Progress and a Dilemma

WOW, I cannot believe how busy I have been sewing. I have one more dress to make then I will be caught up with my current orders. I will be starting on new designs this week to debut hopefully by the weekend.

I have had alot of inquiries on how the girls' bedroom is coming along. Well, we are making progress, just not as quickly as planned. Matt has been putting alot of time in at work so he hasn't been home to work on it. We took advantage of not having any plans this weekend and worked at home. I sewed, and Matt worked upstairs.

What started as a simple project to make a bed for the girls has resulted in our entire episode looking like a scene from Hoarders. I'm not kidding. Three of the four bedrooms are now part of our remodel.

We knocked out the wall between the boys' and the girls' rooms to create an extra large walk in closet for all three girls. In doing so, that left the boys with no closet.

This is the girls' new closet and also where Mylee and Emma are sleeping until we get there new beds done. This used to be the closet from Emma's room into her closet. It has now been walled up.


This is the other side of the now walled up closet door from what is now Gabe and Drew's room.


And since the boys were now without a closet, the only thing we could do was create an opening on the backside of a small walk-in closet in our room (we also have a large walk-in closet so it isn't any big deal). We were using it mostly for storage. So, we walled up the door on our side, and rehung the door on the boys' side.



For now the boys' bed is in the room, so at least they have a place to sleep. The first couple of nights Gabe was not thrilled with having to sleep in a "girly" room, but he has gotten over it.



This is the latest picture of the beds. Matt just needs to build and attach another set of steps, and do a little more drywall work and this room will be ready to prime. Our goal it to be putting paint (not primer) on the wall by this weekend.



Now, for the dilemma...

We need to get our visas for China. Our original plan was to take Jaxon and Emma. Matt is not going this time, but his dad is instead. I am still holding out that we will be able to travel by the end of the year. I just got off the phone with USCIS to see what our I-800 status is and luckily, I was able to talk with the Officer that will be working on it and she will be doing it tomorrow and told me to call her back tomorrow afternoon. If all goes well, it will be on it's way to the NVC by the end of the week.

It's no lie money has been tight with this adoption and we are still short quite a bit of money to complete it. So, as of right now we are not sure we will be able to take Jaxon and Emma or even just one of them.

I really wanted them both to go for different reasons. Jaxon because I really wanted to see where he is from and meet his friends. Plus, he has been so excited to go back and visit with his friends. He would also be a BIG help with translating for Keliah which would probably help her with her transition. I wanted Emma to go so she could see where he brothers and sisters are from. I wanted her to experience their culture hands on. And to be completely honest, I wanted her to see the firsthand why we have been called to adopt. I also thought it would be nice for Keliah to have another girl in the mix, one that she could relate to in age.

I guess it didn't dawn on me until today that we needed to make a decision so quickly. It costs $140 for the Visa application plus another $35 for the courier fee. So, it would be $175 for each Visa. Do we just say "NO," they aren't going, or risk the money ($350) to get their Visas?

Any thoughts, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Now I'm off to more sewing...