Clearances..gotta HATE them !

WOW..clearances...I really cant beguin to tell you how many we have needed in this adoption.Not to mention every child in our house over the age of 10 needed them too..Now I agree,there is a reason for them and its important to get them and all but, R E A L L Y ???   Each one of us who fit that category (over age 10) needed..County clearances..State clearances...dept of Social Service clearances..
as well as Adam Walsh clearances..From every State we have lived in since age 18...Now wouldn't you think the State would be enough...AGH ! 

The pain in the butt clearances were working with Missouri and Ohio for three of our kids..Missouri being the worse one...they kept arguing that there were no juvenile records to collect data from..Later to learn there was a different form to request this information and a fee involved..4 weeks after sending IN the fee and new forms..I call and learn there is a 3 MONTH back up..the lady I spoke with wasn't having a GOOD day either because she wasn't very pleasant to talk with..she infact hung up on me,after I explained,many of our completed forms would expire by then....AHHHH...
                          Its all yours God ..yours God,everything is yours !!!
Yesterday we still needed 3 clearance forms to complete our Home Study...did I tell you,we started our Home Study in MAY ..and it is now Sept ! Having been there done this before..I put it all together quickly..we had our home visit fast as well.....Ahhh, once again ..clearances..gotta love them..Okay where I was going with all this ranting is..we have TWO in today and the last one on its way...PRAISE you Lord !

I leave you with the little one who inspires all this paperwork and patience...because she is sooo worth it !!

RONA

A time to let go..

   Its always hard to let go..at least for me it is..God has really had to work with me on this issue..I'm getting better.A few things that we have had to let go of and trust God at this being His will have been especially hard as it involves children. The first was letting go of the first baby girl who tugged at our hearts.She has Downs Syndrome and I fell in love with her the min my eyes saw her precious little face.I prayed for weeks .. and even posted her picture on our kitchen cabinet for all to see..this usually gives dad time to fall in love too.We prayed and fasted,and trusted Gods will for her and for our family.Sadly she wasn't meant to be our daughter...Rick never felt it..so we let her go..She was one who started the journey to our daughter with DS...I checked her status often and felt in my heart..because she is a baby she will find her family quickly.Her grant money went up,I praised God for that.Week after week.I checked on sweet Margret....weeks turned to months as she waited and I couldn't understand...like so many others,why she waited. Yesterday,I awoke to the most disturbing news..it brought me to my knees as I read Margret lost her battle...she died !!! She died waiting for a mommy and daddy..she died in a crib unloved .. unvalued .. why ???? Because she had Downs Syndrome..how heart breaking...how sad..she was tossed away because she had a extra chromosome...something that made her special..something that made her unique...yet she was tossed aside because of it..because people just cant see..they didn't see how WONDERFULLY you were made sweet Margret..
                           I did ! XXXOOO

WOW Time Flies...

Hello fellow Bloggers..long time no see. Ive been so crazy busy with getting my kiddos ready for school and getting the house in order buying shoes and socks and coats and back packs and pencils
X14 ..WOW! The cost involved in getting 14 kids ready for school is HUGE...can you say,2nd morgage...okay well almost!
  Lots of new things happening around here,or not happening around here..We still don't have our Home Study done..UGH! Im so beyond tears on this subject..its hard to be patient when forms are lost and you have to track peole down once again..sigh.
We are still waiting on a few things to come from Mo and Ohio on some of the kiddos...its so hard,I keep calling and mailing,then calling some more..how dare they lose the forms..I mean really ??   I know how International adoption goes...we hurry up to wait...I really did move quickly on all the paperwork and the the appointments went very fast .. I was told this would go quickly,Yeah right.We are now going on 4 months for the Home Study and we are STILL not done.Our Dossier is ready and waiting..we need to get our Finger Prints and ISCIS yet.... for now,we are at a stand still, waiting on the last of these clearances...(deep breath)
We did received one this week,WHOOPEE,I'll take that ...Thank you Lord !  Just 3 more....Lord please let next week be the week they all come back !

  Well,we are 99% done with the house,just a few little things left..I'm happy to have the house clear of people coming and going...although I'm very thankful for all they have done. It looks wonderful.I love the bathrooms and the wood floors in the girls bedrooms are so easy to keep clean ! What a gift this has all been .. I'm so thankful .. Thank you Lord!

Aly and Hayden are back in public school this year...teachers were happy to see them..I real do love Viking Elementary !! I'm open to Home Schooling them once again if the need arises...for now I believe they are where they are suppose to be..and they are happy!
 
  Rick and the big girls have been running...they did a 10K and a 5K this summer..they are now training for another by running 13 miles ..really...I cannot even imagine..OMG !!! Its something I would love to join them in ...well...maybe someday!!

  God is so good...Lord I love you and I worship you and I thank you for my family..I thank you for my children and I give you all the GLORY. I cannot believe once again Rick and I will be getting on a plane .. I cannot tell you how much we are in love with this little girl.....I need to remember this will all happen in YOUR perfect timing...Its so hard when we know who our daughter is..she is going to bed every night without our love and hugs..she is turning 3 in December without a Birthday celebration. She doesn't know she has a family who longs to hold her and love her!

Just keep swimming swimming swimming!
Rona

Home Study and Dossier update

Well our Home Study is taking longer than what we first thought...as you can imagine with a large family the clearances are a HUGE issue ! We have children who also have to clear other states before they came here..sooo we wait ... on Gods PERFECT timing! Our Dossier is complete,except for the Home Study.
We also still need our USCIS approval too...Once we get finger printed I'm guessing that will take about 60 days.

There are so many things to be thankful for..we are all healthy..our remodeling is just about finished and OUR GOD reigns AMEN !!
Please pray with us that our little girls are kept safe and loved on daily until we have them in our arms forever!
Once again we have changed the girls names...This time we are SURE...really we are..their names will be
Kennedi Sophia ..and Carrington Emma...

Rona

Happy 4th of July everyone !

We've had a WONDERFUL day! I have so much to be thankful for !! The weather here is super hot..it hit 102 today .. even inside feels muggy. Hopefully tomorrow the Liv room will get our new fireplace...the wall is almost ready.I will be happy when all the boxes can be unpacked and put away..it feels cluttered and unsettled most of the time,Yet I'm sooo grateful !!!! What a huge BLESSING it is to be able to remodel and get these things done..with no debt !
  Almost ready to send in the last bit for our Home Study...just waiting on three medicals and they are this week..then off in the mail they go,Out first draft was perfect.just needed these few things added..then
WHA LAH..completed Home Study..Dossier is almost finished as well.....I'm getting ahead of myself..just thinking out loud...God please take care of our precious girls,in Jesus name ..AMEN.

Here is our last family photo..taken in May..Missing are Shawn,Ben,Nick,Justin,Brenner,Connor...
  
Happy 4th of July everyone..I pray you enjoied your day with family like we did..  

     If you were born in America..you are truly blessed !!!

Rona

First Home Study draft ready !

WOW..That was really fast ! Rick and I and the littles are off to Hudson to view the first draft of our home study.Got our finger prints done for the Wisconsin FBI clearance...all thats left now is a few Doctor visits and WALA..Home Study is done.Dossier is going great,that wont take long either,we have been collecting things for that as well..Its kinda like we have done this before...yeah think ! A few more forms for our dossier,finger prints in St Paul are the next steps.
  Our precious Kennedi Sophia turned 3 this week..Happy Birthday Baby girl! You are loved sweetie and you matter ..you HAVE a family sweetie !!! This will be the LAST Birthday you spend alone my sweet girl !!

God is sooo good!! Our kitchen is almost done..WE HAVE a stove top !! WOOOHOO ! Our counter tops came and our island is in..Its beautiful !! Thank you Jesus for this gift !!!

Home Study here we come !

Tomorrow will be our one and only Home Study visit...we have been cleaning all week getting ready for the "inspection" (haha)..we are not a white glove kinda family..we  live in our house...big time infact.
Not to mention all the remodeling that's going on...
We still don't have counter tops in our kitchen..they are in the driveway..silly I know, but true !
Our Living room is 1/2 put together..Our wall of built ins hasn't been started..Our fireplace isn't in.Our bedrooms for the most part,are finished..Master bath...still has things left to do...Laundry room not done..Well you get the idea...I'm praying she will see through the paint cans lining the hallway and the sink missing in the laundry room bathroom...and the counter tops in the drive way...

We WILL rejoice...as we approach,just one more step to bringing our precious girls home!

RONA