Christmas for Maiah and Seth's Friends......

Well, we will not forget the sweet friends and faces that Maiah and Seth grew up
with in Mongolia. We have a Christmas project going on and I am actually going to
Mongolia to bring presents for the children and much needed supplies. We will visit
3 orphanages and do an outreach to the many children that live on the streets. We are very excited to be doing this again and would love for you to join us in blessing the orphans in Mongolia this year. please email me at stacypetrin@gmail.com for more details as to how you can help. Below are some needed items:

Blankets
winter hats and gloves
chapsticks
vasoline (used for cheeks)
tooth brushes
winter coats ( new or gently used)
monetary donations for us to purchase antibiotics for the children when we get there
children in the orphanages will live with infections and in pain for weeks and months as there is no money in the orphanage budgets to purchase such meds

Thank you blessing a child this Christmas!!

Every Blessing,
Petrins X6

Disney, a broken foot and Halloween.....

WoW!! I feel like it has been forever since our last post. We have been very busy here keeping up with 4 healthy, active kids involved in soccer, volleyball and several other extra activities!!

School got off to an amazing start in September with Seth quickly picking up the English language and is now reading 4-6 letter words/phrases and small books!! He works very hard and we see his hard work paying off everyday!

In early October, we went on our first family vacation to celebrate Seths adoption and Maiah's 6th birthday!! Disney World is quite hot in October, much hotter than we anticipated. However, Seth loved seeing the Mouse with his own eyes. You can tell that Mickey Mouse was a figure in his head from movies he had seen in the orphanage but he never thought he would see him with his own eyes!! He was very cute and rode everything and anything that moved!! Well, toward the end of the trip, he jumped and twisted his foot wrong and managed to break his foot. Oh yes, so when we returned home, Seth had his first experience getting a cast put on. He has been in it for several weeks now and hopefully it will come off on the 10th. The orthopedic doctor mentioned that there were several other small fractures in his foot as well, a sign of his residual ricketts. The cast has not slowed him down at all....I have caught him trying to kick the soccer ball with his casted foot, as well as attempting to get up on the trampoline. He is all boy!! I cant wait to see what might be growing in that cast when it comes off.

Well, we cant believe how quickly time is passing by.....Seth had his first experience dressing up for a Harvest/Halloween Party. Maiah was Princess Ariel and Seth was a transformer. Was excited to buy him a size 6-8 costume....he has come along way from 3's and 4's in April!!!

Well, Seth is very excited about Christmas.....we are doing our best to teach him why we celebrate Christmas.....however he is quite caught up in the fact that he may get some toys!! My Mom came over with 2 Toys R Us flyers and gave one to Seth and one to Maiah. Maiah circled 6-7 things,very reasonable and even picked out some things she wanted to send to her friends in Mongolia. Seth circled every single picture on every page..he wants it all!!!He actually told me that he needed a few of the toys:) Well, we hope this finds each of you well.

We pray that you have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas. We will be sure to post pictures of the Holidays.

Love,
Stacy
for the Petrin 6

Birthday Party Pics!!

Seth had a great birthday party this weekend surrounded by family and friends....he wanted a skateboarding party....not easy to find skateboarding decorations at all!!!!We did pull off the theme though with some checkered plates/napkins and a big balloon. Seth struggled a bit with understanding that everyone was there for him. At one point, he told me "Maiah has a lot of friends". I said, no these people are here for Seth, they love you and are here to celebrate your birthday today. He grinned from ear to ear. He was blessed with many sweet gifts and is really excited about using his ticket for Disney World from Memere Mad and Grampy. We are going to Disney in October and he and Maiah cannot wait!!! We will celebrate Seths adoption and Maiahs 6th birthday there. Thought I would share some photos, enjoy!!!

Stacy

Happy Birthday Seth!!

Happy Birthday Seth!! Yes, hard to believe that our sweet little guy is 7 today and starting the 1st grade today as well. Time flies. We have had a great summer.....lots of swimming, jumping on the trampoline, traveling, meeting new family and yes, Nathan is now teaching him to skateboard! Not to worry, I have him in full body padding!!

Seth is still adjusting very well....have had a few, lets just say "awkward" moments over the summer but for the most part, we are amazed at the transition and progress Seth has made in just 4 short months. I don't think anything will ever quite compare to the McDonald's play place shutdown experience!! We also worked really hard over the summer trying to get Seths reading up to 1st grade level so that he would not have to start school in Kindergarten with Maiah. He did it!! Last week, he tested 1st grade Reading and 2nd grade Math!! This was such a confidence booster for him and I think it really helped him establish his place. Seth knows that he is older than Maiah but she is much taller than him, was already reading and is constantly letting him know that she is bigger than him. I think he wishes that she would just stop growing so he can catch up a bit. For every half inch he grows, she seems to grow an inch. Since we found out that he would be entering the 1st grade, she has not been so quick to rub in the fact that she is BIGGER!! He quickly responded with "Seth going in 1st grade, I'm bigger". Not a word since. She is taller but he is in 1st grade, to them they are now equal!! Finally!!!! I think this has helped him tremendously and their relationship. We have seen a different kid since he found out he was going into 1st grade. He is so proud and we are so proud of him.

We will celebrate his 7th birthday this weekend surrounded by family and friends and that love him. Derek's sister in flying in this weekend from NYC to celebrate with us. Seth cant wait to meet his Aunty Sherry. This is the first birthday we get to celebrate with him and he with his family. A day all about him!!! He wants a skateboarding party!!! Go figure, big brother has quite the influence around here:) Here is a picture from this morning before they left for school....all smiles! Seth brought a box of birthday Munchkins to share with his friends.....not a bad way to make new friends on the first day of school. We are praying for a great school year and many more "firsts" for Seth this fall. Will post some birthday party pictures next week.

Many Blessings to Seth's faithful friends,
Stacy

Free in so many ways......

We have had a busy couple of weeks since Seth finished his ESL/school program the middle of June. We continue to see his funny, sweet personality revealed. Seth had his first dentist visit which yielded no cavities!! We were pleasantly surprised as his dental care had been very minimal to this point. We took our first road trip to visit some friends about 4 hours away in Western Virginia and Seth did great. He and Maiah watched movies the entire drive without complaint. We spent 2 days there and then Derek and I actually slipped out leaving Maiah, Seth and Kaytlin with our dear friends for 24 hours. Derek and I headed up to Baltimore for the day...we went to a Red Sox game, had a quiet dinner, slept in and then did some school shopping at the Potomac Mills outlets. As you know/have read, our little Seth has kept us quite busy so it was a much needed 24 hour break. Aunty Aimee and Uncle Bryan kept them quite busy swimming and swinging on the tire swing. I am not sure they missed us at all. We then visited for another day and then we drove home in pre-holiday traffic. Again, they were very good. I think after flying on a plane for 16 hours, 4 hours in a car is nothing!! We will see how they do on the 10 hour drive to MA in a couple of weeks:)

We also celebrated Seths first 4th of July with family, chicken, hot dogs,corn on the cob, lots of watermelon and fireworks. We tried to prepare him for the loud booms but Seth did not really know what to expect. He kept backing up on the blanket until he was finally sitting in my Moms lap. He watched happily and when the sky got quiet...he yelled out DO IT AGAIN!!!! He keeps saying "more fireworks"......I think he liked them:)

4th of July is always special and it was nice having Daddy around to celebrate with us this year. We always try to reflect and be thankful for the freedoms we sometimes take for granted. This year we are especially thankful for Seth's freedom and his new Mongolian/American life....freedom from life in the orphanage, freedom from an uncertain future, free from abandonment......He is chosen, by God for our family. Although the first couple of months have been rough adjusting, we know that Seth is right where he belongs, forever!!

Seth and Maiah started day camp today at the Christian school they will be attending in the fall. Mommy is realizing that Seth is just one of the boys. Maiah went over and sat with her little girl friends kind of leaving Seth standing there by himself. However, Seth quickly noticed some boys sitting at another table and quickly went over and sat with them. He seemed to fit right in and looked very comfortable. He had a great day and cant wait to go back tomorrow!!

We will be very busy over the next 8 weeks enjoying some fun in the sun but also preparing Seth for school. We are working on his Reading and trying to keep his math skills at a 2nd grade level. We are hoping Seth will enter 1st grade in the fall. This would have him right on target for his age. He is determined to learn English but are sad to say that he will not speak or read Mongolian anymore. He just laughs when we ask him to. He laughed at our friend Ben who was here visiting from Mongolian a couple of weeks ago. Ben would ask him questions in Mongolian trying to prompt Mongolian answers. Seth would only answer in English. We were hoping to maintain both languages but are now realizing that it is probably not likely.

Hope you all have a great summer and thanks for following Seths journey home and his
transition into his forever family.

Love,
Stacy

Happy Fathers Day Daddy!!

My first Fathers day with a daddy to call my own......I signed my name in a card, gave daddy a present in bed and yelled Happy Fathers Day, got dressed up real cute for church, sang a song in church, took pictures in the yard(Mommy is a bit crazy with the camera) but nothing was better than being tucked in by my very own daddy!!!

Mommy, Pray Jesus?

Sometimes we get so caught up in the craziness of life that we forget the important things!! Well, this past week, it was a crazy night in the Petrin house ( I know, hard to believe) and I was trying to get Maiah and Seth in bed. This is a task in itself. We normally brush teeth, read 2 stories as they each have to pick one, say prayers and then hugs & kisses and lights out. Well, this particular night, our routine was a bit off and Mommy brushed teeth, got them in bed quickly, gave a few kisses and then attempted to close the door and leave the room. Well, I hear this little voice from the dark say "Mommy,pray Jesus"? So, I come back in the room to see Seth laying there with hands folded, ready to pray. So, I say...go ahead, your turn. He surprises me with "Thank you Jesus for pool, food, Mommy, Daddy, Maiah, Nathan and Katamin(this is how he says her name)and yells AMEN"!!!! We are not at all surprised at the order of things:) However, we are amazed everyday by this sweet broken yet beautiful little boy who just wants to be loved and accepted. Although he does not yet understand the love the Father has for him, he is beginning to understand that he is our son, forever and that nothing he does will change that. Unconditional love is what our Father grants us and so we, being the hands and feet of Jesus on earth.....extend this very same love to our son. Seth will have been home for 2 months on the 24th of this month and look at the impact Jesus is already making in his little heart. We stand in awe.

New Hair that Hurts!!

Seth got his first haircut today as we have been trying to let it grow out a bit from the Mongolian shave they gave him. We added a little style....he sure is a cutie
as he smiles at himself in the mirror. He touches it and says...Owe, it hurts and runs off laughing. Hair that hurts, only in America!!

Blessings,
Stacy

1 Fish, 2 Fish!!

Well, with school and soccer season coming to an end and a few last appointments for Seth this week, I can say that I am really looking forward to slowing down, resting my taxi driver duties and taking on my life guard responsibilities by the pool!! I did say really looking forward to, right? I now wake up to Mama swim or Mama bicycle but swimming seems to be number 1 now. I honestly did not think that Seth would love to swim as much as Maiah, it just could not have worked out any better. He just loves it and is making great progress in the pool. We started out with a vest, a tube around the vest and floaties on his arms(yes, all at once) and he was scared for his face to touch the water....one week later, we are only in arm floaties and today he got brave and used 1 floatie for a bit.....he is also holding his breath, putting his face in the water and trying to swim under water.....for a kid that has never seen a pool, we are quite impressed!!! I must say, he and Maiah are both very competitive and I knew it would not take long. He can't stand watching Maiah swim and float around like a fish......at the end of the day, I pull my 2 raisins out of the pool.

Well, we also had our first post placement visit this week, which went well. Seth had a first visit to the beach too. We spent the weekend cheering on big brother in a sand soccer tournament. He loved the sand and the ocean. Seth's English is coming along very well. He surprises us with new words everyday and is putting 2-3 words phrases together. School has been uneventful which is good. I actually went on a field trip with Seth this past week and got to meet and spend time with the little boy that hit Seth. They are friends now and the little boy just loved some Mommy time, Seth was happy to share me but made sure everyone knew who his Mom was!!! I actually felt sorry for this little boy as he just craves attention and will do whatever it takes to get it. Very sad:( I also found out that my little Asian sensation is quite popular with the little girls too. I am not sure how he handles it everyday, the little girls wore me out in 10 minutes with the Seth, Seth, Seth. Anyway, Seth is doing excellent in school, he is very smart and has a great memory. He also has 17 little female helpers at all times. Well, I also think Seth likes the camera as much as Maiah.....he asks for it all the time!!! So, here are a few new pics....and Seth's new smile, all scrunched up saying cheese.

Love,
Stacy

Happy 1 month Home!!

 

Home 1 month today, swimming and Spiderman!!

2 posts in one weekend, I am on a roll!! We so needed this long weekend break, my body is not sure what is going on...I have been still for 45 minutes now. We can't believe that we have been home from Mongolia for 1 month today. It has been an amazing, trying, growth filled, exhausting, crazy month. We are all making it and are all growing in our relationships with Seth. He is our sweet son and craves acceptance, love and affection and with Jesus at the center,we are trying to meet all of those needs and then some. We have certainly come a long way in a month. We know that it is because of all the prayers going up on our behalf, thank you. Well, here are a couple of pictures of Seth swimming at night and sporting his new Spiderman tube!! Seth just loves everything and anything Spiderman. He could not get over the fact that the pool does not close at our house:) Seth to Mommy: swim....night....sun no.....yes, yes, yes!!!!! He loves the water and wants to swim so bad.....he can't stand the fact that Maiah can do something that he can't do yet!! You can see it on his face, he just wants to throw the ring and swim....I give him a couple of weeks!! We thought that Maiah had determination when she first came home (still does), well Seth has determination plus the Maiah competition factor:) Anyway, hope everyone is having a blessed Memorial Day weekend!! We are enjoying our many blessings.

A moment to post......

Well, I can certainly say that life is never dull being a Mommy of 4 now!! I have not had a chance to check email never mind update this blog. However, after a few emails asking if everything was ok, I figured a post was needed.

Everyday life is getting a bit easier as Seth learns more English and accepts his place in his family. We have certainly had our struggles/challenges but are overcoming them one at a time. Seth had an unfortunate incident at school as a little bully put him in a headlock and punched him in the head. We were all horrified by this incident and it has left Seth a bit traumatized. We connected with a man from our sister church that speaks Mongolian and we were able to talk with Seth about this and assure him that Mommy and Daddy were going to take care of it. My first thought was "We are supposed to be protecting him".....anyway, we knew exactly which student it was when the little boys eyes popped out of his head as Seth's daddy walked into the cafeteria. My husband is not a small guy:) All of students knew exactly what had happened and Seth pointed out the little boy. This little bully was dealt with accordingly. Yes, this is a fellow K5 student!! I was going to home school Seth for the next 4 weeks but after much prayer and talking with Seth, he wanted to go back to school as they have lots of fun end of the year activities going on. It would almost like punishing Seth. So, he is happily back in school but all of the teachers are really watching out for Seth now and were very apologetic, even asking for forgiveness for missing this. Needless to say, Seth will start at the Christian school with Nate, Kate and Maiah in the fall. We are confident that his English will be good enough for him to keep up by then. He is very smart and a quick learner.

Seth also had his first visit to the pediatrician and came away with a clean bill of health. No signs of Ricketts or any other health issues we thought we may have to deal with. Thank you Jesus!!

As things have been so busy, with appts, paperwork and school....we decided that some fun was in order. So, we all skipped school/work yesterday and went to Busch Gardens. To our surprise, Seth was willing to ride everything that moved. He even went on the Big Bad Wolf, an adult roller coaster that he and Maiah both just met the height requirement for. Fun was had by all and we are looking forward to some much needed rest on this long holiday weekend. Seth will enjoy riding his bike and swimming in the pool with his sisters and brother:)

A special thank you to our Meiming friends for the awesome meals we have had delivered over the last 2 weeks. They were yummy and very much a blessing to us in the midst of transition craziness!!!

Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers. I am posting some new pics in the photo section if you would like to take a peek at our growing boy!! They are under Seth at home.

Please keep Derek and all the service men and women in your prayers this Memorial Day weekend. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for us and they are not to be forgotten.

God Bless,
Stacy

Seth is in school!!!!

Well, I just dropped a very happy little boy off to school this morning....Mommy is happy because Seth is happy!! He has been there for over an hour and no phone calls yet so I am praying this is what he needed. We know that some of the behavior we have struggled with over the last couple of weeks has been because Nathan, Kaytlin and Maiah all get dropped off at school in the morning and poor Seth rides home with Mommy sad and angry not understanding why he can't go as well. Not a good way to start to the day:(

Anyway, the more English Seth learns and the more he is able to communicate his thoughts, feelings, likes, dislikes etc....the better things are getting for all of us. He and Maiah are doing well, it warmed my mothers heart to see them playing and laughing together yesterday. There is a bit of competition going on between them that is not really healthy. We are working through this with both of them. Seth is also bonding well with Nathan and Kaytlin.

As for Derek and I, we are taking it one day at a time. We certainly feel that Nate, Kate and Maiah have been at a loss the last few weeks as Seth has been so demanding, requiring constant attention. I have shed a few tears out of frustration and exhaustion this past week but am really hoping that prayer, school and pure unconditional love will begin to overtake our sweet Seth. We trust that God has a plan for him and that we are part of that plan and that God is going to see us through this season of transition for Seth. We are thankful that His mercy and grace are new every morning......

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23)

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.....
Stacy

Spelling 101 for Mommy!!

I was reading my post from earlier today and realized several spelling
mistakes.....I guess they offer spell check for a reason......my head is running
a hundred miles an hour and my typing cannot keep up....I am really smarter than
a fifth grader:)

What, No Tooth Fairy in Mongolia??

Well, Seth has had a loose tooth since we met him in Mongolia and last night, he finally just yanked it out.....he went running in the other direction toward the bathroom with Maiah and I chasing behind. While I was attempting to rinse out his blood filled mouth, Maiah was just devastated as he was throwing the tooth in the trash can. Maiah picked it out, wrapped it in tissue for him and put it in the pocket of the tooth pillow that we have had since Nathan started losing teeth. Ever since she found out what the pillow was for, Maiah has been waiting to use this pillow, no loose teeth yet but she cant wait until they start falling out. How quickly they become Americanized!! Anyway, she was very cute trying to explain to Seth that he will have MONEY for his piggy bank when he wakes up but he can't throw the tooth away. He just looked at her like she was crazy for saving it. So, with the tooth pillow by his head and Maiah tucked in too....they wait with anticipation for the tooth fairy. 30 minutes goes by and Maiah comes walking out of the room, she says Seth is sleeping but I cant sleep.....right away my Mommy mode kicks in and says "Are you trying to see the tooth fairy"? She said "Yes" with a sweet smile on her face. But she had another concern....... she was also concerned about the kids in Mongolia and wanted to know why the tooth fairy does not go to Mongolia? Do all the kids in the orphanage just throw their teeth away? I quickly said that maybe she was not aware of where some of the children lived.....with so many kids, she may miss a few.....oh, to be a child again!!!

Anyway, 2 sweet faces emerged this morning with Maiah letting me know that the tooth fairy knows that Seth lives here in Virginia now. Seth placed his 4 quarters in his bank happily, much thanks to Maiah!!

Have a great day!!!

Derek gets the Silver Spoon Moment while.....

Mommy gets the Golden Arches!!! I know most will have a good laugh and so will Seth someday...however Mommy was not laughing yesterday!

Yesterday, Seth and I went to have him tested for an ESL (English as a Second Language) program at at one of the schools in our city. He was very good, the teacher was most impressed with him and his abilities. Being the Mom that I am, I wanted to reward the good behavior so I decided to take Seth to McDonald's for lunch and then let him play in the play place with a few other kids....as he misses having someone to play with all day...

Well, he ate his lunch and all was well, so off to play he goes.....he is playing and there is only one other little boy in the entire play area but he was not able to go up the slides as he had CP(not a good scapegoat)...I place a quick call to Daddy to let him know what a great day we are having and how great Seth has been!! We have had some rough days so this was a huge accomplishment!! Then I realize that Seth does not come down for a bit, so I start calling his name.......next thing I know, there are drips falling from the space ship that is attached to the ceiling. Oh, yes!!! So, I attempt in my head to give my son the benefit of the doubt......maybe some kid brought a drink up there and Seth has spilled it!! Yes, that's it!! So I go over to the dripping to see if by chance the air conditioning is leaking or maybe it is Orange Hi-C........oh no, it is clear to light yellow, ok maybe it is lemonade.....not so much!!! So, I call Seth down and he comes and I proceed to ask him if he went pee pee in the space ship?? He says no with a smile on his sweet "innocent" face and so I ask him again and he says yes, yes pee pee, yes!! The story goes down hill from here as we then had to tell the manager, close the play place and proceed to leave with my screaming, kicking 6 year old!! Trying to carry him, I pulled something in my back and had instant pain in my head and behind my left eye.....oh yes, it was a great day!!

Needless to say The Golden Arches really are Golden!! My perspective today is much different than what is was yesterday. There is much grace as Seth grew up in a country where you just stop and pee where ever you are....however, he does know that we use toilets and has used one in every store/restaurant we have been in both here and in Mongolia. The worst part is that we had to go for shots a couple of hours later and he needed 4 shots and a TB test in order to attend school on Thursday!! As he left the health clinic with bandaids covering his body,the poor kid was probably thinking, I am never gonna pee in the spaceship again!!

Keep those prayers coming, we are trusting Gods grace to be sufficient!!
Love,
Stacy

The Silver Spoon

We have been home for one week now!  I got up and took the kids to school and let Stacy and Seth sleep in.  I returned home to Seth on the couch saying "Daddy, Hug".  I then prepared some Cheerios and cut strawberries on the side, he only said "yes" with a smile.  As I watched over him and enjoyed the aroma of my coffee, the whole scene was put into perspective for me.

 

Here sits a child removed 13,000 miles from all he knows.  His parents, and maybe he feels enemies at times, have struggled with the language barrier and defiant behavior.  Seth has struggled with EVERYTHING new.  All he is surrounded by is new, right down to the very weather.  Yet, in the midst of this torrent of emotions and change, God shows me a boy eating Cheerios and strawberries.  Not only does God show me this child truly content and smiling between bites; He reveals how He cares about every detail. It strikes me that the spoon I grabbed this morning is a silver spoon.  How humbling that our God would watch over every move of this tremendous journey and complete this orphan boys journey, right into the arms of both his fathers with a silver spoon in his mouth.

 

To all of you who have truly labored in this journey with us, THANK YOU!  We are getting better every day and learning so much from a 6 year old, who is the size of a 4 year old, with the curiosity of a 2 year old.  Yet his old soul is very wise and reveals so much love through those almond eyes. 

Warmest Regards,

Derek 

Our First few days......

Well, we have been home since late Friday afternoon. We were greeted by our family and amazing friends at the airport....we know that many could not make it due to work and sick children but we appreciate your heartfelt emails and wishes. We were very excited to see Nate and Kate and get back to being a family. We are finally getting back on schedule and into a somewhat normal family routine....Maiah was very excited to get back to school and Seth was very disappointed that he could not go....we expected this!!

Seth is doing very well...he is a sweet boy in need of much love and affection. His smile makes you melt inside. He is learning English but does not like it much....he fights us every step of the way. He does love school work as he is used to a strict school routine. He has mastered writing his name, alphabet and he knows all his numbers, we are working on what they are in English. He can say and recognize 1-8 already. We have tried every movie and finally found one that he will not make us turn off, it just so happens to be an annoying purple dinosaur!! Derek's favorite:) Seth has had his face iced everyday as he walks into everything...not sure if he does not see it or is just so excited...he has 2 bruises on his face right now and just tried walking through our clear glass storm door as he was heading out of the house. Everything is new and he has to touch everything...this included every new person and thing on all 3 planes it took us to get home. We never apologized so much in our life. This new, big, amazing world has just opened up to him and he is taking full advantage:) In some cases, it has not been safe!! It is just like having a 2 year old that needs to be watched 24/7!! Seth has some behaviors that require much attention and we are working through these. He has made his way to the Time Out Bench a few times now but we sit with him explaining with hands signals and the few words we know that he understands. He seems to internalize his frustrations with the language and when things dont quite go his way.

Please dont stop praying for Seth and for us.....we are being tried and tested in every way. As you can imagine, when you are obedient to God and you are helping his kingdom...we know that Seth will know the Lord one day.....you become vulnerable to attacks spiritually, mentally and physically. We have some of all going on. Seth is smart like an eight year old in the body of a 4 year old that understands the world like a 2 year old. We need much prayer covering his transition and our family. We trust that God called us to bring this sweet boy into our family and that He will get us through this time/season of transition.

We appreciate your continued love and prayers,
Petrins

Home Sweet Home

We are home safe and sound...thanks to all who greeted us at the airport and for all the emails, prayers and well wishes while we were gone.....will post when I am in my right mind.....it was a long exhausting trip but it well overall. Lets just say Seth is very busy and excited about his new world....and he is all boy!!!! He has to be watched every second.

Much love,
Petrin 6

They are on there way to Virginia

Hi everyone. The Petrin's are on there last flight and will land in Virginia at 3:12p.m.. I am off to the airport. :) I am not excited or anything! LOL

Love,
Mad

They are in Atlanta

As of 10:30 a.m. they are in Atlanta. Just wanted to let everyone know they are back in this country! Praise God!

Mad

Arrival Info

We are arriving in Norfolk Va on Friday, 24April at 3:18pm. It is a Delta
flight from Atlanta GA. We will try to post from Atlanta letting everyone know
that we are on time, or actually that we have made our flight. We dont have a lot of time to get through immigration/customs.

See you in Norfolk with our newest Petrin and American citizen!!

Love,
Petrins

Reality sets in for all....

Reality has set in for all and communication has been an issue today.....Seth takes "no" very personal and thinks we are just being mean....we cant tell him in Mongolian that he can't bounce the ball in the hotel room as the people down stairs might get mad.....he just thinks Derek is a big bully when he takes the ball away.....We also had to leave a restaurant at lunch because he was insisting on having his knife so he can run it across the top of his hand.....he has never really used utensils from what we can tell. Bread and broth and they just drink the broth out of the bowl. Again, we cant explain that we don't want him to hurt himself and that children don't use knives. He screamed and would not stop, so we left as it was a packed lunch time crowd. Need i say more, you know how to pray now!! We try really hard with Mongolian phrases and key words/flashcards/pictures books...We have had several breakdowns today for this very reason.....they told us that he is understanding more than he lets on and uses that to his advantage. When our social worker came this afternoon, she talked to him about these issues in Mongolian and also asked him if he wanted to go back to his friends and the nannies at the orphanage....He said "NO" very clear and very loud. He does understand!! We did not know that she was asking him this but I guess it is good to know where we stand:)

Sad thing is, we are going to his orphanage tomorrow....for his going away party, we hope this goes well!! Nothing worse than bringing them back after you have taken them....he may be thrilled and he may think we are taking him back after today which could make for quite the visit,we are praying for the best scenario....Also, had our Visa Embassy appt and they are telling us that we will have his visa by 3pm tomorrow....we leave for the airport at 1000pm, nothing like last minute to make the old heart race!!

We can't wait to get home...to our kids, family, friends, beds, food etc....

Many thanks to our faithful friends, dont stop praying yet!! We have a long journey ahead of us. 29 hours of travel with 2 children and 1 that does not understand us....

Stacy & Derek

Nate, Dad wanted me to tell you that Seth takes after you...he walked 2 blocks and was needing an ambulance:) LOL!!! Give Kate a hug from me..miss you guys like crazy.

We have a Passport....the MM came through....LOL!!!

  At 8 tonight..(the passport office closes at 5), we received word that Seth has a passport...so much for waiting until tomorrow.....  This will allow us to have our visa appt tomorrow at the  American Embassy. Smooth sailing from there.......

looks like we will be seeing you this weekend

Petrins

Contract signed and a photo shoot!!

Well, we signed our contract today which is the last of the documents to be signed for the Mongolian government side of the adoption!! I dont think they will be calling us back down there any time soon as Derek kept Maiah and Seth entertained by playing rock, paper, scissors and I dont think the office will ever be the same again.

We bought lots of souvenirs today and some traditional dress for Maiah and Seth...then we went to a Mongolian costume shop where they did a professional photo shoot with the kids in traditional Mongolian attire. One lady was in love with Maiah, said she is a true beautiful Mongolian girl......she was pleased that she had some meat on her bones was the translation!! She kept pinching her arms and rubbing her belly and smiling. Maiah just went along with it and was quite excited to be playing dress up. Maiah had to see herself in the mirror each time they changed her outfit. We posted some new pics of the photo shoot in the "Seths adoption album". The professional picture came out beautiful,we are so glad we did this....highly recommend it for future families adopting from here!! We are quite tired tonight after another busy day...Maiah is about to pass out but our little Seth is still quite excited to be free from his strict routine and has not stopped for a minute.

Please pray for a passport for Seth...we cannot get a visa without a passport and I just got back from writing a written request as to why we need the passport so quickly. I think the Mongolian Mafia has run into a problem....please keep FRIDAY in your prayers as a departure date for the Petrins....all of us!!!!

Links to Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVbPN8BHRNY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT2aKJcgbmg

God and Persistence pay off.......

My mothers heart is at peace tonight.....Seth is right where he belongs, with his Mommy, Daddy and sister. After much frustration, and not taking no for an answer, we received our approval in writing which was enough for us to bring him home with us tonight. We also went for our physical which went well and we also have a new birth certificate naming us as his parents and his adoption decree. Tomorrow we should have his passport (the Mongolian mafia is helping to expedite this process:)) and our Embassy appt either tomorrow or Wednesday. We still have a contract to sign with the Mongolian government, pray for this to happen tomorrow as well. It would be nice to have everything done by Wednesday, so we can do some last minute sight seeing and shopping with Seth!! We will post some pictures shortly.....

As for Seth, he literally took our hand and walked away with us....some of the nanny's were crying but he was laughing and smiling and could not wait to get out the door...we kept having to pull him back as the director was talking to us. We stopped for a quick dinner and now back at the hotel, he is singing and coloring....nothing but smiles:) We are actually getting ready for our first bath and he cannot wait to put on the Superman Pj"s....thanks Jonas for passing them down...

Thanks so much for your prayers, we have evidence in our arms tonight!
Derek, Stacy, Maiah and Seth (Nate & Kate, we will be home soon!!)

Praying it happens!!

Ok, so this morning coming out of breakfast, we happen to run into our social worker who was waiting in the lobby for the other family that is here with us. They were leaving to go sign documents.....she proceeds to tell me to sit down.....and tells us that we may sign tomorrow or Wednesday.....I lost my mind, 2 weeks of frustration was overflowing at this point. I told her no and that were going to make some phone calls that it was unacceptable. We have been told "tomorrow" for 2 weeks now and tomorrow never comes. They left and we came upstairs and emailed the US Embassy and had a response within minutes. They are not happy at the way we have been treated and now realize that Derek is in the military and has 21 days of leave to process this adoption. They emailed us back and told us that we will have our appt at 2:00 this afternoon. I will believe it when we are walking out of there with the signed paperwork. Please pray this appt happens and that we bring Seth back with us to the hotel tonight, no more delays!!

Much thanks,
Stacy

Snow Covered Mountains!!

This Sunday morning brought snow covered mountains....this is the view out our hotel window. We had a great day that included making our way to Seth's orphanage by taxi and then going to our friends apt on the other side of the city by taxi.....it is amazing what a couple of weeks does to your language/communication ability:) We are making our way around quite well and also have the hotel staff speaking English now with the biggest smiles. Tonight they told us how beautiful our family is (they have only seen half of it)and that they will miss us. Maiah has been treated like quite the princess and I am sure they will love on Seth this coming week!! We have been treated very well here.

We were very blessed today by this missionary family, we had been in communication with them on Facebook and finally met them today. They opened their home to us, made an amazing Mexican lunch topped off with Russian ice cream for dessert(the stuff is amazing) and then they took us to an international service which was very multi-cultural. Worship was awesome and 24 ethnic groups were represented. We felt right at home:)

We brought Seth back tonight, hopefully for the very last time. We are hoping to sign paperwork in the morning, and get his physical done all before noon. Please pray with us that tomorrow is the day!!

Goodnight,
Stacy

A few firsts.....

Well, we had Seth all day today...picked him up about noon and had him until 730 tonight. We experienced many firsts.....he rode a scooter, played soccer, Operation(the game), ate Grilled Cheese sandwiches & Pizza and is now repeating many English words. We look forward to taking him and not having to bring him back though. I feel like I have said that a thousand times now. We know that day is coming soon.......and it will be forever!! We posted some pictures from the day, we spent most of the day with Carol and Ben....thanks for your Mongolian/American hospitality!!

Love,
Stacy

still no approval:(

Well friends, we were told lots of things today but the reality is we still have
no official approval. We are guessing the committee met today and gave verbal approval which is useless but we are supposedly going to sign our paper work/approval on Monday which then will get the ball rolling.....however, we have been told tomorrow for the last 8 days. After that we still need a new birth certificate, adoption decree, passport and visa of which would normally take a week to 10 days. We are scheduled to fly home on the 24th so we are hoping for a quick turn around with each of these steps if indeed we do sign on Monday. It is difficult to know what to believe as we have been told so many different things. The most frustrating part is having to bring Seth back to the orphanage every night this weekend. We had him this evening from 5-8, yes they gave us an extra hour because he did not have to be back to do homework tonight (its Friday night). Yes, they shaved his head, we are beginning to think it is this control thing and until he is officially ours, he will stay in his routine and they will do what they please to him. We will thankfully have him all day tomorrow and Sunday but he has to go back to sleep each night which just breaks our heart....he is now seeming a bit disappointed to leave us. He went with us this evening to visit some friends that we know here and he seemed to fit in quite well and had fun with the kids....he was quite obsessed with figuring out the little boys bicycle in the house:) It was very cute, he kept pedaling backwards making it into a stationary bicycle but he was going 50mph:)

Thanks for your prayers and encouraging emails. We appreciate them very much.

Stacy & Derek

Reality/prayer please......

Well, i thought maybe we would just skip posting today...you know that old saying if you dont have anything nice/good to say then dont say it at all:( Then I realized that truth is reality and hiding the truth helps nobody!! Derek has not been feeling so well and today he is feeling worse. He is feeling so bad that he stayed in our room the whole day except for dinner tonight. I did get out and do some shopping for a few essentials for Seth today as he is much smaller than we anticipated and his Spiderman underoos fall right off if you know what I mean:)
Well, Maiah and I decided to be brave and go visit Seth without Owa....you know Derek has been the big hit thus far!! This was the first time that we visited after the day teachers/caretakers have left for the day. We have just loved the day staff and vice versa. To our surprise, it has actually been a very pleasant experience for a government run orphanage. Well tonight, we showed up to the kids finishing up homework and snack time.....then the nannies just left Maiah and I with all 17 children playing and taking pictures in a big playroom...at one point I put my hand on Seths leg and he put his hand on top of mine and he began to gently rub it....it was a very tender moment that melted my heart. However, out of the blue a nanny came in yelling in Mongolian and from what I could tell, she wanted them to clean up the Legos that were everywhere and children began to scurry....and then a few moments later I was standing in the doorway between the play room and the bedroom and watched this same nanny open handed smack one of the little boys and then took the toy from his hand and proceeded to hit him with the toy a couple of times....my eyes filled with tears, my heart was racing and all I could think about was this poor little boy and having to leave my son there another night.....I know that I cannot bring them all home but please pray for these children, for protection over their hearts, minds and physical bodies, for a softening of this caretakers heart and hand!!! From what I gathered, he had brought the toy into the bedroom area and toys are not supposed to leave the playroom!! I loved on this little boy and several other children including Seth before we left....it was a very long walk down the stairs and out of the building without my son. I can't recall a moment that my heart felt like this.....please pray for our approval to come tomorrow. They have told us tomorrow every day this week and now today they are saying by the end of the week....which is tomorrow. We so appreciate you guys standing with us on this journey. As soon as we sign the final papers, you will know as you will hear us celebrating with the other family from there.

My own encouragement for the day:
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to Seth.
~ 1 Peter 5:7, NLT

Prophecy Bulletin for April 16th....

Beloved, I see and know the things that have brought about a period of stress and uncertainty. And, I tell you that the light will dawn, and you will have greater revelation that will bring resolution to difficult situations. I will give you wisdom and direction that will release you from restrictions that have been difficult to cope with. Confining circumstances will give way to defining moments as you move with the wind of My Spirit. Changes will develop that will bring a sense of release and freedom, says the Lord.

John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

I am really going to bed now.....
Stacy

One Week One day and Waiting...

  Today brought some cooler weather and growing anxiety about when we get to bring Seth home.  We were allowed to bring him to the Hotel with us and show him the room he will sleep in, some of his clothes and toys.  Seth and Maiah put a big floor puzzle together.  Maiah did much better with Seth being around and they sat together and ate dinner tonight.  We will have no concerns with the food he will eat; that boy has DEVOURED everything we have put in front of him.

  As for his adjustment to us, it is truly seamless.  He lets me take him to the restroom and help him, he talks to me in Mongolian like we were old buds and I have any clue as to what he is saying.  I finally have started responding to him in English and about 50% of the time I get the intended response. When we had to go back to the orphanage, he went upstairs with me, grabbed his shoes and jacket and was ready to go.  The real test will be when we take him and he does not return to the orphanage.

  As for Stacy, myself and Maiah we did some shopping in the discount market that was kind of....ahhh....Black. We found some nice things cheap and cut it short because it was cold. Speaking of colds I think I have the Avian Bird Flu, or at least some foreign thing is trying to nest in my sinus cavity.  We hope and pray to get our approval tomorrow and bring our son home.

Signed DEREK (because Stacy refuses to be associated with any of my shenanigans)

Daddy's Boy!!

Seth just loves his Daddy!! He smiles at everything Derek does and is always running to grab Derek by the hand. It is very sweet:) We did have a bit of sadness and jealousy from Maiah during dinner tonight. She was not happy that Seth was sitting on her Daddy's lap and would not take a picture with them when asked......she did come around but made it a point to only want me and kind of gave Derek the cold shoulder for a bit. We had a conversation about it later and explained that we have enough love for Nathan, Kaytlin, Maiah and Seth and she agreed and has been fine tonight. She was sad again to bring him back to the orphanage which was a good sign. She was also asking when he was coming to our house(apt) to play tomorrow. I think time will help this and the whole thing is just a bit awkward right now. Just as Seth is a bit confused, I am sure that Maiah does not really understand why we keep picking him up and dropping him off....it is an emotional/confusing situation for Derek and I nevermind a 5 and 6 year old . We just keep taking it one day at a time.....no other options!!
Philippians 4: 6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Until tomorrow,
Stacy

More Patience.....

Well, it looks like the committee will not be meeting until Thursday. We will continue to visit with Seth everyday. Tonight we will take him out to dinner again and tomorrow, we will ask if he can come to the hotel with us for a couple of hours after school. Evidently more patience is required:)

Maiah was feeling better today and her eye was no longer crusty and red. Thanks for praying. Not sure what was going on there but Praise God it seems better!! She is napping now only because I promised her a small glass of coke when she wakes up.....something she does not get much of at home. We started having coke/candy flashbacks of when we first got Maiah!! LOL!! Last night she fell asleep in the car on the way to the orphanage...she is still a little messed up time wise but has been a real trooper.

Prayer requests:
Derek is congested/cold starting up/weary
Overall continued health
Seth's transition/goodbyes
Maiah is wanting to go home to her Kaytlin, Nathan and bed/she is over the hotel
The other family here with us/her Mom who is taking care of their 4 kids is now sick and having a hip issue. One of them may have to leave and go home. Pray for her Mom to feel well again and for the hip pain to go away so they can complete their adoption as scheduled.

With love and thanks,
Stacy

Pray for Approval on Paper!!!

It was a long day today and somewhat frustrating. What started out with an interview hours after we landed has led to the committee still not meeting to give us final approval on paper. We cannot process anything else without the final adoption decrees/approvals in writing. Maiah has not felt well today and tonight it is looking like she may have an eye infection. Please pray that she feels better after a good nights sleep. Derek an I are both pretty tired physically an emotionally.

We did visit with Seth today and this visiting situation is getting a bit frustrating. He is not really understanding why we are coming and going and why he is not coming with us. Today, when we said goodbye, he seemed confused that we were leaving without him. Of course, we have no control over this. The entire day was a bit awkward as we sat and watched him and his classmates do homework for almost 2 hours. They still have him in a strict school schedule and Mongolian language class even though we are here. We were asked to come at 2pm today so we could have a meeting with the orphanage director. This meeting went very well. She sets high standards and expects them to be met always. She seems to genuinely care about the children. We are not really able to visit with him until after 5 pm when school, homework,etc....is done. We did take Seth, Maiah and his classmates to the park a few blocks away to play for about 15 minutes but then it was right back to his routine. We just need the process to move to the next step,especially for Seth. We posted a few new pics in the Seth adoption album in pictures..........sorry I have not had time to label all of them.

Hoping to hear something tomorrow,
Petrins

First Outing!!

Well, we showed up to the orphanage around 1045 this morning to pick up Seth and he came with us without hesitation. However, he was very quiet on the long ride out to our destination. He did warm up a bit and seemed very excited to see the huge Chinggis Khaan Statue. It is a massive sight and pictures do not do it justice. We saw big smiles when the guard dressed in traditional costume offered him his sword for a picture....he is all boy!!! Fruit snacks and goldfish were big hits on the ride too!! He opened his fruit snacks and put every last one into his mouth all at once....I think he was afraid that Maiah was going to take one....he did not see that she had her own. Anyway, I started poking at his bulging cheek and we both began to laugh while our driver told him one at a time in Mongolian!! We just keep trying to put ourselves in his shoes and are sure the day we leave with him for good will be very difficult for him. He, unlike Maiah is internalizing everything where Maiah just let it all out. He has 2 very close friends that he as been with for over 5 years and I know that goodbye will be very hard for him. We took him to lunch and that went well, he is a great eater. I guess it helped that we went to a Mongolian restaurant.....however our Mongolian/American, Maiah ate nothing. Maiah was sad that he had to go back to the orphanage and keeps asking when he will come home with us. They did a little bonding today and held hands everywhere they went. When we said goodbye, we did gets hugs and kisses and he knows that we are coming back tomorrow. However, Derek and I agreed that he seemed glad to be back and went running off without hesitation after saying goodbye. We are kind of glad that we are easing into him being with us permanently....I think it will help with the overall transition. Thanks so much for all your prayers for Seth....keep them coming!!

Here are a few photos from the day.....
We miss you Nate & Kaytlin and can't wait for you to meet your new brother!!

Permission Granted!!

Yeah, we received a phone call that said pack up some warm clothes for Seth and we will pick him up and go to the countryside today. We are so excited to have our first outing with him. However, the weather today is the coldest it has been here and it will be even colder out in the country. Not ideal weather for outdoor activities but we pray that fun will be had by all. Hopefully we will get some cute pics of Maiah and Seth today. Will post later, thanks for praying!!

Stacy

Another great day in Mongolia!!

Although we did not get to see Seth today, we did manage to have a great day:) We were supposed to go out to the countryside today to ride horses and maybe a camel too but we chose to wait hoping that Seth would be able to come with us soon!! We really want him to see the things that he has never had a chance to see that make up who he is and the beautiful land he is from. Our Mongolian social worker/guide promised that we have plenty of time to do this once the official paperwork is signed.

We ended up doing much needed laundry at a friends apartment this morning, we are so thankful to her as it is actually quite expensive here at the hotel and with 3 of us and lots of dirt roads and walking, we have racked up 3 small loads in 5 days!! There are no dryers so our clothes are hanging and laying all over her apartment...that is a friend. We appreciate you Penny!!

We then went back to the Children's Place orphanage for lunch and the afternoon. A YWAM team from HI is here in Mongolia and yes Lori, they did study with Gabrielle for a week. They are here from the Honolulu base. It is a small world after all!! They gave some great testimonies and did a Easter skit. Maiah spent the entire afternoon playing with 2 friends that she reunited with on Thursday. She had a great time....we took her and the girls up to the playground to play and then for ice cream. This was enjoyed by all. Maiah speaks in English to them and they answer in Mongolian and go off on their way in complete agreement, they converse back and forth this way the whole time. It is truly amazing to listen and watch them interacting. I think Derek is getting worried that I am falling in love with these girls.....I told him it is too late. Its that mothers heart thing, I don't know how to turn it off:) I know all the Moms understand!!

We left in time for a late afternoon Mongolian Easter Service. The young children sang songs and did a skit, the college students did a skit as well. Afterwards, everyone shared a meal together. It was a great service and we felt very welcome by our Mongolian brothers and sisters. Several ladies that worked at Maiah's orphanage attended this service and so Maiah was just loved on some more today. She just says "Mommy, I know they love and hug me because they took care of me when I was a baby". She is so right as they really do love her!!

Well, we are back at our hotel anxiously waiting for tomorrow. We will at the very least visit with Seth again at the orphanage but are hopeful to take him out for a bit. Pray for favor with the orphanage director as it is really up to her. We will put some new pics from the day in the pictures section shortly...

Easter Blessings from Mongolia,
Petrins

First Visit, Smile, Hugs and Kisses

Well, to say our first visit went well would be and under statement. The fact that he did not run in the opposite direction (maiah) meant we were off to a good start. Seth has been very well cared for, very well educated, and very well prepared for what is happening. Yes, he is very tiny compared to Maiah but looks healthy. All of the 6 year old boys were the same size, so we are not worried. We had the most amazing visit. He showed us his room/bed, where he eats and plays. We looked at his photo album that will be given to us when he leaves. He was calling us Momma and Daddy(itchee & owa) in Mongolian and at one point came running up, saying Momma hold my book bag for me and handed it to me. They translated and the tears began!! He also told us his name was Seth and gave us hugs and kisses and wrote a note for us on the blackboard....He said Daddy, Mommy and Maiah, I am so happy that you came today.....there are pictures posted!! We blew bubbles for the first time and Seth now knows that they dont taste very good:) He wore the rest but the kids had the best time. He did ask where Nathan and Kaytlin were and we explained that they are in school but he will meet them soon!! Maiah tended to be pulled away by all the girls and Seth was more interested in us and the boys. He seems pretty excited to have a Mommy & Daddy! The staff told us that for the last few months, when kids are mean or pick on him, he would tell them that he was going to tell his Daddy when he got here.... We will have some time with both Seth and Maiah on Sunday...we may take a trip to the countryside but are waiting on approval to take him out. I think they will be fast friends/partners in crime:) Maiah did want him to come home with us tonight and I think he would have too....sometime next week though after the committee meets. We will see him again on Sunday for our trip...and then everyday next week until he is officially ours on paper....He is already ours in our hearts:) We have posted some pictures of our visit.....

Love to all,
Petrins X 6

The moment we have been waiting for....

and you are all sleeping!!!!!

Well, we have not received the government approval letter however they have told us that we can meet and visit with our boys (the other family is with their son right now) today and throughout the weekend. They will not convene the committee on our behalf until next week but at least we get to meet him today and he will get to do some sight seeing with us this weekend. Seth had school this morning and then an appt so we have to wait until 4pm but we will be picked up, go the orphanage and then take him out to dinner. So by the time you are awake and reading this, we will have met him for the first time:) We are all very excited...

Will post later tonight, hopefully with a few पिक्स


Love,
Derek,Stacy and Maiah
(it is Friday afternoon, 1:00pm)

Amazing Birthday/Reunion

What a day!! Words really cannot express all we are feeling right now. We went to the Children's Place orphanage this afternoon and what started out with a very tired Maiah ended up with her not wanting to leave.....she was hugging her caretakers and playing with her "girlfriends" or so she said:) She left asking when we were coming back to play some more...we made another play date with a few of the girls her age. Derek also had the best birthday ever with all the children singing happy birthday in both English and Mongolian and then several children got up and sang solos for Derek. They also blessed him with some tea mugs, so very sweet!! We went there bringing blessings for the children and left feeling so blessed by all these sweet faces, hugs and kisses. We left there knowing that God has a plan for these sweet kids, it was such a great time and so good to have Maiah leave with us happy and of her own free will:) We have posted pictures from today in web albums, just click on pictures in the side bar. Enjoy!!

Happy Birthday Derek/No News

It has been a busy day today with a visit to the Museum of Natural History and some shopping for groceries and a trip to the bakery for party supplies. Today is Derek's birthday and we are going to have a celebration he will never forget. We have gone out and bought 3 big cakes(the fanciest cakes you have ever seen) and candy for all the kids and are heading to the Children's Place for a reunion with Maiah's nannies/caretakers and we are going to celebrate Dereks birthday with all the children too. You can never have too many parties!! We can't wait to see and love on all of the children. We are also glad that the nannies will get to see how well Maiah is doing and that she is no longer the sad, kicking, screaming little girl that left there a little over 2 years ago. God is so good!!!

As for news, no official approval today. We have been getting lots of details/stories about our little guy.....evidently he recently found some matches at some point and was found playing with them, got caught before he burned down the whole building:) For those who know the Derek burning down the woods story, sounds like Seth takes after his Daddy after all!! They say he is "full of mischief" and the committee did tell me I would have my hands full!!! Most of the stories sound like he is trying to get attention.... and for those who know us, know that we are not scared:) We actually can't wait to meet our little pistol!! I think he and Maiah will be an interesting duo. Haha.

We will post pictures from the museum and party later this evening.

Love from Mongolia,
Stacy

Interview Complete!! One Step Closer.....

Just finished with our interview and it seems a happy, healthy Maiah was enough
for the committee. They were pleased with the post placement report that we sent on Maiah and the great pictures. Speaking of pictures, Maiah drew pictures of her, Seth, Nate and Kate during the entire meeting (1 hour). I think each committee memeber had a picture when we left. The committee actually went to the orphanage to meet Seth and the other little boy yesterday. This new committee is taking adoptions very serious which is a good thing.
They said that Seth Batbileg is a very smart boy, excelling in Math beyond his years and what were our plans for his education? I just knew God would give us one that loved Math.....dont ask Nate and Kaytlin what they think of Math!! They also said he is very stubborn and will sit in the corner and sulk....that sounds a little familiar to us:) They did tell us that were in favor of us adopting Seth and that we would get an official decision in a few days. At that point, we will meet Seth:) So, until then, we are going to rest and enjoy the 70+ degrees!! It is a heat wave and we have all winter clothes. I never thought I would say this but we are hoping for the temps to drop a wee bit next week!! Haha. Well, we have lots to do and see as we did not get to do much last time becasue of the extreme weather. We are one step and one day closer to meeting our Seth.

We are working on the internet issues, I am using a hotel computer right now. They have been great trying to help us fix the line in our room. Also, sounds like we could be home a few days early if all goes as planned right now but we are not changing tickets just yet but they only had us check in for 10 days right now.....
WoW, that would be great!!

Love to all and thanks for the prayers,
Stacy on behalf of the Petrin 6

Mongolia at last!!!!

20 hours of flying, 8 hours of layover and a few things to write about and we have arrived!!! We arrived to the hotel at about 1am all completely exhausted. Adoption is just like child birth and we had forgotten all about how long and painful the flight is. Dereks poor feet swelled up and looked like pigs feet. Not very comfortable for 14 hours:( The hotel is ok...we have little to no connectivity so will have to venture out to post some pictures once we meet our little man. . I have not been able to access the blog or gmail at all. We arrived to find out that we will have our government interview at 1015am, yes in just a few hours. This is a blessing but 1 day to get our act together would have been good but God will give us the strength to get through this day. Please pray that we can see and speak straight as I have slept for 3 hours in the last 2-3 days along with a few 20 minute naps!! I know that my "sympathy friends" that cannot sleep on a plane will be praying hard for me today!!! Derek and Maiah are currently sleeping away (639am here) . Maiah has been an angel the entire trip, keeping us laughing! Some of the things she says have made us laugh so hard, we cry!! She made a sweet friend on the plane and they passed notes and pictures back and forth the entire last 3 hour leg. Then they had a sweet goodbye when we arrived:) Please pray for our interview and that we would get to meet Seth soon!! Our Mongolian guide told us 2-3 days before we meet him for some reason, she did explain why we have to wait even though our interview is today. Something to do with the orphanage he is in but due to sheer exhaustion and broken English, I can not translate/recall right now. I am off to lay down for another hour before it is time to get ready for breakfast and the big interview. Thanks for praying. Nate and Kate, we love and miss you tons!!

Love,
Stacy, Derek and Maiah
now in Mongolia safe and sound....

Update From Korea

Hi, it is Mad again. I got an email from Derek at 6:00 A.M. today from Korea. They are exhausted but fine. The suitcase dilemna was solved and the suitcases are on there way to Mongolia. Maiah is an excellent little traveler. They should arrive in Mongolia around 10:30a.m. our time making it evening in Mongolia. I am pretty sure they are headed straight to bed! Thanks for all the prayers, don't stop. The next update should be from them.

Mad

Update from Atlanta

Hi everyone this is Mad, Derek's Mom. I am updating the Blog for them because they are unable to access the Blog from the airport. They could last time but this time they can't so they called me to do it. So......Update.......PRAY HARDER!!!!they have already had a few nitches in their travels. Tons of commotion at the airport in Virginia, then the lady who tagged their bags tagged them only to Korea not all the way to Mongolia, she forgot to give Derek his passport back, and Maiah has a rash starting on her face. But we know the enemy is just trying to annoy them so as we all pray more I am sure the rest will be smooth sailing. Maiah is being an angel and enjoying her trip so far. They think they solved the luggage dilemna in Atlanta but they won't actually know that until they get to Mongolia so pray for their suitcases. Besides all their own stuff they have suitcases filled with stuff they are bringing to the orphanges.

Derek has had 2 hours sleep, Stacy 3. If I hear anymore from them before they leave at 1:00p.m. I will let you know otherwise I guess the next update will be from them when they are in Mongolia.

Thanks for praying!
Mad

Amazed...

Well, we added this song (Amazed) to our play list this week after hearing it at church last Sunday. It is truly how we feel. We are in awe of the Fathers love for us and for Seth and how his amazing plan for Seth's life has unfolded. We are also amazed at the outpouring of love, prayers, help and financial gifts that we have been so very blessed by in the last 3 months and actually throughout this entire 2 year process!! Thank you for coming along side us and encouraging us when we did not see it coming together. It is hard to believe that we ever doubted going back a second time. Too bad we can't see the entire puzzle before the first piece is ever laid. However, Gods timing is perfect and it has all come full circle and it is almost time to go, less than 48 hours now. Yeah!!!

As for where we stand....

Our I171 showed up as promised midweek so all of our documents are in order now. (Wiping sweat off the brow..haha!!)

Maiah was ready six months ago, however Derek and I are still packing and taking care of last minute things. We think it may have been easier to bring Nathan and Kaytlin with us as it seems leaving them behind has been much more work!! Also, please pray for me as my mothers heart does not want to leave them for 3 weeks....I like all my children in the same nest, where ever that may be. I know that God will protect them and that they are in very good hands with our friends and family!!

Seth has shoes packed in sizes 9, 10, 11, and 12...please pray that he is not in a 1!! LOL!! They did not give us a shoe size so we are guessing!!

Derek wants prayer for the heat wave that has struck Mongolia this week....they said it went into the 60's and we are packing winter clothes as we were planning for 30's!! Those of you who know Derek will know that God has a funny sense of humor:)Haha....

Also, please just keep praying for Seth, for his last goodbyes, transition and overall peace in his little heart.

This will probably be the last update until we are in Atlanta as Nate has 2 soccer games today and we drop off Nathan and Kaytlin tomorrow and we will be at the airport for 4am Monday morning. I have a feeling the rest of this weekend will be a big blur filled with lots of craziness, emotion and excitement!!!

We love you all and thanks for praying,
Petrins

A sweet laugh this morning......

Thought I would share a laugh......Well, I am picking Maiah up from school in a couple of hours and we have an appt at the International Travel Clinic to get some shots that are required for travel to Mongolia......this is Maiah wanting to know why we are going for shots today:

Do we have to get shots so that we don't bring our bugs on the plane, all the way to Mongolia and get Seth sick?? Mongolia is very, very far, I don't think the bugs will make it.

She is too cute and very excited!! She said she is not even going to cry today, that she is going to be a big girl for Seth, so that he can be part of our family:)

Hope we put a smile on your face for the day....
Stacy & Maiah

I171 on the way......prayer answered!!!

     For those of you who read my post from earlier today...thanks for praying!! I think God knew that my heart could not handle another last minute answer, not this week!!  So, I just received a phone call from the US Government.......really, they called to apologize for the delay ( she had to have emergency surgery) and to tell us that everything was looking good with our documents and that they were going to put the new original i171H in the mail to us in the morning as their mail had already been picked up today and that they were going to cable it to Mongolia (emergency status). This is the same lady (I swear she is our guardian angel) who helped us back in the fall with our  finger print appts and then again a month ago when we found the error.....what a blessing!!

So, it looks like we will have everything we need just in time!!No surprise there.......

Until the next prayer request,
Stacy & Derek

Prayer request for I171H!!

Well, this time next week, we will be in the air!!  So much left to do in such a short time. I am writing this post to ask for prayer.

To make a long story short, we found an error on one of Department of Homeland security documents about 6 weeks ago.  The error was actually made on their part and so we have done everything they have asked to help them get it fixed in the system and issue us the new form that we need.  We are supposed to hand carry an original with us to Mongolia.  However, I have waited daily for the mail lady and still nothing!  We need this document to arrive in the next 6 days.  Saturday will be our last mail day before we leave.  I know that God does not need 6 days so please pray with us for His pefect timing once again. We trust that HE alone is bigger than government errors and that this will be fixed in time for us to leave. 

Love & Thanks,

Stacy

We have a place to rest our heads!!

Well, not only do we have a place to rest our heads but we got an amazing deal.....a Mongolian friend of the family that we are traveling with went and spoke to a very nice hotel on our behalf.

We went from thinking we were going to pay 170$ a night X 17 nights (you do the math) in a hotel that really did not want us there to getting booked in a family suite with a kitchen for 70$ a night.  From big details like first committee approvals to a bed to rest our heads, God is in the details and He has the very best for us!! 

On to the next thing on the list.....

Thanks for praying......

Stacy

Tickets, Hotel, and Suitcases OH MY!!!

Well, it has been a crazy week since finding out we are really leaving!!  We feel like our list of things to get done is never ending.  Every time we seem to cross one thing off, one of us is adding 2 more to the bottom of the list......if we only had 36 hours in a day:)

Right now, we are praying that we will  get a hotel room booked somewhere!!  The nice hotel we stayed at last time has decided that they no longer want adopting families to stay there.  They have had too many complaints of crying children disturbing guests and would prefer not to deal with us.  I am sure that non-adopting families with infants have probably stayed there and that the infant may have cried during the night at some point.  It is not only adopted children that cry!!! Anyway, that is OK because I know that God has a plan for us and I am sure it includes a bed for us to sleep in for 3 weeks:) Anyway, we have spent the last 3 days searching online, looking at every hotel in the city,reading reviews and trying to come up with a place that is reasonable in price but also meets our needs.  Any good suggestions out there?  We have now recruited some friends on the ground there to help so hopefully, we will have a place booked by the end of the week. 

Also, many thanks to our family and friends that have offered to help with Nathan and Kaytlin as they are not coming with us:( We appreciate you guys going out of the way to accommodate and entertain them for such a long period of time. Thank you Mackleys, Sortinos, David and Erica, and both sets of our parents.  You guys are awesome and are such a blessing to us all.  We feel good about them being in such good hands:)

Well, everything is coming together, slowly but surely!!  I am going to get back to packing suitcases for both the Children's Place and Seth's orphanage. 150lbs of clothes, medicine, shoes, scarves, hats, blankets, socks, underwear,etc....this is a project in itself!!

Please keep Seth and Harrison (the other 6 year old boy being adopted at the same time) in your prayers....I just know that God is preparing them for their transition.

12 days a wake up,

Petrins

17 days and counting down!!

     17 days and counting..sounds like a reality show!! Oh,wait...it is reality....we really are leaving!!  After looking over 15 different itineraries for 2 days now, we just booked our tickets and so now we really feel like we are going somewhere.  We were actually having a hard time getting out of Norfolk as we leave at the start of Spring Break here.  Every flight to Atlanta was booked except a flight in the wee hours of the morning.  We took it:)

     As I have been thinking and praying today, here is my thought for the day.  In less than a month, Seth will no longer be called orphan, but instead son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend!! He has no idea how many people already love and adore him.   How awesome is our God that he had a plan for a little six year old boy on the other side of the world, who was probably very close to giving up on ever getting a family to call his own, and that he would include us in that plan.  We are so very humbled by the way that God sets the lonely in families.  Ok, enough tears and back to singing....I have actually been humming the song.....

"We are leaving on a jet plane, don't know when we'll be back again".........all day today!!  Actually, that is the truth.....as we don't have a set interview date, we will be at the mercy of the Mongolian government when we arrive.  So please pray, pray, pray that they just cant wait to see our sweet faces once we arrive:) We don't get to meet Seth until after the interview and then a committee meeting to say that we are Approved!! It is very likely we will be in the country for a week or more before we get to meet him.  

We will post details of our  travel plans and any dates that we know of as we get them so you can keep praying Seth home!!!

 

Blessings to our faithful friends,

Petrins