Our Orphanage

Even the Littlest Pet Shop get in on the action!

This is "the carnival" the orphans got to go to.

Emma "expecting".

One happy kid!

I would like to show you what I get to wake up to almost every morning. Emma and Hudson have gathered random stuffed animals and set up "an orphanage" with children needing a new Mom and Dad. (You can't tell that's ALL we talk about around here can you?) I hope my children aren't scarred or warped with this process!

Basically this is how it works. Emma or Hudson bring me a "child" and explain why they need to be adopted...I say yes! I would love to be their new Mom...I have to take care of the stuffed animal for the rest of the day. Sometimes, I talk Emma into adopting one and then I get to "babysit" them because I am the grandma. I finally tell them, after adopting all of their stuffed animals and playing their game for hours that I can't do it anymore...I've got more to do (like check my e-mail) and then the game ends.

The other day Emma "gave birth" to a black baby and when she brought it to show me (the Grandma) I was so excited. After a few minutes talking she gasped and said, "Well, God just made a little mistake in the skin, but that's okay." She had just realized it was not possible for her to give birth to that child, it was pretty funny.

Family Dancing, a nightly ritual

These are a few precious pictures of Boyd and Gracie dancing. Yes, it has become an almost nightly ritual. Usually, as Boyd does the dishes and cleans up dinner the kids get their p.j.'s on and we crank up the tunes (and get the wiggles out) until bedtime! I don't have pictures of Emma, Hudson and I but believe me we have got the moves! It's a little difficult to take pictures when you are a dancin' fool like me. I did manage to capture a tender moment with Dad and Gracie though!

If you don't do this at your house and you have young children I highly recommend it because there are only a few precious years when your children think you are a REALLY great dancer!

Our first referral

Yes....it's almost official! We finally received the long awaited e-mail from our program director on Monday. There were a few children with limited details but we felt very strongly about one in particular. Like I mentioned earlier, I can't post any pictures, names or many details. But...believe me he is darling and I know he is meant to be in our family.

We are hoping to adopt an infant as well and will be anxiously awaiting that opportunity. Depending on how long it takes, the court process we are told takes about 2 months. We feel so blessed to have these precious spirits join our family and pray the Lord will watch over them now and always. Please keep them in your prayers.

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward...

Angela posted a "pay it forward" post on her blog last week and I thought I would participate to give me something to think about besides the adoption. Plus, I get a little homemade something (which I'm sure will be fantastic) from her!

Here's how it works:

To get a homemade gift from me, you have to participate in this blogging game. The first three people to leave a comment on my blog, requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange, will recieve my homemade gift.
You may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive something special and, "homemade," from me. It is from the heart!
The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog (so you must have a blog to participate).
Keep in mind if you want something from me, you have to give.

Adoption Obsession

Thanks to everyone for your well wishes concerning our upcoming adoption from Ethiopia. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such supportive and encouraging friends and family. I spoke to our program director, Lisa last week and she told us she would send us pictures of some of the waiting children. Needless to say, I have been checking my e-mail about 100 times a day waiting for the e-mail. We got another e-mail on Sat. night stating she was waiting to get current pictures from the orphanage and should have them by Mon. (since it wasn't a holiday there). I checked my e-mail about every 1/2 hour on Monday but we still didn't get it. Sometimes I wonder if it's normal to be this excited and obsessed. I have been reading lots and lots of Ethiopian Adoption blogs and it is strangely therapeutic. Somehow prying into the lives of other people that have gone through this makes me feel more normal.
I was going to post a few pictures of the orphanage, the Thomas Center and our program director but Ethiopia has a law that prohibits pictures of orphans on the internet. So I have now reconsidered and will not be posting any pictures, just to be safe.

We got our I-171H!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are so ExCiTeD!!!!!!! After getting our fingerprints done last Thursday we thought we would have to wait another 30-60 days for our form to get approved. Imagine our surprise when it was in the mail yesterday!!!!!!!!! SIX DAYS!!!!!!!!!! We are totally pumped! Now we just need to get all of our copies notarized and sent for authentication and we will be sending our complete dossier to the Ethiopian Embassy.
It has been quite the process getting everything together but now it feels so worth it. You can't wipe the smile off my face. I'm totally pumped. I'm going to be holding my babies so soon. I know they are just over there waiting. I'm coming as fast as I can!!!!!!!!! One step closer-hooray!

Help! I need some new Recipies

I forgot for a minute that I am Shelly Stewart and not Martha Stewart. There's a HUGE difference! It sounded like a good idea at the time... a chicken, penne, broccoli in an creamy alfredo sauce. I'm not sure what went wrong-but it was GROSS!!!!! Especially the chicken (I bought a precooked grilled chicken) and the sauce (bottled Bertolli alfredo). So...I have decided I need some new recipes. I don't want to dump another dinner down the disposal, think of all the starving children in Ethiopia and feel guilty! So if anyone has any great healthy, simple, affordable meals that are kid friendly let me know, I'm all ears!