Thanks Dawn

Tuesday, October 23, 2007
When I moved to FL and settled into PSL by my friend Jenn she wanted me to meet her good friend Dawn. At first I did not like this idea, me a third wheel? Oh it made me long for "my" Amanda. After a action packed summer as the 3 musketeers Dawn and I began to be friends. During the end of the summer Dawn was actively trying to adopt Kelli while we were actively trying for Jaden. Kelli was not a match for Dawn at the time and stayed with her family while we were not a match for Jaden. Two days after we got the sad news Dawn got an email that Kelli was once again available. Dawn had to decline since she is in the process of adopting 2 babies from Guatamala, she refered us. Well last weekend we got to meet Kelli for the first time and we are a match! So a great big thank you to Dawn who will always be in Kellis life, maybe as her "Godmother".

All Cried Out

Wednesday, October 03, 2007
All Cried Out
Well we waited and hoped and prayed and today we found out we were not picked for J's forever family. DE felt even though our family was the most experienced for her, they found the family who is fostering her baby brother and convinced them to adopt both children. This is a very sad twist since we really thought this was it. Ed and I have decided to go ahead and enroll in the MAPP class here in FL and go on the waiting list for a child in our state. This most likely will take a year. The boys have no idea what has happened just it will take longer for their sister to come home. I want to thank all my friends who helped, prayed, and cried with me. This has been a roller coaster of emotions and I am glad so many of you were riding along with us. We can only pray that our daughter is out there and we can be lead to her. I love you ladies!

Could it Be?

Friday, August 10, 2007
Could it be?
With my 33rd birthday coming tomorrow, I might have gotten the present of a lifetime. We have been actively trying to adopt a little girl and after being turned down twice we may have found our daughter. We have found a sweet 4 y/o in DE who maybe our Bella! After weeks of emails and phone calls with her social worker we got photos of her today! We believe she would be so happy with us for many reasons.
1. She is Sal's age (12/2002 How wierd!) 2. She loves the zoo (We have been known to travel far distances just to visit a zoo!) 3. Ed has nutritional certificates (She is overweight for her age and needs a family who understands about diet and exercise) 4. She loves Animal Planet (God knows that channel is on at our house 24/7.) 5. She wants a forever family (Which should be us!)
I am overwhelmed with emotions and just want her caseworker to offer us the chance to become her family, we are willing to drive to DE to meet and show them we can give her the home she needs/wants.

Toilet Humor

Friday, July 13, 2007
Toilet Humor
Nicholas loves to wash his hands and be in the bathroom, so I am thinking maybe potty training will be coming next. Nick has been getting very mad at Vinny and Sal if they will not come into the bathroom with him to turn on the water every 5 minutes to wash his hands. But since my Nick is so smart, he figured out how to fix the hand washing problem......
He simply washes his hands in the toilet, dries them with toilet paper and flushes! and I want another child?

Oh! For the Love of Bugs....

Monday, June 11, 2007
Oh for the Love of Bugs
A Lovebug flew into Nicholas ear! How does this happen? Well if you know anything about lovebugs they fly around in partners, well I pull out the lovebugs or I thought....One lovebug was in my hand and the other still in Nick's ear ARGGH! My parents where over and my mom and I are trying to think how to get the lovebug out while my dad ran around the kitchen screaming take him to the hospital! Dad ~ I am not taking the baby to the hospital for a lovebug. So I try to take the lovebug out of his ear with a tweezer, I got his legs and a wing not the whole bug Shit! Dad still screaming hospital. We descide on some proxcide and watch the bug start to desinagrate. Good we are on the right track. 3 days later we are out and Nick is telling anybody who will listen to 2 year old chatter: "bug, ear, medi".

Homestudy Hooray!

Monday, June 04, 2007
Homestudy Complete!
Well our homestudy went very well, the boys were excited about adopting a little sister so we had no negative comments from the peanuts! LOL I want to thank Amanda, April, Denise, Kristi and Jen for the wonderful letters. A few days later we found out we will not be a match for sweet "Jessica" in the states. (She was the little one who started this all) She was taken from an abusive/violent home which she needs 100% attention from her caregivers so ideally no siblings. She is mentally retarded due from severe beatings from her family, which is making her extremely voilent and her case worker is afraid for Nicholas safety since she can not understand right from wrong. We feel we would be doing her more harm then good by pursuing her. Her case worker agreed.
We are looking into the country of Belize, they have 6 orphanages, travel is 7-10 days and after the county receives all our paperwork it can be as little as 5-8 months for our "Isabella" to come home. We will keep everyone posted!

Hurry to a Homestudy

Monday, May 21, 2007
Homestudy
Moving back to FL has brought alot of changes but the biggest one would be our descion to adopt. We wanted to adopt a little girl back in 04 but instead we had Nicholas in early 05. We really thought we were done 3 boys and all!! But moving back being close to Jen and Brian we have watched them go to Russia to bring home Ethan and Sadie, we were in AL when Madison arrived but we are back to watch them search for another son has brought back all those feelings. It will be our turn to go to a far off country and bring home our princess, we are unsure of the country of adoption just the fact we will be parents of a little girl (2-5y/o) is exciting enough. We will keep you updated in our progress. Our first step happens now with a homestudy to be completed by May 30th.