children still stuck behind the walls of institutions and orphanages and the joy that they and the world are missing out on? 

I know one thing, I AM VERY BLESSED!

 

If you want to visit our current Christmas Sale on Facebook, then go check it out. 

Lots of neat ways to start off your Christmas. 

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/events/187448391380177/

Just click that link and it will take you there!

The money from that will help with the cost of the adoption of the next 3 Unroes!