Merry Christmas

WE would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. God has completely blessed us. This week has been so amazing. On Tuesday we learned our son, who has been deployed, is back on American soil. My joy and releif has been so great, we have prayed and trusted God to bring him back and now it has happened. Then on Friday we got the call, it's official we will travel in January for our first trip. We are beyond excited. We have waited 2 months for the "official" refrral to be signed. We will work on travel stuff a little after Christmas but probably not till after New Years because of holiday break no one is going to be in the office. Also our 2 college kids have done awesome one with a 4.0 gpa and the other with 3.6 gpa. So congratulations to them on all their hard work. (side note our sons' wife does not know he is in the states he wants to surprise her on Christmas eve when he actually gets back in our area. So shhh!!! And no she does not read my blog, I don't even think she knows it exists.:))

So we are still waiting on an official approval. UGH!! We are trying to be patient.....not happy but trying to be patient.

Here She Is....S

Seriously isn't she the cutest? Can't wait to get my hands her. We still aren't positive on the name yet, but Sylvia or Sophia/Sophie are in the running or using Annette. We shall see.

OHHH SANDY what have you done?

Big News !!!

So we have experienced full spectrum of emotions in the last few weeks. My sister in law who has been very sick with cancer passed into the arms of Jesus last Tuesday. She had been battling cancer for 18 months. It has been a long painful journey for her and the family having to watch it take its' toll. Deb had been a very strong, educated woman completely devoted to her family and friends. She was one who did , thought, talked and believed with everything in her. Ava would go with me when it was my day to take care of her and even though Deb was sick she always was patient with Ava, talked with her played when she was able and often would take Avas' face in her hands kiss both cheeks and then pray a blessing on her and her life. She made a wonderful sister loyal and loving and challenging or speaking that which wasn't easy but true. She has touched our lives forever. So last Friday was the funeral, a hard day to be sure. We went and mourned and celebrated her. When we got home in the late afternoon guess what was in my inbox? Files on 3 children. We have been waiting and waiting with nothing happening for so long and then on a day of great sorrow....GOD does His thing and sends us something to be happy about. And it is this type of situation that makes the term bittersweet so real. We have chosen a little girl who just turned 6 years of age. This is our first older child adoption so I have lots of reading to get done. I haven't told our parents yet as we just let the agency know today. But we are excited and nervous and happy and nervous and thrilled. Her name is Svetla but I think we are going to change it to Sylvia very similar yet a name we have chosen. But this could change......probably not ....but maybe....ummm probably not. Anyhow Sylvia Joy....I like it. Post script we are not using the name Sylvia it seems all our older children did not like that name.....who knew. We are leaning towards Sophia but we shall see.

First Day of school 2012

Nothing much

So nothing really pressing to report. We have no news on the adoption. Bummer. on a few games. I was begining to think that was not going to happen. Alexs' team has only won a game and that was the very first one. So kind of a dry spell there. Pre-school is full we have our full roster all 5 days so the time there is crazy. But I do enjoy working with all the kiddos. I have signed up to be a homework helper after school on Mondays. And next week we start back up with 4-H. Whew I get tired just typing it. But we have established our school routine so now we can add to it and hopefully not feel to stressed. I am still going 1-2 afternoons a week to help my sister in law.

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!

So here it is the news that I have been wanting to shout out for 9 months. In January we switched into the Bulgarian adoption program. We had our home study on January 11 then started gathering the documents necessary for our dossier. We mailed out the dossier on April 16th and then the documents had to get certified ,authenticated and sealed in both countries. We were logged in on August 10th and just got the e-mail that we have been approved by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) so there is no going back now. We are waiting for a referral yippee!!! That could take anywhere from a week to a few months. We have put in for either boy or girl age 3-7. We are hoping to know who are next child will be sooooon. This is so exciting for us because one year ago September 14 2011 we were denied by the Philippines government after having been in that program for 18 months. We had a referral for a little boy and had been waiting for our approval so we could travel and bring him home and when it didn't happen we were devestated. We were going to call him William. But God has redeemed the time and we are approved and moving forward. Can't wait to see and know who the next Conklin will be.

Musings and Ponderings

So yesterday the kids went back to school. Alex started his senior year and Ava started kindergarten. It was sad yet happy my babies both starting big years. Elaina started seventh and that doesn't seem possible. She is also playing jv girls soccer. She is very good at soccer and tested up and made the team. We are proud of her abilities...not only is she beautiful but she is talented too ;). But I digress that is not what I am writing about today it's the back drop for what I am about to say. So for the first time in 11 years I have no kids home again. WHEW!!! So what did I do with my first free day....why went to wal-mart of course. And Label Shopper and TOPS and McDonalds alllllll byyy MYSELF, yesireee. So while out enjoying my free time (pre-school started today so it was one day) I notice several women out shopping and they have full mustaches.....yes real ones....So I am asking the people in my life to please..please...please if you see me out sporting some unwanted facial hairs please tell me...do an intervention ...sit on me and wax ...I don't really care please just help me to keep track of that stuff. My husband says I don't have to worry he will pay whatever it takes to keep my lip and chin hair free. I know we all get busy so that why we have each other to keep track...in love of such things. Well thats it for now , have a great hair free day. And may we all be blesseed with people in our lives who care about us. We have to stick together.

Summers End

Girls and Summer

Thought I would post pics of the girls this summer. Bethany is a soccer referee this summer. She likes doing it and has gotten to be even more outspoken....if that's possible ;o. Elaina wearing the dress she made for 4-H. She recieved a blue ribbon on it. Phoebe and Ava at the water park sitting on Paul Bunyans' dog. We have pictures of all the kids sitting on this dog. This time while we were doing the pics the big kids weren't thrilled with sitting on the dog. I love looking back and seeing the old photos, but realizing just how much time has gone by and how quickly it went makes me a little sad. So far we are having a good but busy summer. The kids play soccer 4 nights a week and our church is getting ready for VBS. We are trying to ejoy it, and not just endure it.

Summer Fun

We took the kids up to the mountains camping this past week. The weather was perfect, we did lots of swimming and card playing and eating. We borrowed a amper from some friends of ours and man that was a great move. No tent no air mattress and no worrying about the bears. They came into our site most every night but we were snug in the camper. My coffee creamer did suffer the casualty of the bear, it ate the whole thing so we had to go buy more. No one wanted to be with a momma who had not had her morning cup.....and I mean no one . :) I love going and sitting at the lake in the morning it is so peacefula and relaxing. The 3 girls had a great time, the older ones were bored...no computer...no cell phone....no texting. Oh well that is exactly why we go there. We told our son that obviously he wasn't stressed if he didn't need to just relax. That is the beauty of being 21. Any who it was fun and I'm glad we took the opportunity to go.

Psalm 33:11

"The plans of the Lord stand firm forever the purposes of His heart through all generations." But we must be prepared to wait on God's timing. His timing is perfect for He does things "at the very time" that He and He alone has set. It is not fo us to know His timing and in fact we can not know it-we must wait for it. selected from Streams in the Desert So heres to 7-7 more weeks of waiting and then hopefully NEWS......GOOD NEWS.... Hoping and praying and wishing.....

Good news

So I wouldn't even know where to begin. What a crazy time it has been. We had a stomach bug .....ugh...and then our Aunt passed away and life is just crazy.
But in the midst of that good things were still going on.
We had applied 8 weeks ago for our FBI clearance letter. We have been waiting and waiting....and waiting...I called twice to see what I could find out. Well this week I was informed that mine were not clear and they had to be sent to a special unit for review. Man...how frustrating, they get 2 weeks to review and then if not good notify me and I would have to do them again and wait the 8 weeks again. I was discouraged how come ....why me....blah ..blah...blah.. We started praying for favor with my print card and tried to stay positive. On Friday I was beyond frustrated but Dan prayed and we went to the funeral and everything there went well and when we checked our mail.....there it was ...yes!!! Thank you Lord for miraculously providing what we were hoping for. So that was the last piece of information we needed for our dossier. I am getting everything notarized and then county sealed and then mailing it out. Whew....it has taken us 3months and 2 weeks to get everything we needed for this one. Not bad. So hopefully by Wednesday this part of the process will be over and we will be waiting on translation and being presented to the ministry of justice in Bulgaria. if we are approved we will make this public knowledge. Hopefuly we will have good news to share. I fwe are turned down we won't be saying anything. I have added a picture of Ava and myself when I was in Vietnam picking her up. Just to remind me that it can happen.

Well where to start. On Monday as we were driving home from yet another dentist appointment for Ava, and she was crying hysterically, and I was frazzled. I mean how long can they cry, in this case it turns out for several hours. Ugh what a long ride home. I was sitting in the back with her and Dan was driving and he started talking about how we could relate this experience and have it be a good learning tool. Well he was right God started lining up all the pieces of what we had been through on that day and there is a lesson to be learned.

When we take Ava to the dentist we don't tell , sounds mean but really it is to save her from being afraid and nervous and miserable in advance. This way she gets to enjoy her day right up until we pull in the parking lot of said office. Isn't that so like God? He doesn't let us in on life changing events until it is time because as humans we wouldn't enjoy what we have/had because we would be so nervous or afraid or dreading what it is God wants to do with us next. WE don't live in the moment when we are always anticipating what it is God is going to do next, we spend hours maybe days or months trying to figure God out instead of enjoying what we have. Monday morning at pre-school Ava was having a ball she was laughing and playing and so active. I sat and watched her enjoying her time and thinking if she knew what was coming she would be on my lap crying, and that is exactly the point we do the same thing or we anticipate bad news or events and we don't live in the present that God has for us. I confess to being in this situation alot...too much.
When the truth is in Gods word
Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Now lets get out there and enjoy what it is God has given us this day,don't miss the smiles ,hugs and opportunities to love that are before us.

Taking a breath

Life can be crazy...really has been. But we are entering a calm period..YEAH!!!

Basketball season is over:( Alexs' team lost in semi finals last night. They have had a great season and an awesome team. I will miss watching them play. We had 4 very talented senior boys who will be grealty missed next year. We have enjoyed the season. We have also been going to Beths college games and they are done also.

So we start the interim period, what is that you ask? hmm It's the time when there are no games and the weather is too bad to be outside working. What shall we do...what shall we do? I know read, clean the house maybe even paint a room. But I really just want to catch my breath for a few days.

We are also working on paperwork, lots of paperwork hopefully in a few months we will have some exciting news. I really hope so ;)

Re-cap

So it was a long day, but we have a clear path for taking care of Ava's' teeth. When I was driving home today I could really feel myself getting discouraged. it was going to cost quite a bit of money, be very time consuming and painful. But then I started to bring to mind all the other times that God has made a way for us, often you have to walk through it and be patient and faithful and remember the faithfulness of our God. I was reminded of when Matt needed surgery and Alex needed emergency surgery and countless other times that God was with us and I was greatly encouraged. So next Tuesday we go back for and extraction, filling and a crown, and then next month the same thing on the upper right, a total of 4 visits but after that her teeth will be good until they fall out naturally.

Yikes!!

What a long 24 hours it has been. Av had a bad tooth that went really bad yesterday. We were at pre-school and she went really pale I thought uh uh but when she came running over to me it was her tooth. I called and her dad came and got her to take to the dentist for an emergency visit. Whe through such a fit that the dentist wouldn't do anything. UGH He gave us a number for a pediatric dentist in Rochester. Well as the day went on we could not get her into any dentist office yesterday. We called six different offices and either they were closed or just plain wouldn't see her. We spent a long night alternating between pain medicine and orajel every hour. We got a call back from one I left a message with yesterday and now we are going to get ready to head to Rochester. Praying they are able to help her and bring some relief for our sweet baby girl.

Ava has had poor teeth ever since coming home. I can't stress how important in utero care is for the baby. When we picked her up at 9 months of age her front teeth were already pitted and as her other teeth came in they have not been healthy. I am nervous over what we are looking at as far as fixing them but here goes.

RECIPE

Okay so I tried a new recipe tonight. it was pretty good and very easy, so I will share it.


1 jar 26 oz spaghetti sauce
1 can 15 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 package 7 oz italian shredded cheese
2 pounds frozen cheese ravioli
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

In a 13x9 pan place 1-2 cups tomato sauce, layer on 1/2 of ravioli, and half of shredded cheese, repeat layers. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes remove tinfoil and bake another 15 minutes. Sprinkle on parm cheese and bake 5 more minutes.


Serve and enjoy. It is like doing an easy lasagna, I also added cooked italian sausage. YUMM!!1

Phone #

Last night as we were finishing up family prayer time, Ava looks up at me and asks"Does God have a phone number?"

How cute is that? Yes He does and He never puts us on hold AMEN and AMEN

Theres' a new baby at our house. Yep that's right she is 8 weeks old and her name is Miko. Super cute and tiny, she only weighs five pounds.