tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150804672012-02-02T18:42:18.402-07:00Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.comBlogger4811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-83171983909135624052012-02-02T18:42:00.001-07:002012-02-02T18:42:18.432-07:00

Alright, here we are today. We had agreed with the Schinnerers to have Luis, a local driver who has taken us a few places, pick us up at 8 am to be on our way to Cotopaxi., an active volcano about 2 hours away from Quito. We enjoyed the drive there, watching the scenery and talking with Jim, Robin, and Pablo. Once we got to the entrance of Cotopaxi, a man stopped us and let us know that he

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-38876830410701527812012-02-02T17:49:00.001-07:002012-02-02T17:49:19.769-07:00

Feb 1-Sorry we didn't post yesterday. Our internet was out all day. That just added to my frustration that we didn't hear from MJ about our Decree either; and that is with my calling her three times (she never returned my calls). Two exciting things DID happen yesterday though, first, Flor lost her first tooth! At least we think this is her first tooth-- it is the only one currently missing in

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-38068595530900228112012-01-31T18:41:00.001-07:002012-01-31T18:41:53.385-07:00

Well, today was an interesting day. Last night Jace woke up about midnight with a fever of 104 degrees. Such a fever is only slightly bothersome...so I tossed and turned all night thinking about what we were going to do for him. Right in the middle of this, the thought occurred to me that Rex, the director of OSSO, had flown in to Quito last night and would be at the OSSO house for the next

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-72349800248654641802012-01-30T18:32:00.003-07:002012-01-30T18:33:12.850-07:00

Devin decided to come up with another rhyme for you today. "Day 43 and here we still be." Isn't that man such a creative genius?  Last night was a little rough-- Jace woke up about 9 covered in his throw-up and Hallie also threw up in the night. What is going on, I have no idea. Both woke up fine this morning. We planned on staying in all day, but since they were acting fine and we were all

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-18454130053499808602012-01-29T18:29:00.000-07:002012-01-29T18:29:11.728-07:00

I almost forgot to write the blog post today. But, here we are with a short little update. Today was a typical Sunday. We woke up and went to church. Church is always uplifting and is a bright spot in the week. Today we had a really good discussion in sunday school that helped put some things into perspective for me. Then, third hour meetings were combined because it is the 5th Sunday of the

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-58687720864920473002012-01-28T17:49:00.003-07:002012-01-28T17:53:41.270-07:00

One more note on the topic from earlier today before we lay it to rest. I can honestly say that I never knew that the term "Gotcha Day" was offensive. My last post basically described how my feelings differ from the thoughts on the blog that the anonymous commenter directed me to since she did not say (nor did the blog) just what is so offensive about the term. So, I did a little research this

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-13400843922842675142012-01-28T07:52:00.000-07:002012-01-28T08:01:50.596-07:00

I received a comment yesterday about my use of the term "Gotcha Day" in my last post. I would like to respond to this person and the only way I can is here on the blog since the comment was left by "anonymous".  However, maybe this is better because there may be others of you who want to know our family's opinion on this. First, here is the comment: I have really enjoyed reading about this whole

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-57222132923036398182012-01-27T18:23:00.001-07:002012-01-27T18:27:11.192-07:00

Well, it's official! Flor is ours! When I woke up this morning, I instantly knew that I didn't feel so swell. And by not swell, I mean horrible. Great. Just the day to not feel well! We have been here for 40 days with nothing to do  every day and the most important day of our adoption journey I have the makings of the flu? Awesome. Flor was luckily feeling better. I tried to sleep it off and

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-6983451979642843432012-01-26T17:58:00.001-07:002012-01-26T17:58:33.558-07:00

ONE DAY until court! One day. Our good friend MJ almost thwarted it today, but luckily, we are still on. We stayed in this morning as we were slow-moving getting ready. For one, we were out of hot water (we have been for the past few days-- Andres has been promising to get us a new gas can, but hasn't had success yet). Finally we got the text that the water should be back up and running, so we

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-27065172838871760352012-01-25T17:28:00.002-07:002012-01-25T17:28:39.412-07:00

I can't help but wonder how many days we are going to be up to by the time Flor and I leave here...any guesses? I hope we get home sooner rather than later. We are trying to make the most of our time here, but we are running out of things to do. Today we took another trip downtown to the Centro Historico to go to the Albert Mena Caamano Museum. One of the missionaries at church recommended it

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-8724188168944457322012-01-24T19:06:00.000-07:002012-01-24T19:07:01.272-07:00

Finally forward progress today! Wahoo! We will get to that. The day started off slow and dreary. We stayed around the apartment this morning, put the kids down for early naps, and headed to the Schinnerers apartment at about 2. Jim had called this morning to tell us that MJ and Fabiola (translator/attorney) were coming to their apartment at 2 to talk to them about their case. They invited us

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-24714223416525143052012-01-23T17:53:00.001-07:002012-01-23T17:55:32.853-07:00

5 weeks today. First things first, we did hear from MJ today. She said that we will go to the courthouse on Thursday for our signature verification and then court will be "maybe Friday, maybe Monday." So, apparently court keeps getting pushed back. I hope Friday or Monday are accurate. Only time will tell. So please pray for us that things will get moving and that we can get to court this week.

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-39171751028049825772012-01-22T17:39:00.002-07:002012-01-22T17:39:48.713-07:00

Today was really slow. So slow that I am afraid this post is going to be pointless. However, for the sake of continuing with the daily habit I have imposed on myself, here we go. We got up and got ready for church this morning but had a really difficult time getting a taxi ride there, so we ended up being late, drenched from the rain, and hauling one particularly ornery child (Hallie). Fun start

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-55198381829606834962012-01-21T17:21:00.000-07:002012-01-21T17:21:25.153-07:00

Happy Saturday. Another week almost down. Today was a good day. We thought a lot about Erin and her arrival home. Her husband had returned home a few weeks ago to be with their other daughter, Addie. Addie was unable to come to Ecuador, so today was the first day that she and Adriana met. So sweet. I wish I had been a fly on the wall for that! We decided to get out this morning and go to the El

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-576357004646714992012-01-20T18:35:00.001-07:002012-01-20T18:35:26.160-07:00

Day 33. Devin doesn't even have a rhyme for me today. Darn. Thank you Mikey for all the cheese suggestions. We will probably be in cheese heaven shortly around here-- that is if we can find said cheeses. So far, I have only seen cheese in the grocery stores, none out in the markets with flies covering them. Devin did see a man today with a box on the back of his motorcycle that said he sells

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-7667701759076657312012-01-19T20:04:00.000-07:002012-01-19T20:04:02.769-07:00

"Day 32 and nothing new"- Devin So, today was a good day. We didn't leave the house until 3 pm, but when we did, we were out until 8:30 or so, which is later than we have ever been out! The biggest/saddest news of the day is that our Costco 5 lb. brick of cheddar cheese reached its end today. So sad. We packed it and lovingly brought it with us and it has lasted us this long (cheese is a joke

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-57706391261986218592012-01-18T18:11:00.000-07:002012-01-18T18:11:46.667-07:00

Well, what a day. It started out good then went south. Way south. We'll get to that. This morning we had arranged with Andres (the owner of our apartment) to have him take us to the hospital where Flor was born. The hospital is at the very south end of the city and is quite the drive from where we are. We were also told that the area where the hospital is can be quite dangerous, so it was not

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-59428203491200575552012-01-17T19:12:00.000-07:002012-01-17T19:12:14.408-07:00

Another good day around here, though we still don't have any word on court. Ugh. Soon, soon--we hope! This morning we took a walk to a higher scale bakery that we found up the road from us. They had delicious bread and delicious treats, but it was a bit pricey, so we will have to try to resist going there too often. It was worth it for today though, for sure. We spent the morning at home,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-9832089532035716492012-01-16T18:43:00.000-07:002012-01-16T18:47:06.867-07:00

Well, we have been here for four weeks today. Whoa. On the one hand, we are really antsy to get home for many reasons, most of which I have mentioned here before, so we won't go there again. However, on the other hand, there are benefits of being here and spending so much time together. In addition to the time we get to spend getting to know Flor, we also get to spend all of our time together as

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-84379776989088889732012-01-15T18:30:00.000-07:002012-01-15T18:30:13.567-07:00

Happy Sunday! It was a pretty happy day for us here today. We made it to church early and enjoyed our time there. Everyone is very friendly and loves to help with our kids, which we think is great. I enjoy seeing Angel and Jenny, from my OSSO days and chatting with them a bit too. It is also nice to be able to have an English speaking sunday school class where we can participate. After church,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-12702587574429461492012-01-14T17:45:00.000-07:002012-01-14T17:45:12.411-07:00

Day 27. We went to the zoo today as we had planned to do with the Schinnerers and the Harlans. We hired a driver to take us as the Quito Zoo, though so named, is actually in a town called Guayllabamba, about 45 minutes away. The driver picked us up at our apartment at about 9:15 or so and then we went to pick up the other two families. The drive there was fun because we were able to see some of

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-39556324743135685742012-01-13T18:14:00.001-07:002012-01-13T18:15:15.230-07:00

Alright, first and foremost. Some important things to note from today: 1) Hallie has declared that her name is now "Chelsey." Not sure where she got this, but she insisted most the day that she should be called Chelsey. Okay... 2) Flor and Jace have officially switched diaper sizes. We brought sixes for Flor and Jace was in fours...but he was busting out of them and Flor's were drowning her...

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-19114106247132318542012-01-12T17:46:00.000-07:002012-01-12T17:46:38.969-07:00

Today marks our halfway point of our journey here in Ecuador (that is if we get out of here on time!) It seems crazy that we have come this far, yet nothing has really happened. We haven't heard from MJ yet today despite my calling her a few times. I doubt we will. So hopefully we hear tomorrow more about court...I definitely do not want to go the whole weekend without having something arranged.

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-27991927119982410792012-01-11T17:51:00.000-07:002012-01-11T17:51:02.352-07:00

Today it seems we have a little bit of forward progress in our case...WahOO. We will see. I got a phone call first thing this morning from MJ, saying that we needed to be home between the hours of 1 and 3 this afternoon so she could stop by to have us sign documents. She said that she was going to INFA today to get their report, so they must have hurried as we asked them to do, since it

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-64465593711325722692012-01-10T18:13:00.000-07:002012-01-10T18:16:55.224-07:00

Today was so boring that I finally decided to take pictures of our apartment to show you. We'll get to those in a second after I bore you with the details of our day. We woke up, ate breakfast, bathed and dressed every member of the family (I know you are relieved that we haven't given up on bathing), skyped with a few people, ate lunch, napped, went to the fruit/veggie market (actually open

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-77160369469126526152012-01-09T18:32:00.001-07:002012-01-09T18:32:36.284-07:00

Today marks three weeks since we have been here in Ecuador! Crazy that it has been that long and yet we have not made any progress in the legal process. Sigh. Oh well, we are learning patience...that is for sure! Today was the big going away party at the orphanage for Flor. We were up and ready to go by 9:30 so that we could get a taxi and be there by 10. FHC is about 20 minutes away and we got

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-46319886306012342462012-01-08T18:39:00.000-07:002012-01-08T18:40:53.636-07:00

So, as you may have guessed, our internet has been out again. It finally came back on tonight and our apartment owner told us that he is having a technician come tomorrow to check things out, so we hope that things will be up and running consistently again soon. I can't tell you how much we rely on the internet here. It is our only means to keep in touch with our family, so it has become an

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-23377323327845439582012-01-06T19:44:00.000-07:002012-01-06T19:47:46.176-07:00

 Warning: Long post filled with (some) negative commentary, potty talk, and lots of pictures. Read on at your own risk! Today is Flor's seventh birthday, which was definitely the most exciting part of the day. I have missed 5 birthdays in between her first birthday and now and felt extremely grateful that we were able to be here in time for her 7th. The morning did not start out well, however.

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-58996256799170778562012-01-05T18:02:00.000-07:002012-01-05T18:02:06.513-07:00

Day 18. The days are moving along! We spent the morning in the apartment, doing our "deep cleaning" and just hanging out. Since the internet was up and running again, we were able to Skype with quite a few family members, which is always great. We did the usual lunch and naps and then headed out to explore for the day. There are just so many little places and parks to see in Quito, it never gets

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-42395148310833097552012-01-05T11:07:00.000-07:002012-01-05T11:09:07.141-07:00

So my two loyal readers noticed that I didn't post yesterday. Our internet was out all day and it was rough, especially because it is our only means of communication with our family. After the whole day of being without, I thought that maybe I should text my sister to let her know that we were without internet, just in case anyone needed to get a hold of us. I didn't know if texting to the US

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-8263026990208929932012-01-03T17:56:00.000-07:002012-01-03T18:08:56.046-07:00

Today was rather slow again. Devin has been kind enough to wake up with the kids in the mornings at 6:30 ish while I sleep in until 7:30 or so. Good husband I have, huh? Hallie woke up numerous times last night and I was also awakened every time as her air mattress is on the floor right next to my side of the bed. The girl talks in her sleep, I'll tell you what. She also gets angry in her sleep.

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-26231015925606563492012-01-02T18:59:00.000-07:002012-01-02T18:59:48.235-07:00

Well, here we are two weeks in! The days seem to be going faster, which is nice. (Devin disagrees-- just because yesterday was so slow). Hallie threw up again last night after seeming fine all day. It's weird. Luckily, I know just how to get Pedialyte from the Pharmacies here, so she and Jace have begun a steady diet (and by that I mean as much as they can handle) of it. We weren't about to sit

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-17996054143919685742012-01-01T17:25:00.000-07:002012-01-01T17:26:10.145-07:00

Well, this is going to be short! Today was a sit-around-the-house-and-do-nothing day. Hallie was up throwing up all night last night and she and Jace both have a bad case of diarrhea...so....we didn't even leave the apartment all day. We had plans to go to church, but decided it was in everyone's best interest not to. So, the day was spent playing, watching movies, eating, and reading. We did

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-6822000375869230912011-12-31T18:52:00.001-07:002011-12-31T19:05:28.389-07:00

Today was a very important day. It marks the 6th anniversary of when this journey all began. I spent New Year's Eve 2005 in the hospital with Flor and that night changed my life and the life of my family. Here we are now, six years later, in her home country adopting her. Wow. Today was also special in that we got to return to SVP, the orphanage where Flor was residing (when not in the hospital)

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-25834366314762344072011-12-30T18:32:00.002-07:002011-12-30T18:33:21.418-07:00

Today was centered around replenishing the food in our house. Luckily, Jace slept in until 6 (I can't believe I am saying "luckily" with that sentence as his usual waking time at home is between 7:30 and 8. But, 6 is certainly better than 5!) I really shouldn't complain either, because Devin woke up with him and I slept until 7. We remembered that the Megamaxi doesn't open until 10, so we went

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-53572687526197770302011-12-29T19:02:00.001-07:002011-12-30T18:33:47.908-07:00

Lot's of pictures today from our activity of the day- the Equator.  That was our afternoon activity, after a long morning here at the apartment. Jace decided to wake up about 5 am (he is progressively getting earlier), which meant that we were all up by 6 ish. We had breakfast and baths and then had naps at 8 am. Devin and I at least napped...not sure about the kids. What good parents we are. We

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-14929967585560266152011-12-28T18:18:00.000-07:002011-12-28T18:18:21.204-07:00

10 days! We have been here 10 days...and it feels like a month! Seriously. A few things before we get to today's activities: Adding to the list of odd things about Ecuador... * I can't tell you how many taxi drivers we have watched relieve themselves on the street outside our apartment. They pull over, walk to the back of the car and open the door as if they are cleaning something, but it is

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-41126835622610317742011-12-27T18:22:00.003-07:002011-12-27T18:22:42.409-07:00

Today was rather low-key (boring, if you will). We managed to make it to the Mega-Maxi even before it opened. Apparently they don't open until 10 and we got there at 9:30. Such a life we have! So, we roamed the neighborhood until it was time to open. We picked up what we needed and made it home by 11. Getting home was so tiring today for some reason. Granted, it is uphill and hauling three kids

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-17517947714613688482011-12-26T19:32:00.002-07:002011-12-26T19:37:55.838-07:00

We had another really good day around here. We are definitely starting to get into a groove, and that is nice. We also almost went another day without going to the Mega Maxi, but then I was in the middle of cooking dinner when I realized that we have no baking dishes and what I was preparing needed to go into the oven. Lovely. So that ruined that. This morning after the three hour ordeal that is

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-78516275721925730452011-12-25T19:19:00.002-07:002011-12-25T19:19:51.051-07:00

Well here we are- Christmas Day! Our day has been really wonderful, so much so that I haven't had time to think about the festivities going on at home and be sad. We woke up at our standard 6 am (what are we going to do when we get home and we are still on this schedule? 4 am?? No thanks! Someone please tell me why the children are waking up at 6 am here, but would wake up closer to 8 at home?)

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-63655162775911723202011-12-24T18:35:00.002-07:002011-12-24T18:35:53.203-07:00

Merry Christmas Eve! Totally does not seem like Christmas Eve to me...at all. I hope tomorrow that we can at least feel some of the spirit of Christmas. Today was, well, interesting. Things have been a little crazy over here. I expected things to be hard at times, and today was definitely one of those days. Most of our issues so far have to do with someone named Hallie though, not Flor. We got

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-60415570096737990692011-12-23T19:25:00.003-07:002011-12-23T19:32:03.369-07:00

Here we are. Day five! Today was rather low-key. Flor was supposed to arrive at our house at 8:30 am, but in true Ecuador fashion, she and Pamela arrived at 11 am instead. Pamela was supposed to bring some documents for us to sign, but the social worker (who had the documents) didn't come to work today, so no documents. We will sign them on Monday. Pamela is going to check in with us by phone

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-80584695135759252011-12-22T19:45:00.000-07:002011-12-22T19:45:55.093-07:00

I can't believe it has only been four days since we arrived in Ecuador. It seems like it has been weeks! This morning started out just like yesterday, except that we let Hallie and Jace sleep in and took them to the orphanage in their pajamas and fed them there so that they could get a little extra sleep. We have certainly made ourselves at home in the Guest House there! After everyone's

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-4289863667883378482011-12-21T19:33:00.001-07:002011-12-22T19:46:15.582-07:00

Disclaimer: This post is going to be full of a lot of details, so should you not want said details, skip it! Today started out bright and early. We were up by 6 am in order to catch our taxi at 7:10 am to get to Flor's orphanage by 7:30. The orphanage is actually just off the same main road that we are on, but about 20 minutes north. It costs $5 to get there by taxi, which isn't bad. Upon

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-87666674580715603082011-12-20T20:46:00.003-07:002011-12-20T20:48:05.311-07:00

We woke up this morning and frantically dug through all of our suitcases to find a decent outfit for each of us (note to selves: try to keep everyone's things in one place versus dispersed throughout 10 suitcases.) The one thing we COULD NOT FIND was toothbrushes. Combine that with the fact that we had no towels in the vicinity with which to shower (the apartment is furnished, but missing a few

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-32926764079113787452011-12-20T20:05:00.001-07:002011-12-20T20:47:28.678-07:00

Hi everyone! We are alive and well. Here is a short run down of yesterday before I get to today. So, the journey getting to Ecuador was....long. Sunday night, Devin's fantastically wonderful sister Alisa picked us and our million bags up and drove us to Salt Lake for the night. But first, we stopped at Kirston's house because she kindly volunteered to feed us. It was especially nice of her

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-65721449066383824892011-12-14T21:11:00.000-07:002011-12-14T21:11:12.289-07:00

All I need to do is survive Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'm not sure how I am going to do it... I am literally shaking with excitement, just thinking about our upcoming trip. I know spending seven weeks in Ecuador may bring some rough days, but I am really, really looking forward to it. Ecuador holds a chunk of my heart. The bags are packed. Yes, I know. We are a little anxious! We

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-76268375272521547682011-12-09T21:07:00.001-07:002011-12-09T21:33:33.721-07:00

Hallie has been on a few themes lately. I am sure you will pick up on them by the following Hallie-isms: *Hallie is really into pretending and she often assigns us each a "role" in her little kingdom. This is how it went one day: "I am the boss. Jacer is the cuteness. You are the tree and daddy is the boss like me. And Flor...she's in Ecuador." * We got to see one of my best friends,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-69724926168626515952011-12-07T19:24:00.001-07:002011-12-07T19:43:25.193-07:00

So-- I know you have all been incredibly generous and kind to us in this process. And, we are so grateful. I am not really sure how to fully express our gratitude. Today, I have one more opportunity for you to serve this Christmas season, if you would like. This time, it is not for us, but for the kids in the orphanages in Quito. We hope to visit two different orphanages Christmas day and to

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-67436090586039571032011-12-06T08:00:00.000-07:002011-12-06T18:02:05.304-07:00

First, two things I know you are dying to know: 1) Jace weighs 25 pounds. 2) This fundraising raffle raised a total of $2986 for our adoption fund. WOW.  That is all we can say. We are truly grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who donated prizes, donate money, shared the link, etc. Now for the winners! There were quite a few people who donated money but did not leave a comment,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-8146788387183676872011-12-04T20:46:00.001-07:002011-12-04T21:04:21.589-07:00

So, I guess one thing I forgot to mention is how long we will be gone to Ecuador. We will be in country for seven weeks, which means we will be returning February 6. Adventure, here we come! I am sure I will be updating the blog as often as possible, so stay tuned for the journey. I really can't believe that this is happening so soon. I stay awake at night just thinking of so many things about

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-60304429021801736202011-12-02T20:43:00.001-07:002011-12-02T22:16:27.941-07:00

Our good news about our adoption travel came on an exciting day-- the day Jace turned 9 months old! What? 9 months? Can he really be that big? Awww...my baby is not so much a baby anymore! Here are a whole host of pictures of him from the past month and a few little tidbits! Jace is really into helping us with the mail (in other words...he is in charge). One day he couldn't decide whether

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-6310191287237900512011-12-01T17:14:00.001-07:002011-12-01T22:32:00.326-07:00

We're leaving on a jet plane (you may sing to yourself if you like!).... DECEMBER 19th!  wahoooooo!!! I can't tell you all that I am feeling right now. Some things may be... Excited Anxious Nervous "HOLY CRAP" (is that an emotion?) Thanks for all your love and support!!! (Our raffle is still on until Monday. Feel free to jaunt on over there and enter if you haven't!)

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-18546698108243611482011-11-28T19:38:00.001-07:002011-12-02T08:57:29.077-07:00

Just a little update. I called on our I-800 form today and it hasn't been received by our immigration officer yet...though it did arrive in the lockbox on the 14th of November. Our officer let us know that she is a little backed up, so we probably will not get approval until early next week. Sigh. Like I said before, any little delay that can happen will happen it seems. After that approval, we

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-61913520488878382742011-11-23T16:43:00.001-07:002011-12-02T08:58:49.571-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Perry challenged us all to list one thing we are grateful for for every year of our lives. We have so much to be grateful for. The three speaking members of the family have come up with the following: Hallie: 1) Jesus 2)MF (see a theme here anyone?) 3) treats Kim: (In no particular order) 1) My amazing husband. I can't say enough about how wonderful he is. 2) Quality time

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-19281839637627047982011-11-20T19:57:00.001-07:002011-12-02T09:02:51.777-07:00

Here we go! We have the following fabulous prizes up for grabs for you in our little raffle that we will lovingly call the, "Let's Get MF Home NOW!" Raffle. Without further ado... **We have two new additional prizes, now!** see numbers 1 and 2! 1) Blog Template: So, you like my blog template, do you? Well, my friend Hilary from Simply Yours Designs made it and she has graciously agreed to

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com73tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-8126803888893738872011-11-20T19:43:00.001-07:002011-12-02T08:59:32.426-07:00

Hello friends and family. Just a little update post so you know what is going on. Our I-800 form was filed last week. Once this is approved (should take a few weeks), we file our DS-230 and then we are assigned a travel date! We are anticipating & really really hoping that we can travel right after Christmas. The two families who have been going through the process with us the whole time have

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-28577583946364588092011-11-17T14:33:00.001-07:002011-12-02T09:00:12.840-07:00

I know you thought I was done talking about adoption for a while. Sorry. I have more thoughts running around in my head that I want to share. I hope this makes some semblance of sense. Another thing that really bothers me is when people tell potential adoptive couples, "Oh, you are doing it the easy way!" As if mountains of paperwork, months of preparation, invasive interviews, agonizing waits,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-61399855857178957652011-11-14T19:41:00.001-07:002011-12-02T09:00:42.306-07:00

How about some random thoughts from Kim? Okay? Okay. I am so grateful for friends, old and new. I feel like all I want to do is talk about the adoption process, MF, Ecuador, etc. all the time. My long-time friends have always been a great support to me in this process and I am so grateful. But, I am also grateful for new friendships that this process has brought to me as well. I have been

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-68493155253910080402011-11-08T22:15:00.000-07:002011-12-02T09:01:16.745-07:00

Did you know that November is National Adoption Month? Well, it is! While the idea behind the month is to promote the adoption of children in Foster Care who are awaiting families, in addition it is a great reason to celebrate adoption and educate others about it. Surprise, surprise, I have a lot of thoughts about adoption.  My thoughts are sort of coming from two angles-- first, from my

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-81763074296840236642011-11-04T20:57:00.000-06:002011-11-04T21:00:42.094-06:00

Today is Hallie's 3rd birthday. Am I really old enough to have a three year old? Apparently I am. I remember vividly the day she came into our lives. She has added so much in the three years since, and yet it seems like she has been with us forever. This post is going to be an overload of Hallie info, just an FYI. First, a picture overview of her day: She was thrilled with the flowers that

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-42262254411859917332011-11-02T21:55:00.002-06:002011-11-02T21:55:58.278-06:00

Jace, aka our "cuteness" (Hals' pet name for him), is now 8 months old! What? How did that happen!? It's crazy to me. Here are a few pictures and some updates on our handsome little man. *Jace is a Mama's boy. He fusses and squawks when he sees me until I hold him. This is a recent development. He loves Devin too, but he seems to want me when I am around. Awwwww. I love it. It makes me feel

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-35790605180646832962011-10-31T21:36:00.000-06:002011-10-31T21:37:01.835-06:00

Happy Halloween from the sister and brother! It's been a long time since I have used the title "It's Official", but it's a classic and I feel now is the best time ever to use said tile. Finally, finally, FINALLY...(can I get a hallelujah...........) MF HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN ASSIGNED TO OUR FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, this is a big deal. This is the step we have been waiting for since September

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-13580298516643089312011-10-28T22:40:00.001-06:002011-10-28T22:49:45.060-06:00

I really love this time of year. The colors, the cooler weather, the fun festivities...And let's be honest- Halloween is the gateway to the Holiday Season! Devin is holding me back from busting out the Christmas music. I love, love, love it. We have begun the season in full swing around here. Witchapalooza 2011: Last week we attended Witchapalooza at Gardner Village for our 4th year in a row. I

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-61538491668537452362011-10-26T21:58:00.003-06:002011-10-26T22:35:38.727-06:00

Sorry for those who are my friends on Facebook...you get the updates twice. Today's latest is that I got an email from our agency saying that our documents did not arrive in Ecuador until yesterday afternoon (Tuesday), so the committee thought that was too much of a "time crunch" to get them ready for Thursday's meeting. I'm not sure exactly what that means because the two documents just need to

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-30936663597579885112011-10-25T15:18:00.000-06:002011-10-25T15:19:08.256-06:00

Even though we have been to Temple Square quite a few times, we took advantage of being so close and took the kids last Monday. Hallie really enjoyed the tour of the Conference Center, especially the large chandeliers and big pictures. This is the largest painting in the place. Everything is so beautiful there. At the top of the auditorium. This seats the most people of any indoor

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-8295926961245063952011-10-20T19:54:00.001-06:002011-10-20T19:54:59.644-06:00

Just an follow up on yesterday's post... I had a rough night. A good cry with my husband (okay he didn't cry-- just me) and a new day and I am feeling better. I know we have had to deal with a lot, but in reality I still know that we have more to be grateful for the journey. I need to focus on these things and not let the rotten parts get me down. I have an awesome husband, you all know that,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-63818478154858750752011-10-19T21:56:00.000-06:002011-10-19T21:58:32.725-06:00

Opposition. I feel like we are getting nothing but right now in our adoption. When we started this journey, I knew it was going to be hard. But never did I imagine that it would be this hard. Maybe it is because this isn't the only hard thing I feel like I am battling right now, but I just feel like this really testing me. Why do good things have to be so hard? I know the answer to that, but

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-74146120920534035802011-10-12T22:07:00.002-06:002011-10-12T22:08:02.420-06:00

How's this for a Spud Harvest post? Lots of pictures! Devin is still in Idaho driving a truck for Spud Harvest. They have had a few delays due to rain, but seem to be back on track now. During our stay in Idaho, I went to see him at least once per day to spend time with him and to ride with him in his truck. Great fun. Enjoy some pictures: Here we are on our way to the "pit" for the first time

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-11022565903423689412011-10-10T21:31:00.001-06:002011-10-10T21:40:10.483-06:00

Good news folks! We have a new computer. The other one was not worth salvaging. Sigh. Oh well. Bad news folks! No new news on the adoption front. Are we surprised? NO. Again we wait. Extra sigh. Now onto the real reason for this post. We spent an amazing week in Idaho last week. The main purpose was for Devin to work at Spud Harvest (separate post coming), so while he got to work 16 hour days,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-22843293264152589672011-10-03T13:12:00.000-06:002011-10-03T13:14:52.655-06:00

Well, hello. I know I have not updated the blog in an unusually long time (for me). I have a good reason. And that reason is that our computer died. Yeah, so we are computer-less for the time being while it gets fixed. Yes, doesn't it seem like our car just died? Well, it did. Fun times, everyone. Fun times. Anyway, we have been in Idaho for about a week as we came to drop Devin off to work at

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-35790137216916641012011-10-03T13:09:00.002-06:002011-10-03T13:19:13.019-06:00

Here is a quick update on the adoption front for those who care. The short story: Nothing has happened. The long(er) story: There are a lot of details to this and some of them are not very pleasant, so if you want the real, deep and dirty version, you'll have to ask me in person. So you know how MF was supposed to be officially assigned to us on September 8? Then September 15? Then every

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-47857609806118312762011-09-19T13:39:00.000-06:002011-09-19T13:40:14.456-06:00

I am now 26. Last year I recapped my life to that point with my Quarter Century of Greatness post. This year I would add: 2011: The highlight of this year is of course the addition of our sweet, rolly-polly Jace. Oh, and definitely the year long wait for our child in Ecuador defines this year as well. A highlight for sure if you define highlight as rollercoaster-ish, crazy, frustrating,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-33544647419227174062011-09-16T22:30:00.000-06:002011-09-16T22:38:44.498-06:00

This girl is funny. And wild. She is starting to really push the limits sometimes. Fun, so fun. I try to keep in mind that she is only two (soon to be three) and focus on the good in her personality versus the button pushing parts. Some days are better than others. Ah well, such is the ride, eh? Apparently the videos uploaded first, so here you go: The first is her dancing skills. TERRIBLE

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-74238832112654786502011-09-15T13:07:00.002-06:002011-09-15T13:07:52.247-06:00

Hallie has a blanket on her bed that means a lot to me. When I was in Ecuador with OSSO, some of the other volunteers and I had an idea one night that we ought to get the hand prints of each of the babies in the main orphanage where we worked. We had all become very connected to these children and felt like we needed some tangible way to remember them. At the time, we were only allowed one

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-73593636347521191342011-09-11T21:14:00.000-06:002011-09-11T22:20:42.959-06:00

I remember 9/11/01 vividly. It is one of two high school events that are ingrained in my memory- I can almost feel the details of my surroundings that day, see the events unfolding before my eyes, and remember the horror I felt. That morning, I woke up to get ready for school as usual. My thoughts were far from anything related to my country, terrorism, or anything of the sort. I was a week

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-51394738900943060362011-09-08T21:40:00.001-06:002011-09-08T21:40:22.020-06:00

I warned you. Read on only if you wish. We found out tonight that our official assignment for MF did not happen today in Ecuador. I can't tell you how bummed I am. I was set up to believe for some time now that this was going to happen today. I told myself to not plan on it so that I wouldn't be disappointed in case it didn't happen. I tried hard to not set my heart on it. But I did. And I am

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-43143312834512087862011-09-07T22:15:00.000-06:002011-09-07T22:17:42.013-06:00

We completed our first 5k Mud Run over the weekend in Logan. First things first... A picture tour: Carlie and I grease-o loading at Denny's before the race The Lady Linda's- Pre-Race. Notice that Devin is not in the picture..he refused to wear a tutu, can't imagine why?? The Lady Linda's Post race. Don't we look good!? Lisa, my mother, refused to get in from stomach up. Mud Run without

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-13546750001500640052011-09-04T20:10:00.004-06:002011-09-04T20:38:16.345-06:00

What an amazing weekend. I can't remember the last time I have had such a great weekend. It started with a Friday night date night- all thanks to my cousin Che'Lyn and her husband Landon for taking the kids- and then the Mud Run on Saturday. More on that later--suffice it to say, it was pretty dirty...and so much fun. Our date Friday started with a visit to the Salt Lake Temple to do some

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-89394131051821936212011-09-01T13:36:00.006-06:002011-09-01T14:20:22.435-06:00

Our little bug is 6 months old! I've said it before and I will say it again- so crazy that time goes so quickly. He is such a wonderful part of our family and we are so blessed that he is ours. {Jace} {For comparison's sake, Hallie at 6 months. What do think? Definitely siblings, I'd say...} Jace's stats: Weight: 19 pounds 1 ounce (75%) Height: 29 inches (off the charts) {Again, to compare:

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-29919967307234590482011-08-30T10:51:00.007-06:002011-08-30T11:32:12.025-06:00

A few things we have been up to: 1) Weddings. My step-brother Brady got married on August 12 in the Bountiful Temple to a sweet girl named Jackie. The wedding was gorgeous and the luncheon after quite amazing (Tucanos. Can never go wrong there!) The next week, my cousin Spencer got married in the Salt Lake Temple. We went to the reception that he and his new bride had in Timpanogos Park in

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-70874314791776208812011-08-25T20:26:00.005-06:002011-08-25T21:09:59.702-06:00

It's been more than two months since my sweet Aunt Linda's death. It still hurts. A lot. It seems cruel that life is going on at such break-neck speeds still. I find myself feeling guilty sometimes that life is good for me, when I know that Brad is faced with the reality of the situation every minute of every day. I didn't feel like doing much for a while after Linda died. I would have

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-22454782955640699572011-08-19T20:04:00.003-06:002011-08-19T20:19:56.131-06:00

Since Devin works at a golf course, it seems only natural that we should take up golf, right? We have been making it a regular Tuesday activity around here, along with Landon and Che'. Che' and I usually just drive the golf carts around with the kids in tow because we discovered that when we actually golfed, it made the boys feel bad. Yes, we are that good. In all actuality, though, Devin and

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-30859692386541041532011-08-15T13:43:00.006-06:002011-08-15T22:38:01.815-06:00

Devin and I have some nieces and nephews who take the cake for being adorable and sweet. To be exact, there are 20 of them (with two on the way) on Devin's side and 1 (with one on the way) on my side. Let me just tell you about three of them. Brelynn (8), Cole (6), and Ryder (2) belong to Devin's sister Kirston and her husband Travis. Last week for Family Home Evening, Kirston and Travis talked

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-35940976985155110092011-08-15T13:30:00.003-06:002011-08-15T13:43:11.773-06:00

It's official: our dossier has been sent. Now, back to the waiting game. According to our agency, our case will go before the committee in Ecuador on September 8th where we we will receive MF's official assignment. We already signed paperwork back in January to accept her referral, which means that she was taken off all waiting lists, etc. and told the government that we were interested in

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-32522917462491223002011-08-10T19:48:00.005-06:002011-08-10T19:57:36.765-06:00

Take a look at our thermometer over there... Yes, that is right, TODAY we had $5500 donated, which means we have surpassed what we needed for our dossier. I don't even know what to say. I am humbled. I am grateful. I am so touched. I am OVERWHELMED. Yes, it is true. God is a God of Miracles. I know without a doubt that He has been looking out for us and that He has had a plan for us all along.

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-59289258126831665112011-08-10T10:32:00.003-06:002011-08-10T10:47:57.510-06:00

As suspected, we were denied for our last grant. I just heard today (that is after emailing them three times since we submitted the grant in February and still hadn't heard anything). Rejection sucks! I know I said that we weren't really holding out any hope for this grant either, but to be honest, a small part of me was. The reason I was is because our adoption agency had to provide a letter as

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-34239362127673087002011-08-07T20:20:00.003-06:002011-09-16T23:02:47.998-06:00

It's been a while since I have done a post on Hallie. This girl is as funny/wild as they come. She is 2 going on 25 by the way she acts. She tells me what to do all the time and is sure to point out if she feels that my behavior is "naughty."( Don't worry- I am not naughty all that often.) Here's a picture and some recent Hallie-isms: *At our recent family get-together for Mari Ann's graduation,

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-22864935894340776352011-08-05T22:15:00.004-06:002011-08-05T22:30:22.229-06:00

I am behind on updating about sweet Jace at 5 months- Just so much adoption excitement going on! We got the official I-800a approval form in the mail today. Hallelujah!!! We will notarize our the rest of our documents on Monday, then I will drive them to Salt Lake to be apostilled. That is supposed to take 3-4 days then I will drive up to go get them as I don't want to wait for the mail! So

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-34235949372952214302011-08-05T10:07:00.003-06:002011-08-05T10:14:27.738-06:00

Hi friends,I totally don't intend to update the blog everyday from here on out- but I just have to share that miracles are happening....We have raised $1700 in two days. Yep, you read that right- $1700.I am so grateful to all of you who have donated and who have helped spread the word. The majority of our donations are $5, $10, or $20- and it is those that are adding up and making a difference.

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-66822455485743545012011-08-04T10:32:00.003-06:002011-08-04T10:41:27.742-06:00

I told you when I had good news to post, there would be a LOT of exclamation points! Well- here they are: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I just got off the phone with our USCIS officer, who let me know that our application (i-800a) was approved as of August 1. YAY!!!! So, it should be here by Saturday or Monday at the latest and then on we go with the process. We still need to apostille a lot of our

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-16856712541520032522011-08-02T22:06:00.005-06:002011-08-02T22:37:44.837-06:00

Hello all-The time has come where Devin and I need to get serious about raising money to bring our MF home. As you know, we have applied for every grant out there and have been denied for all of them, except for one that we have yet to hear from. We applied in February and it is supposed to take 90 days to hear the decision, but since it has been about double that, we are not holding our

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-28281326626574702932011-07-30T21:05:00.004-06:002011-07-30T22:08:00.982-06:00

Hallie and Jace- a few months ago since Jace was 3 months. She is so funny with him.Hallie rocking at Grandma's house when we were in Idaho over the 4th. She spent a lot of time on the porch in this chair. Nevermind the swimsuit- she also spent a lot of time in the kiddie pool and in the sprinkler. I was in the bathroom getting ready one day and heard Hallie in the kitchen singing away. Love the

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-32951305609719224712011-07-26T13:42:00.004-06:002011-07-26T14:05:33.858-06:00

*My Aunt Mari Ann graduated on Saturday from Western Governor's University with her MBA! We are super proud. We were the loudest and most embarrassing family at the graduation, by far. What better purpose for a family than to embarrass you! We even held up homemade signs. Fancy, I know. {Don't even ask me what this picture is of. It appears to be a graduation and that is all that matters. It

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-65545266667936763632011-07-19T10:17:00.003-06:002011-07-19T10:35:34.015-06:00

I have had some people ask lately what is happening with the adoption process, so I will give you a little update. Let's just say this process is sloooooooow. I knew I needed to work on patience and believe me- this is really testing my patience! So remember how we filed our I-800a form at the beginning of May? Well, supposedly it takes about 8 weeks to get approval. We are on week 11 and no

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-58877940493007080412011-07-14T22:34:00.003-06:002011-07-14T23:10:51.156-06:00

It feels unreal that it has been three weeks since Linda's death. I am fine some days, and then there are other days- like today, that are just rough.It has been interesting to watch how each of my family members is dealing with this tragedy and how each processes their grief. We have the gamut- from crying, to anger, to depression.I talk about grief a lot with the birth parents I work with. Now

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-6823196852320856442011-07-12T13:10:00.005-06:002011-07-12T13:39:09.023-06:00

Jacer bug has now passed the four month mark. Yay! Sorry for the delay in posting about him at four months, but things have been a bit crazy around here. We finally made it to the doctor and here are his stats:Weight: 16 pounds 15 ounces (95%)Height: 26 1/2 inches (95%)This child is even bigger than the last! Is this even possible? Here is Hallie's 4 month post if you want to see what she looked

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-41689627249789487012011-07-08T15:26:00.010-06:002011-07-08T16:16:05.571-06:00

Beware of many photos to follow. I can't narrow it down...super sorry.After Linda's funeral in Logan on Friday, we all drove up to Idaho, where she was laid to rest in the Ashton Cemetery. Though her funeral and burial was of course hard, it was also good because it helped with a little bit of closure on that end. We also found out the other day that Linda's death certificate named Amniotic Fluid

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-89068407610458197942011-07-05T21:54:00.014-06:002011-07-16T15:46:07.919-06:00

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of ups and downs, crazy emotions, grieving, crying, laughing, and remembering. I do this mostly for myself, but I want to record some of my favorite Linda memories and share some of my favorite Linda pictures to remember my hilarious, fun-loving, best-aunt-ever, aunt.It was an honor for me to be able to give Linda's life sketch at her funeral on Friday.

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15080467.post-18998025942557104422011-06-24T21:05:00.005-06:002011-06-24T22:00:07.270-06:00

Linda, Che'Lyn, and I on our Nauvoo trip in 2005. Love it. My life was turned upside down this week with the sudden loss of my dear Aunt Linda. I have a million things floating around in my head but I will try to keep this short as I fear it will be mumbo jumbo if I don't.I am grateful to know about the Plan of Salvation and that families are eternal. Death is not the end. We will see Linda and

Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621370982889171329noreply@blogger.com8