Appointments are still a Go!

PJ spoke with the National Benefits Center this morning concerning our double fingerprint appointments. The lady told him to keep our 1st appointments. So, we are still trying to get our "biometrics" taken after Christmas. The lady informed PJ they were called "biometrics" not fingerprints! What??!!

Christmas Parties, A Birthday & Bummer News

The kids had their Christmas parties at school on Friday. The parties were at the exact same time so we (PJ, my mom & myself) split between the two classes! Everyone had a lot of fun! The kids are looking forward to Christmas. Philip asked for a Star Wars AT-TE. It looks really cool! Ashlyn asked that Santa bring her an Easy Bake oven & the mixes. She talked with Santa on Saturday at the mall. She was "really nervous"!

It was my birthday on Saturday. 33 feels just like 32!

Adoption Bummer News- We received another fingerprint appointment in the mail?? This one is in the middle of January. No mention of the one after Christmas being cancelled or anything. I'm going to try to get ahold of someone at the USCIS office tomorrow. We are thinking about trying to get prints on the original appointment. This will put us about 3 weeks behind the average 90 days to process. Ugh! We are not real happy about the new appointment.

All I Really Want For Christmas

I know what you guys are thinking--not another video! Sorry guys. It has been awhile since I posted one (a little over a week!). I love this Christmas song by Steven Curtis Chapman. A lot of his songs make me cry. (pause my music at the bottom before playing :)!)





I think that the majority of us (myself & family included) focus on the buying, presents, Christmas cards, etc. We should be thinking about all the orphans in this world that just want someone to LOVE them. Can't wait to give "lovins" to Hope! Maybe we will have her next Christmas.
Please say a prayer for the Chapmans. This is the first Christmas without Maria.

Over the Weekend

Just a couple of pictures from our new camera!

Yes-we think that Ashlyn looks like a teenager. Scary!
My Aunt Val, GG & Mom. And then some weird reflection. I'm still trying to figure out the camera!

Looks more like a 5 year old here!

My sweet Philly & me!

Fingerprint AppointmentS!

Who-hoo! My fingerprint appointment arrived today! It is the same day as PJ's but different time?? We will probably have the kids with us anyways, so it works out!
Enjoy the snow tonight (if you live in the panhandle)!

Fingerprint Appointment

Notice in the title that appointment is not plural. PJ received his fingerprint appointment but I did not. What does that mean?!! I'm sure mine is on the way just delayed somewhere. Our appointment is only 2 hours away from our home & it is right after Christmas. We had already taken the day off back in September--so it worked out great! God's plan is awesome.

The TRUTH

When you decide to adopt--suddenly a lot of your free time is spent on reading other people's blogs. I came across this blog from a friend of Sheri's. I was disturbed by this blog's facts:

The TRUTH is that there are 147,000,000 orphans in our world today. 147,000,000.

The TRUTH is that 70 percent of these precious children will never have an education.

The TRUTH is that every day, 16,000 children die from hunger related causes. That is 5,840,000 a year.

The TRUTH is that about 1 in every 3 people living today does not have access to clean water.

The TRUTH is that 10,600,000 children under the age of 5 die each year. 54 percent of these deaths are from PREVENTABLE, TREATABLE illnesses.

This blog is a twenty year old young woman ministering to the orphans in Uganda. Check out her blog. It is POWERFUL.
Please pray for the 147 million orphans in the world tonight. 147 million. Our "Hope" is just one of the 147 million.

Notice of Action

We received a letter from USCIS stating that our application has been received. The letter states that our fingerprint appointment will follow in another letter. No mention of when that letter might come!! We do have a case number--that sounds official & exciting.

Signs of Hope

No-not our Hope. I came across this couple's blog & LOVE IT! Jacob & Carrie work in China volunteering with an orphanage that helps mainly special needs children. Maybe our Hope is there! I posted their button to the right. Check it out! Their blog has pictures of precious children!!

Merry Christmas Video

I watched this on another family's blog & loved it! Grab Kleenex before watching & pause our music at the bottom! (check out the family's blog--they are China Bound in 2 days!!)