Things That Make Me Feel More Organized Even When I'm Not

1. A three hole punch.

2. Full bottles of cleaning solutions.

3. Full bottles of hand soap.

4. Freshly washed bath mats.

5. A plan for the next meal.

6. An unloaded dishwasher.

Keeping Busy

One piece of advice I got regarding the interminable wait for a baby was to "stay busy." To this end, I became Levi's soccer coach. We had a scrimmage last night. The other coach yelled (nicely) to his team, "Positions, everyone! Remember what I taught you!!"

I had just informed my team, "Run that way. Make a goal."

We won. 11-1.

I also decided to be busy making monster cookies. It had the following stunning list of ingredients: 2 pounds of brown sugar, 1 pound of butter, 1 pound of M&Ms and 3 pounds of peanut butter. I lightened it up a little bit by using 12 oz of M&Ms instead of the recommended 16oz and a mere 2 pounds of peanut butter instead of 3. I balanced it all out by adding 18 cups of oatmeal. That makes monster cookies fairly close to a whole grain biscuit. With a smattering of artificial color.

Three Things You Don't Want To Hear On A River

1. Where's Zeke?

2. This current is really strong!

3. Hey boys...you're floating away.

all said today. all true. all returned home.

Best Guess Timeline

I try to not call our adoption agency very often. Some weeks I manage to hold off; other weeks, not so much. I think that deep, deep down in the crazy parts of my being, I think that if I call them with some sort of casual question ("Soooooo, how do you fill out this government form?") they will then say, "Hey, we were just about to call you. Seems we've got a picture of a little girl here who needs a family."

That never happens. But I still call.

My latest call did garner a bit of information. It's still a guess but not a total shot in the dark.

Referral: September/October

Court date: November

Travel to Ethiopia: Late December/Early January

That information was filed away at an appropriate emotional level until I met a white mom walking out of Once Upon A Child with a 16 month old Ethiopian baby girl. Then I dreamed I had an Ethiopian daughter whose only word was Mommy.

Some things I have worried about today

1. Having buckthorn take over our yard

2. Getting poison ivy while taking out the buckthorn

3. Watching Joel watch a youtube called, "Sharpening Your Chainsaw At Home."

Little News

We have been waiting while families ahead of us get a court date. From what I understand, here is a little bit of the process:

1. We submit all our paperwork (done in April)

2. We talk with our adoption agency about whom we believe God is leading us to (baby girl)

3. We wait "our turn"

4. We get a referral which includes a picture and any available medical information

5. We accept the referral but the child is not ours until they have passed court

Passing court seems to mean that the child is legally declared an orphan, not always easy

6. After we pass court, we can announce our new baby to everyone and make travel arrangements

The families ahead of us have had to go through a number of obstacles before passing court: a new TB test that is required for all children, a ban on the adoption of children abandoned in Addis Ababa and the 3 week court closure. Now, these things seem to be getting ironed out and families are passing court.

I don't know what that means for our timeline, but I'm pretty sure it's good.

Time to start school.

Time to get organized.

Time to load up on groceries.

Time to make a really good menu plan.

Time to declutter.

Time to make a latte.

Random News

1. Our 171-h form is coming in the mail. That means our petition for an orphan has been approved.

2. The courts are closing for a 3 week recess in late August through September but not for the usual 2 month summer break.

3. I don't like pygmy goats like I thought I would. They look like small versions of something scary from Leviticus.

4. I am the Cougar Soccer Team Coach. We have our first practice on Tuesday.

5. I have a parent on the Cougar Soccer Team who is already trying to trade players with another team because he thinks we will be "annihilated" by other teams and then made fun of in school.

6. The aforementioned parent might be pleased to know that not only do we have an apparently unskilled team, but we have a coach who is equally unskilled or possibly less so.

7. Soccer teams in grades 1 and 2 do not keep score. That may have escaped his careful attention to winning.

8. I am trying to build an electrical circuit with clothespins, a foil ribbon, a battery and a light bulb.

a. It is not going well.

b. I am ceasing to care about circuits.

c. I can boil down the most important aspects of electricity: don't waste it, don't put a fork in a socket, don't stand under a tree in a lightening storm. Science accomplished. 15 seconds.

9. I was going to let Emma buy Taylor Swift tickets.

10. I don't like Miley Cyrus.

11. I want to see the movie "My Life in Ruins."

12. Joel is running to church tomorrow. It's 32 miles away.