Tick Tock Goes the Clock.....

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That's us, obsessively checking our emails.


Over and over and over again.   For pretty much the past month.   Well, we did pause for a short period, because his country was closed for a government holiday, but man, we kicked it back into high gear immediately after they reopened.

No updates yet, except that we know they are processing our travel dates.   Based on when we got our Article 5 (officially - there was a delay, thanks to a bug in the new computer system the consulate was using.  All of us families were delayed a few weeks), we are about halfway into our travel date wait.   It's looking like March traveling is more and more likely for our little guy's homecoming, although there is a slight chance we could still travel this month, as everyone claims that we are being "expedited" somehow, because of all of our delays.   We are cautiously optimistic that by our birthdays this year (April 13th for me, Heidi, and April 25th for Mike), our little Theo will be home with his forever family.

As we get closer and closer to his homecoming, people have started asking how they can help, both our friends here locally and those across the world.   To be honest, this is a difficult question!   We truly appreciate everyone's support and willingness to help throughout this whole, long, difficult, emotional process.   I honestly cannot put into words just how much your support has meant to us.  We've become blubbering fools more times than I can count, just overwhelmed with the love, compassion, and generosity that has been shown to us.

We think we have some things pretty well prepared for our little guy.  We have both a small bed and a crib, waiting for him (we'll wait to see what he's using in his country and do the same here).   We have buckets of clothes stored away for him (one way the delays actually helped us - he should be wearing the same clothing size Rascal #3 was when we started this process, based on the latest weight/height measurements we were given, which means we have a TON of stuff saved for him).    We have generous donations of toys and books waiting.   We have an incredible team of medical professionals and therapists who are ready and waiting for his homecoming, so they can help us evaluate what he needs and get us started relatively quickly with helping him.   We have child care providers waiting in the wings, ready to step in and help with Rascals 1, 2, and 3, so they can continue their daily routines and activities while we care for and bond with Theo.

So, when we're asked "How can we help?,"  I really have a hard time coming up with an answer.   My hesitation is two-fold, honestly.   We've been so touched by the help we've been shown so far that it is hard to ask for or accept more.   Secondly, what would be most useful for us at this point in time is hard to ask for.

About a year ago, we announced that we were fully-funded.  That was true at the time.   But then we had to redo our homestudies.    And our fingerprint clearances for the state and federal approvals.   And update and renew our USCIS approvals.   And get new doctor's clearances for the whole family, which also meant new things like x-rays and blood tests.    Not because anything had changed.....but because they'd expired.    All of that added up to quite a large amount of money.

To be completely honest, the way I would like to answer the "How can I help?" question is with....well.....money.    We have our physical needs and local, physical support needs filled (as best we can predict, of course).    The biggest unknown factor right now really is the money.   Theo's country has a habit of giving very little turnaround time to adoptive families - often you are given a week's notice to book flights and hotels and make arrangements.    We'd built a "buffer" (if you will) into our budget to accommodate that possibility, since last-minute travel can be so incredibly more expensive than planned travel.    However, with all of those delays and renewals......that buffer is gone.    We weren't planning on asking for financial help - we were just going to figure out a way to make it work, somehow - but if I'm going to be completely honest in response to the "How can I help?" question.....money would help.   It would help us with our travel costs, and it would help us provide for more immediate care and help once we get home with our little guy.

This is NOT, in any way, a direct plea for financial assistance.   This is, however, an honest answer to the question we keep being asked by our family, friends, and community.   If you do want to help by donating, we would greatly appreciate it.

Any donations that come in above and beyond what we end up using for travel costs and our last round of agency fees, we will donate to the adoption costs of another family who is also adopting from Theo's country.  That amount will just depend on how much notice we are given and what our travel costs end up being.

Thank you so much for all of your love and support, from the very bottom of our hearts.

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There are two ways to donate:

 - Reece's Rainbow (tax-deductible donation)

 -  Through our personal Paypal button, which is on the right hand side of our blog, just under Theo's picture.

Another update!

It's been awhile!  Sorry for the silence - we've hit that part of the adoption process that really doesn't have much going on.  We've done a lot of waiting over the past few months, but are now finally moving forward!

In late November, we were told that we had gotten our approval from the US immigration that was specific to Theo.  Before that point, we'd been given permission from the government to adopt from his country, but once we were actually "matched" to our little guy, we had to get approval that was specific to him (his name, his date of birth, etc).   We got that, but his country was still waiting for the official documentation from the US Consulate.

That documentation took 5 weeks to get into the hands of the right people, and we just found out last week that it's all where it needs to be now!   Yay!

So now we wait....once again....for the final steps to happen.

We know that the government in Theo's country is processing our case: they've asked for additional paperwork and copies of various things.   So, we know we're moving forward.   This process normally takes about 10-12 weeks before court orders are issued by his country, so we know we're in that last stretch.

We're hoping for a February/March travel date, when we can finally go meet our little guy and bring him home to his forever family!   It's been a very long two years, with lots of delays along the way, and lots of costs we were not anticipating (all of our paperwork or government clearances expired at least once along the way, some of them twice, and all of that cost money to renew or have re-done).    We're holding strong, though, and are hopeful that winter travel costs will outweigh any of the expenses that we've accrued during the delays.   Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, we're working on gathering a team of medical providers who will be ready to help as soon as Theo comes home.  We know a bit more about his personal health and abilities at this point, and have been working on creating a team of doctors, therapists, interpreters, and support who are aware of his needs (as far as we know them, obviously) and who are prepared to help us evaluate and decide upon the best treatment for our little man.   Our goal is and has always been to love him and help him thrive and develop to his fullest potential, whatever that may be.   These providers are right there, at our side already, fully committed to giving Theo all that he needs.  We are so lucky and blessed to be living where we are, surrounded by so many compassionate people!

We appreciate any and all prayers you can send our way - that we're officially in the last steps of our adoption process, for smooth travel, and for the ability to bring our little guy home as soon as possible!

Getting Closer!!!

Wow, we have a lot to update.....so much has happened since our last post!!

On October 3rd we learned that we were officially matched with our little man!!  We were waiting for his country to officially say he could be ours!

That started another round of paperwork, and also allowed us to learn more about our beautiful little man.  He hasn't known who we are during this whole process, but we were able to send him a photo book of our family introducing ourselves, along with other gifts to help him learn about us and Maine!! This was so exciting!!

We also were asked what his American name would be, as they wanted to help with the transition and start calling him by his new name.  That is where it gets interesting...

Apparently there is already another Peter in his foster home, and they were concerned that it would confuse them to have the same name!!  So after much debate our little man will be called Theo (Theodore - Gift from God).  He is truly a gift from God, and we are so blessed that he will be joining us soon!

We are waiting for Article 5 at the moment (which is the official US paperwork allowing him to become a member of our family).  Once we get that our wait should be about 10-12 weeks.  We are anticipating receiving that in the next week or so.

Prayers for a smooth process would be much appreciated, and we could be traveling in the end of Jan/beginning of February!!

Quick Update

Quick update.....

Just wanted to keep everyone as updated as possible.

The last few months have been a true emotional roller coaster.  Adoption is definitely not for the faint of heart.... but we are holding on, and holding close to prayer and trusting His plan for us and for Peter.

We finally received supplemental questions from his country yesterday.  This is an expected step along the journey to Matching Approval.  We were not certain that this would ever come, but it finally has.  So we at least know now that his country is finally processing our application.

We still think we are a long way from bringing him home, but we trust that God will protect him and us.

Please keep the prayers coming!!!!!!!!  Thank-you for hanging in there with us.

On Growing Weary...

I've been avoiding the blog again.   Sorry, folks.  It's not that I don't WANT to blog or talk to you....it's just that I'm tired.

I'm tired of waiting.

I'm tired of praying for news.

I'm tired of playing email-tag.

I'm tired of the rush-rush-rush to fill out one more form (that we already filled out months ago).

I'm tired of wondering just when our little boy is going to be in my arms.

I'm tired of trying to answer the question "When do you go get him?"

I'm just tired.   And so I don't blog.  I don't talk about him.  I don't talk about where we are in the process.  I don't give out updates.  I'm emotionally exhausted.

It's been 17 months now since we first committed to this process.   SEVENTEEN MONTHS.   That's a long time, y'all.   We knew going into it that it could take this long......what I didn't know was how much of a toll this waiting process was going to take on us.

The emotional roller coaster of moving forward a step.....and then back two.....then forward again.....then standing still......it's exhausting.   

Every week, I wake up thinking, "Maybe this is it - maybe this is the week that we get matched to him!"

And then it doesn't happen and the crash at the end of the week is torture.

We get little glimmers of hope:  

"He's still available for adoption and the agency is officially recommending your family."

(That was last week's email)

Then nothing.

More silence.

More questions to answer with answers that I don't have.

And I don't feel comfortable talking about any of this with anyone.   Those who aren't adopting have a hard time understanding just what the process is even like.  Our friends who are adopting are struggling with the same thing, and their children are often in horrible situations - overcrowded orphanages where their child never leaves his/her crib.   They don't need to hear it from me, too, when it's already playing on repeat in their own minds.  Peter's in a good place - he's being well cared for.   He's receiving wonderful medical care and treatment.   How could I be so incredibly inconsiderate to complain about MY situation when Peter's in a good place....and they're dealing with the same emotional roller coaster and mound of paperwork and stress and they don't have the reassurance that their child is being well-cared for?

And so I don't say anything.  And I don't blog.  I just keep trying to help their fundraising efforts, be there to listen to them cry and stress, keep praying for their children every night.

I don't tell anyone about the stress of finding child care when our trip comes.   I don't tell anyone about the stress of timing - how I want to go as soon as possible to pick him up, but worry about the cost if we travel in the summer vs the winter as we originally thought we would be.  (Plane tickets are twice the cost if we travel this summer.....and that's a lot of money).  

I try to hold on to the little glimmers of hope.  The fact that he's available.  The fact that our referral is awaiting official approval by the government and could come any day.

I try to push through the days like today, where all I want to do is go back to bed and cry because I'm just so tired of waiting.   

I just keep plugging along....trying to focus on the positives.

It's just so tiring.

I'm weary.

Thankful Thursdays

Join me!

I kind of forgot it was Thursday, whoops!   That's the one real downside I've found of homeschooling so far - it lends itself so well to having a flexible schedule that I often forget what day of the week it is!    

Anywho....today I am thankful for:

- a hardworking husband who is currently teaching the boys how to build something for the yard

- healthy children

- hot coffee that I get to drink WHILE IT IS HOT

- getting in a workout FOUR days this week already!

- spring weather to enjoy

How about you?   Share your blessings today!

Progress - and a request for more prayers!

I finally get to update the blog with actual progress!    Do you guys realize just how *good* it feels to do that?    I've been avoiding this blog for weeks, just because I had nothing of substance to tell you guys, and I didn't want to bore you with just another account of "We're still waiting."

But today is different!  Today, I have news!

Remember that delay we hit a few months ago?  It's been resolved.  The paperwork we were waiting on has been approved by Peter's country.   This is a BIG step forward - finally, we can get on with the regular adoption process and *hopefully* will hear something about what is called "matching approval" soon.   MA will take Peter off of the open adoption list and officially match him to our family.   This can't happen soon enough, in my opinion!  

While we're extremely excited about finally hearing good news - we're also holding our breath.   All this time we've been working toward bringing Peter home (so, about 15 months now), he's been available for adoption by other families.    He could already be matched with another family and on his way home - or already in a home.   We just don't know exactly what his status is.

Our agency is trying to find out that information - trying to see if he is still available for us to adopt him.    Please join us in praying for God's will to be done in this situation.   While we are obviously emotionally attached to Peter already, if it is God's will that he be in another family, please help us to accept that.    My biggest prayer for this little boy is that he have a place to call home and a family who will love him for the rest of his life.   I'd like it to be our family, but if it is not to be, please pray that we can be grateful that he is in a family and has a home.   

If, by some chance, Peter has already been matched or adopted, please pray for our discernment in moving forward with another child.   I don't want to think of that possibility at this point, but it might be something that we will have to decide in the near future.   Please pray that we are able to faithfully carry out God's will for our family, no matter what that looks like.

Thank you so much for your support!!