I <3 Faces contest

The theme this week is 'Pets Only'. Here is a picture of our Siberian Husky, Wendy. In this picture she is being a typical woman.... always talking.

Resolutions

I know what you are thinking.... 'its not even Christmas lady!' But I'm already thinking of my New Years Resolution. I normally don't make one, mostly because the ones I need to make all seem so cliche. Plus I like to buck the popular crowd. :)

BUT this year, this year I have a resolution. For I have finally ordered myself a new speedlight, and my resolution is to take more everyday pictures of my family. Of course I have snapshots, but I HATE using the pop up flash.... it makes the pictures so gross looking, so I find myself missing out on way too many shots at night because I don't want to use the pop up, or I end up with a 'drunk' family because the flash caused their eyes to close (*cough* husband *cough cough*)

I can't wait for it to get here! Merry Christmas to me. Now if I can only talk my husband into that new lens......

Thankful

There is so much to be thankful for this year, and every year.

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, who is my best friend and my love. I'm thankful for my two little boys who bring so much joy and laughter and love to my life. I'm thankful my husband has a great job that affords me the 'luxury' of staying home with our kids. (luxury is in parenthesis because... well if you are a parent you understand!). I'm thankful we have a beautiful home in the country where our children can run and play. I'm thankful for our health, and even thankful for our goofy dog.. who the older she gets, the bigger baby she becomes. :)

I'm thankful here are dishes in the sink and toys on the floor and a garage that needs to be cleaned before Winter. I'm thankful for a full fridge and pantry, for the excitement of the Holidays and seeing that excitement in my children day after day. I am thankful for God, who loves me and blesses me every day.

But most of all, I'm thankful that I can look around at our things and realize just how lucky we are, because there are many that are without. I hope every one of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a thankful holiday season.

Etsy sale!

In the excitement of reaching almost 100 sales on Etsy, I'm having a sale! All hats are $10 or less and free shipping! Have a custom hat in mind? Convo me through Etsy and we can work out the details! Click the Etsy link on my sidebar!

Its just $5!

For $5 you can help give an orphan in Kyrgyzstan Christmas. Think about these children, alone, no family, in an orphanage. Christmas is just another day to them. Last year, however, 'iam1ru' was able to give Christmas to many of the children. It was a day they haven't forgotten, almost a year later.

Its only $5... can you spare $5 so a child across the world can have Christmas? Donating is easy through Paypal. Click the following link for more details and to donate (on the right side bar, put in your donation and then where you can type in a name, type 'Maria Latham' :)) http://www.actofkindness.blogspot.com/

A small amount can make a world of difference for one child. And while you are there, spend some time reading the actofkindness 'iam1ru' blog. John and his family, his work, are truly inspiring.

Thats life

Well, we are still waiting. Trust me at this point if we got 'the call', I think everyone in the tri state area would know. :)

I've been having killer headaches the last month or so. It was bad.... so bad that I went to the doctor. Anyone that knows me knows this is monumental. I go to my yearly appt, that is it. I don't get sick, and if I do its nothing worth going to the doctor for. But these headaches have really been bringing me down, so I made an appointment and within 2wks had numerous appointments that included an MRI courtesy of my ENT. I got the results from that back today, and thankfully, I have a brain! And nothing else that is cause for concern (because again, if you know me, my brain is cause enough... hehe).

I'm so thankful (and have said multiple thanks to the Man up above) for the clear MRI. I am also seeing a chiropractor as recommended by my ENT. I was also informed today that if my tonsils dont clear up with this round of antibiotics, he wants to remove them. I barely take Motrin, so taking another round of antibiotics is a big deal. And surgery? Yikes.

Anyway, I'm just thankful that my head is normal (as it can be) and hoping that continuing the chiropractic care will work it out. It has made a difference. Now if we can just avoid surgery....

I was really hoping we'd have the girl(s) home by Christmas this year.... but now its so close its not looking like that will happen this year either. I've been eyeing up gifts that I would choose for her should she be home for Christmas, or at least in the general area of Christmas. Will I get to buy them? I hope so.

The boys are doing fabulous! Al is enjoying 2nd grade and I really like the setup of his classroom this year. The teacher allows the kids to sit on the big exercise balls instead of chairs. I cannot tell you how big of a difference this makes in his fidgeting. This teacher is a genius! LOL! Also he started back with he gifted ed program last month, and he's very excited about that. He goes for reading and math.

Little A is also in school this year, and is having a blast! We are fortunate enough to have our wonderful neighbor as his preschool teacher. She works at the public school in the early childhood program, which is where his preschool is. Can't beat that... a teacher he knows to ease him into his school. Its so cute to see him with his backpack on walking into school like a big boy.

So thats life. :)

My 'baby' is 4!

Last week Anthony turned 4 yrs old! HOW did that happen? He's so big, and takes every opportunity to tell us about it too, he's very proud of 4!

We celebrated on Saturday, by taking a family day at the Jackson Street Roundhouse in St Paul. The boys were in HEAVEN! It was such a fun day, if you are in the area, you should go. The whole roundhouse is now a museum and restoration shop. They are restoring tons of old steam trains, baggage cars, caboose's, and other trains. The turntable was restored a few years ago and they used it to turn the train and caboose around while we watched! Then we got to go on a caboose ride, but the Engineer asked the boys (appropriately dressed in head to to railroad gear) to ride up in the cab of the train with him! And Alexander got to drive! The looks on their faces was priceless! then Anthony got to set the brakes when the ride was over. We spent over 4 hours in the museum and restoration shop looking at trains, train cars, caboose's, and using the various simulators and other things they had set up there for kids to do.

Here is my birthday boy in a few pictures I took on his birthday.

Booo

I've been very cynical lately, feeling pretty down about adoption. You know those dreams where you are standing in front of a crowd in your undies? This is nothing like that. This is more like being a rabbit on a closed course with the carrot just out of your reach. No matter how much you run and jump and chase that carrot, its always just out of your reach.

When we started this adoption, we in no way went into it thinking the process would be smooth or easy. We knew better. It took us a few months to just decide on a program that we qualified for. Then you start the paperwork. Then you wait. Then the program gets shut down right in your face!

When we finally started our paperwork for Kyrgyz, I had bought a new charm for my Italian charm bracelet. It was the Kyrgyz flag. I was so excited to get it! When we went to DC/Pennsylvania for my sisters wedding, the little flag charm was broken, and lost. I was really disappointed, the whole way home, thinking I should have looked in the suite more to find it. Then it all became clear a few weeks later, when the program went into hold. God was just preparing me.

ANYWAY, I'm rambling now. We changed programs to a domestic foster/adopt, its been a little over a year since we started this process, and its getting to that season where I feel very family oriented. We expected to have our girl home by now.. when we started Kyrgyz.

So while I may feel like a rabbit chasing a carrot, I'd gladly stand in front of a crowd in my undies right now if it meant having our girl home. Though I'm pretty sure most of them would be cowering with their eyes covered.

First day of the 2nd Grade!

He turned 7yrs old in June. That wasn't a huge blow. But *2nd Grade*? That just sounds so old! Where did my little boy go?

He was so very excited to go to school this morning, and he came home all smiles and had a great day! His teacher seems very nice too.

The little one, on the other hand, was very upset when he got up this morning and realized brother was gone. He cried a bit and had his little lip stuck out for a while, then he was ok. Of course he enjoyed the day being the center of attention! :)

Here is my big boy, on his first day of 2nd grade!

Just a minute of your time

Could make a huge difference. Everyone knows that I am a car seat nut, and I support this foundation fully. They have done a world of good for so many people in the name of their little boy who tragically died from not being properly restrained.

Kyle David Miller died in a car accident several years ago just outside of Denver, Co. He was 3, riding in a high back booster. His parents began the foundation after his death. They provide families with extended weight harnessing seats for free, and coordinate with car seat techs for proper installation. They are close to the top, and could use a minute of your time to help several hundred children get proper seats!!!

Vote for the foundation and help us win $10,000 - we're #6 -top prize is $10,000 - you can vote for every email address you have! : http://www.ilovechristiecookies.com/contest/form.asp Select the Kyle David Miller Foundation Golden CO from the drop down list.

Camping and the end of summer

We've been enjoying these last few weeks of Summer. A few weekends ago we went camping on the St Croix River. We had a blast! the boys were so excited, it was the first time we'd been out camping at all this summer. Of course it rained all Friday night, and for a couple hours on Saturday morning. Then it was like someone flipped a switch at 9am. It went from 60 and raining (we were literally in jeans and sweatshirts!) to 90 and humid within a few minutes. The rain stopped and the clouds broke up and as soon as the sun hit the ground it got hot. But we pulled everything out of the tent so it could all dry. It looked like our tent blew up for a while, with sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, etc all hanging in the trees and on our clothesline. LOL!


The boys in the river.



The boys and I in the river.


They loved it!


Wendy had a good time too!


Al loved the campfire!


Gettin ready for dinner!

A year later

One year ago, we decided to adopt. We began researching agencies, home study agencies, social workers, and countries. We quickly narrowed or field down to a few countries that had programs we were eligible for, and began working through agencies that had those programs. It was September before we finally chose Kyrgyzstan, and also our agency. I remember the info given to us when we began the paper chase.... we were delirious thinking we could have our daughter home in a year.

And here we are a year later, sitting on a complete dossier for Kyrgyzstan that is no good anymore, but now in a different program, and still no girl. I cannot believe its been a whole year since we decided to expand our family through adoption. It seems like yesterday, yet it feels like forever ago.

We still Pray constantly for our girl, that wherever she is, she is safe, healthy, and well cared for. I also pray for us... that we can remain patient and calm, and that we will soon see our girls face.

Its been a month

Our agency let us know that they are going to be attending the consortium today. Its been one month since we submitted our paperwork. We've had lots of options, reassurance, and we are still feeling very hopeful. Prayers for today, and every day, are still very much appreciated.

Big A lost his front top teeth. He lost the four bottom ones within a few months of each other last year, and I was glad his top ones held out until the bottom ones came back in.... or he'd have to be eating from a straw. We had a little meltdown last night because he was having quite the time eating sweet corn on the cob. :) But he looks so darn cute, I'll for sure be taking pictures today.

The boys also have VBS this week! The theme is Power Lab! Its so much fun. one of the older boys in our Church is 'Dr Science' and he does these little experiments every day at opening, the kids get the biggest kick out of it! The same boy and his brothers also build this big robot out of ducting materials, and they hooked up a light for his nose and a buzzer, so he answers 'yes' with the light and 'no' with the buzzer. Too funny! I am leading a class of 4/5yr olds, which proves to be interesting. Little A is in my class... even though he's not quite 4yrs old. Its so cute to watch him get involved in all the songs and movements. They have Power games, an experiment, snack, and crafts, then closing time, every day. They are both really enjoying it.

Other than all that, we are just enjoying our summer. The boys are having fun swimming, riding bikes, and playing with friends

.

Well...

The State of WA has our home study and profile. We were told they loved our pictures and thought our packets were well put together. They did comment on our age rage (0-3, or up to 47mos), and went ahead and did a verbal 'as long as she's under our youngest sons current age' thing. So now the State has our info and they daily and weekly check for children that could match our information.

So now we wait some more. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, we could still really use them, and appreciate it!

June 30th!

Our agency wants to show our information on June 30th. That means that day, our home study, pictures, and intro letter will be presented to the state of Washington and various case workers who represent the children! Wow, right!

I had to get some new pictures printed, as the last 8x10 collages I made for our home study were from last October... little A had his long shaggy hair, big A didn't have his glasses yet.... everyone looks different! I kept the family pics, but updated the ones of the boys and added a few new family pics. I had to type up an intro letter, and then bind the letter and our pictures and home study into clear vinyl books, 5 total, so they could flip through our info. This is what presents us to the caseworkers and the state, so it had to look good!

Monday morning the packets will be headed off to our agency to be presented for the first time on June 30th! We are so excited!

I added my Etsy site to my sidebar. I finally got some new dresses up, and I'm working on a super cute little apron top! I am really loving making this stuff! I wish I knew our girls size.... I can't wait to make clothes for her!

Hello

Well, not much new going on here with the adoption. I spoke with our liason at our agency and we were told that they very much want to show our home study this month. So you can imagine how much more weight my prayers were holding. Of course we aren't expecting anything so soon, but wouldn't that be amazing?

In the meantime I'm keeping myself busy... I started up an Etsy shop! I've always loved crafting, sewing, crocheting. I've put many things on this blog, but I think its just easier on a site specifically for selling like Etsy. So far its going great! Check it out... http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5720083

In other news... big A turns 7 tomorrow(6/6)!His party is at the local roller rink! They went rollerskating for school this year and he talked non stop about it. So it should be a good time, lots of friends coming. He also 'graduated' from 1st grade last week, and is now officially a 2nd grader! I really hope his love for learning and school continues. Next year will be his last year in the primary school.

Little A is... well... little A. He's getting so big, and he's so funny and sarcastic (really I have no idea where he gets it from... LOL!) He's goofy and smart and silly... that kid is going to be in entertainment! He makes us want to laugh and pull our hair out all at the same time. He starts school next year too, one day a week, and he's really excited. He's so different than big A, he likes to color and draw, cut paper and glue stuff together. He's really creative and has an imagination a mile long, whereas big A is very practical. He'd rather read or do math, work, stuff like that. Its funny to see how polar opposites can grow from the same genes.

So we could use prayers, that our home study is fully approved and that its shown this month. And mostly that our little girl, wherever she may be, is being taken care of, is healthy and safe.

3yr old ROCK!

Check out Mr Fancypants! He didn't like how loud the training wheels were on the road, wanted them off. Must be the bike, Al learned how to ride this bike on two wheels at 3.5yrs old too.

The CAR SEAT POST!

Anyone that knows me knew it was coming..... so here it is.

Car seat safety is so important, yet many parents view it as just a way to keep their children seated in the car, they don't realize the detrimental effects of putting a young child forward facing, or putting a child under the age of 4 or 5 in a belted booster seat, or not in any car seat at all. In the USA, the laws for car seat safety are very lax, but there is a new push to beef up these laws, and they should be supported. READ your car seat manual, use it correctly, find a car seat tech in your area to check your seats out, have them installed professionally, and be diligint about using them correctly EVERY TIME! While most car seats on the market only harness to 40lbs, there are now many many seats out that harness to 65lbs, even 80lbs! Anthony rides in a Britax Marathon... he was able to rear face in this seat until he was almost 3! He is now 3.5yrs old, 40'' tall and 38lbs and still has plenty of growing room in this seat. Alexander rides in a Britax Regent. He is almost 7yrs old, 50lbs, and 51'' tall, and he also has plenty of growing room in this seat.

Here is Anthony rear facing at almost 3yrs old, 33lbs, and 39'' tall. he still has plenty of room to grow height wise, but he was at the rear facing weight limit of 33lbs.

Here are the boys as they currently ride in the car. Alexander is almost 7, 50lbs and 51'' tall and in a Britax Regent. Anthony is 3.5yrs old, 37lbs, and 40'' tall and in a Britax Marathon. (excuse the bad pic... it was from my cell on our way home from vacation!)

I hope you can find the information below helpful, and useful. And if you have any questions whatsoever, please don't hesitate to e-mail me, or give me a call. Lets keep our kids safe!

This is an CafeMom group that is owned by a CPST. She is amazing, absolutely devoted and passionate about safety, and there is so much information on this board, from car seat recommendations to an awesome rear facing post, check it out! http://www.cafemom.com/group/34362

Child Passenger Safety Information

In General

• Always read both your car seat manual and the child restraint section of your vehicle manual.
• There is no such thing as the “best” car seat. The best seat is the one that fits your child, fits your budget, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. Choose the seat that has features that allow you to use it correctly.
• All current seats sold pass minimum government safety standards.
• Don’t use a used car seat, as you can never be sure of a seat’s history. Never use a carseat that is more than 6 years old.
• Seats that have been in an accident need to be replaced.

• NEVER place a rear-facing child seat of any sort in a front seat where there is an active frontal airbag.
• Keep the chest clip of any harness at armpit level, not neck or tummy level.
• When installing your seat, be sure to use the correct seat belt paths or LATCH hooks for either rear- or forward-facing. Don’t use both LATCH and the seat belt.
• It is best not to dress your child in bulky outerwear in his/her car seat. To check if a coat is too bulky, place your child in his/her seat with the coat on and adjust the harness to fit. Then remove your child’s coat and fasten the harness without adjusting. If the harness straps are too loose, the coat is too bulky. A blanket or poncho will keep your child warm AND safe.

• Car seats do expire! An expiration date should be stamped into the plastic of the seat itself, or you may find it on a sticker. If you can’t find it, look for the date of manufacture, then find the limit in your manual. Most seats are only good for 5-6 years after the date of manufacture, with some being good for up to 8. http://home.comcast.net/~dcbsr/test/Britax_GMTV_Check_It_Fits_Child_Facing_Forwards_ten_years_old_seat.mpeg
• Don’t recline the seat you’re installing your car seat in unless your vehicle manual specifically states that you can do so.

• Have your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/Contacts/index.cfm
• “Moving up” in car safety (from rear facing to forward facing, from harnessed seat to booster, from booster to seat belt) is often viewed as a “milestone” by some, but each step is actually a demotion in safety. Keep your children rear facing for as long as possible. Keep them harnessed for as long as possible.
• Do not use any aftermarket products on your seat. This includes infant head rolls, homemade covers, strap covers, or anything that goes behind your baby. If its not been tested by the manufacturer to use with your seat (ie-if its not sold WITH the seat) then don't use it! It will void the warranty on your seat if you are in an accident. If your child is injured and you are using an aftermarket product, the company cannot be held liable for any injury or death, even if the seat is disfunctional.

Infant Carriers

• An infant carrier is a rear-facing only seat that snaps in and out of a base that is installed in the car. It can be part of a travel system. Be sure to buy a model with a 5-point harness. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/infantshop.aspx

• Many infant carriers have a weight limit of 20-22 lbs (two models now go to 30) and a height/length limit of approximately 29”. The height limit is a guideline—the seat is outgrown when the top of the head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Check your manual for limits specific to your seat; if your child is too large for his/her carrier, please replace it with a convertible seat.
• In a rear-facing infant carrier, the harness straps must be at or below your child’s shoulders for a proper fit.
• Many models require the carrying handle to be down while traveling; some models are reinforced, however. Check your manual before leaving the handle up in the car.
• Carriers are not meant to be placed in the front of a shopping cart. This causes the cart to become top-heavy and more likely to tip.

Convertible Seats

• A convertible seat is one that can be used both rear-facing and forward-facing. Be sure to buy a model with a 5-point harness. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/ConvertibleShop.aspx It is safest to leave your child rear-facing for as long as the seat will allow. Many states require children to be rear-facing until they are at least 1 year of age and 20 pounds; however, convertible seats have a rear-facing weight limit of 30-35 pounds. Car seats are also outgrown in rear-facing mode by height depending on where the head is in relation to the top of the plastic shell. Different manufacturers have different instructions on this, so be sure to read your manual to determine when your specific seat is outgrown by height in rear-facing mode. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFbasics.aspx

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx · Some models only allow certain harness slots to be used for rear-facing, so check your manual to be sure your harness is in the correct position.

• A 45 degree recline is recommended for newborns and young infants who are rear-facing. Older babies and toddlers can have less recline.
• One manufacturer of several popular brands has a 34” height minimum for forward facing. Be sure to check your manual.
• Keep harness straps at or below shoulders for a child who is rear-facing, and at or above shoulders for a child that is forward-facing.
• Car seats are outgrown in forward facing mode when one of the three happens: Child passes the weight limit, child's ears are even with the top of the shell, child's shoulders are above the top slot. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/FFbasics.aspx
• Some models only reinforce certain harness slots for forward-facing; if your child is forward-facing, please check your manual to ensure your harness is in the correct slots.
• When forward-facing, an upright position with no recline is safest. Don’t recline a forward-facing seat unless your car seat’s manual specifically allows for it.
• All models now feature tethers for forward-facing to reduce head excursion in a crash. They should be used whenever possible.
• A few models also feature rear-facing tethers designed to prevent rebound in a crash.

Combination / 3-in-1 Seats

• A 3-in-1 seat rear-faces, forward-faces, and then is used as a booster (this is considered a convertible seat).
• A combination seat is a forward-facing harnessed seat that turns into a booster.

• http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/ComboShop.aspxLook for a seat with open shoulder belt guides, as closed guides can create slack in the seat belt if the child leans forward.

• Keep your child harnessed to the top weight limit of the harness (usually 40 pounds, but one model of combination seat goes to 65). Check your manual for the weight limit on your seat’s harness. The harness and booster will have different weight limits.
• When the child is 40 pounds (or the top weight limit for your seat’s internal harness; check your manual for the limit of your specific seat) or their shoulders are above the top harness slots, remove the internal harness and use the seat as a booster with the lap and shoulder belt. The booster cannot be used with a lap belt only.
• In some combo / 3-in-1 seats, the top harness slots are for adjusting the headrest, and are not designed to be used with the harness. Check your seat itself, as this info may be stamped into the plastic shell. If in doubt, call the manufacturer and ask, as it is VERY unsafe to use a harness in unreinforced slots.

Boosters

• A child is held in place much better with a 5-point harness than with a booster. If your child will try to move around, will fiddle with the seat belt (perhaps unbuckling him/herself), or falls asleep in the car frequently, consider keeping him/her in a harnessed seat. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/boosterbasics.aspx There are quite a few heigher harness weight seats on the market.
• 
  
• http://depts.washington.edu/booster/images/video/DRIV754_6yr_lap.mpg
• It is not recommended to put a child in a booster who is not at least 4 years old and 40 pounds, with the maturity to stay in the booster.
• Boosters cannot be used with a lap belt only—they must be used with a lap/shoulder belt. If your vehicle is not equipped with l/s belts, you can contact the vehicle’s manufacturer for a retrofitting kit, or you can use a travel vest in place of a booster.
• The shoulder belt should be across the center of the chest, not the neck—use the shoulder belt guide if it doesn’t fit properly.
• The lap belt should be high on the thighs or low on the hips, not over the tummy.
• Use a high back model if your car has low seat backs with no headrests. High back models also provide additional side-impact protection.
• Younger children often don't fit with a backless booster. They're good for older children who are too tall or who literally just need a boost, but most young kids need the belt guide as well. Also, backless boosters provide no side impact protection, but do protect against other injuries.
• Many kids need to ride in a booster until the ages of 8-12 and the height of 4’9”. To tell if your child is ready to ride without a booster, ask these 5 questions:
  1. Does the child sit back all the way against the auto seat?
  2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
  3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and the arm?
  4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
  5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If you have answered “no” to even one of these questions, your child is safest in a booster seat. This test can have different results in different vehicles!· The back seat is the safest place for children under the age of 15, and the middle is considered the safest part of the back seat. Some good sources for car seat safety information www.thecarseatlady.com www.cpsafety.com www.safekids.org www.carseat.org www.seatcheck.org www.car-seat.org

I <3 Faces!

www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com

Just for fun, entering this picture of my crazy kidlet in the I <3 Faces contest, theme HATS! This picture is just Anthony in a nutshell.... goofball!

Its a big one....

Oh yeah, its a doozy! Today, May 1st, 2009, I am 30yrs old.

You know when you are little and your aunts, uncles, etc are turning 30 and you thought 'WOW THATS OLD!' This morning my boys were all over me... 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!'.... then Al asks 'so are you really 30?' and I said 'yes'. He replies 'well, thats just really old!'

GASP! ME! OLD?!?! I'm thinking 30 is the new 21..... anyone else agree? :)

Kyrgyz still needs prayers

We may have left the program, but it has not left our hearts. There are 65 families with children waiting for them in Kyrgyzstan, some have just passed or are nearing their 1st birthdays... they should have been home months ago. Some families have been waiting over a year to bring their children home. While the officials are tap dancing around the issue, it seems the only people who are caring about the well being of these children are the ones who are the furthest away.... their families who want them home.

These children, these families... they all need our prayers. Prayers that things will move forward for the matched families, especially the children with medical needs who NEED to be brought home and get the required medical care.

I know these families only through their blogs, or online groups... but their stories touch me right to my core, and I want more than anything to see them coming home with their children. Not only does Kyrgyz have our hearts, but so do these families. Please keep them in your prayers.

A contest!

I am entering this photo in the MCP Actions/Color Inc. Win a Gallery Wrap Canvas Photo Contest at http://mcpactions.com/blog. I certify that I took this photo and give both parties permission to use this photograph on their blogs/sites.


MCP Actions and Color Inc Pro Lab are having a contest.... the winners will receive their print on canvas! This picture of the boys was taken while on vacation last year, and anyone who knows the boys knows how obsessed with trains they are! This was on our 'steamy train' ride... and after I snapped it, I almost deleted it because there was just nothing at all technically correct about the pic, but I didn't.... and when we got home and I loaded pics on the computer, I was so glad I didn't delete it. This just shows exactly how the boys love trains! So I know its not perfect, and I had to doctor it up a bit to make it presentable, but I know the boys would love to have it printed and displayed just as much as I would. Wish us luck!

Our news

Well, after much prayer, talk, thinking, then more prayer and talk, we have made the very very difficult decision to leave the Kyrgyzstan adoption program. We adore our agency, but all the unknowns and nothing moving, and our paperwork being done but not submitted, and having to update more documents while we wait... we decided to pursue other options. It was draining on us physically and mentally, and we just didn't know what was going to happen... nobody does.

We are not giving up on adoption though! We are joining a foster/adopt program with another state. We know all the details, but thats about all we are ready to share right now. Hopefully as we get settled into the program, we can provide more details.

We are both feeling very hopeful, and we both feel as if a huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders. I have felt more uplifted today than I have in months. We have prayed and prayed so very hard about our adoption, and neither of us wanted to leave the Krygyz program, however we also couldn't keep updating our dossier while waiting to submit, and the updates coming were just getting bleaker and bleaker.

We are very excited about our new journey, and we continue to keep all the families who are waiting for their children to come home from Kyrgyz in our prayers.

Happy Easter, and Happy Birthday!

I hope everyone is having a very wonderful Easter! Its also my husbands birthday today... so we are getting ready to enjoy a great meal, and BROWNIES! The boys are most excited about that. :)

Big news.... I will post more about it tomorrow when things are definate!
Here is a small storyboard of the boys on Easter in their finest. Not the greatest pics, but this was after Church and they were antsy to get out of the dressy clothes. :)

A touch of whimsy...

And a ridiculous amount of cute!

I bought this pattern ages ago and ended up sticking it in our adoption folder for.. well anyway.... I would pull it out every once in a while and look it over, but just haven't made them yet.

Well the blondies are for a friend who just had a new baby girl, and a preschooler. :) The little brunette is for my beautiful little niece Brooke. But I'm ready to make more.... what do you think?

Pray for good news today!

From our yahoo group....

The Kyrgyz Parliament is supposed to hear recommendations on adoptions at this meeting. Please pray for that meeting.9 pm on Wednesday night (central time) is 9 am in Bishkek. Please join us in prayer at that hour. None of us is very sure what will come of this meeting. Please pray that the families who are waiting will gain some clarity as to where this situation is going and that compassion for these children is what prevails as the leaders discuss these matters.

There are 65 families who have been matched with children in Kyrgyz, and are waiting to go back to get them. Some have been waiting over a year! I just can't imagine their heartbreak. Its hard enough to be sitting on paperwork hoping that things will begin moving again... I just can't imagine having my child being around the world and no idea when you can go back and get him/her.

I pray that today we hear good news, that the meeting went well, things were taken care of, and that adoptions will continue... especially that these 65 children and their families can be reunited forever.

My beauties!

Big A's new pair of glasses and Little A's new haircut... warranted mom to take new pics. I'm just posting one of them together. I have more on my website, and the whole set up on facebook.

Went in for a trim...

...came out with a totally different kid!

Before-





After-



So we went in to get a trim... his hair was very long and getting pretty uneven, so it was time for a trim. Normally I would just do this myself, but since he is a ring bearer in my sisters wedding at the end of the month, I thought we'd get it cut into a style. BIG MISTAKE! She asked what we wanted done, and I said 'just at trim, shape it up a little' and she cut it INTO A BOB! It was awful! So she tried again, deciding to cut it into layers. It was even worse. At that point, the only thing that would save it was cutting it all off.

Of course he's a-freakin-dorable, and while he was really upset about the hair being gone, he's diggin' the spikes. She put it in a faux hawk and it was so cute!
So we went in for a trim, came out with a new kid. :)

No new adoption news, really. Still hoping for letters being signed 'this week', but 'this week' has been the news for the last few months. I hope they are getting everyone back into their appropriate jobs again, and I hear paperwork is moving. Our dossier is complete... just still waiting for the darn FBI to get our I-171H back. Otherwise.... we are still waiting for news on what to do.

New hats!

How cute are these? So girly, and totally adorable for Spring and summer! I can make these any color combo, any flower color, and of course any size!







These heart hats would be adorable for your little one this Valentine's Day!

Pssst, can you believe it?

"Pssst, Hey Anth, can you believe we suckered Mom into buying these?"


The boys seen these at Wal Mart yesterday, and wanted them SO BAD. Yeah... lollipops the size of your head? No. BUT I figured I would use them to my advantage, and take some uber cliche Valentines pics. :) This was my fave... the ones that aren't planned are always my fave.

Whats in a name?

How on Earth did I get swindled out of naming another child?

Big A is named by and AFTER his dad. He chose his first name, and his middle name is Dad's first name. Fair enough... first son gets named after dad. Plus his name was one that I really liked... it was on our short list. Alexander Eugene.

Little A.... well I'm still kind of foggy on how he got named, but it is very clear that dad once again named the boy. When we found out he was a boy, I was naming him Luke or Lucas. SOMEHOW Luke became his middle name, and he was another A. :) It worked out ok, the name suits him, and at least I got a bit of my fave name in there. Anthony Luke.

So how is baby girl going to be named? Well let me see... after MONTHS of making name suggestions, many that we had decided on our short list years ago, were quickly veto'd by Senor husband. He was dead set on a name... though we had decided that if her given name is easily pronouncable, we may keep that as her first name. Otherwise we will keep her given name as her middle name. I kept saying I don't want another 'A' name, as naming the boys both with 'A' names was not intentional. However, apparently Dad wins again. Today he opened up a savings account in her name (the boys each have one too) and he came home beaming with the paperwork proudly bearing the name HE chose. Goober.

Her name will be Anneliese. At least I got to choose the spelling.

Better news!

Mid-January is the apparent 'goal' of getting letters signed, new processes in order, and everything to get moving again. I can only pray that its true, and it will all fall into place!

ALSO! Our home study came in the mail today! I'm so excited, it looks great, and I can't wait to add it to our dossier, and then we just need that darn I171H, and we are all.freakin.set. Can you believe it?

We got snowed in up North Tuesday, so we got to spend an extra day up at Grandma's with my sister. Tomorrow we head out again for Christmas. It'll be a long drive, but it'll be worth it! Everyone is gathering at my moms house this year for Christmas day instead of Christmas eve. The boys are so excited to be here on Christmas morning, but are already second guessing thier happiness when they learned that meant they didn't get to open gifts tonight... but had to wait until tomorrow morning! LOL!

So, Merry Christmas everyone! I pray this holiday season is our last as a family of 4, and that next year we will be a big family of 5, our sweet baby girl will be home, and we can finally add that last stocking to our row. :)

Frustration

The program has slowed to a halt. Actually I think its moving in reverse. There are PAP's that are waiting to go back for thier 2nd trip, and have been waiting since Summer. There are lots of issues there now, lots of problems and nobody wants to do anything about them, nobody cares about them. But who suffers? The babies, the children, the ones waiting in an orphanage for a family. Its no place for a child, and every day I pray that someone over there will step up and get things going. Will realize that all these babies and children could have a home if they'd just put processes in order and SOMEONE would take the initiative to DO something. Seems they all just wait around for someone else to take care of it.

So frustration has taken over. I've tried my best to remain optimistic through this process, and even when the turmoil began, but now its just to the point where I don't understand. I don't understand how some could value those childrens lives so little. How nobody can step up and take the initiative to do something about the problem.

I continue to pray.... for the children, for the PAP's, and for everyone over there who has the power to get these children to thier families... that they will do something, they will step up, get things rolling.

Cookies!

So the boys have been asking to make cookies for quite some time now, and the other day at Target, little A found a package of sprinkles in the $1 isle, and he really thought he had something. So we made cookies. :)

Such intense concentration!

He only wanted the frosting!

And what happens when you lick a frosting-laden cookie


Always room for MORE sprinkles...


This is also what my floor looked like when they were done! :)

Pretty, huh!

Tick tock.... tick tock...

I'm sure that the 'Fab 5' are feeling the tick tock more than I am! But we are awaiting our home study agency to get back the Adam Walsh paperwork, so they can send our home study to the FBI to match up with our I-600A.... that is ALL WE ARE WAITING FOR to complete our dossier. Its driving me batty that one friggin' piece of paperwork is all we are waiting for! I can't STAND not being in control of the paperwork. We are waiting on thier time to get it completed, and I can't stand it! :)

Mostly though, the program could use some prayers. Everyone is waiting for one position to be filled in Kyrgyzstan before things can move forward. I have these wonderful visions of our Christmas next year, as a family of five, our baby girl home. I feel it in my heart that it will happen, but I'm hesitant to let my heart do the thinking for me. :) So specific prayers for someone compliant will take that position open in Kyrgyz, that the papers will be signed correctly and quickly, and that they have some processes put in order so things can continue to move along smoothly. And that our darn paperwork from the FBI will stinkin' get here already!

Happy Thanksgiving!

So much to be thankful for! And also alot of prayers still being sent up hoping they get answered!

I'm thankful for my family... those two lovely little boys and my wonderful husband! We have so much, and while at times it seems we do nothing but struggle, I know we have it pretty good.

Tomorrow as we sit down for our dinner at noon, we will all be praying for our baby girl, that if she is born already that she is safe, warm, and cared for. And if she is not born yet, that God will still watch over her and her mother. We will also pray for the other children, and all the waiting parents. That this will be our last Thanksgiving without her. And as we eat our dinner, take our nap, and then head out into the back acreage to find and cut down our Christmas tree, we will all be praying that next year we can have her here with us, and continue this wonderful tradition as a family of 5.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let it snow, Let it snow...

Oh who am *I* kidding! LET IT MELT! LET IT MELT! LET IT MELT! :)

Eh, I guess its not too bad. Since I'm a stay at home mom, and I don't HAVE to go anywhere when it snows, so I don't mind it as much. The boys were over the moon about it, and when Big A got home from school he was begging to get his snowpants on and get his shovel out! They had a blast 'plowing' the driveway. After the disappointment of finding out that there wasn't quite enough snow to put the plow on the four wheeler, they were content to shovel and play. :)

Real.Simple.Soap

So most of my friends have already heard my ramblings on Real.Simple.Soap. but I thought I would give it a shout here too, as I know that people are looking for gift idea's.

Valarie at Real.Simple.Soap got my business a fairly simple way... she responded to a freecycle ad, and when she came, she brought me 3 bars of her soap, one was Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey, as a thank you.

Now my oldest son suffers from eczema. Not just dry skin, but broken, oozing, crusty skin boils. It comes and goes, but its always there, and after 6yrs of dealing with it, we had just started 'dealing' with it. He has a dairy protein allergy that stems from introduction to infant formula in the hospital nursery against my wishes. Thats another story.... but to this day, too much dairy and he is suffering, but his skin is constantly bad, even when we are diligint in keeping the dairy away.

ANYWAY I started using the soap on him, and within a week his skin was softer. Even he mentioned that his skin wasn't itchy. We continued through the 3 bars she had brought me, and whne they were gone, we were using our old soap again, and he immediately told me he was itchy again. I ordered a bunch of bars from Valarie, and they were here the next day!

Now, everyone here uses Real.Simple.Soap. Even my husband complains when we are out and he has to use commercial soap! I mentioned her soap to friends last year, and now they are all 'users' as well. I keep bars on had to use as gifts too!

She is a marvelous lady, and her soaps are phenomenal! You can visit her website at
http://www.realsimplesoap.com/
or her blog at
http://www.realsimplesoap.blogspot.com/

Halloween (and new photo cards!)

Here are the boys on Halloween....


Wicked cute little train engineers! We had a blast on Halloween... we've sort of started a tradition with the neighbors out here. We hook up the trailer to the four wheeler, and all the kids (13 this year!) and adults (9 parents this year!) all pile on and we haul around out here in the country. We had beautiful weather this year, and everyone had so much fun! We stopped at 11 houses and had to be done, the kids' buckets were full! I love this 'tradition', and so do the kids!

Also, I added a few new Christmas photo cards, scroll down to the bottom to see them. Its getting to be that time of year already! I can also make Hanukkuh cards, so don't hesitate to ask! Of course these are all samples, wording and number of pictures can all be changed. If you don't see something you like, I can custom make one for you to fit your family's style. I do hope you, and your friends, find something you like!

Homestudy?

Its in the bag baby! She emailed me the draft two days ago, and it was all good, so she sent it off to be completed by the homestudy agency. I made up the picture sheets we needed and sent those off to be printed today.. those go at the end of the homestudy for the dossier before we send it off to get state certified. My doctors appt is on Tuesday, but she went ahead and sent it off to be finalized without the letter since its coming, and its just a paper needed in the packet.

So yeah... the homestudy is D O N E! :)

As for the dossier, we are basically just waiting for all the FBI stuff, fingerprints, clearance, and the I-171H, and the completed copy of the homestudy, and then the dossier is done too! Our fingerprinting is on the 6th, so hopefully they'll book thier way through thier leg of it and get our approval back soon.

Tomorrow is Halloween. The boys are going to dress as train engineers. They already have all the garb... striped overalls, hats, lanterns, whistles, Al even found my pocket watch to use. It has Mickey Mouse on it, and the batteries are dead, but hey, to a 6yr old thats a pretty sweet prop. :) We pulled out thier plastic trick or treat pumpkins today, and carved the big pumpkin when Al came home from school, and made up the treat bags for the treaters that come to our house (we live out in the country so only get 4-5 treaters, but they sure get a bagfull when they stop here though! :))

So thats that. Homestudy... check. Dossier... almost check. A family ready for thier new daughter/sister? BIG CHECK!

Glasses

Big A got his glasses today. I think he's cute as can be! :)

Yay for family pics!

What do 6yr olds think of Mom's camera?


Neither of us seen him do this, so it was pretty funny when I opened it. I guess I was too busy trying to align my remote so it wasn't visible in the pic to see big A's sarcasm!

But we did get some good ones. I'm just happy to finally have a new family picture.... its sad when a photographer doesn't have pics of her family! The last one I took was when little A was only 1yr old!

Homestudy

We met our social worker on Monday night. She is very nice, really laid back, talkative, she'll fit right in. And she'll be here SUNDAY AFTERNOON!

We have most of our paperwork set. I still need to get to my doctor for a visit so he can fill out the doctors letter and have it notarized (x 2, both the homestudy and the dossier need one).

You should see my folder now. I wouldn't even call it a folder... its like a trapper keeper on crack. I'll have to take a picture of it to add to this post so you can see just how much of a geek I am. But its keeping me sane. When E asks what some form is for or where it is I can say 'let me see' and finger through my post it tabs, find where I need to be, and flip it open. :)

So the homestudy home visit is on Sunday. Do you think she'll mind the miles of GeoTrax in the living room? Or the Thomas table in the kitchen piled high with coloring books, art projects, marker boxes, and Playdoh? Nah.... but you know me, the house will be spotless, my little cherubs will be dressed in coordinating clothing, and I'll stress about something that will probably wind up to be rather enjoyable.

Left to do? File I-600A with the FBI, then get fingerprints when they send us our time. Get doctors visits and reports. Notarize our post placement compliance form, statement of home ownership, and statement of income. I think thats it, and our paperwork for the homestudy is done, and we will be about 80% done with our dossier then too! WOO HOO!

We need HOW MANY sets of fingerprints?

Oh and thats just for the homestudy? Good gravy... this homestudy is going to make the dossier compilation as easy as reading a Dr Suess book!

I continue to feel overwhelmed daily. Today I finally got ahold of the local police department only to get a lady who couldn't really understand that I needed the local PD to fingerprint us, and do our background check. She kept telling me that BCA could do that, I just needed to download the form online. Ok I HAVE that form, but I NEED the BPD to do it as well. Finally understood each other, I think. And I was told they could fingerprint from 7am-4pm, but the officer on duty may be out on a call so we may have to wait, but I can't call to see if he's in first, just come on in. Alrighty.

And then onto the other PD we need to run a background check on us, since you need to have one from every city you've lived in for the last 5yrs. This lady, while she fully understood what I was asking, was about as friendly as a mud pie. I'm a pretty chipper person, so when someone is rude to me, it makes me feel awful. And really, don't mess with someone who is currently NEEDING to get FBI, BCA, and DHS clearance. I really want my baby..... don't tick me off and ruin my chances. ;)

So my kitchen table is a neatly organized mess of paperwork. Each in its own pile with a sticky note stating what each needs, like to be notarized, or complete fingerprints, finish background check, etc.

After going through all that, I was reading our dossier requirements since we need many of the same documents for both the homestudy and the dossier, and a month ago the dossier seemed like such a daunting task. Now I'm thinking the dossier sounds GREAT!

Funny, anyone in the adoption world will probably laugh thier behinds off to know that I'm actually EXCITED to do the dossier.

But then I daydream... the paperwork is all taken care of, and we are patiently waiting for our baby girl. That makes it all worth it.

Why adoption?

Well I'm not exactly sure... really. Growing up I had two friends who were adopted, and at the time I wasn't completely sure why or how, but I got it, and it planted a seed that has stayed with me to this day. When E and I were first married, we talked about adoption and since all countries have a minimum age, we put it off to address in the future. After the birth of our 2nd son, we talked about it again, but again put it off because of the age limits in the country we had originally chosen.

When the baby turned 2, we really got down to discussing adoption. Neither of us can really describe WHY we feel to adopt. God is leading us here, as our originally chosen country gained long waits and uncertanties, I began researching other countries. Slowly we began to see doors closing... we didn't meet the requirements or the travel in country was 4-8wks.. which we just couldn't do andl eave the boys behind that long. As it began to look like we would just have to wait, suddenly Kyrgyzstan 'appeared', and our agency was there, and it all fell into place.

I used to watch the Baby Stories on tv and get all teary eyed when I'd see a mother give birth. We both long for a third child, but neither of us really has the desire to go through pregnancy again (though I'll admit I had very textbook pregnancies and easy labor/deliver with both). Today I was flipping channels at naptime while making a hat, and DIscovery Health had 'Adoption stories' on. I found myself glued to the TV, feeling what these parents were feeling.

I know, WE know, that adoption is right for us. Its still hard to explain to family and friends who question us as to why we are adopting. 'Obviously we can have kids... why not just have one more?' is something we've heard more than once.

Adoption is in our hearts, and we know our baby girl is out there, we just have to be patient until she comes into this world, and God leads us to her.

Help support us by shopping!

If you do any Christmas shopping online, this is a great! It doesn't cost you anything extra... simply an extra step before completing your shopping!

Shop Now to Support
National Adoption Foundation

Join OneCause, and a percentage of what your buy will be donated to an account that will go towards our adoption. Joining OneCause is simple, and free!

If you are NEW to OneCause, sign up for Supporter Crediting. Simply join or login to http://www.onecause.com/, go to “My Home” and click "Supporter Crediting" under “My Profile Settings.” Then click the box to enroll in Supporter Crediting and enter the email address for the registered OneCause Supporter you would like to benefit. For example, if you would like to have your purchase contributions go toward our adoption, you will need to enter our registered email through OneCause, which is justplainbeckyw@yahoo.com

You may have to choose the cause 'National Adoption Foundation' first, and then go to 'My Home' and click 'Supporter Crediting' under 'My Profile Settings' and enter our registered email address of justplainbeckyw@yahoo.com

Then, when you go online to shop, simply log into http://www.onecause.com/ and choose the store you want to shop at, and every purchase you make will benefit our adoption! There are thousands of stores that donate anywhere from 1%- 10% of your total purchase!

Its very simple, and free, and we greatly appreciate if you would take the time to take this extra step when doing your shopping online! Christmas shopping is just around the corner!

Today was the first day...

.. of our journey! Today we sent in our application to our chosen agency. It was pretty overwhelming to send that envelope off, knowing we were REALLY doing it. I'm hopeful to think that in 18 months we could be home with our baby girl. 18mos.... seems like such a long time, but with the boys and all thier activities, and a few big events coming up this next year, I hope the time flies by!

Now if we can just keep our sanity through the paper chase!

Tutu's!

Nothing is cuter than a fluffy little tutu! I can't wait to make these
for my own daughter! Tutu's are $20, and can be made any size,
length, and color. I can also add flowers and/or ribbons to them
to make it truly unique! Tutu's are lovely for portraits, playing
dress up, or just headin' to town! These will be custom made,
and will take about a week to recieve. Email me to order!

Custom photo cards!

Custom photo cards for any occasion! Birthdays, birth announcements, invitations, thank you's, holiday's, you name it! Custom card creations are $10. You email me your pictures and I will create your card. When finished, I will email you a preview, and if you approve I will then email you the full size version for you to print as you please.

Here are a few examples of photo cards. I can create a custom image to fit your needs!

Christmas cards-

Birthday invitations and Thank you's-

Birth Announcements-

I can also make custom photo collages, blog buttons, signatures to use on message boards, on your blog, myspace, etc. Custom collage, buttons, and signatures are $5. I will create your image, email you a preview, and if you approve, I will then email you the full size version for you.

Here are some examples of photo signatures and blog buttons that can be used with blogger, myspace, and on message boards.

Hats!

I LOVE hats, and being a photographer its one of my favorite props! I have wanted to learn how to make these for quite some time, and once I got started I realized how much I enjoyed it!

These newsboy style caps are very popular right now, and they are $15 each! Send me an email and let me know what colors and size you would like. These are just a sample, anything is possible! They can be made in size newborn up to teen, as a beanie, with the brim, or with ear flaps! I am currently making them per order, so they will take about a week to recieve.