Raising God's Blessings

This is it!

2010-06-04T21:26:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that we leave tomorrow. My emotions are all over the place. We leave tomoorow around 1130am and get to Ethiopia around 7PM (11AM our time) on Sunday. Then we get to meet precious Elliott the next day. I am so excited to have him in my arms at last! Please pray for us as we are going through a bunch of transitions the next couple of weeks. It's going to be interesting, to say the least.
I will blog as much as I can while we are there. No promises though because I know internet and electricity is not always a sure thing.
Thanks to all of you for your support. It has been worth more to us than you will ever know!

Five days and we're off

2010-05-31T06:17:00.003-05:00

We leave in 5 days. I can't believe we are that close. I have so many emotions running through me. Excitement, nervousness, anticipation, etc. Luckily, we have been so busy getting ready that the time has flown by. I feel like there is still so much to do. We need to pack, get the kids stocked up on their stuff, finish filling out forms, etc. Too much to think about at this point.
On a side note, Troy has two interviews this week! I know, what a week for all of that. Please pray that God will lead him to the right job. I know he has great plans for us. I'm just curious to see how it all unfolds.
Kid update: Collette has started gymnastics and is loving it. Her teacher said that she is really good and picks up on things quickly. She even got to walk on the big balance beam. I will take pictures on Tuesday and post them. They also have an indoor playground. So, Dakota plays on that while Collette is in class. It's a win/win situation for both of the kids.
Dakota is as wild and crazy as ever. He likes to keep us on our toes at all times. He still loves to sing and listen to music. We had a choir come to church on Sunday to sing some songs for us. He was mesmerized the entire time. Now, if we could just figure out how to keep that going during the sermon.

Ready or Not?

2010-05-25T23:53:00.005-05:00

We leave in a little over a week and I'm starting to get overwhelmed. But the nice thing is that we have gotten a lot done. The upstairs remodel is done! I just need to decorate it a little. I will post pics as soon as it is decorated. Clothes are hung and washed. Most of our forms are filled out. Grandparents are coming to town to babysit! My sister is dog sitting. Collette has even learned how to change a diaper. So, really I should just be ready to go, right? Wrong. I would just like it all to be done so I can sit back and enjoy.

On a better note, we are very excited about the day we get to meet Elliott. Not only do we get to meet our third child, we get to meet him on our anniversary! How cool is that. Now we will have that much more to celebrate! Ready to meet you baby boy and hold you in our arms.

For those of you who want us to take pics or packages, email me: carterkellie@sbcglobal.net

Travel Tips, anyone?

2010-05-15T17:18:00.003-05:00

We have our flights booked for June 5th-13th! We have our reservation in at the BJoe house. Troy's parents are flying in on the 3rd.

Now we just need to get ready, but I need your help. If you have any useful travel tips you would like to share then we are all ears. I am especially interested to know about communication to the US. Did you use a cell phone, skype, etc? I really want to stay in contact with my kiddos the best that I can while we are gone. Please share!!!!

Also, we are offering to take pictures and care packages to Ethiopia with us. We want to pay it forward to those of you waiting to bring home your babies. We had so many wonderful people take picture and video. It meant so much to get those updates as often as possible. Feel free to email me at carterkellie@sbcglobal.net
If you want pics we need Name, house #, ID # and a picture.
We are looking forward to delivery all these special items!

Introducing...

2010-05-13T10:55:00.001-05:00

While we are asleep,

2010-05-12T16:56:00.002-05:00

our case will be in court in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is 8 hour ahead of us, so by the time we wake up the decision will already be made. I ask that you remember us and Baby H in your evening prayers.
I hope and pray that tomorrow we will be able to introduce you to the precious face that we have fallen in love with. Stay Tuned...

ONE MORE DAY!!!

2010-05-12T00:33:00.003-05:00

Ok, we have one more day before our court date. I am so excited and so anxious all at the same time. Luckily, Troy and I have been busy finishing our remodel of the upstairs. It has helped keep my mind off of the clock. We also got to hang out with a bunch of great friends tonight. That helps more then they know.
So, here is what is going on in Ethiopa today. First off, the Schmidts will be meeting Baby H today and taking our care package to him. I know Baby H will recieve lots of love today.
Also, today our paperwork is being reviewed by The Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA). They will go through our paperwork with a fine tooth comb and make sure that all of our i's are dotted and t's are crossed. They will say whether or not we can go ahead to court or not. Today is as big as tomorrow. Please pray that we will be approved today and that we will make it through court tomorrow. *Fingers crossed*

2 days

2010-05-11T08:36:00.003-05:00

Two more days until our court date!!!

And two more days until Troy's 6th interview with the OKC Thunder. He has been interviewing for this job since October. We are getting closer to finding out if that is a reality as well. Thanks for your prayers.

Any suggestions???

2010-05-09T22:52:00.007-05:00

Three more days! Please continue to pray for us. We are so close to Baby H.

We are in need of some suggestions. We can't decide which guest house we would like to stay in. We are trying to chose between Bejoe and The Ethiopian Guest House. If you have any suggestions, good or bad, please leave ua a comment. This will really help us decide.

Four Days

2010-05-09T20:43:00.003-05:00

Four days until court! We are gettind so excited and so motivated to get things done. This weekend, after we finished the fundraiser dinner, we came home and started working on finishing our remodel of the upstairs. The exciting thing is that we are almost done! We should be completed by the end of the week. Then we can check one more thing off of our list. It feels so good to get things done. Hopefully, we will be able to check off our court date this week as well.

Day 5 and Fully Funded

2010-05-08T00:36:00.003-05:00

We have five more days until court!!!

And our fundraiser dinner last night was a success. We are now 100% funded because of the wonderful friends and family God has put in our lives. We are so blessed.
As Stephanie Rummel put it, "We now have stock in your son." Which also means that when he is in jr high and having bad grades, I have plenty of tutors to take him on. Or when he is 2 and throwing a fit at church, I can say to everyone else, "Control your child." So, be ready for the responsibility if you hold stock!

Really, we are excited about how everyone has surrounded us with love and support. Thank you all!

Let the celebrations begin

2010-05-06T23:34:00.004-05:00

6 days, 6 DAYS. I can't believe we are less then a week from our court date. I go back and forth between total agony of the wait and feeling like I don't have enough time to get everything done. I know once we pass court it will be a mad dash to get everything and everyone organized. We have to coordinate our travel, Troy's parents travel here to take care of the kiddos, lists of kids daily activities, humanitarian aid items, etc. So much to think about.

Today though, I am going to focus on our fundraiser dinner that is tonight. We have so many wonderful friends who have bent over backward to make this event happen. Our friends at Copper Cup Catering are providing the meal (contact me if you ever need a caterer, they are great). Brown's Bakery providing desserts, about 40 auction items, and 6 vendors who are donating a portion of their profits to our adoption. Wow, what a blessing. God is so good.

On a great note, http://myfamilymyjourney.blogspot.com passed court! Go check out their beautiful boys! We are so happy for you. Hopefully, we will follow in 6 short days!

7 days

2010-05-06T00:49:00.002-05:00

or just 1 week! I can't believe we are only a week away from our court date. We are so very excited to be this close. Luckily, we have been staying super busy this week. We are working on getting everything ready for our fundraiser dinner. So far, we have 36 auction items, 4 vendors, 1 auctioner, and 1 great catering company coming to the event. Hopefully, we will have a great turn out and a really fun time. I will post pictures as soon as I get a chance.

Please be in prayer for http://myfamilymyjourney.blogspot.com

They are going to court today for the 2nd time and had one court date postponed because of a holiday. They are ready to get their boys asap.

Eight days

2010-05-04T18:17:00.002-05:00

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34

As we draw closer and closer to the time when we can bring Elliott home we struggle with the stress of all we have yet to do between now and then. But thankfully God has been constantly reminding us that he is in control and he is the one who will make it all happen. Isn't it great to have a God who's shoulders are broader than ours and can take all our stress away and carry it for us.

-Troy

Nine Days

2010-05-03T23:32:00.005-05:00

Another day closer to our court date. I recieved an update on Baby H yesterday. Here it is:

“I found "H" enjoying some tummy time today when I came to visit him. All his buddies were asleep, but this little guy was wide-awake. I watched him for a little while on the floor as he did “pushups” and played with a toy lying next to him. Then, as I picked him up and began talking to him, a shy smile spread across his face. When you interact with him, he often turns his face away and smiles. It’s pretty cute. He’s got a sweet disposition—sort of shy but you can also tell he likes to interact. He doesn’t seem to be afraid of strangers but he does seem to save his most expressive self for those he’s familiar with. What a delightful little guy!”

I read this to Troy then we both looked at each other and said "He sounds just like Dakota". That discription could have been written about Dakota at that age. Just another way God is showing me that Baby H was meant to be with us. I can't wait to see that precious smile for myself.

Let the count down begin...

2010-05-02T22:36:00.003-05:00

Ten days until we go to court! Please continue praying that we will pass on May 13th so that we can pick up our precious baby boy.

Two weeks

2010-04-29T08:38:00.002-05:00

We have 2 weeks until our court date! It seems so close yet so far away. Please continue to pray for our journey.

Congrats to http://birdiesandbabies.blogspot.com/ and to http://5byfaith.blogspot.com/ They both passed court.

Please keep http://myfamilymyjourney.blogspot.com/ in your prayers as they have a new court date next Wednesday.

How soon you forget

2010-04-28T15:38:00.003-05:00

I was looking at old pictures and videos of the kids and I needed to share this one. Collette used to love singing to Dakota when he was little. It seems like yesterday that these to were this big. Time really does fly.

Fundraiser/ Appreciation Dinner May 7th

2010-04-24T23:37:00.002-05:00

We are having a fundraiser/appreciation dinner on Friday, May 7th 6PM-9PM at NW Church of Christ. We are raising money to help with our travel costs. We will have an open donation bucket, live auction, and great food. Please come and enjoy a great night with us.

If you aren't able to come, but would still like to donate, please send to the address below. All donations made to NW Church of Christ are tax deductible. Put "Carter Adoption" on the memo line.
NW Church of Christ
4301 NW 23rd
OKC, OK 73107

You can also donate by going to our online fundraiser store:

http://www.justlovecoffee.com/ElliottCarter

Court Date

2010-04-22T11:24:00.001-05:00

We have an official court date!!! It's May 13th!!! Please pray for us to pass court this day!

Stressed? Me?

2010-04-19T22:07:00.004-05:00

For the past couple of weeks I have had an irritating pain on the right side of my mouth. This last week it has really started to bother. Then last night at work, it was just unbearable. So, I decided it was finally time to call the dentist and see what was going on. The conclussion is that I don't have a cavity, but I have been grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw. My denist, who we've known forever, just laughed and said "I'm shocked your stressed, with the adoption going on." I knew I was stressed, but I didn't realize how bad it had gotten.
Now, I am doing what I can to destress and enjoy my life. Man, it's hard.
Here are 2 of the things that I am going to be focusing on to destress:

And of course on Baby H! But I can't post his cute little face.

Paperwork in- check!

2010-04-14T15:48:00.002-05:00

Just found out that our paperwork has been submitted to the Ethiopian courts!!! We are so excited. This means we only have to make one trip. Hopefully, we will have a court date within the next week or two! God is so good. I'm glad he's the one in control and not me. Please continue to pray for Baby H, our court date, and peace through the rest of this process.

Where are you?

2010-04-13T13:04:00.002-05:00

So, for the past week I have been anxiously waiting for news about our paperwork being submitted or about a court date. The funny thing is, I thought that once we had a referral I would be able to wait patiently for a court date. Now, that thought makes me laugh. It is so much harder waiting for a court date then waiting for a referral. I have all of precious Baby H's pictures and even video, yet my arms ache for him.
I am posting this to say, please pray that we get a court date soon. All I can do is hand this process over to God and wait. I know he is in control and he has our best interest at heart.
If you know me at all, you know that letting go of control is near impossible for me. I am a "Control Freak", to say the least.

Travel Funds

2010-04-05T14:14:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! As most of you know we might have to make an extra trip to Ethiopia to pick up Elliott. We have opened an online store to fundraise money to offset the expense of the trip. Please go check out this page and order some yummy, free trade coffee. We recieve $5 for every bag that is purchased. This would be a great help to us! Here is the link: http://www.justlovecoffee.com/affiliate.aspx?Family=792

Thanks for the support!

Great News, Hopefully

2010-03-31T21:40:00.002-05:00

We just found out some great news today. Ethiopia has extended the law to say that our paperwork deadline is now May 9th. An entire month later! We are so excited and hopeful that our paperwork will get turned in before May 9th and We will only have to make one trip. Please pray that our paperwork finds its way to the court ASAP.
And congrats to the Schmidts on a getting a court date so fast! It has been a great day!

There are positives

2010-03-29T20:40:00.003-05:00

Ok, got caught up in my own self pity on that last post and I forgot to list the positives.
1. Troy and I both get to meet Baby H 3-6 weeks earlier then we would have.
2. Hopefully, we will get to visit the town where Baby H was found.
3. Did I mention that Troy and I both get to go on the first trip?
4. We will come back the first time without a new baby and I think this will go over much better wth Dakota. Easier transition...
5. Traveling the first time with Troy will make the next trip easier for me to do with just me and Amy.
6. We will get to do more sight seeing the first trip. The second trip we will focus more on Baby H.
I'm sure there are more, those are the ones that I can come up with off the top of my head. Two trips can be a good thing!

This is how I really feel,

2010-03-29T17:44:00.004-05:00

Two days before we recieved our referral we found out that we were going to have to make 2 trips to Ethiopia. Honestly, Troy and I were pretty upset. We even talked about pulling out of the adoption. Partially, because of the stress and a big part because of the money. We are still trying to play catch up from the 6 months that Troy was out of a job. Then Friday, March 12th, we saw the cutest little face and the two trips seemed like no big deal. We could figure out a way to get money... We are still planning on following through with everything, but now that the initial high has worn off, here is where I am. All I can think of is the emotional roller coaster those two trips are going to be. First, we have to leave our other two kids at home and be gone about a week. Meet wonderful Baby H and at the end of the week leave him in Ethiopia. Then 3-6 weeks later we have to go back through the same thing. Leave two kids be gone a week, but in that week Baby H will get to come home with us. Wow, I am going to be wiped out by the end of all of this.
So, then I have to hand it all over to God and think that He knows what is best for us. And there is a reason that we need to make two trips. And there is a reason I have to leave all of my babies for so long. Logic is not winning out at this point, but I am working on it. Please be in prayer for us during this time. And please pray that our paperwork will be submitted before April 9th!

His hands

2010-03-25T17:54:00.003-05:00

In the discription of baby H, they told us how he was fasinated with his hands and how they worked. So, I thought it appropriate to share his precious hands with you.
Then, I got to thinking about God and how he holds each of us in His hands. And that even though I can't hold and love on my baby, I know that he is right now. And he has put special people in Ethiopia to love on him. This makes me really happy and sad all at the same time. It also reminds me of a friend of mine who had a baby before we had Collette. We were at the hospital passing around her precious new gift when someone realized that Mommy had not gotten to hold her very much. All I remember her saying was "I want my baby to know that everyone loves her. Love her!" This moment has stuck in my head with each of my kids and now it is even more profound to me. I can't love on my baby right now, but I want him to know he is loved. So, to whoever is out there with Baby H, love him, love him. Until we can hold him in our arms.

Special thanks to our blog friends, http://robynmaner.blogspot.com/ . They are traveling on Saturday to pick up thier little one and will be taking a care package to Baby H, taking pictures, and loving on him. Thanks guys!

Davey Crockett

2010-03-20T16:28:00.003-05:00

I realized that with all the ups and downs of the last couple of months that I have failed to put any pictures of my cute kiddos. Here is a video of a song and dance that Dakota and Collette have learned at school.

Sneak Peak

2010-03-16T12:46:00.005-05:00

So, the first thing that you notice on this precious boy are his eyes. They are to die for. I thought I would share them with my blog frineds as well. Here is a short discription of Baby H. He sounds like a wonderful baby.

Baby H is a precious little guy. He has the sweetest smile and his eyes
are full of sparkle. He is currently into his hands. He seems intrigued by the way he controls
them. It is quite cute to watch. He is mostly quiet, however, he does vocalize. I noticed he
uses his voice after you walk away – to entice you back to his crib. He is active, constantly
moving his arms and his legs. He makes prolonged eye contact with his caregivers and even
newcomers. He loves to kick his feet against his crib’s footboard. He is a cutie!

Also, anyone who will be traveling in the near future please let me know. We would like to send a care package with you. My email is carterkellie@sbcglobal.net

The Call

2010-03-12T17:57:00.002-06:00

We got the call for a precious 5 month old baby boy. We are in love with him already. He has big beautiful brown eyes.
Here's the details: We are going on a backpacking trip this weekend. So this morning we were very busy packing and trying to get logistics worked out. And trying to stay on schedule with nap times and all. At 11ish we were sitting down eating lunch with a friend when my phone rings. I look down and it's "the call". I look at Troy and just start laughing. He says it's them isn't it? So I answer the call and Natalie says I have a referral for you. I ask if we can call her back in a few so that we can get to a computer. We dropped everything, including lunch, and turned on the computer. Natalie calls back and says that she is sending us the email. Then she asked if we wanted any details while we waited. Of course we did! She says it's a boy, he's 5 months old. Then we see a picture and I just melt. What a beautiful baby. I think we were in shock most of the referral and afterward. We then had to flip back to packing mode. So I am calling and emailing everyone as I am packing. It's been a crazy, exciting day. And we now have another precious son. God is so good and his timing is perfect.

I forgot

2010-03-04T23:44:00.004-06:00

We are officially at 8 months as of March 1st. I forgot to post with all the excitement over the Schmidts referral. We are getting closer to baby Elliott. The average wait time is now at 9 months. So technically it could be a whole other month or two before we hear anything. Please pray that God will bring our baby to us in His time and that He protects our baby during the waiting.

We are number one!!!

2010-02-27T13:54:00.002-06:00

Just found at that the Schmidts got a referral for a little boy! We are so excited for them. For us that means one step closer to our baby. It is always nice to see some movement on the wait list. It makes waiting a little more bearable.
Again, Congrats to the Schmidts! We can't wait to see pictures.

My hope is slowly dying

2010-02-18T17:00:00.002-06:00

So, for the last couple months I have been psyched because we were #2 for a boy. Woohoo! Right? or wrong? I am now at the point of being totally deflated and feeling like we will never get a referral. I know in my head that this is not the case, but I feel so heartbroken and let down by all of the build up. What makes me even more anxious, is the fact that there have been so few referrals since 2010 started. I've given every excuss, holidays, Haiti, only so many referrals allowed, and the list goes on. To the point where I have lost all excuses for what is going on. The not knowing in killing me. For now we are moving ahead, taking care of the kiddos, working, remodeling, going to church...etc. I continue to pray for baby Elliott and for all of our friends who are in the same boat as us. God will bring the right child, in the right time. I just wish he would let me in on the secret every once in awhile.

8 Years Ago today...

2010-02-02T16:07:00.003-06:00

All this craziness started. Troy and I meet in Yukon at th Czech Polka Hall. We had both gone to the Polka Hall with seperate groups of people. I did ask him to dance and I did give him my phone number. But it was all in God's plan for us to end up together. I mean really, who meets like this? At a Polka Hall on Groundhog day? We have been together ever since. God has blessed us with a wonderful marriage, 2 beatiful kids, and plenty of food and shelter. God is so Good!!!

Seven months

2010-02-01T11:01:00.002-06:00

Today marks 7 months on the wait list. We are getting so much closer to our little baby. I've been getting emotionally ready for our baby to come our way. I can't help but think that if we had gotten pregnant and had a baby that it would probably be in our arms right not. Sometimes that is hard to swallow. So, in the mean time, I've been enjoying my big kids and cuddling on other people's little ones. (Thanks to those of you who let me steal your babies on occasion!)

Troy got a new job!!!! We are so excited. He is still going to be working from home. Which we love that he gets to work from home. And I still get to sleep on the nights that I work! God is good. Sometimes you have to be patient for his timing.

The kids have enjoyed getting to play out in the snow. We took Collette, Tyler, and Aubree sledding on Ssaturday. They loved it. Yesterday the kids had a snowball fight. It's so much fun when there is snow here.

Let's play!

2010-01-28T15:13:00.002-06:00

OK guys..no referral so far. We want your input. Post when you think we will get our referral and what we will get, boy or girl. Let's see who can get the closest to the date. We will post these on our blog so that everyone can see who wins. Please play along with us. We are trying to make the waiting just a liitle more fun and not so stressful.

Alright, bring on the posts!

Adoption process

2010-01-23T00:25:00.001-06:00

I was requested an explination of the adoption process, so here it is from starrt to finish. You initially have to apply to the agency to see if you qualify. Once you pass that, which doesn't take very long, then you have the big huge packet to apply for adoption. At the same time you also have a dossier to complete. The dossier is the packet of documents that is sent to the other country to represent you. Both of these applications can take any where from 2 months to 6 months to complete, just depending on how fast you can get all of the documents. Along with these documents, there is also a homestudy that must be completed. Once all of this is done you have to get approval from the federal government to bring a child into this country. So, one of the last documents you wait on is CIS approval. That can take 4-6 weeks to get back. Once all of that is done and submitted then you are put on the "wait list". When we were first put on the wait list average wait time was 9 months. So at thiat time we were looking at March or April before we thought we would get a referral. Every month the average wit time can change. As of last month, the average wait time was 7.2 months. Once you recieve a referral then you have to wait for a court date. Court dates can be scheduled 2-3 months out. There is no guarantee that you will pass court the first time either. So, once you actually pass court then it is time to travel. This can take any where from 2-5 weeks. Then you get to be home and be a happy family! That's about it in a nutshell. So the whole process can take anywhere from a year to a year and a half.

Update: We reccieved a grant from http://www.showhope.org/. Go check out their website. They are a wonderful organization.

God is Good!!!!

Important Days

2010-01-22T13:15:00.004-06:00

First off congrats to the two couples who recieved referrals yesterday. We are so excited for you.
I was thinking about when Troy and I met. It was on Feb 2nd, 2002. It was one of those God type stories because there is no way I would have ever thought up how we met. Then I was thinkng about our referral, shocker, and how cool it would be if it was on or near the anniversay of when we met. It would be amazing if we meet our baby on the same day we met, eight years later. We could add such a wonderful twist to our story. All this being said, I am trying to not be so anxious for our referral. God willl bring us our baby when the time is right. Just like he brought us together when he knew our hearts were ready. Just like he brought our other two kiddos at just the tight moment. He knows and we can wait patiently for his timing.

We want to know when you think our referral will be. Just comment on this post and we will add it to our referral guessing list. Let's at least have fun while we wait!

Still waiting

2010-01-20T11:59:00.004-06:00

I figured since I was stalking other people's blogs to see if they got a referral, then I should update mine. No news as of yet. We are still waiting and hoping to see a precious face in the near future. Still no new referrals since 1/4/10. I'm sure there is good reason for this, but it is hard to wait patiently. So, in the mean time, we are working and taking care of our other cute kiddos. I try not to think about it as much as possible, but it is hard not to.

Other news: Took Collette to the doctor today and she has double ear infections. That child never tells me when she is sick, so by the time I actually take her in it ends up being bad. Last night she told me that her ear hurt a little bit. Then this morning she said both ears hurt a little bit. I knew something had to be wrong. So, I took her in, sure enough raging ear infections. Now she is on antibiotics and tylenol. She is taking it all in stride.
Dakota is his normal crazy self. He runs around the house singing most of the time. It is so cute, but I can't understand a word he is saying when he does it. If he puts hand motions in then we clue in to which some it is. I will have to video tape it one day and post it on here. Too cute.

That's about it for now. Hopefully, I will be posting about a referral soon! We will keep you posted.

#1...Where are you?

2010-01-14T16:45:00.002-06:00

So, I fully expected to be #1 on the waitlist for a boy. It seems as though there have not been a lot of referrals this last month or the last 10 days. Luckliy, I have been working a lot the last 10 days. It's easier not to think about it when I'm busy. I know God has a plan and time for us. It's just so hard to wait on it.
So, we continue to wait and continue to pray for Elliott and Elliott's family. I can't help but think about Elliott's family and what they are going through right now. Are they having to decide to give Elliott up? Are they not able to physically care for Elliott? Are they sick and dying? All of these pain me for them. I ache to think about what a parent is going through. I hope and pray they can have peace with their decision.

Other news: Collette has a very lose tooth. I can't believe she is old enough for that. She is turning into such a sweet little girl. Dakota is talking more, thank goodness. He is repeating stuff more and jabbering a lot. Some we can understand, other stuff is a mystery. He's getting there.
Troy is working like crazy on his iPhone applications. I am so proud of how hard he is working and enjoying what he is doing. Here is the link to his website. Check it out!http://www.troycarterconsulting.com

Poll

2010-01-08T14:37:00.002-06:00

We have a poll on our website. What will baby Elliott be? A boy or a girl? Please let us know what you think! It's getting closer! I am so excited to find out who our baby is going to be!

Impatiently Waiting

2010-01-06T15:38:00.003-06:00

I have found myself obsesively looking at all the websites that are ahead of me on the waitlist. 6 months have flown by, but these last 5 days have crawled. I was thinking about how similar this is to both of my pregnancies. Months flew by in a snap then the last 4-6 weeks crawled. So here we are 6 months in and I am so anxious to see our new baby. I keep trying to remember what I am doing every day so that I can look back on the day our baby was born and have some connection with their birth. I know, it sounds crazy, but for some reason I need this. In the mean time, I will continue to wear out my computer and 9 other people's websites.

Waitlist update: #2 for a boy
#8 for a girl

This is "unofficial" of course, but the closest thing I can gage time with.

We continue to pray for baby Elliott and family. We look forward to seeing a sweet face in the near future.

Birthdays and Christmas

2010-01-04T14:10:00.002-06:00

Here is a video of all the events from the past few months. We have been busy, Thanksgiving, Dakota's Birthday, Collette's birthday and Christmas.
Sorry it's so long...enjoy!

Wow...Time Flies

2010-01-03T21:12:00.003-06:00

It has been 6 months since we were put on the waitlist! We are getting closer to our baby.
We have had some very generous donations come forth the past several weeks that have Troy and I truely amazed at the power of God. He has given so many people a heart of gold and we thank him for that. We also thank those who have helped us by donation, prayer, or an encouraging word. It is helping us get through this waiting period so much easier. Please continue to pray for us and baby Elliott as God is bringing our family together.

Hannah Montana???

2009-12-19T22:07:00.006-06:00

Collette got a Hannah Montana wig for xmas. So we of course had to try it on!!! Who do you think makes the best Hannah Montana????

So close, yet so far

2009-12-15T22:18:00.002-06:00

Adoption update: I was looking at the unofficial list for the waitlist and we are 13th on the list. Which is where we have been for the last week. So I am counting and I realize we are 2nd, that's right 2nd in line for either gender(AKA a boy)...AHHHHH...Ok trying to pull it together. I thought we were 4th, not 2nd. And 2nd to people that we know. All this to say, there is still no telling when we will get a referral. But we are very close!!! So, much to do, so little time. Elliot will be with us before we know it. Please continue to pray for our family as we are going through this process. Also, pray for our baby and their family.

Pictures are hard to upload right now , but I will get some up as soon as I can.

Where the heck did the time go???

2009-11-12T11:29:00.003-06:00

You probably thought that we had fallen off the face of the earth. Not so...We are just super busy. Where to begin, I am working full time in L&D and loving it! I work nights so flip flopping is a challenge, at times. It seems to be working well for us though. Troy has had some interesting job developments over the last few months. He lost his main client back in July and that has really put us in a bind. We basically have been living off of my income, which is less then half of what Troy was making. So we have been cutting back a lot. We have also had some really generous people help us out. I don't think that we could have survived the last few months without these people. Thanks you to those that have helped! A month ago, we decided that Troy should start looking for full time work. He has been on several interviews and thankfully God has blessed us. He started a job today! Praise God!!!

Where are the kids in all of this? Well, we enrolled the kids in day school at our church. So, on Tuesday and Thursday they are there and loving it. That leaves us with just one day every other week that we need a sitter. We have that all worked out already! On Friday we have our homeschool co-op. The kids are enjoying this as well. Collette has been playing soccer and loving it. She has her last game this Saturday. So far her team has gone undefeated! Dakota is getting ready to be 2 years old. I can't believe he is that old. He is still such a sweet boy. But man, is he ever a boy. He loves playing ball, cars, blocks, or guns. He keeps us on our toes. He is talking more, except Troy and I are the only ones who can understand him.

Adoption update: We are 4 months in on the waiting list. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. Average wait time is 8 months, so we are more then half way there. It is really a quiet time and it helps that we are so busy. It makes me look back at the last 4 months and think, Where did all that time go? We are ready to see our baby and find out if it is a boy or a girl. It will happen in God's time. We are just praying for a healthy, happy baby.

I will post pics as soon as I get a chance. In the meantime enjoy the update. Hopefully, I will be back on her sooner than 4 months.

Wait Listed!!!

2009-07-02T16:12:00.003-05:00

It is offical...we are on the wait list as of yesterday. We are so excited to be to this next step. I called last night to tell Troy the news. He laughed and said "It's weird, I feel the same way I felt when you told me we were pregnant with the other two...nervous. There's no turning back now." So, we are officially "adoption pregnant"!!!

Our baby name is: Elliott

This will be our baby name for a boy or girl. We picked out one name so that we could have something to call the baby, before we know what it is. Also, so that the kids can get used to the name and the idea of a new baby. We did this when we were pregnant with Dakota and it made not knowing what he was that much easier.

I will post pics soon.

Stamp of Approval

2009-06-28T23:53:00.002-05:00

We got our CIS approval in the mail on Friday!!! It was 4:45pm, I get the the mail box and it has finally arrived! At that moment I realized that we only had 15 minutes to make it to FedEx before the notary leaves. Then we would have to wait until Monday...ugh. So, we drive as quickly as possible, get the form notarized, and get it all mailed to KBS Dossier. Whew! We are so excited because now we will get to be put on the waiting list. One more step closer to our next baby. We should be officially on the waiting list this week! I will post baby name as soon as we get to that point.

Collette is so ready for a new baby. She prays for "Our new baby" every night before she goes to bed. What a great big sister she is. Dakota, on the other hand, still has no idea what is to come. Hopefully he will be a great big brother, as well.

Family Pics

2009-06-02T10:31:00.007-05:00

Here are some family pics that we had done recently! These are a few of my favorites. I am so excited about how they turned out. The problem I have now is deciding which ones to order.

Sorry It's been so long since I have updated this. We got our fingerprints done and now we are waiting on CIS approval. We are so close to the waiting list!

Update

2009-05-07T15:25:00.002-05:00

All of our documents have been authenticated without any glitches! All we are waiting on right now is the CIS approval. We are so close to the waiting list...I can feel it! Check back the first part of June because that is when I am estimating us being on the list.

I Did It!!!

2009-05-04T20:27:00.004-05:00

Dakota is not my talkative child by any means. He can say Dada, Mama, dog, ball, but mostly he points and says "da". So I was shocked today when he looked at me and said "I did it!" I thought maybe I was hearing things, but a few seconds later he said it again. This time my friend, Carie, heard him and confirmed that she heard the same thing. Later this evening I was telling Troy the story and not 10 minutes later Dakota says it again! So, I had to try and get it on film. This video is him saying "I did it!" Fair warning though, it is toward the end of the almost 2 minute video. So please wait for it...you will know when you hear it. The boy has been holding out on us. I am so proud that he can talk!

Fingerprinting...at last

2009-05-01T15:53:00.002-05:00

We have a date set for our fingerprinting. It is May 20th! Does anyone remember how long it takes to get CIS approval after the fingerprinting? I would like an idea of how much longer, roughly, until we are on the waiting list. I can see the light at the end of the paper tunnel!!! We are so ready to be on the waiting list. As soon as we are on the list I will post and let you know what we are going to name the baby. Yes, we already have a mane because I need to be able to all this kid something before we know what it is. We did this when we were pregnant with Dakota. We had decided that we were not going to find out what we were having until he was born. So instead we picked out a name that we liked and could use for either a boy or a girl. It made the not finding out a whole lot easier because we had a name that the baby could go by. We are kind of using the same thought process for this one. If we have a name then the transition and wait will be a lot easier for us and the kiddos. So, stay tuned to for us to announce waitlist and our little one's name!

Easter Fun

2009-04-15T23:40:00.001-05:00

The Long and Winding Road...of Adoption

2009-04-10T16:50:00.003-05:00

We have been Gladney approved! All of our paperwork for Glsdney is done. Our homestudy should be in the hands of the state. All of our dossier paperwork is in the mail and should be to KBS Dossier early next week. Now we have to wait on state, CIS, approval and finger printing for CIS. Then we are on to the wait list!!!! Troy and I are so excited to be mostly done with the paperwork. There were several documents that were such a pain to get completed. Oh well, we are just happy to be where we are in the process. We will keep you updated as to when we get CIS approval.

March Fun

2009-04-06T23:12:00.003-05:00

Here is a video of some of the things the kids have done in March. Collette has started playing soccer with Tyler. Their team name is the Tigers. They are pretty good at the sport and they like to play. Collette is still doing very well with homeschool. She loves to write her letters. She is starting to learn how to write her lower case letters. She is also doing good with counting higher and recognizing numbers. Dakota is getting so big. He can walk really well now and he prefers that to crawling. He is getting close to running...watch out. He loves to play catch and to throw the ball. He throws it and then just giggles. It is so cute.

Adoption stuff: We are going to be sending all of our dossier paperwork to KBS Dossier as of tomorrow! There were 2 pieces of paper holding us up. We finally got those taken care of today. We got an email today stating that the final copy of our homestudy has been sent to Gladney. Hopefully by the end of this week it will be on its way to CIS. Then we have to wait for CIS approval. It takes roughly 60 days once they get our homestudy. We are getting closer to being on the waiting list. Please pray that all of this goes fast and smooth. We are really tired of doing paperwork...no really, it sucks.

Down Memory Lane

2009-04-01T21:32:00.003-05:00

I was at church tonight and I got a little sidetracked. I didn't make it to class on time so I spent most of my night talking to others in the hall...I know, don't judge. Anyway, I was in the library looking for some books on baptism, for our children's ministry. I ran across some old pics from VBS 1970 and lots of other events. Among the pictures there was a Church of Christ directory from 1970. I cracked it open and there on the first page was an advertisement for a friend of my grandfathers. I thought, oh my, how cool is this. I continued to thumb through the directory and found several names that stood out including my Dad's family, when he was in high school. I turned the page and that's where I saw this add:

I was so excited to see this. This is my Great Grandmother, Mary Smith. She was an Interior Designer for Sears. It was so cool to see this pic and so many memories resurfaced as I looked at it. It was great to walk down memory lane and to see some familiar faces. I remember all the dolls that my she made for us. The countless number of sleepovers that we had at her house. All of her beautiful clothes that she kept in her cedar closet, I can still smell it. Her hot pink round bed with matching curtains. Playing the organ for hours at her house. Mostly, I remember her love for us. I love and miss you, Grandmother Smith. It was great to relive old memories. I hope that my family enjoys this as much as I did.

New post about the kiddos and our family soon! Sorry for the wait.

Happy V-day!

2009-02-15T15:52:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! This is the kids eating all the yummy treats that they were given. They say "Thanks, Grandma & Papa and Megs & Papa!" Troy and I say, "Yeah, thanks...next time you get to clean them up."
Really though, thanks for thinking of the kiddos they are very happy with all of the gifts.

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-08T14:37:00.000-06:00

God is Good! Enough said...

NCLEX Woes

2009-02-06T21:18:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the length of time between posts. I have been studying, working, and spending time with the family. So, here I am post NCLEX. AHHHHHHH. I took the test this morning. I went in at 730AM and by 905AM I was done...DONE. I had 75 questions(the minimum that you can have on this test). My computer went grey and all I could think was "NO, it's not suppose to be over that soon." I got up, left the testing center and there was Paula, fellow nursing student, waiting on me. She had done the exact same thing, 75 questions and then off. So, Now we have to wait until Sunday to find out our results. All of this being said, I am stressed out. I go back and forth between I passed, I failed, I passed, I failed. I will know soon enough, but for now I will stay busy and try not to think about it.

In other news: the kiddos are good. Collette is ready for me to be home more. She is still loving homeschool and asks if we are having homeschool. I love that she is so excited to learn new things. We are signing her up for soccer. She is so excited. Dakota is getting really stable with the walking. He still prefers crawling because it is quicker. He is really generous with giving out kissses to anyone who is close. It is very sweet and very slobbery. I love it though, my little cuddle bug. Troy is staying busy with work and helping me keep up with the kids.

Adoption news: Most of our application is turned in. We are waiting on one report to be turned back into us. Then we will be done with that part. We are going to start out dossier within the next couple of weeks. Paperwork is so icky. We are slowly moving forward.

So, he can do it!

2009-01-09T21:42:00.003-06:00

We are so excited that Dakota is starting to walk. I told Troy that one day he was just going to take off and sure enough that is what he did. The other day he stood up holding onto a chair then he let go and took 3 or 4 steps. This boy has been holding out on us! Let the trouble begin.

I will post Xmas pics real soon. Sorry...I'm behind.

Adoption note: We mailed in the first part of our application today. We are getting there, slowly.

Max, We will miss you!

2008-12-31T14:49:00.004-06:00

Well, we went in to feed the guinea pigs today and found Max laying on the bottom of the cage. I moved the cage to see if he would wake up, but the was no movement. And it stunk really bad in there. We told Collette and she wanted to see him. Then she looked at us like we had no clue what we were talking about and said "He's just sleeping." Then we had to explain it the best we could. She took it very well. She wanted to take the box outside and put the dirt on it. Then on the way back in she says "Can I go to Tyler's house and tell him what happened to Max?" So, she doesn't seem to mind to much that he is gone. Here are some pictures of sweet Max. He was the nicer of the two guinea pigs. He was a lot better about letting Collette hold him, the Guinea is. Now we are down to one guinea pig and one dog. I think Guinea is confused about where his buddy went. He seems scared and not himself since we cleaned out the cage. Hopefully he will adjust soon.

Collette's 4th Birthday party

2008-12-20T23:36:00.002-06:00

Here is a glimpse of Collette's Polar Express Party. We had a great time riding the train. Collette loved all of her gifts, but mostly enjoyed getting to spend time with friends.

A view from Collette's eyes

2008-12-20T11:35:00.001-06:00

We bought a kid camera for Collete for her birthday. I know that her bday is 2 days away, but we are having her party tonight. We thought that she could have fun taking pics at her party. Here are a preview of what she has taken so far.

Collette's musical debut

2008-12-19T16:13:00.002-06:00

You will need to pause the music player on the bottom of the page before you start this video!

Collette had her Christmas Program last night. She and all of the kids were so cute. They each had a solo while the rest of the kids did hand motions behind them. We are so proud!

Ode to Collette

2008-12-17T22:01:00.001-06:00

Our baby is going to be 4 years old on Monday. She is so excited about it. It has been such a wonderful thing to see her learn and grow. We have cherished every moment as much as we can. This is to you baby girl...We love you. Have a happy birthday!

Nursing School Graduation!

2008-12-16T17:36:00.002-06:00

Enjoy the pics. I will post more later.

I Passed!!!!!

2008-12-11T21:15:00.003-06:00

It is over. I passed Nursing School! Yea! I am so excited, relieved, and a bit tired. All of the hard work, sweat, and tears(no exaggerating) has paid off. I am officially a nurse. So my graduation in tomorrow night at 7PM. We were asked to write a small thank you for graduation and I don't feel like I thanked enough people, so here it goes:

Thanks goes first of all to God. He has lead me down so many paths that I never dreamed possible and I am here because of Him. He pulled me through when I wanted to give up and things were at there worst. Second to my family, Troy, Collette, and Dakota for sticking with me and encouraging me to continue. My family is the other source that I drew strength from. To my extended family...for support and to Dad, Mom, Jeana, and Sharon for helping me care for the kids when I was in a bind. My close friends that stuck with me through the entire process and talked me down when I was having a slight panic attack yesterday...Rhianna.
I also want to say a special thank you to all of you whom I have met at school. What wonderful people I have been blessed to learn along side. There are so many of you who have taught me strength, endurance, and mostly love. I will never forget you guys and I wish you all of the best. Thanks for being a part of our wonderful journey. May God always guide your path.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

The Gift of Giving

2008-12-05T21:16:00.003-06:00

About a month ago I took Collette and my nephew Tyler to Target to pick out gifts for others for xmas. We originally were going to put these into shoeboxes and give them to a church to hand out to those who need it. Well, Tyler ended up getting strep throat that week so all of our effort went down the drain. Sharon then had a great idea to go to a hospital and let the kids hand out their gifts. I called a few places but kept running into the same problem...it is RSV season and our little germ factors would be too much of a risk for these kids. I eventually remembered about this really neat place that I had done clinicals at last semester. It is the Children's Center in Bethany. The kids live at this rehab center. They have school, PT, OT, Speech Pathology, etc available for these kids. Most of the kids have some form of Cerebral Palsy or mental retardation. We called and a wonderful woman named Heather was so excited for us to come visit. We met with her and she let the kids put the presents under the tree. Then she took us on a tour of the facility. Collette and Tyler were able to meet several kids on the tour as well as see classrooms, the gym, and their rooms.
I was so proud at how well our kids did. All of the kids that they met were in wheelchairs. Neither one of our kids were scared or acted weird about it. They said hi and told them their names, how old they were, etc. It was a great experience, not only for Collette and Tyler, but for Sharon and me as well. I am going to put a link to this place so that you can see how great it is. And if you ever want a great place to visit or take presents to, you can do that also.
God is so good! Merry X-Mas!

http://www.thechildrens-center.org/

Be trendy and help a good cause

2008-12-04T22:54:00.002-06:00

Dakota's 1st Birthday Party!

2008-11-23T22:59:00.001-06:00

Carter Family Ho down

2008-11-22T21:27:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Two weeks and counting!!!

2008-11-20T10:22:00.003-06:00

So far this week has been a good one. I was offered a job at Mercy in L&D!!!(I accepted it) I officially start on January 7th. I had my last clinical for nursing school...thank goodness. Don't get me wrong, I think that clinicals are useful and we learn. They are just very time consuming and its just another thing to do in my week. Then yesterday we had a NCLEX comp predictor test. I passed and it said that I had a 97% chance of passing the NCLEX!!! So, my week has been going well as you can tell. Now all I have is 2 weeks of school left, not counting Thanksgiving. For the next couple of weeks I will be studying and praying that God will get me through the rest of this semester. God is so good and does such wonderful things!

Dakota's party is this Saturday. I can't believe that he is almost a year old. I feel like time has just flown by. My friends had a precious baby boy a week ago and it just brought back so many memories of my tiny baby. Here is a look at Dakota over the year.

Collette is excelling in homeschool. They have learned so much this year and it has reaffirmed to me that this is the right thing for our kids. I think we are going to look for a soccer league that she can join in January. She seems to be interested so we are going to give it a shot. I will have to get some video of her showing off what all she has been up to.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T23:33:00.001-06:00

Back on track

2008-10-31T00:42:00.005-05:00

Ok, so everything is back on track with the adoption stuff. We ended up submitting our app via internet. We recieved an email and a phone call the very next day. So we set up our phone orientation for the following Monday. On Monday we talked for about 30 minutes about applications, when to send things, where to send things, and of course the cost. It doesn't seem so overwhelming until you get off the phone and look at each other perplexed and think "What did she say?". Anyway, we made notes and I think that we have most of it straight. So, Tuesday we sent off the application to adopt internationally. Then last night we got our I-600A form filled out and gatherd all of the appropriate docs. Then FedEx picked that up today. Which I have to plug FedEx online service. It is so easy and they pick things up right at your front door! Too cool! Next is homestudy and more and more paperwork!
More to come! I will post Halloween pics of the kiddos this weekend.

Oh and I got a B on my test tonight!!! Things are looking up.

Fall pics!

2008-10-23T00:34:00.001-05:00

No news is bad news...

2008-10-22T23:25:00.002-05:00

...at least that is the case when you are applying for adoption. Troy and I sent in our apllication on the 11th of this month. We certified it and everything so that we would know when it arrived. So, we watched it for awhile, knowing that tracking on USPS is sometimes a day or two behind. Several days went by and no action on the site. So, Troy calls the post office and they say that they are going to look into it and get back to us within one day. Well, the next day there is no return call. Troy calls yet again and they still don't know what happened. Tonight I got home and just decided that we needed to start over. I pulled up the online application and proceeded to fill it out, again. It has been submitted and our family picture has been sent. Hopefully we will hear something in the not too distant future. Please continue to pray for this adoption and that God will bless us with another healthy baby!
In other news, I have some pumkin patch pics that I will post soon.

Slide show!!!

2008-10-11T20:45:00.000-05:00

Where the heck have we been?

2008-10-11T11:02:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. It as bee way to long since I have blogged. I have list of excuses...here they are all summed up. I started back to school(last semester!) , Collette started day school two days a week, We started homeschool ing with a few of our friends, I started a new job at Mercy Health Center, we had VBS(It was so much fun, but I we were very tired.), Dakota is moving and grooving, and we moved. So there are my excuses, I will do my best to try to catch up on pics for the last two months. I am going to make a slide show to catch you guys up. Iwill post that as soon as possible. Oh, and bear with me for the next 8 weeks until I can finish school.

So, we mailed off our adoption application today!!! I know that it is a bit earlier then what we had originally decided, but we got a little anxious and wanted to get the ball rolling. We were told that all the paper work that we have to fill out all depends on how fast we get it done. Well, Troy and I hate filling out papers or writing so I figure this will give us plenty of time to get all of this done. We are asking that you all pray for us in this adventure that we are all about to start.

Dakota is now crawling around like a crazy baby. He is pretty fast and if you aren't watching him he will crawl off some where and hide. Collette and I were running around the house the other day searching for him. We found him in a corner playing with the dog bowls. He is just so quiet when he sneaks off. We really have to keep one eye on him at all times. He is also saying two words now, "Dada" and "Dog". (He is still 100% Momma's boy though!).

Collette is doing all kinds of new things too. We started homeschool and she loves it. Every day she runs up to me and asks "Can I do some homework!?" When she has done all of her homework she gets a little upset about it. So we let he do some computer games that are geared toward learning.

Troy's job is still going well. He really likes setting his own hours and being his own boss. He is such a wonderful help and support to me right now, too. I really could not have gone back to school without him. God has blessed me with so much!

Pics will be up soon!

Horses are a little overrated!

2008-07-31T23:19:00.002-05:00

Our cousins, Lindsay and Ashley, are in town visiting from Portland, OR. We decided to take them horseback riding. It sounded like such a good idea until we were an hour in. The horses were very much in charge and the kiddos were done. At one point, I thought that we were all going to end up in the lake or be stuck in a field while the horses ate. We eventually made in back and now we are sore. All-in-all we had fun and it was well worth it. We do have some great stories from this day. We will always remember this wonderful day of riding. Stay tuned for more updates while the girls are here.

House and kid update

2008-07-24T16:08:00.006-05:00

So, we were suppose to close today and it didn't happen. We are having some AC issue that we just happen to find out about. It all seems rather fishy to us because we are pretty sure that the seller knew about it. Luckily, we stuck to our guns and had our own AC inspector out and he found all sorts of stuff that weren't right. I would go into what all is wrong, but I don't think that I could explain it all in a post...it is that much info. Needless to say we are now hoping to close on Tuesday and hoping that the sellers will work with us on lowering the price of the house. We should have some news by tomorrow.

On a better note... Dakota is CRAWLING! It's about time-ha! As a Mom of a second child I actually would rather him not move at all. But since he is I will be excited for him! The same day that he started crawling, I also noticed that his bottom right tooth was in. So, two milestones in one day. This boy sure is busy all of a sudden.

We took the kids swimming today. Coco is getting more brave evertime we go out. Today she jumped off the diving board, several times. She also swam with her face in the water. She kept saying "Mom, teach me something!" It is so great that she wants to learn. I think that we are going to have to put her in competitive swim when she is a little older. The girl is pretty good. I will have to take the camera next time and post some video.

In other news...

2008-07-14T02:04:00.004-05:00

Our new house:

So, we have just recently purchased a duplex with Troy's sis and bro-i-law(Brian and Sharon). It is all going rather fast so that is why not much has been mentioned about it. We close on July 24th. We are all really excited about this new adventure. Our side is the left side (Right side if you are looking at it from the street. It is about 3400 sq/ft total. So roughly 1700 each. I will try to post more pics soon. The inside needs a little modernizing, but other than that it is in pretty good condition. Now we just need to sell our house (pray we can do that soon)!

Adoption update: Troy and I had our info meeting today. We are both really excited about all of this now. We learned a lot more about the adoption "process" and it still hasn't scared us away! So we are looking at starting all of this first to middle of 2009. Please be praying for our decision and that God will lead us to the country and child that needs our family. Now we just have to get Collette to understand that we are not going to trade in Dakota and we will be set. (She thinks that if we get a new baby then baby Kota has to leave. It is so hard for a 3 year old to understand!) I love how her mind works and that she loves Dakota that much.

Adoption? For real?

2008-07-13T02:19:00.002-05:00

So, Troy and I have some friends who have just recently adopted kids from other countries. Troy's old college roomate is also in the process of adopting a child. Well, we have been following their stories and have been touched by all of them. We started discussing how nice it would be to be able to raise a child that is in need of a loving family. Then it was like, why not? Why not look into adoption? We have been blessed with two wonderful healthy children. We would like to be blessed with more, but I really don't know if my body can take another pregnancy. Dakota was pretty hard on my body or maybe I'm just getting older, who knows. Anyway, we are going to an information meeting today to find out how we can start this wonderful, hard, long adoption process. So, be praying for our family and this decision that we feel that God has laid before us. We probably won't start the official adoption until beginning to middle of 2009. That way Dakota and the new baby will at least be a year to two years apart. I will keep this updated on where we are in the process and what conutry that we will decide to adopt from.
More pics to come soon!

Our Fourth

2008-07-07T23:23:00.002-05:00

We had such a wonderful Fourth of July. We got to spend the evening with my Dad's side of the family. It's been a while since we have all gotten together. We had so much fun setting off fireworks and playing games.

Thank you!

2008-07-07T10:39:00.003-05:00

The kids recieved gift from my Aunt Carmeleta a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to say a big thanks for the toys! The kids love playing with the toys. Here is a video to show you how much they like them.

Puppies and fireworks

2008-07-04T12:14:00.003-05:00

As you can probably tell, we have adopted a puppy. We went to a Fourth of July party last night and came home with this cute puppy. Our friends breed these schnoodle puppies and sell them online at http://www.okiepupstoo.com/ Well, Collette got a hold of them and did not let them go the entire night. We were about to leave and she asked our friend for a box to take him home in. Somehow, Collette suckered us into bringing one home. On the way home we were trying to come up with a name that Collette would agree to. We tried Bear, Micah, Whitey, etc. She just kept saying that those were not dog names. Finally she says "How about Yoyo?" Troy and I weren't to keen at first, but now it is growing on us. I think that it is cute that she gave him his name. So far he is a really good puppy. He has had a few accidents, but his puddles are like drops of water because he is so small. Cleaning up hasn't been too bad. Enjoy the pics. If you are interested in getting a puppy, there is still one that needs a good home!

Troy and Collette went yesterday to pick out fireworks. Coco has had the best time lighting the sparklers and throwing the poppers on the ground. Tonight we are going to shot off the bigger fireworks at my Grandparents acrage in Mulhall. We are looking forward to letting the kids have fun on the fourth. I will upload pics of our big night as soon as I get a chance.

Blast from the past!

2008-06-23T12:23:00.002-05:00

Dakota and Molly 6/2008

Collette and Tyler 4/2005

So, I thought that it would be fun to compare the cousins. They are all definitely related. I was looking through pics last night and I cam across these pics of Coco and Tyler when they were little. It's so hard to remember how little they actually were. Now they are big and talk and do things all by themselves. It's fun to remember these times. Enjoy the cute pics!

Cute Pics

2008-06-20T00:01:00.002-05:00

So, as you can tell...Dakota iss getting bigger and Coco got her hair cut. It is a really cute cut, thanks to Kari! Collette calls it her "Princess" hair. Don't worry, the curl is still there. I need to try to fix it straight one day to see how that looks, too.
We have a lot going on, as usual. I am back in class this summer. I had to take one more prerequisite, Microbiology. Not the most fun, but it's ok. Troy is working hard at his job and at all of the things around here that need to get done. He is almost done with Collette's loft bed. We will post pics as soon as we can. Collette is excited to have a big bed.
Dakota is sitting up on his own. He is also starting that fear of strangers phase. Which is all new to us because Collette has never met a stranger. I guess Dakota's just going to be our sensitive child. (Troy hates when I say that!)
Enjoy the pics. Coco took the ones of her guinea pigs.

Kellie

Portland pics

2008-06-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

Craziness of May and June

2008-06-07T22:20:00.002-05:00

There has been way too much going on this last month. We went to Portland to visit Troy's family. We had a really good time getting to see everyone. The kids really enjoyed being spoiled by the grandparents. We also had a lot of fun with all of the extended family. Collette enjoyed running around with her cousins, Caitlin, Ethan, and Callie. We have some of the cutest nieces and nephews (I'm not biased at all!). We got to go to the zoo while we were there. Of course, it was like the hottest week ever while we were there. So, going to the zoo was about as hot and sticky as it is when you go to our local zoo. We had fun anyway. We also went to the Rhododendron garden. It is beautiful there. There are so many flowers. Coco wanted to pick them all and bring them home (she loves flowers). I limited her to just picking up all the ones off the ground. This seemed to satisfy her. I think that she is following in both of her grandfather's footsteps. They love to work in the garden, as does Collette. It's cute to see her get so excited just to go out and pick the flowers. Dakota enjoyed getting to cuddle with everyone. He just loves being held.
A week after that trip Jeana and I took the kids to Dallas. My Mom flew to Houston the week before and drove to Dallas with my grandmother to meet up with us. The girls did really well in the car. But the boys were a whole other story. Brody didn't sleep once in the car and Dakota, well he doesn't even like riding in the car a short distance. So, you can imagine how it went. We did enjoy getting to see Grandma, Harold, Gail, and Rudalfo.
I started back to school this last week. I am taking microbiology this summer, ugh. I just want to get through it and be done with prerequisits. I will be done in 7 wks, so not much longer.
Work is going well for Troy. He is still enjoying working for himself. The kids and I enjoy him being around the house a lot more too.
Well, today marks our 5th anniversary and we are so far from where we started. It's crazy to even think about. In 5 years we have had 2 houses, 2 kids, 4 cars, 1 and a half degrees, countless computers, and so much more. God has truely blessed our marriage and I hope and pray that the blessing continue. I look forward to what God will put into our lives in the future.
I will post pics real soon. I am uploading them as I type.

Cute Pics

2008-05-12T22:39:00.002-05:00