Patience

I have determined that I am a patient person. I do not have a problem with waiting--in fact, I'm very good at waiting. Which is a good thing, since we've been waiting a long time for kids. I don't mind the waiting. I don't question why our kids aren't here yet. But my heart aches for what it doesn't have.

I am very blessed to have a wonderful husband who is my absolute best friend, and was long before he was my husband. It is hard to pass another Father's Day and not be able to share it with him. For some reason, Father's Day was harder on me this year than Mother's Day. I really want to be able to give him the gift of children, but it is not mine to give. God alone determines our gifts. I do know that when you have waited a long time for something, and it is truly a desire of your heart, you cherish that gift more than any other. I hope we don't cherish our kids to the point of spoiling them. ;) We'll leave that to the grandparents.

There is a new rumor for the SDA opening. I love to share the rumors (share, not spread--there's a difference). I am a roller-coaster person, as those of you who know me can attest. I love the ups and downs and I really like loops and going upside-down. I think that's why I like the rumors. They give me an up, and then a down when they don't become fact. It sounds silly, but when you've gone down you can only go up again! I was in a down at my last posting (thanks, Angela, for the comment!) and I am very appreciative of all the prayers that I know are happening for us and for our children. The latest rumor is that the NAC/SDA will open July 1 or July 7. Why the rumors always seem to put them opening on a weekend or a Friday I don't know. I don't really believe that they'll open the first week of July. But it's fun to think that maybe they'll be open before too much longer.

In the meantime, I think I'm going to rearrange the kids' bedroom. Mark will roll his eyes and smile, because I love to rearrange furniture and I get pretty antsy after a few months of everything in the same place. I've been trying to decide how to rearrange our living room, but I can't seem to come up with anything that will really work. However, I have an idea for the kids' bedroom and the office downstairs so I'm excited to do some furniture moving. I think I've got the office all figured out, but I need to do some measuring in the kids' room.

I'm also (since I never have enough to do...like a certain paper that HAS to be done soon) starting as a volunteer for a local children's rehabilitation institute. I've worked with special needs kids before and I'm really excited to help out here. I'm hoping I can help ease the burden for parents who can't be there as much as they would like. I'll keep you posted (to the extent I can without violating privacy laws).

Sigh...

Important Notice to the Adoption Community Interested in Ukraine - June 14, 2006

Dear Members of the American Adoption Community Interested in Ukraine:

The Embassy has received a diplomatic note dated June 6, 2006 from the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine noting the new adoption authority, the State Department for Adoption and Protection of Rights of the Child will open in July 2006. The Embassy will continue to track the transition and other adoption-related issues closely, and will provide updates as appropriate by e-mail and on our webpage: http://kiev.usembassy.gov/. Any American adopting parents who would like to be added to our e-mail list are welcome to contact us at adoptionskiev @ state . gov (remove spaces).

I'm really trying to be hopeful, but right now all I want to do is lay my head down and cry.

Has it been a month yet?

I can't pass this one up. This video was put together by a mom of a child adopted from Ukraine. She has presented it to the Ukrainian Embassy in the US to encourage them to reopen adoptions for US citizens. Every child shown on this video has been given a home, a family, love, and hope for the future. If even one of these children had remained in the orphanages, he would have been turned out on the streets at age 16. There are still so many waiting for their parents to come and get them.

Adopted children video

I thought I got this corrected last week but apparently it didn't take. Here's a second try.