A lot can happen in a couple weeks!

Summer swim team is in full swing. We have swim meets every Saturday and Tuesday through the third week of July. They girls also have practices the other days of the week minus Sunday. We also have clarinet lessons and saxophone lessons once a week. Then there are the projects. Building a shed, which just needs the trusses built and a roof, then the doors and windows. Then there is the never ending battle of keeping the house picked up. Which we are losing now! Kali and I attending church services regularly now. We are enjoying the contemporary service quite a bit. Boyd has been working more hours at the airport and seems to enjoy the job one day and be mad about it the next. Oh well, I think most of us do that.
We mourned with Boyd's brothers and our neices and family at the passing of Brian's wife, Verna. We were able to spend some time with the family but not much.

Then just this past week, we decided to host an orphan from the Phillipines. Raymond. He is 14 years old and really looks and sounds like a great kid! So we called and asked about it. We hit a solid wall. We had only a few short weeks to get a foster/adopt licence and full blown homestudy done to host him in August for three weeks. That was not going to happen... Well then a door opened in that wall and our attention was brought to a boy from China who is going to age out in a year and a half from being adopted. There was already a grant in place and many fees were being waved. wow! A healthy boy... hmmm... so we discussed it and mulled it and prayed for direction not an answer. So I took the initiative and sent in the family information form to see if we even qualifed to do an adoption. I was assuming that our age and weight would throw us both out.

Then Friday I received a phone call. If we were 100% sure we wanted to adopt him, we could. I stuttered a bit and said, I really need to talk to the rest of the family. So after work, I came home and talked to Boyd. We talked to Kole, then off to the pool to talk to the girls. So, the answer is, yes. I called back Michelle to tell her the news. Right away we needed to send in pictures, an application form, money, etc....

So, today, Sunday I finished getting the main beginning stuff together. It goes out in the mail tomorrow. So we are now in the adoption process yet again... This time for a 12 year old boy. A big brother to Kole and Kaci and younger brother for Kali.

Of course all this happens the payweek that I had to shell out over $200 on glasses and over a hundred for an initial payment on a saxophone for Kaci and pay car insurance for me. But where there is a will there is a way. I prayed today and told God that I knew this would all work out if I just let my Type A personality relax and let it happen, just as the referral did.

Tune in again for more on the saga of bringing home our 12 year old son... Name yet to be determined.. probably will let him choose. No pictures yet... Not until after Pre approval and probably more!

End of May

The end of May has brought about so many changes... Kali graduated from the 8th grade and is now officially a freshman in High School. After the ceremony we shot some pictures and Kali and I headed to IHOP for a celebratory dinner with other families and friends. Kole came with us, but Kaci was tired, so Boyd took her home and missed out.

Now that this ceremony is over on to the last couple days of school then swim team starts. It is going to be a busy summer! Kali really enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Sam. He is a good kid. He is shy and likes to kind of watch things for a while. He doesn't let too many people know too much about him. He is a private person. Kali is the opposite, in that she likes to be with friends and hang out, but she too will sit back and watch people before she leaps into a relationship of any kind. Both are witty and smart.

Next post I should have more pics of the other two kids.

Oh and I had a birthday along with my older brother (who just so happens to be a half century old!) LOL I wonder if he will see this.....

One more spring picture

The school year is one week from ending. Kali graduates from 8th grade this year and will be in high school next year! Hard to believe that this is the little girl we held in our lap just 12 years ago.. The time sure has gone fast.

Here is Kali's Spring school picture

And here is a picture of Kali and Kaci(hopped in) and Sam. Sam is Kali's boyfriend.

I know she is too young for this. We thought we would let her try it and see.

The channels of communication are open. It is so endearing to watch her grow up.

We are watching this from both our side and his. He is a gentleman so far.

Spring school pics

I have two of three of the kids spring school pics back.

Here they are:

Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr.

Since just after Christmas break Kali has been attending play practices anywhere from 3 to 6 days a week for 3 hours or more each time. This weekend has been the performances. The group of 4th to 8th graders have been fantastic! I have been so impressed with all the effort they have put into this play. Three of the students had to learn how to say their lines in Chinese. Boy o boy was that a tough one for them. Kudos go to the director for getting tape recordings of the lines from a native speaker as well and letting the kids know they needed to not stereotype their parts. Kali played the part of Lucille, a flapper and a modern. There was a surprise part of her as well. That of Hong Kong Mama. A very important part!

Here are a few pics from the play!

A week since we added Mojo

We are now the crazy dog people. I know too many pets.. but how could we resist this cute little guy. First is Mojo in his red collar that is now blue, then Mojo and Reiko and the last pic is Mojo and Drake(drake being the smaller). Still trying to get all three in one photo.

Kole's first short story

This is Kole's first short story written in 1st grade. What an imagination!


Alien Attack

One night I woke up and I saw an alien burning the house. The whole neighborhood was on fire. All I could see was the houses on fire and an alien.
I ran quickly back to my house. I grabbed my two water guns and sprayed the fire but that weas not enough.
Then I got my dad's tools to openthe fire hydrants. I unscrewed every hydrant and water came out and put the fire out.
Then the aliens started to disappear because they didn't like the water. I saved my neighborhood from the alien's attack.

By Kole Bringolf
1st grade