I was hoping...

Large Snap-EZ Giraffe Fur Pocket Diaper
Is Now Up For Auction!

4 copies of "Rescue"
The Movie were
donated!

...that I'd be blogging about our first home study visit/inspection by now, but that was not meant to be.  First Carese got really sick, and then the social worker was sick this past Monday.  So now we are scheduled for tomorrow night.  I have to admit that it has given us more time to do some of the smaller projects that will lower my stress level (like a thorough cleaning of my business room).

A Geir Gift Set was also donated!

A handmade Notebook
was donated too!

I have been very, very busy!  Our Facebook auctions went really well for  February, bringing in over $100 for our adoption expenses!  I am shipping those out today!  Also donations have been coming in - both items for our auctions and monetary donations to our FSP on Reece's Rainbow, and through the FundRazr button, as well as in person donations!  What an encouragement!  I even have my first sponsor for Sugar Free for Priscy!  I'm now earning $1 for every inch I lose!


We attempted to apply for our passports yesterday, but silly me I remembered their closing time wrong.  We will attempt it again today!  I mailed off our first set of documents via FedEx to Priscilla's country.  They left Blaine yesterday, were in Seattle last night, and today they were at Memphis TN!  We are tracking the package on our world map with pins/yarn!

Brambleberry Soap - I purchased this
and it's now up for auction!

My friend owns Will Tree and she donated
a gift set too!

I almost feel like I am nesting around here.  You know, when your baby is due and you feel the need to get everything in order in your home, knowing that you will be "out of commission," as far as house cleaning goes, for a while.  But this is two fold - to prepare for our home safety inspections, and to simplify our home and belongings to ease the time when I will be traveling and the first few months that Priscilla is in our home as there will be some major adjustments happening and I will be pre-occupied for a while, much like having a newborn, only very different!

Elizabeth homeschooling her baby dolls!

Before

One of the projects was purging and re-organizing our school/play room.  I have been purging this room for a couple of years now - every time I'm  more drastic.  I'm very pleased with the results.  The kids coats/shoes are now so more accessible and it's so easy for them to put their stuff away!  Esther especially loves this new set up!  Fewer toys also means easier clean up and everyone likes that!

After

Here's what the home study finalization is going to look like - 4 home visits including the safety inspection, interviewing me, interviewing the kids, and interviewing Daryl.  Then she creates her report (she said it will take about a week). Then the person in charge will make the final determination (about 1 - 2 weeks).  So we are looking at having at least a verbal determination (approved or not approved) around the first week of April.  We will have the official documents within a week of the determination.  Then we move on the earnestly preparing our dossier!  I hope to update the adoption timeline page so that it shows now only what we have done but also what remains to be done and what expenses we foresee.