So many things to be greatful for...

Taken from my van window

This is the view from my front yard!

These are some of the most beautiful things in my life!! And I am so thankful for them! I have so many more but these are jut a few I thought I would share. My last few posts have been on the bad things going on and when things start to go that way I get side track sometimes and forget to look and feel the wonderful things around me! Yes things don't always go the way we would like them to, but I am grateful to be reminded gently by my Lord of all the things I have to be grateful for! Just look at that sky! Today I can be disappointed that the updated home study will not get to USICS until Monday(we hope). Tuesday was the day we should have gotten our approval. Which means this was at least a week set back. BUT Today I am able to look past my disappointment and not let it cloud the beautiful things in my life!

Deb

Not at peace, but much more peaceful!

It is being worked on. That is about all I can say. But today I am much calmer about it. I wasn't yelling and screaming but I felt the anxiety building and got very emotional. I can not do any thing to change it. It is a small set back (we hope!) BUT as I told Nicole each small set back adds up to a little girl in China bonding with a family I have to go and take her from. So I see these small set backs a bit bigger!
I just hope the people who do adoptions day in and day out don't loose sight of this. I just get so frustrated with all the red tape. We just went through all this less than 3 years ago. Well No I take that back MOST of it they have added things!!

The Lord is faithful and answered my prayer! He has given me comfort I really thought today I would be on pins and needles. But I wasn't and I am still ok even though I would have like them to have gotten it done today.
It is God or get the padded room ready :)
<><

how did this happen? I am so not happy...

I tell myself over and over it is in Gods time and I know it is and it will all work out, BUT I am so
????
I don't even know Mad, Sad, PISSED,worried, overwhelmed?

Nicole call and said we have to have your agency make changes to your home study ASAP... e-mail them to me so I can check them then overnight it to us. I am not sure how it got passed our review people before it went out.
I am really upset and will not say all the things playing through my head. I will wait until tomorrow...

My home study agency's office is closed for the day...

Lord Please give me comfort and rest ;(

Frokable Punch!

Is it the feeling I have in my stomach after getting the mail today?

I was flipping through it and what do I see... an envelope from USCIS! Could it be our approval already????

But wait the paper inside is pink???

It is not our approval ;(

... it is a RFE a Request for Additional Evidence...

Really???

Is it necessary we have done this adoption thing once already?

And about a month ago my agency sent me an e-mail saying I would be receiving an RFE and they handled it by sending our original home study.



To answer the question No it is not the feeling in my stomach but it sure feels like it!

Is it a secret move from my super hero book cover clad banshees??

No...

So what is Frokable Punch ?



Just the flavor kool-aid Kai asked for the other day!

(tropical punch)





I am so trying to stay positive! I did get an e-mail Friday saying that we still have no update and they are going to contact the in China facilitator and see if she will push the orphanage for one. I pray we hear something soon!!!!

Fingerprints done!

We went Downtown today for our fingerprints. To most people this would not be a good thing, for us it is the last thing we need before our Dossier goes to China! I e-mailed AAC and Nicole said it takes about 2 weeks to get approval back once we have our fingerprints. Then they will send the approval to get certified and authenticated expedited and then Dossier is off to China!! My question was when do you think our dossier will be sent. I am not sure that answers my question but I will take any info at this point! What I do know is it takes about 6 weeks to get the other papers cert. and authen., so if it is expedited maybe half that time??? Are we still 5 weeks away from our dossier being sent to China??? uuhhgg

16 years??

On one hand I cant believe it has been 16 years and on the other I am not sure I remember not being married or at least life before Mike! As I looked for a picture to post I was surprised by a few things...

I have not looked at these pictures in years (I am glad I did not order a bunch!)

My, I think everyone in these pictures has gained at least 30lbs. (and a few wrinkles)

Hair colors have changed (some lighter, some darker, some fewer)

The pictures I loved back then are not the ones I love today!

How exciting it will be one day to see my daughter married!

When I look at this picture I see excitement happiness playfulness and probably some nervousness. While we still have these things, they have changed as the years have pasted. Our relationship is always changing. For some time now we have gotten away from dates and I am going to work on this this year. We tend to be excited about different things at this point in our lives and it is OK. We have happiness and playfulness with our kids (need to work on our playfulness! hint hint: dates ) And of course I have nervousness each time those motorcycles start up!

When we married we said our vows and meant them. But now we have God and Faith in our marriage. We go through plenty of rough patches!!!! Owning a business together and being polar opposites make for some tough things but it also make me realize how strong our marriage must be, look at what we have been through and what we have accomplished.

I love you Mike!!!

ok enough serious stuff

I so wanted to write I love you man!

You know what else I see when I look at that picture my mom and aunts!! I look so much like them. And now even more!!! As for this picture it displays each of our 30lbs!

I really wanted this to be a romantic post but it just wasn't workin out! Better start taken me on some dates buddy!

Happy anniversary!

Godsend...

I have to tell you about this...

Yesterday we were looking for whiteboard tape for a large project at work. I was at home and was looking online to see if I could find a better price than what we had. I did a google search on whiteboard tape and clicked on each link to check prices I got to the last link on the page and clicked on it...

Godsend a whiteboard manufacturer where?? Bao'an district Shenzhen Guandong China

What are the chances of that???

This is where Lily is!

God send!

Thank you Lord! I needed that =)


Would it be asking to much for an update soon???