Making Memories

Even when we don't realize it, we are always making memories. Good or Bad. We spent today getting things together for our 1st big camping trip this year. For the last 9 or 10 years, we have gone to Barren River Lake in KY. It's one of our favorite camping places. We've made lots of memories there. Both boys rode their 1st horse there. We've camped with lots of different friends & family members there. We've met many new people there, as well.

Last year, Lou went on her last camping trip w/us. Oh the many memories from last memorial day weekend. We went horseback riding, swimming, ate lots of food, made pottery. All through out the weekend I kept thinking about how it would be the last camping trip w/her and I would get a little sad, but then I would think~~well @ least next year GloriaGrace will be here.

May 14th, 2009 we had just learned that Chiquitines accepted our dossier & would (eventually) place our daughter w/us. When we initially were accepted, we were told that things could move very quickly & we could even travel 3-6 months from then (that would've been by November of last year). We really have no idea what exactly we are still waiting on. The latest that we have been told is to expect a referral in August. That would have us travelling sometime between September/Novemeberish. I really try to keep myself from the what if games. Planning out our imaginary timeline. Figuring out flight information (I go on travelocity all the time, checking costs to Colombia). As much as I try not to, I just can't help it. We are soooo ready to meet & bring little Ms. GloriaGrace home.

I will enjoy my time with Tim & the boys this weekend. Both sets of grandparents will also be going camping w/us. We will make many memories this weekend, but while we are making them my mind will also be filled with thoughts of sweet little GloriaGrace & the hopes of her making memories with us soon.

Family Photos

We have not had our family pictures made in 5 years!! This past week Alison Bynum, did a fabulous job capturing our family in photos. She is a very talented photographer & made our session fun. Here are a few pictures from the shoot:

If you are looking for a photographer here is Alison's website. I can't wait for our next photo session, which will include GloriaGrace. It will not be 5 years, but hopefully sometime this summer. (no we don't have any new news, I'm just hoping :)

Time Is Flying

Time has been flying by around here. It's been almost a month since we began to update our paperwork. The only thing I am waiting on is the medical form from my doctor. I really like my doctor a lot; however, his office staff NOT so much! I have felt frustrated today. They still don't have my medical form completed & I dropped it off to them a week ago. It really is not that complicated, but for them I guess it is. I politely told them today I had to have it back by the end of the week, because I leave for my mission trip this weekend. I need to have it to our social worker, so she can get our home study update done & we can submit our request to the US CIS before May 13th. Our current form will expire 1 month from today. I let myself get frustrated today about the doctor's office not having the form, but then I decided they will surely get it done by tomorrow :) We'll see.

I leave Saturday for the medical/dental missions trip to Puebla, Mexico. I am so very excited to be going on this trip. I did not go on the last trip, because there were too many people to go & we were hoping to be in Colombia. I had been on 7 previous trips, so it was really hard staying behind. Planning began before the last trip was complete for this upcoming trip. We were also hoping to be in Colombia this time, but again we don't yet have our referral. There was only one nurse available to go this time, and there are usually 2. So, I get to go again. :) I am hopeful for the plans God has for our work. The trip in October was very fruitful. There were over 140 people that made decisions to follow Jesus! Can't wait to see what He has in store for us this time. :)
We will be leaving Saturday the 17th & returning Saturday the 24th. We will have clinical days Monday through Thursday. We would appreciate your prayers. My fellow team members are: Dr. Rick, Agnes, Tabatha, Danny, Ben, Jessica, & Joy, along w/the Christians from the church in Nuevo Laredo.

Here We Go Again...

When we began our adoption journey, they told us a timeline to expect. They had said that once we submitted our dossier (the big stack of papers about us), & we were approved by ICBF we would wait for a referral. They told us to expect to wait 24-30 months. I was ready for the dossier to be done (the paper work is not fun). In fact~the paper work is BLAH! :) I was ready to be done w/the paperwork & "just waiting." It took us 10 months to complete our dossier. We submitted our dossier to a private orphanage before I C B F, because we were told the wait for private orphanages was "much shorter." I had also researched & found out that Chiquitines is a really nice orphanage & they have a great program & take really great care of the kids. I was excited, but the agency also told us not to get too excited, because they only accepted a limited # of families. Two weeks later, we got a phone call late one Friday evening. Chiquitines wanted to work w/us!! We were ecstatic, to say the least! They gave us a totally new timeline, and told us we could possibly have GloriaGrace home in 2009. ~~Obviously, we did not receive our referral & did not travel in 2009.

We really really really hope to have a referral & travel by summer. God's timing is 100% perfect & I rest in that truth daily!

Since we have not gotten our referral & will not travel & be home by May 2010~~we must re-file our US CIS form. This includes updating our home study & some of our other paper work :( Sometimes I dislike the paperwork more than I dislike waiting. I started working on some of it @ the beginning of the year, because I knew we would have to update our home study even if our US CIS form stayed current. I am actually close to being done w/getting everything together. :) I just have my employment letter, which I will request when I am @ St. Thomas on the 29th to renew my CPR. We also need updated letters from our doctor's. Both Me, Tim & each of the boys. This is the part that I get anxious about. When we did the home study/dossier the 1st time, the doctor's office staff have not been able to read directions. I should say, that our pediatrician's office was able to read directions & correctly fill out the paperwork the 1st time :)

I had to make multiple trips to Tim & My doctors office. They looked @ me like I had 5 eyeballs, when I told them they had not done it the way the agency asked for it. The form must 1st be copied onto doctor's letterhead, then filled out & signed by the doctor. Notary dates have to match the doctor's signature date. Does that sound so hard? Doesn't sound so hard to me either, but apparently it is. We'll see if they can do it right the 1st time this time ;) Oh & we'll have to have the medical forms filled out one more time, when we get our referral. . .

I can't wait to have to do it again :)

Mommy ♥'s You GloriaGrace

The Karate Squirrel Fan, by Seth Watson

Seth has a wonderful 1st grade teacher. Mrs. Hilderbrand has such a great heart for the kids in her class, and they love her back. She has helped them in publishing their first books. Each book is complete with an "about the author" page. You can go here, to see & hear the kids reading their books. Seth is @ the bottom of the page. It is very cute. (turn your volume up, because this is the only time he is using a soft voice.)

Better Post Before February is Over

I just realized I haven't written since the last day of January. We only have 2 more days in February, and we're on into March. Time is flying by around here!! This month has been mostly same old stuff different day. A few snow days. A lot of really cold days. I'm not trying to wish away time, but I am ready for some warmer weather.

Last Saturday it got up to 60° ☼ It was fabulous. I painted my toenails red & broke out the flip flops. On Sunday, we had snow flurries :~P

The boys have been playing basketball. Coy's team played their tournament game on Wednesday night & it went into overtime. They did not win the game, so they are done for the season :( :)
Seth's 1st tournament game is today. We'll see how many more games, if any they get to play.

We are gearing up for the beginning of being busy. Lourdes sent me a message that she has dates picked out to visit us in a few weeks. :) :) :) Words can not fully explain how excited I am to see & hug that girl!!! I miss her, A LOT!!

The end of April I am either going on the mission trip to Mexico, or running in the Country Music ½ Marathon in Nashville. I am running, training as if I am going to run the ½, but praying that God works everything out for me to go to Mexico. I am hoping that we get a phone call from Gladney soon. I will go on the mission trip & freshen up on my Spanish, and return from Mexico to take off to Colombia :) That would be super duper cool.

Well, that is the skinny of what's going on around here.

What We've Been Doing While We Wait

January has been quite a busy month. That's a good thing. It helps the time pass quickly, until we bring GG home. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her being here & doing these things with us. I can't wait until we are sharing life with her. While we wait, this is how we roll :)

Seth @ his 7th birthday skate party:

Coy showing how cool he is:
Some of our friends helping us celebrate:

Seth on the 100th day of school, dressed as if he were 100 years old :)

Daddy had a birthday, too:

The last time Tennessee got a good snow was the year Seth was born. The day before his birthday it had snowed 6 inches. I was 9 months pregnant outside making a snowman w/Coy. What fun memories :) It snowed 2 more inches the day he was born! Snow doesn't happen like that in TN very often. This past Friday, we got between 3 & 6 inches depending where you live. Here in Smyrna we got closer to 3 inches, with some freezing rain to top it off. It made a really fun time sledding.

Seth:

Coy:

All of us :)