I got a text from my parents early this morning, it was very brief. They have arrived in Kyiv and are at their hotel. Unfortunately, they don't have any internet there-- which explains why they haven't blogged!
Their SDA appointment is at 9AM Thursday, which is 11 o'clock tonight our time. Please be thinking about them!
OUR GROWING FAMILY
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
An Update
My parents made it on their flight to Washington D.C. this morning, and as of now, their flight to Frankfurt, Germany is still "on schedule." They are supposed to depart within the next half an hour. It looks like they might get lucky and get to Kyiv without any problems! A near miracle!
A Quick Clarification!
So from now on pay attention to who posts the blog. At the bottom of the post it will either say "posted by Ted" (which means either my mom or my dad) or it will say "posted by Justine." It will be easier to follow if you know who is posting. At times, I may need to try to relay information from my parents. They probably won't have internet at their hotel in Shors (the small village Alona is from) or when they are in transit. I'll try to help keep people updated.
Please feel free to leave comments on our postings, don't be shy! Other families who have adopted talk about how much support they feel through comments. It's a little piece of home and offers comfort when things may seem hectic and stressful.
Keep thinking of my parents as they try to navigate to Ukraine tomorrow!
Please feel free to leave comments on our postings, don't be shy! Other families who have adopted talk about how much support they feel through comments. It's a little piece of home and offers comfort when things may seem hectic and stressful.
Keep thinking of my parents as they try to navigate to Ukraine tomorrow!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Hoping to Leave in the Morning
Everyone has probably heard about the volcano by now. This has caused some worry in our flight plans. As of now, our flight still says "On Schedule." We are all packed and plan to get up like we are ready to go. Our flight is scheduled for 7:23 AM. Please wish us luck!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Her room is waiting!
I moved out of the house a couple months ago to North Seattle so Jillian moved into the basement into my old room. Alona is going to get Jillian's old room. We didn't worry about repainting it since we aren't even sure of what colors she likes. We did redo some other things to make the room unique to her. The black walls are chalkboard and magnet walls. Here are some pictures.
See the initials AJ on the wall? Why you ask?
We are planning to keep her first name Alona. However, Ukrainians don't have middle names. With her siblings having the names Jacob, Justine, Joseph and Jillian she will clearly be getting a "J" middle name. What name? We aren't sure.
See the initials AJ on the wall? Why you ask?
We are planning to keep her first name Alona. However, Ukrainians don't have middle names. With her siblings having the names Jacob, Justine, Joseph and Jillian she will clearly be getting a "J" middle name. What name? We aren't sure.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
A video of Alona!
Go here to watch a video of Alona. We were so excited to receive this! Mike and Rebecca Klein took this video while throwing a Christmas party at her orphanage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGgwf79qx2A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGgwf79qx2A
Friday, April 9, 2010
Our Flight is Booked!
We have officially purchased our tickets. We are departing Tuesday, April 20th. 12 days and counting....
-Posted by Diane
-Posted by Diane
Saturday, April 3, 2010
A post from my mom...
I have been asked many times what do you have to do to adopt from Ukraine? With this post I hope to answer some of those questions.
The first thing you have to do is a home study. This is where a social worker comes into your house and interviews family members, examines living conditions, and makes sure everything is suitable for another child. He/She also gather a lot of other information, such as:
Birth Certificate
Passport
Genogram Family Tree
Autobiographies
Ten Year Residence History
Personal Refernces
Washington State Patrol and Child Protective Services Background Check
Medical Statement
Marriage Certificate
1040 Tax Return
Financial Statement
Gaurdianship Designation
Employment Verification
Authorization Form
And online training classes
The second part is the dossier and is the official packet that you send to Ukraine. It includes the following:
Petition to Adopt
Petition for a Specific Child
Home Study Report
Home Study Agency License
Social Worker License
I-171 H form USCIS
Employment Statement for both parents
Proof of Home Ownership
Proof of Home Valuation from county assesor
Medical Certificte for both parents
Passport Copies
Letters of Obligation
Power of Attorney Documents
Copy of Medical Doctors License that did our physicals
Petition for Interpol Clearance
Copy of Tax Return from Last Year
So here are the alarming statistics of kids who age out of the orphanage at around 15 to 16:
10% of orphans commit suicide
60% of the girls end up in prostitution
70% of the boys end up in crime
Only 27% are able to find work
The older the child gets, the chances for adoption dramatically decreases.
In November when I traveled to Ukraine, my heart ached for the street children. Their shoes were so worn and torn and their clothes were not suitable for the cold weather. Up close, you could see their open wounds and scars. Their clothes hang off of them so I can't even begin to imagine their frail skinny bodies. There are no soup kitchens or homeless shelters. They dig through peoples trash, this is something no child should ever have to do. There are many ways people can help these children and the orphans of Ukraine.
Here are some great ideas:
Our friend in Ukraine, Becky Dewett, wants to open a house to help girls who age out of the orphanage to gain skills and provide a safe shelter until they are ready to function fully on their own. Donations would gladly be accepted.
She is also helping us set up a sponsorship program that Justine and I have started to execute with Global Family Alliance. It's $20 a month for you to pen-pal and sponsor a child from the Boyarka Orphanage in Ukraine. She would help match you with a child who has no family. For these children, the thought of somebody across the globe thinking about them through writing and providing for them (through the $20 a month) means so much.
Lastly, we also have hosting program. You can bring a Ukainian orphan into your home for 6 weeks and show them love and give them hope.
If your interested in any of these programs, please e-mail me at etpurvis@comcast.net.
The first thing you have to do is a home study. This is where a social worker comes into your house and interviews family members, examines living conditions, and makes sure everything is suitable for another child. He/She also gather a lot of other information, such as:
Birth Certificate
Passport
Genogram Family Tree
Autobiographies
Ten Year Residence History
Personal Refernces
Washington State Patrol and Child Protective Services Background Check
Medical Statement
Marriage Certificate
1040 Tax Return
Financial Statement
Gaurdianship Designation
Employment Verification
Authorization Form
And online training classes
The second part is the dossier and is the official packet that you send to Ukraine. It includes the following:
Petition to Adopt
Petition for a Specific Child
Home Study Report
Home Study Agency License
Social Worker License
I-171 H form USCIS
Employment Statement for both parents
Proof of Home Ownership
Proof of Home Valuation from county assesor
Medical Certificte for both parents
Passport Copies
Letters of Obligation
Power of Attorney Documents
Copy of Medical Doctors License that did our physicals
Petition for Interpol Clearance
Copy of Tax Return from Last Year
So here are the alarming statistics of kids who age out of the orphanage at around 15 to 16:
10% of orphans commit suicide
60% of the girls end up in prostitution
70% of the boys end up in crime
Only 27% are able to find work
The older the child gets, the chances for adoption dramatically decreases.
In November when I traveled to Ukraine, my heart ached for the street children. Their shoes were so worn and torn and their clothes were not suitable for the cold weather. Up close, you could see their open wounds and scars. Their clothes hang off of them so I can't even begin to imagine their frail skinny bodies. There are no soup kitchens or homeless shelters. They dig through peoples trash, this is something no child should ever have to do. There are many ways people can help these children and the orphans of Ukraine.
Here are some great ideas:
Our friend in Ukraine, Becky Dewett, wants to open a house to help girls who age out of the orphanage to gain skills and provide a safe shelter until they are ready to function fully on their own. Donations would gladly be accepted.
She is also helping us set up a sponsorship program that Justine and I have started to execute with Global Family Alliance. It's $20 a month for you to pen-pal and sponsor a child from the Boyarka Orphanage in Ukraine. She would help match you with a child who has no family. For these children, the thought of somebody across the globe thinking about them through writing and providing for them (through the $20 a month) means so much.
Lastly, we also have hosting program. You can bring a Ukainian orphan into your home for 6 weeks and show them love and give them hope.
If your interested in any of these programs, please e-mail me at etpurvis@comcast.net.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Hurry and wait....
We are in this part of the adoption process. You hurry in a blurred madness to get everything done... and then just wait, and wait, and wait.
So where are we exactly?
We have finished our home study and our dossier. We got our fingerprints done a couple weeks ago and should receive our I-71 any day now. Once we submit that to our facilitator, my parents should get an apt within 5 to 7 weeks. So that puts their travel date sometime at the end of April. We are hosting in mid-June, so our time schedule is tight. We are hoping our entire family will be back before the hosting season starts.
While in Ukraine for Global Family Alliance, my mom met a 13 year old girl (now 14) she knew she would be coming back for. This specific child has come in and out of our lives a lot in the last 2 years. The signs were there, and we are so excited about the future.
1) Her name is Alona, the same name of the first Ukrainian girl we fell madly in love with and still host to this day (yes, it's confusing!). They also both live in the same small town.
2) Her birthday is February, so now Jacob is December, I'm November, Joe is January, Alona is February, Jillian is March, and my parents are both in April- the missing birthday month has been filled!
3) Before we decided to host our blonde Alona, we were going to host my future sister Alona. We were told she was going to be adopted so it wouldn't be a good idea to host her. Well, the family never came for her. Her picture was the first little snapshot we sat and looked at when anticipating our first hosting season. We've always felt somewhat connected to her and wondered how she was doing with her new family... that she apparently never had.
4) My mom always thought it would be fun to adopt a child who had completely different strengths than the rest of the family. Jacob is the hands on, artsy one, Joe and I are the academic ones, and Jillian is the free spirit of the family. We are all athletic BUT not musically inclined. What does Alona say she likes to do? Sing and dance. Perfect.
Alona sounded a little nervous and hesitant at first about adoption when our facilitator talked to her about it after my mom returned from Ukraine. This didn't make sense to my mom because she got a completely different vibe when she visited with her. However, at the same time we asked ourselves what sane teenager wouldn't have second thoughts about going to a completely foreign place to live with basically a completely unknown family, and for GOOD? Taking that perpective made things more clear. We later heard that it was mainly provoked by one of the caretakers who was trying to talk her out of it. At this point, we are so emotionally committed to this-- there is no turning back no matter what we face. The room is ready, our hearts are ready, and we can't wait for another Purvis. According to the latest news we've heard, she is very excited and ready as well!
So where are we exactly?
We have finished our home study and our dossier. We got our fingerprints done a couple weeks ago and should receive our I-71 any day now. Once we submit that to our facilitator, my parents should get an apt within 5 to 7 weeks. So that puts their travel date sometime at the end of April. We are hosting in mid-June, so our time schedule is tight. We are hoping our entire family will be back before the hosting season starts.
While in Ukraine for Global Family Alliance, my mom met a 13 year old girl (now 14) she knew she would be coming back for. This specific child has come in and out of our lives a lot in the last 2 years. The signs were there, and we are so excited about the future.
1) Her name is Alona, the same name of the first Ukrainian girl we fell madly in love with and still host to this day (yes, it's confusing!). They also both live in the same small town.
2) Her birthday is February, so now Jacob is December, I'm November, Joe is January, Alona is February, Jillian is March, and my parents are both in April- the missing birthday month has been filled!
3) Before we decided to host our blonde Alona, we were going to host my future sister Alona. We were told she was going to be adopted so it wouldn't be a good idea to host her. Well, the family never came for her. Her picture was the first little snapshot we sat and looked at when anticipating our first hosting season. We've always felt somewhat connected to her and wondered how she was doing with her new family... that she apparently never had.
4) My mom always thought it would be fun to adopt a child who had completely different strengths than the rest of the family. Jacob is the hands on, artsy one, Joe and I are the academic ones, and Jillian is the free spirit of the family. We are all athletic BUT not musically inclined. What does Alona say she likes to do? Sing and dance. Perfect.
Alona sounded a little nervous and hesitant at first about adoption when our facilitator talked to her about it after my mom returned from Ukraine. This didn't make sense to my mom because she got a completely different vibe when she visited with her. However, at the same time we asked ourselves what sane teenager wouldn't have second thoughts about going to a completely foreign place to live with basically a completely unknown family, and for GOOD? Taking that perpective made things more clear. We later heard that it was mainly provoked by one of the caretakers who was trying to talk her out of it. At this point, we are so emotionally committed to this-- there is no turning back no matter what we face. The room is ready, our hearts are ready, and we can't wait for another Purvis. According to the latest news we've heard, she is very excited and ready as well!
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