For Grandma....

A performance by the grandkids....

A Poem...

I just stumbled onto this poem online and thought it was just beautiful...

Dear Sweet Daughter
Author: Gayle Leubecker

Dear Sweet Daughter,
As a girl I had a common dream, to be a mom someday.
My baby would have eyes of blue and hair the hue of hay.
But now my dreams have been transformed. New visions fill my head.
Now the tresses that I long to stroke are raven black instead.

And in my dreams those eyes are not so big or blue or round.
Now in my dreams they're almond shaped and colored cocoa brown.
And in my dreams my arms can stretch across enormous seas.
They reach half-way around the world and hold you close to me.

As you grow in your mother's womb, carefully knit together,
You're also growing in my heart, where you will stay forever.
And in my dreams the moment that your mother says good-bye,
I'll be right there to comfort you and hold you as you cry.

Our features may not look alike; we're different as can be.
But still I know the Father has created you for me.
And though I've not yet seen your face, or held your tiny hands,
And though we're half a world apart in very different lands...

I'll be right there to get you just as soon as God allows.
But til He says the time is right I give to you this vow:
I'll pray for your protection every night on bended knee.
For God will hold you in His arms, until you're here with me.

Long time, no post

Wow, summer is a crazy, busy time for us. I have lots of pictures to post, when I get around to it, that is. :)

Adoption wise, we got fingerprinted last Wednesday for the immigration approval (which is probably still 2 months off) and today we received our translated homestudy in our email. How weird to see all of our personal information in Mandarin Chinese (the language mostly spoken in Taiwan)!

Summer fun...

We've had a ball this past week in our beautiful community. Friday was fireworks, of course, then Saturday we got to go on Todd's parents' boat to watch the Blue Angels. The kids loved the air show.

Today was absolutely perfect, sunny and about 71, so we ventured off to a local strawberry farm and picked strawberries. A first! We picked about 2 quarts, and I think the kids have polished off all but about 1/2 of a quart already.

Moving along...

Our homestudy is complete and sent off to the USCIS (immigration)! Yay! What does this mean? The application is to bring an orphan into the United States. In a couple of weeks, we should get a letter in the mail telling us when to get fingerprinted, then in a couple of months after that we'll get the coveted I171, which is the paper that approves us for adopting internationally (in immigration's eyes). One more step closer to Chloe! :)

Summer Activities

School is out and so far we're enjoying our summer. Last week (when it was actually warm here...it's been in the 50s this week) we went to a local waterpark and the kids had a ball swimming and playing.

Adoption-wise, our homestudy is done! Yay! So, in the next week or so, we'll be sending it off to the USCIS (US immigration) to apply for the I171H, which is the document that allows us to bring a child into the states.

Two weeks ago, our agency confirmed that our wait estimate (6-9 months from the end of March) is still accurate, so we're still hoping for a referral sometime before Christmas.

Could it be?

Could summer have FINALLY arrived in Michigan?

The weather today was simply perfect. Upper 70s and mucho sunshine. The kids were elated when daddy set up the pool they received last fall for their birthdays (their birthdays are just 8 days apart in September) from their wonderful aunts and uncles.

The first picture is my new fave. Hope you have sunshine in your corner of the world!