Randi received her first PT school acceptance! Hooray! How exciting! Bring 'em on!

Tyler's been sick all day today. :o( He came downstairs at 4 a.m. sick at his stomach and stayed sick that way until 1:30 p.m. He was running a very low-grade fever. He finally held down some jello, then some soup, then more jello. When I checked his temp at 5:45 p.m., it was 102.6! Tylenol brought it down, then later the ibuprofen brought it down some more. Poor little guy had to miss a soccer game tonight. He has felt so miserable that he was even unhappy that he has to miss school again tomorrow. (Yes, he usually wants to miss school. You see, school is stupid because it has math! This kid is known to put the thermometer on a lightbulb or under hot water to try and trick me into letting him stay home.)

Go, Saints! What a fun game that was! Saints 48 Giants 27

Our ladies Bible study is really good again this fall. We're doing Beth Moore's study on Daniel. Her studies are so good at getting us into the Word. I love the challenge.

I keep thinking about Kolya and how the adoption process seems to be bogging down. I suppose having him home by Christmas was a pretty lofty goal, anyway. The paperwork is just a pain, and it seems like it will never be completely done. Just when I was thinking we were probably about finished, more requirements. At the same time, I know I should be grateful that there is so little paperwork required as compared to our first adoption! I mean, truly very little paperwork.

My neck is sore tonight for some reason. I'll be signing off, now. G'night.

Our Weekend

We had a good weekend. Tyler was out of school for records day on Friday, so we left on Thursday night toward Texas. We drove half way, and spent the night there, then drove on to Texas on Friday morning. I left Tyler and David with Daddy; and Mama, Julie and I had lunch together. Then Julie and I went shopping. That's a major event, in case you didn't know. Julie doesn't like shopping any more than I do, and we shopped 'til we dropped! First, we found some bedding for the baby's room -- too cute! Then, we spent a looooooooooong time getting a maternity wardrobe. Julie was so adorable in those clothes that I think she almost had fun. (But don't tell anyone -- it would absolutely RUIN her reputation!) After that, we went to Babies R Us for her to start her selections. It was a long, tiring day, but I'm pretty sure she's glad that we got all that taken care of in one day. We really got a lot accomplished.

On Saturday, we went to Six Flags. It was a celebration of Tyler's "gotcha day" and Julie's birthday, and it was also Dana's birthday. We had a group of 19 family members! I love Six Flags. :o) That was Tyler's first time to go, and he had a great time. It was a long trip back to Tyler afterward, but all worth it. We got up early Sunday morning and drove home, and I was sooooooooooo sleepy! We listened to the Cowboys on the way home, and (luckily) were able to catch the last 5 minutes plus the overtime on t.v. YEA! GO COWBOYS!!! I have to say, though, that I felt just a smidge sorry for Kansas City, since they played such a tough game, and still haven't won any (hey, I said a SMIDGE! LOL!).

Picked up Ruthie from the Pet Palace today after school. (Her's so poodie!) We have our fingerprint appointment at INS tomorrow morning! Hope the processing goes smoothly and quickly. Could we be traveling by Thanksgiving? Could we possibly be home by Christmas? Probably too much to hope for (I always hate to get my hopes up about things), but still . . .

It's a boy!

It's a boy! Julie and David went for the ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby today, and it's a healthy little boy! Exciting! I can't wait to see the DVD and go shopping with Julie for baby stuff - yea! We'll be going to Six Flags next weekend (Oct 10th), so I'll be up there with them soon.

The Christmas hosting photolist is posted online, and our Kolya's not included. :o(

The only thing I can figure is that they expect our adoption to be so close to being finalized that it would be silly to include him. I don't know. COULD IT BE THAT WE WILL HAVE HIM HOME FOR CHRISTMAS???? WOW!!! What if?

People keep telling me that we will get our INS approval letter long before INS says they will send it. That's really the biggest holdup, I'm pretty sure. Once we have that letter, we should be really close to being finished with our foreign program dossier. We have our fingerprint appointment on October 13, then we just have to sit and wait for the approval letter to come.

TTFN -- "ta ta for now," says Tigger.

Going on with everyday life...

While we WAIT, we are -- of course -- keeping very busy. Tyler scored a goal at his first U10 soccer game last Saturday! I was in College Station Friday and Saturday with Randi. She got her Aggie class ring! Oh, yeah -- how cool is this: Randi got word that she has an interview at UTMB's PT school in Galveston! yea!!!

I had a board meeting Monday morning across the lake (AND across the river - ha!), met with the woman who runs our bar association Christmas party venue to sign a contract; tennis Tuesday morning, then finished and published the bar association website; Wednesday I cleaned off my desk, organized a file drawer, and did some laundry; this morning I have a doctor appointment; tonight is Bible study night; tomorrow I have a shower to attend (oh, yeah -- I need to go shopping for gifts today), and we have Russian class in Slidell on Fridays at 5:30; Saturday is soccer; Sunday, Tyler has a birthday party to go to; then we start another week's activities. I'm pretty sure I'm going to join the new gym in town on Monday-- need to tweak my workout routine.

Tyler's not doing well in math, so far, this year. He doesn't want to go to school. "School is stupid because it has math." :o( Pray for him, please! He does very well in EVERY other subject; he and math just don't "click." Homework is a pain much of the time. Actually, he does fairly well on homework/daily assignments, but he doesn't test well at all.

I am putting together a small package to send to Kolya for his birthday (October 30). I have everything ready except a letter to enclose with it. I need to send it off tomorrow, since it takes a few weeks to get packages to him. I keep thinking about him. Don't you know that he's waking up anxious every day wondering whether and when something is going to happen, now that he knows we're coming! I really hope they warned him that it may take a long time!

Meanwhile, I will be dropping off a few obligations at the end of the year. I think I will probably have to home school Kolya for a while until he learns some English. (Our public school district is less than optimum, unfortunately. I am hoping I can talk the parish into letting him attend a school in a different district; we'll see!)

Oh, oh, oh!!! I almost forgot! Our agency says that they think we will have Kolya home for good before Mardi Gras - wow! I have trouble believing it can really move that quickly, but we'll see about that, too. (I have to send off for our state criminal records checks today or tomorrow. Then, I just need a few more documents to have everything gathered for our dossier.) Dude -- I have waaaay too much to do.

Hope you are all having a nice, productive, and blessed week.

News Update

Today we received a picture of Kolya holding the care package we sent him! He's looking very handsome, isn't he?

Much has happened since my last post! There has been a huge scare in the adoption and hosting community that his country will shut down all hosting programs, and possibly adoptions from the U.S. There was a couple in Florida who hosted three girls (through a different hosting program from the one we did) this summer. They were to leave for home last week, but this couple refused to return the girls! It was a huge big deal, with the State Department and the other country's government having to get involved. Long story, short (now), the local court in Florida ordered the children returned, and (after more drama with the FBI involved in convincing the man to follow the court order) the girls were finally returned last Thursday afternoon. We still don't know 100% that hosting will be allowed, but we sure do hope and pray so! How awesome to be able to host Kolya over Christmas while waiting for adoption paperwork to be processed!

Tyler is on board with the adoption, now. He said a few weeks ago, "That would be cool -- then I'd have a brother." Another day he said, "Mom, why didn't we get a teenager?" ha! Yesterday he asked, "Mom, have they said, yet, that we can get Kolya?"

We went to file our INS paperwork this morning, but they won't fingerprint us for another month! argh!!! At least our file is complete, home study and all. Our local office tells us it will take 60-180 days to get our approval letter to us AFTER fingerprinting! Ugh!!!! Waiting, waiting, patience, patience...

Oh, boy! Miss 2 weeks of blogging, and you have so much to say! lol! Have a blessed weekend!

Good news

The facilitator saw Kolya yesterday, and asked him if he wanted us to adopt him. She said he jumped up and down with excitement! YEA!!!

PRAY FOR ALL INVOLVED, PLEASE: Kolya and us - for health, happiness, and patience; the facilitators - that they will instruct us in our paperwork correctly and efficiently; INS (USCIS) - for a quick and correct processing of our paperwork (they put an incorrect date on our papers for Tyler's adoption, and we had to request a new approval notice); his country's government - to allow things to happen, and to happen quickly.

Okay, now the hard part -- all the paperwork, and more waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (But I addressed "waiting" yesterday, didn't I? lol!) We are at the beginning of the process, folks. It may take a while, but ... LET'S ROLL! (that's LSU purple, by the way... lol!)

Still waiting...

Mama news: Well, we are still waiting on official word regarding whether Kolya is legally available for adoption... The team from the hosting organization was at his orphanage TODAY interviewing kids for the Christmas hosting. Oh, man, I wish I could have been there with them! Latest word is that we may know officially by Monday (and possibly even tomorrow!).

Nana news: Julie's finished her first trimester, and she and baby are doing great! Pray for good health for both of them.

College kid news: Randi got a PT school interview! yea for her! I think she's going to Abilene next week for that. I'm really hoping she gets in, and that it is just the first of many interviews and acceptances for her. (I would LOVE for her to get into a state school!!!)

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God..." Ahh, so waiting is just part of life, and as a Christian, I should be really good at it. Perhaps my faith ensures that it is easier for me to wait than it is for those who are of the world. Patience. Perseverence.

Somewhat off-topic (OT)--Sometimes in my life I have had regrets and thoughts of past failures or inactions, or other things that cause me to be unable to forgive myself and move on with life, so that I may live in the present and make my life full and abundant. I re-discovered a verse this spring while studying for our ladies' Bible class that really spoke to my heart, and I've starred and underlined it in my Bible. It is 2 Corinthians 10:5--"We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." In the past, I skimmed this verse, not really seeing what "speculations" meant, and thus not seeing what this verse means for me. The Holy Spirit let me see this verse all fresh and new this spring. Our "speculations" are our "if-onlys" and "what-ifs!" It boils down to this for me: because we know God, we have to defeat every thought that is inconsistent with what we know to be true and correct! No, actually: because I know God, I have to defeat every thought that is inconsistent with what I know to be true and correct!