Not the Call.....

For those just joining our blog, we are in the process of adopting two children from Russia. We have requested either two boys or two girls, 4 years and under (A sibling group). Our dossier has been in Russia for what seems like forever... (actually since August '07.) What happens next is when a sibling group in our age range etc becomes available for adoption, our agency notifies us of the region in Russia where the orphanage is located, as well as any information they have on the sibling group. Then we are invited to travel on our first trip to meet the children.

So, last week I had emailed our agency rep to see if she had any updates for us from Russia. I got a call today, and she informed me that there were two girls coming available but the oldest was 6 years old and unfortunately over our ages range. She had no other information nor did she know if the little girl was soon to turn 7. Both Chris and I talked about it, and regrettably we told our rep to contact another family for the referral of those two little girls. I have no doubt they will be adopted by a wonderful family... as so many families desire to adopt little girls.

I'm reflective about today's call for several reasons. One it almost felt like "the call", and yet I knew as soon as she prefaced her info that it wasn't. KWIM? I hung up deflated, and called Chris to speak to him about it..... The second thing is that I hope when we actually receive the call of a referral, that I will be thrilled!

Our prayer has been for two children as young as possible with a hope for twins. So we continue to be patient for God's timing, and will wait for Him to bring the children to us when His time is right.

The Generosity of Friends

We announced to our Sunday school class two weeks ago that we were having a yard sale to help to defer the costs of our adoption. I am just humbled and awed by the generosity of people. I had two people that Sunday come up to me to say that they have a truckload of things to drop off for the yard sale. A third stopped me after church to say they had some bikes to donate....The next Sunday I had someone offer a piano for the sale. A piano!

This week another friend called and said they also have a truckload to drop off... which included a stove and a microwave. They will be dropping it all off tomorrow afternoon. Shortly afterward, I had a friend email me to say she would love to come and help man the tables the day of the sale.

I'm so touched by each of these folks generosity, not only with items they have donated, but with their willingness to give of their time to help. I really don't know that words can capture how awed, humbled and grateful we are....

Random Thoughts....

We had friends staying with us until they found a place for the summer. They actually found a place close to us that is rent free, so that was an awesome answer to prayer! They moved in last evening, and hopefully are settling in nicely.

The guest bedroom is now empty. It is going to be a tagging area for the yard sale items that we pull down from the attic. This will be one more temporary use for the room, until it finally transforms into a bedroom for our two new children. We of course have no idea if we will be adopting two boys or two girls and the ages could be 4 and under. So, they could be in toddler beds, or cribs... heaven only know. (literally). We know that we will not be decorating the new room until after the first trip. Hopefully it will fall near a huge consignment sale here in our town, and we can go pick up everything we need! lol!

Now onto the yard sale again... we'll be using every table we have available to display items. If anyone would like to help man the sale that Saturday, let me know! Even if it's for an hour or so. The more help the better! I'll be saving my plastic grocery bags so people can put items in them. So much to think about and do...it's overwhelming. But the more organized I am the better I feel. :-)

More Yard Sale Info....

Thankfully my son's baseball tournament was cancelled due to rain this weekend. Yeah! I really needed the time at home, and was able to price a few bins of yard sale stuff yesterday.

Our yard sale will be on Saturday April 26th...so I have three weeks to get it all organized! I have been blessed and humbled by the response of our Sunday school class to donate items. Really I can't even describe in words how touched I am. Two different ladies came up to me today and said they had a truckload of things to drop off. How blessed we are by their generosity!

So, that's the update on us.... I'll post some yard sale photos as we get closer! lol!

No Update.

Well we have not heard a thing about our adoption. I will be calling our agency on Monday to check in, as I know we will soon have some more documents expiring. I have had conversations with the Lord this past week, how it would be so easy if he could just have the two children arrive at our doorstep, and I would promise to love them, and care for them, and train them up in the way they should go.... teaching them to love the Lord. But alas, I don't think He has chosen an easy way with our adoption. I'm sure many adoptive parents would say the same... hardly easy, but worth it! I need reminding of that....

On others news we have some friends staying with us until they find a place to live for the summer. It has been really nice to have fellowship during the day, just chatting with a girlfriend about life. They have two daughters and the youngest is 3. It's giving me a taste of what life will be like with a young one in the house again! Perhaps the Lord is preparing me as I have been out of this age and stage for several years! lol!

Finally, I really need to get working on our yard sale stuff. It is 3 weeks away and I am so not even ready. Not even close. I need to begin working on it ASAP, however with baseball season also starting...and a game almost every evening.... life here is getting crazy hectic! I hope to get something accomplished for the yard sale this week.... Anything!

Change in Plans...

My workday is getting pushed aside. UGH! Both boys will have practice, one at the batting cages and one in a gym at our local high school. I guess great for them, not so great for mom and the house. We'll be dividing and conquering today to get that accomplished. Oh well, a little bit got done this morning.

Rainy Saturday

I woke up this morning to rain. Our poor grass needs to be mowed badly, but unfortunately it will have to grow a little more first. lol! Our neighbors must love us.

Today the boys were supposed to have baseball practice, but I have a feeling it will be cancelled. Yeah! We need a day at home to sort of organize and clean everything up. It's a bit of a disaster since vacation.

Finally, we are gearing up for our yard sale at the end of the month. So today will be another day to get that in gear! We have so much stuff and no where to put it! I believe I'll be moving the van out the garage in order to begin putting things on tables etc etc etc. Fun stuff.

I truly miss my friend Vicki from PA, when it comes to yard sales. We always had one together and it was so fun to get organized. We would spend evenings in her garage "merchandising and pricing our items). We called it the Red Gingham Yard Sale, and used all red gingham table clothes. People came just to see what the heck we meant by Red Gingham. lol! We had a blast, and I miss her terribly!

Easter Sunday

We woke up early on Easter Sunday to attend sunrise service at Sea World. My mom and dad have been attending this service for about 7 years, and this year they couldn't believe how packed it was. I have a feeling that because Easter and spring break fell together this year, that could be why it was so packed.

I haven't been to a sunrise service in forever! I am awed that Sea World continues to offer this year after year. As to the service, well interesting, is the best description I can give. It certainly gave me lots of food for thought as I pondered much. I probably won't post it here, as I would never want to offend anyone, but instead will journal about it the old fashioned way (pen to paper).

Afterward we went out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel, and then my dad and Chris took the kids over to the driving range to hit some golf balls. Mom and I prepared Easter dinner.(Which was delicious by the way...lol!)

My very best memory of Easter this year will be of my ds1. Honestly, I don't know if a mom could be prouder. After the sermon and service at Sea World, he informed me that he was going to share Christ's testimony with a young boy that they met in the neighborhood. Apparently this boy lives down the street from my parents and he saw both my children playing in the yard and came over to join them. He is an only child, and doesn't have many friends, as there are very few children in the community. DS1 told me that he didn't know a thing about Jesus and doesn't go to church at all

My son said he was going to tell Mario about Jesus. So when Mario came and rang the doorbell....DS1 grabbed his bible and headed out the door purposefully. He brought him to a shady side of the house, and just talked to him for like 20 minutes all about the Lord. He shared with him how Christ was beaten, and nailed to the cross for our sins. He quoted Scripture and opened his Bible to show him that Scripture. I didn't want to disturb him, but I did manage to hear him at one of the windows. It really awed me and I thanked the Lord for giving my child a heart to evangelize at such a tender age. Nine years old.... unbelievable! When it was time for Mario to go home, ds1 came in for dinner and said, "Mario wasn't ready yet".... I explained that we can still pray for Mario, and perhaps one day he will hear the gospel again and will remember a time when a young boy shared the same story with him.

My son certainly reminded us of what Easter is really all about.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Soggy Saturday...

Saturday in Florida was a rainy day. It was a good thing too, as we all slept pretty late! The kids played Wii with grandma. She loved it and was easily addicted to the bowling game. lol!

My dad and Chris went to the hardware store several times to try to get the correct measurements for a screen door. Why? Well my dear husband didn't see it, and when we called him for dinner, he walked right through it! The first time the hardware store messed up the measurements in the cut. Then Chris messed up the second time and had to go back again to get the screen cut just right.

We were also on the phone with Dell and Dhl about our camera. It was supposed to arrive, and dhl had a new driver and couldn't get through the gate to deliver it. Hmmm.... So, we didn't get it on time. It arrived today when we arrived home. So, my dad will be sending it to us here. Don't even get me started on DHL, I'm just going to let that subject set.

We all had a blast playing Wii Saturday night. I think my parents want one for Christmas. lol!

We went to Sea World on Friday. We got to the park right when it opened (9am) and stayed until it closed at 10pm. Chris and ds1 rode the Krakken roller coaster several times. Last year ds1 wasn't tall enough to ride it, and was so looking forward to it this year! He is like his daddy and loves roller coasters.... this one had a loop and some kind of a curl loop. I am not a big fan of coasters (as in never ride them), so I don't know the lingo. But they LOVED it. iv>

Now ds2 was so funny the evening before. We were coming home from dinner, and he and Chris were talking in some kind of Irish brogue about riding the Krakken. Just all about how they will "Defeat the Krakken..ha ha ha!" I just looked at Chris and said, "Wait until tomorrow". He gave me a knowing grin. lol! The reason is ds2 is a big talker, but he is tentative about rides. Very tentative. Well, sure enough he is talking big with his Irish brogue as we enter the park and head to the Krakken.... and then he sees it.... gulp. Um, normal voice now, "well maybe I'll try to ride it." The little guy lucked out, as he was too short to ride it this year! Whew!

One of the best memories I had was sitting and seeing Shamu's Believe. I lucked out and got a great seat, while my family wanted to sit in the "splash zone". I watched as Shamu took his huge back fin and sloshed them with water. Several times! It was hilarious, especially viewing them from my dry vantage point!

Everyone was exhausted at the end of the day. We walked for 12 of the 13 hours! The kids fell asleep on the way home, and I slept way late the next day. My poor body was so sore from walking all day. But we had a blast!

Kennedy Space Center.

Cross one more school item off my list! Chris and grandpa took the kids to Kennedy Space Center today. Yeah! Typically they go to Daytona USA to see the Nascar stuff. But they have done that for the past several years, so this year it was decided to go to KSC. This was also a great day for it, as it was really sunny outside and they needed a break from the sun. (See earlier post).

They were gone all day....and when they came home they had sooo much information to share. I was very impressed by how much they were able to retain! A very cool day...and they got to meet an astronaut too!

What did I do all day? I hung out with my mom, went shopping and saw a matinee. Then we cooked steaks on the grill with baked potatoes. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain, so we'll make it a family game day . We brought the Wii, so hopefully everyone will enjoy playing it! lol!

Baseball Season!

Well, it's baseball season again! The boys are excited to start practising with their little league teams, and we are looking forward to watching their games!

We have some really good friends whose life is all about baseball.... My friend Kelly's husband plays for a minor league team, and is currently at spring training in Florida. We couldn't go to Florida and NOT visit them! We were so close.... so we drove down to see them on Monday.

It was really interesting watching all the minor league players as they practiced and played other teams in exhibition games. I think it would have been even more interesting if I hadn't been trying to keep my two boys quiet... lol! They were so excited to see their friends, and run around!

We went out for dinner afterward which was awesome! It was just really relaxing and we had a great time talking together. Then afterward we went to a local park and let all the kids run and play. The weather was beautiful and breezy...... just perfect for an evening at the park! Both Chris and I said to each other on the way home, that it was just one of those really really great days.

Fishing the inlet...

This past Sunday we went fishing with Chris's dad and a friend of his on his boat. It was so much fun!

I have never really been fishing on a boat before, and have never used anything other than worms to bait a hook. Well, I got my first experience baiting with live shrimp and live fiddler crabs. At first those shrimp were all slippery and squirmy and getting a hold of one was challenging. (Especially when you squeal and let it go.... lol!) But I got the hang of it, and by the end was baiting like a pro.

I also caught the 1st fish of the day! It's called a Sheepshead. It has really pointy back fins, that can cut you up pretty bad. It's teeth look like those of a sheep, hence the name. Anyway, it was big! The last one I caught was a trout. Don't ask me what kind... just some kind of trout is all I know.

Unfortunately we all got burned up pretty bad on the water. It was windy too, so between the two, we have some red faces and necks. (The parts that were uncovered). So, we have been staying out of the sun and using a lot of aloe to help. The boys have started to peel, making me feel terrible that I wasn't more diligent with the sunscreen. Huge lesson learned... fishing/water/sun/boat = sunburn=be careful!

Lost and Found....

So, we got up at 4:00 am and finished packing the car to head to Florida. I had baked muffins for our breakfast and Chris packed a cooler for the car, so we wouldn't have to stop for awhile. The boys were watching a movie late morning and we were having a "discussion" about finances. In the midst of this "discussion" dh mentions the Sea World tickets that we got for Christmas from my parents.... how he knows I put them in my purse like he suggested a few weeks ago.

Well, my face must have gone white, I know my mouth dropped....I started frantically searching my purse.......... No Sea World tickets....... at all. I know exactly where they are, in the cabinet in the envelope, and 6 hours away now. At home.

So, poor dh has to call our neighbors who have a key to our house and ask them if they can do us the huge favor of going into the house to find them, and mail them down to us. Thank goodness for Dave and Mary! They were so kind to do that, and really got us out of a bind! The tickets arrived yesterday... Yeah!

Off to Florida...

Well we decided to take some time off and visit family for the Easter holiday.

We did get all our additional documents done, and they were apostilled today in Nashville. They will be at our agency's headquarters on Monday and hopefully to Russia by the end of the week. Hopefully nothing else will expire, and we won;t be waiting too much longer to get a referral..... Hopefully!

For now, it's a chance to relax with family and take a vacation with just the four of us... because we have a feeling it will be MUCH busier with 2 additional children! (Just ask my sister) lol!

We Have Movement People!!

Okay, before I post my sad little laundry list of things I accomplished...because I really have no updates to post on our adoption...I have to say I am so excited for several of my fellow adoption friends!! Finally I am seeing some movement in Russian adoptions, and it is thrilling!

Norman and Carey - Picked up their little daughter from the orphanage today. Today she will be spending the rest of her life with them. They are so thrilled as it has been an incredibly long wait! To visit their blog Click HERE.

Coby and Brandy- Will be headed back to Russia this week as well to meet a little boy they hope to adopt! If you have never followed their blog, you should. Coby's posts from their last trip to Russia were hysterical. He has great humor in his writing. To read their blog Click HERE.

Randy and Susan- Are in double digits waiting to go back to Russia for their court date. Once a court has approved the adoption they too will be new parents! To visit their blog Click HERE.

Becky and Keith- Have been busily preparing to travel on their first trip to Russia. They are waiting on a referral for a little boy.... and hopefully will receive travel dates this week. I love reading Becky's blog as it is just peppered with humor! To read it yourself: Click HERE.

Troy and Rachel- I am thrilled to say will be leaving for Russia this week to meet a little boy that they hope to adopt! They have also been waiting a very long time...and it is more than exciting to hear that they will be leaving so soon! I am sooo celebrating with her...(even though she is in panic mode). To read their blog Click HERE.

All this excitement in one week! I love to read about each of these families, as it gets me thinking about our own adoption. I think I'll leave the laundry list of things accomplished for another day....this post deserves to stand on it's own!

More things checked off the list...

It's hard to believe a week has gone by since I posted. We have been hard at work on our To do list. Things accomplished:

1. Photos of our house ordered, printed, and ready to send Fed ex to our agency on Monday.



2. My first photo albums ordered from Lillian Vernon (see photo below)



3. IAD documents downloaded and filled out.



4. New agency documents downloaded.



5. Meeting with attorney scheduled and will be completed Monday.

Things we still need to accomplish:

1. Type up and have agency approve new documents



2. Have documents notarized, certified and apostilled.



3. Find gazillion bubbles (Walmart had a large bottle, but I am looking for a travel size)



4. Get an adapter or converter or whatever for my blowdryer.



5. Find a stuffed animal and inflatable beach balls (I will check the dollar store for those beach balls)



6. Find paper to send out a letter to friends and family about our adoption. (This really needs to happen this week!)



7. Wait.

Lots to get done....

We found out a week ago that we are 1st in line for a sibling group with our agency. This could mean a quick referral or a long wait still... really, we have learned to never assume anything with international adoption....

• We DO need to update some paperwork, and one area is our pictures of family and home. Apparently they need to now have these notarized and apostilled before they are registered in a region. So.... I am trying to gather these pictures again. I have no idea why I didn't save these as well in our dossier book that has EVERYTHING....but I didn't. So, I am having to find them, make copies and even take new pictures of certain rooms. UGH!
  
  
• We also have 4 new documents to re-do as the template has changed on those. So we are working on them as well.
  
  
• We have a meeting scheduled with an attorney to go over wills etc, as we haven't done that yet.
  
  
• We have to send our registration back for our International Adoption Doctor.
  
  
• Chris has contacted the travel agency we are going to use when we get the call....and now we just have to decide where we will be flying out of etc.
  
  
• We have a letter to send out to our family and friends...and we are planning a yard sale in another month. And another fun raiser if I can get my act together.
  

There are a million little things on my list to get done before we get the call, so I am not running around like a chicken.... when that time comes. Example: Buy and assemble family photo albums for the children. Buy little stuffed animals, blankets for the children, buy bubbles, inflatable balls, and little toys to bring on trip #1.

So, my thoughts are scattered and I am in hurry up mode, so I can get to the next "wait stage" and take a deep breath!

Russian-Toys is Closing!

My friend Kim sent me an email last week to let me know that this great store was closing it's online business. Russian-Toys. I knew there were some things I wanted to get before they closed, so I popped right over there to place an order.

Here are the items I ordered, all but the book The Littlest Matryoshka. I want to go back and get that one too, as my sister said it is a great book!

My Frugal Blessing!

Some of you may know that we bought a computer in December, since mine was from 2001, and had crashed. It was on it's last legs, and died the last week of November. So, I was sans computer while we waited and researched what to do.

We ended up buying a laptop from Dell. It has a large hardrive, and a ton of memory. I love the fact that it's a laptop, and that I am not stuck in one place all day. I can take it into the family room, and surf while dh watches TV, I can take it upstairs with me into the playroom, I can even take it to Panera Bread if I want! lol! So what does this have to do with my frugal blessing? Well, certainly not that laptop as it was expensive! (But it IS a blessing).

My frugal blessings arrived this week, in the form of two gift cards to Dell in the amount of $140. This was from two of the add ons we purchased with the computer. Now, many of you also know I have been wanting to get a new digital camera. Mine is my dad's and very old. While I am happy to have a camera to use at all...the color quality was not accurate on this camera, and simple functions such as deleting photos took forever. So, I'm now able to purchase the camera I want at Dell with the two gift cards! I called dh and told him right away! What a blessing!

Medieval Times!

We had an absolutely enchanting experience last night! We got to the "castle" and checked in, and then waited in line to enter. As we were waiting for dh to come back from parking the car, we saw the "Sold Out" sign go up in the ticket window. I had a feeling it was going to be a good performance.

As soon as you walk through the castle's entrance, you are taken back in time into another world. You receive a crown to cheer for your knight..... which is from your area of the country. But they don't just hand you the crown, and usher you over for a picture. No it's "My Lord, your crown, My Lady your crown, please step forward." We milled in the courtyard, filled with many tempting shops... ie: souvenirs. If young children were in your company....you were lucky to get out with your life! We did end up getting two swords, for the boys, and my husband bought me a lighted rose, just for chivalry.... (and because he is impulsive). LOL! The master of ceremonies announced that we may enter the banquet hall, and called us to enter by the color of our crowns. Each color represented a knight, who as I mentioned before, we were to cheer for. The colors of each knight were green, blue, red, yellow, black and white, and red and yellow. Our knight was the red and yellow knight and we were located in the middle of the banquet hall.

The banquet hall was set up as an arena, and I truly don't believe there was a bad seat in the house. You sat at long banquet tables with chairs facing out to the middle of the sand covered center, so that you could view all the action. We met our serving "wench", otherwise known as waitress, and the evening began. While the knights were being introduced, our first course was vegetable soup served with a piece of garlic bread. No utensils in the house...this is the middle ages, and you eat with your hands. Soup was in a pewter bowl with a handle, and you drank it. My boys were sooo funny...they must have been starved, as I chuckled so much as they proclaimed "This is the best soup ever...... Mom you gotta make this soup!" lol!

Throughout the entire dinner there was some type of entertainment going on. A horse trainer, taking his horse through fancy moves...a falconer with it's falcon flying overhead, knights on horses etc. The dinner was served piece meal, the next course was a chicken. Delicious. We had to help pull it apart for the boys or they never would have eaten...they were so intent on the entertainment. Next a spare rib and a potato...all eaten of course with our hands. Messy for sure, but when in Rome....or the Middle Ages.... well you know..... Again my boys could not help proclaiming this was the best dinner ever! (Makes a mom think after the fact, geez what am I feeding them? Oh yeah, Hamburger Helper. The castle wins hands down on that one. lol.)

The jousting and sword fights happened sometime in the middle of the feast. I wish I could have captured the faces of my two young sons! Eyes wide as saucers.... cheering our knight to victory! The banquet hall was filled with noise as each group cheered and yelled! When at one point our knight fell to the ground, injured by a blow from his opponent, ds2 yelled "Get up! Get up!" He was so "into it"!! Lol! Our knight was not the winner in the end.... the victory deservedly went to the blue knight that day. As our serving waitress (I really hate to call her a wench) was removing our dinner, she asked ds2 if he was finished. Always my exuberant over the top child, he said patting his tummy, "Oh yes, I think after this I am so full!" She laughed as she took his plate, and then he said to her, "And thank you for this wonderful dinner!" Which brought a look of surprise to her face! (Makes a mom proud!)

In the final battle, between the rogue red knight and the blue knight, they brought out coffee and dessert. Dessert was an apple pastry..... A couple next to us who was enjoying some cake for a birthday, offered a piece to the boys. Could the evening get any better? Ds1 who is my sweet child, (as in would never pass up a sweet treat), thanked her profusely and wished her a happy birthday! lol! We ended the evening with a finale cheering all the knights and their squires. Dh said, it was an awesome evening, one he enjoyed as much as the boys! Ds1 said, That was AWESOME! I thought I was going to be bored!! lol! I laughed thinking how anyone could be bored during that evening of entertainment. All in all a fantastic time! Just watching my son's eyes shine in wonder was worth every penny!

For The Appointed Time....

This morning the boys had a piano lesson. It is by far my most peaceful time of the week, hands down. I sit in the piano teacher's living room, next to a pot bellied stove, curled up on her soft rocking recliner, and study God's Word. Sometimes I will write my lesson plans for the following week, but today I couldn't wait to get to my Bible study.

I am working through a Bible study by Priscilla Shirer entitled, "Discerning the Voice of God." It certainly seems appropriate for right now in our lives. With so many decisions and thoughts floating around my head concerning our adoption it really causes me to question... Especially with the wait for a referral being so long, I begin to ask, "Lord is this really your plan? Are we even on the right path? Because it's taking SO long!" As I was studying this morning I came upon this verse that encouraged me:

Habakkuk 2:3 The vision is yet for the appointed time....Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.

It really gave me pause to think of four things:

1. The vision is for an appointed time. This leading that God gave us, is planned ahead by Him. He is in control of the time, and he has even appointed that time. Even though we don't know when that will be...He does.
   
   
2. Though it tarries, wait for it... It is going to seem slow to us.... God's time is not our time!How often do I want to rush out and speed things up myself? But God says, wait.
   
   
3. It will certainly come. There isn't a doubt here... it will certainly come. God doesn't bring us somewhere to leave it half undone. He will finish it until completion.
   
   
4. It will not delay. This part of the verse almost seems in complete opposition to the earlier words..."though it tarries". But in God's timing it is not delayed. He is in control of each piece of the puzzle, the time frame, and every detail of our adoption. On His timeline...he is right ontime. I have to remember that it is His timeline. :-)

Some more random thoughts....

No updates on the adoption arena.... I am so hoping at least someone gets some news from our agency about either a referral or court dates... Please let it be this week!

On the home front, I have some random thoughts going on:

• I'm so proud of my ds1 and his hard work in Math. he has just done phenomenally and is about to finish level Gamma and move onto Delta in our math curriculum. He really knows his multiplication well. And I'm not just talking facts, I'm talking for example: 5497 x 3875 = 21,300,875. No calculator at all. He really was struggling with this a few weeks back, and so we stopped moving forward and just reviewed, and practiced these for almost 2 weeks. That hard work has really paid off, and I am thrilled for him! He has learned what makes a number prime or composite and can name them if you ask. He is quite ready to move onto division.
  
  
• Not to be outdone, his younger brother is getting ready to start multiplication himself in two weeks. He too has worked very hard on his subtraction and addition (5 digits). We also stopped moving forward with him, and reviewed and practiced these kinds of problems over and over. 54,126 - 38,659 = 15,467. Lots of regrouping and keeping place value straight...it's hard for an 8 year old!
  
  
• Finally, we began studying Medieval Times today. I like this sooo much better than Ancient History. I myself find this period of time interesting, so consequently am finding it much more fun to teach. We will be making a huge castle out of refrigerator boxes, and some more fun projects over the coming weeks. This weekend we will be heading to the dining experience called none other than Medieval Times. It will give them an idea of what a meal was like in that time period, and they have jousting etc. It should be really awesome! I think it will be a highlight in our studies this semester.

If you read my other blog you know we are still on the hunt for a car/truck. It is much harder than I imagined to steer clear of a large car payment. But we are still looking a trying our best to be wise in our decision making process.....

Mother/Son Fun Night....

This evening at church we had the first ever Mother/Son fun night! I was quite frankly a little apprehensive about going, because well.... our Children's Pastor loves fun games with any kind of "gunk". The messier the better... Picture Nickelodeon with their slime. The only thing we were told to bring were flashlights, and I assumed that was for flashlight tag. I'm not exactly a girly girl, yet an evening of flashlight tag and slime (with the possibility of it landing in my hair) didn't really appeal to me. lol!

So, I put on my very bravest face, and off I went with a show of outward enthusiasm! When we arrived, we got to fellowship with friends for an hour or so while eating pizza. Then it was on to the gym area, where they had many colorful foam balls lined up on the floor, with a large area that was taped off. The balls weren't soft and fluffy foam, but hard enough to throw, though they wouldn't hurt. Yes, we moms were in for a treat... War Ball! When our Pastor told all the boys to get on one side of the room, and the moms on the other... well you should have heard the ROAR from the crowd! Those boys looked ready to go for the kill... lol! And some of the moms did too... lol! I used to be much more competitive in this area, but I was content to lay back and watch and wait. It was hilarious to watch a few of the moms who were way into it! They did well too! I wouldn't say there was an actual winning team, but a good time was had by all.

Then back to the main area of the building for another game. The moms had to line up in two lines, and race to see whose team could finish first in a sort of relay race. Nothing was actually being relayed, but the whole line had to do a task and once you finished you went to the end of the line.... when your whole line completed the task, that team won. What was the task? Oh, just dig in a container of dirt, and pull out a Night crawler, grab a hook and bait it on there good and tight. All the boys where in glee to be able to watch their moms bait a worm. Actually the first lady on our team was hysterical. I was cracking up, as she really couldn't stand to touch the thing, and it was l-o-n-g and squirming everywhere. I did very well, as I used to fish as a kid, and so worms really don't bother me that much. (My boys were impressed). I noticed that some mom's who homeschool looked about ready to dissect them! lol!

Then it was on to flashlight tag. My ds2 was all about mom during this game...where should we hide? What's the best place? And I just let him take the lead and tell us where and when we should go anywhere. He had a blast! My ds1 was content to just hang with all his friends... and I kept hearing them call his name all evening. He was my social butterfly. Hiding for flashlight tag was a lot of fun, although I confess at the end I could have stayed hidden for a long time. I was on the floor, in the nursery, behind a crib and a rocking chair, sitting against a wall, in the quiet dark...and no one was looking in there for me. It was a good thing my son was there, or they may have had to wake me in the morning! :-)

We ended the night with some more fellowship time, and then off for home we went. I thoroughly had a good time, and thanked our Pastor for all the hard work he put into organizing it. It was well timed and ran smoothly, and I think everyone had a blast! I brought my camera but the dumb battery died! I hope that some others moms can send me extra photos... as it's definitely one for the memory books!

It's Snowing!!

Since moving further South from Pennsylvania, almost two years ago, we haven't had the opportunity to see much snow. Like hardly any at all...maybe 1-3 inches last year. We were chuckling that year, because school's were closed and everyone was home for that snowfall. lol! The reason we chuckle is up north we could have 6-8 inches of snow, and school's would be cancelled, but work would not. And when we used to live in the Hudson Valley of New York, well you could probably add another 6 inches before things were cancelled. Yes, I know that in those two states they are equipped to handle clearing the roads of that snow. (And they have the equipment and the budget for snow removal supplies). I wonder what one uses to clear an inch? Probably good old mother nature. :-) One thing I noticed is that, the further north you go is directly proportionate to how well they plow the roads. Seriously. In NY, they were amazing! We had two 15 inch snowfalls with two weeks separating them...and those roads were so clear! I bet as you go into states further north they are even better. lol!

I have several memories of the snow back in PA. We lived on a huge hill, which was so NOT fun to drive. Our driveway was downhill, (like way downhill) so getting back up to get out for work was a mess. We couldn't park on the street or risk getting hit by the snowplows. When we were first married dh was in the National Guard, and he would drive to Pittsburgh once a month for his weekend training. He really wanted to stay with his old guard unit even though we lived 4 hours away! So, he was away that weekend, and driving back that Sunday in a snowstorm. I remember him calling me from a rest stop and me telling him that further south of where he was located, was blizzard conditions. It was snowing where he was, but not that bad yet. I was so nervous for him to get home safely, and he was at least 2 hours away. My neighbor's girls came over to keep me company while I waited, and I remember being on the edge of my seat most of the time. He didn't have a cellphone, so I couldn't get a hold of him. Finally after several hours...I see a person walking up our hill....it was unplowed, and undriveable. There he was trudging up in his army uniform. He got to the house, and got a huge hug from me! He told me he had to park the car down at the horse farm (close to where we lived), because it wouldn't have made it up the hill. At the time he drove a black Dodge Stealth, and when we went to get the car the next day...we couldn't find it! It was buried in one of the hugest snows on record in PA.....well by that, and the snowplows! lol!

So, anyway it is snowing here!!!! Apparently we are expected to get between 1 and 3 inches... which probably means 1 inch. :-) However, it's absolutely beautiful!!! I just turned on my landscape lights and the shrubs and trees are covered in a winter wonderland. I see pictures happening tomorrow! (As long as it doesn't turn to rain). If there is even an inch on the ground we will have a fun day tomorrow! It's so rare that we see snow these days, that it is deserving of a holiday! I have hot chocolate and marshmallows just waiting in the pantry! Here's a picture of the boys with hot chocolate after playing in the snow last year.

Pediatrician Update and misc....

We met with our pediatrician and it was a good meeting! We mainly wanted to ask about what he looks for on the return from Russia and any advice he has in general. It is good to know he does a full blood work up to check again for HIV, Hep TB etc. He has seen over 200 families in his practice, who have adopted from all over the globe. He himself has adopted 4 from Russia.... (my correction, as I originally thought it was 5, but another adoption was stateside). I asked about parasites, and he said you will typically see blow out diapers with that...and he will request a sample to test. He said it's usually giardia? (sp?) and I knew that to be true from so many adoptive parents blogs that I read whose children come home with that. He was totally knowledgeable in that area, and really all areas..... the only thing that I think I'm not 100% comfortable with is using him as our IA doctor. I would still rather get a specialist who deals with IA all of the time, and who is available whenever we need medicals or photos reviewed. So, we will still be looking for an International Adoption Doctor. If anyone has a recommendation of who they have used or who they know is good....please pass it along! I know I had one sent to me months ago, but that was on our old computer that crashed...so I'll need any info again! Our agency recommends Vanderbilt, and I was also wondering if anyone has had experience with them. Please feel free to email me if you'd like from the email link on our blog page.


In other news the boys got haircuts after the appointment...(badly needed) and then we went to Walgreens for some huge savings! I stocked up on cleaning supplies that they had Buy One Get one free, plus some Glade Scented Products. Now before I post this and the picture, let me say that I am also getting ready to start a new blog... just on all our savings deals. This one is for family and the adoption, and I'm cluttering it up with all this stuff....but you'll have to bear with me while I figure out a name and get clip art for the blog. It's taking me awhile to do that as I mentioned I am so not "techy". lol! So here are the deals: Photo and all.. I bought $83.xx in regular priced items...after my coupons and store sales......I spent out of pocket (OOP) $23.xx I also received a $3.00 off coupon on my next order at Walgreens! Pretty cool! I am really proud of myself. I found out about the bogo deals from Jeannie's blog. Thanks Jeannie!

Exhausted....

Today was a tiring day.... I was up early and was out the door by 10am (not my best time, but I dawdled over coffee and the net). Anyway, I went out to a few used bookstores, looking for some curriculum. I am seriously thinking of switching things up a bit next year to make learning more hands on for the boys. But more on that another day. I found very little of what I was looking for, just some multiplication and division flash cards. I did find 2 books named The First 1000 Words, and My First 500 Words. I got this idea from Carey who is also adopting from Russia. GREAT idea to help us communicate with our children by pointing to pictures and saying words...so they understand. Although they are not Usborne books, I only paid $1.00 each for them.

Then it was home for a healthy stir fry lunch, and then off to Upwards basketball. Both boys played very well, and Chris coached well too. (Assistant coach). I saw Jeannie at the game and we talked about what else? Saving money! lol! It was great to see her, such a surprise! While I was watching the game I was writing out my two week menu for the 2nd time...yes that's right....2nd time. After spending a good deal of time making up that menu, I lost it. I actually think I left it on the counter or in the cart at CVS. Bummer! That thing was so difficult to put together (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners). I have learned a lesson and will be typing it and saving it from now on. I was lost without it! What do I cook, what should I thaw? etc. etc. etc.

Then after 2 hours of basketball, I came home to cook a dinner.... Chinese Chicken Salad for the family. After dinner I just looked around and around. I mentioned that my pantry was out of control. A complete mess, and I couldn't find anything. Plus having stocked up on so many items recently at the grocery store, I had cans and cereal boxes everywhere. Plus the dishes from lunch and dinner, and well just a BIG OL' MESS! So as tired as I was, it was time to "just do it", as the Nike slogan goes. Dishes washed, everything cleared out of the pantry and the laundry area. Do you know that I had 8 cans of cream of chicken soup? 8 cans!! I hardly even use that stuff! lol! Oh, and do you know what else I found??? I had just emailed my homeschool group to see if they knew anyone who sold tupperware. I wanted to buy those cereral storers so I could consolidate some of the boxes of cereal I got. I found 3 Tupperware Cereal Storers...the large ones! lol! I was gonna buy one on ebay... or contact a local rep to get them new. I'm so glad I didn't!

So, the pantry is organized. In the laundry area (which had recently become the junk area), we pulled quite a bit of stuff for our yard sale. Please don't look in my dining room, as that was the temporary spot for all yard sale items we found. The table is covered...and I'll have to clean it up before we actually entertain guests again. :-) I feel better about my whole organization of the kitchen, and I can look in the pantry and tell what I am low on, and what I need to buy in bulk. Let's just say Cream of Chicken soup isn't one of them. :-)

Here are some pictures of the mess that was my kitchen. I can promise you that it is usually clutter free, (neat freak here). I'll post after pictures tomorrow of the pantry and kitchen and how much better they look. It feels like a Tackle it Tuesday today...even though it's Saturday! I'm ready to lay down and read a good book... I don't even want to think about the coupons or the CVS flyer that is coming tomorrow. :-)

Traveler IQ Challenge...

I found this game on another adoptive couples blog... and thought that my homeschool friends would enjoy taking this challenge... no looking at maps on the wall though! lol! Click on the link below:

Travelers IQ Challenge

Editing to add: My husband will be teaching geography from now on.... he got to level 9!! Are there really that many levels? Maybe he was reading 6 upside down. lol! I on the other hand had to work very hard to get to level 6. (As in try over and over again)....Like Rachel, I had several, "You do know this is earth right?" lol!

A good friend to make you smile....

I just got off the phone with a good friend who is currently living in China. She was my neighbor, prayer partner and mentor when my boys were babies.... :-) I haven't actually spoken to her by phone in almost a year, as we usually communicate via email. So, what an awesome surprise to hear her voice on the telephone! We yaked for several hours broaching numerous subjects. Ie: hair color and highlights, cooking, saving money, children, adoption, school, family (both immediate and extended), jobs, prayer requests and much more.... we laughed and shared for over two hours! It just brought a smile to my face tonight realizing that no matter the physical distance between us, the friendship that God blessed us with, remains the same.

Some more bullet points from my life....

• We had a great official week back at school with the boys. I was surprised by how much history and science they remembered.... and this is Ancient History! We begin World History II next week. I'm actually planning on skipping ahead a few weeks to cover Knights and Castles. Medieval Times the restaurant/entertainment venue had Kids Free coupons in a circular recently, so this will cap off this study very nicely. I am also amazed at my first son's spelling improvement....he really has had a "click" happen, as he is spelling much better both orally and in his creative writing.
  
  
• The boys started piano lessons today, and I think they will be very happy. There teacher is so sweet, and patient. They knew a lot of musiac theory from recorder class....I can't wait to see how they progress as the year goes on.
  
  
• We are taking down our Christmas tree finally.... it is looking tired and a bit bedraggled. It was time. So, my living room should be back in order soon, and all the Christmas stuff put away in the attic.
  
  
• However, just as one area gets in order another turns to chaos. We are beginning now to get prepared for a yard sale in the spring, where all sales will go toward our adoption. A friend jut donated some stuff for that today, and we will begin to set up several places in our house as working areas, to price things and get them ready. We plan on asking for donations from our Sunday school classes and church, so we can add to what we have. Anyone want to come help in the spring? :-) I'm really hoping that maybe my mom and dad can come help... I haven't broached it with them yet, it all will depend on their schedule.
  

I guess that's all for now.... I have been starting posts and half writing them, and saving them as drafts... some deeper thoughts to ponder, and yet they never flow to paper (or in this case keyboard). They seem to remain just a jumble of thoughts. When I untangle one or two I'll post them.

Fresh Baked bread, Homemade soup, and other things....

Yesterday my friend Susan and her children came over for the afternoon. This past summer she picked up a practically brand new bread machine at a yard sale for me for $5. (Awesome deal huh??!) I was nervous about using it for the first time, as I have never used a bread machine before.... so Susan was kind enough to come over and walk me through it. (Read: hold my hand lol!) Anyway, while we fellowshipped in the kitchen baking bread, the kids all played Wii, or various other electronic games in the house. They were outside as well, riding skateboards and setting up jump ramps. At one point, I learned later, there were 10 boys playing football in my yard... (our children and many of the neighborhood boys). Whew! Glad I didn't know how many there actually were!

Chris came home last night with a 27" TV that he bought for the exercise room for $45. It fits well and will be a big help for when I want to work out. Anyway, when he came home I had lit a fire in the firelace, and we were chilling in the family room with some classical music playing. (I don't know what it is about classical music, but it is really soothing!) It was so nice and peaceful and the kitchen smelled of just baked fresh bread. I just love pleasing him like that! Today, because I have been so careful to plan out all our meals, we had homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch with some of that leftover bread. It was delicious, and healthy and I have to say...even budget friendly! I'm looking forward to making next weeks menu plan up to see how frugal I can be, and while still being health conscious...

Last evening after the kids went to bed, we finally finished our adoptive parenting education. Huge relief, as this has been an unaccomplished task in my book for far too long! Today we both received emails that we passed the course with flying colors and all I need to do is print our our certificates as proof of that fact! Yeah! I also received a super helpful email from Becky, just encouraging me through the adoptive process. I had sent her a long vent of an email, and her response helped more than she will know. As a result of that, we spoke to our program director at our agency and feel much better in general about many things. We are 3rd in line waiting for siblings, and hopefully someone will get a referral soon, so we can move up in line. :-) We await a call from our local pediatrician (the one who adopted 5 siblings from Russia)..... we are setting up a consultation with him next week. And we have a tentative travel agency, but if anyone has any recommendations at all...please feel free to leave a comment. We still don't have an International Adoption doctor selected, but we will wait and see who our pediatrician recommends. That's all the news on the adoption front.

I'm off to peruse the new CVS flyer that Chris picked up today. That and some classical music should be a fine way to spend the afternoon!

New Look...New year...

Yes, It's a new look and a new year here. Unfortunately, I am completely non tech-savvy in regards to the computer or blogging. Chris got me the books Blogging for Dummies this Christmas, and Create your Own Web Pages for Dummies....(or something like that). I returned both of them, one was too simple having to do with the basic blogger functions, and the other was over my head. I wish there was an easy step by step tutorial, for how to create cool templates etc. on your blog.

Anyway.... so much for that rant! We called our agency today and requested to open our dossier up to include two boys. Our original request was for two sibling girls, however after praying about it over the last two weeks, we called to say either two girls or two boys...Stating our preference is twins.... (When I first wrote that, it sounded like we opened it up to accept 4 children... which many of you may have thought we lost our minds!) lol! Nope two children is our hope, preferably twins as young as possible. So, we will see what the Lord has in mind. I have to say that I have a real restlessness still about the adoption. I don't know what to attribute it too, but I just do. I know I need to pray about it first off, as God is the only one who will be able to give me a peace about everything. I know that He has everything in control in His hands....that His timing is perfect. I feel the need to pray for direction and then to completely leave everything at the foot of the cross. Tomorrow I wake up early to spend some quiet time with the Lord....

On the homefront, school is going quite well. We have started back for the second half of our year, without science or history. (These subjects, from Sonlight, begin on Monday). The boys are learning well. They are both just about two lessons from moving up in their Math curriculum....Math U See. Their Language/Reading programs are tracking and we are more than 1/2 way through! We also just started a new vocabulary book, Wordly Wise. They are catching on and retaining well. I really hope to add some critical thinking skills and Spanish this semester.... which unfortunately fall by the wayside, when other subjects take precedence. Both boys will be beginning piano next week, with lessons being taught by a homeschool mom at our church. I am thrilled to see them start this! They are both very self-motivated to begin piano...and can read music from learning the recorder. The regular schedule not only gets back to full swing at school next week, but extracurricularly as well.... AWANA starts up again at church, and Upwards basketball has practices and games. I think we will be out 3 nights a week. Which isn't too bad! Registration for our homeschool enrichment begins next week as well, where the boys learn Spanish, music, Karate and Phys Ed. lol!

So, I need to get organized and rooted in my quiet time daily with the Lord. With everything busy, and going full speed around me... it's the sure place to find peace and contentment.

Happy New Year!!!

To all our family and friends: We wish you a very Happy New Year!

It's just after midnight and I'm listening to all the fireworks going off around these parts. lol! Back in Pennsylvania, no one really celebrated the New Year with fireworks...so this has been interesting. (This and the 4th of July!) Anyway, we actually went to our neighbors for a little while to watch them light up a bunch of fireworks.... they lit them early so neighbors could sleep. We said goodbye, and got back at 9pm to begin a Wii fest for several hours. Then onto Pictionary Jr., which my team (consisting of me and ds1) lost twice. Bummer....but we fought hard!

We ended the evening as I did, when I was a kid. You may think this odd....but when I was little, my mom and dad used to wake my sister and I up at around 11:40pm. We would head down to the living room and watch Dick Clark ring in the New Year in Times Square. When that ball dropped we would have pans and spoons, and we would make as much noise as we could! lol! So, that is what we did this year at midnight. The boys loved it of course...banging those pots as loud as they could, and laughing! It actually brought up some emotions as I cherished that my boys were taking part in a similar experience to what I had as a child. :-)

Happy New Year 2008 to everyone!!

What a Guy!

I just have to say... I love my husband! LOVE the man! I wish I had a camera to show everyone what an awesome job he did in one day, on this room....

Basically, he cleared everything out of a bright red video game room, and painted the walls a muted serene color.... and then moved our three pieces of exercise equipmentinto the room. It has a TV center (small) built in, so once I find a used TV that is larger.... that room is gonna rock! Plus, it's off the play room, so I can put a gate up and watch any kiddos play while I exercise. I am sooo happy with how it turned out! I really wish I had before pics of the dark dreary red cave room.

Tomorrow's plan is to pay the bills and update all the checkbook stuff, so I can see if I have a little leftover to add to some Christmas money. Then I will be promptly checking out digital cameras. I need to take blog pictures and lots of them! I got some suggestions on my other blog.... so I'll ask here as well. Can anyone recommend a good (but not really expensive) digital camera? Thanks!

My life in bullet points...

There are so many thoughts cluttering my mind, I could easily write three entries for one day..... but I don't even have time or peace to do that right now.... so I'm going to write them in bullet points, and maybe tomorrow I'll have the time to expound upon them....

Three favorite Christmas gifts

• DVD Camera - Chris bought it on major sale after Thanksgiving, and we didn't open it until Christmas. Ours broke at least five years ago, and we needed a new one to take to Russia when we go. The price has come way down in 5 years and the size is much more manageable! He is loving it!
• Recumbent Exercise Bike- I found this in the paper used.... we called and Chris went and picked it up for me 2 days before Christmas. It's practically new! It will be really good for me to exercise and have an alternative activity to walking on my "almost better" ankle.
• Wii- Yes, that is the boys gift from their grandparents. Needless to say it is getting "broken in" in our house! The boys, and Chris and I are having fun. :-)

Exciting News

• Not from Russia, but from my best friend from highschool. I am so excited as she is pregnant! I just screamed my head off when she told me, and the boys and Chris came running to find out what was the matter. Then I just started crying. She waited on God's timing for a mate, and 2 years ago married the love of her life. Now they are expecting a baby together. Am I thrilled? You bet I am!

Beginning to Picture It....

• I was in church on Christmas Eve, and it just really, really hit me, that this time next year, I might be holding a little one in my arms. It was a very weird sort of reality and one that I just can't describe. It brought a wealth of emotion to the surface, as I thought of how long I've prayed and waited for this. I guess I just got a picture of it in my mind, and the emotions when I think about it are still very fresh. January 3rd marks the 5th month our dossier has been in Russia. Almost to the 1/2 way mark..... :-)

That's it for now. My head is actually still swimming with thoughts, but it will wait until tomorrow! Gotta get dinner cooked and begin working on our New Year's cards!

A Wonderful Christmas present!

Not for us, but for another couple adopting from Russia! They just returned to the States after a very long month in Russia....and with their new son in tow! If you get a chance, pop on over to Ryan and Amy's blog and say congratulations! They are a now a happy family of four!

Christmas preparations....

So, with three days until Christmas, how is everyone doing? I know several of my friends are baking up a storm right now, and several are still shopping for/wrapping gifts. Some are completely organized and finished with all the holiday preparations. I'm sort of in between.

All of my shopping is pretty much done, except for some gum for Chris. (It's a stocking stuffer). His presents are wrapped, but t he kids are not yet. I have done most of my baking, and sent two large trays of cookies into his work. It felt great to get them out of the house! I still have to bake a few cookies for caroling this evening.... and then I'm done with that. It's funny, but our decorations went up kind of hodge podge this year. Completely not like me at all. Some are still not up and are just sitting around different parts of the house. lol! I guess I haven't thought them as important this year. :o)

The one thing I am behind on are Christmas cards. And I'm behind on this just about every year. Most years it's a last minute decision, "am I going to send them out or not?" I usually take a picture of the boys and send it out. But getting that snapshot is not easy! So, this year I decided, like last year, to send out cards for the New Year. We have time off at Christmas, and the post office lines are shorter too. I usually make up a letter updating everyone of the "happenings" in our family. Some people think this impersonal, but with friends and family all over the country.... it's the best way I have found to stay remotely in touch. I joke with people, if you don't like it, throw it out. :o)

So, how is everyone else doing? I know I am just looking forward to spending time with my husband. 7 days off! The boys and I are thrilled, even if we just put puzzles together as a family and play some new Christmas games. We are looking forward to the quality time together!

Done with Physical Therapy...yeah!

This past Thursday was the last day of PT for my ankle! For those of you who don't know, I sprained/and slightly fractured my ankle at the end of June. June 30th to be exact. I have come so far in regards to the range of motion and strength in my anklee/foot. I am going to miss the people I worked with 2x a week in therapy. It has been a real joy getting to know them. The ankle is not quite 100% yet, but I can do many exercises at home, and it will continue to strengthen. I will be writing a letter to the physician who referred me there, to say how exceptional the people are and the therapy provided. I think it's important to provide that positive feedback, and I do whenever I feel strongly about it!

So yeah for my ankle! I'm starting to walk more (as in exercise), and it's holding up pretty well!

Good News on Accreditation!

I received an email form our agency this morning with very good news! The following is it.....

Breaking news from Russia!!!!

Update on accreditation in Russia!!

Agency XYZ is happy to announce that our representative general is invited to the Ministry of Education to receive the accreditation this Friday, December 21, 2007! As soon as we receive the documents (order from the Ministry of Education and the Accreditation certificate) we will publish this on our website. Please visit us again soon for the update.

This is so encouraging for the families (like us) who are waiting! It means that hopefully those waiting for court dates will get them quickly, because we are accredited, and that things may move along more quickly in Russia now that we are officially accredited in the country.

What does this mean for us? Nothing yet...but we are planning on preparing ourselves behind the scenes over the next few months. We will be completing the last module of our adoption education next week, while Chris has some time off. We will also be scheduling an appointment with our pediatrician (who adopted 5 children from Russia), to have a consultation of what to look for in country and what he tests for on the return home. We will also be contacting an physician specialist trained in international adoption. Either through Vanderbilt, or another recommendation. Just so that we have that set up. Finally, we will be finding a good local travel agent so we are ready when it comes time for that first trip!

Finally, we are planning on taking an area a week and further child proofing it for the addition of our new children. I think we will be starting with the homeschool room, and all the wires etc that are under the computer desk. Just little things once a week in each room...will seem less overwhelming.

So, that's the news today! We are thrilled to hear about our agency...and feel we can finally take some steps forward in the adoption process!

Christmas Party

Last night Chris and I went to his work Christmas party. I was really dreading going, as I don't relish those things so much.... but I ended up having a wonderful time. It was in this beautiful ballroom that reminded us of where we got married. We both said, that if we have a big anniversary celebration and renewal of vows, we will have a reception at this location. It's gorgeous! The meal was delicious. Here is what they served.

• New England Clam Chowder
• Sugar coated Strawberries in Grand Mariner
• Caesar Salad Bar
• Peel and Eat Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
• Prime Rib au jus
• Sauteed Atlantic Salmon Medallions
• Grilled Chicken w/ bell pepper and onions
• Garlic butter green beans and fire roasted red peppers
• Roasted Red Bliss potatoes
• Penne au Gratin w/ spinach and tomatoes
• Baked sour dough rolls
• Warm Apple Crisp
• Turtle Cheese Cake
• Lemon Meringue Tart

After dinner there was a coffee bar available which anyone who knows me.... knows I loved that!

There were wonderful door prizes given out during dinner....one of which was an Ipod! Unfortunately we did not win one. (Or any door prize for that matter...) But that's okay. They played some funny games throughout the night that had everyone cracking up. The CEO, and 2 presidents (separate company divisions), all put on these baggy red Santa like jumpsuits. Then they selected team members who had to blow up red ballons and stuff them in the jump suits to make them big like Santa. It was funny! They looked more and more like the Saturday night comedy sketch of muscle men.... you know "I'm Hans and I'm Frans and we are here to Pump You Up!" They looked hillarious. They danced with their spouses afterward in those stuffed red jumpsuits. lol! Another game they played after dinner was kind of like musical chairs, but you had to run and find items from other people and get back to sit in a chair. The last person back didn't have a chair because each time one chair was removed. I felt like I was watching our most recent MNO one time in particular, when one girl from my table was running in way high heels to get to a chair and started to slip and then was side swiped by another lady, who sat in the chair, but not before knocking this poor slight young girl on the floor! lol!

There was dancing as well, and we seemed to do a lot of that. Chris could not resist the electric slide, and dragged me up there with him to help him find the right beat. lol! Later we waltzed on the dance floor and then two stepped. Which was quite funny, as he went up to request a song, and he asked for a two step song..... the dj gave him a blank stare and asked..."what's a two step song?" lol! Um anything country, you know Garth Brooks, or anything. He had no idea what Chris was talking about. So when the two step came on we were one of 3 couples, yes count them 3, who were out there doing a two step. Afterward we were cracking up as we thought about it... is this the south? Shoot, you have two yankee northerners doing a two step down here. lol! Actually for those that don't know, that's how we met.... country western line dancing. But it has been years since we danced and we were a bit rusty. :-)

The biggest thing that impacted me at the party was how blessed we are to be working for this company. They stand on their Christian values and they are not afraid at all to share that. The VP in his opening comments talked about how we have a Savior who we can rely on. A Savior in the name of Jesus Christ who has given us eternal life and freedom from death. Then another gentleman did a monolgue on the birth of Jesus through Mary and Joseph's eyes. It just brought tears to my eyes as I listened to both these men...... God directed us to this company and every year I am more and more grateful! I am shown over and over the integrity of the folks who run the company and the priorities that they place in their lives. We can not help but feel blessed.

New computer.... working better

Three posts to this blog in one day. Well, I'm tired of this blog always being empty, so I've decided to fill it with the life we lead now, as we wait. So onto my new computer. Many more things are working now as we worked all the kinks out. My cable internet is now working, and so is my Outlook, (however I am still getting acclimated to that). My printer is now up and running, although I am waiting on the adapter that lets me print from anywhere in the house. Oh, will that be a cool day! The coolest thing that I am still trying to figure out how to use is the docking port. I can dock this thing at my desk and then hit this expanded screen mode. It gives me twice the working space. I can be working on something on my desktop monitor, and simulataneously be working on something else on the laptop. It's very cool, and I feel quite the techie using it! I can even drag a screen from the laptop to the desktop and vice versa. There is the capability to add a third screen if I wanted to. (Like what would I need that for?) lol! No idea, but it would look kind of cool, like audio visual at church or something. :-)

Anyway, I am enjoying this thing more and more as the days go on. And you can tell, because my house is starting to look like I've been neglecting it. (Not really, but a little bit!)

A Christmas Miracle!

Not for us....so everyone stay calm! A couple who has been waiting for over a year to adopt a little baby boy from Russia has finally received a referral! They are also with our adoption agency, so this was really good news indeed! They are such a sweet couple and her posts have been filled with patience and encouragment as she waited. So pop on over and give a big congratulations to Carrie and Michael!

The wait....

I have been quiet on this blog. But I wanted to post a poem that I thought would minister to those who are in the difficult process of waiting. I've had it saved for over a year at least if not more, as I waited to even begin the process of adoption. It pierced my heart and brought tears to my eyes as I read it. I didn't want to copy it to my blog, because I know it's copyrighted....so I just linked it. It's called The Wait Poem

Many blessings,
Jackie

Well, I don't have much to report. Our dossier has almost been in Russia for 3 months. It looks like we have a long wait ahead of us. I've been catching up on reading a ton of adoption blogs tonight and visiting the FRUA website, which I almost never visit. Looks like 4 couples from our agency have switched to new adoption agencies. I would like to say I'm surprised, but I'm really not. The recent personnel turnover and lack of communication, coupled with no word on accreditation and longer wait times...makes the decision to switch very appealing. I know I've thought of it.... and I haven't even been waiting as long as others. But we have invested too much time and money into our agency right now. So, we will wait and see what happens with accreditations and referrals.

On the FRUA frontier, word is floating around that at least 2 agencies are saying accreditation is imminent. I'm not sure who they are, but I'm sure it is not ours. Our agency keeps things sealed until official word is out. So, who knows what could happen.... our agency could be one in the next batch that might be accredited in the next several weeks.... or not. :-)

Finally, November is National Adoption Month. I remember 2 years ago being ready to begin the process, and then learning we might be moving...so we held off. Last November we signed on with our agency and soon after began all the paperwork..... Two years...and two more before that I prayed to be able to adopt. 4 years now.... some of my friends who have known Chris and I, know how long we have been talking about this. Hopefully by next November we will have two little children home with us, and we will be celebrating November in earnest. :-)

Life with the Duggars

We had our cable television upgraded two weeks ago....and now instead of 12 channels, we are able to get 74 or something like that. Too many to even imagine! Anyway this evening I came across a show on Discovery Health that I just saw for the first time. It follows a family named Duggar, who, husband and wife, have 16 children. All their own, not a blended family at all! I just thought this was such a cool show. The mom is amazing. So, quiet and reserved, you can tell it's her natural tendency. She was going into labor with her 16th child, and she was sooo calm. Now maybe after 16 you get pretty good at being calm, but it must be a natural tendency as well.... I mean you can't fake it during contractions, while a camera is rolling. It's a momentous life changing moment, and can be stressful. I was amazed to watch her and her husband interact, so sweetly and lovingly. It was just awesome, and she really made me want to be a better mom and wife.


Years ago in Pennsylvania, I had a neighbor who was and still is a good friend. She was not only my friend, but my prayer partner..... she would come to my house and we would sit at my kitchen table with a box of kleenex in the middle, and we would pray. Sometimes we needed the kleenex and sometimes not, but we would share our hearts and pray! Anyway, when I saw this show, I immediately thought of my friend, as we would purpose and pray to be better wives and mothers. I checked my email last night before going to bed, and who should I receive a long letter of what the Lord is doing in her life?? Yep, you guessed it, my sister in the Lord, now separated half a world away in China....but still encouraging and as uplifting as ever!

Anyway, those are my thoughts today.... quiet and contemplative as I think about both of these women and what a blessing they must be to their families.

Two months down.....

Well our dossier has officially been in Russia for two months! I wonder if it has even been translated yet? For those of you who are further along in waiting, did your agency call you to tell you when your dossier was translated or registered? Maybe because we are hoping to adopt two children, and our dossier stays in Moscow until a region opens up...maybe it just sits there until that happens? I don't think I understand that process.... Anyone have any insight?

I know if we were adopting just one little girl, our dossier would go to the region that was best suited for us. Then it would be translated and would be registered with the local Ministry of Education. Then when a match was found in that region, depending on where we are in line, we might have a referral. But I guess I just don't comprehend the wait and process for a sibling group. (Only that it is looonnnnggg). :-)

I suppose the beginning and end of this process is when God says it's going to start and when He provides the little ones he wants for Chris and I.

Speaking of little ones. I had such a sweet moment last week just playing with and carrying around a friend's little daughter. (under 2). Oh what a joy she was to chase after, giggling and turning around to see if I was still following her. She has such an infectious laugh, and put a smile on my face that day at the park. I just am so thankful God gave me that moment to have, as it stirred up the desire in my heart for those little girls he may have waiting for us.

Sometimes in the waiting, and not being physically pregnant, it doesn't "feel" like you are even in the process of adopting. Sometimes it seems so far removed from everyday life.... I've heard this is a normal feeling of adoptive parents. It's weird.... I wish I could describe it. Sort of detached, and then I suppose as things get closer, or when you are at the referral stage things become more real. The only part of this stage that to me seems tangible is our dossier. This I have gathered, typed, stapled, held in my hands, and then released off to a foreign country. This inanimate item is the most tangible thing I have to this adoption right now. So, that is why I treasure moments that are given to me.... (like the one in the park with my friend's daughter). It reminds me that there is a child (or children) at the end of this process. Children who need us as much as we need them.

Accreditation again....

Well, I know what I posted last week.... but we have heard nothing yet on accreditation for our agency. Bummer. I was visiting another family's blog and they are waiting to pick up their little girls in Russia.... just waiting for a court date. They were informed this week, that until our agency is accredited that they will not get a court date. Double bummer. I know this family has waited a long time, and would love nothing more than to bring home their little girls.... Keep praying for the Russian government to release a new batch of accredited agencies soon, and that our agency will be one of the one's re-accredited.

Even though I know we have a long wait.... (over 1 year) it would be nice to see adoptions start moving more quickly in Russia again. Once more I can't thank you enough for your prayers. To know that people are praying for the children we will be bringing home....it is a comforting feeling. Thank you....

Jackie and Chris

More News...sort of....

All adoption agencies who work in Russia must be accredited. What this means is that they have submitted the paperwork and have been reviewed and given a favorable conclusion to work as agencies in Russia. While accreditation is not new, this process is. Prior to now agencies had to be re-accredited, but with this new application process, apparently the accreditation is non-expiring. It has taken a l-o-n-g time for the Russian government to implement this, and most agencies have still not been accredited. Our agency is one of them. But, in the adoption community, especially dealing with accreditation in Russia, even a little news of forward progress is good news. Today we heard from our adoption agency the news of forward progression. (Small steps, but steps none the less).

ACCREDITATION:
Many are anxiously awaiting news on accreditation. The Ministry of Internal Affairs finally prepared the positive conclusion about (our agency) as well as other group of agencies. We are now half step away from the Accreditation. We are now awaiting the order from the Ministry of Education to issue the Accreditation Certificate.
Some families already find information about this from the other agencies’ chat groups. We don’t want to confirm nor deny this information to families until we get the actual Accreditation. This can happen at any time.
We are anxiously awaiting news on accreditation.

I sure hope that we receive this certificate of accreditation soon. I bet it would speed up the process....maybe not for us, but for others awaiting court dates to bring their children home. Plus it would open up all the regions in Russia that our agency works with, so hopefully there would be more children available to adopt. Please keep praying for accreditation to happen so that these Russian orphans can find their forever homes!

Well, I called our agency representative on Monday like I said I would. I got someone in the department, who didn't know our names, where we were in the process, who our rep was.... and everyone was out to lunch. So, I left my number to have whoever call me back. They never did. Ummm.... not good.

So, I checked caller ID to make sure, and the machine of course. Then Tuesday I called in the afternoon..(giving a whole 1/2 day for them to attempt to call me back). They didn't so, I made the 2nd call. Again, the questions, "what is your name?" "How do you spell it?" (It's almost as easy as Smith) "Where are you in the adoption process?" Oh boy, I bit my tongue hard to be patient and polite. They transferred me to my representative, who of course began to apologize for not calling me back the day prior, saying she dropped the ball. My end ... silence. I had to consciously think don't say anything...because usually I'll say something inane like "That's okay", but in reality it was not okay with me. So, our rep informs me that a note on our former reps desk said our dossier was sent to Russia on August 13th. I immediately corrected that with August 3rd, and sent an email to back it up. Then she asks what we've requested to adopt.... Oh brother.... is their nothing there stating that? Really?! She gave me her contact information and then asked if there was anything else she could do for me today? I was very proud of myself for saying that I was disappointed in the lack of communication from the headquarters in St Louis. I was calling to find out if our dossier did indeed arrive in Russia, and if it was translated yet? Plus, I learned of the change in the Russian department, but no one had contacted me as of yet to inform me of it. Again I re-iterated that our communication and dealing with the satellite Nashville office has been stellar. I did all of this very professionally and politely, yet firmly. She heard me, and I think we have a new understanding of what communication will look like between the two of us.

So, that is the update on our agency. She did email the Moscow office and our dossier is there. It is not however, translated as of yet. I am not sure why they are waiting. For those of you who may not know... we are requesting two sibling girls under 4 years old or twins. When you request siblings our agency holds our dossier at the Moscow office until a referral is found in a specific region, and then they send it on. It can take 14 months or longer to find a sibling referral of girls. We are okay with that... (for now) lol!, but after we've been waiting 6-12 months well ask me again.

Please be praying for the children God has for us. Pray for protection for them, for their health, for the birth mother, and if they are in an orphanage already, pray for loving caregivers. Please also be praying for the accreditation to happen for our agency in Russia.

Adoption agency updates

Well, it seems like their is some upheaval at our adoption agency. They Russian Director and Asst. Director have either been fired or quit at the same time. No one is saying what the reasons are. Doesn't give me a real good feeling though.... especially since we haven't been contacted yet by our new representative. I suppose I'll be getting on the phone Monday to find out what the deal is. (Do I sound a little sarcastic?) Well I suppose I am, as I'm a little disappointed in the contact, and communication with the main agency headquarters in St. Louis. Don't get me wrong I think our agency is very reputable, and above board, and my dealings with our regional office in Nashville have been stellar. I suppose some good straightforward conversation is what's needed here. (Kind of like confrontation - and boy do I hate confrontation). LOL! :-)

Anyway, our dossier has been in Russia for 5 weeks as of yesterday. Slowly working up to the 2 month mark. It really has flown by, and for that I am grateful! There are so many things Chris and I need to be doing.... finishing our last adoption parenting test. (We got a reminder via email). Setting up our international doctor.... setting up our first consulatation with our pediatrician. The one who adopted 5 children from Russia! Way cool! And then there is saving for the adoption while at the same time trying to get out of debt. Never easy.... :-) A fellow adoption parent, Carey, will be traveling on her first trip to Russia to meet their little girl. She is also a list person, and she left a very detailed list on her blog. When it's our turn to travel, I'm going to go right to her blog and print it all off! (Thanks Carey!)

I read on a blog recently of a couple who had been waiting 16 months for a sibling set of two boys from Russia. They finally got a referral, and get this.... it's for two little girls. (See ya never know!) I am sure after waiting that long that were thrilled to receive that referral!

I guess that's the update for now. I'll keep you posted as we tackle some more adoption loose ends here on our end.