We received word that our court date has been set for March 1st! Niko will be coming home soon!! The short story is that we don't need to be in Bulgaria for the court date. No one is contesting the adoption, and it's expected to go smoothly, so we'll have representation appear on our behalf. Our agency has said that generally we will travel about three weeks after our court date to pick up Niko and spend time in-country while they finalize his passport and visa. It takes about 2 weeks total, and then we can return to the States. If all that pans out, it means we will be traveling sometime around March 21st. This is the news we've been waiting for, and we are so excited (especially the boys!). We immediately started working on the nursery, started preparing Niko's clothes, and more. It's feeling so real!
We decided to pursue adoption in June of 2019. Niko wasn't even born yet, and we began the journey that led us to him. On October 19, 2021, we learned we had been matched with Niko, and on November 1st we said yes and never looked back. Since then, we've done everything humanly possible to get Niko here as quickly as possible. If you've been following along, you know about Brad and his multiple visits to Harrisburg to quickly turn paperwork around, many, many visits with notaries, doctor visits, fingerprinting, and insane amounts of paperwork. All of it is leading up to the moment we're able to take him home and start this new chapter as a family of five.
Brad and I love music, and Brad has a gift of finding music to fit our season of life. When we started the adoption he found a song that has become our mantra and has helped keep us focused on what's most important. I'll link the song here, but the chorus really speaks to us.
I'll find a way to get you here, If it takes my fleeting breath. Another sunrise hits the ground, And it's a dark lonely sight. Lightyears away, I hope you know There is somebody searching For the way to get you here.
- "Amos Story," by Aaron Ivey
Aaron Ivey adopted a little boy from Haiti and wrote this song during their separation, before he came home. It's all we want Niko to know; we did everything that was in our control to get him here. And soon we'll be able to hold him in our arms, cuddle him, play with him, and turn him loose with his brothers and cousins to explore the world. We simply can't get him here fast enough.
We continue to be grateful for your support. Some of you have asked if we need anything before Niko gets here. We are pretty set for his arrival, but we did put together a small registry of things we could use. Feel free to reach out if you're interested, but we have been so blessed already and know God will continue to handle the rest.
We'll post when we find out our actual travel dates, friends, but this chapter is coming to a close! And we can't wait!!
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