Our Family

First Day of School 09

2009-09-08T11:40:00.001-04:00

Everyone was so excited and had a wonderful day.
It was a little emotional for Mom to say the least. I wish I could keep them small for ever.

Tubing

2009-09-08T11:35:00.001-04:00

Here are the pictures from us Tubing down the Ichetucknee Spring River. The entire family went when they were all down in FL for the girls Love Shower. It was lots of fun and very refreshing durring a HOT summer.

The Girls Love Shower

2009-09-08T11:32:00.001-04:00

The girls "Love Shower". We had a water slide and huge party. They had so much fun and go so many toys and clothes. Thank you to all of our family and friends for being there and helping welcome the girls into our family. We love you all!

HUGE Meteor Shower on 8-12-09

2009-08-02T21:30:00.002-04:00

Hey Yall. What might be the busiest shower of the year is coming up in just over a week, in the morning of 8-12-09. We are all very excited and counting the days on the calendar. The girls have never seen a “”Shooting Star”” before and we have been telling them all about it. ((praying that it isn’t cloudy)) “C” is taking his big brother roll very seriously and says he will help them spot them and has been trying to explain about making wishes. Hahaha They are too much. I hope you all try to see a few.

The below info is copied from a wonderful blog site: www.meteorblog.com. Meteor Mark is just full of wonderful Meteor Information.
The Perseids Meteor Shower of August is one of the most famous astronomical summertime events. Some call the Perseids, “Ole Reliable” because every year it seems to deliver an extraordinary exhibit in the August skies. The Perseids Meteor Shower will peak this year in the morning of August 12 where meteors can be seen anywhere in the sky. To locate the showers radiant, one must look to the east/northeast in the hours after midnight. Meteor observation still remains one of the most difficult astronomical events to predict, but this year some scientists believe that the Perseids could produce up to 100 meteors per hour. Keep in mind this is an estimate based on perfect viewing conditions and results may vary for people in different locations.

First Family Pictures - All 6 of us

2009-06-30T16:24:00.004-04:00

Sabrina - So the girls are moved in and things are going great.
This transition has been like a Cool Fall Breeze after a Really Hot Summer.
GRANTED.. it is a 70mph breeze that knocks you on your butt and leaves you all wind blown. But, WONDERFUL all the same.

Larry – Enjoying the time that the girls have been here. Yes, it has been quite a change in our household, but abundantly enjoyable all the same.
The girls are adjusting well and the boys have really taken to them. Can’t wait for their Love Shower to get here so they can meet the rest of the family.

First time at the Beach...

2009-06-30T16:14:00.005-04:00

So the girls had never been to the Beach before. We have gone for 3 weekends in a row now. They Love It. . . We were nervous that they might not like the water being splashed in their faces by the waves. But, they did great in Nannies pool and they did great. Every trip finds something new and exciting. On our last trip to visit Poppa and Mimi @ the Beach House, we found Sand Dollars, Starfish & some huge Conks.
They had so much fun and didn't want to leave.

First pictures @ Penneys

2009-06-30T15:50:00.008-04:00

We went and had pictures made with just us and the girls. They were so cute and "K" was such a good girl even though she was getting sick and we didn't find out how bad till later. Everything is still going wonderfully. We are waiting to get Custody transfered to us from the foster parents so that I can transfer everything here and start with Therapies and getting them the help they need.

Loving Life

2009-06-10T21:28:00.002-04:00

Ok, to say that our life has taken a turn toward interesting would be an understatement.
We are all handling the transition wonderfully. I almost keep waiting for something negative to happen, but it never does. We are getting adjusted to being a family of 6instead of 4. The girls are getting use to our routines and rules. We are also having to adjust some of those to them. It all seems to be working out very well at the moment. I love to sit and listen to the kids running through the house or out in the yard playing. I am sure the day will come when they will all be fighting like normal siblings so I am going to enjoy it while it last.
Loving Life………

Playing Princess

2009-06-10T20:58:00.000-04:00

Everything is going GREAT. The girls are so happy here and the boys are lost when they are gone.
The below pictures are them playing princess the other night.

Getting Closer

2009-05-27T13:09:00.004-04:00

We have now been on like 6 visits with the girls. To say it finally feels real is an understatement. They are so excited and the boys talk about them every day. Their room is ready and looks great. We are hoping the next 2 weeks till move in goes by quickly. I am sure it will with all that we have going on. I have gotten them registered for school next year and their Kindergarten plan is all laid out.
Only 2 more days till we get our Princesses for the weekend. :)

My Mothers Day Present from Courtney....

2009-05-12T21:42:00.000-04:00

Our wonderful caseworker, Courtney gave me a Mothers Day present on our visit today.
it is a framed and decorated Poem that she wrote about our first visit with the girls.
It is too sweet and I cry every time I read it. The fact that she made it herself means all the more.
it says:

the moment finally came
they waited from afar
their hearts began to race
at the sight of the Brunton car

to the people at McDonalds
Christina gave a shout
it’s “My New Mom and Dad”
she said without a doubt

Katie took your hand
and said come and play
it’s how she says I Love You
in her own special way

though you’ve only met just once
I can see the love you share
God has truly blessed your life
and multiplied your prayers

two precious little girls
will have their dream come true
now they have a Mom and Dad
and a Nanna and Boppy, too

your journey has just begun
a new chapter, a new start
take with you the memories
and hold them near your heart

My Sweet Husband

2009-05-07T18:10:00.001-04:00

OK, so, we know that Larry is ready and about to bust waiting. I on the other hand have been "One Big Ball of Emotions & Stress" this week. I can't wait to see them again and actually spend some time playing with them instead of just watching them to make sure they are real and weren’t going to disappear. Thank goodness that I have stayed sooooooooooo busy with shopping and other everyday things that tomorrow has snuck right up on me. It seems like EVERYONE in the house has had an appt. this week. Yes, even one of the dogs. I am making a scrapbook to give JoAnn for Mothers Day & have it all done except that I had wanted to put a note from me to her in it with some kind of poem or quote about foster moms. You would think there would be tons of that kind of thing out there on the net. Ummmm NO, Let me tell ya, there isn’t. Not really what I am looking for anyway. If I was really creative, I could come up with something. But, right now, my head is soooo full. It might have a shopping list mixed in with it somewhere. Hehe Any ideas, feel free to e-mail them right over.

Sabrina

2nd Visit coming

2009-05-07T18:07:00.001-04:00

I thought last week was long....waiting to see the girls for the first time.
It was way better than I could have ever hoped for.

This weeks has been twice as long waiting to get to see them again.I wonder all the time what they are doing and are they thinking about us. I see this getting harder each week until they get to stay with us. I will try to sleep tonight waiting to go tomorrow afternoon.

Larry

2009-05-07T18:06:00.001-04:00

Mommy and her Princesses.............

OUR NEW FAMILY

2009-05-01T22:42:00.000-04:00

Our fist visit went great and are hoping to have the moved in by June 13th.
It was so AWESOME!!! Like we were always meant to be a family. We are soooooo blessed. Can't wait to see them again next week.
((still floating on cloud 9))
THANK YOU !!!!!!!! to the wonderful caseworker that matched us. Courtney!!!!

OUR " 4 " KIDS!!!

2009-05-01T22:38:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is almost here !

2009-04-27T17:02:00.003-04:00

It's Larry this time. I am so excited about tomorrow, I have been telling everybody about our next step. I am sooo looking forward to learn more about the girls and what they like and dislike.The thought of waiting until Friday to see them is just about to much. I hope I am able to keep my composer and not fall apart when I see them. I have had their picture on my desk next to the boys' for a month now and it has seemed so fitting for it to be there.Friday can't come soon enough.

Larry

Meeting Our Girls!

2009-04-27T14:25:00.002-04:00

We have our meeting with the girls caseworker tomorrow morning. We are really looking forward to hearing all about them & their history. THEN.... We get to meet them for the first time on Friday. I am really hoping that they like us. If everything goes ok, it will be a shopping frenzy after that. We have so much that we need & to re-do the room. We want to it is done & ready for them. It is Great timing that this is happening @ the end of school so that they have all summer to get adjusted before starting school in the fall.

We got MATCHED with the TWINS ! ! ! ! !

2009-04-24T09:54:00.001-04:00

We were MATCHED with the GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The caseworker called with the news that changed EVERYTHING! When she told me, my brain officially stopped working! I was soooooo excited, I could just squeal. I am quiet sure the caseworker thinks I am a complete flake. Larry reminded me that she probably gets that all the time. Either way, after I hung up with her and recited the conversation to Larry…… we were sucked into a whirlwind of emotions, tears & lots of phone calls. Just for the record, let me say that I was actually holding it together pretty good ((wink, wink)) till Larry started tearing up and telling me how much he loves me. Then I lost it.
All of our family & friends are just as excited as we are & I don’t think they will ever know just how much that means to us. We had told the boys about the twins and showed them a picture. They new we were hoping to hear something. We had decided to tell the boys together. We wanted to get pictures of their faces when we told them & I had printed a picture of the girls for each of them to keep. Well……….. that idea went down the tubes when (mr. dramatic) Jobe came running towards me @ the car ramp & screaming ((Did we get them? Did they call? Did they call?)) And Cody was asking ((Do I get sisters? Do I get sisters?)) They were so excited. I couldn’t not tell them.
I think it hit me at that moment just how much this has affected them. ((in a good way)) We have been very open with them about our adoption process and the idea of adding to our family. But have also tried to shield them from all the different kids that we have inquired on. Not wanting to confuse them or give them false hope until we got a match. I am truly grateful and blessed that our boys are so excited and open to new siblings and adding to our family. We even went shopping after school because they want to give each of the girls a present when they meet them for the first time. Cody had a hard time understanding why we couldn’t just go pick them up and bring them home & pestered us all night about it. He wanted to know when and exactly how many days before he could play with them. So, as we schedule our visits, I will have to add them to his calendar so that he can count the days and keep track. Which is just what he does.

Yes, I did go shopping and only got a few small things. We want to wait till after we meet them before we start making up the room and all. I want to be able to find out what they like now. But, their profiles said that one likes Chef stuff and pretend cooking and the other one likes Princess stuff. So, I found the cutest Chef kitchen play set that is decorated in a princess theme. I got the cutest Princess Chef Apron with the big pink Chef had and oven mitt and some other cooking stuff that is electric. They had some dress up stuff on clearance. They have the cutest princess outfits. It was soooo hard not to start buying everything right then. The biggest things we will need to get first are beds. Being that we only have a crib and toddler bed. Let me just say that if they both like the princess theme for the room. I found the cutest Cinderella Stage Coach beds. When I can actually start shopping, I will have to keep repeating the word “budget” in my head. “Lord please keep me busy for the next week”.
I do have to thank my best friend Mandy, she had the great idea of giving the girls a little photo album with pictures of us so that they can get familiar with us and have it when were not there. But, also add them in as a part of us. ((She was so excited that she stayed up very late and made it all last night)) THANK YOU Lulu, I LOVE YOU!

My biggest fear now is that when the girls meet us, they will run screaming in the other direction. OK, maybe a little overly dramatic but, you know what I mean. I really hope that they like us. Guess there is nothing we can do but wait and see. We meet with the caseworker to Tuesday and hopefully our first meeting with the girls will be later that same week.

Thank you to all of our family and friends that have been there for us and continue to share our excitement and dreams. We love you all so very much. Katie and Christina will be so loved……………

Tomorrow is the day.............

2009-04-22T21:17:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is the day 04/23/09.......... When a committee of people will decide if our life is going to change 4-ever. If we will become a family of 6 or stay a family of 4. Everyone say a prayer for the committee and that God gives them the wisdom to choose the best family for these little girls. Of course we hope it will be us. But, have left this decision in God’s hands and know that what is meant to be, will be.

For those of you just joining us… We made it to the top 4 families being considered for the cutest little twin 5yr old Girls ever. We have tried not to get our hopes too high but it is so hard not to. We have never been this close to a match before and all control of containing feelings and hopes have been blown right out the window. We tried to keep telling ourselves that somewhere out there, there are 3 other families that got the same e-mail and are just as excited as we are, hoping that they get picked. But, when looking at their pictures and when strolling through the store, glancing at all the adorable girl stuff. We tend to forget about all the other families out there that also daily search the online listings and constantly e-mail caseworkers in order to keep your name and homestudy fresh in their minds.
Larry keeps telling me not to worry about it because he just knows that we are going to get picked. But, I figured that sending out one more prayer couldn’t hurt.
We will keep you posted.
Till then.............

Autism = Fiesta by the Bay

2009-04-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

This was the "Fiesta by the Bay" last weekend. Done by CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities)
CARD does an Autism benifit every year. Great music, food and Salsa dancing. We had sooooooooo much fun!!!

Meteor Shower

2009-04-21T21:54:00.002-04:00

The Lyrids meteor shower will peak after midnight to dawn on Wednesday April 22, 2009. The majority of Lyrids meteors are likely to soar across the sky in the dark hour before dawn. We get our information from a wonderfl source: http://www.meteorblog.com/

Meteor Mark has wonderful info on his blog. You all know that we set our meteor watching calendar by it. The kids have been waiting for tomorrow morning and went to bed early so that we could get up before dawn to watch. Well, I will post tomorrow if we got to see anything.

As I have said before.
"Wishes on Shooting Stars and Family Memories is all a Mother could ever ask for".

Sooooo Excited!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-15T13:28:00.001-04:00

We had inquired on the 2 most adorable twins a while back and had been keeping it a secret so that we didn’t jinx it. Yes, I said twins! A dream come true for me and Larry says they would be soooo perfect for us. Well, we just got an e-mail that said we have made it to one of the top 4 families that are being considered for them. We should find out in just over a week if we made it to #1 or not.

This time, it is me telling Larry not to get our hopes up just in case but, it is soooooo hard not to. I find myself looking at princess beds online and all kinds of different stuff. We are holding off on scheduling our summer vacation in case we need to add 2 more. Uhhh, I am just so excited I could POP!
We will keep everyone posted!

Please PRAY………. Not only for us but, no matter who they pick, that these girls get their perfect family and all the Love they could ever need! They deserve it!

Have a Jesus filled day!

St. Patricks Day 09

2009-04-08T21:21:00.000-04:00

Mommy and her little Lepercon's. They were all decked out for school and we had a wonderful Green lunch at School.

Quote

2009-03-23T10:47:00.002-04:00

I have a quote for this week:

Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them.

Inquired

2009-03-20T16:40:00.001-04:00

We have inquired about several “punkins” over the last few weeks. We have heard back on 4 of them. Yeah! We are praying heavily about them all but, there is one inparticular that we are really feeling led to. The only info that we are going to give up to our friends and family is that it is a sibling group.
We inquire on several children every week and when you are a person who wears her heart on her sleeve, you learn early on that you can’t get excited. BUT, Larry and I have both thrown that rule right out the window with these 2. They would be such a perfect fit for our little family.
Where ever our future children are, we pray that they are safe and happy until we can wrap our arms around them.

Pure and Simple

2009-03-18T09:53:00.001-04:00

My youngest son asked me yesterday when we were going to get him some more family. ((meaning siblings)) I told him that I didn’t know and that it takes a while to find the right ones for our family. Not quite understanding why this was, he continued to state how “we were a nice family and he would share his toys and how we would love them and squeeze their little cheekers.” I tried to explain that even though that was all true, it still took a while because there were lots of other families that were also looking for little punkins to add the there family. It never ceases to amaze me how a child’s view is so pure and straight forward.
If only life was that simple!
If we could all just stay that pure and simple, there probably wouldn’t be children out there in need.

Wait, Wait, Wait

2009-02-27T11:58:00.002-05:00

Ok, so we have been inquireing on lots of different ((punkins lately)).
We inquired on 2sibling groups and 2individuals today alone.
We get so discouraged sometimes. How can there be so many kids that need good homes and we have soooooooo much love and help to give.
But, don't ever seem to get anywhere with our inquiries.

Meteor Blog

2009-02-05T18:20:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I heard from Meteor Mark. He has the meteor Blog that I get all my GREAT meteor information from. He has created a "meteorblog shop" Where you can buy all kinds of neat stuff. TOTALLY AWESOME! When posting on the blog, I call my self "Meteor Mom" so of corse I have already ordered my totally SWEET T-shirt that says ((Number One Meteor Mom)).

Anywho, There will be a visible Comet on February 24th. How cool will that be!
You can get all the info on the blog. www.meteorblog.com

Thanks for all the cool stuff Mark!

Wished on a Shooting Star

2009-01-05T21:09:00.002-05:00

We watched the Quadrantids Meteor Shower the other night. TOTALLY AWESOME!!! We have really gotten into Meteors lately and the last few have been a wash out. But, this one was so great and the boys were off school so we got to get up and sleep in. Have I mentioned lately how much I love living in the country? We bundel up together with tons of blankets & snacks. It is so much fun!

We saw over 100 an hour. No moon and not a cloud in the sky, they were so much brighter than some of the others we have watched.

I have said it once and I will say it again!
"Wishes on Shooting Stars and Family Memories, is all I could ever wish for!"
Sabrina

2009

2009-01-03T15:40:00.002-05:00

Ok, so it is Jan. 3rd 2009. How weird it is to say “2009”.

The boys go back to school soon and I am going to miss them so much. They are getting so big and growing way too fast.

I am taking a new approach to our adoption search. Hope it gets us somewhere and soon. I don't want our future punkins out there in the big world without us any longer than they have to be. Larry says that he feels that she or they are already here and waiting for us to find them. Well, lets hope some caseworker somewhere gets one of my e-mails or phone calls and knows right off that she has the perfect pink bundle of joy for us! ((I can HOPE can't I?))

The end of 2008

2008-12-29T11:14:00.001-05:00

WoW, what a GREAT year 2008 has been. I am caught between looking forward to 2009 and wishing that time would stand still just as it is right now.
On the one hand, I wish that I could just hold my punkins here for ever just as they are right now. Not wanting them to get bigger and protect them from the big world ahead of them. But, on the other hand, I truly believe that they are going to be such great men and continue to be a joy to everyone that they come into contact with and the world needs more good people like that.

2008 started out with me getting a Hysterectomy and resulting in feeling better than I have in YEARS! ((this was a great thing)) Then we started our Adoption Journey and are still riding that roller coaster looking for the rest of our future family. In August, we bought our first HOME! What a blessing to our family and we are forever thankful. The boys are both doing GREAT in school and growing like weeds.

Praying that 2009 will bring that special child or children into our lives that is meant for us. We hope that 2009 turns out to be as good a year for YOUR family as 2008 has been for ours! Love and Blessings

All the McDermott Family

2008-12-29T11:02:00.001-05:00

All of Larry's family is in town. Which includes all the ones that live here & is brother from NY and brother from TX and their families. The whole family together.......

2008-12-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

Our trip to GA & NC. We had so much fun!

Leonids Meteor Shower "EVERYBODY WATCH"

2008-11-16T04:56:00.003-05:00

Hi All,

There is another Meteor Shower going on and they are expecting an outburts of activity from 7:00pm to 7:30pm ((FL time)) tonight ((Sunday)) and then peak viewing also in the morning before dawn ((on Monday morning)) http://www.meteorblog.com/ Don't miss it!! Larry and I were out this morning @ 4am and saw quite a few in a short amount of time. It is TOTALLY worth it. AGAIN !! They are expecting a major outburst between 12:01 AM and 12:30 AM Universal Time/GMT. FOR US IN FL, THAT WILL BE 7pm to 7:30pm Sunday 11/16/08. Happy Meteor Watching and as Meteor Mark says = Keep Your Head Up!

Approval on Extended Ages!!! WooHoo

2008-10-29T17:12:00.000-04:00

Just heard from our case worker and she is mailing our new Home Study with our wanted ages changed. We will now officially be considered for ages 0 through 7.
We have inquired on 2 little girls this week. One of them is new on the list and getting all kinds of inquiries. While the other, we inquired about several weeks ago and never heard anything back. So we re-sent it last week and I called today. Almost all the children that we have inquired on are out of state so I won’t even worry myself thinking of how we would get the money to go get them till we hear back one day.
Anyway, the newly listed little girl’s agency requires that our CW contact her CW directly. Our Case Worker is so awesome and in less than an hour of hearing from me, she had already called, left a message and faxed our HS over to her. SHE IS SO GREAT!! Lets hope that upping our oldest age from 3yrs to 7yrs will get us a few matches. . . .

A Moment of Frustration

2008-10-25T00:57:00.001-04:00

If the following doesn’t make any since, sorry, just ranting______
We have inquired about aprox. 4 different situations in the last week or so and either haven’s heard back yet or they are not open to out of state placement yet. Uggggggg. What a pain. Larry and I had originally had our oldest age desired as 3 and then once we started searching ((and spent our private agency money on the house)) we upped it to 6. Well, we had to request to have it changed in our Home Study because 2 of the situations that we have inquired on this week, if those Case Workers checked the exchange ((list of parents fitting the profile)) we wouldn’t have shown up because we they were like 4 and 5 years old and we caped ours out at 3. Our Case Worker has to submit a request to the higher ups ((not really sure who that is??)) and will let me know next week.

Ok, lets just think about this for a sec. The chances of us getting a NON special needs girl under the age of 3 from the FL foster care system are pretty much slim to nun. It would have to be either pure luck of the draw or a myrical from God and laid right in our laps. It is a total Zilch from other states.

I guess I am just a little depressed about it all. And with the Holidays coming up, it really bothers me. No child should be without a family for the Holidays. The other day, J asked me if we could buy a present for his future sister and if she didn’t come before then, we could just save it for her.

Just having a moment of frustration, I will be my normal happy, cheery self in the morning. Sabrina

Totally Addicted to Watching Meteor Showers!

2008-10-23T05:25:00.001-04:00

So, my kids are totally addicted to watching Meteor Showers!
The boys went to bed the next night asking if we could get up again at 1am and watch them. I told them no but, we would watch the one next month. Then I found this cool site with tons of info on it and realized that even though it’s past the peak, you can still see them.
Site= http://www.meteorblog.com/ So, we went out the next morning before breakfast and saw more than we did the night before. TOTALLY AWESOME! We got up earlier this morning to go out but, its over cast and you can’t even see the moon. So, we went back to bed. We are going to try again tomorrow morning cause they just can’t seem to get enough of them and that is wonderfully fine with us cause again, the Wishes and Memories are totally worth it! As Meteor Mark says on his site = Keep Your Head Up!

Happy viewing everyone, Sabrina

Our 08 Family Pictures

2008-10-22T00:24:00.003-04:00

We inquired about a sib. pair today from FL, 1girl and 1boy. haven't heard anything yet.

So if you know me (Sabrina), you know that I LOVE Pictures of my family. We had our Christmas pictures done early this year and I think they turned out really good. All the adoption books and info website's say not to put studio pics up because they look staged and people want to see you in your natural setting. WELL, scroll down and you will see plenty of us in our normal setting because we are always snapping pics here and there.

I like to think that our family picture helps show that there is plenty of room for more little "Punkins in the Patch" so to speak.
I hope everyone is enjoying this WONDERFUL fall weather!!

Every Child should Wish Upon a Shooting Star ! !

2008-10-22T00:09:00.002-04:00

It is now 2:30am and I just snuggled my punkins into bed after watching a little bit of the Orionid Meteor Shower. We had this whole lesson about how this shower is actually small pieces of dust and rock from Halley’s Comet that only passes earth twice a year. So on and so forth. Anyway, they were so excited yesterday afternoon. But, we were so sure that when 1am rolled around, they would probably choose sleep instead. To our surprise, they hopped right up and were raring to go. We took snacks, pillows, blankets (the whole 9 yards) and had fun.

We only saw aprox. 12 to 15 total. But, that was enough for 2 little boys who had NEVER seen anything like it.

We all made WISHES and MEMORIES tonight and that is all a mother can ever ask for in life.

Sabrina

P.S.
J got his hair cut!! After 2 years of letting it grow long, he got it cut. We were trying to let him be his own person and have it his way but, are sooooooooooo happy that it is short again. IT LOOKS SOOOOOO GREAT !! did I mention how thrilled we are that it is short again? hahahaha, they grow up so fast!

Pictures of "Smores by the Fire" & Fall Pumpkin Pics

2008-10-22T00:07:00.002-04:00

Pictures of our "smores by the fire" & Fall Pumpkin Pictures.

Pics of Bugs room now that the planets are up!

2008-10-05T21:31:00.002-04:00

I forgot to put up a pic of the bug's room now that it has the Planet's on the wall & hanging from the celing. ((the greeen and yellow pic on the lower right is the before pic))

Fall is Here!!

2008-09-10T16:31:00.002-04:00

We have inquired on 2 sets of children this week, 1 girl and 1 sib. group with 2 girls. When I showed Larry the 2 girls, his response was ((when do we fly out to pick them up??)) But as our LUCK would always turn out to be.... They were not supose to have been listed yet because they are trying to place them with a Texas family first. So that brings us back to the never ending cycle. No news on the 1 girl. She is in ME and The Case worker did respond and ask for our Home Study but, is now on vacation. hahahahaha I could almost laugh!!!!!!! UGGGG

Fall is here ((even though it doesn’t feel like it))
I LOVE FALL!! I wish it lasted longer. I came to this realization yesterday evening. There are only a few things better in this life than driving with the windows down, the wind blowing in your hair, the Chipmunks rocking out on the radio & my boys in the back seat singing along with them ((screaming really)) & laughing till they cried.
IT WAS GREAT! I love when it’s cool enough to drive with the windows down ((saving gas)) and open the windows at home. Our family loves the holidays and we all get excited and energized. Ready for the busy season.

The boys are doing great in school and eating me out of the house.
We are going on our annual Snow Skiing trip in Dec. and was so hoping to have our new addition to take along. The boys were so excited the first time they saw snow and I so want our next child to have that memory. Plus, they make such cute Girl, Snow Bunny cloths! J But, I know if we were going to have placement by then, we probably would have to have found a match by now. (I will still pray though)

Bye Summer Time.........

Just Waiting!!

2008-09-10T15:31:00.002-04:00

So, we are searching and waiting, waiting and searching. We have come to the understanding that if you want a child under the age of 5, it is going to be pure luck of the draw to get a little one and without major special needs. (and that is if at all) When they are in the states care and come available for adoption, they give first adoption choice to the Foster Parents. Almost 9 out of 10 times, the Foster Parents do adopt OR if they don’t, then the SW already has a list of families on her desk to call and the child never makes it to the BIG pool of children. And most states don’t choose out of state placements unless it is a really hard to place child which usually means very special needs & they have been available for a while.
I can see how other families give up and turn to a private agency to be matched with a birth mother. But, that avenue also comes with a hefty price tag.

We had intentions of doing both. Putting our eggs in a few different baskets (so to speak) and have a profile being shown to prospective mothers while we were searching and waiting on foster care. But, after our MAPP class, we started re-thinking that because there are already soooooo many kids out there that need good homes. Then that decision was made for us when we bought our new house. ((NEED I SAY MORE?)) Now we don’t have the extra money to spend on a private agency. ((unless there is a Money Tree hidden on our 2 ½ acres somewhere))

WE ARE OFFICIALLY SEARCHING AND WAITING!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-26T22:14:00.001-04:00

We got our approval letter and packet today!! I spoke with our SW and she said that we could start searching other counties and states right away! WoooHooo!!!!!! We have been waiting for this point. I of corse jumped right on the computer and made 2 inquires on 2 cases that we had seen online but couldn’t inquire about since we didn’t have our HS to fax them.

We are so excited and then getting a little discouraged at the same time because there just doesn’t seem to be any available kids out there. When you see one and just start to get your hopes up, you get to the part in the profile where it says that this child is placed with Foster Parents that intend on adopting them. After calling a few different caseworkers to inquire about this, we find out that if the parents file for subsidy, legally the state has to list the child on their public registry. I know that there is a child/children out there somewhere that is meant for our family but the waiting is going to be the hardest part.

I now know why so many couples turn to private agencies and pay small fortunes to be matched with birth mothers. Months or a year of searching and waiting will be torture. ((God, please be with us and give us the patiencs that we need to endure this process and not give up.))

First Day of School

2008-08-26T21:46:00.002-04:00

So, the boys started school and had a good first week. We are still waiting to hear about our HS and make sure it all went well. Heartland had said that typically you had to wait 3 to 6 months before going out of county and give them a chance to place with you first. But one of the other families said that since we wanted younger children, they were not making us wait being that they don’t have any children under the age of 5 in our counties. So, I guess we will find out soon enough.

I am attaching some pics from the boys first day and week of school!

Our Home Study is Complete!!! WooHoo!!

2008-08-09T06:19:00.003-04:00

Well, our Home Study is finally Complete!!! Whewwwwwwwww
Jen (our SW) was sooooo nice and it all went totally smooth. We had so much help over the weekend and even up till the morning of, Miss Jo showed up at 7am that morning to help me make things look nice ((well, as much as U can with boxes everywhere)) and make sure I didn’t get nervous. We have such wonderful family and friends!!! So, she was here for aprox. 2hrs & 45min. Of corse, I just chatter away when I get nervous so I am sure I talked her ear off. She said not to worry, that we were approved and would get our final copy in a few weeks. The boys did great even though “C” told her that he wanted a boy so that he could name him Ben Ten after his favorite Alien Force Super Hero. So, now I guess we just wait for HeartLand to find us a match and if not, I guess we will start checking the online listings. It was so funny, Larry seemed giddier then I was after she left. Hopefully our wait won’t be that long.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TO HELP US FIX UP THE HOUSE. WE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

Before and after room pics & Fixer Uper weekend!

2008-08-09T05:59:00.004-04:00

Below are the before and after bedroom pics of the house and pics from our Fixer Uper weekend! We still have a ton of un-packing to do but for the most part, it is starting to feel like home!

Baby's Room ((Lady Bugs and Dragon Flys))

C's Room ((Space, rocketships & robots))

J's Room ((Sports theme))

Master bedroom ((green and brown))

Here is some Pics from our Fixer Uper weekend!!

Our New House!!

2008-08-01T14:37:00.004-04:00

Well, we are new Home owners and our Home Visit is schedualed for Next Wed. WoooHooo, it is done!!!

Prayers needed ASAP!

2008-07-29T11:34:00.001-04:00

Ok,
So we are officially going to loose our minds!!!!!!!!!! Everything has been approved with the house and we should be able to close by like Thursday EXCEPT one little thing, which we just found out……………………………………….
The underwriter is saying that the Roof Has 2 be REPLACED before closing. Ugggggggggg
R U kidding me????????? We already had the roof looked at and have arranged to get it repaired. The roofing contractor ((ya know, the one who is an expert on roofs!!!!)) said that it just needed repairing and not replacing. But, because the first appraiser ((who isn’t a roofing expert)) said it needed to be replaced. The underwriter is sticking with his opinion.
I understand that they want to be very careful and all but, come on!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooo over the whole house thing and it will be a very long while before we ever buy another one.
In one way, I still hold ((the crazy lady)) responsible for ALLLLLLL of this!!!!!!! We were supposed to be in her house wayyyyy back in March. That is why we started our adoption process back then. Now, we are down to the wire and stand a chance on loosing our whole Home Study process.
I guess the flip side is we will have a new roof and added security. Prayers needed thanks!!!!

Just talking

2008-07-18T00:15:00.001-04:00

Ok, well, we should be having our home visit (which is the last stage in our home study) around the 28th. Other than that, we are just enjoying the summer with our chickey-doos. ((that means our kids for those of you who don’t speak Sabrina language)) In MAPP class, they tell ya to stay away from the photo listings till you have your home study ready to send out and I now know why. It is pure torture to look at all those sweet little punkins and know that you don’t have room for all of them. I make a wonderful boy mom and would love another one of those but……. When I see the round little Asian girls or this one I saw earlier that was too cute with round cheeks, red hair and tons of freckles. Oh my goodness! I really, really wish I could just run down here to Target and pick one off the shelf. Welllllll, maybe not just one :)~
I will go for now and wish whoever reads this a good night!

Best pic of the week!!

Class info

2008-07-14T16:46:00.003-04:00

So, still waiting on the keys to the house and still packing. I had a great birthday. Larry and the boys threw me a surprise party. It was GREAT. I have spoken to some of the other couples in our adoption class and some of them have already started getting matches and some have already started the adoption process on a child. Others are still waiting and 1 other is like us and hasn’t had the home visit yet. I think it is so Awesome to see how each family is different. There were 3 couples in our class that have never had children before and I pray that they get matched first. How wonderful it will be, especially for them. PS. Looking at photo listings is not only addicting but it will drive you mad! I just want to hug and squeeze all of them.

Update and 40th & 30th Birthdays

2008-07-13T12:30:00.003-04:00

Ok, so we are still waiting to get the house keys and start painting so that we can move in. We are really hoping for next weekend but, it might be mid next week.

A wonderfully nice lady with our home study service just called to see when we would be ready for the visit and seemed ok with maybe having to wait till Aug. 1st. I explained the situation to her and she said that was all just fine.
I would really like to get all the bed rooms painted and fix up the front of the house a little ((as in, clear the little bit of brush and paint the trim)) before she comes. I realize that I might be trying to fit a watermelon into an apple by trying to do too much, but I really want it to be nice. The house isn’t in bad shape its just a little out dated. The down stairs has been remodeled over time, but when you hit the top of the stairs, you walk into the Seventies ((literally)). LET ME JUST TELL YA, if we could be rejected as adoptive parents because of really funky colored, old SHAG carpet, it would be all over for us!!
I LOVE the history in the house and I even love the bright colors but I am so happy that the Green and Blue tubs and showers will be going when we remodel. J
So, today is my ((Sabrina’s)) 30th birthday and I am not happy about it one little bit. I don’t feel 30 and I guess that is what counts. Either way, my family is making sure I have a GREAT day and I know that is what really counts!!
Larry's 40th & Sabrina's 30th Birthday>>>>>

Packing for the Move!!!

2008-07-08T15:00:00.005-04:00

First time on a bike without training wheels!!

So, we are packing for the Big Move to the new house and the boys are sooooo excited. The new house is a big 2 story 4br 3ba that sits on 2.5 acres that is fully fenced. Jobe is doing his room in Sports and Cody is doing his in (Space, Robots & Rocket ships). They have had so much fun picking out all the new stuff for their rooms and deciding how we are going to paint them. The nursery is still in the discussion stage. We have a white armoire and crib but haven’t decided on any kind of bedding set to determine the colors. I am not for sure that we are going to do it in anything particular yet being that we don’t know if we are going to get 1 or 2 children, a girl and boy or just 1girl so on and so forth. We have said approximately under the age of 2 and they might want to pick out their own stuff. We have gotten all the safety stuff for the doors, cabinets and outlets in preparation for the home visit and I think we are pretty much ready.

Cody rode a bike without training wheels for the first time this weekend!

We hope you had a GREAT 4th of July weekend!!
I am attaching some pics from ours.

Past Due Update on us

2008-07-08T11:10:00.002-04:00

Ok, so we haven’t put anything on here since we started MAPP classes but, I think we were in limbo about weather it was really going to happen or not seeing as we didn’t have a house yet.

Well, we are now for sure moving and are all too excited!! We completed our MAPP class back in June and not only was it eye opening but we met the nicest people there. The Home Study service has agreed to wait and do our home visit just before Aug. 1st so that we can get moved in and paint. I think we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is gorgeous. We are deff. leaning more toward domestic adoption being that it is cheaper but, Sabrina's longing for an Asian little girl is till there.

During the MAPP classes, we decided to open ourselves up to a possible sibling group. The funny thing is that I would have a million more if I could but always thought the idea of adding more than 1 more to our family scared Larry. But, it was him who when they asked us in class, said “oh yes, we would diffidently be open to adopting a sibling group”.
Well ok then.

The good Lord knows that with the new big house, we will have plenty of room.

I wish everything would hurry up!

2008-03-24T19:26:00.001-04:00

Well, I go back to work tomorrow. Part time that is, till we actually get our Princess because who knows how long that is going to take. I am doing advertising for Larry’s company and Love being there. He loves having me just around the corner so that he can flirt with me when he walks by. Hahahaha He is so funny.

So, we are leaning towards domestic again. Being that international is so expensive and I couldn’t travel for long periods of time away from the boys.
I really love the idea of being matched with a birthmother and getting to know where our Daughter came from. We can’t help but think that this would be a plus because it shows that she cares enough to find a good home and loving family for her little one and give her all the advantages that she can from the very beginning.

On the other hand, it breaks my heart to know that there are so many children out there that need good homes and a loving family.

At this point, we are leaning towards both baskets for our eggs ((so to speak)) and see which one hatches first. Not to say that our Darling Daughter will be a chicken by any means. But, we have waited so long and want to make sure that we open up all avenues available.

WE START OUR MAPP CLASSES THIS SATURDAY !! woooo hoooo

Trying to Decide...UGGGG

2008-03-17T22:10:00.000-04:00

OK,
So, we start our Home Study/aka/MAPP classes through the state of FL on March 29th & are still trying to decide which adoption rout to go.

We are really leaning towards Korea ((but, have no idea how we will come up with the money)). I have found all this info on it and an awesome forum with TONS of info.
We would both LOVE to go with China but the wait has gotten sooooo long. & There is that little problem of not being married 5 years because it is a re-marriage. Larry said it should be ok because by the time we get our princess; it will be over the limit.
((YA WELL, IT DOESN’T QUITE WORK LIKE THAT, NOW DOES IT))
Good theory though.

Slide Show

2008-03-16T15:52:00.000-04:00

First time!

2008-01-08T17:06:00.000-05:00

Hi all,
I have started this blog to vent all of life's frustrations and keep the extended family updated on our family. We are an everyday family with mom, dad, 2 abundantly growing boys, 1dog & 2cats. We have 1son with AUTISM and 1 son who thinks he is a genius.

We are finalizing the purchase of our new house (can't wait to move) and have decided to start the adoption process (that we have been researching for over a year) in hopes of finding a wonderful princess to complete our family.

Life is crazy and you have to have to become crazy to survive in it.

Been there, got the T-shirt!