As our paperwork winds down the realization that in just a few months we will be meeting our daughter is setting in. I know we still have a long road ahead of us but as we navigated the paperwork and jumped through all the governments hoops there were times it felt as if we would never get it all completed.

It is also setting in how far we are from funding this adoption. I have gone into full out crazy fundraising lady mode. I currently am crocheting pot scrubbers ($8 for 4), sewing lace boot cuffs $10 a pair, and on February 1st we will begin taking donations for our mustache growing competition.

This mustache fundraiser will be a fun competition between the males of our family. For the month of February the wives will be collecting donations. For every $5 the wife collects the husband will grow his mustache one day. The guys will begin growing March 1. The guys participating include Chris (Daddy), Jim (Grandpa), Lane (Poppah), Tyler (Uncle), and Sean (Uncle). Let's see who can get the longest mustache in March! If you would like to see one of these guys grow a 'stache either talk to their wives or you can donate at reecesrainbow.org/sponsorstum then email me your receipt with the name of the guy you want to see with a mustache!

Apostilles here we come and then our dossier will hopefully be in our agencies hands within two weeks!

As of January 6th we now have immigration approval! We submitted our application November 20th, had our fingerprint appointment December 22nd, and approval arrived in the mail January 8th. We are only waiting on a background check which we hope will be in our hands next week. Once we have that all of our paperwork is ready to be apostilled and then be sent to our agency and go for translation. We are getting so close to having everything ready and to begin the wait to meet our daughter. Cayleigh still gets up every morning and asks if we can go get her sister today. I am so glad that her excitement is not fading with the time. There are days that it seems like this adoption is never going to happen with all the paperwork, road bumps in paperwork, and waiting. I keep reminding myself everything happens in God's time and if this is His plan (as we feel it is) He will take care of it and the adoption will happen.

On the family side of things...
I celebrated my birthday on Monday. On Saturday Chris and the kids took me to Garden City to an auction, to get things to work on the house, and for a birthday lunch and ice cream. It was a very enjoyable day and we allowed the kids to get fish. They picked out glofish. They are very bright colored fish. It is fun to watch the kids enjoy the fish and WANT to take care of them. On Tuesday C had an appointment with a plastic surgeon to check the alignment of her lip from her stitches. The surgeon does not believe that surgery will be necessary. She thinks when the swelling is completely out that it will not be noticeably off. PTL!
Signing off until I have more news to report. God Bless!