PBJ is Yummy!

I love getting new pictures!!!! She's a happy, growing, glowing little peanut and I just can't wait to get my hands on her. Oh Baby!!!!

New Pix of Ahren

Yesterday we got a wonderful surprise. new pictures of Ahren! It has only been a couple of weeks since we got the last ones, so this was a wonderful surprise. He is wearing one of the outfits I sent down to him. It looks like they still have not cut his hair, or maybe just a tiny bit. He is starting to look more like a boy and not so much like a baby. His cheeks are thinner than before. I imagine that he is beginning to cruise around furniture and is more active now. They told us he is almost 31 inches tall and 25 pounds. That puts him at the top of the charts for height and weight on the American charts. He doesn't even fit on the Guat charts. (Guat children tend to be smaller and finer boned than average American children) Take a look at the size of his hands. They are enormous. That outfit is a 24 month size if I remember right, and it is too small already. The sleeves are too short, the shirt too tight. He is a little chubby, but not overly so. He is just big. Big bone structure, tall and wide. He is going to look so different compared to Levi who is tall and skinny. Mutt and Jeff. My boys. I can't wait!!!!

House with Toddlers

Someone asked recently how to keep a house clean with a toddler. Clean? With a toddler? That's hysterical! Here is what our living room looked like one Saturday. Note the bowl of snacks in the lower right. Snacks that are now on the race track and the floor. We have a large bucket for toys in the living room and once or twice a day all the toys get thrown back into the bucket. It's a well known fact that a toddler is obligated to dump everything out of a toy box and then not play with any of it. It's just part of their genetic make-up. So why sweat it? Our house gets messy but it's not dirty. It might be a bit chaotic, but it is full of laughter and smiles and hugs and love.

We have one of those kid-magnet houses. I love it! This is Skylar who lives next door to us. She is 6 years old and in kindergarten. She told me the other night that she is also my daughter and she has two families. Isn't that so sweet? She likes to come over and play, hang out and run errands with me. Levi absoolutely adores her. He says he is going to marry her someday. Way to go Levi!

Now if we can just get our two little Guat babies home, we can really have a kid house! Call me crazy but I love having a very busy house and life. Peace and quiet are totally over-rated. Give me uncontrollable giggling and chaos and I am a happy camper.

Chris vs. The Builder

Recent discussion with our home builder:

Builder: The additions you wanted will cost you more.
Chris: How much more?
Builder: Some and maybe some more. The blah blah this and that adds up.
Chris: Can you break it down for me?
Builder: Oh, sorry, we charged you double for something and charged you for two other things we shouldn't have. It now only costs less than some more.
Chris: We don't want an intercom, never did. Please remove it from the list. We also noticed that in the upgrades part of our manual the surround sound is listed at $$, but this bill you sent has it at more than twice that price. Can you please explain the increase?
Builder: Blah blah blah building you the best house blah blah blah all builders do these things

I am so proud of Chris. He has really worked hard to be sure we get what we pay for and are getting the dream home we want. Our builder is not bad, in fact the house is extremely well built. They just have some issues with communication and pricing. We end up talking to 3 different guys about each thing and we get 3 different answers most of the time. We aren't trying to get anything for free, we just want to be able to budget accordingly. We have been surprised by some additional costs we weren't expecting. Things like $$ for gas service and a meter and $$ for additional electrical wiring and stuff. We would have thought that electrical and gas service would be included in the price of the house. Not so apparently. We knew we would be paying for any upgrades but not for things we thought were basic parts of a home. It kind of feels like buying a car and having to pay extra for the wheels.

We got a brief update on Ahren's case yesterday. Unfortunately it's not good news. We have been kicked out of PGN for the 5th time. For those of you not into Guat adoptions, PGN is the large government office that oversees adoptions. Our file for the correction of Ahren's birth certificate has to be approved by them before we can move forward with the adoption. The file was first submitted to PGN in July. Each time they kick it out they ask for one more paper or signature or something. This time they are asking for another copy of the original birth document from the hospital. But they don't want just any old copy. They want the copy that went to the Central American archives. Why? Who knows. Apparently they are not convinced yet that there is no fraud going on with this baby. I have no idea how long it might take to get this document and resubmit the file. Or if the document will be the last thing they ask for. We have decided to just wait and try not to worry. It's funny, but I feel a sense of peace about him now. I don't know why or where it came from exactly, but somehow it's all okay. He is our son and it doesn't matter how long the process takes, we love him just the same.

Happy stuff

Is there anything in the world as sweet as a freshly scrubbed munchkin? Even the ones who won't smile for the camera but have to make funny faces because that's what their sisters do? I love the lavender scented baby soap. It is absolutely yummy. Levi has been having fun lately with some colored bath fizzies that Santa put in his stocking. It is like a tub-sized science experiment. Put in some hypo-allergenic bubble bath, colored fizzies, and a small boy. Bwah hah hah (evil scientist laugh)

Has anyone else seen these crazy slippers they have out now? They are enormous! The good thing is they slow little munchkins down, a lot. No one can run and leap and kick while wearing these things. Whoever invented them is my hero. Oh, by the way, this is Levi dancing. He has some pretty cool moves. I think he gets that from his father (snicker snicker)

This weekend I painted our living room, trim and all, getting it ready to put on the market soon. Levi was helping me. Well, trying to help me. He got a hold of the roll of painter's tape and unrolled about half of it before I caught him. Since it was already unrolled, and he had it wrapped around the column, I just decided to get some good use out of it! Don't worry, I only taped him to the post long enough to take a picture. I had to tell him to look sad becasue he was really laughing. I only forgot him there for a little while......kidding!

Katie does some modeling for Page Parkes here in Houston. Because of her age, she doesn't get to do a lot but has really enjoyed the runway shows and the confidence it gives her. She went to a class this past weekend put on by Vogue magazine. It was supposed to be all about high fashion, how to wear clothes, make-up etc. There is a huge difference between what they call 'commercial' work and 'fashion' work. Here she is showing me some 'fashion' make-up looks. Yikes!

Things I hate

1: Being told I will get an update this week and waiting and waiting and getting nothing.

2: Waking up at 4:30 am and not being able to go back to sleep.

3: People asking me why we don't have our son home yet.

4: Working so hard to get a house ready to put on the market only to realize it looks better than it ever has and we are moving.

5: Getting up at 5:30 in the morning on Sunday so I can drink coffee and read the paper in a quiet house, only to have the paper not show up until 7:15.

6: Dropping the hot pan of stuffed pasta shells onto the door of my clean oven and burning my arm.

7: Mud. Muddy shoes, muddy dogs, muddy yards. Mud, mud, mud.

8: Weekends are too short and my to-do list too long.

9: Our family all lives very far away.

10: Cat hair. (Would it be bad it I used Nair on the cats????)

Prayers

A friend sent this to me. It is something that I know and believe deep in my heart, but I often forget. It's good to keep reminding me.

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.... May you be content knowing you are a child of God... Let His presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

The kids are feeling much better after only 1 day of antibiotics. Aren't kids amazing? So far I am healthy too, and no one else has come down with it. Yeah! Katie is just starting competition season for Drill Team so we have something going on almost every day. There are competitions three weekends in a row and then in March they are competing in nationals in Florida. They return the week of finals right before spring break. Ugh! Then it's tryouts for next year, spring show, etc etc. It's a good thing she loves it so much!

Yesterday (Not by the Beatles)

Yesterday ended up very differently than I imagined. We all started out the day snuggled into our warm cozy house while the city was shut down with ice. I headed into work about 8:30 and Chris headed in about 10 am. Katie was in charge of watching Levi for a couple of hours. Now, the interesting thing about having a 14 year old watch your 3 year old is what you find when you come home. There was part of a half-chewed piece of cheese on the coffee table, wrappers on the floor, a soggy half-eaten bowl of cereal on the table and Levi was still in his pj's. But I walked in to 3 smiling happy kids who had been having a wonderful time. I didn't even mind the mess.

Levi has been battling a cold and over the last couple of days his runny nose has gotten very green and thick. Not good. Then yesterday Katie told me her throat hurt. I took a look and it was horrible! I bundled everyone up and we headed for the walk-in clinic. Katie has strep throat and Levi has an ear infection/sinus infection and most likely strep too. I feel like such a bad mom! Levi didn't act very sick and nobody was running a fever. I was shocked they were this sick. I guess I took them in just in time. So now we have antibiotics times 2 for ten days. Ever since I looked at katie's throat, mine has been feeling funny. I hope it is just my imagination!

Texans vs The Ice

Here in Houston they measure the freezing weather by the number of hours. (ie: Last night it hit freezing for 2 hours. ) It doesn't snow here and it doesn't usually ice. Yesterday it was drizzly and last night it hit 31 degrees F. They are calling it 'Arctic Blast'. The overpasses and bridges iced up and people literally freaked out. The news media are the funniest. They have reporters posted all over town. They go from one to another asking them how it is, and they are all saying it is fine but it might get worse later. They want everyone to stay home. They have hourly lessons on how to drive on ice, steer into the skid, don't hit the brakes, etc etc. The roads are wet but not bad. I didn't even wear a coat to work today! It would be pathetic if it weren't so darn funny to watch!

Yesterday was a crazy adoption update day. Here is what we were told on Ahren's case. 1) Agency says the rectification has been rejected by PGN. We ask for clarification and get a message from the facilitator that says 2) file was rejected 4 times for stupid things but attorneys have resubmitted it and are pushing hard. Then later, 3)Adoption Supervisors (our extra attorneys in Guat) write to tell us that the contact in the attorney's office claims that all of the delays are because the office re-organized and the files were lost in the chaos. But not to worry, they have gone back to their original methods and are back to normal. None of this even fazed me. The facilitator did offer us a new referal, but we declined. We want our son and will stick this out until we either bring him home or are told that is impossible.

Perchance to dream....

This is the granite we picked out. I'm not sure the picture does it justice. In person it is very rich and should accent our oak cabinets beautifully. Then again, I am a scientist not an interior decorator so it may all look crappy together and I won't ever realize it! Hah!

Dreams. When I was pregnant I had many very strange dreams. The baby books all say this is normal. The surging hormones, the anxiety, the excitement all unite to create a very over-active dream world for expectant mothers. I remember dreaming things like I had given birth to a fish, I had lost the baby and couldn't remember where I left them and other odd things. Adoption, although not physical, seems to have the same affects on my dreams. I have had some wonderful dreams of holding and loving my babies and I wake up with a smile on my face that lasts all day. I have nightmares about them never coming home, too. But the other night, I had a real humdinger of a dream. Here is how it went:

We were relaxing at home when the phone rings. It is agency #2 and they tell us PBJ is ready to come home. We drive to the grocery store and pick her up (she is in the produce aisle waiting for us) and bring her home. While we are marvelling at our new daughter, the doorbell rings and it is agency #1 and they are delivering Ahren. But wait, not just Ahren but 3 more kids as well. A little girl about 3 and two toddler boys. The rep from the agency doesn't even mention the extra kids, he just leads them all into our house and vanishes. Ahren is smiling and hugging me and I am so happy becasue he remembers me. Then I put him down and I hold up one of the boys and I ask my husband, "What shall we call this one?" Eventually we name them all and then we go for a wagon ride pulled by a tractor. One big happy family.

The odd thing about the dream is that it didn't even phase me that we suddenly had 6 kids under the age of 4. All I was worried about was what to call them. Plus, why in the world would I imagine picking up a baby in the produce aisle? I learned a very long time ago that babies don't really come from the cabbage patch. I have been laughing at myself ever since that night. I told Chris about it, but he didn't seem quite as amused. I guess you had to be there!

Help! Aliens have abducted my husband!

Some of you actually know my husband, but for those of you who don't, let me tell you a little about him. When I first met him he was a 42 year old bachelor, living in his very own 3 bedroom bachelor pad. He worked, he hunted, he worked. And he saved his money. Very very carefully he built his nest egg. Well, along came me with 2 kids and lots of debt from being a single mom. Together we have paid off all my debt and continued on the savings plans. We have retirement plans, college funds, money markets and a whole lot of things that I don't even pretend to be interested in but that are ways to make money grow.

Chris is very careful with money. I, umm, not so much. I personally don't need a lot of things, but my weak spot is the kids. Chris is very frugal. He's not cheap, don't get me wrong, he is just very careful. He doesn't waste anything.

That is why I think aliens have abducted him. On Friday, when we were picking out tile, carpet, paint and countertops for our new house, my husband went crazy (for him) on upgrades. The standards for our builder are really very nice. The carpet is not base grade but better and it comes with a 1/2 inch pad. The tile choices were great, and the standard countertops are solid surface Staron (like Corion). Besides deciding on colors, I didn't think there was much else to make decisions about. Well, Mr. Hubby announces he likes granite and starts looking at the samples. He finds one he likes (which I LOVE!!) and we go from there. He didn't even ask about the price! (See what I mean, aliens!) It turns out there are 5 grades of granite and he has picked a class 4. I told him we could go back and pick a different, less expensive one, but he likes this one. So then we start matching all of the rest to the granite. We have accent stones in the backsplash, upgraded carpet throughout, additional tile in several areas, extra paint colors, and the neatest design in stones in the entryway floor. All weekend long I have been watching him to see if the financial impact finally hits him. So far so good. We even added up the total of what we think the upgrades will cost (some pricing was vague) and he didn't flinch.

I can't post without putting in pictures. I don't have any special pictures but here is one of Katie being the goofball that she is.

And here is Levi as King of the Mountain. Those little rain boots have been getting a lot of use lately with all the mud!

House Updates

This is the area where they dug down and got clay to form the pad for our foundation. Turns out the clay in this area is far superior to what they can buy so not only was it free but it is better too. Chris got to looking at this, and now has decided he wants a pond. We have plenty of area for one, so that's not a problem. Unfortuantely, this is right behind our house and definitely NOT where I want a pond. He will have one of his crews bring out heavy equipment later on and fill this in and grade the land, then dig a pond farther back on the property. I want to plant cat-tails and lily pads and stock the pond with fish.


I have mentioned before how many deer we have but did I mention how big some of them are? Here is a photo of my footprint next to a deer track. That had to be a large buck to have hooves that big. Apparently they are all pretty tame becasue they don't spook away from us and will actually walk towards us as though they are curious. We are going to set up a deer feeder in the back part of the property. We have been told this is a good way to keep them from eating all of our landscaping. Let's hope that works and they don't think I have just created a giant salad bar just for them.

The weather has been holding (look at that blue sky, it's was gorgeous that day) and they have gotten the house completely dried in. Here is what is looked like the day before they finished shingling. All of the siding is on and we are just waiting for the stone to be delivered. It has been hard to get a lot of pictures becasue it is dark before I go to work and dark when I get home. That hasn't stopped us from visiting with flashlights, but pictures just don't work.

This afternoon we have an appointment at the Design Center to pick out counter tops, flooring, cabinets, etc. We get 6 hours of help from a designer included in our house price so we are meeting her today for the first time. I have a binder with pages I have torn out of magazines that show the types of things we like and the look we are after. The house should feel very relaxed and open with a slight country feel. Not country like cornflower blue and chickens, but country like natural woods and stones, lots of natural light, etc. (Although Chris always teases me about doing the kitchen in chickens. I think I will have to sneak one little chicken in there someplace just to show him and I will name it Chris)

No news on the adoption front. Yesterday PBJ turned 3 months old. Hopefully she will be home in a couple of months. I don't worry about her the way I do Ahren. She is still so tiny and her case is going so well. I spend all my worry energy on Ahren.

Freaky baby Gadgets

After my outpouring of emotions yesterday, I thought today needed to be lighter. A friend sent me a link to a website that had some really unique baby items. Now I already have 3 kids and I have learned my lesson with several items that looked like they were going to be so fantastic and turned out to be useless. Case in point: the special diaper storage system that had a hole in the top so small that you ended up squishing gooey poopie out of the diaper in the attempts to stuff it through the hole. Yeah, not so good. Here are some things I think belong in the same category.

This is called the tummy tub. It is supposed to be a tub that mimics the feeling in the womb. Apparently you fill it up, immerse the baby and then carefully hang onto their head so they don't slip under water. Now I ask you, how in the world are you supposed to WASH the baby? Or is this just supposed to be an exercise in re-living the past for the baby? Notice how the water appears somewhat yellow. Maybe you make fake amniotic fluid too? Yuck!!

This is called the baby keeper. When I first saw it I thought it was some sort of baby-time-out device! It is actually designed to hang over a restroom door keeping baby safe from the dirty floor while Mommy does her business. I hope no one ever forgets their baby in their rush to wash their hands and escape public restrooms! This product will not be on my wish list!

This is called the ThudGuard. It is intended for children to wear to protect them from bumping their noggins. I find this one strangely funny and sad all at the same time. There are people who actually need protective helmets due to various medical conditions. These aren't intended for them. These are for normal kids. Normal kids of overwhelmingly protective parents. No amount of cute decorations can make this look any less than utterly ridiculous.

This is called Zaky. The idea is that you can leave your child cradled by loving hands even when you can't be there. That's fake rubber disembodied loving hands. The concept sounds good but the outcome is disturbing. I have the urge to slap those hands away and rescue the baby! Creepy Alien hands. Makes me think of the qhost story of the creeping hand coming after someone. This is more like a practical joke designed to scare the daylights out of the parents! Can you imagine peeking into your precious little one's crib only to find scary dimembodied hands clutching your baby? Yep, much better as a practical joke.

This one is just deeply disturbing. It is a system that allows a father to simulate breastfeeding their child. I don't know about you, but that just seems so very, very wrong to me. Poor kid is going to end up in a bell tower with a rifle! I see many, many years of therapy ahead for that poor baby. Heck, I think I need therapy from just reading about it.

These were the worst of the baby gadgets I saw. I am sure there are more and even worse things out there. Babies really don't need a whole lot of gadgets to be happy and healthy. They need love and attention, good nutrition and sleep, and a safe environment. It's just as simple as that.

Best part of adopting

Well, no pictures today becasue Blogger is being a booger. I have something serious to discuss, though. A true blessing. Although our adoption journey has been long and painful so far, there is one truly bright spot that has come from it. That is the people that I have gotten to know. Most are other adoptive parents, some are still waiting, others already have their kids home. Some have adopted before, some are on their first attempt. The one thing that has amazed me is that they are all so very giving. Each and every one of my new friends. They are not only opening their hearts and homes to a child, but they share support and prayers with all of us.
Paula, you are so strong. You have been through so much and yet you still smile and laugh. You get down but you never give up even on the worst days. Your strength and friendship mean the world to me.
Krystal, you adopted a baby boy with a serious heart defect and you never thought twice about it. He was your son and that was all there is to it. Your strength and love show in how well he is doing. I am honored to be your friend.
Amanda has the worst adoption story I have ever heard. No made-for-TV movie could have as many twists and turns, ups and downs. Yet she is moving forward and will be a Mom, come hell or high water. Amanda is truly an amazing person.
Philly, you are on your third attempt to be a mother. The first two ended badly and yet you are still pushing forward to bring home your child. Little Johnny is the 'meatball of your dreams' and soon he will be in your arms.
Ginger, you lost your first little girl. Your first love. You grieved for her and yet were still able to open your heart to a new daughter. Maya is a very lucky little girl. Her Mommy is a very special person. A very strong woman with deep powers of love (and wonderful shopping abilities ;-)
Crystal, Natalie, Rachel, Kris, Angel, Gayle, all of you have voluntarily prayed for my children. I cannot express how deeply that touches me. I have tears in my eyes just typing this. Prayers are the only thing that I believe will bring my Ahren home. Only God can perform this miracle. The support I receive from all of you keeps me going, keeps me trying and keeps me sane.

So as hard as this past year has been, I am grateful to my many new friends. There are many more than I mentioned. Every time I fall down, someone is there to pick me up. At times I have been so worn out that I didn't think I could take one more step, and then my friends give me the strength. I don't know how to thank all of you. There are no words for what you all mean to me and my family. God Bless every one of you.

(If I didn't mention you, SORRY! It's been a really rough week and my brain cells are out on strike!)

New pix and tidbits

We finally got the Christmas photos of Ahren!!! This is the best one of the group. In the others he looks scared and kind of sad. (Of course, that could be ME being scared and sad and imposing htose emotions onto him) Take a look at those eyelashes! Why do little boys always get the luxurious eyelashes? It's not fair!

Along with the photos we got an update on his growth. The measurements were taken in November, when he would have been 10 months old. He weighed 25 pounds and was 30.5 inches tall. Big beefy boy! He is definitely well cared for! Now if we can just get his birth certificate and make some progress towards bringing him home, I would be the happiest woman in the world!

Ahren's birthday and my view on agencies

Yesterday was Ahren's first birthday. I tried not to think about it. I tried to pretend it didn't matter. I tried to hang onto the hope we will eventually bring him home. Honestly, I tried. It didn't work. Here is where we stand. The entire investigation and final report are in an office of the Guatemalan government that deals with the 'status of the child'. They are reviewing the report and will then rule on the validity of the baby's birth certificate. If they OK the report, we move forward and he gets a new birth certificate and life is good. If they deny the report, then I don't know what happens. I have asked our agency repeatedly for information on what happens if the report is denied and they either ignore my messages or reply something inane that says not to worry they have had lots of cases go this long before. (Gee, that makes me feel soooo much better, NOT!) In addition, we have not received new photos or a medical update since September, although they keep promising them.

In the past, I didn't have anything to compare this agency to. No other experience. Now I do. The agency we are using for Peri Brynn is a completely different experience. Besides the fact that her case is flying along, I get constant feedback form the agency. They answer my questions, they respond to me quickly and professionally, and they treat me like a valuable client. It is amazing!

I wonder why some agencies feel that customer service is not necessary. I have received better service from the teenagers behind the counter at Taco Bell than I have from our first agency. We have paid large fees to both agencies, so it's not that the first agency is a 'discount' service. The first agency doesn't even use basic respect in communicating with us. I am absolutely apalled by this. We are not buying a used car, we are trying to bring home a much-loved child. An innocent little life. And things have not gone well. We should be shown some sympathy, not blamed for causing the problems. (Yes, they routinely try and blame us for creating the problems. We don't fall for it. We had nothing to do with his messed up birth certificate or the delays it has caused)

I would like to urge anyone and everyone who is considering adoption to research agecies carefully. Do not rely on the references the agency gives you. (I learned that at least one of ours we contacted for the first agency were fake) Talk to real adoptive parents who have used an agency and brought a child home. Find out how an agency performs when something goes wrong. That is the true test of an agency. It's easy for them to seem wonderful when things are going smoothly. How do they handle problems? Most of all, do NOT let them treat anyone like a second class citizen. The bad agencies will go under, the good agencies will prosper.

I have specifically not named the agencies we are working with. Once I have closure on each case, I will reveal the agency names, both the good and the bad, and I will reveal a lot of details about each. If I can do one thing that helps other adoptive families avoid the pain we are experiencing, then this is it. We are the perfect study of the best and the worst in Guatemalan adoptions. I just never imagined we would be in this position.

Happy Birthday baby Boy! Mama loves you......

What I have learned....

If you let the kids borrow the camera, you end up with some very strange pictures. This is Katie 'sleeping' where her bed will go in the new house.

Little boys love construction. They love the dirt and sawdust, the nails and the boards, but they especially like mud.

The port-o-potties at construction sites have some very interesting 'poetry' in them. Poetry that is not suitable for young ladies, but which, when found by two young ladies, caused convulsive fits of laughter (and some questions that I couldn't even answer!)

Construction sites are muddy. Mud is everywhere. Mud, mud, mud. I hate mud.

And one last picture for Grandpa J. Levi now has his own level. This window is looking good!

So what happens to a house when the crew is just about to finish drying it in, but they run out of the roof decking a few sheets short? It pours down rain of course. About 4 inches of rain, which is all INSIDE my new house. Not happy, not happy at all. I know it's wood, and wood comes from trees, which grow outside, but still. I didn't want it all soaked right before it got enclosed.

House updates

It is looking like a house! They are getting it enclosed this week (if the rain will just stay away!) I can now walk thru and see how the rooms are laid out and how it feels. Chris kept asking me during the design phase if I thought the rooms were big enough, etc. I have absolutely no concept of size. To me the rooms were 2 inches big on paper. I just couldn't envision the real size in my head. The good news is that it seems big enough in most areas. The two bedrooms upstairs are a bit small but I have decided that the girls don't need bigger rooms. They have huge rooms now and it just means more floor space to throw dirty clothes on. Maybe now they will have a better chance of hitting a hamper! I have been trying to get new pictures this week. They have all the windows in the 1 st floor and are almost finished with the 2nd floor windows. Unfortuantely I have been working long hours and it's dark when I leave in the morning and dark when I get home. I will definitely get more this weekend.

On the adoption front: No news. Nothing Nada. Zippo. Come on people, throw me a crumb of news, please???? Just a tidbit? Anything???

2007

I love this picture, taken the day Chris and I were married in 2002. We were so excited and nervous and happy, all four of us (this was before levi) The girls look so young! That was a very good year. Lots of changes, but very, very good. This year, 2007, is going to be just as good and also full of changes. We will complete and move into our new home. We will complete at least 1 adoption and hopefully 2 adoptions. We will continue to grow as a family, as spouses and as parents. We will let the journey unfold at it's own pace, enjoying the journey itself and not racing towards the finish line.

The year 2006 brought me many new friends, taught me a lot about patience (well, I might still be learning on that one!) made me realize how fortunate I am, made me want to reach out and share that good fortune with others, and taught me some tough lessons about what I can and cannot control in this life.

So here's to 2007, the year of changes, optimism and babies. It's gonna be a good one!!!!!