?? will we make the feb 10th cut??

Our country in E Europe starts accepting dossiers again on Feb 10th after a holiday break.  I was looking through my paperwork today, and we have 3 documents left to gather that have been promised to us by the beginning of next week.  Our homestudy update is complete....so as soon as the HS and the 3 documents are in our hands we send everything to albany to get it apostilled.  That only takes a few days if we use express mail.

The uncertain part is this.... once we have a copy of the homestudy to USCIS (US immigration) how long will it take for them to give us our fingerprint appointment and the "golden ticket"? The I 171.  This will be the very last piece of our paperchase.  Once we have this in our hands we can send our whole dossier by fed-ex to Shea's country.

We have been told that once the dossier lands in country, we can expect 8-10 wks *or less*, until we are reach our first trip travel date.

So I feel like we have 3 phases left here...
Phase 1- getting the last ends tied up in order to get our homestudy into the hands of USCIS who have all of our other documents and payment already. 
Phase 2- getting fingerprinted, and approved by USCIS
Phase 3 - waiting for our travel date and making the last travel details.  We've been told this is all likely to happen by spring..... phew good thing! 

slow but steady, check!

monroe county docs certified today, check!

homestudy update complete and approved by the EE team, now to get it to albany, check!

2 more doorframes calked and prepped to paint, check!

New Letter of Obligation completed, check!

Simon saw ENT and audio today, lots of crusty fun removed from those asian DS ears, check!

Falling asleep as I write...check!

Danielle ice skated for the first time today on a school field trip, check!

The gift of life, God’s special gift, is no less beautiful when it is accompanied by illness or weakness, hunger or poverty, mental or physical handicaps, loneliness or old age. Indeed, at these times, human life gains extra splendor as it requires our special care, concern, and reverence. It is in and through the weakest of human vessels that the Lord continues to reveal the power of His love. Terence C. Cooke

the paper chase continues and my feet are getting tired!

So "today for Shea"...

-monroe county docs complete, have to get to the county clerk this week
-have to make a trip to batavia for one document, hopefully this week
-waiting on one document each to arrive for our wayne and ontario county clerk trips
-we received our homestudy update rough draft today, I sent her the revisions and hope to have that back shortly, as this is a critical piece of the paperchase that a few other steps are waiting on right now like immigration clearance
-started a grant application this week also

Dear paperchase...you are not my favorite hobby, hurry up would ya?  I'm only pretending I like you to get my little Shea home...please don't be offended....but you seem pretty obnoxious and I get the strange feeling I've already done this twice before in my recent history!

Family update... my lovey dovey hubby had a birthday on friday.  I don't think I'll divulge his age!  We had a lovely date night thanks to babysitting from godparents vinny and judy.

Simon ate like a pro at the Kulp family Chili cookoff yesterday!  Grandpa Kulp's Chili took first place in the blind competition.  This was certainly a highlight of our little man's weekend!

Danielle had a play date with one of her classmates at our house this weekend...giggles gallore, lots of fun to be had.  She also had a fun time going to bed at aunt Judy's house and sharing a bunk with her friend Katie...they both actually went to bed, do you believe it??

And my highlight of the weekend....my dear husband realizing that his wifey poo was utterly exhausted got up with the kids this morning when they arose at the crack of dawn (why oh why?? can anyone tell me the answer to why children insist on waking up so durn early?) and gave me the luxery of sleeping in until 7:50 am!  At this time Danielle snuck away and jumped into bed with me, giggling and telling me to GET UP!
Ohhhh just wait until she's a teenager and actually wants to sleep in late....I'll get her back.... (evil laugh inserted here :) 

Back to work tomorrow, it is frigid here, zero without the windchill.....so tomorrow in and out of patient homes all day tomorrow promises to be full of shivers....yet here I am eating a popsicle....can't seem to get enough of these lately....what's up?  Paper pregnancy cravings I guess???!!!

DEAR GOD,
Keep our Shea warm, surrounded with some measure of joy, and prepare his heart and mind for his new family.  Help me to manage the many many plates I'm so delicately spinning right now.  Keep Danielle and Simon safe and healthy, and help us to teach them and help them develop and grow to their highest potential possible, while being happy and full of joy always. Give our little ones communication methods to help prevent frustration.  Help us with those hard parts of parenting that comes along with every typical child, and those little extra challenges that come from their special needs.  Lord if you could convince simon to wear his shoes in the car and out in public while it's so stinkin cold, I would greatly appreciate it!  Bless and keep my husband as he handles his many responsibilities and prepares his daddy heart for our growing family, please energize us as we plug away at finishing the downstairs projects, and ohh yeah, don't forgot about the magically appearing minivan in our driveway....chuckle chuckle.   - as Simon would say BAHMN and as Danielle would say AHHHHHMAN,                 AMEN....

a tiny lull, today for shea

Well....
-I have a large stack of papers to be notarized in macedon....but tomorrow is a holiday (hmm, I'm still working what's up with that?)
-we are anxious to get our state level background check, but our fingerprints are not until tuesday
- USCIS has cashed our check, but is waiting for our homestudy update
- Our homestudy visit is complete, but we need to be patient and wait for the write up to come back.
- waiting for a letter to arrive from our tax preparer

hmmmm I feel a tiny bit stalled!  More time for praying and fundraising now I'm sure! 

Dan is working tonight at a youth event...I'm so thankful for my helpmate....he's having a birthday on friday, so if you see him make sure to give him some spankings.

Simon did wonderful at school on friday when I went in for a half day observation, soooo proud of him.

Danielle went to see a brand new baby today, Elijah Seeber, - she was enthralled.

Shea....what are you up to right now buddy?  Playing and content I hope...full belly?  Healthy?  All prayers from mama going up for you.

Lot's of good progress on the renovations this weekend....thank you Wood Family and crew!!

And I'm super happy to hear there is another Reeces Rainbow child coming home to some friends in Rochester.... yeah!....  who's next, hmmm?? anyone???

living in fast forward....temporarily

Before I get started... notice the pink barbie shirt.  Boy do we need to get him home!  My poor boys spent there first years dressed as girls! :)

Wow, just thinking about this week is making me sleepy!  This mamma needs some rest... (so duh, why am I blogging and not in bed??  good question!)

So we've been in hyperdrive this week....
-getting all the last minute documentation finished for our homestudy visit on friday,
-finishing the painting downstairs,
-preparing for our "work day" on saturday
 (thanks to some wonderful friends The Wood family and a church they belong to)
- living life with Simon and Danielle who are keeping us hopping!
-and oh yeah....going to work.... my time to rest! :)

So this week Simon's belly has been doing well, finally!  I hope it can continue like this.  As many of you know he did fall asleep on the toilet this week....what a boy!  He's been enjoying his tent, and falling asleep in there as well....hmmm kulp men....they love their rest that's for sure!  (But that's because the Kulp women keep them so busy when they're awake!)  He smothered me in kisses tonight...sheer bliss for this mom.

Danielle had a very good hearing test, and a good eye exam recently.  No pressure changes from her skull closure so that is a very good thing!  She has been hamming it up putting on dance shows for us.  Her new favorite food this week is oranges!  We need to buy stock in the produce section of wegmans I think.

As for Shea.... much more paperwork has been done this week.  Our homestudy visit is friday.  Our passport renewals are back, we have our fingerprint appnt for NYS (not the uscis yet) scheduled for tuesday, UPS security called us wanting to know why we were mailing documents to Eastern Europe!  Good grief!  ....and a bazillion other little things that I'm too tired to write about now.

But all is well....we are surviving the snow storm, and the kids are both snuggled up in their beds.  Dearest Dan is being quite the trooper doing all the URGENT assignments I have been giving him.  Have I mentioned what a good husband I have...putting up with such a type A, semi OCD wifey poo?

I'm off to bed now, I hope :) ...thanks for checking in....hugs from the Kulp Family

Dear God, our prayer tonight is that you protect our family, our health, and our finances as we move forward in this journey toward Shea.  We thank you for all your little "surprises" in life, you sure do have a sense of humor.  Help us to cherish the moments even as we are in a phase of "fast forward living"....and give us a sense of peace that we are closing in on the paperwork....and there will be rest from this cross eyed craziness someday soon.  Protect our Shea, please close any doors that would lead to his transfer....and bless those who have been blessing us as we bring Shea home to his "peeps"!  Oh and dear God, I almost forgot - please let a minivan miraculously appear in our driveway....cause I can't smoosh any more kids in my honda civic!  AMEN

Today for Shea...

I had a few hours this afternoon when the kiddies were still at school to press forward on the paperchase.  Dear Shea, we are a bit closer today...
-marriage license arrived
-home owner decree notarized
-homestudy update documents so close to being done
-passport renewals have arrived for processing
-"creatively budgeted" to be able to pay for homestudy update so we can now set the date
- and much more....

Don't worry all, I did feed and bathe my children, read them bedtime stories and keep them from bodily harm....I'm just super skilled at multi tasking...but will be soooo pleased when the paper pregnancy is over!

On a personal note...prayers for my health would be appreciated...I'm fighting a nasty cold.  Thanks all -

All Things Are Possible With God...

Mark 10:27

All - big and small, simple and insurmountable

Things - adoption, special needs, keeping up your home, work duties, paperwork....

Are Possible - doable, tangible, likely, promised

With - walking with me, tugging me, carrying me, cheering us on

God - Abba Father, Love above all Loves I can comprehend....

Gods twists and turns are orchestrated and perfect.....

The Paper Pregnancy, We're working on it Shea! Hang in there....

So far...

-We've initiated our homestudy update and the million forms that go along with it.
-Sent lots of green to the US gov to renew our passports
-Have our CSP's and POA's on the way to Albany, which will hopefully prevent his transfer, (pray)
-Sent out forms for our background checks
-Ordered our new marraige liscense
-Worked on financial statements
-Scheduled our physicals....
-Trying to plug along on that basement!!!
-chuggin along on all the dossier forms
-Paid our promise trust deposit
-And about a million other things that I'm too tired to write about right now! 
-And I always said I would never do the paperchase again!  Good grief....never say never!

Danielle, Simon, and Shea.... I like the sound of that....