Thread: somewhere in the middle

Yesterday continued to be amazing! Around 9pm, I answered the phone to find out we are receiving a grant for $750! We feel so blessed to be receiving anything, and are extremely grateful for this help, but I have to say it was so sweet to hear the man on the phone say he wished it was more. It really showed his heart for orphans. His comments made me feel like the community is going to accept our kids with open arms and I was very touched!

So cute. J is working on a calculator to find out how much we need to put away for college every year for the kids.

First, I have to say that I'm not sure how I feel about this. Am I relieved? Disappointed? A little of both?
Our INS approval came today. We are only approved to bring two orphans into the country.
We really were expecting it to say three children.
Officially, we are requesting two, but want the option of three if they find the right group for us, or us for the right group depending on how you look at it.
So, I'm a little sad. The agency is going to try to get it fixed for us. I guess I want that option.
But, is this maybe God saying all we should want right now is two?
How do we know the difference?

I feel really good about two children, but J is still set on 3. I'm almost comfortable with that, but I realize how much extra work that will be. I also worry about not having enough hands to hold them since J travels a lot.
Today we hope to hear from the agency about what's next.

Nothing yet, but there is an agency meeting I'm going to tonight. It's going to be awesome because my friends are back from Colombia with their new FOUR children! I can't wait to meet them!
I'm applying for more grants today. The thing that confuses me most is, travel cost is estimated around $7,000. But if you get a grant, they always pay the adoption agency directly (to eliminate fraud) so, how can I get the funds to cover travel that we pay out of pocket?

Oh, now I remember what I came on to write about just now. DH (let's call him J) is such an eternal optimist. It bugs me! He says everything is happening so fast, we'll probably get our kids in a couple of months. What?? How can he even consider that a possibility? Our Dossier (paperwork) isn't even to the country yet. I love that he is so happy and ready, but I hate how bad he's going to feel when it takes longer than he thinks. Does that make me a pessimist, or a realist?

Is Colombia everywhere, or does God just work in mysterious ways?
J is on a plane to Portland right now. He called from the plane to tell me the head flight attendant announced that anyone who doesn't want to sit in an exit row can be put on the next plane to Bogota`...so J raised his hand and said "Me!"
(That's the capital of Colombia, what a bizarre thing to be randomly said!)

I'm very sensitive.
My best friend flew into town on a layover. We don't get to see each other too often and love to hang out. She's pg (4th) so a lot of the conversation was about pregnancy... and I guess it just hurt my feelings that she said "maybe you'll get pg and won't have to worry about adopting"
I told her, I'm not worried about adopting. Adopting isn't my plan B. I now know that it is God's plan for my life. We might try to get pg after bringing our children home, but it's something we're trying to prevent right now. I don't want to delay our adoption. I'm sure this sounds weird, but, I can sense my kids are out there already. I feel like I've been distanced from them and must get them home. They're not strangers to me, even though I don't know their names or ages or gender, they already have my heart. I pray for them continuously, they are my children and I need them to come home.

I just had a call from Robeez. They make the cutest little shoes for babies and toddlers. They are sending me some shoes to take to Colombia with us for the orphans there. What an awesome company!

If everything is in order,... we'll be submitting our dossier tomorrow!

Bad Notary... No Cookie for you!

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Today was going to be perfect. I was going to get the last paperwork apostilled and to the agency today in order to be flown out to Oregon, translated, and sent to Colombia on Wed night. Then they would of beat the Dec/Jan slow down.
However,
One of my papers couldn't be apostilled. The notary did not write "sworn and subscribed to before me..." instead she wrote "signed before me"
I sat at the apostille's office all afternoon and by the time they told me, It was too late to get it redone and back downtown. I'm so bummed.
I'm still going to be there when they open to have it fixed (already re-notarized) but the agency says it won't get to Oregon in time (of course with the holiday, thurs and fri are closed)
Then the program lady isn't there the last week of November so it will be December. I know we can still send it in, but not sure if this will drastically slow it down or not.
well,,, that's my vent.