Waiting for Miss M.

{One Year Ago} - Referral Day

2012-02-03T11:01:00.002-07:00

One year ago today at 12:11 p.m. the phone rang with the most amazing news of our baby girl waiting in China. I still get teary when I remember Beth saying "Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl" It is so amazing that a year has passed and she is here with us after waiting so long. She has changed so much from her serious referral photo. After the flurry of the call, I of course printed off a dozen copies and posted them all over. When I would come down first thing in the morning I would stare at that sweet little face. It was so hard to be so far away from her, yet after so many years being so close. I will treasure always this special day.

So behind on the blog but....

2011-06-24T22:56:00.004-06:00

I am so behind on the blog. I have photos from Easter, her baby shower, her baptism, her birthday, the list could go on and on. I promise they will show up, but for now here is a little bit of sunshine to tide you over.

1 month family anniversary!!

2011-04-14T19:11:00.002-06:00

It's hard to believe we have had Maddie a month today. She is doing great! We could not have asked for a better fit for our family. She is so happy and loves to do whatever we do. She has learned so much this month and has gotten much stronger. She is trying to crawl and is pulling herself up on the furniture. She is also feeding herself puffs and crackers very well. She is saying Momma, Babba, Bye-Bye and is trying really hard to say Kitty. She likes the dogs, but loves the cats.

We are still struggling with our nights, we have her down to one bottle now. We feel fortunate that this is the only concern we have at this time. She is just doing so well and we are enjoying her so much.

We're home!!!!

2011-03-27T17:47:00.003-06:00

We arrived in Billings yesterday afternoon. My parents, John's mom, Ashley, my Aunt Gina, Uncle Tom and my friend Nikki met us at the airport. I had told my FCC family that we would arrive in at 1:30 instead of 1:03, so all of Maddie's China sisters and their moms came little late. They brought her wonderful welcome home signs.

The girls did a great job on the flights, Maddie slept most of the Hong Kong to San Francisco flight. She was so good and it made our trip go so much easier than we were expecting.

We were expecting trouble the first couple of times buckling her in her carseat for the first time. I am not sure why we expected it to be such a big deal, she has been so easy going about everything else. She just snuggled in and looked around and we were off. We had all decided that we wanted Mexican for our first meal home. We enjoyed a great meal at Don Louis and then headed home.

We forced ourselves to stay awake until 8, except we had not changed our clocks before we left so it was really nine. Maddie woke up at 2:30 for a bottle and then played with Ashley for an hour. She then slept until 8. Bless Ash's heart, she played with her and fed her so we could sleep. Finally at noon I drug myself out of bed. John and the girls slept a while longer. We've had a few visitors and just started unpacking and hanging out. It feels so good to have Maddie home and to sleep in our own beds. I only have a few photos from the airport for now, I will have to get copies from everyone who was there. Pretty please. Thanks so much for all of your support and prayers, we can't wait to share Maddie with all of you.

Consulate appt. and red couch photos...

2011-03-26T21:36:00.001-06:00

Early Thursday morning we had our consulate appointment, this is the final step for Maddie's citizenship. We had to present all of our documentation from immigration through our complete referral, match and placement time period. Before we left I had checked and double checked to make sure I had all of the paperwork we needed. It was still stressful to go through each part of the process hoping you had the right papers at the right time. Fortunately I had them all right!

After this appointment it is a tradition to have photos of the babies in their Chinese silk dresses on the red couches at the White Swan Hotel. There is always at least one baby in the group that is crying and the rest are bewildered at why they are sitting there in the first place. We were all shocked when it was Dani who was the one in tears! She is the happiest little girl, unfortunately she was coming down with the same respiratory bug that the rest of the girls had. I also got a few photos of our family and then one of her and Karis.

Guanghzou Zoo

2011-03-25T02:21:00.003-06:00

Another catch up post...

We went to the Guanghzou Zoo on Wednesday morning. We have been on a mission to see the pandas since arriving in China. Next to getting Maddie that is what McKenna wanted to see the most.

The zoo is an old zoo, they still keep their animals in iron cages. They do seem to be upgrading some of the exhibits, so hopefully they will get more animals out of cages.
We also got to see a Liger, which is cross between a tiger and a lion. It was a unique looking animal for sure.

They had hippos, elephants, giraffes, monkeys, panthers and swans. Their animals were all very active so that made it fun to see.

When we got to the panda exhibit we found that it was closed for cleaning. McKenna thought we were joking at first, but burst into tears when she found out it was true. Our wonderful guide Jason went to bat for us trying to negotiate us visiting them in the back room. After several attempts he was able to talk them into letting us go and see them. We were not allowed to take photos, but they were only about a foot and half away from us. McKenna was beaming by the time she left the panda house. We were so glad she was finally able to see them!

We picked up an extra kid on our way to the zoo. Bree Lynn from Billings joined us for the day. It was nice for Lexi to have someone her age to hang out with and it will be nice for her to have someone she knows for Chinese New Year parties.

We are packed and ready to go!!!

2011-03-25T02:16:00.003-06:00

Maddie is doing much better today. We have gotten some smiles, she is active again and she is keeping her fever down. Thank you so much for all of your prayers!!! It is amazing what 24 hours will do for a little one. She still has a bit of a cough and a runny nose, but she is so much better. I am not at all concerned about passing through the sensors now. Again, we so appreciate the prayers, they were definitely answered. We are so excited to be heading home, we will miss our travel mates so much. We have all bonded so closely, we will also miss China. We have enjoyed our time here, enjoyed the people and surroundings. We have not enjoyed the smog however, we are looking forward to our clean Montana air!!!

Maddie update...

2011-03-24T18:11:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to give an update on Maddie. Her fever seems to be considerably better this morning, thank you for all of your prayers. She is still coughing and raspy in her breathing but she is cooler. We were also able to get some formula in her both last night and early this morning. Please contiue to pray that she will keep her fever down enough to get out of the country. I really want to get her to the US so if we need medical attention for her we can get it. Thanks so much.

I threw in a quick photo from Monday when she was feeling better. I still have Guangzhou Zoo and Red Couch photos to share. So check back later.

Pearl River Cruise

2011-03-23T21:29:00.003-06:00

Time for some catch up posts... We have a very sick baby, we are fairly certain she has RSV. We would appreciate your prayers as were are leaving in about 28 hours. We have to have her fever down to 100 or they won't let her leave the country.

We spent most of Tuesday in the room. John took the girls out to Lucy's for a date where they enjoyed french fries and orange floats, while Maddie and I stayed in the room. Then that night the girls and I had a date on the Pearl River Cruise. The Pearl River is the 3rd longest river in China. We enjoyed our dinner and then watched the beautiful lights on the buildings as we sailed down the river. We traveled under four different bridges, each more beautful than the next. They lit one up in rainbow colors that changed as time went on. It was a very unique experience, I am glad we took advantage of it and was disappointed John and Maddie were not able to join us.

Medical exam day!!!

2011-03-21T06:44:00.002-06:00

Today was Maddie's medical exam for her visa. It was a pretty quick run through of ear, nose, & throat; height and weight and quick exam, She seemed to pass, so all is good. We ejoyed walking through the island back to the hotel. The architecture is just beautiful, you almost forget you are in China. The British inspired buildings and landscaping are a sight to behold.

We then spent the day hanging out. The girls and John tried out the swimming pool, it was too cold for Maddie. She was mad when we wouldn't let her in, we finally let her splash her toes and hands for a bit. I think she will really love the pool and lake this summer. She loves to be outside, we were walking around the grounds today and she just went crazy. She loves to jabber when we are out.

She is still not feeling great, I think she just has a little virus that seems to be going around all the babies. We are praying it will be gone before we head home.

We also filled out our visa paperwork this afternoon. It is amazing how much paperwork there is to bring a little girl into the country. Like we haven't done enough the past 5 years. This paperwork ensures that when we set down in San Francisco on Friday night she will be an American citizen, definitely worth it!

Tonight we went walking around the island looking for a fun place to eat. We ended up at the Orient Express, a great French restaurant. It was very good, we are enjoying trying the different restaurants available to us. We almost went back to the Thai restaurant, we really enjoyed that meal. The waitress's at the Orient let McKenna play their baby grand, she was so excited. She has been missing playing the piano while we have been gone,

Happy Birthday Lexi!!

2011-03-20T06:15:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Alexis's 13th birthday today in China. Our guide Jason arranged a cake and we surprised her this afternoon. We had purchased a Black Hill's gold necklace for her before we left the US. It was fun to surprise her with something that she wanted. We also told her she could select something in China for her birthday. She looked all day and chose beautiful Kalabash wood flute. She is practicing and hoping to be as good as the shopkeeper one day!

We went on a tour to the 6 Banyan trees temple, the Old Chen house, and the Provincial crafts center. We enjoyed the Old Chen house the most, they have the most beautiful embroidery I have ever seen. You would swear that they were photographs or paintings. They were absolutely stunning. The landscaping and wood work was also phenomenal.

Maddie is not feeling wonderful today, she had a runny nose and was a little warm. We are not sure if it is teeth or a cold. I am guessing cold as several of the other babies have something right now. It is hard with this many people to keep them healthy. She took 4 naps today and is now fast asleep. I am praying it is nothing and she will be better in the morning.

We went to the Cow & Bridge today for dinner. It was our first time trying Thai. Our food was wonderful, not that we know what good Thai should taste like. Maddie liked the noodles of course!

Tomorrow is her medical exam and we prepare the visa paperwork. Hopefully all goes well.

Make up post for Saturday!!

2011-03-20T02:40:00.002-06:00

Sorry, we could not get connected yesterday to post that we made it safely to Guangzhou. The weather here was still rainy but warmer.

Maddie did great on the flight, she slept through most of it. Yesterday morning she decided that she likes the binky. This really helped her ears on the flight. It was a short flight but a good test of what our flights might look like on the way home.

We enjoyed exploring the island, shops, and then joined our group for dinner at Lucy's. We all enjoyed eating some comfort food from home. I didn't realize I had missed ketchup! Shaiman Island has the most beautiful architecture and statues. The girls had a great time posing with some of them. There are also some beautiful gardens that we are going to go out and take photos of the girls in their silk dresses.

The White Swan hotel has been such a wonderful place. It is huge!!!! It is a great improvement over the Majestic for sure.

Last day in Nanning

2011-03-18T08:06:00.001-06:00

Today was our last day in Nanning. It rained all day again today so we
were pretty much just stuck inside. We were able to skype some family
members so that was the upside of being available all day.

We received Maddie's passport today. She did not want to sit and hold it
for a photo so we had to settle for her eating it. I think she was
thinking that a Chinese passport should taste like noodles! Our guide
David, surprised us all with Loving Balls, which are a Guangxi province
tradition. They are beautiful silk balls with embroidery on them. We have
had so much rain the past several days the markets have been closed, so we
did not have the opportunity to shop for Nannning items. He has been so
kind and has gone above and beyond the call of duty on so many occasions.
The single best choice we made in this adoption was to choose CCAI, we
have not had to think or worry about a thing. Their fabulous guides take
care of it all. We met a couple who are with a different agency that were
absolutely astounded by the level of care we have received.

We had a final group dinner tonight as well. We have had some really great
food and will miss our spicy beef and snow peas. Yum!!! Maddie turned the
corner on eating today. We have not been able to get solid foods down her
until now. She ate rice congee, broccoli and noodles for dinner tonight
and drank an entire 5 oz. bottle in one sitting! That is the most we have
gotten her to take.

We also received a copy of her finding ad and photos from the camera we
sent to her foster parents. They did a great job of taking photos and we
have a wonderful photo of her foster mom and her. Her foster mom is
holding her tight and giving her a great big hug. We will cherish those
photos forever!

My final brag for the night is she wanted me to help put her to sleep. Up
until now she wanted only John. Tonight she wanted both of us, I just
melted! I really believe she has been kind of punishing me for losing her
foster mom. I am just really working on gaining her trust and it will just
take time for her to understand this is forever and I am her momma.

Our visit to Laibin and the Xingbin SWI

2011-03-17T17:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we traveled 2 1/2 hours to Laibin and Xingbin (shin bin) SWI. This is where Maddie's orphanage and finding place were. David our guide arranged a van for John, & I our girls, Paul, Chuck and Karis. Karis is Maddie's little China sister. They are 2 weeks apart and both from Xingbin. We left at around 8 and arrived around 10:30, it was a long drive in the rain. It was scary driving down the highway without seatbelts and carseats. We had no choice but to just hold on tight to the babies! On our way back when we were stopped at a light we were rear-ended. It did not do any damage, but did startle us. Please keep praying for our safety. Laibin is a very mountainous area with beautiful trees and rocky hill sides.

It was a very humbling experience, the area where the orphanage is was very poor and dirty. There were children returning from school and walking through mud holes and down dirt streets. The directors and nannies are doing an incredible job, they are making the very best out of a difficult situation. There are no children in the orphanage right now, they are all in foster care. They currently have about 25 children in foster care. The SWI also cares for the elderly and infirm. We saw many elderly people sitting around eating and playing games. They had a small medical center and a physical therapy area where their special needs children come back on Sunday's for therapy.

The nannies and directors were so gracious with the girls. They truly loved them. It is so reassuring to know that she has been loved while she was waiting to be matched. We are starting to see the love we are giving returned. It is a truly remarkable experience, she is just blossoming before our very eyes. She could not roll over when we she was placed with us. Now, 4 days later she is rolling over front to back and back to front with no problem. I have had to work with the girls a little. They expect her to be able to do the things a 9-10 month old should be able to do. But, in reality she is at about where a 6-7 month old is developmentally. Mentally she is right on target, she is very bright. When you show her something one time she has it. I have every confidence that she will be caught up by her first birthday.

Alert!!! Cuteness ahead...

2011-03-16T03:48:00.002-06:00

We had a little photo shoot in the hallway today. The girls were getting some great smiles out of her. She has done so well with joining our family, but you can just see she is slowly coming out of her shell. It's like the sun is coming out from the clouds and it looks like it's going to be a bright sunshiny day!

It's official...

2011-03-15T06:00:00.002-06:00

she is stuck with us!!!! We signed her official adoption decree today. In the eyes of China she is ours forever!!!! We had a wonderful day meeting with officials and taking care of all of the necessary paperwork. It was so fun seeing each of these beautiful girls forever joined together with their families.

We had a great night with her. She woke up at 1:30 for a bottle and went right back to sleep. She slept between John and I all night in a slightly larger than twin sized bed. It was cozy but reassuring to have her right there with us all night.

She woke up a little bewildered, but quickly remembered who we were. I guess she has decided that we are okay. She has been so brave and just the sweetest little thing the past several hours. She does not like to be put down or have her diaper changed. We are just fine with holding her as much as she needs. After 5 years, we don't even want to put her down.

We met for breakfast at the hotel this morning around 7:30. It was a completely different scene from the morning before. John ordered a round of congee for all the babies and then we were in business. Congee is a rice porridge they serve for breakfast. At night they add a little meat and chicken broth to it.

We then met in the hotel lobby at 8:30 to start our day of paperwork. We went to the notary office and signed her decree and promised to never abandon, neglect or abuse her. I teared up when they asked that statement. She is just such a precious little one and we feel so blessed that we were chosen for her.

Our next step was to pay our fees and meet with the orphanage director and nanny. After a few more questions it was time for photos. We were very impressed with the staff, they genuinely cared for Maddie and Karis. It was very apparent in their actions and words that they truly love these little ones. We were able to visit with the nanny and ask a few questions. It was nice have that time with them.

After the exciting morning we headed back to the hotel. We ordered Pizza Hut and relaxed in our hallway for the afternoon. John and Maddie had a great nap and the girls and I risked our lives to run to the grocery store for diapers and formula. It is a bit like playing frogger to cross the street. We are getting better, I hope by the time we get to Guangzhou we are experts. I have heard it is a necessity!

We went to dinner as a group and celebrated our wonderful day! We are now just hanging out in the room, trying to get Maddie to stay up just a bit later. I will leave you with some photos. I promise to post about Family day soon. I am still wrapping my mind around the whole experience!

We have Maddie!!!!

2011-03-13T23:56:00.002-06:00

I will post more tomorrow but I want to at least get the photos up since that is what you came for anyway.

It could not have been a better day, today was a complete answer to prayer. She didn't shed a tear and just came to us so willingly. At this point she thinks John is best, but I am gaining since I offer banana puffs.

We are trying to get her down for the night so I will keep it short. Check back tomorrow for more cuteness!!!

We are in Nanning

2011-03-13T23:45:00.001-06:00

It is about 1:45 in Nanning. We are about an hour away from leaving the hotel to go to Maddie. We just returned from the store and purchased some snacks and a stroller. It was a fun experience for all of us. We are having fun with our group and are so excited about today. I will post photos as soon as I can. I still don't have blogger up, so you will have to put up with email updates.

Hong Kong

2011-03-12T04:59:00.002-07:00

We spent this morning on a tour of Hong Kong. The weather was perfect for sightseeing. We visited Stanley market and purchased a set of chops for Maddie and a few decorative items for our home. We then went on a tour of a jewelry factory, a boat ride to see the house boats, and a scenic tour of Victoria Peak. We were able to get some great photos of HK, unfortunately the smog was very heavy today. This limited our visibility. We have done okay with the air quality until today. We all have sore throats from being out in it all day. In the photo of HK with the trees down at the bottom you can see the smog. From our vantage point there were buildings as far as you could see, in the photo you can see only the buildings closest to us.

We then went to a Dim Sum lunch with our guide. They served several types of dumplings and noodles. It was one of the best meals we have had since we have been here. We finished off our tour with a walk through downtown HK. It is an amazing city with very unique sights and sounds. As we were walking down Nathan Road today, every 2-3 feet someone was trying to sell you a fake watch or a tailored suit. It is interesting to see the contrast of the very wealthy and the working poor existing so closely together.

The girls finished off the day with a swim in the pool. We are all enjoying the warm weather after our frigid winter. It was about 70 here today, we were in short sleeves most of the day.

We are really enjoying our travel group. They are all very nice and it's nice to connect with some of the people we have visited with since the beginning. McKenna and my friend M.'s(guangximom - RQ)daughter L have hit it off beautifully. They are having a great time together. I was so glad that M and I hit it off as well in person as we have online. Nice to have a close person to go through this journey with. We are now less that 48 hours from meeting Maddie. It feels surreal to be this close. John and I both find ourselves looking at the little children we meet on the street wondering if that is what Maddie will look like at that age or is she that size. Answers we will soon have.

Disney day two...

2011-03-11T04:48:00.000-07:00

Our second day at Disney was great fun. We started out the morning with a fabulous breakfast. We were all starving after sleeping thru dinner! John has been very adventurous with our meals. He even tried sushi this morning! The girls and I stayed with waffles and scrambled eggs! We visited all of the characters we could find and then rode space mountain a few more times. Lexi was still an object of attraction as well.

In the afternoon we headed to our hotel to meet with the rest of our group. We are staying in the beautiful Hyatt Sha Tin. It is several paygrades above what we usually stay in. It has the most amazing shower, I would stay in for hours if I could. I finally can post photos so I will post a few from Thurs. and Friday at Disney.

3 Day Recap

2011-03-10T19:15:00.001-07:00

I finally have Internet access!!!

We were so proud of our girls, they endured the flight beautifully. We did not hear one complaint, have one tear, or anything. They could not have been better travelers.

It is about 55 right now, after a long frigid winter John & I are in heaven. John, however, is the only one in shorts.

We arrived in Hong Kong at about 6:30 Thursday morning, we collected our bags and proceeded to go thru customs and immigration. We then braved a taxi ride to the Disney resort and checked in early. We were so excited to have a shower, its the little things that make life wonderful!

We then proceeded to the park and enjoyed the rides and people watching. We however were the object of the watching. Lexi is having to adjust to staring and pointing. She caught one group of girls taking a photo of her hair, she is handling it with grace. We rode Space Mountain, Dumbo, and Buzz light year along with a few shows. At about 2:30 the time change started to really affect us, so we headed back to the hotel for a nap. We were planning on going back to the park for the fireworks and more rides, except we ended up sleeping until early morning! We must have been really tired!!! I guess that is what happens when you miss Wednesday completely!

It is starting to sink in that we are really here. I find that about every 5-6 hours my eyes start welling up and I have to fight back the tears. I guess I really must not have believed this was really going to happen. John & I were talking about how hard it is to be this close to her and yet we still have a bit more waiting. We are just really focusing on spending this time enjoying our trip and our girls.

I will post photos later, still working out the bugs...

testing email

2011-03-05T21:27:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post to check my settings for clogging via email.3 more sleeps and we are off to China!

We leave Tuesday!!

2011-03-02T23:54:00.001-07:00

We received our consulate appointment this morning and were instructed to be in Hong Kong on March 11th. We will receive Madelynn on Monday March 14th and then fly home on the 26th. We are in awe that we are traveling so quickly. Tommorow is 1 month since referral and February was a short month. Only God!

I will post our full itnerary once it is availble to me! I have tickets and am ready to travel!

TA and an update!!

2011-03-01T14:06:00.004-07:00

We were notified yesterday morning that we have received travel approval. This means China has officially invited us to come to China and pick up Maddie. We are now waiting on an appointment from the US Consulate. Once we have this appointment we can book our flight and go to China. They have requested dates that correspond with us leaving the 9th or 11th and the 16th or 18th. Bet you can't guess which one I am hoping for!!!!

We received an update for Maddie, with photos. She looks so good! She has grown so much, she is now 18lbs and has 2 teeth. I was stressing over whether her clothes would be too big or not, turns out they will be perfect. That is unless she has a major growth spurt!!! The have moved her to foster care, I hope that will be a good transition for her. I hurt for her for all the changes she has endured in her short little life. One thing is for sure, this will be her last family change. We are keeping her FOREVER!!!!

I am so thankful to have more photos of her, but now I really want to get on that plane! NOW!!!!

Referral Day reflections

2011-02-21T19:38:00.002-07:00

It has taken me 2 1/2 weeks to fully process all of the events of February 3rd, when we saw Maddie's face for the first time. I still find myself in shock that we finally have been matched with this sweet little girl.

We were able to take the call with our girls, A was with us by speaker phone, as she was in school that day. My parents and John's mom were also able to join us. We had requested our call for 12:10, so John could be home for this very special phone call. The girls and I got up early that morning and finished school in record time. I then spent the rest of the morning cleaning and pacing the floors. Finally, at 12:00 John and our parents arrived. I then spent the next 12 minute wringing my hands worrying that they might not call or that we had been skipped.

Finally at 12:12 the phone rang. It was Beth from CCAI and she asked if it was a good time to call. I told her it was a perfect time to call! The next 7 minutes and 46 seconds were a blur, we were shocked at how young she was, we had been expecting a 14-18 month old. After we finished with the call we all gathered around the computer and watched Miss Maddie's face appear on the screen. To say it was love at first sight is an understatement! I felt bad for A, as when we saw the photo we were all screaming. We kind of forgot about her on speaker phone. We quickly hung up with her and sent her photos.

We spent the rest of the day just staring at her photo and sharing our wonderful news with family and friends.

Then on Friday the 4th we received our Letter of Approval and translated documents from CCAI. We also received 2 more photos of Maddie. We have had so much support from our family and friends. We can't wait to share our journey to Madelynn LiRu with all of you.

Now we are waiting for our Travel Approval, after that comes from China we will request a Consulate Appointment. After these two A's are obtained we will then book our tickets. We can't wait to get on that plane!

Where in the world is Maddie?

2011-02-21T19:28:00.004-07:00

I thought it would be helpful for our friends and family to see where Maddie is living. She is in the Xingbin Social Welfare Institute in Laibin City in Guangxi Province in Southern China. She is not in foster care, but all reports of the orphanage are very positive. This has made waiting to travel so much easier to endure.

We are still hoping to travel in Mid-March, we are getting more anxious as time is passing. We just can't wait to have her in our arms and learn everything about her. If I could get on a plane today, I would.

More photos...

2011-02-04T16:00:00.006-07:00

We received our Fed Ex package today with 2 more photos, her medical information and all of our official paperwork. We quickly checked the yes box and signed the necessary forms. The package is all ready for Fed Ex to pick-up on Monday.

It was so fun to see a little smile on her face. I have spent most of the day just staring at these three photos and scrutinizing each detail. We have noticed that her left eye lid is a little droopy, just like mine. She has rosebud lips just like our three girls. It is so fun to wonder what features they looked at when they matched her to us. Whatever they used it was perfect.

Here she is....

2011-02-03T13:17:00.002-07:00

We are delighted to announce the referral of Madelynn Li Rue. She is residing in Guangxi Province. She was born on May 23, 2010. We are over the moon in love. Can't beleive this day finally came. More pictures to come tomorrow. Sigh... I'm in love...

It's a girl!!!

2011-02-03T13:00:00.001-07:00

She was born on May 23, 2010. She is in Guangxi Province, in orphanage care. Will post more later!!! She is soo stinkin' cute!!!

Matches Received!!!

2011-02-02T12:32:00.002-07:00

Our agency is reporting that they have received referrals for May 30th, 2006! That is us!!!!! We will get our call tomorrow around noon!!!!

Referral Broadcasting Systemt

2011-02-02T07:33:00.008-07:00

This is a special alert from the Referral Broadcasting System.

From the Referral Broadcasting Center Wed. Feb. 2nd, 2011, 9:00 A.M..

The existing Referral Watch has officially been upgraded to a Referral Warning for the members of the May 2006 DTC group by the Referral Broadcasting Center.

This Referral Warning is in effect for all of North America for the next 7 days. Disturbances in the Pacific jet stream indicate the departure of the silver stork. Further, several North American agencies have hinted that the silver stork may have already departed Mainland China.

Those whose dossiers are part of the Referral Warning area should take urgent and immediate steps to be sure they can be reached at all times; including such drastic measures as affixing your cordless phone or cell phone to your head with duct tape. It is also strongly recommended that you have ample supply of paper, writing instruments and tissues nearby. If you receive the Referral call while driving, immediately pull over to a safe spot off the roadway to prevent unintended injury to yourself or to others.

Be aware that once an actual referral post appears on RQ from a referral call within North America, conditions on adoption forums will dramatically decline for the remaining waiting families. Take appropriate steps now to prepare your heart and mind for an extended wait. Remember that your Agency Worker might be in an important meeting and unable to call for another 15 minutes; or the traffic Gods may have the DHL driver whose truck contains your referral packet held up in traffic. Rest assured that a swarm of ladybugs will swoop in and remove the roadblocks. These situations are completely out of your hands.

Those who are up next for sharing Referral news on this list should take notes now to be sure you provide your fellow listmates with appropriate information. Do not attempt to remember by heart what you need to post once you are under the influence of Referral Call Brain. Please post your child’s name, birth date, and SWI location; as well as the age of child requested. Use of special characters such as #, $, %, &, @, or ^i^ in your Referral announcement heading is left to your personal discretion and preference.

> - END OF MESSAGE - Referral Broadcasting Network

I copied this off of another adoptive parents blog. (Waiting for Chloe) I thought is sums up our waiting experience and all the emotions involved!!!

Phone Calls in Europe!!!

2011-02-02T07:33:00.003-07:00

Here we go!!!

The rollercoaster has begun!

2011-01-31T07:17:00.003-07:00

With five years of waiting under our belts, you would think the ups and downs of international adoption would be old hat by now. Wrong! We are still reeling from an email last Friday from our agency telling us there will most likley not be referrals until after Chinese New Year.

Then this morning the Rumor Queen is receiving information about cut-off dates and such. She is giving it an R2 that the cut-off is June 2nd.

Hang on, it might get wild this week!

Preparing to Match!!!!

2011-01-13T13:25:00.004-07:00

Yippee!!! The matching process has begun, are agency is reporting that the Ch*na Center of adopt*on affa*rs is preparing to match. This means they are reviewing the prospective parents files and the available children's files. Soon, very soon they will begin matching, where they will decide what child should be forever in our family!!! So very exciting!!

International Adoption Lingo

2011-01-07T10:39:00.005-07:00

Since I still have no news to share, I thought I would do an update post with the adoption lingo for all who are not familiar with the related to international adoption terms. My lingo list will be specific to Ch*na.

Dossier: The compilation of official documents about the prospective adoption family. This includes birth & marriage certificates, medical exams, police back ground checks, employment letters, tax returns. All items in the dossier have to be notarized, certified by the secretary of state you live in, certified by the US secretary of state and authenticated by the Ch*nese embassy.

CCAI: Chinese Children Adoption International, this is the agency we used. They are located in Centennial Colorado.

DTC: Dossier to China, this the date that your agency sends your dossier to China. Ours was sent on 5/23/2006

LID: Log In Date, this is the date that the Ch*na Center for Adoption Affairs records the acceptance of your dossier. Ours is 5/30/2006!

NSN: Non Special Need, this is the program that refers children with no known special needs. We are logged in for NSN.

SN: Special Need, this is the program that refers children with a specified special need.

Referral: this is the package of information that contains your child's photo, medical and personal information.

TA: Travel Approval, this is the approval Ch*na issues after you have accepted your referral

CA: Consulate Appointment, this is the swearing in ceremony at the US Consulate in Ch*na

I will add as I think of more, hopefully this will help clarify some of the terms as we progress.

Merry Christmas to us!!!

2010-12-25T10:33:00.002-07:00

We received our last 171-H. This gives us immigration approval until August 24 of 2012, heaven help us if we haven't received a referral by then.

Looks like we will be next...

2010-12-15T09:15:00.002-07:00

The latest rumor is that they have matched to the 29th, we are the 30th. Stinks to have been so close, but exciting to be next! This will give us something spectacular to look forward to in the New Year! So excited for all my May buddies.

And we wait...

2010-12-07T19:47:00.002-07:00

You would think that after 4 1/2 years waiting would be second nature. Guess it's just not MY nature. Hope that we will hear something soon, I have been telling myself that I will be okay to not be in this batch. I am coming to realize I will be crushed if we don't make it. Trying to remember what this is all about (not me) and just deal with it. I'll let you know how that goes.

Matching!!!

2010-11-30T19:03:00.003-07:00

The latest information we have heard is they are matching. I am hoping our agency will post this on their weekly Wednesday update. We are praying we will make this batch.

For those who are not familiar with the Ch*na adoption process, matching is when they physically choose a child to be matched to your dossier. A dossier is all of the documents and photos you are required to submit to Ch*nese governement. After matching is complete they will then be mailed to our agency and presented to us. This information will include her name, age, location, medical information and various habits. We will then accept our referral and the wait for travel approval will begin.

Oh and today happens to be our 54 month LID, we have had our paperwork in Ch*na for 4 1/2 years!

Just a reminder about my giveaway on Ni Hao Y'all

2010-11-15T09:01:00.002-07:00

Just wanted to give you a reminder about the giveaway on Ni Hao Y'all today. I am giving away a $50 gift certificate for my custom signs. You can use it to purchase any wooden sign. Go HERE to see the post and leave a comment. You can get additional entries by posting it on your blog or Facebook. You also need to be a follower of Ni Hao Y'all, but that is easy. Who wouldn't want to follow this great family!

30 Days of Giveaways

2010-11-09T20:10:00.003-07:00

I'm participating in Stephanie and Ni Hao Y'All 30 days of giveaways! Watch for a great offer on signs! I can't wait to see all she has to offer. Just a reminder that all of the proceeds from our signs go to our adoption!

Hanging on by a thread...

2010-11-04T10:35:00.002-06:00

We made the projection for this next month, barely. RQ has us listed as the cutoff, this means we will either just make it in, or just miss this month. I am hoping she is being cautious in her projections, her track record is + or - 1 day. We are going to prepare to be in the next batch financially, but the next, next batch emotionality. As we know by now, nothing is predictable in international adoption.

Shoppin' with a Purpose!

2010-11-03T14:41:00.010-06:00

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity is hosting a great fundraising opportunity for adoptive parents. Please check out all the links for some great gift ideas with the added bonus of helping more children find their forever families.

We are fundraising for the last portion of our travel expenses. We have a 5/30/06 LID and are in the NSN program with Ch*na, we are hoping for a referral in November or December. It is looking more and more like we will have a December referral. The jury is still out whether it will be early or late December.

I have created custom wood signs for the last 6 or 7 years. I sell them online and this has allowed us to save and pay for the bulk of our adoption expense. This business has an incredible blessing for our family. You can also see my signs Here I only sell the wood signs but, receive all the profits from them.

All of my signs are hand lettered, on 5 1/2" pine boards, unless noted. They are then distressed, stained and affixed with a hanger of your choice. I offer both photo brackets on the back and wire hangers. All signs will be $10.00 to ship, please allow 2 weeks for your sign to arrive. I custom make each sign, so feel free to change your color or font size.

Thank you for looking.

email me at chinathistime@yahoo.com with orders and any questions.

Good Wishes quilt!

2010-10-12T14:08:00.002-06:00

After nearly 4 1/2 years, that is over 1,600 days in case you were wondering, we are finally within reach of our referral from China! We are anticipating a late November or early December referral. This is when we will receive our daughter’s basic information, photos and her location in China. While we are waiting, we are creating something called a "100 Good Wishes Quilt."

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt." It is a custom to invite family and friends to contribute a square patch of cloth. The patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.

If you would like to contribute to this project, we would love it! Here is what we would like you to do:
1. Choose ANY 100% cotton fabric that you like. It can be from clothing or from a fabric store. It can be a design and color that you like. It could be a bit of fabric that you've used to create something else wonderful for your family.
2. Cut one 8X8 square from the fabric. Also, cut a scrap piece of that same fabric that you can attach to your wish card.
3. Include your "good wish note" and attach the scrap piece of fabric. Be as creative as you would like. It can be as simple as on a piece of paper, or you can make it like a scrap book card. We will place all your wishes in a scrapbook.

If you would like to participate email me at chinathistime@yahoo.com and I will send you our address. I am hoping to start this in November, so I would love to get them as soon as possible.

Again we are still in for November

2010-10-07T15:57:00.002-06:00

Smallish chance (would take a God sized miracle) to be in for October. The last batch that made it into the Spring 08 column was in March. So it can happen, will it? I guess we will all have to stay tuned!!!

I am not going to get my hopes up, I think it is best we plan and prepare for a late Nov./early Dec. referral. Any earlier, will be gravy.

We also received our pre-placement packet via email yesterday. This is very exciting as it means your agency thinks you really are getting closer to a match. They send this out 2-3 months before match. So there you go!

Starting to really have the nesting urge, we are painting and cleaning and sewing and all sorts of things around here. I have too many projects in too short of time. Sometimes I wonder what I have doing for the last 4 1/2 years. Then I remember that I have 3 kids, a husband and two home business. I guess that has kept me busy. I am looking forward to pulling everything back and just enjoying the miracle of life, family and adoption.

The stork is in the air!

2010-09-28T11:30:00.003-06:00

Our agency is saying that the latest batch of referrals is in the air. No word on the cut-off, we are hoping they got further than the 17th that was projected. We are still holding out hope that we are next, next. We have started moving the girls to their different bedrooms and I am hoping to start on the baby's room next week. I am trying really hard to stay optimistic, while not getting to set on a November referral. We have had our plans shattered too many times in this process. Congratulations to all my May buddies that will soon see those sweet faces they have been dreaming of.

ARG!!!!!!

2010-09-20T17:04:00.003-06:00

Still more waiting!!! No word on when referrals will arrive or how far they will cover!!!! Can you say frustrating!!!!!!

Still in for November!!

2010-08-25T07:31:00.004-06:00

So far we are still in for November, according to Rumor Queen. This means she has projected that if everything continues as it has for the past several batches that we will be in. This does not account for any random fluctuations in weather, illness, or emperors loosing their groove.

So to mark the occasion I thought it would be helpful if the girls had a way to physically track our progress. So after some quick crafting. Voila!!! I actually shamelessly stole the idea from another adoptive mom. Hope she doesn't mind!!

FOURTEEN LOG IN DAY"S UNTIL ITS OUR TURN!!!!!

2010-08-16T13:15:00.003-06:00

Whoo Hoo! They have reached May 15th 2006 LID. This means there are only 14 days of files ahead of us. We are hoping for a referral in November if everything moves along as it has for the past 6 months! We are praying we can receive her in Ch*na by December 30th!!!

Congrats to all my May LID buddies. Happy tears of joy for you today!

So I missed the 50 month mark!!

2010-08-11T15:37:00.004-06:00

I seem to only post on our monthly LID anniversary. Last month I missed it over vacation and this month I missed it over a new puppy. After much deliberation we named our new golden retriever puppy Kimber. She is very sweet, and I think is preparing me for getting up in the middle of the night. She is now at 10 weeks sleeping through the night, however I am now up for the day at 5. We have started walking in the early morning and I think it will work out best when school starts soon anyway.

In adoption news, just waiting to see what the next batch of referrals is. Hoping they make it far, but just not getting on the roller coaster...

Our oldest daughter is preparing to leave for college. She has an interview hopefully tomorrow for a great job on campus. She is getting excited to start this new adventure. I know she is going to do great. We will miss her, but she is ready.

So I am thinking about changing the name of my blog. I am wondering if I name it something family related and not specific to adoption if I will post more. I think part of me is guarded after so long waiting. Like I don't want to fully go there until I have a referral in hand. Not sure, still thinking...

Dh and I celebrate our 17th anniversary this weekend. So amazed that it has been that long, yet seems like forever. Love him to pieces, can't imagine being married to anyone else.

Well enough update, will post when news of referrals come in. I have so many May LID buddies that I can't wait to see matched. I am sure I will spend referral day in tears. I can't even imagine what it will be like when it is our turn. Sigh...

Missed th 49th month, but we are into May!!!

2010-07-15T16:57:00.002-06:00

We were on vacation for the 30th so no number. That's okay, I am so excited to report matching for May has begun!!!! I can't wait to see those sweet faces united with their forever family. Whoo Hoo! I am prayerfully praying for October, but realistic that it will most likely be November or December.

48 Months!

2010-05-30T08:21:00.005-06:00

This post is a little late, but here just the same. I am hoping beyond hope that we will receive our referral before the end of the year. I can't believe how fast this 4 years has flown by. My oldest who graduated today was in 8th grade when we applied. I would never in a million years have believed she would be in college when we finally received a referral.

We are so proud of A and the young woman she has become. She is truly as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. We wish her the very best and know she will be wonderful in whatever path she chooses.

And finally, M celebrated her 8th birthday today! She is a girl that LOVES to celebrate her birthday. We were able to have a special party the night before, so she would be able to shine. A was also gracious about celebtrating graduation and her little sisters birthday on the same day.

We had a fun day, and enjoyed celebrating with all of our family.

47 months!

2010-04-30T21:20:00.000-06:00

We have one more month until our big 4 year anniversary. What a day that will be, our oldest daughter graduates from high school, our youngest turns 8 and its our LID anniversary. What a special day it will be, I think we will be so focused on the happy parts we won't have time to dwell on the sad.

46 Months!!

2010-03-30T16:43:00.002-06:00

Here we are again with another month down. The rumor today is they have matched through April 17th, that leaves us with 42 days logged in before us. Whoo Hoo!! I am excited and hopefull that the C2A2 will continue matching the files as they have children available and not by numbers of days!!!!

Have a happy, blessed Easter.

45 months!

2010-02-28T23:56:00.001-07:00

Here we are again at another milestone I could never imagined we would see in this adoption. The latest buzz around referrals is very exciting, I am trying to put it in the back of my mind and carry on. Every time we get excited, thing seem to fall through. As a result, I have worked really hard the last several months to guard my heart. I guess time will tell.

AHGG!

2010-02-27T09:42:00.002-07:00

I have some cute photos from Chinese New Year! Blogger will not let me post. Maybe it has something to do with me only posting numerals for way to long.;)

Our FCC Chinese New Year Party

2010-02-27T09:40:00.002-07:00

We had the privilege of joining our FCC group for Chinese New Year again this year. We have the best group of families, they are so excited and encouraging. Every year we struggle with making the decision to go or not and every year we walk away so blessed. The girls had fun, LL has reached the age where she is too "mature" to participate in the dragon dance, but M is right there with all the kids. LL blessed us so much this year by choosing the party over a basketball game. When we began this process we were advised to make sure our children were on board with adopting. They consistently amaze us in their commitment to bringing home their little sister.

44 Months!

2010-01-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

Here it is again, another LIDversary! I am starting to feel the nesting urge again, but am still hesitant to start. I have a funny feeling that after waiting 4 LONG YEARS our referral will suddenly be here. I am hoping to maybe start doing a few household things that I would like done before we travel. My kitchen cupboards and interior doors all need a good touch up, as do a few walls. Then of course I need to finish a few graduation related items. Then maybe I will start on our 100 good wishes quilt and then her lifebook. I will keep you posted.

43 Months!

2009-12-30T20:42:00.003-07:00

Here we are again, 43 months in. We wish you all a Happy New Year. I am praying for a wonderful year, we have had a tough year in our community. I am looking forward to 2010 and a year of happiness. Praying this year is the year we will recieve a referral.

42 Months!

2009-11-30T14:59:00.002-07:00

I was really hoping for this to be the month of improvement. Looks like we are still in the same spot as before. 61 days of log in dates ahead of us, and a mile of them behind us. I was reading through Beth Moore's study on Daniel, and the time of waiting for him was 42 months, turns out there are many places in the bible pointing to 3.5 years as God's time of waiting. I was really hoping that would be true for us as well. I guess God has other plans for us and our little girl. *sigh*

On a brighter note Miss Jubilee Promise is not going to have to wait any more for her family. Run on over to http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/
and read about their God sized miracle to this sweet girl waiting for a home. They are such an inspiring family.

Where I am today...

2009-11-21T09:53:00.002-07:00

Not going to lie, this was a tough week. Another month with out referrals, a change in the C2A2director, and uncertainty in Ch*na adopt*on. I allowed my self to get sucked back into the negativity and fearfullness once again. Why do I allow my self to do that? I know with my whole heart that God is in control and I am not. But, I continually try to make things happen instead of trusting the Lord that he will make it happen. I saw this prayer over at Bakers Sweets, I think I am going to type it out and pray it over this stubborn head of mine until I have it firmly in there. I think this is more of a head problem than a heart one.

"Lord, I praise You for Your sovereignty over the broad events of my life and over the details. With You, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted. You hold in Your own power my breath of life and all my destiny. And every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and to others looking on." – Author Unknown

41 Months and it's not about us...

2009-10-30T08:32:00.006-06:00

As we were carving pumpkins last night, our adoption came up as it does whenever we are doing something as a family. J asked, do you think our daughter will be home next year for carving pumpkins. I said yes, which of course my girls have to add, you say that every year. But, you know it really got me thinking that it is not about us, it is about following Gods will and his timing.

Then about an hour later during dinner M made a comment that adoption is not as painful as giving birth. I had to argue with her on that one, it may not be a physical pain with delivery, but it is an emotional pain. I know that God will use it for his good, its just hard to go through.

I also wanted to share a great link go here http://blog.showhope.org/?p=217 and read why its so hard to adopt. And then pray for all that God has called to adopt and those he is still calling. One of J and I's biggest motivators early on to pursue our adoption was to be an example, a light, so that others may follow us. But, that is hard, because after watching us wait for 41 months, who would willingly go through this. I have even had someone come up to me and say, "we thought about adoption, but after watching how long this has taken you, we decided against it." That was a difficult to hear. We have tried really hard to remain optimistic and upbeat, but I think in our society of instant gratification the true meaning of waiting on God's timing is sometimes lost.

Anyway, we are now 41 months closer to our daughter.

Forty Months!

2009-09-30T13:50:00.003-06:00

What a cute little positive number this is! What do you think? This month we are all about the positive and letting go of the negative. We are 40 months closer to our sweet girl, time to get to work. We still have the bedroom situation to work out, a one hundred good wishes quilt to make, a life book to start, and oh yeah we still need a name!

Lisa Leonard

2009-09-01T11:20:00.002-06:00

Head on over to the Lisa Leonard jewlery give away from simple mom! You have to check out these great pieces from Lisa, I really want the sterling ring and the link bracelet. Hint, Hint!

http://simplemom.net/giveaway-time-score-handcrafted-jewelry-from-lisa-leonard/comment-page-15/#comment-60589

Thirty Nine Months

2009-08-30T14:00:00.000-06:00

I thought I would switch things up a little for this month! Clever huh! Yeah well, how many things can you really add to a monthly count down... On a brighter note, we are 39 months closer to our daughter, we have approval for another 18 months, and fingerprint approval for 15 more months. Oh and there are only 6 more LID's left until March is completely matched. Come on CC*A, match some babies!

Last first day and more first day of school

2009-08-26T15:35:00.004-06:00

A took her last first day of school photo, I have taken one each year since preschool. Maybe I will get inspired and post them.

LL & M also started their first day of school, even with homeschooling I think it is important to mark a first and last day. We dress up and enjoy getting back into our school routine, we have switched things up this year and all in all it went pretty well. M was under the weather and slept most of the afternoon, but L was able to get through every thing. I am hoping to start a homeschooling blog soon, I think it will be a fun way to mark our progress and achievements throughout the year.

We have approval! Again!!!

2009-08-26T15:28:00.003-06:00

We just received our 3rd immigration approval today! I didn't even recognized the form, I thought maybe we had to supply more information! We have approval until February 20, 2011, yikes! That would be a 57 month wait, I can't even imagine. Hopefully I won't have to.

Get your verse on giveaway!!

2009-08-12T16:20:00.002-06:00

How cute are these new kids shirts? Go on over and give them a look-see, my wish list is getting longer and longer!

http://www.wildolivetees.com/

Third times a charm???

2009-08-11T16:31:00.001-06:00

J and I trecked to Helena for our 3rd (yes 3rd) fingerprinting appointment. We were in an out in 15 minutes and back on the road home. Hopefully this third 171 will be the charm.

Our 3 year LIDversary

2009-05-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

'nuff said.....

The loss...

2009-04-19T12:51:00.003-06:00

I have been guilty of being a blog stalker, I have a google reader list that is embarrassingly long. I have laughed and cried when children are united with their forever family, grieved with these families, and hoped for our turn one day. The closer we come to a referral I find myself getting more excited and also more apprehensive. What if I did not prepare myself and my family well enough for this momentous occasion? What happens if I fail in reading all the signs of grief and attachment this precious child gives us? Do we have the patience, love, and compassion this child will need? While I have wasted plenty of time on the Internet, I have learned valuable lessons from those who have gone ahead of us. Moms who love their children with a fierce and determined love, educated in how to best work their child through these tremendous losses. I hope that I too will have the strength and knowledge to teach my daughter about love, faithfulness, and security.

Why we are doing this....

2009-04-09T13:50:00.005-06:00

Every once in awhile someone will stop John or I and ask, why are you adopting? Why China? Aren't there easier, quicker, cheaper ways to add to your family? This video cuts to the heart of why J & I feel called to adopt. While we can't help all the orphan children in the world, we can bring home one to love. Our greatest hope is that if we bring home the "one" we were called to bring home, that others will be called to bring home the "one" they were called to bring home, and so on. Do we think we are solving the orphan problem? No, just doing as God has called us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJmRPdogf7U&feature=player_embedded

Drum roll please.....34 months!

2009-03-30T12:45:00.002-06:00

Here we are sailing into 34 months. I must say the wait is cooking right along. I am finally seeing a tiny pin hole of light at the end of a very long tunnel.

1000 DAYS!!!!

2009-02-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Holy Hannah!!! I never expected this when I signed up!!! Who ever would have thought that adding one little person to our house could take this long..... The really sad fact is I don't even know where we are in all this. Are we half way, two thirds, seven eighths?

I am such a bad blogger!!!!

2009-02-20T14:02:00.002-07:00

I really have good intentions to blog more. I can manage to follow all my bloggy friends on google reader, yet writing in my pathetic blog is more than I can handle. I did not even post at the 32 month anniversary of our login. However I plan on posting for the grand 1000 LID anniversary coming up in 4 days...sigh...

The other resolutions have not gone well either. I have lost a couple of pounds and have been working out faithfully. I have also stayed on top of my house better, I love the iroomba. I have it set to come on in the morning while we do school. I just need something to dust and do laundry...hmmm.

This is where the good news ends....

The Project 365 thing has been pathetic at best. I did well the first couple of weeks but after that it went down hill. I would like to resurrect that one but we will have to see. I don't necessarily need a photo every day of part of our life, but I need something to get me back to taking photos regularly. There is something about getting paid to take pictures that takes alot of the fun and spontaneity out of photography. This is something I did not take into consideration when I started my photography business. I really want to get back to a point where I can be creative and take the photos I want to take, not the ones I have to take. I also don't want to worry so much if they are good. KWIM?

The scrapbooking goal has also not gone as well as I had hoped, I did sign up for a crop next weekend so hopefully that will help. I have been busy working on a quilt for an auction, so that has eaten up alot of time.

Hmm this post was not as bad as I had feared maybe I will even be back.

31 Months & New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-30T09:29:00.003-07:00

I have been very good at following blogs, but very lax at writing my own. So for 2009 I decided to write that in as part of my New Year's Resolution. Which I also never do! So here it goes:

- 1. Participate in CK's Project 365 - Take a photo everyday, of every day life. I really want to get back into photos of my kids and think this is the perfect way to accomplish this.

- 2. Stay current with this blog, it is my habit to check google reader every day, but for the life of me I can't seem to write consistently. I know the more I write the better I will get, even if no one is reading it!

- 3. Lose 5-10 pounds, I know this is on every one's list, but it really needs to happen before it becomes an even bigger problem.

- 4. Stay on top of my house better. My new iroomba should help in that dept.

- 5. Work on my albums, I want to get proficient in digital scrapbooking.

And in the adoption front we are at 31 months today! Yesterday saw another batch of referrals, Hurray! Congratulations to all those that got the call and shared it with all of us still waiting.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-19T16:13:00.002-07:00

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May this year be filled with joy and laughter! We are also hoping for another stocking to hang next year.

Homeschooling and scoping blogs!

2008-09-22T19:00:00.002-06:00

We have entered the crazy, but fun world of home school this year. We felt that it was a good time to try it with our girls. Our girls have always had great teachers, but with recent changes in curriculum and all the testing we decided we should see if it would be a good fit for our family. We have had a great time and I have learned so much, like how to make butter!

We don't have much to report on the adoption side of things, just that we wait. We have been scoping out all the great blogs out there, and they give us hope. Enjoy the photos as we approach 28 months. Who would have thought.

2 years! Wow I can't believe it!

2008-05-30T15:53:00.003-06:00

Really, I can't believe we have been waiting 24 months for our little girl. In that time my girls have gotten older, J & I have gotten older!!! We've gotten a dog, a cat, a drivers licence. Wow if we had only know then what we know now. I guess thats how most things work though huh?

23 Months and updated photos!

2008-05-06T14:45:00.003-06:00

Just thought I would jot a few notes on 23 months. We just continue to wait and pray, we wait for news and pray for our daughter. I have had more people ask lately when we are going to give up! I just smile and say when my daughter is home, we just can't give up on her.

To help with the wait J finally relented and let us get a Yorkshire Terrier two months ago. We named her Sophie and are enjoying her so much. She loves the kids and enjoys going everywhere with us. Our cat has been good with her and they now have daily wrestling matches.

Twenty Two Months

2008-03-30T20:15:00.002-06:00

Here we are again! No new news, just thought I should keep this poor neglected blog updated. I hope someday to have some good news to update and finally share this blog with family and friends.

18 Months!

2007-11-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

18 months since we had our paperwork logged in, next month it will be 2 years since we applied with our agency to adopt. Would I do again? In a heart beat, I just would have done it sooner had I known;) Really, the past 18 months have moved along pretty quickly, mostly we just really want to hold our daughter and share our life and what we do with her. Sigh!!! Here's to hoping we are at least at the halfway mark!

17 Months, WOW!

2007-11-06T14:12:00.001-07:00

WOw, that pretty much sums it up. We have been waiting for our referral for 17 months, 1 week. I never in my wildest imagination thought it would take this long. The families in the latest batch of referrals have waited 22 months, I think we will wait considerably longer than that.

We had a great Halloween this year, A dressed as Lily from Hannah Montana, LL was a 50's girl and M was a dalmation. The weather was great and the kids got lots of great candy, I of course had to sample a few pieces just to make sure!!

Ten months & a whole lotta snow!

2007-04-02T13:30:00.000-06:00

Well the end of March ushered in our 10 month LID anniversary as well as 24" of snow! We had 3 days of wet sloppy snow, followed by 2 days of sunshine and now more snow. I think someone needs to tell the weather that it is officially spring in Montana. Oh well, we need the moisture. I hope you enjoy the photos of the girls in the snow, they had fun playing queen of the mountain.

Well as usual no news on the adoption front, just that we hope we are at least half way to our sweet little one. I guess time will tell.

Yes, we are still waiting!

2007-02-07T15:00:00.001-07:00

I have not been as good about this journal as I should. I am also keeping a written journal with my more private thoughts, not doing so well with that one either. We are approaching 9 months of waiting. If we had chosen the more traditional method of adding to our family we would be expecting our child any day. I read the other day that an elephant has the gestation period of 22 months, I think we will be able to relate to that in this process. We are nearly 14 months from our date of application and approval. Time really has gone fast, we are so blessed to have our girls and enjoy them so much.

M seems to be having the most difficutly with the wait. She has been very patient, but at 4 1/2 it is diffucult to understand why she isn't here. She prayes each night at dinner that we will get on the plane to get her baby from China tonight!!

We are estimating that we are about 1/2 way through the wait. If so there is a good chance our daughter is born or is about to be born. Time will tell.
Blessings,
L

Referral News & 7 Months

2007-01-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

Referrals are out today, China referred the LID's of September 9th to September 27th. I have a little spread sheet that I plug in referral statistics just to keep me sane. My rough calculations put us at 14 more months, I really hope not. But, that is where the numbers are at right now. That would give us a 21 Month wait, a very sobering number. Add in the nearly 6 months of paperchasing before our LID and that gives you 27 months. I know in my heart of hearts that it will all be worth it. We just have to keep the faith that it will speed up. I was thinkging the other day that we are now working on 8 months, if we were 1/2 way through that would be a 16 month wait. What the current wait is. Hmm. I guess time will tell.

On a happier note we do have 7 months in and enjoyed seeing all the beautiful babies that are going to be loved beyond belief. I hope they are united with their forever families very soon.

Working on 7 months!

2006-12-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I missed the 6 month post, we have been busy here getting ready for Christmas. We are hoping it will be the last one with out our new baby girl. We are however, settleing in and getting used to the fact that it may be Fall 07 or even Spring 08. I try to not dwell too often or long on that last date. Our agency is preparing us for that at this point. Oh well, not a thing we can do, so we are going to just enjoy our time as a family of 5, get a few things done around the house, and of course save more money for our trip.
I am posting our newest family photo, I set them up in my studio and then my mom took them for us. Have a Merry Christmas.

2006-11-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

Music Video:

WHEN LOVE TAKES YOU IN (by Steven Curtis Chapman)

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Music Video:WHEN LOVE TAKES YOU IN (by Steven Curtis Chapman)

One Hundred Good Wishes Quilt

2006-11-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

Join in our One Hundred Good Wishes Quilt - Bai Jia Bei

We have been participating in a block exchange with our May2006DTC group. This is the group of people that have their dossiers submitted into China the same month we do. We will most likely travel with some of these people. We have found the group to be very warm and caring, people like us aching for our special little ones. We also participate in the OHGWQ yahoo group, again this is a great loving group of people.

The Tradition of the 100 Good Wishes Quilt is to welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt." It is a custom to invite 100 people to contribute a single square patch of cloth. The 100 patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the family and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. This quilt is a special way of showing our daughter how much she was wanted before she came into our family. The wishes are printed on a card a sample of the fabric is then attached to the wish. For wishes we have recieved everything from prayers, poems, scripture to good thoughts.

We invite you to share in this special keepsake for our daughter. Please send one pre-washed 7x7 100% cotton square along with one wish(any size) with a small piece of the quilt square. Please email me at lynds@bhwi.net if you need an address. For those fellow parents adopting, we would love to contribute to your quilt as well. How special to have these "threads" through all these special little children's lives.

The photo shows a few of the many squares we have recieved. The girls are excited to check the mail each day to see what squares we have recieved. Thanks to everyone who has sent their square, hope you like ours as well.

Our blog

2006-10-26T20:55:00.000-06:00

Thought we would add a blog to our activities. Not like we don't have enough things on our plate!! Ha! No, really we just needed a little more flexiblity than just our baby site. We will keep both, because I really like youbelong.net and it will be easier to have in China!

Our tour of CCAI

2006-10-20T17:30:00.000-06:00

We had the opportunity to visit our awesome adoption agency on Octber 20th in Denver. We were in town to visit my cousin Jess, Kurt and their sweet little girl Claire. We wanted to have an opportunity to get photos and meet some of the great people we have worked with so far.
When we arrived and asked for a tour, the receptionist called to have someone come out. As we were waiting Joshua Zhong walked in and asked if he could help. We told him we were waiting for a tour, he replied that HE LOVED TO GIVE TOURS. So we got a very special VIP tour. I have to say they are all wonderfull at CCAI. We were so impressed with every aspect of their facility and staff.
Joshua introduced us to his wife Lily and all the staff in the office. We also were able to say hello and thank Jen for all her help with our dossier. Joshua was so cute, he loved to pose for us and told us in his Chinese accent "You call us every day until you get your baby" We of course just laughed and said we were willing to wait for our little one. If you get the chance to visit them it is well worth your time. It is very touching to see the nearly 8,000 photos on the walls of all the little ones they have brought home to thier forever families.
I would be happy to share some of these photos for those of you that can not get to CCAI in person!