New Focus...

So in the craziness that we call our life these days, I have a new focus. I'm trying to find songs for the adoption video. I will occasionally post songs that are in the running, and you tell me what you think.

This first one comes from my mom. I love it because I can totally see my DH dancing with our DD to this some day, and really live the words. (Have I mentioned that I have the best DH in the entire world?)

Enjoy "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman.

She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders
It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying "Dad, I need you
There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...

She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
She will be gone

Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says, "Dad, the wedding's still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

Steven Curtis Chapman ::

Cinderella ~ possible adoption video?

Urgent Request

Many of you may have heard about the snowstorms in China. What you might not have heard about is the many orphanages that have been hit hard by the storms. Many are located in parts of the country that do not typically have such harsh weather, and therefore do no have heaters, blankets, warm clothes, etc. They are having trouble getting food and supplies into the orphanages. Roads are closed, and supplies in local stores are quickly becoming unafforadable due to supply and demand.

Even though Ladybug might not be born yet, we have many friends whose daughters are suffering right now. We have a couple friends who have pictures of their daughters and are just waiting for travel authorization. Can you imagine "knowing" your daughter and wondering if she is warm and fed tonight?

What can be done? There is a reputable organization called Half the Sky Foundation. They can be found at www.halfthesky.org. They typically provide support for the children of China in the orphanages until their adoptive parents can come for them. They have set up an emergency relief fund called the Little Mouse Emergency Fund. (2008 is the year of the rat/mouse.) If it is within your finaical wearwithall, please consider a donation to this fund. There is a little mouse icon on the homepage. They money will go to help provide diapers, formula, blankets and other immediate relief to the orphanages affected by the snow disaster. As with most developing countries, they can get a big bang for an american buck, so even a small donation can do a lot of good.

If you are unable to make a donation, please pray for the safety of all the little ones in the orphanages. They are among the most vulnerable in this type of situation and I am so concerned for their wellbeing.

Hope all is well in your neck of the world!
:D

100 Good Wishes Progress #1

I've gotten a lot of questions about what exactly to send, what kind of fabric prints, what a wish should look like, etc.

So, here you go! Here are some pictures of fabric squares and some wishes and the scrapbook. The fabric should be 8x8, 100% cotton. Let your imagination run wild!!

Hopefully I will have all 100 squishes soon and will be able to start work on the quilt piecing! I think this will be incredibly theraputic for me and make the whole adoption thing seem more real. Sometimes the looooong wait makes it seem like it is never going to happen, like it is some sort of pipe dream that we are not getting any closer to. It helps to do concrete things to get ready, like decorating the nursery and making the 100 Good Wishes quilt.

Thanks for all of your support! If you haven't sent in a squish yet, get it in quick!

:D

9 months down...

Well, in any normal pregnancy, we would have our bags packed and awaiting that "honey, it's time to go to the hopsital" moment. But in this pregnancy, we are still waiting, waiting, waiting. The news for the January 2008 referrals doesn't look good ~ just another 5 days to 12/19/05. Here's hoping that 2008 will bring many many months worth of referrals!

We had a great Christmas visit with Brian's family. There were presents galore, and everyone seemed to enjoy their treasures.

Brian's mom is the best mother-in-law. In the Christmas cards that we send to the family that we are not going to see over Christmas, I write "We'll be home for Christmas, if only in our dreams." To the family that we are going to see, I write "Please have snow, and mistletoe, and presents under the tree." Well, the weather was very mild this year, so there was no hope of a white christmas. M&D got a new puppy this fall, so they did not put up a tree since Tuffy would have knocked it over. So M went out and bought a package of mistletoe so she could at least have one thing I "asked" for! Thanks, M!

We will start our paperchase for renewing our 171H in mid January. We'll have to do this every year until we bring Ladybug home. More fun! Please keep up the prayers for a speedy referral so we won't have to renew more than twice!

Wishing you a very happy, healthy 2008,

:D

A Season of Waiting...

Well, we are now in our second Advent of waiting for our Ladybug. Last year, we were finishing up our paperchase and getting ready to send our documents off to China. This year, we are just waiting. They ways things are going, we will spend the next two to three Advents waiting. It has been an interesting adventure in patience.





We will start the process of renewing our paperwork after the new year. We have to keep our I171H current, or else we have to start all over again and fall under the new rules. Hopefully it will be a lot easier since we did it last year.

Also, if you have quilt squares and wishes for the 100 Good Wishes Quilt, please send them along! I am getting very close to having 100 and would love to have your squish in the quilt! I hope to have this as my late winter project.

Christmas preparations have been coming along. I have just about all of my cookies done, gifts are wrapped, and cards are out. Hopefully after this weekend, I'll be able just to sit back and enjoy the season!



Hope you are having a very blessed Advent season!
:D

Back from Disney!

We had the great opportunity to go to the happiest place on earth this fall with Brian's sister and her family. It was a great escape, and even though we hit 4 parks in 4 days, it was very fun. We visited China in EPCOT, and had the cast member write the name we selected for Ladybug in Chinese in my autograph book. He also added "Dreams Come True" in Chinese. We looked at all the cool stuff in the gift shop, and created a "wish list" of the real stuff when we go to the real China. We also got to watch the Dragon Acrobats ~ young, talented kids from China doing amazing acrobatics.

We also took in shows and rides, and had a great dinner at the Crystal Palace with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. I am so glad that we were able to share our niece and nephew's first Disney trip with them! Next time we visit, we hope that Ladybug has just as wonderful of a time.

We are now 7 months into the waiting process. Nobody has any idea on how long the wait is at this point. I've seen predictions that we could receive a referral as early as late 2009 or as late as 2011. So we just sit and wait and prepare as best we can. Keep up the prayers for a sooner rather than later referral date!

Hope all is well with you and yours!
:D