Baby Brennen is getting BIGGER!

These were taken last week. Sara is doing so well with her pregnacy and looks so good! Here she is with about 10 weeks to go. She may actually have him sooner. She has placenta previa so unless that changes, she is going to have to have a c-section. I'm being very selfish and hoping for an early delivery so that I can spend more time with them before I have to go back to work. You know a new blog will be coming as soon as the baby arrives. I've got to have a place to brag about our grandson (Wow! That stills sounds weird!).

Chillin' In Atlanta

Time is ticking away. Last week marked our 14th month of waiting. We were in Atlanta though and to be honest, didn't think about it until after we got home. I had to judge at the Ga. Media Festival on Friday. We left last Thursday afternoon. We had Internet that night and I did check my email but after that, I didn't check eMail or read any other adoption related sites all weekend. How nice! We had the best time. We had some wonderful dinners and had a great time seeing some Atlanta sights. On Fridayafter the judging was over, we went to the zoo. I just had to go see the baby Mei Lan. It was a bit of a let down that she was sleeping. It was fun to see her though. Her Mom was eating Bamboo while the baby slept.






We went in the Petting Zoo and got a kick out of the spoiled little pigs who were whining to go back IN their pin. While we were watching them, noticed that Geoff had a nice little lady-friend admirer.

Could this be a sign of good luck?

We also went to the Ga. Aquarium this weekend. It was awesome! I love visiting zoo's and aquariums. This one is just fabulous! We didn't get many pictures there because I forgot to bring the camera charger. After the day at the aquarium we went back to our hotel, parked and then walked to "Dante's Down the Hatch". This was a dining experience for sure! It's fondue style dining (which we had never done before) so we cooked our own dinner at our table. It was delicious. We spent the rest of the night in our room at the fabulous Hotel Intercontinental. Geoff got us a great deal on Priceline. In fact, it was cheaper than the one the county put us in Thursday night but oh so much nicer!

We actually almost made it home without buying anything for Lexi but on the way home we stopped at an outlet mall and just couldn't pass up a $1.34 long sleeve shirt and a $2.67 sleeper from the Gap. It was a very nice weekend!

Whatz'up!

Honestly, there has not been much to blog about lately. As my last post indicated, I'm at peace with the longer wait and am just living life. That's a good thing. The mundane can be nice. So here are a few tidbits of my not so interesting life.

1. Tax Season is over and I have my dear hubby home at the normal times. It was really weird to have him home (and available to help out!) over the weekend!

2. Sara's pregnancy is going fantastic! I saw her today and her "inny" belly button is officially now an "outty"! And did I mention how good she looks! Pregnancy definitely agrees with her! I am so ready for little Brennen to make his appearance in the near future. Some day soon I'll be washing the sheets in Lexi's crib so that Brennen can break in the bed for her. A doating GiGi I will be!

3. Testing is officially over in our school district! Yea!!! I had to proctor in a 5th grade room and just let me say, "IT'S NOT FUN!!". I honestly wondered if I was about to find out if falling asleep while walking was possible. We had to be on the move constantly, watching students to make sure they didn't skip a page or bubble incorrectly. I'm used to walking around all morning but this was just different. I'm so glad that my daily job is not like this!

4. Last weekend, we went into Savannah and met some fellow Savannah Families With Children from China (FCC) families. Only it was mostly the "wait-er's" there. One family (Toni and Mike) was there with their beautiful little Allie who has only been home about 4 months. The other 3 couples were waiting. We finally met Tamara and Michael. They have an LID the day after us so it's very likely that we will be celebrating referrals at the same time. We met at Adele and Dan 's new restaurant (Rustica Pizzeria). We had a very nice time (and the pizza was great too!) and enjoyed the great company.

5. We are heading to Atlanta on Thursday. I am going to be a judge in the state Media Festival so I am dragging Geoff along. (Remember my last trip to Atlanta by myself resulted in a broken toe and a lot of phone calls to get directions??) We are going to stay the weekend for my birthday (even though Mom has given the go ahead to skip the birthday this year. When Geoff and I began thinking of having a child -- 5 years ago-- I told him 45 was my cut off day. So Mom says we are just going to put my birthday on hold until we get Lexi. That's a fine plan if you ask me! This is one time I can say the old saying "Never, say Never" holds true" because I'll wait as long as necessary to get Lexi and once again I am learning that age is not everything. I still have a lot of love to give a child and our plans are to have two to love so ... "take that biological clock!")... Anyhow, we are going to go to the Atlanta Aquarium on Saturday and on Friday my dear hubby (bless his heart!) is going to take me to Archiver's (Wahoo!! My favorite scrapbook store - in - the - whole - wide - world-that I never get to go to!!) We are really looking forward to the weekend!

6. Relay for Life was last weekend. Our county (as of this morning) had rasied around $165,000. I am proud to announce that Jenna (my niece) raised $3000 all by herself and that the company she works for raised $45,000! How great is that! I may just have to join my school's team next year and challenge Jenna to a fund-raising competition. I'll certainly be up against a tough challenger. Seriously, I'm very proud of Jenna. She is a true inspiration!

That's about it. Not much else happening. None of this is especially interesting anyhow but I do feel the need to blog so that Lexi will know what her parents did while waiting to go get her.

My Revelation....

Late last week, the referral rumors heated up all over the Internet. On Thursday I discovered them and just about lost my lunch when I saw that most likely referrals this month will only be for 2 days. Yes. Two. After being upbeat about the wait and feeling good about my patience with the entire thing, my world came crashing down. I had to put in my mouth piece for my TMJ because I was immediately clinching. As hard as I tried, I couldn't stop the tears from seeping from my eyes. I haven't cried about our adoption in quite some time. This time I was just devastated. I questioned whether I was making this God's will or my own in that we adopt from China. I wondered if this newest delay was a sign from God. Yet, I just couldn't imagine our life without Lexi. I went through the weekend grateful that I had invited the whole family over. It was a great diversion. Then today as I sat around by myself because I have the day off and Geoff is at work in high gear for tax season, I ran across this.

SPECIAL SAUCE
I was sitting at the drive-through window at McDonald’s this weekend. I did the usual thing; I drove up to the menu and ordered. I proceeded to the first window and paid, then drove to the second window and waited for the order. After sitting there for a few minutes, the clerk slid back the window and asked, “Will you please pull over to the side; your order is not ready.” I was a little upset and even impatient, but I pulled over and waited. I thought, “How come other folks ordered and drove straight through and I have to wait.” I waited for another two or three minutes. It seemed like hours. Just as I was about to give up and drive away, the clerk finally ran out, tapped on the window, and handed me the order. Of course I asked , Hey, what took so long?” She replied, “You wanted the Special Sauce, which meant that it had to be specially made for the sandwich, it doesn’t usually come with that one.”

This scene is a reflection of our prayer life. We made our request to the Lord. Our menu is his word, where he has listed promise after promise. We stand before Him and request and plead and, sometimes, even beg.

We go to the first window and pay, sometimes with fervent prayer, sometimes with prolonged suffering, sometimes with obedience, and sometimes not at all. We then move to the second window and wait for our order. If God doesn’t answer within a few minutes, we become upset. You know the phrase, “Jesus, it’s 5:00 p.m. Friday; I prayed to You yesterday, and You still haven’t answered. I can’t wait much longer.” Why is it taking Him so long? I’ve seen people drive up before me and they received their orders right away! We even go so far as to tap on the window and ask if He has forgotten our order. We become impatient. We become upset. We become downright mad.

Lord, I asked for a mate ten days ago and I don’t see him/her anywhere.

Lord, I’ve been asking for a new job for two years; others have passed me by!

I’ve been waiting on a financial blessing for ten years; others have passed me by!

Where are You and why haven’t you blessed me?

Just when you think He is giving you the answer, He pulls back the royal curtain of Eternity, and states, “Please pull over to the side and wait a while longer.” This one frustrated me to no end, made mad, made me want to give up, made me want to holler; that is, until the clerk brought out my sandwich...Then, the revelation became clear.

Do you know why the Lord has put you on the side?

Do you know why you have had to wait for this blessing longer than before?

Do you know why He has put you through more this time than ever?

Do you know why it seems like you have had to go through more tears, more pains, and more struggling this time? Because this blessing is a Special Sauce Blessing! This is an Overflowing, Pressed Down, and Shaken Together Blessing! You made a Special Order and God has been putting together a Special Sauce Blessing for you and He has to prepare it for you!

That mate you wanted ... He’s putting together a Special Sauce!
That job you wanted . . . He’s putting together a Special Sauce!
That financial blessing . . . He’s putting together a Special Sauce!
That peace on the job . . . He’s putting together a Special Sauce!
That deeper anointing . . . He’s putting together a Special Sauce!
That promotion . . . . He’s putting together a Special Sauce!
That Baby........................ He’s putting together a Special Sauce!

For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope and a future......Jeremiah 29:11. How many people have driven away before the clerk brought their food, and how many people have missed their blessings because they did not wait? Hang on in there. Keep on waiting. You made a Special Order, now wait on God’s Special Sauce! “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”...Isaiah 40:31.

They who wait shall receive a Special Sauce!

So I've got it... I'm waiting for my "Special Sauce". The 2 day news is bad. It hurts my heart to know we may be waiting even longer than my longest prediction. I'm beginning to appreciate those friends of ours that ask "Have you heard any news?" as opposed to "When are you getting the baby?". I'm sure I'll have more bad days but coming across this today on one of my support groups was very special. I felt that God was indeed sending me a message. So strangely, I feel uplifted rather than down in the dumps over the news today. I hope this post can do the same for anyone else out there feeling down.

Snuggle Bunnies??

Our fur-babies have been acting weird. These two do love each other but haven't actually ever been snuggle bunnies. Lately they've taken to sleeping between us right next to each other (as opposed to Sable at the end of the bed and Patches as close to her daddy as she can get). Well, this morning while I was doing laundry, I threw a load of towels on the couch and left them for later. The next thing I see is this:



I'm a bit confused as to what has gotten into our girls. They stayed this way until I interrupted them to fold the towels. I don't think it's Patches making the change. It's Sable. Patches has always freaked out when she has had to be separated from Sable. When we take them to the groomer, if Sable gets brought out first, Patches throws a fit. Patches also doesn't like to go outside at night without Sable. I think it is hilarious! Now if only we could get the two cats to like each other!

Easter 2007

We are having a cold Easter this year. Last night we had below freezing temperatures. Certainly not our typical Spring weather. We hosted the family gathering this Easter. Senna and Charlie are out of town so we didn't have anyone to got egg hunting. Blah! I really wanted to have an egg hunt. Dinner turned out to be pot luck so to speak. I made a ham, homemade mac and cheese, and lima beans. My sister, Carolyn, brought deviled eggs, Mom made her awesome bacon ranch pasta salad and Chocolate Delight, and Sara's mother in law, Denise, made her delicous potato salad. The best part though was discovering something new about my dear hubby. He has been watching the "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network so he decided that he would make a cake. He had me buy him some fondant and all the necessary ingredients and then he went to work. He was working on his cake until midnight last night but just look at the results! It turned out to be so CUTE. He's done it now... I'll be expecting him to make all of Lexi's birthday cakes.


This was my creative contribution. I made an edible fruit bouquet. Yesterday, Sara and I went to Glennville to pick fresh strawberries. Well, it was COLD and WINDY so we opted to just buy some that they had picked on Friday. I came home and went to work on creating. The only thing about making something like this is that no one wants to eat it. I had to take it apart after lunch and send some home with everyone.

My Movie of our G.O.L.F. Weekend in Savannah

I've spent the last few days working on a movie of everyone's pictures about the Savannah G.O.L.F. weekend. I finished it today and mailed a copy out to everyone who attended. I'm also posting it here for everyone to enjoy. It ended up being a little shy of 10 minutes. I used music (well, almost all) related to Savannah or Georgia. It turned out pretty good (if I say so myself). I can't wait to be able to make our Journey To Lexi video. Hurry up referrals!!

Fly Ladybug, Fly!

I guess I really needed this weekend because I have literally slept most of it away. Yesterday I just didn't feel right... sleepy, out of energy, and even dizzy. I thought maybe it was my sinus' getting ready to torture me now that we have pollen everywhere. I do feel better today but I surely should after sleepy about 26 hours since Friday at 9:00. I'm not doing much today either except try to get some cleaning done around the house. I wanted to catch up on a few things on the blog too. That doesn't require much energy.


I let the rest of the adult and larva ladybugs go a little while ago. I had one more day of classes at school that had not seen them under the microscope. That was the coolest thing! We've taken photos and short movie clips of them eating aphids. The kids really got into it and now I can't even walk through the school with kids asking me about them. I think I'm going to have to order some caterpillars for them to observe after the Easter holidays.

More Baby Clothes

This time (as usual)it was Geoff who picked out these little outfits for Lexi. We are fairly certain that she will wear most of what we buy because it's all between 18-24 months. We have bought some 12 - 18 months stuff but you never know what season it will be when we go get her. At this point my guess is that it will be winter. Geoff and I were talking about referrals today and our best guess if things continue the way they are that we may get a referral in December. We are hoping for October or November but that is a big HOPE. We're thinking about it like this. . . if CCAA began making referrals for 15 days at a time each month, that would put us at 9 more months of waiting for referral. IF they speed up some, it could be sooner. This guessing is really pointless because it'll happen when the time is right. In the meantime, Lexi is already a huge part of our lives and it gives us pleasure to buy pretty things for her. A lot of people tell us we should wait and see what size she is and my answer there is "you try waiting 2 years + for a baby and see how you deal with it." Everyone has their own way.

This one is too cute. I love the little bloomers! This is definately a Spring and Summer outfit.

I've been eyeing this outfit too waiting for it to go on sale. We bought this one in 12-18 months thinking that it will be an outfit that will go with us to China. She'll probably need long sleeves.

This little overall capri will probably be too big for her in China but will be very functional for living in the south. She'll be able to wear this outfit Spring, Summer, and Fall. Of course, her Daddy bought the matching socks and hairbows!

Baby Clothes from Lexi's GG (Great Granny Nanny)

This little dress was sent to us a few weeks back from Nanny (Geoff's Grandmother) and Maggie (Nanny's housemate and dear family friend). It's very cute and will make a cute church dress. Nanny also sent some little sandals to match. This makes only the second pair of shoes that we have for Lexi. The other is also a pair of sandals that my Secret Pal Carol sent me last summer to go with a bathing suit. I haven't gotten into buying shoes because I have no idea what sizes mean. I guess I was able to do it with Sara but then I had little feet to put in them. So on this we wait. Nanny stuffed the little socks with cotton balls. The socks by the way came off of one of Geoff's childhood stuffed animals (Radar) that Nanny still has. I thought it was a very sweet gesture.

And finally, Nanny and Maggie sent some play clothes. These are perfect for spring and summer and even part of fall here.

Easter Pig??

My sweet friend, Melaine, brought me a present today. It's a chocolate Easter Pig!! When she gave it to me she said that this just HAD to be the year we will get Lexi because if they are making Easter Pigs, it MUST really be the Year of the Pig. Check it out! His name is Pigglesworth! He's way too cute to ever eat!

... counting up???

Yesterday marked the 13th month of official waiting. I sure hope when referrals come out (hopefully next week) that the wait will hold at 18 months. Our agency says it will likely get longer. I'm hoping that it will just stay. Imagine if it would. It would mean a referral in September. That would be nice. Although, I'm kind of thinking our referral will not come until October. I can handle that. We will have lots to be thankful for at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I Hope. At work we have to change our passwords every 90 days. I've been playing with words. I've been "wishful", "hopeful", and was really hoping that by the end of the school year I could be "thankful". With the extended wait, I may have to try out "patiently" or "justdarntiredofwaiting". Oh, the things I do to amuse myself as we wait.

Do you know what this is???

It's a ladybug larva. Yes... a ladybug! I ordered a ladybug land kit from Insectlore.com. It came with a ladybug habitat and live ladybug larva. I had no idea this could turn into a ladybug. The sad news is all of mine died. They never changed into the pupa stage. So last week I called the company and they are supposed to send me replacements.

Let me stop here and just say... I love teaching in the spring. It's so much fun. I like to hatch chicks and ducks, raise butterflies, watch praying mantids hatch, and whatever else I can get my hands on. Teaching computers makes it less likely that I have opportunities to do this kind of thing but I figured I could work it into research.

Last week our praying mantids hatched. These are totally cool insects! They are clean and friendly and love to walk and hop on your hands. However, we turned them loose so they would live withing 24 hours of them hatching. After I let the kids let them go, I discovered that I have a crop of aphids on our day lilies. So I ordered LIVE ladybugs.

We're going to observe them at school for a few days and then I'm going to turn them loose on my day lilies. Of course I hope they make a home here because I really love watching them and they are so good for the plants. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts because I've been outside picking aphids off the lilies two days in a row to feed the ladybugs. I also give them soaked raisins to eat. Tomorrow I'm going to put a ladybug and some aphids in a clear container and put it under a microscope that is connected to the computer and the SmartBoard. We'll take photos and video of the insects. We should be able to get an extra close look at nature. Then we should be able to make a movie about ladybugs. This is fun stuff. I think it's time to order some caterpillars... oh yeah!

Just Ducky Secret Pal!

Wow! Our secret pal struck again. This month is reveal month and the theme was bathtime. First of all . . . Thanks AMY!! for all of the wonderful gifts you have sent over the months. Amy out-did herself this month! The entire package was themed around ducks and then she said she moved into chicks after Easter items began to appear. I love both ducks and chicks. As a teacher, I've hatched both in the classroom with my former 2nd graders. Ducks were always the cutest because they imprint and will follow you anywhere once they see you and think you are their mommy. (Oops, I digress!)

Anyhow, the package was filled with all kinds of ducky, chicky kinds of things. .. two ducky frames, ducky blanket, ducky tag-blanky, rubber ducks, ducky bath scrunchy, jelly beans in a ducked shaped tray, two board books, bath mit, duck hair barettes, ducky bath towel, duck stuffed animal that quacks, bubbles, and all kinds of sweet smelling baby oils, lotions, shampoo, powder, and body wash.

Sable really loves the stuffed duck. Oh, she would so love to play with it. Her favorite dog toy is a duck that she has had for probably 3 years or more. She's loved it to shreads! When I showed her the duck, she went nuts. And the fact that it quacks makes her even more insane. She's got to learn that Lexi's toys aren't her toys so she may as well begin now. :-)

This and That . . .

So what's been going on. Blogging gets boring when the wait last forever. I continue to blog because I want to remember everything we did as we waited for Lexi. How we prepared, how we longed for her, the ups and even the downs because all of it will be a part of how our family begins. Our agency now says that the wait is at 18 months. They also say it is likely to get a bit longer before it's over. We will find our way to her though and hopefully it will be in 2007.

School will get out soon. We have about 43 days to go. Yippie! The sooner summer break comes and goes, the sooner we will be getting closer to going to get Lexi. In the meantime, we're trying to decide on a trip for the summer. We are leaning pretty hard towards heading to New Orleans to meet some more people from our Precious Pandas January DTC Yahoo group. It's so much fun meeting all of these wonderful people. When we first started the adoption, we kept thinking that we couldn't splurge on any trips but now that the wait just gets longer, it gets harder to justify putting everything on hold. We've made so many new friendships and added to our support system. It's really nice and I really love everyone we have met.

Geoff and I have been making some changes as well. I've been getting up early (yes, ME) and while I get ready for work, he cooks breakfast. It's a nice way to start the day and I find that I don't get hungry until it's time for lunch. We enjoy having nice breakfasts on Sunday mornings and now we're doing it every morning. This is just one of the things we can do to help us get used to having a baby in the house.

Every since I went to the dentist last week, I've had so much an easier time sleeping. He made me a stint for my mouth to stop me from clinching. When I feel myself starting to clinch, I put it in and I can't do it. After stopping the vicious clinching cycle, my sleeping is improving. The downside is that when I put it in, I can't enunciate my words completely and end up sounding like a 3 year old. It's particularly hard to say words with the "s" and "sh" sound. Geoff finds this very funny and begs me to say "suffering succotash" all the time. I find the whole thing comforting but annoying at the same time. Whatever it takes to make it better.

Shots and more shots!

It's Spring Break and so far, I've had appointments every day. This is what teachers do... wait until breaks and take care of as much as possible. Yesterday, I went to the dentist and today we went to get shots for the China trip. Shots aren't required but we went ahead and got Hep A and B and tetanus. Geoff also got the Chicken Pox vaccine. He's never had them so he went ahead and got it. The Tetanus shot hurts the worst. Tomorrow I'm going back to the dentist and then to the doctor with Sara. I'll get to hear the Brennan's heart beat. I think finally on Friday, I don't have anything planned. Spring Break goes by way too fast.

A New Blog To Follow

Here's a link for a couple we met at the Savannah FCC Chinese New Year Luncheon that live near us. They are on their way to China today!! They were the first couple we met at the event this year. Dale had his proud daddy brag book with him. I can't wait to follow their journey. Just think, this will be us one day!

http://myadoptionwebsite.com/annagrace/index.html

Grandma... I'm Lovin' it!!

Sara went with me today to an appointment in Savannah. Then we had another mother-daughter day. Just how much time can two future mom's spend shopping? A LOT! I bought Sara lunch and after we finished she went to the restroom. After she had been gone a little too long, I started to worry. When she finally came back her eyes were teared up and her face was red. I knew immediately something was wrong. Apparently, lunch didn't settle well with her and came back up as quickly as I paid for it! :-) Poor thing! She still has days of "morning sickness". I bought Brennen his first complete Gymboree outfit complete with overalls, shirt, socks, bib and hat. Too cute! Then we made the mistake of going by my favorite local scrapbooking store where I purchased his first scrapbook to match his nursery. Now I will find some time to make him his first scrapbook. Finally, on the way home we stopped by Target where I got the biggest chuckle. Sara had to buy a size medium bathing suit! The suits must have been sized wrong because the shorts she got were XS. I think there IS a conspiracy among bathing suit makers to make every single woman in the world feel awful about herself no matter how small she is. How else can an XS woman go to a Medium that quickly? Sara's tummy is getting bigger but she is all tummy. I absolutely love watching her grow and couldn't be more proud. I can't wait until Lexi can meet Brennen. Heck... we can't wait to meet Lexi!

Muffin has a stalker!

Look closely at the mailbox. (front yard)

We think Muffin is being stalked by a Hawk. (minutes later.... backyard)
Muffin is very confused...
She's decided to take on her own prey!
For now, she's staying close to the house!

Pigs, pigs, and more pigs!

I've been meaning to post this picture for a few weeks now. It was a gift from my dear friends Melane and Melissa. They gave me this porcelin Miss Piggy and sweet note for Chinese New Year. I love that they put "It's my year" on the front of the card. I thought it was extra special of them to think of me and care enough to even know it's the Year of the Pig. It's just sweetness. Pure and Simple. Thanks so much M & M!



Speaking of Pigs...



My JanuaryDTC group decided to have a Year of the Pig Swap. I have always loved pigs. I used to have an entire week of pig-themed activities link around books with pig characters. That was before National Child Left Behind and when they let us make decisions as educators as to how we wanted to teach skills. (That's another story.) Anyhow, I gathered all kinds of things to send to my swap partner. I saw some cute onesies and t-shirts on the internet but they were quite expensive so I opted to "borrow" the idea and made my own. I made Lexi some too. I thought they turned out really cute.





Onsie front...
Onsie back...
T-shirt #1 front...
t-shirt #1 back
T-shirt #2

Oh, the fun we have passing the time!

Check!

Okay, we can check off getting re-fingerprinted from the list of things to do before we get our referral. It was a quick uneventful trip. I did briefly meet a fellow China Peach (this is the GA. Yahoo group of people who have or will adopt from China). We didn't get to talk but a minute because I was called to get my prints done. The guy who did my prints had just done hers as well. He asked me if we knew each other. He said he's never seen anyone else come in that knew anyone else there. It was hard to explain how we know each other. :-) For some reason, I had my external hard drive in my purse. That brought up a question from the security guy. He was like, "WHAT is that?". Our appointment was at 8:00 AM and we were back home at 1:00. Now we are back to waiting until about June when we will send for an updated I600.

Fellow Feb. 27, 06 LID'er's

I've found a few other blogs with LID's the same day as us.

* Eggrolls and Chopsticks
* Our Not-So-Patient Wait for Mia From China

Does anyone out there know of any more?? I wonder if it's possible that we will meet up in China. Seems like we should as long as we all stay at the White Swan. Interesting.

Atlanta Bound

Yesterday, we received our fingerprint appointment from Homeland Security. That was faster than I expected! We have to be there at 8:00 AM on Friday. It's not so much a problem for me as it Geoff. It's always hard for him to get away during tax season and after he took off last weekend, it's even harder. It will be a quick trip. Up on Thursday night and home on Friday. I'd really love to have time to make a trip to Archiever's (my FAVORITE scrapbook store in the whole world that is way too far away for frequent visits!).

Last time we were fingerprinted, I had no idea that you could not have cuts on your fingers. The instructions they sent us had been copied so many times that we couldn't read it and frankly, we were just ecstatic to have our appointment. Well, this time I know and I've already had a bad dream. We only got our appointment yesterday, and last night I dreamed that I cut my fingers and they wouldn't let me be fingerprinted. Wouldn't that be awful??

So I guess my brother, Richard, will be coming to dog-sit for us yet again.

Savannah Weekend - A Gathering of Little Friends

Geoff and I had a wonderful whirlwind of a weekend (say that three times as fast as you can)! It began on Friday night at Wendy's house. When Geoff and I got there, the house was full of people, most of whom we were meeting for the first time. Wendy was a great host and was showing everyone how to make Chinese dumplings. The girls were having a great time making them as well. After a delicious Chinese dinner, Wendy lead us all into a Q&A about going to China and adoption. She had invited a doctor(Dr. Jene) from Savannah who has adopted 2 adorable girls (who were there of course!). It was very informative.

On Saturday, we all met at Starbucks in downtown Savannah. Geoff took Andy and Gary golfing and the rest of us headed out for a tour of downtown Savannah. At 2:30 the ladies went for tea at the Gryphon Tea Room, while the guys went out for pizza. Wendy's girls did so great! They so freely share their love. They hung in there with us and were just perfectly behaved. After a long day, we all went to dinner at Paula Dean's Lady and Sons Restaurant. Delicious!! You know, we live so close to Savannah. It's amazing that everything we did today was new for us. It was like we WERE out of town somewhere new.

This morning we all met up again at J. Christopher's for brunch. Again... delicious! The company was even better. It was sad to say good-bye. It's like we were in our own little world over the weekend. Now it's back to reality.

I've said it before, but I have to say it again. Adoption has brought so much to our lives. The internet has made it possible to expand our support group to include some very special people. We'll all be connected by our daughters. It's truly a wonderful thing.

New friends we met this weekend:
Diane and Gary from Michigan, Rhonda and Mike from Alabama, Lori (my Philly roomie) and Andy from Florida, Cheri and Shane from Ohio, Sharon from Florida, Susan and Jonathan from Georgia, and Karen from Georgia

Friends we reconnected with:
Wendy and her girls, and Susan and Riz

We're honored to know you all and share this adoption journey together.

I'm hoping to post some pictures that others took as well. I didn't do the best job capturing the essence of the moment... as usual!

This is LONG... but hey! I'm catchin' up!!

I really have planned to post lately but never made it. I've been pouring myself into all things dissertation. Tonight, I'm taking a much needed break and will watch Survivor. So catching up...

* We were logged in exactly 12 months on Feb. 27th. We didn't exactly celebrate but did feel great satisfaction in that we have reached such a milestone. Our agency's website now says the wait from LID to referral is 16-18 months. I've resigned myself to the fact that we may not be going to China until sometime in the fall. I've come to realize that this whole process is progressive. One.Step.At.A.Time.


* I've reached a milestone in my dissertation as well. I've received an approval for my proposal idea. It's only taken me almost a year to do this. I have to remind myself that this is the second idea that was approved. My first topic was also approved but fell apart just as I reached the proposal stage as the war in Iraq began. My subjects basically all moved away. For those who are wondering... yes, I've been at this quest in my career for a very long time. I should be finished by now. Actually I should have finished a long time ago. However, it was during my studies that Geoff and I made the decision to have a baby. Staying focused on extending a family via IVF, domestic adoption, foster-care/adoption, and finally International adoption has taken its toll on my progress. Not to mention that I've switched jobs 4 times during a process that depends upon my job situation. I hate that it has taken me this long but as they say, "that's life". I hope things are on the upswing again. I hope that chapters 1-3 will be submitted by the end of March. I hope that the actual study will occur in May. I need the better part of this to be finished by referral time. That's a lot of hope situated upon alot of things well beyond my control.

* Something I've not shared on the blog... last December we got a new special needs list from our agency. I happened to discover it during my workday. I immediately saw not just one but two girls that I could see as being Lexi. I sent Geoff an email and then called him to see if he could see Lexi on the list. Amazingly, he identified the same two girls. I know this may sound weird that more than one picture could "feel" like she was our Lexi, but the truth is we don't really know who she is. We just "feel" her. We actually emailed our agency about either of the girls but they were both already spoken for. I did find a great sense of relief in this whole experience because I really got a taste for how it would feel when we finally see our Lexi's face. I felt the immediate love for a child that is only a dream at this point. It was comforting to me to know that once we do receive our referral, my love for our Lexi will be real. It will be confirmed.

* So today, I saw another email from our agency for a little girl whose adoption has fallen through so rather than delay her adoption, they were "offering" her to families who were LID between Jan. and Mar. of 2006. That fits us. I looked at her information and emailed Geoff. Then I called him to make sure he saw my message. I wanted this to be Lexi even though I really didn't "feel" it. Neither did Geoff. And when I allowed myself to really internalize it, I knew that it wasn't our "time"/our Lexi. I even had an internal panic that if we did get this child, I would probably be going to get her by May and "wholly-cow!!!" if we did get her, would I ever have the focus required to finish my dissertation. I guess that says it all. It's not our time. We still have much to do before Lexi. What a realization...

* Movin' on... Tomorrow begins the GOLF weekend... (A Gathering of Little Friends). This time it's close to home. I don't have to fly anywhere. Tomorrow night, a bunch of Dec. and Jan. DTC cyber-friends will meet for the first time. We have a big weekend planned in Savannah. I can't wait to meet some more fellow "adopters" and reunite with some of the ladies (and their hubbies) that I met in Philly. I'll post some weekend details later on. It is sure to be a fantastic weekend.

So basically, I think I'm caught up at least for tonight. Now I'm going to watch Survivor. Whew!!

It's a BOY!

Well, today was the day! And how exciting it was!! Last night Sara dreamed that they were having a boy and she's said all along that it was a boy... and it IS! His name will be Brennin Matthew (not sure of the spelling for Brennin yet) and today he weighed 12 ounces! So tiny!! After Sara's appointment, we went to breakfast. Chris is a very happy daddy-to-be! Then after breakfast, Chris went to work and Sara and I proceeded to shop! There's no danger of this little one going naked. We shopped so much that by the end of the day, we had accidently bought the same outfit twice! I had bought it at the first store we went to and then on the way home Sara bought it again at the Carter's Outlet store! Not to worry though because Chris' brother is also expecting a boy this summer so we just passed it on to them. (And did I mention, the youngest brother found out his girlfriend is pregnant too! How funny is that Sara's mother in law has 3 sons and all of them are expecting babies!!!) I'm so excited... he can call me grandma, granny, gran, mimi,... I don't care. I just can't wait to meet my very first grandson and little nephew to Lexi. Wow!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Of course, I'm a day late but anyhow... Happy Chinese New Year! We really enjoyed attending our local FCC celebration. I ESPECIALLY enjoyed seeing all of the children. There were people there that have had their kids for quite a while to those who returned in January and even just a few weeks ago. There were also people who just got referrals a few weeks ago and some who were just logged in a few weeks ago. We learned so much from listening to others who have already gone through the process. I think when we go, I'll have Wendy on speed dial. By the time we go, she will be back from getting her third child! There was one family there with a boy that they got in late January. He was simply adorable! On our way home, I told Geoff that if we don't get twins, I'll want to go back for a boy. Yes... I would do this again, without a doubt.

On another note, we had our social worker visit today for our homestudy. Everything went fine. She had questions about what we had been doing while waiting. With school, work, and being involved in different groups, that was an easy one. I also showed her the quilt and my scrapbooks. I went to Mom's today and got the quilt. It's all finished except the binding around the edges. Our social worker had never heard of a 100 Good Wishes Quilt. I was amazed but she even more as I told her the story of the legend, the collecting, the stitching, the scrapbooking, and how this quilt has been such a joy for our family. (Mom said tonight that she would wrap Lexi in it without it being finished if we could get her now... ME TOO!)

So one more thing behind us. Tomorrow, I'll probably be posting again. I am going with Sara and Chris to find out what the baby is going to be. I'm so excited. Afterwards, we are going shopping for the baby. I'll get to buy the first baby-specific clothes! My fellow Precious Panda, Lori from the January DTC group, told me that when her daughter in law found out she wore the coordinating color to work the next day. I'm borrowing this idea. So will I wear pink or blue to work on Wedneday?? I'll report tomorrow!

(note this graphic came from cutecolors.com)

Long time no post

I can't believe I've almost let two weeks go by between posts. It has been busy around here. On weekends I've been working with Carolyn and Mom to help finish the quilt and during the week I've been working on the big D. I got really upset with my dissertation chairperson this week. He sent some feedback via my advisor that made me feel like I was dealing with a caveman rather than an education expert. On my document, some of his comments were "GAK", "BAH", and "AH". I'd love to know what "GAK" means. For me, it's too close to "gag" to suit me. I did speak to my advisor though and have as of today sent in a new draft that hopefully will not have "GAK" as a response.

I'm not exactly happy about Valentine's Day this year either. I came home and checked the mail. I was excited for about 2 seconds to find a letter from Homeland Security. I opened the letter to find that Geoff had mailed our request to be refingerprinted without a check. He forgot to put in the $140. Of course, they took a month to tell us this. I was ticked. I know he felt terrible about it but I had to fuss to get it out of my system. So yesterday, a new request was made with a check included. Let's see if it takes another month to get an appointment.

Our homestudy will be this Monday. Thankfully, this is a school holiday. I can dust, clean up and get everything spotless AGAIN before the social worker arrives. Here's a quick story... I've got this Impatien by the door that came up by itself last summer. I've been protecting it from the frost all winter. We've had more cold days this winter than I can remember in the past ten years. Geoff keeps telling me to let it go but I keep covering it up every time the temperature goes down to freezing. I think this plant is our welcome mat and maybe, just maybe I can let it go after our homestudy. Who knows though, we may be past the frost season after this weekend. Afterall, the azaleas are confused and are trying to bloom all over town. My Lady Banks plant is trying to bloom too. Such is life in the southeast. We never truly have four seasons.

On Sunday Geoff and I are planning to attend our first local FCC meeting in celebration of Chinese New Year. I've thought about canceling about three times this week because I feel the pressure to work on my paper but every time something kept me from doing it. I guess I need to connect with others who have been in our situation or ARE waiting just like us. Plus we will get to see Wendy and her girls. I think this is probably something we are needing.

Mom will probably keep working on the quilt without me and Carolyn but there is plenty to be done on it and I'm sure we can all work some more next weekend.

At least things are busy around here. Busy means time goes faster.

What's Up With Our DTC ticker???

Our DTC ticker has been stuck for days on "12 months DTC". Our 12th month DTC was January 30, 2006. However our counter has been stuck for days. What's up with that???? I guess as long as the LID ticker keeps on going, I can deal with it.

I actually had someone ask me today ... very cautiously... how I was doing with the wait. I'm fine. I really am. Every day that ticks on by is one day closer to Lexi. One day until our lives change forever. One more day until my heart explodes with even more love than I ever can imagine. One more day until Geoff and I finally lay eyes on our beautiful daughter.

Quilt Update

Lexi's 100 Good Wishes quilt is all but done. We haven't worked on it since mom came home from SC this past summer. Well, Mom has decided that it is time to finish it and she gathered me and my sister Carolyn at her house today to work on it. The only part left to finish is a heart pattern all around the edges and then the binding on the edges. We have 3 sides to go. I think we must have spent 2 hours this morning making sure the pattern was even and perfectly fit for the length of the quilt. Once we got to stictching, it moved fairly quickly. I can't believe it but I can quilt both left and right handed. I'm actually more comfortable quilting as a lefty. This is totally not my usual choice. Carolyn was quilting today for the first time ever. She is very, very good. All in all, it was good family fun and with every single stitch we anticipate wrapping little Lexi in it. I told mom today that no how hot it may be when she arrives, I want that quilt there at the airport to wrap her in it and take a picture. That moment can't come soon enough.

On a funny note... the other day Sara came to see me at work and was looking at pictures of pregnant women. When she gets near the end of her pregnancy, she wants to have some pregnancy photos made. Well, she pulled up some pictures on about.com. One of the ones she pulled up showed a young woman at 16 weeks with twins. It is totally UNREAL how much this woman looks like my sister Shirley when she was in her late teams/early twenties. It's like someone took Shirley's head and "photoshopped" it onto a pregnant body. The only thing that gives it away that it is NOT Shirley is that Shirley was more petite. Her legs were little sticks. However, the Patriotic bikini the woman is wearing looks like something women around our town would wear. Mom didn't really want me to post it on the blog, so I'm posting a link to it instead. We talked to Shirley today and asked her where her twins are. This is too funny!!

http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/pregnancyphotos/l/blbelly0316c.htm

Today was Great Day For Adoption News!!

Finally some great news! It started today with referrals coming out. Our agency got 10 referrals for babies 7 - 17 months old ... all from the Hunan Provience. Then just a few minutes ago, I checked my yahoo groups to discover that CCAA has finally changed their site to reflect that they have finished reviewing adoption applications through MARCH 22!!! That means we have made it through review. I think the next phase is moving our dossier to the matching room. Now this does not mean that we will be getting a referral soon. I am still hopeful that our referral will come in late spring to early summer. Worse case... last summer.

I can only imagine how excited all of the new referral families are tonight. I am so very excited to see every single batch of referrals go out. I live vicariously through these people. I love following their stories and learning from their experiences. Oh happy day!!

11 months and Still Waiting...

Today was our 11th month being LID. Sadly, we're still waiting but yet still very excited about our future with Lexi. We were supposed to have our homestudy visit today for the update but we got a call Thursday night telling us that our social worker wouldn't be able to make it and that we are being reassigned to another worker. She called Geoff yesterday and told him to mail all of the update paperwork and then she would set up an appointment with us. The woman we used last time had told us to get the paperwork together and have it when she got her today. I guess this is just differences in their preferences. We have everything done, including Muffin's vet update much to her dismay, and Geoff is going to mail it off on Monday. Hopefully, she will be able schedule us in pretty soon.

I have to admit, today was a tough day. I'm disappointed that our homestudy was postponed and maybe I'm just "pms'ing" a bit. I don't think until I gave up and cried today did I realize that I was disappointed that the social worker wasnt' coming today and that we are still waiting to go to China. I can deal with it and I will but I guess it is okay to admit that waiting is hard. Very hard. I am hopeful though and am thankful that we have reached the 11 month milestone. Our agency is still saying that the wait is around 16 months. We're getting there albeit slowly but yet getting there.

Busy Day Paperchasing!

Today was the perfect day to take off of work. They are replacing 19 of the computers in the lab and were installing them today. I figured I'd take off and get as much done as possible on the paperwork for the homestudy update. I began the day with the vet. This was somewhat successful but Muffin messed it up for me. I was taking her to the car and she went nuts! Patches was already in the car more than excited to be taking a trip but Muffin would have nothing to do with it and after an intense struggle... Muffin won. She took off and ran straight for the woods. Needless to say, only Smokey and Patches went to the vet. (Sable already is up to date on her shots.)

I came home and began the rest of the paper chase. I went to a doctor's appt., got the bloodwork done and scheduled Geoff an appointment for Wednesday morning. Then I met Geoff at the police department to get an updated background check. After that I headed over to DFACS to get that paperwork started and headed back to the vet's office to pick up the animals. When I got there I was waiting when I heard a dog barking and suddenly recognized that it was Patches. Every two minutes or so she would bark that "where is my Mommy", "why did she leave me here" and "is she ever coming back" bark. When it was finally my turn, I asked them if they were ready for the "barker" to leave. Then the guy told me that Smokey had pitched a fit too and that they would need two people to get him out of his cage. Apparently, he wasn't too fond of the shots and tried to leave. He ended up with the door to the cage slammed on his head as he tried to bolt and bit his tongue. Poor fellow. He also had tape worms from drinking ditch water. I was amazed that he didn't make a beeline for the woods like Muffin did when I let him out of his kennel. I can't believe the only pet that behaved today was Sable! This is probably only because she didn't have to leave the house. Daddy is taking Muffin on Thursday. Believe me... she WILL be in here kennel before I leave for work.

So to finish the homestudy update we only need Geoff to go to his appt., get Muffin to the vet and make sure the DFACS lady faxes the necessary information to our homestudy agency. Then on Saturday, we have our home visit. I guess we'll have to get our fingerprints done in Atlanta too.

I spent all day running all over town and back and forth two towns over going to the vet. At least we are getting somewhere. I can't wait to get it all behind us! Look at the counter, we're getting oh so close to being 11 months LID!

Progress!

Wahoo! Finally I have made some progress! I'm taking off of work on Monday to spend the day collecting papers. I have my doctor's appointment in the PM. I have vet appointments for Patches, Smokey, and Muffin and have been told that I will have the vet letter in my hand when I pick them up. I also plan to get the police letter that day too. Maybe I'll go to the DFACS office too and refuse to leave until I get to speak to the lady who can do our paperwork there. I've called her two days in a row now and left messages. Why is it so hard to get things from them?? They were a major hold up on our original homestudy and the reason we never became foster parents locally with the intent to adopt. And to think people wonder why Americans adopt internationally. Hopefully, we'll have everything we need to give to our social worker on the 26th.

I also got a call today from my advisor. Finally some good news! I so scared that he was going to take my latest draft and shredd it. I had to do some major revisions over the holidays and at the last minute I made some very big changes that will ultimately make it easier for me to do the study. I just knew that he would disagree and have me make it harder. Honestly, I don't think I'm finally getting somewhere because I am getting smarter at it... I think I'm learning to play the game. I'll be sending the minor changes to him by Saturday or Sunday and then my draft will finally make it's way to my program professor! What a milestone!! (Of course with this "high" is a low to follow... he's already prepared me that the program professor will have his version of changes for me to make. That's just how it works. I guess I'm getting good at jumping through hoops!)

I'm sitting here trying to get warm and pretending that I have a fire burning. Yes.. pretending. It's easy with the new Wood Wick Candles. I just love them. I've got two by my fireplace and they crackle more than those fake burning logs do. The temperature is dropping outside and is supposed to get really cold tonight. I know, it's January but come on... just last Saturday it was 80 degrees outside. We really don't get much cold weather here and when we do you can count on it only lasting 2 days at the max.

I've been in blog la-la land. Actually I've been busy doing stuff around the house getting ready for the upcoming social worker's visit and paper chasing for the homestudy update. This part isn't nearly as painful as the first time but still nerve racking for me. I worked on some of the paperwork last night during American Idol... so I completely tuned out the whole show and therefore, had NO CLUE what everyone was talking about today. I have to say though that somehow the new year has brought about a new hope in me... a new anticipation... the feeling that we're on the edge of a new beginning. It feels good. Really, really good.

Guess What??

We have good news to ...

Here's a hint...

YES!! Sara is pregnant. She's already in her 2nd trimester and is due in July. I can't wait to be a Grandma AND a new Mother. Finally, Sara will be a mom and will get that baby sister that she has always wanted at the same time.

I couldn't be more happy! Now what will it be??? A Boy? or A Girl? Geoff keeps telling Sara that she can only have a girl because Lexi will only be allowed to play with girls! :) This truly is turning out to be a very good year!!

Interesting Article

I ran across this article today on the Internet. Thought I'd share it. It's long but interesting.

Foreign Adoptions in U.S. Drop in 2006
By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer
Sat Jan 6, 2:06 PM ET

NEW YORK - After tripling over the past 15 years, the number of foreign children adopted by Americans dropped sharply in 2006, the result of multiple factors which have jolted adoption advocates and prompted many would-be adoptive parents to reconsider their options.

The consequences could be profound for the ever-growing numbers of Americans interested in adopting abroad. Already, some have had their hopes quashed by tightened eligibility rules in China; adoptions from Africa, where millions of children have been orphaned by AIDS and wars, could increase if those from China and Eastern Europe continue to decrease.

Declines were recorded last year in nearly all countries that recently have been the top sources of adopted children — China, Russia, South Korea and Ukraine among them. Increases from less familiar alternatives — Ethiopia, Liberia, Haiti and Vietnam — partly offset the drop, but some experts believe the era of constantly surging foreign adoption has ended.

"The huge growth rates you saw in the '90s — I think that's over," said Thomas DiFilipo, president of the Joint Council on International Children's Services.

He urged Americans considering international adoption to "reassess any preconceived notions they have ... and get educated on the myriad options that are available."

Overall, according to new State Department figures, international adoptions by Americans dropped to 20,679 in the 2006 fiscal year from 22,728 in 2005 — the first significant decline since 1992.

Adoptions from China, the No. 1 source of children since 2000, fell 18 percent, from 7,906 to 6,493, while adoptions from Russia, the No. 2 source for the previous six years, dropped about 20 percent to a 10-year low of 3,706. Both are among many nations trying to reform their child welfare systems and increase domestic adoptions.

In some cases, reform campaigns are coupled with skepticism toward foreign adoption, including concern about occasional cases of abuse. Romania has banned adoptions by foreigners, except for relatives; Ukraine and Kazakhstan insist that foreign parents submit regular reports on their adopted children.

Thomas Atwood, president of the National Council for Adoption, said the drop in foreign adoptions is both understandable and worrisome.

"There's always been the issue of national pride, where the country of origin wants to take care of their children themselves," he said. "But there are so many orphans that an increase in domestic adoptions shouldn't result in a decrease of international adoptions. We urge these countries to be enthusiastic toward both."

Atwood sees potential for increased U.S. adoptions from Brazil, Mexico and India. He also says more African governments should be urged to overcome their traditional wariness of international adoption.

For many would-be adoptive parents in the United States, however, China is by far the country of choice. Its government-run adoption system is considered honest and efficient, and its orphanage population — mostly abandoned baby girls — is considered healthier on average than those in many other countries.

Now there is widespread concern over last year's drop in adoptions and China's recent announcement of new rules, to take effect May 1, regarding who can adopt. They give priority to stable married couples between 30 and 50. Single people, and those suffering from obesity or depression, will lose out.

Among those dismayed by the rules is Ann Freeman, 42, a travel agent from West Valley City, Utah, whose longtime dream of adopting a Chinese child has been dashed by the new curb on single parents.

"I'm heartbroken," she said. "This child would have been the world to me."

Her preparations included learning Chinese and studying child psychology. She eventually may consider adopting from elsewhere in the Far East, but worries that other countries' programs aren't as reliable as China's.

The same new rule against single parents would have prevented Anna Spitz, a University of Arizona research coordinator, from adopting her two thriving Chinese daughters — Rachel, 14, and Sarah, 9.

Spitz credited Chinese authorities with seeking the best homes possible for orphaned children, but finds the new rule "a little insulting."

"I recognize it's nice to have two-parent families," she said. "But it makes me sad that a lot of single parents who'd create great families won't be able to adopt now."

Chinese officials say the new rules will shorten the waiting time — now around 15 months — for well-qualified couples. China also wants more children with disabilities to be adopted overseas; criteria for people willing to adopt special-needs children is slightly more lax than for other adoptions.

The number of orphans and abandoned babies in China remains substantial, though authorities say it is dwindling. About 51,000 were adopted in 2005, according to the government — 13,000 by foreign families, the rest in China.

Professor Li Luxin, deputy secretary general of the China Association for Juvenile Studies, said domestic adoptions will surely increase.

"More families are well-off," he said. "They own apartments and cars and it is a way for them to repay society by adopting an orphan."

The president of one of America's largest China-oriented adoption agencies, Joshua Zhong of Colorado-based Chinese Children Adoption International, said China's new restrictions were in line with those of many other countries, and he predicted China would remain the top choice for Americans seeking to adopt.

However, he hopes democratic reforms will occur in China that shrink the pool of abandoned children.

"I'm praying to be out of a job as soon as possible," said Zhong, a one-time child member of the Red Guard who came to the United States in 1986. "I want to see a China where no one will be abandoned."

The only major country of origin to increase U.S. adoptions in 2006 was Guatemala; with 4,135 adoptions. It overtook Russia in the No. 2 spot.

However, that status is expected to change later this year when the United States ratifies the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions, a pact setting tough standards which Guatemala's corruption-prone adoption system doesn't meet. Adoptions may be suspended while Guatemala tries to make required changes; some experts doubt the number will ever return to last year's level.

Some advocates worry that the Hague treaty, though well-intentioned, might not succeed in encouraging more international adoptions.

"We sincerely hope that all the good work that's being done isn't going to result in fewer adoptions," said Lee Allen, a spokesman for the National Council for Adoption. "Every time adoptions slow down in these countries, it means less opportunities for kids to have a home in America. It's not just numbers — it's a tragedy."
___

Associated Press writer Audra Ang in Beijing contributed to this report.

Homestudy Update Time

We have officially begun the homestudy update process. Last night we heard from our HS agency. In Ga. the homestudy is only good for one year. Ours expired late last October. (Opps! We didn't know!) However, weird as it is... our fingerprints are good until early March and our I-797 is good until September. The good news is that right now, we just have concern ourselves with the HS and fingerprint updates. The HS lady told me that she hoped we would travel by September. Whew!! Here I was asking her if she thought we would have to update our HS now and one other time. (I mean, come on the rumor mill .... which includes the Rumor Queen... has the process getting longer and longer with no hope of relief in sight!) I, however, believe that things will speed up even just a little bit. She said that we could file for a new I-797 approval later IF needed.

So even though we have had good news that does not mean that I am NOT stressing over another social worker visit. The SW called today and we have an appointment on the 27th. This should give us time to get new medicals, new local fingerprints, and YES... another visit to our local DFACS for a child abuse clearance form (anyone remember THAT hassle??) and maybe a few other minor things. The packet of what all we have to do is in the mail. STRESS... can you say "YES!" I can't help myself. I've already cleaned out the Entertainment Center in the living room, the hallway closet, taken down the Christmas decorations, the cabinets under the sink in our bathroom and the bathroom closet. YES, it's only been 24 hours since I talked to her. I know without a doubt that she could care less how much junk is stored in my cabinets but you can rest assured that every.single.inch.of.our.home. WILL BE CLEANED by the 27th. I just can't help myself. And I don't think I'm alone. Today I came home and Geoff was vaccuming the house. It's tax season people! Help around the house during tax season is unheard of!! Plus, he didn't even flinch when I gave him a trash bag and told him to clean from under his part of the bathroom sink.

Tomorrow we are working on the garage. I will not be putting things in the attic as I have been barred from going near the attic since I fell through the ceiling (remember the post from last January???). At least we will have some help passing the long month of January. January has always seemed long. As a teacher, we always get paid the last day before Christmas holidays and then don't get another pay check until the last workday of January. Somehow I don't think a long wait between paydays will be a concern this year.

2007 is here!

We're home today from our trip to visit Geoff's family. The holidays are officially over tonight. I have to go back to work tomorrow. I wish I had a few more days so that I could get some things done around the house but oh well. Such is life.

I just know that 2007 is going to be our year!

Ladybug Sightings!

I went to the mailbox today and was surprised to find two packages addressed to Lexi. I know this sounds strange but I just stood there shocked. Packages addressed to our daughter! Somehow, it made the whole adoption more real. I came inside and gently opened them wondering who had sent them. Inside the first package was a ladybug finger puppet. I still couldn't figure out who they were from. So I opened the second on and found a beautiful stuffed ladybug. Then I figured it out. The packaging invoice had my sister's name on it. Only then did I remember that Kelly had posted that she and Shirley had mailed a package to us.



Thanks so much Shirley and Kelly. This was a great surprise and really meant a lot to me! The ladybugs are soooo soft and snuggly.