Almost Home....

45 days too many......

2012-01-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

45 days have come and gone since we hugged our sweet girl bye at an orphanage in a small town in Bulgaria :(

45 days yet life goes on at home. The holidays are gone and the new year has arrived. Our family was also blessed with a new arrival 2 weeks ago. Zachary Michael was born in Texas and is the second son to my amazing sister. I would LOVE to sneek a visit in to meet the sweetie!!!

We are finally starting to make some preparations for homecoming. I am also starting to brainstorm some ideas to raise money for the orphanage that is in desperate need of diapers. I am also trying to make a list of the "baby" stuff I need, since I gave 90% of mine away. I am having a VERY hard time deciding on sleeping arrangements. My initial idea was to move the boys upstairs and the girls can each have their own room downstairs. However, after more thought I feel really nervous about the boys being alone upstairs (they are only 8 and 6). Only other option is to have a boys room and girls room downstairs. Gotta decide quick since there are major jobs needed to be completed upstairs.

Last we heard on 1/10/12 our file was at the MOJ waiting for signatures. We have been informed this process will take 4-6 weeks. At the suggestion of our agency we updated our medical and criminal checks this week. Once the file is through MOJ it will enter the court system!!!! Yet another waiting game at this point. I am still hopeful will can travel in May!!!!

IAC 204

2012-01-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 204 which was held on 12/09/11:

1) Spanish dossier from February 2009 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months

2) Italian dossier from February 2009 referred a female child aged 4 years and 10 months

3) German dossier from February 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 10 months with features in health status and a family history

4) French dossier from April 2009 referred sisters aged 4 years and 8 months and 3 years and 1 month

5) French dossier from June 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 2 months with a family history

6) Swedish dossier from August 2009 referred a female child aged 1 year and 8 months with features in health status and a family history

7) Canadian dossier from September 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years 11 months with a family history

8) German dossier from December 2009 referred a male child aged 2 years with features in health status and a family history

9) U.S. dossier from May 2010 referred a brother and sister aged 2 years and 3 years and 4 months with features in health status

10) U.S. dossier from October 2010 referred a female child aged 8 years and 4 months

11) Italian dossier from April 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years and 8 months with features in health status

12) Italian dossier from July 2011 referred a male child aged 7 years and 8 months with features in health status and a family history
Posted by Viviane

IAC 203

2012-01-19T17:57:00.000-08:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC session 203 which was held on 12/2/11:

1) German dossier from December 2008 referred a male child aged 2 years and 7 months

2) Canadian dossier from January 2009 referred a female child aged 3 years and 4 months

3) German dossier from January 2009 referred a male child aged 3 years with features in health status

4) U.S. dossier from May 2009 referred a female child aged 1 year and 9 months with features in health status

5) U.S dossier from October 2009 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months with features in health status and family history

6) German dossier from December 2009 referred a female child aged 1 year and 4 months with features in health status

7) U.S. dossier from May 2010 referred two brothers aged 1 year and 10 month and 2 years and 8 months with a family history

8) French dossier from May 2010 referred a male child aged 5 years and 11 months with features in health status

9) Italian dossier from May 2010 referred a male child aged 4 years and 4 months with a family history

10) Italian dossier from May 2010 referred a male child aged 7 years and 7 months

11) U.S. dossier from January 2011 referred two brothers aged 4 years and 2 months and 6 years and 11 months with a family history

12) French dossier from March 2011 referred a brother and sister aged 7 years and 7 months and 6 years and 8 months

13) Italian dossier from June 2011 referred a waiting child (#1758) with a profile on the MOJ site

14) French dossier from August 2011 referred three brothers aged 5 years and 8 months, 7 years and 7 months, 4 years and 2 months

15) U.S. dossier from November 2011 referred a waiting child (#1046) with a profile on the MOJ site

16) Italian dossier from November 2011 referred a waiting child (#1006) with a profile on the MOJ site

2012-01-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Article 5 issued on 12/27!!!!!! Hope to get Article submitted to MOJ this week!!!

Each step is one day closer to bringing our girl home!!! 26 days since we last saw her sweet face!!!!

Things seem to be moving fast....However, the next 2 steps can take 4-6 weeks each. Tack on another 4 weeks after court (just a guess) and travel still can be 16 weeks away!!!! This is if everything goes exactly according to plan!!!!!! We are hoping for early May!!!!

COMPLETE-Approved 12/9/11
1. Our I800-A renewal has to be approved
(this is a general immigration form from US immigration)
our current clearance expired in November

COMPLETE- Approved
2. I800 form has to approved-
(this is an immigration form specific to T. for US immigration)

COMPLETE-Approval sent on 12/16 /11
3. The I800 approval is forwarded to US Embassy in Bulgaria-time frame 10 days

COMPLETE- ISSUED 12/27; PLAN to submit Article to MOJ this week!!!!
4. The US Embassy in Bulgaria will issue an Article 5- time frame 4-6 weeks

5. Once the Article 5 is released the case will go to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice for additional signatures and approvals- time frame 4-6 weeks

6. From the MOJ the file will move to the Bulgarian court system and a court date will be issued-time frame 4-6 weeks

7. Court

8. After court a few documents have to be prepared before pick-up trip is scheduled- 1-2 weeks

9. PICK-trip scheduled!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-12-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!!

Wishing all my family and friends a great 2012!!!!

2012 will bring many special new things to our family!!!! My sister is expecting her second sweet little boy any day now!!! I am beyond sad that she is so far away in Texas and that I will not be there to welcome the sweet angel into the world. We are also counting the days to hold our sweet girl again!!! We are missing her so much with each passing day!!!

IAC 201

2011-12-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

IAC 201 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 201 which was held on 11/18/11:

1. U.S. dossier from December 2008 referred a female child aged 2 years and 2 months, lags behind in PMR

2. Great Britain/Northern Ireland dossier from January 2009 referred a male child aged 1 year and 7 months with peculiarities in health status, including family history

3. German dossier from March 2009 referred a male child aged 4 years and 8 months

4. Dutch dossier from June 2009 referred male twins, aged 4 years and 6 months

5. Italian dossier from June 2009 referred a male child aged 6 years and 3 months with peculiarities in health status in terms of mental development

6. U.S. dossier from December 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 6 months with peculiarities in health status in terms of physical and NDP

7. U.S dossier from March 2010 referred a female child aged 1 year and 8 months with peculiarities in health status, physical, NDP and infectious disease

8. Italian dossier from June 2010 referred a male child aged 8 years and 3 months

9. U.S. dossier from July 2010 referred a waiting child (#591) with a profile on the MOJ site

10. Italin dossier from October 2010 referred a male child aged 9 years and 3 months

11. Italian dossier from May 2011 referred a waiting child (#1656) with a profile on the MOJ site

12. Italian dossier from June 2011 referred a female child aged 9 years and 10 months

13. Italian dossier from July 2011 referred a brother and sister, aged 4 years and 9 months and 6 years and 5 months with peculiarities in health status, lag in FF and NDP

14. Italian dossier from November 2011 referred a waiting child (#1509) with a profile on the MOJ site

15. U.S. dossier from November 2011 referred a waiting child (#1024) with a profile on the MOJ site

16. U.S. dossier from November 2011 referred a waiting child (#1328) with a profile on the MOJ site

17. U.S. dossier from November 2011 referred a waiting child (#994) with a profile on the MOJ site

18. U.S. dossier from November 2011 referred a waiting child (#115) with a profile on the MOJ site

Merry Christmas!!!!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!

I hope the New Year brings many blessing to all!!!!

Bittersweet moments this holiday as I witness the happiness and joy on the faces of these special kids and sadness as I think of the sweet precious girl waiting for her FOREVER FAMILY 5000 miles away!!!! As the New Year approaches my heart feels torn to wish the days past as each day is closer to having her home. On the other hand I want to freeze time as my angels at home are growing up too fast!!!!!

Lots of Love at gratitude this holiday season!!!

One Step Closer!!!

2011-12-23T19:35:00.000-08:00

Making progress!!!
Each small step is one day closer to bringing our girl home!!!

COMPLETE-Approved 12/9/11
1. Our I800-A renewal has to be approved
(this is a general immigration form from US immigration)
our current clearance expired in November

COMPLETE- Approved
2. I800 form has to approved-
(this is an immigration form specific to T. for US immigration)

COMPLETE-Approval sent on 12/16 /11
3. The I800 approval is forwarded to US Embassy in Bulgaria-time frame 10 days

4. The US Embassy in Bulgaria will issue an Article 5- time frame 4-6 weeks

5. Once the Article 5 is released the case will go to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice for additional signatures and approvals- time frame 4-6 weeks

6. From the MOJ the file will move to the Bulgarian court system and a court date will be issued-time frame 4-6 weeks

7. After court a few documents have to be prepared before pick-up trip is scheduled- 1-2 weeks

8. PICK-trip scheduled!!!!!!!

Progress

2011-12-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

Making progress
Still so many steps before we return to Bulgaria but we are so grateful for having one huge step out of the way!!!! We are still hoping for 4-6 months in between trips!!!!

COMPLETE-Approved 12/9/11
1. Our I800-A renewal has to be approved
(this is a general immigration form from US immigration)
our current clearance expired in November

COMPLETE- Approved
2. I800 form has to approved-
(this is an immigration form specific to T. for US immigration)

3. The I800 approval is forwarded to US Embassy in Bulgaria-time frame 10 days

4. The US Embassy in Bulgaria will issue an Article 5- time frame 4-6 weeks

5. Once the Article 5 is released the case will go to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice for additional signatures and approvals- time frame 4-6 weeks

6. From the MOJ the file will move to the Bulgarian court system and a court date will be issued-time frame 4-6 weeks

7. After court a few documents have to be prepared before pick-up trip is scheduled- 1-2 weeks

8. PICK-trip scheduled!!!!!!!

Bulgaria....The Good and the Bad

2011-12-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

Just with every place there are always things you love and things you are not fond of. My memory is already bad so I thought I share some of my likes and dislikes.

The Best:
The sweet little girl, that we can not wait to be part of our family

The Good:
Our translator, she was AWESOME!!!
The Pizza
The Shopska Salad
The Chrsitmas lights in Sofia
Victoria Restraunt....NON SMOKING section (3 glorious tables)
The beautiful mountains in the orphanage home
The FREE Walking Tour of Sofia
The Hotel in Center City the second part of trip
The prices on food were GREAT
The walk to the top of the city in orphanage town
The weather was great for December, only a little snow 1 day
Watching another child leave the orphanage for the last time with his family
Discovery that they do have regular coffee in Bulgaria, sadly it was Thursday
Walking everywhere is great on the waistline

The Not so Good:
SMOKERS EVERYWHERE!!!!!!
The time difference
The long airplane rides with people wearing too much PERFUME
Expresso coffee
Bathrooms/Showers
Missed American Milk
Missed wearing my bright colored hoodies and sneakers

Overall the good outweighs the bad by a long shot!!!! For my first European experience I was pleased and enjoyed my time in Bulgaria.

What happens now...

2011-12-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

When do we bring her home???

That is the million dollar question... My guess is somewhere between 4-6 months from first trip

There are many things that have to occur before we make the second trip back and bring her home.

1. Our I800-A renewal has to be approved
(this is a general immigration form from US immigration)
our current clearance expired in November

2. I800 form has to approved-
(this is an immigration form specific to T. for US immigration)

3. The I800 approval is forwarded to US Embassy in Bulgaria-time frame 10 days

4. The US Embassy in Bulgaria will issue an Article 5- time frame 4-6 weeks

5. Once the Article 5 is released the case will go to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice for additional signatures and approvals- time frame 4-6 weeks

6. From the MOJ the file will move to the Bulgarian court system and a court date will be issued-time frame 4-6 weeks

7. After court a few documents have to be prepared before pick-up trip is scheduled- 1-2 weeks

8. PICK-trip scheduled!!!!!!!

IAC 200

2011-12-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 200 which was held on 11/11/11:

1) Spanish dossier from December 2008 referred a female child, aged 2 years and 10 months

2) French dossier from December 2008 referred a male child, aged 1 year and 10 months

3) French dossier from December 2008 referred a female child, aged 3 years and 9 months

4) Canadian dossier from January 2009 referred a female child, aged 4 years and 8 months

5) U.S. dossier from August 2009 referred a female child aged 5 years and 7 months with features in health status

6) U.S. dossier from August 2010 referred a female child, aged 3 years 9 months with features in health status and data on family history

7) Swedish dossier from November 2009 referred a male child, aged 2 years with features in health status and data on family history

8) French dossier from March 2010 referred a waiting child (#1655) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) Italian dossier from July 2010 referred a male child, aged 5 years and 8 months with features in health status

10) Italian dossier from July 2011 referred a male child, aged 9 years and 2 months

11) Italian dossier from August 2011 referred a male child, aged 9 years 7 months

12) Italian dossier from October 2011 referred a male child, aged 9 years and 5 months

13) Italian dossier from October 2011 referred a male child, aged 9 years and 1 month

Last 2 days in Bulgaria and the trip home

2011-12-14T17:52:00.001-08:00

A little delayed and not nearly as exciting as the time spent with T.!!!

We checked into our hotel in center city Sofia Thursday around 7. We were stressing about the name we were to give T and had to know by 9am the next morning. We decided to clear our heads and go for a walk and enjoy the beauty of the city decorated with Christmas lights!!! We walked for nearly an hour and loved the lights of hustle of the Sofia.

Friday morning we walked a little and met a VESTA rep around lunch time to go to the notary office. We enjoyed the afternoon with some shopping and a nice meal at a pizza place with 3 non-smoking tables!!!! It was early to bed that evening

Our driver picked us up at the hotel at 5:15am and we started our journey back to the USA. The flights were sooooooooooooo long and 4pm EST we landed in Charlotte and by 6pm by babies were in my arms!!!!

I thank my parents for taking such wonderful care of the kids while we were gone. There are so many other people to thank (Kim, Jane, teachers, soccer family, adoption friends, and the numerous other friends/family/strangers praying for our family). We are blessed in so many ways!!! It has been an amazing roller coaster of a journey.

IAC 199

2011-12-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to my dear friend Viviane!!!
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 199 which was held on 11/04/11:

1) Spanish dossier from December 2008 referred a female child aged 1 year and 10 months with peculiarities in health status

2) Canadian dossier from March 2009 referred a male child, aged 5 years and 5 months

3) French dossier from December 2009 referred a male child aged 7 years 1 month

4) U.S. dossier from December 2009 referred a male child aged 7 years and 7 months

5) U.S. dossier from December 2009 referred two female children/ biological sisters / aged respectively: 2 years and 11 months and 4 years and 11 months with physical characteristics and NP development

6) Spanish dossier from October 2010 referred a female child, aged 9 years 2 months

7) Italian dossier from October 2010 referred two children female and male / biological sister and brother / aged respectively: 6 years and 7 months and 7 years and 6 months with physical characteristics and NP development

8) U.S. dossier from May 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years and 7 months, data on family history

9) U.S. dossier from October 2011 referred a waiting child (#653) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) Italian dossier from November 2011 referred two waiting children (#1646 & #1647) with profiles on the MOJ site

A Temporary Goodbye

2011-12-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

We knew the last day would be bittersweet. It was a cold snowy day in Bulgaria. We made the short walk to the orphange with gift bags and donations in hand. We were able to have 2 visits the last day which was a pleasant unexpected surprise. She was still a little tentative when the caregivers dropped her off but she warmed up quickly the last day. It was clear she starting to feel a little more relaxed with us. She loved the music and danced a sang a little with us. The afternoon visits were in a larger room and it was wonderful to see her run around and play a little more freely. She came to love the bag we carried full of toys and snacks. This tiny little girl LOVED to snack. We brought her banannas, goldfish, animal crackers, and juice and when the times got tense the snacks always did the trick!!! When it was time to say goodbye we were both tearful as she waved goodbye to us and blew us kisses and was wisked away up the stairs of the orphanage. The nurse took extra care of all the items we brought for her and made sure they would be used and separated from the community goods.

We know this was not goodbye forever but it was still a moment that stung my heart. I will never forget walking through the gates of her orphanage knowing we were meant to be her family yet still apart.

Our driver brought us back to Sofia and dropped us off at a hotel. We decided we were both a little on edge and enjoyed a nice walk through the center of Sofia. It was beautiful to see the Christmas decorations!!!

One more day of business and then we are on our way back HOME!!!!

Wednesday..Day 3 with T.

2011-12-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

We had a good day yesterday. She finally tolerates us without fear and is comfortable approaching us, not jumping in our arms but better than Monday. They also took her for her visa picture yesterday. The visits are long in a small room 8 x 8 and about 90 degress!!!! We also discovered the 12 month clothes are too short, they fit her around the waist. It will be interesting to see what the 18 month clothes are like this morning. The nurses dress her in the clothes we bring which is a nice gesture. We will get 2 visits today then head back to Sofia. We also discovered she loves music!!!! She likes twinkle twinkle little star and patti cake but she lit up when I asked the translator to sing a childrens song in Bulgarian, she even sang along!!!!! We bought a childrens cd last night and downloaded it to my iphone for today. Our driver will pick us up around 4:30. We are checking out of the hotel this AM.

I will say that the children in this orphanage are VERY well cared for and loved. There is plenty of warmth, food, and clothes. We did notice that she wore shoes about 1-1.5 sizes to big which could be the reason she is a little wobbly on her feet. We also found out the biggest need the home has is for diapers. We were able to make a small diaper donation this time and hope to have more for the second trip.

Once again thanks for all the love and support!!!!

Tuesday

2011-12-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

Day 5, starting to get homesick for my babies at home and American coffee!!!!

Tuesday went pretty well. She is still kind of leary of us. We were in this insanely small room Tuesday morning from 9:30-12:30!! Se cried when the caregivers dropped her off for a while. I know she felt overpowered by the 3 adults in the room, two of which sounded nothing like what she was used to. We finally gave her a snack and she calmed down. She really does not like to play a lot more interested in holding objects. She needed a diaper change around 10:30 and the auntie came and got her and brought her back. Of course she was upset again. Another snack calmed her down and she actually played with blocks for a good while. She was getting sleepy at the end and she allowed me to hold her and put her head on my shoulder. We returned her to the director around 12:30 and left for lunch. In the afternoon, we were in the bigger room and when the auntie dropped her off she was upset but we placed her in a swing for a moment and she calmed right down. We had a good visit in the afternoon. She liked coloring, loved the family photos (she loved Audrey), we sang, taught her patty-cakes, and high- five. She is VERY receptive and only has to be shown things 1time but is still very quiet. We only heard her speak 1-2 words yesterday.

It is kind of like babysitting a kid for the first time, go through a milllion things to find out what she likes. The difference is in a few short months she will ours FOREVER!!! I think she will find lots of comfort with the kids especially Audrey once home.

Monday....Meeting T.

2011-12-05T22:31:00.000-08:00

Kind of a surreal day.....kinds of happens fast and before you know it the day is over, still a great day. Keep in mind I am day 4 sans coffee (not a fan of the coffee "shots" here) and on a messed up time schedule (currently 1:41 in US but 8:41 Am in Bulgaria) so forgive my typos.

Our driver picked us up from our apartment in Sofia at 7:30 Monday morning. Us along with 2 families on second trip made the 2 hour journey to the orphanage town.It was a scenic ride through the mountains of Bulgaria. Once we arrived at the orphanage the other family picked up their son as we waited and was through the gates FOREVER!!! It was kind of neat to witness a child's last walk out the doors on the same day we met ours!!

We had 2 visits today. The first visit she was very nervous and scared and cried a little. The director of the orphanage was there with us and answered questions for us. We found out she loves animal crackers, our secret weapon during that first short visit. The first visit was very short since it was close to lunch time. We returned at about 2:30 and we were in a larger room. They dropped her off and left her with us and our translator. We had a good visit in the afternoon. She played with bubbles, playdoh, rode a little ride-on toy. We left around 4:00pm. We go back tomorrow from 9:30-12 and 2:30-4. She is very quiet and shy but very responsive to commands and directions. We heard her speak 2 words but for the most part she clapped when she was pleased. She seems to be in good health, just very small.The orphanage is very clean on the inside. The kids are very well cared and it was clear to see she has attachment to caregivers. She loves her "granny" (a local lady from the town) that visits her every day for a few hours. The staff only will let us in the 2 rooms of the home and it is too windy to take her outside so it is a little claustrophobic. Overall, we think she is great!! She was able to giggle, wave bye, and blow kises.

The orphanage town is kind of rual and has a very nice center square area. Our hotel is simple but nice with limited internet. We will be here until Thursday, then head back to Sophia, to complete some paperwork and tour around.

I miss my family and friends so much and appreciate all the support and love from EVERYONE!!!!

Sunday; Walking in Sophia

2011-12-04T20:56:00.001-08:00

We had a free day Sunday and set out to explore Sofia on foot!

Thanks to a suggestion from a fellow adoption friend we took the Free Walking Tour of Sofia. This is 2-3 hour tour highlights the major parts of the City Center. The tour is in English and provided great background on the history of the city. After the tour around 2Pm we located a nice restraunt and enjoyed yet another Bulgarian Pizza and Shopksa salad. Both were very yummy. We enjoyed the warmth (it was a chilly day) of the restraunt for a while and set back out on foot once again to explore the busy streets and storefronts. We ate a treat from a bakery and decided the evening was nice and that the long walk back to the apartment would be nice. We had a great map and found all the roads easily, thanks to Howie's fine map reading skills. We stopped at the market and picked up some water and soda. It was another early night to bed, as tomorrow is a big day!!!!!

We are starting our adventure to the orphanage town around 7:30 AM Monday! The ride is about 90 minutes and we will be making the trip with 2 other families both on the second trip!!! We are soooooo excited to finally meet her :)

The Apartment and Saturday Night

2011-12-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

We arrived at our apartment after our long day(s) of travel and found it a clean, simple, modern apartment. The apartment is located very far outside the city center ( 45+ minute walk) which is a little disappointing. There is a nice kitchen, living room, bedroom, computer desk area, a bathroom with shower (aka wet room, standing water on the floor that will not drain), and a small toliet room. There is a small market close and a good restraunt with in .25 mile.

After we got situated into the apartment we walked down the road to a close restraunt and enjoyed some great pizza! The pizza is very light and thin and taste great! I plan on eating it as many days as possible!!! Our menu was in English and our waiter did a great job talking to us in English and telling us about Bulgaria. We stopped at the market on the way home and picked up some snacks and drinks and headed back the apartment for a much needed shower and bedtime!!!!

We had a free day Sunday and took a Free Walking Tour of Sofia, will post more about that.

The flights!!! Fri/Sat

2011-12-03T23:38:00.000-08:00

I'll start the post to say we made it SAFELY to Bulgaria and are snuggled into our apartment

Whew!!! Overseas travel is NOT easy on the body!! My eyes, nose, and throat feel like sandpaper, depsite massive hydration!!!

We started our journey in Charlotte and arrived at the airport around 1pm. Our first leg took us to DC. We arrived in DC around 4:15PM and departed for Munich around 6:50PM. We flew Lufthansa to Munich and was very pleased with the level of service! They were awesome and very attentive to all our needs. Despite a disorderly passenger that had a little too much ETHOH we had a great flight and caught a few hours of rest and watched a movie. We arrived in Munich around 8Am Saturday and had a LONG layover before our flight to Sofia. We were grumpy and sleepy and there was little to entertain us in the Munich airport. We managed to grab some food, freshen up and sleep a little. Finally we boarded at our flight to Sofia at 12:45PM and arrived right on time at 4:00Pm Saturday. Our luggage arrived quick (my hot pink flower luggage was easy to spot among the wave of black luggage, a very popular color in Europe) and as we left the baggage claim we quickly spotted our driver from VESTA!!! Our driver took us to exchange money and showed us a few places to eat and shop and showed us into our apartment.

I will try to post more about the apartment and the first night in Sofia this evening. Right now we are enjoying our free day and about to see the sights of Sofia!!!

Tomorrow!!!!

2011-12-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

Flight leaves at 2:49pm TOMORROW!!!

We connect in Dulles and Munich and arrive in Sofia at 4pm on Sat!!! Whew long day ahead

Laundry finishing up, bags packed, kids schedule printed!!!!

My heart is heavy to leave my babies (although they are in the best hands possible)!!!

My heart is happy to meet the little girl we have waited NEARLY 3 years for. We commited to adoption on Christmas Eve 2008!!!!

Still need to pack my carry-on/back pack and make a grocery run!!!!

Thanks for all the well wishes!!!!

2 more days!!!

2011-11-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

I would like to say a HUGE thank you for all the support!!! If you are reading this, then you are included in this HUGE thank you!!!!!!

So many friends, family, and people I have never met are praying for our family and sending lots of well wishes our way as we set out for our first trip!!

I am humbled at the outpouring of help from our community and especially to my parents who have the task of keeping my babies safe and loved while we are gone!!!

Thanks to all my adoption buddies that truly understand the process and have been there through all the ups and downs.

Thanks to all my friends that have offered to help with the kids.

Let the FINAL packing begin!!! (BTW I am a HUGE OVER PACKER)

IAC 198

2011-11-30T17:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks once again to Viviane!!!

IAC 198 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 198 which was held on 10/26/11:

1) Norwegian dossier from August 2008 referred a female child aged 1 year and 6 months

2) Italian dossier from February 2010 referred two female children, twins, aged 6 years and 5 months

3) Italian dossier from April 2010 referred a male child aged 7 years 6 months

4) Italian dossier from June 2010 referred a male child aged 8 years and 5 months

5) Luxembourg dossier from March 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years 11 month with peculiarities in health status

6) U.S. dossier from April 2011 referred a male child, aged 9 years

7) Italian dossier from May 2011 referred a male child aged 9 years 6 months, failed because of a requested change in characteristics of the child

8) Italian dossier from July 2011 referred a waiting child (#1362) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) French dossier from October 2011 referred a waiting child (#1360) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from October 2011 referred a waiting child (#1444) with a profile on the MOJ site

11) U.S. dossier from October 2011 referred two waiting children (#775 & #776) with profiles on the MOJ site

3 more days!!!

2011-11-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all my adoption buddies for suggesting we go early for our fingerprint appt! We did just that today and were fingerprinted with no issues!!! Now just to wait for approval of I-800A extension (it expired 11/24/11). Maybe it will be waiting when we return???

Just a few more days... Slowly checking off my LONG list!!! Christmas shopping is nearly done, a major stressor for me!!

4 days!!!

2011-11-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

An awesome surprise came in the mail today from a sweet sweet friend!

Along with a lovely note, there was a map of Sofia, a pack of 3 CDS of Bulgarian conversation, a Bulgarian phrasebook, and a very special necklace that included a piece of a map where the orphanage is located. AMAZING!!! This will be cherished forever and ever. I am not sure where she finds these great gifts as this is not the first special gift I have gotten from Sandi. This gift comes from a friend I have never met in person however, I can not imagine my life without her sweetness!!!! THANKS so much Sandi. I am honored that you thought so much of our family :)

Nothing can top that unexpected gift but we did get notice of our fingerprint appointments with USCIS for our 800-a renewal. Of couse, it falls while we are gone. At least NBC is moving quickly it has been less than a month since I mailed it!!!

5 more days!!!!

2011-11-27T17:19:00.001-08:00

Jitters are starting to set in....less than 5 days from now we will be aboard a transatlantic flight, a first for me. Another first is leaving these sweet faces for 8 long nights, the longest we have ever been apart. I miss them already

We are so lucky that my mom and dad are healthy enough to keep the kids, 5 months ago my mom was fighting to regain the use of her body, completely paralyzed from a neurological disorder. They are like a second set of parents to our kids.

A great picture of me and Howie!!! Howie is man that gets little credit and deserves more than I could ever give.

A family picture a top Crowder's Mountain!!! We burned our turkey off with a 4.5 mile hike!!! Audrey still rides in the ergo but she did manage to complete over a mile on her own 2 feet.

6 more Days!!!

2011-11-26T18:34:00.000-08:00

Can you tell I am excited??

Got my clothes packed and starting getting the kids packed up. Once the week starts it will fly by between work and soccer.

Less than a week!!!!!

2011-11-25T16:50:00.001-08:00

until we leave meet her.....

Things accomplished this week
Started and completed most of our Christmas shopping and all of our decorating
Thanksgiving dinner done and feasting on leftovers (my fav part)
Sam's birthday and party over (I am the proud mom of a handsome 6 year old boy)
Finished with the last few items for our orphanage visits (need bubbles still)
Worked on kids schedule and arrangements while we are gone
Started packing my clothes
Continued to listen to my Bulgarian CD
Got "fresh crisp" cash
Set up phone for global use

Things to do this week
Print off all the articles from family educator to read on the long plane ride
Finish kids arrangements
pack
load my mp3 player with Bulgarian CD and books
Try to find out what our travel arrangements are, however coordinator is out of office next week
Return 3 of the 4 coats I ordered online in effort to avoid the store, luckily 1 worked
Finish last Christmas shopping and get things ready for shipping
Hop on a plane Fri afternoon!!!!!!

IAC 197

2011-11-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

As always a special thanks Viviane!!! http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 197 which was held on 10/14/11:

1) Italian dossier from July 2008 referred a female child aged 2 years and 8 months

2) French dossier from September 2008 referred a female child aged 4 years and 8 months

3) Spanish dossier from October 2008 referred a male child aged 3 years 10 months

4) German dossier from November 2008 referred a female child aged 2 years and 8 months

5) Spanish dossier from December 2008 referred a male child aged 3 years 1 month

6) French dossier from November 2009 referred a waiting child (#1013) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) Italian dossier from December 2009 referred a male child aged 7 years and 1 month

8) Italian dossier from April 2010 referred a male child, aged 6 years and 11 months
to overcome health problems.

9) German dossier from September 2010 referred a male child, aged 2 years and 6 months
with treatable health problems

10) Italian dossier from October 2010 referred a male child, aged 8 years and 6 months
with treatable health problems

11) Italian dossier from July 2011 referred a male child, aged 9 years and 9 months
lags behind the NDP and specificity in health status

12) U.S. dossier from October 2011 referred a waiting child (#1287) with a profile on the MOJ site

13) U.S. dossier from October 2011 referred a waiting child (#1348) with a profile on the MOJ site

14) U.S. dossier from October 2011 referred a waiting child (#578) with a profile on the MOJ site

14 days and counting....

2011-11-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

until we leave to met her :)

I can't wait!!!!

Lots to be done!!!!

Things Accomplished this week!!
Took a family photo for a photo album to leave in Bulgaria
Continued to work on my lousy Bulgarian
All our travel documents and forms organized and filled out
Completed a travel call with family educator
Already received confirmation of receipt for I-800A extension from NBC
Faxed travel plan to agency

Things to do this week
Start Christmas shopping and decorating
Thanksgiving dinner
Sam's birthday
Finish with the last few items for our orphanage visits
Complete photo album
Finish kids schedule and arrangements while we are gone
Start think about packing my clothes
Continue to listen to my Bulgarian CD
Print off all the artices from family educator to read on the long plane ride

2011-11-17T18:25:00.000-08:00

Saw this on a forum and thought I would pass it on!!!

The DOS has published it Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Report on Intercountry
Adoption.

A copy of the report can be downloaded on the DOS Adoption
website: http://adoption.state.gov/ by clicking the link under "Latest
News" on the left hand side of the screen.

Report Summary:
75 adoptions from Bulgaria to the US were completed between October 1,
2010 and September 30, 2011.

68 of the cases were Hague Convention cases

7 cases were grandfathered I600 cases filed prior to April 1, 2008,

The Good news is that is a big increase in the number of Bulgarian adoptions to the US from 40 in 2010 and only 15 in 2009!!! Keep the babies coming home!!!!

Is it really only 3 weeks away??

2011-11-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that in less that 3 weeks we will be on our way to Bulgaria!!!! We are getting excited!!!! I am trying to stay organized but I am beyond excited to see her sweet face in person. We still have a marathon soccer weekend, a 6th birthday party, Christmas decorating and Thanksgiving and I intend to enjoy all 4 events despite my excitement (first Thanksgiving without my awesome mom cooking, my attempt at cooking will be an entry worth reading!!!)

Things Accomplished this week!!
Named our sweet girl
Mailed 800-A extension paperwork
Purchased gifts
Broke the Bulgarian CD we bought 2 years ago (yikes, not an easy language and not proud of my progress)
Bought a coat for trip (have to exchange, I am a difficult shopper and not satisfied until I visit a store at least 3 times for 1 item)
Started make packing lists
Completed Family education conference call
Arranged transportation and after school care for the boys (thanks Jane and Kim!!!!)

Things to do this week!!!
Not related to the trip a 6th birthday party for Sam is in the works
Get Ryan, Audrey, and Sam's plans for the week we are gone set and written
Purchase all the gifts, snacks, toys, for a sweet little girl we can't wait to meet
Take a family photo for a photo album to leave in Bulgaria
Continue to work on my lousy Bulgarian
Make sure we have all our travel documents and forms organized and filled out
Complete a travel call with family educator
Make sure my medicine kit is stocked up for the trip (The pharmacist in me tries to be prepared)

IAC 196

2011-11-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

IAC 196 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 196 which was held on 10/07/11:

1) Cyprus dossier from April 2008 referred a female child aged 3 years and 5 months

2) Cyprus dossier from May 2008 referred a female child aged 1 year and 5 months

3) Greek dossier from June 2008 referred a male child aged 2 years 10 months

4) Spanish dossier from October 2008 referred a female child aged 2 years and 1 months

5) Spanish dossier from March 2009 referred a male child aged 4 years 10 months

6) Italian dossier from April 2009 referred a male child aged 6 years and 2 months

7) Spanish dossier from November 2009 referred a male child aged 2 years and 6 months with features in health status

8) Italian dossier from December 2009 referred a male child aged 8 years 3 months

9) U.S. dossier from October 2011 referred a waiting child (#1307) with a profile on the MOJ site

New Minister of Justice

2011-11-08T04:54:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/

The current Bulgarian Minister of Justice, Margarita Popova, was elected vice-president in Bulgaria's October elections, so a new Minister of Justice will be announced next month. Let's hope that the switch in officials does not delay or affect international adoptions which are overseen by the Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria.

You can read more about this story here:
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=133611

Travel Prep: 26 more days!!!

2011-11-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe in 26 more days we will be on our way to Bulgaria!!! It still seems kind of abstract but trip prep will go into full swing soon. Not only do we have to prepare ourselves for the cold Bulgarian weather we also have to prepare to leave our 3 kids with grandparents for over a week. School and sports keep us on the run so it will take quite a feat to get everybody where they need to be when we are gone.

So much was accomplished this week however, so much has to be done in a short 26 days!!!

Accomplished!!
Tickets in hand
Home study update done, approved, and in hand
800-A extension paperwork done
Other agency paperwork done
Decided on gifts for trip 1

Things to do this week!!
Name our sweet girl
Mail 800-A paperwork
Purchase gifts
Breakout the Bulgarian CD we bought 2 years ago
Buy a coat for trip
Start make packing lists

We used Golden Rule travel for our tickets and I HIGHLY recommend them!!!

Travel Prep

2011-10-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe we are REALLY going to Bulgaria!!!

We made it official today with the purchase of airplane tickets and payment of our first international fee......EXPENSIVE DAY!!!!

Projects in progress
1. Finish referral paperwork
2. HS update almost done for USCIS
3. Meet with coordinator for the NBC paperwork (not quite sure what this is)
4. Mail I-800 A extension to USCIS with approved updated HS

At some point in the next 2 weeks we will start working on packing, gifts, donations, etc.. One step at a time!!!!!

BTW, Happy Halloween from The Howe Family!!!

IAC 195

2011-10-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

IAC 195 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 195 which was held on 10/04/11:

1) Greek dossier from August 2006 referred a male child aged 2 years and 5 months

2) Greek dossier from January 2008 referred a female child aged 2 years and 9 months

3) Italian dossier from January 2009 referred a male child aged 4 years 3 months

4) French dossier from February 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 7 months

5) U.S. dossier from September 2009 referred a waiting child (#1442) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) U.S. dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 5 months with data on family history

7) U.S. dossier from February 2010 referred a female child aged 2 years and 8 months with data on family history

8) Italian dossier from May 2010 referred a female child aged 4 years 4 months with data on family history

9) Spanish dossier from July 2010 referred a female child aged 10 years and 4 months

10) Italian dossier from August 2010 referred a male child aged 9 years and 1 months

11) Italian dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 9 years and 8 months

12) U.S. dossier from June 2011 referred a waiting child (#1257) with a profile on the MOJ site

13) Swedish dossier from July 2011 referred a waiting child (#1240) with a profile on the MOJ site

14) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1136) with a profile on the MOJ site

15) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1297) with a profile on the MOJ site

16) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1398) with a profile on the MOJ site

17) Portugese dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1355) with a profile on the MOJ site

18) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#7) with a profile on the MOJ site

19) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1143) with a profile on the MOJ site

20) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred two waiting children (#1048 & #31) with profiles on the MOJ site

21) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#803) with a profile on the MOJ site

Rewind 2 weeks and 2 days: REFERRAL!!!

2011-10-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2011 1:15 PM

I am hard at work when my phone rings, I check the caller id and dismiss the call from AGCI as a monthly update which I expected that week. HOWEVER....the voicemail proclaimed great news and my heart almost stopped for a moment. I was white as ghost and could hardly breathe. I managed to dial of our agency and get the news that we were matched with a 2 year old Bulgarian girl!!!!!!!!!!!! I was thrilled, scared, nervous, and excited all at the same time.

Many long time followers know this was not our first referral. We were matched in June 2010 if you want to go through archives and read if you are new. With our new referral in hand all the fear and sadness from the first referral came flooding back. Along with the fear and sadness we were caught totally off guard and honestly put the adoption on the back burner with the 3 year mark quickly approaching. I suppose it was a defense mechanism after month after month of nothing but delays. Combine the walls we built with the fear and it was not a pretty 2 weeks. It took days before we even spoke about it. I will honestly admit it was not the cake and roses (thanks Step) you see in agency promotional material.

In the end, we took the leap and accepted our referral. We are so excited about the sweet girl waiting for us in Bulgaria!!! We think she is perfect for our family and we can't wait to see her in a month. I look at her pictures and video ALL the time and count the days until we meet her. I also feel blessed that her home is lucky to be a part of the granny program in Bulgaria. I am somewhat comforted knowing she is getting a little extra attention!!!

We are still working on referral paperwork and a third USCIS update (ours expires before we travel). We are also starting to plan for our first trip, we leave for Bulgaria Dec 2!!! I have been searching the archives for travel tips and info and have decided to make something with all the handy travel tips and make it available somewhere on this blog with everything in 1 place (not sure how yet). If you have any advice please send a comment, I want to hear from as many people as possible!!!

I wanted to thank all the special people, you all know who you are, that stood beside us over the past 2 weeks!!! We could not have mad it through without all the love and support of our family and friends!!

IAC 194

2011-10-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

IAC 194 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 194 which was held on 09/16/11:

1) German dossier from July 2008 referred a male child aged 2 years and 6 months with peculiarities in health status

2) Greek dossier from October 2008 referred a male child aged 3 years and 8 months

3) French dossier from November 2008 referred a male child aged 2 years with peculiarities in health status

4) Italian dossier from December 2008 referred a male child aged 4 years and 3 months, lags behind in NDP and speech

5) Italian dossier from January 2009 referred a male child aged 4 years and 4 months

6) Dutch dossier from February 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 4 months with data on family history

7) U.S. dossier from April 2009 referred a male child aged 3 years and 5 months with data on family history

8) Italian dossier from April 2009 referred two brothers, aged 5 years 3 months & 3 years 3 months, with peculiarities in the health status of children under one (in infancy?)

9) German dossier from July 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 10 months with peculiarities in health status and data on family history

10) U.S. dossier from July 2009 referred a female child aged 1 years and 11 months with peculiarities in health status

11) French dossier from August 2009 referred a male child aged 6 years and 9 months

12) U.S. dossier from November 2009 referred a male child aged 1 years and 10 months with data on family history

13) U.S. dossier from December 2009 referred a brother and sister, aged 4 years and 6 months & 5 years and 7 months, with data on family history

14) Italian dossier from March 2010 referred a female child aged 3 years and 3 months with peculiarities in health status and data on family history

15) Italian dossier from August 2010 referred a male child aged 3 years and 8 months with data on family history

16) Italian dossier from August 2010 referred a male child aged 9 years and 10 months

17) Italian dossier from September 2010 referred a male child aged 9 years and 3 months

18) Belgian dossier from December 2010 referred sisters aged 6 years and 4 months & 8 years and 5 months

19) German dossier from March 2011 referred a waiting child (#1582) with a profile on the MOJ site

20) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1162) with a profile on the MOJ site

21) German dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#542) with a profile on the MOJ site

Family Picture (informal)

2011-10-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

Howe Family Summer 2011

Session 193

2011-10-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

The good news is that the MOJ is back to work!!!!!!!
Cross your fingers for lots of referrals in the next 2 months, before yet another long holiday break!!! It is my understanding that things slow down November, December, and Jan. I think the only month they are "closed" is December. Sure wish I had that kind of vacation time!!!!

IAC 193 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 193 which was held on 09/09/11:

1) Greek dossier from March 2006 referred a female child aged 2 years and 5 months

2) Italian dossier from August 2009 referred a waiting child (#1581) with a profile on the MOJ site

3) Italian dossier from September 2009 referred a female child aged 7 years and 6 months

4) U.S. dossier from March 2010 referred a male child aged 2 years 7 months with data on family history and with peculiarities in the health status

5) Italian dossier from November 2010 referred a waiting child (#1519) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) Italian dossier from January 2011 referred awaiting child (#1579) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) U.S. dossier from March 2011 referred a waiting child (#1431) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) U.S. dossier from August 2011 referred waiting children (#900 & #902) with profiles on the MOJ site

9) Italian dossier from August 2011 referred a waiting child (#1498) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred waiting children (#28 & #14) with profiles on the MOJ site

11) Canadian dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1188) with a profile on the MOJ site

12) U.S. dossier from September 2011 referred a waiting child (#1478) with a profile on the MOJ site

IAC 192

2011-08-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

Bulgaria IAC 192 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 192 which was held on 07/29/11:

1) Italian dossier from October 2008 referred a female child aged 2 years and 4 months

2) French dossier from January 2009 referred a female child aged 6 years and 2 months

3) German dossier from April 2009 referred a male child aged 2 years and 6 months with the physical characteristics and the NDP

4) Dutch dossier from June 2009 referred a male child aged 2 years and 3 months with features in health status, incl. data on family history

5) U.S. dossier from August 2009 referred a waiting child (#1517) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) Italian dossier from July 2010 referred a a male child aged 4 years and 10 months with data on family history

7) Italian dossier from March 2011 referred a female child aged 7 years and 4 months with data on family history. 05.08.2011 - Dropped due to information about changes in health status of the child.

8) French dossier from July 2011 referred a male child aged 11 years and 11 months

9) U.S. dossier from July 2011 referred a waiting child (#10) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) Italian dossier from July 2011 referred a waiting child (#513) with a profile on the MOJ site

IAC 191

2011-08-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

IAC 191 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 191 which was held on 07/22/11:

1) German dossier from 2008 referred a male child aged 1 year and 8 months with data on passenger (?) health problems

2) Dutch dossier from 2008 referred a female child aged 4 years and 8 months

3) German dossier from 2008 referred a male child aged 3 years and 2 months

4) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a female child aged 4 years and 5 months

5) French dossier from 2008 referred a male child aged 3 years and 9 months

6) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 10 months

7) Spanish dossier from 2009 referred a female child aged 7 years

8) French dossier from 2010 referred a male child aged 8 years and 6 months, with specifics to the NDP

9) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#797) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1367) with a profile on the MOJ site

IAC 190

2011-08-12T12:54:00.001-07:00

Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 190 which was held on 07/19/11:

1) Spanish dossier from 2008 referred a male child aged 4 years and 5 months

2) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 8 months with specificities in health status

3) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a a female child aged 3 years and 2 months, data characteristics and family history in the NDP

4) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a male child aged 7 years and 4 months

5) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a a female child aged 6 years 5 months, data characteristics and family history in the NDP

6) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1528) with a profile on the MOJ site

IAC 189

2011-08-11T14:46:00.001-07:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 189 which was held on 07/08/11:

1) Swiss dossier from 2008 referred two male children / twins / age 2 years and 8 months, data for chronic lung disease and mild orthopedic problems in a child

2) Spanish dossier from 2008 referred two male children / biological brothers / aged 3 years and 4 months & 4 years and 8 months, data slightly behind the NDP in a child

3) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a female child, aged 5 years and 3 months, data for a chronic urological disease

4) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a male child aged, 1 year and 8 months, data on family history

5) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a female child aged 9 years and 7 months with congenital heart malformation, corrected surgically

A Summer of Ups and Downs

2011-08-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I have wrote anything personal, so I thought it was time to break the silence. This summer has been full of ups and downs. I will share the quick version.

1. My mom was struck with a serious neurological illness mid-June called Guillain-Barré syndrome. It has left her paraylzed from the neck down with some arm movement. This turned our life upside down in a matter of 5 days!!! She has been away from home for nearly 2 months now and we miss her so much!!! On the upside she is recovering and is expected to recover fully with only minor weakness. She is in a rehabilition center relearning all the things we take for granted every day. We hope to have her home mid September!!!!!

2. We have also come to accept the fact that it is highly unikely we will be getting a referral from BLG before our paperwork expires in November. At that point, we are nearly 3 years into the process and will be closing the door on this jorney. We are beyond sad things happened like this, however we are not in control. There are rumors of potential slow downs which do not help our case at all. Only 25% of dossiers registered through 2009 have been matched up to this point so the odds are very low we will be matched since we are not open to many special needs and a slow is possible.

3. On a happy note, The kids and myself had the chance to visit my sweet sister and her family in San Antonio this summer. It was awesome, so stay tuned for pictures of Shamu the whale!!!!! I also got to witness some of my nephews first steps!!!!!!!!!! We did so many fun things!!!!

4. The kids are doing GREAT despite the circumstances, my mom was a primary caregiver!!! We have been blessed with a great babysitter to help get us through the hard times, along with my dad!!

5. As always it has been nonstop sports this summer for the boys. Soccer camp, football camp, soccer practice, 3v3 soccer. Can you tell they like soccer? I can not believe they can play in 95+ degree weather! Wow, they are amazing. As for my little diva, there is no soccer in her immediate future despite my begging. She on the other hand was begging me to sign her up for dance!!! I did being the over scheduled mom that I am. She picked out her leotard, ballet, and tap shoes and is set to go.

6. We are on the 8th month of my 50 mile challenge per month and can report we are still going strong. My treadmill died so I am learning to brave the 95+ temps along with my boys.

7. I am also thrilled to report our family is growing, thanks to my sister!!!! A new niece/nephew should be arriving Jan 2012!!!!

8. We have not done very much camping this summer but are excited to report we will be heading to the NC mountains in a few weeks and the coast of SC over labor day. We did have a great trip to Myrtle Beach State Park early June with our camping friends. It was so much fun!

9. I am excited about the Warrior dash in a few weeks and a triathalon in the Outer Banks in Sept. There are NO more marathons in this girls future!!!!

It is my hope to post some summer pictures soon!!!!

IAC 187 & 188 Results

2011-07-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to Viviane! From unofficial calculations it appears that 25% of the dossier registered through 2009 have been matched during a 6 month time period (Dec-Jun). It is also important to note referrals will be less the second half of the year due to country closures in August, November, and December. Many may have noted that there is no rhyme or reason or true line. Matches seem to be made based on the level of SN a family is open to and very specific wording about SN in homestudies. We are not open to many special needs and at this point it seems logical to think we will be a 2009 family matched in the last 25% brining our wait time to possibly another 12+months, which will be a wait of 3.5 years!!!! With that said here are the latest batch of referrals!!!!! It is noteworthy to notice they are still matching 2008 dossiers.

IAC 187 & 188 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 187 which was held on 06/20/11:

1) Dutch dossier from 2008 referred a a female child aged 1 year and 5 months with data on family history

2) US dossier from 2009 referred a child, female, aged 5 years and 7 months

3) US dossier from 2009 referred a a female child aged 3 years and 6 months, data on family history. Ended on 6/22/2011, received a change in the stated willingness to specifics in the feature desired child.

4) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a male child aged, 5 years and 6 months with genetic disease and data on family history

5) Dutch dossier from 2010 referred a male child aged, 5 years and 6 months with genetic disease and data on family history

6) French dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1272) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1191) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a female child aged 8 years 9 months

9) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a female child aged 7 years 7 months

10) German dossier from 2010 referred a female child aged 8 years 2 months with features in health status

11) Canadian dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1465) with a profile on the MOJ site

12) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1243) with a profile on the MOJ site
---------------------------------------------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 188 which was held on 06/29/11:

1) Dutch dossier from 2008 referred a a female child aged 4 years with peculiarities in psychomotor development

2) Spanish dossier from 2008 referred a female child aged 5 years and 6 month

3) Swedish dossier from 2008 referred two children, male and female, aged 3 years and 3 months - twins

4) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a female child aged 1 year and 11 months with data on family history mental and infectious disease

5) French dossier from 2009 referred a male child aged 6 years 6 months

6) German dossier from 2009 referred a female child aged 3 years and 6 months with data on family history

7) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred a a female child aged 4 years and 7 months with features in health status

8) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a male child aged 8 years 9 months

9) French dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1282) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred two waiting children (#187 & #1185) with profiles on the MOJ site

11) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1137) with a profile on the MOJ site

12) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1464) with a profile on the MOJ site

13) French dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1475) with a profile on the MOJ site

IAC 185 & 186

2011-07-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Passing on great info from my dear friend Viviane!!

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 185 which was held on 06/03/11:

1) German dossier from 2008 referred a child, male, aged 3 years

2) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child, male, aged 6 years and 5 months

3) Swedish dossier from 2009 referred a male child, aged 5 years and 1 month with peculiarities in the physical development

4) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a female child aged 9 years and 8 months. Refusal of the draft prospective adoptive parents, deposited on 07.06.2011g.

5) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1364) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a female child aged 10 years

7) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred two waiting children (#521 & #1268) with profiles on the MOJ site
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 186 which was held on 06/10/11:

1) Spanish dossier from 2009 referred a female child aged 6 years and 1 month

2) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a female child aged 5 years and 1 month

3) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a female child aged 7 years and 5 months

4) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a female child aged 9 years and 8 months

5) French dossier from 2010 referred a female child aged 9 years and 3 months with data on family history

6) Italian dossier from 2011 referred two children, female and male, aged 7 years and 7 months
9 years and 2 months, biological brother and sister, with peculiarities in the neuro-psychological and physical development

IAC 184

2011-07-04T04:12:00.000-07:00

Lots of thanks to Viviane, for collecting and sharing this information!!!!!

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 184 which was held on 05/28/11:
1) Italian dossier from 2006 referred a female child, aged 5 years and 8 months

2) French dossier from 2008 referred a child, male, aged 2 years and 10 months with peculiarities in the neuro-psychological development

3) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child, male, aged 5 years and 9 months

4) Italian dossier from 2009 referred two male children, aged respectively: 2 years and 2 months & 5 years and 5 months

5) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a female child, aged 3 years and 3 months, with data on family history

6) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child, male, aged 2 years and 6 months with features in health status

7) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a child, male, aged 4 years and 3 months with features in health status

8) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a female child, aged 9 years and 3 months

9) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a female child, aged 7 years and 2 months with peculiarities in health status and data on family history

10) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1359) with a profile on the MOJ site

IAC 183

2011-06-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

All information compliments of Viviane!!!!
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 183 which was held on 05/20/11:

1) Norwegian dossier from 2007 referred a child female, aged 2 years and 10 months with a family history

2) U.S. dossier from 2008 referred a child male, aged 2 years and 2 months

3) German dossier from 2008 referred a child male, aged 4 years, with features in health status, subject to hotfix

4) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child, male, aged 5 years

5) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred two children, male and female, aged 6 years and 2 months and 3 years and 6 months, with features in health status, subject to hotfix

6) French dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1275) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a child, male, aged 8 years and 4 months with data for family history

8) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#95) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1132) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred two waiting children (#1265 & #1266) with profiles on the MOJ site

By my count, of the 401 adopters confirmed with MOJ as of 12/15/10 and registered from 2005 through 2009, 85 have now received referrals. That’s roughly 21% matched in the five month period from mid-December to mid-May.

IAC 182

2011-06-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

More results compliments Viviane http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 182 which was held on 05/12/11:

1) French dossier from 2009 referred a waiting child (#1271) with a profile on the MOJ site

2) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a waiting child (#749) with a profile on the MOJ site

3) Italian dossier from 2010 referred two waiting children (#1525 & #1526) with profiles on the MOJ site

4) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1045) with a profile on the MOJ site

5) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1441) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1338) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1230) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#271) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1098) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#912) with a profile on the MOJ site

11) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred two waiting children (#1212 & #1398) with profiles on the MOJ site

Hiking in Costa Rica

2011-06-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

We did some amazing hiking in Costa Rica!!!!

I loved this sign!!!
The Old Lava Flow Trail: This trail was carved from the path of hot molten lava from eruptions years and years ago of the still active volcano in Arenal. This trailhead was right of the deck of the hotel, if that tells you how close to the volcano we stayed. The trail led to the river bed lined with lava rocks and lava dirt

The rock person watched over the riverbed

The water was so clear!!!!!

The lava dirt and rocks that lined the side. It was really soft and fluffy

Hike #2 was the hardest and scariest hike of my life!!! It took us miles into the Costa Rican forest We were isolated high in the clouds in a dark damp forest. The path was carved from a flood path and we found ourself sliding in mud and climbing mud banks. It was late in the day and we got a little spooked and never made it to the lake, which was suppose to be beautiful. It was a crater lake from an old volcano

More Referrals.....

2011-05-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Session 180 and 181, thanks to Viviane....
For more detailes refer to MOJ website

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 181 which was held on 04/26/11:

1) French dossier from 2008 referred a waiting child (#1276) with a profile on the MOJ site

2) French dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years and 5 months, male

3) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 8 years and 7 months, female

4) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 7 years and 8 months, male

5) French dossier from 2010 referred two children, male and female, aged 7 years and 11 months and 7 years

6) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred three children, male and female, aged 6 years and 5 months, 8 years and 7 months, and 7 years

7) Italian dossier from 2011 referred two waiting children (#1399 & #1400) with profiles on the MOJ site

8) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1241) with a profile on the MOJ site

IAC 180 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 180 which was held on 04/15/11:

1) German dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 2 years and 9 months, female

2) Greek dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 2 months, male

3) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 6 months, female

4) U.S. dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 9 months, female, with features in health status

5) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 4 years and 10 months, female, with features in health status

6) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years and 9 months, male

7) Dutch dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years, male

8) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a two female children, aged 6 years and 3 months and 3 years and 9 months

9) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 8 years and 3 months, male

10) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 9 years and 1 month, female

11) Italian dossier from 2010 referred two children, female and male, aged 7 years and 5 months and 9 years

12) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (# 18) with a profile on the MOJ site

A little more Costa Rica

2011-05-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Can you believe the Costa Rica fun is still coming...Hard to believe we packed this much fun into 5 days. We took an exciting bike adventure through the town of La Fortuna and into the countryside outside the town. We rode about 12 miles with several stops at the Secret Swimming hole and hummingbird garden. We ended the ride in A HUGE rain storm by the river with authentic Costa Rican meal.

Follow along for the last few Costa Rica adventures (canyoneering and hiking), Spring Break at the beach, A soccer tourney, and at last a Bulgaria Update!!!!

Costa Rica...Arenal Observatory Lodge

2011-05-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Arenal Observatory Lodge
1.7 miles from the active Arenal Volcano, although it was quiet while we were there it is not uncommon to be treated to low rumble and lava fireworks in the evening!!!

IAC 179

2011-05-14T18:00:00.001-07:00

IAC 179 results once again compliments of Viviane;

If you have moment to check out her blog please do, she is in the midst of a fundraiser and all money donated with go directly for items for the orphanages of 2 children waiting to come. They would like to purchase diapers and other items that the homes are in desperate need of. Many who follow the forum know Viviane is a very valuable resource and spends lots time collecting information to benefit families at all stages of the process. She is also an integral part in planning the reunion in the coming months. She is raffling off some great gifts for those that donate.

Here is the link to her blog
http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 179 which was held on 04/08/11:

1) Norwegian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 2 years, female

2) Swiss dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 3 years and 3 months, male

3) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 10 months, female

4) French dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 5 years and 3 months, male

5) French dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 5 years and 8 months, female

6) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years and 7 months, male

7) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years and 4 months, male, with features in health status - a genetic disease

8) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 1 year and 9 months, female, with data on family history

9) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 1 year and 9 months, female, with data on family history

10) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years, male

11) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years and 1 month, male, with features in health status - lags behind the NDP and behavioral characteristics

12) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 8 years and 2 months, male, with features in health status - intellectual deficit

13) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred two children, male, aged 6 years and 8 months and 8 years and 3 months, with data on family history and intellectual deficit

14) French dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 10 years, male

Bulgaria Update

2011-05-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

Last month the officials seemed to be busy doing lots of things!!!

First there are new policies in place for requesting a "waiting" child profile.

Secondly, there was a meeting to discuss ways to increase referrals. I am not sure how much valuable info came from the meeting except to schedule another meeting this summer and to try to pinpoint the reason for such huge delays.

Thirdly, There is "hope" that 2009 dossiers will be matched by the year end. Keep in mind there must be a HUGE increase for this to actually happen. Only 15% of dossiers submitted through 2009 have been matched and it is known there are summer slowdowns and holiday slowdowns. Therefore, limited time!!!

Time marches on........

Lucky!!

2011-05-07T17:51:00.001-07:00

I am one lucky lady to have the honor of being a Mom to 3 wonderful children. All three different in so many ways yet alike in even more ways. I am so proud to watch them grow and take on the world. I think about the sweet face that is missing this photo and pray that I will have honor of being her mom also one day soon!!!

Forgive the photographer.... he is only 4 feet tall!!!

I forever love this special woman that not only gave me life but gave so much of herself so I can live the life I do. Everyday her love fills my heart and the hearts of my kids!! I love you Mom and I am as proud of you as I am of my own kids!!!!!! Enjoy the day "cleaning"

IAC..178

2011-05-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 178 which was held on 03/30/11:

1) Cyrprus dossier from 2007 referred a child aged 4 years and 4 months, female

2) Norwegian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 2 years and 10 months, female

3) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 6 months, male

4) Norwegian dossier from 2008 referred two children, twins, aged 4 years and 3 months, female

5) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years and 5 months, female

6) French dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 6 years and 1 month, female, with data on family history, infectious disease

7) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years and 2 months, male

8) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 8 years and 6 months, male

9) Italian dossier from 2010 referred two children - a biological brother and sister, aged 8 years and 7 months, female, 7 years and 7 months, male

10) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 9 years and 3 months, female

11) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1242) with a profile on the MOJ site

12) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#819) with a profile on the MOJ site

13) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1308) with a profile on the MOJ site

14) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1140) with a profile on the MOJ site
Thanks again to Viviane for finding and translating all this info!!!!!

Costa Rica....Beautiful Country

2011-05-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

We did spend a significant amount of time in transit from 1 place to another and here are a few shots of the beautiful scenery!!!!!

Arenal Volcano

Costa Rica...Zipline Action

2011-05-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

We had blast on the zip line course!!! I was so much fun to fly through the trees and clouds!!! We also braved the Tarzan swing which was a 26 high platform, I was in a harness holding the rope and plunged off and swung through the trees just like Tarzan!!! It was TERRIFYING!!!!! I love to watch the video and hear the screams.

Getting ready...It was very safe!!!

TARZAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Costa Rica....A Walk in the Clouds (pics)

2011-04-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

Outside the town of Santa Elena we visited another cloud forest and went on a hike over the tree tops of the forest on a series of suspension bridges. It was one of the most amazing sites of the trip. At time we were suspended 250 feet above the

Costa Rica...Monteverde Cloud Forest Pics

2011-04-28T19:14:00.001-07:00

Morning at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve:

A quick glance into the Cloud Forest High in the mountains at around 6000 feet

Birdwatching for the Costa Rican Quetzel ( not the most exciting part of the trip)

Visit to a hummingbird garden

In the Cloud Forest trees grow on top of trees in serach for light and drop roots from high in the canopy to the ground. The roots shown in this picture look like vines at first glance,

Me and my sis

More Costa Rica pictures; suspended walkways hike and ziplines!!!!!

Costa Rica....Hotel Fonda Vela PICTURES

2011-04-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Day 1 and 2 Hotel Fonda Vela; Monteverde Costa Rica
Hotel Fonda Vela was a LOVELY "green" hotel on the edge of the cloud forest high in the mountains of Costa Rica. This was such a delightful hotel outside the quaint town of Santa Eleana.

Stay tuned for pictures of a Walk in the Clouds.....

While we wait...Costa Rica Recap!!!!!

2011-04-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica
We had an FABULOUS vacation. It was a true once in a lifetime vacation. I am in love with Costa Rica. Over the 5 day trip we stayed in 2 areas Monteverde and La Fortuna. In Monteverde we hiked in the cloud forest, walked suspension bridges high above the trees, zip lined through the cloud forest (1 line was nearly a half mile long), and dared to do a Tarzan swing 8 meters above the ground!!! Our hotel was at the top of the mountain and was just perfect. We explored the town on foot and loved the town. On Friday we road 3 hours on a road (not really a road more like a bumpy path) then took a taxi across the lake to our next hotel. This hotel was also a "green" hotel and was AMAZING! We were 1.7 miles from an active volcano and a huge picture window in our room faced the side of the volcano. There was no phone, clock, or TV in the room. It was just perfect. In La Fortuna we went on an amazing bike ride through the town and surrounding areas. It was a guided tour but we were the only ones on the tour. We stopped at a "Secret Swimming" hole and plunged off the rocks into the beautiful Costa Rican water. There was also a swing in a tree and we had a blast swinging out over the river and dropping into the cool mountain water. After the swim we hopped back on our bikes and were greeted with down pours for the last 7 miles of the ride. We finished the ride with a great ethnic meal on the river with a few beers and a few cups of the best coffee I have ever tested! Saturday we started the day bright and early with a canonyeering trip. We hiked through a river and rappelled down a series of water falls ranging from 5-220 feet!!!!!! It was UNREAL. The guides were awesome and I felt so safe at all times. After the water trip we enjoyed another great ethnic meal. Later that afternoon we did some serious hiking up the side of mountain on a trail carved from previous floods. It was BRUTAL! We were so high in cloud we could barley see. I was a little spooked to be honest. The zip lines and waterfall rappel was not nearly as scary as this hike. We knew a volcanic lake was on the other side but it was getting late and VERY muddy so we turned around about 2 hours into the hike because it gets dark early in Costa Rica and it was nearly 4 PM. We then spent the evening in the most exotic place soaking in volcano heated pools and waterfalls. It was beyond anything I could even describe. Some of the pools were so hot we could not even stand in them. The final morning we got up early and hiked to a waterfall on the hotel grounds and hiked an old lava flow trail. It was STEEP but at the bottom there was a great river with banks of volcanic rock and ash. The water was so clear. We grabbed some rocks for the kids and headed back up the trail for breakfast and more coffee! All in all it was so AMAZING and I had the best travel partners ever!!! I could not have dreamed of anything better. From sun up to sun down we explored the mountains the of Costa Rica and we look forward to the day our kids are old enough and we can go back. A speacial thanks to my mom and dad for watching the kids and to Karen and Scott for coming along for the fun. Finally Happy 10th Anniversary, to an awesome husband and father!!!

Pictures coming soon!!!!!!!

While we wait...IAC 177

2011-04-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 177 which was held on 03/18/11:

1) French dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1273) with a profile on the MOJ site

2) Italian dossier from 2010 referred two waiting children (#1164 & #1165) with profiles on the MOJ site

3) Canadian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#449) with a profile on the MOJ site

4) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred three waiting children (#812 & #813 & #782) with profiles on the MOJ site

5) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1141) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1239) with a profile on the MOJ site
Posted originally by Viviane

While we wait....IAC 176

2011-04-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

Coming soon....Costa Rica recap and Spring Break!!!!!!

IAC 176 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 176 which was held on 03/11/11:

1)Swiss dossier from 2007 referred a child aged 2 years and 7 months, female

2) French dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 3 years and 10 months, female, deficit with NAP

3) U.S. dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 3 years and 11 months, male, with congenital visual anomaly

4) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 6 years and 6 months, female in a healthy status - vision problems

5) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years and 7 months, male

6) French dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 5 years and 7 months, male, with data on family history, chronic disease and vision problems

7) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 8 years and 3 months, male

8) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 10 years and 10 months, female

9) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 10 years and 8 months, male

10) Italian dossier from 2011 referred two male children - biological brothers, aged: 10 years and 2 months & 8 years and 3 months, one of which has a deficit in the NDP and speech problem

While we wait... Prayer

2011-04-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 14th, 2011 9AM

This idea started from the church of another PAP from our agency. I am spreading the word for anybody to join in.

I thought it would be a great idea for all of us waiting to adopt or those that have already adopted to gather in prayer on the same day and pray for one another. All of us are in this together. Even if we’re not in the same physical locations, God has brought us to walk this journey together for His purpose.

On April 14, 2011 at 9am EST, we ask that everyone gather together in prayers.

Pray for strength in all of our families

Pray for the children of Bulgaria

Pray for God’s guidance

Pray for families in all stages - paperwork, waiting list, 1st trip, court hearing, 2nd trip, and those already home

Pray for patience and understanding

And many more……….

While we wait..... IAC meeting 175

2011-04-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 175 which was held on 03/02/11:

1) French dossier from 2007 referred a child 3 years and 1 month, male

2) Greek dossier from 2008 referred a child 5 years and 10 months, female, with specifics in health - data on family history and suspected chronic lung disease

3) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child 5 years and 3 months, female

4) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child 6 years and 2 months, male

5) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child 7 years and 7 months, male

6) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child 10 years and 3 months, female

[In February 2011, a total of 31 referrals were issued by the IAC.]

Thanks to Viviane for this GREAT info

While we wait...Catching Up

2011-03-31T18:00:00.001-07:00

Winter seems to be ending and the world (in NC) is starting to come to life!!! Trees and allergies are in full bloom. Life is good!!!!

What's New
Soccer is back in play, I learned I missed the 4 days a week on the fields (2 practices and 2 games)

Audrey is swimming like a fish at 3 &1/2 (she has been nicknamed the "tiny swimmer")

The only flowers in my yard are from my dear friend Viviane and they are finally starting to grow

We are getting the camper ready for the first trip of the season in 3 weeks

We spent a lovely weekend in the North Carolina mountains

School is the 4th quarter!!!!

We are vacationing in Costa Rica in less than a week, zip lines here we come!!!!!

Howie and I are starting our 4th month of the 50 mile challenge

I have the first hint of a tan line from my workout tops

I can do "real" pull ups, after 9 months of practice and bloody palms

I climbed my first rope, after months of practice (lots of bruises)

We are still waiting on any news from Bulgaria. There has been VERY VERY little progress with the "backlog" of dossiers. The IAC refers about 30 kids a month most of which are waiting children for families with dossiers submitted in 2010 and 2011. If I am not mistaken only about 10% (maybe a little more) of the 400+ dossiers submitted through 2009 have been matched. At this rate it appears it can take several years just to match all of 2009. Sadly, our time is limited because in less than 8 months our current USCIS approval expires and we will be approaching the 3 year mark. We have currenly been registered with the MOJ 1 year and 9 months.

While we wait...IAC 174

2011-03-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 174 which was held on 02/23/11: 1) Maltese dossier from 2006 referred a child aged 4 years and 1 month, female 2) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 2 months, male, with data on family history - an infectious disease 3) Canadian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 2 years and 11 months, female, with data on family history - an infectious disease and intellectual deficit 4) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 9 months, male, characteristics in a healthy status - dispensary in connection with bronchial asthma, dermatitis, strabismus, and negative behaviors - aggression 5) German dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1352) with a profile on the MOJ site 6) Italian dossier from 2010 referred two waiting children (#818 & #820) with profiles on the MOJ site 7) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1255) with a profile on the MOJ site 8) Canadian dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1198) with a profile on the MOJ site 9) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#506) with a profile on the MOJ site special thanks to Viviane for the results!!! http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/

While we wait...IAC results 173

2011-03-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 173 which was held on 02/11/11:
1) Cyprus dossier from 2007 referred a child, male, aged 4 years
2) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child, male, aged 4 years and 4 months
3) Spanish dossier from 2008 referred a male child, aged 5 years and 4 months
4) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child, male, aged 7 years and 6 months
5) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a female child, aged 1 year and 5 months, with features in health status
6) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a female child, aged 1 year and 6 months, with features in health status
7) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#426) with a profile on the MOJ site
8) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1182) with a profile on the MOJ site

A big thanks to Viviane for sharing this information
http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/2011/03/iac-173-results.html

While we wait...Calling all bloggers

2011-03-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

I know there are lots and lots of people adopting from Bulgaria, leave me a comment with your blog or email me your blog site. I would love to include you in my blog list

If you are not adopting from Bulgaria and have a cool blog, feel free to do the same!!!

While we wait...Children in NEED

2011-03-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

Please help!!!!
Taken from a friends blog,
We are asking for your help in spreading the word about the situation in Ethiopia! Please consider signing this petition(it only takes one minute), then pass it on to all your friends:)! You DO NOT have to be adopting from Ethiopia in order to sign this! As adoptive parents, I hope we will stand together for the children, no matter where we are adopting from!

Thanks! Here's the link to the petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714/sign.html

Five Things You Can do to Help!

1) Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and pass it on!

2) Have you adopted from Ethiopia? Please send us up to 3 photos and 50 words or less with what you would like the Ministry to know about your child – we’ll compile the information and send a book to the Ministry of Woman’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs. Send your photos and stories by Sunday, March 12, 2011 to be included. Please note that sending photos and stories gives Joint Council unrestricted right to use the information you provide. UPDATE: we’ve received so many emails in support that our email server has crashed! We’ve set up an alternative email account – please start emailing your photos/stories to emergency4ethiopia@gmail.com. Thanks for your amazing support!

3) Share…Please send this Call to Action to family members, other adoptive parents, and everyone you know! Post, forward and share your adoption stories via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Make sure you include us in your posts so we can all hear your stories! Here’s links to our pages: Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

4) Stay informed: Get up-to-date information regarding the situation in Ethiopia by signing up to receive information from us: click here to do so, make sure you choose “country and issues specific information” and “Ethiopia.” And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and our blog!

5) Help ensure our advocacy can continue: Joint Council is a non-profit and receives no government funding. Please join us in ensuring more children live in safe, permanent and loving families. Donate today!

While we wait....IAC 172

2011-03-09T13:04:00.001-08:00

Results for IAC meeting on 2/4/11. Congrats to all the families that recieved a referral in this batch

Click below for results

http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/2011/03/iac-172-results.html

While we wait...Do you remember???

2011-03-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

Beka and Aaron

Well, they were registered with the MOJ mid 2009 and many people may or may not have followed their cute blog. This lovely couple lives about 30 minutes from me and we have had the pleasure to meet several times. They have had a series of sorrowful events in the adoption world that left them heartbroken and emotionally depleted.

However, I am happy to announce they are in route to Russia to pick-up their son, Gavin!!! A HUGE congrats to Beka and Aaron. First time parents to be!!!!!!!!!!!!

Catch up on their journey here and follow them over the next 3 weeks in Russia
http://acbc02.blogspot.com/

While we wait...Monthly update

2011-03-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the week, we had our monthly call from our agency to check in. Here is a brief summary of the conversation

Yes, we are still waiting

No, there is no news

Yes, referrals are happening in the US, agency not convinced referrals are in order of date of registration, but not sure how they are being distributed

No, there is no idea when our agency will receive a "healthy referral" , possibly this spring but still not sure

Talk to you next month

Although this is a little sarcastic I am thankful for the weekly email updates and monthly calls!!!!

While we wait...Adoption tax credit

2011-03-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

GREAT info for anybody a little confused about the tax laws for adoption

While we wait.... IAC 171

2011-02-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

Results from meeting 171 of the IAC on 1/28/11, click below

http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/2011/02/iac-171-results.html

Much thanks to my friend Viviane!!!!!!

While we wait...IAC 170

2011-02-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

For the results of the meeting 170 of the IAC on 1/22/11 click below!!!

http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/2011/02/iac-170-results.html

While we wait...Fire

2011-02-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Word spreads fast about a fire in an orphanage in Bulgaria. Luckily all the children were safe and unharmed but blankets and supplies were destroyed. AGCI and other agencies are collecting money to provide relief to the children. Please use the link for more information or to make a small donation that could help get these children through the winter!!!!

http://mim.io/4de1e

Fire rages in children’s home in Bulgaria’s Varna
17 February 2011 08:35 FOCUS News Agency
Home / Police
Varna. A fire broke up in a children’s home in the Bulgarian coastal city of Varna on Wednesday evening, FOCUS – Varna Radio reported.
No people were injured. The home accommodates some 140 children aged up to three. Some of them have disabilities. They all were evacuated to a nearby building.
Ambulances, fire engines and police arrived immediately at the site. 50 square meters of the building were destroyed. The fire was raging in a boiler room. Because of the high temperatures the flames spread to cables and a warehouse. They were extinguished within 15 minutes.

While we wait.... IAC meetin 169

2011-02-16T17:22:00.001-08:00

Anybody interested in seeing results of meeting 169 of the IAC click here

http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/

Thanks Viviane for all the vigilance on the MOJ website!!!!

While we wait... (Re)Union time

2011-02-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a wonderful group of people, I am proud to spread the word about a get together for ANYBODY ANYWHERE in the process of adoption from Bulgaria. Follow the link below for all the details.

It is ironic since for many people they will meet face to face for the first time, even though many have shared so much over email, blogs, and phone calls!!!! I have said numerous times that one of the greatest unexpected gifts from this process are awesome friendships of women who would have never crossed paths in everday life :)

I think this is an amazing opportunity and am grateful for the great group of people that planned this :) It seems we are such a tight knit group and this is just another great way to make our bond stronger and allow our children to share in this special bond.

MARK YOUR CALENDERS, BOOK YOUR SPOT, and share in some great family fun :)

http://bulgarianadopteesreunion.blogspot.com/

While we wait....A taste of spring

2011-02-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

The weather is warming up a little and it has been so great to get outside and soak up some sun!! Since there is no news from Bulgaria here is a taste of Howe life.

Along with spring comes soccer :). Ryan's team has already started practice but are limiting it to 3 practices a week for 60-90 minutes of physical endurance training. Sam has also joined in for the PT! It is so GREAT to see my kids enjoying fitness. Along with the PT 3 times a week Ryan is on 2 bball teams (only 1 week left). Yes, we welcome competition and believe it is healthy for the kids as long as they can handle it. It is a constant work in progress and there have been lots of tears shed on both the field and the court (not by me!).

Also with the coming of spring I have hung up my long distance running shoes and am limiting my runs to 2-3 miles. The marathon did me in! I am still going strong with my monthly 50 mile challenge with Jan behind me and 25+ miles on the book for Feb. The extra challenge this month is 3000 situps. This is tough and my abs are screaming but I have completed 1450 so far. I try to squeeze in hot yoga once a week and 3 sessions at crossfit (http://www.crossfitcharlotte.com/ )weekly. This year my big events will be fun, the warrior dash ( http://www.warriordash.com/ ) and the Outer Banks sprint triathlon ( http://www.fsseries.com/index.php?action=event&event_id=50. ).

Now, for some exciting news!!!!!!! In celebration of 10 years of marriage Howie and I are going to Costa Rica in less than 2 months. We will be joined by my sis and her hubby and have 4 days of zip lines, volcano hikes, waterfall rappelling, mountain biking, and relaxing in mineral springs heated by the volcano!!!! PINCH ME, I am dreaming. My parents are watching my children and my sisters little guy. Believe it or not aside from a 2 night trip this is the first time we have ever BOTH left the kiddos! At least they will be in the best hands.

Since there is news of "healthy young referrals" here in the US, I hope spring brings us more than flowers!!!!!!!!

While we wait...Still Standing

2011-01-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

When we started this process 2 years ago the blog roll was full of families from all over the country and several in Canada and overseas all waiting for a Bulgarian child.

Now believe it or not there are only two of us left waiting on referrals that were registered before summer 2009. I could count a third since they are still in the program but have accepted a referral from another country, however are still actively waiting for Bulgaria.

Several families are already starting their next adoption!!!!

It has been an honor to share in all the families journeys, as I said before that friendships have been formed between people that would have never crossed paths in an ordinary day, and for that I am thankful

I also love to hear from families once they get home, it is amazing to see the transformation of these children once they are surrounded by a family.

So any new families that want to share a blog, please post it in the comments and I will add it to the list of Bulgarian adoption blogs on the sidebar!!!!! Old families still waiting, keep hopeful that once day soon it will our turn :)

While we wait....Meeting 168

2011-01-28T04:47:00.000-08:00

12/22/10 meeting of the MOJ

The referrals are really starting to roll out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks likes the good old USA is represented in this batch
Hang in 2009ers, it possible we might just get lucky this year!!!!

http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/2011/01/iac-168-results.html

While we wait...IAC 167

2011-01-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

For the results of the 12/17/10 meeting of MOJ :

http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/2011/01/iac-167-results.html

Looks like the young healthy kids are FINALLY starting to get matched!!!! The number of dossiers matched from before 2009 are low (8 kids from this meeting and 2 were ages 8 and 9) so it will still take a while to get through the backlog but it is a HUGE step to see these young kids being referred!!! Also note that no US families from before 2010 were included in these matches :(, hopefully soon!!!!

While we wait...50 Mile Challenge update

2011-01-23T17:40:00.001-08:00

The month is quickly coming to an end and with 7 days left I have 42 miles down and 8 to go!!!

Don't worry if you missed this month, I plan to start it all over Feb 1, 2011

While we wait...Bulgaria Update

2011-01-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

After over a month of silence from Bulgaria our agency informed us of some data that the MOJ has released pertaining to the numbers of dossiers registered

2009: 521 families registered
2010: 1035 families registered.

"There are approx. 4500 children registered in their system. However, we do not know the age or the gender of these children or how many of them are healthy or special needs. Unfortunately, this information is not being released".

Also keep in mind there are handfuls of dossiers dating back to 2005.

These numbers may not give a clearer picture of wait time since the MOJ does not go in exact chronological order. It has also been stated from sources outside of my agency that the number of consents granted for adoption from Bulgaria in 2010 was 238. That means that the MOJ will have to double the current workload to get all dossiers through 2009 matched. Anything is possible!!!!!

While we wait....50 mile challenge

2011-01-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

There is not much to report from Bulgaria, still waiting and waiting. Since we started this process over 2 years ago our agency has only had 2 (maybe 3) referrals for healthy fairly young children from Bulgaria, sad but true.

Meanwhile, it is halfway through the month which means halfway to 50!!!!

I am happy to report I have 27.6 miles in the bank.
Howie has left me in the dust with 34.4 miles!!!!
My mom has around 20
How about you???

Now the real challenge!!!!
We have enjoyed this so much that Howie and I pledged to attempt to do this challenge every month for the next 12 months!!!!! If anybody is interested in this "super challenge" I will be happy to email you a TERRIFIC spread sheet that tracks your miles and automatically tallies them as you enter them. Just post your email in comments and I will send it over.

Good luck

While we wait... 50 miles

2011-01-07T18:48:00.001-08:00

It is 7 days in to the "50 mile challenge"

13 miles down 37 miles left!!!!

Hope everybody else is coming along! Don't give up if you are behind;

30 miles is far better than 2 miles!!!! Hang in there

While we wait...Meeting results

2011-01-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Check out my friend Viviane's wesbite for IAC results from meeting 165 and 166:

http://martiniadoptionroad.blogspot.com/2011/01/iac-165-166-results.html

Good news is the MOJ is meeting in Nov and Dec and young children are being matched with families!!!!

Not so good news only 11 children referred for both meetings combined!!!!

While we wait....New Years Challenge

2011-01-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

Since there is silence from Bulgaria, I thought I would throw out a challenge to my bloggy friends! So many are in need of a fresh fitness start to the new year and many more want to rev up a current regimen. So this month as a start to the New Year, my goal is to complete 50 miles by the end of the month!! This amounts to 1.6 miles a day (20-30 minutes). Walk it, row it, skip it, or run it, but bottom line "JUST DO IT"!!! Sounds fun!!!

While we wait....Another trip around the sun

2010-12-31T17:57:00.001-08:00

Another year comes to a close and a new year begins.

So as 2010 ends several most memorable events/moments of this year

1. I completed a marathon and my first triathlon

2. All 3 of my children are finally out of diapers/pull-ups, even overnight, this is the first time I can claim this since Ryan's birth June 2003!!

3. I became an aunt for the first time

4. My 4 year son rode his 2 wheel bike 17 miles in 1 day

5. New friendships were formed

6. A sweet face of a little girl left in Bulgaria, that could have been part of our family will never be forgotten

7. We added the state of Virgina to our list of states visited

My children are each amazing and I am one lucky lady to say the least. I am grateful to my mom and dad for everything they do to make my life richer and easier. I am thankful for my job, even though I whine about working sometimes. My friends new and old continue to enrich my life in so many ways. 2010 was GREAT and I welcome 2011!!

Looking ahead to 2011

1. We hope to finally meet our daughter in Bulgaria

2. Continue to watch our children develop independence and confidence as they grow

3. We also plan to add Maryland to our state map this year with a camping trip to DC

While we wait... Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T16:34:00.001-08:00

.....and a Happy New Year !!!!

BTW: 2 years have passed since we started this process!!!!

While we wait...Data released

2010-12-22T04:24:00.000-08:00

The MOJ released the long awaited data on the numbers of active registered dossiers earlier this week. The data in the table is pretty easy to read, I was even able to locate our registration number using the find feature in Word (CAUTION, they do repeat numbers so do not freak out if you see two of the same registration numbers each registered in a different year). Our agency has yet to comment on how and if this information will help determine the wait time for referrals. Also the information may not be useful for these purposes because there is no official line in Bulgaria. The dossiers are matched based on the child's fit with a family not a family to a child. There is also no feature of the data to separate those open to SN. I have summarized the bottom of table 1 to the best of my ability. All this information and tons more is listed on the MOJ website!!!!

The following is a summary of the age requested and the number of registered dossiers submitted through the end of 2009. It is reasonable to think the numbers are much higher since 2010 dossiers are not counted in these numbers. Also remember these dossiers are from around the world, not just the USA.

age requested/# registered dossiers through 2009
1-2/ 7
2-3/ 99
3-4/ 92
4-5/ 79
5-6/ 66
6-7/ 28
8+ /19

For more information visit MOJ website and use google translate or work on learning Bulgarian

http://www.justice.government.bg/new/

While we wait...Did you know???

2010-12-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Less than 1% of the population has completed a marathon in their lifetime. Despite a huge dose of self doubt I am now a proud member of that small group!!!!!!!!! It was a COLD RAINY day and my feet were soaked and my joints were stiff. Along with my best friend, I happily crossed the finish line in 6 hours and 12 minutes. Granted I will not qualify for Boston but I am so proud nevertheless. The most important lesson is that I discovered that I can do anything and the only thing holding me back is my own self doubt!!!!! I encourage anybody to take the leap and try something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so good for the soul, inspire yourself.

Thanks for the shirt Mindy!!! We did it

26.2 miles and "Still Smiling"Details;

I picked Mindy up in Charlotte and we stopped for lunch on the way to Kiawah. Once we arrived we checked in, picked up our race pack, and gulped a beer before we headed out to see the course on bike. After the bike tour of the course we had a pre-race dinner and went back to the condo to get ready for the next day. I was rattled with worry with doubt. On race day we woke to a cold windy rain but we still geared up headed to the start line. Race day was a blur, I remember the first half vividly and felt great. Miles 13-20 seem like they never happened, but they did, I have proof. I must admit that it became tough at 20-24 as we walked through a deserted neighboorhood for mile after mile. Mile 24 was the homestretch and the potty stretch. All the gatorade caught up with me. We decided we were going to run across the finish line regards of pain. At mile 26 we ran through a row of American flags, turned the corner and crossed the finish in a sprint!!!!! I ran straight for the beer and browines. That night we went out to dinner and by the next day I was STIFF STIFF STIFF. Sunday at the spa was great. It was a wonderful weekend with a wonderful friend. Memories forever :)

While we wait... BIG weekend

2010-12-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

After months of fear, sweat, pain, and anticiaption, I will finally make my attmept at a full Marathon on Kiawah Island this Saturday 12/11/10.

Secondly, Sunday markes the 18 month mark for our registration with the MOJ. A long time behind us and a long road ahead of us!!!

While we wait...Some days

2010-12-06T18:45:00.001-08:00

Some days waiting is so hard!!!

Some days it seems like this wait will never end!!!

Some days it breaks my heart that another year will end without seeing her face!!!!

Today is one of those days!!!!