So its been a week since I last posted. It seems like an eternity…yet just a day or two ago. We are home and back in the flow of life, with an extra in our boat. I am struggling with the anxiety and frustration of the speed of life now that we are back. I feel great in the morning but feel like crap by evening, not sure why. I am going to focus on changing my eating habits this week in an attempt to shake this.
It has been incredible to watch Aleks this week. He is a different boy than we have seen in the past. He has a peace and a confidence that I have not seen before. Cindy and I have also transitioned into “mom” and “dad” this week as well. The peace that Aleks carries with him is one that brings him confidence…a confidence different than that which he tried to carry in Latvia. It brings a tender caring and obedience. There is a joy and happiness that comes from the peace he carries…he is home and we are his family…FOREVER! It is so much fun to just hang out together…all five of us. Meals and rides in the car are hilarious. There is a new level of laughter through our home, one that we can’t imagine ever living without again. And did I say that we are “mom and dad”…I know I did, but I just wanted to say it again! The girls became his sisters about two or three weeks into the hosting but we are now finally mom and dad.
There is still much paperwork to do. I am nearly ready to file our I-800 but I am waiting for one piece of paper from Latvia. I hope to get everything filed this week so it can get processing and maybe get my next court date scheduled soon. There are still two trips back to Latvia before this is all over. The next trip which I will be taking myself is to finalize the adoption and get Aleks’ birth certificate changed with his new name and us as his parents. Once that is complete, the last trip will be with Aleks to meet with the US Embassy. That last trip will be a few days long as we go through a series of exams and interviews before receiving his IR-3 Visa. This is his ticket to becoming an official US Citizen. After receiving the visa, once we land on US soil…Aleks will be a US Citizen. My prayer is that we can be complete with everything by the end of the year. There are still expenses ahead associated with the travel and the paperwork, both in the US and Latvia. Please continue to pray with us for God’s provision for this as well.
It was great to be back at Stonecreek today. I wish we could have spent an hour with each person who stopped and asked how the trip was. It is so encouraging to know that so many are following our story. If something is moving in your heart and you are interested in learning more about adoption or simply just the hosting program, just ask! We would love to share with you.
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