Soccer Babies

 It's official.  This Spring, I became a 'Soccer Mom.'

Nope, no van.

But I do have soccer balls, shin guards, blankets, & chairs jamming the trunk of my SUV.

We signed the both babies up for Spring Soccer.

G is playing on the 4 & 5 yr old league (she's 4 1/2).

K is playing on the 3 yr old league (he just turned 3).

We wanted them to try something different.  A team sport.

And we loved that they could try the same sport, at the same time.

And what I love about this organization is that you can request that siblings practice on the same night...and they both have games on Saturday.  Love this!  

Note the crazy Georgia weather.  Flurrying one week, sweating the next. 

I dressed them alike at practice so I could easily watch them both, although on different fields.

How could you miss the red socks?!

Warming up together:

 Our little bit:

Daddy and K still practicing after his finished 

K made a friend this day, and I thought they were so cute doing everything together. 

I love that one of my best friend's daughter is on G's team.  How fun!

And G loves to play Goalie, even though she doesn't really know what that means. ;)

This was the day of their first soccer practice ever:

Little guy's hair is so long.  Staying cool & keeping it out of his eyes:

and watching Sissy play (right)

At his games.  The left pic is of the super proud face he stopped to give us after 

he helped kick one in the goal!

With the team before a game

Run!

Always the braids.  ;)

One of my favorites of the season so far: 

Go, G!!!

The Grandparents made it to the first game!

and of course, us!

Another example of how things don't always work out as you think they will.

Going into this, I thought:

"Well this will be good for us.

K LOVES playing soccer around the house/yard with us, he's really agile, loves to run, can kick the ball, plays rough...so he's going to love playing this season and probably be really great at it.

G is not nearly as aggressive, somewhat timid about new things, boo-boo's are major big deals, she's tiny for her age, and she's never really even played around with a soccer ball.  She'll probably hate it, but it'll be a stretching experience, so that's good, too.  

We can say we gave it a shot."  

Wrong.  And wrong.

Both kids acted completely out of character and opposite of what we expected.

Ha. Ha.

Both were 'normal' at practice.

But at the games:

K acts timid, he does this little (albeit, really cute) hop, skip, and a jog instead of his usual sprints.  He'll get to the ball once in a while, but then jump around it, not really wanting to kick it.  At least he smiles & seems to mostly like it.  But it's so funny!

Meanwhile, little G has become this aggressive, 'I think I'm the biggest, strongest, fastest one here' beast on the field.  What in the world?!  It's hilarious.  She just goes after the ball, sprints to the front of the pack, tries to get the ball every chance she gets, stealing it away from the big boys.  Funny stuff, I'm telling you. (And I'm praying she's so fast, she doesn't get clobbered.)

Goes to show I know nothing.

Overall, this has been really, really fun for us...and for the kids.

I'll proudly wear the title, "Soccer Mom"...at least for this season.  ;)

~ 6 in Love ~

Abuela Visits!

My mother-in-law came to visit and stayed with us for 3 weeks this Spring.  We all enjoyed her company!  She's an inspirational, wise, and funny woman.  I learn so much about her as we spend time together.  *She and my father in law have the most incredible life stories to tell!* She came to know the Lord in Cuba when she was about 15.  She felt called to be a pastor/an evangelist.  So, at this young age, she began witnessing on the streets.  She would eventually have a nightly crowd, so she would then start a church.  She lived in very difficult situations and environments, but she said the Lord always provided and always protected her.  She traveled all over the country for 3 years, ministering to people and starting churches.  She also attended Bible College there, which is where she met my late father-in-law.  

The story of how they came to America is long and absolutely incredible.  I won't attempt to tell it now, but it is one of heroism and amazing faith.  My husband, 'Cuban Daddy,' was 4 at the time they left Cuba.  I am often thankful of she and my father-in-law's journey, hard work, faith, and devotion to get to where they are now.  And I'm so thankful that the Lord brought two people from such different walks of life, and allowed us to attend the same college the same semester... and eventually meet on the beach one Spring Break day.  =)  

We enjoyed spending time with you, Mami/Abuela!

Our dinner date out... steaks all around!

Abuela with my maternal grandparents

With the babies

Out and about, family time one Saturday

She showed me some old photos of when she was young, and I took pics of my phone.

I thought these were great!  She was a teenager here, attending Bible college.

And this one actually shows both her and my father in law!

(He is center guy, back row.  She is the girl on the left, in the row of three girls.) 

She's the shorty, 2nd from left.  Isn't she pretty?! 

And I think she looks so much like my niece here!

(2nd from left, white shirt) 

Exciting news!  

Things have changed since the passing of Cuban Daddy's dad back in October.  It seems that his mom will get to move up to Georgia & be near us, beginning in September!

~ 6 in Love ~

ADOPT Yard Sale: Day 1

 Whew!  What a day!

We have been so blessed by all of the generosity shown to us once again.  People have blown us away with kindness - donated items, help in sorting through stuff, help watching G & K, help spreading the word, help working the sale, and purchases!  

It is obvious, we couldn't do it alone.  Thank you to all of those who have had a hand in making our ADOPT YardSale a success!  This is a very humbling experience.

** I had lots of pics from the sale today, but my computer isn't receiving them from my phone...um, so I don't know.  Sorry!  

Getting it all organized:

So, here's how our day went:

Cuban Daddy and I stayed up super late last night (shocker, I know) getting everything ready for the big sale.  Note that when I tried to go to bed, K kept coughing and waking his little miserable self up...so I was up until about 2:00 am.  Up again at 5:00 something.  Not exactly the high energy start I was hoping for, but there ya go.  So, CD sets out early to put the signs up, stopping first to buy the posts to put them in the ground.  Only...the store didn't carry any anymore.  Um.  So, by the time this was all realized, I really needed him to come home and help me set up instead of doing signs.  So, I got tired myself & two tired babies ready, bag packed, snacks eaten, and then tried to juggle keeping them out of the street, occupied, and not seeing too many of their old beloved toys in the YardSale pile as I started setting up...in the drizzle. Quite the task!

This is just a portion of the sale...we had tons!

So, we hustle and get it all set out (there were some BIG items that he and I moved ourselves.)  I was sweating before anyone even showed up!

So, then my awesome mom showed up:

and she and I continued setting up while CD took G & K to my Aunt & Grandma's house.  They love going to visit & always bring home treats to share  they're always so helpful to us!  Then, Cuban Daddy proceeded to put out the rest of the signs. This took him much longer than anticipated (not his fault), so that left Mom & I working alone most of the sale.

It was super slow at first (Sprinkling light rain. No signs up. Hmm.), but we could tell as he was getting the signs up, traffic started to flood in!  We did great business overall!

We joked that I am totally not a salesperson (absolutely true).  I'm like, "Is that price okay with you?" and "Oh, you can just have it if you like/need it." (I know!!), whereas my mom was wheelin' & dealin'.  It was a 'good cop, bad cop,' and quite funny.  So, I was told I couldn't be the negotiator learned early on to send the 'challenging customer' her way.  Speaking of challenging customers, there were certainly a few.  I actually had one woman get me down from $35 to $25 on a big pile of (already awesomely priced) items, and then asked me, "And what else will you give me for free?" as she looked around.  Oh, she was dead serious.  Don't worry, I actually said, "Nothing. I just took $10 off."  Total disbelief and unconcerned about "Our Cause".  Oh well. 

In opposite reactions: I received a 'high-five' from one guy, and hugs from two other strangers when they learned of our adoption.  And one lady stopped by ONLY b/c of our "Adoption" sign b/c she, herself, was adopted.  *Sidenote: Although she only found out she was adopted when in her 30's, she still was a HUGE proponent of adoption, and was so proud to be a part of our journey.  

Now, that's the kind of lovin' I'm talking about in the South!  

Upon near-starvation & the kids' near-naptime & near rainstorm, I rushed out to pick up the kids & lunch for CD, mom & me.  Got home, put food inside, & kids down for a nap.

And then, just as our 'closing time' approached, so did the rain clouds, and down it began to come (not hard, thank God), so Cuban Daddy & I pretended we were young and started sprinting all over the place, lifting heavy things, folding tables, etc, and getting it all into the garage. (I kind of thought, well if any neighbors are peeking out the window, they're having a good laugh! lol)  

There was about one table full left & I told CD my back just couldn't take it...I felt like it was about to go out.  Never had that happen before, but it was like 'Oh My Gosh'.  (Hey, I helped him carry a huge armoire, several large chairs, tables, exercise equipment, & bins, okay?!)  I was kind of afraid I was really going to really injure it, so I got off a table early. *This may or may not have been accompanied by a huge fall onto the concrete when my foot got caught in a bag strap & I slammed into the wall of bins.  And I instantly felt the need for a chiropractic adjustment.*  Just glad no one was around for that one.

So, we trudged in, starving, physically exhausted, sleepy, rained on, & concerned about what tomorrow would hold for our Yard Sale.  We ate our then-cold lunch, & then counted the money we made today!

I know, can you believe it?!?!?!?!?!?!

Totally blew me away!  

Apparently, it was just too much to take for Cuban Daddy, who attemped a nap with the kids.  =)

Here's a crazy cool God part:  One lady overheard me tell another person that we were adopting from Honduras, etc.  She proceeds to light up, pulls a paper out of her purse, and hands it to me.  It explains that she is going on a Mission's Trip to Honduras this summer!  She's asking for extra clothes to pick up to take to the people of Honduras.  We checked it out- totally legit.  How cool is that?!  

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*** Due to nearly 100% expected rain showers ALL DAY tomorrow in our area, we will have to POSTPONE tomorrow's Yard Sale!  I don't know when it will be (possibly next Sat.), but I will let you know!   DON'T COME TOMORROW!  THANK YOU!

*And unless you've already made plans with me, we are 'good' on stuff for the Sale.  We are maxed out in space, and don't need more at this time.  Thank you! 

~ 6 in Love ~

Doing the Dossier: COMPLETED & MAILED!

As of this afternoon, our Dossier is IN THE MAIL!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was an exciting & adventurous day!

This is how it all went down:

My incredible best friend (since we were 11!) offered to keep K for me all morning & pick up G from preschool.  Our oldest 2 go to the same school, so at morning drop off, I handed over K to play with her little N (both 3 yr old boys who are best buds!) at her house.

And of course she thought to wear her ADOPT shirt for this special day! =)

  You are my sister and I'm so grateful we get to do life together.  

THANK YOU for *everything*, friend!

Okay so here's the Dossier: completed, notarized, separated by notaries, 

and ready for apostilling!

Remembered these.

And the GPS.

Made the trek to the ATL.

GPS was actually right on & I found the Secretary of State office pretty easily, 

although it was quite a hike.

Despite the size of the building & complete lack of directions/map/assistance in the building, I managed to find the office easily too.  Whew. 

(But not before I found a bathroom.  And siezed the opportunity, b/c as you moms know, it's a rare treat to get to pee alone.  However, there was NO where to safely put the Dossier folder.   There was some problem-solving and praying, but I managed.)

I waited a few minutes in the lobby.  Then I was told to see this lady (behind the window desk).  I  told her why I was there, and reluctantly handed over my precious documents. (I was giving her a look like, "Girl, you better not lose one of these papers!" as she casually ate her breakfast.)  Anyways, at least she does this sort of thing often, so I was fairly confident.

She said to sit down, that she'd need a few minutes to preview.

So this pic is me intensely watching every page flip she made: 

I'm pretty sure that helped.

She called me back & said that everything looked good EXCEPT this one document.  Of course.  It was my husband's birth certificate.  See, he was born in Cuba, and he has only one original.  We, obviously, didn't want to send that to Honduras, so we made a copy & did the whole 'we swear this is a copy of a certified original, yada yada yada' form.  Apparently, it wasn't exactly the form they wanted & notarized in the way they wanted it.  

She gave me the copy & the form they wanted us to use.  After I asked several questions to find out exactly what she wanted me to do, I realized I needed to try to fix it within the 1 1/2 hr time block she gave me to be back.  They said I could take it to a bank nearby & have them notarize MY signature, although it's not my birth certificate.  However, after asking more questions (can't you just TELL me?!), I discovered it would be best if it were Cuban Daddy's signature (we don't want Honduras sending this sucker back!)...although he was about 40 mins away.  I called him on the way out, we did some quick calculations & decided I would drive all the way to where he was (he was working), have him sign & get it notarized right then & then I'd drive it back to the SOS.  

Executed the plan flawlessly. (Yes, I've been watching 'Celebrity Apprentice.')

Drove back to ATL to the SOS *right on time.*

I gave her the new form, she apostilled & gave me the rest (all completed with no problem!!)  

YAY!!!

I paid $90 = $3 per document x 30 documents.

This was an awesome relief b/c our agency told us it was $10/document...which would've been $300.  Big difference!  Praise the Lord!

They handed the documents over to me with NO idea the significance, straight faced as can be.  Meanwhile, I was fist pumping myself on the inside!  I kept it together, left the office, turned the corner & then had to pull it out to see!

So this is what it's all about, huh?

Dossier completed and apostilled!!!

I text my friend to let her know it was finished.  She sent me this in response:

"And the crowd goes wild!"

LOL.  Love these kids!!

I'm trying to convince her that 4 kids look good on her. :)

On the drive back, I kept looking over at it.

Could it be?  Was it really done?

If I had to slam on my breaks, I would have totally thrown my hand over it to keep it from moving (you know the move, right?)

On my way back, I dropped them off with Cuban Daddy.

I gave him the "Don't lose anything!!" look too. 

Heck, I may have even said it.  I did.

Anyways, I left to get the kids while he made 3 copies of every page

 (and there were tons of pages!)

And this mess is what he brought home to me last night. 

I stayed up til 1:30 am, but it was done.

All originals & copies organized, in order, double checked, clipped, and ready to mail.

(We kept one copy for ourselves & sent 3)

Included mailing address, instructions, and a $2,000 translation fee.

Cuban Daddy mailed the Dossier 

to our agency in TX today!!!!

There it goes! 

So, after months and months of fighting the paperwork fight, it is done.

Hoping and praying that the agency sees it as flawless & mails it to Honduras right away.

Next steps?

(1) Agency approves & adds a couple of their forms

(2) Agency mails Dossier to Honduras

(3) Honduras translates ( takes a couple of months )

(4) Honduras approves us

(5) Honduras meets and gives us a NUMBER! ( probably a couple more months? )

Praising God & sleeping well tonight, 

~ 6 in Love ~