Ben is our daily comic relief around here. I really wish this little guy could stay two forever, he is so much fun. Here are a couple of conversations I have had with Ben this week:
Brett made waffles one morning over the weekend while I slept in and caught up on some much needed sleep. When I woke up I went to the kitchen and reheated some waffles for breakfast.
Ben: "That your dinner mommy?"
Me: "Yep."
Ben: "Daddy had that dinner too."
Me: "No Way!" Said jokingly in a shocked voice.
Ben: "It's Yeah-Way mommy." Said very seriously.
Today the kids did wonderful putting up with being dragged around town and missing naps, etc. I picked up a bag of mini donuts at the store as a treat for everyone for behaving so well. When we got home Ben snuck a donut out of the bag on the counter and one of his sisters let me know immediately, of course. I went over to Ben and held out my hand and said, "Give me the donut please." He looked right back at me, covered the donut with both hands, and said, "I'm just fine mommy." Lets just say I failed at keeping a straight face and that training opportunity went down the toilet.
Monday, November 28, 2011
God is seldom early, but He is never late!
I had some problems getting the document that I needed today. After calling a couple of times I finally decided to go into their office with 5 kids and ask again if they could rush things along to get the signature I needed. No luck. Monday is their busiest day..... We went back out to the parking lot and called a couple more times and finally convinced someone to get the job done. (I really am very thankful towards them since they usually require two days to get papers signed and they did rush this for us.) Brett met me at the building just as I was leaving with the papers at 2:15. He grabbed the papers and ran to get them notarized before heading to the Secretary of State's office to have them apostilled. He got there at 3:30, they close at 4:00. Another prayer answered. The papers have been sent out and will be flying out of the country tomorrow.
Hopefully the papers will get where they need to be on Wednesday. They then need to be translated and sent across that country and be in the local coordinator's hands no later than Monday.
Current prayer requests:
1. That these papers get where they need to be on time.
2. That we DO have all the papers now and they are all correct.
3. That we will be given a court date in December.
4. That God will give us favor in the judge's eyes and the adoption will be granted.
5. This is the one that requires a miracle! That the waiting period will be waived and we can bring Graham home right away. This NEVER happens. I figure if we are here to bring God glory we might as well pray for that one and give Him every oportunity to show what He can do!
Hopefully the papers will get where they need to be on Wednesday. They then need to be translated and sent across that country and be in the local coordinator's hands no later than Monday.
Current prayer requests:
1. That these papers get where they need to be on time.
2. That we DO have all the papers now and they are all correct.
3. That we will be given a court date in December.
4. That God will give us favor in the judge's eyes and the adoption will be granted.
5. This is the one that requires a miracle! That the waiting period will be waived and we can bring Graham home right away. This NEVER happens. I figure if we are here to bring God glory we might as well pray for that one and give Him every oportunity to show what He can do!
Please Pray!
Last week we were rushing and scrambling to get all of our papers for the court dossier together in time to get them over to Graham's country. Brett got the last of the papers and headed off to the Secretary of State's office, had them all apostilled, and ran to FedEx to overnight them.
We heard yesterday that our papers made it over. Yay! We heard this morning that they all have the wrong date on the apostille! Somehow the Secretary of State's office dated all of our apostilles for August 8th, 2011!?!?!??! The funny part is that Brett made a comment that this week was going to be a normal week finally. Back to work, back to school, no more running around..... I actually laughed at him when he said that. I don't know what a normal day even looks like anymore.
We need a miracle to happen TODAY to fix this problem. Please pray that the Secretary of State's office will issue new apostilles to Brett today without all of our notarized papers (they are not in the country anymore, we only have copies now). We also have one other form that needs to be notarized and apostilled. That will be my job today, to run to the next town over to get these papers signed (5 kids in and out of car), then stop to get them notarized (5 kids in and out of car), then drive downtown to get them apostilled. All of these papers need to be overnighted no later than TODAY if we are going to have any chance of getting a court date in December still. Please pray!
We heard yesterday that our papers made it over. Yay! We heard this morning that they all have the wrong date on the apostille! Somehow the Secretary of State's office dated all of our apostilles for August 8th, 2011!?!?!??! The funny part is that Brett made a comment that this week was going to be a normal week finally. Back to work, back to school, no more running around..... I actually laughed at him when he said that. I don't know what a normal day even looks like anymore.
We need a miracle to happen TODAY to fix this problem. Please pray that the Secretary of State's office will issue new apostilles to Brett today without all of our notarized papers (they are not in the country anymore, we only have copies now). We also have one other form that needs to be notarized and apostilled. That will be my job today, to run to the next town over to get these papers signed (5 kids in and out of car), then stop to get them notarized (5 kids in and out of car), then drive downtown to get them apostilled. All of these papers need to be overnighted no later than TODAY if we are going to have any chance of getting a court date in December still. Please pray!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Its another.......
We had our big ultrasound yesterday and got a chance to see our wonderful, wiggly, healthy baby. Everything looks perfect. Baby is 13 oz and measuring exactly on for a due date of March 31st.
We didn't get any super good pictures this time, but here is one of our precious little GIRL!
Happy Birthday Abby Jane!
This sweet little girl turned 6 on Tuesday!
She got a couple of days of celebrating since we didn't make it out for her birthday date with mom and dad until last night. She picked Chuck E. Cheese's of course.
Happy 6th Birthday Abby!
Monday, November 14, 2011
A trip to the zoo
Brett was going to take the girls to the Science Museum today while I brought the little ones in for their check ups at the doctor, but we didn't realize until too late that they were closed on Mondays. So, since they were already down in the area, they went off to the zoo instead. Here are a few photos of their adventure for those of you that keep telling me I need to put more pictures of the kids on here.
Approval!
I called the USCIS again today to see if they had even pulled our paper out of the pile yet. I about fell over when the man on the other end of the phone said, "Looks like that was just approved today." I can't believe something finally went through smoothly! They didn't ask any questions. They didn't request any more papers. I am shocked. Thank you to everyone that was praying with us. I was told it needs to go on to the supervisor there and then on to the mail room and we should have it in our hands later this week. Yay!
We are still working on gathering the rest of our papers and getting the last few things together for our court dossier. Once that is done it can be sent over to Graham's country and we will get a court date. We are still praying to finish things up in time for a date in December.
We are still working on gathering the rest of our papers and getting the last few things together for our court dossier. Once that is done it can be sent over to Graham's country and we will get a court date. We are still praying to finish things up in time for a date in December.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Puzzle Fundraiser Progress
Here is the progress we have made on our puzzle so far:
Thank you to everyone that has given us cash or donated through the Chip-In!
Click here to read more about our puzzle fundraiser.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Teaching Thankfulness
A friend shared this and I thought it was a great idea. Our family is going to start this week. I'm curious to see how much we have to bless someone with at the end. Anyone else want to join in?
Day 1
One out of 5 children live in poverty lacking adequate clothing.
Give 2 cents for each pair of socks, tights, or pantyhose each child has.
Day 2
Are you thankful for the gift of electricity?
Give 2 cents for each light bulb in your house.
Day 3
Would you rather live in the dim light of candles?
Give 2 cents for each candle in your house.
Day 4
Most of the world's population lives beyond the reach of medical care.
Give 10 cents for each box of band-aids in your house. An extra dime if they are not flesh-colored.
Day 5
Are you thankful you have a roof and doors to keep out the wind and rain?
Give 10 cents for each exterior door your house has.
Day 6
Are you thankful for all your clothes?
Give 5 cents for each closet in your house.
Day 7
Are you glad you have indoor plumbing?
Give 5 cents for every roll of TP in your house, counting all the stored away rolls.
Day 8
To people in refugee camps, even a thin sliver of soap is precious.
Give 5 cents for each bar your family has--a dime for each liquid dispenser.
Day 9
Think of something nice you can do for a poor family in your community and do it today. Maybe give them some homemade bread or make something special to brighten their day.
If you can't, put a dollar in the box and be exceedingly grateful for all your own blessings.
Day 10
Do you walk to town to get a bucket of water for washing, drinking, bathing or cooking? Or are you blessed with faucets that bring precious water to you?
Give 10 cents for each faucet you have and don't forget the outside ones.
Day 11
Still thinking of water, how did you get clean today?
Give 10 cents if you take baths, 25 cents if you take showers.
Day 12
Most of the people in this world are starving while Americans' biggest concern is being overweight.
Put in a penny for each pound your mother and father think they are overweight.
Day 13
What a blessing to be able to see and have eye doctors to help us.
Give 10 cents for each pair of glasses your family members wear--and a quarter for each pair of sunglasses.
Day 14
Many people are blind physically (as well as spiritually) and have no eye doctors to help them.
Give a quarter for each person in your house that wears contact lenses.
Day 15
Jesus loves the little children.
Give thanks and a dollar for every child in your family--do a secret good deed for each of them today.
Day 16
How would you like to live in your car as some families do?
Give a dime for every vehicle your family owns.
Day 17
What if you lived on the streets like so many in South America do?
Give thanks for your home and give 5 cents for every pillow in your home. Don't forget the decorative ones, also.
Day 18
Epidemics often follow natural disasters.
Give thanks if no one in your home has been too sick this month to work or go to school and then donate 50 cents.
Day 19
The comfort of a clean bed is an undreamed-of luxury for millions of the world's poor people.
Give 5 cents for each bed in your house.
Day 20
Did a cozy blanket cover you last night?
Give a penny for every blanket in your house.
Day 21
Was it cold enough to wear a coat today? Were you thankful for your coat?
Give a penny for every coat, jacket, hoodie or raincoat in your house.
Day 22
In some countries of the world, most people can't read. Are you thankful you can read?
Put in a penny for every book in your home.
Day 23
By now, you've started to receive Christmas cards from many loving friends and family members.
Give a penny for each card and be thankful for God's love. If you haven't received any cards yet, put in a penny for each person who will be getting a card from you.
Day 24
All around the world there are people who have never seen a supermarket. Instead, they scratch out their sustenance with primitive tools.
Give 5 cents for every garden tool in your garage.
Day 25
Many people in the world cook over an open fire. Aren't you glad your parents didn't send you out to chop wood this morning?
Give 5 cents for every burner on your stove and a dime for every oven.
Day 26
Put in 10 cents for each gift under the tree that is for you. Or, give 10 cents for each item on your Christmas list.
Day 27
Jesus was born and died for you!
Put in a dollar for every person in your home that believes in Christ!
Day 28
Unfortunately, this is the time of year in which people suffer loss in house fires.
Give 10 cents for every phone in your house with which you can dial 911 in case of emergency.
Day 29
Many people in the world suffer excruciating pain from lack of dental care. Have you ever been grateful for toothbrushes?
Give 5 cents for every toothbrush in your house.
Day 30
Do you own a pet?
Give a quarter for each pet and say a prayer for all the children in the world who can't afford to feed themselves, let alone a pet.
Day 31
Many children in the world barely get one meal a day. How many meals did you have in the past 24 hours?
Give thanks and 5 cents for each meal--10 cents for each snack.
Day 32
Would you like to have to walk to school, to church, or to the store? Most people in the world walk everywhere they go.
Give 10 cents for each bike, pair of skates, skateboard or anything else that has wheels.
Day 33
"Give us this day our daily bread."
Thank God for feeding you today and give a penny for every slice of bread in your house.
Day 34
Count all the cans/jars in your cupboard or pantry.
Give a penny for each one of them as you thank God for the technology to can foods.
Day 35
Count all the packages of frozen foods and meat in your freezer.
Thank God for refrigeration and give a penny for each you counted.
Day 36
Make a list of all the fruits and vegetables God created that you can name.
Put in a penny for each one on that list.
Day 37
Many children in the world do not have a school to attend and barely learn to read or write.
Give a penny for every pencil in your house.
Day 38
Most people in the world have never touched a computer.
Put in 50 cents for each computer in your home, and an extra 50 cents for a scanner, 50 cents for the printer, and if you spend more than an hour each day online, give an extra dollar.
Day 39
Hold a family meeting.
Donate/give away your money!
The Blessing Box
Show your children what they have to be thankful for, not what they have to have.
Day 1
One out of 5 children live in poverty lacking adequate clothing.
Give 2 cents for each pair of socks, tights, or pantyhose each child has.
Day 2
Are you thankful for the gift of electricity?
Give 2 cents for each light bulb in your house.
Day 3
Would you rather live in the dim light of candles?
Give 2 cents for each candle in your house.
Day 4
Most of the world's population lives beyond the reach of medical care.
Give 10 cents for each box of band-aids in your house. An extra dime if they are not flesh-colored.
Day 5
Are you thankful you have a roof and doors to keep out the wind and rain?
Give 10 cents for each exterior door your house has.
Day 6
Are you thankful for all your clothes?
Give 5 cents for each closet in your house.
Day 7
Are you glad you have indoor plumbing?
Give 5 cents for every roll of TP in your house, counting all the stored away rolls.
Day 8
To people in refugee camps, even a thin sliver of soap is precious.
Give 5 cents for each bar your family has--a dime for each liquid dispenser.
Day 9
Think of something nice you can do for a poor family in your community and do it today. Maybe give them some homemade bread or make something special to brighten their day.
If you can't, put a dollar in the box and be exceedingly grateful for all your own blessings.
Day 10
Do you walk to town to get a bucket of water for washing, drinking, bathing or cooking? Or are you blessed with faucets that bring precious water to you?
Give 10 cents for each faucet you have and don't forget the outside ones.
Day 11
Still thinking of water, how did you get clean today?
Give 10 cents if you take baths, 25 cents if you take showers.
Day 12
Most of the people in this world are starving while Americans' biggest concern is being overweight.
Put in a penny for each pound your mother and father think they are overweight.
Day 13
What a blessing to be able to see and have eye doctors to help us.
Give 10 cents for each pair of glasses your family members wear--and a quarter for each pair of sunglasses.
Day 14
Many people are blind physically (as well as spiritually) and have no eye doctors to help them.
Give a quarter for each person in your house that wears contact lenses.
Day 15
Jesus loves the little children.
Give thanks and a dollar for every child in your family--do a secret good deed for each of them today.
Day 16
How would you like to live in your car as some families do?
Give a dime for every vehicle your family owns.
Day 17
What if you lived on the streets like so many in South America do?
Give thanks for your home and give 5 cents for every pillow in your home. Don't forget the decorative ones, also.
Day 18
Epidemics often follow natural disasters.
Give thanks if no one in your home has been too sick this month to work or go to school and then donate 50 cents.
Day 19
The comfort of a clean bed is an undreamed-of luxury for millions of the world's poor people.
Give 5 cents for each bed in your house.
Day 20
Did a cozy blanket cover you last night?
Give a penny for every blanket in your house.
Day 21
Was it cold enough to wear a coat today? Were you thankful for your coat?
Give a penny for every coat, jacket, hoodie or raincoat in your house.
Day 22
In some countries of the world, most people can't read. Are you thankful you can read?
Put in a penny for every book in your home.
Day 23
By now, you've started to receive Christmas cards from many loving friends and family members.
Give a penny for each card and be thankful for God's love. If you haven't received any cards yet, put in a penny for each person who will be getting a card from you.
Day 24
All around the world there are people who have never seen a supermarket. Instead, they scratch out their sustenance with primitive tools.
Give 5 cents for every garden tool in your garage.
Day 25
Many people in the world cook over an open fire. Aren't you glad your parents didn't send you out to chop wood this morning?
Give 5 cents for every burner on your stove and a dime for every oven.
Day 26
Put in 10 cents for each gift under the tree that is for you. Or, give 10 cents for each item on your Christmas list.
Day 27
Jesus was born and died for you!
Put in a dollar for every person in your home that believes in Christ!
Day 28
Unfortunately, this is the time of year in which people suffer loss in house fires.
Give 10 cents for every phone in your house with which you can dial 911 in case of emergency.
Day 29
Many people in the world suffer excruciating pain from lack of dental care. Have you ever been grateful for toothbrushes?
Give 5 cents for every toothbrush in your house.
Day 30
Do you own a pet?
Give a quarter for each pet and say a prayer for all the children in the world who can't afford to feed themselves, let alone a pet.
Day 31
Many children in the world barely get one meal a day. How many meals did you have in the past 24 hours?
Give thanks and 5 cents for each meal--10 cents for each snack.
Day 32
Would you like to have to walk to school, to church, or to the store? Most people in the world walk everywhere they go.
Give 10 cents for each bike, pair of skates, skateboard or anything else that has wheels.
Day 33
"Give us this day our daily bread."
Thank God for feeding you today and give a penny for every slice of bread in your house.
Day 34
Count all the cans/jars in your cupboard or pantry.
Give a penny for each one of them as you thank God for the technology to can foods.
Day 35
Count all the packages of frozen foods and meat in your freezer.
Thank God for refrigeration and give a penny for each you counted.
Day 36
Make a list of all the fruits and vegetables God created that you can name.
Put in a penny for each one on that list.
Day 37
Many children in the world do not have a school to attend and barely learn to read or write.
Give a penny for every pencil in your house.
Day 38
Most people in the world have never touched a computer.
Put in 50 cents for each computer in your home, and an extra 50 cents for a scanner, 50 cents for the printer, and if you spend more than an hour each day online, give an extra dollar.
Day 39
Hold a family meeting.
Donate/give away your money!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
We are home.....
I have not had a chance to update the blog in the last week of craziness around here. After over 20 hours of flying last weekend we arrived home on Monday, picked up the kids, and did some laundry at my parents house (the washing machine decided not to fix itself while we were gone...). Then, we settled into a week of pink eye, bronchitis, and a tummy bug.
I still have a ton of pictures to go through and share with everyone. Hopefully I will get around to that soon!
I still have a ton of pictures to go through and share with everyone. Hopefully I will get around to that soon!
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