Taking Care of Business!

We have been kicking some serious butt around here lately. We found the boys Winter coats... AND they were 50% off! Woohoo! We even found something for Miss M! We found scarves, gloves, stocking caps... all within the state of Florida! haha. We bought a new video camera... one of those fancy shmancy ones that are DVDs. We also bought a new digital camera, too. I actually started packing. It is amazing!

We sent our Visa applications, passports, orphanage donation and wiring fee to our agency today. It is all due by Tuesday. It should be in their hot little hands on Monday. Whew! It is so nice being able to wire that donation this time. I hated carrying all that cash last time. It took two attempts to get visa photos taken. The first place we went the background looked BLUE!! Ummm.. didn't think that would fly. So, we had to go to a second place today to get them taken. They looked awesome. Well, actually... they looked as good as they could considering they were taken after several hours of shopping.

Christmas shopping is probably 70% completed. I have the boys almost done. Madeline needs a few more things. I have started both of my parents and Jerry. I should be able to finish up next weekend. I feel this ever present pressure to get this done since we don't know when we will be traveling.

A couple agencies have already received TA's. I am just so hoping ours comes quickly. The only catcher is that our new I-171H has not arrived yet. I am taking deep breaths into a paper bag daily to keep me from hyperventilating over this. It just stinks that we had to renew. Now, Tampa USCIS just has to push this through quickly. We don't have to be fingerprinted and EVERYTHING they needed was included in the mailing... so.... it is just a waiting game now.

James and Riley are getting excited about our trip to China. James has saved all of his birthday and Christmas money for the past year for spending money on the trip. What a good kid, he is. Riley packed a doll in his suitcase today for his sister. Everytime he sees an airplane he asks if we are going to China now to get Maddie. What a cutie!!

Jerry and I are enjoying this time with the boys before bringing our sweet girl home. It is so exciting yet a little... hmmm.. bitter sweet. We love our boys so, so much. We just want to really make the most of these last few weeks with them before heading to China. We know this is going to be a big change. James has a better idea of what it is going to be like since he remembers bringing Riley home. Riley is just so happily oblivious. Oh boy!

Well, I am off to bed to dream of my Three Miracles. -each one so precious and true.


The Three Miracles

They told us you would never be
Yet I have held you in my arms.

They told us you would be someone different
Yet you are exactly as you should be

They told us there was no way
Yet you wait for us to bring you home

Three precious miracles
Gifts from above
fill our hearts and home
with love.

M