Birthday, Traveling, Feeling like a whale, and PICTURES!

Ezzy eating yet another serving of blueberries on our Texas trip.

Poor Ezra. We captured Ellory's every move. Each new tooth, step, phase...it's documented. Then came Ezra. We adore him, but documentation wise, he didn't really join our family until our family vacation when he was 6 months old. The iPhone has spoiled me in that I can always snap a quick picture, but I usually don't do a thing with them after I text Lachlan. I'm currently loading the 444 pictures that have been on our camera since April. So, hopefully, by the end of this update, I will actually get to share a few with you!
On August 25th, Lachlan and I got to have a little date downtown. We went to the USCIS building, and got our fingerprints taken for immigration approval of our little one. It was easy, and we were told we had "very clear prints"--the technician said that meant our approval should move quickly, since they seemed to be prints that could easily be cleared by the computer system, and not marked to be additionally reviewed by an actual person, CSI style. What that actually means, I have no idea. Our best guess is around 2 months.
As soon as we get the USCIS approval, we hope to turn in our dossier, which we sent off our payment for the same day we had our prints taken. We need to kick our document gathering into full gear so that it will be ready to send off as soon as possible.
We found out yesterday that we have been a bit optimistic in our estimation of when we would receive a referral, a court date, and bring our little one home. I've been sick the past two days, and the news sent me into sick/sulking mode. Basically, we've been told that it will almost certainly be 2013, (yep, that's a one-three at the end of that) until we bring our Buna home---possibly even until we receive our referral. Pouty face. This timeline makes me feel like I am having the gestation of a whale with this child. It's not that this was completely unexpected, but to have it completely confirmed was a little jab to the heart. It does make me want to do everything possible to get that $11,900 fee turned in, not short of standing on the corner of Grinstead and I-64 and begging. Which I may just have to do considering that in the past 2 weeks we have been hit with a $2000 truck repair bill and a stolen lawn mower. Boo.
Until then, we are living life as 4 Coffeys. Lachlan turned 31 a few weeks ago, and was sub-par celebrated with a dinner out with the kids at Incredible Dave's, and a bottle of bourbon I bought for him 3 days late. Wah wah.
We were happy to get away as a family the week leading into Labor Day. We still had vouchers left over and almost ready to expire, so we flew down to Texas and were spoiled by a week with Lachlan's Uncle Bob and Aunt Sue. Ellory deemed our trip "the best vacation ever," which says a lot, since she still talks about last year's trip to Disney World on a regular basis. It was a relaxing time, that include morning and evening swims, floating in tubes in the river, and day trips to San Antonio, outlet malls, and caves. We were very blessed, Ellory and Ezra were spoiled rotten with all the blueberries and swimming and feeding deer they could take, and Aunt Sue practiced her superb-grandma skills by staying with Ezra during the river trip, allowing Lachaln and I to have a dinner out with his cousin and Uncle without the kiddos in tow, and feeding and putting Ez to bed while I took a late night swim with all the cousins, who so graciously drove in from their first week of college and med school in College Station to visit us for the night! (RUN.ON.SENTENCE)



Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We are certainly heavy hearted with the news of delays.

Why can't I figure out how to move pictures?!?! I give up. Here they are, out of order...

Attempt at a family pic on the San Antonio River Walk

Handsome boy at the Alamo

Can you see the deer? Ellory helped Uncle Bob feed the deer every morning and night...About 6-7 would come right up and eat.

4 Coffeys in Gatlinburg on a hike.--May 2011

Ellory Sue turns 4!--May 21, 2011

The Coffee Cousins in a dysfunctional Easter picture.

Our real life attempt at a family photo in front of the Alamo. Everyone is HOT and HUNGRY and not in the mood for happy picture capturing.


That's it for now. It's out of order, missing several, and took me all of nap time. YOU BETTER ENJOY IT!