My little man

Exploring Sofia our first day 

He's so precious 

Hristiyan stealing Baba's glasses 

Baba got him his own pair lol 

He was exited about his new hair gel

He loves to take pictures 

My handsome man :) 

Momma and Hristiyan playing with the camera 

I love that smile

Someone was getting tired and sweet

He LOVES to brush his teeth 

I'm so blessed! He has been just amazing, even his bad times are so much better than I knew were possible. God has filled my heart with this little man and I'm so excited for all that is to come. 

GOTCHA DAY!

To be honest I don't even know where to start since I have so many different things going around in my head right now so I'm just going to do a quick update.

Today was the big day, at 8:30 this morning my attendant and driver met my family and I outside of our hotel and took us to get my son. The pick up lasted about an hour and it couldn't have gone any better. God promises he will take care of us but doesn't promise it will be easy so I admit I was very nervous about how things would go, I should know by now to stop worrying about things in his hands. His foster mother did excellent, I know she was very sad to see him leave but she held it all in because it was best Hristiyan. And Hristiyan was AMAZING!!!!! I am in awe of the strength my child has and feel such pain when I think of how often he's had to test it. He cried for a short while in the car but he really couldn't  have done better. The car ride went really well, the road was a rough in some areas and he got a little shook up by it but it was an excellent opportunity for him to get to depend on momma for support which of course I was super happy to give.

When we got back in town we had to get passport and visa medical pictures and then finally we could head back to the hotel. By the time we made it back we were starving so after a quick baggage drop off we went to catch a bite, Again Hristiyan did great. He's all about eating off everyone's plates so his meal consisted of steamed veggies, cucumber salad, meatballs, cow tongue, chicken hearts and french fries, and he loved every bit of it!! lol His appetite is just like his moms :)

After dinner we came back to the hotel and spent some time alone. We vacuumed the hotel room floor with a mini-vac because he LOVES to clean, played with some toys and danced to some Bulgarian MTV. I've already learned a lesson in the craziness of raising boys too ... he had stripped down to his underwear before we started cleaning and at one point I turned around and he had the mini-vac shoved in his underwear trying to suck up his weewee :-/  What in the world do boys think when they do this mess!! lol

A few hours later, after their nap, Baba Cherry (my mom) & Michael came back to our room and hung out until we got ready for bed. Hristiyan wasn't super happy about his bath but he held on to for dear life and we made it out alive and clean. Luckily he loves to brush his teeth and likes to try to brush mine too. His grandparents watched him for me while I took a bath but that didn't stop him from coming to check and see where I had disappeared to, I was prepared though with towels everywhere for cover up just incase. I felt like I got an A+ for that one ;) lol So finally now he's sleeping and i'm just staring at him how can I not he's too cute.

It was a great day! God never ceases to amaze me with his blessings (or his lessons) and I'm so glad I get to give my son a chance to take a load off of his shoulders and feel the same security that I feel in the arms of my Savior. Teaching my son to depend on God is going to be my greatest honor.

Time for me to get some sleep. Be blessed! (I certainly am:)





 

More Pictures

 

Checking the slide out

Momma attacking him with kisses

 



My strong man pushing momma on the swing

 



 

One of the pictures sent from his foster family

 

This was my first picture of him I every recieved from the agency, I fell in love immediately

 

Momma's first kiss :)

 

Hehe and Baba playing in the water fountain

 

He's a deep thinker

 

 

His foster family took him to the beach for the firset time

I love this picture, I think he needs a cape though lol

Somebody got a haircut

Travel Time

In four days my family and I will travel to bring Hristiyan home and I couldn't be more excited (or scared. lol) Unfortunately we have ran into a few small unexpected issues ... It seems there was recently a situation where a child was brought home with TB and it is now being required that all children undergo a TB test at their visa medical. Because of the already tight schedule and the wait to receive test results it is now necessary for a two week trip. :( While my son's country is a beautiful place I am really anxious to get him home and get our family into a comfortable routine so we can get to know each other without the stress of travel and the exhaustion that comes with it. This also adds a significant financial burden, besides the cost of rooms there is the cost of eating out every meal, transportation and having an attendant. I know God will take care of it all but it's a little stressful for a planner like myself when the devil is playing around and throwing wrenches.

 

I started packing last night and it’s a mess. I don't know how much he will take from his foster home with him with so I’ve pretty much packed every piece of clothing I’ve bought for him that isn't shorts and a t-shirt. So far the weather says we are looking at mostly the low 70’s during the day and 40’s at night hopefully it stays that way because my wardrobe doesn’t have consist of a lot of sweaters. I’ve got to do some shopping tonight to stock up on medicine incase Hristiyan gets ill from all of the stress and pick up a portable DVD player so he can get started learning some English hopefully this can help keep us occupied.

 

We’ve booked rooms at the Best Western Europe in Sofia and I’m nervous to see how the rooms are. It’s hard to find reviews you trust but it didn’t seem too bad and they have a good free breakfast so that takes care of the cost of one of the daily meals. I’ll be sure to update with a review on the hotel for anyone who may one day need the info.   

 

I've been researching like crazy to find ways to keep him busy on the long flight home but nothing I’ve found seems to be anything of genius. I need as much prayer and advice as any of you can give because I’m nervous as all get out. The thought of my son being stuck in a hotel room for almost a full 2 weeks just to be put on a plane for over 16 hours is enough to make a new mom VERY nervous. lol

 

All in all I’m very happy and crazy nervous and I can’t wait to get my new life started. And I’m not kidding about the prayers if any of you pray we all need a ton of them =) I’ll do my best to keep you updated while we are gone.

 

Picture time

It's official, I'm a mommy! My official decree has been received by my agency in Bulgaria and my son is legally mine :) This means I finally get to show pictures, yay!

 

I love that smile

 

Hehe and Baba Cherry taking pictures

 

 

Even his pouty face is precious

 

It took a little coaxing but I finally got him to go down the slide

 

Gotta get cleaned up after playing in the sand box

 

I love these funny faces

 

We match with our blue stripes

 

Bubble play at the zoo

 

Introduction to My Son's First Home

Most of us can think back on our childhood home and recall pretty good memories. You can call to mind birthday parties, Christmases, learning to ride a bike on your street and friends you made in the neighborhood.  A good number of us can remember how nice our bedroom was, our childhood pets and the smell of mom’s cooking. Even if our childhood wasn’t always perfect, memories of that time in our lives are usually enough to bring a smile to our face. Most know we were blessed and for those who don’t, I hope by the end of this you receive a little perspective.  

Here is a little of what my son’s home was like –

          In April of 2012 this News Article hit Bulgaria (This is just an excerpt)

18 children died over a year and a half

Babies and young children are being left hungry for days, lie in urine without having their diapers changed for twenty-four hours, due to which most of them are severely ill.  Over a year and a half, 18 children have died, as evidenced by a Report of the CPA. This provoked an inspection by the Minister of Health Dessislava Atanassova.  Yesterday she commented that she left there crying.
At the moment, 154 children live in the institution. After the inspection, Ms. Atanassova found out that, obviously, the personnel had known about her visit, as the children were all dressed up nicely, the sheets were changed and the toys were new.  The stench of urine, however, made a huge impression.
“While I walked through the rooms and watched the children, I cried. After that, I got mad and was greatly upset that they were doing wrong things,” the health minister said. She made a hint that probably serious financial misuses had been done in the institution, as any accountability was lacking.
VERONICA AFTER LEAVING THE ORPHANAGE
4 kilograms and 850 grams. That’s how much the 9 year old Veronica weighed on November 14, 2011. That was her last day in Home For Medical and Social Care for Children in Pleven which terrified the health minister and CPA. She couldn’t pull up to a sitting or standing position and only was lying down. Today, 5 months later, in the USA, in Pennsylvania, she is already weighing 12 kilograms and has a chance for life.

       Veronica now goes by Katie and has a marvelous family to care for her. Please read her full story here http://theblessingofverity.com/2012/10/the-story-of-katies-adoption/ 

Below is a video taken in 2011 to bring awareness to the conditions of this orphanage and solicit funding for the Baba Program (Grandmother Nurturing Program.) The Baba Program has been implemented to help the children receive the individual care that is not being provided by the orphanage staff. This program has been a huge blessing to the children but unfortunately the due to funding not all children are able to participate. The conditions of this orphanage had already been improving by this point and continue to improve today but are they still much too far behind. This video is of only the least distressing parts of the orphanage yet it is obvious just how very sad the situation really is. Some of the speaking is very soft and hard to understand so turn up the volume and listen well.  

I praise God everyday for my son and I am honored that He would trust me with a child who has been through so much already though I know I am not worthy. I pray that God gives him peace about the horrible memories he will have of his first years. I pray that he may feel so enveloped by the love of God the he isn’t haunted by visions of the past. I pray for the Grace to get through the days when he decides to talk about them so I can be the support he needs. And I pray that the Lord is with all of the children who grew up in this same situation and that he save other innocents from go through these types of abuse.

 

If any of you would like a chance to learn how you can help or get involved One Heart Bulgarian is a wonderful place to get started. www.oneheart-bg.org/

Find Christ in Your Heartbreak

Heartbreak, it keeps you up at night and makes you unable to get out of bed during the day. It makes you cry yourself sick and scream till you have no voice. It makes you long for love and curse every happy person you see. It offends your pride and makes you question your worth. It causes you to distrust people yet seek out their approval. Its gut wrenching and life altering. It’s hope shattered and love rejected. And unfortunately … it’s everywhere.

It’s in the husband whose wife has left him for another man. It’s in the wife who is watching her relationship with her husband be replaced by his work. It’s in the child who has grown up with an absentee parent. It’s in the widow who watched the love of her life die of cancer. It’s in the woman who has given herself to another man who didn’t value her enough to stick around. Heartbreak – it’s a silent killer. It kills your hopes and dreams, your self-esteem, your goals, and your belief of the good in people and the good in you. It can even kill your faith and shake your trust in God.

Why has God let this happen? We often get tunnel vision when in pain. We can’t always see past the heartache to the world Jesus is holding up so we can deal with the hurt. Sometimes we don’t recognize that while he didn’t stop our pain from happening he gave us the perfect best friend to cry to or put that pastor, who can help you pray through your struggles, at the door to greet you this morning. We can’t always see that he took care of our finances so when we were wrecked from losing a loved one we could afford to just grieve. We don’t want to be bothered with the mother who is quoting the scripture about waiting for marriage that God gave her for our situation. We reject the wonderful stepfather the Lord sent us because we are too busy hoping that one day our “real dad” may want us back. The pain, the loss the regret it’s all too overwhelming to see past.

So how do we stop the hurt? How do we move past the debilitating feeling of loss? How do we ignore the rejection of love and regain some feeling of self worth? The truth is there is no magic way of healing your pain. There is no set of instructions that is going to take away the hurt, but I can tell you where to start; look for God in your situation, look past pain and find where he’s holding you together. He has not forsaken you, he’s there.  Keep praying and he will heal you. Forgive the person who did you wrong and allow yourself to be free of the power they hold over you. Remember hurt people hurt people; your forgiveness may be what they need to heal. And in the mean time while you still feel the hurt … Just have faith. I know sometimes that phrase makes you physically ill. I know that you feel like you have been running on faith and you just can’t do it anymore. I know that while you are trying to believe in God’s timing and promises deep down you feel he is rejecting you. But I promise he still loves you, he still wants the best for you. He still wants you to depend on him and know that he is worthy of your faith. God will not fail you, he will not give up on you, he will not abandon you, he will not reject you. Have faith, follow his way and know that joy is to come, the heartbreak is only temporary. Give God your heart and let him mend it for you, he will care for it like the precious gift it is.  

How My Daughter-In-Law Is Changing Me

With all of my reading on parenting lately I’ve learned that as mothers we influence our sons’ lives so significantly that we will mold them into the husbands they will become and teach them what to search for in a bride (the same is true for fathers with their daughters.) This is both wonderful and terrifying all at the same time. The fact that the depth of love I show my son will be something he seeks from the woman he will call his wife, is something that couldn’t be more pleasing. I adore my son and I feel such love for him that if his wife loves him half as much then I am the luckiest mother-in-law in the world.   

What’s the problem then?? Well isn’t it obvious, I love that boy way too much to hand him over to someone like me. I’m not good enough, ARE YOU CRAZY!! That means she’s going to be moody and controlling and indecisive and OMG she’s going to be a know it all. She’s going to think she’s never wrong, my son will be lucky if he’s allowed to have an opinion at all! I need help to pray this crazy woman away!!

Who knew I was so scary, it’s no wonder im still single! Lol

What is the solution? My future daughter-in-law is going to help me be the best wife and mother I can possibly be and she is going to save my future husband a lot of heartache. Every time I think of how I want my boy to be supported and encouraged, she will teach me to lift up my husband and stand by him through his successes and failures. When I look at the picture I’m painting for my son’s future wife I will see better the love my spouse deserves and do my best to be worthy of his commitment to me. Every time I think of the appreciation I want her to have for him it will remind me to stop and tell my husband how thankful I am God brought him into my life. Whenever I think of how I want a happy family life for him she will teach me to spend more time at the dinner table and less at the drive thru. My daughter-in-law is pretty amazing.

So what does your child’s potential spouse look like? My prayer is you make her beautiful inside and out, that you make him a man who couldn’t be more loyal to your daughter, that she supports your son and makes him a better man and that he shows your daughter more love than any one person can handle. I pray they make you fiercely proud of the job you’ve done and that you praise God for them every day!

Everyone Has One

Opinions, everybody has them and if you are keeping up with my blog you are bound to hear mine on all sorts of things. I’ll tell you about books and products and food and politics and religion and people, anything I have an opinion on I’m sure you’ll hear about and I’d love to hear your thoughts as well. I’d like to address something that bothers me though, people tend to throw around the phrase “closed minded” a lot and it really gets my blood boiling. If you have an opinion about something and you believe you are right and someone else is wrong GOOD FOR YOU, BE PROUD!!! If you can and will stand up for your beliefs, BRAVO, not enough people fight for what they believe to be right so we need more people like you!

Now does having an opinion mean people shouldn’t listen to an opposing one or research other things to expand their knowledge, of course not. It is good to know what others believe and why, but people shouldn’t be bullied and called closed minded because they stand firm in their beliefs and opinions. How much sense does it make to just rollover and agree with something you feel is wrong for the sake of being agreeable? Do not sacrifice your right to an opinion for the sake of someone else’s. Of course you think your opinion is right because hopefully you think you are pretty smart and you came up with your opinion based on the facts presented to you. Feeling this way does not make anyone closed minded, it just means every other argument presented to us wasn’t compelling enough to change our minds.

Folks, when we come across any opinion and we feel that it is wrong or silly or uneducated or “Closed Minded” we need to realize that it is totally OK, because that person may feel the same way about ours. We may feel we have been sent from the heavens above just for this moment in time to get them set straight, and that is awesome we should go for it, BUT no matter what we have to say when we present any opinion and the argument behind it, it needs to be in an informative yet uplifting manor. Don’t get ugly with people, people will judge your message based on your character so if you want to influence them you need to have a good one. Calling people names, being condescending or insulting a person’s intelligence is just totally unnecessary and it doesn’t make anyone seem any more right on any subject. Remember class we catch more flies with honey ;)     

Besides if not relenting to the idea that someone else’s opinion may be right is what being closed minded is then arguing with them makes YOU closed minded, because according to you THEIR OPINION MAY BE RIGHT!  

Opinions, everyone has one, this is just mine =)

Be Blessed!

It's Rehab Time

For those of you who don’t yet live by this phrase I’d like to introduce you to Trent Shelton. Trent is a former NFL Football player turned motivational speaker and founder of RehabTime. He is quickly becoming my go to man for a good word from God. He has been gifted with the ability to help you see the wrong in your situation, to help you find the negative the things holding you back and open your eyes to how you are keeping yourself from God’s best for your life. Check him out @ http://trentshelton.com/   It all starts with you ;)   I hope you enjoy him as much as I do!

10 Tips for International Adoption

1.      Know the process - Make sure you know what to expect from your country of choice so you can hold your agency accountable. Join groups, read blogs and talk to people who have dealt with your country

2.      Speak with your prospective agency about your expectations – After you have a good idea of the process speak with your agency and see if you find any holes. Did you hear something from someone using a different agency that you have a question about? Don’t let them talk you in circles. You are paying too much and have too much at stake to just take their word for it.

3.      Research medical conditions – Learn the challenges and corrective actions that can be taken for common diagnosis so you are aware of what special needs you may be willing to consider

4.      Consider widening your age range – You’d be surprised how easily you can fall in love with a 5 yr old even though you were searching for a 2 yr old  J

5.      Watch your home study wording and try to understand theirs – Wording can be very important and tricky when it comes to special needs. Did you know that for some countries that when the child reaches a certain age a diagnosis that once said mental delay will now read retardation?? 

6.      Get to know the language – It takes us a lot longer to learn than it does the children and you need to be able to communicate, so start early

7.      The FBI check takes FOREVER get that started ASAP

8.      Moving will cost you money – Try to stay put if you can but if not consider the home study update as part of your moving costs

9.       Pay attention to your Hague training - Consider the child’s circumstances and do not over romanticize your home coming or you could be very disappointed     

10.  Stay busy – If you are proactive and work hard on getting your dossier together time will fly. After that do a little around the house, get the room ready, read parenting books and enjoy the next bit of time to yourself because soon you’ll have your sweet child home and be praying for a moment to rest J   

Pictures from my Bulgaria trip - Scenery of Pleven & Sofia

 

St. Sofia



 

 

We were blessed to be there in beautiful sunny weather next time we might get to check it out in the snow. 

Triumph Church

There is so much to say about Triumph Church and the role it has played in my life that I had to jot down just a little about it. I have been so blessed to have been led to such a good church home with such great pastors and elders to influence my life. Pastors Randon and Lindsay Clark are really awesome leaders who deliver powerful words from God and we have an amazingly gifted worship team who does a fantastic job of welcoming the presence of the Lord.

I must say though the thing that makes my heart swell for my church is the youth’s love for God. Watching children and young adults worship the Lord with abandon is the most awe inspiring thing I have ever seen and Triumph Church has it in spades. As a woman who was saved later in life and has lived so much for things of the world that I missed the greatness of God for so many years, I desperately  long to see my child live for God and be filled with his love and joy. If you are looking for a place to get your children involved with God there is no better place than Triumph Church Beaumont.

So if you live near a Triumph Church Campus (Beaumont, Nederland, Sugar Land – Stafford, or coming soon WASHINGTON D.C.) and are looking for a church home for you and your family come out and visit. And if you aren’t in one of our areas and would like to plug in or you would just like to see what you are getting into first we have live webcasts so you can watch from your living room, how great is that J If you’d like more information under Helpful Links I’ve attached a link that will lead you straight to the Triumph Beaumont website, I hope you’ll look us up.

My Son

It's a very hard thing to not be able to post a picture of your child when all you want to do is post a billboard and shout from the roof tops to show everyone what a proud momma you are, but it comes along with the adoption territory so I’ll try not to complain too much. lol I will still tell you a little about my son though because I know you are dying to hear all about him :)

 

One of the reasons I’d like to share about my son is for those prospective parents out there, for people with adoption on their hearts. International adoption can be very scary it is terrifying to review a medical report about your child and hear the phrase “high risk.” So I’d like you to take solace in what I have to say and know that God is not limited to a doctor’s diagnosis so your child can overcome the world.

 

About my son – my blessing

 

 

My little boy is getting to be a big boy very quickly; he will turn 6 next month. And how awesome is God??? I’ll tell you, my son was named "Follower of Christ". Yep the meaning of his original translated name is the best prophetic word I could hope for his life. God is so good.

 

I’d like to share a little from his medical report with you. - Status – Delayed physical and neuropsychological development, moderate mental delay, anemia, possible kidney problems and born with congenital lues (syphilis). Mental process is delayed compared to other children his age, doesn’t demonstrate imagination, is not sure footed and does not yet speak in sentences. Mother had psychopathic-like personality change.

 

This of course doesn’t cover half of it but you should get the picture thinks are quite scary. A 5 year old should be much further along than this right???

 

 See if you have done your homework about Bulgarian adoption you know that most children grow up in orphanages and that children who grow up in orphanages are often significantly further behind then children who are raised in a familial environment. You may also run across some information about a certain orphanage that is very difficult to swallow, you may watch videos or read stories that show how far behind the neglected children can get. This is the type of environment my son spent the first 4 years of his life in. Because of his diagnosis he was given very little attention from the staff and was not permitted much direct contact with the other children. He didn’t take his first steps until well into his 3^rd year of life. For the next year he would be moved to a much better orphanage but still no receive much individual care outside of the therapies and doctors’ visits.  

 

BUT GOD … But see God knew what he was doing. He knew that once he had spoken the word to me that this was my son that I would know without a doubt that none of these things mattered. But God knew what he had planned for this child. BUT GOD was working on my child adjusting his situation, preparing him for what was to come J

 

In December of 2012 my son was moved into a foster home. Bulgaria is slowly transitioning into a more foster care friendly area and my son was blessed to be a part of this movement of God. I couldn’t have asked for a better foster family for my child. He is so loved and so well taken care that he has grown in leaps and bounds. The child who was only speaking random words before is a little chatter box! He loves to talk and I love the hear it, he has the cutest little voice and I’m pretty sure the Bulgarian he speaks is the most beautiful language I’ve ever heard. He repeats English exceptionally well and even uses words in the right context. He walks better and further than I do and is growing like a weed. And get this, he’s in Kindergarten and does awesome in class!! We still have plenty of challenges to face but we will face them as a family.  

 

See, the changes in children just from being moved out of the orphanages are amazing. There are reports of things like this happening all of the time. Does this mean that all of the children’s problems will disappear, no of course not … BUT GOD.  Be aware of your child’s medical diagnosis, take it seriously and learn what challenges lie ahead but please don’t limit God and don’t live in fear. Pray, pray and pray some more, recruit intercessors to pray with you, search all of heaven and talk to God every day until you receive your answer about your child from God, and when you do be at peace. God gives you his best and his love will not fail you. Trust in him, you will be so blessed when you do, struggles and all!

A Really Late Introduction

I’m really late starting this but I guess better late than never right? Lol  Well I need to catch you up so I’m gonna try a quick rundown.

 Hello there, my name is Michelle Jones I live in Beaumont, TX. I am the Assistant Payroll Manager for The Modern Group, Ltd and I love my job, I’m a single woman (with a lot of hope,) I attend the awesome Triumph Church Beaumont (Whoop Whoop!!) , I have great friends and an AMAZING family  AND I’M GONNA BE A MOM!!!!!  J

Now I know all kinds of people are moms so I’m not that special but I feel really special because God picked me and I pray every other mother feels this way too. So how’s my pregnancy going you ask?? Well it’s been a great 16 moths so far … other than the hormones. Hahaha Soooo NO I’m not pregnant as you can deduce, I’m actually adopting. I really am going through the hormones though and nesting as well. I’m blessed to be coming up to the end of my adoption process and will soon move on to caring for a family.

 

So here is my timeline

 

5/7/2012 – Receive my first packet of information regarding International adoption this is just the beginning of my search for the right agency country and child for me.

5/18/2012 – First Contact with my Home Study Agency

5/22/2012 – First Contact with my future Adoption agency Adoption Ark Inc and received paperwork and list of items needed to get started on home study

6/15/2012 – Begin seriously looking into the Bulgarian adoption program

6/21/2012 – Begin online Hague Adoption Training

6/25/2012 – Complete Hague training, schedule home study and begin gathering needed documents

7/2/2012 – Begin considering payment options and applying for adoption loans

7/11/2012 – Signed contract with Adoption Ark Inc for Bulgarian Adoption

7/15/2012 – Home Study Visit with Adoption Access

7/18/2012 – Received dossier checklist and instructions

7/22/2012 – Receive clarification from God on where to find my child and have sent an update to my home study agency MY CHILD WILL BE SPECIAL NEEDS!! J

7/25/2012 – Spoke with Texas Children’s Health Center for International Adoption Clinic – I like to be prepared lol

8/22/2012 – HOME STUDY IS COMPLETE!! (Jenna Howard you are the BEST!) Time to get started on my I-800

9/12/2012 – Dossier completed just waiting on I800 and FBI check to come in

10/11/2012 – FBI check has apparently been lost in the mail L I’ve been told to wait a week and I can order a new one

11/26/2012 – FINALLY Dossier completed (All documents and approvals received and apostilled) reviewed and sent to Bulgaria to be translated.   

1/15/2013 – I’M REGISTERED!!! My dossier has been translated and sent to the MOJ where I now have a registration number YAY!!

2/4/2013 – ADOPTION ARK INC IS CLOSED Without warning my adoption agency closed its doors disconnected its phones and rejected all emails incoming emails. This evening I was informed that the agency I had fiercely prayed about had declared bankruptcy.

2/6/2013 – GOD’S AWESOME PLAN IS REVEALED!!!!  Always keep faith in God. I have been given the option to transfer my case to CHI (Children’s House International) ofcourse I am nervous so I called and spoke to an angel, Nina Thompson. Nina was able to place all of my fears to rest and this very day she presented me with God’s greatest gift, a picture of my son!! God’s timing is AWESOME, my case was transferred just 2 days before my son’s case was to be sent back to the Bulgarian agency as unable to be placed and I would have lost him.  

2/11/2013 – Meet with Dr. Montgomery to go over medical report. Things look grimm and I’m told he is a high risk child but high risk or not he’s mine. Quick call to Nina to confirm my intent to request an official referral. Now time to gather all the updated documents.

5/3/2013 – Close on both the purchase and sale of my home which means gotta re-update all my paperwork.

5/11/2013 – Meet with Jenna for home study update

5/21/2013 – OFFICIAL REFFERAL HAS ARRIVED!

5/29/2012 – I have my travel dates YAY! I will meet my son for the first time June 17^th!!

6/15/2013 – 6/23/2013  - So far this was the best and worse week of my life. It was so AMAZING and so draining. Lol My kid couldn’t be more awesome. God is just … he’s just MY GOD, MY LOVE, MY JOY, and MY PEACE. (I will go into details about my son in another section.)

 9/4/2013 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME,  I HAVE A COURT DATE!!! I am going to be a mom 9/23/2013!!

9/11/2013 – Today I am all caught up and just waiting on time. My adoption agency will receive the last of the apostilled updates today and all that will be left for me to do is schedule to pick up my son when I get word of the dates. Just waiting on Gotcha Day J

 

 

So there are plenty of details all mixed in here that I will expand on as God puts the testimony to share on my heart but for now that is the summary of events. Lol It’s been a crazy road but God has led me the entire way so I have never had more peace about anything.