Finally:-)

We finally got a recent pic of Vitya.  (taken Sept. 2012)

I don't think ANYONE can understand how diligently and insanely one can obsess over their email unless they have adopted. Seriously. You're told, "Watch for an email about when your SDA appointment is.", and suddenly your WHOLE. ENTIRE. LIFE. is punctuated with random email checks. As in, get the kids up and eating breakfast...check email. Family devo...check email. Change diaper & check email at same time. Give spelling test and check email during it so your daughter says, "Moooooommmmm....I said NEXT!". Park at grocery store, check email, shop & vow not to check email until you're back in the car. End up in a long check out line and justify checking. I have checked my email in the bathroom, in the bed, in the car, in church, possibly while driving, while eating, while at social events when I'm sure I looked SOOOO rude, in the middle of conversations with people...

(I distinctly remember talking to my mom &, out of pure habit and/or desperation, checking my email while she was talking. Sorry mom:)). 

There is no waiting like this waiting. And it's multiplied by the fact that we've already waited 2 1/2 years for our boy. So, irony of all irony, the morning it comes is probably the ONLY morning in the past month that I haven't checked my email the second I woke up. That's right! WEEEEEE'VE GOTTTTTAAA DAAAAAATEE!!! Jono walked up to me this past Tuesday morning and said, "So, have you checked your email." I knew immediately what it was. I opened it up and we are scheduled to meet with the SDA in Ukraine on October 10th! That is exactly 18 days, 2 hours, 4 minutes and 41 seconds from the time I am typing this. And right after that appointment we will get on a bus and ride out to his orphanage and I will HUG AND KISS HIM...after 2 1/2 years of not seeing him or talking to him, I will scoop him up and remind him that he is a Long and he is loved quite fiercely.

So, I just wanted to share that exciting news with you, our friends, family, and supporters. 

This also means that we will need to raise the remainder of our money by then. We, very, very unfortunately didn't meet our goal to make Jono do a new video.  But I personally think that you guys still deserve a little love for all you have given, so maybe I can work some magic and make it happen. In the meantime, I'm just asking you to pray with us very specifically for $12,610. It's way more fun when super specific prayers get answered. Especially when there's a group of us praying for it. So join us, will ya? I know that Satan works hard against all adoptions. I've watched enough friends go through the battle and the hardships. But God really laid it on me that there has been some major spiritual warfare surrounding our V and his sister. So I'm BEGGING for some real pray-ers to kick it into gear for us and them. And I'm assuming that our little man is bound to grow into a godly and powerful force in the kingdom.

::Here's to 3 more weeks of waiting:)...

 ~ Heather