July 25th here we come!

This week has been amazing!  I just want to share it with you so you can see the hand of God working in this adoption. Monday I had a phone call from my employer. "You got a raise." I didn't ask for one. BUT, great!!!! :) Tuesday when I went out to get the mail, there was an envelope that someone had put in it that had $100 in it for our adoption! Wednesday was the 4th and we had a lot to be thankful for that day. Friday we woke up to an email from Aeroflot Russian Airlines telling Gregg that he was the 3 millionth person to register for their loyalty program and that they were awarding him a Business class flight with Aeroflot and 1 week holiday for two at a hotel! WHAT? We didn't know if it was for real so Gregg went looking on the Aeroflot website. And there it was...


http://www.aeroflot.ru/cms/en/bonus_news_item/17661

Isn't that crazy? We don't know any details yet but pray we can somehow use this prize to buy tickets for our adoption? :) 

Yesterday I spent the day finishing up details for our next trip. I got the last document notarized. I went to Springfield with it to get it apostilled. Mom and Dad went with me. We had lunch at Cracker Barrel in Lincoln, their favorite lunch place. :) After getting the apostille, I went to the post office in Springfield to mail off the documents to CWA and to send the passports and pics to the visa agency. Plane tickets are purchased. I think we're ready! Just need to work on a scrapbook for court and that's that! Court is July 31 so we will be there a few days in advance to visit with Timothy, Timmy, TJ. :) I am anxious to see him. We were watching videos of him this morning with Benjamin. There is one in particular that when he watches it, he giggles. I love that he's so excited to meet his brother. The questions lately have been, "Why can't we bring Timmy home now?" and "When can I go to meet him in Russia?" :) We set up another bed in their room last weekend and he has been very concerned this week that Timmy doesn't have a pillow. So sweet! (We bought him a pillow yesterday by the way!)

Things are going well. Just trying to enjoy our summer without thinking about all that is to come. We will go to Maranatha in Michigan next week, though sadly Gregg, Tara and Ashley will not be with us. Gregg is having to use every bit of his vacation this year for the adoption trips. :( Tara has chosen to stay home with Gregg and go to Marching Band Flag Camp so she will also not go and Ashley is doing an internship this summer so she is not home. It will be strange having such a small group but I am still looking forward to beach and sun. (hopefully not so hot!) We return the Saturday before we leave for Russia! Will be kind of crazy but worth it. We love Maranatha and the people we go with. :) Pray it is a relaxing and spiritually uplifting week!

Thank you all for following us on this journey. God has been in this with us from the beginning and I know He will not leave us now.