Extending our USCIS......

Well as those of you who have been around awhile know we hosted a girl the summer of 2012 who set our hearts on fire for adopting from Ukraine. We thought that on that first trip to Ukraine we were bringing home her and Pasha. 

The day before we flew from Houston to Ukraine we heard from a local friend there that our girl hadn't told her grandparents who she was still in contact with that we were coming for her yet. Long story short they found out and caused a huge scene at the orphanage because they thought she didn't really want to go with us. A lot of people there are wary of Americans, they think we adopt children to sell their organs or use them as house servants. We tried to bring her home that trip but were unable to. We did bring home Callen and Pasha and went home thinking of her and dreaming of someday trying again.

Here's me with Pasha at the orphanage in March 2013

Here's me with Callen at the orphanage May 2013

During that trip we decided to start the process to adopt Katya and spent the next several months fundraising and doing paperwork to adopt her. We still heard from our other girl every couple of months and she still wanted to be with us. Over the months she told her family what her wishes were. We made plans to adopt her too. Sadly just a couple of months before we got travel dates to adopt the girls Russia invaded Crimea and took them over. Russia banned Americans from adopting from there in 2012......so this again ended our dreams of her being our daughter. 

This is Independence square in Kiev June 2014

We have kept in touch with her but it's always been through other people passing messages and it was only every few months. Amazingly before Christmas we found out a team of Americans were going to her city on a mission trip. They agreed to take some money over for us to give to a local friend there who visits the orphanage. Our girl requested a phone that she could use to keep in contact with us. She was finally able to get it activated and set up a facebook account this month. Since then we have heard from her everyday and everyday she expresses that if given the opportunity she wants to be apart of our family. 

This is our sweet girl.

We only have a very short time to get the paperwork filed so if the opportunity ever presents itself we could adopt her. You see the US has a law that children cannot be adopted after the age of 16 unless you file certain papers and meet certain time criterias. Even if we get the papers done in time it's still a huge mountain we have to face of unknowns and challenges but all I know is that we fell in love with this girl and think of her as our daughter, no matter what. 

Catching up!

Wow it has been crazy around here since Pashas surgery in December. He's doing awesome!!! These were right after surgery I'll try to add updated ones soon.

 

Christmas was great we had already booked a place in Bandera thinking Pasha would still be in the hospital in San Antonio. We took the kids to Sea World and enjoyed family time there at the guest ranch we stayed at. It was a nice break from our routines at home and all the kids enjoyed it. 

The beginning of January Katya started complaining of a headache but was still eating good and playing so we gave it a few days hoping it was allergies or the remnants of sinus pressure from the cold she had the week of Christmas. Well after  5 days I took her to the ER and they decided it was shunt related so they replaced her shunt and put in an adjustable one. Well these things aren't an exact science so it took 2 weeks and 2 hospital admissions to find the right setting for her but since then she's doing great and is back to normal. 

Ashlyn turned 12 in January and Lesia turned 17 that month then a week later at the beginning of this month Savannah turned 3! So we have been pretty busy, also Super Bowl weekend we brought home a 6 week old Great Dane puppy we named Sassafras aka Sassy. 

Ok I think that's the short version of everything:) hopefully my next update won't take so long:) 

Here's the puppy

Katya at Savannah's birthday party

Savannah and my grandma 

Pasha in his stander