Catch UP

It has been awhile....again. So much has happened since my last post. Life is extremely BUSY here because we are preparing to travel in a few weeks. SO EXCITED. I will wrap up the last couple of weeks. We got another update since my last post. Miss Olivia "B" is getting big and she is extremely beautiful. She is up to 16 pounds and 22 inches. Everyone comments on her eyes and how big and beautiful they are...I can't wait to look at them in person!!! She has gained 3 pounds in a months, so the move to the transition home has been a good one for her. Those nannies are fattening her up for us!!! They also commented on how she LOVES sucking on her fingers. She fits right in with the other kids...all 3 of them were thumb suckers. Now we have a finger sucker! God is so funny. He knows how to put the right kid in the right family. Andy and I got our last travel shots yesterday (except for the flu shot which we will get later this week). Andy made up our will; guardianship papers are in the works for the kids when we leave so my parents have decision making abilities. Andy ordered a power plug adaptor for our trip. Plane tickets are ready. Christmas shopping has begun. I registered for our baby shower which will be on Dec. 18. We had our zumba fitness for Ethiopian orphans and brought in several donations for the orphanage. We have a tote full from this drive. About 30 people came out and had an amazing workout!!! Loads of fun. Now I am working on 3 concurrent donation drives. The preschool where I teach is doing a donation drive for the orphanage by collecting baby and toddler items (we already have on tote full and it doesn't end until Thanksgiving). The 3rd graders at Andrea's school are doing a donation drive for educational supplies for the orphanage. Their goal is 100 items, but after the first day they had already collected 20 so we may have a lot from this one. Andy and I got to speak at church for Orphan Sunday and we were approached by several people asking to help with donations. We will be setting up a donation drop off next Sunday for our church. We were also given $400 by someone after church to spend "in-country" to get supplies for the orphanage!!!! I was sooooo blessed by this. She got a bonus at work and wanted to give 10% to the orphanage in Ethiopia so she asked us to spend it for her! That is going to be a BLAST!!!!! Now the next few weeks are going to be extremely FULL. This is my to do list:
1. Get flu shots
2. Prepare my class for a sub for 3 days and get all of our "pre-Christmas" activities done prior to leaving for ET
3. Finish guardianship paperwork
4. PACK - making sure to get all we need
5. Get malaria prescription from travel dr.
6. Get other prescription from family dr.
7. Finish gathering up remainder of donations prior to first travel and putting them in travel safe bags/totes.
8. Help mom with baby shower
9. Finish up Christmas shopping
10. Take Andrea on girlscout trip
11. Get Andrea's new violin and glasses
12. Make kids activity list for my parents for while we are gone
13. Prepare for Thanksgiving at my house
14. Craft fair and father daughter ball on the same day
15. Get Christmas program put together/rehearsals for children's church

There is sooooo much more within all of that, but that is a start. It sometimes helps "putting it on paper" to help organize my thoughts. If you have any suggestions, send them my way!!!!!