Tuesday, January 4, 2011

By the GRACE of GOD.......

We are now the proud parents of 4, count them, FOUR boys!!! Yippeeee!!!

And of course without fail the afternoon was simply comical. God gave us such a peace and we just laughed and sailed through it all. Thank you Lord!

So we were picked up from the apartment at 2:15pm. I was wearing what I had brought for court which included an ankle length skirt and some short pumps. Well a snow storm blew in today and the pumps weren't going to work. So Tatianna suggested I wear my boots. I'm so glad I did cuz I would have regretted it. Anywho, we have to go to the orphanage to pick up the orphanage lawyer. There were two other vehicles used to get people to court on our behalf, usually just one other but the prosecutor was understandably upset that she was having to work on her day off and refused to ride with the guy from local administration on the grounds that they were on different 'sides' of the case. So yes it was very expensive.

We get to court about 3pm and we wait and wait. While we are waiting a cat coming trotting out of a room in the court house and jumps up next to the orphanage lawyer. It was hysterical! A CAT in the courthouse! I realize now they are smart boogers cuz we are in the airport and there is a cat in here too. They know where it is warm. Edward, Valentin, Tatianna, Josh and I just talk and laugh about stuff until we are called into court around 4pm.

Court goes smoothly, no big deal, just the regular questions. The prosecutor was worried about the size of our home but we were able to show pictures and ease her mind. So the judge and two guys sitting with him left to make thier decision. While they were gone Tatianna was apologizing for us being late and siad the judge promised her 4 times to be done with court at 4pm. We told her that we have all done all we can and the Lord will take it from here. Little did I know what that meant. :o) The judge returned and granted us our petition to adopt the boys and change their names, sur names and dates of birth. (Younger they are the more one on one therapy I can get for them.) They left again and the judge walked past but the other two men shook our hands and said congratulations. I thanked everyone else, we walk out of the room, Valentin and Edward shake our hands say congratulations and LETS GO!!

So while we were waiting on the judge to decide, Valentin was calling the bus station to ask them to wait or meet us somewhere. The lady on the other end was not willing to us help. So we are in the car and there is ice on the windshield so we are having to drive very slow. We got the ice off but the wipers were iced so we couldn't clear the windshield of the moisture. Slowly we drove and got on the road going the way the bus was going. We went down a ways and turned around sitting on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic.

We figured out that we were bus hunting. Every bus or big rig that came by we were all glued to the window trying to figure out if it was the one. Then a cop came, Valentin and Tatianna told him our situation and he said he would help us!! So after quite a while here comes the bus and we have a cop in the middle of the road waving him down, Tatianna waving, Valentin flashing his lights all to get us on this bus.

Tatianna speaks to the driver who agrees to let us on. We put our luggage in the underneath compartment. I try to give that guy our tickets he says to me "Go sit down." So I hug and wave goodbye and get on the bus. It was now 6pm. WOW!! How crazy is that! While we were bus hunting we were all laughing and giggling. Tatianna said "I'm only laughing cuz you are, but this is the last hope to get to the airport tonight." I figured that's what made it so funny!! How cool is GOD! He even brought a cop along to help us bus hunt!!

Anywho, we are now at the airport and are getting ready to fly out at 5:35am. I will update you all again when I have internet. Thank you so much for all your prayers! support!! EVERYTHING! Thank you for walking in faith with Josh and I through this, we really do serve an awesome God!!!

Josh, Autumn, Asher, Caius, Yuri and Bohdan!

25 comments:

  1. WAHOO!!!! I'm so happy for you!!! Praying for safe travels!

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  2. I love it! And I love you two for rescuing these two sweet boys. May God continue to bless your journeys back and forth!

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  3. Wow!!! What a story!! But your first announcement made me fist pump the air!!! YES!!!! So excited!!

    What a cool story about catching the bus! CRAZY!!! Can't wait to hear from you. Stay safe!

    Oh! And Congratulations! :)

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  4. YIPPEE! What years were you able to change their birth dates to? I've never heard of that before but it makes perfect sense! So happy for you guys and excited to read about your journey as it continues (at HOME!).

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  5. Praise God! Two little boys who will never have to know the inside of an institution!

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  6. Wooohoooooo!!!!!! Totally doing the happy dance here. Oh wow. So amazing.

    Thank you, Lord Jesus.

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  7. Congratulations! That's just so awesome that two more sweet children have their forever families. I know you can't wait to go back and scoop them up in your arms after the waiting period.

    And your bus story...what a story! And what a memory!

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  8. WOW!! thats an amazing story!! CONGRATULATIONS!!

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  9. Yuri and Bohdan are so blessed to have you both. What a wonderful day, thank you for sharing.

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  10. Hallelujah! So glad for you. 10 days will be over before you know it and you will be on your way to your boys. May God bless the next phase of your journey.

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  11. I am SO pleased to hear your news. That is fantastic! I saw your family story on RR, and I realize we live very close. My girls and I would LOVE to come down and meet the boys and bring them some little gifties once you all are back (with the boys) and settled in. Abbie can't wait to meet her new buddies from afar. :-) We check your blog every day to see what is developing. It would be our honor to meet you all when the time is right. :-)

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  12. Oh my goodness! What a story for the baby books! This is one of the best I've heard.
    Joy,RR

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  13. Congratlations, you parents of four!! ;-)
    SO happy for you and your boys!

    Funny story about the bus hunt, glad to hear it turned out well! Hope the rest of your journey is smoother :)

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  14. Wonderful news! Congratulations! What kinds of questions did they ask at court? How long will you have to stay when you return?

    Catherine
    http://wronginalltherightways-travcat.blogspot.com/

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  15. Yay! so happy 4 u guys! 1st trip is finally complete.

    Ah, the adventures you can have in an EE adoption ;)

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  16. God is awesome, how we quickly forget over here. Congrats on court and saving those boys from 'death'. God will bless you richly for being obedient to Him and walking in Faith. I finished the book you sent me thank you. I actually have 'paid it forward' and sent it to another blogger. It is life changing, and hubby and I are doing the radical experiment for 1 year. We sat down New Years Day and prayed about where God wants us to sacraficially give, disciple and come along side of. As devos we are praying for the world and reading through the whole bible as a family. Thank you for your example and I will continue to follow your journey and pray for your family. Amazing to see how God lead me to your blog through Adeye and then to find out about your youngest heart issue (while we are trying to adopt a little boy with heart issues). God is good! Safe travels.

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  17. Tears, so many happy tears for all of you! Congrats!!!!!! What are their birthdates now?
    Have a very safe flight I can't imagine how anxious you guys must be to be with Asher and Caius!

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  18. Wonderful, Amazing, Thrilling! I am interested in hearing about the Birth date change! We will need to do that too I am sure! When you talked about the size of clothes the boys were wearing I was curious about their ages and noticed that you flew over to Ukraine on Bohdan's Birthday! That was an AWESOME gift for him! Hoping you are HUGGING and KISSING your little ones! We continue to pray for you as you return and bring YOUR boys HOME!

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  19. Yay!!! And I love the bus hunting, and especially the cop helping. Safe travels home!

    and I didn't realize you could change birth dates too...interesting.

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  20. YEAH so happy for the two of you! Congratulations!Wow I can not believe how far you both have come and just in a couple of weeks the boys will be officially home! Watching and reading what has happened so far seems just amazing and you have both made it! God has His hands on this family! He is an AWESOME GOD. I will be praying for safe travels for the two of you! Blessing.....

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  21. Congratulations!!!
    Thank You Jesus.

    Have a safe journey and a warm welcome home.

    adriana

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  22. What a CRAZY day! God is so good.

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  23. What a blessing, I am so happy for you all. Cannot wait to hear more and prayers for safe travels. Love to the boys.

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  24. Congratulations on your 2 little boys! I am so happy to hear they will be in a loving home soon.
    Cannot believe they were concerned about the size of your house considering the conditions these children live in. Glad everything turned out okay. Keeping your family in my prayers.

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