Big Shout out to the State Capitol!

Yesterday we decided it was time to get away. We needed a break from everything and we had almost every paper for the dossier done. I booked 2 rooms in Hershey Pa and got us all packed up. We took my gram with us because she said she wanted to go to Hershey for her birthday. Her birthday isnt until May but what the hay, right?

We left at 6:45am Monday morning. The roads were clear which was a bit of a shocker since we had 3 ft of snow at our house. We were making great time so we stopped to get a cinnamon roll for breakfast. We got to Hershey at about 11am. The kids were so excited to be there. We toured the factory and it was great. Basically it was us 7 and maybe 10 other people in the whole building, haha. I forgot how there was not really a lot to do at the Hershey factory. We were done there maybe an hour after we got there. So we called up the hotel and ask if we could check in early, like 4 hours early. They surprised us all and said yes.

At the hotel we got our rooms and they were fabulous! Very clean and really pretty. We went swimming and had a blast. I preferred the hot tub to the chilly chilly pool water. The kids had a blast. Cherry and Trin were playing and helping each other swim, it was so cute. Sarie wasnt too sure of the water except for when she was on my back. AJ absolutely loved it. When Paul wanted to swim I took AJ and when I wanted to he took her. When we both were swimming or playing with the other kids she was sitting out with Gram. She was so mad when we would take her out of the pool. None of the kids wanted to leave the pool, ah correction Sarie was all too eager to leave. After we got them out of the pool and AJ was done throwing a tantrum we got dressed and ready to see friends we havent seen in oh my....6 years! Wow! 6 really....anyways..

We went to their house which is beautiful by the way and then out to dinner. It was so cute hearing our 5 yr old and their 6 yr old talk. They couldnt remember each others names so they keep saying, "Best Friend, hey Best Friend" haha. We got to socialize and then I remembered that not every family is a homeschooling family and it was Monday not Saturday. So we cut our visit short and went back to the hotel.

I knew that Tuesday would be such a big day and that they were also calling for yet another snow storm so we had to get in get done and get out. Tuesday morning came way too fast. We got up and had a wonderful breakfast courtesy of Days Inn on Chocolate Ave in Hershey(lil shout out). The kids and I all ate well then we started to head to Harrisburg. This is the time our Gps and Pauls phone decided to not work. I completely forgot my phone had gps until we were in Harrisburg. So we found the building and fed the meter. We had an hour and 40 minutes to get done.

The kids did so well going through the metal detectors, even AJ. She was looking like she was grown walking through there herself. The building was amazing! They were having a meeting in the chamber while we were there. After going through a maze, fun maze, we found the apostilling office. They were so nice there. I ask if they notarized because we had 4 documents we had to redo because there was a 1 where a 3 should have been, picky adoption agency. Sadly they told us no, but ask where we were from. I told them we were from the Burgh and they all worked together to find who was our representative and get those papers notarized. They said we shouldnt have to go all the way home to come all the way back out. I thought that was very thoughtful.

We had to go through the maze again only a different way to find Sen. Logan's office. A woman on the elevator told us she would take us right there, how sweet. We would have never found it ourself. It was on floor E but was 5 something so we would have just gone to 5 and been totally lost. She was so kind to us. I was worried that the people in the office would say no or it would be this insane amount of money, they didnt. God certainly was in this trip. While the papers were getting notarized another woman ask us about the adoption and how we decided to adopt. I love that question. I am not one to speak about salvation and how you must get saved and be all preachy. I wish I were, but I am not. I think our adoption story allows me to speak about miracles and the God we serve without getting preachy.

The woman said, "Isn't He great!" Not isnt that great or oh how nice, but Isnt He great. Amen He is! She then took us into the office of Sen. Logan, his private office. I felt so privileged. Then she put the tv on and it was the meeting going on. She explained the whole process to us. I never thought I would like government but I was genuinely interested. It was a good opportunity for the girls to learn too. She told us we could actually go to the "chamber" and watch, but we had to go back and get those papers apostilled and pick up the others. They wished us luck and with the papers in hand we headed back through the maze one last time to the apostilling office.

We got back to the office and paid the money for the apostills. $700. I spent less than that on our last van! I am going to talk to the Senator about changing the laws so the apostilling rate can be lowered. There was another couple at the office apostilling for China. It was their first adoption and their 4 th child, a boy. How wonderful. I pray he comes home soon.

We got in the car with only 9 minutes left on the meter. After we stopped for a bite to eat at Friendlys we were finally on our way back home. Snow started to hit pretty fast into the trip. We did beat it home though. As soon as we were all in the door the snow fell hard, haha.

Better news was when I opened an email from our caseworker in Washington. Paul ask her if we needed to get the medical tests done here and in Russia because the papers kind of made it sound that way. She took like 2 weeks to get the answers for us, something Paul and I feel she should have already known because we are not the first people to adopt from this agency. Anyways I kept pestering her and finally she told us great news. We did not have to have the tests done here but only in Moscow at the American clinic. This is awesome on so many levels. 1- there were 40 pages that went along with this paperwork that needed filled out by a doctor that was an internist which our dr wasnt and they all would have needed notarized and apostilled. 2- The tests and apostills would have been hugely expensive. 3- Our dossier now needs 2 papers and will be complete!!! YAY!!!!!

This friday we see a CPA and maybe, just maybe will be ready to turn in the dossier by next Friday! I am asking for prayer for a few things....

Our homestudy is in Russia and pending approval, please pray it gets approved.

That Paul gets a job.

We need 1200.00 for the medical exam in Russia when we go out the first time, plus 2000. for plane tickets and 300. per day for the translator. Hotel costs are not included in that. God is going to have to send us a big check.

Pray the spaghetti dinner fundraiser goes off really well and we have a ton of people. It is at Monroeville Assembly Of God church in Monroeville Pa on Feb 26th at 6pm. There will be music and drama, oh yeah and yummy food.

As always keep Faith and all the orphans in your prayers. They need to be home with their families. They need healed and loved.

Praise reports

God is good all the time. We thank Him for helping us to get a reliable van. Ours finally bit the dust in the way home from picking up the new(to us) one. For getting us the finances to pay for the apostilling. For everything! Thank you Jesus for loving us. Some days I just sit on my knees and think "Who am I oh sovereign Lord and who is my family that You have brought me this far!"2 Samuel 7:18