A chance for home

There may be a chance for Rimma and Zina to come home this summer for 10 weeks. We are cautiously optimistic that this will happen because we were shot down last summer. Things have changed and we are known to the powers that be in Ukraine this time. However, the situation could change and head south in the blink of an eye. I won't believe it until they pop out from behind the customs doors at DIA. It would be a blessing to have all our children under one roof, if only for a summer. R & Z have been asking to come, but we have told them that it is up to the orphanage. Pray that this happens.

For R & Z's possible trip, we have enlisted the help of our friends at Frontier Horizon who do summer-long hosting placements. We hosted two girls last year through them and it was truly a blessing. If you want to know what it will be like to adopt and live with a precious young child from Ukraine or if you are on the fence about international adoption, I urge you to host a child for the summer. They have three programs to choose from. A long program (10 weeks), a short program (a few weeks) and a Christmas vacation program. Give KT or Dr. Rosini a call. All information is on their website. Whether or not you choose to do these programs will not affect R & Z's chance to come home. If they are approved, we will bring them home. But there are so many more that want the chance to come to America and live with a family. Many get left behind. Think it over.

Perhaps a long term hosting program is not idea for you. The cost and commitment may be too much for you. Perhaps you want to get involved for a couple of weeks, a couple of days, or a couple of hours. In that case, please remember that our annual Ukraine Orphan Outreach (UOO) ministry will bring 8-10 kids each year. The 2009 Summer Camp is coming up! This is an excellent way to meet the kids and devote as much time or resources as you want to afford. You can always volunteer at an activity or partake in the event(s) and just watch the fun happen.

In either case, your life will be changed. It changed our lives. Both opportunities opened our eyes to the delight of older orphan children who want and need a family as much, if not more than the youngest little ones. Come, be a part of this year's UOO camp. Don't let this summer pass you by again without feeling this experience.

~ Felix ~

Sore arms & tender hearts

Last Thursday was a hard day, indeed! It was Doctor-Day or "many ouches" as stated by all three. The inevitable was upon us and rather than start an all-out sibling war, we decided to do all the kids' medicals all at once. I think we started somewhere around 2:30 and by the time it was all over, we left at 6:30. We chose a local pediatrician through our health care provider the month before and this was the first day we could get in and get it all done. Well, almost all done, we still have to return this week for the TB testing.

The first order of business was physicals with the doc. One by one, the doctor gave them a clean bill of health from a physical aspect. She entered all the information that was known about them from their Ukrainian and US State Department forms. Presto, bink and just like that, the trusty computer said that they all needed more shots...NOW! Everyone but Kole got four more, He got three. The cocktail consisted of a Hep A, a Hep B, a Meningitis, and a tetanus shot. Yikes, I felt so bad for them.

There were a lot of unhappy kids...and the fun wasn't over, yet! While I made appointments for the TB test for the following week, Heidi took them over to the lab for a blood draw. Ugh, four shots and now this! The lady who was on duty was none other than my friend, "No Pain, Lorraine". Her self-appointed moniker is a result of her tender care and ability to make a normally unpleasant situation painless. She's the best and usually does all the kids that come into the lab. I'm a big baby when it comes to blood work, so I go to Lorraine, too! She did both of my draws during our adoption process.

The kids were finally finished and looked like they had gone through the wringer! Poor guys, I really felt bad for them, but it needed to be done. We were sent home with "toilet homework" if you know what I mean. That's what I call true love!

The next day, Heidi had to leave work early because the schools called. Both girls were sick and running a fever from all the shots. Julia recovered in a couple of hours and Nadia felt better after sleeping for a few hours. We made both girls stay in their rooms and they couldn't watch TV or play. This was to ward off any possibility of future thinking that all they need do is say they are sick and go home from school. Both girls were fine by days end. Kolya was a trooper, he stayed at school and reported that he felt fine. Except for a little lingering soreness, all kids are OK today.

Oh, I almost forgot. The adoption story about the Volf kids and our kids came out in the Sunday paper. Here are two hyperlinks. One is the article and the other is for a photo slide show. I also have them linked on the right side of this blog.

~ Felix ~