Team Fuest

Girls Spa Night: Pictures!

2012-02-01T20:27:00.004-05:00

Last weekend I had the privilege of hosting three girls for a spa night and sleepover! With my Mom's help (thanks Mom!) it went off without a hitch, and was so much fun! I think I forgot how much fun nail polish, foot baths, curling irons and the company of girls can be!

Without further ado... our night in pictures: (I've put a heart over the faces of my niece's friends. Just want to protect their privacy.)

Bubbling Foot Bath - thanks to Nana!

Starting up-dos and painting nails (look who's trying to be good!)

I LOVE doing this!!

Mid-way pictures!

Oh gosh, this makes my heart stop! The teenage years are creeping in!

Pink highlights showing through!

Tried out a low bun style.

Curly ponytail with side twists!

Time for popcorn, sparkling grape juice and a movie!

I had sooo much fun! I'm so glad we got to hang out with these lovely ladies and do girly things together. My nails are still a bright shade of pink with extra sparkles! :)

Girls Spa Night: Teaser

2012-02-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

Up-do's!

The only downfall?

Nowhere fancy to go afterwards!

Next time we'll build that in :)

They're Coming...

2012-01-27T08:50:00.001-05:00

three pre-teen girls, that is. Tonight. My house. Spa night and sleepover! There will be nail polish, curling irons, hairspray, foot soaks, paraphin wax treatments, homemade pizza bagel bites, tons of junk food, sparkling grape juice, movies, games, popcorn, and fun! And you can pretty much bet that I'm about 10x more excited than the three of them combined!!!

I'll have to let you all in on the details next week. So excited! Also soaking in the fact that my niece still wants to hang out with her dear ol' aunt. These days are numbered!

Happy weekend everyone!

:)

Aw, Nuts.

2012-01-25T14:48:00.001-05:00

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Ever feel like you're a nut for something worthy of being nutty for? Ever feel like someone is trying to talk you out of doing what you know is right, and making you feel like a nut for trying to do that right thing?

Well, here is some encouragement for you - straight from my collection of favorite quotes I started assembling while in college (and feeling rather nutty with the amount of work that had to get done):

"Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut who held it's ground." - David Icke

Happy Birthday Brudder!

2012-01-23T08:49:00.000-05:00

We hope you have an EXCELLENT day today!!

Can't wait to help you decorate YOUR NEW HOUSE!!!

May your year be full of crazy adventures and great things too numerous to count!

xo,

your favorite seester :)

p.s. for my lovely readers, my mom started her very own blog yesterday! pop on over and check out Designing Acres! and leave some love :)

Stopping Time & A Jolt of Reality

2012-01-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

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Truth: my biggest fear about becoming a parent (gah!) is that I will lose the feeling that time can stand still. Andy and I have been together/dating/married for almost 9 years. In that time, we've had milestones like graduating from college, getting married, and buying a house. But for some reason none of those things have jolted me into feeling like I'm really getting any older, and that time is really going by. Life as I've known it has pretty much continued on the same way for almost 10 years. I feel like once I have a little one who I'm watching grow and turn from a baby to a toddler to an adolescent... oh my word, I can't "stop time" anymore! It's going to wiz by! And what does that make ME? An adult?! No! I am most certainly not an adult - I don't know enough to be an adult!

Truth: my 11-year-old niece, who I still remember as a 2-year-old with little pigtails and squealy giggles just facebooked me to let me know she was excited about our upcoming time together. She's growing up. Oh Lord, she's growing up. She's typing sentences, spelling things correctly, using a computer. Fine, call me a dinosaur who's entire head is in the sand, but WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?! She was just a little kindergartner in a bear costume spinning around on stage at her dance recital. Now she's growing up into this beautiful little lady with pierced ears, highlighted hair, and grown-up opinions. My heart can't take it!

I suppose we all get jolted back to reality occasionally, but this is the first time it's REALLY hitting me.

One Year In

2012-01-17T09:58:00.001-05:00

This weekend was one year since we've started the adoption process.

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Holy moly!

One year ago we felt a bit stunned that our dreams and desires of growing our family through adoption were being realized. The world of adoption seemed so huge, so unfamiliar. The mounds of paperwork showing up in our mailbox each week were downright intimidating, and the things we had yet to learn about social workers and agencies were daunting.

However.

Now we get the privilege of sitting here on the other side of all that unknown. We hear the words, "social worker", "homestudy", "certification", "dossier", "embassy", and we know a little more than we did a year ago.

We've connected with an awesome group of adoptive families in our area who thought nothing of becoming instant friends and an instant support group to us. They welcomed us in, no questions asked.

We've watched as friends and family embark on this great unknown, too. They're reading the books, learning the terms, and asking the questions just so they can know what it is we're doing and how they can be there for us.

I've sat in awe as a good friend is leading her classroom in daily prayer for our future child and for the journey that will lead us to them.

We've stood in utter amazement as we've witnessed our bank account not only handle the frequent payments due, but grow.

As we look back on this past year, we have TONS to be thankful for. And as we embark on a new year, we get the privilege of navigating "the waiting place", as Dr. Seuss would say :)

Here's to another year of faith, awe, and discovery.

One step closer... :)

Some Things Never Change

2012-01-12T23:03:00.002-05:00

2 months old

3 years old!

Happy 3rd Birthday Chloe Bea!

2012-01-10T09:10:00.001-05:00

***Update: Chloe's 3rd Birthday Picture:

Total embarrassment! She HATES wearing hats, and probably because we've traumatized her at a young age with wearing everything from hoodies, to hats, to Halloween costumes. Oh well, she very much enjoyed her peanut butter graham crackers after her birthday song :)

***End Update***

Today is our little munchkin's 3rd birthday! WHERE does the time go?! I can still remember when we brought her home as a little pup, and wondered whether we'd ever survive the chewing stage.

Tonight we'll celebrate her birthday with her annual birthday treat, hat, candle, and birthday song! I'll post that picture later.

Here's a look back on her previous birthdays:

First birthday! This was soon after she ripped the livingroom to shreds. We still threw her a party. What can we say? :)

Second birthday! She let us sing to her, and even waited patiently until we were done before she ate her treat! That's what three obedience classes will do for you :)

Happy Birthday Miss Bea! We love you so much!

Behind the Scenes

2012-01-06T16:05:00.001-05:00

(I'm about to brag about how I have the best tall redheaded husband there is, so if that repels you, you may just want to skip this post)

Remember this photo?

"Why yes, Kristen, you've showed it to us twice now..."

Well, I have one more thing to tell you about it: it wouldn't have happened without Andy!

And that right there is a testament to our marriage, because poor Andy gets forced into photo-shoots more times than he likes, and so does our dog. I wanted our "waiting family" day to be perfect! I knew we'd get an email, and I envisioned jumping up and screaming, calling Andy at work, celebrating together, then running around telling all my coworkers while I pretended to work for the remainder of the day when truth be told I'd be way too excited to even THINK!

Well, the day came. And I got the email. And then I tried calling Andy on his cell and got no answer. And then I tried the school and the main office was closed. And then I tried email and no response. So basically my "vision" for this day was turning out very different than I had imagined. I'm working on this vision vs. reality thing, but sometimes it's hard when you have great news and want to share it with the person whom you love!

Long story short I wasn't able to get ahold of Andy before I left work, and so I ended up telling him the news when I picked him up from work. We had a quick excited/hugging moment and then we had to RUSH home because we had to get ready for a concert and do twenty-bagillion things just so we could run back out the door.

I really really really had envisioned capturing this "moment" with time for celebration and a photo all together. The reality was we were so so rushed and to stage a photo and get Chloe to cooperate would be almost unrealistic. We got home and I jumped in the shower and told myself I really just needed to take a deep breath and not get discouraged that this moment was shaping up to be a bit different than I had hoped, but there was still a part of me that wanted to just make it special right then and there so we could have that as a memory to look back on.

Anyway, I got out of the shower and ran upstairs to get changed and guess what I saw? Andy at our dining room table coloring in letters to these signs one by one (alternating red and green!) so we could create the special moment I had envisioned.

Seriously, this makes me cry every time I think about it. The signs and the picture were not on Andy's radar as far as "how I want to celebrate this moment", but he knew they were for me, so he made it happen. Printer paper and magic markers, baby!

On top of that he was incredibly patient while we took a bagillion self-timer photos together until we got the perfect one, making us incredibly late for the concert that his family bought us tickets for.

This is just one of the reasons I love him. He knows me, and knows what my heart desires, and tries his darndest to make it happen!

So thank you, my favorite tall redhead, for this memory, for your beautifully-colored signs, for your incredible patience and grace, for explaining with pride to your family why we were late, and for this special picture that we will treasure forever :)

Love,

your wife :)

Gifts: The Kind That Make You Feel Alive!

2012-01-05T12:42:00.000-05:00

I'm one of those "boycott New Year's resolutions" people. I will admit it. I feel all panicked and trapped when I have to quick! think of a resolution and quick! start it NOW!!!! Ah!!! On the other hand, I do believe in self-reflection and working towards a better version of me.

So it got me thinking... what do I want to focus on this year?

The more I think about it, the more I think I've found the answer.

I want to feel ALIVE.

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Alive in every sense of the word. I want to FEEL life. I want to have crazy joy, crazy love, crazy compassion, crazy zest for life! Whooooo!!!!!! Who's with me?!?!?! :)

I have no idea how to 'manufacture' that. Not a clue. But, I do have a thought: I feel most alive when I'm doing what I LOVE to do. And sometimes, what I love to do are the same things that I'm somewhat 'good' (I'm using that loosely) at. And what I'm good at... well, there are all sorts of little tests you can take for that. So, bingo!! I'll take a test.

But then I remembered that I've already taken a couple of these "things you're good at" tests. "Strengths Quest" for work, and "Spiritual Gift Inventory" for church. I don't remember all they said, but I remember a few things. Apparently I'm 'good' at, and love:

1. Giving: "freely devote, set aside, or sacrifice for a purpose"
2. Hospitality: "the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers"
3. Empathy: "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another"
4. Restoration: "the process of repairing or renovating something, so as to restore it to its original condition"

Some people would refer to these as "gifts". I like to just think of them as things God has created me to love. And... when I am being the 'me' God has created me to be, I feel ALIVE!!!!

So, my ~~resolution~~ mission (I'm so stubborn!!) for this year is this:

I will seek out opportunities to feel completely ALIVE! by doing the things that I love and am good at, in a way that brings joy and hope to others!

Here we go!!

Oh, and what makes you feel alive? Let's jump in this boat together! :)

Snuggle Bug

2012-01-02T22:16:00.000-05:00

The night before the first day back to work after a long vacation. Ah, it's bittersweet. After a wonderful break filled with family, food, fun, friends, and yes, even flu-like sickness (had to stay with the "f's") it's time to get back in the saddle.

But before we do, I needed one more snuggle. Just me and the Bea. The more blankets the better. Believe it or not she hasn't moved from that position for 3 hours. I got up to get some cookies and had to climb over her, and then back over her to snuggle back in.

I love our lil' Bea, and I'm so thankful to have had a long and relaxing break to enjoy little moments like this.

The Perfect Christmas Card Photo

2011-12-24T15:28:00.000-05:00

Attempt #1:

Attempt #2:

3rd Time's a Charm:

God bless Andy and Chloe - who have resigned themselves to the fact that they'll be subjected to multiple photo-ops until it looks just right!

This finally felt like "the one"!

Merry Christmas to you and yours! May your year be filled with love, joy, peace, health and hope.

All our love,

Andy, Kristen, Chloe, and future Lil' Fuest

Professions & Lifestyle

2011-12-21T11:32:00.004-05:00

I've had the opportunity to work on a really cool project at work for the last several months. It involves designing an online portal system for desktops, and then customizing the design to work on mobile apps, tablets, and any other electronic device you can think of.

I got to laughing the other day when it dawned on me that although I am designing for phones and tablets, I don't own either of them. Nor do I have a desire. (Well, I have a cell phone, but not a crazy-do-everything-imaginable cell phone. Just your basic.) I may have to actually borrow someone's iphone and tablet so that I can play around with it so that I know what the heck I'm doing when I'm designing for them.

So it got me thinking...

Do developers own the latest technological devices?
Do graphic designers have their own logos and business cards?
Do chefs cook amazing homemade meals for their families as well?
Do teachers make it a point to teach more at home for their kids?
Do bankers balance their checkbook?
Do clothing designers wear designer clothes?
Do carpenters build their own houses?
Do event planners plan amazing family parties?
Do doctors take their vitamins and exercise daily?
Do dentists floss every day?

(I could go on, but I will spare you.)

Do our professions necessarily mean we will have a certain lifestyle outside of work? I suppose it depends. My profession as a graphic designer definitely does not transcend every aspect of my home. I don't have my own business cards, which has shocked the socks off of some people, but I just don't. It's the ol' "shoemaker's kids have no shoes" deal. And while I do design our Christmas card, it is very tempting to just use an online template (gah!) sometimes.

What about you? Does your profession line up with how you are at home?

(This post brought to you by the random meanderings of my mind!)

Waiting Family + Questions

2011-12-19T09:46:00.000-05:00

Thank you sooo much to everyone who celebrated with us when we got the news that we are officially a waiting family! We are so thankful that we have such great friends and family walking this journey with us!

Now, for the questions. A lot of people have been asking great questions, so below I will try and answer them as best I can:

What does it mean that you're a waiting family? I thought you were already waiting!
Ha, good question! A waiting family means that our dossier (the paperwork we've been working on since we started) is all certified and authenticated and waiting with our agency. Now we can officially be put on the waiting list to be matched with a child.

What does 85 mean? Does it mean you literally have to wait for 84 other families to be matched with a child before you are?
85 is our number on the waiting list. Our agency asks us, however, to not cling too tightly to that specific number. All the families adopting from Ethiopia with our agency are on the same waiting list. Families waiting for siblings, infants, older children, special needs, they are all together on the same list. This means, for example, if numbers 1-13 are all waiting for an infant girl, and a toddler boy is available to be matched with a family, then those first 13 families are all skipped and the next family on the list waiting for a boy that age would get the call. That is just one of the many examples, and basically means we could move around the wait list at any given day based on the children that are available and the individual parameters of each family.

What about names? Have you thought about what to name your child?
We have thought about this! We've done a lot of reading and researching on the meaning of names in Ethiopia, read about adoptees and their opinions on their name being changed or staying the same, and asked families we know who've adopted and what they did. We feel like this is something we want to be very sensitive to, and that the decision will probably best be made when we are matched with a child and find out more about them.

How long will you be on the waiting list?
That's a difficult question to answer because there is no way to know exactly. There are so many variables, such as the number of children available for adoption, the number of families waiting, age range and gender, the changes to Ethiopia's process and the affects that will have, etc. The only thing we can really go on is to look at other families who have recently been matched, and see how long they waited. Our agency does this with each referral, to give families an idea of wait times, and right now if we were to go off of the wait times of recent families, we will probably be waiting around 10 months for a referral.

Have you started decorating your child's room?
Ah, you know me all too well :) Normally I would be a paint-swatch-crazy-woman and putting all sorts of ideas together if given the chance (because I just love that stuff!). However, we left our parameters relatively open for the age and gender child we could be matched with. This means, in turn, that we'll have to wait a while before we start putting ideas together. We're also in the midst of doing some reading (my crazy tall stack of books I bought recently!), about what the transition looks like for a child, how to help them transition into our family and home, and what things to think about when putting together a space for them. With this in mind, we have a lot more learning to do before we break out the paint rollers :) (Lucky for me, my brother has a whole lot of projects up his sleeve for me involving paint and decorating in his own place, so my interior design itch should be put to work soon!)

So there you have it. I hope that helps some, and please feel free to ask if you have other questions. I can't guarantee I will be able to answer, but you are welcome to ask :) Thanks again for all your support, kind words, and celebratory hugs! We love you guys and thank you for being a part of this process with us :)

xo,

Kristen

Adoption Update: We're A...

2011-12-13T22:14:00.003-05:00

WAITING FAMILY!!!!!!!

SO. SO. EXCITED!!!!

Some Tuesday Randoms

2011-12-13T09:58:00.002-05:00

Soooo excited to hear a live orchestra tonight!
Kindof miss playing in an orchestra.
Way behind on Christmas shopping.
We have 3 family pictures for our Christmas card and none of them seem just right yet.
Our tree is up with it's lights on. No ornaments. I think we're leaving it that way!
We miss seeing Chester sleeping under our tree :(
Trying not to twitch while we wait to hear from our agency.
Would love some snow to stick before Christmas.
Thanks Mom, for coming to the rescue with a dress for me to wear tonight!
Note to self: buy a little black dress.
Is it really only Tuesday?
I love drinking hot tea. So much. Almost better than hot chocolate.
Thank you all for the Christmas music suggestions!
I'm still partial to Kenny G.
Had a great small group time last night.
I love discussions that make you think.
Time for a meeting.
Happy Tuesday!

Happy Birthday Gramma!

2011-12-12T08:47:00.001-05:00

This weekend we got to celebrate my Gramma's birthday:

I think this is the first time that almost our whole family has been in the same place at once in over a year!

We all contributed photos and things we love about Gramma and my Mom made a beautiful book!

I'm so glad I brought my camera, but I'm equally as glad that several different people at the table would say, "Kristen, camera!!" during some of these moments so that I would actually remember to use it! I get so caught up in experiencing the moment sometimes that I forget to capture it :)

Happy birthday Gramma! May you have many more to come!

We're so glad you were born :)

I Was Never Good At Estimating

2011-12-07T10:43:00.001-05:00

I will admit I was CONVINCED it would be easier to wait then to be running around like a chicken with my head cut off gathering paperwork, all along knowing that my speed (or lack thereof) would be the determining factor in moving forward. Well, I was wrong. Waiting is hard. It's especially hard when you thought you had the countdown right, but then you're told something that changes it.

ie: our paperwork was ready on a Monday, but apparently the courier only comes on Thursdays.

ugh.

I suppose I should not include weekends then, too.

So, with a dossier off to Washington DC on Thursday, December 1st (not the 28th, like I thought), that means we're officially on...

business day #4.

Someone pass me the kleenex, because I think I might cry.

Still Waiting...

2011-12-06T09:06:00.001-05:00

Today is day 9 of waiting to get the call that we're a waiting family. They say 10-14 days. Trying so hard to be PATIENT!!!!

:)

Letting Go of Expectations

2011-12-01T11:09:00.001-05:00

There has been a lot rolling around in my head lately. About a lot of things and a lot of topics. I've come to the realization throughout this adoption process and throughout this past year in general: I have expectations. People have expectations of me. I am really good at setting up my expectations, and then evaluating myself and my effectiveness based on how well I'm meeting my own very high expectations. Some of this is good. It's what makes me good at what I do, accountable to others, and someone that people can trust. However, this also has a down-side: Unrealistic expectations. Or. Inflexible expectations.

I'm what you would call a "good girl". I follow the rules. I turn things in early (not on-time. early.) I show up early. I'm prepared. I finish things faster than others. I check things off my list in record time. I prioritize my shopping list so that I can shop in the order of aisle number - for efficiency, of course. I ride my bike in a straight line - point A to point B. There are no wheelies, circles, zig-zags. I'm on a mission. I make the right choice the first time. I follow directions. If there's a bar that's set, I'm going to finish it better and I'm going to finish it quicker.

(Anyone wanna be my friend? Ha!)

I'm learning that the "good" in "good girl" is not all good.

It took us over 10 months to finish our dossier and get it to our agency. I had to do it twice. Want to know the average time frame that it "should" take us? 3-6 months. I had that in my head from the start, and guess how that worked for me. It meant that every.single.time I was behind schedule, I took it as a direct hit to my effectiveness and good-"ness" as a person, whether the hold-ups were within my control or not. There must be something wrong with me if I can't get it done quicker. This person's doctor letter only took them an hour. Mine's taking me days. Must make up time... must make up time. It was a race. A race I was losing almost every day.

Little did I know the things I would learn during these trying months. I can now say I'm thankful that I actually "learned".

I learned to breathe.
I learned to set goals, but to be realistic and willing to re-evaluate.
I learned to let go.
I learned to loosen my grip.
I learned that my journey is not the same as that of others.
I learned that I was creating a mountain out of a mole hill.
I learned to stop comparing myself.
I learned that "curious" people do not always equal "judging" people.
I learned that there is much to be learned in the process.
I learned there is much to be learned in unmet expectations.
I learned that I should not be defined by my speed or my "better-ness".
I learned I don't have to do it all on my own.
I learned that trials are sometimes when we learn the most about everything.

Without this long, 10 month struggle (that should have been half that long!), I would have missed out on good things. Precious things. I would have missed out on

community.
prayer.
being lavished with encouragement.
depending on others and having them come through in BIG ways.
the journey.
trials turning into triumph.
challenges turning into successes.
having to actually rely on faith.
letting go.
learning.
the support of others.
being a small piece of a whole.
opening my mind.
letting others step in.
asking for help.
being thankful.
the beauty of not actually being in control.

I could go on and on and on. I'm so thankful that I was whacked over the head early on in this process with the importance of taking a step back, putting things in perspective, and truly letting go. I don't freak out anymore when people come up to me and say, "Gosh, this seems like it's taking FOREVER!" or "How much LONGER do you have to wait?!" or "WHEN is your child going to finally get here?" Those questions would have sent me into a frenzy of negative self-talk about my ability to keep the process moving. I would have interpreted those questions as a comment on my effectiveness at paperwork, or understanding the process, or maybe I was just plain insane for starting this whole thing!

Not anymore.

Now I smile and revel in how much we've learned, and in how far we've come. It's not a race. It's not a sprint. We don't have to "hurry up and get there". Our adoption timeline is not a direct reflection of me. A faster timeline doesn't have to mean a better ending. We're not in this just to cross things off a list. This is our story, our family, our journey. I'm sure there will be prayers that are answered swiftly, and prayers that are answered after a long wait. I'm learning to be ok with it.

I'm calming down.

I'm relishing in the little moments. The little victories.

I'm at peace.

And gosh darn it, if I forget the spaghetti sauce my first time around, its ok to go back and get it!

P.S. I would highly recommend this book for all of us "good girls" out there.

I {Heart} Kenny G

2011-11-30T11:48:00.001-05:00

I realize by the title of this post that some of you may have a whole new view of me. It's ok. I can't help it. I love me some Kenny G Holiday! It could be my love of classical music, or the fact that this was one of the main Christmas albums played in my house growing up, or heck, even the long curly hair (just kidding!) :)

Andy DOES NOT share my love of Kenny G. No matter how hard I've tried to convince him. So I listen to it at work :) True story: I cried the first Christmas we were married and had to put up the tree to something other than Kenny G Holiday.

So, I'm willing to be flexible, and also expand our collection of Christmas music. I'm putting out a plea to any of you readers who have favorite Christmas music albums that you'd like to recommend. We actually both like a huge variety of types of music, so probably most anything you recommend will be taken to heart. We actually have a soft spot for large "around-the-world" choirs, too.

So let's hear 'em... your favorite Christmas albums!

Please and thank you. Actually, Andy will thank you :)

P.S. Any fellow Kenny G lovers out there? Your secret's safe with me :)

New Hobbies

2011-11-29T08:41:00.001-05:00

I interrupt these regularly scheduled adoption paperwork updates for a little look into the new hobby that has lured (oh what a pun!) Andy into total obsession:

Fishing.

It has captured this man's heart.

So much so that I find myself competing with this looker:

And this one:

And as if that weren't enough, there are also these massive things in my parent's pond:

If that doesn't make you squirm I don't know what will. But, I gave in one day and tried casting. The first time didn't go so well (I almost took out my brother who was standing behind me), but the second cast I threw in something BIT. AHHH! I don't exactly know why I was expecting anything different, but I certainly wasn't ready for actually catching something! We tried to take a picture but to no avail. It may have been due to my incessant panic and my loud insistence that they hurry up and GET THE HOOK OUT SO IT DOESN'T DIE!!!

I think Andy wants to buy me a purple fishing pole for Christmas.

I actually may not object.

(I can't believe I just said that.)

Adoption Update: All Dossier Documents Sent!

2011-11-26T10:39:00.001-05:00

Just popping in with a little update on our documents! Yesterday we received our last document that needed to be state authenticated back from the Secretary of State. The second (and I do mean second - I waited for the UPS man!) that document arrived, I took our entire dossier to the post office and overnighted it to our agency. I was going to send it via UPS again (and run into my 'favorite' hunting cap employee for the third time) but our local UPS store was closed. So, off to the post office I went. And who did I run into? Our town's favorite postal worker. He's known me since I was a lil' tyke - little enough to get a lollipop. He recognized me, asked me about life, couldn't believe I was married, and then wanted to know if we had any kids. I got to tell him about why I was there - sending this crazy huge pile of papers, and he was so kind and encouraging. It seems fitting that at the last leg of this paperwork race, our long-time postal worker would handle our documents and make sure they arrived on time. :)

As long as everything looks good once our agency inspects our documents, and as long as everything goes well as they're authenticated in Washington DC, we could hear the words, "You're a waiting family!" in 10 days - 2 weeks!

Hooray!!

Much to be thankful for today :)

A Little Bit Longer to the Finish Line

2011-11-21T11:10:00.001-05:00

The good news: our documents all arriving this a.m. from the Secretary of State!!

email from my dad this a.m. - who signed for the package!

The not-so-good news: one document - my birth certificate - was not authenticated. They said it needs to be certified first. [For the record, before I sent all these documents, I double-checked with the county clerk in the county of my birth about my birth certificate being a "certified copy". They said it was, and that I would not need it county certified, since it already was.] Fooey.

HOWEVER.

We have an amazing family friend who is a fantastic courier, and she is coming to the rescue! She hopped right in her car this morning and is zooming straight to the county clerk's office to have my birth certificate county certified and back to us in record time! [We all agree on a regular basis that we do not know WHAT we would do without her!] I believe more and more in the saying, "it takes a village".

SO.

This one piece of paper needs to be overnighted back to the Secretary of State and then overnighted back to us so we can overnight all these papers to our agency and BE.DONE.!!

I watched a friend run a marathon this fall, and as another friend and I were walking to the finish-line afterward to find her, we noticed that they had put the finish line AROUND A CORNER! How cruel! Those poor runners were running forever and ever without a visual to focus on for the finish. I feel like we are running and running, knowing we've got to be close to the finish line, waiting to round that corner.

Almost there...

Thankful for people in our lives that come in when we need it most and help propel us to the finish! And thankful for a dad who sees a dilemma and comes up with a solution before I even have time to panic!

Happy Monday friends! :)

Emails That Make Me Happy

2011-11-17T14:43:00.001-05:00

[So, sidenote: our envelope safely arrived to the Secretary of State's office yesterday morning. I am still anxiously awaiting it to show up on UPS's tracking site on it's way back to us. Twiddling thumbs over here... ]

But anyway, I received this email from our adoption consultant today in response to my "What's next?" question. Here are her words:

"After we receive your dossier, we send it off to the courier and she sends it to the state department and the Ethiopian embassy. This usually takes about 10 days to 2 weeks and then it is returned to us. Once we have it back in our office, then you are added to the wait list!

Not long now…….."

THAT makes me giddy! :)

UPS & Heart Palpitations

2011-11-15T18:53:00.001-05:00

Today was the day. The day that I hand over our entire dossier - originals - to a mail carrier for overnight delivery to the Secretary of State for authentication. I had planned to make a little trip to the post office on my lunch break, but my day ended up being in.sane. and I had to make a special trip to UPS after work.

Well, lets just say I marched in that establishment with my vulture instinct in full force, ready to pay through the nose any exorbitant amount of money it took to put any and all certifications, trackings, make-sure-this-doesn't-leave-your-site stickers on this puppy. Out walks a man from the back of the store with an oversized UPS shirt, unbuttoned from the neck, hairy chest sticking out, and long hair stuffed under a hunting cap.

(This may be the point that I started subconsciously reverting back to 1st grade and silently repeating the Hail Mary.)

I requested every security measure available on this envelope and I was met with this non-chalant response:

"UPS sees no value in your documents." (Aka, we will not insure them.)

HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE....

Calmly, ever so calmly, I explained the importance that these documents get from point A to point B in the safest way possible. I also explained that I needed a pre-paid, pre-stickered, overnight return envelope inside the original envelope. To which he looked at me like I had ten heads and proceeded to fold an envelope origami style and stuff it into said original envelope.

...THE LORD IS WITH THEE... GOD ARE YOU UP THERE?!?!?!

Calmly, ever so calmly, I explained that I would really prefer that the envelope fit inside unfolded and if we had to upgrade the size of the original envelope I was ok with that.

I think at this point he started sensing my neurotic tendencies and happily obliged to finding an alternative option for my envelope-inside-envelope request.

Seriously, at this point I'm pretty sure I started sweating straight through my sweater. I don't think I anticipated having this sort of panicked reaction, but what I had not factored in was my intimate 10-month relationship with these beautiful, hard-won, unfolded, unblemished documents and I was not about to hand them over to someone who was ok with stuffing them haphazardly into a teensy tiny envelope!

After making it through the envelope debacle, he started printing shipping labels and then requested I double-check them with the address I had on my cover page document to the Secretary of State.

The zip codes did not match.

...BLESSED ART THOU...I CAN'T REMEMBER THE REST!!!

I looked this man straight in the eye and said, "It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that these documents make it to their destination, because if they don't, I'm going to drop dead."

Lovely. The eyes of the lady behind me in line widened like saucers and I'm pretty sure the UPS guy was now very clear that I may go hijack one of his UPS trucks and deliver this package myself!

Calmly, ever so calmly, we resolved the zip code problem and I paid the shipping fees and said a prayer while my credit card transaction was processing. "Lord, this is in your hands, please watch over these documents and get them there safely."

My receipt started printing and then my eyes started welling up with tears.

NO.

NO NO NO NO NO.

You are NOT going to cry in a UPS store in front of this man!!!

You WILL NOT.

Pull it together!!!

I bit the inside of my cheek and tried not to wince as he tossed my big fat envelope on the counter behind him and took the next customer.

I ushered my melting, neurotic, sweaty self outside and into my car, at which point I swear I starting having heart palpitations. I don't even know what those are but that seems to be the best way to describe it.

People say this process (adoption) can make you go insane at times. I feel like up until this point I had held it together pretty well. Call me dramatic if you want, but I'm going to pass go and collect my $2 this time, thankyouverymuch.

My crazy panic and my 1st grade Hail Mary's were answered with these verses as God brought them to mind on my drive home:

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:6-7]

I've decided to take this advice. I'm thankful for how far we've come, and I'm praying for the safety of these documents to the Secretary of State and back to us. And I'm asking for peace which transcends all understanding as we let these documents out of our hands and into the hands of another.

A...men.

One step closer... :)

Adoption Update: County Certification

2011-11-14T15:56:00.001-05:00

County Certification of all our dossier documents went so well today! A large part had to do with my two companions:

Gramma and Oma agreed to come along with me for the ride all over our side of the state - to four different counties! We got a ton accomplished, each person at each county clerk's office was extremely helpful, and we even ended the day with a scrumptious lunch! Thank you Oma and Gramma - the day was so fun because I had you both with me! :)

Tomorrow we Fed-Ex our documents to the Secretary of State's office to be authenticated, and then they're off to our agency, who will handle from there!

One step closer! :)

Also, after a fun and productive day trip, I came home to this familiar box on my doorstep:

And now have these to read:

Time to get crackin'!!

Adoption Update: ALL DOSSIER DOCUMENTS COLLECTED!!!

2011-11-09T19:53:00.000-05:00

I don't even know the words!!! Our LAST document for our dossier is finally in our hands!!!
WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!

1. County Certification
2. State Authentication
3. Hand documents over to our agency who will handle from there.
4. WAITING FAMILY!!!

Lullabies

2011-11-09T11:37:00.001-05:00

When I was a lil' tyke... ok, wait, more like a middle-schooler... I often fell asleep to music. It was the only way I could calm my brain and drift off into dream land. I've had aspirations for a long time to record my own lullaby CD with my cello, but haven't been able to figure that out yet.

Enter in... Amazon. :) These aren't cello lullabies, but hopefully just as soothing:

And if little Fuesty is not the lullaby type, well then, I'll just steal these and let them sing ME to sleep :)

Adoption Update: Doctor Hold-Up

2011-11-08T12:17:00.000-05:00

Dear doctor's office,

We realize you are probably very busy taking care of many patients with important medical concerns. We also realize that you are upset that you have to take the time to get the letter that we need notarized. We are very sorry for the inconvenience, but unfortunately, we have no control over the rules. While we realize you have told us you will write our letter, "If we get to it", that unfortunately is very unhelpful. We cannot proceed with the adoption of our future child if you keep shoving the pre-typed-for-you-by-me letter under your stack of papers and not returning our calls. Or worse, pretending you have no idea what we are talking about.

I am running out of ideas to motivate you. Perhaps some oreo truffles would help?

With love (trying desperately, at least),

Kristen

Our Growing Reading List

2011-11-07T15:30:00.002-05:00

I've never considered myself an avid reader. I like to read, but generally I don't have a specific topic that I'm researching. In fact, I pretty much thought I had left the word "research" at the old heavy doors of my college library the day I graduated. Oh, how naive I was!

Besides the bajillion (Blogger doesn't want that to be a word) blogs and articles I have devoured online, I've also started keeping a rough list of books I want to sit down and read as we prepare for our little Fuest. These have come from our adoption agency, our social worker, other adoptive parents, etc.

Anyone have any thoughts on any of these, or suggestions for others? I would love your input!

I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World
Marguerite Wright

Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families
Gigi Kaeser

In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories (vol. 4)
Rita J. Simon

Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew
Sherrie Eldridge

Are Those Kids Yours?: American Families With Children Adopted From Other Countries
Cheri Register

The First R: How Children Learn Race and Racism
Van Debra Ausdale

The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family
Karyn Purvis

We're Different, We're the Same (Sesame Street) (Pictureback(R))
Bobbi Kates

Whoever You Are (Reading Rainbow Books)
Mem Fox

The Skin You Live In
Michael Tyler

I'm also hugely inspired by this reading list, over on Scooping It Up

Forging Ahead Friday

2011-11-04T14:11:00.000-04:00

The end of this dossier race is on the horizon... I can FEEL.IT.!!!! Who's EXCITED?!?! :)

Hoping to cross off three more items after this afternoon!!!

Craziness: last week several people approached us and told us things like,

"I want you to know our whole family has been praying for you this week."
"I just want you to know you had a whole table of people at a church hours away praying for you this week!" (people we've never met in our LIFE!)
"You guys popped into my radar this week and wanted to encourage you to stay strong!" (in a letter mailed to our house!)

Crazy! And you want to know what? I could tell people have been lifting us up because these little suckers of documents have been pouring in left and right. And if something was wrong, the person gladly fixed it and in record time. The power of prayer is just that: powerful!

We are SO.CLOSE. to being able to bundle these babies and start the certification and authentication process. I think the best Christmas present I can possibly think of this year would be to hear the words, "You are a waiting family!"

Hoping so much for that today!

Happy Friday peeps!

xo,

Kristen

Happy Happy 27!

2011-11-02T10:48:00.001-04:00

Today is this guy's birthday:

those college days :)

back.in.THE.DAY!

You are dearly loved, my favorite tall redhead :)

Hope you have the happiest of birthdays and a fantastic year ahead!

Love,

Your favorite wife.

Some Randoms

2011-11-01T09:42:00.000-04:00

1. This was the first Halloween EVER where I had NO desire to do anything Halloween related. I don't know what's wrong with me. The first three years in our house together, I sat on the second step of our staircase straining my neck out the front door willing a little princess or goblin to show up at my doorstep so I could give them handfulls of candy. This year? I hid in my office doing freelance work and stealing candy while Andy manned the door. We even spared Chloe the shame of her banana split costume:

Last year at Halloween - not impressed.

2. You must read this post on Better After. It will give you a great boost of self esteem!

3. I'm still COOKIN'!! This week's plan:

Monday: Crock-pot Sloppy Joes (I actually just did them in a skillet and they were SUPER!)
Tuesday: left-overs (since I get home late)
Wednesday: Crock-pot Chicken Quesadillas
Thursday: Poppyseed Chicken Casserole
Friday: pizza night with friends, bring Corn Casserole (inspired by my friend Sarah!)

4. Looking forward to a mini Townie Reunion this weekend - yay!!

5. We've had one doctor's office tell us that they'll supply a notarized medical letter for our dossier... wait for it... "If they get to it." Hm. That's very comforting. Hopefully that same policy does not apply when one of their patients comes in with chest pain and shortness of breath.

6. In spite of the shenanigans going on in #5, we are actually making great progress with our dossier! Check out our Adoption Timeline page for newly-crossed-off items! :)

How Does She Do It: Balsamic Chicken with Feta, + More Dossier Documents

2011-10-28T09:11:00.000-04:00

Recipe

I find it a bit hard to believe that I've actually made it through this whole week cooking a new recipe each night. Normally this would not be all that fun for me, but I've intentionally blocked any other nightly events or committments so that I can just focus on getting a good meal on the table and enjoying it with my favorite tall redhead. It's actually been really nice. And I happen to love that our house warms up and the smell of dinner wafts around the hallways.

Last night was Balsamic Chicken with Feta. It's supposed to have Kalamata olives on there, but we're not olive people, so I left them out.

Verdict:
Super-easy to make
Fast
Tasty!
Not a lot of ingredients
Will make great leftovers - esp. if we cut up the chicken and use it for salads and sandwiches.

______________________________________

In other news, I need to share with you some amazingness. Here's what I posted on facebook last night:

"HUGE step forward in our dossier today - police clearance letters done and 100% correct in less than an hour, and on a day that I had the afternoon off so I could pick them up right away! woot!!!"

For those of you that remember reading this, you'll probably recognize that this is nothing short of a miracle.

This week we've collected 5 re-typed and notarized documents, and I have 5 more to take to the bank tonight to get notarized. That's TEN documents in one week. We are THRILLED! Nothing like a little momentum to get us re-energized and excited for the dossier finish line!

How Does She Do It: Meatloaf, + Obstacles Meet Opportunities

2011-10-27T09:27:00.001-04:00

Recipe

Last night was meatloaf with a side of wild grain rice and salad. (I am too lazy to take a picture of our actual meal, so I used the one from the recipe.) Anyway, the verdict:

- The cooking time was totally off, at least for me. It said bake for 60 minutes or until 160 degrees, and that puppy was in there way longer and still a smidge pink by the time I lost patience and pulled it out of the oven so-we-could-eat-for-heavens-sake. I told Andy to just eat around the pink parts.
- It TASTED amazing!
- Not sure that I like devoting 1.5 hours to making dinner. I know it says to just bake for 60 minutes, and that technically means I could be doing something else for an hour, but I was also making rice, cleaning dishes, etc. while I waited, so I ended up being in the kitchen for a looooong time.
- I think I'll add this to the lazy sunday evening category, for when I have more free time to spend that long cooking.

____________________________________________

On another note, my trusty little Our Daily Bread provided some great encouragement last night. It was all about obstacles...

"How often do we experience delays, changes of plans, and redirections and treat them as intrusions? It could be that God is detouring us so we can do something different or new for Him. ... God can use inconveniences in our lives if we look at them as divine appointments."

(Read the whole thing here.)

I've been working feverishly on our Dossier - typing out templates, visiting offices, calling police stations and doctor's offices, collecting documents, etc. It has been very tempting for me to get discouraged with the magnitude of the task of recollecting these papers, and with the "hurry up and wait" aspect. It's also tempting for me to compare myself to other adoptive parents out there who have completed their paperwork much faster, and feel inadequate and behind.

But, if I look at this constructively, I am also noticing that my patience, my endurance, and my ability to stay positive are being refined. My hope is that this obstacle will be turned into an opportunity - one that will prepare me to face the defeat and trials of life with more confidence and strength as we move forward.

How Does She Do It: Cowboy Casserole

2011-10-24T20:10:00.002-04:00

Recipe

So far this cooking thing is going pretty well! Tonight was Cowboy Casserole.

Verdict:
SOOOO tasty. Like, down home cookin' tasty.
Not a lot of ingredients
Only 20min in the oven.
Andy reached for seconds before I even finished my first plate.

One thing that I'm really loving so far is that I bought all the ingredients I needed ahead of time for the whole week, and by the end of the week I will have used every last drop, so nothing goes to waste. I know this is probably normal for most people, but it's new over here, and I like it! No more buying random things that look good and then scratching my head each night trying to figure out how to turn it into a meal.

Next up: "Simply the Best Meatloaf"

How Does She Do It: Signing Up and Chickpea Curry

2011-10-22T20:04:00.000-04:00

Those of you that know me well, or even just slightly well, know that cooking IS NOT my strong suit. I don't like it and I also don't like grocery shopping.

However, it has finally occurred to me that I am going to have to change this about myself, especially with a little Fuest on the horizon.

With a bit of motivation and a little luck, I googled "menu planner". Guess what I stumbled upon? HowDoesSheDoIt.com I'm so excited I could cry.

You can plan your weekly menu online. You can pick from tons of recipes, add your own, or even customize ones that you find and like. Then you assign the recipes to whatever meal of the day you'd like, and plan out your week.

THEN...

You hit "shopping list" and this crazy amazing thing happens: it pulls all your ingredients from all your recipes for the week and CATEGORIZES them according to areas in the grocery store (ie. produce, dairy, breads, etc.) so that when you're shopping you're not steering your cart like a lunatic trying to find every random ingredient in the five cookbooks you have open at once.

This is mine this week:

Another cool thing is that you can add "bagged lunch" to the menu everyday for lunch if you're a packer and take mostly the same things every week. Andy packs his lunch and now I can add "Andy's packed lunch" on the menu every day and it will automatically add all the stuff for his lunch on my shopping list.

You can also print out a menu for your fridge so the little bambinos and the hubs know what's on the menu for the week.

I'm normally not a "look, this website makes my life so much easier!" person, but this one so far seems to really light a fire under my anti-cooking butt.

So, tonight was night #1. Chickpea Curry:

Source

Verdict:
Pretty simple to make.
Good flavor.
Not too spicy.
Perfect amount for two people.
Very healthy.
Andy (and I) liked it.

Hooray!

The menu on my fridge tells me that tomorrow night's dinner is Cowboy Casserole. Oh boy!

P.S. I know it probably sounds like I was paid or perked to write this, but I wasn't. I promise. But maybe I should be... ha! So far I love it. We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Adoption Update: Dossier Document Re-do (1)

2011-10-21T11:05:00.000-04:00

Hooray hooray!

I have in my hands the first re-typed, re-notarized document for our dossier!

It's a small step, but it's a step in the right direction!

Now only 16 more to go (or something like that) :)

Thankfully some of our documents, like birth and marriage certificates are ok as is. You can check out our Adoption Timeline Page for a current list of what we have, and what we're working on!

Happy Friday!

Alive & Pinterest

2011-10-19T12:32:00.002-04:00

I swear the germ brigade must have an APB out on me.
And another thing I swear - if I had a nickel (just a nickel!) for every tissue I used these last six days I would literally be rolling in the dough.

But on to some inspiring things via Pinterest, yes?

Source: etsy.com via Kristen on Pinterest

I think I need to have Andy make me this. You know, in his spare time :)

Source: thediyclub.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Write on my walls? Yes, please!

Source: madebygirl.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

I love these rows of books that decorate the entire wall! What a fun way to do a "library" for a kid's room!

Source: flickr.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Isn't there just something about that soft blue kitchen with bright accents that makes you want to smile? I don't know that I could get up the guts (or the energy) to repaint my cabinets, but this picture sure is nice to look at!

If you do not currently spend hours of your time indulging your creative side on Pinterest, may I suggest you change that? You will love it!

Have a lovely, bright, sunshiny day!

Love,

Kristen :)

P.S. Fellow bloggers, please, for the love of all things, can someone explain to me why, when I hit "return" do I get like 2 gaping line breaks??

Cider Day + Isn't It Ironic

2011-10-13T11:35:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we had our annual Fuest Family Cider Pressing Day! We all agreed we think it was one of the best ones yet to date. We had beautiful weather, the cousins played so well together, we got tons of cider pressed, and we got an amazing family photo, too - with everyone in it!!

The Boys

Andy and Levi

Uncle Tommy with his niece and nephew

Mother and daughter :)

Caleb in the wagon

Just chillin'

2011 Fuest Family Cider Day!

What I find especially ironic is that I think we managed to pull off a completely unplanned Christmas card photo. You may remember our humorous attempts here. Well, at the end of the day, when everyone is tired, full of mud, walking around in play clothes, and ready to be done, Andy's brother grabbed my camera and shot three photos of Andy, Chloe and I, and I think they might actually win out over our more planned, "everyone's hair is done and clothes picked out and Chloe has on her new collar" photo.

I'll leave you in suspense until December. :)

P.S. Thank you to those of you who offered prayers, hugs, collective sighs, "ugh!'s", and called us to make sure we weren't going to pull our hair out with our dossier documents. We figured out where we went wrong, and although it seems like a bear to fix, we'll get through it! One day at a time...

Adoption Update: Dossier Defeat

2011-10-11T09:35:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all of you who celebrated with us last week as we got our immigration approval - your cheers, texts, hugs and words of encouragement are so appreciated!

Unfortunately this week started out with a bit of defeat. After faxing over almost all our dossier documents that have taken months to gather to be checked by our agency, with the excitement that we were almost to the paperwork finish line, I found out they are all wrong.

Not even kidding.
I actually really wish I was kidding.
Maybe the floor could swallow me up.
Or maybe I could go into hibernation and come out when it's all fixed.
Oh.My.Word.

After an evening and a good night's rest to process, there's really only one thing left to do. We get back up and start again. We re-visit all the offices, we make more phone calls, and we gather this crazy pile of papers for the second time.

We're learning one of the best ways to combat worry and defeat is to slap it in the face with praise and thankfulness.

So today, we're thankful for:
an amazing weekend with family
a crazy beautiful 3.days.straight of blue skies and 80 degree temps
little nephews
freshly pressed apple cider
learning how to fish
scrumptious turkey sandwiches
visits with friends
homemade iced coffees
late night chats under warm cozy blankets
a wonderfully behaved dog
townie time w/ lime chips

Here's to a new day.

21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
-Lamentations 3:21-23

Adoption Update: Immigration Approval

2011-10-06T20:06:00.001-04:00

I got home today and checked the mailbox, and when I saw a letter from immigration I almost passed out.

WE RECEIVED IMMIGRATION APPROVAL!!!! WOOT!!!!!!

We definitely were NOT expecting this letter so fast!

Homestudy (done!)

Immigration Approval (done!)

Dossier (almost done!)

Waiting Family!!!

Assertiveness

2011-10-05T09:02:00.000-04:00

I like to pretend I'm one of those people that can think on my feet and have the perfect answer when something absolutely ridiculous happens in front of me. The truth is, I'm more of the person who thinks of everything I should have said after the ridiculous event happens in front of me.

I'm starting to think that maybe I need to work on my assertiveness skills. I say that because in the last week three slightly ridiculous events happened that left me somewhat speechless:

1. A random guy showed up at our house the other morning at 7:30am. He proceeded to ask us all sorts of questions about our dog, and then accuse us of being the ones that let our dog poop on the tennis courts. What?! Um, no. Definitely not us. If I had a nickel for every little blue roll of doggy waste bags we buy, I'd be rich. After all of his questioning and still not identifying himself, I finally brought my head around to ask why the heck he was at our door. He "was from the DPW". Well, then. By all means, here is my SSN and mother's maiden name as well. (?!?!). I had a whole lot of things pop into my head afterward on what I could have said. Most of them not very nice.

2. I had a student show up half an hour late to a meeting in my office. When they got to my door, they acted like nothing was wrong with being 30 minutes late - they had just lost track of time and now they were here! Tada! I didn't have the energy or the willpower to correct them, so I just gave them the stink eye and then told them to come in and sit down. Afterward my head swarmed with all the ways I should have made that into a teachable moment.

3. I made a late night run to Walmart last night. I only had two things in my hands by the time I made it to the checkout (miracle!) and had to wait for a considerable amount of time in line because they only had one register open. Just as it was about to be my turn, a lady walked up from the side, out of the clear blue, and cut right in front of me with all her groceries. She acted totally oblivious. I was stunned. The teeny-bopper cashier said nothing, (and probably didn't want to). And then I thought to myself, who the heck even cares - I'm not in a rush. Let the woman go.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME???

I feel like assertiveness is one of those things that probably comes with practice, and maybe a bit with personality, but clearly I need serious help in this area. I've also noticed that I am more apt to be assertive if I'm with someone else, or if something unfair is being done to the person I'm with and not me. If I'm alone, or someone is directing their ridiculous towards me, I just freeze up.

I need to work on this. I'm taking suggestions. Anyone have any stories of how they overcame being a doormat without being unnecessarily rude or mean?

Mocha Mamas

2011-10-03T09:30:00.001-04:00

I have the privilege of knowing great friends, and these great friends know me well. One of these great friends found an ad about a group in our area called Mocha Mamas, and cut it out for me. Their mission?

"Celebrating African/Caucasian families through adoption and birth! We are focused on joining families, such as ours, to share in the experience of raising these beautiful children, providing an opportunity for our children so they can know other families that look like theirs!"

We know how important it will be for our child to know families like theirs, have friends who look like them, and have role models who will help shape their racial and ethnic identity. It is for this reason, and so many more, that I am so excited and thankful to get to know these families in our area!

Adoption Update: USCIS Fingerprints

2011-09-29T08:55:00.001-04:00

Source

Off we go...

to get our fingerprints taken at immigration!

This is the last step we do to get immigration approval.

After today, we just wait for that piece of paper in the mail.

Woot!!!

Happy Thursday :)

Fried Green Tomatoes

2011-09-27T08:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks to some helpful facebook friends and their suggestions on what to do with green tomatoes, we had these last night:

Mmm mmm mmmmmm!!! So good!

I Love Monday

2011-09-26T09:27:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm not entirely sure that I love Monday, but if I keep telling myself I do, it might just work! It also helps to have a few good things happen on a Monday morning:

1. My coworker came in today with two lovely Pashmena scarves for me from her trip to NYC this weekend. The colors are amazing, and I can't wait to wear them soon... or like, every.day. (!!!)

2. I saw this article on Yahoo this morning. Good for the ol' motivation.

3. My hot green tea in my handmade clay mug tastes extra delicious this morning :)

Anything good happen to you this lovely Monday morning?

The Making of a Christmas Card Photo

2011-09-25T21:23:00.002-04:00

Note: after many humorous attempts like these, we had to enlist the help of our neighbor.

Stay tuned for the final version... maybe after I figure out how to be a Photoshop wiz!

Discipline: Ugh!

2011-09-22T12:09:00.001-04:00

So, I have a confession. Albeit a bit silly, but I have to put it out there. I haven't taken Chloe for a morning walk in, oh say... 6 months. It probably started with a morning of over-sleeping and then noticing that Chloe didn't actually go WILD without her walk. And then it continued probably with a rainy morning, and then maybe a dark morning, and then kept going due to my laziness, and then it all-together ceased.

I used to be a very serious and dedicated dog-walker.

I'm so ashamed!

After 6 months of no walks in the morning, no picking up poop in little plastic bags, and feeling a bit jello-y in the thigh area, I decided it was time to get serious again.

Last night I said "out loud" to Andy that I was setting my alarm early so I could take Chloe for a walk. Somehow saying it out loud felt like me committing to it.

And then my horrid alarm sounded half an hour early this morning and I hit "snooze" and then laid there quietly growling, "Noooooooooooo - ugh! Fiiiiiiiiine!"

So I stumbled out of bed and managed to wrestle a pair of socks on my feet and head downstairs. There was Miss Bea, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready for breakfast.

And then I opened the back door.

It was POURING rain and DARK.

And at that moment I had to laugh at myself. Because, really, what would my disciplined-morning-walk challenge be without a rainy dark morning?! That surely takes the cake.

For the record, we went for our walk. But I can honestly say I think Miss Bea was even more mad about it than I was!

I'm Gonna Bust Out With This

2011-09-21T09:40:00.000-04:00

I found the following principle four years ago buried in some graphic design magazine. On particularly insane days I swear I have to clasp my hand to my mouth to keep from busting out with it:

"Speed. Quality. Affordability. Pick any two."

Thankful Today...

2011-09-20T09:15:00.001-04:00

Thankful for lots of things today:

Thankful that I am FIN-A-LY back on the mend after a less-than-fun nasty head cold. Being able to breathe through both nostrils has never felt so heavenly!

Thankful for Andy and the delicious dinner he whipped up last night, as well as all the ways he took care of my pitiful self while I was sick.

Thankful that my parents are finally in their new house! Yay!

Thankful that I was able to cheer on two friends at their marathon this past Saturday! (Look at how amazing they look at mile TWENTY-FOUR!)

Thankful for Miss Bea's sweet temperament while I was sick and had no energy to play with her.

Thankful for this girl, who turns 11 this week!!!

Thankful that the end of September is so close, which means we have our basic parenting class and our fingerprint appointments for immigration coming uPPPP!!!!

Happy Tuesday! :)

Adoption Update: USCIS Fingerprinting Appointments!

2011-09-16T08:57:00.001-04:00

Hooray! Hooray! We got our fingerprint appointment letters in the mail yesterday from USCIS!!!

We were told to expect to wait for them for at least six weeks.
It's been two.

And we were told to expect our fingerprinting dates to be at least six weeks from the time we received our letter.
They're in two.

September 29th, here we come!!!

One step closer!

Happy Friday! :)

That Person

2011-09-14T09:28:00.000-04:00

Nothing like being the one in the bathroom when the fire alarm in the building goes off. Sorry University Police, I realize I am the last one out. I was on the toilet.

Weekend Highlights

2011-09-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

Friday:
- dinner with friends
- received letter from immigration notifying that they are processing our paperwork!
- some andy griffith episodes before bed :)

Saturday:
- cleaning and yard work around the house
- visited with my parents at the farm - almost ready to move into their house!
- helped our children's program coordinator get the children's room ready for sunday
- dinner with my family and last swim in the pool before they move!

Sunday:
- first day volunteering in children's ministry at church!
- picked up extra wood flooring from parent's new house - enough to redo our kitchen!!!
- lunch and football game with andy's family
- nap (hallelujah!)
- dinner and more football before bed

*Extra: I had the pleasure of being the coach for the K-1 boys group on Sunday. We were talking about ways we could show God's love to others, specifically at school. I asked my group what they would do if they saw a friend who needed help opening a heavy door (for example) and one boy yells, "I would throw A ROCK at it!!!" Hm. Interesting. Not exactly the answer I was envisioning, but creative nonetheless.

Love is Challenging

2011-09-09T15:39:00.004-04:00

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Cor. 13: 4-7 NLT)

I am having a tough time with loving others the way I need to lately. Circumstances in daily life have been incredibly stretching, challenging, and at times very frustrating.

Struggling specifically with:

being patient
not demanding my own way
not being irritable
not giving up

I have found myself so wound up at different points during the day that I literally have to stop my thoughts dead in their tracks and pray for them to be redirected.

It's so. hard.

But I'm hoping that these trials are making me better at loving others the way Christ loves us.

First Day of School!

2011-09-07T09:21:00.001-04:00

Today is Andy's first day of school... again! I suppose this will be a yearly pattern until he retires, but for some reason it's always an exciting day!

(It didn't even dawn on me to take a picture. Darn it. My mind is all over the place.)

Anyway, I did compose a short little diddy to sing to him this morning while he was getting ready.

(Poor Andy. I can't stay on key to save my life.)

Then he complimented me on my modulation at the end.

Um, what?

I mean...

Why thank you!

Happy 1st day!

This is Why I Married Him: Part Two

2011-09-02T11:01:00.000-04:00

In the Fuest house, the grocery shopping is generally pawned off on the poor soul who happens to be in the vicinity of an Aldi at some point during the weekend. At times it's me, and at times it's Andy. One thing I think we both secretly love about the other one doing the shopping is that the shopper tries to surprise the non-shopper with something they think he/she would really like that wasn't necessarily on the list. (ie: BBQ potato chips, chocolate, frozen fruit popsicles, etc.)

A couple weeks ago Andy had done the shopping, and when I got home he was unloading things into the cupboards in the kitchen. I entered the kitchen a bit excited to see what he might have come up with for "surprise goodies" and there he was, waiting with a grin:

A: Kristen, you won't believe what I found for you at the grocery store!!

Me: What!!!

A: (rustling around in our reusable bag...) Look!

Me: GUMMY VITAMINS!!!!

A: Now you have NO excuse not to take your vitamins!

Tracking Our I-600A

2011-08-31T09:57:00.000-04:00

Oh good, my breathing can now resume...!!!!!!

Tuesday Randoms

2011-08-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

A collection of random photos from my camera's memory card:

Andy's summer gig: judging parades with his dad :)

Fell in love with this painting at Home Goods several weeks ago.

Miss Bea. Love this little girl.

One of the many things I will dearly miss about summer!

Books and Fences

2011-08-28T21:31:00.001-04:00

Currently, this lil' book has quite a prominence on our coffee table:

I cannot even begin to describe how informative, captivating, overwhelming, helpful, and interesting the first four chapters have been. My little blue pen is getting quite the workout as I underline so many things that I don't want to forget. This, and many other resources I read, are deepening our understanding and grasp on the issues of adoption, attachment, grief, trust, bonding, transition, and so much more. They also give me ways to specifically pray for our future little one and our transition as a family.

As if that wasn't enough cause for celebration...

Our fence. Oh man, is it looking good! Andy has done such a great job redoing another side, and building three new gates for super-cheap (we only had one before, and let me tell you, scaling a pointy fence in my pajamas is NOT my idea of a fun time). We've been doing our best to be as frugal as possible in all areas, and trusting that if there is a need that arises, we can figure out how to meet it as financially-wise as possible. The fence was really a concern, but to hire someone to do it would cost thousands with the size of it (again, I almost had a coronary!), and so Andy has been doing his best to build and patch while still making it look good. We weren't planning on doing the other side until next year, but when we were outside weeding today, a neighbor we had not met yet came over and mentioned that she saw Andy putting up the new side of fence, and that she had six panels of the SAME fencing left over from her own project. She asked if we wanted to buy them for about half the price we would have paid at a hardware store. Um, yes!! So amazing! Not only did we meet a great new neighbor, but we also can almost finish the entire fence with these new (and matching!) panels.

Yay!!!

Thanking God today for great resources and unexpected provision!

Happy Sunday!

Adoption Update: I-600A Mailed!

2011-08-25T14:00:00.001-04:00

Yeah buddy!

Our immigration application along with a certified copy of our home study and copies of our birth and marriage certificates was just left in the hands of Rick the post man.

Before I handed over that precious document mailer to Rick, I closed my eyes, gripped the envelope, and said a little prayer for it's safe handling and swift processing.

Rick, I don't know if you could see it in my eyes, but this is a very important envelope! Some day I will probably bring our little kiddo into the post office, buy a roll of stamps, and climb over the counter to hug you. Don't be alarmed. Little do you know you have a big role in the Fuest family! I might even take your picture for the baby book!

And now, we wait.

Some more.

We wait for a letter in the mail with our fingerprinting appointments at the nearest immigration office.

And then we wait for our I-171H approval. (Or our ABCDEFG123456 approval as I like to call it...what do all these numbers and letters mean anyway?!)

Until then...

we will celebrate this glorious day! And thank God for getting us this far already!

Gotta Love A Little Awkward

2011-08-24T09:21:00.000-04:00

After signing up online for a basic parenting course at a nearby hospital yesterday (as required by our adoption agency), I receive a phone call from the hospital:

Hospital Lady: Hi, yes, I am just confirming your registration for our class, and just have a few questions if you don't mind.

Me: Ok, sure.

HL: So, when are you due?!

Me: I'm not.

HL: What? (awkward silence)

Me: I'm not "due", but my husband and I are adopting and we need to complete a basic parenting class. (pause). Is it still ok we come?

HL: Oh... yes. Yes, of course! No problem at all.

Me: Ok, see you then.

Is it horrible of me that I kind of get a small thrill out of saying "I'm not" and then waiting for a response? I don't really plan it, it just happens. And then I laugh inside for the awkwardness that I didn't mean to just create!

Sorry hospital lady! Hopefully I can tame the awkward in a month when we see you again...

This is Why I Married Him: Part One

2011-08-22T13:41:00.000-04:00

I was very much looking forward to my lunch date with Andy today. He was driving all the way to my work to pick me up, take me to get food, and then go to get some papers notarized. By the time he picked me up, I had wound myself into such a tight stress knot that I didn't know which end was up.

Me: Andy, I'm so stressed. I don't know what's wrong with me. My head is spinning. Tell me something that will make me less stressed.

Andy: Um... it's almost the weekend!

Me: It's Monday!

Andy: Oh, um... you get out a half hour early today, which MEANS.... you get to take the mother of all naps when you get home!

Me: Oh my gosh you're right. I feel better already.

Monday Randoms

2011-08-22T09:38:00.001-04:00

This was quite a fun weekend! We had 6 adults and 4 kids under two in our house on Saturday! I will post pictures soon, but let's just say I now really, really miss my friends, and I am also painfully aware that our house is NO WHERE NEAR child proof! Ha!

We found out lil' Miss Bea is much better with children than we had worried ourselves to think. She's patient, gentle, playful, and tolerant. I am SOOO thankful for this.

Yesterday I went to go see The Help with my mom, Gramma, and Oma. SUCH a great movie! I only had gotten 1/3 way through the book, but my mom tells me the movie did a great job of following the book.

Also, in regards to movies, I will tell you that I walked up to the ticket counter to buy my ticket, and the ticket sign said $13.75 for ONE.TICKET. Have I been living under a rock?!?! WHEN did one adult movie ticket get to be that expensive? Holy cats. I almost had a coronary. Thank goodness it was Sunday and the matinee price was $7 - otherwise I would have had to work the popcorn counter to pay for my ticket!

And last but not least, Andy is meeting me for lunch today because we are assembling our paperwork to apply to immigration!!! Yay!!! We need a few things notorized and a money order, and we should be good to go! For the next holiday that involves presents, feel free to buy me a bulk carton of document mailers. Yeesh. We go thru those suckers like crazy!

Over n' out!

:)

DIY Series: Fence - Side 2

2011-08-17T14:45:00.000-04:00

A certain tall redhead has been hard at work today installing another side of fencing:

You may recall doing the back was oh.so.fun.

I don't know what I did to convince Andy to leave me out of helping with this side, but I am forever grateful.

Three cheers for one more side of fencing that won't fall down when our neighbor leans on it to say hello!

Surprise for Mom!

2011-08-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

I love surprises!!! This past weekend we got to surprise my Mom for her birthday with a lil' par-tay country style out on their property where they're building their new house! We call it The Farm.

We knew we wanted to do something fun for my Mom. This year is a special birthday and we didn't want it to go unnoticed...

We went with a daisy theme, since those are her one of her favorite kinds of flowers...

We also wrote out 50 things we love about Mom, and created a path to the picnic table using note cards and little dowels...

We weren't sure at first where we would set everything up, but the big oak tree by the pond proved to be the perfect spot - especially with the setting sun...

One of my favorite parts about surprises is the anticipation beforehand...!!!

Poor Mom... we had to tell so many lies to pull this off! She thought my brother and Andy were being ridiculous by "deciding to go cut a trail at the farm" just an hour before a big dinner she planned, and she was getting a little worried that I didn't care about the family plans because I was "off at a cooking class with friends" instead of swimming by the pool and hanging out with her before dinner...

If she only knew were were sticking a long trail of signs in the ground and trying to figure out how to haul a picnic table a half mile down the driveway :)

For her birthday we bought her a hammock to set up near their new house...

and Champy was very intrigued by all this hullaballoo...

After the surprise, we had to explain that the big dinner she had been planning for all of us was actually going to be transported to The Farm...

Dan did an awesome job grilling!!

The setting sun and the glow on the pond was the perfect backdrop!

After dinner we sang happy birthday and ate yellow daisy cupcakes...

And then the boys got busy prepping for a fire...

We lit little tea lights along the path of cards...

And settled in to a campfire and s'mores...

We had so much fun! The Farm is starting to feel more and more like home, especially when new memories are made there!

Happy birthday Mom!!! We had so much fun surprising you!

Adoption Update: Notarized Home Study!!!

2011-08-15T17:06:00.001-04:00

What's that I heard???

A notarized FINAL VERSION of our HOME STUDY is READY?!?!?!

Oh HALLELUJAH!!!

It Could Just Be Luck

2011-08-10T16:27:00.000-04:00

Remember this little beauty that was given to me despite my desperate pleas to keep all living plants away from my care?

WELL,

IT'S STILL ALIVE!

Not only have I not killed it, BUT...

it had a BABY while also tripling in size!

This little surprise was a definite day-brightener! Not only that, but I called the expert green-thumber on campus who entrusted me with this precious plant (and who is literally growing a lemon tree from a seed on her desk) and she cheered right along with me at the news! My little feat is definitely nothing spectacular, but her encouragement meant a whole lot.

So there you have it.

Plant Killer no more!

Maybe.

I better not get too cocky.

Adoption Update: Home Study Being Reviewed!

2011-08-08T12:05:00.000-04:00

Holy smokes! Our home study is now in the hands of our adoption consultant for review! At times it has seemed like we'd never get here to this point! Waiting to hear from her, and then our home study agency can finalize.

And then...

Home Study

Immigration Approval

Dossier (we're half-way done with this!)

Waiting Family!

Happy happy Monday!

Snippets From A Book: Contentment

2011-08-08T11:23:00.001-04:00

I'm reading this book for the third time, this time with my small group. It is soooo good. And every time I read it new things jump out at me. I thought I would share what has most recently earned another dog-ear, this time on pg. 13:

Never allow yourself to complain about anything - not even the weather.

Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

Never compare your lot with another's.

Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

Never dwell on tomorrow - remember that [tomorrow] is God's, not ours.

- From the journal of a woman named Ella,

who spent 51 years as a missionary in the African bush.

Now, lest you worry that I am some extremist: I must say I don't think this is saying we can't dream, or we can't act when we are in danger, or that we should strive for a stagnant life. I think this is focusing on the state of the heart. We shouldn't "major in the minors" as our pastor just said yesterday. We should focus on what really matters, and give little attention and worry to the things that don't. We should strive for a state of contentment that exists outside our circumstances.

What I am working on being content with right now: the speed (or lack thereof) of our adoption paperwork process. Ha! Although, big strides were made at the end of last week! Update coming soon :)

Summer Sick

2011-08-04T09:57:00.000-04:00

I came down with a summer cold a couple days ago. Thankfully I'm past the sore throat, headache, earache, and body aches. Now it's just the ridiculous congestion that requires more hard and fast sniffs than socially acceptable.

Morning project: to tilt my head at just the right angle while sitting at my computer so that my left nostril will clear.

Fuest Family Fun

2011-08-03T22:05:00.000-04:00

Our little mini-vacation this past weekend was so much fun! We got oodles and oodles of family time and lots of snuggle time with our little nephews! We got to see Tim and Cana's new house, meet our new little nephew, and go to Andy's cousin's wedding - which was beautiful!

Below are just some of the pictures we took throughout our stay:

the boys!

papa and levi

levi loved papa's beard!

all dressed up for the wedding!

andy wanted to kill me but i insisted on getting a shot of us too :)

fun lil' family shot!

andy's cousin and new husband!

another semi-forced shot :) he'll thank me later when we're old and gray and look back on our youth!

family shot in front of the church

ellie - the most amazing babysitter!

andy and his new favorite snuggler :)

one of my FAVORITE moments to watch of the whole weekend - papa and caleb reading bedtime stories!

papa does the best voices!

nana and levi!

Four days seemed to fly by in just a blink. I always wish vacations would go slower, but we tried to soak in every moment! Thanks Tim and Cana for hosting us! We can't wait to see you guys again soon!

Home Sweet Home

2011-08-01T14:03:00.000-04:00

We're back from a lovely weekend getaway to visit family! Lots more pics to come, but in the meantime, our little cutie - as captured by the world's best doggy sitter during their adventures:

Thank you Miss Lana!! Chloe is already asking for us to leave so she can hang out with you again :)

Adoption Update: It Will Be A Miracle...

2011-07-27T13:29:00.003-04:00

andy went to the police station for the SIXTH time today to pick up his police clearance letter that we need for our dossier. (the last five times he's went, they've either forgot, mis-typed something, made him re-fill out the request form, or some other form of shenanigans.)

before he left with it he glanced down to double-check it was correct, and he noticed his date of birth read the following:

10/21/1084

For the record, his actual birth date is 11/2/1984.

Despite the fact it appears he is 1,026 years old, they also got the month and day wrong.

heavens to betsy.

it will be a miracle if we ever collect all our paperwork in time.

Update On Our Chester

2011-07-27T10:24:00.004-04:00

It's been a few weeks since we said goodbye to our Chester. The plan was to have him stay at Andy's parent's house just for a week until our friend got back from Florida and could take him.

But then something surprising happened. The little chub wiggled his way into Andy's family's heart and they asked if they could keep him. I'm pretty sure I cried, laughed, and said, "YES!" all at the same time.

We really couldn't have asked for a better scenario. Chester is loved to pieces over there, and we get to see him whenever we visit with Andy's parents.

Moving to a new place would normally be a hard adjustment for a cat, but he seems to be doing splendidly! Here's what the little guy has been up to:

sitting in over-sized windowsills
hunting and catching butterflies outside
rolling around in the grass
napping in different rooms
following Andy's mom around the house
making friends with the other kitties
exploring the outdoors
all-you-can-eat buffets (his special food, their dry food, their wet food!)
catnip toys galore
sunning himself on the driveway
and... losing almost his whole big belly! must be all that butterfly hunting!
and... not one report of biting. none! amazing!

We are SOOO thankful to Andy's family for taking him in and providing all these fun adventures for him. When we went to visit he just walked right past us, rolled around in the grass, and ran off to go chase something. Dude is living quite the life!

This makes us SOOO happy!

Horn of Africa Food Crisis

2011-07-25T11:35:00.003-04:00

This news article appeared in my inbox today from the organization thru which we sponsor two children. I can't help but feel even more connected to this region through our adoption process.

World Vision Online Donations: Horn of Africa Food Crisis

Horn of Africa Food Crisis

$50

$100

$150

$250

Other $

The most severe drought in decades is threatening the lives of more than 11 million people — especially young children — in the Horn of Africa. Famine has been declared in parts of southern Somalia, and threatens to spread further if nothing is done to prevent it. Kenya and Ethiopia are also severely affected by the crisis, with millions in critical need of food and water. World Vision has launched an emergency response to the drought and food crisis, working to provide life-saving essentials to the most vulnerable children and families. Your gift is urgently needed today.

Insufficient rains have created drought conditions throughout the Horn of Africa — destroying crops and killing livestock. Malnutrition and disease are on the rise as families travel long distances in search of food. Record high food prices, internal conflicts, and insecurity in the region further exacerbate the situation.

World Vision has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for many years, and will continue to respond in the midst of this crisis. Thanks to government grants, your gift today can multiply up to 5 times in impact to help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support, healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families in need.

Please pray for the millions suffering in the Horn of Africa. And please help us continue this urgent response to the food crisis.

Adoption Update: Pediatrician

2011-07-25T10:05:00.000-04:00

This past Friday we met for the first time with our future pediatrician! She was highly recommended to us by our social worker who did our home study, and after meeting with her I can understand why. She specializes in international adoption and is so knowledgeable. She and her husband have adopted from two different countries, one infant adoption and one older child adoption, and her partner in the practice just adopted from Ethiopia last year.

It was so nice to know that our child's doctor will be so in tune with their specific culture, experiences, and needs. It's also nice to know that we'll have a doctor who will know what we're experiencing as first time parents of a child from another culture and race.

And... like the nerds that we are, we took a picture before we went in:

I wasn't going to be a creeper and take pictures of the inside, but oh.my.gosh if you could have seen it! Frog and lillypad theme with colorful walls, chairs, play areas, and a tropical fishtank right in the middle of it all! Sooo cute! Definitely a place we look forward to coming back to!

When It's 97 Degrees...

2011-07-21T12:31:00.001-04:00

... and the air conditioning stops working in my office...

... this is how I cope.

Adoption Update: Dossier Paperwork Progress!

2011-07-21T08:42:00.001-04:00

We're making progress! It's hard to believe how difficult it can be at times to get a single piece of paper, but at least we're moving forward!

Letter stating reason for adopting from Ethiopia
Photos of applicant(s) and home (6-8)
Immigration approval – I -171H (or 797-C) along with Fingerprint expiration date(s) (expiration dates may be on a separate form)
Home Study with Home Study Agency License attached
Letter of Commitment for Post Adoption – From Social Worker
Employment Letter(s) & Letter of Non-Employment
Financial Statement
Birth Certificate(s)
Marriage Certificate / Divorce Decree or Singles Statement
Medical Letter (s)
Police Letter(s)
Three (3) signed reference letters
Letter of Obligation for Post Adoption - From Family
Passport ID pages
(Children’s Hope) Power of Attorney

Passport photos – (2X2”) 2 for each parent.

Forgetful

2011-07-20T08:35:00.000-04:00

This morning I forgot my planner.
This is bad news.
I write EVERYTHING in my planner.

This morning I forgot my memory card from my camera.
This is bad news.
I was going to post a picture of our anniversary picnic for you.

This morning I forgot...

dang it.

I don't have a third.

This little diddy would have been so much better with a 3rd thing.

Ah, well.

Happy Wednesday! (I think it's Wednesday.)

In A Year...

2011-07-18T10:45:00.001-04:00

This morning I went to the doctor for my routine check-up... and had to use my Garmin! My doctor had moved and it had been just a year.

Then during my visit my doctor said, "You guys have been married four years?! Time for babies yet???" And then I told her about our adoption plans and our future lil' Fuest. And then, after a bunch of other excited questions, she said, "Oh my gosh, next year when you come back make SURE to bring me a picture!!"

Holy crap.

It hit me - so much changes in a year!

Last year, I would have laughed if my doctor had told me we would be adopting the next time I saw her. And now a year has gone by and we ARE! And next year it is very possible that we'll at least know who our lil' Fuest is!

Crazy, so crazy! But exciting, too :)

Amharic Word of the Day

2011-07-14T08:27:00.004-04:00

There's a good chance our future fuest will be familiar with Amharic, a language commonly spoken in Ethiopia.

So...

us Fuest's better get crackin on learning some words!

Today's word: "Afekrischalehou"
(Hint: July 14th is a special day in our house.)

Ready, go!

deuna wai!

Wednesday's Words

2011-07-13T08:40:00.001-04:00

Source

"Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut who held it's ground."

Organizing Chaos: I Came Out Alive

2011-07-12T08:46:00.002-04:00

As I promised my friend last week, I took on what I thought was going to be a fairly simple organizing project. And then...

One armoire

Twelve years of memorabilia

Two days

Nine hours

Four garbage bags

30 manilla folders

... I lived to tell the tale!

Ladies and gentleman....

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Good gravy it's DONE! I think what made it unexpectedly hard was that it was holding all sorts of high school memories, college memories, random bits of who-knows-what, AND four years of paperwork that I had yet to file away.

Memories take a while to go through, especially because it's fun to relive them by going through each picture, note, card, program, book, sketch, and album! And then how do you decide what to keep and what not to?! I think that's what it so tedious about it.

I feel like a weight has been lifted!

But the best part?

I told the ladies that unless I finished, I could not have my chocolate glazed donut at Tim Horton's when we meet tonight. Well, now you know who's gonna be lickin' the frosting off their fingers :)

Adoption Update: Dossier List

2011-07-12T07:00:00.059-04:00

So, while we wait for our home study report to be written (and by the looks of it, this will be very soon!), we are working on gathering the documents we need for our dossier. For those of you wondering where the light at the end of the tunnel is, me too! I just keep telling myself, "three simple steps, three simple steps..."

1. home study report

2. immigration approval

3. dossier

1+2+3 = waiting family!*

Documents needed for our dossier (will be crossing things off as we go!):

Letter stating reason for adopting from Ethiopia
Photos of applicant(s) and home (6-8)
Immigration approval – I -171H (or 797-C) along with Fingerprint expiration date(s) (expiration dates may be on a separate form)
Home Study with Home Study Agency License attached
Letter of Commitment for Post Adoption – From Social Worker
Employment Letter(s) & Letter of Non-Employment
Financial Statement
Birth Certificate(s)
Marriage Certificate / Divorce Decree or Singles Statement
Medical Letter (s)
Police Letter(s)
Three (3) signed reference letters
Letter of Obligation for Post Adoption - From Family
Passport ID pages
(Children’s Hope) Power of Attorney

Passport photos – (2X2”) 2 for each parent.

We'll keep you posted as to our progress! Our goal is to be done by the end of August, aka "a waiting family"!

*ok, so with a few more details than that, but that's all my personal sense of motivation can handle right now!

A Picture Is Worth... A Weekend

2011-07-11T09:44:00.005-04:00

Oh so much to update on, but I think this picture says it all:

sticky air

car rides

family

adventure

being together

P.S. I have made ZERO progress on the chaos in the office and my deadline is looming. I have one night to whip that sucker back into shape otherwise I told the ladies I was NOT allowed to have my usual chocolate glazed donut at Tim Horton's.

P.S.S. The office is such a mess that there is barely room to walk. Chloe resigned herself to sleeping on top of uneven piles of books the other night so she could still be in the room with me while I played did important things on the computer.

How I Make Chaos

2011-07-07T08:21:00.000-04:00

In an effort to encourage a friend who said she needed to get motivated to clean out her closet, I decided it would be a good idea to commit to an organizing project myself.

This is my messy secret!

For some reason, whenever I "organize", it always gets WAY worse before it gets better.

See that pile of papers in the armoire?! That's 4 years of papers and bills I have yet to file!

That's only half of it. The rest I shoved to the other side of the room so I'd have a walking path.

I feel like this poor armoire is going to experience a Biggest Loser moment where it's finally lost all this weight and it looks back at the old pictures and can't believe it ever carried around all that extra fat!

By the time Andy dared to enter, I had emptied almost all of the stuff from this one single armoire out onto the floor.

And then...

That is where I quit.

Because it was getting late and I decided I would much rather reminisce and look through all the old photos and papers that I pulled out of there that I didn't even know I had!

Stay tuned for the mess to turn itself back into something less chaotic.

I have until Tuesday when us girls meet again and report on the progress of our projects.

Maybe I can ask for an extension...

Letters to Lil' Fuest

2011-07-05T08:36:00.002-04:00

To our future lil' Fuest,

We've been thinking about you so much lately. Sometimes we'll be sitting on the couch after a long day and we'll start thinking about what you might be doing at that very moment. Sometimes a thought of you will sneak up on us when we least expect it and we will smile and say a little prayer that you're doing ok.

A couple weeks ago we were grocery shopping and it was a very hot day. I pushed my cart down the aisle and spotted a big blow-up pool on sale! Normally I wouldn't have noticed it, but you popped in my mind and I wondered if someday you would enjoy a big blow-up pool to play in on these hot summer days! I hoped in that moment that you had safe drinking water and that you had a way to stay cool if it is hot where you are, too.

This weekend we took a trip to the beach to enjoy a beautiful day. We didn't even realize we had a beach so close! There were so many little kids at the beach that day and we couldn't help but think of you. We hoped in that moment that you had lots of kids to play and laugh with, too.

A couple days ago we took a little walk through our neighborhood and down the street to a new ice cream place! Your future furry sister came with us too - her name is Chloe. We held hands as we walked and when we got to the ice cream place we each picked out our favorite flavor to try! Even Chloe had some ice cream. (She likes vanilla the best!) I hoped in that moment that you have someone to hold your hand and try new things with, too.

We love you little one.

May you know that you are loved and thought about each and every day.

xo,

your future mom and dad

Adoption Update: Home Study Visit Complete!

2011-06-30T08:27:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all our friends and family that prayed for us and sent us well wishes yesterday before our home study!

It went sooooo well!

Our social worker was HILARIOUS, very down to earth, and extremely encouraging - what more could we ask for!

Now we just wait for the report to be written, and in the meantime we will continue to gather the documents for our dossier. Turns out our goal of having our paperwork done by the end of the summer is very well in reach!

WOOT!!!!

Thankful today for great social workers and swift processing.

And now I think it's time that the tall redhead and I escape for a day.

I'm thinkin' beach!

Over n' out :)

Adoption Update: Home Study Day!!!

2011-06-29T08:19:00.000-04:00

Today is a big day! We've been waiting and waiting and it's finally here! I would be lying if I said we didn't have some butterflies, but we're also trying to keep things in perspective. After today we'll be one big step closer to completing the "paper chase" process, and one big step closer to lil' Fuest!

Smoke alarms on all floors: check
Fire extinguisher: check
House cleaned: check
Packet of questions filled out: check
Important issues discussed with each other: check

... and ...

One more swiffer wet wipe left: check!!! ;)

Here's hoping Chloe doesn't lick our social worker to death.

We'll Miss Our Chester

2011-06-28T08:55:00.002-04:00

This weekend was trying on a few levels, but one of our hardest days was having to say goodbye to our Chester. It's never easy to part with a four-legged whom you love and has become a part of your family for so long. The only thing bringing us peace is knowing he's in a good home where he'll be well loved and cared for. For that I am truly thankful.

Watchin' sports!

Playing in the wrapping paper

seat cushion lovin'

mister personality

the welcome committee

plum tuckered out

making his mark

his favorite spot at christmastime

lover of green

the gut!

helping dad

handsome guy

We'll miss him flipping for hair ties, dunking his tail in my soup, sneaking in the shower, chasing milk caps, his endless curiosity and that signature paw-tuck!

Thank you for so many fun memories, good snuggles, and non-stop entertainment lil' chub! We love you!

Ain't She a Beaut?

2011-06-27T09:02:00.001-04:00

This weekend was spotted with a few less-than-fun events, but I'm not ready to deal, so instead I'll show you a little corner of our world that is bringing huge smiles to our faces.

Meet Clara the Clavinova:

Isn't she great?! My parents are getting ready to move soon, and I asked if they had any big plans for their piano (since my brother was the only one that ever played and he has his own place now). They said they didn't and that we could watch her for a while, and I am so excited!! One of my secret life goals has been to learn to play the piano and I am so looking forward to ticklin' those keys! I also think a piano is one of those things that just makes your house feel more like a home, ya know?

On another note...

Those pink hydrangeas just started blooming in our backyard and I am absolutely smitten! I keep moving them around to different places in the house, and then like a nerd I walk into whatever room they're in at the moment and just stand there and smile.

It's the little things.

Bending and Breaking

2011-06-23T08:28:00.001-04:00

What would I do without great coworkers? I'm not sure. But below is a little email exchange that occurred yesterday afternoon between Carey and I in the heat of trying to get a big project done:

can we switch jobs for like... 2 hours?

i need you to figure out how to bend the juggler's leg, cut out a 6-piece guitar trio x2 out of a stage full of lights and smoke effects, and for heaven's sake the dancer's armpit hair looks huge when i'm zoomed in trying to separate his costume from the background!!!!!!!!

kristen

oh, absolutely - i can totally do that but can i choose which job? i need you to go bath & body works and heave boxes around because my hip hurts and i'm pretty sure it's going to break.

carey

ok, it's a deal. you bend the juggler's leg, and i'll break my hip. meet you at 5.

kristen

From the Mouth of Vincent van Gogh

2011-06-22T11:03:00.000-04:00

"You do not know how paralysing that staring of a blank canvas is; it says to the painter, You can't do anything ... Many painters are afraid of the blank canvas, but the blank canvas is afraid of the really passionate painter who is daring -- and who has once and for all broken that spell of 'you cannot'."

Adoption Update: Home Study Scheduled

2011-06-20T08:59:00.000-04:00

Oh man...
we finally have a home study scheduled!!!
If I could have hugged our social worker through gmail I would have!

June 29th, here we come!

The One Car Challenge: Day 11

2011-06-16T14:52:00.007-04:00

We are nearing the end of week 2 of using only 1 car! We still plan to keep our commitment and stick it out a month.

Pros so far:

more time together on our way to work, and coming home from work
spending about 40% less on gas
life somehow seems less chaotic
Andy has more time at work to complete bigger projects while he waits for me to pick him up on my way back through.
better/more efficient use of resources

Cons so far:

Andy has to get to work about 15 minutes earlier and stay about an hour later. This is somewhat torturous as it's nearing the end of the school year and the building gets hotter and teachers leave earlier.

Reactions so far:

People either totally relate, or they think we're totally nuts.

So far we haven't had any "emergencies" that required using two cars at once. I guess you never quite know what will come up, but I also feel like the definition of an "emergency" changes slightly if you have another perfectly usable second car staring at you from the driveway. The temptation is there to just forgo the inconvenience and both take our own cars so we can come and go as we please.

Do we think we'll become a one-car family? That probably depends on who you ask! Right now Andy is doing more of the sacrificing as he's the one that has to get to work early and also stay late due to my summer schedule. On a normal week, the start time and end time of our jobs would mesh much better so that neither of us would have to do much compromising.

In all honesty it's very doable for us, but I guess the thing we'll have to ask ourselves after a month is whether the savings in gas, insurance, and repairs on a second vehicle (and the profit with selling one of our cars) is worth the slight inconvenience...

Anyone else out there sacrificing convenience for a little extra savings each month? Was it worth it for you, or would you prefer to spend the extra cash to have the extra convenience?

Tuesday Highlights

2011-06-14T13:21:00.001-04:00

went to the doctor today to get the results of my catscan that i had taken during my bout with vertigo. i can now breathe a sigh of relief that i do not have any masses or tumors in my head. so thankful for that!

tonight is small group night with two ladies who i look forward to laughing with so much!

and last but certainly not least... the Starbucks in our building that was previously closed for the summer opened back up again for 4 weeks during orientation! and my meal card works there. oh my caramel frappucino...

Potato Salad Mania

2011-06-13T10:13:00.000-04:00

Last night I went a little crazy...

at Aldi.

It could be because I went shopping hungry, but every stitch of produce ended up in my cart.

Including a large bag of potatoes.

{and side note: have you ever noticed when you shop at Aldi's you can PILE things in your cart and never go over your budget? i used to take a calculator with me to Tops (yes, i'm a nerd) to make sure i didn't go over, and it never failed that by the time i got to aisle 5, i was over.}

Not only did I buy a large bag of potatoes, but somehow I also came home with a new bag of energy.

So I did the only thing a potato-salad-lovin' girl can do:

I made potato salad.

And not JUST potato salad.

EIGHT POUNDS of potato salad.

{did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?}

And how do I know how much my potato salad weighed?

Well,

before we ate I left Andy at the kitchen table and carted my ginormous bowl of potato salad through the living room and down the haul into the bathroom where I set it on the scale.

And it read 8 pounds.

And then we ate our dinner of potato salad and pork chops.

And every few bites I would look over and offer Andy more potato salad.

Because for heaven's sake we have EIGHT POUNDS of potato salad!

I should start going door to door with potato salad packed in tupperware containers and offering it to neighbors.

These are the kinds of things that happen when I cook.