Is it even possible????

Seriously, now... this kid is cute.

Is it even possible that he keeps getting cuter and cuter? Sometimes we just don't know what to do with him. Adorable. All 21 pounds of him.

No homestudy

Our social worker sent us an e-mail Friday afternoon asking for more information that she realized she didn't have. It's all little things that she should have already asked us, so it's kind of frustrating that she's just now realizing that she doesn't have what she needs to get the homestudy written and completed. It's been 3 weeks since our homevisit and I was really hoping to get a draft of it this week for us to review. No such luck. I guess we'll hope for the draft for next week.

Click for Leslie, Martha, Laura, etc. etc. etc

Who do you know who has been impacted by breast cancer?

Want to know how you can help?

Click HERE

When you click the above picture and link, you will be taken to a website that helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Luke the Lion

Luke the Lion is excited about being in his school circus and about going to the circus tomorrow with Mommy and Daddy!

Planet Wednesday

Get rid of your paper napkins! You can get inexpensive cloth napkins and use them for several uses (unless you are really messy). We made this switch quite awhile ago and it's so easy. We have a basket for the napkins and when dinner is over, we evaluate to see if they are able to be used again (a little face wipe at the end of a meal doesn't warrent a trip to the laundry at our house). We also have a basket on top of the dryer that they napkins go into when they are dirty. They get washed once a week with the rest of the towels.

An easy way to cut down on your trash, and it also makes people think you are "fancy" when you have them over to dinner and use cloth napkins.

Fingerprints

We are officially entered into the Department of Homeland Security's fingerprint database. That means that our I600-A (our application to the immigration office to bring an orphan child into the US) is now just waiting (seems to be a theme of this adoption process) for our completed homestudy.

I talked to our social worker last week and she said she should have the homestudy done this week and will send it to us to review. Cross your fingers that she actually gets it to us this week!

Snow Day

We had a snow day last Tuesday. Our 1-2 inches of snow was plenty to cancel school for the day and allow us to have some time playing outside. Daddy and Luke played for awhile and attempted a snow man. However, after making the first ball, they realized it wasn't good packing snow, so Luke tossed the ball onto the driveway and watched it splat. I think he enjoyed the splat more than he would have enjoyed the snowman.



Evan wasn't too sure about the cold. He kept pointing at the snow and talking to us, as if to ask if we saw it. When he touched the snow, he started to cry (it's COLD, Mommy!), so we went inside.



Luke was happy to play for a little while. When he came inside, he took off his shoes, socks, and pants because they were soaking wet. We don't have boots and snowpants, so we just had to change clothes and get warm!

Planet Wednesday (or, Thursday)

I think I overwhelmed some of you last week, so I'm going to keep this week simple.

Repeat after me:

I promise (I promise)
to not use the horrible, tiny, annoying, plastic bags anymore.
I will tell WalMart, Target, my local grocery store, ____ (fill in more names here)
that I am going to bring my OWN bags.

Good. Now, get yourself some reusable bags and leave them in your car (mine are always in my trunk) and when you go to the grocery store, bring them inside and tell the baggers to use your bags instead of those tiny little bags that fit about 2 things inside and then you bring them home and you try to scrunch them up and put them somewhere in your pantry, but they overtake the small space within seconds of being scrunched and placed in their "spot" and then you have so many that you are being overrun by plastic bags! (I know... run on sentence... it was for effect.)

Our grocery stores sell them for a buck, Target sells them for a buck. And, just so we're all clear, Target doesn't care if you bring bags that say "Food Lion" on them and WalMart will pack up any kind of reusable bag - doesn't matter what name is on it. Have fun looking for your new, resuable bags!

Feel free to leave me a comment and let me know that you are, in fact, already doing this and that you are a great "green" person!

What Would Jesus Say?

On Sunday, the head pastor at our church gave a great sermon. He was discussing the transition of power from George W. Bush to Barack Obama. His sermon can be found here and is truly worth listening to if you have time (it's about 20 minutes or so). When you open the link, go to the bottom left side of the page and click on "Listen to this week's worship message."

There is a letter writing campaign going on where people are being encouraged to write letters to the new President, giving him advice or telling him what they think he should work on first. I've heard of school age kids writing letters in class and of people on both sides of the aisle writing to our new President. The sermon that Pastor Lyon gave was a letter to President Obama, from Jesus' perspective. He ventured to guess what a letter from Jesus might say to the new leader of the free world. This perspective was empowering and centering for me. It gave me focus for not only what the President of the United States should be doing, but reminded me what my life should be focused on, as well.

He began by saying, "Before you were President Elect, before you were Senator, before you were a husband or a father, you were, and you remain, a precious child, a beloved child, of the loving Heavenly Father." What a great statement for us all to remember! Before we were anything else, we were a child of God! And, we still are!

The sermon went on to say that President Obama will need to make prayer a "regular part of the rhythms of your life" and that we, as a people, need to remember the parable of the man who built his house upon a firm foundation verses the man who took the easy way out and built his house upon sand. There WILL be tough times, ahead, and we need to remember that taking more time and building a good, solid foundation will take time.

The most affirming part of the sermon, for me, was at the end (about 18:40, if you want to skip right to this section) when "Jesus," in his letter to President Obama, said that there will be tough times when Obama will have to make decisions that will not make everyone happy all of the time. And, because of this, Jesus would be calling on "His people to pray for you. It doesn't matter if they voted for you, or not. The truth is, you are our President and we are in this together. And together... we might take at least a step towards God's vision for what this nation might look like."

I prayed that day, and I continue to pray each day, for our new President. I also pray that you will join me in keeping our new leader in your prayers. Regardless of his party affiliation or his beliefs on any of the issues, this man is now the President of the United States of America. If John McCain were sworn in today, I would be encouraging the same, dutiful prayer. It is our job, as citizens of the United States, and as Christians, to pray for strong and focused leadership.

Dr. Martin Luther King

For some, it's a day off of work. For some, it's a day to remember that this man changed our world for the better. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4AItMg70kg

What a sweet boy

Words from Luke this evening:

"Mommy, I love you so much. And, Daddy. I love him so much, too. I just do. I just love you so much and so dearly. You are my best teacher. I love you dearly."

Planet Wednesday II

Be Efficient!

The good news this week is that you don't have to do "without" or have "less" of anything to make an impact on our world! Being energy efficient is not the same as conservation. Being efficient just means doing the same, or more, work (or, having it done for you), but using less energy to get it done. By being more energy efficient, we can reduce the carbon emissions that get into our ever polluted atmosphere, and reduce our dependence on oil, among other things.

Click here to read a really good article about energy efficiency from this week's (Jan. 12) TIME magazine.

I'll do a quick recap...

Remember, you are not "doing without" by being efficient - you are doing the same with less. Saves you money, and saves the environment, too. There are two main ways to be energy efficient.

1. Use more efficient machines. Fuel efficient cars drink less gas, light bulbs that use less power (This one is sooooo easy! Saves you money on your electric bill, too! If you haven't done this, do this one first!), buy and use energy efficient appliances like refrigerators and washing machines.

2. Use our machines more efficiently. Have your pipes and home insulated so you don't have to use as much energy to heat or cool it. Install an electric thermostat that you can program to use less energy when you are sleeping or are on vacation. Unplug anything that has an LED light on it. The coffee pot that has the clock lit up drains away energy while it sits on your counter all day long. Your cell phone charger is sucking away energy when it's plugged in but not charging.

Notes about our current energy use in the US.

• Our power plants waste enough energy to power Japan.
• Only 4% of the energy used to run a typical incandescent bulb produces light; the rest is frittered away as heat at the plant, over transmission lines or in the bulb itself, which is why you burn your fingers when you touch it.
• Video-game consoles devour two fridges' worth of electricity when you leave them on.

If we are more energy efficient, we can help our environment and we can save money. We'll get the same things done, but they will be done using less energy and less money. Sounds easy, right? So.... go buy those twisty light bulbs for every light in your house!

Movie Recommendation

My brother got me hooked on Netflix, so we've been watching more movies lately. A recommendation for you: The 11th Hour. Thought provoking and makes you think about how you can be a better person for the world.

Homemade Tents

With some "cold" weather hitting the south, we've been staying inside more. So, what do you do when you are stuck inside all day and are running out of ideas of how to keep the kids busy? You push together the kitchen table chairs and build a fort! Here are some pictures of everyone enjoying our latest creation.

And, if the fort building doesn't keep the little ones occupied, you can always put them to work cleaning the house. (Oddly enough, both boys love the vacuum.)

Staying Active

We're all trying to eat healthier and stay more active in 2009. We've been making smarter food choices and talking about moving more and doing more exercise. Apparently, Evan has been listening. Sunday night, he decided to do a little exercise with the Wii Fit.

Home Visit Done!

Our social worker came over this morning and did our home visit. As I imagined, it wasn't too tough. Luke showed her around and told her about his Legos. She was appropriately impressed. Evan charmed her with his little smile and by looking super cute sucking his thumb.

She asked a few questions that we had to clarify (doctor's addresses, how many square feet the house is, when it was built, a question about our references, etc.) and then we were done.

She said that she will now finish writing up the homestudy and send it to her supervisor to look over. Then, she'll send it to us to look over. Then, she'll send it to our agency to review. They will look over everything and send it back to her if any changes have to be made. And, once they approve it, we'll be on the official waiting list. We'll also get a copy of the homestudy to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services so that we can get our initial immigration paperwork completed.

Cross your fingers, say a prayer, think good thoughts, or do whatever you do to hope that we can get this written and approved by all of the appropriate people within the next month!

Planet Wednesday I

Diapers.

Luke was fully diapered with disposable diapers. When Evan was very little, I started researching cloth diapers. Besides my assumed environmental impact of disposable diapers, the cost was quickly becoming overwhelming for our tight budget. I found out that cloth diapers were initially expensive (especially depending on what kind you get), but if you used them for long enough, they were actually cheaper than buying disposable diapers over and over and over again.

I knew, for me, that I wouldn't want to deal with pins and folding, and plastic pants to put over the cloth diapers. Then, I found the All In One. These cloth diapers are just like disposable diapers. You put them on and fasten with velcro (or, buttons). No added padding or plastic pants to put on for waterproofing. They are the most expensive of the cloth diapering family, but to me, they were so worth it! So, I got some. Three, actually.

I didn't start using them until recently. For me, it was because Evan is older now and doesn't need his diaper changed as often, and his, ummmm, poop (sorry, just keeping it real!) is a bit easier to clean up now.

Anyway, I LOVE them! I am going to get more and use them as our primary diapers. We'll still have our disposables for when we go out, but for everyday, the cloth diapers great! Very soft and comfy.

Are they really more environmentally friendly? I think so, but you can decide for yourself. Check out this informative article about the debate between cloth vs. disposables.

If you have small children, I urge you to seriously consider the cloth diaper option. Add to your gift registry or tell people that is what you want for your child's birthday (who really needs more toys???). You can find great, handmade diapers on eBay or Etsy for less the price than retail.

Did I mention they are super cute, too?

Wednesday's Ramblings

This is Luke with the pot holders on his hands and feet. He was pretending to be a frog.

I finally got a picture of Evan modeling his new shoes.

A little video of Evan showing off his new shoes walking "skillz."

Luke's Legos

Luke got lots of legos for Christmas. He now has nearly every piece to the Coast Guard set from the Lego City collection. He also has several pieces of the Police set, so I think that's the next set we're working on completing. (Can you tell that I enjoy Legos, too? I think I'm what you might call an "enabler.")

One day last week, Luke spent 5 straight hours (with a 15 minute break for dinner) working on his Legos. When he got up the next day, he went downstairs and started working again. Dan and I were still in bed and we hear, "Hello, up there! I need some help finding a piece!" Dan and I were shocked that Luke was already awake. We hadn't heard him at all!


Luke also got his own camera for Christmas. This is a picture we took of him with his Coast Guard legos. He put these together pretty much by himself. Occasionally, he'd ask for help getting a piece on the right way or finding a piece that was lost, but overall, he followed the directions and put them all together. (The image is a little fuzzy because it was taken with Luke's camera and while it is perfect for a 5 year old boy, it doesn't have the best resolution for pictures.)

A Day of Firsts

Evan had a day of firsts today!

He got his first pair of "big boy" shoes! Yippee!!!!!!!

And, he was diagnosed with his first ear infection. Boooo!!!!!!!! A double ear infection, actually.

Pictures of him in his cool new kicks (aka: shoes) will be up soon. He wasn't really in the mood for a photo shoot tonight. He was too busy throwing up all over the place.

Evan Walking

Evan's getting pretty good at walking now. Someone at church this morning said he looked like Frankenstien when he walks. He kinda does! He's getting better and better at it, so I think I need to break down and buy this poor boy some shoes!

Walking and playing with the Wii remote.

Walking across the room. (He says "Thank you" when he hands me the bowl at the very end!)

Evan Updates

Evan is so funny lately! He is getting pretty good with his communication skills, too! One of our favorite things is when he nods his head "yes." If he wants more food, he will point and grunt at it and when we ask him if he wants more, he'll nod his head. Not just a little nod, a big nod, using the whole head! See the video to watch him nod!



Here are some cute pictures of him during a mini photo shoot a few days ago.

Looking cute with a little snack.


How big is Evan? SO BIG!

Change can be simple.

It all starts with me.



Me, and then us - my family. We will do our part and maybe you will do your part. Then, you might mention it to a friend of yours and they will do a little something, too. They might be talking to a few friends at Starbucks and realize that they can do something simple, as well. Before you know it, 10 people are doing something small to help reduce our carbon footprint on this beautiful planet Earth.

My effort to start this discussion is to have Planet Wednesday. "Earth Day" in the United States is on April 22. In 2009, April 22 will be a Wednesday. So, every Wednesday, I'm going to strive to look for a new, Earth friendly thing for our family to do. I will share it with anyone who happens to read the blog, and maybe you might want to give it a try, too.

2009

It's 2009! Where does the time go?

2009 should be a busy year for us. Luke will start Kindergarten in the fall. Evan has just started walking all over the place and will begin to talk more and more as the year progresses. Dan is continuing to do very well at work, and will hopefully get a well deserved (and, overdue!) promotion this year. Jill will keep working with the kids at school and also teaching the grown ups online classes for Stanly Community College.

My predictions for 2009:

• Our economy will make a turn for the better. (Yes, that is my prediction. Just call me an Economic Stratigist.)
• People will begin to take better care of the planet, by doing little things to make little differences, because every small thing you do adds up to big things.
• Our adoption paperwork will be submitted and we'll begin our long wait for our daughter.
• We will welcome at least one, and hopefully two new babies to the Wagner family.
• Luke will realize that Batman is NOT a real person.
• My Thursday nights will be spent watching Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.
• LOST will make me way too happy.
• Luke will continue learning to read and blow me out of the water with how quickly he catches on to new concepts. (oh wait, he's already done this... well, he'll keep doing it)
• Evan will eat vegetables. Maybe not.

Happy 2009!