As always, life here is continuously going, and this past few weeks, have been FULL of going and going. We have been busy sewing things for the babies, had two baby showers, one given by Aunt Lindy and Aunt Cyndi and one from our Spanish church ladies, we went to watch the kids run cross country races, had lunch out with Grandpa and Grandma Dixon and McCool (and a few other lunches out), and got Grandma to use her painting talent to paint us a pumpkin on the pregnant girl's belly. We have had a few prelabor episodes, but nothing so serious to get us into the car and headed to the delivery room. The due date is this Saturday, so it won't be long now!

Yesterday, Dennis and Abby were sent a new picture of Gabriel. The update on the adoption process at this point is that the US side of it all has been completed, so now they are only waiting for the Korean side to finish and THEN they get to travel to Korea and bring that little guy home!!!

As for the visa for Ariel, NOT good news! He went for his interview on the 21 and to our shock, he was denied. The reason stated was that he needed to return with the birth certificate from the baby and his wife! But the birth of the baby is what he needed to get here asap for!!! I gave a call to Senator Merkley's office. They have advised us in the past and remembered us. Whitney, his assistant, contacted the US Embassy liaison in the Dominican Republic.(remember it is the US EMBASSY that is denying this, NOT the Dominican Republic). Finally today, she talked to Jessi and said that even though they can not REQUIRE that the spouse be at the interview, they can deny it until the spouse shows up. The Embassy there has had too many fraudulent cases and they now 'REQUIRE' to see the spouse in order to grant the visa. So the plan is that as soon as the baby is born and they get his birth certificate and visa, Jessi will pack herself and the baby back there to claim her husband and finally bring her little family back to Oregon. Not the way they planned, but they know that God knows and is in control, even it it does not appear so.