Thanksgiving

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Hope you had a great day! Happy shopping!

11th Anniversary

Hard to believe it's been 11 years! Although we've been through some challenges lately (all adoption related), I couldn't ask for a better husband! Happy Anniversary!

If You Can't Find An Ana...

It must have been all those times playing hide and seek with daddy, but Ana is quite good at hiding. She squeezes into small spaces, is very quiet, and often very creative where she hides.

Of course it helps the seeker when the laundry basket is in HER room and all the dirty clothes are strewn across the floor .

How Much Can One Person Take???

We were informed today that there were 9 or 10 missing, outdated, or just plain wrong documents in our dossier. So, back to the embassy we go AND we've had to beg for help from the American side as well.

Then, I received an e-mail from the Bangkok embassy saying that they never received our home study (that is needed for our American adoption approval). I hastily called our agency and they quickly provided me with the FedEx number showing that it was indeed delivered THREE WEEKS AGO. The Bangkok embassy is currently looking for it!

To top it off, we found out that the previous agency is not planning on refunding much of our money. Therefore, we are following grievance procedures with them and will see how they respond.

So, that was my day--hope yours was better!

The Rug

We've had our rug for about two years. It's needed a good cleaning and so today I gave it a shot. First of all it's big--probably 6x9 feet. Even dry it weighs a ton! Ana had to help me pull it out from under the book shelf (which was very interesting to get her to pull the right way). Once I got it in the bathroom I had to roll it up and do a section at a time. I sprayed, washed, and then sprayed it off two more times. What really saved me was a regular squeegee. It helped to get most of the water out. Then when I was finally done I had to get the monstrosity outside. I ended up rolling/dragging it out on Ana's little car. It was a real struggle to get it up on the rail, but eventually I managed. Of course, this is not the end. The bathroom then had to be scrubbed and the floor where the rug was had to be swept and mopped. Wow! Sure hope I don't have to do this again anytime soon!

Why didn't I just have it cleaned? It cost as much as we paid for the rug!

The Game

We had the chance to watch the Singapore Slingers on Sunday. The game wasn't too late and we thought Ana would enjoy it. I rushed her home from church so that she could get in a nap. When we woke her up she was a wreck. Crying, not wanting to go--so we pushed, and prodded, and finally got her out of the door. It was worth it! We
watched some basketball! (and I got to use my BIG lens that I hardly ever use!) The game went into double overtime. What's interesting is that there were more fans for the opposing team (the Philippines) than there were for the Slingers. Of course teams weren't made up of nationals. You can clearly see here the big guys are American!

hung out with friends (of all ages).

hugged the mascot. This is the merlion. Yes! He was a little bit scary, but she hugged him anyway!

fell down the stairs (while trying to jump) and landed on our face!

A lot of fun--we'll do it again!

What?

Sometimes I wonder what goes through her little head. Is she a ghost, planning to get married, or just plain strange? (Of course this is all occurring when she is supposed to be in bed!)

The Bag Lady

I have a very quirky daughter. She does things her way and she has her own idea of what "fun" is. Every single day (from the moment she gets up), she gets busy and stuffs her many bags. Many times when we can't find something we have to go through three or four bags before it is found. She has borrowed quite a few of my bags. And I have to confess I've made her one (but no more!) She has bags from the US, Spain, Australia, Mexico, and Hong Kong. So, even though I strongly and repeatedly remind her, "You're going to have to put that all away!" She says, "Never Mind" and stuffs as many bags as she can find. Then what? She finds a new bag--the laundry bag (worn as a "packpack"). Well, this mama is off to unpack some bags!

Preservative Free

I was thinking the other day of all the things I have to make here that I wouldn't in the States. Here's my list:
applesauce, tortillas, salsa, some types of breads, cupcakes, cakes, seasonings from scratch, icings, sausage, crescent rolls, etc.

This adds up to being a lot of work, BUT there is always a silver lining. We eat mostly unprocessed food and avoid colorings, MSG, and preservatives. A blessing in disguise.