A little bit closer

WE ARE SO CLOSE!!!! We have TWO big announcements! 

Mike and I have been full of adventures the past seven months that I have abandoned the blog. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary, went on another cruise (Mexico, Honduras and Belize), we both finished another couple semesters of school and we started the process to become licensed foster parents. We had discussed (even before we were married) how we both felt driven to foster and finally took the first step back in October by attending an orientation to learn what the process would be and what we could expect. From there we researched several agencies with our area and ultimately selected our agency, went through the in-take interview process and they accepted us to their program! Their next training class was not scheduled to begin until the first week of January- it really gave us a "few" days to ponder if we were heading down the right path.

We took that time to start preparing ourselves mentally as well as getting the house prepared for the state inspection that was required. We had to have a pool fence installed, started buying cribs and baby stuff...it is definitely not the experience I dreamed of as a little girl when I thought about becoming a mom. Kids are expensive, walking into a baby store is overwhelming! A couple of friends have asked me about throwing a baby shower for us, my only reply is "save it for when we have our own baby" as in a baby that we will be able to keep forever. 

Fast forward to today- April 28, 2015 we are officially licensed foster parents! (This is big announcement #1)

What is the big announcement #2?? Rewind back to the first week of April (perhaps I should have posted a disclaimer at the beginning of this post that I was going to be all over the board with dates)...a friend on Facebook posted about a boy who is her host son's best friend back in their Ukrainian orphanage and how he has never been selected to be hosted and that he is constantly picked on...need I say more? The post had me crying at work (of course it did right?? I am such a crybaby these days), I thought what a horribly sad story that the only time to ever be "picked" was for tormenting and cruelty. 

A couple of days went by and then she posted again, except this time she posted that he was selected- but not by a family to host him, but that a beautiful family selected him to be awarded with a donation to cover all of his hosting fees!!! Again, here I was sitting at work reading this and started to cry (what is this like the 3rd time in a few paragraphs) I immediately sent a Facebook message to my friend that introduced me to hosting/fostering and I told her I want that boy! She is a thoughtful woman this friend of mine, she asked what does your husband think? Ahhh I had not even mentioned it to him because I thought that door was closed for us. I quickly texted him asking "what are your thoughts about hosting this summer?" Keep in mind I have an amazing husband- his reply was like seeing a sunset for the first time, "Sure we can do that." I went crazy (and by crazy I mean I cried- you should know the pattern by now!) and started trying to reach someone, anyone at this agency for this hosting program. Of course they are on eastern time and it is already after 5pm and everyone is gone for the day. I started sending Facebook messages to the friend who originally posted this sweet boy's photo and she provided me with contact info and I was able to get in touch with someone from the hosting program and chat with her on the phone to get some more information. We had to complete an application that night! 

Long story short...this is V, he is 10 years old and loves gum and soccer and has a heart of gold! We are completely smitten with this little guy and cannot wait to meet him in June and show him that he is wanted and loved and to show him an amazing summer! 

How did it go with the boys?

It has taken me a long time to come back around to post this update regarding our journey with the hosting the boys. It was pretty short lived. I ended up experiencing a lot of anxiety and intuitive feelings about them not being able to come, which led to me having horrible dreams about being in the middle of war riddled Ukraine trying to find them and not being able to get to them. We kept moving forward and paid the money for the deposit deadline ($1000/child), days after that I just could not continue to suppress the horrible feeling that they were not going to be able to come and so we forfeited the deposits and backed out of hosting. We fully refunded everyone who was extremely kind and donated (thank you!!). Another sweet family stepped up and finished coming up with the additional funds that were needed to host the both of them together, unfortunately they were not able to be hosted at all. We were heartbroken to hear this news, but was glad that I trusted my intuition and was able to reconcile on our own terms and not face the disappointment like the other family had to endure. Overall it was an exhilarating experience to be apart of if only minimally.

We ultimately decided to move forward with our first round of fertility treatment which was not successful, however we are not discouraged and have sought a second opinion into my medical situation to be better prepared for the next round of treatment.  We are also preparing to begin the process of becoming licensed foster parents! We are definitely excited about the potential for our future family. I will do my best to maintain the blog to journal our experience through the process.

Here are a couple of pics from our honeymoon (an Alaskan cruise!) in May 2014 and a work trip that Mike was able to travel along with me so we had a mini honeymoon to Florida in June.

Adil

URGENT REQUEST TO ALL WHO LOVE SHERI AND MIKE!!!!!

Hosting deposits are due TOMORROW!!! And the funds are currently at $70! We can do SO MUCH BETTER than this, y’all. $2,000 is needed to hold Adil and Danil. This money is needed early for embassy visits to acquire travel visas, medical appointments, and to reserve the plane tickets for their 8 WEEK stay in America.

Hosting is an AMAZING way to shower love on children who have NEVER known it and have the potential to meet their FOREVER FAMILY. PLEASE consider donating just ONE DOLLAR for every year they’ve waited for a Mom and Dad to treasure them! That’s just $21 to change FOUR LIVES FOREVER! I bet you can’t WAIT to see all the fun pics with the kids this summer!!! Aren’t you CURIOUS?!

What you might LOVE to know about Adil…

Adil is a sweet boy with a GREAT faith. Last winter, he was the ONLY child on the list from his orphanage who was NOT chosen by a host family. He waited and waited, but was still unwanted. A wishful family (already hosting several children) paid his deposit so he would be ready just in case. On THE DAY the children would start their journey to America as a group, Adil was still WAITING…and HOPING…and PRAYING. We ALL were. ANY of us would have hosted him, but every seat in our vans were filled, every bed and sofa filled. I had taken FOUR orphans myself…my sister in law, three...with MANY more just like us. It was seemingly HOPELESS. Yet Adil sat there with his backpack on…JUST IN CASE. We were down to ONE HOUR before the children’s departure. A family came forward (unable to adopt, but ready to host), but they had NO FUNDS. In LESS than ONE HOUR, $2,700 was raised and with only about 15 MINUTES TO SPARE, Adil boarded that plane a loved, desperately wanted, and treasured young man. We want THE WORLD for him and his little brother whom he loves so very much.

PLEASE BE A PART OF THIS JOURNEY! Donations can be made easily from the PayPal button on the right. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

On our way...

It has only been a few short days since we announced our plans to host the boys, the outpouring of support has been tremendous and overwhelming. We are so very grateful for the donations we have received, but please keep them coming!!! 

The boys will be arriving with pretty much just the clothes on their back, nothing more. We are not yet sure what sizes they will need however other host moms have been ever so kind to lend just the right words of encouragement to this first time mom who feels extremely overwhelmed. Mike and I are newlyweds embarking upon this amazing privilege and journey of becoming first time parents to two boys who do not speak our language. We are relying on love, kindness, compassion and patience to be the unifying communication until we all figure each other out. 

We all know how the traditional fairy tale goes...girl meets boy...boy falls head over heels in love with girl...but then remembers he is shy and makes the girl run around questioning if he is ever going to make a move...then he whisks her off on a 10 day vacation to Hawaii...asks her and her zoo of pets to move in...she wonders if he is ever going to purpose and then gets tired of waiting and drags him to the jewelry store and then drags him to her parents house the next day to "ask" for her hand and they are married less than six months later in a whirlwind. That is how it is for everyone, right?!??!!

So 90 days later when they are already starting to plan the next chapter of their adventure together, why would beginning a new chapter to have a family be anything but traditional for their fairy tale??

All my life I have wanted nothing more than to be a mom, and now the opportunity has surfaced in a non-traditional situation. We are so very excited to announce that we are hosting not ONE but TWO young boys from an Ukrainian orphanage for this summer.

We have selected two young brothers, Adil who is fourteen and Danil who is seven. Please help us in raising the funds needed to support these boys in their journey to Arizona.

There is only a short time (short time meaning 5 days!) before the initial funds ($2000) to start the paperwork needed to secure their visas is due and we need everyone's assistance in helping us in meeting this first goal to make a difference in Adil's and Danil's lives. Please help us by making a donation via the buttons in the right side bar!

Adil

Danil