Dream Blanket

E's Dream Blanket just arrived in the mail today!

We are going to sleep with it over the next few weeks before we bring it to her in Ecuador. Everyone needs a woobie, right??

Refrigerator Oatmeal

We are going on our first camping trip this weekend in the Westfalia. Because of our upcoming travel to Ecuador, it will likely also be our last for the year. As we were planning our trip, and planning our grocery list, I remembered a recipe that a friend shared with me recently ... Refrigerator Oatmeal. Ryan, of course cringed at the idea. He's not a big fan of oatmeal, but if it works, it will be super handy!!

Today I will make a jar, and see how it turns out!!

Assemble ingredient and supplies

• Old fashioned oats
• Low-fat Greek Yogurt
• Milk (we'll be using skim)
• Chia Seeds
• Half pint mason jars

I'll be trying for Apple Cinnamon because those are the only ingredients I have :)

• 1/4 cup uncooked oats
• 1/3 cup Skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 tsp Chia seeds (I'm using Chia seed meal)
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, or enough to fill the jar

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, cinnamon and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add applesauce and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.

Day 2

Refrigerator oatmeal = success!

Ryan doesn't like the texture, but says the flavor is ok. Last night I read something, somewhere that said:
Food - What you put in your mouth either makes you more healthy or less healthy.


Ryan says, "It's ok, because at least it's healthy."

So for our trip this weekend, we'll be having Refrigerator Oatmeal for breakfast!

Wish List for E

Many of you have been asking what we need for E. Obviously the most important thing we need is to get her home!! But I sat down a few days ago and started making a list. It was overwhelming to say the least :)

I've managed to put together a short list, and now seems like an appropriate time to post since we are getting so close. Our dossier should go out shortly, and then we'll really be in the home stretch!!

If you so graciously decide to assist us with the items in this list, please feel free to mail to:

1512 Fairlawn Avenue

N. Fond du Lac, WI  54937

Thank you in advance for all of your love and support!

Some immediate needs for our trip:

• Underwear -- size 2T/3T
• Plastic training underpants -- size 2T/3T
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Summer shoes/sandals -- waiting on our agency to confirm her size (9  or 10?)
• Backpack
• Sunglasses
• Hair ties and accessories (which I'm sure I'll struggle with the most)
• REI gift certificates for the stroller we'll be using in country
• Vitamins and Supplements
• Crayons
• Markers with special paper
• Cling ons
• Small nail clippers
• Travel Play-Doh

Stuff we'll need once home:

• Gift certificates for: Target, Walmart, Kohls, Amazon
• WeePOD Basix
• Fall/Winter clothes -- size 4T and up
• Shoes -- size 9 and up
• Tights/Leggings -- size 3T and up
• Socks
• Small Table and chairs
• Tricycle
• 12" bike
• Small bookshelf or bookcase
• Munchkin Bath Letters & Numbers
• Safe Step Stool
• Toddler Bed Rail
• Underwear -- size 4T and up
• Fun bath towel
• Nightlight (purple)
• Books, books, books, books and more books

I'm sure there are a zillion things that I am forgetting. Not to mention that I've spent the last 4 years planning for a little rough and tumble boy, and now have to switch gears for a precious little girl!!

This is really happening ...



Espero

In Spanish, the words "hope" and "wait" are the same -- Espero.

We have been hoping and waiting for a very long time! It's actually coming up on 5 years since we started this crazy journey to a family.

5 years.

So much has changed in 5 years, yet almost nothing has changed. Even with this new adoption program I still kinda feel like I'm just going through the motions. I don't know that I ever really felt like it was going to really happen. I've become quite the skeptic over the last few years. I want to go back to being super hopeful and giddy with excitement ... circa 2008.

This weekend I had a glimpse of that hopefulness and giddiness. In what seems like record time for the Department of Homeland Security, we received our I-800A approval in the mail!!

It is becoming real. We are really doing this! This was the last documentation that we needed in order to submit our dossier to Ecuador. This week I'll go to Madison to get everything apostilled and send it to my agency.

Hope. Espero

Then we wait for travel dates. Espero

Starfish

The Starfish Thrower

Once upon a time there was a man 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 an older man and the man wasn't dancing. 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 older man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

The man noticed there were hundreds of starfish all washed up on the beach from a storm the night before. He watched as the man carefully continued to pick up the starfish one by one. "I guess I should have asked, ‘Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?’"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"

The older man listened politely. He bent down, picked up another starfish. He looked at the starfish as he prepared to throw it into the ocean, past the breaking waves and said – "I will make a difference to this one!"

I want to make a difference!!!

I'll just have to do it one starfish at a time.

Thirty-One for Ecuador!

We are doing a Thirty-One fundraiser!!!

Log on to: http://www.mythirtyone.com/AnneLittle/  and place your order 

under the Scheel Family Adoption Fundraiser page.

Here is a link to a PDF for ease of 'shopping'.
Be sure to go to the link above to place your order :)

http://morekids4me.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/summercatalog.pdf

100% of the commissions will be donated to E's adoption expenses.

August Specials:

Be sure to add an 'S' at the end of the order number to get the discount.

Once we close the sale, I will be doing a raffle of two Thirty-One products. Everyone who makes a purchase through our party will receive an entry into the drawing!!

Want to help but aren't in a position to get Thirty-One products yourself? Consider hosting a party! You will get all of the hostess freebies, PLUS, we will receive 100% of the commissions from your party as well! Please send me an email if you're interested :)    s.jesandryan@yahoo.com

Please 'Attend' our Facebook Thirty-One for Ecuador event: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/467332753285630/

Happy Shopping!!!

Waiting...

Waiting for I-800 Approval ...

Kyrgyzstan was a Non-Hague compliant country for International Adoption -- and Ecuador is a Hague compliant country. This means that the Department of Homeland Security approval we had for Kyrgyzstan will not work in Ecuador. We had to re-apply, filing a different form. Our placement agency sent the application in to INS a little over a week ago, and this Thursday our $720 check was cashed -- could it be? Would they really process it this fast? I'm sure not, but I'm giddy imagining that they actually might. Generally it takes about 8 weeks before you receive official approval. Our fingerprints are current, so we can actually skip that step in the process. Maybe they can see that we actually already have approval on the 'other side' ?? Wishful thinking, I know.

In the meantime, I have begun purging -- or as my dear friend Shannon calls it 'Nesting'. I've done all the adoption paperwork there is to be done, and we only have to wait for INS approval to complete our dossier. I've applied to all the grants we could, except for one. In order to get that one out I just need a couple of recommendation letters, and those should be on the way. I began purging in the kitchen and have worked my way through the entire house. Today I listed 60 items on eBay, several more on Craigslist and have 12 full totes for a garage sale, and then eventually GoodWill.

We also bought ceiling fans for all of the bedrooms, and have begun to install them. Two years ago we put a ceiling fan/light kit in the kitchen and a new chandelier in the dining room. Only took us 12 hours, but I figured since we did that -- we know what we're doing, right? Kind of.

Old ugly light...

Old ugly light off ....

Ceiling fan motor installed ...

Voila!

And it even works!

100 Buenos Deseos

We have started a 100 Good Wishes (Buenos Deseos) fundraiser page!! It is our goal to try and raise $2,000 in order to pay for the niña's plane ticket home. Please prayerfully consider supporting us. To donate through 100 GoodWishes, click here, otherwise you can click on the 100 Good Wishes image along the right side.

¡Muchas gracias!

¡Es una Niña!

It's a Girl!

We are so excited to announce that we are pursuing the adoption of a waiting child in Ecuador. She is 3 1/2 years old, and has spent the majority of her life in an orphanage. We found out about her several months ago, and made the official leap of faith about 6 weeks ago. At this point we are only awaiting USCIS approval. Once we have our approval letter, we can add it to our dossier and submit it to Ecuador. It's almost kind of scary that there's nothing left to do. We have submitted everything we can at this point -- and just have to wait for immigration approval. It's almost too easy ...

Now we wait. And pray.

Kyrgyzstan

So far a handful of kids have made it home on US soil. For this first time, they are able to be in loving, caring homes with their Forever Families. I am so overjoyed that after all these years of fighting; these kids were finally allowed to come home.

For the rest of the families there continues to be struggles. This is especially true for the families that have kiddos at the Bishkek Baby House, which is where Akyl was. Several families have completed their bonding trip, came home, and returned to Kyrgyzstan for their court appointment, only to have the judge turn their cases away. I’m not exactly sure of all of the details -- but I do know that it’s not good. The trips alone are costing anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500 a person. This, in addition to all of the late ‘expediting fees’, is turning out to be way more expensive than any of us ever thought. There are so many of our Kyrgyz family members who continue to suffer through this mess. When will it end? Why does it continue to be so difficult?

I miss him SO MUCH. Every. Single. Day. But lately I find myself thinking – Did we get off easy?