The Visit

What a week! The first day we walked into the orphanage and their is Rosie walking down the stairs. She was bringing something somewhere, we said a quick hello the I went to the directors office.  She was a wonderful woman, she truly loves each of the kids. We talked and the Rosie came in. She was very shy and unsure about coming to the USA. Who would blame her, she doesn't know us! The staff was very emotional they said they know adoption is best but they all love her. They have been her caretakers for the last 7 years. She showed me her room and we played memory, a good non speaking game! She won each round...memory isn't my strongest area :-). Tuesday we went back and played more memory and drew pictures, she gave me a few hugs and said she was happy. They also had their monthly birthday celebration and since hers was in December I got to share birthday cake and see her get a stuffed animal. Wednesday we were lucky, as it was their Christmas celebration. They performed a show and Santa came and headed out the Christmas shoe boxes, the kids were so excited. I teared up watching them. Today us my last day to visit. I am sure it will be emotional. She is such a sweet girl, and I am totally blessed to get to be her mom.

I made it

Well I made it to Sofia yesterday...or today...the whole time zone thing has me backwards. Its 1am local and I just woke up. I started the trip a bundle of nerves as I had three days notice that I was indeed going to need to come instead of randy and I have never traveled internationally before much less alone. The first flight left at 6:30 am and I sat next to a lady who was traveling with her twenty month old on her lap for the first time. I was able to help her out with him and even held him a bit for her. Then it was 8 hour layover in Newark. Pretty boring I watched looped news over and over. Then my international plane pulled in. I felt like Buddy the elf' I quickly texted randy letting him know it was ginormous!!! I had an awesome seat with no one in front of me...unless you include the line for the bathroom. I watched a bunch of movies and slept for a full 30 minutes. By the time I got to Frankfurt I was so tired  I was shaking. The airport screener double checked and unloaded my backpack because he didn't like my epipen. I explained I needed it for allergies and he let me through. Ohh I forgot my 2 other Buddy moments... First they gave me hot towels I had no idea what to do with it I am not that fancy I guess. I held it and looked around to see what the heck it was for. Then I used the tiny bathroom and managed to knock my head into the wall. Any who I finally arrived after flying over  the Alps, which was pretty cool. Now I am catching up on sleep and getting ready to meet Rosie tomorrow.

I am off to see the Rosie....

Tomorrow morning I leave to head to Bulgaria for our first required trip to meet Rosie.  Let me back up though and give you the story, because everyone who has adopted knows it didn't happen easily :)  Last week we were able through the generous gift of a friend take the whole crew to Disney World.  We had a blast!  The kids all behaved and the drive was fairly smooth, which is saying a lot for an 18 hour drive with 9 people.  Anyway before we left in late November, we were given permission to make travel plans, so the plan was Randy, the experienced traveler was going on this visit and we would both go to pick her up together for my first international travel experience.  We confirmed this with the agency and were given the go ahead, so we booked his ticket and prepared the kids that when we got home on Monday, Dad was leaving on Sat. for Bulgaria.  So we return Monday and Tuesday I emailed the agency to be sure we had all paperwork we needed.  The return email said that the orphanage was now afraid that Rosie would be uncomfortable meeting Randy alone so either I had to come or both of us had to.  So we realized that it would be too hard on the kids for both of us to get up and leave.  Some of our kids have issues with us leaving.  So Wed. we had to cancel Randy's ticket and book me a ticket.  Now I have NEVER been overseas, and I am a general nervous person, so this was scary news!!  I spend Wed. freaking out....Thursday I was more calm, today I have some nerves going on.  Here's the kicker....a few days before we went to Disney I prayed that God would take all my anxieties from me, that he would show me that I can be strong and courageous in all situations because I am leaning on him.  Yeah....starting to think its like praying for patience....all the culmination of my fears is coming together in a week...........  Anyway its so many emotions, fear over the travel, nerves of meeting my new 13 year old daughter for the first time, excitement, sadness leaving my others home........Its like 9 months of pregnancy rolled into 2 weeks :)  I had the sick stomach, nerves, hormones, tears, happy/sad moments.......yep its a girl!! I will post about the trip as I go!

Getting ready to meet our Rosi!

We received our official notification that we are matched with Rosi and now we can travel to visit her next month!  Randy will make this first visit.  We are so excited to get to know more about her and bring her some things.  We will get to send/bring her some early Christmas gifts!  She should be able to come home about 2-4 months from then.  Its crazy to look at her picture and think that beautiful Bulgarian girl will soon be my daughter forever.  I wonder if she will ever comprehend how much she wanted by us.  I suppose when she is a mom she will :)  I had constantly checked my email for weeks for this news with each day passing disappointed, then I decided to go out one night to an adoption meetup group and while there I got a text from Randy sharing the news.  I suppose that's one of the best places to announce it, you can always count on other adoptive moms to cheer :)  So now we get ready for a crazy month of December! 

Ponder Ponder

Pondering....its something I do a lot, most likely too much, in fact now I am pondering why I ponder and frankly when you type pondering or ponder a lot it starts to sound weird...  I am a restless person in my mind just as my husband....kids and anyone who has truly gotten to know me :)  Usually after about 18 months of living in a place, I get that gypsy feeling that I am ready to go explore some new place and not just vacation, I like to live there because a vacation doesn't give you the full appreciation of a place.  Now that I have older children, I have had to reconsider the 18 month thing, as they tend to not enjoy having a gypsy mom :)  Here we are in the middle of an adoption, which by the way we are waiting for our official notice that we can travel to meet Rosie, should have happened last week, but the office was moving and they didn't hold any meetings (of course!!)  anyway...here waiting to news to visit our newest daughter and I spend my time viewing other waiting children, wondering what will happen to them, if we have the room for them...  on and on.  We also have been studying the formation of the 13 original colonies in  "school" and I find myself thinking a lot about where America began and where we are now.  I think about the morals that have been lost over the generations, the family values that have started to disappear.  The kids pointed out how historical books always have children who are portrayed as well behaved, curious and innocent while books that take place today consist of rude kids, disobeying parents and general scary stuff.  Its funny this whole country seems to have lost its innocence, sad really.   Anyway all of this to say my mind is never quiet I am ALWAYS thinking.  A person once asked me what do you do with the Bible verse that says "be still and know that I am God".........I was at a loss, I may sit still but my mind is turning constantly.  Hmm all this pondering in this post and I have lost my original thoughts of why I am writing this........although ask my kids that is very very normal for me.........

Adoption Update!

Well we have FINALLY finished our dossier and it has all been mailed to our agency.  We thought the USCIS fingerprinting would take the longest but that took 2 weeks after we filed to get fingerprinted and got the approved form in 3 days after that!! Record time!! However the letter from our doctors turned out to take a much longer time, but no dwelling on that now, because it is all on its way to the agency, which will forward it to Bulgaria to be translated and processed and then in a few weeks we will get to meet Rositsa!  Now to figure out what to pack in a care package for her. Its a little harder to guess what a 12 year old might like than a 3 year old!    Praying all of this goes quickly so she can join us. I have had a hard time accepting this is really happening.  After not bringing Keith home and then the girl from India fiasco, its hard for my mind to believe this is working :)  However once I sent those last papers, I got misty, started to imagine what it will be like to hug her, hold her hand, love her....and I began to wonder has she ever had a family long for her to be home?  Has she ever known the kind of love she is about to experience?  Perhaps she has, I pray at some point she has experienced family love, but if not 12 years is a LONG time to wait and I hope her wait to be coming to an end as soon as the good Lord allows!

I don't get it!

I am in awe and admiration of those of you who can do. I however cannot, no matter how much sense and time saving it incurs.  I am talking about cell phones and yes I am not that old and this shouldn't be as hard as it seems.  I am a slow texter, although I can text!  My issue comes with calling people in any place but a quiet room....which is a rare thing in a house with 7 homeschooled children.  I watch people make calls while in the car, at the store, in a waiting room, walking, biking, chasing toddlers at the park..... I just don't see how it works.  Once my mind is driving, walking,  chasing or even watching children I totally can't concentrate on what someone is saying on the phone.  In fact I don't even hear it!  Or if I hear it I can't imagine remembering what I need to pick up at the store.  I am TERRIBLE at keeping in touch with people I don't see regularly unless they email or text, that I can do in a loud room :)  When I do talk on the phone I literally have to go in my room and close the door to talk and usually when I do that the children know mom isn't listening and then the house becomes some sort of crazy house.....  So here is to you phone talkers.....You are way more awesomer then me, to those who feel I don't call enough, I am thinking of it and just wait till the kids move out, your phones will be ringing off the hook.  Until then feel free to email and text!!  Last note, I do feel like its weird for people to talk in waiting rooms, I feel like I am eavesdropping but can't help it!