Still Waiting for Home Study & Fundraising numbers update

This is taking forever, I mistakenly thought that we would have our home study back at the beginning of May, or at least by the 2nd week, so we could go ahead and apply for grants and loans if we have to.  Finally heard from our agency Tuesday and there was a little bit of the home study that needed tweaking in order to comply with China. So after speaking with our adoption agency and our home study agency, I am hopeful that we will get a copy in our hands next week.
Also, our home study didn't cost as much as I expected, so I adjusted our fundraising thermometers and I was able to add another $200 that was given to us at church the day after our pancake breakfast, from people who were unable to attend the breakfast.  We are thankful!
Our van is leaking transmission fluid.  Ugh, need to get that fixed asap also. Work camp next week, which means 3 - 4 trips to Decatur every day.

Pancake Breakfast $697 raised

Aaron and I want to thank everyone who helped us bright and early this morning with the pancake breakfast and everyone who came to eat and support us.  It was a great success!  We are closer to our goal of $3750 for our 1st agency fee due now.
Still waiting for the home study in the mail so we can start applying for grants and probably some no interest loans.

Still waiting for home study

Hopefully next week, we will have our home study in our hands. We have made some progress in that the final letter of recommendation is on it's way and the social worker has sent a copy to our adoption agency for review before they sign and notarize it.  So it should be soon!
We have major bills coming up..
Our $3750 agency fee is due now and as soon as we get the home study in our hands we will need to apply for USCIS which is around $1000.  So we have almost $5000 due now.  In 6-10 weeks when our USCIS comes back, we will our our agency over $6000.
Soooo, we really could use some support.  Speaking of that, we will be having a pancake breakfast this coming Saturday May 16th from 7-10am. Tickets are $6 each, so come out and support us!  Thanks!

Orphan Summit and Waiting on Home Study

Last Thursday and Friday, Aaron, Natalie, Hannah, and I went to the Christian Alliance for Orphans, Orphan Summit 2015.  This is our 3rd year in a row to go and it has been SOOOO wonderful. It is so uplifting to go and fellowship with 3000 other people who get it.  People who see the value in children that are not biologically related. Where if you drive a 12 passenger van, people don't look at you like you are crazy.  (One speaker joked, our first year, that it looked like  a church van convention in the parking lot. )  A place where you fit in. Where you don't feel like you have to defend yourself for adding a 6th child.  Oh it was great!  So informative, they have many speakers in the morning and at night, then throughout the day, there are breakout sessions where you go to classes about what you are interested in.
They had a Kid's Summit for the first time that went through age 10, so we signed Hannah up for that. She enjoyed herself.  Then we took Natalie with us.  A few of the classes were boring for her, but she enjoyed the speakers, mini concerts, etc of the morning and evening sessions.  I think it was good for the girls to see other believers who act like their parents.
Madelyn had an 8th grade retreat already scheduled so she went to that instead and had a great time. We missed her.  Since the Summit was in TN, we dropped the boys off at Aaron's parents.   This is the 1st time they have stayed there without their sisters.  Of course, they were thrilled about being big enough to stay without sisters and as soon as we pulled in the driveway, they were telling us "BYE" before we opened the doors to let them out.  Aaron's parents took them to the Chattanooga Aquarium, and they had a great time.
Our social worker should have everything we need for the home study today.  She already has it written, Aaron and I read it with her at our last meeting, looking for typos, mistakes etc. before the final draft.  There was one funny one, where she described Aaron as a wife and mother.  Glad we caught that.
I picked up our medical paperwork at the doctor's office yesterday. I can't say enough about Dr. Kennedy and her staff and how they have helped us get all 6 (me and the kids) paperwork together.  They have been very nice! It is a big undertaking and a pain in the behind.  I will say that!
We are having a pancake breakfast fundraiser May 16 at our church.  Can't wait for that!