7 Posts, 7 Days.... Day 2

Reminders.

I was ready to jump in with the update on our family, especially our newest additions, when my eyes caught on this on the whiteboard in my kitchen...

My 9yo Ella drew this soon after Henry died, it is Henry in heaven and her visiting him on a cloud and saying "in heaven i can do whatever I want" ... I used to post our daily menu and other scheduling notes and little encouraging phrases there, but now this has been there for over a year... I can't remove it.

I also can't remove this from my mudroom...

That was my favorite jacket for Henry that made him look like a little polar bear.

This is above my desk area.

This is pinned on my cork board.

And this is in my living room...

This statue of a sorrowful Mary holding... Or frankly almost SHIELDING...baby Jesus spoke to me when I saw it at Our Lady of the Universe Shrine in Orlando, Florida last June on a trip to visit a dear group of fellow adoptive Momma's...

It seems to me that this statue captures the moment right after Mary heard Simeon tell her that her baby boy would someday die for us... And she clutches him close, realizing that she could not, indeed should not, change that... 

I feel that Our Lady understands my loss and shares her compassion and just a bit of her strength with me...

So thank you for letting me share these reminders of Henry... Tomorrow we move on... One day at a time... Just as God calls us to....

7 posts, 7 days.... Day 1

So Jen over at www.conversiondiary.com has inspired me to give you guys 7 in 7...

This will be a challenge because, as you can imagine, we have been extremely busy with our newest three...

At the moment we are at the dentist waiting for my 9yo...

So I have about 37 seconds to finish this first post on my phone :-)

This week I will give you updates on all three, how our family is adjusting, the medical issues we are dealing with, etc.

And, of course, this would not be "Bringing Henry Home" without some major orphan advocacy...

Please go here and SEE Nathaniel...

http://reecesrainbow.org/73458/nathaniel-3

This precious child SHOULD have been adopted almost 3 years ago when he was a bit over age one...

But evil intervened and I remember messaging with his devastated momma while Henry was in the hospital...

She was told he was dying and would NOT be available for international adoption just weeks before leaving to bring him home to medical treatment he desperately needed...

Just weeks ago we found out Nathaniel is alive and now cleared for adoption and in even more desperate need of a shunt to treat his hydrocephalus... He is likely often in pain due to the pressure in his skull... 

Because his condition is so advanced they do not have the capability to do this surgery in his (and Henry's and my newest three's) country...

PLEASE he needs a family so soon, his region often transfers from the baby house to the institution at age 4!!!

Nathaniel needs to be rescued as soon as possible! Please email me at Dobspc@aol.com if you feel the call and want further information!!

This Present Moment.

Where we are...

Today. Right now.

Doing His Will one bath at a time...

Sunday Afternoon Bonding

16 days home and first nap time on the couch! 

Blessed Feast of the Holy Family!

Reunited!!

A guest post from a dear friend helping me to bring our newest children home!

Go read and enjoy the pictures of three siblings playing together in the same room for the first time ever...

With mama watching over...

Have a blessed weekend! I know I will!!

http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/2013/12/fatherless-friday.html

Triple Thanks.

Blessed Thanksgiving to everyone back home in the USA!

Today I give thanks for 3 blessings...

First, for EVERYONE, the family, extended family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and "never-met-except-on-the-internet" friends who:

bid on items in our Auction,

purchased chances on our iPad/Kindle giveaway

came and partied with us in June 

bought a ticket for a basket

Donated items to our Auntion/raffle

donated money to our FSP

Brought over meals for our family

Donated towards Henry's funeral expenses

Sent me coffee in the mail

Prayed for me

Sent me hugs and love on FB or the blog

What a community of LOVE grew up around my sweet boy! 

Thanks is not enough to say for all the support over these last almost-three years starting from our commitment to adopt Henry (Spring 2011) until today, when he has been in heaven for one year and I wait in Eastern Europe to bring our newest children home. 

But gratitude is all I have and I give it with all my heart and will remember each and every one of you in prayer today.

Second, I am beyond thankful for my wonderful husband and every single member of our joy-filled family! I hope I can be the wife and mother they all deserve in the coming year and that we can love and laugh together for many years to come!

And Third, I am thankful for every minute God graced me to spend with Henry Augustin Dobrovits.

I would do it all again...the fundraising, the travel, the hospitalizations, the thousands in co-pays, the lack of sleep, the separations at CHOP...

The being with him while he went to be with Jesus.

I am thankful I got to be his mama.

PS Blogger on my iPad will not let me load a video here...please go see my boy on FB!

We passed Court!

We had to wait over an hour and a half past the stated time to begin the hearing...the judge was very fast and no-nonsense...she asked why we wanted to adopt (Paul told her the 30 second version of what should have been a 20 minute conversation!), she asked if we had enough money to raise 9 children (we affirmed yes), she asked if our six at home were biological or adopted (I said bio, that got me a few raised eyebrows), then she asked if we get a check from the US government for each child we have (emphatic NO!)....

We were so proud of our 11 year old...the judge asked her to stand up and give her name and age and asked if she wanted to be adopted by us and she said YES and then the judge asked if anyone pressured or coerced her to consent to the adoption and she looked at little taken aback and emphatically said NO!

Then the judge read Every. Single. Document. into the record. Then she asked the State Prosecutor if she had any concerns and she said no. Then asked all the workers (7!) present from both orphanages if they objected and they all said no 

So we were then declared parents of all three!

Victoria Catherine, age 11 (momma, papa, Vika selfie taken on court bench!)

Leo Maximus (age 3) and Yana Faustina (18 months) - my almost 9 yo at home did the creative editing on this pic -- and I could not agree more!

I am a Momma of 10.... Because Henry counts :-)

In fact, the reason these three previous children who are siblings (but had never even met before we came) have the love of a family and a future is directly attributable to our little Saint in heaven!

Paul is heading back to our children at home right now and I hope to bring our "third batch" (HT to Luke!) to the US in mid-December! 

I am in a place that one year ago would have been unthinkable....

But as a wise woman said below...

Thinking is overrated...loving is what endures.

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