Leaving in 4 Days...

Just wanted to say that I am getting so excited that I will soon meet Anna! I really can't believe that I leave in just 4 days!

I also have been thinking of all the wonderful people that I have been blessed with meeting either in person or via email that are also going through this at times very stressful adoption process...and I just wanted you all to know that I am praying for you.

Before going through this process, I never knew just how hard waiting for something that you really wanted was. I have waited for lots of stuff in the past...but I don't think anything I have ever come across is as hard and stressful as this process.

May he give you the desire of your heart - Psalm 20:4

Getting So Excited!

8 More Days till I meet Anna for the first time!!!!

The visa's came in and Carrie and I have met a few times to discuss what we are bringing and I have been doing a ton of errands to get everything for the trip...I can't believe it is next Tuesday!!!! Carrie and I are both so excited!

I can not wait to meet my Beautiful Anna!

When talking to my agency on Friday (10/24/08) I asked if there was any way possible to bring Anna home before Christmas - after checking a bit - she said that is what they are aiming for!!! She said it may not be before Christmas but by 12/31/08 - she said I can't hold her to that, but that is what they are trying to do. Which would mean once I come home from my first trip, I will probably leave again within 3 weeks or so to go back to Russia for court and then the 10 day waiting period - probably about 21 days or so total. About 4 of those days will be spent in Moscow getting Anna's passport, Visa and medical.

Please pray that the court and everything in Russia goes well and that this will be possible - it will a prayer come true!

Travel Update...

Just wanted to let everyone know that I received word about traveling to meet Anna on 10/14/08 and have been busy trying to make travel reservations and to get the Visas for Carrie and I FedEx out.

We leave on Tuesday November 4th and arrive in St. Petersburg Wednesday, November 5th around 2:15 in the afternoon. I am told we will meet with the Ministry of Education on November 6th where they will formally give me my referral. We will then drive to the orphanage to meet with the Director to ask many questions. Then they will bring Anna out and we will get to visit with her for an hour or two. We will be able to see her twice a day for a couple of hours each time through Saturday November 8th. We will then leave on the 9th and are home around 8pm on Sunday the 9th.

So 18 more days till I meet Anna!!!! Praise God!!!

Please keep Carrie and I in your prayers as we travel and Anna and I as we meet for the first time. :-)

Update from Agency on Trip...

Got an email from Agency today and she said that my paperwork was filed in Russia and we are just waiting on the invitation to go to Russia. They think I will travel either at the end of the month or early November.

Not really much of an update...but it is still in process...

Update on my first trip...

I talked to my agency today and they said that "Anna" is not off of the data base yet (even though I can not find her...ugh!) and she should be off sometime around October 15th. For those who don't know what that is, in Russia a child must be on a national data base for I think it is 9 or 10 months...once they come off of the data base then they can be adopted.

I asked if I might travel by the end of October...and they said that is what they are hoping for...but I can't get my invitation to travel from Russia until she comes off of the database. Please pray for me!

I did find out some other unique tid bits, like where the baby home is...that I am going to have to do the 8 doctor medical...ugh!!! That is that I have to have 8 Russian doctors check me out...yeah...that sounds fun! I guess that ST Pete passed this about 2 months ago.

Also the reason some of my paperwork got called back is for one...my agency did not catch the mistake...but also there is a new judge and some of the things she is asking for is not the norm...so I guess I am the ginny pig for them!

I know it will all be so worth getting my baby girl home...