Tag: North Carolina

adoption

End of Year Adoption Update

Shannon

imagesDon’t get all excited folks, there’s no breaking news.  I just wanted to let you all know where we stand right now with the adoption.

We are still approved for adoption by the state of NC.  Each month I log on to the websites with photo listings of available children (like http://www.adoptuskids.org) and browse the children listed.  Then I choose some kids who would fit with our family and submit their profiles to our social worker so she can submit our home study to the children’s social workers.  Then we wait for the children’s social workers to approve us or not.  We don’t hear if we are not approved.  It’s a long process.  It’s frustrating too because from month to month I see kids on the sites that we’ve submitted for.  While we wait we go to continuing education classes to keep our foster care license current.  Then we start all over the next month.

Here’s what will happen when we are finally approved: we will start visitation with the child(ren). Their social worker will determine how many visits we’ll need to complete.  Then, once everyone is comfortable with each other we will be able to bring them home!  6 months or so later the adoption will be final.

So that’s it.  That’s what’s going on with us and our never-ending adoption story!

fun

Bloggy Meet 2013- Blowing Rock

Shannon

Friday night I packed up my games (Cranium, Phase 10 & Scattergories) & some clothes & headed out to the airport at 11pm.  I picked up Leah, who flew in from Denver, and we drove up the mountain to Blowing Rock to meet Kristie & Chris from Raleigh, Punchy & Courtney from Upstate NY, Pam from Knoxville, & Tammy from Ashville.  We got in a little after 1 am and went straight to bed.

Saturday morning we slept in a bit then hung out chatting and talking until about 3:30 when we met up with the next door neighbors.  We went out to some property where there was a gorgeous stream,IMG_4251 a fire pit, some picnic tables and some 4 wheelers. IMG_4253IMG_4256IMG_4259

IMG_4260  We had drinks and snacks and road the 4 wheelers all over the property.  We rode up to the top where they are clearing land for a house. IMG_4252 Awesome view!  We spent hours around the fire pit roasting marshmallowsIMG_4266 and talking until it was finally time to go home.IMG_4263  Once home we played a round of Apples to Apples IMG_4265then all headed to bed.

Next up:  Sunday & Monday on the mountain!

shopping

Where must I live to enjoy outdoor living such as this?

Shannon

Catalogs are starting to appear in my mail box selling gorgeous outdoor furniture collections.  Pricey, upholstered furniture.  I don’t understand this.  I don’t know where you have to live to be able to use this furniture.  Where I live, in North Carolina, we have things like : rain, pollen, dirt, bugs, and the fading powers of the sun.  All of this means that any outdoor furniture we own must be hose downable.  Crate and Barrel sent their catalog and it has this beautiful purple and gray collection that costs more than some mortgage payments.  I do heart the pillows though.  If we ever could afford to bring home furniture like this we’d have to spend a half hour each night bringing it in from the outside!  What’s the point?