Meet Penny!

As if we aren't busy enough right now...

This past Saturday I sent Peyton outside to feed the farm animals. He ran back inside to tell me one of the silkie chicken eggs had hatched and there was a baby in the coop! We've learned from the past that we need to get baby chicks along with their mommas out of there fast so I flew into action. When I got to the coop I could see there were actually FOUR baby chicks! I gathered them and the momma chickens quickly and removed them to seclusion. There were several more eggs that the hens had been sitting on so I gathered them to put them with the hens. When doing so, I could hear a baby chick chirping while it was STILL INSIDE the egg! It was one of the coolest things! I hurried and quickly put it under the momma hen. I gave them a few hours(thinking it would hatch) and went back to check on things...the momma hens had moved and were NOT sitting on the little egg anymore. And I couldn't hear it chirping. It hadn't hatched. I left it alone and went back inside to let Josh know. I figured it had died. He told me I should go back to the coop and hatch it by hand. Um no. I just couldn't because I thought it was dead and just no. So, Reece talked Josh into doing it! haha! It was SUPER cool and once hatched it was alive! I quickly stuck it under momma hen.

SIDE NOTE: WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING ON THE FARM, LESSONS LEARNED ALL THE TIME! We should not have done this, should have just put it under a heat lamp and it would have hatched on it's on.

I gave it a few hours and went to check. Those stupid hens had MOVED again and left baby for dead. I thought she was dead when I first saw her but then I saw a faint movement. I grabbed her up and started warming her up close to me while Josh got her a heat lamp set up. I laid her in the box under the lamp, she was still wet from hatching and not moving. I watched in amazement as she started to breathe and then move her little feet and then pick her head up...THEN SHE OPENED HER EYES!:) We saved her!

So, Penny lives in a box inside the house now. Because she thinks she's a human. And that's ok!

 The other babies!

Griffin's Birthday Party!

I'm behind, again. A few weeks ago we hosted Griffin's birthday party at our house. There were a million places he wanted to have his party but when you have a broken foot, it's kinda hard to do anything. We did the best we could and he had a wonderful time!

We planned a big bonfire like we did for his party last year. However, we are in a severe drought right now and we couldn't have a fire! We used  a small propane fire pit that we have so it all worked out fine! We were able to cook hot dogs and smore's on it so everyone was happy!

Happy Birthday Griffin!

Today our Griffin is 14! How he is this old I have not a clue! Sheesh, time flies!

Here he is on his third birthday! Oh my heart!

I love his funny, goofy self!

Life for Griffin lately has been eventful and boring at the same time! Having a broken foot leaves you pretty immobile! It's been six weeks since he broke it and he is still not allowed to bear weight on his foot. He got the pins out last week! YAY! And was put in a boot but he won't be able to use the foot for another week or two, hopefully!

I love you Griffin! I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful birthday!!!

                                

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

We spent last Saturday at the Pumpkin Patch with my sister and her family! We had a wonderful time, Griffin Farms never disappoints! And the cousins always love being together!

Poor Griff hobbled around the place on crutches ALL day and never complained. Hopefully he will start being able to put weight on his foot SOON!

We also ran into Reece's BFF and her little sister while we were there so they had EXTRA fun! Those two are inseparable! 

Of course I have no pics of us actually getting our pumpkins, just picture 6 big pretty orange ones! haha! Next year, we'll have SEVEN!! Eeekkss! Can't wait for Mia to be HERE!

We love family time!

Field Tripping!

Whew! We are SO busy...but it's good because it passes the time until we get to China! ::

Last Wednesday, I went with Brooks and his class to The Barnyard! We all know this was right up my ally! We went on a hayride to get pumpkins, played on two different playgrounds, jumped on the air pillow(yes, I did!) and  played with and fed all the animals! It was a fun day! OH and we milked a fake cow!

What can I say, he's a pro!

Then on Thursday Josh went with Reece on a field trip! They went to our local recycling center and then to CHOM! They had a fun time!

 Reece and Lily, can't get any closer!

Adoption Update!

September has been HUGE!

* We were matched on 9/6/16.
* Our dossier was mailed to China on 9/16/16.
* Our dossier was logged in, in China, on 9/20/16.
* We celebrated Mia's birthday on 9/23/16.
* We received our Letter of Acceptance on 9/27/16.

Things of note:

Most of the time, but not all of the time(obvi), a family's dossier is already in China and logged in by the time they are matched. This was not the case for us because, well, you know why. See this post if you don't. We were waiting on one measly little piece of paper to be certified and authenticated before we could send our dossier to China. Everything was finally together and ready to ship out on 9/16/16. It's supposed to take two weeks to arrive in China and be logged in their system. Ours took 4 days, and two of those were weekend days!

Then it was time to wait for LOA. This usually takes a few weeks up to a few months to receive. Apparently we are trying to break records because we received it on 9/27/16!!! WHAT! And guess what day it was signed by China!

9/23/16-Mia Faith's birthday!!!! :)

It seriously made my day when I saw that!

So, on Mia's birthday we were pretty bummed. It's hard, y'all! When I got to work the girls threw a surprise party for her complete with a cake that looked like a Panda Bear and lots of things with her monogram on them! That night we had a little party for her at home, we sang and ate cupcakes! It was all good for my soul!

At the beginning of the year, our agency released travel dates for the year. One of those dates is Josh's birthday. He has had a feeling all year that this will be the day we travel! He has felt this way since the beginning of our adoption! At first I was skeptical, because I thought we would NEVER get here! LOL Now that things are lining up...I feel like he's right! Oh what a birthday that would be for him! Best one ever!

Publix Field Trip

A few weeks ago I went on a field trip with Brooks to Publix! Griffin and my sister also went because Griffin had just had surgery and my car was in the shop so I drug my sister too! haha! It was a crazy week! The kids took a tour around the store and also decorated a cake! They had a really fun time! Pretty sure he's the only one that I would wear a hair net for! :)