Update on The Paperwork

Okay, so this is a little complicated and Joe has kind of been handling a lot of it, but here's the gist of the situation.

We finished our home study. We now need to get it certified and apostilled. We need to pick up our clearances from the sheriff's office, and then we can mail it to the appropriate places.

We filled out some I 800 blah blah blah form (honestly it sounds more like the name of an interstate highway than an adoption form) for the USCIS. That has been mailed.

Our adoption agency has sent our prelimiary home study forms to Latvia. They are currently being translated into Latvian. As soon as the USCIS clears us to adopt internationally, our agent in Latvia (whose name is Daina, if you want to pray for her) will submit our translated paperwork to the Latvian judge in charge of adoptions in that area. Then, that judge will give us a travel date.

This whole deal could take as little as 5 weeks, or up to four months. Please keep this timing in prayer. Anastasija is waiting for her family to show up and bring her home. I asked her foster mom what Anastasija might want for her birthday. She responded, " for Anastasija the biggest gift from God is you, she is sleeping and dreaming of living near you. Other gifts do not need. She loves you and is waiting!"

Keep praying! Your prayers make such a difference. We can see the hand of God in our lives as we travel this adoption road.

I love how God continues to move in people's hearts to be praying for us. I love it when people approach me and say, "I can't stop praying for you guys. You are always on my heart and mind."
I know that it is God who is impressing on these folks to pray.

Wow. Who are we that God is mindful of us?
XO

Joce

Strawberry Jam for Sale

Strawberry Jam for Sale

I picked the strawberries and I made them into jam pretty much by myself. I hope you will like it. Please make a donation for my jam. I will give the money to help adopt my older sister Anastasija.

Sincerely,

Brilyn Rebisz

age 7

If you are interested in making a donation and enjoying some of Brilyn's jam, please contact me via email, blog comment, or facebook.

Amount raised by Brilyn's Jam Sale thus far: $140.00

Pickled Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes, broken into 3 inch pieces, packed as tightly as possible in 12 oz jelly jars. Add 1/2 t crushed red pepper and 1/2 t peppercorn steak spice mix to each jar.

Per 12 oz jelly jar:
1/2-3/4 C vinegar (amount of brine depends on how tightly you can shove those ornery little scapes into the jars)
1/2-3/4 C water
1 T canning salt

Bring brine to boil, pour over scapes and spices already in jars. (Follow accepted canning sterilizing procedures for prepping your jars). Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Boiling water bath 10 minutes.

Garlic Scape and Feta Quiche

2 cups goat milk
4 eggs
3/4 cup biscuit baking mix
2 T butter, softened

2 T margarine, softened

4 garlic scapes, chopped fine

¼ C goat milk feta, chopped fine

Salt and pepper to taste

Pour into greased pie plate or cast iron pan, bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Jessup says

Say these out loud and see if you can figure out what he is talking about:

foy weewah
Sizzahwahs
Da Puffets











Okay. The answers are:
four wheeler
Twizzlers
The Muppets