First, I am sorry for the delay in updating our blog. We have been waiting for final approvals and confirmations. Now, Amy, myself and the boys can say..."It is time!"
On March 28th, Amy and I received the Bulgarian court's approval to adopt Z (Soon, we will be able to use her name). After approval, we only had to wait a week for the approval to be officially filed into the system. The next steps have been to prepare our trip to Sofia to finalize the adoption. With Easter and other Bulgarian holidays, we had to wait until May to travel.
I am so happy to say we have bought our airline tickets to leave the States on May 6th, and get to Sofia on May 7th. We then will go get Z from the orphanage and she will be with us the rest of our lives!!!!!! That is just so amazing to say!!
We must be in Sofia for ten days to complete all the necessary steps to finalize the adoption and the steps to allow her into the US. While I am not sure of all we have to do, we are confident our agency in Bulgaria will guide us all the way. We have also rented a two bedroom apartment in Sofia for our time there. We cannot wait to start bonding and being the loving and caring parents Z has always deserved!
God has brought us together, and while Z had to start life and live in an orphanage for her first 10 years, He has always planned on Amy and I being her parents! We are so proud to be her parents and cannot wait to provide her a home! Her brothers are so excited to meet her! To hear them say "sister" is so heart warming! Coen gave up his large room and took a much smaller room so Z could have his old room. We have started to prepare her room so any 10 year old girl would be happy (Stephen helped paint). We have painted it her favorite color, yellow. Amy had bought a nice comforter for the bed, and she painted her dresser pink. We have started to buy her clothes to fill her closet and drawers. We have appreciated all the support in getting her wardrobe all set! I now get to hear Amy say "Oh this is adorable, or this is so cute" all the time now. With a house full of boys, those words were rarely used! I also came to realize, I may have to learn how to brush a little girl's hair......
The adoption journey can be a trying time and can pull on the emotions, but it has been such a blessing! Every step has proved to be in God's hands!! Even when we get Z home, the journey will not end, but will start a new chapter. A chapter we are ready to start! Thank you all again for your support! The financial support and most importantly, your prayer support has helped bring us to Z and we will have her home soon. We will be home with Z on May 17th! What a glorious homecoming that will be!
God bless you all and I cannot wait for you all to meet our precious Z!!
