Pictures

Here are some pictures of the murals on Hudson's wall.

This is Andy and Foxxy. This is one part she has to finish painting.

Isn't this awesome? She has to paint the goat and add little bugs in the grass and that the chickens are pecking.

I can't wait to see it finished when we get home. My good friends Lena, who is from Russia is doing this for Hudson.

I am already missing these two. Wonder what the US Embassy would do if I put them under the plane and brought them!!

Andy Rooney Griffith Carney

Foxxy

Wednesday

I've been cleaning like crazy today and so far have the kitchen and bathroom finished. I'm not sure why I'm cleaning like a crazy lady since my uncle and Will will be staying here and I don't think men really care to much about that. Thankfully a friend is cleaning the house before I come home so that is one less thing to have to do when I get home.

Last night I washed all of Hudson's clothes that we're not taking so everything will be clean. I had a blast! Isn't that crazy! Just about every piece of clothing I would raise up, picture those big brown eyes in it and then fold it and put it in it's appropriate spot. His bed is ready for him and his mural is almost complete. I will take pictures of the mural once it is finished it is so awesome, Lena is suposed to finish it next weekend so you'll have to wait until we get back home to see it.

It is soooo muddy at the barn. I had 19 horses for all of yesterday and last night, this will NOT be fun to clean.

My sister called and said our great-Uncle Conroy passed away this morning. He and my Grandaddy were brothers and my Grandaddy made it to glory a little over 2 years ago. I couldn't help but get teary eyed at the thought of what their reunion must have been like this morning. Don't you know it was awesome. I'm so thankful life doesn't end at the grave. Praise God for His One and Only that died on the cross for my sins.

Next Monday

A week from right now it will be 10:20 pm in Moscow and we will have spent our day with Hudson. I can't help but think about how he will react to us. I hope he remembers us and it goes great. In a week I will also be nervous about court because it will be on Tuesday. We are praying that the judge is nice and doesn't drill us. Also praying she will let us have custody of him a day or two early so he can spend Christmas with us.

I hope this week goes by fast. All I have left to do as far as packing is put our shoes in the suitcase. But I do have a long to do list because when I come back home we will have our son with us!! So I want to be sure I have everything ready for him.

I am a little nervous about possibly being gone from home for so long. Especially since there seems to be all of the break-in's going on. But my uncle is coming home from Texas on Saturday so he is going to stay here for a week and then Casey's fiance, Will, will be staying here the rest of the time. And he won't have any classes so that's good. Plus my dog has started barking and growling when anyone pulls up or comes in the door.

Mandy called me yesterday and left me a voicemail that made me cry. I never thought about it, but she reminded me that yesterday was the last time that Jason and I would get ready for church at Bethel with just the two of us. The next time we get ready for church I'll have a little one to get dressed and ready! I guess Jason and I will be experiencing a lot of "lasts" for a long time.

Will and Casey

I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off and forgot to tell you all about my sister getting engaged last week. She will be married in July next year. I'm really excited about it. I am the maitron of honor, Jason is a groomsman, and Hudson is the ring bearer. Casey said if Hudson doesn't make it down the aisle that she wants Dad to carry him while he walks her down the aisle and they can give her away. I told her Hudson will come down the aisle his mom and dad will be standing there, I think she likes the idea of him and Dad giving her away. To tell you the truth I like the idea, too :) Two weeks after Casey and Will are married they will move to Chattanooga since Casey made it into Physical Therapy School. That, I'm sad about. I don't want her to leave. But I guess we'll just have to make some trips to Chattanooga, I do want to see the aquarium!

Heading Back to Moscow

It's 3:30 a.m. and I can't sleep. I don't know how Jason can sleep while I have a movie on, getting out of bed to go get things, and I have the light on. I have made my to do list, well, I've made a few of them.

I am so excited about going back to Moscow. Hudson's bag is packed. Now I just have to get a few things packed for me and Jason. I really hope these next 11 days go by fast. We have decided that Jason and I are both staying the entire time. This means Christmas in Moscow! This will be both of our first Christmas' away from home. But we can celebrate the birth of our Savior anywhere in the world. We are going to ask the judge if we can take custody of him 2 days early so we can all celebrate Christmas together. If she says no then we will get custody of him on Dec. 26. But how awesome would it be if she says yes!!

My friend, Amanda, from MI has the same court date as us. We e-mail every day and talk on the phone some so I am so excited to get to meet her and Jeff in person. Her son is also in Moscow but in a different orphanage as Hudson. It's been so good to have someone going through the same steps as we are to talk to daily.

We will fly out on the 13th, get there on the 14th which is a Sunday. We will visit Hudson twice on Monday and then Tuesday we will have court and then go visit him in the orphanage. If there is time we will get to go with him to get pics taken for his visa and passport. I hope we can because I would like to see how he reacts to being in a vehicle. Our 10 day wait period will start on the 16th but we will be able to visit him daily in the orphanage.

I just hope this trip we can do a better job adjusting to the time change. The last trip kicked our rears big time. We are going to ride the metro this time instead of having a driver. This could be interesting. I just hope we don't get turned around because nothing is in english. But if we learn how to use the metro it will save us quite a bit of money because the driver is $100 per day. Of course we will use him our first day back, court, and the day we pick Hudson up at the orphanage.

I'll quit rambling, there's just so much going through my head!

Court Date

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me. Psalm 66:20

We have a court date!! Dec. 16th is our court date, we will leave for Moscow on Dec. 13th. That means two weeks from today my baby will be in my arms. Just the thought overwhelms me to tears. How awesome is this!? When I talked to the lady who told me about it I said "Praise God" over and over and then I was talking 90 miles per hour. I don't even think I stopped to catch my breath. I was telling her how God waits until it doesn't seem possible and then says, "watch this" and then only He can have the glory. Praise God, we want Him to have all the glory. This is amazing.

I will blog more later this afternoon, right now I have to work on visa's and booking our flights.

Happy Thanksgiving

Want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for, especially this adorable little boy with big brown eyes and I'm married to his daddy who is an amazing man. Now if we can just get him home. We aren't sure when we are going to hear anything. I had already expected to hear something by now but they are waiting on one more piece of paper of our's to get to Moscow. We aren't sure if they have submitted for our court date or are waiting on this paper. It is FBI fingerprints that had to be mailed to West Virginia, then back to me then back to WV to get apostilled then finally to Michigan then to Russia, hopefully they it will get to Russia next week. I'm really hoping that they have submitted for our court date b/c they told us it takes 3 or more weeks to get a court date. Not know what's going on is the hardest part, especially if you are a type A like me :) Jason is so laid back about everything. Please keep praying for Hudson and that we can get over there soon. We really want to travel in December and I know when things don't seem possible that's when you know it's God when it happens.

Today is my last day to teach on a regular basis until March. I do have some kids leasing horses and some that are going to ride on days that the weather is nice, but I won't be working my normal schedule. Makes me sad because I love my girls, but my horses will enjoy the break. I teach some amazing kids that love the Lord and live it out, they are so much fun!

Casey and I will be shopping on black Friday, it's something we've done for years. Wake up really early and get all of our shopping finished in one day. I only have a few things left to get since I start shopping in August normally. Tomorrow we will check out the paper and map out a plan. Casey was accepted into grad school at UT Chattanooga for Physical Therapy. This is a big deal since only 30 people a year get accepted into this program. I'm glad she got in, but what am I going to do for the next 3 years?!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Mt. Carmel

First thing first, no we haven't heard anything!! I wonder how many times we've been asked that question, but it's okay because it just means we have so many people caring and supporting us and longing for the day our little guy comes home. Thanks everyone for your questions :)

Yesterday we went to the church I grew up in, Mt. Carmel. It was really awesome. They asked if I would share our adoption story with the church and then take of a love offering. Of course I would, Russian adoption is my favorite subject!! I only choked up one time. When I was telling how hard it was to leave him. When I talk about it I don't even have to close my eyes to picture the tall skinny dark haired lady taking my baby from me while he was laughing and waving at us. So I told about this journey we're on and was able to visit with family and people I grew up knowing, there's no place like home. And I was left speechless at the love offering. Pretty much bought us a plane ticket. We were so humbled and are so grateful. God amazes me how much grace he pours out on us and we are so undeserving. I cannot wait to tell Hudson just how he is meant for us and us for him, how God put the whole thing together long before we even dreamed of it and how He provided and held us every step of the way. What a testimony this is. I could go on and on but then I'd be sitting here crying. But thanks to everyone at Mt. Carmel, we love you all and cannot wait to bring Hudson so meet all of you.

Anyhow, update on my dad after hip surgery, he's doing good. Stubborn as usual and not using his crutches like he's suposed to. Actually he's not using them at all and he's suposed to for 4 weeks. This is where my hard headedness comes from.

Orphanage Suitcases

We were able to leave lots of things in Russia instead of having to bring them home and then take them back over. I have all of Hudson's things that I will be taking over and I am going to have 2 extra suitcases to take over for orphanage gifts. I took one big suitcase over the first trip with baby powder, toys, etc. This trip I want to really focus on clothes. There were 70 kids in his orphanage from babies to age 4. I think they have a need for clothes because they would wear the same clothes for a few days and then take them off and put them on another child. I have one suitcase almost full and I can get A LOT in these suitcases. I am packing queen!! So if any of you who have younger children go through their clothes often and usually take them to good will, etc. If you want me to come pick them up I will gladly pack them for Russia. Please everyone do NOT go out buying clothes for the orphanage. Just if you have some extra play clothes or you child has grown out of them and you want me to take them over just e-mail me and I'll come and get them.

My Baby is 15 months old

Yesterday Hudson turned 15 months old. I miss him so much. It bothers me everyday that we go without him, I want him home so badly. I have been staying busy, though. I have put over 300 pictures in an album for him. I have been doing lots of adoption paperwork. And today we had our last english horse show of the season. By the way, my girls did great! Malena had a 3rd and 5th. Jordan had 2 2nd's. Miranda had a 6th. Very proud of all 3 of them, it was Miranda's first show and Jordan and Miranda's 2nd english show.

Today is my dad's birthday. He had his hip surgery yesterday. He went into the hospital at noon and didn't get out until after 7:00 pm. Surgery was good. My grandmother stayed with him while I ran around getting paperwork certified and apostilled and then I went shopping in Green Hills for a little while.

Tonight started Church Volleyball. Jason has headed it up this year and he's very into it. I've had fun picking on him all night. His new name is Coach "J". We ate at my parent's house and mom had baked potatoes. He didn't want one but I told him he needs his pre-game carbs this church volleyball league can be rought :) then mom was getting after him to keep himself hydrated!! Yes girls, I am married to head coach of the Bethel Free Will Baptist Volleyball Team and that is how the Carney's will spend Saturday nights for a while!!