UPDATES AND BIG TIME LOVE!

So this picture describes perfectly what's been going on in this household. First, we were blessed to get some updates from blogger friends who traveled to pick up their children. They were able to let us know that our sweet baby "A" is big and healthy. Perfect news for worried and obsessive-compulsive parents!! Thank you Karen, Sharon and Liz!

Second, Rob and I celebrated our 13th anniversary. It should be noted that I think he is fresh, exciting, a great gift and that my love has only grown more and more over the years. He's super duper and I can't imagine being with anyone else. We were gone all week on a wonderful getaway. Many thanks to Oma and Opa (Rob's parents who babysat the entire time)!!!! We came back refreshed and rejuvenated and yikes, did we start missing those little ladies!!!! However, may I just make a quick comment about being in the car together for 7 hours each way...no hourly pee pit stops, no when are we getting there comments, no moaning/groaning, no major grocery store to stock the car, no Dora the Explorer blaring in the background but most of all, no interrupted conversations!! We actually got to start and finish a conversation. That's pure CRAZINESS people!!!

RIBS AND THE "WONG" WAY TO HAVE FUN!!

So you see, people like to write about their friends and now I'm taking my turn. I will highlight others later but today belongs to the Wong Family...really great people. Fun, smart, crazy, dedicated(and I mean really), spontaneous, laugh so hard you want to cry, cry on their shoulder when you need to, take pot-shots of each other and never be offended kind of people. We do a lot together...we go to church, we run together, we run races together, we golf together, we eat together(a lot of that going on since it's our fave), we sit and watch kids together, we movie watch, we go to Vegas with each other, we apologize to each other when we've been lame(read...me), we splurge on a pedicure together (the girls I mean, don't want to involve the men in such frivolities), we do Target together (we are attending a support group for this one) and finally, we call each other, whenever we need each other. So to Jeff and Katie, THANK YOU!!!

So without further ado, here is a lovely collection of crazy rib eaters. Summer is a great time for BBQ and we took advantage of it!!

THE CLOUD HAS LIFTED AND THIS GAVE US A SERIOUS LAUGH!

Report: Many U.S. Parents Outsourcing Child Care Overseas

BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG SO YOU CAN HEAR EVERY LITTLE TID BIT OF THIS "NEWSCAST"!

WE'RE SAD PUPPIES AROUND HERE

Oh the humanity!!!!!!!!!! There is an air of just massive disappointment in our house. Our sweet little baby "A" will not be coming home until November. We missed court and we are bummed big time. We had thought with all likelihood we would not get through court and then we had some reasons to feel more hopeful and then crash...no baby pick-up for us. It is a strange, strange scenario to stare at this sweet baby's face, know that he will be coming home eventually, know that he is in a very safe and secure place but still feel so entirely detached and helpless. There are quite a few families that did not make it through court and somehow that makes it a little bit more palatable. At least we are not the only ones in the same situation, but I am terribly sad for them too!

SO HOW MUCH CAN ONE STUFF INTO A 1 GALLON ZIPLOCK?

So the parameters for sending your child a package are as follows: whatever you can get into a 1 gallon ziplock bag! I took this challenge very seriously. I was able to place a full size fleece blanket(you know for those Africa hot nights!:)), 4 outfits, a photo album and a rattle. You can only send 1 package, so I really wanted to send baby "A" as much as we could. We had fun shopping for BLUE!! Oh my what cute things for boys!!




Proud Papa!



Stoked Mama!




Sad Sissy!! (See, she has been forgotten and misplaced even now!!)

OH MY GOSH, WE REALLY ARE THE FRASER FIVE!!!

We are super stoked to let all of you know we are the proud parents of a sweet little baby boy. He is only 3 weeks old and cuter than cute. We were able to get approval from a wonderful international adoption pediatrician and we went ahead and accepted the referral. The court system is complicated and we are hopeful that just maybe we might pass through court this month. If that is the case, we would travel in August/September to pick him up. If we do not make it through(which is more likely), it will be Thanksgiving time before we get to hold our sweet little guy. We are so thankful and truly praise God for this sweet gift from heaven. You'll notice the post is kind of well...blank. We are not allowed to post any pictures of the little man. Sorry:)

NAKED MAC'N'CHEESE, POOPY POOL WATER AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING NUMBER 1!

So it's summer time and that my friends is potting training weather baby! So we have been naked around here and by "we" do not be afraid, I am simply referring to our little lady Kiera. We are big time into "pinceth pantithies"(princess panties) and "melmo waibow"(elmo rainbow), parentheses for those who do not speak 2 year old lisp-ese. So we chill naked even at dinner time and she is lovin' it! She is loving it, not so much dear poor Rob. Enter story....I am at the salon seeing Carlos, getting the full works, essential oil scalp and neck rub, color and cut. My dear sweet husband is doing pool(and by pool, I mean 3 foot diameter plastic pool)duty and senses a very offending order generating from said pool. Like I'm talking a major sewer spill smell and then notices that the pool color has changed from a nice clearish color to a decidedly brown color. Hmmmmm, he uses his investigative powers and goes over to special swimming place (mistake #1). He realizes that potty training child has missed her target. Daddy takes little lady inside house (major mistake #2). He then places our little darling on the changing table (and all the mommies shout "nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!" in unison)because all the poo poo water that has been stored up in her little swim diaper has now exploded all over the changing table and has sloshed itself onto the floor. Awesome!!! And me??? I am still enjoying sweet aromatherapy and my nice little organic tea!

And then to really top off my simply perfect day, I come home to my other addiction, checking the yahoo group for All God's Children(our adoption agency). And much to my pleasure, we have had super fantastic news. First, 2 families that have been stuck in limbo for their adoptions have been cleared to pick up their children. Oh my gosh, I still am tickled to death. And then....if my math is correct, we just might be #1 on the boy list. We have not gotten our official number but I think we may be headed to baby land!!!!!