Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Whew! Now that my heart rate has returned to within the normal range, time to get busy! I shouldn't even be writing this post, but I'm hoping it will help me get my thoughts in order.  So if you really have nothing better to do, here is my to-do list for your reading enjoyment:

1.   Freak out!! check!

2.   Pray

3.   Apply for visa

4.   Set up appointment with interntional adoption physician upon our return

5.   Pack for V. - this is a problem. What size?! I don't know! I'm going with 2,3,4 and hoping that something will fit and that I still have enough room for our clothes.

6.   Make sure I have appropriate gifts for everyone. I bought these last January when I thought we would be going back soon. So, how long does unopened coffee and cosmetics stay good?  I'm hoping a couple of years. Otherwise, it's money down the drain.

7.   Get our house ready. This is a big one.  Someone else's dust bunnies and soap scum are always grosser than your own.  Yeah, it's just my sister, but still. got to keep up appearances, you know.

8.   Book flights!! 2 seats going over,  3 coming back!!

9.   Pick up x-ray film from lab.

10.  Buy umbrella stroller to take.

11.  Stock pantry.

12.  Help Gabe prepare his speech for court.

13.  Fly to Oklahoma, attend a wedding, fly back.

14.  Prepare our hearts. A new daughter, wow!!

15.  Threaten our kids with eternal loss of Wii privileges if they misbehave in our absence.

16.   Visit the bank to get as many crisp, clean $100 bills as I can get my hands on. If you have any of these just gathering dust at your house, I would be happy to take them off your hands.

17.  Collect care package for the orphanage.

18.  One more visit to ye olde notary and secretary of state.

19.  Trust God.

20.  Decide: to Benadryl or not to Benadryl? That is the question.

21.  Learn Russian. Ha! Right! At least some useful phrases: "We are your mama and papa."  "We love you." "Hungry?" "Time for sleep!"

22. Write some more (BIG) checks.

23.  Try to find something dignified looking to wear to court.

24.  Be still and know that I am God.

That should about do it.  Yeah, right.    At least it's a start. Hang on little girl! We're coming!



Monday, September 19, 2011

The One I've Been Waiting For

This is the post I've waited so long to write.  I really wanted to be funny, profound, clever, something, anything but boring, but as it is, I've got nothing.  Just a heart that won't stop beating so fast and thoughts that won't stop scattering in about a hundred different directions.  So in case you have not yet heard, we have a date!! October 18th!!  We received this news, almost a year to the day we received the referral for our little pumpkin.  Also, we will be traveling a year, minus a week, since our first trip. That's got to be close to some kind of record.

Now that the paperchasing is pretty much over, not to mention the agonizing wait, now my thoughts turn to parenting and being a family. For that is the whole point, isn't it?  Lord willing, Victoria will be our daughter. We will be her mom and dad. She'll have a brother and 2 sisters.  She'll have a big hairy dog that will let her climb all over her. She'll have grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, playmates, and a church family to care for her. She'll learn that Jesus loves her. And she'll teach us a whole lot, too.  We can't wait!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Waaaahhhhh!!



I would be in violation at this moment in time.



I'm at the end of my rope and trying my hardest to hang on.





   We really, really, really want Victoria to come home.






Truth be told, Mom's going a little bit nutso.





We've been waiting so long.  So has Victoria.....



This little girl has been in our thoughts every day for the last 10 months. Hoping and trusting we'll get to play the clapping games she loves again real soon.