Last day of January has arrived... preparing for the month of LOVE!

*Please cheer loudly here.* First visit of our home study is complete. Our social worker is absolutely wonderful and put us at complete ease. We enjoyed just having a friendly chat with her to get our home study process started. Next Saturday will be our second visit which includes interviews with the kids and us. We can really see the process unfolding before our eyes and are feeling that we are making great strides and progress to get our babies home. We still have a long journey ahead but to know we are a few steps closer sets my mind at rest. We are making progress and progress that I can actually see happening!

Roy's sister came in from South Africa for a visit! It was so wonderful to have her and her husband, Greg here with us for the week. I had the chance to reconnect with an older sister in my life. I love that relationship. It is not one I have had my entire life and I like being the "little sister" who needs help from her older sibling. That is exactly the role Debra played for me. She helped me clean our house and prepare for the home study. I felt so loved as I was cleaning out cupboards and she was folding laundry on the table while we talked and talked and talked about her  life, my life, our lives. Some very special moments happened for me and some lasting memories were created for me to look back on fondly.

Roy and I, Debra and Greg, and Sandi (our cousin that lives in Hollywood, FL) were able to go to an Ethiopian restaurant in Orlando. It was so YUM!! I highly recommend that if you are in Orlando for any reason make a pit stop at "The Nile" on International Drive. You definitely will not be sorry!!

Looking forward to this coming month of February. Our family is going to celebrate the entire month of February-- the month of love. We are going to do our best to show love all month long in any way we can. I hope to carry this into every day of my life-- my life goal is to love and show love in any and every way possible. Also, I cannot wait for the day of love, Valentine's Day when Roy and I will be celebrating our 12 year anniversary! It does not seem to me that we have been married that long-- surely I cannot be old enough to be married for 12 years. ;)

Closing and publishing--- need to get off to work!!