I GUESS WE'RE IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL

Austin woke up screaming at 4:30, something normal for him, so, after I got him back to sleep I decided to check emails. I DID end up writing to Ms Russell at the US EMBASSY in HCMC yesterday afternoon. Well, I got a response back already! And it wasn't the form letter. That was nice, someone actually took the time to email me personally. BUT...It wasn't what I wanted to hear. They said because Hannah isn't in a serious health condition, we will wait the 60 business days for approval.
NOT what I wanted to hear, but at least I know now. I feel worse for Hannah than us, she's known she has a family since April, and has been asking for us for a LONG time.
Looks like I will spend THANKSGIVING in Vietnam. Funny, Mike and I were on a plane to Vietnam on THANKSGIVING DAY in 2006. I never would have imagined I would be doing that again!

We're BACK

Amy met Ms. Ruth. What a nice teacher she has, and the teacher's aide is Ms Daisy, very nice too. Amy's class is pretty small. Amy makes 6, 4 girls and 2 boys, all 4 yr olds. Seems everyone was absent today for one reason or another. There was only 1 little boy there today so Amy got lots of attention from Ms Daisy while I got to speak to Ms Ruth. As soon as the bus gets figured out, Amy will be on her way!

Amy will be meeting her teacher today at 1. Miss Ruth can't wait to meet Amy. Mike was at Amy's IEP meeting this AM and she will be in the afternoon class. 3 girls and 2 boys. Should be a nice little class. She goes by bus, so they said it may take 10 days. I could bring her to school, but I can;t pick her up. I have to be at Ryan;s school at 2 to pick him up, and then back home for Austin's (Amy's too) bus at 2:20. So, she must wait to start school. I don;t think that will be a problem. You should have seen the look of Sheer TERROR on her face when I told her I was taking her to school after lunch.
I think afternoon class will work perfectly. She will get on the bus at 10:45 ( ya right, think Austin, who's bus still isn't on time) and home at 2;20 with Austin. I'll have an entire 3 HOURS with just Paisley. We can grocery shop, Christmas shop, go out to lunch, or just have fun at home, ALL BY OURSELVES. She will finally get some one on one time with mommy.

Day 23

And no approval yet. I know I said I would keep my fingers off the keyboard, but I just can't. It's toooo sad. My friends are loosing their referrals, children they have pictures of, children they love, and their hearts are breaking. The children are loosing the love of a mommy and daddy, they are loosing a family. Vietnam is closing to the US quickly, Province by Province. Is it too far a stretch to think maybe, just maybe, the entire country will close to the US soon, and even those of us with hard and fast referrals, just waiting for our I-600 approval, or a G&R date, may never see our children? No one is safe. Our Embassy needs to move quickly to get the approvals done so the children can find their forever families before all fails.

I just spoke with my agency. I am keeping my mouth SHUT and my fingers off the keyboard and will wait for my I-600 approval. Then I will THANK GOD for my daughter and fly as fast as I can to get her. Vietnam is getting really, really crazy right now. Referrals are falling apart as Sept 1 draws near, and provinces are refusing to work with the US. Oh how sad for all these children waiting for families. And how sad for the families loving these children.

DAY 22

And still no word from the US EMBASSY in HCMC about our I-600 approval. COME ON!!!
I'm still waiting to hear from our agency. Did they call HCMC? Did they email them? What have they heard from the Embassy? Tonight I will do it myself! During our last 2 Vietnam adoptions I emailed the Embassy a lot! I kept them up to date on my 2 adoptions ( I was using 2 different agencies at the same time) and they were wonderful and helped me every step of the way. I will be emailing Mary Russell at the Embassy in HCMC at 10 PM tonight if I don't hear from my agency by then. Maybe I'll do it sooner!!!
Hannah will be 6 on Monday. She needs us and we need her!

Monday Update

No approval again today :(
My agency was expecting our approval last week, so they'll be checking to see if there's a problem. I'm lucky they're pro-active and on top of things. I hope to hear today what they found out.

Hannah's Birthday is Sept. 1, Labor Day. We thought she would be home by then, or at least I would be with her in Hanoi. Now she'll spend her 6th Birthday with no family :(

Austin had his 3rd birthday on Sat. and Amy is also 3, I now have two 3 yr olds. Everyone wanted Austin's new trucks! I should have bought more, they just don't understand the concept of Birthday presents yet. Next year we'll do Disney for his birthday. We'll have Austin, Hannah and Paisley's birthdays all within 3 weeks of each other...so, I think LABOR DAY weekend for a big Mickey Birthday Party is a perfect idea! Then we have Amy and my birthday at Halloween, so there's another good time to visit the Mouse. Oh, and Mike's Bday is Dec.29...Christmas and NYE at Mickey's House! Then there is Meg ( Jan) and Ryan (Feb) Valentine's Day, another good weekend for Disney. I feel better already. My life's coming back to normal. Disney every 8 weeks, always puts a smile on my face :) I NEED A DISNEY FIX! Maybe I'll make some reservations today!
Austin's bus came on time today!!! He was ready and waiting, and all smiles. He took his lunch today. I thought it was safer since he got that huge egg on his head while walking to the cafeteria to get his lunch last Friday. He had bent over to look at a pencil sharpener someone had dropped on the sidewalk and cracked his head on the wall of the school! Since he's in Early Intervention, they bring their lunch back to the room to eat. Now he can stay in his room and wait for the buyers to get back. Anything to make it easier on Miss Sue. AND ME!

TS FAY is finally out of our area for good! GOOD RIDDANCE! Yeah for sunshine!!

Wed. is Amy's IEP and Thursday she can start school. However, we have to wait for the bus dept. to put her in the system. ( and we ALL know how they are) So who knows when she will really start. I was told they have 10 days to add her to the bus schedule. Now, isn't this silly? The bus already stops at the house for Austin, and they're in the same school.

No School tomorrow, it's a teacher work day. YEAH! I can sleep till 7!!

YUM! CAKE GOOD!!!

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY AUSTIN!!!!!

Love
Mommy & Daddy

FRIDAY UPDATE

This will be LONG, so grab a cup of coffee if you're following along.
Everyone but Amy has started school now. Amy should start in 10 days or so.
Austin's bus was only 40 minutes late today. I'd like to know how these drivers keep their jobs??? Don't they go over their route BEFORE school starts? And after the FIRST day of missing the stop ENTIRELY...wouldn't you think the driver would LOOK for the house on her own time??? I guess not if you KNOW you won't be fired. I am totally DISGUSTED with the BROWARD COUNTY SCHOOL BUS SYSTEM!!!!!! And YES, I spoke with supervisors everyday!!! I'm getting chest pains so let's talk about something else.............
Our ADOPTION of Hannah!!! well...I just erased everything I wrote about that!!!! Just in case someone reads it and I wait even LONGER for approval.. But after she's home..I'll fill you all in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE biting my tongue!!! I'm not good at it. I want to say SO MUCH... it's such BS!!!!
So............................
The girls are playing in their room..NOT...they are constantly in the freezer and fridge looking for food! They already had eggs, bagels, cheese, milk, juice, pudding,and cereal and it's only 11:00 AM.
Back to our sweet Hannah. She's doing well and has gained some weight back.. She is now happy and has chubby cheeks again I'm told. Since we haven't received our I-600 approval yet, we're on day 18, I think we'll be waiting a LONG time. This isn't what we were expecting. We thought, since Hannah is SN (older) we would have a quick approval like the other SN kids have had...NOPE! not for us. The SN kids from our agency had their approvals in 6 days! Not us. Looks like all the cute clothes I bought for Hannah to wear in Hot, Hot, Hanoi in Aug/Sept. will now be worn by Amy here in Hot, Hot, South Florida. At least someone will wear them. Too bad they're all sleeveless, now Amy can't wear them to school.
Miss Sue met the "real" Austin yesterday. He cried and screamed for quite some time she said. She also said she needs to bring herself an extra shirt to school now...She was soaked with tears and snot from holding Mr. Austin!! Poor Miss Sue. She'll need and EXTRA nice Christmas gift this year. I shouldn't laugh, but I told her he was a "challenge". He sure isn't Ryan, the dream child, who she had for 2 years.
OOPS..just got a call from Miss Sue..Austin hit his head on the wall at school and has a huge bump!!! They are putting ice on him now! Oh Austin!!
This post has taken 2 hours to write with all the interruptions I've had....I gotta get some laundry done before we drown in it...Talk to you later!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

HERE SHE IS!!! ISN'T SHE BEAUTIFUL???

IT'S OFFICIAL.

My sister Jan and her DH Bruce have just adopted this beautiful little girl. Originally from Belarus, Christina will be 13 in Sept. Jan and Bruce are SO BLESSED to have this little girl join their family. We all can't wait to meet her.

WELCOME CHRISTINA!

FINALLY

School started yesterday AND I had no internet most of the day due to all the rain, thank-you FAY.

SO...let me fill you in :)

YESTERDAY...

Austin's school started at 8AM...Bus was due at 7:22. It arrived..after NUMEROUS calls...at 10:10.( different bus and driver) Austin is only 3 ( well on Saturday he will be 3) and uses a harness for the bus ride to and FROM school and he gets it in the AM with the first bus ride, so we couldn't drive him to school because there would be no way for him to come home without the harness, since I have to pick up Ryan at a different school at 2 PM, same time Austin gets out. ( that sentence was TOO long) I can't be in 2 places at once.

**** INTERRUPTION.....THE BUS JUST NOW CAME FOR AUSTIN....IT'S 9:28. Mike took him at 8:15 this AM. ******

OK...So, the bus driver was very apologetic. She couldn't find our house for 2 days. We live in a PLAN...not in a rural area. Target, Walmart Neighborhood Grocery, Bed Bath & Beyond, Athlete's Foot, Fresh Market, Publix, Movies, Office Depot, Blockbuster, K-Mart, Steinmart, Baskin& Robins, Wendy's, McDonalds, Ruby Tuesday's, and many more stores are less than 1/2 mile from my house!!

So, you have an idea of how my day went from there. I got nothing done all day yesterday.

Austin LOVED school when he finally got there.

Ryan LOVED school :)

Meg LOVED school although she got lost during the day finding her last classroom and was crying, ACTUAL TEARS RUNNING DOWN HER FACE, finally after asking 3 teachers for directions, she found her room ( got lucky, the last teacher she asked where Ms. Adam's room was, WAS Ms. Adams)

Meg said the 8th graders on the bus all sat in the back and told the 6th graders coming on, "if they wanted to live, stay away from the back of the bus" The driver heard them and yelled at them. Then Meg said she realized, "why are we afraid of 8th graders? they're only 13"

Today, Mike drove Austin to school, no bus again, Ryan and Meg left on time, Ryan wanted to use his McQueen lunchbox, so he took his lunch for the first time in 3 years of school. He was SO excited. At $2 per child for lunch, maybe this will save some $$$...

Paisley and Amy are playing Polly Pockets in their room...amazing!!

It's QUIET...can it be???? Oh My Goodness...This might be nice after all.

Next week we have Amy's IEP and she will start school within 2 weeks.

Next Post???? ADOPTION UPDATE :(

IN 8 HOURS

They will ALL be in school except Amy and Paisley! Oh Happy Day! No fighting over trucks and trains! No crying! No Hannah Montana or Suite Life! No more 5 TV's all playing something different at the same time! No more in and out of the pool! No more kitchen open all day long! AHHH... Peace and Quiet. And in 10 days...Amy will be in school too!

TROPICAL STORM FAY

No school again tomorrow :(
I went to bed last night with the computer models edging FAY west into the gulf and woke up to the original models, FAY hitting the West coast of Florida. We're on the East coast, outside of Ft. Lauderdale.
We've had lots and lots of rain since this morning but things are supposed to go downhill from here for the next 24 hours. BET THERE IS NO SCHOOL AGAIN WEDNESDAY! When I look at the radar, I swear FAY is coming straight up the middle of Florida.
Shelters are now opening for low laying areas because we may get over 8 inches of rain. Our pool has another 2 inches before it floods... I guess that will happen sometime tonight.

We woke up under a Tropical Storm Watch. Meg is upset that school may be cancelled tomorrow so she keeps checking the computer models of the storm on "Weather Underground" hoping FAY'S track moves west. She has been counting down the days till 6th grade since the last day of 5th grade. She LOVES school.

Me on the other hand, am dreading waking at 6 AM and having to actually function!
Ryan wore his new school shorts to church today...well, he started out wearing them...until they fell to his ankles!!! They are size 2. Now what do I do? Where the heck will I find size 18 months in Khaki and Navy today???
AND, I forgot to buy the boys sox!

Do you realize what a madhouse the stores will be today? Between school starting tomorrow, and people buying their hurricane supplies, the lines will be tremendous! And I thought I was SO prepared!

BRAVE DADDY

Daddy is a brave boy! He took everyone to church this AM, ALONE, while I stayed home with the contagious Mr. Austin. Even Paisley went along. I told him to SIT IN THE BACK!!!

BIRTHDAY TIME AGAIN!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM!!
Today our beautiful Kimberly Sue turns 40!
I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. How could 40 years have gone by so quickly?
Happy Birthday Sweetie! Have fun in Vegas and win lots of $$$$$
Love and Kisses
Mom and Dad

It's IMPETIGO
Why didn't I think of that???!!!
NO SCHOOL for Austin.
and now I'm itchy all over :(

WHERE'S THAT WALL TO BANG MY HEAD AGAINST?

Daddy has Austin at the ER now. Seems that "cold sore" is popping out all over my poor little boys body. His backside, hips, knees, legs, back of his hands, etc. I don't know what it is and late Sat. afternoon, the quickest course of action is the ER. I would say it's chicken pox, but they start on the back and chest, and aren't this big, and he's had his immunizations. But they sure LOOK like GIANT, and I mean GIANT, Chicken Pox! Oh, I guess they would...cold sore, chicken pox...all the same herpes virus. CRAP CRAP CRAP!
OI VEY!
I don't think it matters if TS/HURRICANE FAY makes a stop here...I don't think Austin will be in school Monday.

48 HOURS TO GO

And my plans are falling apart FAST...First we have that darn tropical storm FAY churning south of us. Who knows where it will go? Probably not here, but while we're in that famous "cone of uncertainty" we are uncertain if school will start on Monday as planned.
And then there's Austin. Last Sunday I said to Mike.." Is that a cold sore on Austin's lower lip?" " No", he ASSURED me, "he's only 2". WELL.....it IS a cold sore and Mr. Austin has been rubbing it with the back of his hand ALL WEEK...from ear to ear, across his chin. This morning he has about 60 tiny cold sores starting on that rubbing track!!! Now, how do I send him to school like that?
Thursday we had gone to Austin's school and met his teacher Miss Sue. Austin is Dev. delayed so will be in the PLACE program at school. Ryan had been in Sue's class for 2 years and is going to kindergarten Monday. Austin played in his new school room and screamed and cried and had a MAJOR temper tantrum when we had to leave, POOR MISS SUE. I was SO looking forward to little Mr. Austin getting on that yellow school bus Monday morning. He's been walking around the house all week with his McQueen backpack and McQueen shoes on.
And Amy? Amy is registered for school too. Had her testing done last April and qualified for a half day with Austin ... Thursday, while at orientation for Amy, I found out they "forgot" to have the IEP...now Amy has to wait for 2 weeks before we can have the IEP and she can start school. Amy is 3 and has been walking around with her Cinderella backpack on all week.
She and I will BOTH be crying when that bus leaves without her and Austin Monday morning.
I just want to bang my head against a wall!!!

2.5 DAYS

TILL SCHOOL STARTS!!!!!

NEED I SAY MORE?????

I woke up to an email from the US Embassy in HCMC. We have our "Acknowledgment of Receipt" now. Next email should be our approval. Now, I wonder when that will be? Anytime in the next 60 WORKING days it says.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE!
Our baby is 42 today. Where has the time gone? And YES, she was named after the Beatles song "MICHELLE", And a beautiful Michelle she is :)
Love,
Mom and Dad

OH WOW!

Three families have posted today they received their I-600 approvals in record time. In 8 days or less!!! 2 submitted their I-600's the same day as me....So, Maybe when I wake up I'll have my approval waiting on my computer. Or, maybe before I go to bed! I think I'll stay up REALLY late tonight!

IT'S BEEN ONE ENTIRE WEEK!

Of waiting for our I-600 approval! I've been so busy with the painting and making a few hair bows, we hardly noticed a week has gone by. This week I'll get everyone ready for school so it should fly by too. Come next Monday, after everyone's in school, things will calm down around here and the waiting will start to sink in. I've heard the DOS has added more employees to handle all the I-600 apps. they're expecting, so maybe, just maybe, our wait won't be so long!!

I'm tired! My age is catching up with me. We spent the entire weekend painting bedrooms and moving furniture, getting ready for Hannah's arrival. What a job!
The boys went to the girls room and the girls are now in the boys room. The boys had the bigger room to accommodate their train table. That train table will have a new home...out on the patio.
The 3 little girls have Cinderella toddler beds. Yes, even though Hannah is almost 6, she's tiny, so for a little while longer the toddler beds will work. We already had 2 for Paisley and Amy. I just joined FREECYCLE.ORG and someone was giving away a Cinderella toddler bed!! How perfect was that? Saved me some $$$. 3 beds in a row, reminds me of the 3 little bears story. It looks so cute! Today I'm decorating the room. I'm off to find a little chandelier and I saw the cutest curtains with sequins and glitter at K-Mart for $10, it's their Disney Line.
Ryan wants me to put a train border in his room again, but Austin had pulled it down, not only theirs, but all the wallpaper throughout the house. I told him daddy would put a REAL train around the ceiling of the room instead. He was happy with that. OK, and when will daddy have the time to do that??? Probably NEVER! But he has wanted to for a long time now. Maybe I'll put the train border up at the ceiling where Austin can't reach it, if I can keep him off the top bunk!
I think I need a house with more bedrooms so they can all have their own decor! If this real estate slump ever goes away, that's the first thing I'm going to do...MOVE TO A BIGGER HOUSE!!!

PAISLEY GOT A HAIRCUT

I thought I was being SO careful with the scissors. I guess she has now joined that special little girls club with members all over the world. You know that special club. The one where you have to cut your own hair to be a member! And I was planning on growing out those bangs!! Not for a few months now. She took a nice big chunk right out of the middle, I don't know how she didn't scalp herself!

ANOTHER HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DYLAN!

Today is our grandson Dylan's 16th Birthday! Wish we were there to celebrate with you!!!
XOXO
Grandma and Grandpap

DOUBLE HAPPY DAY!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TABITHA!
Today our granddaughter Tabby is 12! She's in the red shirt. Of course you all know Meg. The purple shirt is our granddaughter Luci. Today is her Mom's anniversary.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Kim & Roger!
It's such a shame our family is now spread out all over the country :( We all miss celebrating with everyone. Thank goodness we have the "eyeball" camera.

SOMETHIN'S CUMMIN, SOMETHIN' BIG!

I'm getting a BLOG makeover by
TINA at THE STORY OF YOU
and it's going to be FANTASTIC!!
Stay Tuned!

We're Officially Waiting!!!

Our I-600 is on it's way to the U.S. Embassy in Saigon!! Let the Countdown begin! I put up a new ticker to count down the days! We're praying this part goes fast :) We know the wait can be up to 90 days..or longer :( but we have faith Hannah will be home SOON!

SCHOOL DAYS ARE COMING

August 18th is right around the corner. WHY do we start school so early here? Do you know how HOT is is here in South FL in August? And we always have hurricanes Aug/Sept. so the kids miss days anyhow. Why can't they just start the day after Labor Day, like most of the country does? It's not like we get out any sooner. We just have lots more holidays and teacher work days here :(
I had planned to be to Vietnam and home with Hannah by the time school started but that won't be happening...now I have 5 kids to get ready for school PDQ.
Our kids wear uniforms, and that's a good thing, but try and find a uniform that fits a kindergarten boy who wears size 18 months shorts! And Hannah? I'm going to need a size 3 if her measurements are correct.
Meg has been counting down the days until 6th grade. She wakes every morning happy because school is one day closer. I wake up dreading school is one day closer because I'm thinking of all I need to buy and prepare for that first day. At least everyone will be out of the house by 8 AM August 18th, except Paisley and me. What will I do with all that peace and quiet? Pack for Vietnam? Laundry? Shop? I think maybe Paisley and I will go in the pool and RELAX! My luck? It will probably be raining!!

WAITING...WAITING....WAITING

Still no email from my agency saying our I-600 was sent to the U.S. Embassy :( I thought for sure I would wake up to a great email. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

I FORGOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a bad mom I am!!! I forgot to post about Tracy's birthday yesterday!!! DANG! Tracy, I'm sorry!
I didn't forget her birthday of course :) And Tray, If your reading this...you are gonna love your birthday gift that's coming!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
MOM

I FINALLY DID IT

I made my first KORKER HAIRBOW today! And it turned out CUTE!! I have one pair of my sandals made too! Tonight, after the little darlings go to sleep, I'll be at the diningroom table crafting away! I have no idea how I'll sell them. If I have to put a link to another selling blog I am out of luck. I Don't know how to do that. So... if anyone has any ideas...

STILL WAITING

To file our I-600 for Hannah. I guess I'll be home for the first week of school now, and airfares will drop by almost 50% by the time I travel, so those are all good things.

We were so hoping Hannah would be home to celebrate her 6th birthday on LABOR DAY. That won't be possible now.

HAIRBOW FUN

Tabitha had fun with Paisley and Amy. What a beautiful way to wear hairbows. Now, why didn't I think of that? :)

A GREAT SURPRISE!

We had a wonderful week. Our daughter Wendy and her family came for a visit. It ended all too soon and they are now on their way back to NC. It was so nice seeing them all again. And those grandbabies! I guess at 12 and 7 they aren't babies anymore, but they'll always be MY babies, ALL 4 OF THEM!

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL JULY DAY!!!!

I think today is going to be an ESPECIALLY BEAUTIFUL day! Only time will tell..........................
Oh, My agency received my I-600 today.

3rd Times a Charm

Let's try this again. It's Wed. morning in Hanoi and FedEx is to deliver my I-600 to my agency by 10 AM. Cross your fingers and toes everyone! Oh, my agency wasn't closed yesterday, the girls were there ALL day! Apparently FedEx went to the wrong address.. Figures!
Oh well, nothing lost...IF THEY DON'T RETURN IT TO ME!
The police clearance isn't in yet anyhow so we're looking at filing our I-600 next week.
Maybe I'll still be home for the first day of school. Mike would be grateful for that, and so would Meg.

I Could Just SPIT NICKELS

FedEx TRIED to deliver my I-600 to my agency in Hanoi today...They were CLOSED at 4:20!!!!
I'm so angry I could spit nickels!! I know, I know, All in God's timing...ya ya , That's what I tell everyone else....But I don't like hearing it anymore than the rest of you :( Waaaaaa
I think I'll have a pity party today.

OK FEDEX...

You have a chance to redeem yourself! My second FedEx envelope arrived in Hanoi a few minutes ago and needs to be delivered to my agency TODAY! It also has an I-600 inside, ( I'm not stupid, I sent 2 just in case). Deliver it PLEASE!!!!!
We need our baby home!

WE GOT PICTURES!!!

We got new pictures of Hannah! And she's smiling!! My friend Janis just came back from Vietnam where she met our sweetie, and took pics for us. Oh, she's BEAUTIFUL when she smiles! This is the first time we've seen her smile. I wish I could share them with you, but they came snail mail :(
THANK-YOU JANIS!!

FEDEX FIASCO

^%$$%#$^%$##$#$@#$^%#$^%#&^%$&^%$
I got an email from my agency in Vietnam...NO Fedex package was delivered today.....My I-600 and Acceptance letter were in there!
Last week, I sent my Fedex to Vietnam, but realized I needed to add something to the envelope. Well, It was still in Boca, to I called and asked if the shipment could be returned to me instead of going all the way to Hanoi. She said she would try....As I am tracking my package, I see it's in Alaska..OK, that didn't work, so I send a second Fedex to Hanoi with the rest of my docs....It's to be delivered tomorrow, but it's still in Jakarta ? Today I check tracking of my first envelope...IT'S BEING RETURNED TO ME!!!!! IT'S IN HANOI!!!!!! Right by my agency, where it need to be!!! $%#@$#$@#@$%#!@$@#$
It's NOT going to be a good day!!!! and how much $$$$ are they charging me for this???? probably as much as a tank of gas :(
NO, It's not going to be a good week :( Waaaaaaaa

Well...I don't know what happened...

But my Music is GONE!! My BLOG seems so empty without my playlist.. My girls were on the Blog today and now I have no music :( I'm clueless as to what to do .

You know that you are a Floridian if…

. Socks are only for bowling.

. You never use an umbrella because you know the rain will be over in five minutes.

. A good parking space has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.

. Your winter coat is made of denim.

. You can tell the difference between fire ant bites and mosquito bites

. You are younger than 30 but some of your friends are over 65.

. Anything under 70 degrees is chilly.

. Anything under 95 degrees is just warm.

. You have driven through Yee-Haw Junction.

. You can pronounce both Okeechobee & Kissimmee.

. You know that no other grocery store can compare with Publix.

. You are on first name basis with the hurricane list- they are not
Hurricane Andrew or Hurricane Frances, but Andrew, Charley, , Ivan and Jeanne.

. You know that anything under a Category 3 just isn't worth waking up for.

. You have hosted a Hurricane party.

. Your understanding of the four seasons is: Hurricane season, love bug season, tourist season and summer.

. You dread love bug season

. You think a six-foot alligator is pretty average.

. A mountain is any hill that is 100 feet above sea level.

. You have drawer/dresser (Bureau for northerners) full of bathing suits and only one sweatshirt.

. Flip-flops are everyday footwear- shoes are for business meetings and church, although you have worn flip-flops to church before.

. You have worn shorts and used you're A/C during both Christmas & New Years.

. You understand that it is better to have friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.

. "Down South" means Key West.

. You recognize that Miami-Dade is just "Northern Cuba".

. You pass on the right and honk at the elderly.

. You think no-one over 70 should be allowed to drive.

. You have to drive north to get to "The South".

. You were at least twelve before you ever saw snow or you still have not seen snow.

. Sweet tea can be served at any meal

. You smirk (or roll your eyes) when a game show's "Grand Prize" is atrip or cruise to Florida.

. It is not soda, cola, or pop, it is coke regardless of brand- "what kinda coke you want?"

. You get angry when people say "Florida is not really part of the South"

. You've seen it rain in the front yard and not the back, or on only one side of the street

OUR SWEET HANNAH

A Little HANNAH Update

Hannah's police clearance will be complete Tuesday, just as our I-600 arrives in Hanoi. Then it's off to the US EMBASSY in HCMC for approval. Approvals can take 60-90 days, but we're praying Hannah's approval will be quick since she's 5 and not an infant.

OUR I-600 IS ON IT'S WAY TO VIETNAM!!!!!

It's been 4 months already!!

I can't believe it's been 4 months since we started paper chasing for Hannah. Time sure flies. My agency said we should have her police clearance by Tuesday, then we can file the I-600. It's getting close!
I have so much to do before I travel, just in case I actually go before school starts.
I've got to register all the kids for school, buy uniforms, school supplies, and fill the backpacks for the first day. I also have to make some room. I'm planning on switching the boys and girls rooms around, so PAINT is the word of the day...Mike just LOVES that word. I can see him cringe now. I really need to get on that soon, but, as most of you know by now, I'm the world's biggest procrastinator. My "stuff" has now been moved from the dining room table to a card table in a corner of my bedroom, staring at me. Every weekend I say I'm going to make and sell it to help fund my adoption. Hannah will be home and it will still be sitting here :( Oh well, my girls will have the most hair bows, beaded socks, and fancy sandals around! Good thing I have lots of girls!
I just figured out my problem! I used to be a list maker, I even had a list of the lists I needed! I would get up every morning, my cup of tea, paper and pen at the ready to start a new day. I slacked off and stopped making my lists, no wonder I'm floundering in a sea of chaos! That's it!! Tomorrow AM, the purple pen and pink steno pad comes out, I will sit with my delicious cup of nice hot tea, and make my lists of all I need to accomplish before Hannah comes home.
On that note, I'm off to bed, to dream of list making, before Austin and Paisley wake up as they usually do by 2 AM :(
NIGHT ALL and Thanks for being here with me :)

WAITING...WAITING...WAITING....

We're still waiting...for Hannah's police clearance to be completed. 1-2 weeks is how long it's supposed to take and time's up tomorrow! Oh that would be a great day to be notified we have the OK to file our I-600 and get our sweet girl home. We so want her home for her 6th birthday, Sept 1. which is LABOR DAY this year :) What a BLOW-OUT Celebration we would have!

SUMMERTIME

Tomorrow's the 4th of July! Summer's half over and it's barely started. Summer merchandise is on CLEARANCE, 50% off! School uniforms are being displayed, and school supplies are quickly being put on the shelves. GOODNESS, I hope I don't see HALLOWEEN stuff being put out or I'll CROAK! I'll bet WALMART will have Halloween stuff in August. I'll let you know as soon as I see it! OH NO! Meg just gave me the update... 47 days till school starts! Wait, that may not be a bad thing, Paisley will be the only child home this year!! EVERYONE else will be IN SCHOOL!!!

JULY 1, 2008
What a Beautiful day today will be!

It's SATURDAY!!

YEAH!! It's Saturday! I don't know why I said that. It's summer, EVERYDAY is Saturday here :)
We're off to Walmart for some groceries. Yep, the ENTIRE Poko Pack will be going. What an adventure! OK, gotta beat the RAIN that appears everyday here!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY
Megan Noel' Meng Yan
xoxo
Mom & Dad

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENDY!

LOVE, MOM & DAD

RYAN UPDATE

Ryan did great last night. He slept though the night snuggled up to dad. This morning he had eggs and sausage for breakfast. I took the ear thing off and now he hears much better. It's only for sleeping anyhow. He's back to normal already, running around like a madman, playing with "Cranky Bugs" and all his trains. I'm thinking of putting Meg's softball helmet on him, it has a face mask!
Now, cleaning his nose is another story. He's having none of it, unless it's really running! YUCK, not a pretty sight. I was just thinking, what's this going to look like come Thursday morning? I'm being as gentle as I can be, but this HAS to get done! I can just imagine the infection...OK, I'm a nurse, I can figure this out and get around a squirming 5 yr old.
Pictures tomorrow!

REFERRAL !!!!!!!

Now that Ryan is home safe and sound, and tucked into bed, It's time to announce.....

WE GOT OUR REFERRAL THIS MORNING!!!!!!

Thank you Heavenly Father for another beautiful blessing!

Our Quiver is now full.

Here's what we know...

Vietnamese Name..Vu Thi Men (Men means LOVE)

American Name...Hannah Sophia Thi Men

DOB...Sept. 1, 2002

Province..Hung Yen (same orphanage as Paisley)

We are SO in love and anxious to bring our little girl home.

RYAN"S HOME

Ryan got home 4:30 this afternoon. He's doing pretty well considering what he went through. No tears unless a little brother or sister starts to come too close. He's got splints stitched into his nose and an ear protector on. He's doing MUCH better than he looks. He'll be spending most of his time on my bed high off the ground and away for siblings till we go back to Dr. S next week.

RYAN UPDATE

My little guy is out of surgery now. What started out as outpatient surgery has turned into an overnight stay. And I'm GLAD! I know he will get excellent care. Ryan's in so much pain. Morphine is the word for the day! Surgery started at 4 and was 2 hours. What a long day for my little man. We didn't realize it, but this nose revision is in 2 parts. Today Dr. S took cartilage from Ryan's ears and built up a tip for his nose. In 6 months the a second surgery will narrow his nose. Mike says it's AMAZING!!! What a difference. He is REALLY REALLY handsome! Not that he wasn't before, but this surgery must have really made a difference. I'm hoping he sleeps all night, I know I won't.

RYAN

My little man is having surgery today. Ryan is having his nose revised, and I can't imagine WHAT his little face will look like this afternoon. For those of you who don't know Ryan, he's 5 yrs old, from Dongguan China, and the cutest little guy ever! Ryan was born with bilateral CL/CP 3rd degree, needing MAJOR repairs. This will be Ryan's 5th surgery. He's such a little trooper. He left with daddy this morning with a big smile on his face and a backpack full of Thomas the Tank trains. Mike loves taking him for his surgeries, I guess it's his time to bond. So, off my boys went in the rain this AM. Now I sit and wait for updates...and Mike is NOT good at updating! It's going to be a LONG DAY!

Our Little COOKIE Made It!!!

She did it! It came today! The one day she didn't get the mail at noon. Meg's been stalking the mail carrier since the last day of school. Tonight Meg and I went to JoAnn's for more craft stuff (don't even ask about it). When we got home, I went to the mailbox (she's afraid to go in the dark, it's only at the end of the driveway). Guess what was there 6 weeks early? HER ACCEPTANCE LETTER !!! YEP! Our smart little Cookie made it into the Pre-Quantum Leap Program at the middle school! (gifted of the gifted) We are SO proud of her!!! She will stay with the same class all through Middle School then go on to the Quantum Leap program at the HS.

Meg is SO excited. She's putting the letter in her scrapbook and has already emailed her 5th grade teacher to give her the good news. Now she REALLY can't wait for school to begin!!

LET'S TALK ADOPTION

We are waiting for our "Official Referral" any day now and I'm going CRAZY! I can't stay away from the computer. I'm checking every 5 minutes for an email from my agency so I can post her pictures!!!! Who am I kidding? I check for an email every time I walk past my bedroom. She's SOOO CUTE! Poor Maizie has no name yet, but she sure has brothers and sisters loving her and wanting her home, not to mention a mom and dad anxious to get the last of their brood under one roof. Well, at least all in the same country :)
What can I tell you about Maizie? Well, she is very tiny, so the measurements say, will be 6 soon, and just got a REALLY short haircut. She has been told she has a family and cries for her mommy and daddy to come get her.
Her package arrived last week and she liked what we sent, but cried and cried because she thought she was going home that day! POOR BABY!!! My heart is breaking for her.

No, I haven't started my "stuff" yet, the kids were in the pool all morning. But nap time is coming and then I'm definitely starting. If I don't get movin' soon, I'll be traveling alone, and although that's not so bad, Maizie wants to meet her daddy.
OK, I'm off to tackle the nap time tears, then off to the "STUFF" for some fun!!!

Another Monday Morning

Good morning Friends. Another week stares us in the face. What surprises are in store for us ? I pray it's all good news!
Thanks everyone for leaving comments. I love them! Mike says Thank-you for the Father's Day wishes. He had a "GREAT" day..poor guy, I had a big "honeydew" list for him. WELL....he never gets a day off and things have piled up around here. Things I Can't do..you know, like changing the light bulbs in the outside fixtures, hanging big pictures, moving china cabinets. So, he was working yesterday. The girls all called and Michelle came over with her family and we had dessert together. Key Lime Pie and a Chocolate Football Cake.

Now for my "STUFF". It has made it's way to the dining room, which is now my craft room since there are lots of little bodies in lots of little beds in the rooms that used to be my craft room, office, and exercise rooms. SO..... I'm crafting today!!!

Have you seen the price of food? I think we will start eating MONEY, IT'S CHEAPER!!!
I bought EDY's Ice Cream yesterday, it was on sale..3 for $10. Now I know why...they are the tiniest containers I have ever seen. Food is shrinking gals! I remember when you bought ice cream in half gal. containers and that was standard. I better start paying attention!
Have a GREAT week!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

THE PARTY STARTED WITHOUT ME!!!

My "STUFF" is still in my room, and I had Poundcake for breakfast! So much for my fundraising AND my diet :(

Let's get This PARTY Started!!

GOOD MORNING!!!



Schools OUT! Summer's HERE! Let's get MOOVIN'!

It's time to buckle down and get to work!! The kids are ready for a summer of fun in the sun. The pool is calling them. Well, all except Meg who is counting down the days till school starts again. She's already emailed her teacher twice. I bought her a big LADYBUG scrapbook Friday night. She already has it filled and decorated!! I should teach her how to do crafts. Hey, good idea! She can help me with my "STUFF".



Oh ya, My "STUFF" That's my pet name for my Fundraising Items for our adoption. UGH, I'm NOT a fundraiser...I like to CHARGE things...But this adoption came out of nowhere and it's a CASH deal. ( sorta used the CC for 5 other adoptions) OH NO...3 months for that kind of $$$? WHAT was I thinking? Obviously, I wasn't. Mike will tell you that...He tells ME that every chance he gets :( Well, I've done pretty well so far. All I need now is travel $$$...So, out comes the "STUFF".



Now, I've been a crafter for years and years..but for fun. Oh, those were the days. I actually had a room for my crafting..lets see, there are 2 little girls sleeping in that room now... Anyhow, I used to sell my things at craft shows, and did pretty well too. Then I stopped and Mike threw everything out! YEP, all my leftover things, in the trash...seems 2 boxes in the attic were "bothering" him. MEN!



So, I need to get started. Ya, I said that a month ago. Everything is still sitting in boxes. But we could travel as early as 6 weeks from now so I NEED TO START...

I'm hoping to at least get things out of the box tonight and start tomorrow. Monday is always a good day to start isn't it? Maybe I'll start a diet too! HA! HA! I would REALLY be miserable wouldn't I? Hungry, trying to make my "STUFF", 5 kids running around fighting and crying and whining about going into the "BIG" pool. Oh YA, I can already envision my day tomorrow. Hmmm, Do I have another CC somewhere?



OK, Tonight's the night. By hook or by crook, I'm getting my "STUFF" out.



Oh, What's my "STUFF" you ask? It's only the CUTEST sandals, hairbows, and beaded sox! Wait till you see them!!!

The sandals are SWEET! I'll post the pics here when I get a few done :) You're gonna LOVE them!!!



I'm tired already..............................

NOT TO BE OUTDONE BY THE BOYS.....

Meg and Sara
Megan got all A's on her report card today, is on the "A" Honor roll, and got the President's GOLD Award for Educational Excellence. What a smart little cookie! She is waiting for a letter of acceptance from the Middle School this summer for the Pre-Quantum Leap Program. It's the gifted of the gifted classes. The school is choosing 25 incoming 6th graders for the program. Meg had to write an essay last month to be considered and they also look at her FCAT scores. She had a 98 on her math NRT test, so I'm thinking she'll get in. Well, I sure hope she does, because she will be one dissappointed little girl if she doesn't. She lives for school. Today was the last day of 5th grade..she has already made a calendar to countdown summer vacation. She can't wait for school to start again!
How far she has come in the 3 years she has been home. From that screaming, tantrum throwing little girl who refused to speak to us for 6 months, to this beautiful, sweet young lady. I sure am one lucky mama.

ANOTHER GRADUATION

Isn't he CUTE?? My little man graduated from Pre-K yesterday. He was SO proud of himself, and so excited because we were all there to watch! What a little sweetie he is :)

He had a fantastic teacher for the past 2 years. Miss Sue is wonderful. She will be Austin's teacher in the fall. Watch Out Miss Sue!

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION!!!!!

Today was a day of CELEBRATION!!!!

Our Grandson Ben Graduated High School this weekend!

Way to Go Ben!! We are SOOOO Proud of you!!!

This was a lot of hard work for Ben. You see, Ben is autistic. He worked SO hard at school and did such a great job! All his family here in South Florida came to help him celebrate today. We all had Ben's favorite foods :) all made by the loving hands of his mom, Michelle. Baked Ziti, Chicken Parm and garlic bread. It was Ben's day to SHINE!!

We love you SO much Ben!!!!!!

Grandma & Grandpap

BACK TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING!

I'm back!
Man, we've been sick here. Ear infections, sinus infections, strep throats, bronchitis, you name it, we had it! Oh to get out of the house would be wonderful. It's been 2 weeks of pure H*ll here. Sick kids are no fun, and neither are sick mommies and daddies. We have a few lingering coughs and tears, but I think we are on the road to recovery, finally!
Now to get some important work done on the adoption front!

WHAT DAY IS TODAY????????

Oh ya, it's Tuesday.

We have all been sick for so long :( Ryan started last Tuesday night with an ear infection, then was out of school the rest of the week. That weekend he started coughing. Well, the "A" team wasn't going to be outdone by Ryan, so they decided to get it too. Then poor Meg, who REFUSES to miss any school, got it Sunday night. Paisley waited till Monday .
I am up to my ears in runny noses, coughing, and fevers! Not to mention crying, clingy babies.
Oh, but Mr. Ryan had another trick up his sleeve. He slept with us all week and coughed in our faces :( Yep, mommmy and daddy are sicker than the kids :(
To make matters worse, the smoke is awful from the fires in the Everglades. When you're awake at 5 AM wondering thru your house smelling smoke, you know it's time for your hubby to seal the windows and doors better. HOME DEPOT this weekend! ( If we have the strength).

And if I could just get up the strength to get to the garage, I could find my duct tape!!! Paisley and Austin are ready for potty training! I keep finding dry diapers and puddles of PEE all over the floors!
And why won't anyone take any naps? I would LOVE a nap. These little "darlings" get into more stuff sick than when they are well.

I hear someone in my china cabinet...

SOFTBALL

Softball is over until fall :)
That's all I have to say about that!

THE POLL WORKED !!

I don't like ANY of those names now :(

Back to the baby names online.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Check out my Slide Show!

From this NON-MOMMY

I'm sure many of you adoptive moms have seen all the posts about the TODAY show and labeling us adoptive moms NON-MOMS. Well, THIS "NON-MOM" walked into her son's Pre-K class for the Mother's Day Tea, and saw my little guy just light up when he saw me walk thru that door. "THAT'S MY MOMMY!! THAT'S MY MOMMY!!" he said over and over. He couldn't stop grinning and waving and announcing to the room that HIS mom was here. Oh, I had tears in my eyes, he is just the sweetest little boy. I am so thankful Mike could take off some time today to watch the "little monkeys" so Ryan and I could share today.
Now we're off to the fields for Softball awards.

Mother's Day Tea

I'm leaving in a few minutes to meet Ryan in his Pre-K classroom. They are hosting a Mother's Day Tea for all the moms. NO siblings! Mike is taking a long lunch to babysit the "little darlings".
It's been no small feat getting ready to go. Paisley is laying in the hall screaming, Austin is carrying around the mac and chees box, and Amy, well, if you know Amy, you know she is up to something.
I thought I would take a quick shower this AM. Apparently NOT quick enough! Darling little Amy decided to search and FIND the permanent markers. You know the ones, the Sharpies we all bought before we had little ones in our homes. Ya, those! So, I'm in the shower, Miss P is knocking on the door "OPEN THE DOOR...OPEN THE DOOR" She's 18 months and talks almost as well as Amy. So, here I come, out of the shower and what do I see? A BLACK & GREEN baby! Nice work Amy. Amy is hiding in her room. Paisley left her artwork ALL OVER MY BATHROOM, and herself. At least there's KILLS primer in the garage. It hides everything!!
Gotta run...

TAX STIMULUS PKG. & ADOPTION TAX CREDIT

For all my adoption friends who used their Adoption Tax Credit.. Did you realize we are being gyped out of $$$? Yep, that's right. Our stimulus checks will be $300 EACH, LESS!! NOT FAIR!!! I'm loosing $600 :(
So, actually, we are being penalized for using the benefit given to us by our gov. for adopting! THAT FIGURES!!

OK ...We got a CRAZY POLL

Well, I went to look at the POLL after I posted it wasn't working...and it wasn't working. But, then I read the results ( Madeline is catching up fast) and then went back to VOTE ( no, I didn't vote) and it's WORKING! Go Figure! Maybe that's the secret, check out the results, THEN go vote??

The POLL isn't working :(

Well friends, my POLL isn't working right now. I guess it has something to do with BLOGGER. Please come back and try again later. Your votes are IMPORTANT to me :)
Thank-you

ETHIOPIA and RUSSIA

2 Of my friends are adopting again!

K. just received a referral for 2 beautiful girls from Ethiopia! They are 6 & 8 and such happy girls. That will make 6 children for them, and still counting :) What a beautiful bouquet of smiles she will wake up to each morning :)

C. has decided to adopt from Russia! She will be adopting an older girl sometime next year.

ooohhh.. Mike's family is from Russia. What a trip that would be! Sadly, we won't be traveling to Russia, or Ethiopia for that matter. But how exciting for them!!!

Now that I'm calmed down

Now that I've stopped screaming wth joy, and have calmed down, I can post. Yes, even a grandma and mom to 10 gets super excited over being logged in. We beat the July 1 deadline!! WOW, GOD's timing is just perfect, isn't it? What a great Mother's Day gift.

YIPPEE KI YAA !!!

WE ARE LOGGED IN BABY!!!!!!!

SWEET DREAMS

While we are sleeping, our dossier will be logged in at the DIA in Hanoi. One step closer to our little Love.
Goodnight...........

NEW POLL

Help us choose her name!

Mike and I can't agree on a name for our last daughter. Come help us decide. Vote for your top 3 choices in our poll. I love traditional names, but I also like a little "crazy" names too. That's how Paisley Jane got her name :) I think it's so cute!
Anyhow, we need this little girl to have a name. This is what we were told about her.... She's very pretty, is PRISSY , GIRLY, and BOSSY. Sounds like she'll fit right in :)
OH, and if you have a cute name I haven't thought of, tell me!
Thanks.

Her Package is Sent!

"Maizie's" package is on it's way! Ouch! Postage is expensive! Mike just left the post office and all her goodies will be there soon. We sent her ... a photo album of course, and a pink sparkly T -shirt, Princess phone ( every girl needs at least one), sidewalk chalk, crayons and coloring books with stickers, bracelets, hair bows ( gotta start making mine), magnadoodle, ball, big plastic jax, a talking pink baby My Little Pony with a pacifier and a big bag of lollipops to share. I think there were some other things in there too, but I can't remember what they were.
Next up.....need to decide on her NAME.

SOFTBALL is OVER

They LOST the game last night. It was UGLY...ALOT to NUTHIN', UGH, what a way to end the season. Of course Meg doesn't have a clue as to why the girls on her team are all so upset. She just had FUN. She's been home from China 3 years now and this is her second season of softball. She has a great time. I think she might have hit the ball 3 times :) Although she got to first base many more times, she seems to always get in the way of the pitch! Awards are Friday night.. She asked if it was going to be the same trophy as last season. We'll see. And I'll post a pic :)

WOO-HOO

Doin'the HAPPY DANCE here!!!
Our I-171 came today!!!
It's already Faxed to our agency and hopefully we will be logged in by the end of the week. Then it's "Official Referral" time and PICTURES and NAME and BIRTHDATE!
PRAISE GOD!!!!!

TUESDAY

Good Morning!

Something's burning :( I guess it's the Everglades. It was supposed to be a glorious sunny day, but we are smoke filled this morning.

The "A" team's Boo-Boos are all healed and they are off and running this morning. Scaring each other with rubber gloves.

Poor Ryan, we got up late this morning and he was still chewing breakfast as he ran to the bus.

Woke up to an email about the rained out game. We play tonight at 6PM and if we win, we play again at 7:30. So much for watching the Indiana Primary results. I was looking forward to sitting down and watching tonight. OH, Did I tell you I'm a FOX NEWS Junkie? Although I do like MORNING JOE now.

It's too quiet, I gotta run............

My Little MONKEY'S Strike Again!

Well, They just can't be good for 5 minutes!
Meg had her last softball game of the season tonight ( got rained out so we will have one more) It's the play-offs, her team lost their first game so they have one more try. Anyhow, I was getting sippy cups ready to go and doing the dinner dishes before leaving (never got them finished) and all of a sudden I hear tremendous SCREAMING coming from Ryan and Austin's room. ALL 4 Monkey's are in there and the door is closed. Now, I'm a multi-tasker, I was also on the phone with my sister Jan. So, I go to their room planning on telling them to "calm down" and was shocked with what I saw when I opened their door! There were the 4 of them screaming and crying in the middle of the room and the HEAVY triple dresser knocked over, tipped and laying against the bunk bed ( thank GOD the bed was in the way) all the drawers hanging open touching the floor with the clothes still neatly folded in them. Well, my heart stopped as I scanned the room for 4 intact children, I screamed "gotta go" to Jan and threw the phone on the bed. It took forever to push the dresser back upright and of course some of the drawers are broken. Mr. Austin has "boo-boo's" on his leg and Amy has one on her face. The 2 climbers!! I can't even trust them in the bedroom now. They were supposed to be watching Peter Pan. I guess I'll have to tie them to me from now on and they can help me clean.

JOY Comes in the Morning

Good Morning! No, I should say GREAT morning!!!!!

I woke up to the BEST news I could hear!!! I woke up to an email from my agency's facilitator in Vietnam. Oh what wonderful news she sent. As you know we are playing "Beat the Clock" with BCIS and the DIA in Vietnam. We need our dossier logged in BEFORE July 1 in order to bring our sweet girl home. We are waiting for ONE piece of paper, and once we get it, we have to send it "here and there" to get checked and rechecked :) you know how paperwork goes...well, she said Vietnam will accept a FAXED copy until the original gets there. WHEW! We are going to make the deadline!!! PRAISE GOD!!!! It's all working out in HIS timing :)

I think I'll go shopping! She also said our sweetie likes things that make her look pretty, and another girl in her orphanage got a really cute shirt from her mommy and she would like to have one too. I don't know what that shirt looks like, but the "little darlings" and I will be going to Target to get the most "glitzy" T-shirt we can find, and some hair bows, and oh, I think I can think of a hundred girly things to send :)

Have a GREAT day today, I know I will!

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING :)

Good morning friends.


I just realized, after seeing how many visitors I have on my BLOG, most people don't know anything about us. So..... Let me give you a little view into our world.


First, and MOST important, Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I love my Lord and try to follow His lead. Although sometimes I get impatient and try to do things MY way...never works out.


I love children, I love crafts, I LOVE Disney World, I HATE housework, but I love doing laundry, go figure! I hate cooking too. I like to order in :)


I absolutley love, love, love, living in South Florida. The weather is gorgeous, shopping and health care are minutes away, schools are great and we are so multicultural here. All my children fit so well into the area. They have friends they can relate to and don't feel they stand out and are different.


Mike and I met in college in 1969. He had just returned from serving 4 years in Vietnam. Mike was in the NAVY on the Naval Carrier USS INTREPID. We were married in 1970. Yep! 38 years this Sept.


We raised 5 daughters and have 16 grandchildren. Our married children are scattered throughout the US., Florida, North Carolina, and Colorado.


After an empty nest for about 10 years, in 2004 I felt GOD leading me to adoption. God has placed orphans on my heart and I will comtinue to help them until my last breath. We may be done adopting since there are no more empty beds and no more seats in our SUV, but we will find another way to help. We now have 2 children from China, one from Guatemala and 3 from Vietnam, well # 3 is patiently waiting for us in Vietnam and we are hoping to travel to Vietnam sometime this summer to bring her home. Vietnam is closing to all US adoptions so we are playing "Beat The Clock" right now.


So, 11 children. Who would have ever thought? Hmmm.... I think an even dozen would be perfect! GOD? What do you think? Want to send someone else our way? We're always open to children needing a home and have more than enough love. Of course $$ better come along with #12 if you should decide to send him or her our way :)


OK, I guess that's enough info for installment #1. I hear some "little darlings" are into the popcicles AGAIN.... gotta run ..............

I THINK WE ALL NEED THIS TODAY

Good friends are like stars.........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there
Remember yesterday, dream about tomorrow, but live for today.
How quickly the years pass

Tips for the ladies in year 2008

1. Aspire to be Barbie - the bitch has everything.
2. If the shoe fits - buy one in every colour.
3. Take life with a pinch of salt... A wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila.
4. In need of a support group? - Cocktail hour with the girls!
5. Go on the 30 day diet. (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days).
6. When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no menopause and this is just your personality.
8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here.....
9. Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.
10. Don't get your knickers in a knot, it solves nothing; and makes you walk funny.
11. When life gives you lemons in 2008 - turn it into lemonade then mix it with vodka.
12. Remember every good looking; sweet, single male is someone-else's ex-boyfriend!
Now smile and send to any girl who might need a reason to smile!