I'm into gray

It looks like I'm into grays latley- both my knitting projects are being done in gray. I will admit, I do love grays, browns and greens! I'm knitting the Elisa's Nest Tote found on Purl Bee's website using hemp:

And still working on Flicca! Here's the SLOW progress on my first sleeve. I think it's just too hot to be knitting a sweater, I'm not movtivated!

Will I ever finish a project?

So, I started another new knitting project. It's Elisa's nest tote from the Purl Soho Bee website. I'm using Allhemp yarn for it in a light gray. I'm excited about it, but still have my baby blanket and Flicca to finish. I think I've been working on my first Flicca sleeve for about 2 months! As long as it's done by winter!

Our dossier for the adoption is SO close to being done. I'm really hoping everything from our end will be done this week. We'll most likely just be waiting for our I-171H. Atleast the fingerprinting for that has already been completed. We're just still trying to get the final home study report reviewed and sent to INS. We have a notary coming to our house (my friend's sister- so nice!) on Wednesday to get most of our stuff notarized. I was hoping to have it all done before we went back to teaching in August so we could just drive the papers to Sacramento to get apostilled instead of mailing them, but we'll probably just have to mail them. It's too hard to have to miss work right at the beginning of the school year.

I've also been going into to work a ton this summer. I love having my classroom organized and ready to go, and since I will be visiting my family in New Jersey the week before school starts, I need to have it all ready. This is definitely a busy week. I feel like I haven't had hardly any days to relax and knit and think of nothing. Hopefully next week. Except I'm always saying that!

Once I get this bag knitted a bit further, I'll get a picture posted.

Dossier, dossier, dossier, dossier, grrrrrrrrr

This is all that goes through my head lately. Ugh! I just want to get this done. I know many adopters say to enjoy this time, the part where we have control over everything, but I think I am going to more enjoy the part of waiting and hoping. This paperwork is just becoming the end of me. We're battling the police departments trying to get a notarized criminal background check, our doctor doesn't have letterhead to put our medical check on, but our agency (or country) requires it, still waiting for an appt. date for our INS fingerprints to get our !-171H to complete our dossier, and two of our reference letter writers are out of town and unable to be reached. It's just a bunch of little things adding up to make me want to take all the papers and throw them around the room and stomp on them! :) (But, of course, I won't--that would make the anxiety even worse.) I can't wait for the day when I submit my final dossier!!!! Please, hurry day!!!!

I finished something (but it's not knitting)!

A while back, Purl Soho had posted this project on their website. I ordered fabric and finally got around to doing it today. I'm excited! But, the more I stare at it, the more I want to move the circles around. So, for now it's staying as is!

Our foster greyhound!

I couldn't resist posting some pictures of the greyhound, Lexi, we are fostering for the week. She's off to her new family tomorrow!


This is Lexi on the left, and our greyhound, Franklin, on the right.

Finally Some Pictures!

I finally got around to taking some pictures. First, since this IS supposed to be a knitting blog:
the tiny amount of progress on my baby blanket, and

my stack of Flicca! I've done the back and two front panels.


I've been painting walls too! I tried to take a couple pictures, but they didn't really come out too well. Here's the guest room that used to be a dumping ground. We painted the walls a light beige color.

And here's the soon-to-be nursery for when we adopt. Since we have no preference on the sex of the baby, I had to paint the room somewhat neutral. The walls are a greyish- light blue and the borders are a soft brown. I painted the shelf and outlets a light peach.

Here's the bedding for the crib too.


And, finally, the top of a quilt I started a long time ago. If I could just get the energy to face actually learning how to finish it!




We just finished our home study visit today. It all went well. My husband is out at the accountant's office doing more adoption paperwork. Then, he's picking up a greyhound we are fostering for the week. Her name is Lexi. I'm sure I'll have some pictures to post of her soon. I'm hoping she can perk up our Franklin, who is missing his sister, Meadow, a lot.

Quick Update

I have not had time to knit for a while! It's been a hectic time. We've been working like crazy trying to get the house ready for our home study visit tomorrow. I guess we're as ready as we're going to be. I keep meaning to take pictures of our paint jobs, but haven't. I must be out of shape because painting two rooms just about did me in. My muscles are killing! It was worth it though.

I wanted to share a picture of the second batch of baby birds we had. They look like they're about to go anytime. So cute!

And here's a picture of some of my first grade class's statues of liberty. They cheer me up whenever I'm stressed, they're so funny and cute!

Craziness!

What a hectic day! You'd think finally being on summer vacation would be relaxing! We just scheduled our home visit for our homestudy on Monday, so we are in full gear getting the house ready. Of course, my husband is also teaching summer school, so I'm on my own for a lot of it. I've been painting like mad. We are moving our guest room to where our den is. It will now be a den/guest room. My husband just installed wood floors in it, so I'm painting the baseboards. Then we have to move the furniture into in and then get started on the nursery. Our backyard is also a disaster so we need to work on it too. Unfortunately it's been 100 degrees, so we are limited to working in the am. I've squeezed a little knitting in today. I'll post pics when I get a chance!

Good-bye my precious Meadow

Our sweet little greyhound, Meadow, passed away yesterday. She was only 7, and it was very unexpected. She had been ill the past couple weeks and we had been going to the vet. I had actually just taken her yesterday afternoon. We came home, and I left to run errands. My husband came home, and she was fine, running up with Franklin and greeting him. Then, he said a few minutes later, she went rigid and collapsed. He held her in his lap and she took her last few breaths there. He took her to the vet where they pronounced her dead. And of all days, I didn't have my cell with me so my husband couldn't reach me. I never got to say good-bye. The vet says she probably had cancer, but I guess we'll never know. She was my husband's first dog, and my first adopted greyhound. She and my husband have always had an extra-special bond, so it is especially hard for him. She always wanted to nuzzle and cuddle and hold hands, she loved loving and being loved. We miss her so much. I love you, Meadow!

Lazy Knitter

I haven't knit in at least 2 weeks! I think work has exhausted me, as well as doing all the adoptions stuff. I see my knitting sitting on the sidetable everyday, and I just look at it with no desire to pick it up. Only two more weeks of teaching--maybe my energy will come back!

They're Gone!

I took this picture yesterday, so cute! I went to the allergist after work, and on the way home my husband called and told me he saw the mom trying to push the babies out of the nest. Once I got home, I took this picture and only got to see them for a minute. We were late to a dinner so we had to rush to leave. Once we got home, they were gone. It was kind of a sad feeling, isn't that weird?! I guess I just got used to seeing them everyday.

Our 1st Adoption Class

We went to our first adoption/parenting class today. It made the process really seem "official" I guess. It was nice to meet others who are also doing international adoption. I just wish I could fast forward a year! There's just soooooo much to do. I just have to keep telling myself to focus on one thing at a time. Easier said than done!

They Hatched!

There's two little baby birds in the nest! Soooo cute! They're really hard to see, and I couldn't seem to get a very good angle. I'll have to try again later.

Some Progress- Finally!

I finally finished the left front of my Flicca sweater! Now onto the right front (if I can get up the motivation).


The dove is still there. Poor thing, sitting right in the 97 degree sun!

A Surprise!

So, I've been growing strawberries from a hanging planter on my back patio. I've been checking them everyday because I've never grown them before, and I'm so excited! I went out yesterday and saw this weird, green netting sticking out of the planter, so I started tugging on it. This bird flew out of the planter, I have no idea how I didn't notice it! So, I climbed up on a chair and there was a little nest in my planter with one egg. So cute! So, my strawberry plants are probably done for, but I'll take watching a baby bird hatch over that! Here's the mom, she came back!


My knitting update: I am now still working on the front left of my Flicca sweater. It's slowly coming along!

Knitting Update

I finally got the batteries charged enough to upload my progress photos.

Here's the back of my Flicca cardigan. It's my first sweater, so it's not quite perfect, but I tried!


And this is the very early beginnings of a baby blanket I am knitting for my future adopted Armenian baby. It may be 1-2 years away, but I figure I better get started knowing how long it takes me to finish projects! If we get a boy, I will leave it blue. I was thinking if we get a girl, I might embroider some bright pink flowers in one corner. I'm using Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim Aran for this.

Another day down...

Not a fun day today- I had my scan scheduled today at my infertility doctor. I still have a large cyst, which means no medicine for this month to help things along. Then, they broke the news to me that there was really nothing else they could do for me. I would need to be referred out to a specialist. (I thought I WAS going to a specialist.) Ugh! Very sad day. Of course we are still so excited to be working on the adoption process, but it's still hard to hear the news today. I guess we'll have to decide if we are just going to completely stop with infertility and just focus on adoption or how to handle all this. Confusing, frustrating, crappy.

On a more positive note, I just finished the back of my Flicca sweater! I took a picture to post, and then my camera died. I'll have to do it after the batteries recharge. So excited!

One of those adorable days!

I teach 1st grade and just love it! It is my favorite age, and I love teaching my kids to love literature and books and learning. So, of course, we read like a zillion books a day, but every once in a while one really gets their attention and makes them think. Today we read Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting, one of my favorites! After the story the class broke out into a spontaneous round of applause. It just melted my heart how much they connected with it. Those are the moments I love!

On a knitting note, I knitted that Flicca like crazy! I'm almost done with the back-- maybe by tomorrow!

Today's Progress

I knitted for hours on my Flicca today, but I'm still on the back section. I'll post my progress soon! We also almost completed our initial adoption application. Our goal is to get it mailed out this week.

My Babies

These are my two babies! They are the cutest things ever, and we spoil them to death! They are retired rescued greyhounds.