Getting things ready

For months, we have been trying to renovate our house and add on. We have been through three different builders, to architects...somehow we have not been able to get a firm price and a contract. Last week we decided that adding on is no longer a possibility timewise( plus interest rates have gone up). So this past weekend we started the total home reconfigure. I would love to have the whole process done in about a month.

Troy's office is in a room off the garage...it was a dump. He had moved things in quick, put ugly rugs over concrete floors and had stacks of junk. He had temporarily moved inside when we thought we were close to remodeling. Last weekend w painted, laid new flooring, spruced up some furniture issues and moved him back outside.

The next step was moving gameroom furniture to family room and converting gameroom to playroom. This is mostly complete.

Our next step is bedrooms. We have three bedrooms that have to be moved in order to make everything work. I am trying to get rid of as much bedroom furniture as possible (dressers), so we need to find the best system for closet organization.

Today we celebrated Payton's 11th birthday. She is getting big. We had grandparents and cousins over for cake and ice cream. This is a picture of her and Caitlin from our Montana trip in June.


As far as our adoption process goes, things are finally starting to move in our boys country. Three families from our agency got signatures from the moj last week. That is the step we are waiting on, then we will have court and then gotcha! We are actually next in line for signature...pray it comes quickly.

Adoption costs update...
We have paid everything up through last trip. We are estimating that we need 6000 for pickup trip (we currently have 300 for it). We still need to raise about 5700. We are planning a big garage sale in a few weeks. If you would like to donate to our Reece's rainbow account, it is tax deductible. We need amour total amount in that account to b 14900 to be fully funded.

Oops...I can't count

I just realized it has only been 3 month...but it has felt like 4. 

I did hear that we should expect a signature from the minister of justice this week or next.  I'm not going to hold my breath, but progress would be great.

4 months since we left them

Today was 4 months since I got home from our boy's country.  I thought we would have them home by now.  It was so hard to leave them.  It doesn't get easier.  Some days are just so busy that they go by quicker, but when we stop and think about them...it is very hard.  I really can't even watch the videos we have of them, I just miss those little guys.

All this waiting has made us question everything.  We have made some choices that I am not happy about (children's school).  Satan has attacked Troy and I in many ways.  It would be really easy to let him win and not go back for them.  But we know that God called us to bring Stephen and Brayden into our family as chosen sons.

Please pray that we get a signature and court date from the minister of justice soon.  Pray that Troy and I are able to make good decisions and are able to listen to God instead of the world.  Pray that we are able to raise money for the rest of our adoption ( We are down to having to pay for our gotcha trip-It will cost about 6000-depending on airfare).