we get by with a little help.....

Weeks are flying by and I'm trying to get all of our adoption paperwork done, so we can finally find out who this little wonder will be.  There are hurdles....lots of hurdles.  It does seem so peaceful and almost like it is just suppose to happen this way.  We still worry  think about how we will finance this great adventure, but with some prayer and time in the word we are both getting by.  In the meantime I have been trying to keep myself busy (as if that's difficult) and I have read the book Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey.....trying to figure out how to save every penny and turn it into wealth.  I have had a hard time since I started looking at Africa, thinking about the millions of people who go without, and I have soo very much.  At times I have a tremendous amount of guilt about my "things".  I have been giving more....of my time, my money, myself.... and I hope that it's enough.  I do get that it's alright for me to be where I am, but I also understand that what I have is quite sufficient.  I don't need more of anything.  The problem has been that, even though we don't make the "big bucks", I still like to shop...especially when I'm stressed...or bored....or see a clearance rack, etc, etc.  BUT the other day when I went to Target (which I knew would be dangerous), and found the end-of-season sales, I put EVERYTHING back!  Couldn't believe it myself!  See, I'm not a big spender.  I really dig the shirts for $1.97 and the jeans for $10.  But when is it ever enough?  I think I have my kids clothed until next winter, so we are NOT hurting.  Just in case you don't know....you can really stretch the dollar....recession or not! :0)  So Mr. Ramsey, you have another student, ready to jump on-board!  Dave talks about giving a certain portion of your income and I think it's necessary to say that when you don't have much to give in monetary value, it's also ultra-fantastic to give of yourself.....which I did this past weekend.  

My mom and I drove to Mitchell, about a 4 hour drive, to assist my sister-in-law.  My brother took a job, rather quickly, in Alaska, which meant that he had to pack up what he could and head out before Christmas.  He left his wife and three kiddos (with another child in AR), to try to get a house ready for sale.  With children ages 6, 3, & 1, this is not any easy task.  We arrived Friday night and started working right away....going through each drawer, looking at every piece of paperwork, throwing and giving away as much as we possibly could. We also painted a bedroom!  Allison and I kept at it 'til 2:30 in the morning and Saturday came around pretty fast.  We were tired and we hurt and the thought that she's been doing this by herself for weeks just makes my head spin.  By Sunday morning I was wishing (and I'm sure she was too) that we had one more day.  We still had most of the basement we hadn't even touched, and her bedroom upstairs.  So there is some sort of a plan to go back this month, or next, to do some more.  A rummage sale is also very necessary at some point.

I am still really tired and my body is sore....trying to recoop so I can begin to sort my own house (mostly from the cool things I brought home from hers!).

We had our fingerprints done yesterday and sent them to their designated areas today.  One more packet down!  This weekend is our second parenting class for our adoption.  Our representative from our agency will be gone for a month and that should give us enough time to complete the next packet of info and be ready for her home observations when she gets back.  Then it's just the dossier.  There IS an end in sight! Yay!  I know I have some friends waiting on the edge of their seats for our adoption t-shirts to be printed--I promise to get on that!!  This week!! I also need to get our family pictures done to send out for Valentine's Day (since the Christmas cards didn't happen).  That's next week! WOW!

Sorry this was long and painful--sometimes I just need to write down my accomplishments and goals to make sure I'm in check! :0)

Peace out friends......Peace Out