Well, on Wed. before Thanksgiving, our amendment to our HS was finished & notarized by our HS agency. They put it in the mail & we got it Fri. Our amendment was to change the age criteria from 9-11 to 9-14. You see, in Latvia they apparently add "time" to the child`s birthdate for their age. Even though we could possibly have our adoption done before Liga turns 12, they want to "be sure". We were going to have to resubmit all our immigration paperwork USCIS but the USA submits the age of referral (which was 11). Whew! That saved us about $600 & several months!
Tomorrow, I`m heading to COlumbia, MO for Micah`s 2 wk post op appt. On our way home we will get the documents Apostilled & mailed to our agency in Georgia. I`ll also scan a copy for the same agency & email it so she can forward it to the Latvian Lawyer, who in turn will submit it to the Latvian Ministry & hopefully have a court date scheduled for Jan, by Dec 10th!
That`s the latest update! Pray for early Jan dates! COntinue to pray for Liga; we haven`t been notified that she is aware of what is happening. It will be such a huge adjustment. But I feel that she will thrive with the one-on-one attention and love from a Mommy & Daddy.
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time as a family as you all prepare for the events that will take place between now & CHristmas, as well as Christmas & celebrating the Lord`s birth!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
It's a girl!
Sorry it's taken so long to post our wonderful news but it got kinda hectic around our house over the last 2 weeks. SO...
On Thursday, November 4th we got a call from our agency making sure we were still ago for the adoption of an 11 year old girl from Latvia. We confirmed this and then she said it could be as early as January and as late as May to get a referral. A referral is basically the Latvian Ministry matching our name and her name. We get a semi-detailed report for her medical history, family history, as well as, social, academic progress and various other things, including a foster parent's report.
So Joe and I prepared to wait, yet again! BUT... On Monday, November 8th, we got an email for a referral for Liga Lukasonova, 11 year old girl from Latvia. We were shocked to say the least, in fact, I struggled to say much more than "OH my Gosh!!!" We took the referral reports and took them to our pediatrician to make sure on all her "health issues" and after speaking with them and feeling confident that we must continue, we emailed back our "YES"!!!!!!!!!
Within 3 hours we were told that if it was possible that we would travel before Thanksgiving. Talk about another shock! But, the lawyer in Latvia said that it would be best to wait until early January because we might get stuck in Latvia over Christmas. Thankful for Daina (the lawyer) giving us a heads up, we were quite satisfied with going after Christmas.
Liga was a twin and was also born prematurely; with that comes possible complications considering she was born at home. We have made a decision that we will love her with all of our being for who she is, not who she will become! She struggles with school, short term memory issues and has terrible eyesight but she will be our little girl nonetheless. She has lived in an orphanage since birth, until recently she moved into a foster home.
We have to have an Addendum for our Home Study that changes the approval age from 9-11 to 9-13. Our HS agency is getting that worked up and hopefully by Dec 3rd the new petition and approval letter will be notarized, apostilled and mailed off to our agency in GA. Please pray for a speedy turnaround! I'd love for it to be done sooner and in the Ministries hands before Dec 10th, when the Orphan Court closes! God is God of the impossible ~ always has been and always will be!!!!!!!!
Pray for Liga, she doesn't even know about us right now. She will receive a "get to know you" package shortly after finding out but it will still be a shock!
As soon as we know anything more.... We will let you know!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!
On Thursday, November 4th we got a call from our agency making sure we were still ago for the adoption of an 11 year old girl from Latvia. We confirmed this and then she said it could be as early as January and as late as May to get a referral. A referral is basically the Latvian Ministry matching our name and her name. We get a semi-detailed report for her medical history, family history, as well as, social, academic progress and various other things, including a foster parent's report.
So Joe and I prepared to wait, yet again! BUT... On Monday, November 8th, we got an email for a referral for Liga Lukasonova, 11 year old girl from Latvia. We were shocked to say the least, in fact, I struggled to say much more than "OH my Gosh!!!" We took the referral reports and took them to our pediatrician to make sure on all her "health issues" and after speaking with them and feeling confident that we must continue, we emailed back our "YES"!!!!!!!!!
Within 3 hours we were told that if it was possible that we would travel before Thanksgiving. Talk about another shock! But, the lawyer in Latvia said that it would be best to wait until early January because we might get stuck in Latvia over Christmas. Thankful for Daina (the lawyer) giving us a heads up, we were quite satisfied with going after Christmas.
Liga was a twin and was also born prematurely; with that comes possible complications considering she was born at home. We have made a decision that we will love her with all of our being for who she is, not who she will become! She struggles with school, short term memory issues and has terrible eyesight but she will be our little girl nonetheless. She has lived in an orphanage since birth, until recently she moved into a foster home.
We have to have an Addendum for our Home Study that changes the approval age from 9-11 to 9-13. Our HS agency is getting that worked up and hopefully by Dec 3rd the new petition and approval letter will be notarized, apostilled and mailed off to our agency in GA. Please pray for a speedy turnaround! I'd love for it to be done sooner and in the Ministries hands before Dec 10th, when the Orphan Court closes! God is God of the impossible ~ always has been and always will be!!!!!!!!
Pray for Liga, she doesn't even know about us right now. She will receive a "get to know you" package shortly after finding out but it will still be a shock!
As soon as we know anything more.... We will let you know!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
As we wait...
One thing about WAITING is that life still must go on.
So, we are trying our best to get all of our schoolwork done but our schedule has filled up to the brim with "stuff"!!! We have PE class with the local homeschooler group at the YMCA, every Tuesday. Every other Thursday we have Fine Arts Day with the homeschoolers. Play practice for Church every Wed 6-7pm & Sun 3-5. Jr/Sr High Play Practice every Thursday 4-6pm. I have MOPS every other Tuesday. Church Saturday night and Sunday morning. AND... I work 10-15 hours/week at DQ making cakes and decorating them. No complaints, we volunteered for EVERYTHING but we are busy. Some days Joe and I have to write out every activity to guarantee that we get to every place.
We are getting things around the house ready for Micah's surgery Tuesday, November 16. Her and I will travel to Columbia, MO and spend the night there because it's a 2 hour drive and when you have to be at the hospital around 6am... Well, you get my point. She will stay in the Children's Hospital overnight because she will have 3 major incisions and the possibility of them lengthening her Left calf muscle. She will be in a hard cast for 6 weeks, in a robo-boot for 6 weeks and possible physical therapy afterwards. So we are looking at Feb 8th, 2011 as her FREEDOM from confinement.
***Adoption Update: Nothing much other than we did hear from agency and lawyer that we can move forward on this other little girl. But that doesn't mean she will be ours until her name is on her Birth Certificate! I'm not being cynical just realistic. We will not get to meet this child until we travel and spend 2-3 weeks with her during the "bonding time". We have chosen to take this step of faith because we believe that God put us on the road of adoption. We have to accept the decision of Meggie and the Orphan Court. We also know that some may think that this is moving WAY TOO FAST but first of all adoptions don't move fast "normally" but God is the God of the impossible. He can take a wounded heart and heal it, renew it, restore it and prepare it for the next journey. That's where we are. The kids are starting to talk about this new little girl and the things they will do with her. They ask questions and have opinions but they are on board with this. They are ready to move forward too! Please pray for Meggie. She just doesn't understand.
I have a friend that is adopting Meggie's foster sister and they are in Latvia right now. They will not see their little girl until Tuesday but on that day they will see Meggie too. I have asked them to hug her and tell her how much we love her. I wish I was there to tell her myself but it's just not that way. God knows the future for Meggie and He has her in the palm of His hand!
*** hopefully soon I'll be able to share a new fundraiser idea!
So, we are trying our best to get all of our schoolwork done but our schedule has filled up to the brim with "stuff"!!! We have PE class with the local homeschooler group at the YMCA, every Tuesday. Every other Thursday we have Fine Arts Day with the homeschoolers. Play practice for Church every Wed 6-7pm & Sun 3-5. Jr/Sr High Play Practice every Thursday 4-6pm. I have MOPS every other Tuesday. Church Saturday night and Sunday morning. AND... I work 10-15 hours/week at DQ making cakes and decorating them. No complaints, we volunteered for EVERYTHING but we are busy. Some days Joe and I have to write out every activity to guarantee that we get to every place.
We are getting things around the house ready for Micah's surgery Tuesday, November 16. Her and I will travel to Columbia, MO and spend the night there because it's a 2 hour drive and when you have to be at the hospital around 6am... Well, you get my point. She will stay in the Children's Hospital overnight because she will have 3 major incisions and the possibility of them lengthening her Left calf muscle. She will be in a hard cast for 6 weeks, in a robo-boot for 6 weeks and possible physical therapy afterwards. So we are looking at Feb 8th, 2011 as her FREEDOM from confinement.
***Adoption Update: Nothing much other than we did hear from agency and lawyer that we can move forward on this other little girl. But that doesn't mean she will be ours until her name is on her Birth Certificate! I'm not being cynical just realistic. We will not get to meet this child until we travel and spend 2-3 weeks with her during the "bonding time". We have chosen to take this step of faith because we believe that God put us on the road of adoption. We have to accept the decision of Meggie and the Orphan Court. We also know that some may think that this is moving WAY TOO FAST but first of all adoptions don't move fast "normally" but God is the God of the impossible. He can take a wounded heart and heal it, renew it, restore it and prepare it for the next journey. That's where we are. The kids are starting to talk about this new little girl and the things they will do with her. They ask questions and have opinions but they are on board with this. They are ready to move forward too! Please pray for Meggie. She just doesn't understand.
I have a friend that is adopting Meggie's foster sister and they are in Latvia right now. They will not see their little girl until Tuesday but on that day they will see Meggie too. I have asked them to hug her and tell her how much we love her. I wish I was there to tell her myself but it's just not that way. God knows the future for Meggie and He has her in the palm of His hand!
*** hopefully soon I'll be able to share a new fundraiser idea!
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