To all of you Amazing Race Fans:
All Stars starts tonight---in just about 15 minutes!
Enjoy!
18 February 2007
08 February 2007
Pit Stop
Now, all of you who watch the Amazing Race know about pit stops. For those who don't, it is basically the end of a leg of the race. The teams need to check in with Phil (the host) at the pit stop and then they spend the night where they have a meal, do laundry, make phone calls, take showers, and sleep. The pit stops only last twelve hours. So, basically the moment they arrive sets the time they need to leave for the next leg (12 hours later).
Anyway, that's where I'd say we are---at a pit stop. Now, I wish ours only lasted twelve hours and that I could be back on a leg tomorrow! We handed in our paperwork and now it is off to our region. Hopefully, there will be no further requests and that we can be given a court date! In the meantime, my pit stop will include doing laundry and packing for our next trip, finishing the nursery, and cleaning my house from top to bottom! We're also hoping to see a movie or two and spend time with friends.
And, of course, if we are in the US, we will be watching The Amazing Race: All Stars on February 18th.
I can't very well title my blog "amazing race" without commenting on the upcoming round of the show. I've been waiting for all-stars and I was happy and surprised to see the chosen teams.
Here are some of my thoughts:
Kevin and Drew (the frat boys)--couldn't remember them at first but they should be fun!
Oswald and Danny--they will be so much fun---i hope they "first class" it again by using resources at fancy hotels and charming people
Charla and Mirna--I hope Mirna does some of the tasks this time! I'm going to keep track! Also, I read that Mirna is married now so I guess she won't be flirting with Phil.
Teri and Ian--Loved this couple! Should bring lots of laughs!
Team Guido--I still can't get over the fact that they won the fast forward on one leg and came in last (would have been eliminated but there was a technicality with another team) all because they took the time to get massages!
Rob and Amber--I can't seem to get them off of my tv! I saw the original Survivor with Amber, the original one with Rob, Survivor All-Stars with the two of them, and then they invaded The Amazing Race only to come back AGAIN! I just want to say one thing--I hope the other teams have learned something about Rob and the way he plays these games! He plays to win and he will do anything to win! Many people have made the mistake of trusting him and have been burned! Remember that!
The other teams---No main thoughts about them.
I really was hoping that Flo and Zack would be back along with the model twins from that season. But, overall, I think it will be a fun season! Hopefully, I'll miss few episodes because I'll have my court date. That's why I love my TIVO!
Amazing Race Fans---if you have any favorites you are happy to see back or a team you wish would have been back--post in the comments. I'd love to see your responses.
Back to the Adoption Front:
Congratulations to Jeff and Maria on your successful court date!
A warm send off to Lauren and Marco as they take off tomorrow!
Hope everyone has a great time in Moscow!
Anyway, that's where I'd say we are---at a pit stop. Now, I wish ours only lasted twelve hours and that I could be back on a leg tomorrow! We handed in our paperwork and now it is off to our region. Hopefully, there will be no further requests and that we can be given a court date! In the meantime, my pit stop will include doing laundry and packing for our next trip, finishing the nursery, and cleaning my house from top to bottom! We're also hoping to see a movie or two and spend time with friends.
And, of course, if we are in the US, we will be watching The Amazing Race: All Stars on February 18th.
I can't very well title my blog "amazing race" without commenting on the upcoming round of the show. I've been waiting for all-stars and I was happy and surprised to see the chosen teams.
Here are some of my thoughts:
Kevin and Drew (the frat boys)--couldn't remember them at first but they should be fun!
Oswald and Danny--they will be so much fun---i hope they "first class" it again by using resources at fancy hotels and charming people
Charla and Mirna--I hope Mirna does some of the tasks this time! I'm going to keep track! Also, I read that Mirna is married now so I guess she won't be flirting with Phil.
Teri and Ian--Loved this couple! Should bring lots of laughs!
Team Guido--I still can't get over the fact that they won the fast forward on one leg and came in last (would have been eliminated but there was a technicality with another team) all because they took the time to get massages!
Rob and Amber--I can't seem to get them off of my tv! I saw the original Survivor with Amber, the original one with Rob, Survivor All-Stars with the two of them, and then they invaded The Amazing Race only to come back AGAIN! I just want to say one thing--I hope the other teams have learned something about Rob and the way he plays these games! He plays to win and he will do anything to win! Many people have made the mistake of trusting him and have been burned! Remember that!
The other teams---No main thoughts about them.
I really was hoping that Flo and Zack would be back along with the model twins from that season. But, overall, I think it will be a fun season! Hopefully, I'll miss few episodes because I'll have my court date. That's why I love my TIVO!
Amazing Race Fans---if you have any favorites you are happy to see back or a team you wish would have been back--post in the comments. I'd love to see your responses.
Back to the Adoption Front:
Congratulations to Jeff and Maria on your successful court date!
A warm send off to Lauren and Marco as they take off tomorrow!
Hope everyone has a great time in Moscow!
04 February 2007
The Paper Chase
Two weeks ago we received a list of documents that we needed to either get or be updated for court. And, finally, after phone calls, trips to the doctor, trips to the police station, and hours photocopying documents---we have collected the list! Rob will be getting them apostilled tomorrow and then I can bring them to our agency on Tuesday. Yeah---at least for now! I hope this brings us closer to getting a court date!
We are keeping busy with decorating the nursery and shopping for our little one. We went on a shopping trip and came home with a carload of stuff for him (yes, our referral is for a boy!) and all we got for ourselves was three toilet brushes for our bathrooms!
I do want to send out a HUGE Congratulations to all of the couples going to Russia this week for their court dates! We will be thinking of all of you and looking forward to your posts and pics! It was very exciting last week to see the almost daily updates of court dates received by families. It's nice to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel!
We are keeping busy with decorating the nursery and shopping for our little one. We went on a shopping trip and came home with a carload of stuff for him (yes, our referral is for a boy!) and all we got for ourselves was three toilet brushes for our bathrooms!
I do want to send out a HUGE Congratulations to all of the couples going to Russia this week for their court dates! We will be thinking of all of you and looking forward to your posts and pics! It was very exciting last week to see the almost daily updates of court dates received by families. It's nice to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel!
22 January 2007
And now the Waiting Begins....
It started yesterday---the painful process of the waiting!
Our first week home was pretty full between catching up on sleep, going back to work, and sharing all the pictures and exciting stories with our friends and families.
We also got our list of documents needed for court and are trying to get these done ASAP.
And, then it hit me yesterday. This waiting for court is so hard. And, to top it off, I am someone who worries about every little thing.
On a happier note, we did start the nursery! We spent Saturday night stripping wallpaper from the bottom half of the room. We picked up the colors on Saturday afternoon and R put them on the walls to test them out. The room has a chair rail around the center so we are doing two colors, one on the top half and another on the bottom half of the room. The top will be a mystic beige which is a common neutral color in our home. The bottom was originally going to be jalapeno pepper but we changed it to dill pickle. Much better! R painted the top half last night while I was catching up on laundry. He is very anxious to finish it up so he can start putting together the crib and changing table. I will post pics as we make some progress!
I'm thinking of all of you out there in blogger land as you wait for your court dates. I think I'm as anxious as you are to hear about your dates! I check your sites every day when I get home from work.
Speaking of work, I'm not sure I mentioned this but I work as a toddler teacher in a preschool. I love my little class and they add a lot of sunshine to my days. Today we learned about penguins and it was so much fun to watch them waddle around the classroom! It put a smile on my face!
Until tomorrow......and I hope to see some good news in bloggerland!
Our first week home was pretty full between catching up on sleep, going back to work, and sharing all the pictures and exciting stories with our friends and families.
We also got our list of documents needed for court and are trying to get these done ASAP.
And, then it hit me yesterday. This waiting for court is so hard. And, to top it off, I am someone who worries about every little thing.
On a happier note, we did start the nursery! We spent Saturday night stripping wallpaper from the bottom half of the room. We picked up the colors on Saturday afternoon and R put them on the walls to test them out. The room has a chair rail around the center so we are doing two colors, one on the top half and another on the bottom half of the room. The top will be a mystic beige which is a common neutral color in our home. The bottom was originally going to be jalapeno pepper but we changed it to dill pickle. Much better! R painted the top half last night while I was catching up on laundry. He is very anxious to finish it up so he can start putting together the crib and changing table. I will post pics as we make some progress!
I'm thinking of all of you out there in blogger land as you wait for your court dates. I think I'm as anxious as you are to hear about your dates! I check your sites every day when I get home from work.
Speaking of work, I'm not sure I mentioned this but I work as a toddler teacher in a preschool. I love my little class and they add a lot of sunshine to my days. Today we learned about penguins and it was so much fun to watch them waddle around the classroom! It put a smile on my face!
Until tomorrow......and I hope to see some good news in bloggerland!
16 January 2007
We are Home!
We arrived home on Sunday evening and have been sleeping and catching up on American TV. Sorry we didn't post as we had intended but we were pretty busy and internet time was expensive.
I would love to share all the wonderful details of our trip but I do want to check with our coordinator so as not to create any problems.
I will say that the trip was great and that we are anxiously awaiting a return!
Will try to share more soon!
I would love to share all the wonderful details of our trip but I do want to check with our coordinator so as not to create any problems.
I will say that the trip was great and that we are anxiously awaiting a return!
Will try to share more soon!
07 January 2007
We're Off and Running!!
Here we are in Starbucks the night before our big trip (last American coffee for a week!) We got some additional gifts for the people we'll meet there, and every hour that goes by, the trip is becoming more real to us!Now it's Sunday afternoon, and we're just about to leave for the airport. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!
Here we come, Phil!
03 January 2007
Nervous or Excited? I Can't Decide.....
Well, it's a lot of both!
We had a phone conference with our coordinator today about the travel and it hit me, I am really leaving in a few days!
I have to share an experience I had today.
I was out of work early and went home for the conference call with the coordinator and R (Rob). Then, I decided to go out and pick up some more gifts. There is a store in a neighboring town that prides itself on its gift selection and customer service. And, to top it off, I have a gift certificate to the store. Well, I went in and started perusing the scarves and pins. I asked one of the employees to show me a scarf in a case and she looked annoyed with me for interrupting her. Another employee saw me walking around and around the jewelry counter and did not even ask if I needed help. Needless to say, I left the store without purchasing anything.
Now, normally, I don't get too upset but I really could've used some nice help from an encouraging employee today!
I did go to a small craft store in my hometown to look for local area cards and they were great! I told them what I was doing and about our trip and adoption plans. They were so wonderful! It's too bad that I went to this store before the other one. Oh well, I guess I'll need to hit the mall!
Question for my fellow racers-----what kinds of gifts did you bring for caregivers? orphanage directors? facilitators?
I did love Lauren's idea of bringing a cake one day to the caregivers and asked my coordinator if we could stop and purchase something on our last day and she said that would be really nice. I gave you full credit for the idea, Lauren! Thanks, I love it. I'm a preschool teacher working with toddlers and I know how much we appreciate it when our parents bring in treats for us!
We did find out some encouraging news today. There will be another couple from our agency in our region at the same time as us. We will be going to the Ministry together and staying at the same hotel. Yeah! It's just nice to have some camaraderie!
Well, until later!
We had a phone conference with our coordinator today about the travel and it hit me, I am really leaving in a few days!
I have to share an experience I had today.
I was out of work early and went home for the conference call with the coordinator and R (Rob). Then, I decided to go out and pick up some more gifts. There is a store in a neighboring town that prides itself on its gift selection and customer service. And, to top it off, I have a gift certificate to the store. Well, I went in and started perusing the scarves and pins. I asked one of the employees to show me a scarf in a case and she looked annoyed with me for interrupting her. Another employee saw me walking around and around the jewelry counter and did not even ask if I needed help. Needless to say, I left the store without purchasing anything.
Now, normally, I don't get too upset but I really could've used some nice help from an encouraging employee today!
I did go to a small craft store in my hometown to look for local area cards and they were great! I told them what I was doing and about our trip and adoption plans. They were so wonderful! It's too bad that I went to this store before the other one. Oh well, I guess I'll need to hit the mall!
Question for my fellow racers-----what kinds of gifts did you bring for caregivers? orphanage directors? facilitators?
I did love Lauren's idea of bringing a cake one day to the caregivers and asked my coordinator if we could stop and purchase something on our last day and she said that would be really nice. I gave you full credit for the idea, Lauren! Thanks, I love it. I'm a preschool teacher working with toddlers and I know how much we appreciate it when our parents bring in treats for us!
We did find out some encouraging news today. There will be another couple from our agency in our region at the same time as us. We will be going to the Ministry together and staying at the same hotel. Yeah! It's just nice to have some camaraderie!
Well, until later!
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