The Kelley's Kazakhstan or make that Pennsylvania Adoption

1 YEAR OLD!!!!

2011-08-07T12:07:00.002-04:00

Wow time sure does fly buy!!! It seems like just yesterday we were at the hospital for her birth now Arianna is 1 year old!!! Our baby?!?!!? took her 1st steps July 7th and is now walking or more like running all over the place.
I don't know who had more fun at her party Arianna or Mommy and Daddy who for so long dreamed of this day. Lots of friends and family all shared in her special day. Arianna had a great time with her cake as you can see and loved opening all her presents.
So many new 1st in our lives Arianna's 1st Birthday, steps, 1st time in a swing 1st wagon ride and we want to get her to the beach on of these days before summer ends.
We love being parents and can't wait to see what new 1st today will bring.

1 year ago

2011-06-05T19:10:00.003-04:00

June 4th 1 year ago my life took a change for the better. After 15 years of trying to Adopt and finally giving up, I was asked if Sandy and I still wanted to adopt. Little did we know that 29 days later Arianna Danielle Kelley was to be born. We can't believe in just a little less than a month from now she'll be turning 1 year old. Our little girl is growing up so fast, rolling -crawling and now standing soon she'll be walking. This past year with Arianna has been the best of my life I can't wait to see what the year ahead will bring.

Arianna's day at the zoo

2011-05-01T12:22:00.004-04:00

Well we finally had a nice Spring day so we took advantage of it and took Arianna to the Zoo. We had so much fun just watching her expressions as she saw the different animals for the 1st time in her life. Being almost 10 months old now shes checking everything out and exploring her surroundings. I think her favorite was the kangaroos. There's an enclosed area you can enter and the roos can roam freely. Arianna loved it when they hopped right past her, she squeeled and laughed and not at all afraid of trying to touch them. She did good for almost 3 hours before she pooped out and fell asleep just as we were to leave.
Can't wait until summer lots of fun new things to do with our little girl. Sandy and I can't wait. And birthday #1 only 2 months away we're making plans right now.

Arianna at 9 months

2011-04-08T20:55:00.007-04:00

Wow we can't believe that soon our little girl will be turning 1 year old! Time sure goes by so quickly. Our little girl is now rolling, trying to crawl and sitting up on her own. Today Arianna started clapping her hands together when we sing pattycakes! She's so cute, we get so many comments about what a beautiful daughter we have :-)
Arianna has had quite the social life this past month. Arianna has been to an Erie Otters hockey game and three Erie Bayhawks basketball games. She was sitting center court at one of the games pictured above. Several players came over to play with her in the pregame warm-ups. After the game a few players signing autographs commented seeing her dancing and cheering them on.
We can't wait until summer so we can do all the fun summertime activities with her.

The past 9 months have been the best of our lives and look forward to spending every second we can with Arianna. I love finally being called Daddy :-)

7 MONTHS!!!!!

2011-02-09T18:17:00.003-05:00

WOW Arianna is 7 months old already!!! We can't believe in just a few short months she'll be a year old. The Kelley Family is doing great. We just wish winter would end so we can get Arianna out for more walks around the neighborhood. We get so many comments about how pretty she is when we're out and about. She's so good for us and always has a smile on her face. No matter how bad the day was she always makes my day when I come home and see her smileing face as soon as she sees me.
Arianna is rolling around and holds herself up, soon she should be crawling around.
No teeth yet but the way she has been chewing on her pacifiyer I believe she'll have some breaking through soon.
Arianna spoke her 1st word and it was DADA :-) we are still working on MAMA. Her laugh is so cute she is everything we ever dreamed about.
Well sorry about taking so long to post I promise to post more pictures each week.

A HAPPY ENDING A NEW BEGINNING

2010-12-29T18:51:00.004-05:00

Daddy and Arianna
Tuesday December 21, 2010 3:00PM became the happiest day of our lives!!!! 15 Years WOW 15 years finally came to a perfect ending. Just 6 months ago I never ever thought I'd be finalizing the Adoption of a little girl just days before Christmas. Both of our families where there,Sandys nephew even flew in early to be there. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when the judge announced the Adoption was approved. Arianna even got to sit in the judge's chair and bang her gavel. The judge even gave her a childrens 1st numbers book signed and dated.
Everything when great, the entire court staff couldn't stop commenting how cute Arianna is and they could see why we wanted to adopt her so badly. I held her the entire time and she was so good just looking around and wondered what all the fuss was about. We were asked several questions and the judge got a real laugh when she found out we were married in a McDonalds. The entire hearing took about 1/2 hour and at 3:00 PM our dreams finally came true we are offically Arianna's Mommy and Daddy.
Today our Certificate of Adoption just arrived and soon we'll be getting her birth certificate.
This Christmas was the greatest ever, Sandy and I got the most wonderful gift of our lives our little girl we've dreamt so long about.
As for Arianna she made out like a bandit. Every time a gift came my way her name was on it. We're looking forward to the years ahead watching her grow and the many Christmas yet to come.

Happy Holidays to EVERYONE!!!!

Brian Sandy and Arianna Kelley

Hours away

2010-12-20T22:50:00.001-05:00

Tommorow is the big day, the day we've been waiting 15 years for! Our dream is about to come true.

Final Countdown

2010-12-18T15:47:00.002-05:00

Only 3 more days until we finalize our adoption of Arianna!!!!!
Our computer bit the dust last week so if Santa gets us a new computer I'll post Arianna's Christmas pictures. They turned out beautiful!! She's getting so big and she's so pretty we're such lucky parents. Sandy and I are so excited that after 15 years our dream is about to come true and so close to Christmas. I'll post pics next week.
Happy Holidays
Brian, Sandy and Arianna

Arianna

2010-11-22T20:16:00.003-05:00

Here's finally some pictures of Arianna isn't she BEAUTIFUL!!!!

A little Christmas Magic

2010-11-22T18:52:00.009-05:00

In less than 1 month our adoption of Arianna will be finalized!!!!!!!!!!! One week ago today the birth parents signed off on their parental rights and we were told it would be a 30 day wait before we could get a court date to finalize the adoption. We really didn't expect to get a date until next year but to our delight the lawyer called and said Merry Christmas your court date will be Dec. 21st !! What a great Christmas present!!!!!
Last monday was hard being there with the birth parents as they signed off. Our lawyer told us usually we wouldn't have to be there but there was just a case in which the BP's signed off and two weeks later the adoptive parents had a falling out and divorced and didn't want to adopt. So the judge just wanted to question us to make sure the marriage was strong and that we still wanted to adopt. Sandy was brought to tears when the judge asked how would feel if something happened and we couldn't Adopt Arianna. The judge was really nice and told us what a cute couple we are and she can't wait to see again in in a month.
After we finished answering questions, The birth parents went in and signed off. There were lots of tears as they came out of the courtroom to leave, we gave hugs and all just cried.
We are so blessed to have meet them and they're giving us the greatest gift of all something that we have been working so hard to become for the past 15 years- Mommy and Daddy to a BEAUTIFUL little Girl ARIANNA!!

So we are counting down the days and enjoying every minute we have with her and look forward to the years ahead.
People have been telling me its fate that the adoption will be finalized just days before Christmas. Two years ago our attorney told us a story a story of a couple that adopted and the baby was born on Christmas eve. Sadly for us the mother lost the child we were to adopt.
When we tried to adopt through the state they kept telling us forget about a baby all the children are older. I told them we didn't care if the child was a newborn we just wanted to have a child young enough to still believe in Santa. We just wanted a little Christmas magic.
Little did we know years later after we had totally given up all hope of ever becoming parents that there was to be some CHRISTMAS MAGIC for us and we'll finally have our little Arianna.
We have been praying and wishing for so long and have cried so many tears and now we are only days away from reaching our dream. This will be the best Christmas of our lives, and our 1st as a FAMILY.
Sandy Arianna and I want to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We have plenty to be Thankful for this year.

Brian

Ones best success comes after their greatest disappointments.
Henry Ward Beecher

Almost 4 months

2010-10-25T19:25:00.002-04:00

Arianna 2 days old.

Wow we can't believe out little Arianna is almost 4 months old now!!! The picture above was taken by the hospital when she was only 2 days old. My how she has grown and changed. We'll post more updated pictures once the adoption is completed. Our little girl is now cooing and squeeling with delight when we play with her. She loves when we sing to her and is so alert. Everyone keeps telling us how cute she is (We're proud parents).
We're still waiting for the Nov. 15 court date and we're hoping to finalize the adoption before Christmas. It just seems like such a long wait although we should be used to it we waited 18 years to get to this point so whats another few months. We don't mind we finally have our little girl we've waited so long for :-).
This has been a real busy 4 months, every day with her has been a blessing. We've been to our family reunions, several baby showers. My shop picnic, walks on the beach. Arianna's 1st concert Matty B and the dirty pickles at Sara's by the beach. And so much more I love being a daddy and I love my little girl.
Well time to play with her some more and then feeding and off to bed. We've been soooooo lucky that she sleep through the night for us. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she keeps that up.

Good Night

Brian , Sandy and Arianna

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Court Date

2010-09-22T06:15:00.002-04:00

We finally have a court date on Nov. 15th!!!!! This will be for the termination of parential rights. The finalization of the adoption can be no sooner than 30 days after this so we're really hoping to get the BEST Christmas present ever and have the Adoption completed sometime in Dec.
Arianna is getting so big almost 10 lbs now at 2 and 1/2 months old, she already outgrown some of her cute newborn outfits.
I'll be posting pictures as soon as the adoption is complete, so everyone will have to wait just a few more months.

Well off to work, can't wait to get home to our beautiful little girl.

Just a Quick post

2010-08-29T21:58:00.004-04:00

Wow its been over a MONTH SINCE I'VE POSTED !!! Time sure does fly. Arianna is doing well she's now up to 8lbs 13 oz. and 21 and 1/8 inches and getting bigger every day. We've been to 3 baby showers and now need a Bigger house for everything!!! Everyone has been so great to the 3 of us.
Well the 30 day wait for the termination of the parential rights ended Aug 7th. We are now waiting for our court date to finalize the Adoption. I'm guessing Oct. or Nov. for a court date.
I'll be able to post pictures when the adoption is final, I know many of you have asked to see some. Believe me shes BEAUTIFUL!!!! We're proud parents.
It's taken us 18 YEARS but the wait has been worth it.
I'll post more between the feedings and diaper changes.

Brian, Sandy and Arianna

Adoption in Just 29 Days!!!

2010-07-23T18:11:00.004-04:00

A little peak at Arianna we still can't post pics until the Adoption is final.
Well baby is asleep and I have some free time to finally post. Well it only took us 18 years of heartbreak, fustration and tears but we finally have our little girl! I posted before this took just 29 days from the time we were 1st asked if we were still interested in adoption until Arianna was born. I just want to say if you want to adopt and are having trouble let people know your trying you NEVER Know what may happen.
It's been over 2 years now that our Kazakhstan Adoption fell through, then our next two Birth mothers both lost the babies due to various reasons. We lost 3 children within 3 months. Sandy and I had all but given up on Adopting, we figured it just wasn't going to ever happen for us and it was the furthest thing from my mind. We had some money from a loan we took out for when we were to adopt from Kaz. I figured I have the money Adoption was out of the picture so I always wanted a motorcycle so I bought myself one. Gee little did I know what 2 people I knew were about to ask me.
I want to respect their privacy so I don't want to go into to much detail. So I will just say there are two sisters (I knew both for years but didn't know they were sisters). both knew what we had gone through over all the years and knew someone that had a child that they want to have adopted. So one day as they were talking about knowing a couple they could ask our name came up and they were both in shock when they found out they were both talking about Sandy and I.
I was asked June 4th and given the birth parents phone # we talked and finally met them 3 weeks ago this past wed.
We chatted for almost 3 hours and really felt a connection with them we really hit it off. Sandy and I were in limbo for almost a week went by without hearing from them.
We wondered if maybe they had 2nd thoughts, didn't they like us what was going on?
Finally on tuesday Sandy called me at work, they had called and wanted us to be the parents!!!!!
We met the Birth mother on Wed. and got to listen to the babies heartbeat see sonogram photos and met her other little daughter (she's a cutie). Thursday we started telling our families what was going on and on Saturday July 3rd we were at my cousins party and had told everyone we had a big announcement to make. WELL at 5 o'clock the BM called and told us she was having pains and was having her friend take her to the hospital but not to worry she didn't think it was anything serious. 1/2 an hour later she called back and told us you better met me there baby is on the way!!!!!!!! Lets just say my brother had to make the announcement for us.
Sandy and I arrived at the front door the same time as the BM and her friend did. We got her in a wheel chair got her inside at 6 PM and at 9:06 PM Arianna was born!!!

Never Never did I ever think I would get to be there for the delivery, hear a babies 1st cry (our baby), get to hear her weight and size and believe me I was in tears the 1st time I got to hold her. She so beautiful!!!!!!
So everything is going well now. Baby sleeps better now at night up maybe once or twice during the night. Shes a great eater and sleeps thru anything nothing wakes Arianna up.
We've been spending the past 3 weeks showing her off :-) Yep I'm a proud daddy.
The 1st day we had Arianna we were walking around Walmart and and some ladies were saying how cute she is. One lady asked how old she is and Sandy told her 4 days old she took 1 look at Sandy and exclaimed "You look great for just having a baby"!!!! :-)
So now I'm the luck guy how gets to walk around with to Beautiful girls.

Everyone has been great to the 3 of us, work gave us a big baby shower and our families are planning Adoption showers after Aug 7th
We have talked with the Birthmother about a week ago and shes so happy for us. Shes such a wonderful woman and we are blessed to have them in our lives.
So thing are going great my life had taken a GREAT big turn for the BETTER!!!
Family reunions coming up lots of family that can't wait to meet her.
Well almost feeding time so I have to go warm up a bottle or her. I'll end here and post more when I get some free time.
Thanks everyone who have been praying for us DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!!!!!

Baby doing well

2010-07-09T23:07:00.003-04:00

Well after wondering what the heck we got ourselves into after spending the 1st night home to a crying screaming baby and 1 hour of sleep, she finally settled down. I don't know how she can sleep and not wake up for anything during the day, but as soon as the lights go out look out!!
Usually we give her last bottle between 10-11PM and she will give us 4-5 hours of sleep. We even had to wake her up once or twice for feedings. I hope this last.
I'll try to post pics as soon as we can. We hear it was hard for them but the birthparents signed off on paperwork and now we wait until Aug 7th. 30 days we'll be on pins and needles hoping they won't change there minds.
Arianna had her 1st Doctors appt today and she's doing great!!1 Upto 7 lbs butdidn't grow yet still 19 and 3/4 inches. Doc will see her again in 7 weeks
Well its 11PM on a friday night and I'm headed to bed, But not until I give Arianna a kiss good night. WE Love her so much. WE spent the 4th of July sitting alone in a hospital room with her and it was the best day of our lives!!! ALL The the fireworks in the world don't compare to her.
Thanks for all the wonderful comments

Brian Sandy and Arianna

Dreams do come true!!1

1st Night with Baby

2010-07-06T09:59:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post while baby finally sleeps. She was up all night with mom and dad and after a 6AM feeding shes been out like a light sleeping for the last 4 hours.
Busy day lots of Appts and Nurse to visit the house within the hour.
We did everything in 29 days so its been really crazy. June 4th we were asked if we were still interested in adopting. Two weeks ago we met the Birth Parents. Only 1 week ago today Sandy called me at work and told me the Mothers Loved us from the moment she met us. Wed. we went to her Appt. Saturday she called us at a July 4th party and said she was having pains. 6 PM she called back and asked us to meet her at the hospital and 3 hours later our little girl was born.
Well that the short and sweet version. When we have time I'll post the long version.
Our lives have took a huge change. Sandy spit up on and I got my 1st hand full of poop. And you know what I love every second of it.

Time for a feeding
Thank you all for the support over all these years. Pray that the adoption will go thru.

WE ARE PARENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-04T00:03:00.002-04:00

Arianna Danielle Kelley Born July 3 2010 at 9:06 PM 6 lbs 13 oz 19 inches
FINALLY AFTER 15 YEARS OF HEARTBREAK WE ARE FINALLY ADOPTIVE PARENTS I'M HEADED BACK TO THE HOSPITAL NOW AND WILL POST IN THE COMING DAYS HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATING

2010-06-30T08:26:00.004-04:00

Updated homestudy Wed. night, just waiting for our child abuse clearances and going to update physicals in 1/2 hour. Its going to be a wild ride the next few weeks!! Stay tuned folks :-)

"Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough, You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." --Sir James M. Barrie ...

Deja Vu

2010-06-12T12:20:00.002-04:00

Feels like we been here before!!! New fingerprinting, updating paperwork and Homestudy change / updating this is all happening so fast and came up at the last minute. Stay tuned folks and pray for us!! I'll post updates

We're Back!!

NEW HOPE

2010-06-04T20:47:00.002-04:00

Sara Paddison, The Hidden Power of the Heart
When the heart is enlivened again, it feels like the sun coming out after a week of rainy days. There is hope in the heart that chases the clouds away. Hope is a higher heart frequency and as you begin to reconnect with your heart, hope is waiting to show you new possibilities and arrest the downward spiral of grief and loneliness. It becomes a matter of how soon you want the sun to shine. Listening to the still, small voice in your heart will make hope into a reality.

We have HOPE

A New Hope

2009-06-26T23:37:00.003-04:00

Wow its been a long time since we've posted!!!
But it has also been a long time since anything have happened adoption related.
We had pretty much had all but given up on adopting until today. Its still a long shot and we have a LONG LONG Ways to go and I'll post more if anything becomes of this.
Keep your fingers crossed and those Prayers coming.

Brian and Sandy

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
William Feather

Doing it all Wrong?!?!!?!?

2009-03-01T11:43:00.004-05:00

Woman swaps two kids for cockatoo, $175

Police in the southern US state of Louisiana have arrested a woman who allegedly traded two young children for an exotic bird and a bit of cash. Donna Greenwell, a 51-year-old long distance trucker, has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and is being held in jail on a bond of $100,000 after she allegedly swapped a four- and five-year-old in her care for a cockatoo and $175. The story began several weeks ago when Greenwell pulled her cattle truck into a livestock dealer’s to make a delivery, Dupre said. A couple had put up a flier at the dealer’s, advertising a cockatoo they had for sale for $1,500. Ms Greenwell saw the picture of the cockatoo along with the phone number, and with her raising birds already, she called them up. The conversation started with buying the cockatoo but when Greenwell found out they were a childless couple, it led up to trading the bird for the kids. The deal was sealed, and Greenwell handed over a five-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl to the Romeros in exchange for the bird and $175. The children weren’t even Greenwell’s biological offspring. afp

It's been so long since I've last posted anything, but there is nothing to post.
This time last year we were getting really excited, knowing our time to travel was coming soon. Little did we know that in the next few months to come we would lose two children.
This past Christmas was really hard for us, we though that we'd have our little girl home from Kazakhstan and we would be celebrating our 1st Christmas together.
Dec. 16th is also when our other child would have been born, A Christmas baby. The birth mother was planning on trying to have the baby on Dec 6th
It's been almost a year since we recieved the bad news from CHI and nothing has changed. Sandy was talking with a doctor about Adopting (many pregnant single girls not knowing what to do could have been told about us looking to Adopt). After 3 canceled appointments we found out he left the practice.
We've also talked with an Agency about domestic adoption but the $11,000 they wanted up front put an end to that.
Right now we really don't know what we want to do. Today was the 1st time in a really long time that I went to CHI's website to read the blogs only to be disgusted.
So many families having dossiers returned and nothing but trouble with trying to Adopt from Kaz. WHY!!! So many families want to adopt and so many children in need of a good home what is the PROBLEM!!!!
I just wish people could understand how painful for us families. The end of last year was REALLY hard for us. It was just to hard to be around children without getting upset and people couldn't understand why and would even get mad at us. We were even told "I didn't attend any Funeral so I don't know why your so upset"
I guess people can't understand what it's like to try so hard for so long only to have all your hopes and dreams crushed.
We might not of had a funeral but every day I feel like a part of me has died. Every day I look at that big pile of paperwork, the little outfits our child would of worn , I can't even to walk into the bedroom that I worked so hard on last year.
Every single day when we go somewhere and we see a family with children it hurts so bad. I will always wonder what could have been, and wonder about the child we would have met in Kazakhstan. I think thats what makes it so much harder is that there is no fond memories that we can look back upon.
As for now I don't know what we will do, the SWAN program here in PA. is most likely our best option, but after talking to them last year we really don't know right now.
I did just recently run into a friend of mine who just adopted through the Swan program so We'll talk with him and maybe something will become of it.
People told us you need to get out there and let it be known we are looking to adopt
Maybe we could trade our birds. ;-)

There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.
Robert F. Kennedy

ON HOLD

2008-12-01T21:02:00.001-05:00

Well once again our appointment was canceled :-( Still no word on when we might have a 3rd try I'll let everyone know.

NEXT WEEK

2008-11-06T06:02:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update:
We have an appointment next week, I really don't know where this will lead us, I guess we'll know more a week from now. We're starting all over again and hope something will become of this, if not I think we are done trying to adopt we are really out of options. I'll let everyone know how things go.
Brian

P.S. a few of you have Blogs that have gone private We'd love an invite, following along and seeing how others have overcome adversity inspires us.

Success is never wondering what if.
Karrie Huffman

Just our luck!!

2008-10-18T22:32:00.002-04:00

Well we did have an appointment next friday the 24th. We had 1/2 day vacation approved and have been waiting over a month only to get a phone call that our guy won't be in that day. Just our luck. We hope to set up another appointment soon, this is a long shot but we hope something will positive will come from this.

The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.
Nelson Boswell

?????????????

2008-09-25T21:38:00.002-04:00

Sorry no post for a long time, but its just hard to sit down and write. We still don't know where we go from here. We've called around and talked with different agencies, but it's the same problem over and over everyone wants $$$ up front with no promise of anything. After Kazakhstan leaving us almost $11,000 in the hole we are leary to spend more money (we don't have) with the possibility of losing everything again. We are still thinking about the Swan program but after talking with them in April we don't know if its what we really want to get into. We'll let everyone know if anything comes up.

We lose another

2008-08-22T23:50:00.006-04:00

Sorry to keep everyone waiting but this is so hard for me to write. Everyone reading know what happened to us back in April when our Dossier was rejected by the head of the MOE in Kazakhstan. Well here's what has happened since then.
On the following Wendsday we met with a caseworker for the PA. State Adoption Swan program and although this program is great for the children Sandy and I knew it wasn't for us. We really didn't expect an infant but I really want a child that's small enough to believe in Santa and that still has that Christmas magic. We left with a large pile of paperwork that we had aready gone thru once before. Here 2 years after we started we were right back to were we started only now our money, time and hope were all but gone. On thursday May 1st we felt defeated, we didn't feel like we could go through this process all over again we were ready to give up.
Then everything changed, Sandy was in Bed I was dozing off in front of the TV when the phone rang at 9:33 PM I missed the call but it was our friend Joyce (she is a reference on our homestudy). She left a message for Sandy to call her back it was really important and wanted Sandy to call at 11:30PM when she got home from work.
I woke Sandy a little after 11 and must have repeated myself 5 times that she had to call Joyce, little did I know that when I went to bed just how BIG this Call was.

Joyce's daughter has a friend that is pregnant and she is looking for a family to Adopt her child. Sandy and Joyce talked until almost 2 in the morning, Joyce wasn't sure if should have called us now or wait but we told her to give her our phone number and well see how things go. Friday May 2nd I had just arrived home from work and Sandy and I were talking about Joyce's call when the phone rang it was the Mother of our future Son or Daughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We talked and talked and talked we talked about all our hopes and fears and dreams and how much this means to her that her child will be in a good home that the child will be with someone who really REALLY WANT TO BE PARENTS.
We met on that Sunday Myself, Sandy and the Mother and Father of the child all finally met. We were all VERY nervous, how often do you meet the parents of a child that will become your Son or Daughter and how often do you get to meet the couple you'll be giving your child to. We talked for about two hours and She gave us the Sonogram pictures!! (I have them sitting here in front of me, all I can do know is sit here and wonder ) At the time all my dreams were coming true, I would get to go to her appointments , be there for Sonograms and do all of the things I thought I would NEVER get to do. And the due date was December 17th RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS All this time I kept telling people all I want is a little Christmas magic and here it is!!
Sandy and I met with a lawyer to get things moving, we updated our FBI and Child Abuse clearances, had our medicals updated and new fingerprints done. Things were going great, Sandy and I weren't sure if we should make the big announcement or just walk in Christmas morning and stun everyone. My family reunion Aug 9th was going to be the day we would tell everyone.
Things were going great until late June, we found out the Birth Mother had Placenta previa a complication of pregnancy in which the placenta grows in the lowest part of the womb (uterus) and covers all or part of the cervix.

The placenta is the organ that nourishes the developing fetus.

During pregnancy, your placenta repositions itself as your uterus stretches and grows. In early pregnancy, a low-lying placenta is very common. But as your pregnancy progresses, the enlarging uterus should "pull" the placenta toward the top of your uterus. By your third trimester, the placenta should be near the top of your uterus, leaving the opening of the cervix clear for the delivery.

Sometimes, though, the placenta remains in the lower portion of the uterus, partly or completely covering this opening. There are three types of placenta previa:

* Marginal: The placenta is located near the edge of the cervix but does not block it.
* Partial: The placenta covers part of the cervical opening.
* Complete: The placenta completely covers the cervical opening.

Placenta previa occurs in 1 out of 200 pregnancies.

She was to be on complete bed rest until the baby was born. When July came our phone calls weren't being returned, we couldn't understand she always called us RIGHT BACK what was going on?
We later found out her father had to take her to see a specialist in Pittsburgh, and just a few weeks ago we found out she lost the baby.
Our hearts go out to her we know how bad she wanted to make our Dreams come true.

So now here we are, we've now lost TWO Children within 4 months. I really don't know where we go from here. The SWAN program is really our only option, we've spent so much on paperwork Domestic is pretty much out of the question and international is no longer an option.
It hurts so bad right now to do so so much, so much time and money so many hopes and dreams and to be no closer now than we were 15 years ago. Not 1 day goes by that I don't think about what could be. At my reunion my cousin asked where our child was? I have people at work who ask when we'll be going to Kazakhstan. This should be a happy time, the time we would be introducing our child to everyone and sharing our Adoption story. Now I can only wonder why not us, and will I ever become a father? My wish for my 39th birthday was to become a father before my 40th. Now on my 40th my wish is to one day be a father.

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.
Mother Teresa

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Dale Carnegie

I Promise

2008-08-18T06:03:00.003-04:00

I know I know everyone has been waiting. I promise to let everyone know what's going on this week. We've just been very very busy and it will take some time to explain everything. Today is my 40th BIRTHDAY so it won't be tonite. Thanks to everyone who has left us comments, I'll write soon I Promise.

Adoption News Coming soon

2008-08-03T21:32:00.002-04:00

I'll have some news within the next week or so but its not good.

WE LOVE NEW YORK & RUBY FOOS

2008-07-19T22:50:00.010-04:00

The Tour Bus we road around town Saturday

We loved New York!!!! Sorry Julie we didn't get to see Bon Jovi, but at $1500 from scalpers for tickets to a free concert we'll pass ( We did see Blue Oyster Cult tonite though). And THANK you LISA- RUBY FOOS WAS YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY and Darlene for telling about the Circle Line Tour.
We woke up early Saturday and had a very good but expensive breakfast on the top of the Empire Hotel. This is the hotel we stayed at in New york, the Empire was very nice ($799 a night for the room we had). It's on 63rd next to the Lincoln Center, 1 block to Central park and right across from Madonna's apartment!! Nope NO A-Rod sightings ;-)!! We walked to times square and paid $98 to take the City Sights NY hop-on hop off Double decker Tour Bus. The all around tour took us uptown, down town, Brooklyn Tour, Night tour, free admission into the New York Historical Society or the Museum of the City of N.Y. and the Circle Line 75-minute Harbor Cruise. We took the down town tour Around the Empire state building, Wall St. Ground zero and much much more. We were planning to take the harbor cruise but found out from other tourist that you really really needed to be there at 8 AM just to have a shot at the last tour leaving for the day at three. So we just took the bus for the uptown tour around Central park, hells kitchen, Harlem, past the Bon Jovi concert line (27 blocks long 7 hours before the concert) the Metropolitian and more. The night tour was worth every penny we paid. It starts in Times Square goes thru the downtown area and over the Brooklyn bridge and to a ferry landing with a Beautiful view of the NEW YORK City skyline and the statue of Liberty. Our tour guide was wonderful and even played some ole Blue eyes songs. After the tour we ate dinner at Ruby Foos (Thanks Lisa) very good chinese food, a very chic place to eat right on Broadway in times square. It's really funny because this is the 1st place we ran into after we arrived friday.
After dinner we went into Toy's R Us, the ESPN Zone, the Hersheys and MnM's store and went to a few clubs and enjoyed the lights and sights in times square.
Sunday we just walked around the hotel area and inside the Shops on the circle shopping mall.
At 3:30 our Limo picked us up and took us to the airport. This is was the only bad part of the trip. We arived at 4 for a 6 o'clock flight and were moved up to a 4:30 flight seeing how our 6 o'clock flight was delayed and we wouldn't make our connection to Erie. We made it to the plane and then sat in the runway for 3 hours!!! Turns out some bad weather closed the flight path we were suppose to take! Our plane ran low on fuel and returned to the terminal, an hour later we finally reboarded the plane a finally took-off at 9:30 pm (this was the time we should have arrived in Erie).
To make a long story short we arrived in Cleveland at 10:30 paid $114 for a hotel room we didn't get settled into until 12:30 AM woke up at 5 AM- arrived at the airport at 5 AM and were home in Erie at 9:30 AM. Other than the delay we had a GREAT TIME IN NEW YORK CITY!! We just wish we had some more time to see the sights, the bus tour was realy the best way to see everything but we really wanted to walk around China town or little Italy. Guess I'll just need to win another trip so we can visit NEW YORK one more time. We love New York.

Sports Center Has New Host look out NEW YORK

2008-07-11T21:18:00.006-04:00

We made it safe and sound to New York city. It's only 10:00 but we are beat, waking at 3 AM , 2 flights and walking over 30 blocks will do that. The day started out a little rough up at 3 AM at the airport before 5 and finding out they gave me 3 tickets to Philadelphia and only gave Sandy a ticket to Hartford!! After a few stressful moments things were taken care of and boths flights were on time and we had no more problems. We arrived at the Hartford airport to find a LIMO!! Waiting for us to take us the ESPN studios. When we arrived we found 1 other couple from Philly whom had also won the same contest we had ( Joe and Charlene). On the way out to start our tour the 1st person we walked past was Chris Carter (former Minnesota Viking). We had lunch at the ESPN CAFE it was VERY VERY nice. ESPN tables cushioned chairs, plasma TVs to watch VERY NICE!!! After lucnh we had our tour guide Joe show us the ins and out of ESPN and we got to tour the NEW and Old Studios. Everything was very impressive and I was in my glory with all the Sports memoribila they had. After the tour our LIMO picked us up for a 2 hour ride to New York city!! Our hotel is VERY VERY nice. We are just 1/2 a block central park. We just walked over 30 blocks and found Ruby Foos near times square (this restraunt was by Lisa and will most likly be were we eat dinner Saturday). Sandy wanted steak and we found a nice place with a decent price dinner. Today we walked in Central park, and around Time square. We also found the ESPN ZONE (KIM) and walked around and took some pictures. The Toys R US is huge and has a ferris wheel inside the store. We also found Radio City music hall and the David Letterman studios. Tommorow we'll take to city circle tour and ride around the city and take a boat ride to the statue of liberty.
We'll I'm really starting to doze and Sandy is already sound asleep so I'm off to bed and look forward to another big day tommorow.

Nite Nite

ESPN BOUND!!

2008-07-06T21:28:00.002-04:00

Congrats Kim on correctly guessing we are going to visit the ESPN studios in Bristol Conn.
I won a contest back in Dec. from the Dr. Pepper cap codes!! We'll be flying into Bristol and getting a tour of the ESPN studios then driven to New York where we are free to do as we wish for a day and a half. We hope to have our schedule tommorow (we were suppose to have it by last Thursday) so we'll know where we'll be staying and can plan on what to do. I did see Bon Jovi is playing a free concert in Central Park or we might take a sight-seeing tour. There is just so much to see in New York we'll just try to do as much as possible. Anyone have any tips as where to go or what to see, places to eat etc... let us know!!

New Clue & Our 4th of July Starts out with a Ring Ring Ring?!!??

2008-07-06T11:16:00.002-04:00

Sandy and I hope everyone has been having a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Our 4th started out not with a bang but a Ring ring ring of our phone at 7 A.M. >:(
Yep at 7 am our phone was ringing but we let the answering machine take the call, we awoke a few hours later (ok it was more like noon but it's one of the advantages of not having any children yet). There was a message form a nurse at the hospital for Sandy saying that her son was admitted last night and that he was in the MICU but doing ok. Sandy and I were thinking "we don't have a son" must be a mix up. So Sandy called the hospital and talked with the nurse and she said your son was found laying on the road last night and was unresponsive when he was brought in but he's doing ok now. Sandy asked so just how old is this son of mine and she said 39!! Sandy explained there must be a mistake and that she doesn't have a son and hung up. After she told me I started thinking Hey 39 years old my name , address and phone number what if someone is trying to steal my identity?? So I called back the hospital and told the nurse my name is Brian I'm 39 but i'm Sandys husband. The nurse read off the address and phone number for this guy and YES it was our home address and phone #. A few hours later the hospital called back and told me things were taken care of and that there would be an investigation into how my name and number were being used for this guy.
After thinking about it for a little while I thought maybe I should file a report with the police just incase this guy has been using my name before!! So I called back the hospital and asked if a police report had been filed. The nurse told me NO there was a HUGE mix up on the behalf of addmissions. The guy picked up was another Brian Kelley!!! They wouldn't tell us how they got my address and number but if he was unresponsive when brought in didn't they check any ID he was carrying and how did they get my number?? The nurse wouldn't say but it was a HUGE mix up and the other Brian Kelley didn't know any of our personal info. Big relief there but it started our 4th off on a crazy note. Now if I can just get this other Brian Kelley to pay our Adoption paperwork loans ;-)

Well we are off to take the dogs for a walk at the beach and for a little BBQ just me and Sandy and the pups today. hope everyone had a great 4th of july and sandy and I look forward to another 3 day weekend and we get ready to head to New York City and Somewhere else you havn't guessed yet, and this other part is the whole reason for the trip. Here's todays clue:
'The Swami'

Guessing game part 2

2008-07-05T00:49:00.002-04:00

Congrats Suzanne for correctly guessing that we are going to New York City, here's a little tidbit of info that everyone has been guessing about the $24 will get you a lot clue.
The Dutch supposedly bought Manhattan from its Native American inhabitants for about $24 worth of trinkets

So ok we are going to New York and will have 2 days to sightsee, but we are really going there to go somewhere else. so here's the 1st clue as to where this trip to New York is leading us to:
A part of Walt Disney- Most Men like this part of Disney

NEW CLUE

2008-07-03T23:11:00.002-04:00

Keeping with the holiday here's the new clue, this can be found at a popular tourist spot in the city we are traveling to.

JULY IV MDCCLXXVI

Sorry Suzanne it's not Amsterdam, remember no passport is needed.

One week to go another clue.

2008-07-03T06:03:00.001-04:00

Here's another clue to the guessing game, where are Sandy and I going?
Well this city and Almaty share something in common.

Todays Clue

2008-07-01T22:47:00.001-04:00

6377 miles from this city to Almaty Kazakhstan

Sorry Julie it's not Colorado

New Clue

2008-06-30T21:58:00.002-04:00

2 guesses but no correct answers so here's todays clue:
You'll find the biggest gift ever here.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
William Edward Hickson

Guessing Game clue

2008-06-30T06:05:00.004-04:00

Seeing how we are just a few weeks away from our Guessing game trip here's another clue about where we are going.
We are going somewhere to go somewhere (you'll have 2 places to guess)
and $24 will get you a lot
the other clues so far
Going by Air and No Passport needed

Sandy and I just want to thank everyone whom even 3 months after we recieved the bad news of our Adoption from Kazakhstan still send us words of hope and prayers. We've had some ask how we are still able to read blogs and post comments, wondering how we can do so without hashing up painful memories of April 17th, (knowing how I love quotes) here's you answer in the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe :

Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though 'twere his own.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Guessing game trip date set!!

2008-06-26T21:26:00.003-04:00

We finally got the phone call for the travel dates for our guessing game trip. We'll be leaving early July for our trip. I'll be sure to take the laptop to post pictures and blog a little.
No new adoption news except we'll be setting up our homestudy update visit soon, after that it's all more waiting. We hope if all goes well we'll be looking at Nov-Dec. Keep on Praying for us.
Sorry so short but that's all for now here's another clue as to where we'll be going on our trip.

We'll be going by Air and be visiting 2 places on our trip.

Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date.
Dale Carnegie

NO NEW NEWS @ GUESSING GAME

2008-06-18T21:40:00.003-04:00

No new news to report yet, on the Adoption front or on our trip. We are just waiting on phone calls right now. This is the hardest part of Adoption is you have NO control, you are at the mercy of someone else to make your dream come true. We've done all we can do and it's now up to others. Still hoping by the end of the year we'll know more.
As for the guessing game here's the next clue : No Passport Needed

Here's something Very interesting about Adoption that was on Americas Most Wanted:
AMW FUGITIVE DATA FILE FOR
Orson Mozes

Wanted For |

Con Man Sought For Defrauding Adoptive Families

Investigators say Orson Mozes' business practices are no laughing matter

View Larger For many families in the United States, international adoption can be a last hope for making their home complete. For years, international adoptions have been on the rise, and while any adoption process can be difficult, authorities say one man -- Orson Mozes -- capitalized on his clients' trust and hopes for a child.

Mozes' Adoption International Program (AIP), while licensed in Pennsylvania, was actually run from Mozes' lavish Montecito mansion in Central California. When prospective parents began the process, authorities tell AMW that Mozes claimed to have extensive contacts in Russia, Kazakhstan, and the Ukraine, which yielded only the best and healthiest children.

Mozes also boasted about his 80 percent success rate of uniting a child with a family. All along the way, Mozes made repeated assurances that his company would be able to streamline the adoption process.

In most cases, prospective parents would find a picture of a child on a website that would put them in contact with AIP. Mozes would instruct his new clients to open a FedEx account, and to send an agency fee of between $7,000 and $11,000 to hold the child.

Investigators say Mozes neglected to tell his clients that holding children, who are called "referrals" in the adoption world, is impossible in some countries, especially Kazakhstan.

According to investigators, Mozes, on at least ten known occasions, promised the same child to multiple adoptive parents.

Authorities say that the majority of prospective parents trying to adopt through AIP were told -- after paying large sums of money, investing a great deal of time, paying additional funds for home studies, and completing INS paperwork -- that their child was no longer available.

Mozes often told families that a relative or birth mother had reclaimed the child or that country officials or orphanage staff had made a mistake.

Sometimes he offered no explanation at all.

Dawn stayed in the foreign land, waiting and hoping to bring a child home with her.
Couple Loses Three Boys In Kazakhstan Scam

Dawn and Stephen together in happier times
View Larger In 2006, Dawn DeLorenzo and her husband, Joe, had just finished an unsuccessful round of fertility treatments and began the process of looking to adopt.

That's when they came across a photo of a beautiful baby boy on an adoption website. That photo eventually put them in contact with AIP, and with Orson Mozes. Dawn and Joe eventually fell in love with Alexander, a little boy living in Kazakhstan.

They filled out paperwork, did a home study, and paid thousands of dollars in fees, but after nine months of preparing the adoption, Mozes said the child was no longer available.

Furthermore, Dawn says that Orson refused to pay back any of the fees, instead telling the couple that they would have to fight for the money in court. Somewhat defeated and intimidated, the DeLorenzos stayed with AIP.

So Dawn and Joe pressed on, this time with a new child they found named Stas. The couple flew to Kazakhstan to meet little Stas, and began the two-week bonding process, which is standard for these adoptions.

Despite Mozes' boast that his referrals were healthy, little Stas was actually sick and developmentally disabled, but it didn't matter: Dawn and Joe fell for Stas, and they named him Stephen. They even celebrated Stephen's first birthday. Ten days later, an official from the Kazakhstan Ministry of Education showed up saying, that the child's birth mother had reclaimed little Stephen.

The DeLorenzos were heartbroken. When they called Orson Mozes, he claimed that he was pulling strings for the couple, but they should choose another child that day.

Devastated, but wanting the trip to be a success, Dawn and Joe found little Andrey and began the process once again. After the standard two-week bonding period, a judge approved the adoption.

After weeks abroad, Joe left Kazakhstan to head back to work. Dawn stayed in the foreign land, waiting and hoping to bring a child home with her.

Following the judge's approval, there was another two-week period allowed for anyone to contest the adoption. On the last day, Andrey's birth mother came forward.

After legal wrangling in Kazakhstan and later at home, the DeLorenzos ultimately came out empty-handed, and had lost not one but three little boys.

To make matters worse, while in Kazakhstan, the DeLorenzos received an e-mail from another AIP client who had seen the couple's blog about their trials, travels, and tribulations in Kazakhstan.

Authorities tell AMW that the client saw photos of little Andrey, a child that Mozes and AIP had now promised to both couples.

Where In The World Is Orson Mozes?

Orson Mozes may be hiding out in Eastern Europe or Canada.

View Larger Investigators say that by mid 2007, numerous victims and AIP clients had complained to authorities in both the U.S. and Kazakhstan about Orson Mozes' shady business dealings. When Mozes fled in June 2007, nearly all his clients who were in the midst of adopting were left with nothing.

Authorities tell AMW that Mozes simply took the money and ran. Mozes' ex-wife and AIP co-owner, Christine Brown, would later tell police that Orson took off with close to $500,000 in cash.

There are 62 felony counts of Theft by False Pretense levied against Mozes, one count for each victim.

Authorities say Mozes holds a U.S. passport, but reportedly maintains dual citizenship in Canada, where he could be hiding. He also has contacts and family in Eastern Europe and Russia.

If you know where Orson Mozes is hiding out, call our hotline at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

- By Robert Brown, AMW Staff

On a more Positive Note here's my quote of the day:
"Anythings possible".
Kevin Garnett upon the Boston Celtics becomming the 2008 NBA Champions!!

FBI CLEARANCE HAS ARRIVED!! & NEW Guessing game

2008-06-08T21:42:00.002-04:00

Our updated FBI clearance arrived on Saturday so we are now set to update our homestudy. We will have to wait until after this next week to set up the homestudy visit as we are planning to take the trip I won last year. Times and dates are still being worked out so we don't know when we'll be traveling.
So I guess we'll have to start a new guessing game as to where we are going.
The 1st clue is it's not McDonalds ;-)

I also want to welcome back Suz and Matt who just returned home from Kazakhstan with a beautiful Daughter and handsome Son. I see I just missed her as I was posting a comment on the WOODS Blog at the same time Suz was leaving a comment on our Blog.
I wish we knew their flight schedule as we would loved to have meet them for a few hours in Philly.
Well that's it for now good luck with the guessing game I'm off to watch my Celtics game.

You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.
Irish Proverb

Just waiting

2008-05-29T20:53:00.002-04:00

Well right now we are just waiting for our fingerprints to come back from the FBI before we can update our homestudy. We did just recieve some paperwork in the mail to sign and return but our last name were spelled wrong!! No biggie as things can be fixed. Not much else we can do but wait for now. We'll keep everyone one updated so keep on praying for us.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Robert Collier

Now to wait

2008-05-21T20:52:00.002-04:00

We had a very good day yesterday, well any day you only work a 1/2 day is a good day ;-). We went to our appointment, pretty much an informative meeting and to get needed paperwork started. After our meeting we updated our FBI fingerprints, much different this time. Instead of going to the local police station and mailing in your prints you now register online, make your $40 per person payment then go to the nearest fingerprinting location. It's now much more costly but it was quick and easy and they send the prints via the internet to the FBI. Now we wait 4-6 weeks for our clearances then finish updating our homestudy. So for now we are waiting on others to do paperwork.
We finished up our day by going to the Erie Seawolves Baseball game (Detroit Tigers farm team). there was lots of babies and little children there, we dream of the day we can take our little one to the game. After the game we came home and watched my Boston Celtics win game one against the Detroit Pistons.
It was a very good day for us, we know things are a little ways off but we are doing everything we can to keep things moving along.
Keep on praying for us and we are praying for EVERYONE who is waiting to meet their child.

We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.
Helen Keller

Just Updating

2008-05-18T13:45:00.002-04:00

The title says it all Sandy and I have just been having paperwork updated. With our 171H expiring in June we had already updated our Child Abuse and Criminal background clearances. Friday we updated our medicals and this week we are getting our FBI fingerprinting done and that is all we need to update our homestudy!! Our caseworker Lisa should only have to do 1 more visit and we will be all set. The house is ready for a little spring cleaning anyways so just a little dusting is really all that is needed. Well that's it for now I'm off to read other blogs, hopefully by the end of the year we will have positive news to Share.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

2008-05-11T20:13:00.004-04:00

We just wanted to take the time to say Happy Mothers Day!! to all of the MOMS, Adoptive Moms, Moms in waiting and every new Mom meeting their child for the 1st time. We especially want to thank each and every Birth Mom it is you who have made so so many Dreams come true. Here is a poem I found written by an Adoptive mom I want to share I couldn't say it any better myself.
HOW CAN WE SAY THANK YOU

We wish to set today aside
and thank God for our son,
He's made our lives complete at last
our hearts beat now as one.

We wish to thank the couple
who have set our child free,
Who have chosen us to be the best
parents we could be.

We promised them a lifetime
of love to give their son,
We'll never ever let them down
for he's our precious one.

We also made a promise
but this one to our son,
We promise him a future filled
with love, laughter and fun.

We're a family now forever
and life is simply grand
The three of us will walk through life
together hand in hand...

Copywrite 2003
Dianne R. Forlenzo

I wrote this poem & dedicate it to our son's wonderful birthparents. We are forever grateful for their gift!! xoxo

Why we NEVER GIVE UP!!!

2008-05-08T18:43:00.002-04:00

The quote in my last post was taken from the blog of a waiting Vietnam family. Sandy and I just want everyone to know you are in our thoughts and prayers as we have heard Vietnam has closed most all Adoptions.
Three weeks ago today we got the bad news and we were crushed, we didn't know what we would do or if we could even bring ourselves to try once again. We have been trying to have a child for 15 years and honestly were ready to give up. Last thursday we had just about given up and then something happened!! Even though it is still a long way from happening and we have so much to do we have HOPE.

When you are down to nothing
God is up to something

Things happen for a reason so don't ever give up.

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Dale Carnegie

Today our dossier arrived back to us although it was disheartening something else arrived today. That is the card in the picture above so many people have sent us prayers and support and for Donnie and Misty to take the time and trouble to send this Beautiful card and Well Wishes means so much to us Thank You So So Much.
This is why we carry on and never give up with so much support and prayers we keep on trying and hope one day our story will have a happy ending.

The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.
Nelson Boswell

:-)

2008-05-08T06:17:00.000-04:00

When you are down to nothing
God is up to something

Still Working on our Dream

2008-05-06T21:39:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that this weekend we recieved some hope. I really can't say much as things are still a long ways off. Right now we are working on having our homestudy changed from international to one that meets Pennsylvania's Adoption requirements and taking the steps needed to make our dream come true.

You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.
Richard Bach

The power of Prayer

2008-05-02T21:28:00.003-04:00

I was just reading our good friends Suzannes blog and she was saying how much the comments people leave each day mean so much.
So many people have been leaving comments and sending E-mails it really gives us inspiration to move on when we feel like giving up.
We are still moving on exploring all our options. It's hard starting all over, it's been just over 2 weeks since the call and we feel like we should be landing in Almaty right now but here we are sitting in front of a pile of familiar paperwork.
The power of Prayer is a powerul thing keep on leaving comments no matter how small or simple, each means so much to us, we know with everyones support we can turn this negative into a positive.
We've come to far to give up now our child is out there somewhere we will find you.

Don't let go of your dreams. If you have determination and belief in your dreams, you will succeed in spite of your desire to let go.
Catherine Pulsifer

Starting Over

2008-04-29T20:39:00.003-04:00

Well tommorow we start all over, at 1:30 we meet with a caseworker for the State Wide Adoption Network to discuss our options with adopting here in Pennsylvania.
This is so hard knowing that if that call almost 2 weeks ago would have been good news we would be getting ready to travel. My guess is that we would have left thursday arrived in Kaz saturday and met our daughter Monday. It's so hard that for 15 years we have been trying and trying and trying and we don't seem any closer now than we were back then. Back in August of 2006 we started with hope and excitement now we start all over with fear and apprehension.
The past two weeks have been so hard, we hope no one else ever has to go thru what we have. Thanks so much for all the thoughts, prayers and well wishes they mean so much to Sandy and I, they give us hope and inspiration.
Since the 17th we have talked with Kellie on friday she expressed her condolences and still can't understand the reasons as to why our dossier was rejected. We are both under 55 met ALL the the requirements for Kaz and there was no issues with our dossier until it reached the Head of the MOE in Kazakhstan. CHI found out just two hours before they called us.

Now I want to get one thing straight, lot of people have asked if we are upset with Childrens Hope and blame them for this happening NO NO NO NO NO!!!
Childrens Hope International has been wonderful to us this entire time.
The only thing they did that upset us was to remove us from the blogroll less than 24 hours after we got the call. Jeff Morris called us last week to tell us how sorry he was about everything and he explained that it is CHI's policy to remove people from the blogroll, E-mail etc... so that we wouldn't recieve updates and mailings or anything that could open old woundsand upset us. I explained to Jeff that so many people follow each others blogs that as soon as we were removed from the list of waiting families our E-mail was swamped with people thinking we got the call to travel, this only made things a thousand times worse for us. This was the one time I really needed the support of others. It was a really nice talk I had with Jeff and it was a learning experience for the both of us. I learned so much and Jeff learned from me a few things that CHI can do to help any other family that this might happen to.
I know I wouldn't want to have to make that call to a family and give them the bad news, I don't think there is any RIGHT way of making that call. CHI did their best to make it easy for us and have offered their full support and prayers.
We may never fully understand the reason why the head of the MOE rejected our dossier. It just hurts so much to go thru SO SO SO SO much only to have someone say NOPE. When we read on others blogs of all the children calling people Mama and Papa and reaching out to them and how it just breaks your heart so much that you just want to take them all home and then this happens to us. WHY WHY WHY???

It upsets me that something like this happens and I read about judges making people wait months for a court date after they have bonded with a child. Two weeks of bonding and 4 months of waiting half a world away for a court date while a child has to wonder where mama and papa are! I just can't understand.
To all the children of Kazakhstan and those all over the world waiting for a MaMa and PaPa we hope your dreams come true.

If we take one thing from Childrens Hope International it's HOPE
We Hope that all will go well tommorow and that our journey will one day have a happy ending. Maybe our journey will end just a little closer to home than we thought.

All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney

One week Later a new Beginning

2008-04-24T19:56:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to do a quick post for everyone.
One week, it's been one week since we got call and news that would forever change our lives. So much has happened this past week and we still don't know were our journey will lead us.
Sandy and I want to thank everyone for all the prayers and support we have recieved over the past week. I'm sorry we haven't responded to each and every E-mail but we have read them ALL and feel truly blessed to have so much recieved so much support and advice.
We have talked with our homestudy caseworker and have gone over all the options as to "where do we go from here?" we will be meeting with a caseworker next Wed. and see if any Adoption programs here in Pennsylvania will work for us.
I have so much more I want to say and will try to post more over the weekend.
We know our daughter is out there somewhere maybe she's much closer than we know.

How long should you try? Until.
Jim Rohn

THE CALL the END??

2008-04-19T00:26:00.003-04:00

THURSDAY APRIL 17th 2008 has now become the worst day of our lives.
I thought 3 miscarriages and the tubal pregnacy we went thru were hard but this this has had us up over 30 hours doing nothing but crying.
Thursday afternoon our phone rang just seconds after Sandy left the house.
I answered the phone and on the other end was Jeff Morris, Kellie and Ann from Childrens Hope!!!
Jeff asked if Sandy was home and that they had an update on our Dossier.
My heart was racing I thought "THIS IS IT THIS IS THE CALL WE ARE FINAlLY GOING TO TRAVEL AND MEET OUR DAUGHTER" well it was the "CALL" but not the call we wanted.
Jeff told me they had just recieved a call from the repersentive in Kazakhstan and that the M.O.E. had REJECTED our dossier. I was Stunned and brought to tears!! Jeff said:
The MOE didn't understand our age difference and wondered why would someone over 50 want to adopt. Jeff stated it was a cultural difference and that the average life expectancy in Russia is only 58. There was nothing wrong with our dossier it was all about AGE. Kazakhstan is now not accepting anyone over 50 years old and that this is retro active and will effect everyone. It didn't matter the age limit was 55 when we submitted our dossier Kazakhstan rejected it, no-one over 50 and used our Dossier as a sample.
I cried and couldn't even talk, I called Sandy and couldn't even get the words out.
Childrens Hope is as stunned as we are, this is the 1st time this has ever happened to anyone.
We talked with Kellie friday morning and she felt so bad for us. This was a 1st WHY US WHY NOW, WHY after everything Sandy and I have been thru all the heartbreak and pain now only more.

I don't know how we're going to be able to tell everyone, it was so hard telling our families last night. how will I going thru a day when for the past year all we hear is "ANY WORD YET" How's the Adoption?" When are you Traveling??
We are blessed to have had so many wonderful people help us along the way and I know they will all be crushed to hear the bad news.
I can't sleep, I can't open the door to the baby room we worked so hard on. All we have to see is just one little thing we did or bought and we break down. We even tried to get out and just seeing a family with a child is to much to handle.
August 6, 2006 we 1st started think about Adoption. EVERYTHING EVERYTHING ELSE HAD FAILED this was it for us. After being turned down twice we found CHI. I worked night and day, hours, days, months almost two years working on all the paperwork involved and when it wasn't paperwork I was busy working on my house getting it ready for a little girl we wanted to name Arianna Marie Kelley.
We had so much fun shopping for clothes, paint and carpeting and the Teddy Bear boarder for her room. We bought a laptop, convertor, new clothes, the loney planet travel guide and learned some Russian.
I've sold 50-50's at work, collected coke rewards bottle caps for delta sky miles (We even dug thru the trash cans at the Cherry Fest for caps with mom) and walked an entire baseball stadium for caps. I'll never forget seeing my best friend Nick and his family coming up to me with pockets full of bottle caps the collected at the game. My co-workers even made signs and have a little container at work to put caps in for us. I don't know how we'll handle work monday. This is the 1st day I've had off all year I've been working so long and so hard giving up everything for this!! so many wasted hours, days, years.
All this work just for someone to say nope. I wonder did they even think about what people go through and how about the child wishing to have a mother and father?

ALL our hopes all our dreams all I want to be is to be a Father. Every minute for the past Two Years wasted.

We really don't know what we will do now, We have been up over 30 hours crying in total disbelief why us why now ?!?!?
Why didn't Kazakhstan reject our dossier a year ago at the embassy??
Why go thru EVERY SINGLE STEP ALONG THE WAY and there was no problem until NOW, now when we should be traveling to KAZ !!!

For now we don't know what to do 3 miscarriages, a tubal pregnancy and now this. Do we really want to start all over? can we handle more HeartBreak and Pain?
We put everything we had into this adoption and are now deep in debt with nothing to show for it except a pile of useless paperwork and lots of bills.

All we do know is it won't be Kazakhstan and if you are 50 or over talk with your agency NOW!!! WE don't want ANYONE ELSE TO EVER HAVE TO GO THRU THE PAIN WE ARE.
We may look into other options but we have put EVERYTHING into this Adoption and are back to square one, do we have the heart the will and the money start all over?

We hope the best for everyone and that no one else will have to go thru this.
One more heartbroken family and 1 more child without a mama and papa.

To the little girl who would have become our daughter: Arianna Marie I'm so sorry we tried, I can only pray someone will find you and love you as much as we would have.

LETS GET THE KELLEY'S TO KAZ!!

2008-04-06T20:07:00.004-04:00

OK SO WE AND EVERYONE ELSE WE KNOW ARE READY FOR US TO GET THE CALL. I WAS REALLY HOPING TO TRAVEL BY NOW SO WE CAN BE HOME WITH OUR DAUGHTER TO ENJOY ALL SUMMER HAS TO OFFER CHERRY FEST, FAMILY REUNIONS, LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH, GOING TO OUR CAMP AND EATING SMORES (OH IS OUR LITTLE GIRL IN FOR A TREAT DADDY LOVES MAKING SMORES). IF WE HAD OUR DAUGHTER TODAY SHE COULD HAVE ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY AND THIS HUGE PLAYGROUND (PICTURED ABOVE) THAT IS JUST ABOUT IN OUR BACKYARD. WE WALKED THE DOGS ON THE BAYFRONT TODAY, WATCHED THE TROUT FISHERMEN, FEED THE DUCKS AND WATCHED THE CHILDREN RUN ALL OVER THE PLAYGROUND I CAN'T WAIT TO TAKE MY LITTLE GIRL AND WATCH HER RUN AND JUMP AND PLAY. WE FINISHED OFF THE DAY AT DAIRY QUEEN THEY HAVE SOME OF THE BEST ICECREAM IN THE STATE!!! BUTTERFINGER BLIZZARD YUM YUM
ON THE ADOPTION FRONT:
OUR HOMESTUDY CASE WORKER CALLED FRIDAY THE PAPERWORK WE NEED TO COMPLETE WILL BE IN THE MAIL MONDAY. WE NEED OUR MEDICALS UPDATED THE REST SHOULD BE MAKING COPIES OF THINGS SO I HOPE TO HAVE EVERYTHING DONE FAIRLY QUICKLY.
NOT MUCH ELSE GOING ON I THINK TONITE I'LL SORT OUT A BOX OF CORN FLAKES AND SOME CHEETOOS TO SEE IF ANY RESEMBLE A STATE OR LOOK REMOTELY LIKE ANYTHING I CAN SELL ON E-BAY. $1350 FOR A CORN FLAKE IF I CAN FIND 3-4 OF THESE BABIES IT WOULD PAY FOR OUR AIRFARE TO KAZ
Virginia sisters sell Illinois-shaped corn flake for $1,350 on eBay
Associated PressPublished: 3/22/2008 8:11 AMSend To:

Two sisters from Virginia sold their Illinois-shaped corn flake on eBay Friday night for $1,350.

"We were biting our nails all the way up to the finish, seeing what would happen," said Melissa McIntire, 23. "There's a lot of relief involved."

The winner of the auction, which lasted more than a week, is the owner of a trivia Web site who wants to add the corn flake to a traveling museum.

"We're starting a collection of pop culture and Americana items," said Monty Kerr of Austin, Texas. "We thought this was a fantastic one."

Kerr owns TriviaMania.com and said he will likely send someone to Virginia to pick up the flake by hand, so it won't be damaged. This isn't the first corn flake that Kerr has tried to buy. He said he purchased a flake billed as the world's largest, but that by the time it was delivered it had crumbled into three pieces.

McIntire and her sister Emily, 15, listed the corn flake on eBay last week, but eBay canceled the auction saying it violated the Web site's food policy.

The sisters restarted their Ebay auction, advertising a coupon redeemable for their corn flake, instead of the cereal itself.

The McIntires said they'll likely use the money for a family vacation.

Copycat items have popped up on eBay, including corn flakes shaped like Hawaii and Virginia. There's also been a potato chip shaped like Florida, and Illinois corn flake paraphernalia, including T-shirts and buttons.

DEJA VU ?!!??!

2008-04-03T19:23:00.002-04:00

Well it sure feels like we've done this before and that is fill out I-600A paperwork. The hardest part will be making all the copies of everything and having our homestudy updated. JUST A NOTE TO FAMILIES STARTING THE PROCESS MAKE COPIES AND SAVE EVERYTHING with the wait now being over two years you will be updating paperwork!
I called Adoption by Choice today and left a message for our caseworker, I think it will all come down to how quickly she can have the update done so we can mail everything out and have our fingerprints redone. (like they're going to really change from a year ago). Oh well it gives us a good excuse to go to Niagra Falls and hit the casino in Buffalo. Our caseworker is so good I don't expect there will be any problems. We are so lucky to have her.
Not much else to report just putting a picture album together and putting some pics on our laptop. We will start sleeping with a stuffed animal we plan on taking with us. This is a tip we have heard from so many families, our child will still be able to smell our scent even after we have to return home after the 1st trip and will help with the bonding process. I will also buy a 2nd voltage converter after reading that Suzanne's blew up their 1st day in Kaz. I hope they can find a new one in Kaz.
One day closer to our daughter.

Irish Proverb
Slow is every foot on an unknown path.

Still waiting

2008-04-02T19:50:00.003-04:00

Well we are still waiting, it now sounds like our agency will not have any refferals for girls until late spring or early summer. The real bummer is it feels like we are starting all over again, some of our paperwork is soon to expire and we need to file for an extension for our 171H. Here's the link to the website were you can download your I-600A application and instructions : http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
just click on immigration forms and scroll down to the form you want.
I'll be calling our homestudy case worker about renewing our paperwork, we're still the same old Brian and Sandy so no changes should be needed.
We hope to get everthing done soon and can go back to just waiting to travel.
Speaking of travel Congrats to our friend Suzanne whom is currently in Kaz and has just decided to accept a referal to Adopt a Brother and Sister. She and her husband have been trying to Adopt for years and has had many pitfalls along the way, it's just so wonderful to finally read on her blog that she has found her children or should I say Son and Daughter.
Our time is coming it will be nice to finally be able to tell people yes we are traveling......for now it's still any day now.

The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.
Mark Twain

Travel tips I found today

2008-03-29T22:00:00.003-04:00

No new news about when we might travel :-( the only thing we've heard lately is that our 171H paperwork will expire in a few months and we have to start working on getting it renewed. Thankfully we do get 1 free renewal but having our homestudy updated might cost us. We are really hoping to travel this month as it's now been over a year and were told the wait should be 10-12 months. I really want to travel in the spring and be home to enjoy the Summertime with our daughter. I always bug Sandy about the Cherry Fest in July, usually I start on new years day by saying "the Cherry Fest is only 7 months away!!" the Cherry Fest is in NorthEast and runs all week, They have the largest firemens parade in the state and tons of great food plus I can't wait to show off our new daughter. This is the one time during the year I get to see people I graduated with.
Well not much else to say but here's some great travel tips I found today:

Traveling overseas exposes you to exotic environments, diverse climates and unique food — as well as health hazards. Here’s how to prevent them from ruining your trip.
By Doug Newcomb

Millions of people vacation outside the U.S. every year and return home with nothing more than jet lag, but traveling abroad involves unique health concerns. So while you’re planning your international itinerary, put equal effort into making sure you have a healthy trip. This requires a bit of research and may add a few extra dollars to your travel budget, but preparing for the worst will help ensure the best trip possible.

Before you go

With all of the resources available online, finding out what the weather will be like in Angkor Wat, checking the current political climate in Chile or locating the best hospitals in Helsinki is just a few mouse clicks away. Your first stop should be the Web site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/travel), which provides detailed travel-health information on every country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. It also contains entire sections devoted to vaccinations, diseases related to travel, food and water safety, illness and injury, travel clinics and more.

Then, check the State Department’s Web site (http://www.travel.state.gov) for a list of travel warnings and alerts. While countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan are understandably under travel warnings, destinations such as Mexico and China, which many travelers consider relatively safe, have also recently appeared on the travel alerts list. The State Department also suggests that you familiarize yourself with conditions at your destination that may affect your health — the climate, altitude, pollution and air quality — and that you investigate available medical facilities, accessibility to prescription medications you may need and the immunizations required.

The best way to stay healthy on a trip abroad is to make sure you’re feeling shipshape before you leave the U.S. You’ll obviously need to be fit before embarking on an international ski trip or a strenuous eco-adventure. But even if your idea of an ideal vacation is lolling on a tropical beach or strolling through European museums, the effects of long-distance air travel, unfamiliar foods and schlepping bulky bags can be hard on the hardiest of bodies. Consider scheduling an exam at a travel clinic before you depart so that a doctor can give you health advice tailored to you and your trip. For a detailed list of travel clinics, check out the International Society of Travel Medicine’s Web site (http://www.istm.org).

No matter how much you prepare, things can still go wrong while you’re out of the country, and you don’t want to be scrambling to find decent health care — or figuring out how you’ll pay for it. Check with your health insurance provider to see what your policy covers when you’re outside the U.S., and if medical evacuation, which can run upwards of $50,000, is included. If you aren’t adequately covered, you’ll have to decide if it’s worth buying traveler’s insurance (not to be confused with trip insurance, which reimburses you if something goes wrong with your reservations or travel plans). These short-term policies cover you while you are out of the country, and typically cost less than $100 per individual for a trip of up to 20 days.

Many online travel agencies offer this type of insurance, and it’s also available through independent companies such as travelersmed.com and AIG Travel Guard. You can also check with outfits such as MedjetAssist and Global Rescue, which specialize in medical evacuations. Or, consider Medex, which offers a complete suite of international travel services, such as its 360 Global Medical Monitor, which adds country-specific information on diseases and health risks, immunization requirements and recommendations for local hospitals to a travel insurance policy.

While you’re there

Once you’re at your destination, the best way to stay healthy is by being cautious about what you eat and drink. For example, while one of the pleasures of foreign travel is sampling local cuisine, the CDC advises:

• Avoiding raw foods, including salads and uncooked vegetables
• Eating only fruit that you’ve peeled yourself
• Avoiding unpasteurized milk and dairy products
• Eating only foods that have been freshly cooked and are still hot
• Exercising caution when eating food prepared by street vendors

Even greenhorn globetrotters know not to drink the water in many places. Instead, you should quaff only canned or bottled beverages and imbibe coffee and tea made only with boiling water. The CDC also recommends avoiding ice cubes in areas with questionable water quality. If the tap is the only source for quenching your thirst, the CDC advises rapidly boiling water for at least one minute.

Water can pose a health risk even if you don’t drink it. Infections of the eyes, ears, skin and respiratory, neurological and digestive systems can be contracted by swimming in contaminated water.

Other health concerns

Since many illnesses spread through germs, an important liquid to pack is hand sanitizer. A small first-aid kit stocked with bandages, pain relievers, antiseptic, anti-diarrheal tablets and other emergency essentials can also be a vacation saver.

To protect against malaria, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne illnesses, use a repellent containing DEET on exposed skin and apply it on top of sunscreen when necessary. Wearing a long-sleeve shirt and long pants also keeps the bloodsuckers at bay. And remember that, like vampires, mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn. So stay inside screened-in quarters after sundown and sleep under insecticide-treated bed netting for an extra layer of protection.

According to the State Department, road traffic-related injuries are the leading cause of death among U.S. citizens traveling abroad because of such factors as substandard roads and lack of safety equipment in vehicles. Therefore, it recommends:

• Renting newer vehicles with safety belts and airbags and bringing your own child seats from home
• Riding only in taxis with safety belts, sitting in the rear seat and offering drivers an extra gratuity for driving safely
• Avoiding overcrowded or top-heavy buses
• Hiring a driver familiar with the area and local traffic
• Wearing helmets when riding motorcycles and bicycles and bringing your own helmet if you know you’ll engage in these activities.

If something goes wrong

If and when something does go wrong in another country, you’ll want to have an escape plan. Start by registering with the State Department before going abroad so that you can be contacted in case a crisis develops in the area where you’re traveling. This will also automatically register you with the embassy in the country you’re visiting; it’s also helpful to have the phone number and address of the nearest embassy or consulate handy.

Many travel insurance policies cover emergency medical evacuation. But if something happens that requires such a drastic measure, you’ll want to know how to get in touch with the medevac service pronto. Most insurers provide a wallet card with international toll-free numbers, and Medex offers international mobile phones and satellite phones that are pre-programmed with a one-touch “lifeline” to its emergency response center. With any luck, you’ll never need it.

GOOD NEWS!!!

2008-03-25T19:49:00.002-04:00

Country Status

Kazakhstan is currently OPEN to adoptions by US citizens.For a list of Joint Council agencies working in Kazakhstan, please consult our Country Programs page.

March 25, 2008 -

On Monday, March 24th, Joint Council met with Kazakhstan Ambassador to the United States Erlan Idrissov and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Michelle Bond. The meeting addressed the Ambassador’s concerns regarding adoptions between the United States and Kazakhstan and confirmed the ongoing review of all adoptions cases currently at the Kazakhstan Embassy in Washington D.C. The Ambassador kindly detailed Kazakhstan’s efforts to ensure that intercountry adoptions are in the best interest of each child and conducted within an ethical and legal framework. He also expressed Kazakhstan’s efforts to utilize the tenets of the Hague Convention in both current and future laws.

Joint Council is pleased to report that at the conclusion of the meeting, the Ambassador confirmed that the temporary suspension of dossier processing by the Embassy is lifted and dossier’s meeting all necessary criteria will be processed. Dossiers not meeting the criteria will be held at the Embassy until all issues and concerns are successfully resolved. The Ambassador also confirmed that a review of all adoption service providers and family dossiers is ongoing and will remain in effect until further notice. During this review period, adoption service providers and potential adoptive parents should expect ongoing delays in processing times. No specific time line for the processing of dossiers is currently available.

It remains Joint Council’s understanding that in adoption cases where the dossier has already been processed by the Kazakhstan Embassy and forward to Astana are not affected by the review process noted above.

The Kazakhstan Embassy, U.S. Department of State and Joint Council have agreed to work collaboratively over the coming weeks to ensure that the goal of ethical, legal adoptions under the tenets of the Hague Convention are met in a timely fashion and in the best interest of each child. Joint Council hopes to meet with Consular Chief Almat Aidarbekov in the coming days to discuss specific issues related to child welfare in the U.S. and Kazakhstan.

Joint Council extends our sincere thanks and appreciation to Ambassador Idrissov and Deputy Assistant Secretary Bond for their efforts on behalf of the children we serve. We also applaud Ambassador Idrissov’s commitment to ethical child welfare and to ensuring a safe, loving and permanent family for every child.

10 Things No one tells you about parenthood

2008-03-25T06:12:00.001-04:00

Here's a good article I found this morning about parenthood enjoy:

Everyone has seen the “what to expect during parenthood” books and articles, but they never tell the whole story. While raising kids is the most rewarding thing you will ever do in your life, and the love you feel for them is unlike anything else you’ll ever know, there are a few pitfalls nobody ever tells you about. Read on, if you dare.

1) The way you view the world changes
When you bring someone into this world, things like global warming, war and women in beer ads have a whole new meaning. You start actually looking at the impact these things have, and what the world will become after you’re dead and gone. Leaving a better place for your kids and grandkids becomes more than just talk.

2) You’ll feel like a failure
There will be times when no matter how hard you try, your kids are never happy. You feel you’re telling them “no” too much, constantly harping on them to clean their room, or dashing their dreams of lowering their brother down the staircase on a rope. While they may complain they don’t have a Wii or that “so and so’s” mom let’s them see PG-13 movies, you need to stick to what you believe in and what you feel is best for your kids.

3) You have no time
This seems obvious, but you can’t believe just how little time you have. You start to measure things out in minutes and seconds. “If he watches Curious George for 20 more seconds, I can go to the bathroom,” or “If his nap lasts another 10 minutes, maybe I can get in a shower today.”

4) Not going to the bathroom by yourself
When your kids are babies, the bathroom is the only place you can get your head together. It’s also one of the only places you can actually read. I read ESPN’s Bill Simmons’ entire book over the course of the week in the bathroom when my youngest was a baby. And then he turned two. If he’s not forcing his way in to watch “how it’s really done” he’s banging on the door screaming “lemme in!” or sliding all his books underneath. There is no peace with toddlers.

5) Parenthood will turn you soft
This one hits the guys especially hard. You’ll find yourself tearing up at any dumb movie that has anything to do with parenthood, and if you have a daughter, don’t be surprised to find yourself playing “My Little Pony” before heading off to work. The icing on the cake is hawking Girl Scout cookies in front of your local grocery store annually.

6) They will embarrass you
This is a big shock, and you’re never ready for it. In your mind, they are perfect little angels; in reality, they’re little people trying to figure out their way in the world. Unfortunately, they say what they want—when they want. It can be something that’s funny like announcing to their pre-school class that Daddy farts all the time, or it can be humiliating like a temper tantrum in a grocery store or having them tell your parents to “get me a toy next time” after opening a gift containing pajamas. You’re prepared for the fact that you’ll embarrass them when they get to a certain age, but you’re never ready to be the one that’s humiliated.

7) Worrying
This is the one that stings from the day your child is born until the day you die. From the start you worry that they’ll stop breathing in their crib, then you obsess about getting the damn car seat in correctly. They get a little older and you worry about them falling down the stairs or choking on a Polly Pocket. As the years go on you lose sleep about dating, not fitting in, or getting into a situation that they can’t handle. Then there are the worries that never go away: providing enough, paying for college or not teaching them the right things. The list goes on and on and on, and it takes a major toll on you. But you worry because you love.

8) You won’t be the parent you think
We all had visions of the kind of parents we would be to our kids. Now, as battle tested Moms and Dads, we’ve heard the prospective parents spouting off advice. Those hollow words of wisdom come even though they’ve never gotten up at three a.m. to do a load of laundry with more vomit on it than a frat house floor. Nor have they tried to cook dinner with a screaming baby in their arms, a toddler doing cartwheels off the couch, and the phone ringing. It usually goes something like this: “I’d never let my kids watch TV before they turn three,” or “I would never raise my voice at my child,” or “My toddler won’t ever eat sweets.” Uh huh, and I said I’d never own a minivan. You have this great picture of the kind of parent you want to be, and how picturesque your family will become. You try to live up to that vision, but you also have to survive. So, snickering at a prospective parent spouting off advice is not only allowed, but encouraged.

9) Sickness
Let’s start with pin worms. They are small parasitic worms that live in the human intestinal track. The worms crawl out of the child’s anus at night and lay their eggs in the diaper, pajamas and other areas around the bed or crib. The eggs are then passed to others and ingested unknowingly. The worst part? You have to go in there and grab them while your kid is asleep. It’s a damn horror show. It’s also not something I had any idea about before having kids. Sick kids take a toll on the entire house. Even the typical cold has taken on a whole new meaning, especially with toddlers. It can require being up in the middle of the night for days in a row, missing work and acting as one giant Kleenex. The numerous slug trails across your shirt are always a nice touch.

10) The feeling of unconditional love
You assume that you’re going to love your kids, but what you end up feeling for them is unlike anything else you’ll ever know. Just a simple smile from your offspring can erase a really crappy day at the office. This is the reason why people rave about having kids while they look exhausted and have a fresh batch of spit-up running down their back.

Craig Playstead is a freelance writer, husband and father of three living in the suburbs of Seattle. In the past he's also been a sports writer, a game writer and a talk show host

Quote of the Day

2008-03-22T00:16:00.000-04:00

If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.
Ann Landers

ONE YEAR GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

2008-03-19T20:48:00.002-04:00

Well today marks one year of waiting for the call!! We have gone thru so much up to this point but nothing as scary as yesterday. We found out via a podcast today that
Tom DiFilipo, President of the Joint Council on International
Children's Services spoke about the news that
the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the U.S. has stopped
forwarding dossiers to Kazakhstan. This is believed to be a
temporary situation while a review is conducted of the international
adoption process. Apparently the Kazakhstan Ambassador to the U.S.
put this new policy into place, and he and the Chief Consul at the
New York Consulate have temporarily returned to Kazakhstan.
Though on the podcast it was said that the New York Consulate is
still accepting dossiers, If dossiers are sent to the Consulate, they will stay there and will not be reviewed until this temporary suspension is lifted.
We also found out if your dossier is already in Kazakhstan, then your adoption is
not affected by this suspension. It only affects those families
whose dossiers have either not been sent to the Consulate, or those
families whose dossiers are currently at the Consulate.

So while this won't effect us we feel sorry for families that this will effect and hope this will be resolved quickly.

Well on a different note Suzie and Julie both asked what part of PA. Sandy and I live in, well we're just up I-79 North of Pittsburgh we live in Erie. Yep it's snowing here again, we're ready for some of that 65 degree heat Almaty has recently had. 70 degrees in Tampa and San Diego sounds great.! I've been in Florida before but never made it to Tampa. The pitures above are from my NAVY days in San Diego. My ship was stationed in Coronado in 1988-90 the above picture was taken just outside the Hotel Del Coronado and the other at the boarder of Mexico going into T.J.

Julie I see from your blog that Benjamin has been to Mission Beach. I lived on that beach every day (great Boogie boarding)!! I even did some work at the RED ONION night club and wonder if that old rollercoaster still there by the boardwalk? I loved San Diego and have fond memories of my time I lived there.
Well that's all for now we hope soon to post that we will be traveling.

BAD NEWS !!

2008-03-18T20:44:00.002-04:00

Bad News, we hope to find out more within the next few days as to what's going on and if this will effect us.

On the web site of the Joint Council on International Children's
Services, a group representing some U.S. Adoption Agencies, an
announcement was made yesterday that the Kazakhstan Embassy and
Consulates have suspended dossier processing. The link for this web
site is below:

http://www.jcics.org/Kazakhstan.htm
Country Status

Kazakhstan is temporarily suspended to adoptions by US citizens.

For a list of Joint Council agencies working in Kazakhstan, please consult our Country Programs page.

March 17, 2008 -

Joint Council confirms the suspension of dossier processing by the Kazakhstan Embassy and Consulates pending the finalization of a review of adoption cases by the Kazakhstan government. The following represents our understanding of the suspension.

The suspension of dossier processing by the Kazakhstan Embassy/Consulate is effective immediately.
Dossiers which have been processed and forwarded to Almaty will be permitted to continue through to finalization.
Dossiers which have not yet been processed by the Embassy/Consulate will not be forwarded to Almaty and will remain at the Kazakhstan Embassy/Consulate pending the completion of the review noted above.
The Kazakhstan Embassy/Consulate will not accept new dossiers pending the completion of the review noted above.
Joint Council hopes to meet with Kazakhstan officials soon and will continue to provide updates and information.

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!!

2008-03-17T06:04:00.002-04:00

An Irish Welcome

Here's Céad Míle Fáilte to friend and to rover
That's a greeting that's Irish as Irish can be
It means you are welcome
A thousand times over
Wherever you come from, Whosoever you be

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

"St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time -- a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic."~~By Adrienne Cook.~~

You know your from...

2008-03-16T06:44:00.002-04:00

This post goes along with yesterdays post:
You know you are from Pennsylvania when:
You have an uncontrollable urge to buy bread and milk when you hear the word "snow."
You say things like, "I'm calling off today," and "They're calling for snow."
You think the roads in any other state are smooth.
School closings due to snow take the radio stations a half an hour to finish,
When it snows, they put cinders on the roads instead of sand.
Live for summer, when street fairs signal the beginning of funnel cake season.
Never have to worry about being stuck in a ditch when it's snowing. -someone in a 4WD pickup with tow chains will be along shortly.
You actually like when it snows because it fills the potholes.
You can drive 55 MPH in a blinding snowstorm without breaking a sweat.
You just had an icestorm and when the wife ask "how is it outside?" you say not bad it's almost 31 degrees out here. True story

The Big Dig

2008-03-15T20:08:00.003-04:00

Sorry I havn't posted for a little while,just over a week ago the weather hit 65 degrees here in PA. we had to break out the shorts and turn on the Air Conditioning. Well not quite but it was nice not having to wear a jacket for a day. We just spent the past week being reminded that it's not spring yet, the picture above is from the ice storm we had a week ago and then we had two foot of snow dumped on top of us. So I've been spending all my time working and coming home and working digging out from under all this snow.
The only news on the Adoption front is that invites for families requesting girls should be coming soon =:-) our Agency can't say exactly when but soon. For now we're still getting things packed, paperwork in order and still learning russian.
Here's an article from our Agency about Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan's search for its identity By Natalia Antelava, BBC News, Kazakhstan

With their arms folded neatly on the desk, and eyes focused on the teacher, a group of five-year-olds repeat diligently the rasping syllables of their new language.

But the minute the lesson is over, they turn to each other and break into softer and more familiar Russian.

"I try to make sure that they speak Kazakh when they play," the teacher, Irina Kasymbaeyeva tells me. "After all, they are Kazakh."

Across Kazakhstan , primary schools and kindergartens are at the very frontline of the national revival.

"Often, once children start speaking, parents come up to me and ask me to translate, because they don't understand what their kids are saying," Mrs Kasymbayeva says.

It is not only families that are lost in translation here.

Kazakhs are trying to run the country in a language most of them don't speak.

Bureaucrats at all levels are now required to take Kazakh classes and pass language tests, there are even financial incentives for those who do well.

'Dangerous search'

"Our language is so far behind, we need to develop it. In 40 years' time, I want everyone to be speaking Kazakh," says Elmira Suymbaeva, who heads the committee for sport, culture and Kazakh language development at one of the municipal administration authorities of Almaty, the country's biggest city. But behind this obsession with language lies a much deeper, much more complex and, many believe, dangerous search for a new national identity.

"There is a very big national identity crisis," says Yevgeny Zhovtis, one of the country's leading political scientists.

In the early 1980s, Kazakhstan was among the first Soviet republics to experience the exhilarating rush of nationalism. It later swept through the whole of the Soviet Union , bringing thousands into the streets in demand for independence.

And once this independence was achieved, the newly born states tapped into their historic memory, remembering and often re-interpreting their pre-Soviet past in order to learn how to live in their post-Soviet present.

But Kazakhstan 's historic memory proved to be thin and its statehood had no roots of its own.

Grey cities

It was the Tsarist Russia that first forced the Kazakh nomadic tribes to settle down and swap their oral tradition for literature, art and music shaped by the Russian and European influences.

It was the Soviets who altered history by drawing new borders, and filling the vast Kazakh steppe with grey cities and millions of people from all the corners of the Soviet Union .

By the 1930s, Stalin had turned Kazakhstan into a human rubbish bin for the Soviet Union . For almost two decades, an uninterrupted flow of millions of men, women and children went through the concentration camps that Stalin built in the Kazakh steppe.

And many of those who managed to survive stayed in Kazakhstan .

From all this pain and suffering emerged a hugely diverse and a truly multicultural society.

By the time Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, only 40% of its population were ethnic Kazakhs and most of them no longer spoke the language.

Their nomadic ancestors left almost no written records, the oral tradition was wiped out, and it proved difficult for the Kazakhs to remember what life was like before the Russians arrived.

The Kazakh government faced a task of not only building a new state but also creating a new, unifying identity for all.

It was a challenge, but in the region gripped by ethnic tensions, it was also a rare opportunity to create a state where which group you belong to is determined by citizenship and not blood.

Multiculturalism

President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has been in power since the Soviet days, says he has done just that.

"We are the most multiethnic of all post-Soviet republics. As the result of Stalin's policies, we have people of 130 nationalities living here - these are people who lived through true terrible catastrophes and hardships. That's why the first thing we did when we gained independence was to create equality for all," Mr Nazarbayev said in his latest BBC interview.

Most people in Kazakhstan do not argue with the president.

And because multiculturalism is one of the pillars of Mr Nazarbayev's state ideology, not many here question how this diversity can coexist with the accelerating process of national revival, which is built on the ethnic Kazakh tradition.

Some believe that by turning the nomadic tradition into such an important component of the state-building process, the government is not only alienating almost half of its population - those who are not ethnically Kazakh - but it is also creating a myth for its Kazakh citizens.

That was the point argued by the late Kazakh historian and academic, Nurbulat Masanov, who in one of his last interviews compared the legacy of the Soviet Union to a Russian matryoshka doll.

Clear trend

Just like the wooden nesting doll is made up of a set of matryoshkas, each smaller than the other, so the Soviet-era Kazakhstan was created from layers of values and cultures, he argued. The traditional Kazakh values, he said, were that smallest doll, hidden in the heart of the big matryoshka.

"Kazakh culture was part of the hierarchy, but it was only a very small part," he wrote in his interview to zakon.kz website.

"But now we are throwing out all the dolls and trying to blow our midget matryoshka into a colossal size, and assign her false achievements."

An attempt to give the nomadic culture significance beyond historic proof, Prof Masanov argued, gave birth to myths and showed a deeply confused and an insecure nation.

Many in Kazakhstan would be offended by his argument.

But even if the opinions of the late professor can be argued, sociological surveys show that whatever is happening in Kazakhstan is making non-Kazakhs feel uneasy.

"All surveys conducted since independence show a very clear trend," says Yevgeny Zhovtis, "and the trend is that non-Kazakhs here do not feel that they are part of the nation building process.

"They are working here, they are living here, but they also feel like they are guest, and they don't associate their future with the country."

Kazakhstan has enjoyed its independence, which has turned it into the powerhouse of Central Asia .

The oil wealth brought all the perks of a Western lifestyle, but behind the four-wheel drives and the glitz of Almaty hides a nation that is still struggling to merge its diversity with its desire to revive and reinvent the lost folk traditions.

The fear is that as Kazakhs find their identity, half of this nation will be left behind.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7265434.stm

Big Shock at the bookstore

2008-03-04T19:36:00.003-05:00

This weekend we went to Boarders bookstore to pick up a russian-english pocket dictionary to take with us to Kaz. As we were picking up books and making a choice Sandy picked up a book and much to her/our shock it had every 4 letter swear word you could possibly think of in russian!!! Turns out it was a russian phrase book for dating?!?!?, seems to be more suited to being a phrase book for driving in Almaty from what we've heard. No No we didn't buy it we ended up buying the Berlitz Russian phrase book and dictionary no naughty words in this book ;-) lots of color coded pages with everything from food, eating out, accommodations, renting and more, words and phrases to help with each situation. This should come in handy and fit easily in my back pocket. I've been trying to learn more russian but it will help to have a cheat sheet in my pocket. I've been looking into electronic talking translators but some of the better ones cost as much as a laptop. I'm still checking out E-bay for a good deal.
We just found out today 2 more families will be traveling later this month to the Almaty region so we should be moving up the list. We figure if we had asked for a boy we probably would have traveled in Nov.-Dec. the only good thing about waiting is that we can learn more Russian and not have to worry about a Pennsylvania ice storm like we are having tonight delay a flight if we were to have traveled in Jan-Feb or early March.
Well that's all for now time to study more Russian.
To the traveling families we hope for a safe and wonderful trip.

WE GOT THE CALL !!!!!!

2008-03-02T13:44:00.002-05:00

This week we got the call!! Well not the "call" but another call we've been waiting for. I entered a contest back in December and won a trip :-) I've recieved release forms and tax forms in Jan. and have been waiting to hear something and finally got the call last tuesday. I'm not saying as to where we'll be going "Sorry" (it will be a surprize for all to read later) I'm not really sure of all the details yet but our biggest fears were laid to rest, We were worried this trip would have to take place during our Adoption travels but were told we could take the trip anytime we wanted and all three of us can go. This should make for a nice first family trip together and somewhere neither Sandy or I have been to before. I might have to start another guessing game!
On the Adoption front no new news yet, the 19th will be one year of waiting so we know were getting close. Last we've heard from our Agency is that they expect more referals in March so maybe one could be for us. My mother has been saying her gut feeling is that we will travel in late March we shall see if she's right.
The only other Adoption related things we've done has been to buy a new digital camera, have our carpets cleaned, can't have a baby crawling on dirty floors and just some cleaning around the house and getting things packed.
Well that's it for now, we're going shopping for new coats and some nice outfits for the trips. PAKA PAKA for now.

GE's global expansion involves Kazakhstan

2008-02-20T19:22:00.002-05:00

Kazakhstan made big news in todays local paper!! What is funny is that I just happened to be wearing my Kazakhstan shirt at work today and only had somewhere around 100 people ask me if I saw the article. From work to the bank and my family everyone was calling asking if I read the news on Kazakhstan. It seems strange to me that some countries seem to have a negative view on adoption but here with just one person adopting from that country so many people now know about Kazakhstan and are hearing about the POSITIVES not just what they watched in Borat. Everyday people ask when we will travel (We hear we're near the top of the list). They are hearing so much from me about Kazakhstan and other families that have adopted from Kaz so many people have taken a genuine interest. I can't wait to travel not only to meet our daughter but to see the sights and culture and to meet the people. I traveled all over the world while in the Navy and this is the one thing I enjoy the most. Kazakhstan is so rich in history and natural beauty I really hope to travel soon so we can see Kaz in full bloom come spring time and I'd really love to spend a night in a yurt!! Well here's the article:
GE's global expansion
Kazakhstan company on course to churn out 300 Evolution locomotives

Plans remain on track for Kazakhstan's state-owned railway to begin assembling GE Evolution locomotives by mid-2009.

In September 2006, Erie-based GE Transportation announced a $650 million contract to supply 310 locomotives to the Kazakhstan National Railway known as Temir Zholy. Railroad officials told Reuters news service earlier this week that the deal is moving ahead.

The deal, which at the time represented GE's largest ever order for locomotives delivered outside North America, called for the first 10 locomotives to be built at the Lawrence Park plant.

According to the deal, most of the remaining 300 units would be assembled at a new state-owned plant in Kazakhstan, using engines built in Grove City and numerous key components made in Erie.

According to the Reuters report Tuesday, Temir Zholy will finish construction of a $125 million plant by the middle of 2009 and will invest more than $600 million in production equipment.

Stephan Koller, GE Transportation spokesman, confirmed that information was correct, but said he was caught off guard by the report and its timing.

"There is literally nothing new in the entire piece," Koller said. "I don't know who on the other end issued it and why."

He did stress, however, that the contract represents good news for GE Transportation and its employees in Pennsylvania who will produce many of the vital components.

"The agreement showcases how GE Transportation capitalizes on growth opportunities worldwide," he said.

Now if I can just get a job at GE and have them pay for our travel cost ;-)

"Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises".
Demmosthenes

McWedding Part 2

2008-02-14T06:07:00.004-05:00

Ok so Sandy and I got engaged so how did we end up having a McDonalds Wedding??? After being engaged we bought a house and extra money for a wedding was scarce. It was about a month before Valentines day when a local radio station JET 102 had a contest called the McWedding of the Century. (that's were the Jet was a part of our wedding). for the contest you had to tell the story of how you "POPPED THE QUESTION" be it romantic, zany etc..The winner would win a wedding at McDonalds live on the radio, Tux, gown, Flowers, DJ, Photographer,Cake, rings, Honeymoon, food all included. All the storys were read over the air and the listeners could vote on which one they thought was best. Well ours was the last one read on the air and then they had the vote, I didn't have time to tell my family or co-workers to call in and vote and well some other lady won :-(.
It was 1 week before the McWedding was to take place (the winner had 2 weeks to get ready) we came home from a night out and found a message on our answering machine from JET 102 Radio station. We were told to call the station right away it was about the wedding. So at 2 in the morning we called the radio station and found out the couple that won the contest had backed out, it seems the guy was married 6-7 times before and they were fighting over a pre-nup! So they wanted to know if we wanted to get married in 6 days, I took one look at Sandy and we both said lets do it!!
So here we were at 5 in the morning calling our parents to tell them the news, the reply was "your getting married where? When ? What time?" McDonalds at 7:30 in the morning in 6 days I guess came as a big shock. So the next 6 days were a whirlwind phoneing family and friends getting fitted for our tuxs and Sandys gown it was a mad rush to get things done. On the eve of our wedding we didn't get home until midnight (last minute gown work needed to be done) we had over 50 messages on the answering machine. My best man Kevin wanted to take me out for a drink, Mom and Dad calling, friends calling and then finally the flower shop calling to say the flowers were ready for us to pick up and that the shop was open to 7:00 PM well it was midnite by the time we got the message OH NO!!!
Needless to say I got NO sleep that night and had to be at McDonalds at 5:00 AM
Kudos to JET 102 station manager when she found out about the flowers she made a mad dash and just happened to luck out and found an employee in the flower shop and got the flowers to McDonalds on time.
Everything was decorated for our wedding, streamers, bells, our cake everything was just perfect. I was on the radio most of the morning taking phone calls answering questions and having so much fun even a local news crew filmed us and had coverage of our McWedding on the News all day.
Well the phone keeps ringing here so I'll have to stop for now and post more about the McWedding tommorow.
P.S. Yes we had a romantic dinner at McDonald's tonite for Valentines day.

The McWedding Story

2008-02-12T19:22:00.000-05:00

Ok now that everybody knows that we were married at McDonalds here's the story behind it.
McWedding Part 1
Many Many years ago after dating Sandy few several years I decided I wanted to pop the question, but just how should I go about POPPING IT Humm???. I was working for a vending company and every saturday Sandy would help me tend to my machines. Every weekend the 1st thing Sandy would do was get a cup of hot cocoa (Sandy loves her chocolate). This got me thinking what a surprise it would be to set up the next cup in the machine to have the ring in it, Sandy would get her hot cocoa drink it find the ring and when Sandy found it I would POP the Question. Well I needed to distract Sandy and was away from the machine just long enough for someone else to come along and buy a cup (the cup with the ring in it) without my knowledge. Well Sandy gets her cocoa and is drinking it and well NO RING!!! She finished her cocoa, tosses the cup and wonders why I'm freaking out. After several anxious moments this guy comes back and tells me I don't want to marry you but maybe she will. I guess the surprise was on both of us. As you can see from our wedding picture above the cups of Hot Cocoa in our hands. Now this ring was not the actual diamond ring I gave sandy, I hid her wedding ring in a Easter egg and had Sandy go on a Easter egg hunt Easter morning. So ok now we are engaged how did we come about getting married at McDonalds?
Tune in tommorow for part 2

Daddy Training

2008-02-09T17:35:00.000-05:00

So sorry everyone for not posting for 2 days. Thursday our friends took us out to Jr's Comedy club to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversery. We had so much fun and I ran into some good friends I have not seen since 1984-1985. Kurt and Adera?? (I probably butched the spelling of her name) they are good friend of my uncles and used to go camping with us every weekend during my high school days. Sandy was in 7th heaven, as we walked in a local college was having a Chinese auction SANDY'S FAV!! So many nice baskets and gift cards and lots of chocolate valentines candy. She was just a little bummed as Nick, Kurt, Carolyn and I all won something and Sandy didn't win a thing
:-( I spend a faction of what she did on tickets and I won of all things and nice school package. Backpack, pens, pencils, sparkly pens this will be great for some little boy or girl. It was a fun night and winning something a child can use really topped it off.
This weekend I'm getting some daddy training we're watching two tweenagers this weekend. Last night I learned that You-Tube has over 2000 Hanna Montana videos (I think we watched them all) and that Zac Efron is a real Hottie (high school musical). This is important stuff I need to know ;-)

Since I have a few minutes to post between Videos and dressing Zwinkies I can finally update the Guessing Game.
We have a WINNER!!!! SUZANNE'S WAS RIGHT GUESSING WE WERE MARRIED AT McDONALDS
I'm guessing that it was the Ron clue that gave it away as for the other clues:
It was not your traditional wedding!!, you may have been in a McDonalds today, McDonalds is in 121 countries but there isn't 1 in Kazakhstan (Yet)
Kudos to Kim on my over 50,000,000 clue and figuring out Almaty and Apples connection:
This is a fact I found with a McDonalds and Almaty connection:
McDonald's restaurants will buy 54,000,000 pounds of fresh apples this year. Two years ago, McDonald's purchased 0 pounds of apples. This is attributed to the shift to more healthy menu options (the Apple Pie, which has been at McDonald's for years uses processed Apple Pie Filling).
The name "Almaty" means "rich with apple"; the older Soviet-era Russian version of its name, Alma-Ata, originates from a mistake (literally means "Grandfather-apple").
As for my last clue Mayor McCheese wasn't at our wedding but Ronald as you can see was there.
So you now know we were married in McDonalds but how about the JET part. I'll just say again all of this wouldn't have been possible without JET and one more clue about this JET is that JET was both in McDonalds and in the Air.

It's a long story and I'll try to tell our McDonalds story between Hanna Montana videos.

Wedding Videos

2008-02-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

Sandy and I just finished watching some wedding videos we haven't watched in years.
Such great memories seeing the little things we missing going on around us, seeing people who have passed and how much people have grown and changed, such fond memories in these pictures and videos wow 11 years.
I was really hoping to find the tape with the song (or a version there of) that became a big part of our wedding though not of our doing. The song is Breakfast at Tiffany's and it was played several times. I was really hoping to figure out how to upload it and have it play on our blog but the tape is currently M.I.A. If we can find it I'll try get it on our blog. Some more good guesses but my last clue kind of threw everyone off. Kim is on the right track there is more than 1 kind of JET. This isn't really a clue about where we were married but a clue that if figured out could lead you to the right answer. There would not have been a wedding if not for this JET.
A quick recap on the clues and guesses:
Clue number 1: Not your traditional wedding
clue #2: You may have been IN one today.
clue #3 121 but not 1 in Kaz
clue #4 0 one year over 50,000,000 the next
The numbers have something to do with a fact about where we were married and something about Almaty has to do with what the numbers represent.
Clue #5 There wasn't any airplane involved but a JET was a huge part of our wedding.

The guesses so far have been:
Hot Air Balloon
Wal-Mart
Paddle Boat
Skydiving out of a plane
Chinese
Nasa
Baseball/ Football game
Concert
In the Woods
Hot Tub
Airport
the Outback Steakhouse and A Clean Bathroom

Here's todays clue:
The Mayor wasn't but Ron was there

Another Clue

2008-02-05T19:55:00.000-05:00

Still no correct guesses as to where Sandy and I were married so here's the next clue.
There wasn't any airplane involved but a JET was a huge part of our wedding.

Coincidence ???

2008-02-04T05:58:00.000-05:00

Coincidence?? Ever since we completed our dossier there have been little signs that Adoption is the right choice for us. You know just little things that happen maybe concidence or not. The day we finished our dossier we went out for Chinese and our fortune was "Your about to embark on the most wonderful journey"
Just last week we finally agreed on how we want to spell the name we picked for our daughter (subject to change depending on how things work out on our trip) that same night a contestant on Jeporady had that name with the same speling and her last name was Kelly!!! No E in her last name but WOW.
And now this brings me to my GUESSING GAME, just the timing of everything starting the guessing game, our anniversery and Kim's Wal-Mart guess and sharing her story with us. Guess what was just on the news!! A couple was just married at WAL-MART in Mississippi this weekend! What are the odds in the timing of this.
And one last sign, I've been reading random blogs and found a few China blogs. In China Adoptions the lore is that ladybugs are a sign that travel is near. Yesterday while out shopping I stopped to look at some cute baby shirts and guess what was on the 1st shirt I picked up YES a LadyBug. Travel could be near!!!

So far no one has the right guess as to were Sandy and I were married at so here is the next clue :
0 one year over 50,000,000 the next
The numbers have something to do with where we were married and Almaty

Good Luck

Still A Guessing Game

2008-02-03T00:09:00.000-05:00

We had some more good guesses today but sorry Sandy and I didn't get married in Wal-Mart (Kim I'd really love to hear your story) nor were we married on a paddleboat. We live a two minute drive away from the Victorian Princess paddle boat but the lake was a little frozen on our wedding day.
So far the guesses have been:
Skydiving out of an plane
Hot Air Balloon
Wal-Mart
and on a Paddleboat
Keep the guesses coming, here's todays clue.

121 but not 1 in Kaz

Good Luck

Guessing Game Day 2

2008-02-01T18:43:00.001-05:00

Day #2 of the guessing game so far the guesses have been jumping out of an airplane, sorry Suzanne I can hardly get Sandy onto a plane let alone jump out of a plane ;-) we took a trip to Atlantic city two years ago, it was the 1st time Sandy ever flew. I offered her the window seat but she didn't want to sit to close to the outside of the plane. So no jumping vows for us.
Kim's guess that we took our vows in a Hot Air Balloon, sounds very romantic but not the right guess either. We have a summer festival "Harborfest" and they have one night where several (50-100) balloons go up and light up at sunset. Very beautiful but I don't see Sandy ever stepping foot of the ground.
Keep the guesses coming, Anyone may guess except for family and friends that already know. I know I'm no fun :-p

Here's clue #2: You may have been IN one today.
GoodLuck

The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.
Nelson Boswell

Guessing Game

2008-01-31T06:08:00.000-05:00

Sandy and I are 2 weeks away from our 11th wedding anniversery!! Yep Valentines day will be 11 years so I figured since we are all waiting to travel a fun way to pass the time is to have a little guessing game as to where Sandy and I exchanged our vows. I don't mean the city or state that would be to easy it has to be the actual place we were married and believe me it won't be easy to guess.
Sorry this is only for fellow bloggers and those reading along no family and friends who already know the answer that would spoil all the fun
I'll give clues each day and post pictures and our story on Valentines day
Please only 1 guess a day per person
Clue number 1: Not your traditional wedding

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
Joseph Addison

FUN WEEKEND

2008-01-29T19:22:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we took advantage of winter clearance sales and did some baby clothes shopping. Pictured above is an outfit we bought for our little Kaz Princess. We bought several sweaters, shirts, pants and more, picking out sizes was a little hard not knowing size, age etc.... Most of the clothes we bought were 1- 2 years anything that is too small will be a donation to the baby house. While we were shopping we ran into my good friend and one of our homestudy references Nick. The 3 of us had so much fun shopping together. Nick has a beautiful 15 month old daughter so I forsee many playdates ahead. Nick's wife Carolyn had her birthday on Saturday so the four of us went to Jr's. Last Laugh comedy club saturday night. I guess we have to enjoy these nights out on the town while we can. Next time we just might be needing a babysitter. :-) MOM
Still no news about when we'll travel. My mother has a gut feeling we will get the call in March. The latest update from our agency about the status of adoptions from Kazakhstan puts the waiting time for new families at over a 2 year wait!! I hope we don't have to wait much longer I've been reading Kazakhstan is beautiful in the spring.

Your life will be no better than the plans you make and the action you take. You are the architect and builder of your own life, fortune, destiny.
Alfred A. Montapert

Travel guide

2008-01-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

Today our Lonely Planet travel guide to Central Asia arrived in the mail :-) We searched Borders and Barnes & Noble they had every travel guide except for the one we were looking for. After a quick search on E-Bay I found one and even with the cost of shipping included I saved $7 off the cover price of $29.99. What a great book !! I can see why the Woods family listed it 1st on their tips post on their blog. I sat here for 2 hours after work reading thru it over 500 pages of Maps, Tips, Do's and Don'ts Russian phrases and so much more. It will be so nice having all this info after finding out what region we will be going to. Well no new Adoption news today except we all are-
One day closer to meeting our children.

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.
Greg Anderson

10 month point

2008-01-23T06:14:00.000-05:00

We are offically within the 10-12 month timeframe for traveling :-) although we have been told it will most likly be closer to the 12 month end of it. No new news yet, we're just spending our time buying a few items for the trip and saving up more money. It was one year ago on the 17th that we made the trip to Buffalo for our fingerprinting and it was the crazy waiting room day at the local police station.
We have been going thru blog withdrawals since no families are currently in Kaz, then we realized that we are one of the next families who should be getting the call and it will be our blog everyone will be reading. It seems like we've been waiting forever but still have so much to do. I don't now if you can ever really be ready for this journey, knowing somewhere 1/2 way around the world is a child that we will one day call our son or daughter. I sit here and wonder where are you, what are you doing, what do you look like, when will we finally be together and I wonder there on the other side of the world of the children that wonder the same.

All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney

Helpful Link

2008-01-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to a page that list all of the questions you should ask the caregivers about your child. I've already printed them out and will have them ready when the day comes for us to meet our child.
After 24+ hours of travel, jet Lag and no sleep remembering all of the important questions might be a little hard so I hope this will be helpful to everyone.

GOOD FORTUNE

2008-01-07T18:59:00.000-05:00

Today our citizenship form came back Apostilized !! I'll make a copy for our records and then mail it off to the CHI office were it will be sent on the way to Kazakhstan to be added to our dossier.
Speaking of dossier here's the story behind the fortunes above.
1. Courtesy opens my doors.
I mentioned this in one of my older post about the day we went to the police station for fingerprinting. Courtesy and being polite in a chaos filled waiting room got us in the door on a day when fingerprinting normally isn't done.
The other two are from the day (Feb. 19th) we finished our dossier. Sandy and I went out to our FAVORITE CHINESE Restraunt (we love chinese food) to have dinner and celebrate this milestone of our adoption journey. These are the fortunes we found in our fortune cookies. We hope this is a good sign.
I don't know how delightful the journey will be with all of Adoptions ups and downs, but we have already met so many delightful people along the way. I don't know what the journey will hold for us in 2008 but I hope everyones dreams come true.

CONFERENCE CALL

2007-12-30T21:10:00.000-05:00

This past thursday our agency had a informative conference call with over 128 people (all adopting from Kazakhstan). It felt good that most of the info and the questions asked I already knew the answers to :-). It could be due to us waiting for over 9 months and reading every blog we've could. The call lasted for an hour and a half and a big NA NA NA NA NA NA :-p to everybody that hung up after the call. Sandy and I noticed that Julie Woods was still on the line and we had the pleasure of talking with her for about 10 minutes. For those who don't know Julie and her husband are currently in Almaty and have just adopted a cute little boy they named Benjamin. We've been reading their blog EVERY day so it was quite the treat to finally talk with them. I'll be looking into HSBC bank after hearing they're also in Kaz, you never know when you might need emergency money. I'll also be looking up common Russian /Kazakh medical terms to help us understand our child's medical records.

Just a few quick tips we've learned along the way:
Getting paperwork notarized, if you belong to a CREDIT UNION they'll notarize your paperwork for FREE this will save you lots of $$$

Here's a link to a great website we've found with lots of great info on Kazakhstan, blogs, travel info and more http://www.kazakhadoptivefamilies.com/

Someone asked about wait times during the conference call and we found out the family who've been waiting the longest had their dossier reach the MOE in May, ours has been at the MOE since July 4th. Sounds like we might getting close to getting that Call!!!
Sandy and I wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2008 The year I'll finally become a father.

CHRISTMAS AND MORE PAPERWORK

2007-12-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

Here's our two kids checking the Christmas gifts, could this one be for them?
Sandy and I are sitting here watching "A Home for the Holidays 9" This is a great show we 1st came across last year. The show has lots of great Adoption stories and music from many great artist I believe the Dave Thomas Foundation puts on this special every year (yes the founder of Wendy's was Adopted). Watching this show and hearing the stories makes us even more anxious for the day well finally meet our child. Next year Christmas will have a whole new meaning with a child in our lives.
Well this time last year we were doing paperwork paperwork and more paperwork and guess what were doing this year? Yep more paperwork! Nothing major just a form stating we will keep the childs American/Kazakh citizenship until 18 years of age.
Only took a few hours to type and get notarized and now it's off the the Sec. of State to be apostilled. With the holidays I hope it wil be back shortly after new years.
Well this is all the updates I have for now.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!!!

ONE YEAR !!!

2007-12-14T18:45:00.000-05:00

Well its been a while since I've blogged and I need to update. I can't believe This time one year ago we had just finished our homestudy and were waiting for our passports and for our I-600A. Our passports only took 3-4 weeks to arrive but our I-600A was returned to us :-( the reason why, I paid by check! I don't know if the fellow working there was in a foul mood working the Christmas holiday but the enclosed note stated they only accept moneyorders. Humm after reading the instructions It clearly states check or money orders, oh well the Adoption journey if full of bumps in the road and this was just a minor hold-up.
The 600A finally arrived in early Jan. and on the 17th we made the trip to Buffalo New York for our fingerprinting. It was a quick easy process and we were done in 10 minutes. We had beautiful weather for Jan and figured to drive home and head to the local police station to have our FBI fingerprints done.
FOR EVERYONE ADOPTING REMEMBER BE NICE AND SMILE FOR IT WILL OPEN MANY DOORS!!
When we walked into the police station it was total chaos!! There were people everywhere, a lady crying a guy swearing at one of the officers. When it was our turn to approach the window I was given that "what the heck do you want look" and was told fingerprinting was only done on certain days and today is not the day. I told her thanks very much we just need to have them done for our ADOPTION, boy did her attitude change. It was "Adoption why didn't you say so" she made a quick call and within minutes an officer took us back and did the fingerprinting for us. The officer was great, made us extra prints and told us just come back if there is any problems and he would take care of us. SO IT PAYS TO BE NICE!!
We recieved our FBI clearance and 171H around the middle of FEB. and our Dossier was submitted-translated-completed and at the Kazakhstan Embassy on March 19th. We are currently in the MFA and hope to recieve the call to travel in early 2008.

The Beginning

2007-05-28T14:56:00.000-04:00

Adoption!?!?!? how did we decide to adopt and why Kazakhstan.

After 3 miscarriages and a tubal pregnancy that came close to bursting (really close), we looked into other methods of having children. After much research and looking into invitro and finding out it was over $15,000 with it not being a sure thing, We kind of put the hope of having a child out of mind. It was over the summer when a few of our friends were having babies I started thinking about becoming a father and maybe Adoption was the right choice. It was at my 20th high school reunion seeing old friends and seeing pictures of their children that it really hit me. I'm not getting any younger and although I really don't know how I can afford to adopt (almost $40,000 by the time were done) that if we wait we'll never do it.

I started research online and looked into several agencies AIG and Bethany were the 1st but neither gave Sandy and I much hope. Then I found Children's Hope International, We talked, cried and laughed with Kellie in the Cleveland office for over an hour on the phone and just knew that yes this is to be our agency.

After choosing CHI we found Adoption By Choice here in Erie and only 1 block away from where I work to do our homestudy. I spent the next 2 months cleaning, painting, working on our biographies telling our whole life story and started the paperchase.
Lisa (our caseworker for the homestudy) came for the 1st of 2 visits in early December, Sandy and I were all nerves wondering if we missed any dust will the house be clean enough, when Lisa arrived it was a quick walk through of the house then about an hour of questions about us, our marriage and families and going over our biographies. Lisa told us we did great and set up visit #2 very quickly for us, just 3 days later so we could keep the adoption process moving quickly. Visit #2 started out a little rough for Lisa, 6 o'clock came and went and no Lisa finally we recieved a call from her, the babysitter was a NO SHOW!!! :-0 Lisa being the PRO that she is found someone to watch her children and made it for visit #2 After the initial problems with the sitter everything else went wonderful and we passed our homestudy with flying colors.
Sandy and I just want to say how GREAT LISA IS!!! She is one of the hardest working women we have ever met and an absolute PLEASURE, she made us glad we choose Adoption By Choice. We're looking forward to her visits after our adoption is complete so she can meet our Child.
YEA!!! the Homestudy is done and so is all the paperwork or so we thought!!!

Quote of the Day

2007-05-06T10:39:00.000-04:00

You Are Your Commitments
"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires...courage."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882 Poet and Essayist

Dossier Picture

2007-04-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

Well after starting this Adoption process in Aug. of 2006 our dossier is finished and now with the Kazakhstan embassy here in the U.S.A. If i did this right here's 1 of the pictures of sandy and I we used in our Dossier.