We found out today that there is "chaos" at the SDA and new submissions are moving slowly. However, the facilitator that our agency works with says we have a submission date of May 17th. I can live with that (as long as this date sticks!). At least it's a date, not too far out, to look forward to. BUT...when we were told we would be submitted at the end of April, we didn't have any documents to update. That is NOT the case now. We have less than 3 weeks to get 3 or 4 documents prepared, certified, apostilled & sent. That would be easy to do if they were documents that WE could prepare. Luckily, I have a very good friend who is willing to help us out tremendously!! She is saving us 12 hours in the car to travel to IL just to get a certified copy of our marriage license and then more travel time to the capital to get it apostilled. (and with gas prices today...she's saving us about $300 in gas!!) Andi, we love you!! Thank you so much for helping us!! We also have to redo our medical forms. (and I can hear all the other Ukraine families groan right now -- the dreaded, evil medical forms) I don't know about you, but I'm not sure what insurance company will agree to pay for another HIV, TB, Syphillis, etc...test in less than a 12 mo. period. It's the price we pay, I guess. :) It will all be worth it! Next week will be filled with running all over to dr.'s appointments and to the capital getting all the apostilling done. Thank goodness Tru works in the capital city!! I'd say we are in the "hurry up" part of adoption. Give it two weeks and we'll be back to "waiting" again.
We'll be sure to update with the latest happenings in this crazy ride!!
Love, S&T
Friday, April 25, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Easter in Ukraine
This coming Sunday is Easter in Ukraine. I wonder how (or if) our child will be celebrating this year? I know next year will be a very different kind of celebration for them. Below is a little more about the history of the Easter tradition in Ukraine. Enjoy!! Love, S&T
Easter bunnies hop across tables in America. Solemn Christian remembrances of Biblical stories of the resurrection capture the attention of many believers in spring as well. While the exquisitely painted and decorated psanky eggs may be a signature of Ukrainian Easter tradition across the world, a host of other customs rooted in pagan belief defines this rite of spring.
Predicated on the role of Nature’s power and cyclical rhythms, the agrarian way of life of ancient Ukrainians reflected the foundations of early religious belief. Paying homage to the sun, moon, stars, rain, animals and plants, the coming of spring heralded the reemergence of dormant life and birth. Rituals of celebration and worship came in many forms including song and dance, the baking of special breads, the burning of fires and the coloring and decorating of the first psanky eggs.
Absorbed into the movement of Christianity, the spring rituals of paganism survived and became the fundamentals of Easter. Where once ancient Ukrainians baked bread in the shape of birds to welcome the avian creatures return with the early days of spring, today, an honored Easter bread, the paska, decorated with symbolic Christian signs of the cross and remnants of pagan belief like rosettes, leaves, pine cones and birds grace tables. Centuries ago, the woman making the bread had to maintain pure thoughts while kneading the dough and the man of the house stood guard to prevent any evil spell from entering the house while the bread baked.
Willow trees, believed to have medicinal properties, bloom in the spring, and long ago people tapped each other with a new branch to draw healing energy and strength from nature. Contemporary Christian belief in Ukraine honors the Sunday before Easter as Willow Sunday in accordance with Gospel narrative retelling the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Today, branches of willow trees are blessed by priests and offered to the faithful. The belief may have changed but the ritual remains close to the days of Ukrainian pagans.
The celebration of Resurrection Mass on Easter Sunday takes another page from the pagan songbook. Centuries ago, young pagan girls performed hahilky dances by in sacred groves by the water meant to entice the coming of spring and chasing the desolation of winter away. As Christian thought swept through the Ukrainian landscape, early Ukrainian churches were traditionally built to face east towards the rising sun. Near the end of Mass as the priest said, “Chrystos Voskres” (Christ had risen) the church doors were opened washing the congregation in rays of sunlight.
Part pagan ritual, part Christian belief, Ukrainian Easter is imbued with tradition and symbolism whatever one celebrates uplifting souls from the Black Sea to the Carpathian Mountains and all landscapes between.
This is an Easter bread called Paska, commonly made in Ukraine for the Easter holiday. Follow this link (may have to just copy & paste) to find the recipe!
http://cookingwithkimberly.com/?p=282
Easter bunnies hop across tables in America. Solemn Christian remembrances of Biblical stories of the resurrection capture the attention of many believers in spring as well. While the exquisitely painted and decorated psanky eggs may be a signature of Ukrainian Easter tradition across the world, a host of other customs rooted in pagan belief defines this rite of spring.
Predicated on the role of Nature’s power and cyclical rhythms, the agrarian way of life of ancient Ukrainians reflected the foundations of early religious belief. Paying homage to the sun, moon, stars, rain, animals and plants, the coming of spring heralded the reemergence of dormant life and birth. Rituals of celebration and worship came in many forms including song and dance, the baking of special breads, the burning of fires and the coloring and decorating of the first psanky eggs.
Absorbed into the movement of Christianity, the spring rituals of paganism survived and became the fundamentals of Easter. Where once ancient Ukrainians baked bread in the shape of birds to welcome the avian creatures return with the early days of spring, today, an honored Easter bread, the paska, decorated with symbolic Christian signs of the cross and remnants of pagan belief like rosettes, leaves, pine cones and birds grace tables. Centuries ago, the woman making the bread had to maintain pure thoughts while kneading the dough and the man of the house stood guard to prevent any evil spell from entering the house while the bread baked.
Willow trees, believed to have medicinal properties, bloom in the spring, and long ago people tapped each other with a new branch to draw healing energy and strength from nature. Contemporary Christian belief in Ukraine honors the Sunday before Easter as Willow Sunday in accordance with Gospel narrative retelling the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Today, branches of willow trees are blessed by priests and offered to the faithful. The belief may have changed but the ritual remains close to the days of Ukrainian pagans.
The celebration of Resurrection Mass on Easter Sunday takes another page from the pagan songbook. Centuries ago, young pagan girls performed hahilky dances by in sacred groves by the water meant to entice the coming of spring and chasing the desolation of winter away. As Christian thought swept through the Ukrainian landscape, early Ukrainian churches were traditionally built to face east towards the rising sun. Near the end of Mass as the priest said, “Chrystos Voskres” (Christ had risen) the church doors were opened washing the congregation in rays of sunlight.
Part pagan ritual, part Christian belief, Ukrainian Easter is imbued with tradition and symbolism whatever one celebrates uplifting souls from the Black Sea to the Carpathian Mountains and all landscapes between.
This is an Easter bread called Paska, commonly made in Ukraine for the Easter holiday. Follow this link (may have to just copy & paste) to find the recipe!
http://cookingwithkimberly.com/?p=282
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Closer to Submission
We have both been away all weekend and I'm dog tired, but I have some positive news to share on the adoption front. When our dossier finally gets submitted, all documents MUST have at least 6 months of "life" left on them. Documents are "good" for one year after the date on them, but the SDA requires that they have 6 months remaining at the time they review (or they will reject your dossier), just to ensure that the documents are still good when we travel. So, last week I reviewed our documents and we had a few that we did early on in the process that have a November date on them, meaning we would have to update them before the middle of May. I asked our case manager about them and I just read an email from her saying that "...although she doesn't know a submission date for our dossier, that she was told it would be submitted before the end of April". UUHhhhh...that's like THIS month!! Can I freak out yet??! Once it's submitted, the SDA has 20 business days to review and hopefully approve our dossier, then they will assign us an appointment date generally 2-3 months later. That would still put us traveling in September, which is really our best case scenario right now. Each step forward is so exciting; I just cannot imagine what it will be like to post a blog saying "Today we leave for Ukraine". I guess we'll find out soon enough.....:)
Love to all,
Susan & Truman
p.s. We are officially Aunt Su & Uncle Tru again!!! Whoohooo! Welcome to the family J Ry! Can't wait to meet you in May!
Love to all,
Susan & Truman
p.s. We are officially Aunt Su & Uncle Tru again!!! Whoohooo! Welcome to the family J Ry! Can't wait to meet you in May!
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