Adoption

Adoption is a long and bumpy road and you never know what is going to happen. It took over a year to just get the twins into our custody. We are waiting to find out when to go up for their good bye part at their former children's home and to receive all their files and paperwork we need.



Our social worker came today with the psychologist for a visit. Our "atestare" for adoption ran out in April so they had to re do some of the papers and make a couple more visits. I think they were impressed with the twins. So, I asked them could they give me a round about figure of how long now it would take. It depends on the judge here in our county. This county goes with the new law and does placement then adoption...like foster to adopt. The county the twins came from said we had to apply for "tutela" or custody/guardianship is the best word. So, if the judge here accepts our guardianship and lets us declare them adoptable and adopt them we can start the process in 3 months. We have to wait until we have had them in our custody for 3 months plus had all their papers. If that happens we should start the 3 month count down in a few weeks. If the judge doesn't accept that then we would have to apply to be their foster parents and then wait another 3 months and then start the adoption process...either way the social worker told us the court houses are busy but she thinks we could be done with it all in under a year.

It will be interesting to see how the kids react when they go back to Casa Alba for a party. Continue to pray for their transition into our family. They are precious children and we are privileged to be chosen as their parents.

Adjustments

I have been telling myself it is time to write an entry on my blog for sometime now and just couldn't bring myself to do so. When I get back from a trip to America I am always a little depressed and it takes a couple of weeks to work my way out of that and get back to normal. I am almost back to normal. I meditate on God's Word, specifically: "you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." Isaiah 26:3-4.
I am thankful I could be at my Grandma's 90th birthday. She still lives on her own and drives. Her name is Marvelous Marv.


The twins have been with us for about 6 weeks now. The longest they had ever stayed with us was 2 weeks. The 2 week visits usually went well and we didn't have any major issues. I anticipated these visits were kind of like the honeymoon period. Once they moved in and stayed with us long term I was sure the rules would become an issue and they have, but only for one of them really. I thought for sure that Joey would be the difficult one because he is aggressive. But he longs to please and is quick to receive correction. He is speaking short phrases in English and asks me everything in English. I really didn't think he would be the one speaking so much English this early on! He still gets angry and lashes out in the heat of the moment but is always sorry and receives correction. Gina on the other hand still wants to rule the roost. She does not comply with the rules very often and pouts and stomps her feet when told to do something. We remind them of certain rules everyday so they realize they are the same today as they were yesterday. Every day you can be sure if no one is in the room Gina will touch or do whatever it is she isn't supposed to, she hasn't learned yet that moms have eyes in the back of their heads and see and know all :). Hopefully she will learn that soon so her life will be much easier. She craves attention and will act like a baby if she thinks it will bring her the attention she wants. She is a tough little princess but we love her and hope and pray we can guide her strong will to be a strong will for the things of God! She is actually speaking very little English and seems to be struggling a bit more then Joey with this time of transition.

We hope to receive all the final papers soon for custody so we can proceed to have them declared adoptable. We will go in the next few weeks for a final trip to Casa Alba for a goodbye party and to get what paper work we need.

America

I am finally in America! It's good to be here. As we were leaving for the airport yesterday it hadn't dawned on me that me leaving might be difficult on anyone other then Baron. Well, all the way to the airport Georgie was very loud about the fact that mommy should not be going to get Zach, daddy needs to go and mommy needs to stay. I didn't realize how much this change of primary care givers would throw him off. He kept clinging to me, I told him I would bring them back surprises and I would be back in a week. Gina on the other hand was very excited, with mom gone she thought she would be ruling the roost...Baron had to quickly put her in her proper place of little daughter instead of little mother :). I have already purchased several little dresses for Gina (I told her I would bring her back 2 dresses but the OshKosh outlet was having such great sales I got a few more...she'll be thriled). I have to figure out how to get all my stuff back...I have lots of heavy school books to bring back.

Little Things

We recently celebrated two birthdays. Spencer turned 9 on June 6 and Nate turned 3 on June 12th! It felt weird celebrating their birthday's without Zach. It feels weird that I don't have a baby anymore (although don't tell him he's not the baby anymore). We really need to work on getting rid of the pacifier (for those of you who are appalled that we still have a paci, he only uses it at night).



We are now starting our third week of having the twins. The longest we have ever had them was 2 weeks so we hope that things start to settle into a routine and we get the court paper we need next week and we don't have to take them back in July!


I am taking my first ever overseas trip all alone. I wonder if I'll sleep. Usually I can't sleep because I have to keep checking to make sure my kids aren't falling out of the seat or that their had hasn't fallen into some strangers lap. I did take one trip 3 years ago when I was pregnant with Nate to Amman Jordan for my brother's wedding. I wondered if I could possibly have fun without my husband and kids...I learned very quickly, I could have a lot of fun without them :) so I anticipate I will miss them terribly and be ready to get back to Romania but I also anticipate I will greatly enjoy a little quiet R & R in America.

Good News!!!!!!!!!!

Something in our favor happened, finally!!! Praise God! Ok, so if you read the last entry you know we were supposed to pick them up for a two week visit and it was looking like we were going to have to take them back again...we were hoping the paper work would be finished and we souldn't have to take them back but paper work is moving slow! Well, the good news is, that the director of the children's home decided it was close enough to the end and it was far better for the twins not to return to Casa Alba that she let us sign them out for 4 weeks, until the 4th of July and then we SHOULD just have to go back for a good bye part! So PLEASE pray that in the next 4 weeks it is resolved! So, it looks like for now, that the twins are moving in with us!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO. I'm making cookies!!!!

Twins Saga

Our court date was April 21 and by May 21 we should have received the official paper and then the 15 day waiting period begins before we bring them home...so techinically we should be nearing the end of the 15 day waiting period but we haven't received the paper yet!! So, the twins social worker went to the court house today and the man told her the judges assistant should have sent that out within 30 days...well, it has now been like 47 days. So, he called her and she said she was waiting for the final proclamation from the judge still before she could send it out...come on, how long does it take to write a proclamation to put two kids into a home!!! Supposedly by the end of next week we should receive it BUT I am not sure who is going to make the judge write that proclamation. Our hope was, today we are picking them up for a two week visit and we were hoping not to have to take them back...but it looks like we will probably have to take them back just 4 days before I go to the states which means we won't get them until July...nothing makes sense...I know I have said this before but I never dreamed that it would take over a year for two children living in a children's home to be placed with a family...that should be a priority.
Pray for this frustrated mom...she just wants her family to be all together once and for all!