Immigration Approval Received

Immigration approval has been received!  I now have written permission to bring Monika in to the USA as my legally adopted daughter.  Now all the paperwork is going back over to Bulgaria to request a court date so the adoption can be official and finalized.  Praying this process goes quickly.  Would still like to travel in March, but may be looking at April.

Blessings from my Interpreter

I am so fortunate that my interpreter grew up in Burgas and goes back 1 or 2  times every month to stay with her family for the weekend.  I gave her a little money to buy some small goodies and she has agreed to go visit every time she is in town.  She will also take her a chocolate bar or some treat every time she visits and tell her it is from her mama.  So, when my interpreter went to visit her family at Christmas, she went by to say hello.  She said that there was immediate recognition and she was asked where is her mama because I was always with her.  I am so blessed to have this small connection during this wait period.  It is still a long wait (2-3 months is normal) but it helps to know she is getting reminders that her mama loves her while we are waiting for the return trip.

Several of you have asked what I need or what you can pray about so I want to take a moment just to share about this specifically.  I am still unfunded for my final trip to Bulgaria.  I was expecting a tax refund on the adoption that would have paid this off after the fact but it does not appear in our fiscal climate that this refund will be passed.  A tax credit has been renewed which reduces your taxed income, but the refund is actually a refund of funds spent whether you have a tax liability or not.  I am still applying for a couple more grants.  Please pray that these will go through.  Thank you to those who have donated money or items for Monika.  You have no idea how much it means to me.

As for things needed.  I have gotten a few things but there is quite a bit still left to get.  I do not need new of anything, hand-me-downs are great.  I am looking for an infant monitor.  Her bedroom is upstairs and I cannot hear her from my room.  Toddler type toys that teach color, shape, texture, ABC's, numbers.  Anything that would be helpful in home schooling at the pre-k to Kindergarten level.  

The dream list.....things I do NOT have to have but would like to have.  Girls bike with training wheels, I have a Leap Frog Leapster but no games for it,  front porch swing, regular swing (maybe can be hung from tree limb), someone has volunteered to fix up the playhouse in my yard :), covered sand box.

Thank you again for all your support.....prayers and emotional.  I do so appreciate it and I know there will soon be a little girl who appreciates it too!

Bulgarian Food

OK, so this may seem a little strange but the food was awesome!  Yes we took pictures to prove it!  The food was very reasonable.  We paid less for these meals than you would for a lot of fast food meals here.  We were blown away by the presentation.  The food is like a work of art.  Even at very small inexpensive restaurants they take great pride in the presentation of the food.  Water was available everywhere for reasonable prices.  Soda was available, but small glasses with no refills.....that was a little tough for the coke a holic in me :)

Schnitzel with garlic bread

More Schnitzel...my brothers favorite meal

Banana chocolate pizza

Chicken over broccoli with cheese sauce

Roasted duck with potatoes

Roasted pork with cabbage & potatoes

Chopska Cucumber/Tomato salad

Spinach roll filled with cream cheese/tomato

They have great cheese dishes and there was pizza on the menu at every restaurant.  Most everyone spoke some English and English menus were available at every place we went.  The meals are a time to chat and are leisurely rather than rushed.

Scenery from Bulgaria Trip#1

 We had a nice 2 bedroom apartment with good wifi connection.  A park was near the apartment and on the other side of the park was Sofia City Center Mall.  The mall was very nice and decorated for Christmas.  It was interesting to hear all the American Christmas Carols playing over the speakers.  We also saw many American made products imported....that was a nice surprise!  More American imports than China...

 

We left the mall around 5:30 and were surprised to find it was totally dark outside and snowing.

This is the view from our 6th floor apartment window in Sofia.

View to right from hotel balcony window in Burgas.  In the background you can see cranes that are used to lift crates from ships.  Burgas is a major shipping port for Bulgaria.

View to left from hotel balcony window.  The fancy building in back is an upscale hotel.  The orphanage is directly across the street on the right side of that hotel.

My brother David was my travelling partner on this trip.  He is standing in front of the Black Sea.  It was a few blocks walk from our Burgas hotel.

Buildings in the walking mall area near our hotel.

The orphanage.

Grassy whale sculptures on sidewalk in walking mall area.

Huge church in walking mall area of Burgas

Jewish Museum in walking mall area.

View from plane window as we are flying out of Sofia at sunrise.

Her sweet face

We had new crafts or activities that we did together each morning and afternoon.  It was good seeing what she likes and does not like.  That will help on the trip home....so far stickers, puzzles, stringing beads and all things girly were a hit.  Writing and coloring not so interested.

I brought a bag of hair bows.  She put every single bow in her hair and admired herself in the mirror.

She loved the lip gloss and little compact mirror that changes to a brush

The director let her take me upstairs to see her bedroom.  It had two sets of bunk beds and appeared that only the bottom bunk was used in each bed because there was no ladder attached to get to the top bunk.  This is a huge building with only 15 kids, so it looks like only 2 share the room.  The room also had a small closet and a couple of desks.

This is the last day.  She is wearing the size 8 pants I bought.  (She is 9) The pants were really pretty huge on her.  About 6 inches of length was tucked up inside at the bottom and they would only stay up after they gave her a belt to hold them up.  The soft furry blanket is a gift I left behind and the director told me she would have on her bed to sleep with at night.  My friend Martha embroidered her name on the corner of the blanket both in Bulgarian and English.

I just love this little girl and can't wait to go back and pick her up!  I am praying for a March pick up date, that would require all the paperwork going through smoothly with no hitches.  Please pray that this happens.