Our Garden !

We have been working on our garden lately. Chuck built a raised bed and filled it with some wonderful veggies, lettuces, herbs and strawberries. The boys loved picking out what vegetables they wanted to grow. Their favorite thing they picked out was "chocolate peppermint".

We are praying for a bountiful garden full of great food for us this spring/summer. I have never had a garden and really know nothing about taking care of one. My family loves to tell stories about the time I decided to grow tomatoes and had NO clue what I was doing ! So, I have been reading gardening books and talking to "seasoned" gardeners. I really want to learn as much as I can. Of course, Chuck has way more experience with gardening. We pray "The plans of the diligent lead to profit" Proverbs 21:5a

I 800 A

Yeah !! I am filling out my I800 A form today and sending it in tomorrow !!!!

" On 3/23/2009, we received notification from Alabama’s ICPC office that your Home Study was sent to USCIS Hague Unit on 03/19/2009 and processing continues."

While I'm Waiting

It seems my ears perk up when I hear the word "waiting". My eyes are drawn to the word like a thirsty dog to water. I have done a very extensive word look up in my bible for the word "waiting" and every song, poem, and TV commercial draws me in. I think God is trying to teach me about waiting - you think ? I love this song from FIREPROOF ( loved the movie).

Busy, Busy, Busy !!!

We had a great time visiting with family last week. First we helped give my mother and father -in-law a surprise 40th wedding anniversary party. It was so fun and they were totally surprised. I loved seeing all the old pictures of them and hearing all their friends and relatives tell funny stories.
Then, we spent the night with my brother and sister-in-law. The kids love going to their house and playing the Wii. I don't get to seem my precious niece and nephew a lot so we played and talked until we were so slap tired !
The next night, my brother, sister-in-law and their girls spent the night at our house. We stayed up again till midnight talking and the kids played all night.
Whew !!! I am tired. Chuck got back tonight from an amazing Men's retreat at Calloway with our church - 13 men were baptized in the lake where they stayed !!!! crazy huh ?

I am still waiting on my home study to be approved by my state AL ICPC and then I can file my I 800 A form and maybe, just maybe......get my dossier to CHINA !!! It is so difficult to wait, and wait, and wait. Will asked the other day "Mom, how many more DAYS till Maggie ( the name we have given our little one while we wait - not necessarily the name we will use )comes home ?" I wish I could have answered him with a number. Instead I say " Oh, maybe next year." Lately, my heart is heavy thinking of her and knowing she is somewhere waiting on me. I pray God will protect her and hold her close in His arms. It's a very unusual and amazing thing to LOVE this child I have never met, to almost feel her hugs and hear her laughter.

Adoption Update

I am so happy to report that my Home Study has been approved by my placing agency (AWAA) and is headed on over to the AL ICPC office to get approved. Then it will be sent to the USCIS office along with my I 800A application. My Home Study will have to be approved there too. Thankfully, this process is going much faster than in past months. It is taking about 30- 40 days, where it used to take at least 90 days ! So, we have just two more steps until we can submit our Dossier to China and have a LID (log in date ). Once we are LID, we can be eligible for our agencies waiting child shared list. Of course, we know that it will actually be some time before we get a referral. The waiting is hard, but it does seem that tine goes by fast and hopefully before we know it we'll be in China seeing and holding our little one for the first time. Over the six months, that we have been paperchasing, we have slowly updated what special needs we are open to. So far, we have checked off: Congenital heart defect, repaired heart defect, webbed or extra fingers or toes, partial or missing appendages, hemangioma/large birth mark, and repaired medical condition. There is a wonderful site that helps educate families about all the special needs called No Hands But Ours. We have spent so much time reading the family stories and researching the different medical conditions. We are still researching and prayerfully considering other special needs. I am so thankful for the ladies who put this educational site together because it will help so many beautiful children come home to forever families.

Snow !!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Sunday was beautiful ! We woke up to snow and lots of it. About 4-5 inches of snow fell and the boys had so much fun playing in it. They wanted it to snow so bad this year. We kept telling them " I'm sorry, we live in the south, it just doesn't snow that much in Alabama ." Well, snow on March 1rst in Alabama is unusual, but sooo much fun ! I had forgot how the snow crinkles when you walk in it and all the town looked more like New England instead of Opelika. So, now that we've had our one day of snow - we're ready for SPRING in this southern home.

Spring Is Coming !

 

It's official, spring is on it's way ! Yahoo !!! I'm getting out my flip flops !


I have two spring wreathes I put on my front door every year. And, every year, a sparrow family builds their nest in my wreath. We had so much fun watching the eggs and then watching in awe of how cute the little birds were. They just look at you with their mouths open wide and chirp. So, I was so excited when I heard the sparrow family building their nest again in our front door wreath. I took a picture of it because it's so amazing how neat and perfect the little nest is ! I am reminded of Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they ?"

Reading to Charlie !

 

I read about a new reading program that uses dogs to help make reading more enjoyable. The dogs go through a 6 week training period and learn to sit and "listen" while children read to them. There is just something about reading to a cute, fluffy dog that makes reading fun. The program has been very successful in helping struggling readers. So, since we have "the best dog in the world", I thought I would start our own Dog Reading Program. The boys didn't complain one bit when I asked them to read a story to Charlie ( our dog ). They did look at me funny though !

Happy Valentines Day ( from the Beach)

 

 

 

 

Glad I kept my vintage LLBean boots !

The Boys have been BEGGING me to go play with them at The Hunting Club. Well, I finally said OK and we planned a whole day to go hiking to the Beaver Pond, canoeing and just playing outside. Thankfully I had not gotten rid of my LL BEAN boots my mom gave me for Christmas in 1992 ! I wanted these boots so bad. That was my "Gotta be like the other sorority girls phase ". So glad I didn't throw them away during my "throw away, simplify phase" ! We had a great time and I took some wonderful pictures of the boys. I can't wait to go back and get my old boots muddy again !

Love Notes !

 

One of my FAVORITE things to get are love notes from my boys. Will gave me this love letter the other day when I was having a "bad" day. He always gives me such sweet little letters and I keep every one of them. I would love to frame them one day ! Will counted 108 X's and O's on his note. Love is in the air !

Little House On The Prarie

 

We have been busy with school, doctor visits and cub scouts, but still EVERY night I read The Little House on the prarie series to the boys. After bath time, we all snuggle in my bed and I read as many chapters as my voice will let me. When I declare the dreaded " All right, this is the last chapter, it's time for bed" the boys all beg for "just one more chapter mom, please ?" For about an hour we enter the world of Laura Ingalls and farm life on the prarie. We dream of living on a real farm with baby chicks, milking cows and real sleigh rides in the snow. Last year we visited the Auburn University Dairy farm and was able to feed the baby cows. It was our chance to pretend we were real 'FARMERS'. Well, until we purchase our real farm one day, we'll just keep reading about Laura and her adventures. I am not sure what we will read next, because we're almost done with book 8 and the series stops at book 9. Any suggestions of some good, wholesome read aloud books about farm life ?
Here's a blog I found that is so cool ! It's about a family that recently moved to a real Amish farm - complete with 40 acres of farm land, dairy barns, and two lakes - way cool to this city slicker ! Oh, and they are completely off grid - that means NO electricity or indoor plumbing !
Check it out http://eclecticculturefarm.blogspot.com/ ( sorry , I don't know how to link it yet ).

?

Amature Photographer

 

 

 

 

A litle bit of China !

How exciting ! I received my Dossier paperwork back from the Chinese Consulate in Houston, Texas. Every page has this beautiful stamp with a shiny silver seal. I have no idea what it says. The only English on the seal is " Beth Chapman" ( who ever that is ??? I thought it was funny because the only Chapman I know is Mary Beth Chapman - Steven Curtis Chapman's wife !) I love that I finally have something from "China", even if it is a seal on a piece of paper ! It just means we are getting a little closer to holding our little one. She is already a part of our family in so many ways. Last night we imagined her running through the house laughing and playing.



Well, finally I have gotten a little organized and put all my adoption paperwork in a nice, neat file system. The piles of paper were really growing and I was scared I would loose something (which I am known for !).

A week in pictures

We have been very busy this week and I have not blogged in a while. So, I thought I would just post some pictures of our week. I have no news on the adoption except that my home-study is still being tweeked by my agency and I have not gotten my documents back from The Chinese Consulate in Texas yet. I did turn 36 years old yesterday and had a great but quite birthday with Chuck and the boys. I requested Chuck's famous breakfast instead of going out to eat. He made some very yummy omelets, toast, with coffee and juice. Then, the boys surprised me with a snickers bar "cake" with pink sprinkles and one candle ( can't fit 36 candles on a mini snickers bar !).




Walker and Will love playing Upwards Basketball !



Chuck and Will went hunting and finally killed a deer ! We have a freezer full of deer meat ( chili anyone ?).



Flash cards are our new homeschool friend. I had the boys do a "scavenger hunt" for the words and then we hot glued them on ( we love 3 dimensional card !).




Chuck and Walker put together our new basketball goal.

Updates

Home Study
Our wonderful social worker has finished writing our home study report ! Now it has to be finalized by my adoption agency and then sent to ICPC. Our report is eleven pages long and very detailed ! It was so wonderful to read and to finally have it done.

Chinese Consolate
We sent all of our current Dossier documents to The Chinese Consolate in Houston, Texas to get Authenticated. I was very nervous sending them and I know the people at Pak Mail think I am a freak ! I had this weird feeling I was going to mess something up. There were two pages of instructions from the Consolate about what and how to mail it. Anyway, they were finally put into a Fed Ex envelope and taken there by Fed Ex on Monday and arrived on Thursday. On Friday I get a phone call that goes something like this:
Caller: Herro (imagine a thick Chinese accent), Is this Rathy ?
Kathy: Yes, this is Kathy
Caller: We received your papers, but you rowe us $240.
Kathy: Oh, I am so sorry ! I thought when it said $20 per document that meant per envelope. I will send the money right away.
Caller: I will rait on it.....

Really, where is my head ?? I feel like I am loosing it lately.

I800A
Now that my Home Study is done I can apply for the I800A. This will allow us to bring our Child to America. It takes about three months to process the I800A.

Prayer Requests
Please continue to keep our family in your prayers. We have a lot going on right now. The adoption paperwork is finally coming together, but we are still trying to find out how to finance the adoption. Also, we are having to change some things around in our schooling and it is a major shift for me and the boys. We also have many friends that are loosing jobs and really being affected by the economy. We are encouraged by the Hope we have in God. We serve an AWESOME GOD and know that he is our provider and our comfort !

Wordless Wednesday !

 

I love the Library !

In this time of economic recession we are all looking to save money, simplify things and not be so wasteful. I believe it is a needed season in my life to evaluate how and why I am spending money that I don't really have to. Thus, I am singing the praise of our local Library. I am able to get so many good homeschool reference books for the boys, brand NEW cookbooks and organizing books for me....for FREE !! I am always blown away by the fact that it is free, available to everyone in our little community. Yeah for the Library !!!

Simple Things

I was inspired by a post on Heritage Schoolhouse (SEE SIDE BAR). My boys loved doing this craft today. It was our first day back to school,after the holidays, and I needed some crafty inspiration. The kids especially loved to break the crayons ( a very boy thing to do) and pick out different color combinations. The crayon nibbles - as we called them- turned out great and we used them in art today to draw with. We also gave some away as impromptu gifts to some little ones.

Beach Blogging !!!

Happy New Year from the Beach !!

As I think about the new possibilities that 2009 bring I find myself "Waiting" in expectation for so many things. I want to be a better wife, mom, teacher and friend. I want to get more organized, prepare more healthy meals for my family,....I want to see my little ones face and hold her for the first time in China, I want to love, live, and laugh more. I want to smile more at my children and act like a silly child with them. I want to take them to the park more and swing them on a swing, jump on the trampoline and shoot B B guns with them. I want to finally find my 'voice' on this Blog and make a difference. I want others to see the LOVE of Jesus in me without having to say a word. I pray 2009 is a year filled with all these things and more. Happy New Year and Blessings from the Beams.