Our Dossier was submitted!

I originally thought our Dossier was to be submitted on July 21st, however it ended up being on July 23rd. This is only a 2 day difference which may not seem like a lot or like such a big deal. However when you are anxiously waiting on being approved, 2 days can seem like FOREVER!! The SDA told our facilitator that it would take two weeks before they would give us a travel date. This is quick!! So we have one more week to go before we know when we will be heading to Ukraine again.

We are so very excited to have already come this far in such a short amount of time. It is hard to believe that we have only been home with Kyle for about 8 months, and are already going back for more! I am both excited and nervous that it is actually going to happen and we will, in just a matter of a few months, have two tweenagers added to our family. The "unknown" is what makes me a little nervous, but I know everything will work out the way it is supposed to.

We are already hard at work trying to prepare for these girls!! I almost done preparing their bedroom which has been a lot of fun. As soon as it is complete, I will post pictures. We are keeping it very simple though, knowing that later the girls may want to change colors to their liking! Both Ken and myself have been deep cleaning, trying to get things as organized as possible. I think it is the "nesting thing" kicking in already. And no, they probably won't care or even notice for that matter that I have cleaned out closets and cupboards! It makes me feel better anyway! :) My latest hurdle is trying to find a school which will be the best fit for them and will help them learn the most.

Many of you have e-mailed me asking a few questions about the process, so I thought I would answer what I can!

Q: What agency are you using for your adoption?
A: We are doing our adoption independently. Through much research I was able to complete the paperwork on my own for Kyle's adoption, so it has made the girl's adoption that much easier. I found an AWESOME facilitator. Have I mentioned how much we love our facilitator?? :) I was SO nervous going to Ukraine the first time not personally knowing the lady that would be helping us along the way. My fear subsided the moment we got off the plane in Kiev. She is wonderful, and we owe everything to her for making these adoptions possible.

Q: Are you taking Kyle with you to Ukraine?
A: hmmm, well this is an ongoing thought for us! I think we have decided to leave him here with family. We have a lot of family support and feel that this will probably be the best for him. I feel like it is too soon to be taking him back to Ukraine. He has done well with the adjustment, but there is still a lot that we are working on and I think it may be too confusing for him.This is my thought on the matter for the time being, but it changes often!:)

Q: Will you be gone as long as last time?
A: For Kyle's adoption we were gone about 6 weeks. The process for the girl's adoption will be the same. Nothing is cut short, no exceptions made! However this time we will try to come home after court, and then Ken will return a couple weeks later (after the mandatory 10 day wait period) to finish up the adoption. We are going to do this for a couple reasons. One, we want to get back to Kyle as soon as possible. And two, we need to get back to work. Doing this twice in one year can take a toll on our allotted time off so we have to be creative!

Q: Do the girls know if we are planning on adopting them, and do they want to be adopted?
A: Yes, they were told right after we made the decision to do this! We do not have communication with them (other than us being able to mail them letters), so we do not know what their reaction was. But we have been told (by our facilitator, who was told by the social worker), that they do want to be adopted. This is where the "unknown" factor comes in. We hope they like us, of course! It is a scary thing, and we are basically going to Ukraine blindly, never having met or talked to the girls. They have been through a lot, and I feel that most the kids there just want a good family and opportunity at a normal life. The girls are old enough that they will stand in court with us. The judge will give them the opportunity to state whether they would like to be adopted, so of course they have a choice!

Q: How long will you wait to put them in school?
A: This had been a long debate with us, however after speaking with others that have adopted older children, we will probably put them in school right away. We have heard it is better to submerse them in schooling and learning English so it is a faster transition. We may have them home a couple weeks to adjust somewhat, but we are not sure! Anyone with ideas?? I am currently trying to get them enrolled in a Charter school (Montessori) which I have heard is great! I really want to refrain from the public school system for now, because I think it might be a little overwhelming for them. The charter school I am looking into is small, and would be able to provide more one-on-one help with the transition.

Q: Do you speak Russian? Do the girls speak any English?
A: Nyet, and no! I know a couple words and phrases (i.e., do you have to go to the bathroom), but not enough to be able to communicate with the girls! They do not teach them English at their boarding school, so needless to say it is going to be VERY interesting on how we communicate on a daily basis!! This will no doubt be the hardest part for all of us, but we will work it out some way!

Well I think this is it for now! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! Two weekends ago, the three of us went to San Francisco for a weekend vacation so I will post pictures of that trip soon!