6/30/2007 - Saturday

• 6/30/2007 11:30:00 PMFireworks - Day 9James and Ellie slept over last night.  Ellie wanted to stay so bad but we weren't sure if we should let her.  She is only 7 and I wasn't looking forward to having to take her to the bathroom in the middle of the night and leave James behind to man the tent alone.  As it turns out, she fell asleep on the bed while Peggy and I were counting out the register.  I just covered her with a blanket and that was it.
  
  Ted and Karen helped out again at the tent today.  They both have really taken to helping customers and selling the fireworks.  They are both "People Persons" - very hospitable and people oriented - which is good.
  
  Sales were very strong today.  By 11:00 AM we had sold $474.  By 5:00 PM we were at $1,300.  By 11 PM we hit $2,297 making this day our best day so far.  It is about double of our previous best day and the heaviest traffic is yet to come.  We are looking forward for the day we hit $3,000.  That will be a nice milestone.
  
  An interesting family came into the tent today.  Two adult men, one adult woman and 2 children.  All of the adults were deaf.  They were all very nice but I wondered what kind of things they would purchase.  Things with lots of light but no sound?  Things that make so much sound you can feel it?  In the end, if I didn't know they were deaf, their purchase would be unremarkable.  They shopped no differently than any other customer and the items they selected for purchase were no different.  A few days ago, a blind man came in with his family and I wondered the same thing, "what kinds of fireworks does a person who can't see purchase?".  His purchase was just like any other person's - no different.  I think there is a lesson in there somewhere.
  
  Another interesting customer came in today.  He was an Army officer stationed somewhere in Minnesota.  He said he would be in Iraq on the 4th so he was purchasing what he could to celebrate with his children before then.  He said, "yes sir" or "yes ma'am" to everyone when he spoke.  My son noticed him immediately.  I told my son, "a man like that will go a long way in this life.  People will respect and remember him.  They will honor and remember his legacy for generations, long after he is gone."  James said, "I want to be like that".
  

6/29/2007 - Friday

• 6/29/2007 10:00:00 PMFireworks - Day 8Lots of help today - Aunt Lori, Aunt Vivian, Ted and Karen.  This very well could turn out to be one of our best days yet.  Vivian brought Chicken salad for lunch.  People bringing food to the tent has been a large blessing for us.  If Vivian had not brought lunch today, or if Vern had not brought sausages, Peggy would have to prepare and pack lunch and dinner each day around 6AM (along with the kids breakfast).  Thank you to everyone who brought food!  I know that has been not only a time saver for Peggy but has eased the burden considerably.
  
  I will be taking vacation days next week on Monday and Tuesday so that the tent is fully manned during the heaviest part of the holiday.  I'm trying not to use any days so that they will be available for me when we go and get Yuri.  There is so much work to do at the tent, using them is unavoidable.  We'll call it a working vacation.... :-)
  
  Gary and Jane stopped in again today.  Gary changed the oil on the generator.  That machine has run like a champ and I'm thankful for the use of it.  From speaking with them, it sounds like they have big adoption plans in the works.  They have also taken a big step in faith and the Lord is opening all kinds of doors for them.  Praise the Lord!

6/28/2007 - Thursday

• 6/28/2007 10:00:00 PMFireworks - Day 7Carol arrived at 7:00 AM today.  The first sale came in around 7:40.  Vern and Mike came to help again too.  The UPS delivery guy came at 2:00 PM with our new credit card machine.  This will definitely make things easier.  Using the old "knuckle buster" is a pain.  Thankfully we only had to process 4 manual transactions.
  
  Carol says the weather forecast is calling for temperatures down in the mid 40's.  Burrrr.  It still amazes me how much the weather can change around here from one moment to another.  If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute.  

6/27/2007 - Wednesday

• 6/27/2007 10:00:00 PMFireworks - Day 6Mary, Vern and Mike helped out again today.  We have been so blessed by the number of people who want to lend a hand.  I can't express our gratitude and thankfulness enough!
  
  I had a strange dream last night.  I dreamed I was eating a small electric fan - like the kind you'd find cooling the cpu on a computer motherboard.  In the dream, I was told that it would enhance the flavor of the steak I was about to eat.  Instead, in the dream I dreamed I was vomiting up the fan.  I woke up and my stomach was heaving.  I thought I was going to puke for real.  weird!
  
  When Peggy arrived in the morning she said, "did you see that apron in the parking lot?  It was covered in something nasty - like puke."   Later in the morning, some kids drove up to the tent but stayed in the car.  The pointed over to the area where the puke was and laughed, then drove off.
  
  So here is what I think happened:
  Thanks to Aunt Lori's mattress, I was able to sleep deep enough to dream about having a steak dinner.  It would have been a nice dream except that during the night, some kids pulled up next to the tent and one of them puked.  I must have heard it in my sleep and began to dream that I was puking.  It makes me feel a little uncomfortable knowing what is going on just a few feet outside the tent while I am sleeping.
  
  The credit card machine died today.  Peggy was in the middle of a sale and it quit working.  Then in the evening, a customer came in and wanted to buy the "The Big One".  This is the single largest item we sell and goes for $199.99.  He wanted that, along with enough other items to bring the total sale to $350.  He whipped out his credit card and...  that is when she told me the machine was broken.  No problem, we'll just do a credit sale the old fashioned way - with the knuckle buster.  Shortly after we began to fill out the manual form, we asked him for his drivers license, which he didn't have.  He said, "I'll just go into WalMart and get some cash and be right back".  He didn't come back.  Something just wasn't right about the whole sale.  Perhaps this was a "God Thing".

6/26/2007 - Tuesday

• 6/26/2007 10:00:00 PMFireworks - Day 5The street racers may be gone but the Japanese crotch rockets have arrived.  They are even more loud than the cars!
  
  Megan camped out at the tent with me.  Last night was so humid, when I dropped the sides of the tent it became like a sauna inside.  Sweat poured off of my brow onto the end of night paperwork faster than I could wipe it away.
  
  This morning when I woke up, I saw an elderly man coming out of WalMart.  I shouted over to him, "Good Morning!".  He responded, "I'm not gonna buy any of that crap!"  I said, "ok".  Then he said, "I never have and never will".  Peggy says I should keep saying good morning to him anyway....  That was not the first response that went through my head.  Yet another reason to have a good woman by your side - to keep you from doing or saying what you shouldn't.
  
  Vern and Mike stopped in to help today.  Vern brought Old Wisconsin Polish Sausage with kraut.  Mmmmmm Nummy!
  
  Aunt Lori brought in an air mattress.  T H A N K  Y O U !!!   My back thanks you too.

6/25/2007 - Monday

• 6/25/2007 10:00:00 PMFireworks - Day 4Nephew Drew and his friend Lee manned the tent last night (Sunday).  They said it was boring.  I guess the street racers are gone now.  I got to spend the night in my own bed.  That was very kind of them to stay at the tent for us - thank you!
  
  Sales tapered off a little today.  Grandma Carol sold a "Live Wire" which is the most expensive fountain we have.  She keeps saying, "I'm not a sales person" and "I'm no good at it".  If I had half of the people skills she did, I would be unstoppable.  She is such a hard worker and is doing an awesome job.  Definitely a very valuable member of the team.  Go Grandma!
  
  Mrs. Fifield came and helped out today.  I think she may have the same skill set as Grandma.  We didn't have to explain much to her.  She just did it.
  
  Jason from work stopped in.  Unfortunately I missed him because I was out fetching gas for the generator and dinner.

6/24/2007 - Sunday

• 6/24/2007 10:00:00 PMFireworks - Day 3James and I spent the night in the tent.  There were more street racers again last night. Little cars with expensive little engines that make a lot of noise.   Around 11:45 PM, the police put an end to their fun.  I saw them arresting someone and detaining some others.  They had one of the exits blocked off.  During the event, I saw other street racers come into the parking lot  When they saw the lights and their friends with the police, they turned around and left as quick as they came.
  
  Gary and Jane dropped off a very nice 5000 watt Honda generator this morning.  It is quiet and has a large gas tank so I won't have to fill it as often.  Plus it has wheels so I won't throw my back out moving it into and out of the tent each night.  Thank you very much!
  
  I learned a little something about marketing today... it works.  I have always hated being sold to.  Some sales person comes up and makes their pitch and (depending on the sales person) it can be very annoying.  Today a customer came in  looking for the Big Timer.  It is the 2nd largest assortment we have and sells for $99.99.  It was an easy sell because I didn't have to do anything.  The customer knew exactly what they wanted when they walked in.  I glanced over at Peggy to show her my excitement at such a large sale.  She motioned that I should suggest a large fountain as a closing finale for their fireworks show.  So I pointed the customer to the fountains, explained them a little and suggested it would be a nice way to close the evening....  He bought one.  Total sale was $157.00.  
  
  Later in the afternoon, another customer came in just to look.  I began to explain some of the fountains and I pointed to one that was one of my favorites.  The problem was that there are over 60 different products in the tent and I got confused as to which one I was pointing to.  It didn't matter, the customer bought the one I pointed to.
  
  So here is the lesson I learned: The power of suggestion, in the hands of the wrong person can be very dangerous.  A person with good salesmanship is probably worth their weight in gold.  There is no substitute for a person with a good testimony and who can tell it well.
  
  Joel and Denise stopped by today and I explained what I learned from the tent.  Joel asked which fountain "really" was my favorite so I pointed to the correct one this time.
  
  Here is short story of another blessing that I had not counted on:  I was speaking with Peggy about the types of people who come in as customers.  Generally they are families from the immediate area and so far, most of them have been extremely polite and respectful.  The words were not even out of my mouth when a boy whose dad had just purchased something, ran back into the tent and put his change in the donation can.  He looked at me with a smile and ran out.  Here is a young boy who is learning from early on that there is joy in giving.  It is also a confirmation for me that good people are everywhere.

6/23/2007 - Saturday

• 6/23/2007 10:00:00 PMFireworks - Day 2The Bellview fire department had a truck at WalMart today.  It is part of their community awareness program.  Two firefighters were there talking about their jobs, the truck and the station.  The young man we spoke with inspired my youngest to become a fire fighter.  It sounded like a very exciting job.
  
  We had our first theft today.  Three kids came into the store and one of them turned their body to block the view from the cash register.  We didn't see exactly what was taken but it was definitely small.  Either way, that is disappointing.
  
  Gary and Jane stopped in today.  They have some very exciting news about more adoption possibilities.  We're happy for them.  I showed Gary our battery/inverter/generator setup.  He mentioned that he had a very nice (and quiet) generator that he can bring by for us to use.  That will be great.  Thank you Gary, thank you Lord.
  
  More blessings have happened that I had not expected.  Earlier in the week we had sent out a mass mailing to family and friends about the adoption.  Yesterday my cousin Mark called and left a message.  So today I called him back.  I had not seen or spoke with him since my Grandfather died a very long time ago.  Before that, the last time I saw him I was a boy.  It was nice to hear from him again.
  
  All totaled, between yesterday afternoon and today we had over $1,000 in sales.  Of course we only get a small fraction of that but it was a good opening day.  Please Lord, bring in the customers!

6/22/2007 - Friday

• 6/22/2007 10:00:00 PMFireworks - Day 1Our fireworks were delivered today.  We were expecting the delivery truck to arrive around 1PM so we planned to get there around noon.  Chris brought over a generator that he got from his friend Shawn.  It is 1500 watts and very old.  It has some issues with leaking gas but it runs.  We loaded up the truck and headed out for the tent.  As it turns out, the driver was way ahead of schedule and had been waiting since around 10 AM.  He was ok with that but we felt bad.  Grandma arrived shortly after we did and together with Aunt Lori and Drew, we all unloaded the truck.  There were 4 skids of product - each one was stacked about six feet high.  As boxes came off the truck we set them in the tent on pallets according to their type (assorted packages, fountains, novelties).  We set out a donation can by the front counter and the delivery driver put in some seed money.  That was very nice of him and we are thankful for it.
  
  While we were taking inventory, people came in and began to browse the product.  The cash register was not even setup and we sold one $49.99 package minutes after it came out of the box.  Roger the area TNT manager stopped by and said we were well on our way to having a nice tent display setup.  We officially opened for business sometime around dinner time.  It became very apparent that Peggy and Grandma have a knack for helping customers.  They both seem to enjoy it.  Everyone is working hard - especially Grandma.  She acts like she is tired (and probably is since she is nearly 70 years old).  I think she is more like the Energizer Bunny than she realizes.
  
  We started up the generator around 8:00 and it ran out of gas around 9:30.  It is  L O U D  !!
  
  Drew and I spend the first night at the tent.  I slept inside the tent on a lawn chair and he stayed awake all night.  Apparently while I was sleeping, some interesting things happened in WalMart's parking lot.  Here is what Drew relayed to me in the morning...
  
  The street racers like to congregate under the parking lot lights (and in full view of the store cameras) to plan their races.  The rev their engines and squeal the tires when the come in and out of the parking lot.  They came and went from around 10 PM until 1:30-ish.  One of the kids drives a small Honda and had put $30,000 into the engine.  I would guess he doesn't have any other bills and lives at home with his mom.
  
  Around 2:30 AM, some guy in a jeep pulled up to the tent, got out and started walking towards it.  Drew started walking towards him and when the guy saw Drew, he turned around, got in his jeep and left.  SCARY!
  
  A lady of the evening operated her mobile services in some other guy's van.  The van had tinted windows on the sides and back but not the front (which was facing Drew and the tent).  The driver of the van turned the van around to face the other direction while the services were being rendered.  Shortly afterward, the lady got out of the van with a large wad of cash in her hand.
  
  Around 3:30ish, the police stopped by and asked Drew what he was doing out in parking lot.  He told them he was guarding the tent.
  
  By 4 AM, it was finally quiet.  I woke up around 5:30 and my back was killing me.  In today's Our Daily Bread, I read from Mark 10:17-27 (The rich young man).  The story was about downsizing and how when we are "pinching" and cutting back in our lives, we cut away the useless things and cling to the important things from yesterday.  My life is currently not like that.  It is an adventure where I am dreaming new dreams and living some kind of strange adventure.  I am living in a tent in WalMart's parking lot surrounded by very strange events during the night and selling explosives so I can adopt a boy from Russia who has nothing to call his own.  When this is all done, I will have some stories to tell...

6/18/2007 - Monday

• 6/18/2007 5:22:02 PMThe Tent Is UpWe stopped by WalMart after work today and noticed that the TNT fireworks tent has already been set up for us.  There were no lights in it yet, but the tables were there.  Later this week - probably on Thursday - we will stop in again to set up the tables, side-wall ropes and TNT promotional paper.
  
  Before we begin selling, we will also introduce ourselves to the store manager.  We checked in at the service counter but he had already left for the day, so I will stop in again tomorrow.  I will be asking if they have any wooden pallets I can use to keep the fireworks up off of the ground.  If we can't get any from the delivery truck and doesn't have any available, then we will have to get our own.  That will be a pain.  We will also be asking if it is ok for us to put our garbage into their dumpster.  If not, we will have to bring it all home - another pain.  
  
  We will not be generating much personal trash ourselves, but the fireworks come in many boxes and lots of wrapping.  When we take everything down there will be more cardboard display boxes to throw out as well.

6/17/2007 - Sunday

• 6/17/2007 4:22:02 PMBig BillsWe've crossed over into the land of big bills now.  Our first hurdle was the home study fee.  If we had made the decision to adopt Yuri prior to April 1st, 2007 and committed to our home study before then, we could have saved ourselves $300.  As it is, the price went up and we had to pay extra for the 16 hours of parent training.  We weren't too happy about that but there is nothing that can be done about it.
  
  We now have our next big bill coming up and once again we are facing a price increase if we cannot get it paid by June 22nd.  This bill involves one or more of the following:
  
  Russian Agency Fee $2,250.00
  US Dossier Processing $3,000.00
  Consular Registration $2,000.00
                  Total   $7,250.00
  
  The total of the fees will be going up to around $8000.  I'll have to get the exact figure from Peggy.  Either way, the pressure is on to get over this hurdle.  We are praying about the funds regularly and we know that where God guides He will provide.  He may not be early but He will never be late.  Understanding that concept from a theoretical sense is one thing, having the patience to wait in the Lord is quite another.
  
  In the mean time, we are preparing for the Fireworks fund raiser.  We are still trying to round up people who are willing to help man the tent (both day and night).  We purchased a cash register from Sam's Club and we are all practicing ringing up sales and running reports on it.  There is no power available at the tent so the register will run off of a deep cycle battery and power inverter.  It is an interesting setup and I think (hope) it will work well.  When the tent opens, we will be ready!
• 6/17/2007 12:00:00 PMLittle BlessingsToday after church, some children from the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade Sunday school class presented us with their plan to sell lemonade and baked goods at a stand to raise money for the adoption.  They also made a beautiful sign for the front showing potential customers where all of the proceeds would go.
  
  As they began to explain what they were attempting, it occured to me what a joy it was to see these kids grasp the idea of servanthood and thinking outside of themselves.  I'm certain they will also learn a few things about marketing, commerce and customer service along the way but my prayer is that new foundational blocks of their lives will be firmly set.  Blocks based on giving, serving and looking where God is working and joining Him there.
  
  May the Lord bless the work of their hands.

6/11/2007 - Monday

• 6/11/2007 8:00:00 PMMilestone ReachedWe hit the 20% milestone this week.  Meaning - we have 20% of the necessary funds required for the adoption.  This is good because we just got our bill for the home study.  Next week Friday we will be working our fireworks tent for TNT.  I'm hoping that by the time we're done we will hit the $10,000 mark (25%).  
  
  One thing that has surprised me is the number of people who want to sell Seroogy's Chocolate bars for us.  Mary has purchased 27 boxes of Melt-Away bars and she told me that all but 1 have been taken by people to sell.  We'll make approximately $24 for each box sold.  Here is some quick math:
  
  27 (boxes) x $24 (each) = $648
  
  I would not have guessed that they would sell like that.  WOW!  We may have to get more before the price goes up on July 1st.
  
  Mary - thank for taking the ball on this and thank you to everyone who has taken a box to sell!
  
  Thank you Seroogy's!

6/10/2007 - Sunday

• 6/10/2007 8:00:00 PMSunday PresentationWe celebrated "Children's Day" at church today.  This is a long forgotten holiday in America.  From what I understand, the 2nd Sunday in June was traditionally devoted to celebrating the raising and training of Christian children.  Since the time Mother's Day and Father's Day were officially recognized in the U.S., Children's day has been dropped.
  
  The entire service was geared towards kids.  In our opening chorus we sang "This little light of mine" as well as some other popular children's church songs.  We also had 2 families dedicate newborn children to the Lord.
  
  Normally I would have delivered the Elder's prayer, but today I combined it with some scripture that included a passage from James chapter 1.  Verse 27 says:
  
  "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
  
  I then played a 6 minute excerpt of a video I had received from the adoption agency that recorded Yuri's journey from his orphanage in Russia to our home.  It was very moving and some people in the congregation wept as they watched it.  After the video, I spoke of our decision to adopt and how we have already received so many blessings that we had not considered.  The biggest of which is the restoration of broken relationships within mine and Peggy's families.
  
  I invited the congregation to check out our display in the foyer and told them how they could participate if they were interested.  If you are reading this, the invitation applies to you as well.
  
  1. Pray
  - Pray that eyes, hearts and minds will be turned back toward God
  - Pray that forces opposed to this adoption will held back and out of the way
  - Pray that the necessary funds will come in
  - Pray for safe travel to and from Russia
  - Pray that what was taken from Yuri will be restored.  Namely, a home and family
  
  2. Give
  - Consider giving your time to help spread the word
  - Consider helping us sell Seroogy's Chocloate Bars
  - Consider helping us man the fireworks tent.  Either working it or spending the night.
  - Consider donating money to help with the cost
  
  
  Since we have made the decision to adopt, our lives have been changed.  Stresses, pressures and joys we did not consider have been with us continually.  To say it has been an "adventure" is an understatement.  It is quite a ride and I would not trade it for anything.  All praises to the Lord!
  

6/9/2007 - Saturday

• 6/9/2007 10:00:00 PMTNT Fireworks As I had mentioned in a previous post, we will be selling fireworks this summer in a tent in WalMart's parking lot.  So this weekend, Grandma Carol, Peggy and I drove out to Stevens Point to attend the training session provided by TNT fireworks.  We left Friday evening and stayed the night at the Hampton Inn at Plover.  After we arrived and checked in, we walked over to a near by Chinese restaurant to eat.  After dinner, I began to work on the adoption presentation I will deliver at church tomorrow.
  
  In the morning, we headed north on Hwy 51 to the Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center.  TNT had 4 basic training sessions for us to attend:
  - How do fill out your paperwork
  - How to run the credit card machine
  - How to setup your tent
  - How to return the unsold product after the 4th of July
  
  We received a "manager's kit" and a free hat.  They had additional hats and shirts for $5 each.  That is actually a very good deal.  If you've ever been to any kind of outing or concert where they sell shirts and hats, you know that they can typically sell for anywhere between $10 and $30.   These were of good quality and looked nice so I was happy to purchase some extra promotional clothing for Carol and Mary who are helping us so much with the adoption.
  
  Over all it was very informative but not too overwhelming.  We will have to man the tent 24/7.  I'll be pulling the evening shift which includes staying over night at the tent.  Peggy will pack a lunch for me and bring a change of cloths each morning and I'll shower at work.  I will have the dog with me as well as a baseball bat.  I'm not looking forward to this part, so right now I'm in the process of recruiting volunteers to stay in the tent with the dog and I.
  
  We will be purchasing a cash register to use at the tent but we are still looking for a small generator.  I'd rather not have to purchase that because I think it will be quite expensive.  A new register is about $100 at SAMS or Office max but a generator will be a couple hundred.  That will eat into our profit significantly.
  

6/6/2007 - Wednesday

• 6/6/2007 10:00:00 PMFinal Parenting ClassThis evening we attended the final 2 hour session of our parenting class.  The guest speakers included a lawyer who specializes in adoption cases and a child nutritionist.  Each of them spoke for about 45 minutes.
  
  The lawyer told us many examples of situations he has come across.  From what he said, it appears that we will likely have to "re-adopt" Yuri after we get him home.  Readoption is the process by which we get a Wisconsin birth certificate for him and he is recognized by the state as being something like "a natural born child who was born in a different country".  That is an over simplification and does not imply that Yuri could ever run for president of the U.S..   The end result will be that we will receive a Wisconsin birth certificate with my wife and I listed as the parents.  This will help Yuri down the road when he applies for a job or social security.
  
  The nutritionist showed us a revisited version of the food pyramid.  The only thing that is the same between the old version and the new is that the data is displayed in the shape of a triangle.  It seems very different and I don't like it.  In a nutshell this is what I think I heard her say, "eat a balanced meal".  One thing in particular that struck me was the portion size.  She passed around a piece of rubber formed to look like beef.  It was to represent the amount of meat you should have for 1 serving - 1 oz.  Read that again... ONE OUNCE!  When I looked at it, it reminded me of the size pieces my kids try to fit into their mouths.  Normally I would tell them, "you'd better cut that in half".   One ounce...  That would never fly in Wisconsin!
  
  This class also marks the conclusion of one more thing - the regular meeting of the other host families who are also adopting Russian children.  We have been with them every Wednesday, calling, talking, comparing notes.  Some of them are a few steps ahead of us and some behind but either way, it is always exciting to be with them and I have enjoyed it immensely.  I hope we stay in contact.
  
• 6/6/2007 5:00:00 PMFinal Homestudy MeetingWe had the final meeting with our home study agent (Tara) this afternoon.  Peggy and I met with her and answered more questions.  Some were new while others were the same.  Apparently they are determining how consistent we are as people.  We have been asked the same set of questions both together and apart.  Tara has visited and inspected our home and spoke with our children as well as with Yuri.  She is a nice person and I have enjoyed working with her.
  
  From what she has told me, she is compiling a large set of documents that will be forwarded to us to make certain it is correct and complete.  Once we approve, another copy will be sent to the adoption agency.  From there, I guess there will be more signing and notarizing.  When we pay the bill, we get the final completed study.  It will be nice to get that behind us.
  
• 6/6/2007 11:00:00 AMFront PageWe have submitted an article about the adoption to our local newspaper - The Oconto County Times Herald - and they printed it on the top half of the FRONT PAGE - IN COLOR!  WOW and THANK YOU!  What a blessing!

6/5/2007 - Tuesday

• 6/5/2007 10:32:06 AMWhat is apostilling?You may have heard about a dossier by watching James Bond but perhaps you have never realized what is in one or what it takes to get one.  If you want to adopt a baby or child in an international adoption, you will soon find out that you need one.
  
  A dossier is a collection of documents about yourself.  In our case, it is a list of documents required by the Russian authority.  Generally speaking, the dossier will contain the following types of things:
  - A medical history and review by your doctor
  - Financial information of all the places you do business with (your employer, your bank or credit union...)
  - All the adoption agency petition application forms
  - Post placement information agreement forms signed by you
  - Certified copies of marriage and birth certificates
  
  Once all of these documents are signed and notarized, they need to be apostilled.  This is a verification process by the state authority to determine if the notaries signature is valid.  This is required because method of authentication of the country where the adoption is taking place.  
  
  In a nutshell, the Russian government requires us to prove that our method of authenticating a signature is valid.  For us it means paying $10 for each document to be verified.  Our current estimates bring us to around 70 documents.  70 x $10 = $700.   OUCH!