To Rescue Our Princess....an Adoption Story

We had a Merry Christmas and here's to another great year!

2012-01-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

I know...I am not the best at updating this blog. I swore when we adopted Everlyn that I would update the blog weekly. Obviously that has not happened. Gosh - I have not even blogged MONTHLY.... LOL

But as part of one of my "goals" for 2012 (I don't do resolutions...no one keeps resolutions...) I hope to blog more. But I plan to create a new FAMILY blog. More on that to come once I come up with a catchy title, layout, etc. :o)

I wanted to share some pictures of our Princess from Christmas though. She had a great time. Her favorite gift? A little pink broom! LOL!

My attempt at a picture of all 6 kids...

Everlyn in front of the tree...

Waiting patiently to open her envelope from Granny and Papa...

Wow....

2011-11-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I have not posted since April! I get the "blog slacker of the year" award!

So much has happened since April! Everlyn has grown so much! Her brothers and sister have grown so much! And we have a new baby...Erickson Miles arrived on August 1, 2011. Everlyn LOVES having a baby in the house. She loves holding him and says "Baby" now without being prompted.

Everlyn has been home a whole year now - we came home November 2, 2010. Seems like yesterday..... She has adjusted quite well and we love having her smiley little self around!

I know you want pictures....so, here ya go!

In her Matilda Jane "Nest Dress"

More Matilda Jane! This girl LOVES pretty clothes!

Yep, more Matilda Jane....

All dolled up for school!

With her "little brother" Elliston (who is 3.5 months younger)

Dressed as a "cowgirl" for her first Halloween in America!

Such a pretty girl!!!

So many updates...so little time...

2011-04-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

I have intended to update this blog about 101 times since my last post, but "something" always comes up. I know - excuses, excuses.....

First off, Everlyn was evaluated by our school district and "meets criteria for services" under the umbrella of "developmental delay." Super! We had her IEP meeting and she actually started in their preschool program the very next day! I was scrambling around like a crazy person that evening trying to get all of her school supplies. She is in a class of 20 children - half have some form of "special need" and half are "typical peers." Our district is inclusive at all age levels.... Everlyn LOVES school. She gets PT once a week, OT twice a week and ST twice a week. She has done very very well adjusting to her new school routine. She goes 4 afternoons per week for 3 hours each day. We applied to have Elliston enrolled beginning in the Fall as a "typical peer" and he was accepted into the program! So, next school year both of our 3 year olds will be in preschool 4 afternoons a week. YAY! :o)

Everlyn has been to see several more doctors since we have settled into our new home in Nashville. She saw her new pediatrician who ordered a repeat thyroid panel and started her on Zantac for some reflux.... Thyroid results came back EVER SO SLIGHTLY elevated....normal is less than 5.0 and hers was 5.1. We will have it repeated in a few months. She also went to see an audiologist to check her hearing. We had no concerns about her hearing, but the pediatrician wanted to get a baseline for hearing function. Children with Down syndrome can have decreased hearing due to several different factors. Everlyn passed with flying colors! We will return in a year just to check on her sweet little ears. She also saw the pediatric ophthalmologist. About 50-60% of children with Down syndrome will need glasses at some point in their childhood. She also passed this exam with flying colors! He did mention she had a very very slight astigmatism, but nothing he would correct at this point. He also gave us some drops to use for her intermittent "goopy eyes"....not pink eye....just goop. :o) She does not have to go back to see him until she starts Kindergarten! She also had her first visit to the Down Syndrome Center at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. The developmental pediatrician we saw there was great and was pretty smitten with our Princess. We will return there in about 6 months just to monitor her development, etc. Last, we saw a pediatric nurse practitioner in the Peds GI clinic at Vanderbilt. She also mentioned how cute our sweet girl is...of COURSE she is! :o) Her first question was "Does she have mosaic Down syndrome?" Ha! This sweet girl has everyone fooled! The PNP changed her Zantac liquid to Prevacid solu-tabs (YAY!) and gave us Lactulose for issues....at the other end. :o)

So, as you can see, she has been a very busy little girl but has settled in amazingly well. If she wasn't (essentially) non-verbal, I would not consider her "special needs".....she is often my easiest child! LOL! She just goes with the flow....and I appreciate that. We can't wait to see how she blossoms in the coming months/years.

I know you want pictures....but I need to download TONS off of my camera. I will post some soon...I promise.

In other news, I am now 23 weeks pregnant with #6. We found out it's a BOY (of course! LOL)...so much for adopting a little girl to add some estrogen to this testosterone zone! We are excited to meet him in early August. Everlyn doesn't have a clue! It will be interesting to see what she thinks of a new baby in the house. We had some indications several weeks ago that he might have DS like his big sister, but an amnio revealed that he has 46 chromosomes...not 47.

So, life in general has been busy. I started working full-time in January as a nurse on the Child/Adolescent psych unit at Vanderbilt. Then in March, I moved into an administrative RN position on nights. Basically, I am the "house supervisor" for night shift. Always interesting.... We are still settling into our new home...I feel like I may never feel "settled." Working full-time and five kids don't allow for much unpacking, organizing, etc. Hoping my nesting instinct kicks in soon...and the kids cooperate! :o) The kids are loving school, making friends and doing great in their new environment.

That's our "update" in a nutshell. I will try to post pics soon!

Let her eat cake!!!

2011-01-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday sweet Everlyn Grace!!!

Today is our little monkey's 3rd birthday. I must admit, it is bittersweet. Of course, we are THRILLED that she is home with us where she belongs.... But today is also the day, three years ago, that her birth parents met her, looked at her sweet face, and decided that she wasn't going home with them. THAT my friends breaks my heart. You see, not only is today her birthday, it is her "orphanversary"....the day she became an orphan.

This girl is perfect (minus some screeching here and there...LOL!). She is ours. And she is LOVED! :o)

Her party was Saturday and it was AWESOME! We celebrated with family and some very special friends! My friend Lori, who has a daughter with that "something extra" drove up from Atlanta to be here...and take some AWESOME pics. And another "new" friend, Tiffany was here too...with her daughter who was also blessed with that awesome extra chromosome. Yes, it was a GOOD day.

Here is a pic taken by Lori of Everlyn's "cake smash". Yes, I know this is a 1st birthday tradition, but if you think about it, this WAS her 1st birthday! Tiffany offered to bake the smash cake...which was ADORABLE!

More photos can be seen on Lori and Tiff's blogs.

So Happy Birthday sweet Princess! We love you so very much!

Tomorrow is a BIG day!

2011-01-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

It is Everlyn's 3rd birthday party! If you want to get technical, it is her FIRST birthday party...I am sure no one ever acknowledged her birthday in the past. So, while our girl is turning 3 (on the 26th), this is her FIRST birthday in so many ways! :o)

We are letting her do a little "cake smashing" since she never got the chance when she turned one. Yes, we will post pics.

Stay tuned for an ridiculous amount of cuteness!

Poor Neglected Blog!

2011-01-03T13:26:00.001-08:00

We are all still alive and well. It has been NUTS the last month and we are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.

So, I thought I would do a Top Ten Excuses for Why This Blog Has Been Neglected:

10. We moved to a new state on December 18th.

9. We moved to a new state on December 18th with FIVE kids.

8. Christmas was December 25th. :o)

7. The kids are starting a new school TOMORROW (Yay!) so we had to get all of that paperwork turned in, backpacks bought, school supplies rounded up, etc.

6. There are boxes and storage containers taking up my side of the garage...still...calling my name. I am trying to ignore them, however.

5. I have been pondering Everlyn's 3rd birthday party in late January. Our little monkey has chosen a monkey theme. (OK, so Mommy and Daddy chose it but she seems to like it).

4. I start my new job at Vanderbilt this week. I have been trying to get things done before then...somewhat successfully.

3. I am sometimes too busy "parenting" to remember to blog. ((gasp))

2. I am just plain exhausted.

And the number one excuse for why this blog has been so neglected.......

I AM PREGNANT! :o) (And therefore exhausted, tired, worn out and generally feel like crap.)

**I still need to download pics off my camera from the last month, but when I do, prepare yourselves for picture overload.

Wordless Wednesday..

2010-12-15T20:10:00.001-08:00

The results are in.....

2010-12-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

We finally got the results back from Everlyn's "chromosome analysis." Surprise...she has Down syndrome. LOL!

Actually - we did get a bit of a surprise though. Before and during her adoption, we were told that she had "suspected mosaic Down syndrome" or "slight Down syndrome" or "Down syndrome, but not deep" (my personal favorite.) Well, she does not have mosaic Down syndrome after all. But she does NOT have non-disjunction Down syndrome either...that is the most common form accounting for about 94-95% of all cases. This is the karyotype you see with 3 pretty little 21st chromsomes lined up nicely at the 21st "pair."

Nope - our girl has to be a bit more complicated. She is believed to have a Robertsonian translocation 21:21. What does THAT mean? It means instead of having the nice little trio of 21st "chromies" lined up, she has something more to the effect of "siamese twins and a singleton." Yep - two of her 21sts are stuck together, sitting nicely next to a third 21st.

What does this mean for Everlyn's health and development as opposed to mosaic DS? Not a darn thing really. :o)

Our tiny dynamo has gained TWO lbs in the past 6 weeks! WooHoo! Grow sweet girl grow!!!

And because I know you love pics, here are a few new favorites!!!

Holiday Card Sneak Peek!

2010-12-10T15:37:00.001-08:00

Here's a peek at our holiday cards. A special shout out to my friend Hillary for helping a stressed out mama (me!!!) out with these!

Holiday card side:

Adoption announcement:

I will try to post more soon. Our big move is in a week, but I do have a job lined up! YAY! I accepted a position on child/adolescent psych at Vanderbilt. :o) I will fill you in more in a bit.

Grab a Kleenex...or three....

2010-12-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

This song is so appropriate for us this Christmas since Everlyn now has a family...to tuck her in, to celebrate her (January) birthday, and so much more!

We've been home more than a month!

2010-12-04T02:17:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it! We have been home since November 2nd. It seems like we JUST got home...but also seems like Everlyn has always been a part of our family. Odd....

We got Everlyn's Certificate of US Citizenship in the mail! It's official! Some days I still have to pinch myself....(perhaps I am just shocked we survived it all! LOL)

I have to apologize for the lack of pictures on the blog recently. Life has just been NUTS lately with the move and everything. I promise to be better once we are settled - and I am sure I will have lots of Christmas pics to share! :o) A good friend took the pics for our holiday cards so I will post a "sneak peak" when I get those back...

I hope everyone in blog-land is enjoying the holiday season. My shopping is DONE...okay, I have to pick up one more item...but I know what it is and that is half the battle. I just need to wrap it all and get it under the still-needs-to-be-decorated tree. Geesh...always something to do. :o)

doctors, doctors and....more doctors....

2010-12-02T02:21:00.000-08:00

Everlyn is a trooper. I have taken her to just about every doctor you can think of...and have upcoming appointments for the ones you can't even think of...

General ped - Everlyn had her first visit with our awesome pediatrician the day after we got home. I think I posted about this appt, but she did well and we were told she looked GREAT! :o) And they took 6 tubes of blood...or something like that. It was a lot from such a small person!

Ped cardiology - We saw a terrific pediatric cardiologist at one of the local children's hospitals. The doctor was very sweet and could not hear a murmur at all, but wanted to check her over more thoroughly. They did an EKG (which was normal) and an echocardiogram. The echo showed that Everlyn was born with two holes in her tiny heart - a PFO (patent foramen ovale) and a VSD (ventricular septal defect). We were told about the PFO while in Ukraine, but we were told it had "resolved" on its own. The VSD was a surprise. Well, it turns out BOTH tiny holes have closed on their own so Everlyn needs no intervention and no more trips to the pediatric cardiology center. YAY!

Ped endocrinology - We got lucky and this appointment can wait - her initial labwork our pediatrician ordered showed that her thyroid is doing its job. We were told in Ukraine that she was hypothyroid. The physician who did her Embassy medical exam even said her records indicated she was taking a low dose of Synthroid. Well, no one at the orphanage ever mentioned her being on medication so who knows........ So, we will repeat this bloodwork in a few months and see where we are then. Until then, this appt can wait! :o)

Allergy/immunology - We think Everlyn is allergic to "something". Milk maybe? We aren't sure, but sometimes she spits up. Other times she breaks out, especially on her little hands. The allergist ordered some bloodwork that I have not had drawn yet...I am waiting to see if any of the other doctors we plan to see want labs so we can minimize the needles for my sweet girl.

Ped opthalmology - When we were in Ukraine, Everlyn's eyes "dripped" almost constantly, especially her right eye. And they would get "goopy" at times. I wondered about a blocked tear duct. Now, it seems better, but I plan to still take her since children with Ds can have issues related to their eyes, vision, etc.

Ped dentist - Everlyn had her first dentist appointment already. She and her siblings...yes, I took all FIVE kids to the dentist at the same time...came out of there without one single cavity! WOOHOO!!!!!!! She is just now getting her top incisors and is missing a baby tooth in the bottom right side. Dentist says it could mean it is just missing...it could mean it is late coming in. He also said she may or may not have that permanent tooth. We opted to skip x-rays since it doesn't really matter and there was no real reason to "traumatize" her with more "baby torture" that day..... :o)

Ped GI - I need to make this appt. Poor girl has some GI issues. Not sure what exactly. She spits up, has oddly icky-smelling poo (aren't you glad you read this blog entry...?), etc. We shall see what the GI doc has to say... I am stumped really. Maybe the milk thing? I will keep you posted.

Dermatology - Yep, this poor little girl has eczema and gets random rashes. I haven't taken her to a derm yet, but I need to make an appt for her. ((sigh))

Genetics - We likely won't have to see a genetics doctor, but we did have a chromosome analysis done. I was told it can take 2-3 weeks to get those results. We were told she had "suspected mosaic Down syndrome", "slight Down syndrome" and "Down syndrome, but not deep." (I am sure something gets a bit skewed in translation. LOL! Basically, because she is "healthy" and rather high functioning (other than speech, it is hard to find a "delay" with her), it could just be assumed it is mDs as opposed to Ds. Out of curiosity, we just want to know for sure...and it should go without saying that the results do NOT matter to us. We just want to know.... My pediatrician says his money is on mDs....we shall see!

Did I miss any???? :o)

Aside from all of that...which is NOT a big deal in the grande scheme of things...Everlyn is doing so so so well! I can't wait to see her face when she sees our Christmas tree for the first time! Eric has it put together (at our new house in TN), and it is just waiting for me to decorate it. It is a 12 foot tree so she will either be mesmerized by the lights, or terrified by the sheer size of the darn thing. Either way, it is fun to experience things for the "first time" through her eyes.

I have a couple more weeks of work. My last night is December 17th. We move on the 18th. Ahhhhhh............ In the end, it will all be worth it but right now my head feels like it may explode with so many "to-do" lists and such. Pray for my sanity! Moving with 5 kids (one being new), to a new state, a week before Christmas...it should TOTALLY be illegal!

Today I am thankful....

2010-11-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

...for these five amazing blessings! :o)

I love naps!

2010-11-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

I personally RARELY get one, but nap time just might be my favorite time of day.... You know that feeling...when the moon and stars and the entire universe align and BOTH 2-year-olds nap at the same time. Ahhh.....bliss! Of course, I generally spend this time doing laundry, straightening up, etc. Not exactly "down" time, but fabulous nonetheless.

Here is a pic from nap time today. Is there anything on Earth sweeter than this? I think not...

Our poor neglected blog....and some updates for you!

2010-11-20T00:59:00.000-08:00

Well, I get the "Crappy Blogger" award. I had the best of intentions. I had planned to blog every day, or at least every other day, once we returned home. Well.....I am WAY too busy these days.

Here is a little glimpse into what is going on in our world....

1. Eric has a new job. He LOVES it and it is going very very well. (He manages a natural stone company - granite, marble, etc).

2. Eric's new job isn't in St. Louis. It is in Nashville, TN...aka NashVegas! :o)

3. Eric is already working there.

4. For now, I am a pseudo-single-parent to five kids ages 8 and under. Yeah, fun stuff!

5. We try to make it to Nashville as often as we can for a few days here and there.

6. I still work full time nights as a charge nurse on an adolescent psych unit in St. Louis. (My mom watches the kids on those nights...no worries).

7. We are MOVING to Nashville in December, right before Christmas.

8. We have a new house there.

9. We need to sell/lease our house in St. Louis. (UGH doesn't begin to describe it.)

10. I need to find a job in Nashville...something part time would be good. And something I love is strongly preferred. :o)

11. We are adjusting to a new family member - that is going very well!

12. Everlyn has some doctor's appts to go to in the next few weeks (ped cardiology etc) so stay tuned for that update.

13. I am usually done or almost done with Christmas shopping by now. Nope...NOT even close this year.

14. I am sick. I am always sick. I have been sick since a week before we left for Ukraine. I can't seem to totally "kill the funk." 4 rounds of antibiotics isn't doing the trick. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. :o(

15. I need to get the kids enrolled in school in TN. They are SO excited to start at their new school and meet new friends. (And I am excited FOR them). I think a fresh start and "change of scenery" is going to be great for the entire family.

16. I have to pack up our entire house. Let me just tell you...five kids accumulate a LOT of stuff. We are de-cluttering some things, but man oh man, we have way more "stuff" than should be legal....

17. I need to get Christmas pictures done. We plan to send out a dual Christmas card / adoption announcement this year. :o)

18. And even with all of this to keep me busy....I have started thinking about Everlyn's 3rd birthday party. Even though she is going to be 3, she has never had a birthday party. She has never had a birthday cake, she has never blown out candles, she has never had birthday presents...or balloons. I wonder if anyone has ever sang Happy Birthday to her...or even acknowledged her special day? Well, she is going to have a party in January, and I am trying to decide what exactly we will do to celebrate her "first" birthday with us!

I will try to be a better blogger, but forgive me for the next month or so as I try to "survive" the madness that is my life right now. But....life is good!

Our Adoption Journey Photo Montage

2010-11-11T21:02:00.001-08:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Homecoming Pictures!!!

2010-11-08T11:25:00.001-08:00

Well....here they are. A few pics of our homecoming will follow this brief blog post! :o) All along, I had planned this big elaborate homecoming post, but honestly....I don't have time to give great detail. LOL! I will say it was a LONG day (that started off terribly), but Everlyn was an angel on the flights and in the end, WE MADE IT HOME...and that my friends is all that matters!

We are adjusting to life as a family of seven. So many changes for us (with more to come) but Everlyn is adjusting VERY well and the other kids love having her around. Life is hectic...and laundry is never-ending! LOL

OK - here are some pics:

Home at last!

Happy to be done with planes!

Meeting her siblings and cousins for the first time!

Emersen was so excited to meet her new "baby sister" that she cried...which in turn made Mommy cry!

Mommy with her 5 kiddos. Daddy is absent from these pics because he had to go out of town for work at the last minute. :o(

This is one tired girl after a 30 hour day with just a couple of naps....

Busy...busy....

2010-11-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new normal....BUSY! :o) We were busy before but I think busy is just our "normal".... Surprisingly I am not super stressed out (yet)...although my house does look like a bomb went off...and it does bother me. But I am trying to embrace the mess... LOL!

We got home around 630pm last night. I will save the "homecoming" blog post for a time when I have more pics to share. My awesome friend Hillary took some for me and I am waiting to get them from her....

Here is a sneak peek from my sister though. Me with my 5 kiddos! :o)

I took Everlyn to see our pediatrician at 9am this morning. Dr. Carney was very impressed with her immunization records and said she looked GREAT! He heard no heart murmur (she reportedly had a patent foramen ovale at one point but it has "resolved") and said she was 75% for height and almost 50% for weight on the Down syndrome growth chart! YAY! She would have been the 5% and 3% respectively on the "typical" growth chart. He did order some labwork to check her thyroid since she is actually on Synthroid for hypothyroidism (although no one mentioned this to me until our medical exam for the Embassy appt - lovely.) He also ordered a CBC, lead level, HIV, RPR, etc etc etc. She was such a trooper despite having FOUR tubes of blood taken! We did not do a karyotype at this time but will in the near future...this is a chromosome test to determine if she does indeed have mosaic Down syndrome (as opposed to "traditional" Trisomy 21). Our pediatrician is thinking she does indeed have mDs just by his examination of her but who knows... And honestly, it does not matter one bit to us!

Here she is leaving the pediatrician's office. Two shots and four tubes of blood won't keep this happy girl from smiling!

We had a busy day on our first day home. My sister and her 3 kids are here. We ventured to the mall. Oh wow - poor little pumpkin isn't too sure about the mall. I think she gets a wee bit overstimulated at times. And who can blame her....the 4 stark white walls of an orphanage are vastly different that a busy shopping mall!

Here is Elliston and Everlyn cruising around in their stroller. Elliston loves his new sister but doesn't love strollers... LOL!

Here is a shirt I found on the clearance rack at Gap! YAY!

I am sure tomorrow is another busy day so I am going to head to bed. Detailed homecoming post will follow in the next few days I am sure.... :o)

We're HOME!!!!!!!!

2010-11-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

I am beyond exhausted, but we did it...we made it back HOME!!!!! Yay!

Everlyn has her first pediatrician appt in the morning (bright and early...ugh!). I will have a LOT of blog about tomorrow. But tonight, I need SLEEP...in my own bed! :o)

Day 30 - WE ARE OUTTA HERE!!!!!

2010-11-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

I should really be sleeping....or packing. But, nope. I am online.

I cannot believe this amazing, incredible, scary, awesome, frustrating, unbelievable, seemingly-never-ending journey is ALMOST over. At 645am Ukraine time, we will be on a plane headed home...where our journey as a family of 7 will finally begin!

This adoption journey has taught us so much.

People comment on how blessed Everlyn is to have a family...truth is, we are the ones who have been blessed.

People say we "saved" her....I truly believe this precious little girl has saved us.

We cannot wait to get home and introduce her to her sister and brothers who have wanted her...prayed for her...and loved her, when all we had was a photograph. Now...she is real. She is their sister....forever.

God is so good!

Day 29 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

2010-10-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

I had REALLY hoped we would be home by now so Miss Everlyn could trick-or-treat with her sister and brothers. Oh well - she will be SO ready next year!

Since we missed the festivities, Everlyn took it upon herself to "create" a costume out of the sheers in our apartment here. They are designed to separate the living area from the bedroom. She saw them and thought "Costume!"

Warning....the following pictures contain a scary amount of CUTE! You have been warned....

Day 28 - Are we there yet???

2010-10-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yep...that's how I feel... "There" being HOME of course!

Today was pretty much like yesterday. My mom walked to McDonald's and got us lunch. I stayed at the apartment with a napping Princess. Again...glad someone is sleeping so well! :o)

Then we met up with other RR families at a German restaurant here in Kiev. The food was great and we had a private little room all to ourselves! Maybe they were being accommodating of our large group...or maybe they were trying to hide all of these rowdy Americans! LOL!

The street outside the restaurant was closed, there was live music and lots of LIGHTS. So, yes...I took pictures!

Tomorrow will be much the same. Groundhog Day....again. Monday we pick up her Visa and Tuesday is GO HOME DAY! We pretty excited that another family is on our first two flights with us. YAY!

Day 27 - A day of rest

2010-10-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Today we did NOTHING. Yep, nada. Ok, so yes we ate and played and napped. Well, Everlyn napped. With all of the excitement we've had, we figured she just needed a day to unwind. (Or maybe WE needed a day to unwind.)

We did walk to a nearby pizza place for lunch. As usual, ordering was fun. :o) They have an English menu, but don't speak English so lots of pointing and nodding...and praying when it arrives it is something close to what we wanted...and edible. It was perfect...AND GOOD.

We are hoping to maybe walk around a bit more tomorrow, depending on the weather. I would love to take Everlyn to a toy store several blocks from here. It is the one we went into when we were here in Kiev waiting to travel to her region to meet her. Oh the memories! LOL

Sorry - no new pics. (I know...total waste of a blog post, right?) I promise to give you a dose of adorable tomorrow.

Day 26 - Embassy appt, medical exam and meeting with friends

2010-10-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

Today we took Everlyn to her Embassy appointment and applied for her Visa! Then "Uncle Nico" took us for her medical exam (required to issue the visa). All went well and we should pick up her Visa at 2pm Monday and fly out at 645am Tuesday morning! WOOHOO!!!!!

Then we came back to our apartment and decided to walk a block to McDonalds. :o) This girl LOVES her some french fries. Then back to the apartment for a much needed nap. Poor girl was so tired she fell asleep in the floor while playing. (For the record, I did not get a much needed nap.....)

Then, we arranged to meet a few other Reece's Rainbow families at the now infamous TGIFridays for dinner. It was so awesome to be able to chat with other families and of course, meet all of the CUTIES!!!!!

So, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are just "free days"....too bad I couldn't spend those days AT HOME....but we are SO close. Finally! And now we know there are other awesome families here...that SPEAK ENGLISH! Bonus!

And I just want to say, I feel SOOOOOOO incredibly blessed by this little girl. She has been just amazing and I am grateful to be her mommy!

Day 25 - It's GOTCHA DAY!!!!

2010-10-27T02:44:00.000-07:00

And we've GOT HER! :o)

I posted pics on Facebook but do not have time to copy them here or to "officially" blog right now. We decided to skip the overnight train b/c our driver (bless his heart) offered to drive us there by car which will take half the time. Costs a bit more but the train is so.....train-like! UGH!

I promise once we get to Kiev around bedtime (and I get sleeping beauty to bed), I will give details and make a "proper" GOTCHA DAY post!

Just wanted to let you all know....we have our girl!!!!!!

OK - here's ONE pic....playing one last time in the playroom floor while mom gathers the last bit of important papers.

Day 24 - Paperwork and a Passport

2010-10-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

That's what we accomplished today. We completed all necessary paperwork and were able to get Everlyn a "red" (one-day) passport. YAY!

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY! That's right....it's GOTCHA DAY! I am so excited! :o) I will post pics as soon as I can - I promise!

We will be headed back to Kiev on the train tomorrow night. Then it's Embassy appointment and HOME...we could fly home Saturday, or it could be Tuesday, depending on what we can accomplish at the Embassy. But either way, it is SOON!

OK - for your viewing pleasure, here is the world's most adorable passport. No really....it does NOT get much cuter than this. I didn't even think we would get this today and was told not to worry about clothes for her today. But the opportunity arose to get this done so the baby home dressed her and a caregiver even went with us. Prepare yourself for insane cuteness....and yes, the passport number and birthdate have been blurred intentionally to protect her privacy....

Day 23 - THE WAIT IS OVER...sort of....

2010-10-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, today was Day 10 of our 10-day waiting period! WE MADE IT! Yippeee!

But our "wait" is not entirely over. Tomorrow is a day of chasing papers....court decree, new birth certificate (with OUR names listed as her parents...brings about odd emotions honestly), closing her bank accounts (yes orphans have accounts here that the government makes periodic deposits to - this is donated back to the orphanage), something about a tax ID number and trying to get her passport. Some regions do "red" passports which are done the same day...other regions do "blue" passports which can take 4-5 days. YUCK! I am not entirely clear which "color" our region falls into to be honest. Purple maybe? :o)

With all this paper-chasing, I was told WEDNESDAY would be Gotcha Day! While I am SO excited, I am a little disappointed that I have to wait ONE MORE DAY. OK, so I am a lot disappointed, but what can do???? We are planning to take gifts for the Director and staff, fresh flowers, cookies and bananas for the kiddos as well as a large gift bag full of clothes/shoes to donate. It will be like a party! :o) I hope to get lots of cute pictures to share! And yes, her outfit is all ready to go! I can't wait to say goodbye to "Orphan Couture's" fall line....

With this delay (yes, one day is a delay to this travel-weary momma), instead of flying home Friday as I had hoped, it will likely be Tuesday at the earliest due to Embassy holidays and the weekend. Darn it.

So - that's about all I have tonight. Visits today were fun. I will add a few pics which will look a lot like yesterday's since she is sporting the same coat and hat....

Day 22 - One More Day....but...

2010-10-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

Today we are 90% done with our wait. Tomorrow (Monday) is Day 10 of the 10-day waiting period. HOORAY!

I know Tuesday will be a busy day gathering the paperwork we need and I assumed (foolishly perhaps) that it would also be GOTCHA DAY. When speaking with my facilitator today I mentioned wanting to be sure I had her outfit ready for when we took her from the baby home on Tuesday. She replied that "maybe Wednesday" would be the day that (finally) happened, but "not Tuesday" because there is so much left to do. I would be a big fat liar if I said I was not upset, frustrated, disappointed and sad. I mean....we went to court, we waited our 10 days, NOW can I please have my baby, thankyouverymuch? I guess it doesn't work that way. I told her we are "ready to go".... Still praying that by some miracle (which I think it may take at this point) we get everything done that needs to be done, can get Everlyn from the baby home, and hop on the overnight train to Kiev....all on Tuesday. Wish us luck!!!

Everlyn was a bundle of energy today. Our morning visit was outside, while we spent the afternoon visit indoors. I had my "real" camera for the morning visit so I got some cute pictures. I didn't bring it to the afternoon visit and wouldn't you know it...they had her dressed so cute this afternoon so I snapped a few pics with the crappy iPhone camera. I will include a couple of those too...because when it comes to pictures, I think blog followers prefer quantity over quality, right? :o)

Here are some pics from this morning:

Here are some pics from this afternoon (she was apparently out of smiles by then, at least for the camera):

Day 21 - 3 weeks here and the wait is nearly over!

2010-10-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

Yes folks...80% done! Two more days...4 more visits... I will spare you the hours/minutes countdown....

I have been over here for 3 weeks now. I would be lying if I said I wasn't BEYOND ready to leave this place. Sure - it is interesting and hope to tell Everlyn all about it one day, but it is NOT home. Not even close......

I have noticed something. My favorite little (former) orphan does not act like one. :o) I have watched the other children in her baby home, I have seen pictures and videos that other families have shared along their journeys. Yep - my little firecracker is not the norm. Most of the kids will sit on the blanket, purposefully stretched out on the floor in the playroom, content to play with one or two toys for what seems like hours. They are content to examine their hands as a form of amusement. They stare off into space as if there is something really intriguing there. Well, NOT Miss Everlyn! She is into everything: opening cabinets, digging in the wastebasket under the desk, climbing on the small table even though I have said "nyet" (no) 1800 times. She throws toys out of baskets and knocks them off shelves...just to laugh at the mess she has made. She runs around the room pulling a toy airplane by a tattered string, laughs at herself in the shiny reflection of a polished wooden cabinet and pouts when she doesn't get her way....a pout that turns to a devilish grin when she realizes you are staring at her with a big smile on your face. She will go sit in a chair across the room, just so she can charge at me with her arms stretched out, waiting for a big mommy hug. This game never gets old....not from where I am sitting, waiting for her to jump in my lap and hug my neck. And then she's off again......

Oh my goodness...this girl is animated! And you know what? I would not want her ANY other way! It is obvious that this little love bug has been well-cared for. Everyone at the baby home knows her by name and has to give her hugs, kisses and a little pat of affection when they see her. God has watched over her until her Mommy and Daddy come come for her and bring her home. For all of this, we are grateful.

Day 20 - 70 percent done with this wait...

2010-10-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

Wow...70%! Now we're gettin' somewhere!

Today was much like every other day here. Imagine that.

We did hit the open air market today. I walked my mom all over this town. LOL! We bought some "souvenirs" for the kids at home, including the cousins (my sister has had my 4 kids plus her 3 during our trip). We walked to our favorite restaurant here, Zeppelin, and then walked backed towards the market. I got some medicine I needed (with the help of my facilitator..I called her on my cell phone and let her tell the pharmacist what I needed). Hey - whatever works, right?

Visits were fun - as always. She is mommy's little ray of sunshine on otherwise dreary, boring days. I forgot my camera today. D'oh! I will try to get some new pics of the pretty pretty Princess tomorrow!

I will show you a few pics we took from the balcony of our hotel.

This is a port city and I was able to get a shot of that area of town..although it is far away. It is the best I could do....

Here is a large apartment building nearby. Most people here live in tall apartment buildings, many without elevators, as opposed to single-family homes.

Here are a few pics of a nearby church that is currently undergoing some renovations.

Tomorrow is HOPEFULLY our last Saturday here.... Hooray for that!!!

Day 19 - We are 60 percent done waiting......

2010-10-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

For some reason, 60% done sounded further along than 6 of 10 days done. I know - same thing, but it's all about perspective right now! :o) So, 60% done waiting it is.....

Two fun visits today. She had fun with the puffy Dora stickers my mom brought her...but she quickly moved onto playing with the large empty water bottles someone had thrown away and the dried pine cones left on someone's desk. Have I mentioned that this girl is BUSY?

We did learn more about her mystery rash - it seems to be something rather yucky and contagious so we are working to make sure it is treated properly. Poor sweet muffin - I feel so bad for her!

Nothing else to report...just chuggin' along during this wait. Sorry - no pics from today - except of her rash to send to my nurse friends...you don't really want to see those do you? I didn't think so.

We hope to hit the market tomorrow between visits for a few goodies!

Thanks for all of the comments and prayers!

Day 18 - Day 5 of 10-Day Wait...HALFWAY THERE!

2010-10-20T12:12:00.001-07:00

WooHoo! Our wait is HALF over! Get excited!

Today was interesting.... We arrived at the baby home for our morning visit, only to be told Everlyn was going to the hospital for a "consultation." I asked if everything was OK and they assured me she was fine; it was just a check-up. They said just come back for the 4pm visit. So we had to call our facilitator and have her call our driver and tell him to come back and get us. As we were waiting for him to arrive to take us back to our hotel, two nurses walked out of the baby home, each carrying a small child. I recognized Everlyn right away and waved. She saw me and started to whine but was whisked away into a waiting car, headed for the hospital. I won't lie...it is REALLY hard to be that little girl's mommy and have ZERO control over what is happening to her. Ahhh.....5 more days of waiting.

So we come back to the hotel. It's 10:30am. What on Earth are we going to do until 4pm? So I played on the internet for a bit, took a short nap, etc. Then our facilitator called. She got a call from the baby home Director letting her know that Everlyn had "dermatitis" and it was contagious. The Director wanted to know if we had any skin issues. Nope. We're good - she didn't get "whatever she has" from us. She told me that if we developed any issues t let her know and she would be sure we got some "ointment" for it. Super. Here's my issue: "dermatitis" is NOT contagious. I am wondered if this is being translated loosely somewhere along the way. My first thought was "OMG - scabies!" Sadly, scabies is all too common in settings like orphanages. But it doesn't look like typical scabies. Problem is, it doesn't look like typical ANYTHING I have seen. Only time will tell I guess. ((sigh)) I hope they are slathering her up good with that "ointment." Again....it is so hard to have no control......

We went back for our 4pm visit and she was happy as can be. Boy oh boy...is she a BUSY one. And this girl is QUICK! You can't take your eyes off of her for a second; she is into everything! I tried so hard to take some pictures of her for Daddy and brothers/sister/cousins etc back home....she would NOT hold still for a second. She kept running towards me every time I pulled the camera out. She wanted to sit in my lap and see the pictures I took...I tried to explain to her than you have to let me take the pictures FIRST, and then we can sit down and look at them. She didn't understand a bit of that. :o) She was wanting all kinds of mommy snuggles today and I was happy to oblige! Of course, she also tried to escape from the playroom 3-4 times too...yep, she's a wild one!

So - for your viewing pleasure, this is the BEST I could do today. Photographing a moving target is no easy task!

Love the sprout, don't you?

Planning her next move....

And this one is my favorite from today. I tried to explain to her (in English...there's problem number one. LOL!) that I cannot take her picture if she is IN my lap. She wouldn't budge so I held the camera up, showing her how it wouldn't focus to let me take a pic from so close. Wouldn't you know it? The darn camera focused and took a picture. She totally proved me wrong. I have a feeling this little girl is going to prove a LOT of people wrong.....

Day 17 - Today is Day 4 of this God-forsaken wait

2010-10-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I hate this wait. Betcha couldn't tell.....

Today was another COLD, rainy, dreary day in Ukraine. But, we got to visit little Miss Sunshine and she is enough to brighten anyone's day! This girl is something..... LOL!

Since it was so yucky outside we got to stay inside and play. I came armed with foam, sparkly shape stickers! She LOVED them. And Mommy had fun too!

Mom and I also ordered food for dinner from an Irish pub here that delivers to our hotel. Their chicken is good, but man oh man...I LOVE their fried potatoes! There goes any hope I had of losing a little weight on this trip.

Tomorrow is another day of the same ol' thing. But every day brings us that much closer to HOME! Hooray for that!

Day 16 - Day 3 of the LONGEST 10 days of my life

2010-10-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

:o) No, really..........

My mom made it to Kherson today so she got to go to both visits. My little gal showed "GiGi" her spunky side.....this girl has so much personality! She is strong-willed, busy and bright! (Yes, she has Ds, but I am telling you right now NOTHING gets by her.....) And she gives GREAT snuggles when she holds still long enough. And during the afternoon visit, they brought her to us rockin' not one....not two....but FOUR pigtails! It was hilarious! I have a pic on my phone and will upload it at some point... (Who am I kidding....I will never get around to it. Just trust me.....it was cute!)

Then I took Mom to our favorite restaurant, Zeppelin. Eric and I ate there every night while he was here. We walk in, they show us to our table and break out the English menus...automatically. LOL!

Eric is flying out BRIGHT & EARLY in the am. Pray for his safe travels from Kiev to St. Louis. I think he is on the same flight out of Kiev as the Falvo family...their blog is linked on the left - "I Love Ya More than Cookies."

More visits tomorrow...yep, Ground Hog Day...... But I keep thinking that ONE WEEK from tomorrow we should be able to pick up our court decree, her passport, her new birth certificate and oh yeah.....BUST HER OUTTA THAT BABY HOME FOR GOOD!!!! :o)

Oh - and speaking of Gotcha Day, I think I have FINALLY decided on her outfit for her very special day. It was down to two choices, but I decided that one of them may need to be exchanged for a different size. I cannot wait to see her all dressed up in HER clothes....clothes that MATCH...right down to the hair bows and shoes!!! :o)

Day 15 - It's Day 2 of the waiting game

2010-10-17T04:01:00.000-07:00

EIGHT MORE DAYS........no, not 'til we come home (I WISH), but 8 more days to wait before we can finalize things here in her region, head back Kiev for our Embassy appt and then FLY HOME. I am so so so ready. Well, I am NOT so ready to entertain a VERY busy and rather independent toddler on an international flight (3 flights really)...or on the 12.5 hour train ride back to Kiev for that matter. But each step brings us that much closer to HOME! Hooray!

We moved into a new place here. Our first place was an apartment - what we might consider a duplex really - but it was being torn down to make way for a multi-story apartment building. Eric and I joke that it was actually being condemned. OK, so it wasn't THAT bad....well, anyways. We shopped around for a place to move into and decided on Hotel Imperial. It has a large living area with a leather sofa, dining room table, TV, fireplace etc and a nice large comfortable bedroom with a REAL MATTRESS. We have been sleeping on "futon-like" mattresses or pull-outs up to this point. But my favorite part of this place is the bathroom! It has a sink (our last place did not!), HOT water (our last place did not!) and heated tile floors (do I need to say that the last place did not? LOL) Yes, it is costing us a bit more, but we had budgeted for about $50-60 USD per night for lodging and the first place here was only $35.....so we can justify spending a little more now to balance it all out, right? Plus, it is nice to be COMFORTABLE while we wait. Oh - and they will do your laundry for you too (for a fee). And they wash AND dry! After more than 2 weeks in the same few sets of clothes, this is PRICELESS!

Here are some pics of the new digs:

Day 14 - It's Day 1 of our 10 Day Waiting Period

2010-10-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh........I hate waiting!!! Only 9 more days and we can begin the final paper-chasing (pick up court decree, get her new birth certificate, her passport, etc) and finally bring this little girl home where she belongs!!!

We had great visits today. It was cool and damp this morning and Everlyn wasn't overly thrilled to be outside, but this afternoon she had a blast running around....and of course, wearing mommy's sunglasses.

Tomorrow is another day of visits and then my mom ("GiGi") will be here Monday morning to "wait" with me.

Day 13 - It's LUCKY 13 for us....

2010-10-15T09:41:00.001-07:00

It's OFFICIAL!!!!!! We are the very proud parents to FIVE children!

There is ONE LESS orphan in the world today! By order of a Ukrainian court, our little girl is an orphan no more!!!!

From this day forward, she is Everlyn Grace Smith...a daughter, grand-daughter, sister, niece, cousin and of course...American / Ukrainian Princess!!!!

We are SOOOOOO excited! We were NOT expecting court until early next week, but somehow we managed to have court TODAY...and good thing since the judge was leaving town for a week! LOL! More blog posts with more details (and yes, PICS) to come...but we are EXHAUSTED!

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Everlyn Grace, Born 1.26.08 - Adopted 10.15.10

Day 12 - Guess what we have???

2010-10-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

INTERPOL CLEARANCE!!!!!!!! Woot Woot!!!

It has to be processed through the SDA in Kiev and an original sent to our region by train. We should have court Monday or Tuesday of next week....we hope!

Pray for a quick court date! We are ready to wrap this thing up! Stick a bow on her....we'll take her! :o)

Day 11 - Ground Hog Day

2010-10-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am aware of the date today.....but our days are starting to seem VERY similar to the movie Ground Hog Day.

We get up at the same time very day. Go to our morning visit. Come back to the apartment. Figure out what/where we are going to eat lunch. Upload any new pictures. Rest. Go to our afternoon visit. Figure out what/where we are going to eat dinner. Watch TV. Hang out online. Go to bed. Wake up and do it ALL OVER AGAIN. ((sigh))

The tough part is we can't even start the countdown yet. At least once we have court, we know (within a day or two) how many days we have left. Right now it is a guessing game...and a waiting game. UGH.

Interpol clearances....WHERE ARE YOU???????

Our visits today were fun! Miss Everlyn was as adorable as ever, even rockin' the "vegetable soup" hat. This hat is "orphan couture" at its finest! We played outside both visits and she had fun walking around, picking flowers, blowing bubbles, sliding down the slide...over and over.

And we get to wake up tomorrow and do it all over again...only this time, can we get some INTERPOL thrown in there? :o)

Day 10 - Happy Birthday...and Interpol

2010-10-12T09:53:00.001-07:00

Today is my birthday! What a great way to spend my special day...with my girl!

Our court papers were filed without issue. The judge said we can have court....just as soon as we get our pesky Interpol clearance. (This is kind of like an International FBI clearance.) We can't set a court date without this. But once we have it, we can schedule court for the very next day.

So, all I want for my birthday...or the day after....is for our Interpol clearances to come through!!! :o)

Our visits were great today - Everlyn was as sweet (and busy) as ever!

Day 9 - Getting things done...

2010-10-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a very busy day!

Our driver and facilitator picked us up at 9am. We usually go to the orphanage at 10:30am but today we needed to speak to the Director again. Tatianna, our facilitator, told us to tell the Director we loved Everlyn and wished to adopt her. We were also to tell her that we would appreciate it if she would prepare the necessary documents. Sounds easy enough... By the way, the Director has to file a document with the Court that states they feel it is in the child's best interest to be adopted by the hopeful adoptive parents.

So, we walk into the orphanage and head upstairs. As we are coming down the hall, Everlyn's groupa is leaving the music room going back to their room. One of the caregivers recognized us and said "(Her birth name)! Your mama! Your papa!" Everlyn looked up at us and grinned....and then ran down the hall giggling. It was pretty cute.

We go into the Director's office and sit down. She asks how the "bonding" was going, etc? We tell her what we had planned....that we loved this little girl and would like to adopt her. She seemed much more serious today (a case of the Mondays?) and began to speak. What we got in translation was this.... She has to be 100% sure that the child is comfortable with us, it isn't just about us loving the child, she has to love us back, we need 10 days to bond with her before she makes her decision, she needs to check with the caregivers to see what they have observed about our interactions, etc. ((head almost explodes)) 10 days BEFORE she makes her decision to give us the document we need? Eric's jaw tightens... Migraine sets in.... How can I prove to her this child "loves us back"....she has known us 3 days, we are virtual strangers to her. She has spent all but one month of her 2.5 years in this orphanage. She has NEVER seen a man for crying out loud! Trying not to panic....

so, we tell her we understand and thank her and leave her office and head to the playroom for our morning visit. Usually the workers are in and out during our visit. Nope, not today. 3 or 4 of them are huddled over at the desk talking, pretending to work I think. Yep....we are being watched. This is our audition for adoptive parenthood. Here goes.....

In walks Everlyn...looking as cute as ever with that HUGE purple bow. Lucky for us, this little girl was in an awesome mood this morning. We played, sang, walked, played some more, colored pictures, snuggled and laughed. After about an hour, our facilitator came back in and said "I think it is time for her to eat." so we picked up her toys and gave her a few more hugs and kisses and sent her back to her groupa. Eric asked "So, how'd we do?" LOL! Tatiannas's response was "Director will have the document ready by noon.' YIPPEE! Eric kept teasing me about my "performance" but hey...I got the job done. We really did have a great time with her...it was just so awkward to be "judged" on our visit. I understand why they do this....and they ADORE this little girl and want only the best for her which I can appreciate.

We head to the notary to sign 3-4 documents. This is NOT like notaries in the US. notaries here are higher-ranking officials. They have to go to university, law school and work under a notary for 3 years. There was a young girl running all over to prepare the documents, check our passports and then once they were ready, we went into this FANCY room (think molding out the ying-yang with gold scrolly accents everywhere). There was a woman sitting at a large desk with a table in front of it. We sat down at the table, signed where we were told to sign, Tatianna paid the notary (who never really looked up at us), and the notary stamped the papers and that was that.

Then we headed back to the Regional Inspector's office. We also need their approval to file our court documents. They also must say it is in her best interest that we adopt her. Since we didn't meet the Inspector on Friday, we needed to speak with her today. She asked us how the visits were going. We told her how the visits were going well, how sweet and adorable she is, etc. Then she got a very serious look on her face and asked if we were aware of her diagnosis. (I think they are afraid to say Down syndrome here. LOL) We said yes, that it did not matter to us one bit and that we still very much wanted to adopt this precious little girl. She looked at another women in the room, and the two kind of rolled their eyes, shrugged their shoulders and both smiled and nodded. They genuinely DO NOT understand why anyone would want a child with Ds, much less adopt one. Their culture is NOT accepting of "diseases" such as Ds...yes, to them these children are "sick". I think they think we are insane.... I don't care. We love her...Ds and all! :o) We showed them our family photo albums and they liked them. We thanked them, got the document we needed and left.

We had a bit of time before the Director was to have our document ready so we went to a great pizza place for a quick lunch. We tried a "chicken crepe" which was like a very thin pancake with chicken, cheese and mushrooms in it.

Back to the orphanage we went. We picked up the document we needed. The caregivers were standing around and were MUCH friendlier than they had been that morning. I guess we passed the test! They even mentioned how it is my birthday tomorrow...not sure how they knew. :o)

So, back to the notary we went to get our last document notarized. It is our "petition" to the court stating (once again) that we are aware of her diagnosis (all of them), her social history and that we (still) would like to be considered as adoptive parents. Same thing.....we sign where told to, notary gets paid, stamps the paper and never says a word to us. I wonder what she is thinking...

Back to the apartment for a quick rest and then back to the orphanage for our afternoon visit. I am not sure if I was just worn out from all of the running around we did, but BOY OH BOY was this girl busy this afternoon!!!!! She was ALL OVER that toy room! She did sit down for a few rounds of Patty-Cake with Mommy and even sat on Daddy's lap to color Princess pictures with her Color Wonder markers....but most of the time she was on the move! Watch out world! She's a busy one! :o) When our time was up, we gave her back to a caregiver and went downstairs to where our driver was waiting. We saw her groupa playing outside. We felt SO bad that she missed the chance to go outside! Maybe we will get to take her outside tomorrow.

We had our driver drop us off at our favorite restaurant here, Zeppelin. We LOVE this place. They have a menu in English and amazing food that is reasonably priced...and COKE. :o) We ate and then walked the 4-5 blocks back to our apartment.

Here's Zeppelin:

We are TIRED tonight.....

Our facilitator is meeting with the judge at 9am to file our paperwork. She said that we should have a better idea of a court date after tomorrow. PRAYING it is early next week....although we are available this week too. LOL!

Day 8 - One week, one day....

2010-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

That's how long we have been here...or on our way here....

I cannot get pictures to upload to Blogger. Our connection isn't awesome but it is what it is. I have lots of pics posted on FB though. Once I have a better internet connection (which may be once we get HOME), I will go back and add the pics to these posts. Not ideal, but not much else I can do.

Today we had a great morning visit. Everlyn came to us ready to play. She's really warming up to us. She seems very smart and has obviously been well cared for. She imitates everything we do and many things we say. She has such a fun, silly personality. I showed her another pair of shoes I wanted to try on her and her face lit up...she immediately plopped herself down in my lap and started pulling off her shoes so we could try the new ones on. They fit and she loved them ....they are 18-24 month Pedipeds. She's a little thing at 2.5.

After our visit we went back to our apartment and dropped off some things and headed to our new favorite restaurant here. They may get sick of us! They have an English menu and serve coke in little glass bottles. Love this place! The food is AMAZING! We were stuffed when we left and our bill was less than $20 and that included 2 entrees, an seafood appetizer (for Eric), my Coke and his HUGE beer. :o) Then we walked through the open air market...so interesting. A pair of older women (babushkas) had two little playpens set up and they were selling kittens! Oh my....those things were FULL of kittens. They were cute but since I am REALLY allergic, we just smiled and walked on past. Eric did buy a watch in a little clock/watch store.

It is really nice and HUGE....$25 USD. What a deal!

We then headed back to our apartment to wait for our driver for our afternoon visit. He didn't show up so we were worried and called Tatianna our facilitator. Apparently he had been in an accident so a new driver came. Our driver is fine....no worries, but let me just tell you...these people drive like MANIACS. You can't imagine it unless you have seen it. We arrived about 20 minutes late for our visit so I was bummed since we only get 1.5 hours per visit. As we went to her groupa to let them know we were there, the nurse came out with her and pointed down the stairs. At first I thought she was telling is to leave. She scurried off with Everlyn and emerged with her all bundled up in a coat, hat and boots. Ahhhh....she was telling us we could take her outside. Thank goodness for the game of "charades!"

The nurse didn't want me to carry Everlyn down the steep stairs...she indicated to me that she could do it...and she did! I am SO happy they have encouraged her motor development. That girl is a pro on the stairs. We went outside and tried to make the most of it. It has been raining here for a couple of days so the playground was a muddy mess so we settled on the swing. She LOVED it. Then we tried the merry-go-round....and it started to rain. For fear we would be scolded for keeping her outside while it was sprinkling, we picked her up and headed back inside. Everlyn was NOT happy. Honestly, I haven't really heard her cry but she can whine and whimper with the best of them. I am however quite confident she can throw a big ol fit when she wants to. LOL!

We went back inside to the "play room" and played with HER toys. We put glittery foam shape stickers on a balloon...she LOVED our pretty blingin' balloon. And I broke out the bubbles. Those were a hit as well. She was just SO happy this afternoon and such a little snuggle bug, letting us get lots of hugs, kisses and "fives".

We are supposed to meet with Tatianna bright and early to initiate all of our court paperwork. Should be FUN....not! But this little girl is worth the mountain of paperwork....TWO mountains of paperwork!

Thanks for all of the sweet comments on FB and we appreciate your continued prayers!

Ashli and Eric

Days 5, 6 & 7 - Catching up.....

2010-10-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

((PICTURES ARE TAKING FOREVER TO LOAD....I WILL KEEP TRYING........))

Whew! What a few days we have had.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

We left Kiev on Thursday evening at about 9:45pm after picking up Everlyn's official referral paperwork from the SDA. We traveled about 12.5 hours by train to Everlyn's region arriving at 10:15 Friday morning. The train ride was uneventful. We bought first class tickets so we were in a 2 person cabin by ourselves. There were two little "bed/sofas" so we each had one and got a bit of sleep. I will be honest...I was WAY too excited to sleep!

Friday, October 8, 2010

We arrived in Everlyn's region and were met at the train station by Tatianna, one of our facilitators. She took us straight to the Regional Inspector's office. We have to get her permission to go visit the baby home. Well, the inspector was in a meeting all morning so another representative from that office went with us so we could go ahead and go over to the orphanage. YAY!

We arrive at the orphanage and I could hardly contain my excitement. It looked how I imagined. It is an older building but neat and clean. There is a playground outside for the kids as well.

We were taken into the Baby Home Director's office and spoke with her for a bit. Tatianna translated. The first thing the Director asked was how many children we had. I said 4. She said something and Tatianna laughed and said "She says you look much too young to have 4 children." I love this Director already! She then asked us about our family, and why we wanted to adopt a child. I guess we answered these questions to her satisfaction because she smiled and went on to tell us about Everlyn's history...her parents, her birth, her medical history, etc. Those details will remain private for the most part....they belong to Everlyn.

As they were telling us these things (and I am trying to remember all of the details since I had nothing to write with!), Eric's face lights up and he says "I saw her." WHAT? My back was to the door and I guess a caregiver bought her in but was "shoo'ed" away since we weren't ready. Ahhh!!! I could barely stand it! He got to see her! NO FAIR!

Finally as we were wrapping up, Eric again smiled and I turned to see the smallest, most adorable little thing I have ever seen. There she was! She was PERFECT! She had on a little pink turtleneck, pink fleece jumper dress, tights and the most GINORMOUS purple hairbow. Her hair wa smuch darker than I imagined but is perfect with her dark brown eyes. We were taken to a large room which seems to be where parents come and visit with their children. There are chairs, a piano, a desk and some toys. We had a backpack full of toys for her so the bribery began to help her warm up to us! LOL! "Wanna see your new doll? Wanna draw on this Magnadoodle? Wanna play with this ball? Wanna see the blanket GiGi made for you?" She loved everything and tried to hold ALL of it at once! Finally....toys of her very own!!! She was so proud!

We stayed about an hour and it was time for her to eat and nap. We came back later in the afternoon for another visit. She seemed happy to see us....or at least our bag of toys! We did get some good snuggles though!

We then went to our apartment to rest for the night. I do NOT sleep well here. I think jetlag is getting the best of me. Eric sleeps like a rock! LOL!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

We got up today and got ready for our morning visit. She came in the "play room" in the same clothes she had on the day before....but a new hairbow! LOL! This girl loves her bows! She immediately sat down and started playing with HER toys. She laughed and was so so happy. We took lots of pictures and even a video. Our internet connection isn't awesome so we can't upload the video just yet.

In between visits, our neighbor Viktor took us to the "cell phone place" and we bought a 3G modem card to plug in the USB so we could have internet in our apartment. I would DIE if I had to stay here a month with no internet. LOL! We also bought a flash drive (we forgot to bring one) because the orphanage has offered to copy all of her baby photos onto it for us....soooooo very thankful for this as many adoptive parents have few if any baby pictures of their child. We also visited a toy store across from where we are staying...on the 2nd floor of this place was the best STROLLERS ever! I know some of you can't relate but Eric and I were freaking out! Quinny strollers for about $350USD! And so many other European brands.....Eric loves stroller more than I do...he was like a kid in a candy store! :o) We may be coming home with a stroller....LOL! And honestly, she will need one for a while. She's so tiny - those little legs won't be able to keep up for long.

We then went to our afternoon visit. It took a while for them to bring her to us. We were told she was asleep and they had to get her up and dressed. I felt so bad we cut her nap short. She had on different clothes this time and her hair was all down! We were so busy playing this visit that we took NO pictures. Ooops! She has a LOT of hair and while it isn't how I would have cut it, it isn't the worst "orphanage 'do" I have ever seen either. I am pretty crafty with the hair accessories so we'll make it work while we grow out her bangs and get it all evened out. She's such a doll baby! She loves to give kisses and gives GREAT hugs....like squeeze-tight-around-your-neck hugs!

After our visit, we had our driver stop at a local pizza place so we could get a pizza to take back to the apartment with us. We had to call Tatianna on the phone and have her order for us. LOL! We wanted pepperoni, onion, peppers, and mushrooms. We got it home and it looked GREAT....except "pepperoni" must translate to "hot dog" here....but let me tell you, hot dog pizza is GOOD STUFF! :o)

We are settled in for the night and can't wait to see our girl in the morning! Gosh I miss her!

Our court papers should be filed on Monday. I am praying for a Friday court date but odds are it will be Monday of next week. Pray for us....it would be great if it was smooth sailing from here on out!

Finally! A few pictures....

2010-10-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

OK - I thought I would post some long overdue pictures while my internet seems to be working here at the apartment. Warning - picture overload!

A few of the groceries we picked up. I can endure ANYTHING if I have Coke!

Our apartment here in Kiev

The world's smallest (and most TERRIFYING) elevator - but a necessity since we are on the 8th floor. It shorts out and the lights go out and it doesn't move. FREAKS.ME.OUT. I am claustrophobic and HATE elevators, especially this one. What I wouldn't go through for this little girl!

The little flashcards I picked up. I thought the kids at home would enjoy seeing "common" words in Everlyn's language. Once I opened them, I realized it is actually a "matching game". I plan to let the kids use the 1st set as flashcards and put the duplicate set away in her memory box.

This is a gorgeous building under construction across from our apartment.

The Kiev Opera House

A Statue of Volinsky (I think)

And the AMAZING churches we saw today. We didn't have a chance to go inside, but snapped some pics from the car on the way to the SDA. They don't build them quite like this in the US, huh?

And last but certainly NOT least.....we asked permission to take a picture of her SDA file photo to keep for her since we have very very few photos of her has a baby (read....2). Isn't she so sweet? Love her!

Tomorrow we will pick up our referral and catch the evening train to her region. We would appreciate continued prayers!

Love,

Ashli and Eric

Day 4 - We have accepted Everlyn's referral!

2010-10-06T05:04:00.000-07:00

Our SDA appt was this morning. We were shown her file (well, we couldn't read it....it was not in English. LOL) but we were told more info about her which I will share later. We were also shown a photo of her as an infant...SO sweet! We snapped a pic with our iPhone (with permission of course). I will share this soon as well. She looks about 4-5 months old, but that is just a guess.

And we ACCEPTED her referral! We did learn that she is the first child with Down syndrome to be adopted in her region. Please pray we are able to pave the way for MANY more.

Thank you to all who have been thinking of us and praying for us, sweet Everlyn and this entire adoption journey! It means so much to us!

Our internet BARELY works at our apartment so I am posting via WiFi from the infamous TGIFridays. So I apologize for the sporadic blog posts and lack of photos. Trust me, I will update as best I can and we will hopefully have better internet service at our apartment in her region.

Tomorrow we should be able to pick up our official referral paperwork and catch the overnight train to her region....it is about 10-12 hours from Kiev I think. Pray for our travels....neither Eric and I have ever been on a train.

We will update soon! We love you all!

Day 1 & 2 - We are HERE!

2010-10-04T12:41:00.001-07:00

YAY! We made it…and to be honest, there were moments when I was starting to wonder….. The flights were “fairly” uneventful, unless you count the TSA breaking the wheel off of Eric’s large (NEW) suitcase, my soda exploding all over some lady sitting next to me who was NOT happy and made a huge deal of it the remainder of the 8 hours flight, and being CLUELESS going through passport control/customs. But we made it! That is when the fun really began….

Our driver picked us up from the airport. We knew it was him because he was holding a sign that said “Smith.” Even though it is Ukraine and that last name isn’t super common here (LOL!), we asked, “Eric and Ashli Smith.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Yep – he didn’t speak English, except to say “no English.” But he got our bags in the car (don’t ask….when RR says pack light, THEY MEAN IT!) and off we went. Man….people here drive FAST and love to use their horns! And stoplights are at some intersections but not all…you can imagine what it is like at THOSE intersections. Wow!

We got to our apartment and our driver left. We were told that someone would come by and take us out and show us around. Eric and I just looked at each other…what do we do NOW? We have no one’s phone number, no cell phone (other than our US one), no money (other than US dollars) and no groceries. We were exhausted and hungry. We waited about 4 hours and I decided to bite the bullet and turn the “data roaming” back on on my iPhone. (Pray for my bill…. ) I sent our facilitator a message through FB saying “help!” He replied saying someone would be there in 30 minutes…and he was! “Uncle Nico” came by and showed us where to exchange money, buy groceries, walk to eat, etc. We appreciate his help SO much! We now have Ukrainian money (grivnas) and groceries. We also know where TGIFs is and plan to hit it up tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow is just a “relaxing” day….yeah right. I am SO far from my comfort zone I may never find my way back. :o) Eric is handling this “culture shock” much better than I am, but I am trying. I knew it would be different, but I didn’t really know what to expect. Now I know…. Tomorrow we plan to just walk around and go to TGIFs.

Wednesday is our SDA appt. Please pray all goes well and according to plan.

Our internet connection isn’t great so I will update when I can. Pictures will follow once I have a faster connection.

Thanks for all of your prayers! Keep them coming!

Ashli and Eric

Leavin' on a jet plane!!

2010-10-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

We will be leaving for the airport around lunchtime tomorrow! Please pray for our safe travel. I don't "love" to fly...so 16ish hours of it is going to be....interesting. :o)

Hold on sweet Everlyn....we are ALMOST there!

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness month!

2010-09-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

We have added the 31 for 21 button to our blog. We will try to blog every day in October to spread awareness about Down syndrome...assuming we have a decent internet connection while traveling.

And we are SUPER excited to be meeting and adopting our new daughter during Down Syndrome Awareness month. Perfect!

The kids were delivered safely!

2010-09-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

The kids are safely in their "new home" for the next month. Elliston was up before the sun came up and my sister got to change her first dirty diaper in 5.5 years...before 7am. :o)

Now, I have a LOT to do! I am getting a haircut and brow wax this afternoon....gotta look good when I meet my girl, right? Then it's off to the doctor to get some drugs for this "sinus funk"...gotta be healthy when I meet my girl, too!

I am trying to enjoy these last few days at home....even though I have 1001 things to do and my mind is racing! In the meantime, I am loving packing up all of this toddler-sized PINK!

Please continue to pray for us...and for Everlyn!

The kids are off to Virginia tomorrow!

2010-09-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

My Dad and I are driving the four kiddos to meet my sister in West Virginia, and she will drive them the rest of the way to her home in Virginia. They will be staying there for the next 4 weeks or so. They are so excited about visiting their cousins (and aunt and uncle too I bet).

We will be Skyping with them to stay in touch. They have also started a blog to document their "journey" as they wait for Everlyn to come home. You can follow their blog if you wish....

Waiting For Everlyn

Please pray that we travel safely and that the kids have an enjoyable visit with their cousins...and don't miss Mommy and Daddy too much (although missing us a little would be appreciated!)

While We Wait......

2010-09-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

I love this and wanted to share.

http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2010/09/while-we-wait.html

In less than 2 weeks....

2010-09-20T01:14:00.000-07:00

...we will be getting on a plane to travel half-way around the globe to meet our little girl! Wow. I have SO much to do the next couple of weeks....my head is literally aching just thinking about it: making arrangements for the kids, packing for them, getting them to my sister's in Virginia, last minute paper chasing for documents that need to be hand-carried, creating our family photo album to show to people in Ukraine (facilitators, baby home director/staff, the judge, etc), packing for us...... Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

We also need to raise more money for our trip. We had a garage sale this past weekend and earned a few hundred dollars. We are also doing a "Thirty-One" catalog party that ends 9/25. (Let me know if you need anything!). If you are willing and able to contribute to our adoption fund, please use the Chip In at the right. During this process, I have always felt awkward about "begging" for money. But, I now realize that we could use help from our friends and family to help bring Everlyn home. The cost of this adoption is around $25,000. We like to think of it as her ransom....and we will gladly pay every penny to rescue her!

Flights have been booked!!!

2010-09-16T12:45:00.001-07:00

That makes it feel a little more "real" huh?

We are flying out of St. Louis to Chicago....then to Duesseldorf...then to Kiev!

I have so much to do and so little time to do it! 17 days....... :o)

We have our travel date!!!!!

2010-09-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

OMGosh! I cannot believe it! Just 7 days after submitting our dossier, we have been given our travel date!

We will be flying out of the good ol' USA on October 3rd. Our SDA appt is on October 6th at noon! This is the appt where we will get our "official referral" for Everlyn! Wow......

My birthday is October 12th. I will likely get to spend my birthday (or at least part of it) with my girl! I cannot think of a better gift!!!!!

Thanks for the prayers! Keep praying...your prayers are powerful and have helped us so much on this journey!

YAY! God is so good!!!!

A blanket for our baby

2010-09-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

Every "baby" needs a blanket, right?

All of our kids have a fleece knotted blanket I made for them. I just finished Everlyn's blanket! I think it turned out really cute!

If only I could sell these things to raise $$ for her adoption! Or maybe I could......

Preparations are underway..........

2010-09-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

We have started thinking about our trip....the things we need to bring, the things we need to do before we travel, etc. No - we don't have a travel date just yet, but will hopefully know something by the end of next week.

Today I went and got some luggage since we didn't own any....well, nothing that would work anyway. (We only had a couple of carry-ons). I got a pretty good deal, so I am happy about that. Then I decided to start packing some of Everlyn's things...just for fun. Man oh man....her "stuff" takes up half of my large suitcase! LOL! I might need to re-evaluate. I guess the items we plan to donate to the orphanage and the facilitator gifts will have to go in Eric's luggage...and I bet they take up half of it! I need to take a class on "packing light"! But I have found so many cute things for her...and I don't know her exact size so I have a range of sizes in both clothing and shoes....therefore, I have quite a bit of "stuff" I want to take.

Veteran adoptive parents...help me out here! How many outfits do I need to bring? What sort of toys did you pack? Sippy cups? Diapers? Things to keep the kiddo busy on the flights? I feel like I need so much stuff! :o)

We are having one more fundraiser for sure....another yard sale. We have some things left over from our last one and we have added some new "stuff" as well. We hope to make another $1000 or so....

We still have a TON of bracelets to sell as well, so if you are interested, please let me know. I will ship them for FREE! :o) You can see pics here: http://torescueourprincess.blogspot.com/2010/07/want-bracelet.html

We appreciate all the support we have gotten along this journey from family and friends. We can't wait to meet our little girl and introduce her to the world as our daughter!

There is power in prayer!

2010-09-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

We have learned that our dossier was successfully submitted to the SDA today! :o) Thanks everyone for your prayers! Keep praying that things go smoothly from here.....

And the Winner Is.....

2010-08-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Patsy of Mt. Vernon, IL is the lucky winner of the 4 St. Louis Cardinal tickets! Congrats Patsy! Enjoy the game!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Sneak Peek at a Room Fit for a Princess...or Two!

2010-08-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Since certain people are getting impatient and are asking for room pictures (you know who you are!), I decided to give a sneak peek. Their room is about 75% done.

Enjoy!

And still need to add photos to our Tree of Life frame....

A Glimmer of Hope

2010-08-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Our dossier has been delivered to our translation team.

We know we have done EVERYTHING we can do. We pray (and ask for your prayers) that it is enough.

Please pray that our dossier is complete and correct. Please pray we do not have to redo anything.

God's hand is guiding this......we have to believe that.

"When the world says "Give up"....

Hope whispers "Try one more time."

God Doesn't Make Mistakes

2010-08-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Someone posted this on another site and I had to share. You may need to turn off our blog music (press pause on the iPod on the lower left side) to hear it.

It is time....

2010-08-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

I know I said the blog would remain public until after the 1st of September, but the time has come to make it private. I have sent out nearly 75 invites to people who requested them.

I hope I chose my readers wisely and that you sincerely want to follow our journey to Eastern Europe and rejoice with us when sweet Everlyn is home with us where she was meant to be. If there is a "mole" in the group....well, God knows who you are. :o)

I am sure many of you are wondering why we are going private. Some of you already know because I have confided in you. I don't want to "taint" my beautiful blog with the ugly truth, but I will say this. I am afraid this is far from a "done deal"...even with our dossier sitting in her birth country. We have done everything we could do, as quickly as we could do it, and must leave the rest up to God.

As far as the Cardinals raffle goes, I will still announce the winner on 8-31 and the winner will get an email in case they may no longer have access to the blog.

We hope our readers will pray for us and our journey, which has been far more difficult that we could ever imagine. We are keeping our eyes on the prize and take comfort in the knowledge that God knows our hearts and how much we adore this little girl...halfway around the world...whom we have never met.

We will continue to fight for her, because in our hearts we know she has always been meant to be part of our family.

Kisses in the Wind... for our Everlyn Grace

2010-08-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

I posted this in the beginning of our adoption journey and felt compelled to repost it. It has so much meaning to us...now more than ever.

KISSES IN THE WIND (The Waiting Child's Lullabye)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

--- © Pamela Durkota, written for Josh

Every little girl needs a baby doll!

2010-08-28T02:08:00.000-07:00

....and I finally decided which one I want to get Everlyn.

Introducing Baby Stella (by Manhattan Toys). Isn't she cute? I like her b/c she is completely cloth and can even serve as a "lovie" or a pillow on the long flights home. :o) And the cutest thing (not pictured) is her "binky" that is magnetized to hold it in place over her mouth. (If only "real" kids' binkies worked that way!) LOL!

And Baby Stella has big brown eyes like Everlyn.....PERFECT! We can't wait to meet our Princess and give her her first gift from her family...Baby Stella!

Making Progress!

2010-08-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Our dossier is in Paris! (Kinda wish I was too!)

Next stop......Everlyn's birth country! Hooray!

Keep those prayers coming!

UPDATE: It has now left Paris, headed for its final destination! :o)

Pray for Fed Ex!!!

2010-08-26T17:37:00.001-07:00

Pray that our dossier arrives safely in the hands of our facilitator / translator. Pray that there are no delays. Pray that all goes according to His plan. (I hope it is the same as MY plan. LOL)

And pray for the poor guy who waited on me today at Fed Ex. He got an earful.....

Fed Ex guy: "Is this just documents today, ma'am?"

Me: ((gasp)) "Just documents? JUST documents? Listen pal...this is 4 months of hard work...HOURS of paper chasing, 5 trips to the doctor, 8 trips for notaries, 6 trips for apostilles, countless tears and way more stress than I care to recall! This is WAY more than documents. This is what hopes, dreams, a forever family and a little girl's promising future look like...in paper form. JUST DOCUMENTS? Um, no."

Fed Ex guy: "Ok then." And then he proceeds to write "documents" on the shipping form. LOL!

I told him to handle it like it was his baby....because it is someone's baby. OUR BABY. And for nearly $200, they SHOULD handle it with care don't ya think?

According to the tracking info, it is on its way! Praise the Lord!

Beauty and "the Beast"

2010-08-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here is our "Beauty".....

And here is "the Beast"! (also known as our adoption dossier)

Off to Fed Ex we go!

IT IS HERE!!!!

2010-08-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Our 171H is here! This is a BIG DEAL! Think Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket, folks!

Our dossier is now off to Ukraine (by fax tomorrow) and by Fed Ex plane on Friday.

I wish Everlyn Grace could understand that her Mommy and Daddy are coming SOON! She has no clue how much her life is going to change! :o) Hang on sweet girl....we will be there before you know it!

I have so much more I want to say but it is late....so stay tuned for more blog posts in coming days.

A few things....

2010-08-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

--Reminder: This blog is going private after 9-1-10. Email me at ashli smith @ mac . com (no spaces) to ensure I have your email address. I will need it to send you an invitation to view the blog. I will reply letting you know you are on the list. If you don't get a reply, email me again! :o) Please a tell me a little about yourself - how I "know" you, your interest in special needs adoption, etc.

--We will be announcing the lucky winner of the Cardinals tickets on 9-1-10 (before the blog goes private). Don't miss your chance to get in on this! They are AWESOME seats! The winner will get an email, in case for some odd reason they aren't religious followers of our blog. :o)

--We are still contemplating a few more fundraisers. If you have ideas, we would love to hear them! We do plan to have another yard sale - we have some left over "treasures" and have come up with quite a bit of new "stuff" too! It would be awesome if we could raise another $1000 at this sale!

--We are starting to think about our orphanage donation. They desperately need clothing for boys and girls up to about 4T (gently used is fine), diapers, wipes, shampoo, soap, etc. If you wish, you can contribute to this. Details will follow....

Thanks everyone! We are getting closer to having our Princess home!

3 Brothers and a Sister

2010-08-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

That's what Everlyn has to look forward to! Oh - and a Mommy and Daddy too! :o)

The kids are very, very excited about a new sister. Even Elliston seems to know who she is and yells "Baby Everlyn" every time he sees her picture. It's pretty cute and I am not sure he realizes he is YOUNGER than she is. And I am not sure he realizes she will live here and he will have to share his toys. :o)

And of course Emersen is over the moon to have a sister! "Finally!" she says... LOL! Originally, both girls were going to have their own rooms, but Emersen insisted that they should share. The more we thought about it, that might just be the way to go. Everlyn is used to sharing a room with several kids and having "company" at night might ease the transition. So, the room is just about done! We need to set up the second bed and we will be good to go. I am VERY pleased with how it turned out! A perfect room for Daddy's Princesses! (Don't worry - I will post pics soon.)

So, I thought I would dedicate a post to the brothers and sister waiting....probably more patiently that Mommy and Daddy. I am sure I will have plenty of helpers!

Here's some pics of Everlyn's siblings-to-be:

Easton James - 8 years old

Emersen Elyse - 6 years old

Elijan Brooks - 4 years old

Elliston Cash - 2 years old

280 by the 28th!

2010-08-20T04:28:00.000-07:00

Our FSP fund with Reece's Rainbow is sitting at $1720. We would LOVE to see if grow to $2000! :o)

Our goal is to raise another $280 by the 28th of the month! Can you help? No donation is too small and they all add up....and each one brings us that much closer to getting our Everlyn home!

And remember, contributions made through the last Chip In (named Everlyn's Adoption) are tax deductible since they go directly to Reece's Rainbow. :o)

I have really struggled with this....

2010-08-13T14:47:00.001-07:00

....but I have decided that after September 1, 2010, this blog will be private.

I am doing this for a variety of reasons - some involve privacy issues for little Everlyn, some involve our travel, SDA appt, court....and some involve a "comfort factor."

I have resisted privatizing the blog for quite some time. I think awareness is key for these children and I want to share our adoption journey with the world! But for reasons I won't go into here, the blog needs to go private.

So - if you are a loyal reader and would like an invitation to continue following our journey after September 1st, PLEASE send me an email requesting an invite and please include your name, email address and a little about yourself (ie - how do I know you or why do you wish to follow our journey, etc). Please send emails to ashli smith @ mac . com (with no spaces of course).

Thanks for your understanding during this time of transition! Hopefully once our Princess is home and settled in, we will feel better about making it public again!

Today was a good day!!!

2010-08-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

Our yard sale / adoption fundraiser was a SUCCESS! We "de-cluttered" quite a bit and earned about $850 towards Everlyn's adoption fund! We still have some things left over so when our city has a "city-wide sale" in September, we plan to try to sell what we have left...and I am sure I could find more "stuff" we could part with! A few things left over from the sale will be making their way to Ebay shortly.....so that should bring in a bit more. :o) We also sold a few more bracelets!

We were humbled by the generosity of strangers. Some told us to "keep the change" after making a purchase...others gave us a donation even if they chose not to buy any of our "treasures." It was heartwarming to say the least. One person even mentioned doing a fundraiser for us through their school - she is a teacher at a local high school. Amazing. Simply amazing. And so very appreciated!

Perhaps the best part of the day was all of the adoptive families and children that stopped by to show their support! We met families with cuties from Belarus, Russia, Vietnam, Taiwan, China and the United States. Very very cool!

And of course EVERYONE that stopped by had to "ooooh" and "aaaah" at Everlyn's pictures. I had made a poster with her name and pictures on it so people could see her sweet little face....

"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes."-- David Platt

Yes, today was a good day!

"Stuff"

2010-08-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of "stuff" at our house.

I discovered while preparing for our yard sale / adoption fundraiser on Saturday that we have a LOT of stuff...I mean a ridiculous amount of stuff. I blame it on the 4 kids..... :o)

But, it feels GREAT to get things cleared out of here and make room for another little person! (who will inevitably create the need for more "stuff." ((sigh))

A friend posted a quote on FaceBook today and I (of course) had to borrow it. It said:

"Children don't need "stuff." They need to know you'd travel across the ocean for them, at any cost....literally."

Very fitting indeed!

So, we are clearing out the "stuff" around here and raising money for Everlyn's adoption fund. She needs a forever family FAR MORE than we need this "stuff."

If you are in the St. Louis metro area and might be in need of any of the following, let me know. Leave me a comment and I can get in touch with you re: our address.

Smith Family Yard Sale/Adoption Fundraiser

Saturday, August 7, 2010

7am - 11am

Items for sale include:

--Furniture

--Kids clothes / shoes

--Gymboree Halloween costumes (18-24 months)

--Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Kitchen, House & Piano

--Fisher Price / Microsoft IntelliTable

--Activity Cube with wooden beads (like doctor's offices have)

--Pottery Barn Kids Ice Cream Truck Tent / Playhouse

--Pottery Barn Kids Twin Size girl bedding (quilt, shams, bedskirt and sheets) - we redid the rooms and the girls are going to share so Emersen's bedding is for sale

--Christmas decoration

--Home Decor

--Baskets

--Photo frames

--Linens

--Dishes

--Electronics

--Books, DVDs, VHSs

--Giant tub of MegaBlocks

--Even "more giant" tub of GeoTracks

--Pottery Barn Kids ironing board / iron

--Kids coat/hat rack

--Huge dog kennel - 4x4x6 ft tall

--Folding dog crate (wire)

--Small pet kennel (plastic)

--Cloth diapering items

--Glassware, vases, etc

--Too much more to list...especially in the "toy department"......

So, if you are in the area, stop by! We'd love to see you and we'd appreciate the support for our adoption of sweet Miss Everlyn!

A Little Update for Those Asking for One...

2010-08-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

....and you know who you are!

Everything is status quo, so I haven't updated much on the process recently. Our dossier is done, just waiting for USCIS to send our 171H. Our dossier will be mailed to our translator in Everlyn's birth country THIS WEEK! :o) Yay! It will be translated and once the 171H is ready, it will also be translated, added to the dossier and then our dossier will be submitted to the SDA for review. Once submitted, it generally takes the SDA 2-3 weeks to review it and either request additional documents, clarification, etc OR to give an invitation to travel and SDA appointment. This very special appointment is when the "official" referral is given. We are hoping we can skip the "more documents / clarification" option and move straight to the TRAVEL and referral appointment at the SDA! :o)

It is amazing to think of the progress we have made towards bringing her home...to her forever family. Her brothers and sister are SO SO SO excited to meet her and love on her...and Mommy and Daddy are a wee bit excited too!

My birthday is in October. I can't think of a better gift than meeting our Princess!

Your continued prayers throughout this process are greatly appreciated!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame........

2010-07-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

OK - so I am not going to the ballgame, but YOU could!

Fifth-Third Bank has generously donated a set of their season tickets to us to use as a fundraiser. The proceeds from this raffle will go to our FSP account with Reece's Rainbow.

Here's the scoop:

--The fundaiser starts TODAY and runs through August 31st.

--Winner will be selected at 10am on September 1st by random.org. This will ensure that the fundraiser is fair and the winner is truly random! All participants will be entered by email address, and will be able to verify their participation through the random.org website.

--One entry is $10; 3 entries is $25.

--Online entries use the Chip In to the right; chances may also be purchased in-person if you are local.

Here's the scoop on the tickets:

--They are "Dugout Boxes" with a face value of $92 EACH - total value $368.

--They are Section 132, Row D, Seats 5, 6, 7 & 8.

--They are for the Sunday afternoon game against San Diego on September 19th.

We hope this fundraiser is a HUGE success and brings us that much closer to our little girl. Spread the word! Tell people you know in the STL area! Send them to our blog. Repost this on FB, Twitter, etc. Spam people via email. PLEASE help us get the word out. This is a great opportunity to win some AWESOME Cardinals tickets at a great price.

Happy Half-Birthday Everlyn Grace!!!

2010-07-25T22:22:00.001-07:00

Today, sweet Miss Everlyn is 2.5 years old!

We hope she is having a great day, but I doubt anyone "over there" is celebrating the 2.5 years of her life today. But we are! The kids and I plan to bake cupcakes today in her honor. :o) And we will sing happy half-birthday to her too....

God willing, this is last half-birthday she will have without a family...without a mommy and a daddy, a sister and three brothers...without birthday cakes and balloons and gifts.... We cannot wait to celebrate her THIRD birthday with her..at home...in the US. And don't you worry....there will be plenty of cake, and balloons, and gifts!!!

Happy Half-Birthday Sweet Girl! We love you and hope to see you soon!

Just wanted to say THANK YOU!

2010-07-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

I have amazing friends and family...and I "know" some pretty cool "strangers" too!

So far the bracelet fundraiser is going well - we have "recovered" the cost of the bracelets and have made another $70ish dollars. Not too shabby! We still have a LOT to sell (we ordered 200) so let me know if you are interested!

My Chip In is no longer "stuck" - THANK YOU! I was worried there for a few weeks! :o) We sincerely appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity. Know that you are making a difference in the life of a child! It is exciting to see this number change and know that people in our lives (and even those we don't know personally) are helping to bring Everlyn into our family! She will be such a blessing to our family. Please continue to post Everlyn's button on your blog and links to http://www.everlyngrace.com/ on your blogs and FaceBook pages! Awareness is key in bringing this little girl (and others like her...waiting for a forever family) HOME!

We have a few more fundraisers planned. Eric is busy planning a golf tournament for late August in St. Louis. I will post more details soon. Also, a very generous St. Louis Cardinals season ticket holder has donated 4 tickets to a Sunday afternoon game in September...we plan to use them for a raffle. Rumor has it these are GOOD seats! One chance will be $10 --- 3 chances will be $25. We plan to sell raffle tickets from August 1-31st with the winner generated by the random.org website on August 31st. Proceeds will go to our FSP on Reece's Rainbow. More details about this raffle will be posted soon!

Want a bracelet???

2010-07-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

They're here! They're here! The bracelets for our fundraiser arrived this morning.

Here are the details:

Bracelets read "Everlyn Grace" on one side and "www.everlyngrace.com" on the other. We hope they will raise both money for our adoption AND awareness regarding the millions of children worldwide in need of forever families!

Child sizes: Light Blue, Purple, Pink and Hot Pink

Adult medium sizes: Lavender, Purple, Pink, Hot Pink and White with Hot Pink text

Adult large sizes: Light Blue and Silver

Bracelets are $5 each - $5.50 if you need them shipped to you. Payment is via Paypal - please specify in comments which sizes/colors you are purchasing. I will be creating a "button" on the side of the blog for the bracelets. Each bracelet is individually wrapped.

Thanks for considering purchasing a bracelet. We hope this fundraiser brings us one step closer to our girl!

346.50

2010-07-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

I think my Chip In is stuck. It has been on $346.50 for a few weeks now. I am going to challenge all of my friends in blog land to prove me wrong...prove that my Chip In is working just fine....

Could you...

--skip a Starbucks run to save an orphan's life?

--skip an Extra Value meal?

--skip a mani/pedi?

--skip pizza delivery for the week?

We are doing all of these things....not that I have time for the mani/pedi anyways, but boy it sounds nice!

So, I am just throwing this challenge out there and I pray that my online friends (and even people I do not personally know) will come through to help us save our Princess. As we get closer and closer to dossier submission and travel, your donations are crucial and appreciated more than you know. We still have about $17K+ to raise. We have more fundraisers in the works, but we still need help! YOUR help! Can you spare $5? $10? $20?

We greatly appreciate donations given so far. They mean so very much to our family...and to Everlyn!

PS - Don't forget that donations made through our Chip In go directly to Reece's Rainbow and into our "fund" there to offset our adoption expenses. Therefore, they are TAX DEDUCTIBLE to you since RR is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Just when you think you know the rules....

2010-07-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

....the rules change. Everlyn's birth country has gotten VERY VERY picky on documents submitted in the dossier. Everything has to be "perfect +" these days. Our dossier is DONE. And while it is a wee bit frustrating, I think we are going to have to re-do one document. It could be much worse I suppose.... And I would MUCH rather re-do these things while enjoying the comforts of home, as opposed to being over there and trying to get these things done half-way around the globe. Ummmm, no thanks.

So, while we wait for our I-171H, we have more work to do. It keeps us busy. Because even with 4 kids, we weren't QUITE busy enough. ((wink))

Prayers please!!!

2010-07-05T09:03:00.001-07:00

We need your prayers...

We are painting Everlyn's new room today. :o) We are not painters. We don't like to paint. And we aren't very good at it. But in the interest of saving money, we decided (well, I decided) to skip the professional painter and make it a DIY project. Eric is thrilled (not)! After going and picking up the Benjamin Moore paint (we need the GOOD stuff since we are terrible at this) and all the supplies...I am not sure we are saving much. Oh well....it will be "fun" right?

So, yeah....we need "painting skill (and patience) prayers"!

Update - WE DID IT! And it looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself! The pink is a little brighter than I wanted - we were planning PALE pink. But according to my (almost) six-year-old daughter, there is no such thing as "too bright" when it comes to pink! I will post pics when the room is done, or close to it. We have a bit more work to do. We need to get her a mattress and we need a few finishing touches. I am SO excited how it is coming along though!

And a special shout out to Eric, my husband and Everlyn's daddy. He REALLY hates to paint....I think his exact words as we were getting started were "I'd rather be having a root canal right now." Well, he painted like a champ, even with his buddies texting him about tee times and such. If you know Eric, you know that it was HARD for him to pass up a round of golf. So - I just wanted to send a public THANKS to him for taking time out of his busy weekend to paint a room for a little girl half-way around the world that he has never met, but has selflessly agreed to be "Daddy" to.

So - thanks Eric. LOVE YOU! :o)

In case you didn't know....

2010-06-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am kind of a pest. Shocking to some of you I am sure. ((wink)) I like to think of it as persistence and determination.

Well, I am willing to bet "Officer K" at the USCIS thinks I am a plain ol' pest. And maybe she's right. But honestly, when there is ONE thing keeping me from sending my dossier to the SDA and getting my butt over there to get my girl....yep, you'd better believe it.

I. AM. A. PEST.

Our dossier is DONE. Except for that pesky 171H. The 171H is basically permission from the US government for us to adopt a foreign orphan. I think they are just making sure we are not on the FBI Most Wanted list or something. ;o)

So, we sent in our application, known as the I-600A. We got our letter saying it had been received. We got our fingerprint appointments for July 13th. My "persistence and determination" kicked in and said that was WAAAAYYY too far off, so we walked in to our friendly neighborhood USCIS office in St. Louis and asked VERY nicely if we could have our fingerprints done early. They did them!

Well, that was Wednesday of last week. I called the USCIS adoption unit and told them that the fingerprints were done, 3 weeks early. I was told that "Officer K" was handling our case. I left her a VERY nice voicemail saying we had our letters and went ahead and had our fingerprints done, etc. I was basically saying "Hey Officer K.....all we are waiting on is YOU!" No return phone call.

So, I call yesterday and ask to speak with her. Voicemail. I didn't leave a message. I call today. Voicemail. I hang up and call back and tell the nice gentleman who answered the phone that I had been trying to reach Officer K with no luck. I explain to him that we did our prints early and I want her to know that so she doesn't think she has WEEKS to even worry about our file. He said he sits right next to her and she has been on the phone. He checks in the system.....no progress really. Argh. He adds that it doesn't mean anything - she could have looked at our application and the system is just not updated. OK..... I asked him to give her the message that I called and explain our situation. He said he would. I asked him to have her call me......

Yep, I am PERSISTENT and DETERMINED!!!

(and a bit of a pest.........)

Every once in a while...

2010-06-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

...you stumble across something so perfect that you have to make it your own. Come to think of it, that's how our story with Everlyn began!

Last night I was at the Christian bookstore to pick up a book (Crazy Love...have you read it?) and I saw this....

So I bought it. It will hang in her room. Speaking of her room, may I present to you...

Bedroom in a Box!

Her bedding and slipcovered headboard have arrived. Now we just need to sell Elliston's nursery furniture and bedding. Craig's List here we come!!! I will be sure to post pics as her room progresses. Our theme is "beautiful on a budget." :o) So far everything has been on sale/clearance and I intend to keep it that way. Daddy insists she have a floral chandelier in her room....still looking for one of those that won't break the bank! Our main goal is bringing this sweet girl HOME...but a Princess has to have a beautiful place to rest her head, right?

For all of those that have asked WHY???

2010-06-24T01:34:00.000-07:00

When we first announced our adoption plans, we got a lot of strange looks, a lot of "don't you have enough kids?" type remarks...and of course, we heard a lot of "why would you want to adopt?"

Well, the answer is simple...we just have to. No, we cannot change the world (oh, wouldn't that be nice?) but we CAN change the world for one child. And we have chosen sweet little Miss Everlyn! We want to give her the family she is missing, we want to give her all of the love and attention she needs and deserves. But most importantly, we want to save her. Yes....we can literally save the life of this innocent child. No, no - she is not dying. It's much worse really. Think of it as "death row" for pre-schoolers...

Orphans in other countries are seen as "disposable" - especially children with special needs. If not adopted by their 4th birthday, they are sent to mental institutions. Adult mental institutions. Insane asylums. The conditions there are horrific and NINETY FIVE PERCENT of the children transferred there do not survive their first year. Their little bodies, minds, and souls cannot endure the neglect, the isolation, the loneliness and even the abuse. It is too much for them. And it is too much for me to even think about. I simply cannot wrap my head around it.

So, while young children here are blowing out 4 little candles, eating cake 'til their bellies hurt, and opening presents with a fury......there are little children on the other side of the globe facing certain death. No celebration. No party. Simply an hour-glass run empty. Their time is up - they are now 4. They will now be locked away, forgotten by their own society. "Death row" is no place for a 4 year old (or ANY child for that matter). I don't care WHAT your "need" is....no human being deserves to die alone, physically restrained in a soiled crib, without ever knowing the love of a family.

Here are a few blog posts that illustrate my point. http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2010/06/i-left-my-heart-there.html
http://gardenofeagan.blogspot.com/2007/11/imagine-different-life.html

So, if you have asked yourself WHY would the Smith family consider adopting a child with special needs who lives on the other side of the globe...I must ask you, WHY NOT???

Adoption is not for everyone. Fact. It is stressful, time-consuming and expensive. But we know that it is going to be SO worth it when we walk out of that orphanage with our sweet girl...and we know she is safe, and loved! So, if you aren't in a position to adopt yourselves, consider doing something to help a family in the process. Offer encouragement, ask about upcoming fundraisers, "spam" everyone you know to donate/pray for a specific child to find their forever family, offer financial support to an adopting family (no amount is too small as every dollar has an impact!), pray for them.....there ARE things you can do! And I can assure you it is ALL very much appreciated.

_______________________
"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." --Mother Teresa

And the winners are.....

2010-06-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

I am announcing the winners of a raffle for a friend....

My friend Seegal is also in the process of adopting a cutie from Eastern Europe. Vaughn's picture is over on the right hand side of my blog. She had a generous friend donate a few gift cards for her to raffle to raise $$ for Vaughn's adoption fund. The names of those who donated were passed along to Mel (another adoptive momma....Timothy's picture is also on the right side of my blog) who assigned numbers. I had someone give me 3 numbers between 1 and 137.

The numbers chosen were:

30 - Vicki - EBay gift card

66 - Beth - American Express gift card

99 - Bobbie - Best Buy gift card

CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!!!!

A BIG BIG thank you!!!

2010-06-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

Our fundraiser yesterday was a BIG success! We sold 95 items through Sarah's Treasure Box on Etsy, and Sarah is donating $475 to our FSP page on the Reece's Rainbow website! YAY! It is very exciting to see the amount on our FSP page increase....it means we are closer to bringing Everlyn home!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated - either by shopping, re-posting to FB/blogs, or sending sweet words of encouragement! Even Sarah commented on how awesome my friends are....YES, yes YOU are! :o)

Happy 4th Anniversary Reece's Rainbow!!!

2010-06-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the brand spankin' new video made in celebration of 4 amazing years and over 275 lives saved thanks to Reece's Rainbow.

Grab some Kleenex and watch....will YOU find your child at the end of Reece's Rainbow??? We did!

Click below:
Reece's Rainbow Anniversary Video

A friendly reminder!

2010-06-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Our first adoption fundraiser is on Monday, June 21st! Sarah of Sarah's Treasure Box on Etsy.com has so generously offered to donate $5 for EVERY ITEM sold from her Etsy shop on that date to our adoption fund!

Here's how it works;

--Place an order on Monday, June 21st in her Etsy shop. Don't shop yet, we ONLY get credit on June 21st.

--Mention the Eric/Ashli Smith Adoption in the comments section when you check out in Paypal. This step is also VERY important. If you don't mention us, we don't get credit.

--Sarah will generously donate $5 for every item sold to our adoption fund via our FSP page on Reece's Rainbow!

It's that easy! And it is never too early to think about holiday gifts, stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, etc. :o)

Also, if you have something in mind and don't see it in her store, Sarah would love to make it for you! Just send her a "convo" message through Etsy and let her know what you would like....and don't forget to mention the Smith Family adoption!!!

Our goal is to raise $500 through this fundraiser. For all of my mathematically challenged friends/family, that's 100 orders needed on June 21st!

So, go browse her shop. And PLEASE, on June 21st, place your order! You get something special, unique and gorgeous ....and we get a closer to something special, unique and gorgeous too - Everlyn!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox

Scroll down the page for photos!

We are planning a trip...to Holland

2010-06-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

There is a poem...many of you know it well. It is called Welcome to Holland. It was written by the mother of a child with special needs. In case you have never read it, here ya go:

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by Emily Perl Kingsley

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Well my friends, we have been to Italy. In fact, we've been there a few times. Italy is great. But we are ready to travel somewhere new....and we have chosen Holland. We have heard Holland is amazing. We have friends who have been to Holland and would go back in a heartbeat. And Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips....oh how I love tulips. And Holland has adorable shoes.....

What-A-Deal Wednesdays!!!

2010-06-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

I have decided to start a new weekly feature on our blog...What-A-Deal Wednesdays!!!

Those of you who know me know that I LOVE to shop....but only if it is a really good deal. I get giddy when I find a good bargain.

Well, as I began looking for clothes for Everlyn for the Fall/Winter, I found some AMAZING deals, mostly at Gymboree. (Nope, this is not a paid endorsement...I WISH! Gym-Mark corporate folks, feel free to use the Chip In on the right for all of this free advertising!)

So, today's DEAL is this adorable little pink parka with faux fur trim on the hood and coordinating bunny mittens. Retail price for both is almost $65. OUCH!

What did I pay? Less than $8..for both. :o) Well, actually Grandma bought it for Everlyn, so it was FREE to me, but you get the idea!

everlyngrace.com

2010-06-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Yes friends.....our little Princess has her very own domain name. It is linked to her blog for now, so going to www.everlyngrace.com will bring you here! :o)

A little blog poll.....

2010-06-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

As we approach the date of our first fundraiser, we are brainstorming about what other fundraisers we can have.....

Some other Reece's Rainbow families have had good luck selling the rubber bracelet thingies...think Live Strong bracelets. We thought that would be a neat idea. We would have her name embossed on the outside and perhaps the blog address on the inside. It would be a neat keepsake for her down the road too!

So, my little informal poll....would you consider buying one of these for $5 each??? We can order adult and children's sizes - which size would you prefer? Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Thank you friends! Your help is very much appreciated!!!

Here is a sample of a bracelet:

A very special day is approaching!

2010-06-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

Our first fundraiser!

Sarah, of Sarah's Treasure Box on Etsy, has a special place in her heart for orphans. She has very generously offered to do a fundraiser for us! We have chosen June 21st - gotta love that extra special 21st chromosome!

Here's how it works;

--Place an order on Monday, June 21st in her Etsy shop. Don't shop yet, we ONLY get credit on June 21st.

--Mention the Eric/Ashli Smith Adoption in the comments section when you check out in Paypal. This step is also VERY important. If you don't mention us, we don't get credit.

--Sarah will generously donate $5 for every item sold to our adoption fund via our FSP page on Reece's Rainbow!

Our goal is to raise $500 through this fundraiser. For all of my mathematically challenged friends/family, that's 100 orders needed on June 21st!

So, go browse her shop. And PLEASE, on June 21st, place your order! You get something special, unique and gorgeous ....and we get a closer to something special, unique and gorgeous too - Everlyn!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox

Here is a sample of her amazing items!

Looky what we have.....

2010-06-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

PASSPORTS!

We are one step closer to rescuing our Princess! YAY!

We have made a very important decision!

2010-06-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

We have chosen bedding for the Princess! I have looked forward to decorating another little girl's room for a long time. I have LOVED this set for years...and years later, it is on sale! :o) The bedskirt is sold out, so we are buying extra curtain panels and pray we can find someone to make the bedskirt for us. And yes, we are going to do the fabric covered headboard and everything.

Isn't it precious???

A note about fundraising.....

2010-06-06T15:07:00.001-07:00

As our adoption journey continues, we are starting to plan a few adoption fundraisers. I know, I know....some people may think it is odd (or even tacky) to "fundraise" for an adoption. Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion I guess. :o) We look at it quite differently. This isn't about US....this is about HER! We are literally saving her life...and it is a life worth saving for sure!

Here is the sad truth. If she is not adopted by age 4, she will be transferred to a mental institution. Yes, you read that right...an insane asylum. No, she is not insane. But, in her birth country, her life has no value because she was born with "a little something extra." So, if not adopted, she will be given a literal death sentence. Few children transferred to the institution survive their first year. They are bed-ridden (often restrained to their beds) and neglected...physically, emotionally, spiritually forgotten. We can't let that happen to her. It is heartbreaking to even imagine.....

So....we have decided to "be the change we want to see in the world"....and change the world for this one child. We have chosen her.....and she belongs with our family. The adoption path we are on is a swift one...average time from start to finish is 7 months. We are hoping to do it in 5....yes, we are over-achievers! I don't want this precious girl to spend any more time in an orphanage than she has to....if I could rescue her TODAY I would. Believe me!

But we need help...help from our friends, family...even complete strangers who have a passion for orphans. And we have gotten that help. But there is still more to be done! We are in the process of planning a few fundraisers:

--a golf tournament...likely in July

--a yard sale.....make a bit of $$ and de-clutter! It's a win-win!

--a jewelry sale....a momma with a passion for orphans is having a benefit sale in her Etsy shop for our adoption. Anyone who buys from her shop on JUNE 21st (one day only!) and mentions us at checkout, will provide $5 towards our adoption. EVERY. DOLLAR. COUNTS. More details to follow soon!

As we continue on this journey, we are humbly asking for your help. No donation or amount of support is too small. Literally EVERY DOLLAR (and prayer) is helping to save the life of a precious little girl. Donations are tax-deductible when made through our Chip In or our FSP page - click on the "Help us rescue Everlyn" button on the right. $5, $10, $20...it all adds up!

If it takes a village to raise a child.....it takes the love and generosity of friends and family to help bring a child home to that village! :o)

HAPPY DANCE!!!!!

2010-06-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Yep - we are doing a happy dance this morning! Things are falling in place for us to bring our princess home quickly! Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers...they worked! Keep 'em coming as we finish up our dossier paperwork!!!

Adoption is NOT for wimps!

2010-05-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

Just sayin'......... :o)

Paper Pregnant

2010-05-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is the term used to describe the "paperchase" at the beginning of an adoption. And by the looks of my counters in my kitchen...yes, we are indeed paper pregnant! We have birth certificates, medical forms, tax returns and more...oh my! The pile of "stuff" just keeps growing and growing...much like my belly would be I suppose. But this method is without annoying Braxton-Hicks contractions and stretch marks. What a deal!

Our home study is winding down....then on the dossier paperchase. A dossier (for those that don't have a clue what I am talking about) is the huge stack of papers that will be sent to Everlyn's birth country. This includes things like our birth/marriage certificates, proof of US citizenship, proof of home ownership, medical reports, criminal background checks, a copy of our home study, our petition to adopt an orphan, copies of passports, tax returns, power of attorney documents, etc etc. And just for giggles, all of these documents have to be notarized and apostilled. (Think of that as notarizing the notary - usually done by the Secretary of State's office.) Once everything is put together (and PERFECT) we can send it for translation. My personal goal is to have this DONE by the end of July, but I have ZERO control of the USCIS approving out I-600A and sending us the 171H back.

So, I wouldn't say I am enjoying this "pregnancy" but it certainly is an exciting time for our family! It is a lot of work, but we know it will be SO worth it in the end!!!