Travel Approval for Elli...

Late Saturday night, we received an email from our agency that our Travel Approval for Elli had arrived! What else could I ask for Mother's Day?!?!? Okay, well Elli in person would have topped it, but Travel Approval was pretty sweet.

Since our agency was expecting our TA any day, we have already sent in our Consulate Appointment form and should have a confirmed appointment by the end of the week. There is much to do before we leave in order to get ready for our trip and bringing Elli home.

I was sooooo hoping that the house would be done, but that just isn't going to happen. Elli will have lots of fun when we get home helping us on the house I am sure. We may have to fix a room safe for the kids while I paint and clean. Instead of thinking of all the craziness that it is going to be, I just try to think of all the memories we will be making....okay, I can't - it is going to be crazy! But, I think we are up for the challenge.

I had a good day with the kids yesterday. After church, Rodney and the kids took me out to lunch. My mom left right after church for a 2-week school of ministry session with my dad, so we spent the remainder of the afternoon with Rodney's mom. We didn't get in until late and I totally forgot to take my annual mother's day picture with the kids....we will have to fake it next Sunday when we are dressed up :-)

I am so thankful to be a mom. It is the best thing that ever happened to me. Each one of my kids are so different and such treasures. As they grow and enter different stages, they continue to enrich my life in a different way. I miss the toddlers and infant stages of the boys, but I am loving the age they are now too. I can't imagine not having Anna. She entered our lives and became our daughter in a different way than the boys, but it was perfect in it's own way. She brings such a different dynamic to our family and has helped make us who we are as a family of 6. I don't know what all Elli will bring or how we will change, but we are excited, totally in love and can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

I couldn't have written my story or planned my life to be what it has become. I only wanted 2 kids - a boy and a girl. Didn't want to live where I grew up and never, in a thousand years, thought I would marry a country lovin', hunting, truck driving man. However, there is no way I would change anything about my life...well I might change the hunting thing. God's plans are always so much better than what we could have ever planned ourselves. When something wonderful happens in our lives, I think to myself that it couldn't get any better...and then it does. There are disappointments, heartaches and troubles because this life isn't perfect. But life is pretty good.

So thankful for our Travel Approval, a great Mother's Day & sending our love to Elli,
Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna Mei

Pics and Rambling...

Rodney has been aggravating me a lot lately about being "ate up" with Parker and Anna. He says that I have this glow about me when I look at them...but I can't help it! They are at the sweetest age right now, still very innocent but funny. They know when they are being funny, yet there is an innocence about their humor and I just love it. Plus, adding in the fact that they are just absolutely adorable only makes watching them even more enjoyable ;-)

I am getting more and more anxious about Elli coming home. I know it is going to be a crazy house, but oh man, can you imagine the times they are going to have?!?! What fun it is going to be --- I will have to keep the camera charged and the coffee brewing! I anticipate a lot of caffeine being involved to keep up with two 3 year old and a 4 year old. But, I am ready for the challenge (I think).

I registered Parker for Kindergarten on Tuesday (boo hoo!!). He is so excited about starting school in the fall & I am excited for him. I just pray he gets a very energetic teacher!

Yes, she really is this sweet in person.

There are those that I know are very faithful in checking Anna and Elli's blog, so I do apologize for not keeping them as updated as I would like. Some days it is just hard to sit down and actually write anything or take the time to upload pictures. So these pictures are especially for Pam - because she specifically asked for an update - enjoy!!

Of course, she is also this much attitude!

Seriously...is he not just a doll?

Anna is watching Parker in the distance...how funny big brothers can be.

Can't imagine our lives without our Anna...incredible, incredible gift.

Thankful for my babies & sending love to my baby girl Elli,
Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna

Happy Easter!!

I wish I could post cute pictures of all my kiddos dressed in their Sunday best...BUT, Anna had an eye infection!!!!!!!!!! So, instead of getting Anna all snazzed up for church yesterday morning, me and the boys went to church and Rodney stayed home with our little pink eyed princess.

It all started Saturday with a runny eye. Thankfully I already had some drops to get her started and it is all but completely better today. It is just a tiny bit red. She still has a pretty nasty nose, so I don't know if it was actually "pink eye" or just got infected from the eye rubbing after her rubbing her yucky nose....toddlers, they are nasty little creatures.

Since Anna doesn't have any inhibitions about wiping her nose wherever, we decided that it might be best to not have her around all the kids at church just in case it was pink eye. So she missed out on the church egg hunt, grandma's hunt and nanny's hunt :-( Since my kids are the only kids hunting at Rodney's parents (Asa just isn't ready for that yet), the hunt has been postponed until Anna can participate. So I will have some pics later.

The boys had a great time yesterday and the sugar is flowing freely!! Last night at 9:30 I was still prying candy from their sticky little fingers. Parker and Anna have begged for candy since they got out of bed this morning. How do you tell a 4 year old that he should eat Coc@ Peebles or a P*p Tart instead of bunny shaped marshmallows or jellybeans? I bet the sugar content isn't that much different.

Nothing new to report on the TA wait...we are just waiting. I don't expect anything for a few more weeks anyway. It will all work out as it should even if I freak out just a little during the meantime ;-)

Sending love & hugs to Elli,

Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna Mei

Our Newest Nephew...

I guess we weren't the only ones waiting for our LOA...apparently, our newest nephew was waiting for our LOA to come so he could come too ;-) Rodney's sister delivered a beautiful little boy early this morning...here are a few pictures of the chubby little bundle.

Rodney's sister, Shanda, and Asa

Our brother-in-law, Trevor, and Asa
Congratulations Shanda & Trevor!!

Shanda and Rodney are 15 years apart...he was a very proud big brother and a thrilled new uncle.

Sending love & hugs to Asa...and of course our Elli,
Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna

LOA....

It finally came! After 125 days of waiting - over double what we waited for Anna (61) - it finally came!

So happy & sending hugs to our Elli,
Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna Mei

Quick Note...with Pictures ;-)

I didn't mean to go this long without posting, but it has been pretty busy around our house lately...not that "that" reason alone is a good one, but it's all I got. There has been several happenings since I last posted, or that I haven't covered yet...so this is the condensed version.

Last month, Jacob turned 10...double digits! He requested his favorite dessert - Momma's Ore@ cake. You know your kids are getting older when they don't ask for the character bakery cakes anymore. I started making this dessert after we had an adoption celebration meal during Anna's adoption journey at Ruby Tuesd*ys. We ordered one of their chocolate cake desserts that is served in a huge glass footed bowl that looks like an enormous wine glass. I made my own version and my kids love it. It is basically a trifle of crushed Ore@ cookies, crumbled brownies, chocolate pudding and whipped cream. Layer after layer of insane goodness ;-)

Happy 10th Jacob!

We finally, after how long of waiting??, began the house. Footers were dug, poured, foundation laid and the framing is nearly complete. They finished the 2nd floor ceiling and started the rafters. Hopefully the weather will cooperate the remainder of the week and next and they will be finished. The kids are super pumped about having some personal space again.

Rodney beginning to dig that first scoop of dirt!!

Not very pretty, but still exciting!

Anna had another visit with the cleft team in Louisville. Her hearing has improved since the tubes were inserted. For the first time, the audiogram did what it should have done! The surgeon was very pleased with the palate all still being intact. Her speech therapy is lacking however. There is some issues with the school and we are going to have to do something else. She isn't getting enough and her speech is not improving. She made quite a bit of improvement after the last surgery (or at least we could tell there were new sounds) but it seems as though she has plateaued again. Although I try to get her to say things and enunciate the words, I am just not a speech therapist. Her doctor actually said that she need very intensive therapy...like inpatient therapy! He was really using inpatient therapy as an example that she could benefit from, but he was sort of serious.

Regardless of how much you realize that you child isn't doing what they should be doing...it is really hard to hear someone else say it. I know that Anna's "special" need isn't a huge burden to bear compared to what some other children and families have to deal with, but to hear people talk about your child in that light, it breaks your heart. I was nearly brought to tears a couple of times because I can't fix it. I have tried to help her with her language, introduced some sign to her, but I can't make those words come out of her mouth. Because of that, she is labeled as developmentally delayed and that just hurts.

It isn't that I think she is "less than" or am embarrassed by the fact....I want Anna to be able to do what Anna can do. I want her accomplishments to be praised and noted, regardless if they are "below" the standard for her age. I just want Anna to do the best that she can do...whatever that is. I just feel that if her language was there, I think that there is a lot in that cute little head of hers that just can't come out yet. I see her brilliance, her imagination, her thoughtfulness, her problem solving, her humor, her excitement, her anticipation, her fears, her desires. Sometimes others can't see it because all they see is a 3 year old little girl that grunts and yells and screams and cries and jabbers sounds that sound like nothing at all. They don't see the Anna that I see.

My smart girl...rotten to the core, but smart

Many times it is hard, especially in public, when this 28 lb little girl is screaming, people want to give in to her. They overlook some of her behaviors because #1 she looks younger than she really is, #2 she is obviously adopted and #3 she is a girl. If I try to discipline her, you should see the looks that I get. It would be much easier to get on to her if she were yelling, "NO Momma!! I want that toy, candy, book, everything that we pass!!!!" Because of the lack of language she almost gets a free pass to behave however she wants around other people. I know the wheels in her mind are turning and she knows...she may not can express it, but she knows. Anna is one smart cookie...she just hasn't been able to tell us how smart she is ;-)

Singing "Happy Birthday" on her Karaoke machine

We are still waiting for our LOA for Elli. Tomorrow marks the 100th day of our LOA wait - YUCK! I expect it any day, but try to not expect it. You have to try to find this balance between totally obsessing and trying to put it in the back of your mind. Of course if you are successful at putting it at the back of your mind for longer than a few hours, you feel incredibly guilty that you didn't think about it. Some people say, "you can't think about it all the time or it will drive you crazy." But the reality is, Elli is real. She is in a real orphanage, without a real family. She doesn't just come to be when we get exciting news about her or the process and then go back into hibernation until something new happens again. She isn't going to appear on the day we get her...she is real now. Half way around the world she is. She may be crying, laughing, eating, sleeping, lonely, happy, sad, afraid, playing...she is doing something - without us. I have to think of her all the time - she deserves my thoughts because that is all I can give her right now. It is a crazy process and although you try to balance it all - there is no balance....you just try to manage.

Sometimes when days are long and hard, you get a little break from the monotony of it all. One particular day, I found my camera in an unusual spot because I thought it was in my bag. I picked it up, turned it on and I had about 15 pictures of super heroes posed on the kitchen table. We had close ups of Spider-m*n, battle scenes with Ven*m...it was just enough to make me laugh. Ordinarily Carter would have gotten into trouble for getting out the camera, but that day I was glad he did. We had several laughs as we looked through all the pictures he had taken, not only of his action figures, but also of himself from earlier that afternoon...which is apparently when he got the camera in the first place.

Obviously the kitchen table wasn't cleaned yet...oops!

I had to do a double take - it doesn't even look like Carter

This last picture I questioned whether I should put on the blog or not. Not that it is bad, but it is bad. You all know that I think Anna is just beautiful...BUT, she can never, ever, ever be blond!

Blonds may have more fun...but Black is much more flattering for our Anna!

Anna loves to dress up and wear wigs. Carter wore a wig for Halloween and Anna loved it. My sister found this horrible get up and gave it to her for part of her Christmas....hilarious! We finally had to throw the wig away because there was long hairs everywhere.

We just celebrated Rodney's 41st birthday. He is getting so old! We ate lunch at his favorite restaurant and his mom brought him his favorite cake...banana, and he gets to eat it all by himself because no one else likes it!

I hope the next month is full of positive events, one being our LOA and maybe even our TA. We also have a nephew due to arrive at the end of March and our 13th anniversary is on March 16th. Yep, sounds like we may have another busy month!

Sending love & hugs to our Elli,
Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna Mei

Seeds of the Heart...

Anyone who knows me very well, knows that I love to make things. I do a little bit of everything. I love the whole creation process and seeing a finished product. My latest "craft" is digital designs. I have made cards in the past, some Christmas gifts and of course playing around with the blog templates for Anna's and Elli's blog. Whatever I am doing, I want to enjoy it. So, I decided, "why not try to make some extra money doing what I like?"

I just, as in today, listed my first items on Etsy.com. Right now, I only have card designs for sale, but will be adding more items in time. The funds, of course, will be going towards adoption expenses. The cards are customizable for any occasion. You can opt to purchase a design and print at a photo finisher of your choice, or I can have the cards printed for you on a heavy matte or glossy cover cardstock with envelopes and shipped directly to you.

If you are in the market, I would love for you to take a look and spread the word. You can get directly to my store by clicking the icon in the right hand column of the blog or go to http://www.seedsoftheheart.etsy.com/

Thanks,
Marcy