Orphanages in Sichuan Province

Oi Bebes,

I found out today that only a handful of the 45 orphanages in Sichuan Province have yet to be heard from. It is assumed that they are OK! There have been no reported deaths, only minor injuries. There has been structual damage to their buildings, and some of the kids are sleeping in tents outstide and when it rains they go into the buses that transport them to school. BUT they are OK and that is the most important thing! God heard our prayers in a big way! But, don't forget to continue to keep them in your prayers!

xxx(kiss kiss kiss)
Muito Amor,
Mommy

Minor Setback :(

Oi Bebes,

I just received a call from Sandi, our social worker and my fingerprints came back. Seems that they were good enough for the State of New York, but the are not good enough for someone at our lovely Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will now take an additional 6 weeks processing time to get those prints back to our agency. I think we might be on hold now until mid July. I want to cry but I won't because I'm the mommy, and mommy's do not cry. On the bright side no one is hurt, God is taking care of you, and everything happens for a reason. I have faith that this is a minor glitch and it's just God's way of giving Himself a little extra time to prepare me for you.

Hang in there and know that I think about you all the time. When we're finally together things will be great, I promise!

Amo-o ambos muito.

Keep on saying prayers for our friends in China and for the pandas! Remember to ask God to guide us together and connect us.

Muito Amor,
Mommy

China, Sichuan Province

Oi Bebes,

Let's pray for our new friends who waited very long to receive their referrals, some who are already there, some who were to leave shortly and some who left last night. Let's ask God to keep them and their children and all the children in the orphanages of Sichuan province (and in orphanages all over the world) safe from harm. Let's send out some prayers for families who may be seperated at this time that they are reunited quickly and safely.

ONE OTHER THING

Please also pray for our endangered Giant Panda's. Sichuan province is home to 1,200wild Giant Panda's -- they live in a reserve called Woolong National Park and usually we are able to see them at rest and at play by using their webcam but unfortunately after the earthquake this morning it stopped. In case you've never seen a Giant Panda, I'll show you -- Maybe one day we'll be able to go to Woolong National Park but certainly, I'll take you both to our National Zoo in Washington DC, they are there too! It's one of few zoo's that I do not have a problem with!





Muito Amor,
Mommy

Mother's Day

Oi Kids,

It has been a very somber weekend for me. I'm thinking about my mom constantly and it still hurts as if it happened yesterday. She was really a great mother and an awesome grandmother and I'm sad that you won't be able to experience her first hand. I'm sure though, that your cousins, Julian, Christian and Austin will give you first hand accounts about how much she loved, how great she cooked, how she was always there for them, and her kindness simply cannot be put into words. The kindness of grandmothers. My grandmother, I used to call her Nanny, was what my mother was and is to my nephews. Probably you don't understand that but you'll feel it in our household, I'll make sure of that.

I have that feeling in my chest that I want my mom really bad, to be here, with me right now and I know that's not possible. That's when the tears come to my eyes and I get really sad. I know that you both have the same feelings about your birth mother and I promise to help you through those feelings, but I know those feelings only become bearable, they never go away. I promise to do whatever I can to help you through those feelings of wanting your birth mother and helping those feelings become bearable to you, because if they're bad for an adult I don't want to imagine how bad they might be for you.

Ok -- Next Mother's Day, I'll be a mother. I'll be your mother. I want to start a tradition and I want you to know about it now: Mother's Day in our house will always be a cause for celebration -- first, I will celebrate my mother and then my children, because without you I wouldn't even be a mom. I'll bring into your lives the very best my mother brought into mine. Below are pics of Grandma Rosie with her grandkids -- you can easily see how happy she was in their presence -- and today she's looking down on you both and guiding us together, I have no doubt.

To all the mother's out there -- Happy Mother's day! And Happy Mother's day to the woman who gave me my nephews! Happy Mother's Day Susan!

Muito Amor,
Mommy

Home Study -- DONE!!!!

Oi Kids,
Our home study is completed and should be returned as a final copy to me before Memorial Day! Which means I could send it off to CIS for your visas the last week in May and hopefully have your them in my hand by the beginning of July. In the meantime I'll submit the rest of what I need to be authenticated. I could very well have my dossier in Brazil by September! Which means the earliest I could travel would be around November and maybe, just maybe I could have you both home by Christmas. This is my dream, it's up to God though, so whatever happens, happens. He picks the time for us, we don't. AND God doesn't give us dreams he can't help us attain ....So, MOM please give a little shout out to Him for me and the kids, Christmas time in NYC is fabulous! Ok kids, Grandma Rosie, together with God will take care of it. You're going to love Rockefeller Center in December!
Muito Amor,
Mommy

In case you want to get a sneak peak below are two pics of my FAVORITE place in the world during Christmas... with and without snow -- OH -- You've never seen snow huh? WOWWOWOWWEEEE we're going to have a BLAST! Snow is frozen water that gently and quietly falls from the sky in little flakes, all different, and all beautiful... It is called neve in Portuguese, just like in Italian!

Another Great Day x 3!

Oi Bebes!

I'm telling you things have have been happening in 3's (UH OH, Could there be three of you? OK NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT NOW). Anyway, today I picked up my Letter of Good Conduct, and got it verified, I also received my exemplified birth certificates in the mail today as well as my psych eval. I made 3 folders and labeled them Docs for Dossier -- one for the county docs, one for the state docs and one for the Brazilian docs. Kinda cool because before today I had no idea what to expect, I didn't even know what a verified document looked like.

I don't want to bore you guys with my psych eval but I'll just let you know the conclusion --

.....Ms. Safina appears well-prepared to love and nurture adopted children. As past history is the best indicator of future behavior, Ms. Safina is expected to raise her children in a safe, stable, loving environment free from physical punishment or violence. It is my professional opinion that she appears mentally stable and is qualified to adopt children.....

That's it in a nutshell, my promise to you is that I will always love and nurture you and will always provide, at whatever costs, a safe, stable and loving environment. You are my children and I can't wait to be your mother. (Even if there are three of you)LOL. God wouldn't give me something I couldn't handle, that I truly believe.

p.s. Grandpa is being interviewed by our social worker tomorrow so please wish us luck! And, as always before you go to bed tonight thank God for connecting us and pray that we will always remain in our faith and that His hands will touch our lives forever.

Muito Amor,
Mommy

VISA Gol! and Random Acts of Kindness

Oi Bebes, Friends and Family,

Our fundraiser was a success! I’m so happy to tell you that with the help of family and friends I have reached the goal of the fundraiser – to secure the funds for your visas! This fundraiser has been such an amazing journey. People helped, folks I never would have imagined lent a hand in my effort. It has made me realize how blessed I am to have such amazing friends. There were some glitches along the way but they taught me a thing or two about myself. They also magnetized the beauty of my friends who lent even more support at the 11th hour.

After we got rolling the day just got better and better. I had faith that God would’t let it rain on our parade and it didn’t, figuratively and literally. I also had faith that I would make my ‘visa goal'.

Expecting to have good weather and expecting to reach my goal I thought I had all my bases covered. What I didn't though was to have tears in my eyes sooo much! Here's why:

First, Aunt X donated the space to us and I got teary eyed;

Then the woman running the flea market donated another space to us but because of some glitches we couldn’t take advantage of her offer. She then told me that instead she would make a donation in our name to the Schneider’s Children Hospital, and again, I got teary eyed;

Then a woman heard why I was there at the flea market and bought a little angel from me at full price! She told me that every time she looks at the angel she’ll say a prayer for my kids – again, I got teary eyed;

Then came the waterworks -- John "Oscar” my old friend I referenced in the bog titled “Strangers and Strollers” came by with an amazing gift (as if he hadn’t done enough already) from him and another old friend who coached my childhood softball team, Kevin. These two really helped me reach my visa goal that’s for sure. This time though, instead of getting teary eyed I just broke down. John and Kevin’s act of absolute generosity touched my heart in a way that I have never experienced before.

Then, I felt an overwhelming urge to call my mom, your Grandma Rosie with the good news. I sat down for a minute and felt that feeling in my chest, you know when you miss someone so much you kind of lose your breath for a second. I then noticed a book called Holy Days in a box under the table. I couldn't figure out how it got there, especially that I didn't put it there. I picked it up and remembered that the summer before my mom died she was reading it. It was an enthnography about a Hasidic family in NYC. I began flipping though it and found a bookmark made from a Mother Theresa prayer. I knew it was hers. At that moment I had realized that my mother was once again, there, the whole day watching over us and I smiled. My mother comes through in so much I do, it is really unbelievable.

And so I’d like to thank, first my yet unknown children because without you I would never have experienced tears of joy; to all my friends and family for giving me support and encouragement throughout this endeavor and because without you none of this would have been possible. Finally to all the strangers that I have come into contact with, for your random acts of kindness. I know I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I am truly blessed to have each and every one of you in my life!

So, here’s a special thanks out to Mary Beth for all your PHYSICAL LABOR and GIANT TRUCK DRIVING ABILITIES on little sleep!

Muito Amor Mommy Patricia