UPDATE

the house is relatively sane right now, so i thought i would post an update-
i know we havnt posted any picts, BUT the construction is still not totally done, and everything is messy and i want to SHOW OFF my new house lol!!
We have turned in our paperwork to do the foster to adoption. next step is "PRIDE" training - fun fun- then onto the homestudy. I am getting very excited dreaming about what our foster daughter will be like... will she be a little , or a very little >? what will she look like? Will she like us?
it's like being pregnant!
Did i mention i love my kids?
I am so happy to have Tristan back in the house (he was in PA for 2 weeks). He is really blossoming into a well behaved , sweet boy. Man, were those toddler years tough with him!

Completely asleep baby! LOL

great article

http://rubies.articledirectoree.com/articles-by-nancy/is-there-a-better-word-than-kids.html

MOVING DAY

we are moving on Saturday!!!!!!
We are positively thrilled :) the construction is finishing up tomorrow, and may i say the floors are awesome. i cant wait to post photos!

Adoption becomes fostering

after some careful discussion, Gabe and I have decided to put off international adoption in favor of taking on a foster child, then opting to adopt her if she becomes available. I think we have found the perfect agency to help us do this, and we are going to informational meeting on wed!

great poem!

No Children!
Edgar Guest

No children in the house to play--
It must be hard to live that way!
I wonder what the people do
When night comes on and the work is through,
With no glad little folks to shout,
No eager feet to race about,
No youthful tongues to chatter on
About the joy that's been and gone?
The house might be a castle fine,
But what a lonely place to dine!

No children in the house at all,
No fingermarks upon the wall,
No corner where the toys are piled--
Sure indication of a child.
No little lips to breathe the prayer
That God shall keep you in His care,
No glad caress and welcome sweet
When night returns you to your street;
No little lips a kiss to give--
Oh, what a lonely way to live!

No children in the house! I fear
We could not stand it half a year.
What would we talk about at night,
Plan for and work with all our might,
Hold common dreams about and find
True union of heart and mind,
If we two had no greater care
Than what we both should eat and wear?
We never knew love's brightest flame
Until the day the baby came.

And now we could not get along
Without their laughter and their song.
Joy is not bottled on a shelf,
It cannot feed upon itself,
And even love, if it shall wear,
Must find its happiness in care;
Dull we'd become of mind and speech
Had we no little ones to teach.
No children in the house to play!
Oh, we could never live that way!

our adoption journey

well , I would like to announce that we are beginning paperwork to adopt!
We have decided to adopt internationally. we want to give a loving home to a child living without a future. Read about "why adopt?" here :
http://www.wacap.org/WhyAdopt.asp
so we sent off our application to begin a homestudy yesterday. the homestudy takes about 3-4 months to do, then country paper work, referral of a child , then travel to the country.. the agency i talked to said if we were diligent about getting our paperwork done, we could be bring home our daughter as soon as a year from now. Both gabe and i are very excited!