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!

Leading into Christmas the entire family except for myself came down with strep (YUCK!!). We left early for Christmas with my family so we could go to our biometrics appointment. Had three Christmas celebrations with my family and came home to a quiet Christmas day at home.

We then had two Christmas celebrations with Chris' family. It was good to spend time with Chris' cousin who is also adopting a beautiful little girl for Eastern Europe. We could compare notes and time frame and the differences in our adoptions being from different countries and celebrate the little mile stones that get each of us closer to the day we pick up our daughters. If we can both stay on track without any delays we will be bringing these cousins home about the same time. It was also good to spend time with the two newest members of the family: Chris' sister's new baby and his Uncle's son who they hope to have full custody of next month. Welcome to the family both of you (and good luck with this crew).

Jeremiah then got sick and has spent the last couple days with a terrible cough. This momma is ready for a break which will start on Friday! Chris and I leave to go elk hunting. This is my first year hunting elk and I am super excited. Elk meat is so yummy and we haven't had any in three years. Chris did not draw this year so maybe we can stagger our elk to keep fresh meat in the freezer (that is if I can get one).

Hopefully USCIS approval comes back fast and we can get things apostilled and on their way to county and meet our daughter this spring! Some days the paperwork and the perfection required on the paperwork can wear me down. To know that we are so close to being done with it is comforting yet stressing because now begins the official checks to make sure it is all correct. Please pray for us as we enter this stage and that everything will move smoothly because we are approaching our deadline for having documents in country. God Bless!

What a week this has been and it's not over yet...

Cayleigh fell three weeks ago and ended up with stitches in her lip and now we are doing follow ups to see if she will need to see a cosmetic surgeon to have the lip realigned. That appointment was on Wednesday. The lip is still swollen so we go back again after Christmas.

My sister-in-law had a beautiful baby boy on Tuesday who I can't wait to meet! And, we (in reality my mother-in-law) ended up with all three of her older kids sick and now mine are getting it so, we are all isolated and can't see that baby yet!

The preschool teacher ended up with the flu and was quarantined for the week so I got to sub preschool on Monday and Tuesday.

Drum Roll Please.....
Monday we received our USCIS appointment date! Each step is a step closer to bringing "Sally" home. We are so close to having our dossier ready for submission it is killing me.

What a weekend to fly!!!!! The kids and I went to stay at my parents for the balloon festival while Chris was at an EMS Conference.

On Saturday morning the weather reports were all saying it was going to be beautiful flying weather. When we arrived at the field it was a bit breezy. Our pilot and good friend Mike decided we would stay grounded that day. It was my turn to fly so I was feeling pretty bummed. We left and by the time we got back to Mom and Dad's there were seven balloons in the air. Our pilot never did fly but it made us question the decision until we heard that one balloon had gotten caught in a thermal. He had to let his balloon cool to get out and not go to high so when he came out he fell to the ground and hit so hard he ended up in the bottom of his basket (YIKES!!!!). He was OK thank goodness. We then felt good about the decision not to go up.

Sunday morning weather report didn't look so good for flying but hey the weather had defied the reports so far. It was a beautiful morning and WE GOT TO FLY! Yes it is hard to contain my excitement.

It was a gorgeous flight. We had a wonderful 45 minute flight then had a perfect stand up landing and since weather was holding my mom traded places with Chris (I picked him up the night before) and we went back up. It was another wonderful 20 minutes in the air.

The landing this time was a little rougher but was still better than some I have had in the past. Josiah got to get in the basket when we walked it to the trail to lay it down.

 He thought that was the most fun he has had in some time. Jeremiah was fascinated by the balloons and kept pointing at them and squealing. Cayleigh was much more reserved and was upset when Grandma took of in the balloon instead of staying with her.