waiting

Thanks to my buddy Sharon Dees for this sweet gift. Sums it up!

Andy and I spent the last 10 days in Florida for a C12 Conference. I was really hoping to have our I-800A approval waiting for us in the mail when we returned but...nothing. Just when I think I know what to expect, I find out I don't have a clue how this all works :)

I did just call and find out our fingerprints cleared so hopefully we're close to getting the official notice in the mail. That's all I need to move this thing along to the next step. Many people find out their fingerprints weren't acceptable and have to start that part all over so I'm really thankful ours took the first time. It could add months, so I hear, to the process. Anywho, I'm getting the feeling spring may be a little optimistic at this point but we're still trusting His timing. And waiting impatiently.

fingerprints....check!

We had an early, quick and pleasant visit to USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) this morning for our biometrics fingerprint appointment. The appointment was scheduled for 8:00 and we were walking out of the building by 8:10. Didn't expect that!

Supposedly, we will receive our approval notice from USCIS in the mail pretty quickly. Then we mail all of the documents we've been working on that will make up our dossier (home study report, birth and marriage certificates, financial info, physicals, criminal history reports, passport photos and copies, family life photos, USCIS approval and other miscellaneous forms and letters) to Small World.

Next, they take a few weeks to authenticate all of the notarized documents (making sure the notaries are legit at the local, state and national levels). Then we will be DTC...which is kind of a big deal!

After that, I don't really know for sure. But this is when things start to get exciting :).

*Just as a reminder, if you think of it, please join us in praying for our daughter. Some specific things we like to pray for are that her basic physical needs are being met, that she has someone to really care for her (love on her, hold her, make her laugh, etc) and that the Lord would be preparing our hearts and hers for each other.

oh glorious day

Happy 6 years, husband-of-mine.

I knew you were perfect for me then. That's why I said yes. 

Long hair and all.

I just didn't know how perfect.

I'm still learning. And I'm amazed.

Looking forward to the next chapter. I love you.

pancakes or pancakes?

That's what my Aunt Margaret would ask me in the morning after I had spent the night at her house with my cousin Kathy. I would smile a confused smile, not sure what to say and finally answer "Pancakes!" She would then proceed to say, "But we don't have any pancakes.; We do have pancakes though. Would you like that?" I couldn't win! Of course she eventually fed us breakfast and Kathy, and I would move on to pretending to be super sleuths (we had a secret motto that I still know to this day) or mad scientists, mixing up nasty concoctions with anything we could find in the kitchen cabinets...only to then freeze our creation.

Kathy and me taste-testing a homemade batch of fudge - we started young!

As I was doing pilates this morning, the instructor was reminding us to breathe deeply. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Over and over. Deep, fulfilling breaths. It seemed so easy to me, and I couldn't help but think of my Aunt Margaret each and every time. Oh, how I wished I could breathe for her this morning. Breath was all she needed but couldn't conjure up on her own. And I was reminded that neither could I. Only by God's grace do we take another breath. Only by His provision do our hearts keep on beating. We are so frail.

From left to right: My mom, Victoria and Aunt Margaret

My Aunt Margaret left us this morning and went on to meet Jesus. I know it was hard for her to go and be let go but she's seen the face of the One who sustained her breath all these years. I can only imagine!

I'm sad she won't get to meet our daughter. Aunt Margaret was excited at the news of it all last spring. There will be another place and time for their introductions. Until then, I miss you Aunt Margaret! And just for fun, I'll be sure to ask my daughter, "Would you like pancakes or pancakes?"

meanwhile, back at the farm

Andy and I found out we had to get fingerprinted locally as well so we could have the SBI do a background check on each of us. This is different from our appointment on October 17. Not at all what we expected. No black ink-stained hands - all electronic.

We did received the certified letters in the mail this week that our checks came back all clear. Whew!

In other news, I'd been missing my nephews so decided to spend a sunny afternoon with them last week.

I picked them up from school and they enjoyed being "car riders".

We then went to Purple Penguin for some frozen yogurt.

And then we burned off our yogurt by exploring the neighborhood barn. This structure is amazing and I love that I get to see it from my front porch on a daily basis. (check out that blue October sky!)

We finished off our time by taking Vince to his guitar lessons and then meeting their momma for dinner. I will admit, I thought about what it would be like to do these same things with my nephews - but with a black-eyed beauty tagging along.

new tradition

Oh how I love these ladies, their hubbies and their babies

We love each other so much, we decided once a year at Christmas just wasn't cutting it. This year we decided to try getting together twice and have managed to make it happen! We convened in Charleston in the spring (minus Kris - our Colorado girl) and then at our home this past weekend. A few of the hubbies and 3 little ladies came along too. I'm looking forward to seeing how our families grow and change over the coming years.

Being with these girls makes me so happy. And then we all go our seperate ways for awhile and I'm sad for about a week!

Until next time...

puparazzi

she's the cutest thing around the house these days

which makes her the perfect first subject for our new camera

 

she's furry, patient and likes to pose for me

and has no idea what's brewing in this household

but we think she'll do just fine! that's our maebelle