5 more days

As you all have heard, Anya, 14, an orphan from Ukraine, comes to spend a 5 week summer vacation with us in just 5 days.  I have been excitedly awaiting this day since I first started this process back in March.  June 28 seemed forever far away, and now it's coming so fast, I feel like it might as well be tomorrow.  I have been following the blogs and stories of several new friends and family members going through the same preparation, excitement and nervous anticipation as I am.  Yes I said several family members, my sister Rachael is hosting an orphan teen boy, my mom is hosting an orphan teen boy, my cousins in OK are hosting an orphan teen girl and my sister Francie is hosting an orphanage worker/chaperone for 2 of the 5 weeks, plus I have met several friends, some in person and some online, and I am following their stories as well.  Seems hosting an orphan and having a blog go hand in hand, everyone's got one.  It's a great way to share the experience with others.

So as I have been reading up on everyone else's blogs, I realize that everyone is in busy planning, preparing mode as the day is fast approaching, and all their planning and preparing is just making me more nervous and feeling more under prepared.  I am a born procrastinator, and I fully expect to be 100% ready for Anya when she gets here, the house ready, her room decorated, clothing and other misc things purchased for her, my work projects tended to, and my crash course in Russian memorized.... However, it will all be done in these last 5 days, as I have done very little, other than make a mental list what I need to do to be ready.

My biggest worry right now is Todd started a little (but kinda big considering the time frame) house renovation project just this week.  I guess he is a bit of a procrastinator too.  The guest bedroom that Anya will be staying in is in our basement, and it just has one tiny little window, not big enough to get out of in an emergency situation (which we hope never happens, but one should always be prepared).  Since we have another child on the way, in just 23 more weeks, we are going to need an extra usable bedroom anyway, so Todd decided several weeks ago that we should replace that little window with a bigger one.

Step 1:  Dig a 5x5x5 foot hole around the window avoiding any power lines, gas pipes, cable wires etc.

Step 1 was completed last night.  As you can see, there are many boxes, wires, pipes that are all going to have to be moved.  This is not going to be an easy task.

Tony and Bella were quite the little helpers.  They had a blast playing in the pile of dirt.  

Step 2 hopefully happens tonight, which is having an electrician come and re-route all the wires etc.  

Step 3+ Get a contractor in to bust out the wall and put in the window.  

Should be no problem right???  Let's hope so, we don't have time for problems and delays.

The next 5 days are going to be busy busy busy, but I am so excited for Tuesday.  I can't wait to meet Anya.  Todd has to work Tuesday, so the kids and I (this should be fun, thankfully my sister is going too to pick up her boy, so she can help me with my kids) are going to Chicago by ourselves to pick her up.  We are going to stay in Chicago for the first night, to recoup and relax a bit before rushing back.  

And on another note, look what's growing outside our house.... In just a few weeks (I'm guessing) we will have all the vine ripe fresh tomatoes we can eat plus a few thousand or so more.