Thanksgiving (One Week Late)

I’m excited to report that we are back in Ukraine and continuing on our adoption journey!  We had our 2^nd SDA appointment this afternoon and are waiting (patiently) for our referral paperwork so that we can travel to Gorlovka to meet the girl who might soon become our daughter.  Our appointment lasted about 10 minutes, and we met with the same official, who was very nice to us.  If all goes according to plan, we will be on a flight to Donetsk tomorrow night and will be at the orphanage bright and early on Friday morning to get things started.

A little over a month ago, Matt and I made the tough decision to move forward with adopting.  I totally supported the decision, but, at the time, I couldn’t imagine us moving forward with as much laughter and enthusiasm as we’ve actually experienced so far.  There are still sad moments when I think of what might have been, but most of these have been replaced with happy thoughts about what is to come.  I believe that we are on the right path – I get the feeling that “everything is the way it should be” every time I see a picture of her.  This time, our blog might seem a bit more guarded.  We’ll keep her name and details private a bit longer until we are sure things are going to work out.  But, we’ll fill you in on how things are going and are really thankful for those of you taking time to read this blog, think of us, and pray for our trip. 

Speaking of thanks, last Thursday was a very different Thanksgiving Day for me.  Because of our upcoming trip, we weren’t able to travel to South Carolina and be with family, and we spent much of the day packing and cleaning.  Although our meal was fantastic (thanks to the fact that my husband is a great cook), we didn’t have a traditional celebration and I don’t remember saying what I was thankful for.  So, just a bit late, I thought I would take this chance to express gratitude for those things (large and small) that make our lives and this experience so special. 

Top 10 List of Things We Are Truly Grateful For:

1.    Our many wonderful friends, who called, wrote, emailed, texted, cooked, chauffeured, cleaned, watered (our plants), raked (our yard), and provided an outpouring of concern

2.    The many adoptive families that we have met along this journey, who inspire us with their stories and their dedication to their new children

3.    Our facilitator, Angelina, for her help, humor, and encouragement

4.    Our families, who have been supportive beyond belief

5.    Our colleagues at work, who have made it possible for us to be here and completed many of our “to-dos” while we are here (twice)

6.    For EBags, who made my wonderful new suitcase that allowed me to bring nearly everything but the kitchen sink (but not for the United baggage handlers who lost my cool Hawaiian luggage tag in the process)

7.    For Lands End, who made my nice warm down coat that really is suitable for blizzard conditions (a.k.a., Ukrainian winter)

8.    For borsch, which is tasty and hearty

9.    For each other, to laugh and cry with

10.  For this wonderful opportunity that has been presented to us!

I read on another blog that it is lucky to rub the beetle on this statue outside the SDA.
We are taking NO chances this time!