OOT!

So, are we loving all these acronyms?!  :)
I got an email yesterday that we are Out Of Translation!

One more step, albeit a small one.  Next step is Reviewed, and that is apparently taking about 6-8 weeks.  Still several steps yet, but so far we are on track yet for that original plan of traveling in late January or early February.

Seriously, one of these days I'll get to some pictures...  :)

LID!

As of yesterday, we are LID!

This means we are officially logged in with the CCCWA and they are processing our papers.  The next updates will come when we are OOT (Out of Translation), Reviewed, Matched, and Match Reviewed, and then our LOA (Letter of Approval).  LOA is the next "big step."  They say this takes approximately 3 months.

I'm actually not sure what happens after that, because my brain can only handle so many acronyms at a time.  They say 6 months to travel, whatever it is, it apparently takes another 3 months or so.  But lest my brain become overwhelmed, let's go one step at a time, shall we?  :)

For today, I'm celebrating LID!

And one of these days I'll get around to blogging some summer things, the first day of school, and other various and sundry activities around the 'hood.
Maybe...

DTC!

We are DTC!  

That means, for those of you not into the adoption lingo, that our dossier is all done-

notarized

certified

authenticated

and China-bound!  

So now what?

Well, there are many steps on the China side that I am not that clear on presently, but the moral of the story is that in approximately 6 months, give or take, we should be traveling to pick up Ephraim!!  

Woohoo!

I haven't gotten any updates on his handsome little self, tho I've asked a few times now.  Apparently sometimes updates are slow (or nonexistant) coming out of the various orphanages. (Boo!)

I am relieved, tho, to have the papers all done and on to the next stage of waiting!  :) 

New Family Pictures!

Love these!  

Thank you, Thank you,  Emily Photography!

These Kids. They are comedians, and they don't know it.

Mostly for the sake of my memory, here are some recent(ish) conversations at our house.


Me: Goodnight guys. I'm going for a run.
Isaac: Then you'll be sweating LIKE A FREAK when you come in and hug us!


Eli: Ababa, tell me the truth. Were you sleeping with your shirt off?
John: Yes, I did.
Eli: Are you lying?! You're in trouble! You need your shirt on!


Me: (in an overly excited and encouraging voice) Raya, shall we go sit on the potty?!
Raya: (non-chalantly) No, I go in my pants.


Raya: (very excited but mostly unintelligible toddler-jabber)
Eli: That's a really good story, baby!


Me: Why is there a hose in the tree?
Isaac: We were trying to get the frisbee down.
Me: With a hose?
Isaac. No, with a rock.
Me: So... Why is there a hose in the tree?
Isaac: I don't know. Cuz we swinged a rock in the bag- very carefully and did not hit Raya- and we threw it up in the tree to get the frisbee out, and then the rock fell out and the bag got stuck.
Me: So you tried to get the bag out with the hose?
Isaac: Yeah.


Isaac: (wearing a shirt that says "I'm gonna change the world.") Mom, who's going to change the world?
Me: Well, God is. But if you ask him, maybe He'll use you to do it.
Isaac: That would be awesome. I'm going to change the back yard into a swimming pool!


Me: Oh, did I say Isaac? Sorry Isaac. I meant Eli.
Isaac: It's ok mom. I still love you even if you can't say my name.


Isaac: I smelled those flowers. They smell super good.
Eli: They smell like ham?


Isaac: God made the sun.
Eli: Yeah. And grass! And trampolines!
Me: What day of creation included trampolines?
Eli: Next week!


Isaac: Mom, do ears have earwax?
Me: Yes.
Isaac: So the bugs will get stuck in the earwax.
Me: Bugs?
Isaac: Yeah. If bugs fly in there, they'll get stuck, and you can just smoosh them with your ears.

Eli: For my birthday I want to be The Hulk, and Iron Man, and Captain America, and Superman... (pause) Hulk has purple underwears.
Isaac: Yeah. He wears girl pants!

In Which We Can Prove that We are Citizens!

So I finally got around to applying for the "new" kids' certificates of citizenship a few months ago.

So... introducing:  America's Cutest Newly-Officialized Citizens!  Woohoo!  

And since now we're working on adoption #4, it's good to be finished with adoptions #2 and 3.  

Too bad they spelled Raya's name wrong... not quite sure yet how to remedy that situation...

So maybe not quiiiiiiiite finished yet.  Sigh. 

In Which it Has Turned to Summer.

This one graduated kindergarten.  So now it's officially summer! 

(And it's true that he's the cutest graduate ever.) 

We got a very huge first strawberry harvest, and couldn't wait to eat them.

Grandma Barb took us for a golf lesson.

This one, he has impeccable form!

And after golf, we went for a swim! 

Swimming is the best.

We're off to a great start!  I love summer.  :)