Christmas 2010

We enjoyed Christmas at home this year.  We did have plans to attend Christmas in Corning, but in efforts to get on the same schedule as Tim's brother and his family in NY, we put off going to Corning one year.  Hopefully next year we will meet their new baby girl and they will meet our new son/s from Ukraine.  Which speaking of, why does every song on the radio have to point to the fact that there are poor little orphans at Christmas all over the world?  As wonderful as this holiday was for us this year, I am so very much looking forward to next Christmas when our family will finally be complete!

Let the Renovations Begin

24 November 2010

Dad Kerr and Tim are building a closet in the former office!!!!!!!!  It took a little effort to pry Tim's office from his strong hands....but Tim is giving up his office yet again for his growing family.  Back in Florida 6 years ago his office turned pink when we discovered we were having our little suprise blessing, Haley!

Anyway, Mom and Dad Kerr have come down to celebrate Thanksgiving along with Aunt Hoda all the way from the Middle East.  What a wonderful time together to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for. I can't help but feel blessed for our close family and friends with whom we get to spend the whole weekend.

Aunt Hoda taught Katie Girl to knit.  It's amazing to see my little 9-year-old work so diligently on scarves and pot holders!  Mom and Aunt Hoda worked on a sweater for my new neice, little Naomi.  The two little girls enjoyed their special braids that Aunt Hoda would put in their hair.

I wish I'd snapped some photos of Tim and his dad working on the new closet, but the two of them carving the turkey will have to do for now. 

Ukrainian Adoption Scare

23 November 2010

A little bit of a scare going on regarding shutting down adoptions to the US from Ukraine.  Ukraine is trying to push to close adoptions to any country that does not offer reciprocation---and the US will not allow its children to be adopted by Ukrainian families. 

Anyway, an answer to prayer came across my iPhone today: ‘The committee as of today is saying bill needs to be rejected because the proposed change falls under treaties and a different part of the family code.  As I read it the bill is dead.”  In short, this means the adoption is on!

Getting Somewhere

22 November 2010

Received Acknowledgment of Receipt letter from USCIS..Just waiting now for a fingerprint date…sent request for certified copy of original deed…Final copy of Home Study is being notarized…Finally feels like we’re getting somewhere.

Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy

20 November

We received 26 of 27 documents from NC Secretary of State.  However, we need an “original” copy of our housing deed.  I'm not even sure where I might find an "original" copy (which, by the way, "original" and "copy" sounds to me like a contradiction).....Sorry.  Sorry.  I'm keeping my attitude in check!

We Got Our Home Study Draft!!

19 November 2010

We got our home study draft this a.m.  Walt emailed our draft to us and we are supposed to read over and fix any errors that might be on it.  We really didn't need to change anything except he had my birthday incorrect and we needed to change our wording from a request to adopt 2 specific boys to a request to adopt "up to 3 children, male or female."  This is best so we don't limit ourselves to two specific children.  Ukraine does not allow pre-selection of children, so anything could happen upon our arrival in Ukraine.  We are hoping "anything" doesn't happen, but we would much rather play it safe! 

The Paper Chase

12 November 2010

After running around for weeks now getting necessary paperwork from doctors, accountants, state departments, pastors, character references and pretty much everyone in our entire county, we finally completed the paperwork process for our dossier.  Today I mailed 27 documents to be apostilled by the NC Secretary of State!  Cost: $190!!!

Our Home Study is Complete!!!!

9 November 2010

I'm happy to say that our Home Study is now complete.  It was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be.  Walt, our case worker, was really nice.  He visited our home and asked the girls what they thought about the adoption.  The girls were all enthusiastic about their answers.  He asked our oldest child what would change once the new child/ren arrive and she said "There will be less chores for me to do!"  They are very excited at the idea of adopting a brother or 2 brothers. 

We really liked working with our Christian Adoption agency (Christian Adoption Services--www.christianadopt.org).  The cost was around $2,000, but dealing with fellow Christians is a whole lot easier than dealing with a secular government agency who may or may not be on board with our beliefs.

We are just waiting for our draft now.

Orphan Sunday

7 November 2010

Today is Orphan Sunday.  We're spending some extra time in prayer for our special orphan/s far away in Ukraine.  Our church took up a love offering for our family and another family in our church who are adopting from Ukraine during them morning service.  We hope God multiplies these funds that people have lovingly given and we pray He blesses them for their generosity!

Immigration Paperwork

4 November 2010

As if the adoption paperwork and the Home Study paperwork were not enough, there is more paperwork--for US Immigration.  I mailed our USCIS (immigration) paperwork out today and our whopping $830 fee to Texas this morning.  We are praying for fast approval!!!

Our Home Study

29 October 2010

A lot of people have told us many horror stories about the dreaded Home Study.  I've heard stories about them unjustly interogating young children, them accusing families of child abuse, them prying into the personal marital life or them finding some "dirt" and declining the whole adoption.  Well, I'm happy to say that our 2^nd Home Study Appointment at the hotel @ 3pm went well.  There were no awful questions.  We only have 1 more appointment to go.  It will be a toure of our home and the case worker will speak to our 3 children mainly about how they feel about the adoption.

God Is Providing!!!!

21 October 2010

God is providing!  Tim got a bonus from his company for passing a certification exam AND two separate families sent money our way to help with the outrageous cost of adoption!  Thank you so much both families who care about our little guy/s in Ukraine!!  May God bless you 100-fold!

Just Sayin'

27 September 2010

Paperwork is not for the faint of heart!  We are simultaneously working on paperwork for our Home Study and the Adoption Agency (Adopt a Waiting Child Ukraine).  I hear this is only the beginning of the paperwork and that really scares me!!...If you're a wimp, adoption paper work is not for you!  Just sayin'.  

Expensive Beginnings

21 September 2010

Today we sent off the $1200 check and application to start the adoption process!!!!

Our Decision Is.....

20 September 2010

We are moving forward with an adoption from Ukraine! I came home sick today with flu like symptoms only to receive a call from Tim asking me to please call the adoption agency to let them know we want to move forward with adoption paperwork!  I can't believe this dream is coming true! 

Our Adoption Meeting

18 September 2010

Today we attended an adoption meeting at church.  Two representatives from Christian Adoption Services were there to speak.  Tim’s main concern going into the adoption meeting was that older children are “set in their ways.”  We've read that who a child is at 5 years of age is who they will be the rest of their life.  We've found this idea to be true in each of our 3 children.  It would be difficult to adopt a child full of unknown bad habits and set in his ways. 

The first thing Mr. Woodward (the president of Christian Adoption Services) as he got up to speak was that older children DO want to change.  They do want to be good.  Who can even tell how much Christ did in our lives at the point of our salvation?  God can change any little boy’s heart and mold them into His likeness and we are willing to be used of Him to make this happen.  We aren’t worrying about the unknowns.  We are just obeying right now what we believe God has called us to do.  We can’t wait to see how He works out everything throughout this process.

My Heart for Orphans

12 September 2010

Today Pastor Sean preached a message on orphans.  I am not the crying, emotional type of woman.  Yet today I fought back tears the entire time.  James 1: 19-27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world. “ I believe we have a responsibility and calling to orphans.  What stood out to me was when Pastor Sean stated, “God clearly has a heart for orphans.  Why shouldn’t we?”

 Ps. 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 

I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to be forsaken by my own father or mother.  What a horrible feeling children all over the world face as they learn they have no parents and no family to care for them.  I can’t imagine not having a clean bed to sleep in, or food to eat.

I have had a burden to adopt since I was a child.  I was always the kid who found every stray animal in the neighborhood and cared for them myself or found them a new home.  As a teenager, my heart always went out to the bus children I worked with at church who were usually dirty and reeked of cigarette smoke, their bellies growling until snack time when I’d give them twice as many goldfish as the wealthy children.   Over the years this burden has increased, even after having 3 of my own biological children. 

This past Christmas when our 3 girls opened an abundance of presents I teared up again as I thought about children all over the world who are cold and hungry and were not going to open even one present of their own.  We have done Operation Christmas Child the last several years, but somehow I feel I need to do more.

As Pastor preached and the orphan video was playing, the tears came back.  Few things make me weep.  Orphans have always had a special place in my heart.  My prayer is that God would speak to us clearly.  At this present date, Tim has not expressed any desire or burden to adopt.  So my prayer is that God with either change my heart or give Tim a deep desire to open up our home.  This is not something I want to convince Tim to do as I am well aware that he would do almost anything if he truly thought it would make me happy.  This is a huge decision that I want God to place upon both of our hearts.  If it is not God’s call to adopt, the desire of my heart is for God to show us clearly our part in the adoption world-wide ministry.