One More Week

We received word this week that the international passports are done!! Yeah! So, we now have plane tickets--and Zenon and I will be leaving next Friday, July 25, to return to Ukraine to get our children.

This second trip will be one week. When we arrive in Kiev on Saturday, we will take the midnight train to Ternopil and arrive 7:30am. By this time, I know we will need showers! (The last ones being Friday morning before we leave) We will go and spend the day with them on Sunday and bring them with us for good this time. Never needing to take them back to the orphanage again!! Monday morning we will get our passports from the passport office and on Monday night, we will once again get on the night train back to Kiev. In Kiev we will need to get required medical exams for each of them and submit our documents for their travel visas. This will take a few days. Then, Saturday we will board the plane for London. Stay over in London then arrive home on Sunday, August 3rd.

This week we've been painting Alex's room in anticipation of his new brothers. He chose a navy blue for two walls, and the opposite walls are orange (his favorite color!). Then, there is a green strip around the top. He has bunk beds, and we are hoping to add a loft so there will be beds for the three boys. This week most of his things have been sitting in the hallway, so we are ready for this project to be done.

It looks like a trip to Ikea will happen sometime this weekend. I need a dresser in Addie's room for her and Alina. Addie has limited storage as it is, and we need to expand it for the girls. I think we'll also be getting Alex a bookcase for his room from Ikea as well.

I want to thank all of our friends who have graciously given us furniture, a mattress, clothes, backpacks, and food. We have been very blessed by our friends and family.

I would like to mention that "NO, we're not crazy!" This is in response to someone looked at me the other day and said "Are you crazy?" I admit, my defenses went up. I hadn't thought of myself as crazy in general. But, I've discovered it looks like it to some people. Zenon and I have both been asked this question (maybe not that bluntly) many, many times in the last few months. Life is different for all of us. Every person makes choices for themselves and their families. All of our choices will be different. We live in different families, have unique lives, and are not all called to do the same things. He might call you to do something that fits your family that doesn't fit our family. Zenon and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that these children belong in OUR family. We LOVE them, and I can not wait to hold them next weekend and let them know that we will never leave them, and they will be loved unconditionally by us. They will now have a permanent family, and will never again be orphans. That is our promise to them.

Will it be easy to have six children? Of course not. "Easy" isn't what we considered when making this choice. We both know that there will be challenges, but also know that the Lord has called us to go and get the rest of our children from Ukraine. I can't wait to get off the airplane Aug. 3rd and have all of our children together!

THANK YOU again for all of your prayers, help, and encouragement. We truly have been blessed!