Happy New Year!

2011 had alot of good memories and learning experiences. Looking forward to 2012 and all that it has to offer. (Maybe travel approval next week and China soon).
Here's to a new year!

13!

Happy 13th birthday!

It is hard to believe my guy is 13. Chandler is a great big brother, he is brave, and he can make me laugh with his quick wit. I don't want you to grow up, but I do like watching the man you are becoming.

Article 5

Article 5 came today! WooHoo!
Travel approval comes in 2-3 weeks. Guess I better quit procrastinating and get the power of attorney to NY and get my visa. :)

Sassy

Can't you just see the sassy? ;)

CNY

It looks as if Chinese New Year has other plans for my possible travel.
Always a wait and see approach.

NVC Letter

I got my emailed NVC letter. I promptly forwarded that to CCAI. Still hopeful for January travel.

The Crew (The 2011 Version)

A sneak peek at our pictures we had done by NicoleLee Photography. It was a good time. 10 am is definitely a good picture taking time for our family.

Stalking Immigration

I called immigration twice last week. Both times, very nice people on the line. I will call again on Monday or Tuesday. Why am I calling? I am calling to see if they have uploaded Mara's visa info for the consulate in China. They issue a letter saying when they have done that, but I have also been told you can get that letter emailed. (That's what I am shooting for). Heck, its a win win for us both, right? Save a stamp, and I get my next piece of the puzzle faster.

Good things in the mail

On Saturday the mailman rang the doorbell at 8am. I am sure I was a sight to see, he kept saying I am sorry for ringing the bell so early. My express mail package from the Sec of State came in. I must say that I am impressed Ohio! I sent it to you on Tuesday and I got it back on Saturday. I had to have the power of attorney certified since Tim is not traveling. Next up, that piece of paper goes to NY to the Chinese Consulate. Then it comes back to me, I have to take it to China.

When the regular mail ran, my I800 was in it. Woot Woot! I scan a copy and send it to my adoption agency. We are down to a few steps left in this adoption. I will get a letter next, I think the NVC, all of our info will be cabled to China, then Article 5, and at last TA (travel approval).

Guess it's time to get my visa. :)

I800

I emailed the immigration folks, our I800 was approved on 11/15/11. It was put in the mail on 11/16/11. So we are down to just a matter of weeks! Holy cow.

My Motley Crew

Three letters...

L O A !

It came in on Monday. Rushed around like a mad woman on Tuesday filling out immigration paperwork. Wednesday I FedExed that bad boy back to Colorado.

So in 11-15 weeks I should be traveling. ;)

A Letter....

Dear China,
Please send Mara's LOA this week.
Thanks,
Her Anxious Mother

Waiting....

Still waiting for a girl like you............
LOA is not coming this week, Chinese holiday. Hopeful for next week.

August Visitors

August was a busy month, we had Megan stop by from FL (step-daughter) and my parents and sister. (All with in one week of each other). It was crazy and busy, but fun.

First Day of School

We are are now settled into a routine now, well kind of. Turns out I missed the open house for middle school. Oops. I think it will be ok. ;) So now in our home we have a 7th, 2nd, K, and pre-schooler. Mia will continue with early intervention until end of December. Then she will start pre-school at our local school in January.

Update on Mara

So last Friday was a good day. We found out that we are logged in as of 8.12.11. I also got updated info and pictures of her. As always I studied the picture to see clues about our girl. What is she like? What is her personality?She has grown since the last update, she is as big if not bigger than Mia. In this picture I see her with friends, communicating. I love that, since Mara is deaf. I am still hopeful for December travel. (Mara is the one with mushrooms on her shirt).

Delivered

Our dossier was delivered on 8/3/11. Now waiting for the LID (log in date).
Maybe we can travel in December.

BTS

Back to school? Really? Well for me it is. The first week starts out slow; the calm before the storm. Then hang on to your hats, it does not slow down till about October!

The boys don't head back till the 23rd. It will just be Mia and I at home during the day. It will be so lonely and quiet for the both of us.

I have got a pretty big jump on the school supplies shopping (for Carter and Christian). What's with not giving me a 7th grade list till I pay the fees a week before school starts? Do they not know that I am a planner, control freak, and anal? UGH!

Football starts August 8 for Chandler, new cleats this week. New school shoes sometime in August as well. I feel my checkbook starting to weep.

So sad summer is over. It was really the lazy days of summer. We stayed up late, slept in, did a few things on the "honey do" list, and swam.

FedEx tracking

Per Fedex tracking my adoption docs are set to arrive in Colorado tomorrow at 10:23 am. So here's to things moving through smoothly!

Always a snag

I FedExed the adoption paperwork, it got there on Friday. The courier called and said he needed two more pieces of paper. Not a big deal, but that was not on his website as needed. I could not fax or scan them, they had to come in the mail or FedEx. I opted this time to use priority mail. It should be there Monday, then 4 days at the NY consulate, then on to CO, after a look see by CCAI it is onto China baby! I am thinking we will be DTC end of July if all goes well.

Oh Hobby Lobby I do love thee!

Tuesdays Mia goes to Early Intervention, 20 miles from home. Not a big deal, just have to hang out in BG. So what's a girl to do with 2.5 hours on her hands? She shops of course! I have found that their Hobby Lobby is a hidden gem. I mean ours by us is always picked over, but not there!
Two weeks in a row I have scored. Week one 8 baskets for $28 bucks--all part of my extreme office makeover. Week two a mirror that was $149 I bought for $14.99. Not really sure where that lovely will go, but I felt it was a good buy.

Paperwork in Columbus

****Paperwork came back today. 3 DAYS turnaround!!*********

The paperwork made it to Columbus on July 6. Now just waiting on its return.

Since I am off the month of July, I have made myself a nesting/honey do list. Tim looked at it and laughed. Maybe I am being overly ambitious, but there are things that need to be done before I go back to work/kids back to school/Mara comes home. This last week I did absolutely NOTHING. Well I picked up, usual stuff. Man did it feel good to sleep in and get dressed at 2! Monday starts the list....

It came!

My precious paper came today! I can't do anything with it until Tuesday because of the holiday. But YAY, it came.
Tuesday I will get it notarized, go to BG for the county, and then send it on its merry way to Columbus for the state.

So when are you going????

So I hear this question from well meaning friends, family, and such "When are you going?" Short answer-dunno. Mentally I am preparing myself for fall. Any day my beloved I797C will be in the mail. That precious little paper is the hold up right now. Once it gets here; IT'S ON!
It has to be notarized, certified, authenticated--basically local-county-state-Chinese Consulate. I will be paying for FEDEx and a courier to speed this along. There are a few little things that we can do before that all happens. We need some passport pictures made and I have to send CCAI a letter that goes to China.

So basically we are in a holding pattern. It will happen.

Turning 35 Kicked My Booty

Last week I thought I had a toothache or earache. I self-medicated with ibuprofen. It took the edge off. This morning I felt pretty good, I thought I had turned the corner. That is until I tried to spit while brushing my teeth. What in the heck is wrong with my mouth? After a trip to the ER and a CT scan turns out I have Bells Palsy. (I have some antiviral and steroids to take. Also saw that B6 and B12 help, got those too!) Sounds worse than it is. See below:

DefinitionBy Mayo Clinic staff
Bell's palsy occurs when the nerve that controls facial muscles on one side of your face becomes swollen or inflamed. As a result of Bell's palsy, your face feels stiff. Half your face appears to droop, your smile is one-sided, and your eye resists closing.
Bell's palsy can affect anyone, but rarely affects people under the age of 15 or over the age of 60.
For most people, Bell's palsy symptoms improve within a few weeks, with complete recovery in three to six months. About 10 percent will experience a recurrence of Bell's palsy, sometimes on the other side of the face. A small number of people continue to have some Bell's palsy signs and symptoms for life.

Graduation

Christian is officially done with preschool. He will start kindergarten in the fall. He is such a fun kid! He has no filter on what he says, which can get him into hot water sometimes. Sniff, sniff--where does the time go?

Immigration Appt

We officially have a fingerprint appointment; May 31. I am so much more relaxed this time around; kind of like a second pregnancy. I am much more patient with the process.
I do have "things" I want done before travel. Nesting type things; stain the swingset, stain the deck, powerwash the house, plant flowers/shrubs, clean the windows, paint my office and the playroom, get the carpets cleaned, etc.. This list could go on and on.

School is almost out for the boys. It has been a good year for 6th, 1st, and pre-k. Praying that next year will be just as good, if not better.

Lazy

Oh my goodness do I need a swift kick in the behind! I feel so lazy this week. If you were to look at my house, you would know I have plenty to do. You know the drill; laundry, dishes, beds, supper, mopping, and that whole work from home thing too! Maybe I am relishing this calm week before the "Super Bowl" of my school year gets here next week. The madness of that will last well into June. (Testing, Grade Cards, Synopsis for 96 kids).

**USCIS (immigration) cashed my check last week, so that is progress--right?**

Easter

I am a wee bit tardy getting these up here. It has been a busy week workwise. Easter morning we headed out to early church. It was a good service and all the kids did great. Instead of a giant dinner we opted for a BIG breakfast. You know; eggs, bacon, frenchtoast, biscuits and gravy. YUMMY. There was plenty left so the kids snacked on it all day. Can't wait to see what next Easter's family picture looks like with Mara. (I promise that our floors don't slope, it was the whole camera/tripod).

Adoption Progress

Monday I sent the paperwork for our I800A to immigration via FedEx. Now it is just a waiting game. Adoption=hurry up and wait....

Progress

Just got word that our home study is approved. That means Heather can send a copy to immigration (along with a nice check) and a copy goes through the sealing process. I feel like a runner on the starting line waiting for the whistle to blow.

Restless

Do you ever feel restless? I feel restless in many things right now; work and living in Ohio. I feel eager to start new adventures elsewhere with my family. It feels like we are being pulled somewhere else. I have dreams of where I would like us to go. Until I know what God's plans are for us, I will continue to dream and pray.

I have mentioned it to a few people. Some were excited, others quite negative. The stubborness/persistance in me says it will happen just to prove you wrong. I have been that way most of my life. I was told I would never finish college when I got married at 19. Well I did finish. I was told I would not finish school when I got pregnant with Chandler--I finished. (Completed my BA with Chandler as a baby, my Masters with 2 more little ones and working 2 jobs). I was told I would not last a month in Ohio, moving from Arkansas--I have been here for 14 years.

Anyways enough of my soapbox. Perhaps my dreams give me a break from reality. Not that our reality is bad, it has actually been quite good. So good it is scary, like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ever have that feeling? I will let you know if our nomad dreams come to fruition.

Diego!

Christian and I got to enjoy breakfast with Diego. After breakfast we played a the local science museum. He had a blast. I bribed him to leave with an ice cream. On the adoption front; the homestudy has been written. Our agency CCAI is reading it and recommending any changes. Once we get the A ok, then I can start the immigration side of things. I have heard it is taking 3 months for immigration. I have been more at peace in this adoption. Very thankful for that.

Mara

This was taken 2.22.11. I have looked at all the details in this photo; her little mask under chin, her full cheeks, her scarf, the blue cord that looks like it holds mittens, her beautiful brown eyes, and how bundled up she is on that cold winter day.

Mara Update

So imagine my surprise when after a day of crazy with just life in general, I opened my email to find the subject line Wu Fan Min. Who is that, you say? That is Mara Min's Chinese name. I was thrilled. I ran from my basement office and hollered to Tim in a very concerning tone, "Tim, come down here fast." I wanted him to see the email as I opened it. (He asked am I in trouble? :) )

We did get a recent picture, from 2.22.11. I will share it later. We are just being selfish with it for now. I will share a few things about her; she loves going to the park to play; she is unwilling to leave when it is time to go, she is being potty trained, she likes to play with other children, she will refuse to eat or wear things she does not like. She is 24 pounds and has 20 teeth.

So very exciting to get this about her. I am ready to go get her!

Status

Fire inspection - check
Fingerprints (BCI and FBI) - check
Physicals for everyone - check
Copy of Mia's BC- check
Money paid for homestudy- check

So as of right now it is in the social worker's court. Once this home study is written, I can fill out and send in some information for immigration. (More fingerprints done in Detroit).

Inching along to Mara.

On a side note has anyone heard anything about the Oral Deaf School in Memphis?

Carter is 8

Eight years ago yesterday, I thought I might be in labor. Tim was working nights, so it was just me and Chandler at home. The contractions, weren't bad, but the weather was. After calling the doctor, a friend took me to the hospital and Chandler to grandma's. Tim was called and he met us at the hospital about an hour later. He didn't miss anything, except the nurses asking if I was a teenage single mother. (Nice, right? So what if I was, would you treat me and my baby different?)

Carter was born 2/17/2003 after lunch. He was a tiny little guy; 5 pounds 9 ounces. At the time (we did not know) he was born with a diaphragmatic hernia and a cleft palate. By a freak chance we found the hernia and it was taken care of when he was 2 months old; the palate-much later.

So tonight we will party like an 8 year old. We are making his dinner that he requested; bar-b-q meatballs, cheesy potatoes, corn, cookie cake and three types of ice cream.

Happy Birthday Carter, you will always be my tiny little boy with big feet! ;)

Paperwork

We hace officially hit the ground running with adoption paperwork. It is all very much hurry up and get it done. I had forgotten that urgency factor--what that felt like. We are excited and anxious to bring home Mara. I have been looking for resources for us. I have found the John Tracy Clinic in LA, they have a wealth of free stuff for parents. There are also a few books and videos I would like to have on hand.

Meet Mara

I would like to introduce you to Mara Min. Her bday is 6/8/09.


I saw Mara's photo on CCAI's waiting child page. Mara is considered to be a special focus child. Mara is deaf. She currently lives with a foster family in Hubei, China.



Because we had adopted from China in the last 12 months we were able to use the same dossier. We just have to have a new homestudy and immigration. All of our paperwork has to be in China by April.

We are all excited to have her join our family. Mia and Mara will be 5 months apart; virtual twins.

What's Up?

So I am a super bad blogger. No real reason I haven't posted. Life is in constant motion here. Let me give you the highlights:
*Wrestling season is underway. I will leave my opinions to myself.
*Tim turned 29 again.
* Mia turned 2.
* Mid Year and testing at work.
*SW came out for Mia's 6th month post placement. I should post pictures of August and pics of now. Such a difference, all positive.
*We are in email contact with Mia's nannies in China. I love having that connection.
*We are adopting again. Snuck that one in on you! More info about her soon.

She liked it!

Today was Mia's first day of Help Me Grow. Help Me Grow is an early intervention program for children up to age 3. They have home based services as well as a building you can go to. We opted for the building. She goes one day a week for 2.5 hours. It is a pre-school atmosphere. There are speech therapists, OT, teacher, and teacher's aide in the room of 8 kids. She was very quiet and mostly observed today. I asked if she wanted to come back and she said yes!

Mia is 2!!

Christmas 2010

What a great Christmas we had! Am I the only one that takes down the decorations on the 26th? I tell people I do, and they look at me like I have a third eyeball. Whatever, I like things to get back to normal. Please don't confuse that with neat and tidy. I compare my house to the house on Malcolm in the Middle.

We also booked it to Arkansas between Christmas and New Years. The boys are used to the drive and Mia did well. Can you believe I left my camera at home? UGH that was frustrating.

The pictures are from our time at home.