Drumroll...

I'll post about court later, this a post I prepared before court to share our little man with the world.  I also have several fantastic videos to post!  These are all pictures of our time with Heath on Monday.  All seriousness when they first handed him to me.

 But then the wall started to crumble!

 He just wanted his toy, and honestly, I was glad he let the tears come on out that I knew he just wouldn't let go of earlier in the day.  The start of him realizing, someone cares, someone loves you, someone will kiss you and comfort you, and that someone is your MAMA!

 Loved having them all crawling all over me and playing with us. 

 Never too early to learn how to dribble!
And below...our last picture on Monday, Dad was cool and not so bad after all :)

GREAT DAY...

Tuesday was a great 2 visits with our little man.  We heard endless giggles and had some great moments.  I think I have another mama's boy on my hands, WOOHOO!  He watched me constantly and cried for me at one point.  He even started reaching out for me.  He loves his caretakers, he lights up when they come around, but when it was time to leave at the end of the day and she came to get him, she took him and we were telling him bye and he stuck his arms out for me and leaned over to me, it even surprised her!  We have some great video I can't wait to post after court. 
He warmed up to Jason and they played with a truck and train for a while.  They had some fun times today too.  I told Jason today, it won't be long before there are three running to the door when Daddy comes home, full of excitement!
Now to you prayer warriors...we will be in court at 10:30 Wed. which is 1:30 a.m. CST.  So before you go to bed tonight, please pray for our judge, our interpreter, us, and everyone involved in this process.  I will talk first then Jason.  Pray that we will have wise words to say and that the judge finds favor with us.  I am praying the next post on here is pictures of Heath which means the court has declared us his parents.
After court we will go get his passport pictures made then go hang out with him before his supper.  Then it will be off to dinner to meet another couple who is here.  Their little girl is in a different orphanage so we haven't met them yet, but we are looking forward to it!    

Back in our arms!

So today we were able to hang out with Heath for a few hours then he napped then we were with him for another 2 hours.  We will do the same tomorrow.  I felt so bad for him at first.  He was so stiff and scared.  Who are these people and why can't I understand him.  He would stick out his bottom lip and it looked like he would bust out crying at any second but he never would.  Finally I was able to get a smile and some giggles out of him before he went off to nap time.
Our second round with him was much more relaxed.  He was not near as comfortable with Jason but Jason is one of the most understanding and easy going guys I know and he just kept his distance and if Jason did have him, when he would get upset he would give him to me.  I know they don't see any men.  He got to where he would lean his cheek up against mine and seemed to want me to kiss those chubby cheeks!  I do think he will be a cuddler.  It was good to feel him relax in my arms and loosen up where I could get those smiles a lot easier from him.  When his group came outside to play he lit up.  He would babble and talk, laugh and was quite funny, but he never moved from my lap until I sat him down to see him crawl and go pull up on a table.  This is how his personality was the first time we saw him.  I am thinking that since we were in a playroom the first trip and he had a friend close by he was more relaxed then.  I also realize several months can make a difference in his understanding.  He very clearly understood what they were saying to him and did what they said.
If you have followed our blog for some time then you remember the couple who adopted the same time as we did back in 08.  Their son was in the same orphanage that Heath is in.  So we took updated pics of him.  The caretakers loved it.  They asked if I knew another little girl who was adopted the same time and I told them yes, so tomorrow I will take them pics of her.  It was a great moment hearing them chatter and seeing them light up over the pictures and knowing that I would e-mail the other ones mom.  I cannot wait to read to them the update on her and take them pics.
I LOVED the second half of our afternoon.  We hung out with 2 of the caretakers and several of the kids.  Somehow in our totally broken russian and their totally broken english we were able to communicate and learn about each other.  There were 3 three year olds out there with us and we loved playing with them.  I will be calling out there names constantly to the Lord, although one of their names I can't pronounce ;)  They just pulled on my heart strings so much, I want to bring them all home.  We played with Heather and Girish's son and there was another one year old there as well named Victor.  They said, "Victor has no mama and papa."  Which just tore me up.  Why does Victor have no mama and papa?  WHY ARE WE NOT BEATING THE WALLS DOWN TO COME TAKE THESE CHILDREN HOME?  Take care of the orphan, defend the fatherless.  We must, we HAVE to!  Jason just finished a fantastic book and there have been several things he read to me and one of them I will not forget.  For the Christian, adoption doesn't need to be a plan B.  Read it again and let it soak in.  Adoption is not just for the barren.  If He has ever put it on your heart, don't ignore it, pursue it, it will be one of the greatest adventures you ever take!  If He hasn't, ask what you can do, can you support someone prayer, financially, etc.  There is something every person can do and if we are doing our jobs there wouldn't be so many eyes I looked into today that need love and forever, that need Abba Father.  Camilla and Alyssa would have a home and sweet Victor. 

We Made It...

After an extra 8 hours, we finally arrived.  Our flight from Nashville yesterday was delayed for almost an hour b/c it was overweight and then needed more fuel which made us miss our connection since we only had 55 min. to make the connection.  So we took a detour and flew to London at 11 last night and then from there to Moscow.  I actually slept some on the plane and am hoping to get some sleep tonight.

We are staying in a different hotel this trip and we love it.  It is only a 10 min. walk to Heath so no metro or driver needed for the next few days.  We will spend Monday and Tuesday visiting Heath and then on Wed. we will go to court and then Thursday we are hoping for a visit with him again before we fly out.  I cannot wait to wrap my arms around him tomorrow!  I hope to get some sleep tonight instead of laying here all night wide awake thinking about it.  I get so excited! 

Happy Birthday Heath...

Our littlest man turned 1 today.  And I wish so badly we could have celebrated his birthday together.  I wonder, did anyone even remember to tell him Happy Birthday, and I know that he will never remember.  Did he get to eat his first piece of cake?  Did he get to open a gift and play with a new toy?  I highly doubt it.  My sister and best friend and church friends remembered this special day, and it meant so much to me. 

I do know one other person who remembered this day as well.  Who must have went back to a year ago as she labored and heard his first cries.  As her heart wrenched as she contemplated what to do.  And how her hand must have shook as 3 days later she returned to the hospital to sign her name and give up her sweet chubby cheeked baby boy because she could not care for him.  If you gave me one wish tonight it would be to look her in her eyes, take her hand and tell her he's going to be just fine.  He's going to get to giggle every day and have his tears wiped away.  He's going to be hugged and read to every night.  He's going to have an easy going brother and a sassy sister who in spite of some disagreements are going to love him with all they've got.  And he is going to have an opportunity to know Abba and I'd share Him with her too, b/c I'd like her mansion to be next to mine, with Hudson's birthmom on the other side.  I'd like to just say Thank You for being selfless.  And make sure that she knows in my eyes, she will always be lifted up, never looked down upon, in our home she will be someone special and beautiful, that her sacrifice brought us joy and lots of it.  And this will be my wish every July 15th and August 7th, not one of these days will pass by that I will not think of a precious lady somewhere around the world, who I am sure is wondering about her dark hair, dark eyed boy and where he is and what he is doing. 

Happy Birthday Heath James, I cannot wait to hold you in my arms in a week!

  Our nose picker, she might look and act like me but this is proof she does have some of her dad in her HA!

 We get cheesey on command...

I finally took some pictures.  When Hudson was little I took pics of him every day.  Poor Hollynn will barely have any and Heath, well, we'll just try to get some of him on Christmas and his birthday!  Seriously I need to do a better job or I won't have many pics to put in their 2012 shutterfly book.

We are flying out in 2 weeks!  Let the count down begin.  I am going to start working on the kids schedule, the barn schedule, and getting our stuff ready to pack.  I am so excited!  But I also know it's going to be just as hard to leave these 2 again.  Thankfully we fly out on Sat. after lunch so we can hang with them in the morning and then come home on Thursday around 6 so we can spend time with them that afternoon.  This is much better than the 9 days we were away from them last time. 

Heath will make his appearance in TN on Sep. 8th at 5:45 p.m.  Casey is making the last trip with me and Jason will be staying with the kids a.k.a. appreciate me like never before! :)  We will fly out on Sep. 1st.  I have been stalking sites with airfare and hotels on them looking for the best deals.  Everything is so expensive over there and we are definitely on a budget.  I found the Hilton at one of the seven sisters for as cheap as the Holiday Inn.  They were having a special during that time and I am so excited to stay there and it's close to everything so me and Casey can walk to Red Square!  I'm also excited about our flight back home b/c it's directly into JFK with a short layover and then on to Nashville.

The parsonage is still not ready to be moved into yet, but there are some guys who have been working like crazy on it.  We are so appreciative.  I have attempted to paint several times and with little hands around it's pretty much not doable.  Matter of fact she's got blue in her hair right now from our attempt yesterday!  So we will wait until after trip 2 to move in.

I have to be honest, I'm running low in almost every aspect.  I'm exhausted physically, emotionally, and my spiritual tank is waivering.  I keep telling myself this is just a season.  Once this is paid for and he is home, I can go back to longer quiet times to study at nap time and working out then too.  And just not feeling like I'm running all over the place 24/7 and the thing that is the worse is I feel like all I do is rush my kids and don't get to hang out with them as much, that part really stinks.  But we are getting closer every day.

I know this is lengthy, but last thing...we really need to sell our house.  We have a little under $14,000 left to come up with by mid August.  I know the Lord will do it, I just don't know exactly how.  And obviously we feel like He brought us to this house for a reason and this is it, but then again we don't know His exact plans.  Please pray this house will sell soon!

Off to get ready for our horse show in 100 degree weather!  Thankfully most of it will be tonight!     

VBS

I finally have my computer back in action so hopefully not many more pictureless posts!  This week we are having VBS and it is my first one ever to work.  Since I was 19 I have worked afternoons so I've never been able to consistantly be a part of one.  Until this week!  It's been hustle and bustle but it's been worth it!  I have loved it.  And tonight because we met and hugely exceeded our goal in the offering I got to smear whipped cream and pour chocolate syrup on Jason's head!  I might have enjoyed it a little ;) 

Adoption update...I have our hotel booked and our visas should be back to us either tomorrow or beginning of next week.  I am waiting to see if ticket prices drop a little before I purchase them.  Today was the first I've seen them drop. 

I'm excited to go tomorrow morning and hang out with a friend as she helps me get started on homeschooling.  I can't believe my boy is going to be in kindergarten!  I've been looking at so much stuff online, so many options!  It excites me though!

There will be another work day at the parsonage on Saturday and their goal is to get the entire house painted which totally thrills me!  We are buying a bed and dresser from some friends and then were given another dresser and so I hope to get those painted this weekend.  Heath will have the furniture that she uses now, which of course was Hudson's.  I'm in total nesting mode so I can't wait to get all of this organized! 

Court Date

We have a court date FINALLY!  We will fly out on July 22nd and go to court on Wed. the 25th.  I am so glad to finally have something.  So then we will have our 30 day period, which puts us on a Saturday.  She told me that we couldn't pick him up on a Sat. and I told her we picked Hudson up on a Sat. so she said she would check and see about that.  So that will put us either bringing him home on August 31st or Sep. 1st.  Not sure which one just yet.  I cannot wait to come down that escalator at the airport and be home!!  For now I am going to busy myself with getting our visas, hotel room, tickets, and getting ready to move!

A little news...

Sorry I have no pictures to post.  My computer is headed to get some work done on it and I am on Jason's.  We should know our court date on Friday.  They are presenting our documents on Thursday to the judge.  Our friends that we traveled with the first trip received their court dates this last Friday.  While I am so excited for them, it just stunk because their court date is not until the middle of July.  Which of course means ours will be after theirs.  I was so pumped about a June court date that it took me a couple of days to work through this.  I was hoping he would be home by the time we were going to court.  I know it might not seem like a big deal or seem like a little thing to get upset over.  I told myself all of the things that anyone would have said to me and have tried to find the positive things in this (I can't find any by the way).  I just want him home.  Like, yesterday!  I am looking forward to Friday so then I will have a date to look forward to and get prepared for.  I am extremely busy with work and other things, but it is not distracting like I need it to be! 

We have decided to move out of our home the first part of July and move into the parsonage.  We are truly hoping our house sells quickly, we have had several lookers but no offers so far.  We feel like we need to go ahead to the parsonage because Heath will have to make so many adjustments anyways we don't want him to have to come home and get used to a place and then up and move him. 

This last week was my first week to clean the church, I will be doing that every week now!  Hudson and Jason will be doing VBS at Bethel this week and next week it is VBS at our church!  I am hoping to get to take Hudson to a few of the cheap summer movies they do in Clarksville, (if you are local it's the movie theater off of exit 1 and they are $1.50, Tues. @ 9:30).  I am signing him up for homeschooling today!  Also, this last Wed. was our 9 year wedding anniversary, we are getting old!

Okay, enough randomness for now, I will update Friday after we get our court date!  Thanks for your continued prayers.  

Yard Sale Success!

The yard sale was definitely a success!  We ended up with around $830, combine that with the yard sale we had at our home and it is around $2,000!  WOOHOO!  Thank you so much to those of you who donated your items to sell and for those of you who came out.  I have tried to be transparent on here about all of this, and I read other blogs that even have $ counters on the side of them so people can see how much is raised and how much is needed.  I hope if you are considering adoption but scared of the financial part of it, you won't be.  My prayer when we returned home a little over a month ago was for the Lord to of course get us a quick court date and to provide the $10,500 we needed before our 2nd trip.  There is only a little under $1,000 left to have that!  And we can't take credit for a single penny of it, it's all Him!  After this goal is complete we'll start on the remaining bit of $15,000 (this includes hotel, plane tickets, etc.).  It seems huge in my eyes but not to Him.  I don't know how He's going to do it, I just trust that He will!

Every time the phone rings, I jump just hoping it is our agency.  I'm really expecting our call any day now b/c I'm reallly hoping to make our 3rd trip by the time he turns 1.  Of course I'll post as soon as I get the call :)