No Promises

Once again it's been over a year and no new posts from me. So I am not even gonna promise to pick this back up on a regular basis, but I am gonna try to do better than once a year.

Well, in case you haven't heard, we FINALLY got the final adoption decree for Hannah!
She's still doing gymnastics, graduated from 8th grade, and is moving on to high school in the fall.

James just finished 6th grade, is deep into the world of Mine Craft, and will still be at TFAA next year.

Jeff and I celebrated 21 years of wedded bliss, and have a few more gray hairs.

So there's a quick one year update in 3 seconds or less.

I hope to write again soon, but remember no promises!

Who am I and Where have I been?

Wow, can't believe it's been a year since I last posted, my how time flies. I'll try to be better for 2011. So here's a start.

Who I Am...

I am...a wife,daughter,sister, granddaughter, and friend.
I want...to gain financial independence so I can give more.
I have... a great family.
I wish...that I could snuggle up on the couch and read all day.
I hate...when movie producers and authors think they can't produce something great without using vulgar language.
I fear...not raising my children to follow the Lord.
I hear...songs and Scriptures in my mind.
I search...for creativity.
I wonder...what heaven will be like.
I regret...that I don't witness to others enough.
I love...when I have an aha moment.
I ache...for my children to have a closer relationship with Jesus.
I always...brush my teeth at least 3 times a day.
I usually...don't buy new clothes for myself.
I am not...athletic. Also, I am not good at doing my hair.
I dance...very seldom, another thing I'm not really good at.
I sing...ing the car when no one is with me.
I never...eat green peas or lima beans.
I sometimes... want to close out the world and escape under the covers!
I cry...too freaking easily.
I am not always...the best about sending cards on people's birthdays.
I lose...my cool when people are mean to the ones I love.
I am confused...as to how people can doubt that there is a God!
I need...at least 8 hours of sleep a night or I'm very cranky!
I should...be more intentional with keeping up long-distance friendships

Carol
I am in an inservice about blogs and wikis and thought that I would add this to your blog please delete this later.

Memphis

Today was our CIS interview for Hannah. It was intense right from the start. The office we were assigned to started on the attack right off. We didn't have an attorney with us at the beginning because the attorney in GA couldn't get in touch with the Memphis office until this morning. So we go in by ourselves and the officer immediately starts demanding to know how she got here and why we just hadn't adopted her already, and how could she be declared abandoned if we brought her here and have been caring for her. We could barely answer one of her questions before she was demanding an answer to another. Then she wanted all the paperwork from Mexico. The attorney finally showed up and started pointing out that those weren't necessary because we had a court order. When the officer stepped out of the room the attorney said that she has had trouble with her before. She was so rude, I told Jeff even the FBI wasn't that rude when they interviewed us. Finally, the officer said she was going to request more evidence and that we would have to turn in all the paperwork from Mexico. Then she went to talk to her supervisor. After about 15 minutes she came back and said the Mexican paperwork wouldn't be necessary and she would mail her decision to us. So now we wait. The lawyer said she has no grounds to deny approval, but she probably didn't want to do an about face with us sitting there, so she just said she would mail the decision. Even if she does deny us, we can appeal and go before the judge in Memphis. So let's pray she gets her "happy pill" and sends the approval so we don't have to take extra steps.

Prayer Request

Some of you may know already that we received our interview appointment with immigration. The appointment date is next Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 a.m. in Memphis. This interview is for Hannah to get her approval for status as a legal permanent resident which then means we can do a TN adoption. It is vital that we get this approval.

Our lawyer has explained that the Memphis office can sometimes be difficult, but that she fully expects us to be approved. Since she resides in Georgia, it is cost prohibitive for her to attend the meeting. However she is contacting a friend who is a prominent immigration attorney in Memphis to see if he can represent us.

So here are my specific prayer requests that I would like to ask you to intercede on our behalf for:

1. That God hand picks and places the interviewer in position to hear our case.
2. Hannah doesn't have a Mexican Passport. Pray that will not create issues.
3. Pray for wisdom and guidance for Jeff and I as we answer questions.
4. Pray that the lawyer in Memphis will be available.
5. Most of all pray for us to walk out of there with approval!

We will probably no go in right at 7:30, so I can't tell you a specific time to pray. Once we go in it should only take 15-30 minutes.

New Order

Jeff went to cout on Wednesday and we got our new Order with the new wording. Now we are just waiting for INS to set up the interview.

Long Time, No Post

Okay, my friend Candace (yes, I am naming names) commented that she was disappointed that I have not blogged in a long time. I have been debating about keeping up with this blog or just letting it go. I can't seem to find much time and feel that I am doing too much with FB and a blog. But since Candace shamed me, I decided I would go ahead and post anyway.

On the adoption issue. We received an e-mail in December saying that the wording had changed on the Order we got back in May. So we have to get an amended Order with the new wording before we go to our Immigration Interview (no date has been set for that yet). This means we had to go back to our TN lawyer and get him to file the paper work which is now going to cost us more money. He filed the paperwork and the court date is set for this Wednesday. Jeff is going to court and I am going to Ft. Worth for work. The lawyer says it shouldn't be a big deal since we laid out everything in our original order. But you know how things go with us, so please pray.

I have one more week to wear this stupid boot on my foot. For those of you who don't know, I broke my foot three days before Christmas. Yesterday I didn't wear it around the house and I was severely chastised by my oldest child. She asked me why I was not wearing my boot. When I said, "I didn't want to.," she replied, "Mom, we all have to do things we don't want to do sometimes." I guess she's heard that before : )

Said daughter has started competition season. She is now a level 8 and doing fantastic. I had to miss her first meet, but will be there for the rest.

Youngest son starts basketball tomorrow. He was all gung ho until I reminded him last night. Then said, "I am not sure I am really into basketball anymore." I told him he had to try since I have already paid. His response, "Do I have to do the whole season?" Uggh what am I going to do with him?

Dearest hubby is still trying to adjust to life at Riverdale. He misses Oakland and the friendships he formed there. I keep praying that he will feel better about the situation.

So that's the updates. I'll try to be better about posting.