So who, I their right mind schedules a vacation the week directly before leaving for Ukraine?  That is the question... But maybe not the one you think... The question really is, are we in our right minds?

Well, we did not actually schedule a vacation the week before our trip to Ukraine. We have had this trip scheduled for some time. For the last two years we have limited our travel. Valerie and the kids wanted to go to Seattle with me for an annual trip for the Kois Cenrer Symposium, but we elected not to so that we could save some money in anticipation of the trip to Ukraine. We THOUGHT we would go last August. We had all of the paperwork in and everything completed, but found out in July that the Ukraine government rejected one of our medical forms. They apparently did not like the Dr.'s signature. So, we had to start over again.  The other documents expired, as they are only valid for 6 months.  More blood tests, more finger-printing, more notarizing (thank you Michelle), more fed-exing. Is that a word?

I mention all of that because at that point we gave up. We were still submitting paperwork and being submitted to various tests, but we gave up -- control. We decided at that point (why did we not decide this earlier?  It seems that it would have been much easier, emotionally) that this was God's plan and therefore subject to His timing. We decided that IF God wanted us to have a child from Ukraine, or anywhere else , then He would have to make that happen if and when and how He was ready. We gave up control to Him.  So, we scheduled our lives. We planned trips, vacations, etc. Keeley and I went to Las Vegas for a gymnastics meet. She did great BTW.   Valerie and Keeley went to Kentucky for another meet. She did great BTW.  Noble and I scheduled our father/son trip. The rest of the family scheduled a ski trip with us for Noble's birthday. I still have a hard time believing that my son is turning 11. ....Pausing to choke back any emotion.... And I am back. So, we decided to move on with our lives and make plans and allow God to work. In Valerie's words, "I'm just going to live my life and if God wants us to have another child, then He will just have to work out the details and we will just figure it out."  And He has. It is incredible how He has orchestrated the events of this journey in every way to allow us to follow Him this far. Maybe somewhere in one of these posts we will share with you the many ways that God has "opened the way" to allow for this trip. It truly is amazing.

So that is how we scheduled a vacation the week before we go. I do not know the number of times that I have said to one of my patients who inquired, "This is God's will, God's plan, God's timing."  So, off we go on vacation.  This post is about shorterned (your welcome) because Noble and I are boarding the plane to Vermont RIGHT NOW.   The boarding door is closing. I'm sure there will be more to come (sorry).

God bless you all (both of you 😜)