So Much to do, and so little time!!!

I know, I know- I haven't blogged yet since our referral. We are busy getting our plans in order, and a few additional documents notarized and apostilled.


We leave on Saturday night at 7PM out of JFK airport, and will arrive at 12:30 PM on Sunday, the 3rd.

I'll keep you posted as much as I can. I have so much to do to make sure everything is ready for my sub next week, and of course, lots of packing to do!

P.S.- blogger friends, any specific toy recommendations? We want to bring a few things over with us to play with while we are with him- specific toys that will show his fine motor skills, and interaction... but we need these items to be small enough to leave room in our suitcases for our clothes... ;)

Keep praying for us, this next week is such a big week!

It's....a.....BOY!!!!!

Our referral information came in today! We couldn't be more excited! We have been praying all along for a medical report that we would be at peace with, and that we are! Due to privacy protection, we aren't going to be sharing too much via the blog. But, I think it's okay to share that our little boy is 21 months old, and we are praying to have him home on his 2nd B-day, Dec. 28th!

We will be leaving for Russia on October 3rd, and meeting him on October 4th. Then, our MOE apt. to sign papers is on the 5th. Please continue to pray for us, as we have lots to make sure we have done by next week!

We can't wait to meet you, Landon Gregory! (for those of you who may not know...this is the name we have chosen...we had picked this name a few months back, but wanted to wait to find out what his Russian name was...if we liked that- we had planned on keeping it. Well, it's not that we don't like it, but I've tried all night, and I still can't say it right at all! lol!)

Just a little over a week to go!!!  Now, it's time to go to Babies R US! :0)

Here are a few pictures of telling our family!

Running with Baby on the Mind!

My friend Shannon and I ran in the ING RockNRoll Philadelphia Half Marathon yesterday. It was a beautiful day, and we were really looking forward to it! I just wanted to share a few adoption related race things:

1) The last half marathon we ran together in...our first...was last November. During almost the entire race we chatted about our families possibly pursuing adoption. We were both in the pre-adoption / research mode. It's amazing to think that not even a year later we are both just waiting for our referrals!

2) Both of our families had T-shirts designed and made to sell as fundraisers. We decided it might be a neat idea to somehow combine our shirts into a dual so that we could "Run for our Babies" publicly.  My mom...the ever so talented seamstress...did a great job! She cut the backs of both of our shirts off, and sewed them together, all while making them a little more runner friendly.

3) When we were about to cross the starting line, I looked up, and there was the Russian flag! I immediately got goose bumps and felt like I could just take off! What an energy rush! Check it out in the photo!  ...maybe that's why I was all smiles...oh wait, it was probably our fans who came out to support us in their adoption t-shirt gear! :) 

4) As we trying to meet up with our family after the race, we were listening to the winners being announced... the guy who won was from Ethiopia! Shannon, of course, not missing a beat...not even after 13.1 miles, said, "That's going to be my son some day!" I love it!  To keep up with the photo trend, check out the VERY beginning of the race, when the elite runners, in corral 1, took off- the guy in the green tank top in the center was the winner!

5) During the race, I kept trying to lose myself in a daydream, to take away the dreading thoughts like, "How much longer, etc?" So, I kept trying to picture walking up to the orphanage for the first time, and reaching my arms out to hold our baby for the first time. There were actually a few times when I was choking back tears. It definitely helped get me through...I kept thinking, "We're coming, baby! We're almost there!"

Well, that about sums up my race day/adoption thoughts. Pretty neat, huh! BUT, I have one last thing to post...

THE CRIB IS TOGETHER IN THE ROOM!!!

Thanks to our wonderful friends, Anthony and Teena who are letting us borrow their crib, and to Darren (& Lori, and Caden of course) who helped us put it together tonight. It almost brought immediate tears to my eyes to walk up to the room and see a crib! Please disregard the walls- they only have primer on them right now....one step at a time. :)

Here's to hoping a post sometime in the near future is to report a referral call!!!! 

The Blessings Just Keep Coming!

I don't know which to write about first!

Yesterday we got a letter in the mail from the pharmacy we used last year in conjunction with our major medical insurance. We had to pay 30% of all the medicine for our treatments which totalled around $1,100. Well, apparantly since then, our major medical paid that portion, and our pharmacy never reimbursed us. In doing an audit of all acounts, they realized this, and sent us a check for that amount! What wonderful timing!

AND, I didn't realize that one of our friends who was selling tickets for us hadn't put the cash/checks she received in the total the other night, so she just gave us the other$1,000!!!! that she had! UNBELIEVABLE!!!

I just had to share this wonderful news!

This means that of the $13,000 that we owe to the orphanage (which we will pay on trip #1) I believe in all total fundraising we may have gotten almost $10,000! We never ever expected such an amazing outcome! It is just showing us that when you take a step out in faith, God is going to make sure all the details are taken care of.

One last thing- I spoke with our agency today. They contacted their staff over in Russia, and they have "no news yet for us." BUT, they do expect to have some soon. WOW. I must admit that I am now sitting on the edge of my seat, or should I say, checking my phone for a missed call quite often. :) Up until now, I always knew it was not likely we'd get our referral "yet," but with tomorrow's date being 9/15, that means we are officially in the "mid-late September" time frame that our agency had heard we would get our referral in.

Now is a good time to start working on that "to do" list our social worker left us with back in late March!

Photo Album to leave with our little one

Here are pictures of the album we had made to leave over in Russia in between trips. We are hoping our "baby" will get to see it often, to remember our faces and how much we love him or her!

We love you Baby Jackson, and can't wait to meet you!!!

WOW....So overjoyed with THANKS!!!

I can't even express how Greg and I feel right now. We are so overjoyed, and even overwhelmed with how much support we have. We always knew we were blessed....but- WOW. I wish we had thought to keep count of how many people came! I think we exceeded the max occupancy! ...shhh! Don't tell! :)

We wanted to say special thanks, but everytime I started, I feel afraid of leaving someone out- so here's a special thanks to EVERYONE who helped- whether it was with the hall, food, decorations, BASKETS....wait, I have to say that again...BASKETS! (yes, there were THAT many!), donated baskets,  and of course to all those who came out, had a great time! We THANK you!!! I am still shocked at this- but, we raised a little over $6,000 on Saturday! Unbelievable, right?!?

Here are just a few pics that capture the fun we had!

We saw it fitting to use Chnese food boxes for the Chinese Auction ;)

50/50

Soooo hard to only pick one dancing picture to post! :) Everyone had lots of fun!

Thank you again to all our wonderful family and friends!!!!

...now, hurry on phone call!!!