Our Christmas Cards

 
 

We included this little bookmark in our Christmas Cards as a reminder for our families and friends to pray for us and for Ally in the coming year -- hopefully that will be when we meet each other! 

My New Christmas Favorites

Each year it seems that there are a few Christmas things and traditions that strike me as a "favorite" - so here are my favs for this year...

1. Garland and lights above the front door. We (well, I) put up garland with red and white lights around the arch and front door on the inside and outside of our house. It really lights up the foyer and turned out so pretty. The little wreath on the door is one that Lauren made in SS a few weeks ago!

2. A Picture Christmas Tree. I "borrowed" (that sounds more polite than saying I stole it!) this cute idea from my friend Sharon. All of the pics we received in Christmas cards were tied with a little ribbon and put on this little tree in our kitchen -- also with red and white lights. I keep the pics each year and the girls enjoy looking back at our collection. I have only done this the past few years -- wish I had kept them for a longer time, but oh well!

3. An Oil Burner -- that I got a Bath and Body Works -- I LOVE how it quickly fills the room with fragrance - especially the cinnamon and spice and tree scents. We also got Pecan Passion which smells like a pecan pie baking in the oven! It is so much better than a candle because the fragrance is strong and it lingers!

Lake Lanier LIGHTS!

We ventured out last night to Lake Lanier to see the light display. Little did we know that everyone else in ATL had the same plan! It took us 2 hours to drive about 6 miles just to get to the entrance! We had fun, though. The first pic is of Audrey, Sara, Lauren and Caroline in the gift shop, which (to my dismay) we didn't have much time to look through. BUT there were TONS of really cute ornaments that I would have loved to have purchased at the 40% discount! Oh well -- probably don't need them anyway....


The next pic is of Sara and Lauren being the "loving sisters" that they are. At least most of the time! We had fun -- Doug's mom went with us and had a good time enjoying the lights and watching the girls with their friends. 

Our Fortune

We had dinner at our favorite Chinese place, Lin's Bistro, last night with our friends, the Hills. We love to visit with them for lots of reasons -- they are fun, first and fore most; they know what we are going thru, because they have had their own adoption journey; they have 2 girls, so everyone has someone to talk to/play with! Anyway, here are some of the fortunes from the cookies that were passed my way:

"A pleasant surprise is in store for you soon."
"This is a good time for you to take a risk. You will succeed."
"There are big changes ahead for you."
"Follow your heart for success in the coming week."
"Your judgement is a little off at this time. Rely on friends."

I can see truth in each of these. Not that I believe in a random, somewhat vague message in a fortune cookie, but it is fun to see how we can "read into them." We had a good time.

I'm thinking about Ally a lot these days. I wonder if she is born, or if she is a baby, or if she is a 2 year old, or possibly almost 3 years old. I wonder -- so often. Probably, a little more than usual since it's so close to Christmas. Our girls are getting excited, now that school is finally out!

Looking for a Sign

I was to a point yesterday afternoon that I was desperate. Desperate to just KNOW something. Desperate for direction from God. I had even said the words "I just want a sign" to know what to do... So, that being said, I pulled into Walmart, which seems to be my tri-weekly destination, parked the car and paid no attention to my spot. I was so distracted that I didn't pay one bit of attention to where I had parked. So, after completing my tri-weekly visit to Walmart, I returned with my buggy to the parking lot, only to realize that I had no idea where my car was! I then start to look, up and down the aisles of the parking lot. And about 3 rows over from where my car was waiting for me, there it was -- Plastered on the back window of a conversion van, exactly what I asked for -- a sign, that read "God is in Control". I did chuckle out loud and said, "OK." I'll accept that sign. I guess I'm a literal person. Funny sometimes. Be patient, Lucy.... this really will happen, someday when the time is right.

Mei Lan is her name!

Atlanta's little panda (born in September 2006) has a new name - it means "Atlanta Beauty". She is really cute! Looks a little like our cat Snoopie! What do you think?

We enjoyed our Saturday lunch with Debbie, Ian and LiLi at the Cheesecake Factory - what's not to love? I so value Debbie's BTDT perspective and her advice. Yummy lunch and dessert!

Our Sunday School class party was last night - we had such a blast! We have so much fun with these special friends. I'm so glad to have such a strong support group as we go through this entire process.

WOW

Christmas is really sneaking up on me this year. There is a lot going on this month so maybe that is part of it. Even the girls say that it doesn't seem like it is right around the corner. They only have 4 more days of school until break and they say that they aren't even that excited. I think we are all somewhat distracted. Anyway, once the class parties start, I'm sure their feelings will change quickly! I know that I will be eager for a break, but it also looks like I'll be working a good bit too! Oh well, it keeps my mind off our "wait"! That is really all for tonight.

We are looking forward to a "girls' lunch" with Debbie and LiLi on Saturday. When I told Lauren, she said "Now that is a great idea!" I agree!

A New Colander

Yep - I bought one. I don't think it warrants a picture, so I'll let you imagine -- it came from Target and cost $7 - isn't that crazy? One day Ally will read this and say, "I thought you were writing this for me!" This way she will see how this long wait affected her (hopefully still sane) mommy!

Today marks the 11th month since our DTC (Dossier was sent To China). I don't know if we will see an update from the CCAA before Christmas or before New Year or in early January. There are a few early rumors out there, but I'm not living for those at all. Hard to believe we are approaching one year of our official wait. The days do go quickly - lots to do with Christmas only 12 days away. Logically, if the days go quickly, the weeks and months should follow suite; however, this isn't always the case. Sometimes it is, but not always.

I'm almost finished shopping.

"Steal It!"

We heard this phrase, "Steal it!" at our annual Ornament Swap on Sunday night! We had so much fun (and hope everyone who attended did too!). I got a few pics from where I was standing. We had lots of food. The girls and I worked most of the day (well, actually, weekend) to get the house ready. In the midst of this we painted the hall bathroom. Crazy, I know! Even Ally got an ornament!

Last night Doug and I went to see Mannheim Steamroller at the Gwinnett Arena and it was amazing! They sounded SO good LIVE! That was (part of) my Christmas present.

I had been warned that the Christmas season might be a little difficult this year. I do, at times, really feel like something (well, actually, someone) is missing. I remember last year at Christmas, we kept saying things like, "We'll have Ally here for next Christmas" and we never thought that we would be saying that again this year. But, we are. At times, it is so hard; but mostly, I'm keeping busy and I'm doing fine. Work tends to do that for me at this time of the year!

Almost done with shopping!

Congrats

My friend, Angie and her hubby Victor actually got their referral last Thursday! Today is thier new daughter's first b'day! How exciting it was to actually talk to her on the phone (they live in MO) when they were waiting for their package. Her name is Becca and she is just TOO cute! I'm so happy for them and their family. I would imagine they will be travelling in mid-Jan -- COLD, but who cares?

November Updated!

The new update has been posted and the match date moved from Aug 25 to Sept 8. This one is especially exciting; not because of the progress of days, but because this one means that my best friend from high school, Angie, will be getting her referral today or tomorrow! I'm so eager to see that little face. Their LID was Aug 30, 2005, so they waited exactly 15 months. When they started, they were told to expect a wait of 6 months. WOW -- I know it must have seemed forever.

Here is my "prediction". This month, they progressed a "whompin" 14 days. This means there are 140 days of dossiers still ahead of ours. (even if 14 days was the average, it would still take 10 months to get thru 140 days). I have no idea how this number translates into how many ACTUAL dossiers are ahead of ours! So, the average didn't improve much. The avg number of days processed per month still hovers around 12 (12.36). Still says we still have 11.3 months to WAIT if the current rate continues. I had hoped to see a significant improvement, but c'est la vie! That would put us getting our referral in Oct or Nov of 2007. So, at least (hopefully) it is under year to go -- gee I can't believe this. It is so hard to look at this time-frame. I just keep gettin older and older and older... you get the picture!

First a Tree, then a Colander, What's Next?

How does someone LOOSE a colander? I don't take it anywhere, but I cannot find it anywhere! I didn't give it away or put it in the wrong cabinet or use it to sift cat food. But, it is not to be found. How, I repeat myself, do you loose a colander?

I also recently lost a Christmas tree. I'll explain. Last weekend, we went down to get the tree we put in our dining room (in front of the big window). Couldn't find it! Yes, our basement is messy, but really, a Christmas tree? Again, how do you loose a Christmas tree? Neither of us had any idea - looked in the attic, all over the B'ment ... no tree! We do have a theory, however. The aloof tree was in pretty bad shape - really making a mess, loosing needles, etc. I always liked that tree, because everyone thought it was a "real" tree. Anyway, we must have taken it to Goodwill last year after C'mas. But we don't remember doing it! Also, it wouldn't be like me to miss the after C'mas sales to get a new tree! No tree bought! Well, we got a tree just like the one we (maybe) took to charity, because my mom had the same tree and had not used it in a few years (because it always made a mess!), so now we have HER old worn out (yet, real looking) tree in the dining room.

Still no sign of our colander! What does this have to do with China? Nothing really, just wondering if my brain will still be functioning by the time we actually do this!

10 Months and Counting

Today marks 10 months since our LID to China for little Ally. The artwork is compliments of her big sister, Lauren. Expecting an update from CCAA either this week or next. I'm just hoping they will process more than 18 days this month. We'll see!

The house is almost decorated! Hope Ally will be here next Christmas to enjoy all of the excitement! We are counting on it.

Go Jackets!

We had a great time yesterday cheering on the Ga Tech Yellow Jackets as they took on the UGA Bulldogs. The game didn't turn out the way we had hoped, but we had fun anyway! We got to Athens and quickly realized that we were in a serious minority! EVERYTHING was red! The girls walked around wearing their yellow wigs and got a few comments - nothing distasteful, just in fun.

Thanksgiving was great - S & L had the most fun playing with their little cousins. We also celebrated my mom's 80th birthday.

Thankful

How to put it all in words? That is the hard part. We are (of course, if you know me well) almost finished with the Christmas decorating. I think that having Thanksgiving "welcome" the Christmas season is so perfect. I have really tried to focus on being thankful for so many little things, in addition to the big ones!

This morning, our SS teacher asked us to share with the class something for which we are thankful. I was sitting there knowing exactly what I needed to say, but struggling to find the words and the composure to put it into words. I was somewhat overwhelmed with the question. Sure, it's a simple question, but what an opportunity to look inward! Basically, I said that I was thankful for the opportunity and the ability to add to our family through adoption. Also, thankful that God had not given up on my (our) heart and that He had brought people into our lives to encourage and support us.

Our faith has grown so much in this past year. We are amazed over and over how many people have come into our lives already because of one little, tiny girl that is somewhere in China that we don't even know yet! With so much on the calendar, the time is going quickly. In some ways that is good.

When I think that "our time" will actually come one day, it just amazes me. That one day (hopefully within the year) this will all really happen. I am thankful for the hope we have -- in so many things!

A Crazy Little Thought

The thought of us getting a BOY has crossed my mind a lot recently! Isn't that crazy - it is a possibilty, yet still unlikely. That would just crack me up. I saw a blog today of someone that had gotten a boy (unexpectedly)! I guess that will put a halt on my shopping for the mean time! Not that I've bought a lot, but everything that I have bought is PINK!

Worth the Read

This is some info posted on a site I "frequent". It is about what to realistically expect when you come home from China. Most of this is what I had already expected and am trying to prepare our girls for -- a little sister that may not like them or us (at first). A little sister that may not want to hold their hand and walk with them. A little sister that may bite them or hit them. This comes from another waiting mom, the main difference is that she is waiting for her 2nd daughter from China. She has "been there, done that". So, with that, I give you ....

So I feel I need to talk a little bit about what happens when you finally get this screaming little baby placed in your arms. This is not a newborn. It’s a child who already has a personality, one that you get to try to figure out.

It’s a child who has been ripped from all she knows: the people who have cared for her and kept her alive, and the language she has been able to understand even if she couldn’t speak it. The food she is used to. The other kids. Her schedule. Her crib. Her cribmate.

It’s all gone, and she’s with these people she’s never seen before and she can’t understand what is being said and the food is different. Scared and grieving does not even begin to describe things. Some babies just completely shut down and appear to be autistic, but after three or four days they start coming around and you begin to see the real child.

It can take weeks (or months) for the grieving to stop, but after several days you should begin to see little pieces of their personality. Some children have different survival mechanisms and you’ll immediately see a little bubbly personality, this does not mean there is no grief, it could just mean that their survival instincts are telling them to be cute and lovable.

We all know this transition to a family is for the best in the long run, but all the child knows is how they feel right now, and they are scared and mad and grieving. Some move through it faster than others. S ome seem to move through it in China and then backtrack once they are home. Some show their bubbly personality in China and then show the grief in America (or whatever country they are going to). When in China, they still hear Chinese in the restaurants and out on the street. And they still get some Chinese food. And the unique smells of China are still there.

But once you are home, everything familiar to them is gone. By then you’ve probably switched them to American formula, they likely aren’t getting congee every morning now that it’s not on a buffet anymore, you probably can’t make steamed eggs exactly like they were in China. The smells are different, and no one is speaking Chinese anymore. They might be able to keep their minds off of that during the day, when they are active and there is much to keep them occupied. But when their mind starts quieting down to go to sleep it all comes back, and there is still grief. So some babies just don’t go to sleep. Combine this with jet lag and it’s really not fun.

There will also be control issues that come up. Even with a 9 or 10 month old baby, they will try to gain control of something, anything, so they don’t feel so out of control.

My point here is that you have been waiting for this child for a really long time. But she knows nothing about you. She is scared and will act in ways you cannot currently imagine that a little 15 or 20 pound child could possibly act. I see people who are talking about how happy their child is going to be to finally get a family. And that just isn’t the way it works. I see a lot of people setting themselves up for problems by having expectations that just aren’t very likely to happen.

I’m not saying the first couple of months are going to be all bad. There will be wonderful moments, too. But I am hoping to get the point across that you need to be prepared for some difficult times. No matter how frustrated you are, at least you know what is going on. It’s your job to comfort this child when she is scared and grieving and screaming her little head off from 11:00 at night until 4:00 in the morning almost non stop. It’s your job to make her (or him) feel safe and loved. And that is not always an easy thing to do.

Ready for Christmas, but Not Overlooking T'giving

We started putting our tree (the big one) up over the weekend. Didn't quite finish, but did do enough to totally destroy our family room! Our big tree is 12', so it takes quite an effort (and a ladder!). Last C'mas Doug promised me that he would put the icicle lights on our house for Ally. Well, we may not have Ally with us this Christmas :(, but that doesn't mean we still can't put the lights up for her! I love the lights!

Anyway, Shaggy (better known as Scott -- Doug's roommate from Asbury) was here for the weekend and he helped us start the tree. He was crackin us up as he said he wants to record a C'mas CD of him singing the favorites. Doesn't sound funny? Well, you haven't heard Shaggy sing! Let's just say that he was not a vocal major in college, and would make the high lights of the American Idol auditons just to amuse the TV audience!

Sara danced around wearing the tree skirt and Lauren and I worked on our waltz routine (inspired by "Dancing with the Stars"). We had fun and soon our house will be Christmassy!

Lauren took another turn playing goalie this past Saturday. She had one shot get by her, but she did have several great stops, including one line-drive that she took to her face. It hit her so hard, it knocked her down. She cried a little and I couldn't believe she stayed in the game. She popped up to make sure the ball didn't go in the goal (which it didn't). OUCH. She wished I had had the video camera so she could see it!

10 months ago today we were DTC!

Overdue Organization

Over the weekend I pulled out all of our adoption paperwork. It had been safely stashed in a picnic basket. I put everything (well almost) into plastic sheet protectors and into a binder. I feel better having everything in one place!

Bonfire! and a Panda

We went up to Marietta to Dan and Debbie's house (parents of Ian and LiLi) for a bonfire tonight. It was chilly, but not too cold! Ian was a great "roaster" and LiLi was too cute as she licked the ketchup off her hotdog!



Here is a little PANDA. I heard that a group of Chinese adoptees will be singing at the "naming ceremony" for the new baby giant panda that was born a few weeks ago at Zoo Atlanta. I think it is going to happen on Dec 15. That should be cute!

I LOVE THIS! Thanks to Jennifer, my personal computer consultant!

Tonight is First Friday!

The girls and I are looking forward to seeing friends at the monthly First Friday gathering near our home tonight! We finally have some real progress to share! Hopefully, Doug will be done with band by the first weekend in Dec!

January is OUT OF THE REVIEW ROOM!!!

One step closer -- another update was posted throughout the night that finally includes us! We are now OUT of the REVIEW ROOM! I'm not sure what that REALLY means, but I'm guessing it means our dossier passed their test! Here it is!

January 31, 2006 is what we are SO HAPPY to finally see!

Now THIS feels good -- still not guarantee of a speed up, but it is, again, progress!!!!

A Halloween Slide Show!

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

Thanks, Sharon, for showing me this! The girls had a blast (in 2 different neighborhoods) with their friends going Trick-or-Treat! The Wizard of Oz group sang the entire time, thus they got extra goodies!

A Little Improvement!

The CCAA updated and here is what it says:

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before December 31, 2005.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before August 25, 2005.

Again, the second paragraph is the one that means referrals have been sent. So, as we hope to see the first paragraph update soon, indicating that Jan 2006 documents are out of review (that's us).

Anyway, on to an updated number analysis from Lucy.

They processed 16 more days - that means there are 154 days of dossiers ahead of ours. 16 days improves our previous average of 11.8 days processed per month to 12.2. (see our post from 10/19/2006 called "Some Pretty Ugly Numbers") That may not be significant, but it changes our "speculated wait time" from 14.4 months to 12.4 months. No that doesn't equate to a shortened wait by 2 months, since in the mean time a month has passed. But it is a month closer than we would have been if the average had not improved. With my last analysis, our referral was predicted to arrive at the end of Dec 2007; with this current analysis, it would arrive a the end of Nov 2006. SO, I'll take it (for now) and pray and hope and pray and hope some more that the improvements continue!

Weekend in KY!

We had a great time with our friends, the Millers at our weekend get-away at the Kentucky Lake. We rented a house (thankfully, because at times, it got a little loud) and cooked a few breakfasts and dinners. We had lots of tasty treats and the kids even improvised with some $ store costumes and we went to a Halloween "festival" at one of the state parks. It was pretty lame, but we had fun anyway.

The top pic is of Sara, Lauren and Abby in their bargain $ Store costumes -- not too bad, huh?

The next pic is of Josh, Noah, Lauren, Abby and Sara down at the marina.

The 3rd pic is of the kids. And the last picture is of Doug, Lucy (that's us) and Melissa and Chad. Won't we all (9 of us) be quite a sight arriving in China (someday) and then all 11 of us on the way home! They are very dear friends - we miss them, but are glad to have had some time with them to just relax and have fun. We ate at a great place, Patti's 1880 settlement - the restaurant was decorated beautifully, some Christmas (my fav) and some Halloween and fall. There were gift shops and animals!

Getting Away

We are excited to see this weekend draw near. It is the only football-free weekend for Doug's school, so we are meeting our friends, The Millers, at a lake cabin in KY. They are in IL and waiting for their daughter, Sarah Beth. We will very likely travel together! I think we all need some time away to just have fun.

Our home study update has been postponed. I am seriously realizing the possibility that a full year may pass and we will still be waiting. So, I don't really see any point in doing an update twice (and paying twice). I'm sure we will soon find ourselves in the whirlwind of having to re-do fingerprints and some of the immigration forms. Oh well - it's what we have to do! What are our alternatives? Pulling out? NO WAY! Ally is there and we need her here!

When Asked about "The Wait"

One of the Yahoo groups of which I am member, asked for feedback about the wait and how we "really felt". All I saw were these "textbook/Sunday School" answers that we are "supposed" to say. Maybe these people really feel that; but I don't, and that is why I posted the following:

I have thought a lot about posting and telling you how I really feel, as opposed to how I think I should say that I feel. Let me preface MY OPINION with saying that I firmly believe that this adoption is in God's hands and fully trust that His timing is perfect for our family and daughter. The "seed" was planted in my heart for China over 5 years ago, so when we made the FINAL decision to go forward, we were, at that point, very ready for this. When we began the process, the wait was 6-8 months. When we were LID, we were told the wait was 8-10 months. So, with officially 9 months of the wait behind us (from our LID) I am very frustrated with the wait. I don't like it, but I realize that I can't sit around and feel sorry for myself by letting life pass me by. I'm not miserable, just frustrated! We thought we would have her by now, and we are still most likely a year away from referral (if things continue to progress at the current rate). I do find comfort in knowing that this is in God's hands; but the human/planner/mom in me is READY to get my (our) new daughter. Of course, there is plenty to "do". But that will still be true after we have her! I realized long ago that we will never get "it all" done, so I choose not to stress about it (at least in theory). So, like it or not, I'm giving you my opinion. Please don't rake me over the coals for this. I'm not a pessimistic, just a realist! It may not be the PC answer or what any of us like to admit, but it is honest. I'm speaking only for myself and no one else. I think the wait stinks!

A Dream Awaits

This is a Christmas ad for The Children's Place. Take a close look at the little girl that the mom is holding! It's just so sweet. Can't wait to dress Ally in her flannel jammies after a bath! Maybe next Christmas...

Our Hope for the Update

OK -- Of course, I'm hoping that our calculated average improves when the CCAA updates sometimes this week. The prediction is that it will be from Aug 10-Aug 24. That is 15 days, which does improve our average slightly. What we hope to also see in the update is all of January 2006 being moved out of the review room. This will mean that our dossier has been approved by China and will officially begin to wait (here we go again) until it is pulled into the matching room. Step...step...step - one at a time! People with Aug LID's are staying up all night to watch for the update. Sometimes they update early (before referrals arrive) sometimes not (after referrals have arrived), so we'll see!

Hope for Children Picnic

What a fun afternoon we had yesterday! Our agency, Hope for Children, hosted a picnic for adoptive families and waiting families. We spent the day following our girls as they played with lots of new little friends.

A quick description of the pics...

This first little girl is LiLi (pronounced Lee Lee), daughter of our friends Debbie and Dan. She has been home since late May. She and Sara had fun playing peek-a-boo under the table. Sara is holding her in the bottom picture.

Lauren is on the slides with her 2 new friends (not sure of their names). They played most of the afternoon on the playground. For a few moments, Lauren had her face painted like a butterfly, but she wasn't thrilled with all of the attention that it attracted, so she quickly washed it off. She said the scary clown "made" her do it.


We had so much fun seeing all of the girls and talking to Debbie and Dan (and Ian, who was busy with friends, too), meeting Christy and Sophie (who's blog I read), as well as seeing Karen, our SW, and several of the others at HFC.

Speaking of Karen, she will be coming to our house this Wed for our follow-up home study. I think we have all of our paperwork ready, but need to tidy-up some! We will be glad to show her that Ally will have a room to herself now!

We are hearing rumors of a CCAA update coming soon and the referrals for Oct being mailed. I'll post once it is "official". Going to functions, like the picnic, helps make it real, but also makes it somewhat more frustrating with this wait. 

Lauren the Goalie

Yesterday was Lauren's first attempt at goalie. She had 3 great stops and nothing got by her. She wasn't too thrilled at my "action" shot, but I love the intensity in her expression! The coach put her in when the team had a "comfortable" lead, since it was her first try. She liked it, but I think prefers her usual defender position. I could tell she was nervous, but she really paid attention, which is good! 

Some Pretty Ugly Numbers

If memory serves me right, that title is an oxymoron.

Anyway, even though it isn't pretty, the math person that is buried deep inside of me has gotten to a point that I must look at the realistic and mathematical possibilities of what kind of time frame we are facing (anyone reading this, realize that this is MY calculation -- take it or leave it, but I think it's realistic - not optimistic, not pessimistic, just realistic). For what it's worth...

I looked at the number of days that have to be processed by the CCAA to get to our dossier's log in date. Our date is Jan 27, 2006 and they have processed paperwork through Aug 9, 2005. That is a simple one -- there are 170 days of dossiers ahead of us - yuck. So, with that, here goes...

I looked back to the number of days the CCAA progressed each month (9) since our dossier was logged-in. I thought about doing 2 "averages" - one of all the numbers in the last 9 months, and the other dropping the high and low months and averaging from there. However, the numbers were so close (11.85 and 11.77 days of dossiers processed per month) that I'll go with an approximate average of these two and call it 11.8 days.

Since we have 170 days to go, divide that by 11.8 and that gives us 14.4 months to go.... :( (with a tear in my eye).

I'll say it again ... that is an estimated 14.4 MORE months YET TO WAIT for our referral. Pretty BLEAK outlook, worse than I initially thought. That would mean a referral NEXT DECEMBER (I'm talking end of 2007). Maybe I should not have done the math. That would mean travel in Feb of 2008. (Which translates into a 2 year wait!!) The even worse news is that this is a realistic outlook based on the numbers they have put up -- it could slow down even more. Yes, I know, I know, but it can speed up. Yes, that is a possibility.

The WORST case scenario (based on one month in the last 9 months that they only processed 5 days of dossiers) is waiting 34 more months (that is 3 more years). I KNOW that cannot happen, so moving on...

To the BEST case scenario (based on 2 months in the last 9 months that they processed 18 days of dossiers) is waiting 9.4 more months. This MIGHT happen, but it's not likely. That would mean referral (remember, best case) in Sept next year and travel in early Nov? THat still stinks - seriously, if that is the best case, I wish I had never started analyzing this!

Bejing is hosting the 2008 Olympics, so maybe we should try to get tickets! Now there's something to look forward to -- JK....

Anyway, on to more YUCK. We both had our physicals today (girls had theirs last week) and also got our flu shots. The physicals were uneventful; however, I am apparently one of the few that "might possibly" develop flu-like symptoms after receiving the vaccine. I have a low grade fever, and I hurt all over - achy. Cold, hot, cold, hot. I'm thinking I'll be OK once I sleep - don't want to miss work tomorrow - that is a pain to reschedule! Everyone has deadlines.

I sound really depressed; however, I'm not. I have to look at this realistically to get a grasp of the possibilities. Next week will change our numbers as the referrals arrive for the month (usually between the 25th and 30th). We'll see how many more days into Aug 2005 that the CCAA progresses.

My best friend from high school is waiting to see if she and her hubby will make the cut this time. They are logged in on Aug 30, 2005. So maybe, maybe not. One "rumor" says they won't make it to the 30th, but everyone hopes they will (for the rest of the Aug people and for their own sakes!). I can't imagine how it must feel to be so close. One day, I'll know. I hope to be so very thankful at that point! Maybe I won't be too old to do the math then!

Sara's Party

Here is "The Gang" - Audrey, Sara, Hannah, Frederique, and Bryce (Lauren slipped into the "stop sign" pic). We started this tradition of a pic last year - I think I like the stop sign one best! I like how they are just being themselves. We went to Mellow Mushroom (where the 2 man band sang "Happy B'day" to Sara), Kohl's, and for a Hay-ride being pulled by the Gator, and then presents and smores on the deck. Hopefully, sleep will come shortly (I'm posting about 12:30 AM and they are still "chatting" upstairs). They are such fun girls - we hope they will all stay close friends so we can do a similar pic each year!
 

Ally's Ornament

I ordered this on-line! I thought it was so cute - the baby is wrapped in a Chinese flag and she has black hair! I saw this on one of my Yahoo groups and found out how to order it. The site was so cool - you could specify the country and boy/girl, the year, and the message! I wish it said "Ally's first Christmas"... Hopefully, next Christmas! 

First Friday Fun

We celebrated the passing of another month at the local FF gathering. This is Ella Kate "looking" with Sara as they look at a photo album! Lauren is hanging out in the background. She is just so cute -- she walked around kicking her leg, watching her leg as she walked and not paying attention to where she was walking. We all watched as she kicked and walked right into the counter - but she didn't cry one bit! Sara and Lauren can't get enough of these little girls; wonder how different it will be when ours is around all the time!

AWANA Campout

Sara and Bill celebrating Sara's 13th and Bill's ??th b'days! They were both good sports and put up with my silliness - they had signs on the front that said "B'day Girl/Boy" and this is the "rear view"!
I finally found my camera cord! This pic of Lauren, Amelia, Sara, Audrey and Stephanie was taken 2 weeks ago at the cold and "dew-y" campout near our church. We had fun and were grateful to have taken the down comforters! It was cold and wet when we woke up. Thankfully, the girls slept better than I did. It was Sara's b'day as well as Bill's (Amelia and Steph's dad) so they each wore a few homemade signs! Unfortunately, they ran out of hot chocolate!

Nothing Much to Report

Well, maybe that isn't really the case for us, but for China news, it is true.

Anyway, we enjoyed another First Friday gathering at the end of last week. It is always so nice to see other families with their little girls. It reminds me of how our lives will change - for the better! I also remember how much we have forgotten about having a toddler! I'm sure we don't really realize how much we have forgotten about that. But it's nice to see the little ones. I'll drop in a pic once I find my camera cable!!!! OOPS!

We look forward to all the little things in our lives - a Hope for Children picnic in a few weeks, a day off of school next week, and Halloween!

Work is getting really busy, which makes me nervous thinking ahead to next fall (I'm assuming I'll be chasing around a cute little toddler with black hair by then!).

China is on some sort of vacation this week - they celebrate a Harvest Moon Festival to honor their families. Families of adopted Chinese children celebrate this as well, taking it as an opportunity to talk about adoption with the kids. I'm sure that will be a tough conversation (many) for us one day.

2 Quotes or Sayings

I can't believe that I haven't put this first one in my blog, as it is a "central theme" in the China adoption "community".

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."
- An Ancient Chinese saying

Another one is from some random "feel good" email I received. I may have modified the wording and I don't know who said the original, so there is no real credit to give for this one.

"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."

I love both of these. I know that the moment that Doug looked at me (in Aug 2005) and said, "I'm ready," was one of those moments that took my breath away - literally!

We have a Teen!

That is right. We have a teenager living in our house! Sara turned 13 this past Saturday. No big celebration yet. She is having a couple of her long-time best friends over to "christen" her new room in a few weekends. They may do some "American Idol" (a favorite of b'days past).

We have scheduled our Home Study update for later this month. Although, I am looking forward to seeing Karen again, I wish it was on other terms! The original HS was valid for one year. We completed that at the end of last October, so it's time to update that (and pay again...).

8 Months and Still Counting

Yesterday marked our 8 months since LID to China. We have accomplished a lot in the last 8 months, mainly the room addition which is 96% (give or take) complete. I am attempting to set even loftier goals of "going through" and weeding out some of our stuff (I deny that it is junk, but truthfully, well, you know what I mean!) and getting our life organized. Those of you that know us, realize what a huge goal this is! We tend to be clutter challenged at times and with my office being in our house, that just adds to the craziness. So, I will continue to cleanse and purge, going through each room and cabinet and drawer as we wait!

Pink Pooh and a Blankie

I've never been a Winnie the Pooh fan, but when we saw this SUPER SOFT Pooh at the Disney store, he just had to come home with us! Of course, most things pink catch my eye!

The blanket was Ally's first baby gift. It's from Joel and Randi - they were some of the first people we told about Ally! Both are in her new room just waiting for her arrival!
 

18 Days Closer

Here is this months update from CCAA. It is the bold date that we are counting down to -- our date is Jan 27, 2006.

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before December 31, 2005. The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before August 9, 2005.

So, in the last month, they processed 18 days of dossiers. That is the biggest number since I have been tracking it, so that is great progress. But from what I have heard on the rumor site, early Aug was very light. Therefore, it may be false hope in reality, but who knows? I do know the answer to that Q, but sometimes it doesn't make it easier.

Ally's Room

Here it is with carpet! 

From This ... to This

From April 2006 to Sept 2006 - the carpet went in today! We started moving Sara into her new room. Lauren and Sara are both sleeping up there tonight!