We were shot today

OK, dramatic title I know, but it is true.  I was shot 4 times and Mike was shot twice.  They were vaccinations, but it sounds way more dramatic if I say we were shot.  We went to the public health department with our crazy 4 and inquired about vaccinations required for a trip to China.  When I was going over my records, I realized I had been delinquent in my Tetanus, and my MMR.  So along with my typhoid and Hep A recommended when traveling to China, I was also brought up to date on my others.  The whole time I am sitting there calmly, remembering that all of my kids have received 4 or 5 shots at one time and lived.  They were all so brave, so the least I could do was sit there like a big girl and get my shots.  Mike was a lot more current on his vaccines, and only had to have typhoid and Hep A.  So after going through that bit of procrastination, we are one step closer to being ready to travel to China.  I need to get on the internet and order a kit of medical supplies that are recommended accompaniment when traveling to get our baby girl.  It includes things like lice treatment, and scabies treatment, a common antibiotic and eye drops for infection.  We just don't know what we will be receiving along with our daughter.  I am so excited to bring her home.  We have just passed by the first 2 month waiting period.  We are expected to wait 2 to 4 months to hear back from China, so technically any day now we could hear from China.  I am so anxious waiting, I get excited every time I see an email waiting in my inbox, thinking it might be our much anticipated letter of acceptance.  Once we finally receive that, we will file our paperwork in the US and hopefully in about 3 months, travel to China.  So much waiting right now.  It is like the end of a pregnancy, or as my sister described it, trying to get pregnant, because you wait every month to see if this is the month we will finally be pregnant, then when we aren't it is very disappointing knowing we have to wait another month.  We rarely dealt with that, because heck I was usually pregnant before we even really started trying, but I can imagine it would be very hard to wait month after month.  All I know right now, is that I love my family and we are drawing closer together through the wait.  My kids are learning to anticipate something very exciting and life changing.  They are praying for someone they don't know, but will become very important to them.  We are learning to love someone we can't see and feel pain for someone we have never met.  We can't wait for the opportunity to bring our new daughter, and sister home.

Wyatt graduating from Kindergarten

Brandt at his end of year gathering reading from a  list of characteristics his classmates recognize in him

So while we wait, life goes on.  We traveled to see my niece perform in her year end recital.  It was fabulous.  Brandt took part in his first soccer tournament as a member of a premier soccer team.  He did wonderfully.  The kids have finished up another grade in school.  I am now the parent of a 5th grader, 3rd grader, 1st grader and pre Ker.  They came home with glowing report cards and sweet memories of a successful school year.  We are gearing up for Hoopfest and a half ironman, and a sprint tri, and a trip to Dallas for a MOPS convention.  The summer is swamped and we have just begun.  We hope all our activities make the time go quickly and distract us from the waiting, which I think I mentioned before, Mike and I are not good at.