New Waitlist Number

We just received our new wait list number for this month and we are now number...

There were actually seven referrals but as you can see we moved up four spots (some families were received referrals for 2 children).  In the past four months we have moved up 10 spots. The best news is that our agency is expecting 20 referrals in the coming months and 14 of those children are within our approved age parameters so we should be moving along nicely. Of course, international adoption is a very uncertain process so I try not to get too excited about/ahead of myself as anything can change at anytime.

There are some days when I am super excited about this process and there are other days where I feel somewhat detached since we are waiting and waiting. These monthly updates trigger the excited feelings and help us to realize that we really are one step closer to meeting our child.

Waiting List Update

We received our monthly update from our agency and we are # 

I wished there had been more movement, but two spots is better than nothing. Our agency continues to anticipate several referrals in the coming months, so hopefully this will be the case!

Doggy Bones

Since I am off this week and I am playing "stay at home dog mom," I had some extra time to try out a couple of new Pinterest recipes. Yesterday when I was browsing antique shops downtown I came across a dog bone shaped cookie cutter. Today I decided to make Lucy and Brody some peanut butter treats. I used the recipe found on this website: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2007/11/03/gone-to-the-dogs/

As I was rolling the dough out, I thought this batch loosely resembled Africa (you can see the Horn on the right).

My oven tends to cook food a bit fast, but I only cooked these for about 10-12 minutes vs. the recipe time of 20 minutes.

Now their bones are displayed on the counter top in an apothecary jar. Fancy schmancy... To the left is my new milk glass pedestal "bowl" I got antiquing, which is curved and perfect for holding bananas.

Waiting patiently, or impatiently, for their bones. They love, love, love treats!

As you can see, they are Lucy and Brody approved!

Nemo Recap

So, we survived the Blizzard of 2013, which they named "Nemo" for some reason. I don't remember blizzards ever being named before....

We lost power late Friday night somewhere around 10 P.M. By that time we actually had not gotten much snow, but it was eerie like something out of a horror movie. The lights flickered on and off many times. It sounded like someone was throwing rocks at our windows. I am guessing this was balls of ice hitting the side of our house that faces the ocean. 

Here are some "highlights:"

1. We made our own refrigerator from a Rubbermaid container and we were able to prevent most of our food from becoming spoiled.

 

2. My husband lost his wedding ring while trying to fix the snowblower. He seems to think it is not forever lost and thinks it may be in the glove he was wearing, which is currently lost. 

3. I learned to cook like a Pilgrim. We have an old coal stove which we only use on really cold days because it gives off losts of dust/soot and has a sulfur smell. I learned that I can make some yummy salmon burgers on that thing. 

4. A tree hit my car but luckily it was just the ends of the branches. My husband seems to think the ice that encapsulated the branches helped to prevent it from getting seriously scratched up.

5. Our carbon monoxide detector went off at 1 A.M. on Sunday morning so we got bundled up and headed next door (Chris's sister lives next door with her husband and 2 kids) with our doggies, blankets, and pillows. 

6.  We learned (the hard way) that our generator does not work with our boiler. It was good for getting our morning coffee fix though. Also, it came in handy and has been making its rounds at our family and friends' houses.

 

 So, all in all, we did not get as much snow as other areas. Our power was restored early Sunday morning (5 A.M). Unfortunately Plymouth was one of the hardest hit areas and some people still do not have power. There are still many people in the emergency shelters and officials are saying that power should be completely restored by Thursday.

the calm after the storm

What's New?

On the adoption front, we are # 38. In our most recent update, our agency has stated that they expect a few referrals soon, so hopefully we will have a lower number next month. Our agency has a FB group of moms who have adopted from ET and those that are in the process. It has been awesome to connect with others and read about their stories. Most importantly, everyone is super friendly, kind, and supportive, yet they are also very honest and quick to share their experiences. It has been very reassuring to know that any questions, doubts, and fears I have had/do have are totally normal and part of the whole process/experience. 

In other news, we are preparing for the snowpocalypse that is expected to hit soon! No school tomorrow, yay! (I know I won't be that excited come June as we are now working until June 21st!).