Conference call and on to the contract!!

We had our first scheduled conference call with AGCI this afternoon... it was great! I am thrilled to finally be "in" the process. Soooo, we have about 83 days (yea, I counted it out) to turn in our contract and orientation packet with $7,390. (That covers contract fees, orphan care fees, homestudy review and adoptive parent education workbook). We are praying the Lord will provide, knowing He will provide.... and, on I go sewing! I've also been walking around the house tonight trying to find anything that is worth something to sell on ebay. Hum, slim pickins :) After we finish the homestudy, we can apply for various adoption grants, etc, but we have to sign that contract and be homestudy approved first! Oh, we are sooo eager to sign that contract and move on to the next step! I open to any and all fundraising idea :)

Orientation call tomorrow

I'm sorta bummed.....our orientation call with AGCI was supposed to be today, but UPS did not get out orientation packet here in time, so we had to reschedule for tomorrow. Just one day difference, but I am sooo eager to get along with the adoption!! I think everyone who sets out on the adoption road thinks they will work hard, fund raise quickly and get the paperwork in fast.... who doesn't want like mad to get their little one home??? However, the reality is, sooo much of the adoption process, even fundraising is totally out of our hands. I know that the Lord will provide financially and make straight the path for this child, but I am impatient and want it to happen NOW! It is so hard to go about the duties of the day, do what I must do, all the while looking at my sweet kids and "seeing" the face that is not there... the little one waiting for us whom we must fight to get to! I can only press on, but I cannot speed it up. Until then.... I sew :) Here are a few of the items I have made this week...

The count down is on. We have 11 weeks and 3 day to basically come up with just over $9000. This will cover contract fees, the homestudy fee and a few other fees. After the homestudy we can apply for a lot of adoption grants, etc; this first set of fees is the big hill to climb.

Back I go to sew :)

We're Approved!!!!

Tonight, AGCI called to let us know we have officially been approved for the adoption!!!! Our application took quite a bit longer than usual due to an insurance glitch, but finally, the journey has begun. On Tuesday afternoon Kenny and I have our joint conference call with AGCI and then move onto the contract (read: FEES!) My mind is running with more fundraising ideas. After I got off of the phone with AGCI and explained to the kids what the approval meant, Evangeline came to me with her little Hello Kitty wallet. She has been working hard to earn and save money to buy some bitty baby items from the American Girl catalog. "Here Momma," she said, "you can have this money for our child. I don't need it. You can use it for her." Somewhere in Ethiopia sits a little girl who has a big sister who loves her very much!! Praising the Lord for the good news tonight!!

Skirts are Here!!!

Introducing the Flitterbug Skirt! Fun to twirl in and can be worn year round. Skirts come in sizes 1 to 8 and are $25 a piece. Choose one fabric or a variety of fabrics. I will update my pages and skirts will be ready to order!

Book Worms

If you have ever been to our home, you have probably noticed something. Books. Everywhere. We love 'em. We spend an insane amount of time with 'em. Even wild child Samuel pulls himself, plus a stack of books up onto the couch and "reads" mulitple times a day. I took this picture a few hours before Samuel discovered he, at 19 months, can climb out of his crib. Not gracefully however; he crashed onto his head. Samuel gives me about a heart attack a day.

This week has been an occasion in our family...Evangeline seemed to "get it" with her phonics and is beginning to read a bit on her own. Today, she read her first book, all the way through!!! (I did help a bit.)

The kids had fun taking their quiet time today.... we have 2 big containers to "house" our baby chicks and heat lamps (don't worry, theses are new, clean containers), and the kids rested in them. Twenty five baby chicks should be arrive in the mail tomorrow!

No real adoption news this week.... our insurance application is in for the kids, and once we have a confimation on it, we can finally move onto the next step!

SALE! SALE! SALE!

I have a few "model" dresses marked down to sale! These are new dresses which will ship within 24 hours of placing order. If you are interested, email me (jubug231@ aol.com) and let me know which garment you would like. First come first serve!

Turkey Day!

Turkey Day- Size 3 long sleeved Flitterbug Dress with hairbow- Regular price ($43)

Sale Price: $25

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Polka Dot Christmas

Polka Dot Christmas- Size 2T short sleeve dress and hairbow- Regular Price ($30)

Sale price: $20

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Little Pilgrims

Little Pilgrims- Short sleeve size 5- Regular price ($25)

Sale Price: $18

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Pizzaz

Pizzaz- Short sleeve size 8- Regular price ($30)

Sale price: $20

Email me with any questions....and watch for more sale items this week! Happy Monday to you all!

Good Adoption News!!!

Yea! We turned in our "official" AGCI application and application fee a little over 2 weeks ago. Normally, it takes 1 to 3 days for social services to review your application (AGCI social services) and give you an official acceptance/ denial. (Then you come up with big contract money and start the homestudy:) We had a glitch..... our health insurance isn't technically insurance; we are part of a Christian share group, which we LOVE. Technically, it HAS to be insurance which will cover any preexisting condition; in case we get our child home and discover a major medical problem. Share groups must be becoming popular, because AGCI had 3 other families submit an app this week with the same health insurance problem. We have been really anxious the past few weeks, waiting to hear our "fate". Megan at AGCI called last night (I LOVE that girl!). Here's the plan. We will purchase a very basic, high deductible policy just for Kenny, one that we can add our child onto (and that covers preexisting conditions). I'll email AGCI our receipt of sale, and on we move to the next step!!!!! We are thrilled! Now I just have to search and find that policy :)

Fall Festival

Yesterday after church, we went to my parents for lunch. I got some good lovin' on our nephew, baby Pearce. Such a cute fella! Here he is, being a frog. (Katie, I hope it's ok I grabbed this from your blog!)

We then headed out to the fall festival at our church. It was a lot of fun and the kids were all smiles!

I had planned on doing a study with the kids this past week on Martin Luther and the Reformation, but like so many of my plans, it got lost in the busyness of the week. I hope to retry the plan this week...... no need to wait until next year's Reformation Anniversary to teach the kiddos some church history!!

Happy Monday to you all!