Thirteen

THIRTEEN MORE DAYS!

Lucky 13?

I was on Facebook yesterday when I got a chat message from Kelly, who is in country right now for court so she can be Charlotte's mama.  Her first words were, "Hey Kim.  If you haven't gotten long johns yet, just do it.  Trust me."  She went on to say that she and her husband did some sightseeing at 1:30 in the afternoon and the temperature was some crazy -30 business.  Um, great.  I hadn't even really considered long johns.  I keep thinking that it won't be much colder there than Massachusetts or New Hampshire, which is where I lived for about 25 years.  Wrong. Glad we went shopping yesterday. . .   

I am now the proud new owner of these babies.  I guess if nothing else, I can wear them as pajamas when we've come home.  And I have a feeling I'll be thanking Kelly when we get there and I need to wear them!!  

So one other thing I have zero need for here but will need when we are in Katie's country is a winter hat.  And, despite growing up in New England where it is obviously cold and snowy, I haven't worn a winter hat in probably 25 years.  Have you seen what those do to your hair?!  I realize this is ridiculous and vain, but how do you wear a hat somewhere, then take it off and have good hair still?  I think I found the answer.

I got a cloche hat.  Mine has a fabric flower instead of the buckle, and it's warm and lined with silky material.  No static, and my hair won't be out of control hat head when I take it off.  (Because I'm sure every day Katie prays for a mama with good hair. . . )  And I realize that I'm not going on this trip to make a fashion statement, but I also don't want to look like a doofus the whole time.  We got Chris a hat too, and we both got some great warm gloves and scarves.  Chris got some boots, and I had picked some up for myself a few weeks ago.  The only other thing on my list was some new earbuds, and we're in business!  

I cannot believe there are only 13 days to go until we leave.  It's going by fast!  Last night Chris and I went out with some friends for dinner, and my mom spent the night at our house.  It was a good trial run for everyone I think.  One boy in particular - JACK - is not good about going to bed when he sleeps at Gigi's house, because he gets so excited and just wants to play.  Thankfully, here he went right to bed with no problems (or at least that's what she told us!).  That makes me feel good about when we're gone, and that he won't turn into a sleep deprived monster.

Today I'm going to work on some more freezer foods for the boys to eat while we're gone, and we'll work on our valentines.  Have a great day!

Fourteen

FOURTEEN DAYS TO GO!!

Oops - I missed posting this yesterday - so now we really have 13 days to go, but I couldn't leave 14 out!

On the agenda for today?

Finishing our pre-trip shopping.

Finishing our pre-trip listing.

Sleepover with Gigi at our house.

Sounds like a perfect day!

Fifteen

FIFTEEN DAYS!

We leave in fifteen days!  The time is flying by.  Chris made his list yesterday of the things he needs to pick up before we go.  He and I are actually going out this weekend without our children, which so rarely happens, and we should be able to knock that list out quickly.  Katie's country is very (VERY!) cold right now.  We live in the South. . . even when it is VERY cold here, um it's really not.  Yesterday I was walking the one block from the parking garage to my office as I shivered in my coat.  It was fifty degrees.  

This is the current weather in Katie's country.

Have I mentioned that my husband wears shorts every.single.day?

Literally, we had to purchase pants for him to wear on our trip.  

This will be interesting.

Sweet Sixteen

SIXTEEN DAYS!

We got a card in the mail from my friend Amy and her family.  They live in Maine, and they saved their Coins for Katie.  Amy and I met a looooong time ago, very shortly after I started working for Gap.  We are very similar (gorgeous, funny, and smart. Duh.) and very quickly became friends.  Fast forward fifteen years, I've moved to Tennesse, got married and had the boys.  Amy still works for Gap (seriously, she has to be one of the employees with the longest service, and she is so good at her job), and she has two girls.  And I'm sure she still has amazing hair - even though I haven't seen Amy in nearly 10 years, I can promise you that her hair is amazing.  (I'm all about the important things.  Clearly.)  I was so happy one day when Amy and I connected via Facebook.  She and her family sent me this card this week, and it is one of my favorites that we've received.  I LOVE handwritten notes, and the notes from her girls are so special!  

I cannot wait to show Katie all of the fabulous notes we've received from people who have worked so hard to bring her home.  We are such a lucky family - lucky that we are bringing Katie home, but especially lucky that we have friends like Amy and all of the others who have been so kind and generous to us.  Thank you!!

Seventeen

SEVENTEEN days to go!

Do you remember how surprised I was to read on Sarah's blog that she and her mom had a Coins for Katie jar at their store in Ohio?  Well when Joyce, Sarah's mom, heard we got our travel date she and Sarah went to cash in their Coins for Katie jar.

Their jar was full, and it was heavy!  

They brought the jar to the grocery store and used the Coinstar machine to cash it in.

Guess how much money they raised, with the help of their generous customers?

You will be shocked - NONE of these people, including Sarah and her mom, have ever met our family, yet they dug deep into their pockets to donate their change (and sometimes their "green money" as Jack calls it) to help us bring Katie home.  I was AMAZED and completely overwhelmed when I learned how much money they raised. . . 

You will have to click over to Sarah's blog to find out the total!  

Thank you so much Joyce, Sarah, and the amazing customers at J. Ellen's House of Fabric.  And guess what?  Their generosity is not ending there - Joyce told me they will be using their jar over and over again to help raise money for more of the Reece's Rainbow children waiting for the families!  Joyce and Sarah do some incredible things for the Down syndrome community, and we are so thankful they chose to support us as we work hard to bring our special girl home!

SEVENTEEN DAYS!

Eighteen

EIGHTEEN MORE DAYS!

We got these chalk matroyshkas in the mail yesterday from Misty.

Yes, I realize they're upside down.  For some reason I cannot fix it.

There are six dolls inside, and they. are. so. cute!

David divvied them up.  You know, because he's "kid boss".

There was an election.

Jack wrote on the table as much as he wrote on the doll, and he could barely release the Lego Harry Potter (seen face down on the table next to him) from his sweaty little fist long enough to draw on the dolls.

Henry took his job very seriously.

They are so fun.

And I may or may not have played with them after the boys went to bed. . . 

Thanks Misty - come over soon with your family for game night and play with them!  :)

And remember, EIGHTEEN DAYS!!!

Nineteen

Nineteen days!

We started to get some things ready this weekend.  We packed the toys we'll be brining.  We picked up some toiletries, and I packed those that I won't be using before we leave.  I made several lists.  I started making and freezing some things for the boys to eat while we're gone.  

I made two huge batches of banana muffins - one with chocolate chips and one without.

I kept a few out for the boys for this week tomorrow and the rest went into the freezer.

I also made some orange cupcakes for work.  They smell so fabulous when they're cooking.  I posted that recipe last year (when I made them for the same person!) on my other blog, The Real Housewife of Bedford County.  They are so good, and very easy to make.

We had our fingerprints re-done for our FBI updated background checks on Friday.

Jack repeatedly asked the police officer who did the prints, "Do you know any crooks?"  Crooks?  We've read one too many Lego City books where the police save the city from "Crooks"!  Getting our background checks updated is the last thing we have to do.  Right now.  I will completely not be surprised if we get some last minute frantic thing we *have* to do.  In fact, I'll be surprised if we don't.

Things we still have to do?  Figure out if we'll board our dog Max, who can be a little wild, get some more food ready, buy some winter hats, get Chris some shoes. . . and that's about it.

Nineteen days!