New Look

I am sorry about the new look here. The other day I thought I would add a weather sticker for Kirov so people could see the local weather and time while we are traveling. However, since I am a genius with blogging and web stuff I screwed it all up. But the new look is kind of nice. I never got the weather sticker but I was able to get a clock of the current time in Kirov, just scroll down a little. I will try for the weather sticker another time. Maybe Brynn can figure it out.

We are getting excited about traveling in a little over a month. We still don't have travel dates and probably won't until mid January. As fast as the last month has gone I know it will be here in no time flat. The nursery is a state of chaos with Christmas presents that need to be wrapped, baby clothes, and all of our cold weather gear. Not to mention the orphanage donations and other stuff. I am trying to wrap the gifts and move them under trees so at least I can remove them from my mess.

Hope everyone is staying warm, even south Florida has been chilly the last couple of days. Froze our tails off last night at the soccer game.

I'm it! I have been tagged.

I was so lucky to be tagged by my blogger friend, Val, http://www.fromrussiaforlove.blogspot.com/! This my first time and I am a dummy when it comes to these things. But here I go, forewarning I am out of my normal Christmas planning and decorating, I've been distracted.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper with coordinating bows and ribbons for everyone but Don and the kids. They get a little less favorable wrapping since they get so many gifts. However, I did find a mother load of bags that I bought after Christmas last year. So I may be using some. I am not the best at wrapping gifts ahead of time so we'll see how it goes. Not opposed to either.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. Sorry, I would love to have real but it just isn't practical. I usually do 5 to 7 trees. This year we only have 4, I've been distracted. We couldn't afford real and they don't last long in South Florida.
3. When do you put up your tree? I usually start Thanksgiving weekend and putter away at it for a week and call it quits.
4. When do you take the tree down? Day after Christmas unless we have a party after Christmas like a New Years Eve party then I'll leave it up till the 1st.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Today it would be the matching outfits my cousin, Jenny and I would get from our grandma each year. One year we got quilted jackets and pants blue (maybe denim) with pink flowers on them and pink shirts and they were so cute. Back then, maybe my Simon game or my Baby Alive doll.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Yes, but it isn't out this year and I have major guilt about it. I often feel the meaning of Christmas is lost so I try to make it part of my decorating. Lots of thought invoking words and crosses and angels. Minimize Santa maximize Christ!
8. Hardest person to buy for? Not sure. This year it is Steph, she hasn't given me but 2 ideas. But she loves everything, just not sure what she really wants!
9. Easiest person to buy for? My baby, Brynn. She gave me an exact list this year. It was excellent. Michelle was right behind, we went shopping and I remembered the things she looked at and liked.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Couldn't be one cause no present is ever bad! We do funny gifts sometimes in our family and some of them are pretty darn gross! Used, old tennis shoes comes to mind but that was my grandma and I that gave those to my sister!
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, if you are lucky! I am not the best at sending cards out! Sorry everyone. I love you but I just don't get in to it, probably because my handwriting stinks. I have gotten bad and done the family typed letter and will probably do it again this year. I do apologize and realize I am wrong on this one! I have lots of guilt.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story, how can you beat it. Christmas Vacation is great too. My darling step-father is responsible for these two, he watches a Chrimstas Story over and over every year. He even has the sexy leg lamp from it (miniature version)!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Depends on what I find. If I find firetrucks and fire stuff for Don I buy it throughout the year and save it for his next special day. Usually I don't start till after Thanksgiving.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Of course I am cheap! We regift gag gifts every year in our family. There is a shawl that has been passed around my whole life. Wonder who has it this year? It makes it all over this great country but it is happiest in Minnesota.
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Hmmmm...I love all food (everyone knows) my mom makes some special Swedish meatballs and these almond bars (just ate them tonite). I acutally love Swedish sausage but it is hard to come by and lutefisk but it is really hard to come by. What can I say but that I am a Swede! But you can forget the lefse, I don't like it much!
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Which tree? I am partial to white. Don has red on his tree in the den to go with all of the firetrucks. Actually, it is probably so he can dream of the red light district while sleeping in his recliner in there! I have these round pearlized lights that I love but didn't use this year.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night. My mom used to sing it to me in Swedish and so did my grandma. Might have to have my mom sing it to me again.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel. The last years we have gone to my mom's for Christmas that way we see them and the girls and some years Don's parents are around too. Brynn then gets to go her paternal grandmother's house. It works but we are planning to be home next year and invite everyone to come if they want. The girls are getting older and have other places they would like to be and I would like to try Christmas at home for a change. We'll see nothing is ever carved in stone.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? No but I do recall the most famous reindeer of all!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Which tree? This year we have stars on two and bows on two. I also have angels just not out this year.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve always. When Brynn was little she did open Santa presents Christmas morning. We do our big family celebration Christmas eve. When I was young Santa arrived at my great aunt and uncles house in Odin, Minnesota after dinner Christmas Eve. It was the best!! I am often told that I yelled "Come on down Santa" one year when he was standing at the top of the basement steps. Gosh to be that young again!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? That people forget that we are celebrating Christ's birth and to be happy about it!
23. What is the "corniest" family tradition you do, or miss doing? The shawl but it is the best!
24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? The glass ball ornament or come to our church group Christmas party (last night) we get some real beauties. Actually, we have some real bad ones that can't be described on here.
25. Which looks the best, theme trees or homey trees? Homey trees. I love all Christmas trees. I wish I had one full of handmade ornaments by kids!
26. What does Christmas mean to you? That we all need to love one another! Be kind and good spirited to everyone you meet. That I am truly grateful for everyone in my life and all of my good fortunes and I know Who to thank for it!!

Val, this was kind of fun. But where is number 5? I sure hope my family enjoys my trips down memory lane. We had the best Christmases growing up. My grandma and my great aunt, Lorraine put so much work in to it all. They were two very special ladies. Ok gotta stop cause the tears are welling up! Just not the same without them. I love my mom and aunt, they try to pick up where they left off but I guess since I am old it isn't the same. Maybe the fact that Florida and Minnesota aren't the same has impact.

Ok, tag Marie (www.journeytoparents.blogspot.com) and Kris (http://www.hearttohome.blogspot.com/) are it! I don't know how to imbed or whatever it is! Sorry I am a dummy on this !

Are you crazy????

We seem to be asked this question a lot by people lately. And the answer is "Duh!!" Who on earth is in their right mind would adopt a baby when they have a little over two years left of having kids in the house? Who is sane and spends tens of thousand of dollars to travel half way around the world twice in the dead of Russian winter? We realize we have mental health issues, but we like them. Don't worry the are you crazy comments don't offend us. Deep down I think a few people are envious of our decision. We both love kids and love being parents.

Thank you everyone for all of your support and congratulations! We are very happy, excited and nervous all in one. We will not be traveling until February. The baby will be about ten month old when we get him home. As we get closer in time I will share more of the details with everyone. We have lots to do to get ready. Of course I have shopping lots lately.

The girls all seem to be fairly excited. I think it is a little unreal for them as it is us. Once he is home I know they will love him. It would be hard at 15, 17 and 23 to have a baby brother all of a sudden.

Michelle has been visiting the last couple of days and it was fun to share all of the travel things and baby things with her. I want the girls to be interested and happy about this too.

Happy Day!!! We got a Thanksgiving surprise!

We got a referral on Wednesday evening for an infant boy!! I know when you least expect it, boom it happens. We are very excited but apprehensive at this point. We will not travel to Russia until early February for our first trip. Between now and then a Russian family could come and adopt or foster him. This is unlikely but still a possibility!! Anyway, we are truly thankful that God found our son for us and pray that He will continue to watch over us on this journey and hold him safely in His arms until we can get him home!

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Not much new to say. It is doubtful that we will receive a referral this year. So I am going to put my energies in to having a wonderful Christmas that isn't all about money and gifts but about the love and joy we should have around this wonderful holiday! I will put all of the Christmas trees up, bake tons of cookies and breads and probably make a bunch of gifts. I am hoping to find the energy!

Wish I had something new to say

Hi all! I so wish had something new to report. I guess we are getting close, our agency has started talking to us about updating our documents. Now that I am no longer working certain things will need to be redone. Also, many of our documents have expired since they are only good for 90 days or 180 days, by Russian standards. Of course this means more money to spend. But what the heck, you can't take it with you. But I could get a new purse or some shoes with it instead. Don would want to pay a bill or put in savings. Go figure!

We have also been told that our dossier will probably be registered in a region very soon in anticipation of a referral to that region. I know a few people who have already done this. One of them, my friend, Marie left Saturday to meet her son on trip one. It is my understanding that this has been done for a long time but it is becoming more prominent. Since the re-accreditation in July the process has slowly been evolving and it is just not the same as it was before.

It would be nice to get a trip in before Christmas but at this point, I am just not sure. There will be U.S. (embassy) government closings for the holidays and once again the Russian government closes for the first few weeks in January for Russian New Year. Gotta love it, lots of holidays. The Europeans have the right idea, less work and more play!!!

I am currently enrolled in Guardian Ad Litem (child advocate) training. I hope to be certified next weekend and get my first case at the same time. It has been something I wanted to do for many years. At this point in our lives we are not ready to be foster parents but probably will some day. In the meantime, this is something I can do to hopefully have a positive impact on a child or two involved in the scary world of child dependency. My time commitment is minimal (4 hours or so a month) and I plan to continue to do this once we have a little baer.

I have to share what my sweet daughter did for me yesterday. While I was at training all day for the GAL program, Brynn went shopping and then to the boat show with Don. When I got home I had a wonderful little gift bag waiting for me. In it were a thermal body suit, warm sweat pants, bear slippers, and some skin balm. They were all for her little brother to use in Russia. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it!! What a sweet girl she is. She knows lately I have been down in the dumps about the adoption and it is so wonderful that she takes an interest and tries to cheer me up. This is one of the moments when I know that we are doing the right thing adding to our family. The sweet rewards of being a mom, seeing love in your child's heart!

Brynn is now playing soccer, a nice change from her beloved volleyball! I enjoy the evening games in the great outdoors. Especially now that fall has arrived in South Florida. She is driving with Don (I just cannot do it) and just turning in to a beautiful, young woman. She was confirmed a couple of weeks ago. Poor kid has done 4 years of confirmation!

I think Don and I have finally gotten beyond the disappointments that we have experienced in our delayed wait. At this point (as it was all along) we know it is in God's hands and He has a plan for us and we are just waiting for Him to show it to us. It isn't always easy but you have to just roll with it sometimes. I am honestly ready to be done and move on to the next step, being parents to a little one again.

I hope everyone has a truly blessed Thanksgiving!

The nursery

Ok I have no news on the adoption front. All we keep hearing is "anyday now". So we keep dreaming, hoping and praying!

The big news is I am learning about photos, our camera and how to upload photos on to here. So, I thought I would show everyone the nursery! Of course it is all done in fire trucks! Don would have nothing else. I did get the pretty cream beadboard with a picture rail I dreamed of. It was a happy compromise. I think it is a dreamy little boys room!

We already have the fire truck pedal car ready and waiting.