Wednesday, April 29, 2009

happy updates!

We are thrilled to report that our foreign dossier is COMPLETED, submitted, and has already arrived in Russia!

It has been a great relief for me to have those pieces of paper completed - something I've looked forward to for 2 years now. Thanks to Dr. Reed (our doc), Mr. Davis (our CPA), Dr. Bankhead (SHSU SoM Director), our mortgage person (name unknown), Jennifer (my Close Personal Friend and favorite notary), Jacel (my favorite LOCAL notary), Diane (owner/manager/hostess of 'The Treehouse', fine Austin lodging establishment, i.e. friend's house), our three different fingerprint ladies, the Texas Secretary of State (should know HER name by now!), Anyra and Irina at Buckner - oh, the list goes on and on but the overhead music is about to start and I'll have to rush off stage...

Seriously, so many people have contributed to this part of the process going amazingly smoothly and quickly. Everyone has been so quick to respond to our strange and unusual requests - blue ink only, sign here and only here, gold sticker please...

So here we are! Our paperwork now has to be translated and submitted to the Russian committee, then to the judge. Either could ask for revisions or more information, but I'm not worried about that. At least the bulk of it is done.

In other news, we hear that the kids are doing well and asking about us. We may even get letters from them soon! Their grandfather is still in the hospital but doing better. Bob is busy building a dresser for Dasha and a bed and desk for Dima. We're working on other preparations as well.

In non-adoption related news, we said good-bye to our precious feline friend Peanut a couple weeks ago. Tragic loss, and we miss him. Maybe Dima and Dasha will get a kitten to raise while Bob and I continue to spoil the other two.

We appreciate your prayers, as always! We're praying especially that the paperwork will go through smoothly so that we won't be delayed and can get the kids here with lots of summertime left! We are more confident than ever that God is completely in control of our situation and the timing, yet we know He wants us to pray and He responds to our prayers, so we thank you for talking to Him on our behalf.

Until next time,
Karen

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Preparing...again

It has been 2 1/2 weeks since we returned from our first trip to Russia. We miss the kids and can't wait to go back. At the same time we are busily preparing Part 2 of our foreign dossier (including doctor visits, accountant visits, letters, forms, mortgage reports, background checks, 2 different kinds of fingerprints, a home visit, notarizing, appostilling,...) Once all that is completed, which will hopefully be within a week, we will submit everything to Russia and wait for a court date. The court date determines when we will get to go back. During the second trip, we will go to court, then spend 2 weeks or more in Russia or somewhere nearby while we wait to bring the kids home.

In the meantime, there will be furniture to make, rooms to paint, clothes and household items to purchase for the kids, books to read, rules to post, items to label in English, resources to compile...I'm not sure what people mean when they talk about the "wait" between trips. When will we have time to "wait"? I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, though - all of this is FUN when we picture Dima and Dasha and remember what it is all for.

We have been incredibly blessed by friends and family who have contributed to this process! The majority of expenses for our first trip were paid for by donations, and we are eternally grateful for the investment many of you have made in the lives of our children. We would love to thank you all individually, but thus far we do not have records identifying individual donors to the Miller Adoption Fund. So if you are reading this and we haven't thanked you personally, please know that your contributions have made all the difference in the world.

Some have asked how they might contribute to the second trip and the remainder of the process. Donations can be sent to the following:

Miller Adoption Fund/Robert E. Miller
First National Bank of Huntsville
PO Box 659
Huntsville, TX 77342-0659

Checks can be made out to 'Miller Adoption Fund/Robert E. Miller'

Thank you again for reading and praying and keeping up with us, and contributing in whatever way you are led. We hope to have our family together within a couple months!

Love,
Karen