We are GOING!

After 14 months of adoption preparation we have FINALLY received our SDA (State Department of Adoption) appointment.  Our appointment is scheduled for November 21^st.  That leaves us only 9 days to make final preparations and only 5 work days to get paperwork done on base.  We knew that this would probably happen.  After months of sitting around and waiting, now everything must be done super quickly. 
We need to break down our trips into 3 separate trips to Ukraine.  Our first trip will only be for 3 days.  We are heading to Kiev on Tuesday, November 20^th and attending our appointment on November 21^st.  We will come back home on Friday (only available time to fly).  This trip we will NOT being seeing Vitaliy as he is 12 hours south of Kiev. 

Our first trip is basically our physical presence presenting our intention to adopt Vitaliy and to initiate the court appointments that will follow.  Since we are so close and the plane tickets are cheap from Venice to Kiev we are heading back to Italy so that we can be here to greet my sister Robin who has graciously decided to come to take care of the girls while we are gone for the 2^nd longer trip!

Robin will be arriving in Italy on the 25^th and we will have a few days to get her paperwork finished for her to have a pass to get onto the base and get her the approval to drive our car while we are gone.  This also gives us time to enroll Vitaliy into the DEERS program to initiate the Command-Sponsorship approval.  We will have “official” papers from Kiev at this point to present to the base proving that we are in-fact adopting. 
Right now we are planning on leaving for Simferopol on the 29^th, this time we will be able to hold our son for the first time!  We will also be there for his 11^th birthday on December 15^th!  How awesome is that?  We are not sure how long we will be in country this second trip but we are figuring about 2 ½ weeks. 

The third trip, the one where we get to bring Vitaliy home, will likely be after the New Year.  Due to the holidays, the offices will all be closed and we probably won’t be able to get anything done until after they re-open.

Please continue to pray that the travel plans go perfectly, that the remaining $1,950 we need will be donated, that all the appointments are problem-free, and that ALL of us are healthy for all the trips and those who are helping take care of the girls will be Abundantly Blessed for their time and love. 
Can’t wait to post pictures of our adventures.  Thank you for praying with us throughout our journey!