Adoption Update

Since the word is out on our adoption plans now I thought it would be good to try to keep people updated on our process. I don't do a lot on facebook and I'm not sure I want to post all about the adoption there either so I thought I would try to post some updates on this blog from time to time.

Adoption had been on our mind for awhile and after a lot of thought and prayer we decided to start the adoption process. After considering all the adoption options we decided that international adoption would be the best fit for us. Then we needed to decide on a country to adopt from. Eventually we narrowed our options down to China or Korea. Both countries allowed us to adopt a child that would be younger then Faith. We felt at this time it would be important to keep our current birth order. We both felt more of a pull toward and interest in China. We would be able to adopt a child with a special need that might not find an adoptive family in China. We are also in interested in China and are excited to learn about it's culture and history.

So far in the process we have gone through educational trainings and have completed our home study (a number of meetings with a social worker including one visit at our home). With that all complete we were ready to start the paperwork for our dossier. We have filed one form with USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) and are currently working on all the other required paperwork for China. There are a number of forms and documents that need to written, collect, notarized and copied.

What's to come: By the end of February we should have all our dossier paperwork completed and file it with the Chinese government. Hopefully by spring we will start receiving referrals of children that are in need of a home. If time frames stay the same by next fall or winter we will be able to travel to China to get our child.

Our future child: I am feeling very eager to receive information about a child. It will be so nice to have a name and face to go with this child that we have been thinking about and praying for. We have been approved to adopt a child 0-30 months old of either gender with a special need. We are working with Children's Home Society and Family Services in the Jade program which works with children that have a "minor or correctable" special need. Some people have assumed since we are adopting form China we will receive a little girl. In reality we have been told there are just as many boys in this Jade program as there are girls. So we really don't know if we will receive a boy or a girl.

That is all for now.

Farming

Harvest is in full swing now. Earlier then usual, but maybe that means they will be done earlier. It has been a fraustrating year with many break downs and few full days of combining. We can be thankful for a safe harvest and good yields so far. Each of the girls have already enjoyed combine rides with daddy. I am also getting in the fall mood. I got out my few fall decorations and got them up. I've also started my annual fall deep cleaning and have been baking more. I got together with some friends and canned tomatoes. My first time doing canning and it was a blast (that could have been from all the great conversation and laughs with good friends)! Lately I have been picking pumpkins from the garden and freezing them.

 Faith after her combine ride. Nick said she feel asleep about 5 minutes after getting in.

 Grace before her combine ride this morning. She didn't last as long today as she has in the past.

 We've also had a few opportunties to help dad with chores in the barn. The girls ready to help out.

 They did a great job. Grace gave them water and faith helped scoop feed into their little dishes.

 Scouting corn. Grace is getting to be a farming expert lately. She can spot weed patches in the fields, knows the difference between plowing and strip tilling and can tell if a soybean is ready to harvest or not.

 We had our first egg a few weeks ago and haven't bought eggs from the store since. We are now getting eggs regularly anywhere from 1-5 a day. Just enought to always have a few in the fridge.

Faith had to get all ready for her combine ride. She wanted to wear her "farm jacket" as she calls this coat and her "cowgirl" boots. The cowgirl boots have been getting worn constantly for the past few days. If I make the mistake of calling them cowBOY boots she quickly corrects me that they are cowGIRL boots.

First Day of School

Grace is back in school this year at our church's preschool. She attends three morning a week this year. It sure makes the week seem to go by faster. I'm still adjusting to having her gone three days and am not looking to next year with full time kindergarten. Her are some pictures of her first day of school.

The Campers

This summer we decided to finally go ahead with buying a camper. We realized that we are not a family that can rough it in a tent. Nick and I had to compromise some and finally settled on a small travel trailer. We were able to take it out twice this year. Our first trip was to Crow Wing State Park near Brainard. We had a great time despite the mosquitoes, ticks, guns for guard weekend, and heat. If we can survive all that and end the weekend feeling like it was a great success I think we will gets lots of use out of the camper. Our second trip with to Nerstrand Big Woods State Park not too far from Northfield. This trip the weather was perfect and the bugs were not as thick. We are excited to explore some more Minnesota State Parks next year!

 We rented bikes and a bike trailer and rode on the trail by Nisswa. It was the first time when doing anything athletic that I was able to keep up with Nick. It could have had something to do with him having to pull over 50lbs of kids behind him!

 No, it was not cold this day we were hiking. It was actually hot, but the mosquitoes were so bad that we had to bundle up to keep them off us. We were sure that we would come home with either West Nile Virus or Lyme's Disease. Our next hike we were pulling ticks off our pants 10 at a time. I have never seen so many ticks in my life.

 Nick sporting Faith's pink backpack. There were a few things I forgot to pack. Just a hiking backpack, ketchup for the hot dogs. All minor things right???

These next pictures are from Nerstrand Big Woods. This is Faith's new smile for pictures. I'm not a fan of it, but I guess we will have to live with it until she grows out of this phase.

This was a common sight on all of our hikes. Faith (and usually mom) at the back. She always wanders at her own pace with frequent stops to pick up acorns, rocks, dirt, etc. I had to remind myself that someday she will need to walk slow for me when I am old so I need to be patient with her now.

We had a very busy 4th of July this year. My parents invited us over to their house for lunch. They served us a great lunch and then we went to the water park in Gaylord to cool off. The girls enjoyed the pool. It has a little slide that is just right for them. Next we headed home to change out of our swimsuts and take a little rest. Our next stop was Nick's aunt Ruthie's house. Every 4th she has a great party with amazing fireworks. This year the girls actually made it to the fireworks.

 Faith posing next to Ruthie's garden. I'm not sure why she looks so serious.

 The girls got to play with their second cousins. All the little girls then watched fireworks from the upstairs porch.

 Grace has been taking a ballet class this July. This Thursday is her last day of class. She has really been enjoying it. This picture is her all ready on her first day of ballet. She was excited to go to ballet!

 Hard to believe, but my little girl is now 3 years old. We had family over to celebrate the day. Here she is blowing out the candles on her cake.

 Opening presents

 Nick playing, umm, I mean helping with the new barbie.

It was such a nice day on her birthday. We enjoyed some time outside with everyone before supper. 

Beating the Heat

We have been having a heat wave in MN lately. With the humidity it has been over 100 for a few days now. We haven't been getting much relief in the evenings either as it has only been cooling off to the 80s and 70s at night. I know I shouldn't complain. We could be like my parents and not have air conditioning or we could live in Arizona and have this heat all summer. Needless to say, we have been trying to find fun and cool things to do outside. The sprinkler and pool have been a big hit.

 Our first day using the sprinkler this summer. Grace doesn't mind the ice cold well water at all. Faith on the other hand still runs large circles around the very edge of the sprinkler. She is a little braver then last year.

 Getting a drink of water fromt the sprinkler. Maybe not he most pure drinking water, but certainly the coolest and best on a hot summer day.

 Faith having fun in her swimming suit.

 Gracie taking a rest in the shade.

 I have also been enjoying seeing my garden grow. I planted eight tomatoes this year and they all are doing well so far. Hoping to get lots of tomatoes to freeze again this year.

 Some of the plants haven't been liking the heat either. These are my wilting cucumber plants. Hopefully they do okay so we can make fridge pickles (one of my favorites).

 We continued our cooling off after the sprinkler with some strawberry ice cream. We even pulled out some "fancy" cups to have it in. I got a set of fancy dishes at the thrift store and we use them to make certain treats more special. I don't care if they get broken and the girls think it is great to use them.

I've been trying to do a little sewing again. I made an apron for Grace and am working on one for Faith. It seems that I always make at least one big mistake and a few small mistakes that can easily be fixed. As you will see, after cutting out the material I realized that I didn't get the material in the right direction. Grace was smiling when I tried to take this picture and apparently I missed the smile and got this very unhappy look.

The Adventure Continues

After our train ride we went on another hike to explore the old mine some more. Once again the girls did great! We are certainly looking forward to more hiking in the future.

 The old school house.



Our family on the hike. Not sure what this building was. My cousin Anna borrow us her homemade moby wrap for the hike. It was very comfy for me and Faith seemed to like it too. I'm now sold on them! 

Shelving inside an old building. 

Of course there were a few old cars. 

The girls had a great time playing with their second cousins. I didn't get a great picture of them together, but they had a blast. After this they started a very giggly game of ring around the rosy.