Orphan NO MORE

*All the mishaps, extra time, delays, heartaches, and worrying have all led up to this point....and they were all ABSOLUTELY worth it! Yesterday was Gotcha Day. This is the day that the child is "removed" from the orphanage. It was SO bittersweet. I came to love and appreciate and look forward to seeing EACH and every face at that orphanage. Gary has video which we will post later. She was sent off with all of her belongings (by belongings I mean the things WE bought for her.) She has absolutely nothing to her name. Even the diaper she had on came from us. OH.... She did have 1 possession. Her workers hurried before we left to get her crucifix with a string around it. This is the ONLY possession she had. I believe it was given to her by the priest who baptized her at a few days old when she lay motherless in a hospital room.  They asked if I would be seeing Nastia (now "Phoebe".)  Phoebe was Mila's best friend in her groupa at the orphanage.

                                                      PHOEBE
         
          Phoebe was adopted in December by the Smith family in Ohio.
                          http://savinganangel.blogspot.com/

 Lisa Smith and I stayed close during our adoption processes and remain close. ANYWAY.....
So, they asked if I would be seeing Phoebe, because they had her crucifix also.
They were both wrapped very nicely in a piece of paper. Each with their names on it. They made sure that I knew which was which. This is important, as it is their only worldly possession and I'm sure was given to "protect" them. I am very thankful to have this.

(BTW: Lisa, Phoebe's is pictured on the right neatly folded up. I will get this to you as soon as I get home:)

So here is Mila all bundled up in her car seat ready to go!!! WITH ear covers (Lisa warned me ahead of time to be sure to get a hat that cover her ears, she DID NOT do this and had to buy one here)

We headed straight to the photo shop to take her passport pictures:

Then we got to go "home" (to the apartment)

She was a little timid at first

BUT...

soon enough, she was everywhere!

She admired the outside (it's no Texas, though)

Mommy gave her her very first mommy bath

Then we ate... IN BED... and layed by mom and dad

                                       And quickly, we ALL fell asleep.

Morning came and Mila was a little confused, 

                                  

until mommy gave her her tiger and rhino and she smiled...It all WASN'T a dream...

                           We had breakfast in bed..AGAIN...SOOO fun!!!

 And we are planning on living happily ever after, an orphan no more.

                               

"give"

$2,000..... That is my goal by Sunday. ANY amount donated helps. You can hit the Chip In button on the left of this blog, or for a tax deductible donation click on Mila's picture on the Right side bar. I'm out of energy and drive. I was planning on a big fundraiser garage sale on Saturday, but I just can't do it. We are swamped with getting ready to leave, work, and the kids/house. Gathering paperwork, booking tickets (Thanks to some generous Delta donors, and all the miles we accumulated traveling overseas!)
SO... We put our farm truck up for sale last night, I don't have time to make any more coops.... Maybe just 1 more.

Finishing and delivering 1 this morning. My body is so tired!! I know it will all come together...I just  hope it happens b4 we leave.

 I'm excited to finally get our baby girl, but sooo not looking forward to this trip. I have so much to be thankful for though. I realized that there are some really amazing people out there with really big giving hearts. I firmly believe that those who give are blessed. When I say "give" I don't mean just money. Those who give their time, help, service, ANYTHING that helps benefit another.
I have also found that when you need something the most, is when you should give the most yourself. I have received had some amazing experiences with people throughout this adoption that I have either never met, are friends with, or are long lost friends. I truly believe that it is from giving. I know there have been many times that we were trying to make the money and fund-raise and have seen someone else that may need it a little more, or struggling with morale and have given what little we may have had..EVERY TIME it didn't take longer than 2 days and we were blessed double or triple or even quadruple!!  Tests of Faith and Trust. So hard, yet so easy.

I have some big Thank Yous to do when we get home. I'm looking forward to seeing those faces that helped us SO much. I'm looking forward to them seeing what they helped us to achieve. The life they helped us give this precious little girl. She only had a year and a half left in a baby home, then she would have been institutionalized and hidden away and all the light that she was sent down to Earth to share would have been gone. I am so grateful to those with our agency HERE and IN COUNTRY. They truly care about finding these babies homes. They give up so much of their life and time to help others. I hope they all know how much they are needed and appreciated.

I am feeling so many feelings as we draw closer to leaving. I don't have time in life right now to consume myself with worries. Worrying is not going to change anything, only change my attitude throughout the day. It's Friday!! I LOVE Fridays! The sun just broke away from the clouds and Im going outside to get ready to load up this coop, deliver it and come home and listen to A LOT of whining when I tell my kids that we need to clean the house:)

Thank You ALL.

where did it go???

Well, tickets are purchased and we live in 4 days!!! We used all the money in the FSP for our tickets. I purchased tickets from JFK. WAYYYY cheaper!!! Now we just have to get to JFK!!! We need about 25,000 more miles and we can fly our Delta miles there. Ive been looking at all airlines to find maybe a last minute deal or something!!!! IF all else fails I have a great friend that can get me a flight out of Austin on her buddy passes and we will just drive to Austin and fly to JFK from there. We ARE OPEN TO ANYTHING!!! ??? !!!

We also need about $4000.00
. We have between now and Tuesday. I can honestly say I have not been worried about it at all, BUT...WHERE DID THE TIME GO! Seriously, where did it go!! 3 weeks fly by when you are working to make $$$$ fast. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little nervous today, BUT I also have an awful lot of faith so....

Ending this one short today, gotten chicken coops to build and a sick baby girl. :(
OH yeah, AND I have NO earthly idea what I'm doing with my kids while I'm gone, now THAT I AM stressing about!

Regardless of all the details, on Friday the 23rd baby Mila is MINE! I cannot wait!!!!

We have 7 days....

Well, I've gotta book tickets TODAY! We will have 7 days before we leave to pick up our little girl. I don't wanna see an airplane again for a long time!

Trying to calculate expenses and add everything up. We will probably have enough miles for 1 ticket or to at least take some of of the cost, so THAT is good. We need about $4,000.00. I have several orders for chicken coops already and I havent even put them up for sale yet!!! I will be a busy bee for the rest of the week!!

If you would like to donate there are 2 buttons. For a tax deductible donation, click on Mila's picture on the Right column of this blog. If you don't care if it is tax deductible or not please click on the chip in button on the Left side of this blog.

We are so excited and so very grateful to everyone that has helped us in any way. THANK YOU!!!!!

We will keep you updated

Getting CLOSE

OK so, We have a few people donating miles later this week. Exciting!!!  IF we get all the miles that we need, then we just need around 4,000 more dollars. My husband has been working so hard making money to get caught up and AHEAD on our bills from our extended stay last month. I was planning on chicken coop building today, I am building and selling backyard coops that come with egg-layers. Here is the first of many:

Selling them with brown egg layers and green egg layers.

HOPEFULLY the rain and storms will end soon and I can start up again.
I have acquired a firm and true testimony of FAITH throughout this process. You have to have constant faith and trust in the Lord through a process like this, because I don't believe it can be done on your own.
I have learned that I am much stronger than I ever thought I was. I can endure more than I thought I was capable of a year ago. My life is in no way organized. Never has been. BUT with this adoption I have kept it all together, and stayed on top of things.

We are supposed to head out on the 20th. We of course have not bought our tickets yet...My goal is to have them by Monday or Tuesday. We will arrive in Mila's capital city on March 21. How fitting. 3/21 is World Down syndrome Day. The 3 represents 3 copies and the 21 represents the 21st chromosome.
A chromosome that I have come to love and adore. I feel so honored to be chosen to be the mommy of one of these special triplicates.

I am MOST thankful that I was able to see the gift that I had been given. I see it, and I crave it. I feel so much joy so deep in my heart when I see this smile and feel the grasp of her tight little hugs. Sometimes I feel like she is gonna just burst , she gets so excited just to have me sit by her and love on her. What an amazing gift we have BOTH been given. I'm thankful that I was able to find my Mila, from the other side of the world. She will be able to let go, and simply BE. She will be able to LOVE and hug and kiss and run and be as goofy as she wants. She will get claps and pats on the back and tearful proud moments from a real mommy and daddy. She will have a safe haven at home and with all those around her who have been taught and educated and will never judge her by what she can't do-she will not know the word .....CAN'T. Her brother and sisters will love her and accept her just like she was born into our family. JUST LIKE they LOVE that little goober pictured above:)

Educate yourselves. Educate your kids. These kids are smart. They are willing. They ARE special.

I wish the rest of the world could see that too.

Mila Jane

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

DELTA SKYMILES SEARCH

Anyone have any Delta Skymiles AT ALL that they would be willing to donate would be so appreciated. W pick up our little girl in 17 days and are scrambling to get all the last minute funds together. I have always been such a believer of "What goes around, comes around"  I have been so blessed and humbled throughout this process. There are SO many blessings coming to so many people. I am so grateful to even know this many people who have touched our hearts and lives. Thank You so much, AGAIN

Here is the link to transfer or donate miles.
http://www.delta.com/skymiles/buy_transfer/index.jsp

our SkyMiles # is 9205952733
Teresa Greeson
tgreeson@netzero.com

I think it is 35.00 to transfer miles....Let me know if you are donating and I will pay for the fee  or paypal you back the fee. However is easiest. 

I cannot wait until this is all over, so I can give back.

I am working on a video of our journey...I'll post when I'm done