Update

Well, we were hoping that by the next time we posted that we would have some good news to share.  Unfortunately, that is not the case.

I have honestly been putting off updating the blog simply because I had no idea what to share with everyone. Several weeks ago in one of our Monday updates we were informed that we are not to be sharing our weekly update information on any public forum, "private" blogs included. : ( 

We were fully expecting to have received EP (emigration permit) approval and a court date by now, but due to reasons I am no longer able to talk about here (feel free to ask us about it in person, though) it is taking longer than originally expected.  

So, our answer to the question (when are we going to be traveling to Korea) on everyone's mind: we have no idea.  All I can say is, "We'll keep you posted." ;)

KOREA Shirt

School is now back in full swing, and after a very tiring first two weeks, I think we are finally getting back into our normal school routine.  Well, at least I am...Mike has been working crazy overtime as Valley is in the process of going wireless.

While we're on the subject of school, one of my dear teacher friends (love ya, Sandra Trammell!) is spearheading an adoption t-shirt fundraiser for us at school.  This summer Amber and I designed the shirt (see below) and a local printing company (a BIG thank you to Ginny and the crew at T-shirt Techniques!) is printing them for us.

We are super excited about this shirt--it's a light-weight, supersoft, tailored cotton blend shirt in dark heather gray, and we love, Love, LOVE the design.  I don't know if you can see it or not in the picture below, but inside the outline of Korea, around the spot where Seoul is located and where our little guy currently is, the word "love" is written in red in Korean.  Then, on the back of the shirt, there is a tiny heart inside the outline of Arkansas, around the spot where Valley Springs is located.

If you would like one, contact me, Mike, or my sister Amber via email or facebook.  Shirts are $20.

Email: Aimee--aimeewhitescarver@hotmail.com
          Mike--m.whitescarver@hotmail.com
          Amber--amberwhittaker918@hotmail.com

FRONT:

BACK:

As Promised . . .

. . . here's the latest picture that we received of Briton. (This post has been modified and the picture removed.)

Isn't he just the cutest little guy?  Well, he's not exactly little anymore--he weighs 27 lbs. and is 34 inches tall--but he is adorable!

Yes, that is a picture of us in the picture.  Those are the items from the latest care package that we sent over: a picture of us, a book from cousin Zoey, clothes from us and Granny and Granddad, and a football from Aunt Michelle.  We are hoping that this will be the last care package we send because hopefully before too long we will be going to pick him up!

And...It's Off!!!

Sending off our 2nd Acceptance paperwork!

About two weeks ago, we were requested to send in the paperwork for the 2nd Acceptance Packet!!

This is the paperwork that we have been waiting on for months, and it means we are getting much closer to bringing our precious little guy home.

There were a LOT of documents that had to be completed, notarized, and sent off.  Some of them we were expecting and already had prepared, but others were unexpected and took a little time to get all the information.  But by late last week, we were finally able to get it finalized; double, triple, & quadruple checked; and sent off.  We got an email from the Holt offices in Oregon today, letting us know that everything looks good and they'll be sending it on to Korea soon.  Yay!

So what does all this mean?  Well, this is the paperwork needed to get Brtion's EP (emigration permit) approval, which is the key to bringing him home.  Once the EP has been issued (this will probably take several weeks after the paperwork arrives in Korea), we will receive travel plans for our first trip.  The time frame between our first trip for court and our second trip to bring Briton home is still uncertain.  But we'll let you know when the time comes.

It's been a busy two weeks in the Whitescarver household, but we are very excited to report things are moving along!  

Summer's Slipping Away

I don't understand it, but it happens every year--I think when school is out we'll have so much more time on our hands, but ultimately we have less "free time" than during the school year.  Granted, we are not grading essays (thank goodness!) or working overtime getting rid of a school-wide computer virus (double thank goodness!) or heading up the prom planning committee (triple thank goodness!), but we are working on the house (a 107-year-old farmhouse is a never-ending project), working in the garden (which I have got to downsize....but probably never will), helping out with church activities, getting Briton's room ready, canning or freezing all the veggies from the garden, and the list goes on and on.  Now, that doesn't mean we don't find time for the things we enjoy--going to the river, Mike playing a round of golf, or Aimee reading a good book, but between it all we stay busy.  All that to say that I am appalled at how infrequently we have been posting on the blog this summer.

In our defense (we tend toward leniency...at least where ourselves are concerned ;) we really have learned nothing new concerning the adoption since May, which makes it a little difficult because we feel like we are posting the same information each week.  This isn't to say that the process isn't moving along, because we know that it is; we just aren't privy to all the specifics. Also, some of the information that we receive in our weekly emails we are not allowed to share via a public forum.  However, we do expect to receive an updated well baby check (hopefully with new pictures) later this month.  So, come back and visit the blog every now and then because one of these days we'll have some really good news to report!

Fundraising Fun

With school out and a little more time on our hands, we are putting more focus on our fundraising efforts.  We actually have several different projects in the works right now, which are keeping us hopping.





Table Wes made for Sat.'s auction



To kick off our summer fundraising fun, Mike and I are having a yard sale this Friday and Saturday.  Also on Saturday, our church is having a benefit auction for us with all the proceeds going to our Bringing Home Briton adoption fund.  Local craftsmen are making and donating items, such as porch swings, cedar chests, end tables, decorative wreaths, decorative windows, and much more to be auctioned off.  Then, Amber and our friend Sandra Trammell are helping us organize a t-shirt fundraiser a little later in the summer.  We are pretty excited about the t-shirt design and can't wait to share it with ya'll when it's all finalized, so stay tuned :) 

Adoption Update:

We have not heard anything new specific to our case, but we did find out this week that the very first adoptions under the new law will be finalized (meaning bringing the children home) at the end of this month.  We are still waiting to be requested the second round of paperwork, but it seems that after this second round of paperwork goes through things seem to move fairly quickly.

Monday Anticipation

Mike and I were laughing tonight at how in the midst of everything else going on in our lives, no matter how busy we are, no matter how much a stack of essays needs to be graded or a lab of computers needs to be fixed, no matter how many weeds have suddenly sprouted up in the garden or how quickly the grass is growing, no matter how well the Cardinals are playing or which pitcher is on the DL this week--each Monday our day is controlled by the anticipation of a single email.  All day we eagerly await our Monday message, hoping, wondering if this will be the day we will be requested our Second Acceptance Packet, bringing us one step closer to us being able to get Briton.  Well, today wasn't that day, but one day soon....

We have learned some new information since our last post.  The most significant thing is that families will now be required to appear in Korean court, which means we will be having to make two trips to Korea.  There are some definite pros and cons to this extra trip: biggest pro--we will get to meet Briton before bringing him home; biggest con--cost of an extra trip to Korea.

(This post has been modified and the picture removed)

Please continue to keep us, Briton, and the adoption process in your prayers.