So we fly to Ukraine in just 12 days! Sometimes 12 days seems like an eternity to wait because we have been working towards this day for 5 months but sometimes (like tonight) 12 days doesn't seen like nearly enough time to do everything I have to do before we leave. So this blog post becomes the list (that Heather always says I should make) of things I need to do: ***Clearly my time is better spent blogging about what I need to do as opposed to actually doing it :)
1. Finish putting together my notebook of calculus teaching material for my supply teacher (10+ hours of work still needed).
2. Buy 70 cans of tennis balls for the Wheeler tennis teams.
3. Develop an agenda for the parent info meeting for the Wheeler girls' tennis team.
4. Vaccuum... 'nuff said.
5. Buy some clothes for trip (like non-descript dark pants that I can fit long johns underneath.... my skinny jeans don't work... however they would look totally cute with my fab new snow boots).
6. Buy some gifts for various people in Ukraine.
7. Mail a letter or two to Vladik. Sometimes I forget he doesn't know we are coming so he needs to get some letters from us in the interim to know we love him.
8. Create a photo book to take to Ukraine.
9. Fill out some paperwork for American embassy in Kiev.
9.5. Watch the Australian Open finals.
10. Drive to Lawrenceville-ish to pick up check from Promise 686 grant.
11. Deposit check immediately and request crisp, new bills in given denominations to be picked up from the bank on the Friday before we leave.
12. Send an email to my neighbors and friends giving them all appropriate contact info for me and for Jackson who will be staying with my parents.
13. Stop worrying about leaving Jackson for 5 weeks. It can't be changed, he will be okay, and I am still a good mom.
14. Eat at Wild Wings at least once before we leave. Who knows what I will be eating for the next 5 weeks?!?!
15. Get a copy of Jackson's physical to turn in for LAX.
16. Pay life insurance.... this seems pretty important given the fact that we will be on a plane for 16 hours...
17. Visit my wonderful Papa in his rehab center.
18. Tell my friends and family that I LOVE THEM AND THANK THEM FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT OVER THESE PAST FEW MONTHS!!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
We are humbly trying to raise $1000 before we leave! Can you help us?!?!
We are going to have to borrow some money from various sources but we would like to borrow as little as possible and because of that, we have set a goal for ourselves to raise $1000 before we leave Feb. 7th. Can you help us meet that goal?
We subscribe to the "pay it forward" ideal and plan to help other adopting families once we are on the other side of our own adoption adventure. So we are humbly asking you to help us now so that one day soon we may pay it forward and help other adopting families.
Thank you to those of my friends and family who have helped already. Much love and thanks for your support: Patty, Jay and Lauren, Reggie, Robin and Karen, Shirlean, Maxine, Mom and Dad, Shelly, and my Bunco besties! If I have missed you, I may not know about your donation yet but know that you are appreciated and deserve a big thank you!!!
Your donation can be tax deductible if you donate through Promise 686, the $4000 matching grant we received. Directions below on how to dontate through Promises 686 either by mail or online.
If you have the ability to help financially, the following are the instructions to do so in a tax-deductible, matching funds way:
1. Checks should be made payable to:
Promise686, Inc.
2. Please make sure and include “Brownlow-Walls Adoption” in the memo section
3. Mail to:
Promise686, Inc.
4. If you would prefer, you can make a donation through Paypal using the following link:
* Note: per IRS guidelines, promise686 maintains complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Vladik went "home" today
As he hugged me and we cried in the atrium of the Atlanta airport, Vladik says "no Ukraine!" With every part of our being, Keith and I just wanted to say OK and take him back to his real home, our home. For his own protection, we have not told Vladik we are adopting him. But we have told him that we definitely want to see him again. We told him that today was not a goodbye but a see you later. His understanding of that is that we will host him again this summer. He will get the surprise of his lifetime in less than one month when we show up in Ukraine to bring him HOME. It was very emotional for him today with quite a bit of tears just before he left and we were sad for him but not sad for the same reasons. I hate that he has to deal with such a variety and complexity of emotions at such a young age. I just want to wrap him up in our arms and protect him but you can't do that for any child, adopted or not. But hopefully it will be enough that one day soon we will be able to say goodnight and I love you to Vladik EVERY night.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Had a bit of a scare...
Earlier this week Vladik told us he had another brother. We only know about an older brother, Roma, who is 17 and in trade school. But then he sprung this on us. That he has another brother, Sashka, who is 11 also. This would impact our ability to adopt just Vladik. We would have to adopt Sashka as well! Definitely not something we could even see as a possibility. Our wonderful adoption coordinator, Tonya, double checked all the paperwork from the Ukrainian government and Vladik has only one registered brother, Roma. So either Sashka is not Vladik's brother or he is his brother but is bot registered as such. Either way, we will still be able to adopt just Vladik. It is more likely that Sashka is a friend at Vladik's orphanage. And Vladik is realizing what is happening, that we are a loving family who will hoefully adopt him, and wants the same thing for his friend. So by telling us he is his brother he hopes we will bring him to America too. It is completely understandable. I am sure that we can't even imagine the flurry of emotions Vladik is dealing with. But we love him and are hapy to know our adoption is not in jeopardy.
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