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

6 months down...

This wait is so crazy! On the one hand, time seems to be standing still until we can bring Ladybug home. On the other, I can't believe it has been over a year since we started the process, and six whole months of being officially "in line."

We are still holding hope that it will be sometime in 2009 that we travel to China, but at this point, nothing is certain. It seems so funny that when we first started the process, we were concerned that Brian would still be in school trying to finish up his MBA with a little one crying in the night. He'll be finishing up in May 2008. Then, we were concerned that we would be traveling to China around the Olympics. The only glimpse of China we will get in August 2008 is from NBC's coverage of the Games.

We still believe that our little girl is somewhere out there. We pray every night for her birth mother, who may or may not even be pregnant yet.

Thank you for your continued support. It is a long haul, but we are hunkered down for the wait. We'll see what news the next few months bring us. But in the meantime, we'll just enjoy life as we know it while we can!

:D

New Favorite Band

So, every once and a while I get an urge to listen to country music. Maybe because it reminds me of working at Schramm's in High School, maybe because it reminds me of summer nights star gazing with my dad, maybe because God wants to give me a message. Last year it was Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel" when we were trying to decide to go with adoption or not. Then it was Rascal Flatts' "My Wish" when I started working on the 100 Wish Quilt Scrapbook. I'm using the lyrics throughout the scrapbook to tie it all together. Now, in the midst of my despair, once again Rascal Flatts comes to the rescue with "Stand."

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend 'til you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe you hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

So many cliche's come to mind, and frankly I am just about sick of all of them. But this song really touches me right now, and I've heard it so often that I know it's God's long distance dedication to me.

Thank you all for your prayers and support in this difficult time. I truly don't know what I would do with out you.

Keep the positive vibes for a speed up!
:D

Four Days...

The new referrals are on their way. The CCAA has posted that they include folks LID through 11/25/05. That is four days worth of LIDs this month. Last September, they were referring folks from July 2005. That means they have done less than 4 months worth of referrals in a calander year. We are currently 16 months behind the front of the referral line, which means if things do not pick up, we are lookng at 4 MORE years before they get to us. This does not take into account the 5 months of "official" waiting that we have already put in.

Please keep mega prayers coming for the process and for our sanity.

D

Where did August go?!?

August has been insane for our family! The first weekend had us playing host to family visitors. We had a very fun weekend touring the 'burg. We painted some pottery and saw how doctors in the 1700's treated patients. Who needs HMOs? The picture is from this fun weekend!

The second weekend we traveled to Indianapolis for my cousins' wedding. It was a beautiful day and it was so great to see the family again. Since we are scattered all over the US, it is extra special to get together like the good old days!

The third weekend we made an unplanned trip back to PA for our friend Paul's funeral. He suffered for many years with his health, and died surrounded by his family. He and his wife Dawn are good friends, and we hold them in our prayers during this difficult time. Our niece was also baptized that weekend in PA. We weren't planning on making the trip, but since we were up there, we were able to celebrate the baptism with them.

This weekend is catch up weekend! We are busy with house work and yard work, and trying to stay cool in 95+ degree weather. We had a FCC Waiting Families dinner on Saturday. We met up with three other families in the area that are also waiting to adopt from China. They are all much further ahead of us, and with fewer people choosing adoption from China, soon we will be the only waiting family! We'll just have to have our own dinners! :)

We are truly hoping September is a much slower and cooler month!

Hope all is well in your part of the country!
:D