Lions, Tigers, and Bears, OH MY!

Or, should I say Western Wildcats? We returned home from wonderful weekend back in our hometown late Sunday night. It was Matt's high school reunion (Western High School, known as the "Western Wildcats") so we headed home for a weekend of festivities. We actually went a day earlier than necessary to visit with my grandmother and had such a good time! She has recently moved into an assisted living facility and it is as wonderful as one can be! She has a great apartment and we got to meet her friends during lunch. They even had an art show on Friday afternoon! On Saturday we hung out at the beach (how awesome!) and then out to a restaurant on the Intracoastal (even awesomer!) as part of the reunion festivities.

We met Matt's god daughter for the first time! She is beyond precious! Of course, she had to be pried from my hands to get her bottle and burped! We stayed with my sister so we even got quality time with her! The only thing we missed- Matt's brother and his family! Hopefully, next time we will be able to hook up and visit with each other!!! We seem to only catch each other at weddings!!!!

And, in the "what were we thinking" category, we brought the dogs along! Yes, you read right, Matt, me, and Duke and Raleigh (all 120 pounds of them) packed up the rental SUV (Enterprise didn't know what hit them!) and drove (!) the 7 hours there and back. Oi vay! NEVER AGAIN!!!! They were good for about 4-5 hours, but the last 2 hours each way was beyond brutal. For those of you who don't know, Duke and Raleigh are Golden Retrievers...the breed also known as "velcro" dogs. Typically, at home, this isn't a problem. They love to cuddle up on our feet or sit next to us- making sure to always touch us. Well, imagine what THAT was like in a car! Their primary mission was to figure out a way to sit with us in the front seat. Of course, we have invested in the dog harness safety belts. Unfortunately, Duke and Raleigh demonstrated their "considerable intellectual prowess" and either a) chewed it -apparently the harness' taste delicious or b.) they moved around so much that they get un-harnessed! So, imagine me and Matt yelling, "No! Sit! In the back! Lay down!" every 15 seconds. For the last 2 hours getting there. And, for the last 2 hours coming back. Oh, and then add in the fantastic excitement of.... toll booths!!!! Each toll collector was a potential friend and greeted excitedly with wagging tails and barks of joy. Or, greeted with a watchful and unsure eye and a low "warning sign" bark. We couldn't quite figure out what or who determined the logic behind each response. Regardless, Duke and Raleigh were "on it" and committed to letting everyone on the road know of their presence! Did I mention there are 4 toll booths - each way! Again, lesson learned. Next time we go away..it's "camp canine" for them!

And, did I mention my sister has a cat-a-delicious-never-before-seen-up-close-and-personal gato? We are not sure whether Duke or Raleigh met Gatsby first; however, suffice it to say that Gatsby is NOT a fan of the canine species. Although, Duke and Raleigh would love to see/chase/play with him more often!

Since this IS an adoption blog, I feel compelled to give everyone an update. There is no update. Actually, we have our approved and final copy of our home study in hand and need to send it, our I-600A adoption petition, and our fee to the US Immigration Service for review. Because I have a HUGE project due on Oct. 28 (part I) and Nov. 4 (part II), I probably won't get it Fed Exed before then. The folder is sitting on our dining room table- otherwise known as the "adoption desk" because all of our work seems to be done around it. Once the USCIS processes our application, we will be sent appointment times in Jacksonville. It is necessary to have an appointment because we need to get fingerprinted. I believe these finger prints are run in a national database as part of our background/security check. As a point of information, the finger print clearance is only good for one calendar year. Therefore, if our adoption is not completed within 12 months we have to apply for an extension. Fingers crossed (pardon the pun) that won't be necessary!