TWO MORE WEEKS!

Can I just scream OMG!  OMG!  OMG! over and over again!  We are leaving in less then 2 weeks.  WE have ONE More weekend to get the house ready, room and clothes all done - and not really there.  I realized I do not have many 12 month clothes - so I need to find a mom2mom sale or hit an outlet mall REALLY SOON!  Ha - its all good.  As Craig said - even Nate - our house doesn't have to be perfect - but we will get it done.  I'm glad we have the major things.

I've had fun registering for my upcoming baby shower - can't wait.  I'm blessed to have some good friends.  I can't invite everyone, so please understand - I don't want to feel like people need to give us gifts.  But I did register at Amazon.com, Baby's R Us and Target today!  Should be fun.  I did realize a lot of the little things we don't have, and Amazon has the books and things we REALLY want to give to Curt.

So I've been at my new job for 2 weeks too.  I'm loving it a lot!  It is funny - I've worked all weekend, but its all worth it!  Weird huh?  Just getting things done and moving forward - working on the reports for submittal this week.  Luckily people have been so nice in helping me and understanding.  I'm just wanting to document it all so that in the future, its not all this data entry.  It would be nice to put into a database - I'll figure that out.

Anyhow - life is good.  I feel blessed.
Thanks everyone.
Gail

Getting ready - lots to do

Yep - SO much to do and very little time - but it seems like we are making progress.  We will be bringing our son home soon!  And just can't wait - I keep hearing about more and more families clearing USE and USCIS - its GREAT news!  So many forever families are being made!

We will soon be one of them.  With all the plans finalized this week its been awesome.  If anyone needs a travel agency - please consider Travel Intrigue, in the Grand Rapids, MI area.  They were amazing and have some great pricing!  They found us the best flights to get to and from!  Thrilled.

So a little update - yes I left my job of 7 years this week and it seems like a while ago, and started as the Director of EHS at Diversified Chemical Technologies.  Its been an amazing week.  SO much to do, I am doing things that MUST get done, but have certainly missed being in a manufacturing atmosphere.  Its great to be back in one.  Monday I will move into my office - some great people are finishing things this weekend and moving the last few things in there for me!  So that will definitely be nice.  I can't wait.  But just will get it done!

On top - planning a to get the nursery set up this weekend, and just continue to get things done.  Life is just amazing right now.  Nate's doing great and so is Craig!  We are preparing to make a good life.

Guess I should run - and GET STARTED.
Thanks for all the support all - we can't wait for everyone to meet Curt in the near future.
Gail

Embassy appointment date - SET

Well we finally have an appointment for the Visa on 3/13/12 - now we just have to hope we don't need more paper work before we go due to the new job. If we can just take something with us - we are all a-go this week! So very excited to get this started.  If we are on this time - Gotcha day is my birthday - how cool is that (and my sister in-law and mother-inlaw's as well) -

IF not - our finger prints expire on 3/16 - and we'll probably be pretty delayed - so praying for this to all finalize tomorrow.

Just a LOT going on - a new job/career and a new baby - both things have been in my dreams for so long I just can't wait to start them both.  So Tuesday is my first day at the job and excited to get that moving - it will be great!  I can't wait to just be at a level to perform and really do great things for a company -

Alright - back to the grind - I should be organizing nursery/Nate's room or house - at least laundry is going!
Gail

CLEARED - USCIS Nairobi cleared us~

Wow - can I just say that God has a good sense of humor?  He really does - we have said all along - God has a plan - the delays are on purpose because he knows things must have to happen. We have so many things in our lives - they need to align  - he wants things just right for the perfect time.  Yes its been hard  - I do NOT LIKE WAITING well more I do not like NOT KNOWING - that's more accurate.  So here it goes:

The last 48 hours have been crazy!  So now I can divulge something I've been having to keep quiet for many months - I've got a new job - a DREAM job and a great company!  I have been working with them since October - a really great interview process - very in-depth and I respect them more for it - we really got to know each other!  And I like that.  So they finally were able to make an offer - Monday!  Yes - this past Monday!  And due to deadlines of reports - I will start on Valentines day!  Pretty cool - one week notice - not perfect - but they didn't fight to keep  me longer - so I'm moving on.  NO break between either.  So I"m going to be the new Director of Environmental, Health and Safety at this place!  Still hesitant to announce the name till Tuesday - but commute is cut in half, location so much easier for school and no plants far away - so no big travels!  Can you say PERFECT for this new family

Then Craig and I were joking - wouldn't it be funny if we cleared.  I had been seeing families clear Nairobi in a week!  But kept saying the last batch was 2-3 weeks.  So as usual Tuesday morning I checked my email - nothing!  Yeah sighted bummed - but that's alright - valentines day would be cool for passing.  Then at about 8:30 am my friend Sarah emailed me she cleared!  Oh I was so happy - I told Craig to check email (I can't till lunch and not easily) - he said WE Cleared!  Wow - we are on cloud nine.

So as of now - we have a tentative Embassy Visa appointment for March 13, 2012 - my step sisters birthday - but guess what - my birthday will probably end up as Gotcha Day!  How awesome - what can a mom say is the BEST birthday gift?  Plus this is Craig's MOM AND SISTER's birthday as well - so we will have an honor for Nonnie on this day!  Just very excited.

A few things can still go wrong - the new job throws some possible issues in - but we doubt it -our finger prints expire on 3/16 - so we MUST GO BEFORE - if not I'd wait till my Best friend Shannon is traveling - but we can't -so bummed - I was praying we'd meet there.

So now two of the 3 things I've eluded to have come true!  Now we await one more event in our lives.  It would be such a blessing to have it all come true

But right now - honestly we are blessed - we have a new son coming home and already have a great one here!  Our family is good and friends amazing.

So thanks for the prayers everyone - many of you know the "3rd item" so keep praying.

In the mean time many of my new friends - I no longer consider them just "adoption friends" - you are MY FRIENDS - they are traveling soon or now or already there - for various steps - keep all these families in your prayers.

Thanks all - this is such an exciting time
Gail