Kinda late, but oh well......

I had time to look over my blog for 2012, and I must say that I have done a pathetic job this year. I have left out so many important dates and events. I can't imagine why though; I'm being funny.... So to add the important things in I can't elaborate to much in detail on each and everything below. I will just add a little comment as I go. First up March 30,2012 was our 10th wedding anniversary! We did get to go away for the weekend (thanks to Mom for keeping the kids) to the beautiful Biltmore Estate

Then we celebrated a very colorful Easter........

We celebrated Babies being born......

And Seniors graduating.........

We spent precious time with those that are now greatly missed.......

The fact I can go back and read about all the wonderful things that happen in our lives on this blog is a true blessing. Sometimes in all the hurt we lose track of all the great memories we had with one another. The pain I feel after the loss of my Aunt Pauline, Aunt Sue, and my Grandpa will never completely go away, but in time I will learn to live with it and go on, go on to make memories with all the family I have left here on Earth. I have learned so much in 2012, I have learned that each and every moment God gives you with someone should be precious, and not taken for granted. It's easy in the heat of the moment to get angry with each other, especially with the people we love so much. I will never forget the last words my Aunt Pauline said to me "You go on vacation and have a good time, and don't worry about me" I looked at her and said "I will, and you know that I love you!" I knew that would be the last time I saw her here on Earth. As they loaded my Aunt Sue on the Helicopter to transport her to Lexington I kissed her head and I told her "you go on and go, I'll see you when I get there, I love you!" Those were the last words I said to her. The last words I said to my Grandpa were "Pa, I love you so much, and I will see you tomorrow, okay" he responded "I Love you too!" I am so very thankful that I told them all that I loved them...I have truly been blessed to be surrounded by them throughout my lifetime, they are and will be forever missed!

Paper Chase for DAP #2

Today started early for us, I was up around 5:30am reviewing for my upcoming school assignment that is due. Brian and I dropped the kids off and got our last form notarized, certified, and ready to go to the SOS's office in Frankfort. After completed my school work, Mom and I headed to Lexington to get the last reference letter certified. After that we picked up one of my dearest friends and the 3 of us headed to the State Capital. We did some much needed catching up about all kinds of stuff, but mostly about sweet Hadley and how our progress is coming along. We finished up at the SOS's office and left with the remaining 12 documents certified and Authenticated. Yeah!!!!!!!!! My smile was so big I could barely fit into the Yaris to drive back home.
     When I got back home I finished the DAP#2 package and hopefully my sweet husband will mail it to AWAA tomorrow. As I stapled the remaining paperwork together, I realized that my sweet Hadley doesn't have the slightest idea that her forever family is getting ready to bring her home. I have mixed feelings about almost every decision we have made. I'm so happy that the day I get to hold her is getting closer, but I am sad for her. You see, all though her life here will be so much better than the life she has now, it's still all she's ever known, it's her life. I pray that she is with a foster family in China, and not in an orphanage, even then I will be taking her away from the only mother she has ever known. "Gotcha Day" will be one of the best days for us, but one of her worst. I pray that God starts preparing Hadley's caregivers for the day she will meet her forever family, and I am praying that God will give Hadley comfort through this transition. I don't expect her to like me in the beginning, let alone LOVE me. It will take time for her to understand that I will love her just like Jesus loves me, unconditionally............

    I would also like to just throw this out there, because this blog is where I like to vent whether it's good or bad. This week I have been approached by a few people with such an ignorance of adoption that I wanted to smack them upside their heads. Now, I'm a christian. I'm not perfect. Just being very honest.... One person approached me about our adoption, and told me how wonderful she thought it was and how great Brian and I were for willing to raise someone's child, and blah, blah, blah. Then when she found out that our baby girl lives in China she informed me that there were plenty of children up for adoption in the U.S., and I should have gone that route instead. I simply said "Oh, thanks for informing me of that. I had no idea you could adopt in this country" and she just looked at me as if she didn't understand what I said. I went on to tell her that God called me to China. I really wanted to tell her this. "God told Noah to build a ship. How stupid would he have been if he didn't listen and instead built a truck. Would he have been able to drive his truck through the flood????" People kill me. Then a few days later another lady approached me and said "Why y'all adopting?" I replied "Cause God told us to". Then she asked "did he call you on the phone and tell ya?" (like a true smart butt). I then said "God call us on the phone? No, in 2012 he has the capability to text message." She didn't say another word. That's how I deal with stupid....... Still waiting on the HS approval, I will keep everyone updated as things change.
P.S. please pray for Ivy Joy she has had a few new issues come up and has gone through more surgery tonight.

real quick update

Well everyone, here is a run down of last week's paper chase for Hadley;

• received draft of completed home study
• emailed our EA template for approval
• emailed Brian's physical form for approval
• emailed our application letter for approval
• rec'd approval for all the above
• emailed our last reference letter for approval
• Completed and sent our EA, WC, Passport copies, and our family photo pages

now we wait a few weeks for HS approval from the director, and then we can apply for our 1-800a. This coming week I plan on certifying 12 documents at the county level then at the Secretary of States Office in Frankfort. Once that is done, we will send all 12 documents to the US level and to the Chinese Embassy in D.C. I have the DAP forms ready to go, and my oh my they are heavy. Usually it takes 2 weeks for the HS approval to come back, please pray that it's sooner than that. Everyday that goes by is one more day Hadley isn't home where she belongs.......

P.S. still no morning sickness, but the paper-cuts are horrible!!!!!

Halloween

We have The Little Mermaid, Captain America, and a Zombie

What a Witchy Woman

The Witches have arrived..........................................