Lawyers

Tomorrow, August 1st, 2008 Floyd and I will meet with an adoption attorney to find out all the in's and out's about what we need to do, fees and so forth!

We also have completed the homestudy as far as turning in all required paperwork. Our fingerprints are in (wow! fast!) and well, I guess we need to wait about 15 days for some other paperwork for Floyd. Other than that we just wait. We will finish our "home session" with our Homestudy caseworker, Mike soon I assume.

Our caseworker, Mike has been wonderful. He has made this stressful journey so much easier. He is laid back, kinda go with the flow and super patient! You can check out his website below!

http://www.adoptionhomestudyservice.com/homestudies.htm

Nothing else new is going on for now! Talk to you later!

My Review of The First Years Hide Away Gate

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Designed to provide safety when you need it and virtually disappear when you don't, the Hide Away Gate from Learning Curve® has no foot holds for climbing, a two-step locking mechanism which is easy for adults but too difficult for children, and is hardware mounted for added security. Unlike ot...

The First Years Hide Away Gate

Works good..

By Nicole from Frederickson, WA on 7/27/2008

 

4out of 5

Pros: Easy To Use, Easily Stowed

Cons: LOUD Very loud

Best Uses: Play Area, Stairs, Toddlers, Crawlers

Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children, Child Care Professional

Love the gate. Only downside is that is noisy. The overall idea is wonderful. It does save us tons of space and its "hides" away. But it is loud and the demo/video does not show how loud it really can be. If I were to open or close it while kids were sleeping...well lets just say they would be instantly woken up. It makes a loud noise.

(legalese)

IVF Fundraiser

First let me say "Yes we DO want to adopt!" and "Yes! We are still planning on adopting!" and "We are so close to finishing all our homestudy paperwork!"

We do however want to try IVF once at some point in our lives. As I have stated before IVF costs so much! We are starting a 26day posting looking to raise $2000.00 to add to our savings for IVF. Floyd and I will continue to save and save and save some more until we reach our goal.

For now, as hard as it is we are looking to family, friends and even strangers who may want to help. Even if you can't or don't want to help monertay wise, that is so totally fine and I will never know the difference but maybe you would just pass the website on to others who would want to help out monetary wise. If you don't want to do that even, no harm done. :)

Something I hope Floyd and I can do is help others looking to afford costs of IVF and medication by starting something. We know first hand how HARD this is and I want so badly to help everyone who needs it to be able to give life, or even adopt. Adoption costs are alot too!

Here is the link to our site. It is open for 26days. After that, well, I don't know what happens. But if we don't raise the $2000.00 by the 17th of August and you did donate (THANKS!) you will get your money back from the site. We do not get one single penny until we reach our goal.
http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2008-07-22.6563666051

Is your Child Forward Facing already?!?!

Watch these....maybe your child should NOT be forward facing just yet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8

Is your child in a 5pt harness....maybe they should be....Watch this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ&feature=related


Everyone knows how much of a carseat nut I am. Just spreading the wealth and knowledge.

Remember:

If you are EVER in a minor fender bender, huge accident or just a little one your carseat DOES need to be replaced! If your child wasnt in the carseat, you still NEED to replace the seat.

Also, carseats are only good for a certain number of years. Check your carseats and see when it was made. In 5years (unless a Britax brand 6 yrs) you need to replace the seat and destroy it.


CARSEAT QUESTIONS?

Check out www.carseat.org

Pliko P3 and Prayers

Well here is the stroller we will be buying! Exciting, I know. No worries, only I am excited. My husband is not excited at all about driving to pick it up. But, the stroller is 399.99 new and this lady is selling her nearly new Pliko P3 Peg Pergeo for $125.00 to me. I am very excited about it and this will be a great stroller to use for the daycare kids and hopefully for our own adopted or through IVF. However Floyd tells me that I will want a new one when we have our own or adopt. Which is probably correct, but for now....

On a sad note Floyd's father who has been battling cancer is not doing so great. He hasnt been doing well for several years now and by the grace of God has been living much longer than the Doctors said he would. At his inital diagnosis he was give 3 to 6 months to live, that was over 5 years ago. Then a year ago he was put on hospice and we were told he would live about 6 months . Well a year later he is still alive and moving. He has gained some weight (a lot really) and has stopped smoking. Roger (Floyd's dad) is this amazing man. Roger helped Floyd and I out a lot when we first got together. Today we got a phone call from Sue, Floyds mom saying Roger's cancer has spread to all over his body, which is not good. He will start chemo again. Please say a prayer for him. I think all we have left is prayer and miracles right now. Roger truly is someone who is just this amazing man. You'd have to be to go through all this. I worry about my husband a lot. His dad has been his everything. I can't imagine my life with out Roger and I know for certain Floyd can't either. I just worry about Floyd so much during this. Of course I am trying to prepare myself for the worst and praying, just praying that we can make it through this together. I pray that God gives me the strength to help Floyd and the kids through this. I pray God gives me the courage to walk the path with my husband, the kids and his mother to a speedy healing process. I pray God gives Roger more time on this earth. I pray that people find a cure for this horrible, awful, life altering disease. I just pray that someone in one of those research studies figures it out tomorrow or the next day so we can have our Roger back. I suppose things like this happen for a reason, I am not sure what reason that is yet. Soon maybe we will find out.

I wish Floyd would come to church with me and the kids. I need him there and want him there with me, beside me. I can't make him go, but I can pray he will go with us. We together have so much to be blessed with and so much to continue to pray for......his dad being someone we need to pray for.

Say a little prayer for us and for his dad.

Update on the adoption

This was the list that was sent to us to have completed:

Autobiography *done
Genogram *done
Adoption References *done (but i know a few of you still need to mail yours!)
Background clearance *done
FBI clearance letter *done (sent in and now waiting!)
Medical statement *only mine is left to do
Financial statement *done
Guardianship designation *done
Birth Certificates *done
Divorce Papers for Floyd *done

So far we have just about everything completed. Floyd just went in for his physical today. His was great :) I go for mine on July 23rd. I cannot believe we have just about everything done for this! Once I get my physical completed we will mail in everything. The great part about all this was that Floyd's dad HAD his birth certificate. We were so worried b/c he was born in Seoul, Korea and well getting a birth certificate for there would of been kinda hard. We also had copies of his divorce decree so that was great that I was able to find, okay remember where I put them.

The longest part (and hardest) will be the waiting for the finger prints to come back....

Here is to waiting...

Our Backyard

So I forgot to blog about our backyard FINALLY getting done. After Floyd lost his job we were kinda "forced" to stay in this house, but unfortunatly the yard was not in usable condition. It was literally a mud pit. Well I am happy to say it is finally done and beautiful! We have to finish one side of the yard and we are still deciding if we want to wood chip (play chip) that part or put in some cement for bike riding and such for the daycare kids.

It has been so NICE to have a usable yard for the kids here. They can come and go in and out as they please. It is safe and just, well nice to have finally!

Anyways here are the pics of the yard :) Enjoy!

Bikes...

Well Floyd and I went and bought bikes at Walmart on my birthday. We have been wanting to get them for forever now and just havent gotten around to it. The night of my birthday we went to dinner at Sakuras with my mom, dad, the kids, Emily and her boyfriend Kam. After saying goodbye and walking out the door I looked down and realized "wow...I am 28yrs old"! To be honest it wasnt the best reliazation. On our way home I was going over my mental list of things I hoped to of accomplished during my twenty-seventh year of life. One being to lose weight. I have tried and tried to lose it and I will lose a pound here and there and gain them back. Anyways, long story short....we went to walmart and bought bikes.

Tonight, Sunday July 13th I tried mine out for the first time and Oh-my-gosh...I only rode for about 20min and my butt was EXHASTED! My goal....ride it for 20min every night for one week and work up to 30min and add 10 min every week.

I am exhasted!

And those bike seats are NOT very comfortable!

Twenty-Eight

Anyone know of a time machine where I can turn back the clock a few years? Maybe just a standstill for another year?!I feel like I have not accomplished all I wanted to during the year of being 27 and there are only a few more days left until I turn 28...

Some of those things: (and yes some are rather stupid!)

*I was hoping we'd be buying a house. This house isnt so bad. I love it but I would a bigger yard, and new carpet or hardwood flooring...

*Go to school for phelebotomy. Not sure when I would use it, but it would be nice to have for a fall back.

*Clean out my closet! I have done it before...I should do it again! I think I really just need to take the time to actually hang the fallen items back up.

*Get pregnant. I was really hoping by now I would have one child, possibly 2 by now. This is something that is really pressing hard on me. I am having a really hard time with turning 28 and still no kiddo. Either biologically or adoption. I am 110% grateful for my Nathan and Breonna! I would not be who I am without them!!!

*Get Nathan and Breonna in private school. I really want them in private school, not so sure this will happen anytime soon. But its still there in the back of my mind. Someday!*Bedrooms painted. I want them painted. They are white and looking dingy. And I hate painting! So not sure this will ever happen!

*Finish the front yard. One side is done, the other is not. And the side that is done is growing weeds! ARGH! I now know how the bridge painters feel!

*Lose some weight. I am not 100% dedicated to losing it so that is my own issue, not a time issue!

*Organize this house! Oh-my-gosh! Its a done deal that is will never, and I mean NEVER happen!

*Go on a Mission trip. Help someone far away!

*Be more active in my church! I have made some progress on this one though.

*Get crafty. I am so not skilled in the "craft-ed" department. I have tried several times to be crafty in scrapbooking, photography, card making, stamping, hair bow making...I just plain ol'suck at crafts! But I still would like one as a hobby !

*Get my dogs to stay OFF the couch so that we can buy new ones! Any ideas?!

I am having a really hard time with the "no-baby" thing. We are doing this whole adoption thing and I am excited, but scared about it. I was hoping to be pregnant by now at least. I think the whole turning 28 has really scared me even more. I am mean I am closer to 30 now than I ever was before. This doesnt mean anything bad. I know I am still young and I know at 38 I will still be young, but we all have goals and dreams we hope to accomplish by the time we are a certain age and honestly I wanted to achieve pregnancy by the time I was 25. Sometimes I feel bad saying "I want to be a mother!" Like it makes me ungrateful for having Nathan and Breonna. I love those two children like I gave birth to them. I love them enough to lie down and die for those two if I had too. I would do ANYTHING to make sure those two were happy, safe and all the other things parents do for their children. They are MY children. I am their MOM. There is always the thought in my head that there is another mom for them. She is distant and not around, but one day she will be around. They will meet her, stay with her, want to be around her. And while I will always be their mom too and important to them they will always have her too and I cannot deny that. She is their mother! I think I worry about them leaving me. Not needing me because she is there now in their lives and it will happen. It will. It is only a matter of time before it does and I am as ready as I can be for that to happen. She is their mother. I am their mom, but she will always have ties to them. Does it make sense for me to want a child of my own, be it biological or through adoption?!?! Am I selfish?!I am proud to be able to say I am Nathan and Breonna's mom. I always will be.


Anyways those are a few that are I would of liked to have accomplised by the time I was 28 and time is slipping a little too fast to complete those!! I am blessed in many ways. I have my wonderful husband, two super funny and great kids, a nice job, a few great friends, a nice washer and dryer (yes! I love my washer and dryer!) and so much more!Still...if you know where the pause button is I promise to get to at least 1/3 of that list before the "real" 28th birthday comes around!