So much to report, and yet, I have little ability to find the words to say...I've hesitated to blog because I just don't feel the need to vent and update like I did while in the "waiting" stages.
5 topics for today:
1. New house
2. Family Time
3. Pampered Chef
4. Adoption
5. School
Here goes:
1. New house - It's official. Our address has been changed, and mail should begin to arrive next week. We still have a little work to do on getting things out of the garage at the old house, but the new house is shaping up just fine.
For those who do not know, we moved in to an "apartment" in my in-laws home. They have been so so gracious to help us maintain our own "home" and have cleared out tons of space for us to store our things. It truly is a blessing. They're GREAT! Sveta only has "escaped" into their side of the house a few times, and we're working on when that is appropriate, and when it's not! Haha...she will get it eventually (maybe).
2. Family Time - I'm looking for ways to make our family time purposeful and deliberate...so that we are spending quality time together doing things that we enjoy and bring us rest...rather than just being near each other. Any ideas are helpful!! I'm excited about family and friend field trips I've got planned, and hopefully starting some holiday traditions with our little family. This year will be the first that Barry and I have put a Christmas tree up together...and I LOVE Christmas time...so it makes me happy.
I also have been trying to plan meals more effectively so that we have more time to be together without me laboring in the kitchen. My new plan starts next week. I've created 8 weeks of meals, grocery lists, and recipes, so I can grab a week and GO. Hopefully this will work well. I'll let you know (if I remember).
3. Pampered Chef - I love working for this business, but I'm struggling with how much to throw myself into it. I enjoy it immensely, but I don't want it to become a focus over my family. I pray that I will be able to use it to serve and assist my family...and that it doesn't become an idol.
I'm pretty excited about a few new ideas I have for shows, and how I can use my products to make QUICK dinners for my family. And, I want to use the business for His glory, not my own. I'm learning a lot about how to use facebook, and how not to use it...and I've used it incorrectly to try to promote PC before. So, I am sorry. It will not happen again.
4. Adoption - There's still paperwork to be done that I keep avoiding. I just want to spend time with Sveta and watch her grow. But, she needs a social security number, a passport, and other things too. Argh...Paperwork is not my friend.
On a different note, my friend Melissa finally has Hudson home! Praise God!
My friend Jennifer, is going to get "sweet girl" sometime next month from an orphanage I've visited multiple times.
My dear friends, Mitch and Courtney, and praying about the next steps in their adoption process.
And, me, well, I'm praying about how to get our church/community educated about adoption: foster, domestic, and international. Curious about how you can get involved? Let me know, maybe we can work together on CCOGB and Greensburg! I don't have time to create something on my own to educate, but I do have info on lots of resources.
5. School - OH MY GOODNESS!! Sveta is doing so great in school...and I'm channeling my inner preschool teacher these days. We've created a word wall for her sight words, a calendar, a little pocket chart, and a weather and seasons chart. I'm going to cut out shapes to cut number of school days, and I'm hoping for a little white board or chalk board or writing tablet to practice different things on! It's like our own little classroom in her new HUGE bedroom. She even has 2 little old school desks from a nearby school that her Nana had. So great. I'll try to post a pic sometime!
Here's a list of some of the things she can do:
1. Name and name sounds of all letters (upper and lowercase)
2. Sound out consonant - vowel - consonant words (bat, hop, etc)
3. Recognize the words a, and, the, I, cat, day
4. Spell her first name
5. Write her first name
6. Write capital letters A - W
7. Write some lowercase letters
8. Count to 60
9. Recognize numbers 1-20
10. Recite at least 3 Bible Verses: Phil. 2:14, John 3:16, Col. 2:10
She ROCKS.
P.S. - The cost of our adoption is on my to do list to figure out. We've had several people ask where we are on the total cost, and on funding. Our Boaz account has been emptied, but the only expenses left are the post-placement reports. :) Praise God.
5 topics for today:
1. New house
2. Family Time
3. Pampered Chef
4. Adoption
5. School
Here goes:
1. New house - It's official. Our address has been changed, and mail should begin to arrive next week. We still have a little work to do on getting things out of the garage at the old house, but the new house is shaping up just fine.
For those who do not know, we moved in to an "apartment" in my in-laws home. They have been so so gracious to help us maintain our own "home" and have cleared out tons of space for us to store our things. It truly is a blessing. They're GREAT! Sveta only has "escaped" into their side of the house a few times, and we're working on when that is appropriate, and when it's not! Haha...she will get it eventually (maybe).
2. Family Time - I'm looking for ways to make our family time purposeful and deliberate...so that we are spending quality time together doing things that we enjoy and bring us rest...rather than just being near each other. Any ideas are helpful!! I'm excited about family and friend field trips I've got planned, and hopefully starting some holiday traditions with our little family. This year will be the first that Barry and I have put a Christmas tree up together...and I LOVE Christmas time...so it makes me happy.
I also have been trying to plan meals more effectively so that we have more time to be together without me laboring in the kitchen. My new plan starts next week. I've created 8 weeks of meals, grocery lists, and recipes, so I can grab a week and GO. Hopefully this will work well. I'll let you know (if I remember).
3. Pampered Chef - I love working for this business, but I'm struggling with how much to throw myself into it. I enjoy it immensely, but I don't want it to become a focus over my family. I pray that I will be able to use it to serve and assist my family...and that it doesn't become an idol.
I'm pretty excited about a few new ideas I have for shows, and how I can use my products to make QUICK dinners for my family. And, I want to use the business for His glory, not my own. I'm learning a lot about how to use facebook, and how not to use it...and I've used it incorrectly to try to promote PC before. So, I am sorry. It will not happen again.
4. Adoption - There's still paperwork to be done that I keep avoiding. I just want to spend time with Sveta and watch her grow. But, she needs a social security number, a passport, and other things too. Argh...Paperwork is not my friend.
On a different note, my friend Melissa finally has Hudson home! Praise God!
My friend Jennifer, is going to get "sweet girl" sometime next month from an orphanage I've visited multiple times.
My dear friends, Mitch and Courtney, and praying about the next steps in their adoption process.
And, me, well, I'm praying about how to get our church/community educated about adoption: foster, domestic, and international. Curious about how you can get involved? Let me know, maybe we can work together on CCOGB and Greensburg! I don't have time to create something on my own to educate, but I do have info on lots of resources.
5. School - OH MY GOODNESS!! Sveta is doing so great in school...and I'm channeling my inner preschool teacher these days. We've created a word wall for her sight words, a calendar, a little pocket chart, and a weather and seasons chart. I'm going to cut out shapes to cut number of school days, and I'm hoping for a little white board or chalk board or writing tablet to practice different things on! It's like our own little classroom in her new HUGE bedroom. She even has 2 little old school desks from a nearby school that her Nana had. So great. I'll try to post a pic sometime!
Here's a list of some of the things she can do:
1. Name and name sounds of all letters (upper and lowercase)
2. Sound out consonant - vowel - consonant words (bat, hop, etc)
3. Recognize the words a, and, the, I, cat, day
4. Spell her first name
5. Write her first name
6. Write capital letters A - W
7. Write some lowercase letters
8. Count to 60
9. Recognize numbers 1-20
10. Recite at least 3 Bible Verses: Phil. 2:14, John 3:16, Col. 2:10
She ROCKS.
P.S. - The cost of our adoption is on my to do list to figure out. We've had several people ask where we are on the total cost, and on funding. Our Boaz account has been emptied, but the only expenses left are the post-placement reports. :) Praise God.
