dreaming....

I am so obsessed with ready others blogs that have traveled or are traveling soon to Vietnam. Check out little Lucy who gets to head home to the great US tonight as well as baby Gracie, that will also be coming home soon. It was so much fun reading about their trips. We have so much to do before we go. I haven't even started on her room, it's that time of year for a ton of paperwork for my business, I'm contemplating buying a mini van! I know that comes as a suprise to many of you, for me to be so practical, but with 3-kids I am in need of convenience. And on our last journey to Missouri my vehicle with only 3-cup holders and not much space didn't cut it! I'm just worried about getting around in it in snow and ice. I've had an SUV for a very long time.
Anyway I'm just dreaming of our referral!!!!!!

My sis is making the trip!

My husband is figuring there is no way he can take off work for that long of period. It could be May or June when we travel, who knows?! So Hubby and maybe 10-yr old Son will be there at least a week -10 days and then my sister from California is meeting me there. Luckily she can take the time off work and since she's much older than me (23 yrs!) she doesn't have to leave any little kids behind. Just her 4 girls that are around my age and 11 grandchildren! I'm so happy she can make the trip! It scares me to death to be there by myself and even more so to make a 24 hour trip home with a baby! I've traveled IA to CA and back with babies and it is always a challenge when it's just you. My baby girl was only a year old when we both got major flu out there and had to delay the trip by a day. Then when we got to the Dallas/FW airport I had a long layover and walked the LONG walk thinking it would be good exercise forgetting how weak I was from the flu, THEN we arrived in Chicago LATE one time and I had bronchitis and had to RUN through the airport with her in her umbrella stroller, having to bypass a bathroom break, diaper change, and new bottle since they were announcing our name on the speaker! I was gasping for air, coughing and sweating when I got to the gate.(I didn't want to have to spend the night in Chicago! Been there, done that!) So baby and I get on the plane with everyone glaring at us, like it's our fault! We sit down and guess what is on the seat in front of us? Dried Barf! Could have died. Try to keep a toddler from touching everything! Stewardess put paper towels over it. Then what happened? The girl in front of us puked in her barf bag, yes I could hear and see the motions! She hands it across the isle and her dad asked if she ate too much junk! THEN she has the nerve to let my baby grasp her pukey finger! I was in need of some antibacterial big time! I didn't travel again with my kids for awhile and the hubby went with that time. So I will be preparing my body to fight of any sickness for my big trip! Lots of vitamins, exercise and herbal medicine. I keep saying, "I don't get sick! It's all in your head!" Then I pop some vitamin C! I still have to get shots for the trip! Finally have time to do that but haven't made the call to the Dr. yet. Why do we always have soooo much to do? I take my Mom twice a week to appointments and it takes most of the day. Dr. office forever, or therapy, trip to grocery store for a couple of items, (I keep telling her to buy MORE at a time!) then she wants to eat out, by then my kids about home from school and I didn't complete 90 % of my to-do list.

She had her own tree!

I did a tree for our baby we have yet to get referred too! It was fun. Our little girl would show everyone that came over her tree and dolls and books we've been collecting. I'm finally posting picture of it!

Moving on up......

WHEW! I made it through the busy Christmas Season! Then we find out we were to start the paperwork asap! So the DOSSIER is done baby! It's all state certified and sent to our agency. We've had several referrals go out so now we're number 3!!! They said they have 3 more infant referrals that were born in November and/or December but no medicals yet. So it could be awhile yet but who really knows. I'm not getting my hopes up yet so if it comes early then yeah! Congrats to Susan who just got a referral of a precious little baby girl and Laurie who was referred an adorable 9-year old! She was born the same month and year as my son!

We just got back from the Lake of the Ozarks for the New Year Weekend to celebrate Christmas with my hubby's family. We rented a huge house on the lake with everything you could possibly want. It had 4-huge master suites plus other bedrooms. So we never felt cramped. The kids had a great time! But ooohh we ate and drank too much! My in-laws are so much fun so it was very relaxing and enjoyable!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Start your engines folks!!

We received word today that we are to start our dossier. This is the major paperwork that needs notarized and state certified. We already had some of it done since we were starting the China Adoption. But we'll have to have some things updated. And since hubby works for a different company now our homestudy will need to have some work as well.
They are saying our agency is going to be recieving lots of girl referrals in the next Month to Month and a half. But I'm trying not to get over excited. I understand in the adopion world things don't always go as planned. Please say a prayer for the girls that have been patiently (by no choice) waiting thinking they would get a referral since the end of October. It has been a hard wait on them thinking the next week would be the week, then the next, then the next, and so on. Thinking of you Laurie, Susan, and Sarah!