Cute quotes from the boys

I wrote down some things the boys said a while back to later write in our little girls babybook. I just thought I'd post them here as well. On October 5th, 2oo8 Austin said, "Mommy, when our little sister gets here, I'm going to buy her a doll because I know girls like dolls and I want to give her one." So sweet. On March 3rd, 2009 Tyler was getting out of the car and said, "Mommy, when we get our baby sister, I'm going to help her get out of the car cause there is a big step there and she could fall and I don't want her to fall, so I can hold her hand and help her, and I'm also going to have to help her buckle her car seat cause it's kinda hard." They are both always asking us "when is she going to get here". I am so thankful for how comfortable they both are for her to come and how much love they're already showing for her. They are going to be the best big brothers.

Good News

We heard some good news yesterday. Our homestudy agency has been on a Russian blacklist for the past couple of months. Any family using an agency on this list would be delayed in getting a referral or a court date, depending on where they were in the process. The agencies would remain on this list until they turned in the appropriate paperwork to the Russian government. Well yesterday we found out our agency had completed all the paperwork and had been removed from this blacklist. Thankfully this didn't affect us at all because we are a ways away from receiving a referral, but if our homestudy agency did not get off the list it could have been a real problem for us in the future. It gives us such peace of mind to know our homestudy agency is now in the clear. Yeah!!

Paperwork

I sent off more paperwork yesterday, our first document expired. I sent it up to a family from West Virginin traveling next Tuesday to Russia. They will hand carry it over for us. We will most likely be doing the same thing for a family when we go. The people at the Pearland Postal Plus are becoming very familiar faces. I've seen so much of them over the past year. This time when I went in, I told them I'd been in so much and would continue to be due to a Russian adoption. They were so pleased and happy for us. Even the people at the postal plus play a special role in this process. They had a big world map hanging on the wall and I showed them exactly where she was waiting for us. It was neat to see her tiny little region on this huge map, it looks so small. I need to take a picture of that place for her book.

Friends

I had a friend email me the other day. She simply said, "Hey Honey, has Russia called yet?" Unfortunately, no new news, but it's always so nice to know when friends are thinking of you. She made my day.

Inspiring Story

I read this story on another blog and had to share it. It describes so well how we can all make a difference in this world, no matter how big or small it may seem.

The Star Thrower Story by Joel Barker
Inspired by the writing of Loren Eiseley

Once upon a time there was a wise man, much like Eiseley himself, who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer, he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean. " "The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die." "But young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!" The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves. "It made a difference for that one!" His response surprised the man. He was upset. He didin't know how to reply. So instead, he turned away and walked back to the cottage to begin his writing. All day long as he wrote, the image of the young man haunted him. He tried to ignore it, but the vision persisted. Finally, late in the afternoon he realized that he the scientist, he the poet, had missed out on the essential nature of the young man's actions. Because he realized that what the young man was doing was choosing not to be an observer in the universe and make a difference. He was embarrassed. That night he went to bed troubled. When the morning came he awoke knowing that he had to do something. So he got up, put on his clothes, went to the beach and found the young man. And with him he spent the rest of the morning throwing starfish into the ocean.

Names

Austin came down stairs the other day, out of the blue, and said, "Mom I think we should name our little sister Samantha." I had never thought of Samantha before, but actually really like it. Tyler heard this and said, "No Mom, I think we should name her Natasha." Also a name I never thought of but really like, for a couple of reasons. Natasha is a common Russian name and it's also our agency director's name, she is from Moscow. Tyler, being 4 had no idea about either one of these things, so it's really something to think about. I always just thought we'd name her Nicole, after my middle name, since Austin shares a name with his Dad and Papa, and Tyler shares a name with his Gramps, I wanted her to share a family name as well. This is definitely something we'll have to think about and consider. I never thought we'd have such wonderful suggestions from the boys, especially without ever bringing it up to them. Who knows, we might not change her name at all, we haven't decided what to do yet , but I thought it was so sweet of the boys to bring it up. Boy are they ready to have a little sister.