Why Wouldn't I?

Tomorrow I have to get up early and drive to the North Side of Indianapolis to pick up 4 copies of an 8 page document.  I get to drive the document downtown to get a seal and cover page added.  Then I'll drop 2 in the giant FedEx box.  They will arrive in Maryland on Thursday and will be sent to Russia on Thursday afternoon or Friday.  Once they arrive (which could take a while) they will be translated, and placed with our other documents...and taken to the appropriate place...and we will receive a court date.

Praise Jesus.

We're closer.  Keep praying.  I'll try to keep posting as I find out where our important papers are.  

God is GREAT!

Pregnant...with no due date.

On December 16th Barry and I officially decided that we were going to adopt Sveta...or at least do all we could to attempt it anyway.  And now, here we are on August 16th...exactly 8 months later.

We are at the part of the "pregnancy" when things start to get really difficult.  I've heard that the last month is the hardest...you're miserable and just ready for the baby to come.

That's where I am.

Miserable. And ready for my baby to come.

I haven't said it aloud often because how do you respond to someone saying that?  I don't want anyone to feel like they have to have the words to say, or to make it all better.  The fact is, it's hard right now...and just like any woman who has been 8 months pregnant will attest to, there's not much you can do about it.

But please pray.  It was 4 months ago that we had to say goodbye to our daughter...and they've felt like an eternity.  She is supposed to be home.  She's supposed to be sitting in the rocking chair with me under the homemade cozy blanket.  She's supposed to be playing with the dress up clothes in her room.  She's supposed to be drinking out of the cute little pink cups that are in our kitchen cabinets.  She's supposed to be here.  She's supposed to be home.

As I even type this, I am reminded that this is what God must think sometimes about me.  He must say, "She doesn't belong there.  She should be in my arms.  She should be here with me."

Just like Sveta's home isn't going to be Russia for long...her home really isn't here at all.  Neither is mine.  Our home is yet to come...and so I guess it makes sense that things are lacking, and all isn't right with the world.  But I know this, that He who made the world is greater than he who is in the world.  I will rest assured as I go to sleep tonight, and my sweet girl wakes up on the other side of the world, that my God is caring for her there as He is for me here.

He's that BIG.

He's who I'm leaning on.  I'm trusting that He's got this in His hand, too.  He's got Sveta.  He's got me.  He's orchestrating His plan.

And I will wait in anticipation for my due date...that only He knows.

Where are we??

I hadn't realized how long it really had been since writing...so I'm very sorry to those who check back and get no information.

We have our last Home Study appointment on Friday morning, after which the social worker will hopefully write a favorable report allowing us to adopt.  Once we have the home study, we will send it to Russia and wait for it to be translated.  After translation, our in country personnel will submit all of our paperwork for a court date...that's hopefully all going to happen by October 1st...but that's just best case scenario. 

In the mean time, we are finding ourselves watching the videos of our family together more and more often.  We are ready for our family to be back together.

Please continue to pray that the writing, translation, and submission of all documents goes quickly and that we travel before we ever thought we would.

Thanks, as always, for your love and support.  We need it.  And appreciate it greatly!