Out to Lunch and more

Today I took the kids out to celebrate having run 100 miles.

We went to Golden Corral

Everyone got to choose what he or she wanted to eat from the buffet. There was southern food (fried chicken, okra, greens and so on), Asian food, Taco bar, potatoes and pot roasts, baked potato bar, vegetables, a salad bar and a dessert bar.

Food is Kaleb's love language. I don't think it's in Chapman's book as one of the five, but it  should be!

Jessica had to be to work at noon, so we ate early.

Jasmine discovered the chocolate bar.

Jessica's dessert plate.

Adam didn't go with us because he ran with the cross country team and they had their own banquet. The other kids ran together so I took them out for our own reward meal. This picture is at regionals. Adam is with his recruiter today interviewing for the ROTC scholarship. 

This is the picture they took at Discovery Cove at no cost. Not very impressive, but it shows we  were there. Too bad they didn't have a bird or dolphin in the back ground.

Some of you asked about going there with a large family. They don't have a large family discount, but you can go cheaper if you are a Sea World pass holder depending on what you want to do. If you sign up through the regular page right now, the price is $169 a person but includes several days at Sea World and Aquatica as part of it. That's probably a really good deal, but we didn't have time or the money to do that. I bought a Sea World annual pass so that I could do a one-day special for $69 per person which includes breakfast, lunch and unlimited snacks but not the dolphin swim. No Sea World or Aquatica. We might do them later if I get really good royalties (buy someone a copy of one of my books for Christmas! Really, I get 50 cents a book so it takes a while to add up) or I get a contract. The one I thought I was getting in January (having been told that repeatedly) is not happening. BIG sad face. So no trips for us for a while.

Last summer the prices went as high as $319 a person for the one that included Sea World and Aquatica, but next summer they are holding them at $169. I can't imagine that very many people had $319 per family member to spend!


There is a situation going on here now that I hesitate to share because I know there are critics on here.  I'll just share that if you remember THIS POST, this same child is back on the list and we are in round two, AND it looks like it is going to end the same way. Neither country will give in. Sigh. Yet they complain that no one wants to adopt older children. I talked about it with the counselor who has met with 5 of our family members for different issues and for coping strategies, and she thinks it would not upset any of the situations/behavioral issues in our home because he is close in age to Jasmine and she could use a "playmate." Too soon all the older ones are going to be out and she's going to be the oldest! We were recently offered four different children from another county but since none of them looked like a good match for us (we have no room for girls and the boy was 16 already and not the playmate we had in mind for Jasmine) we didn't get into the issue about paperwork, so I don't know if that county would have given in to ours or not.

The people who ask why we adopted from Haiti when there are kids right here to adopt have no clue what some states will put you through or how uncooperative they can be. We are in a stalemate about foster care due to GA refusing to send our files and FL refusing to take us without even though we completed the class and they had done our full home study before they found out they weren't getting the records.

So for now I am thankful for those in our home. If one more is meant to be here, God will have to work in the hearts of the caseworkers.

Hope all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving shared with friends and family.