Busy summer, let's start the recap!

Our summer story starts with the day the van turning 100,000 miles.



This very day we had a massive storm:



We are right in the heart of this. (aside: this was the last time we saw rain, we have had a horrible droughty summer, and HOT!!!)

Naturally the van, true to cliche, broke down this very day, during this very storm. Van packed with children, night time, on our way to visit our new baby niece at the hospital, a hospital very far away.
We were stranded at the supermarket, waiting for dear Neil and Zinny to rescue us!
It took them awhile to reach us, so we kept ourselves entertained.




















This last one is the point when Neil arrived. Thank goodness!



We finally made it the next day.





I have been interrupted 14 times during this short entry, and Zinny is LITERALLY pulling on my leg and yelling NO as the dog is frantically trying to get out the door and I just answered the phone in between the words 'door' and 'and'..... Soooo I gotta go...



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She is ours! We are hers!

This morning we went to court to finalize the adoption. Neil asked me yesterday if I was nervous, I said , "Heck yes!". So many things could go wrong, so many what ifs. I didn't realize how truly stressed I was until it was all over. All that paperwork, all the waiting and worrying something would go wrong or Holt would change their minds, or a million other silly, unrealistic fears, but fears nonetheless. All that was weighing us down was lifted with a simple signature. It was over in ten minutes. All of a sudden the fear that something in the system would take her away from us was Poof! Gone!
After things settled down and we were tackling the day as usual, Neil asked if it felt any different, and we both agreed it DOES feel different. It just feels 'right'. It is as it should be. There is comfort and peace in it. Even Z seems different, seeking me out tonight to kiss me (fairly rare). She knows, she too is at peace. God is truly wondrous. There are no words to express our live and deep gratitude for God for orchestrating all of this. To Him all glory.

On our way in


Waiting to go in to court



Finally final!



Celebratory ice cream



We also went putt putt golfing, this is how Z golfs



There was a lot of this too...




Truly and forever ours at long last! God be praised!!



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Finalization Date

We have our court date! Zinnia will legally be ours July 2, it's so incredible. In our county we do not need a lawyer to finalize the adoption, but I couldn't find anyone who doesn't use a lawyer to mentor us, and you know me, I love a challenge. When someone says it can't be done, well I just have to prove I CAN. (See my posts about leaving for Korea 18 hours after our Travel Call, staying in Incheon 2 1/2 hour subway ride to Holt, and traveling by train to southern Korea to visit Zinny's birth city when Holt advised NOT to do this) Those county clerks did NOT want to be helpful, ugh. Instead of answering my questions, they just kept saying "yeah, that's what lawyers are for". Humph! I showed them, why shell out all that lawyer $ when you can use it to throw a fabulous Finalization Day Party!
When the county clerk man gave me out court date and time, I cried. I was surprised at how emotional I became. Almost 2 years ago this beautiful wonderful child was put adrift in a sea of uncertainty, parentless, and in just a few weeks she will certainly legally be ours, and we hers,forever and always. It is amazing and beautiful and huge. We are so excited. Party planning under way !








A RARE moment!



Playing dollhouse with the girls.



Ok, so the neighbors put in a swanky pool and didn't invite us over, so we provided our kids with the next best thing.....oh we are so lame, hahaha (uh, but they played in it for a loonnggg time!)



My birthday dinner (because you care :) ) oh that mojito was fantastic...and so was the second one ....


This was my cake, that's a pitcher of MELTED BUTTER that you pour over that cake....it also comes with a complimentary ride to the hospital...




Z and Grandpa



Thank you Jesus for your glorious love and blessings outpoured on our family. (especially our pool, haha)

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Just living life

And what a luxury it is to just live life!



Zinny encounters a car full of boys...




Zinny's pals.




Nothing better than a brother, a swing, and a pile of dirt.


In other news, I am headed down to the County Clerk tomorrow to start our paperwork for finalization!! I can hardly believe we are at this point. Zinnia has been home for 7 months (!!!!!). As with all the littles when they are littles, the time has flown by! I understand why families jump right back in queue to add another little. That fact encouraged me during the horrible wait, that families did it over and over, so it must actually work. And they all assured me that the agony of waiting disappears like the labor pains of childbirth.

Will update soon with more finalization news...
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Memorable Post Placement

So we had our third and final post placement visit with our social worker. Let me preface this story by telling our Easter story. And let me preface the Easter story by telling about the meaning of Zinny's Korean name. While I was at Holt in Korea with the Foster Family, they tried to impress upon me the irony that her family name means 'stop' and her given name means 'line'. Stop line. Hahaha, they laughed....because she.never.ever.STOPS! So on to our Easter story. The night before Easter my brother and family were babysitting our 3 littles. A rare date for Neil and I. Zinny fell off the swing and, long story short, we spent Easter morning in the ER. Zinny fractured her arm in 2 places. The ER Dr. has Holt family members and was kind enough to put on a removable cast because finalization is on the horizon. Oh, the poor wee Zinny...ha! Didn't slow her down a bit. So now to the final post placement visit. There were a lot of questions, naturally, about her cast, but we have a very kind and understanding social worker! So the visit is winding down and Finn and Zinny went upstairs (to bounce on the bed, unbeknownst to me) and all of a sudden there is screaming and Finn yelling 'Mommy come fast!!'
Ugh! Dread. There was poor Zinny, blood pouring down her face. She split her forehead open on the windowsill. Thank goodness for our dear SW. And off to the ER for the 2nd time in 2 weeks. 5 stitches.
It has healed beautifully, and today got the ok to take her out of her cast.




I asked SW on the way out the door if we could still keep her...She assured me she has seen worse, and our paperwork is in motion for finalization! Praise God!

Never a dull moment, how I sometimes yearn for dull!

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It's only been a week..

Right? A mere week since my last post. What's that? It's been a MONTH? Well, that's just embarrassing. After I was resolute about posting more often. Ah, c'est la vie. Take it or leave it.

Let's get to some photos...



Zinny eating out, we really need to work on our etiquette !



My three littles




Miss Z



Zinny's preferred way to ride in the wagon.



Zinnia and Cousin M



Zinny and Grandpa Jack



Matching pigtails



2 out of 3 happy kids, not bad



Zinny always on the move



Except when she's not



So Addie and I went to the midnight opening of the Hunger games. I was not prepared for the throngs of people, all 10 theatres showing Hunger Games!
Addie looked stunning as usual,



And I looked like Mo from 3stooges, as usual...


But I pretend like I look like this movie character!

I checked the stats of my blog and there is someone in Korea reading this, I hope it's our foster family!
I will post soon, so much more has happened (uh, yeah, Hunger Games opening was Like forever ago...). (and yes, I mean it about posting again). (soon, I mean)

Over and out



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Awkward Silence

Ok, so I've been gone from this blog so long, it's just awkward and a bit difficult to jump back in. It was so much easier to just pretend this blog didn't exist and to be totally honest, I DID forget I had a blog for about a month. I guess that speaks to the insane busyness my life has become. In case you didn't know, 4 children is A LOT of kiddoes! I stand in awe of all those families with more than 4 children.( How do you get everything done? Do you have housekeepers? ) Darling Zinnia has been home 4 1/2 months and on the one hand I barely remember life without her bright cheery self, and on the other hand I am still trying to find the balance of 4 children's needs. I have a ways to go in that department, but I know it is all a journey, a beautiful invigorating and challenging journey. A journey I am so blessed to be on, that my Heavenly Father entrusted me with.


So to overcome this blog-return-awkwardness I will keep my entry short. I'll keepthe expectations of my blogging low!




Zinny loves this outfit. Holt sent it home with us in the famous 'blue bag'.


I told Zinny to say cheese for the photo and so she is signing 'cheese'.


I made BiBimBap for dinner last night, and it was outstanding! Only thing is I couldn't get the temperature super HOT, in Korea they serve it at 212degrees, no lie!

There! I did it, the first one back was a bit daunting, but as long as I keep it short and sweet with some good photos, I should be good...



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