Getting closer!!!

 

I don't really feel like I have any one important thing to say, so this may just be a bit of my rambling :)  WE HAVE 18 DAYS UNTIL WE LEAVE!!! WOW!
   So we got home from TN and turned on the water.  One faucet (which was already kind of a problem anyway) just kept running even when knobs were turned off.  So, we shut the water off to that faucet and 3-4 days later Brian was finally able to completely replace it.  Old houses are tricky, you never know WHAT you're going to get when you go tearing into a project.  Poor guy kept having to go back to H*me Depot every day to get a different part!  Alas, that's done, and now I have a few more (hopefully quick) projects for him to do in the next 18 days- yaaaa!  (Sorry, every time I say how many days I have to say yaaa - it's  reflex - haha).
     V*ktor continues to be excited about our arrival.  Having the date has indeed made it seem a lot better for me anyway, and I think it probably has for him, too.  He has asked if we can bring some things for his roommates and maybe other kids.  Though I am going to want to pack a lot of stuff for us since we'll be there so long, I definitely want to take some things for him and the other kids.  So, if anybody wants to donate any of the following for us to take over, just let me know:  bouncy balls, gum (like in 5 pks), hand/foot warmers (the onetime use to put in gloves and shoes), hats, warm gloves, chap stick (poor kids beg for this because their lips are so chapped), or other small toys. These I can carry with me whenever I go to the orphanage and hand out something to each kid I see.  His roommate J's mom (still praying for a miracle with the registry for this sweet boy) was just there for a visit and she said every time she was there that the kids just swarmed her for hugs and a little suprise.  It's an opportunity for us to love on and minister to the other kids as well as it is for us to get V*ktor home. Ha- at the start of hosting, we thought of it as our mission trip without leaving home.  Now, I guess through our adoption over there, we will be on a mission trip of sorts :)
       I have just a swarm of thoughts in my head and prayers going up.  If you are wanting some specifics on what to pray for us, I'm just going to lay out a list here for you :)

• It's really starting to hit that I will be leaving A and B for possibly 8 weeks.  That is a REALLY long time!  Please pray for them that they would be happy, content, and not worry about us. Sk*pe will be a big help.
• Pray for our parents and friends who will be caring for A and B.  Pray for their strength, energy, and wisdom when parenting for us in our place.  Please pray for good health.
• The financial part of it is not a definite.  Plane ticket prices can vary greatly and there's always the chance that some piece of paperwork can slow down the process which means longer time in-country and more expenses.  We have fundraised the amount we were told we would need.  We completely trust that God has brought us this far and will continue to provide when it is needed.  We hope that we will be able to stay within what we have.
• Travel mercies - that C will be a good little traveler and that we can all get over the jet-lag as quickly as possible.
• Please pray for our safety and health throughout the whole process.
• Remember V*ktor in prayer, too.  Though he is really excited and can't wait to come home, I can imagine he may have some anxieties.  Change is HARD!  It can be scary. Even when you decide to do something and know it is a great decision, there's still a little fear involved in trying something new - the unknown.  I know there always is for me anyway - in new jobs, moving, or other major changes.  Pray for him and for us as his parents.
• Finally - Please pray for a FAST timeline.  There are a number of steps in the process.  Sometimes they go very quickly and sometimes things move slowly. For example - if a certain paper has to be signed by a specific person in a specific office... The day you go to that office, that person is out for the day... it's Friday... You've just added 3 days to your timeline.  or     The judge only wants to do adoptions on Thursday.  You just got ALL your papers and it's Friday... You've just added 6 days to the timeline.  We know God has it all under control and He has a plan.  We are praying for things to move quickly, but in the end we trust it will happen in His perfect way.

This picture is so cute :) My sister M is such an awesome aunt! She knows B so well that she got her a Lalal**psy doll just like the mermaid that B just picked out as a birthday present from my mom. I told B several times that we could take it to the store and let her pick out another doll or toy. She was INSISTENT that she wanted to give it to her cousin H so they would both have one to play with. Such a sweetie!

Thanks again everyone for continued prayers and encouragement!  We are truly blessed!  Oh also, I do have some Tshirts left, so if you want one let me know!  Free-will donation