DTC!

DTC in the adoption world means Dossier to China....we have had to learn lots of new acroynyms during this journey.

This is a good one...a big one....so our Dossier is submitted and we wait for a LID or Log in Date.

Once this happens, it gets translated and processed through their government.  It is exciting.  It takes 60-90 days.  Our agency is putting a letter together explaining our need to move this along once again because of Marty's age out situation.

Please join us in praying that this moves along quickly!

Looking forward to the day I can lay eyes on these boys!

Critter Time

The weather is nicer and today we didn't have any rain ...double blessings!  Time to go out for bonding time with our critters...

Here Harmony and Devon pet this cooperative chicken.

Joe is trying to give a smile with his wiggly chicken.  So glad the chickens are durable for our young wranglers...they love holding, chasing and feeding them.

Harmony giving a big ole smile.

Kiara and Krystal looking pretty good.

Mike and Spirit working together and then heading for a nice treat of grazing.

Jason and his Liberty....Lib is way more interested in grass than the picture.

Full Cup of Blessings

This is Devon.  Funny, fearless and does his best to keep up with his big brothers!

Today he was playing outside with a lasso and his older brother jerked the rope thinking he would let go and he didn't....it was innocent but it yanked his arm.  After the initial assessment, we headed to urgent care where they manipulated it and put it back...nurse aids elbow.  He was fine and they sent him and 2 of our other kids off with Popsicles.  It was the quickest visit we had ever had there!

While eating with hubby and 7 kids....our kids started to share about our China adoption to perfect strangers.  Their enthusiasm is catchy.  The folks we had just been introduced too by their sharing started emptying their pockets and handed us everything they had...$38.00 and asked how they could help more. 

 We are so grateful to them tonight....for their amazing encouragement to our family.

We stand in awe.  

We feel so blessed!

Thank you Lord for this sweet gift to our family!  

Brandon Update

Brandon's new wheels on our monthly BJs shopping trip...he is loving the new experience.

This is the before picture....we ended with 2 very full carts and 7 tired kiddos.

Brandon can now bear weight but above is a picture of the X-ray with the needle in it still--ouch!  The foot doctors secretary was so upset she missed all the excitement!  She was sweet telling us how she normally helps with all the kids coming in.

We are glad he is on the mend.  Loving this brave boy!

Home Made Laundry Soap

Last Saturday was soap day.

We make our own laundry soap using FelsNaptha bars, washing soda and borax.  Our receipe is found on Budget 101--laundry sauce.

I love it because it is inexpensive, makes a lot and is compact.  I have seen other receipes that are made in big buckets.  This is more concentrated and uses the same ingredients.  It only takes a tablespoon and is good at getting out stains.

First we shave the bar of soap and place it in boiling water.  We then add the other ingredients and let it sit and cool.  After that, it is time for the mixer.

I use he kitchen aid to mix it.

It is looking great!

Our finished product.  This is a double batch which can be precarious in my kitchen aid but I love having this much on hand.  This does over 120 loads.  Pretty amazing, huh?

Love clean wash at a fraction of the cost....an extra added benefit....my allergy kids have no reaction to this soap like they do other ones.

Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Adoption News

Long awaited movement on our I-800a. Yesterday, we received our approval from Homeland Security!

It took a long time to be assigned an officer but we had our paperwork fairly quick after a requested home study change.  We received our notice in yesterday's mail....jumped in the car to take it to Concord for the State seal.

It is now being overnighted to our currier in hopes he is able to take it the New York China Embassy on Thursday.  It will have a one week turn around.

We are now working on our next leg of paperwork.

Grateful for the good news!

Volksmarching

I have been reminiscing.....

We celebrated our 27th anniversary this past week...27 years ago we then we boarded a plane after saying good bye to family and headed to Germany.  Darrell was a soldier and I was still in college hoping to finish and become a teacher.

We had each other and a sense of adventure and loved exploring the country side of Germany.  We did most of this with our own 2 feet.  Each weekend we would take a hike....literally through Volksmarching!  We would hike 10k or 20k's taking in the country side, getting to know the locals and eating yummy food.  Each weekend, we would explore a new town, hike and then always wind up at the fest at the end.  We would listen to the band crank out German folk music as well as American music....I remember hearing the Yellow Rose of Texas in many a fest tent.

I miss those walks.  

I leaned a lot about the people and the land.  I remember being passed by older ladies in shoes my grandmother wore to church going up the side of a mountain.  My awe of them and their backbone to climb non-stop pushed me a bit harder up those hills.

We explored towns, saw castles on the hill and walked through fields of mustard or vineyards.

Many sweet memories with our friends Scott and Carla walking those paths through the cool woods in the summer or the open fields in the winter....brrr.

We've tried a few Volksmarching here in the states but they just aren't the same....we were served orange slices, and other fruit.  There were no fest tents with music playing or he excitement of the people we had learned to love.  They even have them locally here in New Hampshrie but they are come when you wish...get your stamps at the library...

Oh, how fun it would be to do another one some day....for now I have fond memories of the people and places we explored.