A Thunder-Snow in March

Well, here in Oklahoma we have what they call "Thunder-Snows"! It is a snow storm with thunder and lightning. Go figure! Crazy weather! It started with thunder, lightning and heavy rain this morning and then turned into heavy snow fast. And now we have about 6 inches and it is still coming down very hard. Here are some pictures of the kids having fun in the very heavy thick SNOW.

We have leaves and snow on the trees at the same time...

Sophia had some friends over last night and they wanted to play outside. They got so wet fast!

Well, we had fun in our Thunder-Snow today!

We adopted a new member to our family today, Fluffy.

Yes, we got another pet. We got a guinea pig today named Fluffy. Sophia has been saving up her money to get a hamster. They lady at the store said that the hamsters were harder to hold and they bite a little. So then we looked at the guinea pigs. They cost $20 more than the hamsters so that would mean we have to pitch in some money. Sophia was going to get the cage and everything. Well, guinea pigs are bigger and need bigger cages. So, you guessed it, we pitched in a lot more than we planned. Anyway, he is cute and cuddly.

So far, Chester (our cat) sniffed him out and then has left him alone. Lucy (our dog) doesn't care.

She is so proud of little Fluffy. He is about 4 weeks old. They say he could live about 7 years. I never had one live that long. But, she is planning the next 7 years out with Fluffy. So cute!

Fluffy has made himself right at home and went to the bathroom on our bed already. Yes, Fluffy was on our bed with the kids already.

My mom is taking pictures for a cause...

My mom and dad live in Michigan. My mom loves to take pictures and alway has as long as I can remember. She has been doing photo shoots for years for family and friends. Now she has decided to help us bring our child(ren) home from Ethiopia with her talent. Here is what she posted on Facebook.

"I'm taking appointments for photo shoots of families, couples & children, etc. from Spring thru Fall 2009. $100 for 1 to 2 hours at a park or my backyard gardens, with change of clothing if desired. You will receive 1 or 2 CD's with 100 to 200+ digital photographs, some enhanced with special effects. 100% of the cost will go towards a fund raiser to help my daughter and her family adopt a child (or two children) from Ethiopia. There is a sample album uploaded, that includes pictures of Toni & Scott and their children, Sophia (7) and Silas (5). Please help me to help them bring their precious child(ren) home from Africa. Contact me on FB (Nancy Rudnik) or email for an appointment. I'm looking forward to working with you. May God bless you.More photos and information on my Kodak website - http://www.kodakgallery.com/nansplace ."

So, if you live in Michigan and want your pictures done, here is a great way to help us too. Even if you don't live by her, you can still enjoy many pictures of my family on her website. She is very talented and loves what she does. Here are some samples:

On hold!

We are on hold right now with the adoption process. We are still waiting to see if we are going to be moving or not before we can complete our home study. The home study is a big step in the adoption process and until we can get that done we are on hold. Gladney is our adoption agency and they are ready when we are to complete it. We will know by March 23rd if we are moving or not and then we can move forward with our home study. Yea!
Also, on a conference call today with the Ethiopian team at Gladney I learned a few things. The wait time for our home study paperwork to be completed will be 4-8 weeks after the actual study. Then there are still many other details that need to be in place before we are placed on a waiting list. And, once we are on a waiting list the wait is about 6 months average right now in Ethiopia. Then when we accept a referral it is another 4-6 months before we can bring the child/children home. This puts this into a little more of a "real time" for all of us. I just wanted to share that with all of you. We pray daily for these children and can't wait to meet them.

Our house...maybe

Well, we were going to close on our new house today. That is not going to happen now. In fact, we may not even get the house now. The loan is approved and ready to close except for one important detail. The bank wants us to pay off the rental until June when our lease is up or have a renter with a contract. Well, this is new to us in the last couple of days as far as the "paying off the rental contract" goes. And we, along with many other people, are trying to find a renter. We have had some people come through the house and even apply for the rental but then changed their minds. So, today is closing day and nothing is happening. We extended our contract until next Friday, so there is still a chance to get this done. Right now, Scott and I are just ready for all this to be over either way. I will keep you all posted.