14 days left to get in on the raffle! There are some pretty cool prizes going on around here
Mary Kay
Scentsy
Wild Olive
Wheat & Wildflowers
147 Million Orphans tee
and the list goes on!
Check it out here! And thank you to everyone that has donated! We are incredibly blessed! We are still short of needed funds but we are holding a big yard sale tomorrow! Please pray that it will be successful!
And standby for Joey in motion! I'm trying to get his video uploaded as well...it is cuteness overload I'm tellin ya!
I'm off to the garage....my second home the last few days...sort, price, sort, price, sort, go potty, price, sort....
Friday, October 1, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I'm still here! I'm still here!
Sheesh! What a week!
John had to leave town for work..beaches of Normandy anyone?...then he came back...I love it when he comes back!
Garage sale stuff is a little overwhelming to me at the moment.....
I have chosen denial.
When your two car garage is absolutely filled with mounds of stuff that you have four days to sort through before strangers ring your bell at 4am, I have found it tis best to just close the door and live in denial.
True story.
Thankfully a dear friend of mine is coming into town on Friday todrag me out of la-la land and get it done help me out..praise the Lord for that!
LSC's are signed and headed to their next stop!
Care packages for the boys were mailed......and please no one tell my husband how much it cost to mail them...
...my jaw is still on the floor at the post office.
We had our first cold snap...and now there are a few ants trying to make a new home in our house.
I am nesting like a crazy woman which makes the aforementioned ant invasion even less appealing.
Our computers have decided to not cooperate with anything....which makes an online driven homeschool curriculum all the more challenging.....
..not to mention...gasp!....my blog reading and writing!
Priorities after all! Eat-Pray-Blog-Love.....though not in that order.
And I start a new Bible study tonight that I CANNOT WAIT to tell you about.
Our "average of 12 week wait" from now until we land in China time clock has started! Tick tock! Tick tock!
Off to procure more caffeine from my BFF...the coffee pot.
Toddles!
John had to leave town for work..beaches of Normandy anyone?...then he came back...I love it when he comes back!
Garage sale stuff is a little overwhelming to me at the moment.....
I have chosen denial.
When your two car garage is absolutely filled with mounds of stuff that you have four days to sort through before strangers ring your bell at 4am, I have found it tis best to just close the door and live in denial.
True story.
Thankfully a dear friend of mine is coming into town on Friday to
LSC's are signed and headed to their next stop!
Care packages for the boys were mailed......and please no one tell my husband how much it cost to mail them...
...my jaw is still on the floor at the post office.
We had our first cold snap...and now there are a few ants trying to make a new home in our house.
I am nesting like a crazy woman which makes the aforementioned ant invasion even less appealing.
Our computers have decided to not cooperate with anything....which makes an online driven homeschool curriculum all the more challenging.....
..not to mention...gasp!....my blog reading and writing!
Priorities after all! Eat-Pray-Blog-Love.....though not in that order.
And I start a new Bible study tonight that I CANNOT WAIT to tell you about.
Our "average of 12 week wait" from now until we land in China time clock has started! Tick tock! Tick tock!
Off to procure more caffeine from my BFF...the coffee pot.
Toddles!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Air Force Wife 101
Ok so my fellow AF wives and I apparently have a lot of junk stuff.
Scratch that.
We don't have a lot ofjunk stuff...we just move
a lot.
And the curtains that fit in your house in California...
probably won't fit in your house in Delaware.
And that marble bakers rack that your husband brought home from Turkey fit just fine in North Dakota...
...but not so much in Washington DC.
And those full size beds that your kids had in Colorado,
are going to have to be traded in for twin bunk beds in Illinois.
And all of those kids that fit just fine in your base house in Arizona...
now have no room in Florida.
Ok, just kidding...we make room for our kiddos...but the junk...and stuff that no longer works in whenever the world we all are now, well
it's
got
to
go.
Because soon enough big giant men employed by the local moving company will ring your doorbell at 7am and begin packing all of your worldly possessions including the contents of your underwear drawer and load them up on a giant truck headed to your new destination. Where you will put on a pretty dress and an even prettier smile and meet and greet and start your world all over again because that man you married? Well, he's a brave man. A hero who serves and manages within a week to fly into a war zone and two days later coach a Little League game. Yeah. I love him.
So when I recently put out the neighborhood call for donations for our garage sale fundraiser to my fellow AF wife posse
well....
here...let me just show you.
Yeah.
Aren't they awesome?
Anyone need a vacuum?
Or another vacuum?
Or a bag or 50 of...well, of something.
I haven't even begun to go through it all yet.
Please do take note of the pile's close proximity to THE CEILING OF THE GARAGE.
Gracious that's alotta stuff!
I'm thinking that tagging each individual item....is totally out.
only because I'd like to finish sometime before the age of 65.
So my current plan is pricing categories!
Whatcha think?
Scratch that.
We don't have a lot of
a lot.
And the curtains that fit in your house in California...
probably won't fit in your house in Delaware.
And that marble bakers rack that your husband brought home from Turkey fit just fine in North Dakota...
...but not so much in Washington DC.
And those full size beds that your kids had in Colorado,
are going to have to be traded in for twin bunk beds in Illinois.
And all of those kids that fit just fine in your base house in Arizona...
now have no room in Florida.
Ok, just kidding...we make room for our kiddos...but the junk...and stuff that no longer works in whenever the world we all are now, well
it's
got
to
go.
Because soon enough big giant men employed by the local moving company will ring your doorbell at 7am and begin packing all of your worldly possessions including the contents of your underwear drawer and load them up on a giant truck headed to your new destination. Where you will put on a pretty dress and an even prettier smile and meet and greet and start your world all over again because that man you married? Well, he's a brave man. A hero who serves and manages within a week to fly into a war zone and two days later coach a Little League game. Yeah. I love him.
So when I recently put out the neighborhood call for donations for our garage sale fundraiser to my fellow AF wife posse
well....
here...let me just show you.
Yeah.
Aren't they awesome?
Anyone need a vacuum?
Or another vacuum?
Or a bag or 50 of...well, of something.
I haven't even begun to go through it all yet.
Please do take note of the pile's close proximity to THE CEILING OF THE GARAGE.
Gracious that's alotta stuff!
I'm thinking that tagging each individual item....is totally out.
only because I'd like to finish sometime before the age of 65.
So my current plan is pricing categories!
Whatcha think?
Thursday, September 23, 2010
My Prince, the Fed Ex Man
Ya know when you are a little girl you dream of your prince on a white chariot who swoops in, lifts you off of your dainty feet and away you go into Never Never Land
And then you grow up.
And then you grow up and adopt.
And your white chariot dream turns into this
which, upon it's arrival makes your heart pitter-patter,
and it makes your knees buckle.
But then,
your prince emerges from his chariot...
and you swoon.
And instead of a diamond ring,
or a glass slipper
he hands you these.
At which point I got all choked up...
thanked him 400 times more than was necessary,
composed myself
and went into the house.
And then I read the part on the LSC's that say,
"Child's birth parents could not be ascertained."
....and I burst into an ugly cry.
Ugly,
uuuuggggllyyy
cry.
Sheesh! No one warned me that it would say that.
I know that fact of course about their birth parents...
but seeing it there...
hit
me
hard.
I will be ever grateful to those women for choosing life for these boys.
We don't know much
but we know they
chose
life.
And for that we are thankful.
I'm off now to extract the mascara off of my forehead and cheeks.....
I told ya,
ugly cry.
And then you grow up.
And then you grow up and adopt.
And your white chariot dream turns into this
which, upon it's arrival makes your heart pitter-patter,
and it makes your knees buckle.
But then,
your prince emerges from his chariot...
and you swoon.
And instead of a diamond ring,
or a glass slipper
he hands you these.
At which point I got all choked up...
thanked him 400 times more than was necessary,
composed myself
and went into the house.
And then I read the part on the LSC's that say,
"Child's birth parents could not be ascertained."
....and I burst into an ugly cry.
Ugly,
uuuuggggllyyy
cry.
Sheesh! No one warned me that it would say that.
I know that fact of course about their birth parents...
but seeing it there...
hit
me
hard.
I will be ever grateful to those women for choosing life for these boys.
We don't know much
but we know they
chose
life.
And for that we are thankful.
I'm off now to extract the mascara off of my forehead and cheeks.....
I told ya,
ugly cry.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
They're here!! Our LSC's are here!!!
The boys are pretty excited about this news
and so are we!
More soon! Must go triple check the next batch of forms headed to USCIS!
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens.. Ecclesiastes 3:1
and so are we!
More soon! Must go triple check the next batch of forms headed to USCIS!
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens.. Ecclesiastes 3:1
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Un.Bee.Lievable.
After the drama of yesterday with the phone call,
we went home
had dinner
had family time
and then sent the twins up for showers.
And then.
And then I went up to tuck them into bed.
It was at the point at which I was sitting on Jack's bed reading Henry and the Paper Route that I glanced over at Justin who was apparently ignoring my reading in favor of reading his newly purchased book from StuffMart.
And then it hit me.
We. didn't. pay. for. that. book.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
He used to be so young.
So cute.
So innocent.
Just kidding. It wasn't his fault. He had been sitting in the cart the entire time in StuffMart surrounded by groceries, happily reading away. My head was in China and my mouth was making polite conversation with the cashier...
at which point we finished our grocery purchases...
and walked out.
Wow.
I
am
an
awesome
mother.
You guys must understand...I am a rule follower.
I cross the street only in the crosswalk and only at the appointed time even.
I'm tellin ya.
Rule follower. That's me.
So today he and I drove ourselves right back to StuffMart with thestolen book and ever so kindly explained to a cashier our error.
All was forgiven and she thanked us for our honesty.
And to think they are about to entrust two more children into our care.
Yikes.
we went home
had dinner
had family time
and then sent the twins up for showers.
And then.
And then I went up to tuck them into bed.
It was at the point at which I was sitting on Jack's bed reading Henry and the Paper Route that I glanced over at Justin who was apparently ignoring my reading in favor of reading his newly purchased book from StuffMart.
And then it hit me.
We. didn't. pay. for. that. book.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
So cute.
So innocent.
Just kidding. It wasn't his fault. He had been sitting in the cart the entire time in StuffMart surrounded by groceries, happily reading away. My head was in China and my mouth was making polite conversation with the cashier...
at which point we finished our grocery purchases...
and walked out.
Wow.
I
am
an
awesome
mother.
You guys must understand...I am a rule follower.
I cross the street only in the crosswalk and only at the appointed time even.
I'm tellin ya.
Rule follower. That's me.
So today he and I drove ourselves right back to StuffMart with the
All was forgiven and she thanked us for our honesty.
And to think they are about to entrust two more children into our care.
Yikes.
Monday, September 20, 2010
I Hung Up on our Agency.
Yeah.
You read that right.
I actually hung up on our adoption agency today.
I don't know about you but I am a creature of glorious planning.
Let's peak into Sonia's head for a moment shall we?
Ok here goes.
In my head our phone call about these LSC's would come at around 8:30am.
Just as I was wrapping up my quiet time with the Lord, fully engrossed in the Word, a fresh cup of coffee steaming in the cool crispness of the morning in the backyard.
And the phone would ring.
And I would answer the phone at which point flowers would bloom, birds would sing, the heavens would open up and a sunbeam would shine directly down upon me.
Yeah.
It's a big fall from waaaayyy up there in high expectation land.
Instead,
I
hung
up
on
her.
Yeah.
I'm not kidding.
My birds chirping, sunshine moment occurred today instead at exactly 4:38 in the middle of the Stuff-Mart where I was letting Justin pick out a new book as a reward for sleeping through the night for the first time in 3 months.
And that would have been all well and good....
....if I didn't hang up on her.
As I think I mentioned before I gave up my iPhone a few months ago to save $$ for our adoption.
And if we could just stop and explore that for a moment. Here are my thoughts:
Going from no iPhone TO an iPhone.
Glorious.
Going from an iPhone TO NO iPhone...
the exact opposite of glorious.
I now have a cheap, rebuilt,piece of junk phone that barely works and is overly sensitive. If you breathe wrong or blink too many times while handling it, it will malfunction.
It's great fun.
-and now the rest of the story-
So there I was, the middle of Stuff-Mart
4:38pm
and the phone rings.
Thinking it was a teenager of mine requesting that I pick up even more edible provision I was discussing the merits of choosing between a Magic Tree House or a Weird School Book with Justin all the while searching for mypiece of garbage phone amongst the messiest mommy purse you have ever seen.
When...finally....I find it...
and I pulled it out just in time to see our agency's name in the caller ID...
...at which point
I hung up.
I accidentally hung up on my Jessa.
And then as further proof of this phone's awesomeness, I couldn't get it to dial the number back.
Yeah.
Not cool.
Way not cool.
Or as my kids would say...
Epic Fail.
Sooooo, that brings us to this
the update that sweet Jessa was trying to give me before I couldn't apparently be bothered to answer the phone correctly:
Our LSC's were mailed from the CCdoubleA on
September 15th.
At which point a typhoon or something decided to strike China....
Wow.
I think I shall pen a book entitled "How not to lose your mind in the middle of a Chinese adoption where ridiculous things happen to you time and time again."
Catchy no?
So our coveted forms are SOMEWHERE between here and the continent of Asia.
Where exactly?
Well, Jessa's workin on that.
Perhaps next time she calls I will give her the courtesy of...I dunno...maybe answering the phone?
That's what I know.
And if anyone sees my iPhone please tell it that I am so sorry that I disconnected it and that I miss it terribly.
Thank you.
You read that right.
I actually hung up on our adoption agency today.
I don't know about you but I am a creature of glorious planning.
Let's peak into Sonia's head for a moment shall we?
Ok here goes.
In my head our phone call about these LSC's would come at around 8:30am.
Just as I was wrapping up my quiet time with the Lord, fully engrossed in the Word, a fresh cup of coffee steaming in the cool crispness of the morning in the backyard.
And the phone would ring.
And I would answer the phone at which point flowers would bloom, birds would sing, the heavens would open up and a sunbeam would shine directly down upon me.
Yeah.
It's a big fall from waaaayyy up there in high expectation land.
Instead,
I
hung
up
on
her.
Yeah.
I'm not kidding.
My birds chirping, sunshine moment occurred today instead at exactly 4:38 in the middle of the Stuff-Mart where I was letting Justin pick out a new book as a reward for sleeping through the night for the first time in 3 months.
And that would have been all well and good....
....if I didn't hang up on her.
As I think I mentioned before I gave up my iPhone a few months ago to save $$ for our adoption.
And if we could just stop and explore that for a moment. Here are my thoughts:
Going from no iPhone TO an iPhone.
Glorious.
Going from an iPhone TO NO iPhone...
the exact opposite of glorious.
I now have a cheap, rebuilt,
It's great fun.
-and now the rest of the story-
So there I was, the middle of Stuff-Mart
4:38pm
and the phone rings.
Thinking it was a teenager of mine requesting that I pick up even more edible provision I was discussing the merits of choosing between a Magic Tree House or a Weird School Book with Justin all the while searching for my
When...finally....I find it...
and I pulled it out just in time to see our agency's name in the caller ID...
...at which point
I hung up.
I accidentally hung up on my Jessa.
And then as further proof of this phone's awesomeness, I couldn't get it to dial the number back.
Yeah.
Not cool.
Way not cool.
Or as my kids would say...
Epic Fail.
Sooooo, that brings us to this
the update that sweet Jessa was trying to give me before I couldn't apparently be bothered to answer the phone correctly:
Our LSC's were mailed from the CCdoubleA on
September 15th.
At which point a typhoon or something decided to strike China....
Wow.
I think I shall pen a book entitled "How not to lose your mind in the middle of a Chinese adoption where ridiculous things happen to you time and time again."
Catchy no?
So our coveted forms are SOMEWHERE between here and the continent of Asia.
Where exactly?
Well, Jessa's workin on that.
Perhaps next time she calls I will give her the courtesy of...I dunno...maybe answering the phone?
That's what I know.
And if anyone sees my iPhone please tell it that I am so sorry that I disconnected it and that I miss it terribly.
Thank you.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
We've gone big time
Well, we are big time now...
we have a button.
How great is that?!
Big, BIG shout out to Kelly at We are Grafted In for her oh-so-sweet offer to make a button for me...
she knows I'm a technological dork..
and she likes me anyway.
That is true friendship I tell ya.
So grab away! Grab our button and help us spread the word about the amazing miracle that is Jacob & Joseph!
If you post our button to your blog leave me a comment and I'll give you another entry in the raffle! Because...well, because raffles are fun and I want you to win stuff! To see all of the off-the-hook prizes click here!
All Glory to Him
we have a button.
How great is that?!
Big, BIG shout out to Kelly at We are Grafted In for her oh-so-sweet offer to make a button for me...
she knows I'm a technological dork..
and she likes me anyway.
That is true friendship I tell ya.
So grab away! Grab our button and help us spread the word about the amazing miracle that is Jacob & Joseph!
If you post our button to your blog leave me a comment and I'll give you another entry in the raffle! Because...well, because raffles are fun and I want you to win stuff! To see all of the off-the-hook prizes click here!
All Glory to Him
and a big thank you to Kelly!
Now here's to praying for a big, LSC filled week!!
No news
Well, indeed our agency didn't hear anything back when they inquired last week as to the state of the LSC's.
We've hit a wall.
A great big China sized wall.
Did you know that there are big, great walls in China?
Yeah. I know.
But!
But we are still firmly in His grip and have an oddly quiet peace about it.
With each passing weekend in the over 70 days now that we've been waiting we become renewed for what may lie ahead with the upcoming week.
And it sustains us.
HE sustains us.
So we wait and wait and eat ice cream and wait and wait and...well, eat more ice cream and wait.
And of course stare at some outrageously cute pictures of these boys.
Yes.
Yes I do believe Jacob is pretending to be a kangaroo with fish lips. It's a big part of why we are crazy in love with him. ;)
And that's where we are at right now.
Which I'm sure is right where we are supposed to be.
Cease striving and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
We've hit a wall.
A great big China sized wall.
Did you know that there are big, great walls in China?
Yeah. I know.
But!
But we are still firmly in His grip and have an oddly quiet peace about it.
With each passing weekend in the over 70 days now that we've been waiting we become renewed for what may lie ahead with the upcoming week.
And it sustains us.
HE sustains us.
So we wait and wait and eat ice cream and wait and wait and...well, eat more ice cream and wait.
And of course stare at some outrageously cute pictures of these boys.
Yes I do believe Jacob is pretending to be a kangaroo with fish lips. It's a big part of why we are crazy in love with him. ;)
And that's where we are at right now.
Which I'm sure is right where we are supposed to be.
Cease striving and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
Friday, September 17, 2010
Even more prizes!
The goodness just keeps on getting gooder!.......Ok, very bad grammar aside, there are even MORE prizes that have been added! Woot-Woot!
Christian author and speaker Marla Taviano has graciously donated one set of her books!
it would be wrong of me to contribute myself to win some of these prizes right?.....
yes...that would be wrong. Very, very wrong. ;)
Besides I'll stick with my grand prize pictured here:
But seriously, there's some great stuff going on around here!
My friend Jennifer a Mary Kay consultant is giving one winner a chance to order anything Mary Kay at....are you ready for this?....
50% OFF RETAIL. Any order big or small.
That's 50% off of her consultant's price..which is remarkable! She is throwing in free shipping to you as well!
Holla!
Finally, my friend Bobbie, an AdvoCare rep is donating two packages of AdvoCare Spark Energy Drink.
Whew! We are so thankful and CANNOT WAIT to hand out these great prizes on October 15th!
Christian author and speaker Marla Taviano has graciously donated one set of her books!
it would be wrong of me to contribute myself to win some of these prizes right?.....
yes...that would be wrong. Very, very wrong. ;)
Besides I'll stick with my grand prize pictured here:
But seriously, there's some great stuff going on around here!
My friend Jennifer a Mary Kay consultant is giving one winner a chance to order anything Mary Kay at....are you ready for this?....
50% OFF RETAIL. Any order big or small.
That's 50% off of her consultant's price..which is remarkable! She is throwing in free shipping to you as well!
Holla!
Finally, my friend Bobbie, an AdvoCare rep is donating two packages of AdvoCare Spark Energy Drink.
Since 1993, AdvoCare® has been a world-class nutrition company specializing in health and wellness, weight management, vibrant energy and sports performance. AdvoCare Spark is AdvoCare’s best selling product. AdvoCare Spark® Energy Drink mix is a unique multi-nutrient system that's designed to provide nutritionally advanced, long-lasting energy and enhanced mental focus.* Its 21 vitamins, minerals and nutrients work synergistically to give you healthy, balanced energy without making you jittery like other caffeinated beverages. Up for raffle are two(2) boxes of AdvoCare Spark!!
www.advocare.com/0911494 or order or learn more about AdvoCare and our products
Bobbie Mach, AdvoCare advisor
Whew! We are so thankful and CANNOT WAIT to hand out these great prizes on October 15th!
9:30am and nuthin so far
Well, it's 9:33.....
I'm not thinking it was the big news I was hoping for.
Bummer.
I thinking it was no news at all.
Know what that means?
It means we hope for Monday!
Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
And can I just say on a different note how humbled and overwhelmed we are with friends and strangers alike that have seriously stepped up and poured out their emotional and financial support on us?
We
are
blown
away!
Thank you doesn't even seem to be a big enough word to describe our immense gratitude. Please know that you are making a BIG, eternal difference in the lives of these two boys! Thank you so, so much!
We would be so grateful if everyone could please keep spreading the word about our raffle! More prizes are going to be added today! I would make a button to make it easier....but uhhh...I kinda don't have a clue how to do that!
Yep, I'm a dork.
A technological dork.
This I know.
Off to prepare for hubs birthday tonight! Mmmmmm, smores and family game night.
Perfect!
I'm not thinking it was the big news I was hoping for.
Bummer.
I thinking it was no news at all.
Know what that means?
It means we hope for Monday!
Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
And can I just say on a different note how humbled and overwhelmed we are with friends and strangers alike that have seriously stepped up and poured out their emotional and financial support on us?
We
are
blown
away!
Thank you doesn't even seem to be a big enough word to describe our immense gratitude. Please know that you are making a BIG, eternal difference in the lives of these two boys! Thank you so, so much!
We would be so grateful if everyone could please keep spreading the word about our raffle! More prizes are going to be added today! I would make a button to make it easier....but uhhh...I kinda don't have a clue how to do that!
Yep, I'm a dork.
A technological dork.
This I know.
Off to prepare for hubs birthday tonight! Mmmmmm, smores and family game night.
Perfect!
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