The Long Way Home International Adoption from Russia: More great days for Khab families!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

More great days for Khab families!

Today is another one for the list. I beamed as I bid farewell to my Puro pack filled with my court documents. I contentedly headed south for a couple days of work around my hometown. When I stopped in at Starbucks (my office on the road given that it has wireless :) I got a few emails that made me want to do the Elaine dance again in public... but I toned it down and danced on the inside (Lethbridge isn't ready for that!). Turns out that there are a whack of people headed to Khab at the same time: 2 that I know for court dates ( a shout out to the first family with my agency who is headed to pick up their son and to my coworker Kim who turns out to be adopting from Khab with a court date the same time as Michele!) This was a wonderful coincidence. BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE! The grapevine also said that another family from my agency actually received a referral for their daughter and will be traveling on trip one at the same time!!! This is wonderful as there was an anticipated delay in referrals from the region due to a change in directors. I'm so happy for this family as they had hoped to travel before Christmas too.... well now they are on their way! Momentum is surely on our side!!! BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE! In the final email I opened, I found out that not only had my home study been FedExed off from the director in Edmonton but also the one last document that we anticipated might take a little time and some sweet talking to get is included in the package. Turns out I don't have to coerce/hypnotize/beg the government minister here in town after all. Me thinks my flower delivery went a long long way to building favor... when it's done, there will be more flowers :)

So, tonight, I'm content. The doctors tonight will be treated to an extra special celebratory meal (with a side order of childhood asthma education) and perhaps my mom and I will toast the next step when I'm back to the house. Remember WAAAAYYYY back to September when I was here and we had fortune cookies? Well, I shared with the group then what I was waiting for and tonight, I'll celebrate that the fortune cookie was right... 3 months later I was boarding a plane to meet my son...

I am HOPING to have my documents in front of the Judge March 1st and then court date to follow. Hmmm... I have some time right now... maybe I'll dance.
Keep the good days coming (but for now, I'm going to relish THIS one and celebrate the good fortune of my agency friends...).

1 comment:

julian said...: If they are on their way, then I bet the docs will be in front of the judge by the end of February. I must say, you are doing great in your wait..(I was terrible. I bitched and moaned after 3 weeks home)
I am still planning to send you a Christmas card and a little treat. I just have to get myself together to do IT!!
We'll chat soon!; February 7, 2010 at 9:21 AM

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Adoption timeline

Started discussing adoption following the accident in 1999
Took IA course and registered for Kaz adoption 2004 - decided to wait
Met with HS agency to discuss programs and process Jan '08
Submission for Kaz approval Feb '08
Changed countries to Russia March '08
IA course March '08
Home Study April / May '08
Signed with Agency May '08
HS approval June '08
Paperchase for Perm dossier registered Oct '08
Update HS July '09
Paperchase for Khabarovsk Aug '09
Registered Khab Oct 1 '09
Referral #1 Nov 9th '09
Declined referral #1 Nov 10th '09
Referral 2nd referral Dec 14th
Accepted referral Dec 16th
Trip one Dec 23, 2009 - Jan 1st 2010
Completed Court dossier Feb 3rd
Dossier submitted to Judge: March 16th
Judge requested more documents - submitted April 14th
Pre trial: May 5th
Court date June 1st 2010
GOTCHA! June 16th
Welcome HOME: Home June 24th 2010

Defining my success... defining who I am...

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has enjoyed the trust of pure men, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.

Quotes I like:

"You can't always control what happens to you, but you CAN control how you react to it" Scott Tennant

I may never know the meaning of life, but when my son was adopted, I felt my life had meaning - modified anon. quote

"I can find only three kinds of business in the universe: mine, yours and God's. Much of our stress comes from mentally living out of our business." Byron Katie (good quote for the waiting!)

Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial.

Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary.

Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else's child.

Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own.--- Rita Laws, PhD

Said a disappointed visitor, 'Why has my stay here yielded no fruit?''Could it be because you lacked the courage to shake the tree?' said the Master benignly.
Anthony de Mello, SJ

"Sometimes we stare so long at our balloon in the sky we forget that our ice cream is melting on our plate." Anon

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prays for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?" Evan All Mighty

"Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible." Claude Bissel

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of." Jim Rohn

"Love is the answer... now what is the question?"

"Whenever you have an opportunity to laugh, laugh; whenever you have an opportunity to dance, dance; whenever you have an opportunity to sing, sing - and one day you will find you have created your paradise." Osho

"It's the one with a certain and definite dream, who boldly steps into the uncertain and indefinite, who goes the farthest and throws the best after-parties." Thoughts from the Universe

"The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give it away." David Viscott

"So often life is every bit as good, if not better, than the wonderful make-believe movies we love to watch. It has all the same joy and sorrow, mystery and suspense, adventure and excitement, and love and emotion - except it's real. Live your life as if it were a great movie - complete with the happy ending." Unknown

"Once upon a time, there was a very busy girl. She lived with a tired yet hopeful soul. Then, one day, her soul asked her to stop... and just breathe. And so she did. And the girl and her soul lived happily ever after." Unknown (A lesson I have still yet to learn... but it certainly does sound resonable!)

"To give pleasure to a single heart by a single kind act is better than a thousand head-bowings in prayer." Saadi

"Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual one." Nicholas Berdyaev

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly." Unknown

"Religion is a guy in church thinking about fishing. Spirituality is a guy out fishing thinking about God." From the book: 'Truth from Fireman Joe'

"We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid,or we can let them soften us, and make us kinder.We always have the choice." Tenzin Gyatso

"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems." Mahatma Gandhi

"I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.I just wish he didn't trust me so much" Mother Teresa

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,regardless of time, place, or circumstance.The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."--- An ancient Chinese belief

If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.--- Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev

If not through the door, then through the window! --- Russian proverb

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life.But here was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first,some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid.Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that this was my life.This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.Happiness Is the way.--- Fr. Alfred D Souza

I asked God, "How much time do I have before I die?"He replied, "Enough to make a difference" Unknown

My heart is so small it's almost invisible. How can You place such big sorrows in it? "Look," He answered, "your eyes are even smaller, yet they behold the world."
Jalal ad-Din Rumi

I didn't give you the gift of life, but in my heart I know the love I feel is deep and real, as if it had been so. For us to have each other is like a dream come true! No, I didn't give you the gift of life, life gave me the gift of you! - Anon.

The Long Way Home International Adoption from Russia

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

More great days for Khab families!

1 comment:

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