2 YEARS OLD!!!

The "teacup" ride at Chuck E Cheese was fun, but not nearly as much fun as putting all of our tokens in the slots!
Time to open presents!


A little help and supervision from Harvey:

This speaks for itself

Out of Surgery

I just got word that Papaw is now off the heart/lung machine and is doing fine so far. They are closing him up now and will take him to ICU. Thanks for your prayers!

My Papaw

My Papaw is scheduled for open heart surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30 CST. He is having an aortic valve replacement. Obviously, this always a risky surgery, and even more so because he is 87 years old. He is in good health, though, otherwise, and should recover well. Please keep him, my grandmother, my mom and aunt in your prayers tomorrow. Thanks.

Weekend fun

Last Friday when I went in to wake Garin from his nap, I couldn't find him. I finally discovered him on the floor, under the crib, against the wall. I guess he was protesting that his pillow case was in the wash, or maybe he was tired of having the head of his bed elevated to alleviate his congestion.

Garin loves all things soft and fuzzy. This morning, he was "helping" me fold laundry and found a pair of my house socks, which he promptly put on his own feet. He has become very particular about his clothes and how they fit. He wants everything long and loose. If it's not, he pulls and tugs at it all day.

It's been a busy and very enjoyable few days! We had praise team rehearsal Thursday night, a meeting at church on Friday night, Angel Food Network pick-up at church on Saturday, and we sang all three services on Sunday. Lots of church, which is wonderful! The 45-minute drive to church, however, got a bit tiring, but it's well worth it.

We got our final medical stuff done for the dossier on Friday. We continue to pray that accreditation comes through very soon, so that we can continue moving forward to get our kids home!

We have decided to host a Super Bowl party on Sunday and invite our friends from our church's Southern Campus Launch Team and probably praise team too. It will be nice and casual and an opportunity to enjoy the fact that we live off-base and can finally have civilian friends over without putting them through the wringer!

A major step behind us!

We got our letter in the mail today from the Department of Homeland Security, approving us to adopt the kids! We had been told the application would take three months to process, but it took less than six weeks. What a wonderful surprise!!! This is a very big step for us. Now we are waiting for Russia to complete the accreditation process for our agency, so our dossier can be registered in Russia. Then the Russian government will extend an invitation for us to travel to see our kids! Keep praying!!!!

Improvement!

Garin woke up from his nap today acting normally, playing and talking in his room. It's a wonderful sound after the past few days of him waking up gasping, coughing and crying! I think he's really on the mend. Thanks to all who have kept him in your prayers and checked up on him.

Now I can get back to blogging about happier things....the adoption, my boys, God's grace and goodness!

Media in Politics

"Gender or race: Black women voters face tough choices in S.C."
(http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/21/blackwomen.voters/index.html)

This was the headline on a story that appeared yesterday, the day honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on CNN.com.

Does anyone else find this offensive and insulting to the American people and particularly to African-American women?!

The article made mention of issues in passing, but the article primarily addressed the idea that black women have two choices for president: black or woman. If we follow that logic for the whole of America, that means that all white women will vote for Hillary. (I can promise you that this will not happen, as I am a white woman who would refuse to vote before casting a vote for the only white woman running.) It also means that all black men will vote for Obama. White men, like black women, will have a multitude of choices. How will they ever decide? Perhaps they should just draw a name out of a hat?

According to a CNN article this morning, "CNN readers respond angrily to 'race or gender' story" (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/21/emails.race.gender/index.html), I was not alone in my irritation. Throughout this campaign, it seems as if the media has taken the welcome diversity of our presidential candidates and exploited it for their own purposes, pitting black against white, man against woman. And have we forgotten that there are Republican candidates? I would be interested to hear any of your opinions or thoughts about this.

I couldn't keep my big mouth shut and made the following comment on the AC360 blog (http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2008/01/race-or-gender-how-would-you-decide.html):

"Every voting American has a tough choice, certainly, but not because of race or gender. The African-American woman deserves more credit than that. She is wise enough to vote for the person whose views and convictions best align with her own. Why reduce her options to "black" or "female"? I find it interesting that this article should appear on the day honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He lived and died working to put an end to such limits and stereotypes."

Frustration

After a fairly decent day with Garin, the evening has gone downhill a bit. He added a stuffy nose to the mix this evening, and he is still having a lot of chest congestion, coughing and gasping. He seemed to feel better today even though his symptoms were not much improved, but he woke up about an hour ago with fever back to 102.5, vomiting and struggling to breathe. A dose of Motrin has the temperature back under control, and after some snuggling he has gone back to sleep.

As all parents know, it is so hard to see your kids go through something like this. He's had colds before, and those don't bother me so much, but this is scary. He isn't able to tell us what he feels, and we aren't able to help him. I am increasingly frustrated with the lack of assistance from the medical community. There was a time when there was a multitude of medications for any given illness, and doctors handed them out like candy. I do think it's good that they are more cautious about filling our kids with chemicals these days, but there are times when some medicinal help is warranted. This is one of those times. The medical professionals we've seen in Garin's almost-two years all say to wait it out, as if it were no big deal at all. Up until now, we have been able to do that successfully. This time I'm just mad. They have been dismissive of his discomfort and anguish, and it seems as if they really don't care that neither of us has slept for three days, and that we sit up crying together: Garin because he's suffering and I because I can do nothing but hold him. I realize that they probably do care and may be as frustrated as I am that there isn't a good, safe decongestant out there for the little ones, but I didn't see much compassion during our middle-of-the-night ER visit. He needs something to loosen up his chest, so he can breathe.

Please forgive my ranting. I am tired and worried. I will take him to his regular pediatrician tomorrow (if I can get an appointment) and beg and plead for something, anything, to help him. In the meantime, I'll keep praying for his healing and a chance for some decent sleep.

Another Sleepless Night...

We had another scare with Garin's breathing yesterday. He awoke from his nap gasping for air, wheezing and coughing. After sitting in a steamy bathroom for awhile, we decided to go visit our friend, Kim, to have her check his lungs for us. We didn't want to spend another night in the ER for no reason, but it is hard to tell where the wheezing and crackling is coming from without a stethoscope. She took a listen and said that his lungs sounded tight but that they didn't have any fluid in them. She checked his throat and said that it was very swollen, and that it was probably causing him to have to work so hard to breathe. She was such a blessing to us last night, and we are so thankful for her. Without a stethoscope or oxygen monitor, it is so hard to know. Thank you, Kim.

We spent the night battling a high fever. I alternated between sitting up and holding him so that he could sleep and breathe easier and laying him down for awhile, propped on pillows, when he didn't want to be held. I think he was so hot with fever that being held was uncomfortable at times, and he just wanted to lie down.

Sometime around mid-morning, his fever seems to have broken (fingers crossed). He has lost his voice and is still coughing and having difficulty breathing, but he does seem to feel at least a bit better. Please pray for quick healing. He is just miserable.

Long Night...

We spent much of last night in the emergency room at DuPont Children's Hospital in Wilmington. Garin developed a really bad cough and high fever yesterday afternoon. We were quite worried about it and called the doctor, who told us to go to the emergency room if we couldn't get the fever under control or if he started wheezing. About 10:00 last night, he woke up struggling for air and wheezing, so off we went. They did a lung x-ray because the doctor thought it might be pneumonia, but thankfully it was not. We got home about 3:15 this morning with instructions to do exactly what we were already doing anyway. I'm still uncomfortable with the way that he is laboring for breath this morning, but at least we know his lungs are clear. Needless to say, we're all rather tired this morning, and (as always) I am next in line for the virus. I woke up this morning with a sinus headache, sore throat and congestion. Ugh.

Elmo

The Elmo obsession continues. We took Garin to Waldenbooks Friday to spend his Christmas gift card from Aunt Betty and Uncle Jimmy. The moment we turned the corner onto the little kids' aisle, his eyes landed on this Elmo puppet book, and it was all over. Karl can do Elmo's voice amazingly well, and he had Garin convinced he was talking to Elmo! They were having conversations, and Garin gave Elmo lots of kisses. It was so cute!
We also were able to get Garin three really good books to help him learn colors, animals and important words. He likes those, too, but Elmo trumps all.

Backyard Wildlife

I have enjoyed watching the critters in our backyard since we moved into this house. One of me daily visitors is the fattest little squirrel I have ever seen. He comes up on the deck and watches the going-on in our house while digging through my flowerpots and flowerbeds to find and eat nuts and acorns. I took this picture of him a couple of days ago, although it doesn't accentuate the monstrous belly on him. I hope our neighborhood hawk (below) doesn't get after him; I don't think he could run fast enough to get away! There is a pretty hawk perched on the power pole beside the church. Hopefully, you can see him. Yesterday, he sat there while searching for lunch, swooping down to the field once in a while. I enjoyed watching him.

Little Bear

My dad took this video of Garin a couple of weeks ago when we were home. Garin's favorite book is called "Little Bear." My Aunt Pat and Uncle Harry gave it to my niece, Sandra, when she became part of our family, and she passed it along to Garin. He wants to hear it several times a day, and he has it memorized, as do I. Here, we were sharing it with the rest of the family after dinner one night.

Maybe it's just me, being Mama and all, but I think it is just too cute the way he answers the questions. He speaks with so much expression and inflection in his voice, and it always cracks me up.

A Night to Remember

This is what happens when already severely sleep-deprived people try to stay up to ring in the New Year: (Video courtesy of my brother-in-law and starring my sister, my niece and me)

Oh, to be a cat...

What a life poor Harvey leads! He is fed promptly and lavished with all of the attention he will tolerate, and his idea of a busy evening is chasing his feathered toy around the house and lounging on the love seat, snuggling with the cushions. He is spoiled rotten and more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

We've had a rather lazy weekend ourselves, too. Karl played bass for all three services yesterday. Garin and I went for the 11:00 service, but other than that, we've all been pretty laid back. We got more dossier stuff sent off to be apostilled on Friday, hit the grocery store and bought an office chair for the desk (a purchase that's been a long time coming!). That's about the extent of our excitement.

Today, Karl has a training exercise he's in charge of, and I'm preparing for tomorrow's board meeting and trying to get registered for a class or two this semester. I have been trying to do it online, but I keep getting error messages, so I've left a message with the counselor who helped me before. Hopefully I'll hear back from her later this morning. I took the fall semester off because we were so busy with the adoption paperwork, home study, moving, Karl's return from deployment, craft show.....and so on. I had another good excuse in the works for this semester, since we're expecting to make two trips to Russia this spring, but God has made it clear that He doesn't think much of my excuses. If something has to give, it isn't fulfilling the goals that He has set for me. It will have to be some of my own ideas that go.

Ewwww.....I smell a dirty diaper, and that is DEFINITELY a priority.....air pollution! Have a great day!

Happy New Year!

A photo of us with the Boles family, taken yesterday at DFW airport. l to r: Margo, Mitch, Becky, Charles (my dad), me, Garin, Karl, McGuire (sp?), Matt

We have been enjoying a belated Christmas and a Happy New Year celebration in Texas for the past several days! We arrived home late last night and are being complete slugs around the house today.

We had a jam-packed several days. After flight delays for Karl, Garin and me and a missed and rescheduled flight for Matt, we finally all made it to Dallas and got back to my parents' house about midnight Friday night. After a big breakfast with my parents, grandparents, my sister's family and my cousin, we exchanged Christmas presents before the guys (Greg, Eli, Dad, Matt and Karl) all left for San Antonio to attend the Alamo Bowl (Texas A&M vs. Penn State). Eli got tickets for Christmas, as he is a die-hard Aggie fan! The girls did some heavy shopping and had a great time too.

New Years Eve was a blast! We played a 4-hour-long game of Phase 10 (I won!) and then rang in the new year in the traditional fashion. We made the wonderful discovery that the horns work well when played through the nose as well as by mouth, and Greg got some lovely video of my sister, my niece and me making beautiful nose music. It wasn't pretty, but it made for lots of laughter! If I get that clip from him, I'll post it here for all to enjoy!

Yesterday, we had the privilege of meeting the family that hosted D and K two years ago when they spent the summer in Texas with the Angels from Abroad program! Reggie, the dad, had to work and was unable to be there, but we hope to meet him soon. Becky and their three wonderful kids met us at the airport and gave us an album full of photos of their time with them that will be treasured by our entire family . They are precious people, and we feel so fortunate to know that they have been part of D and K's lives and will continue to be part of all of our lives.

Farewell to Christmas

Garin seemed to get that the celebration was drawing to a close this evening. He started removing all of the candy canes from the Christmas tree and bringing them to me. Of course, he managed to get into one and enjoyed a sticky snack before bedtime! Daddy has been OCD-ing all day about tuning the guitar. In the background of this photo, he was tuning it for the one-jillionth time. ;o)

Christmas Dinner

This little guy had the greatest day of his life so far! He played hard all day - some with everything but mostly the guitar all day long. He's actually pretty good at it!

Hanging out with Grammy Sue...
Daddy was not a very willing photo subject. ;o)

Mama's stylist keeps telling her that her curl is coming back, so she tried curls today. Welcome back to the '80's! In spite of the hair, it's the best pic she's taken in a long time, so it is being included here.

AND ONE MORE MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We've had such a fun morning! Garin is always an early riser, but he knew this was a special day. He woke us up at 6:00, so we all staggered downstairs in the dark to see what Santa brought and open our gifts to each other. We baked our breakfast casserole and brewed coffee while we were opening gifts and then sat down to breakfast. I guess it's time for me to start lunch now, so I'm off to the kitchen! We're having roasted cornish game hens, potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls and chocolate pie. Not our usual fare, but it will be a bit simpler and still tasty (I hope!). Last night, we all read the story of Christ's birth before Garin went to bed. The the adults pigged out on fudge and egg nog while laughing our way through Christmas Story.

We love you all and wish we were sharing the day with you! You are close to our hearts and in our thoughts! Have a peaceful day, filled with the JOY and HOPE that only Christ can bring!

A NEW MOVIE: CARS!


WHEW! ENOUGH PRESENTS ALREADY...

A SECOND WIND....AND A GUITAR!!! (Mama and Daddy are so glad that he won't be grabbing everyone else's instruments.)
OKAY...TIME FOR APPLAUSE, FOLKS!


AUNT JOAN GAVE ME A REALLY COOL GLOBE. IT IS A BALL, ISN'T IT???

MORE MERRY CHRISTMAS!

HE GOT THE HANG OF THE PRESENT OPENING VERY QUICKLY!

LOVED THE FIRE TRUCK WITH MEGA BLOCKS!



DADDY'S NEW TOY: AN IPOD CRADLE/CHARGER/TRANSMITTER FOR HIS TRUCK!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

WHAT DID SANTA BRING???!!!
GOTTA GET UP HIGH TO HAVE A LOOK...

IT'S A TRICYCLE!!!

ANYTHING ELSE UNDER THERE???

HELPING MAMA FIGURE OUT HER NEW KEURIG (SHE'S BEEN DREAMING OF ONE ALL YEAR!)...

Makeup Artist

Much to Daddy's chagrin, his little football player (aka Christmas Dinosaur) snuck upstairs last night and got into Mommy's makeup before he was caught. He knows where the mascara goes...

Completely Selfish Post

I have been sick since Saturday with fever, very sore throat, ulcers and just general exhaustion. I finally saw the doctor yesterday, and he said that it is viral and has to run its course. He had the same things last week and slept 16-18 hours a day for five days. Of course, he prescribed sleep for me. He said I needed to sleep as much as possible to get over this. HAHA! He obviously doesn't have a healthy almost-two-year-old to keep up with! Now I woke up this morning with a yucky cough. I don't need to pick up a secondary infection like bronchitis or something, but I can't just take a day off. I am a whiny crab about this fact - just ask my husband, who is also sick but got time off from work to rest.

Our Mantel is Wonderfully Full!

Last year, I bought stockings for the four of us, never believing that we would need more so soon. I have been looking for more like them all season this year but didn't remember where I had bought them. I also doubted that last year's merchandise would be out this year, but I really wanted them all to match, so that no one felt different or like an afterthought. Garin and I went to Target today to pick up more wrapping paper, and as I browsed the Christmas aisles, I looked up and saw two, only two, stockings that were identical to Matt's and Garin's! I had to buy them for D and K, and I put them up as soon as I got home. We're praying that next year, we'll get to fill them!

The Maestro

Garin loves playing the keyboard and recently discovered he could hear it throught the headphones! Cool!

Yes Ma'am!

This entry is for Aunt Pat, who is apparently feeling rather "peachy" and a bit "plucky" tonight! Apparently, she is unhappy about my irregularity....with blogging, that is. I guess if she can spend her days at the hospital, keep up with her blog daily and still find time to tell me "it's time you got off your butt and put something on the blog," she definitely deserves a new entry! ;o)

Seriously, Aunt Pat, I know this experience has been life-changing for you. I wonder if you know how much it's changed all of us - the way we view life, each other and all of you. Thank you for letting us be there for you in whatever ways we can and for keeping us informed. I love you so much, and it has been so special to witness the love that you and Uncle Harry have for each other. The road isn't always easy, but you are both very special people, and you have proven it in these past three weeks. I am so excited to see the great things that the future holds for you both! I know that God will use this to His glory. Please tell Uncle Harry that I love him and am looking forward to seeing him again soon.

This week has been wonderful and challenging all in one. Quick rundown: Monday was wonderful because we got the great news that Karl was selected for Major, and we mailed off our dossier for translation. It was a scary day because Uncle Harry wasn't doing well. Tuesday brought MUCH better news to cheer us all up, but Garin choked on lunch and had to be heimliched. Wednesday was fun at bowling, and we had a relaxing evening. Thursday was supposed to be our OSC board meeting and social, but Garin threw up blood and spike a high fever, so we spent all morning at the urgent care center. We got wonderful news from Aunt Pat, though, that Harry was doing awesome - grinning, winking and kissing! Friday, Garin was better, and we got our INS applications turned in and were fingerprinted the same day, which is unusual but very helpful. I also got the house cleaned! (Although I'd swear this house cleans itself. I hardly find any dust or yuck around here, even when it's time to clean.) Friday night, we had an awesome time at the squadron Christmas party. Great food and friends, and Karl and I each won a door prize. Today, I have Garin's stomach bug and have been almost worthless. I did manage to get Christmas cards ready to mail and make some chowder and biscuits for dinner.

Now I think I'll go get a bath and read my new Country Living magazine.

The Best Laid Plans.....

Today's snow was some of the driest I've ever had my hands on. There was no way we were going to get a snowman out of that, but I sure did wish for a nearby mountain and a shiny new pair of skis! It would have made for awesome skiing! We did get in some good playtime, though. Garin loves the snow, as long as it isn't ON anything. We spent much of our time outdoors cleaning snow from the playset and his clothes/gloves. My sweet little OCD child.

Gotta keep those mittens clean!

What a cutie!

Snow makes a great cushion beneath the slide!

Again...mittens....clean....

Getting tired from all the hard work...

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I got up and took a picture of our snow this morning, not realizing that Karl took several when he got up earlier. The first two are his, taken at dawn. The last is mine, taken after the sun was bright and the skies blue. I like his better. It pays to be an early riser! It looks like we got about 3 inches, maybe a bit more. I plan to take Garin out this morning to build his first snowman!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Yay! We're getting our first snow of the season today! It started falling steadily about an hour ago, and is supposed to continue on and off through the afternoon and evening, to the tune of a couple of inches. It isn't a lot, but it sure is pretty!


My rheumatologist put me on a new medicine, Plaquenil, yesterday. I hear great things about it from Mom and my friend, Penny, who have taken it. However, so far all it's done is make me feel nauseous and woozy. They say those side effects wear off once your body gets used to it though, and if it's as great as I'm told, it will be well worth it. Who knows? Maybe I'll lose some weight in the meantime!

Red Tape

Just stopping by to say howdy. It's been a terribly windy day here, and everyone is having to bring in their outdoor decorations, etc. They were starting to take off on their own to visit the neighbors. The wind advisory is supposed to end at 7 am tomorrow, thankfully, so we should be able to redecorate.

I have spent the entire day trying to finish up the dossier. Interestingly, no matter how much you get done, the last little bit always takes hours longer than you expect. It's the story of adoption, I'm afraid. Tedious, time-consuming and worth every second! I keep having to remind myself why I'm going through all of this. When I think of D and K, where they are now and where I want them to be, I don't resent the process as much. Although, if I'm perfectly honest, it still seems insane to me that it can take so long to get two children home to their family! Of course, there is nowhere really to lay blame. It's just the nature of the beast. They have to be sure that we're safe and will provide the right kind of home, and then there is the red tape that must exist but still annoys. If you know me well, you know how I hate the very concept of money. I wish it didn't exist. But it does, and I have just filled out the fourth financial report since this process started eight months ago. Everyone has a slightly different form that wants slightly different information. Of course, when you space them apart every few months, the information that goes on them also changes. Our investments grow, our car loans shrink, life insurance options become available and are purchased, etc. Basically we get to start all over, counting our money every couple of months. It's like Monopoly on steriods, and it's getting old!

Ahhhh....now I feel better! Just needed to put it out there. Life is good....great, really!

Garin spent over three hours in his room trying to stay awake by wreaking havoc. I think it's time to give up on a nap and have some play time. Maybe he'll fall right to sleep tonight.....HAHAHAHAHAHA, that's a good one!

Christmas Cookies!

Garin made his first batch of Christmas cookies tonight! We had such a great time! As you can see, he was dressed (again) as the Christmas Dinosaur. We may have to make this Halloween costume "disappear" eventually, but for now, we'll just laugh about it and be happy that he enjoys it so much. Working hard....
Every time we cut out a cookie, Garin grabbed for the remnants and scarfed them down...

Smile! A picture to remember by... The "beautiful" finished product...
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

My Big Boy

Garin is taking his first unconfined nap, and he has a big-boy pillow too. It took him about an hour (during which he played with toys, read his Bible, locked his door and had to be rescued) before he finally fell asleep, but I think that's not too bad for the first time! I just checked on him, and he was so precious that I had to grab the camera.

Growing up.....

Hi! It's been busy week, and I've been fighting a yucky cold, which I'm happy to say is almost over. I haven't posted on Harry's progress, as Aunt Pat has started a blog of her own to keep everyone posted: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QDh_BeUherK6jFS17r5J Please feel free to visit the blog to keep up with their progress, and thank you to all of our friends who are praying with us!

It has been an emotional morning for me. I hadn't expected such nostalgia to hit me when we turned the crib into a toddler bed today! I would like to keep him in the crib forever, but it was getting a little crowded that way. And since he's almost two, it's time for him to start learning how to stay in his own bed. He has shown in recent days that he fully understands most simple instructions and is able to recognize what we require of him. We decided that he is up to the task and that the time has come. (sniff-sniff).

As an example of his understanding of rules: The other day, he had apple juice from Sonic that was in a cup with a lid and straw. Because he wouldn't let me put it in a sippy cup, I told him he had to keep it in the kitchen, on the tile floor and couldn't cross onto the living room carpet. He walked right to the edge of the carpet and started creeping his toes to the very edge and looking back at me, testing to see exactly where the line was. Once I said no, he figured that out immediately. So he then set down the cup, walked over and started inching toward the line again to see if he had to stay because he was holding the cup or if I just expected him to stay in the kitchen, period. It was such fun to watch him testing the waters, trying to discover exactly what I intended and why!

The Christmas decorations are all up. Garin is enjoying the music of the season as much as we do, and this Christmas promises all the joy and fun that toddlers bring to the celebration of Christ's birthday! Garin finds the candy canes adorning the tree to be irresistable. He has eaten more than a couple and comes out of each experience and sticky as flypaper, head to toe, but boy he is having fun!

We got our official letter from Buckner today, saying, "We understand and support your ideal preference of adopting the sibling group of K and D as long as they remain available for adoption in Russia." Feels good to see it in writing! Of course, the journey is far from over, but one small step after another...

Blessings to you all!