Advice for Obama

This post on THIS blog really made me smile. I like this blog in general, but I think Nana Kofi outdid him self on this one!

Anita

Friday Evening Post

So tonight we did an impromptu trip to Casa Bonita. Eric has a weakness for this place. It's this really kitchy Mexican food place--very 80's. Anyway, I sitting there eating my nacho salad when I realize there is a tag on the outside left side of my shirt. Hmm...oh crud! I was totally wearing my shirt wrong side out! LOL! I had two tags (side and back) hanging out and nobody told me! Taevy said she thought I knew. Just another one to go down in the great book of Anita's embarrassing moments. =-)

Speaking of salad... I'm REALLY trying to eat better lately. I am not a salad or vegetable person, but I am sick of gaining weight and feeling rotten. I figure if I just eat one salad a day instead of a meal I will be a little better off than I was before. So I spent time today thinking about this new resolution. Salad, salad, salad...what veggies can I try to put on my salad...what light dressings can I try, etc. Then I fell asleep...and dreamed about Long John Silver's fish and fries! LOL! You know you are an unwilling dieter when you consciously meditate on the goodness of salad and then fall asleep to think about the greasiest most wonderful fish and chips on the planet!

School at Home: I've discovered that I am NOT very popular with most homeschooling families for choosing to put our kids in the Oklahoma Virtual Academy (basically, public school at home). To some homsechooling families it's like a slap in the face. They are worried that families like ours are putting their homeschooling liberties of families like theirs in jeopardy. All I can say is, I'm an advocate for a parent's right to choose how their children are educated, whether that be public school, private school, public school at home, or traditional homeschooling.

All of our K12 stuff arrived at the door a few days ago. So exciting!!!!!!! There are some of the same programs as I would have chosen to use if I was putting together the curriculum (Handwriting Without Tears, Wordly Wise, etc.), and TONS of picture books and story books. We received (I'm estimating) over 100 books for each child. It was like Christmas looking through everything! Not only the books, but we got science experiment equipment like rocks and minerals set, beakers, balances, thermometers, etc., and math manipulatives (the little counting cubes and strips). It's really cool that all of this is free through our state. Taevy is just dieing to get into her stuff and start school. She begs everyday to PLEASE read her math book. She is such a school girl, and I love it.

I am getting more comfortable with the attendance and progress reporting of the Virtual Academy program. Over all, at this point, I think we made a good choice FOR OUR FAMILY.

CONGRATULATIONS to my sweet friend who got her I-600 approval today!!!! It was nice to get a big of good news after a week of adoption disappointments. Maybe next week will be our week?

Anita

5 months, fur, and cousins

Well, we're just about to 5 months waiting for Kendi--not since her officially referral, but since we decided we wanted to adopt her. In some ways it feels like the time has gone quickly and in other ways it feels like every day is an eternity. This last month...pretty much every day has felt like an eternity. Eric and I are considering whether or not it might be wise to go ahead and purchase tickets for the beginning of September. This way we can get our minds wrapped around a specific date--a pretty safe date--and stop obsessing about the day to day so much. If the timing doesn't work out, we'd just have to pay the change fee. But we'd probably save money booking so far in advance. Oh! I talk like we have the actual money in hand to buy the tickets! LOL! Minor details, right?

Fur. Good Lord I am tired of husky hair! Jed is just about finally finished with "blowing coat" and I am so thankful. We have one rug downstairs and vacuum the thing at least twice a day. It's still covered in hair except for about the first 5 minutes after each vacuum session. Last night I took our de-shedder brush and tackled him one last time. This thing gets out TONS of hair. There is a doggy outline where he is laying after we are done! LOL! The thing is--oops--the vacuum belt broke. ACK! So until we get to the vacuum store for another belt my rug looks like this:

Yes, we rolled it up so we don't have to look at it all day. Now there are floating fur balls all over the wood floor because there is no place for it to settle. No amount of sweeping gets it all up. Next year, we are shaving the dogs!! But aren't they cute? They love each other so much. And we really love them too. These are good dogs for us, despite their somewhat crabby ways with little ones and around their food.

Speaking of cute, could Ryder be any cuter? I am so in love with this little guy. It's not exactly a cake walk during the day while I'm doing AAI stuff and taking care of him, but his little smile just melts me! I truly miss him on the days when he's not here. No wonder his parents love him so much! Taevy is completely smitten with him, and he her.

This is Bright and his cousin Mia (from Guatemala). They love each other just a TINY bit. =-)

So there. This is my attempt at a more light hearted blog post after being a downer this week. We've scratched another off of the calendar, which must mean that all we adoptive parents are one week closer to bringing our precious ones home. I don't expect any news from Ghana tomorrow, since the whole country is basically closing down for Obama's visit.

Anita

No Fear?

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

I just read this verse on someone's blog. I really needed to read that verse. Ugh. There are a handful of adoptive families that I know that are so heavy on my heart right now, that I find it difficult to do anything except pray for them. Literally, all day, I want to sit in silence and simply pray. I feel such a burden for them. And I know part of that burden is coming from a place of fear. I fear for them to be heartbroken, or to be further delayed, or to make a decision that they will regret. I boggle my mind trying to figure out what I can do to solve whatever problem they are up against. How can I fix it? How can I move things forward? How can I make a decision crystal clear? I can't. But the Lord can. So I pray.

Lest you think I'm some sort of saint, this is not unselfish on my part. I have personal fears as well. If X happens to _______ family, will they blame me? If Y happens in Ghana adoptions, will I still have a job? If so and so decides choice Z will they blame me in the future if it doesn't work out well?

Right now, I feel helpless. I feel ineffective. I feel week and powerless. This is probably why I feel such a need to pray. Because I'm praying to someone who has all of the power and love and answers that I don't have. Perfect love casts out all fear. The Lord is "perfect love." I pray that He can take this fear from my heart.

For a Very Special Friend

I saw this verse today and thought of you immediately. Bless you.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than
your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9, New International Version