Bibs or Bust

One of the things that I had always intended to donate to our children’s orphanage(s) are bibs. Specifically, I was looking for tie closure bibs as I think Velcro bibs hurt the tender skin on babies’ necks and collect lint and other gunk in the wash. After some research, I realized that tie closure bibs are not easy to find, so I asked my friend Whitney to check with her seamstress on the price of having some bibs made. A few weeks later, Whitney told me that her seamstress, along with the members of her church sewing circle, would like to make the bibs for free and donate them. What a wonderful and generous gesture and what cute bibs!

I would like to thank the seamstresses by name or at least mention their church here, but I have been unable to find out this information. Maybe they would like to remain anonymous. So, to the women who made these bibs, our sincerest gratitude for your kindness, time, and efforts. Your thoughtfulness and generosity are deeply appreciated.

Brotherly Love

In case you ever wonder how I spend my time, a lot of it goes to being Naunty (or Nanny Aunt) to my two littlest nephews. Sweet moments like this one I got to witness on Friday make taking care of them so well worth it for me.

I think they will be great big cousins to our children when they come home.

More Paperwork In Progress

On Saturday we finally fedexed our I-800A* Supplement 3* application for the free extension of our I-797* approval. It was received at the USCIS facility in Texas on Monday. In order to avoid any RFEs* or other potential delays, I included any and all documentation that NBC* could possibly want even if they already have it on file.

Also for those of my readers just starting out on their journeys, please be advised that on November 23, 2010 USCIS will increase its fees for all immigration filings. The fees for I-600a/I-600 and I-800a/I-800 will increase to $720. Biometrics (fingerprinting) will increase to $85. For detailed information regarding the increase, please visit USCIS's website.

*If you don’t know what any of these things are, you must not be a (P)AP*. :)

Grandma Rocks

Craig and I spent Labor Day weekend with his mom and step-dad near Pensacola, FL. While there, Craig's mom presented us with this beautiful quilt she made for our children. We are so thankful to know that Grandma is just as excited as we are about our adoption and that she will love her new grandchildren in that special grandma way.

The Magnificent Seven

Moms, that is, and they just made a big difference. Here’s the scoop:

Several weeks ago, our cousin Jessica asked me if there was anything she could do to help us in our orphanage fundraising efforts. At the time, I was stumped, but I promised to let her know if something came to mind. So I thought and thought about it and one day I finally had an idea. I had always intended to give gently used children’s clothing to the orphanage(s). My plan had been to scour the local Goodwills, Ebay, yard sales, etc. to find the best deals, but then it occurred to me that Jessica has many wonderful friends who, like her, are mothers of young children. So I asked Jessica if she and the other moms would be willing to sort through their children’s wardrobes and donate gently used clothing for us to take to the orphanages. I am happy to say that they were.

This weekend, Jessica and I got together to pick up any donations that hadn’t already been dropped off at her house. I am glad she told me to bring the truck. Here’s a picture hubby snapped of me unloading at home:

And here’s a photo of the majority of what was donated. There were some stray shoes and coats and overalls that I forgot to add before taking the picture, but I think you can see that some of the orphans in Eastern Europe will be quite well-dressed. By the way, due to the sheer volume, I had to snap this photo from our loft looking down into our entry:

I am very humbled by the unbelievable generosity that was extended through us to the children who will remain behind in our kids' orphanage(s). My sincerest thanks go out to Jessica who clearly has a huge and loving heart and offered to help in any way she could and to the magnificent seven moms, including Jessie, who so liberally and graciously donated clothing for far-away children in need.

Flower Fundraiser & Giveaway

Recently, Craig and I overhauled the landscaping in the front of our house and as part of this process I thinned out my iris bulbs. These bulbs were given to me several years ago by a dear friend who has since passed away, so they are very special to me aside from being quite beautiful. I have moved these bulbs with me through three states and hope to keep them as part of my landscaping for the rest of my life. Here’s a picture of my irises from 2009:

The bulbs bloom in three colors: a silvery light blue, a soft pink, and a dark purple and white. You won’t find these colors at Lowe’s or Home Depot. My friend collected iris bulbs for decades and had at least 50 different colors of blooms alongside her driveway every year. She shared the blue irises with me because they were my favorite, the purple/white ones because they were Craig’s favorite, and she gave me the pink irises because she said that particular color reminded her of me.

I receive lots of compliments on these flowers every year from neighbors and visitors alike. As I have done many times before in the spirit of my friend, I would like to pay it forward, so I am giving away a box of mixed iris bulbs to the first person who reads this blog entry, then emails me and says he/she would like them.

In order to raise more funds for our children’s orphanage(s), I am also offering for sale additional boxes (8 5/8" x 5 3/8" x 1 5/8") of bulbs for $5 each plus $5 flat rate USPS shipping unless you’re local and we can exchange the items in person. Simply email me at viviane8 @ yahoo.com if you’re interested in buying some of these bulbs which will make gorgeous flowers next year. First come, first served while these supplies last:

Needless to say, any and all proceeds will benefit the orphanage(s) in which our children reside.

Summer's Bounty

While we wait for our children to be found and join our family, another season of gardening has come and almost gone. Even though my suburban garden is only about 55 square feet in size, this year we have been incredibly blessed with a bountiful harvest that is still going strong. Here’s a picture of what I picked this morning to use in today’s meals:

To date from eight plants, we have harvested 393 tomatoes of all sizes from cherry tomatoes to those big beefy ones. We grew about 30 bulbs of garlic which we continue to enjoy along with a seemingly endless supply of basil, green onions, and parsley. We had around a dozen cucumbers and zucchinis, lettuce early in the spring, and carrots still to come. I might put in another row of lettuce and more green onions soon, and of course, I need to plant garlic for next year. The one thing that didn’t turn out this season are the green beans which usually climb on the deck posts. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. I won’t complain.

I hope that in the summer of 2011 we will share our garden’s bounty with our children and that my love of gardening will be transferred to them as they grow up.