Sooooo….we finally heard back from the adoption agency! They accepted our application…exciting and nerve-wracking.

Our home study agency is great, too…lots of paperwork, but they’ve been very gracious about all my questions

We’re almost done with the home study paperwork…we’re waiting on a doctor’s appointment and some birth certificates to come back, driving records & marriage license to come back. And we have to go to Baltimore to get some fingerprinting done. But I hope to be able to do that soon. And when that’s all in and done, we mail the paperwork back to the home study agency and then we start our dossier with the adoption agency and the visits from the home study.

Crazy but fun

So thanks for the well-wishes and prayers. I think it worked

I found another agency, whose time line is quite a bit faster than the first one. I called to make sure they accept Mormons and I got a chance to ask a number of questions. The woman that I spoke to was super friendly and knowledgeable and didn’t seem annoyed at all by me bugging her. We were on the phone about 10 minutes and she did as much talking as I did. I was very happy and impressed.

I also found a home study agency and called them as well. Again, I had a friendly conversation and feel good about them as well.

So here we go again! Except this time I really feel it’s gonna work. I’m so excited!!

Now for the tons and tons of paperwork….

I was sent this email and thought it was funny, so I had to share

Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things.

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self help section?”  She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

If a deaf child signs swear words, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

Is there another word for synonym?

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he naked or homeless?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown, too?

If you try and fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Whose cruel idea was it for the word ‘lisp’ to have ‘s’ in it?

Why are hemorrhoids called “hemorrhoids” instead of “assteroids”?

Why is it called tourist season if we can’t shoot at them?

Can an atheist get insurance against acts of God?

Some people are inept.  Does that mean the rest of us are ept?  Can you be unept?

I’m alive and well. Just have a new addiction. Facebook, still. *sigh*  I only have so many minutes a day to be on the computer and it all goes to keeping crops, fish, and pets alive! It’s disturbing how a fake corn crop trumps a real blog.

It’s been a busy summer….chickens, gardens, parties , bbq’s and vacation…now back to school and soccer for Gab and Pierce. Yep, we got the kids into soccer. This is her 3rd year, his first. He made the age deadline by 6 days, so he’s by far the youngest. The kids are 4-5 yrs old, 1st and 2nd year players. I think he’s the only 1st year player on his team.

Gab starts middle school Tuesday. I’m ok with that….I’m used to her going to school every year. What will be rough is when Pierce goes into K next year. Nope, no pre-K this year. Just not a big believer in it.

I do have pics of soccer and chickens somewhere, I just have to figure out how to get to them….

Watch this!!!!

We’re going on vacation in just a few days, so if you happen to stop in, that’s where we’ll be

Dh’s trip to Texas went well….he brought back plenty of chili and I’ve already eaten some of it. Yes, it’s as good as I remember.

Our zoo trip was so fun!

It’s a 2 hour drive to get there and the boys did fine. Gab sat between them and helped them with snacks and drinks so they kept occupied.  Once we were there, Dean did wonderfully in the stroller. Pierce sat on his dad’s shoulders most of the day. He liked the elephants best, surprisingly. I thought he’d go for the big cats or monkeys or orang utans.  I guess he liked them because they were just so big.

I thought I’d have more tp say, but it was uneventful. And sometimes with little kids, that’s a good thing!!!  The kids enjoyed the animals and lunch and it was just fun to watch them.

After about 5 hours of walking around, we headed home, stopping halfway for dinner, and got home about 8pm.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we’re off to the National Zoo in D.C. for the day. Paul asked me what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day and this was my activity of choice.  Mother’s Day, to me, is a day to celebrate being a mom so I like to do family stuff instead of  “just me” stuff.

Not that I would object to babysitting coupons or a date night coupon.  But I’d just save them for next weekend. So the zoo it is this year.

Dean will have the opportunity to see the wild animals besides his brother and sister for the first time.

Pierce hasn’t been in 2 years and he was sick-ish the last time and we were all miserable because he threw a massive fit and we couldn’t stay long. We were there doing a school project for Gabby so we did what we had to do and took off.

I’m very curious what animals will attract each kid. I’m guessing Pierce will like the monkeys. Dean will like anything that looks like a cat or dog. Gab usually likes everything.

So wish us luck. Hopefully they won’t keep us there.

We’ve had a lot of rain the last few days. And it’s supposed to continue through Wednesday. We’ve been issued a severe weather alert for “flooding of small streams.”

I think, at this point, that includes our driveway. Standing water everywhere.

Not that I’m complaining. I love the rain. I park my car under a tree that birds happen to like. Which means they also like my car. I swear there’s an invisible (to human) bull’s eye on my car that the birds target.

“Ok, boys, we’re gonna go out of the nest now! You see that target there? Poop like your lives depend on it! Get the windows and you get an extra worm for dinner tonight!”

So more rain means more money saved at the car wash. Sure, I could wash it myself. And I probably should. But that’s why I like the rain. No money spent, no effort spent, and it’s an automatic shower for my car.