18 - 98

Ok, so I had a "freak out" moment in the car rider line picking up Joshua today. Something made me think that we are pretty close to March. Then my mind rambled over to the fact that there is a small possibility that we could get a referral in March. You'll remember my post about the window of when we might get a referral (March 10-May 5).

THEN... I calculated how many days we have in our window. We are between 18 and 98 days to a referral.

OF COURSE, my dossier is not complete so that's not going to be very helpful. I'm going to take a day next week to go around and gather up all the last pieces of paper I need, take them for notarization and authentication just so we can be done.

Then, there are the photos that we have to make of each room in the house. That is going to be a problem. Every room in my house right now has things in it that don't belong there. It all started when we decided to start working on Ellie's room. Scrapbook/craft things went in tubs that went to the garage/office. Toys went to Joshua's room, but there are 4 tubs of things to go in the yard sale. They are sitting in his room. The shelf they were sitting on (formerly in Ellie's room) is going in the yard sale and it's sitting in the hall. There is barely enough room to walk through the upstairs hallway. The bedding we bought LAST YEAR for our room has left Ellie's room and now sits in OUR room waiting for someone (read, "ME") to strip the wallpaper border and paint the room. The living room has boxes of cabinets that are waiting to be put in the garage/office when the floor is framed. Kevin is starting on that this weekend. Everything in the garage/office will have to come out and go somewhere else until that is done. WHERE??? And, so, HOW am I supposed to take lovely photos of my (not-so) clean house for the Krygyzstan government officials to review when I don't HAVE a clean house right now????

Now, granted, when all this rearranging/re-doing is done, it will be MUCH nicer and we will be much more organized, but OH the CHAOS we are living in right now is just too much some days.

I checked the UPS site and Ellie's bedding should arrive tomorrow. I also checked to see if our newest grant application had arrived yet. The USPS site is only updated in the evening, so while I suspect it got there today, the site isn't updated to reflect that yet. We truly could use that grant. We are on the downhill slide, but the reality is, that even with the upcoming concession stand we're working at the community Easter egg hunt, donut sale and yard sale, we are still short the funds we will need to fully complete this adoption. I still am standing firm in the fact that God will provide it when we need it. The peace over this and the lack of worry I have had is such a blessing and I thank Him every day for taking that worry from me. I am, however, tired of fundraising and I know my friends are both tired of fundraising and OF ME!! I don't blame them. I'm wearing out my own welcome in my own home, so I can imagine how they feel! :-)

18-98 days???? You've GOT to be kidding me.

But, I can't wait!!