Cause for Celebration

Today we received a missing puzzle piece, our I-171H (Immigration approval). Our WONDERFUL traveling Notary just left (it's 10:25pm). Tomorrow morning I will stop at the County Recorders office on my way to Los Angeles. After our document is Apostilled I will make my final trip to FED EX! We hope to have our Dossier submitted within the next two weeks!

Memories

Thanks to our special friend, Mr. Thomas and his extremely pregnant wife, we have wonderful family pictures. Baby M will finally have his picture up on our walls at home...4th child!

Conversations with the Kids

The following is a compilation of conversations that happened throughout our day today. Although they are very typical I wanted to write them down so that I will remember the sweetness and innocence of my children.

In the car on our way to visit friends:
Brooklyn: Mommy, can we talk about my birthday?
Mom: Sure, what do you think you want to do?
Brooklyn: Maybe a fairy party so that my hair can be pink with glitter.
Buddy: I coming to your party Brooklyn?
Brooklyn: Maybe, Buddy, ask Mama.
Buddy: I coming to Brooklyn's party, mama?
Mom: We'll see, Buddy.
Buddy: fake crying
Brooklyn: It's okay Buddy you can come if you dress like a fairy.
Buddy: Ok, Brooklyn.

In the car on our way home:
Buddy: Motorcycles are bad and scary.
Brooklyn: Buddy, they are so bad that you will die in a forest if you sit on them.
Buddy: Yea
Brooklyn: Mama, maybe I will have a motorcycle.
Mom: Do you want to die in a forest?
Brooklyn: I don't think I will get a motorcycle.
Mom: Good choice, Brooklyn.

A few minutes later:
Brooklyn: Mama do you think I could use Annie's Dora purse in my wedding?
Mom: Maybe, you could ask her. Are you planning on getting married soon?
Brooklyn: (laughing) Mom, I have to get my ring first.
Buddy: I want a ring. I want a big ring. I want a ring like Daddy.
Brooklyn: Who are you going to marry, Buddy?
Buddy: myself
Brooklyn: You have to marry somebody. But, you can't marry me or Mama or Bailey or Daddy or Tate or baby M or Papa.
Buddy: No Brooklyn, I marry myself.
Brooklyn: Okay Buddy but I don't know if it will work out.

Tonight at dinner:
Bailey: Dad, did you know that Mommy got to hold Baby Micah all day.
Daddy: Really?
Bailey: Yes!!! Baby Micah is the most sugary baby in the whole world.
Daddy: He's not more sugary than sweet baby M.
Bailey: Oh he is...I want to adopt him he is so sugary.

Bailey's comments from last week:
After standing at the Fed Ex counter for 30 minutes.
Bailey: Can you believe that the lady in here does that all day. If that was my job I would have to leave at 12:00. I would be so bored.
A few hours later.
Bailey: I know what my favorite job would be.
Mom: What?
Bailey: I would kiss baby M all day long.
Mom: Good luck finding someone who will pay you to do it! :)

Mike and Bailey talking during basketball:
Mike: Bailey, you are half Mom and half Dad.
Bailey: No, I'm all Mom and a crumb you.

Paper Baby

Our 'paper baby' was successfully delivered!

Ice Cream for Lunch

To be completely honest summer is not my favorite time of the year. Now don't get me wrong; let me explain. I love the weather, although we always have fabulous weather in Ventura. I love the carefree feeling of summer. I love summer clothes and summer type foods. What I don't like is the busy feeling that summer brings to our home. During the school year we enjoy sleeping in and reading books in bed. We love going to the library or the zoo without the summer crowds. Summer for us is filled with camps!!! The little ones and I have really missed Bailey during her camp days. She has missed us too!

To keep things interesting and fun we decide to make ice cream for lunch today. Brooklyn and Buddy did nearly all of it on their own. I was a very proud mama. When the ice cream was finished we ate it for lunch. Yes, FOR lunch!


Here is the recipe if you want to be known as the coolest mom in town.
To try it, you will need:

- milk
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- one quart plastic bags
- a one gallon plastic bag
- ice
- salt

Start with the quart sized bag. Pour in one cup of milk, one tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (we added chocolate syrup). Close the bag and shake it a bit to mix the ingredients. Put the sealed bag with the mixture into a larger plastic bag. Add enough ice to fill the larger bag about half full and then sprinkle about half a cup of salt onto the ice. Seal the large bag. Shake the bag for about 3 minutes. If you hands get cold, you can wrap the bag in a towel, or you can play "cold potato" by tossing it back and forth. Buddy and Brooklyn liked kicking the bags to each other.

After it is well frozen, open the large bag and pour out the ice and saltwater.
ENJOY!

Barefoot Sunday

Today was a really special day at church. During the summer our services at church are family friendly. For the past several family friendly services we have been giving to ministries throughout the community. Today's ministry collected new shoes for needy individuals. Mike took the kids shopping this week to get shoes for us to donate.

Here we are before church-


During worship, through music, we were instructed to bring our shoes up to the front. The kids had been anxiously awaiting this moment all week. The girls had even discussed who would eventually wear their shoes.

This is what we looked like once at home after leaving church barefoot-

PARIS

Our sweet little 'paper baby' just arrived safely in Paris, France!

No more papers!!!!

Many of you have been asking where we are at with Tate's adoption. So, since you have asked here is a little glimpse into the past week or so. Last week we put the final touches on our Dossier. A dossier is the pile of papers that gets sent to the foreign government with your official application to adopt (financial, background clearances, medicals, house info...). Once they were completed we had to have everything Notarized. The Notary's signature is not acceptable until it has been Authenticated. Which of course means I had to take all of our documents to both the Santa Barbara and Ventura County Recorders offices. Not done yet! Yesterday I drove all of our documents down to Los Angeles to the Secretary of State office. Each document needed to be Apostilled. This is a fancy term for your state government to certify everything which has already been certified. WHEW!!!

A very special thank you to the many individuals who took care of the kids while I ran this way and that.

Read the next post!

FED EX

Tonight the girls and I went on a celebratory date. Of course we had to start out our night with a little pampering, so we hit the nail salon for pedicures. The girls love getting their toes done. What girl doesn't, right? Brooklyn loves to get her toes painted black just like mommies. To add a little twist, and without my knowledge, she had little candy canes applied to her big toes. I thought it was quite odd until I saw Bailey's toes. She chose Christmas trees. When I asked her why she decided on the Christmas theme she said, "Mom, Christmas is only 5 months away". HMMMM, not sure what exactly she meant by that.?.

After our toes we went to the most important part of our evening.
FED EX
The girls and I were taking our 'paper baby' to it's next destination. Just the thought of allowing these papers out of my sight makes me emotional. The girls and I prayed over the papers before we got out of the car. Their prayers are always so heart felt. They asked the Lord to watch over the papers as they fly over the ocean. They also prayed that Tate would enjoy seeing the papers. -I don't think he is going to see them but it is thought that counts!



I think the girls sensed that I was having a hard time parting with the papers. Bailey started rubbing my back and Brooklyn kissed my check. Then, almost in unison, they both said they miss Tate. :( I miss him too girls!
They kissed the packaged and sent out their love...all the way across the world!



Mama had to kiss the 'paper baby' too.

Bragging just a little...

But this time it is not about my children. I have to take a moment to brag about my Aunt Karen. For as long as I can remember my sister and I have made fun of our mom for bragging about Aunt Karen. Mom is always saying something like...Karen makes the best cookies, Karen grows the most beautiful flowers, and (my favorite) my sister, Karen, picks the best fruit. Well, it's my turn to brag...my Aunt Karen makes the sweetest dresses! Case in point-this fabulous little number she made for Bailey to wear to History Class.


We love you Aunt Karen!

Dance Camp

It is official! Bailey is now DANCE GIRL. For a little background, Bailey has loved each camp that she is currently in more than the previous one. But while she is in camp she can't imagine anything comparing. Brooklyn had a wonderful time at camp too. She attending with two of her special friends Annie and Athina.

This video is Brooklyn's Dance. She is in the very front next to Athina. Annie is behind Brooklyn and to the left. I had a hard time filming all three girls because the woman in front of me kept moving her head.
(I guess Brooklyn's dance is too long for me to post. I need to figure out how to edit it- Justin???)

Bailey and Andonia are next to each other in this video. They had such a fun time together at camp.


And finally- this is the girls doing sign language to a song. I couldn't get Brooklyn on the video, she was too far away. Note: Athina is the cutie on the 3rd row that can't keep from dancing. :)

New Picture

Our Adoption Facilitator sent us a batch of pictures that he took of Tate back in March. Most of the pictures we had seen before but there were also a few new ones. This pictures is one of my favorites. His smile melts my heart :)

Mama

Could this be any sweeter? I never get tired of Baby M calling for me :).

Date Night

Brie and I took the girls out for a mother daughter date night. We started off with dinner at CPK. The four girls had their usual table- by themselves. :) Then we took them to see the new American Girl movie.


We are so blessed by their friendship!

Basketball Girl

Bailey easily and quickly switches from one passion to the next. This past week she was "Basketball Girl". Prior to this phase she was into running, horses, and sled dogs. This week she and Brooklyn are attending Dance Camp. I'll keep you updated if she changes from Basketball Girl to Dance girl.


Mike and the kids playing basketball in the front yard.



Bailey and her cheering squad at Basketball Camp.

Sponsor a Family

Check out our Family Sponsor Page!
www.reecesrainbow.com/sponsor_a_family.htm

We are located under- Our Adopting Families.

So Long Slide

These pictures were taken just before the water slide was returned due to several large holes. We used it for less than 10 hours but they were 10 WONDERFUL hours of fun and memories.

Brooklyn our Sweet Pot Pea

Brooklyn has a magnetic personality that EVERYONE loves to be around. She is affectionately named Pot Pea. We got the name after we started calling Bailey, Chicken Nugget. When Brooklyn was born we had a new 'chicken' who needed a name. We started off calling her 'Chicken Pot Pie' but it later changed to 'Sweet Pot Pea'. Brooklyn is such a sweetie I thought I would share a little bit of her personality. The picture above was taken yesterday after she spent the day taking care of her babies (two adopted and the others biological :)) Before I took the pictures she rattled of the names of each of them. In order from left to right (just the babies) WHATEVER, EMMA, EMMA, EMILY, TAYLOR and NELLIE O'MALLEY (twins) and BRIDGETTE.


This is a dance that Brooklyn performed for us tonight. She is wearing her most favorite skirt. She is a little sketchy on the wording except for one line that is supposed to say 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth'. Brooklyn's confident line says 'the FAMILIES and the earth'. Totally something that I would say :)

Success

Thanks to all who came to our lemonade stand the kids raise over $115.00 towards Tate's adoption. A few attendees (Pastor Dave and Papa) made such large donations that they were given 'all you can drink' lemonade! After it was all said and done Bailey asked if she had raised enough money that Tate would be able to finally come home :(. We miss him more than words can express and can't wait to complete our family. Thanks to each of you for your love and support.

Bailey's Feelings

Over the past few days Bailey has been talking about how much she misses Connor and Camille. We all miss them very much. I found the following picture under her pillow this morning. She must have made it before going to bed last night. Bailey has a very sweet and tender spirit.



(editors note: it seems she forgot to add a slip to my skirt in the picture!)