A TRIPLE BLESSING!

Hooray! We've FINALLY decided on when we will be leaving for Ukraine since we just purchased our plane tickets. Thank God! I'm glad we purchased our tickets so our seats are confirmed on our flights! That's a load off of my mind. Robert and I were going back and forth looking at different options and decided that since we were going on a 10 hour plane ride in coach it would be best to layover somewhere to stretch our legs a bit. Well, it went from stretching our legs A BIT to stretching them for 3 1/2 days in London before we head on to Ukraine. Sounds good to me!!! YIPPIE!! I've never been to Europe before much less London! We might as well since we are going to be there.....you never know when we'll get the chance again. We're going to visit "MY PEOPLE" as Robert calls it (since I'm mostly English). We'll have to visit my "Aunt Elizabeth Windsor....just kidding....she's not my aunt even though my maiden name is awefully close to the spelling of the Royal Families (Winser). After visiting London for a few days we'll head out to Ukraine on Friday, July 22, 2005. We'll arrive in Kiev, Ukraine at 2:45pm in the afternoon (Ukraine is 7 hours ahead of us here in NJ...so it will be 7:45am in EST when we arrive in Ukraine). Our translator will be meeting us at the airport with a driver to take us to our hotel and probably to get something to eat for dinner. Since our appt will not be until the next Tuesday, July 26th (4 days from arrival in Ukraine) we'll hopefully get to tour Kiev (major city and capital of Ukraine) to record pictures and memories for our children and go to church at our pastors' friends church in Kiev. Once we have our appointment on Tuesday with the NAC and select our children we will be anxious to leave Kiev to meet our children in whatever town in Ukraine they are located in. As I'm sure you can understand. That is why we are arriving so early in Ukraine as well as to get adjusted to the time difference before our meeting with the NAC. How exciting...a TRIPLE Blessing...2 kids and touring London with my Babez (Robert's nickname) for a few days. Thank you Jesus!!

91 Days and Counting!!

Yes, that's right we are counting the days until we are in Ukraine meeting with the National Adoption Center. OK...OK...we are on the WEEEEE bit EXCITED side so just bear with us. If you see our heads spinning or have a glazed look in our eyes with a smerk on our face ...you'll know why. There is so much to do between now and the time we leave for Ukraine it can be overwhelming. We have plane tickets to purchase, documents to update (any document over 1 year old when we meet with the NAC in July needs to be updated...such as our fingerprints for statewide criminal clearance, physicals, agency license, doctors license), travel items to purchase, over-the-counter meds for us and the children (just in case we need them while in Ukraine), Medical Evacuation Insurance to purchase, International Cell Phones, Child-proofing the house, Finish children's bedrooms, meet and select a Pediatrician, check into our healthcare coverage while in Ukraine, Coordinate with Dr. Yuri in Ukraine to meet and examine the children while in Ukraine, learn some Russian and Ukrainian, purchase thank you gifts for our Ukrainian Adoption team of people helping us in Ukraine, attend a child/infant CPR & First Aid class, Creating a Registry at Babies R Us, Toys R Us and Amazon.com, cook and freeze some meals for when we return and many other little things that I can't think of right this moment. OK...now you understand what I mean when I said if you see our heads spinning. So many important TO DOs before we leave for Ukraine. In the midst of thinking about all we have to do, I find myself daydreaming and wondering what our children are doing now and wondering how old are they and what gender are they and hoping and praying for their health, safety, nourishment, emotional well-being and for God to comfort them and reassure them that their Momma & Papa are on their way to meet them and bring them home and love them forever. It's going to be an emotional and joyful summer...I can see it now. I just hope I don't flood the orphanage with my tears of joy! I guess I'd better put an abundance of TISSUES on my list to purchase for our trip as well and WATERPROOF Mascara!!!! My Goodness...I can't forget that either!!! Hehehe!

Got to get started on the list so, signing off for now.

Blessings!!

We Have Some EXCITING News!!!!

Robert and I would like to share with you all in our excitement for becoming parents of 2 children that we'll be adopting in Ukraine on July 26, 2005. Our Ukrainian Adoption journey will begin on July 26, 2005 since that is when we have an appointment scheduled with the Ukrainian National Adoption Center. We will be in Ukraine for approximately 21-30 days to finalize the legal aspect of the adoption and then we'll be bringing home our children. YIPPIEE!!! PRAISE GOD!! HALLELUJAH!!! As you can tell we are doing back flips right now and are busy getting things in order for travel and child proofing the house. I feel like we're pregnant in a sense since the emotions and hormones are starting to flow. =)

When we are in country, we will be keeping in touch with everyone mostly by email. So if you would like to be on our group emails to keep a status of our adoption and/or know of any other family or friends email addresses that would like to be included on our updates while in-country please email me their email addresses to add to my group list of emails so we can take them with us when we travel.

As for now and when we travel, we are asking for all of you to keep us and our children lifted up in prayer for safety, peace, wisdom, supernatural favor, direction and for 2 healthy children under the both under the age of 4 years old.

The Gift of Life

I didn't give you the gift of life,
But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real,
As if it had been so.
For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn't give you the gift of life,
God gave me the gift of you.

Love ya & God Bless You All,

MOMMA & PAPA MILLILO (As the Kids in Ukraine call their parents)