Fingerprint Appointment!

We got our fingerprint appointments in the mail yesterday! Mine is on St. Patrick's Day and Troy's is the day after. I am excited! The only problem is that the government may be shutting down. Ugh. Figures. The one time we need something from the government and it may not be functioning. Let's hope the people in Washington can figure something out! I need to get this done! Why is it always something? I never would have guessed that this was a possibility....let's hope it all works out!

On the Wrong Side of the Circle of Life

It has been a week of major downs and an up for us. We have known five people that have gone to heaven this past week. Five. The one that really hit home was the husband of my cousin. He was killed in a freak accident at the age of 33. He and my cousin have three small children and it really leaves a person to wonder why this happens. No one knows. When I reach the pearly gates, that is one of the many questions I will have for God. Why? I don't know that He will have an answer for me and frankly, I may not even be interested in the answer once my earthly life is gone and I have no worries. But, while I am here, I would like to know why awful things happen to good people. It doesn't seem to make any sense at all. Tomorrow, we have to put my dog to sleep. He has been my buddy since we brought him home from the pound six years ago. Samson has been a great dog for our family and will be sadly missed. Having to say goodbye to those that we love in this life is so hard, but I have faith that we will all be together again. One of the wonderful things is that today is my Drew's 4th birthday! We had a great day together! We went to McDonalds Playland for lunch and visited Jumpin' Janes for supper and had lots of fun with the cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We are so lucky to be loved. Happy Birthday sweet boy...I love you more than you will ever know!

Where Are We?

The typical answer to this question in the adoption world is "waiting" and that is my answer now. Our check cleared today from USCIS, so I am hoping to get our fingerprint appointment in the mail in the next week. I don't know if that is a pipe dream or not, but a girl can dream. I am thinking that our appointment will be three weeks after that and then we get our "okay" about a week to two after that. A whole bunch of hurry up and wait. I just want to get on that wait list to wait some more! That makes no sense, does it?

Sick of Being Sick!

Why is it that I can't get healthy this winter? It has been brutal! I don't know that my sinuses have been clear since September. Strep throat last week and the amoxicillin isn't clearing what I think is a sinus infection. Go away bugs! Leave me and my children alone! How obnoxious is all of this? My goal is to be completely healthy by Drew's birthday, which is coming up next week! My guy is going to be four! Oh my goodness! Gotta tell you, though, that he is a smart little bugger and pretty darn funny. But, four? That's crazy talk. I need to cuddle that little guy more. Before I know it, he'll be a teenager.

Moving On

So, God's plan was different than what I had anticipated. I suppose I can work with that! So, yesterday, we sent in our I-600A paperwork to Dallas. This is mainly asking for permission to bring a little one into the country. I have been told that it shouldn't take more than 45 days to process. Really? 45 days? To look me up and see that I am not a criminal? That shouldn't take that long. I have a feeling it is because of the whole "Smith" thing. Might be a few of those to look through. Then, we have to go to Des Moines for more fingerprinting. Apparently, the government can't just use the ones we had done over the summer. They need fresh ones. Oh, and more money, too. Ah yes, the government hard at work. After we have our finalized forms from the immigration department, we can finally send in our dossier to Holt, and then they send it to Ethiopia, and then we get on the wait list. Hoping we make it to the wait list by Easter. We shall see!

The News

So, for one month now, we have been anticipating whether or not we would be the parents of a little girl from Korea. We got news yesterday....the answer was no. It was a word I had considered that we may hear, yet the word still stung. No? Why? What is wrong with my family? Why would you think that we wouldn't be a good family for this little one? All of these questions still run through my head and they are still unanswered. Unfortunately, I don't know the answers and probably never will. Going in to the adoption realm, I knew that God had a plan for me and my family. For the last month, I thought I had an idea as to what that plan might be...I was wrong. That doesn't mean that it is good or bad...just that I was on the wrong track. I still feel badly that this little girl won't be living under the same roof as me, getting presents from Santa with my boys, and smiling with us in our family pictures. It wasn't meant to be. I left this whole thing in God's hands and He is who I look to for direction. He is pointing me elsewhere, to a little girl who is waiting just for me. I will keep looking for her.