In the words of Junie B. Jones, "Wowie, wow, wow!" Yesterday, Caleb sorted 5 colors of plastic bears into the right colors without any help. Last night, he ate 2 bites of asparagus with only a bit of grimacing. This morning he told me he wanted to go potty, and lo and behold, he did go on the potty! Catherine and Samuel got up and emptied the dishwasher without being asked. Looking forward to a great day.

News on Hannah is that there is a 2 week addition in our wait that I didn't anticipate. However, things are moving along, and I'm convinced the timing will be perfect.

We've been chosen...

In documents not necessary for our adoption case, we found out that we have been chosen by ROG to be Hannah's parents!!! (There has been great confusion about how to handle our case.) Normally, we would have our court date and then get these documents. Not sure if that means we'll now not have to wait as long after court to go home, but this is good news.

We're also very happy to have Buddy home with us. He's pretty tired, so we haven't heard much about the trip, yet. Kind of hard to do school on a beautiful day like this when our daddy is home. :)

We're back early from our fabulous trip to Branson. It really was a great trip. 5 kids, 3 adults in a 2 bedroom cottage. We spent 7 hours at SDC and headed home for dinner and church for me. The kids behaved well, we got some sleep, we enjoyed spending time together, and I got to have a nice long, unexpected visit with a dear friend. God is so good! I'm so thankful mom and dad were willing to switch their plans so we could have these great days.

We had to head out after hearing of the winter storm headed our way. We worked like a team getting the very full fridge (expecting another full day of meals) and all the necessities of a big group going 3 different directions. One the way home, we got the best surprise of all-Buddy called us! That's the first we've heard since he left and it was a thrill for everyone. Caleb was being his silly self, most of which would've been difficult for someone on a cell phone is another country to understand. I did and it was very sweet to hear him talking to his daddy. Samuel got to share the news that he went on the Wildfire ride 9 times! That was a first for him and he was so pleased with himself for doing it. Now he's ready for the daddy roller coaster! It'll be a lot of fun for he and Buddy next time we go.

Home we came to snow and sleet while we drove. I was so thankful we left when we did. Had we not, we could've ended up in a ditch or stuck in Branson for several more days. While we really enjoy our time there, our Buddy is coming home Monday night and we don't want anything in the way of meeting him!

The wind is howling and I feel some shaking. Off to bed for a lovely, long night's sleep!

By the way, our visa for Hannah is waiting in the embassy! Not long now!

Kid swap

Catherine is off and excited to be with her cousins and grandparents! Samuel got home tonight and talked non-stop, basically from the time we picked him up until he went to bed. So many stories, some of which made me wish I could've been there to tell some children what to do with themselves. Bite the tongue and know this is part of growing up. I just don't remember kids telling me they were going to break my finger if I didn't buy them something at the concession stand, hitting me and saying unkind things to me. Other than that, he had a great time. Ready for bed and wanting to hear all about our time without him. It was so sweet to see how excited Caleb was to see him! Normally, Samuel is the one asking for hugs and kisses, and tonight it was Caleb asking and willingly giving them.
Off to do some packing so we can leave when the boys are up. Branson, here we come!

Today was busy! We got Buddy off at dark:30 for the Dominican Republic. Man! Early start on top of DST was a bit rough, but we did it. I had intended to take him to the airport so I didn't have to find anyone to go with me. Glad I had a change of mind, because the kids slept an hour past when we would've had to leave. Then church, home for lunch, to the airport to get his truck, home for a non-naptime for Caleb, back to Tulsa for a fun dinner and some snacks at Whole Foods before we were off to drop Samuel at the church for his camp. Back home for a quick bath and bed for Caleb, then some good girl time for C and I.

I must admit that I was a bit teary today thinking about the boys being gone. As much as I crave peace and time to myself, I love them all so much and am thankful for the gifts they are to me, I miss them. I know that both Buddy's trip and Samuel's camp will be life changing for them and those they share Jesus with. I'm looking forward to the day we can go together.

It's great C & I get some special time together. We talked about sleeping together tomorrow and she was pretty excited. Although these rollers may prove sleeping to be a bit challenging and I may have to take the offer back :) I had gotten Catherine some pink foam curlers and we'd done her hair yesterday. It looked so cute! (Buddy took the camera to the Dominican Republic so you'll just have to trust me on this.) I told her I'd get some myself and we'd do our hair together tonight and have curls for CC tomorrow. We got in our jammies and did just that. I'm so thankful I don't know how to get my pics from the phone to the computer. It's a truly hilarious sight! Good thing Buddy's not here. Picture this- huge rollers in my hair, the mouth piece I should be wearing to help me not clench my jaw, and my one ear plug! It makes me laugh as I type this.

Taxes are tomorrow, and I think I'm all ready, so it's off to knit for a few minutes before I hit the hay.
Have a great week!

Good News!

Some very important paperwork is headed to the embassy in ROG! This is an important step; without it we could be stuck over there waiting for it to arrive. Thank you, Jesus for continuing to work on our behalf!

It's a beautiful day today! The sun's not really shining, but it's warm and a breeze is blowing. I've got one loaf of bread in the oven and one rising (trying 2 different techniques), the washer and dryer are busy, the windows on my front and back doors are clean, I got 6 rows of my sweater done, (which I'm going to have to rip out since I haven't figured out how to adjust the pattern for my size) the kids are outside playing, and God has provided a lot of work for Buddy right now. I'm feeling the itch to plant some things! Thursday and Friday, S&C helped me work in the yard. Hope to keep that up. The smell of dirt is sooo nice!
It will be fabulous to have Hannah here enjoying days like today. Until then, we know God is watching over her, sheltering her, and preparing her for the changes soon to come.
Days like this, it's hard not to smile, or to get involved in too serious a project!

I'm really enjoying my knitting, if you couldn't tell. It's such a great way to spend the time! It calms me, helps me feel productive, and gives the person I knit for a hug even when I'm not around. I'm over 1/2 way done with Buddy's scarf and I'm looking forward to my next MANY projects. I'm going to be brave and try this next...

Tuesday Morning is a store that has great deals. This month's flyer came out and yarn was 50-54% off! After we finished school and the kids had jumped outside a bit, we headed over and some really pretty yarns. Not enough for the sweater, but they're going to look good in an afghan we can snuggle under while we read together or watch movies. I'm envisioning many hours together. The great thing about the afghan is that it's squares that can be finished quickly and I can move onto something else, not feeling the pull of the 1/2 done project. I'm going to experiment with different stitches since I don't have a really pattern. There was a book that showed an afghan with really simple instructions. I'll take my liberty and see what I come up with. Since it's squares, I can rip it out and not feel like I'm destroying hours of labor.

We had a little paperwork mix up that should be resolved this week. Someone said the paper was sent, someone said it was held up somewhere, someone said they never got it. Thankfully, it was an email and a call and it was taken care of. Last little things, I believe should be the end. I believe the way is cleared and we can finish this process soon.
Two years can seem long, but the Lord is so faithful, and life so full, we just keep pressing on trusting He'll finish it for us. I guess that's the "don't get weary in well doing" part of life. If all other areas were that easy not to get weary in...