A few videos o the kids

New Shoes

Zach getting some new shoes.

11 Months, 2 weeks & 6 days

It will be almost one year since we made our commitment to adopt Braska and Zack.  And still we have to wait till several more months for a court date and then to travel.  Time is quickly passing us by and during this time we will prepare for our second and final trip.  With prior trips to Bulgaria we have met so many wonderful people and have been able to enjoy the beauty of Bulgaria.  Nightly Patrick talks about his Fries with Cheese. Boy does Patrick love Cheese and his especially loves Bulgaria Cheese. :O)) Here is one fo Bulgaria's famous Pizzas.

Oh how Patrick loves peppers.

Some of the pepper's from Tonia's garden.

And a few more peppers.

The day prior to leaving we had dinner with my sweet sis and friend.  Not a day goes by I do not think about her.

Tonia

And oh how I miss her and love her. She is a true inspiration and angel for the many children and families she has helped.  There are many times she will suffer in pain to see these small souls with loving homes.  Nightly I pray for her health so she can complete her dream in helping as many children as possible with families.  For anyone that does not know her she is just precious.....

Me & Tonia

The Documents are in the mail :O))

Today we finished up the last of the documents to be apostilled by our State's Commision Office.  Then in about a week these documents will be off there way to Bulgaria to our Attorney.  Tomorrow we will be finishing up our I800 and it off in the mail. :O))  Now all we can do is wait and pray for our final approval and a court date.

Mean while we will work hard on raising the much needed funds for travel and agency fees.  So for the next couple of months we will be busy-busy.

Tonight I wonder about Braska and Zack.  I wonder how both of their days have been and I wonder if they remember us and also that we are coming back for them.  with our last adoption it was so hard waiting between trips and then just waiting for a court date seemed like forever.

Last night was such a difficult night for me.  Much of the night I cried and cried just because of some comments that I received on this blog.  I spent most of the night wondering just who hated me this much to upset me and also try to make me feel awful about adopting.  In my heart I know I am a good mother and I know I will be the best mother to these two children.  When both Patrick and I held them they held on tight to where we could not breath.  So why would someone say I was an awful mother and they do not even know me.  My heart is the kindest heart and I am always filled with love.  I love people especially children and pets.  Why would someone try and hate me so to hurt me?  In my heart I try and not feel hate to anyone and at the moment I feel no hate only the feeling o wondering why.   I know in this world we can not please everyone or make everyone happy.  If you see each day I write I leave a smiley face :O)) And this is me :O)) I love to smile so crying is not me or will not be me. I want in this world to leave my smile to all when I leave this earth. :O)))

Comment Section and yes there are tears tonight ;o(

I have taken down the comment section to our Adoption Blog and also have made Braska and Zack's Blog private.  Having a blog made it able for us to share photos and updates.  And also help in assist our family in raising the much needed funds to adopt both Braska and Zack.

On our Adoption Blog I was totally honest in Gary and my ages of 55 years.  I never once thought our ages were an issue of whether the both of us were good parents or not.  Today I received a comment from someone who lived in Shreveport Louisiana posing as one of our neighbors.  Each of my surrounding neighbors know how much Gary and I love our children.  So whom ever this may be I do not understand why they would post such evil words and not even leave their name.  It is one thing to state an opinion but to say it without leaving your name is a coward and not my neighbor.  I love my neighbors so I know that it is not someone close to our family and these words do hurt no matter whether a friend, neighbor etc..

In each of my posts on my blog I post how I honestly feel.  I love all  my children and they love me.  When I look into their small eyes I see that I am their mother and they need me.  From each child I feel their love.  So***I can not let Braska and Zack down either they need Gary and me.  We may not be the most wealthiest people in the world with funds but we have one another.  Our family is filled with love and each on of us love one another.  Never once in my entire life did I ever try to and upset anyone.. I am the type that can not even kill a bug or spider.  I am always the person who comes running to help or give what I could.
When my grandchildren visit I see that they are loved and this would not show if their own parents were not loved. Again I am puzzled that someone would say words to hurt and upset me during this happy time.

It takes a lot to make me cry and believe me I am not weak.  But like any person I do have feelings and I take what others say highly. And hearing awful repeated comments it has taken a toll today.  Oh I pray I do not feel hate in return for I do not want to hate anyone.  I pray nightly and also through out the day so I wonder just what made this person choose me to hurt.   Again I pray no one should ever have any one try and destroy their dream of adopting.   This is not our first nor last adoption.  We may later in the future adopt again and I leave this up to our Lord to decide.

During our adoption with Chrissie the same thing happen with nasty posts on our Adoption Blog.  Same person it seems for the writing and contents the same.  I tried to ignore this person but after several days  I guess it finally grabbed at my heart.  I try and not feel hate or be upset but I am human. Just knowing some one could be this darn cruel is upsetting.  Especially when so many people and family members are looking forward to Braska and Zack coming home.

When we were on our trip visiting the children there were no words of how happy we were meeting them.  Nothing can take way this feeling or no one can.. I will fight to complete our adoption for we love these children.  I ask our Lord to give me the strength to ignore and forget these nasty comments.   I ask for your prayers tonight or me to wake with a clear head..  I know our Lord is there and I must also not let this upset me so.   I pray no one else feels as I do this one moment as I am feeling....

I800, studying and more

Spent most of our weekend compiling everything we need to submit our I800, downloading and printing out our final documents. These documents will be sent to our Attorney in Bulgaria for Power of Attorney. This will make it able or our attorney to represent our family in court for Zack and Braska's adoption.  Praying we hear something within the next two weeks about our approval and that our Article 5 is being forwarded to Bulgaria.  Praying for a date in early December and we will be able to pick up our children the next year.

After some nasty comments on CF I posted early a post on CF to better educate others about CF.  Our family has joined a support group for children with CF and this will help educate us and prepare our family

to assist the children once they arrive home.  I spoke today to several physicians here in Shreveport who will assist in our children's care and we have been preparing for their upcoming arrival home.   The main issues with children with CF is their lungs and their digestive tracks.  We have learned that it is very difficult for children to gain weight due to their digestive tracks so we have inquired also on a feeding specialist once the children arrive home to monitor both their diets.

As you can tell through the photos of Zack weight gain has been a big problem.  His tiny arms are just skin and bones as well as his little legs and feet.  Again I ask and pray for everyone to pray for these two small children.. Winters are hard in Eastern Europe and having lung issues makes it even harder for these two.

What is Cystic Fibrosis? Please Read

What You Need to Know
What Is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

• clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and
• obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.
Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis
People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including:

• very salty-tasting skin;
• persistent coughing, at times with phlegm;
• frequent lung infections;
• wheezing or shortness of breath;
• poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite; and
• frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.

Statistics

• About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year.
• More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.
• More than 45% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.
• The predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is in the late 30s.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Since 1955, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been the driving force behind the pursuit of a cure. Thanks to the dedication and financial backing of our supporters — patients, families and friends, clinicians, researchers, volunteers, individual donors, corporations and staff, we are making a difference.

• Learn more about Testing for Cystic Fibrosis.
• Explore all aspects of Living with CF at every stage of life.
• See what Treatments are available and what’s in development.

Video of Braska & Zack

 

A video of our 1st Trip to see Braska and Zack

And a few more photos

A little food

Add caption

And more photos

More Photos

On happy big brother

Guess who loves who?

Zack is number one!!

Zack is showing Patrick the Ball Pit.

What a smile.

Such a precious little guy.

DAY 3

Braska first Lollipop

Boy she seems to really love them and believe me none of this one has went to waste.

Pictures in the orphanage

Hard to believe down the halls from this photos is the rooms of so many little orphan children.

Through their orphanage it is filled with so many beautiful photos and so many beautiful children.

Braska loved the sounds from this little lantern.

Over and over she would listen to the music.

Our little man.

In this one photo Braska was watching as we  were leaving the room.  I wonder what she was thinking and if she thought we would return. She looked so sad.