Today is our 4th Wedding Anniversary!!! WOW how the years have gone by quickly. It has been 4 wonderful years and I am so lucky to have such a generous, caring, devoted, loving husband to spend my life with. He has given me sunshine on some of my darkest days. He really has pulled me through alot.
When my cancer struck Norm was by my side every step of the way. He cared for me like no other could have. He was my strength as I tried to raise my daughters on my own while struggling financially. He was my encouragement every day that I could do it. He was my rock, my strength, my shoulder to cry on as I dealt with my daddy's sickness and then his death. He holds me up when the days are weightful on my shoulders. Norm has been my blessing and angel sent to me from God. I am so thankful to have him as my friend, my lover, and most of all my husband. Thank You Norm for being in my life!!!!

We hoped to be spending today in Vietnam with Derek however that wasn't where we were supposed to be for some reason. We are more than ready to travel to bring him home to our family. Everyone is getting so anxious and antsy just like us.

We appreciate your continued prayers and as new news comes our way we will be sure to pass it along to you.

PARTIAL EXCITEMENT FILLS THE AIR TODAY....

We DID receive 2 absolutley adorable pictures of Derek today. I wish i could share them on here...hopefully soon!!!! He is growing so much. He is using a walker and seems to really enjoy it. A few things we learned about him...
He seems to be right-handed, He appears to be a thumb sucker (I was hoping so), He may have a tooth (it's hard to tell by the picture really clearly), He is HAPPY!!!!
We are so anxious to go bring him home which brings me to the partial part that's not so exciting...
Due to a few delays our paperwork is still being processed nd it looks as thought it may be August when we go. Wow, the time is ticking on isn't it. Each month we get word that it's on month further away. Soon they will have to let us come though. We are praying that it will be early August and we can be back home with him before the girls head off to school. We'd like to have a few days to adjust all together as a family and maybe take him on a day tripor two with the girls. We'll have to wait and see. In te meantime we are going to cherish these photos as they are probably the last ones we will get before traveling to bring him home. We are hoping the delay will get us some better airfare prices too!!!
We'll continue to let you know how things are moving along and share any updates we get.

Update Received....

Yesterday I woke to find a forum post from on the agency website. He is in Vietnam for the next couple days yet and hopefully when he returns we will be filled with "GOOD" information from his trip. He did have time to visit the DaNang orphanage where Derek is and was able to let us know he is doing well, other than some heat rash, and he seems to be the most active one there. Here is his quote:
Hi Ladies:

Ray is here, not hiding or anything. Congratulations on getting to p.40. Happen to be able to get online, surprisingly. Some fishermen in the South decided to strike it rich by fishing out some undersea fiber optic cables. Vietnam lost a major portion of its internet connection capacity to outside. Glad to be able to post on time, otherwise, I think I will have to do some editing when I return ....

Very hot and humid here, about 105 or 106 degree yesterday, plus high humidity. I took a bath whenever possible, one day I took 3, so you can tell.

The kids in DN orphanage are doing fine. Only having some "hot" rashes due to the high temperature. Told the caretakers to give them washdowns more often. Sending photos during this weekend. So parents should be receiving it on Monday. BTW, Derek is the most active one, never stops riding his "VN Ferrari" walk trainer or whatever it should be called. I am sure he wants to help Norm in the shop when he grows up. Linhly was actually sleeping when I went there, the caretaker woke her up so that I can hold her. So adorable since she did not cry at all, good girl!

I will provide case progress thru your CMs although I know it will be copied here anyway. This is enough to get some protests from CMs already...

Oh Kelly, I got too many to carry anyway when I went to Taiwan. I helped feed the toddlers at Cathwel, fun!. Got them baby bottles and blankets for their nursery as well since Penny said they needed those. I will try to fix the PM function when I return. Then I will hand off the moderator responsibility to a coworker. Not sure if he wants to keep the auto-approval step wide open for you guys.

I know there are other questions from some of you out there, I will provide a program update when I return.

OK, I kept my promise, sort of, and I also promised myself not to make any other promise here. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Ray

So it sounds like Derek will keep us moving!!! We are now anxious for night fall so that we can wake tomorrow to NEW pictures of Derek. Hopefully we will soon get an answer to "When we will travel".

Things are looking up!!! Keep praying!

ANOTHER WEEK...

We have started yet another week of waiting for our G&R date. We found out yesterday that we are waiting for the DOJ to forward our paperwork to the DIA (which may already be done and we have no clue about it) and the DIA needs to review our file and issue us "THE FORM" (which I am truly hating this form at this point) and once we return it we should get our G&R date quickly! So time will tell!!!! Our director is in Vietnam this week for an Embassy meeting and will be trying to get to the orphanage to take pictures of Derek for us. We anxiously await those. Hopefully when he returns to the office he will have some updates for us too. I am just curious where our file is and what the anticipated wait time is yet. They are now saying possibly the end of July, so i am shooting for Auust sometime. We hoped to have Derek home to enjoy the summer with him and the girls before school starts back in but that isn't going to happen. Not to mention all of the clothing we have for him is summer and he won't have time to wear it all.

Signed,
Frustrated!!!!

Yesterday we did one of my favorite things...we went to the Pocono Raceway for the Nascar race. I just love it there. It wasn't such a good day though. After a 3 hour rain delay the race finally got underway and my favorite driver...

MATT KENSETH, started in the race field in the 24th position and climbed to 9th position after a few back and forth battles between he and Denny Hamilin and guess what... the rain began to fall yet again. By now it was too wet and too late in the day to dry the track and start up again. Well at least Matt finished on a red flag rain stop in 9th position and he is now 2nd in points in the Cup Standings. WOOHOO Matt!!!
The fun was that our friends were there too and even though we couldn't sit together we did get to tailgate with them. They sure know how to cook up the food!!! Breakfast, lunch and supper!!! Yummy!!! We had a great time with them and we had the chance to run into my brother and SIL there too!! So even though we only saw 1/2 of a race and we got a little wet...we had a great time of it.

STILL WAITING....

We are still waiting for the information to finalize and get our G&R date. We received an email today from our CM that the agency dirctor updated her on the form situation. Our file needs to be sent back to the DIA from the DOJ and the DIA needs to review it for a final approval and then they will issue us the form and our G&R date can be set. It looks more like a July or August travel though. All the anticipation has gotten the best of me now. I am so down and I just can't seem to keep a happy face about it all.

Oh how I long to have this little hand wrapped around my finger...


and these little piggies pattering across my floor...


Just wait until you see all of him....CUTIE PATOOTIE!!!!!

We'll keep you posted!!!

NESTING....

I have officially started "NESTING" today. I woke up a 7:00 and dug in to cleaning the house...top to bottom. The mirrors and glass tables sparkle, the dust bunnies have been swept away, and the house smells....clean!!!! I love when it looks like we just moved in it.
It's another quiet day in the salon so I should get a lot done today in the house. I intend to go out and pull some weeds this afternoon too. Wow, I'm not sure where this energy has come from. Now I just have to get the girls convinced to clean up after themselves a little.
Jess has a softball game tonight so we will head off to that around 5:00. I think I'll order wings and fries for supper then. Sounds good to me.

New Duds...
Today since i am bored out of my mind and need something to occupy my time I decided to make Derek a shirt. I mimicked Norm's work shirt design and but it onto a onsie for Derek so he can be like Daddy...

CUTE...RIGHT!!!!

Alyssa & Jessica finished school yesterday so now my torturous summer begins. It will take me about 3 weeks to adjust to the new schedule. The girls stay with their dad now from Saturday til Wednesday afternoon so I don't get to see them those days and for me that is just torture. At least during the school year they come here everyday after school. Divorce is tough...but so is a bad marriage. Sometimes we have to do things in life that just require a little extra adjustment. We are used to the routine now though since it's been almost 6 years. Life is GOOD now!!!! So a few weeks for me to get use to the school bus not coming and I'll be okay!!!

Alyssa is a very creative and artful young lady and she came home from school the other day to see that I got the fixins for Strawberry Shortcake (it's that time of year) so she dug in and created this masterpiece...

Looks GOOD huh?!?!?!

We have a lot planned for the summer as far as day trips and hopefully some of that will get postponed so we can travel to bring Derek home. Happy Summer!!!!!

SOMETHING NEW...

Yesterday, after much nagging by Norm, I bought a webcam. Now for those of you who know me...I am computer illiterate. But...I did manage to buy this, bring it home, hook it up, and with a little encouragement from Jeff, got it working last night. You see, Michelle and I talk like all the time anymore and well her cell minutes went over and oops...trouble!!! So she said before she had a webcam and she would be using it to stay in contact back home once we travel so Norm decided that it was what we needed so I can talk to Michelle FREE whenever we want to. It was so awesome to actually see her as we spoke last night. What a great connection!!! I bought a double pack camera so that the girls have one for their use here when we go to VN and that way we can stay in touch cheap and they get to see Derek and it will hopefully be a little bit of an easier transition for Jessica. Hopefully they can get theirs hooked up and working!
Today we got the same old news about the mysterious form. Nobody knows anything about it at our agency. AARRRGGGHHH!!! I want to go get Derek NOW!!!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!

We have progressed quite quickly and consistently through our adoption process...until now! We have been waiting 3 weeks on a step that the Vietnamese gov't has indicated should take 1 week. We haven't been able to get any answers to the delay from our agency nor have we been able to solve the mystery on our own. All we have to do is get this stupid form that they are telling us we need to fill out which the gov't supposedly hasn't issued yet, however other agencies have gotten it for their families, and we can get our G&R date. Sounds simple to me. We need more prayer please. Prayer that the gov't will process this paperwork so we can travel. We are so close but with the delay we are worried that problems are rising. The comfort is that it isn't only our dossier, it is Michelle's too so it makes me think there isn't a major problem with the dossier itself...just the fact that they are dragging feet. Derek needs his mommy & daddy. He needs to be cuddled, and loved, and nurtured. He needs a comfy bed to rest in and the sound of joy from family to fill his ears and heart. He needs to come HOME!!! As I said our agency hasn't given any straight answers for the delay but I have my speculations.

Tomorrow will be 3 months since referral. Time is ticking by and Derek is growing so much. We hope to be receiving more pictures next week since Ray is traveling there and intends to take pictures for us. WOOHOO!!!
The update we received today wasn't the news we wanted to hear...once again. I questioned Ray about "the form"...you know the one that is holding us from bringing Derek home...and he said that he still has no word on the process of how we will receive and complete this form. Once we do complete it though, supposedly we will get our G&R date quickly. We'll see since nothing else has been "QUICK" in the rest of the process. I concluded that adoption is not for the impatient!!!! Hopefully the DIA in Vietnam will decide to pick up our paperwork look at it and say okay lets send out this form and get these folks over here for their baby!!!! Pray for that please!!!!
On another note...we are getting a web cam hooked up today. Michelle & I love talking and we overextended her cell phone minutes for last month and therefore I haven't been able to speak to her for over a week now and might I tell you...IT"S KILLIN ME!!!!! So Norm insisted we get this camera so she and i can talk through the computer and actually see each other too. Now I have to do my hair and makeup everyday. But it will be cool to talk to her live. I just hope I can figure out how to hook it up. As many of you know I am technologically challenged!!! But I am a determined person so it'll get done!!!
Things are quiet in the shop this week. That is going to make for a loooong week. Hopefully the phone will ring. The girls only have a half day yet tomorrow and then school is out for the summer. WOOHOO!!! No more getting up at the crack of dawn for a few months. I love summer vacation! We want to take a few day or weekend trips with them. It's very hard to plan anything too far in advance since we don'y know when we will be traveling yet.
Next Sunday we are going to the Poconos (about 1 & 1/2 hour drive) to the Nascar race. This is a sport I fell in love with last year and I can't seem to shake it. We went to Pocono in June & July last year. I don't think we'll make it to the August race this year...at least I hope we'll have our excuse not to go by then (Derek). The interesting thing is that I bought 2 tickets from Ebay and now Norm got 2 free tickets from one of his suppliers and we now have to sell 2 tickets. I haven't found anyone yet to buy them. Possibly my brother but I won't hold my breath. I thought about taking the girls but I don't know if they will tolerate that for a whole day. Plus it gets a little rowdy for them too. I try to shield them from too much of that. Regardless I am going to the race and I can't wait. GO KENSETH!!!!!!
Well we'll keep you updated!!!!
Teresa