Vacation time was fun - a much needed break from all the chaos that goes on around here! We got to go to my youngest brother's high-school graduation! He wasn't keen on having his picture taken, so decided to go for silly / serious. His answer to why he was goofing off and not giving a serious or happy photo? "I graduated. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

Since we weren't going to be able to stay until Sunday, the kids got to play with the props my mom got for silly photos at the graduation party. What hams!

We spent some time in Nashville, visiting other grandparents and saw classic cars.

After Nashville, it was off to Knoxville for a couple of hours. Chris had fun showing the kids his Alma Mater, and they all enjoyed standing at just the right angle so they could get a good picture by Neyland Stadium and see the sign over the scoreboard.

Gatlinburg was our next stop, where we had a much needed vacation staying at a cabin and hiking. We were excited to see a bear up close (relatively speaking - the zoom on the camera was helpful). A hike to Abram's Falls was a must - Chris proposed to me there, and we really wanted the kids to see it. The sign said it was a 2.5 mile hike there. GPS said it was 3. So, we compromised and said it was a total of a 5.5 mile hike. As you can see, the kids were excited that they made it (and kept up!) the entire trek. 

 

 

 

A journey of nearly 2000 miles (more, if you start down in GA) begins with a single step. So, we took those first steps down the Appalachin Trail. Eventually, we hope to hike the entire trail (though not at once, of course!) We began at Clingman's Dome, which is the highest point. It's all downhill from there!

 Our journey ended in Georgia, where we stopped in Savannah to stretch our legs for a little bit. It was later in the day, so most of the shops were closed. I did snap a picture of the "Lady and Sons" restaurant sign. We also wandered around the historic cemetery, which has been closed for burials since 1850.

Catching up

So, we moved to our new house in March. (Ready to pack the truck!)

  The front of the new house:

The kids have been having a blast playing in the backyard - we're on just over an acre, all fenced in, with climbing trees, swings, fruit trees...all kinds of fun activities!



Apple and peach trees

We enjoyed watching a caterpillar become a butterfly! Happy looking little guy, isn't he?(The caterpillar to the Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly):


Their rooms are ready...wish I could say the same about the rest of the house!



A neighbor gives us eggs...straight from the  chicken! Gotta love "country" living!                                                                                                                                                                      










We submitted a huge stack of paperwork for adopting. Our 2nd home study is complete. The papers have been submitted. We are now waiting for the home study paperwork to be sent to us for review and sign off on, then it's submitted to another worker who will give final approval saying "Yes, they can adopt." So...I guess all of that will be done by the end of July, then we can start looking.

Haven't posted in awhile, because everything was pretty much the same. Sit and wait for the phone to ring so the home study could be set. Try to find a house.

Well, yesterday, the phone rang! We have our first home study on January 29! The second one will not take place until after we move. It suddenly is all very real. It's not "at some point."

We also found a house that we like. I turned in the rental application today, so hope to hear in the next couple of days if we've been approved for the house or not. This is an ideal house as far as size and location, so pray that we are able to rent it.

Progressing Right Along

Tonight is our final class for adoption. Next comes home study, then matching, "getting to know each other," then final placement.

We are 111 days into the process. 111 days since we attended the seminar to give us information on how to begin the process. 111 days closer to bringing our child(ren) home.

We found out a few days ago that we're going to have to move. Our landlords want to move back into the house, so come January, we have to begin the search so that we have somewhere to move to in March. This is a blessing in disguise. We had hoped to be able to stay put for awhile. God is funny, though. Shortly before we received the "you will have to move" phone call, I had been looking around our house, wondering where on earth we would put another child or children. Two days later, we received the phone call, informing us that we would need to move. Prior to that, of all things, I ran into a stranger in the restroom of a doctors office in Orlando. I felt compelled to strike up conversation with her, and discovered she was a foster mom. I asked her advice on if she had any questions to ask the foster mom and caseworkers of the child(ren) we adopt. She asked what county we lived in...I told her Brevard. She asked what age range, and I told her 6-10, and mentioned that we are open to possible siblings. She proceeded to tell me about a sibling group that has been on our hearts for months now, how she actually knew them, etc. That meeting was a one in a million odds chance. I had gotten lost twice on the way to the office, as well as had a car problem. I was 15 minutes late getting there. They called us right back, and within 20 minutes, we were leaving. I had to use the restroom, and that's where the whole thing started. IF I hadn't had car issues, IF I hadn't gotten lost, IF I had gotten there on time, that meeting would never have happened. What I thought was Satan causing problems, I now believe it was God orchestrating that meeting. Whether or not it's meant for us to adopt that particular set of siblings, or if God has someone else in mind...the orchestration of events has further confirmed that we are making the right decision with adopting. Now, pray that God provides us with a van. I believe in praying for specifics. So, we are praying for a used Toyota Sienna, under $8,000, in good condition.

Scrapbook

So, we are over half-way done now with our required adoption classes. Paperwork / profile has been submitted, along with a scrapbook. Since we will not be dealing with biological parents, we don't have to go into a great detail - this scrapbook is pretty much just pictures for the child(ren) to look at. We have to write a letter to the child(ren), and the county wants us to write a letter to their parents, too...I guess just acknowledging that we know this is a difficult time, and reassuring them that their child(ren) will be loved and cared for. Here are the pictures we put in the scrapbook. There were captions with each.

Life and other stuff

Well, the first class for adoption took place this week. That was the good part of the week. It was very informative, designed to throw the scary stuff at you.

Sabrina goes on Friday to get the first "appliance" put in for her orthodontic work. I'll be getting the mold of her teeth, so will share a picture. Things like that (molds of teeth, xrays, etc.) always interest me. Maybe I'm just weird.


In other news, the government has shut down. Chris is home from work until ??? No work = no pay. We're waiting to hear if Senate will approve back-pay for federal employees once the shutdown is over. No clue what's going to go on with that. I'm not holding my breath for good news, though. The problem is, the government is so wrapped up in all the bickering that they really just don't care. People are all "Oh, you are just getting a paid vacation." No, vacations are supposed to be fun. This is not fun. We budget for bills, groceries, etc. Try to put some in savings, though our car seems to sense when we reach a particular amount in savings, and decides to have some sort of malfunction that results in all but a tiny amount taken out. That emergency fund never gets very big. Once the check gets taken away, it throws everything off. Meanwhile, Chris is looking for part-time work. Part-time, because if the government opens back up, he could be back at his regular job come Monday. Again, I'm not holding my breath.

I leave you now with some awesome pictures of grammar gone horribly awry.

Hey, Doo Doo! Pick up your dogs!

Perhaps you need someone to preview your posts?

A song we are learning for school - avoiding double negatives in a clause makes us happy!

I have no words, really. This is just painful.

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