Orphan Sunday

UPDATE!!!  LERA HAD A FAMILY COMMIT TO HER!  YAHOO!!

LERA, Girl, Born August 7, 2005

And if this one specific child doesn’t have a family committed to her adoption within the next few days, she will be sent to a mental institution where she will then be unadoptable and ’sentenced’ to a crib for the rest of her life. Here’s a little about her: Lera is a gorgeous little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She is 4 years old. She is quite high functioning, and doing very well. She has flat feet and a systolic heart murmur, but no major heart conditions. She is able to walk and climb, she eats by herself, dances, and understands and follows directions. She has also been transferred to the regular class, so she living and learning with her typical peers. There’s a grant of $1,000 available to the family that adopts her. It’s so sad that she’s run out of time. She is in RUSSIA and those are closed institutions. Here’s the info about adopting from her region of Russia: 2 trips Both parents for first trip, about one week Both parents travel for 2nd trip, approximately 14 days (One parent may leave after the court proceedings are finalized, after about 5 days.) Total program and travel fees under $25k Fee includes a $1000 orphanage donation Only one child can be adopted at a time Married couples and single mothers may apply Please pray for a family for Lera to come to her rescue quickly!! Are you that family?

Find out more at Reece’s Rainbow.

Thanks for the prayers…she’s home!

Thanks so much to all who prayed for Polly’s angiography test yesterday.  I’m happy to report she got through the test stroke and seizure free and came out of anesthesia fairly well.  Of course, she was mad that she was pinned down for four hours.  She wasn’t allowed to move the leg the catheter went through for the test.  I was able to be up at the hospital with Sergei when she woke up.  I came back home around 6:30 to to be with the other girls (thanks, Jessica, for helping us out with childcare!).

Sergei and Polly came home from the hospital around 9pm.

So now, we need to hear the results from her doctor and plan the first surgery.

Will keep you all updated.

I fell asleep last night cuddling with Polly.  After singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to almost everyone we know and love she drifting off and I thanked God for getting us through this stretch.

Happy Birthday Evangeline

Evangeline is three today!

I have a post up about her birthday at Expecting Evangeline.

Waiting with wings

Well, we are home and we are waiting…waiting to see what is going to happen.  And we are praying…asking God to keep Polly stroke and seizure free until her surgeries in a few weeks.

I’m tickling the kids, taking them for walks, prepping for Evie’s birthday, snapping cute pictures, trying not to gasp too loudly when Polly wobbles or falls down.  You know, normal stuff.

What else can we do…but wait and pray…and live?

 

Pictures of Polly in the hospital

‘Pray for Polly’ button

My friend Alicia made this button to spread the word to pray for Polly. 

Grab it here.

Thanks Alicia!

A Mommy coupon for Disney on Ice, “100 Years of Magic”

Next Tuesday, September 8th, we’re taking the girls to see Disney on Ice here in Chicago at the United Center.  The kids were so cute when we told them the news, dancing and jumping around and then quickly turning into ice queens, skating gracefully across the kitchen floor.

And there are coupons to be had, people!  Check it out!  Maybe it’s something you’d like to do with your family as well…

Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com> and entering the coupon code: MOM.**

CHICAGO SHOW DATES:

Tuesday, September 8th @ 7:00pm
Wednesday, September 9th @ 7:00pm
Thursday, September 10th @ 7:00pm
Friday, September 11th @ 7:00pm
Saturday, September 12th @ 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, September 13th @ 1:00pm, 5:00pm (Spanish-speaking show)

**Get 4 tickets for $44 by entering the code “MOM” at select ticketing channels.  Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.  Offer not valid on Front Row or VIP seating.  Cannot be combined with other offers.  Service Charges and handling fees will apply.

Tuesday’s also the kids’ first day of school.  What a perfect way to celebrate the kickoff of another school year.

I’ll post pictures…can’t wait!

Dedication

 

Today we had Evangeline’s baby dedication at church.

It’s hard enough for me to believe I am a mother of four. But when I think about what it took for Evie to become a part of our family; all the paperwork and money and seven weeks in Ukraine and prayer and worry.

Such a huge struggle for us. All insurmountable to God.

As we stood in front of our church family and friends and my family who came from Michigan to be with us; Sergei prayed for Evie in Russian and used anointing oil to bless her eyes and ears and hands and feet and speech to God.

Three and a half years ago, after Polly was born, I cried through her baby dedication at our church in Michigan. I had no idea what God was doing with our lives; I struggled to imagine myself successful as a mother to a child with ’special needs.’ At the time, I honestly thought that my life was robbed of future happiness.

I had a lot to learn.

Today, Sergei’s sermon was about adoption; how we, as believers, are adopted into God’s family through Christ.

And during the time of dedication as I held on to sleepy Evie and as Elaina tried her best to look as old as possible (she’s turning nine next month); and as Zoya stood staring down at her feet and Polly tried to overthrow Sergei’s position of pastor at the pulpit; I watched my husband pray for this new daughter of our heart; born of another womb…

and I was thankful.

I have no idea what tomorrow holds. These past few weeks I’ve struggled with mustering a mother’s love for Evie while appeasing my older girls with crafts and walks to the park on the corner, during these last, long summer days and I’ve made deals with Polly in order to spend time getting to know Evangeline.

Each day comes with it’s own messiness and I, like the next lady staying at home with her kids down the street, lose my composure hourly, always wishing I was a better mother and yet, coming to terms with the woman standing in front of her children today.

But I’m still thankful, even though I am so not who I want to be and sometimes my kids are not who I want them to be either.

We have health and a strong roof and each other.

Today, our prayer of dedication of Evie for me, really, was once again telling God that although his plan has not, at times, been ours; we are here, ready, and in spite of washing up pretty and singing loudly at church we are wishing like hell that we can become more like him.

And I truly believe that bringing Evangeline home with us will help us in that pursuit and more importantly, for whatever reason, it’s what God has asked us to do.

Today, I was able to dedicate Evie to the Lord with happiness. 

That means a lot.

Hello, I am the author of this blog…

and I am home after a seven week stink in Ukraine adopting our fourth daughter, second of whom has Down syndrome.

I promise to write an actual post of sustenance…soon.

Introducing Evangeline Sergeyevna Marchenko

Evangeline’s Adoption Montage here

Check it out!