Saturday, October 22, 2011

The story you have been waiting for.


Sorry about the placement of pics. I am having super trouble with my blog. Also, Dianne you will need a kleenex.

So if you are a Christian I'm sure you have heard the saying "following Christ is hard." I heard this growing  up my whole life. Having been raised in a legalistic church that saying always had to do with the choice between right and wrong. Now that I am a grown up (shhh, don't tell anyone) those words mean something completely different to me. Yes, sometimes following Christ is hard but for different reasons.

I feel like the Lord has taken us on a roller coaster journey these last couple of years. We didn't have to get on. We didn't have to say Yes but we did. Was it hard? ummm Yea! Was it heart breaking at times? Yea!! Did it hurt? Was I scared? Did I have doubts? YES, YES, YES... Can I see God's hand in all of this? Now....Yes. Is it rewarding? Absolutely. Would I do it again (say yes to a calling)? I certainly hope so.


So here is the story.....
Caius at 5 months, after 1st open heart surgery before G-tube
Caius was born Oct. 09. We were surprised to learn that he had Trisomy 21 and a MAJOR heart defect. We lived with congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension for 3 months. We spent most of those 3 months in different hospitals having to take 2 ambulance rides when things got really bad. It was during this time God planted the seed. A woman who I had never met came to visit us in the hospital from the local DS association. She shared with me that she had adopted a child with DS internationally through Reece's Rainbow. That was the first time I had heard about RR.

By chance, I started following Adeye's blog when she was bringing her girls home and also Lorraine's blog while Chrissie was in the hospital. I was just in awe of these two women, their faith and their strength. Josh and I had spoken about adopting but it was always in the future and never for sure.

Josh took me out on a date one night but since I was still pumping to give Caius breast milk and he was allergic to everything there was nothing I could eat (or drink for that matter) so we sat at the bar in the restaurant so we didn't take up a server's table (yes I was a waitress through college). Now God wouldn't talk to us while sitting at a bar, right? Oh let me tell you He can and He did. There were TVs everywhere and the largest screen had an expose on the orphan crisis in Haiti. Josh and I are reading the subtitles (the volume was off) and I'm balling my guts out. I look at Josh through my tears and say "God's funny huh?" Josh replied, "He sure is persistent." That was all that was said.

When Chrissie went to be with Jesus we attended her funeral. It was on the way there when I prayed a prayer that I remembered Lorraine saying she prayed. I prayed that my heart would break over what breaks God's heart. I feel this is an extreme prayer in today's society because we (me) are so desensitized to terrible, terrible things going on around us. I mean I would cry over Animal Planets Houston SPCA show but not over starving and dying children. hmm... Nothing miraculous happened after that, in fact the Lord didn't speak to me again about it until a few weeks later.
Adeye's pic of Yuri in orphanage

He did again through the famed "I left my heart there" post by Adeye. We were watching a show and I was surfing the web. I started crying as I read the post. I asked Josh to turn off the TV so I could read it to him. There we were balling our way through this post. We would stop and pray about what to do because the information was just too much to handle. I felt God tell me to ask Josh if we can adopt these boys. In my head I told God, "no, I'm not gonna ask cuz he will say no and then that is it, I won't be able to ask again. If I don't ask the possibility is still there."


Adeye's pic of Bohdan in orphanage

We read on. God told me to ask Josh again. I told God, no for the same reason. Two more times this happened and I finally gave in and asked. I wasn't completely obedient though. I asked Josh if we could fill out the paperwork to see if we were qualified to adopt. To my surprise he said "Yes."


The next day I called RR. I explained our situation about Caius and how he had another heart surgery coming up in a few months to completely repair his heart and how he was still on a feeding tube. To my dismay the lady at RR advised us to wait until after things settled down with Caius before we started the adoption process.

Adeye's pic of Yuri in orphanage


That next weekend was miserable. All we could think about were the boys in Adeye's post, Wade (Bohdan) and Yuri. I called RR back on Monday and explained that it might be smart to wait until after Caius' surgery but that we felt called to move forward anyway. So we did. We filled out the paperwork and were even approved for our home study even with everything going on. Yay!


So now the fundraising.... Where are the heck are we going $30,000!! Oh silly me. I had all these plans for fundraisers and I was getting them all ready. To start the beginning of our fundraising we sent out a letter advising of our intentions, introducing the boys and asking for help. Within 2 weeks of sending out these letters ALL the money had been given to us.  Let me repeat this.... WITHIN 2 WEEKS ALL $30,000 HAD BEEN GIVEN TO US. To this day we have no idea who gave the largest sum which totaled 80% of the total amount. It was given anonymously to the church we had attended previously.


We have just recently found out how God was working with my family during this time. There are some people in my family that have the means to help us substantially but NONE of the funds came from them. They have recently told me that as they were praying about what to do that God told them to 'Be still' not only financially but also with their counsel. My Aunt in particular really wanted to help but didn't exactly agree with us bringing 2 special needs boys into our home at a time when we were already dealing with so much. She tells me that she really wanted to counsel us on the craziness that we were getting ourselves into and yet God wouldn't let her talk to us. She says there is no doubt in her mind that we were doing exactly what God wanted because of how He wouldn't let her try to talk sense into us. :o)

  
first time we met the boys December 2010

December 2010
December 2010
We traveled in December and were gone through all the holidays. The condition of the children were rough and we wanted to get them out of there fast but fast was not in the cards. We were there 3 weeks. Visiting the orphanage was hard, it was exhausting mentally. I couldn't wait to get my boys home. I just knew everything would be better once we got home.

December 2010

My sister-in-law went back with me to get the boys after the 10 day wait period. We had 2 weeks in country and then a 43 hour trip home. It was misery. Then we get home and everyone goes on with their lives and their work and it is just me and the 4 boys. Two of which have just come from another country and are in shock, one of those having far more medical issues than we expected. Needless to say the next 6 months were the hardest of my life. I literally thought I wasn't going to make it. After seeing numerous specialist we finally found out what was going on with Yuri. But that didn't help us get him help.

March 2011

I spent most of my time trying to get him services, in school, therapies, a walker, Medicaid, anything that would help him and give me a break. But it was like there was a brick wall there and there was nothing I could do to get him help. On top of this, Yuri was aggressive towards the babies, Caius and Bohdan, mostly Bohdan. He would hit them or head butt their faces so they would cry and then he would lay on them to listen to them.  

 Asher stopped spending time with the family and spent the days by himself staying as far away from the new boys as possible. Rarely, he would interact with Bohdan and even try to pick Bohdan up if he went farther than Asher thought he should go but he wouldn't be around Yuri at all. Yuri destroyed the house. With his limited sight and lack of comprehension of toys, everything became a projectile, generally at one of the other children. With two kids not moblile yet it made things very hard. We rearranged the house, all of it, just to accommodate his needs. Not to mention, He threw up many times a day. Please understand that when I say threw up I mean it, not just spit up, projectile. I covered most of the rugs and things with multiple sheets to help with clean up.

April 2011

 
June 2011


This was not what I had envisioned for our family. Why wouldn't anything give? Why couldn't I get help for Yuri? Why wasn't the family meshing? Surely this isn't what God planned when He called us to these children. I was at a loss and I was defeated. My little human pea brain couldn't grasp anything other than I was a failure. I had failed God, I failed RR, I failed my family, and I failed my children. It was a terrible place to be.

 
It was so hard to contact RR about adoption disruption. I had contacted them previously a couple times asking for advice but this time it was different. I was contacting them specifically about disruption. Someone started using the word rehoming and that made me feel better. RR got me in contact with Rachel. A dear friend of mine whom I owe a lot. She talked and counseled with me for hours. She got me in touch with Michelle.

 
Michelle and her husband, Noah, had adopted three special needs children last year and now felt their calling was respite. Just to help families breath and sort out their feeling after an international adoption. This sounded good to me. I didn't want to give Yuri to a family forever. I just needed help and that is what she was offering.  She was going to keep him for a month, help him get a walker and get on medicaid. This would give us time to breathe and regroup so when he came home we would be ready and hopefully he would have the services I was struggling to get him.


It was a good fit for us because Michelle and Noah DID NOT want to adopt again, so we didn't feel threatened that they might try to keep Yuri and if rehoming did seem to be the route we would take, then they could help us find a home suitable for him. Oh us funny humans!!! Keep in mind we were advised not to mention anything on the blog about this because believe it or not there are people out there who prey on families going through a hard time after an international adoption.

It was hard handing Yuri over but we felt at peace with them and both Josh and I seemed to 'click' Michelle and Noah. They are super great people so that made it easier.
 

Let me tell you about our house first with Yuri gone. Bohdan came out of his shell. There was a mischievous, darling, mouthy, curious child in there. I guess without his big brother there to stop him he had the courage to explore all life had to offer. Asher took a bit longer to recover. It took him about 2 weeks but then he was back to his normal self and spending time with the family. Josh and I felt relief. It was like a different house. There was such a peace in our home. Many people commented that the boys were different and the house was more calm. Imagine that calm with 3 small boys, ha!! Anyway, it was then we knew that Yuri wasn't supposed to be ours. But whose?


Now I will tell you about Yuri, he did throw up twice on Michelle's head as they were driving back home after picking him up (Sorry Michelle) but since then he hasn't thrown up. ?? He actually fell asleep on the car ride to their house. ?? He NEVER did that with us, in fact he generally yelled the whole time we were in cars. Within the week, she had him on medicaid and had him walking in a walker. By the end of 3 weeks he was eating his meals by mouth. ??? He was not doing this for us at all. I asked about him being aggressive towards her other children. She said he was twice to two different kids but it didn't work out so good since he is the smallest so now he doesn't even try. hmm... When he left us he was on a strict diet of no dairy!! To help keep down on the puking. But now at the end of the month he was eating dairy. ??? He was a different child and he was thriving!

 Did his chemistry really change? Did his development really improve in such a short period of time? Did he really get all of the help in a month that I had failed to get him in 6 months? Really?? No, this was just God.


I shared with Michelle that we felt it would be best for our family to rehome Yuri. She then shared with us that they had fallen in love with Yuri and wanted to adopt him. So I guess the question would be... Did God really just do this?


Yuri, content. His eyes say so much
In my human pea brain, I put limits on God. Surely if he calls you to adopt a child then you get to raise that child, right? Surely, He wouldn't call you all the way across the world to a child that wasn't yours. Surely? Then Michelle said something to me that made it all come together. She told me that they had said they would NEVER go over there to adopt again, NEVER. She then told me 'thank you' for bringing her her son.


PEACE!! Now it all makes sense. Yuri is home with his real Momma and loving every minute. I went to visit a few weeks ago and Yuri was happy to see me but he preferred his Momma. It did my heart good to see him doing SO well. He had even gained about 5 lbs. He is a super chunk!!

 
Yuri and his Momma
Thank you all for your prayers and your patience for this post. I can't explain how heart wrenching it was to go through this ordeal and in the end to give up Yuri. I have just now gotten to the point of talking about it without balling the entire time. Now it is just a little balling.  But I am SO happy that Yuri found his forever family. Thank you Lord!!!!

And yes, I will update about Mr. Bohdan shortly. He is doing great!!



49 comments:

  1. Autumn- You are awesome for seeing beyond what your human brain could comprehend, admitting you needed help, and doing what is best for Yuri. So happy that Yuri is where he needs to be and that your family is doing well!! Thanks so much for sharing with us!

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  2. wow, that is a beautiful post. thank you for sharing this; it must have been hard. what courage it must have taken to do the right (but hard) thing that was obviously best for everyone involved.

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  3. Oh Autumn, I am so happy for the end result for both of your families! I am a sobbing mess over here. I think it was apparent to everyone that once the boys were seperated they both blossomed in ways no one imagined and it has been a beautiful thing to witness and you are truly an amazing and inspirational women. My husband and I wouldn't be so determined to advocate and adopt if it weren't for following your adoption journey. Your story and your family have touched people. Don't ever doubt for a second that you are anything less than remarkable!

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  4. Autumn, what a happy ending! Oh that smile. Yuri was rescued from his life in the orphanage and has TWO families who love him--when he used to have NONE. You and Josh did the legwork and the result is: he has a family. I am so happy to hear about the peace you have all found. I can't imagine how hard this must have all been. Wouldn't it be so much easier if we knew the end of the story when we started? Thank you for having faith in our awesome God through all of this and for depending on Him. He truly is able to do more than all we can ASK OR IMAGINE!!

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  5. Thank you for sharing your story. I am so thankful that you have found the best situations for everyone.

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  6. Hello, Lurker here:) I've never posted but I have been following Yuri and Bohdan since Adeye's post about them. I am thrilled for all of you that this has all worked out the way it was supposed to. I admire your courage and honesty and wish you and your family all the best in the future.

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  7. What an amazing story and best of all I couldn't be more thrilled for all parties. I am so glad your three sweet boys are doing well, but most of all you were able to see the miraculous but unconventional way God used you in this process!

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  8. I already told another family I would never judge something I could not possibly understand. I will say the same thing to you. It appears you guys found the perfect solution for your family AND the Enskats. No matter whose home it is, Yuri is happy and thriving.

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  9. I have nothing but respect for you Autumn! I cannot even fathom what it must be like, but I am proud of you for knowing when it was beyond your control, and I thank you for being the vessel that brought sweet Yuri across the ocean to his forever family.

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  10. Wow, Autumn. I know this could not have been an easy post to write, but you shared how God worked in Yuri's story, which is so beautiful. I admire your honesty. Glad to hear that Yuri is doing well and that you were brave enough to make a tough decision that was best for everyone!

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  11. That is a story only God could write! I'm so happy both boys found their forever homes. God bless you for following God's calling.

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  12. I can't even imagine how hard this past year has been for you. Your sisters in Christ are here praying for you and your family. And I think it's awesome that God used you and Josh as the vessel to bring Yuri to his home. God sure works in the most mysterious ways, but as long as we keep following Him, we end up where we're supposed to be.

    God Bless

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  13. so very happy for you and for yuri and his new mama!!

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  14. Hi Autumn,

    Thank you for sharing this story of your family, Yuri and the Enskats. You and Josh are very caring people who answered with a wholehearted "Yes" to God's call. I admire both you and Josh and the Enskats for seeing what was best for Yuri and handling it with such dignity and grace. May God Bless all of you.
    Patty

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  15. Autumn, thank you for telling your story. It is so important to those of us still in process to be reminded that no matter what, no matter how hard things are, that God is in charge. And He knows absolutely what is very best. Praying for all the Winks! Would love to see you soon!

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  16. Thank you so much for posting your story. I know it was heart wrenching for you to write. I am in awe at the way God orchestrated it all. He NEVER ceases to amaze me. His plans are most often things we can't even imagine. I know you will be rewarded for your obedience.
    God bless all of you!
    Can't wait to hear about Bohdan!

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  17. I've been lurking on your blog since you brought the boys home. I think you did the right thing and that takes alot of courage. I wish you the best and Gods blessings :)

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  18. thank you for your update, autumn. we do put limits on God don't we. thanks for sharing how God has made His plan clear to you. i'm just marveling at the timing and so grateful to see how yuri is thriving, how all the children are thriving. may that bless your heart to see how God worked it all for good. thanks for being obedient and bringing the boys to the states and to their forever families.

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  19. Autumn, thank you so much for this post. Yes, God did that. God did that. He used you to bring mercy and deliverance, to rescue sweet Yuri. It sounds just like something our precious Savior would do. All is as it should be. Thank you so much for responding to the call to go get that treasure of a boy, and Bohdan too. What you have done is amazing. Even your ability to acknowledge that "something" had to change in your household. And despite the grief of doing so you, you were able to grace another home with Yuri. You were God's instrument. I am sorry for all that you endured, the upheaval of your home, the stress of those months home with the boys. But, how else were you to know that Yuri was still on his journey home? Yuri knew home when he saw it.

    God's best to you and yours.

    ~Barb

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  20. Autumn,

    I am sitting here is balling tears. What a wonderful and very hard post you have written. I fell in Love with Yuri, Wade, and also Julia, when Adeye wrote about them. It broke my heart that they were all living in the conditions that they were in. I wished so badly that I was physically able to go and get at least one of them. Of course that was not an option for me period. But I wanted at least one of them! Then I heard that Yuri and Wade had a family. I was so thrilled and sat here and cried.
    When you guys went to first see them I could not believe how sad both of them looked. Then they came home and you wrote about things and I could see that there was a lot you were not saying. I was really sad and worried about what might happen to Yuri. I am so very thankful for the family he is with. They are awesome people and Yuri has done so very well with them. I am so glad that they took him in and now they want to make him apart of their family. It is wonderful news.
    However, my heart breaks for you. I can only imagine how you have felt through all this. People in general can be rude and disrespectful. Until this post most of us did not know the whole story of what really happened. I want to thank you for taking the time to write this very hard, heart breaking, and also wonderful story.
    You should never feel that you have failed Yuri, because you have not failed him. You brought him to America to be able to have a life that he could enjoy. He is with a family that he loves very much and they love him. Be proud of yourself for uniting them together!

    Thanks again for pouring your heart out for us to understand the real story. It is a lot different than what I am sure some thought it was.


    Love,
    Sheila

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  21. Thank you for sharing! I have worried about you over the last several months. I am happy for both families. I don't think you "gave up" Yuri. You brought him home! Not many people could make the tough decisions you have made. I applaud you!

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  22. I know that was a hard post to write and I cried along with you as you shared. I am so grateful that God is making clear to you HIS hands in all of this. We have prayed diligently for you and for Yuri since the first day your family decided to cross the ocean. We have only admiration and love for you. Praising God for His Faithfulness to one little boy who is now Home. No it is not the story anyone expected but it is precious indeed. Hold your head up high. Doing the Lord's work - answering His call is not always easy and often takes you down roads and highways that you never knew were even there but He knows and that is all that matters. Hold your head high!! You have done an awesome deed indeed!!

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  23. Oh, what a beautiful, beautiful story. What an incredibly hard time! Thank you so much for sharing Yuri's story with us, the part where God did a miracle to bring him home!

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  24. It was God's plan. You were the surrogate to bring Yuri to his family. Best wishes to you and Yuri's new family.

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  25. Thank you for writing this post. I thought maybe something like this happened. You did the best you could and God knows it. I'm glad everyone is doing so well.

    Andrea

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  26. Wow! God's ways are amazing! Thanks for sharing. I'm so glad he worked it all out and that both boys are doing well and in their forever homes!

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  27. It's so true that God works in mysterious ways! We certainly can't put him in a box, can we? :) What an amazing story of redemption!

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  28. I have thought of you often since you brought those little boys home. And I am so glad and moved how things have fallen into place. God ceases to amaze me. I am so, so happy for your family and for Yuri's family. Thanks for sharing this beautiful story. <3

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  29. I'm so happy that this worked out so well for all of you. And that you had the strength to let him go. That takes a lot.

    Monica
    www.xmaswarrior.blogspot.com

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  30. So happy this has worked out for all of you! God works in mysterious ways....

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  31. Autumn, you are an amazing woman and this is a great story that shows it. Thank you for sharing this with us.

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  32. Thank you for sharing. I'm sure it wasn't an easy post to write. I've been thinking of you all for months, and am so glad to see the beauty amid all the heartbreak of your story.

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  33. I am so happy to read it all worked out as it was intended to. Thank you for sharing it with us.

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  34. I have so much respect for you for sharing this and glorifying God who redeems and never wastes our pain. I know some of what it feels like to believe you are Mama only to find out that God was only using you as a temporary haven. I can imagine that even in your relief knowing what you know, there is still pain. He is the great Healer and He will bind up all the broken places. Redemption has already begun! Blessings to you!

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  35. I guess I, too, could qualify as a lurker...but I lurk only to pray and rejoice over families and children "found". How precious of you to share much more than you owed your readers, and I trust God will bless your openness by using it in the lives of other families. I have only one thing to say, "God, You are good...and what You do is good!" Praise Him.

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  36. Oh That Great Mysterious Wonderful God of ours! Bless you sweet lady... You are NOT a failure... Thank you for sharing this... All things work together for good! Hugs!

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  37. There are so many situations that I just WISH God would just let me in on His plan. I mean, really, just a little hint. This is one of those. I mean, hey, I bet you would have brought Yuri home for Michelle if God had just said "By the way, while you are there to get your little boy, can you just get that other one for another family?" LOL Imagine the heartache, headaches, and laundry you would have been spared! :) Autumn, you are one of the best and strongest women I know. You really have been through the wringer over the last year, and you are on the other side now, and can share your story, and your heart. God has a plan for you, and He allowed this to happen so that you can show other Mommas that sometimes God's plan isn't the one that we think it is, sometimes He just needs a little help getting the main plan accomplished. It's ok to ask for help. Its ok to admit that something's not right. I can't imagine being in your shoes. You are a beautiful person, and a wonderful Mother, and you are doing just what God had planned all along. Congratulations to your family AND to Yuri's family!! :) Love ya girl!!

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  38. Wonderful! Ever notice that nothing happens until we step out? You were willing to step out into the unknown, and God directed the whole process in a way you would never have expected. Amazing and faith-building!

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  39. God absolutely used you as a vessel to bring Yuri home. There's no question that you love him and have done a very selfless and sacrificial act by giving him up. All our best to you and your precious boys!

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  40. That is the heart of a TRUE Mama, willing to do WHATEVER IT TAKES for her baby to be healthy, happy and whole. This is a beautiful story, and even though it must have been so hard and heartbreaking you are anything but a failure. You are a true, loving, honest and faithful Mama.

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  41. Autumn, I read this post mere hours after you wrote this and I'm so sorry it took me this long to get back to comment. What a beautiful story. I had always been curious how you felt led to adopt in the first place. You were so faithful, every step of the way. You followed His plan, you beat Mount Doom and you ransomed two precious boys home to loving families. Sometimes the stories don't end the way we thought they would, but in the end, they are exactly how He intended. I'm sure the decision for Yuri to be re-homed was one made with much personal agony. He knew that you could bring Yuri home, advocate for him, get his meds down him by dropping a tube down him, all those skills your learned from Caius' mommy, God was working out his master plan way before the seed of adoption had been planted. And now there are two families with new sons. You are so loving. You are so strong. You are so faithful. You've done good. Many blessings to your family this holiday season.

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  42. I'm a follower of your blog, but haven't kept up well lately. I was directed here from a comment on another blog posted by one of those people you referred to as to why you didn't blog about all the goings-on with Yuri sooner. I'm amazed that someone took something so obviously positive and made it negative. I admire your courage, and I do believe God had this planned all along! So glad that all of you are doing so well!!

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  43. This is a great post and I am so glad everything has worked out as God planned. Thank you for sharing this!

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  44. Oh my, what a story...thank you for sharing it. You and the Enskats have my complete admiration--you put Yuri's needs first. God bless all of you!

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  45. SO happy how things worked out! All along the Lord knew exactly what He was doing! I walked almost in the same path you did, but the ending was a little different. I was in awe of your strengh and faith the entire time! I rejoice with you in the amazing solution the Lord brought about. Its great to see that all the children are happy and content now !!
    sincerely in Christ,
    Jackie

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  46. Thanks for sharing your adoption journey - a very happy ending to a new beginning for all of you! Blessings to you!

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  47. One of my blog readers (Susan from Australia) recommended I read this post.

    Thank you for sharing so openly and honestly your story. What surprises me more than your transparency, is all of the support your readers have given you. I didn't see even one word of condemnation. Praise God.

    We adopted 3 siblings from Ghana, in 2008. We disrupted the adoption of the oldest brother 16 months later, when we discovered that he was abusing his youngest sister, and had been for many years. We couldn't protect our 5 younger children.

    Now ... the younger sister is raging so badly that we just do not know what to do. It absolutely breaks our hearts to think of disrupting another adoption. We could hardly live through the judgment and condemnation last time. We were completely condemned by our pastors, our small group "friends", our closest friends. We feel like we were run out of town ... but we still live here, unimaginably lonely.

    I look forward to reading more of your blog. Please keep us in your prayers.

    Laurel
    mama of 12
    ages 10, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 21, 23, 23, 25 ,26, 27

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  48. Ok well i know this is an old post but new to me! 1st, i felt drawn to Adeyes blog again tonight when I haven't been on it in goodness knows how long. I happened onto her post about pleven and I saw both yuri and wade and i burst into tears, my heart went out to all those babies( as we have a 9 year old special needs from the Philippines along with 4 bio kids), but those 2 boys hit me hard. I knew it was an older post but started searching the internet for them, not even knowing yuris name at the time. I ended up on reeces rainbow and saw some kiddos that tugged at my heart but the name Wade kept playing in my head and I thought it was one of the boys on the site(i had lost track looking through all the kids). I searched the name when I didn't see a profile for wade and your blog came up for both of the boys! My heart rejoiced that both of these kiddos had found a home! Ok so now on the note of this particular post with Yuri, our adoption was also very very hard for the first year as in,"what were you thinking God??" hard. Our adopted daughter was attacking our other children and it was just baaaad. NOT what i had envisioned at all. So I totally get where you were at. For us, God started healing our daughters heart and things have gotten much better, but perfect but better. But I know and realize that's not everyones story. I love how God worked in Yuri's case and thank you so much for sharing something so personal. I can also personally testify to those who prey on others who blog about their troubles with their international adoption. But anyhow, just wanted to share my really bizarre journey tonight that led me to your blog! Many Blessings!

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  49. I don't blame you for rehoming him. You didn't do wrong. Your boys at home are doing better without Yuri, and Yuri is happier in his new home.

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