Success on Monday!

Monday was successful! We were able to get to the notary office and have a bazillion number of papers stamped and approved. Today we went to the police department and filed for a passport for Hannah Grace. Now we must wait. If all goes well we will have the passport tomorrow and then go to the U.S. Embassy on either Thursday or Monday. We also need to have a doctor check Hannah over...SO...all these appointments must be completed in order for us to fly out on the 5th. This is looking very 'iffy' at the moment. You wait and wait and wait to get appointments here. The Bethany staff does absolutely all they can to expedite the process, BUT??? We'll see. We know that God is working and we are trusting in His timing.

We love you all!
Bob and Lori and Hannah Grace

The Joy of Reunion! :)

Our reunion was a quiet, wondrous event...oh my, oh my :) SHE has surely stolen our hearts away! .... She came into our room and looked at us with wide eyes of amazement, and yet, she seemed to have the understanding that she always knew we would come back for her. Wow! :) It is beyond belief to us! SHE DID NOT SHED ONE TEAR! Instead..she gently warmed up to us, and then she started....launghing...and laughing...and LAUGHING! :) Happy, happy, happy.... :)

God of Wonder...You are amazing! You answer all our prayers and truly give us the desires of our hearts :) Ok, now I'M tearing up :)

We KNOW how this has happened. God has answered the prayers of his children (thankyou dear friends and family!)

P.S. YES, we have arrived safe and sound at 11:15pm on Thursday evening :) It was a long, long flight with an almost 12 hour layover in Munich, but we survived.

Happy,Happy,Happy..la, de, da, da..la,la,la,la, :)

Sauk (Sa-ook) in the morning at the orphanage

Hugs & Kisses :)

This is what we miss!...Hugs & kisses from our precious daughter! :) We'll be there soon Hannah Grace!

The Journey Continues....

We are scheduled to fly out from Grand Rapids on Wednesday, July 23rd at 2:05pm. Yippee!! We are so excited we can hardly stand it! This time we will be able to take Hannah Grace and KEEP her :) She is OURS...and as soon as she 'warms' back up to us, we will have her sleep in the house with us and WAKE UP IN THE MORNING TOGETHER! How cool is that?! :)

....If all goes well with the U.S. Embassy process (passports, birth cirtificate, immigration papers), we will ALL be returning to the U.S. on August 5th at 3:00pm in Chicago, where Bob's parents will pick us up and drive us HOME FOR GOOD!

It's sometimes hard to breath when I think about it all.... :) My goodness!...It's just so overwhelming :)...but in a good way!

Love to all!
Bob and Lori

Back in the U.S of A!!!

WHEWHOO!! We're home!!:) It was a very hectic (to say the least...!#$*! is more like it) trip on the way home to America. We are whipped from the travel (cancelled flight...missed flight..rebooking...double security checks...reclaiming of baggage that didn't need to be reclaimed and on it goes). BUT, we are home safe and sound and very grateful for every prayer that was breathed for us :)

Ahhh,....the grass has never been greener or the grocery store ever looked so HUGE. We are truely in the 'land of plenty'. ( I hope we always remember this and will have new 'eyes' to see what others not so fortunate can see).

We are getting our rest today and slowly recuperating. We feel at peace with the situation, and know that God will surely take care of OUR DAUGHTER. I still can not believe that she is ours!
I don't think I will EVER get over that :)

Well, time to rest and wait and pray and eventually get new flights booked for possibly the 22nd of this month...and hopefully, back the first week of August with Hannah Grace (Roksana). We'll post more on this site in a couple days or so.

Time to rest.....
Much love,
Bob and Lori

ADOPTION CONGRATULATIONS with the Judge

The Day We Made the Judge Cry

THE JUDGE CRIED! ;) During our 1 hour long court hearing this morning, the judge CRIED and hid her face to regain her composure! This was after we told her, through an interpreter, just how much we already loved Roksana (Hannah Grace). It was just amazing. We were so THANKFUL that the judge came in for the scheduled hearing, because she had been delayed by sickness earlier. Bob told her how grateful he was that she would come in as planned and conduct the hearing, even though she was ill. She said that she knew just how important this hearing was, and so she came in :) May God bless her!

AND SO....WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED AS ROKSANA'S (HANNAH GRACE) PARENTS!! Roksana's name will be changed to Hannah Grace Roksana Stitt when we get her to the good 'ole U. S. of A! WHAT A HAPPY 4th OF JULY THIS IS ;)

...We are breathing GREAT SIGHS OF RELIEF AND ARE FILLED WITH JOY, JOY, JOY :) We can hardly believe that WE HAVE A DAUGHTER?! Unbelievable!

Thank you for your continued prayers. We now fly home the 8th of July and will wait the mandatory 15 days starting tomorrow before we fly back to Albania and bring HER, our DAUGHTER, home...home...HOME

HURRAY!! Dad, Mom...and DAUGHTER!!!

Kiss..Kiss :)

Yesterday Hannah did something so funny. She was trying to stand up on top of a glass topped coffee table, and I got in front of her and looked her square in the eye, with as stern a face as I could muster, and said, “No, no!” She looked at me with a rather surprised face, and then, with a slightly tilted head, she puckered her little lips and kissed me right on the mouth J Little stinker! Ha,ha…what a funny girl! Now every time she gets chastised for something she tries to…make it all better…with a kiss :0 What a HOOT.

A FAMILY...A FAMILY...A FAMILY! :)

Yesterday Hannah Grace (Roksana) said ..."keekee" when I called to a kitty we saw on the compound. Cool! TODAY she said..."Puppy!" right after we said it as we pointed to one :) She's a fast learner it seems. Of course, she won't EVER be spoiled! Jennifer says that she has us wrapped around her little finger :) We are definately FEELING like a family! I LOVE THAT WORD!....FAMILY, FAMILY, FAMILY!!! I could shout it from one of the highest mountains here :)

We are getting anxious for the Friday court hearing to be over and done with and SUCCESSFUL. We are continually thankful for your prayers! We are so amazed at how God cares for ALL his children. These little ones here are all so adorable...it just makes your heart ache to wonder what their lives will be like in years to come. Will they all have families one day??

God bless you all, and we love you!

Sometimes she pouts ;)

Our girl loves to walk up and down the steps with her daddy :) She's been holding our hands now for a couple of days, and everytime she does it...it fills my heart with delight.

Precious, precious...PRECIOUS :)

Bob and Lori's FAVORITE time of day :) Ahhh...Bob can actually read his paper...well, if we had newspaper that would be what he would be doing :)

Mommy and her DAUGHTER :)

Isn't she the sweetest little thing you've EVER seen?! She called me Mommy, Mommy, Mommy all day yesterday...for the FIRST TIME! :)

Wild Child :)

This is Hannah Grace Roksana Stitt in all her WILDNESS :) We LOVE her!!

Our Saints :)

The pictures below are of the Watanabe, missionary family here at the orphanage. Bob and Cathy Watanabe have four children; Alicia is 16, Micah is 14, Aimee is 13, and Daniel is 10. Also, Jennifer Carrel, a 26 year old lovely young woman, is here as a missionary as well. They have ALL BEEN WONDERFUL to us with their support and prayers. THANK YOU! We miss you Watanabes since you left for your 2 month vacation in America :) Hope you're getting all the R & R you need! :) We are fast becoming close friends with Jennifer. We are a support for one another.

May God richly bless you all for the gift of your friendship!
Bob and Lori