Youch!

Ok...since I've been on cloud 9 and trying to keep up with lists of lists for our up and coming trip to Korea, I've experienced the worst back pain I've ever had...at first I thought it was just stress...then, I went to a chiropractor...it's not good, my friends...

This is a picture of my thermal scan today...


So, while you are praying for our trip to Korea...would you mind lifting up a few for my aching back?!

TRAVEL CALL!!!!!!

What a great way to start the day!!! Drew is ready for us to come and get him...woohooo!!!

Due to Chad's work schedule, we plan on leaving on November 4th and returning November 11th. The wait will probably be excruciating, but honestly it makes the most sense...boo for common sense! For those of you who would like to come and share our homecoming at the airport, please leave me your email addresses in the comment line and I'll be happy to share our time of arrival on the 11th.

We are OVERJOYED and are so thankful to God for this journey we are on. Now...if I can try and stay out of the halloween candy isle while we wait for the clock to tick down to November 4th....It's not looking real good ;-)!

Thank you all for your many prayers and thoughtful comments. We plan on blogging our stay in Korea so stay tuned. The only thing I ask is that you comment (yes, this means all you lurkers too...you know who you are!) on our blog. It is such an encouragement to see your names pop up, and I know the kids would enjoy hearing from you too!

So...now, I just need to get BUSY....

The More I See You....

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Last Mile...

My friends, we are officially in the last mile of waiting for Drew. DC gave me great news today. Drew has his Visa interview scheduled for TOMORROW at 1p.m.!!!! To say that we are excited is a major understatement!!!!! At the interview they will give Drew his Visa to come HOME.

We are coming soon, Sweet Boy!

Passport

We officially heard from our agency today that Drew has his passport...now all we need is his visa approval!

DC says....no new news....

Bummer. Drew's visa interview has not been scheduled yet. I really thought today we'd hear something...nope. Maybe tomorrow? Looks like I'll be calling those sweet Visa Specialists 24 hours from now to check on his status again. You know, I have no idea what it would be like to have to go into weekly OB appointments hoping and wondering if there's been any progress but I think this part of the wait might be the closest thing! Here's praying tomorrow brings some strong adoption contractions!

Off to nest....

Update and prayer request

I called DC this morning and the good news is that our agency in Korea sent the paperwork back to the embassy on Friday but there is not a visa interview date in the system yet and to call back Monday. It was so fun because when I called I was expecting that there had been no change but the first thing the sweet girl from DC said when she pulled up our case said " Oh, isn't he the cutest thing?!" Oh, my. I about cried, I knew at that point there was some change because nobody had ever commented on his picture before. So now my question to the world is...does the fact that she could see his picture indicate that she was looking at his Korean passport picture? This would mean one less thing we were waiting on!

Here is another new picture of Drew taken in the infamous chair...what a doll baby!


Ok guys...we really need your prayers. We know our travel call could be just a week away. Please pray for our family as we prepare to bring Drew home. Someone had asked who all was traveling to Korea to bring Drew home...well, we all are! Chad and I decided we just couldn't leave the kids home. We want them to see their birth country and we don't want to waste this opportunity. My mother in law has graciously agreed to come along for the ride for help and to see her grandchildren's birth country. Here are our prayer needs: We need some traveling mercies from God. We need prayer for our anxiety (ok, mine since I'll be doing all the packing and travel arranging). Here's the biggie, we need our children bathed in prayer as they see Korea with their eyes for the first time and begin to make memories of what Korea means to them. That may mean that they begin to make sense of their adoption story and with that may come sadness and feelings of loss. My prayer is that even at their tender ages that God would reveal His purpose and plan over their lives.

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."—Isaiah 61:3.

NEW PICTURES OF DREW!!

Here are the new pictures of Drew...I'll have to edit this post later...this is for Grandma and Nana!!



AND WE HAVE EP!!!!

COME ON TRAVEL CALL...WON'T BE LONG NOW!!!!!

Time keeps on ticking....

We are now entering week 9 of officially waiting for Drew to come home to us. This is when the waiting becomes excruciating. You know you are close, but...how close? The phone is silent, there is no willing it to ring. You would think that a veteran like myself would not fall for the pitfalls of the wait. I've been down this road now three times and it NEVER gets easier!

Right now we are waiting for someone from our agency to call us to let us know if they were able to get new pictures of Drew last week. We are hopeful and it's taking EVERY ounce of my emotional strength not to call and pester Dillon for his update. Oh please, oh please, oh please let my phone ring tomorrow with GOOD news!

Sunny, one of my fellow waiting mommy friends made a list recently on her blog of things left to do...oh, I so need to do this, so here's mine!
1) Install new car seat
2) Finish online adoption training
3) Finish up Drew's room (hanging things up etc)
4) Finish shopping for people in Korea
5) Buy diapers
6) Buy new crib sheets
7) Buy highchair booster seat
8) Get new diaper bag
9) START PACKING
10) Make and freeze dinners for those first few weeks back from Korea

Ok..I'll probably add to these as I get closer but it feels good to see them in black and white (er, brown?!)!

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some good news to share....we'll see!

Happy Birthday, Cole!

We have had one great moment after another on our Texas excursion. I can hardly keep my eyes open another minute, but I had to share some pictures of our little mini vacation and birthday celebration...Texas style!

Cole ~ I love you with my whole heart and can't imagine my life without you in it. You fit our family like a hand in glove and I know what a super great big brother you are going to be to Drew. So, so, so, proud of you little man! Love you, love you, LOVE you!!!!

Texas...here we come!!

We are loaded up and heading for a Texas weekend...woohoo!!!

P3 sent!

For those of you who are blog stalking me for adoption updates...I just got off the phone with DC and our P3 was sent out on 10/6 from the embassy in Seoul to our agency! It's another small step and I am thrilled!

We are still waiting on Drew's emigration permission from Korea. We should be hearing news on EP soon (hopefully this week). Once Drew has EP then they can schedule his visa interview and then shortly after that we will get our travel clearance!

Another bit of good news, Jan from our agency is in Korea right now and she will *hopefully* get to see Drew and take some new pictures for us. I only have the pictures they sent when he was 5 months old. He is now 8 months old and I would be so thrilled to see how much he has changed.

We are headed to TX later this week for some shopping and to celebrate Cole's 4th birthday...once we get home we may get to stuff our suitcases and go get Drew...Ahhhh! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!

Shout out to Aunt Michelle!

Snow cones!
Originally uploaded by MC2412

Today we received a package full of yummy snow cone flavoring, cones, and straws from Aunt Michelle. The kids had a blast making their snow cones and turning their mouths blue...Here's a Woot, woot for you, Aunt Michelle...you rock!