Sad News and Garden Surprises

I received a sad and disappointing e-mail yesterday from my agency rep. The e-mail was letting me know that she was leaving the agency on August 8th. I know many of you fellow PAP's know exactly how I am feeling as you have all had to deal with agency changes. Here I was going along feeling very lucky as I have had the same CHI rep, Marti, since way back in 2007 when my first dossier was completed. I will miss her very much when she leaves, as she has become an important extended part of my family during the most emotional roller coaster adventure of my life, called adoption.

I still have not heard anything from Krasnoyarsk about a referral. Keep the prayers coming for me as I am having a really hard time waiting these last few weeks.

On a side note, this summer I was not up to planting a vegetable garden, just worked on the flower gardens. So I basically let the vegetable patch go to the weeds. Well low and behold ,one day I decided to mow the garden weeds down to keep the backyard from looking like a total eye sore and disgrace, when, I saw these small green plants that didn't look like your ordinary garden variety of weed. I decided to keep these little plants and mow the rest down around them just to see what they would turn into.


Here is the result.

Gotta love the weeds some times......

Take care,

Shannon

Not yet.....

No word from Russia yet, although I feel like it should be any day now, shouldn't it????? It's been over a month since Registration and the waiting is becoming excruciatingly difficult. I called my SW at my agency last week to get an update but have not heard anything back yet. Hopefully I will get some information tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest.

In the meantime, I did have an appointment with Homeland Security to have my fingerprints retaken on 7/10/08, as they were expiring on 7/25/08. They were taken and my amended I-171H form with new fingerprint expiration date was received in the mail on Friday. Their turnaround time was terrific. I was very thrilled to see it back already. Homeland Security gets a great big Kuddos from me this week. Okay, so now I think everything is up to date once again. Phone ring pleeeaaasssseeee....

Nothing else really exciting happening in the neighborhood. I've just been picking up more hours at the hospital almost every week to try and pay down some loans taken out for this adoption. I know it will all be worth it in the end, so I keep on chugging away. The good thing about working so much too, is that the vacation time is accruing faster. :) I think I have over six weeks PTO saved up now. I want to have as much time home with the kiddo as possible before having to return to work once we are back from Russia.

Please keep me and my Little Russian Princess in your prayers this week as we wait for the MOE and my adoption agency to send us word that we will be able to meet soon. Also keep the following blog friends and families in your thoughts and prayers as they are traveling to Russia this week to meet their children: Kyley and Greg Smith, Russ and Monica Canestraro, and Amy of 4 from Russia?. See my side bar of blogs I follow for their stories as I haven't learned how to imbed the links in my text yet. Also welcome home Becky and Keith and the Peanut.

Take care all!
Shannon

I'm Finally Registered!!!!!!

Yippee!!! I can do the happy dance again....

I received a call back from my agency rep today (Thanks M. !!! You did make my day!) and we found out that I've actually been registered now since last week 6/16/08. Hallelujah! and Praise the Lord!

So what does this all mean to me now...Well this means that the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Krasnoyarsk, Russia now has officially accepted my paperwork and request to adopt. They will now begin the search to match up my application with my Little Russian Princess and then I will receive "The Call". I pray that the call comes quickly. I'm not sure what the typical wait time is between registration and referral for my region, but will pass on the information as soon as my agency rep finds out for me.

I'd like to send out a congratulations to Becky and Keith who have received their court date and will be travelling back to Russia tomorrow for their "Little Peanut" , and to all the other families who I don't know as well but hope to know soon, who have received calls for either their 1st or 2nd trips. Safe journeys to all!

I'd also like to congratulate my nephew "B" on his graduation from LCN High School. Way to go buddy!

In other news....it's been a fairly wet month filled with storms here in Michigan. Nothing quite as devastating as with the rising flood waters along the Missouri River. (My heart goes out to all of those families who have lost everything to the rising waters. ) My basement did get wet again and I am still trying to dry out some of the flooring. My power was out for four long days and nights. My back-up sump pump that I installed after last years flood waters also failed, so water again came in. Only about 1/2 inch this time instead of 1 1/2 feet. Just enough water to wet all of the carpet and the new tile/ vinyl flooring that I'm having to pull up to dry underneath as it is a floating floor, not glued down. Ha Ha...I just realized...floating floor..literally.!! I can laugh now, but a week ago I was in tears.

I also lost my computer to the power surges from the storm. Even with a half way decent surge protector, it still got fried. Maybe God just knew how much I was contemplating buying a new lap top for my trips to Russia. I normally use a tower HP computer and have an old lap top that my Dad gave me 5 years ago, which makes it probably at least 8 years old. Now I have a brand new small light weight lap top that should travel well. I'm still trying to get used to its new functions, but it sure is pretty. :)

Well this short post is turning into a novel and I need to go pick up my Mom in 30 minutes for ice cream. Yummy...the best part of summer. Even if it is raining again! Got to run....

oh..one more thing..I didn't get to go on any vacation as of yet. My work schedule hasn't worked out for one. Hopefully Mr. and Mrs. Russia will call and I'll be headed there instead.

The Wait Continues For Word On Registration

I wish I had some happy news to report but, alas, yet another paper snafu has delayed the registration process for a couple of more weeks. :( Apparently another document change has taken place this year that my placing and home study agencies needed to update. This one wasn't found out until my Dossier was taken to the region to be registered a couple of weeks ago. It was just one document and I didn't have to do anything to update, but my agencies had to take care of completing it and getting it back to Russia. I've gotten word that it (the new document) has now reached Moscow as of last Friday, and that it will be another week and a half before it reaches Krasnoyarsk.



I've been feeling a bit gloomy over the wait time as it is now approaching the one year mark from when my first Dossier was completed and sent to Russia, and yet I still have not been registered in my assigned region. Hopefully Dossier number two is the lucky one and I'll hear news by the end of this month. God is definitely in the drivers seat for the time line on this adoption. I know there has to be a good reason for all of the waiting, right?



As I wait, and wait some more, I have really tried to take on a new attitude about the whole thing. I had been just sitting back on pins and needles waiting for "the call" at any moment, and not enjoying life in the here and now. I've been really trying to stay focused on today. It doesn't always work, but I'm trying... I finished planting flowers in the planter beds in the backyard this past week. I also fixed my front door that the paint had all peeled off of this past winter during the freezing cold. ( A bizzaire event in itself). The door is now a pretty blue- green rather than bright red. (Thanks Mom for your help too!) I've been working extra hours at the hospital. And now I'm thinking of planning a road trip some time in July. Nothing big or expensive (still have to watch the budget), but if Russia doesn't call soon...I still need some sort of vacation. :) Where to go????? Any ideas?

Still Here!

Yes, I am still here....just nothing much to report on the adoption front lately. Russia has been busy celebrating with two holidays over the past couple of weeks, May Day and Victory Day, so there has been a slight slow down in processing. Hopefully most people will be back to work Monday with business as usual. I am still waiting to hear whether or not I am registered in my region. Next week will mark the four week time period since my registration paper work was sent in to CHI in St. Louis. That should be about enough time to get everything to Russia and have it translated, at least that's what I was thinking for a time frame. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that I receive a phone call from my adoption rep some time next week. :)

I've been picking up a few extra hours each week with work to keep myself busy and to make a little extra cash. Aside from working at the hospital, I've been busy trying to get the yard back in shape after the long winter. I've cut the lawn twice now, weeded all of the flower beds, fertilized the lawn and just now spent a couple of hours spraying all of the dandelions and thistles that want to keep popping up in the backyard. Everything is starting to shape up and look beautiful again. This next week I hope to purchase a couple of fruit trees to plant in the yard. One for the front and another for the back. I'll have to take pictures when I get them. I'm also looking at new front doors. This house came with a bright red front door when I purchased it a couple of years ago. While it was okay for a while, even though not really my style, the Arctic cold winter this year caused the red paint to peel off. Weird!!! Now I have a half red and half ugly steel front door. I could just strip the paint off the rest of the door and repaint...but then again....forget it. It's time for an update!

Well..that's about it for now. Just wanted everyone to know that I haven't fallen off of the face of the earth. Just trying to keep busy to make the wait go by faster. Thanks to everyone for all of your kind comments and words of encouragement. I really love hearing from everyone! And, yes I know I've been tagged, but I haven't been able to think of six quirky things about myself. I'm too boring, I think, although maybe my friends and family could answer that one better than I could ??? Just be nice...if you decide to participate. :)

Love you all!! Shannon

It's Finally Spring In Michigan!

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post. I apparently needed to just stay home and be quiet for awhile just vegging as I ended up sick again..... This time with bronchitis and laryngitis. Honestly, I believe I got sick because I was feeling totally frustrated, stressed and disheartened about my home study update. It just wasn't getting completed in the time frame that "I had planned". Each time I thought it was done, another piece of missing information would pop up and I'd have to track it down or go and get it done. Once I finally let go of the control and just collapsed, (getting really sick does that sometimes) and just did what I had to do to take care of this missing information, it all fell into place. Amazing sometimes to me that I can't just give it up to God in the first place. Oh I do try, but I always want to take it back for some crazy reason. :)

Long story made short...my home study update, along with a couple of other documents to complete my packet for registration, have now all been completed, notarized, apostilled, sent to CHI and from what I hear, are already on there way to Russia to be translated. Whew!!! Now what happens you may ask??? Well, now I sit back and Wait to hear that I am Registered in the region of Krasnoyarsk. It should take about three weeks for this all to happen if everything goes alright. Once I am officially Registered, then the process of finding a child that fits my adoption profile begins. The referral!

While I am getting very good at the waiting process, I am very ready to have the waiting come to an end. It has been 10 long months since my original dossier was completed and sent to Russia. By normal standards of 9 months..this child is way past due. I am so ready to meet her, see what she looks like, and of course give her all of the love that I have been saving up inside since I made the conscious decision to adopt her back in December of 2006.

In other news...as the title of this post states, spring has finally arrived in Michigan. It has been 70+ degrees and sunny for at least three days now. The grass is turning green. In fact I think I will have to mow it next weekend. My daffodils are blooming. The tulips are growing! Trees are budding! And, all of the birds are back in town. We have lots of Canadian Geese, Ducks and Robins in my neighborhood. I love Michigan in the spring and summer...not so much the winters, but I do love the green and warmth. My spirits are lifting, and I'm beginning to feel rejuvenated.

Last but certainly not least.....Congratulations to Troy and Rachel and Wendy and Slade, just to name a couple of families who have just completed their adoptions, or are just about ready to come home with there new little ones. Congratulations to those of you who are on your first trips, or about to embark on your first trips(Keith and Becky), and to those of you who finally have gotten court dates. While I haven't posted much lately...I have been reading most of your blogs, and have been sending up prayers for all of you. God Bless you all!!

Praise The Lord For Answered Prayers

First of all....I must say" Thank You!", to all of you who have been wishing me well over the past couple of weeks when I was under the weather. I am feeling much better now, physically and mentally!

Secondly, No, I didn't get "The Call" yet, but I finally got a return call from the Supervisor for the Child Protection Unit in California, where my clearance letter has been sitting. She found my paperwork! Thank you God!!!! She will mail the completed letter back to Michigan to my Home study agency today. I am doing a small happy dance again...yippee!!

Now I will just have to wait a few days for my HS agency to receive the letter and put the finishing touches on my Home Study brief before I can pick it up. Once I pick it up from them, I will have to get it apostilled and then shipped of to CHI in St. Louis. They will then add it to my pile of paperwork that I completed last month for my registration packet. This is the packet of information that then goes to Russia and my region Krasnoyarsk. As stated in previous posts, you must be registered with the Ministry of Education in your region before they will find a referral that matches your families adoption application. So, in other words, this last document is what has been needed in order to receive a referral, and "The Call".

Since my last post, two weeks ago....besides re-cooperating from the flu/cold, I've done a little bit of Retail Therapy. Mostly, window shopping with my new and fellow adoptive friend Kyley. With my Mom yesterday, we stopped at Babies 'R'Us and I found an excellent light weight stroller on sale at half off the original price. I have a stroller on my registry waiting for the time to have my baby shower, but this was too good of a deal to pass up. ( I'm sorry Jill, there are still lots of other things left to buy). :0)

Here's a picture of it. It's made by Peg-Perego, and is the Aria. It only weighs 8lbs, so it shouldn't be too heavy to carry and lift into cars and load on the plane.Does anyone have any advice to offer regarding strollers in Russia. Has anyone taken a stroller with them? If so, how did you manage? and Was it worth it? I'd like to take this one with me on trip two, but if this is a bad idea, someone please tell me.