Musings of a Whimsical Realist

As I have explained to people that we are hoping to have Sibyl home in 6-8 months, the same comment has come up many times: “It must be so hard to know she is there waiting for you and to not be able to go get her yet.”  In a nutshell, the answer is “Yes!” This excerpt is from my journal yesterday morning.  I felt compelled to share it since it touched so specifically on a moment in the process of waiting. I woke up with a heartache this morning – an ache for a 20-month-old halfway around the world.  Last  night, for the first time, I dreamt that she was here.  I was able to hold her and hug her and talk to her.  Then I woke up and she wasn’t here.  My arms felt empty for her.  I hugged her sisters and brother, but a piece of my heart was still missing.  Waiting for me. I think God gave me the dream to quicken my heart.  In the shadow of mountains of cold, sterile paperwork, it is easy to lose hold of the heart of a warm, living little person who is waiting for us 16 hours in th

So Part I of this topic covered the general "rules" that I adhere to with organizing.  Now to share a few of my specific and favorite ways that I've organized at home! #1 -- The re-purposed file holder.  This is on the back of my laundry room drawer.  When I fold a load of socks and find a single all by its lonesome, it goes in here until its mate resurfaces.  I have seen variations of this idea (ie. a clothesline on the laundry room wall), but I have to say, having somewhere to put the lone socks is great! #2 -- What to do with all of those pretty hair clips that your daughters end up collecting?  I got one of those photo boards from Wal-Mart for under $10 (could also make your own, you crafties out there!).  Now they are aren't taking up drawer space in the bathroom AND they double as wall art in the girls' room! #3 -- I re-purposed an old laundry hamper as our family shoe basket (we are a generally "no-shoe" house").  Shoes go

WE GOT IT!!!  That’s right, we got our pre-approval!  We made the official announcement to our families and then on Facebook last Friday after we got the good (amazing, awesome, fantastic) news.  I planned to get it onto here sooner than this, but Hubby’s birthday weekend followed by the busy start to the week followed by a flu bug took pretty much all of my energy.  But I’m mended and ready to start MOUNTAINS of paperwork.  And I couldn’t be happier! Before I answer some of the questions that I’ve been fielding about where we go from here, let me just say . . . when God calls you to a path, follow it!  We were strongly encouraged to consider other options back in May and told that the odds were not in our favor.  We stepped out in faith that the Lord was calling us in a clear direction, and we needed to follow it until it ran its full (and not necessarily easy) course.  Already, His hand has been clearly seen in this process.  Funds available in the exact (and I mean, to the pen