Just got back to my apartment about 6 pm. Started off meeting the Malone Family in front of the Metro on Kreshatik St. I love this family...they are so down to earth and just great...We have a lot of parallels in our lives, and it just feels good knowing there are families that share the same labor of love...
I huffed & puffed with my bag of hair supplies..& asthma! Most of my hair supplies were in Vorzel thanks to Meredith & the Lutz's who took them on the train before I left last trip..Thanks again for that...they had them under lock & key!
What a nice welcome I had and Mary M & I got to cruise around a little while the ladies were looking at clothes from a sales woman..I love those people..There was also one at Marco's orphanage yesterday...They have nice stuff. This afternoon there was a curtain sales man there and the ladies hair I did today chipped in and bought me one I was looking at!! That was so so nice of them...It is a beautiful curtain..with a valence too...They have beautiful curtains and table clothes here & in Russia.
Well Mary & I took some new pictures of 2 of the boys available and a few kids that are not..1 new one since I was there last..a little girl not available...
I did get to play a little with Misha who looked better than the last trip...He was in the playroom with no casts and walking around...and we got some new photos...Poor guy needs a Mommy quick..I will post his picture & email it to Reeces Rainbow for updates..He is so sweet.
The other sweetie was Andre,..he is also waiting for his Mommy too..It was really good to see all the ladies in the baby house...I will be able to spend a week in Vorzel doing hair and seeing all the ladies from our adoption. I should be able to get a lot of ladies done since I have the time. It was so much easier this time stopping at about the 10 th lady so I could finish up and get out by 2:30. Wasn't so hard on my feet this way too...last time it was overkill...On my feet in one place for about 10 hours with little to no breaks. Tomorrow I will return to the same Baby house by 8:30 or so with the Malones. Got to hand deliver a letter and pictures from Danielle ...They were so happy to see that! He looked so good with his glasses on...they really liked this..
Talked to our old translator from our 2009 adoption and will be meeting her next week sometime for dinner. I am keeping busy so I don't miss my family as much back home...Kind of hard..I think of them non-stop...
When I get back to the apartment at night I feel the emptiness from my husband not with me here anymore and get a little weepy...but I try then to do things I need to do like laundry, sort through mega candy, cookies & chocolates for Marco's farewell party next Thursday.. I have an official crying towel when the need happens..Better out then in! LOL Just skyped with the kids so the towel came in handy again after I hung up.
Marco is coming here tomorrow..so I will straighten up and have his bed ready, which is one of those couches that folds open I think originated in Poland. I bought some dried sausage and kielbasa and ham and bread & cheese...& juice so far...I want to get some of their Presidents Yogurt..WOW is that good stuff..I had the strawberry one today...Need to get a dozen of those...yummy!
The food is very good here..some of the things I can pass on like the raw fish..and a few of their dairy products are much different. The milk is very different and thick...They have Keefer..which I can only drink flavored..and some other soft cheeses, sauerkraut and sour cream are different.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Had a Wonderful Full Day...
Started off in the orphanage waiting for Marco..but we were early...The social worker wants him to finish out his classes everyday...but he cannot even focus..He is ready to get out of there and I can't wait myself..It is a nice place, but he wants his new family. He is so excited asking questions about his brothers & sisters and dogs & cats...
He will be coming here for the weekend but must be back Sunday afternoon sometime. He will get to soak in the bath tub which he probably can't remember the last time he had that and he will get his haircut he has been holding out for Mama to do..
We will go to the grocery store for fruit & veggies & food. He is used to just bread & butter & tea for breakfast...I can top that!
We had lunch today at the Potato House in his town with Natasha. We walked there & back and it was a nice day...little cooler today though. Now we are having snow..I am glad Ruben left today when it was sunny & clear skies. He had a good flight to Germany...and he is now on the home stretch!
I came home from the orphanage by way of the metro and stopped to pick up another pair of shoes...My feet are too hot in my furry boots..I will need them this weekend though because the temps will drop below freezing.
Just had time to freshen up and was picked up to have dinner at Ivanna's parents home and see my "sister" Katya! So funny when I look at her pictures and see myself..
We laughed that we were separated at birth...It is nice to be in contact with them all year but to see them again in person is much better..We really have a good time and a lot of laughs. We did a little shopping near their house before dinner and we looked at more shoes..Instead I got a purse..I will be giving my present bag to Natasha because it is so Euro...so I picked up another more casual one.
We ate a wonderful dinner and then skyped Darlena & Ivanna in Mississippi! That was great..Ivanna is doing so well and has many signs..I was very impressed! She is so happy in her new home..
we will begetting together again when Marco comes and go all around Kiev..
Saturday we will be going to a Water Museum here in Kiev..and Sunday Botanical Gardens to see the indoor plants, trees, and flowers. Then it's back to the orphanage where Marco will be sporting his new haircut!
I will be going to bed soon because I will be meeting the Malone Family at the Metro/Bus Stop to head to the orphanage of my 3 littles and doing hair until about 2 pm. Then I will go back to visit Marco a couple hours...
I will stroll through the metro flea market to see if I can find the cutest tights I saw back in November...They were chaneele like a fluffy sweater..They were so cute & looked warm..I did pick up a few pairs of other very thick tights that you can't get in America.
Well off to bed...I will be getting a 3:30 am text from Ruben when he lands in Newark NJ!! YAY! Home to the kids..I will rest better then..Good Night!
He will be coming here for the weekend but must be back Sunday afternoon sometime. He will get to soak in the bath tub which he probably can't remember the last time he had that and he will get his haircut he has been holding out for Mama to do..
We will go to the grocery store for fruit & veggies & food. He is used to just bread & butter & tea for breakfast...I can top that!
We had lunch today at the Potato House in his town with Natasha. We walked there & back and it was a nice day...little cooler today though. Now we are having snow..I am glad Ruben left today when it was sunny & clear skies. He had a good flight to Germany...and he is now on the home stretch!
I came home from the orphanage by way of the metro and stopped to pick up another pair of shoes...My feet are too hot in my furry boots..I will need them this weekend though because the temps will drop below freezing.
Just had time to freshen up and was picked up to have dinner at Ivanna's parents home and see my "sister" Katya! So funny when I look at her pictures and see myself..
We laughed that we were separated at birth...It is nice to be in contact with them all year but to see them again in person is much better..We really have a good time and a lot of laughs. We did a little shopping near their house before dinner and we looked at more shoes..Instead I got a purse..I will be giving my present bag to Natasha because it is so Euro...so I picked up another more casual one.
We ate a wonderful dinner and then skyped Darlena & Ivanna in Mississippi! That was great..Ivanna is doing so well and has many signs..I was very impressed! She is so happy in her new home..
we will begetting together again when Marco comes and go all around Kiev..
Saturday we will be going to a Water Museum here in Kiev..and Sunday Botanical Gardens to see the indoor plants, trees, and flowers. Then it's back to the orphanage where Marco will be sporting his new haircut!
I will be going to bed soon because I will be meeting the Malone Family at the Metro/Bus Stop to head to the orphanage of my 3 littles and doing hair until about 2 pm. Then I will go back to visit Marco a couple hours...
I will stroll through the metro flea market to see if I can find the cutest tights I saw back in November...They were chaneele like a fluffy sweater..They were so cute & looked warm..I did pick up a few pairs of other very thick tights that you can't get in America.
Well off to bed...I will be getting a 3:30 am text from Ruben when he lands in Newark NJ!! YAY! Home to the kids..I will rest better then..Good Night!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Golden Goof! ......
Ok...so back to the airport...Our first mishap with them was the agent was sending my husband to a different airport where the car was not going to be parked! So I had him fix it...The second was when we got to the airport...and we had no tickets! I thought it was all confirmed with my credit card & exp.. which I emailed him and okayed the change to the right airport, to me this is a confirmation when I give out my credit card...he never booked the tickets! So we sat at the airport after all we had been through with Interpol thinking this just takes the cake! So the guy must have been in a frenzy while booking since we had no tickets....and charges an old friends credit card that traveled with us in 2009 that was in our file since then to boot! What the heck is going on..Most of us adopting use this same travel agent...so please check all your info when booking..this is 3 mistakes in one booking and we are not happy! He erroneously charged the wrong credit card.... NO ONE can authorize use of someone else's card! While he assures us all errors will be fixed and has now charged our correct credit card it is still aggravating.. Another day in the life of adoption...there is always something!
Marco with some friends...who by the way are available and very sweet quiet brothers..
They have a third brother in another place.
Busy Day today..
We started off nice & early and headed out to the notaries and US Embassy. Ruben had to do his part of the paper work and I did part of mine too! Our officer there was from America and very nice..We met another family who adopted a 14 year old girl and they were from State College PA...
We were in and out of there pretty quick...so we then got the bus to the metro to head out of the city to see Marco. He was just about getting out of his classes. If he has 6 classes in a day he is done by 1 :45. So he asked if I would please come earlier tomorrow so he can get out of German class! Children are the same all over the world..amazes me..so I will be there about 11 am...He is going to fit right in...it just feels so comfortable having him around. He looks like my biological children all mixed together.
We met a lot of kids from his school today. Some with families and some without. I met a little girl sucking her thumb peaking at me and smiling..Oh was she cute and so sweet I just wanted to hug her and mother her. There were some more girls in the craft class. We were on our way out so I will find out more tomorrow which ones were orphans and which ones have families. Some children live in this orphanage and have families that can't take care of them. Some children also now come just to go to school. I also got to see a woman who lives in the basement of the orphanage. She was also an orphan in this same place. So since she is not able to work or be alone they allow her to live in the basement and she cleans all around the orphanage and school. I gave her a stuffed dog yesterday and she was so so happy and hugging it. I will get her picture tomorrow.
We were in and out of there pretty quick...so we then got the bus to the metro to head out of the city to see Marco. He was just about getting out of his classes. If he has 6 classes in a day he is done by 1 :45. So he asked if I would please come earlier tomorrow so he can get out of German class! Children are the same all over the world..amazes me..so I will be there about 11 am...He is going to fit right in...it just feels so comfortable having him around. He looks like my biological children all mixed together.
We met a lot of kids from his school today. Some with families and some without. I met a little girl sucking her thumb peaking at me and smiling..Oh was she cute and so sweet I just wanted to hug her and mother her. There were some more girls in the craft class. We were on our way out so I will find out more tomorrow which ones were orphans and which ones have families. Some children live in this orphanage and have families that can't take care of them. Some children also now come just to go to school. I also got to see a woman who lives in the basement of the orphanage. She was also an orphan in this same place. So since she is not able to work or be alone they allow her to live in the basement and she cleans all around the orphanage and school. I gave her a stuffed dog yesterday and she was so so happy and hugging it. I will get her picture tomorrow.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Heading Out!
We are heading out now to meet Natasha and have Ruben do his part of the U>S> Embassy paper work. This paperwork is to clasify Marco as an immediate relative...
Then we are off to pick up Marco! I have his new clothes and he already had his new sneakers on yesterday. Everything should fit..Last trip I brought size 12 and it was a little small..So I have 14/16 and his coat is even one size bigger so it can fit with his (hoodie)sweatshirt. It is so amazing to me how different the children are in the orphanage. They really have nothing...and have not seen much either. Very wholesome and sweet. Looking forward to coming back to Kiev and taking him to McDonalds at 4 pm to meet with the Malone Family.
Then we are off to pick up Marco! I have his new clothes and he already had his new sneakers on yesterday. Everything should fit..Last trip I brought size 12 and it was a little small..So I have 14/16 and his coat is even one size bigger so it can fit with his (hoodie)sweatshirt. It is so amazing to me how different the children are in the orphanage. They really have nothing...and have not seen much either. Very wholesome and sweet. Looking forward to coming back to Kiev and taking him to McDonalds at 4 pm to meet with the Malone Family.
Just got back...
Went to TGI FRidays..met with Courtney & Mark & had a nice time...hopefully will meet again somewhere through our journey...
Here is a picture of the Court house we went to today in region. This was also the court for our 3 littles...Masha, Milena & Lilli Luda.
IT'S OFFICIAL!
We are officially the proud parents of a big baby boy named Marco Yura Torres!
We will be picking him up tomorrow afternoon and he will come to the apartment to stay with us and run around with me every where I have to go yet...One of the first things we will do is go to McDonalds..he has never had it..so I will start corrupting his diet there!! Be back later..we are off to TGI Fridays to meet other adopting families!
We will be picking him up tomorrow afternoon and he will come to the apartment to stay with us and run around with me every where I have to go yet...One of the first things we will do is go to McDonalds..he has never had it..so I will start corrupting his diet there!! Be back later..we are off to TGI Fridays to meet other adopting families!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Settling in our new apartment..
It is a very cute apartment..3 rd floor with a closed in balcony and big windows facing the street..I have stayed in this building twice so far so I am accustomed to this place and it has an elevator...so great for my asthma! Once I get walking around the city though..it seems to get better..maybe I get in shape after 2 weeks so this helps with the asthma.
We have cable and English channels..Right now we are watching the discovery channel...It's about airplanes and the A380 Airbus...largest plane ever made..so this is helping my fears..LOL Explaining how it all works. Very interesting..but also will not fly in the winter if I can help it..
Starting to get hungry ...so I will be going to the store for some groceries soon. It's 2 :40 pm..We ate late this morning..so it's now about lunch time...
Hello Danielle! I read your comment...I will take your pictures and letters for the ladies in Baby House #1...They will be surprised and happy to hear from you..I will be in touch with Ivanna's parents to pick up the razor/buzzer that belongs there and plan to have me over for dinner next week.
We have cable and English channels..Right now we are watching the discovery channel...It's about airplanes and the A380 Airbus...largest plane ever made..so this is helping my fears..LOL Explaining how it all works. Very interesting..but also will not fly in the winter if I can help it..
Starting to get hungry ...so I will be going to the store for some groceries soon. It's 2 :40 pm..We ate late this morning..so it's now about lunch time...
Hello Danielle! I read your comment...I will take your pictures and letters for the ladies in Baby House #1...They will be surprised and happy to hear from you..I will be in touch with Ivanna's parents to pick up the razor/buzzer that belongs there and plan to have me over for dinner next week.
Waiting for our translator..
We're back from breakfast/brunch and just waiting for our call from Natasha..I think she said she would come around 11, ,we were so tired so not positive.. It is very quiet in the city today and during the summer they close down the huge street here and sometimes have singers or violinists in the street. Some of the people are grown orphans and are trying to make a few dollars serenading you...
The weather is a little better today...dreary but warmer. Our apartment is located uphill but not far and I am already pooped. Our bodies are aching from sitting so long.
Plus mu asthma doesn't help matters..
We are not sure when we will take Marco from the orphanage..The director said it's ok to get him after court but our team feels maybe wait a couple of days so I can go to Vorzel and do hair and have to entertain him less...but I am looking forward to entertaining him...so I think when Ruben goes home on Tuesday I may go and get him...I remember that very empty loney feeling when he left to go back to USA without me...sheesh....we have never been apart like that and it was hard. OK..natsah is here..Be back later to also fix my typos...
The weather is a little better today...dreary but warmer. Our apartment is located uphill but not far and I am already pooped. Our bodies are aching from sitting so long.
Plus mu asthma doesn't help matters..
We are not sure when we will take Marco from the orphanage..The director said it's ok to get him after court but our team feels maybe wait a couple of days so I can go to Vorzel and do hair and have to entertain him less...but I am looking forward to entertaining him...so I think when Ruben goes home on Tuesday I may go and get him...I remember that very empty loney feeling when he left to go back to USA without me...sheesh....we have never been apart like that and it was hard. OK..natsah is here..Be back later to also fix my typos...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Feeling human again!
We are feeling better this morning but still need some more rest. We will be moving to our next apartment shortly and thought I 'd better blog because there may be no internet until Monday. Tonight we will be meeting some other couples for dinner so we can blog at TGI Fridays with their free wifi if I remember the lap top.
I will be buying some Ukrainian IBuprofin today for my aches from sitting so long on the plane..
Speaking of planes....When we arrived at Newark airport..I presented our printed out flight schedule...well come to find out this was not our actual booking...We never confirmed it!! Never assume that after have this email & gave your credit card number that you have tickets! We had been working with Golden Rule travel agency and they are wonderful..but I guess I never completely confirmed the dates were good and so our guy never put it through! WOW...Tickets from the aiport would be about $3000...Thankfully it was all straightened out and we had an hour to spare...
We boarded a lovely new plane with a lower level...Never saw anything like this before..the bathrooms and some area for the stewards were down stairs..It was like a Cadillac taking off too.. We were very impressed since neither one of us are really fond of being in the air, especially in the winter. So we watched a movie which mind you was on the back of the seat in front of you and we had many choices...I watched tv shows. After dinner the staff gave out as many drinks as possible to the people..I understood why when I saw the one steward coming with a hanger and closing all the shades to put us all to bed..And by golly it worked..they had that whole plane sleepy teepy bye bye!
I can never sleep anywhere but in a bed...I may have dosed a couple of times..but I can never do it as much as I want to. So today I feel like I was hit by a truck.
Our apartment is cute that we are in right now...close to everything but we will be moving shortly to a great place for only $35 per night for the monthly rate since I may be here until February 28 th.
Our second plane into Kiev I have to say was not as nice..but more like a shuttle. The ride started out well but then the weather changed as we got nearer to Kiev. We experienced some turbulance and the landing was quite scary...we are happy to be here is all I will say after that landing. Happy also the temps were above freezing. I will never fly again in the winter..except to get home!
We have court tomorrow at noon..so we will be picked up by 9:30 am because we have to stop at the orphanage where Marco is and pick up the staff that attends court. We are very excited to see him and have him ours finally. It was an interesting delay and we laughed about it yesterday with our team and how it didn't make any sense..but that's adoption.
As I am typing the church bells are going off..what a beautiful sound..our window is open because the heat is working well. It is Sunday almost 10 am. A day of rest for us. I am looking forward to unpacking and bagging up all the goodies for the orphanages. I have some things for our friends Pastor Sasha & Olya and will see them this coming week when we go to Vorzel Orphanage to do hair for the ladies and maybe some children. I will go there for a few days because there are many ladies who work there and some volunteer. I will get some pictures for 2 mommies that will coming for their children soon...
We are headed out to breakfast/brunch and will be meeting Natasha to move our things and settle in to our new place and call our friends here in Ukraine to make some plans with them as well....more later
I will be buying some Ukrainian IBuprofin today for my aches from sitting so long on the plane..
Speaking of planes....When we arrived at Newark airport..I presented our printed out flight schedule...well come to find out this was not our actual booking...We never confirmed it!! Never assume that after have this email & gave your credit card number that you have tickets! We had been working with Golden Rule travel agency and they are wonderful..but I guess I never completely confirmed the dates were good and so our guy never put it through! WOW...Tickets from the aiport would be about $3000...Thankfully it was all straightened out and we had an hour to spare...
We boarded a lovely new plane with a lower level...Never saw anything like this before..the bathrooms and some area for the stewards were down stairs..It was like a Cadillac taking off too.. We were very impressed since neither one of us are really fond of being in the air, especially in the winter. So we watched a movie which mind you was on the back of the seat in front of you and we had many choices...I watched tv shows. After dinner the staff gave out as many drinks as possible to the people..I understood why when I saw the one steward coming with a hanger and closing all the shades to put us all to bed..And by golly it worked..they had that whole plane sleepy teepy bye bye!
I can never sleep anywhere but in a bed...I may have dosed a couple of times..but I can never do it as much as I want to. So today I feel like I was hit by a truck.
Our apartment is cute that we are in right now...close to everything but we will be moving shortly to a great place for only $35 per night for the monthly rate since I may be here until February 28 th.
Our second plane into Kiev I have to say was not as nice..but more like a shuttle. The ride started out well but then the weather changed as we got nearer to Kiev. We experienced some turbulance and the landing was quite scary...we are happy to be here is all I will say after that landing. Happy also the temps were above freezing. I will never fly again in the winter..except to get home!
We have court tomorrow at noon..so we will be picked up by 9:30 am because we have to stop at the orphanage where Marco is and pick up the staff that attends court. We are very excited to see him and have him ours finally. It was an interesting delay and we laughed about it yesterday with our team and how it didn't make any sense..but that's adoption.
As I am typing the church bells are going off..what a beautiful sound..our window is open because the heat is working well. It is Sunday almost 10 am. A day of rest for us. I am looking forward to unpacking and bagging up all the goodies for the orphanages. I have some things for our friends Pastor Sasha & Olya and will see them this coming week when we go to Vorzel Orphanage to do hair for the ladies and maybe some children. I will go there for a few days because there are many ladies who work there and some volunteer. I will get some pictures for 2 mommies that will coming for their children soon...
We are headed out to breakfast/brunch and will be meeting Natasha to move our things and settle in to our new place and call our friends here in Ukraine to make some plans with them as well....more later
We're Here!
We just got to our apartment and will grab a bite to eat and then be back...stay tuned for our adventure stories! Thanks Danielle for the Ukrainian money we will go to dinner on you! Good thing..the money exchanges are closed now...and I am ready to eat at the Ukrainian buffet! We are very close to this place for tonight and then we'll be moving just down the street at 19 Bassienya St. for the rest of our stay...
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Orphanage visits..
We will be visiting 3 orphanages while in country...Bringing donations and loving up the children. I plan to do many hair doos in the Baby House starting next week...spoke with one of the Doctors there and they are waiting! I borrowed their razor for another orphanage and had left it with friends in country and I guess they forgot return it LOL..so I will pick this up too so the orphanage can trim the boys hair..They haven't had their razor since June! The kids may need some fixing up too!...Looking forward to this part of the trip..The ladies are very receptive and happy when working on their doos..I find them to be just like my clients at home..People are people no matter where you are.. They understand my hand motions for ways to cut their hair and laugh at the same things we do back home.
There are at least 2 other families adopting and one more coming this weekend also..so we hope to meet with them Monday for dinner.
Suitcases are packed..we will weigh them tomorrow to make sure they aren't over 50 pounds each! I picked up so much candy/cookies/stuffed animals & chocolates I bought during the last 2 months for the kids...There were great sales after Christmas so glad I was still here to get a lot for the kids...
Many items for 10 and 25 cents! Christmas in Eastern Europe is later than ours..so they are still in Christmas mode a little...
There are at least 2 other families adopting and one more coming this weekend also..so we hope to meet with them Monday for dinner.
Suitcases are packed..we will weigh them tomorrow to make sure they aren't over 50 pounds each! I picked up so much candy/cookies/stuffed animals & chocolates I bought during the last 2 months for the kids...There were great sales after Christmas so glad I was still here to get a lot for the kids...
Many items for 10 and 25 cents! Christmas in Eastern Europe is later than ours..so they are still in Christmas mode a little...
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Ukraine Orphan Trip 2004
Once your eyes are opened..you can not forget....this explains how you feel once you visit the orphanages...
Monday, January 31, 2011
TO NEW YORK!
Just got back from New York....Dropped off my 2 kids and will return to pick them up + the niece who is baby sitting for our kids.. On the way back...there was some traffic..not too much..Thank God it was the tail end of a situation that the traffic started to move...A small plane that had mechanical problems had to land on route 80! Near Teterboro NJ. Apparently this plane couldn't make it to the airport in Teterboro!
We saw it being towed on a flat bed tow truck with many state troopers there blocking the road off on both ends of this home made runway.....That was pretty neat..Thankfully no one got hurt & all was fine...We did see about 4 other cars in wrecks though..Very scary out there today! Tomorrow is ice & snow starting about midnight...
We saw it being towed on a flat bed tow truck with many state troopers there blocking the road off on both ends of this home made runway.....That was pretty neat..Thankfully no one got hurt & all was fine...We did see about 4 other cars in wrecks though..Very scary out there today! Tomorrow is ice & snow starting about midnight...
Leaving Friday....
Well needless to say we are rushing to get a lot done before we leave on Friday,,
I just spoke to our translator and booked the apartment and gave her the flight numbers so she can meet us at the airport Sat Feb 5 th due to the time change it is a day ahead.. We fly through Munich going and Frankfurt coming home. I will stay until the end of February and Ruben will be home Feb 9 th.
We were told we could get Marco right after court! So this is an exciting change..we still have the 10 day wait I guess...just that he can be with us during this time...SO we can go around Kiev and see the cathedrals and what ever he may want to do. Not sure the zoo is open in the winter but will check into that. It would be nice to have Benjamin along too since we'll have him so quickly. I guess a little late now to get the passport...
I just spoke to our translator and booked the apartment and gave her the flight numbers so she can meet us at the airport Sat Feb 5 th due to the time change it is a day ahead.. We fly through Munich going and Frankfurt coming home. I will stay until the end of February and Ruben will be home Feb 9 th.
We were told we could get Marco right after court! So this is an exciting change..we still have the 10 day wait I guess...just that he can be with us during this time...SO we can go around Kiev and see the cathedrals and what ever he may want to do. Not sure the zoo is open in the winter but will check into that. It would be nice to have Benjamin along too since we'll have him so quickly. I guess a little late now to get the passport...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Less than 1 week!
Getting as much done in the house as possible...Have our suitcases packed..but I will be repacking again I am sure..Have to weight them to make sure they are not too heavy! 50 pounds each is allowed..then one carry on each and one purse or computer bag...
I have so much candy/cookies/ stuffed animals etc to take for the orphanages...I wish I could take more..but I just may buy some while there..
I have a few things to pick up yet...but for the most part we are ready!
I really want to write a book on all of our experiences and what we have seen and want to bring more awareness to this problem of orphans in & around Eastern Europe.. I have spoken to a few people who are missionaries there and I am sure be would be more than willing to contribute what they have done to help the orphanages & institutions.
I have so much candy/cookies/ stuffed animals etc to take for the orphanages...I wish I could take more..but I just may buy some while there..
I have a few things to pick up yet...but for the most part we are ready!
I really want to write a book on all of our experiences and what we have seen and want to bring more awareness to this problem of orphans in & around Eastern Europe.. I have spoken to a few people who are missionaries there and I am sure be would be more than willing to contribute what they have done to help the orphanages & institutions.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our court date is February 7 th...so we will leave Feb 4 th or 5th...
My husband will come back 5 days later and I will stay on to wait out the 10 day requirement and then get Marco Yura Torres out of the orphanage! He will be so happy to hear the news today that we finally have the date...Life as he knows it will change forever..
I will stay in country about 20 days..Leaving to come home with our 11 th child around February 26 th! During the10 day wait I will be doing hair at the orphanage where we adopted our 3 little Ukrainian beauties...and whatever we can do to expedite necessary items needed for Marco to leave Ukraine..country code/passport/visa..etc
We all have waited so long it seems..but in the scheme of things it isn't very long once it's all over...it's like labor...you forget ! And to think you have a child for all the hair paperwork & waiting & raising the money...amazing.
My husband will come back 5 days later and I will stay on to wait out the 10 day requirement and then get Marco Yura Torres out of the orphanage! He will be so happy to hear the news today that we finally have the date...Life as he knows it will change forever..
I will stay in country about 20 days..Leaving to come home with our 11 th child around February 26 th! During the10 day wait I will be doing hair at the orphanage where we adopted our 3 little Ukrainian beauties...and whatever we can do to expedite necessary items needed for Marco to leave Ukraine..country code/passport/visa..etc
We all have waited so long it seems..but in the scheme of things it isn't very long once it's all over...it's like labor...you forget ! And to think you have a child for all the hair paperwork & waiting & raising the money...amazing.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Masha with a Curly Doo!
She looks like she's wearing a wig!..She sat so good for me to curl her hair...
Still waiting..
It's almost comical at this point! I did have contact though with our translator..so no worries...The more we wait..the more money we'll have..so it's ok. In the mean time I will post some family pics and watch my kids use every dish in the house to cook random things...Now Sofia is making stuffing..The second box today....Aside from all the other things I cooked already...no dishwasher...human dishwashers LOL....I long for a commercial stainless steel sink...Or a huge double sink of some kind...Not necessarily a dish washer..we like to play in the soap suds..LOL
Here's Lilli Luda!
She reminded me of my most favorite childhood story book Madeline! What a charachter Luda is..so funny..knows exactly what she is doing at all times...and knows how to get her way with these sad eyes...she just uses us to break free of the high chair!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Here's Masha!
I haven't posted pictures of the kids in a while..So day by day I will add some new updated ones...I will start with Masha! She is so pretty...messy in the eating department but pretty...
New Picture!
Our facilitator tried to get our court date today but was told come back tomorrow..In the mean time they visited with Marco & took some pictures!! Here he is from today...
Fresh off the camera!
He looks older but he is still on the small side..He just turned 13 January 14 th.
Looking forward to getting a court date..
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Preparing...sure had plenty of time!
Today is Saturday...and we will be doing the usual cleaning and getting the house ready for our Marco! His real name is Yura! I can post that now that I am private..His stage name on the website was Marco...so we will call him Marco Yura Torres...
I will be re packing this weekend too because I bought a bigger suitcase at the thrift shop...ALSO LOTS OF 75% Christmas cookies/candy/etc for the kids at the orphanage...Christmas was Jan 7 th in Ukraine...so it won't look too bad coming later on with Christmas items...plus it's edible.
I will be re packing this weekend too because I bought a bigger suitcase at the thrift shop...ALSO LOTS OF 75% Christmas cookies/candy/etc for the kids at the orphanage...Christmas was Jan 7 th in Ukraine...so it won't look too bad coming later on with Christmas items...plus it's edible.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Got an email.....Here is my answer!
Yes, you are right, your dossier is OK.
We've been to the Court today. As I told you there is a reorganization in the Court now. They are installing the system there, in order the computer to set the judge for the cases. That's why not only our documents, but all the documents of all the cases at that Court house left since last year should be submitted again. In some Courts this system was already installed, but in this very Court they are doing it now and we are " lucky " to have our case this time. Anyway, we submitted the documents again. Today they could not tell us the date yet because they were still working on the installation today. It will take couple of days. They told us to come on Monday to check regarding the court date. But we will check every day, and will inform you as soon as we get it.
We've been to the Court today. As I told you there is a reorganization in the Court now. They are installing the system there, in order the computer to set the judge for the cases. That's why not only our documents, but all the documents of all the cases at that Court house left since last year should be submitted again. In some Courts this system was already installed, but in this very Court they are doing it now and we are " lucky " to have our case this time. Anyway, we submitted the documents again. Today they could not tell us the date yet because they were still working on the installation today. It will take couple of days. They told us to come on Monday to check regarding the court date. But we will check every day, and will inform you as soon as we get it.
Dossier Expired??
Well I just checked our dates and I think we are getting close to expiration or already have expired! Can you believe it!! Well I can the way this is been lately! So waiting for an answer on that! Hoping I don't have to re- apsotille all the documents as well...but I think I do..
Crossing my fingers and praying.............
Crossing my fingers and praying.............
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
still nothing...
So got an email today from our Natasha tha the judge needed all new paper work whatever that means!! But they gave it to them today and we should have a date tomorrow!! Well we shall see! Looking forward to it! Hubby got his W2 also so we can start our income tax preparation!...Just praying the adoption forms are ready..I heard today there may be a wait until February ...hoping not!
Monday, January 10, 2011
No court date yet!
Our facilitator went to the court today but the judge was not there to set a date..So he will go back again tomorrow...
Friday, January 7, 2011
Marco is the one with the blue Tshirt with Flowers..
I forgot to say which one was Marco...Can't wait to get over there & get him!
We heard from our translator...SDA got the Interpol letter YAY! So Friday was Christmas in Ukraine...so on Monday they will go to the court to set our date..They are shooting for Jan 24 th...This will give us a little more time to book the flights..SO this works for us...
We heard from our translator...SDA got the Interpol letter YAY! So Friday was Christmas in Ukraine...so on Monday they will go to the court to set our date..They are shooting for Jan 24 th...This will give us a little more time to book the flights..SO this works for us...
SNOW DAY!
I love snow days when I am forced to stay home & do house things! Today I will catch up on my house projects and actually all weekend should be snow! Woo Hoo...I am nesting now so this is great! I am going to be making a set of rustic bunk beds that we saw once at a church camp...They were simple off the floor 3 high..but we will only be making 2 high..The mattresses were a little more narrow than a twin which I have seen at IKEA. Home depot cuts the boards to your specification and all we have to do it nail & screw to the wall... This will help in the small bedroom which is for our 2 boys!! For a fraction of the cost of a set of bunks and then we can paint them whatever color they want.
Still haven't heard anything yet from our translator...it is now 3:25 in Europe so Natasha usually emails me late at night...Each day we go further into January ~ February we'll have another pay check for the trip so it's ok, just want that light at the end of the tunnel!.. I know we're close because we were told the Interpol letter was sent and on the way...So hoping for January 24 th for court and hope to see lots of RR rainbow families over there. It seems there are a few traveling...
I should be there about 3 weeks and hubby will just come for about 5~6 days in the beginning.
Still haven't heard anything yet from our translator...it is now 3:25 in Europe so Natasha usually emails me late at night...Each day we go further into January ~ February we'll have another pay check for the trip so it's ok, just want that light at the end of the tunnel!.. I know we're close because we were told the Interpol letter was sent and on the way...So hoping for January 24 th for court and hope to see lots of RR rainbow families over there. It seems there are a few traveling...
I should be there about 3 weeks and hubby will just come for about 5~6 days in the beginning.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Should get out court date by tomorrow!
Our translator is shooting for Jan 17 th for our court..SO we have a flight quote from Eldon at Golden Rule Travel...just waiting to pay! So excited to go already! It's been so long it seems...
I am off to work for a few hair doos on my clients and to meet Larissa or her hubby to give her 2 giant bags of baby clothes for Piper! They are so heavy I could barely lift them up in to my van. The clothes are beautiful too! My nieghbor gave them to me for her and she has adorable baby girl twins and a gorgeous 2 year old girl..so plenty of pretty colorful clothes. & shoes etc
I am off to work for a few hair doos on my clients and to meet Larissa or her hubby to give her 2 giant bags of baby clothes for Piper! They are so heavy I could barely lift them up in to my van. The clothes are beautiful too! My nieghbor gave them to me for her and she has adorable baby girl twins and a gorgeous 2 year old girl..so plenty of pretty colorful clothes. & shoes etc
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Emailed with Anya's Mommy today!
What a blessing to talk with all the Moms going to Eastern Europe for their children.. I will be getting some photos for her and a few hugs from Anya too! Anya is so precious and sweet. They will be a very happy family..There are no more children at this orphanage where we adopted our girls from. What answer to prayer..There are maybe 2 children left available and that is it! The rest of the children just live there and their parents visit as often as they can. Looking forward to going to the baby houses and doing hair..
We're coming Beautiful Boy!
Oh when I look at this picture it is from my first trip to see Marco...What a nice boy & so handsome...I was so pleased at his demeanor and personality. His smile just lights up a room. He will be a Valentine present to our whole family..but especially to me. Amazing how your love can grow for a kid that is older and not from my womb they say but from my heart. I was trying to put my feelings on hold because I didn't think it was happening there for a little while..I was feeling so discouraged last week that I emailed our translator that Marco should have his family by now and I hate to see him without one much longer.... and if a good family came & thought he'd fit don't make him hold on to a pipe dream... Thankfully God doesn't listen to me ...Because I would have been devastated as I was crying while I wrote the email to her and crying now. You know the poem.."If you love something set it free....well I was trying to act like I meant it but I really didn't. I wanted Marco to be in our family and so he will.
He will fit in with our kids so well...he is so easy going & my kids will welcome him with open arms. They have been waiting so long and are so excited to see me pull in the driveway with their new brother.
He will fit in with our kids so well...he is so easy going & my kids will welcome him with open arms. They have been waiting so long and are so excited to see me pull in the driveway with their new brother.
Blog requests up to 40!
I think we are allowed up to 100 and I have about 20 aside for family & friends...so keep your emails coming for you invites! So about 40 spots left...
Finally Interpol!!
Today I got the email from our translator that the SDA got word from Interpol..so in 2-3 days they will have the official paper needed in hand! I want to frame that one! So we will know our date for court by Thursday or Friday! My blog will go private by the end of this week...I have 30 emails so far to sent invitations to view our blog...so if anybody would like an invite email me at: rubenandjoann@msn.com
All those who emailed me & mentioned on the yahoo group so far I have in my file waiting to enter your emails...and thank for following the rest of our journey!
All those who emailed me & mentioned on the yahoo group so far I have in my file waiting to enter your emails...and thank for following the rest of our journey!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Turn off the Music below
Click the sideways equal sign to pause the music on the blog and watch this cute little video!
How about a child for Valentines Day!
You can adopt one with a huge grant from www.reecesrainbow.org or sponsor one for the New Year! Many families are willing to adopt but need help with the costs! You can help in this way! Every little bit counts!
Back to School!
That was a nice break from getting the kids ready for school for a while and Had a great time with all the kids at home this Christmas just being together watching movies and playing games.
Hoping for some news tomorrow from our translator....she thinks with the Holidays it may have added to holding things up ...I called her New Years Eve to wish her a Happy New Year and getsome info.
Hoping for some news tomorrow from our translator....she thinks with the Holidays it may have added to holding things up ...I called her New Years Eve to wish her a Happy New Year and getsome info.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
SO HAPPY!! ANYA has a Family!!
This is great! Reeces Rainbow is cleaning out the Orphanage where our kids came from!! Our wish is coming true Lyndi!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Been there...Done that!
Ok...Went to Philadelphia to the Mexican Consulate..the office there was as helpful as can be...she took all our info & ID from Hubby and was going to research and make a call to Mexican Embassy in NY. Before we got home we had an email from the gal!
She was very nice & helpful...Thanks for all your prayers..but keep em' comin'.... we have to contact the US Embassy in Mexico City on Monday...So maybe that office can help us better and being they are in the capital of Mexico...I think so too! Atleast I think this is where Interpol is in Mexico. I called the US embassy today there but that office was already out and I will call again Monday.
I also called our translator today in Eastern Europe..she told me that they are hoping they'll have something on Jan 4 th..so hoping & praying as well....She also spoke to our Marco and he said to tell me thank You for the gifts and he is waiting for us! And to say hello to my mommy..Oh Lordy...I needed this to keep going...it's been 8 weeks since our 1 st trip and we should have been back 2 weeks after that...I miss him so much and can't wait until we get him home...I know with all this extra added stress it's all the more sweeter when it really happens! Every adoption seems to be that way....
Happy New Year...
& thanks for your prayers & I'll take some more if you'd please!
She was very nice & helpful...Thanks for all your prayers..but keep em' comin'.... we have to contact the US Embassy in Mexico City on Monday...So maybe that office can help us better and being they are in the capital of Mexico...I think so too! Atleast I think this is where Interpol is in Mexico. I called the US embassy today there but that office was already out and I will call again Monday.
I also called our translator today in Eastern Europe..she told me that they are hoping they'll have something on Jan 4 th..so hoping & praying as well....She also spoke to our Marco and he said to tell me thank You for the gifts and he is waiting for us! And to say hello to my mommy..Oh Lordy...I needed this to keep going...it's been 8 weeks since our 1 st trip and we should have been back 2 weeks after that...I miss him so much and can't wait until we get him home...I know with all this extra added stress it's all the more sweeter when it really happens! Every adoption seems to be that way....
Happy New Year...
& thanks for your prayers & I'll take some more if you'd please!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Mexican Consulate here we come...
Ok...so very early in the morning we will leave to go to the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia! They open at 8:30 am. We hope to have them persuade Interpol to fax a letter over to the Eastern Europe Angency while we wait...we will need prayers for this one..
Thanks to you all on the yahoo group praying for us..soon I will have to go private with all this talk about agencies! etc..but for now this is where we're at...we need Interpol just to tell SDA that my hubby is not the guy in Mexico...Different Nationality but his name is very common and mine never had a middle name...
stay tuned....
Thanks to you all on the yahoo group praying for us..soon I will have to go private with all this talk about agencies! etc..but for now this is where we're at...we need Interpol just to tell SDA that my hubby is not the guy in Mexico...Different Nationality but his name is very common and mine never had a middle name...
stay tuned....
Met Larissa in person today!
Had a nice talk sharing about our adoption experiences while doing Larissa's hair this morning! So nice to finally have someone in our own town adopting through Reeces Rainbow!
Please continue to pray for Interpol clearance..We are heading to the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia if our fax doesn't get to anyone soon!
Please continue to pray for Interpol clearance..We are heading to the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia if our fax doesn't get to anyone soon!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Soon....
Our blog will be going private...I will be adding many pictures and and info on the kids & our adoption process...please email me for an invitation so you can continue to view our blog. We have some beautiful pictures & videos of the kids I have been saving to put on the blog. The kids are growing so fast and doing so well..Most of you on Face Book have gotten to see all the kids..but I have new pictures I will be putting up here while we are private..I know I have thousands of visitors..but I think I can only invite 100 if I'm not mistaken...so they will fill up fast..Thank You all for following our adoptions...email me anytime at rubenandjoann@msn.com from around the world! I can also update this way..
Moratorium Update
Well the vote is now pushed back until January 11 th...at this time if a vote passes it will not stop adoption now, but changes will be made for a Hague country for adoptions...The process has some differences which I will post on later is it happens.
We almost had our date! Our facilitator thought maybe a way to expedite but still nothing yet...Trying to be patient and just keep busy & keep improving and purging & decorating the house inside...
Glad to have all the kids home now for the Holidays...so looking forward to our trip to Disney when we finally get Marco home...I think it'll be around Easter...
For now we are Homeschooling 5 of the older kids using Switched on Schoolhouse. Finally a dream come true..and it feels right this time..We have done some home schooling in the past and it just wasn't the right timing..I feel like I have my kids back..
The 5 littles are still in school and our 5 th daughter with Downs will probably join the home schoolers for 6 th grade next year, modified. When Marco comes we will just focus on Rosetta Stone English to start, which my friend Lyndi is sending me this week. The boy they adopted is speaking pretty well already after 4 months so she is done with disc 1 which is the basics.
We almost had our date! Our facilitator thought maybe a way to expedite but still nothing yet...Trying to be patient and just keep busy & keep improving and purging & decorating the house inside...
Glad to have all the kids home now for the Holidays...so looking forward to our trip to Disney when we finally get Marco home...I think it'll be around Easter...
For now we are Homeschooling 5 of the older kids using Switched on Schoolhouse. Finally a dream come true..and it feels right this time..We have done some home schooling in the past and it just wasn't the right timing..I feel like I have my kids back..
The 5 littles are still in school and our 5 th daughter with Downs will probably join the home schoolers for 6 th grade next year, modified. When Marco comes we will just focus on Rosetta Stone English to start, which my friend Lyndi is sending me this week. The boy they adopted is speaking pretty well already after 4 months so she is done with disc 1 which is the basics.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
This beauty needs a Mommy!
This is a child we have been trying to find a family for a long time. We call this little girl “Lisa” and she has waited a long time due to her HIV status and the fact that Thailand has been relatively strict as far as eligibility. However, Thailand has loosened their requirements in order to find a family for this child. Single women are now eligible for her adoption! Our program specialist has just come back from a visit and described her as being “absolutely adorable.” Her ID number in our system is H09-02 and she was born at the end of 2005. She is an incredible girl with bright eyes. She has rosy chubby cheeks. She enjoys playing physical activities. She likes to play on the jungle gym and jump on the trampoline. She has great fine motor skills and can build a bridge using blocks and string beads on a thread. She is described as a happy and bright child. She enjoys other people and likes to play with her peers. She is affectionate and gives the younger children hugs and kisses. She can speak in her native language and knows some English words. She waits for her own family because she is HIV positive. Her family will be so lucky to see her smile each day! We are seeking a family that is paper ready! She has been waiting for almost a year! Contact Lisa Trinh for further information ltrinh@chsfs.org or 651-255-2252.
Finally!
Well we finally got an email there is a way to expedite our interpol paper...but the facilitator will not know for sure until Dec. 27th...and then was wondering if we could come for the 29 th or 30 TH!!!LOL I think one day notice to book flights will be tough!! Not to mention the cost! So we are hoping for an alternate court date soon!
Very relieved and excited to know we will be going very soon though...So I think it's safe to say we will have Marco by his birthday January 14 th!!!
Very relieved and excited to know we will be going very soon though...So I think it's safe to say we will have Marco by his birthday January 14 th!!!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Merry Christmas to Everyone!
Well Christmas is almost here and there are some who will get nothing...won't you help an orphan in need of a family by doing 1 of 3 things..Pray...donate...adopt one?
Reeces Rainbow,,, Reece's Rainbow was begun in June of 2006 by Director, Andrea Roberts. Since that time, the organization has grown exponentially, and many new volunteers have stepped up to assist with the increasing needs of our families and waiting children. God never intended for this to be a one-woman-show! We are seeking additional volunteers to help us in various areas, so we can continue to grow and effectively meet the needs of our adopting families....
Many of the children have large grants which helps families tremendously! There is not a shortage of people who want to adopt...but it is not cheap. Many families like us that don't have much & have done it! We have adopted 4 and in the process of the 5th child from Eastern Europe...That's 5 children in 5 years which makes a total of 11...Sound difficult? Well, if we can do it so can you. If you have ever thought of adoption in the past, why not bring that thought to the future. The future of a little child depends on it! It all works out somehow and we are a large happy family. We find the humor in almost everything, that's how we have so much fun and less stress than some small families. Our typical Biological kids have learned so much from these children and vice versa. Compassion, patience, joy and that the simple things are great & not to be taken for granted. Of course God is our Rock and we depend on Him to raise and guide us and our children daily.
Our fifth daughter is now 10. She has designer genes called Down Syndrome after Dr. John Langdon Haydon Down.
John Langdon Haydon Down was a British doctor best known for his description of a relatively common genetic disorder that is now called Down syndrome.
Down was born in Torpoint, Cornwall. He was descended on his father’s side from an Irish family, his great-great grandfather having been Protestant bishop of Derry. John Down went to local schools including the Devonport Classical and Mathematical School. At 14 he was apprenticed to his father, the village apothecary at Anthony St Jacob’s. The vicar gave him a present of Arnott’s Physics which made him determined to take up a scientific career. At the age of 18 he went to London where he got a post working for a surgeon in the Whitechapel Road where he had to bleed patients, extract teeth, wash bottles and dispense drugs. Later he entered the pharmaceutical laboratory in Bloomsbury Squareand won the prize for organic chemistry. He also met Michael Faraday and helped him with his work on gases. More than once he was called back to Torpoint to help his father in the business until he died in 1853. Down would have liked a career in science but in those days there were few prospects for a career in chemistry.
Kids with Down Syndrome are Radiant! They are entertaining and funny & wity! If we could all capture every funny thing they said we could make a weekly TV sitcom. They are true blessing to have in your family.
Some children are born with medical issues that most times can be fixed through surgeries. I thought I couldn't handle our Amelia when she was born & her medical problems, but God gives you the grace to handle it. After a couple of days in the NICU I was just so relieved she would live...and the Downs was just a tiny part of Amelia's being. First they are a child...a blessing, a gift like any other child. Please don't be scared off by a little title they have be given..which I have changed to Designer Genes anyway! The word “down” seems negative...but I can assure you having 5 little ones with Downs is not the case. They are nothing but UP! And that's where they bring us...up!
We hope that you will visit the Reeces Rainbow Website at www.reecesrainbow.org and The Worlds Waiting Children http://waitingchildren.wordpress.com/ and www.Rainbowkids.com
We have adopted through all of these websites.
Please pray as you look upon the faces of these little ones and try to imagine what they need....a family.
Won't you do 1 of the 3 things above? Pray...1.For the families in the countries of the children to accept their baby and not give them away for adoption. 2. Pray For families to spark an interest in adoption and research the websites available on the internet of all children. 3.Pray For people to donate to the Angel Tree for Christmas in someones honor that may have passed away or special to them and in their lives today. 4. Pray for your family & that maybe God is placing adoption on your heart.
Everyone can pray these things..
But please take it a step further and donate or adopt a little one into your heart & family. I have seen the children with my own eyes....
“ Once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts & knows our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.”
Prov. 24:12
"It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…defend the rights of the needy." (Proverbs 31:8,9)
The children are so precious and some very delicate due to their needs not getting met. What better way then to donate to a ministry where the money is put into an account for a family who is willing & led to adopt one of these angels! . The best medicine and way to fix this problem is adoption into a family.
Since I have been visiting and adopting children, I have met at least 2 children in the past year that have passed on to Jesus' arms...These children laughed , smiled and hugged me....along with others that came and didn't know them. They were so willing to be loved and hugged. Unfortunately they got sick and didn't have the medicine or endurance to make it through. Please reach inside yourself & pray about adoption. It is one of the most fulfilling & enriching things you will ever do.
There is a team at Reeces Rainbow and The Worlds Waiting Children and Rainbowkids.com ready to answer your questions & guide you through a process you'll never forget. The end of this process is the reward of one of these beautiful angels waiting for you.
Take a leap of faith! You will be glad you did.
Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Torres Family
Reeces Rainbow,,, Reece's Rainbow was begun in June of 2006 by Director, Andrea Roberts. Since that time, the organization has grown exponentially, and many new volunteers have stepped up to assist with the increasing needs of our families and waiting children. God never intended for this to be a one-woman-show! We are seeking additional volunteers to help us in various areas, so we can continue to grow and effectively meet the needs of our adopting families....
Many of the children have large grants which helps families tremendously! There is not a shortage of people who want to adopt...but it is not cheap. Many families like us that don't have much & have done it! We have adopted 4 and in the process of the 5th child from Eastern Europe...That's 5 children in 5 years which makes a total of 11...Sound difficult? Well, if we can do it so can you. If you have ever thought of adoption in the past, why not bring that thought to the future. The future of a little child depends on it! It all works out somehow and we are a large happy family. We find the humor in almost everything, that's how we have so much fun and less stress than some small families. Our typical Biological kids have learned so much from these children and vice versa. Compassion, patience, joy and that the simple things are great & not to be taken for granted. Of course God is our Rock and we depend on Him to raise and guide us and our children daily.
Our fifth daughter is now 10. She has designer genes called Down Syndrome after Dr. John Langdon Haydon Down.
John Langdon Haydon Down was a British doctor best known for his description of a relatively common genetic disorder that is now called Down syndrome.
Down was born in Torpoint, Cornwall. He was descended on his father’s side from an Irish family, his great-great grandfather having been Protestant bishop of Derry. John Down went to local schools including the Devonport Classical and Mathematical School. At 14 he was apprenticed to his father, the village apothecary at Anthony St Jacob’s. The vicar gave him a present of Arnott’s Physics which made him determined to take up a scientific career. At the age of 18 he went to London where he got a post working for a surgeon in the Whitechapel Road where he had to bleed patients, extract teeth, wash bottles and dispense drugs. Later he entered the pharmaceutical laboratory in Bloomsbury Squareand won the prize for organic chemistry. He also met Michael Faraday and helped him with his work on gases. More than once he was called back to Torpoint to help his father in the business until he died in 1853. Down would have liked a career in science but in those days there were few prospects for a career in chemistry.
Kids with Down Syndrome are Radiant! They are entertaining and funny & wity! If we could all capture every funny thing they said we could make a weekly TV sitcom. They are true blessing to have in your family.
Some children are born with medical issues that most times can be fixed through surgeries. I thought I couldn't handle our Amelia when she was born & her medical problems, but God gives you the grace to handle it. After a couple of days in the NICU I was just so relieved she would live...and the Downs was just a tiny part of Amelia's being. First they are a child...a blessing, a gift like any other child. Please don't be scared off by a little title they have be given..which I have changed to Designer Genes anyway! The word “down” seems negative...but I can assure you having 5 little ones with Downs is not the case. They are nothing but UP! And that's where they bring us...up!
We hope that you will visit the Reeces Rainbow Website at www.reecesrainbow.org and The Worlds Waiting Children http://waitingchildren.wordpress.com/ and www.Rainbowkids.com
We have adopted through all of these websites.
Please pray as you look upon the faces of these little ones and try to imagine what they need....a family.
Won't you do 1 of the 3 things above? Pray...1.For the families in the countries of the children to accept their baby and not give them away for adoption. 2. Pray For families to spark an interest in adoption and research the websites available on the internet of all children. 3.Pray For people to donate to the Angel Tree for Christmas in someones honor that may have passed away or special to them and in their lives today. 4. Pray for your family & that maybe God is placing adoption on your heart.
Everyone can pray these things..
But please take it a step further and donate or adopt a little one into your heart & family. I have seen the children with my own eyes....
“ Once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts & knows our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.”
Prov. 24:12
"It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…defend the rights of the needy." (Proverbs 31:8,9)
The children are so precious and some very delicate due to their needs not getting met. What better way then to donate to a ministry where the money is put into an account for a family who is willing & led to adopt one of these angels! . The best medicine and way to fix this problem is adoption into a family.
Since I have been visiting and adopting children, I have met at least 2 children in the past year that have passed on to Jesus' arms...These children laughed , smiled and hugged me....along with others that came and didn't know them. They were so willing to be loved and hugged. Unfortunately they got sick and didn't have the medicine or endurance to make it through. Please reach inside yourself & pray about adoption. It is one of the most fulfilling & enriching things you will ever do.
There is a team at Reeces Rainbow and The Worlds Waiting Children and Rainbowkids.com ready to answer your questions & guide you through a process you'll never forget. The end of this process is the reward of one of these beautiful angels waiting for you.
Take a leap of faith! You will be glad you did.
Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Torres Family
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
IMAGE THEFT & WHY I DON"T POST MANY PICS OF MY KIDS
Protecting Images - Put plain and simple: the only way to protect your images from being downloaded or stolen off a web page is to not put them online in the first place. While I put this fact out there as blunt as possible, there are several techniques we can use to make website downloads and image theft much harder. Of course, image theft can be defined in a number of ways, and its definition - and hence measures (if any) taken to prevent it - will depend upon the individual.
There are many ways to protect images from being downloaded, ranging from modifying the image itself (tips 1-3), to preventing webpages downloads (tips 4-8), to being pro-active in finding unauthorized usage of images online (tips 9-10). And while I discuss many common types of image protection, there are many others that I do not mention. A few of the techniques mentioned in this article are directed more towards web designers (these tips are marked with an *), but several can be used on photo sharing website's such as smugmug, flickr, pbase, and webshots.
What is image theft? Image theft is the unauthorized use of an image, photograph, drawing, or illustration. Well duh. Is it really that simple? Of course not. The hard part is that many people differ in the definition of 'unauthorized use'. Where one person may not care whether their photograph is downloaded from a web page and placed on another website without their knowledge, there are some that find this to be blatant copyright infringement.
Can I download an image? If you are interested in knowing whether unauthorized downloading and use is illegal: many websites will have an image use statement, and it is best and safest to ALWAYS ask the artist for permission. Ultimately, the default for image downloading and usage should ALWAYS be "All Rights Reserved" (eg don't use without permission).
Can I protect an image? If you are an artist interested in protecting your images: it is best to first define for yourself what your policy on image theft is, then define the measures you need to protect your images (even if this means not putting your images online in the first place). It is important to publicly display your policy on image use in an image use statement on your website.
There are many ways to protect images from being downloaded, ranging from modifying the image itself (tips 1-3), to preventing webpages downloads (tips 4-8), to being pro-active in finding unauthorized usage of images online (tips 9-10). And while I discuss many common types of image protection, there are many others that I do not mention. A few of the techniques mentioned in this article are directed more towards web designers (these tips are marked with an *), but several can be used on photo sharing website's such as smugmug, flickr, pbase, and webshots.
What is image theft? Image theft is the unauthorized use of an image, photograph, drawing, or illustration. Well duh. Is it really that simple? Of course not. The hard part is that many people differ in the definition of 'unauthorized use'. Where one person may not care whether their photograph is downloaded from a web page and placed on another website without their knowledge, there are some that find this to be blatant copyright infringement.
Can I download an image? If you are interested in knowing whether unauthorized downloading and use is illegal: many websites will have an image use statement, and it is best and safest to ALWAYS ask the artist for permission. Ultimately, the default for image downloading and usage should ALWAYS be "All Rights Reserved" (eg don't use without permission).
Can I protect an image? If you are an artist interested in protecting your images: it is best to first define for yourself what your policy on image theft is, then define the measures you need to protect your images (even if this means not putting your images online in the first place). It is important to publicly display your policy on image use in an image use statement on your website.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Moratorium Update
Just got a reply email back from the US Embassy on my question about the moratorium.....
The bill on moratorium is now scheduled for December 24th. So Please all be praying for this to not take affect any time soon..There are many orphans in process to come home.
The bill on moratorium is now scheduled for December 24th. So Please all be praying for this to not take affect any time soon..There are many orphans in process to come home.
and waiting..
it is 3:30 am and got up with the barking dogs...they sometimes bark at a man who leaves for work at this time in a tractor trailer...so thought I 'd check the email because it's 10:30 in Eastern Europe! Just as I was answering my Aunt's email...I got one from US Embassy that they got their request letter to interpol on Thursday...so hoping for a quick response!! Sitting on the edge on my seat because this is the week for the vote for the possible moratorium.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Still Waiting....
I have recently had contact with the US Embassy about our delay...We were emailed a few docs to sign and fax back to give them permission to investigate our Adoption process..So they have hopefully already sent a letter to Interpol on our behalf and can find out the exact delay. Looking forward to hearing something soon. We are ready to go...not looking forward to flying in the winter..have heard some turbulent stories lately on the yahoo group..Yesterday when I was driving I noticed how clear & sunny it was...praying for a travel day like this. I will be re-packing my suitcase since I will be bringing things over for our Pastor friend & his wife...Need to pick up an Electric razor and some other things for his Christmas gift...also have one item from last trip we forgot to pack...so I want to remember it all..
They are also in need of another vehicle for their family. They are in full time ministry and do not have the means to afford one on their own. They are looking to get a 7 passenger van which will cost about $9000. or have a commitment to a monthly payment. So if anyone has any grant info or fund raising ideas to help this family. Having more than 2 children in their country is not popular...but they are Christians and want to have a large family.
They are also in need of another vehicle for their family. They are in full time ministry and do not have the means to afford one on their own. They are looking to get a 7 passenger van which will cost about $9000. or have a commitment to a monthly payment. So if anyone has any grant info or fund raising ideas to help this family. Having more than 2 children in their country is not popular...but they are Christians and want to have a large family.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Someone please consider Anya to the right! She is a doll baby...$6000 grant
Anya is a little doll...she is smiling so nicely in this pic ...Please consider her for your family..She has a $6000 grant to defray the costs..That is a huge help...I will be seeing her soon when I get to Eastern Europe so I can get new pics for the New Mommy I am hoping comes forward soon!! She is very sweet and lovable!
I HAVE A FAMILY!!! YAY!
I HAVE A FAMILY!!! YAY!
Still Waiting....
Well...I spoke to the US Embassy this morning at 3:30 am to see about our document delay and the procedure is to email...So my email is off and waiting for the response with a letter that we need to sign and scan & email back. I hope they see it!!!
So ready to go over and get our boy... for now I need a nap..been up too long already!
So ready to go over and get our boy... for now I need a nap..been up too long already!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
NEW THEORY OF DOWN SYNDROME CAUSE MAY LEAD TO NEW THERAPIES
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Conventional wisdom among scientists for years has suggested that because individuals with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome, the disorder most likely results from the presence of too many genes or proteins contained in that additional structure.
But a recent study reveals that just the opposite could be true – that a deficiency of a protein in the brain of Down syndrome patients could contribute to the cognitive impairment and congenital heart defects that characterize the syndrome.
Terry Elton
Scientists have shown in a series of experiments that there are lower levels of this protein in the brains of humans and mice with Down syndrome than are present in humans and mice without the disorder.
The researchers also showed that manually manipulating pieces of RNA that regulate the protein could increase protein levels in both human cell lines and mouse brains. In fact, an experimental drug that acts on those RNA segments returned this protein to normal levels in mice that model the syndrome.
When this RNA segment is overexpressed – meaning that more of it is present than needed in a cell – the protein level goes down, or is underexpressed. A total of at least five of these RNA segments are naturally overexpressed in persons with Down syndrome because the segments are housed on chromosome 21 – the chromosome that causes the disorder.
“We’re talking about a paradigm-shifting idea that maybe we should look for underexpressed proteins and not overexpressed proteins in Down syndrome,” said Terry Elton, senior author of the study and a professor of pharmacology at Ohio State University.
“What this offers to the Down syndrome community is the potential for at least five new therapeutic targets to pursue.”
Email this to a friend
Scientists have shown in a series of experiments that there are lower levels of a specific protein in the brains of humans and mice with Down syndrome than are present in humans and mice without the disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 13 of every 10,000 babies born in the United States each year have Down syndrome, characterized primarily by a mild-to-moderate range of intellectual disabilities, possible delayed language development and difficulties with physical coordination.
The study is published in a recent issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Elton, also interim director of Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, stumbled upon this theory about Down syndrome while working on a different protein associated with cardiovascular disease. It turns out the protein he has studied for 25 years was regulated by one of these microRNAs that is known to be housed on chromosome 21.
A key role of RNA in a cell is to make protein, and proteins are the building blocks of all life. But the process has many steps. MicroRNAs are small pieces of RNA that bind to messenger RNA, which contains the actual set of instructions for building proteins. When that connection is made, however, the microRNA inhibits the building of the protein. Why that occurs is not completely understood, but increasingly microRNAs are considered tiny molecules that have a big impact in a number of physiological processes.
For his cardiovascular disease research, Elton found that a genetic trait in some people caused one specific microRNA to be bad at its job, leading to high protein levels that contribute to cardiovascular disease. This malfunctioning molecule is called microRNA-155, or miR-155.
“So we became interested in miR-155, and it is on chromosome 21. That’s how we jumped to Down syndrome,” Elton said.
There is also a strong link between the heart and Down syndrome. About half of those with the syndrome are born with congenital heart defects – problems with the heart’s anatomy, not coronary arteries. But they do not experience cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure.
The advent of biomedical informatics has allowed scientists to use supercomputers to explore the human genome in a search for genes and their various relationships in the context of human disease. Elton consulted a bioinformatic database and found that five microRNAs sit on chromosome 21, and he and colleagues demonstrated in previous research that all five of them are overexpressed in the tissues, brains and hearts of Down syndrome patients.
“That means that whatever proteins these microRNAs work with are underexpressed,” Elton said.
Further database exploration suggested that these five microRNAs target 1,695 proteins, all of which could cause problems in Down syndrome because they are underexpressed. To narrow that to a more manageable number, Elton’s group had to make an educated guess based on a variety of data, including which proteins that are connected to these microRNAs are made by cells in the brain and heart – two areas most commonly affected by Down syndrome.
A protein surfaced as an attractive target to study: methyl-CpG-binding protein 2, known as MeCP2. Among the reasons it seemed important: A mutation in this protein is already known to lead to Rett syndrome, a cognitive disorder.
“So we thought that it was more than a coincidence that this protein plays a role in normal brain development, and if the protein doesn’t function right, you’re going to have cognitive impairment. Maybe this is the connection,” Elton said. “We still don’t know if this is the most important protein related to Down syndrome. But we were able to go on and prove scientifically that MeCP2 is a target of these microRNAs on chromosome 21.”
The researchers used just two of the five microRNAs on chromosome 21 for the experiments in this study, miR-155 and miR-802, to match the only microRNAs available in the genetically engineered mouse model of Down syndrome.
First, the researchers made copies of the relevant microRNAs. In human brain cell lines, they manipulated levels of those two molecules to show the inverse relationship with the protein. If the microRNAs were more active, the level of the MeCP2 protein went down. When the microRNAs were underexpressed, the protein levels went up.
Next, the researchers examined adult and fetal human brain tissue from healthy and Down syndrome samples obtained from a national tissue bank.
“In both adult and fetal Down syndrome brain samples, it didn’t matter which area of the brain we were looking at, the MeCP2 proteins were down. These are just observations with no manipulation on our part, and the MeCP2 is almost non-existent in the Down syndrome brain,” Elton said. “We marked the protein with a fluorescent molecule, and by comparison, we could visualize and appreciate how much MeCP2 was being made by neurons in the control samples.”
MeCP2 is a transcription factor, meaning it turns genes on and off. If its levels are too low in the brain, this suggests that genes influenced by its presence should be malfunctioning, too. Based on previous research by another group, Elton and colleagues focused on two genes affected by the MeCP2 protein for their next set of experiments.
Looking again at the human brain tissue samples, they found that the genes were indeed affected by the lowered protein level in Down syndrome brains – one gene that MeCP2 normally silences was in abundance, and the gene that should have been activated was underexpressed. Because the two genes examined have known roles in neural development, Elton said the results suggested even more strongly that the lowered protein’s effects on the genes likely contribute to cognitive problems associated with Down syndrome.
Finally, the researchers tested an experimental drug called an antagomir on mice that serve as models for Down syndrome research. Antagomirs are relatively new agents that render microRNAs inactive. The scientists injected an antagomir into the brains of these mice to silence the miR-155 with the intent to increase levels of the MeCP2 protein. Seven days after the injection, the level of the protein in the treated mouse brains resembled levels in normal mouse brains.
“We showed that we can fix the protein abnormality in mice that model Down syndrome. But we can’t undo the pathology that has already occurred,” Elton said. “It’s a starting point, but it appears that we have new therapeutic targets to consider.”
This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Foundation Jerome Lejeune.
Co-authors of the study were Donald Kuhn, Gerard Nuovo, Mickey Martin, Geraldine Malana, Sarah Sansom, Adam Pleister and David Feldman of Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute; Alvin Terry Jr. and Wayne Beck of Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; and Elizabeth Head of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine.
#
Contact: Terry Elton, (614) 292-1400; terry.elton@osumc.edu
Written by Emily Caldwell, (614) 292-8310; caldwell.151@osu.edu
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Conventional wisdom among scientists for years has suggested that because individuals with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome, the disorder most likely results from the presence of too many genes or proteins contained in that additional structure.
But a recent study reveals that just the opposite could be true – that a deficiency of a protein in the brain of Down syndrome patients could contribute to the cognitive impairment and congenital heart defects that characterize the syndrome.
Terry Elton
Scientists have shown in a series of experiments that there are lower levels of this protein in the brains of humans and mice with Down syndrome than are present in humans and mice without the disorder.
The researchers also showed that manually manipulating pieces of RNA that regulate the protein could increase protein levels in both human cell lines and mouse brains. In fact, an experimental drug that acts on those RNA segments returned this protein to normal levels in mice that model the syndrome.
When this RNA segment is overexpressed – meaning that more of it is present than needed in a cell – the protein level goes down, or is underexpressed. A total of at least five of these RNA segments are naturally overexpressed in persons with Down syndrome because the segments are housed on chromosome 21 – the chromosome that causes the disorder.
“We’re talking about a paradigm-shifting idea that maybe we should look for underexpressed proteins and not overexpressed proteins in Down syndrome,” said Terry Elton, senior author of the study and a professor of pharmacology at Ohio State University.
“What this offers to the Down syndrome community is the potential for at least five new therapeutic targets to pursue.”
Email this to a friend
Scientists have shown in a series of experiments that there are lower levels of a specific protein in the brains of humans and mice with Down syndrome than are present in humans and mice without the disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 13 of every 10,000 babies born in the United States each year have Down syndrome, characterized primarily by a mild-to-moderate range of intellectual disabilities, possible delayed language development and difficulties with physical coordination.
The study is published in a recent issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Elton, also interim director of Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, stumbled upon this theory about Down syndrome while working on a different protein associated with cardiovascular disease. It turns out the protein he has studied for 25 years was regulated by one of these microRNAs that is known to be housed on chromosome 21.
A key role of RNA in a cell is to make protein, and proteins are the building blocks of all life. But the process has many steps. MicroRNAs are small pieces of RNA that bind to messenger RNA, which contains the actual set of instructions for building proteins. When that connection is made, however, the microRNA inhibits the building of the protein. Why that occurs is not completely understood, but increasingly microRNAs are considered tiny molecules that have a big impact in a number of physiological processes.
For his cardiovascular disease research, Elton found that a genetic trait in some people caused one specific microRNA to be bad at its job, leading to high protein levels that contribute to cardiovascular disease. This malfunctioning molecule is called microRNA-155, or miR-155.
“So we became interested in miR-155, and it is on chromosome 21. That’s how we jumped to Down syndrome,” Elton said.
There is also a strong link between the heart and Down syndrome. About half of those with the syndrome are born with congenital heart defects – problems with the heart’s anatomy, not coronary arteries. But they do not experience cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure.
The advent of biomedical informatics has allowed scientists to use supercomputers to explore the human genome in a search for genes and their various relationships in the context of human disease. Elton consulted a bioinformatic database and found that five microRNAs sit on chromosome 21, and he and colleagues demonstrated in previous research that all five of them are overexpressed in the tissues, brains and hearts of Down syndrome patients.
“That means that whatever proteins these microRNAs work with are underexpressed,” Elton said.
Further database exploration suggested that these five microRNAs target 1,695 proteins, all of which could cause problems in Down syndrome because they are underexpressed. To narrow that to a more manageable number, Elton’s group had to make an educated guess based on a variety of data, including which proteins that are connected to these microRNAs are made by cells in the brain and heart – two areas most commonly affected by Down syndrome.
A protein surfaced as an attractive target to study: methyl-CpG-binding protein 2, known as MeCP2. Among the reasons it seemed important: A mutation in this protein is already known to lead to Rett syndrome, a cognitive disorder.
“So we thought that it was more than a coincidence that this protein plays a role in normal brain development, and if the protein doesn’t function right, you’re going to have cognitive impairment. Maybe this is the connection,” Elton said. “We still don’t know if this is the most important protein related to Down syndrome. But we were able to go on and prove scientifically that MeCP2 is a target of these microRNAs on chromosome 21.”
The researchers used just two of the five microRNAs on chromosome 21 for the experiments in this study, miR-155 and miR-802, to match the only microRNAs available in the genetically engineered mouse model of Down syndrome.
First, the researchers made copies of the relevant microRNAs. In human brain cell lines, they manipulated levels of those two molecules to show the inverse relationship with the protein. If the microRNAs were more active, the level of the MeCP2 protein went down. When the microRNAs were underexpressed, the protein levels went up.
Next, the researchers examined adult and fetal human brain tissue from healthy and Down syndrome samples obtained from a national tissue bank.
“In both adult and fetal Down syndrome brain samples, it didn’t matter which area of the brain we were looking at, the MeCP2 proteins were down. These are just observations with no manipulation on our part, and the MeCP2 is almost non-existent in the Down syndrome brain,” Elton said. “We marked the protein with a fluorescent molecule, and by comparison, we could visualize and appreciate how much MeCP2 was being made by neurons in the control samples.”
MeCP2 is a transcription factor, meaning it turns genes on and off. If its levels are too low in the brain, this suggests that genes influenced by its presence should be malfunctioning, too. Based on previous research by another group, Elton and colleagues focused on two genes affected by the MeCP2 protein for their next set of experiments.
Looking again at the human brain tissue samples, they found that the genes were indeed affected by the lowered protein level in Down syndrome brains – one gene that MeCP2 normally silences was in abundance, and the gene that should have been activated was underexpressed. Because the two genes examined have known roles in neural development, Elton said the results suggested even more strongly that the lowered protein’s effects on the genes likely contribute to cognitive problems associated with Down syndrome.
Finally, the researchers tested an experimental drug called an antagomir on mice that serve as models for Down syndrome research. Antagomirs are relatively new agents that render microRNAs inactive. The scientists injected an antagomir into the brains of these mice to silence the miR-155 with the intent to increase levels of the MeCP2 protein. Seven days after the injection, the level of the protein in the treated mouse brains resembled levels in normal mouse brains.
“We showed that we can fix the protein abnormality in mice that model Down syndrome. But we can’t undo the pathology that has already occurred,” Elton said. “It’s a starting point, but it appears that we have new therapeutic targets to consider.”
This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Foundation Jerome Lejeune.
Co-authors of the study were Donald Kuhn, Gerard Nuovo, Mickey Martin, Geraldine Malana, Sarah Sansom, Adam Pleister and David Feldman of Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute; Alvin Terry Jr. and Wayne Beck of Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; and Elizabeth Head of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine.
#
Contact: Terry Elton, (614) 292-1400; terry.elton@osumc.edu
Written by Emily Caldwell, (614) 292-8310; caldwell.151@osu.edu
For all those in process now adoptions...please register your adoption so they are aware of how many of us are out there!!
Adoption Notice
kyivadoptions@state.gov
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
December 9, 2010
On November 3, 2010, a proposed bill that would place a moratorium on intercountry adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements, including the United States passed a first reading in the Ukrainian parliament. On December 7, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv learned the proposed moratorium bill has been scheduled for a second reading during the upcoming plenary session on December 16. As the plenary session does have several important agenda items, this schedule may be subject to change depending on the progress of each issue.
Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv was informed that a slight, but possibly important, change was made to the text for the second reading. The bill originally stated, “intercountry adoptions will not be allowed for the citizens and permanent residents of the countries with which Ukraine does not have bilateral adoption agreements.” The change eliminates the word “bilateral,” which may allow the possibility of multilateral agreements, like the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, to take the place of bilateral agreements.
The Ukrainian State Department for Adoptions (SDA) has indicated that adoption processing will be conducted as usual until mandated by a change in legislation.
The Department of State cannot predict the outcome of the second reading. However, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is active in encouraging its counterparts to consider the Hague Adoption Convention as the best means to address concerns in the adoption process and to safeguard cases in progress. The Embassy is monitoring the situation closely. Any prospective adoptive parents with cases currently open in Ukraine are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy Kyiv Adoption Unit. The Embassy maintains a listserv to communicate with U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents and will use this to send updates as information is available.
kyivadoptions@state.gov
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
December 9, 2010
On November 3, 2010, a proposed bill that would place a moratorium on intercountry adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements, including the United States passed a first reading in the Ukrainian parliament. On December 7, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv learned the proposed moratorium bill has been scheduled for a second reading during the upcoming plenary session on December 16. As the plenary session does have several important agenda items, this schedule may be subject to change depending on the progress of each issue.
Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv was informed that a slight, but possibly important, change was made to the text for the second reading. The bill originally stated, “intercountry adoptions will not be allowed for the citizens and permanent residents of the countries with which Ukraine does not have bilateral adoption agreements.” The change eliminates the word “bilateral,” which may allow the possibility of multilateral agreements, like the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, to take the place of bilateral agreements.
The Ukrainian State Department for Adoptions (SDA) has indicated that adoption processing will be conducted as usual until mandated by a change in legislation.
The Department of State cannot predict the outcome of the second reading. However, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is active in encouraging its counterparts to consider the Hague Adoption Convention as the best means to address concerns in the adoption process and to safeguard cases in progress. The Embassy is monitoring the situation closely. Any prospective adoptive parents with cases currently open in Ukraine are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy Kyiv Adoption Unit. The Embassy maintains a listserv to communicate with U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents and will use this to send updates as information is available.
Interpol Delay ...
Well it looks like one of us has been mixed up with a Torres in Mexico?? LOL The spelling is usually different so not sure how this happened..but at least we may have a lead why we have a delay...SO I will be contacting the US embassy in Kiev on Monday to see how they can help this move forward...Never a dull moment with adoption! You can expect anything & everything through out the process....
Thursday, December 9, 2010
This is great!! Hope they keep pushing it back!
Good news on the vote. :) It was scheduled for Dec 16 in the morning (before the morning break) and has now been pushed to the week of Dec 21-24 according to the Rada website. I'm hopeful this means they are still working out details and will not implement it in its current form.
As I mentioned before, the Legal Division of Ukraine has recommended the bill be rejected as it will cause conflicts with other areas of the Family Code that are not being changed. Two amendments were filed on Nov 30 but the text of those is not available online.
For those who are interested in following the Rada proceedings, the website is http://www.rada.gov.ua/zakon/new/WR/. Clicking on that will give you links to the weekly schedules for the Rada. You can then search on the page for the bill number 4313, which is the bill in question. If you click on the bill number, you will go to a page with links to the actual bill as well as to who has voted for/against, etc.
I'm checking the Rada website every couple of days so I will keep you guys updated as I see more. If you have time and enjoy deciphering cyrillic (or like playing with Google translate), the Rada website is a WEALTH of information on random legal stuff for Ukraine!
Courtney
As I mentioned before, the Legal Division of Ukraine has recommended the bill be rejected as it will cause conflicts with other areas of the Family Code that are not being changed. Two amendments were filed on Nov 30 but the text of those is not available online.
For those who are interested in following the Rada proceedings, the website is http://www.rada.gov.ua/zakon/new/WR/. Clicking on that will give you links to the weekly schedules for the Rada. You can then search on the page for the bill number 4313, which is the bill in question. If you click on the bill number, you will go to a page with links to the actual bill as well as to who has voted for/against, etc.
I'm checking the Rada website every couple of days so I will keep you guys updated as I see more. If you have time and enjoy deciphering cyrillic (or like playing with Google translate), the Rada website is a WEALTH of information on random legal stuff for Ukraine!
Courtney
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Still Waiting...
We are still waiting but it's all good....hoping we
will get court soon and praying the moratorium vote gets tabled for all the children's sake that are in process of adoption.. It was skipped over before and it could happen again. Also praying that behind the scenes progress will be made to continue to allow special needs adoptions to come to fruition during the possible moratorium.
Made contact with one of the Docs where we adopted our 3 little angels 2 summers ago. They are waiting for the hair doos when I can get out there...I am packed for the most part and looking forward to the trip. It should be very exciting seeing our boy and having him with me and doing hair for about 10 days for the care workers of the little ones in the orphanage. Praying for a safe and non-turbulent flight...that last one to Eastern Europe had a bout of turbulence I have never experienced...10 -15 minutes of bouncing like we had felt like an hour...need another flying course online!
will get court soon and praying the moratorium vote gets tabled for all the children's sake that are in process of adoption.. It was skipped over before and it could happen again. Also praying that behind the scenes progress will be made to continue to allow special needs adoptions to come to fruition during the possible moratorium.
Made contact with one of the Docs where we adopted our 3 little angels 2 summers ago. They are waiting for the hair doos when I can get out there...I am packed for the most part and looking forward to the trip. It should be very exciting seeing our boy and having him with me and doing hair for about 10 days for the care workers of the little ones in the orphanage. Praying for a safe and non-turbulent flight...that last one to Eastern Europe had a bout of turbulence I have never experienced...10 -15 minutes of bouncing like we had felt like an hour...need another flying course online!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Karin Dom 2008 Intense Video
Amazing to see this therapy and Intervention in Bulgaria & Ukraine..More centers need to be implemented, but it is out there for families who decide to keep their children...Please turn off music below on right to hear videos.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference
Crazy? This is a comment people have made about us adopting special needs kids from a far off place..After viewing this video maybe you can see what motivates us to do what we do...spend $70,000 to rescue orphans that are considered less than in their own culture. Because God rescued us...Because God adopted us...Because God tells us to take care of orphans...
Do you wonder why we're so "Crazy" that we would adopt again? I don't need to add a single thing to it. This is EXACTLY why we would spend thousands of dollars and travel the ocean many times for little lives. It's exactly why we trust that God is big enough, strong enough, loving enough-- to take care of us ALL once we are home together. Because we ARE God's body. God rescues the weak...God uses the meek..
Praise God for all those who helped us save these children through donations & fund raising & prayers through the years.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
UD PATE ON MORATORIUMS: From Rainbowkids.com
Ukraine: It has been widely rumored that Ukraine is moving towards implementing the Hague. Several sources indicate that a true "shut down" of Ukraine adoptions is not imminent. More information will be known by the end of 2010.
Russian Adoption Agreement: The 5th in a series of talks between Russian officials and US DOS took place last week. Although widely reported in the major media, these talks are viewed by adoption insiders as a formality. US-Russian adoption did not shut down during 2010, and there is no indication that any threat to the process exists today. Good news for families and waiting children!
Russian Adoption Agreement: The 5th in a series of talks between Russian officials and US DOS took place last week. Although widely reported in the major media, these talks are viewed by adoption insiders as a formality. US-Russian adoption did not shut down during 2010, and there is no indication that any threat to the process exists today. Good news for families and waiting children!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Should You Adopt Internationally?
Pros and cons, difficulty, speed
Medical info, race, birthparent rights, orphanages
Because you are dealing with two countries and usually have to travel overseas to go and get the child, international adoptions are by their very nature more complicated than U.S. adoptions. In addition to the fact that U.S. adoptions are usually less complicated, here are some of the reasons some people cite for not wanting to adopt internationally:
They are concerned about the health of a child raised in an orphanage.
They are worried about the high cost of many international adoptions, including the cost associated with foreign travel.
They don't like the idea of traveling to a foreign country and staying for days or weeks in another culture while waiting for the paperwork to be processed.
Other adopters have equally strong views about why international adoptions are preferable:
They believe their waiting time to adopt a child will be very short.
They feel they can't adopt a same-race child in the United States but can do so from another country.
They are opposed to open adoptions involving contact with birthparents (most intercountry adoptions are not open).
They think that birthparents from other countries will be less likely to change their minds about an adoption.
They think children living in overseas orphanages will not have been exposed to abuse and neglect.
Take a look at the number of adoptions in the top 10 countries in the world from 1999 to 2003, based on immigrant visas issued to children adopted by Americans. As you can see, China has been the number-one country from 2000 to 2003.
International Adoption Statistics, Top 10 Countries, Based on Immigrant Visas Issued to Orphans Coming to the United States, FY 1999-2003
2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
China
6,859 China
5,053 China
4,681 China
5,053 Russia
4,348
Russia
5,209 Russia
4,939 Russia
4,279 Russia
4,269 China
4,101
Guatemala
2,328 Guatemala
2,219 S. Korea
1,870 S. Korea
1,794 S. Korea
2,008
S. Korea
1,790 S. Korea
1,779 Guatemala
1,609 Guatemala
1,518 Guatemala
1,002
Kazakhstan
825 Ukraine
1,106 Ukraine
1,246 Romania
1,122 Romania
895
Ukraine
702 Kazakhstan
819 Romania
782 Vietnam
724 Vietnam
709
India
472 Vietnam
766 Vietnam
737 Ukraine
659 India
500
Vietnam
382 India
466 Kazakhstan
672 India
503 Ukraine
323
Colombia
272 Colombia
334 India
543 Cambodia
402 Cambodia
248
Haiti
250 Bulgaria
260 Colombia
407 Kazakhstan
399 Colombia
231
Source: U.S. State Department (http://travel.state.gov/orphan_numbers.html)
In the following sections, I examine whether people's perceptions match the reality.
Are International Adoptions More Difficult?
Adoption Alert
In many countries, the adoption is considered final after a court proceeding in the country the child is from; and as a result, if there are any problems after you leave the country—such as undetected medical problems or other issues—the child is still your legal responsibility. You can't return the child.
Is it easier to adopt a child in the United States than in another country? With a few exceptions, I don't think adoption is easy no matter what, whether your child comes from the United States or anywhere else. Children don't drop into your lap from the sky (which is good—it would be pretty painful if they did!).
In some ways, U.S. adoptions are easier. For example, there's no language barrier with most U.S. adoptions. (You are not allowed to consider a Southern drawl or New England accent as another language!) But language barriers are frequent with international adoptions, in which you must rely on your agency and their interpreters for a lot of information.
U.S. adoptions also seem easier to people who want to avoid the expense and difficulties of foreign travel, which is mandatory in most cases. In some countries, including China, Russia, and many others, you actually adopt the child in the country itself; thus, your presence there is required. In the case of a married couple, sometimes one person can travel; however, it's best if both go and provide moral support to each other. Also, some countries may require that both parents be there prior to the finalization of the adoption. If only one parent travels overseas, then you need to do a readoption, or complete the adoption again in the state in which you live.
Are International Adoptions Faster?
Adoption Alert
If you are considering using an international adoption agency, find out whether the director or any of the staff has ever traveled to the countries with which they arrange adoptions. It's not a good sign if no one in the agency has ever traveled to the country from which they make placements. How do you find out? You ask!
The time it takes to successfully adopt a child in the United States can be measured in months or years, depending on the speed of your adoption agency or your own efforts.
Whether the wait to adopt a child from another country is shorter than adopting a child in the United States depends on a lot of variables: which country you choose to adopt from, the age of the child you want, how fast you can put together your application, and other factors. It might be six months, several years, or longer (which is also true with U.S. adoptions). Or you might apply for a child from a particular country, and then the country decides to put all international adoptions on hold. If that happens, you'll have to wait until your agency gets the word that adoptions may resume again.
Next: Medical info, race, birthparent rights, orphanages >>
Read more on FamilyEducation: http://life.familyeducation.com/adoption/transracial-adoptions/45783.html#ixzz16kjfVcHe
Medical info, race, birthparent rights, orphanages
Because you are dealing with two countries and usually have to travel overseas to go and get the child, international adoptions are by their very nature more complicated than U.S. adoptions. In addition to the fact that U.S. adoptions are usually less complicated, here are some of the reasons some people cite for not wanting to adopt internationally:
They are concerned about the health of a child raised in an orphanage.
They are worried about the high cost of many international adoptions, including the cost associated with foreign travel.
They don't like the idea of traveling to a foreign country and staying for days or weeks in another culture while waiting for the paperwork to be processed.
Other adopters have equally strong views about why international adoptions are preferable:
They believe their waiting time to adopt a child will be very short.
They feel they can't adopt a same-race child in the United States but can do so from another country.
They are opposed to open adoptions involving contact with birthparents (most intercountry adoptions are not open).
They think that birthparents from other countries will be less likely to change their minds about an adoption.
They think children living in overseas orphanages will not have been exposed to abuse and neglect.
Take a look at the number of adoptions in the top 10 countries in the world from 1999 to 2003, based on immigrant visas issued to children adopted by Americans. As you can see, China has been the number-one country from 2000 to 2003.
International Adoption Statistics, Top 10 Countries, Based on Immigrant Visas Issued to Orphans Coming to the United States, FY 1999-2003
2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
China
6,859 China
5,053 China
4,681 China
5,053 Russia
4,348
Russia
5,209 Russia
4,939 Russia
4,279 Russia
4,269 China
4,101
Guatemala
2,328 Guatemala
2,219 S. Korea
1,870 S. Korea
1,794 S. Korea
2,008
S. Korea
1,790 S. Korea
1,779 Guatemala
1,609 Guatemala
1,518 Guatemala
1,002
Kazakhstan
825 Ukraine
1,106 Ukraine
1,246 Romania
1,122 Romania
895
Ukraine
702 Kazakhstan
819 Romania
782 Vietnam
724 Vietnam
709
India
472 Vietnam
766 Vietnam
737 Ukraine
659 India
500
Vietnam
382 India
466 Kazakhstan
672 India
503 Ukraine
323
Colombia
272 Colombia
334 India
543 Cambodia
402 Cambodia
248
Haiti
250 Bulgaria
260 Colombia
407 Kazakhstan
399 Colombia
231
Source: U.S. State Department (http://travel.state.gov/orphan_numbers.html)
In the following sections, I examine whether people's perceptions match the reality.
Are International Adoptions More Difficult?
Adoption Alert
In many countries, the adoption is considered final after a court proceeding in the country the child is from; and as a result, if there are any problems after you leave the country—such as undetected medical problems or other issues—the child is still your legal responsibility. You can't return the child.
Is it easier to adopt a child in the United States than in another country? With a few exceptions, I don't think adoption is easy no matter what, whether your child comes from the United States or anywhere else. Children don't drop into your lap from the sky (which is good—it would be pretty painful if they did!).
In some ways, U.S. adoptions are easier. For example, there's no language barrier with most U.S. adoptions. (You are not allowed to consider a Southern drawl or New England accent as another language!) But language barriers are frequent with international adoptions, in which you must rely on your agency and their interpreters for a lot of information.
U.S. adoptions also seem easier to people who want to avoid the expense and difficulties of foreign travel, which is mandatory in most cases. In some countries, including China, Russia, and many others, you actually adopt the child in the country itself; thus, your presence there is required. In the case of a married couple, sometimes one person can travel; however, it's best if both go and provide moral support to each other. Also, some countries may require that both parents be there prior to the finalization of the adoption. If only one parent travels overseas, then you need to do a readoption, or complete the adoption again in the state in which you live.
Are International Adoptions Faster?
Adoption Alert
If you are considering using an international adoption agency, find out whether the director or any of the staff has ever traveled to the countries with which they arrange adoptions. It's not a good sign if no one in the agency has ever traveled to the country from which they make placements. How do you find out? You ask!
The time it takes to successfully adopt a child in the United States can be measured in months or years, depending on the speed of your adoption agency or your own efforts.
Whether the wait to adopt a child from another country is shorter than adopting a child in the United States depends on a lot of variables: which country you choose to adopt from, the age of the child you want, how fast you can put together your application, and other factors. It might be six months, several years, or longer (which is also true with U.S. adoptions). Or you might apply for a child from a particular country, and then the country decides to put all international adoptions on hold. If that happens, you'll have to wait until your agency gets the word that adoptions may resume again.
Next: Medical info, race, birthparent rights, orphanages >>
Read more on FamilyEducation: http://life.familyeducation.com/adoption/transracial-adoptions/45783.html#ixzz16kjfVcHe
Monday, November 29, 2010
Well our suitcases are packed!
We are ready to go when we get the email! I will be booking those flights as soon as I hear we have a court date! In the meantime..we are packed..just a couple little things to go in yet......
Looking forward to booking the apartment...probably 2 1/2 weeks for me..
Looking forward to booking the apartment...probably 2 1/2 weeks for me..
Friday, November 26, 2010
Just waiting.....
We are still waiting for Interpol clearance....which can take up to 40 days..sheesh!
But it is all good..God knows the timing. We are well into our 40 days so should be sometime when we least expect it..Was hoping soon to miss our Christmas...we planned on having a Eastern Europe Christmas when we got back anyway...Marco is our gift to the family & to him this year until we get back. I recently sent over a box with my son's game boy & some games...kind of outdated but it works well and I think Marco will keep occupied with the 4/5 games and 4 sets of batteries to keep it going. I also sent him his potato chips he likes.. pencils with a globe sharpener so he can see where we are...and a puzzle...USA key chain ...gum...and a few other things I squeezed in the box.
I have Marco's clothes ready and our few clothes ready. All of my hair supplies have been waiting in the orphanage in Vorzel...The ladies might be wondering by now what happened..I said I'd be back in 2 weeks..LOL They may have started without me!
I should be in country for about 2 1/2- 3 weeks. Hubby will only be in country about 3-4 days for court. This will allow me to run around the country doing hair & visiting our boy and friends.
Today the used games are buy 2 get 1 free at Game Stop..so I will be off to get a few more to send Marco in our next letter.. We send a letter every few days so he knows we are still coming & love him very much. Our translator also has been calling to re assure him of this.
We were asked to check on Interpol from our end since Hubby is in law enforcement...most of the checks they do are done through teletype..so looking for the correct phone number to call..Usually only law enforcement can use the lines to communicate..so we'll see what happens..Comes in handy to be married to a Police man..Such a good level headed guy too...
Headed out into the Black Friday world..but not to shop...all shopping is on hold until 2011...I have to wire $ to our facilitator..Almost done!!!
But it is all good..God knows the timing. We are well into our 40 days so should be sometime when we least expect it..Was hoping soon to miss our Christmas...we planned on having a Eastern Europe Christmas when we got back anyway...Marco is our gift to the family & to him this year until we get back. I recently sent over a box with my son's game boy & some games...kind of outdated but it works well and I think Marco will keep occupied with the 4/5 games and 4 sets of batteries to keep it going. I also sent him his potato chips he likes.. pencils with a globe sharpener so he can see where we are...and a puzzle...USA key chain ...gum...and a few other things I squeezed in the box.
I have Marco's clothes ready and our few clothes ready. All of my hair supplies have been waiting in the orphanage in Vorzel...The ladies might be wondering by now what happened..I said I'd be back in 2 weeks..LOL They may have started without me!
I should be in country for about 2 1/2- 3 weeks. Hubby will only be in country about 3-4 days for court. This will allow me to run around the country doing hair & visiting our boy and friends.
Today the used games are buy 2 get 1 free at Game Stop..so I will be off to get a few more to send Marco in our next letter.. We send a letter every few days so he knows we are still coming & love him very much. Our translator also has been calling to re assure him of this.
We were asked to check on Interpol from our end since Hubby is in law enforcement...most of the checks they do are done through teletype..so looking for the correct phone number to call..Usually only law enforcement can use the lines to communicate..so we'll see what happens..Comes in handy to be married to a Police man..Such a good level headed guy too...
Headed out into the Black Friday world..but not to shop...all shopping is on hold until 2011...I have to wire $ to our facilitator..Almost done!!!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Check out Project Hopeful..
Project HOPEFUL was interviewed for People Magazine this year just found out that the issue with Reeces Rainbow article is going to be released next Wednesday. It is going to be a five page article! There are several Reece’s kids listed on the waiting child page of the Project Hopeful website so, hopefully, there will be some extra traffic on the RR site, too.
Latest Info on Moratorium....
"The second hearing for the bill for a moratorium of adoptions with countries which
> don't have an inter-country (bilateral) agreement with Ukraine is set to be
> read on the week of December 14-17 and is "near the end" of the list...
> #4313.
>
> Yes, we can pray that it doesn't get heard.
>
> Yes, we can pray that it doesn't get passed.
>
> I, specifically, will pray that the orphans who will not be adopted by their
> own country will not be left without an avenue for adoption. God knows the
> details.
>
> Here's a little more info: The idea behind this bill is for Ukraine to be
> able to "better protect" their children and the country is "considering"
> becoming part of the Hague convention. This could, eventually, be a very
> VERY good thing (In my opinion) for ALL of the children AND for the
> parents.
>
> So, there's the info I have, and here is a link that is in Ukrainian but you
> can google-translate if you'd like. It's wayyyyyyy down:
> http://www.rada.gov.ua/zakon/new/WR/WR301110.htm
> ---------------------------------------------
>
> don't have an inter-country (bilateral) agreement with Ukraine is set to be
> read on the week of December 14-17 and is "near the end" of the list...
> #4313.
>
> Yes, we can pray that it doesn't get heard.
>
> Yes, we can pray that it doesn't get passed.
>
> I, specifically, will pray that the orphans who will not be adopted by their
> own country will not be left without an avenue for adoption. God knows the
> details.
>
> Here's a little more info: The idea behind this bill is for Ukraine to be
> able to "better protect" their children and the country is "considering"
> becoming part of the Hague convention. This could, eventually, be a very
> VERY good thing (In my opinion) for ALL of the children AND for the
> parents.
>
> So, there's the info I have, and here is a link that is in Ukrainian but you
> can google-translate if you'd like. It's wayyyyyyy down:
> http://www.rada.gov.ua/zakon/new/WR/WR301110.htm
> ---------------------------------------------
>
Thursday, November 18, 2010
3 more on American Soil!!
So happy 3 more little ones are home ..we had the opportunity to meet 2 of them...We spent some time with their new family together on our last trip but it wasn't enough... We had been in contact for a long time through email before meeting..so to get to meet in person was great! I love meeting other families like ours...Large families who are still courageous to keep adding to it! We have made some special bonds with many people who have adopted through Reeces Rainbow and are a lot like us. Laura I miss you guys already...and Marnie I hope you get to go home soon!!
Talk to you all again soon!!
Talk to you all again soon!!
Why Wait to Adopt?
Children are ready to be adopted today
November 01,2010 / Martha Osborne
Somewhere in China, a 3-year-old boy waits for a family. He is healthy, with a mischevious smile and a laugh that would make any parent's heart soar. Born male, he will most likely never know the love and security of a family. Being born a boy is his only special need. Somewhere in China, a 5-year-old girl plays a clapping game with her friend. She has a repaired club foot. She runs, plays, and has memorized 4 poems this year. Because one leg is 1 inch shorter than the other, she is special needs. She is just one of thousands who may never find a family that will look past her very minor special need. These are real children, waiting. China's Special Focus program may bring that wait to an end.
China's Special Focus Initiantive is a unique opportunity for families considering the adoption of a special needs or older child. China still allows the adoption of healthy, young babies, however, these adoptions generally take over 5 years to complete. Through this initiative, children waiting on the CCAA "shared agency list" will be assigned to a specific agency so that s/he will have yet another advocate searching for their her/his permanent family.
Who are the Special Focus Children?
At the time Special Focus Children was introduced (September 2010), over 2,000 children were waiting for families on China's shared agency list. Children with a Special Focus designation are those who have been waiting on the shared list for more than two months; they are generally older (pre-school- and school-aged) or any age (infant through school-aged) who have an identified special need.
What makes this initiative different?
The Special Focus initiative offers several key advantages when searching for a child's family.
More knowledge of the child. The children will be assigned to one adoption agency. This will allow agency staff to give more attention to that child and thoroughly understand the child's needs.
More preparation for the family. The family will be allowed more time to consider a match (roughly two weeks as opposed to the 72 hours that is standard when a child is on the shared agency list) which gives them the benefit of time and reduced pressure so that they can learn more about a child's need before making a decision. The family will also have six months (as opposed to three) to submit their dossier to CCAA after they have been matched with a Special Focus child.
More Flexibility in Family Requirements. Families going through this program can sometimes ask for flexibility on family size or age of parents. The CCAA has frequently granted waivers to larger families or those above the age limit when those families choose to adopt a child through the Special Focus program.
LESS Time: The children who are part of an Agency's Special Focus list are ready to be adopted. Adopting one of these waiting children can be accomplished in as little as 6 months (for those with some adoption paperwork completed) and generally takes less than one year.
What Are You Waitng For?
Many families believe that "special needs" are always life-long disabilities. This simply isn't true. Many thousands of children are born with a specific special need such as cleft lip, extra finger, club foot, a hole in their heart, even a minor form of spina bifida, which are then repaired shortly after birth. However, a child will not be listed as "healthy" even when their condition has been repaired and the child shows little, or absolutely no, effect from the condition. These children are labeled special needs. In other cases, infants needing surgery are on the list. Toddlers who may have once been delayed but are now "on-target" are listed. In other cases, children do have more involved special needs. However, families will be able to work with their agency to find a child that will thrive in their individual situation. So, what are you waiting for? If you're ready to adopt, please consider a child who is also waiting, and ready, to join your family.
Parts of this article were contributed by Children's Home Society and Family Services
Contact Agencies with China Programs
November 01,2010 / Martha Osborne
Somewhere in China, a 3-year-old boy waits for a family. He is healthy, with a mischevious smile and a laugh that would make any parent's heart soar. Born male, he will most likely never know the love and security of a family. Being born a boy is his only special need. Somewhere in China, a 5-year-old girl plays a clapping game with her friend. She has a repaired club foot. She runs, plays, and has memorized 4 poems this year. Because one leg is 1 inch shorter than the other, she is special needs. She is just one of thousands who may never find a family that will look past her very minor special need. These are real children, waiting. China's Special Focus program may bring that wait to an end.
China's Special Focus Initiantive is a unique opportunity for families considering the adoption of a special needs or older child. China still allows the adoption of healthy, young babies, however, these adoptions generally take over 5 years to complete. Through this initiative, children waiting on the CCAA "shared agency list" will be assigned to a specific agency so that s/he will have yet another advocate searching for their her/his permanent family.
Who are the Special Focus Children?
At the time Special Focus Children was introduced (September 2010), over 2,000 children were waiting for families on China's shared agency list. Children with a Special Focus designation are those who have been waiting on the shared list for more than two months; they are generally older (pre-school- and school-aged) or any age (infant through school-aged) who have an identified special need.
What makes this initiative different?
The Special Focus initiative offers several key advantages when searching for a child's family.
More knowledge of the child. The children will be assigned to one adoption agency. This will allow agency staff to give more attention to that child and thoroughly understand the child's needs.
More preparation for the family. The family will be allowed more time to consider a match (roughly two weeks as opposed to the 72 hours that is standard when a child is on the shared agency list) which gives them the benefit of time and reduced pressure so that they can learn more about a child's need before making a decision. The family will also have six months (as opposed to three) to submit their dossier to CCAA after they have been matched with a Special Focus child.
More Flexibility in Family Requirements. Families going through this program can sometimes ask for flexibility on family size or age of parents. The CCAA has frequently granted waivers to larger families or those above the age limit when those families choose to adopt a child through the Special Focus program.
LESS Time: The children who are part of an Agency's Special Focus list are ready to be adopted. Adopting one of these waiting children can be accomplished in as little as 6 months (for those with some adoption paperwork completed) and generally takes less than one year.
What Are You Waitng For?
Many families believe that "special needs" are always life-long disabilities. This simply isn't true. Many thousands of children are born with a specific special need such as cleft lip, extra finger, club foot, a hole in their heart, even a minor form of spina bifida, which are then repaired shortly after birth. However, a child will not be listed as "healthy" even when their condition has been repaired and the child shows little, or absolutely no, effect from the condition. These children are labeled special needs. In other cases, infants needing surgery are on the list. Toddlers who may have once been delayed but are now "on-target" are listed. In other cases, children do have more involved special needs. However, families will be able to work with their agency to find a child that will thrive in their individual situation. So, what are you waiting for? If you're ready to adopt, please consider a child who is also waiting, and ready, to join your family.
Parts of this article were contributed by Children's Home Society and Family Services
Contact Agencies with China Programs
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Waiting......
We are still waiting on our interpol clearance to be accepted...Then we will receive our court date...Looking forward to getting home with our boy...Hoping to fly under the radar of the moratorium!!
Friday, November 12, 2010
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