VBS

We started VBS yesterday and had about 40 kids. It was a great night. We have a small church only about 120 average attendance. So this was great for our church. Alyssa had a blast. She didn't want to stay with me she went right to class and never looked back.

I haven't gotten to start packing yet. Hopefully today.

Getting excited. By the way did I mention our appointment with the SDA is AUGUST 11TH.
Tammy

Birthday

Can't believe I turned 44 yesterday and now we are going to leave in 9 days to get another daughter. It was really hard for me to believe three and 1/2 years ago that I was having a baby. Never thought years ago that I would be forty and having a baby.

Well it is a wonderful feeling to know that we will be having another baby or child in the house.

Wedding plans are going well. We had a family meeting yesterday and ironed out all the plans to be taken care of while we are gone.

Vacation Bible School starts today. We will be doing that every evening from 6-8. I am cooking a meal for the workers every evening. That is my contribution this year. It will be fun. Alyssa is going to attend this year for the first time. I think she will have a great time. She has grown up so much in the last year.

Breanne's visit was great. We had a lot of rain after she left. She left in the middle of it coming on Saturday morning.

Have a great week and we will start packing.

If you will check the far bottom right hand corner I have added all the adoption blogs that I have been watching for quite some time. Enjoy.

Tammy

Heart broken families

I have read about two families in the last week who have come home heartbroken. It breaks my heart to hear this news. It breaks my heart for these families and for the children that missed the opportunity to be taken from the orphanage. We have been thinking about the possibility that this could happen to us. I know that this fear is from Satan, but it is also a real possibility that we must face.

We must be prepared. Please keep all the couples that are there and that are going to travel in August in your prayers that they will be able to find that child that God has for them. I am confused why God allows the process to go so far and then to have disappointment. I know that "all things work together for good to those who love the Lord," I guess one day we will be revealed the reason behind this disappointment.

God has a plan, we must be ready for whatever that plan may be. Please pray for uplifiting for our family. This is very hard.

Tammy

More shopping

We spent more of yesterday preparing to be gone for awhile. Rolling computer bags, gifts for helpers in Ukraine, movies for Alyssa, converters, skype phones for the older kids, and dog food supply for the dogs while we will be away. I am so glad that Shohn will be here to take care of our house and the animals.

Breanne will be home for three days starting tomorrow. It will be good to see her. We haven't seen her since Father's Day. We will do some wedding prep while she is here.

Randi got registered for college yesterday. She is going to get her Dental Hygenist degree. Great job.

That's about all for today.

Tammy

Two weeks four days

Hard to believe that in two weeks four days we will be leaving. We have been working on this for 22 months now. We have been talking about going forever it seems like. Alyssa is going to be really surpised when Kailyn turns out to be a real person. She has almost become her imaginery friend. I was talking to a lady in the mall yesterday and she said don't forget about Kailyn. She always makes her a part of all of our life. It will be interesting for her to finally meet the real Kailyn.

I have to admit that I am addicted to many blogs. It has made the time move along faster to be able to watch other families be united with their children. The exictement is starting to build.

We have plans to look at bridesmaid dresses today.

Today would have been my parents 61st wedding anniversary.

Tammy

Nothing Much

We are not doing too much. I spent yesterday doing a little bit of shopping to complete a few items that we still needed for the trip. Then we did some wedding shopping last night. This is going to be so much fun watching our son and his beautiful Randi get married. They are such a cute couple.

Breanne is helping a friend who has had surgery for breast cancer. She has moved in with her and her husband to help be her personal nurse. We are so proud of her for this. She is working her usual sift and caring for this friend on her off time. The friend graduated with her from nursing school.

That's about all the news for now.
Tammy

House looking

Shohn, Randi, Kevin, Alyssa and I went house looking this afternoon. They are trying to find a house to buy when they get married. This used to be an event that we did every Sunday afternoon. We would look through the newspaper on Sundays to see what the Open Houses were and then we would set out to look. So this was fun this afternoon to do this with the kids. They are not looking for something real expensive just a little stater. It is fun. Then we went by Dairy Queen for an ice cream.

Now I am in the yard typing on the computer. Alyssa was riding her bike but the new wore off and she is back in the house. It is very nice out this afternoon in the shade. The breeze is blowing and the ground is stating to dry out. We did get a little more rain last night but not enough tot make the flooding start again.

Tammy

Rain

We have had lots of rain in the last three days. We have gotten almost four inches in three days. I know that doesn't sound like a lot but in El Paso, that is huge. Our weather has changed so much since we moved here 11 years ago. We actually have some humidity today.

The stroller did arrive and I have put it together. Alyssa is thrilled. I will try to post a picture later. I spent the last two days trying to make copies of our life history and finish up our picture album to take with us. That is all done and in individual envelopes to be ready to put in the suitcases.

Breanne is coming home July 23-27 and I am going to wait to put the suitcases on her bed to be ready to pack when she leaves. It will be easier that way.

The wedding dress is bought and now on to more. She looks like a dream.

Tammy

Embassy Registration

We are now registered with the US Embassy in Kiev. So I guess that makes it official that we will be in Ukraine. We also sent an e-mail to the embassy to make sure that they have our update INS paperwork. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One more thing done.

Forgot to mention that our new double stroller should be here today. Can hardly wait to see it.


Tammy

One last Apostille

The last apostille came from the state today. We will now begin making copies of everything. I was waiting until this came in to begin the copying process.

We talked to our agency this week and there are a few things to do. Like register with the embassy, check on our updated INS paperwork at te embassy and talk to Dr. Peipon about going with us to our referral. I have sent an e-mail to him and I am waiting for his reply.

I know we have 28 days left, but I am getting a little nervous. Seems a lot of things are looming quickly. I went to the doctor yesterday and go a cortizone shot in my elbow for a silly little tennis elbow. I wanted to be pain free to go to Ukraine. Just a silly little thing, and I don't even play tennis. It is better this morning. The last two times I have had terrible pain for about the first two days after the shot. But, today it is not too bad. God is good.

We are going to get busy on some of he wedding plans today. They have decided on Dark Brown and Pale Peach. The wedding will be October 11.

I also went to the doctor yesterdy on a check-up on my Lasix surgery. 20/15 in both eyes. I am so glad that I did this. It is wonderful to be contact and glasses free. Thanks honey for allowing me to spend that money.

Tammy

One more month

We are one month today away from leaving to go to the Ukraine. Oh how our minds race as we continue to prepare. What will it be like to be in a foreign country? What will Kailyn look like? Will we be offered a healthy child? The only comfort that we find is knowing that God is in control. No matter what the outcome may be we will know that it was God's will. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue to prepare. Small hurdles this week. Please pray that the Lord will keep us busy on other things so that our mind does not think of negativity.

Thank you Lord. I cannot say this phrase enough for Your willingness to allow us to make this committment to a child who would never have a home if not for Your grace.

Tammy

Busy Day

Well the 4th turned our to be a busy day. Randi did arrive back home around 9 am. So Shohn was very happy. Then we decided to have a little picnic for the evening and watch the fireworks from our front yard. The country club down the street has a big display and we can see it from our yard.

Kevin worked all day to try to kill mosquitos and flies. He sprayed bugs most of the morning and afternoon. Shohn rode the lawnmower to prepare the lawn for a game of bocce ball.

Two bocce ball games got going before we ate. Shohn and Dallas played against Jareh and Randi and David (Randi's brother) and Dan (Randi's step dad) played another game. I think he girls won from the first group and Dan won our on the second group. I think they all enjoyed their game. We learned this game a few years ago at a church 4th of July celebration. We do enjoy playing.

Shohn's friends Dallas and Jareh and their two girls Kenzie and Kaelyn came for the picnic. Randi's family also attended. We had hamburgers and hot dogs and barbeque chicken. then for dessert Jareh brought a wonderful cake and we had homemade peach and homemade oreo ice cream. Then it was time for the fireworks. Kenzie and Alyssa are about a year apart and they play pretty well together. Yes, they have a Kaelyn too. They named their child this after we had decided that is what Alyssa's new sister's name would be. So we will just both have Kaelyn's or Kailyn's. Alyssa had some issues with sharing and she spent most of the fireworks time crying. She was upset and when she finally settled down, they were over. She was not as afraid this year as in years past.

Then Madyi got stuck in the doggie door trying to get in the house to get away from the fireworks. I don't think she damaged her stitches but she is awfully quiet this morning.

Have a great weekend. Keep praying for all the couples that are in the Ukraine now and for the ones to come soon. Pray that God will open the doors for these couples and help us to remember that He is in control.
Tammy

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to all. It seems that as I have been reading the blogs today, there are lots of unhealthy children being offered to the couples that are there. It seemed for awhile that more and more mostly healthy children were being offered and families were coming home with new children. Things are not looking as good right now. We need to pray that God sends the children to the families that they have been waiting patiently to add to their families.

We don't have anything exiciting planned today. Our house is a good view of the local fireworks that will be going up tonight. So we will plan to be here to watch them. Breanne is going to spend the day with all her good friends at the Lake in Austin. Tiffany, like my other daughter, has flown there today to spend the weekend with her. Shohn is anxiously awaiting Randi's return from a trip with her mom. They went to a family reunion. She is possibly coming in today or tomorrow. We have missed her.

Madyi is recovering nicely and her incision is healing well.

Life is good and God is so awesome to our family. Thanks. The preparations are going well. We don't have too many things to continue collecting. We will start filling the suitcases soon. Just a few little accounting affairs to take care of. They are very minor.

Well I will check in again tomorrow. Alyssa does not like fireworks so she will not be very exicited about the evening. Maybe she and Madyi can hide together. Madyi is not a fan of them either.

Tammy

Some sad news

Madyi (our Great Dane) delivered one puppy naturally yesterday around 1 pm. It was a little girl. Then they did a cesarian to deliver one full term and two undeveloped fetus's. The full term little girl did not make it though. We brought home the first Faith, the first female born. Madyi had a hysterectomy and then we picked her up at 5:30. She didn't take to the puppy so I set out to be her mom. I guess I am not very experienced at puppy momming. Around 3 am this morning we lost her. Alyssa is having a hard time with it this morning and so are we all. We are a little attached to our animals around here. Madyi is doing well and she will recover. So we are trying to get back on a normal schedule today.

We will continue our packing and gathering of information for the adoption. We can hardly wait to travel.

New Happenings

We are in the middle of delivering Great Dane/Neopoltan Mastiff puppies. She tried all night and now we are at the vet doing the c-section we think. Kevin took her and he is calling with updates. We are waiting on the x-ray to see how many there are. So we will be nursing some babies for the next few weeks.

Good thing that I sent our last paper for apostille so early. Texas has set up a new unit and they are taking 10 days in office plus mailing time. We used to get this paperwork back in three days. If I had known this I would have had my daughter in Austin take it in and get it done immediately. But we are still okay on time. If something isn't done by next week we will then have Breanne check on it for us by walking in.

So that is our update for today. I will post pictures of the puppies when they have arrived.

Tammy