Well, I have been pretty pathetic about the whole blogging thing lately.  We had just started school when I wrote my last post and honestly it has taken me this long to get adjusted to it.  After a summer full of laziness, I completely forgot how busy the day is when we are homeschooling.  Showers and house keeping have taken a back seat and trust me it ain't pretty....but after a break down (or two) and some schedule adjustments, and hiring a sitter to help out with Alex in the mornings, we are finally getting back into the swing of things around here.

In adoption news...All of our paperwork (well almost all of it) is in Uganda with our lawyer . Yay!  This is a huge!  I just have to send an update to our homestudy tomorrow since Thom switched jobs.  I'm not sure if she needs that to submit to court but even if she does, she will likely have it by the end of the week.  It's still pretty uncertain but I'm thinking that there is a big possibility that we could be there this time next month.


We were surprised with a skype call with them last Friday and I can't even explain how happy I was when their faces came up on the screen...it was just all smiles from here to Uganda. We were all just giddy with excitement! It was only a 10 minute call, but we were so happy to let them know that we are still coming and that it will hopefully be soon!

 

We spent all last weekend getting the rooms ready.  Nothing like a hurricane rolling through to get you in the painting mood.  I spent all day and into the night painting the little girls' room and it looks "stunning" as Gabi described it.  Here is a peak into the new improved rooms.
 

                                                the older girls' room
    

                                    
                                        the younger girls' room

They are still a work in progress but we are almost done.  I always find it sad to paint the kids' rooms.  I feel like it closes a chapter in our lives...their choices in colors always change from little kid to big kid and in the case of both girls, they always start out pink until they realize there are other colors in the world.  This time it was more bittersweet.  Even though I was painting over the light pink walls in the room Ava and Gabi once shared, it was exciting to be decorating and making room for our expanding family.

As excited as I am to go get those girls, I can't even think about it!  I get so overwhelmed thinking about the logistics of it all....childcare, long plane rides, standing before a judge-not once but twice, embassy appointments, visas, traveling home alone with 2 little girls who have never been out of their small village, missing my kids here.  I could go on and on and see, now I am getting myself worked up!

Whew! Just Breathe....

It's very much like childbirth.  You don't want to go through the labor because it is so difficult and so painful but you know what is waiting on the the other side....your child. 

Adoption is difficult and can be emotionally painful at times and I wish we didn't have to go through the hard part but I know what is waiting on the other side...our children.

And that's what makes it so beautiful.