And We're Back!

Anyone remember that SNL skit with Jimmy Fallon as the host of a radio show.... funny.

Anyway... I got sick around 12 yesterday, so I left work, went home and slept for 3 hours, and then pretty much stayed in the bed for the rest of the day and night... feeling much better today so I hope that means I am finally on the mend... :)

At work today, but not too much going on, so staying busy with a bunch of stuff that I dont want to do but needs to get done... it is what it is, I guess...

besides that, not too much going on at our house, which is kind of weird... normally, there is a million things going on, so with everyone just chilling, its kind of strange.... but ugh, looks like the weather is going to be cold and rainy the whole weekend and next week too... yuck!  Im not a fan of cold, so yeah, not so much looking forward to that.

But at least we get a long weekend.... and next week is 2013... so weird... this year went by so fast, and Im kind of ready to see it go - it wasnt the best year, but it wasnt too bad.... looking forward to what 2013 holds... hope you are too!

Blech

So Wallace is better.... then Daniel got sick and better in one day... and then I got sick - for the whole Christmas break... yay me!

Blech... Im still a bit sick, but thankfully on the mend.

Christmas was great though... Saturday we went to my mom's family, Sunday was the church Christmas program, Monday we went to my dad's family and Tuesday, we went to my mom's house.... and Ive been back at work since yesterday.

The kids got a ton of stuff... not quite sure where to put it all yet.... Daniel gave me a nice new electric blanket, so Im enjoying that (he is not and has since moved the whole thing to my side of the bed)

I know I could draw this out and make it longer and more interesting, but I dont really feel good - and Im getting migraines in my teeth (ick!), so yeah...

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On the adoption front, ugh....

Ok, so all of our home visits were done in November, we provided everything they asked for... so I assumed it would only take a week - maybe 2 at the most - to get it written up.

Yeah... the Friday before Christmas they asked for more paperwork.... and I havent heard from them since.

Not exactly thrilled, but trying to be patient.  I really thought we would be waiting for I800A approval now or have our dossier in China.... guess that will be something for next year.

Im losing faith that we are going to travel by the summer.... sigh.....

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ok, back to work I go.... hope yall all had a great holiday break!

Wallace is sick

Daniel and I went out of town yesterday to finish our Christmas shopping and thankfully we got it all done... but Wallace got sick, so our babysitter had to go pick him up early.

Let me tell you it is a pitiful sight to have a sick non-verbal child.... poor thing could not tell us how he felt, what hurt and what didnt, if he felt nauseous or what.... so we just had to give him some tylenol and ibuprofin and watch him thrash and moan.... its so hard on a parent's heart when you have no idea how to help your child and he cant tell you anything.

What makes it worse is that Wallace has G6PD (an enzyme deficiency) which means that his body metabolizes medicines more slowly... so it takes longer for them to work and for him to get some relief... it also means Wallace heals more slowly.

We are hoping that its just a cold and nothing worse as he really hasnt had any other symptoms besides a fever and him moaning (which we dont know if he is hurting or is sick or what).... praying that it is nothing serious b/c Wallace has some serious heart problems, and it would be aweful if he got really sick.

If you ever met Wallace, you would never ever know how medically fragile he is, but its times like this that it is brought back quickly into our minds...

Daniel and Wallace slept all night on the couch last night... yes, I have the best husband in the world.

Anyway... thankfully, Daniel is on his holiday break, which means Wallace is getting to stay home with daddy today and from what Ive heard, he is not back to 100% but is doing much better... hopefully, the day of meds and rest and fluids will get him back to his normal self.

Today is Gabe and Emma's last day of school as well... cant believe Christmas is almost here!

Have a great one!

Tuesday

First off, let me say thank you to Lannie McKee and Kim Kenward!... yall spoil us!

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Been a busy day so far... :)

Actually its been a busy couple of weeks... Im tired, yall.... I feel like I have a million things that need to get done, but as soon as I get home from work, all I want to do is sit down... but that doesnt happen - Daniel and I are constantly running around, and we still cant get everything done... :)

I am hoping things slow down just a bit after the holidays... we will see.

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Nothing too much going on with the adoption... I think the holidays have everything slowed down... so I am hoping that picks up soon... I am hoping to have our first dossier packet in the mail tomorrow, so yay for that.

Also, since our tax refund from Wallace's adoption finally came in, we finally have the money to get his certificate of citizenship... which has a hefty $550 pricetag attached... but once we have that, then we can get him on social security and then on medicaid, which means we wont have so many out of pocket expenses... hopefully... :)

So this will be our first Christmas without our daughter since we have known who she is... I hope it is the last one as well.  I have heard that once your dossier is in China, then things speed up a bit - I hope thats true.  It would be amazing to travel during the summer so Daniel and the kids could have tons of time to bond with her since they will be at home.

There is a new pic of Emma on the other blog at www.talleyimages.blogspot.com if you want to check that out... I am still editing Emma and Wallace's birthday pics but hopefully should have them soon... :)

Not too much going on with us... thankful for that... hope yall are having a great day!

Monday

My heart was absolutely broken Friday.... I just cried and cried, and was glued to the tv, and then finally had to turn it off b/c I just didnt have anything left to give....

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This past weekend was packed full!

Friday, I went and had lunch with Daniel at his school - its always nice to get in a little extra time with Daniel when I can... and my sister came over to spend the night, so it was nice to see her (and she brought cookies!)... and also some of the guys who were part of our youth group when Daniel and I taught came over to hang out -and they brought home made pizza.... so much fun.

Saturday, Gabe tried out for upwards basketball (a Christmas present from my mom, thanks to her!), and then we made a ton of cookies and chex mix and delivered them to our neighbors - I love the fun day of baking with my kids and the memories of delivering everything in the wagon, but since we give all the food away, there is no extra calories to go with it.... :)  We then went to a cub scout meeting/dinner.... and then a sweet friend of ours came over to watch the kids and Daniel and I got to go to our church Sunday school party - adult conversation and great food... wow, blessed!

Yesterday, we went to church, and then over to a Christmas get-together with my family, and then to the church Christmas bowling party - where our family of 5 took 2 hours to bowl 2 games.... seriously.... but we all had such a fun time.... and when we got home, we watched some tv, ate breakfast for dinner and then spent an hour and a half playing Headbanz... so much fun.

Wow... this weekend was packed full to the brim, and I really could have used a nap in there somewhere, but man, am I blessed.... blessed, blessed, blessed!

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As far as the adoption... :)
- We have over 300 puzzle pieces sponsored... amazing!
- I am going to send in our first dossier packet soon... woo hoo!

I cant believe Christmas is so close... and the end of the year is almost here... crazy!

Hope yall all have an amazing week!

Thursday

Not too much has changed with the adoption... still waiting on the home study to be done, but thats about it... we have sold several more puzzle pieces so that is exciting as well!

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In other news, I met with Wallace's principal yesterday for all of 10 minutes - I wanted to talk with him about scheduling a time to view Wallace in class.

He told me that they had always had an open door policy towards parents and that as long as visits were scheduled, we could come at any time.. I didnt mention that I have it in writing that this wasnt what we were told... but since they were being so cooperative, I figured that there was no need to start anything.

So yay... I will be getting to view Wallace in his classroom (hopefully without him noticing I am really there)... so that was encouraging.

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So last week, one set of my grandparents began living in an assisted living facility... so Sunday, my mom, sister, Emma and I went to visit their house and pick out anything that we would like to keep.  Mostly a lot of pictures - some of my dad that I had never seen, so that was a huge blessing.

Going through their stuff was so bittersweet... since we still have them around, it made their stuff seem like, well, just stuff... I will cherish the things that I have now and even got a few things to pass down to the children when they are old enough.

There is a Christmas party at their new place soon so we will be going out there and celebrating with them, which is exciting.... but it will be strange not having Christmas eve at their house - weve been doing that ever since I was a baby so its all me and our kids have ever known, so that will be a bit bittersweet as well b/c although we wont be at their house, we will still have them with us.

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I cant believe December is around halfway over... this year flew by.... :)

Craziness.... and next year - I cant wait to see what it holds.

You know... if we all make it past 12-21.... :)

Long post...

ok, Im just going to apologize b/c this is probably going to be longer than need be.

Dear anonymous,
Yes, I deleted your last comment.  It was not what you put, but rather how you put it - you were completely belligerent and using curse words and spewing hate.  I covered this in an earlier post, but I will NOT tolerate that here on my blog.  Its fine if you want to disagree with me - Im an adult, but to just be vicious and ugly just doesnt fly here.

I am confused though - if you hate me so much, why do you come here?  I am sorry that you are so miserable, and feel the need to make other people miserable.

As an aside, I never claimed to be holy or righteous or perfect... Im human, I make mistakes... but Daniel and I do try to do our best to treat everyone with respect and help others out as much as we can... Yes, we have made mistakes before and hurt people that we didnt mean to - we sincerely apologize... and part of being a Christian (which we do claim) is grace and mercy and forgiveness... we are thankful for everyone who has extended these gifts to us.

And I will answer your questions/accusations since you asked (albeit not very nicely)...

Do you go to church?
Yes, we do.  As mentioned before, we are Christians and do go to church.  We have been attending Shaeffers Chapel United Methodist Church since September and have tried not to miss a Sunday.  Most of the people there have shown us much grace and are happy to have us back.  The pastor was even one of our reference letters.  Before we came back to Shaeffers, we did visit other churches, but never found one that really fit - we have never church hopped, nor have we ever asked any church for money (or leave when they refused to give us any - so ridiculous).  We are still friends with members of every church we have been members of.

Do your kids go to church?
Yes, they either go with us to Shaeffers Chapel or they go with my mom and grandparents to Crawford United Methodist.... I cant recall a Sunday when they havent been in church.

Does Addie's mom help raise Gabe and Emma?
No.  We are our children's parents and take that job very seriously.  Probably what you are referring to is Gabe and Emma spending the night with her or my grandparents.  They do usually spend one weekend night with either my mom or my grandparents (but when there, they still have to abide by our rules).  We would actually love to have them home more on the weekends, but I dont want to deny my mother and grandparents time with their grandchildren.  Its also how I was raised - we always spent weekends at my grandparents house and for a few summers during college, I spent almost every night at my grandparents house - I even had my own room.  My grandparents are getting older, so I want my kids to have as much time as possible with them so they can make as many memories as possible.

Why not Wallace?
Wallace stays home with Daniel and I because my mom and my grandparents dont feel equipped to hande the special needs that Wallace can present.  Im not gonna lie - Wallace can be a handful and is medically fragile.  It is also good for Wallace to know stability and that Daniel and I are always here since he spent the first 6 years of his life being moved around constantly.  Its also good one on one bonding time with Wallace.  (and yes, we do other one on one activities with Gabe and Emma as well.)

Does Addie have a speaking relationship with her mom?
Yes... we do not just speak through the computer as was implied.  Our relationship is not the best b/c we tend to have differing viewpoints on alot of things, but we do see each other on a daily basis, spend time with each other, and talk.  I love my mom and I know she loves me.... and I know she thinks of Daniel as a son and would do anything for me, Daniel or the kids.  If we did not have a good relationship, I would not let me kids spend so much time with her... in fact, we will be spending Christmas and New Years Eve at her house.

Why did you not address me (anonymous) having a special needs kid?
Since I know who you are, I know that you do not have a special needs kid.  You have a kid with an IEP, which I know can still be tough... and yes, you do have to go to IEP meetings and such.  But your child is verbal and can tell you what is going on, your child is not medically fragile, and your child is fully potty trained.  There is virtually no chance of your child ever spending years in a self-contained special education room.  Im sorry, I know its harder than a "typical" child, and I can sympathize with you there... but you cannot tell me you actually can compare your child with Wallace.  Really?

Im sorry, I cannot remember anything else you posted... if you would like to ask more questions, then you are welcome, but it must be done in an adult manner or they will not be posted.... also, you will need to include your name, which shouldnt be a huge deal since I already know who you are.

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Ok, now to answer other questions that Ive gotten lately... :)

Why did you leave those nasty comments up - why dont you just delete them?
The reason is two fold on that.... 1. I think anonymous has embarrassed themselves, and I think it is proof that there are just ignorant and hateful people out there, 2. I want everyone to know that this is what adoption really looks like... this is really the first of this kind of meanness for this adoption, but we got this kind of emails and comments almost daily when we were adopting wallace.... it gets hard sometimes.... but it makes us all the more thankful for those of us who have held us up and stood in the gap for us.  I hope it also helps others understand why Daniel and I are a bit jaded sometimes.

What is it like having a non-verbal child.
Honestly - its alot harder than I ever thought it would be.  I am an introvert and like quiet, so I thought this would not be a big deal.  It does become a big deal though when your child wakes up screaming and crying in the night and cannot tell you why - you have no idea if they are having a bad dream or if they are sick or hurting.  Just last night, Wallace fell down and started crying and he couldnt even tell us where he was hurt - thats a helpless feeling as a parent.  It also means we may never hear I love you (although Wallace will show us), it means that if Wallace is bullied, we dont know.  If he has a bad day, he has no way to express that so usually he acts out.  We dont know what Wallace's day at school looks like, we dont know what he ate for lunch and if he liked it or not... It also means Wallace cant verbally defend himself either - if a kid kicked him first so he kicked them back, but the teacher/babysitter only saw Wallace kick, then he is the one in trouble - this can make Wallace an easy target.  We believe that since Wallace was in the hospital for the first 2 years of his life, he missed out on learning how to speak as he didnt talk to anyone or have anyone talk to him - he still does not know how to make certain letter sounds... and since he is already 8, we are wondering if he has missed that window of learning.  Yes, we absolutely still work with Wallace and he has speech therapy at school, but its just not possible to tell now.  We will love Wallace either way though.

What does it mean to you to be goth?
It doesnt mean that I am obsessed with dying or feel the need to be constantly depressed or am overly interested in horror stuff.  I do like black and gray and heavy make up and tattoos and piercings. I do find a cemetery peaceful and not the least bit scary - but no, I dont want to sit there at midnight reading poetry.... :)   I do love the darker things that exist in nature - spiders, bats, skeletons, full moons and crows, etc... I think God has a darker side that alot of people miss out on and it can be very beautiful to relate to Him in that way... I know that may not make alot of sense, but I hope it helped.

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The meeting with Wallace's teachers went well... everyone was civil and I feel like we got some things accomplished... they didnt give on everything, but I know that I cant win everything either... but I think we did make a huge jump forward in one area, and Im happy with that.

And just for the record, I know that Wallace's teachers do like him and they are doing a good job in most areas... Wallace is actually almost writing his name and he is counting to 3 on his own and can count to 10 with a little prompting... we just want to make sure that he is reaching his potential.

If you know me at all, I am not super confrontational - I really dont like confrontation, but I will do it if it needs to be done... especially when it comes to my children... and I wont apologize for that.

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As for this adoption.... we are waiting on two papers to be notarized then then we will have just about everything ready for the dossier.

Our home study should be approved this week, so that is good news and we are keeping our fingers crossed....

So excited for our new baby girl.... :)

Thanks for sticking with this post... and I apologize that "anonymous" has ruined comments for everyone - I never want it to be moderated, but it is what it is, I guess... you can always email me at talleyimages@yahoo.com

Love yall!

Not for the weak of heart.

This is Daniel writing. So we are now fully immeresed in this adoption and wow it is nothing like our first. I already find myself wanting it to be done with it and our little girl home (where she belongs). I also want to transition from active adopters to mentors of other adoptive parents. Addie and I have learned so much about this process and we know that we will never leave the adoption world, but rather we want to help others on their journey. This journey is not easy, it is not for those who trust only in themselves or those who care about what others think. This journey is for those who understand that life is more than the newest toys, the newest cars or the world of pretty people. This journey is for those who hate the term "NORMAL" (like there is such a thing). It is for those who love our old phones, old cars and crazy lives. We look to challenge the status quo. As a teacher I am around young people who want to question authority (I Love My Job!); I get to show them a person who dared to ask "why not?". I love the story of Jesus calling His disciples. He goes to them and says "Follow me"; thats it. No master plan details, no health care, no 401k, no security blanket; infact the longer they were with Him the worse the deal got. Jesus kept talking about treasures in heaven, blessings in persecution and loving enemies. This is why I Love Jesus, He speaks with such conviction that the disciples just follow Him. When we got the call to follow Jesus and reach out to a complete stranger it was scary; I am not going to lie, I was scared. Not of the parenting (afterwards the parenting is what I needed the most help with), but of the things I felt I couldn't control: like money or family matters. But the crazy thing is that no matter how much I was scared, God was greater. My fear failed to compare with His Glory. Any success we have had with Wallace has more to do with God than with us. Addie and I are most definitely human and we make mistakes, just like the disciples we have not always done the best, but God is always there to hold us together. I guess what I am trying to say with all of this is that, this adoption is showing how much time I wasted last time by worrying. I let my fear control me and I missed out on the awesomeness of God. This time have tried to turn over that fear to God and just trust Him. The other question is what about you; Jesus never told anyone to just stay at home and take it easy. To all the people who say to us about adoption "thats great, but we don't have the money", no you don't, but God does. Or the people who say "why not adopt from the U.S.?"; we  are quite familiar with our local children's home and can get you in touch with people who need volunteers. Or to the Christians who asked "Why would you bring a stranger into your home?", because that is what our Heavenly Father did for us. The adoption world is most definitely a place for Christians to reestablish the fact that Jesus sees value in every single one of His children.

Nasty

Dear Lannie McKee - your generosity overwhelms us, thank you.... Aunt Anita - thank you so, so much!

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I would absolutey love all of my readers to go read the *lovely* comment that I got on Wednesday's post.... Id love to hear your opinions on it... especially parents of children with special needs - Id love to know a single one of you who havent had to fight for something at school... :)

Would it surprise you to know that a member of my family wrote this?

No?  Me neither.

It doesnt surprise me that they couldnt even leave their name either.

Really, its just sad.

And a bit pathetic.

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If you arent keen in telling.... Im kind of in a fighting mood lately....

I cannot wait to sink my teeth into a few people this week.... hurray!

Its my birthday present to myself, I guess...  well, actually, Daniel gave me the go ahead as well... I think he is tired of being "the diplomat" to ignorant people who refuse to listen to anyone.

And for all of those who think Im getting myself into trouble.... well, the backstory is that we tried to talk to certain people at the beginning of the year - we tried to be nice and helpful and supportive.... but they just keep going against our wishes, so protective measures have to be put in place.

So yeah... for all you underdogs and freaks, and special needs kids, and all of those who are constantly never given a voice, Im going to bat for you.... and should I go down in flames, well, Ill go down with a smile knowing I was doing the right thing.

Betcha didnt know that my symbol is the Phoenix.... b/c I always rise up out of the ashes.... yeah, I may go down in flames, I may get burned and scarred and come out ugly.... but I always rise up.

:)

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This is a weird post, right?

Im cool with it... :)

As for the adoption, our homestudy is almost done... crossing our fingers for soon... :)

Love yall - even the haters out there - you make me who I am, so thanks!

Thursday

Yes... I am in a much better mood today... :)

Yesterday was bad.... and I think it may have even been worse for Daniel - he had a bad day too... ugh, hate when Wednesdays gang up on people like that.

So I got my medical letter, got my application letter approved... and the home study is almost done!

So tomorrow, I hope to get our application letter and financial forms signed and notarized and thats it for our first dossier packet.

After the home study is done, we will have that reviewed by our adoption agency for China, and then we put in our I800A application - would love it if you prayed with us that this is a speedy process... :)

Once we have our I800A approval, then we can submit our dossier to China!  So exciting!

So yeah... today is good.

I just finished reading "Evolving in Monkey Town" by Rachel Held Evans... and I loved it, in fact, Ive already promised it to Daniel and then a friend, and then I hope to read it again.  Its definitely not for everyone, but since Im a Christian skeptic/cynic, well, it was right up my alley.

Anyway... I havent gotten any questions in awhile... anyone?  bueller?  bueller?

:)

Wednesday

Ugh, let me go ahead and warn you I am not in a good mood today... I honestly have no idea what has gotten me so ill, but I am... so if you see me in person today, I give you full permission to pretend like you didnt, duck away... :)

As far as paperwork goes....
- we finally got the police clearances in
- I have drafted our application letter, after it is approved, we will get it signed and notarized
- letter for the meds is ready for pick up

Today, Im kind of on the end of the chart where I just want to give up - Im tired of being tired, Im tired of the paperchase, Im tired of things getting messed up, Im tired of other people judging, Im tired of not being enough for some people.... I just want a week of vacation on a tropical island by myself where it is completely quiet - Im one of those true introvert people, and if I go too long without some absolute quiet time, I start going crazy...

Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow.

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On the money front....
- so far we have sold 40 of the 1000 puzzle pieces... if we sell 10 more, we will be at 0.5% of having it completely filled... :)

- the IRS finally agreed to give us our refund from Wallace's adoption... they estimate it taking 2-3 more weeks

- there is an art show in town for the month of December, and I have 6 pieces in the show... praying that they all sell

- hoping I can book 1 or 2 more families before the end of the year

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Besides that, its pretty much just business and craziness at our house lately with all the holidays and family and adoption stuff and school finishing up for the semester.... I want to pull my hair out some days, but I know it will all turn out well.

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Ive requested parent/teacher meetings with Wallace's teachers and his speech therapist... they pretty much told me that it had to be done during school hours b/c their time outside of school was more important than mine.

hmmmmphhhh....

well, because they decided that, it means that since Daniel is also a teacher (on the other side of town), he wont be there.... and well, that means they pretty much just lost their buffer... Daniel has the nickname "the diplomat" for a reason, whereas mine is "rock thrower".... but yeah, mama bear has been woken up and she is about to come out.... and she has some sharp claws, especially when it comes to her baby bears.

And especially since they have refused me access to visit my non-verbal child's class during a normal class period just to watch....

they may be re-thinking some of those decisions after its all over. :)

So to the person who asked why I didnt change my profile pic to that of a "loving mother" - well, I think the one Ive picked works really well for this occasion b/c Im fixing to fight - and I cant say its going to be pretty, but I will walk out standing.... it also makes me wish that other people knew what it was like to be a parent of a special needs student so you know how hard we have to fight just to get what our kids need.  It shouldnt be that way.

see.... I warned you I wasnt in a good mood... :)

Happy Wednesday.

Tuesday

Today has been so busy... craziness!

So Daniel picked up our medical paperwork yesterday so I turned it in to be reviewed and one of them needs to be rewritten... ugh.... so gotta drop that back off to the dr's office and hope I can pick it up tomorrow.

The lady getting our police clearances forgot them, so hopefully we can get those tomorrow as well.

I think that is all we are lacking at this point.

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We sold two more puzzle pieces... awesome!

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The kids are loving the advent box... they have to be up, dressed and ready to go before we check out whats on for that day, so getting them up and ready in the mornings is going alot easier b/c of that... they are always super excited to check it.

Today we are going to leave quarters at vending machines and laundromats, so that should be fun... :)

Not sure what else to write about.... does anyone have a question?

Monday

So today is Monday.... :)

The weekend was good, we didnt too much of anything... got a few things cleaned up and did a photo session, oh, and we got our advent box up.... its something new this year - each day has something that the kids are supposed to do for others and something fun for them to do for themselves.... todays was: Others: let someone go in line in front of you, You: Go to the parade

Christmas parade tonight and thankfully its not going to be too cold... woo hoo.... I think we are also having pancakes for dinner as well, so double yay!

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As for the adoption paperchase... :)

- supposed to be getting the police clearances today

- supposed to be getting all the medical paperwork today (notary called in sick on Friday)

- Daniel got fingerprinted on Friday and all is clear

So yeah, hopefully we will get all of that today and I can quit fretting over it.

So far weve sold 38 puzzle pieces... awesome!

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So quite a few people are asking what we know about our daughter so far....

The answer is not much honestly... but what we do know is that she is 1, she will be 2 in April.  She lives with a foster family who she is attached to and she seems to be very introverted.

She is not officially ours yet, so we cant post pictures just yet, but I cant wait... hopefully when we do get officially matched, we will get more info and pics and then I can share.

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Busy day here like Monday always is... hope yours is good!

Friday

First off, I want to say thank you to Lannie McKee.... we really appreciate your gift!

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It has been asked recently why my profile pic looks the way it does and why dont I change it to something nicer so more people will respond better to the adoption.

Well, I had a nice, sweet picture during our first adoption, it didnt help... :)

And also, all my blogs are tied to that one profile pic, as far as I know you cant change profile pics for each  blog... and that picture is part of the brand for my photography business and blog (www.talleyimages.blogspot.com) - it helps to attract the clients that I want to work with so it needs to stay for that reason.

Also, I find that very few people actually know about this blog, and those who do know about it, usually know me fairly personally and know how I am and what I look like.

Also, a BIG lesson in our house is that you are loved for who you are and you should never try to be anyone but yourself - and we love ourselves and our kids for exactly who they are.  I think it would be hypocritical to put up a picture that didnt represent who I really am... or rather who I would like to be - I am a goth girl at heart, but no, I do not have any real facial piercings - although I would LOVE that... but out of respect for my mom, I dont. (although I still think she sees me as a hooligan and heathen most days)... but that is who I am, and I dont know if Ive ever felt more beautiful than I did in those pictures (which were inspired by The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, if you were curious).... most of the time, I look like the picture above

Also, I feel a bit upset that someone would refuse to help a child recieve a family just because of a certain picture... that just seems like someone has their priorities all wrong.... also, if you look around this blog, my photography blog or facebook... or you know me in person, then I think its pretty easy to see that Daniel and my kids are my life - and no "weird" picture of me can disprove that

So there you go.... hope that was helpful.

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So far, we have 33 of our puzzle pieces sponsored.... yay, that is awesome, and we appreciate every one.

A little idea that alot of people are doing is buying one piece of the puzzle for each family member... I think that is so cool!

Yall totally rock!

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Ok, back to the actual adoption journey... :)

- yesterday, we went to the dr's office to get our TB test read and pick up our paperwork... it should have taken about 5-10 minutes....

yeah right.... in my dream perhaps...

It took an hour to figure out that they almost lost our paperwork, nothing was filled out and the dr had not even signed it.

Better luck next time.... ha ha... we have already talked to the head nurse this morning and she has all of our stuff ready to, so we will go pick that up this afternoon.... get Daniel fingerprinted.... and then scan it all in.

Whew... :)

We did pick up the kids medical form yesterday, so that is done.

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And you may want to skip this part, but I need it written out for record's sake... :)

If you were following this blog last year when I was blogging about Wallace and our family then you know we had tons of problems with his school.... they called us 2-3x every week wanting us to go pick him up for a runny nose or some such nonsense (no fever, no sickness, just a runny nose).... it all stopped when we met with the principal who had no idea all this had been happening.  (look we know wallace can be difficult - we live with him, but you cant just send him home every day)

So yesterday, I get the following call...
School nurse (SC): Yes, is this the mother of Wallace Talley?
Addie (A):  Yes, it is
SC: Well, Wallace's nose just keeps running, you need to come pick him up
A:  All he has is a runny nose?
SC: yes
A: Well, we just took him to the dr yesterday and the dr said he was fine
SC: Well, it just wont stop running
A: Thats because he has down syndrome, which means his nasal cavity is so shallow that it has nowhere to go but out
SC: Funny, I dont know any other down syndrome kids that have that (yeah, b/c all kids with DS are exactly alike... nothing like making generalizations about kids that mine is one of the only 2 in the school)
A: well, thats the way his is... its just allergies - he is like this every winter and spring
SC: Well, its green, so that means its an infection, not allergies
A: We took him to the dr yesterday and he said he was fine, it was allergies and he wasnt contagious
SC: Well, I just dont think its fair to the other kids
A: He isnt contagious
SC: Well, he is getting snot everywhere
A: (silence, b/c all I want to say is that he is in a kindergarten class - they all get snot everywhere, ask any parent of a kindergartener)
SC: Well, you know if another parent walks in, then they might see his nose and be worried for their own kids health
A: I thought parents werent allowed to visit (b/c when we tried to schedule a visit with our non-verbal child's class so we can see what his day looked like, we were promptly told that parents were only allowed to visit during lunch on Wednesdays, which does us no good)
SC: they can visit during lunch on Wednesdays (hello! its Thursday, you have a whole week before you need to worry about other parents... besides, parents of kindergarteners are pretty understanding when it comes to runny noses)
A: Also, he is adopted.... so his body hasnt quite adjusted to all the trees and environment here yet... he constantly has a runny nose, but he is not sick nor contagious
SC: Well, I just dont think its fair to the other kids
A: Well, he is like this every winter and spring when the weather changes.... we cant exactly keep him home for 3 months out of the year for a runny nose
SC: well, I guess you cant
A: No, we cant
SC: Well, I just dont think he is getting much school work done (have you met Wallace?  He doesnt get much school work done when he doesnt have a runny nose.... plus, do you think he is going to get more school work done at home, really?)
A: ok
SC: well, do you have an excuse from the dr's office
A: no (why would I get an excuse for a healthy child?)
SC: well, can you have them fax one over
A: Ill see what they can do
SC: ok
A: ok, bye

I did not call the dr's office b/c the nurse did not give me a fax number and I sure wasnt going to call back for it... Daniel had to go get the kids medical paperwork yesterday afternoon and I asked him to pick up an excuse for Wallace while he was there - the clinic staff was surprised that the nurse needed one for a runny nose... so I sent that back to school with Wallace today.

I find it hard to believe that they call every single parent of a kid with a runny nose.

Also, I refuse to put up with this type of behavior b/c its just unnecessary and we let it go on way too long last year until we actually talked to the principal.... so this time, I went straight to the top and talked to the SPED superintendent of our county.

She set a few things straight... and she was quite appalled that they wanted to send home a child with only a runny nose... she also told me a few things that contradicted what the school has told us prior... and she said that if we need her at an IEP meeting than she would be happy to do that for us.  Man, who knew it could feel this good for someone to have your back... nice.

So we have requested a parent/teacher meeting and also a meeting with the principal (new one this year), so hopefully we can get on the right track.
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Not sure what else to say... hope yall are having a great Friday!
-addie

1st Fundraiser

So we have our first fundraiser for our adoption... we recently bought this 1000 piece fan puzzle... we are asking everyone to sponsor a piece (or two or three) for $5/piece... when you sponsor a piece, we will put your name (or the name of whomever you choose) on the back... once we have all the pieces sponsored, we will put the puzzle together and frame it in a clear backed frame, so we can always see the love and support that brought our daughter home... we hope you will help be a part of the puzzle... :) 

You can donate using the "donate" button on the top right hand side or email me directly at talleyimages@yahoo.com

Wednesday

So yesterday, Daniel and I went to the doctors office for our medicals... we got


-vision test
- tb test
- urinalysis
- drug test
- HIV test
- blood test
- Hep B test


I think that may be it, but Im not totally certain... we go back tomorrow to have our tb tests run and pick up all the paperwork... yippee! And if you were wondering, yes, all those tests came out of our pocket - ouch!


But Daniel and I have a new fundraiser that we are excited about and will be announcing soon... :)


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Yesterday, we were also supposed to get the following, but none of them happened


-last reference letter.... the person keeps making excuses about it, but is supposed to have it to us today, but Im not holding my breath... ugh, we asked her before thanksgiving for it


- police clearance letters.... they were supposed to do one for both Daniel and I, but instead put them on one letter, so those will have to be separated out, so we should have that tomorrow


- self employment letter from the CPA... went by to pick this up, but they were closed early.... already called them and they have it ready today


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Today, I have to go get the kids early from school and take them to the dr so he can write a letter that they are all healthy..


and then we drive straight to our agency (an hour away) for our last home study visit...


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tomorrow we get our tb tests read and pick up our medical paperwork... and then Friday Daniel gets fingerprinted.... and that should be about it for the homestudy


our dossier specialist is looking over all our dossier paperwork now, so once we have everything together, we can send that straight away.


-------------------------------------------------


blogger is being a butthead today... ugh....

Tuesday

So the dr's office called this morning and said they had to move the kids to tomorrow instead of Thursday...

Got fingerprinted yesterday... Daniel will try to do his on Friday

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We did not get to have Chinese take out for dinner last night... bummed... but yesterday, Daniel found out that he was scheduled to work a basketball game last night, so we decided that we needed to wait until everyone could be there....

... but we still had to celebrate Wallace's 2nd family day... but what to do?

Well, lucky for us, I love World Market, so usually when we go in there, I will pick up one new food item to try... usually of the Asian persuasion b/c I like to incorporate the Asian culture into our lives as much as possible... so we had a few different things to pick from.... so here is what we had last night
- Thai noodles, plain.... they were kind of flavorless and boring
- cantonese style rice... rice with veggies in them... really good (I got them b/c of the cantonese part as that is what Hong Kong speaks, so I thought it might be closer to what Wallace was used to rather than just regular rice)
- coconut curry.... I made this to go over the noodles, but it had a different taste - sweet and spicy that I didnt think the kids would like, so I just served it on the side
- corn.... sorry, we didnt have any Asian veggies, so I just opted for what we had that everyone liked

and of course, we got to use chopsticks.... which you can imagine trying to eat corn with chopsticks.... Wallace and I opted out and used the fork instead, while Gabe and Emma decided it was fun to eat corn and rice one piece at a time

Ok, so here is the fun part.... :)

Gabe, Emma and I ate normally... honestly, the noodles were so bland that they didnt really taste good (I think you are supposed to actually use them in soup), and we didnt really like the curry sauce.... the rice and corn were good, but as mentioned before, Gabe and Emma were eating them one piece at a time so they were taking forever....

Meanwhile... Wallace is gobbling up his plate like its going out of style... so when he gets done, he moves to put his plate in the sink, so I ask him if he is done, but I really expect him to ask for more... but instead he insures me that he is done, so he is allowed to go get a piece of candy (if the kids finish their dinner, they get a piece of candy, it works for us)... so he goes and picks out his candy and comes back to the table to eat it.

I get done, so I move to the living room couch, which is close to the table so I can still see everyone... Gabe gets done, so he gets up, and Emma decided that she needed a break (normally, she doesnt get to get up until she is done, but without Daniel there, I didnt really feel like taking on the battle for myself, and she knows she has to finish before bed)... so Gabe and Emma move to the living room and start playing for a minute.... well, as Wallace gets done with his candy, he slips over to Emma's plate and finishes it off for her..... she soon goes back to her plate to find Wallace there with no food left....

hilarious.... and he has never done that before... sneaky, sneaky.... :)

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I forgot to mention that this past weekend, we got to have lunch with a sweet family that is thinking about adopting from China as well... I love talking to other families who are starting this path... :)

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ok, so thats about it... medical test/drug tests/blood tests and TB tests today... woo hoo!

Monday

Whew... catching up after the holidays can be crazy... I mean...

Good news - a friend donated $100 to our adoption - I was floored... wow... another friend donated some more envelopes so that was awesome too!  Thank you to both!!!

In other news... we had our 3rd home study visit this past Saturday and that went well.... :)

Here is the schedule for this week
Monday: police clearance letters, homestudy fingerprinting, last reference letter, last employment letter

Tuesday: medicals for Daniel and Addie including a bunch of blood tests, TB tests and drug tests... yay

Wednesday: final home study meeting

Thursday: kids well visit appointments, and Daniel and Addie get TB tests read

Friday.... celebrate having everything for the home study done.... now just wait for it to be written, then send it off for approval, then it gets finalized

Next comes the I800A.... yay for the US govt... :)

----------------------------------------------------

In other news... :)

Wallace has been home 2 years today... super excited, and wow, has he come a LONG way in 2 years... actually everyone in our house has.

As a special treat, we will be ordering Chinese take out to celebrate... yummm....

And gotta get the tree up before too long... Ive decided that instead of ornaments this year, we are making a list of things that we are thankful for and taking pictures of them and hanging them on the tree... good stuff.

So yeah... happy Monday everyone!

Tuesday

I just need to correct something that was implied earlier... Daniel's mom and my sister have always been happy about our adoption, so yes, we did have some family support...

also, we got all of our employment letters and 4 of the 6 reference letters, so hopefully the other 2 will be in soon.... we also have our next home study visit this saturday.

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so this morning has not been a good one...

I just learned that I had been stabbed in the back by two people that I thought were friends.

I cant go into any more detail than that, but its two people that I have supported more than most and they turned around and hurt me immensenly.... and then said they hoped I wasnt mad.

so my heart is bleeding a little bit today.

I am always surprised at how awful human nature really is under the sugar veneers of some people.

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hope yall are having a good week.

Friday... :)

Gotta make this quick.... only have a few minutes!

- yesterday we did our second home study visit and it went great... we even got the house cleaned up in record time

-as of this afternoon, we should have 4 of the 6 reference letters and 2 of the 3 employment letters and the rest should be in soon.

Busy, busy.... and I probably wont be blogging too much next week as the kids and Daniel are out of school so I intend to soak as much of them up as possible.

Hope you have a great weekend!

So it Starts...

I was hoping I wouldnt have to do this, but as of yesterday, it became necessary....

Negative and hurtful comments will not be tolerated on this blog.  Period.

Daniel and I got so burned during our last adoption that we will not give any publicity, attention or credence to anyone who feels that they can call us names, berate us or say ugly things about this adoption.  These kind of comments will automatically be deleted... and if I receive another comment like I got last night, then comment moderation will be turned on, as much as I hate to do that.

Look, we know that not everyone is going to agree with us or be happy for us... we get that... but if you feel the need to comment about it, then at least do it in a civil and adult manner.

And if you are going to be vocal about it, then at least leave your name and dont hide behind that "anonymous" tag...

If you have questions, please feel free to ask... but do not do it in an epicly bad condescending tone.

It will not be tolerated... not a bit.

And yes, I know some of you (and probably the person who left the comment) are thinking that I am overly sensitive and overreacting....

Well, honestly, thats probably true.... but when I say that we were burned last adoption, I mean it.... when I say that we got some hurtful, ugly, mean, nasty comments last time, that is what I mean.

I have never addressed this publicly because I didnt want to give these words any more credence, but I think its time that I told you a few of the things we heard during Wallace's adoption
- That child (meaning Wallace) is just worthless
- His parents didnt even want him, why would you?
- Who cares what happens to him, he doesnt have to be your problem.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg on the comments... never mind the people who completely ignored us, shut us out or pretended like our adoption didnt exist.

So I want you to close your eyes, think of your children, and then imagine someone saying to your face that your child was worthless.

(and if you feel the need to say that Wallace isnt our bio child so its not the same thing, then you can go ahead and leave now)

So yeah... I am overly sensitive and probably overreact... but we learned last time that negative words can hurt and they can stay with you and they can rob you of your joy too easily.

So... like I said... any hurtful or negative comments left on this blog will be deleted instantly.  Period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With that being said, we adore comments and questions... so feel free to leave some!

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On another note... someone did ask why we are doing international adoption as opposed to fostering or adopting domestically.

Daniel and I are not made for fostering... we just arent.  We have so much respect and love for people that can do this though - we are in awe.... but there is absolutely no way, we could care for a child and then have them leave - it would cut my heart in two.... and with our children being so small right now, we dont think it would be a good idea to have them saying goodbye often.  Yes, there is a need for this, so if you can do this, that is awesome and we will offer you whatever support you need!

Domestic adoption... when people ask this, I really want to ask them why arent they adopting domestically since I know that they have know idea what they are asking.  Daniel and I would have a very, very hard time adopting domestically since we have 3 small children in our home.  We dont have the room for siblings and we would need the new child to be 5 years old or younger (b/c Emma is 6).  Younger children like that are usually given to parents without children, have one child or cannot conceive.... we would be waiting a long time if we went the domestic route... also, the only kids available for public domestic adoption in our state right now are either siblings or teenagers - and we would not be approved for either one.  And for note, because each state has its own adoption laws, its almost impossible to adopt across state lines - thats so crazy!  Also, to be honest, Daniel and I cannot stomach the fact that a birth mother could come in over a year after weve adopted a child and decide that they want the child back, and most likely we would lose all rights... we cant even stomach that possibility because it would kill us... absolutely kill us (and no, we dont have a problem with open adoption, just the kind where the parents are deadbeats and dont see their kids for over a year and then all of a sudden want them back)

So even with all the paperwork and money... international adoption is just the best route for us.... and if you know me at all, you know that part of my heart has always been in Asia so I already love the culture, so its not hard to see why that is a good fit for our family.

If you have questions, please feel free to ask!
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So yesterday.... :)

- we had our first home study visit
- we got 2 of background check permission forms in
- we got our bios written for our home study

Today...
- we have our second home study visit... :)

Met our social worker for our home study for the first time yesterday and she isnt much taller than I am, and she was so super sweet and interested in what we had to say... we were both kind of sad that we are going to complete the home study so soon because it means our time together will be so much shorter.

But yeah... we hope to have all the requirements for the home study done before December, and then it will probably take 1-2 weeks for her to get that all typed up, send it off for review and then get it finalized.

After that comes the I800A where we ask the US govt to allow us to bring an orphan into the country.. that process takes 30-60 days.... once we have approval for that, then we send our dossier over.

Not sure what exactly comes after that since we already have pre-approval and have a waiting child in mind, but I know we have to file the I800, and then shortly after that, we travel.

So... us traveling next summer could actually happen.... so, so excited.... wow!

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Yesterday a co-worker gave me 2 boxes of envelopes... I am beyond grateful....

Have a great day... :)

Wednesday

Thanks for joining us on this wild ride... :)

- if you missed it, yesterday we got pre-approval from China on our little girl... :)
- our birth certificates and marriage license copies came in yesterday!

Today, I am working on...
- getting police clearances
- filling out other police/fbi/background check sheets
- doing our autobiography questionnaires
- getting a self employment letter from our CPA
- writing our application letter
- pulling stuff together for our medicals
- hoping some reference letters come in
- hoping our employment letters get completed this week
- work on our financial statement

Also, we have our first home study meeting today... and hopefully our second home study meeting tomorrow so that we can have at least half our visits done by the end of the week.

Yes, this is moving at an incredible rate.  We will still need $25K before we travel.

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Ok, the next part of this post will probably be hard to read, and please know that Im not downing anyone or pointing fingers or trying to make anyone feel guilty... Im just telling you our experience, so please, please dont leave anything hurtful in the comments...

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I put a notice on facebook yesterday about our fundraising starting and got one real response to that.

That honestly leaves me a bit worried.

I am beyond thankful (no words!) for that one family who is going to help us out.... seriously no words.... but I know they cant be the only ones.

With our last adoption, we had so little support - we had alot of backlash and mean comments and ugly speculation... with no family support... so we went through that whole process pretty much alone... I can count on one hand the people who gave towards Wallace's adoption (and our church at the time is not on that list).

I never doubted that God could provide the money.... but it is harder to have faith in His children hearing Him when He says to give it, and even moreso for them to actually do so.

It honestly left Daniel and I very, very jaded against church and Christianity..... and I think its no surprise to anyone that we didnt go to church for a long, long time.

We are just now easing back into church... but I ache (literally, I physically ache) at the thought of going through that process again.  I dont know if I can stand "the church" (as in the body of Christ, not just our physical church) letting us down again.

It is hard to hear people talking about being strapped for cash when they are holding their ipad, while we ate macaroni and cheese and a can of peas for most of our dinners during our adoption period.  It was hard for us to hear "we are praying for yall" from church members and then having to decline their invitation to go out to lunch b/c we were saving every penny.

It was hard.... it was worth it, yes... but it was hard, really, really hard.

And Im aching that we are looking at going down that road again.

I am trying to stay optimistic, especially when I announced it on facebook and there were so many wonderful replies and congratulations.... but the fundraising post didnt even get a small percentage of that.

I know that God has the money... and I know that He will provide.... I just really hope its more through His children this time.

Tuesday

So alot has been happening.... :)

- our LOI was translated and sent in yesterday

- I talked to our social worker on the phone and she was super sweet and eager to help us get our home study done right and fast.... excited!

- Daniel and I both asked our employers to do their required letters yesterday, so those should be done before the end of the week

- hoping all the reference letters will be in before the end of the week as well

- just completed our 10 hours of hague training today, so I will be turning in those certificates soon

- birth certificates and marriage license will be delivered today or tomorrow

- getting our background check permissions signed and witnessed today and will get those in today or tomorrow

- got our medical appointments scheduled for Nov 27th, and the kids sheet has been turned into the dr - but they may need well child visits to complete it



Yeah, so like I said, I am on the ball and trying to get as much done as possible... and hope to have everything done before December... :)

The home study requires 4 visits, so we have to get those done as well, but since our social worker is on board, those can be done quickly.

Once our home study is done...
- we file for the I800A, and once we get approval for that
- we turn in the dossier
- we get matched with our girl
- file for the I800
- travel

Like I said, I am busting my butt to get us in China next summer, but each step takes time.... and oh, lots of money... yeah, if anything, the money is going to be the hang up.... (if you are curious, this adoption is going to be about $25,000 and we have to have all of it before we can travel)

well, it will all work out, Im sure of it... :)


Edited to add: we just got our pre-approval from China to adopt the girl we wanted... woo hoo!  And our first home study meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow!

Monday

So Friday, I worked myself into a frenzy trying to get a list of everything we need.... and it is alot!!!

Going to try to get as much done this week before the holidays hit... and its even remotely possible, I will have everything from the homestudy and the dossier ready before December.

Now, that still means we have to complete the actual homestudy, but its a good start.

So yes, we could use some prayers!!!

We are also about to kickoff our fundraising efforts... which I will show you soon.... but one of the things we plan to do is send out letters to area churches...

If anyone has any envelopes or stamps that they would like to donate, we would really appreciate it!

Mondays are always busy, so gotta get back to work... hope yall had a great weekend!

The Fighter

This is a fake tattoo I gave myself in college... it took 2-3 hours or so... I still love it... :)

So if you were looking for a happy, sunny adoption blog when you came here, then you are probably going to be disappointed.  Thats just not me and thats not what adoption is about.  Adoption is hard.  It takes work and fighting and endurance.... and honestly, I get so irritated with all those blogs out there that make it look like a cake walk... b/c it isnt.

Today I am putting on my armor b/c Im about to go into battle.

I once read "If you want to run head on into your enemy and meet him in his territory, then adopt."

Its true, adoption is a spiritual battle.  I learned that the last time... it left me quite jaded.  But I still believe in adoption with all my heart.  And no, I dont think adoption is for everyone... but I do think everyone should do something - whatever it is you know you should be doing, then do it.

But this doesnt mean that Daniel and I are saints... I promise you we arent.  We are human and we make alot of mistakes and we hurt each other and other people.  If we have hurt you in any way, then we are sorry.  I know people mean well, but when they say things like "yall are so awesome for doing this" or "I so admire you", it makes us feel conflicted b/c we really, really appreciate the support and encouragement, but we dont feel like we are doing anything out of the ordinary.  If someone else had your child, wouldnt you do everything in your power to get them to you?  (and feel a little weird when someone told you they admired you for doing it?)

But we are not clueless or naive either.... the battle is just starting.... but believe you me (I love that saying), I am ready to fight.  I already know we will fall and come out of this bruised and battered... but we will come out on other side.... :)

I hope you join us on this journey... we will take all the company we can get... :)

Ok, enough with the philosophical this morning (and if you havent had your fill, check out my other blog, www.talleyimages.blogspot.com)

Yesterday, late afternoon, I got the instructions for the dossier... wow, its going to be a booger-bear... and for you not raised in the south, that means its tough and huge and super overwhelming.  (like 1-2" thick of paperwork to read and gather).... but dang it, I am going to get it done.  And in record time....

I am about to wage war and jump into the middle of this fight.... lets see where it takes us... :)

Hi

So Im sure most of you reading probably know us, but I figured it would be a good idea to introduce us for all the newbies here.... :)

We are the Talleys... Daniel and I (Addie) have been married for almost 11 years... we have two bio children, Gabe and Emma, and one adopted son, Wallace.  We live in Mississippi and have 2 dogs and 1 cat.

Me... my name is Addie.... I work 40 hours in a cubicle desk job, and I also am a photographer on the side, which is my love (www.addietalley.com, www.talleyimages.blogspot.com) - I want to go full time, but havent had the means to yet.  I am kind of a punk/goth girl and yeah, I dye my hair red and have half of my head shaved... Id love to have some piercings but my mom would kill me and Id probably get fired, so maybe later... :)

Daniel is my husband.  He teaches 8th grade English and this is his second year of teaching... he is a great husband and father and my best friend.

Gabe is our oldest kid.  He just turned 8 and is an exact-mini-replica of me... he looks like I did at 8 (minus the long hair I had) and acts the same way I do... he is my brain child that loves numbers and is super sensitive and has the sweetest heart.

Emma is our youngest kid.  She is a girly girl except hates to wear dresses... she loves Hello Kitty, pink and My Little Pony - I have trained her well.  She is tiny-tiny and turns 6 on Tuesday.  She wants to be a cheerleader when she grows up, so Ive definitely had some influence there.... she also is my social butterfly, her daddy's influence there.... and she takes no crap from anyone... :)

Wallace is our middle kid.  He turns 8 on Sunday.  He was adopted right after he turned 6 in 2010 (thanksgiving week!).  He was adopted from Hong Kong.  He has down syndrome and a host of other serious medical needs, but right now, he is doing really well.  Wallace is usually happy and LOVES attention.... he can also be super stubborn.

We had a hard time when we adopted Wallace b/c it felt like we didnt have alot of support, and also because Wallace was super spoiled in HK so his behaviors were awful.... it took a long time to get everyone in our family to a place where we felt like a family... but now we are in a really good place.

ok, so there you go... thats us in a nutshell... :)

As for the adoption.... Im trying to remain optimistic, but our home study agency was supposed to get us into the online system yesterday, but there was a glitch and we couldnt get in... they were supposed to let us know something today, but so far no word, so I will email them around lunch and give a friendly reminder. 

We had so many problems and setbacks during Wallace's adoption and our social worker and agency acted like they could care less.... if something could go wrong, it did - and not just once, but over and over and over.... so you will have to forgive me if Im a little jaded about adoption agencies and such... Im trying to keep positive but its always there in the back of my mind... and as I said in the last post, in order for us to travel next summer, everything has to run smoothly and quickly - I hope thats the case.

Edited to add: got the online stuff fixed, next is getting physicals and background checks... crossing our fingers we can do this ASAP!

Up and going!

So yes, its true, we are adopting again... :)

We have found a little one year old girl in China that we are trying to pursue... we put the paperwork and first agency fee and homestudy application in last week.

So now we are just in a mountain of paperwork trying to sift through it all.

We are really hoping to travel next summer b/c we will have to be over there 2 weeks, and since Daniel is a teacher, it means that he wouldnt have to take vacation.... in order for that to happen, everyone involved has to work quickly and efficiently and everything has to go smoothly....

Honestly, Im a bit jaded from our last adoption experience where if something could go wrong, then it did - multiple times... we also had people working with us that werent in a hurry or didnt really care about things... so it was very frustrating!

Also, we are in the big money stages... already weve paid some big money... and some more big money is expected soon... we hope you will partner with us in our fundraising efforts to bring this little girl home!

Ok, I cant think of anything else, but feel free to ask questions... :)