You Know You Are Adopting When . . .

You know you are thick in the midst of an international adoption when the heaters in your house suddenly stop working on the coldest day in December.  And at the same time, Grandma and Grandpa have a leak in their main water line and have to stay at your house until it can be repaired.  And at the same time, the washing machine goes out.  And you are leaving the country in six days.  Yep, we are really feeling the fun around here lately!  And truly, that just seems to be the way things go with international adoption.  If something can go wrong, it will!  If it's just little speedbumps like these, then we are fine!  And of course, in the midst of all of that, I've had a few other little tasks to complete:  sew quilts for the kids for their Christmas gifts (ssshhhh!  don't tell them!), learn Russian, pack for the trip, get things set up for the kids while we are away, and pull Christmas together somehow.  


But through all of this, we are truly feeling very blessed these last few days.  Surrounded by mounds of dirty laundry and stacks of suitcases and long to-do lists, yes, but also surrounded by sweet cuddly children, serenaded by Grandpa practicing Christmas songs on his guitar, nourished by Grandma's soups and french toast and homemade bread, the heaters are working again, and remarkably, everything seems to be coming together!  By golly, I think we are really going to pull this off!  

Because our suitcases are (mostly) packed

Our fridge is plastered with charts and instructions for Grandma and Grandpa to keep things running smoothly on the homefront

Gideon's bedroom is just about ready

The washing machine part will arrive tomorrow

Washing machines are not supposed to be
in pieces all over the laundry room floor!

if you look behind Derek, you can see the very edge
of a very scary pile of two weeks worth of dirty laundry!
"Only $50 extra for rush delivery on that part?
Sold!  Just get it here!"  

Christmas cookies have been made

Our Christmas tree has been cut down

and decorated

I only have one quilt top left to sew together, 

and two left to quilt 

Derek is still feeling calm and sane enough 

to play board games with the kids 

(Mousetrap is the current favorite around here)

And he's managed to keep Santa's workshop on schedule

And I know how to say "How much does this cost," "Where is the bathroom," "I am your mommy forever," "You are so smart," "Be careful," "Are you hungry?" and "I will love you forever."

I love this program!  

So all in all, we are feeling very blessed these days!

And SO SO ready to have all of our chickadees gathered together into our nest, so we don't ever have to be separated from each other again!  Or at least not for a very very very long time!