tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61018428841818704912024-03-14T01:17:54.652-04:00Upcycled PurposeGod makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity.
~Psalm 68:6Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-53198200285524712672014-11-03T20:10:00.002-05:002014-11-03T20:10:56.441-05:00A Christmas Sled Upcycle<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's early November, and I've already told my friends not to be judgy. I'm in Christmas mode. One cannot do all of the crafting and all of the baking and all of the decorating in four weeks. I waited until Halloween was over, even if I did listen to Christmas music the entire week of.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now I'm ready to craft. What better project to kick off the season than a free one! (I have all the supplies on hand from other projects.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My husband's parents separated two years ago this month, and his mother passed this little wooden sled on to us. It has lived in a corner of my laundry/storage room since then because it's just not my style. It's just too... circa 1995. The only thing I like as-is is the twine.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5oRz92K9RdvNKgCpisTLv5hAes_r6SkTZXKjnjqrXQvO52rtsvJq9VzGvyryj5vB-rrn9efMxwPjBpfcBa_cV5DjeztOavSKiF5Bo5gwQJp53iWSDOZJlJrLUgtx31aeAA0io9YYanA/s1600/IMG_20141101_221123785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5oRz92K9RdvNKgCpisTLv5hAes_r6SkTZXKjnjqrXQvO52rtsvJq9VzGvyryj5vB-rrn9efMxwPjBpfcBa_cV5DjeztOavSKiF5Bo5gwQJp53iWSDOZJlJrLUgtx31aeAA0io9YYanA/s1600/IMG_20141101_221123785.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last year, I admired Christmas trees with large non-ornament items used to tie together a theme, but I couldn't come up with anything to put in my tree. It just occurred to me that it's my sled now, and I'd rather change it to fit my decorating style than just hide it away or end up donating it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First, I removed the twine and sanded all but the back, which is still unfinished. I needed to degloss the surface of the sled so the paint wouldn't chip. Next, I sprayed the red runners and the name part in an espresso brown I had leftover from redoing a vintage step stool/seat.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXYE5RRUFJUWUo_9oSYC2d6N4zUVKne1-xhwJHmtTsw3hCa6ieSGoTFdVr445EBW_GOFWIb_G12DZDCR3-dscigtuB9RS3kjNrgGYpU9trmgWEV-SYetyS9PF2eFxd5DOrvzLuzh8MlQ/s1600/IMG_20141102_160811176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXYE5RRUFJUWUo_9oSYC2d6N4zUVKne1-xhwJHmtTsw3hCa6ieSGoTFdVr445EBW_GOFWIb_G12DZDCR3-dscigtuB9RS3kjNrgGYpU9trmgWEV-SYetyS9PF2eFxd5DOrvzLuzh8MlQ/s1600/IMG_20141102_160811176.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After drying for a day, I went over the entire sled with a coat of white spray paint.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt-iaGmGAxzsMJqw2RcuFxNxpQ2jThzGMnsJk8DUdcahRS5I0gzDZ5LB5CmeA60PkjUFrwwuyR05XzI5WGJx34fijhFfg7hH_gIrDiWo_LQkjJmcThwV-UZ6PM7OqOaXHCnm1aU3iN8A/s1600/IMG_20141103_123402824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt-iaGmGAxzsMJqw2RcuFxNxpQ2jThzGMnsJk8DUdcahRS5I0gzDZ5LB5CmeA60PkjUFrwwuyR05XzI5WGJx34fijhFfg7hH_gIrDiWo_LQkjJmcThwV-UZ6PM7OqOaXHCnm1aU3iN8A/s1600/IMG_20141103_123402824.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While it was still tacky, I scraped the edges with a sharp putty knife to bring out the brown, and even a tiny bit of the red on one edge of the runner. I retied the twine, and now it's ready to make an appearance on my Christmas tree!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71AlEAnthjgeERuD51YNvHkBkaKozZVJ4M-mkFHVPj2P6Sc4jlXEhpKHs0GQ5f3kF5iPl-n5Z5BX4mTfd5uGhQusNdSrjciVzLwBAw6-br0sZcENuzl5rwWY6mx6jZmLlCXkT6ztM4Mg/s1600/IMG_20141103_195758101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71AlEAnthjgeERuD51YNvHkBkaKozZVJ4M-mkFHVPj2P6Sc4jlXEhpKHs0GQ5f3kF5iPl-n5Z5BX4mTfd5uGhQusNdSrjciVzLwBAw6-br0sZcENuzl5rwWY6mx6jZmLlCXkT6ztM4Mg/s1600/IMG_20141103_195758101.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's a closer view of the distressing...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5n22h2kFOkhQIiiqnOX11xiGjGrYLh-YDqYTjofIw1IuO03AElAAMY95xCY3Ogn_HeCoYJH9umPSeKI0VDnBerf3rsuZWtcgmNn2fZITvIV0o05bYOTz8pqRCk0di2hiPOl51DwxnvY/s1600/IMG_20141103_195821209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5n22h2kFOkhQIiiqnOX11xiGjGrYLh-YDqYTjofIw1IuO03AElAAMY95xCY3Ogn_HeCoYJH9umPSeKI0VDnBerf3rsuZWtcgmNn2fZITvIV0o05bYOTz8pqRCk0di2hiPOl51DwxnvY/s1600/IMG_20141103_195821209.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not my biggest "WOW" project, but definitely ranked among the cheapest and fastest! The perfect project to kick off my favorite season!</span>Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-78285665813593751222014-10-31T16:56:00.000-04:002014-10-31T16:56:49.757-04:00Homes Sweet HomesOur family is in our third home. Our first home was a tiny apartment, where we lived from our wedding day until our oldest was 10 months old. 700 sq. ft. and a 1-hr. commute for Scott meant looking for a new home closer to work. We were dead set on home ownership and all the <strike>nightmares</strike> joys that come with it, and bought our first house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is most definitely an "after" photo. We dug out load after load of lava rock and tore out a warped wooden walkway. Ripped out bushes that hid the porch, and replaced the wood on the porch and deck. Painted the brown posts to a crisp white. Planted all new plants, mulched, babied the new grass, laid the slate walkway. This was still before we put on the new roof, though.<br />
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It's a 3- (teeny tiny) bedroom 1.5 story with a finished basement, so it fit two children perfectly. We brought Elijah home to this house, then brought Sadie home to this house. We soon realized we'd outgrown the house and put it on the market.<br />
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We closed two days after Christmas, which I really REALLY do not recommend, unless your idea of a good time is undecorating the tree and packing and deep cleaning and painting at the new house all at the same time.<br />
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Now, we have 4 larger bedrooms, an extra bedroom in the finished basement, which we use as a playroom, and a laundry room big enough to hold all the kids' clothes.</div>
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This house is fantastic, but once again, we've realized our needs have changed and our house doesn't fit those needs. Primarily, Denny can't enjoy life outside our home, with it being built on the side of a hill. Great for sledding. Not great for a barely mobile child.<br />
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We had the opportunity to buy a house that has every item on my wish list from childhood to now (including an attic with permanent stairs because Home Alone). And it's built on probably the only flat lot in the city. No stairs going into the home, and the ability to stay on one level the entire day (bedrooms upstairs). <br />
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It's a blank canvas, ready for us to make our own. It's the place we hope to stay for a long time to come: our forever home.<br />
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We're also praying about the timing of our move, that our daughter will have only one transition instead of two. Because one is hard enough. That could mean quite a bit of chaos on this side of the ocean while I'm on the other side for pick-up trip, but we'll work out the details as we get closer to that time.<br />
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I hope moving will revive my little blog, bringing back a bit of the original purpose of the blog with upcycling items to make them my own.</div>
Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-85199571685225367432014-07-28T08:29:00.001-04:002014-07-28T08:29:24.545-04:00A Much Needed Update (And Camping Pictures)It's been several months since I blogged or even logged into my blog. But it's time to update our adoption status! Our homestudy was in our hands in record time, paperwork was sent in to USCIS (immigration) to approve us, a (literal) pink slip was sent back from USCIS requesting that we have three sentences changed in our homestudy, our homestudy agency had an addendum out the door the same day I requested it, and we had USCIS approval on June 3.<br />
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We quickly sent all our remaining documents to the Secretary of the Commonwealth for apostille, and had them mailed to our caseworker, who then sent them to Bulgaria. I first received an message that our dossier was being submitted, then another message that we had verbal referral. It's been a quiet two weeks, so I'm praying that the message I receive this week is that we have written referral! We should be traveling to Bulgaria very soon to meet our daughter!<br />
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In other fun adventures, our family spent the weekend camping with around 20 other families from our church, and I wish we were doing it every weekend! If you asked me one thing I loved more than anything else from my childhood, it would be camping. I love everything from seeing kids running around with friends, the smell of a campfire, even cleaning up and drying the tent for packing, remembering that being my chore as a child. <br />
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We more than survived the weekend, we came home filled up with love for our church family, a greater understanding of community, and worn out kids who didn't complain about bedtime! Even our dog is happily exhausted. My kids spent so much time running, it was hard to take pictures of everything they did. Here are a few:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denny was thrilled to play in the dirt each day, and I was thrilled we had showers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viktorya loved swinging her baby in the hammock.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6STj2AYRndhY-rXbSe4xIoA9Szo33ODE4sBMhyphenhyphen4sKx9ZBnt_7aIk5Jr0r8lKy99_RAhHeIa5sphzpYHjD3iCqVOWmEqIWC122q5oD8PML-x5fiTMQqgVoipgGhvtec9oCbCc9EzqAwk/s1600/IMG_20140726_153336574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6STj2AYRndhY-rXbSe4xIoA9Szo33ODE4sBMhyphenhyphen4sKx9ZBnt_7aIk5Jr0r8lKy99_RAhHeIa5sphzpYHjD3iCqVOWmEqIWC122q5oD8PML-x5fiTMQqgVoipgGhvtec9oCbCc9EzqAwk/s1600/IMG_20140726_153336574.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadie helped me dog-sit several dogs from the campsites while lots of bigs went swimming.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viktorya was trying to reach another little dog we were dog-sitting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swinging in hammocks...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coloring...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding friends to play baseball with...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6sE-SAL7xp6NW2fW6aJWgeOsn242D03wE8kRx6bflCYa6ZL6RqVYJLkKRYEq__pyP6AQdZM_JrVHFkxpR1iVhnz3tufBiyoW1dKseh2oRc-hyITzcU9rMSQLJ2zFG1bPUrOczNBA8X4/s1600/IMG_20140726_241430527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6sE-SAL7xp6NW2fW6aJWgeOsn242D03wE8kRx6bflCYa6ZL6RqVYJLkKRYEq__pyP6AQdZM_JrVHFkxpR1iVhnz3tufBiyoW1dKseh2oRc-hyITzcU9rMSQLJ2zFG1bPUrOczNBA8X4/s1600/IMG_20140726_241430527.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMhqpra6UkKeYBzm5F54OwfDB1-OYElMeAcOeeaP1Oq4HZuUcYWzeJd4CNtlDqHLg0J5vSi2ReW7TUDbqFJyGOGf5wctnd28gPknGT-uXRijrVe1qrn8HwKZ4am97A6LEM96YxmN9lYM/s1600/IMG_20140725_211725950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMhqpra6UkKeYBzm5F54OwfDB1-OYElMeAcOeeaP1Oq4HZuUcYWzeJd4CNtlDqHLg0J5vSi2ReW7TUDbqFJyGOGf5wctnd28gPknGT-uXRijrVe1qrn8HwKZ4am97A6LEM96YxmN9lYM/s1600/IMG_20140725_211725950.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And sparklers at night!</td></tr>
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Happy Monday everyone!</div>
Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-30707956192360180922014-04-17T12:51:00.000-04:002014-04-17T12:51:03.270-04:00Mama's a Busy Bee!Life has been a whirlwind recently and, were it not for my love of lists, I'd forget everything! First, I finished the kitchen backsplash project I'd been s l o w l y working on for the past couple of months...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMb5LBv2sRhXkPEr4lE0G84Za3_tYh-Og4au0PkO9EprTPOfjzaEov9ljEt66maTQl44Tz-RJ1bT9deapLcgK-Pbf2kr64c0FONrlFV9ip4ccTpHKA91QMKh5wNPcwFPBx6AfvlQ7Azo/s1600/IMG_20140406_141013816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMb5LBv2sRhXkPEr4lE0G84Za3_tYh-Og4au0PkO9EprTPOfjzaEov9ljEt66maTQl44Tz-RJ1bT9deapLcgK-Pbf2kr64c0FONrlFV9ip4ccTpHKA91QMKh5wNPcwFPBx6AfvlQ7Azo/s1600/IMG_20140406_141013816.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Secondly, I've made quite a bit of progress on our adoption paperwork! Our homestudy was finished on the 11th, and in my hands on the 14th. On the 15th, I mailed our FBI clearances to be authenticated, our I-800A paperwork to USCIS, 6 documents to be apostilled at the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and a copy of our homestudy to our stateside caseworker. <br />
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At this point, we've only got one more document to complete before we've done all we can do, and it's our agency approval letter. I have an agency approval certificate, but the specific wording in the letter we need for our dossier includes our home study agency's commitment to performing the post-placement reports, and we need to pay for those visits prior to them filling out the paperwork. (We're about $600 from having all we need for that.)<br />
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I'm also still working on our dossier photos, and that's the hardest thing for me. One of my friends was joking with me that I can tackle a big stack of legal documents and get them typed up, signed, notarized, and apostilled with no issue, but I can't put 10 pictures on a page and call it done. I tried, and I've decided it's just going to be easier to use Shutterfly to make a photo collage, where I can easily play with the pictures and layouts.<br />
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My goal is to finish these last two pieces by the end of the month, so I can get everything to our caseworker for translation. Things are moving so quickly right now, and I keep praying this pace keeps up! The faster we get back to Bulgaria, the better!<br />
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<br />Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-76873475784821811582014-03-22T18:14:00.000-04:002014-03-22T18:14:04.037-04:00Project ModeI won't say that the paperwork for a subsequent adoption is easier, but it's definitely more efficient, knowing which pieces take longer to come back, and therefore, which items to work on first.<br />
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One of the first things we mailed off was our FBI checks, because those take 8-12 weeks to come back. By the time we have our I-800a packet mailed off, after finishing our home study, we should receive the FBI clearances, and that will be the last piece of our dossier, next to the I-800a approval letter.<br />
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Speaking of home studies, we're waiting for one last piece, and it will be finished! We're done (for now, at least) with trips to the doctor, bloodwork, autobiographies, and -thisclose- to being done with our education (for our placing agency requirements, not for our home study).<br />
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When I'm not working on adoption paperwork and I have some time to myself, I'm in DIY mode. I've just painted our new-to-us headboard in CeCe Caldwell's "Seattle Mist" chalk paint, which I love against the curtains I made for our bedroom last year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CGPh55QaEwf47kMa7w9c0Tmz8nIAhdcC45nk7NYqN2M9K085eS59je8RlEc0dFmBUKvR5fOiyT6JKukvTKSkXlok-XkNfQuzzcIBMavmV5U2W4Jbs6S3EdYJZ3_FQzSKhbQDfuD8UCA/s1600/IMG_20140322_175642893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CGPh55QaEwf47kMa7w9c0Tmz8nIAhdcC45nk7NYqN2M9K085eS59je8RlEc0dFmBUKvR5fOiyT6JKukvTKSkXlok-XkNfQuzzcIBMavmV5U2W4Jbs6S3EdYJZ3_FQzSKhbQDfuD8UCA/s1600/IMG_20140322_175642893.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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I started working on our kitchen backsplash last month, and now half of the tile is up, I have lots more pieces of tile to cut, and plenty of grouting to do. It certainly would've been faster to pay Lowe's to install, but there's something so rewarding in looking at a finished project, knowing you did it all by yourself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlOSh0sWSEd9QQRc9UnloNSPMygy5LpNJmS5R-AQElzA3WphAWVBUcy9eewVbR7ujXHj5t48ma1NS7JM8uXOi5ReHQi8tnnNbZi8bbtGYwhAUbjdif8KlLxoT09JnqPw4ynzJbqwF_ig/s1600/IMG_20140311_105332982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlOSh0sWSEd9QQRc9UnloNSPMygy5LpNJmS5R-AQElzA3WphAWVBUcy9eewVbR7ujXHj5t48ma1NS7JM8uXOi5ReHQi8tnnNbZi8bbtGYwhAUbjdif8KlLxoT09JnqPw4ynzJbqwF_ig/s1600/IMG_20140311_105332982.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Plenty to keep me busy and to keep my mind off of waiting on paperwork. Thankfully I have all the supplies for my projects on hand, because my "fun money" is now all earmarked for the adoption!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-31316347751757905882014-03-20T10:28:00.001-04:002014-03-20T10:34:48.687-04:00Back to Blogging... And EXCITING News!<div style="text-align: center;">
Prior to life with five kids, I had a little more time for blogging, but it has fallen by the wayside, obviously.</div>
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I know I had friends who followed our journey, so it's my intention to carve out a little time for blogging each week.</div>
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The past year has been full of adjustments for everyone, with normal ups and downs, and our life has settled down quite a bit. Our kids have gotten to know each other, grown to love each other, and life is good.</div>
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For my first post of the year, I have WONDERFUL news to share! We're going back!!! We're thrilled to announce that we're bringing Stephie into our family! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Vh2qpeMGFQxvlBS8XdxtdEB1pptH_P6mp1L7f23H6E-jLgfH0rzo93KEN0kLPOjv-Fo92XzYTceP8ceVPyvgXYrJSrI0sh25m9x6gIPvOsYGf7e2YxZFN3fWpMV88a_x55avJhKMp00/s1600/Stephie2_2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Vh2qpeMGFQxvlBS8XdxtdEB1pptH_P6mp1L7f23H6E-jLgfH0rzo93KEN0kLPOjv-Fo92XzYTceP8ceVPyvgXYrJSrI0sh25m9x6gIPvOsYGf7e2YxZFN3fWpMV88a_x55avJhKMp00/s1600/Stephie2_2013.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Our process is moving quickly right now and we hope, especially because of her age, that each step will continue to go at such a fast pace. We should have our home study in our hands within the next few weeks!</div>
Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-19397821281981851852013-12-15T13:23:00.000-05:002013-12-15T13:23:55.125-05:00Biscuit Cake! (Recipe)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was talking to my grandmother and sister, working out the Christmas menu, and my sister said "I don't care what else you make, but I want biscuit cake." <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">I've had several other people ask for the recipe, and I'm happy to oblige! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2us2rDrFIxeQ_UJKXeuatcWUJmkcSRVGDmKfDsMybznLfa9bwkXZI_2QqNKBU5QZclxQvtfu7_xeDPtyfDEAVO1bd7a53HEF_aVtCRlDRauMMYS9kTfUX7yxEMmPwtKtEN4IKGLWhAw0/s1600/biscuit+cake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2us2rDrFIxeQ_UJKXeuatcWUJmkcSRVGDmKfDsMybznLfa9bwkXZI_2QqNKBU5QZclxQvtfu7_xeDPtyfDEAVO1bd7a53HEF_aVtCRlDRauMMYS9kTfUX7yxEMmPwtKtEN4IKGLWhAw0/s320/biscuit+cake+2.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">The original recipe can be found </span><u style="line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://vessysday.com/no-bake-biscuit-cake-with-mascarpone-cheese-nutella-and-baileys/" target="_blank">here</a></u><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">. While this biscuit cake was still not exactly what we had on our trip to Bulgaria last October, it was the closest I could find, and adding Nutella to a recipe is never a bad thing, right? I also modified the recipe to exclude the alcoholic Bailey's Irish Cream because, well, I was serving it to my kids and it's a no-bake recipe. I also doubled the recipe to fill the trifle bowl. </span></span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
<span style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trifle bowl</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 packages of biscuits (I used a specialty brand I found at Kroger, on the cookie aisle)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">2 packages mascarpone cheese (with the specialty cheese)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">8 oz. heavy whipping cream</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">8 oz. milk</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">4 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream-flavored coffee creamer</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">1 3/4 c. confectioner's sugar</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">1 tsp. pure vanilla extract</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">1 jar Nutella</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Chocolate (grated for garnish)</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Chocolate roses (optional, added for Viktorya's birthday to represent Bulgaria)</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXB8XygYl7LyfLjUlPDKhayHvZOd63mt1aUvG1uIrNqXQgIGJFDXWelSrq4ZvPoo5G59rs-RTG0Jn-8q8KEehPmqD8YOg1Lspv0EuydHrQMSyLJSrFG1vWq1AcgtVAMaWJ3YLquAMTro0/s1600/biscuit+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXB8XygYl7LyfLjUlPDKhayHvZOd63mt1aUvG1uIrNqXQgIGJFDXWelSrq4ZvPoo5G59rs-RTG0Jn-8q8KEehPmqD8YOg1Lspv0EuydHrQMSyLJSrFG1vWq1AcgtVAMaWJ3YLquAMTro0/s320/biscuit+cake.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Directions</span></u></b><br />
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Whip the heavy cream in a large bowl. Add mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and 1 c. of confectioner's sugar. Mix well.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">2. In another bowl, mix together the milk, Irish Creme-flavored creamer, and 3/4 c. sugar. Dip cookies in the milk mixture, for 10-20 seconds, depending on the thickness of the cookies. You don't want them to fall apart, but you do want them a little soft.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">3. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Place one layer of biscuits in the trifle bowl. Spread a layer of Nutella over them, followed by a layer of the mascarpone and cream mixture.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">4. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Repeat the steps until the biscuits and cream mixture are used up. I had probably 4-5 layers. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">5. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Garnish with shredded chocolate.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">6. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Serve cool.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsMpo4r7pW-_0Lp12OYLe_Xf9qv4oyNF7R8buEAhRNthSvZNesq-5ZLyMs0USZEObst3h288is1ofiuhzleuV9_rWu2_Ek7KQGNQUuZW4FcoOQI6ItGCMx6VPaFM0zQKOmHEJ8cQOdpk/s1600/biscuit+cake+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsMpo4r7pW-_0Lp12OYLe_Xf9qv4oyNF7R8buEAhRNthSvZNesq-5ZLyMs0USZEObst3h288is1ofiuhzleuV9_rWu2_Ek7KQGNQUuZW4FcoOQI6ItGCMx6VPaFM0zQKOmHEJ8cQOdpk/s320/biscuit+cake+3.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Corsiva; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-31278913007411945522013-12-15T00:05:00.000-05:002013-12-15T00:05:44.065-05:00Ayden's BIG Surprise!!!It's no secret that Ayden has been incredibly selfless and helpful since our two newest kids came home. She has really stepped up with what she does around the house, has taken some initiative with school work, chores, and anything else I might need done. <br />
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She's turning 10 next week, just a few days before Christmas, which can be difficult for planning purposes, since most of her friends' families are traveling to spend time with their families. You only turn 10 once, so I wanted to make it a big celebration!<br />
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Her favorite animator is Hayao Miyazaki, who made some wonderful movies, like My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service... the list goes on, and we own all but a couple of his films.<br />
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I began brainstorming on Pinterest months ago, and kept everything very hush-hush, and more than once had to quickly close an internet tab so she wouldn't see. Here's a glimpse at the party, which was so much fun to plan and even more fun to see Ayden and her friends enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Uoa682k_uFcvHDMQ7lhJMYvzyrc20cNJ9iFLjqBkmIHWArLAUYzYJM_Rmd8tj7t3wxvhz9tBvGgV2s25QKyjHJsuv4Z18l-dXJQOZChtvmsq0wNTQvVygrsh7FJRiuBPyDYGvRfd5Mo/s1600/IMGP9026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Uoa682k_uFcvHDMQ7lhJMYvzyrc20cNJ9iFLjqBkmIHWArLAUYzYJM_Rmd8tj7t3wxvhz9tBvGgV2s25QKyjHJsuv4Z18l-dXJQOZChtvmsq0wNTQvVygrsh7FJRiuBPyDYGvRfd5Mo/s320/IMGP9026.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cake was inspired by "My Neighbor Totoro"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m2aARfV6EgidbF8Z4b-AiDvWSYgI04nRtNwJs2d-wWQxBd9tNpfJoB-k9QMg-sCZX_NghYS99ie4yZov9Mo6fmWCbYQP2U2mdNxueq_w4SvC2wtGLwwM0ls3YiT5-BJZnb7MXvnU-xQ/s1600/IMGP9029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m2aARfV6EgidbF8Z4b-AiDvWSYgI04nRtNwJs2d-wWQxBd9tNpfJoB-k9QMg-sCZX_NghYS99ie4yZov9Mo6fmWCbYQP2U2mdNxueq_w4SvC2wtGLwwM0ls3YiT5-BJZnb7MXvnU-xQ/s320/IMGP9029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In "Howl's Moving Castle" Sophie finds a scarecrow with his head stuck in the ground. He's nicknamed "Turnip Head."</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSFeeQl8QzTxKc-6JGVxzG_vVQda31fwSUeZuU0EZEYaJHzpqulDX5dG0tp_gXhQyDRwTKf5okAHB5cg-H5CHVQjPIY3gdnmp26FnOFCu8g9RkXrwLYBCOlWWn7qb2auQePDD4m3Vrp0/s1600/IMGP9030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSFeeQl8QzTxKc-6JGVxzG_vVQda31fwSUeZuU0EZEYaJHzpqulDX5dG0tp_gXhQyDRwTKf5okAHB5cg-H5CHVQjPIY3gdnmp26FnOFCu8g9RkXrwLYBCOlWWn7qb2auQePDD4m3Vrp0/s320/IMGP9030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton candy "Clouds of Lapuda" from the movie "Castle in the Sky"</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg630W7QDKYn3aBuJFCBjejZMtrUj1o6V8oxJlpElZZAI1oslXwN5Qhl3NeRt-XwhUEYeTKoLXHHDYXGT-irLkoVHUAkeQcmQfZbz8fT1S2sM2LP57fVvVcZc5PTHPtvIZZqgGEx8U4tD4/s1600/IMGP9031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg630W7QDKYn3aBuJFCBjejZMtrUj1o6V8oxJlpElZZAI1oslXwN5Qhl3NeRt-XwhUEYeTKoLXHHDYXGT-irLkoVHUAkeQcmQfZbz8fT1S2sM2LP57fVvVcZc5PTHPtvIZZqgGEx8U4tD4/s320/IMGP9031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oversized flowers, as well as plates that look like buttons, inspired by "The Secret World of Arietty"</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaLtjrOot1oMSa6p2nfnYL9ZuOb_uoVlhluanh-bQ37BOeiBp7f7954_KxwRUb-Pnp752_K6MyEHyf7oIfipNbCBbjR-W8qHMRaZUOYjYAqFbVIGOY1gBhpnCqBLCddzP1B_KoH_wJjU/s1600/IMGP9032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaLtjrOot1oMSa6p2nfnYL9ZuOb_uoVlhluanh-bQ37BOeiBp7f7954_KxwRUb-Pnp752_K6MyEHyf7oIfipNbCBbjR-W8qHMRaZUOYjYAqFbVIGOY1gBhpnCqBLCddzP1B_KoH_wJjU/s320/IMGP9032.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole tablescape, with string lights to represent "Spirited Away" and glass tiles to represent the symbolism of water in every movie.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0rT0JxzxZg3c5R-30KQkiMg4W8XQ2x5q8TvipNl4fd0aW_4FkDnyDBivVxaStywIkaBCpeqnqGhpg5YGbEoatcLd4GTrKAJFrvi-QzidEumZBLORLX34ch-Ye5li-gZnd_iGyhx5Asg/s1600/IMGP9033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0rT0JxzxZg3c5R-30KQkiMg4W8XQ2x5q8TvipNl4fd0aW_4FkDnyDBivVxaStywIkaBCpeqnqGhpg5YGbEoatcLd4GTrKAJFrvi-QzidEumZBLORLX34ch-Ye5li-gZnd_iGyhx5Asg/s320/IMGP9033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sushi" made from rice krispy treats, Swedish fish, and Fruit by the Foot.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdAhyphenhyphenfBvQFr6Q4wzBB7v23JZY_AQVD9QOSXGVNswkv2JpzXmLzGTUvH9aLt2szi8U9oXmV94_2BbTTeZcCd1m9YQNsTGcv73e2sqVTL4CysuWCMohP8IF0DQYYHfF5TN_K1xIQnWH1ek/s1600/IMGP9034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdAhyphenhyphenfBvQFr6Q4wzBB7v23JZY_AQVD9QOSXGVNswkv2JpzXmLzGTUvH9aLt2szi8U9oXmV94_2BbTTeZcCd1m9YQNsTGcv73e2sqVTL4CysuWCMohP8IF0DQYYHfF5TN_K1xIQnWH1ek/s320/IMGP9034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ordered konpeito, a Japanese candy similar to rock candy, and shown in "Spirited Away"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxjd_bUUrZ3koDzIIhfh8-8fp0DrwgFaOByAaYh4GMmS6FJ7FJpR_Jqs2x0u0pKfEVNaQz7VOSTEeOakWmPcXFfutmLfJOs6Jss0rOHA3iKgQF7rsMG3R2qh6cXpYdWlVoCATx1-7m0k/s1600/IMGP9035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxjd_bUUrZ3koDzIIhfh8-8fp0DrwgFaOByAaYh4GMmS6FJ7FJpR_Jqs2x0u0pKfEVNaQz7VOSTEeOakWmPcXFfutmLfJOs6Jss0rOHA3iKgQF7rsMG3R2qh6cXpYdWlVoCATx1-7m0k/s320/IMGP9035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goldfish to represent Ponyo and all her sisters.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaDv5F6IFGX34le45YZ4VFlKvJN1U07P2wQf_4c1vdv76u5U4fpcHNDVBUEg9PBgfYSAEU7dU4Qt5a69i_t7MboQI6ibFtHtW3xYacg7_yOFuLwGfx535EfLkeQ6mNzEsZcsrO9geS2g/s1600/IMGP9036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaDv5F6IFGX34le45YZ4VFlKvJN1U07P2wQf_4c1vdv76u5U4fpcHNDVBUEg9PBgfYSAEU7dU4Qt5a69i_t7MboQI6ibFtHtW3xYacg7_yOFuLwGfx535EfLkeQ6mNzEsZcsrO9geS2g/s320/IMGP9036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake pops made to look like soot sprites, from "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aKTG_-1dd0N-1r2A3uc0JrI3RnV96NDWJj3uBlm2p5w6P31B6TFAyvo9ouZ03vc5EsA0OHNIRIhyphenhyphenNYOOJM1cdvzWZJ8M4QLnjyCwSWVUXfHhXh2a55yl92aSepyhXQKxZBJ3tZG0i9g/s1600/IMGP9038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aKTG_-1dd0N-1r2A3uc0JrI3RnV96NDWJj3uBlm2p5w6P31B6TFAyvo9ouZ03vc5EsA0OHNIRIhyphenhyphenNYOOJM1cdvzWZJ8M4QLnjyCwSWVUXfHhXh2a55yl92aSepyhXQKxZBJ3tZG0i9g/s320/IMGP9038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birthday girl loved her cake!</td></tr>
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I thought I had pictures of all the food, but I missed the "Ohm Eyes," which were cordial cherry M&Ms, to represent "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" and "Calcifers," which were the meatballs in the crock pot to represent "Howl's Moving Castle."<br />
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It was a great party, we played some fun games, like "Pop the Soot Sprites." Ayden was genuinely surprised, and I'd consider it a huge success! Happy (almost) 10th Birthday, Ayden!!!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-29343722687163929402013-12-12T11:50:00.000-05:002013-12-12T11:50:07.622-05:00Denny's New ChairDenny has finally grown enough that he's exceeded the weight limit on his high chair. I was checking out the new online pictures at my favorite local secondhand shop. I saw a 50's chair/step stool that needed a little love, called the shop to put it on hold, and picked it up as soon as I could get kids loaded in the van.<br />
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That's a red crackled vinyl cover on the seat and back, with a nice tear on the top, accented by burnt orange steps. I don't dislike the orange, but it doesn't go with my dining room, and anyone who knows me knows that just won't work. <br />
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I was taking the kids to play at a friend's house, and I was supposed to bring Christmas stocking fabric to work on while I was there. I left the fabric sitting on the kitchen counter, so I carried the new chair inside instead. Tonya is my "finisher." If there's a project I need to work on, she's my girl. If I've been putting off doing something, I tell her to hold me accountable, and she'll usually show up in her painting clothes to help me finish (because my projects almost always involve paint and she loves me that much). <br />
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Anyway, when she saw the chair and I told her what I wanted to do, she got out some fabrics, found a leather remnant, and we started taking the chair apart. Within a couple of hours, we had all the old red covering off, the leather on, and I was on my way to the store for paint.<br />
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I took each painted metal piece off the chair, cleaned it, and spray painted it. Spray painting is supposed to happen at or above 60*, but it's cold outside and I'm not patient enough to wait for spring. Each piece went outside in a box, got a coat of paint, and came inside to dry in my living room. After drying for a whole how-many-hours-did-the-can-say-? day, I put the chair back together. Did I mention I'm not patient?<br />
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And here it is! Denny's new step chair, which can also double as a step stool for reaching those hard-to-reach top shelves in my upper kitchen cabinets!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-38694144615497599642013-09-07T17:50:00.000-04:002013-09-07T17:50:06.578-04:00Party Time!If our kids' birthdays fall during the week, we have a family meal, and then invite friends over for a small party over the weekend. Viki lucked out, and got to celebrate two days in a row!<br />
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As she saw me decorating this morning, she got more and more excited, realizing the party from last night wasn't over! We went back to the cake shop to pick up her cupcakes, then came home and set everything out on the table, 11 red and white swirled cupcakes with a silver tapered candle in each one, and silver platters with dress-up accessories overflowing. <br />
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I had the camera ready, got lots of pictures of her blowing out the candles, lots of pictures of her opening gifts from her friends, and went to load them so I could share them. Well, guess who forgot to put the memory card in the camera? Yep, me! Well, here's a picture I took before the party...<br />
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And here's a picture of one of the leftover cupcakes...<br />
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So, I'm the mom who messed up the party pictures, but I didn't mess up the birthday. She knows she's loved, and she's had fun. And we'll leave the decorations up for a few days. I love seeing the dining room like this!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-9100955091023328932013-09-06T23:48:00.001-04:002013-09-06T23:48:35.498-04:00Viktorya's First Birthday (well, the first in our family....)Last year, I remember longing for Viktorya to know we were coming, wishing she somehow knew that we would be there in just one short month. I wrote a <u><a href="http://upcycledpurpose.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-birthday-wish.html" target="_blank">poem</a></u> to her last year on her tenth birthday.<br />
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Today, she turned eleven, and she has been excited for weeks! I wanted today to be special, a day to celebrate Viktorya! I usually have colors in mind for each of my kids' birthdays, and for hers, it was red and white. <br />
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After getting a necklace, bracelet, and some fun crayon rings from a sweet friend, we went to do one thing Viki has requested for months... get her ears pierced! Every morning, as I choose earrings, she grabs her ear lobe and asks, "Azh?" ("Me?") She chose a pair of blue-jeweled earrings, which turned out to be the September birthstone! She is so used to shots, so I explained that this was just two shots, very fast, but will hurt a little.<br />
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Well, one earring down, and time for the other. "NE! Bee-may!" ("No! It hurts!") After a moment of talking to her, asking if she wants me to hold her hand, she agrees and the second earring is done!<br />
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After that, we popped in to the new sweets shop uptown and requested some cupcakes for tomorrow, in red and white. Because we don't just have one day of birthdays here! We shopped for ingredients for today and decorations for tomorrow, and Viki was most excited about her balloons! After that, it was "It's my Happy Birthday!" again and again! Yes it is, sweet girl!<br />
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After finishing up everything we needed to do today, it was time for the fun stuff! FOOD!!! This part was really important to me; I wanted the dishes to be authentic. <br />
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Viktorya's birthday dessert was up first, because it was a cold dessert, so chilling it for several hours was ideal. Back story: On our first trip to Bulgaria, Scott and I ate at a small restaurant near our apartment several times. One evening, we asked if they had dessert. The gentleman replied (and put on your best East European accent here), "Ah, there is no menu. We have, ah, yogurt, and ah, biscuit cake." My thought was "Ah, yogurt is no dessert!" and my response was, "Um, we'll share the biscuit cake." We'd never even heard of it, but our taste buds were in heaven! I tried two other biscuit cakes on the second trip, and neither came even close to being that good. SO, I wanted to make THE biscuit cake that we fell in love with on one of our first nights in Sofia.<br />
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I made it in a trifle, and doubled the recipe to make it tall enough. All from scratch, and topped with fondant roses (okay, those were pre-packaged). In case you didn't know, Bulgaria produces 70% of the world's perfume rose oil. <br />
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I quickly made a shopska salad, or as close to a shopska salad as one can get without having access to Bulgaria's cheese. Feta would just have to suffice.<br />
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Dinner was the most tricky, because it was based on a meal we had while visiting Denny, and neither Scott or I could remember what it was called. I don't think it's necessarily a traditional Bulgarian meal, but it incorporates lots of things Viktorya loves to eat, so it's a winner. <br />
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Bacon, green onions, tomatoes, and cheese sandwiched between the two halves of thinly sliced chicken breasts, and placed on top of mashed potatoes. I don't care if you don't mix your food, this is ah-ma-zing! Trust me.<br />
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All that was left was to sing 'Happy Birthday' and eat dessert!<br />
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She moves much faster than my phone's camera, so there's just smoke left in this picture! There was no hesitation at all in blowing out eleven candles to get to her cake! She was pretty much done with me taking pictures today, and just wanted to eat the cake, lick the candles, lick the plate clean....<br />
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We also gave her the play pizza I've been working on, and she's sleeping with it now!<br />
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This was definitely a hit, and Viktorya had a wonderful day. I've got leftover biscuit cake, so someone needs to come over and help me eat it. <br />
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<br />Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-38548332140971714242013-08-23T08:30:00.000-04:002013-08-23T08:30:03.684-04:00Birthday PlanningBirthdays around here are a big deal as it is, but when it's the FIRST birthday, that's cause for celebration! Viktorya will be 11 soon, so it's not her first birthday, but it's her first with us!<br />
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I've been trying to decide what to get her. When I asked her, she only asked for a baby. Of course, the girls have about 10 babies, so I'm not sure they <i>need</i> any more babies piled in my old baby cradle.<br />
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I keep asking myself what she would enjoy, but isn't thinking to ask for. This week, I figured it out! My mom has been coming up every Monday this month to help get the week off to a good start, playing with the littles while I get the bigs started on school work. This week, she stopped by a local (to her) pizza restaurant and bought kids' personal pizzas that have all the ingredients packaged, ready for the kids to put together. They even came in little pizza boxes. Since then, Viktorya has been putting the Melissa & Doug birthday cake in the pizza box, and calling it a pizza. The kids have been taking orders in their Italian restaurant and making deliveries.<br />
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I searched on Etsy, and found a shop that sells patterns for felt food. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetemmajean" target="_blank">Sweet Emma Jean</a> had the best looking pizza, with lots of yummy-looking toppings, and promises of very clear and detailed directions. I purchased a set of patterns, and they are all easy to follow. Now I can get a head start on Christmas with all these patterns, but this pizza set is coming soon for Miss V's 11th Birthday!<br />
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<br />Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-34962613437412677882013-08-22T09:33:00.000-04:002013-08-22T09:33:12.164-04:00Words that MatterA few days ago, we invited our social worker into our home, and she was able to meet Viktorya and Denny. (She's Viktorya now, in case you're wondering. She made the name change from Viki to Viktorya last week. It's also easier for her to say, since Viki comes out 'ih-ti' and Viktorya comes out 'ih-torya'.)<div>
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We had a great visit, we just sat and talked about the kids, about our adjustment, the ups, the downs, the <strike>thousands of</strike> twenty-something trips to the pediatrician, cardiologist, endocrinologist, ophthalmologist, labs for bloodwork, and beginning evaluations for therapy, and referrals for genetics.</div>
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She toured the kids' rooms, interacted with Denny, tried to interact with Viktorya, and 2.5 hours later, was heading home. Today, our post-placement report came, and it reads differently than our life feels. I mean, everything in the report is accurate, it's just different. In the end, the words that matter most, out of the three pages detailing each child, are the words, "It is this agency's assessment that this is an excellent placement for (Viktorya/Denny)." </div>
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Those are the words that matter. On the tough days, it's easy to forget to stop and thank God for blessing our family with these two kids. But every day, they are a blessing. In the middle of a kicking, screaming tantrum, I'm reminded that I do the same thing. Maybe not physically, but emotionally, spiritually, I can throw just as big a tantrum as Viktorya. On the days when Denny acts as if he doesn't have any idea that we've ever used sign language, or that he mastered "eat" weeks ago, and I gently put my hand over his to help him, I see how patient God is with me. </div>
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Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-49925990815906161232013-08-03T15:56:00.001-04:002013-08-03T15:56:07.942-04:00Our New Normal: In the KitchenOne of the biggest adjustments our family has made over the past four months (aside from getting to know two new people, their likes and dislikes, personalities, and wants/needs) has been in the kitchen. I seriously feel like I've lived the majority of the last several months in that one room, either preparing food or cleaning up from preparing food, feeding kids, or washing dishes.<br />
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For one, we knew Viki was coming to us with a relatively new diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes, though the survival that was the first two weeks (one week in Bulgaria, followed by one week at home, until the appointment with the endocrinologist) was COMPLETELY different than the detailed plan we have now. I explained to the endocrinologist the day we walked in that I will work any plan I have, but I need a plan. <br />
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I got a plan, that's for sure! I have a kitchen cabinet dedicated to her supplies of lancets, glucose test strips, needles, ketone test strips, a spare blood meter, spare insulin pens, and a shelf in the refrigerator with her supplies of insulin. I have a 3" notebook FULL of sick day protocol, ketone protocol, snacks that have certain amounts of carbs, suppliers' information ranging from medical bracelets to cooler pouches for insulin, and so on. I can rattle off her baseline, carb:insulin ratio, and insulin sensitivity factor. <br />
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Now that we're four months in, I know how much extra insulin she needs for a piece of cake (above her standard carb dose) and which dinners will have her lower than her overnight goal, so to plan on her having a snack in bed.<br />
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On top of learning the ropes of diabetes management, Sadie was having tummy trouble before I left to pick up the kids, and we weren't able to figure out the source. Once we were home and getting settled, it was time to schedule her to meet with a GI specialist, to test for less common causes. All the blood work was done, and we were still without answers. Her symptoms look like celiac, but they aren't.<br />
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She was put on a low-FODMAP diet, which eliminates lactose, fructose, fructans, galactans, and sugar alcohols. My first thought was, "What <i>CAN</i> she eat?!" As it turns out, a lot. It's essentially a paleo diet, just a stricter one than we had been following. And it's hard, because fixing pb&j for the kids just isn't an option anymore. I'm now grilling chicken for lunch, as a base, then adding sides according to which child has which restriction. <br />
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My most commonly used statement with Sadie is, "The doctor says you can't have that." And she's okay with the <i>doctor</i> saying she can't have something. Grocery shopping is a new adventure, and our recipes have been adapted to work with our new restrictions. And Sadie was able to enjoy lactose-free chocolate ice cream, so that made up for many "the doctor says no" answers about food.<br />
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Denny has gone from not being able to even drink from a bottle, to getting smoothies packed with yummy goodness, and now he's moved on to solid foods, even chewing now, instead of just swallowing it down. He can pack away three adult portions of oatmeal at breakfast, then act ravenous by snack time. Just this week, he picked up bite-size pieces of food from his tray and fed himself! Woohoo!!!<br />
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All five kids are growing like weeds, so my grocery budget is through the roof. We're approaching the $800 mark, and there's not a coupon to help us, unless you have coupons for meat and veggies, and in that case, gimme!<br />
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If you have any yummy paleo recipes, please pass them along! We're always looking to try new recipes, so we don't risk eating the same 10 meals again and again!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-42955292040016703342013-07-15T01:30:00.001-04:002013-07-15T01:30:46.762-04:00A BIG, BIG Catch-Up Post... Pictures, Too!!!Wow... I haven't been away awhile or anything! In the busyness of post-adoption life, I just now took a look at my blog to see when I last posted. The day before I left for Bulgaria to pick up the kids! Yikes!<br />
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So, as a peace offering to anyone who may still be following along, here are some pictures from Bulgaria!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Denny's orphanage... the best feeling in the world! And in true American form (at least, as far as my dad believes), he's wearing his first pair of Chuck Taylor's!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denny was so overwhelmed, and wanted desperately to hold my hands the entire drive. He did so well, all things considered.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viki ran straight to me, calling "Mama!" There were many happy tears that day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't see it in the picture, but the kids and I left Viki's orphanage by walking through water that was poured out on the stairs. The director, a beautiful woman with a kind heart, told us it is a Bulgarian tradition, signifying a new beginning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I realize now how tall Denny looks in this picture, but these are 2T clothes. At 6 years old.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viki decided she loved the camera after all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8XmTRuea1s3-uXDYHA75Lg2vrM_L_H8bww_aCEiYNcd_rpVuOxU74tRbVUc058p0PsowgpLYRQSCfB2qjqY0-31qitR7HU9GVxF7yzAPoK4dkorV0ZMWKS6QVQF0aAdq_qNA-ZYTK48/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8XmTRuea1s3-uXDYHA75Lg2vrM_L_H8bww_aCEiYNcd_rpVuOxU74tRbVUc058p0PsowgpLYRQSCfB2qjqY0-31qitR7HU9GVxF7yzAPoK4dkorV0ZMWKS6QVQF0aAdq_qNA-ZYTK48/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of our first snuggles!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguot8sX6ofpNbL5-MljNJu-ZYZgHnPIPjDHEtKW12GU8sDzsJ8Gwes79jv89-mQXorEefWTle5zeSdVq_xB77izDNgNmJMce8ZiFR0AWuRUUNVqkgi8QnVJwAnZue3dxLjynZq7rrvmmI/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguot8sX6ofpNbL5-MljNJu-ZYZgHnPIPjDHEtKW12GU8sDzsJ8Gwes79jv89-mQXorEefWTle5zeSdVq_xB77izDNgNmJMce8ZiFR0AWuRUUNVqkgi8QnVJwAnZue3dxLjynZq7rrvmmI/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If we were in the apartment, she wanted to color. I was glad I brought three books, because she used them all up!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf-ZjC-UQ-PgnYQTrvVtx5-xLrNkibfvXD6rryVZwb9E6zrVk23fT_okFrAnd1spVxrGQdmu_dagGKby1jftkKBLd9KhFCK5OWYssXCqEgd-YYjXJzNS-X1LyWiXMTYfkp_n5n_XTzuA/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf-ZjC-UQ-PgnYQTrvVtx5-xLrNkibfvXD6rryVZwb9E6zrVk23fT_okFrAnd1spVxrGQdmu_dagGKby1jftkKBLd9KhFCK5OWYssXCqEgd-YYjXJzNS-X1LyWiXMTYfkp_n5n_XTzuA/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sweet little man... he wasn't a fan of anything loud or exciting, and this spot on the couch, scratching his nails against the pillow, settled him.</td></tr>
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And a glimpse of the first three months home...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMe8eisp087m3Z5DY-tVDnFmo5uCRYTSNIjFNmH8I6XGyMi3z5Kx6AufgaAi7WsoBLBZYMu058izWPVxCt8gNgBZfea-qpyOeRbkHiMsorAXcdqJ-IHnQzi7uwzvBTt4wiMhKS8mmG1k/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMe8eisp087m3Z5DY-tVDnFmo5uCRYTSNIjFNmH8I6XGyMi3z5Kx6AufgaAi7WsoBLBZYMu058izWPVxCt8gNgBZfea-qpyOeRbkHiMsorAXcdqJ-IHnQzi7uwzvBTt4wiMhKS8mmG1k/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viki loved swinging at the playground near her orphanage, so it was no surprise that she wanted to swing at our house, too! If we're outside, this is where you'll find her!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTp3NmmuYSqBv_9cOgSGJCfmi1hoIukNK5PJMV2Xjtq14LyZ18yYzuNjCtpmIbd2f92mU4UxQAYz64V2dinIEQwrZ8g0c-6Zjx5-3FEGs4ZQdOIARvcCuf1Lc3gb6wXK8KJtoZvPGQYA/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTp3NmmuYSqBv_9cOgSGJCfmi1hoIukNK5PJMV2Xjtq14LyZ18yYzuNjCtpmIbd2f92mU4UxQAYz64V2dinIEQwrZ8g0c-6Zjx5-3FEGs4ZQdOIARvcCuf1Lc3gb6wXK8KJtoZvPGQYA/s320/13.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denny had resigned himself to rough sisterly love...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytvFzsW_5FDaRVQ1oo2dK0PcX8bsQoSWRtN91I6w_ppY2ZaEip6Zh3G96mLZrY93FfSQQcToZtQSbXjb9xgVHTyZjh4Ulmy1uFELMV7Ot0eo3MGGAwkPozlXR07UIigG0qyi4ts6-Y58/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytvFzsW_5FDaRVQ1oo2dK0PcX8bsQoSWRtN91I6w_ppY2ZaEip6Zh3G96mLZrY93FfSQQcToZtQSbXjb9xgVHTyZjh4Ulmy1uFELMV7Ot0eo3MGGAwkPozlXR07UIigG0qyi4ts6-Y58/s320/14.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And FREEDOM!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBG-6Y129SeXADo5m7CuzyQsexiP3xRJqCGJIbLefaezX-MUlcgbyDTnzfB8CQz4nkUizSM661lgIIBajKx5S2HMupmuk47FRgv9FoB2dkpP35A4CsHRiXkXQh06g3kcz8XDk4VIGSpp4/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBG-6Y129SeXADo5m7CuzyQsexiP3xRJqCGJIbLefaezX-MUlcgbyDTnzfB8CQz4nkUizSM661lgIIBajKx5S2HMupmuk47FRgv9FoB2dkpP35A4CsHRiXkXQh06g3kcz8XDk4VIGSpp4/s320/15.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscS7mKAq5NQkUJUfY6nqC8A9Mopuz_ixzpSLnJBa90fKg1vVM3TzrD28iIluwMjX-MFRvEE1-QMrBS3-CVate6dcvXSwgfTZJTrTo26Jh7PUos7LFW8WvaZO32UVv0BHbr6dmRPCU5y0/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscS7mKAq5NQkUJUfY6nqC8A9Mopuz_ixzpSLnJBa90fKg1vVM3TzrD28iIluwMjX-MFRvEE1-QMrBS3-CVate6dcvXSwgfTZJTrTo26Jh7PUos7LFW8WvaZO32UVv0BHbr6dmRPCU5y0/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both kids went to a pediatric ophthalmologist, and we discovered that Denny needed glasses! He wasn't thrilled about wearing them at first, but the whole drive home, he kept looking around, like he was seeing everything for the first time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFWA6GEjor5flxG2MeJeb1oWKp98gDimx4F_UFx6xbhXeH4VaOzxbBBsEYo5cdTH0ljGwVnMPqSq_ZTnBg5SzFQUp6p3tUAuJ87NqOlg7mZWg7h7XOMUS1v5rhfB-FUU9n8Ze-qXLgds/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFWA6GEjor5flxG2MeJeb1oWKp98gDimx4F_UFx6xbhXeH4VaOzxbBBsEYo5cdTH0ljGwVnMPqSq_ZTnBg5SzFQUp6p3tUAuJ87NqOlg7mZWg7h7XOMUS1v5rhfB-FUU9n8Ze-qXLgds/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cat, Hardy, loves to climb into Denny's lap. And Hardy isn't a very social cat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArI6qItX2KDhWqdwkXlW_I_3bvQk3jAmX29FlcvAM75ovlqPIJxPmQ5lV3iKjUVyvEru8IC1iqIGHa4UVNPqyt6_Ia-KbKehWUdPwhVtXedOcDzq_DW0uFEY7diAk0Q5Bb-jHZWOgtzw/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArI6qItX2KDhWqdwkXlW_I_3bvQk3jAmX29FlcvAM75ovlqPIJxPmQ5lV3iKjUVyvEru8IC1iqIGHa4UVNPqyt6_Ia-KbKehWUdPwhVtXedOcDzq_DW0uFEY7diAk0Q5Bb-jHZWOgtzw/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All five of my loves... HOME!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvbile5fJlB45WyEau3a6vIu4VpMEQoKNlXfXljEP5TD5ujRTcUjoPqUy5NZuKVJXyl3s7zbiuWvaMXN6hyphenhyphenib15OTNymPMbscOov3kKDLAwIjmbclALYL3v6IsYXmQLHN6R9aJCTLPMA/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvbile5fJlB45WyEau3a6vIu4VpMEQoKNlXfXljEP5TD5ujRTcUjoPqUy5NZuKVJXyl3s7zbiuWvaMXN6hyphenhyphenib15OTNymPMbscOov3kKDLAwIjmbclALYL3v6IsYXmQLHN6R9aJCTLPMA/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We joined a pool for the summer, and Denny loves to sit at the spout and splash!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg49QMmm01AXYghqHUtViraQTvaNpMxHV-VpwVfsbN8YlDoPMl7YV5ia9DHagKnKDAtPub5Hxl0BeJQDDB52raREvmu4g9DWn6CPYQ8qLSEtxTwRfce77L9pbxVeEOCBP6vU1UjWJhnEs/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg49QMmm01AXYghqHUtViraQTvaNpMxHV-VpwVfsbN8YlDoPMl7YV5ia9DHagKnKDAtPub5Hxl0BeJQDDB52raREvmu4g9DWn6CPYQ8qLSEtxTwRfce77L9pbxVeEOCBP6vU1UjWJhnEs/s320/20.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viki loves it, too!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9dliTo_ywYVnnnbQiS-Fs1MlPCvE1PTqc4UOrx2O7FnCOoRYMfG-UT4hbvf1mEMpmM4N0VRBWkMCDT5gIeXYQpmw2Uf5RqnJ9_haHJqGQLsMBKL1kLCxZmwNrnaAC1pENWIJHO8_4ro/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9dliTo_ywYVnnnbQiS-Fs1MlPCvE1PTqc4UOrx2O7FnCOoRYMfG-UT4hbvf1mEMpmM4N0VRBWkMCDT5gIeXYQpmw2Uf5RqnJ9_haHJqGQLsMBKL1kLCxZmwNrnaAC1pENWIJHO8_4ro/s320/21.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After dinner, toes are the best dessert!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEial9fmxT_qSCm6XEeN86gkDmM6oe3S18NxdqzRvbPL2vRMO5zv6NpxxoO6jv-DyDw3qv7Pbb0vMaihZ2oh_A6qCh5E-QtOZ24OmYPywszDu-wO_7ehMqTx_iNUftEuttavvik5ORmHBxk/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEial9fmxT_qSCm6XEeN86gkDmM6oe3S18NxdqzRvbPL2vRMO5zv6NpxxoO6jv-DyDw3qv7Pbb0vMaihZ2oh_A6qCh5E-QtOZ24OmYPywszDu-wO_7ehMqTx_iNUftEuttavvik5ORmHBxk/s320/22.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viki drew a picture of herself, and a smaller picture of Denny. We adopted spiders, FYI. :)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimmgqb-QtYePebsglfLERvHsNecc1mOSeS8lriZGuvpGtKV7FwqC6xN4-LA3Je0AMdSsD7ITxOJKJOqBHygOYTnSAy9k12tMU-Hghc8XcgT-F_3u0Xr8RXaVa2_bB7_6XY5UWLSsQ8Hs/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimmgqb-QtYePebsglfLERvHsNecc1mOSeS8lriZGuvpGtKV7FwqC6xN4-LA3Je0AMdSsD7ITxOJKJOqBHygOYTnSAy9k12tMU-Hghc8XcgT-F_3u0Xr8RXaVa2_bB7_6XY5UWLSsQ8Hs/s320/23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storytime for the littles happens in Sadie's room, and she is THRILLED that Denny gets to share that time with her!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4aRpARh2FVOyJItUsl0vdFG9_HsjV9BiUPbSTX36n18Ia-Qj4ApjPB8HghEORqk-E1Rw2kmWGgxkf1tIM0re64hy6Q_w2Ot4zm9skLMEKZAg4fXMXXb18-NTzBm7TmMb5A5_QZC2lg8/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4aRpARh2FVOyJItUsl0vdFG9_HsjV9BiUPbSTX36n18Ia-Qj4ApjPB8HghEORqk-E1Rw2kmWGgxkf1tIM0re64hy6Q_w2Ot4zm9skLMEKZAg4fXMXXb18-NTzBm7TmMb5A5_QZC2lg8/s320/25.jpg" width="180" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Viki is quite the artist!</span><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br /><div>
Okay, so no hard feelings that I've been MIA? Life has been busy, and not only from having the two newest kiddos home. We've had appointment after appointment for them, between the pediatrician, ophthalmologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, dentist, the list goes on. That's just part of the process. We needed to make sure we had all the health stuff out of the way first thing, especially with Viki having Type 1 diabetes.</div>
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<div>
Learning how to manage Viki's diabetes hasn't been the easiest thing, but I've got a workable plan, with the endocrinologist a phone call away, night or day. I've figured out how much extra insulin she needs if we're having cake at a birthday party, and I know that 12 animal crackers will keep her glucose levels stable overnight if she's low before bedtime. We just attended a JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) event, and learned more about the technological advances coming out in the future. Viki will need eye surgery, to correct some damage caused by diabetes, but the ophthalmologist wants us to settle in, adjust, and then we'll talk surgery. </div>
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<div>
When I picked Denny up from the orphanage, he had no idea how to suck from a bottle. The food just ran down, and he sounded like he was aspirating. By the time we flew home, he had great tongue thrust, and was eating more than what ended up on his clothes. Once we were home, and I had access to a blender, he started getting some jam-packed nutritious smoothies, and gained four pounds. After a month, he graduated from bottle to silicone sippy cups, and would clap when I brought out the blender. He was loving this food thing! During the second and third month, we really worked with Denny on eating solids, and it was a slow process. Last week, he grabbed a fry and shoved it in his mouth! To say he's come a long way in three months is a gross understatement. He still has so far to come, in terms of communication, but we're seeing more and more personality from our little guy! Oh, and he's in a 4T now, and those Chuck Taylor's are too small!</div>
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Okay, there's a catch-up post, and I hope to be back to blogging a little more regularly now!</div>
Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-60929862913887053672013-03-22T15:57:00.000-04:002013-03-22T15:57:12.688-04:00Ready... Set...I've had a running to-do list this week, with things ranging from "pay utilities" to "measure bed for mdf/boards", trying to get everything ready before I leave. <br />
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My time is winding down, and nearly everything I can do before leaving tomorrow is done, with only a few things still straggling. The caretaker gifts are purchased and waiting to go into my mom's luggage Saturday morning, along with sippy cups, toys, my Ergo carrier, and a few other things that just. won't. fit. in my bag. (Hey, you try fitting anything else in the bag full of clothes and shoes for three people for a week!)<br />
<br />
I'm off to the store now, to get groceries for Scott and the kids for next week, and pick up the last couple of things for the trip, like Carnation Instant Breakfast for Denny, since he still takes pureed food from a bottle, and go and buy that sheet of mdf for Sadie's bed. And then it'll just be down time here, until tomorrow! TOMORROW!!!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-23522995112894793842013-03-17T21:51:00.001-04:002013-03-17T21:51:18.425-04:00Keeping BusyThe past fourteen months, Scott and I have gotten so used to waiting. Don't get me wrong, waiting has never been easy, but it's where we've been, how we associated with the adoption. One big wait, with a few fast-paced moments thrown in to keep things interesting.<br />
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And now, we're no longer waiting. Yes, there are still five and a half days (Ohmigoodness, LESS THAN A WEEK!) until I travel, but the wait is over. It's done. We've passed court, I know when I'm leaving, the tickets are booked.<br />
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Which has reduced me to an emotionally overloaded puddle. I'm coming to the time I've dreamed about for the past year, getting to leave the orphanages with my kids... MY kids! And now, it's not a dream, it's real. And my mind is having a hard time wrapping around all this.<br />
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Last Sunday, at our lunch and dessert auction, my dear, dear friend, Tonya, put together a slideshow of pictures from our first trip. I have looked at these pictures again and again, but seeing them on Sunday, scrolling through, surrounded by our friends, surrounded by people who have prayed for us, prayed for our kids, and are living out 2 Corinthians 8, giving out of their abundance to supply our need, caused an overflow of emotion.<br />
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Now, with everything, I'm just a weepy mess. Unless I'm busy. When I'm busy, I don't have time to watch the clock, and I soon realize another day has passed, and I am one day closer to having the kids with me. When I'm not busy, well... the puddle in me comes out.<br />
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So, whether it's been taking Elijah to three different appointments for a swallowed marble (and almost endoscopy/removal), or taking my Girl Scout Daisies to the Children's Museum, or painting two beds, I've been busy. And busy is good. Almost there!<br />
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<br />Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-67398774061907792972013-03-15T10:03:00.001-04:002013-03-15T10:03:26.174-04:00A BIG Update!!!I meant to come back sooner and share about our court date, but things have been busy!<br />
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Our attorney went to court for us on Friday, March 1, and on Monday, March 4, we heard that all went well, and we were now parents of FIVE!<br />
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We were told that, as long as the court decree was signed on time (there is a 7-day appeal period), we'd travel on March 23 and pick up the kids! And finally, on Tuesday, March 12, I was able to share the good news... and PICTURES! We've waited 14 months to share pictures, to respect our agencies' wishes, and now, the kids are ours and we're free to share them!<br />
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Also, in huge news, we hosted a "thank you" lunch at church, in appreciation for everyone who prayed for us and gave to us, either monetarily or with items to sell/auction to raise money. After the lunch, we had a dessert auction, and raised the rest of the money we needed to travel! We raised $1,081 after all was said and done!<br />
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So now, I'm leaving in EIGHT DAYS, and I'll have both kids back in my arms in just TEN DAYS!!! I miss them, and I can't even look at their pictures without getting weepy. It's been five months since we left, and it feels like an eternity!<br />
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So, here they are, our sweet kids! Who are orphans no more, and instead are a loved daughter and son, sister and brother!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmuWkftEglrIO7kU6W4q9pP4uMW3ynvxJowwsNyEApIt4YDlnkqN4v6R59INuQkZ4ncbpiT1VDg79dgzuMqt6zJbiLo1dYmBI87eTSqxhfGfmMVIrcfVbJv1gPScxWKsFT-5lQyCl0z4/s1600/IMGP7484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmuWkftEglrIO7kU6W4q9pP4uMW3ynvxJowwsNyEApIt4YDlnkqN4v6R59INuQkZ4ncbpiT1VDg79dgzuMqt6zJbiLo1dYmBI87eTSqxhfGfmMVIrcfVbJv1gPScxWKsFT-5lQyCl0z4/s320/IMGP7484.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And soon, they'll be home forever! I'm leaving in...<br />
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Eeek!!! So, back to packing, cleaning, painting furniture, rearranging bedrooms (again), and maybe sleeping somewhere in between!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-14170519125509253752013-02-21T13:19:00.000-05:002013-02-21T13:20:38.659-05:00We Have... A Court Date!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
This morning (here... it was evening there), the Minister signed off on our paperwork.</div>
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She signed off on everything, and assigned our case to a judge.</div>
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The judge has already assigned a court date.</div>
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March First. Eight days from now.</div>
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We have an estimated travel date of March 23 (to arrive there on March 24).</div>
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Which means....</div>
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MY KIDS WILL BE HOME FOR EASTER!!!!!</div>
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I am not the bunny-who-lays-eggs type person, but Easter is still my favorite holiday.</div>
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It's the day we, as Christians, celebrate OUR adoption into God's family!</div>
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I cannot think of a better first holiday to celebrate with my kids!</div>
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(I also can't wait to show them to you! And I can, just as soon as we have the court decree. So, a couple more weeks.)</div>
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Thank you all for helping us to come so far in our process, we are almost at the finish line!!!!!</div>
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Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-10213304755144992722013-02-03T00:59:00.000-05:002013-02-03T01:11:52.802-05:00Tile UpdateI just wrapped up a facebook auction, with 58 items totalling $750 in high bids! Now that donations for the winning bids are coming in, we're back to clearing these tiles!<br />
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And...<br />
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We FINALLY have our first two winners!!! Traci and Kacey, you've each won a $10 Amazon gift card, as a thank you for helping us to reach our final fundraising goal!<br />
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That means there are eleven prizes left! <br />
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Here are the updated Prize Reveal Tiles for Tory and Denny, so get your tiles before all the prizes are gone!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRdTjWimmOy538QVR3ytH6JL7b_1_5uGrI0MpjPJ-tB9kGIaAjl7P5hxvHXqp1rGsN6p50Ag2YVeiQ0NH1oxdydpe98f-G7GeGQsSHse95a4v69XJGIipe3ymO0Px2MfG4aRmAPcjLwQ/s1600/tory-2feb13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRdTjWimmOy538QVR3ytH6JL7b_1_5uGrI0MpjPJ-tB9kGIaAjl7P5hxvHXqp1rGsN6p50Ag2YVeiQ0NH1oxdydpe98f-G7GeGQsSHse95a4v69XJGIipe3ymO0Px2MfG4aRmAPcjLwQ/s320/tory-2feb13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hCpiuddhLLBULkPIqk-szIsJu9cPnaR6coE3Mr1uN8DYGVWOpmaLjvmcdjCs5F71m9f8mubPzko50DdCRzqQCJBud-JbrbVdmsfYW5NJVrZUSTayahohWZyaHof5Wj4pIp6dVg5XWKk/s1600/denny-2feb13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hCpiuddhLLBULkPIqk-szIsJu9cPnaR6coE3Mr1uN8DYGVWOpmaLjvmcdjCs5F71m9f8mubPzko50DdCRzqQCJBud-JbrbVdmsfYW5NJVrZUSTayahohWZyaHof5Wj4pIp6dVg5XWKk/s320/denny-2feb13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm going to be very busy, mailing auction items next week, so I know I'll forget to mention the beautiful necklaces Kristin at <b><u><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/twotwelvedesigns">2:12 Designs</a></u></b> is selling to benefit our adoption. For every necklace purchased, you can uncover a tile for YOUR chance at a "thank you" prize!<br />
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<a href="http://img1.etsystatic.com/009/1/5511199/il_570xN.418887121_kcas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/009/1/5511199/il_570xN.418887121_kcas.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-62650683780791596962013-01-22T16:40:00.000-05:002013-01-24T00:29:55.614-05:00The Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Based simply on others' timelines from their completed adoptions from the same country, I'm estimating that we have 9-10 weeks left before I travel to bring our daughter and son home!<br />
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And, based on our budget for plane tickets, food, our apartment, kids' visas, and other travel expenses, I'm estimating that we need $3,000 to finish. (You can find a complete listing of all our adoption expenses <u><a href="http://upcycledpurpose.blogspot.com/p/priceless-and-expensive.html">HERE</a></u>.)<br />
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So, to make it fun to hit that final amount, how about a little game! See these blocks? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5BCiao2DKjA16eSGDsbzwZ1l1kHn9veWIAxUv5MSd_h6iHr7zkkIfJQxyMr1n6I8qN_zmHoxQqP-MqdNuYrYKA8z73WnkId3dQQs6NgKhxiaeHKqZh1iIuOHX_QtwdlMIy1trol1vUo/s1600/denny-23jan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5BCiao2DKjA16eSGDsbzwZ1l1kHn9veWIAxUv5MSd_h6iHr7zkkIfJQxyMr1n6I8qN_zmHoxQqP-MqdNuYrYKA8z73WnkId3dQQs6NgKhxiaeHKqZh1iIuOHX_QtwdlMIy1trol1vUo/s320/denny-23jan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWvp9as0jkpnVETgF8SqYBn_n4NP_lJU9BaIb7f_KFoIERbykPvNuCC-jUejV26FJffVZvq6rE4xKQRxqsOpdRgKrKu0GZGvWmCyZHwNnBgzRkve8bFuvjKsmLo4MiLgJ1y-MobICPDQ/s1600/tory-23jan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWvp9as0jkpnVETgF8SqYBn_n4NP_lJU9BaIb7f_KFoIERbykPvNuCC-jUejV26FJffVZvq6rE4xKQRxqsOpdRgKrKu0GZGvWmCyZHwNnBgzRkve8bFuvjKsmLo4MiLgJ1y-MobICPDQ/s320/tory-23jan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I originally hoped to have a picture reveal, where you could buy blocks to reveal the kids' pictures underneath, but that plan is tabled until our court decree is issued, probably in 8 weeks or so. I know, I know, it's been a year and you're desperate to see their beautiful faces, and I'm so ready to be able to show them to you! <b> (Keep reading to the end, there WILL be pictures under these tiles eventually!)</b><br />
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While I can't do a <i>picture</i> reveal *now*, I can do a PRIZE reveal! And who doesn't love prizes?!<br />
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Here's how it works: Each block is labeled with a specific letter (T for Tory, D for Denny) and number (1-100). Each block is worth $15. You have a couple of options for how you buy your blocks, whether it's a tax-deductible donation to our <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/34602/sponsorpickett" style="text-decoration: underline;">GRANT</a> or by purchasing a beautiful necklace (in-stock or completely custom) from the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/twotwelvedesigns" style="text-decoration: underline;">2:12 Designs</a> Etsy page, like this one...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeys4K5GkL7TuUH7q4L1t0D4I5pKabaHCHVK7yI7pPqrpIFwuI3VgM8_g8salk4dgmjJpYbK_rXWyAdqLYynpZtXINYIPzsSqwp0TwveZXP6iJxG2e1LMydc8ZRbWzT16JW-WENKMbzo/s1600/il_570xN.418887121_kcas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeys4K5GkL7TuUH7q4L1t0D4I5pKabaHCHVK7yI7pPqrpIFwuI3VgM8_g8salk4dgmjJpYbK_rXWyAdqLYynpZtXINYIPzsSqwp0TwveZXP6iJxG2e1LMydc8ZRbWzT16JW-WENKMbzo/s320/il_570xN.418887121_kcas.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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If you donate to our grant, please forward your Paypal receipt to scottandchandres at gmail dot com, and include the letter and number of the block(s) you want uncovered. If you purchase a necklace, just include the letter and number of the block you want uncovered in the "notes to seller" part of the checkout process! <br />
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What am I forgetting? Oh yeah, PRIZES!!!<br />
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Underneath random blocks (okay, it's not really random, but it is predetermined), there will be prizes! Sort of like Double Jeopardy, only without having to say, "What is an Amazon gift card?" in order to win!<br />
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Here are the prizes up for grabs:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0TRegJzDOkQWPS678XUWjdOkaxuFpHX_l4VgCwu2vp-UdAZ1QsY7TpIOeK1LydHGQ-sUl7e81HKGt-iT-bNB63gt8OQX5tMtdx2jd8zZSkorXengYowElt0eysgYeViZ4fuiKgaSswE/s1600/amazon+gc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0TRegJzDOkQWPS678XUWjdOkaxuFpHX_l4VgCwu2vp-UdAZ1QsY7TpIOeK1LydHGQ-sUl7e81HKGt-iT-bNB63gt8OQX5tMtdx2jd8zZSkorXengYowElt0eysgYeViZ4fuiKgaSswE/s1600/amazon+gc.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TEN $10 Amazon gift cards</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0FaBjRR_sJq6Ix_Tb0NsDgZilG_-ZmkD8s2dnn_P8JZQfqoA5AZY2UbssUJ7zcDmAsIeDDk09QUTU-kk_V_12i3U-2tD9BGAI4PaDu_Fs96WCBfh32A3ZkN9ipxmYmu9MXoOdn_YwrI/s1600/IMGP7668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0FaBjRR_sJq6Ix_Tb0NsDgZilG_-ZmkD8s2dnn_P8JZQfqoA5AZY2UbssUJ7zcDmAsIeDDk09QUTU-kk_V_12i3U-2tD9BGAI4PaDu_Fs96WCBfh32A3ZkN9ipxmYmu9MXoOdn_YwrI/s320/IMGP7668.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TWO sets of handmade jewelry from our kids' country<br />
(Items pictured not available, but I will purchase more jewelry while in country, and you can choose from what I purchase. )<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfTuhJPrUHEIyPd4_c070D4-yajFHBOHpEbgUP3BRAPkFLH_Zi3jkUynDt8xxKGCc55wLZ7rcpb71m5E5VOcg_5Cp4Q5rXuQ5HnU6SiMC3FyNpZb_nJfdKESkQUmnohn3QAg0JxSplTk/s1600/doll+sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfTuhJPrUHEIyPd4_c070D4-yajFHBOHpEbgUP3BRAPkFLH_Zi3jkUynDt8xxKGCc55wLZ7rcpb71m5E5VOcg_5Cp4Q5rXuQ5HnU6SiMC3FyNpZb_nJfdKESkQUmnohn3QAg0JxSplTk/s320/doll+sample.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ONE more handmade doll before I travel to bring the kids home, then I'll probably never have time to sew again!<br />
(These are the dolls I made for the kids before we travelled to meet them, and are only a sample of what you can choose. Embroidery/monogramming is not available.)</td></tr>
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I've got other fundraisers coming, including another auction, but I didn't want to wait on this fundraiser anymore! So, shop, give, and choose your blocks! As soon as that court decree is in, there WILL be pictures behind the remaining tiles! So, clear them now and you'll see their beautiful faces as soon as I can show them!<br />
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<br />Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-35400718926614458672013-01-22T13:10:00.001-05:002013-01-22T13:10:11.890-05:00Next Step: Visa InterviewI got an update today that our Article 5/Visa Interview is set for tomorrow, January 23! I had put on my timeline estimate that I thought it would be done by January 25, so being two days early is exciting!!!<br />
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That's one step closer, which means we'll be waiting for the Minister to sign off on our paperwork and assign us to a judge, for the judge to assign us a court date, and then to travel for pick-up after all court documents are translated. <br />
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If neat little timelines mean anything (and they don't, really), we could seriously be looking at traveling in 9-10 weeks! EEEEEEK!!!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-24618955983865225442013-01-17T14:06:00.000-05:002013-01-17T14:07:14.722-05:00Working out the DetailsI posted on facebook that I was out of fundraising ideas. We've done vacation giveaways, YMCA membership, free Chick-fil-A for a year, an indoor "yard" sale, a soccer/5k fundraiser, another giveaway, handmade dolls, two facebook auctions, a quarter auction, and selling on eBay and Amazon. Did I forget anything?!<br />
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It's been twelve months TO THE DAY since we sent in paperwork to commit to our girl, and I've barely stopped fundraising the entire time. Friends of ours, as well as people we don't know, have been so generous with donating their talents, their unused items, their money, and I'm overwhelmed when I think back on the support we've received this past year.<br />
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Since I hit "post" on my facebook status, I've been overwhelmed with support and ideas for fundraisers, so I'm working out the details on that right now. Let's just say that I believe we have one more facebook auction coming, and some items for direct purchase. I can't thank you all enough for continuing to pour into us and our adoption when my faith falters and I feel like this is NEVER. GOING. TO. END.<br />
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I know you all want to see our girl, and our boy, and I'm working out some details on how to help you all do just that! In the meantime, know that every penny you sow into our adoption is going to help bring this ponytail...<br />
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and this spike...<br />
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... home to our family!Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-19309093025054105292013-01-11T10:10:00.001-05:002013-01-11T10:17:12.442-05:00Funding and Fundraising... ALMOST DONE!Scott and I came home from our trip to meet the kids, and got down to business talking about the rest of our funding. We knew his employer offers a bit of reimbursement for adoption expenses (though we're not sure if it's $2,000 or $5,000, and if that's total or per child... so we're looking at anywhere from $2,000-$10,000 being reimbursed, which is amazing!), so we decided to take out a loan to cover the biggest chunk of the remainder of our expenses.<br />
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Prior to travel, we had put in about $5,000 of personal money and raised somewhere in the ballpark of $20,000. We came home and got the loan, then paid another $12,000 in expenses, and continued to fundraise. We have somewhere around $1,500 in our Reece's Rainbow grant (the amount listed there includes what we had transferred to us before we traveled to meet the kids, and does *not* yet show a check that was mailed in... a HUGE gift of $1,000), and a little bit left from our loan. <br />
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Here's what we have covered:<br />
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$3,000 - Two round-trip plane tickets<br />
$ 500 - Reimbursement to our agency for covering Tory's diabetes supplies<br />
$ 500 - Various in-country expenses (driver, gas, medicals, diapers, etc.)<br />
<u>$ 460</u> - Visas for the kids<br />
$4,460<br />
Here's what we still need:<br />
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$2,000 - Two one-way plane tickets<br />
$ 680 - 8 nights x $85 in our apartment<br />
<u>$ 320</u> - 8 days x $40 in food expenses<br />
<b>$3,000</b><br />
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I won't know an exact cost for the plane tickets until we know when we're traveling, but everything is a fairly close estimate. I keep thinking about how much money we have left to raise, and I realize that we're $39,000 down (including the loan) and $3,500 left to go, and that over $20,000 has not come from us, but from others who have sown into our adoption.<br />
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I don't know how to raise this last bit, because I've sold everything I can sell in the auctions, and my last few giveaways have not done well. I talked with a friend about doing an online adoption shower, so that may be our way to go for this last bit. <br />
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Three months, three thousand dollars. God's got this. And...<br />
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<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>WE'RE ALMOST DONE!!!</b></span></span></div>
<br />Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101842884181870491.post-81380629082237220552013-01-03T21:22:00.001-05:002013-01-03T21:22:38.394-05:00Ready to Go BackI am so eager to go back to my kids' country. Of course, to pick them up, to hold them again, to bring them home; but also because part of my heart is in that place, and always will be.<br />
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I long to walk from a tiny apartment to the little market, or to the tiny restaurant nearby, or past the other apartments for a walk in the park. I long to have a stray dog follow me as I walk past the fountains. I long to have stray cats rubbing at my ankles, staring expectantly for me to drop a bit of my pork onto the ground. I even long to trip over the uneven sidewalk tiles.<br />
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Soon, I'll be back, and I'll have two children to share that beautiful place with. I cannot wait!<br />
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<br />Chandreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112386806455544003noreply@blogger.com0