~~Happy Birthday Tessa~~

A couple of weeks ago a friend of ours posted on FB that they were having a silent auction to help a family bring home a little girl from China who needs heart surgery.    Amy posted photos of all the items they were auctioning.   A big fluffy duck caught my eye.    Tessa LOVES ducks!   And it had a quilt with it.  Jackpot!   All the girls have a cuddle quilt for their beds.   These quilts are part of their 100 Good Wishes Quilts.    I have not yet started on Tessa's.   Come to think of it...I don't think that I have started Jordis'.   I need someone to mail me some squares and wishes!!   Tessa now has a quilt with duckies on it and a stuffed duck to go with it.    She loves her duckie!!

  

Today Tessa turned 8!   I had asked her a few weeks ago what she wanted for her birthday and she didn't know.    Then about a week ago she told me she wanted an American Girl Doll.    She didn't want just any old doll, she wanted the McKenna doll.    Well, I knew that her sister wanted a McKenna doll?   So her Dad and I decided that we would make sure that Tessa had the chance to pick the doll SHE wanted.

So we told the girls that we were going to the mall to Build-A-Bear.    Once we arrived I told the girls

to wait with their Dad because Tessa and I had to go somewhere first.   Tessa and I headed to the AG store.  I explained to Tessa that she could pick out the doll that she wanted.   It didn't take long for her to pick a doll, and it kind of looks like her!   Let me tell you that we have one very happy little girl who is very proud of her new doll!   There is not a name for the doll yet, but she is thinking about a few.

Happy Birthday Tessa JiXing!   We love you all the way to the moon and back!!

Announcing

                                WE ARE

        Dossier was sent to China Friday, June 22, 2012!!!!

I went and did it.

My husband says that I needed some more color.    So I get my color in a different way than some would.      I added Tessa and Linzi.    Several years ago I had four of our girls names tattooed on my left ankle.    When I started the tattoo we only had three girls and it worked out that three names fit three fourths of the way around the ankle.    So when we adopted again I had room to put another name.   Then we added Tessa.    Now we are adding Linzi.

So we tried to figure out how to add two more names to the tattoo.    After much thought, I decided to add another tattoo in a different area.    This is my right wrist.

I love my girls!!!

Bet you can't guess.....

where we were today!! I will give you one hint...just look at the photo.



Awwww...come on! You need another hint?



We have been in St. Louis since Father's Day afternoon. Our friends, Gary, Sophie and Zia had invited us down to attend the Chinese Lantern Festival at the Botanical Gardens. I understand that this is just one stop of many that the Lanterns are going to move around to. It was very beautiful and well worth our drive down.







This morning we decided to check out the Arch. We chose to remain on the ground looking up at it instead of riding to the top to look out and down. It was another hot day, but we did have a pretty strong wind that helped to cool us off at times. Since it was just a walk across the street, we decided to go for a river boat cruise. The girls loved going to each different deck to see the sights.

After the cruise we HAD to go to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Love the old building, but I must be honest. I had the worst chicken parmigiana that I have ever had. I was hungry enough that I went ahead and ate it, but sure wouldn't go back for more!





We had a great ride on the Tom Sawyer. Our older girls pretended that they were on the Titanic and stood at the bow saying "We are on top of the world!"



Even had a family photo taken.

It was a great time, with great friends and over way too soon!    We are trying to coordinate another
trip before the end of summer.

St Louis Botanical Gardens

We were invited to go to St. Louis, Missouri to see the Botanical Gardens. I love flowers and that in its self would be a great thing to see. However, there was a big bonus at the gardens. They are hosting the Lantern Festival. They have many beautiful, large Chinese lanterns that are most picturesque in the daytime, but become spectacular in the evening when the sun goes down and the lights are turned on! Dragons, lotus, children, buddha, flowers oh my. They are simply gorgeous when the lights are on them. Many of them have something that moves. There was also artisians who were making items for sale.





Even though it was hot, humid and not a breeze to be had, it was a fun evening strolling around the gardens.

Orange

We have orange decided belts in our house! The girls were in Taekwondo summer camp all this past week, Monday through Friday 8 to Noon each day. It was a great learning experience for them. We have seen changes in their behavior since the camp. And they went from white belts to orange decided.

Sunday they had a potluck picnik and awards ceremony at Lake Shawnee. I unfortunately had to work, but Dad did a pretty good job of getting photos. Here they are with their instructors.



On the adoption front...we received an email from the adoption unit today that we should be getting our approval very soon!!

Well, I did it.

I fired off a letter to the NBC Hague. I want some kind of response from them. Our daughter is getting older by the day waiting for her family. This is ridiculous!! SIX adoptions and this is the first time they have questioned us on anything!! I truly believe that they questioned things this time because A. We were fingerprinted early and B. because I not only called to see if an officer was assigned to us, I then followed up with an email!! Do they really think that we will just sit around sipping our mint julips, twiddling our thumbs and be patient????

We want our I-797 and we want it NOW!! Come on peeps!! Throw this mama a bone!! Send this family a beautiful letter that includes our I-797!!!

P.L.E.A.S.E.?????

This week finds us.....

running! The girls are in Taekwondo summer camp which is from 8 to 12 daily. They tested out last Saturday morning. We have not yet learned if they moved on to an orange belt. This week they will again test out and could have an orange decided belt if they do good on that. I am sure that several if not all will do great. They have been practicing and the extra hours they are putting in seem to make them really "get it."






Then in the evenings from 6 to 8:15PM they have been attending Vacation Bible School. They have been having such a great time this week. They are going to be so bored next week without anything going on!! We will be enrolling Tessa and Kendalan in swimming lessons soon. Still trying to decide who, when and where for the lessons.






We found out today where the leak in Big Bro's old room was coming from. The drain on the bath in the master bedroom was broken. The plumber thinks that it was probably broken for quite a while, possible even since it was installed. Oh...don't get me started on the wanna-be-constructor who built our house!! Now we have to have a contractor come out and patch in the ceiling sheet rock. Fortunately they cut out all of the black mold that was in the sheet rock!! Ugggh!! Next step...Mom is going to paint the bedroom real purty!! Already have the colors in mind and something to put on the walls once it is done. The tenants are volunteering to help paint so we can have it done sooner. I am thinking that maybe I will be the master painter and work while they are at swimming lessons!

So close but yet so far......

Our dossier is done. The one little piece of paper we are waiting on is the I-797 or as it is also known as "The Golden Ticket" The one little piece of paper that says we can bring our child into the USA. We have never had any trouble with the USCIS or Immigration and Naturalization Office during our five other adoptions. However, this time they want to know questions about Nicholas.

Nicholas was arrested in November 2011. Because of that the USCIS wants to know what happened. Nosy people aren't they?!! So Nicholas had to write a letter explaining what happened. And then he had to sign it "Under perjury of law." We drove to Alma to get a certified copy of the dismissal of the ticket he received. There are also questions asked of anyone over 18 that lives in the house. Our social worker forget to ask Nicholas the questions.

We have answered all that we can...we are putting it back in USCIS's hands. We hope that they will be super fast in sending our I-797.....SOON!!!

We are home.....

And I have been playing catch-up. Big bro moved out this week. The girls are very anxious to reclaim their room! It might be a few days before that happens. Nick had mentioned he had seen water dripping in the room but we didn't think too much about it. So while I was cleaning I found a hole in the ceiling. Looks like it could be coming from the shower in our master bedroom. I guess we will be having a plumber out to see what is going on.


Speaking of bathrooms.....I am quietly occupied in ours this evening, reading a book. It is truly my library. There is a tiny little tap tap on the door. I respond "I'm busy!" The door opens and Tessa comes in carrying her pajamas. She tells me "I need to put my jammies on, don't look at me!" Excuse me?! The door opens again. In comes our female cat. I say, "Well of course Oreo, come on in all the other girls in the house ignore the fact that I am in the bathroom!" Tessa starts laughing and her gum falls out on the floor. So I am handing her some T.P. and the door opens again. This time it is RaeAnne. First thing I notice..she has her sleep shirt on inside out and backwards!!


I have got to get the lock on the door fixed!!