GYMBOREE FUN!!!

Well......here's the damage done at Gymboree's big sale! If there's anything that can put a smile on my face, it's a great deal, and wow did I get a really great deal on these little outfits!

Cheer Up Cake!

My great friend Michelle and her sweet little girl Allegiance (one of the little ones I have at my in home daycare) brought me this mini lemon bundt cake wrapped in cheer! It was delicious - lemon cake is my favorite! Thanks Michelle, you always know how to help me look on the brighter side of things! Here's hoping things will look up in the Vietnam adoption world! We are so ready to have Samantha here with us!

9 Weeks DTV & GYMBOREE SALE!!!

Today we have been DTV for 9 weeks! (I prefer to count weeks verses months as it seems to go a little quicker that way. To me, 9 weeks sounds better than 2 months, bigger number!!!) The past two days have been a little rough in the Vietnam adoption world and I won't go in to all the details, but please join me in prayer for ALL of the families that are in the Vietnam adoption process, especially the families who are in Vietnam right now. They need your prayers.

On a lighter note...starting today (and ending on Sunday, Nov. 11th) Gymboree is having a 30% off Circle of Friends sale (this includes regular & clearance). Coupon is required for discount on in store purchases and a code is required for online purchases. Email me and I can email you the coupon if you need one! HAPPY SHOPPING!!! (Yes, I'll be going tonight...pics of the dammage tomorrow!)

I got in trouble.

Most people didnt even see the picture of Heather I posted last night and like I thought she would delete it before anyone could. But since she has commented that I never post anything I thought that I would post this!
(Charley, LML)

8 Weeks since DTV & Cute Dots!!!

8 weeks since we were DTV and waiting for referral....how many more to go, that is the question. I think the waiting would be easier if we knew how long we have to wait to see her sweet face. The wait hasn't gotten any easier, so I continue to buy cute things to keep myself entertained! Here is my latest purchase. I can't resist the dots, they do me in every time!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween! Can't wait til I have my "little pumpkin" in my arms. I can't wait to dress her up and take her Trick or Treating next year! It was soooo hard seeing all the cute little costumes.....so.....I caved. I found the cutest little piggy costume at Baby Gap and when it went on clearance, it had to come home with me!!! It's 12-18 months, but if it's not the right size at Halloween, I'll be sure and put it on her when it does fit! I love piggies! Samantha has piggy pajamas, a piggy blanket and lots of stuffed piggies. I'll have to do a "piggy post" some day when I have nothing else to write about and show off her piggy collection!

7 Weeks Ago...

We were DTV (Dossier To Vietnam). I have to admit, those 7 weeks have gone by fairly quickly for me. Most families with our agency wait an average of 3 months from DTV until referral, in which case, we could be half way through this wait. BUT....there are also families who have waited as long as 5 months. We know that it is all in God's perfect timing, but it sure would be nice to know when that is going to be!

Nothing much planned for this weekend. Maybe a little retail therapy and maybe I'll do a little work in Samantha's room. I still have quite a few things to hang up on the walls, but I have to get Charley in there to help me. If I wasn't waiting on him, it would already be done :o)

Mood Change...

Well, I have nothing new to write about. No exciting news, no cute new outfits, nothing! BUT, enough of that pitiful puppy, here is my new adoption mood! Or, atleast I wish I could sit back and soak up the sofa & some blueberry muffins for a while.

This Is My Mood Today

This face is a pretty accurate expression of my day.

Patience Dust

OK, I am having an impatient day - IMAGINE THAT!!!! So, I decided to sprinkle my blog with patience dust and see if that works! But don't worry, I have a retail therapy day planned for Saturday just incase it doesn't work!!! No news in the adoption world, but we are hoping to hear something soon!

Baby Shower For Cheryl!

Today I hosted a baby shower for Cheryl, a great friend of mine who is also adopting a baby girl from Vietnam! (www.oursophiarose.blogspot.com) The shower was a surprise, and we pulled it off! We gathered at The Green Bamboo, an authentic Vietnamese restuarant here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The food was delicious, the gifts were adorable, and a great time was had by all!

One Month

Today we have been DTV for exactly one month! It's still hard to believe that we aren't still wrapped up in the heaps of paperwork! It is definately nice to be able to sit back and wait, not running the rat-race of the paper-chase, but it sure is hard just WAITING on THE CALL!

To Keep Me Busy...

Well, nothing new or exciting this week, yet (each day holds hope). To keep myself busy, I started my packing list! WOW! What an undertaking!!! So far it's 5 pages long. I wonder how many suitcases it would take to get all 5 pages in there??? I'm sure it would be more than what Charley will let me bring! So I guess instead of coming up with more things to add to the list, I'll be thinking of what I need to take off the list! I know that even the thought of making a packing list right now is a little premature, but atleast I know I'll be READY when that day comes. Back to day dreaming for now!!!

Finding Joy in the Little Things

I am here to tell you, the WAIT, WAIT & WAIT SOME MORE" is NOT easy. I struggle everday to let ten minutes go by without an adoption thought crossing my mind. BUT, now that I can rest assured with our new agency, I am learning to find joy in the little things. I received the first square for Samantha's quilt in the mail this week from the Frank family (http://www.blessingsfromvietnam.com/) along with a beautiful prayer for Samantha. What a blessing it is to have met such wonderful and supportive people on this amazing journey to our daughter. I also received my Amazon book order this week. Cherie's book "After Sorrw Comes Joy" is amazing! My nose has been in this book every spare minute I have. EVERYONE should read this book. FALL! My favorite season. I got out my fall decorations and the house smells of pumpkin spice and it is looking like harvest time! Although we have mostly summer weather here in Texas, I am thankful to experience a little bit of fall, winter & spring. The summer heat brings lots of fun activities, but the fall & winter bring me so much joy! Lastly, I had to make a quick run to Super Target after church last night for ziplock bags and a loaf of bread. Some how I ended up in the baby section (imagine that!!!) and found the neatest thing (see picture above)! After speaking with several people who have adopted internationally, the #1 reccommended toy to take for playtime at the hotel is beach balls and other inflatable toys. Of course I had already purchased a cute little girlie beach ball as soon as the pool toys hit the Toys R Us shelves, but to my delight, I came across the Safari Roller by infantino. It is an inflatable toy that has a jingling ball inside, and when you roll it, it rolls back to you, promoting movement and crawling. Are you excited yet??? I am (incase you couldn't tell, it doesn't take much to excite me when I'm baby shopping!) What's great about inflatable toys is that they pack great. Everyone keeps saying "PACK LIGHT" and that will be hard for me as my packing list is already pages long and we're not even close to travel time yet, but every day we are one day closer!

Good Books

Who loves a good book? I do, I do!!! Speaking of books, I ordered some books from Amazon the other day. To tell you the truth, I don't even remember all of them that I ordered, but I know for sure I bought the book that Cherie Clark wrote, "After Sorrow Comes Joy." After all the buzz about it on the PLAN yahoo group, I decided it is a must read. Does anyone have any great adoption books (for adults or children) they'd reccommend? I have one that I read for the first time 5 years ago. Since then I have read it another two or three times. It is an amazing book titled "The Strength of Mercy." If you are interested in reading it but have a hard time finding it, let me know and I'll let you know how to get a copy. You won't regret the time spent reading this book!

100 Good Wishes/Prayers Quilt

As you know we are adopting Samantha from Vietnam. Before deciding on Vietnam we researched several other countries to adopt from, one being China. In researching China adoption, we learned about a tradition in Northern China called the 100 Good Wishes Quilt. I thought this was such a cute idea. What a special gift for any baby born anywhere!
Here is a little info:
To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt. It is a custom to invite 100 people to contribute a single square patch of cloth. The 100 patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.
At this time I am asking you help us with our quilt for baby Samantha! It will truly mean alot to us (and someday to her) if you participate.
Below is some info, if you wish to participate:
Select a fabric that is meaningful to you.
100% cotton fabric is best, as it washes and wears better.
Fabric should measure about 12" x 12"
Please include a wish or prayer from you along with your name on a seperate piece of paper, index card or note card....whatever works for you.
Email me chkkbc@msn.com and I will email you our address to send it to!
THANKS SO MUCH! This will give me something meaningful to work on while I W-A-I-T!!! Also, I am a scrapbooker, so I will be putting all the written wishes & prayers in her lifebook/scrapbook!

We are DTV (Dossier To Vietnam)

WE ARE DTV!

For those of you who know what that means, YES, we are doing the happy dance! For those of you who may not know what that means, let me explain: ALL of the stacks and stacks of paperwork along with chasing documents and getting them notarized that has consumed our time and our minds for the past six months, it is ALL DONE and ALL in it's way to Vietnam! So exciting to finally reach this point! So, now what? Now we get ready to WAIT... WAIT... WAIT and WAIT some more for that phone call that will give us the VERY HAPPY news that we have been matched with our daughter. Oh how I long for that day!

I've Been Tagged...

I have been tagged by Jenna at http://www.babystoll.blogspot.com/ and here are the rules of this tag...

* You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
* Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name.
* If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
* When you are tagged, you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts.
* At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged & to read your blog! of this tag...

My middle name is Lynn - short, should be easy!!!

L - LOVE to shop!!!
Y - YES...I'm STILL in the middle of the adoption process & YES, I am still impatiently waiting!!!
N - Never seems to be enough time in a day, days in the week (and so on) to accomplish the many things on a working mom of 4, and soon to be 5, to do everything I want (and need) to do!
N - Now it's my turn to tag 4 people. If you've already been tagged, You're already done!

I'm tagging:
Jennifer @ http://www.journeytoholly.blogspot.com/
Sue @ http://www.macklisfamily.blogspot.com/
Jillian @ http://www.johnandjillian.blogspot.com/
Leigh @ http://www.ourquiverfull.blogspot.com/

HAVE FUN!!!

FedEx Arrives/Dossier Authenticated!

Our dossier has arrived back from the Vietnamese Consulate in San Francisco! It has been AUTHENTICATED and is ready to go to VIETNAM, get translated and be logged in with the DIA (Department of International Adoptions). The paperwork in FINALLY over - YAY!!! Once our dossier leaves for Vietnam, we are officially considered "WAITING" for the referral of our little girl. We are so excited about the next step of this incredible journey!

3 Day Weekend!

We are so happy with our decision to change agencies as our new agency is amazing! They are so quick to answer emails & return phone calls and they genuinely have care and concern for their clients. The joy and excitement of our adoption journey is back in our hearts. I plan to spend some time working on Samantha's room this weekend. (3 days with nothing much planned - YAY!) Although her room is painted, fully furnished w/bedding & curtains, and her closet is full of clothes, I have not done anything in the way of decorating. There is NOTHING on the walls yet. I hope to change that this weekend and post pictures soon! (Speaking of the closet full of clothes, I had to post a picture of my latest purchase from Baby Gap...does it get mcuh cuter that brown w/pink polka dots??? I couldn't pass this one up at the clearance price of $6.99!)

A New Chapter...

Well, as I've said before, I don't want to harp on the negative details of what's been going on, but long story short, our agency was not being truthful and things were not going well for all involved. Late last night we made the decision to part ways with our agency and switch to a larger, more reputable agency called PLAN (Plan Loving Adoptions Now). So, today starts a new chapter in our adoption journey. Samantha, we know you're out there....we're coming! Although we are a little frustrated to have to make this change so far into the process, better now than later as things were headed downhill quickly. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful group of supportive friends that are right here with us in this adoption journey and I will be forever greatful of all your support (you know who you are!) We feel very confident with PLAN as they have an awesome reputation with ALL of their clients. To Jenna, Cheryl & Julie, I am praying for you all and I just know everything is going to work out for the better. Hang in there!

A New View!

OK, I have not been posting all the "specifics" of the issues we've been having in this process as I want this blog to remain a happy place! But, I have to admit, there have been some information out there that has caused us to have concerns to say the very least. SO...I have decided that I've had all of that funk I can stand and I am going to devote myself to prayer for the situations at hand and trust that God will reign here and all will work out. I decided to "cheer-up" my little spot on the web with some brightness. I liked the way it looked before, but I needed a break from black!

Dossier to Vietnam Consulate!

We are sending our documents via FedEx to the Vietnam Consulate today to be authenticated. Our original plan was to send them off last week, but there were a few minor complications along the way, however, they will be headed out today. If you are following our adoption journey, we ask for your prayers at this time as our agency is having some issues getting their official license complete is Tay Ninh, and that is the province where Samantha will be from.

Happy To See Mr. FedEx Again!

Today the FedEx man delivered two envelopes from the Texas & Oklahoma Secretary of State offices. All of our dossier documents have their "official seal of approval" and will be on their way to the Vietnamese Consulate in San Francisco first thing tomorrow morning! Yeah, one more step to cross off our list! DTV... I can almost taste it!!!

Dossier to Secretary of State!

Well, today we are sending our dossier off to the Secretary of State to get it authenticated. It is a good feeling to finally get it off my desk and out of the house! BUT...the real relief will be when we are DTV (dossier to Vietnam). My goal was to be DTV by the end of July, but July has come and gone, so now I am hoping we will have that accomplished by the end of August. I'm also hoping we hear some news on referrals REALLY soon! That would be awesome!

Long Boat Key Island Beach, Florida

We spent a wonderful weekend on Long Boat Key Island Beach in Florida with our two boys! It was a great little gettaway (but could have been a few days longer!) We stayed at a beautiful Hilton resort. The boys loved every minute of the sandy beach and the pool & hot tub. It was their first time to fly and their first time to see the ocean.

As for me, I loved every minute of it! Two emotional moments - 1) I looked out across the ocean and thought of Samantha waiting for us in an orphanage and wished she could be with her family now. 2) Walking off the plane and watching families greet loved ones, I couldn't keep from longing for the day that we are stepping off the plane with Samantha, greeting her siblings, grandparents & friends. That day cannot come soon enough!

To see more pics of our gettaway, visit our family blog @ www.fieldbunch.blogspot.com

Another New Month

Can you believe it's August already? It seems like yesterday that I was posting on July 1st! I was really hoping that July would bring great news of referrals as well as being "Dossier To Vietnam." But July is gone and our dossier is with our agency being reviewed. I received an email last night stating I would get a list of things that are wrong with it today. What now??? Sometimes I wonder if all of our paperwork will ever be right! Maybe August will be the month for BIG news! Still hoping!

I171H IS HERE!!!

I'm so happy to report that our I171H arrived today! YEAH!!! Now onto the next step!

A Little Disappointed

Well, my mailman just came. No I171H :( I was really hoping it would have been here this week. Oh well, maybe next week. Let me rephrase that....it better be next week!!! I am leaving in about an hour to pick up my cousin Dawn from NY at the airport. We don't get to see eachother that often, but we always have such a great time together. That'll help pass time as we continue to WAIT WAIT WAIT. The day is still early, maybe Julie & Jenna will end the week with some great news. I keep hoping!

A Special Birthday!

Today our oldest daughter turns 14! It's hard to believe we have a 14 year old (as well as a 12, 9 & 8 year old) and we have a toddler on the way! It truly seems like yesterday that our four "big kids" were toddlers! We have read many books and articles on preparing for an adopted child. We have educated ourselves on attachment & bonding, developmental delays and all that comes along with an adopted child. But........does anyone out there have any suggestions on books to prepare older children for the adoption process. I'm hoping there is something out there on their level. We have done our best to talk about all the possible issues our little Samantha could come to us with and how we will love her unconditionally, but it would be great if there was a book they could read as well. All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated!

Generous Donation For Tiny Toes!

Thanks to everyone who spread the word about ROBEEZ Heart & Sole donation program! I received my box full yesterday. Thanks Robeez for this generous donation! We can't wait to get to Vietnam and deliver them to Samantha's orphanage! (For info on their donation program, visit www.robeez.com and follow the links to "Heart & Sole."

A New Week

Friday we found out that our paperwork had arrived at the CIS office and they are working on our I171H. We are hoping that means we will have it in our hands this week. ALSO....our agency is expecting referrals any day now - SO EXCITING!!! I am hoping and praying that Julie & Jenna (#1 & #2 on the referral list) will get the news they have been waiting for and finally put a sweet little face with Lovey & Ella!!! Although we know that this is all in God's timing, we also know that things are starting to move along in the Tay Ninh province and referrals should start coming in!

Pitty Party Over!

Ok, the I171H pitty party is over! Chin up.....movin' foward! We now have the documents they've requested and they are certified and on their way to me via FedEx overnight mail. I will FedEx them overnight to CIS tomorrow and our social worker thinks we should have that stinkin I171H by the end of next week - fingers & toes crossed!!! We plan to sit down this weekend and go through all of our documents AGAIN, double & triple check every last one of them and have it ready and waiting for that final piece of paper. Hoping and praying that there will be no more issues with our paperwork so that we can move foward!

I171H - BUMMER!

Just as the mailman pulled away, I ran to the mailbox (this is routine for me the past few weeks) and to my MAJOR excitment, there was an envelope from USCIS. Overwhelmed with happiness, I ran in the house to take a picture of this beautiful piece of paper to post on this blog, and then came the let down..... one of the documents we submitted was not "good enough" for their likings. SO, now I have the task of getting this document re-done and re-submitted so that I can WAIT again for this stinkin I171H! This disappointment calls for some major retail therapy this weekend!

The Faces of Orphans

I came across this picture on a Vietnam Orphan Relief website. As I look at their innocent little faces, my heart aches for the lonliness they express. Although I have peace knowing that I can make the difference in the life of an orphan child, it is heart wrenching knowing how many orphans will never know the love of a family. Please join me in prayer for the orphan children in Vietnam as well as the orphans in every country, including right here in America. They are all God's children, He hears their cry.

Long Time, No Post!

Well, I guess it really hasn't been that long since I posted, only a week. It seems like forever, yet I have no important milestones to tell about. No I171H, no more decorating done in her room and I don't think I've even had any "retail therapy" this past week! I am however hoping to have BIG news to post about this coming week. Maybe referrals, maybe an I171H, you never know, but good things are about to happen, I just know it!

What Will July Bring???

Another new month! What will July bring??? HOPEFULLY lots of great things! Our I171H would be really nice, and my goal is to be DTV (Dossier to Vietnam) before July is over, referrals for all my "blog buddies" who have been waiting and waiting, and safe travel for all who are making the amazing journey to Vietnam to bring their little ones home!

Cute Jammies Too!

Last week I found cute slippers, this week.....even better......lots of Baby Gap jammies, and the best part.....they were on mega clearance! (For all you shopoholics out there who LOVE a great deal, if you go to the Baby Gap store, all their sale items are an additional 25% off, but only for a few days, and not on the online store.)

I171H Update... 2nd Posting

I heard back about the status of our I171H. Looks like it will be another 2 weeks until it's arrival. :( If nothing else, we will learn patience through this process!!! Today is exactly 2 years that we have lived in our new home in Texas. Those two years have flown by, so hopefully the next two weeks will breeze by also, but only to lead us to our next wait!

I171H Update...

I spoke with our social worker who did our home study and she is going to call the Oklahoma City CIS office this afternoon and find out what's going on as there are people who have been waiting 6+ weeks and they were given a 3-4 week time frame (as were we). I was really hoping to get our passports as well as our I171H back this month and be DTV (Dossier To Vietnam) in July. I guess it could still happen. All in God's time, I have to keep reminding myself of that. I just hope this wait doesn't turn out to be anything like the passport drama!!!

The Cutest Slippers!!!

Check out Sam's new feeties!!! I just couldn't resist, and clearanced for $6.00, what a deal! Does it get any cuter than this???

Still Waiting on the I-171H

We continue to wait (IMPATIENTLY) for that I-171H! Hoping & praying that it will be here by the end of this week. If it's not, our social worker who did our homestudy said she will check on it for us. This is the final document we need to be finished with all of our paperwork and complete our Dossier. I would start stalking the mailman if I thought it would do any good!

For all of you who do not know, we had an addendum written to our homestudy stating that we would accept a child 0-30 months. Originally we requested a child 0-12 months as we were told that toddlers would not be availible. Our agency is now working with a new orphanage that should have toddlers as well as infants. Currently, we are the only family with our agency requesting a toddler, so we could have our referral shortly after submitting our dossier. It is so exciting to think about who she might be, how old she will be and what type of personality she'll have. We just can't wait for her to be a part of our family!

A Great Book

This book was recommended to me by a friend who adopted from Vietnam. It is an excellent book to have for your child as they grow up and are able to learn about their adoption. It is filled with lots of great pictures and is written on a child's level of understanding. You can purchase this book at www.tapestrybooks.com

Favorite Blankets!

This special blanket was handmade with love for Samantha by her Granny (my mom). It is just beautiful. All of Granny's babies have had a special blanket made for them. This is something I will treasure forever and save for them when they get older.

Piggy Blanket

This is my other favorite blanket, so far! It is so unbelievably soft and cuddly and I just love little piggies! I think this one will travel with us when we go to Vietnam to bring her home!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there! A few thoughts I've had today: This time next year, Charley will be a Daddy for the 5th time! We have been blessed with four amazing children and Charley is such a wonderful Dad to them. I cannot wait to see him touch the life of our "soon to be" little girl from Vietnam. There is something so specail about a father/daughter relationship. I just cannot help but thing about my Dad. I was adopted and I thank God every day for the family He placed me in. Although I was adopted, they are my family, they are my parents and I love them and respect them for all they have been to me growing up, for all that they are to me now and for all that they are to my children. Adoption is such a beautiful thing and I feel so privelaged to be on this adoption journey. My prayer for our little Samantha is that she will feel as loved and wanted as I feel by my parents who welcomed me into their lives & hearts! I love you Mom & Dad!

The FedEx Man Gets a Hug!!!

WE HAVE PASSPORTS!!!!! I think the FedEx man was a little surprised by my enthusiasm, so I explained our situation & he replied, "I've had deliveries for several people doing international adoptions in my 7 years of doing this job, you guys are by far in your own league when it comes to excitement over an envelope!"

PASSPORTS HAVE BEEN MAILED!!!

Our passports have finally been mailed and we should have them today or tomorrow!!! Now we are just waiting on our I171H approval from CIS! We're getting so close!

High Hopes!

Well, I talked to a rep at the passport center and the expedite phone request was granted! Right now that means we will not have to go to New Orleans for the expedite appointment. But the rep did tell me that although the request was granted, that is still not a guarantee. It is scheduled to be delivered by Fedex overnight mail next Monday and we are hoping all will go as scheduled, but we're not cancelling our New Orleans appointment til those passports are in our hands!

CRAZY Passport Update!

Well, if this whole passport thing wasn't crazy enough, it has gotten crazier! The Houston office does NOT have any availible appointments, so I spent another 2 hours on the phone trying to schedule an appointment at a different regional office. Finally, we have an expidite appointment in New Orleans on June 20th @ 9:30 am, so it looks like we will be flying out of Dallas at 6:30 am! We are still keeping our fingers crossed that a miracle will happen on Monday and they will have taken care of it from the request we put in over the phone, but the chances of that happening are very slim. I will post the outcome of all this chaos on Monday evening.

Passport CRAZINESS!!!

The title of this post says it all! We applied for our passports on Friday, March 16th and were told we would have them in 6-10 weeks. Well, tomorrow will be exactly 12 weeks, so I decided to call the National Passport office and find out what was going on. After waiting on hold for over an hour, I have learned that it will still be at least another 10 weeks, if not longer. Although we need the passports to travel, we need them NOW as they are one of the required documents to be submitted as part of our dossier. Without our passports, we cannot recieve our referral. With the new laws, anyone traveling to Canada, Mexico or the Carribean via plane is now required to have a passport and they are extremely back-logged. We filed an expidite request and will find out on Monday if they granted it. If not, we have two options - #1, Go to the expidite office in Houston (which is a 5-6 hour drive from here) or #2, WAIT 10+ weeks. Option #2 is NOT an option for us. We are ready to move foward! So, please pray for Monday to hold good news, if not, we're off to Houston!

Fingerprinting Done / A Taste of Vietnam

Well, we got our fingerprints done today. Hopefully we will receive our I171H & passports SOON!!! Our friends Cheryl & Sylvester who are also adopting from Vietnam had their fingerprinting appointment with us this morning. When we were finished we went to "Green Bamboo" to check out authentic Vietnamese food. Being the picky eater that I am, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was! Maybe I'll survive eating in Vietnam afterall, but I am bringing KETCHUP!

2nd Posting Today - GOOD NEWS!!!

We got our fingerprinting appointment letter in the mail today (10 minutes after I posted on the blog that we were hoping and praying for it to come soon!) OK, so who prayed, becasue that was FAST!!! We go tomorrow morning at 8:00am and we'll be eating breakfast somewhere fancy afterward to celebrate being one step closer to Samantha, YEAH!!!! ***PRAY FOR PASSPORTS!***

New Month - BIG Hopes!

Well, In May we accomplished our homestudy, in June we hope to get our passports in hand (which are now officially 2 weeks late) as well as get our fingerprinting appointment for CIS done and be waiting on our last document, THE I171H! Please pray for us that our journey continues to go smoothly. Also, please be praying for two of our "adoption friends" who are also in the big middle of this process - Cheryl & Sylvester, our friends from church who are almost ready to send their dossier to Vietnam, and my "blog buddy," Jenna & her husband Ed who have been waiting on their referral for quite some time now. Hoping and praying for June to be filled with happy news that will bring us steps closer to having our daughters in our arms!!!

Homestudy Sent To CIS!

I am so happy to report that the final written copy of our homestudy has finally been finished and sent to the CIS office. We hope to receive our fingerprinting appointment soon and then we'll be waiting on CIS to issue our I171H (the final document for our dossier that allows us to bring an orphan into the country). Please pray that this process moves quickly. We are so ready to get our referral, see her picture and find out all about our daughter who waits for us!

Build-A-Bear for Orphans Overseas

On Saturday, the Build-A-Bear Workshop had a huge box of bears for people to make that will be sent to the orphans overseas. Kalee & Kristen had a great time making these bears, knowing they would be donated to children with nothing! What a great idea, THANKS Build-A-Bear!!!

Moving Along.....S-L-O-W-L-Y!

We continue to make foward progress, slowly but surely! Patience doesn't come easy to Charley or I, so this adoption process is a learning experience for the both of us in more ways than one! We keep reminding ourselves that this is all in God's timing and that helps us to remember that this will all happen according to His will. Right now we are waiting on our social worker to get us the official written copy of our homestudy to send to CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services). She has been sick for a few days and is a little behind, so looks like it will be next week sometime. In the meantime, I have lots to keep me busy. Be sure to go and check out our family blog ( www.fieldbunch.blogspot.com ) after the weekend is over. We are going to Six Flags tonight and taking the boys racing on Sunday. I'll be posting pics there of our busy weekend!

Samantha's Room!

Well, here are the pictures of THE ROOM! I'm still working on a few things to hang on the walls, so it's not completely finished yet. Just consider it a work in progress. Afterall, can a princess room ever be complete???

Homestudy Went Great!

One more BIG step behind us on our adoption journey! Yesterday we had our homestudy visit and it went great! The final copy of the study should be ready by Friday or next Monday to send to CIS (the Citizenship and Immigration office) then they will give us a date to get our fingerprinting done, then we should have our I171H (the final document we need for our dossier from CIS) back 3-4 weeks after our fingerprinting. Once we reach that point, we'll be ready and waiting to receive our referral (a packet of information on our daughter that will include pictures, medical info, her DOB, and possible some information about her birth mother - if availible). SO EXCITING!!!