5 months waiting

Today is our official fifth month of waiting for a referral. I really hope we get a referral within the next month. I'm so excited to find out if it is a boy or a girl. I want to get started on the room and supplies. Travis has his first day of classes today at law school. Thankfully orientation is over and we can settle into his normal school schedule. Jenny has moved to a new classroom at her preschool/therapy center. The transition has seemed not to bother her at all. I can't believe she is 3! Where does the time go?

Summer is Ending

I am terrible at blogging. I never remember to update! Jenny is doing great. She has had a nice summer. Knock on wood-we haven't had to go to the pediatrician since February. Travis started law school last week. He is excited to start this new adventure. I'm still in the holding pattern of work and home. On the adoption front, no referral yet. I was doing fine until about three weeks ago. At this point, it is beginning to drive me slightly crazy. We are number two on the unofficial wait list. Seeing us in that position has really made it hard for me. I just keep thinking about when the call will come, what she or he will look like, when will we get to travel, the MONEY, getting the room ready, buying clothes. . . on and on the list goes. So, hopefully the next time I post I will be announcing the referral of our new child!

Jenny has her last horseback therapy session tomorrow. We are stopping for the summer due to the heat. She has finally got to the point of really enjoying it. The horse that Jenny rides has a unique story I thought I would share. The horse is Mitzy. Mitzy was a Make-a-Wish horse. A young girl that was ill made her wish for a horse. She received Mitzy. Within a short time period, Mitzy went blind. The vet suggested that Mitzy should be put down. The young girl did not like that option and sought a home for Mitzy. Luckily, Mitzy came to live with the therapy center. At first, they thought they would be a temporary home until a long term home could be found for Mitzy. As time passed, they decided to try Mitzy out as a therapy horse. Mitzy was a natural. Mitzy has a wonderful temperament. I love that Mitzy, with special needs, has found a way to help children and adults with special needs. Mitzy proves that a disability does not diminish your contribution to the world!

On the adoption front, we continue to wait. I think we have decided to go ahead and paint the baby's room. We have decided on a fabulous shade of green, Tinkerbell green. I'm ready for a referral and getting the room ready for a new addition to the Ragland household.

Horseback Riding

Jenny had her second therapeutic horseback riding session this past Saturday. The first session was awful. Jenny screamed the entire time. I wasn't even sure we should take her back for another session. Travis wasn't able to go the first time, so I thought we would give it another chance. She complained about wearing the safety belt and helmet, but no extreme screaming like before. Travis was able to participate in the therapy session. I really believe that made all the difference. (Jenny is a daddy's girl.) This session seemed to be really beneficial. She didn't cry and scream while riding and actually appeared to be enjoying it by the end of the lesson. That made it clear to me that we aren't going without Daddy in the future!

On the adoption front, nothing new to report. We are still waiting.

Soccer Ends

Jenny played in her last soccer game this past Saturday. She was finally beginning to get the concept of the game. I'm excited to see how well she does next year. We had a busy weekend. We went to Marshall for high school graduation. The trip took forever to get there and coming back wasn't much better. We actually had to go through a sobriety check point on the way home. We were all tired and fussy by that point. Luckily we got home safely. Saturday was full with hair appointments and soccer. Horseback riding was cancelled again. It seems that things just won't align right for horseback. Hopefully, we will get back on track this week. Travis and I had a nice day on Monday. We went to see Star Trek with some friends while a babysitter watched our kids. The movie was fantastic. On the adoption front, we are still waiting. That will most likely be our status for several months. We are fortunate that Jenny keeps us busy enough to not drive ourselves crazy with the wait. The last bit of exciting news in our world- we are land owners! We bought 21.6 acres of land in Marshall. We don't intend to build a home up there, maybe a cabin for escape eventually, but land is always a good investment because they sure aren't making more of it.

First Official Blog Post

This is the first post on our family blog. There is lots going on in our lives. Our daughter, Jenny, has a genetic disorder called Criduchat. She is a remarkable child and has enriched our lives beyond measure. Jenny is currently playing soccer and doing therapeutic horseback riding on top of her regular weekly physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions. She likes the soccer, but not so much the horseback riding. We are on the official waiting list for a referral to adopt a child from Korea. You do not get to chose gender, but can put in a preference. We have requested a girl. We hope to get a referral before the end of the year and travel as soon as allowed thereafter. Travis is returning to school this fall to attend law school while still working a full time job. As for me, I'm working full-time and keeping up with my family (which is another full- time job).