And the winners are. . . .

Before announcing the winners of our "Bulgaria or Bust" Silent Auction, I would like to again thank each and every one of you who helped make this auction a success. We were able to raise over $600 and we are so appreciative of the help and support of so many of our family and friends. All of you are such a big and important part of this journey and we feel blessed to be able to share this journey with you.

Now, without further ado, the winners of the "Bulgaria or Bust" Silent Auction:

Toddler Dress (Green/Yellow)- Tiana ($8)

"For the Birds" Rag Quilt Set- Cynthia ($60)

Toddler Dress (Buttons and Bubbles)- Cynthia ($22)

Toddler Dress (Flowers)- Tiana ($16)

"Feed the Birds" Baking Set- Cristi ($28)

Hand Knit Hat by Lollipops and Cupcakes- Cristi ($31)

Infant Car Seat Blankie by Pocketful of Posies- Shauna ($25)

"Bot Camp" Baby Rag Quilt Set- Tiana ($33)

"Sweet Cherry" Baby Rag Quilt- Tiana ($42)

Custom Barn Star- Cass ($60 + $15 for 3 small stars)

Fine Art Portrait by Creative Juice Photography- Jill ($35)

Hooded Bath Towel by Pumpkin Patch Designs- Cynthia ($28)

Custom Blog Makeover by Country Girl Designs- Cynthia ($40)

The "Thumbelina" by Cherry Blossoms- January ($10)

"Kiwi" Rag Quilt- Tiana ($67)

Photography Session with Charity Brown Photography- Liz ($30)

Custom Fairy Tale Art- Sarah ($20)

Butterfly Barrettes from Wynken, Blynken and Nod- Cynthia ($14)

Angel Ornaments- Tiana ($7)

Custom Felt Design T-Shirt- Julia ($25)

Vera Bradley Bags- Tiana ($38)

"Spring Fling" Baking Set- Angelea ($40)

Winning bidders have the option to pay via personal check/money order, paypal or to our grant fund at Reece's Rainbow.

If you choose to make your payment to our grant fund (tax deductible) we request that you do so by check rather than paypal (Reece's Rainbow absorbs all paypal fees so that the full amount of each donation can be credited to the grant funds of the children/families. As you can imagine, the paypal fees can become quite extensive, so payment by check, or including the cost of the paypal fees in your payment, are greatly appreciated). Checks for the grant fund can be made out to Reece's Rainbow and sent directly to us (we will send all checks to Reece's Rainbow together which will make it easier on the director of RR who does all accounting manually)!

To receive our paypal account information and/or our address to send payment, please contact me at desisdelights@gmail.com

When you contact me, please be sure to include your contact information so that we may ship your items to you or pass your information along to those who will be shipping your items.

We would also like to announce the winners of our giveaway! We are so grateful to all those who participated by donating, bidding and/or "advertising" that we decided to choose two names. And the two lucky winners are. . . .


Heather and Charity, thank you both so much for donating to our auction and for helping us get the word out! We appreciate your support so much! For your prize you may choose from the following:

16" Custom Barn Star
Felt Design T-shirt
6 Felt Chocolate Chunk or Iced Sugar Cookies w/sprinkles
Reversible Children's Apron

As always, we are overwhelmed by the love and support that we have felt from friends, family and even strangers as we work to bring our children home. That love and support is deeply felt and appreciated and we know that we could not do this without each and every one of you! You are all AMAZING!

"Bulgaria or Bust" Adoption Silent Auction

Welcome to our "Bulgaria or Bust" Adoption Silent Auction!

To be honest, I hate asking for money and I have a really hard time accepting it! But I have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support of family, friends and even strangers as we work to bring our children home from Bulgaria! I am very excited to be able to offer so many amazing items in return for your support!

Here is how it will work:

Each auction item will be listed in a separate post (so be sure to keep scrolling so you don't miss anything!). At the bottom of each post, the current auction price will be listed. If you wish to bid on an item, simply post a comment with the amount you wish to bid.

I will try to update the auction price as often as possible, but please be sure to check the comment section to ensure that you are bidding high enough to become the highest bidder.

The auction will run from Sunday, November 1st until Sunday, November 15th. At the close of the auction I will post a list of the winning bidders and ask that you contact me so that I can get your contact information in order to ship your item(s) or pass your information along to those who have donated items to the auction.

You will have several payment options. The first is to make your payment to our tax-deductible Family Sponsorship Grant with Reece's Rainbow (click on the blog button in the side bar for details. . .or to see a picture of "Sofia"). The second option is to make a payment directly to our personal adoption account through paypal. And the third option is to send your payment by personal/bank check or money order.

In addition to the auction, we will also be doing a GIVEAWAY and it is completely free (and easy) to enter!!! To enter the giveaway simply post our auction information to your Facebook page, Twitter or Blog to help us get the word out! Leave a comment on THIS POST to let us know that you have shared the news and your name will be entered into the giveaway.

And just what are we giving away?? The winner of our giveaway will have the privilege (at least, I'd like to think it's a privilege) of choosing one item from my Etsy shop, Desi's Delights (don't worry, I am slowly working on listing more items and promise there will be much more to choose from by November 15th!).

I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of those who have donated their time and talents to making this auction possible: Crystal Bailey, Katie Chapman, Charity Brown of Charity Brown Photography, Kiley at Cherry Blossoms, Heather at Wynken Blynken and Nod, Madeline at Lollipops and Cupcakes, Alyson at Pocketful of Posies, Country Girl Designs and, of course, my incredible family, for their support as I pulled all of this together! We appreciate each and every one of you SO much!

Toddler Dress

This ADORABLE dress was handmade by my wonderfully talented friend Julie! Flexible in size, this dress was made to fit children between 2T-4T. The top of the dress is completely adjustable. This dress can be worn in many different ways (with a short sleeved shirt or no shirt underneath in warm weather or with a long sleeved shirt and/or tights/leggings in cooler weather). Any little princess in your life is sure to be the talk of the town in this sweet toddler dress!

$8

"For the Birds" Baby Ragged Quilt Set

This sweet ragged baby quilt and lovey set feature blue and green snuggle flannels and brown minky dot chenille with a layer of soft, cotton flannel sewn in between for warmth. Machine stitched and ragged by hand. Quilt and lovey have been washed once to begin the ragging process.


Quilt measures approximately 36"x26" (perfect for the car seat, stroller or tummy time) and lovey measures 14"x14".

Brought to you by Desi's Delights

$60

Toddler Dress

This ADORABLE dress was handmade by my wonderfully talented friend Julie! Flexible in size, this dress was made to fit children between 2T-4T. The top of the dress is completely adjustable. This dress can be worn in many different ways (with a short sleeved shirt or no shirt underneath in warm weather or with a long sleeved shirt and/or tights/leggings in cooler weather). Any little princess in your life is sure to be the talk of the town in this sweet toddler dress!

$22

Toddler Dress

This ADORABLE dress was handmade by my wonderfully talented friend Julie! Flexible in size, this dress was made to fit children between 2T-4T. The top of the dress is completely adjustable. This dress can be worn in many different ways (with a short sleeved shirt or no shirt underneath in warm weather or with a long sleeved shirt and/or tights/leggings in cooler weather). Any little princess in your life is sure to be the talk of the town in this sweet toddler dress!

$16

"Feed the Birds" Baking Set

The "Feed the Birds" Baking set includes a reversible children's apron and your choice of six, felt chocolate chunk or iced sugar cookies with sprinkles.

Apron is made with high-quality, 100% cotton, fabrics. Adjustable neck strap allows this apron to grow with your children for years of baking fun. Apron includes a large pocket and three smaller pockets to store "baking supplies" (or hide cookies!).


Cookies are made with high-quality craft felt, are completely hand stitched and stuffed with polyfil to give them a "fresh baked" look. Cookies measure 3" and are kid-tested for durability.


*The iced sugar cookies pictured feature beaded sprinkles and are intended for children 3+. If you prefer the sugar cookies and will be using them with a child under the age of three, please let me know as we do have a 3 and under version of these cookies.

Brought to you by Desi's Delights

$28

Hand Knit Hat from Lollipops and Cupcakes

These ADORABLE hats are hand knit by my wonderful friend, Madeline, from Lollipops and Cupcakes.


This auction is for ONE hand-knit hat of your choice from her shop! Hats range in size from 0-6 months to 3T and are made to order. Made with 100% cotton. Perfect for all seasons and oh, so soft!


So, head on over to Lollipops and Cupcakes and take a peek at all of the AMAZING designs that you can choose from. . .and don't forget to place your bid!

Want more Lollipops and Cupcakes? Follow Madeline's blog: Lollipops and Cupcakes Blog

$31

Infant Car Seat Blankie by Pocketful of Posies

Aren't these blankets FANTASTIC!? These adorable and functional blankets were all hand made by my wonderful and talented friend, Alyson, at Pocketful of Posies.

This auction is for ONE infant car seat blanket of your choice from Alyson's shop!

The Car Seat Blankie is the perfect blanket to protect your baby from sun, wind, rain, and other distractions. Two velcro straps keep the blanket in place with the car seat handle still easily accessible. No more waking your baby when you accidentally pull their blanket off! Adorable!

Makes a perfect (and practical) baby shower gift!

So, hop on over to Pocketful of Posies and start drooling over which one of these adorable blankets you want to bring home!!!

Want more Pocketful of Posies? Follow Alyson's blog: Pocketful of Posies Blog

$25

"Bot Camp" Baby Ragged Quilt Set

This bright, fun ragged baby quilt and lovey set feature fabrics from Michael Millers "Bot Camp" line and are backed with soft, red, snuggle flannel, with a layer of soft, cotton flannel sewn in between for warmth. Machine stitched and ragged by hand. Quilt and lovey have been washed once to begin the ragging process.


Quilt measures approximately 32"x30" (perfect for the car seat, stroller, tummy time or snuggling) and lovey measures 14"x14". Makes a wonderful baby shower gift.

Brought to you by Desi's Delights

$33

Sweet Cherry Ragged Baby Quilt

The Sweet Cherry Ragged Baby Quilt is perfect for snuggling the littlest ladies in your life! Machine quilted using red and blue cherry, high quality cottons, backed with a super-soft, red chenille, with a layer of cotton flannel in between for warmth. Ragged by hand and washed once to begin the ragging process. This quilt measures 36" x 30" (perfect for car seats, strollers, tummy time and snuggling). Makes a wonderful baby shower gift!

$42

Custom Barn Star

This listing is for ONE custom barn star in either 16" or 24." Barn stars used are made from high quality, galvanized steel. Custom stars are created using designer paper, embellishments and photos. Color scheme is customizable according to your tastes and preferences. These stars make wonderful gifts and are a great alternative to a traditional picture frame!

*If you are interested in the smaller, 7" stars to accompany your larger star you will need to add an additional $5 per star to the final auction price

Brought to you by Desi's Delights

$60

Fine Art Portrait by Creative Juice Photography

Evidenced by her photography, Cristi at Creative Juice Photography, truly knows how to capture the beauty around us.


This listing is for ONE 8x12, fine art portrait by Cristi (you may choose between the 7 portraits seen in this listing). The portrait will be mounted, sprayed and signed.


Like what you see? Visit Creative Juice Photography to see more of Cristi's amazing work!


(PS- Cristi also designs FREE blog backgrounds. . . including the backgrounds used on both of my "From the Trenches" sites. Check out her work at Cristi's Creations)

$35

Hooded Bath Towel by Pumpkin Patch Designs

These ADORABLE Hooded Bath Towels were designed and created by my wonderful friend, Sarah, at Pumpkin Patch Designs.

This auction is for ONE child or toddler sized, hooded bath towel of your choice. These towels will make great presents for Christmas or birthdays for any children you know. Each one of them is made of 100% cotton towels and measures 30 x 54 inches. Each seam is hidden, so there is no chance of your little one getting scratched. The hood is double the thickness of the towel which gives extra absorbency for the hair. There are spots for your child's hands so they can wrap up all by themselves.

These towels come in a toddler size and a child size. The toddler size fits up to about 3 years old and the child size fits from 4 up.

Visit Pumpkin Patch Designs today to see all of the amazing creations they have to offer!

$28

Custom Blog Makeover by Country Girl Designs

This listing is for a Custom Blog Makeover from Country Girl Designs!

Custom Blog Makeover includes background, banner, signature, blog button, and any other accessories one would like! Any design or style can be done! As many family or personal pictures one would like can be included in the design. A $50 value!

For examples of blogs designed by Country Girl, please visit their website: Country Girl Designs

In addition to this auction, Country Girl has also, very generously, offered to donate 50% of their profits to our Reece's Rainbow Family Sponsorship Grant for all who mention our family/adoption at the time of purchase!

Brought to you by Country Girl Designs

$40

The "Thumbelina" by Cherry Blossoms

This breathtaking headband, the "Thumbelina," was donated by my amazingly talented friend, Kiley, at Cherry Blossoms.

A Soft Rose-Pink Hydrangea sits atop a Super Soft & Stretchy, Pink Nylon Band. The Hydrangea has been accented with a Swarovski crystal center.

For more details about the "Thumbelina," click here.

This auction is for one "Thumbelina" headband only, but Cherry Blossoms has many more beautiful, hand made, hair accessories for purchase. Please take a moment to visit Cherry Blossoms today!

Want more Cherry Blossoms? Visit Kiley's blog: Cherry Blossoms; The Blog

$10

"Kiwi" Rag Quilt

This bright and fun ragged quilt was made using high-quality cotton fabrics from the "Kiwi" collection from Timeless Treasures fabric with a layer of cotton flannel in between for added warmth. Bordered and backed with kiwi and black cotton fabrics. Machine stitched and ragged by hand, this quilt has been washed once to start the ragging process.

Quilt measures 54" x 48," perfect for a toddler bed or as a lap quilt to snuggle up with on cold winter nights!

Brought to you by Desi's Delights

$67

Photography Session with Charity Brown Photography

This auction is for a photography session with Charity Brown Photography and is for those who are in or around the Dayton, Ohio area.

Charity is incredibly talented and, although she is just getting her photography business off the ground, she does amazing work. Wouldn't you agree?


This auction includes a photography session, photo editing and a CD with the edited photos as well as an authorization letter to print the photos of your choice in the sizes of your choice!

Want to see more of Charity's work? Visit her photoblog: Charity Brown Photography

$30

Custom Fairytale Art

Aren't these the SWEETEST pictures you have ever seen!? This custom Fairytale Art was created by my amazingly talented friend, Melissa.


This auction is for ONE Custom Fairytale Art. You provide the picture of your princess, choose your background color and let Melissa do the rest! You will receive one, framed print as well as the JPEG file (to make additional prints or even use it as a holiday card!). These would make excellent gifts for all of the little princesses in your life!

$20

Butterfly Barrettes from Wynken, Blynken and Nod

These beautiful, hand crocheted, butterfly barrettes were donated by my wonderful friend, Heather, at Wynken, Blynken and Nod.

Add a touch of whimsy with these double-winged butterfly barrettes. Each is hand crocheted so no two are exactly alike! There are beads in the wings and atop the antennae. On 2" snap clips which are completely hidden by the butterfly.

Like what you see? Visit Heather's Shop at Wynken, Blynken and Nod

$14

Angel Ornaments

Welcome in the Christmas season with these beautiful, hand-knit Angel ornaments lovingly made by my wonderful friend Katie just for this auction! Although Katie may not have intended it, I don't feel it is coincidence that THREE of these angels showed up on my doorstep. We hope that the winner of these beautiful ornaments will be reminded for years to come that they helped to bring our THREE angels home!

$7

Custom Felt Design T-Shirt

Looking for the perfect gift for your little "monster?" Look no further! These custom t-shirts are perfect for all the little ones on your list!

This listing is for ONE custom felt design t-shirt. Choose from dozens of designs (robots, monsters, butterflies, strawberries/ribbon, dinosaurs, guitars, rocket ships, and much more), colors and sizes (completely customizable). T-shirts (available in short and long sleeves) are 100% cotton and are embellished with high quality craft felt. Kid-tested for durability.

Brought to you by Desi's Delights

$25

Vera Bradley Ditty Bag and Mini Jewelry Box

Two Vera Bradley Bags, New w/Tags.

The first is Vera Bradley's Ditty Bag in Medallion. The ditty bag is a large (8.5" x 13.5"), drawstring bag, lined with plastic. A perfect addition to a diaper bag for carrying soiled clothing, diapers or wipes, to carry your cosmetics or as a gym bag.

The second is a Vera Bradley Mini Jewelry Box in Peacock. This jewelry box measures 4.75" x 3" x 3" and is shaped like a mini purse with a convenient handle for carrying. Magnetic closure. Removable "shelf" for rings and smaller items. Larger area underneath for bigger items.

Both items are brand new with tags still attached and ready for gift giving or personal use!

$38

"Spring Fling" Baking Set

The "Spring Fling" Baking set includes a reversible children's apron and your choice of six, felt chocolate chunk or iced sugar cookies with sprinkles.

Apron is made with high-quality, 100% cotton, fabrics. Adjustable neck strap allows this apron to grow with your children for years of baking fun. Apron includes a large pocket to store "baking supplies" (or hide cookies!).

Cookies are made with high-quality craft felt, are completely hand stitched and stuffed with polyfil to give them a "fresh baked" look. Cookies measure 3" and are kid-tested for durability.

*The iced sugar cookies pictured feature beaded sprinkles and are intended for children 3+. If you prefer the sugar cookies and will be using them with a child under the age of three, please let me know as we do have a 3 and under version of these cookies.

Brought to you by Desi's Delights

$40

It's TRIPLETS!

No, we are not literally expecting triplets (been there, done that, grateful that there is no way I will ever experience a triplet pregnancy again)! The photograph above is of my very first ultrasound over 5 years ago. . . . the ultrasound that revealed that we were expecting not one, not two, but THREE babies! What a day that was! And what an adventure it has been ever since!

We will, however, officially be expanding our family by three once again!

The same day that we learned that our agency finally had "Sofia's" file, we also learned of another little girl. . . . a six year-old girl who had just been added to Bulgaria's list of waiting children at the end of July, whose file our agency had just obtained. The first time I saw her sweet little face staring back at me it took my breath away. I was immediately drawn to her and I found myself returning to that face many times throughout the course of each day. When we learned, two weeks ago, that we had not been chosen to be Desi's family, I was disappointed, but I knew that the Lord was not done with us.

Initially Richard said no to this other little girl. He did not want her to be a "replacement" for Desi and, we were already firmly committed to two children, which had been our "plan" from the beginning. But as the days went on I couldn't shake the feeling that we were leaving someone behind and I knew that someone was this little girl.

Last night, over my birthday dinner, I shared this nagging feeling with Richard and, after much discussion, we decided to take the leap and bring this beautiful little girl home as well! I could not have asked for a more amazing birthday "present" (or a more amazing husband!). In finding and committing to this little girl, I have realized Desi's purpose in our lives. Desi was the one who brought us to Bulgaria and it was our love for, and commitment to, Desi that kept us there during all of the ups and downs that we have experienced. There have been many times over the past 9 months that we seriously considered switching countries and/or changing directions, but we could not walk away from Desi. If we had not had not stayed the course, we would not have received "Sofia's" file and we would never have known of our other little girl.

There is no doubt now, as I look at the faces of the three children that will soon be mine, that these are the children that the Lord has always intended for our family. It has been a long (though faith-promoting) journey, and I know that it is far from over, but we are exactly where we should be and I am thrilled to be bringing these three, beautiful babies into our family!

And now. . . .a sneak peek of the beautiful "babies" that will, hopefully, soon be the newest members of the Rieben family. . .

CLICK ME!!!

In honor of a beautiful little girl. . .

We received word from our agency that the adoption committee met yesterday and ruled on the fate of Miss "D." Unfortunately it was not in our favor. Fortunately, we know that she WILL be going home and there is no doubt that she will be deeply loved by the family who is working to bring her home. Obviously we are disappointed that we will not have the privilege of seeing her sweet smile each and every day, but I feel peace knowing that she will be smiling with her new family wherever she is.

Earlier this year, I was inspired by a beautiful little girl to open a shop on Etsy. I wanted to do everything in my power to raise the money necessary to see that little girl's smile each and every day and so I got to work! Although I will never realize that initial dream, I will be forever grateful for the "presence" of that little girl in my life. It was her radiant smile that has kept me focused for the past 8+ months. It was her smile that kept me from giving up, from switching to another country, from throwing in the towel altogether. It was her smile that led me to the two children that we WILL be bring home. And so, in her honor, I am proud to announce the grand opening of Desi's Delights, inspired by a beautiful little girl who will soon know the love of a forever family. In Desi's honor, we will be donating 50% of all proceeds to the grant fund of another waiting child. From now until December 31st that 50% will go to Svetlana who is waiting in Ukraine.

Svetlana

Svetlana is a beautiful little girl who was born with arthrogryposis. She will be six years-old on Christmas day. Earlier this year, a wonderful family from Ireland (who we had the privilege of meeting in December 2007 while we were both in Ukraine adopting) committed to adopt Svetlana. Unfortunately, their social worker refused to approve them to adopt her due to her age and special need and so this family had to release her. They were devastated and we were heartbroken for them.

Svetlana is still waiting for her forever family and she is running out of time. She is blessed to have been able to remain at her baby house, but she will soon be transferred to an institution where her life will change dramatically.

If you are interested in donating to Svetlana's grant fund, please visit Reece's Rainbow today to make a donation (please be sure to indicate that your donation is for Older "Other Angel," Svetlana in Orphanage 20) and remember that 50% of all proceeds from Desi's Delights will also be donated to her grant fund.

Although we will not have the privilege of bringing Desi home, there is no doubt that the Lord brought her into our lives for a purpose and we are grateful for the 8+ months that her beautiful smile, even if only in a picture, has blessed our lives and our home. We also received word that the adoption committee approved our application to place "Sofia" and "LB" on hold for our family, so, while not all the news we received brought with it joy and rejoicing, we are absolutely rejoicing that these two beautiful "babies" will soon be joining our family!

In other news, we are very excited to announce that our Adoption Silent Auction will officially begin tomorrow, November 1st and will run through November 15th, so please don't forget to check in and browse through (and bid on!) all of the wonderful items that will be up for auction!

Silent Auction 1

As the time nears for us to submit our dossier and travel to Bulgaria to meet our children, we are working hard to raise the remaining funds necessary to complete our adoption. In an effort to raise these funds, we will be holding a silent auction on our adoption blog.

The auction will begin a week from today on Sunday, November 1st and will run through Sunday, November 15th. We have been working hard to gather and create a wide variety of items to auction and we are grateful to many of our family and friends for donating items as well.

As a sneak preview, the following photo's represent a taste of the items that will be available for bidding:

Children's Aprons and Baking Sets

Ragged Baby Quilts

Knit Hats

Boutique Hair Accessories

Custom Barn Stars

Felt Design T-shirts

And MUCH more! There is still one week left before the auction begins. If you are interested in donating an item to be auctioned, please contact me as soon as possible (you can contact me at desisdelights@gmail.com). If you run an Etsy shop or a business and would like to donate an item from your shop/business, I will include a link to your site in the auction listing in order to help promote your business.

Bidding will begin one week from today, so stay tuned!

Moving forward. . .

After months of standing still, words cannot even begin to describe how wonderful it feels to finally be moving forward! Just over a week ago, as I was packing to leave for North Carolina to visit my sister and her husband for the weekend, I received an e-mail from our facilitator in Bulgaria and it went something like this:

"Ready to scream again!? I have "little boy's" file in my hands!"

And boy did I scream . . .and cry and dance and drop to my knees to thank my Heavenly Father! It was quite a sight I am sure (and no, in order to preserve my dignity, I will not be posting a video of what this "happy dance" looked like!). In addition to "Sofia," "Little Boy's" (let's call him LB) file is now officially on hold for our family and it is nothing short of a miracle!

When Richard told me that he felt that we should inquire about whether or not "LB" was still available, I had very little hope that he would be and, after our experience with the girls, even less hope that, if he was, we would be able to obtain his file. At the same time, I knew that, if he was meant to be a part of our family, the Lord would prepare a way for us to bring him home. Now as I stand back and marvel at the miracles that have been worked to bring us to this little boy, I am reminded of a scripture in Isaiah (45:2), "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron." There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord HAS gone before us and prepared a way for us to bring each of our children home. From the first moment I saw "LB's" face I knew that he was meant to be our son. I was devastated when, initially, the answer was "no," but what I didn't realize at the time was that, my impression was right, but the timing was not.

As if that news alone was not fantastic enough, we received our I-800A approval in the mail yesterday, which means we are just a few documents (FBI clearances), notarizations, certifications and apostilles away from sending our dossier to Bulgaria! We are hoping to have our dossier in the mail by my birthday (November 10th). Could you think of a better birthday present!? Me either!

The Adoption Committee in Bulgaria has resumed their weekly meetings. They have met twice now, so we are hoping that we will have news about "D" very soon. We do not want to submit our dossier until we have received the adoption committee's ruling because we cannot add children to our commitment application once the dossier has been submitted, so please pray that we will have a ruling by the time our dossier is complete.

1 down, 2 to go. . .

Guess what we did today?!?!


For those of you who have been immersed in the international adoption world, you may understand from the above pictures that our day was spent notarizing, certifying, apostilling and mailing our COMMITMENT APPLICATION for "Sofia!" After 7+ months of waiting we have FINALLY received her file and, at this very moment, the documents that will place her on hold for us are on their way to Bulgaria! Can you say HALLELUJAH!! We all threw up our hands and cheered today as we walked out of the UPS store, victorious!

I have not shared much about "Sofia" other than to say that we were waiting for her file, but she is a beautiful 7 year-old girl with lower limb differences (she is missing her right fibula and has a shortened right femur (she was also born with her left foot clubbed, but it has been surgically corrected) and scoliosis (all issues that we are very familiar with). She is very independent, smart and social and she is able to get around well with the use of a wheelchair. Her doctors in Bulgaria feel that she should be able to walk with the help of prosthetics and/or forearm crutches if that is her desire (and we think that our doctors here will likely concur). She shares a birthday with my mom. Some may feel that is a coincidence, but we would argue that it is not! You see, Joshua shares a birthday with Richard (something that we did not know until after we had commited to adopt him) and Evan's birthname (Valera) is the male form of my name, so, when we learned that "Sofia" shared a birthday with my mom (after requesting her file), we knew it was just another confirmation that she was meant to be a part of our family! She is a beautiful little girl and we cannot wait to bring her home!

As some of you may have noticed from the title of this post, our news about "Sofia" isn't the only thing that we have been holding back (yes, we have been sitting on this news for over a week. .I know, I know!). Some of you may recall the little boy with arthrogyposis that we were considering earlier this year. I had felt so strongly that this little boy was meant to be a part of our family, but Richard did not feel the same way. His file was returned to the Ministry of Justice and given to the next agency on the list and I knew that that door was closed.

Two weeks ago, as Richard and I were enjoying lunch together for our Anniversary, Richard asked me about this little boy and then asked if I could inquire about whether he was still available. I will admit, my first thoughts were not positive. It has been months since this little boy's file had been returned to the Ministry and I knew that it had already been sent on to another agency because I had seen him listed elsewhere. I just knew that the chance that he was still available or that we would be able to obtain his file was probably very slim, but I also trusted my husband's impression that we should inquire about this little boy again. Imagine my surprise when my facilitator contacted me a few days later to let me know that, not only was this little boy still available, but his file was scheduled to be returned to the Ministry just a few days later and she would be the next to receive it. We decided then and there that, if she was able to obtain the file, we would make the commitment to bring him home!

I had been devastated when we made the decision not to bring him home earlier this year, but I knew it was the right decision. I now realize that, if we had commited to him earlier this year, we would not have been able to adopt "Sofia" (we would not have received her file). The Lord's timing is PERFECT!

We are still waiting to learn if his file was returned on time and if it is ready to be given to our agency, but we are hopeful that we will be able to bring him home. We are also still waiting to learn the ruling of the Adoption Committee in the case of "D" (they will be resuming their weekly meetings in the next week are two so we are hopeful that we will hear something by the end of the month).

After we had our homestudy update interview earlier this year, I felt prompted to ask our social worker if she would approve us for three children. At the time, I just assumed that it would be good to be approved for one more "just in case" (you can always adopt fewer children than you are approved for, but you cannot adopt more than you are approved for, so it is better to play it safe). I was sure that there were two more children waiting to join our family, but I also trusted the feeling that prompted me to request approval for three. We are firmly committed to "Sofia" and, if we are fortunate enough to receive the file of the little boy and the adoption committee rules in our favor for "D," we have decided that we will bring all three children home! Can I just say, the Lord works in mysterious and wonderful ways!

So, there you have it! Finally some AMAZING adoption news to share!

Memory Lane Monday- Where it all began

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From the Trenches of Motherhood