Let's Party!

The journey toward bringing Ana home continues!  And isn't everything more fun when you are doing it along side friends?

Jen, Rebekah, Lyssa and Tania

Tania's house turned art studio & nail salon!

Yesterday Ken, Mikhail, Ana and I were all VERY blessed by the ladies in our small group from Grace Covenant.  Tania, Lyssa and Rebekah hosted a Manicure and Art sale at Tania's home to raise money for our adoption of little Ana!  It was a BLAST, and I had a wonderful time meeting some new sweet friends and getting to talk about what God is doing to bring home our little girl.  We snacked, chatted, had our hands moisturized and nails painted, and browsed Tania's dining room full of my art from Spotted Puppy Studios on Etsy (spottedpuppy.etsy.com).  When all was said and done, not only were 11 pieces of art sold, but also these sweet women were beautifully generous in giving donations toward our adoption, too.  Just amazing...  Ken and I were overwhelmed by everyone's generosity, just humbled and overwhelmed!  So many offered to keep us in prayer throughout the rest of the process, and that means the world to me.  We know God will in return bless each person involved yesterday, including my three "Life Group Girls," for their thoughtfulness and willingness to invest in our lives and Ana's homecoming.  Thank you just doesn't seem like enough!  Big adventures like these are made a lot less scary when you know you are walking through it with friends.  So, so thankful for you all.  :)

A few things from my shop

"Spotted Puppy," Grace

"Spotted Puppy," Nick

Ken pointed out that I had not posted much about our Etsy store (Spotted Puppy Studios), and what God was doing there, so I thought I'd give you a bit of history on how it all started.  When Mikhail came home I was looking for ways to help him with some of the big hurts he had from so much loss and pain in his little heart.  I ended up drawing many, many pictures that either represented something of his birth and adoption story or that symbolized a truth of how God was healing him and protecting him.  Eventually I realized that this was not only helpful for Mikhail, but it was so, so healthy for my soul, too!  Ken began calling the cart where I keep my art supplies my "therapy cart" because it was such a great way for me to unwind and feel peaceful. :)  When we began Ana's adoption process, the idea came to us that since I would probably be doing some type of art anyway, maybe we could use it to raise money for adoption expenses.  So, Spotted Puppy Studios (bet you can guess the two little inspirations for that name...) was born in February!  Ken and I are now officially business partners, and while he does all the hard work, I get to sit around and draw. :)  I make watercolor & pencil drawing for children's rooms and nurseries, and our shop can be found on the Etsy website, which is like an online craft show for all things handmade.  Some of you who are reading this blog are probably some of the first clients for Spotted Puppy Studios, so let me take the opportunity once again to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!  All of you at the "Dell Division" of Spotted Puppy- THANK YOU!!! :)  This has been a very fun part of what God is doing in Ana's adoption process- something I never, ever would have dreamed He would do!  It's just like Him to use something you think is for your child to really reveal things about yourself...I think this little shop is teaching me things about confidence that I will be able to pass on to my sweet Ana.  Yep, just like Him...

How a Mama Stays Sane... and Ana's Jar

There's this funny thing that happens during the process of adoption... nothing really changes from the outside, no big thing looks different, no one would suspect anything life-altering is going on...and yet this huge, forever change happens inside the hearts of those who are waiting for the little one who is to come.  You realize this little person is real.  She's always been real to God, but all of the sudden she has been labeled as "yours."  Even without laying eyes on her or having a clue where she is, she becomes "daughter."  And this happens long before any official paper ever declares her so.  I guess you would call it falling in love.

While this part of waiting for our Ana is very special and even strategic to the relationship that will come, it also has its down side.  If you love someone, you are concerned for their welfare, want their best, feel a need to protect them.  In loving Ana before we meet her, we are forced to admit where she is right now- far away, unaware of her family waiting, lonely.  Unable to get to her, not knowing where she is, how she is doing, whether she is warm, healthy, satisfied- it's enough to drive a mama mad!

Thankfully God gives such mamas great relief in His Word:

"O Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed"    Psalm 10:17-18

This is real, too.  These words are not just a pretty phrase inside a Hallmark card- they are what I put 100% of my trust in for my daughter to be safe and provided for until we can have her in our arms (and after!).  So I can be sane.  I can know that she will be brought to us at exactly the right time.  I will choose to trust my very big, very capable God.

One of Mikhail's biggest struggles about his own adoption is wondering what Papa and I were doing while he was waiting for us to come for him.  I don't blame him- that's a good question!  As much I've tried to explain the complicated maze of paperwork & approval from the powers that be, I think watching it all unfold while we wait for Ana is the biggest help of all.  To try to find a way for Ana to have this same question answered, we have started an "Ana Jar" as a visible way to show her how much we loved and prayed for her while we waited for her to be home.  Each time we pray for Ana, spend time daydreaming about her, or fill out some random piece of paper needed for her homecoming, we add a little paper heart to her jar.  On hard days, we add a whole handful.  It's funny how something so simple gives such a sense of relief!  I hope this little reminder of our love will speak to her heart some day.

Mikhail giggles as I tell him we couldn't find a jar big enough to hold all the thoughts God has of Ana.  "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!"  Psalm 139:17

Praying for Ana, too?  Stop by and drop your own heart in the jar. Or send us a note... Big Brother would be thrilled to add a heart or two on your behalf!  :)

Homestudy is Done...One Step Closer!

Mailing contracts to CAS!

Yesterday, Jenna from Adoption answers came back out to our house for the first time since Mikhail's post-placement reports were finished a few years ago.  It was good to see Jenna again and to work with someone familiar to have this new homestudy done for Ana's adoption.  It was great, too, to get to "show off" our sweet boy and how he has grown and matured since she saw him last. :)  Jenna will need a few weeks to get her notes and all our information organized the way they need to be presented within the dossier, then our agency (CAS) will approve everything inside the homestudy and it will be ready to head off for translation in Russia.

While Jenna is getting her part ready, I have been given the go-ahead to start gathering the rest if the documents for our dossier.  Whoopee!  We sent in our signed contracts to CAS last week so we are officially part of the Russia Program at CAS now and working on our dossier.  In my strange little brain I enjoy this step because it gives me something to have some control over in this whole event that is waaaaay too complicated for me to pretend like I can be in control!  I will be running all over Austin, San Antonio, Houston, etc. to get what we need, so there will be a lot of "car-schooling" taking place in the next few weeks....but it will be fun to have my sidekick along while we keep making progress toward bringing little sister home.

My sweet guys at work!

We used the homestudy as an excuse to get Ana's room painted.  I've been daydreaming about how to decorate her walls (my favorite part!), so I think we will be painting birch trees on one wall with Russian dancing bears on canvases or in frames on the other walls.  I think it will be very peaceful with the soothing colors and sweet matroyshkas and smiling bears all around.  Seeing her room come together helps the realization sink in that there will soon be another little human being in our house. :)  God speed, Ana!