The Grandstaff Family

January- A Month of Celebration

2010-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Grandstaff family has a lot to celebrate in January. Our sweet Katelyn turned 3 on the 5th. Her 2 year gotcha day was on January 10th. Hard to believe all those months of waiting and visiting Guatemala were over 2 years ago. The time goes so quickly. My birthday and our wedding anniversary is on the 11th. Brian and I celebrated 13 years this month. So thankful for the amazing man God gave me. Kiley's gotcha day is January 26th. It's been almost 1 year since we traveled to Ethiopia and met our bright eyes little girl. She has brought more joy and laughter to our home than I could have ever imagined. As I reflect on our family I'm so thankful for all the things we have been able to celebrate this month. Thank you Lord!!!!!

Tahoe

2010-01-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

Brian and I took Lauren, Emily and Kiley to see Jon, Christina and Aviana in Lake Tahoe. We decided that due to the distance and the weather we would leave Kate with Lis and Tim. It was a blast! We loved our time with my brother and his precious family. Avi is getting so big and was babbling and smiling so much. Sure wish they lived closer. While we were there we connected with the Howard family. It was so much fun! We all went sledding and had snow ball fights. The girls loved it! We then went to the new Ritz Carlton in Lake Tahoe (thanks Lis!) for some amazing sights. Emily and Kiley took a day of ski lessons as did I. We had a fabulous time up on the mountain. The weather was warm and perfect for being outside. On my birthday a big snow storm came in. The snow was whipping! The girls loved it. They threw it, fell in it and ate it! Oh the joys of childhood. It was a wonderful trip!

Ski lessons

No time for blogging

2010-01-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Well here we are well on our way into 2010 and I'm sitting down to finally update this blog. So sad that literally months have gone by and there have been no entries. But I must admit it has been a full several months. I will recap the months for you.

October
I got the phone call that my sweet friend Shelly had passed away on the 4th, 3 weeks and 1 day from the time they told her the cancer had returned. She went from Anthony's arms to Jesus' arms on her 18th wedding anniversary. It was a very sober time. I returned to Sacramento for the memorial service. Which was challenging but such a sweet celebration of her life.
Our darling Emily turned 6. She is just such a joyful kid with an imagination like I've never seen before. She can't keep from smiling and she LOVES animals with a passion.
Jon, Christina and Aviana came for a visit. We loved spending time with them. They stayed for Halloween so we were able to celebrate Avi's first Halloween together.

November
Brian's parents came to join in on the Thanksgiving fun. It was wonderful to have them here. It's been almost a year since they have been to FL and the girls missed them so much. Of course we ate WAY too much but it was a precious time.

December
What can I say about December... it's my FAVORITE time of year. The decorations were hung and we celebrated all month long.
Lauren celebrated her 9th birthday, which I can not believe! Last year in the single digits... HOLY COW!!!! She has continued to be a tender hearted little girls that serves others. Blessed indeed to be her mom.
I must say Christmas doesn't get any better than when you have a bunch of little ones in the home. I LOVE IT! There was an excitement all month. We did Christmas cookies, school programs and lots of shopping. My heart is full of gratitude!

So there is the quickest recap of the last several months. Lord willing I will be able to stay on top of this a little better in 2010. Who am I kidding???? One can dream.....

Many blessings to you in 2010!
I must say that

Saying Goodbye

2009-09-17T20:11:00.001-07:00

My friend Shelly says she hates goodbyes. And today I gotta tell you so do I! Mom and I flew out to Sacramento, CA on Tuesday. I received a call on Saturday afternoon that my precious, beautiful, hilarious friend Shelly Howard who has been battling breast cancer for over 3 years is in her final weeks. Hospice came on Tuesday to try and make her comfortable.

It just "feels" wrong. She is 37 with 5 darling children ages 3-11. We spent time playing with the kids, doing home work and then surprising Mom with Halloween a little early. SO FUN!!!

My visits with her and her lovely husband Anthony have not been sad or full of fear. They have been amazing conversations about heaven and what she is going to do there. When we asked her if she was afraid she said "NO... I'm really excited. I mean I get to see Jesus." She is an amazing mom, wife and to me a dear friend. She is one of those girls that make you laugh until your stomach hurts. I will miss her dearly but as she said last night. "I can't wait to hang... FOREVER". She promised to meet me at the gates of heaven and until that day arrives I'm anxious to see her face again and laugh FOREVER!

I'm so glad she is leaving behind her precious children for us to love on and laugh with. They are full of joy and their Mother has prepared them well for her passing. I love you Shelly and will miss you for a little while. Can't wait for FOREVER!!!
We are still laughing.....

Taylor

Anthony

Sydney

Shelby and Jaden

Homework with the girls

Book Ball

2009-09-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Emily attended a Patriot Book Ball on Friday night after spending the day at Animal Kingdom. It was to celebrate their summer reading for school. They were dressed up and had a ball, at the ball. Especially winning door prizes and dancing with friends. It was a very special night. Lauren finished 4th in her grade and Emily finished 3rd. I'm so proud of them. They looked just beautiful!

Animal Kingdom

2009-09-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

n Friday I took the girls to Animal Kingdom for the day. It was perfect weather and the crowds were light. My idea of a fun time at a theme park. Us locals are spoiled with the way we want to play. The girls were just lovely and we had a blast together. No doubt the highlight was the safari ride. We did it first thing in the morning and most of the animals were out. It was so fun! They also loved the petting area. Amazing the joy my little people get out of touching sheep and goats.

We Love Lexi

2009-09-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

Some of you have asked about how we like Lexi. We LOVE HER!!!!! The girls carry her around and love to try and dress her up. I can't say she really enjoys it... but she is a great sport. Took her to the vet today for her final puppy shots and she weighed in at 8lb. Many of you have asked to see pictures so here you go.

Kate loves to sit with her. I took these this morning while they were sitting right by the office where I was working. She is a great dog!

Visiting California

2009-09-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Brian and I took Emily and Lauren to San Diego to meet our new niece Aviana. She was a week old when we first met her. She is darling! We are so excited for Jon and Christina and their precious daughter. We had a great time hanging with our older girls. We took a boat out in the bay and saw dolphins. It was a blast!

Review of 2009

2009-08-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that September is just around the corner. I decided to begin capturing our memories from this year so far in a family movie. Hope you enjoy!

A little behind

2009-08-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Okay so I finally put our 2008 pictures into a movie. Here it is just a year and half late.

First day of school

2009-08-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I need to take another picture of Lauren as her first school day picture didn't really turn out. But here are the other 3 all ready for school. Emily is in kindergarten at Circle. Kiley is in the 3 year old class and Kate is in the 2 year old class at Willow Creek. They are growing so fast!

A time to reflect

2009-08-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today I came up to the beach all alone. It's not something I normally do. Usually there is a row of children following in my footsteps. But not today. Brian has all the girls and is taking them to a fun hotel for the night while I get out of town and have some quiet. What a fun Dad!

It's amazing what a few good hours of rest and silence will do for my heart and soul. I have some dear friends coming later today for the rest of the weekend so the silence will soon be filled with laughter. But in the mean time I'm taking the opportunity to rest in silence, think and write. I realized I get weary from meeting the needs of children so many hours in the day that when I have a few hours of silence I can be a better wife, mother and friend. So thankful today for all the sounds of 4 little children and the amazing, dedicated, love of a godly man. I'm blessed!

Girl Has Style

2009-08-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt that Kate knows exactly what she wants to wear and how she wants to wear it. I just can't keep from smiling when I see her style. We are praying this is a temporary fashion trend. Otherwise we may be in trouble in a few years.

Puppy Love

2009-08-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've been asking for a puppy now for a little while. I think Brian was afraid I might start asking to adopt again if I didn't have a puppy soon so he finally gave into my request. He didn't fully realize all it would entail. Just a short flight for him to go to Seattle to pick up the puppy and bring her home. Not because you can't find a cockapoo (cocker spaniel and poodle) in Florida. You just can't find the one I REALLY want in Florida. So my accommodating, darling husband flew to Seattle and came back the next day with my sweet puppy Lexi. She is wonderful and the girls just adore her. We are truly in puppy love.

Kiley's 6 Month Pictures

2009-07-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been 6 months since I met Kiley in Ethiopia for the first time. It blows my mind to think how much our darling little girl has changed. She is fluent in english and she makes me smile with the brightness in her eyes. Her eyes was the thing that captured my heart last September when I first saw her picture. I already can't imagine our lives without her. She is such an important part of our family. We love her deeply and are so thankful every time we stop to think of her journey to our family. Happy 6 month gotcha day Kiley Joy. We love you!

Getting ready for the wedding

2009-07-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Tim and Andrea were married on July 23rd and everyone was invited to be in the wedding. Brian and I decided it would be a little too much for Kate so we left her with a baby sitter but everyone else got to participate in the ceremony. The girls were all flower girls and they looked beautiful!

We are so excited to have Andrea now a part of the family. The night of the wedding after the reception was over Andrew proposed to Nicole. So now our family is preparing for the last Werner sibling to be married in May. Super excited!!!!

Emily

Kiley

Lauren

The groomsmen at the rehearsal dinner

Bridesmaids, flower girls and ring bearer at the rehearsal dinner

A Beautiful Gift

2009-07-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Grams and Gramps (the girls great grandparents) brought all the girls a special gift. Gramps made each girl her own treasure chest and Grams placed special books specific for each girl inside. They are beautiful and the girls love them! They hold all their stuffed animals or special treasures. We are so thankful for these heirlooms that they have been given. Gramps hand made these chests just for Lauren, Emily, Kiley and Kate. We are so appreciative!

Love all these girls!

2009-07-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

I could never have imagined how much I would LOVE being a Mom to 4 precious, beautiful, different fun little girls. I'm one proud Momma!

Girls just like to have fun!!!

2009-07-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

There is no lack of fun in our home these days. From rock star to pool time we are having a great summer! Hope you are too!

Pretty Princesses

2009-06-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than watching your little girls dress up and be princesses. It's evident that even at such a young age they are asking the question... do you find me beautiful? And my answer every time is YES!!!!! I pray they always know their beauty, not just with the dress they are spinning around wearing but the beauty the Lord has instilled in every heart.

Emily's Gotcha Day

2009-06-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Today is our 5 year gotcha day for Emily. Can't believe it was 5 years ago we were standing in front of a judge in Russia and they named us Emily's forever family. This young lady has been an incredible gift to our family. I tell her all the time... you make me smile. And it couldn't be more true. She lives every moment to the fullest and finds the excitement in little things. Especially stuffed animals.
We all went out for breakfast to celebrate with doughnuts of course!
Enjoy celebrating the little things in life! It's a wonderful journey.

Where is Waldo... I mean Emily?

Emily's Graduation

2009-06-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

Today was bittersweet for our Emily. It was a day where she felt the joy of her first graduation with the pain of leaving dear friends behind. Today she graduated from preschool at Willow Creek. It was a precious little ceremony.
She has had an amazing 3 years at Willow Creek. She has enjoyed the fun, crafty things that I'm not good at and had wonderful friendships. Now she will being kindergarten. We are so proud of the young lady she is becoming. Congrats Emily!

Kiley's Readoption

2009-05-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the courthouse in Seminole County to readopt Kiley here in the United States. It was a quick process and the judge couldn't help but smile when he saw our family. We are so thankful for the sweet gift of Kiley Joy. It was a great day to celebrate our Kiley. We can't wait to see all that the Lord has planned for her. We love you Kiley Joy!!!

Where does the time go?

2009-04-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Lauren has a week left of the 2nd grade. Emily will soon be going into Kindergarten and both little ones will be at preschool next year. WOW! The time just flies. I look back over the pictures I've downloaded today from my camera and it blows my mind. What seems like days ago were really months.

The days are sometimes very long and challenging and yet when I look back all I remember is the fun and joy of those moments. I'm so thankful for the children the Lord has knit together from across the world that sleep under my roof every night. They are precious to us!

Kiley's 4 birthday

2009-04-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

On the 21st Kiley celebrated her 4th birthday. It was such a joy to see her smile and her excitement with our celebration of her. I took all 4 girls to Disney Hollywood Studio (yes, by myself) to see Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She LOVED it. She met JoJo and Leo and loved the Beauty and the Beast Musical. It was a very special day for her.
We also celebrated with a Dora birthday party in Ohio with Brian's family and a Werner family party. So needless to say the girl scored a lot of great stuff and partied for a good week. It was so special for us to celebrate her.

Catching up and Easter

2009-04-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Over the last month life has been full and wonderful. I must say we have never been sick as often as we have been this year. Of course we do have 2 more little ones bringing germs home so perhaps that is what is contributing to the sniffles and coughs.

We are all enjoying the size of our family. There is always someone to play with. However, most of the time it's usually the older girls and little girls that pair up together. They are all great friends and I'm so thankful with the love they have for each other... most of the time.

One of our favorite things to do is go to the beach. Thought you would like to see a few snapshots. We spent Easter Sunday watching the sunrise at our place in Daytona. Then the girls did an Easter egg hunt. We didn't do the Easter dresses this year. It was bathing suits and so FUN. : )

The house of sickness

2009-03-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

The one thing I didn't fully realize with having 4 children. When one gets sick you are in for a long haul. This was our first go around with a nasty flu and 4 children. Needless to say I'm tired of checking temperatures and administering medicine. My counter looks like a drug store. : ) We have had fevers and coughing for almost 2 weeks. Just yesterday the fevers stopped and I'm SO THANKFUL!!!!!! It's a small price to pay for the joy of having 4 children. But one of those yucky things I never really thought about. The Lord is indeed shining on me because we are all feeling better just in time to go to the beach. HOORAY!!!!!

Enjoying the last of the cold weather...and quilts

2009-03-02T12:02:00.001-08:00

We are loving this blast of cold weather. I put a fire in the fireplace last night. Then sat and read books with Kate and Kiley. Then they were cold so we pulled out some quilts made by their Great Grandmother and cuddled in on the couch. Not sure we will have many more of these nights so I wanted to capture them. Can't imagine what we would do without those cozy quilts. Thanks Grams!!!!!!

Sea World... here we come!

2009-02-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

I thought after being home a month I finally mustered up enough courage to take all 4 little people with me to Sea World for the morning. It was a GREAT time! They all did so good and I was pleasantly surprised how much we got to see and how happy everyone was. Thought you would like to see a bit of our trip.

First family get away

2009-02-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Brian and I took all 4 girls to the Ritz Carlton in Amelia Island, FL. We went up for a night with my sister Lis and her husband. If you know us you know that my sister works for the Ritz and is so kind to share her hotel perks. Which we LOVE! So off we all went for our first get away as a family of 6.
It was cold but we loved being out and seeing someplace new. The girls swam at the indoor pool and we sat outside at a fire pit.
Kiley saw the ocean for the first time and just loved picking shells. It was a nice get away.

So Glad I Didn't Miss This!

2009-02-16T09:22:00.001-08:00

We are still adjusting to being a large family. But I must admit I feel a balance I haven't felt since we brought Kate home. We get some looks when we go out but generally I think people can't figure out if they are all my children so we haven't had a lot of comments from folks.

I think back to the days when I had decided I would never marry and never have children... just dogs. Then I look at my family and I think... Look what I would have missed. I'm a blessed Mom and I'm so thankful today for all the Lord has done in my family.

Every time I look at Kiley I think "I'm so glad we didn't miss this." There were times when fear was on the verge of over taking me to think why would we want more children? But every one of my girls is a gift and I'm so glad we didn't miss out.

I took all the girls to see my Nana (their great grandmother) on Friday. It was the first time she met Kiley. She loved her from the moment she saw her.

Here are a few other pictures of us hanging out together as a BIG family. : )

What about the hair?

2009-02-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

We have been home with Kiley a little over 2 weeks now. Hard to believe how quickly time passes. She continues to transition so well into our family. Everyone here just LOVES her. I must admit my house is much louder but there is even more joy in our home. I still fall into bed most every night exhausted but so thankful for the children the Lord has entrusted to my care.

Many of you want to know about the hair. So I thought I would pass along some pictures. We are still learning how to style it but I must say it is beautiful. I still haven't gotten very good with the braids. We have a woman from Ethiopia coming over today to do hair. I'm so excited!!!! Hoping to learn some more good tips.

Kiley will sit for hours... and let me do her hair. She is so content. Which makes it a joy to do her hair.

Lots of Valentine Love

2009-02-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

February is in full swing. Every year Brian takes the girls all dressed up in their new dresses to the Father- Daughter Valentine Dance. They just LOVE it. It's a special night and they count the days until they get to go dance with their Dad.
This year was a bit overwhelming for Brian. We had been home 1 week with Kiley. So he wasn't sure how well he could dance with a 2,3,5, and 8 year old at the same time. So reluctantly I agreed to go. My contribution to the dance begins with finding fancy dresses for all the girls and then getting them ALL ready by myself because they all want to SURPRISE Dad. He may have actually convinced them of this in order to get out of helping get 4 girls ready. : )
This year it took almost 2 hours to do make up, hair and get them dressed. WHEW! But I must say they looked beautiful and I was so proud to go with them and show them off. Thought you would like to see some pictures.

So amazing!!!!!

2009-02-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

Lauren and I were sitting doing Bible today for school. I must admit we are a bit behind on the Bible curriculum I have and she was reading to me. When all of a sudden I was shocked by what I heard. This was the verse she was reading. It is talking about Abraham and Sarah when they are getting their new names. Lauren looked at me and said "Wow, Mom that is just like you."

"As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai. Her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her." (Genesis 17:15-16)

I couldn't believe it. I was named Sarah 31 years ago. Even then the Lord knew I would be a mother of nations. It just brought tears to my eyes. I'm doing exactly what the Lord created me to do. It was a huge confirmation for me today and I'm humbled by the ways the Lord shows us his favor. And thankful especially today for the name I've been given.

Kiley Joy

2009-02-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

I know many of you have been waiting to hear from us. We are honored and blessed to be the parents of Kiley Joy. She truly lives up to her name as there is always a smile on her face. From the moment we met her she has been affectionate, very loving, obedient and so kind.

We arrived at the Orlando airport Saturday morning at 9:30AM. My parents, siblings, their significant others and of course the girls were there waiting for us. It was a joyous reunion. Kiley gave everyone hugs and kisses and melted my parents hearts immediately with her affection. Thought you would like to see a few pictures.

We are still figuring things out of course. The only time we have made her cry was when we said no to her (we didn't understand what she was saying) and she had to go to the bathroom. OOOPSSS!!! Our mistake. We quickly figured out the problem and she was happy again. She is such a brave little girl. She follows us wherever we go and is sure of our relationship.

Food is a big thing we are working out right now. Things like strawberries make her gag and she loves hot sauce. She had a doctor's appointment on Monday and her pediatrician says she looks great. Still gotta do some blood work and shots : (

She loves her sisters. She laid her head on Lauren's lap last night and watched Hannah Montana. She likes to watch TV as she has never seen it before and she likes to ride the tricycle outside. She will copy everything we say if we ask her to and her diction is incredible. She speaks so clearly even though she doesn't understand the meaning of the words yet. I'm amazed at how they soak up everything.

We couldn't he happier to have her home in record time. From the moment we saw her picture and decided to adopt to the day we flew home to Orlando was 4 months and 3 days. Unbelievable!!!! We are blessed. We are so excited to introduce her to all of you. We hope to have an open house in the next few weeks so you can meet her.

Thank you for your prayers for us and Kiley. We have been united with a child that is going to make an impact for the Lord and you helped pray her home. We so appreciate and love that! She was in a Christian orphanage and so all the songs she sings are about Jesus. She even knows Oh How I Love Jesus in English. It made me cry when I heard all 3 older girls singing that song in the car on the way home from the airport. Wow! I can't even describe the emotions Brian and I are working through of feeling blessed by the Lord. I feel His favor and glory in a new way today. Our daughter is home and I feel peace and JOY!

Now a family of 6

2009-01-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

We are back in the states!!!! Last Saturday we left home sweet home to travel to Ethiopia to pick up our sweet daughter Kiley. We arrived early Monday morning and Monday afternoon Pochi the orphanage director brought Kiley to our hotel. We couldn't have prepared for such wonderful moment. She hugged and kissed us and has not been sad since. She smiles all the time and is the most content little girl I've ever seen.
On Tuesday we went to the US embassy and were in and out in less than 30 minutes. They told us her visa would be ready on Wednesday, a day earlier than we expected. So we changed our flights and came home on Thursday. We landed in DC last night after 24 hours of traveling. Kiley was so good. She was like a pro traveler. She slept and watched Dora and played with playdoh.
We will fly home to Orlando in the morning and we are so excited to introduce her to our family. We miss our other children so much and know they are ready to meet Kiley.
I undid all her braids this morning and she sat for over an hour as I pulled and tugged on her head. She copies almost everything we say and I'm amazed at how quickly and clearly she is speaking.
Thank you for all your prayers. We have bonded beautifully and she loves us which was one of my biggest fears. We are rejoicing that the Lord would bless us with another child. We get lots of looks and a lot of smiles as people see how loving and sweet she is. She is happy to be our daughter and we are delighted to be her parents.

So behind... welcome 2009

2009-01-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

Uggg... I can't believe how far behind I am on this blog thing. Thinking the 3 kids, home schooling, toddler, and adopting thing is starting to get to me. And I've got another little one coming home. WOW! Okay so here is all the latest news in case you haven't heard.

KILEY PASSED COURT IN ETHIOPIA!!!!! Got a call on December 31 that Kiley's case went to court a day earlier than we expected. We were the only one of 4 cases that passed court that day. We are so happy! It made for a very special time bringing in the new year. So thankful for the Lord's provision and protection. Now up to the latest news. We are making travel plans right now. Just trying to confirm the dates with the travel agent. Looks like we will be flying out on Saturday January 31 and flying back into Orlando Saturday Feb 7th. Hoping to go to the embassy on Feb. 3rd. Got all my shots today. : ( I have a lot more sympathy for my children.

The girls are back into full swing here. We had a great Christmas. Brian's Mom and Dad came to visit from Ohio. They were here 3.5 weeks and the girls LOVED it! We are so thankful to be surrounded by such amazing family.

The girls all got Sea World passes for Christmas this year. So on Friday we all went for the day. It was a great time.... except the kiddie rides. Yes I did say kiddie rides. I think it all started because in December Emily and I went to Busch Gardens with the rest of my extended family. Very cool time... we got to hand feed giraffes. ANYWAY! She wanted to ride a roller coaster. Because she had been on thunder mountain she thought she could handle anything. So there is only 1 roller coaster that you can ride being her height at Busch Gardens. Well let's just say SCARY!!!!!! Seriously this roller coaster did a downward spiral and went upside down. Not exactly 5 year old friendly. So back to the Sea World story. She pretty much will never trust me again because I put her on the scary ride. But her big sister wanted to try this ride that goes up and down. They both got on and buckled in. By the end both were screaming crying and wanted the lady to TURN IT OFF! Oh my... okay no more kiddie rides. But we did enjoy the animals VERY much.

Emily learned to ride her bike without training wheels this week. She loves being independent and like her big sister. I love these girls! They make me laugh and they are such fun kids to be around.

The last of the big news was yes I did turn 31. Still can't believe it. Brian surprised me with a weekend get away to the Ritz Carlton in South Beach. Oh the wonderful perks of having a sister work for Marriott. We ate dinner at Smith and Wollensky on the water for our 12 year anniversary. Then went to the old Versace mansion for drinks. Beautiful! Such wonderful memories with my sweet hubby.

Okay I think that is all the updated news. Hope to do a better job in the near future. Chow!

Good news on the adoption front

2008-12-14T03:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we received in the mail our I-171h. For all those adoption experts out there you know this is a very important document. This is the paper from the US Immigration office that gives us permission to bring a child back into the United States. It was the last paper we were waiting on here. Now we patiently wait for January 1st our court hearing. There hasn't been any successful court hearings the first time around in Ethiopia recently so we are preparing that we may need a 2nd appointment to finalize things. But we are praying that January 1st is the day Kiley becomes a Grandstaff.

I love this time of year

2008-12-04T13:09:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day but then shared the stomach virus all weekend long. Thank goodness it was a long weekend. I guess it helped my shopping issues. As I was brave enough to get into Kohl's at the crazy time of 4 am and out by 4:30 and throwing up by 5. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do and I waited ALL year for day after Thanksgiving shopping. Boy was I bummed I only got to hit 1 store. Oh well... guess I have next year to look forward to.
I just LOVE this time of year. The house is decorated and the ornaments are hung. Although there are fewer ornaments as each day goes by and Kate discovers how glass makes a fun noise when it shatters. Oh the joy of Christmas decorations and a 2 year old. Who ever thought glass ornaments were a good idea anyway.
The next few weeks we are going to focus on just being still and appreciating our family and friends. We hope to see all our special friends over the coming weeks. We wish you and your family a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Fun in the snow

2008-11-21T11:59:00.001-08:00

So since we don't have snow in Florida... EVER we thought we would take a family vacation to the snow. So we packed up all the kids last Friday and flew to Denver, CO. We then drove to Vail where we spent 4 days and 3 nights playing and having a blast in the snow. Thanks to my sister working for Marriott.
It was Kate's first trip to the cold. At the rental car place she stood inside as I walked out. I tried to get her to follow me because I was TRYING (key word) to pull too many pieces of luggage all at one time and get a 2 year old to follow along. Not a pretty picture. She stood inside and yelled NO NO NO... COLD! I thought "Oh man, we haven't even gotten to the cold stuff yet." : ) Once I was able to get her into the car she was fine. We weren't at the hotel for 10 minutes when the kids started to get all the snow gear out. I'm telling you getting 3 kids in snow clothes takes about 45 minutes. Not my idea of fun. Because by the time you are on number 3 the first one is sweating up a storm and complaining they are HOT. But off we went and they had a great time.
After our time in Vail we headed into Denver. We spent some time with my cousin David and his wife Danae and precious son Oscar. We also spent the day with the Roupp's. We met them down in Guatemala last year. Their daughter Ashlee is a few months older than Kate. It was a great time. We got home on Wednesday. We are so thankful for the opportunity to take the kids to Colorado.

Kate with her friend Ashlee Roupp we met in Guatemala. Her precious family we met in Guatemala and they will be forever friends.

Heading to the slopes... or I mean the playground.

Lauren

Emily

Katelyn

Court Date for Kiley

2008-11-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

We just received some wonderful news. We have been scheduled in Ethiopian courts for January 1st. If we get through court the first time they estimate we will travel about 6 weeks later to pick up our sweet Kiley. We are amazed and so excited today.

On that big celebration of New Year's Eve night as you ring in the New Year will you please say a prayer for our Kiley and her court appointment? They are 8 hours ahead and should be in court while we are celebrating the new year. We will keep you updated. Thanks for your support and love. Praying Kiley will be home in February. We are rejoicing today.

Ethiopia update

2008-11-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Wanted to give you all a quick update so you know the latest Grandstaff family news. Brian left on Thursday to fly to Ethiopia to meet a little girl we were considering for adoption. He arrived last night and got to the orphanage about 5am this morning our time. He called me about 8am from the orphanage on his cell phone (can you believe he had a signal in the middle of NO WHERE Ethiopia) and was in tears. He said he had spent several hours with her and she IS our daughter. Said she is a beautiful girl who lit up a room and is full of joy. She kept talking to him but of course he couldn't understand her due to the language barrier. But the staff at the orphanage said while she was looking at the picture book of our family we sent she was telling people... that is my Mom, that is my Dad and those are my sisters. : ) He had an amazing time with her. Got to put her down for a nap and pray with her before he left. He is physically and emotionally drained but so happy to get to meet her. We are rejoicing with the news. There will be obvious things to overcome. We believe she is about 3.5-4 years old but they don't have birth certificates there so we will never know for certain.

By a miracle our paperwork arrived completed the day before he left. So he hand carried all our documents with him to Ethiopia. They estimate that it will take 2-3 weeks to translate it and then submit to the courts. It usually takes 2-3 months to get a court appointment and if all goes well about 4-6 weeks until we travel to pick her up. We are praying we can be there in March or April. But only the Lord knows. Brian says the orphanage she is in is wonderful. She is in great health and it's a Christian orphanage. She is being well cared for during this wait.

Please continue to pray for his safety, health and stamina as he travels back to the city today and then home late tomorrow night. I feel honored and blessed that the Lord would allow us to be parents again. Thanks for your support and encouragement of our family.

We are loving the journey.

Fun Halloween

2008-11-01T05:31:00.001-07:00

Last night we joined the millions of others that went out trick or treating with their children... or as my sister Lis took her nieces. As always the girls scored more than they should ever be allowed to eat in a year let alone about a 2 week span. Which is about as long as it lasts here. It was Kate's first time and she stayed in the wagon most of the evening. For some weird reason knocking on complete strangers doors with freaky things in their yard just didn't appeal to her. She was Tinkerbell, Emily was a snow princess and Lauren was Hannah Montana. Then we went to Aunt Lis and Uncle Tim's for a disco 70's party. It was so much fun and the costumes had us laughing all night long. Unfortunately, Brian wasn't able to join us as he was in Ethiopia. We sure missed him.Can you believe I actually dressed up???? First time EVER!

Lauren as Hannah MontanaKatelyn as Tinkerbell.

Emily as a snow princess. Kinda fitting considering she was born in Siberia. : )The Girls!

Working their candy magic.

Pumpkins... pumpkins everywhere

2008-10-30T16:53:00.001-07:00

Just like every other all American family we too have the pumpkin patch pictures. So here they are. The little girl with Kate is our sweet friend Hannah. Hannah is battling a form of kidney cancer and begun her chemo treatments the day after our pumpkin patch adventure. She and Kate at 10 days apart in age. Yep, Kate is my little pumpkin. Contrary to the grumpy face she really did have a great time.

Emily is 5

2008-10-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

Oh man! Where did the time go? Miss Emily turned 5 on October 20. She had a Hello Kitty birthday party. She invited 6 of her friends from preschool... and EVERY one of them came to her party. The best part was watching them follow each other around the house... in a straight line. So funny! Here are a few pictures of that fun weekend.

Going to Atlanta

2008-10-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Brian had a business trip to Atlanta so we packed the kids in the car and drove up. It was wonderful to see my cousin Bekah and our friend's the Canter's. I took the girls to lunch at the American Girl store and we had their dolls hair done. It was a FUN weekend.

Okay... I'm going to do this.

2008-10-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well I've been fighting the pressure of EVERYONE I know around me to do this blogging thing for some time now. But I guess it's time for me to finally surrender. It seems like a good idea because life is full and we are getting ready to add more fabulous chaos to it. We currently are proud parents to three beautiful daughters. Brian and I just decided to grow our family again. We are planning to adopt another little girl. This time we believe our final destination will be Ethiopia. Thought it would be best to keep everyone posted on our progress this way. We are all very excited! So glad you will be able to journey with us.