I noticed my last post was November 11, so I think it’s BEYOND time to let you know…

WE’RE HOME FROM BULGARIA!!!! AND…SO ARE OUR KIDDOS!!!!

Allow us to introduce…Josiah Timothy, Katerina Abigail, and Benjamin Levi!

And…what a wild eight weeks it’s been! Now, that we’re establishing a semblance of a routine, I hope to begin blogging more regularly again. There is so much my heart wants to share.

Here’s a brief glimpse of the major events that have taken place in the last eight weeks:

November 10 – We began our journey from the US back to Bulgaria

November 11 – Arrived in Bulgaria

November 12 – GOTCHA DAY!!! This is the day we picked up our children from the orphanage. 🙂 What a special and unforgettable day that was. I’ll share more about that specific event in a future post. But, for now…here’s the final pic we took of the children with the director in front of their orphanage.

November 21 – Arrived back in the US!

November 26 – Thanksgiving!

December 9 – Appointments at the International Adoption Clinic in Charleston, SC

December 13 – Our oldest son got married!

December 18 – Our middle daughter arrived home after having completed her first semester of college.

December 25 – Christmas!!

January 4 – The older two children started school, and the youngest one started PreK, and I returned to work. Whew!

To say we’ve been a bit busy is quite the understatement. And to think…we thought the paperwork part of this journey would kill us…ha! ha!

The children are doing very well with this huge adjustment. Just think…everything they’ve known in this entire world was left behind in Bulgaria. However, while they’ve lost much…they’ve also gained something they’ve never truly known…a family! And, can you believe…only 4.5 years ago, I was a widowed single mom of one, and now I’m a happily married mom/step-mom/foster mom to nine! Only God can do that!

Thanks for all your love and amazing support through this adoption journey! We look forward to continue sharing highlights of our story…even this side of it…with you as time goes along!

I can’t believe the time is almost here! In only 8 days, we leave for Bulgaria for what’s commonly dubbed as our “pick up” trip. Unlike the trip we made this past June/July, we won’t be returning home after having to leave our children in their orphanage for a little while longer. This time…THEY ARE COMING HOME WITH US!!!!

While the wait has seemed unbearable at times, we know that compared to many adoptive families, our wait has been very short. We began this journey just under 20 months ago.

We can’t wait to share pictures of the newest Stirewalt kiddos, and believe me…pictures will go out the moment we land safely back in the states (November 21). So stay tuned…

Until then…we still have much to do:

1. Packing for 5!
2. Finishing the kiddos’ bedroom.
3. Purchasing last minute items we still need for them.
4. Finishing up tasks at work, as I prepare to take adoption leave.
5. Meal prep and freezer cooking to have some things ready to eat after we get home.
6. Scheduling doctor/dental/vision appointments for our children for when they get home.
7. And so much more…

So many of you have “traveled” this adoption journey with us…you’ve prayed for us, donated to our fundraising efforts, prayed, gathered clothing for our children, prayed, sent gifts, prayed, and…did I mention…you prayed!?!?! Without a doubt, prayer has been the single most important gift to our adoption journey! Without it, we shudder to think how difficult and much harder this process could have been. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

While it may seem our adoption is coming to end, it’s actually only just beginning. The paperwork piece of it is finishing up (although, there will still be post-adoption visits and reports for two years), but the parenting portion is just starting. We’ll have many challenges up ahead, and we’ve been as prepared for those as we can possibly be, but we also know the there will be “surprises” as well. As a result, continued prayer is vital. Anytime the Lord prompts you to pray for us, please do so. Thank you, in advance!

We continue counting down the days until we get those cuties home!