Not Just Another New Year's Eve

This has been a very busy week for us. Our visas arrived today! Yippee! Waiting on the visas seems to have been a stressor for many adoptive parents. Glad that is one less for us to worry about. Here's a list of what we've been up to:

1. We bought backpacks to take on our trip. We will each have a backpack as our carry-on and we will pack essential items in them - those things we can't live without in Russia:
   -Copy of our dossier
   -Important travel documents
   -Dress clothes for court
   -Miscellaneous hygiene items
   We will let you know how they work out
2. We are starting to gather items to take with us and organize them on the bed in our spare bedroom. Currently, it looks like a cyclone hit the room but I am convinced this is the only way to get everything organized in time.
3. We bought long underwear - everyone says we will be glad we have them.
4. We also bought hand and toe warmers, just in case. Our search for adequate boots is not going so well. We've found many stylish boots but not very warm - we will continue the search this weekend.
5. We bought some fold up slippers to wear at the orphanage.
6. We have been working on a photo album to leave with our little girl. We are almost finished, it has 17 photos of us, family, our house, and our pets. We still want to add captions in both English and Russian (a bit of a challenge but I hope we can finish it).
7. We are trying to plan some activities for when we visit our little angel. She is 9 years old and we hope we can break the ice and spend some quality time with her. We were told we will be able to visit her three times when we are there. Here are some ideas so far:
   -Bubbles
   -Play-doh
   -Coloring books and crayons
   -Drawing tablets and markers
   -Etch-a-Sketch
   -Puzzles
   We sent a photo of our cats to be made into a puzzle through Creative Memories.
   (We hope it arrives on time)
   We thought it would be fun to put it together with her and then leave it with her.
8. This weekend we will shop for boots and a coat for Don.
9. We also still need a few gifts for the people who will be assisting us in Russia. We will try to finish shopping for those items also this weekend.
10. We have our cash but need to check the bills to make sure there are no marks, creases, or tears.
11. Our goal is that we have all shopping and errands completed by Sunday afternoon. Classes start on Monday so we will both be very busy with the new semester.

If you have any other ideas, we are very open to them. Please leave a comment.
Tonight is New Year's Eve, we have no special plans, just to relax.
Blessings,
Elizabeth

The Last Christmas Without Our Little Angel

We went to Candlelight Service this evening at our church. Nick (Don's son), his girlfriend, and her family joined us. The service was very nice and special to spend it with family and friends. Church on Christmas Eve helps us to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

We had a quiet evening after the service. We spent time talking about family and planning future Christmases as we hope to grow our family in 2009.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Donald and Elizabeth

One More Trip To Tampa!

We went to Tampa today for fingerprints, again! I can't really remember how many times we've had our fingerprints taken, 3 or 4 I think. I will have to check my "adoption mementos" box. I have saved everything from appointment cards, emails, postage receipts, and even the "next in line" number tabs from Immigrations. I think these keepsakes will make interesting entries in a memory book for our little angel.

We are very busy right now making lists and preparing for our upcoming trip. We are trying to keep our posts up-to-date so stop by again soon to see how we are progressing.

Thanks for sharing our journey,
God Bless,
Elizabeth

Our Build A Bear Arrived!

When I came home from work today, our bear had arrived. Don put it on the dining room table unopened. He said he wanted to wait until I came home to open it. Isn't that sweet? He's a keeper!

We were very excited to open the box, see the bear we built, and hear how our Russian greetings sounded. Our bear had a green ribbon around the neck - perfect for the season. Then the moment of truth, we squeezed the paw and.......................................................

Hey, we sounded pretty good for beginners. This is what we said, first in Russian then in English (we'll give you the phonetic pronunciation for the Russian):


Elizabeth:
Mee OH-chen' SCHAHS-tlee-vee beet' tvah-yey seem'-YOI!
We are so happy to be your family!

Donald:
Mee OH-chen' teb-YA LYU-beem!
We love you so much!

We will continue to practice our Russian. Hopefully, we will get better and be able to say a few more phrases before we meet our little girl.

That's all for now,
Elizabeth

We're Going to Russia - Really We Are!

Well, it is really going to happen: WE ARE GOING TO RUSSIA!
We cannot believe it.

Here is our itinerary:
Jan. 9 - Leave US for Moscow
Jan.10 - Arrive in Moscow
Jan.11 - Take overnight train to our region
Jan.12 - MOE Appointment and meet our little girl
Jan.13 - Visit orphanage
Jan.14 – Visit orphanage and leave on train for Moscow
Jan.15 - Leave Moscow for US in the afternoon

We will meet our precious angel on my birthday - what a special gift! Believe me, God's signature is on everything that has happened in our adoption process. It is just so amazing!

We are asking for prayer as the airfares are outrageous right now and we are very tight on our finances. Please pray that God will provide.

Praising God,
Elizabeth

How to Build a Bear

Today, we built a bear online. We had fun looking through all the different types of bears and outfits. Definitely, a lot to choose from. We tend toward the minimalist side so, we opted for a plain bear in other words, a bare bear :0)

Once we selected our bear, we decided we wanted to add audio. So, we each practiced a phrase in Russian to record. Not an easy task! We were limited to 10 seconds total and we wanted to say our phrases in both Russian and English.
Well, after an hour of recording phrases over and over and over and over in between laughs and giggles, we feel we have a somewhat satisfactory recording. If not, we hope our little angel will at least laugh at her Mama and Papa's attempt to speak her language.

We have not received travel plans, yet. After the length of time we have waited, what's a few more days, weeks, or months?

We are beginning to plan what to pack and try to get a bit organized for the trip. We are hunting in Southwest Florida for winter coats, boots, hats, and gloves adequate for the Russian winter! Ha Ha!

Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. Isaiah 26:12

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Accepting Referral!

After receiving the referral for our little angel last Thursday, we sent her photo and medical report to our IA doctor for review. We had a telephone meeting with him at 4:30PM Friday, December 5, 2008.

Our meeting went well and he was very informative. Unfortunately, the medical report was a bit sketchy and he really could not assure us she did not have any major health issues.

After many discussions and much prayer, we decided to accept her. She looks healthy, she has a wonderful smile, and she has a sparkle in her eyes! Everytime we look at her photo, she makes us smile!

Now, we wait for travel plans.

Could we be in Russia for Christmas? God knows the plan He has for us.
Stay tuned for travel updates :0)
Elizabeth

A Great Video - You've Got to See it

This is a really cool video a friend sent to us.
Enjoy!



A reminder that God is always there for us.
Elizabeth

We Got the Call!

We are so excited! This morning we just finished praying after
our daily devotion and the phone rang. I said to Don, "Do you think
that's America World?" He responded, "It could be, we just prayed
about it."
When I went to the phone and saw the caller ID I could
hardly believe it. I could barely get "hello" out of my mouth. On the
other end of the line was our family coordinator's voice!

She asked us if we were near a computer and we both said "yes". She said she would send us photos of our precious angel. We both just sat on the sofa waiting - then she asked, "Ca you open the pictures?" We realized, we hadn't moved, we were still sitting on the sofa! We rushed to the computer to open the email.

I have to say, when that angelic face popped up on the computer screen, it took my breath away! On my computer screen was the little person who is going to be my daughter. It was such an amazing moment; a forever moment.

Over the past, almost 3 years, we have waited patiently, prayed
without ceasing, and trusted that God had a plan for our family. We
finally saw the face of our little angel. We knew immediately she was
the child God picked for us. She is 9 years old and looks so
sweet.

The next step is to consult an International Adoption physician to review her photos and medical report. We are praying that she is healthy but trust that this is the child God picked for us.


With joy in our hearts and hunting for our dancing shoes,
Don and Elizabeth

Thanksgiving Day

I just love Thanksgiving. As long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. Even as a child, I loved this day. I have many fond memories.
Our day usually starts with a cup of special coffee. Sometimes a flavored coffee and sometimes regular coffee with flavored cream. Regardless, it is special coffee to me.
Next, we turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I start cooking. Soon the aroma of Thanksgiving dinner fills the air. Mmm Mmm, I just love it. I use my grandmothers stuffing recipe and I know that is what makes it so aromatic!

Our families do not live close so Thanksgiving Day is usually quiet. This year, we invited friends over and it was nice to share.

We are thankful for so many things but most of all being registered in Russia and waiting on a referral for our precious angel. We are expecting a call any day now.
After so long, we are definitely ready to grow our family.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Elizabeth
Just hanging out in the waiting room!

Please Donate Your Latte to Help Our Adoption!

Okay, the other day I was walking by Starbucks and the smell was wonderful! I was really tempted to go in and order my favorite, a Venti Latte. But I must say, indulging in Venti Lattes is something I have given up to save money for our adoption. In fact, I haven't had one in over 3 months!

As the wonderful aroma wafted out to tickle my nose, I started to wonder about several things. How much money have I saved? How much money does the average person spend on Starbucks coffee a day or a week? I work with people who seem to have a Starbucks beverage of some sort in their hand at all times.

Hmm, just think, the average Venti Latte costs about $3.57 so what if 10 people donated the cost of one Venti Latte to our adoption. That would total $35.70 which would maybe buy a pair of shoes, underwear, one outfit, and coat for our little girl to wear on the trip home. That would be a big help to us.

But then, my mind started racing!
What if:

• 100 people donated the cost of one Venti Latte that would be $357.00 which would pay for:
  *our little girl's passport
  *her medical exam in Moscow
  *the notary fee for the adoption papers in Russia

What if:

• 500 people donated the cost of one Venti Latte that would be $1,785.00 which would pay for:
  *Don and my visas
  *document authentication fees

What if:

• 1000 people donated the cost of one Venti Latte that would be $3,570.00 which would pay for:
  *our little girl's visa/Embassy fee in Moscow
  *Consular registration fee
  *Post adoption fee
  *Airfare for our little girl

WOW! The possibilities are endless. Is it reasonable to think that people might be so generous to donate the cost of one Venti Latte to support our adoption? I don't know but it sure can't hurt to try!

See that button over there?
The one that says "Donation"? You can click on that button and donate the cost of one Venti Latte through PayPal. It is very easy. So please help us bring home our little girl by donating today.

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

Still waiting for a referral,
Elizabeth

Patience is a Virtue

Webster defines patience as "being patient, calm endurance" and patient as "calmly tolerating delay, confusion, etc ... diligent; persevering."

I believe we have had major lessons in patience and perseverance over the past few years. So, enough already! I am getting antsy. So much to think about with the end of the semester, the holidays coming up, and the possibility of traveling before the end of the year. Could we be traveling in December?
Okay, this is what goes through my mind daily:

1. Today is November 19, if we received a referral today we would pray then send the medicals to an IA doctor for review
2. Pray
3. Then we would have phone meeting with IA doctor prior to making our decision to accept the referral
4. Pray
5. We would have approximately a week to give our agency our decision (after more prayer) to accept the referral
6. Pray
7. Once we accept the referral, we begin planning to travel
8. Pray
9. Apply for visas
10. Pray
11. Work with travel agency for flight arrangements
12. Pray
13. Pack
14. Pray
15. Miscellaneous preparations
16. Pray
17. Travel around December 10

So, each moring I wake up and add a day to the travel date. I have been doing this since we received news of our registration November 12. Actually, we are now heading into a very good time for us to travel in December, that is, of course if I don't drive myself insane before :-0

All in God's perfect timing,

Still waiting and trying to remain patient,

Elizabeth

After 2 1/2 Years We Are Finally Registered!

I woke up this morning thinking, "we are going to hear something today." I mentioned it to Don and he responded, "Yeah, sure." We set about our usual routine of making coffee and our daily devotion. Then I went off to work.
It was a very busy day but late afternoon before shutting down my computer, I had this feeling that I should check my personal email. Woo Hoo, there it was, an email from our family coordinator telling us, "You are officially registered in ______ region." I was jumping up and down at my desk! Ran out in the hallway to tell anyone who would listem but everyone had already left for the day! Who cares, I still jumped up and down doing the happy dance and praising God! Then I suddenly realized, I needed to call Don! My phone call made his day! He said, "You're kidding right? Just this morning you said you had a feeling we were going to hear something - how do you do that?" I just smiled - sometimes I think God whispers in my ear.

Our first dossier went to Russia May 15, 2006! just before the accreditation standstill. Our second dossier update never made it to Russia do to many challenges (see With Heavy Heart). Our third dossier update went to Russia early September 2008. Since then we have updated several region specific documents.

This is so wonderful to finally get to this point. I am excited and can't stop thinking about meeting our little girl.

We are praising God for this wonderful news and praying we receive a referral soon and that we travel to meet our little angel before the end of the year.

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. Psalm 9:1

Joyfully,
Donald and Elizabeth

Planting Trees

I have been a bit lazy with our blog lately. Mostly because there is not much to report. We have been updating paperwork for our registration in a region and referral.

I have decided that we need to plant a tree or several trees once the adoption is complete. I am feeling a little guilty about all the paper we have used over the past 2 1/2 years! And, to think, it's not over yet. Definitely, several trees need to be planted in our little girl's name. mmh, what type of tree should we plant? A palm tree, always appropriate in Florida. Or, perhaps a stately oak tree? Or maybe, a pine tree? What would be best for the environment? I guess I will have to do some research on which type of tree would be best. We would want to plant it small so we can watch it grow along with watching our little girl grow.

I believe that we must be concerned about the sustainability of our planet. I am a conservative environmental type. I recycle (anything I can), I use green bags when shopping, and I am trying to replace all cleaning supplies in my house with green products. Over the summer, when I had exchange students here, I bought an extra wastebasket for the kitchen for recyclables, I labeled one waste basket trash and the other plastic, cans, and glass. This seemed to work quite well and we have continued this to this day. I am sure there is more that I can do but at least it's a starting point.

Friday, I was shopping in Target and realized I forgot my green bags. For a brief moment, I struggled with going through the checkout and having my purchases bagged in plastic or parking my shopping cart and going out to my car to get my green bags. What do you think I decided to do? Yep, I parked my cart and went out to the car to get my bags. My ethical standard just wouldn't let me do anything else. I have a tendency to go a little overboard, but I decided that some of us must go overboard to create a balance with those who do not care.

I am in the process of exploring green makeup - this is quite new to me but I am sure important. My hair salon just purchased green shampoo and conditioner. Did you know that most conditioner contains paraben which can be a health hazzard. I need to research this a little but it will probably be my next project.

I know this doesn't really have anything to do with our adoption but it has everything to do with trying to make the earth a better place for our little girl's future.

Praying to hear word about being registered in a region soon followed by a referral.

You will pray to him, and he will hear you... Job 22:27

Until later,

Elizabeth

Adoption News!

Yesterday, we received a phone call from our adoption coordinator. Funny, when I saw the number on my caller ID, I thought, "I wonder why they are calling, maybe it's about the grant we applied for."
Well, to my surprise, our coordinator wanted to know if we would be interested in a little girl who is a bit older than we originally put on our paperwork. She really had no information on the child except the region and age. I was at a loss for words - I could barely talk. I was thinking, "Wow, the adoption is really going to happen!"
Don was not home, so I told her we would discuss it when he came home and get back to her this morning. We prayed constantly yesterday, last night, and again this morning. We believe we must be open to whatever God has planned for us. Therefore, we emailed her today that we would be willing to take this little girl!

For those of you who are new to following our blog, we have been in this process for a long time. We have had many ups and downs and our faith has been challenged on several occasions. We even stopped the process for about 8 months. But finally, it seems we are getting close.

The entire adoption process seems to take so long and longer when there are bumps in the road. Sometimes it feels like when I was a child waiting for my birthday, the first day of school, or my grandmother coming to visit. It just seemed like it was never going to happen! But of course, birthdays come and go, school days pass, and grandma came to visit many times. Life continues, time passes, and we move on.

Last night I laid in bed wondering what she might look like. Will she be blonde? Brunette? Or maybe a redhead? What color eyes will she have? Will she look like Don or me? Not that it really matters; we will love her no matter what. Finally, it feels real. There is a little angel waiting for us to bring her home.

Now we wait to be registered in the region and then the referral.
Everything in God's perfect timing.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. Isaiah 43:5


In the waiting room again!
Elizabeth

So, How's the Adoption Coming?

Praise the Lord! We heard from our adoption coordinator this evening. Our dossier is in order and we should hear something soon about registration in Russia and a referral. I am speechless, Don is speechless. It is hard to believe that after all this time, it (the adoption) will finally happen!
How many times have we been asked, "So, how's the adoption coming?" and we answer, "Well, we have a few more documents to update" or "We sent some paperwork and we are waiting to hear."
Now, we can say, "We are waiting to be registered in Russia and waiting on a referral!"
Woo Hoo! Yippee! Those happy shoes are itching to dance dance dance!

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Praising God,
Elizabeth

Smiles and Happy Feet!

Well, copies are made and the package is ready to go to our agency. This is our 3rd time to update our dossier. Will it be the last? Who knows. But right now Don and I are happy campers. We are all smiles and our feet are itching to do the Happy Dance.

It seems it has been a long journey to get here again. Many obstacles and setbacks. But it has been a good journey and one that has helped us grow in our faith and our marriage. For that, we are grateful. Sometimes we have wallowed in self-pity, sometimes we have been on our knees praying, and sometimes we have been jumping for joy! I am convinced it is all part of the adoption process.

Now, we wait. As I mentioned, we've been here before and waiting is no easier than the part of the journey we just completed. The difference this time is that we are more faithful, patient, and Godly.

While we wait, we will be getting ready to dance, dance, dance.

See these feet? They are Happy Feet waiting to do the Happy Dance!

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:21

Joyfully,

Elizabeth

It's Here!

I arrived home from work today to find our final documents in the mailbox. Yippee! Finally! Now, I will make the copies and get the package together to be sent to our agency. Sorry, no time for blogging tonight.

Praising God,

Elizabeth

Paperwork Found!

We received a phone call from the State Department of Certifications today. Our paperwork was found. Apparently, our self-addressed stamped overnight envelope was returned to the State for postage due!! If Tallahassee was closer and gas was cheaper, I would be in my car driving to pick it up. They will mail it today. We pray it will get here safely next week.

Now, how does this stuff happen? Ugh! It seems we spend hours on this paperwork; making sure that every "t" is crossed and every "i" is dotted and then not enough postage was put on the envelope when I had it weighed at the post office. Next time, I will use a courier service.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

Still waiting patiently,
Elizabeth

Where in the State of Florida is Our Paperwork?

It has been over two weeks since we sent our paperwork to the State for apostilling. Usually, we receive the documents in 2-3 weeks. I am concerned because the check has not cleared yet. Okay, maybe I am over reacting. Again, I have to trust in God and know that everything will be in His perfect timing. I am sure the documents will show up any day now.

Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:3

Waiting patiently,
Elizabeth

In Search of the Ghost Orchid

Today, we decided to take our exchange students to Corkscrew Swamp Wildlife Sanctuary in Collier County, Florida. Our plan was to walk the boardwalk and enjoy the varied ecological habitats. We also hoped to see some birds and aligators as well as the endangered Ghost Orchid. When we arrived, we were very excited to hear from one of the rangers that the Ghost Orchid was blooming and a telescope was set up on the boardwalk for viewing the orchid.










Up in this tree about 50 feet from the boardwalk is the Ghost Orchid. We would have never seen it if it wasn't for the telescope. It really was amazing! It is called Ghost Orchid because it has no leaves just roots. So, when the orchid blooms, it appears as if it is floating. Very interesting.

For more information about the Ghost Orchid, visit http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/Wildlife/GhostOrchid.html

Sadly, we did not see many birds or gators on our trek. It was very hot and, unlike us, they were staying cool undercover. To finish our day, we stopped at RJ Gators in the Gulf Coast Town Center Mall and enjoyed some gator tail appetizers. A real treat for Enzo and Willy who thought we were kidding when we told them we were going to eat alligator!

All in all, it was a wonderful day. A day to enjoy nature (God's handiwork),
Elizabeth

Working on Updates

We are currently working on updating our blog. God is moving in our lives daily and there is so much to share.

We've been trying to keep up with our blog but so much as happened over the past few months that we have not had time to complete our entries and publish them.

Please check back over the next week. Our goal is to have everything updated by August 1, 2008.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. Hebrews 6:11

Blessings,
Don and Elizabeth

Two More Exchange Students

We are hosting two exchange students again this year. Enzo is from France and Willy is from Taiwan. They arrived last night and are very tired but looking forward to an interesting three weeks with an American family.
We really enjoy having exchange students every year. It seems to be a way for us to give of ourselves to others. In addition, this year, they will be a great distraction for us as we wait for our paperwork to be apostilled. After this summer, we will have hosted six students. We have had students from China, Spain, France, Russia, and Taiwan.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Getting Closer to Bringing Home our Little Girl

Our final documents have been notarized and are ready to be sent to the State of Florida for apostilling. We are absolutely giddy today! In June we sent some documents so this time we only have 22 documents to apostille but it seems like a lot more and it seems it has taken forever to get them all together!

Once these papers are apostilled, we will send them to our agency and then our dossier will go to Russia!

I feel the Happy Dance coming on!

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:25

Limbering up for the Happy Dance,

Elizabeth

Independence Day, Patriotism, and Freedom

Isn't this a great picture - I took it at Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Wonderful fireworks this year!

• I'm not sure when it began but for as long as I remember, the 4th of July has always been an emotional day for me. Perhaps it is related to being so thankful for our freedom. I do believe that many Americans take our freedom and freedoms for granted. One trip to a third world country would be very sobering for many Americans.

For me, watching fireworks and enjoying a cookout with friends and family reminds me of so many things that I am thankful for. Here is a short list:

• Being Christian and not fearing persecution


• Being American


• Feeling secure in my home - not worrying someone will knock in my door and kill my husband or family because of our religious or political beliefs


• Having religious freedom


• Flying the American flag


• Being patriotic


• Having political freedom


• Being able to walk down the street without seeing troops with guns slung on their shoulders


• Enjoying quiet nights without the sound of gunfire


• Having clean/fresh water to drink and not having to walk miles to get it


• Having indoor plumbing


• Having electricity


• Cooking outdoors for fun not for survival


• Having a fire in the fire-pit for fun not for survival


• Having to decide what to wear to work everyday - many people in the world don't have a closet full of clothes


• Having freedom to blog my thoughts without the government censoring me


• And much much more - You get the idea.

I am so grateful to live in America. I pray for the people of the world to oneday know the freedoms I take for granted daily.

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9: 1, 2

Praising God,
Elizabeth

Celebrating Memories

I have made several references to scrapbooking in my blog (see Publish or Perish, I'd Rather be Scrapbooking and Financial Woes - Being Faithful). In fact, I became a Creative Memories Consultant a little over a year ago. I have had challenges getting my little business off the ground and often questioned that I should continue with it. I really enjoy scrapbooking and making digital storybooks. However, I really do not sell much of the products. I am sure partly due to the economy. I have been praying and asking God to help me know if I should continue trying to make my business work.

You may recall, Don and I started a daily devotion in January (see When God Speaks) On July 1, our morning devotion was titled: Mental Imprints. The devotion was about making and celebrating family memories and traditions. Today, our devotion was similarly titled: Memory Catching and discussed the importance of family memories and having a family historian keep those memories. The scripture included for these two devotions are below:

These days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation. Esther 9:28

A book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. Malachi 3:16

I believe God answered my prayers. I believe I am to continue this endeavor and help others celebrate their memories. You can visit my website at www.mycmsite.com/bethmurray You can safely shop on this secure site and have products shipped directly to your home. All purchases will support our adoption.

Celebrating Memories,
Elizabeth

Another Step Closer

We are still waiting for our homestudy update. Apparently, some new background paperwork was needed from other states we have lived in. Once those are received, we should be able to finalize our homestudy.

In the meantime, we have been updating other documents for our dossier. We recently sent some documents to our agency. We heard today from our family coordinator. Everything we recently sent was in order and looked great. Yippee! Woo Hoo! Yabba dabba doo! Finally, we feel like we are moving forward instead of backward!

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Faithfully,
Elizabeth

Homestudy Visit - Another Milestone

The social worker was here Saturday for, hopefully, our last homestudy visit. At this point in time, we have had many visits since this is our second update to our original homestudy. Our hope is that the next time we see the social worker it will be at our 6 month post placement visit. We are hopeful that we will be travelling to meet our little girl before the end of the year.

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Faithfully,
Elizabeth

They Inspected my Tony Packos!

When I travel to Ohio, there are a few things I just have to have! I think mostly because they remind me of my childhood. Plus, these items are not easily found in Florida. Here is a list of some of my favorites:

• Lake Erie Perch (dinner or sandwich as long as it is from Lake Erie)


• Vernor's Gingerale (now I can get this at my local Publix)


• Ballreich's Potato Chips (the best chips in the world)


• Tony Packo's Pickles (they are spicey and yummy)

This visit, I was able to enjoy all of my favorites and decided to bring home a jar of Tony Packo's Pickles for Don. Suspecting the airlines would not allow me to bring the pickles in my carry-on, I put the jar in a ziploc bag and wrapped a t-shirt around the package to keep the jar from breaking. When I arrived home and removed the t-shirt, I was thrilled to see the jar was still intact. Then I saw it - the TSA Notice of Bag Inspection inside the ziploc bag! No kidding! I died laughing.
I wonder what the TSA agent thought when he/she found those pickles! I hope they got a kick out of it and it made their day!

We are planning for our homestudy visit this Saturday and continuing to pray we move through the paperchase in a timely manner.

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matthew 21:22

In Christ,
Elizabeth

Family Time in Ohio

The past few days I've been visiting family in Ohio. It has been great to be home in the spring time. Usually, we visit in December for Christmas and, unless it snows, I find the weather quite dismal. One of my favorite things is to take my shoes of and walk barefoot in the grass. I just love lawns in Ohio. I would never walk barefoot on my lawn in Florida - just the thought makes me cringe!

My Ohio itinerary is jam packed! Last weekend I attended my nephew's birthday party. He is 4 years old and full of energy. I spent the past few days with him and his 6 year old brother. We have been very busy with basketball practice, soccer, and baseball. I think it was good to spend time with them. The experience has helped confirm that, "Yes, I can do this!" That is, keep up with a 6 year old and a 4 year old - we do not know what God has planned for our family. We requested a little girl but we did not want to limit God. So, we completed paperwork for two children and pray that God's will be done.

Today, we will all travel to Erie, PA for my oldest nephew's graduation from Gannon University. I have to admit, the thought of him graduating makes me feel a bit "old" but I'll just wipe that thought right out of my mind!

Sunday, I'll spend the day at my mother's and then head back to Florida on Monday. Once I get home, we will be quite busy preparing for another visit for our homestudy. Things are moving along and we are continuing in faith that God will provide for our adoption.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

God Bless,
Elizabeth

Surprise Tax Return

What a blessing! God is so good! We thought we were going to have to pay taxes this year. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that we were going to receive a tax return and it arrived today! We can now move forward with our homestudy update since we have the money to pay the fees - see Financial Woes.
Is this Divine intervention or what? And one more time I am reminded that God will provide.

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:19

Continuing the paperchase with God in control,
Elizabeth

Everyone's Irish on St. Paddy's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day. We just enjoyed reuben sandwiches because the restaurant was out of corned beef and cabbage. Whatever works! It was still tastey.

Not much new on the adoption front. We are still working on scraping together the money for the fees for our re-evaluation.

Don is going green! One more endeavor to bring home our little girl.

Currently, he is working on distributing a fuel reformulator. This product saves 12%-20% or more on fuel costs, reduces engine wear, and extends time between oil changes. This stuff really works. Not that I am biased, but he put some in my car and I am getting 3 miles/gallon more and that should increase once I get my past due tune-up and oil change! At first, I was hesitant but he won me over. This product does more than increase your gas mileage, it also reduces harmful emissions 30%-50%. If you are interested in saving the earth, visit this website http://www.fuellegacy.com/donaldmurray and if you would like to try the product, click on the PRODUCT tab and click on BUY PRODUCT. Afterall, are we not called to be stewards of the earth?

For the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1

In Christ,
Elizabeth

When What Should be a Milestone is a Problem!

I was upset for days. We went to have our medicals and our health care provider was not as cooperative as we needed him to be. I don't want to slam anyone here but I do want to let other adoptive parents know how to avoid the issues we have experienced.

• First, shop around. Interview several health care providers and make sure you can work easily with the one you select.
• Be sure that he/she knows that you may need the forms printed on their letterhead and ask that they will insure the office staff will work with you on this. For us, this was an issue everytime we went to the office. I don't really understand why this had to be such a problem.
• Next, I would stress to your physician that the physicals need to be updated yearly and in some cases, more often. Let him/her know that you may be asking for updated documents and you will not always need to redo bloodwork or other tests at the same time. You may just need the updated document with the previous dates of the tests listed. Our physician required us to repeat our bloodwork and tests each time which became extremely costly. Of course, this may depend on your agency and where you are in the overall process.
• Emphasize that regardless of how often you update the medicals - lab tests and TB tests cannot be older than 3 months for the final document (for Russia this is between trips) and make sure that he/she will work with you if you need an update that is close to the 3 month period. Some insurances are not going to pay for the lab tests at all let alone more than once a year.
• Encourage him/her to be careful when completing the forms. No cross outs or scribbles allowed.
• Next, let him/her know that you will also need a letter addressing any abnormalities listed on the medical form. This letter must be on letter head.
• Finally, make sure he/she will agree to have the documents notarized with his/her signature. In our case, the office manager was a notary when we went for our first two physicals but left before our last physical. If we had known this, we would have made arrangements for a notary to go with us. Our physician kept signing the documents without having the signature notarized. In the end, we went back to the office 3 times and finally took a notary with us. This took almost 3 weeks before everything was the way it should be. This could have been critical if we were close to traveling.

At the time, I was overwhelmed with having to redo everything and felt like our physician was not working with us. Now, as I look back on it, it doesn't seem like such a big deal. Sometimes I think we are just on the edge with the stress of getting everything done, dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's that one little thing can seem like Mount Everest! It all worked out with much prayer. I know now that being prepared and anticipating some of these challenges helps manage the unexpected. I hope this information helps someone avoid a similar situation.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Financial Woes - Being Faithful

We continue to work on our adoption paperwork. Silly me, I honestly thought we were finished with the paperchase awhile ago! That is one thing all adoptive parents must be aware of, the paperchase is an ongoing process. I don't think anyone really emphasized that to us. I compare it to doing your taxes over and over and over and over..... well, you get the picture!

We are trying to remain faithful but my mind drifts to the money issue constantly. I catch myself asking, "How ARE we going to afford this adoption?" I find I have to dismiss this question immediately or I will dwell on the lack of funds for hours. Currently, we need $450.00 for our homestudy re-evaluation and $240.00 travel fee for the social worker to visit us since we live so far from her. Well, this might as well be a million dollars. We just don't have it! And, I really don't know where we are going to get it. Ah, but I am reminded that God provides. And on goes this cycle of mind chatter.

My love of scrapbooking has led me to become a Creative Memories Consultant. I started this business to fund my habit but soon realized I can use the income to save for our adoption. I have a secure website and proceeds from online purchases will be directly deposited into our adoption savings. Check it out at www.mycmsite.com/bethmurray, you might find something you just can't live without. Shop online and help us bring home our little girl.

Since the beginning we have explored money saving strategies (see Pennies from Heaven). Frankly, if I have one more yard sale.... We are now investigating fundraising ideas. We are very interested in any ideas others have found successful. Please share your ideas with us by leaving a comment - thanks in advance!

And God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Phillippians 4:19

Blessings
Elizabeth

When God Speaks - Obey

Greetings!
We have not been involved with the adoption process for several months now - see Heavy Heart I believe the New Year always brings us hope for great things. My surgery went well and I am on the mend. Don is still underemployed but continuing to establish his own business. In January, we decided to start a morning devotional for couples. I guess you could call it a "New Year's Resolution" but I have never been successful at resolutions so I am reluctant to declare this as a resolution!

On January 24, 2008, we planned an evening to go out to dinner (economy style) and stop by the Christian Bookstore to pick up a guide for our devotions. We were not sure what we were looking for so we put it in God's hands and had faith He would show us the way. After several hours, (Don and I both can get lost in a bookstore) we finally settled on the book Moments with You: Daily Connections for Couples by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. Once we got home that evening, we decided to start our devotion and we have been at it ever since. They say it takes 30 days to establish or break a habit - we have 21 more days to go! Man, are we on a roll!

We are starting our day with prayer and devotions, what a great way to begin each morning!

Strangely (or according to God's plan) around the beginning of January, Don and I both began having feelings that we needed to get our adoption back in process. We started feeling a need to get our paperwork in order because ...just maybe.... We have been here before and realistically, we do not have the finances to complete our adoption, so neither one of us said anything to the other about what we were feeling. That is, until we started our devotions.

As we began praying and doing our devotions daily, we started talking more and we shared our feelings about the adoption. We were compelled to add the adoption to our daily prayer list again and ask for guidance and wisdom. Within days, we received a series of phone calls from our adoption coordinator and our homestudy agency encouraging us to get back into the waiting room.

I have to admit, I was overcome with anxiety about this and could not wrap my head around it. It felt like a cruel joke. Don and I had resigned ourselves to the fact that we would never be parents. We had given up the idea of adoption - we told everyone it wasn't for us and that God had something else in mind for us. We even thought perhaps our purpose was hosting exchange students.

Not sure if we were really "hearing God tell us to continue with the adoption", we focused our prayers on adoption and asked God to "hit us over the head please" with His will for us.

On the evening of January 29, 2008, we received a call from our adoption coordinator telling us that we are one of the last families left from May 2006 when the agency lost accreditation. She informed us that we are at the top of the list but we MUST get our dossier updated! We were stunned!

We were feeling overwhelmed with happiness but also overwhelmed with sadness knowing that our adoption savings had been spent on living expenses for the past 5 months. That evening we talked about it and prayed about it and came to the conclusion that we could not afford to adopt. Why must it always come down to money? We went to bed that night praying for some message from God that our decision was the right one.

On January 30, 2008, we began our usual routine. Get up, feed the cats, make coffee, brush teeth, begin devotion. Bamm! There it was, our answer. The devotion for January 30 was:
Adopting God's Heart In the middle of the page is this statement:

Caring for the fatherless is not simply a compassionate act. Adoption is not merely an additional means of growing our families to the desired size. Caring for orphans is about obedience and expressing the heart of God.

Clearly, God hit us over the head! The message was very clear, God was calling us to adopt and we were saying "not now, we can't, we don't have the money......."

As I write this entry, it seems that God was speaking to us clearly all along, we were just hard of hearing! God calls us to have faith and trust in Him that our needs will be taken care of.

We pulled out the adoption file and we are beginning to work on updating everything. We know that it will be a slow process but we are forging ahead as obedient children of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Obediently sitting on a limb of faith,
Elizabeth