SDA appointment received!

Whew, what a day! I got up late to go to an appointment, and my phone rang at 8:42am. It was Brigitte, our stateside helper with Reece's Rainbow. I almost couldn't believe it when she said, "What do you want to be doing on May 19th?" REALLY?! We want to be in Micah's country of course :) We are so excited. This is a week sooner than we expected!

I ran to my appointment, then had lunch with one of my dear friends, then rushed home to get Fischer and take his friends home, then took him to work, then came back home to post this blog. It's almost 3pm here, and I've known for 6 1/2 hours. What an exciting whirlwind of emotions. It's like I'm 7 months pregnant, and I finally have a due date! Thurdsay, May 19th at 11am we will be interviewing with the SDA (State Department of Adoptions) to tell them why we want to adopt Micah. The next day we will get our referral to meet him, then we will most likely meet him on Monday, May 23rd unless we get a same-day referral or an early referral on Friday. Then court will be 3-4 weeks after that.

I was sitting quietly alone waiting at my appointment and all of a sudden it hit me: I will be holding my son in less than a month! Happy tears... I am really so excited this moment is finally here. We will be traveling in 2 1/2 weeks! I almost can't believe it... time to start packing and organizing. FINALLY!!!!! :D

**I should put a disclaimer that our house is not going to be vacant :) We have friends who will be housesitting while they are remodeling their house... yea!**

"RAMP IT UP" for the Golden Family!

I am so excited to announce that the Goldens have less than $10,000 to raise for the adoption of Caleb and Jackson! Just a few short weeks ago they were $26,000 away from their boys. God has blessed them tremendously, and they are on the last lap.



Joel and Rachel met in high school and have been married for almost 16 years now. Over the past 8 years, they have felt a pull toward adoption, but for one reason or another they never pursued it. This time, however, is different. God has led them right to Reece's Rainbow and these wonderful children just waiting for a home. They became aware of RR through friends who adopted 2 little girls with Down Syndrome from Ukraine. These friends kept telling Joel and Rachel about these children but subbornly the Goldens refused to listen. Then came the day they met these two little blessings. Wow! God got ahold of them right then and made it known that this was what He had for them also. So then started the looking at pictures, researching, looking at more pictures, getting the homestudy underway, looking at more pictures, and starting the fundraising. They are very excited to be bringing home their first two children. There is a loving home, with family, friends, and an amazing church family just waiting for them to be here. Joel and Rachel find it so hard waiting on little things like paperwork or fund raising, when they are so ready for these little ones to be here.

Their paperwork pregancy is almost over; their dossier was submitted just seven days after ours on April 21, 2011. They will be traveling in 4-6 weeks and need our help. So in honor of their last "less than $10,000" I'm starting a "Ramp it Up" fundraiser. Can you give $20, $50, $100, or more... or even $5 in lieu of that daily Starbucks?! (you can still get your drink if you want :) Every little bit helps and counts! There is no giveaway or drawing for something amazing; the only reward is knowing you helped save two orphans, and knowing God will bless you abundantly for doing so. What do you say friends? Let's RAMP IT UP!!!!

go to http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorgolden and donate whatever you feel led to give. Every donation, no matter the amount is much appreciated. THANK YOU!

Racing

My mind that is...
Our dog woke me up at 1am to go potty (at least I thought that's what she wanted)...turns out something out front was making her curious. So I stayed up for a few minutes to calm her down and went back to bed. Not to SLEEP, just bed. I've only had a handful of sleepless nights since the adoption process began, most of them in the beginning. As I tried to go back to sleep, my mind started racing with thoughts of so many things. Mostly about Micah and our travels... like will I remember everything even with a check-off list? I wonder if I'll need help filling out the remainder of the paperwork for Micah's visa process. Should I take the laptop or use the computer of the new friend we are staying with to save my shoulders and space? Will Micah's new blanket fit in the suitcase with everything else we are taking? I'd really love an iPad. Should I take the carseat for the flight on the way home (I read somewhere yesterday that some flights require it for children with an assigned seat)? Should I buy an umbrella stroller here or there (Remember we are taking Annie)? I need to get up and exercise before the kids wake up. Jeff, Missy, and Lily are coming today; I hope they like what we are serving for dinner, and I hope my cupcakes turn out (it was Missy's birthday a few days ago). I can't wait for them to get here :) LOL... on and on. So at 4:15 when I was still wide awake, I decided to get up. I put on my jogging/walking clothes, socks, shoes, drank 16 oz of water, had my protein bar... got on the treadmill and... my iPod is dead. :( Yes, I could walk/jog without it, but it's no fun. So I sit here blogging while it's charging with plenty of time to exercise before the kids wake up, haha. Started laundry, cleaned up a bit... nothing is new on the WWW at this time of day, so I blog about nonsense and random thoughts.

We are still waiting on our travel date (should be in the next few days). I have been feeling peaceful the last few days after my initial rush of "gotta do a million things" after our dossier was submitted. I pray for a travel date to come soon. I pray for the Whites to have their court date soon. I pray for the Goldens to get their travel date soon and that they can raise their remaining $10,500 by then. I pray for the Cannells that their fingerprint experience on Monday will go smoothly and quickly AND that they can raise the $34,700 they need in the next month. I pray for the Buricks, that they may all adjust easily to their new little buddy and that sweet Vlad will thrive in his new family, also praying for Corbett that she has a smooth delivery of baby #3. So many prayers and thoughts go out to those in the adoption community: the Colemans, Koenigs, and all the others in process. I feel so blessed that we are part of such an amazing network of families committed to save at least one orphan (some 2, 3, or 5!)... that our hearts are open to accept the children with an extra 21st chromosome or other special need such as HIV, CP, or EB. That God has asked us to "help the least of these" and that we are willing and capable to answer His call, even when we didn't know how we could possibly afford to do so. That our lives will be abundantly blessed by these children in our lives, that they are here to teach US a thing or two about Heavenly Father and not so much the other way around.

I'm also so grateful for my family. I am so proud of my sister right now. Sara finished her last final exam of college just the other day; earning her Bachelor's degree (the first in my immediate family). She accomplished this while working full time, being a mommy and wife, and taking care of all the other duties in her life. It took her 13 years off and on, but she did it! I couldn't be a prouder big sister. Several times in my life I have looked up to her instead of the other way around, and now is one of those times. She is a shining light and example to all of how to be loving, caring, dedicated, and positive through all of life's ups and downs. I love you, Sara! Someday I'll finish my degree too :) Only 1/3 of the way to go :)

I am also really proud of my brother. Adam works so hard to provide for his family and be a great dad and husband. After buying his first house last year, he and Amanda have worked hard to make it a home. Right now he is working tirelessly on his front yard landscaping with the precious little spare time he has (really NONE). While he and his wife work full time, kids are sick, etc. He is a great example of how to be a good man, and I am very proud of all he does and who he is. I only wish we could all be around each other more, especially with all of our children. It's really hard sometimes to live 5 1/2 hours away from family. Right now is one of those times. Easter has always been a big family gathering; I grew up spending it with my extended family and cousins and my girls rarely get to do the same, even with Thanksgiving and Christmas. It makes me sad.

There are so many others to be proud and thankful for, but now I am going to get on the treadmill and do my walk/jog before the kiddies start waking up. Thank you blogger for letting me journal my thoughts... even if nobody else reads them or gets anything from them :)

Love,
Me

reecesrainbow.org/sponsorray (fully funded)
reecesrainbow.org/sponsorcoleman (fully funded)
reecesrainbow.org/sponsorwhite (court coming soon)
reecesrainbow.org/sponsorgolden ** (still in need of $10,500)
reecesrainbow.org/sponsorcannell ** (still in need of $34,700)
reecesrainbow.org/sponsorkoenig ** (still in need of funding, giveaways happening!)

Submitted!

After what has literally seemed an eternity, we are proud to announce that our dossier has officially been submitted to the SDA (State Dept of Adoption) in Micah's country.

For five months, I have literally driven all over the state of California paper-chasing, making appointments, making sure we were all where we needed to be, ordered forms, certificates, sent off for apostilles, and kept all the chaos organized. I remember looking at the dossier instructions in November, which were sent in three files, and feeling so overwhelmed with all we had to do. In addition to the dossier, we had to simultaneously compile all the items for our homestudy, which was painless now looking back.

Some things came really fast and easy (our passports, which I thought would take the longest), and other things took their time (getting our medical forms filled out correctly, getting our USCIS fingerprint appointment letter, and getting this dossier submitted after a two week closure even when we rushed to get our documents there beforehand).

And now the hardest part is over (we think). We should have our SDA appointment letter in the next 2-3 weeks and hopefully will be traveling in 5-6 weeks. If all goes as hoped, Barry will come home with Annie around June 22, and I should be bringing Micah home the beginning of July!

I really hope we get back before the 4th! That's one of my favorite holidays, but Micah and I can still celebrate Independence Day in another country; it'll be our last hoorah, and his "independence" will have a completely new meaning for that day/time of year ;)

So continuing with the theme of the past five months, we continue to wait. But this time the wait should be much shorter and go by much more quickly.

I want to thank some friends for helping me get through the dossier stress. This does not include everyone who has helped, but some key people in my life the past few months.

1) Marianne Fick, my friend from high school, whose example and story touched my heart, and truly without her we wouldn't have even found Micah. She has given countless hours of advice, support, and love.

2) Brigitte Van Nice, our stateside helper with Reece's Rainbow who has given many, many hours of email responses, advice, and support. I really hope to meet her someday.

3) Sherry White, an amazing RR mom who is at Micah's orphanage RIGHT NOW adopting two more sweeties after her trip there last summer to bring home three littles... she has helped me understand the process, learn more about the orphanage, and has been a huge support in trying to keep me from worrying so much.

And to new friends Karrie Cannell and Rachel Golden, who are sharing this journey of adoption and who have helped keep me grounded and focused on the end result.

4) Karrie is inspiring as she finds the light in every situation, strong as she and Donnie found and commited to Carson's newfound brother in the middle of their process, and a shining example of being a follower of Christ. I was blessed to meet her in Turlock a few weeks ago since she just lives in Lodi... go figure! :)

5)Last but not least, Rachel and Joel should be submitted very soon also, and we will be traveling at the same time, to the same orphanage. Joel has offered humor in times I needed it the most, and Rachel and I share a bond that I can't quite describe yet, but I feel it's timeless and distanceless (is that a word?). I cannot wait to room with her after our hubbies go home after court, so our boys can continue their bond with their mommies before they part ways to their new homes. They committed to Caleb and Jackson about the same time we committed to Micah. We have been neck and neck every step of the way, offering encouragement, prayers, love, and support. I cannot wait to meet them very soon!

Blessings to all on this beautiful day! Thank you to everyone who has helped us save this sweet orphan, a half a world away. We could not have come this far without your help, prayers, and support. We are really almost there!

Please if you have just a moment more, read this blog. It's short, and it will touch your heart. http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/2011/04/left-behind.html

Puzzle update

I put Micah's awesome puzzle together the other day :) In the beginning, for every $5 that was donated, you/we wrote your name (or your family's name) on a puzzle piece. Since we didn't have the puzzle completely filled out (we had "sold" 31 pieces), and we are getting close to traveling, I chose to glue it and frame it with a mat. A change from the original plan is that we decided to write all the names of people or families who helped bring him home in one way or another... this could have been $5 designated for the puzzle fundraiser, babysitting so I could paper chase, writing a reference letter for our home study, donating notary services, giving to another fundraiser, or expediting our USCIS application... helping in any way to help bring Micah home. This doesn't mean our puzzle fundraiser is over :) Now we only have 177 out of 252 "pieces" available for you to be part of this project. Do you want your name to be on the mat? Please go to http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorray and email us at barryandshelly@yahoo.com to let us know when you have donated (sorry we don't get notified when a donation is made on our FSP ) :) Look how many of you have helped us so far!

Nesting

Going through the adoption process can be described in the same phases as a pregnancy: three trimesters, braxton hicks contractions, nesting, and real contractions. I am currently in my third trimester, having occasional false labor pains, and am deep into nesting :) So as I wait for the big day to arrive, I have been busy preparing the house and other things for Micah. We are doing his room in a John Deere theme. We were deciding between classic cars and tractors, but found that John Deere supplies were easier to find :) I am LOVING doing a little boy's room! When I was pregnant with Fischer, we didn't know what he was going to be, so we did a neutral Disney Bubbles theme; needless to say this is a big first for us after five children (four being girls)! :)

I ordered the materials to do Micah's name sign for his room about a month or so ago. I finally got around to painting it and applying the vinyl today. I am really happy with how it turned out.

This is the bedding we found on eBay. I didn't need the whole set, so my mom purchased the panel for the quilt/comforter part. I got the extra material to make curtains, bed skirt, bumper, pillows, etc. I can't wait to see it when it's all done, but here are the samples.

Yesterday, I was visited by a friend from my Mom to Mom group and we were blessed with an adorable collection of boys clothes and diapers :) Thank you, Becca! This goes great with the items we purchased for his birthday. I can't wait to put them all on him.

I made a scrapbook a couple weeks ago to take with us to Micah's country. I did a digital photo book through Creative Memories, and it arrived yesterday also (big day!) I feel very accomplished and am so proud of how it turned out.

It's really hard to wait for things to happen, and I'm trying to stay off the computer out of boredom. I'm trying to work on projects that need to be done around the house (there is a host of sewing and scrapbooking projects to work on). Blogging counts as a worthy project!!! It was funny this morning, I had done more work by 10:30 am than I do in most weeks! So to say I'm nesting is a really good explanation of how I'm feeling. We should have our travel date by the end of the month (I'm hoping!)