Moving Right Along

Our new homestudy is close to being done! We have gathered all the extra paperwork and are just sitting tight. Our new homestudy agency is working out great (in conjunction with our original agency). We have really been blessed with amazing, qualified people helping us pull this all together so quickly. Hopefully soon our new homestudy will be on its way and we will be back where we started...the waiting game. Never thought I would say this, but can't wait to be waiting again!!!

On other news, my kitchen ceiling has water coming through!!!!! I have a plumber coming out later. I have no idea how much damage this will do to my wallet. :(

Some Good News

I just found out today that our home study crisis is coming to an end! An approved agency is going to add my social worker to their agency as a contracted employee. They will be able to use our original home study, but just tweek a few things to make it fit their format. I don't know about cost yet, but I'm sure there's a fee. Our post placement visits will be done by our original social worker. That makes me soooo happy! We have been so blessed to have her. She has gone the extra mile for us and we truly appreciate it!!! I will post more when I know more. I am waiting for a couple phone calls to clarify things. For now, I hope all the other families (and there is a ton of them!) affected by this will get the help they need.

International Adoption = STRESS

Things are never easy with international adoption! We found out on Friday that a list was released from MOE (Ministry of Education-agency in Russia that handles adoption) that listed Home Study agencies that they would NOT except anymore. Of course our agency was on there...a wonderful agency! This all means that our home study (huge document that took about 5 months to complete and lots of money) has to be redone by another agency! We were all hoping this list was bogus, but I just found out that it is very real. Our Adoption agency has been working on finding us a home study agency that would be willing to basically print out our original home study on their letterhead. We have to just sit, wait and pray that this works out quickly. I have no idea what this will do to our time line. Hopefully it won't prolong us getting our referral. When these setbacks happen, I try to analyze everything. Is this God's way of seeing if we truly want this and are willing to persevere or is adoption not His plan for us??? I have to try to keep the faith in all of this. When I think about not moving forward and giving up, I feel so utterly sad! Hopefully this is just a blip on the screen and when we finally get our baby girl home, we won't even remember this!

P.S. In case I do forget and try to start another adoption, someone please stop me!!!!

Skiing at Spring Mountain

We finally got ourselves skiing this year! I don't know where the winter went! The boys both did fantastic. The skiing conditions weren't ideal - lots of ice and man made snow - but we actually became a "skiing family" today. We would ride the lift up and ski down without stopping for a victim of the hill! By the end of the night, it was Brad and I that had to keep up with Nate and Aidan. Aidan really became a dare devil this year and had that look on his face when he got off the lift...the "I'm gonna beat you down the mountain" look.

Nate tried poles for the first time! He was a little dangerous to those around him at first. Especially on the lift when he would hold the poles upside down by your face! He got the hang of them and really enjoyed using them!

This was actually an action shot taken early in the evening. Not the traditional way of skiing, but creative!

Brad and Aidan lookin' stylin!

A Little Luck From The Ladybug

Who couldn't use a little luck, right? Well, I'll take whatever I can get. I posted before about the Ladybug Myth. When you see a ladybug, a referral is coming. My mom and sister were both on separate vacations recently and brought me back gifts. My mom bought me a crystal nail file with a ladybug painted on it and my sister, Denise, went to New Orleans and found ladybug beads. Now I believe the myth means real, live ladybugs, but if I have to wear those beads every day, I will!!! It was so sweet of them to think of us. Maybe the ladybugs will bring us a little good luck :)
I never even heard of a crystal nail file...but it is amazing!

Lip Sync 2009

Last night was the boys' school's Lip Sync show. It was fantastic! There were 57 brave acts! Nate and Aidan were both really nervous, but got up there and did great! I'm always amazed how these kids get up in front of so many people and dance and sing! We had a great time and now I'm glad it's over! Too much practice, costumes and prop making! :)
I'l have to get Brad to upload a video (I can't do that yet!), but here are some pictures.
Aidan's group (Jack, Aidan, Luke, Julie and Adam) did...can you guess???

The Village People's YMCA!!!

Nate and his friend, Harrison did the Beach Boys' Surfin USA. Right now all we have are pictures because there was a video glitch and somehow we have a bunch of acts on video, except poor Nate's!

Here they are in action!