'Twas the Night Before

I've always wanted the talent to tell a story in the form of a rhyming poem.  I don't have that ability.  And poetry and I don't always get along...unless it's written by Dr. Seuss.  So, as much as I want this post to be like "Green Eggs and Ham"...it will be like, well, me.  Crazy, unorganized, random and sappy.

We leave in the morning.  It doesn't even seem real.  I've been singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul and Mary all day.  I even bought it from itunes and put it on my borrowed ipod.  Sad, huh?  AND, every time I sang it, I got teary-eyed.

The bags are packed.  I can't believe that detail either.  Yay me!  The moment the last thing went in, I got excited and got a lot less stressed.  That was nice.  Since for 2 weeks, I've been the opposite.  The bags are HEAVY.  I keep worrying that at the airport they will choose to search our bags and it will pop open like one of those practical jokes.  You know, the ones that look like a can of peanut brittle and when you open it a fabric snake pops out?  Yeah, that image keeps running through my head, too.  So, I am hoping to not be arrested for willfully packing my suitcases too tight.

The children are all tucked in at their grandparents.  That was really hard.  Tom asked why Alice can't just come here.  Good question!  Charlotte, 8, cried herself to sleep.  She is not the one I was worried about.  Go figure.  I know that once she wakes up, she'll be fine.  I know that in the logical part of my brain.  But, the emotional part of my brain is screaming that mommys shouldn't be away from their children.  It seems so strange that I have to leave them to go get one of them.  But, the kids here are at grandma's...life is about to get pretty sweet.

I'm up late for no good reason.  My mind is running in a hundred different places.  I just can't seem to settle down.  5 hours from now I'll be getting up and getting ready for one of the biggest adventures of my life.  So, maybe that is my good reason.  Who could sleep at a time like this? 

Well, because I've had this song stuck in my head I feel only fitting that you do too...because I like to share.

Not Much...

Just a tiny post to say...2 more days until we leave!


I am very weepy at the thought of leaving my blessings.  I keep trying to hold 6 year old Tom.  He's embarrassed because he thinks he's too big to sit in my lap. 

I have sit here for almost an hour trying to think of something cute and witty to say about that.  Everything I come up with makes me sound like I want him to be a mama's boy...I don't!  I just want to hold him in my lap for say, the next 10 years.  Is that so wrong?

PS--Just heard the vote has been moved to the week of December 21-24.  Maybe another push and we'll have her home before they change anything!

The 3 little P's

This week is the week of the "P"...post office, packing and paperwork.

I have 6 packages to get shipped out.  One is for a dear friend in Bahrain that helped us raise funds by buying a lot of things from our facebook auction.  That one is a fun box!  The other 5 are Christmas gifts.  I usually make most of our gifts, but not this year.  I did make my grandmothers' gifts, though.

Packing, packing, packing.  Yesterday we got half of the kids packed.  Not the kids, just their stuff.  I bought jumbo sized Ziploc bags.  Each kid has 4 bags.  Then I wrote on an index card what each kid was bringing.  Hopefully to help cut down on lost clothes as they are shuffled back and forth between grandma and aunt.  Wonder how 5 kids can equal a half?  Well, 2 kiddos completely packed, 2 kiddos almost packed, and one, well, he will be naked if we don't get on the ball.

I haven't even started Erin and I's clothing yet.  I have spent a LOT of money, it feels like, buying things for our trip.  But, the bags from the store are in a pile on my bedroom floor.  Last night Erin was wondering if we even have enough warm clothes.  I don't know!  I've been worried about travel pillows and travel size Tide.  Clothes?  Oh yeah, we'll be winter vacationing in an Eastern European country.  Just like every other American tourist, right?  I am hoping to start on our stuff tomorrow.  Confession...I have gathered books, games, loaded a borrowed ipod, and decided what knitting I'm taking.  Just not any clothes.

Paperwork.  I'm working on getting all of the paperwork we're supposed to bring ready.  We've finished our wills and the legal papers for our family taking care of our children.  Just need more notarizing, if you can believe that!  More!

We are very busy, but with the normal goings-on of getting ready for an international trip.  You know, like I take every year?  NOT!

PS--the vote has a schedule for the 16th (same as our SDA appointment) for 10 am.  That will be 2 am our time.  This vote may greatly affect our adoption.  I have heard that if they do vote to change their adoption wording it won't take effect for a few months.  If that is the case it will not change our plans.  If they make it effective immediately, we may have to leave without ever seeing Alice.  I am not all that worried about it for a few reasons.  One, I serve a sovereign God.  He has planned all that is to happen.  Two, (and as much as I hate to admit this) my worrying about it will not change anything.  It will happen as it is to happen.  The wonderful people at RR are working hard to change the wording so as to not stop special needs adoptions.   I wanted to give an update and more information. 

Dance of Joy

Almost every evening since we got the date of our travel Erin and I have stayed up late talking.  I talk about the things I did or didn't get done that day and what I want to get done the next day.  Erin counts the money.  It's like he's a really nice version of Scrooge McDuck.

Yesterday Andrea over at Reece's Rainbow sent an email that she was going to transfer Alice's funds (the money she had been given BEFORE we came along), our Promise Trust money (the $1000 we gave to commit to Alice) and the money we had in our Family Sponsorship Page.  When she sent us over the final numbers I began having trouble putting two thoughts together.

God did it!  He fully funded us.  In three months, God has given us $24,000.  How did he do it?  I have asked that a hundred times.

That's why Erin has been counting the money everyday.  He, with his brilliant financial mind, would look at the $50 here, $100 there, $500 here, $1000 there and know that they couldn't total up to $24,000.  So, he checked and rechecked.

God did it.  He laid it on friends, family and even strangers to visit this orphan in her affliction. 

We don't have a huge savings.  This has been the worst possible year because of our schedule for us to be undertaking this.  I'm so glad we didn't follow "logical" thinking and put this off.

So, we are officially done raising funds.  Thank you, Lord! 

All day as I've gone to different places getting things done I've felt like I'm walking on air.  I find excuses to tell perfect strangers what we are about to do and what God has done.

I am officially doin' the dance of joy!



Wanna dance with me?

One bite at a time

Well, I have made it out of the fog.  Well as much as I ever am.

I was able to get several things done yesterday.  I would have gotten more done, except I had to take my oldest daughter (read right-hand) to the doctor because she has strep throat!  Like I have time for that, wait...it's not all about me.  Got it.  Anyway, we spent the morning at the doctor's office.  But, she's on meds and hopefully will be ready to help me tomorrow.

Erin and I stayed up late going over final money figures and working on to-do lists.  People have asked where we are on the money side of things.  The answer is somewhere between $0 and $5,000.  How's that for a gap?  We've read different figures in different places.  We are going with what we have and praying that the Lord will provide whatever else we need.

I've started putting my to-do list on post-it notes, one or two action items per note.  That way I can move them around or change the order without any big deal.

Here's my action list.  This is for this week.  I'm adding some for next week as well.

We got the official itinerary for our flight.  Let's just say that for this small town girl who's never flown for longer than 2 hours...it's gonna be tough and LOOOONG.  Part of the reason for that is we have a larger plane with more room and that one takes more stops.  I'm grateful for more room.  Always.  The travel agent asked what our meal preference was.  I don't know.  Do they offer a menu?  No? I guess not.  Well, then whatever is fine.


We leave in 11 wake-ups.  In about 17 days we will meet Alice.  Wow.

I should be...

I should be packing...I'm doing laundry. 

I should be filling out more paperwork (yes, there's more paperwork to do!)...I'm reading blogs. 

I should be making meals to put in the freezer for when we get home with our girl...I'm playing with a new cookbook software program.

I should be buying the rest of the Christmas gifts since we will be gone during the holidays...I'm looking at ads...and ipods, but that's for me for the plane.

I should be finishing the last of the name canvases I've sold...I'm playing scrabble online.

I should be boxing up the gifts I have to mail...I'm not.

I should be mending the 2 skirts I want to pack...I've decided which fabric to use.

I should be doing so many things to get ready.  We leave in less than 2 weeks.  I am frozen with too much to do!  I keep going from task to task, but not getting any of them close to being done before I flit away.  I wish I had a check list or a to do list to keep me focused.  I just don't know where to start.

A day for giving thanks

My family and I are staying with my parents for Thanksgiving.  My parents, 6 foster children, my husband, my 5 children and I are staying with my folks for Thanksgiving.  Last night I knew I wouldn't be able to find a quiet place to read the Word and to pray without disturbing someone and being interrupted a lot.  So, I set my alarm for 6 a.m.  I got up, got dressed, grabbed my Bible and notebook and got in my van.  I drove to McDonald's.  Too loud.  I drove to the local coffee shop.  Closed until 7.  Drove to the other end of town to Braum's.  Juuuuust right.  (Did mention that this is a really small town in the panhandle of Texas?  I went from one end of town to the other in 7 minutes.)

I went in and found a back booth and sat down.  I prayed for many, many things this morning.  I prayed that our first appointment notice would come while we were here.  We live 11 hours from this side of the family and I thought it would be neat if we could share this part with them. 

I've been slightly addicted to my emails lately.  I check them often as they are sent to my smart phone.  I checked it this morning around 11 and there was THE email!  We are to be in Eastern Europe on DECEMBER 16!!  I started screaming.  My family all came running because they thought something was wrong with one of the kids.  We will see her before the end of the year. 

In a very short amount of time I will be holding my little girl.  I am so overwhelmed.  I had trouble forming words for a good portion of the afternoon.  I am not thinking straight, but in circles!  So much to do!

Erin is handling the travel arrangements.  Thanks to the donations we have received we have more than enough in our family account to pay for our flights. 

What a beautiful thing, the day before Thanksgiving.  A day for giving thanks.  I have one more thing to be grateful for tomorrow...I'll be holding my girl in a matter of weeks!