More Work

Got a call from our social worker that we were not totally done with our paperwork. Bethany Christian got a new director for their Ethiopia program and we had already filled out the power of attorney forms with the former directors name on it. So we needed to get two new power of attorney forms. Sounds simple right?=) We got the papers printed out signed, notarized, county sealed and overnighted it to State to get the Great Seal affixed to it. So for just two new little forms it cost $60!!!! Crazy!! But we should have it back in a few days then it will be off to Grand Rapids to meet-up with the dossier. It's kind of maddening to finish your paperwork then have it put on hold. I just want to hear those sweet words that it's on it's way to Ethiopia!!
Stephen and I have spent the last few nights going through a baby names book trying to pick out names for our little pumpkin. We always like to have their name picked out so we can start referring to them by their name and feel like we are already bonding with them. Generally in our family I choose the boy names and stephen has chosen the girl names. So he has come up with a few good ones and the kids and I have had fun the last few days calling her by that name and seeing which one we like and which one 'fits'. But as soon as we choose one we'll let ya'll know=P
We have been BUSY BUSY BUSY on the farm. Between the garden, the chickens, mowing our SERIOUSLY large yard, trying to finish the fort and the zip line, landscaping. Feels like we are getting no where on our to do list! But we are enjoying this early summer weather and it's lightening bug time which the kids are having a lot of fun with. The other day we found a big black snake hanging around the chicken coop. The same day we found one on the other side of the yard near the fort, which steve chased up into a tree.

Boys thought it was GREAT=)

We're back from Florida and DONE with our Dossier!!!

To our surprise we got our I-171H very quickly after sending off for it. Stephen then sent it off to get State Sealed and that too came back VERY quickly (was there for less than 1 whole business day!). Before you turn in your dossier you have to make 4 more copies of it. Which doesn't sound like a big deal except that the dossier has grown to some 130 pages, all stapled and folded together.

That's the tricky part. You can't take the staples out so your trying to fold things this way and that to get a good photocopy. So I spent about 2 hours at Office Depot (which was having a sale on B&W copies!) and made all of my copies. I then spent the evening trying to put them all together and staple them and fold them so they fit in the envelopes. Well this morning the kids and I took 3 copies and the original to Leah (our social worker), filled out our family preference letter and paid the first 1/2 of the country fee. So now our part is DONE!!!!

Leah will now sent it off to get it reviewed by Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids and then to be Authenticated and then sent it on it's way to Ethiopia!! I can't believe we are done and ready to start waiting for the call=) It kind of feels weird not having any paperwork to be doing. But my mind is swimming with things that need to be done before we get a referral.

We are not exactly 100% sure what the wait times are now that Bethany Christian Services partnered with a new orphanage but it looks like maybe 5-8 months. We all are SO excited to start our wait and can't wait to meet the little pumpkin that the Lord destined to be part of our family!!!
On a side note... if you were wondering why all the wedding pictures...we had a great time in Florida for my sister-in-law Joy's wedding. Everything went really good and we were blessed to be a part of it=)

It's HERE!!!!!!!

Stephen called me tonight and let me know that our I-171H came in the mail!!!!!!!
It only took about 2 weeks or so since our fingerprinting apt which is fairly quick=)
The kids and I are still in Florida but I got everything ready for stephen so all he has to do now is to ship it to the state for sealing. I couldn't be more excited!! Yea!!!!!!

Fingerprinting done!!!

7 hours of driving and a 20 minutes appointment...but our fingerprints are done!!! But to be honest we actually had a good time. It was nice to get to spend the day with my hubby when he would normally be at work.

While we were at the USCIS office we actually met another couple who was adopting too. So we got to talk with them for a while and found out that they are still going to be able to adopt from Haiti.
We also got to go visit our good friends who just had their 1st baby.
After 7 hours of driving we were both pooped so last night we watched a documentary that we had rented called 'China's lost girls'. Well if I was hoping for something to relax me this was NOT it. Broke my heart to see all these sweet babies with no mommy or daddy to love them, raise them, teach them and train them=( So if I was at all slacking on getting our paperwork done I have renewed vigor today!!! Meeting with our notary tomorrow=)

Crazy two weeks

The kids and I officially have 2 weeks before we are leaving for Florida for my sister-in-laws wedding!

We are really excited about going since ALL of our family lives there. Its always fun to go home and visit with everyone, in fact that is the ONLY part about living in TN that I don't like. Stephen's sister is very special to us and we are so excited that she is getting married to her best friend=) Now seeing that I only have 2 weeks till we leave and the fact that I just got my dossier packet makes for 2 very full weeks. We sent off for our Birth Certificates in Florida and waiting for those to come back. Once they do we have to turn around and send them back to Florida to get them state sealed. We also have our Dr. apt, bank apt., Police apt., and fingerprinting in Atlanta, meeting up with our notary (Mrs. Donna=) and getting the clerk of court to notarize our notary=)!!!

My hope is to get everything done in these two weeks that I possibly can so that while we are gone we won't be wasting any time!! Just waiting on our I-171H to come then get state sealing. I have no clue how long it will take to get it back but I want to be ready so that is all we are waiting on. All this on top of getting ready to drive to Florida by myself with 3 kids and staying for a week and a half. So needless to say we are BUSY BUSY BUSY...But this is just another beauty of homeschooling. The kids are learning all about our government, notaries, Ethiopian culture and a myriad of other things all while we are driving from here to there practicing what the Lord calls 'Pure and Undefiled Religion'.

In our van there is always a conversation going on about why we are doing this or that and how it all works together. The van is one of my kids favorite places to ask questions and I love learning with them!! Better run and get dinner going=)
Oh did I mention we also are planting our garden this week...we will just have to pick a different time of life to sleep=)

Camping Trip 2010

"Why don't we do this more often"?..was the question we kept asking ourselves. We had a GREAT time camping. You would think that living out where we do that camping wouldn't be as much fun as if you lived say in the city. But we had so much fun. We met up with some friends of ours that live in OK and camped for 4 days and 3 nights. The weather was beautiful for us the entire time except the morning we were packing up to go home.

The boys thought it was great to sleep outside with mom and dad. They ate all kinds of 'junk' food that mama never buys at home. Stephen still is teasing me about buying Nitrate Free Hot Dogs=) We went hiking both days. The first for 3 miles that one was HARD lots of climbing up and climbing back down. The second day we went for a 5 mile hike which was not so much climbing. We had just a blast over all. Plus we got some adult time in the evenings to sit around the camp fire and discuss important life issues and talk about God's Word. Good friends are such a blessing!!

God knows=)

So my walk to the mailbox today FINALLY produced our letter from USCIS!!!! Our appointment is for April 26th in Atlanta=) It's a small step..but a step none the less=)!!!!!!