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I am just so excited this morning! And also a bit nervous! Our new agency is really working hard in helping us get everything expedited so we can get our son home! The paperwork is so overwhelming, to say the least. You would think I would be used to it by now, since we have completed two adoptions and already completed all the paperwork for our previous agency for Nick’s adoption. But a lot of things have expired since it was all submitted to Russia. So, we have to redo most of it. And also the region where Nick is has to have certain things that other regions do not require. It is a major undertaking! But Nick makes it ALL worthwhile.

Susan, our social worker, will be here this coming Tuesday to do another home study as ours expired in January! We always look forward to seeing her though. She has become a part of our family since we have had so much contact with her over these past five years. She has done all our home studies, updates, and all our post placement reports on Elijah. She probably knows as much and maybe more about us than our own families! The interviews are pretty detailed and intimate! Susan is very easy to talk to so that helps so much. We consider her a dear friend.

I could write for hours today but this isn’t getting the paperwork done! I will try and write each day now. Until yesterday I had not posted in several months. I just did not have the heart to do so. Each time I would try to write a post I would cry. I was discouraged, to say the least because it just seemed we were not getting anything accomplished toward bringing Nick home. But now I am feeling very confident that he will be here soon. Please keep us and Nick in your prayers. Also, please pray for our agency workers and for the Russian officials so that all goes smoothly.

God bless you all!

Wendi

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We are in the process of changing adoption agencies.  FTIA is a wonderful agency but still has not received their re-accreditation.  This is through no fault of their own.  We signed with them in January 2007 and our dossier has been in Russia since then.  The wait has been 14 months now!  So, we felt we needed to switch to an agency that has already been re-accredited.  Through much prayer and researching different agencies we were led to one in particular, which I will disclose at a later date.  We are very pleased with them and already they are putting things in place to get Nick home.  Our prayer is he will be home for his ninth birthday, which is in August.  Please pray in agreement with us that we can go for our visit trip very, very soon and that our court date will not be long after.  I will update more info later this week as we are awaiting some important info from the agency at this time.   As soon as we hear news I will pass along to all of you!  Keep praying!

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FTIA has been successfully accredited in Russia since 2000, when the accreditation first began to be required. Currently, our re-accreditation documents are being reviewed by the accreditation committee in Russia. Accreditation Committee consists of the officials of five Ministries: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and final approval by the Ministry of Education. Only after all five Ministries sign off their approval, the Ministry of Education issues their final approval and accreditation. We are aware that Departments of Education in different regions where FTIA is working in have been contacted regarding the FTIA compliance with the Russia requirements (timely submission of post placement reports and consular registration). Also, our Head of Representation has been invited for an official interview by the adoption authorities. Ministry of Education does not inform on the progress of the review process, but everything looks positive and we expect to receive it soon.

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Elijah had his surgery this past Saturday and has done amazingly well!  His surgery was at 7 am and we were leaving the hospital at 9 am!  God is so faithful!  We were able to go to church yesterday morning and he did great!  Afterwards, we went and had lunch with Tammy, Jim, Alysa, Taylor and Uncle Bob!  I am still amazed at how well Elijah did through it all.  Apart form a few bouts of nausea from the anesthesia he had no ill effects of any kind…very minimal pain a couple times!  Thank you, Jesus for taking care of our baby boy!

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Elijah is having tubes placed in both ears and is having his adenoids removed this coming Saturday, May 12.  He has lots of ear infections and his doctor feels he needs these tubes to help keep fluid from building up behind his little eardrums.  Just about three months ago his left eardrum ruptured from the fluid buildup.  He had a cat scan done last week and his adenoids are enlarged as well.  His doctor said that is a big part of the problem as the enlarged adenoids block the Eustachian tube so the fluid cannot drain as it is supposed to.  He even told us this could very well help his speech as well as his very sensitive hearing issues.  Elijah cannot tolerate loud noises and gets very upset and will hold his ears at times if he hears a certain tone or pitch.  We know this is best for him to have this surgery but nonetheless…it is very hard to think about it.  I cannot stand the thought of him being put to sleep.  The doctor and nurses have assured us that one or both of us can go into the recovery room the second they take him after surgery and I/we will be the first person/s he sees when he awakens.  This helps my feelings a little bit.  I truly won’t be at peace until he is totally awake and in my arms!  But until then we have to trust God and we have to know that He will be with our son the whole time as we cannot be.  I must admit it is very hard so please will everyone assure me you will be praying for Elijah and that he have a very easy time through all of this and that he will bounce right back.  I plan on him being able to go to church Sunday morning, which of course, is Mother’s Day, and I will stand and give God all the glory for taking care of our precious baby boy!

In Christ’s love,

Wendi

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This is a good explanation as to why our adoption of Nick is delayed.  Perhaps this might explain some things a bit better than I can.
http://www.jcics.org/Russia.htm

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I wanted to post a link to this article from the NY Times. This will perhaps answer questions as to what is taking so long for Trevor and I to be traveling to meet Nick. It is so very frustrating and discouraging for us. It absolutely breaks our hearts to know Nick is sick and so badly needs to come home to his family. He will be eight years old in August and my prayer has always been to have him home for his birthday. I know with God “all things are possible” but I must admit I am struggling right now. Please continue to pray for us daily. Please ask for me a double portion of peace and understanding.

Blessings to all of you,

Wendi

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/us/12adopt.html

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Just wanted to let everyone know I just posted a few Easter pictures of Elijah and Grace.  Trevor got the photo section up and running again, so we will be posting more pictures very soon.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.  We had a great day!  We had an awesome Easter service at church and spent the rest of the day at my daughter, Tammy’s, house.  We had an Easter egg hunt and got to spent some good time together with her and two of my granddaughters, Alysa and Bailey.  I am so very blessed with the best children and grandchildren anyone could ever ask for!  I thank God for them each day.

Please continue to pray for us!

Blessings

Wendi

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It has been a while since I posted!  Sorry about that!  I am going to try and make it a point to post each day…even if it is just a quick little note!

No news from our agency since a few weeks ago.  Just waiting on Russia to issue our invitation to travel on our first trip to meet Nick.  There are a lot of new laws and changes in Russia right now pertaining to adoptions.  The Russian officials have now requested a particular document from all adoption agencies.  Our agency is working on this document now and will be submitting to Russia very soon.  We are all praying this will be the last request from Russia before they start issuing accreditations to the adoption agencies.  It is a very complex situation and is delaying all the children from coming home to their “forever families.”  Please, please pray for us and for ALL the waiting families and the children who so desperately need their “mommas and daddies.”

I want to thank God for some really special friends of ours!  Melba and Angie, thank you!  What a true expression of Christ’s love that you have shown to us.  Words will never be able to express our thoughts and our appreciation of you.  We are so blessed by you and your love!

We had to make another trip to Dallas this past weekend to the immigration office.  My fingerprints did not turn out when we had them done the first part of March, so they had classified them as “unclassifiable.”   Imagine that!  Trevor’s were fine!  We had a great weekend up there.  So, it was worth the going back!  We were able to spend both days with Judi and Dale (Elijah and Grace’s Grammie and Grandude).  We went to Chuck E Chesse and just a wonderful time.  We also went to Grapevine Mall and had a blast!  There was only one stroller when we got into the mall but Trevor walked all over the mall trying to find a second one.  Bless his heart, he is the world’s best daddy!  Not many dads would do that.  God truly blessed these babies with a great dad!  Anyway, we ate at the Rainforest Cafe in the mall and that was awesome!  Gorillas, elephants, tigers, birds, fish…you name it!  We sat right next to the waterfall!  Elijah and Grace were amazed.  Well, so were we…we had never been there!  I think all of us were like little kids!  Everyone is asked to leave their strollers right outside the entrance (it’s all in the mall) before you actually enter the cafe.  They said they would be fine and someone would be watching them.  You guessed it!  The stroller daddy had walked all over trying to find was missing when we came out of the cafe!  Guess another parent was desperate!  God blessed us right away with another one though!  I must say we were not too happy when we realized someone had taken our stroller!  But it all worked out and we continued on to have a great day.  Grammie rode the carousel with Elijah.  Got some great pictures that we will be posting later.  Gracie fell asleep in her stroller and Grandude carried her all over the mall.  Got some precious pictures of that as well.  Wonderful, very blessed weekend for all of us.  I was glad my prints had to be retaken!

Please continue to pray for us and ask God to keep Nick safe and happy always.  Please ask that no harm come to him.  That God send His angels round about him and give him a special peace and comfort in his little heart, mind and soul.

Blessings to all,

Wendi

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