Civil Ruling!!!!

Woo hoo!!! Our case worker just called to let us know we received our civil ruling today!! I am SO SO SO happy and am shaking so bad it's really hard to type!! :)

This is a HUGE step. It basically means the judge has decided favorably on our case and is notifying all pertinent parties that he plans to sign off on the adoption. Our final ruling should come anywhere within 3-8 weeks and we'll travel shortly after.

Thank you for all your positive thoughts and prayers...they worked!

Care Package #3

Since there's not a whole lot I can do to bring Tessa home faster, I've been biding my time by buying things for her. :) I absolutely love seeing her in pictures in the outfits I had picked out and sent to her foster family.

So, in this care package:
-adorable Gymboree watermelon shorts outfit, size 3-6 months
-Gymboree navy romper, size 3-6 months
-Carters floral romper, size 6 months
-cherry romper, size 9 months
-Carters sleeper and bib, size 6 months
-pink stuffed elephant that plays music
-dried cherries for the foster family
-photo album with pictures of our family for Tessa to look at
-soft "I Love You" book
-rattle toy
-disposable camera
-package of five Gerber onesies, size 6-9 months
-six little hairbows for all of her beautiful hair
-four pacifiers, two different sizes (0-6 months and 6+ months)
-one teeny tiny pair of Gymboree crib shoes, size 01
-sweet little purple bunny from her grandma
-an extremely adorable cherry romper with matching hair barrette (I'm having a hard time shipping this one out, but I'm afraid she wouldn't get a chance to wear it here), size 9 months (but a small 9 months)

Also included...lots of love. :)

Good-Bye, Pip

Saturday on our way home from town, we nearly ran over a baby duck. My husband is a huge softy, an animal lover to the core, so we pulled over and he ran back to get the baby duck out of the road (her sibling had already been hit and killed). He looked in the woods next to the road and listened, but momma duck was no where around.

It was very, very young, maybe 2-3 days old at the most. We didn't know what else to do, so we took the baby duck home. We made her a wonderful little habitat, gave her a mirror and a stuffed animal, read and read about her on the internet and did everything we could to make her thrive.

The kids gently held her, loved her, and named her Pip. Just today she spent 30 minutes "nesting" in Sara's hair. This afternoon, Jake was holding her and I thought to myself I should take a picture, but of course, I didn't. Tonight we noticed she wasn't as lively as usually and after an hour or two while Todd held her, she died. We tried to wake up Jake so he could say goodbye, but he was so sound asleep. Todd and I made her a box and put in her favorite stuffed animal and buried her in our backyard. I don't know why, but I'm really upset about losing this little duck. We really feel like we let her down.

Good night, sweet Pip. We'll miss you.

Father's Day and Water Park Fun

First off, Happy Father's Day to the most amazing man, my husband. I love you sweety.





And, while their parents are off picking up Betti, Todd and I took Charlie and J.J. to the water park today with our kids. Mucho fun was had by all. Mucho fun was absorbed into my pale skin. Mucho pain is setting in now. Apparently those spray sunscreens don't work as well as the lotions. Anyway, we all had fun are I'm sure the kids will all sleep well tonight since they were in the water for five hours non-stop.

BON VOYAGE LORI!!!

My friend Lori and her husband Howie are packing up and heading out TOMORROW to Ethiopia to pick up their daughter Betti. Check out their blog in my blog list, it's called What's Happenin'.

You'll be in my prayers for a safe, sweet journey. Hurry home!! I can't wait to meet Betti!!

Seven Weeks...

It's been seven weeks since our court hearing and I just wanted to let our agency and the judges know that we are ready for our civil ruling. Just saying. :)

Summer Fun

We've had horrible weather this spring but the past couple of days have FINALLY seemed like summer is arriving. The kids had fun playing in a sprinkler in a yard yesterday. These pictures are really making it clear to me that my kids are getting bigger. Sigh. I keep telling them NOT to grow, but we all know kids don't listen.

New Growth Measurements...

I have to give kudos to the organization that Tessa is in foster care through in Taiwan, called TWCA. They have been awesome about getting us updated pictures, videos and measurements.

As of the end of May (just shy of 5 months) Tessa weighed 13.5 lbs and was 23 inches long. That means she grew an inch and gained 1/2 lb in the last month.

Edited to add: I just looked up Sara's size at 5 months...she was 2 inches longer and 3 lbs heavier! Tessa is definitely a peanut!

Updates!

I absolutely LOVE these pictures of Tessa Yi-Hsiu. She is growing and getting chunkier and her hair is growing too. Her outfit is another one I sent (0-3 months!) and I love that her foster mom is dressing her in them. Hopefully that means she's playing the bear we sent too, so Tessa can hear our voices.

On the other hand...this is hard. It's been six weeks since our court hearing and no word of the civil ruling yet. I want my baby. I want to be the one holding her. I want to be the one tickling her sweet face. :( God, please, let us get our civil ruling SOON.

Here's my sweet girl...enjoy!

Jake's Field Trip

Last Friday, Jake's entire first grade class went to the Sleeping Bear dunes on the Lake Michigan lakeshore for the day. Sara and I decided to meet them there for lunch.

Before the 1st graders arrived, Sara and I took in the beautiful scenery from atop the huge dune climb...

Did a little dancing in the sand...

And just as we were beginning to wonder where our kids were...from atop the dune they came!

Jake came flying down as fast as a blur...

And greeted his sister with a hug at the bottom. Days just don't get any better than that. :)

New Toy...

My wonderful husband bought me a new camera and I'm having fun learning how to use it. Now, I just need to take a photography class or something so I can take better pics. :) Of course, I'm lucky to have pretty darn photogenic kids.

No news on the civil ruling yet. It's been five weeks. Hopefully we'll hear around the end of June...that seems to be the norm right now (two months waiting).