1 Year Anniversary

There is not much to report on the adoption front - except that our facilitator is estimating our travel date to be late September.  I have heard many guesses about how the SDA sets appointments dates but I really have no idea why sometimes it takes so long and sometimes it is very quick.  So we will just continue to go with the flow and make the most of our prep time.  We are wanting to take toothbrushes, socks, and soccer balls to the children in S and V's orphanage and are starting to take donations from anyone who wants to contribute.  We are also happy to accept gift cards and we will go buy them as well.  There are approximately 60 children in the orphanage and the ages range from 6 - 18.

Today marks a year of J and E being official Selmans.  Though they lived with us and felt like family long before that, the official, legal declaration was a big day.  As many of you know, last year was a very hard one and their adoption was a much needed bright spot for us.  As I sit here, listening to them 'napping' while they are actually talking and giggling with each other,  I am thinking back on how much they have changed our life and how much joy they have brought us.  They are truly little blessings.  And then I wonder how much different life will be in another year.  I can't wait to hear the boys running through the house and playing outside.  But today we celebrate.  We had a great time at our church this morning at a water day and the girls want to go to Waffle House for supper.  :)  When I was telling J that a year ago they officially became ours, she said, "Carlie is going to get married in the backyard....to a boy."  Maybe one day, this day will be significant to her.....


Please continue to pray for Sasha and Vitalik.

New Perspective

My four girls who are living at home for now all left on a vacation with my parents yesterday.  Then Collin left town for the weekend.  Leaving me with time.  Lots of time.  First I cleaned the house....and no one is dirtying it behind me!  Then I sat down and started reading a book that has been in my pile of books to read for a couple of weeks.  It is called The Grace Effect.  I am only about half way through it but it has convicted me of my bad attitude I had the last time I posted.  Sure these changes that the CDC have enacted are inconvenient, but that is all they are.  Compared to the struggles of others, they are nothing.  Already, since we found out about these changes, people are stepping forward with generous contributions to help cover our extended stay.  People are stepping forward and offering to help with Jocelyn and Ellie.  My mom and my sister, who has her own kids and a job, have offered to help with them.  And some friends have even offered to keep them for us the entire 8 weeks.  We are overwhelmed with the help we are getting and have absolutely no right to complain!  God has paved the way so far when we saw no way with our limited sight, and we know He will continue paving the way.  Perhaps there is a reason we need to be in Ukraine for 4 months....regardless we are now looking forward to it and will make the best of it.  And to those of you who have offered to help with the girls - we promise to spread them around so maybe it is not too much on any one person!

One of our friends makes these really cute frames and has donated some for us to sell as an additional fundraiser to help pay for this unexpected turn of events.  If you are interested, let me know and we can set up a time for you to come by and see them.  They are very unique and a great way to display your pictures.

They all hold 4 x 6" pictures and are super cute.  Really, my pictures do not do them justice.

As always, please continue to pray for Sasha and Vitalik.  Such precious boys.

More About Our 'Snag'

We spent an hour and forty minutes on a conference call tonight with representatives from Project Hopeful and Equality for Adopted Children and about a dozen families currently adopting from Ukraine discussing the newly implemented requirements on TB testing in Ukraine.  It was not as encouraging as we had hoped.  Basically, the CDC now requires a more intensive TB test for children with certain medical issues before they can come to the US.  These tests and possible subsequent treatment will keep us in Ukraine for an additional 8 - 12 weeks.  On top of the approximate 6 - 8 weeks to complete the adoption.  It is a major blow for us because there are some big decisions we now need to make.  It is frustrating that people from other countries can travel to the US, come to school in the US, come as hosted children, etc, without having these tests, but the newly adopted children of US citizens will be held up for months to have them.  TB has never been transmitted on a flight, and it is very rare that a child has transmitted TB.  Vitalik spent weeks in the US over Christmas being hosted, but once he is adopted, he will suddenly be subjected to more rigorous testing.  If the boys are unable to cough up enough sputum for the cultures, three days in a row, they will be subjected to a gastric aspiration, three days in a row.  All of this has emotional, physical, and financial implications.  Some of the options are to finish the adoption process and then:

     stay 8 - 12 weeks in an apartment with the boys
     stay 8 - 12 weeks in an apartment with the boys and Jocelyn and Ellie
     come home and leave the boys with a host family in Ukraine
     come home and see if the orphanage will allow them to come back for the 8 - 12 weeks

None of these are appealing but leaving the boys after just adopting them seems cruel.  So we are doing our best to figure out how to make one of the first two options work.  Then there is the fact that I am still having check-ups and scans every 3 months and that inevitably I will be missing at least one of those.  Ali has offered to take a semester off from college in order to be available to help in whatever way we need, so that is something we are considering.

The first family these new tests are impacting is in Ukraine now so they could use our prayers as they blaze the trail. We were encouraged to contact the CDC to let them know the implications for our family so we will be doing that.  But there is little hope this will change in time to affect our adoption process.  Hopefully it will benefit families adopting in the future though.

Please continue to pray for us as we work to figure out solutions to all of this.  We know ultimately God is in control.

"I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."  Isaiah 45:3