The last of the trip, home and thanks

We are home now. I didn't get to post much as it was so hard to type on that little computer but I will fill in the blanks!
The last few days in Taiwan were spent.. yes, eating!! LOL... I made Jeb bring us back to that great restaurant we went the second night.. I am sitting here drooling thinking how can I cook that food here at home??
Anyways we did make it to Taipei 101 and a Jade market on Saturday. And we did see some really cook fireworks on Saturday night.. but we were in a hurry to get to the restaurant so we didn't see all of them!!
Then on Sunday Jeb, LiLing and Mia came to get us at the hotel.. final check out and then to lunch with Mia's friend Tina (she was an exchange student last year also but didn't stay the whole year.. but I have been emailing with her so I wanted to meet her finally!!) We did lunch and then headed to the airport.
Kara's mom and dad met us there and we said our good byes.. I really started to cry because I was so upset about not seeing Mia for so long!! We have made a promise between families that Mia will come to the US for her 21st birthday in 2011 and then I am going to start saving and saving so we can go over there in 2012 for the winter time to go to Harbin to see the ice city!!
So away we went for the LONGEST ride home ever. I don't get the whole thing.. going there to Asia takes 22 hours.. but coming home only take 16?? BUT we had a 10 HOUR layover in LA! We were so tired! I finally told Jay that I didn't care what we looked like I needed to sleep.. so we went to a corner area and layed our blanket down and the baby and I fell asleep.. Jay stayed awake and stood guard ... but it wasn't a good sleep.. then on the plane.. they turn the heat up to make the passengers sleep.. I was so miserable! For whatever reason.. and in all the traveling I have done this has never happened.. but my ankles swelled up on the flight..
But then we arrived in Orlando.. Chris came to pick us up and Cooper gave him a big smile!! We got home and both big girls came outside to greet us.. then Chase and Ali came out still rubbing their eyes.. but within minutes we were in the house unpacking and playing and everything just seemed NORMAL!!
Cooper LOVES Chase!! Ali shows signs of jealousy! But Cooper seemed to love our house.. he just started running around to every room like he had been here before.. and then sat down and started to play with the toys.
We went to have Chicken Wings with Haseena last night so that Cooper could say hi..
And it is crazy.... having 5 kids!! (that includes Kara our exchange student!! )LOL!!!!
Many thanks to all the adoption families that helped us out, to Mia and her mom and dad for being WONDERFUL host and tour guides and to Bethany and the girls in Kansas that helped us out with our adoption!!

Spent the day eating.. AGAIN!

We had a wonderful day.. again! Started out getting to Skype with all our kids back home (excpet Amanda) and then getting ready to hit the road. We headed out to find a bank to exchange the last of our US currency only to find out we needed our passport. So Jay headed back to the hotel while Cooper and I found the little bakery.. the man there kept talking to Cooper and then gave him some chocolate cakes.. we bought this really neat "sandwich" and another little roll. Total amount was $1.00. When Jay got back we went to the bank did the exchange and then headed out to explore while we were waiting on Jeb to come and get us. We found a place that was really clean and nice for eggs and coffee. It was so good.
Then Jeb called and said he would be there in a few minutes so we headed back to the meeting spot.
First stop was this mall where a ferris wheel sits on top ( I will have to find out from Jay what it was called) but it didn't open for about half an hour so we went for lunch!! LOL.. Really Jeb ate, I tried a bit of everything, Cooper tried a bit of everything and Jay just watched!! Cooper loves Cola!! .. I know .. shame on me.. but I bribe him with the soda for kisses!
Then we headed to the ferris wheel.. both guys, Jeb and Jay said.. Oh, I am afraid of heights.. I said TOUGH, you are going!! So I got the three tickets and we got in line.. your choice was a glass bottom car or not a glass bottom. I voted for glass bottom but both of them said NO GLASS BOTTOM..
It was beautiful up there. The mountains all around.
Then we were heading to Taipei 101 but it was getting later so we headed over towards Mia's school. We were early so we stopped at McDonalds for coffee, a soda and french fries for Cooper.
Then we went to visit the University that Mia will attend next year and then on to Mia's school. While we were waiting all the kids were coming out.. they would say "Hi" and then start to laugh... we were having so much fun with the little kids.
Some would ask us where we were from and some would say.. Look at the foriegner's!!
When Mia came out we headed over to the night market so we could EAT AGAIN!! LOL
It is only 8:30 and we are showered and back in our pj's.. it was such a busy day and so tiring!!
Cooper is snuggled up on daddy right now.. he is still bonding to Jay a whole bunch.. even though I am the one feeding him!! LOL

AIT Appointment

Wednesday was our AIT appointment. Again nothing that I was expecting. A building like a courthouse with teller windows like a bank. We get called up and sign a few things, the wait, then get called up and sign a few things, answer a few questions, then wait, then get called up again to talk to an American lady and answer a few more questions.. none that I would have expected her to ask... but that was it! Then we filled out a form for a courier to bring his papers to us and out we went.
I guess he was ours on Monday... I am not really sure when the official "Adoption" day was??
Then LiLing and Mia picked us up at the park right down the road and off we went to eat again!! It was a neat place. A pot of broth in the middle of the table and they would bring all this meat to cook at the table. We ate like piggy poos. Then we went on the MRT to a far corner of Taipei to a shopping area. I liked this place as it was more Asian stuff.. more of a tourist spot!!
We got our feet done again at a place where the workers were all blind.. but it was awful.. Jay's feet have black and blue marks on the bottom from the massager person pushing and squeezing so hard!!
Then back on the MRT to go meet Jeb and LiLing for more food!! We went to a restaurant that was more like a Kobe's Steak house.. Japanese style. The food was so good but Jay didn't eat.. he has been eating so much all week that it finally caught up with him. I felt bad for Jeb as he was so excited about this restaurant. But we don't eat like this at home and it has been too much on the system!!
Mia said that they eat so much all the time.. so how is it that they weight NOTHING and I am so fat???
Anyways it was an early night.
Then on Thursday I got up and got Cooper dressed, Jay stayed in bed and we waited for the courier to show up with the passport and papers. As soon as we got the stuff Cooper and I set out on an adventure.. alone.
First stop was McDonalds! He loves the fries! Then we went to get his hair cut. And then we started to walk, and walk and walk... after about 3 hours I finally called Jeb and told him that I was lost!! The roads don't run north and south but in every direction and everything looks the same and I was confused!! But then while I was on the phone with Jeb I saw a building that said FE21.. which is where I was going. After looking around and having ice cream we went out front and took a taxi back to the hotel.. only took ten minutes!! LOL
Then we got cleaned up and Jeb came to pick us up so that we could go to Mia's school and get her and then out to dinner with Kara's mom and dad!!!
It was a wonderful dinner!! We were so happy to meet Kara's parents and they were very outgoing and wonderful.. not quite and shy like their kid!! I have to talk to her when we get back!! Just a perfect night!

Birth Mother

Today was draining. We went to Cathwel at 9:30 to meet the birth mom. She was coming in from an area south of Taipei so she was about an hour plus late. Cooper was happy on daddy's lap and I didn't try to get in the way.. I wanted them to walk in and see him happy.
LiLing and a family friend took us there this morning and stayed to translate. When the time arrived it was the birth mom, the sister and the grandmother. At first it was just smiling and nodding.. a few things were translated but I don't think anyone really knew what to say.. small talk.
Then the grandmother told the translators to explain to us about why they were letting Cooper go to America. We had read their profile and knew the story but out of the three woman I know this was the hardest on the grandmother... after all she had raised two children.
She asked us "WHY HIM??" Why would we take a child that has a heart problem where there are so many other children that need homes.. and we told her because he is the one that stole our hearts.
We were there for an hour and I feel that it helped them, meeting us. They did want to know if we would adopt again.. which I answered, "No, Cooper will be the last" but that wasn't a fair answer because no on knows what tomorrow will bring and someday there might be another.. but maybe my answer wasn't a lie because at this moment we have no plans for more. We have a great family and Cooper was the icing on the cake!!
So the worker for the orphanage finally said the meeting was over and that we should be on our way.. and I think that there was nothing more to say.. it was just time. And we left the building first.
So now the two boys are asleep on the bed.. both needed this sleep! One was really crabby and the other... well they both needed this nap!! LOL

He is ours!

I have to say it was not anything I expected. I was so excited I could not sleep and even with the long flight and all the walking we did Sunday I was up by 4:30 AM Monday morning. Jay had to get up also because the hotel lights are so confusing... if I need a light.. ALL the lights go on...not sure what we are doing wrong!! LOL
So after getting my paper done for my psychology class we got in the shower and dressed and then headed out to explore this area.
Mia was meeting us at 9 AM and she had arranged a car to take us to Cathwel. Jay and I spent our few hours walking around, trying to order breakfast and talking to a cute young boy that I tried to hook up for Mia!! LOL
At 9 Mia and our taxi showed up.
It was about a 20 minute drive to Cathwel where we were greeted at the door by ... my head was spinning but I think it was one of the directors..she said something about one of the babies having the flu so we would meet Cooper...that is all I remember... so we went upstairs, took off our shoes in the hallway and a woman was holding the hand of a little boy... it was him!!!
The woman holding his hand was his Nannie that cared for him all the time.. I could tell she was very upset. She did not speak English but another woman, who told us she was our helper (she did all our paperwork, went to the court, will meet us at AIT on Wednesday..etc)said that the Nannie was sad. I can understand the mixed emotions a caregiver for a child goes through. The Nannie had a bag packed for him with all his stuff and they included this beautiful book about Taiwan so that he could see where he came from when he gets older. They also returned all the toys that we had sent him and his clothes. The kept telling Cooper, that is your mommy and your daddy and he kept telling them no!! LOL
He warmed up to Jay right away, after Jay bribed him with a toy car that had a button that made noise! But he really didn't want anything to do with me at first.
After talking to our helper lady for about 20 minutes I asked if we needed to fill out any paperwork.. she said no so we packed up and left.
We had sent the taxi driver away as we thought we would be there for a few hours, like our adoption in China, so we found another taxi and headed to the zoo.
The Taiwan zoo was given two panda bears as a gift from China and I was told by Jeb, Mia's dad, that these panda bears came from the county that Ali came from... which made me think that when we were in China at the zoo they had two baby pandas... they could be the same!!
Well the zoo was wonderful and beautiful and I bribed Cooper with a panda ice cream!! He drank from a straw (he was still on a bottle but I did not give it to him but had him drinking from cups!) which was cute as he didn't quite understand it but within a few tries he had it completely figured out!!
Then we took the subway back to our hotel!! It was such a neat experience!!
We came up to the room and changed his pants, put all the stuff from Cathwel and then headed out to McDonald's for our first meal together! This is when Cooper decided I wasn't so bad.. I had to bribe him with a cheeseburger and fries!!
After this Li Ling picked us up and took us to some shops so we could buy the baby some stuff. Li Ling had already bought him a jacket and a hat (it is a bit cold here right now)so we just walked and looked around at the many items and shops.
We had Cooper in his stroller, which is low to the ground and many shop owners have dogs in their stores.. COOPER HATES DOGS!! He is so scared of them, screaming when they are within ten feet! So Mia and I had to keep on the lookout for animals while Jay would steer him away!! It was a game!!
After HOURS of walking and looking, Li Ling and Jeb came back to get us and took us to the most unique place for dinner. I will have to have Jeb tell me the name and address so that families that come after us can go to this place... it was great food. For those of you that live in Florida we have a restaurant called The Melting Pot were you cook your fondue at the table. This place was along that line only you "BBQ'd" at the table. They had small fire pits and they cooked all the meat you could eat, pork, beef, shrimp, fish... right there. I am not sure if the "waiter" usually stayed to help but our guy stood at the table the whole time talking to us and helping us cook our food!! IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD! Cooper ate like a champ. He favors his right arm very much and does not try to use it at all. I put a plate in front of him to see if he would feed himself but he didn't. So between Jay, LiLing and I we filled his little belly full!! He ate everything we gave him except Li Ling gave him a bit of her fish jaws and that stayed in his mouth for long time.. in fact I had to use my finger to pull it out.. he didn't want to swallow!! LOL
By now it was 9:30 PM and every one's eyes were so heavy.. but our tour guides had one last wonderful plan for us.. another foot massage!! These foot massages are very cheap here and they have cards for certain places around their home.. so Jeb dropped Mia, Jay, Cooper and I off and we sat in chairs while our feet were brought back to life. Cooper sat on my lap and started to snuggle- I know he was tired but I felt like he was starting to trust me also!!
Then back to our hotel where we put on PJ's and hit the bed. We laid him between us where we don't have a crib.. and he held my hand for comfort.. I think I fell asleep first as the last I looked at him his big brown eyes were still very big!!
So now it is almost 4:30 AM again and here I sit watching him sleep!

We made it!

We fially got here! After a turbulant 14 hour flight from LA, we made it to Taiwan. Mia and her dad were waiting for us and we were all very happy and excited to see each other, it was easy to find them, they were the only Taiwanese people wearing Florida Gator shirts!! They took us to our hotel, which is absolutely awesome! We are staying at The Grand Forward Hotel, which from the outside didn't look like anything spectacular, but once inside, we were thrilled to be staying here. The room is huge! We have 2 queen beds in a very spacious room, a big walk-in closet, marble bathroom with a tub and seperate shower built for 3, we couldn't be more thrilled, Jeb and Li Ling did great, plus we are only a few minutes from their home and shopping! After getting settled in and taking a much needed, refreshing shower, we were off to sightsee with our Taiwan family. We went to Mia's house for a Taiwan breakfast and then traveling around town. We went to a temple, a concert hall, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, shopping in Taipei which included a massage and lunch, and more sightseeing, and finally hanging out at he night market. We'll be going back to the night market a time or two before we leave. If you've never heard of it, in a nutshell it is people, lots of food, shopping, and more people. We had a great day! Thank you Jeb, Li Ling, and Mia! Right now we are getting our last minutes things ready, so we can go get Cooper. The moment we have been waiting for is only a few hours away! Talk to you later, next update will have pictures of Cooper!

THANK YOU!!!

I am just AMAZED at what the adoption community has done for us!!! I was so stressed out on Sunday night and wasn't sure what I was going to do!! Thank you so much Patty and Judy for posting for us on Loving Chinas Children! I promise to all of you that I will pay it forward as soon as everything is back to normal around here!
God Bless All of YOU!!!!
Ginnie and Jay

UPDATE

We are to have Cooper in our arms at 10:00 AM on Monday!!
I did get a bit more of a medical update on him today. I am sure I will learn more when I take him to the doctor but the way this paper stated his heart condition was that when he originally had his surgery there were complications that caused the next problem and that is why he now has the pace maker.
I know they have wonderful doctors in Taiwan, but it will be so much better to get him home and have him checked out here... this way all our questions can be answered.
We also get to meet the birth mother the next day! I am excited, I am nervous!
I will put together my list of questions for her while I am on the plane.

Things happen for a reason

I know this is crazy, but our flight leaves Friday night and we are still a bit shy of what we need for this adoption. I am going to have a garage sale on Friday morning to try to get some last minute money together. We had everything situated financially and then the unexpected. So we are still a bit shy of what we need to cover our expense.
I just don't understand why the governments have to make adoption so expensive. I understand we have to pay for our travel, but to put so many demands on adoption families financially is wrong.
The whole family has been sick for the last four weeks with that terrible virus that is going around, so both Jay and I haven't worked and now four days before flight we are concerned and know there will not be enough to cover the hotel and expenses in Taiwan.
I could say I don't know how we got into this situation but I do know. I left the workforce to go back to school, things happen, the economy stuck.. just name it and that is what has happened around here!
I did go train today at my new job.. I don't get paid to train as I will be working for a public school.. the government again.. and they can not pay for two nurses on at the same time.. so in order for me to learn how to do my job I have to go in on my time but I do have to say.. I LOVE IT!!!
I can not believe that I have been so blessed and lucky to get this job at the school with the kids!! The clinic was full of kids, in and out, all day long and they were all WONDERFUL...
Well I will keep everyone posted.. I am taking it one day at a time. I don't know what else to do.

One week to go!!

Today is my husband's 40th birthday! My oldest daughter called to ask what we were doing tonight.. it was a haunted trail at Gatorland and then on to the homecoming football game.. I think this is a sign we have finally grown up, or is that grown old??!! Anyways, Happy Birthday, Jay!!
So tonight we will finish our packing for Taiwan. The baby's suitcase is packed, I hope the clothes I am bringing fit him. He looks so small in his photos. The last update I got he was only around 25 lbs.. which is around an 18 month size. I am bringing a pack of diapers and wipes, a toothbrush and sippy cups.. I am sure there are a million other things I should be packing.. but that is all I can think of.
The gift giving is the hardest thing. I think of things I should bring for the nannies and then I read people's posts and think that my ideas are not good.. I am very confused. I think maybe we should just donate some money to the orphanage...
A family update for tonight.. I got a new job!! Yep!! I am going to be a school nurse.. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I see myself as a school nurse.. but I start the day after we get home. I will train all next week before we leave. I have a little office with four little cots and some chairs.. it is so cute!! And I will work 4 minutes from my house AND, the best part, I will be home nights and weekends and holidays with my children!!! God is good!!
Thank you to everyone that leave me comments.. I can't figure out how to write back.. so I am just posting a big thank you for all the support I get from my family and friends!!
I will be updating the blog while we are in Taiwan. I was told by many other families that have traveled to Taiwan that they have had no problems with blogspot while in Taiwan.. so watch here for pictures and posts.
Mia and her mom and dad are picking us up.. I have promised Mia to bring her some of her favorite cupcakes. So we are allowed two carry on pieces for the plane.. one will have my school books and computer and the other will be FULL of cupcakes and pumpkin cookies for my Mia!!!!
She said the first night we are there she is taking us to the night market to eat!! She said there are many different foods and shopping at the night market... she said they have one favorite food .. it is Chicken butts!! I told her NO Chicken Butts!!!
But we are going to try everything!!
More to come.....

Decisions have finally been made!!

Okay, so I got up this morning to head to the USCIS office, I had fire in my eyes. I stopped to check my email before running out the door to see that they had finally gotten back to me! They had taken care of what needed doing and sent it on to the National Visa Center. So I emailed Lisa at our agency and she said.. BOOK THOSE TICKETS!!!! So I spent the next five hours on the phone and internet trying to find the best rate possible. That was tough. Each time I check the prices changed... and you can't book a round trip for a baby that is only going one way and you can't book two round trip and one one way trip and I was ready to scream!! But FINALLY!!
I got a great guy at Delta and then I booked our tickets via Expedia and then called Delta and gave them the info and they got Cooper on the same flight home!!
So we leave in 16 days!!!
I can honestly say.. I Just don't know how I am feeling.. scared, nervous, excited, relieved!! My head is spinning!!
So Mia, Jeb and Li-Ling will pick us up at the airport. We have a hotel only three minutes from their home.. we met and keep Cooper on November 2!!!! He is ours FOREVER!!! I can't beleive this!!!
I am posting the last photos they sent me of him.. they are dated since way back in March.. but we just got them in September!!

One month later

Well it has been quite a month. Just when I think the ride is coming to an end there is always another hill to climb.
Let me start at the beginning. We had our day in court on 9/9. We were told that we had to wait until between the 22-29th of Sept, which gave the birth mom one last chance to change her mind. So on Sept 23 we got our official email from our agency that said TRAVEL DATE! We were giving our AIT appointment for October 28, which meant we needed to be in Taiwan on October 25 to get Cooper on October 26. But we asked our agency to move the date back one week. I can't remember why at this moment that we moved it back this extra week but I am sure there was a reason.
First, I had won a free cruise for October 12- 16, then it is Jay's 40th b-day on the 23rd, plus we have Halloween and so much goes on in this area for the kids.. so maybe it was just that I was thinking about the family on this end and knew that we needed that extra week. Plus it gave me an extra week of work for travel money, which was a big set back for us.
I called A Child's Waits Foundation as they had told me that they would get back to me in September as to helping with our final adoption expense. I knew we didn't have that last hunk of money to go if I didn't get help from someone. And Thank you Lord, they came through for us!!! I am so thankful to them for this!! They were so great about everything when I explained to them that I had been out of work because of going to school this past year.. and that I don't plan on being financially strapped EVER AGAIN!!
So now we thought we were set to book our flights. I found great prices for the tickets, Mia and her family have found us a GREAT hotel.. but because of all the "NEW RULES" Cooper had to have his last physical.. his final physical for his adoption and the doctor stated some things that were not spelt out in full details in our home study on his report.. so guess where we are today.......
The USCIS office in Orlando has been so crappy at helping me. The person that finally did send an email back to me did not answer a single question that I sent her. We have proof that our updated addendum to our home study got to their office via Fed Ex and was signed for at 10:23 AM on October 2.. yet they could not find the package until the 5th.. and as of this minute... I HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY HAVE EVEN OPENED THE ENVELOPE! They don't answer their phone and they don't respond to the emails I have sent.. so at 3 PM today.. if I don't hear back from them.. I am contacting my local rep.
Also for the last two weeks we have been fighing sickness. Jay got sick. Yep!! Sick. Then Ali got sick, then Chase, then Mallory, then me... it has been a rough two weeks. Now Jay is sick again and Mallory is still home in bed. We got checked for the swine flu but they told us it was a virus.. and sent us home with NO MEDICATION!!! My throat felt like it was on fire and someone was using sandpaper to coat the sides!! I was in tears. I have only been at work three days in the last three weeks. I went back last Monday and worked one day, had my scheduled day off and then on Wednesday work with a slight fever. But I could not call in again. So I went to work and went to my boss. She said I should have stayed home.. but I felt like I wanted them to see I was sick.. I just could not ask for more days off. But by 7 PM that night my fever was over 102 and they sent me home. Today is the first I have felt better.
So now back to the cruise.. that was to leave today. I really worked hard for this cruise and was so looking forward to a few days with my husband alone.. but I guess that was not in our stars. Jay got sick again this weekend and ended up in the hospital. He got home yesterday and is feeling better but this virus is just kicking butt and we want to make sure we are both healthy in two weeks.. so we felt is was best to not go on the cruise.
I called my boss for the exchange students and asked if I could send my mom and sister in our place. I worked hard to win this trip and was really hoping he said yes... which he did. So mom and Deb got their bags packed and got in the car to head to Orlando.. to be told by Royal Caribbean that they could not change the passenger list 28 hours prior to the ship leaving. BULL CRAP!! So someone that wanted to book a cruise yesterday would not be allowed to go.. I think that was horse Manure! So I had to call my sis and mom and tell them to turn around. My mom had never been on a cruise.
So to end my post.. nothing has gone as planned. We still do not have an answer from USCIS as to their update of our 171-H for immigrations, we have the money in the bank for the air tickets- THANK YOU AGAIN TO A CHILD'S WAITS Foundation!! I have my clothes sitting in a pile on Cooper's bed waiting to go into the suitcase but we are still up in the air as to when we are leaving!!!

Finally some good news!!

It has been an incredible month! I passed my NCLEX test for nursing last week, thank you to the Lord above for that one! I started my new job, for which my husband is so glad as he wasn't holding it together financially with me not having a job any longer. It is a really nice nursing and rehab facility not far from home.. the hours stink but then so did the hours in all the other careers I have had in my life. (At least this one has paid holidays, vacations and benefits!)
And then today I got an email from our agency that we had our day in court today!!! I am not sure what this means exactly but it is a good thing!! She said that the director of the orphanage said it went very good and now we are just waiting on the final paper. One of my adoption dad's told me that this comes around 10 - 14 days later!! And then we would get our travel invite. Jay figured it out to be around the end of Oct. I am pushing for the first of November.. which would work perfect with all the events going on with the kids!! It would be PERFECT!!
So after a long hard year, that I would never relive! It is finally coming to a close and good things are now happening! I am very grateful that I have such a wonderful family and a great support group of friends!
We are doing a fund raising garage sale this weekend towards our travel to get Cooper so this will help. I have also been in contact with one of the adoption grant programs and I will call them tomorrow to see if we have been accepted for help with our travel expense. Besides this everything else is completely in place!!

August Update

We were told that Cooper is doing well. His chewing functions have improved and he is now chewing with his back teeth.. they were worried.. but maybe it was just his signature chew!! They still have him on a bottle.. which is ODD.. but it will be okay! His speech development is doing great and he imitates the last sentences from the caregivers talking! So he is a comedian!! He can also name objects that he sees! Poor kid is now going to have to learn English!
They said he is a stubborn child emotionally!! He cries and scream when he doesn't get his way.. so I say.. WATCH OUT ALI YOUR BROTHER IS COMING HOME AND YOU MIGHT LOSE YOUR CROWN!! (She went to bed at 7 PM tonight cause I could not take her tantrum any more today!!) And last Cooper puts on his best show (cries and screams) when he gets punished for not cooperating with his physical training staff!! Oh he will fit in so well with this couch potato family!!
I want to get this boy home!!
August Photos:

New Pictures and Update!

I finally got the scanner to work so I can post the photos from July and the photos from August! He is growing so quickly.. he has left that baby look and now looks to me like a little boy! I am so heart sick each day thinking of him not being with us.
I know that God has his plan and that our travel date will come, maybe we are just waiting on me and my state test and job first.. there is always a reason and our time to travel will come soon.
The other family with our agency is leaving Friday! I am so excited for them. I have prayed for their safe travel and to have a wonderful experience in Taiwan. Also I told the mom that she has to document everything so she could tell me every minute of everything that happens! They are also adopting a little boy!!
So just to update my school story for the girls.. Mallory's entire file for school was not found until Tuesday.. this is after I became a crazy woman and was on the phone with three schools and the school board! They finally tracked the file on Tuesday after the superintendent of the schools spent about five hours trying to locate it!! So poor Mallory ended up with weight lifting and PE and Spanish for her electives. It is a sad shame but they told us at the school that they had to cut out all Art classes along with auto mechanics and other things because of the school budgets! Our children don't get to live and learn in the same world we did!
Kara's first day of school in the US went well. She said no one talked to her. This was the same thing Mia said last year. I tried to explain that no one in Florida is from Florida and everyone thinks they are the new guy.. when in fact half the class is the new guy. I told her just to smile and say hi to one person in her class and that she would have friends soon.
Mallory and Kara have lunch at the same time.. but in a school with 1800 students mallory said she could not find Kara.. even after making a spot to wait!!
I think I will run for school board when the next elections come out.. someone has to make a change!! LOL
Okay.. so now for Cooper!! Here he is!!!!!
JULY PICTURES

171 Finally!

Okay we finally received our updated 171 last night. I feel it is now one more thing I can stop worring about with our adoption. I know things seem to be moving at a slower pace then we expected back in April but I do believe this is all for a reason.
I have my state board of nursing test on September 3 which I am very nervous about. I do the practice questions and I seem to know at least 80% but when it comes to the state test.. will they only give me the 20% of questions I don't know??!! That would be my worse nightmare!
So around the house here we are just taking each day as it comes until Cooper comes home. The kids go back to school on Monday. Mallory was very excited until yesterday when we found out that the woman at her middle school that had really given Mallory a problem and hard time about her changing her home address to her dad's house so that she could go to the same high school that her brother and sister graduated from, NEVER changed her papers back in April and as of today Mallory is not enrolled in any school. I have to say I was VERY upset and called the middle school with steam in my voice and told this woman to fix her problem.
Like so many things that our country has become the woman said it wasn't her problem and that we would have to fix it ourselves. Even though she admitted to doing this. This means running back and forth between schools trying to find out where her papers are and then enrolling her in the right school.
This is when I get upset with people. They don't do their job and then cause the next person ten times more work..and they just don't care.
Anyways, I vented! I am going to go back to my studying! and thinking about Cooper!

In the mail!

I finally got the stuff off to get sealed by the state that our agency requested. I had the envelope inside for return made directly to go to Kansas...
BUT then I get a letter from CIS today and I think it is going to be our updated 171 H and it is a request to prove stuff in our home study. They have had five home studies and never asked us to send them any additional information, but now they do??
I am so tired of the paperwork and the circles that adoption families have to run to make paperwork right for ????? Not even sure who gets all of this paperwork or do they really look at it?
So tomorrow Mallory and I with the two little ones are going to drive directly to the CIS office to bring this stuff. It is papers I don't want lost in the mail. I tried to email them to find out why they were asking but now I will just go directly there and find out..
I have also been working on getting my exchange students placed... again with the government workers.. you should have seen this woman looking over a students paperwork.. I mean I had everything she asked for, two copies that she asked for.. and yet she still gave me the run around. People just don't give a crap any more about other people, it is not about getting the job done, it is how much of a jerk can I be and to others!
Okay I am crabby tonight. I just feel that someone has to do something to change our world and make things right, especially for kids.
I did have one neat thing today.. I went for my first nursing job! Well actually I knew I could not get hired as I haven't taken the state boards yet, but I went to the place to talk to the person that hires and she said as soon as I sit and have a PASS on the screen I can go back and start the process.. she was happy to take me!
I can't wait!!!!!!!!
I still haven't gotten my scanner fixed so I can show you all the new pictures of my HANDSOME boy!! He is so cute! And he has such a gleam in his eyes! I can't wait to kiss that face!

New Photos

We did get new pictures of Cooper this week but with graduation and my computer having a bit of trouble I can't get them to scan at this time. I am going to work on it for a few days and try to get them into the site as soon as I can!! He is a doll baby!
Jay and I are working on our final papers to go out to get notarized tonight.. then we can sit back and wait for our travel invite.
That is about all the update on Cooper I have at this time.. cut and dry.. I need to get my paperwork done!
But I did have quite a week with the family. My family was all here for my graduation and it was a crazy busy week. I am posting a few pictures of the family on my big night... I had my husband in tears when my teacher read my thank you speech letting him know how much I love him and thank him for everything he did for me and the kids this year!
I have to say I am glad it is over and now I need a job!!

More Paperwork

Jay and I will finish up the paperwork tomorrow that they have asked us to send. We will still need to get it authenticated and sealed but that should only take about a week. We will have it sent straight on to our agency so they can get it over to Taiwan as soon as possible.
I am very excited to say that we are only about 8 days away from my graduation. I have to say that I can not wait. Standing here today I believe that I would never have gone through this year had I known what was coming! But then again I am excited to say that I have been invited to do a medical mission in China next summer with Annabelle's Wish group and I would not have been invited had I not gone to school! So I guess this is another blessing that has come out of this stressful year!
Today is my birthday and tomorrow is Chase's birthday! We are not doing much in the fashion of celebrating as I have four final tests... one being on Monday that I am going to have to spend my day today studying for! I told Jay that we are going to pick a day in August and call it all of our birthdays where I have had to miss so much this year with the kids. It might be fun doing it this way!
I have talked to Mia alot since she went back to Taiwan. We do really miss her around here. She is catching up with all her friends and is very excited for us to come to get Cooper. She has everything planned as to where we are going and what we will see once we get there!
That is about the only update I have for this week.. just the waiting and waiting!

Always a set back in adoption

I sent an email asking for information but instead of my questions getting answered I get a form email back asking for more paperwork. Sending more paperwork is good if the judge is asking for it.. but this seems to be BUSY USELESS paperwork.
They are asking for new clearances, new physicals and new letters from employers. I don't have a problem with providing this stuff EXCEPT that we were told we didn't need it and it all has to be sent and authenticated and sealed.. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!
Drives me insane how the world thinks adopted families have an unlimited bank account when most families are scrapping together what they have for the cost of the ADOPTION!
I am going to wait to see what I really need before wasting the time redoing stuff I just don't need!!
Anyways that is all the updates or info I have gotten. It really makes me upset when I see other families that know when they are in court, what the outcome was etc.. we know nothing.