Long Weekends

This has to be the longest weekend I can remember. It all started out so quiet and boy did it become a weekend to remember. Our choice of puppies changed when I got a call from a friend. Being a German Shepard family I was asked if I looked at the rescue site. Sure I have searched this site as a better way to bring a dog into my parents home. See mom does not get the computer at all. I post things here for her to see ie: the dog pictures. She could not figure out for her life (love you mom) how to view them so I posted here and she only hits Internet explorer. Yes my blog is her home page.

So Saturday morning I leave my quiet home with hubby and 2 kids and we are off to the rescue place. About 1 hour later we arrive and are shown the most magnificent animals. Most being over a year and large dogs I begin to worry can my mom handle it. Several yes several hours later we leave with a 7 month old Shepard. She is missing her tail, just removed at the vets due to infection. Could we take them all, you bet we considered it.

So back home to my house 1/2 hr west of my parents to get the crate. More time in the car poor kids and we choose to relax a bit then head back. I swore off the car for the remainder of the weekend.

Ok so I must have forgotten that part as I decided to visit my sisters grave and leave her a nice present. So off Sunday morning to the cemetery with 2 kids and a good hour drive. Yes what was I thinking. This is when you say yep she asked for it. We arrive I set up my gift and the phone rings. One hour away the other direction my son 17 is being rushed to the hospital after a motorcycle accident and a broken arm. I cannot be more thankful for an easy baby as she behaved all day so well for me. Extra hugs tonight.

I can tell you I am so tired but at 12:30 cannot fall asleep I so look forward to a quiet week. Who said having 7 kids was easy?

On the adoption front I have to comment on the referral issue. Back on the top of the list would be nice. Since we should have been then I guess we should have gotten the last referral we did not. We did ask a few weeks ago where we are on the list since ALL the families before us are home or moved on. So we gave up our referral after 13 months in one region to accept a referral in another as they suggested and we know nothing. We do know the one and only person is taking a vacation in August. He said the month of August but the agency says a week. We do know that in the last 2 weeks we have gotten little to nothing from the agency. Still in the dark and still waiting. Still hoping that one day we will get our little girl in Can Tho.

How do you choose?

Danger

Can you imagine leaving home and thinking your house and animals are safe to return to this.

What I am not getting is the little yellow card stapled to a little wooden stick on the empty lot behind us. It is warning for the second year in a row that the owner must clean his lot by June 1st. I am sure they write which year, or sure hope so. This year they moved the tag to the left about 10 feet. Still weeds and it is now July 19th if you think it is so dangerous maybe you should clean the lot?

The weather is perfect as usual in California. We get a nice breeze in the afternoon that cools things down quite fast. I have been busy trying to talk my tomatoes to grow and found something in one of my pots.....

Yet you got it a watermelon. I do not have a lot of room to grow but figured why they heck not try to grow them in pots. So I have 1 cucumber, 2 watermelon, Chinese eggplant (they grown in anything) tomatoes, lemons, peaches, apples. All in a small space.

On the adoption front. You better sit for this one as I am still sitting and trying to make sense of this whole thing. Yes it gets worse but better has to come some day. We are told that dispite being abandoned with a fake name and address for the mother that they have found her. What does this mean you ask? Who knows as we really have no information. I dont even think they know what is going on to be truthful. So decisions are being made, information exchanged and hopefully we will have answers soon. If we go on the LIST again where are we? I do wonder this as we are technically ahead of anyone else since we signed long before but as you know nothing goes as we would assume here.

So what do you think the bottom or top of the list for a referral? Should we pay more since the fee's are higher?

Is this not patient?

So we are almost there. Yes just 2 hours away and we are going to hit 13. Yes it can be it has been and it will be 13 whole months since we got the referral of a 3 month old baby. Do I care that she is 16 months old today? Only that she has spent way more time in a orphanage then she needed to. Bitter? Not at all because that would mean he wins. Has my love changed for this little girl who I call my daughter? Not at all. If you ask how many kids I have you will hear 8 yes it is 8 and has been since we brought the baby home. See we got number 7 just a short 13 months ago and she holds a special place in my heart.
Now you ask why 13 months? I can tell you what we are told and I can show you the 2" thick binder with EVERY yes every email we have printed and saved. Do they make sense at all? Nope and worse is the one who suffers is a baby. I am sorry if I sound bitter but really I am not just hurt that this little person is missing out on so much. Hugs, Kisses, ABC's and even sand. Yes sand at the park at the beach or just in her shoes. How sad that someone is so selfish to put her needs aside and carry a grudge, get even, or just have a temper tantrum.
What we do know is this. About 3 weeks ago my husband got a call to get the Visa. Her papers were done. We waited for the G and R and checked in but heard no one made it to her Provence. They are busy. A family wrote the only facilitator left the country to try to start adoptions in another country. Again more families still no time. Then the letter. They always come from the same person and always have a nasty tone to them. More accusations and more hatred all warped up in an email. How this person has such hatred in him amazes me but I don't. I feel sorry for him that he uses children as pawns to stroke his ego. My husband then calls and asks the person who gave him the information who said in a nut shell.... Yes I told you to get a Visa but I don't remember telling you her papers are done. Oh well 13 months later and we are no closer how SAD.
I do appreciate the support and all the letters I got about the nasty email on the yahoo group. I assure you not only am I kind, courteous but I CARE. I will not defend myself but will say a child suffers from the lies one spreads and I will not partake in that game.
Congratulations to my friends who got referrals this month. Your children are beautiful and will bring you such joy.
Our youngest is now 8 months old and crawls. She has also figured out how to get what she wants. First the lip rolls in and the pout. Then the tears start to run and she cries. How dare you forget about me is the look. It is my children all 8 who have given me the strength to get through this. They are the ones who make every day bright. You have blessed us and we are forever grateful.
To my children thank you for the gift you have made my life so much better so much fuller and so much more loved.

The dark side

We have had such a wonderful time this summer so far. The forth was great and having our oldest meet his sister on the forth for the first time just adds to a wonderful day. Now mind you he has 3 children of his own and his children are older then their aunt but who is counting anyway?

I am so frustrated with our agency of our adoption though. You hear patience for so long and then learn that they just don't seem to care. Ok is this new? Not at all but heck at least hide it. We feel lied to for the last three weeks and wonder when or if it will ever end. This poor child suffers for what? Ok explanation sorry. First 3 weeks ago (approx) we are told her papers are done and they would go to her region to file the G and R. They have not to our knowledge yet and why you ask? Busy with other families? Seems not from what I learned from another family. She spent what 2 weeks in Vietnam and only saw the man running it 3 times. They told us over and over he was going this week now next week and it turns out he left Vietnam to go to Thailand (what a parent who just adopted said) to start a new program. Though happy for the kids you have to be kidding me.. Then we know he is back today and dear hubby calls and is told he isn't in. What they forgot to tell us is he is not in for YOU. See on a yahoo group they post that they called and spoke to him today.

My view of it all is the agency we got S. from is that much better then I ever though. They answered calls,emails and cared. They became our friends and us theirs. So CHOOSE WISELY. Our daughter suffers for what?

The ants go marching on

Picnics are fun no matter what but this one is special. Each year we get together as a group to show our kids off. These kids are special as they are from Kazakhstan and though most don't look alike they share a country few know of. We enjoy the arts and crafts, group photos and chatting. And I must laugh as we celebrate our adoption in 90 plus temps we think back to arriving in Almaty in below zero temperatures.

The kids had a blast and loved the games and bounce house. No matter how hot it gets you can still get the kids to jump run and play its amazing.

On the adoption front. Seems our agency who told us two weeks ago that papers were finally done a year later and they had to file for a G and R... Well they have not found the time to do just that and still nothing. They are to busy with other families it seems. This may have to do with the fact these families paid $3000 more to get a referral in the North. Who knows but the wait continues.