Soooo Dislike the Waiting Game

Well we are continuing to pray for patience and guidance because I am so not good with waiting. Received a letter from customs and immigrations yesterday with a few inquiries we had to respond to. Had 33 days to return to them - do YOU THINK I was going to wait even near 33 days??? NO - responses complete yesterday afternoon and we hand delivered it to them today - BUT only to find out they are closed on Friday. I was nearly in tears when security told me that - we told the very nice gentleman that we understood and asked if we could please check it in at the mail room or SOMETHING - he continually explained no and I think he expected us to be "mad" and then he started explaining how he has had people get mad with him before because they could not accept paperwork - I then began to explain that we weren't by any means mad that I was almost to the point of tears that we had drive 2.5 hours to prevent a mailing or FedEx delay to drop off paperwork only to find out they were closed. SOOOOO he took the envelope from us, told us he wasn't making any promises but said he would be right back - low and behold when he came back - he brought us our EMPTY envelope where they had stamped it RECEIVED to show they had taken possession of it. I told him (as my husband was returning from the bathroom) that if I wasn't already married I could just kiss him - it was funny cause as my husband rounded the corner I asked him if he heard that and he grinned and said "yes I did" --- the guy who was old enough to be my dad, grinned as well and told me it's ok cause I don't think my wife would like that either. I was very amazed that he went above and beyond when the lady officer was questioning his helping us. So to whoever you are MUCH THANKS - we need more of you. So, now we are back in wait mode and I despise week-ends ONLY because I know it means that no one is helping us get Ivanna home during the week-end. So bring on Monday.

Also since the last time I blogged, I received a card in the mail that really was just very special - and very touching. Next post, I'm going to write what it said. Makes you think how we all should be doing the same in every walk of life.

Thanks again for your caring, your calls, your talks and listening - it's been a roller coaster of a ride but ohhhhh what waits at the end!!!! Hugs!! Darlena

Orphanage Visit

Received an e-mail from Ivanna's biological mom today. She sent new photos and a new video of her. For some reason, at first, they would not let them see Ivanna. She was very upset. She had to contact the doctor at the main center to help her get in to see Ivanna. They would not relay to her as to why or anything. So, I'm very glad that someone helped her get in to see Ivanna. So I certainly hope everything works out I think she was crushed.

Crazy Good Day

What an action packed day!! On top of me accomplishing my "real job" today. I knew that the FedEx had arrived in LA this morning so I was monitoring it closely for delivery at customs and immigrations. FINALLY it was marked as delivered - well it took me all of fifteen minutes considering all the patience I have to e-mail them. GOOD NEWS is this is our final approval. BAD NEWS is fingerprints are not back from FBI yet and she has to have those and review homestudy before she releases approval OF COURSE - well hurry it up already!!! Patience sayeth the Lord - I know, I know (and my husband) but, but I'm really trying.

Then I received the STRANGEST e-mail out of the clear blue and low and behold the sender didn't even sign their name to it - I took offense to it IMMEDIATELY - there goes that patience issues again. Anyway after finding out who it was and responding to them - it appeared to be someone that was very confused and distraught over the homestudy process and thought that because she already had a child with DS that the process should be a "no brainer". I offered careful but much needed advice to her and didn't hear back after that. I hope all goes well for that family sounds like she may need a wonderful support system like we will have. I tell you our DS organization here ROCKS however I am a tad partial :D.

THEN as of yesterday a friend on my FB page so elequently informed me that they would possibly be going to Easter Europe at the same time we were and that their paperwork had reached USCIS just the day before ours. OMG - I was just beside myself to have that connection. So low and behold we started talking and ended up in a phone call and .... well bless her heart - she knows now that I talk too much :D. Oksana (her baby that is 5 and has CP) is in the same orphanage as Ivanna so I sent her mom a note and asked if she would mind taking pictures of Oksana when she goes on Sunday - she immediately replied and said she would be glad to try. So hope to hear from her early Sunday morning. She also sent us two new pictures of Ivanna today. I feel so connected to her - well why not we share a beautiful child together.

I also e-mailed our facilitator last night and he has started translation on our dossier so we are doing everything possible to speed this process through.

Thanks again for all your prayers and well wishes. God bless all of you.

Praise the Lord --- ONE MORE STEP

Well what another joyous day!!! If you will remember - our home study arrived at our state level DHS office last Friday morning. They were given an airbill to forward it to our USCIS office in Metairie, LA so needless to say I have wore the FedEx website out checking to see if it had been sent yet or not. MUCH to my surprise today JUST as I had started a 3:30 meeting I clicked on it and low and behold it had been picked up at 3:19 today and is headed for our USCIS office and is scheduled to arrive before 10:30 in the morning. This is our final step domestically then it's on to the Ukraine. I have sent all of our paperwork to the Ukraine tonight hoping they will feel our pain and start translation for us while we are waiting on the last approval from customs and immigrations.

In addition, we received two e-mails from her mother today - always makes us very happy to get e-mails from her. She went to see Ivanna yesterday and she was doing well and she also sent us a little movie of Ivanna it wasn't very clear but we were certainly thrilled to have it I think my husband and I have watching it numerous times already. That little girl will be home before we know it and oh how she will blossom and shine. She has no idea how many people are waiting to see her and how many lives she has touched already.

Continue saying prayers and that USCIS works as quickly as what we have been told they do and this will be over in a minute.

The video of Ivanna is on our FB page. By the way you if you don't have a FB page you really need to get one. :D

Customs & Immigrations

Well, today was another step - biometrics (fancy word for electronic fingerprinting) was completed today. The USCIS office indicated that sometimes they are back in 48 hours some a little longer - so just hoping it's soon. However still waiting on our state level DHS to review the homestudy and forward to USCIS - trying to obtain a contact for them so bless their hearts I can hound dog them to death. Darlena is sooooo not patient. We found some more pictures of our babe and also a video clip that thrilled us to death. Can't wait to get over there and obtain our own videos. Last night spoke with Sandie who is an Early Intervention Specialist in Pennsylvania. She has actually seen our baby --- what I found so funny is that God love her when she got back, she did everything she could to find Ivanna a home, she posted flyers, sent e-mails - you name it - this lady did it. Little did she know her efforts were for nothing because God had chosen her parents already he just had to get through us.

My husband pointed out that in church on Sunday our preacher talked about watching a nail be made how they had to heat it, beat it, heat it some more and so forth and so on --- he compared us to this nail - we had to have the heat put to us and low and behold it worked.

We just keep trucking along - we are almost there. You know it's pretty funny though I am still trying to do everything I can to hold myself together and back some for the just in case something were to fall through. If all of these efforts are meant to come together then it's going to happen regardless because God has that plan.

We appreciate all the prayers, all the support that everyone has given - I personally have asked a gazillion questions. Some of you don't know my husband but he is the quiet reserved type. Bless him is all I can say. Continuing to pray for speed and patience and God's will.

Church & Update

Well, we all joined our new Church on Sunday - Tabernacle Baptist - here in Gautier. We are so grateful to have finally found a church "home". My husband and the boys will be baptised soon - I have already been baptised. I'm looking forward to it. Our preacher and his wife and children are just an awesome family who we could stand to take some lessons from. We enjoy his sermons and leave feeling like we learned something and we shared a purpose. Have never had such a warm welcome from a church family. All of these folks truly welcome each guest with open arms.

Ivanna update: Our homestudy received it's final signatures last Wednesday, March 3rd. It was FedEx'd to our state facility and received on Friday, March 5th. YAY!!! We go for our fingerprinting appointments tomorrow with customs and immigrations. So you ask what does this mean? This means our homestudy gets reviewed at the state level then they forward it to customs and immigrations where it meets up with our paperwork. So then once they receive back our fingerprints and review the homestudy - customs and immigrations provides us with our final approval. At this time we then provide our complete dossier package to the Ukraine for translation and then they forward to the court to obtain a court date THEN we can finally secure our travel plans. Our hopes is to be gone in April and have her back in May but at this point it's God's plan and we are just waiting on direction.

Ivanna's birthday this year will be held on the exact date of our Buddy Walk --- WOW what a celebration that our little girl will have over 2,000 people at her birthday party this year.

Well, keep praying and keep watching as this story continues to unfold and we see God work in more of His mysterious ways.