MORE SNOW

Another 4 inches. Ugg...my snow shoveler (daddy) is in Connecticut
right now and the teenager, well you know (I was going to help !)

At least last weeks prediction of 13 inches totally missed us.  Niceeeee.

Got the older kids off to school. I decided to keep Rohana home with
me today.    Quickly stopped and shoveled my dad out.
The girls played together all morning. After we had Maggi
(which is noodles in Hrutuja's language.) We took a nap..YES, WE.
After our nap I decided I needed to get outside and finish our
driveway.  The girls thought playing in the snow was a great idea.
While I was grumbling about shoveling I was watching the girls.
I was thinking they do not know how to play in the snow.
Rohana is afraid to fall so she tends to not do anything.
I started a snowball fight which lead to showing Rohana how to
get up a snow banking and slide down one. I almost started crying
when I saw her do it on her own, without falling, she was so proud
of herself.  I showed them how to pull each other in a sled (need a new one)
then they took turns sliding down the little snow pile I made for them at the
end of the driveway. We had so much fun.

Feeling soo blessed

like to attach a photo but can not find one right now ??

ABSENT

Yes, I have not posted in a while. Busy with life.
cold, cold weather here in Maine, I would like to go to
Florida for a week or two (with the children) to warm up.

Our daily routine has been going well.  I am still amazed how
well Hrutuja fits in.  Like she has always been here.
She sleeps all night, her needing food 24/7  has slowed and is
letting her dislikes be known, she loves playing with everyone,
She asks what something is and repeats the word and gets it
correct when she uses it. She sings the alphabet song, yesterday
she made a perfect  H while trying to write her name....
She is like a sponge absorbing everything.
I have also seen Rohana grow having Hrutuja  home.
She is trying to be the big sister but she does not hesitate to
ask Hrutuja for help when she needs it.

Amazing how adoption has changed our family, we have all
grown and have a heart for orphans.  Thank you Jesus.

3 - 6 REALLY ?

Yes, two days ago it was 50 degrees out here in Maine and today
It is snowing. Really 3-6 inches. It is beautiful to look at and play
in but not to drive in.      No schools cancelled today??  That was
really surprising. My teenager said "I am going to count how many
times you fishtail then we can call you queen of drifting ! ? #

Everything is going great. Rohana no longer wants to go to her
Early Intervention School because she wants to stay home and play
with her sister.  She goes for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.
These two are so bonded, they help each other, correct each other
and share toys. Rohana will say "Hrutuja I need help" and Hrutuja
will stop what she is doing and run to help her. And the big brothers
always stop what they are doing and play with them.    Pinch me !!

Home 35 days and with us for 44 days.

SHARE

Needed to share this.


http://www.thekitchenisnotmyoffice.com/2012/12/supporting-and-understanding-adoptive.html

ADOPTIONS FROM RUSSIA

While surfing the web I cam across this new article
about adoptions from Russia and began to cry tears of joy.
You can find it  HERE.
It says that Adoptions will continue until 2014.
Which means the adoptions in process will get to be
finalized. This is such awesome news for these children who
know a family is coming for them. Just so happy for them !!

I still have adoption on the brain, Hrutuja has fit in so well.
Every now and then I look at listings of waiting children and
as I read their Special Need. I say "ya, I can handle that".
But for some reason I feel that God wants us to wait . ! ?

SPECIAL NEED ??

This child still amazes me everyday....
Monday after lunch she stood on the couch and proceeded to
sing a song (in Marthi(sp) as loud as possible while using hand
motions to the song. And  yesterday she sat on the top step with
the dog next to her singing the same song still using the hand motions.


Then she falls of the bench she was leaning on and lets me scoop her
up and lets me hold her while she was crying and holds on to me.
And last night daddy got a "good night, I love you"  in English.
Today the girls were playing with the keyboard and the song
Happy Birthday come on and Hrutuja starts to sing the song in English.
Which reminded me when I asked what the RIPA does for the children
on their birthdays and I was told that they celebrate it.  When I started
singing the song with her she said "yum, cake" in English.
It sounds like they really do celebrate it the children's Birthdays.

Years ago, I heard that within 6 months of your child being home
they would catch up with their peers.   So after Rohana was home for
6 months and I realized it would take longer for her than other children.
Within those six months she was also diagnosed  with Cerebral Palsy 
and gets Physical,Occupational and Speech Therapies and in season
Hippo therapy. And a brace on her leg 24/7 and brace on her wrist 3hrs.daily.

We do not think that Hrutuja has any special need yet.  But I think
children in India over the age of 3 are considered special needs children.


We are BLESSED with the children that HE chose for us.

FRUSTRATING ??

Why do I find it frustrating when I walk into the Lab
to drop off stool samples and get told that there are no orders
for this ??  WHAT  ??  Then I am told the Doctors office did not
order it correctly ??  Or when we went to get MEGA blood
drawn from our new princess we get told "I can not do this, it
is way to much blood for me to draw from a child and I an not
licensed to do that amount?? (this is the amount CDC wants)
so we in turn have to make another appointment to get blood
drawn from her with her reg. doctor.
And somehow two years ago they lost paperwork for Rohanas
stool samples and gave her a shot she had just had before leaving
India ??

They are on FBCBS list of providers, that is why we are there.
I would like them to communicate more so these things do not happen.

WELL, we are all human and we all make mistakes. I just do not
like it when is happens to me.  :(

It is a nap day !!

ANNIVERSARY

WOW, 17 years sounds like a long time but it went by soo
fast.  When you think about getting married does anyone ever
wonder how long they will stay married ? How will getting
married change you and your husband ?  How having children
will also change you and your husbands relationship ?
I really do not think I thought about any of that but I am
amazed at what has changes in both of us and we are
still growing.   WOW, 17 years!!

Yesterday we went out for the afternoon and talked about
LOVE and other things during lunch. Went our separate ways
in the book store  (where did you go on your anniversary ?,
oh, the book store and we went in different directions,  ha,ha)

Then we went to Pandora to get spacers for my bracelet (ouch)
my husband bought me for Christmas. My oldest who stayed
with her siblings while we were in India was brave enough to take
her siblings to the mall so they could each pick out a charm
for the bracelet. Yep, she was brave. ( She also said" mom, I do not
know how you do what you do but it is exhausting)
I love my children and my husband.

The plan is to go to a very warm place (mini vaca) for our 20th.
Can't promise that will happen but we do live near the beach
so we might have to settle for a very cold walk on Wells beach.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HONEY

ATC

Adoption Tax Credit Is Continued

Posted on January 2, 2013

 

The bill to avert the fiscal cliff, which was signed on January 2, made the adoption tax credit permanent, extending the credit as it was in the 2001 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act. The adoption credit is not refundable for 2012 and beyond, which means that only those individuals with tax liability will benefit.

The credit will remain flat for special needs adoptions, which means that people who adopt children who are determined to be special needs (or hard to place) by a state or county child welfare agency can claim the maximum credit regardless of their expenses.

We cannot yet confirm the maximum amount of the credit for 2013, but it will be at least $10,000 (but might be higher due to adjustments for inflation).
We’ll provide additional details as they become available.

The article can be found here


So if we do owe taxes for this year ,2012 tax year (which I doubt) and the next
four years it will be deducted from the  $12,6500.  That is kinda awesome.
Refundable just made it easier to think about another adoption or helping another
family whose is in the process of adopting. I am sure God has a plan for everyone! 

ADOPTION TAX CREDIT

The push to save the adoption tax credit this past year was huge.
Everyone kept posting "Save the adoption tax credit", go here and
here, write your congress person, etc.
From what I read, it would only save the credit for Special Needs Adoptions,
aka, Foster adoptions only ! Which is really what it was established for.
We did get to get whopping refund for Rohana's adoption and used it wisely
to fix our our roof and start another adoption.

So now, more than ever International Adoptive Families will need lots
of financial help and prayer.

My heart goes out to those families who are in process for an Adoption
from Russia that has come to a STOP.  Praying for you and the children.


This is what I got from the IRS web site.

For tax year 2012, the credit is nonrefundable for all adoptions:
The maximum credit and the exclusion for employer-provided benefits are  $12,650 per eligible child.
For tax year 2013, the credit is nonrefundable and for special needs adoptions only:
The maximum credit is $6,000 per eligible child, and is only for special needs adoptions.  The exclusion for employer-provided benefits is not allowed.  The income phase out amounts for 2013 have not yet been determined.

I do not see how a non refundable helps. You can carry it over for 5 years but if you
do not make lots of money to owe taxes then no amount get deducted from your taxes.
So you do not get the benefit of the Adoption Tax Credit. ???

We can only pray that something changed with the signing of the Fiscal cliff avoidance.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

WOW, It is now 2013. The day went by so fast.
I think the last 30 days of not sleeping a normal 7 hours
a night has finally caught up with me.  Exhausted.
Hrutuja is doing good but wakes up @ 3 am every morning..
(way to early for me) eventually she falls back to sleep but still
gets up @ 6am.  She is so smart and a quick learner, repeating
English words very clearly.  But very head strong when she does not
want to do something.  The girls are learning to share with
each other and helping one another. It is awesome to watch it..
And also watch how ALL the children interact with one another and
I noticed how these adoption have grown them.

Praying for an awesome year for our family !!  2013