Princess Ivanna

Be sure to scroll to the bottom and pause the blog music before you press play here.  We are so happy to have received new photos and videos of our little Princess today. Thank you very much for the pictures and videos!!! Ivanna is doubly blessed to have two mommies!!!

More Stuff!

Well, things are still going nicely.  Ivanna's room is still not quite finished and her furniture will not be here until 7/21.  Here is a picture of the letters that will hang on the wall in her bedroom:

Can't wait to see her room all completed.  Still have some extra things I am looking for like the perfect rug for a princess.  I have one in mind just need to find it.  I would like to be gone by 7/21 and if we are then we will get someone else to put her furniture together for us and put it in her room.

Still waiting on the mail to run with our final Apostille so I can send off the last envelope to our facilitator.  Oh what a joy.  Talked to Ivanna's biological parents yesterday and again I say they are very sweet and have hug hearts and they honestly without a doubt love their little girl.  Our hearts are happy yet our hearts are sad for them but they don't look at it as losing their little girl because they know we will take GREAT care of her and we will supply them with photos, videos and slide shows.  She's walking in the door of a home filled with love and she will never have to want for anything.

Princess Stuff!!

Well, been a busy week-end. Shopping, shopping and more shopping! We have now started on her room - when it's done it will be pink, trimmed in purple to match her Princess decor.

We have picked bought her bedroom suit but unfortunately they were out of stock - they will be in on July 21.  :(  But here is what it looks like:

Also have her some Princess outfits that one of my BFFs brought over:

We already had all of her Princess bedding.  Got her carseat as well and more outfits.  YAY!!!  What a blessing she will be to our family!  She'll have more love than she will probably know what to do with.  Even my husband was walking through the stores - saying "she NEEDS this" and "she NEEDS that".

Oh and here is what he picked out that she just HAD to have --- her Princess bicycle:

He was just so funny and cute with she just "had to have it" or "she NEEDS it".  OKAY!!

But he's right she got it!!  Well going to run for now as soon as her room is partially complete I'll posts pictures.  It's going to be beautiful and most of all it's done with all the love in our hearts!

WE GOT IT!!!!!

Oh my the sense of emotions jut got even larger. WE RECEIVED OUR FINAL APPROVAL TODAY FROM USCIS!!!!! We ARE going to get little Ivanna!!!! Oh but how I know how much her biological parents love her. They will always be part of Ivanna and our family!

What's next?
Today, since I received the approval so late - I didn't have time to drive to Jackson, MS to get the cover letter apostilled before they closed so I made the decision to mail it to them today so I will get it back on Tuesday. THEN - I will turn right around and send it to the Ukraine.

Most likely our facilitator will not get to submit our package to the courts until July 1st since they only process special needs adoptions on Thursdays. (I may have not worded that just right). Then we wait for a court date so I am hoping for last week of July or no later than August 1st. But, it is what it is, and there is NO stopping us now - regardless of what day it is WE ARE GOING TO GET IVANNA!!

So, if you felt the Earth move today it was ME doing the happy dance. My husband was on the phone with me when I opened up the envelope so he heard the first screams. Then one of my BFFs was the second scream and then she came rushing over to give me the greatest hug and to bring Ivanna the most pretty Princess dresses ever! Nothing better for our little girl than Princess dresses. Then it was FaceBook then it was call after call and then after posting on FB I received call after call after call.

So now at least I know we are NOW GOING - we are heading out this evening to go pick up her bedroom stuff. We already know which one we are getting. WE ARE TWO VERY PROUD PARENTS RIGHT NOW AND FOREVER AND EVER!!!

Continue with your prayers we have a long way to go. Love you all and thanks very much for hanging in there with us. When we do leave we will be blogging every day so if you want to follow please feel free.

Time for More Prayers

Another beautiful sunny day God has given us today. Well been absent again just waiting on more information to share. On Monday, June 7 - our homestudy revision was completed and FedEx'd to our state. State received it on Tuesday morning and boy were we happy. Well, being that I am "trying" to scurry this along, I called our State and finally got in touch with the nicest man. I went in to my spill about who I was and why I was calling and I heard him keep trying to interrupt me but I just kept on (imagine that)! Finally bless his heart he was able to get a word in and he said "Take a breath" :D --- "are you Mrs. Stratton?" of course I replied yes and thinking all at the same time all these folks are so sick and tired of hearing our name they will do anything to get paperwork off of their desk (except USCIS). Well he told me that our file was already back in the FedEx envelope and waiting for them to pick it up so it could go on to USCIS!! YAY!!!

Well, then on Wednesday morning the package arrived at USCIS and yes, you're right there is no hurrying these folks. I tell you I just have never seen anything like it at all. Orphan applications ARE NOT their priority. And I can tell you they DO NOT understand someone wanting to adopt a child with special needs either but frankly it's NONE of their business. Their job, as I see it, is to ensure your fingerprints come back ok and ensure your homestudy has an approval. Well, ours does, so MOVE ON!!

With that being said - our sweet mail carrier is now on the lookout for an envelope from USCIS - if she find it when she sorts her route - she will call me and I'll meet her at the post office since our mail typically doesn't run until 2:30 or so.

You ask - Where will that last piece of paper put us? CLOSER!! Our full dossier package is already at the facilitator being translated so all they are waiting on is this last and final YES. Then they will go to the SDA (State Department of Adoptions) and obtain our initial court appearance. Once that date is obtained THEN we make our travel arrangements and have to be there 1-2 days prior to the date of our court appearance.

Some friends left yesterday morning to go and get their little girl and oh how happy that feeling must be. They landed about 1:30 this morning our time. Can't wait to follow them and hopefully we will be over there with them REALLY soon!!

For now say your prayers and we are praying for a soft heart for USCIS and for her not to be stubborn and for God to light her ways and direct her paths. He can do it I have complete faith. I also know that this is not anything that I have control over and that's not easy! We are also asking that God wrap His arms around Ivanna's family and provide them with complete and total comfort knowing that their little girl will be in GREAT hands --- ours and God's. We will forever be part of each others families!

Woooo HOOOOO

Don't get all excited - have not gotten the "final" YES yet BUT today was a GREAT day. Today we sent our full dossier (minus the I171) to our facilitator. He was nice enough to tell us to send it on that way when we get the I171 he will be sitting on READY! So sent it off today and it is guaranteed to arrive by Monday. The homestudy agency is currently in the process of revising the homestudy. We hope to have that by the end of the week - the hardest part for them was to get all of the signatures on the homestudy again - but I do believe they are doing their darndest to speed things up for us. Ivanna is doing good - growing like you wouldn't believe. Her mom and dad got to see and talk to Ryan and Steven Sunday before last (May 16th). The boys couldn't believe it. They were amazed that it was night time where they were and the middle of the day for us. Our facilitator told us today by going ahead and sending him our original documents that it would at least save us a week. But to us adoptive parents a week can seem like an ETERNITY!! Well, we are a step closer and I can tell you our visit over there will certainly be great I'm looking forward to meeting some of the people we have been talking to. It will be an experience. We are just ready to go get her but we'll continue to have a connection in Eastern Europe for sure. Well keep saying prayers and maybe we will have more good news to report soon but at least this gives me something to do for the next few days and that is continue to check the tracking on our package so you know I'll keep you posted. It has already left Gautier, MS and is currently in Gulfport, MS. Hurry Hurry Hurry!!! Continue your prayers for our family and Ivanna's family who will now be part of our family!!

I'm BACK!!!!

Ok haven't posted in quite some time because I was aggravated and worn out from TRYING to get my answer. Well, you all know by now about the woman in TN that adopted a child from Russia and decided to something idiotic and return him via a one-way ticket. What a dork!!! So, on top of everything else, we believe that further complicated things for us - that's our story and we're sticking to it. Not to mention the fact that I was very demanding in my request for an answer so they were probably making an attempt to make it has hard on us as they could - little did they know - it didn't matter what they asked us for we were armed and ready to jump through hoops.

So, on Monday, May 3rd we FINALLY received a letter from USCIS requesting a mental evaluation. Well, this is not because either of us are crazy by any means but there are some countries that already make this mandatory but Ukraine is not one of them. We feel like that since this episode they are only trying to do their job and be cautious which in some ways is comforting. Just wish it had not taken her a month to finally tell us but it is what it is. Needless to say we started the process the next day. Took the MMPI and the Rorschach test which is a personality type test that is supposed to tell you how you perceive the world and stress levels and all. Well, then my husband had to go in today. So as soon as he left he called me and he said that she had revealed to him the results from my ink blot test - said it came back that I had some type of Interpersonal Disorder - well my heart dropped and he told me to call her because she wanted to make my appointment for Friday earlier anyway. So, I did, I called her and she confirmed that yes I have what is referred to as Interpersonal Neediness Disorder - so I said OK - what does that mean - she said that she asked the examiner and low and behold she replied 'YOU NEED A CHILD'!!!! Well, DUH!!! I tell you I don't think I have laughed so hard at anything lately. But what a GREAT disorder to have you think?

You ask: What happens now?

Both my husband and I will go back on Friday and we walk out the door with our report. YAY - then it will be off to USCIS and to our homestudy group to incorporate in the home study and provide a revised homestudy to USCIS. So ---- I am in hopes that USCIS can have it in their hands by the end of next week - not sure that's realistic but it is my hopes anyway. THEN once USCIS receives it we are back in wait mode but my guess is she's tired of getting e-mails from us, Congressman, Senator, etc - I hope she has had enough and just stamps it and sends it on.

So say prayers as we are almost there. Really glad we didn't go in the month of May anyway since there are several holidays and also now the Volcano seems to be impacting flights again so be that as it may - we are not going until God says we can go and it's all about His time and His plan.

Thank you much and I leave you with a precious picture.