The Babies

Here they are, I am pretty sure we have 3 girls and 1 boy.  Top middle is Precious, middle left is Oreo, and middle right is Alexis.  Bottom middle, the dark gray, solid color is the male, Sanctoos.  Of course, they wouldn't look at me, and everytime I turned the basket, they turned their backs on me.  I was lucky to get this shot.  Tomorrow they will be 3 weeks old.  When I take them out of their box they are still all shivery and unsteady on their feet, but are starting to be curious about the world beyond cardboard and old towels.  Missy will come to check on them when I have them, but she justs gives them a lick or a rub of her head and goes back to eating or getting a drink.  I think Pete's going to have a hard time when it's time to find them homes.

Just Call Me Grace

Sadie hates when anyone in the family leaves, whether it is Mike leaving for work or the kids going to school.  Mornings are stressful for her.  I have to wait until they are out of sight to take Sadie outside to take care of business, otherwise she just tries to get to them.  So, this morning after the boys got on the bus, I took Sadie out.  On our way back in, I stepped in a hole in the yard and twisted my ankle.  Boy did that hurt, so much that I did not even try to get up for a few minutes.  Sadie thought we were playing a great game.  She pounced on me and ran around me to find new angles to pounce from.  Meanwhile the Amish kids were walking by the house, on their way to school, and I noticed some of the boys watching what was going on.  Of course, my humilation of being on the ground in my jammies, with the dog jumping on me couldn't have gone un-noticed.  I've been on the couch since then, with my ankle propped up willing it to get better.  Apparently Sadie figured out we weren't playing, she has been laying very contritely by my side all morning.  Now, if she could just make me some tea.....

Trouble in River City

Well, in our quest for answers yesterday we contacted Grace Children's Foundation, since they are Zach's legal gaurdians while he is in the USA.  Our adoption agency indicated that he may have to return to his orphanage for a day or two for GCF to return him and then the orphanage would return him to us for Gotcha Day, but said to contact Grace, as they should know.  Our worst fear is that we will have to be seperated from Zach for even a day before we adopt him, since we just don't know what that will do to him.  And on the likely hood that the trip does not happen before June 10, when his visa expires, I wanted to find out what we need to do to extend his visa again.  Well, GCF doesn't seem to think they have to do anything, that we can just bring him back with us and then we sign the gaurdianship papers on Gotcha Day.  That's good news.  However, there is some bad news.  They don't think that they have a reason to extend his visa again without a detailed doctor's letter.  And I don't think the doctor has any reason to keep him here.  That means that GCF may end up flying him home in June, since I am not sure that there is any way to be ready to travel before June 10.  Documents must go to 2 different agencies in China, and 2 in the USA and an appointment made at the US Consulate in China.  Keep Zach in your prayers- pray for swift government, and barring that, strength for Zach so he will have the faith to believe that we really will come get him.  We are also hoping to hear very soon from some more of the agencies that offer adoption grants.  I have one more craft show, scheduled in May to put some more money in the adoption kitty.  Tonight we go over our finances to see exactly how far we are from the total we need.

This adoption is certainly full of highs and lows.

More Wind

Sometimes I think we live in the windiest spot in the country.  It doesn't help that we are on top a hill with fields around us, and don't have many trees in our yard to help block the wind.  If it is at all windy, I can't open the west facing windows because the gusts get so hard, the screens blow out of the windows - no kidding.  We have to keep the screen door which is east facing locked on windy days because the wind will get under the edges and the regular latch can't hold the door shut, however the deadbolt lock on it can.  And forget having cute things out in the lawn.  The wind took down our gazebo last fall, even though the cover was off it, we had 2 or 3 ferociously windy days that shook it so much the screws broke and poles bent.  So Monday when the wind started, I heard something plastic being blown across the yard.  I went outside, because I figured it was the lid on Zach's sand box blowing off again and I wanted to grab it before it ended up in the neighbor's yard.  Boy was I surprised to see it was not the lid I had heard (although it was off), but the wind was moving the Little Tikes playset I had bought at a garage sale for Molly.  Now this thing is as tall as I am and pretty heavy.  The wind had drug it from it's place by the porch out into the driveway.  It was not even tipped over so it would roll or anything, it was still standing upright, but in front of my car.  Now that's some wind.

whirl wind

Last night was a busy e-mail night.  After we got the news of our LOA from the adoption agency, the instructions and attatchments started flying.  I had 3 large packets to print out, I had to go back to the Dept of Immigration site to get 3 more forms printed (times 2 since I had to do them for both Zach and Molly), and had a Power Point presentation to watch.  Lots of info in those packets, and Mike and I both read them through, signing and dating as we went.  There were a half dozen things that needed to be notorized, so we made a lunch date to meet at the bank and take care of that.  We were to get a Fed Ex envelope sometime before 4:30 today with more papers to sign and copy.  Today tons more e-mail was exchanged with questions from us and answers from everyone.  Wow, it's been crazy.  I have an entire counter in the kitchen set aside for my paperwork right now, with death to anyone who puts ANYTHING on that counter.  The race was ON!!  The day our papers arrive back at the adoption agency, they will send out one set to the Dept of Immigration and one set to China.  The Fed Ex didn't come until almost 4, we had to sign and copy things in it before mailing, so rush, rush, rush.  I hit the post office at 4:30, praying it wasn't too late to get it out today for overnight delivery........YES, my documents should arrive at the adoption agency before noon tomorrow!!!  Now, it's time to wait again, for our Travel Approval (TA) next.

LOA

OUR LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE CAME TODAY!!!!!!!  This is what we have been waiting for!!!  That means we have formally been approved by China to adopt Zach and Molly.  Tomorrow we will receive a package from our adoption agency to tell us what comes next.  Apparently there is one more form to file with immigration now that we have our LOA.  It looks like we will be traveling in July.  I'll update ya all when I know more!!!!!  Can I have a  WHOOO HOOO!!!! ?????

Back to Basics

Last week was a busy one for us- on Friday night and all day Saturday we were doing a table at the Maple Syrup Festival.  That meant I had lots of stuff around the house to get done before then.  Tuesday was laundry day.  After I got the kids clothes washed, I was almost out of detergent.  This was Zach's first time helping me make laundry soap.  There's not much to it and it doesn't take very long to make, and it cleans just as well as the soap I buy.  It is a low sudsing (is that a word?) formula so it works in my "he" washer.  Zach thought he was big stuff pouring the soap into the funnel and into the jugs for me and then he carried the warm detergent down to the laundry room for me.  After I make it, it costs me next to nothing to do laundry - 1/3 of a bar of soap, 1/2 cup washing soda, 1/2 cup borax, and water  makes about 2 1/2 gallons of laundry detergent.....it can't get much more simple than that!   I still haven't totally won Mike over on my home made soap yet.  This weekend he brought home detergent from the grocery store- ugggghhh. 

We had a good sale at the festival and sold about 100 bows to go towards our adoption fund and we did a 50/50 Raffle.  We're plugging away at saving, slowly but surly.

Still Waiting

Every now and then I have an unusal dream. I can't really explain how they are different, but after I have them I just know they are. Only twice have I dreamed I had a baby. Not that I was raising a child, but in the hospital giving birth. After I had those dreams, I couldn't help myself and did pregancy tests which announced the arrival of Steven and then Peter. Sunday night I had another of those unusual dreams, not that I gave birth, but that I was in a hotel and Molly was placed in my arms to bring home, Zach was also with me to take care of his paperwork. I was so sure this was another premonition dream and waited all day yesterday for news on the adoption. SIGH..... nothing.

The Kids

So, we ended up having 4 kittens, not 3. Zach named the first one "Alex", then upon clean up we discovered she was a calico and re-named her to Alexis. The next one is gray and white, with a white stripe down the back, so Mike dubbed it Stinky, since the markings looked skunk like to him. When I checked that one, Mike said he couldn't call a girl Stinky, so now she is called Precious. Pete wanted to name number 3, and he's been wanting to name one Oreo forever, so number 3 is Oreo - gray with a white face (I keep changing my mind whethter the last 2 are boys or girls....) and Steve named the last one -dark gray- Sanctos. This morning when I checked on the babies, Alexis and Oreo have opened their eyes. Now they should start gettting much more fun!!! Missy took some Mommy time off this weekend and left her babies in the box and came outside in the sunshine and chased butterflies for a while, then went back to her mommy duties. She's a good mommy for this being her first litter. And a little "Me" time can only make her better - I know from experience!!

Peanutbutter

My husband has always loved peanut butter. Every Mon - Fri, I make him 2 pieces of toast with CREAMY peanut butter for breakfast. Zach loves peanut butter- his breakfast of choice is a CRUNCHY peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich. For the last 6 months or so, the big boys have used peanut butter as a staple to go with every meal, since they never seem full anymore. Pete likes CREAMY, Steve likes CRUNCHY. I buy more and more peanut butter every week. I went from buying small jars for Mike to bigger and bigger jars. The last few jars have been the BIG 40 oz jars. When the last ones only lasted a week and a half, I became one of THEM. I used to make fun of the people who bought the big buckets of peanut butter - after all, don't those families EVER cook? I bought 2 buckets, 1 creamy and 1 crunchy. Maybe those will last us a month.

Plus Three

Today we were working out in the garage, cleaning, painting a wall and getting ready to move shelving. While I was painting, Mike and Pete went upstairs to work in his parents appartment. I went up there to tell Mike I was going inside to get dinner started while the paint dried, and while I was up there, I saw that Missy, our garage cat was up with Mike, and was making herself comfortable in Molly's car seat, which is being temporarily stored in there. Since the car seat cover was freshly washed, I shooed her out of it and shut the door to that room. She promply went to a different room and made herself comfortable on the rolled up carpet pad. Steven came in the house shortly after me and said that Pete wanted him to help look for Missy, because Pete heard her meowing. I told him not to worry about it, it was not like Missy was going to have her kittens right now. Not 10 minutes later, Mike called me to say Missy was having her kittens. Guess I was wrong!! at this point we have 3. I think she's done, but we will continue to watch her to make sure. And the family just keeps on growing...

Naughty Girl

My girl is such a naughty thing. No, not Molly. Sadie. She is now 2 and beginning to calm down, but even calm, a 90 pound St. Newfie is a big girl and when she wants something it is difficult to distract her. She still thinks she is Mike's lap dog. We are trying to break her of this, especially with Molly coming, but she is used to being allowed to climb into Mike's chair and sit with him for a few minutes every night. She loves her daddy. So much so that when he comes home from work he must see her, before he sees me. And Heaven forbid we hug or kiss in front of her, she will squeeze herself in between us and push him back - he's hers and how dare I get some of his attention??? Such a naughty, jealous girl!!

and the list grows

I have been starting to agonize over what we will be able to / need to take to China for our 3 week adoption trip. There are several on-line lists out there from other adoptive families, and many of them list the same things, but every once in a while I find something new. One common thing to take has been a copy of the dossier that was sent to China. Wow, this is a huge stack of papers, and considering the stict weight limits of luggage for in China travel (even more restrictive than USA flights), that's a lot of extra weight. Contacting my adoption agency, this is no longer required to bring, thank goodness. Since some of these lists I've looked at are 10 years old, I guess I will need to wait for the list from my adoption agency. I just want to try to get stuff bought a little at a time as we are waiting. Some things seem so obvious after someone else mentioned it - I knew I should bring bottles and Cheerios, didn't think to put the Cheerios INSIDE the bottles in the suitcase to save space - duh, seems like a no brainer now.

Molly's nursery is 95% done, just need a door put up and the trim around the doors. Zach gets more excited by the day asking me when we are going to go to China and bring home the baby. I hate the waiting, and the uncertainty of not knowing even the month we will travel for sure!!!!