Leaving for Court!!!

Tomorrow morning we are leaving on our court trip. 3 days ago, I had serious doubts as to whether this would actually happen. We got an email informing us that the doctors in Ella's city were not happy with my x-ray and CT scan that showed a very small granuloma on my right lung. They told us we needed to get a report from an oncologist and a pulmonologist within 48 hours or they would not approve us, and we would have to reschedule court in 3 months. This would mean Ella would not come home for another 4 months and would miss out on so many fun things we had planned - a family vacation to Florida to see the beach, multiple birthday parties, trips to the science museum - all things I had imagined her enjoying with us. Instead she would have to spend another 4 months in an orphanage because of a stupid benign granuloma. Well, I lost it. I cried, and I begged God to make a way for us. How in the world was I going to get in to see not just one, but TWO specialists in 2 days' time?! But God had a plan. There was a reason this particular obstacle was chosen for us and not some other family because we had the connections to make it happen. Ryan's work in clinical research gave him a lot of contacts, and he did a lot of begging. We have an oncologist in the family, so we took care of that quickly. But we were really worried about the pulmonologist. Not 5 minutes after we prayed as a family, we got a phone call that a pulmonologist had agreed to come in ON HIS DAY OFF to examine me. Thankfully, his findings were in agreement with the other doctors, and the doctors in-country agreed to approve me. It was amazing, and I am going to be baking a blue million Russian tea cakes when we get home as a thank you to all of the doctors who went above and beyond to help us. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, and thank you again. So now here I am all packed and ready, getting to make the trip after all. Thank you, Jesus, for making this happen. And thank you for making a way for us even while I was doubting it would happen. Please pray we have safe travels and get there with all our luggage. We are taking 4 big suitcases and 2 carry-ons, and I promise it's not because I took too many shoes. We have 2 full suitcases of orphanage donations, plus tons of gifts to give out. So also pray that we don't slip any discs at the airport. I will be blogging in-country, so check back soon for more updates!

Quilt Winner/ Easter/ Travel Preparations

The winner of the handmade quilt is... Vicky Burnett!  Laura still needs to draw for the other prizes, but I'm already working with Vicky to design her a lovely floral quilt.  Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the Bailey giveaway.  We raised a total of $1,486.50 which will go a long way in helping them pay for their home study.

I hope you all had as wonderful of an Easter as we did.  Our church had a beautiful Easter service, and at the end, our dear friend C.M. called us up to have the whole church pray blessings over us for our trip this weekend.  We love our church!  Everyone is so excited to meet Ella, and the thought of showing her off to them makes me positively giddy.

As of today, we are officially in frenzy mode to prepare for travel.  I am making a lot of lists ... and even lists for my lists!  I can't believe we are leaving in 5 days!!!  We had a little hiccup with a granuloma showing up on my x-ray and follow-up CT scan, but my doctor thinks it's just inflammation from baby girl sharing her RSV with me last month.  So I'm not worried at all about my health, but I am a little bit worried that the doctors in-country will be concerned.  Please pray about that.  We have our medical exam on the 17th there, I believe.  Our court date is April 19th, and God willing, we will be back to bust Ella out of the orphanage for good around May 19th.  It's coming.  It felt like it would never happen, and I'm pretty sure our kids think Ella is mommy's imaginary friend, but it really is coming.

The thought that we will have the privilege of bringing one of God's little children who had nothing to her name into our home and giving her a life filled with abundance and the knowledge of who she is in Christ is so amazing. It is a small picture of what Christ did for us on Easter, giving all of us orphans access to a heavenly father we didn't even realize we were missing until we experienced his love for the first time and our eyes were opened.  I pray that each and every one of you will get to experience something like that in your lives. 

I will update later this week.  Off to go make more lists!

God's blessings poured out

I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has donated clothing and desitin for us to take to Ella's orphanage to bless the children left behind.  It kills me to think of each one of their faces and know that most of them do not have anyone coming for them.  In Ella's country, a big bow on your head means you are an orphanage favorite.  A friend of mine, Leanne Barton, is making some bows for me to take to Ella's orphanage on our final trip, so that all of those little girls can feel the favor of their heavenly father. Thank you, Leanne!  Also, a lady who lives near us, Sarah, saw our profile on RR and offered to donate toothbrushes, toothpaste, and baby wash for us to take to the orphanage.  And Orphans At Play sent me a suitcase full of donations for the older children in another orphanage nearby.  It makes me want to cry when I think of all the blessings we will have the privilege of pouring out. 

Here are some pics of the items donated by the ladies in my neighborhood and church:

This suitcase is packed to the gills!

And thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Baileys so far! 
We have raised $466.50 to their FSP and $1,010 to their chip-in.  That's a total of $1,476.50!!! They can only access the chip-in money for their home study (FSP can't be cashed out until their first trip), so they still need $990 to pay for their home study.  There are only 2 days left in our giveaway.  Can we raise $990 for them in 2 days??  I know we can do this with God's help, so please share, share, share!

Here is the link to the Baileys' page for their chip-in: http://savingkhariton-com.webs.com/

Here are the items in the giveaway for those who share or contribute.  For more extensive descriptions, see my previous post.   

Hair bow holder

10 bows of your choosing

Handmade earrings and ring

Custom wall plaque

Wickless candle

Custom crib size quilt

Baileys Giveaway Part 2 / Court Date!

So our giveaway to help the Baileys bring home Khariton/Carlton has gotten bigger!  We have 7 items in our giveaway now, almost all from fellow Reece's Rainbow moms who are in the process of their own adoptions but can see that the Baileys need our help and are soooo worthy of our help.  All you have to do to be in the running is contribute $1 (or more) to the Baileys' Chip-in at http://savingkhariton-com.webs.com.  You can even be entered for free by sharing on facebook, twitter, or your blog.  But don't forget to post a comment here telling me that you contributed and/or shared because I've noticed the Baileys have received contributions, but no one has commented saying they've contributed.  :-) 

So far we've raised $321 of the $2,000 they need for their home study, which is great!  But... they will need so much more even beyond this $2,000 so I'd love to get to $2,000 and then some!  Let's make sure sweet Khariton doesn't go straight from the hospital, where he's recovering from surgery, to an adult mental institution.  We can keep that from happening with very little sacrifice.  $1.  Who doesn't have $1 sitting around?  I could find more than that digging through my couch cushions!  It's less than a third of a Starbucks latte.  I know because I love those things. ;-)

Here are the items up for grabs in our giveaway:

First up is a handmade crib quilt made by me, featuring adorable matryoshka dolls.  It is listed in my Etsy shop for $125.

You pick the colors. It can look exactly like the one in my listing, or you can pick more boyish colors (the nesting doll fabric comes in other colorways), or maybe you have some fabric already sitting around your house that you've been dying to have made into a fabulous quilt. If you're the winner, you can choose. Did I mention the backing is all cream minky? :-)


Priscilla Morse is also giving away an adorable handmade bow holder with your choice of 10 bows to help the Baileys!

Next we have an adorable custom matryoshka doll wall plaque made by Jennifer Willis!  She is currently selling them for $15 each for her fundraiser.  You choose the color scheme to match your child's room!  Here are a couple of examples - so cute!

Shana Pardue donated two of her Vera Bradley inspired flameless candles:

You pick which two designs you would like. Aren't they gorgeous?


And Gabriella's Bijouterie offered one set of handmade earrings and a ring!  We don't have pictures of the specific items yet, but here is an example of her work:

So there it is.  7 - count 'em - 7 items you can have the chance of receiving as a thank you gift for contributing to the Baileys or sharing on a social networking site.  I know it's obnoxious reading a post where someone is just begging for money, but this is to RANSOM A CHILD.  You will never find a better use for your money.

To contribute to the Baileys, go to their blog at http://savingkhariton-com.webs.com


And last but not least, WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!!  Yes, you read that right!  It finally happened.  Our judge gave us the choice of either April 18 or 19, and our facilitators will decide this weekend which will be better considering we'll have physicals and other business to attend to prior to court, not to mention seeing our sweet girl.  We will leave April 14!  We will most likely have to bring along some updated paperwork, but I figured that would happen.  We are soooo happy!  Thank you for your prayers. We will let you know what our official court date is so that you can all be praying on that day.  :-)  :-)  :-)

Giveaway for the Baileys

We are in the waiting game again.  Our court dossier was submitted last Tuesday, and we should be hearing from our judge (wow!) any day now about whether he/she needs more paperwork, whether they're ready to give us a court date, or both.  My prayer is that if they do need more paperwork, it will be something we can take with us to court instead of having to delay while we get the paperwork, get it notarized, get it apostilled, and then ship it to Russia, have it translated and notarized there, and then submit it.  It would be so much easier to get it ready and hand deliver it, plus that would mean we would get our court date sooner and not have to delay any longer.  It has been 3.5 months since we've seen Ella, and that is a looong time for a 2-year-old.  Baby girl probably doesn't even remember who we are, but rest assured, I will remind her! 

On to other matters.  There are two families weighing heavily on my heart, and so I am going to shamelessly beg for money right about... now. 
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The first is the Bailey family.

They already have a son, Tyler, with special needs, so they know they can parent another special needs child. 

They would love to bring this little boy, Khariton, home as their son from Eastern Europe, and the only thing standing in their way is money.  This little boy has had to face surgery and months in a hospital... all without a mom or dad by his side to hold his hand.  What's worse is that if the Baileys cannot make their first trip before this summer, he will be transferred to an adult mental institution even though the only thing wrong with Khariton is that his legs don't work.

You may ask how someone who cannot afford to adopt a child in the first place can afford to pay for that child when they are home.  But be honest.  How many of you who are currently paying to raise up children in your home have $35,000 just hanging out in your bank account?  Most people don't, but that doesn't mean they can't afford to feed and clothe another child.  Please don't let money stand in the way of this sweet boy finding a home.

I am offering a giveaway for anyone who contributes $1 to the Bailey chip-in on their blog.  For every $1 donated, you will have one entry to win one of my handmade custom crib quilts that I sell in my Etsy shop for $125. 

The backing is cream minky, and it is soooo soft!

This would also be great as a lap quilt or wheelchair quilt if you don't have any babies in the house right now. 

You pick the colors.  It can look exactly like the one in my listing, or you can pick more boyish colors (the nesting doll fabric comes in other colorways), or maybe you have some fabric already sitting around your house that you've been dying to have made into a fabulous quilt.  If you're the winner, you can choose. :-) 
Priscilla Morse is also giving away one of her adorable handmade bow holders with your choice of 10 bows to help the Baileys! 

With your $1, you will be entered into both of these giveaways.  You can also enter the giveaway for FREE by sharing this post on facebook or twitter.  Post a comment on this post telling me you contributed or shared (preferrably both ;-)), and on April 5, we'll pick a winner!  Priscilla and I will combine our blog comments before picking the winners.  Also feel free to comment that you wish to be entered if you donated to the Baileys when I made my birthday plea late last week. :-)

Here is the where you can donate to the Baileys to help them fund their home study and get the ball rolling.

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The other family on my heart is the Greesons.  You may have heard me mention a family that was at first denied the adoption of their little girl with down's syndrome and had to spend an extra week in Eastern Europe trying to get the extra paperwork the judge requested. 

The great news is, their adoption was granted!  Little Mila is officially a Greeson!

The not so great news is ... their adoption will cost an extra $10,000 due to the extra time in-country, having to change their plane tickets at the last minute, and the new adoption requirement (as of January 1) that adoptive families need to make 3 trips instead of 2 (unless they can spend a full month in-country).  So instead of being fully funded as they thought, they are now $10,000 short and need to leave in 16 days to pick up Mila from the orphanage.  That's right. 16 DAYS, and they don't have money for plane tickets! Here is where you can donate.

I really hate pestering people for money, but these two families are in desperate need, so I feel compelled that I must try to help them.  All I ask is that you pray about it and act as God leads you.

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And finally, I want to say how excited I am that Caleb Lococo and his dad are coming to stay with us this weekend!  Caleb blogs at speaking4thesilent advocating/praying for orphans and fundraising for families to bring them home.  He will be presenting a video at our church's 24-hour prayer vigil about orphan care, and I am sooo excited for our church, and especially our teens, to meet him and see that you are never too young to impact the kingdom.  Can't wait to meet you, Caleb!

Are You Afraid?

In my brief stint in the adoption community, I’ve noticed a sad truth.  Almost every facebook post about a waiting child is met with… crickets.  There might be a couple responses from the usual responders – established adoption advocates or adoptive parents.  But for the most part… crickets - an awkward social networking silence.  While a post about the delicious (insert favorite food here) so-and-so ate for dinner might have 10 responses, a post about someone’s child sick with a cold might have 20, or a post about what happened in last night’s episode of The Bachelor might have 30, a post about a child desperate for love will be met with… one.  Or even… none. 

I want to be clear that this is not intended as a call-out post to belittle others for not doing enough for the orphans of this world.  I am no better than you, and I know nothing about the daily hardships that others may face or whether they’re even in a place where adoption is an option.

The question I want to answer is why?  Why are there so few responses from those outside the adoption community?  Are people just selfish and apathetic?  Maybe some of them.  Are they cruel and cold-hearted?  Surely not all of them!  No, I don’t think that’s the answer.   

I think what we’re up against is FEAR.

Fear… that screaming voice in your head that tells you – “Don’t try that, you might fail!  Don’t look at that child’s picture.  It’s too hard!  You might cry. God might ask you to help!  You’re too busy.  You’ll only disappoint them.  If you plan that event, no one will come.  No one will want to help you.  You’re not a good enough mother to do that.  You’re not a good enough father to do that.  You’re not a good enough Christian to do that.  You’ll probably die on the plane ride over there.  What are you thinking?  Who do you think you are?  You could NEVER meet that child’s needs.  You’re not rich enough, pretty enough, smart enough, good enough, Godly enough.  So don’t even try!”

Have you heard this voice?  I know I have.  And not just in relation to adoption but pretty much any time I think about doing something that’s out of my comfort zone.

That’s the voice that’s trying to drown out the other voice – the still, soft voice - the one who is speaking Truth instead of trying to paralyze you with lies.

And the Truth is, if we allow the screaming voice to take control of our lives, what kind of life are we living?  We are in chains.  We might as well be living in a jail cell with good internet speed, DVR, and occasional trips to Walmart.

What blessings will we miss out on because we allowed fear to rule our lives?  What children will we leave alone and waiting, looking wistfully toward a door for parents who never come?  What empty place at our table will remain unfilled, what joyous laughter and sweet whispers of “I love you” never heard because we were too scared to say yes?

When I first thought about saying yes, just the mere thought, I was paralyzed by fear.  PARALYZED.  I spent days on my knees, praying to God, saying over and over, “I can’t do this. I can’t do this.  I’m not a good enough mother.  I’m not holy enough.  I’m not even nice enough!  Are you sure you really want me to do this?  Are you sure?”

But over and over the still, small voice said YES.  I want you to do this.  You.  No, you’re not perfect.  But I AM.  And I will be with you every step of the way.  I promise.

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

And now, you know what scares me the most?  What if I said no?  What if I never got to meet Ella, got to look into her lash fringed brown eyes, got to hear her squeal while reaching for a bubble as extravagant snowflakes drifted quietly down outside the orphanage window?  What if I never even looked at her picture because I was too scared to see the pain that was there?

Whatever it is that God is asking you to do with your talents, your money, your LIFE, I pray that you say yes.  Yes, Lord.  Ok.  I’ll do it.  I’m scared out of my mind, but I’ll do it anyway because you told me to.

"Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

Please don’t miss out on the beautiful things God has in store for you.

New Pics of Our Girl

We got new pics of our sweet Ella today!  When I opened the email, I instantly burst into tears. It's wonderful to see her doing so well.  It's bittersweet because while I'm thankful that she's growing, it also reminds me how long it has been since we've seen her.  She's gained weight, and she's even holding a cookie in the picture!  I know it seems like a strange thing to be excited about, but when we were visiting her in the orphanage, her caregivers wouldn't let her have a birthday cookie because they said she was 'too young'.  All of her meals were spoon-fed to her.  She didn't even try to grab the spoon out of my hand; it was clear that she had never been allowed to try to feed herself.  So whether she's eating the cookie or just holding it, I'm overjoyed that she's being given the opportunity to learn to self-feed.

Isn't she adorable in her little yellow shoes???

Georgia and Colvin were excited to see more pictures of Sissy Ella.  Can't wait for them to meet her in person!

We are still waiting on our last form from Tarrant County, but we're being told that it should come through sometime in the next week.  We had a huge answer to prayer yesterday.  One of my friends from church agreed to accompany me on our 3rd trip to bring Ella home!  I am so thankful that she is willing to join me on this journey so that Ryan can stay home with Georgia and Colvin.  Thank you!  You know who you are!  ;-)