July 5, 2008
Happy Belated Independence Day! I was thinking about our Independence yesterday on the way home from our annual picnic. I think this was the United State's 232nd celebration and Ukraine has only been independent for somewhere around 15 years. Celebrating their independence would really be something since most people living there can remember being under communist rule and since no one here was alive during the American revolution our celebration is more tradition. Anyway hopefully Vasya and Alex will be here next year to celebrate with us along with my two new nephews or nieces that are due to arrive in a few weeks.

I fed-exed (if that is a real verb) our updated documents to Ukraine last Thursday and our facilitator picked them up yesterday. He will proofread, translate and notarized them next week and hopefully get them submitted soon. We have heard that several families who submitted their documents in June for older children have recieved appointment dates for the end of July or early August. Hopefully we will get a quick appointment date as well, If you have a spare minute send up a prayer about it.

We are still fundraising, in fact I am having a Tastefully Simple catalog party. My friend Ellen, who has two sweet little boys from Guatamala is generously giving me the profits. So As soon as I figure it out, I'll let you know. It can be done over the internet.

P.S. We are looking for a set or two of sturdy used bunkbeds that someone is wanting to get rid of. So if you know of anyone(not too far from SD) let us know. Matthew is still sleeping in a toddler bed, but we promised him a big boy bed when the big boys come home.