More Ukraine Adoption Info

We are off to a great summer! We actually had a great 1st week already! We are so past ready to swim in our pool too, but waiting on a new liner next week as our other one bit the dust over the winter.

This week Inna and Vitali had their one yr check up with UAB adoption clinic and my mind is trying to process all the info at this point :) There are always so helpful! I truly cannot express to you all the changes that Inna and Vitali have made in one year! It is just mind-blowing at times. Of course we got all their stats on ht, wt, head circ. and it is no secret that Inna has grown significantly in every way :) She has gone from a size 2 shoe to a size 7 in this one year. Vitali has definitely changed from very baby-like to a little boy in one short year. He just continues to make huge changes, especially cognitively. It is really hard for me to express exactly some of his changes, but even in the last month, I have noticed a real difference in the way he is able to connect to conversation and being more aware of his surroundings. He has begun to show empathy for the first time recently and has started to care a little when he is hurt or someone else is hurt. There was no ability to feel these things before. My jaw just dropped last week when we were on a bike ride and Inna fell off her bike and he looked up at me sadly and out of the blue said (with lots of stuttering in between), "Mommy, I care when Inna gets hurt." Before, he would have been so in his own world that he would have been oblivious that she had even fallen off the bike. He has even been responding to some discipline with genuine crying or genuinely seeming to have some remorse when before he was too hyperactive and impulsive to know or care he was being disciplined. There is still a long way to go, but I am so thankful for these improvements as we did not know for sure if there would ever be the ability for these things. There are so many things that they have come through in a year and I began to type a list and ended up erasing it with the realization that the list is so enormous that I had a hard time choosing what to add to the list :) There is also a long list of things we are still working on :)

We wanted to give more info on Ukraine and adoption and we have really found a particular family's blog to have info that would be helpful if you are in the adoption process. The blog link is....
http://pretreadoptionblog.blogspot.com/
This family seems to be keeping tabs on many things happening in Ukraine, especially the latest news concerning the voting of whether to stop international adoptions from Ukraine. Many families have been praying this week over this and thank God it fell through on Tues for now....you can read more about it on blog link above. If you go back to further posts there is quest/answers for those about to travel. Also, if you go back to their April 8th post, they post the total amount that was spent in their Ukraine adoption of 2 children recently. We have found that their amount matches our total amount almost exactly and probably could help you plan better if you are planning on adopting 2 from Ukraine at this time.
Also, if you are in the adoption process, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to their April
1st post for some very important information from the director of the SDA.

No matter what information you find, I would just encourage you not to be discouraged. The financial alone can almost take your breath away, but God is always faithful to provide and if He has called you, He will see you to the end! If you have any specific questions, please feel free to comment or email us.

Just for fun:
Things that we are glad we packed in our suitcase for Ukraine:

- (Especially if you are taking kids) Snacks, lemonade packets (or any juice powder packet to go), coffee...we packed as many snacks as would fit in out suitcases and they lasted maybe the first week. This was especially important when traveling with Grant because you a lot of times are just getting used to everything that 1st week and are at the mercy of others and you may not get to stop and eat or get snacks anywhere...one of our days...we were on the road all day from 5 in the morning and never got to stop anywhere...Jason and I literally didnt get to eat or drink until 8:00 that night because we held all of our snacks for Grant so that at least he could be sure to get something to eat...THANK GOD we packed those snacks and then we had the same situation the next day...we were sad when we ran out of our familiar snacks from home- Mel

- DVD movies to play on computer (All TV was in Ukrainian)- Jason

Things we wish we had NOT packed to take to Ukraine:

- Long Johns- It was cold OUTSIDE, but the heat is government controlled INSIDE Kiev and if you wear long johns outside and you are hot natured at all, you are going to burn up inside the buildings. Put it this way...It was snowing hard outside when we were staying in Kiev and we were sleeping with our windows and balcony doors wide open in our flat because we were sweating so bad inside with no way to control the heat. We were so thankful when April 15th arrived and the government turned off the heat- Mel.

- Power converter because all we needed was the standard adapter for a 110 plug to European 240 volt plug (Check your electronics to see if they can accept 240 volts, because most of ours did)- Jason

Gotcha Day Celebration

We had a such a wonderful Gotcha Day! God did such a cool thing...
I was trying to decide the best way to honor this day...it didnt seem that a party type celebration or gifts and such seemed like the right thing for our crew (especially since those type occasions where all attention is on them can send them into some setbacks for a few days) and as I was brainstorming...we were contacted by the pastor of Grace Fellowship in Anniston AL (A church that supported our adoption while in Ukraine...more on that later)who explained that they were having an adoption service on May 17th. He explained that the adoption agency we used, Lifeline, would be speaking on adoption and that they would be playing an adoption slideshow and would like pics of our family and then if we were able to attend, he asked that one of us speak a little on what God has taught us in our adoption. We were very excited about getting to meet this church in person, but got off the phone and it never occured to Jason or I until the next day that May 17th was exactly the day that Inna and Vitali arrived in America to join our family forever. This Sunday Service was not planned for our Gotcha Day, but that is just how our awesome God works!

Before I go any further, I want to explain a little more about how this church that had never met us before came to support our adoption....
From what I have been told and the best I can remember the story...
It all started when a family at Grace Fellowship gave birth to a child named Micah who was born with a disease that caused many hi medical bills. Financial support was raised for Micah during this time and he went to be with Jesus before he turned one years old. This is a precious family that we had the joy of meeting this past Sunday and my heart was moved when I found out their full story. Micah's parents and the elders of the church decided that they would take the money that was raised and use it to help adoptive families....the fund was named Micah's Hope.
Shortly after, there was an adoptive family in Ukraine who realized their process was going to be longer than expected and they were running out of money quickly and if God did not intervene they possibly would have to leave without the children they believed God had for them. This family of course was ours and we came to a hard time while were in Ukraine of realizing that we would have to release to God any efforts to make this adoption financially happen as we did not see a solution in site. It was a true test of faith! We added up that we would need $7,600 to pay for all that was needed in the country and we had no idea where it was going to come from. We released it completely to God in prayer and like I said, washed our hands of any efforts to make it happen at this point. The next day, we got a call from our social worker who back in America had made a phone call to Grace Fellowship and explained our need and they said, "Well, it is funny you have called because we actually have made an adoption fund and can donate the the full $7,600 that is needed. Obviously, this was a huge faith builder and encouragement to us while in Ukraine and we are very grateful!

Back to Gotcha Day...one of the families in the church offered for us to come stay with them Sat night and we had a great time getting to meet them and the kids loved their beautiful backyard with decorative fish pond. Grant liked it so much that we couldnt find him at 5:00 Sunday morning and he was out watching the fish. We had a great service Sunday and Jason nominated me to speak for our family and the sermon from Pastor Carlton was awesome. Afterwards, the church planned a meal for us adoptive families there and we got to meet so many wonderful people!
Then, when we were passing back through B-ham, we got to spend some time The Hood family (remember the friends that we met while in Ukraine) and all of our kids hit it off right away! They were all excited to meet their new friends that also had Russian names! Overall, I just felt EXTREMELY blessed and in the car on the way home as the kids were resting, I was just thanking God for how he had placed so many awesome, Godly, encouraging people in our paths and how we felt so loved on for Gotcha Day! Then Jason and I agreed that we had the answer for celebrating Gotcha Day in our family would be a day to celebrate adoption in general...to visit those that supported our adoption, to support someone who has adopted or in the process, to find ways to remember the orphans that do not yet have a family on this day...maybe writing a letter, maybe a missions trip...the possiblities are endless, but I pray that every year will be as meaningful for our family as this one!

Well, now that we have reached one year, I will be ending regular posts on our blog soon, but there are a few posts that I want to get in before I do.

Comments:
Kathy C~ Yes, we were in Destin- one of our favorites to visit :) I checked out your blog on the twins...hope you are able to get them soon...they need a momma and daddy :)!

Stephanee~ Oh my goodness...wouldnt my kids be beside themselves if they thought we were going to see Katya & Nastya at the beach :) I would be there in a heartbeat! I am sure your girls are going to be blown away with the beach like Inna and Vitali.

Denise~ Thanks for leaving the comment...Yes, Amy and I have emailed off and on and I am following along...I have no doubt they are going to see amazing changes! Please feel free to email me again anytime!

Rachel~ we are waiting anxiously for the wedding bells to ring :)

Alan~ Thanks for continuing to follow along...I wish I had time to posts their reaction to every first :)

Tammy~ You are exactly right...it is not for the weak at heart or anyone living without the strength of Christ...I have to tap into it daily :)!

Deb~ Thank you for your sweet comments...hope your family is doing well and still excelling in Karate!