Monday! What a zoo!!

      Today I was privileged to accompany the entire kindergarten on a trip to the Baltimore Zoo!! I was nervous that my patience would wear thin (I actually really do not like going to places with tons of people, walking around on blacktop in the heat) BUT, I surprisingly enjoyed every minute of it! I think Jenna's adorable-ness attributed to my good mood! We saw so many beautiful animals! It never fails, though. Every time I leave a zoo I feel terrible for the animals being in captivity. I know, get over it. Still..... a CHEETAH in a 30x30 area, really?
      Now I have a tired (but still pleasant) six year old who needs a bath and a story and will be out like a light!
She is famous for her "jenna-isms" so here is one: As we were coming home from errands this evening, Jenna says "I know this may sound picky, but when I grow up, my husband is gonna HAVE TO know how to fish". hahaha.
      Abe got a cellphone today....ONLY because it was out of sheer bribery to play football (he secretly wanted to play, just like last year, but his slightly lazy side was pitching a good argument why he should object!) AND because it is only $9.99/month on our plan, unlimited texting, unlimited calling to all cellphones in the US. Pretty sweet deal!!
     Tomorrow I am back to the bank to get photographing permission letters notarized for the families traveling to ET in the next few weeks! Hopefully Baby will be moved to the transition house (the HOH) by then so they can take pics and video of her!!!!
      Off to bed-down the chilluns!!

A yardsale-ing we will go!!

So, our Saturday morning Sailing was a bust. Well, for me, not the kids. They scored!! Jenna got a Louis Vuitton purse for $4!!! And Eli got the Hogwart's Castle Lego set for $25 (it's over $100 retail!) But I am still amazed at how much some people want to charge for their junk! Oh, we did get 20 Disney books on tape for $5!!! That was a success. Now we just need to get Jenna another tape headset! CVS has them, I've been down that road before!
The weather is great today! I am going to sand and repaint the white rocking chairs, paint some in the house (touch-up) and get rid of junkage in the basement! We are going to remodel the basement, so all must be cleaned out!!
Later today, Maggie, Jess, Katee and I are going to the outlets, then to dinner!! Woot Woot!! I am excited for some girlie time, full of wedding and baby talk!! YAY!!
Peace!

Serenity? Yes, please. And make that a double!!!

      Ok, Ok! I know it has been FOREVER since my last post! I will update now, on this rare Friday night when I am off work and without any obligations. One kid is in bed dreaming sweet princess dreams, one is watching a new series with his dad on Netflix, two (one real kid, one borrowed kid) are blowing things up on the Xbox and one is frantically cleaning the ENTIRE house (to his mother's standards) in order to earn back his phone....all while I sit here, feeling incredibly blessed (and guilty over the Chai Tea milkshake I had tonight). Things are good, really good here. Wanna know why? Sure, I'll tell ya!
      First, we are the proud parents-to-be (so tacky, I know) of a beautiful, gorgeous, stunning 6 month old baby girl in Ethiopia!! Referral day was May 16, 2011! What a crazy, emotional day THAT was!! I have been addicted to her three little pictures. Staring, wondering what she looks like now, what her personality is, what she is doing at different times of the day :-) I just can't get enough! We have been debating how to spell her name, and what middle name(s) to give her. I'm sure by the time she walks across the stage at her high school graduation, Sten and I will have come to an agreement! 

     Second, Sten has had enough overtime and travel with his work to cover the BFC (Big Fat Check) that accompanied our referral acceptance that we did not have to plan the 5K race fundraiser. I am SO not the type to fundraise, not sure why...it's not like it's begging. If people don't believe in the cause, then no biggie. But still, I feel funny. I guess that stems from the earner trait that was embedded in me from my childhood days, having the biggest paper route in town! Well, we earned the money for the check AND Sten has traveled enough that we now have miles to cover all legs of our 2 trips to and from Ethiopia! BLESSED? I think so!!
    Third, and most magnificent, my spiritual journey is ON FIRE! Over the past year, I have grown so close to God, that sometimes, I just talk out loud to him. Right here. In my little world, I am renewed. I have had prayer after prayer answered throughout this adoption and my whole "I think I'll get sick and try to croak episode". It is quite incredible!
     Fourth, my best friend in the whole wide world (Jess) is having a baby girl in October and I am thrilled that we can be on this journey of "pregnancy" together! She has been such a rock for me during all of this, that I am certain I would be in a psych ward somewhere right now if not for her talking me down off of every I-can't-do-this-any-longer-cliff!! I lub you, Jess!!
  And lastly, I did a last minute vitamin drive this morning and had pretty great results. My friend from FMH, Renee, is traveling to Ethiopia tomorrow and has permission to travel to the House of Hope transition house where baby will soon be moved until we bring her home! Renee is going to deliver:
 16 large bottles of Infant drop Vitamins
 Oodles of Desiting
 Oodles of Hydrocortisone
 Oodles of Neosporin
 4 huge bottles of Gummi Vites for the big kids
 and some small toys for the bigger kids, too!!!


Yay for generous hearts!!


    So, there! A short list of the million reasons why things are GRRRREAT right now!!

That was the "Good", now this is the "Bad and the Ugly" :
     I am obsessing over dates, numbers and data. I am praying day and night that we get a court date before the courts close in August. (So, every year from mid August to beginning of October, the court system in ET closes due to the rainy season. The roads become impassable and therefore, they close them down. It is also surrounding their celebration of the New Year, so people take vacation then, too.) So, if we don't get a court date before closure, we won't get a date until October and then won't bring her home for another 5 or so weeks after that! UGh! But, if we do make it to court before the closure, the Embassy remains open during that time, so we can travel back within the 5 weeks to attend our Embassy appointment and BRING HER HOME!!!!!!!!!! 
    Please pray specifically that all of the dates line up and we can bring Baby Girl home in September!! God is so mighty that NOTHING is impossible for Him! I know this is true and I trust Him. Yet, I continue to stress....After I realized we were next on the list for referral, I started with this same ridiculous behavior and it took me about 3 weeks to finally settle into a peace and knowing that this is so far out of my hands, there is no point in stressing. Like my sister Krissy says "God's got your back!" and boy, does he ever!!


So, that's it. I am still me, just sporting a new "do", still 20 pounds overweight and a nervous wreck over all of this stuff I have no control over!!!! Serenity? Yes, please!!!  :-)

From Ashes to Africa

Last weekend I sat in the office, curled up with a cup of tea and a GREAT READ!!! You all MUST read this book! From Ashes to Africa by Josh and Amy Bottomly. It is the story of the adoption of their first son, Silas. Adoptive parent, grandparent or just someone who is in support of adoption.....click on the link to the right and buy it. Support their cause in Africa and read their amazing story. You will be changed!

All rest and no work made Amy a very poor girl!!!!

OK, so I am officially BACK TO WORK!!!!! As in overnight shifts and getting regular paychecks. It was a "nice" 11 weeks off (not really) but this adoption won't happen without the proper funding!!! Although, I have to say, I am SO EXCITED to start planning the Olsson 5K for April!! "Run a 5K to help raise $5K for the Olssons' 5th Kid!!!!!! Need desperately to call my girl Mindy to help me get started. I guess I'll wait until her Steelers take the 7th ring until we get moving!
Since I was in and out of the hospital for the entire fall, we were unable to have a birthday celebration for Jenevieve....WELL.......25 kindergarteners are descending upon Kling Ct. this Saturday!! Oh Lord, grant me emergency stash of patience and energy!! I am so please to FINALLY be giving her the party she deserves!
She is quite a kid!
Pics to follow...

OK, so it's been a realllllly long time since I've blogged. Sorry:)

So, since my last post a million things have happened. Like a virus-ish thing that nearly killed me, yet gave me a great sense of "I'm alive and should really make the most of every moment"....We are NUMBER 30 on the wait list. Holy smokes!!!! That gives me the shivers!!...Christmas and New Year's have come and gone, I turned 34, almost lost my GiGi to a massive heart attack and now here I am....ready to set my sights on Africa and the little baby that is there and will someday be ours! I am praying everyday for our Lord to comfort and protect her. I pray that His presence in our lives will be abundant and clear so that we will be spiritually ready for our journey!


There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. John 4:18

Holy Smokes!! We are getting close!!

WOW!! I just got off the phone with Ashley at CHI and she said we are getting very close to "dossier completeness"!!! I new this technically, but to hear it from her made it all seem so real!! Fingers crossed it will be on its way to Ethiopia by the end of September...or a little sooner!!! What a sense of relief. Now, to pay the $4,100 dossier fee.....I have been praying EVERY MINUTE for the $$$ part of this adoption. I know in my soul that God will see to it that we have the money when we need it. The extra shifts at work have been lining up and THAT, my friends, is my answered prayer. (Although, secretly, I must admit I was thinking more along the lines of a random stranger making a donation towards our adoption fund so I don't have to take on the roll of "walking zombie" for the next several weeks!!)
I am emotionally preparing myself for the deafening silence that is about to blanket my house between 8am-4pm daily as Jenna will be starting kindergarten in less than three weeks. We went to Walmart to get all of the kids' school supplies and as they piled all of the composition books, glue sticks and crayons into the cart, I was literally thinking to myself....."don't cry....not hear, in Walmart for Pete's sake!" Thank goodness the slef checkout turned me into a crazy woman and distracted me from my self pity otherwise, I think I would have been in a puddle of tears!!
Blogging ain't my bag, baby, but I'm learning!! Right? :)